Written Answers of 8 December 1989

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Student Loans
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has had about the effect acceptance of a top-up loan will have on students' further overdraft facilities.

  Mr. Jackson
  It will be for the lender to decide what account to take of a client's borrowing under the top-up loans scheme.

  Public Appointments
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many persons above the age of(a) 60, (b) 65 and (c) 70 years he has appointed to public bodies in each of the last 10 years.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department's policy is to make the best appointment possible for the task in hand, irrespective of age. No consolidated record of the age of members of public bodies is maintained.

  Head Teachers (Wakefield)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many letters he has received since the beginning of the autumn school term from head teachers of schools within the Wakefield metropolitan district; what were the concerns expressed in these letters; and what action is being taken to respond to these concerns.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend receives a number of letters from head teachers about various aspects of education provision. All letters to this Department will continue to receive appropriate replies which I hope the recipients find helpful.

  Open University
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the contribution made by the Open university in environmental studies, research and education.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 16 May 1989 at column 124.

  Teacher Appraisal
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he intends to publish a consultative document on teacher appraisal dealing with the mechanism of the process;

  (2) when he intends to introduce a scheme of teacher appraisal in schools; and if he will make a statement;
  400
  (3) whether he intends all schools to take part in teacher appraisal; and whether there will be training for teachers to assist them in the process;

  (4) whether he intends to introduce some independent professionals into the teacher appraisal process; and if he will make a statement;

  (5) who will appraise head teachers when teacher appraisal is introduced.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend received in July this year the report of the national steering group (NSG) responsible for overseeing the school teacher appraisal pilot study which ended this summer. The report, which was published in October, sets out recommendations for a national framework within which teacher appraisal should be implemented across England and Wales.

  My right hon. Friend has now initiated consultation on the national steering group's recommendations, which cover head teachers and teachers, and deal with both the process of appraisal and the question of who should appraise whom. Consultation ends at Easter next year arid will be followed by the issue of guidance for local education authorities and schools. As part of this consultation, we have sought views on the appropriate date for bringing in, through regulations, a national framework which would require the appraisal of all members of the teaching profession.

  When regulations are introduced a date will be set by which time appraisal must be extended to all teachers and head teachers. Training to assist teachers and head teachers in the operation of appraisal is important; guidance about this will be given to local education authorities. We are ready to support expenditure on appraisal training of up to £15 million through the Local Education Authority Training Grants Scheme in 1990–91.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Health and Social Services (Appointments)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all the executive posts in the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland which have been recruited in the last four years for which figures are available, together with the salaries and grades; and if he will give the length of contract for each post.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The recruitment of permanent staff to the Northern Ireland Civil Service is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Commission which allocates successful candidates to individual Departments in response to their needs. Details of executive recruits appointed to the Department of Health and Social Services over the last four years are as follows:

  Year

  Number

  Grade

  Salary on Appointment

  1986

  5

  Executive officer grade II

  £5,250–·8,730

  1987

  5

  Executive officer grade II

  £5,820–£9,330

  1

  Administrative trainee

  1£8,000–£10,150

  1988

  1

  Executive officer grade II

  £6,134–£9,935

  1

  Staff officer (administrative)

  1£11,600–£14,595

  1989

  3

  Executive officer grade II

  £6,715–£10,723 (current scale)

  1

  Chief executive for health and personal social services

  £37,600–£40,900 (current scale)

  401

  1 The current salary scales for the grades mentioned are as follows:

  Administrative trainee: £10,246–£12,074.

  Staff officer (administrative) £13,022–£16,336.

  Appointments to the grades of executive officer II and administrative trainee/staff officer (administrative) are permanent subject to the satisfactory completion of a probationary period. The chief executive appointment is for an initial period of five years with the possibility of renewal for a further period of conversion to a permanent post.

  Irish Prime Minister (Talks)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet the Irish Prime Minister; and what matters he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have no current plans to meet the Taoiseach. I paid him a courtesy call in Dublin before the last intergovernmental conference on 30 November.

  Rivers and Lakes
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total amount of public expenditure by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Division, on the stocking of rivers and lakes with fish, in each year since 1980; and if he will give details by district council area.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 7 December 1989]: Spending by the Department of Agriculture on the stocking of the Department's public angling waters since 1980 has been:

  Financial year

  Total expenditure on stocking £

  1980–81

  60,630

  1981–82

  50,490

  1982–83

  53,034

  1983–84

  69,093

  1984–85

  90,199

  1985–86

  149,711

  1986–87

  156,294

  1987–88

  107,243

  1988–89

  124,437

  It is not possible to allocate expenditure on stocking to individual district council areas as the information is not held in the form requested and it could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

TRANSPORT

  British Rail Maintenance Ltd.
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with BR about the operation of British Rail Maintenance Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  None. The operation of British Rail Maintenance Ltd. is a management matter for British Rail.

  Railways
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those Welsh lines due to have a super sprinter train service by mid-1990.
  402
  Mr. Portillo
  Decisions on the allocation of rolling stock to specific railway lines are for the British Railways Board.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on when British Rail plans to electrify the Crewe to Holyhead line.

  Mr. Portillo
  I am unaware of any plans by British Rail to electrify this line.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what resources he intends to make available to British Rail to encourage the greater frequency of trains on the Cambrian coast line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury and Pwllheli.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government have approved over £400 million (1989–90 prices) of investment in new rolling stock for the provincial sector since 1983. It is for British Rail to decide the detailed disposition of resources within the sector in the light of the public service obligation which requires the board to continue to provide a level of service generally comparable to that in April 1988. They are free to provide additional services where that does not lead to an increase in grant.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about its plans for direct passenger travel through the Channel tunnel from 1993(a) from Cardiff and (b) from Holyhead in terms of year of commencement and proposed frequency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  British Rail will be setting out its proposals in the plan which it will shortly be publishing, in compliance with section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987. I have discussed progress on this work with British Rail from time to time.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about running passenger through trains on the central Wales line from Manchester to Milford Haven.

  Mr. Portillo
  Decisions on the routing and timetabling of rail services are for the management of British Rail.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on when the Paddington to Swansea line will be electrified.

  Mr. Portillo
  It is for British Rail to come forward with any proposals.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether British Rail has sought approval for investment in a Berne gauge freight line(a) from the Channel tunnel to south Wales and (b) from the Channel tunnel to north Wales.

  Mr. Portillo
  No.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received a request from British Rail for funding of a main line rail link to Cardiff Wales (Rhoose) Airport.

  Mr. Portillo
  No.

  Roads
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to place a consultancy with the Energy and Environment Research Unit of the Open university on environmental effects of future road planning.

  Mr. Atkins
  No.

  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the full roads report referred to in paragraph 32 of the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" is to be published.

  Mr. Atkins
  In the new year.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Rented Farms
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the number of farms available for rent in the private sector for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Maclean
  None.

  Scrapie
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to take any action to prevent the sale of scrapie-infected sheep protein for use as feed for pigs.

  Mr. Maclean
  Scrapie is one of the oldest known animal diseases and has been the subject of extensive research. There is no scientific evidence to indicate that such action is necessary.

  Walnut Trees
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has produced a planting, growing and husbandry manual for walnut trees.

  Mr. Maclean
  Guidance on growing walnut trees is given in Forestry Commission Bulletin 62, Silviculture of Broadleaved Woodland (ISBN 011 710 154 0), available in the Libary of the House.

  Agro-forestry Development
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for innovative multi-culture agro-forestry development in the United Kingdom for commercial scale(a) flour, (b) dye and (c) biomass production.

  Mr. Maclean
  None. My Department is, however, separately funding research on both agro-forestry and novel crops.

  Soil Temperature
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to introduce technologies to increase the mean soil temperature in the United Kingdom by 2°C, and what would be the implications for crop yield of such an increase in soil temperature.
  404
  Mr. Maclean
  The Minister has no plans to introduce technologies to increase the mean soil temperatures in the United Kingdom by 2°C.

  The effect of increased soil temperature on crop yield would be dependent on the extent of seasonal fluctuations in that increase and the effect of other associated climatic changes, for example, in the level and pattern of rainfall. If it is assumed that the temperature increase remains constant throughout the year and is a direct result of increased radiation, and that water supply remains adequate, then yields of cereals and other field crops are likely to increase. In many spring crops such as cereals, potatoes, sugar beet, peas and beans increased yield potential would be a result of warmer spring temperatures allowing earlier planting-sowing so as to avoid the worst effects of mid-summer drought.

THE ARTS

  Libraries, Museums and Galleries
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Minister for the Arts in determining public expenditure plans for 1990–91 what provision was made for the cost of (i) libraries and (ii) museums and galleries.

  Mr. Luce
  In 1990–91 the central Government provision for libraries is £112 million and for museums and galleries £182 million. (These figures do not include local authority spending).

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Government Telephone Network
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest position in drawing up the specifications for the new Government telephone network; and whether public tenders will be sought from qualified suppliers.

  Mr. Ryder
  Decisions have not yet been made on whether, or how, to proceed with an integrated voice and data network for Government. The findings of the study announced by my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General on 6 March 1989 are under consideration.

  Value Added Tax
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on the charging of value added tax on goods which facilitate mobility of disabled people.

  Mr. Ryder
  Most specialised equipment designed for use by disabled people and the charities that serve them is relieved of value added tax, but zero-rating does not extend to general purpose goods or services which can equally well be used by the able-bodied as by the disabled.

  European Monetary System
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the rate of inflation in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland for each month since the Republic of Ireland became a full member of the European monetary system.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 7 December 1989]: The information requested is as follows:
  405

  12. month consumer price inflation

  United Kingdom

  Ireland

  1979

  January

  —

  —

  February

  —

  10·9

  March

  9·7

  —

  April

  10·2

  —

  May

  10·5

  12·6

  June

  11·4

  —

  July

  15·6

  —

  August

  15·9

  13·6

  September

  16·6

  —

  October

  17·1

  —

  November

  17·3

  16·0

  December

  17·2

  —

  1980

  January

  18·4

  —

  February

  19·1

  15·6

  March

  19·9

  —

  April

  21·8

  —

  May

  21·8

  20·0

  June

  21·1

  —

  July

  16·9

  —

  August

  16·2

  18·8

  September

  15·8

  —

  October

  15·5

  —

  November

  15·2

  18·2

  December

  15·1

  —

  1981

  January

  13·1

  —

  February

  12·4

  21·0

  March

  12·6

  —

  April

  12·0

  —

  May

  11·8

  17·1

  June

  11·4

  —

  July

  10·9

  —

  August

  11·5

  20·0

  September

  11·5

  —

  October

  11·7

  —

  November

  12·0

  23·4

  December

  12·1

  —

  1982

  January

  12·0

  —

  February

  11·1

  18·8

  March

  10·4

  —

  April

  9·5

  —

  May

  9·5

  21·0

  June

  9·1

  —

  July

  8·7

  —

  August

  8·0

  17·0

  September

  7·2

  —

  October

  6·9

  —

  November

  6·3

  12·3

  December

  5·4

  —

  1983

  January

  4·9

  —

  February

  5·3

  12·5

  March

  4·6

  —

  April

  4·0

  —

  May

  3·7

  9·3

  June

  3·7

  —

  July

  4·3

  —

  August

  4·6

  10·0

  September

  5·2

  —

  October

  4·9

  —

  November

  4·8

  10·3

  December

  5·4

  —

  1984

  January

  5·2

  —

  February

  5·1

  10·3

  March

  5·2

  —

  April

  5·2

  —

  May

  5·1

  9·7

  406

  United Kingdom

  Ireland

  June

  5·1

  —

  July

  4·4

  —

  August

  5·0

  7·9

  September

  4·7

  —

  October

  4·9

  —

  November

  4·9

  6·8

  December

  4·6

  —

  1985

  January

  5·0

  —

  February

  5·3

  6·2

  March

  6·1

  —

  April

  6·9

  —

  May

  6·9

  5·2

  June

  6·9

  —

  July

  6·8

  —

  August

  6·2

  5·5

  September

  5·8

  —

  October

  5·5

  —

  November

  5·5

  4·9

  December

  5·6

  —

  1986

  January

  5·5

  —

  February

  5·1

  4·6

  March

  4·2

  —

  April

  3·1

  —

  May

  2·8

  4·4

  June

  2·6

  —

  July

  2·5

  —

  August

  2·4

  3·1

  September

  3·1

  —

  October

  3·0

  —

  November

  3·6

  3·2

  December

  3·7

  —

  1987

  January

  3·9

  —

  February

  3·9

  3·4

  March

  4·0

  —

  April

  4·2

  —

  May

  4·2

  2·9

  June

  4·2

  —

  July

  4·4

  —

  August

  4·4

  3·3

  September

  4·2

  —

  October

  4·5

  —

  November

  4·1

  3·1

  December

  3·7

  —

  1988

  January

  3·3

  —

  February

  3·3

  2·0

  March

  3·5

  —

  April

  3·9

  —

  May

  4·2

  1·8

  June

  4·6

  —

  July

  4·8

  —

  August

  5·7

  2·0

  September

  5·9

  —

  October

  6·4

  —

  November

  6·4

  2·7

  December

  6·8

  —

  1989

  January

  7·5

  —

  February

  7·8

  3·3

  March

  7·9

  —

  April

  8·0

  —

  May

  8·3

  3·9

  June

  8·3

  —

  July

  8·2

  —

  August

  7·3

  4·5

  September

  7·6

  —

  October

  7·3

  —

  November

  —

  —

  407

  United

  Ireland Kingdom

  December

  —

  —

  Source: OECD.

  Notes: Irish data are available only quarterly.

  Ireland joined the european monetary system and exchange rate mechanism on 13 March 1979.

  Household Income
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in rank order for each region in Britain(a) the average household income by region and ( b) social security benefits as a proportion of household income; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 7 December 1989]: The latest regional estimates for average household income and social security benefits relate to households covered in the family expenditure survey for the calendar years 1986 and 1987 and are given in table 31 of the report of the family expenditure survey 1987, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Relocation
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what relocations of his Department's staff, or agencies relating thereto, are currently being considered; and what are the numbers of staff affected.

  Mr Ryder
  A review of the location of the Treasury's activities is currently taking place under the policy that my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General announced on 31 March 1988 at cols.610–11. No decisions have yet been taken.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Health Care Professions (Advertising)
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is his intention to implement the recommendations of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission obliging health care professions to allow their members to use unsolicited mailshots as a means of promoting their services.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  When the MMC report on the supply of services of registered medical practitioners in relation to restrictions on advertising was published in March 1989, the Director General of Fair Trading was asked to seek undertakings that rules on advertising would be changed in accordance with the findings and recommendations of the MMC in a form to be agreed with him. A number of changes have already been made and the Director General of Fair Trading informs me that negotiations continue on the remaining restrictions, including that of unsolicited distribution of leaflets by general practitioners.

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the implementation of the insider dealing directive.
  408
  Mr. Redwood
  I am today publishing a consultative document on the Government's proposals for changes to the insider dealing law. The proposals reflect both our experience of the operation of our present law, and the insider dealing directive which was unanimously agreed by the Council of Ministers on 13 November.

  The directive sets minimum requirements for member states to follow in prohibiting insider dealing. We have in a number of areas gone beyond these requirements. We are also suggesting a substantial change by relating the offence to transactions done by or through authorised persons under the Financial Services Act rather than to the current complex structure of deals done on or off a recognised stock exchange.

  We are inviting comments by the end of February 1990. I am arranging for a copy of the paper to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Cars and Vans
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cars and vans were produced in(a) the Federal Republic of Germany, (b) France, (c) Italy and (d) Spain in 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 4 December 1989]: Figures for cars are:
  (a) 4·3 million, (b) 3·2 million (c) 1·9 million, (d) 1·5 million.

  Figures for vans are not readily available.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cars and vans were produced in the United Kingdom in 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 4 December 1989]: 1·2 million.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the percentage of cars and vans which were produced in 1988 in(a) the Federal Republic of Germany, (b) France, (c) Italy and (d) Spain were exported.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 4 December 1989]: Figures for cars are:
  (a) 58 per cent., (b) 57 per cent., (c) 36 per cent., (d) 53 per cent.

  Figures for vans are not readily available.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the cars and vans which were produced in the United Kingdom in 1988 were exported.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 4 December 1989]: 18 per cent.

  BAT Factory (Liverpool)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate(a) the total loss in receipts to the Exchequer and (b) the extra cost to Government Departments arising from the closure of the British American Tobacco factory in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 6 December 1989]: No realistic estimates are practicable. As to the possible principal effects, no significant loss of tobacco duty or

  409
  VAT is expected since the factory manufactures for export. Corporation tax payable by BAT will depend upon the company's overall trading results. Unemployment benefits and social security costs depend upon the number of claimants, their individual circumstances and the time before they find other work. The Government's existing programmes to assist enterprise and creation of new jobs are of course available in this area but any such costs would be met from existing provisions.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the effect on the economy of Liverpool of the proposed closure of the British American Tobacco factory; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 6 December 1989]: No realistic assessment is practicable. British American Tobacco would no longer pay rates on the site but, in that it intends to offer the factory free to the Merseyside development corporation, it seems likely that the premises will again be beneficially occupied and thus rates will again become payable. Unemployment benefits and social security costs depend upon the number of claimants, their individual circumstances and the time before they find other work.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will meet the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside and other Liverpool Members to discuss the implications of the proposed closure of the British American Tobacco factory in Liverpool.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 6 December 1989]: I would be happy to meet the hon. Members concerned.

  Non-oil Exports
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total non-oil export volume in the United Kingdom for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information required is in the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, copies of which are available from the Library.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Crack
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much crack by weight and volume was confiscated in the United Kingdom or entering the United Kingdom in(a) 1987, (b) 1988 and (c) each month of 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  Seizures of crack reported by the police to the National Drugs Intelligence Unit were:

  Year

  Seizures

  1987

  12

  1988

  27

  11989

  124

  1 January—November.

  Weights of crack seizures by the police analysed by the forensic science service were:
  410

  Grammes

  1987

  6·7

  1988

  113·7

  1989

  January

  2·3

  February

  85·1

  March

  26·3

  April

  6·4

  May

  22·3

  June

  2·8

  July

  8·9

  August

  41·8

  September

  9·6

  October

  12·2

  November

  21·6

  In addition Customs reported one seizure of I gm of crack in 1987, one of 0·9 gm in 1988 and two in March 1989 amounting to 138 gm.

  Courts (Expenditure)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in determining public expenditure plans for 1990–91 what provision was made for the cost of (i) coroners' courts, (ii) probation and (iii) magistrates' courts.

  Mr. Waddington
  Under the new planning total, the Government no longer make expenditure plans or provision for local authority spending but only for central Government support towards that spending. Central Government provide specific grant at the rate of 80 per cent. towards the costs of the probation service and magistrates courts.

  The planned grant provision in 1990–91 for magistrates courts is £184·1 million for current expenditure and £40·6 million for capital expenditure, and for the probation service £198·8 million for current expenditure and £7·5 million for capital expenditure. In addition, credit approvals for capital expenditure will be made available totalling £10·5 million for magistrates' courts and £3·8 million for probation. Coroners courts are supported not through specific grant but through revenue support grant.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to improve the working of the criminal injuries compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board's annual report, for the year ended 31 March 1989 (Cm. 900, published on 6 December) shows that it received 43,385 applications—a record number—during the year. This year's intake is expected to show a further unprecedented rise to over 50,000 applications. The board has a backlog of some 96,000 cases, with consequent delays to all claims.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have taken steps to meet these problems. We have increased staff from 220 in 1987 to 320. We have appointed more board members. Two thirds of the work is now dealt with by locally-recruited staff in a new office in Glasgow. A major computerisation programme will begin early next year. Despite the substantial increase in applications and the disruption

  411
  caused by relocation of work to Scotland, the board resolved 38,830 cases last year, compared with 29,965 in the best previous year. On past performance we can expect far more cases to be resolved when the changes in staffing, location, and procedures have been fully absorbed. Meanwhile we have discussed with the chairman of the board the need for further improvements.

  The Criminal Justice Act 1988 provides for the scheme to be placed on a statutory footing. The board says in its report that to make the scheme statutory now would disrupt work and add to arrears. We accept that judgment. In view of the urgent need to tackle the backlog and improve the board's service to present and future claimants I have decided, with the agreement of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, and the board, not to make the scheme statutory yet but to make changes in the present non-statutory scheme to streamline it.

  The revised scheme will come into effect on 1 February 1990. The principal changes to which I should call attention are the discretion given to the board to delegate decision-making in the first instance to staff, and revised provisions for oral hearings. Delegation will allow more flexibility and efficiency. Under revised hearings provisions all applicants will retain a right to have their cases reviewed by at least two members of the board, but applications for a hearing may be considered by two members of the board on the papers and a hearing will be held only if the case warrants.

  I should also draw attention to an increase in the lower limit for compensation awards. This was last increased on 7 November 1986 to £550. The purpose of the limit is to exclude relatively minor injuries from the scope of the scheme and to concentrate resources on cases most deserving of compensation. With the passage of time it is right to raise the limit to £750. The new limit will apply to new applications.

  While not bringing the scheme set down in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 into effect, I am taking this opportunity to incorporate Parliament's wishes on several points. The revised scheme will cover claims arising from offences of trespass on a railway; payment of compensation in fatal injury cases to the cohabitee of the deceased person; payment to victims of a set sum for a child born as a consequence of rape; a limit on compensation for loss of earnings of one and a half times gross average earnings and removal of compensation for damage or loss of clothing.

  The Government are determined that victims should receive proper recognition under the criminal justice system, including the timely payment of compensation for personal injuries resulting from crime. The revised scheme will allow for better use of resources to achieve that end and contribute towards an improvement in the quality of service to claimants.

  The revised scheme is as follows:

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme Administration

  1. The Compensation Scheme will be administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, which will be assisted by appropriate staff. Appointments to the Board will be made by the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Lord Chancellor and, where appropriate, the Lord Advocate. A person may only be appointed to be a member of the Board if he is a barrister practising in England and Wales, an advocate practising in Scotland, a solicitor practising in England and Wales or Scotland or a person who holds or has
  412
  held judicial office in England and Wales or Scotland. The Chairman and other members of the Board will be appointed to serve for up to five years in the first instance, and their appointments will be renewable for such periods as the Secretary of State considers appropriate. The Chairman and other members will not serve on the Board beyond the age of 72, or after ceasing to be qualified for appointment, whichever is the earlier except that, where the Secretary of State considers it to be in the interests of the Scheme to extend a particular appointment beyond the age of 72 or after retirement from legal practice, he may do so. The Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit terminate a member's appointment on the ground of incapacity or misbehaviour.

  2. The Board will be provided with money through a Grant-in-Aid out of which payments for compensation awarded in accordance with the principles set out below will be made. Their net expenditure will fall on the Votes of the Home Office and the Scottish Home and Health Department.

  3. The Board, or such members of the Board's staff as the Board may designate, will be entirely responsible for deciding what compensation should be paid in individual cases and their decisions will not be subject to appeal or to Ministerial review. The general working of the Scheme will, however, be kept under review by the Government, and the Board will submit annually to the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland a full report on the operation of the Scheme, together with their accounts. The report and accounts will he open to debate in Parliament.

  Scope of the Scheme

  4. The board will entertain applications for ex gratin payments of compensation in any case where the applicant or, in the case of an application by a spouse or dependant (see paragraphs 15 and 16 below), the deceased, sustained in Great Britain, or on a British vessel, aircraft or hovercraft or on, under or above an installation in a designated area within the meaning of section I subsection (7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964 or any waters within 500 metres of such an installation, or in a lighthouse off the coast of the United Kingdom, personal injury directly attributable—

  (a) to a crime of violence (including arson or poisoning); or

  (b) to the apprehension or attempted apprehension of an offender or a suspected offender or to the prevention or attempted prevention of an offence or to the giving of help to any constable who is engaged in any such activity; or

  (c) to an offence of trespass on a railway.

  Applications for compensation will be entertained only if made within three years of the incident giving rise to the injury, except that the Board may in exceptional cases waive this requirement. A decision by the Chairman not to waive the time limit will be final. In considering for the purposes of this paragraph whether any act is a criminal act a person's conduct will be treated as constituting an offence notwithstanding that he may not be convicted of the offence by reason of age, insanity or diplomatic immunity.

  5. Compensation will not be payable unless the Board are satisfied that the injury was one for which the total amount of compensation payable after deduction of social security benefits, but before any other deductions under the Scheme, would not be less than the minimum amount of compensation. This shall be £750. The application of the minimum level shall not, however, affect the payment of funeral expenses under paragraph 15 below or, where the victim has died otherwise than in consequence of an injury for which compensation would have been payable to him under the terms of the Scheme, any sum payable to a dependant or relative of his under paragraph 16.

  6. The Board may withold or reduce compensation if they consider that—

  (a) the applicant has not taken, without delay, all reasonable steps to inform the police, or any other authority considered by the Board to be appropriate for the purpose, of the circumstances of the injury and to co-operate with the police or other authority in bringing the offender to justice; or

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  (b) the applicant has failed to give all reasonable assistance to the Board or other authority in connection with the application; or

  (c) having regard to the conduct of the applicant before, during or after the events giving rise to the claim or to his character as shown by his criminal convictions or unlawful conduct—and, in applications under paragraphs 15 and 16 below, to the conduct, or character as shown by the criminal convictions or unlawful conduct, of the deceased and of the applicant—it is inappropriate that a full award, or any award at all, be granted.

  Further, compensation will not be payable—

  (d) in the case of an application under paragraph 4(b) above where the injury was sustained accidentally, unless the Board are satisfied that the applicant was at the time taking an exceptional risk which was justified in all the circumstances.

  7. Compensation will not be payable unless the Board are satisfied that there is no possibility that a person responsible for causing the injury will benefit from an award.

  8. Where the victim and any person responsible for the injuries which are the subject of the application (whether that person actually inflicted them or not) were living in the same household at the time of the injuries as members of the same family, compensation will be paid only where—

  (a) the person responsible has been prosecuted in connection with the offence, except where the Board consider that there are practical, technical or other good reasons why a prosecution has not been brought; and

  (b) in the case of violence between adults in the family, the Board are satisfied that the person responsible and the applicant stopped living in the same household before the application was made and seem unlikely to live together again; and

  (c) in the case of an application under this paragraph by or on behalf of a minor, ie a person under 18 years of age, the Board are satisfied that it would not be against the minor's interests to make a full or reduced award.

  For the purposes of this paragraph, a man and a woman living together as husband and wife shall be treated as members of the same family.

  9. If in the opinion of the Board it is in the interests of the applicant (whether or not a minor or a person under an incapacity) so to do, the Board may pay the amount of any award to any trustee or trustees to hold on such trusts for the benefit of all or any of the following persons, namely the applicant and any spouse, widow or widower, relatives and dependants of the applicant and with such provisions for their respective maintenance, education and benefit and with such powers and provisions for the investment and management of the fund and for the remuneration of the trustee or trustees as the Board shall think fit. Subject to this the Board will have a general discretion in any case in which they have awarded compensation to make special arrangements for its administration. In this paragraph "relatives" means all persons claiming descent from the applicant's grandparents and "dependants" means all persons who in the opinion of the Board are dependent on him wholly or partially for the provision of the ordinary necessities of life.

  10. The Board will consider applications for compensation arising out of acts of rape and other sexual offences both in respect of pain, suffering and shock and in respect of loss of earnings due to consequent pregnancy, and, where the victim is ineligible for a maternity grant under the National Insurance Scheme, in respect of the expenses of childbirth. Compensation will not be payable for the maintenance of any child born as a result of a sexual offence, except that where a woman is awarded compensation for rape the Board shall award the additional sum of £5,000 in respect of each child born alive having been conceived as a result of the rape which the applicant intends to keep.

  11. Applications for compensation for personal injury attributable to traffic offences will be excluded from the Scheme, except where such injury is due to a deliberate attempt to run the victim down.
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  Basis of compensation

  12. Subject to the other provisions of this Scheme, compensation will be assessed on the basis of common law damages and will normally take the form of a lump sum payment, although the Board may make alternative arrangements in accordance with paragraph 9 above. More than one payment may be made where an applicant's eligibility for compensation has been established but a final award cannot be calculated in the first instance—for example where only a provisional medical assessment can be given. In a case in which an interim award has been made, the Board may decide to make a reduced award, increase any reduction already made or refuse to make any further payment at any stage before receiving notification of acceptance of a final award.

  13. Although the Board's decisions in a case will normally be final, they will have discretion to reconsider a case after a final award of compensation has been accepted where there has been such a serious change in the applicant's medical condition that injustice would occur if the original assessment of compensation were allowed to stand, or where the victim has since died as a result of his injuries. A case will not be re-opened more than three years after the date of the final award unless the Board are satisfied, on the basis of evidence presented with the application for re-opening the case, that the renewed application can be considered without a need for extensive enquiries. A decision by the Chairman that a case may not be re-opened will be final.

  14. Compensation will be limited as follows—

  (a) the rate of net loss of earnings or earning capacity to be taken into account shall not exceed one and a half times the gross average industrial earnings at the date of assessment (as published in the Department of Employment Gazette and adjusted as considered appropriate by the Board);

  (b) there shall be no element comparable to exemplary or punitive damages.

  Where an applicant has lost earnings or earning capacity as a result of the injury, he may be required by the Board to produce evidence thereof in such manner and form as the Board may specify.

  15. Where the victim has died in consequence of the injury, no compensation other than funeral expenses will be payable for the benefit of his estate, but the Board will be able to entertain applications from any person who is a dependant of the victim within the meaning of section 1(3) of the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 or who is a relative of the victim within the meaning of the Schedule 1 to the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976. Compensation will be payable in accordance with the other provisions of this Scheme to any such dependant or relative. Funeral expenses to an amount considered reasonable by the Board will be paid in appropriate cases, even where the person bearing the cost of the funeral is otherwise ineligible to claim under this Scheme. Applications may be made under this paragraph where the victim has died from his injuries even if an award has been made to the victim in his lifetime. Such cases will be subject to conditions set out in paragraph 13 for the re-opening of cases and compensation payable to the applicant will be reduced by the amount paid to the victim.

  16. Where the victim has died otherwise than in consequence of the injury, the Board may make an award to such dependant or relative as is mentioned in paragraph 15 in respect of loss of wages, expenses and liabilities incurred by the victim before death as a result of the injury whether or not the application for compensation in respect of the injury has been made before the death.

  17. Compensation will not be payable for the loss of or damage to clothing or any property whatsoever arising from the injury unless the Board are satisfied that the property was relied upon by the victim as a physical aid.

  18. The cost of private medical treatment will be payable by the Board only if the Board consider that, in all the circumstances, both the private treatment and the cost of it are reasonable.
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  19. Compensation will be reduced by the full value of any present or future entitlement to—

  (a) United Kingdom social security benefits;

  (b) any criminal injury compensation awards made under or pursuant to statutory arrangements in force at the relevant time in Northern Ireland;

  (c) social security benefits, compensation awards or similar payments whatsoever from the funds of other countries; or

  (d) payments under insurance arrangements except as excluded below which may accrue, as a result of the injury or death, to the benefit of the person to whom the award is made.

  In assessing this entitlement, account will be taken of any income tax liability likely to reduce the value of such benefits and, in the case of an application under paragraph 15, the value of such benefits will not be reduced to take account of prospects of remarriage. If, in the opinion of the Board, an applicant may be eligible for any such benefits the Board may refuse to make an award until the applicant has taken such steps as the Board consider reasonable to claim them. Subject to paragraph 18 above, the Board will disregard monies paid or payable to the victim or his dependants as a result of or in consequence of insurance personally effected, paid for an maintained by the personal income of the victim or, in the case of a person under the age of 18, by his parent.

  20. Where the victim is alive compensation will be reduced to take account of any pension accruing as a result of the injury. Where the victim has died in consequence of the injury, and any pension is payable for the benefit of the person to whom the award is made as a result of the death of the victim, the compensation will similarly be reduced to take account of the value of that pension. Where such pensions are taxable, one-half of their value will be deducted; where they are not taxable, eg where a lump sum payment not subject to income tax is made, they will be deducted in full. For the purposes of this paragraph, "pension" means any payment payable as a result of the injury or death, in pursuance of pension or other rights whatsoever connected with the victim's employment, and includes any gratuity of that kind and similar benefits payable under insurance policies paid for by employers. Pension rights accruing solely as a result of payments by the victim or a dependant will be disregarded.

  21. When a civil court has given judgment providing for payment of damages or a claim for damages has been settled on terms providing for payment of money, or when payment of compensation has been ordered by a criminal court, in respect of personal injuries, compensation by the Board in respect of the same injuries will be reduced by the amount of any payment received under such an order or settlement. When a civil court has assessed damages, as opposed to giving judgment for damages agreed by the parties, but the person entitled to such damages has not yet received the full sum awarded, he will not be precluded from applying to the Board, but the Board's assessment of compensation will not exceed the sum assessed by the court. Furthermore, a person who is compensated by the Board will be required to undertake to repay them from any damages, settlement or compensation he may subsequently obtain in respect of his injuries. In arriving at their assessment of compensation the Board will not be bound by any finding of contributory negligence by any court, but will be entirely bound by the terms of the Scheme.

  Procedure for determining applications

  22. Every application will be made to the Board in writing as soon as possible after the event on a form obtainable from the Board's offices. The initial decision on an application will be taken by a single member of the Board, or by any member of the Board's staff to whom the Board has given authority to determine applications on the Board's behalf. Where an award is made the applicant will be given a breakdown of the assessment of compensation, exept where the Board consider this inappropriate, and where an award is refused or reduced, reasons for the decision will be given. If the applicant is not satisfied with the decision he may apply for an oral hearing which, if granted, will be held before at least two members of the Board excluding any member who made the original decision. The application for a hearing must be made within three months of notification of the initial decision; however the Board may waive this time limit where an extension is
  416
  requested with good reason within the three month period, or where it is otherwise in the interests of justice to do so. A decision by the Chairman not to waive the time limit will be final. It will also be open to a member of the Board, or a designated member of the Board's staff, where he considers that he cannot make a just and proper decision himself to refer the application for a hearing before at least two members of the Board, one of whom may be the member who, in such a case, decided to refer the application to a hearing. An applicant will have no title to an award offered until the Board have received notification in writing that he accepts it.

  23. Applications for hearings must be made in writing on a form supplied by the Board and should be supported by reasons together with any additional evidence which may assist the Board to decide whether a hearing should be granted. If the reasons in support of the application suggest that the initial decision was based on information obtained by or submitted to the Board which was incomplete or erroneous, the application may be remitted for reconsideration by the member of the Board who made the initial decision or, where this is not practicable or where the initial decision was made by a member of the Board's staff, by any member of the Board. In such cases it will still be open for the applicant to apply in writing for a hearing if he remains dissatisfied after his case has been reconsidered and the three-month limitation period in paragraph 22 will start from the date of notification of the reconsidered decision.

  24. An applicant will be entitled to an oral hearing only if—

  (a) no award was made on the ground that any award would be less than the sum specified in paragraph 5 of the Scheme and it appears that applying the principles set out in paragraph 26 below, the Board might make an award; or

  (b) an award was made and it appears that, applying the principles set out in paragraph 26 below, the Board might make a larger award; or

  (c) no award or a reduced award was made and there is a dispute as to the material facts or conclusions upon which the initial or reconsidered decision was based or it appears that the decision may have been wrong in law or principle.

  An application for a hearing which appears likely to fail the foregoing criteria may be reviewed by not less than two members of the Board other than any member who made the initial or reconsidered decision. If it is considered on review that if any facts or conclusions which are disputed were resolved in the applicant's favour it would have made no difference to the initial or reconsidered decision, or that for any other reason an oral hearing would serve no useful purpose, the application for a hearing will be refused. A decision to refuse an application for a hearing will be final.

  25. It will be for the applicant to make out his case at the hearing, and where appropriate this will extend to satisfying the Board that compensation should not be withheld or reduced under the terms of paragraph 6 or paragraph 8. The applicant and a member of the Board's staff will be able to call, examine and cross-examine witnesses. The Board will be entitled to take into account any relevant hearsay, opinion or written evidence, whether or not the author gives oral evidence at the hearing. The Board will reach their decision solely in the light of evidence brought out at the hearing, and all the information and evidence made available to the Board members at the hearing will be made available to the applicant at, if not before, the hearing. The Board may adjourn a hearing for a reason, and where the only issue remaining is the assessment of compensation may remit the application to a Single Member of the Board for determination in the absence of the applicant but subject to the applicant's right to apply under paragraph 22 above for a further hearing if he is not satisfied with the final assessment of compensation. While it will be open to the applicant to bring a friend or legal adviser to assist him in putting his case, the Board will not pay the: cost of legal representation. They will, however, have discretion to pay the expenses of the applicant and witnesses at a hearing. If an applicant fails to attend a hearing and has offered no reasonable excuse for his non attendance the Board at the hearing may dismiss his application. A person whose application has been dismissed by the Board for failure to attend a hearing may apply in writing to the Chairman of the

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  Board for his application to be reinstated. A decision by the Chairman that an application should not be reinstated will be final.

  26. At the hearing the amount of compensation assessed by a single member of the Board or a designated member of the Board's staff will not be altered except upon the same principles as the Court of Appeal in England or the Court of Session in Scotland would alter an assessment of damages made by a trial judge.

  27. Procedure at hearings will be as informal as is consistent with the proper determination of applications, and hearings will in general be in private. The Board will have discretion to permit observers, such as representatives of the press, radio and television, to attend hearings provided that written undertakings are given that the anonymity of the applicant and other parties will not in any way be infringed by subsequent reporting. The Board will have power to publish information about its decisions in individual cases; this power will be limited only by the need to preserve the anonymity of applicants and other parties.

  Implementation

  28. The provisions of this Scheme will take effect from 1 February 1990. All applications for compensation received by the Board on or after 1 February 1990 will be dealt with under the terms of this Scheme except that in relation to applications in respect of injuries incurred before that date the following provisions of the 1990 scheme shall apply:

  (a) Paragraph 4(c);

  (b) Paragraph 8, but only in respect of injuries incurred before 1 October 1979 where paragraph 7 of the 1969 Scheme will continue to apply;

  (c) Paragraph 10 but only insofar as it requires the Board to award an additional sum of £5,000 in the circumstances therein prescribed;

  (d) Paragraphs 15 and 16 but only insofar as they enable the Board to entertain applications from a person who is a dependant within the meaning of section 1(3)(b) of the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 or who is a relative within the meaning of paragraph 1(aa) of Schedule 1 to the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976 other than such a person who is applying only for funeral expenses.

  29. Applications for compensation received by the Board before 1 February 1990 will continue to be dealt with in accordance with paragraph 25 of the Scheme which came into operation on 1 October 1979 ("the 1979 Scheme") or the Scheme which came into operation on 21 May 1969 ("the 1969 Scheme") except that the following paragraphs of this Scheme will apply in addition to or in substitution for provisions of these schemes as specified below:

  (a) Paragraph 3 of this Scheme will apply in substitution for paragraph 4 of the 1969 Scheme and paragraph 3 of the 1979 Scheme;

  (b) Paragraph 6(c) of this Scheme will apply in substitution for paragraph 17 of the 1969 Scheme and paragraph 6(c) of the 1979 Scheme;

  (c) Paragraph 14 of this Scheme will apply additionally to applications otherwise falling to be considered under the 1969 or 1979 Schemes but only insofar as it allows the Board to require an applicant to produce evidence of loss of earnings or earning capacity;

  (d) Paragraphs 22, 23 and 25 of this Scheme will apply in substitution for paragraphs 21 and 22 of the 1969 Scheme and paragraphs 22 and 23 of the 1979 Scheme;

  (e) Paragraph 26 of this Scheme will apply additionally to applications otherwise falling to be considered under the 1969 or 1979 Schemes:

  (f) Paragraph 27 of this Scheme will apply in substitution for paragraph 23 of the 1969 Scheme and paragraph 24 of the 1979 Scheme;

  30. Applications to re-open cases received before 1 February 1990 will continue to be dealt with under the terms of paragraph 25 of the 1979 Scheme. Applications to re-open cases received on or after 1 February 1990 will be considered and determined under the terms of this Scheme.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Lebanon
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department are detailed to handle the monitoring of, and plans to seek the release of, British hostages in the Lebanon.

  Mr. Maude
  A considerable number of officials both in London and in missions overseas are concerned with the hostage issue. The number involved at any one time depends upon the circumstances.

  Nuclear Tests
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those states which are party to the partial test ban treaty but at the present time oppose its amendment to constitute a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing; and what are the declared reasons for each state's opposition.

  Mr. Maude
  It would not be appropriate for us to speculate on the views of other parties to the Treaty, or to reveal what has been said to us privately on this subject. However, 23 countries abstained or voted against the UN General assembly L25 resolution calling for the PTBT to be converted into a comprehensive test ban treaty. Those countries were the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the United Kingdom Government have taken since May 1979 to achieve the discontinuance of all test explosions of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Maude
  The United Kingdom participated in the unsuccessful trilateral negotiations on this subject, which took place from 1977 to 1980. But, for the foreseeable future, our security will depend on deterrence, based in part on the possession of nuclear weapons. That means a continuing need to test these weapons to ensure they remain effective and up to date. A comprehensive test ban therefore remains a long term goal.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has consulted with academic experts at the School of Slavonic and East Europe Studies at the University of London in formulating his policies in response to changing socio-political developments in eastern Europe in the past six months.

  Mr. Maude
  No, but Ministers and officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have frequent contacts with experts from the school, as they have with other academics, during which such matters are discussed.

  India
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to have the opportunity to discuss with the new Foreign Minister of India the possibility of India joining the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans yet to meet the new Foreign Minister of India.

  Montserrat
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the chief Minister and other Ministers in Montserrat have been consulted about the adequacy of British aid to the island following the devastation caused by hurricane Hugo; and if he is satisfied that the aid given is adequate in terms of the island's medical and rehousing needs.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There has been, and continues to be, close consultation with the Government of Montserrat, particularly through our development division in Barbados. I have visited Montserrat twice since hurricane Hugo for discussion with the chief Minister and others. I am satisfied with the aid provided so far. Much remains to be done and we are urgently considering the longer term needs. The chief Minister is meeting ODA officials today, 8 December.

  Scientific Culture
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the achievements of the programme for progress in scientific culture, run by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation advanced studies unit at Erice, Italy.

  Mr. Maude
  NATO runs an advanced study institutes programme which makes grants to individuals who apply to organise summer schools at post graduate level. Some of these have taken place at the Ettore Majorama centre for scientific culture which is an Italian institution and not organised or directly funded by NATO. This programme is of benefit to scientists from both the United Kingdom and other NATO countries.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what benefits accrue to the United Kingdom Exchequer from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation advanced study unit at the Ettore Majorama centre for scientific culture in Erice, Italy; and what is the annual upkeep grant made available to this centre.

  Mr. Maude
  NATO's advanced study institutes programme makes grants to individuals who apply to organise summer schools at post-graduate level. The programme is of benefit to the scientific community in the United Kingdom and in other Alliance countries. An analysis of the precise financial benefit is not available. Some of the summer schools have taken place at the Ettore Majorama centre for scientific culture. However, this is an Italian institution and is not organised or directly funded by NATO.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Market Research
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many market research and sample surveys were carried our by or for his Department in the last 12 months; what was the cost of each; what was the total cost; how many were carried out in house; how many were carried out for his Department by outside organisations; and what, percentage of the total expenditure was paid to outside organisations.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The latest period for which information is available is from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989. During this period, 35 market research, sample surveys and similar studies were carried out on behalf of the Department. None was carried out in-house. The costs involved were:

  Number

  Under £5,000

  6

  £5,000 to £10,000

  6

  £10,000 to £20,000

  13

  £20,000 to £30,000

  4

  Over £30,000

  6

  Total cost = £1,257,896.

  Note: These studies were at differing stages of development—riot all involved client interface during 1988–89.

  The Department also sponsors part of the social policy research unit at York university. They were involved in seven studies during 1988–89 at a total cost of £184,363·50.

  AIDS
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the figures given in the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 23 June,Official Report, column 276, for the cost of diets for people with AIDS or HIV infection; if he will also give figures for the income support available to people under 25 years of age who are unemployed but still capable of work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Based upon the food component of the September 1988 retail prices index, the diet costed at £14·19 would now cost £15·43 and that of £9·46 would now cost £10·29. The income support available to people under the age of 25 years is £27·40 a week for all 18 to 24 year olds, and certain 16 to 17 year olds who, of necessity, have to live away from home; 16 to 17-year-olds who live in someone else's household may qualify for £20·80 a week.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what recent consultations he has had concerning the financial needs of people with AIDS/ARC and HIV; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what representations he has received concerning the financial needs of people with AIDS/ARC/HIV; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I have received various representations from organisations, including the Terrence Higgins trust, and from individuals. Officials have also had recent consultations with the Department of Health.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to be able to send a
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  substantive reply to the letter of 12 July from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on income support for people with AIDS/ARC/HIV; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I hope to be able to reply to the right hon. Gentleman today.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will specify any difference in treatment in regard to means-tested benefits between payments under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 and the £20,000 payments from the Macfarlane trust in respect of(a) children and (b) adults.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  All payments from the Macfarlane trust are disregarded for benefit purposes. Lump sump payments made under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 are normally taken into account as capital, unless they are placed in trust for the recipient. They are then disregarded.

  (a) if the payment is for a child, until he or she is no longer a dependant;

  (b) if the payment is for an adult, for 2 years, or longer in certain circumstances.

  Any payments from a trust will be taken into account as income or capital in the normal way.

ENVIRONMENT

  Dogs
  Mr McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to introduce legislation for the establishment of a national registration and licence system for dogs.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We do not agree that the main problems caused by dogs would be solved by a national dog registration scheme, though consideration is being given to alternative schemes to deal with straying and fouling. Our proposed solutions are set out in the consultation paper "Action on Dogs" issued in August. Controls on dangerous dogs have already been significantly strengthened by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1989.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to introduce legislation relating to dog registration; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion).

  European Environmental Agency
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if data deposited with the proposed European Environmental Agency will be subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Under the terms of the draft regulation on the proposed European Environment Agency, data supplied or or emanating from the agency may be published and shall be made accessible to the public, subject to compliance with the rules of the Commission and the member states on the dissemination of information.

  CFCs
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the states parties to the Montreal protocol on chlorofluorocarbon control held in Geneva in November; and how the decisions taken at this meeting will affect Her Majesty's Government's policies to combat the greenhouse effect.

  Mr. Trippier
  The meeting was one of a series of preparatory meetings for the second meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol in London next summer. Its purpose was to identify the amendments and adjustments to the protocol which will be proposed at that meeting. This was achieved. The United Kingdom, acting in concert with the European Community, has taken a leading position on the timetable for phasing out CFCs which are greenhouse gases as well as ozone depleting substances.

  "Inside Sellafield"
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to obtain for his Department's library from Channel Four television or Pip Limited a copy of(a) the transcript and (b) the videotape of the programme "Inside Sellafield" broadcast on 9 November.

  Mr. Trippier
  The programme has been seen and studied by several of the Department's scientific and administrative staff. There are no plans to buy a transcript or videotape for the library.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the trade unions representing the Nature Conservancy Council work force in Scotland concerning his proposed reorganisation of the National Conservancy Council; and if he will make a statement as to the nature of these representations.

  Mr. Trippier
  None.

  Transport Planning
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any recent communication from the Open university's energy and environment research unit on the matter of environmental aspects of transport planning.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of acid rain deposition, and contamination of groundwater by acidity is caused by monocultural foresty development in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department's acid waters review group in their second report, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House, concluded that the primary cause of acidification in sensitive areas of the United Kingdom was acid deposition from the atmosphere. Afforestation might increase the deposition of
  423
  pollutants by 30 per cent. in a mature stand. The effect of the contamination of groundwater is difficult to quantify. Research by the Forestry Commission and within the Department's air pollution research programme on quantifying the effect of afforestation, including mono-cultural forestry, on acid deposition is continuing.

  Hazardous Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of large facilities which can handle low and intermediate level radioactive wastes for treatment and volume reduction in(a) the European Community, excluding the United Kingdom, and (b) the rest of the world.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department does not maintain a comprehensive list of large overseas facilities which can handle low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes for treatment and volume reduction.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many large chemical incinerators there are in Britain that can handle special wastes;

  (2) if he will give details of the amounts found by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution of polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin in the flue gases from the Rechem international incinerator plant at Ponteg, Pontypool; and what information he has on comparable figures of large chemical incinerators in the mainland of Europe;

  (3) if he will provide an estimate of the total amount of special wastes dumped at the Leigh environmental waste disposal site at Walsall;

  (4) if he will summarise the results found by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution of tests for polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin in herbage and soil samples around the Rechem incinerator plant at Ponteg, Pontypool;

  (5) what amounts of chemical waste were incinerated at the Rechem plant in Pontypool in each year from 1985 to the present time; and what quantities of polychlorinated biphenyls contaminated waste were handled each year;

  (6) what estimate he has of the cumulative total amount of polychlorinated biphenyls manufactured over the last 30 years in (a) the Monsanto chemical works in Newport, Gwent, (b) Britain, (c) western Europe and (d) worldwide;

  (7) what information he has as to the amount of special waste incinerated on board ships during 1988 (a) in the North sea, and (b) in European waters;

  (8) what information he has as to the number of large chemical incinerators which can handle special wastes in (a) the European Community, excluding the United Kingdom, and (b) the rest of the world;

  (9) what information he has as to the number of large chemical incinerators for toxic wastes worldwide having (a) a double door with an air-lock, and (b) a single door;

  (10) what information he has of alternative methods to incineration now being developed or considered for the destruction of polychlorinated biphenyls;

  (11) what is the total amount of special wastes that have been subjected to the Leigh environmental sealofsafe solidification process; and what proportion of this is in a non-solid form;
  424
  (12) what quantities of flyash have been imported through Swansea docks for every year from 1979 to the present time; and what are the results of analyses carried out for dioxin in such flyash;

  (13) what quantities of special wastes were imported into Britain for incineration for every year from 1979 to the present time;

  (14) whether Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will consider the installation of continuous monitoring equipment to measure the amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls dioxin in the flue gas from the Rechem plant in Pontypool.

  Mr. Trippier
  : I wrote to the hon. Member on 5 December.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in determining public expenditure plans for 1990–91 what provision was made for the cost of (i) refuse disposal, (ii) land drainage, (iii) cemeteries and cremation, (iv) environmental and port health, (v) planning control and implementation, (vi) recreation, (vii) refuse collection and (viii) community charge collection.

  Mr. Patten
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  An assessment of local authorities' revenue needs for these services and others was made in the standard spending assessment (SSA) for the other services block. The total SSA for other services for 1990–91 is £4,491 million. Within this total, £160 million was identified for land drainage.

  The public expenditure planning total includes the credit approvals issued to local authorities and central Government grants towards local authority capital expenditure but does not include local authority self-financed capital expenditure. The provision for 1990–91 includes credit approvals and capital grants of £9 million for land drainage. There is also provision of £193 million for credit approvals for local environmental services, which include the services mentioned in the question. Of this, £33 million will be issued to authorities needing to carry out remedial works on the build up of landfill gas at waste disposal sites and £39 million will be issued to the authorities responsible for waste disposal expenditure in Greater London and the metropolitan counties.

  The public expenditure planning total also includes provision for expenditure of £44 million by the Sports Council and £24 million by the Countryside Commission.

  Environmental Audits
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will encourage British companies to conduct environmental audits.

  Mr. Trippier
  I welcome the growing practice of environmental auditing which has been adopted by industrial corporations. Such audits help to safeguard the environment by ensuring a more judicious use of resources and energy and minimising waste.

  Housing (Repossession)
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the University of Bristol research report on possession action cases by local authorities.

  Mr. Chope
  I welcome this report by researchers at the university of Bristol which underlines the need for early action by housing managers when local authority rent arrears arise. Court proceedings can too easily substitute for effective housing management practice.

  The report, published today, was based on a study of 1,200 possession action cases brought by local authorities most of which were actions to recover rent arrears. It showed that there were considerable variations in the level of rent arrears before local authorities took action in the courts. Delays meant that rent arrears often increased substantially before cases were heard in court.

  The Lord Chancellor's civil justice review recommended several improvements to the current procedures for possession actions and suggested a new streamlined rent action to speed debt recovery and avoid some possession cases coming to court.

  Highway Maintenance
  Sir Michael Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will review the data used in calculating the highway maintenance element of the standard spending assessment relating to the treatment of winter maintenance.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Following representations from my hon. Friend and others, I have concluded that the formula for the highway maintenance component of standard spending assessments (SSAs) does not reflect my right hon. Friend's desired treatment of winter maintenance. We have therefore today notified the local authority associations and informed all local authorities of a revised formula. After allowing for some other data changes, this will increase the standard spending assessments component for this service for a number of non-metropolitan counties which have a high incidence of snow. I have put details in the Library. As a result the standard spending assessment for north Yorkshire will increase by £3·1 million, which is equivalent to a £6 per head reduction in the community charge bill.

  Carnwath Report
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to issue a consultative paper on the recommendations of the Carnwath report.

  Increases in weekly earnings, April 1979 to April 1989 and estimates of employees in employment, March 1979 and 1989

  Average earnings

  Median earnings

  Employees in employment Thousands

  Cash

  Per cent.

  Cash

  Per cent.

  £

  £

  1979

  1989

  Males

  Manufacturing

  162·8

  160

  142·4

  149

  na

  3,518·8

  Non-manufacturing

  173·6

  176

  145·3

  161

  na

  7,257·5

  Females

  Manufacturing

  99·1

  165

  86·0

  149

  1,603·1

  1,226·9

  Non-manufacturing

  123·6

  191

  107·2

  180

  3,902·5

  4,635·5

  426
  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 7 December 1989]: My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State announced the publication of the report and his intention to consult widely about it on 5 April.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many civil servants in his Department work(a) full time and (b) part time on (i) heritage, (ii) archaeology and (iii) the royal parks.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  [holding answer 7 December 1989]: The complement of headquarters civil servants dealing with heritage and archaeology is 392·5 full time equivalents. Within this complement there are about 17 part-time workers—most employed at the new Historic Palaces Agency. Ten officers work full-time in the Department on archaeological casework to do with the scheduling of monuments and sites. However, responsibility for advising Government on archaeological matters and for grant-aiding particular projects lies with English Heritage. Its ancient monuments division has 45 staff and a further 22 are engaged on monuments scheduling work.

  The royal parks have a complement of 599 full-time equivalent staff. Within this complement there are three part-time workers.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those representations he has received(a) welcoming and (b) opposing his plans to dismember the Nature Conservancy Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 7 December 1989]: My Department has received a large number of representations, about the proposals to reorganise the Nature Conservancy Council. It is not possible to allocate these in a meaningful way to the precise categories envisaged by the hon. Member. A number of representations contained elements both of support and of criticism.

EMPLOYMENT

  Earnings
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide for both full-time adult males and females figures corresponding to those given in his answer of I November Official Report, column 240, in cash and in percentages for the period 1979 to 1989, together with the number of employees represented by each category at each of the dates.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information is provided in the table:
  427
  Notes:

  1. Earnings data relates to full-time adult employees in Great Britain whose earnings were not affected by absence.

  2. Estimates of employees in employment in Great Britain are taken from the regularly published employment series.

  3. na denotes not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the increase in output per head and the corresponding averages and medians for manual and non-manuals in each case with a further breakdown for each of the principal manufacturing industry groups for the last 10 years to April.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information is not available on output per head in the form requested. Output per head for the principal manufacturing industry groups is given in table 7·2 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics.

  Ambulance and Nursing Services
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether men in the ambulance and nursing services are regarded as manual or non-manual workers.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Ambulance men are regarded as manuals and nurses as non-manuals in the classification of occupations used for statistical purposes by my Department.

  Training Schemes
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what training schemes were referred to in the published decisions of the adjudication officers in the period between April and June 1989 that 300 claims for unemployment benefit were disallowed because of refusal or premature termination of training.

  Mr. Eggar
  A person can be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit only in cases of refusal or premature termination of training, if it is a training scheme approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of section 20(1)8(e)-(g) of the 1975 Social Security Act.

  The only training scheme approved by the Secretary of State is the youth training scheme.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employment trainees have secured permanent employment in the Seaham and Peterlee areas following completion of their training.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information about the destinations of people leaving employment training in the Seaham and Peterlee areas is not available.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employment trainees there are in the Seaham and Peterlee areas.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 December 1989, the latest date for which information is available, there were 705 trainees on employment training in Seaham and Peterlee.

  Older Workers
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will monitor the demand for older people to return to the work force due to the decreasing numbers of young skilled workers and ensure that returning older workers are not exploited.
  428
  Mr. Nicholls
  The changing patterns of older workers' participation in the labour market are monitored through the labour force survey.

  The onus is on employers to offer terms and conditions which encourage older workers to remain in or return to the labour force. The Government have emphasised the impact on employers of the declining number of young people and will continue to stress to employers the importance of making the best use of the abilities and skills of all people in the labour force, particularly under-utilised groups such as older workers.

  Lead
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what level of lead in the bloodstream is considered to be medically safe for industrial workers working on processes which bring them into regular contact with lead; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980 and the accompanying approved code of practice specify that where the level of lead in the blood is greater than 70 microgrammes per 100 millilitres (or 40 microgrammes per 100 millilitres for a women of reproductive capacity), the worker should be removed from further exposure to lead until the blood-lead levels have fallen below these concentrations.

  Working Mothers
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the proportion of mothers of children aged five years to 11 years who are in(a) part-time, arid (b) full-time work for the latest year that figures are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Among women in Great Britain whose youngest dependent child was aged at least five years but under 11 it is estimated, using information from the labour force survey, that in spring 1988 just over 45 per cent. were in part-time employment and about 18½ per cent. were in full-time employment.

  Disabled Persons
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the reasons for his decision not to hold centrally information about the numbers of firms adhering to the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944; and whether these compliance levels will be analysed centrally before any recommendation concerning the future of the quota system is made by him.

  Mr. Eggar
  Information about the number of firms adhering to the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 is held centrally. However, this does not include the more detailed information about specific industries requested in the hon. Gentleman's question on 6 November 1989 at column 478. To assemble and hold such information centrally would be disproportionately costly.

  Information on quota compliance levels is being considered in the internal review of services to people with disabilities which this Department is currently undertaking.

SCOTLAND

  Health Boards
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each health board the amount spent on advertising for each of the last three years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information available from health boards' annual accounts about advertising costs is shown in the table:

  Health board

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Argyll and Clyde

  69,071

  102,687

  90,722

  Ayrshire and Arran

  63,175

  71,459

  98,574

  Borders

  26,753

  36,331

  49,516

  Dumfries and Galloway

  27,639

  25,950

  24,141

  Fife

  72,329

  99,243

  65,989

  Forth Valley

  39,570

  50,248

  48,293

  Grampian

  76,441

  88,909

  126,015

  Greater Glasgow

  81,158

  153,086

  227,574

  Highland

  39,160

  49,565

  45,111

  Lanarkshire

  56,500

  55,872

  68,742

  Lothian

  119,062

  140,231

  160,636

  Orkney

  2,847

  1,848

  3,559

  Shetland

  6,985

  7,102

  12,065

  Tayside

  74,563

  79,968

  83,774

  Western Isles

  17,852

  21,956

  18,282

  Total

  773,105

  984,455

  1,122,993

  Public Appointments
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons above the age of(a) 60, (b) 65 and (c) 70 years he has appointed to public bodies in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I do not have comprehensive information of this kind. If the hon. Lady has any particular point in mind, I should be glad if she would write to me about it.

  Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much he expects to be spent in the present financial year to assist the development of local enterprise companies in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  It is not possible to identify separately the administrative costs incurred by the Scottish Office, Scottish Development Agency, Highlands and Islands Development Board and Training Agency in 1989–90 in relation to the development of local enterprise companies. The provision of development funding to local enterprise companies—in the lowlands to be made jointly by the Scottish Development Agency and Training Agency, and in the highlands and islands to be made jointly by the Highlands and Islands Development Board and Training Agency—is not likely to exceed £0·2 million in 1989–90.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under which class of the Scottish Office vote moneys are to be paid out for the development of local enterprise companies.

  Mr. Lang
  The provision of development funding to local enterprise companies in the lowlands will be made jointly by the Scottish Development Agency and Training 430
  Agency and in the Highlands and Islands by the Highlands and Islands Development Board and Training Agency. My right hon. and learned Friend funds the Scottish Development Agency and the Highlands and Islands Development Board from subheads A 1 and B1 respectively of class XVI, vote 3. Resources for the Training Agency's activities in Scotland are provided under class XVI, vote 4, subhead A1.

  Tourism
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by(a) Scottish Development Agency and (b) the Highlands and Islands Development Board in promoting tourism and the tourist industry in each of the last five financial years.

  Mr. Lang
  The most recent figures available are as follows:

  (a) Scottish Development Agency

  Financial year

  Expenditure£ million

  1984–85

  0·3

  1985–86

  0·3

  1986–87

  3·7

  1987–88

  0·1

  1988–89

  Nil

  (b) Highlands and Islands Development Board

  Financial year

  Expenditure£ million

  1984–85

  8·2

  1985–86

  9·0

  1986–87

  8·7

  1987–88

  8·2

  1988–89

  8·8

  Notes:

  1. The Scottish Development Agency figures cover loan and equity finance for tourism projects which meet its normal investment criteria and tourist projects under schemes for urban and rural development. In addition, a number of feasibility studies, land engineering and property development projects funded by the agency may have tourism benefits.

  2. Provision by the Highlands and Islands Development board is through its marketing and projects programmes and under its section 8 assistance scheme. The above figures do not include expenditure on salaries and administration.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he anticipates roles for the tourist industry and those involved in promoting tourism within the proposed local enterprise companies, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  I expect local enterprise companies to reflect the importance of tourism in their areas. Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise will be able to draw upon tourism expertise in the same way as the Highlands and Islands Development Board, the Scottish Development Agency and the Training Agency.

  Voluntary Organisations
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about his Department's decision to withdraw funding from the East Lothian Council for Voluntary Service; and if he has any proposals for alternative support for voluntary organisations in East Lothian.
  431
  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 30 November 1989]: I shall write to the hon. Member.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Submarines (India)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the security implications for the United Kingdom of the acquisition of nuclear powered submarines by India.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no apparent security implications for the United Kingdom arising from the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by India.

  Nuclear Tests
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the United Kingdom Government's current approach to the seismic verification of treaties constraining nuclear testing;

  (2) if he will outline the important verification difficulties that remain to be resolved before an agreement can be reached by the United Kingdom Government on a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) on 27 June 1988 at column 61, and to the working paper on seismic monitoring tabled in the conference on disarmament in 1985 (CD 610), a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many scientific personnel are currently employed by

  Intake

  Outflow

  January to September

  January to September

  1988

  1989

  1988

  1989

  All Services

  Total

  26,154

  27,155

  28,578

  31,672

  Male officers

  1,949

  1,907

  2,486

  2,638

  Service men

  22,229

  22,451

  23,976

  26,759

  Female officers

  264

  286

  266

  260

  Service women

  1,712

  2,511

  1,850

  2,015

  Royal Navy

  Total

  4,082

  4,082

  4,513

  4,779

  Male officers

  424

  445

  507

  516

  Service men

  3,230

  3,065

  3,595

  3,760

  Female officers

  22

  36

  36

  39

  Service women

  406

  536

  375

  464

  Royal Marines

  Total

  755

  716

  886

  819

  Male officers

  40

  40

  40

  41

  Service men

  735

  676

  846

  778

  Army

  Total

  16,496

  17,419

  17,542

  18,808

  Male officers

  936

  969

  1,131

  1,251

  Service men

  14,669

  15,215

  15,382

  16,594

  Female officers

  96

  124

  117

  127

  Service women

  795

  1,111

  912

  836

  Royal Air Force

  Total

  4,801

  4,938

  5,637

  7,266

  Male officers

  549

  453

  808

  830

  Service men

  3,595

  3,495

  4,153

  5,627

  Female officers

  146

  126

  113

  94

  Service women

  511

  864

  563

  715

  432
  the United Kingdom Government or by Government-sponsored enterprises working on verification of a global comprehensive test ban treaty.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence's research establishment at Blacknest, near Aldermaston, employs 27 scientific personnel, including a number of contract staff, who undertake seismological research which could be used in establishing the requirements of a verification regime for further constraints on nuclear testing.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the United Kingdom Government's annual expenditure, for each year since May 1979, on verification of a global comprehensive test ban treaty.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Information on the costs of seismological research undertaken at Blacknest, near Aldermaston, dating back to 1979 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 19 October 1989 at column 251 concerning the costs of this work for the financial year 1988–89.

  Officers and Other Ranks
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the levels of recruitment and outflow for officers and other ranks in all three services in the periods January to September 1988 and January to September in the current year.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Numbers for intake to the services from civil life and outflow from the services are as follows:

  RAF Cadets (Exchange)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implication for national security of the proposed exchange of Royal Air Force flying cadets from Bracknell and Cranwell colleges with Soviet flying cadets from the Gagarin Air Academy in Moscow.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A successful exchange of visits has taken place this year between the directing staff of the Royal Air Force Staff College Bracknell and the Gagarin Academy. Further exchanges are being considered but there are no plans for an exchange of air force cadets. Care has been taken to ensure that defence contacts with the Soviet Union meet security requirements.

  Long-range Air-launched Missiles
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether approval has been sought from the United States Government for the Anglo-French co-production of a long range air-launched missile.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It is not clear what long-range air-launched missile the hon. Member has in mind, but in no case has such approval been sought.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place with(a) British Aerospace, (b) Thomson-CSF and (c) the French Government about the co-production of a long-range, air-launched missile.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  None.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what specifications have been provided to British Aerospace in respect of the production of a new long-range, air-launched missile.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  None.

  BAe and Thomson-CSF
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions the Government have had with the joint venture company recently formed by British Aerospace and Thomson-CSF.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The MOD has been informed by BAe and Thomson-CSF of the companies' proposal to form a joint venture defence weapon system company to be known as Eurodynamics. Subject to consideration of national security and competition implications in the light of the detailed proposals by the companies, the MOD would welcome the proposition.

  Number of ambulance vehicles 1979–891—England—By Region

  Region

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Northern

  548

  549

  566

  546

  546

  470

  458

  477

  479

  Yorkshire

  615

  590

  590

  660

  597

  636

  638

  647

  680

  Trent

  590

  687

  668

  651

  644

  648

  678

  688

  698

  East Anglian

  194

  202

  218

  221

  218

  219

  225

  231

  235

  North West Thames

  194

  194

  197

  199

  196

  193

  200

  202

  200

  North East Thames

  173

  175

  172

  168

  149

  148

  137

  133

  150

  South East Thames

  343

  346

  344

  311

  317

  300

  300

  300

  300

  South West Thames

  1,230

  1,270

  1,227

  1,281

  1,179

  1,184

  1,170

  1,127

  1,121

  Wessex

  295

  295

  302

  328

  308

  297

  293

  280

  247

  Oxford

  286

  282

  289

  289

  285

  284

  283

  279

  283

  Royal Navy (Defence Missile System)
  Mr. Lee
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Royal Navy's requirement for a support defence missile system.

  Mr. Neubert
  I can announce today that we intend, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations with the other participating nations, to join a 24-month project definition phase for the local area missile system (LAMS) variant of the family of anti-air missile systems next year. We have therefore decided, after very careful consideration, not to participate in the next phase of the NATO anti-air warfare system (NAAWS) project.

  The choice between these two collaborative programmes has been an extremely difficult one because both projects offer the prospect of a highly capable ship defence system. Many complex factors have had to be assessed; particular consideration has been given to the balance between technical performance and programme cost and risk. The United Kingdom's requirement for a SDMS is linked to the MOD's plans to procure an anti-air warfare (AAW) escort ship to come into service at the turn of the century to replace the type 42 destroyers. On balance, it has been concluded that, of the two projects, FAMS offers the better prospect of providing an affordable and capable system within that time scale.

  Running Costs Limit
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he proposes to make any change to the 1989–90 running costs limit for his Department.

  Mr. Tom King
  The running costs limit for the Ministry of Defence will be reduced by £12,907,000 from £5,162,254,000 to £5,149,347,000. It reflects a decrease of £28,907,000 to compensate for an overspend in 1988–89 offset by a £16,000,000 increase for additional security measures. This follows the normal practice of reducing the limit for one financial year by the amount of any overspend in the previous year.

HEALTH

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, for each year since 1979, the total number of ambulance vehicles, staff and costs, at 1989 prices by region.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested is shown in the tables:
  435

  Region

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  South Western

  472

  479

  479

  490

  484

  480

  447

  457

  438

  West Midlands

  691

  704

  749

  749

  728

  713

  690

  713

  702

  Mersey

  310

  302

  302

  306

  338

  351

  387

  393

  393

  North Western

  601

  595

  614

  608

  616

  568

  534

  532

  556

  Total

  6,542

  6,670

  6,717

  6,807

  6,605

  6,491

  6,440

  6,459

  6,482

  Notes:

  1 The total number of vehicles used to transport patients.

  2 The figures for the south west Thames region include those for the London ambulance service.

  National Health Service Ambulance Staff in post by region At 30 September each year

  whole-time equivalent

  Region

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  England

  17,129

  17,768

  18,221

  18,324

  18,397

  18,103

  18,188

  18,966

  19,010

  18,761

  Northern

  1,415

  1,446

  1,473

  1,474

  1,482

  1,424

  1,396

  1,401

  1,390

  1,357

  Yorkshire

  1,404

  1,548

  1,606

  1,622

  1,630

  1,604

  1,596

  1,640

  1,666

  1,573

  Trent

  1,780

  1,798

  1,842

  1,890

  1,904

  1,905

  1,934

  1,968

  1,979

  1,961

  East Anglia

  581

  597

  599

  626

  638

  646

  675

  770

  772

  773

  North West Thames

  475

  465

  492

  484

  467

  456

  456

  488

  541

  525

  North East Thames

  510

  534

  566

  584

  565

  537

  542

  591

  593

  594

  South East Thames

  870

  908

  938

  942

  943

  950

  949

  957

  951

  920

  South West Thames

  592

  641

  638

  637

  633

  596

  629

  667

  663

  675

  Wessex

  906

  907

  947

  954

  943

  952

  946

  990

  978

  952

  Oxford

  727

  730

  753

  762

  750

  750

  757

  815

  837

  835

  South Western

  1,375

  1,401

  1,408

  1,424

  1,438

  1,430

  1,441

  1,470

  1,482

  1,455

  West Midlands

  1,764

  1,809

  1,873

  1,849

  1,889

  1,849

  1,880

  1,936

  1,914

  1,917

  Mersey

  799

  826

  852

  870

  894

  910

  893

  947

  955

  932

  North Western

  1,605

  1,653

  1,649

  1,688

  1,703

  1,584

  1,605

  1,668

  1,701

  1,687

  London Ambulance Service

  2,325

  2,506

  2,587

  2,519

  2,518

  2,505

  2,491

  2,659

  2,587

  2,605

  Source: Department of Health (SM13) Annual Census of National Health Service non-Medical manpower.

  Note: All figures are independently rounded to nearest whole-time equivalent.

  Total revenue expenditure on ambulance services (at 1988–89 prices)

  £'000s

  Regions

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–891

  Northern

  23,226

  24,625

  24,527

  24,141

  23,503

  22,857

  22,661

  23,297

  22,820

  22,207

  Yorkshire

  23,015

  24,920

  25,036

  24,515

  25,129

  24,883

  24,964

  25,921

  25,651

  24,687

  Trent

  28,119

  29,958

  29,388

  29,311

  29,175

  29,409

  29,074

  30,958

  30,957

  30,009

  East Anglian

  11,673

  12,324

  12,328

  12,207

  12,761

  12,632

  12,614

  13,562

  13,370

  13,073

  North West Thames

  19,779

  21,725

  22,126

  21,282

  20,381

  20,110

  20,334

  22,389

  8,759

  8,696

  North East Thames

  21,583

  23,616

  24,020

  23,265

  22,717

  22,072

  22,303

  24,643

  9,389

  9,149

  South East Thames

  23,792

  25,759

  25,852

  25,409

  25,066

  24,336

  24,039

  25,916

  15,673

  15,252

  South West Thames

  17,976

  19,603

  19,813

  19,301

  18,866

  18,495

  18,453

  19,816

  58,143

  57,622

  Wessex

  16,095

  16,944

  17,019

  17,035

  17,363

  17,476

  17,439

  18,384

  18,025

  16,975

  Oxford

  12,960

  13,225

  13,176

  12,973

  12,669

  12,411

  12,183

  13,402

  13,507

  13,462

  South Western

  22,524

  23,162

  22,857

  22,813

  22,962

  22,821

  22,539

  24,989

  25,049

  24,150

  West Midlands

  29,746

  30,973

  30,608

  29,979

  29,668

  30,106

  29,696

  31,684

  32,052

  30,886

  Mersey

  12,857

  14,115

  14,207

  13,824

  13,773

  13,930

  13,846

  15,122

  15,095

  14,619

  North Western

  26,307

  28,185

  27,489

  27,235

  27,571

  26,416

  26,153

  27,259

  26,700

  25,439

  ENGLAND TOTAL

  289,651

  309,134

  308,445

  303,290

  301,606

  297,951

  296,298

  317,344

  315,189

  306,283

  1 1988–89-Provisional cash figures (as yet subject to audit).

  Sources: Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities in England (those of their predecessor authorities for the years prior to 1982–83).

  Notes to the table:

  1. The figures have been expressed at 1988–89 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product Deflator.

  2. From 1987–88 the South West Thames regional health authority accounts for the expenditure of the London Ambulance Service. In earlier years the costs were shared by the four Thames regional health authorities.

  AIDS
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will be taking to prevent double counting in anonymous AIDS testing.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In any anonymous survey there is a possibility of double counting. However, this problem is taken into account in the survey design and can also be minimised by appropriate statistical methods.

  Funding (Leicestershire District Health Authority)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on representations he has received for additional funding for the Leicestershire district health authority.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received no recent representations for additional funding for Leicestershire health authority.

  Doctors and Dentists Review Body
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will indicate how much additional money he has recommended to the doctors and dentists review body as the sum needed to take into account the extra work for general practices arising from the new contract;

  (2) if he will publish his Department's evidence to the doctors and dentists review body.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. There is a long-standing agreement between the parties concerned that evidence to the doctors and dentists review body is not published until after the Government have announced their decisions on the recommendations made by the review body.

  Child Migrants
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking on grants to assist child migrants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department is considering a grant application from the Child Migrants trust. Officials have met and are in contact with representatives of the Child Migrants trust to discuss how the Department might assist. We are unable to make a decision about the trust's grant application until extra information requested is provided and considered.

  Phoenix House, Liverpool
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug addicts used services provided by Phoenix house, Liverpool during the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the future of Phoenix house.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally. Phoenix house is a major non-statutory organisation providing a variety of services for drug misusers to which the Government have allocated over £1 million under the central funding initiative to develop drug misuse services.

WALES

  Health Service
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and which community health councils in Wales have made representations to him opposing the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Grist
  The White Paper includes a wide range of measures to improve the organisation and management of the NHS so as to maximise patient care. Community health councils are in frequent correspondence with the Department about many issues. In recent months many such representations have concerned one or more aspects of individual White Paper proposals, and have included views supporting or expressing concern about them. It would be possible only at disproportionate expense to analyse these in the manner requested by the hon. Gentleman.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of National Health Service beds available for the elderly in each Welsh health authority area from 1985 to 1988 inclusive.
  438
  Mr. Grist
  The number of beds in specialities designated as geriatric, psychogeriatric and elderly mentally infirm is shown in the following table. Elderly patients can, however, be treated in beds allocated to other specialities.

  Average daily available beds

  Health authority

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Clwyd

  585·1

  590·6

  562·9

  534·0

  East Dyfed

  417·6

  419·5

  409·9

  404·9

  Gwent

  981·2

  973·2

  966·9

  958·9

  Gwynedd

  438·5

  446·3

  443·4

  451·1

  Mid Glamorgan

  920·8

  923·2

  938·1

  805·9

  Pembrokeshire

  134·4

  134·5

  126·4

  126·6

  Powys

  238·0

  220·3

  206·2

  220·5

  South Glamorgan

  460·6

  463·9

  455·9

  455·8

  West Glamorgan

  503·9

  461·6

  481·5

  470·5

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioner practices in Wales have more than 11,000 patients; and where they are situated.

  Mr. Grist
  At June 1989 there were 39 practices in Wales with more than 11,000 patients. The location of the main surgery of these practices is shown in the table:

  Location

  Number of practices

  Rhyl, Clwyd

  1

  Wrexham, Clwyd

  3

  Prestatyn, Clwyd

  1

  Mold, Clwyd

  1

  Buckley, Clwyd

  1

  Gresford, Clwyd

  1

  Abergele, Clwyd

  1

  Carmarthen, Dyfed

  1

  Haverfordwest, Dyfed

  1

  Caldicot, Gwent

  1

  Monmouth, Gwent

  1

  Newport, Gwent

  3

  Amlwch, Gwynedd

  1

  Llandudno, Gwynedd

  1

  Bedwas, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan

  2

  Church Village, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan

  2

  Dowlais, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Caerphilly, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Ystradmynach, Mid Glamorgn

  1

  Ystradgynlais, Powys

  1

  Brecon, Powys

  1

  Newtown, Powys

  1

  Cardiff, South Glamorgan

  4

  Barry, South Glamorgan

  1

  Gowerton, West Glamorgan

  1

  Swansea, West Glamorgan

  1

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many long-term patients have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals in Wales in every year since 1985 in each area health authority in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The number of patient discharges following a stay of one year or more, is shown in the following table:

  Patient discharges from mental illness hospitals or units

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Clwyd

  65

  44

  47

  63

  East Dyfed

  30

  42

  46

  43

  Pembrokeshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  439

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Gwent

  46

  42

  56

  53

  Gwynedd

  —

  4

  4

  2

  Mid Glamorgan

  33

  55

  41

  51

  Powys

  6

  6

  17

  12

  South Glamorgan

  39

  26

  35

  43

  West Glamorgan

  31

  31

  47

  44

  Patient discharges from mental handicap hospitals or units

  Clwyd

  1

  3

  5

  8

  East Dyfed

  3

  1

  —

  —

  Pembrokeshire

  4

  5

  3

  10

  Gwent

  7

  10

  33

  12

  Mental illness1

  Mental handicap

  Number of beds

  Changes in number

  Number of beds

  Changes in number

  1985

  1988

  1985–88

  1985

  1988

  1985–88

  Clwyd

  657·3

  558·0

  - 99·3

  92·0

  62·7

  -29·3

  East Dyfed

  577·3

  492·3

  - 85·0

  71·0

  32·0

  -39·0

  Gwent

  931·0

  883·0

  - 48·0

  421·7

  374·7

  -47·0

  Gwynedd

  46·5

  92·2

  + 45·7

  333·2

  325·7

  - 7·5

  Mid Glamorgan

  1,197·0

  1,031·3

  -165·7

  488·2

  420·0

  -68·2

  Pembrokeshire

  —

  —

  —

  32·0

  32·0

  —

  Powys

  335·0

  323·0

  12·0

  209·5

  196·1

  -13·4

  South Glamorgan

  687·8

  654·6

  - 33·2

  411·1

  384·3

  -26·8

  West Glamorgan

  406·6

  371·2

  - 35·4

  142·5

  80·0

  -62·5

  1 Includes mental illness, mental illness (children), adolescent psychiatry, psychogeriatric and elderly mentally infirm.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received from general practitioners in Wales(a) opposing and (b) supporting the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply of 6 December to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones).

  Aged 75–84 inclusive

  Aged 85 and over

  1988 population county

  In thousands

  Per cent.1

  In thousands

  Per cent.1

  Clwyd

  24·3

  6·0

  6·5

  1·6

  Dyfed

  20·6

  5·9

  5·1

  1·5

  Gwent

  22·5

  5·0

  5·7

  1·3

  Gwynedd

  15·9

  6·7

  4·5

  1·9

  Mid Glamorgan

  26·5

  4·9

  6·0

  1·1

  Powys

  7·1

  6·1

  1·7

  1·5

  South Glamorgan

  20·5

  5·1

  5·9

  1·5

  West Glamorgan

  20·9

  5·7

  5·3

  1·5

  1As a percentage of total population of each county.

  Source: OPCS mid year estimates of population.

  Rural Transport
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for co-ordinating bus and coach timetables in rural Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None. It is for bus operators to issue their own timetables. County councils have powers to promote bus and coach services in conjunction with commercial operators if they so wish.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to provide a subsidy to Dyfed county council to assist in providing a bus-rail link from Lampeter to Llandovery.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None. The county council have powers to subsidise a service from their own resources.
  440

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Gwynedd

  9

  10

  9

  16

  Mid Glamorgan

  22

  7

  18

  19

  Powys

  5

  12

  7

  6

  South Glamorgan

  5

  14

  11

  13

  West Glamorgan

  31

  7

  14

  8

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many psychiatric hospital beds in Wales have been closed down since 1985 in each area health authority.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on the numbers of average daily available beds is shown in the following table:

  Pensioners
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of pensioners aged(a) 75 to 85 years and (b) 85 years and over in each Welsh county in numbers, and as a percentage of the total population in the areas concerned.

  Mr. Grist
  The estimated populations aged 75 to 85 and aged 85 and over of each county in numerical and percentage terms are shown in the following table:

  Mentally Handicapped People
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to visit the St. Augustinusstichting village al Gemep, Holland, to investigate the pioneering work undertaken to create a village community for the mentally handicapped.

  Mr. Grist
  The principles underlying the provision of mental handicap services in Wales are set out in the Government's all Wales mental handicap strategy. There are no proposals to alter these principles.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is considering alternative futures for Llanfrechfa Grange hospital on the lines of the village community for the mentally handicapped at St. Augustinusstichting, Gemep, Holland.
  441
  Mr. Grist
  Proposals for any substantial variation in the service provided in a district are a matter in the first instance for the health authority.

  Drug Addicts
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what centres exist for the treatment of drug addicts residing in each of the counties of Wales; and whether he has any proposals for increasing the provision.

  Mr. Grist
  The provision of services and facilities for drug misusers in their area is essentially a matter for individual health and local authorities to determine. Existing and planned local services will suffice for the needs of the majority of problem drug misusers but there remains a small number of cases where more specialist help is needed. Two in-patient units exist with special interest in such cases. These are the Adfer unit in South Glamorgan and a unit at the North Wales hospital, Denbigh. In addition, we are aware of two voluntary sector projects which can provide residential rehabilitation facilities for drug misusers. These are the Rhoserchan project near Aberystwyth, and Teen Challenge at Llanelli.

  To supplement and support those local services the Government established in 1986 the central initiative to combat drug misuse. That initiative provides additional increasing resources for statutory and voluntary services. The current annual provision is around £1·5 million, details of which I announced in April of this year. Copies of that announcement are available in the Library of the House. Future provision will be announced in the new year.

  Water
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for which sites in Wales he has exercised his power under section 42 of Part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 to issue certificates exempting discharges from the public register held by the water authority; what was the name of the plant operator; and on what dates the certificates were issued.

  Mr. Grist
  None.

  Welsh Language Teaching
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce his decisions in respect of the secondary schools which have applied for exemption from the provision in the national curriculum to teach Welsh to pupils in years one to three.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I am currently considering responses to the consultation on my proposals for Welsh in the national curriculum and aim to publish draft orders for attainment targets and programmes of study around the end of the year.

  I shall reach decisions about the case for exempting individual schools in good time for the beginning of implementation in Autumn 1990. Before doing so I shall want to consult the local education authorities for their views.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters his Department has received during the 1988–89 parliamentary Session from hon. Members 442
  representing Welsh constituencies; and what was the average length of time between the receipt of the correspondence and the sending of a reply.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 5 December 1989]: My Department received 2,997 letters from hon. Members representing Welsh constituencies during the 1988–89 parliamentary Session. Replies were sent, on average, 17 working days after receipt.

ENERGY

  Market Research
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many market research and sample surveys were carried out by or for his Department in the last 12 months; what was the cost of each; what was the total cost; how many were carried out in-house; how many were carried out for his Department by outside organisations; and what percentage of the total expenditure was paid to outside organisations.

  Mr. Wakeham
  All 46 surveys carried out for my Department in the last year were placed with outside organisations at a total cost of £705,000. Individual amounts are commercially confidential.

  "Inside Sellafield"
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek to obtain for his Department's library from Channel Four television or Pip Limited a copy of(a) the transcript and (b) the videotape of the programme "Inside Sellafield" broadcast on 9 November.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No.

  Retired Miners
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many(a) retired miners, (b) miners retired early through ill health and (c) miners made redundant, are in receipt of fuel or cash in lieu of allowances; and how many widows are in receipt of fuel or cash in lieu of allowances.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Concessionary fuel is a matter for the British Coal Corporation. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Greenhouse Effect
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a year-by-year projection for the period of 1990 to 2010 on the likely introduction of gas-fired power plants for electricity production, by mine output; and what contribution this will make to mitigation of the greenhouse global warming effect.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  It is for the electricity industry to determine the type and amount of plant needed to meet expected demand. Gas-fired generating plant will have a contribution to make to reduction in emission of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to paragraph 1.6 of Her Majesty's Government's response, HC611, to the Energy Committee's fourth
  443
  special report on energy policy implications of the greenhouse effect, if he will specify what is meant by bottom-up pressure of sensible ideas; and how he defines sensible ideas in this context.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  In the context of research relating to the greenhouse effect, it is appropriate that objectives should be specified clearly, in advance, before projects are funded. The scientific and engineering community continues to put forward a variety of suggestions for research, which can be appraised against appropriate objectives. These suggestions represent a bottom-up pressure of ideas. Those proposals which can make a contribution to our scientific understanding, or to possible ways of dealing with the consequences of the greenhouse effect, are examples of sensible ideas.

  Research
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department, or the energy technology support unit at Harwell, is currently conducting any collaborative research with the Swedish National Energy Administration; and whether there are any plans for future collaboration.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The primary vehicle for collaborative research with Sweden is under the auspices of International Energy Agency. Both the United Kingdom and Sweden are very active within the Agency and there is collaboration on a large number of topics, including, coal combustion, solar heating and cooling and wind energy. In addition, separated agreements exist between the Swedish national energy administration and the energy technology support unit on research, development and demonstration of bioenergy and with my Department on the energy database. My Department is always receptive to opportunities for appropriate research and development collaboration.

  Collaboration on geothermal hot dry rocks took place in 1986 when my Department funded and participated in a viscous stimulation of a 500m hole drilled in Sweden.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what publications produced by(a) the energy research group and (b) the energy and environment research unit of the Open university are in his departmental library; and if he will make a statement on the utility of Open university energy research publications in informing his policies.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Department of Energy's library holds the following publications of the Open university energy research group:Combined heat and power: a discussion of Energy paper 20—R. Armson. 1977.
  A critique of the electricity industry. 1976.
  A dynamic physical energy model of the United Kingdom—M. A. Barrett. 1982.
  DYPHEMO applications: simulation of UK energy systems with a dynamic physical energy model—M. Barrett. 1982
  Energy analysis of the Report on the Census of Production —D. A. Cooper, P. F. Chapman and N. D. Mortimer. 1975.
  The energy consumer's handbook—G. Hammond and C. Russell. 1980.
  Energy costs of delivered energy, UK 1968—P. F. Chapman. 1973.
  The energy costs of producing copper and aluminium from primary sources—P. F. Chapman. 1973.
  Energy costs of road and rail freight transport, UK 1968—N. D. Mortimer. 1974.
  444
  Energy in the home. 1978.
  Energy in the home: guide to the course: unit 1, Fuel for thought; unit 2, The balance of power. 1978.
  Energy in the home: unit 3, A matter of degree; unit 4, The burning question. 1978.
  Energy in the home: unit 5, Baths and draughts; unit 6, Windows and walls. 1978.
  Energy in the home: unit 7, Roofs and floors; unit 8, Look before you leap. 1978.
  Energy requirements for the conversion of coal into liquid fuel—D. F. Hemming 1977.
  Energy requirements of North Sea oil production—D. F. Hemming. 1975.
  Future transport fuels—P. Chapman, G. Charlseworth and M. Baker. 1976.
  Future transport fuels: discussion of SR 251: proceedings of a conference held at the Open University on 22nd March 1977—Edited by T. Baker and G. Charlesworth. 1977
  Gross energy requirements for air transport—N. D. Mortimer. 1975.
  Gross energy requirements of marine transport—N. D. Mortimer. 1974.
  Linford low energy houses—R. Everett, A. Horton and J. Doggart. 1985. Work performed under contract for the Energy Technology Support Unit on behalf of the Department of Energy. (ETSU-S-1025).
  Milton Keynes Energy Park: wind study: a report to Milton Keynes Development Corporation—T. Oreszczyn and B. Jones. 1984
  The Pennyland project—R. Lowe, J. Chapman and R. Everett. 1985. Report for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation under contract to the Energy Technology Support Unit.
  Primary energy requirements for the production of iron and steel in the UK— R. F. Waller. 1976.
  Reflections on Britain's nuclear history: a conversation with Lord Hinton—D. Lowry. 1984

  The library holds no publications by the Open university energy and environment research unit.

  The library purchases or borrows publications when so requested by officers of the Department or when their contents seem relevant to current departmental work and to the Department's policy-making.

  Electricity
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total amount per annum of dry weight biomass available for combustion to produce electricity; and how much of this fuel source is currently used in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The extent to which biomass can be made available for electricity generation depends on the arrangements made for its collection and combustion and their economics. Energy Paper 55, published by my Department estimated that biomass could contribute between 4 million and 15 million tonnes of coal equivalent per year to United Kingdom energy supplies by 2025. In principle all this could be used for electricity generation. Current utilisation is estimated to be about 0·8 million tonnes of coal equivalent per year.

  Non-proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recent suggestions his Department has received from non-governmental organisations in regard to policy proposals for Her Majesty's Government's delegation to the fourth review conference of the non-proliferation treaty in Geneva in August 1990.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  None.
  445
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what specific assistance in energy conversion and electricity production technologies, including pollution abatement controls, have been made available to each Comecon member state in eastern Europe in each year since 1979; and what plans there are to increase assistance in the future;

  (2) what technologies designated to improve energy efficiency in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors have been made available to eastern European member states of Comecon since 1979.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department has a cooperation agreement with the Soviet Union covering:

  (a) oil and gas

  (b) energy efficiency

  (c) coal, and

  (d) electricity production.

  A number of Comecon countries also have access to the results of the Department's passive solar design R & D programme through the United Kingdom's participation in the UN Economic Commission for Europe's energy efficiency programme.

  The Department participates in a scientific collaboration agreement with Hungary. Other assistance to Comecon countries in the energy field is given through trade, within Comecom rules: energy efficiency technology, for example, has been supplied to a number of Comecon countries. As I said in my speech to energy technologists at Cambridge recently, developments in eastern Europe underline this area as an important market for the future and I believe there are real commercial opportunities for the United Kingdom.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to publish the civil plutonium production figures for 1988–89; and what it has cost him to prepare this data.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The figures were published on 5 December and copies placed in the Library of the House. My Department's role is to co-ordinate the information for publication. The bulk of the work has been done by the Central Electricity Generating Board, the South of Scotland Electricity Board, British Nuclear Fuels plc and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

  Efficiency
  Mr. Rost
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many companies are currently involved in their best efficiency practice scheme in the sectors of steel, ceramics, chemicals, food and drink, motors and drivers, and textiles.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The direct involvement of companies in these sectors in the Best Practice programme which started in April 1989 is currently as tabulated. In addition many more companies have been involved by way of participation in consultations leading to future participation in projects or to future development of the programme.

  Sector

  Companies involved in projects

  Companies involved in supply of quantative information.

  Steel

  5

  23

  Ceramics

  0

  55

  Chemicals

  8

  31

  Food and drinks

  4

  30

  Motors and drives

  5

  0

  Textiles

  0

  0

  Oil Price
  Mr. Rost
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what change in the demand for energy he anticipates occurring in 30 years if the real price of oil rises(a) to $43 a barrel, and (b) to $23 a barrel.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Future energy demand will depend —amongst other things—on the rate of economic growth, the price of fuels and technological progress.

  The Department of Energy produced a set of scenarios for energy demand—based on IEA price assumptions—in a report entitled:
  "`An Evaluation of Energy Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Measures to Ameliorate Them— October 1989."
  The figures reported are baseline scenarios against which various technical options could be set. The report forms part of the United Kingdom contribution to the work of the intergovernmental panel on climate change and a copy has been lodged in the House of Commons Library.