Written Answers of 9 February 1989

TRANSPORT

  Airlines (Licences)
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many United Kingdom airlines held licenses containing rights unused for five years on 1 January; and what was the total number of rights thus unused;

  (2) how many United Kingdom airlines held route licences containing rights unused for three years on 1 January; and what was the total number of rights thus unused;

  (3) what proportion of route licence rights deleted in the Civil Aviation Authority's 10/86 decision had been unused for five years or more;

  (4) how many route licence rights unused for at least three years remained in the hands of United Kingdom airlines immediately following the Civil Aviation Authority's 10/86 decision.

  Mr. Peter Bottomeley
  This is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority. I understand that the information is not readily available in the form requested. I shall draw this to the attention of the chairman of the authority so that he can let my hon. Friend have such information as can be provided.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he will be using to determine whether British Rail's proposals for the construction of a new railway line in Kent establish a commercial case for the new line; whether his Department will be taking independent economic and financial advice on such proposals; and whether he will publish any reports prepared by his Department or by independent financial advisers.

  Mr. Portillo
  As with all British Rail's major commercial investment, if and when British Rail submits proposals for the construction of a new line in Kent, the Department will expect that investment to earn the required rate of return and will need to satisfy itself that the proposals are financially sound. Such Departmental appraisals are not published since they inevitably contain commercially sensitive information.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discount rate he proposes to use in establishing whether British Rail's proposals for a new Kent railway line offer a commercial return; and whether he will revise the discount rate formula for this project to one requiring a rate of return equivalent to commercial rates of return for new private sector capital projects.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer to my answer to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley) on 30 Janauary,Official Report, column 53.

  British Rail (Investment)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the level of investment by British Rail for each year from 1978 to 1988; what percentage was invested in the east coast line during each of those years; and what percentage of the east coast investment in each year was spent on(a) electrification and (b) existing stock and system improvement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The level of investment by British Rail for each year from 1978 to 1988 is as follows:

  Year

  £ million1

  1978

  421

  1979

  433

  1980

  449

  1981

  373

  1982

  311

  1983

  302

  1984–85

  2448

  1985–86

  427

  1986–87

  414

  1987–88

  517

  1 £ million at 1988–89 prices.

  2 15-month accounting period.

  It is not possible to provide percentages for the level of investment in the east coast main line during each of those years. Examples of major investment projects on that line approved in recent years include:

  £ million1

  Electrification infrastructure

  238·9

  New traction and rolling stock

  168·8

  York area resignalling

  20·9

  Newcastle area resignalling

  35·1

  1 £ million (Q1 1989 prices).

  There have also been numerous small schemes.

  Roads (Construction and Maintenance)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of trunk road will be renewed in 1988–89.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The mileages of motorways and trunk roads renewed this year are likely to be about 52 and 106, respectively. These are lower than planned as a result of the rescheduling of capital maintenance announced on 20 June at column 455.

  I am looking to competition between contractors to contain future price increases, so far as possible.

  Subject to that, we shall aim to increase the mileages to be renewed each year over the next three years to averages of 84 miles of motorway and 233 miles of trunk road. The maintenance programme for 1988–90 has not been finalised. It will be announced in March as usual.

  Carossino Report
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in implementing the findings of the Carossino report regarding fair competition between European Community ports.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Carossino report was adopted by the European Parliament on 16 November 1988 under cover
  745
  of a resolution which instructed its president to forward it to the European Commission and Council. It is for the Commission to take any further action on the recommendations.

  A380
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will designate the A380 as a trunk road.

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

  London Regional Transport (Assaults)
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many physical assaults have taken place on(a) women and (b) men between the ages of 45 and 65 years on London Regional Transport buses in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987;

  (2) how many physical assaults have taken place on (a) women and (b) men between the ages of 65 and 80 years on London Regional Transport buses in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987;

  (3) how many physical assaults have taken place on (a) women and (b) men between the ages of 25 and 45 years on London Regional Transport buses in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987;

  (4) how many physical assaults have taken place on (a) women and (b) men between the ages of 16 and 25 years on London Regional Transport buses in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987;

  (5) how many children below the age of 14 years have been physically assaulted on London Regional Transport buses in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. Portillo
  Assaults on passengers on buses in London are dealt with by the Metropolitan police. London regional transport does not maintain a central statistical record of such assaults.

  London Underground (Assaults)
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many children below the age of 14 years have been physically assaulted on the London underground in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987;

  (2) how many physical assaults have taken place on (a) women and (b) men between the ages of 16 and 25 years on the London underground in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for 1985, 1986 and 1987;

  (3) how many physical assaults have taken place on (a) women and (b) men between the ages of 25 and 45 years on the London underground in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for (i) 1985, (ii) 1986 and (iii) 1987;

  (4) how many physical assaults have taken place on (a) women and (b) men between the ages of 45 and 65 years on the London underground in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for (i) 1985, (ii) 1986 and (iii) 1987;

  (5) how many physical assaults have taken place on (a) women and (b) men between the ages of 65 and 80 years on the London underground in the last 12 months; and what were the figures for (i) 1985, (ii) 1986 and (iii) 1987.
  746
  Mr. Portillo
  Available statistics distinguish the age of victims of crime on the London Underground only as between adults and juveniles (under 16). Assaults recorded on the years mentioned were as follows:

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Violence against the person

  837

  878

  929

  1,048

  Per cent. Female (all ages)

  14

  16

  16

  20

  Per cent. Juvenile (both sexes)

  4

  4

  3

  5

  Illegal Parking
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take action in collaboration with the appropriate authorities to introduce a scheme to remove promptly vehicles parked illegally on major traffic routes in London.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Enforcement of parking controls in London rests primarily with the Metropolitan police who have powers to remove illegally parked vehicles throughout the Metropolitan police area.

  A key objective is to keep traffic flowing on main routes.

  Officials maintain regular contact with the police and London borough councils over a range of parking and related matters.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the effectiveness of the law relating to the illegal parking of vehicles on public footways, and publish such statistics as are available concerning the actions taken to implement the law.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We are currently reviewing the need for changes to the law and shall make an announcement as soon as possible.

  Statistics on the issue of fixed penalty notices and successful prosecutions for illegal parking on footways are not collected separately.

  Fares
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler),Official Report, 26 January, columns 738–39, if he has any plans to introduce differential pricing based on passenger contribution to new investment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  No. It is for the operators to determine the level and distribution of fares.

  Clamping
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of clamping on traffic.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Journey times in the wheel-clamping area improve considerably.

  London Assessment Studies
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what has been the cost to date of the four London assessment studies on roads; and what is his estimate of the total cost of the studies by the time they are completed;
  747
  (2) what has been the cost to date of the east London assessment study on roads; and what is his estimate of the total cost of the study by the time it is completed.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The total cost of stage 1 of the studies was about £3 million. It is estimated that stage 2, which began in December 1987, will cost £4 million to complete. The east London assessment study costs are estimated at being one quarter of the total.

  In comparison, personal injury accidents on roads in the east London assessment study area alone cost in the region of £50 million each year.

  Roads (Expenditure)
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he estimates will be the cost to the Government of road building and road repairs in London for 1988–89; and what estimate he has for the next five years.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The cost to the taxpayer of national road building and road repairs in London in 1988–89 is expected to amount to some £200 million. This includes expenditure on construction and maintenance by the Department of Transport and the London Docklands Development Corporation, and transport supplementary grant by the Department towards capital expenditure by London local authorities on their road schemes.

  It does not include any element of the block grant allocations to the London local authorities. There is no specific grant for roads maintenance.

  Comparable forecasts over the next five years are not possible. Over this period work is expected to begin on 21 trunk road schemes costing approximately £600 million.

  Anticipated central Government spending on road building and roads maintenance in London in 1988–89 comprises:

  £ million

  DTp expenditure on trunk road construction and maintenance

  88

  DTp transport supplementary grant to London local authorities

  42

  LDDC expenditure supported by DOE on road construction and maintenance in Docklands

  87

  Total

  217

  London Regional Transport
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the allocated grant to London Regional Transport and its subsidiaries for 1988–89; and what estimates have been made for the next five years.

  Mr. Portillo
  The grant to London Regional Transport for 1988–89 will be £190 million. The estimated grant requirement for 1989–90 is £286·6 million. Estimates have not been made for later years.

  British Transport Police
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Transport police were allocated to Liverpool street, Fenchurch street, King's Cross, Euston, Waterloo, Victoria and Paddington stations at the latest available date.
  748
  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 6 February 1989]: BTP figures for uniformed patrol sergeants and constables based at these British Rail termini are in the table:

  Number

  Liverpool Street

  21

  Fenchurch Street

  Nil

  King's Cross

  25

  Euston

  35

  Waterloo

  25

  Victoria

  38

  Paddington

  16

  These officers also patrol the rail network within the police divisions concerned. There is also a small complement of plain-clothes CID officers at each terminus.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Tigray
  Sir Bernard Braine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to verify allegations that the Ethiopian armed forces have been using napalm against the civilian population of Tigray; whether the concern already expressed to him about the continued violation of basic human rights in Tigray has yet been raised with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We take very seriously allegations of the use of napalm against civilians in the conflict in Tigray but conclusive evidence is not available. We shall raise our concerns about such reports at the current meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

  European Youth Foundation
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution Her Majesty's Government makes to the European Youth Foundation, established by the Council of Europe, to enable youth organisations to undertake multilateral international youth activities.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In 1988 we contributed FF 1,802,478 to the European Youth Foundation. The figure for 1989 is FF 1,861,910.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Adult Education (London)
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the future of adult education in inner London following the abolition of the Inner London education authority.

  Mr. Jackson
  Inner London councils have been asked to set out their intentions with regard to adult education fin their development plans for education in their areas after 1 April 1990. We shall be giving careful consideration to these plans which are required to be published by the end of February 1989.
  749
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the level of resignations of adult education lecturers in inner London.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department has no data on the level of resignations of adult education lecturers in inner London. The inner London boroughs have made clear in their draft development plans their intention to provide an adult education service which is responsive to local needs, and are considering various approaches to staffing, principally through statutory transfer or block recruitment, in order to secure this provision.

  Lecturers (Pay)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the average university lecturer's rise in salary for each of the last 10 years(a) in absolute cash terms, (b) in real terms and (c) in relation to the rise in average earnings;

  (2) what is the average polytechnic lecturer's rise in salary for each of the last 10 years (a) in absolute cash terms, (b) in real terms and (c) in relation to the rise in average earnings;

  (3) what is the average college of further education lecturer's rise in salary for each of the last 10 years (a) in absolute cash terms, (b) in real terms and (c) in relation to the rise in average earnings.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  This information is not readily available. The figures requested are being compiled and I will reply to the hon. Member shortly.

  Lecturers
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what projections have been made of demand for lecturers for each of the next five years in(a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) colleges of further education.

  Mr. Jackson
  There is no central projection of lecturer numbers in either universities or polytechnics: these are determined by the aggregate decisions of institutions within the resources at their disposal. The public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 612) projects lecturer numbers in further education in 1989–90 at 58,700, implying a staff:student ratio of 9·4:1. This is consistent with progress towards implementing the recommendation of the joint government and local authority association study of efficiency in FE, published in the report "Managing Colleges efficiently", that by 1991–92 the national staff:student ratio for FE should be over 10 per cent. tighter than it was in 1985–86. Cm. 612 does not contain any projection of FE lecturer numbers beyond 1989–90.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what specific proposals there are in view of the long-term commitment to double participation in higher education, to(a) recruit more lecturers and (b) increase in real terms the resources allocated to higher education.

  Mr. Jackson
  The desirability of substantially widening access to higher education raises fundamental questions about its future pattern, planning and funding. These are 750
  now properly the subject of wide-ranging debate which has yet to mature. The Government will continue to review the public funding of higher education annually in the light of developing policies. Institutions will similarly review their staffing and other arrangements.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what monitoring has been undertaken of the numbers of lecturers in the following disciplines in further and higher education, who are leaving the United Kingdom to take up positions abroad, in(a) medicine and dentistry, (b) engineering and technology, (c) veterinary science, (d) mathematical science, (e) physics, (f) chemistry, (g) biology, (h) social sciences, (i) economics, (j) business studies, (k) accountancy, (l) law, (m) languages and literature and (n) arts; what numbers are recorded as having left in each of those disciplines for each of the last 10 years; and how many lecturers are under the age of 30 years in each of those disciplines.

  Mr. Jackson
  The available information, for universities only, is as follows:

  Non-clinical

  Clinical

  Total

  1980

  183

  37

  220

  1981

  154

  29

  183

  1982

  166

  26

  192

  1983

  100

  36

  136

  1984

  111

  17

  128

  1985

  100

  18

  118

  1986

  140

  20

  160

  1987

  129

  16

  145

  Non-clinical lecturers aged under 30 by departmental cost-centre at universities in Great Britain

  1987–88

  Education

  7

  Medicine, dentistry an health

  101

  Engineering and technology

  231

  Agriculture, forestry and veterinary science

  48

  Biological, mathematical and physical science

  377

  Administrative, business and social studies

  325

  Architecture and planning

  5

  Language, literature and area studies

  88

  Other arts

  62

  Libraries, museums etc.

  3

  Total

  1,247

  Donaldson Collection
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to prevent the break-up and sale of the Donaldson collection of musical instruments at the Royal College of Music; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I understand from the Royal College of Music that it has no intention of selling, either wholly or in part, its collection of musical instruments. The director made this clear publicly in a letter to the editor of The Daily Telegraph published on 30 January. The college is, however, exploring alternative sources of funding for the collection. No decisions have been reached yet.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Taxes
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the impact on the retail price index of raising £500 million in revenue in a full year from each of(a) tobacco products, (b) beer, (c) wine and spirits, (d) petrol, (e) value added tax and (f) vehicle excise duty.

  Mr. Lilley
  It is estimated that the impact on the retail price index of raising £500 million in a full year from the different excise duties and value added tax is as follows:

  Raising £500 million in a full year from

  Impact effect on the retail price index Per cent.

  (a) Tobacco products

  0·29

  (b) Beer

  0·24

  (c) Wine and Spirits

  0·39

  (d) Petrol

  0·13

  (e) Value added tax

  0·12

  (f) Vehicle excise duty

  0·13

  Relocation
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress Departments have made under the Government's relocation policy.

  Mr. Peter Brooke
  I informed the House on 31 March 1988 (columns 610–11) that following the virtual completion of the Civil Service dispersal programme announced in 1979 the Government would set no further central targets for relocation but Departments would be reviewing their location of work with a view in suitable cases to finding locations offering advantages in terms of recruitment and retention of staff, value-for-money and other considerations relevant to service delivery and management. I placed a copy of the guidelines for these reviews in the Library of the House.

  In an Adjournment debate on 9 May 1988 I explained at column 128 that these guidelines link departmental reviews of location to the scrutiny of running costs in the annual public expenditure survey so that Departments can report each year to the Treasury on their review plans and progress.

  Departmental reports to the Treasury during the 1988 public expenditure survey confirm that most large Departments now have serious and substantial reviews in hand and that the remainder are making the necessary preparations. Over 34,000 Civil Service posts are being reviewed for location or relocation away from London and the south-east, representing more than 15 per cent. of all posts in that region. Many of these reviews are still at the earliest stage and no overall estimates of the future scale of movement can be given. Successful relocations need careful planning and preparation, and I should emphasise that not all the posts now under review will move. Departmental Ministers will announce their decisions once the essential processes of assessment, consultation and decision for each review have been completed.

  Ministers are firm in their intention to ensure that the locations of their Departments' activities are thoroughly reviewed and appreciate the potential advantages to
  752
  departmental management as well as the benefits for regional and urban policy of relocating work outside London and the south-east in all suitable cases. No further central targets for relocation or dispersal are being set, but the Government are confident that the present review process will in the coming years add very significantly to the 12,000 posts located or relocated outside London and the south-east between 1979 and 1987. Since 1987 departmental Ministers have announced new relocation decisions totalling some 3,000 posts, including over 1,000 DSS posts to Glasgow, Belfast and Wigan, and 850 Patent Office posts to Newport. Further announcements can be expected in due course as individual reviews are completed and departmental Ministers take their decisions.

  Central Office of Information
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans for the Central Office of Information.

  Mr. Lawson
  I have considered whether the Central Office of Information should become a next steps agency, and have concluded that it should. The aim will be to give it agency status by April 1990.

  NatWest Bank
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to increase the powers of the Bank of England to investigate the responsibility of the National Westminster Bank for its subsidiary the County NatWest Bank.

  Mr. Lawson
  [holding answer 8 February 1989]: The powers of the Bank of England are fully adequate to enable it to carry out its supervisory responsibilities.

  VAT
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy not to implement value added tax standard rating of supplies to university halls of residence until balancing increases can be made in public expenditure plans on either student financial support or grants to universities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 8 February 1989]: The publication of draft clauses implementing the European Court of Justice ruling on VAT zero rates was announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) on 6 February, Official Report, columns 548–50. Zero rating is to be retained for supplies of construction services and fuel and power to university halls of residence.

  EC (Contributions)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer where the special payment made by the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community of £670,000,000 in respect of overspending by the Community appears in the table indicating the outturn of Community payments in page 1 of Cm. 603, published in January 1988.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: The 1988 intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between

  753
  member states of the European Community made provisions about supplementary finance for the 1988 Community budget. As I informed the House on 23 November 1988, Official Report, columns 1–2, the United Kingdom has paid a contribution of some £613 million (929 mecu) under the IGA. This contribution (£619 million at the exchange rate used for the projection published in Cm. 603 in January 1989) is included in the gross payment of £5,213 million shown on page 1 of Cm. 603: table 3.1, 1988–89 estimated outturn column. As explained in paragraph 6 of Cm. 603 the IGA also provided for a monetary reserve of 1,000 mecu (some £670 million) to which all member states would have contributed, but this was not activated in 1988. Therefore no payment was made by the United Kingdom in respect of this reserve.

THE ARTS

  Volunteers
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what developments there have been on the use of volunteers in museums and heritage organisations.

  Mr. Luce
  I am pleased to announce that my Department is funding a research project to be undertaken to prepare guidelines for the constructive use and management of volunteers in museums and heritage organisations.

  The project will be divided into four phases:

  (i) Review of the literature, existing guidelines and directives;

  (ii) Current practice in the management of volunteers;

  (iii) Practicalities: the practical issues in managing volunteer effort;

  (iv) The preparation, piloting and publication of guidelines for management.

  When the guidelines are produced they should include practical advice on a number of aspects of the use of volunteers, such as recruitment, training, responsibilities, statutory obligations and rewards. The results of the study should encourage museums' and galleries' managements to consider employing volunteers or, where they already do, to make better use of these arrangements.

  The project which should be completed by March 1990, will be overseen by a steering committee which will include representatives from national, local authority and independent museums, the Ironbridge Institute, the Museums and Galleries Commission, the British Association of Friends of Museums, the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (voluntary conservation corporations), and the National Trust.

  This project to examine the use and management of volunteers in museums and heritage organisations is timely in the context of my initiatives on museums training and on improving access to collections. I look forward to seeing its conclusions in due course.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  VAT Registrations
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many new businesses have registered on Merseyside for value added tax in each of the last three years.
  754
  Mr. Maude
  The latest available figures for Merseyside provided by the Department of Employment are for 1986, when 2,918 new businesses registered for VAT compared with 2,905 in 1985 and 3,262 in 1984.

  Pirate Radio
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to combat pirate radio interference.

  Mr. Atkins
  It is because of the interference caused to authorised radio users by unlicensed broadcasters that last year my Department's radio investigation service (RIS) carried out a record number (444) of raids against them. The RIS will continue to pursue unlicensed radio stations with vigour and with a view to identifying and prosecuting those responsible for the running of such stations. Furthermore in the forthcoming Broadcasting Bill the Government will be seeking additional powers to make it an offence to supply goods and services for the operation of an unlicensed station, to advertise on an unlicensed station or to solicit others to do so and to be engaged in the operation of the unlicensed station.

  EC (Trade Deficit)
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which European Economic Community countries are running a smaller trade deficit with the rest of the Community, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product, than the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  On the basis of the latest information available all other Community countries except Portugal and Greece are running either surpluses or smaller deficits as a percentage of GDP.

  Companies Bill [Lords]
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received regarding the terms of the Companies Bill[Lords].

  Mr. Maude
  I have received a number of detailed commentaries on the Bill, in particular from some of the major accountancy bodies, from the Law Society, and from the Law Society of Scotland.

  Aerospace Industry
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met officials of the Society of British Aerospace Companies; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Atkins
  I last met representatives of the Society of British Aerospace Companies on 14 December 1988. We discussed export opportunities for the industry.

  Regional Development Grant
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make a statement about the payment of regional development grant.

  Mr. Newton
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have decided that the current four-month moratorium on payments of grant under the original regional development grant scheme will
  755
  be lifted tomorrow. Payments which are at present held up by the moratorium will be made as soon as practicable. This will be of immediate benefit to those companies which remain eligible for grant under the scheme's transitional provisions.

  Footwear
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives of the British Footwear Manufacturers Association to discuss imports of footwear from south-east Asia.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  As I said in reply to the hon. Member's priority written question of 18 January (Official Report, columns 237–38), I met the hon. Members for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) and for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) and representatives of the footwear industry, including the British Footwear Manufacturers Federation, in February 1988 to discuss footwear imports from the far east. Imports from south-east Asia were also discussed.

PRIME MINISTER

  Mr. Bernard Ingham
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister when she expects Mr. Bernard Ingham to return to a Government Department from service in 10 Downing street.

  The Prime Minister
  In due course.

  Dunchurch and Rugby
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Dunchurch and Rugby.

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

  Engagements
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

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

  Select Committees (Members' Evidence)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what advice she has given to hon. Members who have served in the Government about giving evidence if requested to do so by a Select Committee regarding the activities or views expressed by them while a member of the Government.
  756
  The Prime Minister
  None, but I hope that such hon. Members would continue to observe the established conventions relating to the disclosure of advice given by officials to Ministers.

ENERGY

  Wind Energy
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out the impediments, in the order of importance, to the full-scale exploitation of wind energy in the United Kingdom; and what measures he is taking to resolve these impediments.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I am not aware of any impediments to the full-scale exploitation of wind energy in the United Kingdom other than the need to obtain the necessary planning consents and its need to be commercially viable and environmentally acceptable.

  My Department's programme of research, development and demonstration in the field of wind energy is intended to provide information to the wind energy industry and other concerned bodies. The programme is examining such areas as wind turbine design and performance in the broadest sense, through the construction and monitoring of a range of experimental and prototype wind turbine generators; this is supported by a generic programme covering, for example, materials of construction, aerodynamic behaviour, noise reduction and control methodology. It is hoped that the programme will provide a basis for the commercial exploitation of wind energy as well as giving an assessment of the acceptability of the technology to the general public.

  The primary objective of the proposed experimental wind farms at Capel Cynon, Landon Common and Cold Northcott is to examine environmental impact and public acceptability.

  Energy Conservation
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to assess the arguments advanced for energy conservation and energy efficiency by the chairman-designate of PowerGen on 26 January in a speech made in London.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I very much welcome Mr. Malpas' interest in energy efficiency.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, 26 January,Official Report, columns 994–5, when the separated plutonium store at Sellafied became party to full physical safeguards by Euratom inspectors.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Stored civil plutonium has been open to inspection since 1973.

  Magnox
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy,Official Report, 26 January, column 695, if he will make a statement on the period 4 June 1986 to 31 December 1986 to which his reply of 4 June 1986, Official Report, columns 594–5 does not refer.
  757
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  During the period 4 June 1986 to 15 December 1986, co-processing of safeguarded and non-safeguarded Magnox fuel took place with safeguards inspectors having full access to the reprocessing plant. After 15 December 1986 the plant was washed out and since then safeguarded and non-safeguarded fuel has been reprocessed in separate campaigns.

  Sellafield (Euratom Inspectors)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many Euratom inspectors have had a permanent presence at Sellafield since March 1986; how often they have reported data to Euratom headquarters; to what data they have had access; and how physical checks and assays on civil spend magnox fuels were conducted between March 1986 and 1 January 1987, when co-processing of civil and non-civil unsafeguardable spent magnox fuel was being conducted.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how Euratom inspectors verified the flows and inventories of civil nuclear materials at the Magnox reprocessing plant at Sellafield in the transitional co-processing period to 31 December 1986, to which he referred in his answer of 4 June 1986,Official Report, columns 594–5.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  These are matters for the European Commission.

  Hinkley Point (Shutdown)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the safety implications of the shutdown of the Hinkley Point reactors at the end of January.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I am advised that Hinkley Point A reactor I was shut down on 23 January following difficulties during routine refuelling. Investigations revealed that two pieces of a fuel element had fallen back into the reactor. They have been recovered and work to check for, and recover, any further debris is under way. There was no hazard to the public or staff. It is hoped to resume operation of the reactor in a few days subject to the agreement of the Health and Safety Executive.

  Reactor II at Hinkley Point A was shut down on 20 January for its statutory biennial inspection, having completed 700 days' continuous operation.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessments he has made of the impact of privatisation of the national electricity grid with particular reference to the technical challenge posed by the concept of a unified electricity policy by 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Electricity Bill places a statutory duty on the National Grid Company to facilitate competition in the supply and generation of electricity. Under the draft licence to be issued to the National Grid Company, authorised generators will be able to use the grid to convey their electricity. This is in line with the objectives underlying the completion of the internal energy market in 1992.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Broadcasting Act 1981
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the Broadcasting Act 1981 as amended by the Broadcasting Act 1987 as it relates to Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Renton
  It is not part of the Government's role in relation to broadcasting to undertake such assessments. The Independent Broadcasting Authority has a responsibility under the Broadcasting Act 1981 to ensure that the commercial television companies meet the needs of the communities they serve.

  Safe Deposit Centres
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute an inquiry as to the lessons derived from the Knightsbridge safe deposit centre robbery, with its terms of reference to include pursuing the request of Mr. Justice Robert Lymbery that the authorities should consider licensing such premises and their owners.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have made it clear that we look to the private security industry itself to provide self-regulation. We propose to discuss with the private security industry ways in which safe deposit centres might be brought into the self-regulatory framework.

  Refugees
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees are currently residing in Britain; and what is their country of origin.

  Mr. Renton
  Information is not available on the total numbers of those who have been granted refugee status in the United Kingdom and are still living here. Available information on grant of refugee status, by nationality, is set out in an annual Home Office statistical bulletin (most recently "Refugeee Statistics, United Kingdom, 1987", issue 16/88); while information on acceptances for settlement as refugees is published in the annual Command paper (most recently "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom, 1987" Cm 415, Table 18), and in a quarterly statistical bulletin (most recently "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Third Quarter 1988", issue 38/88, table 3).

  Key Guns
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ban the sale of key guns that unlock doors and cars and are being used for criminal purposes.

  Mr. John Patten
  There is no existing legislation prohibiting the sale of key guns, but it is an offence to carry such an article for use in the course of or in connection with theft. There are legitimate uses of key guns, eg. by locksmiths, and any proposals for controls on sales would need to take this into account. We are consulting the Association of Chief Police Officers about the effectiveness and availability of key guns and other similar devices, and have asked what problems they have caused police forces.

  Courts (Bradford)
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to respond to the application by Bradford metropolitan council for new court accommodation for the Keighley petty sessional division.

  Mr. John Patten
  Before a final decision can be made, it will be necessary to assess the relative merits of all the 22 bids for approval of new accommodation which have been received in the Department. This assessment will be carried out as quickly as possible and authorities informed of the outcome before the end of March.

  COMECON (Travel)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions permission for emigration to, or travel within, the Soviet Union or other COMECON eastern bloc countries has been denied to applicants formerly employed at MI5.

  Mr. Hurd
  I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 26 January at column 704.

  Human Organ Sales
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take about the letter dated 1 July 1988 sent by the kidney transplant centre to the immigration service to facilitate the entry to the United Kingdom of a Turkish man whose kidney was sold for a transplant at the Wellington Humana hospital.

  Mr. Renton
  On the information so far available it does not appear that there has been any contravention of the immigration legislation.

  Police Cells
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are currently being held in police cells; and which police stations are holding the prisoners outside the Metropolitan police area for the latest date available.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  At unlocking on Tuesday 7 February, 272 prisoners were held in police cells in England and Wales. Of these, 80 were held at the following police stations outside the Metropolitan police area:

  Cheshire

  Chester

  Essex

  Basildon

  Chelmsford

  Colchester

  Clacton

  Grays

  Southend

  Hertfordshire

  Welwyn Garden City

  Letchworth

  Kent

  Ashford

  Canterbury

  Margate

  Rochester

  760

  Merseyside

  Liverpool (Main Bridewell)

  Surrey

  Guildford

  Sussex

  Horsham

  Drugs
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison establishments have implemented the Home Office circular issued on the 25 September 1987 entitled "Through Care of Drug Misusers in the Prison System"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A police statement and guidelines prepared in discussion between the prison department and probation service for the introduction at all establishments of a more co-ordinated and positive response to drug misusers were issued on 25 September 1987. This policy, which also advocates increased involvement by prisons of counselling facilities in the community, was welcomed by the advisory council on the misuse of drugs.

  Pressures on the prison system militate against immediate and wholesale implementation, but there is no lack of evidence that efforts are being made to secure improvement. I shall look for further signs of progress at the end of the year.

  Military and Police Training
  Ms. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any guidelines are issued to immigration officers on whether to allow entry to people coming in to attend private military or police training courses.

  Mr. Renton
  The general position is that any overseas national who can satisfy the immigration officer that he is genuinely seeking entry for only a limited period, and that he can maintain and accommodate himself during his stay, may be admitted for a temporary period unless in a particular case there are specific grounds for his exclusion. Certain overseas military personnel may be exempt from immigration control under the provisions of the Immigration Act, 1971 relating to members of visiting forces.

  Prisons (Facilities)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking in respect of recommendations by the chief inspector of prisons that all prison cells should have in-cell toilet facilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons report on prison sanitation will be published on 21 February. We will respond to the recommendations in the report when it is published.

  Police Powers
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department if he will set out in the Official Report the current powers of a police officer to stop and require a member of the public to give his name and address.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Unless the police have reasonable grounds to suspect that a person is committing or has
  761
  committed a criminal offence they can stop him and require him to give his name and address only if he is the driver of a motor vehicle (under the Road Traffic Act 1972) or arriving at a port (under the Prevention of Terrorism (Supplementary Temporary Provisions) Order 1984 and its Northern Ireland equivalent).

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of homicides recorded by the police in the Metropolitan police district in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Hurd
  The numbers of recorded homicides in the Metropolitan police district during the last 10 years are as follows:

  Number

  1978

  118

  1979

  179

  1980

  204

  1981

  131

  1982

  192

  1983

  149

  1984

  164

  1985

  187

  1986

  210

  1987

  193

  1988

  1148

  1 provisonal.

  AIDS
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is being given to testing for AIDS and the HIV virus persons convicted of soliciting for immoral purposes.

  Local authority lettings

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1. Total lettings to local authority1 tenants (thousands)

  23

  25

  23

  21

  22

  2. Total to new tenants (thousands)

  14

  15

  14

  13

  13

  3. Existing tenants (thousands)

  9

  9

  8

  7

  7

  4. Homeless households as percentage of new tenants

  11·5

  11·7

  15·5

  15·3

  14·0

  5. Vacant dwellings (thousands)

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  6. Total stock of dwelings (thousands)

  260

  255

  251

  252

  247

  7. Vacant as percentage of total

  1·3

  1·1

  1·1

  1·3

  1·4

  1 Includes exchanges with other local authorities.

  Baglan-Lonlas Road
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he now expects work to commence on the Baglan to Lonlas road; if he will consider letting the contract in two stages so that a bridge has the first priority; and when he expects the road to be completed.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Work on the Earlswood to Lonlas section is expected to start towards the end of 1989–90 and be completed in 1992. The crossing of the river Neath will be part of the second phase, which is expected to take three years and is planned for completion simultaneously with the final phase. This phasing minimises the disruption to traffic using the A48 and is the most cost effective.

  Public Libraries
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his plans for the public library service in Wales in the light of the response to the Green Paper on the library service; and if he will make a statement.
  762
  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 6 February 1989]: At present we do not see a balance of argument in favour of compulsory HIV testing for prostitutes, or others convicted of soliciting offences. Available tests cannot be relied upon to detect infection acquired less than three months before the test. In any case a person who is free from infection when tested may become infected soon thereafter. Identifying a number of infected individuals would be likely to have no more than a marginal effect on the general risk of infection through intercourse with prostitutes.

WALES

  Housing Plans
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will publish tables on the plans for Welsh housing in a similar form to that of table 9.1, table 9.3, table 9.4, table 9.5, table 9.8, table 9.9 and table 9.12 in Cm. 609.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 31 January by my right hon. Friend and to Cm. 617 which was laid before the House on 30 January. Information on local authority lettings is set out in the table and more detailed information will be provided in "Public Expenditure in Wales 1989–90—1990–91—A Commentary by the Welsh Office", which is to be published shortly.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The powers we propose in the Local Government and Housing Bill will preserve the core of the public library service—the borrowing of books and other written materials and the use for reference and consultation purposes of all such materials, microfilm materials or any catalogue of the authority's own holdings. The free service will cover Welsh as well as English language materials in these categories. It is my intention that public library authorities in Wales should have discretionary charging powers comparable to those proposed for introduction in England which were announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts in his statement yesterday.

  Many of the 70 individuals and organisations in Wales who commented on the Green Paper supported the proposals for joint ventures with the private sector. I would encourage both the private and public sectors to pursue their interest in such ventures. I shall continue to observe the progress of the incentive funding scheme introduced in England by my right hon. Friend the

  763
  Minister for the Arts under which pump-priming funds are to be provided for such ventures there. I shall then consider whether it would be desirable to introduce such a scheme in Wales.

  Mr. Alan Bellwood
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he intends to bring a prosecution under the Mink (Keeping) Order 1987, or any other regulations against Alan Belwood, formerly of Isfryn, Aber, near Cwrfnewydd, who, until recently, operated an unlicensed mink farm; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 6 February 1989]: I have considered the circumstances of the case very carefully and have concluded that no useful purpose would be served in undertaking a prosecution.

  ReChem Plant (Discharges)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will instigate an inquiry into the incidents of alleged pollution and alleged illegal discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metal pollutants at the ReChem plant, Pontypool

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 8 February 1989]: No. I am content for the WWA to continue to give consent to, and monitor, discharges to public sewers in line with their responsibilities.

DEFENCE

  Front-line Units (Women)
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends deploying women in front-line units of the three services.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Members for York (Mr. Gregory) and for Ryedale (Mr. Greenway) on 7 February 1989.

  Royal Naval Dockyards (Radioactivity)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of environmental clean-up of(a) Rosyth dockyard, (b) Devonport dockyard, (c) Faslane dockyard and (d) the former Chatham dockyard from radioactivity arising from the use of these ports by nuclear-powered Royal Navy ships.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mr. Sainsbury) to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 2 February 1989 at columns 405–6.

  Radioactivity (Holy Loch)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what specific arrangements exist with the United States Government to cover the cost of the environmental clean-up of the Holy Loch military naval complex in the event of an accident involving the release of significant quantities of radioactive material; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The memorandum of understanding which governs the use of the Holy Loch by 764
  United States missile-carrying nuclear-powered submarines is classified. Her Majesty's Government are satisfied with the provisions of this agreement, including those which relate to financial liability.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has estimated the financial cost of environmental clean-up and environmental protection from the processing and reprocessing of nuclear materials prepared at Springfields, Capenhurst, Sellafield, Aldermaston, Burghfield and Caerwent for the United Kingdom nuclear warhead programme since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  British Nuclear Fuels plc has, I understand, made provison in its long-term costings for the costs of clean-up and other decommissioning expenses related to the processing and reprocessing of materials for the United Kingdom nuclear warhead programme at all sites at which relevant work takes place. Likewise, MOD has made provision for its own sites.

  Nuclear Weapons (Environmental Monitoring)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what monitoring of the aquatic, aerial and land environment surrounding bases;(a) storing nuclear warheads, (b) manufacturing nuclear warheads and (c) handling nuclear-powered ships or submarines is conducted by his Department or on behalf of his Department; at what annual cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Environmental monitoring is performed at all MOD sites as appropriate. It has, however, been the policy of successive Governments for reasons of national security neither to confirm nor to deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any place. The costs of the monitoring operations could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Nuclear Weapons Test Sites
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total cost to date for the environmental clean-up of radioactive contamination on(a) Christmas Island, (b) Monte Bello and (c) Maralinga nuclear weapons test sites; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  On completion of the United Kingdom atmospheric testing and related programmes and as part of the whole operation, the United Kingdom undertook extensive radiation surveys and rehabilitation work in areas which may have been affected. The costs of these operations to the United Kingdom cannot be separated from the overall expenditure on the whole test series which cannot be published for reasons of national security.

  Nuclear Accidents (Sellafield)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been to date the total cost of the environmental clean-up arising from nuclear accidents in 1973, 1976, 1979, 1983 and 1986 at Sellafield during the processing of nuclear materials for the nuclear warheads programme.
  765
  Mr. Sainsbury
  The cost of cleaning up after incidents that have occurred at Sellafield is the responsibility of BNFL. I can neither confirm nor deny the involvement of nuclear materials for the warhead programme in any particular incident.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport West,Official Report, 25 January, column 653, on the holding of chemical warfare agents by his Department, he will list the location of each of the chemical agents held.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is not MOD policy to disclose such detail.

  Atomic Weapons Establishment
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many information exchange agreements the Atomic Weapons Establishment has with United Kingdom universities or other institutions of higher education.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Atomic Weapons Establishment does not have any information exchange agreements with United Kingdom universities or other institutions of higher education.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many research contracts or agreements the Atomic Weapons Establishment has placed with universities and other institutions of higher education in each financial year since 1979–80; and what was their total worth in each year since 1979–80.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The numbers of research contracts and agreements let by the Atomic Weapons Establishment over the last five years, together with the amount expended in each year, is as follows:

  Financial Year

  Number of contracts/Agreements operative

  £'000

  1984–85

  32

  223

  1985–86

  30

  261

  1986–87

  37

  344

  1987–88

  41

  355

  11988–89

  39

  330

  1 Estimated

  Comparable information for the years 1979–80 to 1983–84 is not available.

  Nuclear Submarines
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received any recent communication from the new Canadian Defence Minister on the prospective purchase of British Trafalgar class nuclear-powered submarines.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Nuclear Power Stations
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role his Department is playing in the feasibility study for the construction of new nuclear power stations which might replace existing ones at Calder Hall and Chapelcross; and if he will make a statement.
  766
  Mr. Sainsbury
  None. The feasibility study has been launched as a commercial initiative by British Nuclear Fuels plc.

  Uranium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to whether the health and safety standards for workers at uranium mines, uranium milling plants, and uranium tailing waste disposal facilities from which the United Kingdom has obtained its unsafeguarded uranium for defence uses remain comparable in safety terms with those standards applied to the armed services and British Nuclear Fuels plc work force in the United Kingdom who process military nuclear materials.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None. The last delivery of uranium ore concentrate to the United Kingdom for defence purposes was in 1973.

  Military Aircraft (Accidents)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich on 25 January,Official Report, column 651, if he will give the numbers of military aircraft destroyed or severely damaged by accident during each of the years 1980 to 1985 in the form given in the annual statements on the Defence Estimates for 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Neubert
  This information is available in the relevant statements on the Defence Estimates (SDE) as follows:

  1980

  SDE 1981, Vol. 1 page 103 (Cmnd. 8212–1)

  Vol. 2 page 56 (Cmnd. 8212-II)

  1981

  SDE 1982, Vol. 1 page 53 (Cmnd. 8529–1)

  Vol. 2 page 50 (Cmnd. 8529-II)

  1982

  SDE 1983, Vol. 1 page 49 and 50 (Cmnd. 8951–1)

  Vol. 2 page 50 (Cmnd. 8951-II)

  1983

  SDE 1984, Vol. 1 page 55 and 56 (Cmnd. 9227–1)

  Vol. 2 page 49 (Cmnd. 9227-II)

  1984

  SDE 1985, Vol. 1 page 67 (Cmnd. 9430–1)

  Vol. 2 page 49 (Cmnd. 9430-II)

  1985

  SDE 1986, Vol. 1 page 77 (Cmnd. 9763–1)

  Vol. 2 page 46 (Cmnd. 9763-II)

  Common Service Discipline Act
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to there being a common service discipline Act; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  Consideration has been given to this from time to time. Given the need, for operational reasons, to preserve differences in the statutory provisions for the different services, and that provision for these differences would continue to have to be made even within a common service discipline Act, our judgment, weighing the considerable effort and upheaval that such a change would
  767
  involve against the benefits to be gained, is that there is not a sufficient case for changing the present statutory framework of service discipline.

  Nuclear Shells
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what future plans he has to scrap obsolete nuclear shells; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  All the nuclear shells deployed with NATO forces are the property of the United States Government, and it is a United States, not a United Kingdom. responsibility to make plans for disposing of any which become obsolete.

  Small Arms
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the disposal of surplus small arms.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It has been decided that in order to rectify an anomaly in the present rules the special restriction which currently applies to the sale of small arms surplus to service requirements will be lifted. Consequently the export of such weapons will in future be handled in exactly the same way as new weapons, and the same stringent export control measures will apply.

  Transmitters (Nuclear Explosions)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Droitwich BBC low frequency transmitter has been, or will be, hardened to resist the(a) blast and (b) electromagnetic pulse effects of a nuclear explosion.

  Mr. Renton
  I have been asked to reply. The transmitter has not been hardened, and there are no plans to do so.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Select Committees (Membership)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will give details of the members of(a) the Treasury and Civil Service and (b) Education, Science and Arts Select Committees from 1979 with membership dates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Membership of Select Committees for Sessions 1979–80 to 1986–87 inclusive is given in the Select Committee sessional returns for those years. The information sought for the period since the beginning of the 1987–88 Session is as follows:

  Treasury and Civil Service Committee

  Higgins, Mr. Terence L. (Chairman)

  Beaumont-Dark, Mr. Anthony

  Beith, Mr. A. J.

  Budgen, Mr. Nicholas

  Hamilton, Mr. Neil

  Quin, Ms. Joyce

  Radice. Mr. Giles

  Sedgemore, Mr. Brian

  Townend, Mr. John

  Watts, Mr. John

  Winnick, Mr. David

  Education, Science and Arts Committee

  Raison, Mr. Timothy (Chairman)

  768

  Armstrong, Hilary (added 8 March 1988; discharged 18 January 1989)

  Evennett, Mr. David

  Flannery, Mr. Martin

  Greenway, Mr. Harry

  Griffiths, Mr. Win

  Hicks, Mrs. Maureen

  McNair-Wilson, Sir Michael

  Steinberg, Mr. Gerry

  Thompson, Mr. Jack (discharged 8 March 1988)

  Thornton, Mr. Malcolm

  Turner, Mr. Dennis (added 18 January 1989)

  Vaughan, Sir Gerald

ENVIRONMENT

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report all nuclear waste currently excluded from the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 under the exemption Order 1986.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Radioactive Substances (Substances of Low Activity) Exemption Order 1986 exempts all very low level solid wastes, less than 0·4 bq/g, and organic solvent wastes containing only carbon-14 or tritium at total concentrations of less than 0·4 bq/ml, from consideration under the Act. It also exempts gaseous wastes which have a half-life of less than 100 seconds.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what remedial action has been taken at the low level radioactive waste disposal sites at(a) Drigg, (b) Dounreay, (c) Harwell and (d) Amersham to ensure the presence of chelating agents assisting the migration of radionuclides off site is minimised; and what has been the cost to date in 1989 pound sterling to implement this policy.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The presence of chelating agents in wastes disposed of at the British Nuclear Fuels low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Drigg are excluded, as far as practicable, by means of the authorisation issued by the joint authorising Departments and the BNF "conditions of acceptance". No chelating agents have been disposed of at the Harwell and Amersham sites. Questions relating to Dounreay are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Her Majesty's pollution inspectorate and his Department's radioactive waste division seek to ensure that generators of nuclear waste separate aggregated waste into streams by half-lives of the radionuclide or transuranic.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Radioactive waste is disposed of in accordance with authorisations issued under section 6 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 which stipulate disposal routes, activity limits and other conditions designed to ensure that any dose to the general public is below the maximum permissible as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. In setting limits etc, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution takes account of the half-lives of radionuclides in the wastes but does not require their separation.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by volume, curie content and
  769
  location all known amounts of the radioactive waste products of (a) nickel 59, (b) nickel 63, (c) niobium 94, (d) cobalt 60, (e) americium 241, (f) caesium 137, (g) molybdenum 99, and (h) technetium 99.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Except for molybdenum 99 which has a half-life too short to be of significance, and is therefore not recorded, information as requested on the other radionuclides listed is contained in the 1987 United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory a copy of which will be placed in the Library as soon as possible.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be in receipt of Nirex's recommendations concerning suitable sites for the disposal of low and intermediate-level nuclear waste.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to receive Nirex's proposals for a radioactive waste disposal facility shortly.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report tables showing (a) the proportion by volume of low level radioactive waste produced annually arising from nuclear power plants, reprocessing spent fuel, industrial radioisotope production and medical radioisotope use and (b) the proportion by curie content of the low level wastes produced in the categories set out under (a).

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The figures are contained in the latest edition of the waste inventory, a copy of which is being placed in the House Library.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards the disposal of United Kingdom-generated toxic wastes in west and central African countries; and if he will make it his policy at the next council of European Economic Community Environment Ministers to raise the matter of the illegal export of European Economic Community origin toxic wastes to the countries of west and central Africa.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No United Kingdom generated toxic waste has been sent to African countries for disposal, as far as the Government are aware. Proposals to do so would be subject to the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988.

  The Government oppose the export of toxic waste to countries which do not possess suitable facilities for its safe disposal. The matter has been discussed several times at the Environment Council. The Government have no plans to raise the issue at the next meeting.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amounts, in terms of volumes and curie content, of radioactive waste from the Medical Research Council's radon source materials exist at Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire; and what are the present plans to dispose of this radioactive waste.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Since the Radioactive Substances Act of 1960 has been in force there has been no authorisation to store radioactive waste from the Medical Research Council's radon source materials at Barton-le-Clay. I understand that radioactive materials were used there between 1939 and 1948. I am seeking confirmation from the council that no such materials remain.

  Rats
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what figures are available as to the present number of rats and the numbers in the most recent two years;

  (2) what arrangements are being made to monitor the changes in the number of rats.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not held centrally on rat numbers. The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, places a general duty on local authorities to ensure that their districts are kept free from rats and mice so far as practicable.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek a report from water authorities on the action they are taking to repair sewers as a means of controlling the public health nuisance from rats.

  Mr. Howard
  In 1987–88, water authorities spent some £308 million on maintaining and extending their sewers and sewage treatment facilities—an increase of 30 per cent. in real terms on 1981–82. The extent to which sewer condition affects the size of the rat population is not, however, clear. Water authorities also carry out rodent control exercises in sewers and along river banks.

  Council Houses (Rochester-on-Medway)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what communications he has received from the Rochester-on-Medway council about the proposed management buy-out of council housing stock; and what steps he will take to ensure that an independent expression of views by tenants is made before considering any consent to transfer under the Housing and Planning Act 1986.

  Mr. Trippier
  The council has informed us that it has resolved to sell its entire housing stock and has given us a preliminary indication of its plans. If it decides at a later date, having consulted its tenants, to apply for the Secretary of State's consent to dispose of the stock, my right hon. Friend will of course consider the application on its merits.

  Schedule 3A to the Housing Act 1985 (as inserted by schedule 1 to the Housing and Planning Act 1986) requires the council to consult its tenants before applying to the Secretary of State for consent. My right hon. Friend is obliged by the terms of the schedule not to entertain an application from Rochester-on-Medway council until it has consulted tenants in accordance with the schedule.

  Water Supplies
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what forecasts he has received from water authorities in England and Wales about the adequacy of water supplies in their area during the coming nine months; and what steps are being taken to limit abstraction from areas and ground water sources in anticipation of a drought.

  Mr. Howard
  I have received no forecasts from water authorities about the adequacy of water supplies for the
  771
  coming nine months. However, a review of water resources early in January showed that in most areas water storage levels were satisfactory, but that in some of the drier southern areas levels were below normal. Since the exceptionally dry winter weather has continued, I am watching the situation closely by way of arrangements made with the organisations that represent the water undertakers. Two applications under the provisions of the Drought Act 1976 have been received from water undertakers.

  Devon Structure Plan
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has made to the Devon county council to cater in its structure plan for a large immigration of population into Devon during the period up to 2001; and if he will make a statement as to the part currently played by his Department in suggesting what should be included in county structure plans.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department was consulted by Devon county council on its document "Devon in 2001" but made no representations about the level of population growth. It is for county councils to decide what alteration they propose to their structure plans. General advice on the content of structure plans is to be found in the memorandum accompanying circular 22/84. The new series of planning policy guidance notes and minerals policy guidance notes introduced last year provide national guidance on planning policy. My right hon. Friend has also published regional planning guidance for some regions in response to proposals from conferences or groupings of local planning authorities.

  Landfill
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify the landfill sites in the South-East known to have dangerous or potentially dangerous concentrations of methane gas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution wrote to all waste disposal authorities in England and Wales on 15 August 1988 requesting them to carry out detailed surveys of both closed and operational landfill sites in connection with landfill gas.

  They were asked to establish information on the amount and composition of gas, the geology of the site and its surroundings, the location of any sewers or other services through which gas might migrate, the location and proximity of any housing or other developments, the extent, nature and efficacy of any existing gas control measures and to establish what extra measures may be required.

  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is analysing the results. We expect to receive its report shortly.

  Radionuclides
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what radionuclides have been measured off-site at Drigg, Dounreay, Harwell and Amersham International, formerly the radio-chemical centre, traceable to the low-level nuclear waste disposal sites; at what distances and in what quantities these migrating 772
  radionuclides have been discovered; and whether any site licence regulations have ever been breached by off-site migration.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information required for the British Nuclear Fuels low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Drigg can be found in the recent report by British Nuclear Fuels on "Radioactivity and Monitoring of the Environment 1987", a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. No radionuclides traceable to low-level nuclear waste disposal have been measured off the Harwell and Amersham sites. No conditions in the authorisations issued by the joint authorising Departments have been breached by off-site migration. Questions relating to Dounreay are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce details of the guaranteed standards scheme for domestic customers of the privatised water industry.

  Mr. Howard
  The Government's proposed guaranteed standards scheme which I am setting out today is a no-nonsense, no-quibble scheme providing a spur to management to ensure the best commercial practices. Customers who suffer inconvenience will receive an automatic entitlement to a payment or credit of £5 for every day, or each occasion, that a breach of one of the standards or service occurs. This will avoid the frustration customers at present experience because they cannot obtain any compensation in such cases. The scheme covers delays beyond the period notified by the company for restoring water supplies following a planned interruption of supply; delays of more than 24 hours in restoring water supplies following an unplanned interruption which has been notified to the company; appointments which are not kept on the day specified by the company to the customer; failure to answer all reasonable written inquiries about bills or requests for alternative method of payment which take more than 10 to 20 working days depending on the need for further investigation; failure to answer reasonable written complaints about water supply or sewerage services within a specified period.

  I am discussing detailed targets with the industry before we lay the draft regulations.

  I also welcome today's announcement by the Water Authorities Association and the Water Companies Association of their three draft codes of practice.

  The outline model general code of practice for customers, on which the new companies will base their codes of practice for customers, will clarify the services to be provided and their terms and conditions. It also contains useful advice on enquiries and complaints procedures.

  The code of practice on leakages sets the terms under which metered domestic customers will be entitled to a one-off discount against a higher than expected bills as a result of an undetected leak from a supply pipe. The discount is conditional on the customer repairing the leak within a specified period.

  The revised code of practice on disconnection provides valuable advice and new safeguards for customers who have difficulty paying their bills. It sets out procedures to

  773
  be followed before disconnection. I welcome the water industry's continued efforts to ensure that the occasions on which disconnection occurs should be kept to the absolute minimum of those customers who can pay but refuse to do so.

  These new rights for water customers are in addition to the new framework of individual statutory rights for customers and the companies' duties to provide service. They add to the protection provided by the director general who ensures that customers are not over charged or suffer loss of service quality, and also to our proposals for customer representation and investigation of complaints.

  I will be making copies available in the House Library of the guaranteed standards scheme and, with the agreement of the industry, copies of the three draft customer codes of practice.

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

  Mr. Nicholas Ridley
  My Department shares in the work of representing the Government on a number of international bodies, in particular the European Community, the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Commonwealth, and the Council of Europe. Among its other international commitments, my Department also subscribes to or is represented on the following international organisations:

  International Association on Water Pollution and Control;

  International New Towns Association;

  International Solar Energy Society;

  International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources;

  Paris Commission on Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land Based Sources.

  In addition, it is represented on a number of other international organisations in the field of building research.

  National insurance contribution rates(secondary class 1)

  Number of employees (in millions)

  Estimated yield £ billion

  Male

  Female

  All

  9 per cent

  Contracted in

  1·0

  1·2

  2·2

  1·6

  Contracted out

  0·5

  0·9

  1·4

  0·6

  Total

  1·5

  2·1

  3·6

  2·2

  10·45 per cent

  Contracted in

  3·0

  0·7

  3·7

  4·9

  Contracted out

  5·9

  1·9

  7·8

  9·6

  Total

  8·9

  2·6

  11·5

  14·5

  The figures include employers' contributions in respect of married women and widows who pay contributions at the reduced rate, whether contracted in or contracted out.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1989–90 his estimate of the numbers of male and female employees expected to pay national insurance
  774
  Vote X, 2 of the Department's Supply Estimates 1988–89 gives details of subscriptions paid by the Department to international organisations. Figures on the total cost of participation in these bodies, which would include staff time and travelling expenses, are not held separately and are not available other than at disproportionate cost.

  Football Hooliganism
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde of 1 February,Official Report, columns 217–8, whether he has received a letter from Millwall football club regarding the list of incidents of hooliganism annexed to his letter of 21 December 1988.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The chairman of Millwall football club wrote to me on 5 January about the arrest and ejection figures included in the list of incidents of football hooliganism in 1988–89, annexed to my letter of 21 December to parliamentary colleagues. The figures for the Millwall v Newcastle match on 19 November 1988 were as reported by the police soon after the game. These were subsequently revised by the police and a revised version of the illustrative incidents list was made available on publication of the Football Spectators Bill. I have exchanged letters with the chairman of Millwall on the point.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  National Insurance
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1989–90 his estimate of the number of male and female employees in respect of whom employers are expected to pay national insurance contributions at the 9 per cent. and 10·45 per cent. rates, together with the forecast amount of the employers' contributions at each rate.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Estimates for 1989–90 have been provided by the Government Actuary's Department and are as follows:

  contributions at the 5 per cent., 7 per cent., and 9 per cent. rates, together with the forecast amount of the employees' contributions at each rate; and if he will divide the figures between those contracted in and those contracted out.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Estimates for 1989–90 have been provided by the Government Actuary's Department and are as follows:
  775

  National insurance contribution rates(class 1)

  Number of employees (in millions)

  Estimated yield £ billion

  Male

  Female

  All

  5 per cent.

  Contracted in

  0·4

  1·3

  1·7

  0·3

  Contracted out

  —

  0·1

  0·1

  —

  Total

  0·4

  1·4

  1·8

  0·3

  7 per cent.

  Contracted in

  0·4

  1·4

  1·8

  0·6

  Contracted out

  0·1

  0·2

  0·3

  0·1

  Total

  0·5

  1·6

  2·1

  0·7

  9 per cent.

  Contracted in

  4·0

  1·7

  5·7

  5·0

  Contracted out1

  6·4

  2·6

  9·0

  8·8

  Total

  10·4

  4·3

  14·7

  13·8

  1 The figures shown for contracted out employees include employees contributing to personal pension schemes.

  Benefits
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which aspects of the benefits system introduced in 1988 are being monitored by means of(a) special research programmes, (b) special inquiries of local authorities and (c) voluntary agencies.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on Friday 27 January at columns 802–03.

  Sickness Benefit
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are receiving sickness benefit who are currently residing in the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Currently, 50 claimants in the Republic of Ireland are being paid sickness benefit from the Department's overseas branch at Newcastle upon Tyne. There could be a small number of claimants being paid by the Department's local offices but the numbers involved, if any, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Housing Benefit
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if low-income families with children who apply for housing benefit are assumed to be receiving family credit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The housing benefit regulations allow a source of income that would be available to a claimant if he or she were to apply for it to be taken into account as a notional source of income. Family credit will be assumed to be in payment to a housing benefit claimant from a date that allows time for a claim to be determined but only where the claimant appears to meet all the conditions for family credit yet has not claimed it. The applicant will be informed accordingly. In cases where family credit has already been claimed it will not be taken into account until actually received.

  Benefits (Uprating)
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in receipt of social security 776
  benefits will receive less than the full amount of April's benefit upratings because they are receiving transitional protection.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information requested is not available. It is estimated, however, that around 770,000 income support recipients who are in receipt of other social security benefits may receive less than the full amount of April's benefit uprating because of transitional protection.

  Disabled People (Benefits)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his answer of 6 February to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe,Official Report, column 624, he will publish in the Official Report the detailed information about benefits for disabled people which the right hon. Member requested from him.

  Mr. Scott
  The available information is as follows.

  All the benefits provided specifically for disabled people more than retained their value between November 1979 and April 1988 with real increases ranging from 0·6 per cent. to 9·4 per cent.

  I regret that information about the number of disabled people who lost free prescriptions and free school meals is not available.

  It is estimated that about 30,000 income support recipients getting the disability and higher pensioner premiums will still require transitional protection after the uprating in April 1989; the vast majority of disabled people will get an increase.

  Most disabled people on housing benefit gained or saw no change in their benefit as a result of the April 1988 reforms. About 50,000 are estimated to have lost some or all of their benefit.

  Transitional protection was introduced for vulnerable groups of claimants to restrict their losses as a result of the 1988 reforms to £2·50 per week. This included disabled people who qualify for the disability premium or who qualified for the handicapped needs allowance in the old housing benefit scheme. Those dependent on social security benefits will still see an overall increase in their benefit income after the transitional payments have been

  777
  reduced by £2 per week in April 1989. Special arrangements have been made for those who would not otherwise do so.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will specify the figure referred to in his reply to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North on 21 January,Official Report, column 848, as being used for the calculation of the element of income support levels for April 1988 in consideration of water charges.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  As explained in paragraph 5 of the explanatory notes to "The Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income Related Benefits", the calculations were based on the actual water charges paid by claimants (suitably uprated) where these were recorded in the annual statistical inquiry, and on an uprated average value of £1·65 per week for other cases in the sample.

  RPI Error
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there are any further disbursements planned to charities following the error in the retail prices index.

  Mr. Scott
  Further to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 3 May 1988 at columns 422–24, I am pleased to announce a further disbursement to charities of £2·8 million. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and Northern Ireland will be making their own arrangements.

  I have placed a list of those organisations that are to receive payments in the Library.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Food Quality
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of his Department's officials are engaged in matters relating to the maintenance of the quality of foods sold by retailers.

  Mr. Ryder
  Many officials throughout my Department are engaged to some extent in work that is directly or indirectly related to the maintenance of the quality of food. The inquiries that would be necessary to assess the percentage of time spent on such activities would be disproportionately costly and cannot be justified.

  RSPB
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend and I met the chairman of the RSPB council on 17 November last year. We discussed the RSPB's consultation paper on the reform of the common agricultural policy. I also had an introductory meeting with the chairman on 3 November, and discussed a wide range of matters with him.

  Third World
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the 778
  research being done by his Department or commissioned by his Department on the development and testing of seeds and the development and testing of agro-chemicals, intended for use in Third world countries.

  Mr. Ryder
  My Department is neither conducting nor commissioning research specifically on the development and testing of seeds or agro-chemicals intended for use in Third world countries.

  Fisheries
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the fishing industry regarding Government funding of fisheries and research and development.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have recently held discusions about the Government's policy on funding of fisheries research and development with the Sea Fish Industry Authority and representatives of the fish industry sector and I await their response.

  Pesticides
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the type and name of pesticides, which are banned in(a) France, (b) West Germany and (c) the Netherlands, but permitted in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  Council directive 79/117/EEC, prohibiting the placing on the market and use of plant protection products containing certain active substances, and its amending directives (183/131, 85/298, 86/214, 86/355, 87/181 and 87/477) list those pesticides that are prohibited throughout the European Community. A copy of this directive is available in the Library of the House.

  Member states may also approve or prohibit other pesticides nationally, but there is no central register of such actions. The United Kingdom Government approve only pesticides that are submitted for specific uses within its territory and are supported by appropriate safety and efficacy data. Advice on these matters is given by an independent expert committee, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, to the six authorising departments, the Department of Health, the agricultural Departments and the Health and Safety Executive. Lists of approved pesticides are likely to differ between member states due to differing climatic and environmental conditions, the types of crops grown and differing agricultural practises.

  Salmon Poaching
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statistics he has received from water authorities in England and Wales about the incidence of salmon poaching in 1987 and 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given on 11 January 1989 concerning the number of prosecutions brought by water authorities. It is not possible to quantify the incidence of poaching which takes place.

  "Planning Permission and the Farmer"
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the cost to his Ministry
  779
  of producing the recent HMSO publication "Planning Permission and the Farmer" and of producing and distributing to all farmers the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food leaflet promoting the publication.

  Mr. Ryder
  The time spent by Ministry, Department of the Environment and Welsh Office officials in preparing the guide "Planning Permission and the Farmer" and the leaflet giving the key points in the guide cannot be identified separately from their other work and so no estimate of the overall cost is possible. Those elements of the production and distribution costs, falling to this Ministry, which can be identified amount to some £16,000, or some 7p per farmer in England and Wales. Because the guide is an HMSO publication, the printing and publication costs are not borne by this Ministry: such costs should be recovered by HMSO through revenue from sales.

  Woodland Scheme
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications have been received for the farm woodland scheme to date in England and Wales; and what is the area involved.

  Mr. MacGregor
  By 31 January 1989, almost 500 applications for the farm woodland scheme had been received by agriculture departments in England and Wales. These applications covered an area of more than 3,000 hectares.

  Beef
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for East Lothian on 6 February, concerning production and intervention buying of beef, if he will now give the relevant figures for Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The beef production figure provided in the earlier answer for the United Kingdom and EC total are Commission estimates. No separate estimates are made for Great Britain. Northern Ireland production accounted for about 15 per cent. of United Kingdom production in 1988 and if we take account of this, production in Great Britain would be 820,250 tonnes (10·7 per cent. of EC production). Intervention purchases in 1988 were 7,000 tonnes (1·8 per cent. of total Community production).

  Food Industry
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to improve the standing of the British food industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  The British food industry is one of the most efficient in the world providing the consumer with an extensive variety of high quality foodstuffs at reasonable prices. My Department works closely with the industry and consumers to encourage improvements in the production and marketing of food, and to ensure high standards of food safety and quality. The Department carries out an extensive scientific programme to monitor the most important fundamental aspects of the food 780
  industry's performance, and in particular operates a thorough and comprehensive system of surveillance to check on the safety and quantity of foods. The work has been described in detail in my Department's food surveillance reports including the latest one on the food chain, "Food Surveillance 1985–88".

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received any advice or recommendations from his veterinary products committee following appeals by any of the companies involved in the experimental farm trials into the use of bovine somatotropin in cows.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The veterinary products committee provides advice in confidence to my Department at any stage of a product licence application, if appropriate.

  River Esk (Pollution)
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what data his Department has on radioactive contamination of the River Esk near Ravenglass, Cumbria, including by isotopes of Americium and caesium; how and by whom the monitoring is carried out; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Data obtained from my Department's monitoring work on radioactivity, including from isotopes of Americium and caesium, around the River Esk are published in aquatic environment monitoring reports which are available in the Library of the House. My Department also collects such data in respect of soils, grass and milk from the Ravenglass area, the results of which were summarised in a paper "The Science of the Total Environment" volume 35, pages 267–283 in 1984. Further data are published as the results of my Department's terrestrial environment monitoring programme which are available in the Library of the House. My Department also receives such data from British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) summaries of which are published by BNFL in reports entitled "Radioactive Discharges and Monitoring of the Environment" which are also available in the Library of the House.

  I am satisfied, on the basis of this substantial monitoring work, that doses of radiation to members of the public in this area are well within the internationally required limits. My Ministry's monitoring shows that the dose to those few members of the public receiving the highest external exposure in 1987 in West Cumbria, allowing for the addition of dose from other pathways, was 0·11mSv as compared with the National Radiological Protection Board level of 0·5mSv per year.

  Listeria
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the research projects he is funding into listeria monocytogenes and the research establishments where these projects are undertaken; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  [pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1989, c. 319J: The research projects my Department is funding on listeria monocytogenes and the research establishments

  781
  where these are being carried out are set out in the table. These projects form part of the extensive ongoing research programme on food safety which my Department undertakes.

  Projects Funded by MAFF on Listeria Monocytogenes

  A. Projects specifically on L.monocytogenes

  1. Effect of heat and irradiation on survival of Listeria in chicken (Leicester University).

  2. Effect of microwave cooking on the survival of L.monocytogenes in cooked and chilled foods. (Campden Food and Drink Research Association—CFDRA).

  3. The thermal death characteristics of L.monocytogenes in foods (CFDRA).

  4. Survey of Listeria in foods (MAFF, Food Science Laboratory).

  B. Projects including L.monocytogenes

  1. Growth characteristics of food poisoning organisms at sub-lethal temperatures (CFDRA).

  2. Investigate combinations of sub-lethal temperatures to preserve processed foods (CFDRA).

  3. Recovery and detection of sub-lethally injured pathogens (CFDRA).

  4. Microbial antagonism to increase the safety and stability of chilled foods (CFDRA).

  5. Influence of food components and preservative factors on food borne pathogens (Institute of Food Research—Norwich).

  6. Microbiological hazards in domestic and institutional handling of food (IFR—Norwich).

  7. Influence of food components and preservative factors on food borne pathogens (IFR—Norwich).

  8. Safety and quality of poultry products in relation to processing (IFR—Bristol).

  9. Define factors controlling microbial growth and develop predicture models (IFR—Bristol).

  10. Heat induced tolerance of microorganisms (IFR—Bristol).

  11. Bacteria and hygiene in abattoirs (IFR—Bristol).

  12. Improve classification and identification of food microorganisms and maintain the National Collection of Food Bacteria (IFR—Reading).

  13. Low socium chloride foods/microbiological safety and technological characteristics (British Food Manufacturing Industry Research Association—BFMIRA).

  14. Shelf-life prediction of chilled foods—food spoilage and poisoning (BFMIRA).

  15. Rapid methods to assess the microbiological quality of foods (BFMIRA).

  Mineral Hydrocarbons (Food)
  Mr. Neale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from the Food Advisory Committee on the use of mineral hydrocarbons in food.

  Mr. Ryder
  Following a review of new toxicological data by the Department of Health's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment, the Food Advisory Committee has advised that mineral hydrocarbons are no longer acceptable for food and should be removed from direct food use and from food processing as quickly as practicable.

  I propose to introduce regulations as soon as possible under the Food Act 1984 to implement the advice of the Food Advisory Committee to ban the use of these substances as food additives and in food processing. I should stress, however, that there is no evidence that these substances have to date produced adverse effects in humans.
  782
  Mineral hydrocarbons are permitted by regulation for use on dried fruit such as prunes and currants to stop them sticking together, on citrus fruit to replace the natural wax coating lost in washing, on the protective rind of some cheeses, as a glazing agent on some sugar confectionery, and may occur as residues from the processing of foods such as confectionery, jellies, bread and sausages.

  One further use, in chewing gum bases, is being separately reviewed and the FAC has also been asked to review their use in the manufacture of food packaging materials.

  I will make a further announcement about their use in chewing gum and food packaging materials when the Committee's further advice is received.

SCOTLAND

  Football Grounds (Arrests)
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many arrests there were for offences committed inside Scottish football grounds in each of the past five seasons.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Figures for the period prior to the 1987–88 season are not held centrally and chief constables have indicated that it would be very difficult to compile the information at this stage. During the 1987–88 season 845 arrests were made.

  Scottish Development Agency
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance has been given by his Department or the Scottish Development Agency to(a) Standard Fireworks Ltd. and (b) Scottish Heritable Trust.

  Mr. Lang
  None.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a complete list of subsections of sections and paragraphs of schedules to the Abolition of Domestic Rates etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 which have been, or are proposed to be in legislative proposals before Parliament, amended, substituted or inserted by later legislation, including those themselves the subject of further alteration; and if he will provide the derivation and the date of the coming into force of each alteration listed.

  Mr. Lang
  The amendments and repeals which have been made to the Abolition of Domestic Rates etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 are detailed in schedule 12 part II, paragraphs 15–38 and schedule 13 to the Local Government Finance Act 1987. The dates from which these provisions take effect are laid down in the Local Government Finance Act 1988 Commencement (Scotland) Order 1988 (SI 1988/1456).

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list all orders made under the Abolition of Domestic Rates etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, including any subsequently revoked;

  (2) if he will list all paragraphs of orders made under the Abolition of Domestic Rates etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, including any subsequently revoked, which have been the subject of later amendment, substitution or insertion; and if he will provide the derivation and the date of the coming into force of each alteration listed.
  783
  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is as follows:

  Statutory Instrument

  Statutory Instrument No.

  Date of coming into force

  The Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 Commencement Order 1987

  1987/1489

  18 August 1987

  The Non Domestic Rates and Community Charges (Timetable) (Scotland) Regulations 1987

  1987/2167

  7 January 1988

  The Abolition of Domestic Rates (Domestic and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Regulations 1987—now revoked

  1987/2179

  8 January 1988

  The Abolition of Domestic Rates (Domestic and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Regulations 1988—these revoke and replace SI 1987/2179

  1988/1477

  15 September 1988

  The Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) Regulations 1988—now revoked

  1988/157

  26 February 1988

  The Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 1988—these revoke and replace SI 1988/157

  1988/1539

  1 October 1988

  The Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) (No. 2) Amendment Regulations 1988—these correct mistakes in regulation 7 of and Schedule 3 to SI 1988/1539

  1988/1611

  1 October 1988

  The Standard and Collective Community Charges (Scotland) Regulations 1988

  1988/631

  20 April 1988

  The Standard and Collective Community Charges (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 1988—these amend regulations 2 and 3 of SI 1988/631

  1988/1540

  1 October 1988

  The Personal Community Charge (Students) (Scotland) Regulations 1988—now revoked

  1988/632

  20 April 1988

  The Personal Community Charge (Students) (Scotland) Regulations 1989—these revoke and replace SI 1988/632

  1989/32

  3 February 1989

  The Community Water Charges (Scotland) Regulations 1988

  1988/1538

  1 October 1988

  The Personal Community Charge (Exemption for the Severely Mentally Impaired) (Scotland) Regulations 1988—now revoked

  1988/1541

  1 October 1988

  The Personal Community Charge (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 1989—these revoke and replace SI 1988/1541

  1989/63

  9 February 1989

  The Community Charges (Levying, Collection and Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 1988

  1988/1880

  22 November 1988

  The Non—Domestic Rates (Scotland) Regulations 1988

  1988/1904

  24 November 1988

  The Local Government (Non Domestic District Rates and District Community Charge) (Scotland) Regulations 1988

  1988/1963

  2 December 1988

  The Community Charge (Information concerning Social Security) (Scotland) Regulations 1988

  1988/1889

  23 November 1988

  Revenue Support Grant (Scotland) Order 1988

  1989/69

  12 January 1989

  Housing Benefit (Social Security Act 1986 Modifications) (Scotland) Regulations 1988

  1988/1483

  21 September 1988

  Investment Projects
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total number of inward investment projects brought to(a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole by Locate in Scotland in each year since 1982, giving the number of jobs involved and the volume of expenditure.

  Mr. Lang
  (a) There have been 10 decisions to locate or expand inward investment projects in Greenock and Port Glasgow since 1982. Details of planned investment remain commercial in confidence.

  (b) The following table shows the number of decisions to locate or expand inward investment projects in Strathclyde in the years 1982–83 to 1987–88.

  Number of Projects

  Planned jobs

  Planned investment (millions)

  1982–83

  15

  2,608

  98

  1983–84

  26

  2,279

  82

  1984–85

  38

  5,801

  432

  1985–86

  33

  3,304

  315

  1986–87

  26

  2,957

  345

  1987–88

  62

  6,302

  226

  (c) The following table shows the number of decisions to locate or expand inward investment projects in Scotland as announced in the years 1982–83 to 1987–88.
  784

  Number of projects

  Planned jobs

  Planned investment (millions)

  1982–83

  46

  5,400

  186

  1983–84

  54

  6,900

  166

  1984–85

  69

  9,443

  689

  1985–86

  58

  8,217

  562

  1986–87

  50

  5,084

  427

  1987–88

  88

  11,852

  337

  Community Care
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Griffiths report concerning community care and the needs of carers and what extra resources he intends to make available to achieve these objectives.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Griffiths report made a number of potentially far reaching recommendations which require careful consideration. My right hon. and learned Friend and I are currently studying the report carefully.

  Teachers (Dismissal)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has regarding the number of cases considered by education authorities in each year since 1983 under section 88 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 which(a) resulted in dismissal and (b) did not result in dismissal.
  785
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) on 17 January 1989 at columns 163–64.

  Birds (Shetland)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what information he has of the level of breeding success for the red-throated diver, Arctic skua, great skua, puffin and kittiwake in Shetland in 1988; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what was the total population size of Arctic terns in Shetland in 1980; and what proportion this represents of the British and EEC populations, respectively;

  (3) what information he has on research conducted or commissioned to identify the key factors that have influenced the breeding success of Arctic terns in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) if he will list the estimated number of young that the Shetland Arctic tern population has successfully reared in each of the last five years; and what the breeding success of this bird has been in other areas in the United Kingdom over the same period.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I am seeking up-to-date information from the Nature Conservancy Council and I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Licensing Laws
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for amendments to the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 with particular reference to any steps to overcome the nuisance of persons consuming alcohol in inappropriate public areas to the detriment of local amenity; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The recent review of the 1976 Act has revealed a large measure of support for a number of the reforms canvassed in the consultation paper issued in 1986 and I hope to be in a position to state the Government's intentions in that regard shortly. Meantime, however, I have to say that there is much disquiet about the easy availability of alcohol to young people, including under-age purchasers, through some supermarkets and other off-licences; and we propose tighter controls on these outlets. We have also received many representations about the proliferation of regular late night extensions; and we propose a much tighter control in that regard, for example, by requiring that applicants shall show good reason why the particular locality needs or would benefit from such extension. We shall also consider a stricter regime for residential areas; and we propose to ban repeated applications within two years of any unsuccessful application.

  So far as the consumption of alcohol in public places is concerned, our consultations with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) show a strong preference for an experiment in the use of precisely targeted local bye-laws; and we shall now embark on detailed discussions with these bodies as to how this may best be taken forward. This would not, however, require legislation since local authorities' existing powers would suffice to cover the making of such instruments.

  A1 (Traffic Flow)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the latest available figures for traffic flows at peak times on the Al road between(a) Edinburgh and Tranent, (b) Tranent and Haddington, (c) Haddington and Dunbar and (d) Dunbar and the English border, and if he will make a statement on the growth trend of traffic on the A 1 over the last 10 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 February 1989]Information on traffic flows is contained in the following table:

  1987 Average Daily Peak Flows1 (vehicles per hour)

  AM

  PM

  Edinburgh-Tranent

  1,450

  1,700

  Tranent-Haddington

  1,050

  1,300

  Haddington-Dunbar

  750

  850

  Dunbar-National Boundary

  450

  500

  1 For Haddington-Dunbar single day count.

  Information on traffic growth is not available for the last ten years but the statistics held show annual growth rates of 4·9 per cent. between Tranent and Haddington in the period 1980–86; 5·3 per cent. between Haddington and Dunbar in the period 1981–87; and 3·3 per cent. between Dunbar and the national boundary in the period 1978–88. With the opening of the Musselburgh bypass in December 1986 a comparison between traffic flows prior to and since that date, on the section from Edinburgh to Tranent, is inappropriate.

  These figures compare with the nationally recorded growth of 3·4 per cent. per annum over the period 1976–87.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Harland and Wolff
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he last met the Chairman of Harland and Wolff to discuss the proposed management/ employee buy-out bid; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of Harland and Wolff.

  Mr. Tom King
  I last met the chairman of Harland and Wolff on Monday to discuss his proposal for a management-led buy-out. Other discussions with possible acquirers are also continuing. It is clear that under public ownership there can be no future for the yard and it is therefore a matter of urgency to try and achieve a private sector solution to Harland and Wolff's problems.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if it is the policy of his Department to consult the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights before introducing new legislation which affects human rights in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Tom King
  Yes.

  Shorts plc
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of Shorts plc.

  Mr. Tom King
  The Government believe that the best prospects for Shorts are in the private sector. An information memorandum was issued on 10 January to a number of prospective purchasers inviting them to submit preliminary proposals. From these a short list of potential buyers will be drawn up and detailed negotiations will start as soon as possible.

  At the request of a number of interested parties, the date for receipt of preliminary proposals has been extended from 10 February to 17 February.

  Political Reform
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made towards the establishment of a cross-community devolved assembly in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Clearly, there needs to be agreement between the political representatives of the two communities before such an assembly can be convened. Over the past year, the leaders of all the main constitutional political parties in Northern Ireland have told my hon. Friend that they support the objective of devolved institutions involving both communities. We hope that ways can be found to enable the parties to make progress in discussions between them.

  Anglo-Irish Agreement
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the review of the operation of the Anglo-Irish Agreement to be completed.

  Mr. Tom King
  Work is continuing on the review of the working of the intergovernmental conference under article 11 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. It is not possible, at this stage, to say when it will be completed.

  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to complete the review of the workings of the inter-governmental conference set up under the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the completion of the review of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Tom King
  I have had discussions with Irish Ministers about the review of the workings of the intergovernmental conference under article 11 the Anglo-Irish Agreement at the meetings of the conference on 2 November, 14 December and 8 February.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received concerning the review of the operation of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Tom King
  I have received a number of contributions from members of the public, political parties 788
  and other interested bodies in response to my invitation to them to submit views on the working of the intergovernmental conference under article 11 of the agreement. Contributions are still coming in. They will all be carefully considered.

  Proscribed Organisations
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes he has recently considered making to the list of paramilitary and associated organisations presently proscribed under the Emergency Provisions (Northern Ireland) Act.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The status of a number of
  organisations in Northern Ireland is kept under close review.

  Students (Age Participation)
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the age participation rate for students from Northern Ireland in higher education in 1979, the latest such figure and his projection for the year 2000; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The age participation rate in Northern Ireland in 1979–80 was 16·3, and in 1986–87 was 20·6. No projection has yet been made for the year 2000.

  These figures incorporate both a continuing improvement in the academic standards achieved by school leavers in Northern Ireland and an increased willingness to enter higher education.

  Criminal Justice (Pressure Groups)
  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met a pressure group in the criminal justice field; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The Secretary of State regularly meets representative groups in Northern Ireland to discuss a wide range of issues. If the hon. Member has a specific group in mind, I will endeavour to provide the particulars requested.

  Century Newspapers (Transfer)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received about the proposed transfer of ownership of Century Newspapers to Thomson Regional Newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Viggers
  My right hon. Friend has received two representations about the proposed transfer of ownership which has been referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission by my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

  Watercourses (South Antrim)
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the designated watercourses within the South Antrim constituency.

  Mr. Viggers
  The list of designated main, minor and urban watercourses within the South Antrim constituency is lengthy, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman with the requested information.

  Education Pressure Groups
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from education pressure groups.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have received a large number of representations, written and oral, on a wide range of educational topics. These include representations on the proposals on education reform, school development proposals, the consultative paper on the public library service, the introduction of a student loans scheme, the transfer procedure and funding for the provision of sport, recreation, arts, museums, libraries, youth and community services. I have had meetings with representatives from interested groups on many of these subjects.

  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from education pressure groups.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have received a large number of representations, written and oral, on a wide range of educational topics. These include representations on the proposals on education reform, school development proposals, the consultative paper on the public library service, the introduction of a student loans scheme, the transfer procedure and funding for the provision of sport, recreation, arts, museums, libraries, youth and community services. I have had meetings with representatives from interested groups on many of these subjects.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent meetings he has held with education pressure groups.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  During the past three months I have met various representatives from education pressure groups. These have included the Association of Head Teachers in Secondary Schools, the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, the National Association of Head Teachers (NI), the Association of Governing Bodies of Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, the Northern Bishops and a delegation from Ballymena boys and girls high schools.

  Criminal Justice
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the judiciary in Northern Ireland to discuss criminal justice in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The Secretary of State has not met the judiciary for this purpose.

  Prison Reform
  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met a pressure group campaigning for a reform of the prison system.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  My right hon. Friend and I meet various statutory and other bodies with an interest in prison matters from time to time. The last such occasion when prison matters were raised was not by a pressure group but during a meeting between my right hon. Friend and the statutory Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights on 16 January 1989.

  Terrorism Legislation
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from the judiciary in Northern Ireland concerning the Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 and the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Bill 1988.

  Mr. Tom King
  Any representation which I might receive from judges in Northern Ireland would be confidential.

  Fibre-Optic Links (EC)
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received regarding the provision and modernisation of fibre-optic links in Northern Ireland to improve links with the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Viggers
  I have not received any such representations. Under the STAR programme we have agreed with the European Community that funding will be available from the European regional development fund for:

  (i) an optical fibre ring within Northern Ireland;

  (ii) an optical fibre link from Northern Ireland to Great Britain; and

  (iii) an optical fibre link between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

  Security
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current security situation.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security position in Northern Ireland.

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

  Mr. Tom King
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East (Mr. Ross).

  Privatisation
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in implementing Her Majesty's Government's policy on privatisation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Viggers
  Negotiations are continuing with parties interested in acquiring Harland and Wolff. An information memorandum was issued on 10 January to a selected number of possible acquirers of Shorts and more detailed discussions will take place with them. The Government are at present considering a report by consultants on the options available for privatising Northern Ireland Electricity, and it will make its proposals known in due course.

  Police-Military Co-operation
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is taking steps to improve
  791
  the level of co-operation between police and military in Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of whether there are sufficient joint headquarters.

  Mr. Tom King
  Close co-operation between the police and Army is essential if anti-terrorist operations in Northern Ireland are to be fully effective. This matter is kept under careful review and is regularly discussed at security meetings under my chairmanship. The Chief Constable of the RUC and the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland have recently established a number of joint operations rooms in order to enhance the present high level of co-operation. Others will be in operation shortly.

  Republic of Ireland (Ministerial Meetings)
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will next have meetings with Ministers of the Government of the Republic of Ireland; and what matters will be discussed.

  Mr. Tom King
  I met Irish Ministers at the meeting of the intergovernmental conference in London yesterday; a copy of the joint statement issued after the meeting, which also lists the subjects discussed, has been placed in the Library.

  Terrorism
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the steps he is taking within the Province to combat the ability of terrorist groups to act outside the Province.

  Mr. Tom King
  The Royal Ulster Constabulary and Garda Siochana maintain close liaison to combat terrorism. In particular the Chief Constable of the RUC, the Commissioner of the Garda Siochana and senior members of both forces have regular discussions on security matters under the auspices of the Anglo-Irish intergovernmental conference. There is also regular contact between the RUC and other law enforcement agencies in Britain, United States of America and Europe.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about Libya's sponsorship of IRA terrorism.

  Mr. Tom King
  We have firm evidence that Libya has been responsible in the past for supplying substantial quantities of weapons and explosives to the Provisional IRA. This connection has been well illustrated during the last three years by recoveries of arms both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which can clearly be traced back to Libyan origins.

  Both this Government and the Irish Government are committed to working together unremittingly to deny the terrorists and their weapons a hiding place anywhere in Ireland. It is also vital to maintain and increase

  Dwellings

  Antrim Borough Council

  Parkhall Estate

  4

  Stiles Estate

  4

  Armagh District Council

  Drumarg park

  6

  792
  international co-operation in the fight against state-sponsored terrorism in our efforts to prevent further weapons of death and destruction reaching their destination in Ireland, or elsewhere.

  It is a credit to the security forces on both sides of the border that a significant quantity of Libyan supplied arms and explosives have been recovered in recent years.

  Conway Mill
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will indicate the Government's policy on public funding of projects in Conway Mill with particular regard to applications for assistance from the International Fund for Ireland.

  Mr. Tom King
  Government policy on the payment of public funds to community groups, where there is evidence that such payments could directly or indirectly further the aims of a paramilitary organisation, is set out in the parliamentary statement of 27 June 1985 by the then Secretary of State. The nature and extent of paramilitary influence within Conway Mill is such that this policy has been applied to groups operating in or out of the Mill. Whilst I have reviewed the situation I am satisfied from the information available to me that influence remains such as to justify the continued withholding of funds to such groups in accordance with the terms of the parliamentary statement.

  Article 3 of the bilateral agreement of 18 September 1986 between the Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland on the International Fund for Ireland provides that disbursements from the Fund shall be consistent with the economic and social policies and priorities of the respective Governments. I have accordingly indicated to the board of the fund that it would be inconsistent with the social and economic policies of this Government if the fund were to provide assistance to any body operating in or out of Conway Mill.

  It is, on the other hand a most important aspect of our policies to stimulate development and activity in the more deprived areas of Belfast, including, of course, west Belfast. In this context, we welcome the initiatives taken by the International Fund for Ireland, within its programmes, to provide extra help for disadvantaged areas, including west Belfast. I understand that they have further proposals to that end under consideration.

  Public Housing
  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all the public authority housing built in Northern Ireland since 1960 which has been demolished, or is scheduled for demolition, by district council area.

  Mr. Needham
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and the chief executive has advised me that the information requested is as follows:
  793

  Dwellings

  Ballymena Borough Council

  Doury Road

  14 including 4 Flats

  Ballykeel Estate

  5

  Belfast City Council

  Ballysillan/Benview

  200 Flats and Maisonettes

  California Close

  58 Flats and Maisonettes

  Divis

  699 Flats and Maisonettes

  Eglinton Street

  65 Flats and Maisonettes

  Moyard

  308 Flats and Maisonettes

  Sherbrook Way/Upper Townsend Street

  225 Flats and Maisonettes

  Springhill Estate

  194

  Sheridan Street

  30 Flats and Maisonettes

  Turf Lodge

  294 Flats and Maisonettes

  Unity

  315 Flats and Maisonettes

  Springmartin

  19

  Manor Street

  19

  Forthriver Road

  32 Flats

  Carrickfergus Borough Council

  Greenisland Estate

  1

  Craigavon Borough Council

  Churchill Park, Portadown

  100

  Ennis Close, Lurgan

  81 Flats and Maisonettes

  Ardowen, Brownlow

  40

  Drumbeg North, Brownlow

  4

  Drumbeg South, Brownlow

  14

  Legahory Green, Brownlow

  81

  Rathmore, Brownlow

  272

  Rosmoyle, Brownlow

  116

  Maylinn, Brownlow

  194

  Derry City Council

  Rossville

  178 Flats

  Meenan Square

  15 Flats

  Carranbane Walk

  5 Flats

  Moyola Drive

  24 Flats

  Down District Council

  Dreenan Place, Downpatrick

  13

  Dungannon District Council

  Ballygawley Road, Dungannon

  6

  Fermanagh District Council

  Derrin Park, Enniskillen

  48 Maisonettes

  Lisburn Borough Council

  Drumbeg Drive, Old Warren

  7

  Newry and Mourne District Council

  Derry beg Park, Newry

  30

  Newtownabbey Borough Council

  Derryhill, Rathcoole

  20 Flats

  Erskine Park, Ballyclare

  11

  North Down Borough Council

  Bloomfield Estate, Bangor

  1

  Strabane District Council

  Drumrallagh Estate

  7

  Deaf People (Services)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many qualified social workers with specialist training for work with people who are deaf are currently employed in Northern Ireland by(a) health and social services boards, (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.
  794
  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 8 February 1989]: The numbers of qualified social workers with training for work with deaf people currently employed in health and social services boards are shown in the table:

  Number

  Eastern

  12

  Southern

  3

  Western

  1

  Northern

  4

  795
  Information is not held centrally on the numbers employed in voluntary organisations and other bodies.

  In each of the years 1984 and 1985, one member of staff completed a post qualifying course. No post qualifying training has been available since the closure of the course at Moray house, Edinburgh, in 1985, but the Department of Health will be providing financial assistance for the development of a course at the Open university, which is expected to start in 1991. Considerable interest is already being 'expressed in Northern Ireland in an Open university course.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many interpreters for the deaf are employed by public bodies in Northern Ireland; 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. Needham
  [holding answer 8 February 1989]: There are no interpreters for the deaf employed on a full-time basis by public bodies in Northern Ireland. There are, however, four qualified interpreters who provide a service to the deaf in addition to their normal employment or duties. Two other people (not employed by public bodies) have passed stage III examinations in communication skills set by the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People, and it is expected they will go on to undertake specialist interpreters training. A local branch of the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People was set up in Northern Ireland in 1987 with the help of a £35,000 seeding grant from the Department of Health and Social Services. It is working in partnership with health and social services boards to improve the communication skills of staff and there are now over 20 classes providing courses for a range of interests including social workers, nurses, day centre staff, other professionals and interested members of the public. British sign language courses have increased in number, and the first lip reading course was held last September.

  Police and Criminal Evidence Order
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to complete his deliberations on the proposed draft Police and Criminal Evidence Order 1988.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Since some responses to the proposal for a draft Police and Criminal Evidence Order published last July were not received until towards the end of the year, I am still in the process of considering them. I expect to complete the task within the next few weeks.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to lay the Police and Criminal Evidence Order before the House.
  796
  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen.)

  After consideration of responses is completed, some time will be needed for checking and printing the text, but I hope the whole process will not take more than two or three months in all.

EMPLOYMENT

  Employment Training Scheme (Cheshire)
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Cheshire are now participating in the Government's employment training scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  At 27 January 1989 there were 2,340 trainees on employment training in Cheshire.

  Retired People (Re-employment)
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider initiatives to encourage people at or over the conventional age of retirement to seek re-employment on a part-time or full-time basis.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Government have no current plans to introduce initiatives of this nature.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the rate of women's unemployment for 1979 and 1988.

  Mr. Lee
  The annual average rates of unemployment, consistent with the current coverage, among women in the United Kingdom for the years 1979 and 1988 were 4 per cent. and 8·1 per cent. respectively.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current rate of unemployment on Merseyside.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988 the unemployment rate for Merseyside was 15·9 per cent.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total number of employees in employment who were receiving training in the appropriate survey period from the labour force survey and as a percentage of all employees for each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales in each of the years 1983 to 1987, inclusive.

  Mr. Lee
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: Estimates from the 1983 labour force survey of employees receiving training are not available on a comparable basis with later years. Estimates from labour force surveys for the years 1984 to 1987 inclusive, as requested, are shown in the table:
  797

  Employees of Working Age Receiving Job-Related Training—Great Britain, Spring Estimates

  thousands and per cent.

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Region

  Employees of working age receiving job-related training thousands

  As percentage of all employees of working age per cent.

  Employees of working age receiving job-related training thousands

  As percentage of all employees of working age per cent.

  Employees of working age receiving job-related training thousands

  As percentage of all employees of working age per cent.

  Employees of working age receiving job-related training thousands

  As percentage of all employees of working age per cent.

  Northern

  91

  8·7

  95

  9·3

  120

  11·3

  13·6

  12·6

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  153

  8·6

  165

  9·4

  178

  10·1

  194

  11·1

  East Midlands

  137

  9·3

  152

  10·3

  170

  11·3

  156

  10·6

  East Anglia

  60

  8·4

  82

  11·5

  96

  12·9

  87

  11·6

  South East

  696

  10·5

  793

  11·8

  799

  11·9

  888

  13·2

  South West

  160

  10·4

  192

  11·9

  171

  10·8

  204

  12·3

  West Midlands

  146

  8·0

  170

  9·1

  201

  10·4

  222

  11·7

  North West

  172

  7·8

  224

  9·9

  216

  9·6

  268

  11·9

  Wales

  67

  7·7

  74

  8·3

  91

  10·2

  87

  9·7

  Scotland

  143

  7·9

  144

  7·8

  135

  7·5

  139

  7·7

  Great Britain

  1,826

  9·2

  2,090

  10·4

  2,177

  10·8

  2,382

  11·7

  1. Men aged 16–64, women aged 16–59

  2. Those who in the four weeks prior to interview had taken part in any education or training connected with their job, or a job that they might be able to do in the future. Source: Labour Force Surveys.

  Source Labour Force Surveys.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the part being played by the employment training programme in training the unemployed for jobs in the tourism industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Employment training is playing a valuable part in training unemployed people for jobs in tourism. Several training managers in tourist areas have identified placements with employers in the tourism industry, and are already helping trainees to get training in hotels and catering and related leisure activities. I am pleased with the progress so far.

  Safety (Agriculture)
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to amend the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act to allow for the appointment of safety representatives within the agriculture industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No. The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 already allow for the appointment of safety representatives within the agriculture industry.

  Horse Racing
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act have been brought against companies involved in the equestrian and horse racing industry in each of the last five years for which records are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  During the period 1 April 1983 to 31 March 1988 there were two prosecutions—one in 1986, and one in 1987—brought against companies involved in the equestrian and horse racing industry.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many visits have been made to horse racing and equestrian establishments by the health and safety inspectorate, in each of the last five years for which records are available.
  798
  Mr. Nicholls
  This information is not separately recorded and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers from the equestrian and horse racing industry have been permanently disabled as a result of accidents at work, in each of the last five years for which records are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to strengthen the quota system for the employment of disabled people.

  Mr. Lee
  The quota scheme is among the matters being considered in the internal review of services to people with disabilities which my Department has been undertaking.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many Health and Safety Executive inspectors are permanently dedicated to all aspects of work on the Channel tunnel;

  (2) how many health and Safety Executive inspectors are based at the Channel tunnel complex of works.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Health and Safety Executive inspectors who have inspection responsibility for the Channel tunnel complex are based in the executive's south-east area local office at Ashford, Kent.

  Three inspectors are engaged mainly on Channel tunnel work. They have site inspection responsibilities and also, together with specialists from the executive's technology division based at East Grinstead, advise the Translink Joint Venture consortium on health and safety standards during construction of the tunnel.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the industrial accidents which
  799
  have occurred during work on the construction of the Channel tunnel giving, respectively, the dates, details of the accidents, the names of people injured and the results of any investigations carried out.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to receive the Health and Safety Executive report on the accident which led to the death of Andrew McKenna in January on a Channel tunnel construction site; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive are still investigating the circumstances which led to the death of Andrew McKenna on 23 January 1989. The investigation will continue until all available evidence has been considered.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he proposes to take to reduce the dangers facing construction workers on the Channel tunnel.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The responsibility to provide safe working conditions at the Channel tunnel rests with the contracting companies. The Health and Safety Executive will continue to pursue its inquiries to the highest levels and any enforcement action with determination where safety measures do not achieve the standards required.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ask the Health and Safety Executive to publish an interim report within two weeks on the inquiry they announced into the accident which killed John Symes, a construction worker on the Channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement on the result of the existing inquiry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No. Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive are carrying out an investigation into the circumstances of the accident in the Channel tunnel on 6 February 1989. Information from the investigation will be made available to the employer, employees' representatives and to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has about the death of John Symes as a result of a recent accident on a Channel tunnel construction site; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  John Symes was crushed between an overhead travelling crane and the fixed steelwork of the tunnel boring machine frame on 6 February 1989. Inspectors from the Heath and Safety Executive have begun an investigation into the incident.

  Working Conditions
  Ms. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what initiatives have been undertaken by the Government to comply with the European Commission programme of action to(a) study rules on working conditions in the United Kingdom, (b) establish a standard form of contract, (c) improve procedures on informing and consulting workers and (d) improve contracts of employment and employment relationships not relating to full-time employment of indefinite duration.
  800
  Mr. Lee
  The Commission of the European Community is undertaking a comparative study on working conditions and labour relations in the Member states. On the other issues, there are no proposals currently being considered by the Council of Ministers.

HEALTH

  General Practitioners
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices currently employ practice managers; and what his estimate is of the number of general practitioner practices which would employ practice managers to administer budgets as proposed in the National Health Service White Paper.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We do not collect centrally figures relating to the employment of practice managers by general practitioners. However, a survey in 1986 indicated that in Great Britain there were about 3,000 practice managers working approximately 30 hours a week. Over a quarter of all practices employed practice managers: this ranged from 10 per cent. of single-handed practices to almost 60 per cent. of practices with five or more doctors. We would expect these figures to have increased in the intervening period.

  It will be for general practitioners themselves to decide on the level of support required to administer their practice budgets and whom to employ.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the future changes in general practitioners' list sizes if the proportion of income attributable to capitation fees is increased from 46 Viper cent. to 60 per cent., as proposed in the White Paper, "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We expect GPs' list sizes to settle at levels which enable GPs to provide good quality care to their patients. Patients will be able to judge that care and the service they receive for themselves and will be free to transfer between practices as they choose.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there will be a maximum number of patients a general practitioner can have on his/her list under the National Health Service White Paper.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  At present, the maximum number of patients an individual general practitioner can have on his/her list is 3,500 or, if he/she is in partnership, 4,500 subject to an average of 3,500 for each of the partners in the practice.

  The current arrangements are being considered within the context of the primary care White Paper "Promoting Better Health".

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients of a budget-holding general practitioner practice as proposed under the White Paper, "Working for Health", will be able to top up the budget(a) individually or (b) collectively.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The White Paper, "Working for Patients", makes clear that general practitioner practices participating in the practice budget scheme will be allocated NHS resources for the treatment of patients. I
  801
  have no plans to allow patients individually or collectively to make a personal contribution to the NHS practice budget.

  National Association of Health Authorities
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has considered the recommendations made to his Department in the National Association of Health Authorities' report entitled "Action not Words"; and if he will make a statement.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received a copy of "Action Not Words: A Strategy to Improve Health Services for Black and Minority Ethnic Groups", published by the National Association of Health Authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  When I spoke at its launch last November I welcomed the report and its constructive criticism. In responding to the recommendations addressed specifically to the Department, I said that we

  1. had already begun to integrate ethnic minority health into the review process and that henceforth it would be a standard feature;

  2. saw the value of ethnic monitoring of service delivery and were exploring how it could be developed;

  3. had demonstrated the importance we attached to training;

  4. had taken positive steps to ensure that black and minority ethnic groups were represented on health authorities and FPCs;

  5. acknowledged that the proposed central resource unit had some attractions but needed to consider whether establishing a separate unit was the best way forward.

  In these and other ways we shall continue to seek to improve health services for people from ethnic minorities.

  Social Workers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers approved in connection with the Mental Health Act 1983 have been appointed in each social services authority(a) under transitional assessment arrangements, (b) by examination between 1983 and 1987 and (c) since the examination was discontinued.

  Mr. Mellor
  This information is not collected centrally. It is for individual social services authorities to determine how many approved social workers they need to appoint in the light of local circumstances.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors determined the reduction in the proportion of funds allocated by his Department for directly commissioned research relevant to mental illness from 9·3 per cent. in 1987–88 to 8·2 per cent. in 1988–89.

  Mr. Freeman
  The relative scale of research relevant to mental illness commissioned by the Department varies from year to year in the light of existing and emerging research knowledge, the development of relevant services, and changes in the need for research on other subjects. In 1988–89 £1,307,900 has been made available for directly commissioned research relevant to mental health. In 1987–88 the comparable sum was £1,267,000. Because the total health and personal social services budget has grown, the sum set aside for 1988–89 is a lower percentage of total funds than in 1987–88.
  802
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to the reply of 1 December 1988,Official Report, column 383, to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle), if he will make it his policy to ensure that staff of community care hostels receiving discharged psychiatric patients receive information about the illness from which they previously suffered, or continue to suffer, regardless of the constraints of medical confidence or the wishes of the patient.

  Mr. Mellor
  When a patient is discharged to a hostel in the community, there should be a continuing care plan agreed by hospital staff and those who will be caring for him in the community, and this will usually include information about the patient's illness. The basis of successful care is, however, mutual trust between patients and those involved in their treatment. Giving community care hostel staff information about an individual patient against the wishes of that patient would not be appropriate as it would vitiate that trust.

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

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department provides financial support to a variety of voluntary organisations whose activities may include raising funds by public appeal. However, it is not the policy of the Department to make donations directly into such funds.

  Mentally Handicapped People
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken following publication of the results of the survey funded by his Department in 1987 into the integration of mentally handicapped people into local communities.

  Mr. Freeman
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the summary of a survey undertaken for MENCAP (The Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults) which appeared in the editor's introduction to "Mental Handicap in the Community", edited by Alan Leighton, 1988. The survey was largely funded by the Department as part of its continuing consideration of what it can do to encourage public acceptance of the increasing number of people with a mental handicap receiving care in the community. The survey was in the nature of a pilot project and it would be wrong to over-estimate its reliability. The great majority of people with a mental handicap have always lived in the community and are well accepted there and experience has shown that local action is generally successful in extending this acceptance to others who move into residential care in the community.

  Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centres
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the specialist sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia centres receive mainstream funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information is not collected centrally on local funding arrangements for these clinics.

  Otosporin
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bottles of Otosporin were purchased by the National Health Service during the years 1986–87 and 1987–88 from Burroughes Wellcome in(a) 5ml. sizes and (b) other quantities; and what was the cost in both cases.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not have information in the form requested. The latest information relates to prescriptions assessed by the prescription pricing authority during the calendar year 1987, and is derived from a sample of one in 200 National Health Service prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacy contractors. Usage by the hospital service, and prescriptions dispensed by dispensing doctors, are excluded. On that basis, the total list price of Otosporin purchased was £1,868,000; separate figures are not available for 5m1. or other sizes of Otosporin.

  RAWP System
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the effect on each health region of the cessation of the resources allocation working party system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The arrangements set out in the White Paper "Working for Patients" meet the need to replace RAWP with a simpler method of allocating resources. They retain however the broad principle of relating funding to population; and they will ensure hospitals are funded directly and quickly for treating patients from other regions. The effect of the change will therefore be dominated by population changes and general growth in resources over the next three years; and will be influenced by the arrangements regions negotiate with each other to pay for cross-boundary flows. The pace of change will be carefully managed.

  NHS (Pay)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given to the need for variations in computer software systems related to wage and salary payments of his proposals to introduce variable regional pay levels in the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Health authorities are responsible for paying their own employees. Any adjustments needed to the computer software assisting them in that process is for them to consider.

  Renal Dialysis
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients living in East Cumbria health district attend Newcastle hospital for renal dialysis treatment.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is not held centrally. The hon. Member may however wish to write to the chairman of Newcastle health authority for the information.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are for East Cumbria health district patients needing hospital renal dialysis to receive this treatment in East Cumbria.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Northern regional health authority has approved in principle the provision of renal services at 804
  Cumberland infirmary, Carlisle. The scheme is one of a number competing for funding within the health authority's development programme.

  Benzodiazepines
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimate of the number of people prescribed benzodiazepines for depression over the last five years who are still taking them.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not collect this information centrally.

  Human Organ Sales
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Bloomsbury health authority inquiry into the sale of kidneys at the Wellington Humana has revealed who billed each recipient for the kidney they received as distinct from the operation or the stay in the hospital.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Bloomsbury health authority inquiry so far has not revealed the identity of anyone who may have billed recipients for kidneys received in the cases investigated. Inquiries are continuing.

  "Working for Patients"
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the percentage change in the time general medical practitioners who work in budget holding practices will devote to administration under the proposals in the White Paper, "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I recognise that general medical practitioners may look to other disciplines for the skills associated with managing and controlling budgets. Many large practices already employ practice managers and other administrative support staff. As proposed in the White Paper, "Working for Patients" each practice budget will include a fee, which the Government intends to set at a realistic level, to recognise the management and other costs. This will avoid the need for GPs to spend additional time on administration at the expense of caring for patients.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many administrators are(a) currently employed in the National Health Service and (b) would be employed under the proposals in the White Paper, "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  "Administrators" has been interpreted as administrative and clerical staff in post.

  At 30 September 1987, there were 114,600 whole time equivalent administrative and clerical staff in post in England.

  It is not yet possible to say what effect the White Paper proposals might have on these figures.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether medical audit, as proposed under the National Health Service White Paper, will be extended to private hospitals;

  (2) what steps he intends to take to ensure that medical audit, as proposed under the National Health Service White Paper, is carried out in private hospitals.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I shall be publishing a working paper shortly on the development of medical audit with professionals.
  805
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) who in a district will make the decision about whether a patient can be referred to supra-regional services or supra-district services;

  (2) under the White Paper "Working for Patients", whether prior approval would have to be sought from the patient's district of residence before a patient could be referred to a supra-regional or supra-district service.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The responsibility for referring patients to hospital will continue to rest with GPs and, in the case of referrals from one hospital service to another, with consultants. The Government's proposals for funding supra-regional and supra-district services will be set out in more detail in a working paper which I will be publishing shortly.

  Over-60s
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population is over 60 years(a) currently, (b) in 2000 and (c) in 2020.

  Mr. Freeman
  The most recent estimate of the population of England and Wales indicates that at mid-1987 20·9 per cent. of the population of England and Wales was over 60. The Government Actuary's 1987-based projections indicate that the corresponding percentages for 2000 and 2020 are 20·4 and 23·7 respectively.

  Life Expectation
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current number of years of expectation of life at birth for(a) males, and (b) females in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Freeman
  The latest available data from the Government Actuary's Department indicate that for the period 1984–86 the life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom was 71·7 years for males and 77·5 years for females.

  Infant Deaths
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current number of deaths in the United Kingdom per 1,000 live births of(a) infants under one year old, and (b) children under five years old.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information is shown in the table. The latest year for which data are available is 1987.

  Number of deaths and rates per 1,000 live births for (a) infants under one year old, and (b) children under five years old—United Kingdom

  Number

  1Rate

  Under 1

  7,077

  9·1

  0·4 years

  8,284

  10·7

  1 Per 1,000 livebirths.

  Community Health Councils
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether extra resources will be provided to support community health councils to represent local community interests once local authority representatives have been removed from health authorities, as proposed in the National Health Service White Paper.
  806
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I do not accept that health authority members appointed by local authorities were intended to fulfil the role described. As the White Paper says, the interests of the local community will continue (as they have in the past) to be represented by community health councils which act as a channel for consumer views. They receive adequate resources for that purpose and the White Paper does not impose any additional duties or burdens upon them.

  Waiting Lists
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the median waiting times for each district health authority in England and Wales for(a) hip replacements, (b) hernia operations and (c) cataract removals.

  Mr. Mellor
  Reliable information about median waiting times for specific procedures is not yet available under the new hospital episode system (HES). The sample numbers under the old hospital in-patient inquiry (HIPE) system were too small for reliable estimates to be made about individual procedures at district level.

  Questions about Wales are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Out-of-area Health Care
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated outside their district of residence in the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  In 1985, the latest year for which this information is available centrally, an estimated 1·38 million people were treated in NHS non-maternity, non-psychiatric hospitals outside their district of residence.

  AIDS
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the numbers of AIDS patients reported in each of the following health authority areas: Riverside, Parkside, Bloomsbury, West Lambeth, Hampstead, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Camberwell; and what are the major hospitals in each district.

  Mr. Mellor
  The table shows the cumulative total of AIDS cases and deaths up to the end of December 1988 in each of the districts requested. These data are by health authority of the reporting doctor. The major hospitals listed in each district are those from which 10 or more cases were first reported to CDSC by the end of January 1989.

  Cumulative total of cases

  Deaths

  Major hospitals

  Riverside

  477

  220

  Charing Cross

  St. Stephen's

  Westminster

  West London

  Parkside

  287

  152

  St. Mary's

  Bloomsbury

  210

  115

  University College and Middlesex

  West Lambeth

  69

  32

  St. Thomas'

  Hampstead

  43

  16

  Royal Free

  Tower Hamlets

  43

  28

  The London (Whitechapel)

  807

  Cumulative total of cases

  Deaths

  Major hospitals

  Wandsworth

  36

  18

  St. George's

  Camberwell

  35

  20

  St. Giles'

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice is given to health authorities about the disposal of clinical waste from AIDS patients;

  (2) what precautions are taken for the disposal of sharps used in the treatment of AIDS patients.

  Mr. Mellor
  A code of guidance produced by the Health and Safety Commission for the safe dispersal of clinical waste has been sent to all health authorities with health notice HN(82)22, a copy of which is in the Library. Health authorities were required to review their policies for the handling, transporting and disposal of clinical waste which includes infectious waste and sharps used in the treatment of AIDS patients.

  Genetic Diseases
  Sir Ian Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, in view of the recent allocation of additional funds for research and development, he will change the criteria of the supra-regional services advisory group to include laboratory services as well as clinical services and take steps to promote recognition of the supra-regional services in the field of genetic metabolic diseases at Guy's hospital.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. The present arrangements for designating and funding supra-regional services were agreed after extensive discussions between the Department, regional health authorities and the joint consultants committee. I would not expect changes to the supra-regional services except those that may occur as a result of the implementation of the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Sir Ian Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements have been made within the National Health Service to diagnose and treat patients with genetic diseases after the closure of the purine research laboratory at Guy's hospital in March;

  (2) what information he has about the availability in other western European countries of diagnostic and research services related to purine disorders; and whether it is his intention that work in this field should continue in the United Kingdom;

  (3) what arrangements he is making to ensure that after the closure of the purine research laboratory at Guy's hospital in March the work now being done to achieve the first human gene implant involving the purine disorder adenosine deaminase deficiency will be continued.

  Mr. Freeman
  Purine disorders include a wide range of metabolic diseases (e.g. phenylkelonuria, gout). It is likely that most western European medical teaching centres provide some diagnostic and research facilities for diseases included in this category. In this country decisions as to facilities for diagnosis are a matter for local health authorities in the light of their assessment of local needs and priorities. The main Government agency for the promotion of medical research is the Medical Research Council. I understand that they are conducting research into purine.
  808
  No firm decision has yet been taken on the cessation of the diagnostic and treatment service provided by the purine research laboratory at Guy's hospital. The laboratory's research work, which is separately funded through grants, is continuing.

  Clinical Waste Disposal
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take against the company Specialist Waste Management; and if he will require health authorities to instigate an investigation into the clinical waste disposal practices of the contractors they are using.

  Mr. Mellor
  Health authorities are responsible for the arrangements to dispose of their clinical waste and any action that needs to be taken against a waste disposal contractor is a matter for the contracting health authority.

  We believe that such waste should be incinerated and we understand that the contract between Riverside HA and Specialist Waste Management required the contractor to incinerate its clinical waste. The contract has been terminated.

  Food Poisoning
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died through food poisoning where the cause of the illness has been traced to the consumption of untreated milk in the last five years for which records are available.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Confirmed reports to the public health laboratory service show that during the last five years in England and Wales there has been only one outbreak of food poisoning resulting in deaths where the consumption of raw milk was responsible for or contributed to the deaths. This was in 1984 when there were eight deaths.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the provisional 1988 figures for the number of people suffering food poisoning where the cause of the illness has been traced to the consumption of untreated milk;

  (2) how many people have suffered food poisoning in each of the last five years for which final records are available where the cause of the food poisoning has been traced to the consumption of untreated milk.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Confirmed reports to the PHLS show that numbers of cases of food poisoning associated with the consumption of raw milk in England and Wales in the years from 1982 to 1988 are as follows:

  Year

  Number of cases

  1982

  612

  1983

  283

  1984

  406

  1985

  233

  1986

  347

  1987

  366

  11988

  22

  1 Provisional.

  White Paper (Costs)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the money allocated to the launch of the National Health Service White Paper has been spent.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The sum of £1,250,000 has been allocated and spent on the launch of the White Paper.

  Thyroid Cancer
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidences of thyroid cancer were within a 10-mile radius of(a) Liverpool, (b) Faslane, (c) Holy

  Number of (a) newly diagnosed cases, (b) death registrations (underlying cause of death) for malignant neoplasm of the thyroid ICD (9) 1931 by area of usual residence and sex, 1984, 1987

  County district/Metropolitan county district of usual residence

  1984 Registrations

  1984 Deaths

  1987 Deaths

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Liverpool

  4

  8

  1

  2

  1

  5

  Southampton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Plymouth

  1

  1

  0

  1

  2

  1

  Cardiff

  0

  2

  0

  1

  1

  0

  Vale of Glamorgan (includes Barry)

  1

  2

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1 International Classification of Diseases (ninth revision). Figures are for all ages except 1987 (at age 28 days and over).

  NHS (Inspectors)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will consider the establishment of Her Majesty's inspectors to monitor National Health Service facilities.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 20 January 1989]: No. As explained in the White Paper "Working For Patients" it is for district health authorities to ensure that their population has access to a comprehensive range of high quality services. Regional health authorities are responsible for monitoring the performance of their DHAs.

  Abortions
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women presenting for abortions in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available had already had previous abortions.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 24 January 1989]: The notification form for abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 requires information about previous abortions to the woman concerned to be recorded, distinguishing between spontaneous miscarriages and legal terminations.
  810
  Loch, (d) Rosyth, (e) Southampton, (f) Plymouth, (g) Portsmouth, (h) Cardiff and (i) Barry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 7 February 1989]: The exact information requested is not readily available.

  Data are readily available for county/metropolitan county districts, and the table shows data for those districts containing the requested locations in England and Wales. Registration data are given for 1984, which is the latest available, and mortality data are shown for that year and for 1987.

  Data for areas in Scotland are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  The number of notifications for England and Wales in 1987 (the latest available year) where at least one previous legal termination to the woman had taken place is 33,294. This represents 19·1 per cent. of all notifications for that year. These previous legal terminations, which include previous legal abortions under the 1967 Act, also include those which occurred outside Great Britain and were therefore not carried out under the Act.

  The number of notifications for England and Wales in 1987 where at least one previous spontaneous miscarriage to the woman had taken place is 12,249. This represents 7 per cent. of all notifications for that year.

  Notifications having at least one previous spontaneous miscarriage and also at least one previous legal termination, and women having more than one abortion under the Act in 1987 will be counted more than once in the statistics.

  Mill Road Artificial Appliance Centre, Liverpool
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the upgrading of facilities at the Mill road artificial appliance centre, Liverpool

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 31 January 1989]: These are matters for the Disablement Services Authority, to which the hon. Member should address this question.

  WATER PURIFICATION: RESPONSIBILITY FOR COSTS
  WATER PURIFICATION: RESPONSIBILITY FOR COSTS
  WATER PRIVATISATION: SURPLUS LAND
  WATER PRIVATISATION: SURPLUS LAND
  MINERAL HYDROCARBONS IN FOOD
  MINERAL HYDROCARBONS IN FOOD