Written Answers of 16 February 1988

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Refreshments
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list by bar and restaurant the nonalcoholic and low-alcoholic beverages which are available for sale in the House.

  Mr. Wakeham
  In addition to soft drinks and mineral waters, alcohol-free wines, and alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers are available in all Refreshment Department outlets in the House.

WALES

  Craft Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to publish the independent report he commissioned into the developmental and marketing needs of the Welsh craft industry.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The report was published earlier today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. I shall be consulting widely on its proposals. Given the need to reduce the present uncertainties in the industry, I hope to be in a position to make early decisions.

  Regional Aid
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how the operation of selective grants for industrial development will benefit areas without assisted area status.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 is not available outside the assisted areas. Many measures administered by the development agencies and the Wales Tourist Board, most of them selective in nature, are available, however, to support industrial and commercial projects in the unassisted areas, where about 11 per cent. of the economically active population live and work.

  These include Mid Wales Development grant, DRIVE, rural building conversion grants, the new business development grant administered by WDA and MWD, capital grants and assistance for joint marketing schemes from the Wales Tourist Board, subsidised and small rural loans, equity capital, business and technology-oriented advice, assistance under the Welsh food initiative, advance and bespoke factories and derelict land and environmental improvement grants.

  In addition, depending on their precise location certain projects could also be eligible for assistance under the Department's urban programme and urban development grant schemes and the Welsh Development Agency's recently announced property development grant.

  Speech Therapy Training Centre
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now take steps to facilitate the establishment of a speech therapy training centre in North Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 23 November 1987 at col.12.

  Consultant Community Health Physicians
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if any health authorities in Wales do not have a consultant community health physician.

  Mr. Grist
  At September 1986 all district health authorities in Wales had at least one consultant community health physician.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, for each of the last three years, what was the maximum length of time that a patient confirmed as suffering from a cervical carcinoma had to wait before commencing in-patient treatment at(a) Singleton hospital, Swansea, and (b) Velindre hospital, Cardiff.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 28 January 1988]: The available information is shown in the following table. It relates to the length of time that patients were on the waiting list before commencing in-patient radiotherapy treatment. In cases where the patient received in-patient treatment on several occasions, the information relates to the first in-patient episode in the sequence.

  Maximum Wailing Times (Days)

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Singleton Hospital

  17

  30

  19

  Velindre Hospital

  21

  25

  28

  Health Service (Clwyd)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to improve the health service in Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: Clwyd will benefit from the increased resources of £69·8 million which is being made available to the National Health Service in Wales in 1988–89. Net resources available to the National Health Service in Wales in 1988–89 in real terms will be 39 per cent. above what it was in 1978–79.

PRIME MINISTER

  Teesside Development Corporation
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will visit the offices of the Teesside development corporation.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  Wolston
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Wolston, near Rugby.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  EURATOM
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if, during her recent meeting with Chancellor Kohl, she discussed the implications of the Transnuklear nuclear wastes and nuclear materials alleged bribes and false labelling scandal with regard to the effectiveness of the EURATOM nuclear oversight and future public confidence in civil nuclear power.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Newbattle Abbey College
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she wrote to the principal of Newbattle Abbey college prior to the announcement that funding would be withdrawn.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Upper Barnsley
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister if she plans to make an official visit to Upper Barnsley.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  Advisory Council on Science and Technology
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to chair the Advisory Council on Science and Technology.

  The Prime Minister
  I hope to chair a meeting of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology shortly.

  Extortion (Terrorists)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Prime Minister what action she has taken since the terrorist practice of using extortion to obtain funds first became known in 1982; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  A number of important initiatives have been undertaken or are in train to deal with the serious problem represented by the extortion practised by terrorists in Northern Ireland. In 1982 the Royal Ulster Constabulary set up its anti-racketeering squad which, among other things, has investigated extortion and related offences. Its inquiries continue, as do a number of prosecutions, and the squad has very recently been strengthened and reorganised. The Northern Irish (Emergency Provisions) Act 1987 included provisions to prevent security firms extorting money under the guise of providing security services. Progress has also been made in co-ordinating Government activity to make extortion more difficult and further initiatives in this area are being considered.

  President Waldheim (Wartime Record)
  Mr. Rhodes James
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will instigate further inquiries into the fate of Sub-Lieutenant Allen Tuckey, Private Ray Jones, Captain Bluett, Captain Hamilton, Private Davies and Private Bennett, in the light of the report of the International Historians' Commission on the wartime record of President Kurt Waldheim; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We are reviewing the results of investigations carried out in 1986 by the Ministry of Defence into the fate of captured British service men,520
  including those mentioned by my hon. Friend, in the light of the report of the International Commission of Historians on the wartime record of President Waldheim. I would remind the House that we have taken the allegations concerning Dr. Waldheim very seriously, particularly those concerning British service men, and that our thorough investigation of British official records has found no evidence to substantiate the allegations. As we have said before, we remain ready to examine all new information.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 February.

  Mr. James Cran
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 February.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 February.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 February.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 February.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an Audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Authority Staff
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the number of employees of the Cheshire county council and each district council in Cheshire in each of the last 10 years, broken down by functions.

  Mr. Chope
  Individual authority data have only been included in the Joint Manpower Watch since the end of 1979. The information relating to Cheshire county council, broken down by function, is not available centrally. Aggregate figures for that authority are as follows:

  Cheshire County Council—June figures

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total

  1980

  20,356

  17,180

  37,536

  1981

  19,760

  15,857

  35,617

  1982

  19,129

  15,844

  34,973

  1983

  18,917

  15,036

  33,953

  1984

  18,220

  16,766

  34,986

  1985

  18,072

  17,051

  35,123

  1986

  18,155

  18,037

  36,192

  1987

  18,307

  19,757

  38,064

  Tables showing the numbers employed, broken down by function, for each of the districts within the county from June 1980 are being placed in the Library of the House.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from
  521
  district councils in Northumberland about his proposals for the reform of finance of housing associations; and what replies he has given.

  Mrs. Roe
  My right hon. Friend has received representations from Alnwick district council. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the Department's reply.

  Leicestershire (Job Selection)
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to end discrimination being practised by the Leicestershire county council in the selection procedure it adopts for job vacancies, in so far as this affects past or retired employees of the Crown.

  Mr. Chope
  Local authorities, as independent bodies responsible for their own recruitment policies, are free to employ whomever they wish provided that they have regard to relevant employment legislation. They have to account to their local electorates for their recruitment policies.

  Urban Regeneration
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire of 1 December 1987,Official Report, column 549, if he will indicate when he expects to complete his review on the progress of urban regeneration grants.

  Mr. Trippier
  Soon.

  Listed Buildings
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has as to whether his Department's code of guidance regarding the listing of buildings is being adhered to; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  The code summarises the instructions given to field workers about their conduct towards the owners of the buildings they inspect. It was introduced to give more publicity to best practice. Since its publication in October 1986, over 38,000 buildings have been listed, but only about 80 complaints have been received about the conduct of field workers; of these, about 10 have been upheld on investigation.

  Cheshire County Council
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to which services Cheshire county council spends above the average; by how much; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The comparative information has been presented in terms of net current expenditure per head of population in 1986–87.
  522

  Net current expenditure per head

  Services

  Cheshire County Council

  Average for all Shire County Council

  Spending by Cheshire County Council in excess of the average for all Shire Counties

  £

  £

  £

  Education

  248

  228

  20

  School meals and milk

  11

  8

  3

  Personal Social Services

  45

  41

  4

  Fire

  13

  l2

  1

  Courts and probation

  7

  6

  1

  Town and Country Planning

  3

  2

  1

  Miscellaneous services1

  7

  6

  1

  1 Including land drainage and flood protection, non-housing revenue account housing, employment, consumer protection and general administration.

  Storm Damage
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if in view of the exceptionally wet weather, he will consider extending the time limit from 1 March to 31 March for local authorities to clear up the hurricane damage.

  Mr. Ridley
  On 8 December 1987, at column 99, I announced, inter alia, proposals to widen the total expenditure exclusion on storm-related revenue expenditure above a threshold amount. Total expenditure exclusions have the effect of relieving authorities from block grant loss. I have now consulted the local authority associations and the authorities concerned about these revised proposals and have considered their comments carefully.

  A number of the responses also made representations about the scheme of financial assistance (the Bellwin scheme) to assist authorities with the costs of storm damage. After careful consideration of these representations I have decided to make no changes to the Bellwin scheme which was designed to provide assistance in meeting emergency expenditure in the immediate aftermath of the storm. For the purposes of the scheme, the date by which work of an emergency nature must be completed therefore remains 1 March 1988.

  In the light of the representations on the total expenditure exclusions, I have decided to extend the exclusion for 1987–88 to cover all storm-related revenue expenditure above the threshold defined for the Bellwin rules, including revenue contributions to capital outlays, incurred by the end of March 1988. In addition, as proposed, I have decided to exclude for 1987–88 and 1988–89 all debt charges incurred in respect of capital expenditure on storm damage on 16 October up to the end of March 1989. Finally, I have also proposed that all debt charges on this capital expenditure which fall in 1989–90 should also be excluded: a decision on this proposal will be taken prior to the 1989–90 RSG settlement.

  Members' Accommodation
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the quality of furnishings and fittings in the new Members' accommodation in Bridge street will be of similar standard to those in the Department of Health and Social Security building in Richmond terrace; and if he will make a statement.
  523
  Mr. Chope
  Members' accommodation in the new parliamentary building will be fitted out generally in accordance with the design brief published in the Select Committee on House of Commons (Services), Third Report, Session 1983–84, Appendix 1.1 (HC571). The quality will be comparable to the furniture in the Commons Court offices though taken from current standard ranges.

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

  Mrs. Roe
  My Department has provided over £750,000 of support to the United Kingdom Committee for the European Year of the Environment (EYE). This includes a grant scheme of £300,000 under which the Department has supported over 150 practical environmental projects on the recommendation of the committee. It also includes the running costs of a full-time team which has put together the United Kingdom EYE programme and publicity campaign on behalf of the committee.

  In addition, my Department has been associated with a number of major events and projects in the EYE programme including the second International ministerial conference on the protection of the North sea hosted by the Government in London in November 1987; support for the production of the second edition of "EEC Environmental Policy and Britain" by Nigel Haigh; and the international pollution abatement fair in Birmingham in April 1987. As a further contribution the Department is preparing a general guide to the Government's environmental protection policies which it hopes to publish shortly.

  The Property Services Agency has contributed a large number of events, including open days, a travelling landscape exhibition, tree and shrub planting and conservation projects.

  Ministers from my Department and other Departments have also attended a number of speaking engagements and other events associated with EYE.

  The regional campaigns for EYE have received additional support from the territorial Departments. The Scottish Office has contributed £30,000 to support the work of the Scottish EYE panel and a range of projects in Scotland. The Welsh Office has contributed £10,000 as well as administrative support to the work of the Welsh EYE panel, and projects including a bilingual information leaflet and an environmental exhibition. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has provided some £20,000 covering administrative support to the Northern Ireland EYE panel and grants to projects. It has also sponsored a range of events including conferences and guided walks and open days in country parks and nature reserves.

  Other Government Departments have also contributed events and projects to the EYE programme and have encouraged many of the bodies which they sponsor to participate. The following are examples of the activities they have sponsored:
  524
  Publication of a booklet on "Defence and the Environment"; Army training areas clean-up week — a series of anti-litter, anti-pollution, landscaping, tree-planting and works projects involving the armed forces and local conservation groups such as Salisbury Plain conservation day, May 1987—Ministry of Defence
  Conference on "The Global Environment After Chernobyl" (April 1987) — Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  Financial support of £60,000 for the International Institute for Environment and Development/World Bank conference on sustainable development (April 1987); publication of booklet "The Environment and the British Aid Programme"—Overseas Development Agency
  Schools pack "Watching Waste" for EYE recycling week (October 1987); joint DTI/CBI conference on recycling (February 1988); series of articles in British Business on environmentally friendly projects and processes — Department of Trade and Industry
  Publication of booklet on "Transport and the Environment of Transport
  National and local publicity events drawing attention to community programme environmental improvement projects; secondment of member of staff to United Kingdom EYE team—Department of Employment/Manpower Services Commission.
  Series of open days held as part of a programme of farming and countryside events launched in May 1987; conservation event held in collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society of England at the national agricultural centre (October 1987)—Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food.
  Projects to preserve ancient woodlands, reclaim land and improve bird habitats; major project in Sherwood forest to create a traditional oak wood for conservation and recreation purposes—Forestry Commission.

  These activities add up to a strong contribution by Government to the United Kingdom EYE campaign and are clear evidence of their support for the aims of the year.

  The Department does not have full information about EYE initiatives in other European countries. The various national committees have put together wide-ranging and varied compaigns reflecting the circumstances and priorities of their respective countries. All EC member states including the United Kingdom have also played their part in the series of projects and events co-ordinated by the European Commission at Community level. This includes awards schemes; competitions; twinning and exchange scheme; and "weeks" focusing on clean beaches, water, recycling and tree planting.

  Council House Rents
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what figures he has for levels of council home rents in each London borough for each of the past five years.

  Mrs. Roe
  For average unrebated rents for individual London boroughs at April 1987 I refer to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 30 November 1987 at column 420. Available information for the other years appears in the earlier editions of "Housing Rents Statistics", published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, copies of which are in the Library.

Local Authorities and Joint Boards

  (Rates and Precepts)
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report, for each year since April 1985, those local authorities and joint boards subject to rate or precept limitation.
  525
  Mr. Ridley
  The relevant information was included in my reply of 11 January at columns 95–99.

  Local Authorities (Expenditure)
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report, the cash growth in net current expenditure from (a) 1978–79 to 1987–88 and (b) 1985–86 to 1987–88 for each of the following local authorities: Basildon, Brent, Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Inner London education authority, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Sheffield, Southwark, Thamesdown, Liverpool, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tower Hamlets, showing also the average figure for all local authorities in these two periods.

  Mr. Ridley
  The information, based on authorities' budget estimates for 1987–88, is as follows:

  Increase in net current expenditure

  £ million

  (a) from 1978–79 to 1987–88

  (b) from 1985–86 to 1987–88

  Basildon

  10·0

  5·3

  Brent1

  123·5

  47·8

  Camden1 2

  95·4

  41·1

  Greenwich1 2

  58·2

  22·7

  Hackney1 2

  80·4

  39·0

  Haringey1

  97·6

  37·6

  ILEA

  569·9

  124·0

  Islington1

  48·2

  18·3

  Percentage increases in total expenditure

  1985–86 over 1984–85

  1986–87 over 1985–86

  1987–88 over 1986–87

  1988–89 over 1987–88

  Authorities first selected for 1985–86

  Sheffield

  2·1

  not selected

  2-6·9

  not selected

  Camden

  -8·8

  141·6

  30·7

  4—

  Greenwich

  13·7

  153·7

  3-8·5

  4—

  Hackney

  17·4

  137·3

  312·5

  4—

  Islington

  -3·7

  126·3

  22·9

  not selected

  Lambeth

  5·9

  152·9

  3-11·4

  4—

  Lewisham

  2·0

  142·7

  319·0

  4—

  Southwark

  -2·6

  113·2

  324·2

  4—

  Brent

  1·3

  not selected

  2-0·3

  not selected

  Haringey

  0·2

  130·6

  2-8·1

  4—

  Basildon

  -27·4

  82·8

  24·4

  4—

  Thamesdown

  -1·9

  5·9

  2-4·4

  4—

  Leicester

  1·0

  not selected

  not selected

  not selected

  Portsmouth

  3·1

  not selected

  not selected

  not selected

  GLC

  -38·2

  abolished

  abolished

  abolished

  ILEA

  -4·0

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Merseyside MCC

  13·0

  abolished

  abolished

  abolished

  South Yorkshire MCC

  1·1

  abolished

  abolished

  abolished

  Authorities first selected for 1986–87

  Liverpool

  n/a

  127·7

  not selected

  4—

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  n/a

  128·2

  3-4·8

  4—

  Authorities first selected for 1987–88

  Gateshead

  n/a

  n/a

  23·0

  not selected

  North Tyneside

  n/a

  n/a

  2-0·6

  not selected

  Tower Hamlets

  n/a

  n/a

  2-3·3

  4—

  Hounslow

  n/a

  n/a

  2-25·2

  not selected

  Newham

  n/a

  n/a

  25·5

  not selected

  Middlesbrough

  n/a

  n/a

  22·7

  4—

  Brighton

  n/a

  n/a

  2-4·2

  not selected

  Authorities first selected for 1988–89

  Manchester

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  526

  (a) from 1978–79 to 1987–88

  (b) from 1985–86 to 1987–88

  Lambeth1 2

  90·5

  43·5

  Lewisham1 2

  69·4

  36·0

  Sheffield1

  165·2

  58·1

  Southwark1 2

  65·1

  20·2

  Thamesdown

  3·2

  -0·9

  Liverpool1

  169·8

  68·0

  Newcastle upon Tyne1 2

  90·8

  37·1

  Tower Hamlets1

  59·0

  27·6

  Average for all English authorities3

  36·2

  9·9

  1 Authority assumed new functions on 1 April 1986, following abolition of the GLC and the metropolitan county councils.

  2 Based on revised estimate for 1987–88.

  3 This is an average cash figure taken across all different classes of authority — and therefore has no significance for the purposes of comparison with any individual authority.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish for each local authority selected for rate limitation since 1 April 1985, the percentage increase or decrease in its total expenditure for each year compared with the previous year, showing also the maximum rate applicable in each year.

  Mr. Ridley
  The information on percentage changes in total expenditure is as shown. The relevant information on maximum rates and precepts was included in my reply of 11 January at columns 95–99.
  527

  1985–86 over 1984–85

  1986–87 over 1985–86

  1987–88 over 1986–87

  1988–89 over 1987–88

  Ealing

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  Waltham Forest

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  1 Authority assumed new functions on 1 April 1986, following abolition of GLC and metropolitan county councils.

  2 Based on budget estimate for 1987–88.

  3 Based on revised estimate for 1987–88.

  4 Budget information for 1988–89 not yet available.

  Housing Project Control
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any decisions have yet been made regarding his proposals to abolish housing project control for local authorities.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My Department and the Welsh Office have today sent to the local authority associations copies of circulars about the abolition of the present housing project control system for new building and renovation schemes. It will be replaced by a system of admissible cost limits which will not require the submission of schemes to the Department or the Welsh Office.

  The change will reduce work both for local authorities and for the Department and the Welsh Office, and will allow authorities greater freedom to plan and implement their capital programmes more efficiently. It will also clarify their responsibility for achieving value for money in their housing schemes. The circulars and the new system which it describes are the product of extensive consultations with the local authority associations.

  Local Authorities (Subsidies)
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has decided what deemed rent increase and what increase in reckonable expenditure on management and maintenance should be used in calculating the entitlement of local authorities to having subsidies for 1988–89.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Our proposals for these increases were issued as consultation papers last September. The local authority associations have sent us their comments in writing and in discussion with my officials. We have considered these comments very carefully.

  My right hon. Friend has decided, jointly with the Secretary of State for Wales, that, in view of the need to encourage local authorities in improving the condition of their housing, the increases in reckonable expenditure and income for the purposes of calculating entitlement to housing subsidy for 1988–89 should be in excess of the general level of rises in costs and prices. Therefore, the allowance for management and maintenance will go up by 9·2 per cent., provided an authority's actual expenditure reaches the enhanced level. Similarly the increase in the deemed local contribution will be £1·60 per week. It is for local authorities themselves to decide actual rents according to their own circumstances. Taken together, the increases represent a balance between central and local contributions towards extra renovation costs.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the further margin of error relating to the tables in annex F of "Paying for Local 528
  Government" resulting from taking account of the regular 30 per cent. non-response rate to the family expenditure survey, stating for which bands of household income the data would be most affected.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 3 February 1988]: Direct evidence of the income of non-respondents is not available. Comparison with the 1981 census does provide an indication of the types of household whose response rate is below average (see "Statistical News No. 72," February 1986, HMSO). This evidence suggests that households with three or more cars and the self-employed are under-respresented. The response rate for the elderly aged over 70 is also significantly below average.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the repriced tables in his Department's note on the relationship between local taxes and income and the distributional impact of the community charge alongside the results from the 1986 family expenditure survey, together with an explanation of how the repriced figures were derived and what margin of error applies to them.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 3 February 1988]: I am afraid the hon. Member's question is unclear. The family expenditure survey does not contain tables comparable with those in the note placed in the Library on 13 January. The table, however, shows the proportion of households in each band of net income as used in that note alongside the most nearly comparable table from the 1986 FES.

  1986 FES Table 1

  DOE note of 13 January

  Disposable income

  Percentage of sample

  Weekly net income

  Percentage of sample

  £

  £

  Under 45

  6·8

  45–50

  2·2

  Under 50

  5·4

  50–55

  1·9

  55–60

  1·9

  60–65

  2·5

  65–70

  2·5

  50–75

  12·0

  70–80

  4·0

  80–90

  4·1

  90–100

  3·6

  75–100

  10·3

  100–120

  7·0

  120–140

  6·5

  100–150

  15·7

  140–160

  6·7

  160–180

  5·8

  180–200

  5·5

  150–200

  15·9

  200–225

  7·3

  225–250

  6·0

  200–250

  13·6

  250–275

  5·0

  275–300

  4·2

  250–300

  10·2

  300–325

  3·3

  325–350

  2·7

  300–350

  6·5

  350–375

  2·1

  375–400

  1·4

  350–400

  4·1

  400–450

  2·4

  450–500

  1·4

  400–500

  4·0

  500+

  3·0

  500+

  2·3

  529
  Percentage of households in each income band
  The aggregated FES sample used to exemplify the impact of the community charge has been repriced to 1986–87 prices using a number of appropriate indices. For example earned income in each quarter was updated by reference to the index of seasonably adjusted average earnings, water rates were updated by the water charges component of the RPI and local authority rates were repriced according to the actual level applying to each household in the sample. The margin of error which applies will vary according to the index used.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the sampling ratio achieved by the combination of family expenditure survey responses for 1981 to 1984 used in annex F of Cmnd. 9714 "Paying for Local Government" and subsequently(a) for Great Britain and (b) for England; and what margin of error should be allowed for in a sampling ratio of this kind.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 3 February 1988]: The tables in annex F of the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) have been superseded by those contained in the note I placed in the Library on 13 January showing the relationship between local taxes and income and the distributional impact of the community charge. The sampling ratio achieved by the family expenditure survey is around 6,000 out of 18} million in England. Using four years data gives a combined sampling ratio of around one in 750. It is not possible, however, to estimate the margin of error simply from the sampling ratio. This will depend on

  (i) the sample size

  (ii) the design of the sample

  (iii) the nature of the variable being measured

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Overseas Ministers (Entry)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in respect of access into the United Kingdom of Ministers of foreign Governments.

  Mr. Mellor
  We afford every appropriate facility, consistent with the Immigration Act 1971 and immigration rules, in respect of the access of Ministers of foreign Governments to the United Kingdom.

  E1 Salvador (Mercenaries)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the supply of mercenaries by a United Kingdom-based company, KMS, to the Government of E1 Salvador; what action he proposes to take; what advice he will give them regarding danger of prosecution under the Foreign Enlistment Act should any fatalities arise from the actions of such United Kingdom personnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We are aware of press reports about KMS involvement in E1 Salvador, but have received no evidence to confirm them. KMS is a commercial company which is not controlled by Her Majesty's Government.

  Defence Services Ltd.
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what services have been and are provided to his Department or any of its agencies by Defence Services Ltd.
  530
  Mr. Mellor
  Defence Systems Ltd. (DSL) is subcontracted to Hall and Watts (International) Ltd. which has a commercial contract with the Mozambique Government to provide equipment and training for a Mozambican militia force deployed on security duties on the Nacala railway line. DSL provides the training element of the contract. We have no involvement with this private sector operation, but recognise that the work being done in the Nacala line accords with our overall policy towards Mozambique and the needs of its neighbours.

  Atomic Energy (Peaceful Uses)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there have been any recent discussions with(a) the Japanese Government, (b) Euratom and (c) the International Atomic Energy Agency over exports from the United Kingdom of nuclear materials and technology under Cmnd. 3853 on agreement for co-operation between the United Kingdom and Japan in the peaceful uses of atomic energy.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have had several contacts with the Japanese Government about the implementation of this agreement, but no recent discussions about the agreement with Euratom or the International Atomic Energy Authority.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to initiate the renegotiation of the United Kingdom-Euratom-International Atomic Energy Agency Tripartite Safeguards Treaty (Cmnd. 6730) in order to include the requirement to report yearly plutonium production figures, by nuclear station, to the appropriate international agency.

  Mr. Mellor
  No renegotiation is necessary. Existing arrangements with Euratom provide for plutonium produced to be reported when the fuel is shipped from United Kingdom civil reactors. Euratom keeps the International Atomic Energy Authority informed.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Office Equipment and Computers
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what was the total output of office equipment, the percentage exported, and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987;

  (2) what was the total output of computers, the percentage exported, and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Information for the United Kingdom for Office Equipment (Activity Heading 3301) and Computers (Activity Heading 3302) is published in table 10.5 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics and in Business Monitor MQ12, "Import penetration and export sales ratios for manufacturing industry". These are available in

  531
  the House of Commons Library. Information for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Consumer Goods (Imports)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what was the total output of compact disc players, the percentage exported and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987;

  (2) what was the total output of hi-fi equipment, the percentage exported and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987;

  (3) what was the total output of photographic cameras, the percentage exported and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987;

  (4) what was the total output of television cameras, the percentage exported, and proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and each year from 1979 to 1987;

  (5) what was the total output of food mixers, the percentage exported and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The information requested is not available for the United Kingdom. That for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total output of loudspeakers, the percentage exported, and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in:(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The available information for the United Kingdom is published in Business Monitor PQ 3453, "Electronic sub-assemblies and active components" (formerly PA 364, "Radio and electronic components"), which is available from the Library of the House. Information for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total output of video recorders, the percentage exported and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Information for the United Kingdom is not available prior to 1985. Figures for 1985 onwards are published in the quarter 2 1987 Business Monitor PQ3454, "Electronic consumer goods and miscellaneous equipment". Information for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
  532
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total output of microphones, the percentage exported and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in:(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The available information for the United Kingdom is shown in the table. That for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Microphones

  1975

  £ thousands

  Sales (1)

  1,657

  Exports

  282

  Imports

  2,709

  Note:

  (1) Sales data relate primarliy to units in the United Kingdom with a minimum employment of 25. Reliable estimates of sales of microphones by smaller establishments are not readily available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total output of tape recorders, the percentage exported and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in;(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The available information for the United Kingdom is published in the quarter 2 1987 issue of British Monitor PQ 3454, "Electronic consumer goods and miscellaneous equipment", which is available from the Library of the House. Information for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Enterprise and Deregulation Unit
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what role the Enterprise and Deregulation Unit has played and is playing in the reviews of the export licensing system, the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and the burdens on business, including Sunday trading restrictions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The EDU has played and continues to play its usual role of looking at issues in all areas of the Government's work, including those my hon. Friend raises, for ways in which unnecessary burdens on businesses can be removed or minimised.

  Castleford (Industrial Development)
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to encourage industrial development into the Castleford travel-to-work area.

  Mr. Atkins
  A number of measures already exist to encourage industry to locate and develop in the area. Companies in, or moving to, the TTWA are eligible to apply for assistance under the Department's enterprise initiative consultancy schemes and the area is also eligible for assistance from the European Coal and Steel Community and social and agricultural funds. In addition, the Yorkshire and Humberside development association, funded by the DTI, local authorities and private sector
  533
  sponsors, is charged with attracting inward investment to the Yorkshire and Humberside region, including the Castleford and Pontefract TTWA.

  Redundant Steel Workers
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many outstanding claims are still being processed for training payments for redundant steel workers in the Sheffield area; if the delays in making such payments arise within his Department or within the EEC Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Nine redundant steel workers from the Sheffield area have not yet received training benefits under the iron and steel employees re-adaptation benefits scheme (ISERBS) because of the European Commission's delay in approving United Kingdom applications for re-adaptation aid under the treaty of Paris. No payments can be made until Commission approval has been given. We are continuing to press the Commission for an early decision on these cases.

  Regional Development Grant and Regional Selective Assistance Expenditure

  £ million

  TTWA

  York

  Barrow

  Preston

  Fin. Year

  RDG

  RSA

  RDG

  RSA

  RDG

  RSA

  1978–79

  0·3

  0·1

  1·3

  0·1

  1·6

  0·6

  1979–80

  0·4

  neg

  0·9

  neg

  1·3

  0·3

  1980–81

  0·6

  neg

  0·9

  neg

  1·5

  0·3

  1981–82

  0·7

  neg

  1·6

  neg

  3·1

  0·2

  1982–83

  0·3

  neg

  0·1

  —

  0·4

  0·2

  1983–84

  —

  neg

  —

  neg

  0·6

  0·5

  1984–85

  —

  neg

  —

  neg

  —

  0·1

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  —

  neg

  0·1

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Notes:

  1. Stafford and Lincoln TTWAs are not assisted areas and have not therefore received any RDG or RSA. The assisted area status of the remaining TTWAs has changed during the period and none of the areas is now assisted.

  2. Regional selective assistance includes project and training grants only.

  3. neg = less than £50,000.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what was the total expenditure on(a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Upminster travel-to-work area in each year from 1973 to 1979 to date.

  (2) what was the total expenditure in (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Portland travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (3) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Weymouth travel-to-work area in each year from 1987–79 to date;

  (4) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Redditch travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (5) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Droitwich travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (6) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Bodmin travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  Regional Aid
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what was the total expenditure on(a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to York travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79;

  (2) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Barrow travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79;

  (3) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Stafford travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79;

  (4) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Lincoln travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79;

  (5) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Preston travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79.

  Mr. Atkins
  The information requested for each travelto-work area for the years 1978–79 to 1986–87 is as follows:

  (7) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Newquay travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (8) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Bude travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (9) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Launceston travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (10) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Alfreton travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (11) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Haverhill travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (12) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Long Melford travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;
  535
  (13) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Lavenham travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (14) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Heanor travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  (15) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Ripley travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79 to date;

  Travel-to-work area

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Alfreton

  RDG

  0·2

  0·1

  0·5

  1·2

  0·1

  —

  *—

  —

  —

  RSA

  0·5

  0·4

  0·3

  0·3

  0·4

  0·2

  0·1

  —

  —

  Birmingham (Redditch)2

  RDG

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  RSA

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·5

  3·3

  Bodmin

  RDG

  —

  —

  0·5

  *—

  —

  —

  —

  *—

  0·2

  RSA

  0·1

  0·2

  0·1

  0·1

  —

  —

  —

  0·3

  0·4

  Bude

  RDG

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  *—

  RSA

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nottingham (Heanor and Ripley)2

  RDG

  0·1

  *—

  0·1

  0·6

  *—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·2

  0·1

  0·2

  0·1

  0·1

  —

  —

  —

  Launceston

  RDG

  *—

  —

  *—

  *—

  —

  0·3

  0·2

  0·1

  0·1

  RSA

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Newquay

  RDG

  —

  —

  0·1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  *—

  0·5

  RSA

  —

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  * Negligible.

  2 Heanor, Ripley and Redditch are not current TTWAs: information has been given for the TTWAs which currently encompass these towns except that some payments under the original regional development grant scheme have been identified for the former Heanor TTWA.

  Notes:

  1. RSA information covers project and training grants only.

  2. No RDG has been paid in the TTWAs covering the other areas listed in the questions.

  Microcircuits
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total output of microcircuits, the percentage exported, and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Information for the United Kingdom is published in Business Monitor PQ3453, "Electronic sub-assemblies and active components" (formerly PQ364, "Radio and electronic components"), which is available from the Library of the House. Data for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Computer Software
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total output of computer software, the percentage exported, and the proportion of the domestic market taken by imports in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) Japan in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and in each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Total and export sales by a voluntary panel of United Kingdom companies are published in Business Monitor SDQ9, "Computing Services" (formerly SD9, "Computer Services"), which is available from the
  536
  (16) what was the total expenditure on (a) regional development grant and (b) selective assistance to Sudbury travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79.

  Mr. Atkins
  Expenditure under the regional develop-men grants (RDG) and regional selective assistance (RSA) schemes since 1978–79 to the travel-to-work areas (TTWAs) for which information is requested was as follows:

  Library of the House. Statistics on the imports of software are not available. Information for West Germany and Japan could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many cases of reported insider dealing are currently under investigation by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  There are 14 cases where inspectors appointed under section 177 of the Financial Services Act are currently investigating possible contraventions of the insider dealing legislation.

  The appointment of such inspectors is considered in all appropriate cases which are brought to the attention of my Department.

  Internal Market
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what categories of people have been invited to the Lancaster house conference on the internal market; if they include trade union representatives and Opposition hon. Members of the House; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: Invitations will be issued shortly. The Lancaster House

  537
  conference is primarily for British business, and we are inviting nearly 200 senior representatives from all the main industry and service sectors.

  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are his estimates of the employment implications for each category of employment of the completion of the European Community internal market in 1992.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: Completing a single Community market of 320 million people should bring substantial economic benefits, helping to create wealth and employment in this country. The effect on the pattern of employment in the United Kingdom will depend on a number of factors, including the way British business seizes the opportunities of a single large market to increase sales and improve their competitive performance in Community and world markets.

  Waste Paper
  Mr. Irving
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action he is taking to encourage commercial collection from Government Departments and other producers of greater or lesser amounts of waste paper, to reduce litter, and smoke from burning and save imports.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have been asked to reply.

  Her Majesty's Stationery Office collects some 20,000 tonnes of waste paper and allied materials per year from Government Departments throughout the United Kingdom. Of this, more than 17,000 tonnes are commercially shredded and pulped for the manufacture of cardboard boxes and similar products. The balance comprises security materials, some of which are disposed of by burning, and other products unsuitable for recycling. Her Majesty's Stationery Office already advertises these services, but I have asked it to consider whether more could be done to encourage other public sector customers to use the facility.

DEFENCE

  Trident
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there has been any slippage in the timetable for introducing work on the Trident programme at AWRE Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State stated on 19 January at column 775, there is no slippage of the in-service date of the Trident programme, and AWRE Aldermaston is playing its part in this programme.

  London University
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many research agreements or contracts his Department has with University college, London; and in which subjects;

  (2) how many research contracts or agreements his Department has with King's college, London; and in which subjects.
  538
  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon) on 21 January at column 775.

  F-16 Aircraft
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of his discussions with Mr. Valerio Zanone, the Minister of Defence of Italy, on the fate of the F-16s formerly at the Torrejon base in Spain.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited Rome on 27 January for bilateral discussions with Signor Zanone on a range of issues of mutual interest. In noting the proposed withdrawal of the F-16s currently based at Torrejon it was agreed that, in view of the important role played by the aircraft in the defence of Europe, they should if possible be relocated elsewhere in the southern region.

  Novel Defences
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals exist within NATO for novel defences, including terrain enhancement; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The Alliance regularly reviews proposals across the whole spectrum of defence planning including terrain enhancements. Details of defence planning proposals are classified.

  Radiation-Capable Shells
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to introduce enhanced radiation-capable shells into Europe.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  As my right hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and Mailing (Mr. Stanley) made clear in the reply he gave to the hon. Member on 8 May 1987 at column 557, NATO has no plans to introduce enhanced radiation weapons into Europe.

  Chemical Warfare Research
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many marmosets have been used for chemical warfare research in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years; and if he will list the establishments carrying out such research.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Wherever possible, animals are not used in experiments. Where there is no suitable alternative the lowest order of animal possible is used for any experiment. It is not our practice to make available detailed information on the usage of a particular species for chemical defence research. Such information could enable an informed observer to gain a useful insight into the scope and direction of MOD's work to the detriment of national security.

  La Belle Discotheque
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will call for a report from the General Officer Commanding British Sector West Berlin on the progress of the investigations, carried out by the West Berlin police into the bomb outrage at La Belle discotheque.
  539
  Mr. Freeman
  No.

  Trident Submarine (Transportation Loss)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances a section of a Trident submarine broke free from its transporting ship in the Irish sea on Friday 5 February; what is the estimated value of the section lost; whether it is intended to attempt to recover it; what warnings are being issued to fishing and other vessels in the area; what are the defence implications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave on 15 February at columns 448–49 to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell).

SCOTLAND

  Caravans (Illegal Parking)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the number of individuals who have been charged by Tayside police with offences of parking caravans illegally in Angus over the past two years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Criminal Records Office
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to ensure that all entries in the Scottish Criminal Records Office relating to convictions are accurate in all respects.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information relating to convictions is obtained by the police service from the relevant court. Every effort is made and will be made to ensure the accuracy of the material supplied.

  NHS Funding
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to allocate sufficient resources for National Health Service funding for Scotland in 1988–89 to maintain the development of services in the community for elderly, mentally ill and mentally handicapped people, without reducing the level of acute services.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Gross expenditure in the National Health Service in Scotland has risen from £1,053 million in 1979–80 to an estimated £2,334 million in the current year, a cash increase of over 120 per cent. This

  Unfilled vacancies—Dundee Jobcentre area

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  January

  —

  536

  273

  303

  321

  322

  190

  205

  419

  February

  —

  501

  311

  289

  416

  241

  201

  249

  369

  March

  —

  476

  373

  291

  424

  270

  218

  267

  358

  April

  —

  472

  329

  307

  293

  219

  205

  315

  326

  May

  —

  468

  288

  366

  389

  179

  200

  342

  267

  June

  692

  347

  272

  402

  369

  169

  257

  534

  365

  July

  674

  403

  302

  352

  370

  110

  273

  437

  434

  August

  563

  359

  274

  366

  265

  120

  198

  437

  510

  September

  602

  346

  283

  419

  269

  195

  384

  517

  495

  540
  corresponds with growth of about 27 per cent. in real terms. The allocation for 1988–89 will shortly be announced and it will be for health boards to give adequate priority to the development of community care provision and of acute services from the very substantial resources made available to them.

  A74 (Upgrading)
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new funds he intends to provide to the relevant local authorities to meet the costs of upgrading the A74 to motorway standard; and whether he will expect local authorities to meet any of those costs from their existing budgets.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The A74 is a trunk road, for which I am directly responsible. Consequently no costs of its upgrading will be met by local authorities.

  Water (Lead Levels)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to lead levels found in water in Edinburgh during a study carried out by the Scottish Home and Health Department; what maximum lead level has been recommended by that study; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There has been no recent study on lead levels in water in Edinburgh.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to amend the scope of section 15 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 in order to avoid the necessity of community charges registration offices having to serve a statutory notice on dead people in terms of the Act; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend is considering this matter.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give, for each month since June 1979, the number of job vacancies in Dundee.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 8 February 1988]: The number of job vacancies (excluding community programme) notified and remaining unfilled in the Dundee jobcentre area for each month since June 1979 is shown in the table.
  541

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  October

  690

  287

  246

  346

  364

  298

  414

  518

  665

  November

  719

  442

  325

  432

  378

  265

  430

  561

  523

  December

  590

  374

  299

  427

  358

  242

  226

  412

  317

  The figures are not directly comparable due to a change in the compilation of the statistics in October 1985, from which date this information is available in the Library. It is estimated that only around one-third of all vacancies are notified to jobcentres.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the operation of the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The powers in the Act to trace, freeze and confiscate assets are proving an effective new weapon against drug trafficking. During the first year of operation of the Act the High Court made over 150 orders freezing some £7 million pounds of suspected drug traffickers' assets. The Crown court has ordered some substantial sums to be confiscated, including £452,000 in one case last month. We are seeking reciprocal agreements with other countries so as to make the most effective use of these powers: the first such agreement, with the United States of America, was signed on 9 February.

  Hooliganism
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received with regard to the threat to good order and quiet enjoyment represented by hooligans, vandals, litter louts and graffiti writers.

  Mr. John Patten
  We receive frequent, and understandable, representations on these subjects. In regard to the lower level of offences, much can be achieved through local preventive approaches, including proper enforcement of the law against under age drinking, good planning and provision of constructive activities for young people who may otherwise congregate on the streets causing a nuisance. The Government have taken firm action against the misuse of alcohol associated with football matches and are discussing with the Football League what more needs to be done to control hooliganism. The police are giving a high priority to combatting racially motivated harassment and the Home Office has issued guidance to forces on the recording and handling of racial attacks. The Public Order Act 1986 created the new offence of disorderly conduct to deal with loutish behaviour liable to cause harassment, distress or alarm to vulnerable members of the community.

  Prisons (Speech Therapy)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to increase the provision of speech therapy in prisons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Because of the limited and fluctuating demand for speech therapy the Prison Service's policy is to use the resources of the National Health 542
  Service rather than to employ its own therapists. Prison medical officers have discretion to refer patients to a local hospital in suitable circumstances or to arrange for a therapist to vist the establishment. There are no plans to change these arrangements.

  Prisoners (Counselling)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals to increase counselling help available for prisoners.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A wide range of counselling help is available for prisoners which may be provided by seconded probation officers, prison chaplains or ministers of other faiths, medical officers or other doctors including psychiatrists, psychologists, education officers, other prison staff or members of voluntary agencies concerned with specific problems such as alcohol abuse. No new central initiative is currently planned, although the continued development of shared working between probation officers and prison officers will lead to the greater involvement of the latter in the social work and welfare needs of prisoners. A particular recent development has been the training of some Prison Service specialist staff to counsel inmates identified as HIV antibody positive.

  Traffic Offences (Revenue)
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total revenue raised from traffic offences in each of the past five years in the metropolitan region.

  Mr. John Patten
  It is estimated that in 1986 the value of fines imposed by courts in the Metropolitan police district for offences related to motor vehicles was £10 million, but information on resulting payments is not available. Information on the number of fixed penalty notices paid, by police force area, is published annually in "Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables" (table 21 of the issue for 1986), copies of which are in the Library. For tickets issued in 1985, the latest year for which complete information is available, £11·7 million was paid as a result of fixed penalty notices issued by the Metropolitan police.

  Traffic Wardens
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent traffic wardens have been employed by the Metropolitan police in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information is as follows:

  Number

  31 December 1983

  1,789

  31 December 1984

  1,829

  543

  Number

  31 December 1985

  1,698

  31 December 1986

  1,668

  31 December 1987

  1,527

  These figures include wardens employed at Heathrow airport.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Mr. Ground
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cases were awaiting resolution by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the end of each month since June 1987;

  (2) how many cases were resolved by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board during each month since June 1987;

  (3) how many staff were employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the end of each month since June 1987.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is given in the following table:

  Month

  Cases awaiting resolution at the end of each month

  Cases resolved during each month

  Staff in (post-time staff being each counted as one half)

  June 1987

  68,600

  2,023

  218·5

  July 1987

  70,400

  2,112

  218·5

  August 1987

  72,000

  2,132

  218·5

  September 1987

  73,300

  2,244

  221·5

  October 1987

  74,800

  2,532

  259·5

  November 1987

  76,500

  1,943

  283·5

  December 1987

  76,700

  2,320

  297·5

  January 1988

  76,000

  3,652

  310·5

  Lunar House, Croydon
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are currently employed at the public inquiry office at Lunar House, Croydon; and how many of these speak(a) Gujarati, (b) Punjabi, (c) Urdu, and (d) Hindi.

  Mr. Renton
  There are currently 90 staff employed in the immigration public inquiry office at Lunar House, of whom four speak one or more of these languages. Three speak Gujarati; one speaks Punjabi; three speak Urdu and three speak Hindi. A further six staff are employed in the nationality public inquiry office, one of whom speaks all four languages.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours were worked as overtime by employees at the public inquiry office at Lunar House, Croydon for each year from 1984 to 1987 and to the latest available date in the current year; and what was the total cost of this overtime.

  Mr. Renton
  The number of hours worked as overtime by staff in the immigration public inquiry office at Lunar House are set out in the table. The estimated cost of the overtime for the period is £150,000.
  544

  Hours

  1984

  2,885

  1985

  8,578

  1986

  6,827

  1987

  9,279

  1988 to 22 January

  928

  As regards the nationality public inquiry office, no overtime was worked in the years 1984 to 1986. In 1987, 428 hours overtime was worked, at an estimated cost of £2,526. So far in 1988, 12 hours overtime has been worked, at an estimated cost of £80.

  Police (Crime-related Injuries)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board resolved in 1986–87 for police officers suffering crime-related injuries while on duty.

  Mr. John Patten
  As stated at paragraph 8 of the board's latest annual report (Cm. 42), copies of which are in the Library, 1,948 cases involving injury to police officers on duty were resolved in the year ended 31 March 1987.

  Prisoners (Strip Searches)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category A women prisoners there were in Her Majesty's prison, Durham in January 1988; and how many strip searches were made on these prisoners in that month, indicating strip searches before and after consultation with legal advisers, after visits and after cell changes, wing searches and cell searches, and listing reasons for searches and illegal contraband or smuggled items found.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  During January there were three category A women prisoners in Durham prison. The number of occasions on which each was strip searched during the month is shown in the table:

  Inmate A

  Inmate B

  Inmate C

  After legal visits

  —

  —

  —

  After other visits

  2

  —

  1

  At the time of cell changes, and wing and cell searches

  1

  1

  1

  Other

  —

  2

  1

  No unauthorised article was found on any of the three women. I set out the reasons for such searches in my reply to a question from the hon. Member on 15 January at column 446.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category A prisoners are at present held on remand at Risley detention centre; to how many strip searches they have been subjected on a monthly basis since they have been remanded at Risley, giving the number of persons involved, the number of times each person was searched and if any prison contraband, smuggled item or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search, indicating which items; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while a search was being conducted; and what were the reasons for the search under each of the following headings:(a) making a remand appearance at court, (b) attending a trial, (c) inter-prison visit and (d) other reasons.
  545
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 9 February there were six inmates on remand at Risley remand centre who had provisionally been allocated to category A. Comprehensive records of strip searches are available only in respect of category A women prisoners, of whom there was one in Risley on the date in question. In accordance with standing instructions, this prisoner was strip searched on initial reception at Risley in September. Subsequently, she was strip searched on the following number of occasions up to the end of January, all in connection with appearances at court for remand hearings:

  Number

  September

  2

  October

  6

  November

  4

  December

  4

  January

  6

  No unauthorised article was discovered on any of these occasions. On no occasion did the prisoner refuse to be strip searched.

  Irish Republican Army
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department was first made aware of the existence of Irish Republican Army extortion rackets in London and other cities in England; what actions have been taken to track down the sources of Irish Republican Army funds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  Allegations of IRA extortion appeared in the Evening Standard on 5 February 1988. It is an offence under section 1 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 to solicit or invite financial or other support for a proscribed organisation, or knowingly to make or receive any contribution in money or otherwise to the resources of a proscribed organisation. Under schedule 1 to the 1984 Act the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army are proscribed organisations. Any evidence of such offences which comes to light is investigated by the appropriate authorities.

  Kidnap and Ransom Insurance
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to make it illegal to provide kidnap and ransom insurance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  No.

  Mr. Gene Meyer
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Mr. Gene Meyer, a United States citizen with permanent residence rights in the United Kingdom, was stopped and interrogated about his sexuality by officials at Gatwick airport on 4 January, and told that he was a high risk and medically unsuitable to enter the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Renton
  Mr. Meyer is not a resident of the United Kingdom, but sought entry at Gatwick on 4 January as a visitor. The immigration officer was not immediately satisfied that he was a genuine visitor under the 546
  immigration rules. He was not, however, questioned about his sexuality, nor was he told that he was a high risk and medically unsuitable to enter the United Kingdom. He was admitted as a visitor until the end of February 1988.

  AIDS
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if there are any circumstances under which incoming travellers with the HIV virus are banned from entering the United Kingdom;

  (2) if immigration officers receive training in the detection of symptoms of AIDS in travellers entering the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he has any information regarding the interviewing and vetting by immigration officers of incoming travellers suspected of having the HIV virus; and if he will make a statement on his policy regarding such practices.

  Mr. Renton
  Evidence of HIV infection is not considered to be a sufficient reason for refusal of leave to enter the United Kingdom. Immigration officers receive no medical training, but the immigration rules require them to refer for examination by the port medical inspector any passenger who mentions health or medical treatment as a reason for his visit, or who appears not to be in good health. Passengers coming here for medical treatment or who may need treatment during their stay, including treatment for AIDS, are required to satisfy the immigration officer that they can meet any charges which might be made for such treatment and that they can otherwise support themselves without recourse to public funds. Under the rules, any passenger arriving in the United Kingdom must provide the immigration officer with such information as may be required for the purpose of deciding whether he requires leave to enter arid, if so, whether and on what terms leave should be given.

  Mentally Ill Prisoners
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his Department's current estimates of the number of mentally ill people discharged from prison each year into the community.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his Department's current estimates of the number of mentally ill people currently held in Her Majesty's prisons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Our most recent estimate is that on 30 September 1987 there were 344 inmates who, in the opinion of prison medical officers, were suffering from mental disorder of a nature or degree which would satisfy the criteria for detention in hospital for medical treatment. 298 of these were mentally ill.

  British Nationality
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the letter from Coventry community relations council, dated 23 November 1987, with reference to the deadline for applications for British nationality, and the reply sent by the assistant private secretary to the Minister of State: and if he will make a statement;
  547
  (2) what grounds would be considered acceptable as justifying a late application for registration as a British citizen made by Commonwealth and Irish citizens resident in the United Kingdom since 1 January 1973.

  Mr. Renton
  No. The position on the matters dealt with in the correspondence referred to was set out fully in the reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 15 January, at c. 449.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the total cost to public funds of the Metropolitan police in 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  As police authority for the metropolis I have approved estimates which provide for net revenue expenditure by the Metropolitan police of £1,004·967 million in 1988–89, an increase of 8·2 per cent. on the expenditure I approved for 1987–88. There will be a cash limit on current expenditure of £994·609 million. The remainder will be capital expenditure, for which separate controls exist.

  I have also authorised the issue of a precept requiring rating authorities to levy rates at 16·5p in the £ for Metropolitan police purposes. This is an increase of 7·1 per cent. on the 1987–88 precept of 15·4p.

  Dr. Frank Skuse
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now call for a review of all cases in which Dr. Frank Skuse gave evidence.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 8 February 1988]: No.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training Schemes
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed on Government-sponsored training schemes in the Basildon area; and if he will express the figures as a percentage of the total local work force.

  Retail prices index—percentage changes over twelve months to January

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Food

  12·6

  8·9

  11·0

  1·9

  6·0

  3·4

  3·2

  3·8

  2·9

  Radio, TV and other household appliances1

  9·8

  4·3

  2·9

  0·9

  -0·5

  -0·8

  0·0

  -2·8

  n.a.

  Electrical appliances

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  2·8

  Audio-visual equipment2

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  -4·7

  (Purchase of) motor vehicles2

  11·6

  6·5

  6·1

  3·8

  3·7

  -0·6

  2·2

  6·2

  6·9

  Men's outer clothing3

  15·1

  6·1

  0·1

  0·7

  -1·2

  3·1

  2·9

  1·5

  1·6

  Women's outer clothing3

  3·7

  1·1

  -1·5

  0·3

  -2·7

  2·3

  3·8

  0·9

  -0·8

  Children's clothing3

  8·9

  5·2

  3·2

  4·0

  5·3

  6·7

  2·5

  3·3

  1·0

  1 No figure for electrical goods is available. This heading is the most closely comparable, and includes gas appliances.

  2 From February 1987 the definition of some components were changed. These figures show the annual change in prices for January 1988.

  3 No figure for textiles is available and figures for various types of clothing are therefore given.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is(a) the number of participants in and (b) the cost of the enterprise allowance scheme in (i) the
  548
  Mr. Cope
  The information is not available in the precise form requested. At 29 January in the Basildon local authority district there were 461 young people in training on YTS of whom 143 were employed by their training provider and 37 people on the new job training scheme of whom none were employed. Occupancy figures are not available for other adult training schemes. The total local work force for the Basildon LAD is currently 64,489 (as at 29 January).

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the Basildon area have been employed on Government-sponsored training schemes for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Cope
  Information about the number of people participating in Government training schemes in the Basildon area for each of the last five years, and the number of those who had employed status, is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Overtime
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the average hours of overtime worked per week by full-time employees in(a) manufacturing industry (b) mining and (c) agriculture.

  Mr. Lee
  The most recent estimates of the information requested are provided in table X2 of part B of the 1987 New Earnings Survey report.

  Price Increases
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the average increases each year since 1979 of(a) textiles, (b) motor vehicles, (c)electrical goods and (d) food.

  Mr. Lee
  I regret that the information is not available in the precise form requested.

  However, the following table gives changes in retail prices over the 12 months to January each year for the closest approximation to the categories specified.

  Northwich travel-to-work area, (ii) the Chester travel-towork area, and (iii) the Runcorn travel-to-work area; and what have been the figures in each year since the scheme's inception.
  549
  Mr. Cope
  The figures are not available in the form requested. The Northwich, Chester and Runcorn travelto-work areas are all covered by the Cheshire enterprise allowance team. The table gives the number of participants

  (£ million)

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Participants at year end

  596

  946

  1,038

  1,407

  11,507

  Expenditure for year

  1·25

  1·98

  2·17

  2·94

  23·15

  1 (at 9 February 1988).

  2 (to 9 February 1988).

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Sudbury travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79;

  (2) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Haverhill travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79;

  (3) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Long Melford travel-to-work area in each year from 1978–79;

  (4) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Lavenham travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (5) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Ripley travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (6) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Grimsby travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (7) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Heanor travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (8) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Upminster travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (9) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Weymouth travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (10) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Portland travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (11) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Redditch travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (12) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Droitwich travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  1978 Definition travel-to-work areas

  Sudbury

  Haverhill

  Grimsby

  Weymouth

  Bodmin

  Newquay

  Bude

  Launceston

  Alfreton

  Unemployed registrants

  January 1979

  4·3

  4·0

  7·4

  7·7

  7·6

  13·7

  12·4

  8·5

  5·5

  January 1980

  4·0

  4·0

  6·6

  6·7

  5·9

  13·0

  11·4

  8·9

  6·1

  January 1981

  7·1

  8·6

  11·9

  10·8

  8·7

  18·0

  15·0

  12·4

  11·5

  January 1982

  10·1

  9·8

  14·2

  13·3

  10·7

  22·4

  16·9

  13·6

  14·8

  Unemployed claimants

  January 1983

  9·5

  11·7

  15·2

  14·8

  14·5

  23·3

  18·6

  12·1

  15·2

  1984 Definition travel-to-work areas

  Sudbury

  Haverhill

  Grimsby

  Dorchester and Weymouth

  Bodmin and Liskeard

  Newquay

  Bude

  Launceston

  Alfreton and Ashfield

  Unemployed claimants

  January 1984

  11·7

  9·3

  16·5

  10·3

  15·6

  27·3

  15·9

  13·8

  10·3

  January 1985

  11·2

  8·6

  16·3

  10·5

  16·5

  30·6

  18·6

  15·4

  11·3

  January 1986

  11·9

  8·6

  15·5

  11·4

  17·3

  32·2

  19·3

  15·8

  11·5

  January 1987

  11·2

  7·1

  15·6

  11·6

  17·6

  31·8

  19·0

  15·7

  11·3

  550
  in receipt of the allowance in Cheshire at the end of each financial year (in 1987–88 at the latest date available) and expenditure for each financial year (in 1987–88 up to the latest date available).

  (13) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Bodmin travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (14) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Newquay travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (15) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Bude travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (16) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Launceston travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79;

  (17) what was the rate of unemployment for January of Alfreton travel-to-work area, in each year from 1978–79.

  Mr. John Lee
  The following information is in the Library. Unemployment figures are not comparable over the whole period because of changes in the coverage of the count, and in the boundary definitions of the travel-to-work areas. The table shows the number of unemployed registrants in the requested travel-to-work areas as defined in 1978, at January of each year from 1979 to 1982, the number of unemployed claimants in those areas at January 1983, and the number of unemployed claimants in the travel-to-work areas as defined in 1984 for January of each year from 1984 to 1987, expressed as a percentage of employees in employment and the unemployed. Long Melford, Lavenham, Ripley, Heanor, Upminster, Portland, Redditch, and Droitwich do not form travel-to-work areas; these areas are all only a small part of a travel-to-work area.

TRANSPORT

  Taxis
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many taxis, including minicabs, are currently licensed in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Essex region, (c) Basildon area, (d) London.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The figures are as follows:

  Area

  Taxis

  Hire Cars

  England and Wales excluding London

  21,100(1986)

  25,780(1985)

  Area

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  England and Wales (excluding London)1

  17,700

  18,100

  18,400

  18,900

  21,100

  London1

  12,800

  13,100

  13,600

  13,800

  14,200

  Scotland2

  n.a.

  n.a.

  5,641

  6,358

  n.a.

  Basildon2

  62

  62

  62

  61

  63

  Sources:

  1 Transport statistics for Great Britain.

  2 TRRL surveys.

  Motor Cars (Geneva Convention)
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to update the 1948 Geneva convention as this applies to motor cars crossing European borders where differing regulations exist concerning head lights and tyre tread depths.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The 1949 Geneva convention was in many respects updated by the 1968 Vienna convention. Further amendments have been proposed in the appropriate working groups of the Economic Commission for Europe. The requirements on headlamps and tyres are in broad terms so as to accommodate the differences between national regulations. For example, headlamps may be white or yellow and their use may be allowed or required in built-up areas at night. Tyres must be in a state such as to ensure conditions of safety, including adhesion, even on a wet road. This implies the presence of some tread, without specifying any minimum tread depth.

  Air Traffic Control Radar
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how old the air traffic control radar on St. Boniface Down, Isle of Wight, is; what plans there are for its replacement and modernisation; what part this installation plays in preventing air near misses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Air traffic control services are the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority. I shall draw my hon. Friend's question to the attention of the authority's chairman.

  Dartford-Thurrock Crossing
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Government will publish their response to the special report of the Select Committee on the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Bill, Session 1987–88: HC 213; and if he will make a statement.
  552

  Area

  Taxis

  Hire Cars

  London

  14,200(1986)

  Not licensed

  Scotland

  6,358(1985)

  2,956(1985)

  Essex

  629(1986)

  Not available

  Basildon

  63(1986)

  141(1985)

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the total number of taxis licensed in(a) the United Kingdom, and (b) the Basildon area, for each of the last five years.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The available figures are as follows:

  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Government will publish their response to the special report on the Select Committee on the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Bill, Session 1987–88: HC 213; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The response has been published today. Copies have been sent to members of the Select Committee and the Standing Committee, are available in the Vote Office and have been placed in the Library.

  The Government appreciate that the task which the Select Committee was called upon to perform was exceptionally difficult, raising issues of great technical complexity. We are grateful to the members, and particularly to the Chairman, my hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet, (Mr. Chapman) for their very thorough examination of all the issues put to them.

  The response addresses all the matters to which the Select Committee made reference. Since receiving its report the Department has reviewed the effects of wind on vehicles using the bridge, the traffic management measures available, and the effect of imposing a requirement for full windshielding on the bridge. The re-examination of the evidence put to the Select Committee and the results of further work commissioned since then have led us to conclude that the provision of full windshielding on the bridge is not justified. The Government will therefore seek to have the requirement deleted from the Bill at the Report stage.

  However, the discussions leading up to the Select Committee, and the proceedings themselves, have helped to establish the benefits to be gained from local windshielding near the bridge towers. I am informed that this can be accommodated in the existing design and that Dartford River Crossing Ltd. will be providing it.

  The Select Committee asked me to inquire into the way in which the case on windshielding was presented. I am pursuing that. Difficult issues arise about the way in which commercially confidential information should be presented.
  553
  The Government accept the Select Committee's recommendation about road access to Dartford and maintains their neutral attitude to naming of the bridge.

  Finally, the response notes the recommendation on compensation for Mr. Michie and his neighbours at Rose Villas. The Department will make every effort to assist in the speedy assessment and payment of compensation.

  This is an urgent and badly needed project. The Government hope that the extra capacity at this crossing will be provided as quickly as possible.

  Postneonatal mortality for selected causes (numbers and rates) England and Wales 1986

  Cause of death

  ICD

  Sex

  Number

  Rate1

  All causes

  000–999

  Male

  1,693

  5·00

  Female

  1,131

  3·51

  Total

  2,824

  4·27

  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

  798–000

  Male

  798

  2·36

  Female

  494

  1·53

  Total

  1,292

  1·95

  Diseases of the Respiratory System

  460–519

  Male

  195

  0·58

  Female

  116

  0·36

  Total

  311

  0·47

  Congenital Anomalies

  740–759

  Male

  249

  0·73

  Female

  240

  0·74

  Total

  489

  0·74

  Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period

  760–779

  Male

  137

  0·40

  Female

  66

  0·20

  Total

  203

  0·31

  Injury and poisoning

  800–999

  Male

  58

  0·17

  Female

  46

  0·14

  Total

  104

  0·16

  Other Remainder

  000–999

  Male

  256

  0·76

  Female

  169

  0·52

  Total

  425

  0·64

  1 Rate per 1,000 live births.

  Postneonatal deaths: deaths at ages 28 days and over, but under one year.

  Hospital Closures
  Mr. Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how he proposes to correct the tendency in regional hospital plans to emphasise hospital closures as a central plank of strategy for the mentally ill and to be unspecific about how local needs have been assessed; and how the new pattern of services is to be developed and resourced.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 8 February 1988 at column 97.

  Special Hospital Patients
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients are currently residing in each special hospital who no longer require a secure environment, due to an inability to relocate them in National Health Service or local authority accommodation.

  Mr. Newton
  The table shows the number of patients in the special hospitals who at 4 January(a) had been recommended for a move to another hospital on trial leave or transfer and were awaiting a vacancy in an identified hospital; and (b) had been conditionally discharged or

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Infant Mortality
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the numbers of post neonatal deaths, and the rate per 1,000 live births, in England and Wales attributed to(a) sudden infant deaths, (b) respiratory diseases, (c) congenital abnormalities, (d) conditions arising in the perinatal period, (e) injury and poisoning and (f) all other causes, for the latest available year.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information is given in the table.

  were the subject of a deferred conditional discharge by a mental health review tribunal and were awaiting a vacancy in local authority accommodation.

  (a)

  (b)

  Broadmoor

  10

  —

  Moss Side

  4

  1

  Park Lane

  5

  4

  Rampton

  17

  2

  TOTAL

  36

  7

  Pin-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department has made clear that it is the responsibility of line managers to ensure that potentially offensive material is not displayed in the workplace.

  Lost Operations
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has of the number of
  555
  operations and hospital treatments, including emergency operations, lost on 3 February, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  The information we received from health authorities showed that the number of non-emergency operations lost through strike action in the National Health Service on 3 February was 206. There were no reports of cancelled emergency operations. A small number of non-emergency admissions, out-patients and day patients had their attendances disrupted.

  Nurses
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many working days were lost in 1986 and 1987 amongst nurses in the National Health Service due to back problems.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that we do not collect this information centrally.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures he intends to take to help provide for the needs of the very severely disabled people in Blyth Valley, in the light of the entitlements of new claimants after April.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Kirkcaldy (Dr. Moonie) and for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 9 February at column 172.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for each of the last five available years the cost to the National Health Service of general practitioners' prescribing of(a) brand name drugs and (b) generic drugs.

  Mr. Newton
  The estimated net ingredient cost of drugs prescribed by general practitioners in the National Health Service in England for the last five calendar years is set out in the table:

  £ million

  Calendar year

  Drugs prescribed Generically

  Drugs prescribed by brand name

  1982

  48·5

  811·8

  1983

  53·3

  916·4

  1984

  56·6

  978·7

  1985

  88·2

  955·8

  1986

  103·3

  1,021·5

  Not included in this table are those drugs prescribed generically but dispensed by brand name, that is, where a generic equivalent is not available.

  Breast Cancer (Screening)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to encourage health authorities to send written reminders to women over 64 years of age of the need for three-yearly screening for breast cancer.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have no plans to encourage health authorities to send written reminders to women aged 65 and over to attend for breast cancer screening. The nationwide breast cancer screening service which we are introducing over the next three years is based on the conclusions in the report of a Government-appointed working group, chaired by Professor Sir Patrick Forrest. The report recommended that the priority for any screening programme should be to offer an initial screen to as many women as possible aged 50–64. Women aged 65 and over will not be automatically invited for screening but they will be screened on request.

  Health Authorities (Chief Officers)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many graduates with masters of business administration degrees are employed at chief officer level in regional and district health authorities; and how many such graduates are employed in health service administration within his Department.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that the information for health authority officers is not held centrally. For departmental staff, information is not readily available in this form and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Consultants
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to how many consultants do more work for the National Health Service than is stipulated in their contracts.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that this information is not collected centrally.

  NHS (Funding)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the representations he has received on the means of funding of the National Health Service favoured(a) a tax-based system and (b) a system based on personal insurance.

  Mr. Newton
  A variety of different funding methods have been recommended in the representations we have received. Variations on both systems have featured in these representations, but it would not be meaningful to categorise them precisely in this way.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total amount of National Health Service funding what comes from direct taxation; and what percentage of the total National Health Service funding this represents, for each year from 1979.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 11 February 1988]: The information requested is as follows for Great Britain:
  557

  From general taxation (Consolidated Fund)

  From National Health Service Contributions

  Year

  £ million

  Per cent. of total NHS funding

  £ million

  Per cent. of total NHS funding

  1978–79

  6,810

  88·0

  745

  9·6

  1979–80

  8,071

  87·9

  877

  9·6

  1980–81

  10,654

  89·1

  989

  8·2

  1981–82

  11,783

  87·8

  1,257

  9·4

  1982–83

  12,588

  85·7

  1,662

  11·3

  1983–84

  13,325

  85·8

  1,708

  11·0

  1984–85

  14,291

  85·6

  1,848

  11·1

  1985–86

  15,071

  85·6

  1,945

  11·0

  1986–87

  16,055

  84·6

  2,205

  11·6

  1987–88 (est)

  16,841

  83·1

  2,676

  13·2

  NHS funding drawn from the Consolidated Fund is not attributable to different forms of taxation, direct or indirect.

  Medicine and Surgery (Expenditure)
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, of the total expenditure on secondary services, what amounts and proportions are attributed to medicine and surgery, respectively.

  Mr. Newton
  The requested details of expenditure, for hospitals in England in 1986–87, are as follows:

  Total revenue expenditure(£)

  Percentage of total revenue expenditure(£)

  (1) Expenditure on drugs, dressings and pharmacy

  836,132,385

  10·1

  (2) Expenditure on direct treatment of patients excluding costs at (1)

  3,950,185,144

  47·5

  AIDS
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of any research findings which show that infection caused by the AIDS virus cannot pass through the material of an intact condom.

  Mr. Newton
  I am advised that there are two published studies from San Francisco and Brussels in which various commercially available latex condoms have been demonstrated to be impermeable to human

  Patients treated in Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley district health authority for the following specialties

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  General medicine

  Number of available beds

  174·2

  187·6

  204·9

  201·8

  200·8

  195·3

  197·2

  177·7

  Number of occupied beds

  166·1

  172·1

  174·9

  165·3

  165·4

  158·0

  162·6

  150·3

  Discharges and deaths

  5,634

  5,854

  6,385

  6,145

  6,563

  7,035

  7,352

  7,064

  Total out-patient attendances

  15,428

  15,341

  20,001

  21,453

  23,382

  23,797

  25,402

  26,708

  Day cases

  553

  553

  920

  1,154

  1,037

  1,266

  1,365

  1,314

  Paediatrics

  Number of available beds

  36·3

  37·4

  58·3

  59·3

  58·2

  51·6

  50·6

  53·5

  Number of occupied beds

  16·2

  17·2

  25·1

  28·6

  25·7

  24·0

  24·7

  22·9

  Discharges and deaths

  1,515

  1,501

  2,326

  2,542

  2,699

  2,663

  2,852

  2,669

  Total out-patient attendances

  4,431

  4,459

  6,111

  6,783

  7,397

  6,972

  6,575

  6,075

  Day cases

  2

  9

  1

  1

  5

  4

  6

  3

  Geriatrics

  Number of available beds

  337·2

  350·2

  352·9

  351·6

  334·8

  282·4

  280·9

  276·5

  558
  immunodeficiency virus (HIV) under laboratory conditions. In addition, I understand that similar results have been obtained by other researchers which have not yet been published.

  Neonatal Intensive Care
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the conclusions of the meeting held between the Medical Research Council and the health departments into the long-term consequences of neonatal intensive care.

  Mrs. Currie
  A meeting of experts to discuss appropriate measurements of developmental, social and educational outcome in children who had undergone neonatal intensive care was proposed at the last annual meeting between the health departments and the Medical Research Council. I understand that the Medical Research Council is currently considering the most appropriate way to approach the issue. Progress is to be reviewed at the next annual meeting in March.

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley District Health Authority
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases were dealt with by the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley district health authority from 1979 to 1986 in(a) general medicine, (b) paediatrics, (c) geriatric medicine and (d) general surgery.

  Mrs. Currie
  The requested information is given in the table.
  559

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Number of occupied beds

  332·8

  346·3

  348·5

  339·7

  315·3

  266·0

  257·9

  244·2

  Discharges and deaths

  1,015

  1,328

  1,636

  2,013

  2,439

  2,255

  2,385

  2,267

  Total out-patient attendances

  345

  508

  773

  1,054

  1,089

  1,382

  1,745

  1,812

  Day cases

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  General surgery

  Number of available beds

  154·4

  156·2

  155·0

  147·8

  154·3

  142·5

  137·2

  130·2

  Number of occupied beds

  129·7

  128·6

  125·2

  119·6

  120·0

  111·4

  106·5

  97·2

  Discharges and deaths

  6,088

  6,259

  6,160

  6,136

  6,577

  6,740

  6,772

  6,487

  Total out-patient attendances

  13,731

  14,217

  14,806

  14,848

  14,004

  14,546

  14,338

  13,753

  Day cases

  397

  560

  650

  570

  553

  698

  708

  715

  Housing Benefits (Lambeth)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to how many housing benefit claims have been made to Lambeth council but have not been processed.

  Mr. Portillo
  We do not collect such unformation centrally. Local authorities are responsible for the day-to-day administration of the housing benefit scheme.

  1981 Census
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the reasons for the difficulties encountered when the trial ethnic question for the 1981 census was tried out in Haringey; and whether similar difficulties are expected with the 1991 census.

  Mrs. Currie
  Co-operation from the public in the test carried out in Haringey in 1979 was seriously hampered by an organised campaign of opposition which was given considerable publicity in the media. The campaign contended that information collected in the test was linked with plans to change the nationality laws in a manner that would worsen the status of ethnic minority groups in Britain. Such fears were unfounded, but the level of opposition at the time of the test and subsequently during consultation with organisations representing ethnic minority groups was sufficient to show that an ethnic origin question was not acceptable at that time.

  The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and the Commission for Racial Equality are currently holding meetings with community relations officers and representatives of ethnic minority organisations to find out why some people are worried about a possible ethnic origin question in the census so that ways can be found to remove any mistaken doubts and fears if such a question were to be included in the 1991 census. These meetings follow a recent series of tests carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to develop an effective form of wording of such a question.

  Pontefract Health Authority
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many consultants are employed by Pontefract district health authority on contracts; and how many of these work(a) full-time and (b) part-time for the National Health Service;

  (2) what is the annual cost of consultants' contracts for the Pontefract district health authority.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information on the number of consultants in non-teaching districts such as Pontefract is not available centrally as such staff are employed by regional health 560
  authorities. Some information on costs is available from district accounts. In 1986–87 Pontefract's total expenditure on salaries and wages of consultants was £1,376,934. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Yorkshire regional health authority for any further information which he requires.

  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many beds have been closed either temporarily or permanently in each of the past three years in the Pontefract district health authority area; and how long each closure lasted;

  (2) what is the bed availability to the Pontefract district health authority at the latest date; and if he will give similar figures for each year since 1979.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information is available centrally only on the average number of beds in Pontefract. This is given in the table, together with discharges and deaths per available bed.

  The hon. Member may wish to approach the chairman of Pontefract DHA for the remainder of the information he is seeking.

  Average daily available beds in Pontefract district health authority

  Average daily available beds

  1Throughput

  1979

  853·5

  22·3

  1980

  848·3

  25·0

  1981

  873·0

  24·2

  1982

  864·5

  23·1

  1983

  883·0

  25·1

  1984

  904·0

  25·0

  1985

  884·9

  26·2

  1986

  880·6

  25·9

  1 Discharges and deaths per available bed.

  Figures before 1982 relate to Pontefract's predecessor district within Wakefield area health authority.

  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses have left the Pontefract district health authority since 1979; how many have been reinstated; what is the present number in post; and what was the number in post in 1979.

  Mrs. Currie
  Such figures as are available are shown in the table. Because of the 1982 National Health Service reorganisation, figures on a consistent basis are not held centrally for the years prior to 1982. Information on nurses who have left, or been reinstated, is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the Pontefract district health authority for this information.
  561

  NHS nursing and midwifery staff in post1 Pontefract District Health Authority at 30 September

  Whole time equivalents2

  1982

  1,020

  1983

  1,040

  1984

  1,070

  1985

  1,080

  1986

  1,100

  Source: DHSS annual census of National Health Service nonmedical manpower.

  1 Includes agency staff.

  2 Figures are independently rounded to nearest ten whole time equivalents.

  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many appointments he has made to the Pontefract health authority since 1983.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Secretary of State reappointed Mr. R. Widdowson as chairman of Pontefract health authority on 1 April 1986. The appointment of members to Pontefract district health authority is the responsibility of the Yorkshire regional health authority and certain local authorities.

  Schizophrenics
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the annual numbers of schizophrenics discharged from hospitals in the United Kingdom over the past 10 years.

  Mrs. Currie
  The number of discharges of patients with a main diagnosis of schizophrenia from National Health Service mental illness hospitals and units in England are shown in the table for each year since 1977. The figures refer to discharges and cannot be related to individual patients; a patient may be readmitted more than once during the year.

  Year

  Discharges

  1977

  28,595

  1978

  25,695

  1979

  24,656

  1980

  25,280

  1981

  25,992

  1982

  24,594

  1983

  25,336

  1984

  25,934

  1985

  26,225

  1986

  26,077

  Figures for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate for the amount of money to be spent by his Department on research into schizophrenia in the current financial year.
  562
  Mrs. Currie
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad) on 10 November 1987 at column 149.

  Mentally Ill People
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many documented cases of abuse of mentally ill people in institutions covered by his Department there have been in the most recent period for which figures are available.

  Mrs. Currie
  Individual health authorities are responsible for monitoring their own services and dealing with all issues — including abuse — as appropriate. Such information is not routinely collected by the Department. Since 1 January 1986, there have been 80 complaints by patients in the special hospitals alleging ill-treatment. In one of these cases, the allegation was substantiated and a staff member was dismissed.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has of the numbers of those caring for the mentally ill at home under the care in the community proposals who are subsequently certified as mentally ill.

  Mr. Newton
  We have no basis for making such an estimate.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his Department's current figures for the number of homes funded by health authorities to provide sheltered accommodation for people who are mentally ill.

  Mrs. Currie
  If accommodation for people who are mentally ill is funded by a health authority it should form part of the in-patient accommodation the health authority provides, and so not figure separately in NHS statistics. Health authorities may also provide varying degrees of financial support to voluntary bodies which are providing sheltered accommodation, but we have no statistics of such payments.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bradford, South received on Tuesday 9 February, if he will list the 45 National Health Service hospital units, hostels and holiday homes for the mentally handicapped closed since 1984, stating in each case the changes of use for each site.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret the delay in supplying the information originally requested. As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member on 18 January at column 579, it was necessary to make enquiries to bring the information held centrally up to date.

  Listed are details of the National Health Service hospital units, hostels and holiday homes for mentally handicapped people which have closed since 1979, including 31 since 1984.
  563

  NHS hospitals units, hostels and holiday homes for mentally handicapped people closed since 1979

  Region

  District

  Hospital

  Closure date

  Use made of sites

  Northern RHA

  —

  None

  Yorkshire RHA

  Scunthorpe

  Bubwith Hostel

  1985

  Part sold to GP practice and part to building firm

  York

  Tadcaster Hostel

  1987

  To be demolished to provide new facilities for mentally handicapped people

  Harrogate

  Bondgate Hostel

  1987

  To be marketed

  Trent RHA

  Southern Derbyshire

  Retreat Hostel

  1983–87

  Sold for use as an old peoples home

  Leicestershire

  Glengate Hospital

  1987

  Sold for use as training centre

  Leicestershire

  Hillesden Hostel

  1981–82

  Sold privately. Use not known

  North Lincolnshire, Central

  Tuxford Hostel

  1983–84

  Sold subject to contract

  Nottinghamshire

  Victoria Hospital

  1986

  Demolished.6 person bungalow for elderly people planned

  Rotherham

  Aughton Court

  1984

  Part sold for use as a private nursing home

  Sheffield

  Wales Court Hospital

  1979–80

  Sold privately. Use not known

  Sheffield

  Scott Road Hostel

  1985

  Withdrawn from market

  Sheffield

  Commonside Hostel

  1985

  Under consideration for day centre

  East Anglian RHA

  Norwich

  Blofield Hall

  1984

  Sold for use as educational establishment

  North West Thames RHA

  North West Hertfordshire

  Tenterdon House, St. Albans (part of Cell Barnes Hospital)

  1986

  Sale to be completed before end of March 1988

  North West Hertfordshire

  Houndswood (part of Harperbury Hospital

  1984

  Sold to private developer

  North East Thames RHA

  North East Essex

  Brunswick House

  1987

  Disposal option under review

  North East Essex

  Essex Hall

  1983

  To be sold by tender

  North East Essex

  Middlesex House

  1986

  Sold for residential development

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  Little Warley Lodge

  1987

  Sold for use as nursing home

  South East Thames RHA

  Hastings

  East Down House

  1987

  Sold possibly for residential development

  Canterbury

  Lanthorne Houe

  1987

  Demolished to provide 4 bungalows for mentally handicapped people

  South West Thames RHA

  Merton and Surrey

  Brook

  1983

  Sold for residential development

  North West Surrey

  Murray House

  1984

  Sold for residential development

  South West Surrey

  King George V Hospital

  1986

  Sold for residential development

  Wessex RHA

  Isle of Wight

  Longford (Ryde)

  1985

  Awaiting outcome of planning application

  West Dorset

  Elfadene Holiday Home

  1983

  Sold to Housing Association

  Winchester

  Tichbourne Down

  1986

  Possible residential development

  Portsmouth

  Sandy Point Hospital

  1985

  Residential development institutional use and nature reserve

  Bath

  Winsley Centre

  1985

  Planning appeal for residential units rejected

  Oxford RHA

  West Berkshire

  Style Acre Hospital

  1985

  Sold for use as private hospital

  Oxfordshire

  Bradwell Grove Hospital, Burford

  1986

  Reverted to ground landlord on closure

  South Western RHA

  Frenchay

  Leigh Court Hospital

  1985

  Sold for private mental handicap care

  Exeter

  Hawkmoor Hospital

  1987

  Sale under consideration

  Cornwall

  Elizabeth Barclay Home

  1985

  Sold to private sector

  Bath

  Rock Hall House

  1983

  Sold to Housing Association

  Exeter

  Starcross Hospital

  1986

  Sold to private sector

  West Midlands RHA

  North Warwickshire

  Over Whitacre Hostel

  1986

  Sold for private nursing home

  Dudley

  Part of — Prestwood Hospital

  1986

  Sold. Present use not known

  North Western RHA

  West Lancashire

  Ormskirk Childrens' Hospital

  1986

  Closure being reviewed by Health Authority

  Mersey RHA

  Chester

  Tabley Agricultural Hostel

  1981

  Sold to private developer

  Crewe

  Wrenbury Hostel

  1981

  Sold to Trust for use as hostel for mentally handicapped people

  564 565

  Region

  District

  Hospital

  Closure date

  Use made of sites

  Macclesfield

  Part of—Mary Dendy Hospital ie Warford Hall

  1987

  Not yet marketed

  Ancoats

  1987

  Not yet marketed

  Health Authorities (Resources)
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to allocate sufficient resources to health authorities in 1988–89 to meet the needs for services of elderly, mentally ill and mentally handicapped people, without reducing the level of acute services.

  Mr. Newton
  It is for regional and district health authorities to provide for the health care needs of the elderly, mentally ill and mentally handicapped, after taking account of other priorities, from within their total resources. The national resource allocation formula allows for the numbers of elderly people, mentally ill and mentally handicapped in regionally managed populations in arriving at target allocations.

  Local Authorities (Health Charges)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, on how many occasions in the last five years(a) he has agreed that a local authority may make charges under section 28(4) of the National Health Service Act 1977, (b) charges have been determined by arbitration; and if he will list the local authorities involved.

  Mr. Newton
  Charges by local authorities under section 28(4) of the National Health Service Act 1977 have never been agreed to my knowledge. The Department has recently reached a negotiated settlement of the bill presented by the London borough of Camden for the provision of hospital social workers.

  Hospital Social Workers
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish a table showing the number of hospital social workers employed by each local authority social services department for the last available year;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing the number of hospital social workers in each district health authority in England and Wales for the last available year.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that this information is not available centrally.

  Storm Damage
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the arrangements he has made to give financial assistance to health authorities for costs arising from the storm of 15–16 October 1987, where the costs arise from risks which were insurable but which were not insured.

  Mr. Newton
  I have nothing to add to my statement to the House on 16 December 1987 at columns 1093–94.

  Advice Service
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if there are any plans to provide a social security advice service specifically for employers and the self-employed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Yes. A new free telephone inquiry service will become operational on 22 February 1988. The social security advice line for employers will provide expert advice on national insurance contributions and the payment of statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay. The service will be useful to all employers and independent payrolling services, and particularly helpful for people starting up a new business, the self-employed and small businesses without a separate wages section. A free telephone call will enable them to check that they are following the correct procedures.

  Dental Ailments (Lost Working Days)
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of working days lost as a result of dental ailments.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: This information has not been collected since the introduction of self-certification for days of absence. Time lost through dental disease was usually not long enough to be recorded under this system.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Avgas
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue was raised through the duty on Avgas for each of the years 1979–80 to 1986–87.

  Mr. Lilley
  Estimates are as follows:

  £

  1979–80

  3·70

  1980–81

  6·85

  1981–82

  4·65

  1982–83

  2·60

  1983–84

  2·95

  1984–85

  2·85

  1985–86

  3·05

  1986–87

  2·55

  Toxic Waste (Seaham)
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision is made for the checking of toxic waste which is landed at the port of Seaham, to ensure that the cargo manifest tallies with the materials offloaded.

  Mr. Lilley
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 8 February, at column 95. All imported goods, including toxic waste, have to be declared to
  567
  Customs and Excise, which imposes checks to test the accuracy of the declaration and its supporting documents and to ensure that the goods are not subject to prohibition. There are no special provisions at Seaham to ensure the cargo manifest tallies with the material offloaded.

  National Savings
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what compensating allowance has been made in the national savings index-linked products for the recently announced error in the retail prices index.

  Mr. Lilley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 18 December, at column 846.

  EC (Rebates)
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rebate from the whole European Economic Community budget has been obtained for the years 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. Brooke
  The United Kingdom's payments to and receipts from the European Community budget in 1986 gave rise to an abatement of its VAT contributions in 1987 of 1,633 million ecu (some £1,150 million). The preliminary draft budget for 1988 provides for an upward correction of 244 million ecu (£170 million) to the abatement in respect of 1986, and for an abatement of 2,269 million ecu (£1,580 million) in respect of 1987.

  Government Data Network
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the lowest grade of civil servant able to grant permission to allow an authorised intradepartmental and interdepartmental transfer of data on the Government data network; and whether any transfer of data between Departments will be permitted without the consent or knowledge of the data subject.

  Mr. Brooke
  These will be operational matters for the Departments using the network. As data users, Departments will be responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what computers at the Department of Health and Social Security, Inland Revenue, Home Department and Customs and Excise will be connected to the Government data network; and what are the locations of these computers.

  English National Opera

  National Theatre

  Royal Opera House

  Royal Shakespeare Company

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1977–78

  2,640,000

  2,770,593

  4,850,000

  1,365,000

  1978–79

  3,665,000

  3,401,500

  5,475,000

  1,838,486

  1979–80

  4,800,000

  4,806,500

  7,000,000

  2,117,000

  1980–81

  5,475,000

  5.188,000

  7,805,000

  2,535,934

  1981–82

  4,550,000

  5,770,000

  9,020,000

  2,880,000

  1982–83

  5,440,000

  6,550,000

  10,379,682

  4,075,000

  1983–84

  5,988,401

  6,869,446

  11,584,776

  4,660,312

  1984–85

  5,918,250

  7,005,870

  12,386,891

  5,286,000

  1985–86

  6,034,500

  6,955,200

  13,474,491

  5,392,000

  568
  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: Departmental decisions on which computer systems and sites would be connected to the proposed GDN cannot be made until after the project is approved.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the costings of the savings arising from the economies of scale referred to in the service requirements for a Government data network have been calculated.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: Only when tenders are received will sufficient financial information be available to assess the savings to Government arising from the introduction of the proposed Government data network.

  Confectionery and Biscuits
  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposes to meet the president of the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance to discuss the imposition of value added tax on confectionery and chocolate biscuits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: Changes in taxation are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget judgment. As my hon. Friend will appreciate, it is not possible for him to meet all those seeking to put their views beforehand. However, representations submitted by the president of the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance have been carefully considered by Treasury Ministers.

THE ARTS

  Art in Prisons
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the Arts Council's initiatives to encourage art in prisons.

  Mr. Luce
  I am pleased to learn of the Arts Council's proposed initiatives to encourage art in prisons. This work is of great value, and I look forward to learning more about the scheme when firm plans have been drawn up.

  Grants
  Mr. Buchan
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will list the grants made by the Arts Council to(a) the English National Opera, (b) the National Theatre, (c) the Royal Opera House and (d) the Royal Shakespeare Company for every year from 1977–78 to 1987–88 inclusive, and the grants proposed for them in 1988–89.

  Mr. Luce
  The information requested is as follows:
  569

  English National Opera

  National Theatre

  Royal Opera House

  Royal Shakespeare Company

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1986–87

  6,576,000

  7,811,400

  13,096,500

  5,197,000

  1987–88

  6,748,000

  7,811,400

  13,226,960

  5,197,000

  1988–89

  6,917,000

  17,811,400

  13,491,270

  5,326,500

  1 An additional sum of £105,600 is reserved for the National Theatre and may be made available on receipt of a three-year plan showing, inter alia, financial break-even.

  I have increased the grant to the Arts Council in 1988–89 and subsequent years to enable it, in part, to provide more assistance for touring within the United Kingdom and overseas. The national companies may well receive increased funding on this account, and also from the incentive funding arrangements now being devised.

  Eastern

  East Midlands

  Greater London

  Lines/Humberside

  Merseyside

  Northern

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1977–78

  242,099

  216,023

  470,913

  202,305

  189,067

  729,309

  1978–79

  343,594

  297,163

  558,571

  267,829

  254,180

  914,787

  1979–80

  419,398

  428,033

  652,301

  335,893

  338,147

  1,088,960

  1980–81

  481,180

  579,874

  932,101

  390,747

  386,083

  1,306,630

  1981–82

  541,045

  699,754

  1,209,972

  460,691

  444,877

  1,456,051

  1982–83

  690,483

  824,944

  1,464,087

  523,048

  497,419

  1,733,236

  1983–84

  728,305

  927,160

  1,487,240

  556,740

  535,158

  1,819,020

  1984–85

  889,775

  1,061,119

  1,583,722

  591,050

  583,903

  1,938,659

  1985–86

  1,144,871

  1,627,406

  1,791,430

  782,836

  656,000

  2,086,802

  1986–87

  1,715,344

  1,809,737

  8,427,313

  904,490

  1,096,830

  3,543,845

  1987–88

  1,774,026

  1,873,783

  8,127,248

  962,235

  1,094,270

  3,556,920

  North West

  South East

  Southern

  South West

  West Midlands

  Yorkshire

  Total

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1977–78

  337,281

  190,675

  305,935

  360,229

  416,634

  255,974

  3,916,444

  1978–79

  490,069

  249,285

  445,031

  485,561

  553,019

  343,292

  5,202,181

  1979–80

  578,474

  318,807

  525,050

  535,794

  696,735

  444,425

  6,362,017

  1980–81

  662,483

  367,495

  618,638

  637,082

  803,105

  520,779

  7,686,197

  1981–82

  751,055

  431,274

  708,620

  702,175

  896,095

  586,900

  8,888,509

  1982–83

  864,849

  540,353

  850,418

  876,133

  1,034,811

  717,002

  10,616,783

  1983–84

  932,393

  581,659

  884,447

  883,678

  1,100,434

  737,914

  11,174,148

  1984–85

  1,031,953

  628,991

  995,088

  970,894

  1,221,727

  841,602

  12,338,483

  1985–86

  1,493,749

  1,085,773

  1,172,470

  1,225,052

  1,558,134

  1,338,899

  15,963,422

  1986–87

  1,982,320

  1,231,962

  1,298,559

  1,555,765

  2,291,310

  2,084,900

  27,942,175

  1987–88

  1,996,480

  1,303,970

  1,369,191

  1,685,317

  2,315,020

  2,117,070

  28,175,530

  I understand that the Arts Council will be notifying individual regional arts associations about their 1988–89 grants in the course of this week. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as I am able to pass on these figures, and will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

  Items in Lieu of Tax
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether, pursuant to his written answer on 2 February,Official Report, columns 535–536, to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry), in connection with the change in the cash limits for the Office of Arts and Libraries, the figure of £7,329,000 on class XIII, vote 10, represents an
  570
  Mr. Buchan
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will list the grants made by the Arts Council to each of the 12 English regional arts associations by the Arts Council for each year from 1977–78 to 1987–88, inclusive, and the grants proposed for them in 1988–89.

  Mr. Luce
  The information requested is as follows:

  actual payment of cash to the Inland Revenue in respect of acceptance of works of arts in lieu of tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: Subject to parliamentary approval, supplementary provision is being made so that the sum of £7,329,000 may be paid in due course to the Inland Revenue, in respect of three works of art accepted in lieu of tax in 1987–88. Two have already been accepted: Constable's "Stratford Mill" (tax satisfied £5·5 million), and Picasso's "Weeping Woman" (tax satisfied £1·2 million). The offer of a third item (which would be similarly funded) is in the final stages of agreement. Further details will be made available when the acceptance has been completed.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Student Grants
  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish the report on the review of student financial support; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he now anticipates publishing his proposals for student finance.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects the Review Body on Student Grants to complete its report.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government hope to publish proposals for consideration by the middle of this year.

  Science Budget
  Mr. Lambie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for what reasons the Government are planning for a reduction of the science budget of 2 per cent. in real terms in 1990–91 relative to 1988–89, according to table 12.14 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1988–89—1990–91" (Cm. 288-II).

  Mr. Jackson
  The figures for 1988–89 and 1989–90 include special additions for AIDS research and research in the Antarctic which are not carried forward into 1990–91. Expenditure in 1990–91 in these and other areas of the science budget will be reviewed in this and next year's public expenditure surveys.

  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he can make of the total size of his science budget relative to the increase of industry's funding of its own research and development needed to bring such industrial research and development up to the lowest level as a proportion of gross domestic product in Germany, Japan and the United States of America.

  Mr. Jackson
  The latest year for which we have a complete set of relevant statistics is 1985. The figures for industry's own funding of R and D as a percentage of GDP are as follows:

  Country

  Percentage

  United Kingdom

  1·0

  Federal Republic of Germany

  1·6

  Japan

  1·8

  United States of America

  1·3

  If the science budget in 1985–86 were increased by 60 per cent., 80 per cent. and 30 per cent., the figures would be respectively £920 million, £1,035 million and £745 million. However, United Kingdom Government funding of civil R and D as a percentage of GDP, although lower than in the Federal Republic of Germany, was higher in 1985 than that in Japan and the United States of America:

  Country

  Percentage

  United Kingdom

  0·63

  Federal Republic of Germany

  1·0

  Japan

  0·57

  United States of America

  0·4

  Source: OECD.

  Special Schooling
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is prepared to make extra funds available for special schooling.

  Mr. Dunn
  The Government's plans, announced last November, for local authority spending on education for 1988–89 represents a cash increase of 7·9 per cent. over the 1987–88 plans. The plans for special education in 1988–89 are 8·3 per cent. higher than the 1987–88 plans. The increase should help local education authorities to pursue their policy priorities for special education.

  Education Reform
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received about the assessing and testing proposals within the new school curriculum.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  A few representations have been received since the publication of the report of the task group on assessment and testing on 12 January. Some 14,000 individuals and organisations have written in response to the Government's consultation document on the national curriculum, published last July. Many of these have expressed a variety of views about the place of assessment and testing.

  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received regarding the percentage of time proposed for foundation subjects in the Education Reform Bill; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Education Reform Bill makes no provision for the percentage of time to be spent on foundation subjects.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received asking him to take steps in the Education Reform Bill to provide improved education for handicapped children.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received regarding the effect of the proposals in the Education Reform Bill on the education of disabled children; and what was the nature of his response.

  Mr. Dunn
  The statistical breakdown is available only in respect of responses to the national curriculum consultation document. Of the 13,800 responses, approximately 12,000 were from individuals and 1,800 from organisations. Some representations concerning children with special educational needs were made by 836 individuals and 213 organisations. My right hon. Friend is drawing the attention of the task group on assessment and testing and of the subject working groups to the implications of those representations which concerned the national curriculum. The Government believe that the proposals in the Education Reform Bill hold every prospect of improved educational provision for children with special educational needs.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the effect of allowing boroughs in district councils to opt out of county local education authorities.
  573
  Mrs. Rumbold
  The outer London boroughs have had responsibility for education for over 20 years, and under the proposals announced by my right hon. Friend on 4 February, at columns 1178–79, the inner London boroughs will assume similar responsibilities on 1 April 1990. The Government have no further plans to reorganise the arrangements for the administration of education.

  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many inquiries or comments he has received from school governing bodies in the county of Devon relating to individual schools opting out of the local education authority system.

  Mr. Dunn
  All individual schools which have approached the Department about this proposal have done so on the basis that their interest will be treated in confidence.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he intends to take, should the Education Reform Bill become law, to enforce the compulsory nature of the national test for seven-year-olds.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Education Reform Bill places duties on local education authorities, governing bodies and head teachers to secure implementation of the national curriculum, including assessment and testing arrangements. It also provides for regulations requiring information to be made available which will enable parents and the public to check on implementation; and for procedures to deal with complaints that statutory requirements are not being implemented. If necessary, the Secretary of State could use the powers under sections 68 or 99 of the 1944 Act to issue a direction in order to secure compliance.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has had any representations from teachers or parents groups in Leicestershire about the Education Reform Bill.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department has received about 60 representations from teachers' and parents' groups in Leicestershire in addition to many from individual teachers and parents.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the number of schools likely to opt out if the Education Reform Bill becomes law; what will be the earliest date for them to do so; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the number of schools that would opt out under the terms of the Education Reform Bill.

  Mr. Dunn
  Schools will be able to initiate the procedures leading to an application for grant-maintained status as soon as the Education Reform Bill has received Royal Assent. I expect the first few grant-maintained schools to come into being in September 1989, and anticipate a steady increase in their numbers thereafter.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how the proposals contained in the Education Reform Bill will help integrate pupils with special educational needs into the educational system.

  Mr. Dunn
  The changes proposed in the Bill will provide improved educational opportunities for all 574
  children and do not affect the integration principles established under the Education Act 1981. Pupils with special educational needs in ordinary schools will benefit from the new opportunities, whether the schools remain within LEA control or become grant-maintained.

  First Division Association
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet representatives of the First Division Association branch in his Department.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Durham, North-West (Ms. Armstrong).

  Religious Instruction
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with Church leaders and representatives of the teaching profession about improving the teaching of religious instruction.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Since publication of the Government's proposals for a national curriculum my right hon. Friend and I have had meetings with representatives of the Church of England Board of Education, the Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference, the Religious Education Council, and with the Bishop of Newcastle. Discussion at all these meetings covered religious instruction in schools.

  Children (Assessment Tests)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is the Government's intention to publish the results of tests for children aged seven years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon).

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on the progress in the growth in the number of city technology colleges.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Sponsorship for five city technology colleges has now been announced. The Kingshurst CTC is to open in September and the Nottingham CTC in 1989. We are making good progress in discussions with a number of prospective sponsors and expect further announcements to be made soon.

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will report on the progress to date on the setting up of a city technology college in Wolverhampton.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  There has been some interest in the establishment of a city technology college in Wolverhampton but as yet we have received no firm proposals. If there is support in industry and in the local community for doing so, we would be pleased to consider any proposals which are put forward.

  Inner London Education Authority
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received opposing the abolition of the Inner London education authority.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Since my right hon. Friend announced on 4 February the Government's decision to amend the provisions currently in the Education Reform Bill, we have received rather fewer than 200 letters expressing support for the retention of ILEA.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received about the future of the Inner London education authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received regarding the future of the Inner London education authority.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Since the introduction of the Education Reform Bill on 20 November, we have received some 1,200 letters concerning education in inner London.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to announce his policy on the future of the Inner London education authority.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to announce his decision about the future of the Inner London education authority.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Members to my right hon. Friend's statement on 4 February at columns 1178–79.

  Mrs. Rosie Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures he will undertake to ensure that inner London boroughs provide a proper and adequate education service if the inner London education authority is abolished.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Government propose that in 1989 each inner London council should be required to publish a development plan, setting out the way in which it proposes to organise the transfer of education responsibility and the service it would propose to run when it becomes an LEA, subject to the full range of duties under the Education Acts. The Department will consider with the councils concerned whether formal or informal cooperative arrangements are necessary in respect of particular aspects of provision.

  General Certificate of Secondary Education
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the progress of the implementation of the GCSE.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend is satisfied that teachers and others in the education service will secure the successful implementation of the GCSE. It will take time to reap the full benefits of the new examinations. Careful monitoring is taking place by HMI and reports of significant improvements in teaching and learning have been given.
  576
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received about the GCSE.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the content of the new GCSE since September 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has received a range of representations from parents, teachers and others about the GCSE. Many have welcomed the new examination and the content of courses associated with it. My right hon. Friend is concerned to ensure that any concerns expressed in representations about the content of GCSE syllabuses are brought to the attention of the GCSE examining groups and the Secondary Examinations Council, which are responsible for keeping the GCSE national criteria and syllabuses under review.

  Scottish Universities
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to meet the University Grants Committee to discuss the future of the Scottish universities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the University Grants Committee to discuss the future of Scottish universities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 19 January, at column 625, to the hon. Members for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) and Kirkaldy (Dr. Moonie).

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent he has considered the impact of his new funding proposals on the Scottish universities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  Our policies for the universities, including the relevant provisions in the Education Reform Bill, apply to universities in Scotland is exactly the same way as to those in England and Wales.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied that admission procedures to Scottish universities do not discriminate against(a) pupils from state schools and (b) disabled applicants.

  Mr. Jackson
  Universities are autonomous institutions. Matters relating to the admission of students are, within the law, entirely for them.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to reverse the declining number of Scots-domiciled undergraduates entering Scottish universities.

  Mr. Jackson
  Universities are autonomous institutions. Matters relating to the admission of students are, within the law, entirely for them.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the numbers and countries of origin of undergraduates, other than Scots-domiciled undergraduates, who entered Scottish universities in each of the past five years.
  577
  Mr. Jackson
  The maximum disaggregation of student domicile in Scottish universities from the available information is as follows:

  Academic year

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Scotland

  8,245

  7,969

  8,102

  7,682

  7,864

  England and Wales

  1,924

  1,946

  2,051

  2,261

  2,272

  Northern Ireland

  232

  269

  242

  320

  318

  Overseas

  998

  1,299

  1,341

  1,802

  1,857

  Total

  11,399

  11,483

  11,736

  12,065

  12,311

  University of Aberdeen
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will pay an official visit to the University of Aberdeen.

  Mr. Jackson
  I shall he visiting Aberdeen university on 27 April.

  School Sports Facilities
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will encourage more dual use to be made of the sports facilities in schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  With my hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for sport, we are seeking to develop guidance which will further encourage the adoption of dual use schemes. Such guidance would build on the many initiatives which our Departments, the Sports Council and others have developed in recent years.

  Further Education
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to ensure that further education students are informed about the true cost of the education they receive.

  Mr. Jackson
  The provisions on further education in the Education Reform Bill will require college budgets to be related to the number of students at each college. They will also require the publication of LEA funding and delegation schemes, and empower my right hon. Friend to require the publication of information about the operation of those schemes. This will promote awareness of funding methods and costs.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to ensure a continued provision for students with special educational needs in colleges of further education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  It is for the local education authorities to decide what provision to make for special educational needs in colleges of further education.

  Clause 81 of the Education Reform Bill puts beyond doubt their duty to provide full-time education either in school or in FE for all who seek it up to the age of 19, including those with special educational needs. Provision for the adult population is a matter for the discretion of individual local education authorities.

  Teachers (Pay, and Conditions)
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet representatives of the teachers unions to discuss future arrangements for the determination of pay and conditions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Responses to the Green Paper en titled "Teachers' Pay and Conditions" are still being received in the Department. No meetings to discuss future arrangements with the teacher unions have yet been fixed.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the resources available to meet the next teachers pay settlement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The rate support grant settlement for 1988–89 allows fully for the cost of a teachers pay settlement consistent with the remit which my right hon. Friend has given to the Interim Advisory Committee on school teachers' pay and conditions.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase the level of pre-school provision for children with special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  It is for each LEA to determine its own policy in respect of pre-school provision. Each LEA makes its own decisions on pre-school provision for children with special educational needs in the light of any consultations leading up to statements of special educational need, and of the appropriateness of any pre-school provision available to them.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list for Northumberland education authority the proportion of the total number of under fives in pre-school education represented by(a) three-year-olds and (b) four-year-olds; and how many vacancies there are.

  Mr. Dunn
  The proportions of the total number of pupils under five attending maintained nursery and primary schools in Northumberland in January 1987 who were aged three anti four were 34 per cent. and 59 per cent. respectively.

  Information on the number of vacant nursery or primary places is not collected centrally.

  School Governors
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to give parents the right to elect parent governors to temporary school governing bodies.

  Mr. Dunn
  Schedule 2 to the Education (No 2) Act 1986 provides that the temporary parent governors for a new school will normally be appointed by the LEA, or in the case of an aided school by the promoters, from among parents of children likely to attend the school. The Government have no plans to change this. Once the school is established, parent governors will normally be elected under the new instrument of government.

  Economic and Social Research Council
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to announce the new location of the Economic and Social Research Council; why no site in Humberside is among those being considered; and what plans he has for the further relocation out of London of other research bodies.

  Mr. Jackson
  It is for each research council to decide on the location of its headquarters. I understand that the Economic and Social Research Council is expected to make an anouncement about its intentions in the near future. Humberside would not have met the criteria set by the council. The Agricultural and Food Research Council announced on 10 February that it would move to Swindon on the expiry of the lease on its present premises.

  Universities Funding Council
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the directions he gives to the new Universities Funding Council will take account of the differences between the Scottish university system and the system in England and Wales, with particular reference to the length of courses and levels of funding.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  The University Grants Committee makes no distinction between universities in Scotland and elsewhere in the application of its standard criteria for funding which, in particular, take account of different course lengths. The Universities Funding Council will doubtless want to maintain this general approach.

  School Buildings
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the state of school buildings in Northumberland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information is not collected about individual schools, but my right hon. Friend is informed by his recent visit to Northumberland, by his officials and by HMI about the general situation in the county.

  Children (Special Education Needs)
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the assessment of children with special learning difficulties.

  Mr. Dunn
  Under the Education Act 1981 local education authorities are required to assess the needs of 580
  children in their areas who have learning difficulties and to ensure that suitable educational provision is made for them.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase the staffing ratios for the teaching of children with special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  Current guidance on the staffing of special schools and classes is set out in DES circular 4/73. The Government hope to consult on the draft of a revised circular during the year.

  University Education (Wales)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the future of university education in Wales.

  Mr. Jackson
  Government policy towards the universities, set out in "Higher Education: Meeting the Challenge" (Cm. 114) and elsewhere, applies to Great Britain as a whole, and makes no distinctive provision as regards Wales.

  Pupil-Teacher Ratios
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on current pupil to teacher ratios.

  Mr. Dunn
  The overall pupil to teacher ratio in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England has fallen markedly in recent years, from 18·1:1 in 1983 to 17·3:1 in 1987. "The Government's Expenditure Plans" (Cm. 288) allow for some further reduction in the overall pupil to teacher ratio to 17·0:1 by 1989.

  Universities (Independence)
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for safeguarding the independence of universities.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government have no wish to see universities' proper freedoms eroded. Universities' substantial reliance on public funds means that the interests of the taxpayer have to be taken into account alongside desirable institutional autonomy. The right balance is being explored in debate during the Education Reform Bill's parliamentary passage.

  Academic Freedom
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the subject of academic freedom.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on securing academic freedom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  We have received about 40 letters on the subject of academic freedom.

  The Government believe wholeheartedly that academic freedom is fundamental to a healthy system of higher education. I refer the hon. Members to the detailed statements I made in reply to my hon. Friend the Member

  581
  for Dorset, North (Mr. Baker) on November 1987 at columns 676–78 and the hon. Member from Glasgow, Hillhead (Mr. Galloway) on 13 January 1988 at columns 268–69.

  Universities (Research Funds)
  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of Research Council funds goes to those universities which fall in the(a) top, (b) middle and (c) bottom third of research grant funds per student.

  Mr. Jackson
  The proportions are as follows:

  (a) 68 per cent.

  (b) 24 per cent.

  (c) 8 per cent.

  Sex Education
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any further plans to encourage responsible sex education in secondary schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department issued a circular to all maintained schools in England in September 1987 giving guidance on sex education at school. The circular made clear that sex education should be given in a factual and balanced manner and in accordance with section 46 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986. There are no plans at present for any further guidance to be issued.

  Pre-school Playgroups
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will bring forward proposals to permit local education authorities to encourage parents to provide pre-school playgroup activities for children on school premises.

  Mr. Dunn
  No. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that there is no significant obstacle to local education authorities offering such encouragement.

  Teachers Unions
  Mr. Evennett
  to ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met respresentatives of the teachers unions; and what was discussed.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has had meetings since the last election with representatives of the National Association of Head Teachers, Secondary Heads Association of The National Union of Teachers, the National Association of Schoolmasters the Secondary Heads Association, the National Union of Teachers the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, the Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association and the Professional Association of Teachers. In each meeting matters of current concerns to the teacher association were discussed.

  English Subject Working Group
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to set up the subject working group on English; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend intends to establish the national curriculum working group on English after Easter, following and building on the report,582
  due next month, of the committee chaired by Sir John Kingman on the knowledge needed by teachers and pupils about the workings of the English language.

  16-year-olds (Further Education)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans the Government have to increase the staying on rate at the age of 16 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans the Government have to increase the staying on rates at the age of 16 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  As stated in the 1988 public expenditure White Paper the Government wish to encourage greater participation in post 16 education and training. My right hon. Friend aims to raise the level of attainment of young people and to encourage a more positive attitude to continuing education and training. He considers that the examination reforms and new forms of provisions already introduced, together with the curriculum and other school reforms proposed in the Education Reform Bill will help to achieve this objective.

  University Funding
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on his policy on university funding and control.

  Mr. Jackson
  We have received many representations about university funding and the university provisions in the Education Reform Bill.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils on Government expenditure on civil academic and academically related research and development as a percentage of gross domestic product in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany.

  Mr. Jackson
  A study commissioned by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils (published in 1986) found that in 1982 Government spending on academic and academically related research amounted to:

  Percentage of GDP

  United Kingdom

  0·38

  France

  0·44

  West Germany

  0·49

  The ABRC is currently supporting a further study to update this information.

  Teaching Standards
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure that standards of teaching are adequately assessed.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The pilot work on teacher appraisal, which is expected to be completed in summer 1989, is being
  583
  undertaken in six local education authorities under the direction of the national steering group. The intended outcome of the pilot work is a proven set of guidelines which will form the basis of an agreed national framework consistent with the June 1986 ACAS working group report. The implementation of that framework should lead to a system which will both enhance career development for teachers and raise standards of teaching in our schools.

  School Discipline
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set up an inquiry to examine standards of discipline in schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) on 29 January at column 399.

  Schools (Examination Results)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether for the purposes of producing legislation he takes into account the O and A-level results obtained by individual schools in assessing the value of such schools.

  Mr. Dunn
  O and A-level examination results are one of the factors taken into consideration by my right hon. Friend in reaching decisions on proposals under sections 12 and 13 of the Education Act 1980.

  School Uniforms
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek powers to enable him to obstruct the plans of some local education authorities which, despite the Education Act 1986, seek to prevent the wearing of school uniforms in schools which have freely opted so to do.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to seek such powers. His own views, as expressed in circular 7/87 from his Department, is that the wearing of school uniform contributes significantly to the ethos of the school and the decision should normally rest with the governing body.

  School Meals
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has about the average daily charge by local educational authorities for a school meal and how many authorities charge more than the average.

  Mr. Dunn
  The information requested is included in the October 1986 school meals census, copies of which are available in the Library. The average fixed charge for primary schools was 61p. This sum was exceeded by 50 LEAs. It is not possible to provide equivalent data in respect of secondary schools as many authorities operate cash cafeterias.

  "Strategy for Science"
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received following the publication of the Advisory Body on Research Councils, report "Strategy for Science"; and if he will make a statement.
  584
  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has received 250 representations about the Advisory Board for the Research Council's discussion document "A Strategy for the Science Base". He will be making a statement later this year on the Government's conclusions on policy for the science base, taking account of the ABRC's recommendations and the comments of the higher education and scientific communities.

  Schools (Ministerial Visits)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools he has visited in the current year.

  Mr. Dunn
  One to date.

  Day Release Courses
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he has had with organisations representing employees in inner London concerning the pattern of day release courses in colleges of further education.

  Mr. Jackson
  None.

  EC (Community Action Programme)
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of the extent of United Kingdom involvement in the programme established by the EEC on community action to promote the educational integration of disabled children and young people.

  Mr. Dunn
  Within the first four-year programme United Kingdom representatives have participated in study visits to schools and to education departments of local and central Government in many member states to develop knowledge and share expertise about the education of handicapped pupils. Participation continues in the field of computing and new technology involving data banks and communication aids for the disabled. There is official and HMI representation at the EC working group meetings which oversee this programme.

  Pupil Costs
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent per pupil in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) England and Wales and (ii) Cheshire in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in 1978–79, at constant prices.

  Mr. Dunn
  The available information is as follows:

  Net institutional recurrent expenditure1 per pupil

  £ 1985–86 prices

  Primary schools

  Secondary schools

  England2

  1978–793

  690

  1,000

  1985–86

  815

  1,175

  Cheshire

  1978–793

  670

  985

  1985–86

  760

  1,100

  1 Net institutional recurrent expenditure covers the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not

  585

  include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay.

  2 Information for Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  3The cash prices for 1978–79 have been repriced to 1985–86 prices using the gross domestic product (market prices) deflator.

  Pupil Statistics
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the numbers of children in Northumberland education authority of compulsory school age entering the maintained sector from the private sector of education, over the most recent period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Dunn
  These figures are not available.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account was taken in fixing the individual student grant award for 1988–89 of the inability of students in Scotland to pay the community charge in 1989–90.

  Mr. Jackson
  All prospective changes in students' financial circumstances are considered in determining the level of the student grant. In the Government's view, liability for the community charge at the discounted rate of 20 per cent. in the second half of academic year 1988–89 does not justify a higher rate of grant for students studying in Scotland. Rates of grant applicable in England, Wales and Scotland in academic year 1989–90 will be considered in due course.

  Housing Benefit (Students)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account was taken in fixing the individual student grant award for 1988–89 of the loss of students' entitlement to housing benefit from 1 April.

  Mr. Jackson
  Students in circumstances which now entitle them to claim housing benefit will not lose that entitlement from 1 April. The reformed system of housing benefit, which will apply to all categories of claimant, was one of the many factors taken into account in the Government's decision to raise grant rates by 4 per cent. in September of this year.

  Student Financial Support
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish his proposals on student fiancial support; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The work of the student support review is expected to be completed by the middle of this year.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effects of waste disposal in all of its forms upon marine life off the coast of Durham.

  Mr. Gummer
  My Department assesses the effects on marine life of disposals of waste which it licenses. The only 586
  significant effect of such disposals off the Durham coast relates to beach tipping of solid colliery waste where there is an identifiable alteration to the nature of the seabed and consequential change in the associated benthos. The area where this occurs is restricted to the foreshore and the offshore area immediately adjacent to the beach. This tipping predates statutory controls over dumping at sea by many years, but care is taken to ensure that the area affected is not extended.

  Control of discharges of waste by pipeline is a matter for the Northumbrian water authority under the provisions of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

  EC (Surplus Food)
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received relating to the allocation of surplus European Community food.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have received a number of expressions of view on the arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend on 12 January, to which I am replying.

  Alternative Land Use
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many hectares have been bought under the woodland scheme in the ALURE package(a) in the county of Durham and (b) in Easington district.

  Mr. Gummer
  None. The farm woodland scheme will not come into operation until later this year following the passage of the necessary legislation.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the objectives of the set-aside scheme; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the scheme.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: The principal aim of the Community set-aside scheme is to reduce surplus production of crops and so reduce budget costs. The Government have pressed for set-aside to be adopted as a complement to stabilisers, not a substitute for them. We also envisage that the scheme can fulfil desirable objectives for the environment. Under the agreement reported to the House yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the scheme can now go ahead on a basis that meets these objectives. I and my agriculture colleagues will proceed as quickly as possible to settle details of the arrangements to be applied in the United Kingdom, taking full account of the many responses we have received to our consultation document.

  Cereals
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the annual cost of the cereals regime, as shown in the annual review, breaks down into the costs of(a) intervention purchases, (b) transport, (c) storage, (d) subsidy on disposal, (e) administration and (f) other costs for each of the years from 1984–85 to 1987–88.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  A breakdown of expenditure by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce on the cereals regime is set out in the table. Administration costs are not included in these figures and are not separately available.
  587

  £ million

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  11987–88

  Intervention purchases

  242·0

  543·1

  121·6

  4·8

  Incidental costs2

  30·4

  81·4

  79·3

  54·4

  Other expenditure3

  95·5

  29·5

  -86·4

  131·9

  367·9

  654·0

  114·5

  191·1

  Receipts from EAGGF for loss on sales

  5·9

  33·5

  275·5

  105·5

  1 Forecast.

  2 Includes storage, transport, intake and discharge costs which are not separately available.

  3 Includes export refunds and positive monetary compensatory amounts offset by proceeds of sales out of intervention, co-responsibility levy and negative monetary compensatory amounts.

  European Community
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, of 20 July 1987,Official Report, column 62, if he will update the details of the total value of agricultural production (a) for the European Economic Community and (b) for each European Economic Community country, to the latest date for which information is now available.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The latest information is shown in the table.

  Total final agricultural production: 1986 (provisional)

  1million ecu

  Belgium

  5,507

  Denmark

  6,545

  Germany

  27,581

  Greece

  7,052

  France

  42,941

  Ireland

  3,676

  Italy

  34,819

  Luxembourg

  172

  Netherlands

  14,133

  United Kingdom

  17,420

  Total EC10

  159,846

  Spain

  2—

  Portugal

  3—

  Source: Eurostat.

  1 At 1986 prices and exchange rates.

  2 The latest figure available is 20,215 million ecu for 1985.

  3 The latest figure available is 2,188 million ecu for 1981.

  Food Surpluses
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the cost to(a) the European Economic Community and (b) the United Kingdom of storing and exporting food surpluses produced in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: All the costs of operations in the United Kingdom under the CAP are ultimately borne by the United Kingdom, either directly or via our contribution to the EC budget. In 1986–87 the costs of storing and exporting surplus commodities (beef, cereals, milk products, sugar) produced in the United Kingdom were:

  £ million

  Storage

  129

  Stock financing (notional)

  77

  Stock depreciation

  45

  588

  £ million

  Loss on sale

  444

  Export refunds (net of MCAs)

  185

  Total

  880

  A total of £813 million was transferred from the EC budget to the United Kingdom in respect of these operations.

  During this period £406 million was spent by the Intervention Board on buying stock into intervention and £270 million was received for sales out of intervention.

  Monofilament Nets
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to undertake research into bird deaths caused by the use of monofilament gill nets.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 11 February 1988]: My Department has no plans at present to undertake specific investigations of the effects of monofilament nets on sea bird populations, but we are keeping the situation under review.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the recent effects on auk species, including razorbills, of fishermen fishing inshore due to bad weather, using monofilament gill nets off St. Just, Cornwall.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 11 February 1988]: I have received a number of reports about unusually high mortalities of auks associated with the use of gill nets in St. Ives bay, but not off St. Just. This appears to have resulted from a combination of factors, including the adverse weather.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce further limits, or codes of practice, on the use of monofilament gill nets so as to limit bird deaths in areas of seabird concentrations.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 11 February 1988]: I have no such plans at present. The use of monofilament gill nets is regulated in a number of ways, including local sea fisheries committee byelaws. Where such nets are used as fixed engines they will be subject to new byelaws being prepared to regulate use of fixed engines in all local sea fisheries districts. In appropriate instances these byelaws will specify the minimum depth below the surface at which fixed gill nets may be set.

ENERGY

  North-east Power Stations
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to meet the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board to discuss the refurbishment of north-east power stations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I meet the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board regularly to discuss a range of issues. The refurbishment of power stations is a matter for the board.

  Nuclear Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn)Official Report, 1 February, column 472, he will place in the Library a copy of the contracts signed before 1976 between British Nuclear Fuels plc and Okg Aktiebolag for spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste processing, with the specific financial arrangements covered by commercial confidentiality erased from the texts.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Details of contracts between BNF and its customers are a commercial matter for the parties concerned.

  Italian Reactor
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone)Official Report, 1 February, column 473, if he has any information on why the Italian Latina Magnox reactor has been closed, and on whether this is a permanent closure.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The closure of the Latina Magnox reactor is a matter for the Italian authorities.

  Nuclear Fuel
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn)Official Report, 1 February, column 473, on the reprocessing of electricity board nuclear fuel, he will list as proportions of the annual throughput of nuclear fuel from electricity board reactors in each year from 1980 to 1986, the throughput in the period 15 December 1986 to 15 December 1987.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  For the period April 1980 to March 1986, spent fuel deriving from the United Kingdom electricity boards' Magnox reactors accounted for some 90 per cent. of the civil spent fuel reprocessed at Sellafield. For the period April 1986 to March 1987, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick) on 16 December 1987 at column 516.

  Fuel Plants
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the number of(a) nuclear power plants, (b) nuclear fuel cycle facilities, (c) fossil fuel plants, (d) fossil fuel processing facilities and (e) renewable energy production and conversion sites he has visited since he became Secretary of State.
  590
  Mr. Parkinson
  I have visited the nuclear facilities at Dounreay and Sellafield, the Leman and Morecambe bay gas fields, the gas processing facilities at Bacton, and the Orkney wind generator.

  My hon. Friends the Minister of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State have visited Dungeness A and B power stations, the Capenhurst enrichment plant, the UKAEA at Harwell, Didcot coal-fired power station, British Alcan's coal-fired power station at Lynemouth, the Fort Dunlop CHP plant, the refuse driven plant at Byker, and the Islay wave power project.

  Nuclear Power Plants (Safety Procedures)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, in the light of the near accident involving two aircraft in airspace over the Dungeness A and B nuclear reactors in Kent on 6 February, he will review the integrity and safety procedures at nuclear power plants against aircraft crashing on(a) the reactor buildings, and (b) the spent nuclear fuel cooling ponds.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I understand that the air traffic incident referred to took place about 20 miles from the Dungeness power stations. At that distance there was no danger to the power stations. The HSE's nuclear installations inspectorate has been reviewing the overflying restrictions as part of its consideration of external hazards at nuclear installations and will make proposals for further restrictions if necessary.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much plutonium, plutonium oxide or plutonium nitrate produced at the Sellafield reprocessing plant had been transported by air prior to December 1987; on what occasions; and whether to(a) overseas civil customers or (b) domestic civil customers.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  [holding answer 1 February 1988]: From May 1979 up to the end of December 1987, some 4·5 tonnes of plutonium oxide produced at Sellafield has been transported by air for civil purposes. Some 2·5 tonnes of this was despatched to Dounreay as mixed uranium-plutonium oxide for use in the fast reactor programme. The remainder was despatched overseas. Information relating to specific shipments is confidential for reasons of security and commercial sensitivity.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Voluntary Organisations (Grants)
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the grants made by the health and social services boards, the education and library boards, the probation board, the Arts Council, the Police Authority, the Tourist Board and district councils to voluntary organisations in each of the last two years, with the amount in each case and the name and address of the recipient organisations.

  Mr. Stanley
  Except as stated, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Police Authority does not pay grants to voluntary bodies. Those paid by the probation board are as follows:
  591

  Voluntary Body

  Grant paid 1986–87

  Grant paid 1985–86

  Extern Organisation

  204,814

  247,349

  Save the Children Fund, Northern Ireland

  176,962

  158,726

  NI Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders

  166,105

  173,159

  Presbyterian Church in Ireland

  56,304

  58,357

  Dismas House Hostel

  21,958

  21,154

  Ulster Quakers Service Committee

  20,151

  12,070

  Suffolk Adventure Group

  20,000

  —

  Lower Falls 'New Start'

  20,000

  —

  Laganvalley Auto Project

  20,000

  —

  Newtownabbey Auto Project

  15,000

  5,000

  Belfast Rape Crisis Centre

  11,440

  11,000

  Twinbrook Tenants/Community Association

  10,400

  2,270

  NI Victim Support Scheme

  5,778

  —

  Citizens Advice Bureau

  3,780

  1,500

  Inter Agency

  3,475

  3,367

  Prison Fellowship

  3,000

  —

  Edward Street Hostel

  3,000

  3,000

  Joe Lindsay Memorial Group

  3,000

  3,261

  Westrock/Whiterock Community Group

  3,000

  —

  Cookstown Hostel (MUST)

  3,000

  —

  Simon Community

  3,000

  —

  Dunmurry Christian Community

  1,100

  —

  Irish German Exhange Trip

  1,000

  —

  Clonard Parent/Youth Support Group

  1,000

  —

  Oliver Plunkett Education and Leisure Services

  —

  2,500

  Horn Drive Parent Youth Group

  —

  1,500

  Belfast Voluntary Welfare Society

  —

  1,250

  Farset City Farm

  —

  1,000

  Total

  777,267

  706,463

  Maghaberry Prison
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will make a statement on the reasons for the shortfall of prisoners in Maghaberry prison, in the light of general prison overcrowding;

  (2) why Maghaberry prison will, by mid-February, after a build-up, have a shortfall of 332 prisoners.

  Mr. Stanley
  The overcrowding which occurs in many prisons in England and Wales is not a feature of Northern Ireland prisons. The current build-up of the prisoner population at Maghaberry began in November 1987 with the initial aim of having one of its four houses occupied with around 100 inmates by mid-February 1988. The build-up will continue, but because of the need to relocate staff and to give careful consideration to which prisoners should be transferred, full occupancy has to be phased in over a period.

  Administration of Justice
  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, pursuant to his answer of 3 February, he will list in precise terms the concerns about the present arrangements for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland which have been made known to him by the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Stanley
  Joint statements issued after each meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference set out subjects discussed. As is customary with communications between Governments, it has not been our practice to make public further detail of the discussions.

  Prisoners (Strip Searches)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many strip searches were made of female prisoners in Her Majesty's prison, Maghaberry in January 1988, giving the number of persons involved and number of times each person was searched and if any prison contraband, smuggled item or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search indicating which items; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted; and what were the reasons for the search under each of the following headings: making a remand appearance at court, attending trial, inter-prison visit or other reasons.

  Mr. Stanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number of Searches

  Number

  Total number of searches carried out

  33

  Total number of inmates searched

  25

  Number of prisoners searched once

  17

  Number of prisoners searched twice

  8

  Number of prisoners searched three times or more

  —

  Reasons for Search

  First admission on remand/awaiting trial

  11

  First admission on sentence/final discharge

  16

  Attending Newry Remand Court

  1

  Going on or returning from home leave

  2

  Inter-prison visits

  1

  After a visit

  2

  No prohibited article was found during these searches and no prisoner refused to be searched.

  Electricity Supplies
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of households by district which have no electricity supply.

  Mr. Viggers
  The best currently available information is contained in table 18 of the 1984 Northern Ireland "House Condition Survey", a copy of which is available in the Library, which shows by region and district the number of dwellings without an electricity supply.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate how many households without electricity supply have made application for supply to Northern Ireland Electricity.

  Mr. Viggers
  None. In 1987 Northern Ireland Electricity received 18,111 applications regarding electricity supply, but its records do not show how many of these concerned existing households without supply.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the charges to the consumer for providing an electricity supply in(a) rural and (b) urban areas in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Viggers
  Northern Ireland Electricity does not differentiate between urban and rural areas in determining its domestic connection charges. The basic position is that anyone seeking an electricity supply is required to pay 60 per cent. of the actual cost of connection. The cost can be reduced if spread over a number of households which are being connected simultaneously. In the case of new housing developments consisting of a group of 12 or more houses convenient to an existing mains supply, a fixed charge of £150 per house applies.
  593
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate what proportion of houses without electricity supply in Northern Ireland, by district, are farm households.

  Mr. Viggers
  None.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the levels of social security dependency in households which have no electricity supply.

  Mr. Needham
  The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the numbers of existing households in rural areas which have been supplied with electricity for the first time in the last five years.

  Mr. Viggers
  None. During the five-year period ending 31 December 1987 there was a net increase of 43,488 in the total number of households connected to the electricity supply system in Northern Ireland. However, Northern Ireland Electricity's records do not differentiate between urban and rural areas or existing and new houses.

  Building Contractors (Attacks)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks have been carried out upon building contractors or those employed by them in the last three years; how many deaths and injuries have resulted; and what information he has as to the groups responsible for each attack.

  Mr. Stanley
  Information about injuries is not readily available. The list shows the number of building contractors and their staff whom we are aware have been killed by terrorists in the last three years, together with the background of the groups believed to have been responsible.

  Murdered by Republican terrorists

  Murdered by Loyalist terrorists

  1985

  —

  1

  1986

  5

  1

  1987

  1

  1

  1988 (to date)

  —

  1

  Irish Republican Army
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the sums obtained by the Irish Republican Army from extortion in the building industry in Northern Ireland in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stanley
  Reliable estimates of sums obtained by extortion in the building industry by both Republican and Loyalist paramilitary organisations are not available. The problem of extortion in the building industry and elsewhere is, however, recognised to be serious and major efforts are being made to combat it.

  Paramilitary Organisations (Fraud Convictions)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many convictions have been 594
  obtained in the last three years for which figures are available against members of paramilitary organisations who have defrauded the Inland Revenue; if he will give the figures divided between Republican and Protestant paramilitary groups; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stanley
  Since 1984, 114 convictions have been obtained against paramilitaries who had defrauded the Inland Revenue. All convictions were against those believed to belong to Republican groups. Convictions have been obtained against paramilitaries believed to belong to Loyalist groups for other types of racketeering offences.

  Extortion
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the operation of the Northern Ireland Emergency Provisions Act 1987 as it applies to preventing the use of extortion rackets to fund paramilitary activities.

  Mr. Stanley
  Under part III of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1987 it became an offence, from 1 January 1988, to provide or to offer to provide security guard services for reward without a certificate issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. My right hon. Friend may refuse to issue such a certificate, or may revoke one which is already in force, if he is satisfied that a proscribed organisation or an organisation closely associated with a proscribed organisation would he likely to benefit from the issue of the certificate.

  To date 50 certificates have been issued. Although no applicant has been refused a certificate, a number of firms have not applied for one. Our understanding is that these companies have ceased trading as a result of the legislation. We believe therefore that the provisions are having their desired effect of inhibiting the exploitation of security requirements by paramilitary organisations.

  Fair Employment Agency
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for the past five years for which figures are available the bodies investigated by the Fair Employment Agency and the subsequent outcome.

  Mr. Viggers
  [holding answer 15 February 1988]: In the five year period to 31 January 1988 the Fair Employment Agency published reports of 16 investigations. Copies of the relevant findings are available in the Library. The agency has recently completed a further two investigations, reports of which have still to be published, and a further 36 investigations are currently under way. Sectors or organisations investigated by the agency are as follows:

  Sector-body investigated and outcome

  1. *Employment patterns in the Belfast areas with particular reference to engineering — Report published September 1983.

  2. *Employment patterns in the Londonderry area —Report published September 1983.

  3. Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd.—Report published September 1983.

  4. The British Broadcasting Corporation in Northern Ireland—Report published November 1983.

  5. The non-industrial Northern Ireland Civil Service —Report published December 1983.

  6. The Fire Authority for Northern Ireland — Report published June 1984.

  7. The Unipork Organisation — Report published February 1985.

  595

  8. Northern Ireland Housing Executive — Report published October 1985.

  9. The ambulance services of the Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland. — Report published November 1985.

  10. The Ulster museum. —Report published March 1986.

  11. Nine building societies (Halifax, Woolwich, Abbey National, Gateway, Nationwide, Leicester, Leeds Permanent, Anglia and Progressive).—Report published March 1986.

  12. The Southern Health and Social Services board. —Report published March 1986.

  13. The principal banks in Northern Ireland (TSB, Northern Bank, Allied Irish Bank, Ulster Bank and Bank of Ireland).—Report published March 1986.

  14. Eight insurance companies (Britannic, Pearl, Prudential, Refuge, United Friendly, Commercial Union, General Accident and Royal). — Report published November 1986.

  15. Derby city council. —Report published September 1987.

  16. Hyster (NI) Limited. — Report published November 1987.

  17. Newry and Mourne district council. — Investigation completed. Report not yet published.

  18. Northern Ireland Railways—Investigation completed. Report not yet published.

  19. Moy Meats.—Investigation underway.

  20. Ulster Bus/City Bus.—Investigation underway.

  21. Queen's University of Belfast.—Investigation underway.

  22. University of Belfast.—Investigation underway.

  23. Western Health and Social Services Board —Investigation underway.

  24. North Eastern Education and Library Board —Investigation underway.

  596

  25. Coleraine Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  26. Dungannon District Council—Investigation underway.

  27. Craigavon Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  28. Limavady District Council—Investigation underway.

  29. Ballymena Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  30. Antrim Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  31. Ballymoney Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  32. Carrickfergus Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  33. Banbridge District Council—Investigation underway.

  34. Lisburn Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  35. Magherafelt District Council—Investigation underway.

  36. Ards Borough Council—Investigation underway.

  37. Isaac Agnew—Investigation underway.

  38. Irish Road Motors—Investigation underway.

  39. Philips Motors—Investigation underway.

  40. Prentice—Investigation underway.

  41. Bairds Limited—Investigation underway.

  42. J. E. Coulter Limited—Investigation underway.

  43. Dencourt Motors—Investigation underway.

  44. Desmond Motors—Investigation underway.

  45. Lindsay Cars—Investigation underway.

  46. James Eakin & Sons Limited—Investigation underway.

  47. Dornan Service Station—Investigation underway.

  48. Cars Limited—Investigation underway.

  49. R. Kennedy and Company—Investigation underway.

  50. Neville Johnston—Investigation underway.

  51. Sidney Pentland—Investigation underway.

  52. Charles Hurst—Investigation underway.

  53. Blue Circle Industries Plc.—Investigation underway.

  54. Dunmanbridge Creamery—Investigation underway.

  * Employers investigated not named.

  UNLICENSED VEHICLES IN LONDON
  UNLICENSED VEHICLES IN LONDON
  AIR POLLUTANTS IN HOSPITALS
  AIR POLLUTANTS IN HOSPITALS
  ELDERLY WAR WIDOWS: BENEFITS
  ELDERLY WAR WIDOWS: BENEFITS
  LINK PROGRAMME
  LINK PROGRAMME
  ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAMME PROPOSAL
  ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAMME PROPOSAL