Written Answers of 17 April 1989

TRANSPORT

  British Rail Staff (Working Hours)
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will use the powers available to him under the Regulation of Railways Act to require British Rail to supply him with regular returns of working hourse of(a) drivers, (b) signalmen and (c) other staff.

  Mr. Portillo
  There is no requirement in legislation for the British Railways Board to provide the Secretary of State with regular returns of working hours. The Transport Act 1962 places upon the board a duty to provide railway services having due regard to efficiency, economy and safety of operation. The question of working hours is therefore a matter of management for the board.

  BR Services (Manchester-Stockport)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has had any approach from British Railways to withdraw its passenger service from Manchester Victoria to Stockport via Miles Platting, Denton and Reddish, south; and whether such a service will be maintained after 15 May.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have received no such proposal. The timetabling and routing of services are entirely a matter for the board.

  Road Traffic Growth
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was his Department's forecast rate of road traffic growth and the actual rate for each of the last five years;

  (2) what is the Department's current forecast rate of road traffic growth for each of the next three years;

  (3) what percentage increase in road traffic is anticipated by the year 1999.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department's estimates of traffic growth compared with actual growth are as follows for the years requested:

  Growth (per cent.)

  Year

  Low

  High

  Actual

  1984

  1·9

  3·3

  4·5

  1985

  1·7

  3·2

  3·1

  1986

  1·6

  3·1

  6·1

  1987

  1·5

  3·0

  5·6

  1988

  1·6

  2·9

  5·2

  The forecasts for annual traffic growth for the next three years are as follows:
  2

  Annual growth (per cent.)

  Year

  Low

  High

  1989

  1·16

  2·49

  1990

  1·15

  2·50

  1991

  1·07

  2·18

  The increase in road traffic from 1988 to 1999 is forecast to be between 10 and 22·5 per cent.

  The Department's forecasts are for long-term traffic growth. They are not intended to provide accurate forecasts for individual years or short periods.

  The forecasts of growth are presented as a range to reflect uncertainty about growth in factors underlying traffic growth, such as GDP and fuel prices. They are based on the forecasts given in "National Road Traffic Forecasts 1984" issued by the Department in March 1985. The forecasts are for all motor traffic excluding motor cycles.

  Road Building (White Paper)
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish his White Paper on the future road building programme for Britain.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In the late spring or summer.

  Motorways (Speed Limit)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action is taken to record systematically vehicle speeds on motorways.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Automatic traffic counters, which also measure vehicle speeds, are being installed at 25 motorway sites. At present, speed data are being obtained from two of these sites; another eight should be supplying data by the end of the year, with the remaining 15 becoming operational in 1990.

  These data will enable vehicle speeds, and trends in vehicle speeds, to be analysed by type of vehicle and time of day. It is unlikely that it will be possible to do such analyses until mid-1990 because of the need to have a sufficient number of sites supplying reliable, consistent, data.

  Road Building
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost of the national road building programme in East Sussex for 1988–89 and for 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Expenditure on national trunk road programme schemes in East Sussex is as follows:

  1988–89

  4·2

  1989–90

  121·0

  1 (estimated).

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress of the current road building programme in the north west.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Five major motorway and trunk road construction contracts are currently under way. The total works value is around £80 million. Work continues on other improvements and maintenance of the network.
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  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce early conditional acceptance in the Cleveland TPP bid of the Stockton south spine road; and when commencement of the project will occur.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  All local highway authorities have been invited to submit bids by 31 July for transport supplementary grant for 1990–91. Decisions on the allocation of resources will be announced later in the year. The programme for construction of this scheme is a matter for Cleveland county council.

  Railways
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the options being considered for the future operation and management of British Rail; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he has any plans to set up a national track authority to lease track time to competing companies on a national or regional basis; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he has any plans to re-introduce regional railway companies to operate a full range of services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I am considering the long-term options for British Rail including privatisation. The possibilities for privatisation include: a single privatised company to run the entire network; a division into several independent companies based on British Rail's business sectors; a division into a number of independent regional companies; a vertically separated railway industry with track owned by a track authority on which independent companies would run services; or a combination of these. We are not yet in a position to take decisions.

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent the building of the second Severn crossing is dependent upon assessment of future traffic flows.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The decision to build the second Severn crossing has already been taken.

  A50
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decisions he has reached about the proposed changes in the A50 road through Stoke-on-Trent; and if a date has been arranged for the consequent inquiry.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Final design is being undertaken to enable publication of the complete package of draft statutory orders in November this year. Arrangements for an inquiry cannot be made until objections are known. If one is necessary for this scheme we would expect it to take place in the spring of 1990.

  Manchester Airport
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if there have been any recent developments in regard to new routes from the United States to Manchester airport; if he expects any further developments in the near future; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Government have continued to press the United States authorities to agree a reasonable 4
  exchange of rights to enable new routes to be established between the United States and Manchester airport. The United States has been considering an offer we made earlier in the year and has recently promised revised and comprehensive counter-proposals.

  King's Cross Fire (Inquiry)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total cost of the King's Cross public inquiry; and which parties appearing before the inquiry received reimbursement of legal costs.

  Mr. Portillo
  The cost to the Department of the King's Cross investigation, excluding staff costs, was about £1·2 million. The Department does not have information on the costs incurred by others. My right hon. Friend made it clear to the House on 10 November that he had accepted in full Mr. Fennell's recommendations about the award of costs to represented parties as set out in paragraphs 4–8 of chapter 21 of his report; claims are being settled on that basis.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6 and 7 respectively, and overall in his Department are(a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The numbers and proportion of women at 1 September 1988 were:

  Percentage

  Grades 1 to 5

  22

  15

  Grade 6

  104

  25

  Grade 7

  36

  26

  Overall

  162

  23

  We do not hold information on the ethnic origin of all our staff but of those who have responded to the ethnic monitoring survey, those from ethnic minorities were:

  Number

  Grades 1 to 7

  110

  1 1·7 per cent. of respondents in those grades.

  The survey was conducted on the undertaking that anonymity would be preserved. Any further breakdown of the figures could identify individuals and cannot therefore be provided.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when his Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  A survey of all the Department's employees was carried out in 1986 since when all new recruits have been asked to complete an ethnic monitoring questionnaire on a voluntary basis. We are proposing to conduct another survey later in the year.
  5
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Recruitment of grades above administrative officer is carried out by the Civil Service Commission.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department, (b) universities and (c) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department of Education and Science purchased nine vehicles in 1988 at a total cost of £48,041·45. I am unable to confirm that these vehicles were United Kingdom-produced, on the definition employed by the DTI for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value, but they are all of EC origin. The information sought regarding the universities and other public sector agencies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible is not held centrally.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the estimated number of settlers from Turkey, who are now living in the occupied area of northern Cyprus.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I told the House on 10 June 1988, at column 696, in answer to a question from the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor), that we estimated that there were then about 35,000 non-Cypriot settlers in northern Cyprus. We have no evidence to suggest there has been any change in the meantime.

  British Citizens (Thailand)
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury, 28 November,Official Report, columns 107–8, what representations he has made to the Thai authorities regarding British citizens imprisoned there, in particular in respect of those held in chains; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  When British prisoners have been shackled in circumstances not covered by normal Thai practice, Her Majesty's embassy at Bangkok have made effective representations and the chains have been removed.

  Her Majesty's embassy continue closely to monitor conditions under which British prisoners are held, to ensure that these are no worse than those applied to Thai or other prisoners.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations 6
  he has made about the treatment of Edward Heaton-Smith, presently held in Phitsanalok prison, Thailand; what information he has about the conditions in which he is held, particularly with regard to his continuing isolation from other foreign nationals, the duration of his being shackled in leg-irons and his ill-treatment at the hands of the prison authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Representations made to the Thai authorities by Her Majesty's Embassy at Bangkok have met with the following responses:

  (a) Leg-irons are worn by all new arrivals at a prison. Their release is conditional on the prisoner satisfying the prison authorities as to his conduct. Mr. Heaton-Smith has not met the latter criterion;

  (b) a report on the alleged ill-treatment is awaited from the prison governor;

  (c) Mr. Heaton-Smith will be transferred to Klong Prem prison, where there are British prisoners; but he first has a charge to face in Phitsanulock.

  The British Consul visited Mr. Heaton-Smith on 16 March 1989, when he showed no signs of malnutrition or abuse.

  Soviet Trade Inspectors
  Mr. D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Soviet trade inspectors there are in the United Kingdom monitoring the manufacture by British companies of goods and equipment to be delivered to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics under export contracts; and what were the comparable figures for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The figures for the number of Soviet trade inspectors resident in the United Kingdom over the last four years are as follows:

  Number

  1986

  20

  1987

  17

  1988

  21

  1989

  27

  Records of previous years were not kept in the same way, and comparable figures prior to 1986 are therefore not available.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in(a) Bhutan, (b) Brunei, (c) Burma, (d) China, (e) Taiwan, (f) Hong Kong, (g) India, (h) Indonesia, (i) Iran, (j) Iraq, (k) Israel, (1) Japan, (m) Jordan, (n) Kampuchea, (o) North Korea, (p) South Korea, (q) Kuwait, (r) Laos, (s) Lebanon, (t) Macao, (u) Mongolia, (v) Maldives and (w) Malaysia; and which organisations made these representations;

  (2) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in (a) Nicaragua (b) the Netherlands Antilles, (c) St. Vincent and the Grenadines, (d) E1 Salvador, (e) Trinidad and Tobago, (f) Turks and Caicos Islands, (g) the British Virgin Islands, (h) the United States Virgin Islands, (i) Argentina, (j) Bolivia, (k) Brazil, (l) Chile, (m) Colombia, (n) Ecudaor, (o) French Guiana, (p) Guyana,

  7
  (q) Paraguay, (r) Peru, (s) Surinam, (t) Uruguay, (u) Venezuela, (v) South Georgia, (w) Falklands Islands, (x) Afghanistan, (y) Bahrain and (z) Bangladesh; and which organisations made these representations;

  (3) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in (a) France, (b) East Germany, (c) West Germany, (d) Gibraltar, (e) Antigua and Barbuda, (f) Bahamas, (g) Barbados, (h) Belize, (i) Bermuda, (j) Cayman Islands, (k) Costa Rica, (l) Cuba, (m) Dominica, (n) the Dominican Republic, (o) Grenada, (p) Guadeloupe, (q) Guatemala, (r) Haiti, (s) Honduras, (t) Jamacia, (u) Martinique, (v) Montserrat, (w) St. Lucia, (x) St. Christopher and Nevis, (y) Puerto Rico and (z) Panama; and which organisations made these representations;

  (4) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in (a) Nepal, (b) Oman, (c) Pakistan, (d) Philippines, (e) Qatar, (f) Saudi Arabia, (g) Singapore, (h) Sri Lanka, (i) Syria, (j) Thailand, (k) Turkey, (l) the Asian Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, (m) United Arab Emirates, (n) Vietnam, (o) North Yemen, (p) South Yemen, (q) Albania, (r) Andorra, (s) Austria, (t) Belgium, (u) Bulgaria, (v) Cyprus, (w) Czechoslovakia, (x) Denmark, (y) Faroe Islands and (z) Finland; and which organisations made those representations;

  (5) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in (a) Yugoslavia, (b) Australia, (c) Norfolk Islands, (d) Fiji, (e) French Polynesia, (f) Guam, (g) Kiribati, (h) Marshall Islands, (i) Micronesia, (j) Nauru, (k) New Caledonia, (l) New Zealand, (m) Cook Islands, (n) Nive, (o) Ross Dependency, (p) Northern Mariana Islands, (q) Palau, (r) Papua New Guinea, (s) Pitcairn Islands, (t) Eastern Samoa, (u) Western Samoa, (v) Soloman Islands, (w) Tonga, (x) Tuvalu, (y) Vanuatu and (z) Wallis and Fortuna Islands; and which organisations made those representations;

  (6) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in (a) Senegal, (b) Seychelles, (c) Sierra Leone, (d) Somalia, (e) South Africa, (f) the Republic of Ireland, (g) Iceland, (h) Hungary, (i) Greece, (j) Italy, (k) Liechtenstein, (l) Luxembourg, (m) Malta and Gozo, (n) Monaco, (o) the Netherlands, (p) Norway, (q) Poland, (r) Portugal, (s) Romania, (t) San Marino, (u) Spain, (v) Sweden, (w) Switzerland, (x) Turkey, (y) European Russia and (z) the Vatican City State; and which organisations made those representations;

  (7) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in (a) Cote d'Ivoire, (b) Djibouti, (c) Egypt, (d) Guinea, (e) Ethiopia, (f) Gabon, (g) Gambia, (h) Ghana, (i) Guinea-Bissau, (j) Kenya, (k) Lesotho, (l) Liberia, (m) Libya, (n) Madagascar, (o) Malawi, (p) Mali, (q) Mauritania, (q) Mauritius, (s) Mayotte, (t) Morocco, (u) Mozambique, (v) Namibia, (w) Niger, (x) Nigeria, (y) Rwanda and (z) St. Helena; and which organisations made those representations;

  (8) how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in (a) Sudan, (b) Swaziland, (c) Tanzania, (d) Togo, (e) Tunisia, (f) Uganda, (g) Zaire, (h) Zambia, (i) Zimbabwe, (j) Canada, (k) Greenland, (l) Mexico, (m) United States, (n) Anguilla, (o) Algeria, (p) Angola, (q) Benin, (r)
  8
  Botswana, (s) Burkina Faso, (t) Burundi, (u) Cameroon, (v) Cape Verde Islands, (w) the Central African Republic, (x) Chad, (y) Comoros and (z) Congo; and which organisations made those representations.

  Mr. Eggar
  We receive representations on a wide range of countries from many organisations and individuals. The precise information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights or the use of torture in Aruba; and which organisations made those representations.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have checked our records for the last three years. In that time we have received no representations about the denial of human rights and the use of torture in Aruba.

  Laos
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the President of the Soviet Union and other Soviet authorities regarding the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Laos and the present whereabouts of the former Laotian King Savang Vatthana and Crown Prince Vong Savang; what information he has of the whereabouts of the former Laotian Chief of Staff, General Phasouk S. Ratsphak; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have not discussed the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Laos or the whereabouts of the former King and Crown Prince of Laos with the Soviet authorities, at least in recent years. We have no knowledge of General Phasoul S. Ratsphak.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Hornchurch,Official Report, 29 November 1988, column 185, what response he has had from the Gibraltar authorities in respect of amending their law on consensual homosexual acts between males.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Gibraltar Attorney General has prepared a Bill amending the law on consensual homosexual acts between males to conform with article 8 of the European convention on human rights. We understand that the Bill will shortly be submitted to the Council of Ministers for introduction in the Gibraltar House of Assembly.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many vehicles, and of what value, were purchased by(a) his Department and (b) other public sector agenices for which he is responsible in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office bought 240 vehicles at a cost of £3,089,600 in 1988. Other
  9
  public sector agencies for which the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has responsibility, purchased 32 vehicles at a cost of £275,000.

  Most popular models of vehicle produced by the multinational manufacturers are built in the United Kingdom and other European countries. Using the definition employed by the DTI for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-work value, it is not possible to determine how many were United Kingdom-produced without individual inspection of each vehicle. Vehicles purchased by the FCO are considered British if they have been bought in the United Kingdom from a British manufacturer. On this basis, 176 vehicles were British.

  In the same period, the Overseas Development Administration purchased 371 vehicles costing £3,785,000 and their public sector agencies nine vehicles costing £98,500. Of these, 372 were British.

  Rain Forest
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to obtain for his departmental library a video copy of the "Horizon" programme on BBC2 on 10 April on the consequences to the Panama Canal of destruction of the central American forest.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office library does not normally stock audiovisual material or transcripts of television programmes. We are, however, fully aware of the contents of the programme concerned.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received the affadavit sworn by Ms. Jennie Street in Khartoum dated 12 February concering the use of napalm by the Ethiopian armed forces in Eritrea; and whether he will condemn its use against the civilian population of both Eritrea and Tigré.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have a copy of this affidavit. While we have no means of verifying the allegations it contains, the frequency, and gravity, of such reports is cause for concern. We have made this known to Ethiopian authorities and raised the matter at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

  ICAO Meetings
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of a report together with the findings of the meeting held under ICAO auspices from 6 to 10 March of international experts.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The ICAO report of this meeting has not been published. For reasons that the House will appreciate, it is preferable that details of this work should not become publicly known.

  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will(a) place in the Library or (b) circulate in the Official Report, the names of those attending on behalf of the United Kingdom, the meetings from 6 to 10 March, held under ICAO auspices.
  10
  Mr. Waldegrave
  It is not the custom to name officials engaged in Government business. It would be particularly inappropriate to name those who are involved with this important and often sensitive work.

  Semtex
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and where he expects the international convention on the subject of Semtex envisaged in his answer of 10 April,Official Report, column 360, will take place; and whether British attendance will be at ministerial level.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are discussing with European Community partners and others the most appropriate forum in which to negotiate a convention. Further technical study of the feasibility of marking explosives must precede any such negotiation. The United Kingdom will continue to take a leading role.

  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to which countries apart from Czechoslovakia have the ability to manufacture and export Semtex and as to which of these countries takes either of these courses of action.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  As far as I am aware, Semtex is riot produced in any country other than Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovak authorities have stated publicly that they no longer export Semtex.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Net Overseas Assets
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the value of the United Kingdom's stock of net overseas assets at the end of 1988, based on the same method of assessment as that used in the calculation for 1987 in paragraph 3·29 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1988–89", and what are the reasons for the exclusion of any such figure from the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1989–90."

  Mr. Lilley
  Preliminary estimates of identified United Kingdom net overseas assets at the end of 1988 are made available by the CSO on request. The latest estimate is of the order of £115 billion to £120 billion. (The estimated level of identified net overseas assets at the end of 1987 has been revised up to just over £100 billion).

  However, the method of assessment which is used by the CSO assumes that the balancing item does not reflect errors in the capital account. In practice, it is likely that a substantial part of the balancing item, which has totalled over £40 billion in the last three years taken together, reflects unidentified capital inflows, some of which will lead to an underrecording of United Kingdom external liabilities. The standard methodology is being reconsidered by the CSO. In view of this, an estimate of overseas assets was not included in the Financial Statement and Budget Report. An estimate of the value of the United Kingdom stock of net overseas assets will, however, be included as usual in the Pink Book in August.

  Debt
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt there is to be repaid after the Budget repayment is concluded.

  Mr. Lilley
  The total of net public sector debt outstanding is forecast to be £157 billion (32 per cent. of GDP) at the end of 1988–89, a fall from £171 billion (38 per cent. of GDP) at the end of 1987–88.

  On the assumption that the stock of debt falls by the £14 billion net debt repayment forecast for 1989–90, the outstanding stock of debt at the end of the year would be £143 billion.

  Cheque Guarantee Cards
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has received any representations concerning current expenditure limits on cheque guarantee cards; if he has any plans to ask the Office of Fair Trading to examine the operation by the banks of such limits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  I have received no representations on the limits applicable to cheque guarantee cards. I am, however, advised that the Association for Payment Clearing Services, which is the responsible body, has yet to take a final position on the expenditure limit for cheque cards issued under the cheque guarantee card scheme, but that it is likely to do so in the near future. The current agreements between the banks and building societies concerning the standard cheque card scheme have, I understand, been furnished to the Director General of Fair Trading for examination in accordance with the requirements of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976. Individual banks are free to issue their own cheque guarantee cards providing for higher limits outside the scheme.

  Privatisation
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the industries remaining in the state sector by the end of 1989 for which no firm plans have yet been announced to put in the private sector.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  No privatisation proposals have yet been announced for the following nationalised industries:

  British Railways Board

  British Waterways Board

  Civil Aviation Authority

  London Regional Transport

  Post Office

  The Government have announced the intention to privatise British Coal in the next Parliament. The Government have also announced that work has been set in hand to study the possible options, including privatisation, for the future of British Rail.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department and (b) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.
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  Mr. Brooke
  (a) None; (b) None.

  Inflation and Consumer Credit
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further plans he has to tackle(a) inflation and (b) the expansion of consumer credit.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: Interest rates will continue to be set to bear down on inflation. Interest rates are also the only effective means in an open economy of curbing consumer credit growth, if excessive.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Security Statistics
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the security statistics for 1988 are now available, together with details of persons charged with terrorist-type offences and convictions for scheduled offences for the year.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Yes, the statistics for 1988 are as follows (statistics for earlier years are contained in Official Report 7 March 1988, columns 67–74 inclusive):

  Statistics on security (January-December 1988)

  Number

  Part I—Statistics of terrorist activity

  Shooting incidents1

  (179) 358

  Explosions

  253

  Bombs neutralised

  205

  Weight of explosives in lbs2

  8,717

  Explosions neutralised

  10,434

  Armed robberies

  653

  Amount stolen (£)

  1,388,600

  Malicious fires

  518

  Deaths:

  Civilian

  54

  Army/UDR

  33

  RUC/RUC'R'

  6

  Injuries:

  Civilian

  600

  Army/UDR

  229

  RUC/RUC'R'

  218

  Part II-Statistics of security forces' activity

  Houses searched

  3,442

  Finds:

  Firearms

  552

  Ammunitions (rounds)

  105,052

  Explosives (1bs)

  10,425

  Persons charged with terrorist-type offences

  Murder

  23

  Attempted murder

  46

  Firearms offences

  121

  Explosives offences

  29

  Theft Act

  42

  Other

  178

  439

  Notes:

  1 Figures in ( ) refer to shots heard only and are not included in the total.

  2 Estimated weight only.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official

  13
  Report to show how many (a) shotguns, (b) hand-guns and (c) air- and gas-powered weapons legally held in Northern Ireland are held for (i) sporting purposes, (ii) possession only and (iii) personal protection, or as much of such information as is available to him for each year since 1976 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  [holding answer 23 March 1989]: The approval for the holding of firearms for particular purposes is a matter for the chief constable, and it is not the practice to disclose details.

PRIME MINISTER

  Chief Press Secretary
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the current grade of the chief press secretary and the salary attached to that grade.

  The Prime Minister
  The current grade of the chief press secretary is grade 3, which has a salary range, inclusive of discretionary points and London allowance, of £39,600—£49,600.

  10 Downing Street and Chequers (Works of Art)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will publish a table showing(a) the works of art, objects or artefacts currently on loan from national museums and galleries at (i) 10 Downing street and (ii) Chequers, (b) the museum or gallery from whose collections they are loaned and (c) the term of each loan.

  The Prime Minister
  Details of the paintings, reproductions and photographs at 10 Downing street were given in the Official Report, 29 October 1987 at columns 359–63. The further information requested is only available at disproportionate cost.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and overall in his Office are(a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Luce
  The number of women and ethnic minorities in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 serving in the Cabinet Office is:

  Grade

  Women

  Percentage

  Members of ethnic minorities

  Percentage

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  1

  6

  0

  0

  4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5

  8

  15

  1

  2

  6

  8

  29

  0

  0

  7

  41

  22

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  58

  20

  2

  1

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service when his Office last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.
  14
  Mr. Luce
  The last survey was conducted in 1986. There are no plans to repeat it, but the ethnic origins of all new entrants to the department are monitored on a continuous basis.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Sheep and Lambs
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what investigations he is making as to the causes of death of numbers of sheep and lambs in west Somerset and elsewhere; whether the injections of sheep by the vaccines Heptavac P and Ryvac 7P and the simultaneous use of an organo-phosphrous compound in sheep dips are safe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  My officials are assessing all relevant information, including so far as is possible the husbandry, nutritional and medical history of the flocks where suspected adverse reactions have occurred, and results of post mortem examinations.

  Vaccines such as Heptavac P and Ryvac 7P and organo-phosphrous sheep dips have both been very widely used in the national flock for many years without giving rise to any evidence that their use together is unsafe. Nevertheless, it is a point I have asked my officials to examine in the context of their investigations.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department and (b) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  During the financial year 1988–89, my Department purchased 43 vehicles, at a total cost of £336,800. All vehicles were EC-made, but the number that were specifically British-made is not readily available, since many models are produced in more than one EC country.

  Information about non-departmental public bodies for which I am responsible is not readily available.

  Potato Marketing Board
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to make a statement regarding the future of the Potato Marketing Board.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 10 April at column 362.

  Receiverships
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farms have gone into receivership during the last 12 months.

  Mr. Maude
  Statistics of receiverships are not analysed by trade. Figures are, however, available for bankruptcies
  15
  and company liquidations in England and Wales for agriculture and horticulture. The latest figures are for 1987, when there were 172 bankruptcies and 126 company insolvencies. These and related figures were published in an article on insolvencies on pages 32 and 33 of the British business dated 28 October 1988, which is available in the Library.

WALES

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to issue guidelines to local education authorities in Wales for the training of school governors in special educational needs, in order to help them fulfil their duties under the Education Act 1981; whether this is part of the programme he is promoting to encourage community care; if he will provide financial resourses to facilitate such training; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  All local education authorities in Wales will receive education support grant for governor training in 1989–90. In submitting applications for grant LFAs were invited to detail their proposals for training courses. Some mentioned special educational needs specifically and my officials intend to monitor the position.

  The Department's publication "School Governors: A Guide to the law" contains a chapter on governors' responsibility for pupils with special educational needs. Copies have been distributed to all school governors of county and controlled schools. A similar publication for special schools will be issued shortly.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to issue a circular to local education authorities in Wales on the implications of the Education Reform Act 1988 on the needs of children with special educational requirements under the Education Act 1981; what consultation he is having with local education authorities, voluntary organisations dealing with special education needs including Mencap in Wales and with education specialists in this area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Welsh Office has issued a draft circular for consultation on assessment and statementing procedures under the Education Act 1981. It includes guidance on the implications of the Education Reform Act for pupils with special educational needs. A Welsh Office circular on the national curriculum and assessment will be issued shortly and will be followed by a guide for teachers. These will also contain references to special educational needs, as do the notes accompanying the Statutory Orders prescribing the attainment targets and programmes of study for mathematics and science in the curriculum. Welsh Office circular 36/88 contains guidance on provision for children with special educational needs in the arrangements for local management of schools. The Curriculum Council for Wales has decided to set up a committee to consider special educational needs in the curriculum. Mencap, as well as other bodies interested in special educational needs have been included in the consultations to date.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will establish procedures for monitoring the situation in 16
  mainstream schools to ensure that at least one, and preferably two, governors have a specific interest in, and knowledge of, special educational needs, in line with the proposals of the Warnock report.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Under the 1981 Education Act, every school must have a "responsible person" who ensures that all who are likely to teach a pupil are told that he has a statement of special educational needs. This person may be the head, the chairman of governors or another governor. We have no plans to change these requirements.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list all water supplies in Wales that are in breach of the European Economic Community directive on water quality in respect of safety limits on lead in drinking water; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list all water supplies in Wales in breach of the European Economic Community directive on water quality in respect of safety limits in lead in drinking water; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The most recent information relates to February 1989 when the following supplies failed to comply with the requirements of the EC drinking water directive in respect of lead:

  Eithin Fynydd

  Taicynhaeaf

  Talybont

  Abertrinant

  Dyffryn

  Glascoed/Trecastle

  Cilfor

  Cilcain/Alwen

  Rhyd-Ddu

  St. David's (Brecon)

  Penystryd

  Llanfrynach

  Dinas Mawddwy

  Lampeter Olwen

  Abergynolwen

  Capel Dewi

  Rhyd

  Bontgoch

  Penmaenmawr

  Garw

  Aber

  Parc Gwyn

  Capel Curig

  Abermagwr

  Rhydymaen

  Preseli

  Brithdir

  Pwllfa/Craig

  Braich y Rhiw

  Bryngwyn

  Croesor

  Bychau

  Glanllwyd

  Nantymoel

  Cwmpedol

  The Welsh water authority has confirmed that all necessary remedial action will be completed by December 1989.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospital beds there were by specialty in 1979 and in 1988.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on the numbers of hospital beds is published annually in "Bed Use Statistics", copies of which are in the Library of the House. The latest edition is for the year ending March 1988.

  Health Service (Waiting Lists)
  Mrs. Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of people on waiting lists for each type of operation in each health district in Wales and the number who have been waiting for over six months, one year, two years, three years or more for each type of operation in each health district in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The information requested is not available centrally. However, hospital waiting list bulletins,
  17
  published bi-annually, provide waiting list statistics for individual specialties and for individual hospitals. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what representations he has received on the effect of the uncertainty over the present and second Severn crossing on decisions on the possible location of new heavy industry in Wales;

  (2) if he will publish an assessment of the effects of the uncertainty over the present Severn road crossing and future crossings on decisions on the locations of new heavy industry in south Wales.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  There is no uncertainty over the present and second Severn road crossings.

  Water
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide details of the amount spent by Welsh Water on advertising and publicity since 1 January.

  Mr. Grist
  This is a matter for the Welsh Water Authority. I suggest that the hon. Lady writes to the chairman of the authority direct.

  Trunk Roads
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to improve any of the trunk roads leading into Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire during the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Improvement of the A44 between Capel Bangor and Penllwyn is planned within the next five years.

  Investment
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his answer of 11 April,Official Report, column 480, he will give details of what records are kept relating to inquiries of WINvest; and what indicators he considers useful in assessing the level of interest in Wales as a location for investment.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Inquiries to WINvest are recorded at the time of receipt but comprehensive records are not maintained for the reason I gave the hon. Gentleman on 11 April at column 480.

  A more useful indicator of the levels of interest being shown in Wales as a location for investment is the number of companies actually visiting Wales for the first time. There were 246 such visits in 1987, 241 in 1988 and 76 in the first quarter of 1989.

  M4
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will now, in view of the worsening of congestion along Baglan road, Port Talbot, accelerate the start of the work on the Baglan-Lonlas part of the M4.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Earlswood-Lonlas section of the motorway is planned to start in January 1990. Advancing the Baglan-Earlswood contracts would he at the expense 18
  of other schemes, including those on the A55. The Baglan-Lonlas scheme is expected to be completed by mid 1994.

  Work will start shortly on a scheme to relieve delays at the M4 Baglan junction. This will give greater priority to M4 westbound traffic.

  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when work commenced on the last part of the M4 to be completed; and why there has been a delay in the start of the Baglan-Lonlas road.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Work on the Bridgend northern by-pass started in 1978. Given that the A48 already provides Baglan-Lonlas with a dual carriageway link to the M4 the decision was taken to give priority to the A55. Baglan-Lonlas will have higher priority as expenditure on the A55 starts to fall.

  Health Service
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those occasions on which his Department has made direct contributions to voluntary appeals for financial assistance towards expenditure on items for use in the National Health Service in Wales since 1979; and what sums were involved in each case.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 11 April 19891: There have been no such contributions as far as I am aware.

  Deeside Waterfront Scheme
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the Deeside waterfront scheme; if he will visit and meet Alyn and Deeside district council to discuss the waterfront project; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: Alyn and Deeside district council have referred the planning applications for this scheme to me. I have decided that the practical implications of this scheme, which is clearly of major significance to north-east Wales, should be thoroughly assessed at a public local inquiry and I have today called-in the applications for determination. In these circumstances a meeting with the council would be inappropriate.

ENERGY

  Coal Imports
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the regional distribution of the final destination of coal imports from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the type of Government subsidy and the approximate subsidy per tonne of the coals imported into Britain from(a) Australia, (b) Poland, (c) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, (d) South Africa and (e) Latin American countries; if he will list comparable information on subsidies to British coal exports; and if he will make a statement.
  19
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Government give no specific subsidies to support exports of British coal. We have no evidence of such subsidies in the countries listed.

  Director General of Electricity Supply (Staff)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the present position in regard to the staffing of the offices of the proposed Director General of Electricity Supply; and by what date he anticipates that provisional appointments will be made.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Planning for the establishment of the Office of Electricity Regulation (OFFER) is under way. It is hoped that a suitable candidate for the post of Director General of Electricity Supply (DGES) will be identified in time for him or her to participate in the process of setting up OFFER. To this end, a firm of selection consultants has been appointed to assist my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland in finding a suitable candidate. Formal appointments to OFFER will take place after enactment of the Electricity Bill currently before Parliament.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department, (b) British Coal, (c) the electricity industry and (d) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The answers are:

  (a) None.

  (b) and (c) Purchases by British Coal, the electricity industry and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority are matters for the industries themselves. I have asked the respective chairmen to write to the hon. Member.

  (d) The Oil and Pipelines Agency, for which I was then responsible, bought one vehicle; it was non-British and cost £13,277.

  North Sea Oil Spills (Equipment)
  Mr. Bevan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what type of oil spill containment and treatment equipment is available, and within what time span, for any spills or seepages that may occur near the North Sea oil platforms and depots.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Stocks of oil spill containment and treatment equipment are held by the oil industry, in accordance with their contingency plans, and Government. All standby vessels around offshore oil installations carry spraying equipment and dispersants. These vessels are required to be within five nautical miles of the installation. Dispersants and spraying equipment, for use in aircraft and larger vessels, are based at strategic locations around the coast. Inflatable booms and skimmer systems for containment and recovery of oil from the sea surface are also available.

  The response strategy employed largely depends on the size and nature of the spill and its location, but it is expected that, where necessary, oil companies will respond
  20
  quickly enough to prevent damage to the environment. Specifically, for spills of oil from platforms in near shore areas, operators are required to be able to mount an initial response within 30 minutes using treatment equipment held on the standby vessel. Back-up resources must then be made available within half the minimum time predicted for oil to reach the beach.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Vietnamese Boat People
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Vietnamese boat people have been permitted to become residents in the United Kingdom during the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many of these came via refugee camps in Hong Kong.

  Mr. Renton
  The total number of south-east Asian refugees accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in 1988 is published in table 3 of the Home Office statistical bulletin 10/89 "Control of Immigration Statistics—Fourth Quarter and Year 1988", a copy of which is in the Library. Of these, 205 came from Hong Kong. No further breakdown by nationality is available.

  Hong Kong Citizens
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of Hong Kong were permitted to become resident in the United Kingdom during the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what were the categories of reasons for these permissions.

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

  Acceptances for settlement in 1988 of British Dependent Territory Citizens from Hong Kong by category of acceptance

  Acceptances

  Number

  Completed four years in approved employment

  160

  Completed four years in permit-free employment

  20

  Husbands

  160

  Wives

  320

  Children

  170

  Other

  320

  Total acceptances

  1,150

  Attempted Murder Statistics
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons convicted of attempted murder left prison in each of the last five years; and what was the average length of detention in each year.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost because of the large number of cases that would require checking. The readily available information relates to the length of sentence imposed and is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", supplementary tables vol. 2 (tables S2.3 and S2.4 of the issue for 1987, Cm. 498). Copies are held in the Library.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals are
  21
  currently serving sentences for attempted murder in United Kingdom prisons; and what is their average length of sentence.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is estimated that on 31 December 1988 about 13 non-British citizens were serving sentences in prison service establishments in England and Wales for attempted murder. About half of them were serving life sentences. The lengths of sentence of those serving determinate sentences varied from under one year up to 30 years; their average sentence was about 14 years.

  Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any facility on the police national computer to distinguish between spent and unspent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There is at present no facility available on the police national computer to distinguish between convictions which are spent or unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. This is, however, one of the facilities being considered for implementation on the police national computer in due course.

  Firearms Consultative Committee
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to consult the Firearms Consultative Committee before publishing security arrangements under the firearms legislation.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Advice on safe-keeping arrangements for firearms and shot guns will be contained in new guidance to the police on the administration of the firearms legislation. This will be issued, and made publicly available, at the end of May, in readiness for the introduction of the remaining provisions of the Act, and new rules, in the summer. There has been extensive consultation on the guidance with shooting and other interests. I regard it as important to have the Firearms Consultative Committee in place as soon as possible but the implementation of the new provisions cannot await consultation with the committee. It will, however, be open to the committee to keep under review and make recommendations on the administration and enforcement of the safe-keeping requirements.

  Police Cars (Accidents)
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the availability of compensation for the families of pedestrians killed by police cars pursuing other vehicles.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The position in respect of compensation for injury, loss of life or damage to property following a road accident involving a police vehicle is in general the same as following any other road accident. Any compensation or other payments would normally be dealt with under insurance cover arrangements.

  Libyan Citizens
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Libyan citizens are:(a) currently serving sentences and (b) awaiting sentencing in United Kingdom prisons.
  22
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The nationality of remand prisoners is not recorded centrally. On 31 December 1988 the latest date for which information is readily available, central records show seven Libyan citizens serving sentences in prison service establishments in England and Wales.

  Prisons
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times a body belt has been used on an inmate in prison in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales 1988" (table 10·2 of the latest issue, for 1987, Cm 547), copies of which are held in the Library.

  Firearms Act 1988
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he has received to date about the Firearms Act 1988(a) from when his proposals were first published until First Reading, (b) between First Reading and Royal Assent and (c) since Royal Assent until the latest available date.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information is not kept in the precise form requested but figures compiled on a monthly basis from September 1987, when I announced our proposals, to March 1989 are as follows:

  Number

  1987

  September

  819

  October

  904

  November

  962

  December

  407

  1988

  January

  907

  February

  653

  March

  373

  April

  173

  May

  131

  June

  113

  July

  54

  August

  77

  September

  50

  October

  105

  November

  55

  December

  36

  1989

  January

  89

  February

  120

  March

  78

  Missing Persons
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make it his policy to comply with the recommendation of the Association of Chief Police Officers to create a national register for missing persons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend has now received the association's report. They have requested that he consult the Central Conference of Chief Constables on its recommendations. This he is now doing.

  Mrs. Robina Kausar
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when papers were referred to him concerning an entry clearance application made by Mrs. Robina Kausar at the post in Islamabad; when it was discovered these papers had been lost and a duplicate referral requested from the post; when Mrs. Kausar's husband in the United Kingdom was interviewed; when a decision is to be taken on this application made at Islamabad on 24 August 1987; when he received the copy of a letter from the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave) to the hon. Member for Bradford, West, dated 5 December 1988 concerning the case, stating it was to be treated with priority.

  Mr. Renton
  Mrs. Kausar's entry clearance application to join her husband, Mr. Muhammed Nazir, for settlement was referred to the immigration and nationality department on 12 January 1988 because documents submitted by the sponsor appeared to have been altered. At no time were any of the papers connected with this case mislaid, and I am sorry that the hon. Member was misinformed on this point.

  Owing to the large backlog of work in the Department, the application was not however considered until 21 November. I received a copy of the letter dated 5 December 1988 sent by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the hon. Member for Bradford, West on 12 December, by which time we had begun our inquiries into the employment aspects of the application. These were necessary after it was confirmed that Mr. Nazir had furnished forged documents in support of the maintenance requirements of the immigration rules.

  It was not felt necessary to interview Mr. Nazir as our outstanding inquiries could more easily be answered by correspondence with the employer and solicitor. A decision to authorise settlement entry clearance was taken on 10 April immediately following receipt of a satisfactory reply on the employment aspect. Notification has been sent accordingly to the entry clearance officer in Islamabad who will contact Mrs. Kausar once it has been received.

  Cigarettes Sales
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to take any further steps to enforce section 1 of the Protection of Children (Tobacco) Act 1986 in relation to the sale of individual cigarettes to young people under the age of 16 years.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Enforcement of the law on the sale of cigarettes to persons under the age of 16 is an operational matter for the chief officer of the police force concerned. If the hon. Member is aware of any general problem in the enforcement of the legislation, perhaps he would let us have the details.

  Fine Defaulters
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial provision is made by the prison department for persons released from custody following their imprisonment for fine default.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: Persons released from custody following imprisonment in
  24
  default of payment of a fine receive a subsistence allowance to cover the period until they can reach an office of the Department of Social Security and a travel warrant or payment in cash for fares to their home address or destination.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the findings of the Audit Commission inquiry into the workings of the probation service; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what action his Department will be taking following receipt of the Audit Commission report entitled "The Probation Service, Promoting Value for Money".

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: The Audit Commission found that well planned and targeted probation work can be effective, and that there is an important role for the probation service to play in providing the courts with more commuity-based services. But the Audit Commission calls for several improvements, which have to be made before the probation service can do this: supervising offenders more effectively; focusing activities more sharply on serious offenders; better research and evaluation of effectiveness; closer collaboration with the courts and other agencies; and improving management systems.

  I welcome the report. Further action on its important recommendations will be closely linked to action on the proposals set out in the Green Paper "Punishment, Custody and the Community", and the programme of work set out in part 2 of the Green Paper (and in "Tackling Offending: an Action Plan") is already in hand. Her Majesty's inspectorate of probation will be collaborating with the Audit Commission in a series of "value for money" audits in probation areas throughout England and Wales, starting in 1990.

  Parole
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales received notification of their actual parole date after the passing of their parole eligibility date.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: Accurate statistics of the number of cases where inmates have been notified of the outcome of their parole review after their parole eligibility date will not be available until a new computer system is operational. In 1988, about 6,100 parole dossiers were delayed beyond this target.

  Bookshops (Arson Attacks)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to what urgent action is being taken in the light of the recent arson attacks on bookshops; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that two attacks on London bookshops are at present being investigated. No conclusions can be drawn until the inquiries are complete.

  DNA Testing
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the introduction of DNA testing for the purposes of the immigration rules; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 13 April 1989 at column 1046 and to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollock (Mr. Dunnachie) on 10 April 1989 at column 321.

  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give figures of numbers of cases requiring new consideration in the light of DNA blood tests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: As DNA evidence can be produced at any stage of the entry clearance process, it is not readily possible to quantify the number of cases involved. A substantial number of applications and appeals have been resolved on the basis of DNA evidence which established the relevant relationships. A number of cases involving reapplicants who no longer qualify for admission have been deferred pending my right hon. Friend's decision on whether and in what circumstances to exercise his discretion outside the rules.

  Tamil Refugees
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of Tamils from Sri Lanka who have been given refugee status in the United Kingdom in the last three years.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: Statistics are not kept on the number of refugees who belong to specific ethnic groups. The numbers of Sri Lankans granted asylum in the last three years are as follows:

  Number

  1986

  4

  1987

  6

  1988

  19

  1 provisional.

  Police National Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement explaining the reasons for awarding the contract for the police national computer to Siemens.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: The hardware for the replacement police national computer was the subject of an open competition which was won by Siemens plc because its proposal offered best value for money.

  Special Constables
  Mr Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to how many special constables are employed as security guards.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: Information is not held centrally on the private
  26
  occupations of special constables appointed by chief constables under section 16 of the Police Act 1964. Special constables appointed under other legislation are not a matter for my right hon. Friend, although we are aware of one case where employees of a security firm were provided under contract to the owners of a port and sworn in as special constables by the local justices.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Prosecution Witnesses
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Attorney-General what information he has on contacts between prosecution witnesses in the case of Hosni E. Farhat and Ahmed Gaddafi Aidain of Libya; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  None.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on his policy towards the enforcement of the Shops Act 1950 in the light of the decision of Mr. Justice Warner to adjourn applications for injunctions brought on behalf of local authorities to restrain various do-it-yourself stores from Sunday trading.

  The Attorney-General
  Enforcement of the Shops Act 1950 is, by virtue of section 71 of that Act, the duty of the local authorities, which have the necessary powers. In my view, the possibility that provisions of any part of any Act may at a future date be held by the European Court of Justice to be incompatible with the United Kingdom's obligations under the treaty of Rome is irrelevant to the question of statutory responsibility for enforcement of such an Act. I accordingly consider that such responsibility in respect of the Shops Act is unaffected by article 177 references that have been made in certain cases, and that accordingly local authorities remain subject to their duty to enforce the Act.

  The decision of Mr. Justice Warner was given in January in a case brought by the King's Lynn, Chester and Worcester local authorities. I understand they were seeking summary judgment on their applications for final injunctions against certain DIY stores. Mr. Justice Warner adjourned the applications on the ground, I understand, that the outcome of the references to the European Court of Justice in other cases would establish whether the defendants had an arguable case or not.

  The learned judge's decision in my view does not conflict with the opinion I have here expressed as to responsibility for enforcement of the Shops Act.

  The proceedings were unusual in that the local authority was seeking to show that the shops had no arguable case and that the authority should therefore have a final injunction immediately. The learned judge, in his discretion, thought this was premature. But, as I understand he was at pains to point out, it remains open to local authorities in England and Wales to seek interlocutory injunctions to restrain Sunday trading: nor does the decision have any bearing on discretionary considerations in the conduct of prosecutions.

  Queen's Counsel
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide for the latest available 12 month period(a)

  27
  the number of Queen's counsel excluding Treasury counsel, (b) the amount of total public money received by Queen's counsel, (c) the number of cases dealt with by Queen's counsel, (e) the number of cases prosecuted by Queen's counsel, (f) the average fee, brief and refreshers, in prosecution cases, (g) the number of criminal cases defended by Queen's counsel where payment was made from public funds, (h) the average fee for defence counsel, brief and refreshers, in criminal cases where payment was made from public funds, (i) the duration of average criminal case in which Queen's counsel appeared and (j) the average income of Queen's counsel from public funds; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  (holding answer 23 March 1989): There are currently 673 Queen's counsel. In 1987–88, the average brief fee for a trial in the Crown court payable to Queen's counsel representing legally aided defendants was £3,273·20 and the average full day refresher was £271·30. The number of criminal cases defended by Queen's counsel where payment was made from public funds was around 1,440. The other information requested by the hon. Member is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Junior Counsel
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney General if he will provide for the latest available 12 month period in respect of the Crown court(a) the total amount of public money received by junior counsel, (b) the number of cases dealt with by junior counsel, (c) the number of cases prosecuted by junior counsel, (d) the average fee, brief and refreshers, in prosecution cases prosecuted by junior counsel, (e) the number of criminal cases defended by junior counsel where payment was made from public funds and (f) the average fee for defence counsel, brief and refreshers, in criminal cases where payment was made from public funds; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  (holding answer 23 March 1989): On 1987–88, the average brief fee for a trial in the Crown court payable to junior counsel representing legally aided defendants was £557·90, and the average full day refresher was £136. The number of cases defended by junior counsel where payment was made from public funds was around 94,030. The other information requested by the hon. Member is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide for the latest available 12-month period, the duration of average criminal case in which junior counsel appeared, in days, the average income of junior counsel from public funds in respect of the magistrates' courts(a) the amount of total public money received by junior counsel, (b) the number of cases dealt with by junior counsel, (c) the number of cases prosecuted by junior counsel, (d) the average fee, brief and refreshers, in prosecution cases prosecuted by junior counsel, (e) the number of criminal cases defended by junior counsel where payment was made from public funds, (f) the average fee for defence counsel, brief and refreshers, in criminal cases where payment was made from public funds, (g) the duration of average criminal case in which junior counsel appeared, in hours, and (h) the average income of junior counsel from public funds; and if he will make a statement.
  28
  The Attorney-General
  [holding answer 23 March 1989]: The information requested by the hon. Member is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Solicitors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide for the latest available 12-month period (a) the number of solicitors regularly practising in firms offering legal services to the public,(b) the number of solicitors regularly practising in the criminal courts, (c) the number of solicitors' firms on the criminal legal aid panel and (d) the number of solicitors firms on a duty solicitor scheme for police stations; in respect of the Crown courts, what is (i) the amount of total public money received by solicitors retained to defend and (ii) the number of cases in which publicly funded solicitors instructed counsel to defend; in respect of criminal cases in the magistrates' courts, what is (1) the amount of total public money received by solicitors, (2) the number of cases dealt with by solicitors, including those where junior counsel was instructed, (3) the average cost of publicly funded defence cases, and (4) the duration of average criminal cases in hours, in respect of 24 hour duty solicitor schemes, what is (A) the number of visits made to police stations, (B) the duration of the average visit, (C) the total cost and (D) the average cost; and in respect of court based duty solicitor schemes, what is (a1) the number of defendants represented, (a2) the total cost and (a3) the average cost per defendant; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  [holding answer 23 March 1989]: There are currently 50,494 solicitors in England and Wales with practising certificates. In 1987–88, 405,000 payments were made out of the legal aid fund in respect of criminal cases in the magistrates' courts at an average cost of £281·21 per case. In 1987–88, 170,655 visits were made to police stations under the 24-hour duty solicitor scheme and the total cost of the scheme was £23·2 million, at an average cost per suspect of £85·38. In 1987–88, 99,864 defendants were represented under the magistrates courts duty solicitor scheme and the total cost of the scheme was £4·8 million, at an average cost per defendant of £28·88. The other information requested by the hon. Member is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Test Ban
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the issue of the verification of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty was last discussed by a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The details of what is discussed at meetings of NATO's Defence Ministers are confidential but NATO's Defence Ministers are briefed regularly on nuclear arms control matters, including nuclear testing.

  RAF (Yorkshire)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times in the last 10 years security has been tested and evaluated at(a) RAF Finningley and (b)

  29
  840 Signal Unit, Lindholme, for both (i) civilian and (ii) service personnel; and if he will make a statement on the results.

  Mr. Neubert
  Security arrangements at all RAF stations are tested frequently, but for obvious reasons it would not be in the public interest to reveal details of those evaluations or their results.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for the last two years the number of(a) movements at and (b) personnel of the armed services who have used RAF Finningley; how many times civilian aircraft were used; and what types of aircraft were so deployed.

  Mr. Neubert
  Since RAF Finningley's task is flying training rather than air transport, aggregated records of military movements are not kept, nor do service personnel normally use the station as an airhead. There were 69 civil aircraft movements at RAF Finningley in 1987 and 25 in 1988, almost entirely by air taxi and light executive aircraft, including air ambulance flights.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and date of deployments of the Skyguard radar system in Yorkshire.

  Mr. Neubert
  The Skyguard radar system has not been deployed in a low flying monitoring role in Yorkshire.

  Disarmament
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many nuclear warheads assigned to NATO control have been withdrawn from deployment since April; what types of warhead they were; what has been done with the nuclear material recovered from the warheads; and whether the withdrawals were under multilateral or bilateral agreements or by unilateral decision;

  (2) how many nuclear warheads were deployed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and in what countries, in April 1959, 1969, 1979 and 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In 1979, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to reduce by 1,000 the number of NATO nuclear warheads stockpiled in Europe. In 1983, at their meeting in Montebello, the Ministers decided to reduce the stockpile by a further 1,400 warheads. Those two actions together have resulted in bringing the NATO nuclear stockpile in Europe to its lowest level for more than 20 years. The level is being further reduced as warheads are removed in association with the implementation of the INF treaty. All the 2,400 warheads removed were the property of the United States Government; the disposal of the nuclear materials contained in them is therefore a matter for the United States Government. Details of the types and location of NATO's nuclear warheads in Europe are classified, but the number of NATO LRINF and SRINF systems with nuclear-capable variants is set out in figures 18 and 19 of volume 1 of the Statement on Defence Estimates 1988 (Cm 344-I).

  Low Flying
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will identify the type of aircraft and operating bases of the military jets which made low-level 30
  flights over East Linton at 4.30 pm on 21 March and at 2.25 pm on 29 March; and if he will make a statement on the speed and height of those flights.

  Mr. Neubert
  United Kingdom and other military aircraft are authorised as a matter of routine to carry out low-level flying training in the area mentioned at heights no lower than 250 ft and at speeds normally not exceeding 450 knots. Aircraft may originate from a number of flying stations in both the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the large uninhabited areas of the world used for low-level flight training referred to in his Department's current advertising campaign for the recruitment of Royal Air Force officers.

  Mr. Neubert
  The RAF flying training at altitudes under 250 ft, which is needed to refine aircrew skills, is mainly undertaken in virtually unpopulated parts of the United States and Canada.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the installation of transponder equipment on military aircraft which will provide warning directly to the pilots of other aircraft flying at low level of the presence of conflicting air traffic.

  Mr. Neubert
  [holding answer 25 January 1989]: The Ministry of Defence has placed a small contract for a study into the feasibility of giving military aircraft collision warning facilities in order to give early warning of conflicting military traffic, in particular, by utilising existing transponder equipment.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he intends to inform the general public of Her Majesty's Government's commitment to the Falkland Islands garrison and its upkeep since 1981; what future reviews are planned; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Government policy on the defence of the Falkland Islands has been set out in successive statements on the Defence Estimates. The maintenance of a garrison continues to be necessary in support of the Falkland islanders' right to live in peace and security under a Government of their choosing. The adequacy of that garrison to fulfil its task is kept under constant review.

  Tucano Aircraft
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tucano aircraft, to the full specification, have so far been delivered to the Royal Air Force for training use; and how many were due to be delivered by this time under the terms of the original contract.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Fourteen aircraft have been delivered to the RAF; 59 aircraft should have been delivered by now, under the terms of the contract signed on 30 April 1985.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles and at what value were
  31
  purchased by (a) his Department and (b) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In 1987–88, the most recent year for which full information is currently available, some 8,200 logistic vehicles, ranging from small vans and cars to heavy trucks, were purchased by the Ministry of Defence at a total cost of £180 million. Apart from 258 bought at a cost of £1·5 million, all of these vehicles were UK-produced in accordance with the definition employed by the Department of Trade and Industry for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as UK-produced if the UK content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value. No vehicles were purchased by the Ministry of Defence for other public sector agencies.

  Employment Law
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those provisions of employment law which do not apply to members of the forces.

  Mr. Neubert
  [holding answer 11 April 1989]: The terms of service of members of the armed forces are governed by service law and regulations. The extent to which the provisions of civil employment legislation apply to the Crown in general and to the armed forces in particular is set out where appropriate in the legislation itself. Many of the most significant of such provisions are contained in the Employment Protection Act 1975 and the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978; I refer the right hon. Gentleman especially to sections 121 and 138 respectively, which state that those Acts do not apply to service as a member of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown.

ENVIRONMENT

  Cricket
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to meet Mr. Ted Dexter; and if he will make a statement on the future of British cricket.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have no present plans to do so. If Mr. Dexter would like a meeting, I would be happy to see him. I wish everyone involved with English cricket a very successful season.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what information his Department has on the level of registration and non-registration for the poll tax in(a) England and (b) Nottingham;

  (2) if he will make a statement on progress on registration for the poll tax in England.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. As far as the community charge is concerned, the hon. Member really cannot seriously expect any information on levels of registration before registration officers have even started to compile their registers. Registration officers have until the end of November 1989 to complete their initial registers.
  32
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates his Department has made of the costs of collecting the poll tax compared with collecting the rates in(a) Nottingham and (b) England as a whole.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax.

  We estimate that the cost of collecting community charges in England and Wales would be approximately twice the cost of collecting rates, since there will be twice as many chargepayers as there are now ratepayers. The two tax alternatives proposed by Labour would, of course, cost significantly more than either rates or the community charge to collect.

  We have made no estimate of the collection costs for any individual charging authority.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what a ward sister would pay(a) in poll tax and (b) in rates if she lived in (i) a typical one-bedroom flat and (ii) a typical two-bedroomed house in Nottingham.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. Based on 1988–89 figures, a ward sister living in a flat or house of average rateable value in Nottingham would pay a rates bill of around £430. This compares with the illustrative community charge figure of £251 (with no safety net) or £231 (with the safety net).

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 10 local authorities on current estimates which will levy(a) the highest and (b) the lowest level of poll tax; giving the political control in each authority.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. Illustrative community charges for 1988–89 were published on 23 June 1988 and placed in the Library.

  Based on these figures, the 10 highest ranking areas are Camden, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Hackney, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth, Islington, City of London and Hammersmith and Fulham. All are Labour-controlled London boroughs, with the exception of the City, which is independent. The community charge in all ten reflects spending by the Labour-controlled Inner London education authority.

  The 10 lowest ranking areas are Isles of Scilly (independent), Runnymede (Conservative), Purbeck (no overall control), Rochester upon Medway (Conservative), Redbridge (Conservative), North Dorset (independent), West Dorset (independent), Hereford (Liberal), Poole (Conservative) and South Herefordshire (independent).

  The county councils providing services in these areas—Kent (Rochester and Medway), Dorset (Purbeck, North and West Dorset), Surrey (Runneymede), Herefordshire (Hereford, South Herefordshire)—are all under Conservative control.

  No Labour-controlled authority figures in any way among the low spenders whereas, with one exception, all the high spenders are Labour-controlled.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list numbers and sources of representations on the poll tax which he has received from individuals and organisations in Nottingham.
  33
  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. Correspondence on the community charge is not recorded within my Department according to the local government area from which it is received.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for publicity on registration for the community charge in the period before 22 May, including(a) the timing, coverage and cost of any newspaper advertisements, (b) the timing and cost of any hoarding advertisements, (c) proposed methods of distribution, timing and cost of any leaflets, (d) the use of broadcast media and the timing and cost, and (e) the timing and cost of any promotional tours, breakfast, meetings, and exhibitions involving Ministers in his Department.

  Mr. Ridley
  When details of the complete package are finalised, I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will commission research to establish the proportion of the increase or decrease of those registering to vote(a) in Nottingham and (b) in England and Wales as a result of the poll tax and its registration powers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have been asked to reply.

  We have no plans to do so. The register of electors and the community charges register are different registers, separately compiled, and we do not think that research of the kind suggested would be profitable even if it were feasible.

  Footpaths
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the speed with which correspondence between Department of Environment offices in Bristol concerning footpaths and the Secretary of the Peak and Northern Footpaths Society has been dealt; and whether he has any plans to increase the number of officials dealing with footpaths and public rights of way.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Every effort is made to deal with all correspondence as quickly as possible, the resources necessary to deal with work on public rights of way are kept under review. There has been a substantial reduction in the time taken to decide opposed rights of way orders even though workload is increasing.

  Countryside Task Force
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Countryside Commission position statement "Working for the Countryside" and, in particular, on its ideas for a countryside task force.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Countryside Commission issued its position statement "Working for the Countryside" on 31 March to mark the conclusion of the community programme. The statement recognises the value of the contribution made to environmental work by the CP and puts forward suggestions for bridging the gap between CP and the smaller environmental and countryside work component of the employment training programme. I welcome the Commission's efforts with the 34
  Training Agency to encourage as many countryside bodies as possible to use the new scheme as effectively as some have already done. The commission's thinking on its longer-term concept of a national countryside task force is as yet only at a preliminary stage. I have asked the commission to work up the details so we can take a considered view of it.

  Cryptosporidia
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the authorities and research centres undertaking research into the incidence of cryptosporidia in water, with an indication of the resources available to them in terms of(a) staff, (b) government financial support, (c) other public sector finance and (d) other sources of financing.

  Mr. Howard
  This information is not held centrally. However, the expert group on cryptosporidium in water supplies which was announced in my reply of 2 March, column 286, will be examining the occurrence and extent of cryptosporidia in water supplies and the need for further research.

  Sewage Works (North Derbyshire)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any proposals to relax quality controls for sewage works at Ashover, Clay Cross and Kelstedge in the North Derbyshire district of the Seven-Trent water authority.

  Mr. Howard
  I have received an application for a time limited consent variation in respect of the Clay Cross sewage treatment works. No such applications have been received in respect of the sewage treatment works at either Ashover or Kelstedge.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department, (b) water authorities, (c) local authorities and (d) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Ridley
  The Crown Suppliers (a trading fund account of the Property Services Agency), operate a self-drive vehicle contract hire service, providing vehicles to a number of Government Departments and public sector organisations.

  During 1988, the Crown Suppliers purchased 1,007 vehicles at a total cost of £7,538,640.

  Five hundred and fifty seven vehicles were United Kingdom-produced, on the definition employed by the DTI for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value. The remainder (with the exception of one vehicle) were manufactured within the EEC.

  Details of vehicle purchased by water authorities, local authorities and other public sector agencies are not the responsibility of my Department.

  House of Commons (Terrace Pavilion)
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify all the costs associated with the erection of the Terrace Pavilion of the Palace of Westminster.

  Mr. Chope
  The costs of the Terrace awning which are being carried on my Department's Vote are approximately £35,000. The balance of the total cost of about £150,000 is being paid by the House of Commons Refreshment Department.

  Water Bill (Leaflets)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the cost to his Department of printing the Water Bill series of leaflets, launched on 10 April.

  Mr. Howard
  Two leaflets have been produced so far, at a total cost of just under £3,000.

  Water Authorities (Advertising)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide details of the amount spent on advertising and publicity by each water authority since 1 January.

  Mr. Howard
  This is a matter for the authorities.

  Flood Alerts (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the implications for flood alerts in those London boroughs opting not to be part of the tidal flood warning system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is for the London boroughs, which have the necessary powers under section 138 of the Local Government Act 1972, to determine whether the risk of flooding justifies maintaining the siren warning system or taking other action.

  London Residuary Body (Assets)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what safeguards exist to ensure that London ratepayers receive the best possible price for public assets disposed of by the London residuary body.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomleyy
  Paragraph 7 (2) of schedule 13 to the Local Government Act 1985 subjects the London residuary body to section 123 (2) of the Local Government Act 1972, which requires the LRB to obtain the Secretary of State's consent to any disposal of land not required for carrying out its functions for less than the best consideration reasonably obtainable. Section 79 of the 1985 Act provides that the LRB is audited in accordance with the provisions of part III of the Local Government Finance Act 1982.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which properties have been the subject of discussion between his Department and the London residuary body prior to their disposal.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The disposal of a wide range of the LRB's property portfolio has been the subject of discussion as the need has arisen.
  36
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that records are made publicly available in respect of the price paid and the names of the new owners of former publicly-owned assets sold by the London residuary body; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No.

  Waste Management (Greater London)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the report commissioned from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution on arrangements for waste management in Greater London and the former metropolitan county areas is to be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  The report is being published today and copies have been placed in the Library. The report has concluded that the local authorities in the relevant areas are working together effectively under statutory and voluntary arrangements to achieve generally acceptable operating standards, although some areas of possible improvement have been identified.

  I have decided, therefore, that no new arrangements are required under section 10(2) of the Local Government Act 1985, but I have instructed Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to pursue its recommendations for improvements in performance directly with the local authorities concerned.

  Anti-competitive Practices
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many anti-competitive practices have been referred to him under the Local Government Act 1988; how many involve the refusal of the use of an authority's depot; and how many times he has exercised his powers under the Act.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: The Department has received approximately 80 complaints about a wide range of alleged anti-competitive practices adopted by local authorities under the Local Government Act 1988. About half of these complaints concern the alleged refusal by authorities to make their depots available to contractors. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not yet exercised his sanction powers under part I of the 1988 Act, but a number of authorities have decided to modify their practice after approaches by the Department and other cases are not yet closed. Under similar new powers in section 19A of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, however, he has served a notice on one authority for alleged anti-competitive behaviour in the award of building and maintenance work.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Uxbridge concerning the London Green Belt Estate on 8 March,Official Report, column 524, (a) whether he has to give his consent to the disposal of any title and (b) if he will indicate what is his policy towards the use of his reserve powers under the Green Belt (London and Home

  37
  Counties) Act 1938 about which he gave assurance at the time of the abolition of the former Greater London Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 10 April 1989]: A High Court judgment of March 1988 established that section 5 of the 1938 Act continues to require local authorities to obtain the consent of my right hon. Friend for the disposal of land held under that Act notwithstanding that other legislation also applies to the sale. In determining applications under the 1938 Act, my right hon. Friend's primary concern, in line with the assurances given in 1984 and 1985, is to ensure that the land concerned continues to fulfil the objectives both of the 1938 Act and of green belt policy as set out in planning policy guidance note 2.

  Stocken Hall, Rutland
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will list the steps taken by the Property Services Agency to carry out the instructions of his predecessor, following the public inquiry on 7 October 1980, to find a purchaser to renovate Stocken hall, Rutland, as described in a ministerial letter by the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave) to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton; and whether he will make a statement;

  (2) why his Department, when instructing Messrs. Cluttons to offer Stocken hall for sale, permitted the published offer for sale document to state that the sale would be on the basis that the building should be renovated; at what stage his Department established that such a condition was unenforceable; why the sale was permitted to proceed on such a basis; and what steps were taken by his Department to seek a voluntary contractual agreement with the purchasers which would implement the decision in favour of renovation already taken by the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 12 April 1989]: I will write to my hon. Friend about this case.

  Air Pollution
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to improve stricter regulations on the removal of substances other than lead from exhaust emissions.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Strict regulation of emissions of the exhaust gases and particulates from motor vehicles was agreed by European Community Environment Ministers in December 1987. The new limit values, which are contained in a European Community Directive, will be implemented in full in the United Kingdom. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport expects to consult interested parties shortly on regulations bringing this into effect. A common position was taken by the Community on a further stage of stricter limits for small car gaseous emissions in November 1988. This has been considered by the European Parliament, who have proposed amendments. It is now for the Commission to re-examine the common position taking into account the Parliament's proposals.

  Football Grounds (Arrests)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest figure for the total 38
  number of arrests in the current season at the ground of each club in divisions one, two, three and four of the Football League; and what were the comparable figures at the same point in 1987–88.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have been asked to reply.

  The most up-to-date figures collected centrally by the Association of Chief Police Officers are up to 31 October 1988. At the end of each football season the AC'PO carefully reviews the returns from 43 individual forces relating to the number of arrests made at the 92 Football League clubs. Since the provisional totals have not yet been given a full end of season check, it would he inappropriate to publish a club-by-club breakdown. The available divisional totals are as follows:

  Division

  1987–88 season to 31 October 1987

  1988–89 season to 31 October 1988

  1

  937

  672

  2

  764

  540

  3

  266

  287

  4

  330

  248

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Barlow Clowes
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to receive a report and recommendations from the Parliamentary Ombudsman on Barlow Clowes.

  Mr. Maude
  The handling of an investigation undertaken by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, and the timing of any report which he may make, are matters for the Commissioner.

  Inner-city Regeneration
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what support his Department is giving to encourage the Church and Church agencies to become more involved in inner-city regeneration.

  Mr. Newton
  We have contributed £148.000 to Evangelical Enterprise and £6,000 to Church Action with the Unemployed towards their work for the urban priority areas, and £215,000 to the Church of England Board for Social Responsibility for a linking-up project at Manchester designed to develop church-based projects in inner-city areas. Church-sponsored projects in 10 task force areas have already been helped by task force funding.

  We have also established a churches liaison group, which will advise and assist those both of Christian denominations and of other faiths who wish to develop co-ordinated schemes for action in the inner cities.

  Cricket Bats
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what investigations his Department has made of the impact of watermark disease on the export potential of the cricket bat manufacturing industry in the east midlands;

  (2) what trends his Department anticipates in exports of British cricket bats.
  39
  Mr. Atkins
  The issue of watermark disease has been raised with me on several occasions. I am advised that the virus is not currently a major threat to stocks of English willow, and I do not expect it adversely to affect the export of British cricket bats. As the hon. Member would expect, however, I am continuing to monitor developments closely.

  Monopolies (References)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his policy on references to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The Government's policy on references to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission is stated in a DTI Blue Paper entitled "Mergers Policy", published in March 1988. The main consideration in considering whether to refer a merger to the MMC is the potential effect on competition in the United Kingdom.

  Newspapers (Proprietorial Interference)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions he has had with the Newspaper Publishers Association on proprietorial interference in the publishing of newspapers.

  Mr. Maude
  None.

  Oil Prices
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received about allegations of price fixing and collusion between the larger oil companies.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received concerning the oil pricing policies of the major oil companies, the ownership and operation of petrol stations and their pricing policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  I have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others about petrol prices. The wholesale supply of petrol is being investigated by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, which is due to report by 8 November this year.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to publish its report on the motor fuel business; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: The Commission is due to submit its report to my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State by 8 November. It will be published as soon as possible after it has been submitted to and considered by my right hon. and noble Friend.

  Trade Statistics (1992)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if any changes are planned in the collection of trade statistics after 1992.

  Mr. Maude
  A proposal for an EC Council regulation, which sets out a revised methodology for the collection of 40
  trade statistics between member states of the European Community after 1992 to replace the current procedure based on customs' documentation, has been prepared by the EC Commission and will be considered by EC Ministers over the coming months.

  Trade statistics will continue to be collected both for intra-EC trade and for trade with third countries, but the level of detail for commodity classification will be the subject of related legislation and will be discussed by a working party of officials from member states later this year. The Government are seeking to ensure that the collection of these statistics does not impose unnecessary burdens on business involved in trade between member states.

  Shipbuilding
  Mr. Mullins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many former employees of North East Shipbuilders Limited have found jobs under the British Shipbuilders job creation scheme; and how many of those jobs have lasted for more than one month.

  Mr. Newton
  As at 7 April 1989, 895 out of a total 1,637 former employees had found new jobs and a further 83 had been placed on retraining courses arranged by Sunderland Enterprise and Training Limited. There is no systematic information about how long jobs so far found have lasted, but only 40 clients of Sunderland Enterprise and Training Limited who had found work have so far returned for further assistance.

  Textile Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what steps have been taken by his Department to ensure the continuation of the current system of national quotas for the multi-fibre arrangement after the introduction of the single European market in 1992;

  (2) what estimate has been made by his Department of the impact which would result upon the United Kingdom textile and clothing industries from the possible introduction of a community quota system for the multi-fibre arrangement after the introduction of the single European market in 1992;

  (3) what representations he has received and what discussions he is holding with the United Kingdom textile industry with regard to the consequences of the introduction of a community-wide quota system for the multi-fibre arrangement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It is not easy to estimate the impact of the possible phasing out of member states' shares of Community quotas under the multi-fibre arrangement, although I have received a number of representations expressing concern. The report which we have commissioned from Professor Silberston on the multi-fibre arrangement and the United Kingdom economy will address this issue.

  The arrangements which will apply after 1992 are not at present determined. The European Commission has taken a general view that individual member states quotas or shares of European Community-wide quotas cannot continue after the introduction of the single European market. How far this will extend to the treatment of textiles and clothing has yet to be settled. The existing Community bilateral agreements with major multi-fibre

  41
  arrangement textile suppliers already allow for some automatic and increasing transfer between member states of each member state's share of the Community quotas. These arrangements work well. However, the present extension of the multi-fibre arrangement expires in 1991.

  The future of the multi-fibre arrangement—and other textiles restrictions—is a matter for negotiation within the current Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations in GATT, which is due to conclude in September 1990. It is still too early to say what the outcome of these negotiations will be.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement outlining the progress which has been made so far in the current Uruguay round of general agreement on tariffs and trade multilateral trade negotiations with regard to the textile and clothing industries.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The negotiating group on textiles and clothing has yet to enter detailed and substantive negotiations on the "modalities" for the return of the sector to GATT rules. At the mid-term review, which concluded with the meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee at the beginning of this month, it was reaffirmed that the process of reintegration of the textiles and clothing sector should be on the basis of strengthened GATT rules and disciplines and that the modalities should among other things cover the phasing out of the multi-fibre arrangement and other restrictions inconsistent with GATT, together with the timing and progressive character of the process of integration. The TNC text preserves existing rights and obligations under the present MFA and calls upon all participants to try to improve the trade situation. Lengthy substantive negotiations can now be expected with a view to reaching an agreement within the time frame of the round.

  Off-course Racing Information
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Office of Fair Trading is now considering the monopoly position of the bookmaking interests in the transmission of racing information to the off-course market, in the light of the further allocation of equity in Satellite Information Services shortly to be allocated.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: I understand that the Director General of Fair Trading is continuing to monitor developments in the off-course bookmaking market under the competition legislation for which he is responsible.

  Guinness plc.
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how long the inspectors have now been investigating the affairs of Guinness plc; what has been the cost of the investigation to date; when he expects the inspectors to report; and whether the publication of the report will be deferred until all criminal proceedings arising from the Guinness affair have been disposed of.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: The inspectors have completed their inquiries, which have cost £1,657,410. Their report will not be published until the criminal proceedings are concluded.

  James Ferguson Holdings plc
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how long the inspectors have now been investigating the affairs of James Ferguson Holdings plc; what has been the cost of the investigation to date; when he expects the inspectors to report; and whether the publication of the report will be deferred until all criminal proceedings arising from the Barlow Clowes affair have been disposed of.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: Mr. Lawrence David Ziman, solicitor, and Mr. Walter Max Hoffman FCA were appointed on 10 June 1988 under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate and report on the affairs of James Ferguson Holdings plc. On 4 July 1988, the same inspectors were appointed under section 442 of the Act to investigate and report on the membership of that company and under section 432 to investigate and report on the affairs of Barlow Clowes Gilt Managers Limited.

  The investigations have cost £669,244 to date. I am unable to say when the inspectors will submit their report. The question of publication will be considered when the report is received.

  COCOM
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the enforcement of COCOM rules to take account of the internal market in 1992.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: Her Majesty's Government expect to see a considerable reduction in export controls well in advance of 1992, which should encourage the freer movement of goods within the European Community. We are examining the most effective means of streamlining our export controls procedures to achieve this, consistent with the need to continue to safeguard the national interest. This will not directly affect the work of the Co-ordinating Committee (COCOM) which is concerned with strategic export controls on trade with the eastern bloc and the People's Republic of China.

  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on(a) the progress on discussions to reduce the COCOM, and its period of rotating review and (b) the procedures for enforcement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: Her Majesty's Government recognise the vital need to shorten the COCOM control lists to ensure that controls are effective and the support of industry is retained. We are vigorously seeking ways, together with our COCOM partners, to streamline the lists both through the continuous list review procedure, which examines one quarter of the lists each year, and through one-off exercises. Some progress has been achieved, and in 1988, 17 items were partially or wholly removed from the lists and 57 items reduced to lower levels of control. It is difficult in practice to achieve a rapid reduction in the lists, given the requirement for unanimity within COCOM and the need for a strategic re-assessment of any items it is proposed to remove.

  We are discussing with our COCOM partners ways of achieving more rapid progress.

  Eastbourne Waterworks Company
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will refer to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission the price increases imposed by the Eastbourne Waterworks Company following the takeover of the company by the French company SAUR S.A., in the light of the information provided to him by the hon. Member for Eastbourne in his letter dated 6 April.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 10 April 1989]: There are no plans to make a reference.

  Nissan
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the export of vehicles manufactured by Nissan UK to the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [pursuant to his reply, 18 January 1989]: My right hon. and noble Friend wrote to Dr. Bangemann, the European Commissioner responsible for industry and the internal market, on 6 March asking him formally to clarify with the French Government that cars produced at Sunderland by Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd. are allowed to enter France quite independently of the level of car imports into France from Japan. Dr. Bangemann has just replied saying that the Commission has now received a formal assurance from the French Government that this will be the case.

  On this basis, Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd. expects that its business with France will continue unimpeded. We welcome this resolution of the position and look forward to discussions with France and other member states on future policy in the European Community on the range of vehicles issues that will have to be considered in the context of completion of the single market.

  Manufacturing Industry (Halifax)
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many manufacturing jobs in Halifax have been lost during 1989.

  Mr. John Lee
  The information requested is not available. My Department's small area statistics monitor net only changes in employment between census of employment dates and the latest available figures are for September 1984. More up-to-date employee estimates for local areas, from the September 1987 census of employment, will become available later this year.

EMPLOYMENT

  Health and Safety Week
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has made to the Trades Union Congress national health and safety week; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Everyone concerned with work—employees and trades unions as well as employers—has a role to play in ensuring high standards of health and safety. Union-appointed safety representatives have an important contribution to make. I welcome the efforts of the TUC to encourage safety representatives to be more active in carrying out their statutory functions.

  Palace of Westminster (Health and Safety)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to bring the Palace of Westminister within the Factory and Health and Safety Acts.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No, I have no such proposals. The authorities of the Palace seek to ensure that the provisions of the Acts are met wherever possible. The Health and Safety Executive has arranged with the Palace authorities for visits to be made to give advice on health and safety matters. Visits may be made on the initiative of either the HSE or the Palace authorities.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department and (b) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the defintion of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Cope
  The following table gives the information requested for the calendar year 1988:

  Number

  Cost £

  Employment Department

  19

  139,795

  Employment Service

  70

  473,912

  Training Agency

  20

  136,831

  Health and Safety Executive

  14

  106,486

  Total

  123

  857,024

  Of these, 25 vehicles were definitely United Kingdom-produced, on the definition, employed by the DTI for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value. A further 95 vehicles comprised models of multinational companies which are manufactured both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. It would be possible to determine how many were United Kingdom-produced only by individual inspection of each vehicle.

  The selection and purchase of vehicles in the Department is normally restricted to European Community made or assembled vehicles.

  Job Clubs
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details of the number of job clubs, since the start of the intitiative to the most recent date, by year, for the north-west region and for the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Lee
  The number of job clubs for north-west region and the rest of Great Britain from the start of the programme in November 1984 to the latest available date is shown in the table.

  Date

  North West

  Great Britain

  November 1984

  —

  2

  April 1985

  —

  4

  April 1986

  4

  29

  45

  Date

  North West

  Great Britain

  April 1987

  157

  991

  April 1988

  200

  1,204

  February 1989

  207

  1,220

  Mr. Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) on what premise closure of 220 employment service job clubs is based;

  (2) when he made the decision to close 220 employment service job clubs.

  Mr. Lee
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) on 27 January 1989,Official Report, column 810.

  Departmental Advertising
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details of the advertising and publicity expenditure for the Training Agency for each financial year from 1979 to the present date.

  Mr. Cope
  The information is given in the table:

  Spending on advertising and publicity by the Manpower Services Commission

  Year

  Amount £ million

  1979–80

  n.a.

  1980–81

  5·5

  1981–82

  4·7

  1982–83

  6·3

  1983–84

  4·9

  1984–85

  6·1

  1985–86

  17·0

  1986–87

  34·9

  1987–88

  35·9

  Information on budgets for 1988–89 and 1989–90 for spending on general publicity, to include the Training Agency, will he found in table 7.29 on page 25 of the Public Expenditure White Paper, cm. 607, published January 1989. Details of final expenditure for 1988–89 are not yet available. Detailed decisions on expenditure by media group for 1989–90 as requested have not yet been taken.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details of the advertising and publicity expenditure for his Department for each financial year from 1979 to the present date.

  Mr. Cope
  The amount spent by the Department of Employment on advertising and publicity in each financial year is as follows:

  Year

  Amount £ million

  1979–80

  0·7

  1980–81

  0·3

  1981–82

  0·4

  1982–83

  0·5

  1983–84

  0·5

  1984–85

  0·3

  1985–86

  1·2

  1986–87

  16·4

  1987–88

  10·5

  1988–89

  118·3

  1 This includes expenditure for the Employment Service. Training Agency expenditure is not included.

  Skill Centres
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the report of Deloitte Haskins into the efficiency of skill centres.

  Mr. Cope
  Deloittee, Haskins and Sells reported on the feasibility of moving the Skills Training Agency into the private sector. The report will not be published.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of which skill centres are under-used.

  Mr. Cope
  Details of the utilisation of individual skill centres are commercially confidential in the context of the private tender sale process.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of what the core business of each skill centre will be following privatisation.

  Mr. Cope
  We hope that skill centres will become viable businesses that provide good training for both unemployed and employed people.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what legally binding guarantees he will obtain in order to secure for the public sector benefit of any windfall gains on sale of assets following skill centre privatisation.

  Mr. Cope
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State told the House on 13 March that he would make provision for the Government to share in any development gains in the years immediately after sale. We shall be receiving professional advise as to the form such provision should take.

  Earnings
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details of the average weekly earnings of full-time 16-year-old 17-year-old and 18-year-old employees, for each year since 1979 to the present.

  Mr. Lee
  The information is provided in the table.

  Average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees whose earnings were not affected by absence—Great Britain

  April

  Aged 16 £

  Aged 17 £

  Aged 18 £

  1979

  34·7

  40·8

  49·8

  1980

  41·9

  49·6

  60·7

  1981

  47·5

  55·4

  66·9

  1982

  50·1

  59·5

  71·8

  1983

  52·6

  61·4

  76·4

  1984

  55·0

  63·7

  78·8

  1985

  60·2

  70·0

  83·3

  1986

  66·8

  74·5

  91·5

  1987

  73·4

  81·1

  96·0

  1988

  79·7

  92·5

  107·2

  Source: New Earnings Survey.

  YTS
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what the levels of the 1985 YTS allowance
  47
  for first and second-year trainees would have been had it risen annually in line with (a) the retail prices index, (b) average earnings and (c) the average yearly rate of inflation.

  Mr. Cope
  The two-year YTS was introduced in April 1986, at which date the YTS allowances were set at £27·30 per week for first year trainees and £35 per week for second year trainees. If the allowances had been increased in line with changes in the retail price index they would have been £31·25 and £40·07 respectively in February 1989. If adjusted in line with increases in the average earnings index, the allowances would have been £33·57 and £43.04 respectively in January 1989. Adjusting the allowance for the rate of inflation is equivalent to the adjustment made for changes in the retail price index. Many trainees receive more than the minimum level of the trainee allowance.

HEALTH

  Eye and Dental Examinations
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring of charges for eye and dental examinations his Department is undertaking; and what are the initial results of such monitoring.

  Mr. Mellor
  There is no charge for NHS sight tests. We shall be monitoring the position in respect of private tests in the autumn. Concerning the dental examination, I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 6 March to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) at column 421.

  Inspectors of Anatomy
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of Her Majesty's inspectors of anatomy are in post; how many vacant posts there are; what is the position in Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement on the qualifications for this post.

  Mr. Mellor
  Her Majesty's inspector of anatomy is appointed for the inspection and licencing of premises for anatomical examination in England, Scotland and Wales.

  The appointment is made on the basis of the recommendation of the chief medical officers for the aforementioned countries.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what funds have been specifically earmarked for the care of the mentally ill following the closure of mental hospitals in(a) the current and (b) each of the last two years in each health region;

  (2) on what information about mental health his Department has allocated funds to regional health authorities in the current year.

  Mr. Freeman
  For the most part, allocations to regional health authorities do not make separate provision for individual clinical services or client groups. It is for authorities to determine how the resources available to them should be spent in line with national policy guidelines and their assessment of local needs and priorities.

  A total of £6 million has, however, been made available over the last three years specifically for mental illness development projects in the community. The aim of this
  48
  initiative has been to establish or improve multidisciplinary community-based services for people with mental illness, especially adults suffering from serious disorders. Regional shares of these funds are shown in the table.

  Additionally, joint finance is available to support the development of community services planned jointly by health and local authorities and the voluntary sector and to promote the shift from hospital to community care. The total joint finance allocation to regions in each of the last three years has been:

  Year

  £ million cash

  1987–88

  110·9

  1988–89

  112·9

  1989–90

  118·5

  Some two thirds of these allocations have been or will be spent on services for mentally handicapped, mentally ill and younger physically disabled people.

  Mental Illness Development Projects: Allocations

  RHA

  1986–87 (£000s cash)

  1987–88 (£000s cash)

  1988–89 (£000s cash)

  1989–90 (£000s cash)

  Northern

  —

  139

  144

  151

  Yorkshire

  —

  106

  161

  169

  Trent

  10

  114

  137

  144

  East Anglian

  15

  149

  149

  1—

  North East Thames

  —

  128

  143

  164

  North West Thames

  35

  139

  145

  112

  South East Thames

  —

  113

  115

  120

  South West Thames

  —

  145

  161

  126

  Wessex

  —

  166

  202

  53

  Oxford

  18

  149

  134

  112

  South Western

  —

  73

  161

  202

  West Midlands

  25

  142

  196

  175

  Mersey

  33

  99

  142

  152

  North Western

  —

  141

  137

  144

  Bethlem and Maudsley SHA

  —

  141

  74

  78

  Totals

  2136

  1,944

  32,221

  1,902

  Notes:

  1 East Anglian's 1989–90 allocation is still the subject of discussion between the Region and the Department.

  2 Includes £40k issued as capital.

  3 includes £284k issued as capital.

  Mental Handicap and Illness
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his best estimate of the numbers of people with(a) mental handicaps and (b) mental illness who are aged 65 years and over; and what advice on services and other provisions for these groups his Department gives to health and local authorities.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have no basis upon which to estimate the prevalence of mental illness or mental handicap, neither of which is a well defined term, among the estimated 7·4 million people aged 65 years or more. I can say that at 31 December 1986, the latest date for which figures are available centrally, the number of people aged 65 years or more in NHS hospitals and units in England was as follows:

  Number

  (a) Mental Handicap hospitals, units and community units

  5,552

  (b) Mental illness hospitals and units

  34,341

  49
  In recent years we have issued the following relevant guidance, copies of which are in the Library.

  DHSS Study Team Report "Helping Mentally Handicapped People with Special Problems".

  Health Advisory Service Report "The Rising Tide".

  Government Response to the Second Report from the Social Services Committee Cmnd. No. 9674.

  Hospices
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to complete his review into the funding of hospices.

  Mr. Mellor
  I expect to complete the review shortly.

  Trainee Nurses
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trainees have entered nursing for a state registered nurse or registered general nurse course in England and Wales for each of the last three years.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information is as follows:

  Numbers entering registered general nurse training England: years ending 31 March

  Number

  1986

  14,220

  1987

  14,014

  1988

  13,581

  Source: English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

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

  Project 2000
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a further statement on the pilot areas chosen for Project 2000.

  Mr. Mellor
  Discussions are currently taking place with the 13 selected demonstration districts on the manpower and financial aspects of their proposals. Following these discussions financial allocations will be made.

  Health Authorities (Surplus Land and Buildings)
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the proceeds of surplus land and buildings disposed of by health authorities since 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply by my hon. and learned Friend to the hon. Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale) on 19 December 1988 at columns 131–34. Figures for 1988–89 are not yet available.

  Hospitals (Cleaning Contracts)
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of the occasions since the award of private cleaning contracts at the Kent and Canterbury hospital, the Thanet district hospital and the royal seabathing hospital upon which payments for specific cleaning areas have been suspended.

  Mr. Freeman
  We do not hold this information centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of Canterbury and Thanet health authority to obtain the information requested.

  Cot Deaths
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the major causes of sudden infant death syndrome.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the report of what I said during the Adjournment debate of 20 March at columns 885–90.

  Mr. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the research projects into cot deaths funded by his Department and their cost since 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  A full list of research directly funded by the Department of Health since 1979 which may be relevant to cot deaths is not readily available. The Department did however fund a major study specifically into cot deaths, co-ordinated by Professor Knowelden of the medical care research unit at Sheffield university, for the period 1976 to 1985. The total cost, including sponsorship of a seminar to facilitate dissemination of the findings, was around £285,000.

  The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom. The MRC receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science. For current MRC reseairch relevant to cot deaths I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Mellon (Mr. Latham) on 20 February at columns 524–25.

  Mr. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have died in each year since 1979 from sudden infant death syndrome.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information is shown in the table, which gives the number of deaths registered at age under one year with any mention of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), cot death or similar term irrespective of whether or not it was assigned as underlying cause of death.

  Number of deaths registered under one year of age with any mention of sudden infant death on the death certificate, England and Wales 1979–801

  Year

  Number

  Male

  Female

  Total

  1979

  637

  442

  1,079

  1980

  740

  482

  1,222

  1981

  755

  510

  1,265

  1982

  822

  510

  1,332

  1983

  827

  488

  1,315

  1984

  716

  526

  1,242

  1985

  787

  514

  1,301

  1986

  945

  559

  1,504

  1987

  918

  610

  1,528

  11988

  905

  538

  1,443

  1 Provisional, January—November.

  Listeria
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield of 14 March,Official Report, column 162, in what foods the thermo-tolerance of listeria has been studied.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The foods used as a base for the research referred to in my reply to the hon. Member on 14
  51
  March at column 162 were cooked beef, chicken and carrots, chosen to provide an across the board sample of texture and density of food commonly used in cook-chill catering systems.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield of 14 March,Official Report, column 162, what conclusions were reached during tests as to the length of time specific temperatures must be maintained during the heating and reheating of cook-chill food in order to destroy listeria monocytogenes.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The authors of the research concluded that a temperature of 70°C for two minutes at the slowest heating point of the food was required for the effective decontamination of listeria monocytogenes.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department and (b) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Freeman
  Only 5 per cent. of the vehicles purchased in 1988 for the then Department of Health and Social Security were for the use of Department of Health staff and some 60 per cent. of all DHSS vehicles purchased in that year were United Kingdom produced on the definition employed by the DTI for statistical purposes under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works price.

  Information in the form requested in respect of the purchase of NHS vehicles is not available centrally. This is a matter for each regional and district health authority. The total value of vehicles purchased in the NHS in 1987–88, the latest year for which figures are available, was £22·371 million.

  Social Workers
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the number of social workers employed by local authorities, on(a) unpaid leave of absence and (b) paid leave of absence, to undertake activities as councillors in neighbouring local authorities.

  Mr. Mellor
  None.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest figure for the number of children in care because of family homelessness.

  Mr. Mellor
  A child may be taken into care for a number of reasons of which homelessness may be a contributory factor, although not identified as a specific cause in the statistics.

  Provisional figures show that there were 420 children in care in England at 31 March 1987 where the specific cause was that their family was homeless.

  District Health Authorities (General Managers)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will detail the pay gradings of each district health authority general manager in the Yorkshire region.

  Mr. Mellor
  The gradings of district general manager posts in the Yorkshire region, and the salary grade rates from 1 September 1988, are set out in the table. In addition, district general managers are eligible for a discretionary addition of up to 10 per cent. of the grade rate (to reflect differences in job weight) and performance related pay. Details of the performance-related pay awarded to individual general managers are confidential between them and their employer.

  Grade

  Grade rate at 1 September 1988 (£)

  Districts

  1

  37,110

  Leeds Western

  Leeds Eastern

  Bradford

  2

  35,450

  Hull

  York

  East Yorkshire

  Huddersfield

  Wakefield

  Calderdale

  3

  33,790

  Scunthorpe

  Dewsbury

  Grimsby

  Harrogate

  Airedale

  Pontefract

  Northallerton

  Medical Secretaries
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will consider recognising the diploma of medical secretaries as a basis for proficiency awards;

  (2) if he has any plans to introduce a separate salary scale for medical secretaries;

  (3) what are the current pay scales for each area health authority for medical secretaries.

  Mr. Mellor
  Pay and conditions of service for medical secretaries in the NHS are matters for negotiation in the administrative and clerical staffs Whitley council. Medical secretaries are employed in various grades with basic annual pay scales for adults ranging from £5,059 to £9,440. London weighting of up to £1,267 is payable in addition. The grading of posts, according to their particular responsibilities, is a matter for individual employing authorities. Additional allowances of up to £667 may be payable for tested proficiency in typing, shorthand and audio skills. The qualifications recognised for automatic entitlement to proficiency allowances which do not include the diploma of the Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Administrators and Receptionists are also determined by the Whitley council. Negotiations are continuing in the council on proposals for changes in the pay and grading structures of all administrative and clerical staff.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each health authority paid in the latest year for which figures are available in agencies fees for personnel to cover medical secretary duties.
  53
  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold this information centrally.

  NHS Reform
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will summarise, and place in the Library, the reactions he has received from general practitioner, consultant and nurses organisations to the proposed reform of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have already received a wide range of comments from many people but I expect many more. I will take them fully into account as the process of implementation goes forward. All the organisations have taken steps to publicise their reactions and I see little useful purpose in my summarising their views on which I am sure the Library is well placed to brief the right hon. Member.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to treat general practitioners who volunteer for budgets as running a demonstration project and ensure that the proposed reforms are only a framework, not immutable.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We are currently considering the detailed operation of the practice budget scheme so that the first practices can have their budgets from April 1991 onwards. We will of course then keep the system under review and make any improvements which are necessary in the light of experience.

  Hospitals (Opting Out)
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reactions he has received from the first six hospitals which were expected to opt out of health authority control.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have never had expectations about which hospitals, from the many potential candidates, will be among the first applicants for self-governing status. Some recent reports to the contrary were based on the mistaken belief that the first six hospitals involved in the development of the resource management initiative were automatically expected to choose self-government. The chief executive of the National Health Service management board has asked regional health authorities to forward expressions of interest in self-government to the Department by 31 May.

  Committee on Safety of Medicines
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on payments made to each member of the Committee on Safety of Medicines.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) on 28 November 1988 at columns 149–50.

  Mowbray Grange Hospital, Bedale
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce a decision about the future of Mowbray Grange hospital, Bedale.

  Mr. Freeman
  Proposals such as this need careful consideration. I do however expect to be able to announce a decision shortly.

  Doctors (Investigations)
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many requests he received from family 54
  practitioner committees to approve out-of-time investigations into allegations involving one or more doctors in 1988.

  Mr. Mellor
  Forty four.

  Young People (Care)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to local authority social services departments concerning support for 17-year-old young people leaving care.

  Mr. Mellor
  The powers and duties of local authorities for children leaving care are set out in sections 27 to 29 of the Child Care Act 1980.

  For the past six years the Department has given a grant to the voluntary organisation First Key to enable to promote effective planning by local authorities for young people leaving care and to develop good practice, through consultancy work with individual local authorities and through conferences and publications.

  Proposals to extend and enhance the powers and duties of local authorities for children leaving care are contained in clause 20 of the Children Bill now before the House. If agreed, it is intended that a detailed circular of guidance will be issued to local authorities on implementation of the provisions.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he anticipates the take-up of rebates on the community charge will be.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he anticipates the take-up of rebates on the community charge will be.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he anticipates will be the take-up of rebates on the community charge.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he anticipates will be the take-up of rebates on the community charge.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he anticipates will be the take-up of rebates on the community charge.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We expect just over 11 million people to receive community charge benefits when the scheme is fully in place throughout Great Britain.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had recently with local authorities on housing benefit.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had recently with local authorities on housing benefit.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had recently with local authorities on housing benefits.
  55
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had recently with local authorities on housing benefit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Department has regular meetings with the local authority associations throughout the year to discuss housing benefit and we consult them formally on proposals for regulations.

  Family Credit
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's estimate for the number of households eligible for family credit in Wales; and what number of households are receiving family credit in Wales.

  Mr. Moore
  We do not have separate figures of eligibility for Wales. About 20,000 families in Wales were actually receiving family credit at the end of January. This compares with 14,000 families who received family income support supplement under the old scheme.

  Mr. Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he anticipates that the number of awards of family credit will reach 470,000.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he anticipates that the number of awards of family credit will reach 470,000.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, when he anticipates that the number of awards of family credit will reach 470,000.

  Mr. Moore
  Since family credit began last April, more than 650,000 awards have been made.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of family credit recipients are receiving £30 or more.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  At the end of February, more than 35 per cent. of family credit recipients were receiving £30 or more per week. Awards are made for 26 weeks, so these families are guaranteed at least £780, tax free, over the six months. This confirms that the families who are most in need of family credit are already claiming. But we recognise that there are still many families who are not aware that they may be eligible. That is why we have just begun our major advertising campaign.

  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of family credit recipients are receiving £20 per week or more.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  At the end of February, about 60 per cent. of family credit recipients were receiving £20 or more per week.

  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average award made to recipients of family credit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The latest information on family credit is derived from an examination of amounts in payment at the end of February 1989; this indicated that the average amount in payment at that time was around £25 a week.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the simplified family credit form (FC1) to be issued; and if he will make a statement.
  56
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The new version of claim form FC1 is already available in local social security offices. Stocks are being distributed by the Post Office and should be available in their offices within the next few days. Claims for family credit will continue to be accepted on the old style forms.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated take-up of family credit during 1989–90; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The percentage take-up of family credit in 1989–90 will not be known until information from the 1989 family expenditure survey is available.

  Pensioners (Earnings Rule)
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is being done to encourage older people to carry on working.

  Mr. Scott
  From 1 October the pensioners' earnings rule is to be abolished so that pensioners will receive automatically their full state retirement pension, to which they are entitled, regardless of their earnings. This will increase choice and flexibility for people over pension age who wish to work.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the pensioners' earnings rule will be abolished.

  Mr. Scott
  From 1 October 1989.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is being done to give more choice and flexibility for older people who want to carry on working.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Older people who wish to carry on working will have more choice and flexibility from 1 October 1989 when the earnings rule for pensioners is to be abolished. Pensioners will be able to go on working without having their state pension reduced and will no longer be barred from receiving a full pension if they work more than 12 hours a week. It will still be possible for people to defer drawing their pension for up to five years after pension age, thus increasing their entitlement by about 7·5 per cent. for each year of deferment.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners are currently estimated to be earning in excess of £75 per week and are subject to pension reduction or abatement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Approximately 2,500 individuals currently have their pensions reduced as a result of the pensioners' earnings rule, which is to be abolished from 1 October 1989.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he next plans to review the level of child benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  My right hon. Friend is required to review the level of child benefit each year, and he does this as part of his annual review of benefit rates. He will announce his decision to the House in the usual way in the autumn.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage of take-up of child benefit.
  57
  Mr. Scott
  It is estimated to be 98 per cent.

  Income Support
  Mr. Litherland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will arrange for the full uprating of income support for claimants in receipt of transitional additions.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will arrange for the full uprating of income support for claimants in receipt of transitional additions.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will arrange for the full uprating of income support for claimants in receipt of transitional additions.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The income support payable to all but a small number of claimants was uprated last week. We have no plans to change the rules for uprating.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to increase the level of payment and take-up of constant attendant allowance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 6 March at column 449 and my reply to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) on 10 January at column 574.

  Widows' Benefit
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he is doing in response to the ruling made by the Social Security Commissioner on 28 February in respect of widows' benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  The women affected by the commissioner's decision have been identified and are being paid. Any widow who thinks she may be affected and has not been contacted should approach her local social security office.

  Retirement Pensions
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the weekly state retirement pension for a single person following the recent uprating; and what was the comparable figure in 1979.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  From 10 April the full weekly rate of state retirement pension is £43·60 for a single pensioner, and £69·80 for a pensioner couple. In November 1979 the full weekly rate was £23·30 for a single pensioner, and £37·30 for a pensioner couple.

  National Insurance
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received regarding the proposed changes in employees' national insurance contributions.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have received only one representation.

  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the effects of the recently announced changes in national insurance contributions.
  58
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The reform of national insurance contributions announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement on 14 March builds on the system of reduced irate contributions for lower paid employees which was introduced in 1985. As at present, people earning less than £43 a week will not pay contributions. From October 1989, however, employees earning £43 a week or more will pay a contribution made up of 2 per cent. of the first £43 of earnings and the standard 9 per cent. (7 per cent. for employees contracted out of SERPS) on the balance of earnings up to the upper earnings limit, currently £325 a week.

  These changes are a major reform of the way in which employees' contributions are determined. They will remove two of the three steps in the national insurance system which can result in pay increases being more than offset by higher contributions, leaving the employee worse off. And the first step, when people start paying contributions, will be more than halved.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people will be affected by the reform in the way in which employees' contributions are determined.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Government Actuary's Department estimates that during the second half of the 1989–90 financial year a weekly average of about 19 million people in Great Britain will be affected by the change in the structure of employees' national insurance contributions. Of these, about 15 million will gain £3 a week.

  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the changes to be made in employees' national insurance contributions will take effect.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  From the tax week which begins on Thursday 5 October 1989.

  Women's Refuges
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received recently on proposed changes to funding for women's refuges.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A number of hon. Members, organisations and members of the public have made representations echoing those made by organisations representing women's refuges mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member on 23 January at columns 417–18.

  Benefits
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average annual expenditure in benefit payment, per capita, in the last financial year for(a) registered disabled people of working age who were unemployed and (b) people with no known disability of working age who were unemployed.

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

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many supplementary benefit payments under the urgent cases regulations were awarded in the period
  59
  (a) April 1985 to March 1986 inclusive, (b) April 1986 to March 1987 inclusive, and (c) April 1987 to March 1988 inclusive in respect of each Department of Social Security local office of Redcar, Eston, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool; and what were the amounts awarded from each office.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of successful claims made under the urgent cases provisions is in the table. I regret that information on the total amount awarded for each office is not available.

  Statistical years (April to April)

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Redcar

  465

  544

  722

  Eston

  658

  535

  484

  Middlesbrough

  1,677

  1,486

  1,199

  Stockton

  948

  915

  1,113

  Hartlepool

  1,210

  897

  622

  Source: Internal Management Information Statistics.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single payments were awarded in the period(a) April 1985 to March 1986 inclusive, (b) April 1986 to March 1987 inclusive, and (c) April 1987 to March 1988 inclusive in respect of each Department of Social Security local office of Redcar, Eston, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool; and what were the amounts awarded from each office.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on the numbers and total values of supplementary benefit single payments made by all offices of the Department for the periods in question is in the Library.

  War Widows
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his Department's future proposals for war widows.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The standard basic rate of tax-free war widow's pension, which is 30 per cent. higher than the taxable national insurance widow's pension, was increased from £53·50 to £56·65 a week from 10 April 1989. On top of that, age allowances are paid of £6–10 at age 65, £12.20 at 70 and £15£30 at 80, and 85 per cent. of war widows receive an age allowance. War widows may also receive a retirement pension if they worked and paid contributions, and it is estimated that about 75 per cent. do. War widows with children receive an addition of£12·60 a week for each child and may also receive a rent allowance of up to £21·55 a week and an education allowance of up to £120 a year. It is proposed to maintain these very preferential provisions for war widows.

  Community Care
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what aspects of entitlement to community care grants he has under review.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  None at present, but we are continuing to monitor closely the operation of the social fund and have recently commissioned independent research into the extent to which it is meeting its objectives. We have taken a number of steps to improve local awareness and understanding of community care grants and are currently considering what additional measures 60
  might be taken to improve national information on the scheme. We shall also shortly be issuing revised guidance to social fund officers in the social fund manual.

  Unemployment Benefits
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of social security benefit expenditure in 1988–89 was devoted to unemployed people; and what were the comparable figures for the previous two years.

  Mr. Scott
  The latest estimate is that benefits for unemployed people were about 12 per cent. of total social security benefit expenditure in 1988£89, compared with over 16 per cent. in 1986–87 and about 14 per cent. in 1987–88.

  Carers
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his future plans for the welfare of people looking after relations.

  Mr. Scott
  We shall look at invalid care allowance in the light of the results of the OPCS surveys of disability, together with benefits for disabled people themselves.

  Pensioners (Incomes)
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners were in the lowest fifth of the national income distribution in the last year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure for 1979.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  In 1979, 38 per cent. of pensioners tax units1 were in the lowest fifth of the national income distribution. By 1986 this figure had fallen to 24 per cent.

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey.

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

  Child Maintenance
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has as to the percentage of divorced and separated men who do not contribute towards the maintenance of their children; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This Department does not hold information in the form requested. The information we have relates only to maintenance paid for lone parent families receiving income support (formerly supplementary benefit), of whom 95 per cent. are lone mothers. The most recent figures available are for May 1987 and show that fathers were not paying maintenance for children in about 60 per cent. of the cases involving divorced mothers and about 70 per cent. of cases involving separated mothers. The Government are naturally concerned by these figures.

  Source: Supplementary Benefit Annual Statistical Enquiry 1987.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to extend the availability of attendance allowance to the carers of children under the age of two years who suffer severe disability.
  61
  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 22 February at column 682.

  Young People
  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he is doing to help young people who are experiencing particular difficulty in living independently.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to my hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 13 March, at columns 27–8.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to ensure that no young person in Stoke on Trent North will be evicted as a direct result of the benefit changes on 10 April.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The principal aim of the reform of income support for people living in board and lodging accommodation is to put this group on a par with the majority of households who look to the housing benefit scheme for help with accommodation costs and income support for help with other necessities. The new arrangements therefore take a substantial step towards making the social security system neutral as to accommodation type, thereby removing perverse incentives for both claimants and landlords towards particular kinds of housing. Help with any reasonable lodging charge is available through housing benefit. For the majority of boarders, transitional arrangements are in place to make good any shortfall between the new and old levels of

  Full board: charge £55 a week

  Claimant type1

  Basic income support £

  Income support transitional protection2 £

  Other income £

  Income support entitlement £

  Housing benefit entitlement3 £

  Total income £

  Disposable income4 £

  March 1989

  16-year-old on YTS

  65·30

  —

  29·50

  35·80

  —

  65·30

  7·80

  17-year-old on YTS

  65·30

  —

  35·00

  30·30

  —

  65·30

  78·0

  17-year-old not on YTS5

  65·30

  —

  —

  65·30

  —

  65·30

  10·30

  April 1989

  16-year-old on YTS

  20·80

  18·30

  29·50

  9·60

  26·20

  65·30

  7·80

  17-year-old on YTS

  20·80

  18·30

  35·00

  4·10

  26·20

  65·30

  7·80

  17-year-old not on YTS

  20·80

  18·30

  —

  39·10

  26·20

  65·30

  10·30

  Claimant type1

  Basic income support £

  Income support transitional protection2 £

  Other income £

  Income support entitlement £

  Housing benefit entitlement3 £

  Total income £

  Disposable income4 £

  March 1989

  16-year-old on YTS

  65·15

  —

  29·50

  35·65

  —

  65·15

  18·65

  17-year-old on YTS

  65·15

  —

  35·00

  30·15

  —

  65·15

  18·65

  17-year-old not on YTS5

  65·15

  —

  —

  65·15

  —

  65·15

  21·15

  April 1989

  16-year-old on YTS

  20·80

  18·15

  29·50

  9·45

  26·20

  65·15

  18·65

  17-year-old on YTS

  20·80

  18·15

  35·00

  3·95

  26·20

  65·15

  18·65

  17-year-old not on YTS

  20·80

  18·15

  —

  38·95

  26·20

  65·15

  21·15

  62
  benefit for up to three months. The Government believe that these arrangements give sufficient time for both claimants and landlords to adapt to the new benefit rules.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish tables, similar to those in his Department's tax/benefit model table, showing the calculation of net weekly spending power of each of the following (i) a 16-year-old person on first year YTS, (ii) a 17-year-old person on second year YTS and (iii) a 17-year-old person leaving care and not on a YTS scheme, both under the existing system for paying board and lodging and under the proposed system from April, and in all tables working on the following assumptions: that the persons have no parents and must live independently in the Redcar Department of Social Security ILO area(a) in full board accommodation, occupying one room costing £55 per week, (b) in bed, breakfast and evening meal accommodation, occupying one room costing £44 per week and (c) in bed-and-breakfast accommodation, occupying one room costing £33 per week that in all cases the young person incurs a travelling cost to and from YTS, of £2·50 per week and that the rent and rates element of the charge consists of £23 rent, £4 general rates, £1 water rates and charges of £1 for laundry and £1 for cleaning; and in each case, if he will indicate the items and services which remain to be met by the individual out of their net weekly income.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 4 April 1989]: The information requested is as follows:
  63

  Bed and Breakfast: charge £33 a week

  Claimant type1

  Basic income support £

  Income support transitional protection2 £

  Other income £

  Income support entitlement £

  Housing benefit entitlement3 £

  Total income £

  Disposable income4 £

  March 1989

  16-year-old on YTS

  65·00

  —

  29·50

  35·50

  —

  65·00

  29·50

  17-year-old on YTS

  65·00

  —

  35·00

  30·00

  —

  65·00

  29·50

  17-year-old not on YTS5

  65·00

  —

  —

  65·00

  —

  65·00

  32·00

  April 1989

  16-year-old on YTS

  20·80

  18·00

  29·50

  9·30

  26·20

  65·00

  29·50

  17-year-old on YTS

  20·80

  18·00

  35·00

  3·80

  26·20

  65·00

  29·50

  17-year-old not on YTS

  20·80

  18·00

  —

  38·80

  26·20

  65·00

  32·00

  Footnotes:

  1 The tables show figures calculated on the basis that the same individual is claiming benefit in both March and April 1989.

  2 To protect people who would receive less benefit overall as a result of the change in benefit rules, transitional protection is provided as follows:

  Long-term protection: for people in supported lodgings who receive care and support from the landlord.

  Up to 52 weeks: for families in hotels who are not sponsored by a local authority.

  Up to 13 weeks: for any other person on YTS or ET, or aged 25 or over, or a vulnerable person aged under 25.

  No protection: for fit, unemployed people aged under 25 who were previously subject to time limits.

  3 Actual housing benefit entitlement would be calculated by the local authority by deducting from the overall changes given, of £55, £44 or £33, the appropriate amounts in respect of meals, fuel and other ineligible items to arrive at the eligible rent, which they may then restrict if they consider it to be unreasonably high. The actual eligible rent could accordingly be higher than the £23 suggested resulting in a higher level of housing benefit payable.

  For the purposes of these tables, housing benefit entitlement has however been calculated on the basis of the suggested rent of £23 (which it is assumed does not include the charges for water, laundry, cleaning, or any other ineligible items), and eligible rates of £3.20 (£4 less 20 per cent.).

  4 Disposable income has been calculated by deducting the following expenses from the gross income of income support, housing benefit and YTS allowance (as appropriate):

  — Overall charge of £55, £44 or £33 respectively;

  — Travel expenses of £2·50 (for YTS participants)

  5 It has been assumed that the individual

  a. is eligible for income support under regulation 13A of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987; and

  b. was exempt from board and lodging time limits by virtue of paragraph 16(4) of schedule 5 of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987, which was in force immediately prior to 10 April 1989.

  Conductive Education
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what date the Minister of State for Social Security visited the Peto Institute for conductive education in Hungary.

  Mr. Scott
  I visited the Peto Institute for conductive education in Budapest on 19 September 1988 and on 20 September 1988 I visited the institute's outstation at Kiskunhalas.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the Minister of State for Social Security and the Disabled has associated the Government with the appeal for the launch of an international foundation for conductive education; and what funds have been allocated so far.

  Mr. Scott
  I sent a message to the Hungarian Government on the occasion of the launch of the appeal for the international foundation for conductive education on 14 March expressing support for the appeal and the hope that the United Kingdom would be able to be involved in the development of the international foundation. Discussions are still in progress about possible funding, and no sum has yet been offered.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the occasions on which the Minister of State for Social Security and the Disabled has had meetings with Ministers in other countries to discuss the appeal for the launch of an international foundation for conductive education; and what was the outcome of those discussions.
  64
  Mr. Scott
  During a visit to Hungary from 18 to 21 September 1988, I learned of plans for an international foundation for conductive education, in the course of discussions with Hungarian Ministers. Conductive education was also discussed at the visit to the United Kingdom of the Hungarian Minister of Health in October 1988. A formal invitation to participate in developing an international foundation for conductive education was not, however, received until December 1988. I have not discussed this matter with overseas Ministers in person since then, but I met an official delegation from the Hungarian Government on 17 January to discuss the plan in greater detail, and I sent a message to the Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister at the launch of the international appeal for funds for the new institute.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many vehicles, and of what value, were purchased by(a) his Department and (b) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A total of 182 vehicles were purchased in 1988 at a cost of £1·3 million, for use on matters connected with social security.

  Of these vehicles 173 were United Kingdom-produced, on the definition employed by the Department of Trade and Industry for statistical purposes under which a vehicle

  65
  is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value.

  Elderly People (Residential Care)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what arrangements he is making to accommodate those former elderly residents of private residential homes displaced as a result of the failure to uprate the maximum level of support to cover the cost of keeping such elderly people in private homes;

  (2) what is the estimate of the number of elderly people with little or no savings who will be unable to continue to live in private residential homes as a result of the failure to uprate the maximum level of support to cover the cost of keeping such elderly people in private homes.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have no evidence to show that people are being displaced from homes. The Department continues to provide significant cash help to people who choose to go into residential care, to help them meet their fees. We aim to assist people to pay reasonable charges.

  From this month we are providing extra help to nearly nine out of ten people who claim income support in residential care and nursing homes.

  Benefit Deductions
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report the contents of his recent circular to his Department's offices on the amount to be left to the claimant after deducting unpaid poll tax; and on what authority this instruction was given.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Sillars) on 14 April at column 743.

  Boundary Changes
  Mr. Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will reconsider the effects of recent boundary changes on the social fund allocations for Havant and Portsmouth South local offices.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The effects of an earlier boundary change have been reassessed and as a consequence the budgets for both Havant and Portsmouth South local offices have been revised from 1 April 1989. The revised figures are:

  Loans £

  Grants £

  Per head of caseload £

  Havant

  188,253

  77,732

  40·40

  Portsmouth South

  184,749

  79,454

  30·60

  Transitional Payments
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how long, on average, claimants wait after submitting a claim for a transitional payment to the transitional payment unit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) on 13 April at column 685.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Healthy Food
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will review his policy on the case of low cholesterol and healthy food to be served in all canteens at the House of Commons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Wakeham
  I have no plans to do so at present. The Refreshment Department is aware of the need to promote the use of low cholesterol and healthy foods as far as is compatible with meeting the overal demands of Members and staff.

  Ten-Minute Bills
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals to end the current procedure of queuing for ten-minute Bills, and to institute a sytem of ballots which limits hon. Members to one Bill per Parliament.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Discussions have been taking place through the usual channels about possible changes in the arrangements for giving notice of ten-minute Bills. I have also asked the Select Committee on Procedure for its opinion, but I am not yet in a position to bring forward any proposals.

  Refreshment Department Staff (Facilities)
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission has any plans to improve rest room and changing facilities for Refreshment Department staff.

  Mr. Beith
  Action has already been taken by the Services Committee to improve rest and changing facilities for Refreshment Department staff and a contingency plan exists for making additional accommodation available should a further need be identified by the General Manager of the Refreshment Department, whose responsibility it is in the first instance to determine the precise nature of his Department's requirements.

SCOTLAND

  Food Poisoning (Prisons)
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any recent representations from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities about food poisoning in prisons and remand centres; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities wrote to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland on 9 March. In its letter, COSLA referred to two outbreaks of food poisoning at Longriggend remand centre and urged that steps be taken to remove Crown immunity. A number of right hon. and hon. Members have since written to colleagues and myself on the matter.

  The subject of Crown immunity in the area of food hygiene is one which is being considered in the current review of food legislation. Meanwhile, the Government take very seriously any matter of health and hygiene within penal establishments in general and kitchen areas in particular.

  In the two cases referred to by COSLA, the environmental health officers from Monklands district council were immediately invited to help trace the source of the infection. In the light of the advice given by them, improvements in the kitchen have been carried out.

  Scottish Community Education Council
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to further develop the Scottish Community Education Council.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In January 1989, we approved the council's corporate plan setting out its major priorities for the next three years as adult basic education; work with young people; adult and continuing education; and training for community education providers. It is open to the Council to propose changes to its priorities. Further development will depend to a large extent on the council's ability to generate income from its activities.

  Constituency Boundaries
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the redistribution of constituencies in Scotland; what is the average electorate of constituencies in Scotland; and when the Constituency Boundary Commission will next report upon constituencies in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no proposals for the redistribution of constituencies in Scotland. It is the statutory duty of the Boundary Commission for Scotland to submit proposals to him every 10 to 15 years. The commission's next report must be submitted between February 1993 and February 1998. The average electorate of constituencies in Scotland is 54,624.

  Registers
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he holds about the use made of electoral registers in the compiling of the community charge registers currently operating in Scotland.
  68
  Mr. Lang
  Section 17(2) of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1988, provides that community charges registration officers shall, for the purpose of discharging their functions, have access to and the use of any information which electoral registration officers for their areas may have acquired in connection with any of their functions. In Scotland the community charges registration officers are also the electoral registration officers. I have no information about the uses made of electoral registers by individual community charges registration officers.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department, (b) the Highlands and Islands Development Board, (c) the Scottish Development Agency, (d) the Forestry Commission, (e) the police and fire services, (f) local authorities and (g) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The number and value of vehicles purchased by the Scottish Office, the Highlands and Islands Development Board, the Scottish Development Agency, the Forestry Commission and other public sector agencies for which I am responsible, is set out in the table.

  Department

  Number

  Value (£)

  The Scottish Office

  119

  932,532

  Highlands and Islands Development Board

  1

  18,537

  Scottish Development Agency

  7

  63,708

  Forestry Commission1

  68

  448,642

  Other Public Sector Agencies

  50

  406,899

  245

  1 The Forestry Commission figures show purchases of vehicles for use throughout Great Britain.

  Of these vehicles, 226 were United Kingdom-produced on the definition employed by the Department of Trade and Industry for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom context exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value.

  Information on the number and value of vehicles purchased for the police/fire services and local authorities is not held centrally and cannot be obtained without disproportionate costs.

  Artificial Limbs
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the implications of the intended closure in June of the Dundee operation of the artificial limb manufacturers Robert Kellie and Son Ltd. on the services provided by the limb-fitting centre in Broughty Ferry, Dundee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Although Robert Kellie and Son Ltd. formerly supplied all artificial lower limbs provided by the limb fitting centre in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, the firm declined to tender for the contract which started on 1
  69
  January 1989 and now supplies only conventional metal limbs (on sub-contract to the main supplier of lower limbs to the centre). These metal limbs are no longer prescribed for new amputees, who are fitted with modular limbs of a more modern design. Many other amputees are changing to modular limbs. But it is important that conventional metal limbs should be available for the diminishing number of patients who need them. Arrangements will therefore be made, before the intended closure of Robert Kellie and Son Ltd., to find another source of suitable limbs.

  Interception of Communications
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the illegal interception of communications in Helensburgh; and if he will bring forward further legislation to prevent such incidents.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  One. The interception of communications is subject to the provisions of the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make it his policy that present Training Agency policies on health and safety, equal opportunities for people with disabilities and ethnic minorities will continue through local agencies and Scottish Enterprise;

  (2) what arrangements through local agencies and Scottish Enterprise will be put in place to ensure (a) people with learning difficulties and (b) the long-term unemployed will be effectively catered for;

  (3) what arrangements will apply to ensure that private employers on local agencies boards will not have vested interests in the local agencies' expenditure decisions;

  (4) what arrangements he proposes for independent monitoring of (a) the quality of Scottish Enterprise delivered training and outturns and (b) local agency delivered training and outturns;

  (5) whether civil servants on secondment to local agencies or Scottish Enterprise will be able to alert Ministers to any financial irregularities that they find in (a) local agencies, (b) Scottish Enterprise, (c) contracts training providers and (d) other contracts;

  (6) what arrangements he intends to introduce to ensure that quality training is provided by local agencies;

  (7) if he will make it his policy that the employment rehabilitation service in Scotland will remain as part of the United Kingdom employment rehabilitation service run through the Training Agency.

  Mr. Lang
  We are currently reassessing the proposals in the Scottish Enterprise White Paper in the light of all the responses received, and will announce our detailed decisions in due course.

  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much public money was spent on the billboard advertisement covering Sainsbury's plc participation in the employment training scheme in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The Employment Training bill-board campaign featuring Sainsburys, IBM and Wimpey ran 70
  throughout Great Britain in January and March. The cost of £660,000 cannot be broken down to attribute expenditure to Scotland or to individual companies.

  Brook Street Bureau
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what experience the Brook Street Bureau has of providing services for long-term unemployed in areas similar to Ferguslie Park, Paisley.

  Mr. Lang
  Brook Street has experience of providing job placements for a wide range of clients.

  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will provide details of the amount of public money paid to fund the private initiative in the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley by the Brook Street Bureau;

  (2) if he will provide details of the contract between his Department and the Brook Street Bureau for the provision of employment services in Ferguslie Park, Paisley.

  Mr. Lang
  Brook Street will be entering into a contract with the Scottish Development Agency in connection with the provision of job placement services for the Ferguslie Park training, employment and enterprise development company which is being set up by the Ferguslie Park partnership, implementing the joint strategy for the regeneration of Ferguslie Park. The details of that contract are commercially confidential; payments are related directly to the number of residents placed in work, and the majority of Brook Street's income will come not from the public sector but from employers' placement fees.

  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what parts of the employment service his Department fails to provide and Brook Street Bureau will fulfil;

  (2) whether the Ferguslie Park decision has a.ny implications for the future of the employment service on a local and national basis.

  Mr. Lang
  The future of the employment service is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. The job placement services offered by Brook Street as part of the Ferguslie Park training, employment and enterprise development company will complement those provided by the employment service.

  Area Manpower Boards
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the possible and actual attendance of the private sector representatives on area manpower boards, for each area manpower board, for the last full year that those boards were in operation.

  Mr. Lang
  Details of attendance by private sector representatives on area manpower boards from October 1987 to September 1988 are as follows:

  Possible

  Actual

  Central and Fife

  50

  27

  Highlands and Islands

  55

  38

  Grampian and Tayside

  53

  33

  Lothian and Borders

  55

  26

  Dumfries and Galloway

  60

  24

  Ayrshire

  55

  26

  Glasgow

  60

  36

  Lanarkshire

  60

  31

  Renfrewshire, Dunbartonshire and Argyll

  66

  30

  YTS
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether YTS trainees, currently aged over 18 years, who stay at home receive any additional payment to cover their 20 per cent. contribution to the community charge.

  Mr. Lang
  YTS trainees who are 18 years old or over will be eligible to apply for a rebate on the full community charge, up to a maximum of 80 per cent., depending on their income and personal circumstances. YTS allowances have not been increased to take account of the community charge.

  Training and Employment Grant Scheme
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Scottish Development Agency, and when his Department will be in a position to publish conclusions, on a revised training and employment grant scheme for Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The Scottish Development Agency has submitted for approval proposals for the implementation of a revised training and employment grant scheme. My officials are considering and evaluating the proposals with agency staff. I will shortly be in a position to decide whether the new scheme should be implemented. The TEGS 8 scheme, which was due to end on 31 March, is continuing to operate in the meantime.

  Storm Damage
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is in a position to make an announcement on compensation for storm damage to be paid to Scottish local authorities and others.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend wrote to Highland regional and Inverness district councils on 10 February requesting detailed reports of flood damage and extra costs incurred. Highland region replied on 6 March and Inverness district on 6 April. All district councils were asked to report costs incurred in dealing with the effects of

  Highlands Health Board

  Name

  Date of first appointment

  Nominated by

  Members appointed to 31 March 1991

  Mr. G. Bruce

  1 April 1987

  Caithness Local Health Council

  Mr. M. Cumming

  1 April 1987

  Scottish Trades Union Congress

  Dr. R. S. C. Ferguson

  1 April 1985

  BMA: Local Medical Committee

  Mrs. C. B. Fraser

  1 April 1987

  Ross and Cromarty District Council: Council of Voluntary Services

  Dr. C. A. S. Galloway

  1 April 1987

  BMA: Royal College of Surgeons

  Mr. W. G. Johnston

  1 April 1983

  Sutherland Local Health Council

  Mrs. V. MacIver

  1 April 1987

  Ross and Cromarty District Council

  Mr. A. K. Robertson

  1 April 1987

  Area Dental Committee of Highland Health Board

  Mrs. C. Thomson

  1 April 1987

  Ross and Cromarty Local Health Council

  Members appointed to 31 March 1983

  Mrs. H. E. Betts-Brown

  1 April 1985

  Highland Health Board

  Mr. J. Forbes, JP

  1 April 1989

  Lord Sanderson

  Mr. J. G. Ligertwood

  1 April 1989

  Highland Health Board

  Mr. B. A. Merchant

  22 June 1981

  Highland Health Board

  Mrs. S. M. C. South

  1 April 1985

  Highland Health Board

  Mrs. S. G. H. Stone

  1 April 1989

  Ross and Cromarty District Council

  72
  the storm on housing. The information received from these and other sources is now being assessed. My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to make a statement shortly.

  Tobacco (Sales to Children)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to take any further steps to enforce section 2 of the Protection of Children (Tobacco) Act 1986 in relation to the sale of individual cigarettes to young people under the age of 16 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The enforcement of the law is a matter for the police. Chief constables in determining the deployment of resources to combat any particular problem have regard to the overall policing needs of their areas.

  Scottish Homes Leaflet
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement concerning the factual inaccuracies contained in the leaflet, "Introducing Scottish Homes: Your New Landlord"; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that tenants receive correct information.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: I have already conveyed to Scottish Homes the importance which I attach to the provision of comprehensive and accurate information to tenants. It is the responsibility of Scottish Homes to satisfy itself as to the factual accuracy of its own material. I shall, however, pass to the chairman of Scottish Homes any comments about the leaflet which the hon. Member may care to draw to my attention.

  Health Boards (Membership)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the names of members of the Highland health board and the date of appointment and nominating body of each member.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: The information requested is as follows:
  73

  Name

  Date of first appointment

  Nominated by

  Miss I. Urquhart

  1 April 1989

  Highland Health Board

  Mr. R. Stewart

  1 April 1989

  General Manager; appointed to the Board in accordance with paragraph 10·20 of the White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555).

  Farmers' Income
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers in Scotland received annual incomes from farming of(a) less than £4,999, (b) £5,000 to £7,499, (c) £7,500 to £9,999, (d) £10,000 to £14,999, (e) £15,000 to £19,999 and (f) over £20,000, respectively, for the latest convenient year.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 10 April 1989]: The information set out in the table for 1987–88 approximates as closely as possible to the income ranges for which information is sought and is estimated from a sample of accounts covering most types of full-time farm. The sample does not cover intensive and mixed farms and a small number of very large farms is also excluded.

  Net farm income range £

  Number of farms

  less than 5,000

  6,600

  5,000 to 6,999

  1,400

  7,000 to 9,999

  2,500

  10,000 to 14,999

  1,900

  74

  Net farm income range £

  Number of farms

  15,000 to 19,999

  1,500

  20,000 and over

  3,000

  Net farm income is the reward to the farmer and his wife for their manual work and for running the farm, and the return on their investment in stock and machinery.

  Agricultural Holdings
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest available estimate of the income per agriculture holding in Scotland(a) including non-agricultural income and (b) excluding such income.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Information about non-agricultural income is available only from a one per cent. sample of the tax records of individuals registered as having a self-employment income from agriculture and horticulture. For the 1985–86 assessment year, the latest available, the average total income per farmer was £11,845, and the average agricultural and horticultural income was £6,368.

  FLUIDISED BED COMBUSTION
  FLUIDISED BED COMBUSTION
  NISSAN CARS: IMPORTS FROM UK TO FRANCE
  NISSAN CARS: IMPORTS FROM UK TO FRANCE
  WASTE MANAGEMENT IN GREATER LONDON AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNTIES: REPORT
  WASTE MANAGEMENT IN GREATER LONDON AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNTIES: REPORT
  WORLD BANK REPORT
  WORLD BANK REPORT