Written Answers of 19 May 1988

SCOTLAND

  Health Services (Parents)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered taking steps to improve the links between health services and local authority nurseries so as to offer health screening and health education for parents.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I am not convinced that as presently organised local authority nurseries are the most appropriate places to offer health screening and health education for parents. As I announced last year, we are providing for comprehensive national screening programmes for both breast and cervical cancer.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the impact of a uniform business rate in England and Wales in 1990 on Scottish commerce and industry.

  Mr. Lang
  There is no reliable basis on which such an estimate could be made, since the combined effects of the revaluations due on both sides of the border in 1990, and the introduction of uniform business rates in England and in Wales, are not yet known.

  "You and the Community Charge"
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many requests his Department has received from members of the public for copies of the leaflet "You and the Community Charge".

  Mr. Lang
  A total of 776 requests for copies had been
  received up to Friday 13 May.

  NHS Waiting Lists
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current average waiting time for in-patient treatment in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The mean waiting time for inpatient treatment during 1986, which is the latest year for which figures are available, was 71 days.

  Nuclear Waste (Caithness)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he has made of the potential dangers of radioactive decommissioning and nuclear waste management in the Caithness area.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As part of his responsibility for radioactive waste management strategy, my right hon. and learned Friend has full regard to the 516
  need to dispose safely of wastes from any decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The studies which have been carried out both in this country and overseas indicate that decommissioning of nuclear facilities can be carried out safely on the basis of existing technology. The radiological problems which decommissioning wastes present in disposal terms are not significantly different from those of other wastes from the nuclear industry.

  Local Authority Expenditure
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take in the light of local authorities' budgets and rates for 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Malcolm Rifkind
  [pursuant to his reply, 3 May 1988, c. 383]: I have now completed my consideration of the planned expenditure of district councils. I do not propose to take selective action to reduce the rate of any of these councils.

  In order to encourage all authorities with planned overspends to reconsider their budgets in the course of the year, I have decided after consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that there will be grant penalties for overspending on a tariff starting at zero and rising to 10 per cent, for a 2 per cent, overspend, 60 per cent for a 4 per cent, overspend and 110 per cent, for an overspend of 5 per cent, or more. The rate of increase between each of these points is even (linear). On the basis of planned expenditure the total penalty will be £140 million, the approximate level by which authorities are planning to overspend.

  Penalties will subsequently be adjusted in the light of actual expenditure. In 1987–88 many authorities reduced their expenditure in the course of the year and as a result will recover £89 million in grant in respect of that year. I hope the same will happen in 1988–89.

  I am laying the necessary rate support grant order today to allow repayments of grant in respect of 1987–88 and to give effect to grant penalties for 1988–89.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Nicaragua
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing in ranked order the per capita contributions made by OECD member countries to Nicaragua for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The information requested is as follows:

  Net official development assistance from Development Assistance Committee Donor Countries to Nicaragua in 1986

  Donor

  Net official development assistance $ million

  Per capita $

  Norway

  11·46

  2·750

  Sweden

  17·54

  2·096

  Finland

  7·13

  1·449

  Netherlands

  19·19

  1·318

  Denmark

  3·22

  0·629

  Switzerland

  3·61

  0·550

  517

  Donor

  Net official development assistance $ million

  Per capita $

  France

  14·11

  0·255

  Italy

  13·70

  0·239

  Austria

  1·28

  0·169

  Canada

  4·32

  0·168

  Germany

  8·00

  0·131

  Belgium

  0·65

  0·066

  Australia

  0·08

  0·005

  United Kingdom

  0·13

  0·002

  Japan

  0·16

  0·001

  Source: Development Assistance Committee Chairman's Report.

  Figures cover members of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD. No details are available for other OECD countries. The figures reflect bilateral aid. The United Kingdom share of multilateral (mainly European Community) aid in 1985 was of the order of $4 million. Statistics are not available which would show the amounts other Development Assistance Committee donor countries provided to Nicaragua through multilateral channels; nor is the United Kingdom figure for 1986 yet available.

ENERGY

  Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will request Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations to review the licensing of advanced gas-cooled reactors;

  (2) if he will request Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations to investigate the problem of advanced gas-cooled reactor fuel assembly vibration and fuel rod fracture potential.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Operators of all AGR stations must comply with the stringent safety requirements of the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in order to secure consent for continued operation. The licensing of AGRs is the subject of continuous review by the NII.

  The NII is fully aware of the present position regarding fuel assembly vibration and fuel rod fracture potential in AGRs and of the further work being done on these issues.

  Pressurised Water Reactor (Research and Development)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the expenditure from 1975 to date on pressurised water reactor research and development by (i) the Central Electricity Generating Board, including direct expenditure and the cost of research and development subcontracted to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, (ii) the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, including direct expenditure and the cost of research and development subcontracted to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, and (iii) the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, excluding research and development subcontracted for the Central Electricity Generating Board and Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, and what is the forecast for such expenditure for 1989–92.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The following table sets out expenditure on PWR research and development by the 518
  Central Electricity Generating Board, the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and the Department of Energy in the period 1975 up to the end of the financial year 1987–88, and expected expenditure for 1988–89:

  CEGB1

  HSE(NII)2

  D/Energy3

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  Up to 1988

  140

  7·5

  99

  1988–89

  39

  0·5

  7

  1 Includes both direct expenditure and the cost of work subcontracted to the UKAEA.

  2 This represents expenditure on PWR safety studies and includes payments to the UKAEA. Expenditure prior to 1980 cannot be separately distinguished and is not included. The expenditure is recoverable from the nuclear site licensee.

  3 This is expenditure with the UKAEA. Expenditure prior to 1977 cannot be separately distinguished and is not included.

  Expenditure in future years has not yet been determined.

PRIME MINISTER Health

  Service Review
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Prime Minister how many representations she has received about the Health Service review; and if she will break down the representations into categories of sender.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of such representations, from individual members of the public, those employed in the Health Service and professional bodies of various kinds. These have been forwarded to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services so that he can consider them in the context of the review now under way. Information in the precise form requested is not available.

  Turkey
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions she had during her visit with the Government of Turkey concerning(a) human rights and (b) the legal proceedings against Dr. Sargin and Mr. Kutlu, and allegations of torture.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 20 April 1988, at column 435.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions she had during her recent visit to Turkey concerning the legal proceedings against Mr. Oz, Mr. Cosku, Mr. Ozdo Jan and 11 others.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions she had during her recent visit to Turkey concerning the freedom of opposition and expression and the legal functioning of political parties.

  The Prime Minister
  These subjects were mentioned in the course of my discussions with Mr. Inonu.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Prime Minister whom she met during her recent visit to Turkey; and which towns she visited.

  The Prime Minister
  I had talks with President Evren, Prime Minister Ozal, the Social Democrat leader Mr.
  519
  Inonu, and the lord mayor of Istanbul Mr. Dalan. I went to Ankara and Istanbul. In both cities I visited a number of projects involving British companies and met those concerned.

  Ministers' Engagements
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Prime Minister what advice she gives to Ministers about distinguishing between party political meetings and those they attend in an official capacity.

  The Prime Minister
  None. Ministers are aware of the distinction and no advice is necessary.

  Engagements
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 May.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 May.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 May.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 May.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 May.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 May.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Voluntary Schools
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many times section 14 of the Education Act 1944 has been used; and in what circumstances it is his policy to use section 14 of the Education Act 1944 instead of sections 12 and 13 of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981.

  Mr. Dunn
  The Department does not keep a central record of the number of times section 14 has been used. It is for the governors of voluntary schools, rather than for the Secretary of State, to initiate any action under this section. Sections 12 and 13 of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 have no bearing on the matter, since they are concerned only with school medical and staff accommodation.

  City Technology Colleges
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to apply the minimum standard contained in the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 to city technology colleges.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  City technology colleges, in line with several maintained schools in similar circumstances, are likely to provide rather more generous standards of accommodation than the minima prescribed in the 520
  regulations. Among the factors to be taken into account are the proposed curriculum emphasis on technology and science and a ratio of teachers to pupils which is characteristic of secondary schools in urban areas.

  Education Reform
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received or heard about proposals to reorganise or cancel the proposed reorganisation of secondary education in the borough of Trafford.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has received various communications about the reorganisation proposals published by Trafford local education authority on 21 January 1988. No formal notification that the authority has withdrawn the proposals has so far been received.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he takes to ensure that he maintains impartiality in considering the merits of proposals by local education authorities to reorganise schools.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend considers on their individual merits all reorganisation proposals which come before him for decision. In so doing he takes careful account both of the arguments put forward by local education authorities in support of their proposals and of the points made by any objectors to the proposals. The general criteria against which my right hon. Friend considers reorganisation proposals are set out in the Department's circular 3/87

  Economic and Social Research Council
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects Professor Peter Hall to take up his appointment as chairman of the Economic and Social Research Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have been informed by Professor Hall that he does not now propose to assume the chairmanship of the council.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the role of the chairman of the Economic and Social Research Council in promoting social science research.

  Mr. Jackson
  The role of the chairman is to pursue, with members of the council, the objects of the ESRC as set out in its charter, and to ensure that its functions are carried out efficiently and effectively.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to ensure that any disruption caused by the Economic and Social Research Council's move to Swindon will not adversely affect the work of the council as an independent research council.

  Mr. Jackson
  The detailed arrangements for ESRC's move to Swindon are matters for the council itself. My right hon. Friend has, however, allocated resources to assist the council in meeting the costs arising from relocation.
  521
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the members of the Economic and Social Research Council.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information is as follows:

  Acting Chairman and Secretary

  Mr. David Stafford

  Members

  Mr. B. Allison— Chairman and Chief Executive, Business Systems Ltd.

  Professor G. Bain—Professor of Industrial Relations, Warwick University

  Dr. W. Birch, PhD— Formerly Director, Bristol Polytechnic

  Professor J. Blondel— Professor of Political Science, European Univesity Institute, Florence

  Professor G. Brown—Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Essex

  Mr. I. C. R. Byatt/Deputy Chief Economic Adviser, HM Treasury.

  Mr. A. M. G. Christopher, CBE—General Secretary, Inland Revenue Staff Federation

  Sir Hugh Cortazzi, GCMG— Former British Ambassador to Japan, Director Hill-Samuel & Co

  Mr. G. Davies—Chief Economist, Goldman Sachs

  Professor J. G. Edwards, DM, FRCP, FRCPsych—Professor of Addiction Behaviour University of London Institute of Psychiatry

  Sir Christopher Foster—Commercial Adviser to British Telecom Plc

  Professor H. Hanham—Vice Chancellor, University of Lancaster

  Dr. R. G. L. McCrone, CB, FRSE—Chief Economic Advisor, Industry Department for Scotland

  Professor A. Maynard— Director ESRC Centre for Health Economics, York

  Dr. J. Metters, FRCOG— Deputy Chief Scientist, Department of Health and Social Security

  Professor H. Newby— Professor of Sociology and Director of ESRC Data Archive, University of Essex

  Mr. A. Noble—Chairman, British Retail Association

  Professor K. Thomas, FBA—President, Corpus Christi College, Oxford

  Dr. G. Winfield—Chief Executive, Overseas Division, BOC Group

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether suitable, permanent accommodation has now been acquired to house the Economic and Social Research Council in Swindon.

  Mr. Jackson
  Accommodation has been found to house ESRC in Swindon from August this year. The council will remain there until the permanent accommodation at Polaris house (alongside the Natural Environment Research Council and the Science and Engineering Research Council) is available in 1990–91.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many members of the administrative staff of the Economic and Social Research Council have so far indicated their willingness to move to Swindon with the Economic and Social Research Council.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  Twenty two staff have indicated a willingness to move permanently, and nine to move at least for a period. Others are still considering their position.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current approved establishment of senior adminstrators at the Economic and Social Research Council; how many are currently in post; how many have resigned in the last 12 months; and how many have tendered their resignations in the last 12 months.
  522
  Mr. Jackson
  The current approved establishment of senior administrators at ESRC is 19; 18 are currently in post; two have resigned in the last 12 months; and three have tendered their resignations (including the two who have resigned).

TRANSPORT

  Anti-lock Braking Devices
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to introduce regulations to require the fitting of anti-lock braking devices to new motor vehicles.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We are preparing draft regulations based on Community directive 88/194/EEC which will require anti-lock braking systems to be fitted to the following new vehicles first registered on or after 1 October 1991:

  Towing vehicles over 16 tonnes gross weight;

  Trailers over 10 tonnes gross weight;

  Coaches over 12 tonnes gross weight.

  We have no plans for mandatory anti-lock braking for other categories of vehicle. We do welcome the general increase in their fitment.

  M25 Motorway
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the reasons why he has sanctioned the construction of additional lanes on the M25; what are the hours of day at which congestion reaches saturation point on those stretches; and if he will tabulate for a typical 24-hour period on a week day the level of traffic on this section of the motorway, taking the heaviest period as 100.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Fourth lanes in each direction are being provided between junctions 11 and 13 to relieve congestion, particularly during peak hours.

  The Department does not normally measure journey times or queue lengths, which vary from day to day according to conditions. Traffic flows on a typical 24-hour week day between junctions 11 and 12 are as follows:—

  Hours

  Hourly flow

  Prop. of peak

  1

  667

  6·64

  2

  309

  3·07

  3

  238

  2·37

  4

  219

  2·18

  5

  319

  3·17

  6

  897

  8·93

  7

  3,306

  32·92

  8

  8,809

  87·74

  9

  9,298

  92·60

  10

  8,773

  87·38

  11

  8,670

  86·35

  12

  7,361

  73·31

  13

  6,435

  64·10

  14

  6,294

  62·68

  15

  6,672

  66·45

  16

  7,371

  73·41

  17

  8,671

  86·36

  18

  10,040

  100·00

  19

  9,146

  91·10

  20

  5,816

  57·92

  21

  3,328

  33·14

  22

  2,282

  22·72

  23

  1,854

  18·46

  24

  1,521

  15·14

  523
  Total 24 Hour Flow =118,300.

  Annual Average Daily Flow= 117,900.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the increase in rail traffic between the date of the first drafting of the Channel Tunnel Bill and the latest date for which figures are available on that section of the line to be utilised by Channel tunnel trains(a) between Sevenoaks and Orpington and (b) between Tonbridge and Orpington.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I am told by British Rail that information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of morning peak passengers arriving at London terminal stations on BR's south eastern main line outer services, which include services on the sections of route specified by my hon. Friend, increased by 8·3 per cent. between 1986 and 1987. BR estimates that it will rise by a further 3 to 3·5 per cent. between 1987 and 1988.

  Settle to Carlisle Railway
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer on the Settle-Carlisle railway line on 16 May,Official Report, columns 677–84, what is the period of time for which British Rail is prepared to guarantee the provision of a substitute bus service.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Under the Transport Act 1985 British Rail may not withdraw a subsidised guaranteed bus service without the Secretary of State's consent, so the question of the board's willingness to run such a service does not arise.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer on the Settle-Carlisle railway line on 16 May,Official Report, columns 677–84, what running rights would be available to any private sector operator of the Settle-Carlisle railway into (a) Carlisle, (b) Hellifield, (c) Skipton, (d) Clitheroe or (e) Blackburn; and if such facilities have been discussed with the chairman of British Rail or any other British Rail officials.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  There are matters to be negotiated in the first instance between British Rail and any prospective private operator.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer on the Settle-Carlisle railway line on 16 May,Official Report, columns 677–84, if he will list the structural liabilities on the Settle-Carlisle route which would he taken over by any private sector operator; whether obligations on 144 miles of lineside fencing would be removed; and what requirements on the provision of services and the retention of railway facilities would fall on any private purchasers.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The structural liabilities to be transferred are a matter for negotiation between British Rail and any prospective purchaser of the line. It would be for such an operator to decide what services to offer; there is no statutory power for Ministers of British Rail to impose any obligation in this respect.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State, for Transport, pursuant to his answer on the Settle-Carlisle railway line on 16 May,Official Report, columns 677–684, if his calculations of revenue credited to the Settle-Carlisle
  524
  railway reflected the diversion of freight services away from the route by British Rail; and whether his estimate of revenue included revenue from diversions of passenger trains in the fiscal year ended 5 April.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Decisions on the routeing of freight services are made by British Rail on a commercial basis. There was no case therefore for attributing any revenue to the Settle-Carlisle railway on account of British Rail's previous decisions to use different routes for its freight trains. The cost and revenue implications of using alternatives to the Settle-Carlisle line for the diversion of passenger trains were taken into account when assessing the case for closure.

  Bus Doors
  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he proposes to take to ensure that bus doors are fitted with safety devices which would prevent their closing and the bus moving off while a traveller's arm or leg is trapped in them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We share my hon. Friend's concern about the safety of bus doors. In February we put proposals for new safety regulations to deal with this problem to the Bus and Coach Council, London Regional Transport and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

  I shall be meeting representatives of the bus industry on 21 June to discuss points which the Bus and Coach Council and the SMMT have brought to our attention.

  Passenger Ships (Stability)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the United Kingdom's contribution to recent work in the International Maritime Organisation on new stability standards for passenger ships; and if he will relate this work to other work being carried on in his Department on ship stability following the report of the court of formal investigation into the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise.

  Mr. Channon
  All roll-on/roll-off ferries operating in British waters meet international standards of safety. To enhance the survivability of this type of ship following major collision damage the International Maritime Organisation has, as I told my hon. Friend on 3 March, at columns 651–54, been developing for several years, and with the United Kingdom's support, improved standards for damage stability requirements. A meeting of the IMO's sub-committee on stability and load lines and on fishing vessel safety last August reported on proposals for revised standards; and my Department commissioned a research project to evaluate the impact of the proposed new standards on roll-on/roll-off ferries, which was to be completed before the new proposals were presented to the IMO's maritime safety committee in April.

  The results of that work were put to the IMO in a United Kingdom paper, MSC 55/INF.12, which was circulated to all delegations attending the committee. They show that, relative to the standards currently applying to new ships, the proposed standards would bring about a significant improvement in the survivability of new passenger ships after a major collision. Of a representative sample of 10 ships examined, all of which fully meet the

  525
  standards that were applicable when they were built, two would meet the proposed new standards without design changes. I am placing a copy of the paper in the Library.

  The maritime safety committee, with the United Kingdom's support, endorsed the proposals and it is expected that they will be formally adopted in October for inclusion in the international convention on the safety of life at sea for application to new ships to be built after an agreed future date. The United Kingdom will be pressing for an early implementation date.

  This work in the IMO was in progress before the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise, and has not been undertaken in response to any recommendation of the court of formal investigation into that accident. As my hon. Friend knows from the answer I gave him on 3 March, related work being carried out in my Department in response to the recommendations in the report of that court consists of:

  (a) an assessment of all United Kingdom roll-on/rolloff ferries built before the last substantial improvement in damage stability requirements came into force in 1980;

  (b) a research programme to examine specific ways, through design changes, of reducing the risk of large volumes of water reaching the car deck of a roll-on/ roll-off ferry, and to prevent such an event leading to a capsize.

WALES

  Valleys Initiative
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the expected date of publication of his valleys initiative.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I will be announcing my plans for the valleys when I have completed consultations with a range of authorities and organisations involved in the valleys.

  River Rhymney (Pollution)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the pollution of the River Rhymney, Mid Glamorgan, on the morning of 16 May.

  Mr. Grist
  Welsh Office officials have been advised by the Welsh water authority of the incident in which a small number of fish died. The authority's tracing of the source of the pollution may result in its taking legal action, and in these circumstances it would not be reasonable for me to comment.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to review the levels of expenditure by the Welsh water authority on the enhancement of water quality; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The Welsh water authority sets and reviews periodically the level of expenditure it considers appropriate to each of the functions for which it has responsibility.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will invite the Welsh water authority to conduct a526
  survey of water quality problems and the provision of sewerage facilities in the Rhymney valley; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  In discharging its statutory functions the Welsh water authority monitors the quality of waters and assesses the needs for sewerage facilities throughout its area. In the case of the Rhymney valley, the survey of water quality is undertaken by the south-east division of the Welsh water authority.

  Railway Crossings
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress there has been on the implementation of the Stott report about railway crossings in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. He has accepted the recommendations of the Stott report in principle and is discussing their implementation with British Rail.

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for the installation of automatic-open level crossings fitted with barriers in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None. This is a matter for British Rail in association with the railways inspectorate of the Department of Transport.

EMPLOYMENT

  Age Discrimination
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he plans to introduce a code of practice similar to that of the Institute of Personnel Management aimed at eliminating age discrimination in job recruitment.

  Mr. Lee
  The Government support the principles set out in the Institute of Personnel Management's code of practice. At the present time we have no plans to introduce an official code of practice, but I am happy to commend the institute's code to all employers.

  Textiles
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed on a full-time basis in the textile industries of each of the member countries of the European Community in 1979 and 1986.

  Mr. Lee
  International comparisons of labour market statistics should be treated with caution as it is difficult to obtain data for different countries on a consistent basis.

  The available data, shown in the table, do not cover all European Community countries, are limited to 1979 and 1985 and refer to all employees in the textile industries.

  Employees in the textile industries

  1979

  1985

  Belgium

  68,400

  60,900

  Denmark

  15,000

  14,500

  France

  298,500

  236,600

  Germany

  338,900

  261,400

  Ireland

  18,500

  8,800

  Netherlands

  34,600

  21,500

  Spain

  245,800

  164,800

  United Kingdom

  339,000

  240,100

  527
  Source: Employment and Unemployment 1987 (Eurostat).

  ACAS
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service to discuss the present state of industrial relations in Britain.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has no such plans.

  International Standardised Unemployment Rates: Annual Averages

  1974

  1975

  1976

  1977

  1978

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Belgium

  3·0

  5·0

  6·4

  7·4

  7·9

  8·2

  8·8

  10·8

  | 12·6

  12·1

  12·1

  11·3

  11·2

  10·9

  Denmark

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  (9·5)

  (9·2)

  (7·6)

  (5·8)

  (5·9)

  France

  2·8

  4·0

  4·4

  4·9

  5·2

  5·9

  6·3

  7·4

  8·1

  8·3

  9·7

  10·2

  10·4

  10·8

  Germany

  1·6

  3·6

  3·7

  3·6

  3·5

  3·2

  3·0

  4·4

  6·1

  8·0

  | 7·1

  7·2

  6·5

  6·5

  Greece

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  (9·0)

  (9·3)

  (8·7)

  (8·2)

  (8·0)

  Ireland

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  (15·2)

  (17·0)

  (18·4)

  (18·5)

  11·92)

  Italy

  5·3

  5·8

  6·6

  7·0

  7·1

  7·6

  7·5

  8·3

  9·0

  9·8

  10·2

  10·5

  | (10·6)

  (11·0)

  Luxembourg

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  (3·6)

  (3·0)

  (2.9)

  (2·7)

  (3·1)

  Netherlands

  2·7

  5·2

  5·5

  5·3

  5·3

  5·4

  6·0

  8·5

  11·4

  | 12·0

  11·8

  10·6

  9·9

  9·6

  Portugal

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  7·9

  8·4

  8·5

  8.5

  (6·8)

  Spain

  2·6

  3·6

  4·6

  5·2

  6·9

  8·5

  11·2

  13·9

  15·8

  17·2

  20·0

  21·4

  21·0

  20·1

  United Kingdom

  2·9

  4·3

  5·6

  6·0

  5·9

  5·0

  6·4

  9·8

  11·3

  12·5

  | 11·7

  11·2

  11·2

  10·3

  Note: OECD's standardised unemployment rates are used where available. For those EC countries for which no OECD standardised rates are available, similar harmonised rates compiled by the Statistical Office of European Communities (Eurostat) are shown in brackets.

  n.a.— No standardised or harmonised rates available.

  |— Break in series.

DEFENCE

  Rosyth Base
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safety arrangements are being made following the decision to build a new facility to store radioactive waste at Rosyth naval base.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The new facility will be designed and constructed to standards set by national legislation on the handling and storage of radioactive materials and will be operated in accordance with nuclear site licence conditions and the requirements of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.

  Scouts (Membership Records)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose his Department keeps records of membership of the Scout movement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Blyth Valley (Mr. Campbell) on 12 May 1988, at columns 231–32.

  Nuclear Weapons (Atmospheric Testing)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline Her Majesty's Government's policy regarding the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom is a signatory and depository Government to the 1963 partial test ban treaty prohibiting nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the percentage of adult unemployment in each of the member countries of the European Community, for each year since 1974.

  Mr. Lee
  Following are the available total unemployment rates which allow, as far as possible, for differences in national definitions and coverage, in order to conform to the definitions of unemployment according to guidelines of the International Labour Organisation.

  Corsham Blinker Complex
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon of 6 May,Official Report, column 619, why he is unwilling to explain the purpose and functions of his Department's Corsham bunker complex.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The information the hon. Member is seeking is classified.

  Low Flying
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations were received from Scotland relating to low-flying activity by Tornado aircraft from Royal Air Force, Germany during the Salmond trophy competition on 14 October 1987.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: Nine.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the numbers and types of aircraft involved and the areas used for low flying by Royal Air Force aircraft participating in the Salmond trophy competition in each year since 1979; and what proportion of the low flying during the Salmond trophy competition in each year was conducted during the period between sunset plus 30 minutes and sunrise minus 30 minutes.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: The exercise referred to as the Salmond trophy is one of the RAF's annual navigational and bombing exercises for RAF Germany squadrons. The exercise has taken place only in 1979, 1986 and 1987. The information requested is as follows:

  529

  Salmond Trophy

  Year and number of aircraft

  Types of aircraft

  Areas used for low flying

  Proportion of low flying during night Per cent.

  1979

  not available

  Harriers, Jaguars, Buccaneers

  Federal Republic of Germany

  No night flying

  1986

  24

  Tornado

  Federal Republic of Germany, United Kingdom and Danish coastal waters

  127

  1987

  24

  Tornado

  Federal Republic of Germany and United Kingdom

  127

  1 All between 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to commence night low-level flying by Hercules aircraft in the Scottish Highlands; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: Hercules aircraft are already permitted to carry out low-level flying at night in the Scottish Highlands.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aircraft types, and from which air forces, are currently permitted to conduct night low-level terrain following instrument flying in the north-west Scotland tactical training area.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the Highlands restricted area, in which low-flying training using terrain-following radar takes place. RAF Tornado and Hercules aircraft and USAF F-111 and USAFE C-130 aircraft are currently permitted to carry out such training, both during the day and at night.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the functions and activities of the military low-flying management group.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 26 April 1988]: The military low-flying management group is a Ministry of Defence group which, acting within established policy guidelines, is responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the United Kingdom military low-flying system.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bodies represented on the military low-flying management group.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 5 May 1988]: No outside bodies are represented on the military low-flying management group.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the land area of England is included within the United Kingdom low-flying system.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 5 May 1988]: The whole of the land area of England is included within the United Kingdom low-flying system.

  Helicopter Proving Flights
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of the proving flights undertaken in the Scottish Highlands in late February by a Gazelle helicopter from Royal Air Force, Shawbury.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: The Gazelle helicopter in question is currently on loan to RAF Odiham and was deployed during late February on low level reconnaissance flights in the Highlands to check for obstacles on flight paths to be used later by Hercules aircraft flying in the dark.

  Army Store, Donnington (Fire)
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the buildings destroyed in the fire in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation store at Donnington on 25 April were protected by sprinklers.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 9 May 1988]: Sprinklers were not installed in the building destroyed by fire at COD Donnington on 25 April.

  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the recommendations made by the Army board of inquiry after the fire at a 10-acre Army store at Donnington on 24 June 1983 indicating(a) those which were put into effect, (b) those not acted upon and (c) the reason why no action was taken in those cases.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 9 May 1988]: The board of inquiry recommended that the water supplies for fire fighting at COD Donnington should be enhanced; depot fire orders should be reviewed; the use of polypropylene strapping should be reviewed; constant checks to enforce discipline and ensure compliance with regulations should be applied; hose reels should be installed inside high-rise storage sheds in addition to hand extinguishers; fire advice should be obtained at the initial planning stages for the provision of storage facilities either in new buildings or by new methods in existing buildings; feasibility studies into the provision of compartmentation, sprinkler and detection systems should be carried out before decisions were made about the replacement of building B6; Army fire service personnel should be given guidance and training on fighting fires in high storage buildings; certain measures in respect of the security arrangements at COD Donnington should be taken; in any future similar investigation decisions which may affect the disciplinary process of either military personnel or civilian staff should be taken by the appropriate senior military officer; the storage arrangements for stores which could represent a health hazard should be examined by appropriately trained depot safety officers; and that a record should be made of those who might have encountered a health hazard connected with the fire. All these recommendations were acted upon.

  Equipment Stores (Fire Prevention Review)
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the main recommendations of the review of fire prevention methods for equipment stores and of storage policy for all three services he announced he had set in hand on 4 July 1983 indicating(a) those recommendations put into effect, (b) those not acted upon and (c) the reason in those cases why no action was taken.
  531
  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 9 May 1988]: The 1983 review identified a number of possible ways of reducing the risk of heavy loss by fire in MOD equipment stores, including, where feasible, dispersal of the more valuable stocks and compartmentation of storage buildings. The use of advanced detection and suppression systems was also identified but it was recognised that their value would be limited in buildings stacked intensively with high racking.

  In some cases these and other measures have been adopted as appropriate, having regard to local needs and conditions at individual sites, and in others they are in the course of introduction.

  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the recommendations of review of fire prevention methods for equipment stores and of storage policy for all three services he announced he had set in hand on 4 July 1983 recommending sprinkler protection for critical Army stores were not put in hand.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 9 May 1988]: The tri-service review referred to did not recommend sprinkler protection for critical Army stores. It concluded that the methods of protection of stocks from fire needed to be considered on a site-by-site basis. Each service department reassessed its arrangements for the fire protection of high o value and operationally essential stores on this basis. The Army department formulated, and is putting into effect, plans for the segregation and protection of stocks according to its replacement lead time which include the installation of sprinklers in some buildings.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on what dates and for what muzzle energy and calibres of firearms his Department granted amended range safety certificates for ranges at(a) Dunmore shooting centre, Abingdon (b) Berkshire Downs Firearms and Ballistics Company, (c) Berkshire Downs rifle and pistol club and (d) Lambourn Valley gun club;

  (2) why the Berkshire Downs rifle and pistol club was issued with a firearms ranges safety certificate on 9 May 1986 by his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 9 May 1988]: When invited to do so, the MOD will inspect the ranges of civilian shooting clubs which are affiliated to the NRA or NSRA. Range safety certificates when issued certify only that at the time of inspection a range conforms as regards the structural arrangments to the safety rules of MOD ranges of similar character.

  Dunmore shooting centre, Abingdon was issued with a range safety certificate for the firing of weapons with a maximum muzzle energy of 1,313 ft/lbs. I refer the hon. Member to my reply on 20 April, at column 501, for the information concerning the calibre of weapons and date of certificate. I regret the Berkshire Downs Firearms and Ballistics Company was said to have received a range safety certificate in that reply; my Department has not in fact issued a range safety certificate for this organisation.

  A range safety certificate was issued, however, to the Berkshire Downs rifle and pistol club on 9 May 1986. The club was affiliated to the National Rifle Association, which requested an MOD inspection. The certificate was returned when the club closed and was re-issued on 11
  532
  May 1987 when it reopened as the Lambourn Valley gun club. The certificate covered the firing of 0.455in centrefire pistol and rimfire rifle with a maximum muzzle energy of 475 ft/lbs.

  Ammunition Stores (Fire Alarms)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the number of buildings that are used by his Department for storage of ammunition or explosives that have no automatic fire alarm; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 12 May 1988]: It is not our general practice to install automatic fire alarms in explosives storage buildings as these are built and maintained to standards which ensure the lowest possible risk. Automatic fire alarms are not required under explosives regulations or the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Such buildings are, however, usually served by manual fire alarms to warn employees of any incident.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Sunday Sport
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last reviewed the effectiveness of the Sunday Observance Act 1780 in relation to spectator sporting events on Sundays.

  Mr. John Patten
  We are not aware of any widespread demand for a review of the effects of the Act on spectator sports in general and have not undertaken one. The issues, however, have received close parliamentary consideration in the context of the Sunday Sports Bills now before the House.

  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the racing authorities about the introduction of Sunday racing.

  Mr. John Patten
  Our discussions have been reflected in the measure of general support which we have expressed for the two Sunday Sports Bills which are at present before the House. It does not seem to us unreasonable for the racing authorities to want to hold races on Sundays and to make provision to avoid illegal betting. Equally., we have made clear our respect for the position of those who wish to retain the traditional pattern of Sundays.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has about the number of convictions which have been brought under the Sunday Observance Act 1780 in the last five years in respect of spectator sporting events on Sundays.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information available to me, which may be incomplete, shows no prosecutions relating to sporting events under the Sunday Observance Act 1780 for the years 1982 to 1986.

  Immigration
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now recruit more staff at Lunar house to cope with immigration cases; and if he will make a statement.
  533
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now recruit more staff at Lunar house to cope with the present immigration work load; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  Vigorous steps are being taken to recruit some 100 additional staff for the immigration and nationality department at Lunar house during the current financial year. In addition, we are planning to recruit more than 100 further staff outside London to deal with the influx of citizenship applications.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the total number of passengers granted temporary admission in(a) 1986 and (b) 1987 subsequently absconded.

  Mr. Renton
  In all, 1,161 passengers absconded in 1986 and 821 in 1987. Separate figures are not available, but the great majority would have been on temporary admission.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were detained overnight during 1987 in(a) Harmondsworth detention centre, (b) Queen's building, Heathrow and (c) the Beehive, Gatwick;

  (2) what was the total number of passengers detained overnight under Immigration Act powers during 1987, by nationality.

  Mr. Renton
  The tables give the numbers of passengers whose detention spanned at least one night pending a decision on their admission to or their removal from the United Kingdom.

  Passengers1 detained overnight in certain locations, 1987

  Location

  Number

  Harmondsworth

  4,370

  Queen's building

  21,907

  Gatwick (virtually all at the Beehive)

  1,825

  1 Excluding illegal entrants and deportees.

  2 Provisional.

  Passengers detained overnight by nationality 19871

  Number2

  Non-EC Foreign Nationals

  Algeria

  613

  Arab Republic of Egypt

  33

  Argentina

  4

  Austria

  13

  Brazil

  105

  Bulgaria

  2

  Chile

  32

  China

  11

  Colombia

  169

  Cuba

  3

  Czechoslovakia

  9

  Ethiopia

  67

  Finland

  7

  GDR

  4

  Hungary

  5

  Indonesia

  3

  Iran

  480

  Iraq

  198

  Israel

  66

  Japan

  71

  Jordon

  24

  Kuwait

  4

  Lebanon

  119

  Libya

  25

  Mexico

  31

  Morocco

  337

  534

  Number2

  Norway

  28

  Pakistan

  557

  Peru

  17

  Philippines

  84

  Poland

  10

  Romania

  1

  Saudi Arabia

  14

  Somalia

  57

  South Africa

  56

  Sudan

  59

  Sweden

  22

  Switzerland

  15

  Syria

  27

  Thailand

  58

  Tunisia

  121

  Turkey

  1,008

  USA

  271

  USSR

  9

  Uruguay

  4

  Venezuela

  19

  Yugoslavia

  110

  Other Foreign Countries

  393

  Stateless

  235

  Total Non-EC Foreign

  5,610

  EC Nationals

  Belgium

  3

  Denmark

  3

  France

  23

  Germany

  8

  Greece

  7

  Italy

  18

  Luxembourg

  —

  Netherlands

  5

  Portugal

  200

  Spain

  131

  Total EC

  398

  Commonwealth Citizens

  Australia

  45

  Bangladesh

  439

  Barbados

  1

  Canada

  36

  Cyprus

  71

  Ghana

  651

  Guyana

  17

  Hong Kong BDTC

  146

  India

  476

  Jamaica

  202

  Kenya

  44

  Malaysia

  176

  Malta

  14

  Mauritius

  56

  New Zealand

  23

  Nigeria

  705

  Sierra Leone

  88

  Singapore

  38

  Sri Lanka

  718

  Tanzania

  58

  Trinidad & Tobago

  18

  Uganda

  262

  Zambia

  20

  Zimbabwe

  32

  BOC

  41

  Other Commonwealth countries

  149

  Total Commonwealth

  4,526

  All Nationalities

  10,534

  1 Excluding illegal entrants and deportees.

  2 Provisional. The figures include a small element of double counting when a passenger is detained at more than one location.

  535
  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the total number of persons treated as illegal entrants in 1987, who were granted temporary admission, subsequently absconded.

  Mr. Renton
  A total of 924 illegal entrants were granted temporary release, in 1987 pending completion of their cases. Of these, 50 failed to comply with the terms attached and were subsequently recorded as absconders.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people detained under Immigration Act powers applied to the Home Office to be allowed to depart voluntarily under the supervised departure provisions of paragraph 156 of the immigration rules during 1987.

  Mr. Renton
  I regret that the information in the form requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, in 1987 63 persons used the supervised departure provision in paragraph 156 of the immigration rules.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were recommended for deportation with no custodial sentence during 1987; and in how many such cases the courts directed release(a) subject to conditions, and (b) without conditions.

  Mr. Renton
  During 1987 a total of 352 persons were recommended for deportation by the courts with no custodial sentence. The courts directed release subject to restrictions in 52 cases and without restrictions in 135 cases.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were received into Prison Department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1987, by individual prison establishment.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Information for 1987 is not yet available. The latest information is given in the table.

  Receptions of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 into Prison Department establishments in England and Wales in 1986

  Establishment

  Number1

  Remand centres

  Ashford

  144

  Brockhill

  1

  Exeter

  1

  Latchmere House

  863

  Low Newton

  1

  Norwich

  1

  Risley

  9

  Prisons

  Bedford

  4

  Birmingham

  46

  Bristol

  25

  Brixton

  1

  Canterbury

  34

  Cardiff

  7

  Durham

  7

  Exeter

  4

  Gloucester

  2

  Holloway

  11

  Hull

  3

  Leeds

  7

  Leicester

  5

  Lewes

  3

  Lincoln

  2

  Norwich

  1

  Pentonville

  21

  Shrewsbury

  1

  Winchester

  4

  536

  Establishment

  Number1

  Wormwood Scrubs

  3

  Others

  Blantyre House

  95

  Bullwood Hall

  1

  Erlestoke

  115

  All Prison Department establishments

  1,422

  1 The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate, detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time spent in Prison Department establishments for persons detained under Immigration Act powers during 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Information for 1987 is not yet available. The average period of detention in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales of persons initially received under the Immigration Act 1971 powers who were discharged in 1986 was about four weeks.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average daily population of persons detained in Prison Department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  In 1987 the average population of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales was 167.

  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were detained under Immigration Act powers for a period of more than two months on completion of a custodial sentence during 1987.

  Mr. Renton
  Forty-one, excluding deportation cases who served a custodial sentence of seven days or less, about whom information is not readily available.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give, for each year since 1979, the number of children removed from the country, under the terms of the Immigration Acts; and how many of these had representations made on their behalf by right hon. and hon. Members.

  Mr. Renton
  Comprehensive information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give, for each year since 1979, the number of stops requested by hon. Members under the Immigration Act which were refused;

  (2) if he will give, for each year since 1979, the number of people represented by hon. Members who were refused entry and subsequently made voluntary departures, under the terms of the Immigration Act;

  (3) how many persons, for each year since 1979, who were deported under the current immigration laws had representations made on their behalf by right hon. and hon. Members.

  Mr. Renton
  I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
  537
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons of Turkish or Kurdish origin were detained between 21 March and 5 May at Harmondsworth detention centre.

  Mr. Renton
  A total of 161 Turkish nationals were detained at Harmondsworth between the dates given. Records do not distinguish ethnic origin.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were detained at(a) Harmondsworth and (b) other detention centres, over the past year.

  Mr. Renton
  During the 12 months ended 30 April 1988 the numbers of persons under the age of 18 detained in the main immigration service detention centres were as follows:

  Number

  Harmondsworth

  222

  The Beehive, Gatwick

  163

  Queen's Building, Heathrow

  43

  Note: Some people may have been detained in more than one location.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration officers and other persons for whom his Department is responsible escorted the 19 people alleged to be of Kurdish or Turkish origin back to Turkey on 5 May.

  Mr. Renton
  Twenty-five officers of the Metropolitan police escorted the group. They were also accompanied by two members of the immigration service, an interpreter engaged for the occasion and a doctor engaged by the airline.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to bring forward plans for the deregulation of Sunday trading.

  Mr. Renton
  As is well known, the Government continue to favour complete deregulation of Sunday trading hours. They are, nevertheless, prepared to consider any practicable compromise short of this if and when a consensus can be achieved.

  Summer Time
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in discussing summer time arrangements in the European Economic Community since the debate on 28 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Discussions with other member states of the European Community are not expected to take place until later in the summer, when a proposal for a directive on summer time arrangements for 1990 onwards will be tabled by the European Commission.

  Nationality Applications
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the arrangements for processing British citizenship applications.
  538
  Mr. Renton
  I have received a number of representations about the time taken to acknowledge applications for registration submitted before 31 December 1987, and about the time taken to consider citizenship applications generally. These delays are very much regretted, but we are dealing with this formidable task in the manner I described earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley) and the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South-East (Mr. Turner).

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to deal with the backlog of applications for British citizenship.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the number of applications for British nationality still being processed by Lunar house.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier to the questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley) and the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-East (Mr. Turner).

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to acknowledge the applications made before 31 December 1987 for registration as a British citizen; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  All such applications have now been acknowledged.

  IBA (Chairman)
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority to discuss future arrangements for television franchises.

  Mr. Hurd
  I meet the chairman of the IBA from time to time to discuss a wide range of broadcasting issues.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet reached a decision on the reappointment of the present chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his intention to reappoint the present chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his intention to reappoint the present chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 16 May, at column 310.

  Drug Abuse
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of Government measures to combat the abuse of drugs.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The ministerial group on the misuse of drugs co-ordinates and monitors the Government's
  539
  strategy against drug misuse. When the group last met on 4 May it took note of, amongst other things, the generally encouraging findings of an independent evaluation of the 1987–88 prevention campaign. As chairman of the group, I have made a number of visits to see how different aspects of the strategy are implemented. Most recently I visited the Metropolitan police central and No. 2 area drugs squads and St. Mary's hospital, Paddington drug dependency unit. I was impressed by all the excellent work being done.

  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on his initiatives to tackle drugs misuse and abuse.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, West (Mr. McLoughlin) on 21 April 1988, at column 517, and from the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 3 May 1988, at column 428.

  Criminal Cases (Right to Silence)
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to seek to alter the present right to silence of suspects and defendants in criminal cases.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) yesterday.

  Prisoners (Police Cells)
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the recent trend in the number of prisoners held in police cells.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The numbers in police cells rose to a peak of 1,575 in early March. Since then, both the temporary camps which my right hon. Friend announced on 30 March have been brought into operation; and the numbers had fallen to 905 yesterday.

  Young People (Custody)
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on recent initiatives aimed at providing alternatives for custody for young people.

  Mr. John Patten
  Our thinking on alternatives to custody for young people will be reflected in the proposals on punishment in the community for offenders over 17 which we are continuing to develop and will publish later this year.

  Drug Traffickers
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has about the implementation of measures to confiscate the assets of convicted drug traffickers.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  During the first year of operation of the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 the High Court made over 150 restraint or charging orders freezing some £7 million of suspected drug traffickers' assets; and some substantial sums have been confiscated by the Crown court, including £452,000 in one case in January 1988. The national drugs intelligence unit now co-ordinates all 540
  intelligence about the financial activity of suspected drug traffickers. We recently signed an agreement with the United States for co-operation in the tracing, freezing and confiscation of the proceeds of drug trafficking, and we expect to conclude further such agreements this year.

  Myra Hindley
  Mr. Dickens
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give permission for hypnosis to be used on Myra Hindley to assist the Great Manchester police in their search for the grave of Keith Bennett.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are not persuaded that hypnosis of Myra Hindley is likely to produce information which would be of material assistance in the search for the grave of Keith Bennett.

  Police (Establishment)
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the outstanding applications for increases in establishment that he has received from police authorities in England and Wales.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police authorities in England and Wales which have recently applied to him for an increase in establishment, showing how many of these applications are still outstanding.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is as follows:

  1988–89

  Police Authority

  Number of posts applied for

  Number of posts approved with effect from 1 June 1988

  Avon and Somerset

  45

  20

  Bedfordshire

  31

  10

  Cambridgeshire

  60

  20

  Cheshire

  25

  15

  Cumbria

  40

  —

  Devon and Cornwall

  96

  25

  Dorset

  40

  —

  Durham

  16

  —

  Essex

  180

  120

  Greater Manchester

  140

  —

  Gwent

  42

  9

  Hampshire

  70

  23

  Hertfordshire

  35

  —

  Humberside

  37

  —

  Kent

  59

  30

  Leicestershire

  45

  —

  Merseyside

  35

  —

  Norfolk

  50

  20

  Northamptonshire

  38

  20

  Northumbria

  80

  30

  North Wales

  41

  10

  North Yorkshire

  25

  —

  Nottinghamshire

  63

  35

  South Wales

  66

  —

  South Yorkshire

  50

  20

  Staffordshire

  50

  10

  Suffolk

  1

  —

  Surrey

  6

  —

  Sussex

  7

  —

  Thames Valley

  200

  290

  Warwickshire

  14

  —

  West Midlands

  350

  70

  West Yorkshire

  260

  23

  Wiltshire

  20

  —

  Total

  2,217

  500

  541
  1 Excluding posts for Stansted airport.

  2 Includes 50 already announced with effect from 1 April 1988.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give urgent consideration to approving the request for a variation in the authorised establishment of Humberside police force.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Mr right hon. Friend was unable to give the Humberside police authority's application for 41 additional police posts priority over other applications in the allocation of the 450 additional posts available for 1988–89. The police authority has been informed that its application will be reconsidered when my right hon. Friend next takes decisions on the allocation of police manpower.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about an increase in the police establishment of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have received representations from the Police Authority and from hon. Members whose constituencies lie within the force area. The police authority applied for 23 police posts in 1987–88. This bid has been met in full with effect from 1 June 1988. A further application for 47 posts has recently been received and this will be considered together with applications received from other police authorities when my right hon. Friend next takes decisions on the allocation of police manpower.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Commissioner of the City of London police in the inquiry into alleged contacts between Dr. Frank Skuse and former Superintendent George Reade while they were both witnesses at the appeal hearing of the men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. John Patten
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police for the City of London that a report has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, at whose request the inquiries were made.

  Identity Cards
  Sir John Biggs-Davison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with his counterparts of the Trevi Group and other countries about their experience of the universal issue of identity cards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The issue of identity cards has not been discussed with Ministers of other countries either within the Trevi Group or otherwise.

  Police (Leicestershire)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any recent representations concerning the request by the chief constable of Leicestershire for more police officers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Yes. My right hon. Friend has carefully considered the Leicestershire police authority's application for additional manpower but was unable to allocate for the authority any of the 450 posts available for 542
  1988–89. The police authority has been informed that its application will be considered again, together with others, when my right hon. Friend next takes decisions on the allocation of police manpower.

  Broadcasting Standards Council
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet decided on the terms of reference for the new Broadcasting Standards Council.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proposed terms of reference for the new Broadcasting Standards Council.

  Mr. Renton
  I would refer the hon. Members to my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 16 May, at columns 685–86.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the salary of Sir William Rees-Mogg as the chairman designate of the Broadcasting Standards Council; and what hours he will be expected to work.

  Mr. Renton
  Sir William's salary as chairman will be £30,000 a year on the basis of a three-day week, but a current review of this and other broadcasting appointments may lead to an increase.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members are likely to be appointed to the Broadcasting Standards Council; what will be the period of appointment; and when the next appointment announcements will be made.

  Mr. Renton
  My right hon. Friend will announce the names and periods of appointment of the members of the Broadcasting Standards Council as soon as possible.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what qualities will be taken into consideration when making appointments to the proposed Broadcasting Standards Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  We shall be seeking candidates whose personal qualities and experience will enable them to contribute to the successful establishment and operation of the council.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the anticipated annual cost in the first five years of the Broadcasting Standards Council.

  Mr. Renton
  We envisage that the Broadcasting Standards Council may require a budget of around £1 million a year, but this financial provision will be reviewed in the light of experience as the work of the council develops.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe of 16 May,Official Report, column 688, what steps he has taken, or will be taking, to ensure that the proposed Broadcasting Standards Council will not conflict with the existing role of the British Broadcasting Corporation's governors and that of the members of the Independent Broadcasting Authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  The role of the governors of the BBC, as defined in the corporation's royal charter, licence and
  543
  agreement, and the role of the members of the IBA, as defined in the Broadcasting Act 1981, are quite distinct from the functions of the Broadcasting Standards Council as announced on 16 May. The broadcasting authorities will continue to have responsibility for programme standards and will be expected to exercise judgment in these matters.

  Police Forensic Science Department
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to privatise the police forensic science department.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to privatise the present police forensic science department.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no present plans to do so.

  Official Secrets Act
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to make a statement on his proposals for the reform of section 2 of the Official Secrets Act.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier to the question from the hon. Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn).

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now make a statement on his proposals for the reform of the Official Secrets Acts.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. Friend hopes to lay before Parliament next month a White Paper setting out the Government's proposals for the reform of section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911.

  Charity Law
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received seeking reform of the charities laws.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have received a number of representations seeking reform of charity law along the lines recommended by the Woodfield report. We have also received representations for a change in the law on charitable status.

  Prison Building
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to build prisons in the northern region.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Following last year's public expenditure survey, the prison building programme contained 26 new prisons. Seven are planned for the Prison Department's northern region: four in Lancashire (Garth, Lancaster Farms, Rochdale and Buckley Hall), two in Yorkshire (Lindholme II and Doncaster) and, one in Cheshire (Thorn Cross). One in Humberside (Full Sutton) was officially opened last month. In addition, there are four prisons in the programme for which sites have not yet been chosen. One of these may be allocated to the northern region for a local prison in the north-east.

  Credit Betting
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the volume of credit betting which takes place on Sundays.

  Mr. John Patten
  None.

  Horserace Totalisator Board
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chairman of the Horserace Totalisator Board; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. John Patten
  The last formal occasion on which my right hon. Friend met the chairman was on 8 March at the tote annual luncheon. They discussed matters of interest to the board and the Sunday Sports Bill, which the chairman had guided through another place.

  Race Relations
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the annual cost to his Department of race relations policies, including the Commission for Racial Equality.

  Mr. John Patten
  Lead responsibility for race relations policy rests within the Home Office with the equal opportunities and general department. In 1987–88 the total cost, including staff costs, allocated out of Home Office expenditure to these policies was £11·6 million. Of this, £10·8 million was paid in grant in aid to the Commission for Racial Equality.

  Terrorism
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met his European counterparts to discuss anti-terrorist measures.

  Mr. Hurd
  I attended a meeting of Trevi Ministers in Copenhagen on 9 December 1987 under the Danish presidency. I shall be attending the ministerial meeting under the German presidency in Munich on 3 June. I have also had bilateral talks with my French and Portuguese counterparts in London this year.

  Prison Officers' Association
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met members of the Prison Officers' Association; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend last met members of the Prison Officers' Association on 30 March. They discussed overcrowding, the staffing of establishments and the involvement of the private sector in all aspects of the remand system.

  European Broadcasting
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to discuss European broadcasting problems with his counterparts in the member states of the European Economic Community and the Council of Europe.

  Mr. Tim Renton
  The next meeting of Council of Europe Broadcasting Ministers is due to take place in Stockholm on 23–24 November to discuss European
  545
  broadcasting policy in an international context. There are no formal arrangements for meetings of Broadcasting Ministers in the framework of the European Community, but further discussion of the draft EC directive on broadcasting will no doubt take place in the Council in due course.

  Traffic (London)
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he intends to hold with the Metropolitan police to discuss traffic organisation in London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend meets the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from time to time to discuss a range of policing issues, although there are at present no plans to meet specifically in order to discuss traffic organisation in London. Officials in the Department have regular contacts with Metropolitan police staff on traffic issues.

  Exeter Prison
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects that Exeter prison, will hold no more than the number of prisoners it was originally built to hold; and how many prisoners on remand awaiting trial are currently held there.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 13 May 126 unconvicted prisoners were held in Exeter prison, of whom 68 were awaiting trial in the Crown court. Since the numbers likely to be committed to prison by the courts in the future cannot be predicted with any certainty, the length of time for which overcrowding will continue in a particular prison cannot be forecast. My right hon. Friend announced on 30 March a number of measures aimed at substantially increasing the capacity of the prison system as a whole over the next few years, and thus directly tackling the overcrowding problem.

  Lunar House (Mail)
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to clear the backlog of mail at Lunar house.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley).

  Turkish Students
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any representations from the English language school industry concerning the treatment of Turkish students by immigration officials on arrival in the United Kingdom to attend courses.

  Mr. Renton
  Yes. They have been replied to.

  Cheshire Police
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will authorise a rise in the police establishment in Cheshire.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  As my right hon. Friend announced yesterday in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the 546
  Member for Crawley (Mr. Soames), at columns 466–67, he has approved 15 posts for the Cheshire constabulary with effect from 1 June 1988.

  Boundary Commission (General Review)
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 7 July 1987,Official Report, column 96, to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) what information he has as to whether the Boundary Commission still expects the general review to commence in 1990; and how far in advance of the statutory deadline the commission is aiming to report on the outcome of this review.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Within the limits prescribed by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, the timing of each commission's work is a matter for it to determine. I understand, however, that the Boundary Commission for England hopes to submit a report fairly early in the 1993–98 period allowed by the Act, and that the start of their review is likely to be announced early in 1991.

  Channel Ferries, Dover
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Kent as to what steps the police have taken at Dover to clear a road to the Channel ferries for vehicles wishing to load.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of Kent that access to Dover docks on the public highway has remained clear throughout the current dispute. The policing of Dover harbour board property and movement from there to the ferries is a matter for the board.

  Prisoners
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total period of time that a prisoner sentenced to one year's imprisonment who had(a) been held on remand for six months, and (b) been held on remand for one month, would spend in custody, having lost entitlement to three months remission.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  (a) nine months, of which three months would be served after sentence.

  (b) nine months, of which eight months would be served after sentence.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account is taken of periods for which prisoners have been held on remand in calculating loss of remission under rule 54 of the prison rules.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Any remission forfeited prospectively under prison rule 54 during a period on remand may be deducted from the total amount of remission which, otherwise, would be earned in respect of that period.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of prisoners presently serving sentences whose total period of custody after loss of remission will be longer because periods during which they were held on remand have been disregarded in calculating loss of remission than it would have been if such periods had been taken into account in the implementation of rule 54 of the prison rules.
  547
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Of those presently serving sentences, none.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued by his Department on the account to be taken of periods spent on remand in interpreting rule 54 of the prison rules; if he will place a copy of such guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Guidance is contained in prison standing order 3C 6(5) as amended by circular instruction 23/1988 (standing order amendment 427); copies of these documents are in the Library.

  Asylum
  Mr. Holland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will provide a breakdown by nationality of the number of passengers seeking political asylum who were detained under Immigration Act powers in 1987 in(a) Prison Department establishments and (b) immigration detention accommodation;

  (2) how many of the total number of passengers seeking political asylum were granted temporary admission during (a) 1986 and (b)

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

  Professor Vera Ivanovna Rasdolskaya
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be giving a substantive reply to the letter of 15 February from the hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford drawing his attention to the visa application made on 7 November 1987 by Mrs. Bernard for her cousin, Professor Vera Ivanovna Rasdolskaya, to pay a family visit to the United Kingdom during August.

  Mr. Renton
  I replied to the hon. Member yesterday.

  Passports (Mr. and Mrs. Read)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make inquiries into the reason why Mr. Ronald Read and Mrs. Doris Patricia Read of 6 Montgomery Court, North Shoebury, Southend on Sea, who applied to Peterborough for passports on 17 March explaining that they were required by 9 May, have not received them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  A letter requesting £7·50 balance of fee failed to reach Mr. and Mrs. Read, who moved house on 12 May. The Peterborough passport office has since made contact with them by telephone and their passport will be issued immediately on receipt of the balance of fee, in time for their holiday in early June. Regrettably, the application was not given any priority when it was received on 25 March.

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of vacancies at the latest available date for(a) justices clerks and (b) other staff in magistrates courts in the area of each magistrates court committee.
  548
  Mr. John Patten
  There are no vacancies for justices' clerks. The latest date for which information is available for other staff is 1 April 1987, the information drawn from a survey conducted by the joint negotiating committee for magistrates courts staff. This information is set out in the table. The information for staff vacancies as at 1 April 1988 is not yet available.

  Magistrates' Courts staff vacancies11 April 1987

  Magistrates' Courts Committee

  Vacancies

  Avon

  0

  Bedfordshire

  6

  Berkshire

  n/a

  Buckinghamshire

  1

  Cambridgeshire

  0

  Cheshire

  0

  Cleveland

  3

  Cornwall

  0

  Cumbria

  1

  Derbyshire

  4

  Devon

  n/a

  Dorset

  0

  Durham

  0

  East Sussex

  3

  Essex

  n/a

  Gloucestershire

  n/a

  Hampshire

  15

  Hereford/Worcester

  0

  Hertfordshire

  n/a

  Humberside

  4

  Isle of Wight

  1

  Kent

  9

  Lancashire

  0

  Leicestershire

  6

  Lincolnshire

  0

  Norfolk

  n/a

  Northamptonshire

  n/a

  Northumberland

  1

  North Yorkshire

  1

  Nottinghamshire

  n/a

  Oxfordshire

  n/a

  Shropshire

  1

  Somerset

  0

  Staffordshire

  3

  Suffolk

  0

  Surrey

  2

  Warwickshire

  0

  West Sussex

  0

  Wiltshire

  4

  Clwyd

  0

  Dyfed

  2

  Gwent

  n/a

  Gwynedd

  0

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  Powys

  0

  South Glamorgan

  0

  West Glamorgan

  n/a

  Barnsley

  1

  Birmingham

  5

  Bolton

  0

  Bradford

  0

  Bury

  0

  Calderdale

  2

  Coventry

  0

  Doncaster

  2

  Dudley

  0

  Gateshead

  0

  Kirklees/Huddersfield

  0

  Knowlsey

  0

  Leeds

  1

  Liverpool

  8

  Manchester

  1

  Newcastle

  n/a

  North Tyneside

  3

  Oldham

  0

  549

  Magistrates' Courts Committee

  Vacancies

  Rotherham

  n/a

  Rochdale

  2

  St. Helens

  1

  Salford

  2

  Sandwell

  0

  Sefton

  2

  Sheffield

  1

  Solihull

  0

  South Tyneside

  4

  Stockport

  1

  Sunderland

  3

  Tameside

  1

  Trafford

  0

  Wakefield

  0

  Walsall

  0

  Wigan

  1

  Wirral

  0

  Wolverhampton

  0

  Barking/Dagenham

  0

  Barnet

  1

  Bexley

  1

  Brent

  n/a

  Bromley

  3

  Croydon

  0

  Ealing

  n/a

  Enfield

  0

  Haringey

  0

  Harrow

  1

  Havering

  0

  Hillingdon

  0

  Hounslow

  1

  Kingston

  n/a

  Merton

  1

  Newham

  n/a

  Redbridge

  1

  Richmond

  5

  Sutton

  0

  Waltham Forest

  7

  Uxbridge

  0

  Inner London

  34

  City of London

  n/a

  1 Excluding justices' clerks.

  n/a = Not available.

  Press Standards Council
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to set up a Press Standards Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  The Government have no plans to set up a council to oversee press standards. There is already in place a system of self-regulation under the auspices of the Press Council.

  Essex Constabulary
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the strength of the Essex constabulary; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend has just approved 20 additional posts for Essex police. This brings to 90 the number of posts we have been able to approve so far in response to its application for 150 posts over the three years 1986–87 to 1988–89. The total number of posts approved since May 1979 is now 237. The remaining posts will be considered when my right hon. Friend next takes decisions on the allocation of police manpower.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Hospital Closures (Shropshire)
  Mr. Biffen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received to date concerning the proposed hospital closure programme of the Shropshire health authority; and how many favour the proposals of the authority.

  Mrs. Currie
  Since my reply to my right hon. Friend on 11 March, at column 395, we have received over 700 further letters concerning health services in Shropshire. None has expressed support for hospital closures in the district. All will be taken into account if proposals come to Ministers for decision.

  Spending Power
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to reply to the question from the hon. Member for Birkenhead on net weekly spending power to which he gave a holding reply on 25 April.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have replied to the hon. Member today.

  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish tables similar to his Department's tax benefit/model table, and assuming in each case that 25 per cent. of income is spent on housing costs, showing the net weekly spending power for each of(a) a single person, (b) a married couple with no children, (c) a couple with a child aged 11 years, (d) a couple with two children aged eight and 11 years, (e) a couple with three children aged eight, 11 and 15 years and (f) a couple with four children aged three, eight, 11 and 15 years, with weekly earnings of (i) £180, (ii) £190, (iii) £200, (iv) £250, (v) £300 and (vi) £400, under (A) the original tax and benefit system and (B) the new system implemented in April.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that the reply can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the figures given comparing net weekly spending power under the supplementary benefit system with those under income support, 11 March,Official Report, columns 406–8 take into consideration the fact that under the new regulations claimants will have to pay water rates and 20 per cent. of general rates.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 25 April 1988]: The figures, at columns 406–8, Official Report, 11 March, show the actual cash receipts of claimants, from which they would be required to pay water rates (pre- and post-reform) and the minimum contribution to general rates (post-reform). There is therefore an inadvertent inconsistency in the treatment of general rates which the footnotes should have highlighted. The revised table shows the net position after all housing costs and water rates have been paid. They also include revised estimates of the hypothetical supplementary benefit assessments which such recipients might have received, had the reforms not been introduced.
  551

  Illustrative income support cases April 1988—£pw Old and new income related benefit systems compared

  Supplementary benefit

  Income support

  Net change

  Claimant's net incomes after any contributions toward housing costs and water services

  1. Rent paying lone-parent, two children aged 4 and 11, claiming three months

  60·40

  67·00

  +6·60

  2. Lone-parent with mortgage, three children under 10, claiming six months. Attendance allowance, heating and laundry additions for one child

  96·15

  98·60

  +2·45

  3. Rent-paying lone-parent, one child aged 12, part-time earnings £25, claiming under one year

  59·50

  71·70

  +12·21

  4. Single unemployed man aged 30, non-householder

  29·35

  33·40

  +4·05

  5. Pensioner aged 76, diet and heating addition, non-householder

  64·35

  66·45

  +2·10

  6. Single woman aged 26, severe disability allowance, and heating addition, non-householder

  36·10

  46·45

  +10·35

  7. Unemployed man, wife and a child aged 3. Rentpayer

  63·85

  65·07

  +1·22

  8. Single man, sick, new claim, rented accommodation

  31·40

  32·80

  +1·40

  Net income from all sources

  9. Sick man paying a mortgage, non-working wife, two children aged 3, claiming eight months

  78·26

  95·93

  +17·67

  10. Unemployed man, non-working wife, three children aged 3, 11 and 12. LA accommodation

  102·98

  104·02

  +1·04

  11. Single man aged 28, sick 7 months, additional requirements for laundry and diet, owner-occupier

  38·60

  43·85

  +5·25

  12. Single man, living alone, rented accommodation, attendence allowance and additional requirements for heating and diet, disabled over a year

  70·30

  90·27

  +19·97

  13. Unemployed man, wife sick, receiving a severe disability allowance with additional requirements for heating and laundry

  59·20

  67·12

  +7·92

  14. Pensioner aged 82, rented accommodation

  41·30

  43·17

  +1·87

  15. Pensioner aged 82, wife aged 77, owner-occupier

  65·25

  65·54

  +0·29

  Notes:

  1. Hypothetical April 1988 supplementary benefit rates, pre-reform housing benefit rates and housing costs assumptions as in "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income Related Benefits", October 1987.

  2. Based on average local authority rates by family and tenure type. Water service payments are varied directly with local authority rates. All illustrations are based on local authority tenants except where owner-occupiers or non-householders are specified for the illustrations.

  Overseas Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of pensioners overseas currently in receipt of United Kingdom pensions; and if he will give(a) the number in countries where annual increments apply and (c) the number of countries where annual increments do not apply.

  Mr. Scott
  The total number of persons overseas in receipt of United Kingdom retirement pensions and widows benefits in December 1987 was 461,422. These are the latest figures available. The numbers in each country are as follows:

  Number

  Albania

  5

  Alderney

  502

  Algeria

  3

  American Samoa

  1

  Andorra

  123

  Angola

  1

  Anguilla

  62

  Antarctic (British)

  1

  Antigua

  166

  Argentina

  162

  Ascension Island

  5

  Australia

  117,659

  Austria

  2,462

  Bahamas

  124

  Bahrain

  17

  552

  Number

  Bangladesh

  2,711

  Barbados

  1,019

  Barbuda

  1

  Belgium

  3,408

  Belize

  11

  Benin

  1

  Bermuda

  278

  Bolivia

  3

  Botswana

  48

  Brazil

  179

  Brunei

  9

  Bulgaria

  9

  Burkina Faso

  1

  Burma

  6

  Cameroon

  4

  Canada

  76,152

  Cayman Islands

  41

  Central Africa Republic

  2

  Channel Islands

  1

  Chile

  52

  China

  15

  Colombia

  22

  Cook Islands

  5

  Costa Rica

  6

  Cote D'ivoire

  1

  Cyprus

  2,848

  Czechoslovakia

  29

  Denmark

  326

  Djibouti

  4

  Dominica, Commonwealth of

  344

  Dominican Republic

  161

  East Germany

  19

  553

  Number

  Egypt

  45

  El Salvador

  1

  Equador

  9

  Ethiopia

  4

  Falkland Islands and Dependencies

  8

  Faroe Islands

  2

  Fiji

  25

  Finland

  64

  France

  5,796

  Gambia

  10

  Ghana

  57

  Gibraltar

  340

  Greece

  923

  Grenada

  430

  Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Reunion Island

  5

  Guatemala

  3

  Guernsey

  4,570

  Guinea

  1

  Guyana

  146

  Haiti

  1

  Honduras

  2

  Hong Kong

  447

  Hungary

  159

  Iceland

  24

  India

  3,334

  Indonesia

  19

  Iran

  2

  Iraq

  2

  Irish Republic

  49,259

  Israel

  2,270

  Italy

  10,366

  Jamaica

  12,617

  Japan

  52

  Jersey

  6,321

  Jordan

  7

  Kenya

  443

  Kiribati

  3

  Kuwait

  6

  Lebanon

  19

  Lesotho

  5

  Liberia

  4

  Libya

  2

  Liechtenstein

  2

  Luxembourg

  55

  Macau

  1

  Madagascar

  3

  Malawi

  54

  Malaysia

  65

  Malta

  1,713

  Mauritius

  123

  Mexico

  87

  Monaco

  197

  Montserrat

  221

  Morocco

  32

  Mozambique

  3

  Nauru, Republic of

  3

  Nepal

  19

  Netherlands

  2,524

  Netherlands Antilles

  6

  New Zealand

  27,957

  Nicaragua

  3

  Nigeria

  119

  Norfolk Island

  13

  Norway

  189

  Oman

  11

  Pakistan

  5,514

  Panama

  4

  Papua New Guinea

  15

  Paraguay

  2

  Peru

  41

  Philippines

  64

  Poland

  2,445

  Portugal

  1,718

  Puerto Rico

  7

  Quatar

  10

  Rumania

  18

  554

  Number

  Rwanda

  2

  St. Helena and Dependencies

  37

  St. Kitts-Nevis

  324

  St. Lucia

  535

  St. Vincent

  322

  San Marino

  2

  Sarawak

  2

  Sark

  79

  Saudi Arabia

  32

  Senegal

  7

  Seychelles

  30

  Sharjah

  1

  Sierra Leone

  45

  Singapore

  88

  Solomon Islands

  7

  Somalia

  191

  South Africa

  25,273

  South Korea

  1

  South West Africa or Namibia

  14

  Spain

  17,592

  Sri Lanka

  137

  Sudan

  9

  Swaziland

  58

  Sweden

  78

  Switzerland

  1,829

  Syria

  2

  Taiwan

  5

  Tanzania

  37

  Thailand

  64

  Tonga

  3

  Trinidad and Tobago

  347

  Tunisia

  6

  Turkey

  262

  Turks and Caicos Islands

  4

  Tuvalu

  1

  Uganda

  17

  United Arab Emirates

  30

  USA

  41,860

  USSR

  783

  Uruguay

  21

  Vanuatu

  4

  Vatican City

  1

  Venezuela

  31

  Virgin Islands

  45

  Western Samoa

  12

  West Germany

  11,632

  Yemen Arab Republic

  1,028

  Yemen, Peoples Democratic Republic of

  134

  Yugoslavia

  984

  Zaire

  4

  Zambia

  131

  Zimbabwe

  4,454

  The number of countries where annual increments apply is 182,746. The number of countries where annual increments do not apply and where United Kingdom pensioners are living is 145, and the number of pensioners in those countries is 275,901. There was a further 2,775 pensioners whose country of residence was not known at the time the statistics were prepared.

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will disregard the invalid care allowance in assessing entitlement to income support and national insurance benefits.

  Mr. Scott
  No. Invalid care allowance, income support and national insurance benefits are maintenance benefits, intended to cover a person's day-to-day living expenses. To disregard invalid care allowance when assessing entitlement to income support or national insurance benefits would mean that provision was being made twice over from public funds to cover the same needs.

  Supplementary Benefit Claimants (Nottingham)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to the reply of 10 May,Official Report, columns 89–90, he will supply the numbers for the disabled pensioners, single parents and other groups by
  category in the statistics for those claiming supplementary benefit in 1979 and in 1987 for the David Lane and Shakespeare street offices of his Department in Nottingham.

  Mr. Portillo
  Information is not available in the precise
  form requested.

  The number of supplementary benefit claimants by category at 27 November 1979 and 18 November 1987 for the offices requested is as follows:

  David Lane

  Shakespeare street

  1979

  1987

  1979

  1987

  Claimant Category

  Over pension age

  3,163

  3,360

  4,988

  5,146

  Required to register for employment

  1,530

  5,228

  1,906

  5,265

  Required to register for employment once a quarter

  165

  522

  205

  679

  Not required to register for employment:

  Women aged under 60 and receiving Widow's Benefit

  83

  37

  49

  58

  Men aged 60–64

  —

  206

  —

  444

  One-parent families with child(ren) under age 16

  1,067

  2,065

  1,236

  2,372

  Incapable of work because of sickness or disability

  501

  823

  653

  1,043

  Required at home to care for aged or sick person aged 16 or over

  39

  58

  51

  78

  Others

  126

  244

  116

  335

  Source: 100 per cent, count of cases in action.

  Some claimants may fit a number of categories, but each claimant is counted only once for statistical purposes.

  Benefits (Homeless Claimants)
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the effect on the street homelessness of benefit payments to homeless claimants being paid in arrears rather than in advance; and if he will
  make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The arrangements for paying income support in arrears to the majority of recipients under pension age, including homeless people, began only recently on 11 April. It is too early to judge the effects of this change on homeless claimants. Moreover, by their very nature the number of people in this group is difficult
  to estimate. However, we will monitor any indicators of change, such as representations from organizations dealing with homeless people.

  Electorate (Non-metropolitan Districts)
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for
  Social Services if he will list the 30 English non-metropolitan districts which have shown the greatest percentage growth in their electorate since 1978, and what have been the percentage growth and actual figures in each case.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is as follows:556

  Non-metropolitan district

  Total electors

  Difference

  1978

  1988

  Actual

  Percentage growth

  Milton Keynes

  70,545

  119,534

  48,989

  69

  Redditch

  40,424

  55,422

  14,998

  37

  Wokingham

  76,902

  103,845

  26,943

  35

  Tamworth

  38,075

  49,725

  11,650

  31

  Peterborough

  84,885

  110,097

  25,212

  30

  Huntingdonshire

  77,134

  99,242

  22,108

  29

  Hart

  48,680

  62,187

  13,507

  28

  East Dorset

  49,965

  63,486

  13,521

  27

  The Wrekin

  79,066

  98,940

  19,874

  25

  Newbury

  81,711

  102,017

  20,306

  25

  Thamesdown

  102,038

  127,259

  25,221

  25

  Aylesbury Vale

  85,580

  106,702

  21,122

  25

  South Staffordshire

  65,620

  81,627

  16,007

  24

  East Hampshire

  61,584

  76,592

  15,008

  24

  Eastleigh

  63,059

  78,277

  15,218

  24

  Crawley

  53,541

  66,435

  12,894

  24

  Fareham

  60,919

  75,542

  14,623

  24

  Basingstoke and Deane

  86,068

  106,299

  20,231

  24

  Northampton

  107,756

  132,859

  25,103

  23

  Caradon

  47,502

  58,433

  10,931

  23

  Test Valley

  61,596

  75,713

  14,117

  23

  Selby

  55,994

  68,758

  12,764

  23

  West Wiltshire

  69,419

  84,750

  15,331

  22

  Cherwell

  67,591

  82,501

  14,910

  22

  Chelmsford

  95,415

  116,230

  20,815

  22

  South Cambridgeshire

  73,245

  88,905

  15,660

  21

  Woodspring

  114,914

  139,344

  24,430

  21

  Maldon

  33,576

  40,532

  6,956

  21

  Bracknell

  51,401

  62,025

  10,624

  21

  Daventry

  39,573

  47,721

  8,148

  21

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation specifically to prohibit any information collected for health purposes being disclosed to community charge officer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  No. Health authorities and family practitioner committees are already obliged to keep information received for health purposes confidential.

  Employment Status (Disputes)
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the Secretary for Social Services how many cases in which employed or self-employed status was in dispute came to the attention of officials in his Department in 1987.

  Mr. Portillo
  This information is not available. However, there is a procedure whereby a person who disputes a departmental ruling can have it formally referred for determination by the Secretary of State: and there were 85 such references involving employment status in 1987.

  Health Spending
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now publish a table showing for 1986, for each member state of the European Economic Community (i) total, (ii) public and (iii) private spending on health as a proportion of gross domestic product.

  Mr. Newton
  The available data for 1986 from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are as follows:
  557

  Expenditure on health care as a percentage of GDP, 1986

  Total, of which:

  Public

  Private

  Belgium

  7·1

  5·5

  1·6

  Denmark

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  France

  8·5

  6·7

  1·8

  Germany

  8·1

  6·3

  1·8

  Greece

  3·9

  3·7

  0·2

  Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Italy

  6·7

  5·2

  1·5

  Netherlands

  8·3

  6·5

  1·8

  Portugal

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Spain

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  United Kingdom

  6·2

  5·4

  0·8

  Oxford region

  Revenue expenditure

  Capital expenditure

  District health authorities

  Per annual accounts £'000

  At 1986–87 prices £'000

  Proportion of total Per cent.

  Per annual accounts £'000

  At 1986–87 prices £'000

  Proportion of total Per cent.

  1982–83

  East Berkshire

  43,549

  52,098

  13·3

  4,371

  5,229

  18·5

  West Berkshire

  58,175

  69,595

  17·8

  2,094

  2,505

  8·8

  Aylesbury Vale

  34,108

  40,804

  10·5

  708

  847

  3·0

  Wycombe

  23,762

  28,427

  7·3

  1,200

  1,435

  5·1

  Milton Keynes

  7,091

  8,483

  2·2

  7,508

  8,982

  31·7

  Kettering

  25,677

  30,718

  7·9

  664

  794

  2·8

  Northampton

  46,424

  55,537

  14·2

  2,885

  3,451

  12·2

  Oxfordshire

  87,491

  104,666

  26·8

  4,222

  5,051

  17·9

  Districts-Total

  326,277

  390,328

  100·0

  23,652

  28,294

  100·0

  1983–84

  East Berkshire

  45,931

  52,481

  13·4

  7,547

  8,623

  30·3

  West Berkshire

  59,876

  68,415

  17·5

  1,927

  2,202

  7·7

  Aylesbury Vale

  33,850

  38,677

  9·9

  1,187

  1,356

  4·8

  Wycombe

  24,528

  28.026

  7·2

  1,086

  1,241

  4·4

  Milton Keynes

  9,259

  10,579

  2·7

  5,670

  6,478

  22·7

  Kettering

  26,821

  30,646

  7·9

  1,019

  1,164

  4·1

  Northampton

  49,419

  56,467

  14·5

  3,526

  4,029

  14·1

  Oxfordshire

  92,073

  105,204

  26·9

  2,969

  3,392

  11·9

  Districts-Total

  341,757

  390,495

  100·0

  24,931

  28,485

  100·0

  1984–85

  East Berkshire

  47,527

  52,007

  12·8

  6,915

  7,567

  28·7

  West Berkshire

  64,061

  70,099

  17·3

  2,048

  2,241

  8·5

  Aylesbury Vale

  36,743

  40,206

  9·9

  2,203

  2,411

  9·1

  Wycombe

  25,808

  28,240

  7·0

  1,808

  1,978

  7·5

  Milton Keynes

  16,224

  17,753

  4·4

  1,581

  1,730

  6·6

  Kettering

  29,497

  32,277

  8·0

  1,377

  1,507

  5·7

  Northampton

  52,193

  57,112

  14·1

  4,823

  5,277

  20·0

  Oxfordshire

  97,832

  107,053

  26·5

  3,337

  3,651

  13·9

  Districts-Total

  369,885

  404,747

  100·0

  24,092

  26,362

  100·0

  1985–86

  East Berkshire

  50,361

  52,003

  12·9

  6,783

  7,004

  26·4

  West Berkshire

  67,196

  69,386

  17·3

  4,535

  4,683

  17·7

  Aylesbury Vale

  38,457

  39,711

  9·9

  3,398

  3,509

  13·2

  Wycombe

  27,751

  28,656

  7·1

  1,677

  1,732

  6·5

  Milton Keynes

  18,580

  19,186

  4·8

  320

  330

  1·3

  Kettering

  30,846

  31,851

  7·9

  1,347

  1,391

  5·2

  Northampton

  53,389

  55,129

  13·7

  2,455

  2,535

  9·6

  Oxfordshire

  102,845

  106,198

  26·4

  5,153

  5,321

  20·1

  Districts-Total

  389,425

  402,120

  100·0

  25,668

  26,505

  100·0

  1986–87

  East Berkshire

  54,411

  54,411

  13·0

  5,447

  5,447

  19·2

  West Berkshire

  72,384

  72,384

  17·2

  5,350

  5,350

  18·9

  Aylesbury Vale

  41,497

  41,497

  9·9

  4,380

  4,380

  15·5

  Wycombe

  29,943

  29,943

  7·1

  1,414

  1,414

  5·0

  Milton Keynes

  21,031

  21,031

  5·0

  2,448

  2,448

  8·6

  Kettering

  32,749

  32,749

  7·8

  1,235

  1,235

  4·4

  558
  Source: OECD

  Note: Luxumbourg is excluded from the table because of reported inconsistencies in the national health accounts.

  Health Authorities (Oxford)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the expenditure of the district health authorities of the Oxford region in each of the last 10 years(a) in cash, (b) adjusted for inflation and (c) expressed as a percentage of the regional total.

  Mr. Newton
  Following is information derived from the annual accounts of the district health authorities in the Oxford region from their establishment on 1 April 1982 until 1986–87 (the latest year available):
  559

  Oxford region

  Revenue expenditure

  Capital expenditure

  District health authorities

  Per annual accounts £'000

  At 1986–87 prices £'000

  Proportion of total Per cent.

  Per annual accounts £'000

  At 1986–;87 prices £'000

  Proportion of total Per cent.

  Northampton

  57,013

  47,013

  13·6

  2,249

  2,249

  7·9

  Oxfordshire

  110,946

  110,946

  26·4

  5,821

  5,821

  20·5

  Districts-Total

  419,974

  419,974

  100·0

  28,344

  28,344

  100·0

  Disabled Persons Act 1986
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caernarfon of 1 March,Official Report, column 552, if he will give the dates on which meetings have taken place with representatives of local authorities on the implementation of the Disabled Persons Act 1986.

  Mr. Scott
  Since the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act received the Royal Assent on 8 July 1986, meetings with representatives of the local authority associations for England have taken place on the following dates:

  4 July 1986

  19 December 1986

  24 February 1987

  14 April 1987

  14 May 1987

  2 June 1987

  15 June 1987

  9 October 1987

  20 October 1987

  Apart from these formal meetings there have been frequent contacts with the association about the Act.

  Resource Allocation Working Party
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects that the revision of the national resource allocation working party will be complete; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he has any plans to improve the operation of the resource allocation working party; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he has received the report of the working party on the resource allocation working party; if he will publish the report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  The programme of analysis and research undertaken for the review of the resource allocation working party has been completed, and we are considering the resulting recommendations from the NHS Management Board. A statement will be made in due course.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate for each of the years it has operated the proportion of total expenditure allocated through the resource allocation working party formula to each of the Thames health regions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  The table shows the proportion of the total revenue resources available for distribution under the terms of the resource allocation working party formula allocated to each of the Thames regional health authorities since 1977–78.
  560

  Region

  Total Thames Regions

  Years

  North West Thames

  North Eiist Thames

  South East Thames

  South West Thames

  1977–78

  8·5

  9·5

  9·0

  7·2

  34·2

  1978–79

  8·4

  9·3

  8·9

  7·1

  33·7

  1979–80

  8·3

  9·2

  8·8

  7·0

  33·3

  1980–81

  8·3

  9·2

  8·7

  7·0

  33·2

  1981–82

  8·2

  9·1

  8·7

  7·0

  33·0

  1982–83

  8·0

  9·4

  8·6

  6·9

  32·9

  1983–84

  7··7

  9·7

  8·5

  6·7

  32·6

  1984–85

  7·7

  9·5

  8·5

  6·6

  32·3

  1985–86

  7·6

  9·4

  8·4

  6·5

  31·9

  1986–87

  7·5

  9·4

  8·3

  6·1

  31·6

  1987–88

  7·3

  9·1

  8·1

  6·8

  31·3

  1988–89

  7·3

  9·1

  8·1

  6·7

  31·2

  Note Excludes elements of funding protected from the redistributive effect of RAWP, for example, the service increment for teaching and supra-regional services funding. Similarly excludes funding directed at specific service needs: for example AIDS and breast cancer screening.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to review the proportion of total expenditure provided to the Thames health regions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We will consider the position of all regional health authorities, and the pace at which their resource allocations are brought into line with their target shares of the available resources, in updating regions' planning assumptions for 1989–90, which we hope to issue soon.

  The review of the resource allocation working party formula has of course been re-examining the way in which regional targets are calculated. We shall therefore need to consider carefully, in determining regions' annual allocations in future, the pace at which we should take account of any changes which may flow from the review.

  Social Security Reform
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much has been budgeted for by his Department for advertising and activities associated with the changes in social security provisions; and how much has been spent to date.

  Mr. Portillo
  Total spending up to the beginning of the current financial year by the Department's information division on providing factual information (leaflets, technical guides as well as advertising) about changes in social security provisions was approximately £12 million.

  It is expected that a similar sum will be spent in the current financial year. To date about £1·5 million has been spent.

  Claimants (Local Records)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now require local offices of his Department, serving parts of neighbouring parliamentary constituencies, to maintain records of claimants under each type of benefit, grant or loan on a constituency basis.

  Mr. Portillo
  Local office areas are not conterminous with parliamentary constituencies. It would be impractical to maintain local office records of claimants on a constituency basis.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Service whether the recently announced payments of

  Births under 2,500 grams, perinatal and infant mortality rates, period fertility rates and crude birth rates; data and rankings6 London boroughs 1986

  London Borough

  Proportion of all births under 2,500 grams

  Perinatal mortality2

  Deaths under 1 year3

  Total period fertility rate4

  Crude birth rates5

  Rate

  Rank

  Rate

  Rank

  Rate

  Rank

  Rate

  Rank

  Rate

  Rank

  City of London1

  5·7

  3·3

  0·0

  3·3

  0·0

  3·3

  0·99

  3·3

  7·2

  3·3

  Barking and Dagenham

  6·5

  2·8

  9·1

  1·7

  12·1

  2

  1·91

  9

  14·0

  1·7

  Barnet

  7·2

  2·2

  10·7

  7

  7·7

  23

  1·64

  26

  13·1

  25

  Bexley

  6·4

  30

  5·5

  31

  3·8

  32

  1·72

  22

  13·2

  24

  Brent

  10·6

  1

  10·5

  9

  9·7

  14

  1·78

  16

  15·2

  9

  Bromley

  7·5

  17

  7·0

  23

  6·4

  29

  1·66

  24

  11·5

  31

  Camden

  8·4

  8

  9·6

  16

  10·1

  12

  1·33

  31

  12·4

  29

  Croydon

  7·0

  23

  10·0

  12

  10·9

  8

  1·86

  12

  14·4

  14

  Ealing

  7·8

  13

  6·6

  26

  5·5

  31

  1·69

  23

  14·3

  15

  Enfield

  7·7

  15

  6·5

  28

  6·8

  28

  1·77

  17

  13·3

  23

  Greenwich

  7·5

  17

  11·1

  5

  10·0

  13

  1·89

  10

  15·2

  9

  Hackney

  9·2

  3

  10·6

  8

  11·6

  3

  2·07

  3

  18·0

  3

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  6·8

  27

  4·9

  32

  8·3

  20

  1·46

  30

  13·5

  19

  Haringey

  8·0

  12

  9·7

  15

  9·1

  16

  1·94

  7

  16·2

  6

  Harrow

  7·7

  15

  10·5

  9

  11·6

  3

  1·81

  14

  13·7

  18

  Havering

  5·8

  32

  11·3

  3

  10·7

  9

  1·58

  28

  11·4

  32

  Hillingdon

  7·4

  19

  7·6

  22

  7·0

  26

  1·76

  18

  13·5

  19

  Hounslow

  8·2

  10

  8·6

  18

  11·3

  5

  2·03

  4

  15·5

  8

  Islington

  8·1

  11

  10·8

  6

  8·8

  17

  1·66

  24

  14·8

  12

  Kensington and Chelsea

  6·5

  28

  6·8

  25

  6·2

  30

  1·26

  32

  12·9

  26

  Kingston-upon Thames

  7·4

  19

  5·8

  30

  6·9

  27

  1·73

  19

  12·9

  26

  Lambeth

  8·9

  6

  8·0

  21

  13·2

  1

  1·88

  11

  16·7

  4

  Lewisham

  7·8

  13

  6·9

  24

  9·2

  15

  1·82

  13

  14·9

  12

  Merton

  7·0

  23

  11·4

  2

  8·0

  22

  1·94

  7

  14·3

  15

  Newham

  9·9

  2

  12·4

  1

  11·0

  7

  2·36

  2

  19·8

  1

  Redbridge

  6·9

  26

  10·0

  12

  10·4

  11

  1·73

  19

  12·6

  28

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  6·4

  30

  6·6

  26

  8·2

  21

  1·60

  27

  12·1

  30

  South wark

  9·0

  5

  10·0

  12

  11·2

  6

  1·99

  5

  16·5

  5

  Sutton

  7·0

  23

  6·2

  29

  8·4

  19

  1·80

  15

  13·4

  22

  Tower Hamlets

  9·2

  3

  8·3

  19

  8·7

  18

  2·38

  1

  19·6

  2

  Waltham Forest

  8·8

  7

  11·3

  3

  10·7

  9

  1·99

  5

  16·0

  7

  Wandsworth

  7·4

  19

  8·2

  20

  7·7

  23

  1·73

  19

  14·6

  13

  Westminster; City of

  8·4

  8

  10·4

  11

  7·1

  25

  1·55

  29

  13·5

  19

  1 Rates for the City of London are based on a total of 35 births (all weights); there were no stillbirths or deaths under one year of age.

  2 Perinatal mortality rate: deaths under one week plus stillbirths per 1,000 total births

  3 Infant mortality rate: deaths under 1 year per 1,000 livebirths.

  4 The total period fertility rate (TPFR) represents the average number of children which women would have in their reproductive lifetime if the age-specific fertility rates for each area were to remain constant.

  5 Total births per 1,000 population.

  6 Rankings are from highest to lowest in all cases.

  Child Cancer (Hull)
  Mr. Randell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the small areas health statistics unit will 562
  housing benefit to persons living in sheltered accommodation, while trying to sell their house, are intended to be loans or grants.

  Mr. Portillo
  Neither. As long as a claimant is taking all reasonable steps to dispose of the former home, and provided he qualifies for it on income and other grounds, housing benefit is payable in the same way as for any other claimant.

  Births (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the most recent information he has of ranking amongst London boroughs in respect of (a) crude birth rate, (b) period fertility rate, (c) births of less than 2,500 grams, (d) perinatal mortality and (e) deaths under one year.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information is shown in the table. The latest available data year is 1986.

  be involved in the analysis of the child cancer clusters in the Hull area, in the light of the statement of 10 March

  563
  Official Report, columns 750–51 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Mr. Moynihan).

  Mrs. Currie
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Beverley (Mr. Cran) on 30 March 1988, at columns 550–51.

  Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the report on bronchitis and emphysema by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council has been published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's report on bronchitis and emphysema is published today and a copy has been placed in the Library. The council concludes that there is insufficient evidence at the present time to warrant prescription, under the terms of section 76(2) of the Social Security Act 1975, of bronchitis and emphysema as industrial diseases in their own right.

  The council calls for more research into non-smoking dust-exposed workers and undertakes to review the subject again when such evidence becomes available. It also announces that a separate investigation will be conducted into respiratory disease in welders. Finally, the report clarifies that emphysema caused by inhaled cadmium fume is already covered under the terms of prescription of the prescribed disease C18 (poisoning by cadmium).

  We have accepted the council's conclusions and recommendations.

  St. Albans (Electorate)
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will set out a table showing the 1988 electorate for each ward in the district of St. Albans.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is as follows:

  District of St. Albans

  Ward Name

  Number1

  St. Albans Parliamentary Constituency

  Batchwood

  4,893

  St. Peter's

  4,605

  Verulam

  5,205

  Sopwell

  4,898

  Cunningham

  4,841

  Ashley

  4,945

  Clarence

  4,357

  Marshalswick South

  5,215

  Harpenden North

  5,967

  Harpenden East

  5,073

  Harpenden South

  5,139

  Harpenden West

  5,184

  Colney Heath

  2,797

  Sandridge

  3,689

  Marshalswick North

  4,997

  Redbourn

  4,524

  Herlsmere Parliamentary Constituency

  London Colney

  5,557

  Watford Parliamentary Constituency

  Park Street

  4,392

  St. Stephen

  5,747

  Welwyn Hatfield Parliamentary Constituency

  Wheathampstead

  4,8741

  1 Parliamentary Electorate on the 1988 Register.

  Household Incomes
  Mr. Carttiss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the new statistics on households with below average incomes, as recommended in the technical report placed in the Library on 29 March; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Following the recommendations in the report of the technical review of the DHSS low income statistics, which was placed in the Library on 29 March, I have today placed in the Library the first edition of the new series "Households below average income: a statistical analysis". The tables cover the years 1981, 1983 and 1985. In addition, I have also placed in the Library the final edition of the "Low Income Families" figures covering the same years.

  The tables show that living standards have been rising significantly, and that those with the lowest incomes have shared in the improvements. Indeed, between 1981 and 1985 the average incomes of those in the bottom tenth rose by over 8 per cent.—well ahead of the average increases for the population as a whole.

  Premature Births
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has concerning the number of premature babies born in each of the last five years which have survived at(a) 24 weeks gestation, (b) 25 weeks gestation, (c) 26 weeks gestation, (d) 27 weeks gestation and (e) 28 weeks gestation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 16 May 1988]Information is not available in precisely the form requested.

  The nearest available data are shown in the table. The data have been taken from the maternity section of the "Hospital In-patient Enquiry" (HIPE) and shows the estimated number of babies, born at relevant gestation weeks, who were subsequently discharged alive from NHS hospitals. The data are for England only, for the years 1982–85. 1981 data are not available, whilst 1985 is the last data year for HIPE.

  Estimated number of babies discharged live from NHS maternity hospitals by gestation weeks of birth, England, 1982–85

  24 weeks

  25 weeks

  26 weeks

  27 weeks

  28 weeks

  1982

  97

  162

  226

  399

  422

  1983

  77

  120

  263

  296

  504

  1984

  87

  206

  163

  424

  587

  1985

  163

  152

  196

  316

  468

  Cancer Screening
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the average wage for those staff involved in cervical cancer screening;

  (2) how many staff involved with cervical cancer screening earn over £17,000 per annum.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 18 May 1988]There is not a group of staff occupied wholly on cervical cancer screening. A range of staff in district health authorities and family practitioner committees (for example, GPs, practice nurses, pathologists, laboratory staff, administrative staff)
  565
  are involved to some extent in the programme among their other responsibilities. Information on actual salaries is not held centrally.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Member's Questions
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date he intends to provide substantive replies to remaining questions put down by the hon. Member for Brent, East for answer on 26 and 28 April.

  Mr. Stanley
  Substantive replies will be provided as soon as possible.

  Spirit of Enniskillen Bursaries
  Sir John Biggs-Davison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the purpose, scope and funding of the Spirit of Enniskillen bursaries.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In introducing this bursary scheme my aim is to capture for future generations of young people the spirit of forgiveness and tolerance which emerged following the tragic bombing in Enniskillen on Remembrance Sunday last year.

  The scheme will give young people from Northern Ireland the opportunity to experience at first hand, in a country of their choice, how people from diverse backgrounds can live together in peace and harmony and then use the knowledge gained to foster better community understanding and tolerance at home.

  I have provided a sum of £150,000 to the King George VI Memorial Council for investment, the income from which will be made available through the Youth Committee for Northern Ireland for the award of bursaries to mixed groups of Protestant and Catholic young people selected by a special panel which I shall appoint.

  Between 24 and 30 young people will be selected—equally from across the religious divide for—bursaries each year.

  Consultant, and initial year of consultancy

  Projects

  Cost to arts programme £

  1984–85

  Mr. J. Gray

  Support for the Library and Information Services Council Working Party on Manpower, Education, and Training Requirements for Library and Information Work.

  2,000

  Mrs. D. Edmonds

  Research leading to publiction of 'Current Library, Co-operation and Co-ordination'

  113,650

  Volunteer Centre

  Survey of work of Volunteers in Museums and Galleries in the United Kingdom

  11,400

  Policy Studies Institute

  Facts about the Arts II

  125,000

  1985–86

  Charities Advisory Trust

  Study and Preparation of the 'Museums Trading Handbook'.

  122,879

  Museums Association

  Museums Database Project

  185,600

  Policy Studies Institute

  Study of the Economic Importance of the Arts

  148,000

  Mr. L. Brandes

  An Efficiency Scrutiny of the National Film and Television School

  12,000

  1986–872

  566
  The only condition I have set is that two places be earmarked each year exclusively for young people from the Enniskillen area, one from each tradition.

  Irish Language
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what percentage of secondary schools in Northern Ireland taught Irish in the academic years 1985–1986, 1986–1987 and 1987–1988;

  (2) what percentage of grammar schools in Northern Ireland taught Irish in the academic years 1985–1986, 1986–87 and 1987–1988.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 16 May 1988]: This information is not readily available for the 1985–86 and 1987–88 years and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In 1986–87, 39·4 per cent. of all secondary schools taught Irish—the figure for secondary intermediate schools being 38·4 per cent. and for grammar schools 41·9 per cent.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a quota system operates in relation to students who wish to study Irish/Celtic studies as part of the Bachelor of Education degree course in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 16 May 1988]: No. Quotas are operated only in relation to overall intakes; institutions determine the number of places to be offered in each subject, provided numbers meet normal viability criteria.

THE ARTS

  Arts Consultants
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will list the arts consultants that his Department has employed in each of the past five years, the projects on which they have worked and the cost per consultancy.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 29 April 1988]: The Office of Arts and Libraries was established in July 1983. I list the arts consultants employed by the Office of Arts and Libraries from 1984–85 to 1987–88.
  567

  Consultant, and initial year of consultancy

  Projects

  Cost to arts programme £

  British Library Research and Development Department, and the Institute of Public Finance

  Research leading to the publication of 'A Service Costing System for Public Libraries'.

  122,000

  Area Museums Service for South-Eastern England

  Research and Preparation of 'Museums— The New Exams'

  5,000

  Oxfordshire County Council

  Development of model computerised system to administer County Museums' Loan Services

  6,200

  1987–882

  Library Association

  Feasibility study into the restructuring of the National Committee on Regional Library Cooperation

  2,500

  Mr. C. Turner

  Preparation of the Report for the Library and Information Services Council Role of Government Working Party

  1,000

  Mrs. D. Edmonds

  Research into public library services for children and young people

  7,622

  British Library Research and Development Department, and King Research Ltd.

  Development of a manual of performance indicators for public libraries

  15,058

  Museums Association

  Review of museums' training needs

  16,000

  Mr. I. Gibb

  Appraisal of the British Theatre Association Library's tasks

  1,231

  Mr. P. Collard

  Research leading to report 'Arts and the Inner Cities'

  5,900

  Simmonds Consultancy

  Art in Government Offices: Young Artists Project

  1,380

  British American Arts Association

  Arts and City Planning

  5,000

  Mr. R. de Peyer

  Research and preparation of the publication 'Museums Projects' (a Handbook for Volunteers Community Programme Work Experience and Temporary Staffs)

  2,400

  Policy Studies

  Facts about the Arts III

  140,000

  Area Museums Service for South-Eastern England

  Research and Preparation of 'Museums— The New Curriculum'

  6,500

  1 Projects with expenditure in more than one year.

  2 Expenditure of £15,000 in 1986–87 and £20,000 in 1987–88 was incurred on promoting Library and Information Plans in selected authorities under the supervision of the British Library's Research and Development Department.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Wheat
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 22 February,Official Report, columns 19–20, if he will give the world price for (a) milling wheat and (b) other wheat, for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  There is no single world price for wheat. A wide range of prices are quoted, reflecting the different qualities of wheats of different origins. Where large surpluses exist actual trade may take place at prices lower than those quoted.

  The figures are for Canadian Western Red Spring No. 1 (13·5 per cent.), a good quality hard milling wheat, and Argentinian Trigo Pan, a poorer quality wheat which may nevertheless in certain circumstances be used for milling. The figures are officially quoted export prices from those countries and thus do not include any shipping or transport costs or any import levies which may be payable when those grains are imported into other countries.

  World wheat prices

  £/tonne

  Crop year (July-June)

  Canadian

  Argentinian

  1979–80

  89

  86

  1980–81

  97

  89

  568

  Crop year (July—June)

  Canadian

  Argentinian

  1981–82

  107

  97

  1982–83

  115

  92

  1983–84

  131

  94

  1984–85

  145

  102

  1985–86

  126

  71

  1986–871

  95

  56

  1 July to February.

  Source: World Wheat Statistics 1987, published by the International Wheat Council; $ converted to £ at the average rate for the marketing year.

  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state(a) the lowest and (b) the average price of imported wheat into the United Kingdom for each year since 1979, showing the quantity of all imported wheat in each of these years.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The annual quantity and value of all wheat imported into the United Kingdom between 1979 and 1987 are shown in the following table:

  Quantity ('000 tonnes)

  Value (£'000)

  Average Price £ 'tonne

  1979

  2,601

  256,524

  98·6

  1980

  2,256

  232,606

  103·1

  1981

  1,772

  208,186

  117·5

  1982

  1,554

  182,003

  117·1

  1983

  1,326

  180,110

  135·8

  1984

  1,123

  168,283

  149·9

  569

  Quantity ('000 tonnes)

  Value (£'000)

  Average Price £ 'tonne

  1985

  1,614

  230,130

  142·6

  1986

  1,708

  236,185

  138·3

  19871

  1,719

  223,734

  130·2

  1 Provisional.

  The average price has been derived by dividing the quantity by the value. Data on the prices of consignments are not available and it is therefore not possible to determine the lowest yearly prices.

  Near Market Research and Development
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the review being carried out in his Department on near market research and development; and if he will make a statememt.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I refer the right hon. Member to the replies given on 1 March, at column 546, to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) and on 22 April, at column 587, to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Doran).

  Orchard Replanting
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to introduce a new scheme under the orchard replanting grant in time for this autumn's planting.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Growers were able to benefit from the very generous grants for orchard replanting which were available for the five years until March this year. We are aware of producers' desire for further grants and are considering their case.

  Badgers
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress his Department is making on the live testing of badgers for tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Work is continuing at the Ministry's central veterinary laboratory. The results have so far been encouraging. The next step will be to apply the test to infected badgers under field conditions.

  Chernobyl (Compensation)
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications have been received from farmers in England other than Cumbria claiming to have suffered losses as a result of the Chernobyl disaster but who had not been compensated under the Government's scheme; when those applications were received and when considered; how many were rejected; and if he will make a statement on the general pattern of the defects in the applications which led to their rejection.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  None.

  Animal Medicines Licensing
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a570
  statement on the progress of the Government's consideration of the Cunliffe review of animal medicines licensing.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Organisations representing interests most likely to be affected by the review's recommendations have been asked to send me their comments. Meanwhile, we are giving urgent consideration to internal changes in organisation which would be necessary.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Mr. Sidney Clark
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions have been taken by Her Majesty's embassy in Bangkok concerning the situation of Mr. Sidney Clark, held in prison in Thailand.

  Mr. Eggar
  Mr. Clark was imprisoned in Thailand from 23 May 1980 until 1 March 1988.

  Throughout that time he received consular visits at intervals of between four and 10 weeks. Her Majesty's embassy provided facilities for the transfer of funds to him from family and friends. They also negotiated with prison authorities for improvement in his diet. In June 1984 arrangements were made for him to be seen by an embassy panel doctor. He was encouraged to paint and provided with canvasses and paints. Advice was tendered about his plea for a royal pardon. Counselling of a general nature was provided.

  United Kingdom Citizens (Foreign Prisons)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total number of United Kingdom citizens known to his Department held in foreign prisons; and what guidelines govern visits by his officials to such prisoners.

  Mr. Eggar
  According to the most recent survey there were, on 10 May 1988, to the best of our knowledge, 1,268 British nationals detained in foreign prisons.

  Standing instructions for British consular officers overseas are that British nationals should be visited as soon as possible after their arrest or detention. Thereafter, they should be visited at reasonable intervals, whether awaiting trial or serving a sentence (unless it has been made clear by the prisoner that visits are not required). Frequency of visits depends on the circumstances of a case, local prison conditions and the situation of a particular prisoner.

  Burmah Endeavour
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the attack on the Burmah Endeavour in the Gulf; and what representations he has made to the Iraqi Government on this matter.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Burmah Endeavour, a United Kingdom-registered vessel, was hit during an attack by Iraqi aircraft on Larak Island in the southern Gulf, at 0940 hours on 14 May. The ship was set on fire but not badly damaged. There were no casualties.

  The Iraqi ambassador was summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 17 May to receive a strong

  571
  protest about this premeditated, unprovoked and unlawful attack. Our ambassador in Baghdad will register a similar protest.

  Philippines
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request the Government of the Philippines to supply a copy of the letter which that Government claim is a request from the British Broadcasting Corporation for an ambush to take place to publicise the activities of rebels in the area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  This is a matter for the BBC, which has, I understand, denied allegations of involvement in the ambush. I see no grounds for British Government intervention.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Building Societies Act 1986
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the review of schedule 8 to the Building Societies Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  I have laid two draft orders before the House today. If these orders receive parliamentary approval and are made, the Building Societies Commission, with the consent of the Treasury, intends to make two further orders to complete the package. Copies of provisional drafts of these orders, together with a summary note of the intended provisions of all four orders, have been placed in the Library of the House.

  The orders will implement the main conclusions of the review of schedule 8 to the Building Societies' Act 1986 which I outlined in my statement on 2 February, Official Report, columns 537–39. The orders will do two things. They will recast schedule 8 so that it proscribes particular activities within certain broadly specified powers instead of banning everything except narrowly specified powers. And they will implement a wide-ranging extension of societies' powers to provide financial services, and effectively give societies the full scope permissible within the primary legislation.

  The mainstream business of societies is, and must remain, that of raising funds from the public for lending on house purchase. But we believe that societies should be free to undertake activities which complement their mainstream business and to provide the wider range of finance services which customers now expect. Societies will, as at present, continue to provide services primarily to the personal sector, rather than to companies. The proposed measures will enable them to compete more effectively in their primary markets.

  Societies will, therefore, subject to certain limited restrictions, be allowed:

  (a) to own or take an equity stake in a life insurance company, and to take an equity stake in a general insurance company;

  (b) to own or take an equity stake in stockbrokers;

  (c) to undertake fund management including management of unit trusts generally (rather than just for the provision of pensions, as at present);

  (d) to offer a wider range of banking and housing related services than hitherto.

  572
  The draft Commercial Assets and Services Order which was laid today will replace schedule 8 to the Act with a completely new schedule 8 which will provide six broad service powers:

  Investment services

  Insurance services

  Banking services

  Trusteeship

  Executorship

  Land services

  A society will then be able to provide any service within those general areas unless it is specifically precluded or restricted by other parts of the schedule.

  Societies may need to hold new forms of asset to undertake a wider range of business. This order therefore contains provision for societies to hold leasable chattels (to undertake leasing and hire purchase), residual mortgage debts (to enable them to repurchase the residue of a securitised pool of their mortgages), mortgage finance rights (mortgage backed securities, and similar instruments) and bridging debts (to enable societies more readily to provide temporary bridging finance for house purchase).

  The Building Societies Commission is prepared to examine the possibility of making an order to allow societies to acquire mortgages from other lenders. This will be the subject of further consultation with the Building Societies Association in due course. There are also a number of matters which are consequential to this review. For example, the Commission will be consulting interested parties on the proposed scope of an order to extend the required coverage of the Building Societies Ombudsman scheme to reflect the wider scope of societies' activities as a result of these orders.

  To provide societies with the necessary scope to offer the wider range of services it is proposed to increase the commercial asset limits in the draft limits on commercial assets order which I also laid today. This proposes an increase in the class 2 and 3 limits to 17½ and 7½ per cent., respectively in January 1990, to 20 and 10 per cent., respectively in January 1991 and a further increase to the maximum extent possible within the primary legislation (that is 25 and 15 per cent. respectively), in January 1993.

  Subject to parliamentary approval of these orders, the Building Societies Commission will make a designation of qualifying bodies order to allow societies to invest in or support new subsidiaries to provide the schedule 8 services. They will also, as previously announced, make in due course a limits on lending order to increase the unsecured lending limit to individals to £10,000. I do not expect any substantial changes to these orders from the provisional drafts placed in the Library.

  These proposals are a substantial step forward in building society development. They will give societies the freedom to develop and compete across a wide range of financial services business.

  Government Data Network Project
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, following the response of the Paymaster General to the Adjournment debate on 25 February,Official Report, columns 550–54, he is able to announce any further progress on the Government data network project.
  573
  Mr. Brooke
  The Government have examined the feasible options for meeting the foreseen data communications needs of four major Departments (Department of Health and Social Security, Inland Revenue, HM Customs and Excise and Home Office). The costs of these have been compared with the costs of meeting these requirements through a Government data network (GDN). This was based on tenders received in March from the three consortia (Computer Services Company/British Telecom, Racal-Scicon and Cable and Wireless/International Computers Ltd. (known as ICONS)). The comparison showed that, over 10 years, a GDN would be significantly cheaper than the alternatives, even before taking account of the superior service and greater security offered by a GDN.

  The Government have therefore decided to proceed with the Government data network.

  The three competing tenders for the GDN have been comprehensively evaluated and the Government intend to award the contract for the GDN service to Racal-Scicon Ltd., subject to final agreement of terms.

  As I explained to the House on 25 February, at column 547, we have drawn on the most appropriate technical expertise available in both Government and the private sector in designing the arrangements for security and privacy for the GDN service. We have ensured that the Data Protection Registrar has been kept in touch with plans and that he is content with them. We have also kept Oftel informed during the procurement.

  Acceptance testing of the service, using the HM Customs and Excise VALID (VAT Access and Local Input of Data) application system is expected to begin by the end of the year. An operational GDN service will be available early next year.

  Personal Taxation
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give the number of people who have no income declared for tax purposes other than unearned income by their highest marginal rate of tax in 1987–88;

  (2) if he will give for 1987–88 the number of people paying tax at (i) 60 per cent., (ii) 55 per cent., (iii) 50 per cent., (iv) 45 per cent. and (v) 40 per cent. who derive (a) 100 per cent., (b) 90 to 100 per cent., (c) 75 to 100 per cent. and (d) 50 to 100 per cent. of their income from unearned income.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answers 18 April 1988]: Estimates of tax-paying tax units who derive more than half their income from investment are given in the table. All estimates are subject to considerable uncertainty because they are based on a projection of the 1985–86 survey of personal incomes. Also, the data from the survey on investment income have been adjusted to allow for investment income not reported to tax offices, for example where basic rate liability is satisfied by deduction of tax at source. Estimates for basic rate taxpayers are therefore particularly tentative.
  574

  Number of tax units1 with investment income2 by marginal rate of tax, 1987–883

  Percentage of total income derived from investment income

  Marginal rate per cent.

  100 per cent, thousands

  90–100 per cent, thousands

  75–100 per cent. thousands

  50–100 per cent, thousands

  27

  60

  80

  170

  500

  40

  1

  5

  11

  23

  45

  6

  14

  32

  50

  2

  6

  9

  21

  55

  3

  7

  18

  60

  1

  9

  21

  30

  1 Married couples and single persons.

  2 Excluding pensions.

  3 Treating all investment income as though it were received gross and subject to the individual's appropriate marginal rate.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give figures at 1988–89 prices in the form of tables 1 and 2 of the Inland Revenue press release dated 15 March on independent taxation of husbands and wives classified by joint income of husbands and wives, giving figures for joint incomes of(a) up to £5,000, (b) £5,000 to £10,000, (c) £10,000 to £15,000, (d) £15,000 to £20,000, (e) £20,000 to £25,000, (f) £25,000 to £30,000, (g) £30,000 to £50,000, (h) £50,000 to £75,000, (i) £75,000 to £100,000 and (j) over £100,000, giving the total reduction in tax for each range of joint income;

  (2) if he will give figures for the total reduction in tax separately for husband and wife at 1988–89 prices in the form of tables 1 and 2 of the Inland Revenue press release dated 15 March on independent taxation of husband and wife, classified by joint incomes of husbands and wives, giving figures for joint incomes of (a) up to £5,000, (b) £5,000 to £10,000, (c) £10,000 to £15,000, (d) £15,000 to £20,000, (e) £20,000 to £25,000, (f) £25,000 to £30,000, (g) £30,000 to £50,000, (h) £50,000 to £75,000, (i) £75,000 to £100,000 and (j) over £100,000;

  (3) if he will give figures for the total reduction in tax separately for husband and wife for 1988–89 on the assumption that the independent taxation provisions were operative for 1988–89, in the form of tables 1 and 2 of the Inland Revenue press release dated 15 March on independent taxation of husband and wife, classified by joint incomes of husbands and wives, giving figures for joint incomes of (a) up to £5,000, (b) £5,000 to £10,000, (c) £10,000 to £15,000, (d) £15,000 to £20,000, (e) £20,000 to £25,000, (f) £25,000 to £30,000, (g) £30,000 to £50,000, (h) £50,000 to £75,000, (i) £75,000 to £100,000 and (j) over £100,000, stating the number of husbands and wives falling within each income group.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answers 29 April and 9 May 1988]: Available estimates are given in the tables. The reductions in income tax liability relate to a full year at 1990–91 projected levels of income. The 1988 Budget proposals for income tax rates and allowances have been indexed to 1990–91 according to the statutory formula. They are on a consistent basis with the estimates of the direct revenue costs of independent taxation given in the 1988 Financial Statement and Budget Report and the estimates in section 5 of the press release on independent taxation. I regret that reliable estimates for detailed ranges of income above £50,000 per year are not available, as estimates are based on a projection of the 1985–86 survey

  575
  of personal incomes. All estimates are provisional and subject to considerable uncertainty. Estimates at 1988–89 levels of income are not available.

  Table 1

  Married couples with reductions in tax liability by total income of husband and wife

  Non aged

  Aged

  All

  Total income of husband and wife

  Number

  Total reduction

  Number

  Total reduction

  Number

  Total reduction

  £00

  000

  £ million

  000

  £ million

  000

  £ million

  0–5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5–10

  50

  10

  400

  90

  450

  100

  10–15

  80

  190

  60

  270

  60

  15–20

  40

  —

  130

  50

  170

  50

  20–25

  30

  10

  60

  10

  90

  20

  25–30

  50

  10

  40

  20

  90

  30

  30–50

  600

  210

  60

  50

  660

  260

  50 +

  160

  100

  30

  50

  190

  150

  All

  1,010

  340

  910

  330

  1,920

  670

  Table 2

  Husbands with reductions in tax liability by total income of husband and wife

  Total income of husband and wife £'000

  Non aged

  Aged

  All

  Number

  Total reduction

  Number

  Total reductions

  Number

  Total reductions

  £000

  000

  £ million

  000

  £ million

  000

  £ million

  0–5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5–10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10–15

  —

  —

  60

  10

  60

  10

  15–20

  —

  —

  50

  10

  50

  10

  20–25

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  25–30

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  30–50

  260

  120

  10

  10

  270

  120

  50 +

  90

  50

  10

  100

  60

  All

  350

  170

  130

  30

  480

  200

  Table 3

  Wives with reductions in tax liability by total income of husband and wife

  Non aged

  Aged

  All

  Total income of husband and wife

  Number

  Total reductions

  Number

  Total reductions

  Number

  Total Reductions

  £000

  '000

  £ million

  '000

  £ million

  '000

  £ million

  0–5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5–10

  50

  10

  400

  90

  450

  100

  10–15

  90

  180

  50

  270

  50

  15–20

  40

  10

  130

  40

  170

  40

  20–25

  30

  50

  10

  80

  20

  25–30

  50

  10

  40

  20

  90

  30

  30–50

  370

  90

  50

  50

  420

  140

  50 +

  90

  50

  30

  40

  120

  90

  All

  720

  170

  880

  300

  1,600

  470

  Notes:

  1. Table 2 assumes that before Independent Taxation the wife's income is the top slice of the husband's income.

  2. Estimates are given to the nearest 10,000 taxpayers or £10 million tax. Some groups in the tables have been aggregated to provide estimates and a dash is used to denote fewer than 5,000 taxpayers or less than £5 million tax.

  3. Aged taxpayers are where either the husband or the wife is aged 65 or over.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for 1987–88 and 1988–89 by the highest marginal rate of income tax for 1987–88 (i) the number of tax units in receipt of unearned income and (ii) to total tax levied on unearned income under the tax rates operating in 1987–88 and 1988–89.
  576
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]Estimates of the numbers of tax-paying tax units in receipt of investment income are in the table. All estimates are uncertain because they are based on a projection of the 1985–86 survey of personal incomes. Also, the data on investment income from the Survey have been adjusted to allow for investment income not reported to tax offices, for example where basic rate liability is satisfied by
  577
  deduction of tax at source. Figures for the number of basic rate taxpayers with investment income in the table therefore provide only a guide to the order of magnitude.

  The tax liability on investment income for 1987–88 and 1988–89 is estimated at £6·2 billion and £6·3 billion respectively. The 1988–89 estimate assumes that the 1988 Budget proposals for income tax rates and allowances are implemented. In the calculation, investment income has been treated as the top slice of income and all investment income taxed as though it were received gross and subject to the individual's appropriate marginal rate of tax.

  Tax units1 in receipt of investment income2 by marginal rate of income tax

  Marginal rate of income tax Per cent.

  Number of tax units1 in 1987–88

  Number of tax units1 in 1988–893

  ('000)

  ('000)

  27

  9,500

  10,000

  40

  280

  320

  45

  265

  290

  50

  175

  215

  55

  85

  95

  60

  130

  155

  Total

  10,500

  11,000

  1 Married couples and single persons.

  2 Excluding pensions.

  3 Assuming the 1987–88 tax regime has been indexed to 1988–89.

  Central Office of Information
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Central Office of Information was removed from the ministerial responsibility of the Paymaster General; and how the change was announced.

  Mr. Lawson
  [holding answer 18 May 1988]I transferred delegated ministerial authority for the COI from the Paymaster General to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 1 March.

  Taxation
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will deposit in the Library details of the methodology used to assess rates, value added tax and other indirect taxes in his answer to the hon. Member for Dumfermline, East on 19 April, Official Report, columns 417–8.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 29 April 1988]In summary the methodology is:

  (i) Average earnings for each financial year are derived from the New Earnings Survey series for "full time males on adult rates, whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence". The series for years before 1983 has to be adjusted to take account of a change in definition in that year. The series is projected from 1986–87 to 1988–89 using the assumptions provided to the Government Actuary and reported in chapter 3 of the Autumn Statement 1987.

  For each multiple of average earnings:

  (ii) Income tax liability is calculated using the personal allowances, income tax rates and thresholds for the appropriate year. The man is assumed to claim no allowances or reliefs other than the relevant basic personal allowance and, where appropriate, child tax allowances.

  (iii) National insurance contributions (NIC) are calculated using the lower earnings limit, the upper
  578
  earnings limit and, in relevant years, the limits on reduced rate NIC bands for the financial year. The NIC rates used are those for a man not contracted-out of SERPs.

  (iv) Child benefit is calculated using the rate in force for the financial year. Where the rate changes during the financial year, a financial year average s calculated, taking account of the number of weeks of the financial year for which each rate applied.

  (v) Disposable income is calculated as the sum of gross earnings and child benefit, less income tax and NIC.

  (vi) Ten per cent. of disposable income is assumed to be saved. This simplifying assumption is needed as indirect taxes are calculated by reference to expenditure, rather than disposable income (see vii). The same assumption is used for all years so that changes in indirect taxes reflect changes in the tax regime, rather than changes in savings behaviour.

  (vii) Payments of VAT, each of the Customs and Excise duties, vehicle excise duty, domestic rates and other indirect taxes including intermediate taxes such as employers' NIC are estimated using regression equations derived from the 1985 Family Expenditure Survey (FES). These relate indirect taxes paid to expenditure; they are simple linear equations with a constant term and expenditure as the independent variable.

  There are separate equations for different family types to reflect their varying expenditure patterns. Separate VAT equations are developed to reflect changes in VAT coverage since 1978–79 (two rates of VAT in 1978–79 and the extension of the VAT base from 1984–85 onwards).

  The equations are developed from the middle 80 per
  cent. of observations in the FES to avoid possible distortion caused by inclusion of extreme values. The equations cannot be used outside the range of expenditure
  from which they are developed and this restriction is implemented by only estimating indirect tax payments within the range of three quarters to one and a half times average earnings.

  The equations developed from the FES are at the prices and levels of consumption of that FES (currently 1985). They are therefore scaled backwards and forwards from
  1985 to financial years between 1978–79 and 1988–89 taking account of changes in total consumption and changes in revenue from the individual tax.

  Payments of individual indirect taxes, or groups of indirect taxes, by a particular family type at a given level of earnings are calculated by putting their spending level derived from (v) and (vi) into the appropriate equations.

  A more detailed explanation could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT

  National Mobility Scheme
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the operation of the national mobility scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  Yes. The national mobility scheme is voluntary, but nearly all local authorities participate and I welcome the wholehearted support of the local authority associations; their representatives, together with those of other participating bodies, form the steering committee which oversees and monitors the scheme. With over 47,000 moves achieved since 1981–82, the scheme makes a valued contribution to housing mobility.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is he taking to ensure that planning permission is withheld for development in locations where improvements to the railway infrastructure may be required for Channel tunnel traffic.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Applications for planning permission are, in the normal course of events, dealt with by the local planning authorities, who are required to have regard to the provisions of the development plan and to any other material considerations. My right hon. Friend becomes involved only if he calls in an application for his own decision, or if the matter is referred to him on appeal.

  Proposals for the improvement of railway infrastructure would be a material consideration in deciding a planning application or appeal if they were relevant in any particular case. The weight to be given to them would depend inter alia on the likelihood that the railway proposals would be pursued.

  Council Housing (Defects)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give the number and type of defective properties in each of the 75 local authorities, by name, which were given additional housing investment programme resources of £20 million under housing defects legislation on 12 May; and what is the number and type of defective properties still in the ownership of each of these local authorities.

  Mrs. Roe
  This is not readily available. We are updating the information, in the House Library, on the distribution of properties designated under the housing defects legislation, broken down by local authority and property type. I shall let the hon. Gentleman know as soon as that work has been completed. Meanwhile, the House Library contains local authorities' own HIP returns for 1987, giving total numbers of designated properties in local athority and private ownerships, though these figures are not broken down by house type.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest estimate for the costs to local authorities associated with(a) the setting up and (b) the administration of the poll tax.

  Mr. Howard
  These are being considered in a study being undertaken by Price Waterhouse on which I am expecting a report shortly.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the Price

  Command

  1 April 1983

  1 April 1984

  1 April 1985

  1 April 1986

  1 April 1987

  1 April 1988

  Building Research Establishment

  843

  791·5

  770·5

  762·5

  732

  737

  Statistical Services

  132

  132

  124·5

  121

  120

  121

  Water Topics

  90

  93

  93

  101

  106·5

  109

  580
  Waterhouse report on administering the community charge; and if he will announce the arrangements he is making to disseminate the report.

  Mr. Ridley
  I am expecting to receive the report this month and will announce arrangements for disseminating its findings when I have studied it.

  Environmental Research and Protection
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give figures in real terms at 1987 prices for his Department's expenditure on environmental research and protection in total and broken down into expenditure related to (a) radioactive waste, (b) air pollution, (c) water and (d) countryside for each year since 1974 for which figures are available.

  Mr. Ridley
  The only information immediately available relates to 1985–86 and subsequent years. I shall provide information for earlier years, in so far as it is available without disproportionate effort, as soon as possible.

  Following is the information:

  £ million at 1987–88 prices

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Radioactive waste

  12·2

  11·4

  9·9

  Air pollution

  3·8

  4·7

  4·7

  Water

  3·6

  3·7

  3·5

  Countryside

  0·5

  0·8

  0·8

  Other environmental protection

  2·3

  2·8

  2·4

  Totals

  22·4

  23·4

  21·3

  Figures prior to 1987–88 do not include expenditure by the Industrial Air Pollution Inspectorate which became part of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution, within my Department on 1 April 1987.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give figures for the number of staff in his Department assigned to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution since 1987 and to(a) the Building Research Establishment, (b) statistical services and (c) water topics for each year since 1983, and for the total staff of his Department for each year since 1974 for which figures are available.

  Mr. Ridley
  The number of staff assigned to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution since 1987 is 149 at 1 April 1987 and 182 at 1 April 1988.

  The numbers of staff assigned to the Building Research Establishment, statistical services and water topics for each year since 1983 are as follows:
  581
  The table shows total staff in DOE(C) for each year since 1979. The information is not readily available for earlier years.

  Department of the Environment (Central)
  Staff numbers from 1 April 1979 to 1 April 1988

  Year

  Staff in Post

  1 April 1979

  11,217

  1 April 1980

  10,530

  1 April 1981

  9,821

  582

  Year

  Staff in Post

  1 April 1982

  8,771

  1 April 1983

  7,813

  1 April 1984

  6,605

  1 April 1985

  6,561

  1 April 1986

  6,521

  1 April 1987

  6,488

  1 April 1988

  6,566

  POLICE AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: FAILURE TO MAKE PRIOR DISCLOSURE
  POLICE AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: FAILURE TO MAKE PRIOR DISCLOSURE
  BUILDING SOCIETIES: EXTENSION OF POWERS
  BUILDING SOCIETIES: EXTENSION OF POWERS