Written Answers of 17 July 1989

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Fermanagh (Ministerial Visits)
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last visited either Newtownbutler or Rosslea Royal Ulster Constabulary stations in south-east Fermanagh; and what was the cost of the security operation thus entailed.

  Mr. Tom King
  I have not visited Newtownbutler, but I visited Rosslea RUC station in December 1985. In the last 12 months I have visited three RUC stations in the same area and the nearby army headquarters at Lisnaskea. Information on the costs is not held in the form requested.

  Criminal Injury Compensation Order
  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often the discretion given by article 8(4) of the Northern Ireland Criminal Injury Compensation Order has been exercised in favour of a person denied compensation as a result of article 6(3) of the order.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Three times.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Teachers
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many incentive posts for teachers are currently available; what is the financial remuneration for each grade; what were the comparable figures three years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  The value and estimated number of incentive allowances in ordinary schools in October 1987 (the first year) and September 1988 are set out in the table:

  October 1987

  September 1988

  Value (£)

  Number

  1Value (£)

  Number

  A

  501

  25,000

  858

  43,000

  B

  1,002

  69,000

  1,284

  59,600

  C

  2,001

  —

  2,568

  9,300

  D

  3,000

  28,500

  3,426

  27,000

  E

  4,200

  6,500

  4,710

  9,000

  Total

  129,000

  174,600

  1 From 1 April 1989.

  There will be an further 27,500 As, 2,500 Bs, 1,500 Cs and 500 Ds from this September as a result of the recommendations of the interim advisory committee and plans already in the pipeline.

  Language Schools
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received representations from local authorities seeking the statutory control of language schools.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has received no such representations.

  Learning Difficulties
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will consider giving moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty schools discretion over putting(a) French or (b) any other foreign language in their curriculum;

  (2) if he will detail those elements of the national curriculum that are applicable to the moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty special schools;

  (3) if moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty schools can work to their own curriculum so as to dispense with the national curriculum;

  (4) if moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty schools can modify the whole of the national curriculum.

  Mr. Butcher
  All maintained schools, including all maintained special schools, must meet the national curriculum requirements in full, including the requirement to teach a modern foreign language to all registered pupils in the third key stage (age 12 to14). We do not intend to except any category of school from this requirement. Children of all abilities, including children with moderate or severe learning difficulties, can benefit from the breadth and balance of the national curriculum. Within each national curriculum subject area, attainment targets and programmes of study are being developed to meet the needs of children of different abilities and maturities. For pupils with statements of special educational needs (SEN) under the 1981 Act, provision may be made, on an individual basis, to modify or disapply as necessary any or all of the elements of the national curriculum. The national curriculum does not come into force for pupils with statements of SEN until 1 August 1990.

  Student Unions
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's review of student union membership;

  (2) when he expects the results of his Department's review of student unions will be announced; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  We hope shortly to publish the factual analysis of the Department's survey of student unions.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received concerning his Department's review of student unions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer to my replies to the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on 12 April 1989 at column 526, to my hon. Friend and to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington and Chelsea (Mr. Fishburn), both on 6 June 1989 at column 15. We have since received a further

  3
  19 letters concerned mainly with the National Union of Students, of which 15 were critical of present arrangements for membership and funding.

  Single Market
  Mr. Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans his Department is making to mark the arrival of the open market of 1 January 1993 with educational exchanges or other events.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department is co-operating within the European Community in the development and implementation of appropriate programmes. In addition we have successful and expanding bilateral educational exchange and other programmes with our European partners.

  Community Charge
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of(a) young people of 19 years of age or more attending schools, (b) young people of 19 years of age or more attending sixth form colleges and (c) young people of 19 years of age or more attending colleges specified in the Personal Community Charge (Students) Regulations 1989 where they are studying for GCE A-levels or other courses which are taught in schools or sixth form colleges; and if he will make a statement of the effect of liability for poll tax and entitlement to the student 80 per cent. non-means-tested relief on the educational choices of young people.

  Mr. Jackson
  In January 1988 the number of pupils aged 19 and over attending maintained and non-maintained schools (excluding sixth form colleges) in England was 2,078; attending sixth form colleges was 692. The number of full-time students aged 19 enrolled on GCE or GCSE courses lasting 18 weeks or more on 1 November 1987 (the latest date for which figures are available) was approximately 4,000.

  School pupils aged over 18 will be liable for the full community charge, but the great majority of them will be eligible for an 80 per cent. rebate on the basis of their low incomes and resources. Full-time students will be liable to pay only 20 per cent. of the community charge. For most 19-year-olds in full-time education there will therefore be no difference in the amount paid in community charge, whether the education is undertaken in schools, sixth form colleges or colleges of further and higher education.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to introduce a top-up student loan scheme for current undergraduate student nurses in 1990–91.

  Mr. Jackson
  Future arrangements for the support of undergraduates studying nursing are under consideration in the context of Project 2000.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  George Belitsky
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russian authorities about their continued failure to grant an exit visa to George Belitsky of Moscow.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have underlined our concern about George Belitsky to the Soviet authorities on numerous occasions over the past year—most recently during the Paris human rights conference in June. The Russians continue to refuse to grant a visa on security grounds which we find wholly unconvincing. We shall continue to press the case.

  Mark Berenfeld
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russian authorities about their continued failure to grant exit visas to Mark Berenfeld and his family who first applied for a visa in 1977.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We made representations to the Soviet authorities about the Berenfeld family shortly before Mr. Gorbachev's visit in April, and were told that the family would be given permission to leave. We shall raise the case again with the Soviet authorities if visas are not issued shortly.

  Ester and Simon Tsirelson
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russian authorities about their continued failure to grant exit visas to Ester and Simon Tsirelson of Leningrad who first applied for an exit visa in 1979.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have pressed the Soviet authorities about the Tsirelson case on numerous occasions during the past year—most recently at the Paris CSCE human rights conference in June. They now claim that the case is under re-consideration. We shall continue to make representations until the family is allowed to leave.

  Entry Clearance
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the current waiting times both actual and estimated, and the numbers awaiting interview abroad for the following queues:(a) persons with a claim to the right of abode, dependent relatives over 70 years, special compassionate cases, (b) all spouses and all children under 18, (c) fiancées applying for the first time and (d) re-applicants for the following posts: (i) New Delhi, (ii) Bombay, (iii) Dhaka, (iv) Islamabad, (v) Karachi, (vi) Nairobi and (vii) Dar Es-Salaam.

  Mr. Eggar
  As at 31 May 1989 waiting times (in months) to first interview at posts in the Indian sub-continent were as follows:
  5

  Waiting times in months

  Post

  Queue

  Actual

  Estimated

  New Delhi

  1

  0

  0

  2

  4

  4

  3

  5

  6

  4

  8

  9

  Bombay

  1

  2

  2

  2

  6

  6

  3

  9

  9

  4

  10

  10

  Dhaka

  1

  3

  3

  2

  6

  6

  3

  6

  6

  4

  22

  22

  Islamabad

  1

  3

  3

  2

  10

  10

  3

  16

  16

  4

  22

  22

  Karachi

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  2

  3

  2

  2

  4

  6

  6

  Settlement queues are organised as follows:

  Q1

  Persons with a claim to the right of abode, dependent relatives over 70 years, special compassionate cases.

  Q2

  All spouses, and all children under 18 years.

  Q3

  Fiancé(e)s and others applying for the first time for settlement.

  Q4

  Re-applicants.

  Posts in Nairobi and Dar Es-Salaam do not operate a queue system along the lines of Indian subcontinent posts. Current waiting times to first interview for all types of settlement applications are:

  Weeks

  Dar Es-Salaam

  5

  Nairobi

  4

  Raoul Wallenberg
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ask the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to make a new statement about the alleged death of Mr. Raoul Wallenberg; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The leader of the Soviet delegation at the recent human rights conference in Paris acknowledged that Raoul Wallenberg had been a "noble person" and had been murdered "by dark forces". We do not, of course, consider this a satisfactory explanation and will continue to press for the full story. But it may at least be a step nearer to the truth.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning the case of Mr. Raoul Wallenberg; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We receive a number of representations which reflect concern in this country that the fate of Raoul Wallenberg remains unknown. In an era of glasnost the Soviet Union does itself a disservice by failing to resolve widespread concern about this heroic figure.

  Single Market
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department is making to mark the arrival of the open market of 1 January 1993 with exchanges, exhibitions, or other events.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The next United Kingdom presidency of the EC falls in the second half of 1992, coinciding with the end of the period leading up to completion of the single market. We are considering how best to mark the occasion.

  Bulgaria
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the extent of the enforced exodus of ethnic Turks from Bulgaria.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We understand that over 130,000 members of Bulgaria's Turkish minority have fled to Turkey since mid-May. It seems that the first wave, perhaps numbering several thousand, were deported but that the vast majority of later arrivals left Bulgaria voluntarily, albeit as a result of long-term harassment.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Bulgarian authorities concerning human rights abuses perpetrated against ethnic Turks.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs protested to the Bulgarian ambassador on 1 June about his Government's policy towards the Turkish minority. We have also taken the matter up in Sofia, and our delegation to the Paris conference on the "human dimension" of the CSCE raised it on numerous occasions.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning human rights abuses perpetrated against ethnic Turks by the Bulgarian authorities.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We receive frequent representations about human rights violations affecting Bulgaria's Turkish minority. We have long had a policy of taking all appropriate opportunities of expressing our concern to the Bulgarian authorities, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.

  Immigration
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give for the different parts of the Indian subcontinent the latest information he has on the length of time from application for entry clearance to first interview for those now being interviewed, and the expected time for those applying now for(a) fiancés, (b) husbands, (c) wives and (d) dependent children.

  Mr. Eggar
  As at 31 May 1989 waiting times (in months) for first interview at posts in the Indian subcontinent were as follows:
  7

  Wives and children with right of abode (Q1)

  Other, husbands, wives and dependant children (Q2)

  Fiancé(e)s (Q3)

  (a)

  (e)

  (a)

  (e)

  (a)

  (e)

  Bombay

  2

  2

  6

  6

  9

  9

  Delhi

  0

  0

  4

  4

  5

  6

  Dhaka

  3

  3

  6

  6

  6

  6

  Islamabad

  3

  3

  10

  10

  16

  16

  Karachi

  1

  1

  2

  2

  2

  2

  (a) Actual time those interviewed in May 1989 waited.

  (e) Estimated time to interview for applications lodged in May.

  There are no queues in Calcutta and Madras.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has made complaining about the denial of human rights in the last five years in Bangladesh.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have made a number of representations about human rights to the Bangladesh authorities over the past five years but the precise information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many representations he has made complaining about the denial of human rights in the last five years in the Bahamas;

  (2) how many representations he has made complaining about the denial of human rights in the last five years in Botswana;

  (3) how many representations he has made complaining about the denial of human rights in the last five years in Guam.

  Mr. Eggar
  None.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has made complaining about the denial of human rights in the last five years in Bulgaria.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have made a number of representations about human rights in Bulgaria to their authorities over the last five years, but the precise information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  PLO (Gift)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will instruct Her Majesty's ambassador in Riyadh to protest to the Saudi Arabian authorities about their gift of six million US dollars to the Palestine Liberation Organisation on 4 July to finance violence on the West Bank; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No. The decisions of the Casablanca summit show that Saudi Arabia supports the PLO's efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement in the middle east.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, during the Minister of State's recent meeting with Bassam Abu Sharif, the Minister raised the statement in call No. 42 issued by the Palestine Liberation Organisation on 3 July, that 16 July 8
  should be designated as petrol bomb day, with the stepping up of petrol bomb attacks against West Bank settlers or the Israeli defence forces; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No. The PLO is well aware of our view, which I repeated to Bassam Abu Sharif, that the intifada should be pursued with the utmost restraint.

  Italy (Consular Assistance)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar), has transferred to the Department of Social Security the recent letter to him from the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton regarding consular assistance in Italy for N. A., a constituent of the hon. Member, who was dismissed from his employment by Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Ltd. while still in hospital; and whether he will now discuss the case with the Italian ambassador, following his Excellency's letter to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton dated 8 June, a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mr. Eggar
  The letter referred to covered social security payments in Italy, a matter which is properly for the Department of Social Security. That Department is currently in correspondence with the Italian authorities. It would therefore be inappropriate for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to discuss the case with the Italian ambassador.

  Forward Programmes (EC)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government receives copies of the European Communities Commission's annual forward programme, three month forward programme and draft documents of forthcoming legislation; and if he will ensure that these are provided as soon as possible to the relevant parliamentary Committees.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Copies of the Commission's annual work programme for 1989 were placed in the Library of the House earlier this year. We understand that the Commission would be prepared for its three-month forward programmes, which are supplied to the European Parliament for planning purposes, to be passed to national Parliaments. All Commission proposals for draft legislation submitted to the Council of Ministers are deposited in the House, normally within 48 hours of receipt in London.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the development within Third world countries of chemical industries with a capacity to make chemical weapons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are in no way opposed to the development of chemical industries for peaceful purposes. We are, however, concerned that chemical industries, wherever they are located, should not contribute to the production of chemical weapons. Pending the achievement of a comprehensive ban on chemical weapons which would include verification that chemical weapon agents were not being produced in industry, we and a number of other chemical producing countries have imposed controls on the export of those chemicals which are key precursors for chemical weapons. We have urged other producing countries to follow suit.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Lomé IV
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the overall state of Lomé IV negotiations.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The Lomé IV negotiations are making satisfactory progress and should be concluded by the end of the year. The next ACP-EC ministerial negotiating meeting is in Luxembourg on 10–12 October. I am participating in another round of discussions with my Community colleagues on 17 July.

  ACP Countries
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the top five imports in both the European Economic Community in general and Great Britain from the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The top five European Community imports from ACP states in 1987 were oil (4·26 billion ecu), coffee (1·61 billion ecu), cocoa (1·35 billion ecu), copper (0·55 billion ecu) and wood (0·55 billion ecu). (Source: European Commission "Principle EC imports from ACP states 1983–87"; 1987 exchange rate £1 = 1·41 ecu).

  Comparable figures for individual member states are not published by the Commission and the information requested for United Kingdom imports is not readily available from United Kingdom statistics.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on studies comparing the shock and gradualist approach of disbursing aid to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I have no information about such studies.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current quota on the European market under the terms of the sugar protocol to the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
  10
  Mr. Chris Patten
  Under the sugar protocol to the Lomé convention, the European Community undertakes for an indefinite period to purchase and import each year at guaranteed prices 1·3 million tonnes (white sugar equivalent) of cane sugar from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. This total is divided into national quotas among the ACP signatories.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current rate of exports from the African, Caribbean and Pacific to(a) the European Economic Community and (b) Great Britain.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In 1987 total ACP exports to the European Community were 16·37 billion ecu(Source: European Commission "Principle EC imports from ACP states 1983–87"); and to the United Kingdom 2·37 billion ecu (Source: Eurostat Monthly External Trade Statistics) (1987 exchange rate: £1 = 1·41 ecu).

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the declaration made on 5 June in Brussels to ban all traffic of toxic waste to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries has been upheld.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  At the ACP-EC ministerial negotiating meeting on 3–5 June, the European Community indicated that it was willing in principle to agree to an ACP request that the Community should ban the export of toxic waste to the ACP. Negotiations are continuing on the means of implementing such a ban.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the request from Mr. Seydina Oumar Sy, the Senegalese trade minister, on behalf of his African, Caribbean and Pacific colleagues, for the European Community to put extra money into the Lomé arrangement for structural adjustment has been met.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  European Community member states have not yet discussed the level of resources to be provided under the next Lomé convention.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which rules have been eased in regard to African, Caribbean and Pacific industrial products entering the European Community duty free, as promised by Mr. Manuel Martin, the European Community development Commissioner.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In the current renegotiation of the Lomé convention the Commission has proposed a number of improvements to the rules of origin. We support these concessions. The Council is considering its position on the Commission proposals. This will then be put to the ACP in the next round of the negotiations. The objective is agreement by the end of December.

  European Investment Bank
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current rate of additional Lomé aid provided by the European Investment bank.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Under the third Lomé convention the European Investment bank agreed to make loans from its
  11
  own resources of up to 1,100 million ecu (about £750 million). Commitments up to 30 June 1989 totalled some 490 million ecu (about £330 million).

  Sysmin
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current state of the Sysmin facility.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The third Lomé convention includes an allocation of 415 million ecu (about £280 million) for the Sysmin facility. Commitments up to 30 June 1989 totalled some 65 million ecu (about £44 million).

ENVIRONMENT

  Radon
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce)Official Report, 28 June, column 955, if he will publish the statistical evidence for radon emissions in Cornwall making it 80 times more dangerous to live there than in Copeland.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The average radiation dose per person from radon in Cornwall is 6·3 millisieverts per year. This is about 80 times the annual average dose of below 0·08 millisieverts for Copeland from the discharges at Sellafield. For further information I refer the hon. Member to the 1988 "Review of Radiation Exposure of the UK Population" published by the National Radiological Protection Board. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Dioxins
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor)Official Report, 28 June, column 955, he will identify by title and date of publication the report on dioxins to which he referred.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The title of the report is "Dioxins in the Environment", Pollution Paper No. 27 (ISBN 0 11 752229 5) published by HMSO on 22 June. Copies are in the Library.

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. O'Brien)Official Report, 23 February, column 704, concerning declaration of interest by chairs and members of urban development corporations, he will state any exception to the normal requirements of chairs set out therein; and if he will make it his policy to publish, on request of any hon. or right hon. Member, for any urban development corporation, the occasions when members of corporations have written to the relevant chair, together with the circumstances and action taken on each occasion.

  Mr. Trippier
  We have made no exceptions to the normal requirements concerning declarations of interest. Chairmen and members are given full advice on this matter and their conditions are set out in their terms of 12
  appointment. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State would not wish to publish correspondence between members and their chairmen on such matters.

  Pollution, River Dart
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many outlets empty raw sewage into the Dart between Totnes and Dartmouth; how many of these outlets treat sewage in any way; and if he will make a statement on the quality of water currently in the Dart.

  Mr. Howard
  There are three major discharges of sewage into the Dart estuary: the Dartmouth combined outfall which discharges macerated sewage, the Coronation park outfall at Dartmouth which discharges crude sewage and the Totnes sewage treatment works which discharges treated sewage. Smaller sewage treatment works at Dittisham, Galmpton and Stoke Gabriel discharge treated sewage. There are another 80 or so very small and intermittent private discharges from houses or farms which discharge crude sewage directly into the estuary.

  The most recent river quality survey assessments showed that both the estuary and the river were of the highest quality (class A and class 1A respectively), except for a small stretch between Totnes weir and Riverford bridge which was class 1B. In recent weeks an algae bloom has developed in the estuary which has temporarily reduced the quality. Such blooms are a natural phenomenon in the early summer months.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to ensure that no person pays more than one community charge in respect of second homes which are used by only one person.

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to monitoring the impact of the arrangements for standard community charges on second homes on the effectiveness of the community charge in relating payment to services provided.

  Mr. Gummer
  The impact of the standard community charge on owners of second homes will vary with the personal circumstances of owners, and with both the levels of community charge determined and the multipliers chosen by local authorities. We shall keep these matters under review in the usual way.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the liability to poll tax of(a) young people at school, (b) young people in sixth form colleges specified in the Personal Community Charge (Students) Regulations 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  I assume that the hon. Gentleman is referring to the community charge.

  My Department discussed the definition of full-time students with representatives of local authorities and educational establishments before preparing these regulations. Young people who remain in full-time secondary

  13
  education beyond their 18th birthday are exempt from the community charge for as long as their parents are entitled to claim child benefit on their behalf.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the effects of the ring-fencing of housing revenue accounts on the level of community charge, using the illustrative 1988–89 figures, for each charging authority.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 13 July 1989]: As I have previously told the hon. Member, our practice is to publish only figures based on current responsibilities and expenditure patterns. There will be a number of changes in local government responsibilities from April 1990. It would not be appropriate to single out one particular change nor to attempt to predict the effect at the local level of one or more changes while details remain to be settled.

  Shopping Centres, Manchester
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a decision on the eight large out-of-town retail shopping centres around Manchester.

  Mr. Howard
  Consideration of these proposals is well advanced; I hope to make announcements about them very soon.

  Pollution Control
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money is to be made available to the National Rivers Authority for the establishment of a computer system for pollution control.

  Mr. Ridley
  The National Rivers Authority is at present considering its long-term requirements for information technology, including computer systems for pollution control. These, and their expenditure implications, will be considered in the context of discussions on the NRA's corporate plan. In the meantime, the schemes of transfer under schedule 2 of the Water Act 1989 will provide the NRA with the resources and equipment it needs to carry out its statutory responsibilities for pollution control and other matters.

  Water
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the disclosure of information by water public limited companies in the event of the privatisation of the existing water authorities; and what changes are proposed to the policies governing the information water authorities currently have to make available to the public.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 12 July 1989]: The Water Act 1989 and the proposed conditions of appointment of water and sewerage undertakers under the 1989 Act, contain a wide range of requirements for making information available to the public, either directly or through the Secretary of State, the National Rivers Authority, or the Director General. For example, water undertakers will be required for the first time to publish information about the quality of water supplied for domestic purposes, both regularly and in response to individual requests for information. The National Rivers
  14
  Authority will be required to maintain a public register including matters such as details of analyses of samples of effluent discharged by sewerage undertakers into controlled waters.

  The Director General's register, which will also be a public document, will contain all key matters concerning appointments, and include information such as undertakings under section 20(5)(b) relating to compliance programmes. Under section 34, the Secretary of State may arrange for the publication of information connected with the carrying out of water and sewerage functions as may appear to be in the public interest to publish. And the Director General's annual report which must be laid before Parliament, will contain a general survey of developments within the scope of his functions. These information requirements, in addition to those applicable to registered limited companies, will replace those applicable to the water authorities as public sector bodies. They greatly extend and improve the availability of published information.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make it his policy that full information should be accessible to the public in respect of statutory water companies to at least the same extent as any ordinary public limited company.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 12 July 1989]: Under the Water Act 1989 statutory water companies would on the transfer date be appointed as water undertakers for their present areas of supply and the information requirements of that Act, which exceed those for an ordinary public limited company, will apply.

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the synopsis of the actual business property revaluations, as carried out by the Inland Revenue in preparation for the introduction of the uniform business rate; and whether he will send a copy to the hon. Member for Tatton.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 14 July 1989]: Under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 the valuation officer is required to deposit draft rating lists by 31 December 1989. It is unlikely that the lists will be ready much before that date. I placed in the Library on 15 February the summary of a sample survey by the Inland Revenue of the effects of the uniform business rate and the revaluation, I shall send the hon. Member a copy.

  Land Reclamation, Leigh
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost in each year of the work, to each contributing body, of the Higher Folds, Leigh, land reclamation scheme.

  Mr. Trippier
  The total cost of the Higher Folds, Leigh land reclamation scheme was £2·4 million. The Department of the Environment paid derelict land grant on this scheme as follows:

  £

  1976–77

  31,184

  1977–78

  395,767

  1978–79

  721,534

  15

  £

  1979–80

  226,803

  1980–81

  202,152

  1981–82

  181,898

  1982–83

  134,743

  1983–84

  62,713

  1984–85

  47,750

  1985–86

  1,739

  The balance was met by the Greater Manchester council. Information on the cost to it in each year of the work is not readily available.

  Merseyside Development Corporation
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Merseyside development corporation; what representations he has received about the construction of a power station within the Merseyside development corporation's planning area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have regular discussions with the chairman of the Merseyside development corporation and recently I met the MDC board to discuss its corporate plan for the next three years. A proposal for the construction of a power station was considered by the Merseyside development corporation earlier this year, alongside other development options for the preferred site. I was informed of the issues under discussion by the MDC and other interested parties. It was for the MDC to decide the development strategy for the site, and it resolved to pursue a mixed-use strategy. Private developers are now drawing up proposals for consideration by the MDC.

TRANSPORT

  Network SouthEast (Stock and Equipment)
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investment proposals by British Rail he has approved for new passenger stock and equipment on the Network SouthEast lines to Tonbridge, Ashford and Dover.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend has received no recent investment proposals from British Rail about these lines. Network SouthEast's services will benefit from the resignalling works between Chislehurst and Dover, part of the major programme of investment which the Government have approved in principle, to allow Channel tunnel rail services to begin operating in 1993. Network SouthEast is planning to replace rolling stock on outer suburban services in Kent with new networker trains in the mid-1990s. I look forward to receiving British Rail's investment proposals for the new stock when they have been finalised.

  Railways (Vacancies)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the chairman of British Rail of the total of unfilled vacancies for each region of the rail network.

  Mr. Portillo
  These details are management matters for the British Railways board.

  Underground Ticket Gates
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects London Regional Transport to publish the independent review of the safety of the Underground ticket gates.

  Mr. Portillo
  LRT has published the report today. Copies are being placed in the Library of the House together with copies of LRT's response. The report is a comprehensive, independent assessment by consulting engineers, Mott MacDonald, of the safety of the new automatic ticket gates being introduced on the London Underground.

  The report concludes that the gate system is basically suited to the safe operation of the Underground. The consultants confirm that in general the gates provide better evacuation routes than the traditional barrier line by providing more exit aisles. The gates were not found to impede access for the emergency services or to present a fire or electrical hazard. Compared with totally open stations the consultants consider that the gates contribute to safety by providing a method of exercising crowd control.

  Sixty detailed recommendations are made. The recommendations cover modifications to the design, installation and layout of the gate equipment and improvements to the maintenance, operations and staff training arrangements. Where extra gates are considered necessary at particular stations to cope with the growing number of passengers, appropriate recommendations have been made. The railway inspectorate and the London fire brigade have been consulted about the findings.

  London Underground has agreed to implement all the recommendations with the exception of one temporary measure for which an alternative arrangement is proposed to achieve the same objective.

  The majority of recommendations will be implemented within 12 months. LRT reports that 18 of the recommendations have already been completed or work put in hand. The estimated cost of complying with all the recommendations is estimated by LRT to be between £5 million to £10 million.

  Motor Fishing Vessel Inspire
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to examine why his Department's report on the foundering of motor fishing vessel Inspire on 5 September 1988 does not mention that a mayday call to the coastguard was made at about 3 pm on 5 September and not acted upon; whether he will institute a further inquiry to establish the true facts, circumstances and cause of the loss, taking account of all the information made available at last week's inquest; whether he will consider if any disciplinary action is appropriate; if he will examine the effect of the delay on the fate of the fishermen and whether any recompense to their families is appropriate as a result; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department's report does mention the call which was sent. Paragraph 6.8 of the report says:"When he"
  (Mr. Skinner, the sole survivor)
  "knew the boat was sinking he sent a distress signal over the VHF but had no time to give a position as the boat turned over upside down. This call evoked no response."
  17
  The Department's inquiries included examination of why this was so, and found that no call recognisable as a distress call from the Inspire was received by Her Majesty's Coastguard. No delay was found in search and rescue once the alarm was raised, and I note that at the inquest the coroner said
  "The Coastguard acted with promptness and efficiency. No question of disciplinary action or of recompense because of delay therefore arises."

  The inspector carried out a most thorough investiga-tion into the casualty, and I am satisfied with his conclusions as to its cause. There is no intention of ordering any further inquiry.

  River Terminal (Liverpool)
  Mr. David Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects a decision to be made by the European Commission on the proposal by the port of Liverpool to construct a river terminal for Irish sea traffic; when the application was lodged; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Portillo
  The port's application for a grant from the European regional development fund was lodged with the Commission on 1 December 1988. I have no information as to when the Commission will reach a decision.

  Motorway Service Areas
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals there are to(a) provide additional motorway service areas and (b) extend existing motorway service areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Government's strategic programme for the provision of new motorway service areas (MSAs) is as follows:

  M4 Reading area

  M11 Birchanger J8

  M18 Hatfield J4–5

  M20 Hollingbourne J8; Westenhanger J11

  M25 Thurrock J30–31; Clacket Lane J5–6; Iver J15–16

  M27 Meon J9–10

  M40 Ardley; Barn Hill; Stokenchurch area

  M42 Tamworth J10; Solihull area

  M54 Telford J4

  M56 Hapsford J14

  Birmingham Northern Relief Road

  Completion of the new MSAs depends on success in obtaining planning clearance and acquiring the land.

  In addition, we are considering the possibilities of MSAs to serve the proposed Blackburn southern bypass and the proposed Birmingham western orbital.

  All these MSAs are to be developed by competitive tender, enabling the private sector to play a full and active part and in conformity with Government policy which I reaffirmed in this House on 17 March at columns 372–73.

  The increase in the road building programme announced in the "Roads for Prosperity" White Paper, coupled with the new national road traffic forecasts which are shortly to be published in full, will require additional provision of MSAs, including:

  new MSAs for new motorways;

  modifications to some of the proposals in the existing programme, to accommodate motorway widening and increased traffic;

  modification of existing MSAs, to accommodate motorway widening and increased traffic; and

  expansion of facilities at MSAs on unwidened motorways to cope with increased traffic.

  18
  Assessment on these lines is under way but will take some time to complete.

  In addition, we continue to assess plans by operators of existing MSAs for extensions to their facilities or sites.

  Passenger Ferries (Sewage)
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total number of passenger ferries operating from the United Kingdom; how many have sewage treatment plants; and what constraints exist over the discharge of raw and treated sewerage in the Channel and other confined water.

  Mr. Portillo
  Annex IV of the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships 1973–78, which deals with sewage, would prohibit the discharge of all untreated sewage into the sea within four miles from land and place stringent conditions on discharges beyond that distance. It has yet to come into force. Although there is no present obligation on shipowners, it is believed that about half the United Kingdom-registered class II ferries are fitted with sewage treatment plants and most of the others with sewage holding tanks.

  Dockland Light Railway
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications for the ozone layer of the use of halon gas in equipment to protect from fire hazard the new tunnel being built to Bank underground station for the Dockland light railway.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 13 July 1989]: Halon fire fighting equipment has been provided at a small number of strategic locations on the Docklands light railway where, if a fire occurred, there would be significant direct risk to life.

  Questions concerning the ozone layer are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, but the impact on the ozone layer of intermittent use of halons in this particular example would be negligible.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has held with British Rail regarding the environmental considerations of the route and design of the new railway that it is proposing to construct in Kent and south-east London; what assessment he has made of whether the present plans are the best design proposals in engineering and environmental terms and the most suitable for both British Rail and the people of London; what steps were taken to ensure that a full and proper period of consultation took place between British Rail and local communities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 13 July 1989]: Before agreeing to the introduction by BR of a private Bill the Department will need to be satisfied that all the relevant environmental concerns have been considered by BR. Ultimately, however, it will be for Parliament to decide whether BR's proposals are acceptable.

  Driving Tests (Manchester)
  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving test examiners were employed at each driving test centre in Greater Manchester in 1979 and 1988.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The average number of examiners in post, in 1985 and 1988, for each driving test centre in Greater Manchester are listed in the table. Earlier figures are not available.

  Centre

  1985 Examiners

  1988 Examiners

  Hyde

  4

  4

  Sale

  4

  5

  Withington

  2

  4

  Reddish

  6

  6

  Bolton

  7

  9

  Bury

  6

  6

  Rochdale

  5

  6

  Didsbury

  5

  3

  Failsworth

  6

  8

  Whalley Range

  6

  6

  Cheetham

  7

  7

  Wilmslow

  3

  3

  Wigan

  6

  7

  Total

  67

  74

  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how often driving test examiners have been seconded to other areas from each test centre in Greater Manchester(a) during 1988 and (b) in the current year to date.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The table shows the amount of time examiners from test centres in Greater Manchester spent on temporary postings outside the area.

  Centre

  1988

  1989

  Man/Weeks

  (first 6 months) Man/Weeks

  Hyde

  0

  0

  Sale

  0

  0

  Withington

  4

  4

  Reddish

  8

  8

  Bolton

  32

  12

  Bury

  12

  16

  Rochdale

  8

  20

  Didsbury

  0

  0

  Failsworth

  20

  20

  Whalley Range

  8

  0

  Cheetham

  12

  8

  Wilmslow

  4

  4

  Wigan

  8

  8

  Total

  116

  100

  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances his Department's driving examiners are seconded to other areas from north-west examination centres.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Driving examiners are temporarily posted from centres with lower than average waiting times to those with longer waiting times in order to maintain, as far as possible, an even balance.

  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current waiting time in weeks for a motor vehicle driving test at each of the driving test centres in Greater Manchester.
  20
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Current waiting times for an L test at each of the test centres in Greater Manchester are:

  Centre

  14 July 1989 Wailing Times

  Hyde

  13

  Sale

  5

  Withington

  8

  Reddish

  8

  Bolton

  10

  Bury

  8

  Rochdale

  8

  Didsbury

  13

  Failsworth

  8

  Whalley Range

  14

  Cheetham

  11

  Wilmslow

  10

  Wigan

  9

  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the number of motor vehicle driving test cancellations in the current year at each of the test centres in Greater Manchester, due to staff absence.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Unexpected staff sickness led to the following short-notice L test cancellations:

  Centre

  1989

  (up to 30 June) Cancellations

  Hyde

  31

  Sale

  2

  Withington

  13

  Reddish

  66

  Bolton

  16

  Bury

  13

  Rochdale

  33

  Didsbury

  17

  Failsworth

  25

  Whalley Range

  12

  Cheetham

  49

  Wilmslow

  11

  Wigan

  23

  Minibus Permit
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why his Department's south-eastern traffic area office has refused to issue a permit under section 19 of the Transport Act 1985 to Miss Annette Gerry of Victoria House, 71 Victoria road, Polegate, East Sussex, in respect of Ford Transit minibus registration number LYL 244K owned by Victoria house rest home.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Decisions on the granting of minibus permits are a matter for the Traffic Commissioner who is the independent licensing authority in these matters. The south-eastern traffic area office has sought legal advice on this case and will be writing shortly to the hon. Member.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Post Offices
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, for County Durham, he will list those Crown post offices(a) closed and (b) downgraded to sub-office status in the last five years; and if he will list those proposed for either outcome in the future.
  21
  Mr. Forth
  These are operational questions for the Post Office board. However, I understand that it proposes to convert Seaham, Houghton-le-Spring and Crook crown offices into sub-offices in October this year. No crown offices have been either closed or converted in County Durham during the last five years.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has received a request from the chairman and chief executive of the Post Office to relieve him from the duty to collect mail in the London borough of Brent.

  Mr. Forth
  I have received no such request.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the operation of the Post Office's monopoly on the collection of mail from sub-post offices in the London borough of Brent.

  Mr. Forth
  The Post Office's monopoly is a privilege that applies in the whole of the United Kingdom. Its day-to-day operations are a matter of the Post Office itself.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the chairman and chief executive of the Post Office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The Chancellor of the Duchy meets the chairman of the Post Office regularly, and last did so on June 27. A range of matters of current interest was discussed.

  Brewing Industry
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives of the six major brewers; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Maude
  The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met representatives of the six national brewers on 6 July. These were private discussions. He announced decisions on 10 July.

  Beer (MMC Report)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is now able to announce his response to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of beer.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend announced our response to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of beer in the House on 10 July.

  School Children (Injuries)
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many minor injuries to children at school were reported over the period 1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987 and 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988 broken down by local education authority and whether nursery, primary or secondary school.

  Mr. Forth
  The information is not available in the form requested. However the most recent estimate from my Department's leisure accident surveillance of children treated in hospitals in England and Wales as a result of accidents in schools or nurseries (or during school sports) totalled 115,000 between May and October 1987, of which 95 per cent. of cases were minor injuries not requiring in-patient treatment.

PRIME MINISTER

  Mr. Graham Gaskin
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Prime Minister what remedies Her Majesty's Government will provide to Mr. Graham Gaskin whose case was upheld in the European Court of Human Rights.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government will be paying the sums awarded by the court.

  Armilla Patrol
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Prime Minister if she proposes that a medal be issued commemorating the Royal Navy's outstanding service in helping to keep open the sea lanes into and out of the Persian Gulf and through the straights of Hormuz; and if she will bear in mind the desirability of retaining in the annals of the Royal Navy the name of the Armilla patrol.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer my hon. Friend to he answer I gave to the hon. Member for Dorset, North (Mr. Baker) on 25 May. The Armilla patrol continues to serve in the Gulf with dedication and professionalism. The service that the Royal Navy has performed and continues to perform will not be forgotten; the term Armilla patrol will always be synonymous with a difficult and, at times, hazardous task carried out with exemplary efficiency, in the best traditions of the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

  European Court of Justice (Decisions)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the numbers of decisions of the European Court of Justice which have not been implemented by member states; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  No. However, it is for the Commission to decide whether a member state has failed to comply with a judgment and if necessary the Commission will take further action. The United Kingdom record on implementation is very good.

  Junior Ministers
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will ensure that junior Ministers do not use titles for which there is no statutory or constitutional justification and which are liable to be confused with the Secretary of State or other ministerial head of the Government Department concerned.

  The Prime Minister
  My authorisation is required for courtesy titles conferred on Ministers below Cabinet rank.

  Gifts
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she has received any gifts made from Nile crocodile skin products during her visits overseas.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the reply that I gave the hon. Member on 10 July at column 356.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Prime Minister how long it takes for her to reply to letters from hon. Members; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I receive an enormous number of letters each week from Members of Parliament and others. It is not possible for me to deal with all these letters personally and I must accordingly refer most of them to

  Length of Service

  Grade

  Salary Per Annum £

  Principal Private Secretary

  7 months

  G3

  40,900

  Private Secretary

  5 years

  4 months

  G3

  40,900

  Private Secretary

  1 year

  7 months

  G5

  31,602

  Private Secretary

  1 year

  1 month

  G5

  28,170

  Private Secretary

  1 month

  G7

  18,141

  Diary Secretary

  4 months

  Special Adviser (p/t)

  10,927

  Assistant Private Secretary

  16 years

  2 months

  Assistant One

  17,861

  Assistant Private Secretary

  Joined

  17 July 1989

  SEO

  17,861

  Secretary for Appointments

  7 years

  4 months

  G5

  32,826

  Salaries exclude London Weighting and allowance and are those payable as at 1 July 1989.

  Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to premises providing bed-and-breakfast accommodation for the homeless.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 14 July 1989]: I have at present no plans to do so.

  Hospitals (Official Visits)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what is her present policy regarding the making of official visits to hospitals where victims of major disasters are receiving medical treatment.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 14 July 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 13 January at column 764.

HEALTH

  Oral Tobacco Products
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his intention to include all products which contain nicotine, including Stubits and Stoppers, in his proposed ban on oral tobacco products.

  Mr. Mellor
  No. The Government's proposal is to ban the supply of oral snuff dipping products consisting wholly or mainly of tobacco in fine cut, ground or particulate form. We have not yet decided whether to proceed with a ban. Preparations marketed for smoking replacement purposes that consist of tobacco extracts containing nicotine in a non-tobacco base would not be covered. There are regulations under existing Acts governing the supply of nicotine-containing products generally.
  24
  the Minister and the Department with the responsibility for the policy in question. All correspondence is dealt with as quickly as possible.

  Private Office
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list all the current members of her private office showing how long each has been on her staff and their civil service grading and salary.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 14 July 1989]: The information is as follows:

  Medical and Dental Staff
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the percentage increase in medical and dental staff whole-time equivalents in(a) the Mersey region and (b) England, between September 1978 and the latest available date.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  Hospital and community health service medical and dental staff1 in Mersey Regional Health Authority and England, percentage change, 30 September 1978–87

  Wholetime equivalent (per cent, increase)

  Mersey RHA

  14·1

  England

  14·9

  1 Figures include Permanent Paid, Honorary and Locum staff. 1987 Locum figures include Agency Locums which were collected separately for the first time.

  Water Contamination (North Cornwall)
  Mr. Neale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the independent health panel investigating possible long-term health effects of the water contamination incident in July 1988 at Lowermoor treatment works, north Cornwall will publish its report before Parliament rises for the summer recess.

  Mr. Freeman
  I understand that the report of the independent Lowermoor incident health advisory group to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly district health authority is to be published on 20 July in Truro. Ministers will be giving careful consideration to the report and any recommendations that might be made by the group.

  Medical Services (Durham)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the revenue generated from private patients at hospitals in the Durham area in 1989; and what were the comparable figures for each of the last 10 years at 1989 prices.

  Mr. Mellor
  The available information is given in the table:

  Income from private patients: Durham health authority

  £ (at 1988–89 prices)

  1982–83

  6,158

  1983–84

  31,773

  1984–85

  34,230

  1985–86

  41,405

  1986–87

  49,912

  11987–88

  53,776

  1 Latest year available.

  Notes:

  1. The figures used arc derived from the annual accounts of the health authority and have been expressed at 1988–89 prices by the use of the gross domestic product deflator.

  2. The Durham health authority was established on 1 April 1982. Prior to that date the authority's predecessor health district formed part of an area health authority and district-based figures were not collected centrally.

  Home Helps (Durham)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the estimated total number of hours received by clients of the home-help service of Durham county council for the years 1987–88 and 1988–89.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not collect this information centrally. Information about the number of hours received by elderly clients from home helps is collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and published in "Personal Social Service Statistics—Actuals" for each financial year. The latest publication available is for 1987–88. Copies are available in the Library.

  Cottage Hospitals
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role his Department envisages for cottage hospitals over the next five years; whether he estimates that their number will diminish; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The pattern of hospital services locally is for health authority decision, taking into account the needs of all the communities they serve and available resources. In future district health authorities are likely to wish to place contracts with those cottage hospitals which are able to provide a good quality and cost-effective service.

  Drugs (Definition)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any document has replaced or updated the 1967 report on the "Definition of Drugs (Borderline Substances)" by the standing joint committee on the classification of proprietary preparations in particular paragraph 4 and appendix A on a guidance to general 26
  practitioners on prescribing preparations normally regarded as foods but regarded as drugs when used in the treatment of the diseases therein listed; and what is the status of the 1967 report.

  Mr. Mellor
  The standing joint committee on the classification of proprietary preparation was replaced by the advisory committee on borderline substances in 1971. The report on the definition of drugs (borderline substances), which was produced by the standing joint committee, has been superseded by the recommendations of the advisory committee on borderline substances. These recommendations are revised periodically and are published in the "Drug Tariff", the "British National Formulary" and the "Monthly Index of Medical Specialties" (MIMS).

  The role of the advisory committee on borderline substances is to provide the Secretary of State and general practitioners with expert independent medical advice on the classification of borderline substances, and on whether they should be prescribed by general practitioners at NHS expense. In reaching its judgment on any particular product the committee's sole criterion is whether it has a therapeutic use in the treatment of disease in the community. This criterion was published on 25 February 1988 at column 302–03 in my predecessor's reply to a question from my hon. Friend the member for Surrey, South-West (Mrs. Bottomley).

  GP List Sizes
  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average size of a general practitioner's list in Luton in May 1979; and what it is now.

  Mr. Mellor
  Figures are available only for 1 October each year by family practitioner committee (FPC) areas. Luton is served by Bedfordshire FPC. At 1 October 1979 the average list size of unrestricted principals in Bedfordshire FPC was 2,585. At 12 October 1987 (the latest available figure) the number had decreased to 2,052.

  Committee on Safety of Medicines
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will publish a list of the financial and other links between the members of the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the pharmaceutical industry.

  Mr. Mellor
  Information on members' links with the pharmaceutical industry was published with the 1987 annual report of the Medicines Commission and Medicines Act committees. A copy is in the Library. The 1988 report, which will contain additional information, will be published shortly.

  Medicines Control Division
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed by the medicines control division of the Department in each year since 1979; and at what grades and locations.

  Mr. Mellor
  I regret that information is not available in the form requested. The table gives numbers of staff in post as at 31 March of each year since 1986. This includes staff of the British Pharmacopoeia Commission.
  27

  Staff in post 1986

  Staff in post 1987

  Staff in post 1988

  Staff in post 1989

  Grade 3/U.S

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Grade 3/SPMO

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Grade 4/CPHO

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Grade 5/AS

  2

  2

  2

  2

  Grade 6/S/PRIN

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Grade 7/PRIN

  7

  9

  9

  9

  SEO

  3

  5

  5

  5

  HEO

  16

  21

  19

  19

  EO

  26

  34

  30

  32

  AO

  53

  55

  54·5

  58·5

  AA

  29

  32

  32

  32

  S/PES

  1

  1

  —

  —

  PES

  20

  20

  17

  13

  Typist

  —

  2

  2

  2

  Data Processor

  —

  1

  —

  —

  S/Paper Keeper

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Paper Keeper

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Messenger

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Principal M.O.

  3

  3

  3

  3

  Senior M.O.

  14

  13

  15

  12·5

  M.O.

  1

  1

  —

  —

  P.S.O.

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Staff in post at 31 March

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  Administrative Staff

  120

  120

  117

  134

  128

  142

  145

  Professional Staff

  94

  95

  98

  95

  93·5

  107·5

  117·5

  Totals

  214

  215

  215

  229

  221·5

  249·5

  262·5

  As to location the Medicines Control Agency, formerly the Medicines division, has been located at Market towers since 1980; previously they were at Finsbury square. The bulk of the staff are located at Market towers. The remainder are located at the BPC laboratory at Canons park and medicines inspectors at the following locations: Chester, Hitchin, York, East Grinstead, Chelmsford and Lymington.

  Pharmaceutical Price Regulation
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the total sales of medicines under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme to general practitioners and National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  Total United Kingdom sales for major companies operating under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme (PPRS) have been as follows:

  £ million

  1979

  775

  1980

  884

  1981

  1,083

  1982

  1,269

  1983

  1,386

  1984

  1,483

  1985

  1,510

  1986

  1,569

  1987

  1,611

  28

  Staff in post 1986

  Staff in post 1987

  Staff in post 1988

  Staff in post 1989

  S.S.O.

  —

  3

  4

  4

  H.S.O.

  6

  6

  5

  4

  A.S.O.

  3

  2·5

  4

  3

  SO.

  2

  2

  2

  2

  DCPO

  3

  3

  3

  3

  SPHO

  6

  6

  8

  8

  PPHO

  22

  22

  25

  30

  PHO1

  31

  31

  24

  23

  PHO2

  7

  1

  —

  —

  HPTO

  —

  5·5

  3

  7·5

  Laboratory Attendant

  1·5

  1·5

  1·5

  1·5

  Total

  260·5

  286·5

  272

  286

  Total Administration Staff

  159

  184

  172·5

  180·5

  Total Professional Staff

  101·5

  102·5

  99·5

  105·5

  From 1979 to 1985 the following table shows the total number of staff in post and the numbers of administrative and professional staff.

  The figures are sales of PPRS medicines made by companies required to submit full financial information under the scheme, and are the total of sales made in each company's financial year which ended in the year stated. They will include some sales not made to the NHS, where these are incidental to NHS sales; separate information on sales to hospitals and the family practitioner service is not available, nor is information for later periods.

  Sales made under the PPRS were affected by the introduction of the selected list scheme in April 1985, and by the exclusion of generics from the PPRS in October 1986.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the minimum allowable profit on capital employed under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme in each year since 1979 and the average level of profit under the scheme in each year.

  Mr. Mellor
  Under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme each company has a profit target which it can expect to retain if achieved. There is no "minimum allowable profit" under the scheme. For the years in question, the lower end of the range of target returns was:

  Per cent.

  To 31 March 1984

  17

  From 1 April 1984

  15

  From 1 October 1986

  16

  From 1 October 1987

  17

  Average levels of profit achieved are not published.

  Drugs Licences
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the numbers of new drugs licensed under the Medicines Act in each year since 1979 and the numbers of drugs whose licence was withdrawn in each year.

  Mr. Mellor
  The figures for the years prior to 1982 are not available in a comparable form. The figures for the period 1982–88 are as follows:

  Product licences granted

  Product licences for medicinal products containing a new active substance1

  Licences withdrawn2

  1982

  934

  49

  1,003

  1983

  783

  26

  1,531

  1984

  641

  9

  1,513

  1985

  649

  19

  721

  1986

  738

  36

  920

  1987

  641

  41

  1,204

  1988

  557

  47

  1,268

  1 Differences from year to year in the number of licences for products containing a new active substance must be treated with caution since (a) the year in which particular licences were granted may be dependent on a variety of factors and (b) the number of licences granted may depend on the number of dosage forms needed for the particular products.

  2 The licences withdrawn column covers both product licences and product licences of right. The numbers include licences withdrawn because of revocation by the licensing authority and because of decisions by applicants to withdraw, not to renew or, in the case of product licence of right holders, not to pursue applications for full product licences.

  Anthrax Vaccine
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he proposes to review the 1968 Medicines Order in order to facilitate the importation of anthrax vaccine; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have no plans to do so. We already hold a current produce licence for anthrax vaccine under the provisions of the Medicines Act 1968. Stocks of the vaccine are readily available for use and this country is the only one to our knowledge with a routine programme of vaccination of humans at particular risk of anthrax.

  Chiropodists
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the registration of chiropodists; how many practising chiropodists are(a) unregistered and (b) registered; and what checks are made on unregistered chiropodists working in private homes for the aged and other institutions outside the National Health Service.

  Mr. Mellor
  Over the last 12 months my right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of letters on this matter from members of the public and hon. Members writing on behalf of their constituents.

  I understand that the Council for the Professions Allied to Medicine, which maintains the state register, does not hold details of chiropodists practising in the profession. Information on unregistered practitioners is not held centrally. It is for the registration authorities for homes to
  30
  decide how they carry out their registration inspection duties for this aspect of a home, as with many other aspects of a home.

  District Health Executive
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends to appoint senior nurses as executive directors on the proposed district health executive body.

  Mr. Mellor
  There will be nothing to prevent the appointment of a senior nurse as an executive member. However, this will be a matter for the chairman and non-executive members of the authority, acting with the general manager.

  NHS Reform
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the full public cost of his meeting with managers of hospital units which have expressed an interest in self-governing status held in Leeds on Tuesday 11 July.

  Mr. Mellor
  About £8,000, excluding individuals' travelling and other costs.

  Dr. A. J. Davis
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Ealing, North to the Minister of State on the subject of Dr. A. J. Davis, dated 21 April, 17 May and 29 June; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay.

  Mr. Freeman
  A reply to my hon. Friend's letter of 21 April has now been despatched. I apologise for the delay. We have had a lot of correspondence on the subject of the GP's contract. The Department can find no trace of receipt of the letters dated 17 May and 29 June.

  Cervical Smears
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what categories of women do not require cervical smears; and what method is proposed to ensure that they are not tested unnecessarily.

  Mr. Mellor
  Our guidance to health authorities states that"all women aged 20 to 64 should be invited for screening … unless their GP has indicated that they should be excluded". (Circular HC(88)1 paragraph 3.)
  A GP may decide to exclude from the screening programme those women who have had a total hysterectomy (which implies that the cervix has been removed along with the rest of the uterus) and those who have had their cervix amputated as part of a prolapse repair. Besides women who are dying of cervical cancer there are also those in terminal stages of other illnesses such as cancers elsewhere in their body or neurological disorders.

  Smoking (Pregnancy)
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many babies were born(a) still born and (b) premature as a result of smoking by the mother during pregnancy in 1987 and 1988;
  31
  (2) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total number of (a) still births, and (b) premature births by weeks of gestation, where the mother smoked during pregnancy in 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold this information. Not all premature and still births in mothers who smoke can readily be attributed to maternal smoking.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has on the medical effects of smoking on the health of an unborn child; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health has found that smoking during pregnancy is a cause of low birthweight and increased perinatal mortality. The committee reported that the mean reduction in birthweight between maternal smokers and non-smokers ranges between 150 g and 250 g, and that perinatal mortality for maternal smokers is increased by about 28 per cent. Both the reduction in birthweight and the increase in perinatal mortality increase with the average number of cigarettes smoked. The committee also found that there is an association between exposure to other people's tobacco smoke and low birthweight although its interpretaton is unclear.

  The Government continue their efforts to persuade all smokers, including pregnant woman, to give up the habit. The Health Education Authority's pregnancy book, which is given to every woman who is pregnant for the first time,

  Table 1

  AIDS cases diagnosed

  1 April 1987–31 March 1988

  Cumulative to 31 March 1988

  April 1988–31 March 1989

  Cumulative to 31 March 1989

  England

  Northern

  10

  39

  10

  49

  Yorkshire

  15

  36

  17

  53

  Trent

  11

  28

  13

  41

  East Anglia

  5

  19

  7

  26

  North West Thames

  241

  691

  185

  876

  North East Thames

  111

  296

  116

  412

  South East Thames

  56

  139

  93

  232

  South West Thames

  33

  61

  13

  74

  Wessex

  18

  39

  10

  49

  Oxford

  14

  30

  17

  47

  South Western

  11

  29

  14

  43

  West Midlands

  9

  29

  12

  41

  Mersey

  10

  24

  8

  32

  North Western

  23

  58

  26

  84

  Wales

  8

  24

  12

  36

  Table 2

  AIDS cases reported and accepted

  1 April 1987–31 March 1988

  Cumulative to 31 March 1988 31

  1 April 1988–March 1989

  Cumulative to 31 March 1989

  England

  Northern

  15

  36

  13

  49

  Yorkshire

  15

  24

  29

  53

  Trent

  14

  26

  15

  41

  East Anglia

  14

  19

  7

  26

  North West Thames

  283

  621

  255

  876

  North East Thames

  131

  267

  145

  412

  South East Thames

  59

  125

  107

  232

  South West Thames

  37

  53

  21

  74

  Wessex

  16

  32

  17

  49

  Oxford

  19

  25

  22

  47

  South Western

  15

  25

  18

  43

  West Midlands

  10

  24

  17

  41

  32
  advises women not to smoke during pregnancy. The teenage anti-smoking campaign, to be launched later this year, will discourage teenagers, especially girls, from taking up smoking. This campaign, aimed at the pre-childbearing years, should contribute to reducing smoking during pregnancy.

  AIDS
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the cumulative total of people diagnosed with AIDS until 31 March 1988; and how many of these had been diagnosed in the 12 months prior to that date; in each regional health authority in England and Wales;

  (2) what was the cumulative total of people diagnosed with AIDS until 31 March; and how many of these had been diagnosed within the previous 12 months; in each regional health authority in England and Wales.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 July 1989]: The cumulative totals of people diagnosed with AIDS until 31 March 1988 and 31 March 1989 are shown in the first table for each regional health authority in England and Wales. The table also sets out the numbers for the 12 months before the specified dates. Inevitably, some cases may not be reported to and accepted by CDSC within the same time period as that in which they are diagnosed, and the second table shows numbers diagnosed, reported to and accepted by CDSC within the specified times.
  33

  1 April 1987–31 March 1988

  Cumulative to 31 March 1988

  1 April 1988–31 March 1989

  Cumulative to 31 March 1989

  Mersey

  8

  17

  15

  32

  North Western

  21

  52

  32

  84

  Wales

  9

  20

  16

  36

  National Health Service Staff (Meetings)
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list date and venue of the consultation meetings he is having in the regions with senior National Health Service staff.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify for each region(a) the date, (b) the time and (c) the venue of his meeting with managers about the National Health Service White Paper.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 14 July 1989]: We have frequent meetings with senior staff on all aspects of the National Health Service. Assuming that the hon. Member is referring to the current series of meetings on self-governing hospitals, with invited staff at all levels, the information requested is:

  27 June:

  The Grand Hotel, Birmingham

  29 June:

  East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham

  4 July:

  The Old Assembly Rooms, Newcastle

  6 July:

  New Century Hall and Banqueting Suite, Manchester

  11 July:

  The Queen's hotel, Leeds

  13 July:

  The Hotel Russell, London WC1

  18 July:

  Ramada Inn West London, London SW6

  20 July:

  The Holiday Inn, Bristol

  Medical Ethics
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to who is responsible for laying down and enforcing the ethics of the medical profession.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 14 July 1989]: The General Medical Council is responsible, under part 5 of the Medical Act 1983, for advising members of the medical profession on standards of professional conduct and medical ethics. It is also responsible for disciplining doctors whose disregard of such guidance is held to constitute gross professional misconduct.

WALES

  Sheltered Accommodation
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy on the provision of sheltered accommodation for the elderly and handicapped.
  34
  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Government attach high priority to the provision of all types of special needs housing. It is for local authorities and housing associations in conjunction with Housing for Wales to assess housing needs in their areas.

  South Glamorgan Health Authority
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he carried out before arriving at a decision on the 10-year strategic hospital plan of the South Glamorgan health authority.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  None. The strategic plan is the responsibility of South Glamorgan health authority which carried out extensive consultation on it. This culminated in the public being allowed a one-month period to submit comments on the plan to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Sewage Outfalls
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a further statement on the Welsh water authority's proposed one mile raw sewage outfall off the Welsh coast near Swansea.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  This is a matter for Welsh Water. I understand that design and engineering studies are still to be completed.

  Financial Services Industry
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the development of the financial services industry in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The financial services industry in Wales is developing very strongly. Employment in the sector has increased to more than 70,000 and is accelerating fast. Many inquiries are being dealt with at the present time.

  Welsh Committee for Economic and Industrial Affairs
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the Welsh Committee for Economic and Industrial Affairs; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I met representatives of the Welsh Committee for Economic and Industrial Affairs on Monday 19 June to discuss its report on "Finance for Business in Wales".

  Special Education, Clwyd
  Mr. Martyn Jones:
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Wales what representations he has had from Clywd county council on the provision of special education.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I has received any recent representations directly from
  35
  Clwyd county council on provision of special education, but the Welsh Office Education Department has had various discussions with council officials about various aspects of the Education Reform Act, including its implications for special education.

  Computeraid Ltd.
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the initiatives that Computeraid Limited, based at the Swansea university college innovation centre, have taken in the field of computer training courses.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Department has received information about Computeraid Ltd. in connection with a project that it has proposed for inclusion in the European social fund element of the proposed integrated development operation for industial south Wales. I understand that they offer a useful training service in computer systems to small businesses.

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what subjects he intends to discuss when he next meets chairpersons of Welsh health authorities.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I next plan to meet health authority chairmen in the autumn. An agenda is yet to be agreed.

  Primary Schools (Expenditure)
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent per pupil in primary schools in Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure for 1978–79, at constant prices.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  At constant prices, 1987–88 expenditure per pupil in nursery and primary schools was £1,004, compared with £785 in 1978–79 for pupils in primary schools only, which is an increase of 27·9 per cent.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many male(a) employees and (b) self-employed and female (i) full and (ii) part-time were in employment in Wales in June 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  In June 1979 there were 618,000 male employees in employment, 98,000 self-employed males, 250,000 full-time and 165,000 part-time females in employment and 26,000 self-employed females. The latest available data are for March 1989, the details being 483,000; 110,000; 213,000; 187,000 and 40,000 respectively. During this period there were substantial increases in the numbers of those in training and higher education.

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest unadjusted figures for unemployment in(a) Newport, (b) Gwent and (c) Wales; and if he will give the equivalent figures for 1979 on the most nearly comparable basis.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  On 8 June 1989, the number of unemployed claimants in the Newport district, Gwent and 36
  Wales were 5,078, 15,477 and 92,804 respectively. Unadjusted figures for 1979 are not available on a basis that enables a valid comparison to be made.

  River Pollution
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received asking him to ensure that the National River Authority will be fully empowered to prosecute all polluters of Welsh rivers.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Among the many representations I received about provisions of the Water Act the number of those relating specifically to the National River Authority's powers of prosecution was not recorded separately.

  Wales Trades Union Congress
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he plans to have with the Wales Trades Union Congress about industrial development and job opportunities.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I am always ready to meet the Wales TUC to discuss such issues.

  National Health Service
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has had to date in favour of the Government's White Paper on the National Health Service.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations the Welsh Office has received on the Government's Health Service review.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the reply of 19 June to the hon. Member for Rhondda (Mr. Rogers),Official Report, Vol. 155, columns 9–10.

  Cancer Services
  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to publish the comprehensive study of cancer services for north Wales patients initiated by the Welsh Office and commenced in September 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I cannot announce the publication date of the study being undertaken by Deloitte, Haskins and Sells at the request of the Welsh Office as it is only now nearing completion. When the report is to hand it will be studied closely by the Department in consulation with the relevant health authorities and other interested parties.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Alun Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking to encourage the establishment and development of small businesses in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department continues to encourage small businesses in Wales through implementing national policies such as deregulation and by schemes such as the gateway network and enterprise Wales which facilitate access to high-quality advice, information and
  37
  other forms of assistance. We have also continued to support enterprise agencies which, in Wales, have received assistance of over £9·7 million from my Department, the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales.

  Hill Land Compensatory Payments
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest situation regarding the European Community's review of hill land compensatory payments.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Discussions on the Commission's proposals are at an early stage. We shall seek to ensure that any changes to the existing arrangements do not discriminate against the interests of the United Kingdom.

  Public Libraries
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make an allocation of £13,500 for the next three years to extend and to improve the public library service in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 9 February 1989 by my right hon. Friend,Official Report, Vol. 146, columns 761–63.

  Listeria
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the reported outbreaks of listeria in Wales; and what further action he intends to take.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Sampling by local authority environmental health officers of patés in two south Wales districts between 11 May and 26 June 1989 showed that some samples of pate were contaminated with high counts of listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is widely distributed in the environment and some exposure to this organism is unavoidable. Only rarely does this give rise to illness and indeed at any one time as many as one in 20 people may carry this bacteria in their guts without any ill-effects.

  In accordance with routine procedures advice was given, during the course of the sampling, to the supermarkets concerned by the environmental health officers about the storage and handling of paté, and arrangements were made for sampling of the implicated pate at the point of entry into the United Kingdom by the port health authorities at Dover and along the distribution networks within the United Kingdom, and the EC and Belgian authorities were alerted.

  On 3 July, my Department received the results of this exercise from the public health laboratory service (PHLS). My officials had discussions with officers of the PHLS and the relevant environmental health officers and with officials of the Department of Health. Arrangements were put in hand for a nationwide survey of all types of pate on sale in the United Kingdom, and the EC and Belgian authorities were alerted.
  38
  In the light of further evidence received by the Department of Health from one of the importers the public was alerted on 12 July that certain vulnerable groups should for the time being avoid eating pate.

  In addition, my chief medical officer has written to all doctors in Wales advising that pate should be included in the list of foodstuffs previously notified to them on 21 February 1989 as being a potential hazard to specified vulnerable groups.

  Varicose Vein Operations
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the numbers waiting for varicose vein operations in each Welsh health district and the average waiting time for such operations in each district.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Information on the numbers currently waiting for varicose vein operations is not available centrally.

  Available information on waiting times for patients admitted from the waiting list for such operations in 1988 is shown in the table:

  Median waiting time (days)1

  Clwyd

  119

  East Dyfed

  52

  Pembrokeshire

  173

  Gwent

  119

  Gwynedd

  80

  Mid Glamorgan

  47

  Powys

  41

  South Glamorgan

  119

  West Glamorgan

  166

  1 Estimates are based on clinical information provided by hospitals, which in some cases is incomplete.

  In-Service Teacher Training
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Bridgend of 11 July, he will list the amounts requested by each local education authority under each heading in the table.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Local education authorities were notified in Welsh Office circular 33/88 of the indicative expenditure in respect of which they could expect to receive grant support under the scheme in 1989–90. The circular asked the LEAs to provide details of their proposed expenditure on in-service teacher training in 1989–90 before the final allocations, as shown in my reply of 11 July, were announced in the formal Welsh Office allocation letter of 27 January 1989. Details of each LEA's proposed expenditure under each category are shown in the table. Authorities are free to spend more on in-service teacher training than the amounts specified as eligible for specific grant under the scheme.
  39

  LEA's proposed expenditure 1989–90

  NP areas

  Clwyd

  Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid. Glamorgan

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  a. Schoolteachers

  1. Management

  147,060

  80,000

  90,210

  106,290

  119,890

  126,100

  103,570

  71,000

  2. Nat. Curr. Ass. and Man.

  234,260

  200,000

  180,580

  95,530

  289,990

  264,660

  318,080

  145,000

  3. Nat. Curr. Content

  444,300

  300,000

  248,780

  166,910

  380,630

  217,160

  537,670

  200,000

  4. RE

  23,800

  10,000

  9,670

  5,150

  12,890

  10,500

  11,600

  8,000

  5. Under Fives

  10,150

  12,000

  12,750

  6,210

  23,200

  10,500

  12,020

  10,000

  6. Sp Needs Hearing

  33,000

  7,000

  11,000

  —

  34,000

  —

  12,000

  13,000

  7. Sp Needs Sight

  5,000

  7,000

  7,800

  2,000

  20,000

  20,500

  3,000

  15,000

  8. Sp Needs Sid

  6,000

  —

  50,000

  5,000

  13,000

  20,500

  15,000

  20,000

  9. Sp Needs DES Teach

  11,450

  15,000

  12,570

  6,700

  16,750

  20,500

  23,480

  15,000

  10. New Technology

  141,450

  35,000

  45,570

  129,552

  60,560

  110,400

  157,190

  100,000

  11. Welsh

  87,000

  30,000

  26,400

  68,300

  59,900

  38,900

  41,750

  95,000

  b. FE Teachers

  12. AFE

  52,430

  13,000

  73,500

  19,110

  162,680

  —

  117,800

  61,740

  13. Management

  42,790

  20,000

  24,400

  20,970

  25,430

  63,200

  37,930

  27,000

  14. Updating Etc.

  50,070

  21,000

  32,200

  11,830

  33,560

  74,140

  50,670

  40,000

  15. Sp Ed Needs

  5,580

  4,000

  980

  2,200

  6,230

  5,300

  4,390

  10,000

  c. Other

  16. Drugs

  38,950

  15,000

  15,320

  25,543

  20,550

  28,430

  28,440

  15,000

  17. Youth and Community

  24,594

  10,000

  10,640

  38,500

  14,280

  30,500

  19,240

  10,300

  18. Ed Psychs

  7,000

  —

  —

  —

  16,000

  —

  —

  65,000

  Total

  1,364,884

  779,000

  852,370

  709,795

  1,309,540

  1,041,290

  1,493,830

  921,040

  Local priorities

  1,072,600

  1,121,000

  1,178,000

  685,332

  1,480,000

  80,971

  692,500

  841,290

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefits
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) further to his reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle)Official Report, 22 February, column 679, if he will reformulate the figures, in order to show the amounts of support received in 1978–79 and 1988–89 by the following categories (a) support for all children (family allowance/child benefit/child tax allowances), (b) support restricted to lone-parents (one-parent benefit, additional personal allowance, supplementary benefit/income support, housing benefit, and family income supplement/family credit paid to lone parents), (c) child additions paid with national insurance benefits, (d) child additions paid with supplementary benefit/income support for two-parent families and (e) family income supplement/family credit paid to two-parent families;

  (2) further to the holding answer to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham dated 3 May, when he proposes to answer the question for priority written answer which appeared as No. 10 on the Order Paper for that day.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The latest available information is set out in the table. It is inappropriate to use this information to make direct comparisons between levels and changes in expenditure for lone parents and couples with children because the original estimates excluded income support and housing benefit for couples with children and therefore did not include increased expenditure resulting from higher unemployment. Total estimates of expenditure on unemployed couples with children are not readily available. Child additions did not form part of the original estimate given on 22 February and have therefore been excluded.
  40

  £ million

  Categories

  1978–79 cash

  1978–79 real

  1988–89 cash/real

  Support for all children

  Child Benefit

  1,776

  3,872

  4,522

  Child Tax Allowance

  515

  1,123

  —

  Family Income Supplement/Family Credit paid to two-parent families

  14

  31

  242

  Support for Lone Parents

  One Parent Benefit

  22

  48

  174

  Additional Personal Tax

  Allowance

  60

  131

  165

  Supplementary Benefit/Income Support

  465

  1,019

  1,850

  Housing Benefit

  25

  55

  740

  Family Income Supplement/Family Credit

  10

  22

  180

  Expenditures

  The expenditure estimates of family support shown in the table are consistent with those given in Table 15.8 of the 1989 Expenditure Plans. These do not include expenditure on housing benefit and income support for couples with children. Estimates of this expenditure for 1988–89 will become available when the 1988 annual statistical enquiry is published.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total spending on social security benefits in 1979 at today's prices; and what is the present total spending.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On current plans social security spending will be £51·1 billion in 1989–90, an increase in real terms of 34 per cent. over the figure in 1978–79, which at today's prices was £38 billion.
  41
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the numbers of people who have been transferred from unemployment to sickness benefit over the last three years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  An estimate of the number of claims for sickness and invalidity benefit which followed a claim for unemployment benefit in the last three years for which figures are available is shown in the table.

  Claims for sickness benefit 1 invalidity benefit following claims for unemployment benefit

  Year ending

  Number

  2 April 1988

  236,000

  4 April 1987

  220,000

  5 April 1986

  203,000

  Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of(a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples who will receive an increase in housing benefit when applicable amounts are increased in October 1989 of the same or less than the reduction in benefit which they experienced in April 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information requested could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Employment Training (Allowances)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of claimants who are receiving(a) invalidity benefit, (b) severe disability allowance, (c) mobility allowance and (d) attendance allowance who are on employment training schemes; and what are the equivalent numbers in each standard region.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Disability
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he plans to publish the final report from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys surveys of disability.

  Mr. Scott
  The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) has today published the sixth report on the findings of the surveys of disability carried out in Great Britain between 1985 and 1988. The report covers all the remaining aspects of circumstances of disabled children not included in reports 3 and 5, which were published earlier this year. It provides information on a wide range of topics, including the use of services, equipment and adaptations, mobility, transport and education. For those in private households the effect of disability on the family is examined, and for those in communal establishments the social activities and some financial aspects are described.

  The large quantity of detailed and complex information contained in the report has been provided by the families of disabled children or by members of staff for those in communal establishments. It therefore reflects the perceptions and knowledge of those people on the activities and experiences of disabled children, including the type of services they receive and the disability equipment they use.
  42
  This report is the sixth and final in a series published by the OPCS since September 1988. Its publication marks the point at which both the Government and organisations of and for disabled people can begin to look at the survey findings in the round. We hope that the report will generate comment not only on its own results but on the survey findings as a whole.

  Hostels
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he intends to establish a permanent central fund for hostel residents previously dependent on board and lodgings payments.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. From October 1989, existing claimants will have any shortfall between their new and old levels of benefit made good by special transitional payments of income support for as long as they continue to live in the same hostel. To help hostel finances. a shortfall between the level of hostel charge met by housing benefit and that formerly met by income support will continue to be met until April 1991. From that date, the money made available by the October benefit change will be redirected to existing hostel funding sources. It is not a function of the social security system to fund hostels but claimants will be able to obtain help with accommodation costs through housing benefit.

  Community Charge
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration he has given to the effect on the confidential relationship between officers of his Department and claimants of the provision of information to community charge registration officers as set out in his answer to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) of 26 June,Official Report, column 306.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The confidentiality of the relationship between benefit claimants and officers of the Department is treated with the utmost seriousness. It may be breached only in carefully circumscribed circumstances such as those to which the hon. Member refers which are specifically provided for in legislation.

  National Insurance
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the most recent estimate of the cost to the national insurance fund, in 1989–90, of minimum contributions to personal pension schemes; and by how much this exceeds the amount taken into account in the Government Actuary's estimate of net contributions to the fund in his report on the draft uprating order (Cm. 537).

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The most recent estimate of the revenue forgone by the national insurance fund in 1989–90 in respect of minimum contribution to personal pension schemes is £2,050 million. This exceeds the amount taken into account in the Government Actuary's estimate of net contribution to the fund by about £1,650 million.

EMPLOYMENT

  Co-operative Development Agency
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will be announcing his plans for the future of the Co-operative Development Agency.

  Mr. Cope
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Maples) on 13 July,Official Report, columns 581–2.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the extent to which small firms will benefit from the establishment of the training and enterprise councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  Training and enterprise councils will be contractually responsible to the Government within their areas for three programmes currently run by the Training Agency area offices—the enterprise allowance scheme, business growth training and small firms counselling—and they will work with local enterprise agencies and others to ensure a coherent network of support for small firms.

  Training
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what community input he requires of the employment training scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Employment training is a training programme. Activities of a broader community benefit are also carried out when these are compatible with providing training.

  TEC System
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment for which TEC he has agreed to supply development funding.

  Mr. Cope
  On 12 July, I announced development funding for 19 training and enterprise councils. They are listed in the table.

  List of TEC areas that have been approved for development funding as at 12 July

  South East:

  Essex

  Hampshire

  Hertfordshire

  Isle of Wight

  Milton Keynes

  South West:

  Devon and Cornwall

  Dorset

  West Midlands:

  Birmingham

  North West Midlands

  Walsall

  Yorkshire and Humberside:

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  Sheffield

  North West:

  Cumbria

  East Lancashire

  44

  Oldham

  Rochdale

  South East Cheshire

  Northern:

  Teesside

  Tyneside

  Disablement Resettlement Service
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the staff of the disablement resettlement service are currently registered as disabled.

  Mr. Lee
  The percentage of staff of the disablement resettlement service who are registered as disabled is currently 7·2 per cent.

  Part-time Employment
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for the growth of part-time employment in(a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

  Mr. Lee
  Information on part-time employment for sub-national areas is available only in respect of female employees in employment and participants on work-related Government training programmes (who are counted as in part-time employment). Estimates are not available for male employees in employment, nor for the self-employed. The information available on the growth in part-time employment between March 1988 and March 1989—the latest date for which figures are available—is as follows:

  Changes between March 1988 and March 1989

  Female part-time employees in employment

  All work-related Government training programmes

  Changes thousand

  Per cent.

  Changes thousand

  Per cent.

  England

  99

  2·7

  77

  28·4

  Scotland

  5

  1·4

  17

  42·0

  Wales

  4

  2·2

  10

  49·5

  Skill Shortages
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish his Department's survey of skill shortages and the impact of 1992.

  Mr. Cope
  The Department has commissioned the Institute of Manpower Studies to carry out a study of the approach to a European-wide labour market being adopted by a group of major multinational employers. The date of publications will be decided when the work is completed.

  Lorry Drivers (Pay)
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average weekly gross pay for a British lorry driver holding heavy goods vehicle 1 classification.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The average gross weekly earnings of male drivers of heavy goods vehicles (over 3 tonnes) in Great Britain was estimated to be £216·9 in April 1988, the
  45
  latest date for which information is available. This figure relates to full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose earnings were not affected by absence.

  Injuries (Pupils)
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many fatalities were reported caused by injuries to pupils at school for the years 1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987 and 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988; and what were the causes of those fatalities.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In the year beginning 1 April 1986, four fatal injuries to pupils at schools were reported to the enforcing authorities. In the following year, five fatal injuries were reported. Details of the causes of those fatalities are given in the table.

  Fatal injuries to pupils at schools1

  Reported to the enforcing authorities2

  1986–87

  —blow to the head during a game of rugby.

  —wall collapsed during high winds.

  —fall from two storeys through an open window.

  —slipping on a concrete slab.

  1987–88

  —septicaemia after fracture caused by a fall.

  —choking on a pen top.

  —collapse following an exercise on a trampoline.

  —accident involving a reversing delivery van (two fatalities).

  1 Nursery, primary and secondary education level schools.

  2 Reported to LISE's factory and agricultural inspectorates, the relevant enforcing authorities for the education sector, under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors there are to inspect schools for the purposes of health and safety; how many inspections of schools were carried out in the years 1 March 1986 to 31 March 1987 and 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988; how many prosecutions followed these inspections; and how many enforcement notices followed the prosecutions.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Inspectors based in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) area offices have a range of inspection responsibilities and no inspectors are employed solely on the inspection of schools.

  A total of 679 inspections of schools were carried out between 1 April 1986 and 31 March 1987 and 940 between I April 1987 and 31 March 1988.

  The table shows the number of prosecutions taken by HSE against the education sector, which includes all educational establishments and the number of enforcement notices issued in 1986–87 and 1987–88:

  Year

  Number of prosecutions

  Number of notices issued

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  4

  24

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  6

  28

  It is not possible to identify, without incurring disproportionate cost, how many prosecutions were taken following inspections or how many notices were issued following prosecutions.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give a breakdown of major injury figures to children at school for the different local 46
  authority areas for the years 1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987 and 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988 together with the pupil-injury ratio for each authority.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information in the form requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the national total for major injuries to pupils at school in the year 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In the year beginning 1 April 1987, 7,684 major injuries to pupils in nursery, primary and secondary education schools were reported to the enforcing authorities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

  Earnings
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the maximum and minimum hourly basic rates of pay, recorded by the Leeds office of the Manpower Services Commission, from advertised posts in the private and voluntary sector, for the following posts(a) charge care staff, (b) senior care staff, (c) care staff, (d) cooks, (e) general assistants, (f) washing up staff, (g) housekeepers, (h) laundry assistants and (i) therapists.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The maximum and minimum hourly rates of pay for posts in the private sector advertised at Leeds jobcentre at the latest available date (13 July) are as follows:

  Post

  Minimum rate £

  Maximum rate £

  Care staff

  2·20

  2·80

  Cooks

  2·00

  2·80

  General assistant

  1·93

  2·70

  Washing-up staff

  1·93

  2·70

  Laundry staff

  1·93

  2·70

  There were no vacancies advertised for other occupations requested or for the voluntary sector.

  Mr. Madden:
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what regulations apply to residential homes in the private-voluntary sector concerning hourly basic rates paid to staff.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Wages council statutory minimum wage regulations under the 1986 Wages Act cover licensed residential establishments, but nursing and residential homes for the elderly and infirm are excluded.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has about the number of ET placements in the west midlands region.

  Mr. Nicholls
  We estimate that more than 17,000 people on employment training in the west midlands region are on placements with employers or projects on any one day

  Secondary Picketing
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of public opinion regarding the Government's reform of the law on secondary picketing; and if he will make a statement.
  47
  Mr. Nicholls
  The Government's reform of industrial relations and trade union law since 1979, including measures to limit the scope for particularly unacceptable forms of industrial action, has been popular with employers, union members and the public alike. The law must, of course, be kept under review to ensure that the legal framework reflects the needs of our economy and society now and for the immediate future.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Stamp Duty (Scotland)
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been received by the stamp office in Scotland each year for the past five years in respect of domestic conveyancing.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Information available does not distinguish receipts from conveyances of residential property in Scotland. The yields from stamp duty collected by the stamp office in Scotland in respect of all conveyances-on-sale of property are as follows:

  £ million

  1984–85

  18·9

  1985–86

  20·3

  1986–87

  24·4

  1987–88

  30·1

  1988–89

  44·9

  In addition, amounts of less than £1 million have been received each year in respect of voluntary conveyances.

  Financial year

  £100 or more

  Under £100

  Number

  Value

  Number

  Value

  £

  £

  1986–87

  380,000

  182,621,000

  1,718,000

  33,821,000

  1987–88

  443,000

  260,601,000

  1,730,000

  34,533,000

  1988–89

  457,000

  273,171,000

  1,742,000

  36,122,000

  Inland Revenue (Costs)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost to the Inland Revenue per annum per annual account of administering(a) schedule E, (b) higher rate taxation and (c) schedule D.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 11 July 1989]: The average unit cost per case for employees (taxed under schedule E) was £12·61 in 1988–89, and for the self-employed (taxed under schedule D) was £46·30. These average costs include the costs of dealing with higher rate tax and capital gains of employees and the self-employed respectively, and also of collecting national insurance contributions. Separate unit costs for taxpayers liable to higher rate tax, who may be taxed under schedule E or schedule D, are not available. Further details of Revenue unit costs are given in the Inland Revenue's recently published "1988 Management Plan".

  Private Currencies
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has received any representations on the effect of privatised competing currencies on inflation.

  Earned Income
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many individuals in the United Kingdom had an earned income of £50,000 or more per annum at the last analysis;

  (2) how many individuals in the United Kingdom have an annual earned income of (a) over £500,000 per year, (b) £300,000 per year, (c) £200,000 per year and (d) £100,000 given the most up-to-date Inland Revenue figures.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The latest data cover 1986–87, when it is estimated that about 78,000 individuals had earned income of over £50,000 and about 15,000 had earned income of over £100,000. It is difficult to make reliable estimates at higher levels of earned income, but there were probably not more than about 3,000 individuals with earned income exceeding £200,000.

  Premium Bonds
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many purchases of premium bonds, in each of the last three years for which figures are available, were made in(a) amounts of over £100 and (b) amounts of £100 or less.

  Mr. Lilley
  [pursuant to his reply, 12 July 1989, c. 518.:] I regret that a digit was erroneously added to the value of the number of premium bonds sold in 1986–87 costing less than £100; the value of the 1,718,000 bonds sold should have been £33,821,000 rather than £331,821,000.

  The amended table is as follows:

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on this subject.

  Personal Debt
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter sent to him by the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber on 17 February, about which a reminder was sent on 20 June, on the problem of personal debt.

  Mr. Lilley
  I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 10 July.

  Privatisation
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer is he will list, in respect of previous privatisations, the timetable for the advertisement and publication of full prospectuses.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 13 July 1989]: The publication dates for the full prospectuses in respect of privatisations and secondary share sales since British Telecom are set out in the table:

  49

  Offer price announced ("impact day")

  Prospectus published

  Application lists opened and closed

  British Telecom

  16 November 1984

  20 November 1984

  28 November 1984

  British Aerospace

  1 May 1985

  4 May 1985

  10 May 1985

  Britoil

  30 July 1985

  1 August 1985

  8 August 1985

  Cable and Wireless

  3 December 1985

  5 December 1985

  11 December 1985

  British Gas

  21 November 1986

  25 November 1986

  3 December 1986

  British Airways

  27 January 1987

  30 January 1987

  6 February 1987

  BAA

  8 July 1987

  10 July 1987

  16 July 1987

  Rolls-Royce

  27 April 1987

  30 April 1987

  7 May 1987

  BP

  15 October 1987

  20 October 1987

  28 October 1987

  British Steel

  23 November 1988

  25 November 1988

  2 December 1988

  Inflation
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he intends to seek to remove his obligation under the Industry Act to provide an inflation forecast.

  Mr. Lilley
  No.

  Debt Repayment
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on ways in which the International Monetary Fund and World Bank responds to emergency situations such as earthquakes destroying oil pipelines with consequent effect on debt repayment.

  Mr. Lilley
  Both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are able to respond to unexpected exogenous shocks to mitigate the effects on a member's economy. For example, the International Monetary Fund counteracted the adverse effect on Ecuador's balance of payments, mainly resulting from damage caused to an oil pipeline by an earthquake, by disbursing SDR 42·7 million in the form of a contingency financing facility. The World Bank approved an $80 million emergency petroleum reconstruction project loan at the same time.

  Banks (Information Disclosure)
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation concerning the handling of references and the disclosure of information to credit reference agencies by banks about customers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The activities of credit reference agencies are regulated by the Consumer Credit Act and the Data Protection Act. The report of the review committee on banking services law published in February 1989 considered, among many other matters, disclosure of information by banks to credit reference agencies. I will be making a statement on the Government's response to this report in due course.

  Government Staff
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the numbers of staff in post for all individual Government Departments for each year from 1979 onwards.

  Mr. Brooke
  The numbers of staff in post for the years 1979 to 1988 are to be found in copies of the annual publication "Civil Service Statistics" which have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The numbers for 1 April 1989 by Department have not been published 50
  yet, but are to be found in "QSR Analysis", a copy of which has been sent to the House of Commons Library (statistical unit).

  Currencies
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to allow European Community currencies to be treated as legal tender in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lilley
  No. However since the abolition of exchange controls British residents are free to accept payment in any currency they wish.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Food Act 1984
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many prosecutions have been instigated under(a) section 1 of the Food Act 1984 and (b) section 2 of the Food Act 1984 for each year since 1984; how many of these prosecutions were successful; and what was the maximum penalty levied.

  Mr. Ryder
  Information on prosecutions under separate sections of the Food Act 1984 is not collected centrally. However, information is available on prosecutions, convictions and the number fined the maximum penalty for offences committed under the Food Act 1984 as follows:

  Offenders prosecuted and convicted under the Food Act 19841

  England and Wales

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Prosecutions

  844

  901

  1,050

  1,078

  Convictions

  748

  793

  909

  930

  Number fined (maximum £2,000)

  —

  2

  —

  1

  1 Sections 1, 2, 6, 29, 48 and 103.

  Eggs
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review(a) the compensation paid to the egg industry and (b) other grants, in the light of recent concern about the quality of eggs.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  No. The recent, much publicised, problems with egg quality appear to have arisen mainly because of poor stock control at certain retail outlets.

  National Fruit Collection
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, pursuant to his answer of 28 June,Official Report, column 466, he has now completed his consideration of arrangements to be made in the event that Brogdale is closed; and what guardianship he proposes for the national fruit collection.

  Mr. Ryder
  We have not yet completed our consideration of the arrangements to be made for the national fruit collection in the event that Brogdale is closed, and I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 28 June.

  Head Meat
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply to the hon. Member for South Shields of 11 July, if he will specify what tissues and organs are included in the category of head meat; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  Under the Meat Products and Spreadable Fish Products Regulations 1984 "head meat" means muscle meat (ie cheek) and associated fatty tissue.

  Anthrax
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the abattoirs in England which have been receiving meat from the Clwyd and Devon farms which have an outbreak of anthrax; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list the number and type of animals infected by anthrax in Devon in the current year; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the source of anthrax contamination in Devon;

  (4) what action he is taking on the farm in Devon which currently has an outbreak of anthrax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  There is no current outbreak of anthrax in Devon. A single case occurred in January involving the death of one cow. Despite thorough epidemiological investigation the source of infection was not identified. Restrictions were lifted on 10 January.

  No abattoirs in England have received animals from the farm in Clwyd while movement restrictions under the Anthrax Order 1938 have been in force.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the 1938 Anthrax Order with a view to including the disposal of potentially infected slurry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  No. The Anthrax Order 1938 already includes provision for the disinfection or disposal of dung likely to spread disease.

  Pesticide Safety Division
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last visited the data evaluation unit of the pesticide safety division at Harpenden.

  Mr. Ryder
  My noble Friend, The Baroness Trumpington, who is the Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for pesticides, last visited the data evaluation unit in April 1988.

ENERGY

  Refining Capacity
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the latest available estimate of the United Kingdom's refining capacity for the gasoline/fuel oil gap.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The United Kingdom's refining industry is meeting increased demand for unleaded petrol without any excess production of fuel oil.

  Safe Integral Reactor
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what involvement his Department has in the development of the safe integral reactor; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Approval has been given to the UKAEA to use some of its pre-contract research funds to support its role as a member of the safe integral reactor (SIR) consortium which is at present bidding for funds from the United States Department of Energy. The UKAEA has joined the consortium as a commercial venture.

  Nuclear Power Stations
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department has a list of sites suitable for future nuclear power stations.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The choice of sites for nuclear power stations is in the first instance, a matter for the electricity supply industry. I am therefore asking the chairman of the CEGB to write direct to the hon. Member.

  Any proposal for such a station would, of course, be subject to obtaining the necessary consents and permissions.

  Electro-magnetic Fields
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy which body will be responsible, after the privatisation of the electricity industry, for the current research in which the Central Electricity Generating Board is engaged on the possible health hazards associated with exposure to power frequency electro-magnetic fields from power lines and other sources.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  After privatisation, the part of the CEGB responsible for the transmission system will form the National Grid Company and will continue the programme of work already started to investigate the possible effects to human health of electro-magnetic fields emanating from power cables. In addition, independent research on the subject is also undertaken at a number of universities and hospitals.

  Government are kept informed of these developments via officials in the Departments of Energy and Health, the Health and Safety Executive, and the National Radiological Protection Board.

  Halliburton Services
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department has commissioned any work in the last five years from any of the subsidiaries of Halliburton Services, including Gearhart Geodata
  53
  Services Ltd., Gearharts Wireline Service Ltd., Brown and Root Ltd., Otis Engineering Corporation and Otis Pressure Control Ltd.; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  A review of Departmental records indicates that the Department has had two contracts in the last five years with the Halliburton Group subsidiary Brown and Root Vickers Technology Ltd.; in addition, the Department has had contracts with Wharton Williams Ltd., which became a subsidiary of the Halliburton Group in April 1989.

  Energy Saving
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what measures he is taking to ensure that by 1992 there is a substantial energy saving in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The programmes of the Energy Efficiency Office have already achieved savings of more than £0·5 billion per year. The EEO is now targeting its efforts on key areas of energy use and offering advice backed by technical support. In particular, we are emphasising the work of the regional energy efficiency officers in making direct contact with major energy users and offering the new best practice programme which will develop and disseminate well-researched information on energy use sector by sector. In addition the Secretary of State is leading a campaign to improve the efficiency of energy use in the public sector. I believe that this targeted approach will result in the work of the EEO being even more effective.

  Our proposals for the electricity supply industry will also give further impetus to the promotion of energy efficiency, particularly through the responsibilities of the director general and his staff in the Office of Electricity Regulation.

  In addition, amendments to the building regulations were laid before the House on 11 July. These will require improvements in insulation standards which should achieve a saving of 20 per cent. in heating requirements compared with existing regulations.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Staffing (North of England)
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service who was the last grade 1 or grade 2 civil servant who worked in the north of England.

  Mr. Luce
  Many senior civil servants have had experience of working in all parts of the country, including the north. A range of posts in varying places increases the breadth of their knowledge and expertise and I value this.

  Civil Service Unions
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what recent discussions he has had with Civil Service unions.

  Mr. Luce
  I met members of the Council of Civil Service Unions on 27 June to discuss the future of the Civil Service Commission.

  European Single Market
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what steps the Civil Service is taking to prepare for the single market after 1992.

  Mr. Luce
  Government Departments have, for some time, been preparing for the single European market. My own Department has created a range of training and development opportunities to support their strategies.

  Training and Management Development
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what resources have been committed for 1989–90 to training and management development within the Civil Service.

  Mr. Luce
  The planning of expenditure on training and development is a matter for Departments. On the basis of past trends, I would expect the total investment in training for the non-industrial Civil Service in the current year to be about £330 million. In addition, £1 million of challenge funding is being made available centrally to Departments to encourage them to undertake more management training and development at senior levels.

THE ARTS

  Funding
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what have been the increases in funding from public and private sources for the arts since January 1986.

  Mr. Luce
  Central Government expenditure on the arts has increased since 1985–86 by £152 million to £439 million in 1989–90. There are no comprehensive figures for private funding of arts activities but there are many good examples of private sector support for arts activities.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the expenditure on the arts in the south of England for the financial year 1988–89.

  Mr. Luce
  In 1988–89, around £6 million of taxpayers' money was spent on the arts in the southern arts area, via the Arts Council and the Regional Arts Association. This does not include expenditure on the arts from local authorities and from the private sector.

  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what fraction of Government expenditure is represented by spending for which he is responsible.

  Mr. Luce
  My Department's expenditure of £439 million in 1989–90 represents one third of 1 per cent. of total central Government spending.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he plans to make a statement on future funding of the arts in 1990–91 and beyond.

  Mr. Luce
  In November 1987 I announced a new departure in arts funding with a three-year settlement for the years 1988–89 to 1990–91. In November 1988 I announced the rolling forward of this central Government programme to 1991–92. As is now customary, I would hope to be able to make a similar statement in respect of 1992–93 this autumn.
  55
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he has assessed the scale of finance likely to be available for the arts in the north-west in the year 1990–91 and beyond.

  Mr. Luce
  The finance available to the arts in particular regions is determined by the Arts Council. Arts Council grants to regional arts associations have more than doubled since 1984–85. The level of grant to North West Arts in 1990–91 and beyond has yet to be determined.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what discussions he has had with the Association of Metropolitan Authorities about future levels of arts funding in 1990–91 and beyond.

  Mr. Luce
  I met representatives of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities in April this year to discuss questions of arts policy and funding.

  Business in the Arts
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what progress is being made in the Business in the Arts scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  This venture by the Association of Business Sponsorship of the Arts is making good progress. The pilot scheme in the west midlands has been very useful, and has demonstrated the enthusiasm of the business community to share their skills with the arts. Negotiations arc now under way to open a number of regional offices.

  Group Visits
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received from the Arts Council on the current level of school and other organised group visits to the theatre.

  Table showing major sponsorships of and donations to the arts in the last twelve months

  Organisation

  Donor

  Amount

  Date of announcement

  Purpose

  Tate Gallery

  Anonymous

  US $6·5 million

  20 June 1988

  To set up American fund for Tate Gallery

  National Gallery

  Mr. Walter Annenberg, KBE

  £2·85 million

  22 June 1988

  Restoration of impressionist and post-impressionist rooms

  Victoria and Albert Museum

  Mr. T. T. Tsui

  £1·25 million

  20 June 1988

  To creat a new gallery of Chinese art and design

  BAFTA

  Shell (sponsorship)

  £3 million

  12-Jul-88

  Various projects

  British Library

  The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York

  US $1·5 million (over 5 years)

  20 October 1988

  5 year programme of preservation of microfilming

  Arts Council

  Anonymous

  £1 million

  December 1988

  Foundation of new endowment fund for innovation and experiment

  Midland Bank Arts Card
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the implications for arts funding of the Midland bank arts card scheme.

  Mr. Luce
  This is another excellent example of the way in which the arts world and the private sector can work together for the benefit of each other and the public at large. The Arts Council estimates that within two years of its launch, the arts card could raise between £400,000 and £500,000 for arts organisations.
  56
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what discussions he has had with the Arts Council about the number of(a) school and (b) other community group visits to performing arts venues.

  Mr. Luce
  On my behalf, the Arts Council is monitoring the number of visits that schools are making to theatres and other arts organisations.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Minister for Arts what discussions he has had with the Association of County Councils on the number of visits by(a) school parties and (b) other community groups to performing arts events.

  Mr. Luce
  None, but, with the help of the Arts Council, I am monitoring the situation carefully.

  Arts Festivals
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many arts festivals have been held in each of the last four years ended on 30 June.

  Mr. Luce
  This information is not held centrally, but the publication "Arts Festivals in Britain and Ireland" estimates that in 1985 there were 265 festivals in Great Britain with a professional input. This rose to 274 in 1986, rising again to 412 in 1987 and there was a further increase to 490 in 1988. This year it is estimated that there will be around 600 arts festivals.

  Private Donations
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what major donations from private sources have been made in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Luce
  I am extremely grateful to all benefactors of the arts. The list is as follows:

  Regional Theatres
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the level of financial support for studio theatres in regional repertory theatres.

  Mr. Luce
  Regional repertory theatres fund their studio theatres out of their overall revenue grant. Because there is no separate earmarking, information about the funding of studio theatres is not held centrally.

  Performing Arts
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what steps he is taking to promote the performing arts in(a) schools and (b) elsewhere.
  57
  Mr. Luce
  With my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, I have commissioned a booklet which includes examples of how the performing arts can stimulate pupils' imagination and widen the boundaries of classroom learning. It will be circulated free to all maintained schools. This is one of a number of initiatives that I have taken to ensure that the performing arts reach the widest possible audience.

  Training
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he has any plans to increase provision of training for practitioners in the arts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  The Training Agency has recently undertaken a survey of training in the arts and is organising a conference for practitioners to consider its report. Following these initiatives, my officials will be discussing with the Arts Council what further steps may need to be taken to improve training provision.

  British Library
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what are the costs of(a) cataloguing and (b) storing a book at the British Library.

  Mr. Luce
  The British Library estimates the cost of cataloguing to be approximately £37 for a book acquired by legal deposit, and approximately £18 for a purchased book. The cost of storing a book in central London is approximately £1 per year.

  Expenditure (London Boroughs)
  Miss. Hoey
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the future pattern of arts expenditure by London boroughs in 1990–91 and beyond.

  Mr. Luce
  The pattern of arts expenditure by London boroughs is not determined centrally.

  National Museums (Branches)
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many of the national museums and galleries have established branches outside London.

  Mr. Luce
  Of the 10 London-based national museums and galleries five have established outstations outside the capital—the British museum (natural history), and Imperial war museum, the National portrait gallery, the Science museum and the Tate gallery. The Victoria and Albert museum is considering relocating part of its Indian collection to Bradford. Since 1986, the national museums and galleries on Merseyside have been supported from the arts programme.

  I greatly welcome these developments which help to make our national collections more accessible to a wider public.

  European Single Market
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what discussions he has had with the Arts Council on the impact of 1992 on the arts.

  Mr. Luce
  On 3 July I addressed representatives of some 26 arts bodies at a seminar entitled "Culture in 58
  Europe—Planning for 1992", arranged by the Office of Arts and Libraries, at which Arts Council representatives were present. The Arts Council is also holding a conference on this general theme on 14–16 March next year in Glasgow and my office is represented on the advisory committee for this event.

  Cultural Exchanges
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what plans his Department is making to mark the arrival of t he open market of 1 January 1993 with cultural exchanges, exhibitions, performances or similar events.

  Mr. Luce
  None.

SCOTLAND

  Finance Companies (Malpractice)
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many finance companies, licensed under the Financial Services Act, have had their licence withdrawn each year since 1988 for malpractice in Scotland.

  Mr. Maude
  I have been asked to reply.

  The authorisation provisions of the Financial Services Act did not come into operation until 29 April 1988. A finance company will only require authorisation only if, in addition to offering credit, it is also carrying on investment business as defined in that Act. It is not possible without incurring disproportionate cost to identify from the records available how many of the persons who have had their authorisation revoked under the Act might be described as "finance companies", which is not a category recognised under the Financial Services Act. Nor is it possible without incurring disproportionate cost to identify from the records available those instances (whether involving finance companies or not) where authorisation was revoked because of misconduct which took place in Scotland.

  The predecessor to the Financial Services Act was the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. A finance company required a licence under that Act only if, in addition to offering credit, it was also carrying on the business of dealing in securities. It is not possible from the records available to say how many licensed dealers who have had their principal's licences revoked under the Act might be described as "finance companies", which was not a category recognised under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act. Nor is it possible without disproportionate cost to identify from the records available those instances (whether involving finance companies or not) where a principal's licence was revoked because of misconduct which took place in Scotland.

  Appointments
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the policy of his Department on filling posts in institutions funded by his Department by open competition.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Practice varies according to the particular circumstances of the institution and the appointment, and any relevant agreement that may have been entered into. A significant number of posts is filled by open competition.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue advice to local authorities to monitor potential health hazards in eggs; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Monitoring potential health hazards in the egg itself is not the most effective way of dealing with the problem. The answer is to introduce a comprehensive package of measures ranging from the testing of feedingstuffs at the manufacturing stage, through the testing of flocks, to the provision of advice on the handling and cooking of eggs and poultrymeat in catering establishments and in the home. This is what we have done.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from parents of those serving in Her Majesty's forces abroad who have been informed that they will have to pay the poll tax while serving abroad; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received only a few such representations. The question of whether service personnel serving abroad are liable to pay the personal community charge will depend on whether they are regarded as having their main residence in Scotland. This is a matter for community charges registration officers to decide in the light of the facts and circumstances relating to individual cases.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of Her Majesty's forces, living and working abroad, have been registered for payment of the community charge in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The registration of people for the personal community charge is a matter for community charges registration officers and the information requested is not held centrally.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from members of Her Majesty's forces serving abroad complaining about the community charge levied on them.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received very few such representations.

  Bus Services
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of all employee-owned bus companies in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Grampian Regional Transport Ltd. was the subject of a management-employee buy out from Grampian regional council in January this year. Information on whether any other privately owned bus companies in Scotland are owned wholly or partly by employees is not readily available.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of those organisations providing public bus transport who have made representations to him about the privatisation
  60
  of bus services proposed in the Transport (Scotland) Bill; and if he will indicate those which (a) favoured and (b) disagreed with the Bill's proposals.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In the period following the publication of the Transport (Scotland) Bill representations about the Government's proposals to privatise the Scottish Bus Group have been received from the following bodies involved in operating public bus transport services:

  Luton and District Transport Ltd.

  Stagecoach Holdings Ltd.

  In addition, representations have been received from the managing directors of the northern, Strathtay and western Clydeside subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group and from the Clydeside employee buy-out committee. A representation was also received from Borders regional council. None of the representations received made specific reference to the provisions of the Bill.

  Legal Profession
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report those individuals and organisations which responded to the recent Green Paper, "The Legal Profession in Scotland".

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Ninety-two individuals and organisations responded to my right hon. and learned Friend's recent Consultation Paper "The Legal Profession in Scotland". These are listed as follows:

  1. Aberdeen Bar Association

  2. Allianz Legal Protection Insurance Co. Ltd.

  3. Mr. H. Angus

  4. Association of British Insurers

  5. Association of First Division Civil Servants (Procurator Fiscal Branch)

  6. Auditor of Court of Session

  7. Mr. D. A. Ballingall

  8. Bank of Scotland

  9. Bird Semple Fyfe Ireland

  10. Miss H. Buchan

  11. Building Societies Association

  12. Campaign for Community Legal Services

  13. The Hon. Lord Caplan

  14. CBI Scotland

  15. Citizens Advice Scotland

  16. Clydesdale Bank plc

  17. Consumers Association

  18. Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

  19. Council of Scottish Courts Service Unions

  20. Mr. L. R. Cox

  21. The Hon. Lord Dervaird

  22. Dunfermline Building Society

  23. EBS Trustees

  24. Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre

  25. Mrs. M. Ewing MP

  26. Faculty of Advocates

  27. Ferguson & Will

  28. Mr. A. Fletcher QC

  29. Glasgow Bar Association

  30. Glasgow College

  31. Halifax Building Society

  32. Mr. J. B. D. Henderson

  33. Institute of Bankers in Scotland

  34. Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

  35. Mr. H. Irvine

  36. Joint Standing Committee on Legal Education in Scotland

  37. Keeper of the Registers of Scotland

  38. Law Society of Scotland

  39. Lay Observer for Scotland

  40. Legal Defence Union

  41. Legal Protection Group Ltd.

  42. Miss D. M. Little

  61

  43. Lord President of the Court of Session

  44. Mr. J. D. M. Macara

  45. Mr. J. G. Macdonald

  46. Mr. K. M. Maciver

  47. Mr. C. H. MacLean

  48. The Hon. Lord McCluskey

  49. Mr. P. McCormack

  50. Mr. W. H. McCort

  51. McGrigor Donald

  52. Mr. I. M. Martin

  53. Murgitroyd & Company

  54. Mr. T. A. M. Myles

  55. National Association of Estate Agents, Scottish Working Party

  56. Procurators Fiscal Society

  57. Regional Sheriff Clerks

  58. Dr. R. Rennie

  59. Mr. A. Robb

  60. Mr. G. M. Robertson

  61. Ross Rogers & Co.

  62. Royal Bank of Scotland plc

  63. Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow

  64. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

  65. Scottish Consumer Council

  66. Scottish Law Agents Society

  67. Scottish Lawyers' European Group

  68. Scottish Legal Aid Board

  69. Scottish Legal Action Group

  70. Scottish Society for the Menially Handicapped

  71. Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal

  72. Scottish Vocational Education Council

  73. Scottish Young Lawyers Association

  74. Sheriffs' Association

  75. Sheriffs Principal

  76. Society of Conservative Accountants

  77. Society of Procurators and Solicitors of Angus

  78. Society of Scottish Conservative Lawyers

  79. Society of Sheriff Court Auditors

  80. Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland

  81. Society of Writers to HM Signet

  82. Mr. G. Stephen

  83. Strathkelvin Association of Solicitors

  84. Mr. R. Tur

  85. University of Aberdeen, Faculty of Law

  86. University of Edinburgh. Faculty of Law

  87. University of Glasgow, Faculty of Law and Financial Studies

  88. Mr. M. Upton

  89. Professor D. M. Walker CBE QC

  90. The Hon. Lord Weir

  91. Mr. L. Wheatley

  92. Miss J. White

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeals against refusals of planning permission for private waste disposal sites he has upheld in the last six years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Five.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many green belt sites have been used for waste disposal sites in the last six years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Six planning permissions have been given.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list all Scottish district councils' waste disposal sites;

  (2) if he will list all the private waste disposal sites in Scotland;

  (3) if he will list the privately owned incinerators for waste disposal in Scotland;
  62
  (4) if he will list the publicly owned incinerators for waste disposal in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The district and islands councils as waste disposal authorities maintain public registers which provide up-to-date information on waste disposal activities in Scotland and enable the authorities to answer specific inquiries about particular activities.

  There are about 263 district and islands council waste disposal sites and 516 private waste disposal sites in Scotland of which 65 council sites and 190 private sites have closed or are not active. Included in the total number of sites are eight publicly owned incinerators and 11 private incinerators.

  A summary of the number of waste disposal sites, which include those with incinerators, by waste disposal authority is given in the following table.

  Waste Disposal Authority

  Number of Public Sites

  Number of Private Sites

  (Number of incinerators included shown in brackets)

  Berwickshire DC

  1

  2

  Ettrick and Lauderdalc DC

  2

  3

  Roxburgh DC

  3

  0

  Tweeddale DC

  2

  0

  Clackmannan DC

  12

  8

  Falkirk DC

  4

  227

  Stirling DC

  1

  7

  Annandale and Eskdale DC

  3

  24

  Nithsdale DC

  3

  4

  Stewartry DC

  1

  12

  Wigtown DC

  3

  8

  Dunfermline DC

  7

  19

  Kirkaldy DC

  4

  18

  North East Fife DC

  5

  110

  Aberdeen DC

  19

  17

  Banff and Buchan DC

  21

  13

  Gordon DC

  3

  13

  Kincardine and Deeside DC

  5

  11

  Moray DC

  11

  15

  Badenoch and Strathspey DC

  3

  0

  Caithness DC

  2

  6

  Inverness DC

  2

  12

  Lochaber DC

  5

  5

  Nairn DC

  0

  0

  Ross and Cromarty DC

  4

  4

  Skye and Lochalsh DC

  3

  0

  Sutherland DC

  10

  0

  East Lothian DC

  4

  13

  Edinburgh DC

  7

  24

  Midlothian DC

  3

  16

  West Midlothian DC

  6

  26

  Argyll and Bute DC

  0

  2

  Bearsden and Milngavie DC

  0

  0

  Clydebank DC

  0

  3

  Clydesdale DC

  6

  4

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth DC

  4

  9

  Cumnock and Doon DC

  2

  4

  Cunninghame DC

  13

  118

  Dumbarton DC

  3

  7

  East Kilbride DC

  3

  6

  Eastwood DC

  0

  6

  Glasgow DC

  213

  36

  Hamilton DC

  4

  9

  Inverclyde DC

  6

  6

  Kilmarnock and Louden DC

  3

  4

  Kyle and Carrick DC

  6

  1

  Monklands DC

  3

  10

  Motherwell DC

  1

  15

  Renfrew DC

  16

  29

  Strathkelvin DC

  3

  16

  Angus DC

  2

  116

  Dundee DC

  14

  8

  Perth and Kinross DC

  9

  21

  Orkney IC

  119

  12

  Shetland IC

  14

  27

  63

  Waste Disposal Authority

  Number of Public Sites

  Number of Private Sites

  (Number of incinerators included shown in brackets)

  Western Isles IC

  10

  0

  263

  516

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on how many applications there are relating to land which is at present in green belt areas for waste disposal sites.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I have no information about the number of applications currently before planning authorities. My right hon. and learned Friend currently has five applications before him.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on how many planning applications for waste disposal sites have been turned down by Scottish local authorities in the last six years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I do not have information on the number of applications that have been turned down by Scottish local authorities over the last six years. There have been 23 appeals against refusal of planning permission made to my right hon. and learned Friend since 1 July 1983 involving waste disposal sites.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the voluntary sector community programme agents who decided not to enter the employment training scheme; and how many redundancies he estimates were created as a result.

  Mr. Lang
  Information on which former community programme agents did not transfer to employment training could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is not possible to provide an estimate of redundancies directly relating to community programme agents' decisions not to participate in employment training.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the voluntary sector training agents and training managers for employment training schemes in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is as follows:

  Training Agent

  Centre for Training and Employment

  Training Managers

  Apex Trust

  British Institute of Traffic Education Research

  Centre for Training and Employment

  Cobalt UK Ltd

  Community and Business Training

  Community Opportunities West Lothian Ltd

  Community Service Volunteers

  Craigmillar Festival Society

  Dundee Cyrenians Wishart Centre Ltd

  Dundee Survival Group

  East End Management Agency

  Employment Opportunities Trust

  Epilepsy Association of Scotland

  Gang Forth

  Invalid Children Aid Nationwide

  Mill Training Ltd

  New Lanark Association Ltd

  64

  OSCC Training

  Poldrait Community Development

  Remploy Ltd

  Scottish Association for Mental Health

  Scottish Centres

  Scottish Council for Spastics

  Scottish Maritime Museum

  Scottish Society for Mentally Handicapped

  Scottish Wildlife Trust

  Springboard Lanark Trust

  St. Michaels Buckhaven Agency Ltd

  The Wise Group

  Training Crafts Ltd

  Voluntary Association for Mental Welfare

  Voluntary Service Aberdeen

  Wester Hailes Management Agency

  Workstart Ltd

  YMCA

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those private sector companies providing employment training which were formed as a result of management buy-out when local authorities declined to participate in employment training schemes.

  Mr. Lang
  Nine organisations currently contracted for employment training are known to have been formed as a result of management buy-outs, but to identify these companies in this way would breach the confidentiality which exists between the Training Agency and all its providers.

  A77
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to announce a decision on the route of the A77 from Dumbreck to the Malletsheugh; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce his decision on the route of the A77 from Dumbreck to the Malletsheugh; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has the report of the public inquiry on the route of the A77 and is giving it careful consideration. He expects to announce his decision in the not too distant future.

  Cancer Screening
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps will be taken to ensure adequate levels of cervical cytology screening in areas of severe socio-economic deprivation.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Our policy is to make available a comprehensive cervical cancer screening service to all women in Scotland aged between 20 and 60. To this end most health boards have introduced fully computerised call and recall systems for cervical screening. The remainder will be doing so shortly. We also propose to introduce target payments to encourage general practitioners to achieve a high uptake rate of women for screening.

  WRVS
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to reply to the questions from the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden tabled for answer on 30 June relating to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service.
  65
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I answered the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden on Friday 14 July at columns 664–65.

  Scottish Tourist Board
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to appoint a woman to the board of the Scottish tourist board.

  Mr. Lang
  The published guidelines covering women in public appointments will continue to be followed in making future nominations to the board.

  Dornoch Firth (Bridge)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current expected start date for construction of the road bridge crossing of the Dornoch firth; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The essential site preparation work on temporary jetty which started some time ago is near completion. The construction of structural elements of the bridge is estimated to start in mid-September subject to satisfactory performance of the trial pile.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the results of the soil investigations currently being undertaken to determine the design needs of the foundations of the road bridge over the Dornoch firth.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  To determine the design and construction method of the foundations of the road bridge over Dornoch firth, one final trial pile is required which is anticipated to start on 21 July and finish on 28 July. This completes the investigations.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what machinery exists in his Department to assist Ministers in ensuring that arrangements made for ministerial visits are separated for administrative and accounting purposes from arrangements made by Ministers acting in other capacities; what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that these conventions have been followed since June 1987; and what steps he is intending to take to ensure they are followed in the future.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [holding answer 14 July 1989] My ministerial colleagues and I are well aware of the need to distinguish between those activities, including visits, which we undertake as Ministers and those which we undertake in other capacities. We take great care to ensure that the relevant conventions are observed, seeking the advice of the permanent secretary where necessary.

  Dental Education
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has instituted an inquiry into the leak of information to the media before publication of the report of his working party on dental provision in Scotland.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [holding answer 14 July 1989]: It is not the usual practice to give information on such matters.

DEFENCE

  Military Equipment (Theft)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many prosecutions and convictions there have been for theft of military equipment owned by the Ministry of Defence in the last five years for which information is available.

  Mr. Neubert
  I regret that information is not maintained in the form requested.

  Women Aircrew
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the employment of women as aircrew in the Royal Air Force; whether he intends to review that policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  The matter has been under consideration for some time. I hope to make an announcement shortly.

  Army Recruitment
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many inquiries were received during an Army recruitment drive in Bradford earlier in the current year; how many people have been recruited; and in how many other places in west Yorkshire such recruitment drives have been held or are planned;

  (2) what Army equipment was recently displayed in Bradford; on how many days the display was held; how many soldiers and of what rank attended; and what was the total cost of the display in Bradford.

  Mr. Neubert
  The event in Bradford was held on 12 and 13 June as part of the "Keep the Army in the Public Eye" scheme, the function of which is self-explanatory. It is not the purpose of this scheme to give careers counselling of the kind available at Army recruiting offices and no records are kept of inquirers. During the current financial year, three such events have taken place in west Yorkshire; no further events are planned.

  The event in Bradford was run by the 4/7 Dragoon Guards and comprised one Chieftain main battle tank, one Scorpion light tank, one Fox armoured car, one Land Rover with trailer, 15 crewmen, ranging in rank from lieutenant to trooper, and a regimental band of 21 soldiers.

  The additional costs of such events are quite small and relate primarily to accommodation and local travel. It is estimated that these amounted to less than £1,000 for the two days in question.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a rifle range in which the public are charged 20p a shot by Army personnel is a normal feature of Army recruitment drives; and what complaints he has received about such rifle ranges and the display of tanks and other equipment in Bradford and other parts of west Yorkshire.

  Mr. Neubert
  Air rifle ranges are a common feature of Army displays. The equipment is of non-military origin and a standard charge of 20p for five shots is made. I am not aware of any complaints having been received about rifle ranges or the display of tanks and other equipment in west Yorkshire.

  Birkbeck College
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates discussions took place between his Department and a journalist for The Sunday Times on the question of Birkbeck college work on matters relating to defence.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  On 30 June, 1 July, 4 July, 6 July and 7 July 1989.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contacts his Department has had with The Mail on Sunday on the question of the handling of matters relating to defence by Birkbeck college.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Mail on Sunday was in contact with officials at the Ministry of Defence on a number of occasions between 30 June and 7 July 1989.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between officials in his Department and a journalist on The Sunday Times during the last month on aspects of security relating to work on defence matters being carried out by Birkbeck college.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Discussions between officials and The Sunday Times took place on a number of occasions from 30 June onwards concerning work on defence matters being carried out by Birkbeck college.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information was given by his Department to a journalist from The Sunday Times about an investigation by Her Majesty's Government into the handling and use of classified material by Birkbeck college.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions were given to Professor Herriot of the occupational psychology department of Birkbeck college by his Department on the handling and return to his Department of papers relating to defence matters.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There have been no specific instructions. Following the completion of work on an earlier phase of a research agreement placed with the occupational psychology department at Birkbeck college, it was agreed at a progress meeting in March 1989 that documents no longer required should be returned to the Ministry of Defence.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the story proposed to be published in The Sunday Times relating to Birkbeck college's handling of matters relating to defence was read over the phone to a person employed by his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Officials in the limited time available on 30 June and 1 July did their best to be helpful to The Sunday Times. However, nothing that was said confirmed the assertions made in the subsequent press reports.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has withdrawn papers from Birkbeck college relating to defence matters on grounds of national security.
  68
  Mr. Sainsbury
  No. I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 6 July to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill), column 265.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied with the arrangements for the handling and use of classified matter on defence matters by persons who work at Birkbeck college.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As no classified work is currently placed at Birkbeck college the question of the handling and use made of classified matter there does not arise.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will order an investigation into his Department's handling of press statements relating to the handling of matters relating to defence by Birkbeck college.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  HMS Valiant
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision for screening of submariners serving on Her Majesty's nuclear submarine Valiant was undertaken by his Department, following structural faults being discovered in that vessel during 1964, 1965 and 1966; if a full register of these submariners is still maintained; if follow-up medical examinations have followed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The majority of the period in question represents the later stages of construction and the commissioning of HMS Valiant. There were few problems of any nature during this period. As part of her trials, extensive radiation surveys were carried out. The ship's company was subject to personal dosimetry, and the statutory radiation protection limits were enforced. All classified radiation workers will have had annual medical examinations for as long as they continued such work; further examinations would have been applicable only if overexposures had taken place.

  Radiation exposure records are held, as required by law, on all nuclear submariners for this period who were subject to dosimetric assessment. Although the ship's company in question could be identified from naval records, radiation records are held on a personal basis.

  Joint Service Stocktaking Committee
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel are members of the joint service stocktaking committee.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  At present, one.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any funding is specifically allocated to the joint service stocktaking committee.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  Computer Science Staff
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current level of vacancies for specialist computer science staff in(a) the land systems controllerate, (b) the air systems controllerate and (c) the sea systems controllerate.
  69
  Mr. Sainsbury
  (a) None; (b) none; (c) none.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current target requirement for specialist computer science staff in(a) the land systems controllerate, (b) the air systems controllerate and (c) the sea systems controllerate.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  (a) None; (b) none; (c) one.

  Procurement Executive
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the civilian staff target for the procurement executive in 1980 and in 1989.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The figures are 48,008 and 33,135 respectively.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of civilian staff employed in the procurement executive in 1980 and in 1989.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The figures are 46,966 and 32,084 respectively.

  Nuclear Submarines (Berthing)
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis the 550-metre safety zone was deemed to be appropriate in relation to the berthing of nuclear-powered submarines; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The 550-metre zone is the distance at which automatic countermeasures should take place in the event of a submarine nuclear reactor accident. It derives from predictions of the probability and consequences of accidents which are based on our best and most up-to-date technical advice, and are carried out in accordance with the recommendations laid down by the International Commission for Radiological Protection. The 550-metre zone would be sufficient for the vast majority of potential reactor accidents, most of which would not in fact result in any radiological hazard to the public. We also plan, in conjunction with local authorities, against the even more remote possibility of an accident which would require countermeasures outside this area; in this event countermeasures would be advised on the basis of monitoring information.

  HMS Fearless
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the refit programme for HMS Fearless will be completed on schedule.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is currently expected that HMS Fearless will be completed to a revised schedule allowing for the emergent work identified since the refit began.

  Military Operations, South-West Scotland
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the extent, exact delineation and description of the land which is the subject of a 25-year licence for military operations in south-west Scotland; what are the exact terms and nature of the licence, the landowners with whom it has been agreed, and the nature and extent of the exercises proposed to be held there; and if he will make a statement.
  70
  Mr. Neubert
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Combat Aircraft
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the changes to the balance between strike-attack, offensive support and air defence Royal Air Force combat aircraft resulting from a 15 per cent. reduction in the numbers of Royal Air Force aircraft that are not dual-capable.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The question of how aircraft reductions resulting from an agreement on conventional armed forces in Europe are taken will be decided in the context of the Alliance's overall requirements. It is too early to say what impact this may have on the Royal Air Force.

  Conventional Forces in Europe
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the cost of verifying an agreement to reduce conventional forces reached as a result of the conventional forces in Europe talks.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Verification will be a key element of any agreement to reduce conventional forces in Europe. The costs will depend on the measures finally agreed. Based on our experience of implementing the INF treaty and the Stockholm document, our provisional assessment is that the considerably more complex and extensive requirements of a conventional armed forces agreement will entail substantial costs.

  Maritime Forces
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his NATO counterparts concerning the possibility of arms control and disarmament negotiations on maritime forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has regular meetings with his NATO counterparts at which a wide range of arms control and disarmament-related matters are discussed.

  Stockholm Agreement
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual cost in 1987 and in 1988 of sending British military personnel on challenge inspections to Warsaw pact exercises under the auspices of the Stockholm agreement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The cost of sending British military personnel on challenge inspections under the terms of the Stockholm document was some £12,000 in 1987 and some £39,300 in 1988.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual cost in 1987 and in 1988 of sending British military observers to Warsaw pact exercises under the auspices of the Stockholm agreement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The cost of sending British military observers to Warsaw pact exercises under the terms of the Stockholm document was some £2,400 in 1987 and some £2,100 in 1988.

  Service Accommodation
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of those regulations that define the different grades of service accommodation.

  Mr. Neubert
  I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the guidance to be taken into account in the grading of service accommodation.

  WE177 Free Fall Bomb
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his reply of 29 June,Official Report, column 531, to the hon. Member for Woolwich, (Mr. Cartwright), what is the number of procurement options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free fall bomb that are currently being studied.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Discussions are taking place with both the United States and French Governments. I cannot go into further detail at this stage.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure has been incurred to date on the study of procurement options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free fall nuclear bomb.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We are continuing to study a number of options for the replacement of the United Kingdom's free fall nuclear bomb. I am not prepared to comment in detail on those studies.

  RAF Upper Heyford
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what design work has been carried out for the United States Government at RAF Upper Heyford;

  (2) what is the nature and purpose of all design work carried out at RAF Upper Heyford in the last two years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 July 1989 at columns 589–90. The additional information he seeks is not available in the form requested. However, the following design work has been carried out recently or is still being completed by the PSA on behalf of the United States air force at RAF Upper Heyford. The purpose of the design work is to improve the operational facilities or the amenities at RAF Upper Heyford.

  Chemical Warfare protection, Squadron Operations facility

  Munition Storage facility

  Alterations to Vehicle maintenance shop

  Combat readiness centre

  Alterations to splinter protection barrier

  Munitions inspection facility

  Improvements to base security

  Ammunition control centre

  Equipment storage warehouse

  Alterations to barrack blocks

  Married quarters

  Commissary

  Replacement of water mains

  Addition to flight simulator

  Addition to engine shop

  Addition to avionics shop

  Fuel storage facility

  Base civil engineering maintenance shop

  Modifications to boiler plant

  Centre for General Research
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to fund a new centre for general research into defence policy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes. My Department invited proposals from universities, polytechnics and institutes for a centre for defence studies, to which we would contribute some resource support. A substantial number of such proposals is now being evaluated.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Alien Patients
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many patients were removed from the United Kingdom as alien patients as defined by section 86 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since 1983, two patients have been removed under this provision, both in 1987.

  Vehicles (Smoke Emission)
  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable police to issue vehicle rectification notices to any vehicle producing visible smoke.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is for chief officers of police to decide what offences should be dealt with under vehicle defect rectification schemes, which do not require statutory provision.

  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given to the police with regard to prosecuting the owners of smoking diesel vehicles.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None. This is a matter for chief officers of police and the Crown prosecution service.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who arrived in the United Kingdom in the past year have been referred to(a) the refugee arrivals project and (b) voluntary agencies.

  Mr. Renton
  This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kurdish asylum seekers have arrived in the United Kingdom since 1 January from(a) Turkey, (b) Iran and (c) Iraq.

  Mr. Renton
  The information is not available in the form requested. Records are kept according to nationality and not ethnic grouping.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the Kurdish asylum seekers who have arrived in the United Kingdom since 1 January have(a) voluntarily returned to Turkey, (b) voluntarily gone to another country, (c) been held in custody in the United Kingdom, (d) been released on temporary admission, (e) been granted asylum and (f) been granted exceptional leave to remain.
  73
  Mr. Renton
  Information is not available in the form requested. Records are kept according to nationality and not ethnic grouping. However it is possible to say that, of those Turkish nationals who sought asylum on arrival, 132 have voluntarily sought to return to Turkey. By 10 July, 21 Turkish nationals who had applied for asylum after 1 May had been granted refugee status and a further 62 had been granted exceptional leave to remain.

  Provisional statistics on decisions made in Turkish asylum cases in the first two quarters of 1989 will shortly be placed in the Library.

  Immigration Service (Interpreters)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interpreters were employed or available to the immigration service speaking(a) Turkish, and (b) Kurdish in (i) 1987, (ii) 1988 and (iii) 1989 to date; and what training and instruction is given to them.

  Mr. Renton
  There are no Turkish or Kurdish speaking interpreters in permanent employment with the immigration service. The casual interpreters whom the immigration service has on record are as follows:

  (a) Turkish (i) 1987–54 (ii) 1988–79 (iii) 1989–84

  (b) Kurdish (i) 1987–2 (ii) 1988–4 (iii) 1989–7

  Casual interpreters are in the main native Turkish/ Kurdish speakers and are instructed to give a direct translation of questions put and answers given. In addition, a total of 54 immigration officers currently hold an allowance for the Turkish language having succeeded at the Home Civil Service departmental examination in Turkish.

  British Citizenship
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Mr. Mohammad B. Mahmoudzadeh and Mrs. Nassrin Zare Mahmoudzadeh, whose reference is M259130, applied for British citizenship; and when a decision is to be taken on their application.

  Mr. Renton
  Mr. Mahmoudzadeh and his wife applied for naturalisation on 21 October 1987. The usual inquiries are in train, but I regret that I am unable to forecast when a decision on the application might be reached.

  Royal Mail (Protection)
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the current arrangements in the London borough of Brent for the protection of the royal mail; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Operational policing matters within the metropolis are the responsibility of the commissioner. I understand from the commissioner that his force works closely with the Post Office in seeking both to prevent and to solve crimes involving the carriage of the royal mail.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it takes for a reply to a letter from hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  The average time taken in my Department during the second quarter of 1989 to turn round letters to 74
  Ministers and to the secretary to the Immigration and Nationality board, the great majority of which were from hon. Members, was 44 days.

  Hong Kong Delegation
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he had meetings with the recent delegation from Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  No, but I saw the governor on 8 June.

  Sonny Makinwa (Funeral)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will allow Clement and Clara Makinwa, ref. No. IMM/148/TN, temporary admission to the United Kingdom from Nigeria to attend the funeral of their father Sonny Makinwa.

  Mr. Renton
  The grant of temporary admission arises only if a passenger has arrived to seek leave to enter the United Kingdom, and there is no record of either Clement or Clara Makinwa having come to the United Kingdom. However, since we understand that a Clement Makinwa was refused a visa in Lagos on 15 June, I am arranging for details of the hon. Member's interests to be passed to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  Deportation
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what arrangements he has made to ensure that the exercise of the power of deportation by each immigration inspector is consistent and fair;

  (2) what arrangements and guidelines he has made or given for immigration inspectors for the taking of deportation decisions including arrangements for the deferral of decisions where hon. Members have made representations or where there is an outstanding application for leave to remain;

  (3) what arrangements he has made concerning the delegation of his functions in deportation decision-making to immigration officers at not less than inspector level; and whether the arrangements extend to representations by hon. Members on applications for variation of leave;

  (4) what arrangements he has made to ensure the access of immigration officers and inspectors to Home Office files on prospective deportees, particularly out of normal working hours.

  Mr. Renton
  Every case involving a person liable to deportation has to be considered on its individual facts. Common instructions on the handling of cases where action may be taken under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 are issued to members of the deportation section and members of the immigration service involved in enforcement work. As required by the immigration rules all the relevant factors, including outstanding applications and representations by Members of Parliament, have to be taken into account, whether by reference to Home Office files or some other effective means, including interview.

  Representations by Members of Parliament, including requests for deferral of removal in deportation cases, will continue to be considered in accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases.
  75
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been recipients of notices of intention to deport(a) for working in breach of their conditions, differentiating between persons working in breach of (i) an employment prohibition and (ii) an employment restriction, and (b) for overstaying; and in each case for each of last six months for which records are available, what grade of official took such decisions and at which Home Office centres or ports they were based.

  Mr. Renton
  The available information, on a quarterly basis, relating to the numbers of notices of intention to deport issued under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 for the period from 1 October 1988 to 31 March 1989 is as follows:

  October to December 1988

  January to March 1989

  Issued by:

  Deportation section

  Immigration service

  Deportation section

  Immigration service

  Overstaying

  228

  282

  165

  443

  Working in breach

  —

  205

  —

  259

  Decisions to issue a notice of intention to deport under section 3(5)(a) are taken at HEO level in the deportation section and at inspector level in the immigration service. Information about the ports at which the inspectors were serving in each case and about the breakdown into those working in breach of an employment prohibition and an employment restriction is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department since the coming into force of the Immigration Act 1988, how many deportation decisions have been(a) taken and (b) authorised by (i) the deportation caseworking section of his Department, (ii) immigration officers and (iii) immigration inspectors; and in what proportion of cases depention has been authorised.

  Mr. Renton
  The statistics currently available are for the period from 1 July 1988 to 31 March 1988. In that period 2,009 notices of intention to deport under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 were issued; 1,048 persons were detained, mostly for a short period pending resolution of their cases. A total of 568 were authorised by members of the deportation section and, since 1 August 1988, 1,441 by immigration inspectors. Immigration officers are not authorised to take these decisions.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the delegation of his powers of decision making in deportation taking effect on 1 August 1988 was not published until 20 December 1988.

  Mr. Renton
  There is no requirement to publicise changes in administrative procedures and it was not at the time considered necessary in this case.

  Immigration
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the maximum annual rate of immigration of persons of alien culture which is acceptable to the broad mass of the British people.

  Mr. Hurd
  We do not make such a calculation, but follow a policy of firm and fair immigration control based squarely on legislation and rules approved by Parliament. Such control is essential to tolerant and sound community relations.

  Drugs
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the initiatives he has taken to improve liaison and co-operation between United Kingdom police forces and Her Majesty's Customs anti-drugs units.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The relationship between the police and customs services is very good. In 1988, regional crime squad drug wings mounted over 40 joint operations with customs. The drugs intelligence steering group keeps under review the drugs enforcement strategy and the effectiveness of liaison between police and customs. The national drugs intelligence unit is manned by police and customs officers and provides an essential link between the two enforcement services.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of British citizens with criminal records for the possession of cannabis.

  Mr. John Patten
  Records are not kept in this form. The number of persons found guilty, cautioned or dealt with by compounding for the unlawful possession of cannabis in each of the years 1977 to 1987 is published in table 2.3 of the Home Office statistical bulletin issue 25/88 "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs, United Kingdom, 1987", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Prison Farms
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what crops are at present being grown at each prison farm in England and Wales.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Crops are grown at 28 prison farms in England and Wales, and make a major contribution to the dietary needs of the prison system. The main crops grown are:

  (1) Potatoes

  (2) Brassicas

  (3) Onions, leeks, shallots

  (4) Swedes, turnips

  (5) Carrots

  (6) Beetroot

  (7) Lettuce

  (8) Others (tomatoes, cucumber, peppers)

  The allocation between farms for the current year is:

  Prison to which farm attached

  Crop type

  Camp Hill

  8

  Channings Wood

  7, 8

  East Sutton Park

  3, 7, 8

  Everthorpe

  1, 2, 3, 5

  Featherstone

  1, 2

  Ford

  2, 3, 7, 8

  Grendon

  1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

  Guys Marsh

  2, 3, 7

  Hatfield

  1, 2, 6

  Haverigg

  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

  Hewell Grange

  1, 2, 6, 7, 8

  Hollesley Bay

  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

  Huntercombe

  3, 6

  Kirkham

  1, 2, 3, 4, 8

  Leyhill

  2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

  Lindholme

  1, 2, 4, 5, 8

  Lowdham

  1, 2, 4

  Northallerton

  2, 4, 6, 8

  North Sea Camp

  1, 2, 3, 7, 8

  Onley

  1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

  Oxford

  1, 2, 5

  77

  Prison to which farm attached

  Crop type

  Portland

  4

  Standford Hill

  3, 4, 6, 7, 8

  Swinfen Hall

  1, 5

  Usk

  1, 2

  Verne

  1

  Werrington

  2, 3, 7

  Wymott

  2, 3

  In addition, a number of other prison establishments have small areas of -cropping, often in polythene tunnels or greenhouses, to make use of available land or inmate labour resources. Crops tend to be of market garden or salad varieties, for local use.

  Non-dietary crops are currently being grown at six of the farms referred to—Featherstone, Gartree, Hatfield, Lindholme, Lowdham and North Sea Camp—as part of normal crop rotation. The produce (generally cereals) is used in animal feed.
  78
  Forage crops are grown at 18 farms to support the prison department's dairy herds.

  London Prisons (Education)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the amount given by his Department towards the cost of running education services at each London prison.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The educational services in London prisons are provided by ILEA. The salaries of staff employed for this purpose are reimbursed to ILEA by the prison service. Estimated costs in the current financial year are as follows:

  £

  Brixton

  128,000

  Holloway

  316,000

  Pentonville

  215,000

  Wandsworth

  262,000

  Wormwood Scrubs

  198,000

  ABBEY NATIONAL FREE SHARE ISSUE
  ABBEY NATIONAL FREE SHARE ISSUE
  DISCONTINUED DENOMINATIONAL VOLUNTARY SCHOOLS: USE OF ENDOWMENTS
  DISCONTINUED DENOMINATIONAL VOLUNTARY SCHOOLS: USE OF ENDOWMENTS
  MARRIED QUARTERS: SALE POLICY
  MARRIED QUARTERS: SALE POLICY
  MARRIED QUARTERS IN LONDON AREA
  MARRIED QUARTERS IN LONDON AREA
  HEALTH EXPENDITURE
  HEALTH EXPENDITURE
  LONDON UNDERGROUND: SAFETY OF TICKET GATES
  LONDON UNDERGROUND: SAFETY OF TICKET GATES
  FERRIES: SAFETY MEASURES
  FERRIES: SAFETY MEASURES