Written Answers of 14 June 1988

WALES

  Perinatal Mortality
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to announce his response to the perinatal mortality initiative survey group recommendations.

  Mr. Grist
  The response to the recommendations of the perinatal mortality initiative survey group was announced in Welsh health circular (86)69 issued in December 1986. Those recommendations relating to the provision of a regional perinatal intensive care service which have been the subject of consultation with district health authorities in Wales are actively being considered, and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

  Cervical Smears
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average time taken by each Welsh health authority to process cervical smear tests and provide the results for the patient and her general practitioner; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Information about the average time taken to provide results of cervical smear tests in 1987 is as follows. In November 1987, a further £400,000 was allocated to district health authorities to help improve the cervical screening service. I hope that this additional funding will contribute to a reduction in waiting times in those districts where women had to wail more than the recommended maximum of eight weeks in 1987.

  Days

  Clwyd

  1–35

  East Dyfed

  16–88

  Gwent

  35

  Gwynedd

  30

  Mid Glamorgan

  56

  Pembrokeshire

  112

  Powys

  19

  South Glamorgan

  21

  West Glamorgan

  56

  Pembrokeshire was dependent on the laboratory at West Wales general hospital to process its cervical smear tests in 1987. The turnaround time at that laboratory increased significantly in 1987 due to staffing problems, although I understand that remedial action taken earlier this year should have eased the situation. Following Welsh Office funding, Pembrokeshire plans to establish its own laboratory service to evaluate cervical smear tests from 1 July. The authority has advised that this will substantially reduce the time taken to notify results.

  WINVEST (Government Contribution)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the Government contribution to WINVEST for the financial years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89; and what staff numbers this contribution supported.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The information is as follows:

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89 budget

  Gross expenditure (£ million)

  1·784

  1·825

  2·181

  Staff numbers1

  35

  36

  39

  1 Including seconded Welsh Office staff.

  New Factories
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what sums were spent by the Welsh Development Agency on new factory building in the financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88; what sum is projected for 1988–89; and how many square metres of additional factory space become available in each year.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The information is as follows:

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89 budget

  Gross expenditure (£ million) land and buildings

  26·7

  32·7

  43·2

  Factory space completed (square metres)

  47,982

  78,890

  1139,000

  1 Forecast.

  Tritium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many sites in Wales, excluding the nuclear plants at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd, are licensed for the handling, storage or disposal of tritium or tritium contaminated wastes; and if he will list them in the Official Report.

  Mr. Grist
  Ninety-one premises are identified in registrations specifically permitting the keeping and use of tritium, and 37 in authorisations specifically permitting the disposal of tritium contaminated waste. The list is as follows:

  Premises

  British Oxygen Company Ltd. Longlands Lane, West Glamorgan

  Port Talbot

  British Oxygen Company Ltd., Queensway Spencer Works, Gwent, NPF 0UP

  Newport

  British Steel Corporation, Llanwern Works, Gwent, NPT 0XN

  Newport

  Air Products Ltd., Spencer Works, Llanwern, Gwent

  Newport

  British Steel Corporation, Welsh Laboratory, West Glamorgan, SA13 2NG

  Port Talbot

  85

  Premises

  British Steel Corporation, BSC Tinplate Ebbw Vale Works, Gwent, NP3 6XD

  Ebbw Vale

  British Steel Corporation, Trostre Works, Dyfed

  Llanelli

  Bryncelynnog Comprehensive School, Beddau Mid Glamorgan

  Llantrisant

  Mid Glamorgan County Council, The Courthouse, Mid Glamorgan

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Youth Centre, Porthcawl Comprehensive School, Mid Glamorgan

  Porthcawl

  Youth Centre Ferndale Grammar School, Mid Glamorgan

  Ferndale

  Glamorgan College of Education, Buttrills Road, South Glamorgan

  Barry

  Caernarvonshire Technical College, Gwynedd

  Bangor

  Mr. I. E. Lloyd, Woodlands Hall Country Club, Llanfwrog, Clwyd

  Ruthin

  Lye Tinplate Ltd.,. Glynhir Works, Pontardulais, West Glamorgan, SA4 1QD

  Swansea

  Social Centre Woodland Road, Croesyceiliog, Gwent

  Cwmbran

  South Glamorgan County Council, Fire Service Headquarters, Adam Street, South Glamorgan, CF1 2FL

  Cardiff

  *University College Cardiff, Cathays Park, Newport Road, The Parade, South Glamorgan

  Cardiff

  Botwnnog Comprehensive School, Botwnnog, Gwynedd

  Pwllheli

  Ford Motor Company, General Products Operations, Treforest Industrial Estate, Mid Glamorgan

  Pontypridd

  Imperial buildings, Vaughan Street, Gwynedd

  Llandudno

  *University College of Wales, Edward Davies Chemical Laboratory, Dyfed, SY23 1NE

  Aberystwyth

  Gulf Oil Refining Ltd., Waterston, Dyfed, SA73 1DR

  Milford Haven

  86

  Premises

  New Council Offices, Cefn Coed-Y-Cymmer, Mid Glamorgan

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Denis Ferranti Meters Ltd., Caernarvon Road, Gwynedd, LL57 4SP

  Bangor

  Rhos-on-Sea Methodist Church, Rhos-on-Sea Methodist Church Hall, Rhos Road, Rhos-on-Sea, Clwyd

  Colwyn Bay

  Inco Europe Ltd., Clydach Refinery, Clydach, West Glamorgan, SA6 5QR

  Swansea

  Ski Lodge, Fairwater, South Glamorgan

  Cardiff

  Lecture Theatre College of Librarianship, Wales Primrose Hill, Llabadarn Fawr, Dyfed

  Aberystwyth

  Trust House Forte (Leisure) Ltd., Grand Hotel, Happy Valley Road, Gwynedd

  Llandudno

  J. W. Lees Co. Ltd., Bull Bay Hotel, Bull Bay, Gwynedd

  Amlwch

  Gwernyfed Comprehensive School, Three Cocks, Powys

  Brecon

  Welsh National Water Development Authority, Taf Fechan Unit Pentwyn Road, Mid Glamorgan, CF46 6LY

  Nelson

  Delanair Ltd., New Road, Dyfed

  Ammanford

  St. Florence Voluntary Control School, Dyfed

  St. Florence

  North Wales Police, Glan Y Don, Clwyd, LL29 8AW

  Colwyn Bay

  David Morgan Ltd., The Hayes, South Glamorgan, CF1 1UG

  Cardiff

  *Amoco (U.K.) Ltd., Milford Haven Refinery, PO Box 10, Dyfed, SA73 3JD

  Milford Haven

  Afan Borough Council, Afan Lido Ballroom, Aberavon, West Glamorgan

  Port Talbot

  *University College of North Wales, Science Buildings, Deiniol Road, Gwynedd

  Bangor

  87

  Premises

  *University College of North Wales, Department of Marine Science, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd

  Anglesey

  The Seabank Hotel, Marine Terrance, Dyfed

  Aberystwyth

  Royal Hotel (Caernarfon) Ltd., Royal Hotel Bangor Road, Gwynedd

  Caernarfon

  R.A.O.B. Social Club, Murray Street, Dyfed

  Llanelli

  Gwynedd County Council, Dyffryn Nantlle School, Penygrols, Gwynedd

  Caernarfon

  National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, South Glamorgan, CF1 3NP

  Cardiff

  Clwyd County Council, Shire Hall, Clwyd, CH7 6NB

  Mold

  Dyfed County Council, Local Authority Youth and Community Centre Argyle Street, Dyfed

  Pembroke Dock

  Midland Bank Ltd., 56 Queen Street, South Glamorgan

  Cardiff

  South Glamorgan County Council, Car Park Westgate Street/Quay Street South Glamorgan

  Cardiff

  West Glamorgan County Council, Dwr-y-Felin Lower Comprehensive School, West Glamorgan

  Neath

  Simbec Research Ltd., Merthyr Tydfil Industrial Park, Cardiff Road, Mid Glamorgan, CF48 4DR

  Merthyr Tydfil

  British Broadcasting Company, Broadcasting House, Llanrisant Road, South Glamorgan, CF5 888

  Cardiff

  Gwynedd County Council, Bodedern County Secondary School London Rd., Gwynedd

  Bodedern

  South Glamorgan County Council, Barry Fire Station, Port Rd., South Glamorgan

  Barry

  Tesco Stores Ltd., Tesco Supermarkets Ltd., Crescent Rd., Clwyd

  Wrexham

  Powys County Council, Montgomery College of Further Education, Llanidloes Rd., Powys

  Newtown

  88

  Premises

  Pontardulais Road, Fforestfach, West Glamorgan

  Swansea

  Tesco Stores Ltd., Wind St./Water St., West Glamorgan, SA11 3EG

  Neath

  Controls and Combustion Ltd., Power House Building, Fords New Factory, Mid Glamorgan

  Bridgend

  Cardiff City Council, City Public Health Department, City Analysts Laboratory, Croft St., South Glamorgan, CF2 3DY

  Cardiff

  Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust, The Bishops Palace (Flats), High St., Clwyd

  St. Asaph

  Wales Gas Board, Maelor Works, Marchweil, Clwyd

  Wrexham

  Welsh Water Authority, Llanelli Area Laboratory, 19 Penyfai Lane Furnace, Dyfed, SA16 4CL

  Llanelli

  Ford Motor Company, Bridgend Plant Waterton Industrial Estate, Mid Glamorgan, CF31 3PJ

  Bridgend

  Xidex (UK) Ltd., Intermediate Road, Gwent, NP3 4YA

  Brynmawr

  Plessey Marine Ltd. Newport Industrial Area Spytty Road Gwent

  Newport

  Inmos Ltd. Cardiff Road Duffryn Gwent, NPT 1YJ

  Newport

  Wales Gas Wales Gas Headquarters Helmont House Churchill Way South Glamorgan, CF1 4ND

  Cardiff

  University College of North Wales. Estates Department Dean Street Gwynedd, LL57 1UT

  Bangor

  3M UK PLC Reka DOM Pentrebach Mid Glamorgan, CF48 4BD

  Merthyr Tydfil

  British Steel Corporation Velindre Works Velindre West Glamorgan, SA6 7LT

  Swansea

  Cardill-Wales Airport Ltd. South Glamorgan, CF6 9BD

  Near Cardiff

  89

  Premises

  *University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology King Edward VII Avenue Cathays Park South Glamorgan

  Cardiff

  *University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology Aberconway Building Colum Drive South Glamorgan, CF1 3XF

  Cardiff

  *University College of Wales Penglais Estate University College Dyfed

  Aberystwyth

  *Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Welsh Plant Breeding Station, Plas Cogerddan, Dyfed SY23 3EB

  Aberystwyth

  Monsanto plc, Corporation Road, Gwent NP9 OXF

  Newport

  Gwynedd County Council, County Offices, Gwynedd LL56 1SH

  Caernarfon

  *Pembroke Cracking Company, Texaco Refinery, Dyfed SA71 5SJ

  Pembroke

  Gwynedd County Council, John Bright Sports Hall Extension, Oxford Road, Gwynedd

  Llandudno

  *BT Consumer Electronics Ltd., Cwmcarn Factory, Crosskeys, Gwent NP1 7ZB

  Newport

  *Mayer Cohen Industries Ltd., Newtown Industrial Estate, Cross Keys, Gwent NP1 7PZ

  Newport

  St. David's University College, Dyfed

  Lampeter

  **Mid Glamorgan Health Authority, Princess of Wales Hospital, Mid Glamorgan

  Bridgend

  *North East Wales Institute of Higher Education, Kelsterton College, Clwyd CH5 4BR

  Connahs Quay

  **South Glamorgan Health Authority, Cardiff Medical Teaching Centre, UHW Heath Park, South Glamorgan CF4 4XW

  Cardiff

  **South Glamorgan Health Authority, Velindre Hospital, Velindre Road Whitchurch, South Glamorgan CF4 7XL

  Cardiff

  *University College of North Wales, College Farm, Gwynedd

  Aber

  *University College of North Wales, Penyffridd Experimental Station, Penrhos Road, Gwynedd

  Bangor

  90

  Premises

  **South Glamorgan Health Authority, Llandough Hospital, South Glamorgan

  Penarth

  **Re Chem International Ltd., Pontyvelin Industrial Estate, New Road, Gwent

  Pontypool

  *University College of Swansea, Singleton Park, West Glamorgan, SA2 8PP

  Swansea

  *Welsh Regional Blood Transfusion Service, Rhydlafar, St. Fagans, South Glamorgan, CF6 6XF

  Cardiff

  **Mid Glamorgan Health Authority, East Glamorgan General Hospital, Church Village, Mid Glamorgan

  Pontypridd

  **Mid Glamorgan Health Authority, Bridgend General Hospital, Mid Glamorgan

  Bridgend

  *Imperial Chemical Industries plc, Barry "Corvic" Plant, South Glamorgan, CF6 2YU

  Sully

  **Clwyd Health Authority, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Clwyd

  Bodelwyddan

  **South Glamorgan Health Authority, Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Newport Road, South Glamorgan

  Cardiff

  **Mid Glamorgan Health Authority, Prince Charles Hospital, Mid Glamorgan

  Merthyr Tydfil

  **Gwent Health Authority, St. Woolos Hospital, Gwent

  Newport

  **Gwent Health Authority, Allt-yr-yn Hospital, Gwent

  Newport

  **West Glamorgan Health Authority, Singleton Hospital, Sketty West Glamorgan, SA1 8QA

  Swansea

  **West Glamorgan Health Authority, Morriston Hospital, Morriston, West Glamorgan

  Swansea

  **Amersham International plc, Cardiff Laboratories, Forest Farm, Whitchurch, South Glamorgan, CF4 7YT

  Cardiff

  **Gwynedd Health Authority, Gwynedd Hospital, Penrhosgarnedd, Gwynedd, LL57 2PW

  Bangor

  **Miles Laboratories Ltd., Western Avenue Industrial Estate, Mid Glamorgan, CF31 3TY

  Bridgend

  Unless designated as below the premises are covered by registration only.

  91
  * Premises covered by both registration and authorisation.

  ** Premises covered by authorisation but exempt from registration.

  A full list of premises covered by authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 to dispose of radioactive waste is included in the Department of the Environment/Welsh Office/Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution April 1988 publication, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Joint Funding Scheme
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to increase the budget for the joint funding scheme.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I have decided to increase this year's budget for the joint funding scheme to £10·5 million, which is a 75 per cent. increase on the original allocation for last year. Under the joint funding scheme we support, on a 50:50 basis, voluntary agencies' projects which are aimed at some of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in the developing world, and I am sure that this is money very well spent.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Car Theft
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has, for the last year for which figures are available, as to the number of private cars stolen from each police division or constabulary in the United Kingdom and the number recovered.

  Mr. John Patten
  The available information relates to all theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and is given in the following table. The figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland have been provided by the Scottish Home and Health Department arid the Northern Ireland Office and may not be entirely comparable with those for England and Wales, although the differences are thought to be small. From records held centrally, it is not possible to distinguish thefts of private cars from thefts of other types of vehicle.

  Notifiable offences of theft and unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and vehicles recovered

  United Kingdom 1987

  Police force area

  Offences recorded

  Vehicles recovered

  Avon and Somerset

  10,945

  9,355

  Bedfordshire

  5,068

  2,729

  Cambridgeshire

  2,512

  2,172

  Cheshire

  5,441

  3,630

  Cleveland

  5,832

  4,294

  Cumbria

  1,603

  1,178

  Derbyshire

  2,967

  2,198

  Devon and Cornwall

  5,073

  4,130

  Dorset

  4,037

  2,902

  Durham

  4,311

  1,035

  Essex

  8,404

  5,437

  Gloucestershire

  2,539

  1,906

  Greater Manchester

  37,936

  29,812

  Hampshire

  8,453

  5,771

  Hertfordshire

  4,017

  1,998

  Humberside

  5,396

  4,677

  92

  Police force area

  Offences recorded

  Vehicles recovered

  Kent

  9,248

  6,084

  Lancashire

  7,867

  5,887

  Leicestershire

  4,931

  3,864

  Lincolnshire

  1,929

  1,343

  London, City of

  296

  123

  Merseyside

  18,873

  12,224

  Metropolitan Police

  77,642

  47,191

  Norfolk

  3,964

  2,857

  Northamptonshire

  4,821

  3,684

  Northumbria

  19,488

  12,824

  North Yorkshire

  2,817

  2,138

  Nottinghamshire

  7,038

  6,060

  South Yorkshire

  9,312

  7,060

  Staffordshire

  4,376

  2,681

  Suffolk

  1,863

  1,059

  Surrey

  2,922

  2,295

  Sussex

  5,262

  3,741

  Thames Valley

  13,996

  8,875

  Warwickshire

  2,638

  2,168

  West Mercia

  3,875

  2,936

  West Midlands

  34,206

  26,810

  West Yorkshire

  16,363

  11,964

  Wiltshire

  1,916

  1,412

  Dyfed-Powys

  994

  820

  Gwent

  2,134

  1,114

  North Wales

  2,275

  1,526

  South Wales

  13,996

  11,059

  England and Wales

  389,576

  273,063

  Central

  914

  n/a

  Dumfries and Galloway

  234

  n/a

  Fife

  1,164

  n/a

  Grampian

  1,389

  n/a

  Lothian and Borders

  4,433

  n/a

  Northern

  500

  n/a

  Strathclyde

  16,505

  n/a

  Tayside

  1,044

  n/a

  Scotland

  26,183

  n/a

  Royal Ulster Constabulary

  7,873

  n/a

  n/a—Not available.

  Election Expenses
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many candidates in each of the general elections of 1979, 1983 and 1987 failed to submit a return of their election expenses to the returning officer, and in how many cases prosecutions have been instituted as the result of such failures.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is as follows:

  1979

  1983

  1987

  Number of candidates who failed to submit a return within the statutory period allowed

  19

  21

  15

  Number of prosecutions

  4

  1—

  2—

  1 None.

  2 Not yet available.

  I understand that the Director of Public Prosecutions has not yet decided in every case whether to institute proceedings in respect of the candidates who failed to submit a return after the 1987 general election.

  Radioactive Discharges
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange, in conjunction with the
  93
  appropriate French authorities, for an evaluation of the concentration of radioactive discharges reaching the Channel Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Herm and Sark from the French nuclear reprocessing plant at Cap de la Hague.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Radioactive discharges reaching the Channel Islands are continuously monitored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The concentrations of artificial radionuclides found in these waters has been negligible. Monitoring results are published annually by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food directorate of fisheries research in the "Aquatic Environment Monitoring Report on Radioactivity in Surface and Coastal Waters of the British Isles", copies of which are in the Library.

  Inmate A

  Inmate B

  Inmate C

  April

  May

  April

  May

  April

  May

  After legal visits

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  After other visits

  3

  2

  3

  —

  1

  —

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

  2

  1

  2

  1

  1

  3

  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 in April and May, 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.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 13 June, there were seven inmates on remand at Risley remand centre who had been placed in 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. The records show that this prisoner was not strip-searched during April but was so searched on three occasions in May—twice in connection with her temporary transfer to another prison, and one at the time of a cell change. No unauthorised article was discovered on any of these occasions. On no occasion did the prisoner refuse to be strip-searched.

  Haverigg Prison
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the daily routine in force at Haverigg prison prior to the recent disturbance, giving the times of(a) reveille, (b) slop-out, (c) meals, (d) recreation, (e) confinement and (f) lights out.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Prior to the disturbance on Sunday 5 June, the main daily routine for inmates at Haverigg prison was as follows:

  Category A Prisoners
  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 April and May; 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 April and May, there were three category A women prisoners in Durham prison. The number of occasions on which each was strip-searched during each month is shown in the table:

  Weekday

  Weekend

  Unlocking1

  7·30

  7·30

  Breakfast

  7·50

  7·45

  Work commences

  8·30

  —

  Church Service2

  —

  09·00

  Association/Outside activities

  —

  10·30

  Lunch

  12·00

  12·00

  Work commences

  13·00

  —

  Association/Outside activities/Visits

  —

  13·15

  Tea

  16·50

  16·45

  Association

  317·30

  17·30

  Supper

  19·30

  19·30

  Association ends

  20·30

  20·30

  Lock-up (Lights out)

  22·30

  22·30

  1 As inmates are housed in dormitories with access to night sanitation, there is no slopping out.

  2 Attendance voluntary.

  3 On weekdays, evening association includes education classes.

  Gaelic and Welsh
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has as to the average audience figures achieved for the Gaelic programmes "Prosbaig", "Dotaman" and "Crann Tara" for(a) Gaelic speakers and (b) all viewers;

  (2) what information he has as to the average audience figures achieved for the three most popular Welsh language programmes on S4C amongst (a) Welsh speakers, and (b) all viewers.

  Mr. Renton
  The information requested is not readily available, and I will reply as soon as possible.

  Inquests
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests from coroners to hold an inquest in circumstances where their present powers are in doubt he has received in the last five years; and what consideration he has given to each of these requests.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: No central records are kept of requests from coroners for guidance where their powers are in doubt. All such requests receive careful consideration.
  95
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests from coroners he has received in the last five years to hold an inquest where the body of the deceased has been destroyed; and how many he approved.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: Sixty-four requests were received, of which thirty-eight were approved.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what evidence he refused permission to the Carlisle coroner to hold an inquest into the death of the Carlisle baby reported to him by the county coroner.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 13 June 1988]
  My right hon. Friend's decision, that the public interest would not be served by an inquest in this case, was founded on the information given by the coroner.

ENERGY

  Electricity Industry (Borrowing)
  Mr. Leadbitter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy under what powers borrowing is currently undertaken by the electricity supply industry; what is the current outstanding debt of the industry; what claims on capital he expects over the next three years; and whether he plans to increase the industry's borrowing powers.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The borrowing powers of the electricity supply industry are given by the Electricity Act 1957, section 15, the Electricity (Borrowing Powers) Order 1974, and the Statutory Corporations (Financial Provisions) Act 1974. The net outstanding debt at 31 March 1988 was £1,597 million. The ESI's capital expenditure is expected to he met wholly from internally generated funds in the next three years and my right hon. Friend has no plans to increase the industry's borrowing powers.

  CEGB (Spending)
  Mr. Leadbitter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what applications for future capital expenditure he has discussed with the Central Electricity Generating Board.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Central Electricity Generating Board submits annual capital investment plans to my Department covering the whole range of activities carried out by the board. For 1988–89, I have given approval to total expenditure of £775 million.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the expected annual cost to Her Majesty's Government for the protection of reprocessed plutonium from Sellafield to Japan in the 1990s; and how much will be recovered from commercial sources.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the two replies which I gave him on 24 February 1988, both at column 240.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what guidance or advice he has given with regard to the use 96
  or deployment of agencies other than the police which are to be involved in the physical protection of plutonium transported from Sellafield to Japan; and on what basis such use is paid for at the cost of deployment recovered from commercial sources.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have nothing to add to the replies that I gave the hon. Member on 11 May 1988, at column 110 and on 24 May 1988, at column 102.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy which airport is currently used in connection with the export of plutonium by air from Sellafield.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 9 June 1988 at column 633.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his consent to British Nuclear Fuels plc to export plutonium to Japan is subject to any review in the event of that country reducing or increasing its fast breeder reactor programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The merits of all exports of nuclear materials are considered case by case within the guidelines set out in the statement by the then Foreign Secretary, James Callaghan, on 31 March 1976 at columns 514–516.

  No specific approvals have yet been given for the return to Japan of the plutonium that will result from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel at THORP.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what conditions have been imposed in connection with the export of plutonium to Japan; and if he will indicate(a) the expected amount of plutonium to be exported by British Nuclear Fuels plc to Japan and (b) the maximum amount of plutonium that is permitted to be exported each year.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Plutonium from spent fuel reprocessed in the United Kingdom is returned to its country of origin or to any other destination only on receipt of assurances covering peaceful use, application of safeguards, physical protection and controls on retransfer. I understand that no schedule has yet been agreed with the customers for the return of plutonium to Japan after reprocessing in THORP.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many holding answers have been given to parliamentary questions for priority written answers to his Department(a) since May 1979, (b) since June 1983 and (c) since June 1987.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Information on holding replies given(a) since May 1979 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The number of holding replies to priority written questions (b) since June 1983, and (c) since June 1987 are respectively 109 and 50. The frequency with which holding replies are given depends to a large extent on the length of notice given when a question is asked.

  Nuclear Materials (Exports)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy on how many occasions since May 1979 he, or his
  97
  predecessor, has given permission under the Nuclear Installations Act for the export of nuclear materials from United Kingdom facilities to the centre for nuclear studies at Mol in Belgium; and if he will set out the details in a table listing quantities and dates of exports, by separate material categories.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Since May 1979, permission has never been given under section 2 of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 for the export of nuclear material to the centre for nuclear studies at Mol.

  Exports of nuclear material by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, including those exports of plutonium referred to in my reply to the hon. Member on 16 March 1988, at column 595,are not subject to the provisions of section 2 of the Act. Information on individual shipments is confidential.

  Fusion Energy Research
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if the agreements made at the recent United States of America-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics summit meeting in Moscow have any direct or indirect bearing on the future of fusion energy research at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's Culham laboratories.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Moscow summit noted the commencement of work on the conceptual design of an international thermonuclear experimental reactor, which was endorsed by the United States, the Soviet Union, Eurotom and Japan at a meeting in Vienna on 21–22 April 1988 under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The work is limited to conceptual design and is not due to be completed until 31 December 1990; it is too soon to speculate about the outcome.

  Nuclear Fuel (Reprocessing)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what information he possesses on the details of negotiations between the Japanese and United States Governments for United States permission for the reprocessing of United States-origin nuclear fuel, currently in Japanese nuclear plants, in British Nuclear Fuels plc's Sellafield reprocessing plant;

  (2) what information he possesses on the progress in negotiations between the Japanese nuclear authorities and the United States Government on arrangements for the shipment of plutonium from British Nuclear Fuels plc's Sellafield reprocessing plant to Japan under United States licensing laws.
  98
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Transport and reprocessing arrangements for United States-origin nuclear material are dealt with in the agreement for co-operation between the Governments of the United States of America and Japan concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which was signed on 4 November 1987. I understand the agreement has now been cleared by the United States Congress and the Japanese Diet.

  Nirex
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has any plans for the disbanding of Nirex and requiring British Nuclear Fuels plc to take over the radioactive waste management and disposal role presently undertaken by Nirex.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No.

  Atomic Energy (Safeguards)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will review the current financial contributions made by the United Kingdom to the safeguards activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency to assess its adequacy.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The financing of the International Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards activities was explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) on 10 February 1988 at columns 228–9.

  I am satisfied that the IAEA's 1988 programme and budget, which was adopted after thorough discussion in the agency's board and general conference, are adequate for the proper discharge of all the agency's functions in the current year.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with the progress made towards resolving issues described as problems, numbers 1 to 17, in paragraphs 46–62 of the 1986 International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards implementation report; and if he will make a statement on specific progress achieved through 1987 on each of the 17 problem areas.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards implementation report is confidential to the board of governors. I have full confidence in the effectiveness of the agency's safeguards system. The United Kingdom funds a substantial safeguards support programme on top of payments to the regular budget of the IAEA to assist the agency in the attainment of its safeguards goals in a cost-effective manner.
  99
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the conclusions of the 1987 International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards implementation report differ in any significant way from those contained in the 1986 safeguards implementation report.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  A summary of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 1987 safeguards implementation report will he published in the agency's 1987 annual report which will be placed in the Library of the House. I am not aware that there is likely to be any significant difference in the general conclusions of the 1987 report.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to direct Her Majesty's Government's representative on the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency to seek the early public release of the 1987 International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards implementation report.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No. The 1987 safeguards implementation report of the International Atomic Energy Agency is confidential to the board of governors. A summary will be published in the agency's 1987 annual report which will he placed in the Library of the House. Any decision to publish the 1987 safeguards implementation report would be a matter for the board of governors and the general conference of the IAEA.

  Nuclear Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what safeguards apply to(a) plutonium contaminated wastes and (b) enriched uranium contaminated wastes containing fissile nuclear materials, presently unrefinable using known extraction technologies.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  All civil nuclear material is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the United Kingdom/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement. Discussions are currently taking place with the international safeguards authorities on the safeguards to be applied to waste containing civil nuclear material.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the costs to be incurred by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for the repackaging of nuclear wastes, currently stored at the authority's Harwell laboratories, originally destined for sea disposal but now planned for disposal by Nirex in the future land or sub-sea bed disposal strategy.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The UKAEA is considering the options for repackaging the nuclear waste originally destined for sea disposal. This examination includes close consultation with Nirex, as the body responsible for disposal of the waste.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will make a statement on the proposal to build a central dry store for spent nuclear fuel rods from the AGR and Magnox nuclear plants;

  (2) if he will make a statement as to the relative merits of a central dry storage site for nuclear waste being located as between (a)Chapelcross and (b)Heysham.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have received an investment proposal from the CEGB for a dry store for spent AGR 100
  fuel, to be constructed on their behalf and that of the SSEB. The SSEB has made a similar proposal to the Secretary of State for Scotland. The question of siting is a matter for the industry, subject to planning consents and other regulatory control by the NII and relevant authorising Departments.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Crown Prosecutors (Right of Audience)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor has any plans to use his powers under the Prosecution of Offences Act to extend the right of audience of Crown prosecutors; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The Lord Chancellor has no current plans to use his powers under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 to extend the rights of audience of Crown prosecutors. Under section 4 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, Crown prosecutors already have the rights of audience enjoyed by solicitors holding practising certificates.

  Matrimonial Disputes
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Attorney-General what information he has as to the percentage of solicitors' practices undertaking legal aid in respect of matrimonial disputes in the Cheshire area, in the years 1979–80 and 1987–88.

  The Attorney-General
  No information is available in respect of Cheshire alone or, as yet, for 1987–88. In 1986–87, the last year for which information is currently available, in the south-west and Wales region, which includes most of Cheshire, 1,831 solicitors' offices received legal aid payments for matrimonial proceedings in the county court; and 792 for High Court proceedings. The information available from 1979–80 cannot be analysed in this form. No information is collected by the Lord Chancellor's Department on the total number of solicitors' practices, so it is not possible to say what proportion of solicitors' practices these figures represent.

  Evictions
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Attorney-General how many cases which related to eviction from the family home were recorded in the Cheshire area during the current year; and how many of those received legal aid.

  The Attorney-General
  During 1987, a total of 3,914 actions for possession of residential premises were entered at county courts in Cheshire, although only some of these will have resulted in a subsequent application for a warrant of eviction. Information on how many of the parties to these actions received legal aid is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  European Court of Justice
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Attorney-General what guidance is issued by the Lord Chancellor to the judiciary concerning references to the European Court of Justice under article 177 of the treaty of Rome.

  The Attorney-General
  No formal guidance is given by the Lord Chancellor, since the decision whether or not to
  101
  make a reference under article 177 is for the court. However, there is case law, both in the European Court of Justice and in English courts, on the considerations to be taken into account in deciding whether to make a reference and upon its formulation.

  Football Hooliganism
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Attorney-General whether he will make a statement on the implications for the Crown Prosecution Service of the recent collapse of trials relating to alleged hooliganism at football matches.

  The Attorney-General
  Recently, three trials involving allegations of football hooliganism have collapsed. These matters are now the subject of a full investigation and at this stage it would be improper to say anything, beyond what has been said in court, which might prejudice those investigations and pre-empt any decision that might have to be taken when the inquiries are complete.

  It is important to make it clear that the matters which came to light in those trials could not have been discovered during the normal course of the CPS review of the evidence submitted by the police. Once the issue of authenticity of documents had been raised, full and detailed examinations for authenticity were carried out and the Crown prosecution service acted promptly and professionally in discharging its duty.

  There has been consultation between the police and the CPS at the highest level on these matters and everything possible is being done to minimise the risk of cases collapsing for similar reasons in the future.

  "Spycatcher"
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 9 June to the hon. Member for Walsall, North, what additional total costs have been incurred but not yet discharged relating to the legal action on "Spycatcher".

  The Attorney-General
  The costs which have been incurred but not yet discharged, accounts not yet having been delivered, are legal costs for the hearing before the High Court of Australia, for the hearing before the Court of Appeal of New Zealand and for the hearings before Mr. Justice Scott and the Court of Appeal in this country. In addition, an order for costs has been made against Her Majesty's Government in Australia and New Zealand, and a similar order is under appeal in this country.

PRIME MINISTER

  Mr. Charles Powell
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister for how many civil servants in her private office Mr. Charles Powell is responsible; and what are the functions of those civil servants who report to Mr. Charles Powell.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the Economic Council the impact on consumers in the EEC of the level of food prices resulting from the operation of the common agricultural policy; and if she will make a statement.
  102
  The Prime Minister
  This point was raised by me during discussions at the last European Council. The whole question of agricultural support will be raised at the economic summit.

  Child Benefit
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) of 17 May,Official Report, column 798, if her commitment to maintain child benefit includes maintaining its value in real terms.

  The Prime Minister
  No. The level of child benefit is reviewed each year as part of the annual social security uprating exercise.

  Civil Service Procedures
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps she is taking to improve Civil Service procedures so that in future they can manage the Government data network; and whether she has plans to raise salaries to ensure that the Civil Service can attract the necessary skills.

  The Prime Minister
  The service to be provided by the Government data network is to be managed and provided by Racal Data Networks Ltd. I am satisfied that the Departments which join the network, and the Treasury, can make satisfactory arrangements for their responsibilities in relation to the operation and development of the GDN.

  Engagements
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.
  103
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 June.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, including one with the President of Malawi. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  School Governors
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects the next round of appointment of school governors to begin.

  Mr. Dunn
  The provisions of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 concerning the reconstitution of school governing bodies come into effect for county and maintained special schools from 1 September 1988 and for voluntary schools from 1 September 1989. Within that framework, it is for local education authorities to determine the most appropriate timing for holding governor elections and making appointments to the reconstituted governing bodies.

  Free School Meals
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in Tameside received free school meals in each of the last three years; what percentage of the school population they were; and what is the percentage for England and Wales.

  Mr. Dunn
  Statistics on the take-up of school meals in each of the local education authorities in England are available in the annual school meals census, reports on which are available in the Library. Information was not collected in 1985 because of teachers' industrial action.

  Matters relating to Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of children who have lost entitlement to free school meals in the area covered by the Bradford local education authority as a result of the Social Security Act 1986; what is his estimate of the number of these children whose parents will receive compensation through the family credit scheme; how many were previously receiving free school meals through the passport provided by family income supplement; and how many were receiving them under the local education authority discretionary scheme.

  Mr. Dunn
  In October 1987, the latest date for which data are available, about 3,281 pupils (or 4·4 per cent.) in Bradford received free school meals because their families were in receipt of family income supplement; a further 4,563 (or 6·2 per cent.) received them under the authority's discretionary scheme. From 11 April the families of those in the former category receive a cash benefit of £2·55 per week throughout the year under the new family credit scheme, which will also cover many in the latter category. Children from families in receipt of, or who are themselves in receipt of, income support (the successor to 104
  supplementary benefit) will continue to be eligible for free school meals. Nationally it is estimated that about 100,000 more school age children will benefit under the family credit scheme compared with those who previously received free school meals under family income supplement and local education authority discretionary schemes combined.

  Temporary Classrooms (Bradford)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the number of temporary classrooms in use in Bradford and the steps he intends to take to alleviate the situation.

  Mr. Dunn
  According to information supplied by the Bradford local education authority earlier this year, the authority maintains a total of 451 temporary units housing 567 classes.

  It is for the authority to consider any action that may be necessary in respect of this accommodation.

  Research Reactor (Grenoble)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy,Official Report, 18 May, column 455, on the ILL multilateral high flux test reactor in Grenoble (a) what has been the country of origin of the fuel for the reactor for each year since the United Kingdom joined the partnership, (b) what recent problems have arisen with the fuelling of the reactor and with what effects for the research programme and (c) what safeguards arrangements apply to nuclear fuel in the reactor.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is as follows.

  (a) All fuel material for the high flux beam reactor originates from the United States of America; fabrication of the material into fuel elements has been carried out either in France or in West Germany.

  (b) West German companies have been unable recently to fulfil their contracts to supply finished fuel elements to ILL, and the work has been transferred to alternative contractors in France. This change has not, however, led to loss of research time; the programme for ILL remains as planned.

  (c) The reactor is licensed under stringent French safety regulations, and is inspected regularly.

  Rugby League
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy, when approving the content of physical education courses at teacher training colleges, to require the inclusion of rugby league on the curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  No.

  Mathematics and Science
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn of 26 May,Official Report, column 238, if he will publish a table showing for each local education authority the amount of certified expenditure for which specific grant was claimed for 1985–86 and 1986–87 on (a)

  105
  in-service training of primary teachers of mathematics and (b)in-service training of secondary teachers of mathematics;

  (2) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn of 26 May, Official Report,column 238,if he will publish a table showing for each local education authority the amount of certified expenditure for which specific grant was claimed for 1985–86 and 1986–87 on (a)in-service training of primary teachers of science and (b)in-service training of secondary teachers of science.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  This information is not collected centrally as LEAs are not required to apportion their grant claims for in-service training between primary and secondary school teachers.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn of 26 May,Official Report, columns 236–37, if he will estimate the cost at 1988 prices, including the cost of supply cover, of providing in-service training of one term's full-time equivalent duration such that every primary school would then have at least one teacher with identifiable knowledge of mathematics beyond GCE O-level; and if he will state the assumptions made in arriving at such an estimate;

  (2) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn of 26 May, Official Report,columns 236–37,if he will estimate the cost at 1988 prices, including the cost of supply cover, of providing in-service training of one term's full-time equivalent duration such that every primary school would then have at least one teacher with identifiable knowledge of science beyond GCE O-level; and if he will state the assumptions made in arriving at such an estimate.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I do not accept the hon. Member's assumption that identifiable knowledge of a subject beyond a particular level is necessarily associated with any particular form of training provision.

  Link Project
  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about progress on the Link project.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government attach great importance to the Link initiative. I am pleased to be able to announce a new Link collaborative research programme in personal communications. The need for the programme is prompted by the convergence of telecommunications and radio technologies, which is generating a new industry of personal communications. The number of subscribers is increasing, with greater demand for accessibility both indoors and outdoors—whether stationary or mobile—and internationally. There is therefore a need to extend the range of services available and to integrate private mobile radio, cellular and satellite mobile systems. Much basic work needs to be done to achieve this. It will be a key technological development for the 1990s. This will be jointly funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Science and Engineering Research Council. £6·35 million will be available for a £13 million programme over three years initially, which will allow industry and academia to collaborate on the pre-competitive research necessary to develop a new, higher capacity, third generation personal communications system.
  106
  This is the eighth Link programme area to be announced, bringing the total planned expenditure by Government and industry up to £103 million. The Government will meet up to half of the cost of Link programmes.

  Departmental Offices (Darlington)
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to transfer any of his Department's work from its headquarters in London to the Darlington site.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that four areas of work are being transferred this year. This will result in the creation of 30 new jobs in Darlington, only two of which will be filled by staff transferring from London. This move will create additional employment in Darlington and will enrich the range of jobs available to staff on the Mowden hall site. There will be no redundancies in London as the existing staff will fill vacancies in headquarters. This transfer will save the Department an estimated £600,000 over the next 10 years representing a significant efficiency saving.

SCOTLAND

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage of(a) female and (b) male unemployment in 1985, 1986 and 1987 in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The annual average rate of female unemployment (the number of unemployed female claimants as a percentage of the estimated total female working population), and the annual average rate of male unemployment (the number of unemployed male claimants as a percentage of the estimated total male working population), for each of the years 1985, 1986 and 1987 in Scotland was as follows:

  Female Percentage

  Male Percentage

  1985

  10·7

  16·7

  1986

  11·0

  17·1

  1987

  10·1

  17·0

  Playgrounds
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children suffered accidents resulting in death or major injuries as the result of playing in playgrounds with concrete or tarmac surfaces for each year since 1975; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have playgrounds with concrete or tarmac surfaces.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Alex Pagett
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what, pursuant to his answer of 16 May,Official Report, column 343, was the purpose of the meeting in London between Mr. Alex Pagett and his special adviser.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My answer of 16 May to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North ( Mr. Wilson) made it clear that the purpose of Mr. Pagett's occasional visits to the Scottish Office in London was to liaise with Ministers and my special adviser.

  Conservative Party (Visits)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will enumerate and list the occasions since June 1987 on which employees or other officials of the Conservative party have visited his Department; and for what purpose.

  Mr. Rifkind
  No record is kept of the occasions on which officials of the Conservative party have visited my Department. Such visits are for the purposes of liaison with Ministers and my special adviser.

  Electricity Boards (Borrowing Powers)
  Mr. Leadbitter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what powers borrowing is currently undertaken by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the South of Scotland Electricity Board; what is their current outstanding debt; what claims on capital he expects over the next three years; and whether he plans to increase the boards' borrowing powers.

  Mr. Lang
  The powers under which the Scottish electricity boards may borrow are set out in section 27 of the Electricity (Scotland) Act 1979. Outstanding debt as at 3 June 1988 was £2,632 million. The boards' proposed expenditure on fixed assets over the next three years is as follows:

  £ million

  1988–89

  237

  1989–90

  210

  1990–91

  190

  The Electricity (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill, increasing the limit on the amount the boards may borrow from £2,700 million to £3,000 million, is currently before the House.

  Plant Variety Testing
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from small businesses or their representatives and farmers or farming organisations on the effects of the plant variety testing and seed certification review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Representations have been received from the United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association (Scottish Council) and the Scots Timothy Seed Growers' Association; the National Farmers' Union of Scotland has made its initial views known by means of a press release. These representations, and others received in response to the invitation to 108
  interested parties to comment on the report of the review, will be given careful consideration before decisions are taken by the Government on the report's recommendations.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration has been given to the effects in Scotland of the implementation of the conclusions of the review of plant variety testing and seed certification.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The report of the review of plant variety testing and seed certification systems has been made available to interested organisations with a request for comments to be submitted within a three month period ending on 15 July. After the end of the consultation period consideration will be given to the effects of implementing the report's recommendations in Scotland, and other relevant issues arising out of the report, in the light of the comments received.

  YTS
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people on YTS in Scotland are in receipt of assistance towards accommodation costs from the Manpower Services Commission.

  Mr. Lang
  This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost for the provision of assistance from the Manpower Services Commission towards accommodation costs for those on YTS in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  In the financial year 1987–88 a total of £1,553,353 was paid in living away from home allowance to YTS trainees in Scotland.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the criteria used by the Manpower Services Commission when making awards of assistance towards accommodation costs for persons on YTS in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  Lodging allowance is payable to those YTS trainees not covered by a contract of employment when:

  a. suitable training place is not available within daily travelling distance;

  b. travelling daily is less economic than lodging allowance; or

  c. travel time is excessive or prohibitive.

  Milk Quotas
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the reasons for the exclusion of dairy farmers in Cowal from the increase in milk quotas announced earlier in the current year for producers in remote areas in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The limited volume of reserve quota available for allocation at 1 April this year was distributed to producers in remote areas where reductions in milk supply had created particular structural difficulties for production, processing or manufacturing, where the milk produced was effectively island or land-locked and where the addition of small volumes of quota could achieve the greatest benefit. There was insufficient quota for a more widespread allocation to Cowal and other peripheral areas within the mainland quota regions.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Her Majesty's Government will introduce an amendment to the Local Government Finance Bill to grant an 80 per cent. reduction in community charge liability for all student nurses in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: The 80 per cent. reduction applies to persons undertaking a full-time course of education as defined by the criteria set out in regulations. Where courses undertaken by student nurses meet these criteria, as is likely to be the case for basic courses leading to registration following the implementation of the Project 2000 proposals for reforming nurse education and training, student nurses will qualify for the reduction.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider assisting local authorities to prepare programmes for the installation of fire detectors and alarms in houses and to give grants to tenants and home owners for the installation of fire detectors and alarms; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: Local authorities will wish to give serious consideration to the benefits to be obtained from the installation of fire detectors and alarms in houses. As far as their own housing stock is concerned, it is for authorities themselves to programme expenditure on such work within the resources which have been made available and in the light of their other priorities. Councils may include such programmes of work in their housing capital programmes and we shall take note of any such proposals in considering future levels of capital allocations.

  As far as the private sector is concerned, our consultation paper, "Private Housing Renewal: The Government's Proposals for Scotland", issued on 19 May, proposed a discretionary grant by local authorities which would cover such devices in houses in multiple occupation only. However, the Government would be prepared, dependent on the responses on this point, to consider extending this to all houses in the private sector.

  Forestry
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why the annual target rate for afforestation in Britain is set at 33,000 hectares; on what basis this figure is calculated; and for how long this target is projected to continue.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 8 June 1988]: In their forestry policy statement of 10 December 1980, the Government saw scope for new planting to continue at broadly the rate of the previous 25 years, which had averaged some 30,000 hectares a year. In his statement of 9 February 1987 on the rural economy, the then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling) indicated that the Government proposed an expansion of the new planting programme by the traditional forestry sector to 33,000 hectares a year, with encouragement being given to a higher proportion of
  110
  planting on low ground of better quality. This programme was confirmed by my right hon. and learned Friend on 16 March 1988, Official Report, columns 585–87 and will be reviewed from time to time.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he gives to the Forestry Commission regarding the expected rate of return on forestry investment from their plantations and from the grant-aided private sector; and whether he proposes to issue new guidelines in the light of the National Audit Office report on forestry objectives and achievements and in the light of his Budget changes.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]: The Forestry Commission is set a target rate of return of 3 per cent. in real terms on its forest estate assets. This target rate is reviewed periodically but there are at present no plans to change it. No target is set for private sector planning since the decision on whether or not to plant is a commercial one for each owner to take, although the Commission would withhold grant-aid for any planting proposals which were not silviculturally sound or eventually capable of producing a crop of utilisable timber.

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to direct the proposed Scottish Homes organisation to assist tenants with proceedings in cases of dispute with new landlords who have acquired public sector housing stock.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Clause 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill provides Scottish Homes with wide-ranging powers of assistance. My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present to direct Scottish Homes as to the use of those powers in relation to tenants involved in disputes with their landlords. We anticipate that Scottish Homes will use its discretion wisely in such circumstances.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make it his policy to direct the proposed Scottish Homes organisation to ensure that bodies which acquire public sector housing stock apply principles of rent setting which will keep rents within the reach of those in lower paid employment;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to direct the proposed Scottish Homes organisation to ensure that bodies other than housing associations which acquire public sector housing stock will offer the same or similar guarantees to their tenants as those offered by housing associations;

  (3) if he will make it his policy to direct the proposed Scottish Homes organisation to take effective steps to require bodies which acquire public sector housing stock to guarantee proper treatment for tenants; and if he will provide for sanctions to enforce such conditions;

  (4) if he will make it his policy to direct the proposed Scottish Homes organisation to ensure that bodies which acquire public sector housing stock allocate houses to let to those who need them most, including disadvantaged groups;

  (5) if he will make it his policy to direct the proposed Scottish Homes organisation to make approval of landlords seeking to acquire public sector housing stock conditional on undertakings given by such applicants;
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  (6) if he will make it his policy to direct the proposed Scottish Homes Organisation to take effective steps to require bodies which acquire public sector housing stock to retain such stock in the rented sector.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Where public sector tenants transfer to new landlords, Scottish Homes will be involved directly only where such transfers take place under the tenants' choice provisions in part III of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. Such transfers cannot proceed without the approval of the individual tenant who will wish to consider all aspects of the transfer and ensure that the transfer occurs only under conditions with which he is satisfied.

  Where local authorities seek to make large-scale transfers of their stock to private sector landlords, including housing associations or housing co-operatives, the approval of my right hon. and learned Friend, not of Scottish Homes, will be required.

  Scottish Homes' approval to landlords becoming receiving landlords for the purposes of tenants' choice will not be given lightly. As the hon. Member will recall from discussions during the Commons stages of the Bill, I have emphasised that Scottish Homes will be expected to ensure that landlords to which it gives approval are sound financially and have the management capability to provide a good service to tenants; and Scottish Homes will be expected also to monitor approved landlords' performance.

  Scottish Homes will also have to approve first subsequent disposals of property transferred under the tenants' choice provisions in the Bill. In exercising this approval power, Scottish Homes will again take into account such factors as the suitability and viability of the proposed new landlord, and tenants' views.

  No Scottish local authorities have as yet applied to my right hon. and learned Friend for approval to dispose of substantial proportions of their housing stock. However, he proposes later in the summer to issue guidelines on the general criteria which he expects to adopt in Scotland when considering applications for consent to any such disposals. As indicated in a letter of 8 June 1988 from the Scottish Development Department to chief executives of district and islands councils, the matters to which the Secretary of State may have regard in determining whether to give consent, and the conditions he may propose on consents, will include the extent to which the new landlord is independent of the disposing council, the extent to which the proposed disposal would result in the intending purchaser becoming the predominant or a substantial owner of housing to let in any area, the terms of the proposed disposal and any other matters which the Secretary of State considers relevant. In giving consent to a disposal, the Secretary of State may also give directions as to the purpose for which any receipt from the disposal is to be applied. I expect that the guidelines to be issued later on large scale disposals will be generally similar to those issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment last week, and will cover such matters as tenants' rights, allocation policies and rent levels, and the desirability of stock transferred continuing after a subsequent disposal to be available for renting at rents within the reach of those in lower-paid employment.

  Housing
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to develop the case for a wider concept of social housing in Scotland in the context of Her Majesty's Government's policies concerning such a concept for Britain as a whole.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The creation of wider choice is one of the main aims of the Government's housing policies. There are accordingly many aspects of current policy towards housing in Scotland which contribute towards that aim. In relation to the provision of housing for rent we have emphasised the need to develop alternatives to traditional patterns of renting from local authorities. These include tenant co-operatives and housing associations. In addition, a range of other landlords may emerge in response to the Government's extension of tenants' rights through the tenants' choice proposals contained in part III of the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

  My right hon. and learned Friend and I are furthering these developments through the Housing (Scotland) Bill, through increased funding for housing associations and co-operatives and through our general efforts to encourage diversity and choice.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to ensure that new owners of council housing under the provisions of the Housing (Scotland) Bill do not realise short-term profits through the use of these assets for purposes other than meeting urgent housing needs.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Under the tenants' choice provisions in part III of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, Iandlords will require Scottish Homes' approval before they can exercise the right conferred by that part to acquire a house from a public sector landlord. Scottish Homes will approve only reputable landlords under these powers. The approval of Scottish Homes will also be required to the first disposal of any property acquired by a landlord under the tenants' choice provisions. Scottish Homes will take into account all relevant information and local circumstances, including the local renting market, before deciding whether to approve such a disposal. These safeguards will effectively prevent abuses of the type suggested.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Companies (Research and Development)
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to require the annual accounts of companies to disclose expenditure on research and development.

  Mr. Maude
  As the Government's White Paper "Civil Research and Development" (Cm. 185 published in July 1987) made clear, we accept that there is a need to emphasise to shareholders arid managers the value of research development. It is for companies to ensure that their bankers and major shareholders understand the advantage of R and D. The reporting of R and D expenditure in annual accounts will promote this understanding. The case for disclosure is, however, mainly relevant to public companies. I therefore very much
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  welcome the decision of the Accounting Standards Committee to recommend a standard which would require such companies to disclose expenditure on R and D. Such a standard, if adopted by the accountancy bodies and complied with by public companies, would be preferable to legislation on this subject. I therefore hope that the ASC's recommendation will be acted on promptly.

  Single European Market
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what financial contribution from the European Economic Community his Department is receiving towards the cost of its advertising campaign to promote the single European market; and what proportion of the total cost is covered by such subsidies.

  Mr. Maude
  We are receiving no European Community funding for our single market campaign.

  NEDC/NDC (Government Contribution)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the Government contribution to NEDC/NDC for the financial years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89; and what staff numbers this contribution supported.

  Mr. Atkins
  The following table sets out the Government's contribution to the funding of the NEDC/NDC and this in part supported the staff numbers also detailed as follows:

  Government Contribution

  1 Staff

  £

  1986–87

  868,000

  25

  1987–88

  1,118,000

  30

  1988–89

  1,165,000

  47

  1 As at 31 March of the preceding financial year.

  English Estates North (Expenditure)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what sums were spent by English Estates North on new factory building in the financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88; what sum is projected for 1988–89; and how many square metres of additional factory space become available in each year.

  Mr. Atkins
  Expenditure by English Estates on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Rural Development Commission in the north-east and Cumbria in the last two financial years was as follows:

  1986–87

  Expenditure £19·1 million

  Floorspace completed 19,384 square metres

  1987–88

  Expenditure £25·0 million

  Floorspace completed 75,335 square metres

  Estimated figures for 1988–89 are as follows:

  Expenditure £18·0 million

  Floorspace completed 20,000 square metres

  Note.

  The bulk of expenditure for a particular project often falls in a different year from the one in which the project is completed. There is no direct correlation therefore, between the level of expenditure and the volume of floor space completed in a financial year.

  Insurance (EC Proposals)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the effects of the European Economic Commission proposals for the liberalisation of insurance services, in respect of(a) the separate proposals for the covering of mass and large risks and (b) the proposal for member states to prohibit an undertaking from calling upon its establishment in the country of the risk to carry out the provision of services in that same state.

  Mr. Maude
  We hope that the non-life insurance services directive, when it is implemented, will offer significant new opportunities for United Kingdom insurers in the European Community market. Because of the different regimes laid down in the directive for large and mass risks it is likely that most, if not all, of these opportunities will lie in the former area. Insurance companies will not be prohibited from carrying out business on a services basis in a member state where they already have an establishment where this business relates to large risks. Member states may impose restrictions in the case of mass risks where the local establishment of the undertaking is itself authorised to underwrite the class of risks in question.

  Company Searches
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what were(a) the costs and the revenue figures for public search facilities at the companies registration offices and (b) the costs and the revenue figures for services to companies for the six months periods from 1 July to 31 December for 1986 and 1987, and estimated for 1988, excluding those undertaken on behalf of Government and other public authorities.

  Mr. Maude
  Provisional figures for 1987–88, calculated on a memorandum trading account basis, show that costs of public search facilities at the companies registration offices were £8·1 million. Revenue amounted to £3·8 million. Information about services to companies or any other sector of users is not separately available.

  Radio Frequencies (Defence Use)
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has received the report from the independent committee reviewing defence use of the radio frequency spectrum.

  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry have received from Sir Kenneth Corfield, the chairman of the committee undertaking stage 1 of the review, the report dealing with defence use of the radio frequency spectrum from 470 MHz to 3400 MHz. Because of the nature of the evidence submitted, the report is confidential but in view of the public interest in the review, we intend to publish an abridged version shortly.

  The recommendations of the report will be carefully considered by the Government and the response will be made known as soon as possible.

  Insurance Intermediaries
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the regulation of general insurance intermediaries.

  Mr. Maude
  In March 1986, my predecessor undertook to promote talks among interested parties aimed at improving self-regulation of the sale of general (non-life) insurance. I am grateful to the various interested parties who participated in the talks.

  The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has today outlined proposed improvements in both its code of practice for the selling of general insurance by intermediaries other than registered brokers and in its procedures for monitoring enforcement of the code. The improvements involve, among other things, the disclosure to the consumer of an intermediary's status as the agent of the insurance companies or as the agent of the consumer; a requirement that independent intermediaries take out adequate professional indemnity insurance; and the provision to policyholders of information on the procedures for making complaints. The ABI will also establish two committees to monitor the self-regulating system, one an ABI committee to deal with day-to-day enforcement and the other a wider committee with an independent chairman and four other independent members to report annually on the system and to review its operation after three years.

  I warmly welcome these proposals. There are details still to be filled in, but when the system is in operation, I believe it will offer a substantial improvement in consumer protection. It will also bring the requirements placed on non-registered intermediaries closer to the existing requirements on registered brokers.

  It is up to the ABI to enforce its code effectively. It will need to show that, as well as being tough on paper, it is tough in practice. I shall be keeping the effectiveness of the system under close review. When the monitoring committee makes its report after three years, I shall be looking again at how the regulation of the selling of general insurance is operating.

  Barlow Clowes
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether his Department was warned by the National Association of Security Dealers and Investment Managers about possible illegal trading by the Barlow Clowes group of companies prior to issuing a securities licence to it; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when his Department first knew that Barlow Clowes was operating in a manner likely to give concern to investors;

  (3) whether his Department made any inquiry into the claims made by Barlow Clowes to investors that the income from funds invested in Gibraltar could be paid to them tax free.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State has today appointed Sir Godfray Le Quesne QC to carry out an investigation into the facts of his Department's handling of matters relating to the Barlow Clowes Group. He has the following terms of reference:"On behalf of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to investigate and establish the facts relating to the exercise by the Department of Trade and Industry since 1 January 1983 of
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  its regulatory functions in respect of the carrying on of investment business by Barlow Clowes & Partners (a partnership) and its successors, Barlow Clowes & Partners Limited and Barlow Clowes Gilt Managers Limited, and, if appropriate, by Barlow Clowes International Limited, with particular reference to the need for licences under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958, the granting and renewal of such licences and the monitoring of the activities of the licence holder; and to provide a report as soon as possible to the Secretary of State."

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Vehicle Testing (Waiting Times)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present approximate waiting time for an MoT test at(a) Downpatrick, (b) Newtownards and (c) Belfast; and what proposals he has to ensure that the waiting time does not vary between these three locations.

  Mr. Needham
  The waiting times for private car test appointments at Downpatrick, Newtownards and Belfast vehicle inspection centres on 3 June 1988 were five, eight and a half and eight weeks, respectively. These present extended waiting times reflect the demand in each of these locations and all three centres are working at maximum capacity. It is not possible to ensure similar waiting times at all centres when there are different levels of demand but measures have been taken, with the agreement of car owners, to divert tests to less busy centres.

  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 April and May, giving the number of persons involved and number of times each person was searched; 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(a) making a remand appearance at a trial, (b) attending trial, (c) inter-prison visit or (d) other reasons.

  Mr. Stanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  April

  May

  Number of searches.

  Total number of searches carried out

  18

  30

  Total number of inmates searched

  14

  22

  Number of prisoners searched once

  10

  14

  Number of prisoners searched twice

  4

  8

  Number of prisoners searched more than twice

  —

  —

  Reasons for search

  First admission on remand/awaiting trial

  3

  8

  First admission on sentence/final discharge

  15

  14

  Attending remand court

  —

  —

  Attending trial

  —

  —

  Inter-prison visits

  —

  2

  Pre-release home leave scheme

  —

  6

  Visits to outside hospital

  —

  —

  After a visit

  —

  —

DEFENCE

  Military Lands Act 1892
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 May, for what purposes the 17 byelaws made under the Military Lands Act 1892 were made in 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The purpose of all byelaws made under the Military Lands Act 1892 over land belonging to the Secretary of State for Defence is to regulate the use of that land for the purposes for which it is appropriated and for securing the public against danger arising from that use.

  Polaris
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communication with the Soviet authorities took place prior to the recent surface deployment together of three out of the four submarines in the United Kingdom's Polaris force, depicted on the cover of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988".

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  None.

  Plutonium (Exports)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the manpower implications of the use of members of the armed forces in assisting British Nuclear Fuels plc in the export of plutonium to Japan.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  There are no current plans for members of the armed forces to assist in the export of plutonium to Japan.

  Uranium and Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy in subsequent Defence Estimates to include details of requirements of(a) uranium for submarine propulsion, (b) uranium for tank protection armour, (c) uranium for anti-tank shells, (d) uranium for warhead production and (e) plutonium for warhead production in terms of quantities and planned sources of procurement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Nuclear Tests
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy in future defence Estimates to give details of planned(a) United Kingdom nuclear warhead tests and (b) United Kingdom-United States joint nuclear warhead tests at the Nevada test site.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  All tests of United Kingdom nuclear devices at the Nevada test site are conducted jointly by the United States and United Kingdom. It continues to be the policy of Her Majesty's Government not to announce these tests in advance.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans, and in what locations, exist for the test detonation of United Kingdom nuclear warheads in somewhere other than the continental United States in the event of legislation currently in Congress to halt United States nuclear testing being passed into United States law.
  118
  Mr. Sainsbury
  None.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, following the agreement between the United States of America and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the Moscow summit to give prior notification of their respective nuclear tests and yields, the United Kingdom will now adopt the same policy for its nuclear warhead tests in Nevada.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The hon. Gentleman is mistaken; the agreement for notification reached at the Moscow summit was in respect of flight tests of ballistic missiles, not nuclear tests.

  Trident
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on progress in the A-90 plutonium processing and fabrication facility at atomic weapons research establishment Aldermaston in support of the Trident warhead programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Members for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood) and Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms. Walley) on 26 April.

  Drigg Dump Site
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution has been made by his Department, towards the capping of the near-surface trenches of the Drigg dump site near Sellafield, containing wastes arising from nuclear processing for defence programmes.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Ministry of Defence, in common with all users of the Drigg depository, pays British Nuclear Fuels plc a charge per unit volume of waste deposited. These charges, which are a matter for commercial decision by BNFL, cover all aspects of site services.

  Nuclear Warheads
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley),Official Report, 24 May, column 181, what has been done with the nuclear materials contained in the more than 2,000 warheads removed unilaterally, to which he makes reference.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  All the 2,400 warheads removed from NATO's land-based nuclear stockpile in Europe since 1979 were wholly the property of the United States Government; the disposal of the nuclear materials contained in them is therefore a matter for the United States Government.

  Cruise Missiles
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wealden (Sir G. Johnson Smith),Official Report, 24 May, column 181, what is the basis for the statement that the Soviet Union is planning shortly to launch two types of sea-launched cruise missiles; and what protective measures are being taken against this launch.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  As paragraph 615 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988 explains, the Soviet Union is
  119
  developing a range of strategic cruise missiles for launch from ground, sea and air platforms. As part of this, the SS-N-21 submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile is now believed to be operational and the longer-range SS-NX-24 is at an advanced stage of development. For security reasons I am not able to comment on sources of information. We shall continue to maintain the minimum level and range of forces necessary to deter aggression of all kinds effectively.

  Nuclear Weapons (Accidents)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen),Official Report, 24 May, column 161, if he will give details of the date of entry into force and the lifetime of the arrangement covering the roles and responsibilities of the United Kingdom and United State authorities in the event of an accident on United Kingdom territory involving a United States nuclear weapon.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Arrangements covering the roles and responsibilities of the United Kingdom and United States authorities in the event of an accident involving a United States nuclear weapon have evolved over many years, by a process of continuous dialogue and review. The current arrangement was signed last year and is without time limit.

  Psychological Operations
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 May,Official Report,column 622, to the hon. Member for Brent, East concerning psychological operations, what has been his policy since 1982 towards holding courses on psychological warfare and psychological operations at the joint intelligence centre.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 6 May 1988 at column 622.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations have been received from 1971 to the current date from the British Institution of Professional Civil Servants as to information concerning psychological operations warfare principles and techniques.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: Correspondence from the Institution of Professional Civil Servants is not held centrally. I also refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 11 December 1987 at column 312.

  Army Information Services
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 May,Official Report, column 616, to the hon. Member for Brent, East concerning the Army information services, how many officials were interviewed about these matters.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman on that occasion.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the precise duties and responsibilities of the Army information services in Northern Ireland; and when they were last altered.
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  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: The role of the Army information services in Northern Ireland is to represent the Army (including the UDR, TA and Cadets) in Northern Ireland in all matters relating to publicity and the media.

  Clockwork Orange
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the reply of 6 May,Official Report, column 623, to the hon. Member for Brent, East, who initiated the project known as Clockwork Orange; and for what purpose.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: I understand that the term "Clockwork Orange" has been used to refer to certain allegations about illegal activities in Northern Ireland. I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 6 May 1988 at column 623.

  Low-level Flying
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations he has received from the West German authorities in 1988 requesting an increase in low-flying training flights over the United Kingdom by West German military aircraft;

  (2) what recent communications have been received from the Federal German authorities requesting his Department to examine the feasibility of ceasing Royal Air Force low-level training flights over the Federal Republic of Germany; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what restrictions he has asked the United States Air Force to impose on flights of its F-16 aircraft over the United Kingdom pending the outcome of investigations into the two recent United States Air Force F-16 crashes in West Germany.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 5 May 1988]: None.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reduction has taken place in the number of low-flying training sorties conducted by the Royal Air Force over the Federal Republic of Germany since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 5 May 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Rhondda (Mr. Rogers) on 7 June at columns 542–43. The reduction since 1984 is approximately 15 per cent.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Nuclear Safety
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any current plans to arrange the placing of a research contract with the European Proliferation Information Centre to make an independent evaluation of the present adequacy of nuclear safeguards in European Economic Community member states.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the
  121
  hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Official Report, 23 May, column 26, if he will make a statement on the official findings of the European Commission investigation into the transfer of nuclear materials within the European Community; and whether he is satisfied with the conclusions.

  Mr. Mellor
  The result of the European Commission investigation has not yet been published. However, I understand that it found no evidence of any breach of the safeguards regime and no serious irregularities in the shipment of radioactive waste. It has identified some management failures at the Belgian reprocessing plant at Mol involving the accounting and monitoring of radioactive waste. I am satisfied that the investigation as thorough.

  Signals Stations
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of the composite signals organisation station, Hawklaw.

  Mr. Mellor
  As GCHQ management has already made clear to the staff concerned, the station will close on 12 August, although most of the staff will in fact leave on 31 July. Dismantling work is likely to continue until the end of September.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his plans for the replacement of manned composite signals organisation stations by unmanned signal intelligence receiver installations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  It is not our practice to comment on matters relating to the security and intelligence services.

  Refugee Camp, Hong Kong
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about his recent visit to the Vietnamese refugee camp in Hong Kong.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  [pursuant to the reply, 9 June 1988, c. 655]: The recent sharp increase in the rate of arrivals in Hong Kong of boat people from Vietnam has been a matter of very great concern to the British and Hong Kong Governments. The number of Vietnamese boat people in camps in Hong Kong now stands at over 16,000, the highest level since 1980 and double the number last year. The flow of arrivals shows no sign of abating.

  The Hong Kong Government have acted with commendable efficiency to establish emergency facilities to accommodate the recent influx. But their resources are stretched to the limit. I visited these facilities at the end of last month. I came to the conclusion that the burden was becoming intolerable and that things could not go on as they were.

  The overwhelming majority of the new arrivals are ethnic Vietnamese. Most come from North Vietnam and have no family links outside Vietnam. They cannot be described as political refugees as defined by UNHCR. Their prospects for resettlement in the West are virtually non-existent. It was clear to me that Hong Kong could no longer offer itself to this stream of people as a transit point to a future that does not and cannot exist.
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  In view of the rapidly deteriorating situation, Her Majesty's Government have been considering urgently with the Hong Kong Government what should be done. The Hong Kong Government announced earlier today, with the endorsement of Her Majesty's Government, that with effect from 16 June a new policy will be introduced. From then on, the great majority of boat people arriving in Hong Kong will be detained as illegal immigrants, pending their eventual return to Vietnam. Only those few who can show that they are genuine refugees will be treated as such and will be accommodated in Hong Kong to await resettlement. All arrivals will be screened on the basis of UNHCR criteria, according to procedures which UNHCR will be able to monitor.

  In taking this decision we are sending the clearest possible signal to those in Vietnam who may have purely economic motives for contemplating unauthorised departure by sea. They must understand that this is a voyage that can only lead to detention in Hong Kong and ultimately to their return to their own country.

  Her Majesty's Government are pressing for arrangements with the Vietnamese authorities to enable those who are found not to be genuine refugees to be sent back to Vietnam under suitable guarantees about the treatment they will receive. In New York on 7 June I urged the Vietnamese Foreign Minister to take steps to reduce unauthorised departures and to take back those who have no prospect of resettlement elsewhere. I saw the Chinese and Soviet Foreign Ministers in New York and stressed the gravity of the problem of the boat people with both of them.

  This is not, of course, a complete solution. There is a limit to what can be done until economic policies, official attitudes and other circumstances change in Vietnam itself. We are now in touch with all the resettlement countries, UNHCR and the countries of the region about the change of policy and the way forward. We are impressing upon the international community the need for concerted action to deal with the problem at source and to find a lasting solution to this human tragedy. Her Majesty's Government will devote their unceasing efforts to this end.

EMPLOYMENT

  Southwark
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of job vacancies currently available in the London borough of Southwark.

  Mr. Lee
  On 8 April 1988, the latest available date, the number of unfilled vacancies at jobcentres covering an area closely corresponding to the London borough of Southwark was 574. Vacancies at jobcentres do not represent the total number of vacancies in the economy. Estimates suggest that nationally about a third of all vacancies are notified to jobcentres, but equivalent local estimates are not available.

  Skill Shortages
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he intends to take to ease skill shortages in the north-west.

  Mr. Cope
  Our training programmes support employer efforts to train to meet their growing skill needs. In
  123
  1987–88 in the north-west region the Training Commission spent over £170 million on training for over 110,000 people. From September the £1·5 billion employment training programme will provide training for up to 600,000 unemployed adults nationally. I hope that employers in the north-west will take full advantage of this major new opportunity to meet their demand for skills. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State also announced recently our intention to extend Government support to a second year of local employer networks, bringing total spending to over £5 million, to involve employers throughout the country including the north-west in local training provision.

  Trade Union Ballots
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to how many trade union ballots have been held under the Employment Act 1982; and what percentage were in favour, and what against.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service is aware of 124 closed shop ballots which have taken place, the majority of which have been held since the requirements of the Employment Act 1982 came into force. Seventy-eight per cent. of the ballots were in favour of the agreement, 18 per cent. were not in favour and in 4 per cent. of the ballots the results are unknown.

  Employment Training
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much has been allocated from the European social fund towards the cost of employment training on an annual basis; and what amount was requested by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Cope
  For 1987, the latest year for which figures are available, the European Commission allocated £435,562,257 from the European social fund to applications submitted by Her Majesty's Government for the United Kingdom for employment and training measures. This compares with a bid of £1,105,391,991 for these measures.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether unemployed claimants who leave the proposed employment training scheme before the end of their agreed training period and sign on again as unemployed will be referred to adjudication officers for assessment.

  Mr. Nicholls
  All those who make a fresh claim to benefit, including people who have left employment training without completing their action plan, are required to be available for work, and may be referred to an adjudication officer if their availability is in doubt. Leaving the programme early will not by itself be grounds for referral to an adjudication officer.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment under what circumstances those who leave the employment training scheme will be subject to benefit penalties for leaving the scheme without good reason.

  Mr. Nicholls
  People who leave employment training without completing their training will not be liable to benefit penalties for that reason alone.

  Equal Pay
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the answer of 7 June,Official Report, column 498, when he expects to have completed his consideration of the House of Lords decision in Hayward v Cammell Laird Shipbuilders, relating to equal pay for work of equal value, with a view to deciding whether further legislation is required.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I cannot make any predictions. Careful consideration needs to be given to all the potential effects of the decision.

  Wages Inspectors
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many (i) factory and (ii) wages inspectors were employed in Wales(a) in 1979 and (b) 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: On 1 June 1979 there were 33 factory and seven wages inspectors employed in Wales. On 1 June 1987, the numbers were 24 and three respectively. The Health and Safety Executive plans to increase factory inspector numbers nationally during 1988–89 and recruitment is currently underway. I consider the number of wages inspectors to be adequate.

  JTS Allowance
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing how many people dependent on supplementary benefit received the old job training scheme allowance; and what proportion of these had dependent children, broken down by the sex of the adult.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: The information requested is not available. Allowances of trainees on the "old" job training scheme are not related to benefit entitlement. Figures concerning the benefit position of trainees are not therefore gathered. As separate allowances are not paid for child dependants, no records are kept of the numbers of trainees with dependent children.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing(a) the latest figures of the number of people claiming the old job training scheme allowance, (b) how many of these had dependent children and (c) how many were lone parents, breaking each category down by the sex of the adult.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]: The number of people currently receiving the old job training scheme allowance is approximately 7,000. As separate allowances are not paid for child dependents, no records are kept of the numbers of trainees with dependent children or of the number who have the status of lone parents.

TRANSPORT

  East Coast Motorway
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the
  125
  construction of an east coast motorway, extending the M11 northwards to Newcastle; what studies have been undertaken by his Department to establish the feasibility of such a motorway; and what priority he attaches to achieving a new north-south road link.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We have received a number of representations about the provision of an east coast motorway. We have no plans for the construction of such a route nor have studies been undertaken into its feasibility. Our aim is to ensure that the trunk road network continues to meet current and future traffic needs. There is a large number of schemes in the programme for improving the existing routes.

  British Rail
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, when he next meets the chairman and board members of British Rail, he will seek clarification of the amendment of rule 1.14 of the British Rail rule book in so far as it relates to trade union rights and the freedom of employees to express views on safety and other matters in public; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  No. This is a management matter for the Railways Board.

  Heathrow (Passengers' Cameras)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for how long it has been necessary for outgoing passengers' cameras at Heathrow, which are not submitted for X-ray examination, to be emptied of film for manual inspection; why this requirement was imposed,; what information he has as to what other British airports and which other countries require this procedure; what international agreement has taken place on this procedure; and what discussions were held with(a) the National Union of Journalists and (b) the film industry before the requirement was imposed.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The United Kingdom aviation security programme, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State administers, has required for many years that security staff at United Kingdom airports must ensure that all items of passengers' hand luggage are either screened by X-ray machine or examined physically to the extent necessary to satisfy the staff that the article does not contain any weapons or explosive. This is entirely in accordance with the international aviation security standards drawn up by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. In some cases it may be necessary for the staff to open the film compartment of cameras in order to meet this requirement. The requirement is such a fundamental part of the aviation security programme that it is unlikely to be possible to relax it significantly in the near future. I am, however, prepared to consider any proposals which interested organisations might have for ways to reduce the likelihood of it being necessary for the security staff to open the film compartment in cameras in order to meet the requirement.

  Roads (Traffic Growth)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his forecast of annual traffic growth on(a) the national trunk road system and (b) motorways.
  126
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Forecasts are made for road traffic generally and for individual motorway and trunk road schemes where appropriate. The forecasts of growth in traffic on all roads were given to my hon. Friend in my answer of 11 May 1988 at column 160.

  Traffic Forecasts
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he estimates traffic levels to be by the year 2000; and what steps have been taken to ensure that the road system will absorb the additional growth.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave him on 11 May 1988 at columns 160–61.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the criteria on which traffic forecasts are based.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  National traffic forecasts are based on relationships between traffic and GDP, fuel prices and changes in people's behaviour over time. They are prepared on high and low assumptions about future growth in GDP and fuel prices, to reflect the uncertainty in these factors.

  Local traffic forecasts are prepared where necessary for use in the appraisal of specific schemes. They allow for expected local changes in car ownership, population and economic activity.

  Ferries (Stability)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ferries have had their stability recalculated as a result of his Department's safety review; and if he will list them by class and by age.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  My Department called for damage stability data relating to 62 United Kingdom registered ro/ro passenger ships built before 1980 to be provided not later than April this year. This information is now being analysed.

  Roads
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what ways he is considering of encouraging county councils to spend more money on roads; and if he will consider making grants directly to district councils, particularly to those cities which were county boroughs.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  If, having examined local highway authorities' 1988–89 maintenance budgets, we decide that measures are required beyond further exhortation we will be examining possible solutions with the local authority associations concerned. We have no plans to pay grant for road maintenance direct to non-metropolitan district councils.

  Roads and Footpaths
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to take action in relation to those county councils which do not allocate sufficient funds for the proper maintenance of highways and pavements.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We have frequently urged local highway authorities to spend up to the overall provision
  127
  for highway maintenance. We are currently examining their 1988–89 budgets to see whether further action is needed.

  The Audit Commission report on highway maintenance recommends that allocations from highway authorities to their agents should be based on an authoritywide assessment of need linked to overall policy. We are encouraging authorities to proceed on this basis.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider a review of agency arrangements, along the lines suggested by the Audit Commission, in order to assist district councils in the proper maintenance of roads and footpaths in their areas.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Audit Commission recommended that each highway authority and its agents should review their arrangements. We have made it clear that the Department fully support this. We shall be monitoring implementation in concert with the local authority associations.

  Highway Authorities
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the light of the differing priorities and needs of those shire counties which contain within their boundaries a large urban concentration or former county borough, he will review the policy of using counties as highway authorities, and districts as their agents.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No. The Audit Commission report on highway agency arrangements (September 1987) found that county councils are, in general, better placed than the vast majority of districts to exercise the full range of highways authority responsibilities. It recommended that the way forward was to place agency arrangements on a more systematic and businesslike footing. The arrangements made in particular cases can and should reflect the capabilities of individual district councils.

  Cyclists (Personal Stereo Equipment)
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide figures, for the most recent years for which they are available, showing the number of road accidents involving cyclists who were using personal stereo equipment at the time of the accident.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The STATS 19 accident report form used by the police does not record whether cyclists were using personal stereos.

  Plutonium Exports
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice was offered to British Nuclear Fuels plc with regard to which airport should be used from which to fly plutonium exports to Japan; and what matters were considered.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No such advice has been given. The decision will be for British Nuclear Fuels plc, whose arrangements will have to comply with the international regulations.

  Nuclear Materials
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what specific arrangements currently exist for 128
  the recovery of spent nuclear fuel casks and containers from the Channel following an accident and subsequent sinking of a cargo ferry carrying such radioactive assignment to or from United Kingdom ports.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The Department's marine pollution control unit maintains a national contingency plan for combatting pollution or threatened pollution arising from spillages at sea of oil or other hazardous substances following an accident.

  In any incident involving nuclear fuel casks and containers it would first be for the owners of the ship to consider commercial salvage of the vessel and its cargo. The marine pollution control unit would be closely involved in the establishment of any such salvage operation and would arrange for the provision of radioactive expertise and the monitoring of any consequential environmental hazards. Within United Kingdom territorial waters, the Secretary of State's statutory powers of intervention would, if necessary, be used to give directions to the owners of the vessel or to the salvors on the action to be taken to prevent pollution. If such directions proved inadequate, those powers could be used to allow direct action to be taken which could extend to taking control of the ship and recovering its cargo.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety arrangements exist for the extinguishing of fires on cross-Channel cargo ferries by emergency teams under severe storm or hurricane conditions.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  There are no special arrangements for use only in storm or hurricane conditions, and fires on cargo ferries would be dealt with in the same way, whatever the weather conditions. In cargo spaces the fixed fire extinguishing systems required by legislation would be used if emergency teams using hand-held equipment thought conditions to be hazardous.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to arrange a special emergency planning exercise to evaluate the capability of presently positioned safety and fire fighting teams to put out an extreme fire on board a cross-Channel cargo ferry carrying spent nuclear fuel to or from the United Kingdom, before the fire exceeds the fireproof package limits for the spent fuel casks; and if he will further invite his French and Belgian counterparts to co-operate on such an exercise.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  No. Adequate and well-rehearsed arrangements already exist to cope with maritime disasters, including fires on ships, and which are exercised on a regular basis. In the case of the Dover strait the contingency plan and exercises involve the appropriate French and Belgian authorities.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the seaworthiness and security of the SNCF-owned Channel cargo ferries, St. Germain, St. Eloi, Seaway and Seafreight Highway for the transport of spent nuclear fuel to Channel ports in the United Kingdom under international arrangements.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  There are no regulations either international or national which require ships carrying spent nuclear fuels to be specially constructed or equipped.
  129
  Regulations require that the cargo is shipped in containers designed and tested to meet the stringent standards laid down by the International Atomic Energy Agency. These containment standards apply to all modes of transport including rail, road, air and sea. Other regulations specify the number and location of packages containing radioactive material permitted on board ships.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if any instances have come to his attention of cross-Channel ferries carrying toxic or radioactive materials to or from the United Kingdom without the appropriate carriage certification.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  As far as toxic material is concerned, I know of one consignment in recent months as being incorrectly declared. This matter is being followed up.

  With regard to the transport of radioactive material, I am aware of no instances where such shipments have been made without the required certificates of approval.

  (i) Landing charges (from 1April 1988)

  Domestic and international (charge based on aircraft maximum total weight authorised)

  Glasgow

  Edinburgh

  Not exceeding 50 metric tonnes Over 50 metric tonnes

  £2·73 per metric tonne or part thereof £136·50 plus £5·45 per metric tonne or part thereof in excess of 50 metric tonnes

  £2·73 per metric tonne or part thereof £136·50 plus £5·45 per metric tonne or part thereof in excess of 50 metric tonnes

  Domestic and International

  Heathrow

  Gatwick

  (Charge based on aircraft maximum total weight authorised)

  1Peak

  Off-peak

  lPeak

  Shoulder

  Off-peak

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Helicopters

  25

  25

  25

  25

  25

  Fixed wing aircraft not exceeding 16 metric tonnes

  290

  50

  135

  60

  48

  Fixed wing aircraft over 16 metric tonnes but not exceeding 50 metric tonnes

  290

  100

  143

  75

  50

  Aircraft over 50 metric tonnes

  290

  175

  143+1·402

  75+1·302

  50+0·752

  1 Peak period for charge on landing

  Heathrow: 0700–0959 and 1700–1859 GMT, 1 April to 31 October.

  Gatwick:0600–1059 and 1700–1859 GMT, 1 April to 31 October.

  2 Per metric tonne or part thereof in excess of 50 metric tonnes.

  ii) Navigation Service Charges (from 1 April 1988) Charges based on maximum total weight authorised

  International

  Domestic

  First 100 tonnes

  Additional Tonnes

  First 100 tonnes

  Additional Tonnes

  Heathrow

  £1–40

  £0·60

  £1·18

  £0·49

  Gatwick

  £1·40

  £0·60

  £1·18

  £0·49

  Minimum Charge

  £10 per landing on international flights.

  £5 per other flights.

  Source: Civil Aviation (Navigation Services Charges) (Third Amendment) Regulations 1988 SI 1988 No 388.

  These charges are subject to detailed conditions set out in SI 1986/403 as amended by SI 1986/2170, 1987/269 and 1988/388.

  New Road Schemes
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a further statement on his Department's criteria for assessing the economic performance of new road schemes coming forward from 1988–89 onwards for(a) East Anglia and (b) Suffolk and Norfolk.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department's criteria for assessing the economic performance of all new trunk road schemes are based on the Department's computer system of cost benefit analysis, COBA9, which compares the costs of road schemes with the benefits to road users from time savings, reductions in the number and severity of accidents, and changes in vehicle operating costs.

  Airports (Fees)
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to (i) the landing fee, (ii) the navigation fee and (iii) passenger taxes for(a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Heathrow and (d) Gatwick airports.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The information my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has is as follows:

  Standard Charge

  Aerodrome

  International per tonne

  Domestic per tonne

  Glasgow

  £2·85

  £2·40

  Edinburgh

  £3·85

  £3·25

  131
  (iii) Passenger charges (from 1 April 1988)

  Charge payable per terminal departing passenger.

  Glasgow and Edinburgh

  Applies to all aircraft with a maximum authorised weight in excess of 2 metric tonnes.

  Domestic

  International

  £

  £

  Over 2 metric tonnes not exceeding 5 metric tonnes

  5·80

  7·80

  Over 5 metric tonnes, not exceeding 10 metric tonnes

  5·80

  8·50

  Over 10 metric tonnes

  6·05

  £8·50 off peak

  Glasgow

  1£10·50 peak

  Edinburgh

  19·75 peak

  Time periods for peak and off-peak passenger charges

  Peak

  Off-peak

  Heathrow Domestic

  1 April-31 October

  1 April-31 October

  Departures 0700–0829 GMT and 1830–1959 GMT (Monday to Friday only)

  All other times

  1 November-31 March

  1 November-31 March

  Departures 0800–0929 GMT and 1930–2059 GMT (Monday to Friday only)

  All other times

  International

  1 April-31 October

  1 April-31 October

  Departures 0900–1529 GMT

  All other times and 1 November-31 March

  Gatwick

  1 June-30 September

  1 June-30 September

  Departures 0001 GMT Thursday through to 2059 GMT Monday

  All other times and 1 October-31 May

  Source of (i) landing charges; and (iii) passenger charges: BAA Scottish Airports Ltd. and BAA Heathrow and Gatwick Airports Ltd. Condition of Use.

  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the level of landing and other charges at(a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh and (c) Gatwick airports.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Landing and related airport charges at these airports are matters for BAA plc subject to compliance with the United Kingdom's international obligations in respect of such charges. Navigation service charges at these airports are set at a level sufficient to recover the costs of the Civil Aviation Authority in providing the services, including an average rate of return of 7 per cent. on the relevant net assets, on a current cost basis.

  Car Registration E167 HLK
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to whom the car with registration number E167 HLK is registered.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]Information of this kind may by law only be provided to a law enforcement agency, or, on payment of the prescribed fee, to a person who can show reasonable cause for having it. I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Dartford Tunnel
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next proposes to meet the general manager of the Dartford tunnel joint committee; and if on that occasion he will discuss the case to escort tankers through the tunnel in view of the delay this occasions to other traffic.
  132
  1 Peak charges apply at Glasgow and Edinburgh to international air transport movements over 10 metric tonnes departing Friday to Sunday inclusive, 1 May to 30 September 1988.

  Heathrow and Gatwick

  (Applies to all aircraft operated with a maximum authorised weight in excess of 5 metric tonnes)

  Airport and time period

  Domestic

  International

  £

  £

  Heathrow

  Peak: 1 April-31 October

  5·50

  11·05

  Peak: 1 November-31 March

  5·00

  n/a

  Off-peak

  1·45

  1·45

  Gatwick

  Peak

  4·70

  9·52

  Off-peak

  1·45

  1·45

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [pursuant to his reply, 7 June 1988, c. 455–56]: The answer should have included the following end paragraph.
  "The need for escorting will continue in view of the large number of such vehicles which use the tunnels. The Health and Safety Executive supports this view. But the provision of a new bridge, which the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Bill would authorise, will further reduce delays from this cause to northbound traffic and eliminate them altogether for southbound traffic."

THE ARTS

  Theatres Trust
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what grant was given by his Department to the Theatres trust in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement concerning the future of the trust.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]: The figures of support from my Department are as follows:

  £s

  1983–84

  11,000

  1984–85

  11,000

  1985–86

  11,000

  1986–87

  5,000

  1987–88

  nil

  From April 1986 the Theatres trust has been in receipt of rental income from the freeholds of the Lyric and the Garrick theatres, which were vested in it following abolition of the GLC. It is my hope that using this and other income it will continue to be self-financing.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Brewery Tenancy Agreements
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is contemplating in view of the representations he has received from the National Licensed Victuallers Association regarding brewery tenancy agreements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement outlining the nature of the recent representations which he has received from the National Licensed Victuallers Association about the code of practice on tenants' security; and if he will indicate what action he is taking as a result of this approach.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The NLVA has expressed concern about the way in which some brewers have handled their tenancy agreements and has urged that the provisions of the Brewers Society's code of practice on tenants' security should be given legal effect in tenants' contracts. I am seeking the views of the Brewers Society.

  Dry Sow and Tether Stalls
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken over the past five years to reduce the proportion of pig farmers employing dry sow and tether stalls; and when he expects the use of such stalls to be extinguished.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The Government's welfare code for pigs, revised in 1983, strongly recommends the use of alternative systems to the dry sow and tether stall for the housing of sows and gilts. The Ministry, through the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service, has encouraged farmers to use alternative systems and has led the industry in developing and promoting the computerised loose housed feeding system. The Farm Animal Welfare Council has recently completed a review of pig production systems which makes a number of recommendations to ensure that future trends in housing the dry sow are away from the use of stalls and tethers. We are currently consulting interested parties on the report and no decisions will be taken until their comments have been fully considered.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government (Review)
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department anticipates the next review of local government structures will take place.

  Mr. Howard
  We have no current plans to initiate a review of the structure of local government.

  Crown Suppliers
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer of 18 May,Official Report, column 941, what progress has been made in assessing the role of the public interest in his proposals for the privatisation of the Crown Suppliers.
  134
  Mr. Chope
  I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 18 May at column 940.

  Sewage Discharges
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of water authorities' reports for 1987 detailing works which failed to comply with discharge consent conditions.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I am arranging for copies of the returns of the water authorities for those sewage treatment works which failed to comply with their discharge consent conditions in 1987 to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions his Department has had with Thames water authority about the allocation of extra funds to bring all the authority's sewage treatment works up to the current discharge consent standard; and what funds have been allocated as a result over each of the next five years.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Expenditure on sewage treatment works features in the Thames water authority corporate plan which the chairman is due to discuss with my noble Friend the Minister of State before the summer recess. The Department sets a ceiling on each authority's capital expenditure in aggregate for the year ahead but does not allocate amounts to particular functional programmes.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if it is his intention, under the provisions of clause 6 of the Local Government Finance Bill, to require local authority social workers to provide changes of their clients' addresses to community charge registration officers;

  (2) what use will be made of social service department records in building up community charge registers.

  Mr. Howard
  Community charges registration officers will be able to request information from their own or any other local authority for the purpose of carrying out their functions. It is intended that regulations under schedule 2 will limit the information to be supplied about individuals to names and addresses and the dates on or between which they were known to the local authority. The regulations will not permit source documents, or the reasons for an individual being known to a local authority, to be passed to a registration officer; nor will they empower local authorities to volunteer information without a specific request from a registration officer.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his Department"s policy towards the relative merits of a central dry store facility for nuclear waste as against small storage systems above ground at the sites where the nuclear waste is created.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend shall form a view of the relative merits of a central dry store facility for nuclear waste as opposed to small storage systems above ground where the nuclear waste is created when proposals are made in sufficient detail for assessment of their respective environmental implications.

  Housing
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that the process of tenant consultation required by the Housing Bill and described on pages 11 to 13 of his Department's paper "Tenants' Choice" will include(a) provision for a compulsory secret ballot, and (b) a ban on the offering of financial inducements and similar practices; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  The Government intend that regulations under clause 95 of the Housing Bill will provide for tenants to cast their votes in privacy by means including postal voting. Votes will be received and counted, and the outcome certified, by an independent teller paid for by the applicant. It will be necessary for votes cast to relate to identifiable tenancies because they will determine not only whether the transaction may proceed, but also which tenants have opted to remain tenants of their existing landlord.

  We shall ensure that the adoption by applicants of corrupt practices would be inconsistent with approved status under clause 87 of the Bill. Revocation of approval before the completion of the proposed statutory procedures would cause applications in train to fall.

  Floating Jetty, Coulport
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the awarding of a contract for the construction of a floating jetty at RNAD Coulport; if he will name the successful bidder and list all those companies which submitted tenders for the contract; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Property Services Agency plans to award a contract later this summer. On commercial grounds it is not the agency's policy to publish the names of tenderers while the tender evaluation is still in progress.

  Hampstead Heath
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will accept the London residuary body's recommendation to transfer ownership and management of Hampstead heath to the City of London.

  Mr. Chope
  We have considered very carefully the London residuary body's proposal. My right hon. Friend is disposed to accept the LRB's main recommendations but before proceeding with making an order to effect a transfer of Hampstead heath to the corporation of the City of London by April 1989, my Department has issued today a consultation letter inviting comments on what the contents of such an order should be. I have arranged for a copy of the consultation letter to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Housing Sites, East London
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if a consultant has been appointed to undertake the studies of potential housing sites in east London.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  On 20 April I announced that the Department was commissioning studies into the scope for 136
  housing development on five large areas in east London. The Department has selected Coopers and Lybrand Associates as the consultant for the study. The study will start shortly and will be completed within four months.

  Stratospheric Ozone Review Group (Report)
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the second report of the stratospheric ozone review group; and it' he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I expect the report to be ready for publication by August, but in view of widespread interest in protecting the ozone layer the group has agreed to release its executive summary in advance. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  The group, set up in 1935 by the Department of the Environment and the Meteorological Office, concludes that since its first report in August 1987 firm evidence has emerged of significant depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer as a result of man's activities. They say it is now virtually certain that the so-called Antarctic hole is caused by chlorofluorocarbons which are also implicated in ozone depletion over other parts of the globe, including the United Kingdom. The group gives clear warning that unless emissions are greatly reduced, and possibly phased out, more severe depletion of stratospheric ozone is likely to occur.

  The Government will be studying the report carefully as soon as it is available, but we are already taking very careful note of this summary, and in particular its warning about the need to strengthen the provisions of the Montreal protocol. I shall bring this to the attention of my fellow Environment Ministers at the meeting of the Council on 16 June. Our first priority, however, shared with our partners in the European Community, remains that of ensuring that the protocol enters into force on 1 January 1989, as planned, and with the widest possible participation. This will allow the protocol's own review procedures to be put into effect.

  Palace of Westminster (Microbiological Tests)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the results of all microbiological testing undertaken in the Palace of Westminster for t he presence of legionella bacteria in air conditioning and all other water facilities.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 9 June 1988]: No regular testing is undertaken specifically for legionella bacteria. Details of the microbiological testing carried out in the last 12 months were given in response to the hon. Member's question of 7 June at column 740.

  Storm Damage
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what expenditure has now been incurred or sanctioned by his Department for each local authority concerned on damage repairs and environmental resuscitation following the hurricane of 15 October 1987; how much of this is financed by(a) the National Exchequer, (b) local authorities themselves; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]: The Department has agreed to pay 75 per cent. of the amount

  137
  by which a local authority's eligible expenditure under the special financial assistance scheme announced on 21 October 1987 exceeds the specified threshold for the authority. Such thresholds are calculated for each authority by reference to penny rate products. The amounts shown in the following list have been derived from the initial, unaudited claims submitted by local authorities, and may be subject to revision on receipt of final, audited claims. The first column of figures shows the total amount of expenditure, net of receipts, that the Department has provisionally accepted as eligible under the scheme. The second column lists the threshold

  Total eligible expenditure net of receipts

  Threshold

  Eligible expenditure attracting grant

  £

  £

  £

  Non metropolitan counties

  East Sussex

  3,400,000

  1,041,000

  2,359,000

  Essex

  2,598,000

  2,458,000

  140,000

  Isle of Wight

  170,000

  145,000

  25,000

  Kent

  6,981,000

  1,997,000

  4,984,000

  Suffolk

  921,000

  850,000

  71,000

  Surrey

  5,770,000

  1,872,000

  3,898,000

  West Sussex

  6,728,000

  1,087,000

  5,641,000

  London boroughs

  Barking and Dagenham

  766,000

  262,000

  504,000

  Bexley

  834,000

  319,000

  515,000

  Bromley

  1,805,000

  518,000

  1,287,000

  Greenwich

  460,000

  175,000

  285,000

  Hackney

  576,000

  227,000

  349,000

  Lewisham

  394,000

  189,000

  205,000

  Merton

  639,000

  309,000

  330,000

  Sutton

  738,000

  297,000

  441,000

  Tower Hamlets

  729,900

  280,500

  449,400

  Wandsworth

  596,000

  242,000

  354,000

  Non metropolitan districts

  Adur

  235,000

  13,000

  222,000

  Arun

  91,000

  26,000

  65,000

  Ashford

  259,000

  18,000

  241,000

  Babergh

  86,000

  15,000

  71,000

  Basildon

  91,000

  39,000

  52,000

  Basingstoke and Deane

  78,000

  34,000

  44,000

  Bournemouth

  40,000

  38,000

  2,000

  Bracknell

  74,000

  24,000

  50,000

  Braintree

  175,000

  24,000

  151,000

  Brentwood

  332,000

  20,000

  312,000

  Non metropolitan districts

  Brighton

  302,000

  38,000

  264,000

  Broxbourne

  46,000

  19,000

  27,000

  Canterbury

  310,457

  23,325

  287,457

  Castlepoint

  66,000

  18,000

  48,000

  Chelmsford

  80,000

  39,000

  41,000

  Christchurch

  121,000

  10,000

  111,000

  Colchester

  56,000

  30,000

  26,000

  Dover

  57,000

  18,000

  39,000

  Eastbourne

  174,000

  21,000

  153,000

  East Hampshire

  38,300

  20,000

  18,300

  East Hertfordshire

  39,000

  27,000

  12,000

  Eastleigh

  55,900

  23,500

  32,400

  Elmbridge

  347,000

  35,000

  312,000

  Epsom and Ewell

  50,000

  18,000

  32,000

  Fareham

  92,000

  21,000

  71,000

  Forest Heath

  25,000

  10,000

  15,000

  Gillingham

  44,875

  16,650

  28,225

  Gosport

  153,000

  15,000

  138,000

  Gravesham

  96,000

  19,000

  77,000

  Great Yarmouth

  35,000

  18,000

  17,000

  Harlow

  24,000

  21,000

  3,000

  Hastings

  433,000

  15,000

  418,000

  Havant

  38,000

  25,000

  13,000

  Hertsmere

  62,000

  24,000

  38,000

  Horsham

  200,000

  23,000

  177,000

  Hove

  164,000

  23,000

  141,000

  138
  amounts, which have been applied by the Department. The 75 per cent. Exchequer grant applies to what is left after deducting eligible expenditure up to the threshold (in the second column of figures) from the total eligible expenditure (in the first column), and the third column of figures lists for each authority the amount to which the grant applies. The amount to be paid by the Department is therefore 75 per cent. of the amounts in the third column of figures. Three other local authorities, Hammersmith and Fulham, Waltham Forest, Welwyn and Hatfield, have submitted claims which at 13 June were still being checked by the Department.
  139

  Total eligible expenditure net of receipts

  Threshold

  Eligible expenditure attracting grant

  £

  £

  £

  Ipswich

  278,000

  29,000

  249,000

  Lewes

  70,500

  19,000

  51,500

  Maidstone

  247,000

  27,000

  220,000

  Medina

  59,096

  12,630

  46,466

  Mid Suffolk

  26,000

  13,000

  13,000

  Mid Sussex

  489,000

  27,000

  462,000

  Mole Valley

  97,000

  19,000

  78,000

  New Forest

  58,000

  37,000

  21,000

  North Hertfordshire

  47,000

  29,000

  18,000

  Norwich

  178,000

  34,000

  144,000

  Poole

  69,000

  32,000

  37,000

  Portsmouth

  136,000

  41,000

  95,000

  Reigate and Banstead

  76,000

  30,000

  46,000

  Rochford

  71,134

  16,050

  55,084

  Rother

  47,000

  18,000

  29,000

  Non metropolitan districts

  Rushmoor

  31,777

  19,000

  12,777

  Sevenoaks

  478,000

  21,000

  457,000

  Shepway

  233,250

  20,920

  212,330

  Southend

  454,000

  41,000

  413,000

  South Wight

  273,000

  9,000

  264,000

  Spelthorne

  42,000

  34,000

  8,000

  Stevenage

  38.000

  21,000

  17,000

  Suffolk Coastal

  49,000

  23,000

  26,000

  Swale

  246,000

  19,000

  227,000

  Tand ridge

  382,000

  16,000

  366,000

  Tendring

  27,695

  24,000

  3,695

  Thanet

  286,000

  23,000

  263,000

  Thurrock

  93,000

  41,000

  52,000

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  49,000

  21,000

  28,000

  Tunbridge Wells

  353,000

  19,200

  333,900

  Waveney

  24,000

  19,000

  5,000

  Waverley

  78,000

  27,000

  51,000

  Wealden

  92,000

  23,000

  69,000

  Woking

  43,000

  25,000

  18,000

  Worthing

  196,000

  22,000

  174,000

  "The Way Forward"Toxic Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations were received by Nirex, following the issue of the discussion document "The Way Forward," by 31 May; and if he will list all institutional responders in the Official Report.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I understand that Nirex has received about 2,500 responses to the discussion document "The Way Forward". Details of the responders are a matter for Nirex, but this information will be contained in a report on the consultation exercise to be published by the university of East Anglia.

  Radiochemical Inspectorate
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he plans to take to evaluate the importance for environmental health of the consignments of missing radioactive materials reported in the most recent annual report of the radiochemical inspectorate.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The importance for environmental health of the consignments of radioactive material whose loss was reported in the recent annual report of Her Majesty's radiochemical inspectorate was evaluated at the time the losses were reported to the inspectorate. In each case it was concluded that there would be no danger to any member of the public who might come into contact with any of the lost consignments.

  Toxic Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy, at the next European Council of Environmental Ministers, to raise the export of toxic and radioactive wastes from the European Economic Community to Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Benin for disposal, by companies including Hobday Ltd. of the Isle of Man, BIS Import-Export of London and Inter-Contrat.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The question of exports of toxic waste to Third world countries appears on the agenda for the meeting of the EC Environment Council later this week.

  Drigg Dump Site
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the radioactive wastes by radioactivity content, currently buried at the Drigg dump site near Sellafield, arises from contracts made with foreign companies or Governments.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Less than half of 1 per cent. of the radioactive waste currently disposed of at the Drigg site is estimated to have arisen from contracts made with foreign companies or Governments.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his replies to the hon. Mernber for Meirionnydd Nant Conway,Official Report, 20 May,

  141
  columns 603–4, what nuclear materials in what bequerel measurements, respectively, account for the 470 terabe-querel total disposed of at the Drigg dump near Sellafield.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The principal radionuclides comprising the 470 terabecquerels total activity currently disposed of at the Drigg disposal site are as follows:

  Radionuclide

  Total activity in TBq at 1 January 1986

  Tritium

  410

  Carbon 14

  2·6

  Strontium 90

  1·5

  Technetium 99

  9·7 × 10-5

  Iodine 129

  l·9 × 10-7

  Caesium 137

  1·8

  Radium 226

  10 -2

  Thorium 232

  3·4

  Uranium 234

  17

  Uranium 235

  0·56

  Uranium 238

  18

  Neptunium 237

  8 × 10-2

  Plutonium 238

  1·8 × 10-2

  Plutonium 239

  1

  Plutonium 240

  0·6

  Plutonium 241

  11

  Americium 241

  1·1

  American Waste
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to whether the American waste proposed to be dumped in the United Kingdom will include hospital waste or clinical waste.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 June at column 684.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to whether the American waste proposed to be dumped in the United Kingdom will include polychlorinated biphenyls.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I understand that the export of polychlorinated biphenyls is prohibited by United States law.

  >Pollution
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to take full account at the meeting of the Environment Council on 16 June of any findings and recommendations of the House of Commons Select Committee on the Environment with respect to(a) chlorofluorocarbons and ozone layer depletion, (b) large combustion plant emissions, (c) small car emissions and (d) acid deposition.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Government will be carefully studying the Select Committee's report with a view to making a response in due course. At the Environment Council on 16 June my noble Friend the Minister of State will take note of the Committee's recommendations and of the views of the House when the debate is held on the proposed directive on large combustion plants.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Incomes
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average post-tax income now received by the wealthiest 2 per cent. of taxpayers.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The average post-tax income in 1988–89 of the top 2 per cent. of income tax payers is expected to be about £46,000.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average share of post-tax income now received by the wealthiest 1 per cent. of taxpayers.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The top 1 per cent. of income tax payers receive about 5 per cent. of income tax payers' total income after tax in 1988–89.

  Commercial Buildings (Depreciation Allowance)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the gain to the revenue in a full year from abolishing the depreciation allowance on commercial buildings other than factories.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Capital allowances for commercial buildings (excluding industrial buildings) are available only for hotels and all buildings in enterprise zones. The Exchequer gain from abolishing capital allowances for new hotel building work would be less than £5 million in the first year rising to around £20 million after five years. Gains in later years would depend upon future levels of investment. No figures are available for commercial buildings in enterprise zones.

  >Property Tax
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the yield to the Revenue in a full year of a property tax equal to 1 per cent. of the current value of all land and buildings; and if he can provide separate estimates for residential, commercial and industrial property.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The national balance sheet estimates of the current value of all land and buildings at the end of 1986 was some £1,050 billion, 1 per cent. of which amounts to £10·5 billion. Corresponding figures for residential, commercial and industrial property are respectively £6·9 billion, £1·9 billion and £0·3 billion. The figures include property owned by central and local government.

  >Remuneration and Benefits in Kind
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the gain to the Revenue in a full year from adding the whole cost of remuneration and benefits in kind to the income of the recipient for tax purposes;

  (2) what is his estimate of the gain to the Revenue in a full year from disallowing all remuneration and benefits in kind as an expense against tax.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The taxable value of cars and free fuel provided for private use by an employer is calculated
  143
  by reference to a set of scale charges. Beneficial loans are valued by reference to the difference between the official rate of interest (which broadly reflects commercial rates) and the actual rate of interest paid; accommodation provided by an employer is taxed by reference to the annual value of the accommodation, less any rent paid. Information on the cost to the employer of providing the four benefits listed is not available centrally to the Inland Revenue.

  The taxable value of other remuneration in kind received by directors and higher paid employees is already determined by reference to the cost to the employer.

  Estimates of the revenue effect of either taxing all remuneration in kind by reference to the cost to the employer or disallowing all of these costs in the computation of the employers' taxable profits are therefore not available.

  Family Taxation
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average tax burden on a married couple with two children under 16 years in 1978–79; and what it will be in 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Between 1978–79 and 1988–89 the real take home pay of a couple with two children (one under 11, one 11 to 15) on average male earnings will have risen by 27 per cent. In the same period, the proportion of their earnings taken in income tax (net of child benefit) and NIC is estimated to have fallen from 20·6 per cent. to 20 per cent. If the 1978–79 tax regime had been kept in place and simply adjusted for inflation, the proportion of earnings taken in income tax and NIC taxes would have been 23·7 per cent.

  Hereditament Maps
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide copies of hereditament maps sent from provincial offices to the Public Record Office at Kew, London, to those provincial offices that require them.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The Valuation Office has made arrangements for copies of the hereditament maps to be available to those of their provincial offices which have a proven operational need; the Public Record Office does of course have facilities available for local record offices and members of the public who wish to purchase copies, subject to the normal scale of charges.

  >Gilt Edged Securities
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total net issue of gilt edged securities in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Lilley
  The total issue of gilt edged securities, net of redemptions, in the financial year 1987–88 was £7,120 million.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, in the light of the fact that the public sector generated a financial surplus, it was necessary to make a net issue of gilt edged securities in 1987–88.

  Mr. Lilley
  The aim of the Government's funding policy in 1987–88 was to fund the PSBR and any net 144
  change in official reserves of foreign currency full over the financial year as a whole, by sales of gilt edged securities to the non-bank private sector and the overseas sector.

  In the financial year 1987–88 the Government generated a public sector debt repayment of £3·5 billion. However, there was a net increase in official reserves of foreign currency of approximately £11·1 billion. After allowing for other forms of funding, £7·1 billion net gilt sales were required to achieve a full fund.

  VAT
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects to hear from the European Court about its decision on the case initiated by the Commission on the application of value added tax to gas, electricity, water, sewerage and on new commercial and industrial buildings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]The European Court of Justice has recently announced that it will deliver its judgment on 21 June.

  EC (Budget Contributions)
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a statement on that part of the agreement arising from the Brussels Council of 11 to 13 February which has led to an increase in the future United Kingdom net budget contribution of £200 million to £300 million per annum; and if he will set out the benefits arising to the United Kingdom from this additional expenditure.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 13 June 1988] The increase in our net contribution results mainly from the decision on Community expenditure and own resources taken at the European Council. The benefits of the Brussels package were outlined by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in her statement on 15 February at columns 705–707.

  >Civil Service (Value for Money)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition of value for money is applied within the Civil Service; and whether there are any tests or procedures for its evaluation.

  Mr. Major
  [holding answer 13 June 1988]The recent guide to policy evaluation which was published on 12 April 1988 and a copy of which was placed in the Library described value for money as:
  "Ultimately the final social and economic benefit of a policy in relation to the cost. Sometimes used as shorthand for the optimum combination of economy, effectiveness and efficiency."
  Given the variety of activities with which the Civil Service is concerned and the difficulties in a number of areas of valuing final output, there is no single test or procedure for evaluating value for money. But such tests would include the extent to which the effectiveness of the programme has been enhanced without additional resources or, alternatively, the extent to which effectiveness has been maintained with fewer resources through increased efficiency and improved economy. Volume I of the last public expenditure White Paper included a broad description of the measures being taken to improve value for money. Examples of value for money are given in the programme chapters in volume II.

  Mortgage Interest
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of mortgage interest relief for 1987–88, divided by ranges of total income and showing(a)the number of each band receiving mortgage relief,(b)the average value of relief per mortgagor, (c)the total cost of relief, (d)the percentage of total cost and (e)the total number of taxpayers in each case.

  Tax units receiving mortgage interest relief by range of total income

  1987–88

  Range of total income

  Number of tax units1 with mortgage interest relief2

  Average value of relief per mortgagor

  Total cost of relief

  Percentage of total cost

  Number of tax units1 paying tax

  (thousands)

  (£)

  (£ million)

  (per cent.)

  (thousands)

  Up to £5,000

  720

  370

  270

  5·6

  3,200

  £5,000 to £10,000

  1,620

  460

  740

  15·3

  7,400

  £10,000 to £15,000

  2,500

  550

  1,370

  28·2

  4,800

  £15,000 to £20,000

  1,770

  580

  1,030

  21·2

  2,600

  £20,000 to £25,000

  860

  580

  500

  10·3

  1,300

  £25,000 to £30,000

  410

  780

  320

  6·6

  550

  Over £30,000

  520

  1,190

  620

  12·8

  750

  TOTAL

  8,400

  580

  4,850

  100·0

  20,600

  1 Single persons and married couples.

  2 Including about ½ million non-taxpaying tax units.

  Forestry

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate(a) the amount of tax relief which will be claimed against forestry operations and (b) the area of land involved in these claims, under the interim arrangements for tax relief on forestry operations announced in his Budget statement in the current year.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide an estimate of the annual cost to the Exchequer of the revenue forgone as a result of the transitional provisions for tax relief to occupiers of commercial woodlands and those who became occupiers as a result of commitments entered into applications for grants received by the Forestry Commission before 15 March.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]Income and corporation tax relief in respect of commercial woodlands was estimated at some £10 million a year at the rates of personal income tax applying before the Budget. Under the proposals announced in my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget the relief is being phased out, and the cost will therefore reduce year by year at a rate which will depend on the extent to which the new planting grants are taken up. It is not possible to estimate the area of land which may be involved.

  >Income Tax Evasion
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total loss of revenue from income tax evasion in each of the last five years, to date; what specific action he is taking to reduce the loss of revenue from income tax evasion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]It is not possible to form a reliable estimate of revenue lost through tax evasion.

  Since 1979 there has been a steady increase in the resources devoted by the Inland Revenue to investigations.
  146
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]Provisional estimates are given in the table. These are based on projections to 1987–88 of information in the 1985–86 survey of personal incomes and the 1985 family expenditure survey. The estimates include mortgages formerly under the option mortgage scheme which are now subsumed within MIRAS.

  This is reflected in the increase in the yield from compliance work over the periodfrom £111 million in the year to 31 October 1979 to £741 million in the year to 31 March 1987.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals, in each of the last five years to date, have been charged with offences related to the non-payment or under-payment of income tax; how many such individuals have been prosecuted for such offences; what was the minimum, average and maximum loss of revenue where prosecution took place; how many individuals, found guilty of tax offences, were fined or sentenced to a term of imprisonment; and what was the minimum, average and maximum fine and term of imprisonment.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]The charge is an integral part of the summons or warrant, which is in turn a part of the prosecution process. It follows that the number of people charged and the number of people prosecuted are the same. However, for various reasons, some prosecutions do not run their full course.

  The number of people prosecuted to trial stage for offences related to tax evasion are as follows (prosecutions not completed are shown in brackets):

  Number

  1983–84

  159(17)

  1984–85

  238 (14)

  1985–86

  320 (9)

  1986–87

  325 (8)

  1987–88

  210 (2)

  The other information requested could not be provided except at disproportionate cost. But over the period the amounts of tax at stake varied from £90 to £1·7 million; fines ranged from £50 to £60,000; and sentences of actual imprisonment (ignoring suspended sentences) ranged from 1 day to 8 years.
  147
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much revenue has been forgone by the Treasury due to tax evasion for each year since 1979, in cash and real terms, at 1987–88 prices.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 9 June 1988]It is not possible to form a reliable estimate of revenue lost through tax evasion.

  Inland Revenue (Staffing)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from Inland Revenue staff representatives about staffing levels; in what grades of staff current staff numbers are below establishment; what is the current backlog in routine inspection work; and how many staff are engaged in investigating suspected tax evasion and frauds.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]I have received no such representations recently, but staff representatives are in regular contact with senior management in the Inland Revenue on a wide variety of issues, including staffing levels. The numbers of staff in post in tax offices are generally in line with authorised numbers, but there are particular staff shortfalls at some grades of the tax inspectorate. I am not quite sure what the hon. Member means by "routine inspection work"; but the state of work in tax offices at April 1988 was generally good. In particular, the number of items of post awaiting attention for more than 14 days was at its lowest level for very many years. The Revenue currently employs some 2,600 staff on investigation work in local tax offices and specialist units.

  Personal Sector (Financial Deficit)
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the financial deficit of the personal sector for each year since 1979 in constant and cash terms both in total and per household.

  Mr. Major
  [holding answer 10 June 1988]Estimates of the personal sector financial surplus/deficit at current prices are published in table 1·10 of "Financial Statistics", a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. No estimates are available on a constant price basis. No comparable figures are available for the number of United Kingdom households.

  Security Firms (Tenders)
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what criteria it was decided to invite security firms with long-standing contracts with the Inland Revenue in Northern Ireland to tender, following the Inland Revenue's decision to bring all sites in Northern Ireland subject to private guarding under one contract; and on what basis it was decided not to invite certain such firms to tender for the contract.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 9 June 1988]There were two main criteria for selecting firms to tender for the Inland Revenue guarding contracts. First, the firms had to have the capacity to provide and maintain security guarding at all the Revenue offices where this was required throughout Northern Ireland, including back-up and support facilities. Second, the firms had to be members of the British Security Industry Association or operate to a standard equivalent to that set by the association.

  Taxation
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give for each region of the United Kingdom the tax payable in 1988–89 at the 1987–88 rates above 40 per cent. and the reduction in tax payable in a full year that will result from the top rate tax reductions;

  (2) if he will give for each region of the United Kingdom the gain per tax unit and per household from the income tax measures announced in the Budget;

  (3) if he will give for each region of Britain his estimate of the additional spending power that will be available in the region as a result of income tax cuts announced in the Budget.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answers 7 June 1988]. Estimates of the direct revenue effect of the changes in income tax announced in the 1988 Budget are given in table 4·1 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1988–89". I regret that separate estimates for each region of the United Kingdom are not available. The latest information available by region relates to 1985–86. Estimates of the income tax liabilities of (a) all taxpayers and (b) higher rate taxpayers in each region were given in my reply to the hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) on 23 May 1988, at columns 54–56, and estimates of the numbers of taxpayers in each region by their marginal tax rate were given in my reply to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones) on 27 May 1988, at columns 373–74.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Cervical Cancer
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an estimate of the cost of cervical cancer screening in the north-west in 1988, and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  Cervical cancer screening is often carried out in conjunction with other health care services for women. It is not therefore possible to identify separately the precise cost of the screening programme in individual regions. We do however know that in 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, about 400,000 smears were taken within the North Western RHA. The estimated national average cost of about £10 for taking arid examining individual smears would point to expenditure in the region of the order of £4 million for that year.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what his Department is doing to assist Leicestershire district health authority in dealing with the delays in processing cervical cancer screening tests.

  Mrs. Currie
  The DHSS circular on cervical cancer screening, a copy of which is in the Library, states that laboratories must aim to send the results of a smear to the doctor who submitted it within a maximum of one month of receiving it. It is for the district health authorities to take action to achieve this. This Department monitors the position and we are aware that Leicestershire district health authority has recruited additional staff and that screeners are working overtime. The processing time has been reduced from eight weeks at 1 April to four weeks at 23 May.
  149
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the cervical cancer screening programme.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the cervical cancer screening programme.

  Mrs. Currie
  I refer my hon. Friends to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) earlier today.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has recieved concerning the operation of the social fund.

  Mr. Portillo
  Since 11 April some 200 letters referring to the new provisions have been received.

  NHS (Expenditure)
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the percentage of the gross domestic product which was spent on the National Health Service in 1987.

  Mr. Newton
  No estimate for 1987 is yet possible. The latest published estimates for 1986 is that gross expenditure on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom accounted for 5·5 per cent. of the gross domestic product, compared with 4·8 per cent. in 1979.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of housing claimants who are likely still to be losers after transitional protection payments are made.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of housing benefit claimants who are likely still to be losers after transitional protection payments are made.

  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of housing benefit claimants who are likely still to be losers after transitional protection payments are made.

  Mr. Portillo
  We estimate that in cash terms, about one half of all housing benefit recipients either gained or saw no change in their entitlement to that benefit after April. Many of those who have lost will now be getting more in other benefits. The transitional payments scheme will help the position of many who have lost significant amounts.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he now proposes to make any further changes in the housing benefit scheme.

  Mr. Scott
  I have nothing to add to the announcements made during the debate on 27 April and the subsequent written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) on 5 May at columns 550–51.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information is available on the impact of the new housing benefit rules on students living away from home.
  150
  Mr. Portillo
  We published estimates of the impact of the social security reforms in October 1987. There is no analysis of the impact on students specifically.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of representations he has received since the beginning of April regarding the effects of the changes in housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many right hon. and hon. Members have made representations to him on the effect on their constituents of recent housing benefit changes; what stage has now been reached in operation of the special cases unit for dealing with problems arising from the changes; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the new system of assessing housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department has received a considerable number of letters and inquiries about the changes announced on 27 April and these are being handled in the normal way. Preparations of the transitional payments unit are at an advanced stage and on schedule for becoming fully operational in July.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce detailed procedures for claims for transitional payments for the new central unit in respect of housing benefit claims.

  Mr. Portillo
  A new leaflet "RR4 Housing Benefit—New Rules" was printed on 27 May and copies have been placed in the Library. The leaflet explains who can qualify, how assessments will be calculated, and contains an application form for despatch by Freepost to the transitional payments units. The leaflets will be available frm a wide number of agencies including the transitional payment unit, DHSS local offices, local authorities and post offices.

  Hospital Building Programme
  Mr. Rhodes James
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the hospital building programme.

  Mrs. Currie
  Investment in National Health Service building is continuing at record levels. Information held centrally shows there are now 504 health building schemes, each costing over £1 million, at various stages of planning, design and construction. The total values of the programme is estimated at £3·8 billion and capital expenditure this financial year is expected to exceed £1 billion.

  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many major hospital building schemes have been started and completed since 1979.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information held centrally shows that, since 1 April 1979, a total of 286 health building schemes each costing over £1 million, have been started and completed. This is the biggest sustained building programme ever in the history of the National Health Service. A list has been placed in the Library.
  151

  Blood Glucose Testing Strips
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when blood glucose testing strips will be made available on prescription to diabetics.

  Mr. Newton
  My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that blood glucose testing strips became prescribable by general practitioners on 1 June.

  Community Care
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends responding to the recently published report of the Public Accounts Committee on community care developments.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends responding to the recently published report of the Public Accounts Committee on community care developments.

  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends responding to the recently published report of the Public Accounts Committee on community care developments.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends responding to the recently published report of the Public Accounts Committee on community care developments.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Members to my reply to the hon. Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke) on 23 May at column 89.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to be in a position to make a statement on his policy towards the report by Sir Roy Griffiths on community care.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to be in a position to make a statement on his policy towards the report by Sir Roy Griffiths on community care.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to be in a position to make a statement on his policy towards the report by Sir Roy Griffiths on community care.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to be in a position to make a statement on his policy towards the report by Sir Roy Griffiths on community care.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Members to my reply to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 29 March at columns 439–40.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the responses to date from(a) voluntary organisations and (b) other groups to the Griffiths report on community care.

  Mr. Newton
  We have received responses from two voluntary organisation and from 25 other interested groups. We will take them into account in framing our own proposals.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the response to date to the report by Sir Roy Griffiths on community care.
  152
  Mr. Newton
  We have received 48 responses from interested individuals and organisations and will take account of them in framing our own proposals.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the total public expenditure in the latest available year on the support of individuals in community care, broken down by the category of benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  The proportion of the money spent on retirement pensions, disability benefits and income support which can be said to contribute directly to the support of people in the community who might otherwise have to go into institutional care cannot be accurately estimated but is likely to be significant.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures he intends to take to ensure that satisfactory arrangements are made for dowry payments by district health authorities to local authority social services departments and voluntary organisations to meet the cost of care in the community.

  Mr. Newton
  We look to health authorities and local authorities to identify jointly an individual's need for community care and to negotiate locally the funding of a cost-effective way of meeting these needs. The Department monitors progress in pursuing community care and other service aims through the region's long-term strategic plans and annual short-term programmes.

  Psychiatric Patients
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently in psychiatric institutions; what was the comparable figure six years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  On 31 December 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, there were 60,279 patients resident in National Health Service mental illness hospitals and units in England. The corresponding figure for 1980 was 74,831. These figures include those people admitted for short-term treatment and respite care.

  It is estimated that the 14,500 net drop in residents is accounted for by decreases due to 24,000 people discharged and 32,500 deaths, and increases due to 42,000 new patients during the period 1981–86.

  In 1986 although the number of in-patients in National Health Service illness hospitals and units in England was around 60,000, there were over 70,000 available staffed beds. As a result of better methods of treatment and modern practice, far fewer people need to be cared for as long-term in-patients.

  Breast Cancer Screening
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what additional resources the Government are providing in the current year for the national breast cancer screening programme.

  Mrs. Currie
  In addition to the resources of over £9 million provided to meet the initial and continuing costs of the first screening centres, the Government are providing £9 million in 1988–89 for the further development of the breast cancer screening service. Financial allocations to regional health authorities also include over £6 million for capital expenditure on the buildings and equipment for
  153
  sufficient centres to serve about half the remaining population of each region on the basis of one centre per half a million population.

  Between 1987–88 and 1989–90, on current plans, nearly £55 million will be provided to set up and run the screening centres, including central initiatives to support the service, for example through staff training, development of standard software and health education.

  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the breast cancer screening programme.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the breast cancer screening programme.

  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the breast cancer screening programme.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many breast cancer screening centres are now operating around the country.

  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in implementing the national breast cancer screening programme.

  Mrs. Currie
  We are very pleased with the excellent progress of the national breast cancer screening programme. Some 17 screening centres—at least one in each regional health authority—including back-up services for the follow-up of any screen detected abnormalities have now been set up. Nearly all have by now started screening. Each centre serves a population of up to half a million; four of the centres—at Guildford, Camberwell (King's college hospital), Manchester and Nottingham are also providing training for staff from the whole programme. Planning is almost complete for the nationwide service in England, to be established by 1990. This will involve about 100 centres, and will include mobile caravans for rural areas. We hope to be able to announce details in July. We anticipate that the programme should significantly reduce mortality from breast cancer which is the major killer of women under 65.

  Life Expectancy
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the trends in life expectancy in Britain.

  Mrs. Currie
  Figures prepared by the Government Actuary's Department and published in table 7.2 of the 1988 edition of "Social Trends" show that expectation of life continues to rise at all ages in the United Kingdom. Life expectation at birth for males rose from 48 years in 1906 to 68·8 years in 1971 and 71·5 years in 1984. The corresponding increase for females was from 51·6 years in 1906 to 75 years in 1971 and 77·4 years in 1984. The assumptions used in the 1985-based population projections imply a further increase in the expectation of life to 75·2 years for males and 80·3 years for females by 2024–25.

  Consultants (Waiting Lists)
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes to improve the information available to patients on consultants' waiting lists.
  154
  Mr. Newton
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 28 April at column 253.

  Pensioners (Incomes)
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of pensioners have a second income besides their state pension.

  Mr. Scott
  The latest available figures are for 1985 when 80 per cent. of all pensioner households and 85 per cent. of recently retired pensioner households had income from sources other than state benefits.

  Pensioners (Spending)
  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the annual change in spending on durable goods by pensioners in Britain since 1979.

  Mr. Scott
  The average spending of pensioner households on durable goods rose in real terms by two thirds, or 8·9 per cent. a year on average, between 1979 and 1985, the latest year for which figures are available.

  Social Security Reform
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received on social security changes since 1 June.

  Mr. Portillo
  We continue to receive representations. I am unable to provide a precise number.

  Organ Transplants
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress is being made with the organ transplantation programme.

  Mrs. Currie
  Provisional figures for the first five months of 1988 show a major rise in organ transplantation compared with a similar period last year. The total number of National Health Service transplants of kidneys, hearts, heart-lungs, lungs and livers notified to the United Kingdom transplant service are as follows:

  1 January 1987 to 29 May 1987: 708

  1 January 1988 to 31 May 1988: 1,045

  These statistics reveal a remarkable increase of 48 per cent. in the number of transplants carried out. The figures reflect the positive publicity given to organ transplantation this year, both by the Government and by others.

  As previously announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Health on 16 December 1987 at column 1094, from 1 April 1988 we are also funding an additional centre for liver transplantation at St. James' university hospital, Leeds and a fourth heart transplant unit at Wythenshawe hospital, Manchester.

  On 3 June I was honoured to be the guest speaker at a special meeting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the United Kingdom transplant service. In recognition of the growing demands on its services resulting from the expansion of the transplant programme, we have allocated additional funds to the United Kingdom transplant service in this financial year. The revenue allocation in 1988–89 is £929,000 compared with £800,000 in 1987–88. The additional resources provide for additional staff in the organ exchange and data processing departments, and will

  155
  help to develop the eye bank which stores tissue for use in corneal transplant operations. We are also providing a capital allocation of £61,000 for new and replacement equipment.

  Diabetics
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes to services for diabetics have occurred since 1983.

  Mrs. Currie
  Provision of services for diabetics is shared by general practitioners and by district health authorities. This has not been changed during the period in question.

  Over the period, as part of the development of services in the community the following items have become prescribable by general practitioners—

  i. in 1983, U100 syringes for use with U100 strength insulin (insulin preparations were standardised to 100 units/ml in that year);

  ii. from September 1987 disposable syringes and needles;

  iii. from 1 June 1988 blood glucose testing strips.

  NHS (Review)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made on the Government's review of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made on the Government's review of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made on the Government's review of the National Health Service.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made on the Government's review of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Moore
  We are continuing to explore a wide range of ideas and shall bring forward proposals as soon as we can.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the manpower planning advisory group currently reviewing the staffing structure of the National Health Service is due to report.

  Mr. Newton
  The joint DHSS/NHS manpower planning advisory group has a continuing programme of reviewing individual staff groups. Its current work programme includes manpower, training and skill mix reviews in the occupational therapy, clinical psychology, radiography, pharmacy and physiotherapy groups. Reports are expected at various times during this year and next. The Management Advisory Service has recently completed a report on the review of pathology staffing for the MPAG which is currently under consideration by the NHS management board and regional health authority chairmen.

  Portable Personal Pensions
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the response to date to the availability of portable personal pensions.

  Mr. Portillo
  Although the new personal pension arrangements under the Social Security Act 1986 do not 156
  start until 1 July, I am aware that there is already substantial interest in this important new option in saving for retirement.

  Disabled People
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a timetable for the implementation of the remaining sections of the Disabled Persons (Services Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Discussions are continuing with local authority associations to determine the resources necessary for the successful implementation of the individual sections of the Act. The timing of further implementation is dependent on the outcome of these discussions.

  SENSE
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what grants the Government have given in the current year to SENSE.

  Mr. Scott
  We recently announced a grant of £500,000 towards the development of the centre at Edgbaston additional to the grant of £300,000 in March. Other continuing grants are £15,000 towards the Usher's Syndrome project and £30,000 towards central administrative costs.

  Regional Health Authorities (Role)
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans his Department has to change the role of regional health authorities in England, particularly with regard to joint planning of health and social services.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 26 May at column 270.

  Board and Lodgings Payments
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the progress of his current review into board and lodgings payments.

  Mr. Portillo
  I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the review of income support for people in hostels. We have commissioned a study by the Policy Studies Institute into the characteristics of hostels providing accommodation for income support recipients. We expect to receive the results shortly. In the meantime, no decisions have been taken on future arrangements for paying these claimants.

  Private Health Insurance Companies
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he last met the chairmen of BUPA, PPP and other private health insurance companies; and what matters were discussed.

  Mrs. Currie
  The private sector makes a significant contribution to health care and my colleagues and I take care to keep in touch with its representatives. The sector
  157
  now provides some 200 hospitals (about 10,000 beds), over 2,000 nursing homes (about 52,000 beds) and health insurance for nearly 5·5 million people. We welcome this growing response to public demand and the increasing cost-effective co-operation that is developing between the public and private sectors to the benefit of all.

  Europe Against Cancer Week
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on Government participation in Europe Against Cancer week.

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on Government participation in Europe against Cancer week.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Department hosted the press launch of Europe Against Cancer week in the United Kingdom on 28 April. The week, observed throughout the European Community from 1 to 7 May and marked by a wide range of events organised by the National Health Service, cancer charities and voluntary organisations, was designed to dispel public fears of cancer and to emphasise that many cancers are preventable and curable. We also announced that we were making £100,000 available to provide full or part funding of activities during the week as well as for future projects under the European cancer initiative.

  Nurses (Pay Award)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to extend the funding of the recent nurses' pay award to cover extra recruits or additional posts over and above existing staffing levels.

  Mr. Newton
  The Government have provided the additional money required to fund in full the recent pay award. It is for health authorities to determine their nursing establishment, having regard to the total resources available.

  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much extra recognition the current year's nurses' pay award gives to those nurses with extra skills and responsibilities.

  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what increases nurses working in paediatric intensive care can expect to receive as a result of the nurses' pay award.

  Mr. Newton
  The extent to which an individual nurse will benefit from the new pay award will depend on the duties and responsibilities of the post occupied. However, the maximum pay for a staff nurse in a post which calls for extra skills and responsibilities, for example in paediatric intensive care is now £10,650 a year—an increase of over £2,000 or 24 per cent. above the previous maximum annual salary of a staff nurse. A similar nurse working in inner London will receive an annual salary of £12,538 maximum, an increase of over £3,000 or over 31 per cent.

  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much nurses' pay has increased since April 1979.

  Mr. Newton
  With the recent pay award, nurses' pay has increased by 44 per cent. in real terms since April 1979.

  NHS Ancillary Staff (Pay and Conditions)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to meet representatives of the ancillary staffs in the National Health Service to discuss pay and conditions.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to meet representatives of the ancillary staffs in the National Health Service to discuss pay and conditions.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to meet representatives of the ancillary staffs in the National Health Service to discuss pay and conditions.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Members to my reply to the hon. Member for Motherwell, South (Dr. Reid) earlier today.

  Hospital Building (West Midlands)
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many major hospital building schemes are currently under construction in the west midlands.

  Mrs. Currie
  Details of schemes currently under construction in the west midlands with a capital cost exceeding £1 million are given in the table.

  Scheme

  Capital cost

  £ million

  Bromyard Community Hospital, Herefordshire

  3·2

  Edward Street, Psychogeriatric Unit, Sandwell

  6·1

  Manor Hospital, Maternity Services, Walsall

  1·5

  Manor Hospital, Phase 4 development, Walsall

  20·7

  Telford DGH, Shropshire

  29·8

  Stoke City General Hospital, Surgical Accommodation, North Staffordshire

  20·6

  Stafford Community Mental Handicap Unit, Mid-Staffordshire

  1·0

  Burton DGH, Central Production Unit, South East Staffordshire

  3·4

  Burton DGH, Psychiatric and Maternity Units, South East Staffordshire

  2·4

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Engineering Services Phases 3 and 4, Central Birmingham

  1·6

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital, beds and theatres, Central Birmingham

  0·2

  Good Hope Hospital, Phase II development, North Birmingham

  5·8

  Dudley Road Hospital, Post graduate medical centre, West Birmingham

  1·0

  Family Doctor Services
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to give the public more information about family doctor services.

  Mr. Newton
  The White Paper "Promoting Better Health" (Cm. 249), published in November 1987, sets out a number of measures for improving information to the public about family doctor services. For example, the Government intend to require family practitioner committees both to provide medical lists which contain more comprehensive information about practices in their areas, and to make the lists more widely available locally.

  The wider provision by family doctors of practice leaflets, which contain information for patients about the

  159
  doctors, the organisation of the practice and the services available, will also be encouraged. In addition, the Government wish to see a relaxation of the current restrictions applied by the General Medical Council on the extent to which family doctors may advertise factual information about their practices. They therefore welcome the Office of Fair Trading's recent reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission of the current restrictions on family doctors' advertising.

  Doctors (Referrals Statistics)
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the variation in the rates of family doctors' emergency and out-patient referrals.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Government recognise the wide variation in the rates of family doctors' referrals. The reasons for these variations are largely unknown. An increasing number of research workers are active in this field and the Department is currently funding a project in the East Anglian regional health authority to develop an out-patient referral information system. These will help us to understand more fully the underlying behavioural patterns and to what extent these are related to the health needs of patients.

  Babies (Malformation)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the reduction in the notification rate for babies with central nervous systems defects.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the notification rate for spina bifida.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information for both types of malformations are shown in the table. They refer to malformations observed in both live and still births. The statistics are a by-product of the congenital malformations notified to OPCS. These are likely to be an incomplete measure of the total number of affected infants, partly because the notification scheme is voluntary, but, more importantly, because in the interests of obtaining data quickly the notifications refer only to malformations observed at birth or up to seven days after birth.

  Notification rates per 10,000 total births of babies born with selected congenital malformations,

  England and Wales, 1977–1986

  Malformations

  Year

  Central nervous system1

  Spina bifida2

  1977

  32·5

  15·3

  1978

  29·2

  14·0

  1979

  25·5

  13·1

  1980

  22·3

  11·4

  1981

  19·2

  10·4

  1982

  16·1

  8·1

  1983

  14·5

  6·7

  1984

  12·6

  5·9

  1985

  11·0

  5·5

  1986

  9·6

  4·0

  1 ICD codes (9th revision)—740, 741, 7432, 7421, 7420, 320–359, 7422, 7424, 7425, 7428, 7429, 7676.

  2 ICD code (9th revision)—741.

  Income Support Premiums
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what effects the introduction of income support premiums has had on the work load of social security officers.

  Mr. Portillo
  It is to be expected that income support as a simpler benefit than supplementary benefit will lead to a lesser workload, but it is too early to provide data resulting from monitoring the new system in operation.

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he will take to ensure that the intensive care unit at Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham, is sufficiently funded so as to ensure that all seriously ill renal patients can obtain treatment.

  Mrs. Currie
  The allocation of resources to Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham, is a matter for the Central Birmingham district health authority. I understand that the authority will be opening an additional—eighth—bed in the new intensive care unit in July and a further four when funds permit.

  The Queen Elizabeth hospital is one of seven centres providing renal treatment in the west midlands and it is for the West Midlands regional health authority to decide the allocations between them. I understand that the regional health authority has increased its funding of the region's renal programme by £320,000 over the last year's levels—a 30 per cent. increase in real terms—and is considering the possibility of increasing this still further.

  In-Patient Statistics (North-West)
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many in-patient cases are being treated in the north-western region in the latest year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure in 1978.

  Mrs. Currie
  In 1986, the latest year for which information is available, 624,678 in-patient cases were treated. The comparable figure for 1978 was 511,674.

  "Look After Your Heart" Campaign
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the progress of the "Look After Your Heart" campaign.

  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of Government campaigns on health education for heart disease.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the achievements of the Government's campaign "Look After Your Heart".

  Mrs. Currie
  "Look After Your Heart"—the first major heart disease prevention campaign in England—was launched in April 1987 with the aim, in its initial stages., of raising public awareness of the major risk factors associated with coronary heart disease and how they might be avoided. It followed previous campaigns such as "Look after Yourself" funded by the Health Education Council.
  161
  The campaign is planned as an "umbrella" under which the many local coronary heart disease programmes could be brought together and given increased impact. Community activity has been stimulated and supported in 172 health authorities and 65 local authorities, with "Look After Your Heart" community grants funding some 118 projects to the extent of £260,000. It is planned to continue this scheme into the next phase of the campaign, and we are also looking at ways of supporting longer-term projects.

  The campaign has been notably successful in securing the active co-operation of industry and commerce. One way has been through a scheme of "healthy living" contracts, in which employers and organisations undertake to support the principles underlying the campaign by a series of practical innovations which can include, for example, providing no-smoking areas and healthy menus in public restaurants and works canteens, displaying and disseminating campaign material to staff and the public, and introducing "Look After Yourself- courses in exercise, nutrition and stress management. During the first year some 75 companies, employing almost 2 million people, joined the campaign, and many more are waiting to do so.

  The Department and the Health Education Authority are consulting widely about the future shape of the "Look After Your Heart" programme. The results from the campaign's first tracking survey show that there has been a greater impact on socio-economic groups C2, D and E, (the groups at which the campaign is primarily aimed) than other socio-economic groups, and that the already high levels of awareness and knowledge of coronary heart disease risk factors have increased appreciably.

  Perinatal Mortality Rates
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on perinatal mortality rates.

  Mrs. Currie
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Barking (Ms. Richardson) on 18 May at columns 501–2.

  Consultant Geriatricians
  Mr. Knowles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the increase in the number of consultant geriatricians since 1979.

  Mr. Newton
  The number of permanent paid and honorary consultants in post in the specialty of geriatric medicine increased by 129 from 363 in 1979 to 492 in 1986, an increase of 35·5 per cent.

  NHS (Competitive Tendering)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the progress of competitive tendering in the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Currie
  As at 31 March 1988, almost all domestic and laundry services and some 76 per cent. of catering services had been put out to tender. Estimated annual savings generated from contracts awarded for the three services totalled £106 million: £28 million from contracts won by outside contractors and £78 million from tenders 162
  secured by in-house organisations. I am very satisfied with the progress being made by health authorities in putting other services out to tender and I look forward to future progress.

  GP Maternity Units
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many general practitioner maternity units have been closed in England and Wales in the past 10 years.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Nineteen general practitioner units were approved for closure between 1979 and 1986.

  Health Promotion
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how he intends to encourage doctors to do more work in health promotion.

  Mrs. Currie
  Our plans are set out in the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" (Cm. 249) published in November 1987. Officials are discussing implementation of the necessary reforms with the family doctors' representatives, the General Medical Services Committee.

  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Hallam (Mr. Patnick) on 12 January at columns 128–30, major changes are to be made in the system of payment to family doctors to encourage them to provide a range of health promotion and preventive activities. We intend to link payment of basic practice allowance to the provision of health promotion and prevention of ill-health. We plan to introduce incentive payments for reaching target levels of population cover for vaccination, immunisation and cancer screening and new payments for arranging and providing regular health promotion sessions for patients. We intend also to pay a fee to a doctor providing an initial clinical assessment for patients registering with the NHS for the first time. We are consulting the doctors' representatives about amending the family doctors' contract with the National Health Service to make health promotion and the prevention of disease including regular health checks a specific part of their terms of service.

  Social Benefits
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the new transitional arrangements for social benefits are now fully operational.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Members for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett) for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Mr. Sedgemore), for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) and for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) earlier today.

  Maternity Units (Belper and Ashbourne)
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will visit the maternity units at Belper and Ashbourne to discuss their proposed closure.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have no plans specifically to visit the maternity homes at Belper and Ashbourne. The matter is
  163
  essentially one for local discussion at the moment. The proposals would he considered by Ministers only if the community health council opposes them.

  Out-patient Departments
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to promote the efficiency of hospital out-patient departments.

  Mrs. Currie
  Health authorities are responsible for promoting and monitoring the efficiency of out-patient departments. A booklet "Reducing Waiting time in Out-Patient Departments" which gave advice on the organisation of an efficient out-patients department appointments system was issued to health authorities in 1985. Officials are now considering further initiatives to promote efficiency in out-patients departments.

  Nurses (Meetings)
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with representatives of nurses.

  Mr. Moore
  On 23 May, at the annual congress of the Royal College of Nursing I announced the Government's acceptance of the broad thrust of the proposals put forward by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for the reform of nurse education and training. The response we have made is a clear indication of the importance which this Government attach to nurse education. It provides the statutory bodies with the guidance needed to enable them to carry forward their work on the detailed implications of the changes. The proposals are firmly based on the needs of patients and clients, and are designed to ensure that nurses are more appropriately prepared to meet perceived health care needs. I welcome the professions' enthusiastic response to the announcement. A copy of the letter to the chairman of the UKCC giving the Government's response is in the Library.

  I also stressed this Government's recognition of the nurses' special position with regard to pay, and our firm commitment to the pay review body. Our acceptance of all five of its reports has clearly demonstrated our regard for the nursing profession. I also highlighted the benefits to the profession of the introduction of the new clinical grading structure, which will reward those nurses who acquire additional clinical skills and take on new duties and responsibilities. It will also provide a valuable incentive for those who wish to remain in clinical practice to do so.

  British Diabetic Association
  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he last met the chairman of the British Diabetic Association and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Newton
  I met Sir John Nabarro for an informal discussion on 16 July 1987. Among the main topics we touched upon were disposable syringes and needles, which became available on general practitioner prescription on 1 September 1987, and blood glucose test strips, which became available on general practitioner prescription on 1 June 1988.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the compensatory element to be built into the April 1989 income support rates to reflect 20 per cent. of the average community charge will be, in the case of a couple, double that which is applied to a single person.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 20 May 1988 at column 592.

  Social Security Adjudication
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he plans any changes in order to improve the standards of decision-making on social security claims, in the light of the annual report of the Chief Adjudication Officer for 1986–87; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  We are studying the report's recommendations.

  Ritalin
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients under the age of 10 years have been given the drug Ritalin at the Maudsley hospital in the last 12 months.

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

  Health Budget
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the projected areas in the health care budget in England and Wales for 1988–89 and 1989–90 after catering for the gross domestic product deflator.

  Mr. Newton
  The information is as follows:

  Gross expenditure—England

  £ million (1988–89 prices)

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Hospital and community health services—current

  12,091

  12,154

  Family practitioner services—current

  4,687

  4,779

  Centrally financed services—current

  527

  519

  National Health Service—capital

  1,046

  1,038

  TOTAL

  18,351

  18,490

  These figures are based on table 14.1 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1988–89 to 1990–91" (Cm. 288-II). The figures for 1988–89 do not include the addition of £596 million announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 April to meet the cost of the review bodies' recommendations on doctors' and nurses' pay. The 1989–90 plans are subject to review in the forthcoming public expenditure survey.

  Information in respect of Health Service expenditure in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the main areas of health spending in English regional health authorities.

  Mr. Newton
  The 1986–87 summarised accounts of regional and district health authorities in England together
  165
  with those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals show in total main areas of expenditure as follows:

  £'000

  Current expenditure

  Hospital services

  8,255,383

  Community health services

  1,054,580

  Other services1

  572,464

  Headquarters administration

  434,739

  10,317,166

  Capital expenditure

  936,291

  Total expenditure

  11,253,457

  1 Includes ambulance, blood transfusion and mass radiography services, etc.

  For analyses of this expenditure to regions and other more detailed England and regional information I refer the hon. Member to the Department's annual booklet "Health Authorities' Annual Accounts—National Summary (England)"—copies of which (for 1986–87 and earlier years) are held in the Library.

  Vaccine Administration
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many tetanus vaccines were personally administered by(a) medical practitioners and (b) pharmacists in each year since 1982;

  (2) how many flu' vaccines were personally administered by (a) medical practitioners and (b) pharmacists in each year since 1982;

  (3) if he will take steps to remove the current anomaly whereby medical practitioners administer vaccines free of charge and claim back the cost while pharmacists providing the same vaccine must recover the cost directly from members of the public.

  Mr. Newton
  The personal administration of vaccines may be undertaken by doctors but not by pharmacists. Information on the number of tetanus and influenza vaccines personally administered by medical practitioners is not available centrally. General medical practitioners are remunerated through fees and allowances for supplying vaccines for personal administration as are pharmacists for supplying vaccines on prescription. In neither case are the cost of the vaccines recovered directly from members of the public, but a prescription charge will be payable (subject to the usual exemptions) where a pharmacist is supplying on prescription. There are no present plans to change these arrangements.

  AIDS
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish in the Official Report for each health authority in England the number of persons suffering from AIDS; and if he will disaggregate the statistics by age and sex;

  (2) what is his Department's latest estimate of the number of people in England that are currently HIV positive.

  Mr. Newton
  The numbers of cases of AIDS reported from each regional health authority are published monthly. Numbers of reported HIV antibody positive 166
  persons are published quarterly. Copies of the figures are available in the Library. Estimates of the number of people who are HIV antibody positive based on several factors including the number of known cases of AIDS, the number who may be susceptible to infection, the proportion of those infected who go on to develop AIDS, the varying incubation period and the proportion of those infected who present themselves for testing. It is evident that some of these factors are not precisely quantifiable, so the estimation can only be approximate. A group of experts, under the chairmanship of Sir David Cox, is now considering the estimation of and forecasts for the numbers of people infected with HIV and with AIDS over a two to five-year period.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many terminations of pregnancy have been effected in England because the mother is HIV positive.

  Mr. Newton
  Of the abortion notifications received for the period 1 January 1983 to 30 September 1987 (the 1987 data being provisional), there have been 17 abortions performed in England where AIDS1 has been mentioned on the notification form.
  1 International Classification of Disease code 279.1—Deficiency of cell-mediated immunity.
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has on any research work undertaken by the World Health Organisation into AIDS using chimpanzees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  The information we have is that there is currently no World Health Organisation work on AIDS using chimpanzees and none is planned.

  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what contact his Department is maintaining with the World Health Organisation in Copenhagen with regard to the spread of AIDS and venereal diseases.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department maintains close liaison with the World Health Organisation's European regional office in Copenhagen on all their programmes including the communicable diseases programme (which includes sexually transmitted diseases) and the programmes they undertake in conjunction with the global programme on AIDS.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide details of moneys(a) made available and (b) used by district health authorities in England and Wales in the past 12 months for the purpose of treatment of AIDS victims.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 27 May 1988]: In 1987–88 the Government made available an additional £25·1 million to health authorities in England as a contribution towards the costs of the provision of HIV and AIDS related services. In 1988–89 a total of £58·6 million has been allocated to help develop preventative, counselling and diagnostic services and to make a contribution towards the cost of care and treatment in hospitals and the community. The allocation of these funds, and any additional funding they may decide is needed, to HIV and AIDS related services is determined by individual authorities in the light of the particular needs in their areas. The allocation of funds in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  School Nurses
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received any representations about the school nursing service; and if he will make a statement listing the duties and responsibilities of school nurses.

  Mr. Newton
  We have received no representations about the school nursing service. The responsibility for the provision of school health services rests with individual health authorities and this includes the duties and responsibilities of school nurses.

  Prescribing Publications
  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in his

  Effects of 1988 pay award on selected nursing grades in inner London

  Grade

  Old pay scale1

  New pay scale2 3

  Cash increase

  Percentage increase

  £

  £

  £

  Student

  5,470 to 6,100

  5,996 to 6,783

  526 to 683

  9·6 to 11·2

  Nursing Auxiliary

  5,495 to 6,785

  A. 6,180 to 7,545

  A. 685 to 760

  A. 12·5 to 11·2

  or

  or

  or

  B. 7,309 to 8,254

  B. 1,814 to 1,469

  B. 33·0 to 21·7

  Enrolled Nurse

  7,180 to 8,680

  C. 8,533 to 9,977

  C. 1,353 to 1,297

  C. 18·8 to 14·9

  or

  or

  or

  D. 9,677 to 10,958

  D. 2,497 to 2,278

  D. 34·8 to 26·2

  Staff Nurse

  8,230 to 9,530

  D. 9,677 to 10,958

  D. 1,447 to 1,428

  D. 17·6 to 15·0

  or

  or

  or

  E. 10,958 to 12,538

  E. 2,728 to 3,008

  E. 33·1 to 31·6

  Ward Sister

  9,930 to 12,930

  F. 12,048 to 14,388

  F. 2,118 to 1,458

  F. 21·3 to 11·3

  or

  or

  or

  G. 13,913 to 15,813

  G. 3,983 to 2,883

  G. 40·1 to 22·3

  or

  or

  or

  H. 15,338 to 17,238

  H. 5,408 to 4,308

  H. 54·5 to 33·3

  1 Includes £930 Inner London Weighting.

  2 Includes £930 Inner London Weighting and new Inner London Supplement of 9 per cent. (max. £958 p.a.) for qualified staff and 5 per cent. (max. £532 p.a.) for unqualified staff.

  3 The lettered scales indicate a range of possible outcomes for individual staff on regrading. Broadly, the higher letters for each grade will apply to those with additional skills, qualifications and responsibilities.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the waiting list for operations in National Health Service hospitals as at June 1979 and June 1987 in each of the following constituencies:(a) Amber Valley, (b) Mid Worcestershire, (c) West Lancashire, (d) Staffordshire Moorlands, (e) Hendon South, (f) Darlington and (g) Fylde.

  Number of cases on in-patient waiting list—Surgical specialties

  1979

  1987

  District Health Authority Constituency

  March

  September

  March

  September1

  South Derbyshire

  Amber Valley

  5,424

  4,422

  4,937

  4,751

  Worcester

  Mid Worcestershire

  2,000

  2,378

  3,457

  3,320

  West Lancashire

  West Lancashire

  2,509

  2,335

  2,447

  2,142

  North Staffordshire

  Staffordshire Moorlands

  10,295

  10,303

  8,883

  8,633

  Barnet

  Hendon South

  3,922

  3,395

  3,418

  2,608

  Darlington

  Darlington

  2,651

  1,797

  2,397

  2,874

  Blackpool, Wyre, Fylde

  Fylde

  4,635

  4,278

  4,327

  3,686

  1 On a comparable basis with figures prior to September 1987.

  168
  Department's review of prescribing publications funded partly or wholly by his Department; and when he expects to announce the result of this review.

  Mr. Newton
  We are discussing the review with interested organisations and expect to complete it early next year.

  Nurses
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much more pay nurses in inner London can expect to receive as a result of the current year's pay award.

  Mr. Newton
  Increases will depend on the duties and responsibilities of individual posts regraded within the new clinical grading structure. The table indicates the range of increases in basic pay for the main grades of nurses working in inner London.

  Mr. Newton
  The information is not available centrally in precisely the form requested. Details of surgical waiting lists in the district health authorities wholly or mainly covering the parliamentary constituencies are given in the table. The hon. Member may wish to write to the chairmen of the district health authorities who may be able to provide information relating to the parliamentary constituencies.
  169

  Social Service Departments (Attacks)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each year from 1979 until 1988 the number of physical attacks on members of local authority social service departments in the course of their duties.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that information about assaults on social services staff is not collected centrally.

  Children and Young Persons (Amendment) Act 1986
  Mr. Walters
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when the Children and Young Persons (Amendment) Act regulations will be laid before Parliament; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when consideration of the draft rules relating to the Children and Young Persons (Amendment) Act will be concluded;

  (3) what representations he has received seeking early implementation of the provisions of the Children and Young Persons (Amendment) Act; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  My hon. Friend has himself made representations seeking early implementation of the Children and Young Persons (Amendment) Act 1986. Consideration of the draft rules of court has been completed. They were laid before Parliament on 8 June and will come into effect on 1 August when sections 2 and 3 of the Act are implemented. This will give the courts and local authorities time to make the necessary preparations. It is expected that the charge and control regulations will be laid before Parliament in this Session.

  Low-income Families
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish a table from the low-income families statistics showing the number of children living in Scotland below, at or up to 40 per cent. above supplementary benefit level in 1979 and 1981, 1983 and 1985; and what proportion of Scottish children they represent in each case;

  (2) if he will publish a table from the low-income families statistics showing the number of (a) persons and (b) households in Scotland below, at or up to 40 per cent. above supplementary benefit level in 1979 and 1985; and what proportion of the Scottish population they represent in each case.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 27 May 1988 at columns 413–14.

  Family Practitioner Committees (Investigation)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what response the Department has made to the National Audit Office investigation into family practitioner committees.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department has studied the draft report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the management of the family practitioner services. Its representatives will appear before the Public Accounts Committee on 27 June in connection with the Committee's investigation of the report.

  Dental Charges
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circumstances a patient will have to pay 100 per cent. of the cost of a course of dental treatment under the new system of dental charges.

  Mrs. Currie
  Under the proposed fully proportional system of charges no course of treatment or individual treatment will attract a charge of 100 per cent.

  Income Support
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether claims in writing for income support forwarded by organisations providing emergency accommodation will be treated as valid claims under the terms of Regulation 4(i) of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  A claim made by an organisation on behalf of a claimant is effective from the date of receipt by the Department but it must be followed up by a detailed statement of circumstances on one of the approved departmental claim forms. A claim can also be made by telephone to the Department provided it is followed up by a properly completed official claim form within one month.

  Nottingham District Health Authority
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when he expects Nottingham district health authority to be funded up to 100 per cent. of its resource allocation working party allocation;

  (2) if he will make additional financial provision to the Nottingham district health authority to ensure that essential medical equipment, including X-ray, operating theatre, intensive care and labour ward equipment, can be replaced at a higher rate than the current 25 per cent.;

  (3) what is the difference, in cash terms, between Nottingham district health authority's current percentage of resource allocation working party allocation and the full resource allocation working party allocation.

  Mr. Newton
  Regional health authorities are responsible for the allocation of resources to district health authorities. The hon. Member may care, therefore, to write to the chairman of Trent regional health authority for details of the region's policy on allocations to Nottingham.

  Hospital Ancillary Workers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of pay increases for hospital ancillary workers will be met by his Department; and what percentage by the district health authorities.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) and for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) on Tuesday 10 May at column 133.

  Ativan
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received any recent representations regarding the side-effect of the drug Ativan; and if he will make a statement.
  171
  Mr. Newton
  Since 31 March 1988, we have received some 16 letters from hon. Members or members of the public on this matter. Advice to doctors and pharmacists on the problem of dependence on benzodiazepines, of which Ativan is one, was issued by the Committee on Safety of Medicines in "Current Problems 21", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Private Acute Sector
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will publish the research on activity in the private acute sector which followed up the study carried out in 1981 by the university of Sheffield.

  Mrs. Currie
  It is expected that the Department will receive the completed report on the research into acute hospital care provided by the private sector, which it has funded at the university of Sheffield, within the next one to two months. Discussion about publication will then take place.

  Physiotherapy Treatment
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards providing convenient out-of-hospital physiotherapy treatment for patients under the National Health Service.

  Mr. Newton
  It is for individual health authorities and local physiotherapy managers to determine where and how to provide physiotherapy treatment. Many authorities have introduced community and domiciliary physiotherapy services, which allow patients' preferences to be taken into consideration when deciding on the location of treatment. We have actively encouraged these developments.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements he has made to compensate families suffering financial hardship as a result of delays in the processing of applications for family credit.

  Mr. Portillo
  Arrears of benefit would, of course, he payable, backdated to the start of the award period. Family credit is paid to people in work, who will normally have significant other resources. Where, nevertheless, a family faced serious financial hardship pending an award, they could be considered for a loan from the social fund.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services which organisations have made representations to him about family credit form FC2 and information leaflet FB4; what was the nature of those representations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Representations have been received from the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and others, suggesting that the formula in form FC2, designed to allow potential claimants to work out whether they are likely to be eligible for family credit, can confuse or mislead. We are considering whether and how the presentation of this information can be improved in later editions to avoid this and any other points which appear to cause difficulty. The same formula appears in leaflet FB4 but we have no record of any representations specifically about that leaflet.
  172
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants for family credit since its introduction were not previously in receipt of family income supplement or supplementary benefit.

  Mr. Portillo
  Information is not available precisely in the form requested. Around 200,000 families were transferred from family income supplement to family credit from 11 April 1988. In addition, up to the end or May, nearly 140,000 claims for family credit had been received, a few of which will be renewal claims from ex-family income supplement cases where the first award of family credit had now expired.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to monitor the number of claimants receiving family credit as a direct transition from family income supplement.

  Mr. Portillo
  When existing family income supplement recipients were reassessed for family credit from 11 April 1988 a precise record was kept of the number awarded the new benefit. As expected, the vast majority of ex-family income supplement cases have become entitled to family credit.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to how many applicants for family credit have applied for this benefit because they are no longer eligible for income support.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that this information is not available. Supplementary benefit recipients who were not eligible for income support because they were working 24 hours a week or more, and who had dependent children, were sent a claim form for family credit, but it is not known how many of them have actually made a claim.

  New Cancer Hospital, Southend
  Mr. Thorne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what assessment he has made of the extra capital costs likely to accrue as a result of the decision by the North-East Thames regional health authority to build a new cancer hospital at Southend and refurbish some existing facilities in its area instead of building the new hospital at Harold Wood and abandoning those existing facilities;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the extra revenue costs likely to accrue as a result of the decision by the North-East Thames regional health authority to build a new cancer hospital at Southend and refurbish some existing facilities in its area instead of building the new hospital at Harold Wood and abandoning those existing facilities.

  Mrs. Currie
  My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the North-East Thames regional health authority about the funding of cancer services within the region.

  Mobility Allowance
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate the number of claimants of mobility allowance who will reach the age of 75 years in November 1989;

  (2) if he will estimate the cost of abolishing the upper age limit on entitlement to mobility allowance.
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  Mr. Scott
  Recipients of mobility allowance, except those who have transferred from the former invalid vehicle scheme and who are not subject to this age limit, will not reach age 75 before 29 November 1989. Few will thus reach that age in November 1989 but the number who have reached age 75 will grow progressively after that date. It is estimated that about 500 recipients would benefit from the abolition of the age limit in the first year at a cost of under £500,000. This would rise to over 6,000 recipients, at a cost of around £8 million in 1991–2, with the numbers continuing to rise in subsequent years.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to increase the upper age limit of 75 years on entitlement to mobility allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam) on 10 May at column 82.

  Drug Prescribing
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South of 23 May,Official Report, column 88, if he will take steps to require doctors prescribing unlicensed drugs on a named person basis to inform his Department; and if he will ensure that full records of such prescribing are kept and are publicly available.

  Mr. Newton
  We have no plans to require doctors to notify the Department of such prescribing.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when was the last occasion on which he met representatives of speech therapists to discuss their salaries, career structure and funding by his Department;

  (2) if he will reorganise the career structure of speech therapists;

  (3) what are the minimum and maximum rates of pay of speech therapists; and what steps he intends to take to increase them;

  (4) if he will undertake a reassessment of the role of speech therapists and seek to elevate their status and pay.

  Mr. Newton
  Pay is a matter for negotiation in the appropriate Whitley council. I understand that a claim to increase the pay of speech therapists from 1 april 1988 has been received and will be discussed at a joint meeting on 27 June. The last joint meeting on 9 December 1987 resulted in the agreement for a comprehensive restructuring of speech therapist grades effective from 1 January 1988. The minimum salary for a newly qualified speech therapist is now £8,250. The maximum salary for the most senior grade, available to both managers and holders of posts requiring the provision of an exceptionally high level of clinical expertise, is £19,207.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is his estimate of the number of stroke 174
  victims, elderly people and children with speech problems who require speech therapy; and what steps he is taking to ensure that their needs are met;

  (2) what is the average number of speech therapists available per 100 children needing their help.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that there are no accurate estimates available of the number of speech and language impaired people in the population. The Department is currently sponsoring a research study by Dr. Philip Davies, Rivermead hospital, Oxford, which should produce improved prevalence and incidence data, when completed next year. However, not all those with communication problems necessarily need or would benefit from speech therapy, so it is unlikely to be possible to derive the kind of ratio the right hon. Member seeks.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many speech therapists are(a) women and (b) men.

  Mr. Newton
  At 30 September 1986 there were 2,510 whole-time equivalent speech therapists in England. Fifty of these were male. The numbers employed are a matter for individual health authorities.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the basic educational requirement for speech therapists.

  Mr. Newton
  In order to obtain employment in the National Health Service, there is a statutory requirement to hold a certificate, issued by the College of Speech Therapists, certifying success in an examination approved by the college. All such current examinations are at first degree level, but many practising speech therapists hold diploma level qualifications gained before speech therapy became a degree level entry profession. Entry requirements for degrees in speech therapy are a matter for the individual educational establishment.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of unfilled posts for speech therapists at special schools.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that this information is not available centrally and could not be provided in the form requested. It is for individual authorities to decide on the deployment of speech therapists.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many speech therapists have left the profession in each of the past five years; and what proportion they are of the total;

  (2) what is the present annual rate of recruitment of speech therapists; and what has been the comparable rate in the last five years.

  Mr. Newton
  Information is collected centrally only on the number of speech therapists employed. The total number employed for the past five years in England is shown in the table.
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  NHS Speech Therapists in Post1: England

  Date

  Staff in Post

  Increase over previous year

  Whole-time equivalent2

  Whole-time equivalent2

  Percentage3

  30 September 1982

  1,900

  —

  —

  30 September 1983

  1,970

  70

  3·7

  30 September 1984

  2,150

  170

  8·8

  30 September 1985

  2,340

  190

  9·0

  30 September 1986

  2,510

  170

  7·2

  Source: DHSS Annual census of NHS non-medical manpower.

  Notes:

  1 Excludes helpers

  2 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents.

  3 Percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.

  The figures for Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what steps he has taken to assess the increased demand for speech therapists in the last five years;

  (2) how many speech therapists there are in England and Wales; if he has any evidence of shortage in some areas; and what steps he intends to take to increase the present number of speech therapists.

  Mr. Newton
  It is for individual health authorities to assess the demand for speech therapists and determine the appropriate level of speech therapy provision. Health authorities have taken account of increased demand and the numbers of speech therapists employed has increased by 32 per cent. from September 1982 to September 1986, the last five years for which data are available.

  There is no shortage of speech therapists in authorised posts, although I am aware of reports of some isolated instances of difficulties in filling posts in certain specialties or geographical areas. The numbers of speech therapists employed in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Young People (Benefits)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of 16 and 17-year-olds in(a) each regional authority in Scotland and (b) Britain who are expected to be in receipt of (i) income support and housing benefit, (ii) housing benefit only and (iii) board and lodgings payments in the years 1989 and 1990.

  Mr. Portillo
  Estimates are not available.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many 16 and 17-year-olds in(a) each regional authority in Scotland and (b) Britain were in receipt of (i) income support and housing benefit, (ii) housing benefit only and (iii) board and lodgings payments for each year since 1984.

  Mr. Portillo
  I shall let the hon. Member have such information as can be obtained as soon as possible.

  Board and Lodging Payments
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the proposed changes to the structure of board and lodging payments for residents in hostels, including women's aid refuges, residential homes and nursing homes.

  Mr. Portillo
  We are currently reviewing income support payments for people in hostels. No changes have 176
  yet been proposed. We are considering the payment of benefit for people in residential care homes and nursing homes in the light of a number of recent reports, including Sir Roy Griffiths' review of community care.

  Student Nurses
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when he expects to be able to publish details of the timetable of the scheme to change the system of finance available to student nurses;

  (2) whether all student nurses will receive student maintenance awards at a given date rather than phasing in the system of student finance while discounting the present system of remuneration for student nurses.

  Mr. Newton
  Final decisions on the Project 2000 proposals and the time scale of their implementation, which will be phased, will depend on the outcome of discussions with the statutory nursing bodies about the further work that needs to be done.

  Maternity Units
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make a statement on the role of general practitioner maternity units in(a) towns arid cities and (b) the rural areas;

  (2) what is his Department's advice to regional and district health authorities on the criteria to be adopted for maternity unit provisions in the rural areas.

  Mrs. Currie
  Good practice in maternity services is described in three reports produced by the maternity services advisory committee. These reports have been commended to health authorities and offer advice across the full range of maternity services.

  Midwives
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his Department's advice to regional and district heath authorities on the number of qualified midwives who should be employed for(a) a given number of patients and (b) the total population of each authority.

  Mr. Newton
  It is for individual health authorities to determine the number of qualified midwives they require in the light of local needs and circumstances.

  Foetal Tissue
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) pursuant to the reply of 7 June,Official Report, column 557, whether the women whose foetuses were to be

  177
  used to provide material which might be passed on for transplant use were told the specific purpose for which such material would be used; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) pursuant to the reply of 7 June, Official Report, column 557, if he will identify the abortion centre to which he refers from which human foetal tissue was made available for transplant purposes.

  Mr. Newton
  It is not appropriate to identify the home involved, in view of the need to safeguard confidentiality for individual patients. However all women undergoing abortion at the home whose foetuses may be used to provide material for research purposes are invited to sign a declaration to the effect that they have no special wishes concerning the disposal of material arising from their pregnancy. Information about the specific purpose for which material might be used is given if requested. The home does not hold records to show whether such additional information was requested in these particular cases.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 7 June,Official Report, column 557, if he will seek to make available through the Library copies of the minutes of the meetings at which the local ethical committees which gave permission for the use of foetal tissue in transplant operations undertook the careful and prolonged consideration of the issue to which he refers.

  Mr. Newton
  Minutes of local ethical committees are not held centrally. Local ethical committees are responsible to the relevant district health authority and my hon. Friend may like to approach Sandwell district health authority direct.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 7 June,Official Report, column 557, if he will list, indicating the nature of the involvement in each case, all the personnel of the
  178
  Birmingham university medical centre who were involved in the transplanting of human foetal tissue to which he refers.

  Mr. Newton
  This information is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the Birmingham university medical centre direct.

  Incomes
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the average and median projected income before and after tax for the financial year 1988–89 for(a) families with children, (b) married couples without children below pensionable age, (c) single people below pensionable age, (d) couples of pensionable age and (e) single people of pensionable age, giving the number of couples or people which fall into each category and the percentage of people in each category falling below the average income for that category.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that reliable estimates for 1988–89 are not available.

  Birmingham Children's Hospital
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children there were on the waiting list for cardiac surgery at the Birmingham children's hospital on each day for the period 1 May to 17 May.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 23 May 1988]: The Department is routinely informed of the number of children awaiting cardiac surgery at the Birmingham children's hospital once a month. On 5 May the number was 100. Between then and 3 June, 30 children were operated on, of which 14 were from the waiting list and 16 were emergency cases or priority new referrals. Fourteen were added to the waiting list, which accordingly remained at 100. 83 of the 107 children awaiting cardiac surgery last Christmas have now been treated. The unit has treated 102 open-heart cases so far this year compared with 126 in all of 1987.

  EAST NORTON BYPASS
  EAST NORTON BYPASS
  COMMON LAND FORUM REPORT
  COMMON LAND FORUM REPORT
  STRATOSPHERIC OZONE REVIEW GROUP REPORT
  STRATOSPHERIC OZONE REVIEW GROUP REPORT
  GREEN BELT: POLICY
  GREEN BELT: POLICY
  HEVENINGHAM HALL
  HEVENINGHAM HALL
  OPENCAST COAL MINING: PLANNING APPLICATIONS
  OPENCAST COAL MINING: PLANNING APPLICATIONS
  BARLOW CLOWES: INVESTIGATION
  BARLOW CLOWES: INVESTIGATION
  LIBYAN BOMBING: CASUALTIES
  LIBYAN BOMBING: CASUALTIES