Written Answers of 14 December 1988

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Rectors and Vicars (Contracts)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, how many team rectors or vicars, for each of the last five years, have not had their contract renewed and have been asked to vacate the team rectory.

  Mr. Alison
  I regret that the commissioners do not have this information. Records are normally kept by the legal secretaries to diocesan bishops.

WALES

  Waiting List Fund
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will announce the allocation to the Welsh health authority from the waiting list fund for 1989–90; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Decisions on public expenditure in Wales in l989–90 are currently being finalised and will be announced shortly.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many trainees are on employment training in Wales.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  At 2 December 1988 there were 6,468 participants in employment training in Wales.

  Planning Policy
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what guidance his Department has offered to local planning authorities on when they may consider the needs and interests of communities, including the protection and character and way of life of communities, as a factor in decisions relating to planning permission;

  (2) what guidance his Department offers in the form of a planning policy guidance note, to include the needs and interests of communities, including the protection of the character and way of life of communities, within the provisions of their development plans;

  (3) if he will make it his policy to require local planning authorities to include the social needs and interests of communities within the provisions of their development plans and local plans; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I intend issuing guidance on the place of the Welsh language in development plans and planning control in the very near future. The Department's current policy, as regards development plans, is set out in paragraph 4.10 of Welsh Office circular 43/84, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Crown Agents
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the future of the Crown Agents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In 1984 my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Raison) announced measures to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the Crown Agents with a view to their privatisation in due course. Those measures, which included staff reductions, a change from public sector terms of service to private sector terms and the sale of the organisation's principal property at Millbank, have been implemented.

  Her Majesty's Government have no immediate plans to privatise the Crown Agents. They have agreed with the Crown Agents certain further measures to put them on a sounder footing in the public sector. These measures involve further changes in the business and capital structure of the organisation designed to improve profitability. The Crown Agents will retain their core activities of procurement, financial and technical services. They have given up, or will give up, speculative trading and certain other activities which are not closely related to their main business. These other activities include two postage stamp production and sale companies, which the Crown Agents have sold, and some pensions services which are being taken over by the Overseas Development Administration.

  The measures introduced from 1984 onwards reduced permanent staff numbers from some 1,100 to about 800. The further changes will involve a reduction in staff numbers of about 55. Most of these jobs will be transferred with the activities that are taken over by other organisations. The balance of the reduction in staff will be achieved through agreed redundancies or natural wastage.

  The Crown Agents have customarily provided, and continue to provide, valuable services to the Overseas Development Administration, their major client, in respect of procurement and loan and grant administration. These services have demonstrated their worth in terms of securing better value for money and ensuring propriety and expedition in the international delivery of goods and services provided under the overseas aid programme. In recent years the Crown Agents have diversified their sources of business to reduce their dependence on the Overseas Development Administration and, in international competition, have won substantial business financed by other governments and by multilateral agencies.

  The proposed changes in the capital structure will provide a more commercial basis for the Crown Agents, in particular a debt equity ratio more appropriate to the size and nature of the business. Subject to parliamentary approval of the new estimate in the supplementary round, I propose to use existing powers to make a grant of about £15·8 million effectively to convert to equity all but about £2·8 million of the Crown Agents' commencing capital debt to the national loans fund, which they assumed under the Crown Agents Act 1979. The normal rules for premature repayment will apply. These sums will be additional to the Overseas Development Administration's existing public expenditure survey provisions and will

  563
  involve a net charge to the Reserve of around £3 million; they will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  The Crown Agents have undergone a continuous process of change since incorporation in 1980. It reflects credit on the board, senior management and staff of the organisation that this process has been carried through successfully in a difficult period. I am confident that the additional measures announced today will strengthen the Crown Agents' position and leave them better placed to meet the challenges of the 1990s.

TRANSPORT

  New Railway Line (Kent)
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the environmental effects of British Rail's proposals to build a new railway line through Kent.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have received a large number of representations on this subject. It will be important for British Rail to take proper account of the environment in its design of the line.

  Refrigerated Vehicles
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to ensure that the new maximum width of refrigerated vehicles will be enabled to pass each other with safety on class A roads from January 1989.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The increase in permitted width of refrigerated vehicles—of 2 cm—is too small to require particular steps to be taken to enable them to pass safely on class A roads.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on British Rail's proposals for terminals and new rail links in central London to connect with the Channel tunnel.

  Mr. Portillo
  British Rail's plans for the first few years of operation through the tunnel involve a new passenger terminal at Waterloo and the use of the west London line by through trains to the north. BR's report on long-term route and terminal capacity for Channel tunnel train services, published in July 1988, identified three possible sites (White City, King's Cross and Stratford) for a second London passenger terminal and possible route corridors through Kent and London once traffic through the tunnel has grown sufficiently to exhaust the capacity of Waterloo.

  Ports
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that British ports will be able to compete on an equal basis in the single European market with other north European ports.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer on 6 December at columns 97-98 to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin).

  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the level of subsidy,564
  both direct and indirect, received by the ports of Glasgow, Hamburg, Antwerp and Rotterdam, over the last five years.

  Mr. Portillo
  We know what percentage contributions the national and local government authorities make to expenditure on certain categories of port facilities in Hamburg, Antwerp and Rotterdam, but not how much money this and any other aid there may be from public funds has amounted to in any given period. The European Commission is studying our proposal for more transparent financial relations between public authorities and port authorities within the EC and for the accounts of port authorities to be published.

  Orange Badges
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are in possession of an orange badge at the latest available date.
  Mr. Peter Bottomley: Information supplied by local authorities shows that at March 1987 there were about 840,000 badge-holders in England and Wales—over 14 per cent. more than at March 1986. We estimate that there are currently some 70,000 badge-holders in Scotland.

  European Clearway Ferry
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the final date by which a decision has to be taken on whether a prosecution will be pursued by his Department arising from the fire on the European Clearway ferry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Channon
  Informations have to be laid within six months of the alleged offences. A decision would need to be taken before the expiry of that period.

  Supply Boat Falderntor
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking about the fire aboard the supply boat Falderntor in the British sector of the North sea on 26 November.

  Mr. Channon
  The engine room fire aboard the Falderntor is under investigation by surveyors from the See-Berufsgenossenschaft (SBG) as the vessel is registered in the Federal Republic of Germany and the incident occurred outside United Kingdom territorial waters. My officials are in contact with the SBG.

  Buffer Stop Collisions
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many multiple units and locomotives were involved in buffer stop collisions in 1985, 1986 and 1987 for each category; what type of braking system was involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Channon
  Details regarding the number of buffer stop collisions in 1985, 1986 and 1987 are set out in the table. Data on the type of brake involved are not available as railway authorities are not required to specify such detail in reporting accidents of this sort to the Department.

  Locomotive

  Class

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Total

  008

  3

  1

  2

  6

  009

  0

  1

  0

  1

  020

  0

  0

  1

  1

  565

  Class

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Total

  025

  1

  0

  0

  1

  031

  6

  0

  2

  8

  033

  0

  1

  0

  1

  037

  1

  0

  3

  4

  045

  0

  2

  0

  2

  047

  13

  7

  2

  22

  058

  0

  0

  1

  1

  073

  1

  1

  3

  5

  085

  0

  1

  2

  3

  086

  0

  4

  1

  5

  087

  0

  1

  0

  1

  Steam

  1

  1

  0

  2

  TOTAL

  26

  20

  17

  63

  EMU/DMU

  Class

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Total

  101

  2

  1

  4

  7

  104

  0

  1

  0

  1

  105

  1

  0

  1

  2

  111

  0

  1

  0

  1

  115

  1

  0

  0

  1

  116

  0

  1

  0

  1

  117

  0

  0

  1

  1

  121

  0

  1

  0

  1

  141

  3

  3

  0

  6

  142

  0

  0

  2

  2

  205

  1

  0

  0

  1

  207

  0

  0

  1

  1

  254

  1

  0

  1

  2

  303

  0

  3

  1

  4

  305

  0

  1

  1

  2

  307

  0

  1

  0

  1

  309

  1

  0

  0

  1

  310

  0

  0

  1

  1

  311

  0

  1

  0

  1

  312

  1

  0

  0

  1

  313

  1

  3

  2

  6

  315

  1

  3

  1

  5

  317

  1

  1(1)

  0

  2

  318

  0

  0

  2

  2

  319

  0

  0

  1

  1

  414

  0

  1

  0

  1

  415

  5

  1

  5

  11

  416

  1

  1

  1

  3

  419

  1

  1

  1

  3

  423

  1

  3

  2

  6

  455

  8(3)

  6(5)

  7(1)

  21

  501

  1

  0

  0

  i

  507

  2

  0

  0

  2

  508

  1

  1

  0

  2

  LUL

  0

  0

  1

  1

  Casualty and Accident Rates: Great Britain: 1987

  Casualty rate/100 million passenger kms

  Accident rate/1,000 vehicles

  Accident rate/100 million vehicle kms

  Vehicle type

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  KSI

  Total

  KSI

  Total

  1. Ratio of rates for cars/motorcycles to those for minibuses:

  Minibus

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Car

  2·5

  2·7

  2·4

  1·0

  1·1

  1·2

  1·3

  Motor cycle

  65·0

  109·1

  47·9

  —

  —

  15·2

  12·1

  2. Casualty and accident rates:

  Minibus

  0·2

  2·2

  12·1

  3·6

  14·4

  19·1

  76·2

  Car

  0·5

  5·9

  28·7

  3·6

  16

  22·9

  102·8

  Motor cycle

  13

  240

  580

  n/a

  n/a

  290·0

  920·0

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Elders Plc
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assurances were sought from 566

  Class

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Total

  Total

  34

  35

  36

  105

  Figures in brackets denote a roll back on starting

  Ferries (Fires)
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fires have been reported to his Department occurring on British-registered ferries sailing out of British ports; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Channon
  Eleven such fires have been reported to my Department between 1 January and 8 December 1988. All these incidents have been, or are being, followed up.

  Bicester and Waddon Foxhounds
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from British Rail into the circumstances leading to the 9 am train from Poole to Glasgow being forced to make an emergency stop at Little Mill crossing, Cropredy on the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire border on Monday, 5 December, when the Bicester and Waddon foxhounds were obstructing the main railway line.

  Mr. Portillo
  I see no need to call for a report on this incident.

  Volunteer Drivers
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in his representations to the EEC Commission about the provision in the second transport directive relating to the practice in the United Kingdom of permitting volunteer drivers to be in charge of small coaches for transporting disabled persons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The proposals do not appear to go far enough since they would still involve a second test and higher medical standards for minibus drivers. These requirements would cause serious problems for organisations relying on volunteer drivers.

  The Government will continue to press for whatever changes are needed to allow these voluntary services to continue their valuable work. We have written to the commission to point out the safety record of minibuses. The table sets out the figures.

  Elders plc that it would not buy shares in Scottish and Newcastle Breweries plc, when it was advised that its bid was to be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; what assurances were received from Elders; and what alterations he proposes in order to make assurances mandatory and binding in future cases.
  567
  Mr. Maude
  Elders' advisers were clearly informed by the Office of Fair Trading at the time of the announcement of the reference that undertakings not to purchase further shares in Scottish and Newcastle were being sought. In the light of Elders' action the Secretary of State made an interim order under the Fair Trading Act 1973 requiring Elders not to acquire any further shares and not to vote any shares in Scottish and Newcastle above 15 per cent.

  The Secretary of State also announced that in future a similar prohibition on further share purchases will come into effect at the time a reference to the MMC is announced. At present this requires a new order to be made for each reference. It is intended that this prohibition will be put on a permanent footing by inclusion in the provisions relating to mergers in the forthcoming Companies Bill.

  FIMBRA
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he intends to seek to review and amend the protection afforded by the financial services legislation to FIM BRA members against libel actions and retaliatory loss of business should they report suspicions of wrongful activities to that body; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  If a FIMBRA member properly draws allegations of wrongdoing to the attention of a regulatory body having relevant regulatory functions under the FS Act his position will be no different from that of any other person acting similarly. Such communications should, in the absence of malice, be protected by qualified privilege, under the law of libel. I see no reason at this stage for seeking to change this position. If there has been any wrongful interference with the business of persons who have reported suspicions to a relevant body it shall be open to them to take appropriate legal action.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has concerning the total number of people employed by FIMBRA and each of the other self-regulatory organisations to scrutinise applications for membership; how many such applications were processed in each case in each of the last six months; and how many man hours per application were spent on average on each application.

  Mr. Maude
  This is a matter for the organisations concerned.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish in the Official Report a copy of the guidelines issued by the Securities and Investments Board on the procedures which should be adopted by self-regulatory organisations such as FIMBRA when suspending their members.

  Mr. Maude
  This is a matter for the Securities and Investments Board.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish in the Official Report a copy of the guidelines adopted by FIMBRA concerning their procedures when suspending members.

  Mr. Maude
  This is a matter for FIMBRA.

  Restaurants and Hotels
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many trading standards officers there are in the United Kingdom; how many are required to monitor compliance with the proposed voluntary code of practice on service, cover and minimum charges in restaurants and hotels amongst the 67,000 establishments concerned; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The purpose of the code of practice is to provide guidance to traders to help them to avoid misleading price indications. It would be a matter for each local weights and measures authority to decide if, in respect of particular circumstances, it was necessary for them to monitor compliance with the code.

  The number of trading standards officers in the United Kingdom are contained in the following tables.

  Table 1

  Great Britain

  Number of qualified trading standards officers in post with local weights and measures authorities

  Year ending 31 March 1987

  Number

  England

  1,207

  Scotland

  139

  Wales

  97

  Total—Great Britain

  1,443

  Note: The figures have been collated from the annual returns of local
  weights and measures authorities.

  Table 2

  Northern Ireland

  Number

  Number of qualified trading standards officers in post (as at 13 December 1988)

  20

  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether restaurants and hotels which suggest a voluntary service charge are liable to value added tax and national insurance on those charges; and what provision will be made in the voluntary code of practice to be introduced under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 in respect of those items.

  Mr. Forth
  Restaurants and hotels which suggest voluntary service charges are not liable for VAT on those charges. National insurance would be payable only where an employer controlled the distribution amongst staff of any voluntary service charges received.

  The code of practice for traders on price indications advises that all price indications given to ordinary consumers, by whatever means, should include VAT. It further advises that suggested optional sums, in addition to the price, whether for service or any other item, should not be included in bills presented to customers. No reference is made to national insurance, which is outside the scope of the code.

  Electronic Communications
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he expects to publish the report of the steering group set up in 1987 to advise on the prospects of the development of the electronic communications infrastructure in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Atkins
  The report by the communications steering group, "The Infrastructure For Tomorrow", has been
  569
  published today by HMSO along with an associated report "Evolution of the United Kingdom Communications Infrastructure" by PA consulting group. Copies of both reports have been deposited in the Library of the House. They are being published as a contribution to the discussion about the United Kingdom's future communications infrastructure needs.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Land Registry Office
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the current number of cases before the Land Registry Office awaiting processing; what is the average waiting time; and what action he proposes to take to reduce this backlog.

  The Attorney-General
  The total number of cases held at the Land Registry at various stages of processing is 1,168,052.

  The average time taken to complete an application is 16 weeks. Dealings with the whole of the land in a title, which represent 74 per cent. of the cases received, are completed in an average of nine weeks.

  In addition to the recruitment and training of over 2,000 staff since April 1988, new work initiatives to improve productivity have been introduced. The measures are expected to reduce the backlog, provided that the volume of applications does not rise substantially.

  Republic of Ireland (Extradition)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Attorney-General how many applications for extradition from the Republic of Ireland have had to be resubmitted, because the initial application was deemed by Republic of Ireland authorities to be insufficient in content, during the past 12 months.

  The Attorney-General
  No requests for extradition submitted to the authorities of the Republic of Ireland during the past 12 months have had subsequently to be resubmitted because they were deemed insufficient in content. In cases unaffected by the Irish Extradition (Amendment) Act 1987, the only documents required of United Kingdom police forces by Irish law are warrants of arrest and affidavits and certificates supporting them. No further explanation of such cases ordinarily is required.

  In cases to which the 1987 Act does apply, sufficient information has to be given to the Irish Attorney-General to satisfy him that the relevant United Kingdom prosecuting authority has a clear intention to prosecute and that this intention is founded upon the existence of sufficient evidence.

  Six applications for extradition falling into this category have been submitted during the past 12 months. In four of those cases the Irish Attorney-General has authorised the backing of warrants for the fugitive's arrest. In one case, that of Patrick Ryan, he has declined to do so, for the reasons which he has made public. The sixth case, submitted to him on 21 October, is still receiving his consideration.

  "Sinclair User"
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will prosecute the publishers of Sinclair User for offering to
  570
  supply an intoxicating substance within the meaning of section 1 of the Intoxicating Substance (Supply) Act 1985, in an advertisement carried on page 76 of the December 1988 edition; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The Director of Public Prosecutions has asked for police inquiries to be made into this matter. I shall write to my hon. Friend once those inquiries have been completed.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Iraq
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the numbers of Iraqi diplomats expelled in each year from the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1987, inclusive.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  As the information is not readily available, I shall write to the hon. Member once it is to hand.

  Antarctic
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to protect the environment of the Antarctic.

  Mr. Eggar
  Proposals for consideration at the next Antarctic treaty consultative meeting, to be held in Paris in October 1989, include the creation of a new category of protected area and a revised code of conduct for the disposal of waste. They are the result of requests for advice made by earlier consultative meetings to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). The United Kingdom participates fully in such consultative meetings.

  Western Europe (Security)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has anything to add to his comments made to the Western European Union Assembly on Wednesday 7 December concerning security of Western Europe in the light of the speech made to the United Nations by President Gorbachev on that date.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The cuts in Soviet forces announced by Mr. Gorbachev at the United Nations on 7 December represent an important and welcome first step towards securing a better balance of conventional forces in Europe, though they would still leave the Warsaw pact with superiority over the Alliance of some 2.5:1 in tanks and artillery (compared to approximately 3:1 at present). We and our allies hope to build on this hopeful development at the conventional stability talks due to start early next year in Vienna, where we will be pressing for the total and verifiable elimination of disparities in weapon systems relevant to surprise attack and offensive action.

  Dependent Territories (Health Services)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, prior to the implementation of the findings of the review of health services in the dependent territories, he will take urgent steps to provide assistance to Sterling Clarke, Vera Daniel, Sonia Cabey, Robert Fergus, David Favell, Michael White
  571
  and David Harris to enable them to travel to the United Kingdom for cardiac orthopaedic and ocular treatment not available in Montserrat, about which the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe has written to him.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government of Montserrat are responsible for their own internal affairs, including the provision of health care. This was one of the subjects that I discussed during my recent visit.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Education Reform
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action has been taken to inform parents and school governors of the provisions of the Education Reform Act 1988, and what costs are involved.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Copies of the following have been sent to every governing body since the passing of the Education Reform Act 1988 to help inform school governors and parents.

  1Printing costs £'000

  School governors

  Letter from the Secretary of State for Education and Science to the chairmen of school governing bodies on education reform

  21·0

  Letter from the Secretary of State for Education and Science to school governors on educational reform

  Guide for county and controlled school governors entitled "A Guide to the Law"

  263·0

  Booklet and letter for school governors on "How to become a Grant-maintained School"

  23·0

  Bulletin for school teachers and governors about the Education Reform Act

  24·0

  Circular on local management of schools

  12·0

  Circular on grant-maintained schools

  9·0

  Circular on admission of pupils to county and voluntary schools

  21·0

  Parents

  Notes for parents and leaflet about grant-maintained status

  11·0

  Booklet entitled "Our changing schools", a handbook for parents providing information on the education system and forthcoming changes

  375·0

  1 To 9 December 1988.

  Primary School Head Teachers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what evidence his Department has received about turnover among primary school head teachers; and if he will make a statement.

  Subject

  Number teaching the subject

  Number of these with a post A-level qualification in the subject

  Proportion of total tuition in the subject provided by teachers with a post A-level qualification in it

  Biology

  14,300

  11,800 (82 per cent.)

  91 per cent.

  Chemistry

  11,800

  9,400 (80 per cent.)

  91 per cent.

  Physics

  12,600

  8,800 (70 per cent.)

  83 per cent.

  General or combined science1

  28,400

  6,800 (24 per cent.)

  28 per cent.

  Other sciences1

  7,500

  3,000 (40 per cent.)

  56 per cent.

  572
  Mr. Butcher
  The Department estimates that in the year ending March 1986 the proportion of head teachers in England leaving the maintained nursery and primary sector was 7·3 per cent.

  The most recent survey by the local authorities' conditions of service advisory board, for the calendar year 1987, shows turnover of 4·8 per cent. among primary head teachers in England and Wales, compared with 7·2 per cent. from a similar survey for the financial year 1985–86.

  GCSE System
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the impact of the GCSE system on university courses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The first awards of GCSE certificates were made in the summer of 1988, and the holders would not expect to enter higher education before autumn 1990. It would be premature to assess any possible effects. The GCE examining boards have taken account, in their continual revision of A-level syllabuses, of changes needed in the light of GCSE. Modifications to A-levels and subsequent higher education courses may be needed, but revolutionary changes are in general neither necessary nor desirable.

  "A Strategy for the Science Base"
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made towards a response to the advice of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils, "A Strategy for the Science Base", and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend is taking account of the ABRC's strategy advice in the continuing development of detailed policies for the science base. These will be substantially underpinned by the £306 million increase in the science budget over the next three years which my right hon. Friend announced on 1 November at column 605.

  Science Teachers
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many science teachers there are at present in schools; and how many of these are fully qualified for this subject.

  Mr. Butcher
  Estimates of the number of teachers of science subjects, with and without a science qualification, available from the 1984 secondary school staffing survey of maintained schools in England are as follows:
  573
  1 Teachers with a post A-level qualification in "general or combined science" and in "other sciences" exclude those with qualifications specifically in biology, chemistry or physics.

  A further secondary school staffing survey was conducted in 1988. The results of this are expected to be available shortly.

  Exam Results
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the percentages of school leavers obtaining no graded result in GCE and CSE for each year since 1970–71.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The table relates to the percentage of English school leavers with no A-level pass nor any graded result at GCE O-level or CSE.

  Leavers with no graded results1

  England

  Academic years

  Percentages

  1970–71

  44·1

  1971–72

  43·0

  21972–73

  7·3

  1973–74

  20·4

  1974–75

  18·6

  1975–76

  16·5

  1976–77

  14·8

  1977–78

  14·3

  1978–79

  12·8

  1979–80

  12·2

  1980–81

  11·4

  1981–82

  10·6

  1982–83

  9·6

  1983–84

  9·5

  1984–85

  9·4

  1985–86

  9·6

  1986–87

  9·4

  1 Subject to sampling error.

  2 The numbers of school leavers fell in 1973 following the raising of the minimum school leaving age from 15 to 16 in September 1972.

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to ensure that school subjects not specified as foundation subjects of the national curriculum will be safeguarded in courses of initial and in-service teacher training.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend is confident that the full range of what is taught in schools will continue to be included both in courses of initial teacher training and in-service teacher training activities.

  Research
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the Natural Environment Research Council has any plans to fund interdisciplinary research into the interactions between sea birds, fish stocks and commercial fisheries in Shetland and neighbouring waters.

  Mr. Jackson
  I understand from the Natural Environment Research Council that it is considering a proposal from a university group on the interaction between sea birds and sand eels. A decision will be taken in the spring, following a full peer review of the proposal.

  Medical Research Council
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the annual report of the Medical Research Council for 1987–88; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The annual report of the Medical Research Council for 1987–88 has been submitted to me under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act1965. A copy has been laid before the House, and the report is being published today.

  I was most interested to study the report, and in an eventful year for the council, I was particularly encouraged to note:

  i. the wide-ranging studies being undertaken on AIDS, including research on the development of vaccines and drugs, epidemiological studies on heterosexual transmission and on infection in infants, research on the social and biological factors influencing transmission in Africa, and the introduction of collaborative international research agreements.

  ii. exciting progress on the influence of specific strutural features of the human B-globin gene on its expression, with important implications for the development of new therapeutic agents and new therapies such as for human inherited diseases.

  iii. research of direct relevance to the health services, particularly a controlled study of outpatient cataract surgery, monitoring of the performance of intensive care units, and a controlled trial of community based care after hospital discharge.

  iv. research on rehabilitation for those with head and spinal injuries, including the treatment of incontinence and the restoration of limb movement in paraplegic and tetraplegic patients.

  v. the successful establishment of a centre for collaborative research, dedicated to work jointly with industry on strategic research problems which have the potential to lead to exploitable new products and processes.

  Local Authority Employees
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to protect the rights of local authority employees who are re-employed by(a) grant-maintained schools and (b) city technology colleges or city colleges for technology of the arts.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  It has always been my intention to protect the employment rights of staff moving from the local authority sector to either grant-maintained schools, city technology colleges or city colleges for the technology of the arts. Subject to the outcome of the necessary consultations, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment proposes to bring grant-maintained schools, city technology colleges and city colleges for the technology of the arts within the scope of the Redundancy Payments (Local Government) (Modification) Order 1983, with effect from 1 April 1989.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Harland and Wolff
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the precise nature and terms of the negotiations presently under way with Bulk Transport Shipping, Mr. Ugur Mengercioglu
  575
  and Sealink British Ferries on the proposed sell-off of Harland and Wolff and on the state of his discussions with the management and employees of Harland and Wolff on their proposed buy-out.

  Mr. Viggers
  No. The companies interested in acquiring Harland and Wolff have asked that negotiations should be confidential. I have met recently Sealink which is considering its future requirement for ferries; and I have also held discussions with senior managers of the company about a proposed management/employee buy-out. No firm proposal has yet been tabled.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review his policy of preventing Harland and Wolff competing for new contracts while the company remains in public ownership; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Viggers
  The Government believe that the best prospects for Harland and Wolff lie in its return to the private sector and they are not willing to permit the company to enter into new contracts until future arrangements for the yard are resolved.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what safeguards on future employment levels the Government are seeking in their negotiations with potential purchasers of a) Harland and Wolff and (b) Shorts.

  Mr. Viggers
  Prospective purchasers of both Harland and Wolff and Shorts are being asked to address a number of specific matters in their proposals, including the future levels of employment in the companies. In the long run, however, employment levels will be determined by commercial success.

  Short Brothers plc
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the proposed timetable for the sale of Shorts and the Government's contingency plans to safeguard the future of the company if no suitable offers are received.

  Mr. Viggers
  Interested parties have already been asked to register their interest with the Government's merchant bank advisers and an information memorandum is being prepared which will be issued to a selected short list. The Government are committed to the privatisation of Shorts and their preference is that the company should be sold as a single unit. Beyond this, I have nothing to add to my statement of 21 July.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his plans to produce a series of mini-prospectuses for potential purchasers of Shorts indicating the availability of sections of the company for separate purchase.

  Mr. Viggers
  I have no plans to produce a series of mini-prospectuses.

  Game Birds
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what tests have been carried out on game birds in the areas of Northern Ireland affected by the Chernobyl disaster; and what has been the result of the tests.
  576
  Mr. Needham
  During the winters of 1986–87 and 1987–88 the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland arranged for tests to assess the levels of caesium 134 and 137 in game birds which migrate to the Province from areas in northern Europe which were particularly affected by radioactive pollution from Chernobyl. The results of the surveys, which were published, showed that there was no danger to health from eating game birds. I am arranging for copies of the press statements issued in March 1987 and June 1988, including schedules of the test results, to be placed in the Library.

  Health Boards (Grading Appeals)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the machinery to be used by health boards in Northern Ireland to hear appeals about the new grading system; and about the advice he has given to health boards about the methods and time scale for resolving any problems.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: Health and social services boards are reviewing informally the grades of nurses who are unhappy with their new grades. Staff who remain dissatisfied may make a formal appeal using the normal appeals procedure agreed by the general council. As there is yet no indication of the likely number of nurses who will make use of the formal procedures I have not given advice to boards about the methods and timetable for resolving problems which may arise. I shall keep the matter under review.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  United Reform Church
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he has sent to letters sent to him dated 8 July, 16 September and 29 November from the Reverend Michael Davies, moderator of the Thames North province of the United Reform Church; and if he will make a statement concerning the delay in responding.

  Mr. Renton
  I am writing to the hon. Member.

  Smoke Detectors
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations his Department has had with chief fire officers over smoke detectors.

  Mr. John Patten
  Smoke alarms have been discussed with representatives of chief fire officers, in the context of publicity within the forum of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council at its meeting on 22 September and also at recent meetings of some of the council's subsidiary committees. We shall be writing to chief fire officers in the Thames and Granada television regions this week seeking their support for a further public education campaign based on television advertising in the new year.

  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet able to report progress on pilot schemes being conducted to place smoke detectors in local authority domestic accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  A Home Office research project with Tameside metropolitan borough council and Greater
  577
  Manchester county fire service, under which smoke alarms are to be installed in 10,000 homes in the Tameside area of Greater Manchester, was formally launched on 6 December. The neighbourhoods and dwellings are being selected on as random a basis as possible to reflect a wide cross-section of the community and local authority dwellings are included in the scheme.

  The results will be monitored over the next three years to find out the overall effectiveness of smoke alarms in alerting occupants to the outbreak of fire and reducing fire casualties.

  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations his Department has had with home safety organisations over smoke detectors.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Home Office consults widely on fire safety matters but there have been no specific consultations with home safety organisations in recent months.

  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations his Department has had with local authorities over smoke detectors.

  Mr. John Patten
  Smoke alarms have been discussed with local authorities' representatives in the context of publicity within the forum of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council at its meeting on 22 September and also at recent meetings of some of the council's subsidiary committees.

  Fires
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the latest available figures of fires in dwellings and other occupied buildings by source of ignition.

  Mr. John Patten
  The latest available information relates to accidental fires in dwellings and other occupied buildings in 1986 analysed by source of ignition, and is published in tables 3 and 34 of "Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1986". Figures for 1987 will be published on 20 December in table 3 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 39/88, "Summary Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1987".

  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the figures for fatal and non-fatal casualties from accidental fires in dwellings by source of ignition in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested for 1984, 1985 and 1986 is published in table 11 of "Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1986". Figures for 1987 will be published on 20 December in table 11 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 39/88, "Summary Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1987".

  Cable Television
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to seek to ensure that all films shown on cable television meet the same standards of classification as those applied under the Video Recordings Act 1984.

  Mr. Renton
  All cable services are regulated by the Cable Authority, established by the Cable and 578
  Broadcasting Act 1984. I understand that the Authority has approved a self-classification process for films not classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), using a comparable classification scheme. The authority has taken further steps to safeguard viewers, by developing guidelines for the scheduling and identification of films shown on cable according to these classifications. A film or uncut version of a film refused certification by the BBFC would be similarly rejected under the authority's cable classification system.

  Immigration
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the revised guidelines on the handling of representations by hon. Members in immigration cases will come into effect; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  I have made certain amendments to the provisions of the draft revised guidelines first circulated on 18 July in the light of points made to my hon. Friend the Minister of State in the debate on 10 November. My hon. Friend is writing to all Members today enclosing the final text of the revised guidelines and a copy has also been placed in the Library. The revised guidelines will be implemented on 3 January 1989 in respect of all representations received on or after that date.

  The guidelines issued on 18 July by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary in connection with Members' representations about the operation of the immigration control overseas will also come into effect as from 3 January 1989.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the outcome of the meeting of European Community immigration Ministers in Athens on 9 December.

  Mr. Hurd
  This was the fifth such meeting following, an initiative taken during the United Kingdom Presidency in 1986 to help prepare the EC's approach to the creation of the single market by the end of 1992 so far as the movement of persons is concerned.

  On this occasion the meeting took place after the meeting of the European Council, upon which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reported to the House on 6 December at columns 173 to 186. Meeting in Rhodes, the European Council, in its final communique on 3 December, noting that the achievement of objectives in relation to frontiers was linked to progress in intergovernmental co-operation to combat terrorism and other serious crime, indicated that member states would each appoint a co-ordinator to help the Community achieve results. Although there are already established arrangements within the United Kingdom, I signified, at the Athens meeting, the United Kingdom Government's support for this proposal whose implementation is now being given urgent study amongst EC partners.

  Otherwise the Athens meeting's main work was to review the progress of the ad hoc working group on immigration and its sub-groups on asylum and fraudulent travel papers. Ministers noted the linkages between aligning visa policy, frontier controls and asylum practice in the drive to simplify controls at EC internal frontiers, and took account of various practical measures identified for action or further study. It appears that, if a basis for agreement can be found on which state should be

  579
  responsible for considering individual applications for asylum, most EC states will need to legislate to give it effect.

  In the context of the meeting, I took the opportunity to mention the Government's intention to introduce next spring a single immigration channel for all nationals of the EC (including British nationals) entering the country. The aim of this change is to reduce, as far as possible, the levels of checks on EC nationals entering the United Kingdom without disturbing our ability to maintain adequate controls on nationals of third countries.

  At the same time, I reminded the meeting that there could be no question of abandoning checks on third country nationals at internal frontiers in the foreseeable future. This was a point emphasised by my right hon. Friend on 6 December and in which the United Kingdom is supported by a number of EC partners. This means that checks will have to be maintained on all travellers to ensure that the authenticity of their claims may be verified.

  Further, although it arose as part of separate consideration it is relevant to add that the Trevi group's meeting which immediately followed that of immigration Ministers—and upon which I shall be reporting separately ·considered the implication of 1992 for the maintenance of successful defence in depth against terrorism and serious crime. It decided to authorise further study of how to strike the right balance between greater freedom of movement for the development of the Community on the one hand and, on the other, creating an open market for terrorists and major criminals.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of overseas applicants for entry to the United Kingdom are awaiting reconsideration of their cases on the basis of DNA tests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Ban on Drinking in Public Places
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider extending the experimental ban on drinking in public places to encompass the town of Beverley.

  Mr. John Patten
  Seven local authorities, including Coventry, are trying out the experimental byelaw which makes it an offence to drink alcohol in a public place and we have no plans to extend the experiment. I believe that it is sensible to wait and see how this measure works out in practice in these areas before deciding whether to offer the byelaw for general adoption by local authorities.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Services
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what account he takes of reports of the relevant United States congressional committees when considering improvements in hon. Members' services.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The House of Commons (Services) Committeee and its sub-committes take account of all relevant information that is available. If the hon. Member 580
  has any particular report in mind may I suggest that, in the first instance, he brings it to the attention of the appropriate sub-committee.

  Accommodation
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. or right hon. Members have not been allocated a room.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Five. However, there are sufficient desks for allocation to all right hon. and hon. Members, whether they choose to accept them or not.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. and right hon. Members(a) have been allocated a single room, (b) share a room with one other hon. or right hon. Member, (c) share a room with two other hon. or right hon. Members and (d) share a room with three or more hon. or right hon. Members.

  Mr. Wakeham
  A total of 283 right hon. and hon. Members occupy single rooms, 230 share a room with one other right hon. or hon. Member, 36 share a room with two other hon. Members and 95 share a room with three or more right hon. or hon. Members.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. and right hon. Members have rooms allocated to parliamentary assistants or secretaries.

  Mr. Wakeham
  None. Rooms are allocated to right hon. and hon. Members and it is up to them to decide what use is made of their accommodation.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many parliamentary assistants or secretaries have been allocated a room; and how many share a room with(a) one other person, (b) two other persons and (c) more than three persons.

  Mr. Wakeham
  None. However there are 422 right hon. and hon. Members who have been allocated a desk for use by either their private secretary or research assistant. A total of 26 share a room with one other, 66 share a room with two others and 321 share a room with three or more others.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Salmonella
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many inspections have been carried out(a) in 1987 and (b) in 1988 of protein processing plants making chicken feed; how many of these showed plants to be contaminated with salmonella; and how many prosecutions were brought under the Protein Processing Order 1981 against the infected plants.

  Mr. Ryder
  In 1987, 83 statutory inspections were carried out and 21 cases of salmonella contamination recorded. So far in 1988, 135 inspections have taken place, with 17 cases of salmonella contamination. In each of these cases advice was given on how to eliminate the contamination and prevent recurrence. On re-inspection all samples of products from these contaminated plants were found to be clear of salmonella contamination and so no prosecutions were brought.
  581
  In 1988 the policy has been to inspect each plant at approximately six-monthly intervals, with additional visits to those plants where problems have been found. We are currently considering introducing measures requiring plants to test each day's production for salmonella, and to make the results available to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated level of contamination of imported animal feedstuffs by salmonella; what powers his Department has to monitor and control such contamination; and whether he plans to seek to increase his powers in this respect.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  A very small proportion of compound animal feed is imported. The majority of imports are of the raw materials for incorporation into feeding stuffs.

  Statutory controls apply to the importation of all animal protein requiring all imports to be licensed. Importations made in contravention of these controls may be required to be re-exported, destroyed or treated. Importations of animal protein are also monitored and samples are taken for testing for salmonella contamination. The overall contamination rate found in imported animal protein in 1987 was 28 per cent.

  Discussions between representatives of the animal feeding stuffs industry and my officials are already under way to consider the application of the present controls and the need for any further measures to reduce salmonella contamination in feedingstuffs and their components.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the names and locations of the 21 protein processing plants that were inspected in 1987 and found to be contaminated with salmonella; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: Protein processing plants are subject to inspections under the Diseases of Animals (Protein Processing) Order 1986 to ensure that their product conforms with the required bacteriological standard and contains no salmonella. The 21 plants which were inspected in 1987 and failed these tests were given advice on overcoming their problems and when subsequently re-inspected were found to be meeting the required bacteriological standard.

  In these circumstances prosecutions were not taken. Information on the identity of the plants concerned is a matter of commercial confidence.

  Milk
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the retail sale value of one pint of milk is paid to the farmer.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Approximately 45 per cent.

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average yearly farm income in each of the four countries of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Detailed information on farm incomes is provided in the Ministry publication "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom" (1988 edition), a copy of 582
  which is in the Library of the House. Table 3.5 (p. 75) provides annual estimates of aggregate farming income for each country and table 2.3 (p. 18) provides estimates of net farm income by farm type, size group and country. This publication also provides further information on farm incomes and definitions of the above terms.

  Butter
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tonnes of butter there are in store within the EEC; what were the corresponding figures for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  At the end of October 1988, there were 374,922 tonnes of butter in store within the EEC, 162,928 tonnes in intervention, and 211,994 tonnes in aided private storage. Corresponding stock figures for the end of the previous 10 years are given in the table.

  EC Butter Stocks at 31 December (to nearest 100 tonnes)

  Intervention tonnes

  Aided private storage tonnes

  Total tonnes

  1978

  231,500

  186,500

  418,000

  1979

  270,800

  100,600

  371,400

  1980

  128,800

  110,600

  239,400

  1981

  11,100

  136,100

  147,200

  1982

  111,900

  193,800

  305,700

  1983

  692,100

  161,300

  853,400

  1984

  841,500

  107,400

  948,900

  1985

  995,800

  127,700

  1,123,500

  1986

  1,283,300

  83,200

  1,366,500

  1987

  859,900

  98,200

  958,100

  Bracken (Sprays)
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department or any relevant agencies have given any guidance to local authorities, landowners and farmers in respect of the environmental and public health implications of using sprays to control the spread of brackens in national parks or other areas of countryside.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Ministry has published a leaflet "P190 —Bracken Control". It is available from ADAS staff at local offices of the Ministry.

ENERGY

  AERE, Harwell
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what contracts Harwell Atomic Energy Authority research centre has with the Ministry of Defence; whether any of these involve handling plutonium; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (Harwell) undertakes work, under commercial contract for the Ministry of Defence. which exploits its expertise in a range of matters including plutonium handling.

  Trawsfynydd Magnox Plant
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if the additional cost incurred on the Central Electricity
  583
  Governing Board to generate replacement electricity for the output of Trawsfynydd Magnox plant has been accounted against nuclear or fossil fuel expenditure.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Output from nuclear plant is maximised at all times. Any shortfall in that output must be made up by an equivalent increase in fossil-fuelled generation. Nuclear and fossil-fuelled generation respectively are not separately accounted for within the bulk supply tariff.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the decision by the nuclear installations inspectorate to refuse permission to the Central Electricity Generating Board to restart the Trawsfynydd Magnox nuclear plant on 24 November; and on what basis further decisions were made by the nuclear installations inspectorate to allow it subsequently to start.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Consent to start up reactor 1 at Trawsfynydd was given by the nuclear installations inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive on 2 December 1988. This followed the satisfactory resolution of issues identified at a meeting between the nuclear installations inspectorate and the Central Electricity Generating Board.

  Hinkley Point C
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what communications have been received by his Department from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament pursuant to the attendance at the Hinkley Point C public inquiry by Christopher Wilcock of his Department; and if he will set out the issues addressed in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament letter and the departmental responses.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  A letter from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was received on 24 November. A reply will be sent as soon as possible.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current status of the joint United States and United Kingdom fast reactor research programme announced by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in 1979; what is the total amount of plutonium to date transferred(a) from the United Kingdom to the United States of America and (b) from the United States of America to the United Kingdom under this programme; and in what form this plutonium has been transported.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The research work under the joint United Kingdom and United States fast reactor research programme announced by the UKAEA in 1979 was successfully completed in 1987. The studies of the results are now being finalised. There have been no net transfers of plutonium (other than in gram quantities) between the United Kingdom and the United States arising from the programme.

  Electricity Bill
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will initiate an investigation into the leaking of a draft of the Electricity supply industry privatisation Bill to the fortnightly publication Power in Europe which published details on 24 November.
  584
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No.

  Natural Gas
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of total electricity in the European Community is produced from natural gas; and what is the percentage of each member country.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  In 1986, the latest year for which data are available for all member states, 6·5 per cent. of electricity in the Community was produced from natural gas. Figures for individual member states are in the following table.

  Member state

  Percentage of electricity produced from natural gas (1986)

  Belgium

  1·5

  Denmark

  1·9

  Federal Republic of Germany

  6·2

  France

  0·8

  Greece

  0·2

  Ireland

  22·4

  Italy

  15·8

  Luxembourg

  0·1

  Netherlands

  61·9

  Portugal

  —

  Spain

  1·7

  United Kingdom

  0·6

  Source: Energy Statistical Yearbook, 1986.
  (S.O.E.C December 1987).

DEFENCE

  Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (Burghfield)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what materials were being disposed of at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December;

  (2) what distance the area being used to dispose of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December was from: (a) work places at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, (b) any surrounding buildings and (c) areas accessible to the public;

  (3) what surface explosive material was being burnt at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December;

  (4) how the explosive materials being disposed of at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December were ignited;

  (5) if the site used for disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December has a water supply with sufficient stand pipes and hoses to allow access to all areas; and if he will specify any other means of extinguishing fires that were present at the disposal site;

  (6) if the site used for disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December (a) was fenced to prevent inadvertant entry and (b) had a red flag displayed to indicate disposal taking place;
  585
  (7) how many entrances there are to the site for the disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December:

  (8) what protective clothing and other safety equipment was issued for the use of burning site operators at the site used for the disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December;

  (9) what type of log was kept of disposal operations at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December; and what details it contains;

  (10) why the disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December took place in the hours of darkness;

  (11) if the explosives disposal site at the atomic weapons establishment, Burghfield, is licensed by any organisation outside his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 8 December at column 252.

  Private Security Companies
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the private security companies listed in his answer to the hon. Member for Leyton of 2 November,Official Report, column 645, guard establishments in the (a) Bristol and (b) Oxford areas.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None.

  European Defence Contractors
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards cross-border alliances between European defence contractors.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Ministry monitors cross-border alliances between European defence contractors and assesses on a case-by-case basis their implications for our ability to secure value for money in procurement.

  Retired Research Staff (Emigration)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions exist on retired research staff from Aldermaston and Burghfield emigrating to the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 8 December at column 267.

  Property Sales
  Mrs. Rosie Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are any plans to sell the Dreadnought seaman's hospital building and the nurses' home off King William walk in Greenwich.

  Mr. Freeman
  Greenwich hospital, of which my right hon. Friend is the trustee, is the freeholder of the Dreadnought seamen's hospital building and the Devonport nurses' home. There are no plans to sell the freehold of these buildings. Since the Dreadnought 586
  building is no longer required as a hospital, new uses for it and the associated buildings are now under consideration.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Her Majesty's Stationery Office
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in developing Her Majesty's Stationery Office as an executive agency.

  Mr. Lawson
  I am pleased to announce that HMSO will today become an executive agency under the Next Steps initiative. HMSO is already a successful Government trading fund. Executive agency status will help it to develop its business on sound commercial lines. with significantly greater managerial freedom and a more flexible pay structure best suited to the achievement of its aims and objectives. HMSO will be expected, in return, to achieve progressively more demanding profit and performance targets. This is reflected in the framework document governing the operation of the agency and in a new Treasury minute which is being laid today under the Government Trading Fund Act 1973. Copies of the framework document are being placed in the Library of the House.

  Family Incomes
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has produced any estimate of the expected impact on the living standards of an average sized family on average incomes of the combined effects of the poll tax and the privatisation of electricity and water.

  Mr. Major
  No specific estimate is available. However, to raise the same revenue from community charge as from domestic rates will need no change in the average household bill. The introduction of competition and the disciplines of the private sector into the electricity and water supply industries will put downward pressure on costs and prices.

  Debt Repayment
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the total debt repayment paid by Britain in the current year; if he will express the figures as a percentage of gross domestic product; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Major
  The public sector debt repayment (PSDR) is expected to be about £10 billion in 1988–89, equivalent to 2 per cent. of gross domestic product. On the basis of this forecast, the PSDR in 1988–89 will be larger as a proportion of money GDP than in any year since the beginning of the 1950s, the earliest date for which figures on this basis are available.

  VAT
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to exempt apnoea respiratory monitors from value added tax.

  Mr. Lilley
  Apnoea respiratory monitors may be zero-rated when supplied to specified "eligible bodies", provided that they are purchased with funds provided by
  587
  a charity or from voluntary donations. "Eligible bodies" include health authorities, non-profit making hospitals and research institutions, charitable institutions providing care or medical or surgical treatment for handicapped people and charitable institutions providing rescue or first-aid services.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow can expect to receive answers to his letters of 12 October and 16 November about value added tax on new buildings.

  Mr. Lilley
  I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 12 December.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on how many occasions value added tax has been waived on contracts awarded by the health authorities to outside companies;

  (2) how many contracts awarded to tenders from companies outside the National Health Service have had value added tax applied to them.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answers 12 December 1988]: Value added tax applies in the normal way to all such contracts. Health authorities can however claim refund of the tax where section 27(2A) of the Value Added Tax Act 1983 applies. Information on the number of contracts in question is not available.

  Cancer Screening
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the mobile breast screening unit provided by the Wessex Cancer Trust as a registered charity has now been made subject to value added tax.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 8 December 1988]: Medical equipment donated to a health authority by a charity is entitled to zero-rating when it is to be used solely for medical research, diagnosis or treatment. The zero rate covers X-ray and other specialist medical equipment for a mobile breast screening service, but it does not, I regret, extend to equipment such as general purpose trailers or towing units. If the Wessex Cancer Trust can produce further evidence to show that the unit in question does constitute specialist medical equipment, Customs and Excise will of course be pleased to reconsider the case.

  Coventry Four
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what charges are still outstanding against Colonel Hendrik Botha, Stephanus de Jaser, William Metelerkamp and Jacobus la Grange.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: The four would face charges that they conspired with each other and with others on diverse dates between 23 February 1982 and 1 April 1984 to evade prohibitions in force on the exportation of goods from the United Kingdom pursuant to the provisions of the Export of Goods Control Order 1981 whereby an offence or offences contrary to section 170(2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 would have been committed.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date in 1984 passports were returned to those persons known as the Coventry four.
  588
  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: Passports were not returned to the persons known as the "Coventry Four".

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the bail money offered by Mr. Andre Pelser in the case of the persons known as the Coventry four has been returned to persons acting for or on behalf of the South African Government.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: The £400,000 offered by Mr. Andre Pelser was estreated by the Coventry magistrates court. Estreated bail is paid into the Consolidated Fund.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many summaries of developments in the inquiries by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise into the case of those persons known as the Coventry four were written; and to whom they were despatched.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: I regret that this information is not available.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will name the four persons remanded before magistrates at Coventry in March 1984 on charges of breaching arms embargo regulations.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: The four persons were William Randolph Metelerkamp, Hendrik Jacobus Botha, Stephanus Johannes de Jager and Jacobus Francois La Grange.

  Building Societies
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exhequer what is the ratio of investors in building societies to those who have mortgages from them.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: Figures in the annual report of the Building Societies Commission for 1987–88 suggest that at the end of 1987 there were in total 45·6 million investing shareholders and depositors in building societies. Since some people have an account at more than one society and many people have joint accounts, the exact number of individual investors is not known. During the same period there were 7·2 million borrowers with mortgages. This figure treats as single borrowers almost all holders of joint mortgages.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Mr. Frank Ballard
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will investigate the reasons why his Department's records division at Newcastle upon Tyne has not acknowledged or replied to the letters sent by Mr. Frank Ballard of 20 High street, Colton, Rugeley, Staffordshire, on 14 July and 23 October regarding a deficiency in credits for the year 1986–87.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that there is no record of receipt of Mr. Ballard's first letter in July. His letter of 23 October with which he enclosed a copy of his original letter was forwarded to the Department's local office at Lichfield to answer and a reply was sent on 14 November. I am writing to my hon. Friend.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retirement pensioners are in receipt of an occupational pension; and what is the average weekly income from occupational pensions.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Approximately 3·4 million pensioner tax units1 were in receipt of an occupational pension in 1986; the average weekly amount was £39·54.

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1986.

  1A pensioner tax unit is a single pensioner over state pension age or a couple where the man is over state pension age.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of (i) all pensioners, (ii) single male pensioners, (iii) single female pensioners, (iv) pensioner couples, (v) single women aged 75 years or over, (vi) single men aged 75 years or over and (vii) couples where at least one partner is aged 75 years or over, are in receipt of an occupational pension; and, for each group, what is the average amount received.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Proportion of pensioner tax units1 with occupational pensions percentage

  Average weekly amount received2 £

  All pensioners

  50

  39·43

  Single males

  55

  32·20

  Single females

  38

  27·66

  Pensioner couples

  65

  50·79

  Single women aged 75 and over

  31

  27·60

  Single men aged 75 and over

  50

  31·12

  Couples where at least one partner is aged 75 and over

  42

  36·73

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1986.

  1 A tax unit is a single person of pensionable age or a couple where the man is of pensionable age.

  2 Average amounts are based on the number of pensioners actually in receipt of occupational pensions.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of (i) all pensioners and (ii) newly retired pensioners have neither a state additional pension nor an occupational pension.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of(a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples who are in receipt of income support;

  (2) what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of single pensioners aged (a) 75 years and over and (b) 80 years and over who are in receipt of income support;

  (3) what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of pensioner couples aged (a) 75 years and over and (b) 80 years and over who are in receipt of income support.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:590

  Total numbers in 000's

  Proportion

  All pensioners

  Single

  1,340

  27

  Couples

  335

  9

  Pensioners 75 and over

  Single

  735

  31

  Couples

  100

  13

  Pensioners 80 and over

  Single

  435

  31

  Couples

  40

  13

  Notes:

  1. For the purpose of this table pensioners are defined as those in receipt of a pensioner premium.

  2. Proportions are those in receipt of Income Support as a percentage of total pensioner units within the group.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of(a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples who are in receipt of housing benefit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Special arrangements have been made with the Department of Employment's claimant adviser service for family credit claims made by families of people assisted into work by them to be dealt with through a streamlined procedure. The target is for 90 per cent. of these claims to be cleared within five working days. This target is being met and 95 per cent. are cleared within 10 working days. Other claimants resuming work after claiming income support are sent a specially marked family credit claim form so that, if necessary, their claims can be given priority. The target is to clear these claims, as other family credit claims, in an average of 18 working days. In November a clearance rate of just under 23 days was achieved.

  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from pensioners' organisations about the effect on their pensions of recent changes in the financial climate.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since the beginning of October we have received 18 such representations.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of gross national product is devoted to payments to pensioners.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. Social security expenditure on the elderly is approximately 5 per cent. of GDP.

  Taxes and Benefits
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his answer on taxes and benefits on 25 March,Official Report, column 244 for 1989–90 assuming that tax allowances are indexed according to the statutory formula and taking account of the uprating of benefits.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Figures for 1989–90 are not available.

  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there is a specific target for clearing claims for family credit for people who have moved into paid work.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Special arrangements have been made with the Department of Employment's Claimant Adviser
  591
  Service for Family Credit claims made by families of people assisted into work by them to be dealt with through a streamlined procedure. The target is for 90 per cent. of these claims to be cleared within 5 working days. This target is being met and 95 per cent. are cleared within 10 working days. Other claimants resuming work after claiming Income Support are sent a specially marked Family Credit claim form so that, if necessary, their claims can be given priority. The target is to clear these claims, as other Family Credit claims, in a average of 18 working days. In November a clearance rate of just under 23 days was achieved.

  Severe Disablement Allowance
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he plans any alteration in severe disablement allowance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We do not have any plans for major changes to the structure of severe disablement allowance pending our consideration of the reports on the survey of disabled people undertaken by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

  Crisis Loans
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time between a claimant applying for a crisis loan and the person receiving the girocheque in payment of the loan.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is not available.

  Crisis loan applications are decided as soon as all necessary information has been obtained. Inevitably it takes longer to proces some applications than others, but a majority are decided and paid on the date of application.

  Transitional Payments
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department's Glasgow office will determine the eligibility or otherwise of transitional payments for Mrs. P. D. Mills of 1 John Till Close, Rugeley, Staffordshire following the return of the completed questionnaire requesting information relating to housing benefit by the Cannock Chase district council on 10 October.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The notification about the outcome of the application for housing benefit transitional payments, in the case referred to, was sent out to the applicant on 3 November.

  Durham Local Office
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, for Durham Department of Social Security office since April in all cases, what was(a) the total budget and (b) the amount spent to date for (i) budgeting and crisis loans and (ii) community care grants expressing (b) as a proportion of (a) in each case; (c) what was the average (i) budgeting loan, (ii) crisis loan, (iii) community care grant, (iv) maternity payment and (v) funeral payment paid out; (d) how many people have been refused (i) a loan, (ii) a community care grant and (iii) both; (e) how many people were refused a loan more than once in a one
  592
  month period; (f) how many applications were refused under the 26-week rule; and (g) how many people were refused extention loans on the grounds of their existing commitments.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on numbers of applications for social fund loans and grants processed and awarded, listed by local office, including information on budget allocations and expenditure, is available from the details held in the Library.

  A statutory amount of £85 is available in respect of maternity payments. However, any capital held by the applicant in excess of £500 is taken into account on a pound-for-pound basis. In the period from April to November 1988 the average amounts paid out from the social fund in the Durham office in respect of funeral payments was £310·44.

  In the period from April to November 1988 a total of 129 applicants were refused awards on the grounds that they had either not been in receipt of income support for 26 weeks or that they had previously applied for the same item or service in the preceding 26 weeks and their circumstances had remained unchanged.

  Information on the number of applicants refused a loan more than once in the one month period or the number of applicants refused a second or subsequent loan on the grounds of existing commitments is not available.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give for(a) Durham local office area and (b) England (i) the number of claimants who have experienced, or will experience real reductions in income as a result of the changes made to diet and heating allowances in April and (ii) the amount saved by this means.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Estimates of the information required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the average benefit paid to disabled claimants at Durham local office for the periods(a) 4-10 April and (b) 11-17 April, excluding transitional protection.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that this information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Single Parents
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what support from within the community is available to lone parents under the age of 18 years who are unable to gain support from their own family or his Department.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Lone parents under age 18 are eligible for income support from this Department subject to the normal rules. Lone parents were not affected by the general withdrawal of entitlement to income support from 16 and 17-year-olds. Young lone parents can also claim other benefits such as family credit, housing benefit, child benefit and one parent benefit provided that they fulfil the conditions of entitlement. A lone parent under age 18 may also be able to obtain help of other kinds from local authorities and voluntary organisations.

  Working Mothers
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing estimates of the
  593
  numbers of women who are working, with children, who have marginal tax rates in excess of 50 per cent., broken down into bands of 10 per cent. and into married women and one-parent families.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information is not currently available.

  Form FC1
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will revise the family claim form FC1.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We expect to bring a revised version into use in the spring.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was raised through national insurance contributions in 1987; and on what it was expended.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This information is not available for the calendar year 1987. Figures for the financial year ended 31 March 1987 are contained in the account of the national insurance fund for 1986–87 (House of Commons Paper 277). The account for 1987–88 will be published in the new year.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will report on the progress being made by the occupational pensions board in considering measures to safeguard the rights of occupational scheme members; and when he expects the board to complete its report.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We asked the occupational pensions board to report by the end of the year. I understand that the board expects to meet this date.

  Community Care Grants
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what steps he will take to publicise the availability of community care grants as a means of ensuring the community care grants budget is not underspent;

  (2) if he will issue an instruction to his Department's local probation services and hospital social workers concerned with re-establishment of patients in the community, as a means of ensuring full take-up of the community care grant budget.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information about the availability of community care grants is contained in a variety of leaflets, forms and posters, and guidance to social fund officers already emphasises the importance of liaison between local offices and statutory and other bodies.

  We are currently considering a range of further measures to improve awareness of community care grants amongst the priority groups for whom they are intended and amongst organisations involved with potential applicants.

  Local Offices (Rhondda)
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what percentage of applications for social fund 594
  loans were successful in (a) the Porth Rhondda and (b) the Tonypandy Rhondda West offices in the period up to 30 August;

  (2) how much of the social fund allocation had been spent up to 30 August in (a) the Porth Rhondda and (b) the Tonypandy Rhondda West offices;

  (3) what percentage of applications for social fund grants were successful in (a) the Porth Rhondda and (b) the Tonypandy Rhondda West offices in the period to 30 August.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on numbers of applications for social fund loans and grants received, processed and awarded, listed by local office, including information on budget allocations and expenditure, is available from the details held in the Library.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims for single payment have been allowed at(a) the Tonypandy Rhondda West and (b) Porth Rhondda offices since 1 April; and what amount of benefit these represent in each case;

  (2) how many claims for single payment have been made at (a) the Tonypandy Rhondda West and (b) the Porth Rhondda offices since 1 April; and what are the main items asked for in each case.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information is not available on the numbers of claims for single payments made and allowed since 1 April 1988 and the items asked for. The numbers of decisions made in respect of single payments during the period 11 April 1988 to 31 October 1988 were, at Rhondda West 1,188 and at Porth Rhondda 1,026. The total amount paid for single payments at each office during the same period was, at Rhondda West £67,982 and at Porth Rhondda £32,825.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many new claims for housing benefit supplement were received at(a) the Tonypandy Rhondda West and (b) the Porth Rhondda offices from 1 November 1987 to 11 April 1988;

  (2) what was the total amount of housing benefit supplement paid at (a) the Tonypandy Rhondda West and (b) the Porth Rhondda offices in the year prior to 31 October 1987.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that information is not available in the form requested.

  Information obtained from the housing benefit subsidy claims submitted by the local authorities with which the Department's Rhondda (west) and Porth offices deal is shown in the tables.

  Table 1

  Number of housing benefit supplement claims on 31 March

  Authority (Borough Council)

  1987

  19881

  Rhondda

  386

  438

  Taff-Ely2

  640

  706

  1 Provisional.

  2Includes claims from Pontypridd office.

  Table 2

  Total amount of housing benefit supplement paid

  Authority (Borough Council)

  1986–87

  1987–881

  £

  £

  Rhondda

  86,215

  100,236

  Taff-Ely2

  133,219

  147,842

  595
  1 Provisional.

  2 Includes claims from Pontypridd office.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many new claims for supplementary benefit were received at(a) the Tonypandy Rhondda West and (b) the Porth Rhondda offices from 1 November 1987 to 11 April 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of claims, both new and repeat, for supplementary benefit received between 21 October 1987 and 8 April 1988 (the closest available dates) is as follows:

  Claims

  (a) Rhondda West

  2,902

  (b) Porth

  2,530

  Source: Internal management information, which is provisional and subject to amendment.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount of supplementary benefit paid at(a) the Tonypandy Rhondda west and (b) the Porth Rhondda offices in the year prior to 31 October 1987.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Young People
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases in each standard region are(a) aged 16 to 17 years but receiving income support whilst in relevant education, (b) aged 16 to 17 years who are entitled to income support under schedule 1 of the income support regulations, (c) aged 16 to 17 years who have been entitled to income support for short periods and (d) aged 16 to 17 years for whom he has used his discretionary power to grant income support to avoid severe hardship.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested concerning 16 and 17-year-olds receiving income support whilst in relevant education is not available.

  The estimated number of 16 and 17-year-olds entitled to income support without time restriction (schedule 1 of the Income Support (General) Regulations) at September 1988 is as follows:

  Number

  England

  15,000

  Scotland

  2,000

  Wales

  2,000

  Great Britain

  19,000

  Notes:

  (1) Based on a sample of 1 in 50 cases in receipt of Supplementary Allowance on a day in May 1987.

  (2) Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.

  (3) Information is not available according to "standard regions" and in view of the small number of sample cases involved any further breakdown would be subject to wide sampling error and would therefore be of doubtful validity.

  The number of awards of income support made to 16 and 17-year-olds for limited periods (schedule 1A of the Income Support (General) Regulations) in September and October 1988 was:
  596

  Region

  Number of awards

  London (North)

  27

  London (South)

  32

  Midlands

  42

  North Eastern

  55

  North Western

  60

  Wales and South West

  38

  Scotland

  34

  Great Britain

  288

  Notes:

  (1) Based on 100 per cent. count of awards made up to 31 October 1988.

  (2) Information is not available according to "standard regions".

  (3) Information relates to the number of awards rather than to the individual number of young people involved. Some may have had more than one award.

  The number of directions given under the Secretary of State's discretionary power to avoid "severe hardship" to 16 and 17-year-olds during the 13 weeks ended 9 December 1988 is as follows:

  Region

  Number of applications

  Number successful

  Number unsuccessful

  London (North)

  174

  124

  50

  London (South)

  131

  91

  40

  Midlands

  222

  167

  55

  North Eastern

  366

  243

  123

  North Western

  293

  193

  100

  Wales and South West

  185

  122

  63

  Scotland

  518

  329

  189

  Great Britain

  1,889

  1,269

  620

  Notes:

  (1) Based on 100 per cent. count of applications received.

  (2) Information is not available according to "standard regions".

  (3) Information relates to the number of applications rather than to the number of individual young people involved. Some may have made more than one application.

  Severe Disability Premium
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current estimated percentage take-up of the severe disability premium.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of awards thus far of severe disability premium to(a) individuals, (b) couples at the lower rate and (c) couples at the higher rate.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that information on the number of people receiving the severe disability premium is not yet available.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assistance is available to residents of private aged persons' houses where the fees are raised above the maximum allowable income support towards residential costs.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Income support limits for help towards fees are intended to meet all reasonable charges for accommodation, board and personal care. The actual fee charged by an independent residential care home is a matter solely between the home and the resident.

  Contribution Records
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken to ensure that his Department's contracted-out earnings group office at Newcastle can provide contribution records within a reasonable time period.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Normally it is not necessary for the contracted-out earnings group to provide earnings or contribution information as employers and pension schemes have their own records of this. However, an inquiry service for employers submitting details to the group on magnetic tape is provided, for which a charge is made. The information requested is normally sent within a week of the inquiry.

  Medical Tribunals
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when a medical appeal tribunal will hear the case of Pamela Walsh, 4 South avenue, Leigh, whose appeal was lodged in January.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand from the office of the president of social security and medical appeal tribunals that Pamela Walsh's appeal will be heard on 18 January 1989.

  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when a medical appeal tribunal will hear the case of Mr. R. T. Watson, 4 Fitchfield walk, Worsley, Manchester whose appeal was lodged on 16 March.

  Mr. Scott
  This is a matter for the president of social security and medical appeal tribunals, but I understand that Mr. Watson has not yet been allocated a date for a hearing of his appeal.

  Relocation of Offices
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration is being given to moving offices of his Department to Bolton.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We shall shortly be making an announcement setting out our plans to move some local office work away from London. Detailed work is also progressing to identify headquarters functions which might be relocated. This work still has some way to go but we are considering all alternative locations which will help the Department to improve efficiency.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many were eligible for housing benefit transitional payments at the start of the scheme; and how many are estimated to be in the next financial year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  When the transitional payments unit was set up it was announced that up to 300,000 people would be eligible to receive payments. Up to 9 December 396,000 applications had been received and 146,000 cases are receiving payments. In the majority of cases where assessments have not been made the unit is awaiting the return of inquiry forms from local authorities. The final date by which applications can be made is 31 March 1989 and until this date is reached it is not possible to predict how many people will eventually benefit from the scheme.

THE ARTS

  British Library
  Mr. Buchan
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what were the total buildings costs of the Urquhart building at the British Library in Boston Spa; and what was the cost of fitting out this building.

  Mr. Richard Luce
  [holding answer 8 December 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 19 October 1988 at column 880 in respect of the total costs of the building. The cost of fitting out was approximately £1·5 million.

HEALTH

  Nurses (Grading)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy that where a local manager wishes to change a nurse's grade he should not do so without having first consulted the regional health authority who in turn must consult his Department.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  No. It is for regional and district health authorities to determine what consultations, if any, should take place and in what circumstances this would be appropriate.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate for the Shropshire health authority of the number of patients who have been on the hospital waiting list for more than a year.

  Mr. Mellor
  The most recent validated in-patient waiting list figures are for 31 March 1988. At that date, there were 2,797 patients on the Shropshire list for more than a year.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Carttiss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of expenditure for health services per 1,000 population for each of the health districts in the East Anglia region 1979–80 and for 1987–88.

  Mr. Mellor
  Figures based on the total populations of the district health authorities in the East Anglian region are shown in the table for the years 1982–83 (the first year following the establishment of those authorities) and 1987–88.

  Total revenue expenditure on hospital and community health services (HCHS) per thousand population—East Anglian region

  District health authorities

  1982–83 (cash) £

  1982–83 (at 1987–88 prices) £

  1987–881 (cash) £

  Real-terms increase per cent.

  Cambridge

  196,875

  247,974

  282,190

  13·8

  Peterborough

  147,793

  186,152

  201,761

  8·4

  West Suffolk

  122,989

  154,911

  177,316

  14·5

  East Suffolk

  156,002

  196,492

  206,428

  5·1

  Norwich

  163,649

  206,124

  218,825

  6·2

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  127,619

  160,742

  184,129

  14·6

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  113,474

  142,926

  166,040

  16·2

  Huntingdon

  86,731

  109,243

  189,427

  73·4

  599
  1 Provisional (ie as yet unaudited figures).

  HCHS covers all services provided (including hospital and community health services and where appropriate ambulance and other services).

  Sources:

  (a) Annual accounts of the district health authorities.

  (b) Mid-year estimates of resident population 1982 and 1987 (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys).

  Notes to the table:

  1. The 1982–83 figures have been expressed at 1987–88 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  2. District capital expenditure and all revenue and capital expenditure incurred by the East Anglian regional health authority for the region as a whole is excluded.

  3. Expenditure on family practitioner services is excluded: such expenditure is accounted for by family practitioner committee (FPCs) and cannot strictly be attributed to particular districts. However, prior to 1 April 1985 the Cambridge, East Suffolk and Norwich district health authorities each had an associated FPC and their total revenue expenditure for 1982–83 included small, not separately identifiable, elements relating to FPCs' administrative expenses.

  4. Significant variations in per capita expenditure figures at district level arise principally because:

  (i) people travel across district boundaries for treatment and sub-regional resource allocations reflect the pattern and changes in the pattern of service provision locally.

  (ii) the population figures used make no allowance for people resident in one district who receive treatment in another or for the differences in morbidity and age/sex structure of particular populations.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what proportion spending on the health services has increased over and above inflation since 1979; and what is his estimate of how much further that figure is likely to increase when the additional resources he has announced for the coming year are taken into account.

  Mr. Mellor
  The real terms increase in NHS gross expenditure since 1978–79 is 37 per cent. and is expected to rise to 40 per cent. in 1989–90. If, however, account is also taken of the extra cash released in 1989–90 by the reduction in employers' superannuation contributions and from health authorities' income generation and cost improvement schemes the value of the resources available is equivalent to a real terms increase of 4·5 per cent. over 1988–89.

  Drug RU 486
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if there are any plans to introduce the RU 486 abortion pill for use in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what test have been carried out on the drug RU 486 in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Any information of this kind received pursuant to the Medicines Act 1968 is confidential to the licensing authority. A company statement on RU 486 was issued by Roussel Laboratories Ltd. on 1 November 1988, a copy of which and any further information may be obtained from the company's office at Bradwater Park, Denham, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB9 5HP.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the turnover rate amongst National Health Service speech therapists in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Mellor
  I regret that we do not collect this information centrally.
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  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, by health authority (a) the establishment figure for speech therapists, (b) the actual number in place, (c) (b) as a proportion of (a), and (d) the number of cases treated in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Mellor
  I regret that we do not collect information on establishment and number of cases treated centrally in this form. The figures for whole-time equivalent staff in post in each English region and the London postgraduate special health authorities is as follows.

  NHS staff in post

  Speech therapists—England by region at 30 Sepember 1987

  Region

  Whole-time equivalents

  1. Northern RHA

  160

  2. Yorkshire RHA

  160

  3. Trent RHA

  260

  4. East Anglia RHA

  120

  5. North West Thames RHA

  210

  6. North East Thames RHA

  240

  7. South East Thames RHA

  220

  8. South West Thames RHA

  170

  9. Wessex RHA

  140

  10. Oxford RHA

  140

  11. South Western RHA

  180

  12. West Midlands RHA

  260

  13. Mersey RHA

  110

  14. North Western RHA

  230

  20. London Postgraduate Special Health Authorities

  30

  England Total

  2,630

  Source: Department of Health (SR7) Annual Census of NHS Non-Medical Manpower.

  Note: All figures are independently rounded to the nearest (10) ten whole-time equivalent.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on health authorities insisting that patients or the guardians of patients in their area needing speech therapy should first sign an agreement or contract before such treatment can commence.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: The terms on which speech therapy is provided to individual patients is a matter for agreement between the patient, or guardian of the patient, and the local health authority and speech therapy manager responsible for the provision. Many forms of speech therapy treatment need the parent or guardian of a speech-impaired child to work with the child outside the formal speech therapy sessions to reinforce the therapy. We are not aware that health authorities are generally requiring patients or guardians to sign written contracts.

  AIDS
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement outlining the various methods by which HIV may be transmitted from one person to another; and what is the latest evidence available to him on whether HIV may be transmitted in saliva.

  Mr. Mellor
  HIV is recognised to be transmissible by three main routes:unprotected penetrative sexual intercourse with an infected person (between men or between a man and a woman);

  601
  by inoculation of infected blood and blood products. In the United Kingdom this mainly results from drug misusers sharing contaminated injecting equipment; and
  from an infected mother to her baby before or during birth, or after birth via breast feeding.

  HIV has been found in low concentration in saliva but I am advised that there is no good evidence that HIV has ever been transmitted in saliva.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest measures being taken to protect at-risk groups from contracting the HIV virus in(a) prisons, (b) Her Majesty's forces and (c) the business travelling community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Since April 1986 the Government have allocated £32·5 million for a sustained programme of public education about HIV and AIDS. In October 1987 the Health Education Authority was given responsibility for further development of the campaign. Campaigns mounted so far include mass media work aimed at those travelling at home and abroad on holiday or on business. In addition, new leaflets have been produced for issue to travellers overseas. These include up-to-date information about the risks of HIV infection abroad.

  Educational initiatives aimed at prison inmates and members of HM armed forces are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Defence. However, I am aware that an educational package for prison inmates, comprising a video, a guide to its use and a leaflet, is nearing completion. Members of the armed forces were included in the distribution of the household leaflet "Don't Die of Ignorance" in early 1987 and with it received an insert directed at service personnel. Units moving overseas are given instruction on relevant health hazards, including HIV and other communicable diseases, and precautions that individuals can take to protect themselves.

  Food Poisoning
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of reported cases of people affected by food poisoning for each calendar year from 1980 to the present time.

  Mr. Mellor
  The numbers of formally notified and otherwise ascertained cases of food poisoning for the years 1980–87 are as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1980

  110,318

  1981

  19,936

  1982

  14,253

  1983

  17,735

  1984

  20,702

  1985

  19,242

  1986

  23,948

  1987

  29,331

  1 Formally notified only; otherwise ascertained not available.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's estimate of the ratio of unreported cases to each reported case of a person affected by food poisoning.

  Mr. Mellor
  While there is considerable under-reporting, we do not have available a precise estimate of the ratio.
  602
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will proceed with plans to leaflet every household to warn against the dangers of food poisoning.

  Mr. Mellor
  Following preliminary assessment, the Government are to launch early next year a nationwide campaign to advise the public on how to prevent food poisoning in the home. Initially, this will be based on a leaflet "The Recipe for Food Safety" to be distributed extensively through supermarkets, doctors' surgeries and other outlets. Other ways of promoting good food hygiene practice in the home will also be considered.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of salmonella poisoning there have been in the last year for which figures are available; and whether the incidence of this type of food poisoning is declining or increasing.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  In 1987, 20,532 isolates from humans in England and Wales were identified by the Department of enteric pathogen of the Public Health Laboratory Service. This is a 21 per cent. increase over the previous year and figures to date for this year indicate a further increase in salmonella isolates from humans.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of cases of salmonella food poisoning are estimated to be due to salmonella in eggs; what is his estimate of the proportion of the 30 million eggs eaten annually that contain the salmonella bacteria; and what advice he has circulated to the public and to the catering industry on how to avoid salmonella food poisoning from eggs.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  In the first 10 months of this year there were 46 outbreaks associated with eggs involving over 1,000 cases of salmonella food poisoning. We do not have information to estimate the proportion of cases of food poisoning due to eggs as in the great majority of sporadic cases no particular food is identified as the cause of the illness. Although the risk of harm to any healthy individual from consuming a single raw or partially cooked egg is small, it is advisable for vulnerable people such as the elderly, the sick, babies and pregnant women to consumer only eggs that have been cooked until the white and yolk are solid. Advice has been given to the catering industry and the public about the handling, cooking and use of eggs.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of cases of food poisoning in the last year for which figures are available, what assessment he has made as to whether the incidence is declining or increasing; and what proportion arose from(a) home catering, (b) commercial catering and (c) catering in institutional establishments.

  Mr. Mellor
  In 1987 there were 29,331 cases of food poisoning, 20,363 of which were formally notified and 8,968 ascertained by other means. Figures to date for this year indicate that the incidence is increasing. No precise data are available on proportions of cases attributable to different catering locations.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to introduce a statutory requirement that all those commercially involved in handling food take a course in food hygiene;
  603
  (2) if he has any plans for strengthening food hygiene legislation;

  (3) what information he has concerning courses that provide training in food hygiene; and whether his Department provides any input to these courses.

  Mrs. Currie
  A review of food legislation has been the subject of wide consultation over several years and the results were reported to Ministers. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 30 October 1987, announced that officials had been asked to review the proposals in the light of the response to consultation. The proposals under review include the suggestion that training in food hygiene should be mandatory for food handlers, along with other measures.

  Such training is currently provided by the food industry itself, by local authorities and by professional bodies. Departmental officials keep in close contact with training bodies and advise where necessary.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of how many cases of food poisoning due to the bacteria listeria there have been in the last year for which figures are available; whether there has been an increase or decrease in the incidence of such cases; and what evidence there is that the cook-chill method of preparation encourages these bacteria to flourish.

  Mr. Mellor
  I am informed of one well-documented case of food-associated listeriosis in 1986. No such cases were reported in 1987. To date in 1988 there have been three cases. None of these was associated with the cook-chill system of catering. I am satisfied that provided the Department's guidelines on cook-chill catering are carefully followed, microbiologically sound food will be produced.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of food poisoning due to campylobacter there have been in the last year for which figures are available; what indications there are as to whether the figures are declining or increasing; and what evidence there is that refrigeration helps the bacteria to thrive in poultry and underdone meat.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  In most instances there is no evidence which specifically links individual reported cases of campylobacter infection with a particular food. In 1984 there were 20,861 laboratory reports of campylobacter enteritis. In 1987 this figure had increased to 25,900 and in a small proportion of these it was possible to identify a food vehicle. There is no evidence to show that the organism grows in food, refrigerated or otherwise.

  Whitley Council
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appeals are currently being processed by the Whitley council procedures in(a) Sunderland health authority, (b) Hartlepool health authority and (c) Durham health authority.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold this information centrally.

  Midwifery Students
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many entrants for future student midwifery courses have withdrawn their application since 1 October.
  604
  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold this information centrally.

  Heart Transplant Programme
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's heart transplant programme.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The number of heart and heart-lung transplants carried out in the United Kingdom has grown significantly this year. In the period 1 January to 25 November 1988, 348 heart and heart-lung transplants were performed compared with 288 over the same period last year.

  Revenue funding for the heart transplant programme will rise from £6·8 million in 1988–89 to £9·1 million in 1989–90, a cash increase of over one third. This will provide for about 50 extra heart and heart-lung transplants above current levels and for the follow-up of over 350 patients successfully transplanted in earlier years. Nearly £1 million of capital will be spent in 1989–90 on essential developments at the transplant centres. I shall also be asking the supra-regional services advisory group to advise me on the location of a fifth heart transplant which will receive central funding from April 1990.

  This expanding programme, which is at the forefront of medical technology, shows the Government's determination to modernise and improve the NHS.

  Opticians
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he can give information as to who was available to present evidence to the ophthalmic service committee of the Manchester family practitioner committee investigation referred to in his reply to the hon. Member for Oldham West, on 5 July,Official Report, columns 516-17.

  Mr. Mellor
  The ophthalmic service committee obtained written evidence from the patients and opticians involved and decided, in accordance with the National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations 1974, that the investigation could be determined without a hearing.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the introduction of an arbitration officer to determine a fair level of fees for people in private residential and nursing homes.

  Mrs. Currie
  The level of fees charged in these homes is a matter between the proprietors and the residents, or whoever pays on the residents' behalf, and not one in which we would wish to intervene.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report the prescription charges for patients who do not qualify for exemptions for each medicament included in the limited list.

  Mr. Mellor
  NHS patients must pay a prescription charge of £2·60 for each item prescribed at NHS expense unless they qualify for exemption. If a patient is given a private prescription for a drug or other product which is
  605
  not available at NHS expense there is no prescription charge, but the patient must pay the pharmacist the full cost of the item supplied.

  Artificial Hips
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many National Health Service artificial hip operations took place in the last year for which figures are available; and what is the approximate average cost of this operation.

  Mrs. Currie
  We estimate that the number of total hip replacement and other arthroplasty of hip operations performed in NHS hospitals in England in 1986 was 40,000. The average cost of such operations is about £2,400 (1988–89 prices).

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what would be the approximate cost of providing powered outdoor wheelchairs for all boys suffering from muscular dystrophy;

  (2) what representations he has received regarding the provision of powered outdoor wheelchairs for boys suffering from muscular dystrophy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Most boys with muscular dystrophy would probably need a wheelchair for certain periods of their life. On the best information available, and depending on the type of wheelchair provided, the approximate cost may be in the region of £¼ million—£1½ million. We have received no representations on this issue.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the latest estimate of the additional cost of providing a powered wheelchair that could be used outside and inside instead of just inside;

  (2) how many powered wheelchairs are currently on issue through the wheelchair service; and what is the estimated number of those using powered indoor wheelchairs who would benefit from having a powered wheelchair that could also be used outside;

  (3) which aspects of wheelchair provision are now being handled by the regions and which remain the responsibility of the Disablement Services Authority.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the annual amount allocated to the Disablement Services Authority; and what proportion of this amount is available for the improvement of appliances, and in particular, for improved wheelchairs.

  Mr. Mellor
  These are matters for the Disablement Services Authority, to which the right hon. Member should address questions.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the annual expenditure in each of the last five years on wheelchair provision; what has been the percentage increase each year; and what has been the percentage annual increase in expenditure on all health provision.

  Mr. Mellor
  The annual expenditure in each of the last five financial years on wheelchairs provision plus the percentage increases is as follows:606

  Financial year

  £

  Per cent.

  1983–84

  22,210,329

  —

  1984–85

  24,592,517

  10·72

  1985–86

  25,863,573

  5·16

  1986–87

  27,265,645

  5·42

  1987–88

  29,413,356

  7·87

  National Health Service gross expenditure percentage annual increase on all health provision in England is as follows:

  Cash terms

  Real terms

  1983–84

  5·9

  1·2

  1984–85

  7·4

  2·8

  1985–86

  5·8

  -0·2

  1986–87

  7·6

  4·0

  1987–88

  9·9

  4·6

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation there has been between his Department and the Disablement Services Authority regarding the provision of powered outdoor wheelchairs.

  Mr. Mellor
  Following a recommendation in the McColl report that powered occupant-controlled outdoor wheelchairs should be supplied by the wheelchair service, the DSA has decided to undertake a 12-month pilot study to gain information and experience in the supply of powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs. Consultation between the Department and the DSA has not been appropriate since this is a matter for the authority.

  Pacemakers
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many National Health Service operations to implant a pacemaker took place in the last year for which figures are available; and what is the approximate average cost of this operation.

  Mrs. Currie
  We estimate that in 1985 (the latest year for which we hold information centrally), there were 6,360 operations to insert pacemakers.

  The average cost, based on a study by Trent regional health authority, is approximately £1,700 for the first implantation and £1,500 for a replacement, at 1986–87 prices.

  Prescribing Responsibility
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list for 1976 and each subsequent year the number of complaints received by his Department concerning non-compliance with the policy on prescribing responsibility set out in HN(76)69; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list for years 1986 and 1987 the complaints received by his Department concerning non-compliance with the policy on prescribing responsibility set out in HN(76)69, indicating in each case the health authority involved, the nature of the complaint, and the action taken.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold information in the form requested. In the years 1986 and 1987 about 70 items of correspondence referring to prescribing responsibility were received from health authorities, general practitioners and others. The Department has investigated all
  607
  complaints received regarding non-compliance with our advice on prescribing responsibility for outpatients in HN(76)69 and more recently in DA(87)10.

  Cancer Screening
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate how many women are likely to be screened for breast cancer in(a) 1989, (b) 1990 and (c)

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret that we do not have this information available centrally. The breast cancer screening programme is being implemented over the three years to 1990. We shall collect statistics centrally on the number of women screened once the service has been fully implemented. We hope that by 1993 all women aged between 50 and 64 will have been invited for screening.

  Ambulancemen
  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the report from the Ambulance Council working party on "The Problems of Long Serving Ambulancemen", which concluded its report in September 1985.

  Mr. Mellor
  We intend giving the contents of the final report careful consideration including a decision about publication when it is submitted to Ministers.

  Erythroprotein
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether any financial assistance is to be provided to renal units to enable them to purchase stocks of erythroprotein;

  (2) whether erythroprotein has passed its clinical trials; and how soon he expects it to be generally available to renal units.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: Information about whether a product licence application under the Medicines Act 1968 has been made or the results of any associated trials is treated as confidential and it is not possible to say if or when this product will become generally available and on what terms.

  Doctors' Pay
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the real terms increase in doctors' remuneration since 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: 25·5 per cent. between 1978–79 and 1987–88.

  Orthotists
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many orthotists there are in England; and how many orthotists there are in England per 100,000 people.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: Most orthotists in England are employed by the private sector and we do not collect information on their numbers. Orthotists employed by the NHS in England are graded as medical physics technicians and are not identified separately on manpower returns.

  South Western RHA
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the sources of funding for the South Western 608
  regional health authority's regional computer centre and regional design service, which enable them to be self-financing.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: The regional computer centre and the design service charge fees for the services that they provide. Their customers are primarily health authorities within the South Western region and elsewhere.

  Project 2000
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding arrangements have been made for the implementation of nurse training under Project 2000; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: In the Autumn Statement the Government announced additional funding for the NHS in 1989–90 which included £12 million for nurse education and training. This is additional to the provision already made for nurse education by health authorities from their existing allocations and is intended to provide extra funds for post-basic education and Project 2000.

  Decisions on the allocation of the additional funds for Project 2000 will be taken when authorities submit costed implementation plans to the Department. They have been asked to submit these by the end of February 1989.

  Health Authorities (Meetings)
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make it his policy that minutes of district and regional health authority sub-committee meetings be made available to community health councils, providing that patient, staff and commercial confidentiality is maintained;

  (2) whether he has any plans to open to the public district health authority meetings or their sub-committee meetings;

  (3) if he will make it his policy that minutes of district and regional health authority sub-committee meetings should be made available to the public, providing that patient, staff and commercial confidentiality is maintained.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: Under the provisions of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 health authority meetings are open to the public and their agendas and related papers available on request, except when confidential matters are under consideration. Most regional and district health authorities conduct their business in an open manner, as is reasonable. I do not believe that any useful purpose would be served by extending these provisions to sub-committees at the present time.

EMPLOYMENT

  YTS
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of companies, employing 100 or more YTS trainees, hire no YTS trainees from(a) the Afro-Caribbean community, (b) the Asian community and (c) ethnic minorities, respectively, in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) the east midlands and (iii) Leicestershire.
  609
  Mr. Cope
  I regret that the information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people are without a YTS place after their entitlement to child benefit or bridging allowance ran out; and how many were temporarily in this position during 1988.

  Mr. Cope
  It is not possible to provide this information. Young people are not obliged to report what they are doing after bridging allowance ceases.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide figures on the number of young people no longer on bridging allowance who have not yet been allocated a YTS place.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: It is not possible to provide this information. Young people are not obliged to report what they are doing after bridging allowance ceases.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total expenditure on YTS for 1986, 1987 and the estimated expenditure for 1988, 1989 and 1990.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: Figures for Great Britain for financial years are published in the 1988 Public Expenditure White Paper. Taking into account the changes made by the winter supplementary Estimates the figures are:

  £ millions

  1986–87

  874

  1987–88

  11,006

  1988–89

  21,145

  1989–90

  21,189

  1990–91

  21,156

  1 Estimated outturn.

  2 Plans.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the cost of publicity of the YTS programme.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 13 December 1988]: The planned YTS marketing budget for 1988–89 is £5·9 million.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unfilled places by region, there were on YTS at the most recently available date and at the same date one year previously.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: The number of unfilled YTS places as at 31 October 1987 and 1988 is given in the table.

  Region

  31 October 1987

  31 October 1988

  South East

  20,109

  15,698

  London

  16,030

  10,064

  South West

  14,763

  11,456

  West Midlands

  26,899

  20,663

  East Midlands and Eastern

  18,300

  13,973

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  15,050

  9,245

  North West

  26,837

  14,268

  Northern

  11,761

  6,904

  Wales

  8,365

  3,352

  Scotland

  19,571

  12,835

  Great Britain

  177,685

  118,458

  610
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people have experienced benefit penalties for leaving YTS early since it was designated an approved training scheme.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The youth training scheme (YTS) was designated an approved training scheme on 10 March 1983. Between December 1983 and April 1988, the period for which information is available, a total of 24,204 people had their supplementary benefit reduced for leaving courses early.

  Community Opportunity Posts
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria were operated in deciding how many community opportunities posts were allocated to each training area; what is the decision making process operated by Training Agency area offices whereby host organisations are awarded community opportunities posts; and what value-for-money measurements are applied in this process.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In developing the arrangements for community opportunities, Training Agency area offices took into account the make-up of their area, the likely size of the client group, and the buoyancy of the local labour market.

  In selecting host organisations area office staff considered the following criteria:

  (i) proven experience in arranging voluntary activity for individuals;

  (ii) ability to access a range of voluntary activity to meet the differing needs of clients;

  (iii) ability to relate to, and well established links with, voluntary organisations in the community;

  (iv) a local base in the area, together with the necessary facilities to accommodate a co-ordinator on their premises;

  (v) operation of an equal opportunities policy.

  Account was also taken of the effectiveness with which the host organisation could organise the opportunities for employment training leavers, and the performance of host organisations will be carefully monitored.

  Training Places (Merseyside)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many Employment training scheme places have been taken up on Merseyside service since the inception of the scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  At 2 December 1988, there were 3,446 people training on employment training on Merseyside.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employment training scheme places have been taken up in Blyth Valley.

  Mr. Nicholls
  At 2 December 1988, there were 1,682 people training on employment training in the north Tyne area, including Blyth Valley.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State For Employment what percentage of disabled people of working age are employed in Blyth Valley; and what action he is taking to increase job opportunities For disabled people in Blyth Valley.
  611
  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested in the first part of the question is not available.

  My Department maintains a comprehensive network of services to help people with disabilities find and retain jobs through advice, assessment, rehabilitation and training; and in the case of people with severe disabilities, support in the form of sheltered employment. My officers are continuing to give all possible help to people with disabilities in Blyth Valley through the application of these services against a background of increasing employment opportunities.

  Creche Facilities
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what inquiries his Department is making to establish the effect lack of creche facilities has on employment.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My Department is currently participating in the work of the ministerial group on women's issues on childcare in the context of women's employment. Among other aspects the group is considering the availability of childcare and the effects that the lack of it may have on women's employment.

  Benefits (Adjudications)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current average waiting time for adjudications relating to reasons of dismissal in cases where claimants were waiting for unemployment benefit.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information is not available in the precise form requested. However the speed with which adjudication officers make decisions—that is, the time taken between their receiving a referral and reaching a decision after making all the necessary inquiries—is monitored in a 5 per cent. sample of cases.

  The sample shows that, for the three-month period ending 30 June 1988, the percentage of cases decided within four weeks of referral to an adjudication officer, on whether a claimant was dismissed due to misconduct, was 62·6 per cent.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many cases are currently being dealt with by unemployment benefit adjudication officers in the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent, North;

  (2) how many unemployment benefit adjudication officers are available to serve the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent, North.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Figures are not available by constituency of the number of cases considered by adjudication officers, or the number of adjudication officers who serve that area.

  However on 2 December 1988, the total number of cases currently in the process of adjudication arising on claims for unemployment benefit in the adjudication office area of Staffordshire, which includes the Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency, was 3,204.

  The number of adjudication officers in post on 2 December 1988 in the Staffordshire adjudication office was nine.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Pensions
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the basic state pension and the state earnings-related pension have fallen as a percentage of annual earnings since May 1979.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The full basic state pension, as a percentage of average earnings for male manual workers, was 22·5 per cent. in November1 1979 and in April 1988 the percentage was 20·5.

  It is not possible to calculate corresponding precentages for the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme because it is not a fixed rate pension.

  1The information given is for the date of uprating.

ENVIRONMENT

  Football Clubs (Membership Scheme)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the proposed national membership scheme for Football League clubs.

  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received seeking greater flexibilty for his proposals for a national football card membership scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on his proposals to promote a full membership scheme for Football League clubs.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have received nearly 650 letters about the national membership scheme from right hon. and hon. Members, members of the public and from various organisations since the meeting between the Prime Minister and the football authorities on 6 July. In addition, I have received a large number of proposals to implement the scheme from computer companies and others.

  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will meet the directors of Barnsley football club to discuss proposed membership schemes.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My diary is already very full for the coming months but I am happy to meet directors of Barnsley football club if mutually convenient arrangements can be made.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent talks he has had with the football authorities about the Government scheme for membership cards for football spectators.

  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has held with the football authorities concerning the introduction of a compulsory membership scheme.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I had lengthy discussions about the proposed national membership scheme for football
  613
  supporters with the football authorities at meetings of the working party which I chaired, between July and October this year.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will meet the new president of the Football League to discuss identity cards for football supporters.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I hope to meet the new president of the Football League shortly.

  Houses in Multiple Occupation
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of houses in multiple occupation following his Department's consultation document issued in July on houses in multiple occupation.

  Mr. Trippier
  We are considering what changes to existing legislation might be appropriate in the light of the 200 responses received to consultation.

  Water Authorities (Land and Building Assets)
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the land and building assets owned by the English and Welsh water authorities.

  Mr. Howard
  This information is not available centrally.

  Rate Support Grant Settlement
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the proposed rate support grant settlement for 1989–90.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have received representations from about 110 local authorities and comments from the local authority associations.

  Estate Action Programme
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of expenditure on the estate action programme in 1987–88; and what is planned for 1988–89.

  Mr. Trippier
  We increased the resources made available under the estate action programme from £75 million in 1987–88 to £140 million in 1988–89. A further 36 per cent. increase to £190 million is planned for next financial year.

  Planning Inquiries (Public Representation)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will increase the opportunities for public representation at planning inquiries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The rules of procedure at planning inquiries, in addition to conferring rights of appearance on certain parties, give inspectors wide discretion to allow members of the public to make representations. I believe that inspectors exercise that discretion reasonably; but in fairness to everyone involved, they do on occasions have a responsibility to control representations which are clearly irrelevant or repetitious.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce further controls on handling of hazardous waste.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Following extensive consultation we announced our conclusions and intention to legislate on 29 June. A further consultation paper was issued on 23 November. A review of the special waste regulations is well advanced and we expect to consult on this early next year.

  District Council Rates (Essex)
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the average rate increase for district councils in Essex for 1989–90.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We estimate that if district authorities in Essex spend in line with the proposed 1989–90 rate support grant settlement, and make the same use of balances as this year, then average rate increase would be around 3 per cent.

  Stonehenge
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with regard to the creation of a new visitors' centre at Stonehenge.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Progress on this scheme is a matter for English Heritage.

  Nirex
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of United Kingdom Nirex; and what matters will be discussed.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of United Kingdom Nirex; and what matters will be discussed.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of United Kingdom Nirex; and what matters will be discussed.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing).

  Competitive Tendering (Lancashire)
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet the leader of Lancashire county council to discuss competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to meet the leader of Lancashire county council to discuss competitive tendering. I recently had discussions with the authority on a range of local government issues.

  Nurses (Property Taxes)
  Mr. Fishburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about what a
  615
  typical ward sister would pay in (a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in(a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Lambeth.

  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in(a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Camden.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in(a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, is she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in(a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroom flat in the London borough of Greenwich.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer my hon. Friends to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Sir G. Finsberg).

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the poll tax which will be levied in Nottingham.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. I wrote to the hon. Member on 6 December about the level of the community charge in Nottingham.

  The Government have made no estimates of community charges. We published on 23 June illustrative figures showing what the community charge would have been in each area, had the new system been in force in 1988–89. Those illustrative figures assume existing levels of spending and existing local authority responsibilities. On that basis, the personal community charge in Nottingham would have been £251. Under the Government's safety net proposals this figure would have been reduced to £231 in the first year of the new system.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by local authorities in preparing for the introduction of the community charge in England.
  616
  Mr. Gummer
  Many local authorities are clearly making good progress in preparing for the introduction of the community charge. I intend to monitor progress carefully in the months ahead.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on any campaign to refuse to pay the community charge.

  Mr. Gummer
  I am aware that a number of individuals have said that they do not intend to pay the community charge. Such action would, of course, be both unlawful and futile.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the average national community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have made no estimates of community charges. We published on 23 June illustrative figures showing what the community charge would have been in each area, had the new system been in force in 1988–89. Those illustrative figures assume existing levels of spending and existing local authority responsibilities. On that basis, the average personal community charge in England would have been £246.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much the standard rate of income tax would need to be raised if the expected amount of revenue generated by the poll tax were to be raised through income tax.

  Mr. Gummer
  On 23 June the Government published illustrative community charge figures, based on local authority spending in 1988–89; copies are in the Library. Those figures also showed the rate of local income tax that would be needed to raise the same revenue. The average increase in income tax rates across England would be 6·4p.

  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he is making to ensure that the public are informed of the way in which the new community charge system will operate.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Department of the Environment published yesterday a new booklet giving up-to-date information on the new community charge system which will be introduced in April 1990. It is available free on request. The Department will also be publishing shortly seven supplementary leaflets, giving more detailed information on particular aspects of the system, for example, on exemptions and appeals. These, too, will be available free on request. Copies have been placed in the Library. The total cost of producing the booklet and leaflets is estimated at £80,000.

  We shall also send a leaflet to all households in England next May to coincide with canvassing by local authorities to prepare the register of those liable to pay the community charge. The leaflet will help people to understand the purpose of the canvass and what they need to do. We estimate that the cost of producing and distributing it would be of the order of £980,000.

  Since May this year we have issued, jointly with local authority associations, a series of practice notes to individual local authorities and interested organisations dealing with the practical and technical details of the new system. Nine practice notes have so far been published at

  617
  a cost of £9,000. Twelve more are in preparation. One of the practice notes contained a model canvass form with associated information notes. We are arranging to have the form and notes translated into five minority languages for use by local authorities where appropriate.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the draft regulations at present being prepared on enforcement of poll tax payments, he will amend the relevant regulations that currently apply in Scotland.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: No. My right hon. Friend's regulation-making powers in respect of enforcement in the Local Government Finance Act 1988 do not extend to the amendment of Scottish legislation on enforcement of the community charge.

  Clay Pigeon Shooting
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he did not consult the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association on the recent general development order relating to permitted days.

  Mr. Chope
  My Department is issuing a consultation paper this week about whether the order should be amended to revert to 28 days. The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association will be among those consulted.

  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to have consultations with the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association about the General Development Order 1988 and the reduction of shooting days from 28 to 14.

  Mr. Chope
  My Department is issuing a consultation paper this week; a copy is being sent to the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association.

  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to respond to the views of the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, by reverting to the 28 days permitted use set by the General Development Order 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  My Department is issuing this week a consultation paper about whether the General Development Order 1988 should be amended to revert to a maximum 28 days permitted use rights for clay pigeon shooting. The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association and the Sports Council are among those we are consulting.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures of homeless households in(a) London and (b) England and Wales.

  Mr. Trippier
  In the quarter ending September 1988 English local authorities accepted 30,220 households under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: of these 7,550 were accepted by London boroughs.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to seek to amend the homeless persons legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms. Quin) on 6 December at column 198.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the causes of the increase in the numbers of families accepted as homeless by local authorities since 1983.

  Mr. Trippier
  Estimates of the number of households accepted by local authorities in England under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act broken down by the immediate reasons for homelessness are as follows:

  thousands

  Immediate reason for homelessness

  1983

  1987

  Parents, relatives or friends no longer able/willing to accommodate

  32·2

  47· 3

  Breakdown of relationship with partner

  15·3

  20·2

  Mortgage arrears

  4·8

  10·5

  Rent arrears—LA dwellings

  1·8

  2·0

  Rent arrears—other dwelling

  1·7

  1·8

  Other reasons for loss of non-LA dwelling

  8·3

  10·6

  Loss of service tenancy/tied accommodation

  4·4

  4·8

  Other

  9·8

  15·2

  TOTAL

  78·2

  112·4

  Rate Support Grant (Brent)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the level of rate support grant for the London borough of Brent.

  Mrs. Bottomley
  On our latest calculations, Brent will receive £74 million of block grant this year.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be laying the 1989–90 rate support grant settlement shortly. Under our consultation proposals Brent would receive £86 million, £19 million more than this year after allowing for the changed treatment of polytechnics. This is an increase of 28 per cent. over 1988–89.

  Inspectorates (Staffing)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to review the staffing complement of the inspectorate in his Department dealing into air, water and waste.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the numbers of hazardous and waste inspectors.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  On 7 December my noble Friend the Minister for Housing Environment and Countryside announced that 13 additional posts will be created to strengthen the professional capacity of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in the spheres of air, water quality and waste. Among other things this will help with implementing the large combustion plant directive, administering the EC directive on the disposal of sewage sludge to land, and developing a programme of inspection of waste disposal authorities and major waste disposal sites. We shall continue to keep the manpower and resource needs of the inspectorate under review in the light of current circumstances and priorities.

  Water Industry (Expenditure)
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the change in the level of capital expenditure by the water industry between 1979–80 and 1988–89.

  Mr. Iain Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the change in the level of capital expenditure by the water industry between(a) 1974–75 and 1979–80, and (b) 1980–81 and to date.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Capital expenditure on DOE services, in real terms, decreased by 33 per cent. between 1974–75 and 1979–80, and increased by 52 per cent. from 1979–80 to the present.

  Ozone Layer (Conference)
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the progress being made on the calling of the London conference on the ozone layer.

  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the international conference to be held on the subject of the ozone layer.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The London conference "Saving the Ozone Layer" will be held in the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre on 5-7 March 1989, Ministers from developed and developing countries are being invited to attend, as well as world industry and international organisations. Initial reactions have been very favourable. The executive director of the United Nations environment programme (UNEP) has offered his warm support for the conference, which is designed to support existing international efforts to protect the ozone layer. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the detailed programme for the conference in consultation with UNEP.

  Water Bill
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the Water Bill.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend continues to receive representations covering various measures proposed in the Water Bill.

  Rate Support Grant
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest available figure for the amount of rate support grant to local authorities throughout Great Britain; and what was the figure in 1979.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The latest estimate of rate support grant is £12,702 million for 1988–89. In 1979–80 it was £9,001 million.

  Sheltered Housing
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to make additional funds available to meet the increased demand for sheltered housing.
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  Mr. Trippier
  Most elderly people wish to remain in their own homes for as long as possible and grants are available for improvements and adaptations. Local authorities must assess need in their areas and secure provision, with the private sector and other agencies, especially housing associations. The extra resources planned for housing in the PES period include an 80 per cent. increase in the Housing Corporation programme.

  Football-related Incidents
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many arrests there have been in football-related incidents inside and outside grounds in the 1986–87 and 1987–88 seasons.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The total number of arrests made at league matches in seasons 1986–87 and 1987–88 is as follows:

  Arrests

  1986–87

  5,531

  1987–88

  6,147

  The Association of Chief Police Officers does not hold information on the number of arrests for football-related incidents away from the grounds.

  Rivers (Quality)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of rivers in England are of good or fair quality.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Water authority data shows that 89 per cent. of the river length in England was assessed as being of good or fair quality in 1987.

  Regional Water Authorities
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the chairmen of the regional water authorities; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend last met the water authority chairmen on 5 December when a wide range of issues affecting the water industry were discussed.

  Departmental Relocation
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussion he has had about relocating his Department's establishments and personnel from the south to the north of Britain.

  Mr. Ridley
  About 56 per cent. of the Property Services Agency's non-industrial staff are already located outside the agency's London and south-east regions. The PSA is to be reorganised into three separate businesses between now and April 1990. I shall be considering relocation in the context of the future shape of the agency.

  For the Department of the Environment, over one fifth of the staff are already outside London and the south-east. My aim is to relocate as many more of these as makes financial and operational sense. To that end, all areas of the Department's work were considered in the summer and some prima facie candidates for relocation identified. Detailed studies of costs and benefits are needed before firm decisions can be taken. These are in progress.

  Land Transfers
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the average total of land transferred from farmland to urban uses each decade since 1958; what steps he proposes to take to increase the availability of land for building; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's records show that in the periods 1958–68, 1968–78 and 1978–85 the average estimated net area of farmland transferred to urban and industrial development (including mineral workings) each year in England was 14,000, 13,400 and 5,100 hectares respectively. More recent data in this series are not yet available. The planning policy guidance note "Local Plans" (PPG12) issued on 30 November emphasises that it is the responsibility of local planning authorities to make realistic provision for the foreseeable development needs of their area, in general conformity with the structure plan. In the last two years about 46 per cent. of new housing in England has been on derelict or vacant land in urban areas; the Government are committed to policies of restraint in green belts and other environmentally important areas.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to increase the number of staff involved in the monitoring of water quality.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The monitoring of drinking water quality will continue to be carried out by local authorities. However my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will also appoint technical assessors to ensure that water undertakers comply with the standards.

  Water Authorities (Assets)
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to value the assets of water authorities prior to privatisation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Department is discussing with representatives of the water authorities what new valuation work should be undertaken in connection with the preparation of prospectuses. No decision has yet been taken.

  Leasehold (North-West)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the operation of the leasehold system in the north-west of England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  We have received a number of representations recently from hon. Members and others, most of which relate to the activities of Salt Properties Ltd.

  I deplore the activities of landlords and their agents who seek to exploit their tenants. Leaseholders who receive unexpected demands should check the terms of their leases and seek advice if necessary.

  Under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 most long leaseholders of houses can insist on buying their freehold if they want to, but they should not feel obliged to buy simply because the landlord offers to sell.

  Planning Regulations
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals his Department has for changing planning regulations for building homes close to unstable cliff faces on the sea shore.

  Mr. Chope
  Existing planning regulations are adequate to deal with development close to unstable cliff faces but advice on how to apply those regulations is needed by planning authorities and developers. My Department has recently carried out a public consultation on draft advice on development on unstable land. The responses are now being considered and the advice will be issued in 1989.

  Ozone Layer
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further measures he intends to introduce to help protect the ozone layer.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action he intends to take to lessen the dangers posed to the atmosphere by the use of chlorofluorocarbons.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In the light of the advice of the United Kingdom stratospheric ozone review group in their second report published in October 1988 about depletion of the ozone layer and the role of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) we are calling for worldwide emissions of CFCs to be reduced by at least 85 per cent. by the turn of the century and for the Montreal protocol to be strengthened accordingly.

  At the Environment Council on 24 November most member states supported the United Kingdom's proposal that the Community should adopt this position in the review of the protocol. In order to underline the worldwide commitment needed to reduce CFC emissions and to demonstrate how these can be achieved my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State are calling a major international conference next March to which Ministers and world industry are being invited. We have also offered to host the second meeting of the parties to the protocol in April 1990, at which we hope that the further cuts we are demanding will be agreed.

  General Development Order 1988
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were held with interested parties before he tabled the General Development Order 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  We issued a consultation paper, including a draft of the proposed order, in February this year. There were 290 original consultees, and a further 156 copies of the paper were sent to those who requested them. A list of those consultees who responded to the paper will shortly be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  New Town Houses
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Telford development corporation to discuss the future of the new town houses.

  Mr. Trippier
  I meet the chairmen of development corporations from time to time to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

  Vehicle Exhaust Emissions
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce exhaust emission standards for British vehicles similar to those applying in the United States of America.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Yes. The exhaust emission standards for large cars, which the United Kingdom Government will be implementing as part of the Luxembourg agreement, will be equivalent to United States standards. For medium and small cars the recently agreed completion of the Luxembourg agreement will also lead to major reductions in emissions for these vehicles.

  Vacant Land
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to speed up the development in inner cities of vacant land owned by public bodies.

  Mr. Trippier
  My right hon. Friend has put into action several programmes which can speed up the development of vacant land in inner cities owned by public bodies.

  The land registers highlight unused and underused land owned by public bodies, and 13,000 acres of such land in inner cities have been removed from the registers since 1984 because it has been sold or brought into use by the owners. We are consulting public bodies about a new code of practice on the publication of information by those bodies themselves about unused and underused land they own. My right hon. Friend is also using his power to direct the disposal of inner city sites owned by public bodies. He is prepared to consider using these powers more widely when asked to do so in respect of specific sites.

  Additionally, nine urban development corporations have been set up in England to stimulate the development of vacant and derelict land in their areas. The urban programme supports projects for improving land and buildings in inner cities so that they can be brought back into economic use. Payments from the derelict land grant programme meet the cost of reclaiming damaged land for development, and there has been a steady annual increase since 1984 in the amount paid to inner city local authorities.

  South-East (Population Statistics)
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the proportion of the population in the south-east region with incomes insufficient to become home owners.

  Mr. Trippier
  Over 72 per cent. of households in the south-east (excluding London) already own their own homes. We believe that this proportion could increase even further not least through the continuation of the successful right-to-buy programmes.

  Low-Cost Housing (East Anglia)
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received regarding the need for low-cost housing in East Anglia.

  Mr. Trippier
  Ministers and officials mantain close contact with housing matters in East Anglia. The 624
  Government believe that the new Housing Act will greatly increase scope for the private sector, supported by local authorities to meet the needs of the housing market and increase the supply of low cost housing.

  Rented Office Space (London)
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reduce the rented office space in central London which has been pre-let for the Government by the Property Services Agency.

  Mr. Chope
  The Property Services Agency negotiates pre-let agreements where there is a firm forward requirement for Government use. It is for Departments to determine and justify their accommodation needs and its chosen location, having regard to operational and financial considerations and taking account of the Government's relocation policy. There is expected to be a net reduction of 120,000 sq ft in the overall size of the Government's London estate in the current financial year.

  "The Green Gauntlet"
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to make a response to the document entitled "The Green Gauntlet," a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  "The Green Gauntlet" is a welcome contribution to the continuing debate on environmental matters. We shall consider it, alongside the views of other interests, as we take forward our policies for safeguarding the environment.

  Rates
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the level of rate rises from April 1989.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We estimate that if all authorities in England spend in line with the proposed 1989–90 rate support grant settlement, the average rate increase for next year will be substantially less than inflation.

  Denis-Wild Houses
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to persuade building societies to offer mortgage advances on Denis-Wild type houses.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Building Research Establishment has published technical advice on the structural condition of Denis-Wild houses, and on their inspection and assessment. My Department liaises regularly with the Building Societies Association on the dissemination of such information, and will bring to its attention any particular problems concerning mortgageability.

  Sewage (Sea Disposal)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to control the discharge of sewage into the sea; and if he will make a statement.
  625
  Mr. Moynihan
  Discharges of sewage by water authorities are regulated by consents granted on behalf of the Secretary of State by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  The consent procedure will be used so as to ensure that discharges which at present have deemed consents will be determined positively. These consents, together with consents for new discharges, will be set so as to respect the EC bathing water directive, where it applies, and generally to reduce pollution by sewage.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in England since May 1979.

  Mr. Trippier
  From April 1979 to September 1988, about 960,000 tenants bought their homes from English local authorities and new towns.

  Housing Investment Programme
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to announce details of individual local authority housing investment programme allocations.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 8 December in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Patnick) at column 274.

  Estate Action
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the planned level of expenditure on the estate action programme in(a) 1988–89 and (b) 1989–90.

  Mr. Trippier
  The provision for additional allocations under the estate action programme in 1988–89 is £140 million. We expect that local authorities will make full use of these resources in expenditure in the current year.

  For 1989–90 the estate action budget has been increased by 36 per cent. to £190 million. The initial distribution between the regions will be as follows:

  Total £million

  London

  33·643

  North West

  51·606

  Merseyside

  18·423

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  22·175

  Northern

  13·545

  East Midlands

  10·719

  West Midlands

  25·736

  South East

  1·040

  Eastern

  1·115

  South West

  2·025

  180·027

  A total of £10 million will be held as a central reserve to provide flexibility in managing the programme and to support good new schemes which might come forward later in the year.

  The distribution of resources between the regions is based upon the volume and quality of bids received from local authorities for individual schemes.
  626
  I am delighted that the Government's desire to improve living conditions on neglected and run-down council housing estates will receive this very considerable boost.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy for containing the emission of chlorofluorocarbons arising from dry cleaning establishments; what consultation has taken place with the dry cleaning business on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Officials of the Department of the Environment and of the Department of Trade and Industry hold regular meetings with representatives of the users of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). including the dry-cleaning sector, on the steps that they are taking to reduce use of CFCs to the maximum possible extent. The major dry cleaning solvent used in the United Kingdom is perchlorethylene rather than CFC113.

  I am advised that all dry cleaning machines are sealed to be gas-tight, that solvent purification takes place within machines and that they are fitted with refrigeration units to condense solvent vapours and minimise potential emissions. Any solvent remaining in residues is recovered before exposure to the atmosphere. The industry is nevertheless looking at ways of developing even greater economy of use and has produced guidelines on machine operation, which includes proper use of solvents.

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is contemplating new guidelines and instructions for inspectors hearing appeals against the refusal of planning permission in the future.

  Mr. Chope
  A new planning policy guidance note on local plans was published on 30 November. The note stresses the importance of formally adopted and up-to-date local plans which are consistent with national and regional policies and with the relevant provisions of the structure plan. The note indicates that where there is such a plan, together with properly substantiated reasons for the local authority's decisions, my right hon. Friend and his inspectors will be guided by it in dealing with planning appeals.

  Inspectors will take this new advice into account, along with other material considerations, in hearing appeals.

  Mr. Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to use the powers granted to him in the Housing and Planning Act 1986 to enable appellants who prosecute planning appeals by means of written representations or local hearings to be awarded costs against an unreasonable local authority.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has no present plans to bring these powers into operation, but the matter is being kept under review.

  Mortgage Repossessions
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures for mortgage repossessions(a) for owner-occupiers as a whole and (b) for former council tenants who have exercised the right to buy.
  627
  Mr. Trippier
  Building societies took 9,770 properties into possession in the first six months of 1988, a fall of 13 per cent. compared with the previous six-month period. Statistics available do not distinguish between houses bought under the right to buy and others.

  Planning Inquiries
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance is given to planning inspectors as to the weight they should give to local opinion in reaching their decisions.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend and his planning inspectors are subject to the requirement in section 29 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 that those who decide planning applications must have regard to the provisions of the development plan, so far as is material to the application, and to any other material considerations. Accordingly, inspectors give weight to local opinion in so far as it relates to material land-use planning considerations.

  First-time House Buyers
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the price/incomes ratio for first-time buyers in(a) London and (b) other regions of England and Wales.

  Mr. Trippier
  Information for those with building society mortgages is published in table 10.11 in "Housing and Construction Statistics 1977—87", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to penalise water authorities which supply contaminated water to consumers.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Water Bill will provide a new and strengthened legal basis for drinking water quality standards. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be able to enforce compliance with the EC standards and will also introduce a new provision making it an offence for a water undertaker to supply water unfit for human consumption.

  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to reduce pollution from sewage discharges into the Bristol channel.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Ynys Môn (Mr. Jones). The measures apply generally, and no special rules are needed for the Bristol channel.

  Housing Costs
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assumptions his Department uses of the maximum percentage of disposable income which can be allocated to housing costs.

  Mr. Trippier
  Although income levels are considered in determining rates of subsidy no view is taken of the maximum percentage of disposable income that can be allocated to housing costs.

  Outer London Boroughs (Redevelopment)
  Mr. John L. Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received recently about the state and scale of redevelopment in outer London boroughs.

  Mr. Chope
  We have received several representations from hon. Members, councillors, and members of the public about pressures for intensive redevelopment of sites in established residential areas. Advice on the inclusion in local plans of policies on residential densities was included in planning policy guidance note No. 12, published on 30 November.

  Water Authorities (Land and Buildings)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the results of any consultants' work commissioned by him into the extent and value of water authority land and buildings.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No decision has yet been taken on the commissioning of new work on valuation of water authority land. Relevant information on the land of the successor companies will be contained in the companies' prospectuses.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the value of land and buildings owned by the water authorities.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The net asset value of the water authorities' land and buildings is shown in their published annual accounts.

  House Prices
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the link between house prices and job vacancies in the south-east.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department keeps under review the evidence about the effect that house prices have on migration between regions. But I do not consider that house prices are the main influence on the number of job vacancies in the south-east as a whole.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding enforcement of green belt restrictions.

  Mr. Chope
  There is a general presumption against inappropriate development in green belts. The policy is set out in planning policy guidance note No. 2 (PPG2) published in January 1988. My right hon. Friend, and planning inspectors, apply this policy in determining appeals and call-ins. We expect local planning authorities to have similar regard to green belt policy in the exercise of their planning functions.

  Empty Properties
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of council house properties currently standing empty in the Bury area; and how many have remained unoccupied for more than three months.
  629
  Mr. Trippier
  The latest available information was provided by Bury M BC in their 1988 housing investment programme return (HIP1), a copy of which is in the Library. The return shows the number of council houses which had been empty for more than six months at 1 April, but it does not give any further breakdown of those empty for six months or less.

  Red List (Dangerous Substances)
  Mr. Redmond
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to halve the number of dangerous substances that are listed in the United Kingdom red list; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The ministerial declaration following the second international conference on the protection of the North sea called for substantial reductions (of the order of 50 per cent.) by 1995 in the total quantity of substances which are toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulate entering the North sea via rivers and estuaries.

  The United Kingdom reduction programme will focus in particular on a "red list" of the most dangerous substances, proposals for the selection of which were set out in a consultation paper published in July. That paper also included proposals for a new approach towards controlling inputs of the most dangerous substances, involving the application of strict environmental quality standards, the use of best available technology (not entailing excessive cost) for the main point source discharges, and measures to minimise inputs from diffuse sources. These proposals are in line with the range of measures recommended in the North sea conference declaration for the purpose of reducing inputs of the most dangerous substances.

  In the meantime, the Department has asked the water authorities in England and Wales to produce action plans setting out their proposals for achieving early reductions in inputs of dangerous substances. Similar plans are being drawn up for Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is certainly no proposal to halve the number of dangerous substances that are being considered for inclusion in the United Kingdom "red list" as the hon. Member's question suggests.

  Football Matches (Arrests)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment from what disaggregated sources the totals for the number of arrests at division III and IV Football League matches given in his answer of 5 December are compiled.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The figures given in my answer to the hon. Member on 5 December were provided by the Association of Chief Police Officers which collates statistics on arrests and ejections from football liaison officers at police forces throughout the country. The form in which the figures are sent to ACPO show only totals of arrests and ejections at each club; they are not broken down into individual matches. Information on individual matches would require direct contact with every liaison officer and extensive searches of police records.

  Power Station (Malta)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will monitor the building of a new 630
  power station in Malta and its likely effect on the environment, as a means of drawing environmental lessons for the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. I am not aware of information that could be obtained from experiences in Malta that would add to the understanding of conditions in Britain. Full environmental impact assessments are required before power stations can be built in the United Kingdom. All specifically local factors have to be taken into account, as well as the need to conform to emission standards and requirements.

  Radioactive Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the policy and technical considerations underpinning the policy choice of early disposal instead of long-term monitorable and retrievable storage of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government believe that decisions on the disposal of low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes should not be left to future generations, and that the costs of disposal should be met by the "polluter". It is satisfied that early disposal in general carries a lower risk to workers in the nuclear industry and to the public, and also avoids the provision of costly and extensive storage capacity.

  Greenhouse Effect
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made any representations to the Japanese Government and the Japanese Environment Bureau to persuade them to accept limitations on CFC 113, as part of Her Majesty's Government's policy to protect the ozone layer.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. I understand that Japan has ratified the Montreal protocol which limits production and consumption of five chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) including CFC113. The protocol will enter into force on 1 January 1989.

  Bracken (Sprays)
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department or any relevant agencies have given any guidance to local authorities, landowners and farmers in respect of the environmental and public health implications of using sprays to control the spread of brackens in national parks or other areas of countryside.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Nature Conservancy Council has published guidance on the use of herbicides in nature reserves as "Focus on Nature Conservation" No. 14. This includes a chapter on asulam, which is the chemical normally used to control bracken.

  Sea Water (Southend)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in improving the sea water quality at coastal towns in the United Kingdom; and if he is satisfied with the progress made on sea water quality at Southend-on-Sea.

  Mr. Howard
  Some 60 per cent. of our bathing waters now meet the mandatory standards of the EC bathing
  631
  water directive. At Southend-on-Sea, although the recently extended outfall has brought about substantial improvements to water quality, further measures are being considered to deal with the problem of storm overflows.

  Housing Corporation
  Mr. Knowles
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he can give details of the Housing Corporation's approved development programme for 1989–90 and forward plans for 1990–91 and 1991–92; and what grant rates will apply next year to the Housing Corporation's programme of mixed privately and publicly funded schemes.

  Mr. Trippier
  My right hon. Friend announced on 1 November that gross provision for the Housing Corporation in 1989–90 would be £815 million, rising to £1,036 million in 1990–91 and £1,328 million in 1991–92. By 1991–92 gross expenditure by the Housing Corporation is planned to be 80 per cent. above original provision for 1988–89, demonstrating the Government's confidence in the housing association movement to play a central role in the provision of subsidised housing for those in the greatest housing need.

  The programme we have now approved for 1989–90 and the provisional plans for the following two years should enable the Housing Corporation to approve schemes in 1989–90 providing about 17,600 homes for rent rising to 24,400 new approvals in 1991–92, over 50 per cent. more than the expected number of approvals in the current financial year. This will be possible not only because of the greatly increased level of public resources being made available, but because of the wider opportunities for private finance opened up by the Housing Act 1988. It is planned that by 1991–92 schemes providing about 80 per cent. of new homes for rent will be approved on a mixed funded basis, combining grant from the corporation with private loan.

  Substantial public subsidy will remain available in all cases to ensure that rents are within the reach of those on low incomes. Mixed funded grant rates will vary in different parts of the country because of the significant regional differences in development costs, but the average grant rate in England in 1989–90 will be 75 per cent. The Housing Corporation will publish in due course details of the rates applying to different regions and in respect of different scheme types.

  Provision of housing for sale under the corporation's low-cost home ownership programme will also be significantly expanded. The whole of the programme is planned to operate on a mixed funded basis from 1989–90 which should allow the corporation to approve over one-third more new homes than in the current year. By 1991–92 the number of approvals given for housing for sale should be nearly double this year's expected outturn.

  In allocating resources regionally for new rented projects, greater emphasis will be placed in 1989–90 and subsequent years on the Housing Corporation's index of housing needs, which will be reviewed to ensure that it reflects housing needs as accurately as possible. A total of £381 million of public and private money will be invested in London and the south-east, where housing pressures are most acute, nearly 40 per cent. more than in the current financial year. But owing to the overall increase in
  632
  resources available, investment in all other regions will also go up by between 12 per cent. in the north-east and 53 per cent. in the east midlands.

  At my request, the Housing Corporation will encourage associations to examine their lettings policies to ensure that priority is given to those in the greatest housing need, especially the homeless. I am convinced that the needs of the homeless are best catered for by focusing sufficient resources in the right places. The greatly expanded overall programme for the Housing Corporation and the improved targeting of resources to areas of greatest need should help provide much needed homes for the homeless.

  I have also asked the Housing Corporation to ensure that the needs of those in rural communities are adequately catered for. The corporation will bring forward to 1989–90 its target of giving 600 approvals for new homes in the special rural programme for villages with a population of less than 1,000. A further announcement will be made in due course on targets for later years and the corporation's investment programme in rural areas generally.

  I have confidence in the Housing Corporation to make the very best use of the greatly increased level of resources being made available to it within the approved development programme for 1989–90 and provisional plans for the following two years, and to justify the enhanced responsibility it now bears for the provision of subsidised housing for those in housing need.

  The breakdown of the approved development programme for 1989–90 and forward plans for the following two years is as follows:

  1989–90 ADP £ million

  1990–91 plans £ million

  1991–92 plans £ million

  Net allocation (cash limit)

  701

  921

  1,211

  Receipts

  114

  115

  117

  Gross allocation

  815

  1,036

  1,328

  Housing for rent

  Schemes approved under the Housing Act 1985:

  100 per cent. public funding

  501

  158

  36

  Mixed funding

  28

  22

  —

  Schemes approved under the Housing Act 1988:

  100 per cent. public funding

  74

  422

  575

  Mixed funding

  40

  318

  587

  Major repairs

  52

  54

  62

  Mini HAG

  4

  5

  5

  Housing for rent—total

  699

  979

  1,265

  Housing for sale

  Improvement for sale, leasehold scheme for the elderly and shared ownership:

  Schemes approved under the Housing Act 1985

  65

  15

  1

  Schemes approved under the Housing Act 1988

  7

  21

  30

  Home ownership for tenants of charitable associations etc.

  39

  16

  27

  Housing for sale—total

  111

  52

  58

  Other expenditure

  5

  5

  5

  633
  Notes:

  1. Included within housing for rent: Housing Act 1988 100 per cent. publicly funded schemes is expenditure to be incurred on schemes to be approved before 1 April 1989 which do not reach tender approval until after 30 September 1989 and are therefore to be be resubmitted under the Housing Act 1988 framework.

  2. Other expenditure includes right to buy mortgages and a provision of £1 million to support certain self-build schemes.

  3. £8·5 million has been included in the programmes of housing for rent and for sale in 1989–90 to cover the costs of certain projects in Merseyside. Further sums will be made available in subsequent years.

  Housing Associations (Tenants)
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance is available to tenants of housing associations who wish to buy homes of their own on the open market.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Housing Corporation's approved development programme for 1989–90 allocates £39 million for the home ownership scheme for tenants of charitable housing associations, under which portable discounts are paid to people who do not have the right to buy their present homes. There are currently some 3,250 tenants who have applied but are having to wait. They will all be able to proceed by 31 March 1990.

  The scheme has helped nearly 6,000 households into home ownership, and released their old homes for reletting, but demand has outpaced the resources available. The rules of the scheme, under the payments are related to right-to-buy discount, are not apt to help as many tenants as possible to buy homes of their own. The scheme is therefore to be superseded by one which will enable resources to be used more efficiently, and no further applications will be accepted after today under the present scheme in England or Wales.

  The Housing Corporation is today publishing a consultation document seeking views on proposals for a new scheme to be introduced in 1990–91. Housing for Wales will shortly be publishing a separate consultation document in Wales. The proposals are modelled on the powers in section 129 of the Housing Act 1988 for local authorities to offer financial assistance to tenants to obtain new homes. The forward programme provides substantial funds for the new scheme. It will not be specifically aimed at tenants who do not have the right to buy, but the Housing Corporation envisages that in allocating resources some preference would initially be given to charitable housing associations whose tenants would have qualified for assistance under the present scheme.

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the level of polychlorinated biphenyls in the North sea.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: Information about inputs of PCBs, concentrations in marine species and ecological effects in the North sea is contained in the quality status report (scientific and technical working group) prepared for the second North sea conference in November last year, a copy of which is in the Library.

  As the report shows, levels of PCBs in European coastal waters have been declining. Levels in United Kingdom waters are considerably lower than in the eastern North sea. Monitoring by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
  634
  and Food and water authorities continues, but generally levels are so low that it is difficult to make reliable estimates for rivers and coastal waters.

SCOTLAND

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what, to date, are the total savings for each health board resulting from competitive tendering.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Contracts awarded to date have identified annual recurrent savings as set out in the table:

  Health board

  Annual recurrent saving £000s

  Argyll and Clyde

  147

  Ayrshire and Arran

  115

  Borders

  63

  Dumfries and Galloway

  230

  Fife

  103

  Forth Valley

  397

  Grampian

  598

  Greater Glasgow

  1,688

  Highland

  102

  Lanarkshire

  386

  Lothian

  1,124

  Tayside

  148

  TOTAL

  5,101

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many of the recent tenders in the National Health Service awarded to private contractors as the result of competitive tendering value added tax was paid.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total value to date of all contracts placed with the private sector following competitive tendering in the National Health Service.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The value of all contracts awarded to date is £29·5 million, of which £8·2 million was placed with the private sector.

  Health Councils (Review)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the report of the review of local health councils; and when it will be published.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The report is due to be submitted by the end of December. I shall consider the question of publication when I have studied the report.

  "The Scottish Health Service"
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State For Scotland how many copies of the publication "The Scottish Health Service" were printed; how many have been distributed; and to whom.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There were 62,000 copies printed, of which 55,000 were distributed in bulk to health boards
  635
  to be made available to health board members, staff in hospitals and in the community, the family practitioner service and the public. In addition, about 3,000 copies have been issued to all hon. Members for Scottish constituencies, local health councils and the media and in response to requests from, for example, teachers and the public. The booklet is having a wider impact and greater range of applications than we anticipated and has been very well received.

  Cigarettes (Illegal Sales)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions were brought against retailers for illegal sales of cigarettes to children in the last year for which figures are available; of these how many led to convictions; where these cases were heard; what penalties were imposed; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not available.

  Training Agency
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money the Training Agency expended on the voluntary projects programme in Scotland for the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Lang
  Voluntary projects programme expenditure in Scotland in 1987–88 was £940,000.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a breakdown of each training agency area in Scotland together with details of the host organisations that have been awarded posts and the number of posts allocated to those host organisations.

  Mr. Lang
  The number of organisations and posts awarded under community opportunities by each training agency area office in Scotland are:

  Full-time posts

  Part-time posts

  Glasgow City

  Community Central Halls

  1

  —

  Glasgow Old People's Welfare

  1

  —

  Volunteer Centre

  1

  —

  Scottish Conservation Project

  1

  —

  Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway

  Ayr Volunteer Exchange

  2

  —

  Wigtown council for Voluntary Services

  1

  —

  Coodham Unemployed Project

  1

  —

  Central and Fife

  Scottish Conservation

  1

  —

  Falkirk Voluntary and Action Resource Centre

  1

  —

  Fife Inter Church Action

  1

  —

  Gangforth

  1

  —

  Impasse Community Industry (Glenrothes)

  1

  —

  Highlands and Islands

  Ross and Cromarty Council of Voluntary Services

  1

  —

  Lewis Council of Social Services (Western Isles)

  1

  —

  Voluntary Services (Orkney)

  —

  1

  Inverness Voluntary Organisation Group

  1

  —

  Highland Regional Council

  1

  1

  Shetland

  Not contracted as yet

  —

  1

  636

  Full-time posts

  Part-time posts

  Grampian and Tayside

  Adult Community Training (Dundee)

  1

  —

  Perth and Kinross Association for Voluntary Service

  —

  2

  Unallocated

  1

  2

  Lothian and Borders

  Organisations yet to be publicly announced

  3

  1

  Lanarkshire

  YMCA

  2

  —

  East Kilbride District Council

  1

  —

  Clyde Calders Projects (Motherwell)

  1

  —

  Renfrew, Dunbarton and Argyll

  Volunteer Centre (Centre for Employment and Training)

  3

  —

  Training Services Inverclyde Ltd.

  1

  —

  Strathkelvin Enterprise Trust

  1

  —

  31

  8

  Community Opportunities
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money will be allocated to community opportunities in(a) Scotland and (b) Glasgow in the current financial year and for the financial year 1989–90.

  Mr. Lang
  A total of £560,000 has been budgeted for community opportunities in Scotland in the current financial year of which £64,000 has been allocated to Glasgow. Comparable figures are not yet available for 1989–90.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people recruited into community opportunities in the Glasgow area will receive training or further education opportunities.

  Mr. Lang
  The nature of community opportunities activities cannot yet be determined, nor can the number of individuals who may choose to participate. These matters will depend on the types of opportunities identified and whether or not individuals take them up.

  Voluntary Projects Programme
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money the Training Agency expects to expend on the voluntary projects programme in(a) Scotland and (b) Glasgow for the financial year 1988–89.

  Mr. Lang
  Voluntary projects programme expenditure in Scotland in 1988–89 is estimated at £925,000 of which £160,000 has been allocated to Glasgow.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in the Glasgow area were recruited into voluntary work in 1987–88 by schemes funded through the voluntary projects programme; and if he will provide a breakdown of this, project by project.

  Mr. Lang
  A cumulative total of 798 volunteers were recruited into voluntary work in 1987–88 through the voluntary projects programme. From April 1987 to March 1988 the following voluntary projects programmes operated in Glasgow:
  637

  (a) The Volunteer Centre—402 volunteers;

  (b) The Govan Aid Project/Pearce Institute—38 volunteers;

  (c) Maryhill Community Central Halls 156 volunteers;

  (d) Community Care/Gairbraid Community Association—112 volunteers;

  (e) Community Service Volunteers—90 volunteers.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people recruited into voluntary projects programme schemes in the Glasgow area, received training or further education opportunities.

  Mr. Lang
  Glasgow voluntary projects programme sponsors provided training or further education opportunities to all their volunteer helpers. This took the form of on or off the job training and further education, according to individual requirements.

  Education (Professional Bodies)
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all professional bodies within the Scottish education system that have made representations to him requesting or demanding the right to opt out of the state system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The right to apply to withdraw schools from education authority control will be offered to parents. It will be for parents at a local level to decide whether to exercise this right.

  A paper describing our proposals was issued last week and I look forward to receiving constructive comments from all involved in Scottish education including appropriate professional bodies.

  Farming (Interest Rates)
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the cost effect of interest rate increases since May on the average arable farm in the east of Scotland; and if he will express these figures by acre.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Overall borrowings by Scottish farmers are somewhat lower than last year, but the position will vary from one type of farm to another.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect on the incomes of arable farmers in the east of Scotland of payments of bank and other interest on loans for purchase of inputs up to May 1989.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have no information about the extent to which farmers' loans are used for the purchase of inputs.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Scottish farming industry about interest rates rises; and what indications he has of their effect on Scottish farmers.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend is naturally very much aware of the concerns of Scottish farmers about the possible implications of increases in interest rates. Higher interest rates are expected to add £3 million to interest payments this year, but, because of a lower level of overall borrowings than a year ago, interest payments in 1988 are likely to be only marginally higher at £97 million than the 1987 level of £96 million.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many items of correspondence he has received from hon. and right hon. Members about the work of the Department of Registers for Scotland since 1 July.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Sixteen.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many items of correspondence he has received from hon. and right hon. Members about the work of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Directorate since 1 July.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since 1 July my right hon. and learned Friend and I have received 33 items of correspondence from and right hon. Members relating to the directorate's work.

  Legal System
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the established number of procurators fiscal and procurators fiscal depute in each sheriffdom in Scotland; and how many such positions are currently vacant.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The established numbers of procurators fiscal and procurators fiscal deputes in each sheriffdom in Scotland with current vacancies are as follows:

  Complement

  Vacancies

  Sheriffdom

  PF

  PFD

  PF

  PFD

  Glasgow and Strathkelvin

  1

  65

  Nil

  7

  Lothian and Borders

  6

  28

  Nil

  Nil

  North Strathclyde

  6

  27·;5

  Nil

  3

  South Strathclyde

  6

  31

  Nil

  Nil

  Grampian

  14

  16

  Nil

  2

  Tayside

  10

  26

  Nil

  Nil

  43

  193·5

  Nil

  12

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time between first appearance in(a) summary cases and (b) solemn cases and final disposal in each sheriffdom in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The average period between pleading and trial diet in summary criminal business in the sheriff courts for the year ending 31 March 1988 was 17 weeks. The actual delay period in each sheriff court as at 30 September is as shown in the table below. Information about the average time between first appearance and final disposal in solemn cases is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Summary Criminal Business Quarter ended 30 September 1988—Delay Period between Pleading and Trial Diet (in weeks).

  30 September 1988

  Aberdeen

  17

  Airdrie

  15

  Alloa

  10

  Arbroath

  15

  Ayr

  18

  Banff

  9

  639

  30 September 1988

  Campbeltown

  13

  Cupar

  19

  Dingwall

  8

  Dornoch

  10

  Dumbarton

  23

  Dumfries

  16

  Dundee

  7

  Dunfermline

  10

  Dunoon

  9

  Duns

  3

  Edinburgh

  19

  Elgin

  7

  Falkirk

  7

  Forfar

  7

  Fort William

  18

  Glasgow

  17

  Greenock

  11

  Haddington

  31

  Hamilton

  22

  Inverness

  9

  Jedburgh

  5

  Kilmarnock

  16

  Kirkcaldy

  7

  kirkcudbright

  16

  Kirkwall

  7

  Lanark

  9

  Lerwick

  8

  Linlithgow

  10

  Lochmaddy

  8

  Oban

  10

  Paisley

  20

  Peebles

  10

  Perth

  9

  Peterhead

  13

  Portree

  8

  Rothesay

  5

  Selkirk

  6

  Stirling

  12

  Stonehaven

  8

  Stornoway

  14

  Stranraer

  12

  Tain

  6

  Wick

  8

  Cancer Screening
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate how many women are likely to be screened for breast cancer in(a) 1989 and (b)

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not currently available. A detailed programme is being worked out with health boards for implementing a national breast cancer screening programme in Scotland by 1991. Once the service is fully operational, about 111,000 women will be screened each year.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to make any further changes to the cash limits within his responsibility for 1988–89.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Yes. I intend to make a change to one of the cash limits within my responsibility. The 1988–89 cash limit for Class XVI, Vote 19 (General Register Office for Scotland) will be reduced by £25,000 from £4,951,000 to £4,926,000 as a penalty following a cash limit breach in 1987–88.

  Local Government (Staffing)
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when it is intended to issue the finalised circular on the review of staffing standards in local government.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: I assume that the hon. Member's question refers to staffing standards in local authority schools. I am considering the responses to a draft circular on teaching staff in schools. I have also arranged for the outcome of the review of staffing needs to be reflected in the Government's provision for education within the revenue support grant for 1989–90.

  Language Teachers
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of secondary school language teachers which the Government project is needed for 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: The current projections are:

  Number

  1989–90

  1,910

  1990–91

  1,880

  1991–92

  1,880

  1992–93

  1,890

  These projections fall to be revised in detail in the light of the Government's intentions for the teaching of modern languages in secondary schools. By 1992–93 I expect the number of modern languages teachers to rise to about 2,300.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Government's proposed intake for teacher training for modern language specialists for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: My right hon. and learned Friend prescribes each year the total number of postgraduate students to be accepted by colleges of education for secondary teacher training; intakes are not set for specific disciplines. The Government will ensure that colleges are made aware of their projections of the number of foreign languages teachers required in forward years. It is then for each college to consult its local education authorities about their detailed requirements, taking full account of the pool of trained teachers already available, and to determine its intake of language graduates accordingly.

  Salmonella
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of illness in Scotland can be reliably related to eggs in the last year for which figures are available; what form the illness took in each case; how many cases of illness in Scotland resulted from eating other items; how many deaths have resulted from eating eggs; and what reduction in the sales of eggs has occurred since 2 December.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 12 December 1988]: As at 2 December, 2,847 cases of food poisoning in

  641
  Scotland have been reported in 1988 by general practitioners. It is not always possible to identify the precise cause, but in some 641 cases 99 were attributable to salmonella in egg or egg-based products and 542 to other food, including poultry. Typical symptons of food poisoning include diarrhoea and dehydration. No deaths from the consumption of eggs have been recorded during this period. Information on the sale of eggs is not held centrally.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Family Credit
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there is a specific target for clearing claims for family credit for people who have moved into paid work.
  642
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Special arrangements have been made with the Department of Employment's claimant adviser service for family credit claims made by families of people assisted into work by them to be dealt with through a streamlined procedure. The target is for 90 per cent. of these claims to be cleared within five working days. This target is being met and 95 per cent. are cleared within 10 working days. Other claimants resuming work after claiming income support are sent a specially marked family credit claim form so that, if necessary, their claims can be given priority. The target is to clear these claims, as other family credit claims, in an average of 18 working days. In November a clearance rate of just under 23 days was achieved.

  SOUTH GEORGIA: MARINE CONSERVATION
  SOUTH GEORGIA: MARINE CONSERVATION
  HOUSING ASSOCIATION TENANTS AND RIGHT-TO-BUY
  HOUSING ASSOCIATION TENANTS AND RIGHT-TO-BUY
  COMMUNITY CHARGE: INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC
  COMMUNITY CHARGE: INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC
  HOUSING CORPORATION: DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
  HOUSING CORPORATION: DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
  M.54 SERVICE AREA
  M.54 SERVICE AREA
  IMMIGRATION CASES: GUIDELINES FOR REPRESENTATIONS
  IMMIGRATION CASES: GUIDELINES FOR REPRESENTATIONS
  DEPORTATION STATISTICS
  DEPORTATION STATISTICS