Written Answers of 26 April 1988

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police officers (Assaults)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department maintains any central record of assaults on police officers in England and Wales.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Information is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", (supplementary tables volumes 1 and 11) copies of which are in the Library, of assaults on police officers which result in proceedings for that specific offence.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police forces in England and Wales are required to maintain records of assaults on police officers; and in what format.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There is no requirement for police forces to maintain records of assaults on police officers. The majority of forces do keep such records though in differing formats, and HMCI constabulary is now considering with ACPO the possibility of standardising recording practice.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Metropolitan police officers were assaulted in the execution of their duty in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the number of Metropolitan police officers recorded by the force as having been assaulted in the execution of their duty in each of the last five years was as follows:

  Number

  1987

  4,534

  1986

  3,400

  1985

  3,009

  1984

  2,765

  1983

  3,150

  Asylum
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum were received in each of the last five years; of which countries the applicants were citizens; and which applications were successful.

  Mr. Renton
  Information on applications for refugee status and their outcome, by nationality, for 1979 to 1984 was published in tables 5A–5F of Home Office statistical bulletin "Refugee Statistics United Kingdom, 1985" (issue 12/86). The corresponding figures for 1985 (which have been revised since the issue of that bulletin) and 1986 were published in tables 6 and 7 of the corresponding bulletin for 1986 (issue 13/87). Copies of these publications are in the Library. The figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  Police Pay
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the percentage increase in police pay for each year since 1974.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The increases in the pay of police officers below the rank of superintendent have been as follows:

  per cent.

  1 September 1974

  16·7

  1 September 1975

  30

  1 September 1976

  15

  1 September 1977

  10

  1 September 1978

  239

  1 May 1979

  1 September 1979

  13·5

  1 September 1980

  21·3

  1 September 1981

  13·2

  1 September 1982

  10·3

  1 September 1983

  8·4

  1 September 1984

  5·13

  1 September 1985

  7·5

  1 September 1986

  7·5

  1 September 1987

  7·75

  Notes:

  1 Subject to a minimum increase of £2·50 a week and a maximum increase of £4 a week.

  2 Implemented in two phases, with half being paid on 1 September 1978 and the remainder on 1 May 1979.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present annual salary of a police constable in his or her first year of work(a) in London and (b) outside London.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The basic annual salary for police constables in all forces during their first year of service is £8,352 for those who were under the age of 22 on joining the service and £10,512 for those who were aged 22 or over. All officers receive free accommodation or rent allowance in lieu, which varies from force to force. Police constables in London get an additional £945 in London weighting and £1,011 in London allowance.

  Document Loss (Prosecution Policy)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brent, East of 14 March,Official Report, columns 423–24, if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to when a decision was taken not to refer the matter of the loss of documents to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  Mr. Hurd
  No; in the circumstances set out in my reply to the hon. Member on 14 March the question of referring the matter to the Director of Public Prosections did not arise.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish tables in the Official Report to show for the area covered by the Cheshire constabulary for each calendar year since 1 January 1979 the number of and types of firearms certificates issued by the Cheshire constabulary itemising (a) rifles up to ·230in or 6mm, (b) rifles over ·230in or 6mm, (c) rifles over ·22in which are of self-loading rifle type, (d) rifles over ·22in of

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  non self-loading rifle type, (e) pistols and revolvers up to ·230in or 6mm, (f) pistols and revolvers over ·230in or 6mm, (g) pistols and revolvers over ·22 in non-semiautomatic, (h) pistols and revolvers over ·22in semi-automatic, (i) humane killers, (j) signal pistols and mini-flare projectors, (k) smooth bore guns of under ·24in barrel length, (l) rifle/shotgun combinations and (m) dangerous air weapons and CO2 guns.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Statistics on the issue of firearm certificates are published by the chief constable of Cheshire in his annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library. More detailed information is not held centrally.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in relation to the administration of the Firearms Act 1968 in Gwent as it affects the issue of firearms certificates, how many(a) applications were received for grant, (b) applications were subsequently withdrawn by the applicant, (c) applications were received for renewal, (d) applications were subsequently withdrawn by the applicant, (e) certificates were in force on 1 January, and (f) certificates were granted for each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (2) in relation to the administration of the Firearms Act in Gwent as it affects the issue of shotgun certificates, how many (a) applications were received for grant, (b) applications were subsequently withdrawn by the applicant, (c) applications were received for renewal, (d) applications were subsequently withdrawn by the applicant, (e) certificates were in force on 1 January, and (f) certificates were granted for each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (3) how many shotgun certificates were cancelled in Gwent in each calender year since 1979 inclusive on each of the following grounds (a) did not wish to renew, (b) no longer required, (c) transferred to other forces, (d) renewal applications refused, (e) deceased, (f) failed to apply for renewal, for example, moved, unable to trace, and (g) revoked;

  (4) how many applications for grant of shotgun certificates under the Firearms Act 1968 were refused in Gwent in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (5) how many temporary shotgun certificates were issued in Gwent in each calendar year since 1979; inclusive;

  (6) how many shotgun certificates were transferred to Gwent from other forces in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (7) how many firearms certificates were cancelled in Gwent in each calendar year since 1979 inclusive on each of the following grounds (a) did not wish to renew, (b) no longer required, (c) transferred to other forces, (d) renewal applications refused, (e) deceased, (f) failed to apply for renewal, for example, moved, unable to trace, and (g) revoked;

  (8) how many applications for grant of firearms certificates under the Firearms Act 1968 were refused in Gwent in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (9) how many temporary firearms certificates were issued in Gwent in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (10) how many firearms certificates were transferred to Gwent from the forces in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (11) how many applications for shotgun certificates resulted in appeals against a decision of the chief constable
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  in Gwent because of (a) a refusal to grant, (b) refusal to renew and, (c) revocation in each year since 1979, giving in each case the name of the appellant and the date of the appeal;

  (12) how many appeals against a decision of the chief constable in Gwent relating to applications for shotgun certificates were withdrawn by (a) the police and (b) the appellant prior to hearing in each calendar year time 1979, inclusive, and in how many cases the certificate was granted;

  (13) how many orders of mandamus or judicial review were (a) threatened and (b) served in relation to appeals against decisions of the chief constable in Gwent relating to applications for shotgun certificates in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (14) how many appeals against a decision of the chief constable in Gwent relating to applications for firearms certificates were withdrawn prior to hearing by (a) the police and (b) the appellant in each calendar year time 1979, inclusive, and in how many cases the certificate was granted;

  (15) how many orders of mandamus or judicial review were (a) threatened and (b) served in relation to appeals against decisions of the chief constable in Gwent relating to applications for firearms certificates in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (16) how many applications for firearms certificates resulted in appeals against a decision of the chief constable in Gwent because of (a) refusal to grant, (b) refusal to renew, (c) refusal of variation to firearms, (d) refusal of variation to ammunition, (e) refusal of variation to conditions of use and (f) revocation in each calendar year since 1979, inclusive;

  (17) how many (a) revolvers and pistols, (b) rifles, (c) shotguns, (d) air weapons, (e) humane killers and (f) flare guns, were (i) voluntarily surrendered and (ii) confiscated, in Gwent in each calendar year since 1979 inclusive.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Statistics on the issue of firearm and shotgun certificates are published by the chief constable of Gwent in his annual report, copies of which are available in the Library. More detailed information is not held centrally.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the principal recommendations of the McKay report on firearms.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question of 7 March 1988 at column 5.

  Police Officers
  Mr. John
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of police officers in service in England and Wales at the beginning of each decade; and what proportion of police officers to population this represented.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information conveniently available, save that for 1987, is taken from reports of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and is as follows:

  Position at

  Authorised Establishment

  Population

  Police/Population Ratio

  29 September 1929

  157,677

  37,884,950

  1:657

  29 September 1939

  163,228

  39,950,637

  1:632

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  Position at

  Authorised Establishment

  Population

  Police/Population Ratio

  30 September 1949

  71,827

  42,750,000

  1:595

  31 December 1959

  78,711

  45,386,000

  1:577

  31 December 1969

  107,934

  48,826,000

  1:452

  31 December 1979

  118,322

  48,970,000

  1:414

  31 December 1987

  122,648

  50,079,000

  1:408

  1 Does not include women officers.

  Computer Hacking
  Mr. John
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to amend the Forgery Act, or to introduce legislation in the light of the decision of the House of Lords on 21 April that computer hacking is not a criminal breach of the Forgery Act.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. Friend is awaiting the Law Commission's report on computer-related crime before reaching any conclusion on whether further legislation is necessary.

  Alcohol Misuse
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the report of the ministerial group on alcohol misuse on young people and alcohol.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 19 January at columns 646–47. Action has since been taken to amend the Licensing Bill to tighten the offence of selling alcohol to under-age drinkers, to increase penalties for those found guilty of doing so and to make it an offence for wholesalers to sell alcohol to people under 18. Consultations are in progress on implementing in the United Kingdom the European Community directive requiring strength labelling of alcoholic drinks. The IBA and the Advertising Standards Authority are reviewing in conjunction with the industry their codes of practice on advertising alcohol. The BBC and IBA are reviewing the portrayal of alcohol in general TV programming. Consideration is being given to various longer-term measures.

  Cyrille Regis
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be answering the letter from the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, sent to his private office of 14 December 1987, regarding the application of registration as a British citizen by Mr. Cyrille Regis; if he expects the application to be completed by 4 May; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  We do not appear to have received the hon. Member's letter. Mr. Regis's application has been granted, and his certificate of registration will be sent to him this week.

  Refugees (Hong Kong)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to allocate an 86
  increasing priority for resettlement to refugees from closed camps in Hong Kong in proportion to the increasing length of their internment; and if he will make a statement..

  Mr. Renton
  Policy on the admission of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong remains as set out in the reply my right hon. Friend gave to questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford (Dr. Clark) and the then hon. Member for Battersea, Mr. Alf Dubs, on 8 May 1987 at column 549.

  Consultancy Contracts
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1987, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment.

  Mr. Hurd
  [holding answer 30 March 1988]: The following contracts were awarded to management or computer consultancy firms by the Home Office in 1987:

  Firm and subject of assignment

  Admiral Computing Ltd. — Automatic Handwriting Recognition-technical support.

  Arthur Young — Manpower Division — financial strategy review.

  Arthur Young— Police National Computer upgrade-user requirement survey.

  Arthur Walton and Partner—Procurement in Home Office Science and Technology Group.

  Artificial Intelligence — Crime Auto Index-technical support.

  Atkins MC.—Rental invoicing.

  Bechtel UK Ltd.—Assist in WARC purchasing.

  Bell Software Systems—Bootle Bureau Computer-technical support.

  Mr. Bickersteth—Writing new test material for CSSB.

  BIS Applied Systems—Bootle Bureau Computer disaster-planning report.

  Mr. P. Blake — Probation Information Service-technical support.

  CAP Industry Ltd.—Automatic Fingerprint Recognition-design support.

  Mr. A. Cheers— Probation Information Service-technical support.

  Claymore Services — Area Mapping System-technical support.

  Computer Services Company—Policy National Computer upgrade-technical-management.

  Coopers and Lybrand—Study on the future provision of staff training in the magistrates court service.

  Coopers and Lybrand—Staff training in Prison Service.

  Data Logic—Crime Auto Index-technical support.

  Electronic Facilities Design — Automatic fingerprint recognition-operational requirement support.

  Ernst and Whinney ML — Procurement and charging review.

  Ewbank Preece Ltd.—Survey for Fire Service.

  Express Computers—Financial management system-technical support.

  Fraser Williams — Bootle bureau computer-technical support.

  Huddart Security Consultancy—Research into major crime investigation.

  Mr. A. Iliffe—Writing new test material for CSSB.

  International Computers Ltd. — Private Office Correspondence-technical support.

  IO Research — Electronic Facial Recognition-technical support/development.

  Mr. B. James—Magistrate's court-business analysis.

  JSB—Immigration Service-SSADM support.

  Lear Month & Burchett — Bootle Computer Bureau-SSADM support.

  Logica Space and Defence — Automatic Fingerprint Recognition-design support.

  McPherson Associates— Research on reliability of a new

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  personality test.

  MOM International—Project Management-technical support.

  Mr. K. Murray — Review of past work of Home Office Unit at CSSB.

  PA Management Consultants—Assist with implementation of "Fresh Start" to Prison Service.

  PA Consultants—WARC Project.

  Procom Ltd.—WARC Project.

  RIPA Consultancy Services — Probation Information Service-technical support.

  Roston Ltd.—Assist in WARC purchasing.

  Scientific Business Systems—Police staff college computer-technical support.

  Smith Associates — Automatic fingerprint recognition-technical support.

  Software Sciences—Immigration Service-technical support.

  Systems Designers—Intelligent Knowledge Based Systems-technical support.

  System Designers—Facial Recognition System-technical support.

  System Designers — PNCO Interim system arrangement study.

  Technical Support Consultants Ltd. — File transfer MCS facility project.

  Touche Ross MC — General Ledger System design and implementation.

  Touche Ross MC — Police National Computer Upgrade-project management support.

  Touche Ross MC — Police Administration Support Unit-business analysis.

  VNG Professional Services — Bootle Bureau Computer-technical support.

  White Waghorn—Financial Management System-technical support.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount spent by his Department in 1987 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases.

  Mr. Hurd
  [holding answer 29 March 1988]: The Home Office spent approximately £3,316,000 on management and computer consultancies in 1987.

TRANSPORT

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the accumulated deficit on the Severn bridge by 31 March.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The estimated accumulated deficiency at 31 March 1988 was about £75 million.

  Concessionary Travel
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about the level of the administrative charge made for issuing retirement pensioners concessionary travel passes in London; what is the reason for the charge; how it is calculated; by how much it has changed since the last review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The present concessionary travel arrangements for pensioners on LRT services in London are provided by agreement between LRT and the London local authorities. Permits continue to be issued free of charge to pensioners. I understand that certain of the administrative costs incurred by LRT and the Post Office are reimbursed by the participating local authorities who also fund the cost of the concession.

  Airedale Route
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects construction work to be completed on stages 1 and 2 of the A629-A650 Airedale route.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The terms of the contracts provide for works to be completed on stage 1 in September this year and stage 2 in January 1989. Good progress is being made. I hope that the roads will be open to traffic in advance of these dates. It is too early yet to give firm opening dates.

  Driving Instructors
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to change the current standard of the entry examination for the register of approved driving instructors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We are discussing with the national associations that represent driving instructors, ways of making the training and testing of driver instructors as effective as possible. We have reviewed the standard and raised the pass mark required for the initial written knowledge test. Those who propose to teach road skills and behaviour must themselves he thorough masters of the subject matter.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Televising of Proceedings
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will seek assurances from ITN in view of the policy document "ITN Into the Nineties", that current practices regarding use of the outside broadcast unit in televising of proceedings will be maintained, with particular regard to the implications of new policy affecting transmission from the House of Commons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I will draw the hon. Member's concern to the attention of the Select Committee which is now considering the arrangements for the experiment in the televising of our proceedings. The manner in which this experiment is conducted will be a matter for decision by the House.

ENERGY

  Nuclear Reactors (Tests)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information has been provided to the European Commission by(a) his Department and (b) the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in regard to the Environment Commissioner's stated concern to the European Parliament on 10 February that the Commission lacked details of past and planned test experiments at United Kingdom nuclear reactors under European Treaty article 34.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Since 10 February my officials and the chief inspector of the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate have had discussions with members of the staff of the European Commission.
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  The Commission concluded that the United Kingdom has not carried out or planned experiments falling within the scope of article 34 of the Euratom treaty.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from British Coal with regard to amendments to legislation currently on the statute book, affecting the mining industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The British Coal Corporation maintains regular contact with the Department on a wide range of issues covered by legislation.

  Uranium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirrionnydd Nant Conwy, 29 February,Official Report, column 482, what quantities of unsafeguarded uranium are present at each United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site; why unsafeguarded uranium is present at non-mixed facility civil nuclear sites; and whether the Euratom and International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards authorities hae been informed of the arrangements in detail.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The UKAEA carries out contract R and D work for customers; that for MOD involves the presence of small quantities of unsafeguarded materials at UKAEA sites, details of which cannot be disclosed for reasons of national security. The relevant safeguards authorities are kept informed of movements into and out of safeguards.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirronnydd Nant Conwy, 29 February,Official Report, column 482, on nuclear materials, he will set out the procedures under which civil safeguarded uranium is co-processed with unsafeguarded defence uranium in compliance with the specific safeguards arrangements for civil uranium at Springfields.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  A reporting regime has been agreed whereby the necessary movement and accountancy reports of civil material are submitted to Euratom. The inspectors have access to this material for verification in accordance with chapter 7 of the Euratom treaty.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if any of the uranium imported from Durban, South Africa, on 28 February 1987 has since been withdrawn from safeguards under article 14 of the terms of the UK/Euratom/International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if any plutonium from safeguarded electricity board Magnox reactors has been exported to the United States of America since May 1979 under(a) the United States —United Kingdom mutual defence agreement of 1958, under 1959 amendment, (b) International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and (c) Euratom safeguards.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn)90
  on 11 March 1988 at column 362. Since 1979, there have been no transfers to the United States of plutonium derived from safeguarded electricity board Magnox reactors under the United Kingdom — United States defence agreement.

  Aluminium Industry
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received on the secure supply of electricity at reasonable cost to the aluminium industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have received one representation in recent months from the aluminium industry about the cost of electricity.

  Berkeley Magnox Reactor Power Station
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has received from the nuclear installations inspectorate concerning safety measures at the Berkeley Magnox power station on the River Severn; what action he proposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 21 April 1988 at column 530. I have received a copy of the report and the CEGB is now considering its findings.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Mozambique
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give for each year from 1979 the level of aid, in constant 1988 prices, made available to Mozambique.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The information requested is given in 1987 prices. This is the latest year for which figures are available.

  Gross bilateral aid (£'000)

  Year

  £'000

  1979

  11,500

  1980

  7,000

  1981

  7,300

  1982

  2,400

  1983

  2,200

  1984

  4,800

  1985

  9,100

  1986

  7,800

  1987

  122,800

  1 Provisional

  Mozambique also receives aid from multilateral agencies to which Britain contributes.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Voluntary Restraint Arrangements
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington on 30 March,Official Report, column 478, he will set out in tabular form (a) the date on which each inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement listed is believed to have come into effect, (b) the date on which

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  it was first known to his Department and, when appropriate, (c) the date on which his Department informed the industry concerned that it saw no case for continuation and (d) the date on which it lapsed.

  Date Started VRA

  Date wrote

  Date to end VRA

  Monochrome TVs

  Singapore

  1976

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1985

  Korea

  1979

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1985

  Taiwan

  1976

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1985

  Thailand

  Unknown

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1985

  Colour TVs

  Japan

  1972

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1987

  Singapore

  1984

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1987

  Korea

  1985

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1987

  Taiwan

  1976

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1987

  Music Centres

  Japan

  1979

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1985

  Korea

  1979

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1985

  Taiwan

  1976

  1 October 1985

  31 December 1985

  Pottery

  Japan

  1968

  16 November 1987

  31 December 1987

  Stainless Steel Cutlery

  Japan

  1966

  16 November 1987

  31 December 1987

  Korea

  1977

  16 November 1987

  31 December 1987

  Pottery Taiwan

  11977

  Footwear Taiwan

  11981

  1 Lapsed 1985–86.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement covering the import of special steels from Spain.

  (2) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement covering the import of music centres from (a) Japan, (b) the Republic of Korea and (c) Taiwan;

  (3) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of stainless steel cutlery from (a) Japan, (b) the Republic of Korea;

  (4) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of colour televisions from (a) Japan, (b) Singapore, (c) the Republic of Korea and (d) Taiwan;

  (5) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of pottery from Japan;

  (6) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of (a) fork lift trucks, (b) machinery centres, (c) numerically controlled lathes, (d) cars and (e) commercial vehicles from Japan;

  (7) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement covering
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  Mr. Alan Clark
  The information under(a), (c) and (d) is listed in the table. It is no longer possible to identify the date when the Government first became aware of the arrangements in each case.

  the import of monochrome televisions from (a) Singapore, (b) the Republic of Korea, (c) Taiwan and (d) Thailand.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I refer my hon. Friend to my written answer today to a similar question raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr. Hamilton).

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements that covered the import of(a) pottery and (b) footwear from Taiwan.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  As explained in the written answer of 30 March,Official Report, column 478–89, the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements on imports of pottery and footwear from Taiwan lapsed. It was unnecessary for the Government to carry out a full examination of the impact of the arrangements of prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 18 March,Official Report, column 1365, what estimate his Department has of the effects of specific voluntary restraint arrangements on employment, prices domestic output or import volumes; and if he will publish the figures for each of the voluntary restraint arrangements named in his answer on 30 March, Official Report, columns 379–80.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: When reviewing the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements, estimates are made of the impact of these arrangements on the protected industries, on customers

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  and the United Kingdom economy as a whole. The advice I received contained commercially confidential information and I am not therefore in a position to make it available. In all cases where the Governmemt advised the industry concerned that it saw no case for continuing the inter-industry restraint arrangement, I was satisfied that the net cost to the economy outweighed any benefit to the industry of continuation.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the written answer of 30 March,Official Report, columns 478–9, whether Her Majesty's Government has sought to discourage the United Kingdom footwear industry from signing a renewed voluntary restraint arrangement with the Republic of Korea.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: No. The position is under review. But the industry is aware the Government also has wider concerns including the net impact of such arrangements on consumers and on the United Kingdom economy as a whole.

  Pillows
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) why feather and polyester pillows have been included in the draft Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations;

  (2) what evidence he has to suggest that feather-filled pillows and polyester pillows are toxic when burning;

  (3) when he expects the BSI flammability committee TCM/30 to report its findings on the flammability of pillows;

  (4) if he will list in the Official Report any research findings which identify pillows as a particular fire hazard.

  Mr. Butcher
  Pillows with little or no fire resistance can contribute to bed fires in much the same way as scatter cushions on upholstered furniture can pose a hazard. Accordingly the draft Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations propose identical requirements to improve the fire performance of pillows and scatter cushions. Combustion-modified foams will be the only permitted foam filling in furniture and these ancillary items.

  Non-foam fillings in furniture, cushions, and pillows also pose a fire hazard, and the regulations should address this. Feather and polyester pillows are readily ignitable. Account has also to he taken of their propensity to produce smoke and toxic gases. The fillings can give rapid rates of smoke obscuration, and, in the case of polyester, black smoke. They also give off significant amounts of carbon monoxide. In addition, feathers give off toxic gases of hydrogen cyanide and of nitrates.

  The British Standards Institution is considering a flammability specification for pillows, but this will not be completed in time to call it up in the regulations.

  Public Purchasing
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what he estimates will be the effect on industry of the changes in public purchasing provisions by 1992.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Completing the single market by 1992 will mean that purchases by Governments and public bodies should reflect fair competition not national identity. United
  94
  Kingdom firms will have greater access to a European-wide public sector market which accounts for 15 per cent. of the European Community's gross domestic product, but they should also be prepared for increased competition here.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Crown Prosecution Service (Policy)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the policy of the Crown Prosecution Service concerning the institution of prosecutions against police officers(a) in cases where criminal charges against others are subsequently dropped and damages are awarded against the police and (b) in cases where a defendant is acquitted and subsequently brings an action for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment or malicious prosecution and is awarded damages against the police.

  The Attorney-General
  The policy of the Crown Prosecution Service concerning the institution of criminal proceedings against police officers follows the criteria contained in the code for crown prosecutors, issued under Section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. Staleness occasioned by the time occupied by earlier court proceedings may acquire particular significance.

  Public Records (Copies)
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Attorney-General what are the costings figures used, and assumptions made, in respect of(a) and A3 copy and (b) an A4 copy of a document at the Public Record Office.

  The Attorney-General
  Photocopies of documents at the Public Record Office are made on A3 size paper only. Reprographic fees are calculated to recover in full the running costs and capital charges attributable to the service, and are based on past levels of costs and volumes of business, with allowances for expected future variations. The current fee of 26p per copy, inclusive of 3·39p VAT, is based on figures for 1986–87 when 683,526 copies were made at a cost of £154,347.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to assess whether the current levels of pay for legally qualified staff of the Crown Prosecution Service are sufficient to maintain an effective service.

  The Attorney-General
  I take great interest in the development of a proper pay structure for those employed in the Government legal service. I consider that the proposed pay award to legally qualified staff in the Crown Prosecution Service, referred to in my answer of 21 April 1988 to the hon. Member for St. Helens, South (Mr. Bermingham) is sufficient, together with allowances that are available, to maintain the effectiveness of existing services and to improve the attractiveness of such posts to potential recruits.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Attorney-General how many legally qualified staff are currently employed by the Crown Prosecution Service; and how many vacancies for such staff currently exist.
  95
  The Attorney-General
  On 31 March 1988 the Crown Prosecution Service employed 1,311 legally qualified staff as lawyers and had 459 vacancies for such staff.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps are being taken to encourage lawyers to join the Crown Prosecution Service.

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service intends to supplement the existing recruitment arrangements with a number of new initiatives. The current monthly programme of competitions will continue but will focus on specific locations where staffing shortages exist.

  In addition to this the other main initiatives under consideration are:

  (i) sponsorship of non-qualified staff through legal training,

  (ii) the provision of short term contracts of employment,

  (iii) improved careers publicity,

  (iv) research of the market for part-time working,

  (v) secondments from outside organisations.

  It is hoped that these initiatives, combined with the recent pay offer to legal staff, will increase the success of the current procedures which have resulted in the recruitment of around 500 lawyers since the inception of the Crown Prosecution Service.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Attorney-General whether any persons have been appointed by the Crown Prosecution Service to conduct criminal investigations; and whether there are any plans to make such appointments.

  The Attorney-General
  All criminal investigations are undertaken by the police, who are aided by specialist assistance as and when required.

  Within the headquarters of the Crown Prosecution Service is the fraud investigation group, which undertakes the investigation and prosecution of serious and complex cases. The sixteen FIG lawyers control the cases from the outset and co-ordinate specialist assistance on a case by case basis in support of the police investigations. This specialist assistance includes investigative accountants within the fraud investigation group, the companies investigation branch of the Department of Trade and Industry, HM Customs and Excise, private sector accountants, liquidators, receivers and computer experts.

  The fraud investigation group has no statutory power to investigate, unlike the newly created serious fraud office, which will be responsible from this month for the investigation and prosecution of the largest fraud cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

PRIME MINISTER

  Nigeria
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer of 30 March,Official Report, column 466, what account she took of the recommendations of the Justice Awoniy commission of inquiry into malpractices and wastages in Niger State that Nigeria repudiate the Biwater loan, blacklist the company for 10 years and report it to organisations involved in the United Nations water decade during the negotiations leading to Nigeria's request for finance to complete the project.
  96
  The Prime Minister
  The ECGD has seen no evidence that the recommendations of the commission of inquiry which met in 1984 were accepted or acted upon by the Nigerian authorities.

  Since then the Niger State Water Board (the buyer), Niger State Government (borrower of the United Kingdom loan) and the Federal Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on behalf of the Federal Military Government have reviewed the project and decided upon a basis for completion of the water scheme by Biwater Projects Ltd. In response to a specific request from the Nigerian federal authorities ECGD has been able to enter into negotiations in respect of support for a further loan to assist project completion.

  Hughes Committee
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Prime Minister whether the dossier of information submitted to her on 1 November 1984 by Mr. Colin Wallace was passed to the police for investigation; and which documents from the dossier were made available to the Hughes committee of inquiry into children's homes and hostels.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces on 20 July 1987 to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) at column 93–94.

  Mr. Colin Wallace
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Prime Minister what action was taken relating to the case of Mr. Colin Wallace following information forwarded by the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee in 1986 relating to false job descriptions, psychological warfare and propaganda.

  The Prime Minister
  Following consideration of the papers by the Ministry of Defence and other Departments involved, I wrote to the Chairman of the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee explaining that the various allegations made by Mr. Wallace over many years had been fully and carefully investigated and no evidence had been found to substantiate any of them.

  Security-Sensitive Posts
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the practice of the Civil Service Commission towards the advertising of security-sensitive posts.

  The Prime Minister
  Recruitment schemes for which the Civil Service Commissioners are responsible have to be sufficiently publicised to the satisfaction of the commissioners. Normal practice is for these schemes to be advertised in the national press or appropriate professional publications. The information sent to applicants indicates whether security requirements apply to a particular scheme.

  Civil Servants (Vetting)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy relating to the renewal of positive vetting for civil servants convicted of criminal offences.

  The Prime Minister
  In reaching a decision as to whether positive vetting clearance should be given, a
  97
  Department takes into account all information which might have a bearing on the person's suitability for access to highly classified material.

  Civil Servants (Press Briefings)
  Mr. John
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will set out the guidelines under which departmental civil servants are allowed to conduct press conferences or press briefings upon politically sensitive matters.

  The Prime Minister
  Civil servants are advised that in dealing with the media they must act on the advice of their Department's chief information officer who consults Ministers as necessary. Subject to this advice, officials may explain Government policy and give the factual background to it. They may also discuss the balance of consideration which led to a choice of policy. They must not trespass on the responsibilities of Ministers, and at all times they should preserve the political neutrality of the Civil Service. Press conferences or briefings on party political matters should be given only by Ministers.

  Freemasonry
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to require all Ministers to disclose to Parliament membership of any Masonic order.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy that any Home Secretary she may appoint in future must not he a member of any Masonic order.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Voluntary Organisations
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to list all those national and international voluntary organisations to which she belongs.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Common Market (Funding)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if the provisional agreement made at the recent meeting of the European Council to increase the funding of the Common Market has now been finalised; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  Work is continuing on the legally binding texts required to implement the conclusions of the European Council in Brussels on 11–13 February.

  Engagements
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 April.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 April.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 April.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 April.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 April.
  98
  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others including one with the President of Zimbabwe. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today including one with the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Students Union Presidents
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the number of student union presidents who are given a sabbatical year by their college or university; and what estimate he has as to the cost to public funds in 1987–88 or the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department does not hold this information.

  Further and Higher Education (Codes of Practice)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many institutions of higher and further education have drawn up codes of conduct since the enactment of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he is satisfied that section 43(1) of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 is being properly adhered to; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The provisions of section 43 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 came into effect on 1 September 1987. Institutions were required to have issued by that date the codes of practice specified by the section; but they were not required to inform the Department that they had done so. The Government plan to evaluate the working of the section in its first year.

  Students (Funding)
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional funding will he made available for mature and non-standard entry students at Dundee university.

  Mr. Jackson
  Financial support is available to students at Dundee university on the same basis as to students elsewhere. Mature students may be eligible for additional allowances. Entitlement to mandatory grant depends on the course attended and is not determined by reference to entry qualifications.

  GCSE (Mathematics)
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plane to improve the checking procedures for establishing the accuracy of mathematics examination papers set for the general certificate of secondary education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The GCSE examining groups are responsible for the content of GCSE examinations, including the accuracy of examination papers. The Secondary Examinations Council is responsible for scrutinising the groups' procedures to ensure that the relevant GCSE national criteria are met. The Government look to the groups and the SEC to review procedures in the light of the first GCSE examinations this summer.

SCOTLAND

  M8 (Newhouse and Baillieston)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made with improvements to the M8 motorway between Newhouse and Baillieston; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I have nothing to add at present to my answer to the hon. Member on 4 March, at column 666.

  Baby Care Nurses
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each year since 1981 the number of whole-time equivalent nurses working in Scotland in(a) hospital maternity units and (b) in special care baby units.

  Qualified midwives in Scotland Whole-time equivalent at 30 September

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Qualified midwives Total

  3,273·7

  3,412·3

  3,452·8

  3,464·5

  3,392·4

  3,424·2

  3,487·0

  Hospital maternity units

  2,384·8

  2,503·7

  2,534·7

  2,553·6

  2,472·1

  2,532·2

  2,604·0

  Teaching

  48·4

  52·6

  60·1

  63·1

  66·3

  59·2

  67·3

  Community Total

  840·5

  856·0

  858·0

  847·8

  854·0

  832·8

  815·7

  Midwives

  142·8

  154·9

  155·4

  161·8

  186·3

  187·2

  193·3

  Combined duty nurses

  697·7

  701·1

  702·6

  686·0

  667·7

  645·6

  622·4

  Scottish Courts Administration
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedure exists for the Scottish Courts Administration to notify housing authorities if their tenants have been given custodial sentences.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No such procedure exists.

  Annual average local authority rents at 1987–88 prices

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  SCOTLAND

  651·14

  709·26

  758·03

  809·51

  Berwickshire

  776·25

  785·98

  797·86

  836·48

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  741·03

  717·59

  721·89

  721·53

  Roxburgh

  829·70

  894·56

  877·00

  903·16

  Tweeddale

  639·55

  693·13

  683·03

  701·53

  Clackmannan

  657·66

  702·26

  745·46

  807·12

  Falkirk

  654·81

  684·69

  722·36

  764·33

  Stirling

  651·04

  743·86

  783·45

  798·16

  Annandale and Eskdale

  781·09

  831·21

  857·40

  901·17

  Nithsdale

  647·09

  717·16

  720·55

  783·23

  Stewartry

  794·49

  843·54

  855·50

  892·71

  Wigtown

  890·14

  911·40

  868·56

  871·31

  Dunfermline

  685·24

  734·70

  764·52

  826·03

  Kirkcaldy

  710·18

  756·12

  796·79

  836·98

  North East Fife

  779·33

  866·57

  887·88

  957·89

  Aberdeen

  632·13

  685·44

  763·96

  797·17

  Banff and Buchan

  777·87

  817·94

  811·66

  852·40

  Gordon

  768·76

  814·07

  785·88

  798·16

  Kincardine and Deeside

  733·59

  756·09

  745·52

  744·92

  Moray

  765·54

  766·14

  814·54

  867·33

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  761·23

  837·90

  796·79

  840·96

  Caithness

  713·27

  747·50

  771·66

  820·06

  Inverness

  743·94

  765·52

  830·09

  896·19

  100
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I regret that groups of nurses cannot readily be identified from the statistics held centrally on the basis requested.

  Midwives
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each year since 1981 the number of whole-time equivalent qualified midwives working in Scotland(a) in hospital maternity units,(b) in special care baby units, (c) in education and (d) as community midwives.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  It is not possible from the statistics held centrally readily to separate midwives working in hospital maternity units and those working in special care baby units. In the table a single figure is given for both groups under the heading hospital maternity units. Midwives working in the community may undertake health visiting and/or home nursing duties. They are shown separately in the table as combined duty nurses.

  Rents and Rates
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table in the Official Report, for each district authority in Scotland, for each of the years from 1985 to 1988, showing the average council rent and district rate in constant 1987 prices.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The tables show the average council house rent and the average domestic rate bill in each local authority area.
  101

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Lochaber

  731·94

  780·08

  833·56

  843·94

  Nairn

  763·10

  801·69

  821·02

  860·36

  Ross and Cromarty

  717·82

  804·01

  824·45

  868·82

  Skye and Lochalsh

  840·88

  935·30

  778·53

  868·33

  Sutherland

  721·71

  773·55

  750·15

  774·28

  East Lothian

  698·41

  729·19

  764·76

  795·87

  Edinburgh

  752·93

  730·97

  791·71

  853·89

  Midlothian

  667·24

  696·45

  713·00

  731·98

  West Lothian

  664·09

  689·68

  703·53

  738·95

  Argyll and Bute

  863·56

  835·39

  821·53

  895·69

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  686·29

  776·97

  861·99

  903·16

  Clydebank

  687·38

  821·34

  887·23

  959·89

  Clydesdale

  685·16

  710·85

  719·94

  779·25

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  718·36

  805·27

  853·90

  899·67

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  626·30

  663·50

  707·61

  744·42

  Cunninghame

  499·03

  573·33

  676·71

  736·46

  Dumbarton

  529·08

  637·48

  759·43

  899·67

  East Kilburn

  760·51

  848·88

  859·57

  869·82

  Eastwood

  648·37

  652·01

  647·22

  678·74

  Glasgow

  600·28

  688·23

  760·63

  843·44

  Hamilton

  617·55

  698·79

  772·48

  792·19

  Inverclyde

  636·89

  677·23

  692·92

  718·05

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  597·31

  678·09

  720·27

  738·45

  Kyle and Carrick

  686·64

  730·05

  747·95

  774·78

  Monklands

  638·41

  746·81

  806·13

  845·44

  Motherwell

  635·18

  680·36

  733·42

  750·89

  Renfrew

  553·22

  627·88

  675·65

  702·12

  Strathkelvin

  654·97

  774·42

  795·92

  853·89

  Angus

  713·79

  751·99

  757·99

  732·98

  Dundee

  553·62

  634·86

  707·62

  805·13

  Perth and Kinross

  672·60

  705·93

  721·70

  729·99

  Orkney Islands

  742·21

  791·10

  831·49

  871·81

  Shetland Islands

  757·42

  817·14

  828·14

  872·80

  Western Isles

  872·50

  900·65

  911·22

  930·03

  Note: Rent figures for 1985–86 to 1987–88 are as at 30 September, those for 1988–89 are from local authority housing revenue account returns.

  Average domestic rate bills at 1987–88 prices

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  AVERAGE SCOTLAND

  425

  438

  474

  477

  Berwickshire

  289

  312

  335

  337

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  292

  317

  335

  340

  Roxburgh

  292

  320

  337

  338

  Tweeddale

  300

  328

  354

  357

  Clackmannan

  346

  364

  406

  429

  Falkirk

  363

  365

  389

  408

  Stirling

  477

  502

  537

  558

  Annandale and Eskdale

  302

  327

  347

  364

  Nithsdale

  323

  341

  361

  379

  Stewartry

  322

  338

  358

  380

  Wigtown

  282

  306

  318

  338

  Dunfermline

  412

  392

  420

  441

  Kirkcaldy

  416

  398

  420

  438

  North East Fife

  457

  449

  479

  496

  Aberdeen City

  373

  397

  390

  412

  Banff and Buchan

  256

  290

  296

  328

  Gordon

  295

  319

  355

  374

  Kincardine and Deeside

  301

  332

  344

  378

  Moray

  255

  286

  294

  321

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  324

  348

  388

  360

  Caithness

  237

  268

  314

  296

  Inverness

  351

  388

  428

  406

  Lochaber

  291

  321

  361

  340

  Nairn

  376

  406

  437

  403

  Ross and Cromarty

  269

  332

  366

  345

  Skye and Lochalsh

  198

  218

  248

  237

  Sutherland

  201

  224

  248

  235

  East Lothian

  469

  483

  549

  603

  Edinburgh City

  482

  476

  553

  612

  Midlothian

  460

  463

  515

  565

  West Lothian

  402

  408

  470

  521

  Argyll and Bute

  369

  389

  439

  425

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  762

  803

  897

  847

  Clydebank

  441

  448

  471

  448

  Clydesdale

  413

  445

  504

  482

  102

  103

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  456

  480

  544

  521

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  376

  389

  430

  411

  Cunninghame

  445

  466

  512

  490

  Dumbarton

  530

  550

  582

  557

  East Kilbride

  479

  503

  563

  543

  Eastwood

  719

  718

  803

  758

  Glasgow City

  473

  485

  511

  483

  Hamilton

  520

  542

  557

  526

  Inverclyde

  469

  476

  515

  493

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  436

  459

  484

  463

  Kyle and Carrick

  514

  526

  578

  553

  Monklands

  465

  487

  522

  500

  Motherwell

  460

  473

  502

  479

  Renfrew

  513

  527

  561

  517

  Strathkelvin

  545

  579

  622

  580

  Angus

  332

  339

  378

  405

  Dundee City

  411

  414

  451

  464

  Perth and Kinross

  370

  370

  420

  442

  Orkney

  181

  180

  181

  183

  Shetland

  199

  203

  194

  367

  Western Isles

  197

  204

  206

  211

  Crime Prevention
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what urgent measures are being implemented in order(a) to prevent further increase in crimes involving personal violence in Strathclyde; and (b) to give communities and voluntary groups more participation in the prevention and detection of crime, and in the rehabilitation of offenders.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: Through our general support for the police service and crime prevention measures, including the recently launched campaign "Crime—Together We'll Crack It", the Government are committed to creating a climate which minimises the opportunites for crime, including violence against the person. We also give a high priority to the expansion of the number of neighbourhood watch schemes and crime prevention panels within Strathclyde and elsewhere.

  Council Property (Glasgow)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the level of interest shown by private landlords or companies in assuming responsibility for council property in Glasgow, and if he will name the companies and individuals and the areas they have shown interest in.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Since private landlords or companies interested in assuming responsibility for council properties in Glasgow would be in the first instance approach the owners of the property, I refer the hon. Member to the city of Glasgow district council for information about level of interest. However, as my right hon. and learned Friend announced in the House on 29 March 1988, he is aware that initiatives seeking to involve the private sector in the development of property at Castlemilk and Barlanark are being pursued.

  Timber
  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 six years to 31 March in each of the conservancies in Scotland; and if he will state 104
  the area of land afforested or restocked by the private forestry industry in each conservancy in each of those years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: The information is as follows:

  Year ended 31 March and conservancy

  Area of new planting and restocking approved for grant-aid (hectares)

  Area of new planting or restocking grant-aided by the Forestry Commission (hectares)

  1983

  North

  12,166

  2,767

  East

  5,818

  2,152

  South

  6,504

  3,007

  West

  9,931

  3,128

  1984

  North

  10,254

  4,800

  East

  5,932

  2,396

  South

  10,287

  3,565

  West

  7,623

  4,387

  1985

  North

  13,544

  4,134

  East

  3,535

  2,356

  South

  8,803

  4,357

  West

  7,385

  4,465

  1986

  North

  11,768

  8,646

  Mid

  16,421

  6,761

  South

  9,686

  3,444

  1987

  North

  27,219

  7,398

  Mid

  17,140

  7,474

  South

  21,576

  3,895

  1988

  North

  32,864

  7,046

  Mid

  17,823

  7,268

  South

  18,416

  8,532

CIVIL SERVICE

  Monitoring Surveys
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will seek the advice of a professional physical
  105
  anthropologist on the categories of human groups used in Civil Service monitoring surveys; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  No.

THE ARTS

  Expenditure
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what advice he gives to the Arts Council or regional arts associations on the economic multiplier that would be most appropriate to use to estimate the economic impact of arts expenditure.

  Mr. Luce
  It is for the Arts Council to make its own case, using whatever data it wishes.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Civil Servants (Yorkshire and Humberside)
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of all civil servants were working in Yorkshire and Humberside in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Brooke
  The proportion of all civil servants working in Yorkshire and Humberside was 5·2 per cent. in 1979 and 5·8 per cent. in 1987.

  Treasure Trove
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now in a position to announce his conclusions following the review of ex gratia awards to finders of treasure trove; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lawson
  I have carefully considered the report of this review (a copy of which I am today placing in the Library), in consultation with ministerial colleagues in the Home Office, the Department of the Environment and the Office of Arts and Libraries.

  Her Majesty's Government accept all the report's recommendations. I am sure it is right that the objective of making ex gratia awards to finders of treasure trove should be to encourage the prompt and proper reporting and handing-in of finds. Finders who act properly and lawfully will continue to receive ex gratia awards equal to the full value of their finds, as assessed by the independent treasure trove reviewing committee, or, if no public museum wishes to acquire them, will have their finds returned to them. Awards will, however, continue to be made only to finders of treasure trove, and not to landlords or employers who are not themselves finders.

  Where, as happens in a small minority of cases, there is evidence of illegal activity in relation to a find, I agree with the report's conclusion that the criminal law should be seen as the principal sanction. But, in making decisions about ex gratia awards in those cases, Ministers will wish to take account of criminal convictions of finders arising from the circumstances of a find. Ministers will also wish to consider whether an ex gratia award should either be refused or abated where:

  there is evidence of illegal activity in relation to a find but, for whatever reason, no prosecution has been mounted;

  there was unreasonable delay between making and reporting a find;
  106
  all the relevant circumstances surrounding a find were not reported;

  there is evidence that only part of a find has been handed in;

  there are reasonable grounds for believing that a find was made elsewhere than on the alleged site; or

  there are other factors which it is appropriate to take into account in individual cases.

  Decisions about the level of awards in such cases will be taken in the light of the particular circumstances of each case. The intention, however, will be to reflect a balance between the objective of those awards to encourage the prompt and proper reporting of finds, and the need for those awards not themselves to provide an incentive for illegal or improper behaviour.

  The report makes a number of recommendations for speeding up the handling of treasure trove. These are designed to achieve a target time of no more than nine months, and ideally less, between the reporting of most finds and the payment of ex gratia awards. I believe that target strikes a reasonable balance between finders' legitimate expectations that they should receive their awards promptly and the work involved, not least by national and local museums and by coroners, between reporting a find and payment of an award. We are taking steps to inform those involved in each stage of the process, and I hope that they will do everything in their power to meet the suggested targets. I shall wish to review performance in about 18 months. I accept the report's administrative recommendations and these will be implemented. I understand that, as also recommended by the report, the Home Office intends to review and update its advice to coroners about treasure trove inquests.

  European Monetary System
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the impications for Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the European monetary system of the completion of the internal market in 1992.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: The Government's policy remains that the United Kingdom will join the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system when the conditions are right.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: The amount spent on official hospitality was £53,457 in 1987–88.

WALES

  Homelessness
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homeless people in Wales have previously been admitted to mental hospitals; and what this figure represents as a percentage of the total number of homeless persons.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has had discussions with the trade unions regarding (i) water privatisation, (ii) privatisation of the electricity industry and (iii) local government services privatisation legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have formally sought the views of the Wales TUC and the trade unions on the proposals contained in the Local Government Act and on detailed aspects of implementation. I have met representatives of the Wales TUC to discuss the competition provisions contained in the Act, but I have not discussed with the trade unions either water privatisation or the privatisation of the electricity industry. The latter of course is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy. The trade unions and the Wales TUC have had the opportunity to comment on the various documents setting out the Government's proposals in these areas.

  Towyn (Road Crossing)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to alert all visitors to Towyn that the Sandbank road crossing is unsafe for pedestrians and therefore a danger to the public; and if he will make it his policy to advise such visitors to avoid this area until such time as British Rail erects a pedestrian bridge.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I shall write to the hon. Lady and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

EMPLOYMENT

  London Docklands
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has made to the report of the docklands liaison group of the DE-Manpower Services Commission of October 1987; and if he intends to implement recommendation 3.6 of the report.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The docklands liaison group report on employment and training services in docklands was prepared for regional management in the Employment Service and the Manpower Services Commission.

  With regard to recommendation 3.6 of the report, the Employment Service accepts the need to improve the accessibility of its services to unemployed people in some parts of London docklands.

  We are examining the possibility of relocating the Isle of Dogs jobcentre from its current sit in the Cubitt Town library building. But in the meantime we shall be looking to maintain the best possible service to local residents from that site.

  We have set up a new-style office at Bermondsey to locate all our services for unemployed people together in one place. In order to bring the opportunities available in docklands to a greater number of people, we are considering a range of outreach measures, including:
  —a mobile facility to take services and information about vacancies and other employment and training opportunities to local communities, and
  —the use of new technology to provide a wider network of information points, giving access to details of job and training opportunities, across the whole area.
  108
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the budget of the docklands liaison group; and if any additional resources to fund the work of the group have been made available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The docklands liaison group acts as a single contact point to enable the Employment Service and the Manpower Services Commission to co-ordinate their programmes and services with other interested bodies and the private sector in London docklands. Sufficient funding for this task is made available from the local budgets of the Employment Service and the MSC.

  In 1987–88 the Manpower Services Commission spent around £17·3 million on training-related programmes in the docklands boroughs. The Employment Service has a network of nine jobcentres and six benefit offices in the docklands area, employing 280 staff at a cost of about £2·8 million in the last financial year.

  Self-Employment
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the trends in self-employment in the past five years.

  Mr. Lee
  Between December 1982 and December 1987 there was an estimated net increase of 727,000 in the number of self-employed people in Great Britain.

  Tourism
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to improve the data and statistics available to the tourist industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  My Department has, together with the British Tourist Authority, commissioned a review of the statistical needs of the tourism industry. We expect the report from the consultants in early summer.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of employment in(a) Greater London and (b) Ealing, North in numerical and percentage terms; what was the comparable figure (i) one year and (ii) two years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The available information is as follows:

  Greater London

  December of each year

  Civilian employed labour force

  Civilian employed labour force as a percentage of the civilian working population

  1985

  3,861,000

  90·6

  1986

  3,859,000

  90·6

  19871

  3,937,000

  92·2

  1 The latest date for which figures are available.

  Information for parliamentary constituencies covers only estimates of the numbers of civilian employees in employment, excluding self-employed people, and the unemployed. At September 1984, the latest date for which the figures are available, there were 24,800 employees in employment in the Ealing, North constituency. The sum of this September 1984 estimate and the numbers of unemployed claimants in the constituency at the same date gives a total figure of 28,600.
  109
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of employment in each of the last five years in(a) publishing, (b) printing, (c) the record industry, (d) the film industry, (e) broadcasting (radio), (f) broadcasting (TV and cable) and (g) hotels and catering.

  Employees in employment in Great Britain

  December of each year

  Printing and publishing1(475)2

  Record industry3

  Film production, authors, etc.4 (9711, 9760)5

  Radio, Television, Theatres, etc.6 (9741)5

  Hotels and catering (66)

  1983

  340,100

  ..

  35,400

  68,600

  915,600

  1984

  349,400

  ..

  39,200

  70,200

  970,600

  1985

  353,600

  ..

  39,600

  73,400

  1,010,400

  1986

  345,200

  ..

  40,600

  78,800

  1,035,500

  19877

  342,200

  ..

  40,600

  81,200

  1,076,900

  1 Not available as separate industries.

  2 Figures in brackets denote classes, groups, and activity headings of the Standard Industrial Classification 1980.

  3 Not separately available.

  4 Separate figures for the film industry are not available.

  5 These estimates are subject to considerable potential estimation error due to the relatively small number of employees in the industries.

  6 Radio and television are not available separately.

  7 The latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of employment in each of the last five years in(a) the arts, (b) sport and (c) recreation and leisure.

  Mr. Lee
  Figures are not available for precisely the categories specified. The available information is as follows:

  Employees in Employment in Great Britain

  Recreational and Cultural Services (97)1

  Of which Sport and other Recreational Services (9791)

  December of each year

  1983

  418,100

  263,100

  1984

  424,700

  270,800

  1985

  448,800

  280,300

  1986

  468,600

  287,900

  19872

  476,200

  294,700

  1 Figures in brackets denote classes and activity headings of the Standard Industrial Classification 1980

  2 The latest date for which figures are available.

  The figures have not been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations.

  Northern Region
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs have been created in the northern region in the last three years; and how much unemployment in the region has fallen in that time.

  Mr. Lee
  There are no figures for job losses and job gains. Between December 1984 and December 1987 (the latest date for which comparable figures are available) the civilian employed labour force in the northern region has shown a net increase of 42,000. In the same period the number of unemployed people including school leavers has fallen by 39,000. The figures have not been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The civilian employed labour force is the sum of employees in employment and the self-employed.
  110
  Mr. Lee
  Figures are not available for all the industries specified.

  The available information is as follows:

  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the measures currently being taken by his Department to provide training and employment in the northern region.

  Mr. Lee
  The following measures are available in the northern region:

  YTS: High-quality training and planned work experience for school leavers.

  New job training scheme: training for adults who wish to add to or learn new skills.

  Training for enterprise: training for business owners and managers.

  Open learning: provides access to training, particularly for

  supervisors and technicians.

  Other adult training: a wide range of full and part-time courses offering training closely matched to local opportunities.

  Training grants for employers: practical and financial help for training employees and recruits.

  Restart programme: counselling and courses to help long-term unemployed people.

  Community programme: community-based work and training.

  Jobclubs: coaching, facilities and support for people looking for work.

  Jobstart allowance: helps long-term unemployed people back into work.

  Community industry: work experience for disadvantaged young people.

  Travel to interview scheme: financial help for those who need to travel to job interviews.

  Jobshare: an incentive to employers to create part-time jobs.

  Voluntary projects programme: experience from working on voluntary projects.

  Enterprise allowance scheme: financial help for unemployed people wishing to become self-employed or start their own business.

  Small firms service: free information and counselling for new or existing small businesses.

  Tourism: advice and financial support for tourism projects.

  Loan guarantee scheme: guarantees for bank loans made to businesses.

  Special needs: specific help for the disabled and ethnic minorities.

  All these measures are listed in the "Action for Jobs" booklet, available from any of my Department's offices.

  My Department is the lead Department in the Tyne and Wear city action team, set up to assist with regeneration

  111
  in the Tyne and Wear area, and in a co-ordinating team in Cleveland, and is also participating in task forces in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

  Youth Employment
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures are being considered to boost youth employment prospects in Houghton and Washington.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding reply Monday 25 April]: The employment prospects of young people in Houghton and Washington as elsewhere are being boosted by the high quality training and work experience offered by YTS. From September, the Government are extending their guarantee of a YTS place to all 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in work or further education. As a result, no young person under 18 need be unemployed.

  Family Income Supplement
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the Labour force in part-time employment were in receipt of family income supplement at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Scott
  I have been asked to reply.

  Part-time work is defined, in the employment statistics, as 30 hours a week or less. Family income supplement was normally available only to those working at least 30 hours a week. However, single parents could claim FIS if working not fewer than 24 hours a week. It is estimated that in March 1986 (the latest date for which information is available) single parents working 24 to 29 hours a week and receiving FIS represented under 1 per cent. of all employees working 30 hours a week or fewer (including those working fewer than 24 hours).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Cyprus
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the United Kingdom's contribution to the cost of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus; and what proportion of the contingent is manned by British forces.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Figures for the financial year 1987–88 are incomplete. The outturn for 1986–87, the last year for which figures are available, was £20,169,594 net of recoveries. The British contingent is, according to the latest available figure, 741 officers and men out of a total United Nations force in Cyprus of 2,122.

  Warsaw Pact (Military Data)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent exchanges of military data on (i) conventional force deployments and (ii) battlefield and tactical nuclear weapons have taken place with the Warsaw pact.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent exchanges of military data on (i) conventional force deployment and (ii) battlefield and tactical nuclear weapons have taken place with the Warwaw pact.
  112
  Mr. Mellor
  At the Stockholm conference on confidence and security building measures NATO delegations proposed exchanges of information on conventional force levels and dispositions. Warsaw pact delegations rejected this proposal. The September 1986 Stockholm agreement is therefore limited to exchanges of information on certain military activities in the field.

  As for nuclear weapons, the United States and the Soviet Union have exchanged information on systems covered by the intermediate nuclear forces treaty. We and other NATO Governments regularly publish detailed information on both our conventional and nuclear capabilities. We have passed this information to Warsaw pact representatives during arms control discussions and urged them to reciprocate. So far they have not done so.

  Namibia
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had any meetings with, made approaches to, or received approaches from, the Transitional Government of National Unity in South West Africa—Namibia since 1985.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We do not recognise the Transitional Government of National Unity. However, on 5 February 1987 I met Mr. Shipanga and Mr. Katjiuonga in their capacity as leaders of internal Namibia parties.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the Transitional Government of National Unity in South West Africa—Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We do not recognise the Transitional Government of National Unity, nor any unilateral attempt by South Africa to transfer power in Namibia.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what is his policy on recent announcements by the South African Government that the South African administrator-general in South West Africa-Namibia is to be given additional powers;

  (2) What assessment he has made of South Africa's policy towards South West Africa-Namibia in the light of recent developments.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We wish to see Namibia independent. This will not be furthered by granting the South African administrator general new powers. What is needed is prompt implementation of the United Nations plan.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had any meetings with, made approaches to, or received approaches from, Mr. Peter Kalangula, the Owambo leader, or his representatives, since 1983.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No, but members of the British embassy, including the ambassador, maintain contact with Mr. Kalangula. Most recently Her Majesty's ambassador saw Mr. Kalangula in Windhoek last month.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on Mr. Kalangula's position with regard to attempts to find a political solution in South West Africa-Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We commend Mr. Kalangula's support for the early implementation of Security Council resolution 435.

  South West Africa People's Organisation
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had any meetings with, made approaches to, or received approaches from the South West Africa People's Organisation, since 1983.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Meetings with SWAPO representatives take place from time to time. Most recently I met Mr. Sam Nujoma on 26 October 1987.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government policy towards the South West Africa People's Organisation.

  Mrs. Chalker
  SWAPO is a party to the negotiations for a Namibian settlement. We do not recognise its claim to be the"sole authentic representative of the Namibian people"
  and we oppose its use of violence.

  Chile
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is considering sending observers to monitor the plebiscite in Chile.

  Mr. Eggar
  We will consider whether to send observers to the plebiscite if invited to do so by the Chilean Government.

  Israel
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Government policy towards the action of the Israeli Government on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the weekend beginning 15 April.

  Mr. Mellor
  We deplore the deaths and injuries inflicted on 16 and 17 April and again call on the Israeli authorities, pending their withdrawal, to administer the occupied territories in accordance with international law and human rights standards.

  Israel (Nuclear Weapons)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the conviction in the Israeli courts of Mordecai Vanunu on charges of leaking secrets of the Israeli nuclear weapons production facility at Dimona, he will initiate a renewed evaluation of Israeli nuclear weapons capability.

  Mr. Mellor
  No. Israel's ambiguous position will continue to give rise to suspicion until it signs the non-proliferation treaty and opens its nuclear facilities to international inspection.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, 31 March,Official Report, column 628, as corrected on 12 April, Official Report, column 34, on representations made to the Israeli Government to sign the non-proliferation treaty, what response was received in October 1987; and if any further communication took place as a result.

  Mr. Mellor
  The permanent under-secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was told at the talks referred to by the hon. Member that the Israeli 114
  Government saw no prospect of Israeli signature of the non-proliferation treaty before the conclusion of a general peace settlement in the region. We have received a similar response, most recently in April, when we have raised the non-proliferation treaty with the Israeli Government.

  Nuclear Materials (Safeguards)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the implications for safeguards arrangements under the 1970 treaty of Almelo, between the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany, of plans for URENCO to collaborate with Duke Power Company of the United States of America on a nuclear fuel plant in the United States of America.

  Mrs. Chalker
  If these plans come to fruition, the Governments of the United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany and Netherlands will ensure that appropriate safeguards procedures are applied at any facility constructed in the United States pursuant to article VII of the treaty of Almelo.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what safeguards arrangements exist to cover nuclear materials processed by the Anglo-Dutch-Federal German URENCO company for Boston Edison Co. and Sacramento Municipal District Utility in the United States of America.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have been asked to reply.

  Material processed by URENCO in the United Kingdom is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the United Kingdom/Euratom/IAEA agreement. Similar arrangements apply to URENCO Dutch arid German plants.

  Western European Union
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in his discussions relating to the enlargement of the Western European Union to include Spain and Portugal.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Western European Union ministerial meeting in the Hague on 18–19 April invited Spain and Portugal to open discussions on how they would meet the obligations of Western European Union membership contained in the modified Brussels treaty and the Western European Union platform.

  Malaysia
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Malaysian Government.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend visited Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei from 5 to 10 April. We enjoy close and developing relations with all three countries. In Malaysia he had valuable discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Minister for Education on bilateral links and a range of regional and international issues.

  As part of our common stand on drugs issues, we agreed in principle to work for a reciprocal agreement on the confiscation of drug traffickers' assets.

  Tigre and Eritrea
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussion he or his ministerial colleagues has had with the Ethiopian government and others about resolving peacefully the conflicts in Tigre and Eritrea; and what is his assessment of the prospect of peace talks taking place in either area, as a result of United Nations or EEC initiatives.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The most recent occasions were when I visited Ethiopia in April 1987 and when my hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development did so in January this year. My hon. Friend had planned to return this month but has postponed his visit at the request of the Ethiopian Government.

  We have also discussed the conflicts in Tigre and Eritrea with our European partners. The Community agreed a declaration last week urging a peaceful solution. We earnestly hope that all parties in this tragic situation will put humanitarian before military considerations.

  Defence Equipment (Sales)
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arms sales are under way to Israel's Arab neighbours; and whether he proposes to resume arms sales to Israel.

  Mr. Mellor
  It is not our practice to disclose details of sales of defence equipment overseas. We maintain restrictions on arms sales to Israel because of the continuing Israeli military presence in Lebanon.

  Refuseniks
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will seek a further opportunity of raising with the Soviet Foreign Minister the plight of the long-term refuseniks Michael Kremen, Boris Chernobilsky and Oscar Menoelev, who are still waiting for exit visas.

  Mr. Mellor
  Michael Kremen and Boris Chernobilsky are among those cases about which we have expressed concern to the Soviet authorities. We shall continue to take suitable opportunities to raise these cases, together with that of the Mendeleyevs and others about which representations have been made to us. Bilateral talks on human rights between officials, which we hope will take place soon, will be one such opportunity.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is being made publicly available by Her Majesty's Government on protection and decontamination equipment for those affected by chemical weapon attacks in northern Iraq.

  Mr. Mellor
  It is not our practice to make such information available publicly. Information or equipment suitable for protection or decontamination is available from commercial sources although the supply of any such equipment from the United Kingdom to Iran or Iraq would be subject to export control. With our agreement a number of chemical weapon victims have received private medical treatment in the United Kingdom.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Wheat and Barley
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what would be the effect on the United Kingdom intervention price of(a) wheat and (b) barley of a devaluation of the green pound by: (a) 5 per cent., (b) 9 per cent., and (c) to parity.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Feedwheat and barley have the same intervention price of 170·47 ecu per tonne which, at the present green rate, is equivalent to £111·85 per tonne.

  Devaluations sufficient to reduce the cereals monetary compensatory amount by the amounts specified and to parity would give the following intervention prices:

  (a) £116·99 per tonne

  (b) £121·46 per tonne

  (c) £127–29 per tonne

  European Community (Assistance to Farmers)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Ministry has as to the assistance given by other European Community Agriculture Ministers to their farmers; and if he will make a statement setting out the comparisons between aid provided in other European Community countries and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Responsibility for ensuring that national aids are in conformity with the treaty of Rome rests with the European Commission, and member states are required to notify such aids to it for approval.

  When we are informed of a national aid which appears to contravene Community law we do not hesitate to bring the matter to the attention of the Commission.

  Sheepmeat
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the sheepmeat production ceiling for the United Kingdom in 1988–89 set by the European Community; what it was in 1987–88; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The Community has not set sheepmeat production ceilings for either year. However, agreement has been reached on a budgetary stabiliser for this sector, as for many other CAP commodities. This is to be based on maximum guarantee thresholds set at the 1987 ewe flock in Great Britain and the rest of the Community and provides for 1988 and beyond a 1 per cent. cut in the basic and derived support prices for sheepmeat for each 1 per cent. overshoot in the MGLs. The detailed regulations are being finalised in discussions in the Council and elsewhere.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes have been announced by the European Commission in the mechanism for calculating the premium payments on ewe headage; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  In its proposals for the review of the sheepmeat regime, the European Commission envisages new methods of calculating annual ewe premia throughout the Community based on EC-12 market prices. No decisions have yet been taken on these or other aspects of the Commission's proposals.

  New Zealand (Lamb Imports)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's position regarding New Zealand's lamb imports under the forthcoming general agreement on tariffs and trade talks.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  In its proposals for reform of the EC's sheepmeat regime, the Commission has proposed discussions with third countries with a view to stabilising their import quantities of both frozen and chilled products, and of improving prices. The trade is currently controlled by voluntary restraint agreements negotiated between the EC and the main third countries. These set annual import quantities in exchange for a halving of the EC import duty to 10 per cent. When the Commission has developed a draft mandate for these discussions, we shall study it closely.

  Lean Meat Prediction System
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to follow the example of the Dutch Government and finance the adoption of the Fat-O-Meater lean meat prediction system by the processing industry in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The optical probe, already widely used in the United Kingdom, will be authorised for use here under the EC Pig Carcase Grading Regulations, which will take effect on 1 January next year. Slaughterhouses will, therefore, be able to continue to use their existing equipment for the lean meat prediction of pig carcases which will be required by these regulations.

  Pig Industry
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from representatives of the British pig industry regarding their current economic situation.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  We are keeping in close touch with representatives of the pig producers over the weak state of the market and monetary compensatory amounts. In recent weeks prices appear to have stabilised, while United Kingdom pigmeat MCAs have fallen from —10·9 to — 6·1 per cent. due to the strengthening of sterling. Our objective continues to be the elimination of United Kingdom MCAs in this sector.

  Sheep (Radioactivity)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether environmental health officers throughout Staffordshire have been advised to look out for radioactive sheep from Cumbria and north Wales in the 1988 lambing season.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: In line with arrangements agreed with district and county councils, my officials have kept the chief emergency planning officer of Staffordshire county council fully informed about the introduction and development of the scheme under which sheep may be moved out of the restricted areas of Cumbria and north Wales. This includes
  118
  details of the arrangements for this season's lambs. It is for the authority itself to ensure that the information reaches all the appropriate council officials within the county.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to introduce the sample monitoring for radioactivity of sheep which have been moved from Cumbria and north Wales to Staffordshire for further fattening.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Additional sample monitoring is unnecessary. Sheep moved out of the restricted areas of Cumbria and north Wales must either already have satisfied a monitoring test or been paint-marked to show that they may not yet be slaughtered. These marked sheep will be released for slaughter only when national re-monitoring data show that it is safe to remove the restriction on all sheep painted with the particular colour.

  Badgers
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications were made, by parish, in 1986 and 1987, respectively, to the consultative panel on badgers and tuberculosis for removal of badgers; and how many were granted.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: The number of applications made to the consultative panel on badgers and tuberculosis for removal of badgers during 1986 and 1987, listed by parish, are as follows:

  1986

  1987

  Applied for

  Approved

  Applied for

  Approved

  England

  Avon

  Pucklechurch

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Cornwall

  Davidstowe

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Kenwyn

  —

  —

  1

  0

  Menheniot

  —

  —

  2

  2

  St. Martin

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Devon

  Holsworthy

  —

  —

  5

  5

  Milton Damerol

  —

  —

  3

  3

  Sutcombe

  —

  —

  2

  2

  Thornbury

  —

  —

  2

  2

  Gloucester

  Brookthorpe

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Duntisbourne Rouse

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Moreton Valence

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Somerset Rodney Stoke

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Westbury sub Mendip

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Wiltshire

  Brokenborough

  —

  —

  2

  2

  Malmesbury St. Paul without

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Sherston

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Wales

  Dyfed

  Llanddarog

  —

  —

  2

  2

  Llanwinio

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Total

  2

  2

  28

  27

  Animals (Tuberculosis)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidences of herd breakdown due to tuberculosis were notified in each of the last five years; and if he will give the information by parish and list, in each case, the number for which the cause was unexplained.

  Dunnet Report

  MAFF 11th Report

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Number of new confirmed breakdowns

  113

  93

  90

  77

  83

  Number for which the cause is unknown

  23

  22

  26

  24

  35

  120
  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Information cannot be provided for individual parishes without disproportionate cost. The table gives the total figures for Great Britain for the last five years for which information is available.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Patient Expenditure (Nottingham)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the average annual expenditure per patient in 1986–87 by the Nottingham district health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  For patient treatment costing purposes all hospitals are classified into a series of standard types which reflect the principal use to which their beds are allocated and an overall average cost or expenditure per patient is thus not determined. For figures on average annual treatment costs of in-patients and out-patients by type of hospital for the Trent region as a whole, I refer the hon. Member to the Department's annual publication "Health Services Costing Returns" (the latest being for 1985–86)—copies of which are held in the Library. For similar information detailed to individual hospitals and units the hon. Member way wish to contact the chairman of the Trent regional health authority who may be able to assist.

  Hospital and Community Health Services
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those district health authorities or regional health authorities, which are due to receive money from the allocation for hospital and community health services announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement.

  Mr. Newton
  All health authorities in England have benefited from the increase in spending on the hospital and community health services announced by my right hon.

  Revenue Expenditure on hospitals categorised as "Mental Illness"

  Expenditure (£)

  District

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and R.V.

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Bolton

  421,463

  435,586

  461,313

  488,433

  597,916

  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Bury

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Central Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  1,420,171

  1,658,503

  Chorley and South Ribble

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lancaster

  876,038

  884,737

  923,538

  1,254,329

  1,304,985

  North Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Oldham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Preston

  13,318,178

  13,583,528

  13,439,427

  13,106,404

  13,356,038

  Rochdale

  326,400

  369,529

  410,166

  446,303

  84,626

  Salford

  13,955,531

  14,784,169

  15,343,857

  15,970,384

  17,632,609

  South Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Stockport

  488,102

  512,560

  555,080

  572,547

  587,401

  Tameside and Glossop

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  TrafTord

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Lancashire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Wigan

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  29,385,712

  30,570,109

  31,133,381

  33,258,571

  35,222,078

  Revenue Expenditure on hospitals categorised as "Mental Handicap"

  Expenditure (£)

  District

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and R.V.

  11,306,933

  11,596,281

  12,390,289

  12,841,570

  12,906,979

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  122
  Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Autumn Statement. My statement to the House on 16 December 1987 was followed by the publication on 23 December of a circular (HC(87)37) describing how resources were to be distributed among regional health authorities; this was followed in turn by the issue of more detailed initial cash limits to each RHA on 14 January. Allocations to districts based on those cash limits have since been made by regions.

  Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the levels of spending on(a) the mentally handicapped and (b) the mentally ill in each of the health authorities in the area of the North West regional health authority for each year from 1979 to 1987, inclusive.

  Mr. Newton
  Information on health authority expenditure by type of patient is not collected centrally. However, hospital costing returns submitted to the Department do show expenditure on hospitals of different types. Costing returns in respect of community health services show expenditure relating to the major areas of activity only. Thus we have information on expenditure by hospitals categorised as "Mental Handicap" and "Mental Illness", but not on expenditure on the growing volume of activity in psychiatric units in general hospitals etc. or within the community health services. Such costs are not separately identifiable centrally.

  The following tables, derived from the hospital costing returns give the expenditure by hospitals categorised as mental handicap and mental illness in each of the district health authorities in the North Western region since their establishment on 1 April 1982.
  123

  District

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Bolton

  68,307

  101,917

  109,924

  121,225

  125,379

  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale

  11,437,991

  11,470,320

  11,963,090

  12,536,561

  12,361,525

  Bury1

  0

  0

  80,416

  0

  0

  Central Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Chorley and South Ribble

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lancaster

  7,915,547

  7,961,773

  8,538,286

  8,737,825

  8,999,434

  North Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Oldham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Preston

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Rochdale2

  340,278

  0

  428,104

  472,163

  522,087

  Salford

  1,230,982

  1,564,140

  1,636,176

  1,662,257

  1,791,605

  South Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Stockport

  1,502,798

  1,624,270

  1,787,572

  1,786,305

  1,872,426

  Tameside and Glossop

  136,108

  139,352

  172,553

  175,723

  160,679

  Trafford

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Lancashire

  364,627

  373,033

  345,164

  310,304

  150,090

  Wigan

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  34,303,571

  34,831,086

  37,451,574

  38,643,933

  38,890,204

  1 Cambeck Close was reclassified as a Community Mental Handicap Unit from 1985–86.

  2 For 1983–84 only, the health authority included expenditure incurred at Scott House within Community Health Services.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 29 March,Official Report, column 445, if he will report on progress within the United Kingdom on implementation of the United Nations world programme of action concerning disabled persons.

  Mr. Scott
  As I said in my earlier reply on 29 March at column 445 the two reports are by the Secretary General of the United Nations. Report A/42/551 was in response to a request to the Secretary General for information on (a) the establishment and reinforcement of national committees as focal points for the United Nations decade (6) bilateral assistance relating to projects concerning the prevention of disabilities, rehabilitation and equalisation of opportunities and (c) the voluntary fund. Report A/ 42/561 sets out an evaluation by the Secretary General of the implementation of the world programme of action during the first half of the decade 1983–92.

  The United Kingdom Government support the overall objectives of the United Nations world programme of action and takes them into account when developing policies for disabled people. The Government, the statutory authorities and the voluntary sector are involved in the development of policy and services within the United Kingdom for disabled people. We also participate at the international level in activities undertaken by the European Community, the Council of Europe and Rehabilitation International. Therefore, given these involvements, we do not feel that a national committee specifically related to overseeing the United Nations programme would serve any useful purpose.

  With respect to overseas aid, rather than contribute to the voluntary fund we support the general aims of the world programme by assisting specific projects under our bilateral aid programmes administered by the Overseas Development Administration. We also jointly fund, with various British charities, rehabilitation programmes and projects to assist disabled people.

  With regard to the recommendation of the governing council of the United Nations development programme that a global campaign be promoted to raise awareness and mobilise resources in support of the objectives of the
  124
  world programme of action, we would like to await specific proposals from the Secretary General on how this could proceed.

  Electoral Register (Isle of Wight)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many voters there are on the new electoral register for the Isle of Wight.

  Mrs. Currie
  There are 100,785 parliamentary electors on the 1988 register for the Isle of Wight.

  Electors
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the English electoral quota for 1988–89.

  Mrs. Currie
  The electoral quota for England—that is, the total electorate divided by the number of parliamentary constituencies — is 69,688 based on the 1988 register.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services which are currently the five largest and five smallest parliamentary constituencies showing in each case the number of registered electors on the new registers.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is as follows:

  Parliamentary constituency

  1988 Electorate

  (i) Five largest

  Milton Keynes

  103,210

  Isle of Wight

  100,785

  East Hampshire

  90,013

  Huntingdon

  89,657

  Swindon

  89,138

  (ii) Five smallest

  Surbiton

  45,320

  Kensington

  45,998

  Chelsea

  46,763

  Newham North West

  47,814

  Hammersmith

  47,888

  Shenley Hospital
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on the future of Shenley
  125
  hospital; if there is a closure date; what is the most recent figure for the population in Shenley; and how many patients have been there for more than five years.

  Mrs. Currie
  The aim of our policy in the mental health field is that every health district should provide a comprehensive range of services for mentally ill people, from long-term in-patient care for the severely and chronically ill to domiciliary support for those who can live near normal lives at home.

  The latest figures held centrally for the numbers of in-patients in Shenley hospital is 805, as at 31 December 1986. Figures are not available centrally on the length of stay of resident in-patients. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Parkside health authority for information on plans for the future of Shenley hospital, and detailed local statistics.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in Wisbech and West Norfolk district health authority had eye tests in the last year for which figures are available; and what estimate he can make of how many would not have received free tests if his Department's new regulations had applied at the time.

  Mr. Newton
  I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the eye tests carried out under the general ophthalmic services. These are the responsibility of the family practitioner committee and it is not possible to provide information for particular district health authority areas. However, in the Norfolk FPC and Cambridge FPC, each of which includes part of the area covered by the Wisbech and West Norfolk DHA, the numbers of sight tests carried out during the year ended 31 December 1987 were 156,122 and 144,810 respectively. When implemented, the provision of the Health and Medicines Bill will still permit NHS sight tests to be provided for children under 16, full-time students under 19, those on low incomes, the registered blind and partially sighted and people with diabetes or glaucoma who are referred for a test by the doctor managing their condition. It is estimated that these groups currently account for a little over one third of sight tests.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what studies his Department has carried out on the effectiveness of the Protection of Children (Tobacco) Act 1986 in preventing the purchase of tobacco products by children under the age of 16 years;

  (2) what evidence there is of levels of usage by children under the age of 16 years of tobacco products of the type he recently announced his proposals to ban.

  Mrs. Currie
  Biennial surveys are carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys of the smoking habits of schoolchildren aged I1 to 16. In 1986 it was found that 89 per cent. of regular smokers in this age group claimed that shops were a regular source of their cigarettes. In the same year there were 17 prosecutions of shopkeepers for selling cigarettes to children. Figures are not available on the use of oral tobacco products.

  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what monitoring procedures were set in hand 126
  to assess the effectiveness of the voluntary marketing agreement entered into by United States Tobacco International on 18 April 1985;

  (2) if he has any evidence of breaches by United States Tobacco International of that company's voluntary agreement with his Department;

  (3) what data on unit sales figures and numbers of users are available in respect of those oral tobacco products he proposes to ban.

  Mrs. Currie
  No special arrangements were set in hand to monitor the voluntary agreement with United States Tobacco International or to gather evidence of breaches, although we are aware of allegations concerning the marketing of Skoal Bandits to children which are the subject of court proceedings. Figures on the use of oral tobacco products are not available.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the size of the budget devoted to the fourth medical and health research programme from European Community resources connected with the use of chimpanzees in AIDS research.

  Mr. Newton
  In conformity with a recommendation of the European Parliament 5 million ecu have been committed to the European Community's fourth medical and health research programme to support centralised facilities for primates used in AIDS research. A separate figure for chimpanzees has not been identified.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what help he is giving to local authorities in London towards the costs of providing personal social services for people with AIDS or HIV infection.

  Mr. Newton
  I announced in February that £2 million is being made available in the current financial year to help towards the AIDS-related personal social services expenditure incurred by those local authorities in inner London where the greatest demands are faced. The borough councils are being informed today of the allocations they are to receive which are as follows:

  £

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  474,180

  Kensington and Chelsea

  467,170

  Westminster

  245,000

  Wandsworth

  195,000

  Lambeth

  160,000

  Camden

  107,000

  Southwark

  92,500

  Lewisham

  89,500

  Tower Hamlets

  60,000

  Islington

  30,000

  Hackney

  30,000

  Greenwich

  27,200

  I have been greatly encouraged by the consideration which the authorities have put into their bids and the sensitivity to the special needs of people with AIDS which they show. I hope that, in the light of our response, health and local authorities in inner London will continue to develop, on a jointly planned basis both the services necessary to ensure people with AIDS receive the care and support they need, and local initiatives to prevent the further spread of the disease.

  Wakefield Health Authority
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the reasons for the delay in the replacement of the university of Leeds nominee on Wakefield district health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  The appointment of members to Wakefield district health authority is the responsibility of the Yorkshire regional health authority.

  Social Work
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is his assessment of the ability of local authorities with unfilled social work posts to fulfill their statutory duties; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what information he has about the current figure for unfilled vacancies in social work posts in local authority social services departments.

  Mr. Newton
  Such information is not held centrally, but we are aware of a recent report concerning problems in London. The social services inspectorate, which is keeping the position under review, is seeking to assist London authorities to ensure that staff are deployed to best effect and is paying particular attention to the management of child protection services.

  Compulsory Removals
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many compulsory removals under section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948 were undertaken during 1987.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret that this information is not available centrally.

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of cot deaths in the north-west region during 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986, and any subsequent period for which figures are available.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is shown in the table, which gives the total number of deaths at age under one with any mention of cot death, sudden infant death syndrome or similar term on the death certificate, irrespective of whether it was the underlying cause of death, for usual residents of the north-west standard region.

  Number of infant deaths with mention of cot death to usual residents of the North West Standard Region 1983–871

  Year

  Number

  1983

  175

  1984

  167

  1985

  182

  1986

  217

  11987

  155

  1 Provisional data to end October.

  Breast Screening
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what guidance has been given as to 128
  whether the proposals of the South East Thames regional health authority in respect of breast screening and assessment centres in the Medway comply with his Department's policy for identifying regional specialties;

  (2) what is his policy on whether breast screening service and assessment centres should be a regional service or devolved to combined districts.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Department's policy for implementing the breast cancer screening service is that regional health authorities should plan their services on a supra-district basis according to the model recommended in the Forrest report, a copy of which is in the Library. The model proposed basic screening units each serving a population of about half a million (equivalent to two average-sized districts) and specialist assessment teams each taking referrals from up to three of the basic units, in order to maintain very high standards for the assessment of the abnormalities detected by mammographic screening, particularly the very small impalpable lesions. Copies of the guidance circulated to health authorities and family practitioner committees (DA(87)14 and EL(88)P/48 ) have been placed in the Library.

  Plans for the breast cancer screening services to cover the whole of the South-East Thames region have not yet been received in the Department.

  Medical Appeal Tribunals
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will detail the average waiting time for appeal hearings at each of his Department's medical appeal tribunals within the Yorkshire area.

  Mr. Portillo
  Reliable estimates of average waiting times for medical appeal tribunal hearings are not currently available. The president of social security appeal tribunals and medical appeal tribunals has advised that a revised management information system is being established for medical appeal tribunals which will enable the accurate measurement of waiting times, but that reliable estimates will not be available until later this year. I would be happy to refer any specific concerns of the hon. Member to the president.

  Cancelled Treatments
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many planned admissions for in-patients treatment in hospitals within the Wakefield district health authority were cancelled during 1987; and for what reasons.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret that this information is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Wakefield health authority to ascertain whether such information is available locally.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will encourage local authorities to include an application form for family credit when they distribute housing benefit application forms.

  Mr. Portillo
  Many local authorities already do send the claim form for family credit to those housing benefit claimants likely to be eligible for it. Some local authorities
  129
  may not be able to do this for operational reasons but all will be aware of the importance we attach to encouraging the take-up of family credit.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to enable local authorities to disregard the element within family credit assumed to cover free school meals when assessing housing benefit.

  Mr. Portillo
  No. An award of family credit cannot be disregarded in assessing housing benefit entitlement.

  Stanley Royd Hospital, Wakefield
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the recommendations of the committee of inquiry into the outbreak of salmonella at Stanley Royd hospital, Wakefield have been implemented.

  Mrs. Currie
  All health authorities have received copies of the committee of inquiry's report. Consideration has been given to each of the recommendations. Management guidelines have been published on hygiene and building issues, whilst further guidelines on hospital infection control and standard recipes will be circulated shortly.

  Prisoners of War (Japan)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what recent representations he has received from bodies representing prisoners of war in Japan during the second world war; if he has any plans to change present pension policy for prisoners or dependants of prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have received no recent representations, and have no plans to change the current long-standing war pension policy for far eastern prisoners of war. Under the war pensions scheme, a war disablement or widow's pension is payable where an ex-service man suffers any disability or illness or dies as a result of service in the armed forces, which includes periods spent as a prisoner of war. The Government fully recognise the great hardship and suffering endured by far eastern prisoners of war and their claims to war pension are given special and very careful consideration. All far eastern prisoners of war are offered a free tropical disease investigation to ascertain whether they are suffering any residual effects of disease suffered whilst a prisoner.

  Tranquillisers
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those drug companies which supplied benzodiazepines to the National Health Service during each of the years 1978 to 1986 inclusive; and what was the amount of payments made to each of these companies.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 31 March 1988]: In 1986, £28·2 million of benzodiazepines were dispensed in Great Britain in the family practitioner services of which £7·8 million were proprietary products. In 1985, the comparable figures were £33·1 million and £14·0 million. Information for earlier years is available only at disproportionate cost and information by company is not available. Companies supplying benzodiazepines to the FPS in 1986 were:

  Abbott Laboratories Ltd.

  Astra Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

  Beecham Group plc

  130

  DDSA Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

  Eli Lilly & Co. Ltd.

  Farmitalia Ltd.

  Fisons plc

  Glaxo Group Ltd.

  Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

  Janssen Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

  Leo Laboratories Ltd.

  Lundbeck Ltd.

  May & Baker Ltd.

  Norgine Ltd.

  Pfizer Ltd.

  Roussel Laboratories Ltd.

  Roche Products Ltd.

  Sandoz Products Ltd.

  Schering Chemicals Ltd.

  Searle & Co. Ltd.

  Smith Kline and French Laboratories Ltd.

  Smith & Nephew Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

  Steinhard Ltd.

  Sterling-Winthrop Group Ltd.

  Upjohn Ltd.

  Wyeth Laboratories Ltd.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the latest numbers of winners and losers as a result of changes in housing benefit in Alyn and Deeside district council area, Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of people claiming housing benefits in each housing authority in Scotland.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 14 April 1988]: The information available is given in the table. The figures represent the estimated number of benefit recipients in each authority.

  The number of unsuccessful claims is not available.

  Authority name

  Rent rebates

  Rent allowance

  Rate rebates

  Orkney Island Council

  778

  225

  1,236

  Shetland Island Council

  970

  154

  1,605

  Western Isles Council

  1,822

  292

  4,909

  Borders Regional Council

  0

  0

  11,130

  Berwickshire DC

  1,384

  321

  0

  Ettrick & Lauderdale DC

  2,145

  450

  0

  Roxburgh DC

  3,000

  370

  0

  Tweeddale DC

  750

  310

  0

  Regional Totals

  7,279

  1,451

  11,130

  Central Regional Council

  0

  0

  39,034

  Clackmannan DC

  5,620

  260

  0

  Falkirk DC

  16,800

  1,030

  0

  Stirling DC

  7,800

  1,110

  0

  Regional Totals

  30,220

  2,400

  39,034

  Dumfries and GallowayRegion

  0

  0

  16,103

  Annandale and EskdaleDC

  2,720

  335

  0

  Nithsdale DC

  4,050

  640

  0

  Stewartry DC

  1,450

  250

  0

  Wigtown DC

  3,000

  400

  0

  Regional Totals

  11,220

  1,625

  16,103

  131

  Authority name

  Rent rebates

  Rent allowance

  Rate rebates

  Fife Regional Council

  0

  0

  41,579

  Dunfermline DC

  11,716

  762

  0

  Kirkcaldy DC

  15,915

  1,448

  0

  North East Fife DC

  4,850

  1,240

  0

  Regional Totals

  32,481

  3,450

  41,579

  Grampian Regional Council

  0

  0

  52,982

  Aberdeen City Council

  18,400

  5,000

  0

  Banff and Buchan DC

  6,152

  499

  0

  Gordon DC

  2,651

  722

  0

  Kincardine and Deeside DC

  1,645

  490

  0

  Moray DC

  6,500

  950

  0

  Regional Totals

  35,348

  7,661

  52,982

  Highland Regional Council

  0

  0

  17,888

  Badenoch DC

  650

  240

  0

  Caithness DC

  1,890

  243

  0

  Inverness DC

  3,976

  497

  0

  Lochaber DC

  1,574

  274

  0

  Nairn DC

  678

  143

  0

  Ross and Cromarty DC

  3,596

  549

  0

  Skye and Lochalsh DC

  498

  306

  0

  Sutherland DC

  1,037

  111

  0

  Regional Totals

  13,899

  2,363

  17,888

  Lothian Regional

  Council

  0

  0

  94,496

  Edinburgh DC

  31,500

  25,600

  0

  East Lothian DC

  7,900

  670

  0

  Midlothian DC

  5,850

  1,020

  0

  West Lothian DC

  11,080

  750

  0

  Regional Totals

  56,330

  28,040

  94,496

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  0

  0

  408,542

  Argyll and Bute DC

  4,835

  1,275

  0

  Bearsden and Milngavie DC

  1,099

  79

  0

  Clydebank DC

  7,479

  432

  0

  Clydesbank DC

  5,100

  250

  0

  Cumbernauld DC

  2,381

  63

  0

  Cumnock and Doon DC

  5,511

  241

  0

  Cunninghame DC

  13,759

  924

  0

  Dumbarton DC

  7,220

  570

  0

  East Kildbride DC

  815

  193

  0

  Eastwood DC

  1,073

  215

  0

  Glasgow

  120,500

  23,000

  0

  Hamilton DC

  14,600

  440

  0

  Inverclyde DC

  12,100

  1,130

  0

  Kilmarnock DC

  10,679

  214

  0

  Kyle and Carrick DC

  10,515

  918

  0

  Motherwell DC

  25,271

  640

  0

  Renfrew DC

  23,100

  2,100

  0

  Strathkelvin DC

  5,364

  280

  0

  Regional Totals

  289,090

  33,174

  408,542

  Tayside Regional Council

  0

  0

  59,034

  Angus DC

  7,500

  1,000

  0

  Dundee DC

  22,915

  3,985

  0

  Perth and Kinross DC

  8,500

  1,800

  0

  Regional Totals

  38,915

  6,785

  59,034

  Cumbernauld (Dev C)

  4,800

  0

  0

  East Kildbride (Dev C)

  7,500

  0

  0

  Glenrothes (Dev C)

  4,000

  0

  0

  Irvine (Dev C)

  2,400

  0

  0

  Livingston (Dev C)

  5,000

  0

  0

  132

  Authority name

  Rent rebates

  Rent allowance

  Rate rebates

  Scottish Special HA

  47,200

  0

  0

  New Town Totals

  70,900

  0

  0

  Scottish Totals

  589,252

  87,620

  748,538

  Notes:

  1. Derived from local authority housing benefit subsidy estimates for 1987–88.

  2. DC = District Council.

  (Dev C) = Development Corporation.

  3. Some claimants receive a rent rebate or allowance and a rate rebate. It is not therefore possible to calculate the number of people claiming housing benefit by adding the figures together.

  Cervical Cancer
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to assist in the funding of the final testing of the HDA method of screening for cervical cancer; what is his assessment of the importance of the HDA procedure; and if he will make a statement.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about funding for a hydrolysed DNA assay procedure for early detection of cervical neoplasms; and what is his Department's current position regarding such funding.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: One of the 13 applications for funding of research and development in the field of automated cervical cancer screening that were reviewed in February by an ad hoc expert working group chaired by the Department's chief scientist was from Dr. Sincock of the Middlesex hospital and related to hydrolysed DNA assay. The expert group did not recommend that Dr. Sincock's project as submitted should be funded by the Department. Officials are now exploring with commercial interests the possibility of a joint funding venture that could pave the way for commercialisation of Dr. Sincock's assay.

  Prescribed Drugs (Dependency)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what current reviews his Department is undertaking or has commissioned concerning prescribed drugs which lead to dependency; what advice has been given to doctors and patients on this issue; what estimate he has of the number of people regularly receiving the drug Lorezepam; what information he has as to any side-effects of Lorazepam, Valium and Librium; if he will take steps to establish an investigation into any detrimental sid-effects of the drug Lorazepam; what guidelines are issued by his Department to general practitioners relating to Lorazepam; and if he will take steps to encourage Wyeth Laboratories to compensate people who have become dependent on Lorazepam.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: The Committee on Safety of Medicines has recently completed a review of the problem of dependence on benzodiazepines, and has issued advice to doctors and pharmacists in "Current Problems No. 21", which is in the Library. The Department is not currently conducting any specific reviews on dependence in relation to other prescribed drugs, but advice on the risks of dependence on certain drugs is contained in the British National

  133
  Formulary which the Department sends regularly to all NHS doctors and pharmacists. It is for doctors to decide what advice to give to patients about the risk of dependence on prescribed medicines.

  Over 3 million prescriptions for Lorazepam were issued in 1986 by general practitioners in Great Britain. It is not possible to estimate reliably how many patients were involved.

  Information about side effects of Lorazepam, Valium and Librium is available in the ABPI data sheet compendium and in the BNF, copies of which are in the Library.

  We have no current plans plans for a further investigation into the side effects of Lorazepam. In addition to the guidelines for all benzodiazepines, including Lorazepam, in "Current Problems No. 21" and the BNF, the data sheet provided by the manufacturer of A tivan, the leading brand, has recently been revised to the satisfaction of the CSM.

  The issue of compensation is a matter for the parties concerned.

ENVIRONMENT

  Telford Development Corporation (Housing)
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are his proposals for dealing with the future of those houses which are empty during the planned ballot on the future of Telford development corporation houses;

  (2) hat are his proposals for dealing with the future of those houses where there is a change of tenant after the planned ballot on the future of Telford development corporation houses but before ownership is changed;

  (3) hen he now expects to ballot Telford development corporation tenants about the future ownership of their houses;

  (4) hat are the financial terms for the transfer of Telford development corporation houses to (a) Wrekin district council, (b) housing associates and (c) tenants.

  Mrs. Roe
  We remain committed to consulting the tenants before any decisions are made about transferring the ownership of the new town housing in Telford, and it remains our policy to respect any individual preferences expressed through the consultation process. It is therefore essential that tenants be given all the information they need to make a considered choice.

  In particular, it will be important that potential new landlords present tenants with realistically costed options, and in this connection I have had very much in mind the concern of Wrekin district council that the terms of transfer of the stock should be the same for local authority and other potential purchasers. This would require primary legislation, so transfer will not be possible for some time.

  In the circumstances, tenant consultation now would be premature, and it would not be fair on the tenants to ask them to commit themselves now to a change which could not be implemented, perhaps for a couple of years. The best way to reduce the difficulties the hon. Member addresses in his other questions is to reduce as far as possible the interval between consultation and transfer. That is what we plan to do.

  Gipsy Caravan Sites
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the location of any official gipsy caravan sites within an area of outstanding natural beauty in England;

  (2) if he will list those cases in which a local authority has compulsorily purchased land within an area of outstanding beauty for the purpose of establishing a gipsy caravan site; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  The following local authority gipsy sites are in areas of outstanding natural beauty:

  Southerham, East Sussex, (South Downs)

  Redland Depot, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, (High Weald)

  Hawkhurst, Kent (High Weald)

  Pendle Camp, Merstharn, Surrey (Surrey Hills)

  Foster Down, Caterham, Surrey (Surrey Hills)

  Chiseldon Camp, Swindon, Wiltshire (North Wessex Downs)

  Copperkins Lane, Amersham, Bucks (Chilterns)

  Whites Hill, Beaconsfield, Bucks (Chilterns)

  I understand that in none of these cases were compulsory purchase powers used to acquire the sites.

  Rates
  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the impact of the non-domestic rates levied by local authorities on small firms as defined by the Bolton committee of inquiry in 1971; and what was the total amount raised from them in the 1987–88 financial year.

  Mr. Howard
  Information on non-domestic rates paid is not collected in a form which allows the identification of small firms.

  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has conducted an analysis of the possible effects of the introduction of a national non-domestic rate from April 1990, coupled with revaluation, on small firms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I expect to receive an analysis of the effects of the revaluation from the Inland Revenue once it has considered the information about rents it is currently collecting. I expect the results for small businesses to vary widely depending on their location and the nature of their business. My right hon. Friend has, of course, already announced that he intends to take powers to allow a more generous transition for small businesses.

  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in tabular form what estimates he has of the shares of non-domestic rates paid by large, medium and small businesses as defined by the size of their labour forces, or under the fourth EEC directive on company disclosures, for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Howard
  I regret that no general estimates of this sort are available. Some information about rates paid by industry groups is available for years up to 1986.

  Local Authority Expenditure
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much in money terms, real-terms and as a real-term percentage increase or decrease on 1979,
  135
  the level of spending by local authorities under non-housing revenue current expenditure has increased or decreased in each year since 1979.

  Net current expenditure on the rate fund revenue account1: 1979–80 to 1987–88 English local authorities

  Cash

  Year on year increase

  Real2

  Year on year increase

  Percentage in-crease in real terms since

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  1979–90

  1979–80

  13,000

  22,794

  1980–81

  15,682

  2,682

  23,191

  397

  1·7

  1981–82

  17,472

  1,790

  23,511

  320

  3·1

  1982–83

  19,051

  1,579

  23,932

  421

  5·0

  1983–84

  20,258

  1,207

  24,305

  373

  6·6

  1984–85

  21,600

  1,342

  24,819

  514

  8·9

  1985–863

  22,300

  700

  24,179

  -640

  6·1

  1986–873

  24,171

  1,871

  25,380

  1,201

  11·3

  1987–8834

  26,512

  2,341

  26,512

  1,132

  16·3

  1 Including a very small proportion (about 1½ per cent. in 1987–88) of non-housing revenue account expenditure, on housing and housing benefit.

  2 Real expenditure has been derived by adjusting cash values to constant 1987–88 prices, using the GDP deflator.

  3Excluding London Regional Transport levy (just over £200 million in 1985–86).

  4 Budget information.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much in money terms, real terms and as a real term percentage increase or decrease on 1979, local authority expenditure on the provision of accommodation for the homeless has increased or decreased in each year since 1979.

  Mrs. Roe
  The information requested is given in the table. It is based on information supplied by authorities in England and Wales to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Because of variations in the authorities responding the figures for different years are not strictly comparable.

  Net Expenditure Per 1000 Population on Hostel and Bed and Breakfast Accommodation England and Wales

  Current prices £

  1986–87 percentage prices change £

  1979–80

  282

  472

  1980–81

  281

  396

  -16

  1981–82

  242

  310

  -22

  1982–83

  306

  366

  18

  1983–84

  350

  400

  9

  1984–85

  415

  454

  14

  1985–86

  653

  674

  48

  1986–87

  1,697

  1,697

  152

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his policy with regard to the provision of bed and breakfast accommodation for the homeless.

  Mrs. Roe
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 24 March at column 191–92.

  Housing Subsidy
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will produce statistical evidence for any
  136
  Mr. Chope
  The available information is as follows:

  year since 1979 to show which housing authorities over-claimed housing subsidies with a resulting over-provision in the supply estimates.

  Mrs. Roe
  I shall place the information in the Library.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he has taken, or proposes to take, to ensure that housing authorities do not over-claim housing subsidies.

  Mrs. Roe
  For the financial year 1988–89, any authority overclaiming in two of the three audited years (1984–85 to 1986–87), whose advance final claim for 1987–88 is late or reveals a third overclaim will have its instalments for the remainder of 1988–89 abated. The abatement will take into account the size of the latest overclaim.

  The Department is also monitoring national movements in interest rates against those used by local authorities in their claims. High interest rates will be queried and, where appropriate, advance instalments of subsidy will be abated.

  Similar measures were taken in the previous three years.

  Housing Action Trusts
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the £5 million increased provision for housing action trusts, clarifying what has led him to conclude that this additional provision is needed.

  Mrs. Roe
  The Government consider that the size of some areas of poor quality local authority housing, and the nature and extent of their problems, require novel and radical approaches beyond the normal run of local authority housing activity. They therefore propose to set up housing action trusts to tackle these problems; and have allocated £125 million (£5 million in 1988–89, £50 million in 1989–90 and £70 million in 1990–91) for this purpose.

  Forestry
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the Countryside Commission's proposal that all afforestation schemes over five hectares should require specific planning permission under Town and Country Planning legislation and for the amendment of section 22 of the Town and Country Planning Act to bring afforestation of sites over 0·25 hectares within the meaning of the term development.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have no plans to bring forestry or afforestation within the scope of the planning system.

  Housing Investment Programme
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report, for each London borough, for each year since 1980–81 (a) total housing investment programme expenditure (out-turns) and (b) housing investment programme expenditure funded by capital receipts.

  Mrs. Roe
  Capital receipts, borrowing and revenue funding form a pool from which capital expenditure on each service is funded. Housing capital expenditure funded from capital receipts cannot, therefore, be separately identified.

  Housing capital receipts of London boroughs

  £ thousands

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88 (nine months)

  Land1

  Dwellings2

  Other3

  Land1

  Dwellings2

  Other3

  Land1

  Dwellings2

  Other3

  City of London

  0

  8,281

  749

  0

  14,402

  783

  0

  11,069

  1,136

  Barking and Dagenham

  0

  9,196

  3,692

  403

  12,707

  6,749

  113

  9,430

  4,944

  Barnet

  940

  9,577

  2,615

  1,961

  11,957

  4,151

  202

  10,831

  2,711

  Bexley

  55

  2,793

  2,664

  226

  4,074

  4,153

  193

  4,542

  2,308

  Brent

  282

  4,510

  770

  154

  6,005

  390

  471

  4,777

  388

  Bromley

  497

  10,481

  3,784

  605

  12,631

  6,895

  101

  14,595

  3,883

  Camden

  14

  1,556

  1,790

  0

  4,138

  301

  90

  3,854

  393

  Croydon

  846

  10,582

  4,378

  853

  13,440

  8,737

  569

  13,009

  3,887

  Ealing

  692

  7,023

  5,226

  526

  10,283

  7,988

  114

  5,210

  5,993

  Enfield

  195

  7,506

  4,150

  284

  11,022

  10,602

  40

  10,709

  3,080

  Greenwich

  635

  6,685

  2,219

  1,479

  7,894

  2,124

  310

  4,876

  1,354

  Hackney

  113

  1,690

  663

  0

  3,107

  676

  0

  4,280

  2,290

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,264

  6,022

  2,444

  2,291

  5,469

  3,032

  n.a.

  3,586

  1,871

  Haringey

  92

  5,774

  1,897

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Harrow

  0

  3,864

  283

  0

  4,986

  3,145

  0

  5,542

  2

  Havering

  357

  3,608

  6,698

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Hillingdon

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Hounslow

  514

  4,092

  1,479

  33

  4,916

  3,509

  34

  6,834

  2,355

  Islington

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Kensington and Chelsea

  541

  1,850

  3,384

  283

  4,825

  6,356

  2,020

  2,935

  4,356

  Kingston upon Thames

  1,277

  1,971

  3,167

  632

  2,561

  3,375

  271

  1,470

  1,559

  Lambeth

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Lewisham

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Merton

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a

  Newham

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a

  Redbridge

  939

  1,335

  6,042

  790

  2,406

  7,601

  526

  2,003

  5,491

  Richmond upon Thames

  0

  3,177

  1,104

  378

  2,624

  2,283

  12

  4,463

  1,533

  Southwark

  1,950

  4,699

  451

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Sutton

  2,056

  5,274

  1,846

  485

  5,984

  3,158

  153

  5,491

  828

  Tower Hamlets

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  206

  3,406

  95

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Waltham Forest

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Wandsworth

  537

  25,406

  7,189

  1,300

  26,352

  12,089

  662

  27,354

  8,572

  Westminster

  258

  7,174

  371

  514

  8,656

  580

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Notes:

  1 Land and sales of assets other than dwellings.

  2 Initial receipts from sales of dwellings. (Selling price net of discount less mortgage lending.)

  3 Includes repayments of mortgages on earlier council house sales, other repayments of mortgage lending.

  n.a. = not available.

  Local Authorities (Capital Receipts)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report, for each London borough, the present accrued total of capital receipts.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to the information placed in the Library of the House of 9 March 1988 in reply to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier).

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish figures in the Official Report indicating, for each London borough, the amount gained in capital receipts from (a) right to buy, (b) other house sales and (c) other sales, for each year since 1980–81.

  Mrs. Roe
  Information on housing capital receipts in 1985–86, 1986–87 and the first three quarters of 1987–88 is given in the table: corresponding figures for earlier years are not readily available. Receipts from right-to-buy sales are not reported separately from other dwellings.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the latest available figures for each London borough for (a) the average selling price of council dwellings under (i) right to buy and (ii) other sales and (b) the average percentage discount on the sale of council dwellings under (1) right to buy and (2) other sales.

  Mrs. Roe
  Information on selling prices and discounts is not available separately for right-to-buy and other sales. The figures in the table have been derived from those quarterly returns for 1987–88 so far received from the boroughs.

  Sales of council dwellings, 1987–88 London boroughs

  Average selling price (net of discount) £

  Average discount per cent

  City of London

  79,500

  21

  Barking and Dagenham

  17,600

  —

  Barnet

  20,300

  51

  Bexley

  21,600

  53

  Brent

  —

  —

  Bromley

  20,200

  54

  Camden

  30,000

  41

  Croydon

  23,500

  50

  Ealing

  —

  —

  Enfield

  23,500

  52

  Greenwich

  —

  48

  Hackney

  —

  —

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  26,000

  45

  Haringey

  27,300

  46

  Harrow

  24,300

  50

  Havering

  —

  —

  Hillingdon

  —

  —

  Hounslow

  25,700

  45

  Islington

  33,500

  39

  Kensington and Chelsea

  41,400

  38

  Kingston upon Thames

  23,300

  49

  Lambeth

  —

  —

  Lewisham

  —

  —

  Merton

  20,900

  53

  Newham

  —

  —

  Redbridge

  20,100

  54

  Richmond upon Thames

  24,900

  51

  Southwark1

  23,900

  41

  Sutton

  24,100

  50

  Tower Hamlets

  —

  —

  Waltham Forest

  —

  —

  Wandsworth

  24,200

  47

  Westminster

  —

  —

  — not available.

  1 excluding 228 sales of vacant dwellings.

  King's Cross Goods Yard
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to establishing a development corporation or trust to oversee the development of King's Cross goods yard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the normal mechanism of the
  140
  planning system is the proper way to resolve the future of this site. However, in view of the scale and importance of the proposals, he wishes to have an opportunity to consider whether any major application for the site should be called-in for his decision. He has therefore made a direction requiring Camden council to consult him before any planning application of over 100,000 sq ft is decided.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has met with either of the consortia proposing to develop the King's Cross goods yard.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: My right hon. Friend has not discussed the proposals with either of the consortia.

  Opencast Mining
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his written reply to the hon. Member for Clydesdale, 17 February,Official Report, column 663, he will now publish the proposals for the protection of the environment and the quality of life of communities affected by opencast mining and other similar activities; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many representations were received about the revised draft planning guidelines for opencast coal mining issued for consultation in April 1987.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Revised guidelines on planning control over opencast coal mining will be issued shortly. These will aim to help mineral planning authorities ensure that the right balance is struck between environmental considerations and economic benefits when planning applications for opencast working are considered. Sixty letters of representation were received in response to the consultation document.

  Hampstead Heath
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reach a decision on the future of Hampstead heath; if he will take into account the views expressed by the Association of London Authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Any representations made by the Association of London Authorities or any other organisation or individual will be taken into account by my right hon. Friend in reaching his decision on the future of Hampstead heath. I expect the decision to be taken in good time for an orderly transfer of responsibility with effect from 1 April 1989.

  Lime Dust (Cheriton)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in respect of lime dust released into the atmosphere in the Cheriton region of Folkestone; and what action he proposes to take.

  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the circumstances which led to the problems caused by lime spraying by the Eurotunnel consortium and its subsequent effects on the residents of Cheriton, Kent; and if he will make a statement.
  141
  Mrs. Roe
  [holding answers 19 and 21 April 1988]: My hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone (Mr. Howard) drew this incident to the Department's attention immediately on 6 April. Shepway district council contacted Eurotunnel, which is responsible for the work and the operation was suspended while the adverse weather conditions prevailed. This particular phase of the work was completed without a further recurrence of the problem.

  Shepway district council has served a notice on Eurotunnel under the Public Health (Recurring Nuisances) Act 1961 to prevent similar incidents from occurring. In future the contractor will use lime granules, which are much less prone to wind disturbance.

  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to monitor the construction works being carried out by the Eurotunnel consortium works, particularly in respect of dust levels in the Cheriton area of Kent; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Mr. Shaw) today. As required by the terms of the concession, an independent body, Maitre D'Oeuvre, has been appointed to monitor the design of the works and the detailed operation of the contract on behalf of the IGC. In addition, a joint consultative committee has been set up under the chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Transport, with representatives of Government Departments, local authorities in Kent, Eurotunnel and British Rail to consider any matters of concern to Kent in relation to the Channel tunnel project.

  Palace of Westminster (Toilets)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take to ensure that male toilets in the Palace of Westminster are labelled as such.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: If the hon. Member has been experiencing any particular difficulties in identifying such toilets, I shall be happy to provide him with details of their location.

  European Environment Year
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the achievements sponsored by Her Majesty's Government to date, in support of the European Year of the Environment; and if he will make a statement on the major initiatives known to his Department achieved by other European countries participant in the European environment year.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [pursuant to the reply, 16 February 1988, c. 525–26]. I am today placing in the Library and the Vote Office "Protecting Your Environment—A Guide"—the general guide to environmental protection.

  We are making this guide widely available to environment groups, schools and members of the public.

  Playgrounds
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what instructions are given to local authorities about the design of playgrounds to ensure that children are properly protected from injury; and if he will be making proposals to ensure that adequate safeguards are available.
  142
  Mr. Moynihan
  The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 imposes a general duty on local authorities to take resonable measures to ensure the safety of all non-domestic premises, including playgrounds, which are under their control. Duties under this Act are enforceable by the Health and Safety Executive to whom all serious injuries occurring in playgrounds must be reported. The Department issued guidance to local authorities on safety in children's playgrounds in 1978. This guidance was consolidated in British Standard 5696 and a new British standard on playground safety is currently being drawn up. In addition, the National Playing Fields Association provides an independent advice service on playground safety for local authorities and other playground operators.

DEFENCE

  Skyguard Radar
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the trials of Skyguard radar equipment to monitor low-flying military aircraft movements.

  Mr. Freeman
  Field trials of the Skyguard radar system as an aid for monitoring low-flying military aircraft movements were carried out in July 1987, during Exercise OSEX 14, and March 1988, during Exercise Mallet Blow 88/1. Analysis of the results is still continuing.

  AWRE Aldermaston
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to improve the security arrangements at AWRE Aldermaston.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Yes. Improvements are planned to the boundary fence.

  Service Personnel (House Purchase)
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what incentives his Department offers to service men to purchase their own homes.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Ministry of Defence is very much aware of the desirability of encouraging service men to purchase their own homes, subject to the Services' operational needs. Details of the current arrangements are given in the pamphlet "Housing: a Guide to Servicemen and Servicewomen", a copy of which I have placed in the Library.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to discuss chemical weapons with the other Defence Ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  My right hon. Friend has regular meetings with his NATO colleagues to discuss a wide range of defence and security issues.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation about the Alliance's chemical warfare capability.
  143
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation about the Alliance's chemical warfare capacity.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  My right hon. Friend has regular discussions with his NATO colleagues concerning our common objective of the achievement of a comprehensive and verifiable global ban on chemical weapons. There are no chemical weapons declared to NATO.

  A90 Building
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest assessment of the degree of slippage in the programme for the A90 building at AWRE Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest assessment of the degree of slippage in the programme for the A90 building at AWRE Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As the Comptroller and Auditor General's report published last June stated, there has been slippage in the A90 building programme at AWRE Aldermaston and our assessment is that this building will now come into full operation in early 1992.

  Trident
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the Trident programme for every year since its inception.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The expenditure each year since beginning of the United Kingdom Trident programme is as follows:

  Financial Year

  Current (outturn) prices £ million

  1980–81

  3

  1981–82

  31

  1982–83

  71

  1983–84

  95

  1984–85

  165

  1985–86

  268

  1986–87

  377

  11987–88

  550

  1 The figure for 1987–88 is, at this stage, a forecast.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of the increase in the cost of the pressurised water reactor for the Trident submarine; and what are the implications for the total cost of the Trident project.

  Mr. Younger
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden).

  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the latest estimate of the cost of Trident in relation to the original estimate.

  Mr. Younger
  One representation, in the form of a letter from a member of the public, has been received since I announced the revised Trident estimate in January this year.

  Cruise Missiles
  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Ministers about the possible deployment of further sea-launched cruise missiles.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with other NATO Ministers about the possible deployment of further sea-launched cruise missiles.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has had any discussions with his European North Atlantic Treaty Organisation counterparts about the modernisation of battlefield nuclear weapons in central Europe.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 23 February 1988 at column 165.

  Defence Commitments
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next anticipates a major review of Britain's defence commitments.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  We have no plans for any review of our defence commitments beyond the annual appraisal made in connection with the public expenditure survey.

  Nuclear Submarines
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be in a position to announce his Department's plans for (i) decommission and (ii) disposal of obsolete nuclear submarines.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be in a position to announce his Department's plans for (i) decommission and (ii) disposal of obsolete nuclear submarines.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be in a position to announce his Department's plans for(a) decommissioning and (b) disposal of obsolete nuclear submarines.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is intended that all Royal Navy nuclear submarines will be defuelled at the end of their operational lives in the same way as Dreadnought has been. No decision has yet been taken on the method of disposal for defuelled nuclear submarines.

  West Germany (Low Flying)
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of low flights over the Federal Republic of Germany is accounted for by the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of low flights over the Federal Republic of Germany is accounted for by the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Freeman
  During 1987 the RAF flew approximately 16,000 low-level sorties over the Federal Republic of Germany. Other low-flying activity in the Federal Republic is a matter for their Government.

  Long-range Missiles
  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with progress on the Trigat programme in view of recent developments in armour capability.

  Mr. Younger
  Yes, I am pleased to announce that I have now signed the memorandum of understanding indicating formally United Kingdom participation with France and Germany in the collaborative full development of both medium and long range Trigat weapons. Contracts with industry for this development work are currently being finalised. Trigat will be developed to meet the threat in the mid-1990s and beyond.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit Cyprus.

  Mr. Younger
  I have no plans to do so at present. I visited the sovereign base areas in Cyprus in April last year.

  Anglo-French Co-operation
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a further statement about Anglo-French defence co-operation.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 22 March at column 114.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next plans to hold one of his regular meetings with his French counterpart to discuss defence matters of common interest.

  Mr. Younger
  I last met M. Giraud at the WEU meeting on 18–19 April when a wide range of matters of mutual interest was discussed. I have no immediate plans for a further meeting.

  Defence Contracts
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be in a position to assess the effectiveness of his Department's implementation of the recommendations contained in the report, "Learning from Experience", in relation to overspending on defence contracts.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be in a position to assess the effectiveness of his Department's implementation of the recommendations contained in the report, "Learning from Experience", in relation to overspending on defence contracts.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The report "Learning from Experience" acknowledged the many improvements that have already been made in procurement procedures in recent years. Implementation of recommendations from the report is under way and progress will be kept under continual review.

  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the initiative to publicise defence contract opportunities in France and the United States of America in order to encourage mutual purchases of equipment.
  146
  Mr. Sainsbury
  Discussions with the French have led to the publication of a French contracts bulletin similar to that in the UK. The US Government also publish their own contract opportunities, and local US requirements are publicised from time to time in the British contracts bulletin. In addition, Anglo-French equipment con-ferences are held to discuss forthcoming requirements.

  Listed Buildings
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the care and ultimate disposal of surplus listed buildings in the defence estate.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Property Services Agency is responsible, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, for the maintenance of the majority of historic listed buildings on the Defence Estate. It is its duty to ensure that such buildings are properly protected, even if surplus to requirements and awaiting disposal. The Ministry of Defence and Property Services Agency follow the Department of the Environment's guidelines which stipulate that disused historic buildings should continue to receive regular inspections and a normal standard of maintenance in order to keep the property fit for further use, or to maintain its disposal value. Such buildings can, however, create special problems and they may be difficult to sell. Despite this, every effort is made to keep them in a fit state and the MOD has recently established a historic military buildings committee, with expert outside representatives, to advise on ways in which such properties can best be preserved or disposed of in the most sympathetic manner.

  Frigates
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of current contracts to build frigates; and how many jobs are involved.

  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of current contracts to build frigates; and how many jobs are involved.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today.

  Firing Ranges
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many small arms and rifle ranges his Department has responsibility for in the United Kingdom; and how many of these are electronic.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Ministry of Defence is responsible for a total of 2,020 small arms and open ranges. Of these 45 are equipped with electric targets. In addition, a number of firing positions on field firing ranges are capable of accepting electric targets on a temporary basis when training requires.

  United States Forces
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals have been made for the deployment of additional United States strike aircraft in the United Kingdom.
  147
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals have been made for the deployment of additional United States strike aircraft in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The level and composition of United States forces based in the United Kingdom is the subject of regular exchanges between the British and United States Governments at both ministerial and official levels. Details of these exchanges are classified.

  Training Land
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the type, amount and geographical position of additional training land needed by his Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet on 22 March,Official Report, columns 110–11.

  Mr. Freeman
  The principal need is for land for "dry" training, that is training without the use of live ammunition. It is Ministry of Defence policy to seek to acquire such land in any suitable area but preferably where this will allow us to extend existing training areas if and when adjoining land becomes available for purchase.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the protection of the environment on lands owned or used by his Department.

  Mr. Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the protection of the environment on lands owned or used by his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Ministry of Defence regards conservation and the protection of the environment as integral parts of both the management and use of its estate. Since 1973 the Ministry has appointed a conservation officer to promote and co-ordinate conservation activity throughout the estate and most MOD establishments are covered by a conservation group which typically includes representatives of local communities, environmental bodies and conservation specialists. The Ministry works closely with the Nature Conservancy Council — particularly in relation to the 176 sites of special scientific interest on the estate — and has recently signed a joint declaration with the NCC on the approach to be adopted to conservation on defence land.

  AWACS
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest value of offset contracts created in relation to the AWACS contract with Boeing.

  Mr. Younger
  The value of contracts claimed by Boeing in its first report is in the region of $140 million. This report is currently being evaluated.

  Defence Resources
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards shifting defence resources from support areas to the front line; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Substantial progress has been made in transferring resources from the support area to the front line since we came into office in 1979. The Royal Navy has 148
  pared back its support area so that some 70 per cent. of its uniformed manpower is now devoted to the front line and personnel spend more time at sea; the army is saving some 4,000 posts in the support area to facilitate enhancement of the front line, including the formation of two new front line regiments with no addition to total manpower; since 1984 the RAF has released 1,700 posts from the support area in the fields of catering, aircraft servicing and supply. Civilian manpower in the Ministry of Defence has declined by some 40 per cent. since 1979. We shall continue to improve value for money in defence spending.

  Irish Defence Minister
  Sir John Biggs-Davison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Irish Defence Minister.

  Mr. Younger
  I have never met the Irish Minister for Defence.

  Aerosols
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to ban the use of aerosols within the buildings of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to ban the use of aerosols in his Department's buildings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are no such plans.

  Defence Establishments (Visits)
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy toward promoting visits by Members of Parliament to defence establishments at home and abroad.

  Mr. Freeman
  I welcome the interest which has been shown by hon. and right hon. Members in visiting defence establishments. Opportunities exist for hon. and right hon. Members to undertake such visits as part of all-party parliamentary groups, whose planned visits are periodic-ally drawn to their attention.

  Hon. and right hon. Members are also encouraged to visit defence establishments within their own constituency by prior arrangement with the armed forces units concerned.

  Tucano Jet Trainer
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made towards Controller Aircraft release of the Tucano jet trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  An initial controller aircraft release is expected to be issued very soon.

  Defence Expenditure
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the growth in expenditure on(a) conventional defence and (b) nuclear defence since May 1979.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Since 1978–79, in real terms about £21·5 billion more has been spent on defence (of which
  149
  about £2·5 billion has been on strategic nuclear defence) than would have been the case if expenditure had continued at the 1978–79 level. (Figures are cumulative to the end of 1987–88 and are at constant 1987–88 prices.)

  Reserve Forces
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department proposes to take to give greater national publicity to the role of the reserve forces.

  Mr. Freeman
  In addition to the regular cycle of recruiting compaigns which bring the role of the reserve forces to the attention of the public, this year will see a major innovation in the form of the publicity campaign recommended by the national employer liaison committee, the funding for which was recently announced in the House. The precise details of this campaign have yet to be finalised but its central theme will be the promotion of general public awareness of the reserve forces by means of stressing the advantages of membership to both the individual and employers and by clearly setting out the vital role occupied by these volunteer forces.

  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress made in expanding the volunteer reserves.

  Mr. Freeman
  Since 1979, when expansion measures were first set in hand by the Government, the combined strength of the volunteer reserves, not including the Ulster Defence regiment, has increased by about 32 per cent. to some 87,500. Since 1979 the strength of the TA has increased by some 15,900, with a further 3,200 for the Territorial Army's Home Service Force. During a similar period the combined strength of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve has risen by some 1,320, and the Royal Marines Reserve by about 520. Finally, since the decision to expand the Royal Naval Reserve in 1984 the strength of that reserve has risen by over 400.

  Trust Fund
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding the establishment of a trust fund to assist ex-members of the forces who cannot either sue for damages or receive ex-gratia payments in respect of injuries by the date on which such injuries occurred.

  Mr. Freeman
  A number of representations have been received from the right hon. Gentleman and others.

  Royal Dockyards
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the progress of commercial management of the royal dockyards.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the speech I made in the Navy debate on 3 March 1988.

  Franco-German Brigade
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications of the proposed new Franco-German brigade for Her Majesty's Government's150
  defence posture, with particular reference to the United Kingdom's contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications of the proposed new Franco-German brigade for Her Majesty's Government's defence posture, with particular reference to the United Kingdom's contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The formation of a joint brigade, as announced at the Franco-German summit on 22 January, has no foreseeable implications for United Kingdom defence policy or our contribution to NATO.

  Service Hospitals (NHS Patients)
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further steps his Department has taken to ensure that the maximum possible number of civilian National Health Service patients are admitted to service hospitals.

  Mr. Freeman
  My hon. Friend, is, I am sure, referring to the national financial arrangement between the MOD and DHSS which I announced in my answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough (Sir M. Shaw) on 30 March 1988 at column 465. The Ministry of Defence will continue to treat NHS patients up to a baseline, which broadly equates to the defence training requirement, as a charge to the defence votes. Any spare capacity above that baseline will be offered to health authorities, on a marginal cost basis, to relieve their waiting lists and maximise the number of NHS patients treated in service hospitals. The MOD and DHSS are actively developing a plan of implementation to ensure that the health authorities and general practitioners are aware of what facilities the service hospitals have to offer. Progress in implementing these new arrangements at local level will be monitored by both Departments.

  Warsaw Pact Defence Posture
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account recent and proposed NATO military exercises have taken of changes in Warsaw pact defence posture.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account recent and proposed NATO military exercises have taken of changes in Warsaw pact defence posture.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  NATO military exercises are planned with due regard to the currently perceived threat. Details of the scenarios are, however, classified.

  Lance Missile
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the time scale for deploying a follow-on to the Lance missile under the Montebello decision.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the time scale for deploying a follow-on to the Lance missile under the Montebello decision.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo).

  Montebello Agreement
  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the time scale for deploying new nuclear artillery shells under the Montebello decision.

  Mr. Younger
  The agreement at Montebello in 1983 did not include specific decisions on such matters. Detailed proposals for implementing the Montebello agreement were submitted to Ministers by SACEUR in 1985 and continue to be pursued with the individual nations concerned. The time scale for the introduction of new artillery rounds will vary in practice from country to country. The United States has, I understand, already deployed some improved artillery shells, designated W79, with its forces in the Federal Republic of Germany but no decisions on modernisation as it affects British forces have yet been taken.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the time scale for deploying new nuclear artillery shells under the Montebello decision.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Worsley (Mr. Lewis).

  SDI Programme
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his United States counterpart about the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his United States counterpart about the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his United States counterpart about the strategic defence initiative programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None recently, but there have been several ministerial and senior official contacts with the United States Department of Defence in recent months on various aspects of the SDI programme.

  NATO
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Younger
  I last met Lord Carrington at the meeting of the defence planning committee in December 1987, when a wide range of issues of mutual interest was discussed.

  Disarmament (Stockholm Conference)
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the working of the procedures agreed at the Stockholm conference on disarmament in Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Yes. The provisions of the Stockholm agreement for notification and observation of exercises have in general worked well. There were eight observable 152
  Warsaw Pact exercises in 1987 and there have been two to date in 1988; nine NATO exercises in 1987, of which two were United Kingdom exercises, and one so far this year; and Finland has just become the first neutral and non-aligned country to host observers. The United Kingdom sent observers to all the relevant exercises.

  The inspection procedures, which are designed to clarify any doubts about compliance with the provisions of the agreement and are a significant way of achieving greater confidence on all sides, have also been successfully implemented. Inspections have been carried out by the USSR on three NATO exercises; by the GDR on one NATO exercise; by the United States of America on three Warsaw Pact exercises;, and by the United Kingdom on two Warsaw Pact exercises. No evidence of noncompliance with the Stockholm agreement has been found.

  Defence Expenditure
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the proportion of quantifiable defence spending in Wales.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Defence expenditure is not accounted for on a regional basis. However, so far as procurement expenditure is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement to the hon. Member for Merionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 18 April at column 334.

  Departmental Facilities (Relocation)
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy on planning the relocation of Ministry of Defence facilities with regard to local levels of unemployment.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In considering proposals for relocation of defence work unemployment levels are among the factors taken into account and, of course, any move would have to be justifiable in both operational and economic terms.

  Deep Space Tracking Station
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which unit of the United States Air Force the proposed deep space tracking station at RAF Feltwell will be assigned; what is the estimated cost for the construction of this facility; what is the source of funding for this construction; what is the proposed date of commencement of construction; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The deep space satellite tracking facility which the USAF plan to construct at RAF Feltwell will be under the command of USAF Space Command. It is estimated that the construction of this facility will cost about US$ 17 million and this will be funded by the USAF. Subject to planning approvals it is hoped to begin construction work in the summer of this year.

  Air-to-Surface Missiles
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the time scale for deploying new tactical air-to-surface missiles under the Montebello decision.
  153
  Mr. Younger
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave today to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo).

  Mr. J. L. Imrie
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any financial assistance or advice has been given by his Department to Mr. J. L. Imrie, in respect of recent instructions given by Mr. Imrie to Kingsley Napley Solicitors.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None. Mr. lmrie's legal costs are being met by those who made allegations against him without the protection of parliamentary privilege.

  Low-flying Aircraft
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average duration of a fast jet low-level sortie over the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Freeman
  The average duration of a fast jet low-level sortie over the United Kingdom is approximately 42 minutes.

  Chemical and Biological Weapons
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any restrictions have been placed on the export of protection and decontamination equipment for use in response to chemical and biological weapons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  All protection and decontamination equipment for use in response to chemical and biological weapons is subject to export licence under group 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1987. Each of these exports is carefully considered on a case by case basis.

  Statement on the Defence Estimates
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988 will be published.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 25 April.

  Japanese Prisoners of War
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from bodies representing prisoners of war in Japan during the second world war; and if he will make a statement.
  154
  Mr. Freeman
  None, although we have recently received approaches on behalf of ex-prisoners of war held elsewhere in the far east.

  Professors and Lecturers (Pay and Expenses)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the rates of pay and expenses paid by the Army for lectures and other short courses of instruction by visiting professors and lecturers.

  Mr. Freeman
  The following rates of pay, effective from 1 March 1988, are paid by MOD to visiting civilian lecturers. The rates are set centrally by Her Majesty's Treasury and apply to all Government Departments.

  Part day session £

  Full day session £

  a. For academic lecturers

  Professor

  80–162

  160–216

  Senior lecturer

  63–117

  125–155

  Lecturer

  36–100

  71–133

  b. Status equivalent to:

  Professor

  85–208

  167–271

  Senior lecturer

  71–144

  157–198

  Lecturer

  37–119

  74–157

  Although minor incidental expenses are covered in the fee, more substantial expenses that are unavoidably incurred, notably travel or subsistence costs, may be reimbursed in addition to the fee.

  Hong Kong
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future division of defence costs between the Hong Kong and United Kingdom Governments.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Discussions are continuing between the British and Hong Kong Governments on the details of arrangements for sharing future defence costs in Hong Kong.

  Horseshoe Barracks, Shoeburyness
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the Horseshoe barracks at Shoeburyness; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 April on this matter, and I shall be meeting him shortly to discuss future plans for the site.

  PRISONERS' HOME LEAVE
  PRISONERS' HOME LEAVE
  DIABETES MELLITUS: PRESCRIPTION CHARGES
  DIABETES MELLITUS: PRESCRIPTION CHARGES
  BA/B.CAL MERGER
  BA/B.CAL MERGER