Written Answers of 25 April 1988

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Mr. Roc Sandford
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis as to what costs were incurred by the Metropolitan police in bringing charges relating to the possession of drugs against Mr. Roc Sandford.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that Mr. Roc Sandford was charged with possession of controlled drugs, was tried and subsequently acquitted at the Crown court in 1985. He was initially awarded £15,000 costs against the police. A further £4,000 costs and £10,000 damages have since been awarded by the Metropolitan police in an out-of-court settlement. Metropolitan police budgeting arrangements have been changed since that time and so it is not now possible to assess accurately the cost of the operation.

  Charity Commissioners
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the powers and functions of the Charity Commissioners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have received a number of representations from charitable organisations and others broadly in support of the Woodfield report's recommendations for strengthening the powers of the Charity Commissioners, and altering the scope and balance of their work.

  Drugs Cases
  Mr. Frank Field
  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 about the number of cases involving charges of drugs possession made by his officers in which these charges have been dropped in the wake of allegations of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment or malicious prosecution brought against the police, and on the amount of damages paid in each case; and if he will name the stations involved.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Asylum
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for visitors' visas subsequently applied for asylum in each of the last five years; of which countries the applicants were nationals; and how many applications were successful.
  2
  Mr. Renton
  The information requested is not available.

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the regional emergency committees will be activated during the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link, due to take place in September and October 1988; whether he will describe liaison arrangements between his Department and the Association of Chief Police Officers through the Police War Duties Committee in relation to these exercises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Officials have discussed the arrangements for these exercises with chief officers of police. It is a matter for individual chief officers to determine whether, and to what extent, their forces should participate. The question of participation by regional emergency committees is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

  Health Lottery
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the LOTO consultancy seeking amendment of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 to permit the operation of a health lottery.

  Mr. John Patten
  None.

  Snaresbrook (Court Building)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his plans are for the future of the temporary court building at Snaresbrook, in London.

  The Attorney-General
  I have been asked to reply.

  The six Crown court court rooms now being constructed at Snaresbrook are due to come into operation later this year. Planning permission for such use has been granted by the local planning authority for five years from the date of occupation.

  Bail Hostels
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations has he received about the need for more secure conditions in bail hostels in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: From time to time, probation service organisations such as the National Association of Probation Officers and the Association of Chief Officers of Probation, and individual chief probation officers have made representations that the staffing levels at some approved probation/bail hostels should be increased to ensure the safety of hostel staff and a working party has been established to look into this matter.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Housing Bill
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners,
  3
  what representations the Church Commissioners have received about the implications for their investment policy of the Housing Bill.

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners have not received any representations.

ENERGY

  Child Care
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what child care provision his Department 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. Michael Spicer
  My Department has no child care provision and has no plans to introduce any.

  Nuclear Power Stations
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has to invite United States companies to build nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  None.

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy in what way his Department will participate in any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link due to take place in September and October 1988; how many staff are allocated to this task; how much such participation is estimated to cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  My Department is not involved in these exercises.

  Energy Disconnections
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give his Department's estimate of the number of disconnections for non-payment of bills in respect of(a) gas and (b) electricity for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88.

  Mr. Parkinson
  This is a matter for the industries concerned. I have asked the chairmen of the Electricity Council and British Gas plc to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

  Oil and Gas
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he will publish his next report on oil and gas developments in the United Kingdom, the "Brown Book".

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My right hon. Friend has today published the latest edition of the Brown Book, and has arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House and in the Vote Office. The report gives a detailed account of oil and gas development during 1987.

PRIME MINISTER

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she intends to participate in any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link, due to take place in September and October 1988; whether it is intended to activate the Cabinet Office Briefing Room, COBRA, and transition-to-war headquarters PINDAR; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The military home defence exercises planned for September and October 1988 are district field training exercises, each under the independent command of the appropriate general officer commanding. The questions of Ministerial participation and of the involvement of central crisis management machinery do not arise.

  Middle East (International Conference)
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply of 19 April on the middle east to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short),Official Report, column 672, whether she will make it her policy to encourage discussions between Israel and Governments other than that of Jordan within the framework of an international conference; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  Yes. In our view an international conference would be open to the Governments of Israel and neighbouring states, to Palestinian representatives and to the Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council.

  Nuclear Weapons Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Newport, East (Mr. Hughes) on 24 March,Official Report, column 162, (1) whether there has been any modernisation of the capability of any United States nuclear warheads and associated weapons systems stationed in the United Kingdom since 1979;

  (2) what was the most recent decision on modernisation of nuclear warheads affecting non-strategic weapons systems in service with British forces;

  (3) pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Newport, East (Mr. Hughes) on 24 March, Official Report, column 162, what was the most recent modernisation of nuclear warheads affecting non-strategic weapons systems in service with British forces.

  The Prime Minister
  Consistent with the policy of successive Governments I am unable to confirm or deny the presence of United States nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom. As with its conventional weapons systems, the process of in-service modification of NATO's existing nuclear weapons systems is a continuous one. Since this Government came into office in 1979, no decisions have been taken to introduce new sub-strategic nuclear warheads or nuclear capable systems into service with British forces. Ground-launched cruise missiles have been deployed in the United Kingdom since 1983, but otherwise no new United States nuclear capable systems have been stationed in the United Kingdom since 1979.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Medical Research Council
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has received from the Medical Research Council for future research into(a) major psychiatric disorders and (b) schizophrenia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has received no such proposals. It is for the Medical Research Council to determine its priorities for research from within the annual grant in aid which it receives from the Department's science budget.

  Dental School, Edinburgh
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimates he has of the cost of developing a new dental school in Edinburgh in the event of the University Grants Committee working party's proposals to close Dundee's dental hospital going ahead.

  Mr. Jackson
  Current plans envisage a replacement dental hospital in Edinburgh; there are no present plans for a new dental school within the university. The University Grants Committee, in consultation with relevant Government Departments, is considering the implications of the dental review working party's proposals.

  Student Unions (Ultra Vires Payments)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many prosecutions have been undertaken in respect of ultra vires payments by student unions in each year since 1970;

  (2) what information he has as to police investigations of ultra vires payments by student unions in each year since 1970.

  Mr. Jackson
  The criminal courts would be involved in relation to ultra vires payments only to the extent that a criminal offence might also have been committed. I understand that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary does not hold information centrally on prosecutions or police investigations in sufficient detail to identify any involving student unions or their officers.

  Inner London Parents (Ballot)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 19 April,Official Report, column 669, on what information he based his statement that the Inner London parents' ballot was not a ballot of all Inner London education authority parents.

  Mr. Dunn
  My statement reflected the fact that the ballot gave only one vote to couples with a single child attending an ILEA school, and gave no vote to those parents in the Inner London education authority area who, perhaps because of dissatisfaction with ILEA, have chosen for their children either a school maintained by another authority, or an independent school.

  Grant Maintained Schools
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the selection procedure to be adopted for grant-maintained schools which may be formed after the enactment of the Education Reform Bill, particularly when the number of applications for entry exceeds the standard number.

  Mr. Dunn
  A school which applies to my right hon. Friend for grant-maintained status will have to provide information on its physical capacity and state the arrangements it proposes to adopt in respect of the admission of pupils if the application is approved. The articles of government of each grant-maintained school, which will be made by my right hon. Friend, will set out the school's admission policy, will provide for appeals against decisions on admissions, and will provide for details of the admissions arrangements to be published each year. Admissions arrangements must include the criteria the governors would use in deciding among applicants if the school was oversubscribed. If the school's admissions arrangements when it was a local authority school did not allow for the selection of pupil by reference to ability or aptitude, the prohibition on such selection criteria will apply at the date of the school's transfer to grant-maintained status. Other criteria for deciding priorities might refer, for example, to the distance of an applicant's home from the school, or to the presence of a brother or sister in the school.

  Teachers
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimates have been made of the number of teachers needed in each subject at the secondary level to ensure that each school will have all qualified staff needed to teach all subjects in the national curriculum.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) on II January, at column 53.

  Kirklees Metropolitan Council
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the expenditure per pupil for each of the years from 1976 to 1982 in Kirklees metropolitan council area.

  Mr. Dunn
  The net institutional recurrent expenditure per pupil by Kirklees local education authority in primary and secondary schools in the years 1975–76 to 1982–83 is set out in the table.

  Net institutional recurrent expenditure covers the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay.

  Expenditure per pupil in Kirklees 1976 to 1982

  Primary

  Secondary

  1975–76

  240

  360

  1976–77

  270

  390

  7

  Primary

  Secondary

  1977–78

  290

  420

  1978–79

  330

  475

  1979–80

  390

  545

  1980–81

  500

  690

  1981–82

  590

  780

  1982–83

  650

  855

  Note:—All figures are in cash terms.

  Land Registry
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Attorney-General what information he has on the problems faced by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Giles of 39 Napier avenue, Southend, as a result of the Land Registry's delay in responding to a request for deeds for that property, Title No. EX 354786; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The application for the registration of the lease of this property was lodged at the Land Registry on 15 July 1987. On 14 April 1988 the registry received a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Giles' solicitors inquiring about progress and stating that the property had been sold. The application was completed on 22 April.

  Child Care
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Attorney-General what child care provision(a) his Department and (b) the Lord Chancellor's Department 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.

  The Attorney-General
  (a) None. Only seven of the 19 officials in the Law Officers' Department have children of pre-school or school age and there is no demand for child provision.

  (b) None. The great majority of the 450 offices of the Lord Chancellor's Department have fewer than 30 staff which is too few to support local day care schemes. However, where there is sufficient demand for child care, practical advice and support are available to members of staff who wish to establish child care schemes, and requests for modest financial assistance to help establish such schemes will be considered.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Crown Immunity
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will introduce legislation to bring Crown immunity in England and Wales into line with the formulation of the rule of construction established for Scottish courts by the decision in the case of Lord Advocate on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence v. Strathclyde regional council and v. Dumbarton district council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  The Government have decided to appeal against the decision of the Court of Session to the House of Lords. It would be inappropriate to consider action in advance of that appeal.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Drugs (Illegal Imports)
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of seizures of illegally imported drugs, for the last year for which information is available, come from(a) EEC countries and (b) the rest of the world.

  Mr. Lilley
  The last year for which definitive information is available is 1986. The proportions were as follows:

  Drug

  From or via other EC countries per cent.

  From the rest of the world per cent.

  Heroin

  13·3

  86·7

  Cocaine

  50·.2

  49·8

  Cannabis resin

  64·6

  35·4

  Cannabis (herbal)

  8·3

  91·7

  Amphetamines

  100

  —

  War Loan
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will enter in the Official Report, in tabular form, for 3½ per cent. war loan, information showing the numbers of individuals with holdings of up to (a) £1,000, (b) £2,000, (c) £4,000, (d) £5,000 and (e) £5,000 to £10,000; and within these categories if he will give a breakdown of how long this stock has been held.

  Mr. Lilley
  I regret this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. Brooke
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: In 1987–88 the total travel and subsistence costs of foreign trips by Ministers and their private secretaries was £19,751. The cost of foreign travel by other civil servants was £464,189.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  South West African-Namibia
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list United Kingdom contributions to South West African-Namibian development through national, Commonwealth or European Community action in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Gross bilateral aid and the estimated British share of Commonwealth—Commonwealth fund for technical co-operation—aid to Namibia since 1983 have been as follows:

  £'000

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Gross bilateral aid

  279

  313

  605

  733

  Estimated United Kingdom share of Commonwealth aid1

  66

  72

  91

  105

  9
  Figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  1 Figures cover the period July/June.

  Between 1979 and 1986 the EC provided 9·9 mecu—United Kingdom share equivalent to about £1·4 million—but no annual breakdown of expenditure is available.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list current development projects in South West Africa-Namibia 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 channelled.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The bulk of our bilateral programme and all assistance through the Commonwealth fund for technical co-operation is devoted to educational activities outside Namibia. Within the country we are currently supporting the following projects:

  Estimatedexpenditure1988–89

  In-service teacher training project

  15,500

  Books presentations to various schools/colleges

  10,000

  Classroom furniture for Ongula Metanga primary school

  1,900

  Textbooks for Katatura School

  1,250

  Textbooks for Windhoek legal advice centre

  1,500

  Salaries for staff at Odibo Clinic

  5,500

  Assistance to the first project is channelled through the Namibia Christian Exchange; the remainder through the British embassy and the British Council in South Africa.

  The EC is providing some 500,000 ecu — United Kingdom share £73,000 — for community centres, support for public awareness and vocational training in Namibia.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is currently being given by the British Government to Ethiopia to alleviate the problems of drought, locust and famine in that country.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  British commitments for famine relief in Ethiopia, through bilateral and European Community channels, total over £45 million since the beginning of 1987. This includes the cost of 94,500 tonnes of bilateral food aid to help in meeting needs during 1988 and £3 million to support airlift operations by the office of the United Nations disaster relief co-ordinator. It also includes assistance with transport, port handling equipment, medicines and grain storage.

  We are also assisting with rehabilitation following the 1984–85 famine, including a £1·2 million well rehabilitation project in Welo region.

  Since the beginning of 1987 we have provided over £650,000 for emergency assistance in Ethiopia through the Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa.

  AIDS
  Mr. Rhodes James
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether British expertise and experience in screening blood for the HIV will be made available to African states under the overseas 10
  development aid programme.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Screened blood is a priority for all national AIDS control programmes. These are being established in African countries and elsewhere under the technical guidance of the World Health Organisation's global programme on AIDS. British expertise is being used to develop many of these programmes. Britain has committed over £12 million so far from the overseas aid programme in support of this work.

  British blood experts are also helping to develop a global initiative, launched by the World Health Organisation, to safeguard blood against HIV and other infections.

  Zambia
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is this assessment of Zambia's response to International Monetary Fund demands in relation to the management of the Zambian economy.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I am disappointed that Zambia has not so far been able to reach agreement with the International Monetary Fund on an appropriate economic reform programme. We believe such a programme to be essential to economic recovery in Zambia.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made, or intends to make, to Zambia in support of International Monetary Fund pressure for Zambia's budget deficit to be reduced to 5 per cent. of gross domestic product.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We are in regular contact with the Zambian Government and have encouraged them to reach agreement with the International Monetary Fund. The technical details are for the International Monetary Fund and the Zambians to settle.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is available to him, in formulating aid policy, about the economic situation in Zambia.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  A wide range of economic information is available to me on Zambia from both international and local sources.

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

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Gross bilateral aid and the estimated British share of Commonwealth and European Community aid to Zambia since 1983 is as follows:

  £'000

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Gross bilateral aid

  15,485

  32,901

  25,552

  35,366

  Estimated United Kingdom share of EC aid

  1,290

  4,140

  5,220

  2,500

  11

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  Estimated United Kingdom share of Common-wealth Fund for Technical Cooperation expenditure for Zambia

  48

  71

  123

  160

  Figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why £30 million of British aid to Zambia has been frozen; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In December 1986 Her Majesty's Government indicated that some £30 million could be made available to Zambia in the calendar year 1987 in the form of programme aid, provided that agreement could be reached between Zambia and the IMF on an appropriate programme of economic reform. No such agreement was reached and none of the finance was released.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list current development projects in Zambia for which United Kingdom national, Commonwealth and European Community assistance had been agreed, the value of that assistance, and for which of these projects aid has been frozen.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Under the bilateral aid programme for Zambia, Britain is currently financing two rural development schemes at a total cost of some £7·6 million. In addition, we expect to disburse about £12 million in 1988–89 on a range of technical co-operation activities including the provision of expert personnel; training for Zambians in the United Kingdom; consultancies; and a contribution to the World Health Organisation/Government of Zambia medium term AIDS control plan.

  Britain contributes 30 per cent. of the expenditure of the Commonwealth fund for technical co-operation which currently runs some 53 projects in Zambia mainly involving the provision of experts and training at an estimated cost of £1·6 million.

  Current development projects in Zambia financed by the european Community under the second and third Lome conventions are as follows:

  Title

  mecu Allocation

  Agricultural Sector Import Programme

  21·800

  Rehabilitation copper and cobalt mining industry (II)

  28·000

  Interest rate subsidy, NCCM Chingola Mine

  6·816

  Tsetse and trypanosomiasis control programme

  5·000

  Maize development

  5·550

  Rural township water supply

  5·200

  Rice development

  4·000

  Rural health centres

  2·000

  First Microprojects Programme

  2·120

  Vaccine production project

  3·000

  Development Bank of Zambia interest rate subsidy

  1·724

  Miscellaneous studies

  1·079

  Miscellaneous regional training activities

  2·244

  Agricultural sector import programme

  18·200

  12

  Title

  mecu Allocation

  Development Bank of Zambia

  10·500

  Copperbelt smallholder development

  12·000

  Centre for accounting studies

  4·000

  Maths and Science Teacher education

  3·500

  Reintegration of nationals

  0·300

  None of the development activities described above has been froze.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment is available to him of Zambia's debt repayment arrears; and to which countries repayment has not been made.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Zambia's arrears on repayments of aid loans to the United Kingdom are currently £3·2 million. Arrears to the International Monetary Fund are SDR 421 million, and to the World Bank $82 million. No current figures are readily available on the extent of other arrears.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the effect on Zambia of the suspension of international aid.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Some aid to Zambia, but by no means all, has been suspended. Project aid and technical cooperation from Britain and certain other donors are continuing. The reduction in flows of balance of payments aid to Zambia has coincided with a rise in Zambia's copper export earnings as a result of higher world prices and with decisions by the Zambians to reduce their payments of debt service. It is difficult to assess with precision the effects over time of these various offsetting changes.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his current assessment of shortages of food and other essentials in Zambia; and what are the implications for Her Majesty's Government's overseas aid effort.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the prospects for an above-average cereals harvest this year in Zambia are very good. However, there are continuing shortages of staple commodities and other essentials available for sale. In the current circumstances, we shall continue to concentrate our aid programme to Zambia on the provision of technical co-operation in key areas and on the integrated rural development schemes in the northern and central provinces.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment is available to him on the level of economic growth in Zambia in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The estimated growth in Zambia's gross domestic product since 1983 is as follows:

  percentage growth rate in GDP

  growth

  1984

  -0·4

  1985

  3·4

  1986

  2·0

  1987

  2·5

  Source: IMF staff papers.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimates he now has of crop failure in Ethiopia and of that country's emergency needs for grain and supplies of food; how far those needs are being met by donor countries; and how far grain and supplies of food will be available in the areas where they are most needed.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  A Food and Agriculture Organisation assessment mission in December 1987 estimated tht Eritrea had suffered an 80 per cent. main crop failure. In Tigre and Welo regions crop failure was estimated to be over 70 per cent. and in Hararghe 30 per cent.; while parts of other regions, in particular north-eastern Shewa and eastern Gonder, were also seriously affected. Ethiopia's total additional food requirement until the end of 1988 was set at 1·3 million tonnes. Following poor secondary "belg" rains in Welo and northern Shewa in February-March 1988, this overall requirement is likely to be increased by up to 200,000 tonnes.

  Donors have pledged over 1 million tonnes of food aid for 1988. Together with food pledged in 1987 but expected to be delivered in 1988, and carry-over stocks, this should be sufficient to meet Ethiopia's needs. However, the recent escalation of civil war in Eritrea and Tigre, and the Ethiopian Government's announcement that most expatriate relief workers must leave these regions, has brought distribution of food to those in need almost to a standstill. The world food programme is now recommending that donors delay food aid shipments due to congestion of the Ethiopian ports.

  The situation is extremely serious and a major tragedy is likely if full-scale relief operations cannot be resumed soon. All parties to the conflict will bear a grave responsibility if this occurs. We have consistently called on all concerned to allow secure free passage for relief convoys.

WALES

  Welsh College of Music and Drama
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what inspections of the Welsh college of music and drama have been made by Her Majesty's inspectors of education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The initial training course offered jointly by the Welsh college of music and drama and the South Glamorgan institute of higher education was inspected in autumn 1986 and spring 1987. A general inspection of the college took place between 29 February and 4 March this year.

  South-East Wales
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what contribution from the Welsh Development Agency and Cardiff Bay development corporation is being made to the promotion of south-east Wales as a financial services centre.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The campaign I launched recently to promote south-east Wales as a financial services center 14
  is being led by the Welsh Development Agency and backed by a consortium of six other bodies, including the Cardiff Bay development corporation.

  The campaign is planned to run for two years initially The WDA proposes to contribute a maximum of £500,000 a year from within its existing marketing budget. The development corporation plans a contribution of £25,000 in each year.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of the business community in Wales to discuss the proposed national non-domestic rate.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend and I have had frequent communications with representatives of the business community in Wales and have discussed many topics that are of mutual interest.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, when he next meets the chairman of the Welsh water authority, he will discuss future water charges.

  Mr. Grist
  Yes. They will be included as part of our discussion of the authority's corporate plan.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest unadjusted figures for unemployment in(a) Newport, (b) Gwent and (c) Wales, and if he will give the equivalent figures for the same date in 1979 on the most nearly comparable basis.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  On 10 March 1988 the numbers of unemployed claimants in Newport district, Gwent and Wales were 7,696, 22,495 and 141,403 respectively. Unadjusted figures for 1979 are not available on a basis that enables a valid comparison to be made.

  In-patient Treatment
  Mr. Alex Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are waiting for in-patient treatment for urgent and non-urgent cases in Powys; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Thirty-two people were waiting for non-urgent in-patient treatment in NHS hospitals in Powys on 30 September 1987, a reduction of 45 per cent. on the previous year, and none were waiting for urgent treatment. I congratulate the Powys health authority on meeting its in-patient targets.

  Sheep Movements
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the impact of the restrictions of sheep movements in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Restrictions on the movement and slaughter of sheep in parts of north Wales following the Chernobyl accident have been successful in protecting public health and maintaining consumer confidence in lamb. £3·3 million has been paid to affected producers in Wales under schemes of compensation introduced in consultation with the farming unions.

  Home Improvement (Grants and Loans)
  Mr. John
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the annual number of home improvement grants and home improvement loans in Wales at the latest convenient date.

  Mr. Grist
  In 1987 some 20,000 grants were completed at a cost in excess of £59 million. Information on home improvement loans is not collected by the Department.

  Pontypool and District Hospital
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the possible closure of Pontypool and district hospital.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend has received no representations concerning the possible closure of Pontypool and district hospital.

  Tree-planting Schemes
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on progress in initiatives and plans to encourage broadleaved tree-planting schemes in the Principality.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The planting of broadleaves will be encouraged under the new woodland grant scheme, which provides substantially higher rates of grant for broad-leaves than for conifers and a supplement for planting on better land. Planting of broadleaved trees by farmers will be further encouraged under the proposed farm woodland scheme.

  Amenity tree planting is supported by grants from the Countryside Commission and a number of other sources.

  Housing Lists
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were on local authority housing lists(a) in 1979 and (b) in 1987.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on the number of people on housing waiting lists is not available centrally.

  Flint Castle (Report)
  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to take in the light of the report entitled "Flint Castle and Environs: A Feasibility Study," commissioned by CADW, Delyn borough council and the Welsh Development Agency.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend and I welcome the report. We are currently considering with the various parties involved how best to proceed in the light of the consultants' findings.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what number and percentage of the total electors in the district council areas of(a) Preseli, Pembrokeshire, and (b) south Pembrokeshire currently pay domestic rates; and what estimate he has of the number and percentage of electors in each area who will pay the community charge.

  Mr. Grist
  My best estimate is that there are about 27,000 people in Preseli and 16,000 in south 16
  Pembrokeshire liable for domestic rates. This represents 51 per cent. of the electoral rolls in each district. Almost all adults will be liable for the community charge.

  Concessionary Bus Fares
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the provision of concessionary bus fares for children arising out of the Transport Act 1985.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Transport Act 1985 gave local authorities the opportunity to review their concessionary fares schemes and to improve, modify or introduce schemes for certain groups including children. Some authorities have used these powers, but in most areas there has been no change.

  Clwyd Area Health Authority
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were employed as (i) ancillaries and (ii) professionals by Clwyd area health authority in(a) 1979 and (b) 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The number of whole-time equivalents at 30 September employed by Clwyd district health authority is given as follows:

  1979

  1987

  Ancillary staff

  1,324

  1,186

  Professional and technical staff'

  377

  553

  1 Includes professions allied to medicine, scientific staff, technicians, pharmacists and opticians.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were employed by Clwyd area health authority family practitioner committee in 1979 and 1987.

  Mr. Grist
  The information, which relates to whole-time equivalents as at 30 September, is as follows:

  Number

  1979

  31·0

  1987

  34·6

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many secondary schools in Wales teach Welsh as a second language; how many pupils are involved in each year group; and what percentage this is for each year group.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  In September 1987, 196 secondary schools in Wales taught Welsh as a second language. The information by year group is as follows:

  Year group

  Number of pupils

  Percentage of year group

  I

  22,496

  69·4

  II

  21,277

  63·0

  III

  17,362

  49·1

  IV

  6,844

  18·2

  V

  6,996

  17·7

  VI

  640

  3·0

  Total

  75,615

  37·8

  17
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many primary schools in Wales teach, wholly or partly in Welsh(a) two subjects, (b) three subjects, (c) four subjects, (d) five subjects and (e) more than five subjects.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many secondary schools in Wales teach wholly or partly in Welsh(a) two subjects, (b) three subjects, (c) four subjects, (d) five subjects and (e) more than five subjects.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The information relating to September 1987 is as follows:

  Number of subjects

  Number of schools

  2

  —

  3

  7

  4

  1

  5

  2

  More than 5

  40

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many primary schools in Wales teach Welsh to all pupils either as the language of the home or a second language, giving the number and percentage of pupils in each case.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The information is not collected centrally in the form requested. However, in September 1987, 1,018 primary schools taught Welsh to all pupils either as a second language or as a medium of instruction. These schools represented 122,140 pupils, about 47·5 per cent. of the total primary school population.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many students are currently in training to teach(a) through the medium of Welsh at junior level, (b) through the medium of Welsh at secondary level, (c) Welsh as a second language in junior schools and (d) Welsh as a second language in secondary schools; and how many he estimates will be required to meet the needs of implementing the national curriculum's requirements in Wales.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  In 1986 there were 213 students in Wales training to teach through the medium of Welsh at primary level and about 38 at secondary level. No information is held about the number of students training to teach Welsh as a second language, but in 1986, 53 students in training were pursuing Welsh as a main subject in bachelor of education courses and 16 were pursuing postgraduate training to teach Welsh in secondary schools. It is too early to make precise estimates of the number of teachers that will be required to meet the needs of implementing the national curriculum. Local education authorities will be expected to plan on the basis of incremental implementation of the national curriculum over a number of years within the framework of the present planned resources.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Lebanon
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom citizens held as hostages in Lebanon.

  Mr. Mellor
  Her Majesty's embassy in Beirut is doing everything it reasonably can to obtain information there about the disappearance and present whereabouts of our hostages. We are in regular contact with middle eastern and other Governments who might be able to help. While we deeply sympathise with the hostages and share the anguish of their families, it is our firm policy not to make substantive concessions to kidnappers, because experience has shown that making deals leads to more hostage taking and places further lives at risk.

  Christina Endrigkeit
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his discussions with the West German Government over the implications for Euro-Arab relations of the investigative custody of Christina Endrigkeit.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No. I have nothing to add to the many statements we have made on these matters.

  Vladimir Tufeld
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Soviet Government about their continued failure to grant an exit visa to Vladimir Tufeld of Moscow so that he can join his critically ill wife.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have made repeated representations to the Soviet authorities on behalf of Vladimir Tufeld, making clear my right hon. and learned Friend's personal interest and that of the Prime Minister, most recently on 21 April. My right hon. and learned Friend was able to meet Mr. Tufeld in February and to raise his case personally with Mr. Shevardnadze. The humanitarian grounds for his being given art exit visa are overwhelming and we hope the Soviet authorities will reconsider their decision.

  South Africa
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific initiatives Her Majesty's Government have taken, alone or with other members of the United Nations, with regard to(a) apartheid in South Africa, (b) the illegal occupation of Namibia by South Africa, (c) the repeated violence in the territory of Angola, and (d) the funding of mercenary troops in Mozambique, over the past 12 months.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have made frequent representations, both bilaterally and in concert with our European Community partners, on human rights abuses, including detentions without charge, and forced removals; restrictions on the media; the restrictions placed on 17 anti-apartheid organisations and individuals on 24 February; the implications of the Promotion of Orderly Internal Politics Bill; clemency for the Sharpeville six; the need to release Nelson Mandela and other political
  19
  prisoners, to unban the ANC and other political parties and to start a process of dialogue and negotiation with credible black leaders.

  On Namibia, we have worked in support of Security Council resolution 601, empowering the Secretary General to negotiate a ceasefire leading to implementation of SCR 435. On Angola, in addition to voting for Security Council resolutions 602 and 606 which called for the immediate withdrawal of South African troops, we have used every available opportunity to impress upon the South African Government the need for them to contribute to a peaceful settlement. The South African Government are also well aware of our strong view that they should not support Renamo forces in Mozambique, directly or indirectly.

  Young People (Exchange Visits)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there are any plans to increase the funding available for young people living in the United Kingdom to undertake Commonwealth and other international exchange visits; if he will take steps to ensure that the proposed Youth for Europe scheme maintains or increases opportunities for young people in Britain to undertake exchange visits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are no plans to increase the available funds at present. Our aim is to ensure that any Youth for Europe programme complements the existing successful youth exchange programmes in the United Kingdom.

  Brazil
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his Brazilian counterpart; if he will discuss with him Brazil's failure to sign the mutual protocol on the substances which deplete the ozone layer and the damage caused to it by the burning of the Amazonian forest; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present to meet the Foreign Minister of Brazil.

  Ascension Island
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any further progress has been made in cleaning litter and empty beer cans from Ascension Island.

  Mr. Eggar
  Ascension Island Services is responsible for refuse collection on the island and ensures that refuse is collected on a regular basis. There are notices displayed around the island warning people that anyone caught dropping litter will be fined up to a maximum of £20. Also the Scouts carry out sponsored tidying-up campaigns from time to time.

  St. Helena
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the Government rates of pay and social welfare on St. Helena.

  Mr. Eggar
  The St. Helena Government set these pay rates. Rates of pay, with effect from 1 April 1988, range 20
  from £1,284 up to £9,012. There are a total of 62 salary points on the scale. Weekly social welfare rates range from £4·75 for a dependent child up to £32·50 for a family.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many dwellings have been completed on St. Helena in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Eggar
  Government dwellings have been com-pleted on St. Helena in each of the last five years as follows:

  Number

  1983–84

  12

  1984–85

  23

  1985–86

  11

  1986–87

  11

  1987–88

  0

  In addition, planning approval for private dwellings are granted as follows:

  Number

  1983

  34

  1984

  67

  1985

  35

  1986

  50

  1987

  60

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many donkeys there are on Ascension Island; whose responsibility they are; and what are the areas that they are allowed to graze.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is estimated that there are about 60 donkeys on Ascension. They are protected under the Ascension Island ordinances and are the Administrator's responsibility. With the exception of the air base which is fenced off, the donkeys are free to graze on the island.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the reduction of feral cats on Ascension Island; and what estimate he can make of the remaining numbers.

  Mr. Eggar
  Ascension Island Services and the organisations based on Ascension have an on-going culling programme for all sectors of the island, with the assistance, as appropriate, of the police. These measures are considered to be effective and it is estimated that more than 150 cats were destroyed last year. It is not known how many cats remain on the island.

  Fiji
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent talks he has had with Ministers from Fiji; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend had talks with the Prime Minister of Fiji on 29 March, covering various aspects of our relations. Ratu Mara spoke of his efforts to return Fiji to constitutional government. These have our full support.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state what representations he has received about the current status of United Kingdom military aid to Fiji.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have received one letter from a member of the public.
  21
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if military aid has been restored to Fiji; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  A modest programme of military training will continue.

  NAVTEX
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that EEC countries transmit NAVTEX naviga-tional guidance information.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I have been asked to reply.

  Provision of NAVTEX, an international service for promulgation to ships of coastal navigational and meteorological and other safety information, is coordinated through the International Maritime Organisation-sponsored worldwide navigational warning service. Some European coasts already have the service, and further transmitting stations are planned.

SCOTLAND

  Tributyl
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the implications for fish farming of his research into anti-foulant tributyl.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Following consideration of the results carried out by Government scientists the use of tributyltin-based compounds used to prevent the fouling of fish farm nets and cages is prohibited through regulations introduced last year. This has required the fish farming industry to consider alternative compounds as anti-foulants.

  Breast Cancer Screening
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the publicity material about breast cancer screening which the Scottish Health Education Group is preparing will be ready.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The essential component of the breast cancer screening programme is that women in the age range 50 to 64 will receive a personal invitation to attend a centre for screening. The Scottish Health Education Group is collaborating with the national training centre for breast cancer screening in Edinburgh to devise a suitable letter of invitation and an information leaflet about breast cancer screening. The material will be available in June. The need for a national publicity campaign will be considered once all the screening centres are in operation.

  Job losses
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the latest figures of job losses caused by the removal or closure of American-owned factories in Scotland since 1979.

  Mr. Lang
  The estimated number of job losses in manufacturing units which were US-owned in 1979 with an employment of more than 10 in that year, and which are now closed, is 21,600.

  Radioactive Waste (Disposal)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has concerning investigations by the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive of publicly owned land in Scotland to assess the suitability of sites for the development of a repository for the disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  We are not aware of such investigations by Nirex in connection with its current work on identifying possible repository sites in Great Britain.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has about approaches made by landowners in Scotland to the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive with proposals for the use of land as potential sites for a nuclear waste disposal facility; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This is not a matter for the Scottish Office. Such approaches would be made to Nirex, which is known to observe confidentiality on any approach by landowners.

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the area of land approved for forestry grant-aid in each of the five years to 31 March 1987 and from 1 April 1987 to date in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 April 1988]: The information is as follows:

  Year ended 31 March

  Area of land (hectares)

  1983

  34,419

  1984

  34,096

  1985

  33,267

  1986

  37,875

  1987

  65,935

  The total area of land approved for planting in the period 1 April 1987 to 31 December 1987, the latest date to which figures are readily available, was 49,756 hectares.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the minimum payment of the community charge, including community water charge, would have been payable by pensioners on basic retirement pension income in the current financial year, for each district, island and regional authority; if he will express each sum payable as a percentage of the total community charge in that area; and if he will make a statement about the average proportion of the community charge which will have to be met by those on low incomes.

  Mr. Ian Lang
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]The information requested in respect of 1988–89 is set out in the table. All pensioners whose basic state pension is their only source of income, and whose capital does not exceed £3,000, will receive the maximum community charge rebate. In most cases they will qualify for income support. Income support rates already take account of the payment of the minimum contribution to rates and of water rates:
  23
  in 1989–90 they will be adjusted to take account of the introduction of the community charge in Scotland. Many people on low incomes will have their full charge covered.

  Local authority area

  Personal community charge

  Community water charge

  Total liability

  Maximum rebate

  Amount payable

  Amount payable as a percentage of total liability per cent.

  Borders

  Berwick

  181

  24

  205

  145

  60

  29

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  183

  24

  207

  147

  60

  29

  Roxburgh

  187

  24

  211

  150

  61

  29

  Tweeddale

  181

  24

  205

  145

  60

  29

  Central

  Clackmannan

  228

  16

  245

  183

  62

  25

  Falkirk

  217

  16

  233

  174

  60

  26

  Stirling

  253

  16

  270

  203

  67

  25

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Annandale and Eskdale

  193

  17

  210

  155

  56

  27

  Nithsdale

  193

  17

  210

  155

  56

  27

  Stewartry

  193

  17

  210

  155

  56

  27

  Wigtown

  186

  17

  203

  149

  54

  27

  Fife

  Dunfermline

  230

  17

  247

  184

  63

  26

  Kirkcaldy

  241

  17

  258

  193

  65

  25

  North East Fife

  244

  17

  261

  195

  66

  25

  Grampian

  Aberdeen

  192

  28

  220

  154

  66

  30

  Banff and Buchan

  180

  28

  208

  144

  64

  31

  Gordon

  178

  28

  206

  143

  64

  31

  Kincardine and Deeside

  173

  28

  201

  138

  63

  31

  Moray

  173

  28

  201

  139

  63

  31

  Highland

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  181

  20

  201

  144

  56

  28

  Caithness

  182

  20

  202

  146

  57

  28

  Inverness

  183

  20

  204

  147

  57

  28

  Lochaber

  194

  20

  214

  155

  59

  28

  Nairn

  180

  20

  200

  144

  56

  28

  Ross and Cromarty

  189

  20

  209

  151

  58

  28

  Skye and Lochalsh

  179

  20

  200

  143

  56

  28

  Sutherland

  174

  20

  195

  140

  55

  28

  Lothian

  East Lothian

  311

  20

  331

  249

  82

  25

  Edinburgh

  314

  20

  334

  251

  83

  25

  Midlothian

  303

  20

  323

  242

  81

  25

  West Lothian

  296

  20

  316

  237

  79

  25

  Strathclyde

  Argyll and Bute

  256

  17

  274

  205

  69

  25

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  265

  17

  283

  212

  70

  25

  Clydebank

  249

  17

  267

  199

  67

  25

  Clydesdale

  246

  17

  263

  197

  67

  25

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  248

  17

  266

  199

  67

  25

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  239

  17

  256

  191

  65

  25

  Cunninghame

  262

  17

  279

  210

  70

  25

  Dumbarton

  264

  17

  281

  211

  70

  25

  East Kilbride

  244

  17

  261

  195

  66

  25

  Eastwood

  246

  17

  264

  197

  67

  25

  Glasgow

  274

  17

  291

  219

  72

  25

  Hamilton

  254

  17

  272

  203

  68

  25

  Inverclyde

  246

  17

  263

  196

  67

  25

  Kilmarnock and Loudon

  251

  17

  268

  201

  68

  25

  Kyle and Carrick

  257

  17

  274

  205

  69

  25

  Monklands

  249

  17

  266

  199

  67

  25

  Motherwell

  244

  17

  261

  195

  66

  25

  Renfrew

  255

  17

  273

  204

  68

  25

  Strathkelvin

  249

  17

  266

  199

  67

  25

  Tayside

  Angus

  226

  19

  245

  181

  64

  26

  Dundee

  256

  19

  275

  204

  70

  26

  24

  25

  Local authority area

  Personal community charge

  Community water charge

  Total liability

  Maximum rebate

  Amount payable

  Amount payable as a percentage of total liability per cent.

  Perth and Kinross

  230

  19

  249

  184

  65

  26

  Orkney

  79

  28

  107

  63

  44

  41

  Shetland

  187

  14

  201

  150

  51

  26

  Western Isles

  105

  20

  125

  84

  41

  33

  Scotland Total

  246

  19

  266

  197

  68

  26

  Note: Figures may not add owing to rounding.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training Schemes (Bonus Payments)
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether the proposed bonus payment to be paid at the end of an adult training scheme placement will affect benefit entitlement or tax liability;

  (2) who is to be responsible for funding the proposed bonus payment to be paid at the end of a placement on the adult training scheme;

  (3) what is the proposed minimum and maximum level for the proposed bonus payment to be paid at the end of a placement on the adult training scheme;

  (4) if the proposed bonus payment for participants leaving the adult training scheme will be available on all different elements of the programmes;

  (5) if the proposed bonus payment for those leaving the adult training scheme will be paid to all leavers no matter how long they spend on the scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Training managers or providers of practical training placements in the new programme, employment training, may, if they wish and from their own resources, give participants a bonus on completion of their training or any part of their training. The amount and terms of any such payments will be entirely at the discretion of the training manager or provider. Where such a bonus relates exclusively to the completion of part or all of the training programme it will not be liable to income tax. Provided that the bonus is no more than £250 and the recipient has not received any other ad hoc payments in the same 52-week period, it will not be treated as income but as capital for the purposes of assessing entitlement to income support and housing benefit.

  Jobcentres
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average rate of pay for vacancies currently notified to jobcentres.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested is not available.

  Lost Working Days (Strikes)
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many days of work were lost through strikes in December 1987; what was the comparable figure in December 1978; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The number of working days lost through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in December 1987 is provisionally estimated as 55,000. The comparable figure for December 1978 is 542,000 lost working days.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed persons over the age of 50 years and out of work for more than one year, broken down by sex, are there in the travel-to-work areas of(a)Cambridgeshire, (b) Lincolnshire, (c) Norfolk, (d) Suffolk, (e) Bedfordshire, (f) Northamptonshire and (g) Leicestershire.

  Mr. Lee
  The table shows the number of male and female unemployed claimants aged over 50 years who have been unemployed for one year or more, at 14 January 1988 for the counties requested. Travel-to-work area boundaries are not conterminous with those of counties and a number of travel-to-work areas include parts of more than one county. This information is in the Library.

  Unemployed Claimants—14 January 1988

  County

  Unemployed Claimants

  Male

  Female

  Cambridgeshire

  1,400

  505

  Lincolnshire

  2,128

  734

  Norfolk

  2,433

  1,039

  Suffolk

  1,498

  620

  Bedfordshire

  1,680

  589

  Northamptonshire

  1,373

  668

  Leicestershire

  3,140

  933

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of change in unemployment levels in the last 12 months in the north-east.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is in the Library. On 10 March 1988 the number of unemployed claimants in the north-east (counties of Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear) had fallen in the year by 26,700 or nearly 15·3 per cent.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage fall in unemployment in each of the parliamentary constituencies in Lancashire since August 1984; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is in the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants at 9 August 1984 and 10 March 1988, together with the percentage change, for each parliamentary constituency in the county of Lancashire. The figures are affected by seasonal factors and the change in the coverage of the count in March 1986.
  27

  Unemployed Claimants

  Constituency

  August 1984

  March 1988

  Percentage change

  Blackburn

  7,843

  5,839

  -25·6

  Blackpool North

  4,797

  5,087

  6·1

  Blackpool South

  4,707

  5,435

  15·5

  Burnley

  5,949

  4,283

  -28·0

  Chorley

  4,598

  3,358

  -27·0

  Fylde

  2,749

  2,428

  -11·7

  Hyndburn

  4,170

  3,006

  -27·9

  Lancaster

  3,484

  2,722

  -21·9

  Morecambe and Lundesdale

  3,468

  3,849

  11·0

  Pendle

  4,597

  3,237

  -29·6

  Preston

  7,619

  6,085

  -20·1

  Ribble Valley

  2,164

  1,546

  -28·6

  Rossendale and Darwen

  4,728

  3,352

  -29·1

  South Ribble

  4,626

  3,228

  -30·2

  West Lancashire

  7,039

  5,565

  -20·9

  Wyre

  3,807

  3,138

  -17·6

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what way his Department will participate in any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link due to take place in September and October 1988; how many staff are allocated to this task; how much such participation is estimated to cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The Department of Employment will not be taking part in any of these military home defence exercises.

  Elderly Men
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many men aged between 60 and 65 years are(a) retired, (b) unemployed and (c) at work.

  Mr. Lee
  Preliminary results from the 1987 labour force survey are as shown in the table:

  Men aged 60–64 inclusive Great Britain—Spring 1987

  Thousands

  (1) In paid employment

  676

  (2) Unemployed1

  77

  (3) Economically inactive

  628

  of which retired 2

  254

  1 Great Britain labour force definition.

  2 Those who said that they had not looked for work in the week before interview because they had retired.

  Retail Prices Index Computer System
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the outcome of the review of the retail prices index computer system commissioned by the Department from the head of the Government statistical service.

  Mr. Fowler
  I have recently received a report from the head of the Government statistical service confirming that the index is being calculated correctly. I will today be placing in the Library of the House a copy of his report to me together with a further report of the investigations undertaken in the course of the review.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Income Support
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his estimates, broken down into claimant group, of the numbers of income support claimants who, in the event of a general increase of benefit levels in April 1989 of 4 per cent. will, at that date, as a result of 1988–89 transitional protection, receive(a) no benefit increase, (b) an increase of less than £1 and (c) an increase of less than 4 per cent.

  Mr. Scott
  In the event of a 4 per cent. increase in benefit levels in April 1989, an estimated 540,000 income support claimants would receive no benefit increase at uprating. An estimated 600,000 would receive an increase of less than 4 per cent. Information on the number who would receive an increase of less than £1 is not available.

  Social Security (Changes)
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will itemise the assumptions and detailed calculations he has made in reaching the conclusion that 54 per cent. of claimants under 25 years will gain in real terms as a result of changes resulting this month from the Social Security Act; and, in particular, if he will explain the assumption made as to the proportion of householders and non-householders within this claimant group.

  Mr. Portillo
  The structural effect of the Social Security Act 1986 for single claimants under 25 years and without children is given in table 8 of the "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits". The assumptions are given in the explanotory notes to this publication.

  The numbers of non-householders and householders in this category are 660,000 and 170,000, respectively.

  Low-income Families
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to publish the low-income families' statistics based on the 1985 family expenditure survey.

  Mr. Portillo
  We intend to publish these statistics shortly.

  Senile Dementia
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what research his Department is conducting into senile dementia; and what progress is being made in both retarding the onset of such dementia, and reducing its impact.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science, is the main Government-funded body for biomedical research in the United Kingdom and has a number of units looking at different aspects of senile dementia. The main clinical aims include treating any coexisting illnesses or disabilities which could accentuate the effects of dementia, and supporting and counselling families and other carers.

  At present there is no treatment which is able to prevent, arrest or reverse senile dementia. We are paying

  29
  close attention to trials which are investigating the potential of Tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) as a treatment.

  The Department is not currently conducting research specifically into senile dementia although we are funding a special medical development about the evaluation of nursing homes for the elderly mentally ill which is relevant to sufferers of senile dementia.

  Hospital Medical Staff
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish in the Official Report, in tabular form, details by regional health authority and specialty of the numbers of senior registrars employed in the National Health Service;

  (2) if he will publish in the Official Report in tabular form details by regional health authority and specialty of the numbers and grades of those authorised to perform surgical procedures excluding consultants, and senior registrars.

  Mr. Newton
  All clinical, medical and dental staff of health authorities are able to perform some surgical procedures. It is the responsibility of the consultant under whose care a patient is admitted to decide how far 30
  individual procedures may be delegated to junior staff under his supervision. Information on numbers of clinical staff in each region by specialty and grade, including senior registrars, is published annually in "Hospital Medical (Dental) Staff—England and Wales: Regional Tables". These are provided routinely to, and are available in, the Library. The latest available information is that for 30 September 1986.

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services in what way his Department will participate in any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link, due to take place in September and October 1988; how many staff are allocated to this task; how much such participation is estimated to cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  There will be no participation by the Department of Health and Social Security in these exercises. There may be limited participation by the National Health Service but the details have yet to be finalised.

  Single and Special Payments (Lewisham)
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for single payments and special payments made before 1 April are waiting to be processed in each of his Department's offices serving the London borough of Lewisham; and what additional resources are being made available to deal with the outstanding applications.

  Mr. Portillo
  At close of business on 8 April 1988 the offices serving the London borough of Lewisham had single payment and additional requirement claims outstanding as shown in the following table. The figures are provisional and subject to revision.

  Office

  Single Payments

  Additional Requirements

  Lewisham

  16,130

  14,500

  Greenwich Park

  4,581

  12,000

  Peckham

  421

  111

  Hither Green

  297

  85

  Crystal Palace

  597

  527

  Eltham

  266

  235

  Woolwich

  1,580

  1,616

  Bromley

  762

  1Nil

  1 Estimated figures.

  Additional resources to deal with the outstanding claims are being allocated where available and the situation is being kept under review.

  Kidney Dialysis
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the approximate cost of kidney dialysis nationally or on a regional basis; how many privately funded dialysis units are in operation; and whether their costs differ from charges made by the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Currie
  The approximate total cost* of hospital and home haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in England in 1986 was £76 million (at 1986–87 prices). Information is not held centrally about private sector organisations which provide dialysis for private patients, nor do we have information about the costs of privately funded units. We are aware of one privately-operated unit in England which has a contract to provide dialysis for NHS patients and others in Wales which are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. The annual charge for dialysis at this unit is of the same order as the costs of NHS satellite units which provide dialysis for patients already established on treatment in other parts of the country.

  * This calculation is based on a detailed study in 1981 revalued to 1986–87 price levels, and, as such, cannot take account of recent changes in treatment, case-mix etc.

  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what instructions he has issued to the West Midlands regional health authority about the numbers of new kidney patients who may receive dialysis treatment; and whether there are any limitations on this treatment being given to kidney patients suffering from diabetes.

  Mrs. Currie
  There have been no recent instructions issued to regional health authorities about the number of patients with end stage renal failure to be taken onto 32
  dialysis. The target set is 40 new kidney patients per million population to be taken on to renal programmes by 1987 has been exceeded by the West Midlands regional health authority. The question of treatment for patients with end stage renal failure who are suffering from diabetes is a matter for clinical judgment.

  Accident Prevention
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what action his Department proposes to take and what funds will be made available in response to the report "Strategies for Accident Prevention" from the Medical Commission on Accident Prevention and the Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties recently published by his Department.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Department welcomes this report as made clear by my noble Friend when it was published. We look forward to further initiatives from the medical profession and will be ready to encourage them.

  Social Workers (Training)
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the current progress of negotiations with the Central Council for Education and Training of Social Workers to implement the proposals for the new three-year training course for social workers, the DOSW.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 22 April at column 601.

  Hearing Aids
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost of hearing aids available under the National Health Service; what information he has on costs of hearing aids available privately; what representations he has received about the comparative performance of National Health Service and privately available hearing aids; and if he is planning any action to improve the quality and performance of National Health Service hearing aids.

  Mr. Scott
  Hearing aids for the National Health Service are obtained by Mersey regional health authority following competitive tendering and costs are not disclosed for good commercial reasons. The prices paid are, however, considerably lower than those charged for private hearing aids. We have not received representations recently in regard to comparative performance but the quality and performance of NHS hearing aids are kept under review by the Department, supported by Mersey RHA.

  Benefits and Grants
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what have been the figures for expenditure on supplementary benefits, urgent needs provision, maternity grants, death grants and all other benefits which now come under the social fund, for each year since 1974.

  Mr. Portillo
  The social fund is designed as a new system for meeting exceptional need and not as a replacement for those benefits which have now been abolished. The figures requested for urgent needs payment, maternity grants, death grants and single payments are set out in the table, as far as they are available.
  33

  £ million

  Year

  Urgent Needs Payments

  Maternity Grants

  Death Grants

  Single Payments

  1974–75

  n/a

  16

  n/a

  n/a

  1975–76

  n/a

  16

  16

  n/a

  1976–77

  n/a

  15

  n/a

  n/a

  1977–78

  n/a

  15

  n/a

  n/a

  1978–79

  n/a

  16

  n/a

  n/a

  1979–80

  n/a

  17

  n/a

  40

  1980–81

  n/a

  16

  17

  48

  1981–82

  n/a

  15

  17

  57

  1982–83

  n/a

  16

  17

  98

  1983–84

  n/a

  17

  n/a

  166

  1984–85

  0·5

  17

  17

  241

  1985–86

  0·4

  17

  17

  335

  1986–87

  1·0

  —

  —

  330

  n/a = not available.

  Benefit (Capital Disregard)
  Sir Peter Hordern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the limit of capital for eligibility for housing benefit from £6,000 to £10,000 for those who receive state retirement pensions.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that the information is not available. The overall cost of increasing the capital limit to £10,000 is of the order of £60 million on the assumptions contained in the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) on 18 April 1988 at columns 341–342. It is estimated that most of the additional cost would be in respect of those of retirement age.

  Ireland (Payments to Itinerants)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement regarding the level of social security payments to itinerants from the Republic of Ireland and the comparable level of payments to citizens of other European Community countries.

  Mr. Portillo
  European Community nationals who go to another European Community country to seek work are eligible for social assistance benefits equally with and under the same conditions as that country's own nationals but only so long as their right to remain in the country continues.

  Housing Benefit (Disregard Threshold)
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the disregard threshold of housing benefit from £6,000 to £10,000.

  Mr. Portillo
  Of the order of £60 million, based on the assumptions contained in the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) on 18 April 1988 at column 341–42.

  Invasive Carcinoma
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his written reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan, 2 March,Official Report, columns 611–12, if he will now arrange for information on the number of women in the United Kingdom suffering from invasive carcinoma to be centrally collected and periodically published.
  34
  Mrs. Currie
  Data on the incidence of cancer, including histological type, are collected centrally in England and Wales, and in Scotland, from regional cancer registries. Statistics from these data, excluding histological type, are published annually in "Cancer Statistics series MB 1 for England and Wales", and in "Scottish Health Statistics for Scotland". Copies are in the Library.

  Comparable statistics for Northern Ireland are not readily available.

  Information on the total number of women suffering from cancer at a particular point in time, as opposed to the incidence of new cases, is not collected centrally, nor could it be without encountering very great practical difficulties.

  Retail Prices Index Error
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the list of charities to benefit as a result of the non-payment of the retail prices index computer error shortfall to pensioners.

  Mr. Scott
  I shall be making an announcement shortly.

  Cervical Cancer
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether Leicestershire district health authority has yet introduced cervical screening call and recall schemes for women living within the Leicestershire health authority area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  Yes.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average length of time taken to return a woman's cervical smear test results to her doctor within the Leicestershire health authority area.

  Mrs. Currie
  The average time taken to process a cervical smear test in Leicestershire is currently about eight weeks compared with the Departmental guideline of four weeks. Three additional part-time staff have been recruited to reduce the time taken and are now being trained.

  Public Health Laboratory Service (Crown Immunity)
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to remove Crown immunity from health and safety legislation from the public health laboratory service.
  35
  Mrs. Currie
  No. The public health laboratory service is required to comply with the terms of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and, where necessary, is subject to enforcement through the Crown notice procedure.

  Nurses (Uniforms)
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the rules governing the wearing of uniforms by nurses when off-duty or taking part in demonstrations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  There are no national guidelines and it is for individual health authorities to determine policies governing the wearing of uniforms by nurses when off duty.

  Hospital Theft
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost to public funds of theft of hospital stores and equipment.

  Mrs. Currie
  The summarised accounts of regional and district health athorities in England provides a statement of losses, etc. which records losses of equipment and property in stores and in use due to theft, fraud or arson (whether proved or suspected), neglect of duty or gross carelessness. The relevant figures for 1986–87 (the latest year available) are:

  £

  Bedding and linen

  174,121

  Other equipment and property

  1,403,977

  Retirement Age
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the net cost to public funds if men retired at 60 years and the job vacancies were filled by people currently long-term unemployed.

  Mr. Scott
  Our best estimate of the net cost to public funds of a men's pension age of 60 is over £3,000 million at 1985–86 prices. This assumes that two-thirds of vacancies are filled and that 75 per cent. of them are filled

  Old benefit system from April 1988: Average rent and rates for six inner London boroughs Married couple with two children aged 4 and 6

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  28·70

  14·50

  22·92

  19·16

  10·24

  6·95

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  91·68

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  23·70

  14·50

  22·92

  17·91

  10·24

  6·55

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  93·13

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  18·70

  14·50

  22·92

  16·66

  10·24

  6·15

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  94·36

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  13·70

  14·50

  22·92

  15·41

  10·24

  5·75

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  94·51

  100·00

  6·62

  7·00

  8·70

  14·50

  22·92

  14·16

  10·24

  5·35

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  94·46

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  3·70

  14·50

  22·92

  12·65

  10·24

  4·78

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  91·78

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  10·57

  10·24

  3·97

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  89·76

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  7·27

  10·24

  2·67

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  91·56

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  3·97

  10·24

  1·37

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  93·36

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  0·67

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  95·09

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  98·27

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  104·67

  36
  by people from the unemployment register. If all vacancies were filled, and all by people previously unemployed, the net cost would be about £2,000 million. These figures are currently under review.

  Lancashire DHAs
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what his Department estimates will be the increases paid by Lancashire district health authorities in lieu of rates or rates to Lancashire county council and district councils in 1988–89; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how much each district health authority in Lancashire paid to Lancashire county council and district councils in lieu of rates or rates in 1987–88; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Information on rates, all rates paid and due to be paid by health authorities to county and district councils is not collected "in year". Health authority annual accounts for 1987–88 are not due for submission to the Department until the end of June 1988. Information for that financial year will be available in the autumn. In the meantime, my hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of North Western regional health authority who will be able to provide the information he requires.

  Net Weekly Spending Power
  Sir Brandon Rhys Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish tables using the assumptions in his answer to the hon. Member for Kensington of 4 February,Official Report, column 737, but using expenditure and benefit figures appropriate for families in those inner London areas for which he has sufficient data, and with an additional column showing the extent of the differences that will result from the changes in benefits intended for April.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 21 March 1988]: The information is set out in the tables.

  The answers provided are not representative of families with children living in inner London, as the sample covers less than 50 per cent. of the area's boroughs; nor do the answers reflect the wide variety of rents and domestic rates that people actually pay.
  37

  New benefit system from April 1988: Average rent and rates for six inner London boroughs Married couple with two children aged 4 and 6

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  Difference between systems

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  40·32

  14·50

  22·92

  8·16

  10·24

  2·42

  5·85

  83·39

  -8·29

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  34·65

  14·50

  22·92

  6·58

  10·24

  1·93

  5·85

  83·75

  -9·38

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  28·99

  14·50

  22·92

  5·00

  10·24

  1·45

  5·85

  84·11

  -10·45

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  24·37

  14·50

  22·92

  3·71

  10·24

  1·05

  5·85

  84·40

  -10·11

  100·00

  6·62

  7·00

  19·75

  14·50

  22·92

  2·43

  10·24

  0·65

  5·85

  84·70

  -9·76

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  16·67

  14·50

  22·92

  1·57

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  84·51

  -7·27

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  12·19

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  84·86

  -4·90

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  7·71

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  86·78

  -4·78

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  3·23

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  88·70

  -4·66

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  91·87

  -3·22

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  98·27

  0·00

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  14·50

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  104·67

  0·00

  Old benefit system from April 1988: Average rent and rates for six inner London boroughs Married couple with three children aged 3, 8 and 11

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  32·90

  21·75

  22·92

  20·20

  10·24

  7·28

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  107·05

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  30·50

  21·75

  22·92

  18·30

  10·24

  6·68

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  110·25

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  25·50

  21·75

  22·92

  17·05

  10·24

  6·28

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  111·68

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  20·50

  21·75

  22·92

  15·80

  10·24

  5·88

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  111·63

  100·00

  6·62

  7·00

  15·50

  21·75

  22·92

  14·55

  10·24

  5·48

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  111·58

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  10·50

  21·75

  22·92

  13·16

  10·24

  4·99

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  109·10

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  5·50

  21·75

  22·92

  11·51

  10·24

  4·34

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  108·20

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  0·50

  21·75

  22·92

  9·86

  10·24

  3·69

  5·85

  5·10

  1·83

  107·30

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  0·00

  21·75

  22·92

  6·72

  10·24

  2·45

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  106·99

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  21·75

  22·92

  3·42

  10·24

  1·15

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  108·79

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  110·62

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  111·92

  New Benefit System from April 1988: Average rent and rates for six Inner London Boroughs Married couple with three children aged 3, 8 and 11

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  Dif-ference between systems

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  51·72

  21·75

  22·92

  6·50

  10·24

  1·91

  5·85

  99·87

  -7·18

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  46·05

  21·75

  22·92

  4·92

  10·24

  1·42

  5·85

  100·23

  -10·02

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  40·39

  21·75

  22·92

  3·24

  10·24

  0·94

  5·85

  100·59

  -11·09

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  35·77

  21·75

  22·92

  2·06

  10·24

  0·54

  5·85

  100·89

  -10·74

  100·00

  6·62

  7·00

  31·15

  21·75

  22·92

  0·77

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  101·04

  -10·54

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  28·07

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  101·59

  -7·51

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  23·59

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  103·51

  -4·69

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  19·11

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  105·43

  -1·87

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  14·63

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  107·35

  0·36

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  10·15

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  109·27

  0·48

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  5·67

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  111·19

  0·57

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  1·19

  21·75

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  113·11

  1·19

  Old benefit system from April 1988: Average rent and rates for six inner London boroughs Lone working mother with two children aged 4 and 6

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  28·70

  19·40

  22·92

  17·94

  10·24

  6·56

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  94·97

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  23·70

  19·40

  22·92

  16·69

  10·24

  6·16

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  96·42

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  18·70

  19·40

  22·92

  15·44

  10·24

  5·76

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  97·85

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  13·70

  19·40

  22·92

  14·19

  10·24

  5·36

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  97·80

  10·000

  6·62

  7·00

  8·70

  19·40

  22·92

  12·68

  10·24

  4·80

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  97·33

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  3·70

  19·40

  22·92

  11·03

  10·24

  4·15

  5·85

  2·55

  1·83

  94·43

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  0·00

  19·40

  22·92

  8·95

  10·24

  3·33

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  92·40

  38

  39

  New benefit system from April 1988: Average rent and rates for six inner London boroughs Lone working mother with two children aged 4 and 6

  Gross Earnings

  Tax

  N.I.

  Family Credit

  Child Benefit

  Rent

  Rent Rebates

  Rates

  Rate Rebate

  Fares to Work

  Net Weekly Spending Power

  Dif-ference between Systems

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  40·32

  19·40

  22·92

  2·08

  10·24

  0·55

  5·85

  80·34

  -14·63

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  34·65

  19·40

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  80·14

  -16·28

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  28·99

  19·40

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  82·56

  -15·29

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  24·37

  19·40

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  84·54

  -13·26

  100·00

  6·62

  7·00

  19·75

  19·40

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  86·52

  -10·81

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  16·67

  19·40

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  87·84

  -6·59

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  12·19

  19·40

  22·92

  0·00

  10·24

  0·00

  5·85

  89·76

  -2·64

  Old tax and benefit system from April 1988: Average rent and rates for 6 inner London boroughs Lone parent with 2 children aged 4 and 6

  Supple-mentary benefit

  Earnings

  Tax

  NI

  Fares to work

  Rent

  1Rates

  Housing benefit

  CHB

  FSM

  FWM

  Net weekly spending power

  A. Not working—after 1 year on benefit

  45·69

  —

  —

  —

  —

  22·92

  10·24

  31·62

  19·40

  2·55

  1·83

  67·93

  B. Working part time—earning £20 per week

  230·65

  20·00

  0·00

  0·00

  2·92

  22·92

  10·24

  31·62

  19·40

  2·55

  1·83

  69·97

  C. Working part time—earning £40 per week

  212·11

  40·00

  0·00

  0·00

  2·92

  22·92

  10·24

  31·62

  19·40

  2·55

  1·83

  71·43

  1 Includes water rates of £1·54.

  2 Assumes benefit in payment for less than a year.

  New benefit system from April 1988: Average rent and rates for 6 inner London boroughs Lone parent with 2 children aged 4 and 6

  Income support

  Earnings

  Tax

  NI

  Fares to work

  Rent

  1 Rates

  Housing benefit

  CHB

  FSM

  FWM

  Net weekly spending power

  Dif-ference between systems

  A. Not working —after 1 year on benefit

  45·35

  —

  —

  —

  —

  22·92

  10·24

  29·88

  19·40

  2·55

  1·83

  65·85

  -2·08

  B. Working part-time— earning £20 p.w.

  240·35

  20·00

  0·00

  0·00

  2·92

  22·92

  10·24

  29·88

  19·40

  2·55

  1·83

  77·93

  + 7·96

  C. Working part-time— earning £40 p.w.

  220·35

  40·00

  0·00

  0·00

  2·92

  22·92

  10·24

  29·88

  19·40

  2·55

  1·83

  77·93

  +6·50

  1 Includes water rates of £1·54.

  2 Assumes benefit in payment for less than a year.

  Notes to tables:

  i. Average rent and rates figures for six inner London boroughs have been provided by the Department of Environment.

  ii. The Thames Water authority average water rate has been used as the rate is consistent throughout London.

  iii. Rent, rates and water rates assumptions for April 1988 are based on the RPI increase for September 1986 to September 1987 (4–2 per cent.).

  iv. The remaining assumptions used are those set out in "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits" October 1987.

  v. The "fares to work" used in the tables illustrating part-time earnings are assumed to be half of the "fares to work" of a full-time worker.

  vi. The national supplementary benefit figures used in the previous reply of 4th February, have been reduced by 24p. This is the difference between the assumed national average local authority water rate and the assumed London average local authority water rate.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  New Zealand (EC Butter Quota)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is in a position to make a statement on the position of Her Majesty's Government as to their attitude towards the renegotiation of New Zealand's butter quota from the European Community.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The EC Commission has not yet made a proposal on the arrangements for the import of New Zealand butter from 1 January 1989, and so I have 40
  nothing to add to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) on 3 March, at column 679.

  Beef
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what forecast he has as to total beef production in the United Kingdom in 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Future levels of beef production in the United Kingdom will depend on the supply of calves and cull cows from the dairy herd, development of the beef
  41
  breeding herd and many other complex factors, all of which are uncertain. I regret that I am unable to provide the figures requested.

  Nitrates
  Mr. Tam Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) on 31 March,Official Report, column 1264, when he expects to make a statement on his response to the report of the nitrate coordination group.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government are currently consider-ing a number of options on nitrate and will announce their conclusions once this evaluation has been completed.

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what way his Department will participate in any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link, due to take place in September and October 1988; how many staff are allocated to this task; how much such participation is estimated to cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  My Department is not participating in any of the military home defence exercises due to take place in September and October 1988.

  Press Conferences and Background Briefings
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods if, pursuant to the answer of 15 April,Official Report, column 259, he will state what practical definition his Department uses for (a) a press conference and (b) background briefings.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Press conferences are on-the-record and normally called to announce new developments. Background briefings are usually concerned with ongoing issues or when requested by individual journalists.

  Chernobyl (Briefing)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer of 15 April,Official Report, column 259 which newspapers and other publications were invited to his Ministry's background briefings on Chernobyl on (a) 21 April 1987 and (b) 21 March 1988.

  Mr. MacGregor
  We do not give the names of those invited to background briefings.

  Research and Development (Barnes Report)
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all those persons and organisations outside Her Majesty's Government who have already been consulted on the Barnes report on agricultural research and development; which of these have reported; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  As explained in the reply given to the hon. Member for Falkirk, East (Mr. Ewing) on 3 March, at column 674, there have been no formal consultations
  42
  outside Government. But the following is a comprehensive list of all the organisations contacted or from which views were received. The report itself is under consideration.

  Agricultural and Food Research Council (HQ and RIs)

  Agricultural attachés, Bonn, The Hague, Madrid, Paris

  Apple and Pear Development Council

  Arable Research Centres Ltd.

  British Food Manufacturing Industry RA

  British Institute of Agricultural Consultants

  British Poultry Federation

  Building Services Research and Information Association

  Cabinet Office

  Cambridge Life Sciences Ltd.

  Campden Food Preservation RA

  Dairy Trade Federation

  Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland

  Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland

  Department of Education and Science

  Department of Trade and Industry

  Farm Advisory Services Team

  Flour Milling and Baking RA

  Food and Drink Federation

  Home Grown Cereals Authority

  Horticultural Development Council

  Huntingdon Research Centre

  ICI (Plant Protection)

  Institute of Arable Crop Consultants

  Institute of Professional Civil Servants

  Marks and Spencer plc

  Meat and Livestock Commission

  Milk Marketing Board for England and Wales

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  National Farmers' Union

  National Pig Breeders' Association

  Potato Marketing Board

  Potato Processors' Association

  Priorities Board

  Processors and Growers Research Organisation

  RHM Ltd.

  Sainsburys plc

  Scottish Agricultural Colleges

  Scottish Agricultural Research Institutes

  Scottish National Farmers' Union

  Sea Fish Industry Authority

  South Eastern Regional Panel Chairman and farmer members

  Sugar Beet Research and Education Committee

  Tate and Lyle

  Unilever Ltd.

  United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association

  Welsh Office Agriculture Department

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the Government to reach their conclusion on the Barnes report on agricultural research and development; what factors are influencing the timing of a decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The report has only just been completed and is now under consideration. It is too early to say when conclusions might be reached.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: Accounts for the financial year 1987–88 have yet to be finalised, but provisional figures indicate that the total costs incurred by my Department on foreign travel, including related subsistence., were as follows:

  43

  £

  Ministerial travel (including civil servants in Ministers' offices whose costs cannot be separately identified)

  106,265

  Travel by civil servants

  1,125,293

  Total:

  1,231,558

  Of the total, travel costs on European Community business, not including subsistence, accounted for £480,058, the bulk of which is recoverable from Community funds.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Records, Compact Discs and Tapes
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the increase in the value of United Kingdom trade deliveries of records, compact discs and tapes between 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. Atkins
  Figures released by the British phonographic industry show that the percentage increases between 1986 and 1987 in the value of United Kingdom trade deliveries were as follows:—

  Percentage increase

  Singles

  5

  LPs

  4

  Cassettes

  22

  CDs

  106

  Combined Albums

  28

  Total

  24

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in what way his Department will participate in any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link due to take place in September and October 1988; how many staff are allocated to this task; how much such participation is estimated to cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  The Department is not involved in any of these exercises.

  Action for Cities
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give a breakdown by(a) Department, (b) social category and (c) project or programme of how the sum of £3,000 million to support urban regeneration referred to in the launch of Action for Cities is comprised; and if he will identify how much of this is new expenditure.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The information requested is shown in the table. Most of the expenditure shown is provided for within published estimates of public expenditure. In most cases the precise allocation of resources depends on the projects submitted for approval. The programmes shown largely relate to inner city development, enterprise and employment — the main themes of the Action for Cities document launched on 7 March. There is no reference to other programmes,44
  including those supported by the Home Office Department of Education and Science and Department of Health and Social Security which benefit inner cities.

  Action for Cities: estimated expenditure 1988–89

  £ million

  Employment, Training and Enterpriseprogrammes, including support for small firms. Total excludes programmes administered nationally eg Loan Guarantee Scheme, YTS schemes with national companies (Department of Employment/MSC)

  1,119

  Estate Action—involving tenants in management and improvement of their homes; additional expenditure by local authorities (Department of the Environment)

  140

  Funding for Housing Associations through Housing Corporations and through local authorities. (Local authorities share £50 million) (Department of the Environment)

  450

  Urban Programme, including Urban Development and Urban Regeneration Grants

  314

  Urban Development Corporations

  203

  Derelict Land Reclamation (Department of the Environment)

  25

  Task Forces City Action Teams. (Department of Trade and Industry)

  21

  Support for inner city business, including Regional Selective Assistance, investment and innovation grants for small firms, and English Estates (Department of Trade and Industry)

  200

  Roads—schemes in Department of Transport programme and supported by Transport Supplementary Grant

  250

  Equivalent programmes in Scotland and Wales

  300

  Total

  3,022

  Research and Development
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what procedures exist for estimating the rate of return on Government-funded research and development, and what are the latest estimates for(a) aerospace, (b) electronic engineering, (c) mechanical engineering, (d) nuclear power and (e) chemical industry.

  Mr. Butcher
  There are procedures for evaluating the net benefits of Government-funded research and development. They rarely provide estimates of rates of return and are not generally available by industrial sector. The annual review of Government-funded R and D reports the evaluations undertaken by Departments.

  Internal Market
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has conducted any investigation into the effects on British industry of the internal market on a sector by sector basis, or in respect of any individual sector.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The completion of the single market will provide great opportunities for a wide range of United Kingdom business sectors. As part of the Government's efforts to make sure that United Kingdom companies are aware of and make the most of these opportunities, we are in active discussion with all sectors of United Kingdom business. Our priorities on the single market naturally take account of the position of different sectors.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of the proposals made by the European Community Commission in respect of the
  45
  internal market have the agreement of Her Majesty's Government; identifying them and those to which Her Majesty's Government do not agree.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Government strongly support the aim of completing the single market. We attach priority to many of the proposals made by the European Commission, but have difficulties with some others—as do other member states. Many measures in the single market programme are complex and all involve detailed negotiation. It would not therefore be possible to present the information in the form requested. Copies of the 1988 presidency action programme on the single market, which lists over 140 individual measures for discussion by the Council this year, are available in the Library of the House.

  Standards
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many of the secretariats of the 81 technical committees concerned with standards in the European Economic Community Britain holds; and how many it sought;

  (2) what representations he has received concerning British participation in the technical committees concerned with standards in the European Community.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Harmonised European standards for non-electrical products are produced by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). According to the latest information, CEN how has 90 technical committees, of which the United Kingdom holds 11 secretariats.

  Since June 1987 the United Kingdom has sought the secretariat of four technical committees and obtained three. My Department has received only a small number of representations from industry representatives about United Kingdom participation in the CEN technical committees.

  I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hamilton (Mr. Robertson), Official Report, 31 March 1988, column 590.

  British National Space Centre
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who currently is the deputy director of the British National Space Centre; and how many of those who are its officers are drawn from industry.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  There is no official position of deputy director of the British National Space Centre. Mr. A. C. Nicholas and Mr. K. Inglis acted temporarily as deputy directors following the retirement of Mr. J. C. Leeming on 28 February 1988. I have announced —Official Report, 18 April 1988, columns 350–51— the appointment of Mr. Arthur Pryor as the new director. None of the BNSC staff is from industry, though an industry representative sits on the BNSC management board.

  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the British National Space Centre is funded entirely from public funds; and if he will make a statement on its future.
  46
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The British National Space Centre is funded entirely from public funds. I have nothing further to add to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Mr. Powell) on 18 April 1988.

  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the names of those who serve at the British National Space Centre and if he will state the terms of reference defining the role of the centre, and the budget available to it.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The British National Space Centre was set up to co-ordinate the civil space interests of Government, including those of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, the Science and Engineering Research Council and the National Environment Research Council. The BNSC co-ordinates an annual budget of some 120 million and has a staff of around 300.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made concerning the appointment of a director for the National Space Centre.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I announced the appointment of Mr. Arthur Pryor as director general on 18 April.

  Airbus
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has yet formed a view on the Coopers and Lybrand report on the Airbus enterprise, a copy of which was sent to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have seen the report, which was commissioned from Coopers and Lybrand by the Boeing company. The Government are at present considering the Airbus system in the light of the recent report of the four independent experts, colloquially known as the "wise men". I have nothing to add on this matter to my reply to the question from my hon. Friend the Member For Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) on 13 April.

  Shoe Imports (Taiwan)
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he now plans to take steps to limit shoe imports from Taiwan.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Government have received detailed information on the effects upon United Kingdom manufacturers of shoe imports from Taiwan, which we are urgently considering.

  SIB (Recognition Orders)
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether leave has yet been give under section 120(2) of the Financial Services Act for the Securities and Investments Board to make recognition orders in respect of any investment exchanges or clearing houses.

  Mr. Maude
  Having considered, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, reports made by the Director General of Fair Trading on the rules, regulations, guidance and arrangements submitted by the exchanges and clearing houses listed in the table, my right hon. and noble Friend has concluded that on the basis of the information presently available to him he does not
  47
  consider there is anything in the material submitted which has, or is intended or likely to have, to any significant extent the effect of restricting, distorting or preventing competition. He has therefore given his leave to the SIB to make recognition orders in respect of the following investment exchanges and clearing houses:

  The London International Financial Futures Exchange Ltd.

  LIFFE Options plc.

  The London Metal Exchange Limited.

  London Commodity Exchange (1986) Limited.

  The International Petroleum Exchange of London Limited.

  International Commodities Clearing House Limited. GAFTA Clearing House Company Limited.

  Debt Counselling
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he plans to review the level of funding of bodies offering debt counselling particularly in relation to short-term programmes; and if he will make a statement on the level of debt counselling available in Scotland.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: I have been asked to reply.

  Most debt counselling in Scotland is provided by citizens advice bureaux. The Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, which provides the central support services for local bureaux, is almost entirely funded by the Government. Its grant-in-aid for the current financial year is £926,000 and this is reviewed each year. The running costs of local bureaux are a matter for local funding, however, I understand that citizens advice bureaux dealt with over 42,000 debt counselling cases in 1986–87 from their 82 offices throughout Scotland.

  Enterprise Initiative
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department intends spending on advertising the enterprise initiative in 1988–89.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Budget allocations for advertising the enterprise initiative during 1988–89 are still under discussion in my Department. The amount finally set will take into account the need to maintain a good level of response to the initiative.

  Space (Technology Demonstration Programme)
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions he has had with his opposite numbers in the European Space Agency about setting in hand a technology demonstration programme.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Technology demonstration is a component of many ESA programmes. The agency also has an optional in-orbit technology demonstration activity, already under way. I have not had occasion to discuss this with my ESA opposite numbers, although my officials at the British National Space Centre keep closely in touch with officials at ESA.

ENVIRONMENT

  Rates
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the estimated population of 18 years and over resident in each rating authority area in England.

  Mr. Chope
  The information is as follows:

  Adult Population of English Rating Authorities (June 1986)

  Number

  Isles of Scilly

  1,539

  Greater Manchester

  Bolton

  195,901

  Bury

  131,008

  Manchester

  342,715

  Oldham

  164,702

  Rochdale

  152,608

  Salford

  182,941

  Stockport

  221,840

  Tameside

  164,052

  Trafford

  166,004

  Wigan

  230,873

  Merseyside

  Knowsley

  118,385

  Liverpool

  368,281

  St. Helens

  142,259

  Sefton

  229,252

  Wirral

  255,269

  South Yorkshire

  Barnsley

  169,161

  Doncaster

  218,528

  Rotherham

  189,586

  Sheffield

  419,723

  Tyne and Wear

  Gateshead

  160,557

  Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

  218,470

  North Tyneside

  149,032

  South Tyneside

  121,495

  Sunderland

  222,994

  West Midlands

  Birmingham

  752,500

  Coventry

  233,952

  Dudley

  231,932

  Sandwell

  228,446

  Solihull

  153,225

  Walsall

  198,070

  Wolverhampton

  189,626

  West Yorkshire

  Bradford

  340,265

  Calderdale

  147,004

  Kirklees

  282,669

  Leeds

  545,761

  Wakefield

  235,411

  City of London

  4,168

  Camden

  149,491

  Greenwich

  164,761

  Hackney

  139,732

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  121,239

  Islington

  132,315

  Kensington and Chelsea

  113,665

  Lambeth

  190,495

  Lewisham

  179,299

  Southwark

  167,322

  Tower Hamlets

  114,696

  Wandsworth

  203,066

  Westminster

  146,211

  49

  Number

  Barking and Dagenham

  113,827

  Barnet

  236,251

  Bexley

  169,989

  Brent

  196,451

  Bromley

  233,770

  Croydon

  244,725

  Ealing

  227,942

  Enfield

  205,438

  Haringey

  151,495

  Harrow

  155,859

  Havering

  184,829

  Hillingdon

  179,030

  Hounslow

  148,430

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  106,056

  Merton

  128,933

  Newham

  152,381

  Redbridge

  178,300

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  130,312

  Sutton

  132,052

  Waltham Forest

  165,044

  Avon

  Bath

  66,827

  Bristol

  304,059

  Kingswood

  68,466

  Northavon

  94,857

  Wansdyke

  60,668

  Woodspring

  137,691

  Bedfordshire

  North Bedfordshire

  100,917

  Luton

  122,396

  Mid Bedfordshire

  83,056

  South Bedfordshire

  81,645

  Berkshire

  Bracknell

  68,452

  Newbury

  99,801

  Reading

  103,084

  Slough

  73,380

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  101,423

  Wokingham

  105,063

  Buckinghamshire

  Aylesbury Vale

  106,137

  South Bucks

  47,904

  Chiltern

  70,432

  Milton Keynes

  114,332

  Wycombe

  117,252

  Cambridgeshire

  Cambridge

  78,617

  East Cambridgeshire

  44,949

  Fenland

  54,065

  Huntingdonshire

  103,359

  Peterborough

  108,478

  South Cambridgeshire

  87,951

  Cheshire

  Chester

  90,542

  Congleton

  64,996

  Crewe and Nantwich

  74,241

  Ellesmere and Neston

  59,892

  Halton

  89,098

  Macclesfield

  118,038

  Vale Royal

  85,466

  Warrington

  135,314

  Cleveland

  Hartlepool

  68,206

  Langbaurgh-on-Tees

  109,629

  Middlesbrough

  105,712

  Stockton on Tees

  130,932

  Cornwall

  Caradon

  55,568

  50

  Number

  Carrick

  62,354

  Kerrier

  66,704

  North Cornwall

  54,734

  Penwith

  44,716

  Restormel

  64,056

  Cumbria

  Allerdale

  74,319

  Barrow in Furness

  56,877

  Carlisle

  78,160

  Copeland

  54,387

  Eden

  35,174

  South Lakeland

  77,866

  Derbyshire

  Amber Valley

  85,378

  Bolsover

  53,733

  Chesterfield

  75,731

  Derby

  163,106

  Erewash

  81,427

  High Peak

  63,510

  North East Derbyshire

  75,076

  South Derbyshire

  53,276

  Derbyshire Dales

  52,316

  Devon

  East Devon

  91,349

  Exeter

  77,030

  North Devon

  63,258

  Plymouth

  194,787

  South Hams

  56,319

  Teignbridge

  84,511

  Mid Devon

  46,850

  Torbay

  94,570

  Torridge

  38,990

  West Devon

  34,149

  Dorset

  Bournemouth

  124,265

  Christchurch

  34,198

  North Dorset

  39,895

  Poole

  99,462

  Purbeck

  34,527

  West Dorset

  65,263

  Weymouth and Portland

  48,469

  East Dorset

  61,250

  Durham

  Chester Le Street

  40,702

  Darlington

  76,452

  Derwentside

  66,669

  Durham

  66,009

  Easington

  73,298

  Sedgefield

  67,374

  Teesdale

  19,274

  Wear Valley

  49,958

  East Sussex

  Brighton

  113,740

  Eastbourne

  65,643

  Hastings

  63,267

  Hove

  73,814

  Lewes

  68,741

  Rother

  66,905

  Wealden

  100,496

  Essex

  Basildon

  116,437

  Braintree

  87,235

  Brentwood

  55,756

  Castle Point

  64,827

  Chelmsford

  113,121

  Colchester

  110,047

  Epping Forest

  89,344

  Harlow

  55,451

  Maldon

  39,425

  Rochford

  57,226

  51

  Number

  Southend on Sea

  126,367

  Tendering

  99,397

  Thurrock

  92,999

  Uttlesford

  49,652

  Gloucestershire

  Cheltenham

  67,033

  Cotswold

  56,800

  Forest of Dean

  57,737

  Gloucester

  68,783

  Stroud

  81,804

  Tewkesbury

  65,807

  Hampshire

  Basingstoke and Deane

  101,740

  East Hampshire

  74,014

  Eastleigh

  75,472

  Fareham

  73,251

  Gosport

  57,145

  Hart

  60,142

  Havant

  88,605

  New Forest

  124,233

  Portsmouth

  146,741

  Rushmoor

  59,739

  Southampton

  153,754

  Test Valley

  75,950

  Winchester

  72,089

  Hereford and Worcester

  Bromsgrove

  68,167

  Hereford

  37,165

  Leominster

  29,850

  Malvern Hills

  66,993

  Redditch

  52,856

  South Herefordshire

  37,799

  Worcester

  58,470

  Wychavon

  75,576

  Wyre Forest

  70,603

  Hertfordshire

  Broxbourne

  62,543

  Dacorum

  100,276

  East Hertfordshire

  89,764

  Hertsmere

  68,313

  North Hertfordshire

  84,548

  St. Albans

  99,290

  Stevenage

  55,742

  Three Rivers

  62,371

  Watford

  57,721

  Welwyn Hatfield

  72,497

  Humberside

  Beverley

  85,179

  Boothferry

  47,227

  Cleethorpes

  52,121

  Glanford

  52,703

  Great Grimsby

  67,522

  Holderness

  37,314

  Kingston-Upon-Hull

  192,838

  East Yorkshire

  62,077

  Scunthorpe

  46,737

  Isle of Wight

  Medina

  55,434

  South Wight

  43,485

  Kent

  Ashford

  70,350

  Canterbury

  99,145

  Dartford

  58,434

  Dover

  80,670

  Gillingham

  70,712

  Gravesham

  71,181

  Maidstone

  102,388

  Rochester on Medway

  108,501

  Sevenoaks

  83,511

  Shepway

  69,857

  52

  Number

  Swale

  83,790

  Thanet

  97,267

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  76,394

  Tunbridge Wells

  75,171

  Lancashire

  Blackburn

  101,228

  Blackpool

  117,419

  Burnley

  66,136

  Chorley

  71,014

  Fylde

  58,073

  Hyndburn

  60,033

  Lancaster

  101,666

  Pendle

  63,471

  Preston

  94,337

  Ribble Valley

  40,530

  Rossendale

  47,698

  South Ribble

  73,529

  West Lancashire

  79,528

  Wyre

  79,860

  Leicestershire

  Blaby

  61,939

  Charnwood

  110,277

  Harborough

  49,172

  Hinckley and Bosworth

  71,566

  Leicester

  208,122

  Melton

  32,792

  North West Leicester

  60,428

  Oadby and Wigston

  40,116

  Rutland

  26,403

  Lincolnshire

  Boston

  40,517

  East Lindsey

  87,192

  Lincoln

  60,292

  North Kesteven

  64,136

  South Holland

  50,902

  South Kesteven

  76,863

  West Lindsey

  58,389

  Norfolk

  Breckland

  78,071

  Broadland

  78,688

  Great Yarmouth

  65,851

  North Norfolk

  72,259

  Norwich

  94,638

  South Norfolk

  77,222

  Kings Lynn/West Norfolk

  99,417

  Northamptonshire

  Corby

  37,112

  Daventry

  45,555

  East Northampton

  48,646

  Kettering

  55,932

  Northampton

  129,352

  South Northampton

  50,488

  Wellingborough

  48,872

  Northumberland

  Alnwick

  23,057

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  20,745

  Blyth Valley

  58,114

  Castle Morpeth

  39,673

  Tynedale

  42,819

  Wansbeck

  46,596

  North Yorkshire

  Craven

  37,763

  Hambleton

  58,560

  Harrogate

  113,599

  Richmondshire

  37,359

  Ryedale

  69,440

  Scarborough

  81,733

  Selby

  66,307

  York

  79,477

  53

  Number

  Nottinghamshire

  Ashfield

  81,464

  Bassetlaw

  80,368

  Broxtowe

  82,472

  Gedling

  82,767

  Mansfield

  76,325

  Newark and Sherwood

  80,738

  Nottingham

  210,938

  Rushcliffe

  75,119

  Oxfordshire

  Cherwell

  89,750

  Oxford

  89,871

  South Oxfordshire

  101,455

  Vale of White Horse

  83,265

  West Oxfordshire

  70,392

  Shropshire

  Bridgnorth

  39,704

  North Shropshire

  40,153

  Oswestry

  24,353

  Shrewsbury and Atcham

  69,761

  South Shropshire

  27,580

  The Wrekin

  95,027

  Somerset

  Mendip

  71,103

  Sedgemoor

  72,433

  Taunton Deane

  70,727

  West Somerset

  24,781

  South Somerset

  106,644

  Staffordshire

  Cannock Chase

  63,844

  East Staffordshire

  72,007

  Lichfield

  69,145

  Newcastle under Lyme

  91,106

  South Staffordshire

  79,491

  Stafford

  91,257

  Staffordshire, Moorlands

  73,729

  Stoke-on-Trent

  189,901

  Tamworth

  47,563

  Suffolk

  Babergh

  58,331

  Forest Heath

  41,111

  Ipswich

  89,879

  Mid Suffolk

  57,589

  St. Edmundsbury

  68,839

  Suffolk Coastal

  80,870

  Waveney

  81,494

  Surrey

  Elmbridge

  86,709

  Epsom and Ewell

  52,461

  Guildford

  96,533

  Mole Valley

  60,749

  Reigate and Banstead

  90,927

  Runnymede

  56,214

  Spelthorne

  70,487

  Surrey Heath

  59,633

  Tandridge

  58,975

  Waverley

  85,488

  Woking

  65,837

  Warwickshire

  North Warwickshire

  45,659

  Nuneaton and Bedworth

  85,444

  Rugby

  64,003

  Stratford-on-Avon

  81,817

  Warwick

  90,904

  West Sussex

  Adur

  46,150

  Arun

  103,146

  Chichester

  83,169

  54

  Number

  Crawley

  63,906

  Horsham

  80,862

  Mid Sussex

  91,035

  Worthing

  78,678

  Wiltshire

  Kennet

  49,531

  North Wiltshire

  83,458

  Salisbury

  79,242

  Thamedown

  122,619

  West Wiltshire

  77,972

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the rates paid per head of population of 18 years and over in each rating authority for 1987–88.

  Mr. Chope
  Listed is the available information for 1987–88:

  Unrebated domestic rate bill per adult

  £

  Isles of Scilly

  180

  Greater Manchester

  Bolton

  194

  Bury

  239

  Manchester

  291

  Oldham

  184

  Rochdale

  212

  Salford

  227

  Stockport

  235

  Tameside

  205

  Trafford

  232

  Wigan

  212

  Merseyside

  Knowsley

  263

  Liverpool

  264

  St. Helens

  233

  Sefton

  242

  Wirral

  284

  South Yorkshire

  Barnsley

  172

  Doncaster

  202

  Rotherham

  195

  Sheffield

  213

  Tyne and Wear

  Gateshead

  182

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  261

  North Tyneside

  250

  South Tyneside

  189

  Sunderland

  194

  West Midlands

  Birmingham

  231

  Coventry

  241

  Dudley

  237

  Sandwell

  214

  Solihull

  240

  Walsall

  243

  Wolverhampton

  245

  West Yorkshire

  Bradford

  187

  Calderdale

  166

  Kirklees

  165

  Leeds

  175

  Wakefield

  185

  City of London

  457

  Camden

  412

  55

  £

  Greenwich

  244

  Hackney

  295

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  310

  Islington

  276

  Kensington and Chelsea

  344

  Lambeth

  289

  Lewisham

  279

  Southwark

  275

  Tower Hamlets

  285

  Wandsworth

  161

  Westminster

  497

  Barking and Dagenham

  205

  Barnet

  293

  Bexley

  187

  Brent

  324

  Bromley

  211

  Croydon

  212

  Ealing

  299

  Enfield

  223

  Haringey

  350

  Harrow

  259

  Havering

  206

  Hillingdon

  252

  Hounslow

  301

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  243

  Merton

  219

  Newham

  277

  Redbridge

  197

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  274

  Sutton

  246

  Waltham Forest

  366

  Cornwall

  Caradon

  160

  Carrick

  167

  Kerrier

  145

  North Cornwall

  162

  Penwith

  157

  Restormel

  154

  Cumbria

  Allerdale

  167

  Barrow in Furness

  151

  Carlisle

  184

  Copeland

  154

  Eden

  167

  South Lakeland

  204

  Derbyshire

  Amber Valley

  216

  Bolsover

  194

  Chesterfield

  219

  Derby

  258

  Erewash

  217

  High Peak

  209

  North East Derbyshire

  230

  South Derbyshire

  231

  Derbyshire Dales

  244

  Devon

  East Devon

  188

  Exeter

  163

  North Devon

  143

  Plymouth

  165

  South Hams

  195

  Teignbridge

  169

  Mid Devon

  147

  Torbay

  203

  Torridge

  130

  West Devon

  157

  Dorset

  Bournemouth

  212

  Christchurch

  241

  North Dorset

  171

  Poole

  241

  Purbeck

  184

  56

  £

  West Dorset

  174

  Weymouth & Portland

  167

  East Dorset

  249

  Durham

  Chester Le Street

  180

  Darlington

  194

  Derwentside

  163

  Durham

  173

  Easington

  145

  Sedgefield

  172

  Teesdale

  127

  Wear Valley

  149

  East Sussex

  Brighton

  230

  Eastbourne

  258

  Hastings

  204

  Hove

  230

  Lewes

  240

  Rother

  254

  Wealden

  222

  Essex

  Basildon

  305

  Braintree

  217

  Brentwood

  310

  Castle Point

  254

  Chelmsford

  258

  Colchester

  206

  Epping Forest

  301

  Harlow

  323

  Maldon

  246

  Rochford

  270

  Southend on Sea

  267

  Tendring

  237

  Thurrock

  269

  Uttlesford

  262

  Gloucestershire

  Cheltenham

  217

  Cotswold

  216

  Forest of Dean

  150

  Gloucester

  170

  Stroud

  189

  Tewkesbury

  204

  Hampshire

  Basingstoke and Deane

  193

  East Hampshire

  228

  Eastleigh

  210

  Fareham

  226

  Gosport

  197

  Hart

  249

  Havant

  218

  New Forest

  208

  Portsmouth

  169

  Rushmoor

  191

  Southampton

  176

  Test Valley

  201

  Winchester

  223

  Hereford and Worcester

  Bromsgrove

  206

  Hereford

  153

  Leominster

  148

  Malvern Hills

  207

  Redditch

  207

  South Herefordshire

  147

  Worcester

  210

  Wychavon

  217

  Wyre Forest

  194

  Avon

  Bath

  200

  Bristol

  222

  Kingswood

  204

  57

  £

  Northavon

  214

  Wansdyke

  213

  Woodspring

  234

  Bedfordshire

  North Bedfordshire

  257

  Luton

  296

  Mid Bedfordshire

  255

  South Bedfordshire

  297

  Berkshire

  Bracknell

  220

  Newbury

  216

  Reading

  200

  Slough

  202

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  261

  Wokingham

  237

  Buckinghamshire

  Aylesbury Vale

  231

  South Bucks

  364

  Chiltern

  360

  Milton Keynes

  244

  Wycombe

  297

  Cambridgeshire

  Cambridge

  251

  East Cambridgeshire

  182

  Fenland

  175

  Huntingdonshire

  199

  Peterborough

  216

  South Cambridgeshire

  254

  Cheshire

  Chester

  236

  Congleton

  221

  Crewe and Nantwich

  225

  Ellesmere and Neston

  238

  Halton

  202

  Macclesfield

  273

  Vale Royal

  216

  Warrington

  208

  Cleveland

  Hartlepool

  198

  Langbaurgh-on-Tees

  236

  Middlesbrough

  236

  Stockton on Tees

  233

  Hertfordshire

  Broxbourne

  247

  Dacorum

  277

  East Hertfordshire

  251

  Hertsmere

  301

  North Hertfordshire

  271

  St. Albans

  278

  Stevenage

  280

  Three Rivers

  306

  Watford

  259

  Welwyn Hatfield

  296

  Humberside

  Beverley

  229

  Boothferry

  156

  Cleethorpes

  188

  Glanford

  179

  Great Grimsby

  175

  Holderness

  179

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  177

  East Yorkshire

  171

  Scunthorpe

  202

  Isle of Wight

  Medina

  192

  South Wight

  208

  Kent

  58

  £

  Ashford

  174

  Canterbury

  168

  Dartford

  164

  Dover

  147

  Gillingham

  155

  Gravesham

  173

  Maidstone

  166

  Rochester on Medway

  153

  Sevenoaks

  185

  Shepway

  195

  Swale

  146

  Thanet

  180

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  167

  Tunbridge Wells

  172

  Lancashire

  Blackburn

  147

  Blackpool

  179

  Burnley

  137

  Chorley

  175

  Fylde

  204

  Hyndburn

  131

  Lancaster

  154

  Pendle

  129

  Preston

  167

  Ribble Valley

  170

  Rossendale

  151

  South Ribble

  168

  West Lancashire

  209

  Wyre

  183

  Leicestershire

  Blaby

  207

  Charnwood

  211

  Harborough

  224

  Hinckley and Bosworth

  195

  Leicester

  182

  Melton

  196

  North West Leicester

  198

  Oadby and Wigston

  217

  Rutland

  186

  Lincolnshire

  Boston

  157

  East Lindsey

  156

  Lincoln

  153

  North Kesteven

  154

  South Holland

  154

  South Kesteven

  167

  West Lindsey

  154

  Norfolk

  Breckland

  158

  Broadland

  177

  Great Yarmouth

  167

  North Norfolk

  161

  Norwich

  188

  South Norfolk

  178

  Kings Lynn/West Norfolk

  149

  Northamptonshire

  Corby

  198

  Daventry

  230

  East Northampton

  174

  Kettering

  187

  Northampton

  221

  South Northampton

  218

  Wellingborough

  185

  Northumberland

  Alnwick

  168

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  173

  Blyth Valley

  199

  Castle Morpeth

  214

  Tynedale

  179

  Wansbeck

  175

  59

  £

  North Yorkshire

  Craven

  149

  Hambleton

  171

  Harrogate

  192

  Richmondshire

  142

  Ryedale

  152

  Scarborough

  159

  Selby

  152

  York

  129

  Nottinghamshire

  Ashfield

  175

  Bassetlaw

  190

  Broxtowe

  212

  Gedling

  232

  Mansfield

  192

  Newark and Sherwood

  189

  Nottingham

  204

  Rushcliffe

  244

  Oxfordshire

  Cherwell

  217

  Oxford

  220

  South Oxfordshire

  250

  Vale of White Horse

  233

  West Oxfordshire

  215

  Shropshire

  Bridgnorth

  175

  North Shropshire

  152

  Oswestry

  151

  Shrewsbury and Atcham

  184

  South Shropshire

  151

  The Wrekin

  189

  Somerset

  Mendip

  183

  Sedgemoor

  193

  Taunton Deane

  182

  West Somerset

  195

  South Somerset

  183

  Staffordshire

  Cannock Chase

  191

  East Staffordshire

  185

  Lichfield

  230

  Newcastle under Lyme

  189

  South Staffordshire

  231

  Stafford

  196

  Staffs. Moorlands

  180

  Stoke-on-Trent

  167

  Tamworth

  205

  Suffolk

  Babergh

  196

  Forest Heath

  170

  Ipswich

  205

  Mid Suffolk

  182

  St. Edmundsbury

  176

  Suffolk Coastal

  216

  Waveney

  182

  Surrey

  Elmbridge

  329

  Epsom and Ewell

  298

  Guildford

  249

  Mole Valley

  252

  Reigate and Banstead

  263

  Runnymede

  226

  Spelthorne

  231

  Surrey Heath

  268

  Tandridge

  228

  Waverley

  273

  Woking

  271

  Warwickshire

  North Warwickshire

  218

  60

  £

  Nuneaton & Bedworth

  220

  Rugby

  223

  Stratford-on-Avon

  261

  Warwick

  257

  West Sussex

  Adur

  217

  Arun

  214

  Chichester

  200

  Crawley

  197

  Horsham

  205

  Mid Sussex

  224

  Worthing

  206

  Wiltshire

  Rennet

  184

  North Wiltshire

  168

  Salisbury

  191

  Thamesdown

  198

  West Wiltshire

  178

  Government Offices (Energy Efficiency)
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the target power loading expressed in watts per square metre to which the Property Services Agency works when assessing the energy efficiency of the Government's estate.

  Mr. Chope
  PSA has no single power loading target for assessing energy efficiency; targets vary widely according to the building type, use and occupancy. Individual Government Departments are now responsible for setting their own energy efficiency targets.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much his Department spent in 1987 in improving the energy efficiency of lighting in Government offices and premises.

  Mr. Chope
  On the central Government civil estate covered by the PRS system, approximately £750,000 was made available by PSA in 1987–88 for investment in lighting energy efficiency measures. Savings will also accrue from PSA's maintenance and replacement programme.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much office space per square foot is occupied by Government Departments; how much electricity is consumed by lighting in these offices; and by how much this has been reduced since 1979 as a result of energy conservation measures.

  Mr. Chope
  The central Government civil estate covered by the PRS system includes approximately 6·6 million sq m of office accommodation, including computer centres. The electricity consumption of these offices costs approximately £16 million per year. It is not feasible to keep separate records for the whole estate on the energy consumption of lighting installations.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what target reductions in electricity usage for lighting the Property Services Agency expects to achieve in 1988; and what was the target for 1987.

  Mr. Chope
  PSA does not set specific targets for savings in electrical consumption for lighting. Targets are set for total energy savings, which are now the responsibility of individual Departments.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who will he responsible for the payment of the poll tax on prison department properties lived in by prison officers and their families; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Prison officers and members of their families over the age of 18 will be responsible for paying the personal community charge on the same basis as other adults.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance is to be given to local authorities in England and Wales to compensate for the information technology expenditure which will be incurred by the registration process for the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 13 April at column 127 to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Janman) and my reply of 20 April at column 481 to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen).

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the additional administration costs falling on the London borough of Waltham Forest as a result of his decision to make transitional arrangements for introduction of the community charge in that borough; and if he will reimburse those additional administration costs.

  Mr. Howard
  [pursuant to his reply, 3 December 1987; c. 642]: We have now further considered the question of reimbursing those boroughs which will be required to maintain their domestic rating system alongside the community charge during the transitional period. We have concluded that it would be right to arrange for some compensation for the reasonable extra costs involved outside the revenue support grant arrangements. We shall therefore be seeking a power to pay specific grant to the boroughs concerned. The details of the proposed grant will be a matter for consultation.

  We have also reconsidered the extent of the application of these arrangements in the light of representations from some of those affected and in the light of the preliminary returns of expenditure for 1988–89. We have concluded that it would be right to increase the threshold for inclusion within these arrangements so that only those areas where combined budgeted expenditure for 1987–88 of the authorities operating in that area exceeded the combined needs assessment for the area by more than £200 per head will now be affected. This change would have the effect of ensuring that domestic rates would be abolished in the London borough of Waltham Forest, the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster and the London borough of Wandsworth from 1 April 1990.

  Shopping and Leisure Complexes
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his policy on out-of-town shopping and leisure complexes in the light of the recent consultation paper issued by SERPLAN on out-of-town shopping and leisure complexes, a copy of which has been forwarded to him.
  62
  Mr. Waldegrave
  The London and South East Regional Planning Conference published a paper "Towards a Policy for Regional Shopping Centres" in July 1987. SERPLAN drew on responses to that paper in commenting last autumn on a consultation paper by my Department which became planning policy guidance note 6, published on 20 January. This note sets out the Government's policy on major retail development; a copy is in the Library.

  Housing (Rural Areas)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals for initiatives to provide new rented housing for local people in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  The White Paper published last September, "Housing: The Government's Proposals", Cm. 214, set out the Government's proposals for housing generally including proposals to expand the housing association programme which provides low cost homes for rent arid other tenures in rural and urban areas. On 11 February my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Housing and Planning announced that the Housing Corporation's guidelines for allocations to rural areas were being reviewed. Priority will no longer be confined to designated rural stress areas and the corporation will aim to double the present level of provision by housing associations in rural areas.

  We are considering whether any further measures, designed specifically to help rural areas, are needed.

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications of the price differential that now exists between leaded and unleaded petrol for the date on which he envisages that the European directive on vehicle emissions for medium and large car categories will be implemented.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The increased duty differential between unleaded and leaded petrol announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement has no implications for the Government's plans to implement the new EC directive 87/76/EEC, which remain as I stated in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 7 December, at columns 20–21.

  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on an agreement to control the exhaust emissions from small cars; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I reported the current state of discussions on stage II emission limits for small cars under the new EC directive 87/76/EEC in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Patnick) on 24 March, at columns 186–87. It is for the German presidency to consider how further progress towards an agreement might be made.

  Unused Sites (Richmond)
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the unused sites owned by public bodies within the London borough of Richmond upon Thames together with their owners and sizes in acres.
  63
  Mr. Trippier
  The information requested for unused and underutilised sites entered on the land register for the London borough of Richmond upon Thames is as follows:

  Owner and site address

  Size in acres

  London borough of Richmond upon Thames

  Land at Meadway, Twickenham

  3·50

  Land at Oak avenue, Hampton

  3·25

  Lichfield gardens car park, Richmond

  1·40

  British Railways Board

  Barnes station goods yard, Queens Ride

  2·74

  Land off Church road, Richmond

  1·00

  Land adjacent to the River Crane, Twickenham

  2·88

  London residuary body

  254–392 Chertsey road

  6·58

  Thames water authority

  Part of Petersham pumping station

  1·70

  North of Upper Sunbury road, South of Kempton Park reservoirs

  38·60

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what way his Department will participate in any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link due to take place in September and October 1988; how many staff are allocated to this task; how much such participation is estimated to cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  DOE involvement in the forthcoming military home defence exercises is expected to be minimal and limited to normal day-to-day support services provided, on request, by the Property Services Agency.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the housing associations in receipt of higher management allowance for their work in the inner city areas; and if he will give the amount of the allowance in each case.

  Mrs. Roe
  Higher management allowances are awarded to housing associations to reflect the additional costs arising from tenant needs and estate difficulties which present particular problems, including work in areas of urban and rural stress. The list below details those associations in receipt of HMA as at 1 April 1988 who cited the fact that they worked in such stress areas as at least part of the reason for their extra management costs. The HMA awards made to these associations are also listed.

  Higher Management Allowances, Associations working in stress areas

  Association Name and Operational Area

  HMA £ per unit

  Baptist HAL, London North

  44

  Battersea Churches HT, London South

  91

  Battersea Tenants Co-op, London South

  91

  Beth Johnson HAL, West Midlands

  49

  Bethnal Green and East London, London North

  44

  Birmingham Friendship, West Midlands

  107

  64

  Association Name and Operational Area

  HMA £ per unit

  Bradford and Northern, North East

  45

  Brent Peoples HAL, London North

  91

  Bridge HSL, East Midlands

  43

  Bristol Churches, West

  62

  Brunel and Family HAL, North East

  81

  Caldmore Area HAL, West Midlands

  118

  Central and Provincial HT, London North

  41

  Cheshire Foundation, London North

  70

  Cheviot HAL, North East

  26

  Chichester Diocesan, London South

  62

  Christ Action (Enfield), London North

  42

  Church HAL, London North

  91

  Circle 33 HT, London North

  91

  Coastal Counties HA, London South

  45

  Columbus First HAL, London North

  60

  Community HAL, London North

  91

  Community Relations HA, North West

  118

  Coventry Churches (2nd), West Midlands

  118

  Coventry Churches HAL, West Midlands

  118

  Croydon Churches, London South

  74

  De Montfort HSL, East Midlands

  49

  Ealing Family HAL, London North (N)

  91

  East London HAL, London North

  62

  East Midlands HAL, East Midlands

  52

  East Midlands Retirement, East Midlands

  51

  Eaves Brook HA, North West

  37

  Elizabeth Bates HSL, London North

  35

  Endeavour HAL, North East

  22

  Family First Trust, East Midlands

  91

  Family HA, London South

  118

  FHA Birkenhead, Merseyside

  33

  Furnival HSG Co-op, West

  55

  Greater Hornby HA, Merseyside

  90

  Grosvenor HA, Merseyside

  24

  Habinteg HAL, London North

  102

  Heantun HAL, West Midlands

  112

  Hestia HAL, West Midlands

  118

  Holyland HSG Co-op, Merseyside

  131

  Humanist Hal, London North

  52

  Hyde HA, London South

  104

  Irwell Valley, North West

  112

  Keniston (Second) HAL, London North

  66

  Keniston HAL, London North

  91

  Kensington HT, London North

  66

  Knightstone HA, West

  42

  Leicester HAL, East Midlands

  118

  Leicester Students HAL, East Midlands

  39

  Liver HA, Merseyside

  76

  London and Quadrant, London South

  91

  Lotus HSL, West Midlands

  17

  Manchester and District, North West

  102

  Manchester 1926, North West

  61

  Manchester Methodist, North West

  93

  Martlet HA, London South

  25

  Medway Churches HA, London South

  84

  Mercian HSL, West Midlands

  95

  Merseyside IMP HSES, Merseyside

  113

  Metropolitan HT, London North

  68

  Moseley & District, West Midlands

  8

  Mosscare HA, North West

  66

  Muir Group HA, North West

  34

  New Islington & Hackney, London North

  91

  Newcastle upon Tyne HAL, North East

  77

  Newlon HT, London North

  91

  Nina West Homes, London North

  62

  Normid HAL, West Midlands

  96

  65

  Association Name and Operational Area

  HMA £ per unit

  North British HA, North West

  25

  North Sheffield HAL, North East

  113

  Notting Hill HT, London North

  91

  Paddington Churches HAL, London North

  84

  Phoenix HAL, North East

  6

  Pierhead HA, Merseyside

  110

  Portsmouth HA, West

  112

  Presentation HA, London South

  91

  Princes Park HSG Co-Op, Merseyside

  124

  Raglan HA, West

  62

  Railway HA & Ben. Fund, North East

  90

  Railway Street Co-Op, North East

  37

  Ridings HAL, North East

  118

  Rodney HA, Merseyside

  96

  Salford Community, North West

  118

  Servite Houses, London North

  88

  Shackleton HA, London South

  77

  Shepherds Bush HAL, London North

  90

  Sir Oswald Stoll Found. London North

  91

  Soho HAL, London North

  91

  Solon South West HA, London South

  100

  Solon Wandsworth HA, London South

  83

  South East Lancs HA, North West

  38

  South London FHA, London South

  90

  South Yorkshire HAL, North East

  113

  St. Helens HA, Merseyside

  74

  St. Marylebone HA, London North

  91

  St. Pancras HA in Camden, London North

  54

  St. Philips HSL, West Midlands

  61

  St. Vincents Manchester, North West

  18

  Staffordshire HAL, West Midlands

  94

  Stoke on Trent, West Midlands

  30

  Stonham HA, London South

  118

  Sunderland River Co-Op, North East

  56

  Tennant HT, London North

  83

  Thames HA, London South

  118

  Third Collingwood, West

  67

  Three Rivers HAL, North East

  48

  Threshold Single Per, London South

  91

  Toxteth Park HSG Co-Op, Merseyside

  131

  Two Castles HAL, North West

  61

  United Kingdom HT, London North

  91

  United Reformed Church, London North

  26

  Venture HA, Merseyside

  90

  Walbrook HAL, East Midlands

  114

  Wandle HA, London North

  81

  Warrington HA, Merseyside

  54

  Waterloo HAL, West Midlands

  92

  Wearmouth Co-Op, North East

  57

  West Pennine HA, North West

  118

  Womens Pioneer HL, London North

  63

  York HA, North East

  96

  Young Persons HA, MER

  109

  Unleaded Petrol
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now publish in local newspapers the list of petrol stations at which unleaded petrol may be purchased.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I will be delighted to make the latest list, and a new map produced by the Department, available to any newspaper or organisation which will publish it.

  Radon
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will urgently bring forward legislation requiring new and existing houses to be protected from the ingress of radon; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The building regulations already provide sufficient powers to regulate the construction of new buildings. For existing buildings we are considering what action needs to be taken, but it is unlikely that new legislation will be needed.

  Departmental Cars
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Mini and Renault 4 cars held by his Department in store have been sold in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Chope
  There are no Minis or Renault 4s held in store. Since 1982, the earliest year for which records are available, the Crown Suppliers have disposed of 45 Austin Rover Minis by auction.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what purpose his Department maintains Mini and Renault 4 cars in store; and how many are kept.

  Mr. Chope
  The Crown Suppliers — an operating trading fund of the Department of the Environment— have no Minis in store. They have six Austin Rover Minis on hire to, and operated by, Government Departments, and hold two as operational reserves. No Renault 4s are held.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual cost to his Department of maintaining Mini and Renault 4 cars, including respectively the cost of(a) rental and (b) updating Ministry of Transport tests.

  Mr. Chope
  The estimated annual cost of repair and maintenance for the Austin Rover Minis currently operated by the Crown Suppliers is £2,800 pa—£350 per vehicle. There are no Renault 4s operated by the Department. There are no rental costs and costs of Ministry of Transport tests are £87·50.

  Charitable Land (Change of Use)
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he has issued regarding the status of land originally donated for charitable purposes when applications are made for change of use.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No guidance is necessary. The planning system determines whether proposed changes in the use of land are acceptable in the public interest. Planning permission granted under the Town and Country Planning Act does not override restrictions on the use of land imposed under other legislation or by other means.

  Water Companies
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many water companies are currently partially or wholly owned by foreign interests in the United Kingdom; and what percentage of ownership this represents.

  Mr. Moynihan
  This information is not available.

  Melton Borough Council
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, pursuant to the reply by the joint Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Chope) to the hon. Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) on 20 April,Official Report, column 824, he will now give details of the information he has received from his regional office in Nottingham regarding the level of rate set for two successive financial years by the Melton borough council.

  Mr. Chope
  Information on local rates is collected centrally, not by regional offices. Listed below are the rates levied in Melton in the last two years, from which it will be seen that the district rate for Melton borough council has been zero in both years. The local rate has been made up entirely of special expenses in Melton Mowbray and parish precepts.

  1987–88 (p)

  1988–89 (p)

  District rate

  0·00

  0·00

  Special district expenses

  2·61

  4·06

  Average parish precept

  1·52

  1·76

  Local rate

  4·13

  15·82

  Leicestershire C.C. precept

  199·30

  2221·20

  General rate

  203·43

  3227·02

  Domestic rate

  184·93

  4208·52

  1 40·9 per cent. increase.

  2 11·0 per cent. increase.

  3 11·6 per cent. business increase.

  4 12·8 per cent. domestic increase.

  Dotterels
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the increase in the ringing of dotterels.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: The increase in ringing results from a study commenced in May 1987 by the Nature Conservancy Council to assess the impact of tourism, grazing and other factors on the dotterel's mountain habitats, with the aim of determining the vulnerability of the breeding population to these pressures and the species lifespan and breeding behaviour.

  Ringing is carried out by harmless and well-tested techniques, under licences granted by the NCC under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy with regard to the ringing of dotterels and their chicks by professional ringers.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: The dotterel appears on annex 1 of the EC directive on the conservation of wild birds as a species requiring special conservation measures concerning its habitat. The colour-ringing of a small proportion of birds is a vital part of a study by the Nature Conservancy Council, commencing in May last year, to provide a sound scientific basis for the implementation of our obligations under the directive.

  Housing (East London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply of 20 April,Official
  68
  Report, column 825, he will state the name of the consultants studying the scope for housing development in east London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The consultant has not yet been appointed. Invitations to tender for the contract will be sent out shortly.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply of 20 April,Official Report, column 825, he will more closely identify the sites in Newham under consideration for housing development, giving (a) the acreage, (b) the current ownership pattern and (c) the time scale envisaged from consultancy to commencement for the building projects and (d) the likely financial package involved.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Further information on the general areas to be covered by the studies will be published shortly. The consultant who is appointed to undertake the study will be asked to report on the sites within each area, including those matters raised by the hon. Member.

TRANSPORT

  London Underground (Policing)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to what discussions have recently taken place between the Metropolitan police, London Regional Transport and the British Transport police concerning policing of the London Underground.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The Metropolitan police and the British Transport police liaise closely at all levels on the policing of the London Underground. London Regional Transport is represented on the British Transport police committee and staff of London Underground Limited are in constant contact with British Transport police officers on operational matters.

  Vehicle Testing
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to undertake a major review of the MoT test certificate procedure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  A review of the MoT testing scheme was completed last year.

  Recommendations relating to technical standards and disciplinary action are being discussed with the motor trade. These will lead to significant improvements to the standard of testing.

  Other measures already introduced include improvements to the security printing of MoT certificates and tighter security at MoT garages. The Department has improved its information about trading standards offences so that MoT examiners who are convicted of such offences can be dealt with under the Department's disciplinary arrangements.

  In total MoT authorisation was withdrawn from 127 garages last year compared with 73 in the previous year. We are continuing to discuss with the trading standards organisations further measures to combat fraudulent use of test certificates.

  Motor Trade (Abuses)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received with regard to the
  69
  Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards report "Tackling Abuses in the Motor Trade" of October 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from hon. Members. The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate and Consumer Affairs and I discussed many of the issues covered in this report with the Director General of Fair Trading, motor trade representatives and others on 15 December 1987. We agreed the desirability of amending section 60 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 to make it easier for trading standards officers to deal with sellers of unroadworthy vehicles. The LACOTS is considering our suggestions about the possible extension of trading standards officers' powers to inspect cars on garage forecourts. DVLC officials are contributing to Office of Fair Trading investigations into action against "clocking" of used cars.

  Dual Carriageways (Central Reservations)
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions in the last 10 years gaps in the central reservation of dual carriageway trunk roads have been closed in spite of objections being raised to the advertised proposals; and in how many of these instances a public inquiry was held before any ministerial decision was made.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I regret that this information is not available. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind, perhaps he would write to me.

  Near Misses
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further action he is taking to reduce the risk of near misses of airliners in British airspace and at British airports.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Action to reduce the risk of air misses in United Kingdom airspace is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority. The authority is wholly responsible for aviation regulation and (with the Ministry of Defence) for air traffic management in the United Kingdom. I draw my hon. Friend's attention to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle), on 18 April 1988, at columns 532–34.

  Ambulances
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation to bring private ambulances within the purview of the traffic commissioners by abolishing the right of such ambulances to operate on a restricted public service vehicle licence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There is no need for such legislation. Restricted PSV licences are issued by the traffic commissioners. The holders are subject to obligations (for example, in respect of maintenance) comparable to those required under a standard licence.

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what way his Department will participate in 70
  any or all of the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link due to take place in September and October 1988; how many staff are allocated to this task; how much such participation is estimated to cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  One person in the Department has been invited to take part in Exercise Strong Link. The estimated cost is £173. Arrangements have also been made for some exercise activities to take place, at no cost to the Department, at sites occupied by public sector transport undertakings.

  King's Cross and St. Pancras
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals British Rail have submitted to him in respect of King's Cross and St. Pancras stations.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  None.

  Dial-a-ride
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect deregulation of transport in London will have on the future of dial-a-ride schemes.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  None.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for the expansion of dial-a-ride; and what changes in funding are likely during the next 12 months.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  We look to London Regional Transport for advice on the future development of the dial-a-ride scheme in London, which has considerably expanded in recent years. Funding this year is 50 per cent. higher than three years ago. We are encouraged by LRT's continuing efforts to secure greater cost-effectiveness and enhanced levels of service.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he is yet in a position to announce his policy towards the funding of the dial-a-ride schemes beyond April 1989.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  London Regional Transport's bids for funding the London dial-a-rides beyond April 1989 will be considered in the normal way in the investment and financing review.

  Ammunition Lorries
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce regulations to ensure that ammunition lorries are escorted by trained Ministry of Defence Police or military personnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The new regulations will provide for drivers of lorries carrying high explosive ammunition to be accompanied by a competent person. The arrangements for movement of military ammunition will be a matter for decision by the responsible authorities..

  Rolling Stock and Locomotives
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information and details of specifications for new
  71
  investment on (a) rolling stock and (b) locomotives are required by and sent to his Department for consideration before approval is given for capital expenditure to be incurred.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  BR's investment submissions to Ministers are supported by copies of the appraisals BR uses for its own internal consideration of proposals. These normally include an analysis of the problem identified and the objective of the investment; a business background; a description of options; major assumptions and inputs; a financial evaluation (including sensitivity tests); and non-financial considerations.

  Herald of Free Enterprise
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about lorries and parts of lorries recovered from the Herald of Free Enterprise in connection with their roadworthiness; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: None of which I am aware.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that vehicles recovered from the Herald of Free Enterprise conform with vehicle inspectorate construction and the regulations before being allowed on the road again.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: The law requires this already.

  Public Carriage Office
  Mr. Bendall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why delays in inspections for roadworthiness at the Public Carriage Office are increasing; and what steps he is taking to eliminate the problems to drivers and owners of black cabs and to the residents of Penton street being caused by these delays.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: The operation of the Public Carriage Office is the responsibility of an assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. I understand that the March peak in the number of vehicles submitted for relicensing and the early Easter holiday have caused a temporary build-up. The PCO has taken short-term steps to deal with the backlog, and longer-term measures are in hand to improve the quality of the vehicles being submitted and the ways in which they are tested, particularly by the introduction of a booking system.

DEFENCE

  Low-flying Aircraft
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received concerning low flying over Wales.

  Mr. Freeman
  Between 1 February 1988 and 19 April 1988 the Ministry of Defence received 83 inquiries or complaints from Wales about low-flying military aircraft.

  Procurement Contracts
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total value of defence procurement contracts placed by his Department during the last full financial year.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In the financial year 1986–87, the latest period for which full information is available, the total value of headquarter contracts placed by my Department was £9·3 billion.

  Personnel (Location)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of armed services personnel are stationed in(a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) each of the English regions and (d) elsewhere.

  Mr. Freeman
  At 30 June 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, the percentages of the total strength of the armed services stationed in each of the areas listed were as follows:

  Percentage

  Wales

  1·9

  Scotland

  6·2

  England—Total

  59·9

  North

  0·7

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  4·5

  East Midlands

  4·1

  East Anglia

  5·0

  South East

  27·2

  South West

  15·2

  West Midlands

  2·7

  North West

  0·5

  Elsewhere

  32·0

  Child Care
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what child care provision his Department 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. Sainsbury
  The Ministry of Defence has no child care provision at present for civilian employees. The Department is however encouraging personnel to become involved in the setting up of holiday play schemes.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has considered any proposals for joint production, design or custody of nuclear weapons with any country other than the United States of America.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom is currently studying the requirement for a successor to its free-fall nuclear bomb. In this context, we have considered with France each country's requirement for an air-launched stand-off missile. Exchanges are continuing with a view to indentifying where British and French requirements might be similar, and assessing what merit there might be in collaboration.

  Military Training Areas
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are made for the use of military training areas by(a) foreign military units based in the United Kingdom and (b) foreign troops and aircraft temporarily stationed in the United Kingdom; whether any payments are made for the use of these facilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Bilateral agreements exist with a number of NATO and other foreign forces covering their use of military training areas in the United Kingdom. Detailed arrangements in each case differ, but such agreements may include the waiver of charges where reciprocal use is made by British forces of training areas in the visiting force's country.

  Strategic Defence Initiative
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts have been awarded to companies operating in the United Kingdom, as part of the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Sixty-three.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts for research and/or development have been awarded to universities and other research institutions in the United Kingdom, as part of the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Twenty-three.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many jobs have been created in(a) research institutions and (b) universities in the United Kingdom, as part of the strategic defence initiative programme;

  (2) what information he has as to how many jobs have been created in companies operating in the United Kingdom, as part of the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Such information is not maintained by the Government.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of contracts awarded to companies operating in the United Kingdom, as part of the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Approximately $54 million.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of contracts awarded to universities and other research institutions in the United Kingdom, as part of the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Approximately $7 million.

  Computer-aided Accidents
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to use Viper computer chips in safety critical systems controlled by his Department; what other steps are being taken to avoid computer-aided accidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I anticipate that Viper will be used in critical defence equipment delivered from the early 1990s onwards, as part of the Department's continuing work on high integrity computing.

  Horseguards Parade (Flags)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the cleanliness of the flags at the entrance to Horseguards parade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Only one representation has been received from a member of the public concerning the cleanliness of the flags at the entrance to Horse Guards parade. Every effort is made to maintain the flags in a reasonable state, both those that are flown continually and those flown only on certain occasions. The flags are cleaned regularly, repaired as necessary and replaced once past economic repair. On certain ceremonial occasions, such as Her Majesty The Queen's birthday parade, a new Union flag is used.

  Home Defence
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in relation to the military home defence exercises Eastern Shield, Capital Guard, Drake's Drum, Autumn Tiger, Northern Crusade, Western Encounter, Triple Crown and Strong Link scheduled to take place in September and October 1988, he will place copies of the exercise scenarios in the Library; if he will list those(a) local authorities, (b) health authorities, (c) police authorities, (d) water authorities and (e) others which have indicated their intention to (i) participate in, (ii) give assistance to, or (iii) observe each of these exercises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  It is the hope of district commanders that a number of non-military agencies will participate in, assist or observe the military home defence exercises which are taking place this autumn, although the details have not yet been finalised. It is likely that local authorities' participation will be limited to attendance at visitor days. The police are expected to take part in the exercises but the level of participation will vary at the discretion of individual chief constables. There will be some limited NHS involvement, with ambulance services and voluntary aid societies taking part in a number of the exercises. Water authority assistance is limited to the provision of a number of sites which will be used, at no cost to the authorities, to practise key point guarding. Planning is continuing for the participation of appropriate fire services, Customs and Excise officials, port and transport police. It is not our practice to release details of exercise scenarios.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military home defence exercises are due to take place in(a) the Scottish Highlands and (b) the Scottish Lowlands military districts during autumn 1988 in relation to those exercises due to take place in England and Wales; if he will place the exercise scenarios in the Library; arid if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Exercise Bonnie Dundee is the only military home defence exercise taking place in Scotland this autumn. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for the Western Isles (Mr. Macdonald) on 4 February. It is not our practice to give details of exercise scenarios.

  F16 Aircraft
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards flights by United States Air Force F-16 aircraft over United Kingdom airspace following recent crashes in Germany; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  NATO military aircraft flying in United Kingdom airspace, including United States Air Force F-16s, are subject to the same regulations as aircraft operated by our own forces. Should concern arise about the safety or airworthiness of any military aircraft type operating in United Kingdom airspace appropriate steps would be taken.

  NATO Nuclear Planning Group
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in the light of the Danish general election called for 10 May, the meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation nuclear planning group in Kolding, Denmark, will now take place as scheduled on 27 and 28 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  In the light of the election called by the Danish Government for 10 May, it has been agreed that the nuclear planning group meeting due to be held at Kolding in Denmark on 27–28 April will now take place at NATO headquarters in Brussels on the same dates.

  Defence Estimates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the Statement on the Defence Estimates for 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  My right hon. Friend expects to announce the date of publication next month.

  Ammunition Transport
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make representations to the United States Army on its action in February in substituting civilian personnel for Ministry of Defence Police for the task of escorting ammunition lorries at Caerwent.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. I am satisfied with the current arrangements for the transport of ammunition to and from RAF Caerwent using civilian attendants, which meet the provisions of the Conveyance by Road of Military Explosives Regulations 1977.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the cost of employing escorts for ammunition lorries from Caerwent base has been reduced as a result of the replacing of Ministry of Defence police by civilian personnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  The varying nature of the ammunition transport task at RAF Caerwent means that it is not possible to quantify the overall saving resulting from this change. However, the cost of employing a civilian attendant for this task is about half that of using a Ministry of Defence policeman.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training is required for escorts employed for the transport of ammunition by road.

  Mr. Freeman
  Drivers and escorts of vehicles used in the transport of ammunition by road are given training and 76
  instructions to enable them to understand the nature of the dangers to which the ammunition carried may give rise and the action they are required to take in an emergency. Such training and instruction is in accordance with the Conveyance by Road of Military Explosives Regulations 1977.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether civilian personnel have been substituted for Ministry of Defence police or military personnel in the work of escorting ammunition convoys from any bases under his control; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Drivers and escorts of vehicles used for transporting ammunition, whether in convoy or not, may be military or civilian personnel according to circumstances. Ministry of Defence police do not normally escort ammunition convoys.

  Tain Bombing Range
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 April to the hon. Member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye,Official Report, column 504, which services he proposes to seek tenders for at Tain bombing range; what time scale is envisaged for the return and assessment of tenders; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Tenders will be sought for a range of support services, including quadrant observation, range warden activities, range safety petrol, target maintenance, the maintenance of communications equipment and vehicles, vehicle driving and administration. The supervision of the range will remain as it is at present, under RAF control. Invitations to tender will be issued in May. Any contract would not commence before April 1989.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many centres for chemical weapons production are currently in existence in the United Kingdom; and what is the total estimate of stockpiled chemical weapons in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  None.

  Mooring Vessels
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when will he be in a position to announce the orders for the range mooring vessel and the two power mooring lighters.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Orders will be placed later today with Richards Shipbuilders Ltd. for a range mooring vessel and with McTay Marine for two powered mooring lighters. Upon completion, these vessels will enter service with the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service. I am pleased that it has been possible to conclude the contracts for the three vessels at prices significantly lower than the total of about £10 million originally budgeted for them in 1985–86.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  West Belfast (Citizen's Arrest)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if there is any evidence to suggest that an attempt
  77
  was made to carry out a citizens arrest by those persons who attacked and murdered two soldiers in west Belfast; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stanley
  As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, several people have already been charged with offences in connection with these murders, and police investigations continue. In these circumstances I cannot properly attempt to anticipate what evidence may emerge.

  Terrorism
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evidence he has to date on whether there has been a positive response to the continuing advertising campaign in Northern Ireland seeking information about terrorist activity and encouraging use of the confidential telephone service.

  Mr. Stanley
  Since the present campaign began in January to publicise the confidential telephone service there has been a very positive and encouraging response from members of the public.

  Child Care
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what child care provision his Department 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. Stanley
  In accordance with the commitment in the circular "Equal Opportunities for Women in the Northern Ireland Civil Service" published May 1986, the Northern Ireland Civil Service has considered the provision of child care facilities and in particular workplace nurseries. It concluded that such nurseries could only be provided with a substantial injection of capital to meet start-up costs and a continuing subsidy from Government towards running costs. The use of public funds for this purpose has not so far been considered justifiable in relation to other needs.

  However the Northern Ireland Civil Service is anxious to assist staff in making other suitable child minding arrangements and recently introduced a scheme to assist staff to find suitable registered childminders. In addition it is considering with the trade unions the provision of other facilities such as day care for pre-school age children, after-school care for older children, and holiday play schemes.

  The home Civil Service part of the Northern Ireland Office, which comprises about 190 staff divided between London and Belfast, does not provide child care facilities, but gives sympathetic consideration to the individual needs of staff with young children.

  Education (Maintenance Allowances)
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what groups have made representations about the review of educational maintenance allowances in Northern Ireland;

  (2) if he will implement the proposals contained in the NUS/USI document on a proposed new educational maintenance allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement;
  78
  (3) what arrangements he proposes to make regarding the issuing of a report after the review procedure of educational maintenance allowances has been completed;

  (4) how long it will take to complete the review of educational maintenance allowances presently being undertaken by the Department of Education.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Representations have been received from the citizens advice bureaux, the NUS-USI, Omagh district council and the Western education and library board. I shall take into account the views of these bodies before reaching final conclusions. I shall also consider whether to issue a report and I will be making a statement later this year.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of payments made to those in receipt of educational maintenance allowance in each of the years 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88 in each of the four education and library boards in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows:

  Number of payments per annum1

  Education and Library Boards

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  21987–88

  Belfast

  488

  442

  458

  460

  558

  North-Eastern

  864

  982

  412

  436

  320

  South-Eastern

  476

  380

  310

  280

  260

  Southern

  1,848

  1,434

  964

  778

  740

  Western

  2,072

  1,500

  1,260

  1,136

  1,120

  1 EMAs are paid in two instalments per annum and the number in receipt of educational maintenance allowances is half the number shown in the table.

  2 Estimated.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of total public recurrent expenditure on higher and further education has been attributable to educational maintenance allowances in each year from 1983 to date.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Public expenditure on education maintenance allowances is incurred under the public expenditure programme for administration and miscellaneous services.

  The expenditure figures are as follows:

  £

  1983–84

  523,838

  1984–85

  518,313

  1985–86

  363,990

  1986–87

  316,401

  11987–88

  264,000

  1 Provisional.

  This expenditure, as a proportion of recurrent expenditure on higher and further education (including teacher training) is as follows:

  Percentage

  1983–84

  0·4

  1984–85

  0·3

  1985–86

  0·2

  1986–87

  0·2

  11987–88

  0·1

  1 Provisional.

  Chief Constable (Report)
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland's report for 1987.

  Mr. Stanley
  A copy was placed in the Library on 12 April.

  Maryfield Secretariat
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report the total sums expended on the Maryfield secretariat by (a) the United Kingdom, indicating on which vote it is borne, and (b) the Irish Republic; and if he will give a breakdown for each country for (i) salaries and wages of civil servants, (ii) security expenditure for capital and wages, (iii) telephones, (iv) heat and light, (v) stationery and other office costs, (vi) travel and (vii) other costs, for each year or financial year of the secretariat's existence.

  Mr. Tom King
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: Total costs to United Kingdom public funds of the secretariat to the end of March 1988 since its commencement in 1985
  80
  are provisionally assessed at £468,000. I have nothing further to add to replies on this subject that I have given in the past to the hon. Gentleman and others.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing at the latest available date a breakdown of the (a) United Kingdom civil servants, (b) Northern Ireland civil servants and (c) civil servants of the Irish Republic, by grade, religion and sex, working in the Maryfield secretariat.

  Mr. Tom King
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: No.

  Hayshed Bugging
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, pursuant to his answers of 25 March,Official Report, column 241, 28 March, Official Report, column 314, and 31 March, Official Report, column 700, he will outline the policy considerations which underlie his statements that it is not the practice to comment on matters such as the legal authority under which a bug was placed in the hayshed in which Michael Tighe was killed.

  Mr. Tom King
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: It is established policy that the Government do not comment on matters which might jeopardise national security.

  SERPENTINE GALLERY: ART EXHIBIT
  SERPENTINE GALLERY: ART EXHIBIT
  HOMELESS PERSONS: SLEEPING ACCOMMODATION
  HOMELESS PERSONS: SLEEPING ACCOMMODATION
  ENDANGERED SPECIES: APPLICATION OF EC REGULATION
  ENDANGERED SPECIES: APPLICATION OF EC REGULATION
  DHSS: DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
  DHSS: DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
  INCOME TAX STATISTICS 1986–88
  INCOME TAX STATISTICS 1986–88
  REDHILL SECURE UNIT: CLOSURE
  REDHILL SECURE UNIT: CLOSURE
  SOCIAL FUND OFFICIALS AND THE OMBUDSMAN
  SOCIAL FUND OFFICIALS AND THE OMBUDSMAN