Written Answers of 9 May 1988

DEFENCE

  Defence Estimates
  Sir Antony Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to publish the "Statement on Defence Estimates 1988"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Younger
  I intend to publish this year's Statement on the Defence Estimates on Tuesday 17 May.

  Transmitter Station (Glengarry Forest)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the environmental effects of the proposed ELF transmitter station at Glengarry forest.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  A full assessment of the environmental effects of the proposed trial ELF transmitter station at Glengarry forest will be made as part of the preparation of a notice of proposed development which, on present planning, is unlikely to be submitted to the Highland regional council before the autumn of this year.

  RAF Caerwent
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list details of ammunition carried through the Newport, West constituency from the Caerwent base to Newport docks during 1987 and planned for 1988;

  (2) if he will list the total tonnage of ammunition stored at and transported to and from RAF Caerwent in 1986 and 1987 and planned for 1988.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. It is not our practice to provide details of the storage of ammunition at particular sites or the movements of ammunition to and from these sites.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps in the interests of improved security to increase the proportion of ammunition moved from Caerwent by rail.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 April 1988 at column 335.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the financial savings made or planned at the Caerwent base as a result of substituting of civilian escorts for Ministry of Defence police, reductions in the complement of Ministry of Defence police and new contracts awarded to private transport contractors.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 April 1988 at column 76. Competitive bids are sought for the transport contracts at RAF Caerwent and the costs involved are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the complement of Ministry of Defence police at RAF Caerwent for 1986, 1987 and 1988 and the planned future complement.
  2
  Mr. Freeman
  It is not our practice to provide information of the sort requested.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities are available at RAF Caerwent to breathalyse ammunition lorry drivers.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are no facilities available at RAF Caerwent to breathalyse ammunition lorry drivers.

  Ammunition (Newport Lorry Fire)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what ammunition was being carried on the lorry that caught fire on the M4 in Newport on 30 January.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is not our practice to provide information of this sort.

  Submarines (Reactors and Radioactive Waste Disposal)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what options his Department has considered for the disposal of reactors and radioactive waste material following the decommissioning of nuclear-powered submarines; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The options which have been considered for disposal of the reactor machinery are sea disposal of the entire submarine, land burial of the intact reactor compartment and cutting the reactor plant into small pieces for storage and eventual disposal in a deep site yet to be developed. No decisions have yet been taken about which option should be chosen. The safety and environmental implications of these options will, of course, form part of the Government's deliberations. Any other radioactive waste material will be disposed of in the normal way to Drigg, if suitable for shallow land disposal, or stored pending the development of a deep disposal facility. The spent uranium fuel will be sent to BNFL Sellafield for storage.

  Armed Forces (Allowances Review)
  Sir Geoffrey Pattie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the review of armed forces allowances has yet been completed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Younger
  We have carried out a comprehensive review of all armed forces allowances to ensure that they are up to date, cost effective, and appropriate to the requirements of service life. Most aspects of the review have now been completed, although some further work will be required on service in London, the conclusions on which will be announced by October 1988, and on certain aspects of service in overseas stations.

  The outcome provides significant improvements in measures to assist service men when they are relocated. These will encourage and support the individual service housing policies, which have been carefully reviewed. New disturbance allowances rates will benefit all married personnel. In addition, and in recognition of the increasing number of service house owners, new measures will greatly assist the service man who serves accompanied and who occupies his own accommodation. He will now receive compensation at a much higher level than hitherto for the costs of buying and selling which arise from service postings. Moreover, subject to evaluation of all the

  3
  changes over the next three years, I envisage a further substantial increase in the limit on reimbursement of legal and similar fees from April 1991.

  The new package also goes a long way to removing differences of treatment between married and single personnel and there will be significant improvements in the allowances for seagoers, including help to rejoin their families. At the same time, some existing benefits which are less appropriate to modern service conditions will be phased out. The simplification of certain allowances will produce some savings in administrative costs. Taken with the recently announced armed forces pay review award we believe that we shall have attractive arrangements for modern circumstances which will aid recruitment and retention, and meet, to a much greater extent, the aspirations of service men and their families.

  The new arrangements are as follows:

  Relocation. A package is being introduced to encourage mobility. For the house owner-occupier aged 30 or over—25 or over in the Royal Navy for allowances in this area—this will allow refunds of up to £2,500 to compensate for the expense of buying and selling a house on a new posting of more than 50 miles from his or her current residence. From 1 October 1988 refunds of tenancy agreement and repossession costs will be available to married and single personnel once in every 12 months period. This refund will be available to single personnel within the appropriate age limits.

  Rates of disturbance allowance will be increased very substantially and, in addition to being paid to married personnel, it will, for the first time, be paid also to single personnel aged 30 or over who reside in private accommodation. The new rates for married personnel will be:

  Move

  Officers £

  Other Ranks £

  Into private accommodation (first occupation)

  1,200

  900

  Into private accommodation (reoccupation)

  689

  517

  Into MQs (on posting)

  689

  517

  Into MQs (same duty station)

  310

  223

  Single personnel will be eligible for 75 per cent. of the married private accommodation rates. The child element of the allowance will be £95 for each eligible child.

  Assisted house purchase. The resettlement and 50 plus assisted house purchase scheme will cease to be available from 30 September 1994, although from 1 October 1988 the current rate of advance will be increased from £3,500 to £5,000. The Royal Navy long service advance of pay scheme will continue but the rate of advance will remain at £3,500.

  A contract scheme for removals, already in existence within the Army, will be introduced within the United Kingdom for all three services from 16 May 1988. Single personnel aged 30 or over will benefit from the scheme. Baggage scales for moves on posting overseas and within the United Kingdom will also be improved across the board. For example, for moves overseas, a married major will get a 41 per cent. increase; a married corporal and a single lance-corporal a 52 per cent. increase.

  Major changes will be made in home to duty travel reimbursement. Married quarter occupants will be exempt from a personal contribution, although claims for journeys of three miles or less will remain inadmissible.
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  For those in private accommodation the allowance will be phased out by 1 April 1991; meanwhile, the personal contribution will be increased from three to seven miles to reflect the average distance to work now travelled by civilians. Personnel posted to a new unit less than 50 miles from their home, and who are therefore ineligible for the relocation package, may be paid the cost of excess fares. The amount of excess fares will be based upon the difference in distance travelled between home and the new and old duty units respectively, less a personal contribution of seven miles per day. Single personnel aged 30 or over will be eligible for the first time for assistance under these new arrangements.

  Single personnel living-out at their duty station and who are subsequently sent on detached duty will have the period for which the accommodation charge is waived increased from 21 days to 12 months.

  Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel will, in accordance with the RN's accommodation policy, be required to opt for family stability or family mobility. This choice, coupled with the nature of the actual draft—sea or shore—will define which allowances personnel will receive. A service man will be able to change his decision only on the issue of a new appointment or draft. For naval personnel already married, the decision will need to be made on the occasion of the next appointment or draft on or after 1 October 1988, or by 1 April 1989, whichever is the earlier.

  As announced in the 1988 pay review, the Government have accepted the AFPRB recommendations that seagoers should receive longer service at sea bonus and that separation allowance for seagoers and hard lying money for surface ships should be abolished. Seagoing personnel will receive extra warrants whilst at sea, and warrant credits to use in their next shore appointment or draft.

  Army and RAF married personnel who opt to serve voluntarily unaccompanied on their next posting after 1 October 1988 will be required to pay for their accommodation in addition to the abated food charges. They will also lose their entitlement to separation allowance and separation warrants. Personnel on courses or attachments or postings of less than 12 months will be unaffected by these new regulations.

  New arrangements will replace the current United Kingdom leave travel entitlements to basic and separation warrants. There will he a general entitlement to two warrants. Single personnel aged below 25 years of age will retain four warrants per year, as will personnel serving in Northern Ireland. In the Royal Navy, retention of warrants will depend upon rank rather than age. Army/ RAF involuntarily separated personnel and Royal Navy personnel who opt for family stability rather than family mobility will be entitled to a total of 12. Each child at boarding school will be entitled to three journeys per year for school children's visits (SCVs) in the United Kingdom. There will be a parental contribution for the first 50 miles of all SCVs. Divorced or separated parents will be entitled to a total of eight warrants to enable them to visit their children. There will be additional shopping warrants for personnel in the Scottish outer isles. First class leave travel for senior officers will be abolished, and destinations will be restricted to nominated destinations in line with the intention that leave travel should be used only to preserve family ties.

  Boarding school allowances. Separate allowances will be introduced for preparatory and senior schools to reflect

  5
  the differing levels of fees paid. The higher rates for third and subsequent children will be abolished. The new arrangements provide for a minimum personal contribution of 10 per cent. of the fees in respect of any child. Parents of children already receiving boarding school allowance or entering boarding school during the remainder of 1988 will continue to receive the current allowance, appropriately uprated, if the amount is higher than their new entitlement, until that overtakes the current allowance, or until the end of the current stage of education.

  There will be a number of other changes including the widening of the criteria for payment of plain clothes grant and allowance to include more personnel who are required to wear plain clothes in the course of their duties with some increases in rates. A new telephone call system will be introduced for personnel serving in Northern Ireland, as will a new allowance to compensate for the excess cost of coal to heat married quarters there.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Energy Use
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his Department's target reductions in energy usage for 1988–89; what is his Department's target reduction in electricity usage for lighting in 1988–89 and what investment his Department is planning to make in new energy efficient lighting equipment in 1988–89 to achieve those target reductions.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has set a target of 5 per cent. for reductions in energy usage in 1988–89; electricity for lighting and power is not metered separately and it is not therefore possible to set and monitor separate targets for lighting usage.

  Most light fittings in Foreign and Commonwealth Office buildings (other than those which we expect to vacate in the near future) have been replaced in the last three to four years by energy efficient lighting equipment recommended by the Lighting Industry Federation and the PSA. We have no separate investment plans for lighting for 1988–89, but energy efficient lighting is being installed during the current refurbishment of the old public offices.

  EC Directives
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement explaining the procedures under which directives are classified as stemming from particular clauses of the treaty of Rome, as amended by the Single European Act; and what means are available to member states if they consider that directives are being wrongly classified.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The great majority of legislation adopted by the Council requires a proposal from the Commission. It is for the Commission to propose the treaty article on which such measures are to be based. The Commission may amend its proposals during the course of discussion in the light of member states' views. The Council may amend any aspect of a Commission proposal, including the legal base, by unanimity. If a member state considers that the legal base of a measure once adopted is incorrect 6
  it may seek annulment of the measure by instituting proceedings in the European Court of Justice under article 173 of the EEC treaty.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the directives which have been made by the various Councils of Ministers under article 100A; and on how many such directives Her Majesty's Government have objected to the use of this clause.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The following directives have been adopted under article 100A of the treaty. The Government accept the legal base of these directives:

  arrangements for summer time

  vehicle emissions (two directives)

  lawn-mower noise (two directives)

  information on technical norms

  liquid fertilisers

  toy safety

  Rain Forests
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had, and plans to have, with the Malaysian Government regarding tropical rain forest management and the effects of forestry on the native tribal people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  My right hon. and learned Friend has had no direct discussions with the Malaysian Government on this matter. However both the federal Government and the relevant state governments are aware of concerns expressed about the environmental and social effects of commercial logging. I understand that the state Government of Sarawak has worked with the Malaysian branch of the World Wildlife Fund to prepare a conservation strategy for the state to help protect the forests and their inhabitants; and that enabling legislation has been passed so that it can be put into effect.

  The Malaysian branch of the World Wildlife Fund is moreover continuing to work with the state government in an advisory capacity on conservation in the environment. The British high commission in Kuala Lumpur has reported that both sides regard their cooperation as very useful. The federal Government, for their part, have recently sent a delegation to Europe, led by the Minister for Primary Industries, Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, to explain the management of Malaysian rain forests.

  Both we and the Malaysians are members of the International Tropical Timber Organisation, whose objectives balance conservation with trade expansion and diversification.

  Angola
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the communiqué issued by representatives of the United States, South African, Angolan and Cuban Governments following their recently concluded meeting in London about the situation in Angola;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom policy on the maintenance of stability in southern Africa of the non-involvement of UNITA in the recently concluded meeting in London about the situation in Angola; and if he will make a statement;
  7
  (3) what representations he made to the United States, South African, Angolan and Cuban Governments before or during the recently concluded meeting in London about the situation in Angola;

  (4) what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom policy on the maintenance of stability in southern Africa of the South African Government's reaction to the recently concluded meeting in London about the situation in Angola;

  (5) what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on proposals to link the search for a solution in Angola with an internal settlement in Namibia;

  (6) what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom policy on the maintenance of stability in southern Africa of the non-involvement of SWAPO in the recently concluded meeting in London about the situation in Angola; and if he will make a statement;

  (7) what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the revival at the recent London meeting of the 1978 United Nations' plan for a solution in Angola; and if he will make a statement;

  (8) what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom policy on the maintenance of stability in southern Africa of the differing timetables for Cuban withdrawal from Angola envisaged by the South African and Cuban Governments;

  (9) what representations he proposes to make to the Governments of the United States, South Africa, Cuba and Angola before their next meeting about the situation in Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We were not directly involved in the talks held in London on 3–4 May, and it is not for us to comment on the details of them. However, we are encouraged by the progress made and the agreement by all parties on a further meeting in Africa. My right hon. and learned Friend, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary and senior officials held bilateral meetings with members of all delegations. We support the US-led process designed to secure the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and the implementation of the UN plan for Namibian independence. Withdrawal of all foreign troops from Angola, together with implementation of UN Security Council resolution 435, would contribute substantially to the stability of the region. We encourage all those involved in the search for peace to continue their efforts.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made, or proposes to make, to the Soviet Union following the recently concluded meeting in London about the situation in Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We would expect the subject to arise in our regular contacts with the Soviet Union.

PRIME MINISTER

  Michael Tighe
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps she has taken to satisfy herself of the existence and validity of the legal authority under which a bug was placed in the hay shed where Michael Tighe was killed; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  It is not the practice to comment on security matters.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Overseas Development (GDP)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to what proportion of gross domestic product each of the member countries of the European Community devotes to overseas development; and what is the average for the European Community Countries as a whole.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Precise figures are only available for the eight European Community countries which belong to the OECD development assistance committee (DAC) and in respect to gross national product (GNP). According to the DAC chairman's 1987 report "Development Cooperation" the figures for 1986 are as follows:

  Net official development assistance (oda)

  As percentage of GNP

  Belgium

  0·49

  Denmark

  0·89

  France

  0·72

  Germany

  0·43

  Ireland

  0·28

  Italy

  0·40

  Netherlands

  1·01

  United Kingdom

  0·32

  The net official development assistance of these eight countries represents 0·51 per cent. of their combined GNP.

  Southern Africa (Aid)
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the levels of United Kingdom aid to(a) Mozambique and (b) Angola in the last year.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Figures for 1987 are still provisional, but gross British bilateral aid to Mozambique was about £23 million and to Angola about £250,000.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any current plans to visit Ethiopia.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I have no current plans to make a further visit to Ehiopia. I had hoped to do so last month, but the Ethiopian Government told me that this would not be convenient at present. They expressed the hope, which I share, that I would be able to visit at a mutually convenient time in the future.

  Mozambique
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of Britain's aid allocation to Mozambique.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Our aid programme is welcomed and highly regarded by the Government of Mozambique. Aid from Britain and other donors in support of the Government's economic reform programme has been a factor in Mozambique's estimated 4 per cent. growth in GDP in 1987 and in helping Mozambique to limit the worst effects of the emergency.

  Rain Forests
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give figures for(a) the amount of aid and (b) the percentage of total aid given by (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the European Community to developing nations which was designated for tropical rain forest management programmes for each year for which figures are available since 1980; and if he will give projected figures for the same items for each of the next five years.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The Overseas Development Administration's statistics do not show separate figures for aid expenditure on tropical rain forest management; nor are such figures available to us for European Community aid.

  British bilateral aid expenditure on all types of forestry since 1980 was as follows:

  As percentage of net bilateral aid programme

  £ thousands

  Percent

  1980

  3,328

  0·63

  1981

  3,792

  0·58

  1982

  4,845

  0·91

  1983

  4,491

  0·80

  1984

  6,224

  1·10

  1985

  6,849

  1·10

  1986

  14,921

  2·20

  Examples of current British aid commitments to projects concerned with rain forest management include the Korup national park (Cameroon), Maraca island (Brazil), forest reserve management (Sierra Leone), forest reserve inventory (Ghana) and tropical hardwood plantations and maintenance (Ivory Coast).

  Under the fifth European development fund, which started commitments in 1981, about £9 million had been committed by September 1987 for forestry projects. Under the sixth European development fund, on which commitments started in 1986, about £27 million has been committed to forestry projects to date.

  Likely expenditure in future years cannot be forecast, but I am ready to consider sympathetically sound new proposals.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Summer Time
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when Her Majesty's Government's representative at the European Council agreed to the directive providing for a common European Economic Community summer time to be introduced after 1990; whether any objections were lodged to its being classified under article 100A which provides for majority vote; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) pursuant to the speech by the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg), on 28 April, Official Report, column 617, whether he has given further consideration to the appropriate classification of the summer time directive as being based on article 100A; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No directive has been prepared as yet to cover any period after 1989. When the Commission 10
  proposes the next draft directive, we shall consider most carefully the treaty base proposed in the context of the directive's content.

  Prisoners (Escorts)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals for the introduction of a contracted-out system for the escort of prisoners to and from courts and whilst at courts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  In his statement to the House on 30 March, my right hon. Friend announced his intention to publish a Green Paper on private sector involvement In all aspects of the remand system. This includes court escorts and manning.

  Marches Banning Order (Leeds)
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire on the implementation of the order banning marches in Leeds on 23 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Decisions on how to enforce a prohibition under the Public Order Act 1986 are operational matters for the chief officer of police. I understand from the chief constable of West Yorkshire that a number of assemblies, unaffected by the prohibition on processions, took place and that these were well ordered. The West Yorkshire police are investigating complaints that, as one of these assemblies dispersed, those leaving it formed into a procession.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the extension of his Department's approval to the Drunmore shooting centre on 15 February for small and full bore rifles.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to his earlier question on 31 March, at column 687.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why his Department authorised the extension of approval for the Drunmore shooting centre on 15 February to cover small and full bore rifles.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Approval was extended on the request of the club in question, against the criteria set out in the reply which I gave to a question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 15 January at column 446.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which chief officer of police and of which force has been appointed to assist Mrs. Vickers of the Police Complaints Authority to investigate complaints about operational matters and the administration of the Firearms Act 1968 in relation to the firearms certificate granted and varied to the late Michael Ryan.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The investigating officer is Mr. G. E. Hedges, assistant chief constable of the Thames Valley police.
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  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the rights and entitlements which accrue to a firearms club which is approved by his Department under the terms of the Firearms Act 1968 as against a firearms club which is not approved for the use of small bore and full bore rifles and pistols and revolvers.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Approved clubs are eligible to apply for a club firearm certificate at no cost. This enables members who do not hold their own firearm certificate to use firearms and ammunition belonging to the club when they are engaged as members in drill or target practice. Members of those clubs which are not approved must hold a personal firearm certificate which specifies the firearms and ammunition they are entitled to possess.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received, giving dates from(a) the chief constable of Thames Valley police and (b) the Thames Valley police authority, as a result of the inquest into deaths caused by the late Michael Ryan on 19 August 1987, seeking amendments to the Firearms Act 1968.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None. The chief constable's observations on firearms legislation were included in his report to my right hon. Friend on the shootings.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley police as to what disciplinary action giving dates he(a) has taken or (b) proposes to take against police officers involved in (i) operational firearms matters and (ii) administration of the Firearms Act 1968 in relation to the grant of or variation to the firearms certificate of the late Michael Ryan.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No decisions on disciplinary action can be taken until the investigation being carried out under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority has been completed.

  Citizenship
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for registration for British citizenship were received by his Department in envelopes date stamped after 31 December 1987; how many such applicants have been told that their applications have been refused and their fee refunded; how many such applicants have been told that their applications have been accepted; and how many such applicants are still to be informed whether their application has been accepted or rejected.

  Mr. Renton
  Information is not available in the form requested. Approximately 13,500 applications for naturalisation or registration were received in the period 1 January to 30 April 1988. Applications are generally processed in order of receipt and very few post-December applications will have been decided yet.

  Security Personnel
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether security personnel from Arab countries are granted similar rights of access and operation into and within the United Kingdom as those from Israel; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Hurd
  It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on security matters.

SCOTLAND

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the number of fully completed community charge registration forms returned in each region in Scotland, the percentage in each area that remain unreturned and the percentage in each area returned which seek a decision by the registration officer.

  Mr. Lang
  Information in this form is not available centrally. The detailed arrangements for making up the community charges register are for individual registration officers. My right hon. and learned Friend has every reason to believe that the registration process is going smoothly.

  Agriculture and Food Regulations
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy not to introduce regulations in relation to agriculture and food in advance of the European Community regulations on the same subjects.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Our general policy is to avoid imposing regulations on our farmers which will place them at a disadvantage with their counterparts elsewhere in the Community but there are occasions, and the bans on the veal crate system and tooth grinding in sheep are recent examples, where practices are so unacceptable as to require us to take the lead.

  Mouth Bridge Inquiry
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the reporter's decision on the Mouth Bridge local inquiry.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The report of the inquiry is expected to be submitted in the near future. When it is, my right hon. and learned Friend will consider it carefully and make a decision as soon as possible thereafter.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any assistance is given through rate support grant for the provision of nursery education.

  Mr. Lang
  Rate support grant is used in support of authorities' income generally. It is not attributed to particular services.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  School Orchestras
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he takes to encourage the formation of school orchestras.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  It is for each school to decide, in the light of its individual circumstances, whether it should form a school orchestra. However, the Government
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  acknowledge the desirability of participation in group music making for pupils of all ages and hope schools will provide opportunities for this where possible.

  Her Majesty's Inspectors
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report (a) the number of schools inspected by Her Majesty's inspectors, in each year since 1983, (b) the number of these schools formally inspected and having reports issued upon them and (c) the number of Her Majesty's inspectors currently in post.

  Mr. Dunn
  In the academic year 1983–84 Her Majesty's inspectors visited some 3,600 primary and 3,400 secondary schools. The corresponding figures for 1984–85 are some 3,000 primary and 2,200 secondary schools, and for 1985–86 some 3,000 primary and 2,100 secondary schools. Formal inspections led to published reports as follows:

  Number

  1983

  224

  1984

  197

  1985

  158

  1986

  149

  1987

  246

  There are currently 474 HMI in post.

  Engineers and Scientists
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the numbers of engineers and scientists employed by the Science and Engineering Research Council, the Cavendish laboratory, the Rutherford-Appleton laboratories and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for the period 1970 to 1988.

  Mr. Jackson
  Information on the Cavendish laboratory, which is a component part of the University of Cambridge, is not held centrally and the Government's relationship with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy. The information requested on the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) and its Rutherford Appleton laboratory (RAL) is as follows:

  SERC total numbers1

  RAL2

  Year

  Engineers

  Scientists

  Engineers

  Scientists

  1970

  902

  397

  287·5

  347

  1971

  953

  404

  298·5

  339

  1972

  949

  545

  301·5

  337

  1973

  958

  549

  297·5

  330·5

  1974

  950

  559

  299

  330

  1975

  970

  558

  3395

  331·5

  1976

  972

  557

  368·5

  302

  1977

  848

  528

  361·5

  287

  1978

  791

  494

  378·5

  286·5

  1979

  809

  498

  411

  294–5

  1980

  881·5

  527

  4593

  4324·5

  1981

  856

  527

  592·5

  315

  1982

  862

  515

  606·5

  311

  1983

  895

  517

  633

  312

  1984

  882·5

  509·5

  614

  288

  1985

  854

  493

  615

  276

  1986

  835

  499

  634

  316

  1987

  864·5

  523

  636

  314

  1988

  856·5

  527

  14
  1 Figures for SERC as a whole as at 31 March each year.

  2 Figures for RAL as at 31 December each year.

  3 Increase in numbers of scientists due to the merger of the Atlas Computing Laboratory.

  4 Increase in numbers of scientists and engineers due to the transfer of Appleton Laboratory staff from Slough to Chilton.

  Public Bodies (Costs)
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the gross and net cost to public funds of the Science and Engineering Research Council, the Cavendish laboratory and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for the financial years 1979–80 to 1987–88.

  Mr. Jackson
  The following table shows the gross expenditure and the net cost to public funds of the Science and Engineering Research Council from 1979–80 to 1987–88:

  £ million

  Gross exp.

  Net cost to public funds

  1979–80

  181

  177

  1980–81

  208

  203

  1981–82

  225

  219

  1982–83

  244

  237

  1983–84

  264

  259

  1984–85

  290

  286

  1985–86

  317

  309

  1986–87

  337

  326

  1987–88

  386

  375

  Financial information on the Cavendish laboratory is not held centrally.

  Responsibility for the Government's relationship with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the 10 largest publicly funded research and development organisations for which he is responsible, by turnover and staffing.

  Mr. Jackson
  Grant-in-aid funding is provided through the Department for the following organisations engaged in research and development, including research in the humanities:

  Science and Engineering Research Council

  Medical Research Council

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Agricultural and Food Research Council

  Economic and Social Research Council

  The Royal Society

  The British Academy

  The Fellowship of Engineering

  The Department also funds research in universities through the block grants paid on the advice of the University Grants Committee. Information on research expenditure by university is not available.

  Some research is funded through the grants-in-aid paid to the Cranfield institute of technology and the Open University.

  Burnage High School, Manchester
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will obtain a copy of the report of the
  15
  MacDonald inquiry into Burnage high school, Manchester, with a view to seeking an order from the House for the printing and publication thereof.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The report was commissioned by the Manchester city council. I understand that it will be considered by the council's education committee on 17 May. I have asked for a copy of the report to be sent to me when it is published. When this is to hand I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.

WALES

  Nursery Schooling (Clwyd)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much cash he has allocated to Clwyd local education authority for nursery schooling in each of the years since April 1979 in real terms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Nursery schooling, like other aspects of local education authority spending, is funded from locally raised revenue supported by mainly unhypothecated Government grants, not from cash allocations by central Government.

  Opencast Mine, Ewloe
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the result of the public inquiry into the Opencast Executive's application to mine at Cheapside, Ewlow, Deeside; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Béfore the end of July.

  Datamagnetics
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how much money the Welsh Development Agency has put into Datamagnetics; and in what financial categories and in which years;

  (2) how much money Her Majesty's Government has put into Datamagnetics; and in what categories and in which years;

  (3) how many jobs are in existence at Datamagnetics; what efforts he and his agencies are making to assist the company to stay in business as a sizeable employer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The grants made and resources invested in Datamagnetics by the Government and the Welsh Development Agency are as follows:

  £ thousands

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Regional development grant

  71

  400

  212

  Regional selective assistance

  —

  732

  —

  Support for innovation

  —

  100

  66

  WDA equity

  500

  —

  222

  WDA factory improvements

  702

  —

  —

  WDA rent concessions

  138

  138

  —

  At present, employment at the company stands at 165.

  Prime responsibility for attempting to secure the company's future rests with the receiver who has said he is optimistic that it can be sold as a going concern. The Welsh Office and the WDA will also continue to assist in
  16
  whatever way they can. The agency has already drawn the opportunity presented by the business to the attention of a wide range of interests, including ones in the far east and the United States of America.

  Even if the company cannot be sold as a going concern the factory's excellent location and facilities provide a valuable base to attract another user and create alternative job opportunities.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Women (Senior Posts)
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what progress has been made in ensuring that women are represented at senior levels in the Civil Service.

  Mr. Luce
  We are committed to equality of opportunity for women in the Civil Service and good progress has been made. I recently placed a copy of the report "Equal Opportunities for Woman in the Civil Service" in the Library: this sets out the progress made and priorities for further action.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish a table showing for each Department of the Civil Service and each grade within each Department the number of(a) members of ethnic minorities and (b) women in post, giving the total numbers of staff in each Department employed in each grade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: I have today written to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Libraries of Parliament.

ENVIRONMENT

  Inner London Education Authority
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his statement on 9 March,Official Report, column 325, if he will now use his powers under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act to direct the Inner London education authority to dispose of its land holdings.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The following sites belonging to the ILEA are on the register of publicly owned vacant or underused land over one acre in size set up under the 1980 Act.

  Borough and Site

  Size (acres)

  Bexley—Camdale road playing field

  2·13

  Lewisham—Plassey road

  1·89

  Tower Hamlets—Pritchards road

  1·31

  Tower Hamlets—Bonner street

  1·05

  My right hon. Friend issued a notice on 3 March 1988 of his intention to direct ILEA to dispose of the Plassey road site. The authority have been asked to inform my Department what action is being taken to bring the other three sites back into positive use.

  Football Matches (Attendances)
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the level of attendances at football matches on Sundays for the last four years.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Neither the Football League nor the Football Association holds separate information about the level of attendances at football matches played on Sundays.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the level of community charge which will apply in the Houghton and Washington constituency(a) with safety nets, and (b) assuming 10 per cent. non-payment.

  Mr. Howard
  The level of community charge which will apply when the new system is introduced will depend in large part on the spending decisions of individual local authorities. On the basis of 1987–88 expenditure figures, I estimate the safety netted community charge for Sunderland at £200. Any shortfall in collection would have to be recovered locally and would increase community charges proportionately for those who pay.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the actual total contribution made from community charge payments and through central taxation by residents in the South Cambridgeshire district with the following circumstances:(a) a married couple with two young children and the husband only working with income of £7,500 per annum gross, (b) a married couple with two young children with a £30,000 mortgage where both are working with an income of £12,000 per annum gross, (c) as (b) with an income of £20,000 per annum gross and (d) as (b) with an income of £30,000 per annum gross.

  Mr. Howard
  The information required to make the estimates asked for is not available. Clearly the couple specified in case(d) will pay substantially more in income and direct taxes than the couple in case (a). Since half of local spending is met from national taxation, the former couple's total contribution—direct and indirect—to the cost of local services will be greater than in the case of the other family. Overall we estimate that the top 10 per cent. of households by income pay around 15 times as much as the lowest paid 10 per cent. of households towards the costs of local services.

  Conservation
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his policy towards the preservation of the architectural heritage, listed buildings and conservation areas.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend's policy is set out in detail in DoE circular 8/87, a copy of which is in the Library. In essence, it remains our resolve to preserve the architectural heritage, to which listed buildings and conservation areas make such an important contribution.

  Council Housing (London Docklands Development Corporation)
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce legislation to give London Docklands development corporation powers to refurbish council housing.

  Mr. Trippier
  No legislation is required. The LDDC has already carried out external refurbishment or environmental works on over 25 council estates and the corporation is considering what further contributions it might make.

  Cambridgeshire Structure Plan
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the inspector's report on the Cambridgeshire structure plan.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The panel that conducted the examination in public into the Cambridgeshire structure plan review has just submitted its report to the Secretary of State. It will be published when the Secretary of State has considered it and decided upon his proposed modifications.

  Nuclear Waste Dumping
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has had any representations from Nirex or other private companies regarding nuclear waste dumping in the areas of (i) the Fens of north Cambridgeshire and south Lincolnshire or (ii) the Wash; and if he has instigated in his Department any inquiries as to the feasibility of such dumping in the said areas.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend has received no representations from Nirex or other private companies regarding the disposal of radioactive waste in the Fens or the Wash. Investigations into the feasibility of using any part of the country for a disposal facility are a matter for Nirex.

  Genetically Engineered Organisms (EC Regulations)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his response to the EEC regulations for handling genetically engineered organisms in relation to laboratory tests on genetically modified micro-organisms and the release outdoors of modified organisms.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I understand that the European Commission will shortly be presenting to the Council of Ministers three proposed EC directives relating to work with genetically engineered organisms. Officials of relevant Government Departments have been involved in preliminary discussions on these proposals. Explanatory memoranda will be presented to Parliament to inform the House in the normal way once the directives are presented. The United Kingdom Government will thereafter be fully involved in discussions on the proposals.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give figures for the expenditure of
  19
  his Department on (a) local environmental services, (b) water-related services and (c) total environmental services, excluding housing, for each year since 1974 for which figures are available.

  Mr. Ridley
  The figures are shown in the table. They cover only voted expenditure by my Department on environmental and water-related services which is currently shown on class X, Votes 1 and 2, of the Supply Estimates.

  The figures include grants towards local authorities' expenditure, grants-in-aid to statutory environmental

  Year

  Local environmental services £ million

  Water related services £ million

  Total environmental services £ million

  1974–75

  5·6

  7·2

  37·6

  1975–76

  9·6

  11·0

  44·1

  1976–77

  3·0

  14·6

  36·2

  1977–78

  11·9

  28·5

  44·7

  1978–79

  15·8

  34·9

  62·8

  1979–80

  29·7

  34·9

  76·3

  1980–81

  32·5

  40·0

  81·7

  1981–82

  21·2

  46·1

  69·2

  1982–83

  32·7

  53·6

  101·2

  1983–84

  20·3

  57·9

  96·5

  1984–85

  23·0

  55·9

  109·4

  1985–86

  14·4

  55·3

  118·3

  1986–87

  14·1

  62·6

  139·2

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give figures for the expenditure by his Department on(a) radioactive waste management,

  Year

  (a) Radioactive waste management £000

  (b) Air pollution £000

  (c) Total environmental protection1 £000

  1973–74

  —

  647

  21,067

  1974–75

  —

  861

  21,821

  1975–76

  —

  1,377

  22,943

  1976–77

  —

  1,164

  22,671

  1977–78

  —

  1,248

  23,655

  1978–79

  3,914

  1,578

  7,958

  1979–80

  5,113

  1,584

  8,810

  1980–81

  9,780

  1,841

  13,619

  1981–82

  8,833

  2,158

  13,681

  1982–83

  8,116

  1,714

  12,517

  1983–84

  8,805

  1,866

  12,974

  1984–85

  9,360

  1,874

  13,869

  1985–86

  11,725

  3,704

  17,978

  1986–87 (provisional)

  10,900

  4,500

  18,000

  1 Includes radioactive waste management and air pollution research; excludes water and countryside research.

  2 Figures before 1978–79 do not include any expenditure on research on radioactive waste management since it was not until then a DOE responsibility.

  Private Landlords
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received seeking legislation to require private landlords to disclose their identity and actual address to tenants; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.
  20
  bodies, payments made under the former Community Land Act and subscriptions to international environmental organisations.

  The figures exclude expenditure by local authorities and described in the PEWP, table 10.1, as "local environmental services". They also exclude grants for the urban programme and derelict land clearance, expenditure on the built heritage and the costs of privatisation of the water industry which are borne on Votes 3, 4 and 9 respectively.

  The figures are derived from the Appropriation accounts for classes VIII and X for the years 1974–75 to 1986–87.

  (b) air pollution research and (c) total expenditure on environmental protection and research, for each year since 1974 for which figures are available.

  Mr. Ridley
  Expenditure on environmental protection research by the Department of the Environment was as follows:

  Mrs. Roe
  My Department has received complaints from time to time from tenants who did not know the name and address of their landlord. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 a landlord must supply this information if a tenant requests it either from the person to whom rent is paid or from the landlord's agent. Failure to do so is a criminal offence. Following the recommendations of the Nugee committee on the
  21
  management of privately owned blocks of flats, this provision was augmented in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 which, like the 1985 Act, extends to England and Wales. The 1987 Act provides that a landlord must state his name and address on any rent or service change demand and that service charges need not be paid until he has done so. The landlord must also give a name and address in England and Wales for the service or notices, and the tenants may withhold any rent or service charge until he has done so.

  Housing Corporation
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra resources he intends to provide in 1988–89 for the Housing Corporation to fund major repairs to housing association dwellings, which have now become empty and uninhabitable because the local authority is now unable to finance necessary major repairs; and how he intends these resources to be allocated.

  Mrs. Roe
  The Housing Corporation's approved development programme for 1988–89 represents an increase over earlier plans of some £50 million, to £737 million. Within this, the corporation expects to approve £45 million of new schemes for the major repair of housing association dwellings. They have been asked to concentrate these resources on bringing empty properties back into use in areas of shortage. In the past, where the property was originally developed with local authority money, the corporation provided funding for repairs only in exceptional cases. But they have now been authorised to fund repairs wherever the local authority is genuinely unable to do so itself on condition that the dwellings are then let to homeless people.

  Water Supplies (North West Water Authority)
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by quantity per gallon or litre, chemicals and other matter added to domestic water supplies by the North West water authority; what is the purpose of each additive listed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Like all water undertakers, North West water authority adds small quantities of several chemicals to water supplies. These vary according to the quality of the water being treated. I have asked the authority to reply to the hon. Member in more detail.

  Environmental Assessment (EC Directive)
  Mr. Wyn Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to reverse the provision of the European Community directive on environmental assessment 84/337/EEC which excludes from mandatory environmental assessment major projects such as port expansion, docks and estuarial barrages effected through private Bills.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Article 1.5 of the directive provides:"This Directive shall not apply to projects the details of which are adopted by a specific act of national legislation, since the objectives of this Directive, including that of supplying information, are achieved through the legislative process".
  22
  Private Bill procedures are matters for Parliament and are at present under consideration by the Joint Committee on Private Bill Procedure.

  Housing Investment Programme (Coventry)
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the housing investment programme allocation made in each year since 1974 to the city of Coventry, expressed in constant 1988 prices.

  Mrs. Roe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 21 April, at column 563. The present system of HIP allocations began in 1978–79. The table referred to in the answer has now been placed in the Library.

  Heysham Harbour (Port Manager)
  Mr. Heffer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will prosecute under the Merchant Shipping Acts the port manager of Heysham harbour for cutting the rope of the Tynwald with a chain saw on Saturday 30 April.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply.

  No. The Merchant Shipping Act did not apply to the incident referred. On the information available neither the ship, its crew nor any person ashore were endangered by the action of the harbour master and there was no contravention of any legal requirement.

ENERGY

  Electricity (Privatisation)
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, what recent meetings he has had with the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board to discuss the privatisation of electricity.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I meet the chairman of the CEGB, Lord Marshall, regularly to discuss various matters relating to the privatisation of the electricity supply industry.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what interest has been shown by investors, both institutional and private. United Kingdom based and overseas, in investing in the privatisation of the electricity supply industry.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I am pleased to say that considerable interest is already being expressed in the privatisation of the electricity supply industry, and I am confident that the flotations will be a success.

  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with his financial advisers about the implications of recent stock exchange difficulties for privatisation of the Central Electricity Generating Board and the timetable for such privatisation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have discussions with my advisers on a wide range of subjects connected with the privatisation of the electricity supply industry. The privatisation will have to take account, amongst other factors, of the condition of the market at the time of the sale, not of last autumn, and I am confident that there will be wide interest among institutional investors and members of the public.
  23
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received on his proposals for protecting customer rights and standards of service when the electricity supply industry is privatised.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have received representations from a range of interested parties welcoming the Government's proposals to give new rights to the consumer.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from interested parties in connection with the request that the electricity supply industry will be required to provide about one-fifth of the electricity from non-fossil sources following privatisation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have received a number of representations from a range of interested parties.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the likely increase in electricity prices in the period leading up to privatisation of the electricity supply industry.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Electricity prices are set by the industry in the light of the Government's financial target and the scope they have to make cost reductions. It is too early to say what the price rise will be next year and beyond.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received concerning the regulation of the proposed private electricity supply companies

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have received representations on a wide range of subjects connected with the privatisation of the electricity supply industry.

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from the private sector regarding new opportunities in electricity generation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Independent generators have welcomed the Government's proposals for electricity privatisation as set out in the White Paper and the new opportunities in electricity generation that this will bring.

  British Coal
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has been informed by the chairman of British Coal of the future reorganisation of its administration.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Yes.

  Oil Supplies
  Mr. Stokes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects the current world surplus production of oil to end.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  World oil production capacity currently exceeds demand by around 10 millions barrels per day. Most of the additional oil capacity is in OPEC. Known world reserves of oil and gas are still rising and the future is therefore unpredictable.

  Hinkley C Nuclear Power Station
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimates he has made of the cost of electricity from the proposed Hinkley C nuclear power station.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much has been invested in the coal industry since April 1979.

  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much has been invested in the coal industry since April 1979.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer my hon. Friends to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight).

  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give the most recent figures for productivity in the coal industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  For the week ended 23 April, deep mined output per man shift was 4·18 tonnes, a new record.

  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will meet the chairman of British Coal to discuss reorganisation proposals in the light of manpower reductions in the Scottish coalfields.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I meet the chairman of British coal regularly to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

  United Kingdom Continental Shelf
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the current levels of drilling activity on the United Kingdom continental shelf; and what was the comparable figure a year ago.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Ninety-four wells were started in the first quarter of 1988 and 47 wells were started in the same period of 1987. The number of wells drilled in the first quarter was one of the highest figures recorded and reflects the growing level of confidence amongst companies involved in the North sea.

  Coal Imports
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has discussed with the chairman of British Coal the level of expected imported coal.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with the chairman of British Coal to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

  Domestic Gas Disconnections
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action his Department is taking to seek to ensure that British Gas implements the recommendations of the Gas Consumers Council document, "An Analysis of Gas Disconnections."

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The Gas Consumers Council and the Director General of Gas Supply have both made representations to British Gas plc on the operation of the
  25
  code of practice on disconnections. I understand that these are being considered by British Gas, as required by condition 12 of its authorisation.

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

  Mr. Parkinson
  No, there are no such plans in my Department.

  Coal Mining (Subsidence)
  Mr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department holds a copy of the British Coal subsidence manual.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No.

  Nuclear Waste Dumping
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has been consulted by the Central Electricity Generating Board, or Nirex, or any other organisation regarding the feasibility of nuclear waste dumping in(a) the Fens area of north Cambridgeshire and south Lincolnshire or (b) the Wash.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No. As the discussion document "The Way Forward" explains, Nirex has identified a number of areas which might be suitable for a deep repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste including the Fens area and the Wash. No decisions have yet been taken but Nirex hopes to make recommendations to Government by the end of the year.

  Wave Power
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what research and development projects into wave power are currently being funded by his Department.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My Department is currently funding:

  —The construction and monitoring of an experimental, shoreline, oscillating water-column device by Belfast university on the island of Islay;

  —A feasibility study of a modular offshore device by Lancaster university;

  —Assessments of shoreline and modular offshore devices by the energy technology support unit.

  Reports on these studies will be published in due course.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recent assessment his Department has made of the contribution of wave power to electricity generation in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The last overall assessment of the contribution of wave power to electricity generation was published as ETSU report R30 "Prospects for the Exploitation of the Renewable Energy Technologies of the United Kingdom" and this information was updated in Energy Paper No. 54 "Energy Technologies for the United Kingdom: 1986 Appraisal of R, D & D". Copies of both reports are in the Library of the House. The energy 26
  technology support unit is currently conducting assessments of the potential for shoreline and modular offshore devices and a proposal is under consideration for a preliminary survey of possible sites for shoreline devices.

  British Coal (Housing Stock)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will take steps to require British Coal to oblige purchasers of its housing stock to disclose their identity and actual address to individual tenants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The statutes already provide that this information is made available to or is accessible to all tenants.

  North Sea Oil (Companies' Orders)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide a breakdown for the financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88, and an estimate for the year 1987–89 for(a) the number of orders for North sea oil-related work that have been placed by oil companies, (b) a breakdown of these orders by the type of work involved and the cost, (c) the proportion of the orders by volume and cash amount that has gone to United Kingdom-based companies and the proprotion that has gone to overseas companies and (d) the country of origin for the orders that have been placed overseas.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Orders greater than £100,000 are reported by offshore oil operators by calendar year.

  The number of orders reported in 1986 and 1987 were 3,274 and 2,961. A breakdown of these orders into type of work, cost and overseas content is contained in the Department of Energy publication "Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom", a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library. The United Kingdom content of the value of orders placed in 1986 and 1987 was 82 per cent. of £2·23 billion and 87 per cent. of £1·87 billion. The proportion by volume of orders won by United Kingdom companies for these years is approximately 87 per cent. and 89 per cent. It is not possible to give the overseas element by individual country.

  A rise in the value of orders placed is expected in 1988 and again United Kingdom industry will be well placed to secure a major share of the work available.

  Petrol from Coal
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what support his Department is giving to research directed at obtaining petrol from coal and similar solid hydrocarbons.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department is contributing £3 million to British Coal's coal liquefaction pilot plant project at Point of Ayr colliery in north Wales. Support for British Coal's participation with Germany and Sweden in the International Energy Agency programme on pyrolysis of coal amounts to £0·7 million.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Scheduled Offences
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suspects have been
  27
  questioned at each of the Royal Ulster Constabulary holding centres in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months regarding scheduled offences under the emergency legislation.

  Mr. Stanley
  A total of 1,851 persons were arrested by the RUC and questioned about alleged terrorist-type offences during the period 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been charged with scheduled offences under the emergency legislation as a result of interviews held at each of the Royal Ulster Constabulary holding centres in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Stanley
  During the period 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988, a total of 458 persons were charged with terrorist-type offences.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suspects interrogated about alleged scheduled offences under the emergency legislation at each of the Royal Ulster Constabulary holding centres in the last 12 months have refused to answer any questions at all during interrogation.

  Mr. Stanley
  It is not the practice to provide such information.

  Javelin Anti-aircraft Missiles (Chile)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice was sought by Short Brothers from his Department in connection with the possible sale of Javelin anti-aircraft missiles to Chile.

  Mr. Viggers
  It is not the Government's practice to comment on individual export matters.

  Teachers (Absence)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to provide a supply or substitute teacher from the first day on which a teacher is absent to infant classes (P1-P3) for all primary schools.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The position will be considered in a review of substitute provisions presently being carried out by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the actual cost of first day cover for absence of teachers in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years in(a) primary schools and (b) post primary schools;

  (2) what was the cost of providing first day cover for absent teachers in schools with an average daily enrolment of less than 222 pupils in each of the last three years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of first day cover for approved planned absence of teachers from schools in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years in(a) primary schools and (b) post-primary schools.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  Pupil-Teacher Ratio
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present pupil-teacher ratio for(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Available information relates to the 1986–87 school year and is as follows:

  Ratio

  Primary1

  23·4

  Secondary2

  14·9

  1 Includes nursery classes in primary schools and preparatory departments of grammar schools.

  2 Consists of secondary intermediate schools and secondary departments of grammar schools.

  University of Ulster
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many four-year courses at the University of Ulster have been cut to three-year courses over the past five years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  No such reductions have been made at the University of Ulster since it was formed in October 1984.

  Elections (Non-violence Oath)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is yet in a position to say when he expects the legislation providing for a non-violence oath for local government elections in Northern Ireland to be introduced.

  Mr. Tom King
  The position remains as set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Rev. Martin Smyth) on 28 March, at column 313.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to enable Parliament to vote spending authority for all or parts of the half of public expenditure not currently so voted; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Major
  Parliament has authorised a number of types of public expenditure to be defrayed in ways other than annual voting of Supply. For example, payments from the national insurance fund are met from contributions and voted money on the authority of the Social Security Act 1975 and subsequent Acts. The United Kingdom's gross contribution to the European Community is paid as a standing service on the Consolidated Fund under the provisions of section 2(3) of the European Communities Act 1972. For nationalised industries Parliament periodically sets borrowing limits. Local authorities raise that part of their expenditure which is not funded by voted grants either through rates or through their own borrowing.

  VAT
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for changing local authorities liability to value added tax with regard to the practice and proposals of the EEC.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Government consider that the United Kingdom fully meets its European Community obligations in so far as the VAT liabilities of local authorities are concerned, and is aware of no specific proposals by the European Commission for legislation likely to require major changes in this area. However, if my hon. Friend has a particular point in mind perhaps he could write to me.

  Company Profitability
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the rise in company profitability in 1987.

  Mr. Major
  The profitability of non-North sea industrial and commercial companies is provisionally estimated to have risen by 1½ percentage points between 1986 and 1987, to 10½ per cent.—the highest level for about 20 years.

  Personal Incomes
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current level of real personal disposable income in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current level of real personal disposable income in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Major
  Real personal disposable income in 1987 is estimated to have been 15 per cent. higher than in 1979. Further growth is expected this year.

  Balance of Payments
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the current balance of payments position.

  Mr. Major
  At Budget time my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer forecast a current account deficit of £4 billion for 1988.

  Energy Use
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his Department's target reductions in energy usage for 1988–89; what is his Department's target reduction in electricity usage for lighting in 1988–89; and what investment his Department is planning to make in new energy-efficient lighting equipment in 1988–89 to achieve those target reductions.

  Mr. Brooke
  A 4 per cent. saving has been assumed in the preparation of the Department's overall energy budget. No specific target has been set for the reduction of lighting costs.

  HMSO Publications
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of Her Majesty's Stationery Office publications are currently in print.
  30
  Mr. Brooke
  There are currently around 43,000 HMSO titles in print.

  Coinage
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to introduce the new 5p and 10p coins announced on 17 December 1987.

  Mr. Lawson
  The new 5p coin will be issued in June 1990, and the new 10p coin will be issued in June 1992.

  Taxation Statistics
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for 1988–89 the total reduction in income tax, inheritance tax and capital gains tax liability following the Budget that will accrue to the top(a) 0·1 per cent., (b) 1 per cent., (c) 5 per cent. and (d) 10 per cent. of taxpayers and to the bottom (i) 70 per cent., (ii) 60 per cent., (iii) 50 per cent., (iv) 25 per cent., (v) 10 per cent. and (vi) 5 per cent. of taxpayers.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: I regret that information is not available to make reliable estimates in the detail requested for inheritance tax and capital gains tax. However, it is estimated that under the Budget proposals the reduction in capital gains tax on gains realised in 1988–89 by the top 5 per cent. of income tax payers will be rather less than £50 million.

  Estimates of the direct revenue costs in a full year of the income tax changes above indexation are given in the table. Reliable estimates cannot be made for the top 0·1 per cent. of taxpayers since the estimates are based on projections of the 1985–86 survey of personal income.

  Reductions in income tax liability compared with the indexed 1987–88 tax regime

  Range of quantiles1 of the income tax distribution

  Reduction in tax £ million

  Top:

  1 per cent.

  1,880

  5 per cent.

  2,690

  10 per cent.

  3,160

  Bottom2:

  70 per cent.

  1,730

  60 per cent.

  1,310

  50 per cent.

  960

  25 per cent.

  330

  10 per cent.

  100

  5 per cent.

  40

  All taxpayers

  6,050

  1 Based on the distribution of income tax under the proposed 1988–89 tax regime.

  2 Includes 240,000 single people and married couples taken out of tax by increases in allowances over indexation.

THE ARTS

  Museums and Galleries
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what estimate he has of the proportion of artefacts held in museums and galleries currently on public display.

  Mr. Luce
  The proportion of artefacts in museums and galleries on public display varies from institution to
  31
  institution and with the nature of the collection. The National gallery and the Wallace collection, for example, have all of their collection on display. For museums with large reference collections, such as the British museum, the National History museum and the Victoria and Albert museum, only a proportion can be displayed at any one time.

  The Government are keen to improve public access to the treasures in our museums and galleries by wider use of the reserve collections and by loans to other institutions.

  All national museums and galleries arrange access by members of the public to items not on display and all aim to rotate items between the reserve collection and public display. A good deal of material is loaned out already under the terms of the Government indemnity scheme. I would like to see more and have asked the Museums and Galleries Commission to encourage this through its recently formed touring exhibition unit.

  English National Museums
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has met the directors of the English national museums to discuss the resource implications of the National Audit Office report on English national museums.

  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has met the directors of the English national museums to discuss the resource implications of the National Audit Office report on English national museums.

  Mr. Luce
  I am meeting the director of each national museum and gallery that I sponsor to discuss the institutions corporate plan for the next five years, including the resource implications of their plans and priorities.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has met the trades unions concerned to discuss the staffing implications of the National Audit Office report on English national museums.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has met the relevant trades unions to discuss the staffing implications of the National Audit Office report on English national museums.

  Mr. Luce
  I have no plans to do so. It is for the individual museums and galleries to discuss their priorities and development with their staffs in the context of their corporate plans.

  Victoria and Albert Museum
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will provide additional resources for the Victoria and Albert museum national art library.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will provide additional resources so that the British museum, the Victoria and Albert museum and the Tate gallery can respond to the report of the National Audit Office on English national museums.

  Mr. Luce
  The allocations to the Victoria and Albert and other national museums and galleries are decided in the light of information provided by the institutions. It is 32
  for the Victoria and Albert trustees to indicate the needs of the national art library and the priority they attach to them.

  Natural History Museum
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many people have paid for admission to the Natural History museum in the past 12 months.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what have been the administrative costs of admission charges to the Natural History museum in 1987–88.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what has been the income from admission charges for the Natural History museum in the past 12 months.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many staff were employed on administering admission charges at the Natural History museum in 1987–88.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what has been the income from admission charges at the Natural History museum in the past 12 months.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what were the costs of setting up admission charges at the Natural History museum in 1987–88.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many staff were employed in administering admission charges at the Natural History museum in 1987–88.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many people have paid for admission to the Natural History museum in the past 12 months.

  Mr. Luce
  I refer the hon. Members to my reply to the hon. Members for Eccles (Miss Lestor) and Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) earlier today.

  Museums and Galleries
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many museum and gallery corporate plans have so far been prepared in the current year.

  Mr. Luce
  All the national museums and galleries that I sponsor have prepared or are preparing corporate plans for the period up to March 1993. So far this year I have received plans from six of the institutions. I am discussing their plans with all of them.

  Touring Companies
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how he is encouraging touring companies involved in the performing arts in 1988–89.

  Mr. Luce
  I announced a three-year programme of expenditre for the Arts Council last November, which included funds to strengthen touring in Great Britain. I understand that the council will allocate an additional £1·5 million for this purpose in 1988–89.

  In addition, I warmly welcome the council's new touring initiative "Upstart". It represents a partnership between the public and private sectors which will enable productions to be taken first to the regions and then to London, bringing drama of the highest quality to the widest possible audience.

  Imperial War Museum
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what progress has been made in the redevelopment of the Imperial War museum.

  Mr. Luce
  On 30 March I performed the "topping out" ceremony to mark the formal completion of structural work on stage 1 of the redevelopment of the Imperial War museum's main building in Lambeth road. This £16·7 million building project, which is being financed by a partnership of arts programme funding, donations and the museum's earned income, will more than double public display space and will improve visitor facilities.

  The museum has ambitious and innovative plans for fitting out the new galleries and for redisplaying its collections, for which it is seeking sponsorship to supplement its public funding. I wish it every success.

  When the new galleries open in June 1989, we will have an exciting, modern museum, second to none in its field.

  Business Sponsorship
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is his current estimate of new business sponsorship of the Arts in 1988–89.

  Mr. Luce
  The level of business sponsorship has been steadily increasing, especially following the introduction of the business sponsorship incentive scheme in 1984. The estimate for 1988–89 is that the sponsorship figure will be over £30 million.

  Free Library Service
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what steps he proposes to take to protect the free basic library service.

  Mr. Luce
  The Government are committed to maintaining the free basic public library service to individuals. Broadly, this comprises reference services available to all, and the lending of books and other printed material to those who live, work or are in full-time education in a library authority's area.

  Byre Theatre, St. Andrews
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will pay a visit to the Byre theatre, St. Andrews.

  Mr. Luce
  I have no plans at the moment to visit the Byre theatre.

  Theatres
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many new theatres have been opened in the last three years.

  Mr. Luce
  The Office of Arts and Libraries does not maintain records on this subject. The available information indicates that six new theatres have been opened in the last three years, with a further theatre due to open at the end of the year. In addition, at least six theatres have reopened, and at least six more have been extensively refurbished.

  National Collections
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what further discussions he has had with the trustees of national collections about the display of items held in store.

  Mr. Luce
  I take every reasonable opportunity to encourage the national museums and galleries to ensure that as much of their collection as is practicable is on display, either in the institutions themselves or on loan to others.

TRANSPORT

  EC (Transport Ministers)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met his counterparts from the other European Community countries; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Channon
  On 25 April at an informal meeting for Transport Ministers. There was general discussion aimed at identifying transport issues likely to be significant during the 1990s.

  London Underground (Escalators)
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue a direction to London Regional Transport to install transparent skirting boards on escalators on the London underground.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  No. LRT has a statutory duty to have due regard to safety. It is for LRT to make proposals for specific measures which may be necessary in the light of the lessons learnt following the King's Cross fire and the findings of the formal investigation.

  Qualified Drivers (Retesting)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has had on the periodic retesting of all qualified drivers; whether he now has any plans for such testing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  All newly qualified drivers are strongly encouraged to continue to develop their driving skills and, after gaining experience, to undertake a further driving test such as those organised by the Institute of Advanced Motorists and ROSPA.

  We are quite frequently asked to consider periodic retesting of all drivers. It is not considered that the considerable resources required to retest all drivers on a routine basis would be justified by a significant improvement in the number of road casualties.

  The recently published report of the road traffic law review contains a recommendation that there should be increased use of orders for retesting of those drivers guilty of offences showing serious deficiencies in their driving skills or attitudes. The Government are considering this report.

  Yelloway Motor Services
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in the light of the transcripts of the north-west traffic commissioner's hearing against Yelloway Motor Services plc, a copy of which has been sent to him, he remains satisfied that this company and its holding company are fit and proper to hold a public service vehicle licence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The award of public service vehicle operator's licences is a matter for the trafic commissioner. The commissioner for the north-west traffic area decided, following an inquiry on 28 March, to renew the operator's licence for Yelloway Motor Services on condition that the number of vehicles was reduced to 30, no more than eight of which were double-deck vehicles. He also restricted the number of local services which it could operate to 18.

  Sandbank Road Crossing, Towyn
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the unprotected Sandbank road rail crossing at Towyn complies with the minimum safety standards for such crossings.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The railway inspectorate has been consulted about the use of this crossing on a number of occasions. The level crossing was originally provided to connect lands on either side of the railway which were severed when the railway was built. Since the 1930s when the land was developed for holiday caravans and as an amusement park the use of the crossing has expanded and today it has during the holiday season a high pedestrian use. Despite the growth in use the crossing is considered to meet the minimum acceptable safety standard.

  The statutory requirement upon British Rail is to maintain gates normally closed across the road. In addition, special pedestrian gates have been provided and there are signs warning pedestrians to beware of trains. The Department has no powers to direct that changes should be made to the crossing, but it is understood that the possibility of providing a footbridge is being reconsidered by British Rail and the local authority.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Personal Health Information
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he has made with the order which establishes a code of confidentiality in relation to personal health information; when he expects the consultation period concerning the wording of the order to be complete; what major points are hindering its finalisation; when he expects to announce the date when individuals can have access to their own health information; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  Confidentiality of personal health information is protected by professional codes of ethics. A code embracing the principles of these professional codes without displacing them was requested by an interprofessional working group of health care professional interests. The group has not yet been able to secure agreement on a code from the professions represented on the group who would be responsible for 36
  implementing it. Before a code could be introduced the Department would wish to consult with health authority management and other bodies with an interest. The code is about the protection against the disclosure of information to others. It does not concern access by individuals to their own information.

  Private Nursing Homes
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether private nursing homes and residential homes for the elderly were required to provide occupational therapy as well as nursing care before being recognised; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  A person registered under the Registered Homes Act 1984 in respect of a nursing home is required to make suitable arrangements for the daily activity of residents, according to their needs and capacities and occupational therapy services may be available from the local social services authority or the health authority.

  A person registered under the Act in respect of a residential care home also has to make such arrangements. Any nursing care required in residential care homes should be provided by the local community nursing service or under their supervision.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when water charges were excluded from the scope of housing benefit; and why.

  Mr. Portillo
  Help with water charges was previously provided through the supplementary benefit scheme, in some cases paid by the local authority along with housing benefit under a special administrative arrangement. This separate provision for water rates ceased from 11 April this year as part of the simplification of the benefit system. However, when setting income support levels, account was taken of the overall amount spent in supplementary benefit on water charges.

  Supplementary benefit claimants who were entitled to help with water rates, however paid, will, where necessary, receive transitional protection which took account of the water rates element.

  Day Patients
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the day-patient attendance rate for the over 65s in each north-west health authority and in Greater London.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information, including the age of patients admitted to a hospital bed for treatment as a day case and regular day admissions, will be available centrally for the first time later this year. For patients using NHS day care facilities, the specialty function classification will provide some indication of the age groups using the facility.

  Family Policy Studies Centre
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, when the director of the Central Statistical Office places in the Library copies of the correspondence the Government have had with the Family Policy Studies Centre, the replies from the centre will be lodged at the same time.
  37
  Mr. Portillo
  Copies of all the relevant correspondence have, with the authors' agreement, been placed in the Library.

  Supplementary Benefit
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what benefits his Department treats as being subsumed under the classification of supplementary benefit.

  Mr. Portillo
  Prior to the reforms, supplementary benefit comprised payments of supplementary pension or allowance, single payments when these were made and, where relevant, housing benefit supplement. Although technically supplementary benefit, housing benefit supplement was calculated and paid by local authorities as a top-up to housing benefit.

  Social Security Legislation (Effects)
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he has made of the effects of the new social security legislation in its first month of operation.

  Mr. Scott
  Final conclusions must await the outcome of the monitoring mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 22 April, at column 602.

  Funerals
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make an estimate of the number of instances in which the total cost of a funeral has been paid from funds provided by social security offices since the abolition of the death grant in April 1987.

  Mr. Portillo
  A total of 18,295 full awards of funeral payments have been made in the period 6 April 1987 to 8 April 1988.

  Form AG1
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pages in length is form AG1 which is required to be completed by patients wishing to obtain financial assistance with National Health Service prescriptions, dental treatment, and spectacles; how long he estimates that it would take an ably sighted person to complete it; how long it takes his Department's staff to scrutinise a form; how many staff are engaged in this operation; how much each form and explanatory notes costs to produce and print; and whether he has any plans to simplify form AG1.

  Mr. Portillo
  Form AG1 needs to be completed only by people applying for help with NHS charges and the cost of travel to hospital for treatment if they are not already automatically entitled to such help because they are receiving income support or family credit. The form covers a variety of possible situations, so that many claimants will need to fill in only a limited number of its parts. How many of the questions have to be answered and the length of time it will take to complete the form, will depend on the circumstances of each individual claimant. Similarly this will determine the length of time taken in scrutinising the forms in the Department.
  38
  Form AG1 is one of a series of new personal claim forms based on extensive research which showed that the key factor in how people deal with forms is how clear or complicated individual pages are, rather than the overall length of the form. It is designed to be as comprehensive as possible and to minimise the need for further inquiries which were often necessary with the old forms. Form AG1 also replaces a number of separate forms which previously had to be completed to claim help with individual NHS charges.

  A total of 315 staff are currently engaged on the assessment of claims on form AG1. The cost of each form, together with the accompanying explanatory notes and reply-paid envelope, is 15·1p.

  We have no plans at present to modify the form, but will be keeping it under review in the light of practical experience.

  Pension Age and Retirement
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Eastleigh on 24 November,Official Report, columns 181–82, he expects to conclude the study of the cost and economic implications of changes in pension age which started in 1986; and if he will publish the conclusions;

  (2) what progress is being made in bringing about the decade of retirement proposed in the Green Paper entitled "Reform of Social Security," Cm. 9518, of June 1985.

  Mr. Scott
  At present I have nothing further to add to my replies to my hon. Friend on 24 November at columns 181–82, except to emphasise that all the various options for change are being considered.

  Health Authorities (Disputes)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he has any plans to reform the procedures governing disputes between the British Medical Association and local health authorities; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many employment disputes are current between local health authorities and the British Medical Association; what has been the average time for settlement of such disputes over the past five years; and what is the average cost to the Health Service in locum salaries, ex gratia settlements and administrative costs of such disputes.

  Mr. Newton
  Procedures governing disputes between health authorities and recognised NHS staff organisations are a matter for each individual health authority. The General Whitley Council is responsible for general provisions relating to such procedures. I understand it has no plans at present to revise these provisions. However, the council is currently reviewing its agreement on procedures relating to individual employee grievances with a view to possible changes.

  The detailed information requested is not collected centrally.

  Autistic Children
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what special measures he will take to assist
  39
  single parents of children who are autistic and mentally handicapped where such parents find themselves in a poverty trap under his Department's new regulations.

  Mr. Scott
  Under the reformed structure of income-related benefits introduced in April we have removed the anomaly whereby earning more can actually make a low-paid family in full-time work worse off because of benefit withdrawal. This removes one of the worst features of the poverty-trap.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  to ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the annual estimated cost of caring for a nine-year-old autistic and mentally handicapped, hyperactive child in (a) a hospital and (b) a registered home;

  (2) What payments would be made weekly to foster parents who would care for a nine-year-old autistic, mentally handicapped, hyperactive child;

  (3) what payments a married woman would receive under income support when caring for her nine-year-old mentally handicapped, hyperactive, autistic child, assuming her husband earned £20,000 per annum; what back pay on income support she would be eligible for; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The cost of caring for any handicapped person either in a hospital or residential care setting will vary according to his or her individual needs. Costs of care will be affected by such factors as treatment and support provided, day time occupation and leisure activities.

  A boarding-out allowance can be paid by a local authority in respect of a child in care placed with foster parents. In addition, if the appropriate eligibility criteria are satisfied a foster parent can qualify for attendance allowance and invalid care allowance, and receive mobility allowance on behalf of the child.

  It is unlikely that a woman in these circumstances would be entitled to supplementary benefit, and the question of back pay would not arise. However, if the hon. Member is referring to a specific case, and provides me with more details of it, I shall write to him.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Barry Jones
  to ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside dated 15 December 1987 regarding the British Pensioners and Trade Union Action Association—Wales Pensioners.

  Mr. Portillo
  My noble Friend wrote to the hon. Member on 5 May 1988.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the research studies referred to in paragraphs 5 and 8 of his Department's statistical bulletin of 2 June 1988 on hospital waiting lists and in the explanatory notes attached to the bulletin, indicating when those studies were carried out and the district health authorities examined by the researchers concerned.

  Mr. Newton
  The principal studies referred to are listed in the table and provide the information requested.

  1. Davidge, M., Harley, M., Vickerstaff, L., Yates, J. (1987). "The anatomy of large inpatient waiting lists", Lancet, 1, 794–6.

  40

  2. Donaldson, L., Maratos, J. I., Richardson, R. A. (1984). "Review of an orthopaedic in-patient waiting-list", Health Trends, 16, 14–15.

  3. Lee, A., Don, B., Goldacre, M. J. (1987). "Waiting list statistics. II: an estimate of inflation of waiting list length", British Medical Journal, 295, 1197–1998.

  4. Lourie, J. A. (1978). "Notes on an orthopaedic waiting-list", British Journal of Clinical Practice, 32, 224–5.

  5. Porter, K. M. (1985). "Orthopaedic audit—review of inpatient waiting lists", British Medical Journal, 291, 1216–1217.

  6. Yates, J. (1987).Why Are We Waiting?, Oxford 11–12.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give for each regional health authority, district health authority and special health authority, the number of qualified medical secretaries contracted from agencies;

  (2) how much has been paid by the National Health Service to agencies for contracting qualified medical secretaries for each regional health authority, district health authority, special health authority and for England as a whole in the last year for which figures are available.

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

  Social Security Reform
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the first-year cost of transitional protection(a) under the social security changes implemented in April and (b) under the further modifications he announced on 27 April.

  Mr. Scott
  Estimates of the information requested are(a) rather more than £200 million and (b) about £100 million.

  Pathology Laboratories
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East on 3 May, he will place in the Library a copy of the report commissioned by the manpower planning advisory group on the staffing of pathology laboratories.

  Mr. Newton
  This report has not yet been published. A copy will be placed in the Library when the report is issued to health authorities and other interested parties.

  Day Centres (Disabled Workers)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultation he has had with the local authority associations on the implications for local authorities of the social security changes effective from 11 April in regard to physically disabled people working in day centres; how many local authorities have had to abolish payments to disabled workers as an alternative to closing day centres down; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Disabled people who receive income support and who are entitled to the disability premium are now entitled to a higher (£15) disregard if they work part time. Prior to 11 April they were entitled to a £4 disregard. Additionally, those whose earning capacity is reduced to 75 per cent. or less of what they could otherwise earn, may work an unlimited number of hours and remain entitled to benefit. We have not consulted local authorities on the
  41
  implications of these changes, which are entirely beneficial to the individual claimant. We are not aware of any local authority abolishing payments to disabled workers as a result of these changes.

  Doctors and Dentists (Merit Awards)
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he plans to implement the recommendations on merit awards of the review body on doctors' and dentists' remuneration.

  Mr. Newton
  The report of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration suggests a number of changes to the distinction award system, and urges the health departments and the profession to consider whether the system can be improved in these or other ways. We are considering the implications of the recommendations which we will wish to discuss with the profession.

  Cosmetic Surgery
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of hospital and community health services expenditure was attributable to cosmetic surgery in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Newton
  I reget that this information is not held centrally.

  Withington Hospital (Detoxification Unit)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the closure of the detoxification unit at Withington hospital, Manchester, and the proposed withdrawal of the inpatient facility at the hospital's alcoholism treatment unit.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 27 April 1988]Responsibility for the provision of patient services at Withington hospital, Manchester is a matter for South Manchester health authority in conjunction with the North Western regional health authority. I have made inquiries and I understand that discussions on the future of the unit are at a very early stage. No decisions will be made on major changes in the service for alcoholism unless and until it can be shown that adequate replacement services can be provided at alternative locations.

  "From Black to White"
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many copies of the recent dental postgraduate medical video entitled "From Black to White" were made and distributed; at whom they were specifically targeted; and what was the nature of the final distribution;

  (2) what instructions he has given to dental reference officers in respect of the new treatment philosophy outlined in the dental video entitled "From Black to

  1980–81

  1986–87

  Change

  cash £ million

  percentage

  cash £ million

  percentage

  cash £ million

  percentage

  Total

  98·2

  147·3

  Medical Research Council

  92·9

  94·6

  137·6

  93·4

  +44·7

  +48

  NHS Locally Organised Research

  5·3

  5·4

  9·7

  6·6

  +4·4

  +83

  42
  White"; if his Department has issued any guidance in relation to the use of the dental probe in examinations as recommended in the video; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what was the total cost of producing and distributing the dental postgraduate medical video entitled "From Black to White"; and if this cost will be met out of additional resources or out of existing allocations to postgraduate dental education.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 29 April 1988]The video "From Black to White" is the first in a series being produced by the British Postgraduate Medical Federation on behalf of the Department as a distance learning programme for the continuing postgraduate education of dentists. It is specifically targeted at those who do not regularly attend postgraduate training courses. Some 13,150 copies were made and are being distributed to practices providing treament under NHS general dental services in Great Britain at a cost of approximately £100,000.

  The programme is being funded through additional money specially allocated to help in implementing the report of the committee of inquiry into unnecessary dental treatment was concerned that dentists should be encouraged to adopt a preventive approach. Whilst, as the committee pointed out, criteria for clinical intervention are primarily a matter for the profession the Department is taking a number of initiatives, of which production of the new video series is one, to encourage dentists to undergo regular updating training.

  Dental reference officers are provided with suitable training to enable them to keep up to date with current clinical developments including minimal intervention techniques and methods of prevention. They have also been given guidance on the use of probes in dental examinations.

  Medical Research
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest available figures for(a) the comparative levels of spending on medical research and general medical and clinical services on the National Health Service, and (b) the percentage of spending on medical research by the Medical Research Council and the National Health Service and the percentage change in these figures since 1980–81.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 4 May 1988]: (a) In 1986–87, the latest year for which the figures are available, the total expenditure on medical research programmes funded by the Department of Health and Social Security, including the National Health Service locally organised research scheme amounted to £51·8 million. Total spending on general medical and clinical services in the same year amounted to £10,317·2 million.

  (b) The table shows the information available.
  43
  The Medical Research Council receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest available figure for the number of individual research programmes and projects supported by the Medical Research Council and National Health Service; and what is the percentage change since 1980–81.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 4 May 1988]: In January 1987, the latest date for which an estimate is available, approximately 850 research projects were being supported under the NHS locally organised research scheme. A comparable figure is not available for 1980–81.

  I understand that information about the number of individual research programmes and projects supported by the Medical Research Council, which is funded by grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science, is included in the council's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Enterprise Initiative
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the number of enterprise initiative consultancies sponsored by his Department in the United Kingdom as a whole; and how many companies in the Tayside region will be eligible for such consultancy work.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  From the launch of the enterprise initiative on 13 January to 22 April, we approved 1,649 applications for assisted consultancy following an initial business review by an enterprise counsellor.

  All private sector manufacturing and service firms, in the Tayside region as elsewhere, with under 500 employees (or which are members of groups with under 500 employees) are eligible for such consultancy projects.

  Electrical Safety Campaign
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the electrical safety campaign launched on 25 April.

  Mr. Butcher
  The electrical safety campaign launched on 25 April is aimed at reducing the numbers of people killed or seriously injured each year by electrocution or fires caused by electrical faults. The main focus of the campaign is to encourage people to install and use residual current devices (RCDs). These are potentially life-saving devices that operate by switching off the current almost immediately when they detect a fault. The campaign will run for 12 months and has started with the publication of a new consumer leaflet, the distribution of a promotional video, the opening of an RCD "helpline" and information bureau, and various other promotional techniques.

  Managed Workshops
  Mr. Bevan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress he has made on the introduction of managed workshops.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to announce the completion of the first managed workshop.
  44
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We are inviting companies to "adopt" workshops in inner city areas by investing directly in the projects or by providing land, buildings or experienced managers to give business support on site. English Estates is looking for as much private sector involvement as possible and is currently investigating around a dozen projects in a variety of locations. The first project is expected to be ready for occupation early in 1989.

  Inner Cities
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what specific steps he is taking to encourage business expansion and increased employment in the inner cities.

  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action he is taking to increase employment in the inner cities.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Britain's economic success is the key to encouraging business expansion and employment in inner cities. Government action to encourage enterprise and job opportunities in these areas covers a range of programmes and initiatives amounting to some £3,000 million in 1988–89. Specific measures to encourage business expansion include additional support for inner city small firms under the enterprise initiative, extra small firms offices, a major new programme run by English Estates to provide managed workshop space and regional enterprise grants to support innovation and investment for very small firms (under 25 employees) in development areas. Specific employment measures include more MSC and employment service staff working in local communities advising and helping residents, new information points to guide people on training and jobs, new measures to involve employers in training and training projects aimed at specific job opportunities promoted by inner city task forces in co-operation with organisations such as the Industrial Society.

  European Community (Ministerial Meetings)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next expects to meet his counterparts from other EEC states; and what matters he hopes to discuss.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My colleagues and I regularly meet our counterparts from other EC member states, in meetings of the Council of Ministers, in bilateral discussions, and in other international fora. At present I expect to attend the Industry Council planned for 27 May and 24 June, which is expected to discuss the future of the European Coal and Steel Community's steel production quota regime, and the Research Council on 29 June, which will discuss the Community's R and D policies. I also expect to meet Community colleagues at the EUREKA conference in Copenhagen on 15–16 June.

  Aerospace
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the trade balance of the aerospace industry in(a) 1987 and (b)

  Mr. Atkins
  The positive trade balance of the aerospace industry rose from £1·9 billion in 1986 to £2·4 billion in 1987.

  Afcor Investments
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he intends to prosecute the directors of Afcor Investments for employing unlicensed dealers in breach of the Prevention of Fraud (Investment) Act 1958.

  Mr. Maude
  My Department is considering the affairs of Afcor Investments Ltd. If the hon. Member has any information suggesting that dealers at Afcor were unlicensed he should supply it.

  VR Shipping
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 3 May to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South, what procedures constitute the full standard investigations carried out into the credit worthiness of companies by the Export Credits Guarantee Department; and what collateral was provided by VR Shipping on its ferry contract.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The investigation by the ECGD into the creditworthiness of VR Shipping comprised the obtaining and analysis of information on the company's financial background and current standing. Collateral was provided by a mortgage on each ship and the provision of third party guarantees.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Meat Processing Industry
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken by the EEC to ensure that the meat processing industry secures meat at prices competitive with imports; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  In January 1988 the Commission reintroduced sales of bone-in hindquarters from intervention for processing and reduced the price of forequarter meat by 10 per cent.

  In February the Commission gave the following undertaking to the Agriculture Council:
  "The Commission recognises the need to ensure that additional supplies of beef are available to the community meat processing industry on terms that enable Community production to be competitive with products from other sources. It will make additional quantities of meat available to processors from intervention stocks on terms which will take into account, as far as possible, the prices and other conditions which existed previously."

  As far as we are aware, the Commission's sales policy in respect of meat for the processing industry has not given rise to problems of competition, except as regards high meat content canned beef products. My officials have made representations to the Commission services urging them to honour the undertaking given to the Council by making meat available to this part of the processing sector

  1988

  1986

  ecus/l00kg

  £/100kg

  ecu/100kg

  £/100kg

  Young Bulls

  U2

  246·242

  174·97

  295·2

  187· 64

  46
  at prices which will enable it to compete with imports from third countries. We currently await the Commission's reaction.

  Food (Disposal and Destruction)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the amount of cash to be used by Her Majesty's Government from their own resources on the disposal and destruction of food in the current year; and what were the comparable figures in each of the previous five years.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Expenditure in the United Kingdom on disposal and destruction of food1 is as follows:

  Year

  £ million

  1988–89

  702

  1987–88

  694

  1986–87

  867

  1985–86

  650

  1984–85

  725

  1983–84

  657

  Note 1Comprises export refunds (net of MCAs), subsidies for internal disposals, losses on sale out of intervention and depreciation of stocks.

  This expenditure is reimbursed from the Community budget to which the United Kingdom is a net contributor. The Exchequer therefore funds all the United Kingdom's disposal costs and a proportion of those in other member states.

  Beef
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current total of beef in private and public intervention; and what were the comparable figures in mid-1986.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  A note setting out the volume of public intervention stocks and stocks under aided private storage in the EC and the United Kingdom, which includes figures for beef, is deposited in the Library of the House and is updated on a monthly basis.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the current common support levels for beef, expressed in £ sterling; and what were the comparable figures in mid-1986.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The following are the common price levels in ecus per 100kg at which forequarters are currently bought into intervention and the levels at which they were bought in mid-1986. The sterling equivalents appear in brackets, but do not represent common price levels since the representative (or green) rate used to convert ecus into sterling produces the support level obtained in the United Kingdom only. The actual sterling price paid in the United Kingdom is lower than those shown because a deduction is made proportionate to the value of the variable premium, currently £18·66 per 100kg and £16·69 per 100kg in 1986. The qualities shown are not all bought in each member state.
  47

  1988

  1986

  ecus/100kg

  £/100kg

  ecu/l00kg

  £/100kg

  U3

  242·860

  172·56

  292·8

  186·64

  R2

  243·490

  173·01

  283·2

  180·01

  R3

  240·002

  170·53

  280·0

  177·98

  O2

  225·713

  160·38

  264·8

  168·31

  O3

  222·283

  157·94

  160·8

  165·77

  Steers

  U2

  253·062

  179·81

  284·0

  180·52

  U3

  249·586

  177·34

  280·0

  177·98

  U4

  242·634

  172·40

  272·0

  172·89

  R2

  239·641

  170·28

  268·0

  170·35

  R3

  232·674

  165·33

  260·0

  165·26

  O3

  220·897

  156·96

  240·0

  162·72

  Radioactivity (Skipton)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library the results of the surveys of deposition of radioactivity in the Skipton area of Yorkshire following the Chernobyl fallout.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [pursuant to his reply, 15 March 1988, c. 525]: The Institute of Terrestial Ecology has now completed its further study of radio-caesium deposition in north Yorkshire and copies of its report are being placed in the Library of the House today.

EMPLOYMENT

  YTS
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, of those YTS managing agents who received provisional ATO status at the end of their first monitoring period,(a) how many were awarded full status after a further monitoring period, (b) how many withdrew application, (c) how many were rejected after a further monitoring period and (d) what other outcomes there were.

  Mr. Cope
  Of the 1,715 managing agents who had been awarded provisional ATO status after the first monitoring period (which ended on 31 July 1987), 1,353 had been awarded full status, 90 had withdrawn, and seven had been rejected, by 31 March 1988. Two hundred and sixty-five decisions are awaited, most of which will be taken by mid-May.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, of those YTS managing agents who applied for ATO status, how many, at the end of the first monitoring period,(a) received full status, (b) received provisional status, and (c) were rejected; and of those that were rejected at area manpower board level, how many were awarded provisional status on appeal to the youth training board.

  Mr. Cope
  Of the 3,184 YTS managing agents who applied for ATO status by 30 September 1986, 1,393 were awarded full status, 1,712 provisional status, and 14 were rejected, by 31 July 1987. In addition, 64 withdrew, and one decision is still outstanding.

  There is no right of appeal to the youth training board against rejection, but 12 rejected organisations requested the chairman of the MSC to review their cases. After
  48
  taking advice from a panel of area manpower board chairmen, the chairman decided to award provisional status in three cases.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YTS managing agents were under contract to the Manpower Services Commission on 1 April 1986; and, of these, how many applied for approved training organisation status.

  Mr. Cope
  Contracts between the Manpower Services Commission and managing agents are agreed locally. There is no central record of the number of such contracts at 1 April 1986. However, all managing agents with contracts to provide YTS from 1 April 1986 were required to become approved training organisations by 30 September 1986. The number of such applications was 3,184.

  Tourism (Grants)
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to requiring those receiving grant under tourist board allocations to return the sums granted under certain circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In assisting tourism projects under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969, the English tourist board has made increasing use of grants which are repayable if the project achieves minimum performance targets. I have asked the board to seek to increase further its use of repayable forms of assistance.

  The ETB may also reclaim assistance paid in cases where the offer conditions have been breached. In the 1987–88 financial year ETB agreed to seek reclaim of assistance totalling £263,000.

  Thorpe Hall, Peterborough
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on progress of the drystone wall being constucted under the community programme around Thorpe hall in Peterborough.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I understand that work on the drystone wall under construction at Thorpe hall is progressing satisfactorily, and it is expected that the wall will be completed in June this year.

  Blind and Deaf Persons
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to the numbers of(a) blind and (b) deaf people in the working population.

  Mr. Lee
  The only information available which relates specifically to these categories of disability is for those who have chosen to register as disabled under the terms of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944. In April 1987 the register included 6,768 blind people and 15,541 deaf people.

  Docklands (Unemployment Characteristics)
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the characteristics of the unemployed in the urban development area of London docklands, including age, gender and previous employment.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is in the Library. The tables show the number of male and female unemployed claimants, by age, in each of the London boroughs which cover the London docklands area, on the latest available date, 14 January 1988. Information on the nature of previous employment of unemployed claimants is unavailable.

  Unemployed claimants

  Males

  Females

  Local authority area—Newham

  Under 17 years

  95

  94

  17 years

  239

  190

  18 years

  309

  229

  19 years

  379

  277

  20 to 24 years

  2,068

  924

  25 to 29 years

  1,702

  541

  30 to 34 years

  1,261

  308

  35 to 39 years

  929

  220

  40 to 44 years

  766

  216

  45 to 49 years

  721

  288

  50 to 54 years

  802

  232

  55 to 59 years

  800

  238

  Over 60 years

  353

  6

  Total all ages

  10,424

  3,763

  Local authority area—Tower Hamlets

  Under 17 years

  67

  75

  17 years

  188

  152

  18 years

  204

  158

  19 years

  255

  159

  20 to 24 years

  1,576

  766

  25 to 29 years

  1,716

  445

  30 to 34 years

  1,398

  214

  35 to 39 years

  947

  146

  40 to 44 years

  796

  209

  45 to 49 years

  1,035

  226

  50 to 54 years

  1,196

  207

  55 to 59 years

  1,188

  233

  Over 60 years

  413

  18

  Total all ages

  10,979

  3,008

  Local authority area—Southwark

  Under 17 years

  100

  78

  17 years

  219

  148

  18 years

  271

  220

  19 years

  409

  265

  20 to 24 years

  2,820

  1,314

  25 to 29 years

  2,615

  787

  30 to 34 years

  1,736

  359

  35 to 39 years

  1,255

  302

  50

  Unemployed claimants

  Males

  Females

  40 to 44 years

  1,006

  334

  45 to 49 years

  914

  294

  50 to 54 years

  832

  295

  55 to 59 years

  896

  309

  Over 60 years

  400

  20

  Total all ages

  13,473

  4,725

  Docklands (Restart Interviews)
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of a restart interview in the three London docklands boroughs.

  Mr. Lee
  Surveys have shown that the average length of a restart interview is about 30 minutes. Separate information is not available for specific areas. The length of a restart interview depends on the circumstances of the unemployed person.

  Black Employees
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will take steps to seek the remedy of inequality of treatment accorded to black employees, as recommended in the report of the Select Committee on Employment on discrimination in employment (HC. 1986–87.180.)

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Government's response to the recommendations of the Select Committee report is set out in the "First Special Report on Discrimination In Employment: Observations by the Government on the First Report of the Committee in Session 1986–87," which was published by the Committee on 16 December 1987.

  Mines and Quarries Act 1954
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any proposals to introduce legislation to amend the Mines and Quarries Act 1954; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Last December my Department issued a consultative document entitled "Restrictions on Employment of Young People and the Removal of Sex Discrimination in Legislation", which put forward a number of proposals for amending, among other legislation, the Mines and Quarries Act 1954. The Government are giving careful consideration to the responses they have received. Also the Health and Safety Commission, in consultation with the employers and unions, is engaged in drawing up a comprehensive series of regulations and codes under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which is intended to replace the Mines and Quarries Act 1954 and associated legislation. The new legislation is designed to maintain and improve standards of health and safety and take account of technological developments.

  Benefits (Eligibility)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide details for each region of the number of people referred to the benefit authorities because of doubts about their eligibility which have
  51
  stemmed from a request by them for a lowest weekly wage or salary, before stoppages, which is considered excessive or unrealistic.

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

  1986–87

  Employment service region

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  London and South East

  8,126

  18,183

  21,676

  14,836

  29,361

  31,846

  25,906

  35,440

  42,812

  31,281

  South West

  1,667

  5,312

  4,862

  5,084

  8,281

  7,444

  4,261

  12,369

  9,438

  5,560

  West Midlands

  4,567

  17,061

  4,750

  12,960

  23,595

  21,742

  25,783

  14,357

  27,255

  18,162

  East Midlands

  3,155

  8,073

  6,325

  8,331

  13,810

  15,488

  7,851

  22,911

  17,457

  9,851

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  2,831

  10,626

  9,837

  11,065

  16,924

  15,003

  9,548

  23,539

  20,032

  15,523

  North West

  11,364

  22,752

  19,176

  20,498

  28,149

  26,573

  14,199

  34,968

  24,105

  14,807

  Northern

  6,177

  9,810

  3,298

  8,763

  12,985

  12,411

  6,730

  16,228

  11,099

  8,597

  Wales

  4,446

  6,536

  5,031

  5,722

  8,925

  8,273

  4,197

  13,690

  10,952

  7,508

  Scotland

  9,102

  12,034

  11,374

  11,714

  17,162

  16,482

  8,354

  24,663

  21,381

  15,298

  1987–88

  Employment service region

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  London and South East

  18,715

  27,506

  34,765

  49,733

  40,793

  38,726

  56,187

  48,806

  37,538

  70,415

  43,861

  42,463

  South West

  4,637

  7,124

  9,354

  12,582

  11,419

  10,488

  14,810

  13,314

  9,978

  13,341

  11,611

  10,315

  West Midlands

  10,775

  18,026

  23,744

  30,108

  22,972

  20,857

  25,780

  21,503

  18,652

  24,472

  22,617

  20,367

  East Midlands

  8,958

  12,801

  20,803

  23,324

  17,681

  17,157

  23,212

  20,421

  14,062

  16,927

  16,701

  15,190

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  8,452

  12,510

  15,534

  23,552

  20,400

  19,877

  28,466

  26,257

  20,792

  23,408

  18,591

  16,675

  North West

  12,848

  22,596

  29,079

  39,357

  30,735

  27,512

  39,483

  32,416

  24,563

  33,387

  30,982

  29,956

  Northern

  6,683

  11,741

  13,774

  18,588

  14,478

  14,309

  19,549

  14,908

  11,656

  14,654

  13,145

  12,128

  Wales

  5,343

  8,617

  11,402

  15,107

  10,135

  10,085

  13,426

  12,103

  9,117

  12,526

  11,034

  11,165

  Scotland

  10,325

  21,461

  22,129

  28,189

  23,239

  23,151

  30,435

  26,796

  21,364

  25,749

  25,621

  22,763

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide details for each standard economic region of the average lowest weekly wage or salary, before stoppages, that unemployed people have said that they would be prepared to accept at restart interviews.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if, in the light of the Manpower Services Commission report No. 269/S, "An Evaluation of the Impact of Restart Follow-up Interviews on Counsellors and Clients," there are any plans to reorganise the work of restart interviewers in order to reduce the level of stress amongst staff.

  Mr. Lee
  The report did not conclude that restart counselling, of itself, was a stressful occupation but that some individuals had experienced stress.

  One of the recommendations of the report was that restart counselling staff should follow up some of their clients, this improving both the quality of the programme and job satisfaction. As I announced in the White Paper "Training for Employment", follow up is being incorporated into the programme on a national basis in 1988–89.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what methods of monitoring are used to assess the level of stress amongst restart interviewers.

  Mr. Lee
  It is the responsibility of managers in the employment service to monitor the performance and well-being of their staff on a continuous basis.

  Restart Interviews
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many restart interviews have taken place in each of the standard regions in each month between June 1986 and the most recent date for which information is available.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested by employment service regions is shown in the table:

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if all restart offices use selective procedures in assessing who should be invited to a follow-up interview; and what are the criteria upon which selection is based.

  Mr. Lee
  In those offices where follow-up interviews are currently taking place, the decision which groups should be invited to interview is a matter for local management.

  However, a systematic basis for follow-up is currently being developed for implementation as part of the package of proposals announced in the White Paper "Training for Employment."

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the recommended length of time that restart counsellors are maintained as interviewers.

  Mr. Lee
  The length of time counselling staff stay in post is a matter to be decided between the individual and local management.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average number of interviews conducted by restart counsellors per day and per week in each of the standard economic regions for each month between June 1986 and the most recent date for which information is available.

  Mr. Lee
  The information is not available in the form requested. However, during 1987–88 an average of 45 interviews a week was carried out for each counselling post allocated to the programme. A detailed breakdown for the employment service regions is as follows:
  53

  Weekly average number of restart interviews per counselling post—1987–88

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  Northern

  29

  39

  45

  49

  48

  47

  51

  49

  38

  38

  43

  40

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  26

  29

  36

  44

  48

  46

  53

  61

  48

  44

  43

  39

  East Midlands and Eastern

  31

  33

  54

  48

  46

  44

  48

  53

  36

  35

  43

  39

  London and South East

  27

  30

  38

  44

  45

  43

  49

  54

  41

  44

  48

  47

  South West

  24

  30

  39

  42

  46

  44

  49

  55

  42

  44

  48

  43

  Wales

  30

  36

  48

  51

  43

  43

  45

  51

  39

  42

  47

  47

  West Midlands

  28

  35

  46

  47

  45

  40

  40

  42

  36

  38

  44

  39

  North West

  25

  34

  43

  47

  46

  41

  47

  48

  36

  40

  46

  44

  Scotland

  28

  44

  45

  46

  47

  47

  49

  54

  43

  42

  52

  46

  Great Britain

  Total

  28

  34

  43

  46

  46

  44

  48

  52

  40

  41

  46

  43

  Benefit Claims (Fraud)
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many claimants were found in the recent fraud investigations in the west midlands to have been making claims for benefit to which they were not entitled; what proportion this represents of the total number of benefit claimants in the west midlands; and what is the latest figure for the total number of claimants nationally.

  Mr. Lee
  In the two recent very successful fraud investigations in the west midlands, a total of 558 claimants withdrew their benefit claims following investigations by my Department. This represents 0·2 per cent. of the total number of people unemployed and claiming benefit in the west midlands region. The national total in March 1988 was 2,564,000.

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the total number of jobs lost by business as a result of competition from the enterprise allowance scheme: and if he will give any figures he has for the most recent period.

  Mr. Cope
  Reliable information on the number of jobs lost by business as a result of competition from the enterprise allowance scheme is extremely difficult to obtain and no figures are currently available. Work is continuing on how the displacement effect of increased competition from new businesses might be measured.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Staff Statistics
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what was the percentage of the House of Commons Commission employees registered as disabled on the payroll for each year since its inception.

  Mr. Beith
  The figures requested are as follows:

  Percentage

  1979–80

  0·9

  1980–81

  1·0

  1981–82

  1·0

  54

  Percentage

  1982–83

  1·0

  1983–84

  1·1

  1984–85

  1·0

  1985–86

  0·9

  1986–87

  0·8

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, how many individuals officially registered as disabled have been engaged by the House of Commons Commission in each year since its inception.

  Mr. Beith
  The figures requested are as follows:

  Number of Newly Engaged Registered Disabled Individuals

  Number

  1979–80

  3

  1980–81

  1

  1981–82

  nil

  1982–83

  nil

  1983–84

  1

  1984–85

  nil

  1985–86

  1

  1986–87

  nil

  The Commission's policy on the employment of disabled persons is set out in the fourth annual report of the House of Commons Commission (1981–82).

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people were employed by the House of Commons Commission in each year since its inception.

  Mr. Beith
  The numbers of staff employed by the Commission at 1 October in each year since its inception (1978) are as follows:

  Year

  Numbers

  1979

  839

  1980

  868

  1981

  879

  1982

  893

  1983

  918

  1984

  917

  1985

  934

  1986

  964

  1987

  967·5

  Notes:

  1. The figures include part-time staff.

  55

  2. Staff-in-post figures are higher than figures for staff complement (stated in the Commission's reports) eg two half-time staff in post would equate to one post on the complement.

  Members' Staff
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his reply of 28 April,Official Report, column 246, if he will list the names of all those persons currently
  56
  employed by right hon. and hon. Members on a permanent or temporary basis, showing by which right hon. or hon. Member they are employed, but omitting the information in relation to pass holders originally requested.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No. It is entirely a matter for right hon. and hon. Members to make their own arrangements as to whom they employ.

  PEERS' SECRETARIAL ALLOWANCE
  PEERS' SECRETARIAL ALLOWANCE
  RATES: STATISTICS
  RATES: STATISTICS
  REGENT'S PARK DIORAMA
  REGENT'S PARK DIORAMA
  NORTHERN IRELAND: SOCIAL FUND LOAN REPAYMENTS
  NORTHERN IRELAND: SOCIAL FUND LOAN REPAYMENTS
  DEBT REPAYMENTS: SUBTRACTION FROM BENEFIT
  DEBT REPAYMENTS: SUBTRACTION FROM BENEFIT
  CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
  CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
  CANCER TREATMENT FACILITIES, WEST MIDLANDS
  CANCER TREATMENT FACILITIES, WEST MIDLANDS
  RETIREMENT PENSION PAYMENT DATES
  RETIREMENT PENSION PAYMENT DATES
  GRANT TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES: STATISTICS
  GRANT TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES: STATISTICS
  ZOO LICENSING
  ZOO LICENSING
  APHOX
  APHOX
  STATEMENT ON THE DEFENCE ESTIMATES 1988
  STATEMENT ON THE DEFENCE ESTIMATES 1988