Written Answers of 14 December 1989

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Student Loans
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received(a) in favour of and (b) against student loans.

  Mr. Jackson
  Representations have expressed a variety of views on different aspects of the proposals. Many support the underlying principle that students in higher education should contribute to their living costs.

  Research
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements exist between the Medical Research Council and Celltech on the exploitation of research results.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Medical Research Council and Celltech Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding for a period of five years on 2 November 1988.

  The main feature of the memorandum of understanding is provision for regular dialogue between the council and Celltech. The understanding does not oblige the council to give preferential treatment in respect of new technologies.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the numbers of pupils remaining in full-time education after 16 years.

  Mr. Jackson
  In 1988–89, 345,000 16-year-olds were participating in full-time education in England. The details are as follows:

  Pupils

  Maintained schools:

  180,000

  Maintained further education colleges:

  126,750

  Independent schools:

  38,300

  This represents an overall full-time participation rate of 51 per cent.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State will reply to the letter of 19 September from the hon. Member for Oxford, East on the future of the Workers Educational Association.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have replied to the hon. Member today.
  740
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State will reply to the letter of 19 July from the hon. Member for Oxford, East on the points indicated in his letter of 17 October.

  Mr. Jackson
  I did not think that the hon. Member's letter required a reply.

  Her Majesty's Senior Chief Inspector (Report)
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) when the next annual report of Her Majesty's senior chief inspector will be published on the state of schools;

  (2) whether he intends to edit or amend the annual report of Her Majesty's senior chief inspector on the state of schools before it is published.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I expect to receive the annual report from the senior chief inspector early in the new year. When I do so I intend to publish it without editing or amendment.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which city technology colleges have signed agreements with his Department; and what areas these agreements cover.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend will shortly be concluding funding agreements with all city technology colleges on the lines of the model agreement placed in the Library of the House earlier this year. Pending the conclusion of these agreements, there have been exchanges of letters with principal sponsors setting out their commitment and the conditions on which the Secretary of State accepted their sponsorship.

  Bradford City Technology College
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money, to date, Dixons has paid towards capital and revenue expenditure at Bradford city technology college; what is the total financial commitment of Dixons to the capital and revenue expenditure of Bradford city technology college to date; by what dates Dixons is required to pay additional amounts; and whether any of these commitments are conditional on Dixons remaining free from takeover.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The total financial commitment of the Dixons Group plc to the capital development of the Bradford city technology college is £1.1 million. This is being paid by a deed of covenant over five years in five equal payments of £220,000. The first payment was made in March 1989, the next being due in March 1990. Our agreement with Dixons is based on the understanding that the covenant by Dixons is such that it would have to be taken over by any successor of the Dixons Group plc.

  Further Education
  Mr. Derek Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list(a) the 1986–87 and 1987–88 grant-related expenditure assessments for 16 to 19-year-olds' education provision by local education authority and (b) the actual level of expenditure for 1986–87 and 1987–88.
  741
  Mr. Jackson
  Table 1 shows the grant-related expenditure assessments (GREA) by local authority for the years 1986–87 and 1987–88 for provision relating to 16 to 19-year-olds. The assessments shown are the GRE for school pupils aged over 16 (OSLA) and for non-advanced further education (NAFE) and the pooling GRE for advanced further education. The NAFE GRE includes further education provision for students aged over 19 and is distributed on the numbers of NAFE home students in full-time, part-time day release and block-release and youth training scheme (YTS) courses. The pooling GRE covers also provision for a wider age range.

  Table 1

  Grant Related Expenditure Assessments

  1986–87 and1987–88 OSLA and NAFE GREs and the AFE Pools, in £ million.

  1986–87

  1987–88

  LEA

  OSLA

  NAFE

  POOLS

  OSLA

  NAFE

  POOLS

  Barking

  1·4210

  2·3837

  1·5216

  1·6845

  2·2553

  1·5798

  Barnet

  6·7172

  5·9062

  71637

  7·2191

  5·6217

  7·4339

  Bexley

  3·8971

  4·2116

  3·1860

  4·5575

  4·4537

  3·1082

  Brent

  6·2415

  6·7094

  6·8363

  6·8605

  7·660

  7·2494

  Bromley

  5·5222

  4·6319

  5·9212

  6·0047

  5·0973

  5·8800

  Croydon

  4·8889

  6·4768

  6·4430

  5·7831

  6·4775

  6·3971

  Ealing

  5·2962

  7·3855

  6·5584

  6·0115

  7·1603

  6·8490

  Enfield

  4·9578

  5·2520

  5·2143

  5·4973

  5·6142

  5·4249

  Haringey

  4·0245

  5·7764

  5·3178

  4·4135

  5·8670

  5·5284

  Harrow

  4·6889

  4·2608

  5·2305

  5·4283

  3·9612

  5·2552

  Havering

  3·5613

  4·4512

  3·4866

  4·3357

  4·3753

  3·1977

  Hillingdon

  3·8055

  4·0883

  41897

  4·3024

  41549

  4·1240

  Hounslow

  3·8350

  3·9257

  3·7846

  4·2360

  4·2482

  3·8106

  Kingston

  2·5499

  2·2729

  2·8971

  2·7567

  2·4036

  3·0455

  Merton

  2·7769

  3·0265

  2·8180

  2·9728

  3·1292

  2·8872

  Newham

  3·3723

  5·2619

  4·1609

  3·6348

  6·0091

  3·9277

  Redbridge

  4·1971

  3·9960

  4·2675

  4·8762

  4·0160

  4·1001

  Richmond

  ·5181

  4·6504

  3·4863

  ·5480

  4·9176

  3·5337

  Sutton

  2·8939

  3·3290

  2·7217

  3·2122

  3·1006

  2·7527

  Waltham Forest

  3·6076

  4·8795

  3·7989

  4·0335

  4·42770

  3·6877

  ILEA

  30·1963

  46·2986

  49·7162

  32·0359

  49·7585

  50·9260

  Birmingham

  14·6681

  16·3064

  18·4695

  17·6544

  17·9318

  18·8193

  Coventry

  4·7315

  6·4711

  6·9196

  5·5654

  6·9683

  7·0017

  Dudley

  2·7909

  8·0633

  5·2054

  3·1096

  7·5264

  5·1411

  Sandwell

  3·8869

  5·5749

  4·0927

  4·4171

  5·7844

  4·1051

  Solihull

  3·1631

  4·9295

  4·2417

  3·8077

  5·1548

  4·5599

  Walsall

  3·9950

  4·7055

  4·8804

  4·6714

  5·0086

  4·8266

  Wolverhampton

  3·5822

  5·3754

  5·3822

  3·9588

  5·9377

  5·5341

  Knowsley

  1·9714

  3·8633

  2·5138

  2·1919

  3·9683

  2·2904

  Liverpool

  7·5045

  9·2188

  9·2911

  8·6696

  9·5059

  9·0451

  St. Helens

  2·9447

  3·8589

  3·6334

  3·4100

  4·2772

  3·6680

  Sefton

  4·8146

  5·9304

  7·0388

  5·5496

  6·5124

  7·3637

  Wirral

  5·5689

  7·1185

  7·7825

  6·6350

  7·4905

  7·9891

  Bolton

  3·5818

  5·7068

  6·1728

  4·3318

  5·8240

  6·2502

  Bury

  2·9412

  3·4973

  3·7942

  3·6108

  3·9259

  3·9357

  Manchester

  6·6694

  7·7488

  8·8854

  7·6048

  8·3378

  8·9971

  Oldham

  2·5852

  4·1344

  3·8347

  3·1632

  4·3047

  4·0035

  Rochdale

  3·0893

  3·5733

  3·6982

  3·5865

  3·5287

  3·7218

  Salford

  3·2843

  3·6904

  3·5454

  4·0918

  3·7147

  3·4666

  Stockport

  4·8964

  6·0530

  7·2915

  5·7565

  6·4273

  7·5516

  Tameside

  2·7620

  4·4418

  3·4246

  3·0058

  4·7125

  3·3961

  Trafford

  4·2633

  5·2484

  5·3404

  4·7191

  5·4605

  5·7047

  Wigan

  2·9304

  7·0770

  5·4957

  3·6194

  7·4044

  5·6563

  Barnsley

  2·4460

  4·0468

  3·3991

  3·1163

  4·3849

  3·3687

  Doncaster

  4·3146

  5·1801

  5·5979

  4·8023

  4·8794

  5·9407

  Rotherham

  3·3843

  4·9609

  4·4411

  3·9741

  5·3075

  4·5306

  Sheffield

  7·3981

  10·6159

  11·8852

  8·2633

  11·8952

  12·2711

  Bradford

  7·4602

  6·8017

  8·7233

  8·7910

  8·1134

  8·7442

  Calderdale

  2·9714

  3·3870

  3·7624

  3·4723

  3·6888

  3·8047

  Kirklees

  5·9654

  7·6264

  7·6808

  7·1706

  8·4657

  7·8588

  Leeds

  10·1982

  11·2013

  13·1661

  11·5771

  11·9987

  13·7239

  Wakefleld

  2·7944

  6·3332

  5·0287

  3·1951

  6·8730

  5·1835

  742
  Table 2 shows the net expenditure by local education authorities on non-special secondary education, polytechnics and other maintained further education establishments for the years 1986–87 and 1987–88, which cover the areas dealing with 16 to 19-year-olds' education: no separate figure is available for secondary education for pupils aged 16 and over. The grant-related expenditure assessments cannot be compared easily with the expenditure shown because the coverage of each figure is different. The expenditure figures include estimates for three authorities in both 1986–87 and 1987–88 which did not make returns.
  743

  Table 1

  1986–87 and 1987–88 OSLA and NAFE GREs and the AFE Pools, in £ million

  1986–87

  1987–88

  LEA

  OSLA

  NAFE

  POOLS

  OSLA

  NAFE

  POOLS

  Gateshead

  2·3224

  3·2500

  3·5420

  2·6262

  3·2743

  3·6110

  Newcastle

  3·4705

  3·8327

  6·1526

  4·1759

  3·8396

  6·4799

  North Tyne

  2·7899

  3·4673

  4·1285

  3·3394

  3·8989

  4·1377

  South Tyne

  1·6734

  4·3732

  3·3209

  1·8745

  3·9502

  3·3607

  Sunderland

  3·5196

  4·6668

  5·8453

  3·9955

  5·2862

  6·1069

  Isle of Scilly

  0·0245

  0·0704

  0·0667

  0·0338

  0·0634

  0·0610

  Avon

  12·7125

  15·3536

  16·4283

  14·1458

  16·2210

  16·8475

  Bedfordshire

  8·6903

  8·8109

  10·2428

  9·6129

  9·2168

  10·3091

  Berkshire

  12·1247

  14·8914

  15·3845

  13·7402

  16·4875

  15·5982

  Buckinghamshire

  11·5343

  11·9879

  12·7879

  13·1905

  13·0053

  13·4367

  Cambridge

  8·3047

  12·3585

  10·2390

  9·7843

  13·1989

  10·8203

  Cheshire

  16·0909

  21·3202

  21·1801

  18·8959

  23·9672

  23·0431

  Cleveland

  9·1466

  9·6033

  11·6532

  10·6006

  10·6944

  11·6598

  Cornwall

  6·7119

  8·4693

  6·6954

  7·7672

  9·2234

  7·2745

  Cumbria

  6·7763

  9·1688

  7·9667

  7·9154

  9·7176

  7·9488

  Derbyshire

  10·6946

  18·9447

  16·5113

  12·2068

  22·3227

  17·1278

  Devon

  9·9219

  21·5102

  15·8355

  11·0669

  23·2751

  15·6448

  Dorset

  7·4301

  10·2165

  9·7829

  7·8925

  11·8849

  10·0172

  Durham

  7·0914

  9·2538

  10·4972

  7·9938

  10·0294

  10·7041

  East Sussex

  9·6728

  10·8399

  10·9003

  11· 0594

  11·0740

  11·5481

  Essex

  22·8475

  26·2580

  25·9320

  25·3278

  27·7856

  25·6711

  Gloucestershire

  7·7987

  9·3300

  9·6097

  8·5251

  10·5146

  10·1352

  Hampshire

  19·4850

  35·9221

  27·0052

  21·8919

  37·9027

  27·4604

  Hereford and Worcester

  9·2644

  13·4535

  11·9953

  11·1941

  14·6439

  12·1071

  Hertfordshire

  18·6229

  19·4794

  22·5806

  20·4377

  20·6686

  25·0542

  Humberside

  12·1301

  14·3289

  16·0721

  13·7406

  15·4554

  16·0071

  Isle of Wight

  1·7237

  2·4630

  1·8169

  1·9216

  2·2492

  1·7714

  Kent

  23·8374

  28·9307

  24·8749

  27·1837

  29·7682

  25·5046

  Lancashire

  14·1041

  33·9718

  27·2558

  15·8680

  36·8203

  28·4850

  Leicester

  16·0377

  14·7526

  16·9372

  18·1764

  16·8878

  17·4708

  Lincolnshire

  7·2592

  11·6851

  9·4760

  8·4486

  12·9926

  9·8644

  Norfolk

  8·2102

  11·9843

  9·4893

  9·0588

  13·1012

  9·7804

  North Yorkshire

  11·2841

  15·2090

  13·5418

  13·2148

  16·7412

  14·6450

  Northants

  7·6992

  10·3348

  9·1468

  8·9448

  10·2897

  9·4616

  Northumberland

  4·6883

  4·2472

  5·7162

  5·4850

  4·4681

  5·8428

  Nottinghamshire

  12·2744

  18·8825

  16·8375

  14·2670

  20·6049

  17·4208

  Oxfordshire

  8·1646

  10·6817

  10·3380

  8·7612

  12·0597

  10·9262

  Shropshire

  5·9921

  8·3594

  6·9795

  6·9801

  8·8079

  7·1872

  Somerset

  3·8283

  9·7017

  7·1279

  4·3517

  10·7239

  7·2232

  Staffordshire

  13·8471

  19·7678

  18·9114

  16·2486

  21·3089

  19·3024

  Suffolk

  8·1406

  9·3154

  9·2070

  9·5148

  10·0508

  9·4306

  Surrey

  19·8491

  18·7693

  22·1494

  22·3371

  19·3123

  22·7233

  Warwickshire

  6·9218

  11·7521

  9·3600

  8·2308

  12·5251

  10·0037

  West Sussex

  11·4628

  10·9251

  11·8375

  13·1692

  11·9078

  12·0534

  Wiltshire

  5·7765

  12·0900

  8·8426

  6·3063

  13·4514

  9·0406

  Total

  684·5000

  915·8996

  885·5412

  779·3997

  981·7002

  909·4627

  Local authority expenditure derived from forms RO1

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Barking

  14,054,518

  17,737,663

  5,009,138

  15,580,576

  17,435,865

  4,704,240

  Barnet

  24,751,342

  24,628,018

  5,995,300

  25,515,330

  23,796,750

  7,433,242

  Bexley

  21,621,435

  0

  4,174,570

  22,421,041

  0

  4,089,369

  Brent

  28,353,337

  0

  9,872,252

  31,478,748

  0

  10,209,844

  Bromley

  25,202,486

  0

  6,375,384

  27,601,471

  0

  6,693,668

  Croydon

  28,850,687

  0

  7,915,221

  31,832,888

  0

  8,648,216

  Ealing

  21,481,862

  0

  13,165,166

  23,003,070

  0

  14,045,026

  Enfield

  23,638,117

  0

  5,949,893

  24,932,086

  0

  6,200,058

  Haringey

  23,767,766

  0

  7,546,015

  24,173,330

  0

  8,400,912

  Harrow

  17,079,468

  0

  6,953,490

  16,104,444

  0

  10,753,000

  Havering

  25,817,484

  0

  4,415,561

  27,262,507

  0

  4,738,624

  Hillingdon

  21,445,499

  0

  2,128,605

  23,170,160

  0

  2,564,917

  Hounslow

  18,186,828

  0

  4,574,193

  18,965,636

  0

  4,755,165

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  11,741,849

  16,455,818

  4,983,001

  12,750,493

  17,594,935

  5,503,178

  Merton

  15,041,739

  0

  3,529,466

  16,337,819

  0

  4,394,640

  Newham

  26,045,956

  0

  9,911,726

  25,101,795

  0

  8,783,287

  Redbridge

  21,664,444

  0

  1,944,135

  22,389,430

  0

  1,923,063

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  8,260,492

  0

  5,511,414

  8,150,925

  0

  6,327,100

  Sutton

  13,516,457

  0

  2,633,580

  13,787,484

  0

  3,171,719

  744 745

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Waltham Forest

  26,781,188

  0

  5,136,245

  30,343,067

  0

  6,276,524

  Birmingham

  94,822,941

  16,740,741

  21,554,879

  100,039,459

  18,089,726

  22,996,178

  Coventry

  31,335,917

  15,587,491

  10,807,057

  32,770,584

  16,747,980

  10,288,831

  Dudley

  25,737,138

  0

  9,826,924

  27,736,367

  0

  10,838,246

  Sandwell

  31,430,396

  0

  11,160,133

  33,405,606

  0

  12,207,385

  Solihull

  20,096,842

  0

  4,584,769

  20,782,066

  0

  5,689,111

  Walsall

  29,836,611

  0

  5,958,204

  31,471,938

  0

  5,900,718

  Wolverhampton

  26,649,914

  14,935,697

  8,049,002

  28,331,489

  15,633,531

  8,382,372

  Knowsley

  19,699,913

  0

  3,280,121

  21,623,664

  0

  3,315,952

  Liverpool

  50,642,663

  21,958,007

  16,874,860

  54,963,367

  22,190,092

  18,357,088

  St. Helens

  20,779,211

  0

  6,335,486

  21,662,168

  0

  6,838,822

  Sefton

  27,016,074

  0

  5,801,317

  28,615,998

  0

  6,362,420

  Wirral

  31,488,630

  0

  9,172,436

  34,068,961

  0

  10,601,473

  Bolton

  24,575,108

  0

  9,965,243

  26,249,544

  0

  11,435,542

  Bury

  16,518,223

  0

  2,518,244

  17,382,959

  0

  4,480,469

  Manchester

  46,762,101

  31,418,997

  22,818,665

  45,178,393

  32,304,627

  21,222,708

  Oldham

  20,312,788

  0

  3,988,124

  21,198,256

  0

  4,966,864

  Rochdale

  24,180,643

  0

  3,893,796

  26,158,949

  0

  3,595,573

  Salford

  22,682,622

  0

  8,395,577

  24,430,856

  0

  9,474,718

  Stockport

  25,730,352

  0

  6,362,472

  28,655,243

  0

  7,404,429

  Tameside

  20,796,166

  0

  4,627,880

  22,389,356

  0

  4,836,309

  Trafford

  20,298,289

  0

  5,447,215

  21,985,719

  0

  6,012,683

  Wigan

  34,780,886

  0

  11,536,011

  37,039,195

  0

  12,461,861

  Barnsley

  23,355,839

  0

  3,563,201

  23,603,194

  0

  3,849,655

  Doncaster

  30,583,327

  0

  7,474,486

  32,636,292

  0

  7,795,320

  Rotherham

  25,337,218

  0

  5,598,074

  26,979,323

  0

  7,133,170

  Sheffield

  49,720,884

  22,327,827

  13,620,891

  52,234,343

  22,354,943

  13,665,601

  Bradford

  56,389,876

  0

  16,626,819

  61,568,887

  0

  18,055,605

  Calderdale

  19,963,017

  0

  3,171,015

  20,385,255

  0

  3,165,053

  Kirklees

  38,029,100

  14,300,567

  10,286,810

  40,783,819

  15,167,203

  11,026,788

  Leeds

  74,060,184

  16,484,363

  13,934,478

  79,230,701

  17,636,128

  14,684,701

  Wakefield

  31,182,719

  0

  10,499,751

  33,046,106

  0

  11,316,079

  Gateshead

  18,726,809

  0

  3,682,485

  19,865,048

  0

  4,123,808

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  27,543,317

  19,385,648

  8,145,143

  29,299,534

  21,070,833

  7,845,403

  North Tyneside

  22,966,186

  0

  2,772,509

  24,750,072

  0

  2,991,303

  South Tyneside

  14,699,240

  0

  5,788,449

  15,014,472

  0

  6,603,349

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Sunderland

  28,910,534

  11,368,509

  5,362,780

  30,680,917

  12,034,587

  5,612,805

  Isles of Scilly

  339,194

  0

  0

  339,374

  0

  0

  ILEA

  263,550,157

  85,810,985

  122,713,747

  274,271,804

  92,095,400

  123,827,759

  Avon

  78,976,793

  17,228,655

  23,729,305

  82,422,127

  18,449,698

  24.678,676

  Bedfordshire

  57,919,533

  0

  16,388,943

  63,392,671

  0

  19,592,484

  Berkshire

  63,516,809

  0

  24,850,660

  68,221,071

  0

  26,921,589

  Buckinghamshire

  54,989,146

  0

  14,926,890

  59,805,927

  0

  16,789,043

  Cambridgeshire

  55,071,889

  0

  19,288,705

  59,289,498

  0

  21,242,501

  Cheshire

  92,211,665

  0

  27,055,026

  97,931,033

  0

  28,631,229

  Cleveland

  60,295,116

  11,411,208

  13,693,042

  63,974,681

  12,959,355

  17,047,000

  Cornwall

  39,249,979

  0

  10,815,248

  43,204,459

  0

  11,435,517

  Cumbria

  48,476,614

  0

  12,523,013

  52,528,084

  0

  12,973,434

  Derbyshire

  89,548,946

  0

  19,799,691

  97,216,591

  0

  21,910,747

  Devon

  78,870,103

  13,948,748

  26,539,126

  84,764,306

  15,024,025

  29,296,523

  Dorset

  49,551,320

  0

  19,365,803

  52,723,808

  0

  20,231,823

  Durham

  54,043,391

  0

  13,834,774

  57,906,897

  0

  14,789,948

  East Sussex

  47,923,466

  16,256,938

  12,545,484

  51,278,270

  16,782,672

  13,357,708

  Essex

  144,454,040

  0

  36,578,456

  156,024,923

  0

  39,209,411

  Gloucestershire

  45,519,110

  0

  14,889,432

  48,348,511

  0

  16,673,461

  Hampshire

  119,527,811

  16,608,327

  46,184,422

  130,863,006

  17,946,655

  50,061,746

  Hereford and Worcester

  63,512,232

  0

  20,631,671

  68,917,232

  0

  22,679,847

  Hertfordshire

  93,683,862

  13,158,289

  30,545,977

  97,717,214

  17,181,112

  31,546,645

  Humberside

  92,936,999

  0

  27,818,100

  97,904,378

  0

  30,245,535

  Isle of Wight

  12,639,121

  0

  2,696,727

  13,949,615

  0

  2,960,494

  Kent

  133,640,920

  0

  27,372,100

  141,954,852

  0

  29,596,292

  Lancashire

  126,151,218

  13,589,904

  42,153,105

  137,268,238

  14,444,995

  42,776,664

  Leicestershire

  92,938,882

  18,141,357

  20,438,492

  97,263,400

  19,196,252

  22,394,890

  Lincolnshire

  52,485,781

  0

  10,726,632

  54,801,391

  0

  11,433,412

  Norfolk

  58,036,611

  0

  14,798,698

  62,566,535

  0

  16,125,738

  North Yorkshire

  62,331,868

  0

  11,048,666

  65,777,429

  0

  14,028,961

  746 747

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  Secondary Education

  Polytechnics

  Other maintained FE Establishments

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Northamptonshire

  59,642,016

  0

  15,532,719

  63,205,529

  0

  17,406,937

  Northumberland

  36,010,583

  0

  3,576,802

  39,309,452

  0

  4,341,694

  Nottinghamshire

  101,585,516

  20,689,701

  22,452,042

  108,102,884

  23,168,204

  24,852,158

  Oxfordshire

  49,043,978

  12,227,878

  11,953,540

  52,360,679

  12,538,322

  14,289,167

  Salop

  40,578,656

  0

  9,079,307

  43,796,429

  0

  9,600,907

  Somerset

  38,700,788

  0

  13,738,327

  41,837,745

  0

  15,486,287

  Staffordshire

  104,690,337

  14,256,528

  23,201,060

  110,827,224

  15,240,624

  24,982,875

  Suffolk

  59,171,049

  0

  12,188,395

  64,064,406

  0

  13,781,489

  Surrey

  67,508,936

  0

  21,415,621

  73,461,788

  0

  23,016,997

  Warwickshire

  37,425,447

  0

  13,734,713

  40,671,657

  0

  15,019,664

  West Sussex

  52,558,783

  0

  10,950,249

  56,549,273

  0

  13,545,159

  Wiltshire

  48,443,812

  0

  16,371,171

  51,682,518

  0

  18,943,196

  Total

  4,472,697,109

  496,657,864

  1,279,355,542

  4,765,527,509

  527,084,514

  1,382,881,791

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Legal Aid (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the present waiting period for appeals against refusals of applications for legal aid in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the operations of the legal aid service in Northern Ireland.

  The Attorney-General
  The present average waiting period for appeals against refusals for civil legal aid in Northern Ireland is four months.

  The Law Society of Northern Ireland produces an annual report on the operation of both civil and criminal legal aid which incorporates a report by the Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on legal aid in Northern Ireland. The report for 1987–88 was laid before Parliament on 20 October 1989.

  Taken Over Cases
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list those cases taken over by any Government officer other than the Director of Public Prosecutions since 1980 and the reason for the takeover in each case.

  The Attorney-General
  The power to take over the conduct of criminal proceedings contained in section 6(2) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 extends only to the Director of Public Prosecutions but that power may be exercised by a Crown prosecutor acting under his direction. Prior to the implementation of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 the corresponding legislation was the Prosecution of Offences Act 1979 which conferred a similar power on the Director of Public Prosecutions. That power was exercisable by an assistant Director of Public Prosecutions. A similar power is conferred on the director of the Serious Fraud Office by section 1(5)(b) of the Criminal Justice Act 1987 but has not been exercised. On the establishment of the Serious Fraud Office the conduct of a number of current cases passed by agreement from the Crown prosecution service to the Serious Fraud Office. I shall write to the hon. Member listing those cases. It is to be noted that neither the Director of Public Prosecutions nor the director of the Serious Fraud Office is correctly described as a Government officer.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Spirit Measures
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade arid Industry what arrangements will apply in future in Great Britain for measuring spirits for consumption on licensed premises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Having considered the responses to my department's consultation paper, I have concluded that the present range of imperial quantities of 1/6, 1/5 and ¼ gill for serving whisky, gin rum and vodka should be replaced by a single round metric quantity of 25ml.

  A single metric measure throughout Great Britain would have the advantage of enabling consumers to compare prices and monitor their alcohol consumption more easily. It would also allow instrument manufacturers to make economies of scale. Licensees should find the new quantity more convenient since it is an exact fraction of the bottle.

  I therefore intend to lay in draft an order which would permit the four major spirits to be served in this new metric quantity from the middle of next year and would prohibit the use of the imperial quantities for this purpose from 1 January 1995.

  British Aerospace
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the minute of the meeting of 4 July with British Aerospace at which tax benefits were discussed.

  Mr. Ridley
  The agreed way of recording this meeting was an exchange of letters between the advisers of British Aerospace and the Inland Revenue; copies of these letters dated 8 July have already been sent to the hon. Gentleman.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library correspondence between his predecessor and British Aerospace on 6, 12 July and 13 July.

  Mr. Ridley
  I have already done so, together with other letters between my predecessor and the British Aerospace chairman dated 14 July 1988 relating to the terms and conditions of the sale of Her Majesty's Government's shareholding in Rover Group to British Aerospace.
  749
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the raising of the ring fence for capital losses includes capital gains in property companies acquired by British Aerospace.

  Mr. Ridley
  Following the lifting of the contractual ring fence on capital losses which had been a part of the March 1988 conditional agreement for the sale of Rover, British Aerospace has the right to use Rover Group capital losses to set against gains to the same extent and subject to the same statutory conditions as any other group in equivalent circumstances.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information was provided to the European Commission of the tax benefits for British Aerospace of the Rover deal.

  Mr. Ridley
  The Commission was informed that the benefit of using Rover Group's carried forward pre-acquisition trading tax losses was effectively limited to £500 million by the conditional and the final agreement with BAe: that the March 1988 conditional agreement ring fenced the capital losses and disclaimed capital allowances so they could only be utilised by Rover Group; and that as part of the final agreement these would be unringfenced so that BAe would have the same freedom as that available under tax law to any other group. The Commission was made aware of the difficulty of estimating the value of restoring that freedom.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who paid the fees for(a) Rover's and (b) British Aerospace's advisers as part of the final contract with British Aerospace.

  Mr. Ridley
  As I explained in my statement of 30 November the Government paid Rover Group £1·5 million for its privatisation costs. BAe paid its own advisers' fees.

  Steel Industry
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) on what date he was informed that a plate finishing mill was being stored at British Steel, Lackenby; whether he was consulted by British Steel before the company issued a denial of any knowledge of such a plant; whether he was consulted by British Steel before the company confirmed that a plate mill had been stored in Lackenby for several months; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether he regards British Steel plc's admission that it has been supportive of the Davy Corporation's acquisition of a second-hand Japanese plate finishing mill as likely to affect guarantees given by his Department relating to the future of the Scottish steel industry;

  (3) whether the Government would intervene to stop British Steel plc going ahead with any closure proposals which relate to the Scottish plants covered by the guarantees issued by his Department on 3 December 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 12 December 1989]: The acquisition and disposition of items of plant are matters for British Steel. Ministers have not been, and do not expect to be, informed or consulted by the company on such matters. There are no current Government guarantees in relation to the future of any of British Steel's works, the last such guarantee having expired at the end of August 1988.

  Bankruptcies
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of assets in bankruptcy in the last available year were absorbed by the cost of the proceedings as opposed to distribution among creditors.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 12 December 1989]: The last year for which the information was maintained in the form requested was 1984. In that year out of every £1 of net assets realised in bankruptcy cases where the official receiver was trustee 64·5p was spent on administration expenses, 15p was paid to the preferential creditors and 20·5p was distributed among the unsecured creditors. The comparative figures for cases where a non-official trustee was appointed were 52·9p, 17·9p and 29·9p. Such information for the years after 1984 could not be obtained other than at disproportionate cost.

  Since the Insolvency Act 1986 came into force on 29 December 1986 official receivers have been able to ensure that nearly all bankruptcies with sufficient assets to produce a distribution to creditors are administered by private sector insolvency practitioners. Those bankruptcies which remain to be administered by the official receiver as trustee are therefore unlikely to produce such a distribution, any assets realised in such cases being absorbed in payment of the costs of the proceedings.

  Cross-Media Ownership
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what is the outcome of the investigation by the Office of Fair Trading into cross-media ownership; what action he intends to take; and if he will make a statement.

  (2) when the Director General for Fair Trading is going to announce the conclusion of his investigations into cross-media ownership.

  Mr. Ridley
  [pursuant to the reply, 15 November 1989, c. 281–82]: How media companies promote their interests in media services and products raises questions of standards of behaviour which go wider than those which can be addressed by the Director General of Fair Trading using competition legislation. I have therefore agreed with my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary that there should be an independent inquiry, to be undertaken by John Sadler CBE, which will start work as soon as possible. In view of this the DGFT has decided not to pursue his investigations.

  The terms of reference are as follows:

  1. To consider to what extent it is proper for media companies to promote their own, or any associate's interests in the provision of media services or products.

  2. Where such behaviour is found to be improper and taking into account the effect on the relevant markets to consider what remedies might be appropriate.

  3. The provisions of the Broadcasting Bill 1989 are being considered by Parliament and are outside these terms of reference.

  4. To report with any recommendations, to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

ENVIRONMENT

  Rainfall
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has formed of the rainfall levels required in England and Wales during the coming winter if drought conditions next summer are to be avoided.

  Mr. Howard
  Recent information suggests that average rainfall over the next five months would restore water resources to near-normal levels for the late spring in most areas of England and Wales. However, the National Rivers Authority estimates that the amount of rainfall required in parts of Yorkshire, the south-east and East Anglia might have to be as much as 50, 40 and 10 per cent. above average respectively. Where necessary, water undertakers are considering contingency measures.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many water supplies in the north-east contain aluminium in excess of the terms of the European drinking water directive.

  Mr. Howard
  Eighteen supply zones in the north-east have been notified to the Commission as being subject to a derogation under article 9(1)(a) of the EC drinking water directive in respect of the aluminium standard and hence comply with its requirements. We expect to notify the Commission shortly of a derogation for one further supply zone.

  Improvement works are planned to treatment works to remedy failures of the aluminium standard in a further 24 supply zones. Improvements are also being carried out to the distribution system to remove residual aluminium deposits.

  Contracts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many contracts over £92,500 have been let by his Department in the 1988–89 financial year and the current financial year to date; and how many of these were(a) automatically renewed and (b) open to competition by advertisement throughout the European Community.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  My Department includes the Property Services Agency and the Crown Suppliers. In 1988, a total of 175 contracts were let which were covered by the European Communities (EC) supplies directive, for which the current threshold is £92,000. Of these, 128 were awarded following advertisement in the EC official journal and 47 were considered to be exempt from advertising and may have been awarded to the previous supplier. For 1989 no comprehensive figures are yet available.

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many outside accountancy firms are employed by his Department; whether such employment is subject to any guidelines; and whether he takes steps before employing an accountancy firm to discover whether that firm has been censured by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors in their inquiries under the Companies Act.
  752
  Mr. Chris Patten
  The latest readily available information covers 1988–89 when a total of seven accountancy firms were engaged by my Department. Accountancy firms are invited to tender for the provision of advisory services to Departments on the basis of their suitability to provide the relevant advice. In making such appointments consultations are carried out as necessary, and where appropriate in the light of advice given by Treasury on consultancy appointments.

  National Rivers Authority
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in setting up salaries and terms of negotiating machinery for manual, white collar and senior staff in the nine months since the creation of the National Rivers Authority.

  Mr. Howard
  The National Rivers Authority's arrangements for pay negotiation with its employees are entirely a matter for the management of the authority, as an independent body.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times the chairman of the National Rivers Authority has met the recognised trade unions since the National Rivers Authority came into formal existence; and what information he has on the chairman's plans for any future meetings with the trade unions.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 12 December 1989]: Negotiations with staff—including dealings with trade unions—are a matter for the management of the National Rivers Authority, as an independent body.

  Social Services
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the expenditure per capita of population on social services in each shire county in England and Wales for the last financial year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Chope
  The information for English counties is as follows.

  Expenditure1 on social services per capita—1988–89

  £

  Avon

  60

  Bedfordshire

  56

  Berkshire

  55

  Buckinghamshire

  52

  Cambridgeshire

  55

  Cheshire

  58

  Cleveland

  69

  Cornwall

  49

  Cumbria

  55

  Derbyshire

  72

  Devon

  49

  Dorset

  42

  Durham

  51

  East Sussex

  56

  Essex

  50

  Gloucestershire

  45

  Hampshire

  42

  Hereford and Worcester

  44

  Hertfordshire

  50

  Humberside

  65

  Isle of Wight

  52

  Kent

  48

  Lancashire

  67

  753

  £

  Leicestershire

  56

  Lincolnshire

  46

  Norfolk

  46

  Northamptonshire

  58

  Northumberland

  57

  North Yorkshire

  45

  Nottinghamshire

  69

  Oxfordshire

  50

  Shropshire

  43

  Somerset

  51

  Staffordshire

  45

  Suffolk

  42

  Surrey

  39

  Warwickshire

  51

  West Sussex

  44

  Wiltshire

  49

  1 Net current expenditure.

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

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those members of the Nature Conservancy Council or members of its advisory committees whose periods of office expire or are to be reviewed at the end of the present financial year.

  Mr. Trippier
  The members of the Nature Conservancy Council, or its advisory committees, whose periods of office expire on 31 March 1990 are as follows:

  Council

  Sir William Wilkinson

  Sir John Burnett

  Professor J. A. Allen

  Lord Blakenham

  Miss A. M. Lees

  Mr. J. Teacher

  Mr. A. R. Trotter

  Advisory Committee for England

  Dr. P. H. Banham

  Mr. J. B. Elkington

  Professor B. M. Green

  Miss A. M. Lees

  Professor T. O'Riordan

  Mr. A. T. Swindell

  Mr. J. Teacher

  Dr. M. B. Usher

  Mr. W. J. Wilder

  Advisory Committee for Scotland

  Mr. J. M. S. Arnott

  Mr. J. C. Compton

  Professor P. S. Corbet

  Mr. A. D. M. Farquharson

  M. J. L. Goodfellow

  Professor W. Ritchie

  Mr. J. H. Scott

  Miss V. M. Thom

  Mr. A. R. Trotter

  Advisory Committee for Wales

  Mrs. E. M. Colwyn Foulkes

  Mr. J. M. Harrop

  Professor G. R. Sagar

  Advisory Committee on Science (ACOS)

  Professor J. A. Allen

  Dr. P. H. Banham

  Dr. J. P. Dempster

  Dr. C. J. 0. Harrison

  Advisory Committee on Birds (ACB)
  754

  Dr. C. J. 0. Harrison

  Mr. J. M. Harrop

  Professor G. V. T. Matthews

  Mr. J. Teacher

  Miss V. M. Thom

  European Environment Agency
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff will be employed by the European Environment Agency; and how many will be(a) seconded staff and (b) new recruits.

  Mr. Trippier
  About 20 professional staff, some of whom will be transferred from the Commission, together with a limited number of support staff will be employed by the European Environment Agency. The precise total numbers, secondments and new recruits have yet to be determined.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the cost of establishing and running the European Environment Agency will be additional spending by the European Commission.

  Mr. Trippier
  The cost of establishing and running the European Environment Agency in its first year is estimated at 5·5 million ecu, equivalent to about £3·8 million. It is likely that part of this expenditure will be met through transfer of expenditure on existing Community programmes.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the European Environment Agency will have powers to obtain information from companies and individuals.

  Mr. Trippier
  The European Environment Agency will not have powers to require companies and individuals to provide information.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of homeless people in London currently sleeping rough; and what is his estimate for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Chope
  There are no regular and reliable counts or estimates. The most recent study undertaken for the Salvation Army found 753 people sleeping rough on the streets of 17 London boroughs on one night in April this year. We have no other reliable estimate.

  Woolworth Products
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make representations to the management of F. W. Woolworth plc in respect of their product lines Christmas Snow and Silly String, in view of their ozone-depleting properties; if he will take steps to ban the use of ozone-depleting chemicals in non-essential products; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I understand that it is the intention of the British aerosol industry that by the end of this year at least 90 per cent. of their products will be CFC free. It is the policy of the Government to phase out all CFC consumption by the end of the century.

  Sheltered Housing
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish his Department's research on very sheltered housing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  With the expected increase of three quarters of a million people over the age of 75 in the next 20 years I am today publishing this report which shows the contribution that can be made by very sheltered housing schemes to the care of frail elderly people in the community.

  The report based on research by my Department showed that the vast majority of elderly people liked living in very sheltered schemes which are an enhanced form of sheltered housing with extra wardens, provision of meals and help for residents with domestic and care tasks, and which are currently provided by about one in three local authorities and one in four housing associations.

  Caring for an elderly person in very sheltered housing was less expensive than a place in a local authority old people's home and much less expensive than equivalent care in hospital. Very sheltered housing schemes were, however, more costly than comparable care provided in an elderly person's own home and about one in four of those interviewed would have preferred this cheaper option. The schemes also varied considerably in the frailty of the people they catered for, some schemes containing a high proportion of relatively fit elderly people.

  The report recommends that future schemes adopt a slightly more flexible approach to caring for residents by making use of visiting care support services provided by social services departments and district health authorities rather than relying entirely on permanent in-house staff. It also suggests that the preferred model for development is for self-contained rather than shared accommodation, with additional communal facilities and with meals available.

  Overall, the report concludes that, whilst very sheltered housing can be an attractive alternative to hospital and residential care for most elderly people, it is an expensive resource which should be provided only after careful appraisal of all the factors involved including the wishes of elderly people, stress on carers, and costs. It should also be provided only where there is an adequate level of care and consultation with all the relevant agencies in assessing nominations for places. However, enabling frail elderly people to remain at home must continue to be the first option for those who need and want it.

  The Government's White Paper on care in the community, published last month, recognises that suitable housing is an important component of community care, and that social services authorities will need to work closely with providers of housing of all types in developing plans for a full and flexible range of accommodation. Very sheltered housing will form part of the spectrum of care provision which local authorities will be able to call on as they plan services in their areas to cater for a variety of individual needs.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance he has given to local authorities relating to exemptions from the community charge.
  756
  Mr. Chope
  Yes. Arrangements have been put in hand to do so. A copy of practice note No. 19 "Exemptions from the Personal Community Charge (2)" has already been placed in the Library.

  Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to achieve reductions in United Kingdom levels of emissions of sulphur dioxide.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department issued a consultation paper on 31 August this year explaining in detail our proposals for implementing the large combustion plants directive. Such plants are responsible for 85 per cent. of United Kingdom emissions of sulphur dioxide. A copy of the paper is in the Library of the House.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the letter written to the hon. Member for Carmarthen on 5 December by the Minister for the Environment and Countryside, the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Mr. Trippier).

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 13 December 1989]: The text of the letter is as follows:
  "I promised to write to you in response to the series of questions you tabled recently on aspects of hazardous waste management. It may be helpful if I respond to them topic by topic.
  There are currently four incinerators licensed to deal commercially with special wastes in Britain. I do not, however, have detailed information on the number of large chemical incinerators in the European Community or elsewhere which treat special wastes. I am unable either to provide the information you seek on the design of their furnace door.
  Regarding incineration at sea, the disposal of wastes from the UK is licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. My Department does not keep records of the amount of special wastes incinerated in the North Sea or in other European waters.
  Information on the import of wastes for incineration has been held by my Department only since October 1988 when the relevant provisions of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations came into force. Since then some 8,700 tonnes of imported special waste has been dealt with at the four commercially available incinerators.
  Turning to your questions concerning the incinerator operated by ReChem International Ltd. at Ponteg, Pontypool, information on the amount of waste dealt with is not held by my Department. That is a matter for the local waste disposal authority, Torfaen borough council.
  The results of the PCB sampling in soils and herbage around the plant undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution are as follows (all figures in microgrames per kilogram):

  mg/kg

  PCBs in herbage:

  Range

  3·0–19·7

  Mean

  8·4

  Median

  6·6

  PCBs in soil:

  Range

  9·0–19·0

  Mean

  13·5

  Median

  14·8

  757
  I understand that the Inspectorate has also taken samples of soil and herbage for Dioxin analysis. These samples are currently being analysed and I will write again as soon as the results are available.
  The latest figures (August 1989) indicate levels of PCB in the flue gas of the incinerator to be considerably less than 0·01 milligrams per cubic metre. The latest figures for Dioxins and Furans are as follows (all in nanograms per cubic metre):

  Nanograms

  per cu. m.

  2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran

  0·05

  Tetrachlorodibenzofurans (total)

  0·12

  2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin

  <0·025

  Tetrachlorodibenzodioxins (total)

  <0·025

  Pentachlorodibenzofurans (total)

  <0·025

  Pentachlorodibenzodioxins (total)

  <0·025

  Hexachlorodibenzofurans (total)

  <0·025

  Hexachlorodibenzodioxins (total)

  <0·025

  Heptachlorodibenzofurans (total)

  <0·05

  Heptachlorodibenzodioxins (total)

  0·05

  Octachlorodibenzofuran

  <0·025

  Octachlorodibenzodioxin

  0·05

  Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution inform me that the emission figures for both PCBs and Dioxins/Furans compare very favourably with those published for similar incinerators in Europe.
  I am also informed by the Inspectorate that no equipment is currently available to give instantaneous readings of PCB or Dioxin in flue gas. However continuous sampling is undertaken and samples of flue gas are analysed on a routine basis for PCB and on a more random basis for Dioxin.
  Regarding alternative methods to incineration of PCBs, a number of possible processes are under investigation. The most promising appear to be those involving exchange of the chlorine atom or microbiological systems. Neither is, however, likely to prove effective for high concentrations of PCBs for which high temperature incineration is likely to remain the only satisfactory form of disposal.
  Figures with respect to the cumulative totals of PCBs manufactured over the last 30 years are not available in the form you asked for them. But from the start of commercial production in 1929 to 1980 some 1,055,000 tonnes of PCBs were produced worldwide, of which 66,800 tonnes were produced in the United Kingdom by Monsanto, Newport. Other major producing countries were the USA (648,000 tonnes), Japan (60,000 tonnes), Spain (25,000 tonnes) and Italy (24,000 tonnes). During 1980–84 only France, West Germany, Italy and Spain within the community continued to manufacture PCBs and after 1984 production continued only in France and Spain. My Department does not hold figures for PCB production after 1980.
  My Department does not hold information on the amount of special waste treated by Leigh Environmental using their Sealosafe process, or its current state. That is a matter for the local waste disposal authority, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.
  Information on the import of flyash through Swansea Docks is also not held centrally. That is a matter for the local waste disposal authority, Swansea District Council. I have no information on the analysis of this flyash for dioxins.'
  I hope this is helpful."

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the competitiveness of Property Services Agency design costs.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 13 December 1989]: Until the PSA has commercial accounting systems, any general estimates of the cost competitiveness of its services would be of doubtful value. In any event, with the introduction of competition it would not be appropriate to publish any
  758
  estimated comparison between PSA's costs and competitors' fees as this would give competitors information which might harm the PSA's market position.

  Exhaust Fumes
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which authorities have responsibility for checking the exhaust fumes from buses and other heavy vehicles what powers are available to them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I have been asked to reply.

  The annual tests for buses and heavy goods vehicles conducted by the Department's vehicle inspectorate include a visual check on smoke density. Over the past two years the inspectorate has increased substantially its programme of roadside checks on the condition of goods vehicles. This also includes a check on smoke emissions. Vehicles can be banned or owners required to rectify defects within a specified period.

  In addition, the police are responsible for day-to-day enforcement of requirements set by the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations which include controls on vehicle emissions. They can require defects to be rectified within a specified period.

  Radioactivity (Sellafield)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been(a) the average level and (b) the greatest reported level of worker exposure to radioactivity at the B-30 pond at Sellafield; and whether the worker exposure levels have ever exceeded legal limits.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have been asked to reply.

  I am informed that average annual external doses to the most exposed group of B30 workers have reduced from 28·3 millisieverts in 1984 to 18·5 millisieverts in 1988. Following the introducton of the Ionising Radiation Regulations in 1986, internal doses have also been assessed. The addition of internal doses in 1988 had the effect of adding 2·5 millisieverts, to give a total average whole body dose of 21 millisieverts in that year.

  I have asked the chairman of BNFL to write to the hon. Member on the question of average doses prior to 1984.

  Since 1971, the annual statutory limit of 50 millisieverts external dose has been exceeded by two B30 personnel in 1978; one in 1980; and two in 1985. The highest dose received was an annual dose of 86·1 millisieverts in 1980.

  War Veterans
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities in England and Wales allow a discretionary award for veterans disabled during the second world war or for their widows in the assessment of housing benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have been asked to reply.

  Local schemes for disregarding war widow's and war disablement pensions in excess of the statutory disregard are entirely at the discretion of the local authority.

  The list has been compiled from the best information available to the Department and shows those local authorities that operate a local scheme of this kind. I regret that the information available is insufficiently detailed to

  759
  restrict the answer only to those schemes aimed particularly at people receiving war pensions arising from the second world war.

  Local Authorities in England and Wales operating a discretionary scheme for War Widow's and War Disablement

  Pensions

  Adur

  Amber Valley

  Ashfield

  Aylesbury Vale

  Barking

  Barnet

  Basingstoke

  Bexley

  Birmingham

  Blaby

  Blackburn

  Blackpool

  Boston

  Bournemouth

  Bracknell

  Bradford

  Braintree

  Breckland

  Brent

  Brentwood

  Brighton

  Bromley

  Broxbourne

  Broxtowe

  Burnley

  Bury

  Calderdale

  Cambridge

  Camden

  Canterbury

  Cardiff

  Carlisle

  Castle Point

  Ceredigion

  Charnwood

  Chelmsford

  Cheltenham

  Chester

  Chesterfield

  Chiltern

  Chorley

  Christchurch

  Congleton

  Corby

  Coventry

  Craven

  Crawley

  Crawley New Town

  Crewe and Nantwich

  Dacorum

  Darlington

  Dartford

  Daventry

  Delyn

  Derby

  Derbyshire Dales

  Doncaster

  Dover

  Dudley

  Durham

  Dwyfor

  Eating

  East Cambridgeshire

  East Devon

  East Dorset

  East Hampshire

  East Hertfordshire

  East Staffordshire

  Eastleigh

  Ellesmere Port

  Elmbridge

  Enfield

  Epsom and Ewell

  760

  Exeter

  Fareham

  Fenland

  Forest of Dean

  Gedling

  Glanford

  Gloucester

  Gosport

  Great Yarmouth

  Guildford

  Hackney

  Hambleton

  Hammersmith

  Harborough

  Haringey

  Harlow

  Harrow

  Hart

  Hartlepool

  Havant

  Havering

  Hereford

  Hertsmere

  High Peak

  Hillingdon

  Hinckley and Bosworth

  Horsham

  Hounslow

  Huntingdon

  Islington

  Kennet

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  Kingswood

  Kirklees

  Knowsley

  Lambeth

  Lancaster

  Langbaurgh

  Leeds

  Leicester

  Lewes

  Lewisham

  Lincoln

  Lliw Valley

  Luton

  Macclesfield

  Maidstone

  Maldon

  Medina

  Meirionnydd

  Mendip

  Merton

  Mid Bedfordshire

  Middlesbrough

  Milton Keynes

  Mole Valley

  Montgomery

  Neath

  New Forest

  Newark

  Newbury

  Newham

  Newport

  North Bedfordshire

  North Cornwall

  North Dorset

  North Hertfordshire

  North Kesteven

  North Shropshire

  North Tyneside

  North West Leicester

  North Wiltshire

  Northampton

  Nottingham

  Oadby and Wigston

  Ogwr

  Oldham

  761

  Penwith

  Peterborough

  Peterborough DC

  Plymouth

  Poole

  Port Talbot

  Portsmouth

  Radnor

  Redditch

  Reigate and Banstead

  Rhondda

  Rhuddlan

  Ribble Valley

  Richmond upon Thames

  Richmondshire

  Rossendale

  Rother

  Rugby

  Runnymede

  Rushcliffe

  Ryedale

  Salford

  Sandwell

  Scarborough

  Sedgefield

  Sefton

  Selby

  Shepway

  Slough

  Solihull

  South Bedfordshire

  South Buckinghamshire

  South Cambridgeshire

  South Holland

  South Lakeland

  South Norfolk

  South Northampton

  South Ribble

  South Staffordshire

  South Tyneside

  South Wight

  Southampton

  Southend on sea

  Southwark

  Spelthorne

  St. Helens

  Staffs. Moorlands

  Stevenage

  Stockton On Tees

  Stratford On Avon

  Stroud

  Surrey Heath

  Sutton

  Swale

  Swansea

  Tameside

  Tandridge

  Tendring

  Test Valley

  Tewkesbury

  Three Rivers

  Thurrock

  Tonbridge & Mailing

  Tower Hamlets

  Tunbridge Wells

  Vale of Glamorgan

  Vale of White Horse

  Vale Royal

  Wakefield

  Walsall

  Waltham Forest

  Wandsworth

  Watford

  Waverley

  Wealden

  Welwyn Hatfield

  West Norfolk

  West Somerset

  West Wiltshire

  Westminster

  762

  Weymouth & Portland

  Wigan

  Winchester

  Windsor & Maidenhead

  Wirral

  Woking

  Wokingham

  Wolverhampton

  Woodspring

  Worthing

  Wycombe

  York

  Total England and Wales—242

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  St. Helena
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many St. Helenians are at present working in the United Kingdom; and what is the nature of their work.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There are 104 St. Helenians in Britain on work permits, who are employed in semi-skilled and unskilled jobs, mainly in the hotel and domestic service sectors. In addition, it is estimated that there are between 4,000 and 5,000 people of St. Helenian extraction currently in the United Kingdom, many of whom are second or third generation residents.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present number of unemployed on St. Helena; and what it was(a) one year ago and (b) five years ago.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Seventy-one people are presently receiving unemployment benefit in St. Helena. In addition, 105 are working three days per week as part of a community scheme for the unemployed. In 1988 a total of 125 people were working in the latter category. No other figures are available.

  NATO
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's current proposals for measures of information exchange at the conventional forces in Europe talks required each party to provide information on the types of each of the main categories of weapon equipment holdings.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Yes. A copy of the proposals of 21 September is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Vietnam
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Vietnamese Government concerning the political prisoners detained without trial in prison in Vietnam.

  Mr Sainsbury
  We have, with our partners in the European Community, raised the question of political prisoners with the Vietnamese authorities. The Twelve have also raised at the United Nations continuing reports of abuses of human rights in Vietnam, and have called on the Vietnamese to release, without delay, those prisoners detained without a fair trial.

  Tibet
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Government Ministers last met the Dalai Lama; and what plans they have to meet him to discuss the position in Tibet.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 16 November to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside, (Mr. Parry), at column 498.

  West Bank and Gaza Strip
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy with regard to the establishment of a United Nations observer force in the West Bank and Gaza strip.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A United Nations observer force in the Occupied Territories might well have a useful role to play if it were acceptable to the parties directly concerned.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Tibet
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what type and amount of aid the United Kingdom is currently providing to Tibet.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The United Kingdom is currently providing no aid to Tibet.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Mullins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what changes Her Majesty's Government have made to their plans to send a representative to Phnom Penh in view of representations from the United States Government;

  (2) what representations have been received from the United States Government regarding Her Majesty's Government's intention to send a delegation to Phnom Penh; and what has been Her Majesty's Government's response;

  (3) when the recently announced diplomatic mission to Phnom Penh will take place.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Government regularly exchange views with the Government of the United States. As indicated by my answer on 23 November to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) two officials, one from the British embassy in Bangkok and the other from the Overseas Development Administration are currently in Cambodia. The dates of their visit are 8 to 17 December.

THE ARTS

  Recording Britain Collection
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received following the decision of the Victoria and Albert museum to call in and store(a) the Recording Britain collection of paintings commissioned in 1939 and (b) the 67 paintings from that collection on public display in Wiltshire; and what will be his response.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: I have received no such representations, but understand that the
  764
  Victoria and Albert museum has recalled the watercolours currently out on loan in order to ensure their long-term preservation. The paintings will be available for anyone to see on request and the museum will look favourably on requests for loans for specific displays provided the environmental and security conditions are satisfactory.

TRANSPORT

  Thornaby Bypass
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to announce(a) the current year's transport supplementary grant determination and (b) his conclusions on the representations made to him by the hon. Member for Stockton, South about the Thornaby bypass.

  Mr. Atkins
  We plan to announce details of the 1990–91 transport supplementary grant settlement for England within the next few days. All hon. Members will be informed individually of decisions relating to their constituency.

  Contracts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts over £92,500 have been let by his Department in the 1988–89 financial year and in the current financial year to date; and how many of these were(a) automatically renewed and (b) open to competition by advertisement throughout the European Community.

  Mr. Atkins
  The number of contracts awarded by the Department of Transport and covered by the provisions of the EC supplies directive, for which the current threshold is £92,000, was 35 in the calendar year 1988, and 45 so far in this calendar year. Of these 31 were awarded following advertisement in the EC Journal, and 49 were considered to be exempt from advertising.

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many outside accountancy firms a:re employed by his Department; whether such employment is subject to guidelines; and whether he takes steps before employing an accountancy firm to discover whether the firms have been censured by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors in their inquiries under the Companies Act.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department is currently taking advice from five accountancy firms on various subjects including financial and management consultancy, audit and information technology. In appointing firms the Department follows Treasury guidelines and consults the Treasury on each individual case, before a commission is awarded. No separate consultation is generally undertaken with the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Roads
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department consulted the European Commission regarding the special protection area in the Lee Valley which could be affected by the road proposals in the east London assessment studies; and if he will make a statement.
  765
  Mr. Atkins
  No.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the extent of contamination of the exchange land in Wanstead for common land proposed to be taken for the MI1 link road; when the assessment was made and with what result; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The only exchange land on offer in Wanstead in connection with this scheme is for land which would be taken from Epping forest. An assessment of part of the site was made in 1982 for an earlier road scheme. It showed that the land was suitable for use as public open space.

  In response to representations at the current public inquiry the Department's consultants made investigations of the remainder of the site on 22 November last. Their preliminary findings are expected in the next few days. I shall put a copy in the Library.

  Berkshire County Council
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amounts of borrowing approval have been granted to Berkshire county council for highways purposes on each of the last five financial years; and how much was used by the council in each of those years for highways purposes.

  Mr. Atkins
  The highways capital allocation issued to Berkshire county council in each of the last five financial years represents both borrowing approval and spending

  £ million

  Accepted expenditure on major schemes

  Equivalent outturn expenditure

  Accepted expenditure on minor works

  Equivalent outturn expenditure

  1985–86

  5·570

  14·176

  0·332

  10

  1986–87

  6·269

  12·868

  0·339

  10·230

  1987–88

  6·704

  15·753

  0·300

  10·046

  1988–89

  7·226

  26·119

  0·300

  20·845

  1989–90

  3911

  33·629

  0·479

  31·285

  1 Actual.

  2 Provisional.

  3 Budgeted.

  Airport Security
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will approach Governments of technically advanced countries with proposals to provide sophisticated airport security equipment to developing countries, free of charge or at reduced charge.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The provision of sophisticated equipment can be ineffective and wasteful unless the necessary supporting administrative framework is in place. We are assisting developing countries to introduce the organisation, legislation and training to support their own aviation security programmes. We are paying the salaries of two security specialists within the International Civil Aviation Organisation who have the specific task of helping states to do this.

  Diesel Multiple Units
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from Yorkshire transport authorities concerning the problems 766
  power. The latter can be supplemented by the use of capital receipts. Details of actual borrowing are not available; the table compares highways capital allocation with total highways expenditure.

  £ million

  Highways capital allocation

  Total highways expenditure

  1985–86

  10·280

  16·003

  1986–87

  11·060

  14·773

  1987–88

  9·110

  110·978

  1988–89

  10·540

  211·021

  1989–90

  4·880

  39·068

  1 Actual.

  2 Provisional.

  3 Budgeted.

  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amounts of transport supplementary grant have been allocated to Berkshire county council in each of the last five years; and how much of the allocation was used by Berkshire county council in each of those years.

  Mr. Atkins
  Transport supplementary grant is paid at a flat rate of 50 per cent. on an accepted programme of named major (over £1 million) schemes and on an undifferentiated block of minor (under £1 million) works. The table compares Berkshire county council's expenditure accepted for grant in each of these categories with the equivalent outturn information.

  caused by shortages of diesel multiple units and maintenance staff; what action is being taken by British Rail to rectify these problems; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  As it happens, I am meeting the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority today. I understand that BR has taken action including pre-planned cancellations, short formations of some trains and operating some loco-hauled trains. BR is keeping the local passenger transport authorities fully in the picture regarding its problems, plans and solutions.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Lee
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about the British Railway Board's proposals for passenger and freight services through the Channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The British Railways board has today published the plan which it is required to prepare under
  767
  section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987. This plan sets out the board's current proposals for commercially viable passenger, freight and parcels services through the Channel tunnel serving various parts of the United Kingdom.

  In addition to the board's proposals for passenger services between London and Paris and between London and Brussels, the plan includes proposals for a number of direct through services between destinations beyond London and mainland Europe providing over 3 million seats a year. The amount of traffic that will be attracted to such services is difficult to judge exactly before the Channel tunnel opens, and the board's proposals are intended to test the market for them. The initial service level may be expanded if the actual traffic exceeds expectations. If on the other hand the actual traffic level is insufficient to justify some of the services proposed, the board will need to reconsider the case for continuing to provide them. I am, however, optimistic that passengers will be keen to take advantage of this exciting new opportunity to travel directly between the regions and mainland Europe without having to change trains in London.

  The plan also sets out the board's current proposals for freight and parcels services. I have asked the board to consider how they might improve the financial performance of their non-bulk freight sector to maximise the involvement of the private sector, and to reshape the business to seize the new opportunities presented by the Channel tunnel. I expect the board's proposals to develop, as their non-bulk strategy develops. Over 70 per cent. of the forecast rail freight traffic through the Channel tunnel will begin or end its journey beyond London, and the board's freight proposals reflect this emphasis. The detailed pattern of services is still under discussion with the board's freight customers and with potential private sector partners, but it is clear that the board's plans are based on the operation of fast through freight services between the United Kingdom regions and mainland Europe. These services will transform the opportunities available to United Kingdom manufacturers and traders for sending their goods through to the rest of Europe. Goods from Scotland and the north of England will be able to reach some continental destinations within 24 hours, and more distant places such as Munich and Milan within 48 hours, compared with the current transit time by road and ferry of at least 72 hours.

  British Rail announced on 3 November that it had selected Eurorail, comprising Trafalgar House and BICC, as its preferred partner in a joint venture for Channel tunnel rail services. In addition to operation of the initial pattern of rail services through the tunnel, the joint venture will be responsible for constructing a new rail link between London and the tunnel; there is already a very high standard of rail infrastructure on the lines beyond London. Through services between the United Kingdom regions and mainland Europe are not, however, dependent on the construction of the new link. The proposals set out by British Rail in its plans are intended to come into effect as soon as the tunnel opens, and British Rail is confident that its existing network will have sufficient capacity for the additional Channel tunnel traffic for a number of years before the new link is needed.

  I welcome the publication of this plan, which sets out clearly British Rail's proposals for making the most of the opportunities offered by the tunnel. Others will now want to express their views on the proposals put forward. The
  768
  plan can do no more than set out British Rail's current view of the opportunities, and I have no doubt that British Rail will continue to develop its plans, both during the period up to the opening of the tunnel and thereafter, as the pattern of demand and the associated commercial opportunities become clearer.

  Market Research
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. Atkins
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: In the 12 months ended November 1989, a total of 79 market research and/or sample surveys were carried out by or for the Department of Transport. The total cost of this work was £2·7 million.

  Of the 79 surveys, 12 were carried out in house and 67 were undertaken by outside organisations. The total cost of surveys contracted out was £2·5 million, or 93 per cent. of the cost of all such work.

PRIME MINISTER

  Soviet Union
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to the Soviet Union.

  The Prime Minister
  I expect to visit the Soviet Union next June for talks with Mr. Gorbachev and to support the `Britain in Kiev' exhibition.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Andrew Hunter
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a further statement on recent developments in eastern Europe.

  The Prime Minister
  We greatly welcome current developments in Poland, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic and Czechoslovakia which are moving towards democracy and freedom. We are also closely watching developments in Bulgaria and hope that they will lead in the same direction. We are taking many practical steps to help this process and are prepared to do more.

  European Council
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to meet the President of the European Council; and what matters she proposes to raise.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to meet President Mitterrand again before the end of the French presidency of the EC.

  Field Sports
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will co-ordinate Government action to introduce legislation to make hare-coursing, stag and deer hunting, fox hunting and beagling illegal.
  769
  The Prime Minister
  No. Field sports are a matter for the decision of the individual.

  North Sea
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to stop industrial waste dumping in the North sea, by 31 December, in line with its written declaration at the second ministerial conference on the protection of the North sea in 1987; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The United Kingdom is fully meeting international agreements reached unanimously by the North sea countries. Ministers at the second North sea conference agreed that disposal at sea of industrial wastes should not be prohibited if there were no practical alternative means of disposal on land and if it could be shown to the Oslo commission that the materials caused no harm in the marine environment. The Oslo commission in 1989 agreed the procedure by which a country would show that a waste met these criteria.

  No deadline has been set internationally for termination of sea disposal. However, the Government are seeking to end sea disposal of these wastes at the earliest possible time. Of the 20 licences issued in 1987 for disposal of liquid industrial waste at sea more than half will not be renewed next year. The remainder will be terminated as soon as environmentally acceptable alternative means of disposal have been identified and implemented. The Oslo commission agreed earlier this year that even when an alternative disposal option is identified a transitional period will be needed before sea disposal can end, to give time for introduction of the alternative arrangements.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Prime Minister if, over Christmas, she will visit those sleeping rough in the parks and streets of London.

  The Prime Minister
  Homelessness is a major concern to us all. The Government's hostel initiative has produced 21,000 hostel bedspaces since 1981; and some of the special £250 million homelessness package announced on 15 November will directly help vulnerable single people at risk of becoming roofless.

  Clydesdale
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit Clydesdale; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  Warsaw Pact
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list, for each of the countries of the Warsaw pact what technical and administrative assistance Her Majesty's Government are making available or can offer to assist the conduct of free general elections.

  The Prime Minister
  Help to prepare for fully democratic elections is a central objective of the know-how Funds for Poland and Hungary. Hungarian and Polish parliamentarians have visited Britain to study democratic procedures. We are also helping with local government training. We hope that other eastern European countries will qualify for such help in due course.

  British Aerospace (Rover Deal)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister on what date and at what time she was made aware of the sweeteners being offered to British Aerospace on the Rover deal.

  The Prime Minister
  I was kept aware throughout of the progress of the negotiations with British Aerospace and was of course aware of the basic terms and conditions of the agreements reached with British Aerospace. This major privatisation has provided an excellent return for the United Kingdom taxpayer, for the Rover work force and dealer network and for the company's customers.

  Korea
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Prime Minister what representation she made to the President of Korea on his recent visit about the level of duties and taxes on Scotch whisky in Korea; and what further steps Her Majesty's Government plan to take in this matter.

  The Prime Minister
  I made representations to the Korean President during his visit at the end of November about the discriminatory features of Korea's tax and tariff treatment of Scotch whisky and other imported spirits, as well as other restrictions on the import and distribution of these products. There has been some liberalisation which has benefited Scotch whisky but discriminatory treatment continues to hold back sales in Korea. The Government will continue to take every opportunity, both bilaterally and through the European Community, to persuade Korea to take the necessary actions.

  Angola
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Prime Minister whether the subject of Angolan unity came up in her recent conversations with President Bush; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I did not discuss Angolan unity with President Bush. The Government have consistently stressed the need for a political settlement in Angola. We support President Mobutu's work as mediator and trust that this will lead to an early end to the fighting and to negotiations without pre-conditions between the MPLA Government of Angola and UNITA.

  Friends of the Earth
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister when she last met the director of Friends of the Earth (UK); for how long they met; what issues were discussed; and what plans she has to meet other non-governmental organisation environmentalists.

  The Prime Minister
  I met Mr. Jonathon Porritt, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, on 1 December when we discussed a number of environmental issues of mutual concern. I meet representatives of other environmental groups from time to time.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Prime Minister why Mr. Dennis Griffiths, of 25 Grant road, Stoke, Coventry, has not yet received a substantive reply to his letter of 24 June, following her acknowledgement of its receipt; and if she will make a statement.
  771
  The Prime Minister
  I receive an enormous number of letters each week from Members of Parliament and members of the public. It is not possible for me to deal with all these letters personally and I must accordingly refer most of them to the Minister and the Department with the responsibility for the policy in question.

  Mr. Griffiths' letter of 26 June was sent an acknowledgement on 20 July and the letter was passed that day to the Department of Social Security for further action. I understand that a response was sent by the Department of Social Security on 13 December 1989. I very much regret the long delay.

  Environmental Co-operation
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has received on the need for Europwide environmental co-operation.

  The Prime Minister
  I and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment are in regular contact with our European counterparts and play an active part in developing constructive Europewide co-operation on a broad range of environmental matters.

  At the Environment Council on 28 November we supported the creation of a European Environment Agency to improve the quality of environmental information across Europe. The agency will be established initially on a European Community basis, but will subsequently be open to wider European participation.

  The United Kingdom is playing an active role in preparations for the ministerial conference on sustainable development to be held in Bergen in May 1990 under the auspices of the United Nations Commission for Europe and we hosted an international preparatory workshop in 24 to 26 September.

  My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Transport chaired the special session of the European conference of Ministers of Transport on 23 November, at which Ministers agreed on the need for environmentally sustainable transport policies.

  Engagements
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 December.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 December.

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

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening a reception will be held at No. 10 Downing street on behalf of the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Stock Exchange
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what position the London stock exchange held in the international league of trading volumes in 1987 and 1988.
  772
  Mr. Redwood
  I have been asked to reply.

  On the basis of total turnover in equities and fixed interest stocks the International Stock Exchange of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland Limited ranked third in 1987 and second in 1988. It was also the third largest exchange in terms of market capitalisation of domestic equities in both 1987 and 1988.

WALES

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet ambulance workers based at the Queensferry station to discuss their views concerning their salary levels and their claims for arbitration; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  I had the opportunity to meet trade union representatives of Clwyd ambulance workers at Colwyn Bay on Friday 8 December and their views were fully put to me. The only sensible way forward in the current pay dispute is for the unions to call off their action and resume talks with the management side of the Whitley council.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his reply of 5 December, he will list the names and locations of the 89 of Dwr Cymru's water treatment works for which a relaxation of standards under the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 has been granted relating to the level of permissible aluminium.

  Mr. Grist
  The information in respect of the 34 relaxations granted under sections 4(1)(c) and 4(2) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 for Dwr Cymru treatment works/sources is shown in the table.

  Clwyd

  Llanbedr

  Afon Ddu

  Penmaenmawr Mountain Stream

  Dolwen Reservoir

  Afon Clywedog

  Ffynnon Asaph

  Gwynedd

  Mynydd Llandegai

  Cwmystradllyn

  Garndolbenmaen

  Afon Cwm Llan

  Beddgelert

  Bettws y Coed

  Rhyd

  Corris

  Cwmygof

  Drws y Coed

  Nant Braich y Rhiw

  Abergynolwen

  Bontddu Stream

  Cwm y Gof Stream

  Llyn Fedw

  Dyfed

  Pendine

  Llyn-y-Fan

  Rhos I

  Faedre Fawr

  Llanybydder

  Llygadllwchar

  Treffynon

  Cilgerran

  Mynydd Crwn Bach

  773

  LLanfrynach

  Ffynnon Gaseg

  Wern Ddu

  Rhos 2

  New Inn

  Newcastle Emlyn

  Faldybrenin

  Ffynnon Rhys

  Tregarron

  Pontygotty

  Powys

  Cray Reservoir (1)

  Garwleisian

  Cray Reservoir(2)

  West Glamorgan

  Cwm Kenfig

  Glyncorrwg

  Upper Lliw Reservoir

  Mid Glamorgan

  Blaengarw High Level

  Blaengarw Low Level

  Garw Nanthir

  Tyn y Waun

  Perthcelyn

  Penderyn

  Blanencaerau

  Dimbath

  Caerau

  In respect of the information regarding the undertakings accepted under section 20(5)(b) of the Water Act 1989, I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 16 November to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones).

  Rural Areas
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Welsh Development Agency concerning the implementation of his new rural initiative programme in those rural areas of Wales which lie outside the jurisdiction of Mid-Wales Development; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department and the agency regularly discuss matters of mutual interest including rural affairs.

  Local Authority Capital Expenditure
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total for local authority capital expenditure in 1990–91 and for 1989–90; what is that increase as a percentage in real terms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  As I announced on 29 November, my proposals assume gross spending in 1990–91 of £475 million. This represents an increase of 6·9 per cent. over the 1989–90 equivalent (£444 million). The relevant GDP deflator is 5 per cent. Further resources will be provided if expenditure on mandatory home renovation grants exceeds the £75 million I have allowed for it.

  Development Bodies
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to realise the property assets of(a) the Mid-Wales Development Board and (b) the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.
  774
  Mr. Peter Walker
  Since their inception, property assets have been sold by the two development agencies the proceeds of which have contributed to the massive increase in their gross expenditure in recent years. This will continue.

  Dee Crossing
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the details of his award of finance to support the A548 Dee crossing for which funding has been set; what are the amounts per year; what is the starting date and the proposed completion date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on Thursday 7 December. Support for the years beyond 1990–91 will be considered in future annual transport grant settlements and in the light of progress on the scheme. The timing of construction is a matter for Clwyd county council.

  Teachers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many(a) primary and (b) high school teachers in Clwyd, in numbers and as a percentage, receive incentive allowances; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is the percentage in each of the local education authorities of Wales of teachers receiving incentive allowances; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The latest information relates to March 1988 and is shown in the table.

  Teachers receiving incentive allowances

  Number

  Percentage

  Clwyd—

  Primary/Nursery

  243

  25·6

  Secondary

  932

  53·5

  All Teachers1

  Clwyd

  —

  45·3

  Dyfed

  —

  36·0

  Gwent

  —

  37·3

  Gwynedd

  —

  34·3

  Mid Glamorgan

  —

  29·9

  Powys

  —

  33·1

  South Glamorgan

  —

  38·1

  West Glamorgan

  —

  38·4

  1 All teachers includes teachers in Special schools, and excludes Headteachers and Deputy Headteachers.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he intends to take to eliminate the shortage of primary school teachers in Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The Government's role is to ensure that sufficient qualified teachers are available to meet employers' needs. It is the responsibility of local education authorities to ensure that teachers are recruited to meet the needs of schools in their areas. In responding to the survey of teaching vacancies in September this year, Clwyd did not indicate that there was a shortage of primary teachers in the county.

  This year the intake of students to primary courses in initial teacher training institutions was over 15 per cent. higher than in 1988. In Welsh institutions the increase was 22 per cent. above the 1988 figure and 28 per cent. above the targets for those institutions. We have also invited bids

  775
  from LEAs in Wales for education support grant to assist with the cost of developing schemes of recruitment directed at meeting local shortages. No bid has been received from Clwyd.

  Schools (First Aid)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will meet St. John Ambulance and the Red Cross in Wales to discuss the place of first aid instruction in schools in Wales; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) which local education authorities in Wales have arranged for first aid instruction in their schools; what type of instruction is provided; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Any discussions about the place of first aid instruction in schools should most appropriately be conducted between the first aid organisations and local education authorities.

  All local education authorities make provision for first aid instruction. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman with detailed information on the extent of provision and type of instruction in schools and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  "Trade Routes to the Future"
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is planning to take with reference to the recent Confederation of British Industry report, "Trade Routes to the Future", as it affects Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Family Practitioner Committee

  Practitioners born outside Great Britain1

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Clwyd

  48

  24·7

  46

  23·4

  45

  22·5

  47

  22·3

  49

  22·9

  Dyfed

  11

  6·0

  12

  6·4

  13

  6·7

  15

  7·6

  14

  6·8

  Gwent

  77

  34·7

  79

  35·0

  83

  35·0

  78

  33·1

  78

  32·5

  Gwynedd

  10

  7·3

  8

  5·8

  11

  7·9

  9

  6·5

  9

  6·3

  Mid Glamorgan

  123

  45·4

  126

  46·0

  125

  45·3

  133

  47·5

  138

  47·4

  Powys

  9

  12·9

  10

  13·9

  10

  13·9

  11

  14·5

  10

  13·3

  South Glamorgan

  21

  10·0

  21

  9·7

  25

  11·4

  25

  11·3

  25

  11·1

  West Glamorgan

  26

  14·6

  27

  15·0

  29

  15·6

  29

  15·4

  28

  14·4

  Wales

  325

  22·2

  329

  22·1

  341

  22·4

  347

  22·4

  351

  22·1

  1 Unrestricted principals as at 1 October·

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many doctors whose training and basic medical qualification were received outside the United Kingdom are employed in hospitals in Wales in 1989; and what was the comparable figure for each of the past five years;

  (2) what percentage of hospital doctors in each health authority area in Wales received their basic medical training and qualification outside the United Kingdom; and what was the comparable percentage for each of the past five years.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on where hospital doctors received basic medical training is not held centrally. However available information on country of birth is shown in the table:
  776
  Mr. Peter Walker
  I wrote to the CBI on 4 December. A copy of my letter has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Since then I have announced plans to dualling the A5 across Anglesey, one of the routes identified in the report as in need of improvement.

  Doctors
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many doctors whose basic medical training and qualifications were received abroad are employed as general practitioners in Wales in 1989; and what was the comparable figure for each of the past five years;

  (2) how many doctors whose training and basic medical qualifications were received outside the United Kingdom are employed as general practitioners in each family practitioner committee area in Wales; and what was the comparable figure for each of the past five years;

  (3) what percentage of general practitioners in each family practitioner committee area in Wales received their basic training and qualifications outside the United Kingdom; and what was the equivalent percentage for each of the past five years;

  (4) what percentage of general practitioners in Wales received their basic medical training and qualifications outside the United Kingdom; and what was the comparable figure for each of the past five years.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on where general practitioners received basic medical training is not held centrally. However the latest available information on country of birth is shown in the table which will show the hon. Gentleman that the position for Wales in 1989 was almost identical to that in 1983.

  Hospital doctors born outside the United Kingdom1

  Year

  Number

  Per cent.

  19842

  833

  32·5

  19852

  854

  32·6

  19862

  863

  32·1

  1987

  850

  31·2

  1988

  841

  30·2

  1 Staff in post as at 30 September.

  2Excludes doctors born in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the hours worked by junior hospital doctors in Wales;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the level of morale among junior hospital doctors in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Information is not held centrally about hours worked by junior hospital doctors. Information held relates to the number of units of medical time (UMT) for
  777
  which doctors are contracted. Earlier this year the Department undertook a review. The Department has since requested health authorities to submit proposals to reduce further the hours worked by junior doctors. No assessment of the level of morale among junior doctors as such has been undertaken.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the number of individuals who have received their medical training and qualification outside the United Kingdom and who will have to be recruited by hospitals in Wales in each of the coming five years;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the problems of recruiting and retaining the services of junior hospital doctors to posts at hospitals in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  It is not possible reliably to assess the demand for overseas qualified doctors in each of the next five years. Consideration is still being given to the distribution by specialty of those doctors eligible to pursue a career in the United Kingdom and those overseas doctors who are seeking to undertake training for a limited period in the United Kingdom. The implementation of the package of proposals in "Achieving a Balance" for the reform of the hospital medical staffing structure will alleviate recruitment problems and the Department, with the assistance of the recently established Welsh Council for Postgraduates in Medical and Dental Education, is developing plans for a training package specifically for overseas doctors employed in Wales. This scheme and other initiatives under consideration are designed to attract junior doctors to the National Health Service in Wales.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what examination he has undertaken of the effectiveness of induction and supplementary training given immediately on appointment to any doctor whose medical training and qualifications have been received outside the United Kingdom;

  (2) what examination he has undertaken of the effectiveness of inquiries made prior to the employment in any hospital in Wales of a doctor whose medical training and qualifications have been received outside the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Grist
  The Department has issued firm guidance to health authorities in Wales on the procedures to be followed in employing overseas qualified doctors and in particular emphasised the importance of checking that doctors are properly registered for the work they are to do before taking up employment.

  Overseas qualified doctors applying for registration must satisfy the General Medical Council about their professional experience, clinical knowledge/skills and their command and understanding of the English language. The Department is satisfied with the criteria employed by the General Medical Council to assess the suitability of overseas qualified doctors. All such doctors work under the direct supervision of a consultant who provides further training as appropriate.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what percentage of hospital doctors in Wales received their basic medical training and qualification outside the United Kingdom; and what was the comparable percentage for each of the past five years;
  778
  (2) how many doctors whose training and basic medical qualifications were received outside the United Kingdom are employed in hospitals in each health authority in Wales; and what were the comparable figures for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on where hospital doctors received basic medical training is not held centrally. However, information is available on place of birth and I will reply to the hon. Gentleman as soon as the information by health authority can be extracted.

ENERGY

  Magnox Reactors
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the long-term safety reviews of the Magnox reactors.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  There is an ongoing programme of long-term safety reviews of Magnox stations. This will be continued by Nuclear Electric.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the maximum operating life of Magnox reactors; if he will take steps to require the Central Electricity Generating Board to set a maximum operational period for the reactors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The maximum operating life of a Magnox station is a matter for the owner of the station subject to the requirements of the nuclear installations inspectorate.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of the decommissioning costs for the Magnox reactors pertains to(a) phase one, (b) phase two and (c) phase three.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the Magnox operators.

  Flue Gas Desulphurisation
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress being made to fit flue gas desulphurisation equipment to power stations.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The retrofitting of flue gas desulphurisation equipment to the 4,000 MW coal-fired power station at Drax in Yorkshire is proceeding satisfactorily. The electricity industry is identifying subsequent stations for retrofits.

  CEGB (Safety Breaches)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received over the amount of fines imposed on the Central Electricity Generating Board after pleading guilty to charges of nuclear safety breaches brought by the nuclear installations inspectorate whether this was the first such prosecution and conviction of the Central Electricity Generating Board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have received no such representations. This is the first occasion on which the
  779
  Central Electricity Generating Board has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive in respect of breaches of their licence conditions.

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list (1) the statutory requirements governing the publication of reports of the constituent bodies of the electricity supply industry in England and Wales (ii) the dates on which such reports have been published in each year since nationalisation, either for existing or predecessor corporations and (iii) indicate, where appropriate, when the reports for 1988–89 will be published.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The statutory requirement governing the publication of reports of the constituent bodies of the electricity supply industry in England and Wales are: the Electricity Act 1947, as amended by the Electricity Act 1957, section 46; and the Electricity Act 1957, sections 10 and 11. These reports have been published each year and have been placed in the Library of the House.

  All area boards have published their reports and accounts for 1988–89 and I understand that the Central Electricity Generating Board and the Electricity Council intend to publish their reports and accounts before the end of December.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy under the regulations for the forthcoming privatisation of electricity, what plans he has to give powers to a regulatory body to ensure that the electricity board must legally give customers every opportunity to pay according to their means.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Under their licences, public electricity suppliers will implement approved procedures for dealing with customers facing difficulties with their bills which will include taking particular account of the consumer's ability to pay. These procedures can be enforced by the director under section 25 of the Electricity Act 1989.

  Offshore Installations
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what regulations are in force in relation to secondary means of evacuation from offshore oil and gas installations.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The Offshore Installations (Construction and Survey) Regulations 1974 (SI 1974/289), the Offshore Installations (Emergency Procedures) Regulations 1976 (SI 1976/1542) and the Offshore Installations (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations 1977 (SI 1977/486).

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what tests are undertaken by his Department, independent of the oil industry, in assessing the safety, quality and effectiveness of all means of evacuation from offshore oil and gas installations generally, and in relation to individual installations.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department utilises the experience of the marine surveyors of the Department of 780
  Transport to ensure that all life-saving appliances are of an approved type, are suitably located, properly maintained and in good working order. Certifying authorities also carry out independent surveys of offshore installations and their equipment, including escape routes. In addition, independent contractors undertake research and development projects sponsored by my Department.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any proposals to introduce regulations or guidance in relation to the provision of smoke hoods on offshore oil and gas installations.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  A research and development programme has been commissioned jointly by my Department and the oil and gas industry to establish performance specifications for smoke hoods to be used offshore and for a test procedure for assessment purposes. Subject to the outcome of this programme, consideration will be given to the introduction of a statutory requirement for the provision of smoke hoods or other devices capable of performing the same or a similar function.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what were the sources of information underlying the figures in his departmental press release No. 180, issued on 5 December, on imports and exports to the nearest kilogramme of separated and unseparated plutonium.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The figures on imports and exports of plutonium were compiled from data supplied by British Nuclear Fuels plc and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy why, in note 4 to paragraph 1(A) of his departmental press release number 180 on plutonium figures the percentages cited have been rounded to the nearest 5 per cent.; and whether his Department possesses data to a greater degree of accuracy than this.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The estimates of fissile content are shown to the same precision as in the estimates given by the electricity boards to my Department.

  Nuclear Plants
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has had any recent communications from the chairman of British Nuclear Fuels plc concerning its plans to make a planning application for the construction of new commercial scale nuclear plants at its sites at Sellafield and Chapelcross.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend met the chairman of British Nuclear Fuels plc on 16 November when their discussion touched upon the feasibility study that the company is carrying out into the options for replacing its stations at Calder Hall and Chapelcross.

  British Nuclear Fuels plc
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps to require British Nuclear Fuels plc to inform customers what percentage of the price charged for services relates to the need to reduce environmental impact.
  781
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No. This is a commercial matter between BNFL and its customers.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what measures he is taking to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from energy sources; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department's current policies include encouragement of cost-effective energy efficiency, the development of renewable energy resources and support for diversified and efficient electricity supply options provide a firm basis for any future action. The need for further measures will be considered in the light of the report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), due in autumn 1990.

  Onshore Licensing
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make an announcement on the results of the third onshore licensing round.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I have today announced the conditional award of 22 landward exploration licences for blocks in England, Scotland and Wales. The licences allow companies to search and drill for petroleum, subject to the procedures of the planning system and the technical approval of my Department. Where the licences extend into coastal waters stringent conditions will be set to ensure that local interests will be fully taken into account before operations are undertaken.

  Details of the awards have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Offshore Installations
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he has any proposals to introduce regulations or guidance relating to the installation of free-fall lifeboats on offshore oil and gas installations;

  Defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court for illegal sales of tobacco and alcohol to children by police force area from 1984–88 England and Wales

  Numbers proceeded against

  Tobacco

  Alcohol

  Police force area

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Avon and Somerset

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  16

  26

  13

  12

  17

  Bedfordshire

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  6

  3

  7

  Cambridgeshire

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  4

  9

  Cheshire

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  8

  10

  15

  10

  30

  Cleveland

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7

  —

  —

  4

  2

  Cumbria

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  8

  16

  10

  5

  20

  Derbyshire

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  7

  8

  7

  9

  19

  Devon and Cornwall

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  15

  19

  11

  17

  14

  Dorset

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  13

  11

  16

  5

  4

  Durham

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  8

  —

  4

  12

  14

  Essex

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  5

  Gloucestershire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  7

  Greater Manchester

  7

  7

  4

  3

  —

  17

  20

  20

  40

  92

  Hampshire

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10

  7

  10

  13

  14

  Hertfordshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  8

  4

  5

  5

  11

  Humberside

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  7

  14

  2

  3

  2

  Kent

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  3

  2

  —

  3

  4

  Lancashire

  3

  2

  —

  3

  1

  8

  12

  12

  47

  50

  Leicestershire

  3

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  4

  —

  1

  8

  Lincolnshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  2

  4

  10

  12

  Merseyside

  1

  1

  —

  1

  10

  15

  2

  8

  6

  9

  782
  (2) whether he has any proposals to introduce regulations or guidance in relation to the provision of the secondary evacuation equipment known as skyscape on offshore oil and gas installations.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  In August 1989 my Department issued a statement of intent which included proposals to amend the Offshore Installations (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations 1976 to allow for the use of any approved method of launching lifeboats, including free-fall lifeboats.

  The skyscape system has been accepted by the Department of Transport as a suitable means of escape to the sea and is being considered by a number of operators for use on new installations. The statement of intent proposes that there should be more specific guidance on means and location of descent to the sea.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Immigration
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions there are on the award of(a) entry visas and (b) residence permits for citizens of the German Democratic Republic wishing to settle in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  All citizens of the German Democratic Republic require visas to enter the United Kingdom for any purpose. Visas are issued in accordance with the immigration rules set out in House of Commons paper 388.

  Tobacco and Alcohol
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply on 4 December to the hon. Member for Davyhulme (Mr. Churchill), if he will give a regional breakdown of the figures for prosecutions for illegal sales of tobacco and alcohol, respectively, to children.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information held centrally on the number of prosecutions against the illegal sale of tobacco and alcohol to children by police force area in England and Wales for 1984 to 1988 is given in the table.
  783

  Numbers proceeded against

  Tobacco

  Alcohol

  Police force area

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Metropolitan police district1

  2

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  4

  11

  4

  17

  Norfolk

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  8

  4

  8

  2

  11

  Northamptonshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  1

  Northumbria

  1

  1

  1

  —

  1

  8

  1

  7

  4

  15

  North Yorkshire

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  15

  10

  26

  3

  13

  Nottinghamshire

  2

  2

  1

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  1

  7

  South Yorkshire

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  2

  9

  8

  73

  Staffordshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  8

  11

  13

  15

  Suffolk

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  3

  —

  —

  2

  5

  Surrey

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  3

  1

  6

  6

  7

  Sussex

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  5

  12

  7

  15

  Thames Valley

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  3

  1

  2

  15

  Warwickshire

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  6

  4

  6

  3

  1

  West Mercia

  2

  1

  —

  —

  1

  23

  13

  15

  4

  10

  West Midlands

  11

  5

  1

  —

  3

  31

  21

  3

  7

  27

  West Yorkshire

  2

  4

  2

  1

  4

  18

  12

  11

  15

  13

  Wiltshire

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  6

  Dyfed-Powys

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  6

  6

  4

  1

  4

  Gwent

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  6

  6

  22

  35

  North Wales

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  11

  3

  5

  3

  13

  South Wales

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1

  8

  9

  7

  15

  20

  England and Wales

  45

  28

  17

  18

  29

  314

  274

  296

  333

  673

  1 Includes the City of London.

  Pornography
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 5 December,Official Report, column 192, what are (a) the terms of reference of the review, (b) the names of those he will charge with conducting the review, (c) the expected commencement and finishing dates of the review into the possible link between pornography and sexual violence towards women and children; and whether he will allow public representations to be made to the review.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Home Office research and planning unit is at present drawing up the specification for a review of research reports on possible links between pornography and sexual violence. Broadly, the terms of reference will be to review the available research in this country, the United States of America and in other European countries on the effects of pornography, including any link with violence or sexual aggression, and effects on attitudes to women.

  We are considering who is best qualified to carry out the review. We plan that it should begin in January and be completed in April. The report would be published in the usual way.

  It would not be right to ask the researchers to accept public representations, which would fall outside their terms of reference. We are always ready to consider representations ourselves.

  Contracts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts over £92,500 have been let by his Department in the 1988–89 financial year and in the present financial year to date; and how many of these were automatically renewed or advertised throughout the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Waddington
  This information is readily available only by calendar year. The number of contracts awarded by my Department covered by the provisions of the EC supplies directive, for which the current threshold is £92,000 was 71 in 1988 and 56 to date in 1989. Of these,784
  112 were awarded following advertisement in the EC Journal and 15 were considered to be exempt from advertising and may have been awarded to the previous supplier.

  Immigration Service (Vacancies)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employee vacancies there are currently at(a) Lunar house, Croydon and (b) the nationality department at Liverpool.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  At 7 December there was an overall total of 85 vacancies in the immigration and nationality department in Croydon, and four in the Immigration arid Nationality Department's Liverpool nationality office.

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate an inquiry into levels of stress on police now engaged in ambulance work and its effects on their future efficiency as police officers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the cost in police time and resources, for each police authority area, of the ambulance dispute since September.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The readily available information is that up to 8 December police forces had provided about the number of man hours shown in the table in assisting the ambulance service in their areas.

  Approximate number of man hours

  Number

  West Midlands

  8,200

  Bedfordshire

  5,900

  Lincolnshire

  1,500

  Dorset

  650

  Derbyshire

  6,800

  Hampshire

  3,500

  785

  Number

  Hertfordshire

  12,200

  South Yorkshire

  4,400

  West Yorkshire

  570

  Warwickshire

  460

  Surrey

  450

  For the Metropolitan police district I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given him today in reply to another question.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of police, per day, by Metropolitan police division, employed on ambulance duties since September.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that in the Metropolitan police district from 8 November to 12 December the approximate number of police officers by area employed on duties assisting the ambulance service in each 24-hour period has been as follows:

  Approximate number of officers

  Area

  Number

  1

  72

  2

  44

  3

  64

  4

  40

  5

  60

  6

  72

  7

  74

  8

  34

  TOTAL

  460

  On each of 23 and 24 October the total was about 670 and on 7 November the total was about 830.

  IRA Prisoners
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many convicted members of the Irish Republican Army currently held in British prisons enjoy category B status apart from the six men convicted after the Birmingham pub bombings;

  (2) how many Irish Republican Army members currently serving sentences of life imprisonment enjoy category B status apart from the six men convicted after the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Mellor
  There are at present in prisons in England and Wales 37 prisoners convicted of terrorist offences believed to have been carried out by the IRA. Twenty-four are serving life sentences, one (excluding the Birmingham Six) not being in category A.

  Remission
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the effect on the prison population for(a) those with prison sentences and (b) those on parole in England and Wales, as a result of his proposals for the removal of remission in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The removal of remission is one of a number of changes which we have in mind. Any estimates of the effect on the prison population should take account of all the proposed changes and will be announced in due course.

  Emergency Services (Pay)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list at 1989 prices the pay of(a) a leading fireman and (b) a police constable for each year since 1974.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information is not held in the form requested. The annual rates of pay at historic prices are as follows:

  £

  Leading Firemen/Women

  7 November 1974

  2,913

  1 February 1975

  3,123

  7 November 1975

  3,435

  7 November 1976

  3,606

  7 November 1977

  4,040

  7 November 1978

  4,935

  7 November 1979

  5,943

  7 November 1980

  6,715

  1 April 1981

  7,060

  7 November 1981

  7,773

  7 November 1982

  8,355

  7 November 1983

  9,006

  7 November 1984

  9,654

  7 November 1985

  10,350

  7 November 1986

  11,106

  7 November 1987

  11,916

  7 November 1988

  12,942

  7 November 1989

  14,055

  Police Constables

  1 September 1974

  1,632– 2,636

  1 September 1975

  2,400– 3,476

  1 September 1976

  2,609– 3,685

  1 September 1977

  2,775– 3,918

  1 September 1978

  3,189– 4,809

  1 September 1979

  4,086– 6,471

  1 September 1980

  4,956– 7,848

  1 September 1981

  5,610– 8,883

  1 September 1982

  6,189– 9,798

  1 September 1983

  6,708–10,620

  1 September 1984

  6,809–11,193

  1 September 1985

  7,212–12,033

  1 September 1986

  7,752–12,936

  1 September 1987

  8,352–13,938

  1 September 1988

  8,352–15,123

  1 September 1989

  9,900–16,521

  Between October 1974 and October 1989 the retail prices index increased by 309·4 per cent.

  Emergency Centres
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will identify those home defence sub-regions currently without a Government wartime emergency centre.

  Mr. John Patten
  Such centres are not available in regions 8.1 and 10.1.

  Nuclear Blast Simulation
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will identify those nuclear blast simulations in the United States of America since 1980 with which his Department's scientific research and development branch has been associated; and what was the cost in each case and what arrangements are being made for future collaboration.

  Mr. Waddington
  The information requested is as follows:
  787

  Year and Name of trial

  Cost of United Kingdom involvement (excluding staff)

  Staff costs

  £

  £

  1981 Mill Race

  20,000

  1—

  1983 Direct Course

  176,648

  57,021

  1985 Minor Scale

  421,152

  63,069

  1987 Misty Picture

  470,510

  68,649

  1989 Misers Gold

  2390,000

  78,780

  1 Staff costs not separately available.

  2 Estimate.

  No decision has been taken on participation in further such simulations.

  Emergency Communications Network
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about(a) the susceptibility to nuclear electromagnetic pulse and (b) any softwear problems of the solid-state message switch devices currently being introduced into the wartime Government emergency communications network.

  Mr. John Patten
  The equipment underwent satisfactory susceptibility tests prior to purchase. The need for software improvements was identified following initial operational experience of the equipment, and revisions were introduced in 1988. Consideration is being given to the need for any additional refinements in the light of further experience.

  Civil Defence
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the proposed criteria for suitability of civil defence volunteers drawn up by the London fire and civil defence authority.

  Mr. John Patten
  This is entirely a matter for the London fire and civil defence authority.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the all-hazards approach to planning will involve civil defence community volunteers in civil emergencies.

  Mr. John Patten
  The use of civil defence community volunteers is a matter for individual local authorities to determine. We are aware that some local authorities have involved such volunteers in their response to recent civil emergencies.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the London fire and civil defence authority has co-operated in providing his Department with information about London boroughs' civil defence expenditure.

  Mr. John Patten
  Yes.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what national voluntary organisations are being considered for the recruitment of civil defence volunteers; and if he will make a statement:

  (2) which national voluntary organisations have been contacted by his Department during the past 12 months on the matter of civil defence community volunteers.

  Mr. Waddington
  The involvement of national voluntary organisations in assisting local authorities with 788
  their community volunteer schemes is one of the options we are considering as part of a wider review of the role and organisation of civil defence community volunteers. No decisions on future policy have yet been taken. A discussion paper examining the options was circulated to interested parties earlier this year. The national voluntary organisations formally consulted were the Women's Royal Voluntary Service; British Red Cross; St. John Ambulance Brigade; and Civil Aid.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether details of advances of civil defence grant aid for the London boroughs have been contained in returns made by the London fire and civil defence authority for the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  No such details are required in returns made to the Home Office by the London fire and civil defence authority. Advance payments in connection with civil defence grant are decided in the light of estimates of qualifying expenditure submitted by local authorities. Such advances are made to county councils and fire and civil defence authorities rather than to individual boroughs and districts.

  Bruntington Airport
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the decision was made to transfer the bulk of the emergency fire service vehicles to Bruntington airport; and to which company any maintenance contract for the vehicles has been awarded.

  Mr. John Patten
  It is Government policy that appropriate services which have hitherto been undertaken in-house should be market-tested. In the light of considerations of effectiveness, efficiency and cost, and subject to satisfactory contracts, it is intended to transfer the storage and maintenance of the emergency fire service equipment to the private sector. Such contracts are still under negotiation, but a limited instruction has been given to TNT Express (UK) Limited to maintain a proportion of the equipment as an interim arrangement.

  West Midlands Police
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask the chief constable of the West Midlands for a report on what date and in what circumstances Detective Inspector Paul Matthews left the force.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the chief constable that Inspector Matthews was required to resign from the force on 23 September 1986 following formal discipline proceedings. The officer had been found guilty of failing to obey lawful orders.

  Prison Visitors' Centres
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on the provision of prison visitors' centres.

  Mr. Mellor
  We believe that visitors' centres can be of considerable benefit to visitors, prisoners and staff. They are now a standard feature in the design of new establishments. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide
  789
  funds to erect purpose-built centres at those existing establishments which do not already have a centre. We are keen, however, to encourage establishments to make suitable provision wherever this is possible—for example, by making use of existing accommodation. I am placing in the Library a copy of a note, "Visitors' Centres: Some Guidelines for Establishments and Voluntary Organisations", which is being issued to the governors of all establishments.

  We already make a regular contribution towards the running costs of five visitors' centres and emergency grants have also been made to a further four centres in this financial year. From April next year additional funds will be available to offer similar support to new centres.

  Football Safety
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to ask for a report on crowd safety at the Middlesbrough v. Leeds United game on Saturday 9 December; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  I am aware of this incident which led to a number of spectators sustaining minor injuries and the chief constable has been asked for a report. We have also sought information from the Cleveland county council which is responsible for the ground's safety certificate. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

EMPLOYMENT

  Interview Expenses
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will extend the arrangements for interview expenses to be claimed for travel to local interviews.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have currently no plans to make further changes in the rules of the scheme.

  Disabled Adults
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish his Department's internal review on employment assistance to disabled adults.

  Mr. Eggar
  The review is at an advanced stage. The consultative document which will follow the review will be published as soon as possible.

  Sheltered Placement Scheme
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he plans to raise the grant ceilings available to sheltered placement scheme sponsors.

  Mr. Eggar
  I shall be informing sponsors as soon as possible about arrangements for the sheltered placement scheme grant ceiling levels for 1990–91.

  European Social Fund
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how much of the European social fund grants for 1990 in Great Britain is being allocated to the Training Agency; and for what purposes;
  790
  (2) what is the sum of European social fund grants for 1990; and what percentage is going to the voluntary sector.

  Mr. Eggar
  The European Commission has not yet informed us how much support it is going to make available for any programmes in 1990.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the European social fund for projects in Great Britain has gone to the voluntary sector programme in the past five years.

  Mr. Eggar
  The European social fund allocations to voluntary sector applicants for years 1987 to 1989 inclusive are listed in the following table. These figures relate to organisations registered as charities or as companies limited by guarantees; and are expressed as a percentage of the total allocation to Great Britain rounded to the nearest £ million.

  Year

  Percentage

  1987

  4·11

  1988

  5·76

  1989

  6·11

  The figures for the earlier years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

  AIDS
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make a statement of the Government's policy towards fighting AIDS.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  As we made clear in our response to the seventh report of the Social Services Committee on AIDS, published on 24 November (Cm. 925), the Government remain committed to encouraging effective and responsible action among statutory and voluntary bodies and individuals to stem the spread of HIV; foster research to improve our understanding of AIDS and HIV infection: provide appropriate services for those affected by HIV and encourage a climate of understanding and compassion towards them; and to contribute to the international effort to control HIV and AIDS.

  Dental Fillings
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out on the possible toxic effect of mercury amalgam fillings currently used on dental patients in the National Health Service.

  Mr. Freeman
  In 1986, the Committee on Toxicity examined the available evidence on the risks and benefits of using dental amalgam. It found that there was some evidence that mercury is released from dental amalgam during the period following insertion and on removal of the restorations. However, it also found that long-term clinical evidence would seem to suggest the view that substantial amounts of mercury are not released from amalgam fillings. The committee stated that in its opinion the use of dental amalgam is free from risk of systematic toxicity and only a very few cases of hypersensitivity occur. In its view further research in this area would not merit priority.

  Miscarriages
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pregnant mothers suffered miscarriages in the last year for which figures available; and how many of these had received the amniocentesis test during pregnancy.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally.

  Self-governing Hospitals
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask Secretary of State for Health which hospitals and services in the northern region have expressed a wish to become self-governing.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 29 November at columns 297–300.

  Medicines Control Agency
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list the outstanding applications for a licence before the Medicines Control Agency; and how long each application has been awaiting approval.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are unable to list the outstanding licence applications held by the Medicines Control Agency because this information is, in accordance with the Medicines Act 1968, treated as confidential.

  We can however say that the number of applications for new licences awaiting a decision as at 30 November 1989 was:

  Number

  Product licences

  1,766

  Product licences (parallel imports)

  1,006

  Manufacturers licences

  21

  Wholesale dealers licences

  32

  Non orthodox practitioner licences

  3

  The average time taken* to grant product licences and product licences (parallel imports) as at 30 June 1989 (latest available figure) was:

  Months

  for new active substances

  24

  for abridged applications referred to Committees under the Medicines Act

  32

  for other abridged applications

  16

  for parallel imports

  19

  The estimated time taken to grant the following licences is currently:

  Days

  for manufacturers licences

  80–90

  for wholesale dealers licences

  80–90

  for non orthodox practitioner licences

  40

  Note:

  It should be noted that all times quoted are gross processing times and take no account of delays while companies prepare their replies to queries raised on applications.

  Drug Tariff Committee
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list the products at present before the drug tariff committee; and how long each product has been awaiting approval.
  792
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There is no drug tariff committee. Drugs and medicines are automatically included in the drug tariff, subject to any licensing requirements, unless they are specifically excluded from NHS prescription by general practitioners by virtue of the selected list scheme. The inclusion in the drug tariff of appliances, dressings and chemical reagents is subject to their approval by the Secretary of State.

  Currently there are about 50 products on which suppliers are awaiting a response from the Department. The earliest application on which a response is still outstanding was received on 3 May 1989. Details of the products under consideration are commercially confidential.

  NHS Patients (Leeds)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients admitted to Leeds Western and Eastern area health authorities for National Health Service treatment had previously received(a) diagnosis and (b) treatment privately for the same or allied ailments.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairmen of the health authorities to see if they can provide the information he requires.

  Eye Test Charges
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has had any representations from opticians concerning the introduction of eye test charges since 1 April.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have received a number of representations from opticians since the introduction of charges for sight tests on 1 April this year.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants are(a) currently available or (b) proposed for the future to extend or refurbish general practitioners' surgeries and waiting rooms.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The two main types of grant which are currently available to general practitioners who improve their practice premises are cost rents and improvement grants. Both schemes are set to continue in future with certain improvements, in particular to enable family practitioner committees to target new investment on areas of greatest need.

  Health Service Pay
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the pay levels for nurses and other health staff returning to the National Health Service after a period of employment in the private health sector.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The pay of NHS staff generally is determined either following the advice of the pay review bodies, or through direct negotiation in the Whitley councils. Arrangements for determining the starting pay for health staff returning to the NHS after service elsewhere, including the private sector, are a matter for those councils or, in the case of the review body groups, for the appropriate negotiating council or committee.
  793
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the arrangements for negotiating pay and conditions of service in hospitals wishing to opt out of the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Hospitals and other units granted NHS trust status will remain fully part of the NHS. Staff who transfer from health authority to NHS trust employment on establishment of a NHS trust will retain their existing contracts and all rights arising from them, subject to the substitution of the new employer for the old and any consequential technical changes. Once established, it will be for NHS trust management boards to determine the arrangements for negotiating pay and conditions of service of their staff.

  Yellow Card System
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce payments to general practitioners for reporting adverse reactions through the yellow card system.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have no plans to do so.

  Vaccination
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received any reports of damage, either temporary or permanent, to children receiving the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine.

  Mr. Freeman
  A total of 555 yellow card reports of suspected adverse reactions, both serious and non-serious, to measles, mumps and rubella vaccination (MMR) have been received since its introduction in October 1988. More than 2·5 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed.

  Monitoring of the safety of all vaccines by the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control, public health laboratories communicable disease surveillance centre, the Department and the manufacturers continues.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that parents who do not wish to have their children vaccinated are not subject to undue pressure from general practitioners.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have no plans to issue specific guidance in this respect. It is for GPs—who are professionally trained in this matter—to discuss vaccination with parents. All parents have the right to refuse vaccination for their children but we hope that they will not do so.

  Heart Transplants
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to fund Leeds as a heart transplant centre; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have no immediate plans to announce the designation of further heart transplant centres. Earlier this year we announced that two additional centres would receive supraregional designation and funding from 1 April 1990. The new centres are at St. George's hospital in Tooting and the Northern general hospital in Sheffield. The supraregional services advisory group keeps the service under review and advises Ministers accordingly.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the range and nature of each extended skill qualification available to the personnel of the ambulance service together with the current incremental payment per annum for each.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Extended ambulance training to the NHS Training Authority standard is designed to save life and reduce morbidity and mortality by extending the skills of selected ambulance staff in endotracheal intubation, intravenous infusion and cardiac care. Some ambulance staff have received training to meet all or part of the NHS Training Authority package or to local standards but currently do not receive additional payment for this. The management side's final pay offer includes an additional £500 a year backdated to 1 April 1989 for staff with extended training to NHS Training Authority standards and required to use paramedical skills. There is also an undertaking to agree, by 28 February 1990, a national framework for the recognition of staff trained to intermediate standards with payments also backdated to 1 April 1989.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the numbers of personnel of the London ambulance service currently trained to NHSTA certificate standards who would qualify for the advertised additional £500 pay; and what increase in such numbers is planned by the London Ambulance Board.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The management of the London ambulance service is the responsibility of the South West Thames regional health authority to which I refer the hon. Member.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the pay, at 1989 prices, of a qualified ambulance person for each year since 1974.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information about national basic pay rates for qualified ambulance men/women since 1974 at 1989 prices is in the table.

  Ambulancemen basic pay 1974–1988 at 1989 prices

  Date of settlement

  Basic pay

  Basic pay at 1989 prices

  £

  £

  1 January 1974

  1,981

  9,632

  1 January 19751

  1,981

  8,227

  1 January 19761

  2,607

  8,576

  1 January 19771

  2,503

  7,296

  1 January 19781

  2,701

  6,721

  1 January 1979

  2,912

  6,697

  1 April 19802

  3,994

  7,943

  1 January 1981

  4,304

  7,320

  1 April 1982

  4,579

  6,459

  1 April 1983

  4,797

  6,495

  1 April 1984

  5,014

  6,499

  1 April 19853

  8,604

  10,434

  1 April 1986

  9,120

  10,801

  1 April 1987

  9,576

  10,864

  1 April 1988

  10,093

  10,925

  1 April 19894

  11,001

  —

  1 Period of Pay Restraint.

  2 Following Final Clegg Award Payment. Interim payments were made on 1 August 1979 and 1 January 1980.

  3 New Pay Structure includes Special Duty payments and an element for overtime.

  4 Final Pay Offer.

  795
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received from police forces and the Police Federation concerning the ambulance dispute;

  (2) what representations he has received from regional and district health authorities concerning the conduct of the ambulance dispute.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A few representations have been received from district health authorities and none from the police or Police Federation.

  Blood
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to the answer in the Official Report, 7 December, column 369, he will list private sector organisations which have received blood from National Health Service sources; and what costs were recovered for collection, processing, handling and transporting blood.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information on individual non-National Health Service hospitals which have received blood from the National Health Service is not held centrally. Charges made to the private sector to recover the costs to the national blood transfusion service of collection, processing, handling and transport of blood amounted to £1,846,123 for the financial year 1987–88, and a provisional figure of £1,980,647 for 1988–89.

  Resource Management
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his answer on 28 November,Official Report, column 228, he will name the 20 hospitals who will move into full resource management in this financial year; if he will give details of the programme for the remaining sites; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I am able to announce the names of 20 hospitals which will proceed further with the implementation of resource management. This involves the purchase of computerised databases and nurse information systems in this financial year. All these hospitals have been preparing for resource management since my announcement in March 1989 that we were extending the programme. I am pleased we have made such rapid progress. This is a tribute to the hard work of the Health Service and augurs well for the future. The hospitals are:

  Region and hospital

  Northern

  Darlington Memorial

  Royal Infirmary, Sunderland

  Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle

  North Tyneside General

  Yorkshire

  Airedale General Hospital

  York District General Hospital

  St. James's University Hospital, Leeds

  Pontefract General Infirmary

  Trent

  Sheffield Children's Hospital

  Northern General, Sheffield

  Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Hospital

  Doncaster Royal Infirmary

  Leicester Glenfield

  796
  East Anglian

  Addenbrookes

  South East Thames

  Greenwich District Hospital

  St. Thomas' Hospital

  Oxford

  Radcliffe Infirmary

  Mersey

  Southport District General Hospital

  Whiston St. Helens Hospital

  Leighton Hospital, Crewe

  Of the remaining sites I expect that the 30 sites of the original 50 announced in March 1989 will themselves move to full resource management during 1990–91. I expect others to join them and the National Health Service management executive is finalising details of a further 50 hospitals which will commence their preparation for resource management as soon as possible. This preparatory phase is crucial in determining how to involve doctors in the management of hospital resources with the aim of improving patient care; the management executive is discussing with the JCC what guidance can be given on this.

  Abortion Bill
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding the RU486 abortion pill; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In the past 12 months we have received some 30 representations about the drug RU486 expressing views for and against its introduction.

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been done into the possible link between artifically softened water and cot deaths; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are aware of no such research. As we indicated in the Government's reply to the Social Services Committee report on perinatal, neonatal and infant mortality (Cm 741), the Medical Research Council is currently undertaking a major review of literature on research into the causes of sudden infant death. I will arrange for this question to be brought to its attention.

  Community Care
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects the report on the development of community care services under section 11 of the Disabled Persons Act to be laid before Parliament.

  Mr. Freeman
  The first report will be laid before Parliament before the end of this year.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Parliamentary Pension Fund
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to ensure that all parliamentary contributory pension fund moneys are invested in ethically acceptable investments and that investments in South African companies are disposed of.
  797
  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  Determination of the investment policy relating to parliamentary contributory pension fund moneys is a matter for the trustees of that fund. I understand that they have laid down broad investment policy guidelines which are designed to preserve the asset base of the fund and to ensure that the liabilities of present and future pensioners are met.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Zoonoses Order
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will repeal the Zoonoses Order.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have no plans to repeal the Zoonoses Order 1989.

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  11989

  Foot and Mouth Disease

  Federal Republic of Germany

  —

  —

  2

  4

  —

  Italy

  131

  150

  167

  7

  74

  Spain

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Classical Swine Fever

  Belgium

  67

  80

  83

  2

  8

  France

  2

  20

  5

  15

  —

  Federal Republic of Germany

  351

  46

  41

  3

  62

  United Kingdom

  —

  10

  1

  —

  —

  Greece

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Italy

  26

  29

  13

  12

  10

  Luxembourg

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Netherlands

  36

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Spain

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  African Swine Fever

  Belgium

  12

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Italy

  33

  21

  22

  20

  28

  Netherlands

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Portugal

  51

  672

  645

  698

  279

  Spain

  390

  393

  793

  618

  164

  Rabies (number of cases in domestic and wild animals)

  Belgium

  446

  342

  242

  514

  398

  Denmark

  10

  105

  48

  —

  1

  France

  2,013

  2,465

  2,068

  2,223

  2,192

  Federal Republic of Germany

  6,865

  5,259

  3,791

  2,628

  1,744

  Greece

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Italy

  122

  29

  —

  21

  47

  Luxembourg

  67

  137

  23

  4

  13

  Netherlands

  16

  1

  86

  52

  8

  Spain (Mainland)

  —

  —

  2

  —

  1

  1 Part year only.

  Meat (Humane Slaughter Labelling)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to introduce a scheme of humane slaughter labelling of meat.

  Mr. Maclean
  The slaughter of any livestock whose meat is intended for sale must be carried out in accordance with statutory welfare conditions. The food advisory committee is to undertake a review of food labelling and will be considering very carefully the question of additional labelling to indicate farming practices and methods of slaughter.

  Salmonella
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many veterinary investigation officers have been checked to see if they are carriers of salmonella; and what were the results;

  Animal Diseases
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any decisions have been taken by the Council of Ministers in the post-1992 control of foot and mouth disease, classical and African swine fever and rabies; and if he will list the incidence of each of these diseases in each member state.

  Mr. Maclean
  Community measures, agreed by the Council, are already in place for the control or eradication of these diseases but no decisions have been taken on measures to apply after 1992.

  The number of outbreaks reported in member states in the last five years are as follows:

  (2) whether veterinary investigation officers who are used to investigate salmonella outbreaks in poultry flocks are required to be confirmed non-carriers of salmonella.

  Mr. Maclean
  My veterinary officers, who carry out investigations into cases of possible salmonella infection in poultry flocks, are not routinely checked to see if they are carriers of the disease nor are they required to be confirmed non-carriers of salmonella. Strict measures are taken to ensure proper hygiene and disinfection when veterinary officers visit farms.

  North Sea (Industrial Waste)
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what applications have been made by Her Majesty's Government for any derogation from the terms of the North sea conference agreement of 1987 prohibiting the deposit of industrial waste in the North sea
  799
  after 31 December; and if he will state the quantities of material concerned, the amount of toxic content, and the periods for which application has been made.

  Mr. Gummer
  The ministerial declaration from the 1987 North sea conference provides for a country to show to the competent international organisation that a waste to be disposed of causes no harm in the marine environment. It has been agreed that the Oslo commission is the competent international organisation for this purpose, and the Oslo commission has agreed an appropriate procedure to be followed. Submissions have been made to the Oslo commission in respect of three wastes comprising an annual volume of 51,000 tonnes. Under the conditions of disposal the wastes are not toxic in the marine environment. The Oslo commission procedure requires that licences be reviewed every three years.

  EC Sugar Regime
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will meet representatives of United Kingdom industrial sugar associations before deciding upon his attitude to the reform of the European Community sugar regime;

  (2) when he expects the Commission to publish its proposals for the reform of the European Community sugar regime.

  Mr. Gummer
  Consultations with organisations interested in the review of the sugar regime are already under way. I will take all views put to me into account when deciding upon my approach to the review.

  EC Food
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make urgent arrangements to ensure European Community meats and butter are distributed in future by Bradford council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Bradford council did not register an interest in operating this scheme and consequently I was, and am, unable to make any allocation of produce to the council under the current arrangements.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reports he has received from Bradford about inconvenience experienced by pensioners and others eligible to receive European Community butter and meats when collecting such butter and meats.

  Mr. Gummer
  We have received two letters enclosing some press cuttings concerning the inconvenience of queuing experienced by those seeking to obtain butter and beef in the Bradford area under the EC surplus food scheme.

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out the precise guidelines on the administrative arrangements for the distribution of surplus EEC butter and in particular who should collect the 5p for each pack and the intended use of the money so collected.

  Mr. Gummer
  The administration arrangements for the application of the surplus food scheme are set out in the intervention board's leaflet LP 39, a copy of which is being 800
  sent to my hon. Friend. To cover their administrative costs, designated organisations may levy a charge upon recipients of the food not exceeding 20p per kilogramme.

  Wastes
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 11 December to the hon. Member for South Shields, which countries he is in touch with in connection with the relevant wastes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Comments on our submissions have now been received from Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany and Norway.

  National Fruit Collection
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the future of the national fruit collection and further changes at Agricultural Development and Advisory Service centres.

  Mr. Maclean
  The national fruit collection, originally established at Wisley and currently situated at Brogdale experimental horticulture station in Kent, is a unique and internationally renowned source of genetic material and part of the nation's heritage. We have consistently made clear that we shall continue to provide financial support for the collection so as to safeguard its long-term future, although we would not necessarily retain it at the Brogdale site. After very careful consideration we have concluded that Wye college, part of the university of London, should become the collection's permanent home since this offers the best prospects for its future security and stability.

  We announced in March that we propose to close Brogdale EHS unless alternative industry funding was forthcoming. Extensive inquiries have failed to identify sufficient industry support to sustain its R and D programme which is intended primarily for commercial growers. In the circumstances we have decided that Brogdale EHS should close as an ADAS experimental station on 31 March 1990.

  Against this background we examined carefully the options for the future management of the collection. We would have liked the collection to have remained at Brogdale, but this was, unfortunately, not possible. In particular we were concerned that it would have been isolated there from wider horticultural, academic and scientific expertise and that in the long run the additional overhead inherent in a small, separate unit would have proved too great. We were attracted by Swale borough council's offer to take on the management of the collection at the Brogdale site. But we had to conclude that a borough council could not offer the perpetuity of commitment or scientific strength which is needed for the collection. This led us to the view that it was not in the best interests of the collection to stay at Brogdale after its closure as an ADAS station.

  Two organizations—Wye college and the East Mailing Trust—offered to manage the collection on their own sites. We carefully studied the detailed information they provided and concluded that there was a clear case in favour of Wye college. As part of the university of London, Wye college will be able to ensure the collection's long-term security and continued independence from other fruit research and breeding activites, in particular for

  801
  plant variety rights (PVR) testing, a point to which much importance is attached internationally. Moreover, the college is well placed to develop the collection's use for scientific and educational purposes. We naturally gave very careful consideration to the impressive bid put forward by the East Mailing Trust. We were, however, forced to the conclusion that it would be preferable to continue to keep the national fruit collection separate from other Government and industry funded activities on the East Mailing site. It is in keeping with the collection's health status and current usage that it remains independent from the research and breeding at East Malling.

  We have therefore decided that the collection should be transferred to Wye college. The transition will take about five years, during which the integrity of the genetic material will be properly safeguarded. In particular, the existing trees will not be removed until we are satisfied that transfer to the new site has been fully and satisfactorily accomplished.

  Finally, as a further step towards the rationalisation of ADAS R and D facilities, Trawsgoed experimental husbandry farm, near Aberystwyth, Dyfed, will cease to operate as an ADAS experimental centre as from 31 March 1991. An announcement today by the Agricultural and Food Research Council outlines the council's future plans for grassland and environmental research, and makes reference to the Trawsgoed farm facilities and the part of the regional laboratory complex now surplus to ADAS reqirements. The latter was foreshadowed in the answer of my right hon. Friend the then Minister of Agriculture of 21 March and represents a successful outcome to the search of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales for alternative uses for the laboratory. Negotiations are in train to transfer to AFRC the farm and laboratory facilities which the council will require in order to implement its plans.

  The Pwllpeiran site of the present combined Trawsgoed/Pwllpeiran EHF will not itself be affected by the changes at Trawsgoed. However, discussions on its future are taking place, in order to complete the programme of rationalisation in ADAS following the Government's withdrawal from funding of near-market R and D.

  Conservation of Flora
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's responsibilities for the genetic conservation of flora.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 12 December 1989]: My Department makes a grant in aid to the royal botanic gardens for the purposes set out in the National Heritage Act 1983 which includes the keeping of its national reference collections. In addition my Department provides funding for the collection of vegetables at the Institute of Horticultural Research, Wellesbourne and maintains the national fruit collection at its experimental horticultural station at Brogdale. As I announced today in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Mr. Speed), we are safeguarding the collection's future by transferring it to Wye college, part of the university of London.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether there are any plans to update the guidance given in the "Handbook for Delegated Medical Practitioners" as it relates to myalgic encephalomyelitis.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand that there are no plans to update the section of the handbook for delegated medical practitioners relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis. This handbook is prepared by the Attendance Allowance Board which is independent of the Department and Ministers.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if people currently eligible for rate relief under the Rating (Disabled Persons) Act 1978 will be eligible for equivalent rebates under the poll tax when it is introduced in England.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Relief under the Rating (Disabled Persons) Act 1978, which is designed to avoid imposing higher rates on disabled people if they have to make alterations to their home, will no longer be required when domestic rates are abolished and the community charge introduced. Disabled people on lower incomes will be entitled to community charge benefit, which will reduce their bill: they will receive higher amounts of benefit than other people on a similar income whose personal circumstances are otherwise the same.

  Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he intends to increase publicity for the vaccine damage payments scheme;

  (2) in what ways the existence of the vaccine damage payments scheme has been made known to parents since the inception of the scheme.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department of Health and Social Security issued health notice HN(79)7 and local authority social services letter LASSL(79)1 in January 1979 informing heath and local authorities of the introduction of the scheme and asking them to bring it to the notice of staff and others working with possible beneficiaries. The notice and letter are still current. The Department tries to ensure that its leaflet on the scheme is widely available in places where potential claimants are likely to seek help, including social services departments, citizens advice bureaux and voluntary organisations. There is general information on the scheme in our leaflet for sick or disabled people which is freely available in the Department's local offices and post offices. We have no plans at present for further publicity.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he plans to allow children damaged by the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine to receive payments from the vaccine damage payments scheme.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The list of diseases to which the Vaccine Damage Payments Act applies includes measles and rubella. We are considering whether to add mumps to the list and I shall let the right hon. Member have our decision as soon as possible.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what specific addition to the retirement pension has been or is to be made to ensure that pensioners not qualifying for income support do not suffer any reduction in living standard as a result of the introduction of the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The community charge will be included in the retail prices index which is used to calculate increases to the state retirement pension.

  Income Support Client Group

  Technical Annex to the 1985 White Paper

  Uprated by

  Compensation for 20 per cent. Community Charge Contribution3

  Proposed rates from April 1990

  £

  RPI1 £

  ROSSI2 £

  £

  £

  Pensioners

  Age 80+ single

  42·85

  52·49

  50·19

  1·30

  53·75

  Age 80+ couple

  65·45

  80·18

  76·65

  2·30

  81·85

  Age 75–79 single

  40·60

  49·73

  47·55

  1·30

  51·10

  Age 75–79 couple

  63·25

  77·48

  74·07

  2·30

  79·20

  Age 60+ disabled single

  42·85

  52·49

  50·19

  1·30

  53·75

  Age 60+ disabled couple

  65·45

  80·18

  76·65

  2·30

  81·85

  Age 60–74 single

  40·60

  49·73

  47·55

  1·30

  48·50

  Age 60–74 couple

  63·25

  77·48

  74·07

  2·30

  75·55

  Sick and Disabled4

  Age 18–24 single

  36·25

  44·41

  42·46

  1·15

  44·20

  Age 25+ single

  42·85

  52·49

  50·19

  1·30

  52·10

  Age 25+ couple

  65·45

  80·18

  76·65

  2·30

  79·70

  Lone Parent

  With 2 children5

  65·00

  79·62

  76·12

  1·30

  78·75

  Unemployed

  Age 18–24 single

  24·00

  29·40

  28·11

  1·15

  28·80

  Age 25+ single

  30·60

  37·48

  35·84

  l·30

  36·70

  Couple no children

  48·00

  58·80

  56·21

  2·30

  57·60

  Couple 2 children5

  78·95

  96·71

  92·45

  2·30

  95·55

  1 Based on movement in the index of Retail Prices between November 1985 and October 1989 (the latest for which the index is available).

  2 Based on movement in the index of Retail Prices (less housing) between November 1985 and October 1989.

  3 Amounts included in benefit levels from April 1989. These amounts, which replaced those previously included from April 1988 to compensate for the 20 per cent, rates contribution, now form part of the overall benefit levels to be uprated from April 1990.

  4 In receipt of disability premium.

  5 Assumes one child under age 11 and one child aged 11–15.

SCOTLAND

  Fisheries
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the netting stations, whether or not in current use, to which district boards have granted exemptions from fishery assessments.

  Mr. Lang
  A district salmon fishery board has power to impose a fishery assessment in its district at such uniform rate or rates as it determines. There is no power for district boards to grant exemptions from the fishery assessment.

  Tobacco and Alcohol
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions have taken place in respect of illegal sales to children of(a) tobacco and (b)

  Income Support
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give, for each client group, a table for rates of income support showing (i) the illustrative figures in the technical annex to the 1985 White Paper, (ii) the illustrative figures uprated by the retail prices index since then, (iii) the illustrative figures uprated by the Rossi index, (iv) the amounts provided to compensate for the 20 per cent. rates or poll tax contribution and (v) the proposed income support rates for April 1990.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [pursuant to her reply, 13 December 1989, c. 669–70]: I regret that the information given for disabled pensioners aged 60 or over was incorrect. The corrected information is in the table.

  alcohol in each of the past five years for which figures are available; and what steps he proposes to improve enforcement of the law.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information is set out in the table. It is not possible to identify offences of selling tobacco to children separately in the Scottish Home and Health Department's classification of crimes and offences.

  Measures are under consideration to facilitate law enforcement on the sale of alcohol to children and to improve controls on off-sales, but it is not yet possible to say what form any relevant provision will take. The problem of access by children to tobacco products is also under consideration, but I am not yet in a position to say what may be the outcome.
  805

  Persons proceeded against for sale of drink to persons aged under 18

  Year

  Number

  1984

  194

  1985

  175

  1986

  212

  1987

  231

  19881

  270

  1 Provisional.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the present rate of unemployment is in Scotland; and what the European average is.

  Mr. Lang
  In November 1989 the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Scotland was 8·6 per cent. of the work force

  The latest available estimate of the seasonally adjusted standardised European Community unemployment rate was 9·1 per cent. of the labour force in September 1989.

  National Heritage
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department consulted the Forestry Commission prior to publication of the consultation paper on Scotland's national heritage.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council consulted him over the Nature Conservancy Council's own proposals for a federal structure prior to his announcement of 11 July.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council wrote to my right hon. and learned Friend in December 1988 to advise him that a study into a federal model was being conducted by NCC.

  Health Service
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each year since 1959(a) the total amount spent on health and (b) the capital expenditure, giving the figures at constant prices.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information is readily available only from 1974—75 and this is set out in the following tables:

  (a) Total National Health Service Expenditure in Scotland

  £ million cash

  Adjusted by the GDP deflator to 1988–89 prices

  1974–75

  458

  1,809

  1975–76

  603

  1,894

  1976–77

  685

  1,898

  1977–78

  777

  1,891

  1978–79

  893

  1,964

  1979–80

  1,064

  2,003

  1980–81

  1,343

  2,137

  1981–82

  1,531

  2,219

  1982–83

  1,660

  2,244

  806

  £ million cash

  Adjusted by the GDP deflator to 1988–89 prices

  1983–84

  1,773

  2,289

  1984–85

  1,901

  2,339

  1985–86

  2,015

  2,352

  1986–87

  2,144

  2,421

  1987–88

  2,328

  2,497

  1988–89

  2,591

  2,591

  (b) Total Capital Expenditure on the National Health Service in Scotland

  £ million cash

  Adjusted by the GDP deflator to 1988–89 prices

  1974–75

  33

  130

  1975–76

  42

  132

  1976–77

  41

  114

  1977–78

  42

  102

  1978–79

  52

  114

  1979–80

  64

  121

  1980–81

  69

  110

  1981–82

  89

  129

  1982–83

  103

  139

  1983–84

  108

  140

  1984–85

  118

  145

  1985–86

  132

  1S4

  1986–87

  116

  131

  1987–88

  120

  129

  1988–89

  131

  131

  Teachers
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by how much he expects the level of vacancies for teachers to rise in the next 10 years.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to table 15 of the Scottish Education Department's statistical bulletin No. 12/B7/1989 entitled "Teachers—Key Statistics on Demand and Supply", a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. Action to respond to the increased demand for teachers by increasing the intake of colleges of education is already well in hand.

  School Boards and Children's Panels
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the level of recruitment of new children's panel members that has been achieved, with particular reference to the Strathclyde, Lothian and Central regions.

  Mr. Lang
  Recruitment of members of children's panels is a matter for each regional and island authority. Information is still being gathered centrally about the level of recruitment this year. Normally there are more applicants than vacancies. There is always a problem attracting sufficient suitable male applicants, and Lothian and Strathclyde regions are undertaking a second local recruiting exercise with a view to attracting more men. Central Region has, I understand, been able to meet its requirements this year from the applications received following the initial campaign.
  807
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement on the respective sums spent upon the recruitment of school board and children's panel members;

  (2) what sum has been spent over the last year on the recruitment of members for school boards.

  Mr. Lang
  School board members are elected. The organisation of school board elections is a matter for education authorities. Figures on expenditure by central Government on information about school boards were set out in my reply of 27 October to the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish).

  On the question of expenditure on recruitment for children's panel members, I refer the hon. Member to my separate reply today.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sum was spent on advertising for the recruitment of new children's panel members in Scotland in the current autumn.

  Mr. Lang
  The costs incurred centrally in the recent national advertising campaign for applicants to be considered for membership of children's panels amounted to £45,000. It is understood some regions have undertaken further local advertising, but details of these costs are not available centrally.

  Secondary Schools
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his Department's new staffing formula for secondary schools, giving explanations for the multiplier of 0·059 and the additional factor of 10·24 which is applied to school rolls in that formula.

  Mr. Lang
  I will write to the hon. Member to provide him with information about the conclusions of the staffing review.

  Education Expenditure
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much money will be spent on student loans in Scotland in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93;

  (2) how much money will be spent on student grants in Scotland in 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93;

  (3) by how much his education budget will increase in cash and percentage terms in the years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93, excluding the costs of student maintenance.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My detailed expenditure plans within the totals I announced on 6 December(Official Report, columns 328–33) will be set out in the Scottish Commentary on Public Expenditure to 1992–93, which will be published in the new year.

  Training Schemes
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases have been found by the Training Agency of agencies or managers claiming money for trainees who did not attend their schemes.

  Mr. Lang
  The Training Agency's investigations have not revealed cases in Scotland where false claims were made in respect of trainees who did not participate in Employment Training, nor has it been offered substantive evidence of such cases.
  808
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inspectors the Training Agency has for employment training schemes in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The Training Agency has 115 staff in Scotland monitoring training agents and training managers, and six training standards inspectors. Financial checks on all employment training providers are carried out by the Training Agency's professional accountant. The Training Agency also employs independent consultants to undertake a range of quality development tasks.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many experts have been dispensed with since employment training schemes started.

  Mr. Lang
  Since employment training started the Training Agency in Scotland has not found it necessary to dispense with the services of any training agent for employment training.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many training managers have been dispensed with since employment schemes started.

  Mr. Lang
  In Scotland the contract of one training manager for employment training has been terminated since employment training first started.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much will be spent in Scotland on the employment training scheme in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Mr. Lang
  The total planned expenditure on employment training in Great Britain in 1989–90 is £1,271 million. No separate detailed figure is provided for Scotland. However, the Scottish share is estimated at approximately £153 million. An equivalent figure for 1990–91 is not yet available.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what action has been taken by the Training Agency to ensure that the traineeships offered by training agencies and training managers match Scotland's employment needs;

  (2) what analysis has taken place of the skill deficiencies which employment training is remedying.

  Mr. Lang
  Training proposals from prospective training agents and training managers are agreed with the Training Agency and form part of the final contract. Before agreeing to seek proposals the Training Agency must first be satisfied that they are in line with local labour market needs.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action is taken by the Training Agency where the misappropriation or misapplication of public funds is suspected on employment training schemes.

  Mr. Lang
  If misappropriation or misapplication of public funds is identified the Training Agency will undertake a full and thorough investigation.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action is taken to ensure that all trainees on the employment training schemes receive the appropriate off-the-job training.

  Mr. Lang
  Off-the-job training provision is examined as part of the ongoing programme monitoring carried out by Training Agency staff under the approved training organisation process.
  809
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what checks are undertaken by the Training Agency to ensure that those said to be on employment training schemes are actually attending.

  Mr. Lang
  The ongoing programme monitoring by Training Agency staff under the approved training organisation process includes examination of records of attendance. The Training Agency has recently introduced a revised stringent system of checks.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines the Training Agency gives its staff on the frequency and volume of the monitoring of employment training schemes.

  Mr. Lang
  Frequent visits to training agents and training managers are undertaken by Training Agency staff in accordance with a sampling framework. The appropriate sample size for both training agents and training managers will depend on the size of the individual organisation and number of locations at which it operates. The frequency of visits will vary and will be governed by the agency's confidence in the organisation visited.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what independent research he has commissioned into the working of the employment training scheme in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The Government have not commissioned any independent research into the working of employment training in Scotland. However, the Government are aware of a study of employment training in Scotland, commissioned by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the standing forum on special employment measures and the Scottish Trades Union Congress, which found that"despite the undoubted difficulties and drawbacks of current Employment Training, there are positive and constructive options developing which would, if taken further, lead to an improvement in the quality of Employment Training and in the longer term, to the development of an integrated policy on adult training operated through local enterprise companies".

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the nature of firms, voluntary organisations or other bodies offering placements on the employment training schemes.

  Mr. Lang
  It is in the first instance for training managers to build up and maintain a database on appropriate placements for employment training; the Training Agency monitors this as part of its ongoing monitoring process.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of trainees on employment training schemes enter permanent full-time jobs as a result of their training.

  Mr. Lang
  This information is not available in the form requested. The result of the first regular 100 per cent. follow-up survey shows that in Great Britain 59 per cent. of leavers who had completed their training went into jobs, self-employment or further full-time training.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any agents or managers have been warned or dismissed for not providing the appropriate off-the-job training on employment training schemes.
  810
  Mr. Lang
  I cannot provide details of training agents and training managers who have been warned for not providing the appropriate off-the-job training because the terms of contract with training agents and training managers require such communications to be treated as commercial in confidence. No contracts have been terminated for reasons connected with the provision of off-the-job training.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether there are any controls placed on the methods used by training agents to obtain employment training scheme placements from employers.

  Mr. Lang
  It is the responsibility of the training managers (not training agents) to negotiate placements with employers as part of their contractual responsibilities. The suitability of such placements is monitored by the Training Agency as part of its ongoing monitoring process.

  Bus Companies
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to clarify the ownership situation with regard to the proposed merger of the Scottish Bus Group and Highland Scottish; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Highland Scottish Omnibuses Limited is a subsidiary of the Scottish Bus Group and will in due course be advertised for sale as part of the programme of privatisation of the group. It is not possible at this stage to say when Highland Scottish Omnibuses Limited will be offered for sale but it is expected that the first companies will be advertised early in 1990 and that the whole programme will be complete in early 1991.

  Conductive Education
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in considering the possibility of opening in Scotland a new centre using conductive education.

  Mr. Lang
  I am glad to announce that, subject to approval of detailed proposals, we plan to go ahead with the establishment of a new centre in Scotland for the education of children with motor disorders, such as cerebral palsy. We are making provision within the Scottish education programme for £2·5 million spread over the next three years as the Government's contribution to setting up and running the centre.

  The work of the centre will be based on conductive education as practised at the Peto institute in Hungary. It will have a multi-disciplinary staff and will cater initially for about 40 children in the age range two to seven years. The centre will be available to children from all parts of Scotland and we intend that residential accommodation should be provided for children and accompanying parents who live outwith daily travelling distance.

  The new centre will represent a valuable new resource for Scotland. It will extend options for parents of handicapped children and provide training facilities for staff from other special schools where elements of conductive education are used. It is hoped, also, that the centre will be able to give practical support to children who are home between visits to the Peto institute itself.
  811
  A site has not yet been chosen but an important consideration is that the centre should be within daily travelling distance for as large a number of potential pupils as possible. We hope to open the centre before the end of 1991.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Unemployment
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of unemployment in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The unemployment figures released this morning are encouraging. They show that the number of people in the Province claiming unemployment benefit has fallen to 99,223.

  Chief Constable
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next intends to meet the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland; and what matters he intends to discuss.

  Mr. Cope
  My right hon. Friend and I meet the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary regularly. Our meetings are confidential and it would not be right to disclose their content.

  Republic of Ireland
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to meet the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  It is currently planned that the next meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference will take place in January. I have no plans at present to meet the Taoiseach. I paid him a courtesy call in Dublin before the last Intergovernmental Conference on 30 November.

  Anglo-Irish Agreement
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on his most recent meetings with political representatives in the Province regarding the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have met the leaders of all the main constitutional political parties in Northern Ireland in the months following my appointment, and the agreement was one of many subjects discussed at those meetings. The offer originally made by my predecessor to brief party leaders following meetings of the Intergovernmental Conference stands, and when requested I have given such briefings.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is prepared to consider any alternative to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Government are of course committed to the Anglo-Irish Agreement, and to the principles it embodies. I am always ready to consider constructive proposals particularly where they enjoy a wide measure of support.
  812
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussion he has had regarding the Anglo-Irish Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  The last Intergovernmental Conference took place on 30 November. I have met the party leaders of all the main constitutional parties in Northern Ireland in the months following my appointment and the agreement was one of many subjects discussed at those meetings.

  Conway Mill
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's reasons for refusing to fund the activities at Conway Mill in Belfast.

  Mr. Brooke
  As indicated in my predecessor's written reply of 9 February 1989 to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) the Government's policy on the payment of public funds to community groups, where there is evidence that such payments could directly or indirectly further the aims of a paramilitary organisation, has been applied to groups operating in or out of Conway Mill because of the nature and extent of paramilitary influence within the mill.

  Security
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East (Mr. Ross).

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet representatives of small businesses.

  Mr. Needham
  While there are no firm dates at present, both my right hon. Friend and I regularly meet representatives of small businesses and small business owners in the course of our duties in Northern Ireland.

  Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often the Anglo-Irish Ministerial Council will meet during the first six months of 1990.

  Mr. Brooke
  I assume that the right hon. Gentleman is referring to the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. We are planning to have around five meetings of the conference between 1 January and the end of July 1990.

  Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference last met; and what subject was discussed.
  813
  Mr. Brooke
  The Intergovernmental Conference last met on 30 November. The joint statement issued afterwards was placed in the Library and the Vote Office.

  Youth Training Workshop
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of how many youth training workshops in Northern Ireland are likely to remain solvent under the proposed block funding arrangements to be introduced in 1990.

  Mr. Needham
  I am satisfied that workshops should be able to remain solvent under the proposed block funding arrangements as long as their management committees take action to adjust their operations to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. They are currently being assisted by management consultants engaged by the Department of Economic Development to prepare business plans for the future including assessing costs against likely revenue. It will be up to the management committees to decide what action to take in light of the outcome of this process.

  Cardinal O'Fiaich
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next plans to meet Cardinal Thomas O'Fiaich to discuss terrorism in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have no immediate plans to do so.

  Hare Coursing
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce legislation to ban hare coursing in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  No.

  Integrated Schools
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what response he has received to his proposals for integrated schools.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A wide range of helpful responses has been made to the Government's proposals for integrated schools, as a result of which a number of detailed changes have been made in the draft order.

  Planning Enforcement Notices
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many planning enforcement orders have been issued in the constituency of South Antrim in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Needham

  Year

  1987

  2

  1988

  4

  1989 (to date)

  5

  De Lorean
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been recovered from the investment in the De Lorean car company; and if he will make a statement.
  814
  Mr. Needham
  As my predecessor informed my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 7 June 1988 and 28 July 1988 Official Report columns 463 and 529, some £12·6 million has been recovered. A dividend is expected from the trustee of the De Lorean Motor Company, the United States company in bankruptcy. The recovery of further amounts will depend on the outcome of legal actions and inquiries in the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland.

  Parade
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received concerning the life sentence review board and the upcoming Christmas paroles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  Representations on various aspects of the life sentence review process, including the constitution and functioning of the life sentence review board, have been received from time to time. We shall be considering these representations in the light of the Government's response to the recently published report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Murder and Life Imprisonment which included recommendations about the review system in Great Britain.

  As regards this year's Christmas home leave schemes for life and determinate sentence prisoners, we have received several representations about the eligibility criteria and a few on behalf of individuals.

  Roadworks (Belfast)
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what improvements to traffic flow he expects to result from the work currently taking place on the main road in Andersonstown, West Belfast.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  A central lane is being inserted for right-turning vehicles leaving one free-flowing lane in each direction. This should significantly reduce traffic congestion.

  Economy
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the economic future of Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Cope
  Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom, and consequently its economic prospects are part of those set out by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement on 15 November 1989. In recognition of Northern Ireland's particular economic and social problems the Government continue to place a high priority on the wide range of enterprise, training and industrial development programmes which seek to strengthen the Northern Ireland economy.

  Downe Hospital, Downpatrick
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when capital funds will be released for the third stage of the Downe hospital, Downpatrick on the Downshire hospital site; and if he will make a statement.
  815
  Mr. Needham
  Further development at the Downe hospital is a matter for the Eastern health and social services board in the first instance. The board has made no firm proposals on this matter.

  Terrorism
  Rev. William McCrea
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he plans to defeat terrorism in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  We will ensure that the security forces have all necessary moral and physical support to interdict terrorist operations, pursue the perpetrators, and bring them to justice in the courts. We have taken measures to cut off terrorist funds and supplies. These measures aimed directly at terrorism will be enhanced and supported by wider measures of political, economic and social policy, which aim to create a fair, just and prosperous society in which local people from all sides of the community play a major part in administering the Province through widely accepted local institutions.

  South Down (Jobs)
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase job creation and industrial promotion in South Down in the next six months.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Government will continue to give high priority to economic development throughout Northern Ireland including South Down. Substantial resources have been made available to the Industrial Development Board and to the Local Enterprise Development Unit. Both these organisations will continue to be active in encouraging the establishment of new industry and the growth of existing businesses so as to secure viable long-term jobs for all areas of the Province.

  Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act; and whether he is in a position to announce dates for the implementation of those sections of the Act which have been implemented in the equivalent legislation in England, Wales and Scotland.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Sections 9, 10, 11 (except paragraph (4)) and 12 of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 came into operation on 7 December 1989. Section 4 (except paragraph (b) 5, 6, 8(1) and 11(4) will be brought into operation as early as possible in 1990, thus bringing into effect in Northern Ireland all those provisions which have to date been implemented under the equivalent legislation in England, Wales and Scotland.

  Consumer Protection
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he is taking to strengthen the law on food safety and consumer protection; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  A Food Safety Bill, which proposes substantial changes to strengthen and update existing law on food safety and the protection of the consumer's816
  interest in the food area, was introduced in Parliament on 22 November. In accordance with normal practice in the field of transferred legislation, comparable provision will be made for Northern Ireland by Order-in-Council under the Northern Ireland Act 1974.

  Coal Premises, East Antrim
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give early consideration to the need to introduce additional measures to limit the development of coal-handling premises in residential areas of east Antrim.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No. The present measures under planning legislation are adequate.

  Governance
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has received any representations from any of the Northern Ireland political party leaders on the best way forward for the governance of the Province.

  Mr. Brooke
  The leaders of all the main constitutional political parties have given me their views about how political progress might best be made, and I hope to have further meetings with them.

  Shorts Base
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date or dates the Department of the Environment roads service carried out inspections at the site of the new entrance and car park at the Shorts base at Lough Mann on the Downpatrick/Ballynahinch road in South Down.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: On 8 December 1988.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what inspections were carried out by the Department of the Environment roads service into the new car park and entrance to the building under construction at the Shorts base on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: An inspection was carried out on 8 December 1988 examining visibility splays, sight distances, approach gradients and drainage.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recommendations the Department of Environment roads service made to the town and country planning service in respect of the new entrance and new car park to the building currently under construction at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: It was recommended that temporary approval be given to the car park for a period of 12 months and that the new entrance gates should be sited a sufficient distance from the edge of the carriageway to permit the largest vehicles which use the access to stop clear of the carriageway when the gates are closed.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what traffic surveys were carried out by
  817
  the Department of the Environment roads service and RUC traffic branch adjacent to the new entrance at the Shorts base situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: No surveys have been carried out at this site. It is not normal practice to carry out a detailed traffic survey for an application of a temporary nature on to a class B road. The RUC traffic division was not previously consulted on this matter and is, therefore, not aware of any surveys being carried out.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Department of the Environment roads service will furnish the town and country planning service with its report and decision on the new entrance and new car park at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: Recommendations were supplied to the town and country planning service for temporary approval on 22 December 1988. The roads service will deal with any further applications as and when they are received.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Submarines (Disposal)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on any implications for the disposal of decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines arising from the conclusion of the recent meeting of the London dumping convention.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The meeting agreed that the principles of the LDC should be applied to the disposal at sea of all vessels whether or not they are entitled to sovereign immunity. Britain stated that, were decommissioned nuclear submarines to be disposed of at sea, the Government would apply requirements no less stringent than those which they would apply to comparable waste of other origin. I must emphasise that sea disposal is only one of the options that the Government are considering for the disposal of such submarines and no decisions have yet been taken.

  Trident
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of Government spending on the Trident programme for each of the next three years; and on what date it is anticipated that this programme will be reviewed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not the practice to make available long-term forecasts of year-by-year expenditure on projects. However, I can say that expenditure on the Trident programme is expected to be approximately £1,000 million in 1990–91, and approximately £4,000 million over the period 1990–91 to 1994–95. It is intended to announce a revised estimate for the Trident programme early next year.

  Tornado (Toxic Emission)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the amount and type of toxic emission(a) per mile and (b) per minute of a Tornado jet.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The emissions from a Tornado aircraft's RB 199 engine include carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, unburnt fuel and partially burnt fuel products, and smoke. The amount and mix of these products will depend upon a number of variable factors including the use of the after burner and the power setting of the engine. I understand there is no evidence to indicate that they present any hazard to the public during normal flying or ground operations.

  Seaham Harbour Sea Cadets
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the relocation of the Seaham Harbour sea cadets; and if he will pay a visit to the Seaham Harbour cadet corps.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The sea cadet corps is constitutionally not part of the Royal Navy but an independent voluntary civilian youth organisation with charitable status to which the Ministry of Defence makes an annual grant. I understand that the Seaham Harbour sea cadets are currently negotiating locally for a plot of land on which to erect new premises to replace their present temporary accommodation. My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to visit Seaham.

  Bomb Disposal (Training)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much it costs to train (1) an arms technician sergeant in bomb disposal, (2) a typical sergeant in the Royal Signals, and (3) a typical sergeant in bomb disposal of the RAF.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested by my hon. Friend is as follows: (1) £45,750, (2) £34,250 and (3) £57,500. In all cases these figures represent the accumulated costs of initial and subsequent training of a typical sergeant in the categories concerned, but they do not include the trainee's pay.

  Royal Navy (Home Purchase Scheme)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Royal Naval home purchase scheme costs; and how much it will cost to increase it from £3,500 to £12,000.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The estimated cost of the long service advance of pay scheme, used by married RN personnel to assist in house purchase, is £2·7 million for the current financial year. The extra net cost of raising the maximum advance available to £12,000 is estimated to be about £31 million over 10 years, of which the majority would be required in the first three years. This estimate takes no account of the effect of fluctuations in the housing market on demands for advances. The scheme is self-financing over the long term.

  European Co-operative Long-Term Initiative
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money Her Majesty's Government have committed to the European co-operative long-term
  819
  initiative for defence; for what purpose; whether it will be reviewed before any binding financial commitment is made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  In common with other IEPG nations, the Government have not yet committed money to the European co-operative long-term initiative for defence (EUCLID) programme and will not do so until details of the collaborative programmes have been fully identified. It is expected that money should start to be committed during the course of 1990, as the collaboration programmes are agreed. I refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 24 July 1989 at column 553.

  Research Agency
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards establishing a defence research agency under the Government's next steps initiative; and whether any decision has yet been taken on its status within the public sector.

  Mr. Neubert
  Since my predecessor's statement to the House on 16 March 1989 on the intention to establish a defence research agency (DRA), Mr. Nigel Hughes has been appointed chief executive (designate) following open competition; an MOD implementation team is taking work forward, with the chief executive (designate), to develop the organisation, procedures and infrastructure that will be needed within both the MOD and DRA; and we have been consulting the trades unions.

  My Department has been considering the status of the DRA and how best to secure the necessary change. For the new and sharper relationship required, between the customers for and suppliers of defence research and project support, the DRA will need to be clearly distinct from the rest of the MOD, run on businesslike lines and with a trading relationship with its customers in MOD and elsewhere. At the same time, it must continue to make its key contribution as an independent and objective source of scientific and technical advice, in support of defence equipment procurement and related matters.

  I believe that the best way forward is to establish the DRA as a Government trading fund within the Civil Service as quickly as possible. This would take the form of a distinct organisation answerable to the Secretary of State for Defence. Work will now be concentrated on putting this into effect.

  As my predecessor told the House, a final decision on the move to agency status will depend upon successful completion of this work. Our target date remains April 1991.

  Nuclear Warhead Test (Nevada)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of the nuclear warhead test conducted jointly with the United States of America in Nevada on 8 December; what was the yield of the test; whether any radiation was released above ground from the test; whether any military operational staff were radiologically contaminated; and what was the cost to the United Kingdom of this nuclear test.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Beyond confirming that the yield of the test was within the planned range of 20–150 kilotons, and 820
  assuring the hon. Member that there was no release of radiation (and hence no contamination of any personnel whatsoever), it is not our practice to answer questions of this nature.

  WE177 Bomb
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the weapon systems being considered by Her Majesty's Government as a replacement for the WE177 bomb.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Discussions are taking place with both the United States and French Governments on options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free-fall bomb.

  Nuclear Missiles
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions under the terms of the Anglo-United States agreement on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes of 1958, Her Majesty's Government have had with the United States Government concerning the Anglo-French co-production of nuclear air-to-surface missiles.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Officials are discussing options for the delivery vehicle for the United Kingdom's future theatre nuclear weapon with both the United States and France. There are no plans for an Anglo-French collaborative programme which would fall within the scope of the United States/United Kingdom 1958 agreement.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to whether British Aerospace is currently conducting any feasibility studies into the possible development of a nuclear air-to-surface missile; and what discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with British Aerospace in respect of the possible development of such a missile.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  British Aerospace is one of the contractors involved in the assessment of options for the replacement of the WE177 free-fall bomb. No decisions on development can be taken until the current assessment studies are completed.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, under the terms of the Anglo-United States agreement on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes of 1958, the United Kingdom can conduct any collaborative programme, involving the development and production of nuclear weapon systems, with any country other than the United States of America without the prior agreement of the United States Government.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The United Kingdom is constrained by the terms of the non-proliferation treaty in collaboration with other countries on nuclear weapons. Additionally, under the terms of the 1958 United Kingdom-United States agreement, United States approval would be necessary if the information to be exchanged originated from the United States. The United States is subject to similar constraints with regard to United Kingdom information.

  Equipment
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make available details of(a) main battle tanks, (b) artillery pieces, (c) armoured troop carriers, (d) combat aircraft and (e) combat helicopters in the United Kingdom's armed forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the NATO publication "Conventional Forces in Europe: The Facts", a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.

  General Dynamics
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what part the Defence Exports Services Organisation has played in offset banking arrangements involving the American company General Dynamics; and what is the nature of the arrangements.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Defence Exports Services Organisation has negotiated an industrial participation (offset banking) memorandum of understanding with General Dynamics. The purpose of the MOU is to encourage General Dynamics to offer British defence industry opportunities to bid for a share of the work on all its major defence programmes. The value of orders placed will be "banked" by General Dynamics for subsequent use, in part, to satisfy future offset obligation, imposed by the MOD when making any future purchases from the United States company.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the involvement of the Defence Exports Services Organisation in the tour of Britain by the American company General Dynamics; and what support and assistance has been given in this venture by his Department.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Defence Export Services Organisation in association with the DTI, various regional development authorities and local chambers of commerce organised a series of seminars and presentations given by General Dynamics as part of its marketing strategy to obtain more suppliers from the United Kingdom defence industry in support of all its major defence programmes. The DESO participated to the extent that it also briefed companies on how they could qualify to bid for work under the industrial participation (offset banking) MOU which the MOD has with General Dynamics.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met representatives of the American company General Dynamics; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend has held no formal meeting with General Dynamics and, at the present time, has no plans to do so. Officials have met the company to discuss possible future orders for tanks for the British Army.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he or his officials have held or plan to hold any meetings with General Dynamics about future orders for tanks for the British Army; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend has held no formal meeting with General Dynamics and, at the present 822
  time, has no plans to do so. Officials have met the company to discuss possible future orders for tanks for the British Army.

  Chieftain Tanks
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what numbers of new battle tanks he will order to replace Chieftain tanks now in service.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  This has yet to be decided.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which companies have been asked to submit proposals for battle tanks to replace Chieftain tanks currently in service; and what deadlines for submissions have been applied to each company.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Vickers Defence Systems, General Dynamics and Kraus Maffei have been invited to submit proposals. Details of these invitations are commercial in confidence, but action has been set in hand to enable us to meet our aim of making a decision by the end of 1990.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which manufacturers have been informed by his Department of the precise number of battle tanks to be ordered to replace Chieftain tanks now in service.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  No decision on precise numbers of main battle tanks to replace Chieftain has yet been taken. Vickers Defence Systems, General Dynamics and Kraus Maffei have been invited to quote against option quantities.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects to place the orders for new tanks for the British Army; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the projected date for his decision on the order of new battle tanks to replace Chieftain tanks currently in service.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It is our intention to reach a decision on a tank to replace Chieftain by the end of 1990.

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the cost to each service of resources deployed on ambulance duties as part of the ambulance dispute since September.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is too early to provide an estimate of the extra costs to each service of resources deployed on ambulance duties, all of which will be met by the Department of Health. Costs for the first bill to the Department of Health, for the period up to 30 November, are still being collected.

  Gun Fox Vehicles
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents have occurred of CVR(W) 30mm Gun Fox vehicles currently in use in Her Majesty's armed forces; how many personnel have been killed or injured in such accidents; what remedial steps have been taken to prevent accidents from occurring; and if he will make a statement.
  823
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Garrison Stables
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel are employed in the garrison stables; how many horses are stabled there; how many of these horses are owned by his Department and how many by private individuals.
  824
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the Household Cavalry and the King's Troop. With regard to the former 187 horses are stabled at Hyde Park barracks; 180 belonging to MOD and seven to private individuals. In respect of the King's Troop, 120 horses are stabled at St. Johns Wood; 119 belonging to MOD and one to a private individual. The total strength of the Household Cavalry at Hyde Park is 401 and at King's Troop it is 189 and all personnel are involved with work associated with horses.

  MEDICINES: EC CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT
  MEDICINES: EC CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT
  ADAS RESEARCH STATIONS
  ADAS RESEARCH STATIONS
  PRISONS: VISITORS' CENTRES
  PRISONS: VISITORS' CENTRES
  LAWS: PUBLIC OBSERVANCE
  LAWS: PUBLIC OBSERVANCE