Written Answers of 27 April 1988

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Botswana
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what approaches he has made to, or received from, the Botswana Government in respect of the raid by South African security forces into Botswana on 28 March.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Following the raid, the Botswana high commissioner in London called on me.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the South African Government following the raid by South African security forces into Botswana on 28 March.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We issued a statement on 28 March condemning the raid. I asked the South African ambassador to call on 29 March and delivered our very strong protest. On 31 March the German ambassador in Cape Town gave a similar message to the South African Government on behalf of the 12 member states of the European Community.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom policy on the maintenance of stability in southern Africa of South Africa's policy towards Botswana.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have condemned South Africa's use of force in its relations with Botswana and its other neighbours. We shall continue to urge the South Africans to exercise restraint and to co-operate peacefully with their neighbours.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has made any representations to, or received representations from, the African National Congress with regard to the African National Congress's use of Botswana as a route into South Africa.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No. But we have made clear on many occasions our opposition to cross-border incursions from whatever quarter.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the African National Congress use of Botswana as a route into South Africa.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have repeatedly condemned cross-border incursions in either direction. Our opposition to the use of violence by the African National Congress is well known to it, as well as to others.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made 156
  of the implications for United Kingdom policy towards the maintenance of stability in southern Africa of the African National Congress's use of Botswana as a route into South Africa.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Cross-border incursions from whatever quarter threaten stability in the region.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he proposes to take to strengthen the United Kingdom's relationship with Botswana.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The United Kingdom already enjoys a close and cordial relationship with Botswana. We consult regularly about the situation in the region.

  Disarmament
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, during the recent meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Ministers and Heads of State, on 2 to 3 March, any consideration was given to the issues planned for discussion at the United Nations special session on disarmament, to be held in New York from 31 May to 25 June in terms of their relevance to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's collective security strategy and agreed disarmament goals.

  Mr. Mellor
  The UNSSD was not specifically discussed at the meeting of NATO Heads of Government in March, but the Alliance keeps its security and arms control objectives under constant consideration, and allies have discussed their approach to UNSSD at official level within NATO.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report, a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 25 April.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Foreign Affairs Council met in Luxembourg on 25 and 26 April. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was present on 25 April. I attended on 26 April.

  The Council further reviewed the implementation of the conclusions of the European Council in Brussels in February.

  Possible dates for the 1989 European Parliament elections were discussed, and the question was remitted for further consideration at the May Foreign Affairs Council.

  The Council discussed progress in the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations, and examined prospects for the negotiations during 1988. The Council also reviewed, and reached conclusions on, relations between the Community and Japan; a copy of the conclusions is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Commission proposals on guidelines for the EC's programme of aid to Asia and Latin America were discussed, and the presidency declared them adopted. The Council also met a European Parliament delegation to discuss the extension of the food aid framework regulation, which expires at the end of June: the presidency will pursue the matter further with the Parliament, and will report back to a future Council.

  Though over dinner there was a discussion of political issues with Turkish Ministers, the planned Association

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  Council with Turkey did not, to Her Majesty's Government's great regret, take place. We attach importance to building up the Community's relationship with Turkey on the basis of the association agreement: and hope that this temporary set back will soon be overcome.

  In the framework of European political co-operation, my right hon. and learned Friend raised the Kuwaiti Airlines hijacking and its aftermath, and put forward proposals for action to tighten international protection against hijacking. It was agreed that an expert group should meet soon to consider these proposals and other aspects of the hijacking.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Child Care
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, in the arrangements for disclosure of information about those seeking to work with children, any restriction will be placed on the type of information that the police will be allowed to pass on to employers about those seeking to work with children other than past convictions, cautions and bindovers; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether, in relation to the arrangements for the disclosure of information about those seeking to work with children, it will be permissible for the police to pass on to employers information concerning unproved allegations about those seeking to work with children which they consider relevant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Under the arrangements for the disclosure of information from police records to local authorities and other bodies, the police may disclose any relevant information which might give cause for concern about a candidate's suitability to work with children. Where this information does not agree with that disclosed by the candidate, the employing organisation must take the matter up with the individual before reaching a decision on whether to appoint the person to the post in question.

  Gaming
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received as to the rules and money limits for amusement with prizes in public houses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  None recently. The maximum amounts of the prizes which may be paid out for winning on amusement-with-prizes machines, in public houses as elsewhere, were increased on 1 January 1987. We have no current plan for any further change in the maxima, or for any amendment of the provision of the Gaming Act 1968 that premises licensed for the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises in which such machines are installed require a permit from the licensing Justices.

  Remand Centres and Open Prisons
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether applications are to be invited 158
  for the contracting of management of private urban remand centres and open prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler) on 15 April at column 258 about the fourth report of the Select Committee on Home Affairs on contract provision of prisons.

  New Prison (March)
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he anticipates the new prison at March, Cambridgeshire, will be completed; what will be its final cost; what will be the number and type of inmates it will take; what will be the number of full-time prison warder staff, and the number of ancillary staff required; what will be the estimated total wage bill for the prison for all employees; and what is the starting date for recruitment of staff.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The new category B prison at March — to be known as Her Majesty's prison, Whitemoor — is expected to open in mid-1991 at a forecast capital cost of £34·9 million at current prices. The prison is designed for 522 inmates. It is estimated that 225 prison officer class and 70 locally recruited ancillary staff will be required to man the establishment at a total estimated annual salary cost of about £5 million at projected 1991 prices. The prison will be manned by serving and newly appointed officers, who will start to be posted in about the six-months period before the arrival of the first inmates; account has already been taken in forward plans of the need for the additional staff.

  Firearms
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to how many cases of criminal or other misuse of semi-automatic rifles have been reported since the Hungerford tragedy in August 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is not available centrally. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 30 November 1987 at column 392. It is planned to publish in June 1988 the summary statistics for 1987 of offences recorded by the police in which firearms were used.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received seeking the introduction of a scheme to compensate owners of buy-in weapons that would become unsaleable by virtue of the Criminal Justice Bill[Lords].

  Mr. John Patten
  A few representations have raised the question of compensation. Decisions have not yet been reached on which weapons it will become an offence to manufacture, sell and import; simple possession will not become an offence.

  Petrol Stations (Alcohol Sales)
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those petrol
  159
  stations which are also licensed for the retail sale of alcoholic drinks are located in (a) urban areas and (b) rural areas.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Department has not had cause recently to seek detailed information about the location of licensed garages. Such information as is available relates to the number of garages — petrol stations with off-licences as at 30 June 1986 by petty sessional division. This is given in the table:

  Petty Sessional Divisions

  Number of garages and petrol stations licensed

  ENGLAND

  Berkshire

  West Berkshire

  1

  Maidenhead

  1

  Windsor

  1

  Total

  3

  Cheshire

  Crewe and Nantwich

  1

  Total

  1

  Cornwall

  Bodmin

  8

  East Pennith

  1

  Liskerrett

  1

  Penryn

  1

  Penwith

  3

  Pydar

  7

  South Powder

  1

  Truro and West Powder

  1

  Total

  23

  Cumbria

  Kendal

  1

  Maryport

  2

  Total

  3

  Derbyshire

  Chesterfield

  5

  Derby and South Derbyshire

  1

  Ilkeston

  1

  Total

  7

  Devon

  Barnstaple

  8

  Bideford and Great Torrington

  7

  Honiton

  1

  Kingsbridge

  2

  South Molton

  4

  Total

  22

  Dorset

  Shaftesbury

  1

  Total

  1

  Durham

  Darlington

  1

  Total

  1

  East Sussex

  Hastings

  3

  Battle and Rye

  1

  160

  Petty Sessional Divisions

  Number of garages and petrol stations licensed

  Bexhill

  1

  Crowborough

  1

  Hailsham

  1

  Total

  7

  Essex

  Colchester

  3

  Total

  3

  Gloucestershire

  Gloucester

  2

  Cheltenham

  1

  North Cotswold

  1

  Total

  4

  Hampshire

  Southampton

  1

  Basingstoke

  1

  Total

  2

  Hereford and Worcester

  Pershore

  1

  Ross

  1

  Total

  2

  Hertfordshire

  Dacorum

  5

  Total

  5

  Humberside

  Epworth and Goole

  1

  Holme Beacon

  1

  Total

  2

  Kent

  Ashford and Tenterden

  1

  Maidstone

  2

  Total

  3

  Lancashire

  Burnley

  1

  Chorley

  I

  Wyre

  1

  Total

  3

  Leicestershire

  Market Harborough

  1

  Rutland

  1

  Total

  2

  Lincolnshire

  East Elloe

  1

  Spilsby and Skegness

  2

  West Elloe

  1

  Total

  4

  Merseyside

  South Sefton

  1

  Total

  1

  Norfolk

  Cromer

  2

  161

  Petty Sessional Divisions

  Number of garages and petrol stations licensed

  Downham Market

  1

  Fakenham

  2

  Great Yarmouth

  2

  Hunstanton

  2

  Kings Lynn

  3

  Total

  12

  Northumberland

  Hexham

  1

  Wansbeck

  1

  Total

  2

  North Yorkshire

  Claro

  3

  Ryedale

  1

  Staincliffe

  2

  Total

  6

  Oxfordshire

  Oxford City

  2

  Moreton and Wallingford

  1

  North Oxfordshire and Chipping Norton

  1

  Total

  4

  Shropshire

  Ludlow

  2

  Oswestry

  1

  Shrewsbury

  2

  Total

  5

  Somerset

  Ilminster

  1

  Sedgemoor

  1

  Total

  2

  South Yorkshire

  Rotherham

  1

  Total

  1

  Suffolk

  Bury St. Edmunds

  1

  Total

  1

  Surrey

  Farnham

  2

  Staines and Sunbury

  2

  Total

  4

  Tyne and Wear

  Newcastle Upon Tyne

  2

  Total

  2

  Warwickshire

  Kineton

  1

  Warwick

  1

  Total

  2

  West Midlands

  Stourbridge

  1

  Total

  1

  162

  Petty Sessional Divisions

  Number of garages and petrol stations licensed

  West Yorkshire

  Bradford

  2

  Wakefield

  2

  Total

  4

  Wiltshire

  Bradford on Avon

  1

  Trowbridge

  1

  Whorwellsdown

  1

  Total

  3

  Total England

  148

  WALES

  Clwyd

  Colwyn

  3

  Dyffryn Clwyd

  1

  Total

  4

  Dyfed

  Amman Valley

  3

  Carmarthen

  1

  Cemaes

  1

  Dewsland and Haverford West

  5

  Fishguard

  2

  Gogledd Ceredigon

  3

  Llanelli

  2

  Milford Haven

  1

  Narbeth

  3

  Newcastle Emlyn

  1

  Pembroke

  4

  Pencader

  1

  Tenby

  3

  Whitland

  2

  Total

  32

  Gwent

  Bedwelty

  1

  Newport

  1

  Total

  2

  Total Wales

  38

  Total England and Wales

  186

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has concerning the percentage of total profit generated on average by the retail sales of alcoholic drinks by those petrol stations which are also licensed for such sales;

  (2) whether he has any information concerning the percentage of customers using the shops at those petrol stations licensed for the retail sale of alcohol who also buy petrol.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no such information.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the provision in the Licensing Bill which would remove the licence for the retail sale of alcohol from petrol stations in rural areas which hold such licences.
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  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since the clause relating to garages was added to the Licensing Bill, seven letters have been received of which all but one have opposed the amendment.

  Weapons
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give the number and location of publicly owned collections of edged, pointed, concussive and other weapons;

  (2) what studies his Department has conducted into the effect of provisions of the Criminal Justice Bill [Lords] regarding edged, pointed, concussive and other weapons on auction houses auctioning weapons which are antique or collectors' items;

  (3) if his Department had made any estimate of the number of registered traders dealing in edged, pointed, concussive and other weapons which are either antique or regarded as works of artistic or technical merit.

  Mr. John Patten
  Our consultations with outside interests on a first draft list of weapons which it will become an offence under the Criminal Justice Bill to manufacture, sell and import have prompted helpful responses from museums, auctioneers, dealers and others on the possible consequences of the proposals for them. These will assist us in reaching decisions on the final composition of the list.

  Anabolic Steroids
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report and recommendations of the advisory committee considering whether anabolic steroids should be made controlled drugs.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will consider this question when it meets on 12 May. We expect to receive its recommendations shortly thereafter.

PRIME MINISTER

  Sterling
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to seek to improve co-ordination between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and other interested Ministers in relation to Government policy on the level of sterling; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  There are no plans for change.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the allocation of ministerial responsibility for the management of the sterling exchange rate.

  The Prime Minister
  Economic policy is that of the Government. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is the lead Minister.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  County Courts
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list in the Official Report the general public statutes and law reports made available to county court judges.
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  The Attorney-General
  On appointment, all circuit judges are invited to select one of the following to be provided for their personal use: "All England Law Reports", "Weekly Law Reports", "Criminal Appeal Reports", "Family Law Reports". Copies of public general Acts are supplied to judges on request.

  "Halsbury's Laws of England" and "Halsbury's Statutes" are available to principal county courts, together with the "All England Law Reports", the "Weekly Law Reports" and the "Law Reports". Either the "All England Law Reports" or the "Weekly Law Reports" are available to smaller county courts provided that sittings are sufficiently frequent.

ENVIRONMENT

  Canary Wharf
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many buildings Canary wharf will consist of; and how many square feet of space each will have:

  (2) what are the heights proposed for the major buildings envisaged at Canary wharf.

  Mr. Trippier
  There will be about 26 buildings of varying sizes totalling 12·2 million sq ft. The main tower will be about 800 ft high and the approved height of the other two towers is up to 690 ft.

  London Docklands
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what percentage of the new jobs in docklands has gone to residents in the three docklands boroughs since 1981;

  (2) what percentage of employment in docklands is in firms which were in existence before 1981.

  Mr. Trippier
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of employment in docklands is female.

  Mr. Trippier
  About 32 per cent.

  London Docklands Development Corporation
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many jobs there are in the offices of the London Docklands development corporation.

  Mr. Trippier
  About 281 — including permanent officers, fixed-term contract staff and consultancy and agency appointees.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the houses built on land taken by the London Docklands development corporation from borough councils or the Greater London council is public housing for rent.

  Mr. Trippier
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  St. Katharine's Dock
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many jobs there are at St. Katharine's Dock.

  Mr. Trippier
  About 2,600.

  Water Byelaws
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the date for the implementation of the proposals first published in March 1983, under the title "Report of the Standing Technical Committee on Water Regulations on its proposals for a New Model Water Byelaws", subsequently confirmed as the model in June 1986.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I shall make an announcement as soon as I have given full consideration to representations received following public advertisement last year of the new byelaws made by water undertakers.

  Thorpe Hall, Peterborough
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total cost to date of building the dry stone wall around Thorpe hall in Peterborough; and what is his estimate of the final total cost of the project.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The building of the dry stone wall around Thorpe hall, Peterborough is funded by the city council as part of its community programme, with the Manpower Services Commission. No grant aid for the wall has been given by English Heritage or by the Department. Inquiries on the cost of the project should therefore be made to Peterborough city council.

  Wychwood Forest
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received the order made by Oxfordshire county council to create a public footpath through Wychwood forest; when he expects a public inquiry to be held to consider the objections; and when he expects the decision on the order to be issued.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Secretary of State for the Environment received the order on 2 June 1987. Subject to confirmation by Oxfordshire county council the inquiry will be held on 19 July. A decision will then be issued as soon as possible.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals his Department has for advertising in connection with the introduction of the community charge; and what will be the estimated cost of such advertising.

  Mr. Howard
  My right hon. Friend has as yet made no decisions on the public's need for information in relation to new rights and duties when the Local Government Finance Bill receives Royal Assent.

  Supply Estimates (Hostels)
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will define the term hostel as used in class IX, vote 1, A2.1(b) of the Supply Estimates.

  Mrs. Roe
  [holding answer 26 April 1988]: The term "Hostels" as used in connection with expenditure under class IX, vote 1, A2.1(b) is defined in section 106(i) of the Housing Associations Act 1985. Grant is paid under section 55 of that Act to hostels managed by housing associations registered with the Housing Corporation.

  Homeless Housing Units
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many councils are the subject of special investigation into possible overspending by homeless housing units; and what proposals he has for preventing overspending by those providing bed and breakfast accommodation for local authorities.

  Mrs. Roe
  [holding answer 26 April 1988]: Such investigations are the responsibility of local auditors and the Audit Commission.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Botswana
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he has taken, or proposes to take, to assist the Botswana Government to strengthen their national economy and decrease their dependence on the South African economy.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  All our bilateral aid to Botswana aims to strengthen the national economy. In addition we support the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference, of which Botswana is a member.

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

  Mr. Chris Patten
  United Kingdom bilateral aid and the estimated British share of Commonwealth and European Community aid to Botswana since 1983 have been as follows:

  £'000s

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  United Kingdom bilateral aid (1)

  13,289

  15,975

  8,775

  12,805

  Estimated United Kingdom share of European Community aid

  330

  1,180

  500

  1,120

  Estimated United Kingdom share of Commonwealth aid (2)

  108

  83

  113

  147

  Figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  (1) These figures include expenditure by the Commonwealth Development Corporation of:

  3,332

  6,570

  2,700

  6,027

  (2) Figures cover the period July-June.

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

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The British bilateral aid programme to Botswana is currently funding with grants a range of technical co-operation activities including the provision of expert personnel, training for Botswana in the United
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  Kingdom and consultancies. We expect to spend about £5·5 million in 1988–89. This is a Government-to-Government programme.

  The Commonwealth fund for technical co-operation is currently funding with grants estimated at £490,000 a number of projects in Botswana involving the provision of experts.

  Projects in Botswana currently being financed by the European Community from the fifth and sixth European development funds as part of the Lome conventions are as follows:

  Total cost of project (£ million)

  Grant Funding

  Sheep and goat development (phase 2)

  1·12

  Services to livestock owners (phase 2)

  1·80

  Francistown rural training centre

  0·87

  Wildlife, tourism and environment

  1·47

  Airborne geophysical survey

  1·38

  Trade promotion

  0·77

  Conservation Kalahari ecosystem

  1·40

  Manpower development programme

  3·08

  Kasane airport

  4·19

  Special loan funding

  National development bank

  0·56

  Services to livestock owners

  1·07

  Pacapye water supply

  1·31

  European Investment Bank Risk Capital

  Risk capital

  Francistown abattoir

  1·40

  Botswana Development Corporation

  2·10

  The United Kingdom share of the EDF grants, special loans and risk capital projects totalling £22·52 million is £3·7 million.

  International Children's Emergency Fund
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a table showing per capita contributions to United Nations international children's emergency fund, for the latest year for which figures are available, for each member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, in ranked order.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Preliminary 1987 contributions per capita (including both general fund and special appeals) are as follows:

  Rank

  Donor

  $/head

  1

  Sweden

  9·41

  2

  Norway

  9·39

  3

  Finland

  4·64

  4

  Switzerland

  2·63

  5

  Denmark

  2·26

  6

  Canada

  1·31

  7

  Netherlands

  1·15

  8

  Italy

  1·12

  9

  New Zealand

  0·39

  10

  United Kingdom

  0·34

  11

  Australia

  0·26

  12

  United States of America

  0·25

  13

  Germany

  0·20

  14

  Austria

  0·17

  15

  Belgium

  0·17

  16

  Japan

  0·16

  17

  Luxembourg

  0·14

  18

  Ireland

  0·13

  19

  France

  0·11

  20

  Iceland

  0·09

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  Rank

  Donor

  $/head

  21

  Spain

  0·02

  22

  Greece

  0·02

  23

  Portugal

  Negligible

  24

  Turkey

  Negligible

  Note: Population figures for 1986 have been used as 1987 figures are not yet available.

  International Organisations (Government Contributions)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing in constant 1987 pounds sterling contributions by Her Majesty's Government for each year since 1974 to the United Nations international children's emergency fund the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The information is as follows:

  UNICEF £ million1

  UNESCO £ million1

  WHO £ million1

  1974

  5·0

  na

  29·6

  1975

  10·7

  26·0

  29·1

  1976

  6·0

  26·6

  212·6

  1977

  7·6

  26·7

  212·2

  1978

  13·5

  5·1

  213·7

  1979

  313·3

  5·4

  11·0

  1980

  7·5

  4·3

  12·4

  1981

  10·0

  5·9

  7·9

  1982

  7·5

  6·3

  8·8

  1983

  7·3

  6·9

  10·2

  1984

  6·9

  0·4

  11·4

  1985

  9·1

  6·8

  12·5

  1986

  8·7

  —

  12·0

  19874

  13·6

  —

  10·9

  1 Constant (1987) prices.

  2 Partly estimated.

  3 Special increase to mark international Year of the Child.

  4 Figures for 1987 are provisional.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government expect to achieve the United Nations' target of 0·7 per cent. of gross national product for overseas aid.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Like previous Administrations, the Government have not set a date for achieving the 0·7 per cent. target. Progress towards the target depends on developments in the economy and other claims on resources. We have a substantial aid programme and one that is now growing in real terms.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Teachers' Pay
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the percentage increase in teachers' pay for each year since 1974.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The pay increases received by teachers in England and Wales from 1 April 1974 to 1 April 1986 are listed in chapter 3 of the Government's consultative document, "Teachers' Pay and Conditions" Cmnd. 238, copies of which are in the Library. In 1987 teachers in
  169
  England and Wales received a pay increase of 16·4 per cent. in two equal instalments from 1 January and 1 October 1987.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Furs
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will state the principal countries of origin of the lynx furs offered for sale annually in the United Kingdom as finished garments; and if he will estimate for each country the number of garments involved;

  (2) if he will state the principal countries of origin of the red fox furs offered for sale annually in the United Kingdom as finished garments; and if he will estimate for each country the number of garments involved.

  Mr. Atkins
  The items referred to are not identified separately in the Overseas Trade Statistics.

  Prosecutions initiated

  Number not proceeded with1

  Number heard at court

  Convictions

  Convictions as a percentage of numbers heard at court

  Accounts

  Annual returns

  Accounts

  Annual returns

  Accounts

  Annual returns

  Accounts

  Annual returns

  Accounts

  Annual returns

  1978

  818

  2,245

  187

  475

  392

  1,254

  392

  1,251

  100·0

  99·8

  1979

  3,103

  1,933

  951

  610

  1,381

  826

  1,375

  820

  99·6

  99·3

  1980

  2,290

  1,430

  506

  378

  1,742

  1,036

  1,720

  1,028

  98·7

  99·2

  1981

  1,952

  1,270

  381

  247

  1,470

  957

  1,433

  948

  97·5

  99·1

  1982

  1,886

  1,442

  424

  321

  1,478

  1,126

  1,472

  1,123

  99·6

  99·7

  1983

  1,920

  1,494

  528

  460

  1,203

  861

  1,188

  848

  98·8

  98·5

  1984

  2,928

  2,190

  1,006

  827

  1,536

  1,091

  1,530

  1,087

  99·6

  99·6

  1985

  4,409

  3,109

  1,549

  1,049

  2,462

  1,736

  2,449

  1,732

  99·5

  99·8

  1986

  5,160

  3,359

  2,074

  1,540

  2,672

  1,728

  2,654

  1,715

  99·3

  99·2

  1986–87

  5,454

  3,503

  2,141

  1,518

  2,749

  1,672

  2,728

  1,661

  99·2

  99·3

  1987–88

  5,339

  2,868

  2,017

  1,233

  2,932

  1,462

  2,908

  1,448

  99·2

  99·0

  1 Includes cases where summonses could not be served or were withdrawn but excludes those adjourned "sine die" which are not shown in the table.

  Safety of Goods
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consultative procedures are followed when taking action under section 11(5) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987; and if he will publish any guidelines on how businesses likely to be affected by proposed regulations are consulted.

  Mr. Butcher
  About 80 organisations are consulted on safety regulations covering consumer products. These include chambers of commerce, the associations representing wholesalers, retailers, importers, manufacturers, independent businesses and mail order houses as well as local authorities, enforcement bodies, consumer groups, the British Standards Institution and the Health and Safety Commission. Copies of draft regulations are deposited in the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries. To this general list are added trade associations and other organisations representing those directly concerned with the particular regulations. I am confident that all reasonable steps are taken to consult all those with an interest and I do not consider it necessary to issue any further guidelines.

  Hairdressing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what other European Community members have statutory controls on the hairdressing industry; and what are the natures of such controls in each country.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.

  Accounts (Prosecutions)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of prosecutions for failure to file(a) accounts and (b) annual returns have been successful in each year since 1978.

  Mr. Maude
  Following is the information.

  Voluntary Restraint Agreements
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps are taken by his Department to monitor the burden on business of voluntary agreements.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Voluntary restraint arrangements do not impose any special administrative or legal burdens on United Kingdom business but have an economic impact. In looking at the net effect of such arrangements on the United Kingdom economy as a whole, my Department examines the effect on the industry concerned as well as that on industrial and other users.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Darlington on 30 March,Official Report, column 478, he will list the nature of each voluntary restraint agreement to which he refers.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  As indicated in my written answer of 30 March, at column 478–79, the majority of the voluntary restraint agreements are negotiated between the United Kingdom industry and its counterpart overseas. The agreements negotiated by the European Commission on steel and textiles (and those with Japan which were brought to an end in 1985) were entered into on behalf of

  171
  the Community as a whole. The Commission does negotiate restraints on footwear with certain eastern European countries on behalf of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what extent the United Kingdom has been party to discussions on inter-industry voluntary restraint agreements within the framework of the general agreement on tariffs and trade round negotiations; and what conclusions have been reached.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Community was party to the agreement reached by Ministers of the contracting parties to the general agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) in September 1986 that all trade restrictive or distorting measures inconsistent with GATT should be phased out or brought into conformity with GATT by the date of the formal completion of the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations. There have been no substantive discussions to date on the relationship to GATT of industry-to-industry voluntary restraint agreements.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will list those restraint agreements on steel applicable to the United Kingdom, giving the date of commencement and extent of each such agreement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  As part of the Community's external regime on steel, the European Commission negotiates restraint arrangements on behalf of all member states of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). There are currently agreements with the following major suppliers.

  Country

  Year commenced

  Austria

  1978

  Finland

  1978

  Norway

  1978

  Sweden

  1978

  Bulgaria

  1979

  Czechoslovakia

  1978

  Hungary

  1978

  Poland

  1978

  Romania

  1978

  Brazil

  11979

  21985

  Republic of Korea

  1978

  Venezuela

  1987

  1 pig iron only

  2 other steel product

  These agreements apply to EEC products only. They are negotiated annually, commencing 1 January.

  In addition, there is an inter-industry agreement on special steels from Spain, which we understand is negotiated on an annual basis during the period of Spanish transition to full Community obligations.

  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will take steps to restrain imports of flexible manufacturing systems from Japan and Taiwan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  No. There is an inter-industry restraint arrangements on machining centres and numerically controlled lathes from Japan.

  BSC (Advertising)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what information he has on the sums paid by the British Steel Corporation to advertising agencies since 11 June 1987;

  (2) what information he has on the expenditure incurred by the British Steel Corporation on television advertising in the period from 11 June 1987 until the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Atkins
  None. All recent advertising by the British Steel Corporation has been at BSC's own initiative and expense.

  Intellectual Property
  Mr. Jim Lester
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he intends to consult the World Intellectual Property Organisation about the general compatibility of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Bill[Lords] with the requirements of the Berne convention; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what consultations there have been between his Department and the World Intellectual Property Organisation about the compatibility of clauses 115 to 119 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Bill [Lords] as regards the jurisdiction of the proposed Copyright Tribunal over licences to perform a literary, dramatic or musical, work in public, with the provisions of article II, as limited by the United Kingdom's 1948 Brussels declaration, and article II ter of the Berne convention (Paris Act): and if he will make a statment;

  (3) what consultations there have been between his Department and the World Intellectual Property Organisation, about the compatibility of clause 65(3) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Bill [Lords] with paragraph 3 of article II bis of the Berne convention (Paris Act) as regards the exemption for ephemeral recordings made by a broadcasting organisation by means of it own facilities and used for its own broadcasts; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) what consultations there have been between his Department and the World Intellectual Property Organisation about the compatibility of clause 69(1) of the Copyright Designs and Patents Bill (Lords) under which the inclusion of certain works in a cable programme service would not be an infringement of the copyright in those works, with the provisions of article II bis of the Berne convention (Paris Act); and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  My Department has not formally consulted the World Intellectual Property Organisation on the general provisions of the Bill, or on any particular clause, since the functions of the organisation do not include judging the compatibility of national legislation with the requirements of the Berne convention. We have, however, kept the organisation fully informed of the progress and contents of the Bill.

  Mr. Ivan Boesky
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any information about takeovers, other than the Guinness takeover of Distillers, in which Mr. Ivan Boesky has been involved in a professional or personal capacity; and if he will make a statement.
  173
  Mr. Maude
  It is not our practice to reveal such information.

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many alleged insider dealing cases are presently under investigation by his Department.

  Mr. Maude
  Fifteen cases of possible contraventions of the insider dealing legislation are presently being investigated, all of them by inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State.

  Rolls-Royce
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what additional expenditure is expected in 1988–89 in connection with the sale of shares in Rolls-Royce.

  Mr. Atkins
  Residual expenditure is expected in 1988–89, mainly due to a delay in the payment of stamp duty to the Inland Revenue. Parliamentary approval for this expenditure will be sought in a Supply Estimate of class V, vote 9. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £2,500,000 will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

  Public Purchasing
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much purchasing by Government and other public bodies is accounted for in the United Kingdom's gross domestic product; what estimates he has of the amount of public purchasing contracts by Government and other public sector bodies awarded to United Kingdom firms; and what estimates he has of comparable figures for other European Community countries.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Based on national accounts data, United Kingdom public sector final expenditure on goods and services (but excluding wages and salaries) and fixed assets in 1987 accounted for about one eighth of gross domestic product at market prices. Comparative information for European Community countries, which is on a slightly different basis and limited to general Government (that is, central and local government), is set out in the table.

  United Kingdom firms account for about 98 per cent. of the value of United Kingdom Government contract advertised and awarded under European Community/ GATT rules, with about 94 per cent. of goods and services supplied being of United Kingdom origin. Comparable figures are not readily available for other public bodies in the United Kingdom or public sectors in other European Community countries.

  General Government final expenditure as percentage of gross domestic product

  per cent.

  Year

  United Kingdom

  10·2

  1984

  Belgium

  6·6

  1984

  Denmark

  9·5

  1984

  France

  7·3

  1984

  Germany

  11·6

  1984

  Greece

  n/a

  174

  per cent.

  Year

  Ireland

  11·3

  1983

  Italy

  9·4

  1984

  Luxembourg

  15·4

  1982

  Netherlands

  7·8

  1984

  Portugal

  7·5

  1981

  Spain

  5·4

  1982

  Notes:

  1. Gross domestic product is at market prices.

  2. With the exception of Germany, for which OECD data have been used, figures are derived from the latest EUROSTAT publication, with the year to which they relate indicated.

  3. Figures for certain current receipts and sales of fixed assets are netted off in the published expenditure figures.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Polyester Fabrics
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services why polyester fabrics enclosing flame-retardant polyester are still approved for use by his Department.

  Mrs. Currie
  Only the flame retardant (FR) forms of polyester fabric or treated cotton are recommended for use as primary and secondary covers enclosing FR polyester in-fill for continental quilts used in the NHS. All supplies under national contract comply with these requirements.

  Leaflets FB22
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services pursuant to his answer of 25 January,Official Report, column 89, what steps he has taken to ensure the availability of leaflet FB22 in all those local offices where claimants from the ethnic minorities affected use the services of the local office; and if he has any plans to produce the leaflet in addition in Greek and Turkish.

  Mr. Portillo
  Social security series FB22 is a group of six minority language leaflets giving the same general overview of benefits as the English-language leaflet FB2 "Which benefit?" There are plans to produce a new set of translations later this year in seven languages: Urdu, Hindi, Gujerati, Bengali, Punjabi, Chinese and Turkish. Translations into other languages, including Greek, are being considered.

  All the FB22 series leaflets will be available from social security offices and copies will be sent out to local and national ethnic minority organisations, and to welfare and advice organisations. Posters advertising the leaflets will also be produced in minority languages. They will be displayed in social security offices and will be available to organisations that request them.

  Nursing in London Study
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will publish the "Nursing in London" study.

  Mr. Newton
  Copies have been sent to the Health Service and placed in the Library today.

  Free School Meals
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received seeking amendment of section 77 of the Social Security Act
  175
  1986 to enable local authorities to receive directly the £2·20 included in the family credit to compensate for the loss of free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Representations have been received from one local authority. Paying the £2·55 directly to local authorities would be inconsistent with the Government's policy of providing benefits to working families wherever possible in the form of cash rather than kind. There would in any case be significant practical difficulties.

  Maternity Payments
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report figures showing the number of maternity payments made in 1987–88 to women in receipt of (a) supplementary benefit and (b) family income supplement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The number of social fund maternity payments made during the period 6 April 1987 to 8 April 1988 was as follows:

  Number

  To people receiving supplementary benefit

  178,509

  To people receiving family income supplement

  9,896

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the additional cost in the first year of operation of raising the proposed cut-off for housing benefit from £6,000 of capital to £10,000.

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

  Youth Training Scheme
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what provisions exist for payment of benefit to a young person, living away from home, awaiting a place on a YTS course; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I assume that the hon. Member refers to under 18-year-olds who, from September, will not be entitled to income support except in prescribed circumstances. The Government intend that young people under 18 who have applied for a youth training scheme and have good reason for being away from home, or have no parental home, will be entitled to income support, subject to the normal rules, during the child benefit extension period. This is the additional period (16 weeks for summer school leavers, and 12 weeks for others) during which their parents would be entitled to claim child benefit for them if they were at home. Regulations have not yet been laid, but our intention is that those with good reason for living away from home will include young people who have recently been in local authority care, those at risk of physical or sexual abuse if they remain at home, those under the guidance of the prison or probation service or a social services department who have been advised to live away from home and those whose parent or guardian is unable to support them because, for example, he or she is in prison.
  176
  The Government have guaranteed that every young person who wants a youth training scheme place will be offered one before the end of the extension period.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, whether acceptance of a place on a YTS course leads to eligibility for income support for a young unemployed person living away from home; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government intend that someone under 18 who is receiving a youth training scheme training allowance will be able to receive income support to supplement his training allowance if it is insufficient, by income support standards, to meet his living expenses, for example because he is in accommodation on a "board and lodging" basis. We plan to lay regulations later this summer to prescribe the circumstances in which someone under 18 will have title to income support.

  Retirement Age
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has on the retirement ages of men and women in each of the countries of the EEC.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to the Department's publication, "Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the European Communities (Position at 1 January 1987)", a copy of which is in the Library. Section IV contains information concerning retirement ages for men and women in each of the EC member states.

  Waiting Lists
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients were waiting for in-patient treatment on 31 September 1987.

  Mr. Newton
  The figures for the end of September 1987 show that, on a comparable basis with previous waiting list statistics, the in-patient waiting list was 662,000. This is 4 per cent. less than the March 1987 figure of 687,000, and 3 per cent. less than the September 1986 figure of 681,900.

  As a result of changes resulting from the introduction of the new Korner NHS information system from April 1987, additional information is also available, for example on the number of patients with a booked date of admission, the number of patients who have put off the date of their operation, the number of patients admitted to hospital from the list, and the number of patients awaiting treatment as day cases.

  A statistical bulletin describing this information more fully has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Mrs. L. Scotson
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will urgently review the benefit entitlement of Mrs. L. Scotson of 2, Marshgreen cottages, Hartfield, East Sussex.

  Mr. Scott
  I wrote to the hon. Member about this case on 19 April.

  Tranquillisers
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many requests for funding have been
  177
  received from organisations supporting those addicted to tranquillisers; how many have been given assistance; and how many have been refused and for what reason.

  Mrs. Currie
  Six organisations offering support specifically to those dependent on tranquillisers have applied for central Government funding since 1984. Four of these have received grants. The two remaining applications are still under consideration.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to provide any funding for the Council for Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction in Merseyside.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have already provided funding for several organisations on Merseyside experienced in the field of tranquilliser addiction including the following:

  Name

  Total funding £

  Mainstream (Warrington)

  81,534

  Merseyside Drugs Council (St. Helens)

  70,893

  Merseyside Drugs Council (Wirral)

  61,563

  These are all supported by the local statutory authorities. Mersey region has been allocated a total of £2,177,756 under the central drugs initiative. No request for funding has been received by the Council for Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction, which I understand is a locally based pressure group.

  Departmental Offices
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of his Department's offices where partitions have been strengthened in sections where the public have access over the past six months.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 18 April at column 344.

  HIV Testing
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the light of research undertaken on surgical glove punctures at Leicester general hospital, he will introduce routine pre-operative HIV testing for patients and regular screening for surgeons.

  Mr. Newton
  The health care workers sub-group of the expert advisory group on AIDS intends to review its "Guidance for Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Dentists and their Teams for Dealing with Patients Infected with HTLV III", issued in 1986, and will take into account any relevant evidence. Meanwhile, as my hon. Friend is aware, the expert advisory group's report "AIDS: HIV Infected Health Care Workers", published last month, concluded that the risk of the virus being transmitted in a health care setting is extremely low, and stressed that no case of a patient being infected by a health care worker has been reported anywhere in the world.

  National Childbirth Trust
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services on what date in 1987 an application was received from the National Childbirth Trust for a three-year grant commencing on 1 October 1987; for what 178
  amount the application was made; what previous grants have been made to this group; and when he expects a final decision on the current application to be made.

  Mrs. Currie
  An initial application from the National Childbirth Trust for section 64 funding for a further three years was received early in April 1987. The relevant financial information was not received until September 1987.

  The request was for:

  £58,000 for 1987–88

  £62,000 for 1988–89

  £65,000 for 1989–90

  or alternatively a sum of £62,000 for each of the three years 1987–88 to 1989–90 inclusive.

  Previous grants to the Trust were:—

  £2,500 for 1977–78

  £10,000 for 1978–79

  £10,000 for 1979–80

  £11,250 for 1980–81

  £15,000 for 1981–82

  £15,000 for 1982–83

  £15,000 for 1983–84

  £55,000 for 1984–85

  £58,000 for 1985–86

  £42,000 for 1986–87

  £31,000 for 1987–88

  We expect to respond shortly.

  Occupational Pension Schemes
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to make regulations extending the powers of the occupational pensions board to modify the rules of occupational pension schemes to enable them to reduce surplus funds in accordance with schedule 22 to the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.

  Mr. Scott
  My right hon. Friend has intended making regulations under section 64(1 A) of the Social Security Act 1973 to enable the Occupational Pensions Board to authorise modification of the rules of occupational pension schemes to enable them to reduce any surplus in scheme funds in any of the ways specified in schedule 22 to the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. The board, to which draft regulations giving effect to this proposal were referred, has received legal advice that regulations made under section 64(1A) could not work in the way intended. I have decided, therefore, to withdraw the draft regulations and to await the report of the board on the matters which I have referred to it today, before proceeding further.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will invite the occupational pensions board to consider whether further measures are needed to safeguard the interests of members of occupational pension schemes, the role of trustees of such schemes and associated issues.

  Mr. Scott
  I have today asked the occupational pensions board to consider and report to my right hon. Friend on the following issues:

  (i) the balance to be struck between employers' legitimate interests and those of members of occupational pension schemes;

  (ii) the involvement of pension schemes in company mergers and takeovers;

  (iii) the extent to which decisions of the trustees of occupational pensions schemes should be unanimous and the circumstances in which one or more trustees may act on their own;

  (iv) the need for independent trustees of pension

  179
  schemes;

  (v) whether restrictions should be placed on investments by pension funds in companies to which they relate; and

  (vi) any other measures to safeguard the rights of members.

  My right hon. Friend has asked to receive the board's report before the end of the year.

  Benefits
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest available figures for the proportion of families with children dependent on supplementary benefit who received one or more single payments, broken down into two and one-parent families.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 20 April 1988]: The latest available figures are as follows:

  Percentage receiving single payments

  Per cent.

  One-parent families

  12·7

  Two-parent families

  23·7

  Total: all families with children

  36·4

  The information relates to single payments made in the twelve months preceding the February 1986 annual statistical inquiry to claimants in receipt of benefit at the time of the inquiry. As a result, it does not record all the single payments made in the year.

  Ambulances (Emergency Calls)
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Avon ambulance authority met the ORCON standard for emergency calls in 1986.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: In 1986–87 the Avon ambulance authority exceeded the ORCON standards for emergency calls. This information is contained in the latest package of Health Service indicators which is in the Library.

  Private Ambulances
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to involve health authorities in the standards achieved by private ambulances along the lines of the regulations applied to private nursing homes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: Private ambulance companies are free to operate subject to the provision of common law and traffic legislation. We have no current plans to introduce further legislation, but the Department is keeping the matter under review. Health authorities continue to be responsible for the standards of service for patients which they may buy in.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions during 1987 a higher private tender submitted under the competitive tendering process in the National Health Service has been accepted in preference to a lower in-house tender; in which district health authorities this occurred and with which contracts; and what were the reason given for this course of action.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 26 April 1988]: This information is not available centrally since under the terms
  180
  of departmental guidance evaluation of tenders is a matter for the health authority concerned. Where a district health authority decides that there are compelling reasons for not accepting the lowest tender it is expected to notify its decision to the appropriate regional health authority.

  The 1987 National Audit Office reports on competitive tendering for support services in the NHS provides the best available information on practice in rejecting the lowest tender bids. Of the 29 cases which NAO examined nine involved a decision to reject the lowest tender. In two of these cases commercial contractors were rejected in favour of in-house tenders and in the other seven cases one commercial contractor was rejected in favour of another. Eight of the contracts were for domestic services and one for laundry services. The main reasons to reject the lowest tender were as follows:

  Number

  a. Inadequate hours tendered for job required

  4

  b. Inadequate proposed staffing levels

  1

  c. Inadequate or incomplete tender submission

  2

  d. Doubts on feasibility not dispelled on interview

  1

  e. Small cost difference linked to wider operational, personnel and financial considerations

  1

  9

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Bulbs (Imports)
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimate he has of the proportion of bulbs imported from the Netherlands and examined by plant health inspectors to ensure that they are soil-free;

  (2) whether he will list the seaports and airports where Dutch bulbs have been imported in 1987; and whether sufficient plant health inspectors have been available to examine each consignment.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  In the last import season, which ended in February, our plant health and seed inspectors examined just under 10 per cent. of all consignments of bulbs imported from the Netherlands. They checked for plant pests and excess soil. The inspectors work to a planned pattern of import checks on representative samples of a wide range of plants, bulbs, vegetables and so on, and covered this satisfactorily; it is not considered necessary to check each consignment of imported bulbs.

  The main ports of arrival for Dutch bulbs last year were Felixstowe, Dover, Harwich and Hull although small quantities may have been imported through other points of entry. Most inspections of imported bulbs are carried out at the importer's premises or nurseries.

  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received any representations from individual customers of companies in the Netherlands about the state of bulbs they have imported from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  No.

  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to propose any change before 1992 in the system of inspecting bulbs imported from other EEC countries
  181
  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have no basic changes in mind at present, but our overall system of import inspections is flexible and can be adapted to meet particular needs.

  Bulbs (Inspection)
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will institute a system of total field inspection for bulbs, to be paid for by growers.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  No. I see no reason to introduce total inspections of all bulb fields. So far as exports are concerned, growing season inspections are already necessary for bulbs intended for European Community member states and certain other countries. Under our domestic legislation charges are made for these inspections.

  Bulbs (Exports)
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list the countries other than the Netherlands to which the United Kingdom has exported bulbs in the last two years; and whether any country has complained that the imported bulbs were not soil-free.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Leaving aside exports to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom has exported bulbs in the last two years to the United States, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria. Small quantities have been sent to several other countries. None of these importing countries has complained that the bulbs were not soil-free.

  Animal Feedingstuffs
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the new system of registration and control of medicated animal feedingstuff.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Two statutory instruments will shortly be laid before Parliament to implement the first part of new controls on medicated animal feedingstuffs. A central feature is a requirement that all manufacturers of medicated feedingstuffs must register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain or the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and agree to abide by a code of practice. Registration will take place in two stages: 1 July 1988 is the operative date for those with more sophisticated facilities, and 1 July 1989 for the remainder. Fees will be charged to cover the costs of administering and enforcing the register. Further controls on licensing and sale and supply of medicinal feed additives are being prepared. It is intended that these should also come into force on 1 July 1989.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Civil Servants (Transfer)
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants have been transferred since 1979 in the relocation of Government Departments and agencies from London and the south-east to the regions.
  182
  Mr. Brooke
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 31 March 1988, at columns 610–11, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold).

  Government Agencies (Relocation)
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what cost savings have been made by the relocation of Government agencies to the regions since 1979.

  Mr. Brooke
  The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, since no records are kept centrally of cost savings from relocations by central Government agencies. However, a recent report has been submitted to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland evaluating the dispersal of part of the Overseas Development Administration from central London to East Kilbride in 1981. This offers evidence of the significant financial and other advantages which can be obtained through relocation. I understand that my right hon. and learned Friend intends to publish this report in the near future.

  Chancellor of the Exchequer (Television Interview)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place a copy of the transcript of his interview on the "This Week/Next Week" programme on 24 April in the Library.

  Mr. Lawson
  No; but I understand that a transcript is available from the BBC.

  Finance Bill (Notes on Clauses)
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the notes on those clauses of the Finance Bill to be taken in Committee of the whole House will be made available to hon. Members.

  Mr. Major
  Yes. The appropriate notes on clauses were placed in the Vote Office earlier today.

WALES

  Health Authorities (Chairmen)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the conditions of employment of chairmen of health authorities in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  There are no conditions of employment as such for chairmen of health authorities, but I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of a note of guidance which is given to them on appointment.

  Council Housing
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he proposes to introduce to the cost-floor sale in relation to the sale of council-owned houses; and in what way he proposes to ensure that such changes do not cause an unacceptable reduction in the public sector rented housing stock in rural areas of outstanding natural beauty.
  183
  Mr. Grist
  An amendment to the Housing Bill has been tabled which provides that only costs which have been incurred within eight years before the sale will be taken into account in calculating the cost floor.

  This modification will enable more tenants to buy their own homes. In areas of outstanding natural beauty, national parks and designated rural areas the opportunity will remain for landlords to repurchase a property if it is resold within 10 years.

  Chernobyl (Compensation)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications for review he has received from farmers in Wales claiming to have suffered losses as a result of the Chernobyl disaster but who had not been compensated under the Government's scheme; if he will give the date range when these applications were made; if each such application was considered individually; on what date a decision was taken on them; how many of these applications he has rejected; and if he will make a statement on the general pattern of the defects in the applications which led to their rejection.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  On 11 January 1988 the National Farmers Union in Wales presented to my Department 56 cases that it considered to have been inadequately compensated by the direct losses scheme under the Chernobyl compensation arrangements. The evidence submitted by the union did not reveal any special problems or anomalies not already covered by the existing compensation arrangements. The union also confirmed that no new principles of compensation had been identified. I wrote to the chairman of the NFU in Wales on 23 March 1988 rejecting the 56 cases.

  A detailed examination of those individual cases showed that they fell into four broad categories:

  (i) 10 cases where the producers concerned received compensation under the direct losses scheme in amounts varying from £191 to £3,672, but where the producers concerned alleged that they had incurred greater costs than the compensation they had received;

  (ii) 25 cases where the producers received compensation under the scheme in amounts from £275 to £3,312 but where they were claiming more because they sold only a proportion of their animals in the three week qualifying period and as a result considered that not all their costs had been compensated;

  (iii) 17 cases where the producers concerned received no compensation under the direct losses scheme since they sold their animals outside the qualifying period;

  (iv) Four cases which fell outside the terms of the scheme.

  A primary objective of the compensation arrangements was to get money to the affected producers as quickly as possible and it was agreed by the farming unions that this made it impossible to deal with all cases on an individual basis. It was similarly agreed that the inevitable consequence of this approach was that the compensation could not be matched precisely to the amount that might have been lost in every individual case. This agreement pointed firmly to the conclusion that the 10 cases in category (i) should be rejected.

  The 42 cases in categories (ii) and (iii), were based upon sales outside the three-week rule of the agreed scheme and had to be rejected. The NFU accepted this principle at a meeting with me on 28 September 1987.

  Finally, the remaining cases in category (iv) fell entirely outside the terms of the agreed scheme. In one case, the producer chose to keep extra animals on his holding; the
  184
  second claim related to the monitoring and marking scheme and the remaining two claims were for alleged price blight on animals sold clean after derestriction. There was no basis for those claims to be considered within this review.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farmers in Wales have received compensation arising from losses following the Chernobyl disaster; and what has been the total amount of money paid in Wales by way of such compensation.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  As at 15 April 1988, a total of £3,323,948·61 has been authorised for payment covering 6,808 claims from farmers in Wales.

  Bus Services
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many bus services have been discontinued in (i) Gwynedd, (ii) Clwyd and (iii) Powys since 26 January 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The number of bus routes discontinued since 26 January 1987 are:

  Number

  Gwynedd

  8

  Clwyd

  14

  Powys

  Nil

  In the same period the numbers of new routes introduced are:

  Number

  Gwynedd

  20

  Clwyd

  15

  Powys

  2

  These figures indicate a net increase in bus routes.

  Steel Industry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the trade unions concerning the privatisation of the steel industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The privatisation of the British Steel Corporation and the implications for its employees are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. However, I believe that BSC plants in Wales are well placed to take advantage of the new opportunities presented by privatisation and I am always willing to meet the unions involved in the Welsh steel industry.

  Mentally Handicapped Patients
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many registered (i) mentally ill and (ii) mentally handicapped patients there were in the Clwyd area health authority in 1987 and 1979; how many staff were employed with groups (i) and (ii) in 1979 and 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The following figures relate to resident patients and staff numbers in mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units in Clwyd:
  185

  Resident patients1

  1987

  1979

  Mental illness hospitals and units

  528

  656

  Mental handicap hospitals and units

  72

  79

  1 As at 5 April.

  Consultants, nursing and other professional staff1

  1986

  1979

  Mental illness hospitals and units

  511·0

  460·8

  Mental handicap hospitals and units

  100·0

  79·2

  1 Whole-time equivalents, as at 30 September.

  Year ended 31 March

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Area of land approved for planting or restocking (hectares)

  2,002

  2,175

  1,811

  2,466

  4,580

  3,470

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

  1,067

  1,177

  1,040

  1,177

  988

  2,204

SCOTLAND

  Local Authorities (Social Security Changes)
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet Scottish local authority associations to discuss the implications for local authority manpower and expenditure in Scotland of the changes in the social security system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss the manpower and financial implications for local authorities as a result of the changes in housing benefit regulations.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities regularly to discuss local government finance. Our next meeting will be on 29 April.

  Local Government (Employment Trends)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about trends in employment in local government.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The numer of full-time equivalent staff employed by Scottish local authorities fell by 3·9 per cent. between December 1979 and December 1987. Apart from one minor fluctuation, the trend has been steadily downwards until last year when numbers showed a 1·5 per cent. increase.

  Dundee
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last made an official visit to Dundee.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I last visited Dundee on 30 March when I accompanied my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

  Hygicare Ltd., Wrexham
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how long Hygicare Ltd., located in Wrexham, had to wait for outside financial appraisal for a regional development grant application from his Department.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department does not conduct outside financial appraisals for regional development grant purposes.

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the area of land approved for forestry grant aid in each of the six years to 31 March in Wales; and if he will state the area of land afforested or restocked in each of those years.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 22 April 1988]: The information is as follows:

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the impact of the community charge on people on low incomes in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations from Members of Parliament, other individuals and various organisations. Those on lower incomes will be protected by the rebate scheme, which will take account of ability to pay.

  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the cost of introducing the community charge to the Borders region.

  Mr. Lang
  There have been no recent representations about the cost of introducing the community charge in the Borders.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about progress in compiling registers for the poll tax.

  Mr. Lang
  Compilation of the community charges registers is a matter for community charges registration officers, who from 1 April were empowered to undertake inquiries for this purpose of responsible persons at each address, and who are required to prepare the community charges register by 1 October.

  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the numbers seeking exemption from the payment of the poll tax as a result of the revision of forms currently being issued by the local registrars.

  Mr. Lang
  Exemption from liability to pay the personal community charge in Scotland arises from the provisions
  187
  of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 and not from any revisions that might be made to forms issued by community charges registration officers.

  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the cost of introducing the community charge in the Highland region.

  Mr. Lang
  The total additional capital allocation which I have given Highland regional council in respect of the implementation of the community charge in 1987–88 and 1988–89 is adequate to meet the council's requirements. I am considering a letter from the council about the way in which the allocations are split between these years.

  Court of Session
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if there are any proposals for speeding up the conduct of business in the Court of Session; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Delays in the conduct of business in the Court of Session were reduced during 1987. Recommendations aimed at securing the speedy disposal of business were made in the report of the review body on the use of judicial time in the superior courts in Scotland, chaired by Lord Maxwell and published on 18 July 1986. Most of these recommendations, which fall within the responsibility of the Lord president of the Court of Session, have been implemented. In addition the Court of Session has been engaged in reviewing many aspects of its work in order to progress it effectively.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the aggregate value of inward investment to Scotland since 1979; and how many jobs have resulted therefrom.

  Mr. Lang
  The estimated aggregate value of inward investment to Scotland from 1979 to date is £2·9 billion with the prospect of the creation or safeguarding of 64,980 jobs.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total number of employees in employment and the total number of employees in manufacturing industry, standard industrial classification 2–4, in Scotland in June 1979 and June 1987.

  Mr. Lang
  The total number of employees in employment is estimated to have been 2,102,000 in June 1979 and 1,886,000 in June 1987. For manufacturing the figures are 604,000 for June 1979 and 395,000 for June 1987.

  Breast Cancer Screening Unit (Ayrshire)
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet made arrangements for setting up a breast cancer screening unit in Ayrshire; and if he will outline arrangements made for Ayrshire women in the interim.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The introduction of a national breast cancer screening service in Scotland for all women aged between 50 and 64 will be a phased programme. The 188
  first four centres, in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, will come into operation during the course of this year and we aim to have the remaining centres in operation by 1991. We shall consult individual health boards about the location and commissioning of the remaining centres required to provide a national screening service. The current diagnostic facilities for breast examination will continue to be available in the normal way for women in Ayrshire and elsewhere.

  CBI Scotland
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Confederation of British Industry (Scotland) concerning the Scottish economy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend keeps in frequent touch with the Confederation of British Industry (Scotland) on matters concerning the Scottish economy. When addressing CBI members in Glasgow on 19 February he called attention to the significant advances made in the Scottish economy in recent years and to the favourable conditions for further growth which has been created by the Government's policies to stimulate enterprise and improve competitiveness.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Lambie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had about the effects of the new changes in housing benefits; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  We have received several letters about the changes to housing benefit. Housing benefit policy is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Glasgow district council regarding the effects of the changes in housing benefit on the management of its housing stock.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None.

  SHARPEN Report
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish his findings on the SHARPEN report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The report on the Scottish Health Authorities Review of Priorities for the Eighties and Nineties — the SHARPEN report — is a working document that is under consideration by the Scottish Health Service Planning Council. My right hon. and learned Friend expects to receive the planning council's advice about the report and its recommendations shortly.

  Hospital Building
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish National Health Service hospitals were built in the last year.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Details of all hospital developments are not held centrally as minor capital projects are delegated to health boards. Four major projects were completed and opened in 1987.

  Scottish Bus Group
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will make a statement on his detailed timetable proposals for the privatisation of the Scottish Bus Group.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend does not yet have detailed timetable proposals for the privatisation of the Scottish Bus Group, although he proposes to seek powers at an early opportunity. We are still considering the best arrangements for privatisation.

  Oil Fabrication Industry
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further steps he is taking to ensure the future of the oil fabrication industry in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The best tonic for the oil fabrication industry is an economic climate which encourages investment and development in the North sea: and that is what this Government are providing, notably through the oil taxation changes announced in the Budget.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when officials of his Department will next meet Nirex to discuss plans for nuclear waste disposal in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Scottish Office officials have no plans to meet Nirex for this purpose, but meet it from time to time with representatives of other Government Departments to discuss radioactive waste management in a United Kingdom context.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for increasing the provision of nursery education in Scotland; and what percentage of three and four-year-olds he expects to have the opportunity to receive nursery education in 1990, 1995 and 2000.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The level of provision for nursery education is for education authorities to determine in the light of their assessment of relative priorities. I cannot predict the aggregate effect of their decisions in future years.

  Community Care
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be in a position to announce what policy changes he intends to make following his consideration of the Griffiths report on community care; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy (Dr. Moonie).

  Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and what subjects were discussed.
  190
  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend last met the chairman and other representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities formally on 4 December 1987 when he discussed the rate support grant settlement for 1988–89 and related matters.

  Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his decision on the level of grant to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde (Mr. Graham) on Tuesday, 12 April,Official Report, column 46.

  In 1988–89 grant to local councils of social service will be increased by £120,000 and grant to SCVO will be reduced to £90,000. Local councils may purchase services from SCVO. Notwithstanding the reduction in grant, SCVO will receive substantial support from central Government funds in 1988–89 and I am confident that it can continue to make a useful contribution to the promotion of voluntary sector interests.

  Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amounts of money paid out by regional and islands councils under section 12 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 in each of the last two financial years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is as follows:

  Payments by local authorities under section 12 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968

  Regional or Islands Council

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  Borders

  3,691

  3,995

  Central

  11,135

  11,760

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3,496

  4,586

  Fife

  37,467

  37,511

  Grampian

  18,882

  25,597

  Highland

  5,572

  12,189

  Lothian

  42,425

  56,645

  Strathclyde

  386,659

  447,457

  Tayside

  13,603

  13,633

  Orkney

  516

  520

  Shetland

  7,620

  2,989

  Western Isles

  3,723

  6,183

  Scotland

  534,789

  623,065

  Electoral Registration
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals for action to combat the decline in the numbers on the electoral register in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The preparation of electoral registers is the statutory duty of the electoral registration officers. My right hon. and learned Friend is confident that their aim is to produce as comprehensive and accurate a register as possible, and proposes to support them as before with appropriate publicity campaigns.

  Citizens Advice Bureaux
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not done so, though officials of his Department met representatives of the association last month.

  Tree-Planting Policy
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the chairman of the Forestry Commission to discuss planting policy.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend meets the chairman of the Forestry Commission from time to time to discuss various matters.

  National Farmers Union
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next discuss the future of the agriculture industry with the National Farmers Union of Scotland.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My noble Friend the Minister of State and I regularly meet the union. We both attended the 75th anniversary dinner in Glasgow on 10 March and my noble Friend addressed the annual general meeting the following day. My noble Friend last met the union's president on 8 April for a discussion on a range of current issues and plans to continue to meet him and his colleagues at regular intervals.

  Police Strength
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the number of police forces in Scotland which are below their establishment levels.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As at 31 March 1988, five Scottish forces were operating below their authorised establishments. The details are as follows:

  Force

  Authorised establishment

  Actual strength

  Difference

  Dumfries and Galloway

  344

  343

  -1

  Lothian and Borders

  *2,435

  2,419

  -16

  Northern

  620

  600

  -20

  Strathclyde

  6,954

  6,775

  -179

  Tayside

  1,001

  991

  -10

  * This figure includes an increase in establishment of 50 constables approved in March 1988. These posts are due to be filled during the course of 1988–89.

  Housing Stock
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide additional finance for housing authorities to accelerate repair, maintenance and rehabilitation schemes in the public sector housing stock in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  On 28 March, I announced details of the final housing capital allocations for 1988–89 for all district and islands councils. Allocations 192
  in respect of the housing revenue account block, which covers capital expenditure by local authorities on their own stock, totalled £445·2 million, an increase of £58 million on the provisional allocations issued in December 1987. These allocations are not hypothecated fior specific purposes and it is for each authority to determine its own priorities and to programme expenditure accordingly within the resources available to it.

  Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped Patients
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to meet each of the Scottish health boards so as to discuss funding arrangements for long-stay mentally ill and mentally handicapped patients going into community care.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  On behalf of my right hon. and learned Friend, I regularly meet health board chairmen to discuss a range of matters. Local arrangements for the funding of community care of former long-stay, mentally ill and mentally handicapped patients are matters for health boards and local authorities to determine from within the considerable resources which we make available to them and which have been increased substantially since 1979.

  Private Companies (Departmental Relationships)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the procedures governing relationships between his Department and private companies.

  Mr. Rifkind
  No. I see no need to review the present procedures, which are well understood and effective.

  Aerosols
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to ban the use of aerosols in the buildings of the Scottish Office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  No.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None.

  Amniocentesis Tests
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Darling), 22 February,Official Report, column 104, he has now given instructions for the information about women who have been amniocentesis tests to be centrally held and periodically published in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No.

  A 1
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in plans to upgrade
  193
  the A1 on the northern side of the border; and whether the proposals will extend the redevelopment as far as Lamberton in Berwickshire.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Over the last seven years five major improvement schemes, plus several minor improvements, have been completed on the Al. There are proposals for a bypass of Cockburnspath, currently the subject of a public local inquiry, and for junction improvements on the Haddington bypass. Planned improvements do not extend to Lamberton.

  Monofilament Net Ban
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions, and for what reasons, the Crown has sought postponements in proceedings in the Appeal Court relating to the monofilament net ban.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamiliton
  The case has not yet been called in the Appeal Court, having been twice withdrawn, by common consent, from the roll of cases. The reason for the delay is the need to obtain official English translations of two analogous European cases, which recently came before the European Court of Justice. These are considered to be essential to a proper consideration of the instant case by the Appeal Court. The case will be re-enrolled as soon as possible.

  Dounreay
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make his announcement over the planning application and reporter's report for the European demonstration reprocessing plant, applied for by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels Limited, at the nuclear power development establishment at Dounreay.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The full report of the public local inquiry into the proposed siting of the European demonstration reprocessing plant at Dounreay was submitted by the reporter on 30 March to my right hon. and learned Friend, who now has it under careful consideration. It is not possible to say when he will be in a position to announce his decision.

  Sheriffs
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the general public statutes and law reports made available to sheriffs.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Sheriff court libraries are supplied with all Acts of Parliament and statutory instruments relating to Scotland. Subject to the requirements of the judiciary the following law reports are supplied: "Scots Law Times", "Session Cases", "Scottish Criminal Case Reports", "Scottish Civil Law Reports", "Greens Weekly Digest" and "Road Traffic Reports". In 194
  addition the larger courts receive copies of "All England Law Reports", "Common Market Law Reports" and the "Common Market Law Review".

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what precise role he will have in determining the research, development and utilisation of nuclear power in Scotland if his proposals for the privatisation of the electricity generating and supply industry are implemented.

  Mr. Malcolm Rifkind
  After privatisation the electricity supply industry will continue to be responsible for decisions about its own research and development and the operation of its nuclear power stations. The Government's role in energy research and development will remain the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy.

  Cardiac Surgery
  Mr. Buchanan-Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the report of his review into cardiac surgery provision in Scotland will be available.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The National Specialist Services Advisory Committee has undertaken a review of cardiac surgery provision and is now preparing a full report which I expect to receive in the summer.

  The committee is recommending that the volume of cardiac surgery undertaken in Scotland be increased over the next five years, and that facilities be provided for an additional 400 operations per year. I have decided that as part of our determined attack on waiting lists, the cardiac surgery unit at Aberdeen royal infirmary will be centrally funded to carry out 150 heart operations per year in the near future and 300 operations per year within 5 years. Funding of the centre at Edinburgh royal infirmary will be increased to allow an additional 140 operations to take place there. Last year 2,125 operations were undertaken in Scotland.

  We shall be considering the committee's other recommendations when their full report is available.

  District Authorities (Statistics)
  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 the latest year for which figures are available, showing (a) the electorate and estimated population, (6) expenditure per elector on environmental health services, housing maintenance, leisure and recreation, (c) the level of district rate and rate support grant, (d) the number of council houses and the average rent and (e) the number of new council houses completed.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: The information for the year 1987–88 is set out in the table.
  195

  District Councils

  Number on Electorate Roll at 15 February 1987

  Total estimated population 30 June 1987

  Expenditure per elector on environmental health services 1987–88 £

  Expenditure per elector on housing maintenance 1987–88 £

  Expenditure per elector on leisure and recreation 1987–88 £

  District Rate Poundage 1987–88 P

  Rate Support Grant 1987–88 £

  Berwickshire

  15,020

  18,833

  1·53

  23·50

  26·70

  9·5

  404,530

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  26,424

  33,441

  6·66

  38·03

  23·99

  10·3

  737,475

  Roxburgh

  28,665

  35,133

  6·45

  48·42

  31·61

  12

  1,531,257

  Tweeddale

  11,854

  14,734

  4·22

  39·82

  19·91

  9

  292,931

  Clackmannan

  36,946

  47,412

  9·66

  53·65

  31·07

  17·2

  500,520

  Falkirk

  110,951

  143,229

  7·38

  66·21

  32·06

  14·5

  1,621,467

  Stirling

  64,047

  81,436

  9·56

  42·91

  38·13

  22

  0

  Annandale and Eskdale

  28,475

  36,162

  5·58

  25·60

  22·86

  11

  767,602

  Nithsdale

  43,755

  57,293

  6·60

  45·96

  17·39

  11

  926,339

  Stewartry

  18,544

  23,292

  3·18

  24·70

  16·18

  9

  407,757

  Wigtown

  23,196

  30,289

  4·31

  51·56

  17·03

  8·5

  689,769

  Dunfermline

  97,250

  129,049

  5·92

  51·69

  35·43

  11·25

  1,469,223

  Kirkcaldy

  116,580

  147,963

  6·51

  73·53

  29·16

  14·75

  2,194,642

  North East Fife

  52,755

  67,578

  9·36

  40·00

  24·09

  13·8

  1,036,365

  Aberdeen City

  175,434

  213,228

  6·37

  48·76

  37·26

  14·5

  1,864,770

  Banff and Buchan

  62,864

  83,753

  4·01

  35·44

  24·80

  10·5

  961,876

  Gordon

  53,321

  71,986

  4·80

  18·21

  12·77

  11

  1,967,503

  Kincardine and Deeside

  36,588

  48,402

  4·67

  9·65

  23·94

  7·2

  774,752

  Moray

  62,908

  85,494

  4·47

  36·50

  29·63

  9·5

  1,230,803

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  8,378

  10,765

  4·42

  11·34

  15·40

  9

  118,125

  Caithness

  20,765

  27,025

  6·02

  36·46

  19·60

  12·5

  1,116,503

  Inverness

  45,409

  61,077

  5·90

  37·88

  32·04

  9

  666,472

  Lochaber

  14,744

  19,117

  4·61

  54·60

  15·60

  14·5

  366,832

  Nairn

  7,976

  10,310

  2·76

  22·82

  26·20

  9·5

  276,410

  Ross and Cromarty

  34,776

  47,897

  8·86

  26·08

  28·64

  12·5

  1,390,285

  Skye and Lochalsh

  8,842

  11,332

  5·99

  20·70

  9·73

  11

  519,236

  Sutherland

  10,751

  13,085

  8·19

  24·37

  17·39

  9

  686,590

  East Lothian

  65,559

  81,855

  5·28

  33·92

  34·56

  17

  1,476,155

  Edinburgh City

  367,582

  438,721

  6·50

  31·33

  31·17

  16·2

  10,957,830

  Midlothian

  61,128

  81,440

  4·06

  41·73

  42·83

  17

  3,092,490

  West Lothian

  104,767

  141,684

  8·08

  36·75

  30·77

  14·5

  3,767,375

  Argyll and Bute

  49,274

  65,737

  6·94

  40·95

  40·79

  18

  3,692,253

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  31,853

  40,365

  3·70

  9·48

  28·35

  14

  614,090

  Clydebank

  38,189

  48,573

  7·15

  76·02

  33·60

  20

  4,333,984

  Clydesdale

  44,310

  58,436

  5·91

  75·72

  35·61

  16·75

  3,046,767

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  46,136

  62,547

  4·29

  26·29

  43·70

  16·5

  1,406,860

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  34,107

  43,302

  7·21

  77·46

  34·39

  17

  2,472,252

  Cunninghame

  106,060

  137,265

  7·21

  57·55

  38·15

  20·5

  2,746,711

  Dumbarton

  59,490

  79,704

  9·21

  69·73

  38·66

  19

  554,486

  East Kilbride

  63,993

  81,718

  7·25

  5·23

  41·63

  13·75

  1,315,033

  Eastwood

  44,203

  57,185

  2·96

  8·48

  25·45

  11

  947,628

  Glasgow City

  573,009

  715,621

  9·31

  75·83

  47·22

  27·5

  44,035,585

  Hamilton

  81,268

  107,018

  7·17

  77·99

  36·26

  19

  3,903,319

  Inverclyde

  75,605

  96,382

  6·84

  68·39

  41·48

  16

  3,439,404

  Kilmarnock and Loudon

  63,437

  81,186

  4·30

  76·11

  35·15

  18·5

  2,592,436

  Kyle and Carrick

  90,290

  112,999

  8·26

  42·56

  37·96

  17

  1,440,430

  Monklands

  80,280

  106,187

  7·15

  106·49

  43·96

  18

  5,467,392

  Motherwell

  111,377

  147,542

  5·40

  83·37

  37·14

  16·5

  4,903,780

  Renfrew

  160,171

  201,295

  6·99

  62·23

  41·77

  21

  7,282,146

  Strathkelvin

  66,080

  89,475

  6·48

  31·52

  40·81

  18

  3,587,719

  Angus

  71,661

  94,407

  5·85

  45·63

  28·73

  12

  2,496,545

  Dundee City

  137,921

  175,748

  8·04

  53·98

  34·86

  12

  7,242,704

  Perth and Kinross

  94,226

  123,607

  8·08

  39·78

  31·23

  13·5

  2,372,225

  Orkney Island

  14,975

  19,338

  6·74

  25·44

  19·23

  53

  9,418,557

  Shetland Island

  16,357

  22,429

  11·68

  155·35

  42·12

  59

  11,061,435

  Western Isles

  23,685

  31,048

  3·80

  19·67

  11·82

  74

  29,750,471

  SCOTLAND

  3,994,211

  5,112,129

  6·96

  52·48

  35·98

  74·75

  1,777,322,740

  Number of council houses 30 September 1987

  Average rent 1987–88 £

  Local authority dwellings completed in 1987–88

  District councils

  Berwickshire

  2,516

  797·86

  17

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  4,146

  721·89

  0

  Roxburgh

  5,574

  877·00

  0

  Tweeddale

  1,445

  683·03

  12

  Clackmannan

  8,844

  745·46

  0

  Falkirk

  30,341

  722·36

  74

  196

  197

  Number of council houses 30 September 1987

  Average rent 1987·88 £

  Local authority dwellings completed in 1987–88

  Stirling

  12,180

  783·45

  0

  Annandale and Eskdale

  4,957

  857·40

  35

  Nithsdale

  7,625

  720·55

  66

  Stewartry

  2,352

  855·50

  40

  Wigtown

  4,377

  868·56

  20

  Dunfermline

  19,705

  764·52

  178

  Kirkcaldy

  23,504

  796·79

  131

  North East Fife

  6,805

  887·88

  65

  Aberdeen City

  37,206

  763·96

  93

  Banff and Buchan

  11,672

  811·66

  67

  Gordon

  5,387

  785·88

  171

  Kincardine and Deeside

  3,484

  745·52

  41

  Moray

  10,205

  814·54

  34

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  1,075

  796·79

  13

  Caithness

  3,894

  771·66

  29

  Inverness

  6,684

  830·09

  32

  Lochaber

  3,010

  833·56

  0

  Nairn

  1,068

  821·02

  22

  Ross and Cromarty

  6,130

  824·45

  46

  Skye and Lochalsh

  771

  778·53

  11

  Sutherland

  1,716

  750·15

  33

  East Lothian

  14,524

  764·76

  71

  Edinburgh City

  50,610

  791·71

  63

  Midlothian

  11,318

  713·00

  14

  West Lothian

  20,475

  703·53

  8

  Argyll and Bute

  7,932

  821·53

  12

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  1,765

  861·99

  35

  Clydebank

  11,361

  887·23

  0

  Clydesdale

  9,406

  719·94

  0

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  4,142

  853·90

  6

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  9,751

  707·61

  6

  Cunninghame

  22,100

  676·71

  0

  Dumbarton

  12,428

  759·43

  18

  East Kilbride

  1,363

  859·57

  0

  Eastwood

  1,782

  647·22

  14

  Glasgow City

  165,749

  760·63

  0

  Hamilton

  22,133

  772·48

  8

  Inverclyde

  18,361

  692·92

  64

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  16,561

  720·27

  0

  Kyle and Carrick

  16,742

  747·95

  47

  Monklands

  27,786

  806·13

  0

  Motherwell

  38,259

  733·42

  0

  Renfrew

  37,051

  675·65

  82

  Strathkelvin

  9,933

  795·92

  7

  Angus

  12,951

  757·99

  40

  Dundee City

  38,504

  707·62

  0

  Perth and Kinross

  14,663

  721·70

  0

  Orkney Island

  1,432

  831·49

  12

  Shetland Island

  2,634

  828·14

  20

  Western Isles

  2,541

  911·22

  33

  Scotland

  830,930

  758·03

  1,790

  Notes:

  1. Expenditure on environmental health services and leisure and recreation is based on provisional outturns.

  2. Housing maintenance expenditure is the budgeted expenditure reported in "Rating review" published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (C.I.P.F.A.).

  3. Rate poundage after selective action.

  4. R.S.G. is after abatement. The figures are R.S.G. entitlements based on provisional expenditure outturns. An Order to give effect to them will be laid shortly.

  5. The electoral roll figures exclude attainers which numbered about 62,000 in 1987–88.

EMPLOYMENT

  Disabled People (Training)
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration is being given to the needs of disabled people to ensure that an accurate assessment and an appropriate personal action plan is drawn up for them in the new adult training programme.
  198
  Mr. Nicholls
  The initial assessment of trainees in employment training, leading to the production of individual action plans, will be carried out by a network of training agents. For trainees with disabilities who require specialised or extended assessment which a training agent is unable to deliver, the specialist help of the employment rehabilitation centres and ASSET teams run by the employment rehabilitation service will be available. MSC will expect training agents and training managers to have premises and facilities which are suitable for people
  199
  with disabilities as part of their required equal opportunities policy. Help will be available to providers, where necessary, in the form of grants towards the costs of necessary adaptations to premises and equipment, to meet the needs of particular individuals.

  Tourism
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to encourage regional tourism.

  Mr. Lee
  My Department is actively working with the English Tourist Board, the British Tourist Authority and the 12 regional tourist boards to encourage the widest possible spread of tourism throughout England.

  Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received regarding amendments to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I am, of course, aware of the Bill proposed by the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) and of the 1987 TUC resolution on health and safety. However, I am not aware of any formal representations regarding amendments to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.

  Job Creation
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what the ratios of increased jobs in the first three months of 1988 are between(a) part-time and full-time, and (b) temporary and permanent.

  Mr. Lee
  The latest available figures are for December 1987. Between December 1986 and December 1987 there was a net increase of 507,000 in the size of the civilian employed labour force in Great Britain. Of this increase 49 per cent. was attributable to growth in part-time employment and 51 per cent. to growth in full-time employment. The civilian employed labour force is the sum of employees in employment and the self-employed.

  The regularly published employment estimates do not separately identify those in temporary or permanent employment. The labour force survey provides such information on a different basis, and the latest available figures are for spring 1987. Estimates based on the labour force survey indicate that between spring 1986 and spring 1987 there was a net increase of 334,000 in the number of employees and self-employed in Great Britain. Of this increase, the percentages attributable to growths in temporary and permanent employment were 18 per cent. and 82 per cent., respectively.

  Basildon
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest total number of people unemployed in the constituency of Basildon, and for the same period in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is in the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants in the parliamentary constituency of Basildon in March of each year since 1984. Unemployment statistics for 200
  parliamentary constituencies are derived from the ward. based system and are available only from June 1983. The comparison is affected by the change in the compilation of the unemployment statistics in March 1986.

  Number

  March 1984

  6,686

  March 1985

  7,120

  March 1986

  6,643

  March 1987

  5,950

  March 1988

  4,362

TRANSPORT

  Panama Canal
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what are the estimated numbers of ships plying to and from the United Kingdom via the Panama canal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The information requested is not available. We continue to keep the situation concerning the canal under review in close consultation with British interests.

  British Rail
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will urgently review his policies for subsidies to British Rail with a view to improving the quality of its services.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The Government's policy on subsidising public transport was set out in the response to the Transport Select Committee's report on the financing of rail services (HC 420). Current and planned investment levels in the railways are already higher in real terms than at any time since the 1960s and are designed to bring a significant improvement in the quality of service for the customer.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to make a statement on the implications for transport policy of the report of the National Economic Research Associates on the quality of services of British Rail, a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  My right hon. Friend has already told the National Union of Railwaymen, which commissioned the National Economic Research Associates report, that he would like to discuss it with it.

  Settle-Carlisle Line
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the criteria laid down by the group of local authorities offering financial support to the Settle-Carlisle railway, stating his response in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The local authorities have offered £500,000 towards the capital costs of restoring Ribblehead viaduct, subject to the following conditions:

  a. that British Rail continues to maintain and operate the line;

  b. that the line's future be guaranteed for a period of at least 20 years;

  c. that the contributions are a "one-off' which should not be seen as setting any precedent and no further requests for financial support should be made;

  201

  d. that the revenue support contributions already agreed for the next two years will not be extended beyond that period.

  My right hon. Friend is still considering this offer and the particular conditions attached to it.

  Pulford-Gresford Bypass
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the road bridge over the railway carrying the new Pulford to Gresford bypass will be such that it could accommodate double rail track if necessary.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The crossings of the Wrexham-Chester railway line were each designed to accommodate the single track which British Rail indicated would meet its existing and future operational requirements.

  The two bridges carrying the road over the railway line (one in England and one in Wales) might possibly accommodate a second track if the present track was realigned. The feasibility would need to be examined in detail with British Rail. The major bridge in Wales which carries the railway over the bypass could only be single track.

DEFENCE

  NATO
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's northern naval defences of the Danish parliamentary decision on 14 April to inform visiting naval captains that Denmark does not accept nuclear weapons on its territories; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) on 19 April at column 670.

  Tornado Aircraft (Goose Bay)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado aircraft are currently deployed at Goose bay, Canada.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are currently nine Royal Air Force Tornados deployed at Goose Bay, Canada.

  Pay
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the percentage increase in armed forces pay in each year since 1974.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information is as follows:

  Pay review in

  Equivalent Percentage Increase for full year

  1974

  13

  1975

  29·5

  1976

  1£6 per week

  1977

  5

  1978

  13

  1979

  32·5

  1980

  16·8

  1981

  10·3

  202

  Pay review in

  Equivalent Percentage Increase for full year

  1982

  6·1

  1983

  7·2

  1984

  24·9

  1985

  7·1

  1986

  35·6

  1987

  4·9

  1988

  6·4

  Notes:

  1 £6 per week was equivalent to between 18·3 per cent. for a private and 3·8 per cent. for a colonel on appointment.

  2 A staged increase, the full amount awarded was 7·6 per cent.

  3 A 7·5 increase deferred to 1 July 1986.

  Radar Projects
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Blue Yeoman radar project has replaced Cold Witness.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Tornado Aircraft
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force Tornado F.2 aircraft are currently in storage at RAF St. Athan; what is the reason for their withdrawal from service; what plans exist for their future disposal or use; and what is the estimated cost of implementing these plans.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  In the course of the initial production run of the Tornado F2 a number of design changes were made to this aircraft type which resulted in a significant improvement in capabilities. The improved aircraft, was designated the Tornado F3. Current plans are for all 18 original F2s to be updated in the early 1990s to a standard similar to that of the F3s. Whilst awaiting this upgrading, 14 of these aircraft are in storage at RAF St. Athan. No contract for the work to upgrade these aircraft has yet been negotiated.

  Radar
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he expects to issue tenders for the development and production of a surface-wave over-the-horizon radar for the United Kingdom air defence ground environment.

  (2) what discussions are taking place with the United States Navy concerning the establishment of a site in the United Kingdom for a United States Navy relocatable over-the-horizon radar;

  (3) what collaboration is taking place between his Department and the United States Air Force systems command on the development and deployment of a north-looking over-the-horizon radar;

  (4) what research has been conducted by the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment into the propagation of high frequency radar signals in Arctic regions;

  (5) in what year the air defence ground environment senior engineering officers conference first received a briefing on over-the-horizon radar.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom and the United States are collaborating in a joint programme of studies aimed at testing the feasibility of siting, and assessing the
  203
  potential value of, an over-the-horizon radar in the United Kingdom. These studies, in which RSRE Malvern is involved, are still continuing and there are no firm plans for the issue of tenders for further stages. The air defence ground environment senior engineering officer's conference was first briefed on over-the-horizon radar in 1987.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the function and progress of the Blue Yeoman radar project.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The name Blue Yeoman covered the development of a long-range air defence radar which entered RAF service some 20 years ago and it is now being phased out. One such radar was retained at RSRE. This radar has undergone a major improvement programme and is being used to carry out research into a number of topics relating to advanced radar techniques and systems applicable to future long-range air defence.

  North Atlantic Defence System
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department is making to the United States Air Force Command, control and communications project known as the North Atlantic defence system.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The North Atlantic defence system is a NATO programme sponsored by both SACEUR and SACLANT, part of which will comprise communications and command control and information systems. It is eligible for funding through the NATO infrastructure budget, to which the United Kingdom in common with most other NATO nations contributes. Once the systems are in place the United Kingdom would expect operational benefit from NADS and also to make a substantial operational contribution to the effectiveness of the system through links with the United Kingdom air defence ground environment and the E3A AEW aircraft.

  RAF Phantom (Crash)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the crash in the North sea of a Royal Air Force Phantom aircraft on Wednesday 20 April.

  Mr. Freeman
  On 20 April a Royal Air Force Phantom FGI of 43 Squadron, RAF Leuchars crashed into the North sea during the course of the air defence exercise Elder Forest. Tragically, both crew were killed in the incident.

  The Royal Air Force has convened a board of inquiry into this accident, which will examine fully all the circumstances with a view to establishing its cause, and preventing a recurrence. A summary of the board's findings will be published in due course in the usual way.

  Menwith Hill, Harrogate
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the agreements authorising the use of Menwith Hill communications base, Harrogate, by the United States National Security Agency.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The use of Menwith Hill by the United States Department of Defence is subject to confidential arrangements between the United Kingdom and United States Government.
  204
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) United Kingdom personnel and (b) United States personnel are currently employed at Menwith Hill communications base; and what expansion has recently taken place or is planned.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Currently some 850 United States personnel and 340 United Kingdom personnel are employed at Menwith Hill. No significant change in numbers has taken place recently nor is any foreseen.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the expenditure in each year on(a) capital equipment and buildings and (b) revenue for each of the past 10 years at Menwith Hill communications base; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Full financial information of the kind requested is not held by the British Government and could only be obtained from the United States authorities at: disproportionate cost.

  Submarines (Welding Errors)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on(a) welding errors in relation to Trafalgar Class submarines at Vickers and (b) the loss of Trident parts off Walney Island in the Mull of Galloway.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I wrote to the hon. Member on these matters on 25 April.

  Federal Radionavigation Plan
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask I he Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department has made to the United States of America about the federal radionavigation plan published in November 1987.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: None.

  Ammunition Transport
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the last occasion on which a lorry loaded with ammunition caught fire on a motorway; if he will name the motorway; if he will describe the incident; what improvements have been made in the arrangements for the safety of ammunition transport since then; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]:The last occasion on which a lorry loaded with ammunition caught fire on a motorway was on 30 January 1988 at approximately 06.30 hours about½ mile beyond junction 27 of the M4 westbound. The fire was caused by a piece of sound insulation material falling from the engine cover on to the hot turbo-charger which ignited. The vehicle was brought safely to a stop and the fire extinguished using onboard equipment. The civil fire brigade and police attended. The vehicle was stationary on the hard shoulder for approximately 30 minutes and after repair continued on its journey without further incident. No changes to existing safety arrangements were thought necessary following this incident.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when was the last substantive review of the arrangements for the security of ammunition transported by road.
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  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: The security of ammunition transported by road is governed by Statutory Instrument 1977 No. 888 — The Conveyance by Road of Military Explosives Regulations 1977 and detailed guidance and instructions are contained in service regulations. A new health and safety regulation — The Road Traffic (Carriage of Explosives) Regulations is due to replace the present legislation in late 1988 and Ministry of Defence arrangements are being reviewed to ensure they comply with the new requirements.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what checks are undertaken to ensure that drivers of ammunition lorries are not under the influence of alcohol during their journeys.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: Statutory Instrument 1977 No. 888—The Conveyance by Road of Military Explosives Regulations 1977 — and unit standing orders specify that no personnel under the influence of alcohol are to be allowed to handle or convey ammunition. Responsibility for enforcing this regulation rests with the authorised representative at the despatching and receiving points.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, in the interests of security, he will review the present system for the identification of explosive and projectile ammunition carried by lorries.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: The requirements for labelling explosives, and for externally labelling vehicles carrying explosives, are contained in SI 1983 No. 1140 — Classification and Labelling of Explosives Regulations 1983. The classification of explosives is based upon the United Nations international system of classification, which is kept under periodical review. The hazard classification is displayed in the
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  interests of public safety and a separate review of this particular practice in the interests of security is not considered necessary.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is considering any new security measures for the transport by road of projectile ammunition; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: Security standards for the transport by road of ammunition are laid down in service regulations. These are continually reviewed.

  Rimnet
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Rimnet's role in relation to the United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Rimnet system has no role in relation to the United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the wartime role of Rimnet.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have been asked to reply.

  There is no specific wartime role for Rimnet.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Local Government Elections
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made since the answer on 2 November 1987,Official Report, column 618, in enabling 'I' voters to exercise their mandate at local government elections in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Stanley
  I assume that the hon. Gentleman refers to my answer of 4 November, at column 618. The position remains as previously stated.

  LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION: CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS
  LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION: CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS
  EUROPEAN YEAR OF THE ENVIRONMENT: CONSERVATION GUIDE
  EUROPEAN YEAR OF THE ENVIRONMENT: CONSERVATION GUIDE
  PRISON SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS
  PRISON SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS
  "FIRE FOCUS" EXERCISE
  "FIRE FOCUS" EXERCISE