Written Answers of 8 February 1989

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Isle of Man
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met representatives of the Manx Government; and what matters relating to the representation abroad of the interests of the Manx Government were discussed.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend met members of the Executive Council of the Isle of Man in September1987. No matters relating to the representation abroad of the interests of the Manx Government were discussed on that occasion, but Home Office Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Isle of Man Government on matters concerning the island.

  Services for Deaf People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interpreters for the deaf are employed by police authorities; if he is satisfied with the availability of interpreters for deaf people in contact with the police; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is an operational matter for the police to obtain the services of a suitably qualified interpreter for the deaf in appropriate cases. The Home Office has no record of the numbers of such interpreters whose services are used by the police. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Guidance to the police on interviewing suspects who are deaf is contained in the codes of practice issued in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and in Home Office circular 88/85, copies of which are in the Library. Code C, for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers, advises the police that most local authority social services departments can supply a list of suitably qualified interpreters.

  The Home Office is currently reviewing the first four codes of practice issued. The views of a wide range of organisations (including those representing the deaf) have been sought and will be taken fully into account.

  Economic League
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Economic League is registered under the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Mr. Renton
  The Economic League has a single entry in the data protection register, a copy of which is in the Library, covering its processing of personal data for the administration of the organisation.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to enact legislation to ensure 676
  that people blacklisted by the Economic League can obtain access to the files that have caused their blacklisting to check that information.

  Mr. Renton
  No.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight, 20 January,Official Report, column 350, what action is being taken to reduce the time taken to deal with claims for compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have provided extra resources which have enabled the board to open a new office in Glasgow, to increase its staff in post from 220 in 1987 to 320 now, and to finance the resulting increase in the number of awards made. We are also reviewing administrative procedures with the board with the aim of reducing the time taken to resolve claims.

  Custody Time Limits
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the further extension of custody time limits.

  Mr. Hurd
  I intend to lay regulations which will, wil h effect from 1 June, extend custody time limits to Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Durham, Hereford and Worcester, Humberside, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumbria, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire, and West Yorkshire. In the west midlands, the time limit to committal will be reduced from 84 to 70 days in all petty sessions areas except Birmingham where it will remain 84 days. The regulations will also apply with custody limits to serious fraud cases transferred to the Crown court under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1987.

  Probation Officers
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in the Official Report in tabular form the information he has, using age bands, for each five-year period from 1965 to the most recent year for which figures are available, on the ages of individuals appointed to be senior probation officers;
  (2) if he will publish in the Official Report the information he has, in age bands and in tabular form, on the ages of individuals appointed to be probation officers since 1965 who were (i) under 28 years of age and (:ii) between 28 years of age and 65 years of age.

  Mr. John Patten
  This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, if it is available at all.

  Football Matches (Arrests)
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list Rugby League football clubs together with the following information for each of them during the 1987–88 season:(a) the number of

  677
  matches played at their grounds, (b) the total season's attendance, (c) the total arrests in association with such matches, (d) the average attendance per match, (e) the average number of arrests per match and (f) the arrests as a proportion of the attendance.

  Division 1

  Number of matches at ground

  Total attendance

  Average attendance per match

  Bradford Northern

  14

  68,674

  4,905

  Castleford

  13

  58,770

  4,520

  Halifax

  15

  96,440

  6,429

  Hull

  17

  84,073

  4,945

  Hull Kingston Rovers

  17

  73,229

  4,308

  Hunslet

  14

  36,704

  2,622

  Leeds

  16

  177,631

  11,102

  Leigh

  15

  69,606

  4,640

  St. Helens

  18

  146,856

  8,159

  Salford

  18

  72,573

  4,032

  Swinton

  14

  42,292

  3,021

  Warrington

  18

  93,544

  5,197

  Widnes

  15

  99,427

  6,628

  Wigan

  21

  278,917

  13,282

  Division 2

  Barrow

  14

  22,740

  1,624

  Barley

  16

  15,956

  997

  Bramley

  15

  13,061

  871

  Carlisle

  16

  13,607

  850

  Dewsbury

  16

  12,274

  767

  Doncaster

  16

  23,658

  1,479

  Featherstone Rovers

  19

  38,669

  2,035

  Fulham

  15

  9,322

  621

  Huddersfield

  14

  8,417

  601

  Keighley

  16

  17,988

  1,124

  Mansfield Marksman

  14

  5,146

  368

  Oldham

  18

  69,449

  3,858

  Rochdale Hornets

  15

  16,444

  1,096

  Runcorn Highfield

  16

  8,658

  541

  Sheffield Eagles

  14

  11,862

  847

  Springfield Borough

  18

  19,231

  1,068

  Wakefield Trinity

  17

  40,049

  2,356

  Whitehaven

  16

  31,087

  1,943

  Workington Town

  14

  10,322

  737

  York

  16

  22,324

  1,395

  Police Surgeons
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will review present arrangements for the work of general practitioners who act as part-time police surgeons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 27 January 1989 at column 769.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Borrowing
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown from the latest available data of the major types of borrowers in the public and private sectors of the economy.

  Mr. Major
  Information on borrowing is given in the CSO's monthly publication "Financial Statistics", which is available in the Library of the House. Section 1 provides a unified set of financial data for all the main sectors of the economy. Subsequent sections give various breakdowns
  678
  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 26 January 1989]: I have ben asked to reply.

  No information is collected centrally about the numbers of arest at Rugby League matches. Atendence figures and matches played at the grounds of Rugby League clubs in the 1987–88 season were:

  by financial instrument and source appropriate to individual sectors. Also given is an industry analysis of borrowing from the monetary sector.

  EC (Indirect Taxation)
  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will report on his discussions with the European Commissioner for taxation and customs union on 19 January; and how far these discussions advanced the planned approximation of indirect taxes within the Community.

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer had a useful discussion with Madame Scrivener which I hope will pave the way for further constructive exchanges in the future. The Government remain of the view that indirect tax approximation is unnecessary for the completion of the single market.

  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he intends to put to the Council of Ministers on 13 February to advance the planned approximation of indirect taxes within the European Community.
  679
  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has already suggested an alternative, market-based approach to indirect taxation in the single market, which remains on the table for future discussions.

  VAT
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on proposed changes to value added tax zero rating of supplies to non-domestic consumers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  I assume that the hon. Gentleman has in mind the changes in VAT zero rating resulting from last June's judgment of the European Court of Justice which were announced in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) on 6 February. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has received, and taken fully into account, a large number of representations about the implementation of this judgment.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what additional revenue would accrue from proposed changes to implement value added tax standard rating of supplies to university halls of residence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  None. No changes are proposed to the VAT zero rating of supplies of new construction services and fuel and power to university halls of residence.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Public Appeals
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will specify each donation which the Overseas Development Administration has made in response to public appeals for financial aid during each financial year since 1979–80.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The ODA has made three responses to public appeals since 1979, in each case to appeals launched by the disasters emergency committee of major voluntary agencies following disasters overseas. These are:

  £

  December 1987, for famine victims in Ethiopia

  2,000,000

  August 1988, for flood victims in Sudan

  1,000,000

  August 1988, for flood victims in Bangladesh

  1,000,000

  These figures exclude the ODA's responses to the many appeals to donor Governments from the United Nations and other international agencies.

  Amazonia
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the value of Her Majesty's Government's contribution to development projects in the Amazonian area of Brazil; and what measures are taken to ensure that these projects do not result in the destruction of tropical rain forests.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We have jointly funded with non-governmental agencies nine projects assisting the 680
  people of the Amazonian region at a cost of about £77,000 and we are providing £80,000 to the Maraca rain forest project which conducts research into forest regeneration. International organisations of which the United Kingdom is a member have supported projects in the region, but we do not have information detailing disbursements under individual loans provided through these channels. Environmental conditions have normally been attached to such loans.

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to provide aid to meet current humanitarian needs in Kabul.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We have provided £60 million of aid for the victims of war in Afghanistan since 1980, including £10 million in the current financial year. In addition, I have just agreed a further contribution of £500,000, particularly to meet current mother and child relief needs; £250,000 of this is being channelled through UNICEF and £250,000 is for the International Committee of the Red Cross relief programmes.

SCOTLAND

  Lennox Castle Hospital
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what dates in the period 1979 to 1988 the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland has visited Lennox Castle hospital; and when the commission first indicated to Greater Glasgow health board its anxieties about conditions there.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In the discharge of its functions under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984, the Mental Welfare Commission has visited Lennox Castle hospital on the following occasions:

  Programmed visits

  28 November 1984

  23 October 1985

  26 November 1986

  13 April 1988

  Special visits

  2 August 1985

  7 January 1988

  9 December 1988

  Prior to 1984, visits were confined to those by individual medical commissioners for the purposes of interviewing patients and such visits continue on an annual basis.

  The commission first commented adversely about some aspects of the facilities at Lennox Castle following the visit on 28 November 1984. The Greater Glasgow health boa rd has embarked on a major rebuilding and upgrading programme; two new, purpose-designed intensive care units have been built, and four wards substantially upgraded at a cost of £3·8 million. A recurring increase of £2 million, or 18 per cent. of the mental handicap budget, has been approved by the board in the current year for the recruitment of additional staff and support in the community.

  The board has committed itself to making Lennox Castle a centre of excellence and is making the necessary provision to achieve that objective.

  Training Schemes
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many workers in Scotland are presently employed in Government-sponsored training schemes; what this represents as a proportion of the work force; and what are the figures for each o the last 10 years.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Information on numbers participating in Government training programmes is available only for YTS and the community programme and from 1984 onwards. Participants in these programmes as a proportion of the civilian work force since 1984 are set out in the table:

  Year

  (a)1Numbers in YTS and community programme

  (b)1Civilian workforce

  (a) as a percentage of (b)

  1984

  44,958

  2,083

  2·2

  1985

  50,304

  2,109

  2·4

  1986

  59,307

  2,100

  2·8

  1987

  68,464

  2,089

  3·3

  1988

  77,117

  2,108

  3·6

  1 At 31 March.

  At present some 49,000 young people are participating in YTS and almost 20,000 people in employment training (which from September 1988 replaced the community programme and all other adult training measures).

  Housing
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the net spending on housing, in real terms, in 1978–79, 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  At 1987–88 prices Scottish net public housing expenditure in 1978–79 was £1,191 million, almost half on general subsidies to the housing stock; estimated expenditure in 1988–89 is £607 million, and planned expenditure in 1989–90 and 1990–91 £537 million and £557 million respectively. Gross capital expenditure on housing at 1987–88 prices was £691 million in 1978–79 and £833 million in 1988–89, and is planned to be £818 million and £766 million in 1989–90 and 1990–91. None of these figures includes housing benefit expenditure.

  Scottish Trades Union Congress (Health Matters)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the date of all communications received by him from the Scottish Trades Union Congress on health matters since September 1988 and the date of his reply; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is as follows:

  Date of communication

  Date of reply

  7 September 1988

  8 February 1989

  6 January 1989

  26 January 1989

  20 January 1989

  31 January 1989

  A further letter from the Scottish Trades Union Congress dated 3 February was also received by me on 6 February.

  Cervical/Cytology
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each health board for each of the last three years the number of cervical smears carried out.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is not currently available in the form requested, but arrangements are under way to collect it on a health board basis.

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he has any information from Greater Glasgow health board on the starting date for the improvement work to the accident and emergency department of Glasgow royal infirmary.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The main part of the programme to upgrade accident and emergency services at Glasgow royal infirmary started on site in October 1988 with an expected date of completion of April 1990. However, to allow that work to start, other linked schemes were put in hand in November 1987 so that part of the accident and emergency workload could be dealt with elsewhere.

  Pharmacists
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the establishment level of hospital pharmacists for each health board in Scotland, and the actual number of pharmacists employed in each board area.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The following table gives the information as at 31 December 1987:

  Health board

  Establishment level (Whole time equivalents)

  Staff in post (Whole time equivalents)

  Argyll and Clyde

  26

  25

  Ayrshire and Arran

  25

  24·3

  Borders

  6

  7

  Dumfries and Galloway

  8·3

  7·3

  Fife

  20

  19

  Forth Valley

  17·3

  17·3

  Grampian1

  35

  32

  Greater Glasgow

  133·9

  122·9

  Highland

  14·8

  14·8

  Lanarkshire

  30·7

  28·7

  Lothian

  83·7

  79·7

  Tayside

  47·3

  46·7

  Western Isles

  2

  2

  1 Grampian health board provides also hospital pharmaceutical services for Orkney and Shetland health boards.

  Blood Products
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many units of blood products were supplied to(a) commercial medical establishments and (b) other private hospitals by the Scottish blood transfusion service in each year since 1982, what was the cost of these supplies in each year, and what was the revenue income in each year from such sales.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The available information is as follows:
  683

  Year ending 31 March

  Supplied to the private sector

  Revenue received

  Units of whole blood and platelet depleted blood

  Units of red cell concentrates

  (£)

  1983

  650

  830

  Nil

  1984

  560

  1,600

  1,915

  1985

  730

  2,300

  27,287

  1986

  494

  2,509

  34,032

  1987

  385

  2,755

  45,380

  1988

  286

  3,384

  54,557

  Notes:

  1. Other blood products are occasionally supplied, in small quantities, to the private sector.

  2. Receipts relate to all blood and blood products supplied.

  3. Receipts will not necessarily be brought to account in the year of supply.

  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to announce the review of handling charges for blood, blood products and plasma units to private medical establishments by the blood transfusion service.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Scottish Home and Health Department received the preliminary results of the review on 31 January 1989. I shall write to the hon. Member once a decision has been taken.

  Water Orders
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average length of time taken by his Department to deal with an application for approval of a water order; when the initial draft of the water order for Allt Bail un Tuim, Bhuidhe in Glenmoriston was submitted to the Scottish Office by Highland regional council; when he expects to be able to give approval; and if he will make a statement on the length of time taken to process this water order.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The average time from submission of a preliminary draft to making a water order is about 20 months. The initial draft of the Allt Bail'un Tuim Bhuidhe water order was submitted on 22 July 1987. Engineering appraisal and consultation within the Scottish Office was followed by several rounds of correspondence with the council. Statutory procedures, including an advertising stage which allows for objections to the Secretary of State, have still to be completed and I cannot say when the order will be made. The time taken to deal with this order reflects the degree of consultation and consideration required, and is not unusual. The procedures are designed to safeguard the rights of all parties who may be affected.

  Deaf People (Services)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified social workers with specialist training for work with people who are deaf are currently employed in Scotland by(a) social work departments, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) other bodies; how many have completed training in each of the last five years; what action he is taking to increase their number; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not held centrally. Qualifying training"is designed to import the basic knowledge and skills required for social work generally".
  684
  There is at present no formal specialist training course for those wishing to work exclusively or primarily with deaf people. However the Open university, with financial support from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health, is developing a course which will be available to social work staff throughout the United Kingdom who wish to specialise in this area.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many interpreters for the deaf are employed by public bodies in Scotland; how many have been trained in each of the last five years; what action he is taking to increase their number; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Comprehensive information of the kind requested is not held centrally. I understand that there are 15 interpreters on a register maintained by the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters, which also undertakes their training. The latest information on trainees is as follows:

  Number

  1983

  2

  1984

  1

  1985

  3

  1986

  —

  1987

  1

  In 1988–89 grant of £18,580 will be paid to the association towards training and running costs generally.

  Greater Glasgow Health Board
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of sessions contributed by the 127 honorary consultants in Greater Glasgow health board hospitals and clinics; on what basis remuneration is calculated; and what the total remuneration is expected to be in the current financial year.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  A total of 726 sessions. Honorary consultants remain employees of their parent authority and their honorary contracts with the health board are unpaid appointments. The cost of any distinction awards for which they are eligible is however reimbursed to the parent authority by the National Health Service. Greater Glasgow health board spent £1·5 million on reimbursement between 1 February 1988 and 1 February 1989.

  NHS (Market Research)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many market research studies of the National Health Service have been commissioned since 1979; which companies undertook them; what the remit was in each case; and what the budget was in each case.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The only market research study undertaken nationally has been the survey recently carried out by Research Surveys of Great Britain Ltd. at a cost of £105,000 plus VAT. The study was designed to investigate consumers' experience of and attitudes to the National Health Service, and to discover whether, and if so how, the public wish the service to change.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which company or body is conducting the present market research study of the National Health Service in Scotland; and whether the sample size is drawn from the general public or from within the National Health Service itself.
  685
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The company which conducted the study is Research Surveys of Great Britain Ltd. The sample was designed to include in-patients, out-patients, GP patients and the general public.

  Southern General Hospital
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many complaints have been received from patients or other members of the public about the accident and emergency unit at the Southern general hospital in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of complaints received by the board is as follows:

  Year

  Number of complaints

  1984

  4

  1985

  5

  1986

  8

  1987

  5

  1988

  5

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the number of jobs attributable to forestry in each of the regions of the United Kingdom.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is not available in that form.

HEALTH

  Irradiated Rodent Corpses
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what methods have been used for the disposal of irradiated rodent carcases used in radiation experimental work by the Medical Research Council and hospitals involved in medical radiation research.

  Mr. Freeman
  The disposal of irradiated rodent carcases used in radiation experimental work are subject to authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. The disposal routes for such carcases would be

  (1) incineration and landfill; or

  (2) landfill disposal; or

  (3) maceration and sweage disposal.

  The route chosen would depend on the level of radioactivity and whether full pathological control is necessary.

  National Health Service Costs
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what 3 per cent. of the Thames regions' budgets represents in cash terms for the current year.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested is as follows:

  3 per cent. of 1988–89 revenue allocations

  £ million

  North West Thames

  28·0

  North East Thames

  34·6

  South East Thames

  30·3

  South West Thames

  24·5

  686
  The figures include cash limit adjustments made up to 6 February 1989. They exclude transfers between revenue and capital.

  Leighton Hospital, Crewe
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his undertaking in the Official Report, 17 January, column 316, when he intends to provide a detailed reply to the speech of the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich in her Adjournment debate.

  Mr. Freeman
  I wrote to the hon. Lady on 8 February.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what considerations he has given to the implications for the ambulance service of the establishment of National Health Service hospital trusts and the creation of a national internal market for health services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The review proposals including the establishment of NHS hospital trusts will not affect the ambulance service's responsibility for transporting free of charge patients whom a clinician has determined are medically unfit to travel by other means.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds he proposes to make available to the successor bodies to family practitioner committees to provide for adequate monitoring of the effect on general practitioners working in sole practices of his proposals to relate a higher proportion of general practitioners' income to list sizes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  As stated in paragraph 13·3 of "Working for Patients" (Cm 555), the costs of implementing reforms will be considered as part of the annual public expenditure surveys. However, changes to the general practitioners' contract to place more emphasis on capitation will not discriminate between single practices, group practices and partnerships and I see no need for the monitoring proposed.

  Services for Deaf People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified workers with specialist training for work with people who are deaf are currently employed in England by(a) social services departments, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) other bodies; how many have completed training in each of the last five years; what action he is taking to increase their number; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold information centrally on the nature of the work carried out by particular social workers. The two post-qualifying training courses for social workers with deaf people in London and Edinburgh closed in 1984 and there is at present no formal training course. However, the Department is currently providing substantial financial support towards the development of a distance learning course to be run by the Open university from 1991.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many interpreters for the deaf are employed
  687
  by public bodies in England; how many have been trained in each of the last five years; what action he is taking to increase their number; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold information centrally on the numbers of interpreters for the deaf employed by public bodies or the number trained. However, we continue to give financial support to the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People. The council arranges training courses in communication with deaf people and maintains a register of interpreters. We are also in touch with the panel of four main voluntary organisations in the deafness field about future interpreting needs.

  Tranquillisers
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give, for the latest year for which figures are available, the total number of tranquillisers of all varieties which were prescribed to National Health Service patients and the percentage that these drugs represented of all drugs prescribed to National Health Service patients, together with the total value of these tranquillisers and as a percentage of the total cost of National Health Service drugs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  In England in 1987 the number of prescriptions for tranquillisers, sedatives and hypnotics dispensed by community pharmacists was 24·3 million or 7·4 per cent. of all prescriptions for drugs dispensed by them. The net ingredient cost of tranquillisers, sedatives and hypnotics was £32·5 million or 2·2 per cent. of the net ingredient cost for all drugs dispensed by community pharmacists.

  Hospitals (Management)
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will outline his proposals for how the procedures by which individual hospitals will become independent management units will be initiated, and by whom.

  Number of deaths registered in England and Wales with aplastic anaemia as underlying cause (ICD 2841), by regional health authority of usual residence 1981–1987

  Area of usual residency

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  21986

  231987

  Northern

  29

  20

  13

  21

  32

  21

  18

  Yorkshire

  21

  16

  15

  31

  19

  17

  20

  Trent

  28

  16

  17

  29

  20

  19

  21

  East Anglia

  9

  15

  8

  9

  15

  9

  12

  North West Thames

  12

  14

  12

  13

  14

  14

  10

  North East Thames

  29

  25

  28

  33

  14

  17

  19

  South East Thames

  20

  18

  16

  11

  22

  16

  16

  South West Thames

  7

  11

  13

  18

  12

  12

  13

  Wessex

  18

  16

  11

  13

  12

  17

  16

  Oxford

  10

  8

  10

  9

  14

  13

  14

  South Western

  22

  21

  26

  21

  19

  26

  7

  West Midlands

  29

  29

  19

  23

  27

  33

  21

  Mersey

  16

  18

  8

  7

  17

  12

  12

  North Western

  22

  19

  22

  16

  20

  18

  12

  Wales

  32

  19

  9

  11

  18

  12

  20

  Outside England and Wales

  5

  3

  1

  8

  4

  6

  6

  Total

  309

  268

  228

  273

  279

  262

  237

  1 International Classification of Diseases: 9th revision.

  2 At age 28 days and over.

  3 1987 figures at the latest available.

  In cases where aplastic anaemia was assigned originally as the underlying cause of death, but where further information is received about drug treatment (including adverse reactions), or about the conditions for which that treatment was given, the final underlying cause will be assigned to those other causes.

  688
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555) explains that it will be open to a variety of interests either to initiate an application to establish an NHS hospital trust or to respond to an initiative taken by the Secretary of State. I will shortly issue a working paper giving further information about the plans for NHS hospital trusts.

  Regrading
  Mr. Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many, and what proportions of, nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff from each of the old grades have been assimilated in new grades as at the latest date for which figures are available in the Worthing health authority and the Chichester health authority; and what comparable figures he has in regional health authorities in England.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 16 January 1989]: The only information available relates to the initial regrading on the basis of duties and responsibilities on 1 April 1988. Tables showing the numbers of nursing and midwifery staff assimilated from each of the old grades to each of the new grades, by district and by region, are in the Library. The information requested on the proportions of staff is now ready and has been placed in the Library also.

  Aplastic Anaemia
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people were recorded as suffering from aplastic anaemia in 1988 and in each of the last five years;

  (2) if he will list by year for the last five years, by district health authority the number of cases of aplastic anaemia that have been reported; how many of these cases were fatal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 16 January 1989]: The available information is given in the tables. Figures by district health authority are not available centrally.
  689

  Estimated Number of In-Patients with Main Diagnosis of Aplastic Anaemia Discharged from NHS Non-Psychiatric Hospitals, By Region of Treatment, England 1981–1985

  1985

  1984

  1983

  1982

  1981

  ECD Digit-84

  Diagnosis-Aplastic Anaemia

  Northern

  300

  260

  (170)

  (190)

  240

  Yorkshire

  260

  280

  (140)

  250

  210

  Trent

  260

  350

  230

  (190)

  (160)

  East Anglia

  (110)

  (150)

  (110)

  (120)

  (130)

  North West Thames

  (170)

  210

  210

  (120)

  210

  North East Thames

  250

  320

  260

  230

  (190)

  South East Thames

  330

  240

  220

  390

  280

  South West Thames

  (110)

  230

  (90)

  (80)

  (80)

  Wessex

  (170)

  (140)

  (120)

  (140)

  (150)

  Oxford

  (90)

  (150)

  (160)

  (50)

  (80)

  South Western

  (140)

  (110)

  200

  210

  250

  West Midlands

  310

  360

  260

  270

  250

  Mersey

  (80)

  (180)

  (120)

  (110)

  (150)

  North Western

  210

  310

  (170)

  260

  (150)

  SHA's

  (30)

  0

  (30)

  (60)

  (10)

  England

  2,820

  3,290

  2,490

  2,670

  2,540

  Source: Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE)

  ICD—International Classification of Diseases—9th Revision

  Figures in Brackets should be treated with caution as they are based on small sample numbers.

  Cook-Chill Food
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the production of cook-chill food to be carried out in Wakefield health authority's central production unit will be subject to the requirements of regulation 27 of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations;

  (2) if the various elements of the production of cook-chill food which are to be carried out away from Wakefield health authority's central production unit are subject to regulation 27 of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 23 January 1989]: Regulation 27 is a legal requirement only where food is for immediate consumption. However, my Department's guidelines for all cook-chill catering in the NHS require temperatures that fall well within those specified under regulation 27 and we expect NHS health authority management to meet these requirements.

DEFENCE

  Soviet Union (Defence Cuts)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what response he proposes to make to the recent defence cutbacks made by the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Members for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid), for Glasgow, Central (Mr. McTaggart), for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies), for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe), for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth), for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms. Ruddock), for Redcar (Ms. Mowlam), for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron), and for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett), and to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor) on 7 February.

  NATO
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the modernisation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's short-range nuclear weapons.
  690
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) on 29 November 1988 at column 567.

  Nevada Test Site
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the financial cost attributed to the annual defence budget and paid to the United States Government to implement environmental clean-up at the Nevada test site following the testing of United Kingdom nuclear warheads at the site; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In the continuing absence of escapes of radioactivity from these underground tests, no such costs arise.

  Potton Island, Essex
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of the clean-up of Potton island in Essex following the nuclear materials testing programme in the 1950s; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No firings have been carried out on Potton island at any time which involved radioactive materials. There is an ongoing decontamination exercise on Potton island to ensure that the area is clear of conventional munitions and explosives, and, although the final sum will not be known until the end of the exercise, the cost of the initial decontamination was some £40,000.

  Atomic Weapons Establishments
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many undergraduates from universities and other institutions of higher education are employed during the summer vacation at atomic weapons establishment sites.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  About 50 such students are employed at AWE, mostly at Aldermaston, during their summer vacation.

  COMECON (Travel)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions since 1979 permission for
  691
  emigration to, or travel within, the Soviet Union or other COMECON countries has been denied to applicants formerly employed at the atomic weapons research establishments;

  (2) on how many occasions since 1979 permission for emigration to, or travel within, the Soviet Union or other COMECON eastern bloc countries has been denied to applicants formerly employed at the Ministry of Defence.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 26 January 1989 at column 704.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consideration he has given to the implications for the defence of the United Kingdom arising out of the construction of the Channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he proposes to take any measures to protect the Channel tunnel against enemy action in time of war; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The implications for the defence of the United Kingdom arising from the construction of the Channel fixed link, and the defence of the Channel fixed link itself, are under consideration as part of normal defence planning.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the implication for the discharge of the United Kingdom's obligation to NATO arising out of the construction of the Channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch (Mr. Adley) on 12 January 1989 at columns 724–25.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Deaf People (Court Interpreters)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Attorney-General how many interpreters for the deaf are employed by the court services; if he is satisfied with the availability of interpreters for deaf people in contact with the courts; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  In the Crown court and in civil proceedings it is the responsibility of the party to the proceedings requiring the services of an interpreter, either for himself or for a witness, to make the necessary arrangements to secure their attendance at any conference with legal advisers or at court. Some Crown court centres maintain a register of interpreters although they are under no obligation to do so. Such registers are compiled from lists supplied by the police and a court will make the list available if requested to do so. I know of no difficulties arising in the courts for which the Lord Chancellor is administratively responsible as a result of the present arrangements.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Handicapped Children
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to give the parents of handicapped children the same rights as those of able-bodied children to choose to which schools they wish to send their children.

  Mr. Butcher
  Parents of handicapped children without statements of special educational needs under the Education Act 1981 already have the same choice of school rights as other parents. For those children with statements, local education authorities are required to seek medical, educational and psychological advice, and any other advice considered necessary, including parental views. My right hon. Friend believes that the most suitable school placements for children with statements should continue to be based on that advice.

  Universities (Funding)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is his policy in relation to making adjustments to the volume of block grants to universities to reflect any significant changes to the taxation liabilities of universities;

  (2) whether the present vote provision for 1989–90 in respect of grants to universities was calculated to take account of changes in value added tax regulations now proposed to take effect in that year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The provision for universities for 1989–90 announced in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 612) includes a compensating adjustment in respect of the impact on universities of the introduction of VAT on new construction from 1 April 1989. Changes lin taxation arrangements do not automatically lead to changes in public funding; they will be taken into account as appropriate in reaching decisions on the level of provision for universities, which are not deficit funded.

  VAT
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from individuals or bodies concerned with education on the subject of proposed changes to value added tax zero rating of supplies to non-domestic consumers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  A small number of representations have been received about the changes which are to be introduced from 1 July 1990. School and student boarding accommodation will be regarded as domestic use and will continue to be zero rated for supplies of fuel and power.

  Southwark Director of Education
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science on which dates since 1 January 1988 he has met the director of education of the Southwark diocese; at which of these meetings city technology colleges in the Southwark diocese have been discussed; at which of these meetings the future of the sites reserved for education by the London Docklands
  693
  development corporation in Surrey docks, London SE16, has been discussed; and on which of these dates the future of Bacon's school, London SE1 and London SE16, has been discussed.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has had three meetings with the director of education of the Southwark diocese since 1 January 1988. At meetings on 29 September, 6 December and 12 January 1989, there was some discussion of options for the future of Bacon's school, whether on its present site or on a relocated site in the Surrey docks. Should the diocesan board of Education and the governors of the school wish to see the existing school closed to make way for a city technology college, the governors would need the approval of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State under section 14 of the 1944 Education Act.

  International Organisations
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those international organisations on which his Department is represented and the total cost of these commitments.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  [pursuant to her reply, 3 February 1989, c. 409]: I regret that part of the information given to the hon. Member was incorrect.

  This Department's specific contribution to the European University Institute in 1987–88 was £1,232,000.

PRIME MINISTER

  Non-ministerial Appointments
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list, and give details of remuneration for, all those non-ministerial appointments which are in her gift as Prime Minister and to which a salary per annum is attached of more than(a) £10,000, (b) £20,000, (c) £30,000, (d) £40,000, (e) £50,000, (f) £60,000, (g) £70,000, (h) £80,000,(i) £90,000, (j) £100,000, (k) £110,000 and (l) £120,000.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing to add to the replies that I gave to the right hon. Member on 31 January 1988 at column 149 and 2 February 1989 at column 425.

ENERGY

  Research Projects
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the scope and the level of funding for research projects commissioned by his Department from groups led by Messrs. Lawrence Draper and Malcolm Tucker; and what work Messrs. Draper and Tucker are currently doing for his Department.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  In the period from 1977 to date my Department has commissioned research at the Institute of Oceanographic Sciencies (IOS) involving Messrs. Lawrence Draper and Malcolm Tucker on the measurement and analysis of wave climate in United Kingdom waters and the kinetics of waves. The level of funding for this work is in excess of £2 million.

  Mr. Malcolm Tucker, who retired from IOS in 1986, is currently retained as a consultant by my Department to
  694
  provide expert advice on environmental data. Mr. Lawrence Draper is currently associated with three IOS projects funded by my Department covering wave climate measurements around the United Kingdom, guidance on oceanographic design parameters and provision of expert advice on oceanography.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is his assessment of the importance of the data on wave climate collected by Messrs. Lawrence Draper and Malcolm Tucker of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences to the development of oil and gas reserves in the North Sea;

  (2) if he will give an estimate of the value, in terms of lives saved, oil and gas production and economic benefit, of the availability of wave data prior to the exploitation of Britain's offshore oil and gas reserves.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department—advised on safety research and development by technology boards with members from the oil industry, the certifying authorities and the academic world—has identified specific projects relating to wave data which have contributed to the safe and economic design of offshore structures.

  Nuclear Reprocessing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many contracts British Nuclear Fuels plc has signed with foreign customers for the storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel since 1973; and if he will seek the permission of the British Nuclear Fuels plc chairman to publish the value of each of these respective contracts in pounds sterling at 1989 values.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I understand that British Nuclear Fuels plc has signed 34 contracts with foreign customers for the storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel since the beginning of 1973. The financial terms of these contracts are commercially confidential.

  Wind Energy
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest estimate of the maximum contribution to be made by wind energy as a percentage of United Kingdom electricity producition in the year 2000.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  There is great uncertainty about projections for developing technologies such as renewable sources of energy. By the year 2025, wind energy might provide up to 30 TWh per year of electricity, which represents about 10 per cent. of current electricity requirements.

  We have not made any estimates for the year 2000, but would expect commercial exploitation of wind energy to commence in the mid-1990s if the present assessment phase of our renewable energy programme is successful.

  Sizewell
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) when he plans to announce the opening date and name of the inspector for the Sizewell C public inquiry into the Central Electricity Generating Board planning application for a new pressurised water reactor at its Sizewell nuclear site;
  695
  (2) if it will be the responsibility of National Power to cover the costs of the Sizewell C planning inquiry, including the fee for the inspector and the publication cost of daily transcripts and support documentation.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The CEGB announced on 31 January its intention to submit an application to my right hon. Friend for his consent to construct a pressurised water reactor nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk. Before the application has been made and advertised and the response to it is known, it is too early to speculate about a public inquiry.

  Nuclear Power
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on British Nuclear Fuel's proposals to build new nuclear power stations at Chapelcross, Sellafield and Calder Hall.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  British Nuclear Fuels plc has announced that it is to mount a feasibility study to look at several options for the construction of new nuclear power stations which might eventually replace the Magnox stations which it operates at Calder Hall and Chapelcross. BNFL has made no other commitment at present. I understand that the company's study will take about 18 months to complete.

  Nuclear Accidents
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what emergency planning arrangements are in force for the evacuation of members of the public in the event of an accident involving the spent nuclear fuel cooling ponds at Berkeley, Oldbury, and Hinkley nuclear plants.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Contingency plans, including evacuation plans for members of the public, exist at the Berkeley, Oldbury and Hinkley nuclear plants, in common with all licensed nuclear sites to deal with any accident involving an off-site release of radioactivity.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy, when considering the issue of transport licences for the export of plutonium, on examining the end-use requirements of the country or countries for which the plutonium is intended, to ascertain if there are genuine commercial needs for the material.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to export licences. These are not issued unless the Government are satisfied that among other things the end use will be as stated in the application.

  All exports of nuclear materials are made within the guidelines set out in the statement by the then Foreign Secretary, Lord Callaghan, on 31 March 1976 at columns 514–16.

  Contracts
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all his Department's contracts with(a) Zeus and (b) Securipol Limited since 1979; and if he will give the purpose of each contract.

  Mr. Parkinson
  None.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Industry Act 1975
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether section 13 of the Industry Act 1975 will require repeal or amendment when the Single European Act takes effect in 1992.

  Mr. Maude
  No.

  Key Guns
  Mr. George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will ban he importation of key guns that can unlock doors and cars and are being used for criminal purposes.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It would be very difficult to prohibit the import of key guns without similar restrictions on the domestic manufacture and sale of such devices. Following expressions of concern the Home Office is consulting the Association of Chief Police Officers about the effectiveness and availability of such devices in the United Kingdom and to establish what problems they present. We will consider this issue further in the light of the findings of this report.

  Telephone Monitoring
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will call for a report from the Director General of Oftel on how many occasions British Telecom engineers have monitored telephone conversations on domestic telephone lines within the Wakefield district in the last year for which figures are available;

  (2) if he will call for a report from the Director of Oftel on how many occasions British Telecom engineers have monitored private conversations on domestic telephone lines, in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Atkins
  No, but I shall draw the hon. Member's concern to the attention of the Director General of Telecommunications. He already has powers to look into such matters.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what non-statutory safeguards are available for British Telecom customers, in the event that their private and personal conversations are monitored by employees of British Telecom.

  Mr. Atkins
  Safeguards in addition to the existing statutory safeguards are a matter for the operator in the first instance. The Director General of Telecommunications already keeps the sufficiency of the safeguards under review.

  Supermarkets (Charging Practices)
  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, in the light of recent court cases, he will seek to amend the law relating to the charging practices of supermarkets and to increase the maximum levels of fines available to the courts.

  Mr. Forth
  No. The effectiveness of part III of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 in controlling misleading price indications will need to he assessed as experience of its operation develops after 1 March before consideration can be given to further measures.

  North East Shipbuilders
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what expenditure is expected in 1988–89 on the remedial measures announced on 7 December 1988 following the closure of North East Shipbuilders Ltd.

  Mr. Newton
  It is estimated that £358,000 will be spent by the end of March this year, primarily on counselling and training; £106,000 will be spent by the Department of Employment on counselling, and a further £251,000 will be spent by British Shipbuilders. Parliamentary approval for the £251,000 will be sought through the introduction of a new subhead on class V vote 4 in a Supplementary Supply Estimate to cover the new service. Pending that approval urgent expenditure estimated at the full £251,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  Ford Motor Company
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the estimated cost to the balance of payments of the trading methods of the Ford Motor Company whereby most of its vehicles are assembled outside the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]To estimate the impact on the balance of payments of the Ford Motor Company's overall investment and sales policies would be highly complex.

  As a long-established multinational, the company imports and exports components as well as assembled vehicles and has major investments in this country. The value of such an estimate would be subject to so many variables as to rob it of any tangible significance.

  Rolls-Royce
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from the EEC Commission about the limit to foreign shareholdings in Rolls-Royce plc; and what parts of the treaty of Rome have been quoted by the Commission in relation to such representations.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]Discussions with the Commission are continuing. The Government consider that the limit on foreign shareholdings is justified by article 223 of the European Community treaty which allows a member state to take such measures as it considers necessary for the protection of the essential interests of its security.

WALES

  Higher Education
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many 18-year-old students have progressed into higher education in each of the last three academic years giving figures in numerical and percentage terms and for each standard planning region.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is as follows:
  698

  18-year-old students1 from Welsh schools intending to proceed into higher education2

  Number ('000)

  Percentage of all 118-year-old leavers

  1984–85

  3·5

  45·0

  1985–86

  3·7

  48·9

  1986–87

  3·4

  45·5

  1 Aged 17 at 31 August i.e. the beginning of the academic year.

  2 Degree courses, teacher training courses and HNC/HND courses.

  Consultants
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many consultants at present hold a contract with the National Health Service in Wales; and in what disciplines the six new appointments during the next three years will be made.

  Mr. Grist
  The number of consultants who held a contract with the National Health Service in Wales on 30 September 1987 was 864, compared with 696 in 1978.

  No decision has yet been taken on where and in which specialties the posts will be created, but they will be targeted to achieve maximum benefit, including the need to reduce waiting lists.

  General Practices
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will list the location of the 30 practices in Wales with more than 11,000 patients.

  Mr. Grist
  At February 1988 there were 36 practices in Wales with more than 11,000 patients. The location of the main surgery of these practices was as follows:

  Location

  Number of practices

  Rhyl, Clwyd

  1

  Wrexham, Clwyd

  3

  Old Colwyn, Clwyd

  1

  Prestatyn, Clwyd

  1

  Mold, Clwyd

  1

  Gresford, Clwyd

  1

  Carmarthen, Dyfed

  1

  Haverfordwest, Dyfed

  1

  Pontllanfraith, Gwent

  1

  Caldicot, Gwent

  1

  Monmouth, Gwent

  1

  Newport, Gwent

  3

  Amlwch, Gwynedd

  1

  Llandudno, Gwynedd

  1

  Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan

  2

  Church Village, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan

  2

  Dowlais, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Caerphilly, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Ystrad Mynach, Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Brecon, Powys

  1

  Newtown, Powys

  1

  Cardiff, South Glamorgan

  2

  Barry, South Glamorgan

  1

  Gowerton, West Glamorgan

  1

  Swansea, West Glamorgan

  1

  Mumbles, West Glamorgan

  1

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what evidence he has of leaks of polychlorinated biphenyls from Rechem International (Pontypool) into the sewage system operated by Welsh Water; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  None. The Welsh water authority has the responsibility, under the Public Health (Drainage of Trade Premises) Act 1937 for consenting to discharges of trade effluent to public sewers. Furthermore, the authority monitors such discharges and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the quality conditions in each consent.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for the Welsh water authority the number of pollution incidents and the number of sewage works which breached their discharge consents in 1987–88.

  Mr. Grist
  Welsh water authority area figures are available for calendar years. In 1987 (the latest year for which figures are available) recorded pollution incidents totalled 2,489 and 108 sewage treatment works breached their consent conditions.

  Services for Deaf People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified social workers with specialist training for work with people who are deaf are currently employed in Wales by(a) social service departments, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) other bodies; how many have completed training in each of the last five years; what action he is taking to increase their number; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many interpreters for the deaf are employed by public bodies in Wales; how many have been trained in each of the last five years; what action he is taking to increase their numbers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is not held centrally. The Department is, however, currently funding a Wales Council for the Deaf project to increase the number of people with advanced qualifications in sign language. The training involved conforms to nationally accepted Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People standards.

  Rates
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the estimated national domestic rate for Wales had the system to be introduced in 1990 been in operation in the current financial year, together with the current business in each Welsh district.

  Mr. Grist
  In 1990, domestic rates will be replaced by the community charge and there will be no national domestic rate. 1988–89, non-domestic rate poundages in each Welsh district are listed in the following table:

  Non-domestic rate poundage 1988–89 Pence

  Alyn and Deeside

  245·4

  Colwyn

  258·1

  Delyn

  245·4

  700

  Non-domestic rate poundage 1988–89 Pence

  Glyndwr

  250·7

  Rhuddlan

  245·9

  Wrexham Maelor

  252·2

  Carmarthen

  255·2

  Ceredigion

  248·3

  Dinefwr

  248·4

  Llanelli

  270·9

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  245·3

  South Pembrokeshire

  251·6

  Blaenau Gwent

  258·4

  Islwyn

  251·5

  Monmouth

  254·4

  Newport

  250·5

  Torfaen

  260·1

  Aberconwy

  256·8

  Arfon

  249·9

  Dwyfor

  253·3

  Meirionnydd

  247·3

  Ynys Mon

  246·3

  Cynon Valley

  265·2

  Merthyr Tydfil

  273·3

  Ogwr

  279·1

  Rhondda

  277·0

  Rhymney Valley

  277·4

  Taff Ely

  273·9

  Brecknock

  244·0

  Montgomeryshire

  224·2

  Radnor

  231·9

  Cardiff

  225·6

  Vale of Glamorgan

  232·0

  Port Talbot

  302·3

  Lliw Valley

  304·3

  Neath

  306·4

  Swansea

  313·9

  Wales average

  257·6

  Winvest
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many inquiries Winvest has received regarding Clwyd for each of the last six months.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Winvest receives many inquiries from companies interested in investing in Wales, only some of which are related to particular areas of Wales.

  All of these inquiries are acted upon and many of them have been appropriate to Clwyd. There is therefore no need to keep a statistical record on a county basis.

TRANSPORT

  Motorists (Eyesight)
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consultations he has had with, or what representations he has received from, organisations concerned with the eyesight standards of motorists; and if he will institute discussions with professional bodies and with the British Insurance Association to encourage drivers to have regular eyesight tests and to remind drivers of their legal obligations;

  (2)what information he has about semi-official surveys, including surveys undertaken by police authorities, into the question of eyesight standards of motorists;

  (3)what investigations have been undertaken by his Department into the question of eyesight tests for motorists and with particular reference to injury or

  701
  damage accidents to which poor eyesight might have contributed; and what is his estimate of the cost of undertaking such a survey.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We have received strong support for the present eyesight test and standard from the College of Ophthalmologists (formerly the Faculty of Ophthalmologists at the Royal College of Surgeons).

  Research by the transport and road research laboratory, reported in 1986 as "A Re-analysis of California Driver Vision Data", found that once age and other variables had been taken into account, there was no detectable relationship between the propensity to have accidents and any of the large number of visual tests employed. This confirmed earlier work at TRRL and other work carried out overseas over a period of some decades which has in no case found any important relationship between accidents and any measure of visual acuity.

  The cost of repeating the work would be in excess of £200,000. We are considering whether other work is now required to provide additional information about drivers over the age of 70.

  I have placed a copy of the report in the Library of the House. I have also placed there a copy of a paper entitled "Vision and Driving" prepared by the Department's medical adviser, together with another piece of work—"A Survey of Visual Acuity of Drivers"—carried out by the Motor Industry Research Association for the TRRL.

  There have been calls from various organisations, including the police, calling for higher standards of eyesight for drivers and for compulsory regular testing.

  We have periodic discussions with the Association of British Insurers about medical factors affecting fitness to drive, including eyesight standards and the need to encourage regular checks.

  We are aware of one or two police forces carrying out eyesight surveys using binocular screening devices.

  Barnstaple Downstream Bridge
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received any representations asking him to approve the financial implications of the Devon county council plans for the construction of the Barnstaple down-stream bridge.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend has received a large number of representations urging reconsideration of the county council's capital allocation for roads in 1989–90. Most of these representations express concern over the future of the Barnstaple down-stream bridge. This bridge is included in Devon's transport policies and programme for a start of construction in 1995.

  Central London Rail Study
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the response of the business community to the options advanced in the central London rail study.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have not yet had a reaction from business interests: the report was published less than a fortnight ago.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he plans to have with user groups and local transport groups about the options put forward in the central London rail study.
  702
  Mr. Portillo
  I intend to consider the written representations received before arranging discussions with interested parties.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the main components required by the major upgrading programme of Network SouthEast and London Underground Ltd., proposed by the central London rail study.

  Mr. Portillo
  It is for the operators to appraise the individual components of the proposed major upgrading programme and bring forward proposals accordingly.

  International Organisations
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those international organisations on which his Department is represented and the total cost of these commitments.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The expected cost of subscriptions for international organisations on which the Department is represented for the financial year 1988–89 is as follows:

  £ thousands

  International Civil Aviation Organisation

  1,075

  International Maritime Organisation

  420

  Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development European Conference of Ministers of Transport

  224

  Road Research

  36

  Central Rhine Commission

  102

  International Railway Convention

  80

  International Railway Congress Association

  1

  Permanent International Association of Navigational Congress

  3

  International Drivers' Behaviour Research Association

  3

  Permanent International Association of Road Congress

  3

  International Union of Public Transport

  1

  European Concrete Committee

  3

  1,951

  Ministers' and officials' travelling and subsistence expenses cost a further £43,000.

  The organisation Eurocontrol has not been included as it is self-financing. During 1988–89 the subscription was £7·1 million and the receipts received £10 million. There is an income equalisation provision designed to ensure that any shortfall or excess in receipts is recovered or refunded over a period of two years.

  King's Cross (Fire)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of the public have written to him on the subject of the fire at King's Cross; and how many letters he has replied to directly.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend has received just over 200 letters from members of the public about the King's Cross fire and related matters which have received replies on his behalf from officials as is customary.

  Roads (Construction and Maintenance)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the reasons for the difference in the anticipated expenditure on new road construction and structural maintenance in 1988–89, as set out in table 8:14
  703
  of chapter 8 of Cm. 608, and the figures set out in table 1 of national roads expenditure of the Department of Transport's evidence to the Select Committee on Transport on 7 December 1988.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The figures set out in table 1, national roads expenditure, of the Department of Transport's evidence to the Select Committee on Transport show the expenditure originally planned for 1988–89 after allowing for receipts from the EC, £20 million made available from the Reserve and announced in the Autumn Statement and a reduction of £1·6 million in respect of the overspend on the national roads vote in 1987–88. The expenditure shown in table 8:14 of chapter 8 of Cm. 608 is the estimate of the outturn for the year made at end September 1988. The final outturn may differ somewhat.

  Bridge Heights
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norwood given on 25 January,Official Report, column 571, why bridge heights are not shown in imperial and metric measures when the facility to do so is available.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department of Transport provides metric height signs on trunk roads which are used extensively by foreign lorries and where the bridge height is less than 4 m. Local highway authorities are advised to do the same on their roads.

  We shall be encouraging the general use of metric signs in addition to imperial units as part of a series of measures we are introducing to reduce the incidence of bridge bashing.

  M2 and A2 (Traffic Counts)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last detailed counts of traffic were taken on the M2 and A2 roads between London and Dover; what were the results of such counts; and whether he will undertake new counts in the current year.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Detailed counts were taken in 1988 at one location on the M2 and at four on the A2. The results are being assembled and I will send a summary to my hon. Friend.

  Further counts are planned for 1989.

  London to Dover Journey Times
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals his Department is currently considering to improve journey times to the port of Dover from central London; and how much money he will make available to improve the road and rail routes to the port of Dover over the next 10 years.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The national trunk road programme includes the following schemes, valued at about £150 million (November 1985 prices):

  M2 Widening between Junctions 1 to 3

  M20 Widening between Junctions 5 to 8 (Maidstone bypass)

  M20 Maidstone to Ashford (under construction)

  A20 Folkestone to Court Wood

  A20 Court Wood to Dover

  The programme is currently under review.
  704
  It is for British Rail to bring forward proposals for rail investment.

  Dial-a-Ride
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards providing each member of dial-a-ride with at least one trip a week.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have just announced a £1 million increase in grant to London dial-a-rides for 1989–90. That is the fourth successive annual increase, amounting to over 70 per cent. since responsibility for funding was taken over from the Greater London council. The additional funds will enable the provision of more vehicles, more drivers and other improvements aimed at providing more trips and a better service for users. Precisely how many trips are generated depends on how efficiently the dial-a-ride local management committees use the resources which have been made available.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new dial-a-ride buses, excluding replacements, have been provided during the last year; and how many extra trips they have completed.

  Mr. Portillo
  London dial-a-ride services are run by local voluntary management committees, funded by grant which is allocated by London Regional Transport. Details of vehicles provided, and the use to which they are put, are matters for them and London Regional Transport.

  London Regional Transport (Assaults)
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many physical assaults have taken place on bus drivers and bus conductors working for London Regional Transport in the last 12 months, and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. Portillo
  There were 823 reported assaults on drivers and conductors of London Buses Ltd. in 1988 compared with 1,358 in 1985, 1,109 in 1986 and 880 in 1987.

  Pelican Crossings
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the manufacturers of bleeping pelican crossings to ensure that any malfunction is eliminated; and if he will now consider approving the speaking pelican crossing as a suitable replacement for defective existing equipment.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department has discussed the safety requirements for audible signals at pelican crossings with the appropriate manufacturers. These requirements include that the failure of all safety interlocks should not cause the audible signal to sound except when a red signal is displayed to traffic.

  The method of actuating both a "speaking" pelican crossing and the audible devices on existing pelican crossings is the same. In this respect neither is safer than the other. We have decided against approving "speaking" pelican crossings for other reasons.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what tests were carried out prior to his
  705
  Department approving bleeping pelican crossings; and what was the rate of malfunctions detected during such tests.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Comprehensive functional tests were carried out on the equipment prior both to its approval and to its initial introduction in 1977. No malfunctions were observed.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to alert the public to the risks of malfunction of bleeping pelican crossings.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Local authorities have been advised to switch off the audible facility at those crossings with suspect equipment. This action will eliminate any risk from a malfunction.

  A press notice has been issued describing the action taken and the reason for it.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the number of(a) deaths, (b) serious injuries and (c) injuries which have resulted from the malfunctioning of bleeping pelican crossings in each of the past 12 months.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The total of 37 casualties should be compared with total pedestrian casualties in 1987 of 57,453. Of these 2,170 occurred on pelican crossings, and a further 2,470 occurred within 50 m of such a crossing. More than 7,000 pelican crossings were in operation during 1987.

  There are very few recorded cases of pedestrian casualties at malfunctioning pelican crossings. In these cases, we do not know if any of the accidents were caused by the defective crossing, as we do not collect the causes of road accidents.

  The following table shows number of pedestrian casualties, by severity and by month, at pelican crossings that were out of order or defective, in 1987, the latest year for which complete figures are available.

  Pedestrian casualties on pelican crossings that are out of order/defective: Great Britain: 1987

  Month

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  Total

  January

  0

  0

  1

  1

  February

  0

  1

  1

  2

  March

  0

  1

  0

  1

  April

  0

  0

  1

  1

  May

  0

  0

  4

  4

  June

  0

  0

  1

  1

  July

  0

  3

  6

  9

  August

  0

  2

  2

  4

  September

  0

  2

  3

  5

  October

  0

  3

  2

  5

  November

  0

  0

  2

  2

  December

  0

  0

  2

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  0

  12

  25

  37

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the number of bleeping pelican crossings which have been disconnected in each of the past 12 months as a result of a serious malfunction; and if he will express this as a proportion of the total in service.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Information is not recorded centrally in the form requested. The Department has been notified of one such case in Great Britain in the last 12 months. This represents less than 0·013 per cent. of all pelican crossings currently in service in Great Britain.
  706
  About 1,000 (approximately 10 per cent.) of the pelican crossings fitted with similar audible signals have been switched off as a precautionary measure while checks are made and a modification incorporated.

  Road Traffic Law
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the review of road traffic law conducted by the North committee.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The North report was published in April 1988.

  My right hon. Friend yesterday announced publication of a White Paper "The Road User and the Law" (Cm. 576), which sets out the Government's proposals to reform road traffic law in the light of the North committee's recommendations.

  Channel Tunnel
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will define what is encompassed in the phrase "Channel tunnel rail services" in his answer to the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Adley) 25 January,Official Report, column 571.

  Mr. Portillo
  My answer referred to section 42 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987, which encompasses all services for the carriage of passengers or goods by way of the Channel tunnel system.

  Bus Fares (Merseyside)
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department has on the level of bus fares on Merseyside since deregulation.

  Mr. Portillo
  The PTE estimated that the average increase in commercial bus fares occurring after deregulation and following from the introduction of precept control was 55 per cent., as the previous massive subsidies were removed. At the end of 1987 there was a further average increase of 10 per cent.

  Traffic Speed in Cities
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he expects to bring forward proposals to increase the average speed of road traffic in major cities.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Traffic management and road construction in major cities are largely the responsibility of local highway authorities. They have duties to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic, including pedestrians.

  Available measures to increase the average speed of vehicular traffic must be considered within this framework and the scope for additional road capacity.

  The effectiveness of the measures depends on good enforcement of traffic and parking regulations by the police and traffic wardens.

  Settle-Carlisle line
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, in light of the recent Settle-Carlisle railway business development plan, he will now lift the closure order on the line.
  707
  Mr. Portillo
  We are still considering all the evidence on British Rail's closure proposal including the business development plan.

  British Rail (North West)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the north-west regional managers of British Rail; and what subjects he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend holds regular meetings with the chairman of British Rail on a wide range of matters. He does not hold separate meetings with British Rail's regional managers.

  London Underground
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many automatic exit barriers are currently in operation at London Underground stations; and how many are proposed to be installed during the period of London Regional Transport's consultants' study into the safety aspects of these barriers.

  Mr. Portillo
  I understand from London Underground that as at 2 February 1989, there were 533 gates in use at 49 stations. By the end of April, when the consultants' study is due to be complete, London Underground estimates that a further 118 gates will have been commissioned at a further 12 stations.

  Motor Taxation
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total revenue from motor taxation in 1987–88; and what is the estimated revenue in 1988–89.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 6 February 1989]: The information is as follows:

  Yield (£ billion)

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Vehicle Excise Duty

  2·6

  2·8

  Fuel Duty

  7·8

  8·6

  Safety Plans
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to encourage and help local authorities to implement low-cost safety engineering schemes and to develop areawide safety plans.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We are working closely with the local authority associations to identify problems over implementing low-cost safety engineering schemes and ways of stepping up this important safety work.

  We are already developing jointly with the Institution of Highways and Transportation practical guidelines for implementing areawide urban safety projects. Last autumn we increased the economic valuation for fatal road casualties and this will improve the economic rate of return on accident investigation and prevention schemes. The transport and road research laboratory has now completed a full survey of local authorities' arrangements, procedures, and levels of activity on road safety engineering, and a report will be published shortly.

  AIP and urban safety schemes are among the most important methods of reducing road casualties. Much
  708
  expertise already exists at local level and much can be achieved at low cost. It is for local authorities, within their statutory responsibility for road safety, to determine priorities and tackle this work. The Department will continue to give full support and guidance.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Whales
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations have been made by him to the Japanese Government about the killing of whales by Japanese fishermen.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Recently we have expressed our serious concerns to the Japanese Government about their current feasibility programme of whaling for scientific purposes both directly and through the relevant forum of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). In December the United Kingdom commissioner to the IWC expressed our views to the chairman of the IWC in a letter circulated to all member Governments including Japan. This made clear our firm view that Japan should not implement her plans until the major concerns about these identified by the scientific committee to the IWC had been addressed and resolved. The letter was passed personally by the United Kingdom commissioner to the Japanese embassy in London with a clear explanation of the United Kingdom Government's concern.

  Further, once the period for consideration of the scientific committee's views by commissioners was complete and learning that the programme was to go ahead, I authorised our commissioner to propose a resolution for consideration by the IWC. This was seconded by Australia and New Zealand. If adopted it will put on a formal and international basis the call to Japan to cease its current programme. Our embassy in Tokyo is also in close touch with the Japanese Government. Also, similar concerns expressed by the Falkland Islands Executive Council have been passed to the Japanese embassy.

  International Organisations
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food if he will list those international organisations on which his Department is represented and the total cost of these commitments.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Those international organisations on which Ministers or officials of my Department are represented are as follows:

  The total estimated cost of my Department's commitment to international organisations in 1988 was £283,000.

  United Nations (UN)

  Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

  World Health Organisation (WHO)

  Commission of the European Communities

  Council of the European Communities

  Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE)

  European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO)

  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

  Office Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV)

  Council of Europe (COE)

  709

  North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

  Intergovernmental Commission for the Channel Tunnel

  International Coffee Organisation

  International Cocoa Organisation

  International Society for Horticultural Service

  International Dairy Federation

  International Whaling Commission (IWC)

  North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)

  North West Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO)

  European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC)

  North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO)

  International Maritime Organisation (IMO)

  London Dumping Convention

  Oslo Commission (OSCOM)

  Paris Commission (PARCOM)

  Coordinated Research and Environmental Surveillance Panel (CRESP)

  International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean (IAPSO)

  Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR)

  International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

  International Seed Testing Association

  International Union of Radioecologists (IUR)

  North Sea Task Force (NSTF)

  Group of Experts on Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP)

  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

  Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)

  Bird Strike Committee Europe

  International Committee for Irrigation and Drainage

  International Organisation for Biological Control

  International Plant Variety Rights Organisation (UPOV)

  International Society for Plant Pathology

  International Soil Tillage Research Organisation

  International Standards Organisation

  Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)

  The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee

  The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property

  European Society for Nuclear Methods in Agriculture (ESNA)

  International Commission on Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICOMSA)

  International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation

  International Standards Organisation

  Association of Analytical Chemists

  International Wheat Council

  International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

  Goats Milk
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will bring forward proposals for the regulation of the production of goats milk and goats milk products.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]The wording of the Food Act 1984 means that the regulations which apply to cows milk cannot be extended to cover goats milk. However, goats milk and goats milk products are subject to the general provisions of the Act whereby all food (including drink) must be of the nature, substance and quality demanded by the purchaser and must be fit for human consumption. It is also an offence to label goats milk (or goats milk products) in a false or misleading way.

  The Ministry issued a code of practice on the hygienic production of goats milk in March 1988.

  Beef and Veal
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the original saving of the measures set out in European Economic Community document 8903/88 on beef and veal; with what the saving 710
  was compared; and what alterations were made to this proposed saving in consequence of the changes agreed at the Council meeting on 23 January.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: The European Commission's estimate of the savings over the 1989 preliminary draft budget which would have been brought about by the adoption of its proposals for the reform of the beef regime (set out in document 8903/88 (COM(88)529), as amended) were 51 mecu (£33 million) in 1989 and 55 mecu (£35·5 million) in a full year. The 1989 budget as adopted was consistent with these proposals. The Commission has revised its forecasts to take account of the decisions of the 23–24 January Council of Ministers and the present prospects for the market and predicts a further saving of 11 mecu (£7 million) in 1989. The Commission estimates that the full year effect of the measures as adopted will be a cost of 23 mecu (£15 million).

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the exceptional circumstance clause was included in the final text of the measures on beef and veal agreed by the European Economic Community Council on 23 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: The Council of Ministers decided that in various circumstances buying into intervention could take place outside the limit of 220,000 tonnes a year. These would include the exceptional circumstances envisaged in the Commission's original proposals and also if there were market weakness defined in either of two ways. The first is if the average market price in at least three member states or regions which together account for at least 55 per cent. of the Community production of the category concerned falls below 80 per cent. of the institutional intervention price; and the second, if the Community price falls below 78 per cent. of the institutional intervention price. Legal texts have yet to be adopted implementing these provisions.

  These concessions on beef intervention were one of the reasons why we voted against the package.

  Milk
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional milk production can be permitted in consequence of the additional quotas agreed at the Council meeting on 23 January; and what estimate he has made of the additional cost to the common agricultural policy.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: The Council has agreed to allocate up to 600,000 tonnes of additional milk quota. I understand that the Commission now estimates the resultant cost to the Community budget in a full year to be 99 mecu (£64 million). Other elements in the package agreed by the Council should result in savings of 64 mecu (£41 million) giving a net cost in the milk sector of 35 mecu (£23 million).

  Variable Premium
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increase in the retail price of beef he anticipates in terms of pence per pound in the United
  711
  Kingdom in consequence of the abolition of the variable premium; and if there will be any consequent increase in consumer prices in the rest of the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]The abolition of the variable premium in the United Kingdom was decided by the Council in the context of other decisions to limit intervention and to reduce buying-in prices; to apply in the United Kingdom the Community special premium for beef; and to improve the terms of the suckler cow subsidy. Taken together these measures are unlikely to have any significant effect on retail prices in the United Kingdom and they place the United Kingdom beef market on the same footing as the rest of the Community.

  Beef
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount of beef exported by the European Economic Community in 1988; and what were the comparable totals for each of the previous five years.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]During the period January-August 1988 (the latest for which figures are available) 357,503 tonnes of beef were exported from the European Community. This excludes exports from Greece for which 1988 figures are not yet available. The calendar year figures for the previous five years are as follows:

  tonnes

  1983

  1427, 786

  1984

  1566,151

  1985

  1591,907

  1986

  2935,887

  1987

  2691,912

  1 EC 10.

  2 EC 12.

  Leukaemia
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether research is currently being undertaken or is planned, to examine the possibility of links between bovine leukaemia virus and the incidence of leukaemia in children whose fathers are engaged in the meat trade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 February 1989] Various studies have been carried out into this subject but I am not aware of any research currently being undertaken or planned.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many man-years of his Department's staff time were engaged in the supervision of abattoirs in 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  In my reply to the hon. Member on 18 January 1 provided information for all years for which figures are available. Staff engaged on this work have other responsibilities and time allocated to specific duties is not recorded for the years prior to 1983–84. However, resources allocated in earlier years were similar to those employed in 1983–84.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Social Security Fraud
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much money has been lost in each year since 1979 because of social security fraud; and how many prosecutions have resulted(a) nationally and (b) in the social security area covering Nottingham.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 31 January at column 192.

  Insulation Grants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the total value in current and standard prices of grants for(a) draughtproofing and (b)Member loft insulation to claimants of supplementary benefit and income support for the last five years;

  (2)what is the maximum grant for (a) draughtproofing and (b) loft insulation payable to claimants of supplementary benefit and income support in each of the last five years; and what is the value of this maximum in standard prices;

  (3)what is the number of grants made for (a) draughtproofing and (b) loft insulation to claimants of supplementary benefit and income support since 1983.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Help with the cost of simple draughtproofing (but not loft insulation) was available to recipients of supplementary benefit under the old single payments scheme. Details of the number of single payments for draughtproofing since 1983 and their cost are recorded in table 19.2 of the "Annual Statistical Enquiry", copies of which are in the Library.

  There was no maximum amount for a single payment for draughtproofing. The regulations provided for a payment of an amount equal to the cost of necessary materials.

  The discretionary social fund replaced single payments on 11 April 1988. Community care grants and budgeting loans are available from the fund for people receiving income support. Crisis loans are available to anyone, whether receiving income support or not, in an emergency Payments for draughtproofing and loft insulation are not excluded from the social fund, but a social fund officer.. who determines applications to the fund, would not normally make an award for these items if help with the materials and work is available from another source, such as a community insulation project or the homes insulation scheme.

  Information about the number and type of awards form the social fund for draughtproofing and loft insulation is not collected.

  Loans and Grants
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out for each office in Wales and the cumulative total, the percentage of the allocations not spent at the latest available date on(a) the loans budget and (b) the grants budget.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Such information is available from the details held in the Library.

  Disabled Claimants
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who will be responsible for meeting the case costs after April of those disabled people in supported lodgings who are new claimants, as distinct from existing claimants.

  Mr. Scott
  As under present social security arrangements, the care costs of supported lodgers will be met in a variety of ways after April 1989. Some will be able to meet these costs from their own resources, including social security benefits. Others will have these costs met in whole or in part by bodies such as local authorities. Those supported lodgers entitled to income support will receive housing benefit to help with their accommodation costs and normal income support (including any appropriate premiums) for other expenses. This change will mean that many disabled people in supported lodgings will be better off, after meeting charges for accommodation and the provision of care, than they would have been under existing benefit arrangements. The overall effect of the change will be to provide an estimated £1 million extra for supported lodgers as a whole.

  Income Support
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the most recent estimates for take-up of income support; and what are the comparable figures for supplementary benefit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer my right hon. Friend to paragraphs 21 to 25 and table 15.17 on pages 272 and 273 of Cm. 288 (the 1988 public expenditure White Paper) for details of the latest available take-up estimates for the main income-related benefits. Take-up estimates for 1985 should be available shortly. In 1991, analyses from the 1989 family expenditure survey will provide comprehensive information on the reformed benefits introduced in April 1988.

  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there are any circumstances in which a family with children where the father works irregularly may find themselves ineligible for either income support or family credit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Yes. To obtain family credit one parent must be normally engaged in work for at least 24 hours a week. If the employed parent works on average for less than 24 hours a week there would be no entitlement to family credit, but there might be entitlement to income support.

  Disability Benefits
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the time scale of his Department's proposed consideration of the future of disability benefits following the results of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' disability surveys; when he hopes to report progress in extending the eligibility for attendance allowance to the under-twos; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) on 19 December at columns 114–15.

  Taxes and Benefits
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether he is able to break down the extra number of people who will become dependent on means-tested benefits due to the freeze in child benefit into(a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) housing benefit;

  (2) how many extra people will become dependent on means-tested benefits as a result of the increase in children's personal allowances by an extra 50p broken down into income support, family credit and housing benefits.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing how many more(a) families and (b) children will be dependent on income-related benefits as a result of the extra increase in personal allowances of 50p per child, and broken down into income support, family credit and housing benefit, respectively.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 23 January 1989]Estimates are available only on the caseload assumptions used in the "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits". They are based on the 1985 family expenditure survey data uprated to reflect the position in 1989–90. Estimates of this kind are particularly uncertain because of small sample size and large sampling error. Bearing these factors in mind, the estimated increases arising from the non-uprating of child benefit are:

  Income Support—1,000–2,000 families (around 5,000 people)

  Housing Benefit—2,000–3,000 families (around 10,000 people)

  Family Credit—20,000–25,000 families (just under 80,000 people)

  The estimated increases arising from the extra 50p on children's allowances are:

  Income Support—2,000 families (including about 5,000 children)

  Housing Benefit—3,000 families (including around 5,000 children)

  Family Credit—25,000 families (including about 50,000 children)

  Single Payments
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was(a) the total of all single payments paid by local offices in London, (b) the equivalent figure for only those single payments encompassing items now covered by the social fund, for 1986–87 and 1987–88, (c) the total number of budgeting loans, crisis loans, community care grants paid out in the same catchment area so far for the year 1988–89 and (d) the expenditure represented by (a) to (c)

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [pursuant to his reply, 26 January 1989, c. 709]I regret that part of the information given was incorrect. The reply should be as follows. .

  Details of the total number of all single payments paid by local offices in the London postal area for the periods 1986–87 and 1987–88 by office are in the Library.

  There are two expenses for which single payments could be made but which are specifically excluded from the social fund: returnable deposits on accommodation and work-related expenses. The £30 limit for budgeting loans and most community care grants will also operate in some

  715
  cases to prevent payment for items that would otherwise have been available as single payments. Figures are not available for items covered by the social fund that were available previously as single payments.
  716
  Information on the numbers of applications for social fund loans and grants processed and awarded, listed by local office, including information on budget allocations and expenditure, is also in the Library.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mr. Fred Holroyd
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer, 11 January,Official Report, column 698, on what date in August 1988 the Royal Ulster Constabulary communicated with Mr. Fred Holroyd.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  [holding answer 1 February 1989]: The communication referred to in the answer of 11 January took place on 27 August 1985.

  Schools
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available, from and including 1985, to indicate the primary and secondary schools which have had tenders for major capital works approved and the amount involved in each case.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: The information is as follows:

  Scheme

  Date tenders approved

  Total amount of approved tenders (£)

  Primary Schools

  1985

  Magheraberry, Moira, Craigavon

  January 1985

  280,000·00

  St· Mary's, Portaferry

  January 1985

  645,000·00

  Bunscoil Ghaelach, Belfast

  January 1985

  170,000·00

  St· Luke's/St· Mark's, Twinbrook Dunmurry

  March 1985

  94,000·00

  Hamiltonsbawn

  March 1985

  290,000·00

  Botanic, Belfast

  September 1985

  55,000·00

  Ballymagroarty, Londonderry

  November 1985

  886,000·00

  St· Malachy's, Belfast

  November 1985

  714,000·00

  Ardstraw

  December 1985

  199,000·00

  1986

  Glebe, Sion Mills

  January 1986

  278,000·00

  Sacred Heart, Belfast

  January 1986

  763,000·00

  Markethill

  January 1986

  588,000·00

  Ballarena, Limavady

  January 1986

  172,000·00

  Glenwood, Belfast

  January 1986

  163,000·00

  St. Mary's, Killesher, Enniskillen

  February 1986

  59,000·00

  1987

  St. Columbas, Longtower, Londonderry

  May 1987

  998,000·00

  Edenberry, Banbridge

  June 1987

  659,000·00

  Broughshane

  June 1987

  194,000·00

  Kells and Connor, Ballymena

  July 1987

  301,000·00

  St. Therese of Lisieux, Belfast

  July 1987

  700,000·00

  St. Peter's, Panton Street, Belfast

  September 1987

  931,000·00

  Ballyhenry, Newtownabbey

  September 1987

  848,000·00

  Andrews Memorial, Comber

  September 1987

  195,000·00

  Grange Park, Bangor

  November 1987

  149,000·00

  St· Brigid's, Glassdrummond, Newry

  December 1987

  386,000·00

  1988

  Jones Memorial, Enniskillen

  February 1988

  100,000·00

  Victoria, Ballyhalbert

  March 1988

  291,000·00

  Currie, Belfast

  April 1988

  89,000·00

  Laghey, Dungannon

  September 1988

  267,000·00

  St. Joseph's, Garvagh

  October 1988

  190,000·00

  Waringstown

  October 1988

  716,000·00

  Holy Cross Boys', Belfast

  December 1988

  95,000·00

  1989

  St· Anne's, Strabane

  January 1989

  700,000·00

  Brookeborough, Enniskillen

  January 1989

  156,000·00

  718

  Scheme

  Date tenders approved

  Total amount of approved tenders(£)

  Secondary Schools1

  1985

  Assumption Grammar, Ballynahinch

  January 1985

  571,000·00

  Portadown College

  March 1985

  1,167,000·00

  Orangefield Secondary, Belfast

  March 1985

  85,000·00

  St. Colm's Secondary, Twinbrook Dunmurry

  April 1985

  103,000·00

  Royal School, Armagh

  August 1985

  195,000·00

  Rainey Endowed, Magherafelt

  August 1985

  189,000·00

  Kilkeel High

  September 1985

  1,371,000·00

  Laurelhill Secondary, Lisburn

  December 1985

  3,121,000·00

  1986

  St· Patrick's High, Maghera

  August 1986

  3,573,000·00

  1987

  Lagan College, Belfast

  March 1987

  608,000·00

  Model Girls Secondary, Belfast

  July 1987

  789,000·00

  Hunterhouse College, Belfast (Phase I)

  August 1987

  270,000·00

  Larne Gramar

  August 1987

  1,484,000·00

  Dalriada, Ballymoney

  September 1987

  255,000·00

  Royal School, Armagh

  September 1987

  3,102,000·00

  St. Colman's High, Ballynahinch

  October 1987

  1,411,000·00

  Antrim Secondary

  December 1987

  172,000·00

  1988

  Hunterhouse College, Belfast (Phase II)

  January 1988

  353,000·00

  Donwnshire Secondary, Carrickfergus

  January 1988

  137,000·00

  Monkstown Secondary, Newtownabbey

  January 1988

  137,000·00

  St· Catherine's College, Armagh

  February 1988

  988,000·00

  St· Mary's Junior High, Lurgan

  March 1988

  184,000·00

  Bangor Grammar

  June 1988

  445,000·00

  Movilla High, Newtownards

  July 1988

  280,000·00

  Banbridge Academy

  November 1988

  470,000·00

  Royal School, Dungannon

  November 1988

  261,000·00

  Larne High

  December 1988

  1,355,000·00

  1 Including Grammar schools.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to ensure that voluntary grammar schools are in future funded on an equitable per capita basis; what criteria he has used in the past for such funding; and if he will take steps to provide additional funds to those schools which have received less than the per capita norm in past years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: In the past, voluntary grammar schools funding has been mainly based on historic patterns of expenditure but in recent years resources have been skewed in favour of the relatively low-spending schools. This reallocation of funds will continue until the introduction, as part of the education reform measures, of a formula-based funding arrangement for all secondary schools (including voluntary grammar schools). While being related to pupil numbers, formula-based funding will also have regard to other factors.

EMPLOYMENT

  Job Creation
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many full-time and part-time jobs were created in the 12 months to September 1988 in the north-west region.

  Mr. Lee
  There are no figures for job gains and job losses.

  In the year to September 1988, the civilian work force in employment increased by 5,000 in the north-west region. This includes net increases of 4,000 in female full-time employees in employment, 7,000 in female part-time employees in employment and 1,000 in participants in work-related Government training programmes (who are counted as part time). These increases were offset by a decrease in male employment; however comparable estimates of full and part-time employment are not available for male employees in employment or the self-employed.

  American Tourists
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many American tourists visited the United Kingdom in the last 12 months; what contribution to the balance of payments was made by them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  Estimates show that the number of visits to the United Kingdom by North American residents in the 11 months to November 1988 was 3·2 million. Estimates of expenditure for that period are not yet available as they are produced on a quarterly basis.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the unadjusted number and percentage of male, female and total employees in employment in part-time work in September 1988 in the south-east.

  Mr. Lee
  Employment estimates for regions are not seasonally adjusted. Regional estimates of part-time male employees are not available. In September 1988 there were 1,416,000 female part-time employees in employment in the south-east region, this figure represents 40 per cent. of female employees and 19 per cent. of all employees in employment in the region.

  Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee last met; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Lee
  The committee last met on 17 January, to discuss the effect of the abolition of domestic rates on the construction of the retail prices index. A report is expected on this shortly.

  Discrimination in Employment
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the reasons for his decision not to introduce legislation to ratify International Labour Organisation convention No. 111 on "Discrimination in Employment and Occupation (1958)".
  720
  Mr. Nicholls
  The Government believe that their commitment to the elimination of unfair discrimination between one worker and another in employment is already clearly demonstrated by existing legislation, mainly the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, and consider that the amendments to this legislation that would be required to give further effect to the provisions of convention 111 are unnecessary and undesirable.

  Child-minding Allowance
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the level of take-up of child-minding allowance for people attending Government training schemes; and if he will make a statement on the continuation of the scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Child care payments are made only on employment training. Comprehensive information on take-up is not yet available. Information on the number of employment training participants for whom child care payments are made will be regularly collected from March and the first results will be available at the end of April 1989. Early indications suggest that over 2,000 lone parents have joined employment training and many of these people will have received help with child care costs.

  Inflation
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the average annual inflation rate in 1978 and 1988 in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Lee
  The annual average rate of increases in the retail prices index for the United Kingdom was 8·3 per cent. in 1978 and 4·9 per cent. in 1988. The corresponding figures for the 12 countries of the Community were 8·3 per cent. for 1978 and 3·3 per cent. for 1988.

  Regional Tourist Boards
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that regional enterprise units do not compete with or shadow the functions of regional tourist boards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The terms of reference of the Department's regional enterprise units include developing links with tourist bodies, identifying obstacles to the growth of tourism, and supporting any co-ordinating machinery established for discussing tourism at the regional level. There are no plans for them to duplicate or shadow the functions of the regional tourist boards.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will ensure that the tripartite structure in funding and control of regional tourist boards is maintained; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will ensure that the levels of subsidies to the regional tourist boards keep pace with inflation; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he will provide additional funds to the regional tourist boards to undertake research into (a) domestic and international tourist trends, (b) occupancy work and (c) visitor surveys.
  721
  Mr. Lee
  The organisational structure of the English regional tourist boards (RTBs) is not a matter for Government to decide. The role and level of funding of RTBs is currently being considered as part of the review of tourism policy announced last July by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

  Radiation
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) staff and (b) patients were affected by radiation overdose incidents reported to the Health and Safety Executive within the National Health Service in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No staff were affected.

  Information on how many patients were affected is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment under what circumstances, as specified in the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, radiation over exposures of(a) staff and (b) patients within the National Health Service are required to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 require that patient exposures suspected to be greater than intended which arise from faulty equipment and suspected overexposures of staff from any cause are immediately investigated by the employer. Unless it can be shown beyond reasonable doubt that no excessive exposure occurred, the employer is required to notify the Health and Safety Executive forthwith.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are employed by the Health and Safety Executive to carry out its responsibilities within the National Health Service under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

  Inspectors in Her Majesty's factories inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive have a range of inspection responsibilities. Inspectors are not employed solely on work in connection with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 within the National Health Service.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the responsibilities of the Health and Safety Executive to staff and patients of the National Health Service under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive enforces the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 in the National Health Service as in all other places where work with ionising radiations is carried out. The regulations control the exposure of employees or other people affected by work with ionising radiations principally by requiring all doses to be kept as low as reasonably practicable and in any case below dose limits. The regulations also cover the equipment used for medical exposures and exposures of patients that were much greater than intended because of faulty equipment.

  Economic League
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has received any representations about people blacklisted by the Economic League.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on Tuesday 7 February 1989.

  Chief Inspector of Mines
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the chief inspector of mines; and what subjects were discussed;

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 6 February 1989]: My right hon. Friend has not met the chief inspector of mines. The chief inspector, as a senior official of the Health and Safety Executive, has frequent contact with the director general, and opportunity for contact with the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission.

  Small Firms
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what services will be provided to small firms by the Government business shop opened in Manchester; and what plans there are to open further such shops in England and Wales.

  Mr. Maude
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Manchester Government business shop, which is based in the small firms centre, will help business people carry out some of the basic transactions required by Government and obtain information and assistance in a single place. It will deal with:

  VAT registration and information

  information on business tax

  PAYE and national insurance

  information on employment protection and health and safety requirements

  Government business shops are part of a pilot exercise and Manchester is one of six locations. The others are in Glasgow, Newcastle, Doncaster, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare and Reading. The pilot schemes will run for six months and from the experience of these shops we shall decide whether and how we should proceed to a more extensive network, in the light of the reaction of business clients, costs and benefits and effects on existing services.

ENVIRONMENT

  Opencast Mining
  Mr. Ashby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much land in the United Kingdom is currently being used for the opencast extraction of coal, clay or other minerals; how much has been used and is currently unrestored to its former condition; and whether he will make a statement on Government policy in respect of unrestored land.

  Mr. Chope
  Surveys of mineral workings carried out by local authorities on behalf of the Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office in 1982 indicated that 115,000 hectares of land in England and Wales had permissions for surface mineral workings. Within this, 61,500 hectares were or had been in use as mineral working
  723
  sites. Fifty-six per cent. of these workings had satisfactory reclamation conditions and 44 per cent. had either no conditions or unsatisfactory conditions. There are no comparable figures available for Scotland. Local authorities carried out further surveys in England and Wales during 1988, and the Department will be publishing the results of these for England later this year.

  The Government policy in respect of unrestored land associated with minerals being worked under planning control is to ensure that land taken for mineral operations is restored after working has come to an end. The 1981 Minerals Act imposes a duty on mineral planning authorities to undertake a periodic review of mineral sites and empowers them to make orders to restore and improve the environment of sites which do not have adequate conditions. Derelict workings can also be eligible for derelict land grant to achieve reclamation.

  Local Authority Finance
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the housing investment programme allocations proposed to each local authority for 1989 indicating the respective bid and showing the allocation as a percentage of the hid, together with the appropriate figures for 1978–79 on a constant value basis.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information for 1989–90 and 1978–79 has been placed in the Library. Since 1981–82 local authorities have been able to supplement their allocations by expenditure financed from capital receipts. Nationally, two thirds of local authorities' spending power on housing in 1989–90 is expected to come from capital receipts.

  Water Meter Trial Schemes
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment where the water meter trial schemes are taking place; when each one started; and what criteria were used to determine the places selected.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has approved 11 water metering trials under section 4 of the Public Utility Transfers and Water Charges Act 1988:

  Isle of Wight (Southern Water)

  Chandlers Ford (Southern Water)

  Bristol (Bristol Waterworks Company)

  Haling Park (Thames Water)

  Chorleywood (Rickmansworth Water Company)

  Bromsgrove (East Worcestershire Waterworks Company)

  Brookmans Park (Lee Valley Water Company)

  Turlin Moor (Wessex Water)

  Broadstone (Wessex Water)

  Camberley (Mid Southern Water Company)

  Hutton Rudby (Northumbrian Water)

  Charging by measure in the Bromsgrove trial started on 9 January. All of the other trials are due to start from 1 April 1989, except for the Haling park trial where charging by measure is to begin from 1 October 1989. My right hon. Friend has yet to consider a proposal by Yorkshire Water about a proposed metering trial in south Normanton, Yorkshire.

  The trial sites were selected by the water industry so as to include a wide range of different property types and climatic conditions.

  Water Authorities (Footpaths and Bridleways)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of(a) statutory public footpaths, (b) statutory public bridleways and (c) permissive footpaths lie within British water authorities' land holdings; and if he will list the mileage for each water authority in each category.

  Mr. Howard
  This information is not held centrally by my Department or by individual water authorities.

  Derelict Land Grant
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been expended, where and on what, through derelict land grant in the north-west for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Trippier
  Derelict land grant expenditure by local authorities in the north west totalled £24·28 million in 1987–88; a further £5·2 million grant was paid to non-local authority applicants. Details are given in the following table.

  A wide variety of reclamation schemes meeting the Department's criteria for grant were supported in 1987–88. A total of 142 schemes were completed in the course of the year producing 563 hectares of reclaimed land. One hundred and six hectares were reclaimed for industrial arid commercial development, 24 hectares for housing and 109 hectares for mixed development. The remaining 324 hectares were reclaimed for public open space or other soft end uses.

  Derelict Land Grant: Expenditure in the North West, 1987–88

  £

  1. Local authorities

  Cheshire County Council

  638,323

  Congleton

  381,604

  Crewe and Nantwich

  127,045

  Macclesfield

  127,285

  Vale Royal

  4,999

  Warrington

  1,148,926

  Lancashire County Council

  1,495,163

  Blackburn

  355,120

  Blackpool

  17,100

  Burnley

  30,846

  Chorley

  52,992

  Hyndburn

  191,555

  Lancaster

  154,505

  Pendle

  349,719

  Preston

  820,088

  Ribble Valley

  17,938

  Rossendale

  377,899

  South Ribble

  16,556

  West Lancashire

  45,931

  Cumbria County Council

  3,123,386

  Allerdale

  1,083,134

  Barrow

  72,090

  Carlisle

  58,773

  Eden

  16,571

  Bolton

  364,131

  Bury

  433,063

  Manchester

  422,715

  Oldham

  249,480

  Rochdale

  26,751

  Salford

  5,255,292

  Stockport

  20,298

  Tameside

  507,334

  Trafford

  45,438

  Wigan

  1,303,223

  Ellesmere Port and Neston

  1,007,115

  Halton

  1,264,307

  Knowsley

  455,929

  725

  £

  Liverpool

  248,830

  Sefton

  341,000

  St. Helens

  497,587

  Wirral

  187,922

  Merseyside Residuary Body

  940,991

  Total local authority expenditure

  24,278,954

  2. Non local authorities

  Total expenditure

  5,200,892

  Total Derelict Land Grant expenditure

  29,479,846

  Public Appeals
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will specify each donation made by his Department in response to appeals for financial aid during each financial year since 1979–80

  Mr. Ridley
  In the financial year 1985–86 my Department made a contribution of £250,000 to the Lord Mayor of Bradford's appeal fund set up to help victims of the stadium fire disaster. There have been no other donations since 1979–80. In general my Department responds to particular emergencies or similar situations through established public expenditure programmes rather then by contributing to private appeal funds.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider increasing the penalties for offences of pollution of water courses and the discharge of effluents containing illegal levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and pollutants.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Under part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, the maximum penalties which can be imposed by magistrates for water pollution offences, including any illegal discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls or other pollutants, are fines not exceeding £2,000 and terms of imprisonment of up to three months. However, on indictment there is no limit on the fine that may be imposed and the term of imprisonment can be up to two years. Penalties for pollution offences are kept under regular review, but I understand that there are no immediate plans for increasing them.

  Pollution
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each water authority the number of pollution incidents and the number of sewage works which breached their discharge consents in 1987–88.

  Mr. Ridley
  The number of water pollution incidents reported by English water authorities in 1987 were:

  Number

  Anglian

  1,605

  Northumbrian

  671

  North West

  2,961

  Severn Trent

  4,435

  Southern

  1,795

  South West

  2,251

  Thames

  2,969

  Wessex

  1,339

  Yorkshire

  2,738

  Document Clearing Group
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the membership and terms of reference of the document clearing group supervised by his Department's advisers Schroder Wragg in respect of information made available to the general public by water authorities.

  Mr. Ridley
  The document clearance group comprises members from Clifford Chance and Herbert Smith, legal advisers to the Government and to the Water Authorities' Association on the privatisation of the water industry, J. Henry Schroder Wragg, the Government's merchant bank advisers and Dewe Rogerson, financial public relations advisers to the association and the Government. The group's role is to review information relating to the businesses of the 10 water authorities in England and Wales which is to be made publicly available by Government, the WAA or the water authorities, to ensure that such information complies with the legal requirements relating to offers for sale.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the standards to be set for discharges of radioactive waste from pressurised water reactors and those set for comparable reactors abroad.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The technology of the new generation of PWRs will make it possible to operate them so that the levels of radioactivity in the discharges are very low. In granting authorisation for such discharges the authorising Departments will continue to require the operators to meet specified discharge limits and in addition to use best practicable means to limit discharges of radioactivity so as to ensure that exposures are kept as low as reasonably achievable. These controls will ensure that radiation doses to the critical group of people most affected by the discharges will remain well within the limits recommended by the International Commission for Radiation Protection and endorsed by the National Radiological Protection Board. Due regard will be had to the balance between costs of pollution abatement, including the exposure of on-site personnel, and the effects of the discharges on the environment. Each case will be considered on its merits, but in general the effect is likely to be that levels of radioactivity in discharges from PWRs in the United Kingdom will not differ significantly from those from reactors of a compatible size and environmental situations such as those in France.

  Housing (Rural Areas)
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further provision is being made for low-cost housing in rural areas.

  Mr. Trippier
  We have announced new targets for low-cost housing in rural areas and proposals for enabling shared ownership dwellings in villages to be retained to meet low-cost housing needs.

  Last July the Government announced the rural housing initiative which set specific targets for low-cost housing in smaller villages. The Housing Corporation established a special rural programme aimed at expanding the role of

  727
  housing associations in villages with a population of under 1,000. The corporation agreed to earmark sufficient funds to permit some 300 approvals for rented housing in 1989–90 and 600 in 1990–91. In December 1988 the Housing Corporation announced that the target of 600 approvals had been brought forward to 1989–90. We are pleased to announce today that the new targets for 1990–91 will be 900 approvals and for 1991–92 1,100 approvals. These targets effectively mean that the number of approvals given under the special rural programme will have nearly quadrupled over a four-year period.

  There is concern that subsidised shared ownership o houses in villages should be kept as low-cost homes and not lost through people becoming full owners and selling in the open market. In those rural areas where replacement of a shared ownership dwelling may be difficult, or where a private landowner has contributed a site on condition that it be retained for low-cost housing, we have in mind giving housing associations a pre-emptive right to buy back the dwelling at full market value when an occupier moves on. We will of course need to establish a funding arrangement which ensures that the association has the funds to exercise its right to repurchase. The arrangement proposed will maintain the right of the tenant to become the full owner of his home, but will provide a means of retaining the dwelling for low-cost housing when the occupier moves. It will provide a means therefore of sustaining the supply of low-cost housing in the villages and will reassure those landowners who contribute sites for that purpose. The details of the scheme are being discussed with the Housing Corporation.

  Taken together with the proposals announced last Friday by the Secretary of State to improve the supply of sites for low-cost housing in rural areas, these measures will make a further significant contribution to augmenting the supply of low-cost housing in villages.

  Gipsy Sites
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in the Official Report, and according to the latest information available, the number of authorised permanent gipsy sites within each district of the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 31 January 1989]: Authorised permanent gipsy sites can be either private or local authority operated. The Department does not hold information on the numbers of authorised private sites. Information on the location of private sites is held by local authorities. Information provided by the district councils for the Department's biannual count exercise reveals that at July 1988 there were 49 caravans on private sites in Somerset; 52 in Wiltshire; three in Dorset and 17 in Devon.

  Information on authorised local authority sites is held by the Department and updated each January. In respect of the counties requested the latest information is as follows:

  Somerset

  Mendip (Berkeley)

  Sedgemoor (Westonzoyland)

  South Somerset (Chubbards Cross, Ilton) (Marsh Lane, Tintinhull)

  Taunton Deane (Otterford)

  West Somerset (Farringdon Hill Lane, Stogursey)

  728
  Wiltshire

  North Wiltshire (Thingley Junction, Chippenham)

  Salisbury (Dairyhouse Bridge, Salisbury) (Oak Tree Field, Odstock, Salisbury) (Lode Hill, Downton)

  Thamesdown (Chiseldon Camp, Swindon) (Hay Lane, Wroughton)

  West Wiltshire (Fairwood, Dilton Marsh)

  Dorset

  East Dorset (Mannington Park, Wimborne)

  North Dorset (Thornicombe, Blandford)

  Poole (Mannings Heath)

  Purbeck (Coldharbour, Wareham)

  West Dorset (Piddlehinton, Dorchester)

  Devon

  East Devon (Broadclyst near Exeter) (Sowton near Exeter)

  Football League Grounds (Women)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many women have been(a) arrested and (b) found guilty of offences committed at Football League grounds during each of the last three seasons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have been asked to reply. The information requested is not recorded centrally.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Zambia
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the matters that were discussed in recent meetings with President Kaunda of Zambia.

  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what matters were discussed during the recent ministerial visit to Zambia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I discussed bilateral and regional matters with President Kaunda of Zambia when I met him during my visit to Zambia on 24 to 25 January.

  Conventional Stability Talks
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the conventional stability talks to begin.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  ; These talks, now known as the negotiation on conventional armed forces in Europe, and the negotiations on confidence and security building measures, will be opened in Vienna by Foreign Ministers of the CSCE countries on 6 to 8 March.

  Central America
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the next central American presidential summit; and if he has discussed this subject with the new Government of the United States of America.

  Mr. Eggar
  Our latest information is that the next central American summit will take place in San Salvador on 13 to 14 February. We are in regular touch with the United States Administration about a wide range of issues, including central America.
  729
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had any discussions with the United States Administration with regard to their policies on central America.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have regular discussions with the United States Administration on a wide range of topics, including central America.

  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the next central American presidential summit; and if he has discussed this subject with the new Government in the United States of America.

  Mr. Eggar
  Our latest information is that the next central American summit will take place in San Salvador on 13 and 14 February. We are in regular touch with the United States Administration about a wide range of issues, including central America.

  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit central America.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to visit central America. I shall be visiting Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala later this month, when I attend the San Jose V Conference being held at San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

  Israel
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Israeli ambassador; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I last met the Israeli ambassador on 26 January.

  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last raised with the Israeli Government Israel's responsibilities under the Geneva convention.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has recently made to the Israeli ambassador concerning Israel's treatment of Palestinians suspected of participating in the Intifada.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We continue to take all appropriate opportunities to remind the Israeli authorities of their obligation to administer the occupied territories in accordance with international law and human rights standards.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government concerning west bank and Gaza detainees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We continue to take appropriate opportunities to remind the Israeli authorities of our opposition to the practice of administrative detention.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards Mr. Elias Freij's730
  suggestion to end the Palestinian uprising on the west bank and Gaza, for the purpose of encouraging talks with the Israelis; and whether he will make a statement on the implications for the peace process.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We understand that Mr. Freij withdrew his suggestion after the Israeli decision to deport 13 Palestinians from the occupied territories.

  Cuba
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about United Kingdom relations with Cuba.

  Mr. Eggar
  We maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba. Our new ambassador took up his appointment in January.

  United States Secretary of State
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the United States Secretary of State; and what was discussed.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I last met the United States Secretary of State at the CSCE meeting in Vienna on 17 January. We discussed a wide range of issues.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will use the opportunity of his next meeting with the United States Secretary of State to reiterate the United Kingdom's commitment to international free trade.

  Mr. Eggar
  Yes. We share with the United States Administration a commitment to free trade. With our Community partners we must work with the United States to resist protectionism, and to sustain and extend the open multilateral trading system, in particular through the current GATT round.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects he proposes to discuss when he next meets the United States Secretary of State.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend proposes to discuss a wide range of issues when he next meets Mr. Baker on Sunday next.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to meet the United States Secretary of State; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend expects to meet Mr. Baker on Sunday next and will wish to exchange views with him on a wide range of issues.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects he proposes to discuss when he next meets the United States Secretary of State.

  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects he proposes to discuss when he next meets the United States Secretary of State.
  731
  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend looks forward to exchanging views on a wide range of issues when he meets Mr. Baker on Sunday next.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the Secretary of State of the United States of America; and what matters will be discussed.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend will see Mr. Baker on Sunday next and looks forward to exchanging views with him on a wide range of issues.

  Middle East
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the prospects for a peace settlement in the middle east have improved since the visit of the Minister of State the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave) to representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation in Tunis.

  Sir Dennis Walters
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards a middle east peace settlement.

  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the search for peace in the Arab-Israeli dispute.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Recent developments, including the PLO's recognition of the right of Israel to exist, and its renunciation of terrorism, have substantially improved the prospects for progress towards a negotiated settlement of the Arab/Israel dispute.

  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent moves he has made to further the calling of an international peace conference on the middle east.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Our policy and that of the Twelve remains to support the calling of an international conference.

  We are continuing our efforts to identify the necessary common ground for such a conference to be convened.

  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to visit the west bank and Gaza strip.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend has at present no plans to visit the occupied territories, but I aim to do so in early March.

  Chile
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have been making to the Government of Chile concerning human rights in that country.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have been making to the Government of Chile concerning human rights in that country.
  732
  Mr. Eggar
  We have in the past few weeks made representations at a high level about a wide range of human rights issues in Chile. In addition, the Twelve have publicly affirmed their support for the work of the Catholic Church's human rights organisation, the Vicaria de la Solidaridad, and their appreciation for the important role played by the Vicaria since its creation.

  Iraq
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about Iraq's ability to develop biological warfare agents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to him on 18 January at column 194.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the most recent draft of the Basic Law for Hong Kong.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of China concerning the drafting of the Basic Law for Hong Kong.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the most recent draft of the Basic Law for Hong Kong.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of China concerning the drafting of the Basic Law for Hong Kong.

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the most recent draft of the Basic Law for Hong Kong.

  Mr. Eggar
  The second draft of the Basic Law will be published in the spring after consideration by the standing committee of the National People's Congress. We welcome the assurances of senior Chinese officials that the draft will be subject to further consultation in Hong Kong. We have had a fruitful dialogue with the Chinese authorities responsible for the drafting of the Basic Law and expect this to continue. We shall wish to satisfy ourselves that the provisions of the final text accurately reflect the terms of the joint declaration.

  Czechoslovakia
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Czechoslovakia about human rights.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend raised these matters in his speech last month at the conclusion of the CSCE follow-up meeting in Vienna. In addition I raised human rights issues with the Czechoslovak ambassador on 31 January.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made about recent human rights violations in Czechoslovakia.
  733
  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend raised Czechoslovakia's handling of human rights in my speech last month at the conclusion of the CSCE follow-up meeting in Vienna. I also expressed our concern to the Czechoslovak ambassador on 31 January.

  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implementation of international agreements on human rights in Czechoslovakia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There are many shortcomings in Czechoslovakia's implementation of its human rights commitments, especially in the field of freedom of speech and assembly.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to have discussions with the Czech ambassador concerning human rights.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans for discussion with the Czechoslovak ambassador. I saw him on 31 January, and expressed our concern over their handling of human rights.

  Mr. Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the Czech ambassador; and what matters he will raise.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans to meet the Czechoslovak ambassador. I saw him on 31 January to thank him for his authorities' co-operation over Semtex. I also expressed our concern over their current handling of human rights.

  United States of America
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit the United States of America.

  Mr. Eggar
  The American Secretary of State, Mr. Baker, will be visiting the United Kingdom on Sunday next. My right hon. and learned Friend plans to visit the United States shortly thereafter.

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment Her Majesty's Government have made of the future of the special relationship with the United States of America.

  Mr. Eggar
  We look forward to a continuation of the excellent and close relations that have long existed between our two countries.

  President Gorbachev
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects President Gorbachev to visit Britain.

  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any information on whether President Gorbachev intends to visit the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a new date has been arranged for the visit to Britain of President Gorbachev.
  734
  Mr. Waldegrave
  Mr. Gorbachev will visit the United Kingdom from 5 to 7 April.

  South Africa
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will protest to the South African authorities against the new legislation to restrict foreign funding of anti-apartheid organisations.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Swansea, East (Mr. Anderson) on 1 February at column 246.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communications he has had with the South African Government.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We maintain regular contact with the South African authorities on a wide range of issues, both here and via Her Majesty's ambassador.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to announce a new package of British measures against South Africa during the Prime Minister's visit to Zimbabwe in March.

  Mrs. Chalker
  None.

  Mr. John Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on progress in measures he is taking to encourage reform in South Africa.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We take every opportunity to encourage peaceful change in South Africa towards the replacement of apartheid by a non-racial, representative system of government.

  Emperor Hirohito
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will reconsider his decision to attend Emperor Hirohito's funeral.

  Mr. Eggar
  No. I set out the reasons for my right hon. and learned Friend's decision to attend the late Emperor of Japan's funeral in my written answer to the hon. Member on 16 January at column 12.

  EC Foreign Ministers
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his fellow European Community Foreign Ministers within the framework of European political co-operation.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next proposes to have discussions with his European Community partners concerning the development of common European foreign policies.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend last met EC colleagues in the framework of European political co-operation in Brussels on 21 November 1988. He will meet them again in Madrid on 14 February.

  Political co-operation matters were also discussed at the European Council in Rhodes on 2 and 3 December 1988

  735
  which the Secretary of State attended with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and at meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 19 December 1988, which he and I attended, and on 23 January 1989, which I attended.

  Francisco Mendes
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Brazilian Government concerning the murder of Francisco Mendes.

  Mr. Eggar
  I was able to discuss with the Brazillian Government our concern at killings of rural organisers when I visited that country in November last year. The death of Francisco Mendes is being investigated by the Brazilian police and arrests have been made.

  Libya
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to discuss the construction of the Libyan chemical factory at Rablin with the other members of the Western European Union.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The issue was discussed at official level in the WEU permanent council on 11 January. The agenda has not yet been set for the next WEU ministerial council meeting, which will take place in April.

  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding relations with Libya.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There can be no question of returning to normal relations with the Libyan Government as long as they maintain their support for international terrorism including the IRA.

  Mr. Fishburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further evidence Her Majesty's Government have of an intention by Libya to develop a chemical weapons capability.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary on 13 January at column 773 to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington. South (Mr. Butler). We have no doubt that the Rabta plant is intended to produce CW in large quantities and that it could become operational in the near future.

  Security Firms
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy as to the use of private security firms by his Department.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Where appropriate, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our posts overseas employ private security firms to protect buildings and personnel.

  Human Rights Conference (Moscow)
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received regarding the United Kingdom's participation in the proposed human rights conference in Moscow in 1991.
  736
  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have received a number of representations from members of the public and hon. Members, both for and against our participation in the proposed Moscow conference in 1991. We have made clear that we are prepared to attend the Moscow conference only if our conditions about further progress in Soviet implementation of human rights commitments are met.

  West German Foreign Minister
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his West German counterpart; and what was discussed.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend last met Herr Genscher on 27 January in Bonn and discussed a range of issues including East-West relations, Eastern Europe, arms control and the middle east.

  Angola
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the timetable for the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We welcome the recent agreement between Angola and Cuba which provides for total Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola within 27 months from 1 April 1989.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that all foreign troops are withdrawn from Angola; and what action he is prepared to take to seek to bring the Angolan MPLA Government and Unita to the negotiating table.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are giving our full support to the implementation of the agreement signed in New York on 22 December 1988 which provides for total Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola.

  We would welcome any move to establish internal peace in Angola which had the support of both sides. We continue to be in touch with African leaders in the region who are best placed to mediate.

  Namibia
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Namibia.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We look forward to implementation of the United Nations plan for the independence of Namibia, which is due to begin on 1 April. The plan provides for free and fair elections in which Namibians will decide their own future.

  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implementation of the quatrapartite agreement on South African withdrawal from Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Implementation of the United Nations plan for the independence of Namibia is due to begin on 1 April.
  737
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to send observers to oversee the elections in Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibian independence is a matter for the United Nations Secretary General. We have agreed to provide the signals unit for UNTAG and would consider sympathetically any requests for us to send observers.

  France
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to attend an Anglo-French summit meeting.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Plans for the next Anglo-French summit are under consideration and an announcement will be made soon.

  Nelson Mandela
  Mr. Litherland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make further representations to the South African authorities over the continuing imprisonment of Nelson Mandela and his colleagues sentenced at the Rivonia trial.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We continue to urge the South African Government to release, immediately and unconditionally, Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners.

  Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
  Mr. Bowls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will report on the outcome of the conference on security and co-operation in Europe in Vienna.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Vienna meeting ended on 19 January with the adoption of substantial new measures in the field of human rights as well as co-operation in other fields. It also opened the way for new negotiations on arms control and confidence and security building measures.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Gibraltar.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend visited Gibraltar on 30 and 31 January 1989. He has no plans to do so again in the immediate future.

  Soviet Union
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Anglo-Soviet relations.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Anglo-Soviet relations are much improved. Mr. Gorbachev will be visiting Britain from 5 to 7 April. Fundamental differences between us remain. But we now have an increasingly wide-ranging dialogue and an expanding programme of co-operation and exchanges with the Russians.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest information he has received concerning the state of human rights in the Soviet Union.
  738
  Mr. Waldegrave
  There has been progress on human rights in the Soviet Union over the past few months. But much remains to be done. We pressed the Russians for more progress most recently at the UK/USSR bilateral talks on human rights on 26 January.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on the bilateral human rights talks held in London recently with the Soviets.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  These talks were useful and wide ranging. The Soviet delegation explained their plans for fundamental legislative reform: we underlined the importance of providing full guarantees that basic human freedoms will be respected. We also pressed the Russians on a number of individual cases of particular concern. They agreed to re-examine our lists of refuseniks and prisoners of conscience.

  NATO (Burden Sharing)
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government are making to their European partners on the need for greater burden sharing within the Atlantic Alliance.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We play an active part in discussion of burden-sharing within the Alliance. For example, we contributed fully to the work on the report on enhancing collective security agreed by Defence Ministers last December.

  El Salvador
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will visit El Salvador before March to discuss the conduct of its elections.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will visit El Salvador before March to discuss the conduct of its elections.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are no present plans for a ministerial visit to El Salvador.

  Mozambique
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Mozambique Government; and what matters he discussed.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend last met President Chissano and members of his Government during his visit to Mozambique from 17 to 19 September last year. They discussed a range of bilateral and international issues.

  Romania
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new representations he plans to make to the Government of Romania about systemisation and other infringements of human rights.
  739
  Mr. Waldegrave
  We will continue to protest strongly about Romanian policies which run counter to their CSCE commitments in the field of human rights at every suitable opportunity. I summoned the ambassador of Romania on 30 January to protest about the treatment both of Her Majesty's ambassador in Romania and of the Romanian citizen, Mrs. Doina Cornea.

  Third World Debt
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet other Foreign Ministers to discuss Third world debt; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  As the hon. Member is aware, my right hon. and learned Friend has regular discussion with Foreign Ministers from other countries on a wide range of subjects. Debt is an extremely important issue, and is frequently raised in contacts with debtor and creditor countries alike.

  Venezuela
  Mr. Dickens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Venezuela.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so at present but I have just returned from a visit to Venezuela where I represented Her Majesty's Government at the inauguration of President Carlos Andres Perez. Whilst there I held useful discussions with a number of Venezuelan Ministers and senior officials, as well as senior members of other delegations.

  Southern Africa
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on peace developments affecting the front-line states.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We welcome the signature on 22 December 1988 of agreements providing for total Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola and implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibian independence, as contributing to peace and stability in the region. We also welcome the recent resumption of co-operation between South Africa and Mozambique.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are undertaking to prevent the return of the Khmer Rouge to power in Cambodia.

  Mr. Eggar
  We are supporting efforts to promote a political settlement in which the Cambodian people are free to choose their own Government. We make clear our view that world opinion would not tolerate the return to power of those responsible for the atrocities of the period of Khmer Rouge rule.

  Spain
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends 740
  to meet his Spanish counterpart to discuss matters of mutual interest in connection with the Spanish presidency of the EEC Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend met the Spanish Foreign Minister bilaterally on 6 and 7 February. They will be meeting again on 14 February at the European political co-operation ministerial meeting and on 20 and 21 February at the Foreign Affairs Council.

  Kurdish People
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Governments of Iraq, Iran and Turkey concerning the plight of Kurdish people.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are aware of the widely felt concern at the treatment of Kurdish minorities. On representations to Iraq, I refer the hon. Member to the written reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 11 January at column 712. We have regularly co-sponsored resolutions on human rights in Iran at both the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission for Human Rights. We urge that all in Turkey should enjoy the significant improvements in human rights in recent years and that Turkey abide by its international human rights obligations.

  Israeli Foreign Minister
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to meet his Israeli counterpart.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Mr. Arens has accepted our invitation to visit London on 14 and 15 February.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of the discussions concerning the future of Cyprus.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answers that I gave to earlier questions on this subject on 11 and 19 January at columns 721 and 255. The talks between President Vassiliou and Mr. Denktash are continuing. They are due to review progress with the United Nations Secretary-General again in March.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when is the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, and what issues are due to be discussed.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Mr. Shaw) on 31 January at column 113.

  Palestine Liberation Organisation
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave), during his recent meeting with the Palestine
  741
  Liberation Organisation leader, sought clarification of the status of the Palestine Liberation Organisation covenant in the light of the Algiers Palestine National Council statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Mr. Bassam Abu Sharif, a senior adviser to Mr. Yasser Arafat, has said in terms that"the Charter of the Palestine Liberation Organisation … has been superseded by the decisions of the PNC, the author of the Charter".
  We take every opportunity to welcome this sort of moderate statement and to urge the PLO to continue to fulfil the commitments made by Yasser Arafat in Geneva.

  Leonid Lubman
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made following representations to the Soviet authorities on behalf of Leonid Lubman.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  None. We last pressed the Soviet authorities about Leonid Lubman at the United Kingdom/USSR bilateral talks on human rights on 26 January and they promised to give us a response. We will be following this up with the Soviet embassy.

  Philippines (Political Prisoners)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the recent report from Amnesty International highlighting the increase in torture of political prisoners, he will make representations thereon to the Philippines Government.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have no plans at present to do so. President Aquino is committed to democracy and the protection of human rights. Our policy is to support her efforts to fulfil these commitments.

  Spain (British Residents)
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has as to the number of British nationals currently residing in Spain.

  Mr. Eggar
  The most recent estimate provided by Her Majesty's embassy in Madrid in January, 1989 was 160,000 British citizens permanently resident in Spain. There are many more who live in Spain for only part of the year. I am asking our embassy in Madrid for more precise figures and I will write to my hon. Friend when these are received.

  Soviet Unions (Exit Visas)
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will impress on the Soviet 742
  authorities the urgency of the case of George Samoilovich of Moscow who is seeking an exit visa for medical treatment in the West.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We press the Soviet authorities about George Samoilovich at every possible opportunity. Her Majesty's embassy in Moscow has made repeated representations to the Soviet authorities highlighting the urgency of this case. During the recent United Kingdom/USSR bilateral talks on human rights, we underlined to Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Adamishin the need for Mr. Samoilovich to be given immediate permission to leave. He promised to re-examine the case and give us a quick response. We will continue to press hard until there is a satisfactory outcome.

  Baby Seal Products
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had discussions with the European Commission on breaches of the ban on importation into the European Community of baby seal products.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Minister of State gave to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber (Sir R. Johnston) on 31 January at column 112.

  Iran
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United Nations Secretary-General about the situation in Iran.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  None. However, we co-sponsored and worked to secure the adoption of resolution 43/1.37 on human rights in Iran which was passed by the UN General Assembly on 8 December 1988.

  East Timor
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Indonesia about the human rights of those living in East Timor.

  Mr. Eggar
  With our European partners, we have regularly conveyed to the Indonesian Government our views on the importance of respecting human rights and expressed our concern, on humanitarian grounds, in individual cases. There is evidence that respect for human rights in East Timor has improved in recent years.

  BATTERSEA BRIDGE: DAMAGE
  BATTERSEA BRIDGE: DAMAGE
  US NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE UK
  US NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE UK
  PRESSURISED WATER REACTORS
  PRESSURISED WATER REACTORS
  DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: DEBT MANAGEMENT
  DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: DEBT MANAGEMENT
  SS "MEDITERRAN FRIGO"
  SS "MEDITERRAN FRIGO"
  TAXATION: INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
  TAXATION: INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
  CO-OPERATIVE BODIES: PUBLIC FUNDING
  CO-OPERATIVE BODIES: PUBLIC FUNDING