Written Answers of 13 June 1989

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  "Working for Patients"
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his Department's role in proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients" as they affect(a) teaching hospitals, (b) academic research, (c) student teaching and (d) academic departments of general practice.

  Mr. Jackson
  Development of the proposals in the Cm 555 is for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health. However, the inter-relationship with education provision is recognised by close working between our two Departments, particularly through a steering group which also includes representatives of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and other bodies with an interest in medical and dental education.

  Medical Curriculum
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to make health promotion a mandatory part of the medical curriculum.

  Mr. Jackson
  This topic is already covered by the recommendations on basic medical education made by the education committee of the General Medical Council in the light of which medical schools determine the content of their courses.

  Voluntary Schools
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many bids for funding were received from voluntary schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  A total of 365 bids for major capital projects were received in respect of voluntary schools during the financial year 1988–89 for approval to start in 1989–90.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many bids from voluntary schools were successful in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  A total of 53 projects were approved for a 1989–90 start.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total amount of money allocated to voluntary schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  A total of £86·1 million for1989–90.
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  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total amount of money bid for by the voluntary schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The 365 bids for capital projects submitted in respect of voluntary schools in 1988–89 totalled £164,889,000, of which £85,841,000 was for expenditure in 1989–90.

  Under-Fives (Curriculum)
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the organisations invited to submit evidence to the committee examining the curriculum for the under-fives.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  When the committee inquiring into the content of the educational experience of under-fives was established, I issued a general invitation to any interested party to submit written evidence or opinion.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place the submissions made to the committees considering the curriculum for under-fives in the Library.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Most organisations submitting evidence are making their submissions public. I shall ask the committee to consider whether any additional measures to keep the House informed would be desirable.

  Hazel Court School, Eastbourne
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the responsibilities of the East Sussex county council to provide speech therapy and physiotherapy for those children who need those services at Hazel Court school, Eastbourne.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Responsibility for the provision of speech therapy and physiotherapy services has rested with health authorities since the reorganisation of the National Health Service in 1974. Although an amendment to the Education Act 1981 contained in the Education Reform Act 1988 enables local education authorities, such as East Sussex, to provide non-educational provision, (which includes speech therapy and physiotherapy) for children with statements of special educational needs, this has not affected health authorities' general responsibilities.

  Local education authorities will be aware that the recent High Court case of R v Lancashire county council ex parte CM ruled that speech therapy could be considered as either educational or non-educational provision.

  Student Awards
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students pursuing degree courses in nursing in the current academic year are in receipt of local education authority mandatory awards.

  Mr. Jackson
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Nursing (Degree Courses)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those educational
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  establishments offering degree courses in nursing, giving the number of such places offered by each for the current academic year.

  Mr. Jackson
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Top-up Loans
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the data used to construct chart 7 on page 11 of "Top-up Loans for Students" (Cm. 520).

  Mr. Jackson
  The data underlying the chart were as follows:

  Average gross annual earnings of working males aged 30–39

  Year

  Earnings of male graduates

  Earnings of all working males

  £

  £

  1979

  7,909

  5,728

  1980

  9,119

  6,931

  1981

  10,876

  7,867

  1982

  11,822

  8,264

  1983

  13,374

  9,220

  1984

  14,589

  9,814

  1985

  13,864

  10,575

  Source: General Household Surveys 1979–1985.

  Institute of Food Research
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what projections he has made for staffing levels in the Institute of Food Research.

  Mr. Jackson
  None. This is a matter for the Agricultural and Food Research Council which has responsibility for the Institute of Food Research.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to be able to announce his decision on the future of the Institute of Food Research laboratories at Bristol.

  Mr. Jackson
  The management of the Institute of Food Research and the timing of any announcement is a matter for the Agricultural and Food Research Council.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Legal Reform
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of implementing the Green Papers on the legal profession.

  The Attorney-General
  The Green Papers set out proposals for the elimination of rules in the legal profession which may not be necessary in order to ensure standards of competence and conduct. The question, therefore, in relation to any particular rule is whether it is necessary for this purpose. If a rule is not necessary for this purpose its elimination is not likely to increase cost.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Attorney-General what response he is making to the Coopers and Lybrand report assessing the increase of the cost to the Exchequer of extending rights of audience in the high courts to solicitors in standard fee legal aid cases from £9·8 million to £17·7 million.
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  The Attorney-General
  All the submissions made to the Lord Chancellor on the Green Papers are now being carefully considered, with a view to a response being made before the summer recess. The Lord Chancellor has, however, received a supplementary response from the Law Society which suggests that, contrary to the contentions in the Coopers and Lybrand report, for many straightforward Crown court cases it would be cheaper if a solicitor carried out the advocacy personally rather than employing a barrister.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Securities and Investment Board
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to receive the annual report of the Securities and Investments board for the year ended 31 March 1989; and if he will take steps to bring forward a motion for the House to take note of the report.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. and noble Friend received the Securities and Investments board's annual report for the year ended 31 March 1989 on 5 June and copies of it were laid before Parliament on 6 June. The question of a debate on a motion taking note of the report is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House.

  Timber (European Parliament Scheme)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his policy towards the scheme approved by the European Parliament which would help nations producing tropical timber to move towards sustainable forest management within five years.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 8 June at column 368.

WALES

  Hospitals (Self-Government)
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends publishing a list of medical units that have expressed an interest in becoming self-governing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  I have asked the chairmen of Welsh health authorities to inform me of discussions that they are having on this subject with the hospitals.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals in Wales have so far expressed interest in self-governing status.

  Mr. Grist
  None so far, but I have asked the chairmen of Welsh health authorities to inform me of any discussions that they have with hospitals on this subject.

  General Practice Budgets
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioner practices in Wales have expressed interest to date in establishing their own practice budgets.
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  Mr. Grist
  No practice has yet made a formal approach. This is what I would expect since I and Welsh Office officials have yet to complete our discussions with a range of interested parties in Wales, on the implementation of the proposals set out in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

ENERGY

  "Climate in Crisis"
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department will seek to obtain a video cassette and transcript of the BBC2 nature series special programme "Climate in Crisis" broadcast on 5 June.

  Mr. Parkinson
  My Department has a copy of the BBC2 programme "Climate in Crisis".

  Nuclear Reactors
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority reactors Dido and Lido at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment were(a) nominated on the facilities list of nuclear plants open to safeguards and (b) first visited by safeguards inspectors; and if the reactors have ever been withdrawn from safeguards.
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  Mr. Parkinson
  The DIDO reactor at AERE Harwell has never been nominated for the facilities list. The LIDO reactor was shut down in 1974 and therefore never included on the United Kingdom facilities list.

  Thorp Project
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, in view of the lack of confidence expressed by the Central Electricity Generating Board in reprocessing spent fuel from advanced gas cooled reactors at Sellafield, and of the Central Electricity Generating Board's plans to build alternative dry storage facilities at Heysham, he will reconsider the Thorp project; and whether, if cancellation costs are not prohibitive, he will take a decision now to cancel Thorp.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The future of THORP is already assured. British Nuclear Fuels plc has contracts valued at some £4 billion and is negotiating with utilities in the Federal Republic of Germany for additional contracts, worth some £1–6 billion, which will help to guarantee the future of the plant well into the next century. The decision on whether to submit a planning application for a dry buffer store at Heysham is a matter for the CEGB.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Agricultural Credit Corporation
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the Agricultural Credit Corporation.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Decisions on the future of the Agricultural Credit Corporation, which is a private company limited by guarantee, are for the board of the corporation.

  Under the provisions of section 64 of the Agriculture Act 1967 Government support was provided in respect of guarantees given by the corporation on bank loans for agricultural and horticultural businesses. These powers expired on 31 March 1989.

  I have been reviewing the need for a continuation of such powers and have concluded that it is no longer appropriate for the Government to continue making special provision for this sector.

  The Government take the view that public funds for bank loan guarantees should be targeted at those who do not have the necessary security or track record to obtain bank loans through the commercial market and yet have the potential for increasing national prosperity and the generation of additional employment. The Government are, however, considering the feasibility of whether the loan guarantee scheme operated by the Department of Employment, which helps small firms which would otherwise not be able to obtain finance, can be extended to include small firms in agriculture and horticulture.

  Slaughterhouses
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the procedure for slaughterhouses catering solely for the domestic meat market, to have a pre-veterinery inspection, as for export-licensed slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have already announced my intention to introduce ante-mortem inspection in non-exporting abattoirs by 1 January 1991 to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 13 March 1989 at column 84. I have also decided that we should move towards a single set of rules for all slaughterhouses producing meat for human consumption. Discussions with the Commission and other member states on the arrangements which are to operate in the single market after 1992 will have a bearing on the implementation of this decision and its timing. I shall be discussing the issues with those in this country who have an interest.

  Food Research Projects
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those food research projects which are financed by his Ministry.

  Mr. Ryder
  Last year the Ministry funded 436 research projects on food. Details can be found in the draft "National Programme of Food R & D 1988/89", a copy of which I am placing in the Library of the House.

  Agriculture and Food Research Council
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had concerning the research priorities of the Agriculture and Food Research Council.

  Mr. Ryder
  My Department is in regular contact with the Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) at all levels. Moreover, my chief scientific adviser and the Secretary of the AFRC are both members of the Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food which advises United Kingdom Agriculture Ministers and the chairman of the AFRC on priorities in research and development in agriculture and food.

  BSE
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to take any further action in the light of the Southwood report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The Government have already taken wide-ranging action to deal with this new disease problem and has acted on all the recommendations made by the Southwood working party which was set up to look at all aspects of the disease, including any human health implications.

  Although the Southwood working party regarded the risk to humans as remote, the Government acted on its recommendation that, as a precautionary measure, all cattle suspected as having BSE should he slaughtered and destroyed to take them out of the food chain.

  As a matter of extreme prudence, the Southwood working party also suggested that certain offals should not be used in the manufacture of baby foods. We established in February that these offals are not in fact currently used by baby food manufacturers. In order to provide even more reassurance to the public, I indicated then that we would bring forward regulations to ensure that there is no possibility of their use in the future.

  In working out the details, I have concluded that a better way of dealing with this would be to ensure that the relevant types of bovine offals should be rejected at slaughterhouses for all cattle so that they cannot be used for human consumption in any way. These offals, which include brain, spinal cord, thymus, spleen and tonsils, will have to be stained in the slaughterhouse and disposed of under conditions similar to those applying to unfit meat. This approach also deals with a separate problem, namely, ensuring that if there is any risk that there are cattle incubating the disease but not showing clinical symptoms which are not being slaughtered and destroyed, their offals do not enter the food chain either.

  Detailed proposals for regulations under the Food Act implementing this change will be issued for consultation, as required by the Act, very shortly.

  Untreated Milk
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is now able to announce his decision on future sales of untreated milk.

  Mr. MacGregor
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health and for Wales and I are grateful to the
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  very large number of individuals and organisations—over 1,200 in all—who responded to our consultation paper on untreated milk.

  The proposal for a ban on sales of untreated milk was supported by the enforcement authorities and by a number of other organisations, mainly those concerned with public health. Organisations and individuals representing producer interests were opposed to a ban. But the main volume of correspondence came from organisations and individuals representing consumers, the overwhelming majority of whom were also opposed to a ban. Their arguments were:
  —they preferred to drink untreated milk, in spite of the additional health risks which this might involve; and
  —in accordance with the Government's general philosophy, they should be allowed to decide for themselves whether or not to continue drinking untreated milk.

  Having carefully considered the representations which have been made—and in particular the large number received from individuals—my right hon. Friends and I have concluded that the consumer view should prevail. We therefore propose to continue to allow sales of' untreated milk. But we recognise that this would continue to present a degree of public health risk, which we are anxious to do what we reasonably can to minimise. We are accordingly proposing that in future:
  —untreated milk should be more fully labelled, so that the consumer knows that it has not been heat-treated and may contain harmful organisms;
  —it should be subject to more sophisticated tests, which will have to he reflected in higher milk and dairies charges for producers; and
  —the procedure under regulation 20 of the Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations 1959 should be simplified to facilitate the issue of heat treatment orders in cases where untreated milk constitutes a threat to health.

  Proposals for regulations will be issued shortly to interested parties in the usual way and will indicate the time scale for the various changes proposed. I recognise that new labelling requirements in particular cannot be introduced overnight.

  The consultation document also sought views on untreated cream and on cheese made from untreated milk. In both cases there appears to be a need for more informative labelling and I shall be considering this in the light of our Community obligations. Action on goat and sheep milk must await the necessary primary legislation, but prima facie there is a case for making these milks subject to the same rules as cows milk.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Central America
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid is provided by the United Kingdom to Central America; and what form it takes, giving figures for each year since 1985 and drawing a distinction between aid provided for reconstruction following the recent hurricane, and other aid.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The latest figures for Central America are as follows. They include investment by the Commonwealth Development Corporation but do not take account of joint funding provided to non-govern-mental organisations.
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  Gross bilateral aid to Central America 1985–88 in current prices.

  £ thousands

  1985

  1986

  1987

  11988

  Costa Rica

  12,685

  10,038

  2,584

  991

  El Salvador

  103

  239

  411

  154

  Guatemala

  0

  10

  1

  4

  Honduras

  3,653

  1,258

  811

  1,201

  Nicaragua

  116

  86

  0

  180

  Panama

  67

  70

  72

  988

  1 Provisional.

  This aid is in the form of technical cooperation, apart from (a) investment by the Commonwealth Development Corporation, which was as follows:

  £ thousands

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Costa Rica

  12,389

  9,516

  2,228

  258

  El Salvador

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Guatemala

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Honduras

  2,967

  500

  —

  —

  Nicaragua

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Panama

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (b) £20,000 provided to Costa Rica and £180,000 to Nicaragua in 1988 for relief measures following Hurricane Joan; further relief aid was provided in 1989.

  (c) Capital aid to the following countries:

  £ thousands

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Honduras

  164

  271

  241

  615

  Panama

  —

  —

  —

  854

  The capital aid to Panama was provided under the aid and trade provision.

  Oxfam
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount of grant provided by Her Majesty's Government to Oxfam each year since 1985.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  This information is maintained by financial year rather than calendar year. Our total financial support to Oxfam for the past four financial years, including disaster and refugee aid as well as long-term development projects, was:

  £

  1985–86

  6,642,014

  1986–87

  3,951,154

  1987–88

  5,741,378

  1988–89

  8,553,027

  Cambodia and Nicaragua
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the attitude of Her Majesty's Government to Cambodia and Nicaragua so far as Oxfam funding is concerned; and if pound for pound funding applies to these two countries.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We are prepared to consider, under the joint funding scheme, proposals from Oxfam and other agencies for co-funding specific development projects in Nicaragua and specific projects with humanitarian goals in Cambodia.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have so far been made available under the European Community's regional or other initiatives to encourage the economic development of the Falkland Islands.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The Falkland Islands have been allocated project aid under the last three European development funds totalling 1·578 million ecu. They have also been allocated nearly 0·5 million ecu in the form of emergency aid, Stabex transfers and risk capital.

PRIME MINISTER

  Teesside (Visit)
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Prime Minister if, on a future Friday or Monday, she will accompany the Secretary of State for Transport and the hon. Member for Langbaurgh by normal family car on an official journey from London to Teesside.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to do so, but I know that the proposals announced in the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" will do much to improve such a journey.

  EC Commission (Powers)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the issue of the Commission submitting proposals which empower officers of the Commission to enter business premises to demand information and to impose fines; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I am not aware of any such new proposals which are currently under consideration.

  Defence
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the defence of the nation.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the defence of the nation.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the defence of the nation.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations from individuals and organisations.

  Conventional Arms Reductions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she is prepared to include British land-based aircraft in the negotiations for conventional arms reductions in Europe.

  The Prime Minister
  Yes.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on a timetable for a conventional arms agreement.
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  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 17 of the declaration of the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels, 29–30 May 1989, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Short-range Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister when she expects negotiations on reductions in short-range nuclear weapons in Europe to begin.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to my statement to the House on Tuesday 6 June 1989 at column 20.

  Disarmament
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what contribution Her Majesty's Government are prepared to make to the achievement of common security and negotiated disarmament.

  The Prime Minister
  The two documents issued by last month's NATO summit meeting (the summit declaration and the comprehensive concept paper, both of which have been placed in the Library of the House) set out NATO's objectives for improving our security through arms control. As I made clear in my statement to the House on 6 June, we played a full part in drawing up these documents, and will continue to play a full part in pursuing the objectives set out in them.

  Publicity
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister where responsibility will lie for ensuring that the terms of the new guidance on conventions on Government publicity issued by the Cabinet Office will be fully observed; what disciplinary system has been put in place to ensure that any breaches of the guidance are effectively punished; and whether any grades of official or specific post-holders are exempt from the requirements of the new guidance.

  The Prime Minister
  Responsibility for ensuring that the conventions on Government publicity are fully observed rests with individual Ministers and their Departments. Ministers are answerable to the House for the actions of their Departments in relation to publicity as to other matters. Officials are subject to the general principles of conduct governing civil servants.

  Engagements
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.
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  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today including one with former President Reagan.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  NATO Summit
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Brussels on 29 and 30 May.

  Mr. Lamond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Brussels on 29 and 30 May.

  Mr. Helfer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Brussels on 29 and 30 May.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Members to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 6 June.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library his recent correspondence with the hon. Member for Linlithgow about the Gibraltar shootings.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  With his permission, I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of my written reply of 25 May to the hon. Member for Linlithgow and also copies of other correspondence between us on the Gibraltar shootings. Hon. Members may wish to note that, in addition to these letters, the Library now has copies of the Spanish police officer's statement of 8 August 1988 on Spanish surveillance activities prior to the shootings on 6 March 1988; the attestation before a Malaga court on 9 August of the Spanish police officer's signature; and the attestation before a Malaga court on 22 August of the Gibraltar coroner's officer's signature on that statement. There is also a copy of the English translation of the Spanish police officer's statement prepared by the Gibraltar coroner's officer and a professional commentary on that translation prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's own translators.

  Refugee Camps (Cambodia)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied that all refugee camps in Cambodia are open to free inspection by the United Nations authorities.

  Mr. Eggar
  The relevant United Nations agencies do not have proper access to camps administered by the Khmer Rouge. We have taken a leading role with the Thai Government and with the United Nations agencies in attempting to secure such access. The agencies have good access to other camps.

  Nicaragua (Drugs)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence exists to show a link between drug-growing and trafficking and the civil administration in Nicaragua.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Nicaraguan Government have denied allegations of high level Government involvement in trafficking.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the United Nations about the United Nations seat for Cambodia, currently occupied by a representative of the Pol Pot regime.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State gave the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy (Dr. Moonie) on 5 December 1988 at column 40.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the implications for the Falkland Islands of the Single European Act and related European agreements.

  Mr. Eggar
  The relationship between the Falkland Islands and the European Economic Community is governed by part four of the Treaty of Rome and Council decision 86/283/EEC on the association of overseas countries and territories with the EEC. These provisions are not affected by the Single European Act.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit the Falkland Islands.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans to do so.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had any meetings with representatives of the Falkland Islands administration concerning the impact upon the islands of the single European market in 1992.

  Mr. Eggar
  No.

  Grants and Research
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what levels of grant-in-aid or research contract have been awarded in 1988–89 to (i) the Royal Institute of International Affairs, (ii) the Royal United Services Institute, (iii) the United Nation Association, (iv) Peace through NATO, (v) the Trilateral Commission, (vi) the British Atlantic Committee, (vii) the North Atlantic Assembly, (viii) the Arms Control Association, (ix) the Verification Technology Information Centre and (x) the European Proliferation Information Centre, from departmental funds.

  Mr. Eggar
  In the 1988–89 financial year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave the following amounts in either grants-in-aid or research contracts to the organisations listed:
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  £

  (i) Royal Institute for International Affairs

  45,390

  (ii) The Royal United Services Institute

  Nil

  (iii) The United Nations Association

  24,000

  (iv) Peace Through NATO

  113,000

  (v) The Trilateral Commission

  2,250

  (vi) The British Atlantic Committee

  59,000

  (vii) The North Atlantic Assembly

  432,569

  (viii) The Arms Control Association

  Nil

  (ix) The Verification Technology Information Centre

  Nil

  (x) The European Proliferation Information Centre

  Nil

  Non-Governmental Organisations (Grants)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which non-governmental organisations have received grants-in-aid in regard to their work done to explain arms control and defence issues; how much funding each from his Department such nongovernmental organisation received in 1987–88 and 1988–89; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for allocating departmental funds to these organisations.

  Mr. Eggar
  In 1987–88 and 1988–89 the following organisations received grants-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office specifically in regard to their work done to explain arms control and defence issues:

  1987–88

  1988–89

  £

  £

  (i) British Atlantic Committee

  57,500

  59,000

  (ii) Peace Through NATO

  110,000

  113,000

  (iii) The Atlantic Treaty Association

  Nil

  2,000

  (iv) North Atlantic Assembly

  271,000

  432,569

  The grants are paid to the above organisations to assist their work of fostering a greater public understanding of defence and arms control issues.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has plans to develop a public information programme to highlight issues relevant to the 1990 fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, in the year leading up to the conference.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Issues relevant to the review conference are widely discussed in the media and we make our views known as appropriate. We are of course working for a successful outcome to the conference.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why it is not his Department's policy to subsidise the attendance of non-governmental organisations at the 1990 fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The amount of money available to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assist non-governmental organisations is inevitably limited, and requests for funds exceed the total amount available. We therefore face difficult decisions on allocations every year. It has not been our policy in the past to finance the attendance of non-governmental organisations at NPT review conferences and, in the light of other commitments and our overall policy objectives, we are unable to make new funds available for this purpose in 1990.

  Visas
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are available at the British post in Dusseldorf to interview those applying for visas to visit the United Kingdom; and whether he proposes to increase staffing at the post to reduce current waiting times for interview.

  Mr. Eggar
  The consulate-general at Dusseldorf normally has four entry clearance officers, of whom three are used to conduct interviews and one to deal with postal applications. In addition, two relief entry clearance officers have recently arrived to assist with the normal increase in applications during the summer months and the expected demand for visas from Turkish nationals resident in the Federal Republic. It is known that the posts are under considerable pressure and the question of deploying further entry clearance staff at Dusseldorf is being kept under review.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Mohammad Asif Gill, whose date of birth is 30 September 1964 and whose serial number is SN 65460, applied to the post in Islamabad to enter the United Kingdom; and when a decision on his application is to be taken.

  Mr. Eggar
  In accordance with the recent guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the question to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit in due course.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Select Committee Reports
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many reports have been published by departmental select committees since 1979; and how many have been debated on a substantive motion.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Since 1979, 504 reports and 193 special reports have been published by departmentally-related Select Committees. Seven have been debated in the House on substantive motions. Numerous other reports have been debated on other occasions, including debates on motions for the adjournment of the House, and on Estimates days.

ENVIRONMENT

  Kirklees (Earnings)
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the estimated payment in the area covered by Kirklees council for(a) a man on average male earnings and (b) a woman on average female earnings in 1990–91 under a system of local income tax.

  Mr. Gummer
  The level of bills under a system of local income tax would depend primarily on the level of
  359
  expenditure undertaken by Kirklees council and the amount of support available from Government grants and business rates. Such figures for 1990–91 are not known. However, figures were placed in the Library on 23 June 1988 showing the level of income tax needed to fund local authority expenditure in 1988–89. On this basis the figures sought by my hon. Friend are estimated as follows. a man on average male earnings would pay £775 and woman £445.

  Housing Act (Right-to-buy Provisions)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications for the operation of the right-to-buy provisions of the Housing Act of the purchase by Trent Valley Housing Company from elderly council tenants of their recently purchased council houses.

  Mr. Trippier
  I understand that Trent Valley Housing is in certain cases willing to finance the exercise of the right to buy by tenants aged 55 or over on condition that the former tenant sells to the company after three years, retaining the right to remain in the home rent-free for life. The company recommends prospective clients to take independent legal advice. Tenants may finance a purchase under the right to buy from whatever source they choose and, once they have bought, may sell their home to whomever they choose, subject to the requirement to repay discount in the event of early disposal.

  Housing Stock (Northamptonshire)
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the numbers of local authority housing stock in(a) Corby and (b) East Northamptonshire as at 1 April 1979 and the latest convenient date.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information for April 1979 and April 1988 was reported by local authorities in their annual housing investment programme returns (HIP1) and appears in column B11 of "HIP1 All Items Print (1979)" and column All of "HIP1 All Items Print (1988)".

  Copies of both documents are in the Library.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why it has taken 11 weeks for him to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for South Hams of 22 March about the boundary fence around HMS Cambridge at Wembury, South Devon; what further information is he awaiting before he can give a substantive reply; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  I regret that I have not been able to send my hon. Friend a substantive reply to his letter of 22 March 1989. The PSA, which is acting as agent for the erection of the proposed fence, await instructions from the Ministry of Defence. I am told that these will be issued shortly; I will then write to my hon. Friend.

  Bristol UDC
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has received any request from the Bristol urban development corporation for powers to take 360
  land at St. Anne's road, Brislington, Bristol, which is currently in the ownership of the Bristol city council, into the area of the urban development corporation: and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will take steps to prevent land gifted to Bristol city council to be retained as a children's play area from being vested in the urban development corporation; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) on what date the meeting of the Bristol urban development corporation was held at which the decision was made to request that land at St. Anne's road, Brislington be included in the area of the urban development corporation;

  (4) what information he has received on the use the Bristol urban development corporation proposes for the land it wishes to have vested from the Bristol city council at St. Anne's road, Brislington; and if he will make a statement;

  (5) what procedure has been adopted by the Bristol urban development corporation to obtain land at St. Anne's road, Brislington, from the Bristol city council; if he has approved the procedure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The land in question is already within the Bristol urban development area as designated by The Bristol Development Corporation (Area and Constitution) Order 1988 dated 10 May 1988 and the amendment order dated 8 December 1988. The corporation decided at its first meeting on 2 February 1989 to ask my right hon. Friend to vest 0·63 Ha of open land at St. Anne's road, Bristol which they anticipate will be needed for a road junction improvement scheme. The timing of any scheme has yet to be determined. My right hon. Friend has decided not to include this site in the vesting orders he will shortly be laying before the House, but to allow an opportunity for further negotiation to see whether the land can be acquired by agreement from Bristol city council.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date the Bristol urban development corporation was formally established; when and where the first meeting was held; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Bristol development corporation was established on 19 January 1989. The board held its first meeting on 2 February 1989 in Tollgate house, Bristol.

  Tenants' Choice Transfer
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance he can give to local authorities who have to pay large disposal costs on a tenants' choice transfer.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department has today issued a consultation paper to the local authority associations proposing ways in which these disposal costs might be phased in certain particular circumstances. Subject to the responses to that, we will come forward with the necessary amendment to the Local Government and Housing Bill.

  EC Environment Council
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the outcome of the European Community Environmental Council in Luxembourg on 8–9 June.
  361
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My noble Friend the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside represented the United Kingdom at this meeting.

  I am delighted to report that, after exhaustive negotiations in which the United Kingdom played a leading role, the Council agreed a directive on the second stage of exhaust emission standards for small cars. This now produces clear guidelines for the motor industry to follow in planning its future car production.

  The agreement contains strict standards requiring under present technology three-way catalysts to be introduced on 1 July 1992 for new models and on 31 December 1992 for all new registrations. These are tough targets and the challenge they present to industry should not be underestimated. Nevertheless we believe them to be attainable. They are greatly to the advantage of the European environment, but do not control all the emissions from cars that cause concern. Thus, at United Kingdom insistence the Commission has undertaken to come forward with proposals to reduce these, not least of which is carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas. The present agreement does not limit the emission of this gas and if any will tend to increase it.

  The unity of the market will be protected by an article in the directive which circumscribes the fiscal incentives that can be introduced by member states and requires all proposed incentives to be notified to the Commission.

  As the House knows, the United Kingdom urged an indefinite ban on the import of harp and hooded seal pup skins and their products in 1985, when EC directive 23/129 was extended for four years. Now I am delighted to announce that the Council has unanimously agreed that the directive should be extended indefinitely. This is a significant step towards ensuring the conservation of these species.

  The Community will support the case for listing the African elephant on appendix I of the convention on trade in endangered species, but of course recognises the need to listen to the arguments from all sides on the best long-term measures to protect this species. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure I am also pleased to report that the Council strongly supported the United Kingdom proposal for an immediate ban on the import into the Community of raw and worked ivory. The Commission will now bring forward proposals to impose a ban throughout the Community. Member states were invited to take their own action in advance of these proposals, and we have immediately imposed a ban on imports of ivory into the United Kingdom.

  The Council adopted a resolution on the greenhouse effect which recognises the importance of the issue and the importance of the Community and all member states contributing fully to the wider international efforts to improve the understanding of climate change and develop policy responses to it.

  I am pleased to report that agreement was reached on a directive requiring the up-grading of existing municipal waste incinerators according to specific timetables. The Council also adopted a directive setting standards for new municipal waste incineration plants, following the agreement which was reached on 2 March.

  The Council agreed an amendment to directive 80/779 on air pollution from smoke and sulphur dioxide. The amendment concerns short-term methods of measurement
  362
  which do not affect the United Kingdom. It also provides for a general review of the directive in which we shall be closely involved.

  Agreement was reached on a directive which establishes a regulatory structure for laboratory and industrial processes working with genetically modified micro-organisms within containment. The directive lays down certain procedures for the notification of work and standards to be followed to protect human and environmental safety, which procedures are broadly compatible with existing domestic safety arrangements. The Council voted unanimously to change the legal base from article 100A to article 130S, recognising that the predominant objective of the directive is one of environmental protection.

  The Council adopted a directive leading to the elimination of pollution caused by wastes from the titanium dioxide industry and agreed unanimously that the legal base should be article 130S.

  A proposal to introduce controls over discharges of four dangerous substances of water was also discussed.

  The Commission presented progress reports on a proposal concerning the protection of waters pollution by nitrates and on a proposal concerning the protection of natural and semi-natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Carrick House Hostel
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes have taken place in the process of admission to Carrick House since it became the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; why such changes have taken place; and what have been the effects on the hostel of the changes.

  Mr. Needham
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I am advised by the chairman that the Executive has decided not to accept new admissions other than former residents who left the hostel within the last 12 months. This is because the Housing Executive in carrying out its responsibilities under the Housing Order (NI) 1988 considers that the hostel which had become, under previous management, a long-stay hostel for homeless men is unsuitable to meet the short-term requirements of the homeless. This policy which has been in operation since I April has had little effect on the hostel to date.

  Tourism
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new jobs were created in tourism-related development projects in Northern Ireland in the years 1977, 1978, 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Viggers
  The information requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Short Brothers plc
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the current year he has answered questions from the right hon. Member for Strangford relating to the future of Short Brothers plc.
  363
  Mr. Viggers
  Two written questions, including one that I answered yesterday.

  Effluent Standards
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those applications made to him in the current year by water authorities for the lowering of effluent standards.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: The water service of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is the sole water authority in Northern Ireland. Another division of the Department—the Environmental Protection division (EPD)—is responsible for setting standards for discharges from water and sewage treatment works. In the current year EPD will be reviewing the discharge standards of 100 sewage treatment works in a continuing programme of review of all significant discharges from sewage works.

  Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at what level within health and social services hoards responsibility for the grading of medical laboratory scientific officers lies.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: The Professional and Technical Staffs joint council agreement, under which the grading of medical laboratory scientific officers is currently being reviewed, does not specify the management level at which the review should be conducted. This is a matter for each health and social services board to decide.

  Income Support
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will commission independent research to ascertain the extent to which income support levels are adequate to meet the needs of elderly people in residential and nursing homes in Northern Ireland and to gather information on the practices of using personal expenses allowances to augment income support and other state provision in meeting the costs of staying in such accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: No such research is proposed. As the hon. Member will know, income support levels in Northern Ireland are kept in line with those applying generally in Great Britain. The Government are currently considering the arrangements for assisting people in residential care in the light of the Griffiths report.

  Health (Grading Review Teams)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects area health and social services hoards to begin work on grading review teams.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: All the health and social services boards are already working on the grading of medical laboratory scientific officers. It is up to each hoard to decide how it carries out the grading exercise and whether or not it sets up a specific grading review team.

  Clinical Regrading
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will instruct area boards to adhere to the job descriptions outlined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of annex B of the national agreement on clinical regrading; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: The paragraphs referred to by the hon. Member do not outline job descriptions. They refer to the use of job descriptions and set out the factors to be considered when grading a post. This guidance has already been issued to the health and social services boards.

  School Buses (Accidents)
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what possible measures have been considered to help reduce road traffic accidents involving children disembarking from school buses; whether a cost-benefit analysis was conducted of each possible measure; and what decisions have been made as a result of such appraisals.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 16 May 1989]: The following measures have been considered and implemented to help reduce road traffic accidents involving children disembarking from school buses:

  (a) Rule 24 of the current edition of the Northern Ireland Highway Code sets out the safety rules for getting on or off buses.

  (b) Rule 53 of the Highway Code warns drivers to look out for children getting on or off buses.

  (c) Every year since 1973 the Department of the Environment has provided a free copy of a road safety teaching calendar to every primary school teacher in Northern Ireland. This teaching aid always has at least one road safety lesson about getting on and off school buses safely.

  (d) In conjunction with the Education and Library boards the Department's road safety education branch produced a leaflet for parents about safety of children on school buses which has been distributed with bus passes.

  (e) In consultation with road safety education branch the transport officers of the Education and Library boards have issued a safety manual to all board drivers, which includes instructions about the safety of children entering and leaving school buses.

  Suggestions about Education boards employing bus wardens and about traffic being required to stop in rural areas when the school bus stops and a flashing roof light is operating, have been examined but were considered to be impractical or unlikely to be effective.

  No cost benefit analyses have been conducted on any of these measures.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Passports
  Mr. Buchanan-Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for passports at the Glasgow passport office are currently outstanding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  There are about 80,000 applications for passport services at the various states of processing within the Glasgow passport office. Applications are being processed at a rate of around 8,500 a week, according to
  365
  the applicant's travel requirements, with priority being given to urgent cases. My right hon. Friend announced on 6 June in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, South-East (Mr. Young) at columns 47–48, a number of measures which are being taken to ease the present problem of delays at the passport offices.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report, for each passport office (a) the number of telephonists manning the switchboard, (b) the number of telephone calls handled per day and (c) the average waiting time for callers before the call is answered.

  Mr. Renton
  Details of the number of staff engaged on telephone answering duties at the six United Kingdom passport offices during May this year, together with the average number of calls dealt with daily, are shown in the table below.

  Daily average number of

  Passport office

  Staff on telephone answering duties

  Calls dealt with personally

  Calls dealt with by recorded message

  London

  5

  465

  2,913

  Glasgow

  5·5

  567

  1,895

  Peterborough

  8

  817

  2,068

  Newport

  6

  311

  3,148

  Liverpool

  110

  449

  4,172

  Belfast

  1

  166

  355

  1 Since the start of industrial action at Liverpool on 30 May it has not been possible to staff all the telephone inquiry points.

  Waiting times for responses to telephone calls are not recorded at all passport offices. The available information shows that at Peterborough and Belfast all connected calls were answered in under five minutes, while at London, on average, all but 10 connected calls a day were so answered.

  Improved telephone facilities to enable more calls to be handled are due to be installed at Newport later this month and at Liverpool during next month.

  Education Schemes
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether local authorities who claim grant for education schemes under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 will be able to continue to do so under local management schemes without having to resubmit their schemes for further approval; and whether there are any plans to alter the mechanism which operates under section 11.

  Mr. John Patten
  The introduction of local management schemes under the Education Reform Act 1988 will not require local authorities to resubmit posts already approved for grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 to the Home Office for reapproval unless the duties of the posts concerned change. The Government are at present considering the report of an efficiency scrutiny of the section 11 grant scheme.

  Breath Tests
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the responses to his consultation on possible changes to the breath testing legislation favoured(a) random breath testing or highly
  366
  visible mass testing at a roadside checkpoint aimed principally at deterring excess alcohol offenders and (b) unfettered police powers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on 8 May 1989, at column 284.

  Chinese Nationals
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to advise Chinese nationals resident in the United Kingdom that activity antagonistic to the Chinese Government within the United Kingdom will not enhance or effect their potential entitlement to refugee status.

  Mr. Renton
  No. Any applications for asylum will be considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 convention and 1967 protocol relating to the status of refugees; and all relevant circumstances will be taken into account.

  Police Complaints Authority
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any new appointment has been made to the Police Complaints Authority.

  Mr. Hurd
  Mr. Gordon Marsh, who has recently retired from his post as Deputy Health Service Commissioner with the office and the Health Service Commissioner for England, has accepted my invitation to serve as a member of the authority. He will take up his post on 3 July. The appointment is being made in order to fill an existing vacancy.

  Broadcasting
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he envisages, under his broadcasting proposals, that applicants will be permitted to hid for more than one Channel 3 licence.

  Mr. Hurd
  Under the ownership proposals which I announced on 19 May in answer to a written question from my hon. Friend at columns 317–19, an individual licensee will be able to own two Channel 3 licences provided they are not both large or contiguous. The definition of large will be given in subordinate legislation. Applicants for Channel 3 licences will be permitted to apply for any number of licences provided they make clear their order of preference. Those who are successful in the bidding for more than the two licences to which they are entitled will be awarded the relevant licence or licences on the basis of their declared preference.

  Asylum
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently seeking asylum.

  Mr. Renton
  Information on the number of persons applying for refugee status and whose applications were awaiting a decision at the end of a year is published annually in Home Office statistical bulletin "Refugee Statistics United Kingdom". The latest, issue 16/88 relates to 1987, a copy of which is in the Library; that for 1988 will be published within the next month.

  May Bank Holidays
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the possibility of moving one of the May bank holidays to September or October.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 16 May at columns 160–61, to my hon. Friend the Member for York (Mr. Gregory).

  Night Sanitation (Prisons)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many places in each prison in England and Wales(a) do and (b) do not have access to night sanitation;

  (2) how many places in each prison in England and Wales (a) will and (b) will not have access to night sanitation by 1995.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The current position is set out in the table. Equivalent figures cannot be given for individual establishments in 1995 because specific building plans are not approved more than two years ahead and may be subject to change. The total number of places without access to night sanitation will, however, be substantially reduced by 1995 on the lines described by my right hon. Friend in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Boothferry (Mr. Davis) on 20 February 1989 at column 61.

  Access to night sanitation

  Establishment

  A

  B

  Number of places with access now

  Number of places without access now

  Acklington

  448

  0

  Albany

  0

  389

  Aldington

  100

  0

  Ashford

  0

  348

  Ashwell

  404

  0

  Askham Grange

  134

  0

  Aylesbury

  0

  286

  Bedford

  0

  167

  Birmingham

  0

  592

  Blantyre House

  87

  0

  Blundeston

  192

  214

  Bristol

  192

  360

  Brixton

  0

  729

  Brockhill

  14

  144

  Buckley Hall

  100

  0

  Bullwood Hall

  0

  120

  Camp Hill

  24

  437

  Campsfield House

  70

  0

  Canterbury

  0

  213

  Cardiff

  0

  338

  Castington

  300

  0

  Channings Wood

  538

  0

  Chelmsford

  0

  242

  Coldingley

  296

  0

  Cookham Wood

  120

  0

  Dartmoor

  8

  643

  Deerbolt

  240

  180

  Dorchester

  0

  145

  Dover

  0

  246

  Drake Hall

  288

  0

  Durham

  0

  715

  East Sutton Park

  84

  0

  Eastwood Park

  146

  0

  Erlestoke

  218

  0

  Everthorpe

  6

  294

  Exeter

  0

  312

  368

  Establishment

  A

  B

  Number of places with access now

  Number of places without access now

  Featherstone

  509

  0

  Feltham

  846

  0

  Ford

  536

  0

  Frankland

  447

  0

  Full Sutton

  432

  0

  Garth

  512

  0

  Gartree

  0

  320

  Glen Parva

  600

  0

  Gloucester

  0

  200

  Grendon

  64

  185

  Guys Marsh

  180

  0

  Haslar

  100

  0

  Hatfield

  180

  0

  Haverigg

  325

  0

  Hewell Grange

  136

  0

  Highpoint

  821

  0

  Hindley

  0

  308

  Hollesley Bay Colony

  569

  0

  Holloway

  515

  0

  Hull

  20

  386

  Huntercombe-Finnamore Wood

  176

  122

  Kingston

  0

  150

  Kirkham

  632

  0

  Kirklevington

  150

  0

  Lancaster

  103

  83

  Latchmere House

  0

  121

  Leeds

  0

  604

  Leicester

  5

  199

  Lewes

  0

  369

  Leyhill

  410

  0

  Lincoln

  0

  382

  Lindholme

  901

  0

  Littlehey

  484

  0

  Liverpool

  282

  686

  Long Lartin

  417

  0

  Low Newton

  92

  103

  Lowdham Grange

  304

  0

  Maidstone

  0

  549

  Manchester

  0

  896

  Morton Hall

  192

  0

  Mount

  484

  0

  New Hall

  36

  86

  North Sea Camp

  202

  0

  Northallerton

  15

  112

  Northeye

  233

  0

  Norwich

  60

  421

  Nottingham

  4

  239

  Onley

  0

  420

  Oxford

  6

  120

  Parkhurst

  0

  261

  Pentonville

  S

  645

  Portland

  0

  527

  Prescoed

  110

  0

  Preston

  8

  420

  Pucklechurch

  0

  159

  Ranby

  365

  0

  Reading

  0

  178

  Risley

  0

  486

  Rochester

  0

  374

  Rudgate

  378

  0

  Send

  101

  0

  Shepton Mallet

  6

  161

  Shrewsbury

  12

  152

  Spring Hill

  210

  0

  Stafford

  270

  179

  Standford Hill

  500

  0

  Stocken

  300

  0

  Stoke Heath

  60

  300

  Styal

  237

  0

  Sudbury

  625

  0

  Swaleside

  504

  0

  Swansea

  0

  225

  Swinfen Hall

  8

  152

  Thorn Cross

  300

  0

  369

  Establishment

  A

  B

  Number of places with access now

  Number of places without access now

  Thorp Arch

  72

  84

  Usk

  0

  128

  Verne

  595

  0

  Wakefield

  30

  718

  Wandsworth

  8

  1,226

  Wayland

  484

  0

  Wellingborough

  120

  224

  Werrington

  110

  0

  Wetherby

  0

  196

  Whatton

  84

  145

  Winchester

  0

  471

  Wormwood Scrubs

  0

  1,206

  Wymott

  816

  0

  Totals

  22,310

  22,792

  Cash-point Thefts
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cash-point thefts there have been in the United Kingdom for each year since 1979 and for 1989 to date.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the readiness of the British people to accept a significant level of net migration from Hong Kong.

  Mr. Renton
  Any substantial increase in immigration to this country would of course present major problems. However, the uncertainties facing the people of Hong Kong are well known. In the light of the recent events in China, we are therefore considering what changes are called for in the immigration arrangements as they relate to British dependent territory citizens in Hong Kong. We shall bring forward proposals in due course.

  Prisons (Dormitory Accommodation)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners on remand awaiting trial or sentence are confined in dormitory accommodition;

  (2) in how many prisons in each security category prisoners are confined in dormitory accommodation; and how many prisoners are so confined in each prison.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 6 June 1989]: The available information relates to prisoners held in rooms defined as
  "any unit of accommodation whether secure or otherwise designed for 2 or more persons excluding accommodation defined as a double cell".
  This definition encompasses accommodation conventionally known as dormitories. The available information does not distinguish between classes of occupant but unsentenced prisoners are not normally held in dormitories.
  370

  Prisoners accommodated in rooms/dormitories on 9 April 1989

  Establishment

  Number of inmates

  LOCAL PRISONS AND REMAND CENTRES

  Ashford

  11

  Bedford

  10

  Birmingham

  73

  Bristol

  106

  Brixton

  73

  Canterbury

  14

  Cardiff

  4

  Dorchester

  8

  Durham

  0

  Exeter

  3

  Feltham1

  64

  Hindley

  0

  Hull

  210

  Leeds

  0

  Leicester

  15

  Lincoln

  22

  Liverpool

  45

  Norwich

  18

  Oxford

  13

  Pentonville

  4

  Rochester

  0

  Shrewsbury

  0

  Swansea

  30

  Wandsworth

  160

  Winchester

  26

  CLOSED TRAINING PRISONS

  Category B

  Blundeston

  105

  Grendon

  9

  Maidstone

  0

  Nottingham

  14

  Category C

  Aldington

  58

  Blantyre House

  24

  Camp Hill

  126

  Featherstone

  73

  Haverigg

  308

  Highpoint

  454

  Lancaster

  107

  Lindholme

  661

  Northeye

  215

  Norwich

  196

  Ranby

  165

  Send

  72

  Shepton Mallet

  0

  The Verne

  106

  OPEN TRAINING PRISONS

  Ford

  383

  Highpoint

  61

  Kirkham

  573

  Leyhill

  371

  Morton Hal]

  174

  North Sea Camp

  92

  Rudgate

  339

  Spring Hill

  80

  Standford Hill

  427

  Sudbury

  426

  YOUNG OFFENDER INSTITUTIONS

  Buckley Hall

  87

  Campsfield House

  49

  Eastwood Park

  0

  Feltham

  32

  Finnamore Wood

  8

  Glen Parva

  55

  Haslar

  54

  Hewell Grange

  101

  Hollesley Bay

  38

  Huntercombe

  0

  Kirklevington

  105

  371

  Establishment

  Number of inmates

  Lowdham Grange

  116

  Swinfen Hall

  6

  Thorn Cross

  0

  Usk (Prescoed)

  12

  Werrington

  89

  Wetherby

  0

  Whatton

  131

  372

  Establishment

  Number of inmates

  FEMALE PRISONS

  Askham Grange

  96

  Drake Hall

  185

  East Sutton Park

  79

  Holloway

  146

  New Hall

  18

  Risley

  38

  1 Also functions as Young Offenders Institution.

SCOTLAND

  Food Poisoning (Untreated Milk)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of food poisoning associated with untreated milk occurred in Scotland in each of the years from 1978 to 1982; and how many have occurred in each year since the ban on commercial sales of untreated milk introduced in August 1983.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The numbers of reported cases of food poisoning associated with the consumption of untreated milk for each year since 1978 are as follows:

  Year

  Number of cases

  1978

  1251

  1979

  1155

  1980

  103

  1981

  782

  1982

  539

  1983

  29

  1984

  27

  1985

  74

  1986

  10

  1987

  26

  1988

  5

  1 Figures for salmonellosis only. Figures for other diseases not available.

  Press Briefings
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines he follows in determining which journalists are invited to press briefings by his Department.

  Mr. Rifkind
  This depends upon the matter under discussion.

  Expenditure claimed for Grant Aid in 1987–88

  Fire Authority

  Date of first appointment

  Total expenditure reported

  Grant aid paid

  £

  £

  Central

  21 June 1985

  27,317

  27,317

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1 July 1987

  33,393

  33,393

  Fife

  4 July 1986

  21,450

  21.450

  Grampian

  15 May 1985

  20,694

  20.694

  Highland and Islands

  4 July 1985

  36,249

  36.249

  Lothian and Borders

  3 February 1985

  46,870

  46,870

  Strathclyde

  30 November 1987

  16.714

  16.714

  Tayside

  19 March 1985

  32.677

  32.677

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman and chief executives of the Scottish new towns; and if he will make a statement on the items discussed at the meeting.

  Mr. Lang
  I met the chairman and chief executives of the Scottish new town development corporations on Thursday 1 June 1989, when we discussed a range of matters concerning the new towns.

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the capital programme for Scottish Homes for the current financial year.

  Dornie Bridge
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he anticipates the construction work on the new Dornie bridge, Ross-shire, to commence; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The work on the new Dornie bridge carrying the A87 trunk road to the Skye ferry terminal at Kyle of Lochalsh will start on 10 July 1989 following the award of tender to Harbour and General Works Ltd. on 16 May 1989

  New Towns
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can now give a date for the expected publication of the White Paper on the future of the Scottish new towns.

  Mr. Lang
  The White Paper detailing the Government's firm policy proposals on the future of the Scottish new towns will be published shortly.

  Fire Civil Defence
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each fire authority(a) the date of first appointment of a brigade emergency planning officer and (b) the expenditure incurred on fire civil defence activities and the amount of grant aid paid towards that expenditure for each year from 1979.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The dates of first appointments of brigade emergency planning staff officers are as shown. Figures for the expenditure incurred by each fire authority on civil defence activities and the amount of grant aid paid towards that expenditure for each year since 1979 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Amounts for 1987–88, the last year for which all audited claims have been received, are as follows:

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The gross capital programme figure is dependent on Scottish Homes achieving the projected capital receipts figure for this year. Assuming that figure is achieved, the gross capital programme will be £299 million.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the projected capital receipts from the sale of houses for the current financial year for Scottish Homes.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The projected net capital receipts figure, which has been agreed with Scottish Homes, is £110 million. This sum is expected to be made up largely from receipts from the sale of Scottish Homes'
  375
  own stock but also includes receipts expected from the sale of housing association property and a small amount from repayments of grant or bridging finance.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number and total value of council houses sold by each district council since the start of the current financial year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on the sale of council houses is collected centrally from local authorities on a quarterly basis. Information relating to the current financial year is not yet available.

  Nature Reserves
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Forestry Commission's proposals to designate sites as nature reserves; and if he will list the sites proposed for such designation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Forestry Commission has chosen 46 forest nature reserves from the hundreds of conservation sites on its land. They have been managed by the Commission for conservation purposes for many years, and are accessible and open to everyone. They are listed in the Commission's leaflet entitled "Forest Nature Reserves", which is available in the Library.

  Nature Conservation
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he has received from the Nature

  Restart counseling—numbers interviewed and failure to attend outcomes

  Greater London Areas1

  Merseyside Areas2

  Greater Manchester Areas3

  Glasgow Areas4

  Sheffield Areas5

  Birmingham and Solihull Areas6

  Coventry and Warwickshire Areas7

  April-June 1988

  All Restart Interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  91,071

  35,468

  42,934

  19,371

  14,194

  20,883

  9,015

  (b) Attended a Restart interview

  66,747

  30,743

  33,594

  16,051

  10,490

  15,312

  7,191

  (c) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  19,568

  5,881

  5,973

  1,796

  989

  2,502

  577

  (d) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  Restart follow-up interviews (also included in figures above)

  (e) Called for Restart follow-up interview

  3,307

  468

  1,052

  59

  263

  160

  0

  (f) Attended Restart follow-up interview

  1,703

  246

  753

  28

  251

  61

  0

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend follow-up interview

  723

  55

  125

  0

  25

  0

  0

  (h) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  July-September 1988

  All Restart Interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  106,809

  43,251

  45,784

  15,956

  18,934

  29,740

  9,657

  (b) Attended a Restart interview

  68,293

  33,034

  36,712

  15,034

  14,056

  16,914

  7,242

  (c) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  19,072

  5,038

  6,505

  1,565

  1,526

  1,408

  555

  (d) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  Restart follow-up interviews (also included in figures above)

  (e) Called for Restart follow-up interview

  5,980

  1,608

  3,144

  156

  784

  2,451

  1,494

  (f) Attended Restart follow-up interview

  3,371

  795

  1,724

  144

  578

  1,823

  696

  376
  Conservancy Council concerning the practice of blocking of badger sets and digging of fox-earths by fox hunters on Forestry Commission land.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not received any recent advice from the Nature Conservancy Council on this subject.

EMPLOYMENT

  Employment Schemes
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, for each of the Training Agency's areas within Greater London, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham and Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire, and for each of the latest four three monthly periods available, how many unemployed people have(a) been called in for a restart interview, (b) attended a restart interview, (c) been referred to unemployment benefit offices for failing to attend their interview, (d) had their benefit or national insurance credits disallowed for failing to attend their interview, (e) been called in for a restart follow up interview, (f) attended a restart follow up interview, (g) been referred to unemployment benefit offices for failing to attend their follow up interview and (h) had their benefit or national insurance credits disallowed for failing to attend their follow-up interview.

  Mr. Lee
  The information as requested is not available. however, the following table gives the information for the relevant employment service areas.
  377

  Greater London Areas1

  Merseyside Areas2

  Greater Manchester Areas3

  Glasgow Areas4

  Sheffield Areas5

  Birmingham and Solihull Areas6

  Coventry and Warwickshire Areas7

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend follow-up interview

  996

  90

  340

  0

  54

  7

  9

  (h) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  October-December 1988

  All Restart interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  121,454

  45,519

  48,896

  27,792

  21,415

  32,971

  11,693

  (b) Attended a Restart interview

  76,389

  31,761

  33,315

  19,768

  14,337

  20,520

  7,897

  (c) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  22,172

  5,751

  6,266

  2,130

  1,265

  1,099

  387

  (d) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  Restart follow-up interviews (also included in figures above)

  (e) Called for Restart follow-up interview

  9,280

  3,485

  3,384

  842

  1,232

  4,997

  2,516

  (f) Attended Restart follow-up interview

  5,211

  2,128

  1,991

  570

  1,066

  4,462

  1,646

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend follow-up interview

  1,212

  366

  441

  79

  144

  13

  41

  (h) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  January-March 1989

  All Restart Interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  83,811

  44.621

  45,398

  29,755

  18,082

  32,714

  11,823

  (b) Attended a Restart interview

  78,161

  33,420

  33,838

  22,616

  12,461

  26,688

  8,352

  (c) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  18,714

  5,270

  6,097

  2,524

  972

  2,222

  754

  (d) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  Restart follow-up interviews (also included in figures above)

  (e) Called for Restart follow-up interview

  17,304

  3,383

  2,870

  2,344

  1,077

  10,470

  3,565

  (f) Attended Restart follow-up interview

  10,486

  2,951

  2,264

  1,662

  1,463

  9,563

  2,555

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend follow-up interview

  2,649

  513

  548

  265

  149

  45

  125

  (h) Disallowed

  Figures not available

  1 London South East, Inner London South, Inner London East, Inner London Central, Inner London West, London North West, London East, London South, London South West, London West.

  2 Liverpool and Wirral, Merseyside North, Merseyside South.

  3 Manchester City, Manchester North East, Manchester North West, Manchester South, Manchester West.

  4 Glasgow North, Glasgow South.

  5 Sheffield.

  6 Birmingham (including Solihull).

  7 Coventry/Warwickshire.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, for Great Britain and each standard training region, and for each of the latest four three monthly periods available, how many unemployed people have(a) been called in for a restart interview, (b) attended a restart interview, (c) been referred to unemployment benefit offices for failing to attend their interview, (d) had their benefit or national insurance credits disallowed for failing to attend their interview, (e) been called in for a restart

  Restart Counselling—Numbers interviewed and failure to attend outcomes

  Northern

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midland and Eastern

  London and South East

  South West

  Wales

  West Midlands

  North West

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  April-June 1988

  All restart interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  46,432

  67,007

  60,405

  160,641

  39,496

  39,909

  68,667

  113,418

  83,641

  679,616

  (b) Attended Restart interview

  38,818

  50,986

  47,314

  116,983

  26,932

  30,919

  53,275

  89,906

  68,516

  523,649

  378
  follow up interview, (f) attended a restart follow-up interview, (g) been referred to unemployment benefit offices for failing to attend their follow up interview and (h) had their benefit or national insurance credits disallowed for failing to attend their follow up interview.

  Mr. Lee
  The information as requested is not available. however information for Great Britain and the relevant employment service regions is given in the following tables.
  379 380

  Northern

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midland and Eastern

  London and South East

  South West

  Wales

  West Midlands

  North West

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  (c) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  4.478

  4,442

  6,327

  28,586

  4,500

  4,308

  6,323

  14,887

  6,793

  80,644

  (d) Disallowed for failing to attend

  283

  342

  482

  2,197

  278

  282

  483

  856

  552

  5,755

  Restart follow-up interviews (figures also included in totals above)

  (e) Called for Restart interview

  1,468

  3,196

  2,382

  8,454

  943

  2,128

  1,298

  2,691

  792

  23,352

  (f) Attended Restart interview

  1.085

  2,545

  1,468

  4.219

  530

  1,518

  561

  1,706

  438

  14,070

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  103

  316

  134

  1,136

  52

  44

  37

  272

  26

  2,120

  (h) Disallowed for failing to attend

  Not available in form requested included in (d) above

  July-September 1988

  All restart interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  59,984

  81.131

  73,102

  187,388

  36,988

  40,500

  89,663

  121.751

  78,135

  768,642

  (b) Attended Restart interview

  45,212

  59,424

  51,230

  129,230

  25,396

  30,135

  61,282

  95,760

  65,167

  562,836

  (c) Referred tio UBO for failing to attend interview

  4,691

  5,448

  6,441

  30,694

  4,085

  5,029

  5,810

  14,741

  6.067

  83,006

  (d) Disallowed for failing to attend

  292

  428

  499

  2.295

  242

  296

  413

  1,030

  505

  6,000

  Restart follow-up interviews (figures also included in totals above)

  (e) Called for Restart interview

  3,218

  4,376

  6,689

  20,338

  1,194

  6,794

  11,335

  6,689

  1,610

  62,243

  (f) Attended Restart interview

  2,428

  3,226

  4,029

  12,521

  721

  5,518

  7,027

  3,946

  1,146

  40,562

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  295

  376

  289

  2,467

  158

  344

  223

  626

  48

  4,826

  (h) Disallowed for failing to attend

  Not available in form requested included in (d) above

  October-December 1988

  All restart interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  54,604

  85,627

  69,492

  176,428

  43,417

  45,715

  100,086

  126,956

  105,594

  807,919

  (b) Attendee Restart interview

  40,492

  58,659

  50,712

  125.934

  27,480

  34,089

  66,062

  90,184

  73,306

  566,918

  (c) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  4,174

  5,713

  6,467

  29,136

  4,122

  5,277

  6,085

  15,234

  7,222

  83,432

  (d) Disallowed for failing to attend

  360

  462

  416

  1,941

  241

  460

  537

  1,165

  690

  6,272

  Restart follow-up interviews (figures also included in totals above)

  (e) Called for Restart interview

  4,910

  7,361

  11,955

  31,013

  2,708

  6,001

  15,922

  9,623

  3,017

  92,510

  (f) Attended Restart interview

  3,257

  4,745

  8,068

  20,293

  1,484

  5,112

  13,657

  6,905

  2,149

  65,670

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  348

  491

  585

  3,281

  149

  554

  385

  1,252

  205

  7,250

  (h) Disallowed for failing to attend

  Not available in form requested included in (dj above

  January-March 1989

  All restart interviews

  (a) Called for Restart interview

  58,769

  76,508

  73,693

  178,648

  41,278

  46,605

  93,470

  121,360

  114,048

  804,379

  (b) Attended Restart interview

  41,890

  57,055

  49,052

  131,882

  28,834

  36,314

  72,439

  89,602

  84,208

  591,276

  (c) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  3,810

  5,387

  5,917

  25,979

  3,549

  4,651

  6,893

  14,027

  8,252

  78,465

  (d) Disallowed for failing to attend

  365

  519

  623

  2,370

  311

  468

  719

  1,177

  808

  7,360

  Restart follow-up interviews (figures also included in totals above)

  381

  Northern

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midland and Eastern

  London and South East

  South West

  Wales

  West Midlands

  North West

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  (e) Called for Restart interview

  5,023

  8,886

  12,812

  40,604

  6,523

  8,217

  21,030

  8,177

  11,711

  122,983

  (f) Attended Restart interview

  4,591

  7,179

  9,801

  28,577

  4,867

  6,816

  22,397

  6,947

  8,730

  99,905

  (g) Referred to UBO for failing to attend interview

  453

  828

  1,172

  4,875

  309

  714

  1,200

  1,301

  667

  11,519

  (h) Disallowed for failing to attend

  Not available in form requested included in (d) above

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, for Great Britain and each training Agency area, how many individual child care allowances are being received by lone parent ET participants; and how many were granted or refused for each of the latest available three months.

  Mr Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 16 May 1989, at columns 177–79, which is the latest information available. Information about lone parents receiving child care allowances before April and those refused the allowance is not available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Dockers
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers are employed in non-dock labour scheme ports and in dock labour scheme ports currently; how many were employed in 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The number of dock workers in scheme ports has fallen from 25,770 in 1979 (NDLB annual report) to 9,280 on 30 May 1989 (NDLB figures). There are no comparable figures for the number of dock workers in non-scheme ports in 1979 and currently. The most recent available figures show that in 1987 there were 3,900 dock workers in non-scheme ports, 10 per cent. more than in 1983.

  Scheme ports are continuing to lose business and jobs to ports outside the scheme, free from its restrictions. The abolition of the scheme will enable all our ports to compete on equal terms.

  Dock Labour Scheme
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment to how many acres of land in the ports of London, Glasgow, Liverpool and Hull the dock labour scheme applies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Questions about authorities' landholdings are for them to answer. The Department of Employment does not have this information.

  The dock labour scheme has acted as a disincentive to investment and has caused a decline in employment both in the ports in which it operates, and in the surrounding areas. This has affected not only registered dock workers but those people living near the docks who could otherwise have been employed by companies investing in the port area.

  Prices and Costs
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how his Department monitors movements in 382
  the prices and costs of particular goods and services purchased; and how such movements in prices and costs have differed from the gross domestic product deflator.

  Mr. Cope
  The Department began to introduce a computerised management information system designed to record all purchases at the beginning of 1988. This database makes possible more detailed comparative analysis of spending patterns, but so far insufficient data has been collected to compare the change in the cost and prices of goods and services purchased by this Department with the gross domestic product deflator.

  North-West Tourist Board
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what grants were made to the north-west tourist board from the English tourist board in the years 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The English tourist board has made the following subventions from its grant in aid provision to the north-west tourist board:

  Financial year

  Total subvention £

  1986–87

  198,000

  1987–88

  214,154

  1988–89

  227,500

  Training Schemes
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have passed through Government employment training schemes in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Just over 5 million people started Government employment training schemes funded through the Training Agency (formerly Training Commission, formerly Manpower Services Commission) in the 10 years from April 1979 to March 1989.

  Security Guards
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will propose a code of practice for employers of security guards.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No. However, I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has asked officials to consider with the police and the private security industry ways in which self-regulation of the industry might be improved.

  Service Industries
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed in service industries including tourism in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In December 1988, the latest date for which estimates are available there were 15,661,000 employees in employment in the service industries including tourism in the United Kingdom.

  Tourism-related Projects (Jobs)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs were created in tourism-related development projects in the inner cities of England and Wales in the years 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs were created in tourism-related development projects in north-west England in the years 1977, 1978, 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This information is not available. The number of hotel and catering employees in employment in the north west in each of the years requested is shown in the following table.

  Employees in employment in Hotels and Catering North West England

  thousands

  June 1977

  96

  June 1978

  97

  June 1987

  133

  June 1988

  140

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs were created in tourism-related development projects in rural areas of England and Wales in the years 1977. 1978, 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This information is not available.

  Tourist Attractions
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the top 20 tourist attractions in numbers of tourists attending or visiting in England and Wales.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The following table gives the information:

  Top twenty tourist attractions in England and Wales in 1988

  Attraction

  Number of visits (millions)

  1

  Blackpool Pleasure Beach

  16·50

  2

  British Museum, London

  13·84

  3

  Albert Dock, Liverpool

  13·50

  4

  Westminster Abbey, London

  13·25

  5

  National Gallery, London

  1323

  6

  Madame Tussaud's, London

  2·70

  7

  Alton Towers, Staffs.

  2·51

  8

  St. Pauls Cathedral, London

  12·50

  9

  Science Museum, London

  12·44

  10

  Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth

  12·25

  11

  Tower of London

  2·18

  384

  Attraction

  Number of visits (millions)

  12

  Canterbury Cathedral

  12·13

  13

  York Minster

  12·10

  14

  Tate Gallery, London

  11·58

  15

  Pleasureland, Southport

  11·50

  16

  Blackpool Tower

  1·48

  17

  Natural History Museum, London

  1·37

  18

  London Zoo

  1·33

  19

  Bradgate Park, Leicestershire

  11·20

  20

  Kew Gardens

  1·18

  1 Free admission (visitor numbers estimated).

  Sources:

  Visits to Tourist Attractions in 1988 (British Tourist Authority). English Heritage Monitor (English Tourist Board).

  Tourism
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the earnings for England from tourism in 1987, 1988, 1977 and 1978.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information relates to expenditure by international and domestic visitors slaying at least one night in England. Figures for expenditure by United Kingdom residents on day-trips within England are not available.

  Expenditure by tourists in England at current prices

  £ millions

  British residents1

  Overseas residents2

  Total

  1977

  2,000

  2,120

  4.120

  1978

  2,400

  2,250

  4 650

  1987

  35,550

  5,645

  311.195

  1988

  36,275

  5,495

  311.770

  1 British Tourist Authority

  2 International Passenger Survey

  3 From 1984, an improved method of estimation was introduced, therefore, figures after 1984 are not strictly comparable with earlier years.

  English Tourist Board
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what Government grants were made to the English tourist board in the years 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Payments made by my Department to the English tourist board were as follows:

  Financial year

  Granl-in-Aid

  Section 4

  Total

  £

  £

  £

  1986–87

  10,764,000

  9,500,413

  20,264,413

  1987–88

  11,435,000

  12,000,000

  23,435,000

  1988–89

  12,576,100

  13,200,000

  25,776,000

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people in employment in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Between March 1983 and December 1988 the work force in employment in the United Kingdom increased by 2,951,000 to 26,513,000, the highest level on record. This rising trend has now continued for more than
  385
  five years. The figures have been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self employed, Her Majesty's Forces and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the percentage of(a) people of working age, (b) men of working age, and (c) women of working age, who are

  Percentage of those aged 15 to 64

  In the labour force

  In employment

  People

  Men

  Women

  People

  Men

  Women

  Belgium

  63

  75

  51

  56

  69

  43

  Denmark

  83

  88

  76

  78

  85

  71

  Federal Republic of Germany1

  65

  80

  50

  60

  74

  46

  Greece1

  60

  78

  42

  55

  73

  37

  Spain

  56

  78

  34

  44

  63

  25

  France

  66

  76

  55

  59

  70

  48

  Ireland

  61

  85

  37

  51

  69

  32

  Italy

  61

  79

  42

  54

  74

  35

  Luxembourg

  65

  86

  44

  64

  85

  43

  Netherlands

  58

  75

  41

  52

  68

  36

  Portugal

  71

  86

  56

  65

  81

  50

  United Kingdom

  75

  89

  62

  66

  77

  56

  1 1985 figures.

  Sources:

  United Kingdom: Department of Employment.

  Other countries: OECD Labour Force Statistics 1966 to 1986.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Family Credit
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of families now in receipt of family credit living in areas covered by(a) the Corby Department of Social Security office and (b) Wellingborough.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The latest information relates to the beginning of April 1989. At that time the number of families receiving family credit who, at the time their award was made, were living in the areas covered by the two local Social Security offices was as follows:

  Number

  Corby

  462

  Wellingborough

  836

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in each of the past five years for which figures are available(a) how many people have been receiving attendance allowance, (b) how many were awarded the attendance allowance in that year and (c) how many lost the allowance because of death or recovery.

  Mr. Scott
  Reliable information about the termination of attendance allowance awards is not available. The information which is available is as follows:

  Attendance allowance: Estimated number of allowances in payment and number of awards made 1984–88

  Year

  Estimated number of allowances in payment at 31 March

  Number of awards made

  1984

  470,000

  181,770

  1985

  544,000

  184,599

  1986

  585,000

  174,064

  386
  (1) economically active, (2) in employment, (3) in full-time employment and (4) in part-time employment for the latest available year in each of the European Community's member states.

  Mr. Nicholls
  International sources do not differentiate full-time workers from part-time. The latest information which is readily available relates to 1986 (except where otherwise stated), and is as follows:

  Year

  Estimated number of allowances in payment at 31 March

  Number of awards made

  1987

  641,000

  208,693

  1988

  713,000

  207,853

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary 01 State for Social Security what is the estimated cost of reducing the qualifying period for the attendance allowance from six to three months.

  Mr. Scott
  About £110 million in a full year.

  Vocational Rehabilitation
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he is satisfied with the integration of vocational rehabilitation with both the structure and administration of social security; what action he is taking to improve co-ordination; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he is satisfied with the integration of vocational rehabilitation with both the structure and administration of social security in Wales; what action he is taking to improve co-ordination; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he is satisfied with the integration of vocational rehabilitation with both the structure and administration of social security in Scotland; what action he is taking to improve co-ordination; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  As the right hon. Member is aware, the benefits provided for disabled people by this Department are currently subject to review. As part of this process, we and the Department of Employment will consider the relation between the two Departments' provisions.

  I understand that the right hon. Member's question has been prompted by a recent report in The Observer alleging plans to withdraw benefits from disabled people completing employment training (ET). I am glad to have this opportunity to say that these allegations are

  387
  completely without foundation. The rules which govern disabled people's entitlement both during and after ET will continue as they have been from the beginning of the programme. People entering ET will be paid in training allowance at the rate of their previous benefits with an additional premium of £10 per week and, if they still fulfil the entitlement criteria for those benefits on completion of training, will be able to resume payment thereafter.

  Personal Pensions
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have taken out a personal pension since July 1988.

  Mr. Scott
  Just over 3¼ million people.

  Child Benefit (Prisoners)
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if child benefit is paid to mothers serving prison sentences; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Child benefit can be paid to mothers in custody who have a child living with them in prison. Child benefit is intended to help people responsible for bringing up children. A mother who is looking after her child in prison has a significant responsibility for its welfare.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of ceasing to treat(a) child benefit and (b) one parent benefit as a resource for income support, assuming unemployment levels of (a) 1,000,000, (b) 1,250,000, (c) 1,500,000, (d) 1,750,000 and (e) 2,000,000.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 9 June 1989]: Using the May 1987 annual statistical enquiry, which is the latest statistical data available, and the level of unemployment (2·86 million) existing at that time, the annual cost of disregarding child benefit and one parent benefit in income support would be £870 million and £160 million respectively at the current rates in payment. It is not possible to estimate the costs for the requested unemployment levels because the number of families entitled to these benefits and their composition do not alter in proportion to the changes in the number of unemployed people.

HEALTH

  Self-Governing Status
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussion has taken place regarding the proposal for the Wakefield health authority's mental health unit to have self-governing status; and when;

  (2) what he regards as constituting an expression of interest in self-governing status for hospitals and National Health Service units;

  (3) what response has been received from (a) Wakefield community health council, (b) Wakefield branch of MIND, (c) Wakefield branch of MENCAP, (d) West Yorkshire branch of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship and (e) Wakefield family practitioner committee to the proposal for Wakefield health authority's mental health unit to have self-governing status.
  388
  (4) who has been consulted regarding the proposal for Wakefield health authority's mental health unit to have self-governing status.

  Mr. Mellor
  Expressions of interest in self-governing status are no more than that. These range from detailed proposals to brief letters registering interest. It would be unrealistic to require consultation at this stage, before people have enough information to make an informed decision. Those with an interest will have an opportunity to express their views at a later stage if those expressing interest decide to proceed with an application.

  Hazel Court School, Eastbourne
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the responsibilities of the Eastbourne health authority to provide speech therapy and physiotherapy for the children who need those services at Hazel Court school, Eastbourne, being a school owned by the East Sussex county council.

  Mr. Freeman
  Eastbourne health authority has a general responsibility to provide speech therapy and physiotherapy services for its resident population. It is for the authority itself to decide what resources within the total available for speech therapy and physiotherapy services to devote to providing services for children at Hazel Court school.

  Hospital Building Projects
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report the cost and names of all the hospital building projects costing in excess of £500,000 which are being built or have been completed since 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information held centrally on health building schemes, each costing over £1 million, in England shows that 401 have been completed since 1 January 1979 and that a further 144 are under construction. In view of the length of the lists, I have arranged for the information to be placed in the Library. Information is not held centrally on schemes costing less than £1 million.

  Nursing Homes
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was spent by district health authorities on inspection of registered nursing homes in each of the last five years;

  (2) how much was received in nursing home registration fees by district health authorities in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Mellor
  The total income from fees recorded in the annual accounts of health authorities in England for the registration and inspection of private nursing homes and private hospitals since 1984–85 was as follows:

  £ million

  1984–85

  0·24

  1985–86

  0·52

  1986–87

  1·39

  1987–88

  1·97

  Fees are set at a level which covers the full costs incurred in providing this service. Figures for earlier years are not available and provisional ones for 1988–89 will not be available until the autumn.

  Asthma
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, under the new Health Service proposals, sufferers from a stoma will continue to receive free prescriptions.

  Mr. Mellor
  Yes.

  Guy's Evelina Children's Hospital Appeal
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the contribution made by the Guy's Evelina children's hospital appeal to sponsor a cot to supporting cots in that unit.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  This appeal has been running since 1983 and helps to support additional nurses for the unit's intensive care cots which are always in great demand because of its high reputation. Contrary to recent misleading publicity, Guy's hospital management board has stated that there is no financial crisis in the allocation of National Health Service resources to the unit. The Government fully appreciate, however, the contributions made by individuals and organisations to the support of additional health facilities.

  Mental Disorder
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons from which countries of origin, have been refused leave to enter the United Kingdom on the grounds of mental disorder in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Renton
  I have been asked to reply.

  The available information is given in the following table.

  Passengers who were refused leave to enter and removed from the United Kingdom at a port of entry because of a mental disorder by nationality

  Geographical region and Nationality

  Number

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Europe

  Austria

  3

  3

  —

  1

  —

  Belgium

  3

  —

  2

  5

  7

  Cyprus

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Denmark

  5

  3

  3

  1

  —

  Finland

  2

  —

  —

  1

  1

  France

  12

  9

  9

  13

  12

  GDR

  1

  3

  1

  —

  —

  German Federal Republic

  12

  7

  6

  10

  11

  Greece

  1

  2

  2

  —

  3

  Italy

  2

  4

  10

  5

  4

  Netherlands

  6

  11

  18

  12

  6

  Norway

  1

  2

  2

  3

  2

  Poland

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Portugal

  1

  1

  —

  1

  1

  Spain

  9

  4

  6

  1

  2

  Sweden

  7

  4

  3

  3

  5

  Switzerland

  1

  1

  5

  4

  5

  Yugoslavia

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  Total

  66

  57

  68

  61

  57

  Americas

  Argentina

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Brazil

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Canada

  2

  3

  5

  6

  8

  Chile

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Jamaica

  —

  —

  2

  —

  3

  Trinidad & Tobago

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  USA

  31

  36

  39

  43

  51

  390

  Geographical region and Nationality

  Number

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Uruguay

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Total

  35

  41

  47

  49

  63

  Africa

  Algeria

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Ghana

  1

  1

  3

  1

  —

  Kenya

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Mauritius

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Morocco

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  Nigeria

  1

  1

  3

  1

  —

  Sierra Leone

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South Africa

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Sudan

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Tunisia

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Uganda

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Zimbabwe

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  3

  7

  7

  8

  2

  Asia

  Bangladesh

  —

  1

  1

  2

  —

  Hong Kong

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  India

  3

  2

  1

  —

  —

  Israel

  —

  —

  2

  2

  —

  Japan

  1

  —

  2

  —

  2

  Lebanon

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Malaysia

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Pakistan

  2

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Philippines

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Saudi Arabia

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Syria

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Turkey

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  9

  9

  7

  5

  4

  Australasia

  Australia

  1

  3

  3

  1

  1

  New Zealand

  —

  —

  5

  1

  1

  3

  3

  6

  2

  Others

  UKPH

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Other countries not elsewhere specified

  4

  —

  5

  2

  1

  Stateless

  5

  7

  6

  5

  6

  All Nationalities

  123

  125

  143

  136

  135

  Cystic Fibrosis
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that all cystic fibrosis units in hospitals are retained if individual hospitals decide to opt out.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific response he has given to the Association of Cystic Fibrosis Adults regarding the impact of the proposals in his White Paper "Working for Patients" on the care of cystic fibrosis patients.

  Mr. Kirk wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if a self-governing hospital which provides a specialist service to cystic fibrosis patients will be allowed to discontinue the service solely on the grounds that the service is unprofitable;
  391
  (2) if district authorities will be given special dispensation to enable them to refer cystic fibrosis patients to specialist centres for treatment without having regard to cost or contractual arrangements;

  (3) what estimate he has made of the future of specialist hospital centres which currently provide a service to cystic fibrosis patients under the new system of acute care proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: A detailed response will be sent to the letter from the Association of Cystic Fibrosis Adults which has only just been received.

  Following the implementation of "Working for Patients", cystic fibrosis adults can expect to continue to receive a high quality service. The responsibility for ensuring that a comprehensive range of services is available will remain with the district health authority. The needs of patients requiring unusually expensive medicines or treatments will be taken fully into account when contracts are being placed and when prescribing budgets are being assigned to GP practices.

  Every patient will receive the treatment and drugs he or she needs.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on treatment of cystic fibrosis patients on long-term drug therapy of the general practitioner budget arrangements proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: Every cystic fibrosis patient will continue to get all the drugs and treatment they require.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to ensure that cystic fibrosis patients will not be refused admission to a general practitioner's list solely because of the potentially high cost of treating the disease under the new general practitioner system of indicative budgets proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: The scheme will be structured to take full account of the fact that some patients, such as those with cystic fibrosis, may need potentially high cost treatment. Indicative prescribing budgets will fully reflect these costs and there will be no disincentive to GPs to accept such patients on their lists.

  Medical Education and Research
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will detail the specific ways in which the Government intend to(a) maintain and (b) help to further improve the quality of medical education and research.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: Paragraph 4.30 of "Working for Patients" affirmed the Government's commitment to maintaining the quality of education and research and recognised the special needs in this area. The steering group on undergraduate medical and dental education, whose interim report was published on 6 June will consider how the current arrangements can best be improved to ensure that the policies and programmes of the bodies concerned are properly co-ordinated and managed; and make recommendations. The group has already made recommendations, which we have endorsed, on support for the higher service costs associated with teaching.
  392
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all the institutions and experts which he consulted about the medical education and research aspects of the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: We have received representations from various groups including the Committee on Vice Chancellors and Principals (CVCP), the Joint Medical Advisory Committee (JMAC) and the Joint Committee of Metropolitan and Provincial Deans (JCMPD), which represents the deans of United Kingdom medical schools and clinical facilities. These representations were primarily about education. In addition we have received representations on research from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Association of Medical Research Charities and other interested parties. All of these bodies have welcomed the commitment in "Working for Patients" to maintaining the quality of medical education and research.

  Nurses (Examinations)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to introduce the UKCC recommended rule change to allow nurses entered on the roll, or the relevant second level part of the UKCC register, as a result of failing their first level exams the maximum permitted number of times, a further three attempts at passing.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: Work on the statutory instrument to introduce this change is in hand and the new rule will be in operation in the near future.

  NHS Reform
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by family practitioner committee area the numbers of doctors' practices that are eligible to become practice budget holders under the conditions described in "Working for Patients."

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) on 4 April at column 93. In addition, as working paper No. 3 makes clear, practices may group together in order to opt for practice budgets.

  Childhood Cancers
  Mr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to encourage work on early detection of childhood cancers and, in particular, the type called neuroblastoma.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: The Department provides research funds to the Childhood Cancer Research group, which maintains a national registry of childhood tumours and carries out studies of the causes and treatment of childhood cancers. The Department also supports the cancer screening evaluation unit, which provides advice on existing and possible future schemes of screening for cancer, including neuroblastoma.

  Pharmacies
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the reasons for a decision on the location of a pharmacy are(a) made public by the rural dispensing committee and (b) usually made available to interested parties.
  393
  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: Regulations require the rural dispensing committee (RDC) to give written notice of such decisions to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State, the applicant, the family practitioner committees concerned, the local medical and pharmaceutical committees for the areas of those committees and to any other person who has submitted written or oral evidence to the RDC.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to take full account of the urgent resource implications of the fourth report of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, "Disabled Adults: Services, Transport and Employment", in formulating the Government's response to the Griffiths report on community care; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: We are pleased to have available the wealth of information on the circumstances of disabled people provided by the four reports published to date from the OPCS surveys of disability. We will take careful account of their findings in drawing up our proposals on community care and in our consideration of other policies for disabled people.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that, under the new Health Service proposals, the present range and quality of ostomy appliances will be maintained.

  Mr. Mellor
  Yes.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether more United States or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation nuclear-capable forces are proposed to be based in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether more United States or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation nuclear-capable forces are proposed to be based in the United Kingdom.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether more United States or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation nuclear-capable forces are proposed to be based in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  NATO allies are still considering a number of options for adjusting remaining nuclear forces following the INF agreement. Amongst these options is the possible deployment to Europe, including the United Kingdom, of additional longer-range dual-capable aircraft from the United States. However, no decision have yet been taken.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals have been made for additional nuclear weapons to be based in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals have been made for additional nuclear weapons to be based in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals have been made for additional nuclear weapons to be based in the United Kingdom.
  394
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The proposals for restructuring and modernising NATO's nuclear forces which are under consideration within the Alliance would create scope for further significant overall reductions in NATO's European stockpile of land-based nuclear weapons.

  Naval Rules of Engagement
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his United States counterpart regarding possible changes to naval rules of engagement.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his United States counterpart regarding possible changes to naval rules of engagement.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his United States counterpart regarding possible changes to naval rules of engagement.

  Mr. Younger
  I have not had any discussions with Mr. Cheney regarding possible changes to naval rules of engagement, although I have had some with his predecessor, Mr. Carlucci and other NATO Allies. The Alliance naturally reviews and updates its rules of engagement from time to time, but it is not our practice to comment on the detail of such matters.

  Lance Missile
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of Lance missiles deployed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in West Germany.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are currently 88 Lance missile launchers deployed in Europe by NATO, compared with some 1,500 Warsaw pact nuclear-capable short-range missile launchers. Detailed deployment information is classified.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of Lance missiles deployed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in West Germany.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of Lance missiles deployed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in West Germany.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe).

  Warsaw Pact (Dissolution)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the prospects for dissolution of the Warsaw pact.

  Mr. Younger
  There is no evidence that an early dissolution of the Warsaw pact military alliance is likely.

  Nuclear Weapons (First Use)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances Her Majesty's Government's policy encompasses the first use of nuclear weapons.
  395
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances Her Majesty's Government's policy encompasses the first use of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances Her Majesty's Government's policy encompasses the first use of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances Her Majesty's Government's policy encompasses the first use of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Younger
  The possibility of first use of nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack is central to NATO's strategy of deterrence. However, it would undermine deterrence to spell out in advance the precise circumstances in which nuclear weapons would or might be used.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the consequences for NATO's strategy of the adoption of a policy of no-first use of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A policy of "no first use" would be fundamentally incompatible with NATO's strategy of flexible response.

  NATO (Nuclear Weapons)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his Italian counterpart regarding the modernisation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's short-range nuclear forces.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his Italian counterpart regarding the modernisation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation short-range nuclear forces.

  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his Italian counterpart regarding the modernisation of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation short-range nuclear forces.

  Mr. Younger
  I last met the Italian Defence Minister at the meeting of the defence planning committee last week when we discussed a range of defence and security matters affecting the Alliance.

  Staff Relocation (Cleveland)
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it remains his policy to relocate Ministry of Defence staff to Cleveland; what representations he has received from the unions with regard to the move; and what consideration he gave to the adequacy of road transport links with Cleveland when deciding his policy.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Yes. It remains our intention to relocate the directorate general of defence quality assurance to Preston farm, Teesside. The trades unions have asked for further information and clarification of a number of points and consultation with them continues. Road transport links with Teesside are recognised as excellent.

  Low-flying Aircraft
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints he has received so far this year about low-flying military aircraft.
  396
  Mr. Neubert
  Between 1 January 1989 and 30 april 1989 the Ministry of Defence received 1,912 inquiries and complaints about military low-flying training in the United Kingdom.

  Women (Recruitment)
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further steps he is taking to recruit women to the armed services.

  Mr. Neubert
  We are seeking to widen the opportunities for the employment of women in the armed forces and we expect the number of service women to increase over the next few years. In 1988–89 the number of women recruited into the armed forces rose by 15 per cent. to 3,001. We plan a further increase in the number of female recruits this year.

  West German Defence Minister
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to meet in the near future the Defence Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany; and what matters he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next plans to hold talks with his counterpart in the Federal Republic of Germany on mutual defence subjects.

  Mr. Younger
  I met Dr. Stoltenberg at the meeting of NATO's defence planning committee on 8–9 June, and we also met in London on 26 May for substantive discussions on a wide range of subjects of mutual defence interest. I have no immediate plans for a further bilateral meeting, but I expect to see Dr. Stoltenberg when the independent European programme group meets at ministerial level later this month.

  Takeovers (National Interest)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he uses to define the national interest when a United Kingdom defence contractor is the subject of a takeover bid from a non-United Kingdom company.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Any factors which could affect the supply to the armed forces of the equipment they need to operate effectively would be taken into account. These factors could be judged only in the context of any specific takeover proposal.

  Soviet Union (Force Reductions)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Soviet Union's latest planned cutbacks in its European conventional forces as announced during the recent visit of United States Secretary of State, James Baker.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Soviet Union's latest planned cutbacks in its European conventional forces, as announced during the recent visit of United States Secretary of State, James Baker.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Soviet
  397
  Union's latest planned cutbacks in its European conventional forces as announced during the recent visit of United States Secretary of State, James Barker.

  Mr. Younger
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today, to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Michie).

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the defence implications of the Soviet proposal to thin out front-line forces in Europe.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Reductions in the Warsaw pact's massive concentrations of forces in Europe would be very welcome. However, their current zonal proposals would make it very difficult to sustain NATO's strategy of forward defence. Nevertheless, we are studying them with care.

  BAOR (Nuclear Weapons)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the consequences for the British Army of the Rhine of having no nuclear weapons.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for the British Army of the Rhine capacity for defence of the removal from its armoury of short-range nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  NATO's strategy of deterrence and defence requires a mix of conventional, theatre nuclear and strategic nuclear forces. Removal of the theatre nuclear component would undermine deterrence and leave our conventional forces very vulnerable to attack.

  Soviet Union (Nuclear Weapons)
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department will be responding to the Soviet proposal to withdraw 500 nuclear warheads from eastern Europe.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We welcome the Soviet announcement that they will withdraw 500 nuclear warheads from eastern Europe, but believe that this probably represents as little as 5 per cent. of the total number of Soviet nuclear warheads deployed within the European theatre. In contrast, since 1979 NATO has withdrawn 2,400 nuclear weapons from Europe, leaving only approximately 4,600 within the theatre. The Soviet Union will, therefore, have to make further very substantial reductions if they are to come down to the size of NATO's nuclear stockpile in Europe.

  Malaysia
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there was any reference in any of the correspondence concerning the sale of arms to Malaysia that preceded the signing of the memorandum of understanding in 1988, to United Kingdom overseas aid to Malaysia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Following the expression of Malaysian interest in United Kingdom overseas aid in early 398
  exchanges, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence made it clear to the Malaysian Finance Minister that it would not be acceptable to Her Majesty's Government to link aid with the defence sales package. As I stated at column 191 on 17 May, the memorandum of understanding makes no mention of overseas aid to Malaysia.

  Royal Naval Personnel (Radiation)
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further radiation checks have been carried out on Royal Navy sailors and personnel exposed to nuclear weapons and reactors; and what were the findings.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Medical records of all naval personnel are analysed annually, and any health trends are identified. There have been no special surveys to determine whether there is any evidence of medical disorders arising from exposure of Royal Navy nuclear submarine personnel to radiation. However, routine medical surveillance is carried out for those Royal Naval personnel designated as radiation workers in accordance with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985.

  Radiation dose records are kept for Royal Naval radiation workers, and statistics of doses received were published in the replies I gave to the hon. Member for St. Helens North (Mr. Evans) on 20 March at columns 477–478 and on 2 May at columns 61–62 this year.

  Regular radiation surveys are carried out on board nuclear-powered submarines to ensure that personnel not designated as radiation workers do not receive any significant radiation doses.

  Deterrent Strategy (Training)
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training is given at staff college level on the components of an effective deterrent strategy.

  Mr. Neubert
  The concept of deterrence pervades all Service officers' staff training. The staff colleges' syllabi require students to be conversant with the current threat, the principles of nuclear and conventional deterrence and the defence strategies and military capabilities of NATO and the United Kingdom. Possible alternative strategies, the effects of arms control and the influence of political will are also studied.

  Z-Berths
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to revise the system of allocating Z-berths.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  Nuclear Deterrent
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that the United Kingdom nuclear deterrent is credible.

  Mr. Younger
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today, to my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick).

  Short-Range Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Her Majesty's Government's response to the policy of the West German Government to the modernisation of short-range nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  At the recent summit all NATO countries, including West Germany, agreed that for the foreseeable future there would need to be deployed in Europe land, sea and air-based nuclear systems, including ground-launched missiles. They also agreed that to remain effective these systems would have to be kept up to date where necessary.

  Short Bros.
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence implications of the privatisation of Short Bros.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The MOD welcomes the return of Short Bros. to the private sector. We look forward to dealing with Shorts under its new owners on the same commercial basis as with our other suppliers of defence equipment.

  Trident
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about penalty costs associated with the Trident programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Trident programme includes a wide range of contracts. In accordance with MOD policy, all provide where applicable for payment of liquidated damages by the contractor to compensate MOD for the consequences of late delivery of equipment. Equally, provision is made for the prime contractor to recover incurred expenditure and additional costs arising if the MOD cancels a contract. The level of recovery possible will vary, and will depend on a number of factors, including the timing and circumstances of the cancellation.

  West Germany
  Mr. Beaumont-Dark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline the United Kingdom military contribution to the defence of the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The British Army of the Rhine and RAF Germany are important parts of the overall United Kingdom contribution to NATO and they have an essential role to play in the defence of the European mainland. Full details of their composition and roles are contained in the 1989 Statement on the Defence Estimates (Cm. 675-I).

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his counterpart in the Federal Republic of Germany; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Younger
  I last met Dr. Stoltenberg at the meeting of NATO's Defence Planning committee in Brussels on 8–9 June. We also met bilaterally in London on 26 May for substantive discussions on a wide range of subjects of mutual defence interest.

  Flexible Response
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the consequences for the strategy of flexible response of a third zero.

  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the consequences for the strategy of flexible response of a third zero.

  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the consequences for the strategy of flexible response of a third zero.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I share the assessment made by NATO Heads of Government. at their recent summit that for the foreseeable future there is no alternative to the Alliance strategy of deterrence and that this strategy requires a mix of nuclear forces, including Europe-based ground-launched missiles. I therefore welcome the summit's rejection of a third zero.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the strategy of flexible response in the light of recent proposals on short-range nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I share the assessment made by NATO Heads of Government at their recent summit that for the foreseeable future there is no alternative to the Alliance strategy of deterrence and that this strategy requires a mix of nuclear forces, including Europe-based ground-launched missiles. I therefore welcome the summit's rejection of a third zero.

  Eastern Atlantic (Naval Defence)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline the United Kingdom's contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation naval defence of the eastern Atlantic.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 302 of volume 1 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989 (Cm. 675-I).

  Nuclear Weapons and Reactors
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide an estimate of the number of nuclear weapons and defence reactors currently on sea and ocean floors.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide an estimate of the number of nuclear weapons and defence reactors currently on sea and ocean floors.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide an estimate of the number of nuclear weapons and defence reactors currently on sea and ocean floors.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We can be confident that there are no nuclear weapons or nuclear reactors on the sea floor within United Kingdom territorial waters. There are no United Kingdom nuclear weapons or reactors on the sea floor anywhere in the world. Nuclear weapons or reactors
  401
  which belong to other nations and which present no significant threat to the United Kingdom are not the responsibility of the United Kingdom Government.

  United States Secretary of State for Defence
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the United States Secretary for Defence; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Younger
  I met the United States Secretary for Defence at the ministerial meeting of the NATO defence planning committee last week when we discussed a wide range of matters of mutual interest.

  Expenditure
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total amount of defence spending proposed in his defence White Paper; and what will be the cumulative defence expenditure from 1979.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total amount of defence spending proposed in his defence White Paper; and what will be the cumulative defence expenditure from 1979.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total amount of defence spending proposed in his defence White Paper; and what will be the cumulative defence expenditure from 1979.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total amount of defence spending proposed in his defence White Paper; and what will be the cumulative defence expenditure from 1979.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Defence budget for 1989–90 is £20,143 million. Total expenditure on defence between 1979–80 and 1988–89 has amounted to some £154,000 million.

  NATO Secretary General
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Younger
  I last met Dr. Woerner at the meeting of NATO's Defence Planning committee on 8–9 June. We discussed a range of matters of mutual interest.

  CND
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has recently received from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; and whether he will make a statement.

  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has recently received from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has recently received from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Since my right hon. Friend last replied to this question on 7 March, at column 737, he has 402
  received less than a dozen letters from CND which reflects, no doubt, the continuing decline in support for that organisation.

  Equestrian Activities
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the cost of support provided by his Department to equestrian activities, excluding those associated with parades.

  Mr. Neubert
  Public funds are used only to support official equestrian activities. However support costs, such as training, stabling and veterinary services, are an integral part of the expenditure on horses participating in ceremonial and public duties.

  Submarines
  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the ordering programme for both conventional and nuclear submarines.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  This Government have ordered five nuclear powered fleet submarines, of which three have already been accepted into service, and four of the new Upholder class of conventional submarines. We envisage further orders for both nuclear and conventional powered submarines, but no decisions have yet been taken.

  Nuclear Tests
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which individuals or organisations he has had discussions in the last year about possible hazards from nuclear tests.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is impractical to list all individuals with whom my Department has had discussions concerning the British nuclear tests within the last year except at disproportionate cost.

  However, I can confirm that a number of organisations have been consulted during the normal course of business. These include the National Radiological Protection board (NRPB), the Imperial Cancer Research fund (ICRF), the Medical Research council (MRC), the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP), the National Health Service central register, the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS), the Defence Radiological Protection service (DRPS) together with a number of overseas individuals representing United States and Australian authorities and organisations. We have also received representations from a number of individuals, including right hon. and hon. Members.

  Exercise Wintex
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the extent of United Kingdom involvement in simulated nuclear war fighting in the recent Wintex staff exercise.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the extent of United Kingdom involvement in simulated nuclear war fighting in the recent Wintex staff exercise.
  403
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the extent of United Kingdom involvement in simulated nuclear war fighting in the recent Wintex staff exercise.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Exercise Wintex-Cimex is a NATO-wide command post-exercise conducted by Alliance members. Its objective is to test command, control and consultation plans and procedures and to exercise the appropriate crisis management machinery which would be used in the defence of NATO countries in times of international tension and war, including a nuclear phase. Details of the scenario and the precise involvement of individual participants are classified.

  Weapon-Free Corridors
  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the consequences for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation of adopting a policy of troop, tank and artillery-free corridors.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We believe that such a policy would be undesirable on both political and military grounds.

  Nuclear-Free Zones
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the consequences for the security of the United Kingdom of the adoption of nuclear-free zones in Western Europe.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  This Government are against the adoption of nuclear free zones in Western Europe, where we believe they would not increase but reduce security and stability. The territory of a zone would still be under threat from weapons outside the zone but targeted on it. Moreover, the mobility of many ground-launched and air-delivered nuclear weapons means that they could be rapidly deployed back into a nuclear-free zone at a time of tension, thus heightening rather than reducing the risk of war.

  HMS Southampton
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement about the re-fit contract for HMS Southampton.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Shortly.

  Horseshoe Barracks, Shoeburyness
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on his plans to dispose of the Horseshoe barracks in Shoeburyness, Essex.

  Mr. Neubert
  It remains our intention to dispose of Horseshoe barracks on the open market, once existing facilities have been reprovided elsewhere. We have retained independent consultants to advise on the development potential of the site and we await their definitive recommendations.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest information available to his 404
  Department on the terms of the recent judgment in the Australian courts regarding compensation for nuclear test veterans; and what are the implications for his policy on British nuclear test veterans.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My Department has not yet received a copy of the judgment and until we have had an opportunity to study its content, we will not be able to say what implications, if any, there are for the British nuclear test veterans.

  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce new compensation arrangements for British ex-servicemen who have suffered radiation ailments arising from their duties.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howell) on 6 June 1989, at column 121.

  Ceremonial Duties
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many regular service men in(a) Greater London and (b) Windsor are required on an average day to carry out ceremonial duties as sentries; and how many such sentries are posted in each location.

  Mr. Neubert
  The number of regular service men required on an average day to carry out ceremonial duties as sentries in London and Windsor depends on whether or not Her Majesty the Queen is in residence. Three service men are required to man each post on a 24 hour basis. The numbers at each location are:

  Her Majesty the Queen in residence

  Her Majesty the Queen out of residence

  Buckingham Palace

  15 service men to man 5 posts

  9 service men to man 3 posts

  St. James's Palace

  15 service men to man 5 posts

  9 service men to man 3 posts

  Tower of London

  6 service men to man 2 posts

  Windsor Castle

  21 service men to man 7 posts

  15 service men to man 5 posts

  Ceremonial sentry duties are mainly undertaken by the Army, but the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force also provide personnel.

  F111
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on future deployment plans for the F111 in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett).

  Soviet Union (Fighting Vehicles)
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence his Department has as to whether the Soviets are dismantling their most modern armoured fighting vehicles.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There is as yet no evidence that the Soviets are dismantling their most modern armoured fighting vehicles.

  Anti-satellite Weapons
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to meet his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation counterparts to discuss the deployment of anti-satellite weapons.

  Mr. Younger
  I have no plans to do so.

  European Fighter Aircraft (Radar)
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce an order for the development of a radar for the European fighter aircraft.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have nothing to add at present to the answer that I gave on 9 May 1989 at column 426 to the hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack).

  Type 42 Destroyer
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many miles on average type 42 destroyers have travelled over the past 10 years; how many they were designed to travel and over what period; and what steps he is taking to ensure that they are capable of operating for their full service lives.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Type 42 destroyers have travelled approximately 31,000 nautical miles per ship per year over the last 10 years. Mileage is not used as a design and operating criterion; ship life is measured in years and experience has shown this to be a good criterion, which takes account of the variety of factors which affect life such as sea states, operational conditions and ship speed. A refitting and maintenance cycle is in operation which ensures that the ships will be fully capable throughout their service life.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the replacement for the type 42 destroyer will be given the same length of trials periods as the type 22 frigates.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The acceptance trials of the vessel to replace the type 42 destroyer are expected to take a similar amount of time to those for earlier classes of ships of a similar technical complexity.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to replace the type 42 destroyers when they begin to leave service in 1998.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Government are continuing to participate in the NFR 90 project, which could eventually meet the Royal Navy's requirement for an anti-air warfare escort to replace the type 42 destroyers.

  Aegis Air Defence System
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he envisages future procurement of the American Aegis air defence system.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  HMS Bristol
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans to replace HMS Bristol with an air defence ship of similar capabilities.
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  Mr. Sainsbury
  No decisions have yet been taken on how long HMS Bristol, which was commissioned in 1973, will remain in service. There are no plans to replace her with another type 82 destroyer.

  Sea Dart
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the efficiency of the Sea Dart missile system.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Sea Dart missile system meets or surpasses the performance and reliability criteria specified in the naval staff requirement (NSR 6502).

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Royal Navy will be entirely reliant upon the Sea Wolf system for air defence when the Sea Dart system is withdrawn from service; and how area defence will be provided.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Sea Dart system is expected to remain in service into the next century.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likelihood of the Sea Dart system becoming obsolete before the end of the service lives of the type 42 destroyers that carry it.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As a result of assessments already undertaken, action is in hand to ensure the Sea Dart system continues to be effective and supportable until the ships in which it is fitted are phased out of service.

  Sea King
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to replace the Sea King AEW with a purpose-built aircraft.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There are no plans to do so at present. The Sea King, equipped with Searchwater radar, will continue to provide airborne early warning for the Royal Navy into the next century.

  Air Search Surveillance
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on which NATO services operate three dimensional air search surveillance radars for their ships; and when the Royal Navy will obtain such a capacity.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is not our policy to comment in detail on the operational capabilities of NATO allies. Her Majesty's ships are equipped with a number of air defence radars which provide the capabilities judged to be necessary to satisfy the Royal Navy's operational requirements. Details of the equipments deployed are classified.

  Fleet Missile Systems
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what missile system is planned to defend the fleet from aerial attack at medium and long ranges in the 1990s and into the next century.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom is currently engaged in two parallel projects aimed at meeting this
  407
  requirement, the NATO anti-air warfare system (NAAWS) and the European family of anti-air missile systems (FAMS). We are pleased with the progress of both these projects, but are not yet in a position to indicate a preference between the two.

  Type 21 Frigate
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to replace the six type 21 frigates which will be at least 20 years old by 1997.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have plans for sufficient orders of new type 23 frigates to ensure that the strength of the destroyer and frigate force remains at about 50 as older ships are progressively paid off in the next decade. No decisions have yet been taken on when the type 21 frigates will be paid off.

  Clothing and Vehicles
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Her Majesty's Government are planning to rely on external sources of supply to equip the armed services with clothing and vehicles in the event of a conventional war.

  Mr. Neubert
  No. Availability of clothing and vehicles from internal sources of supply is generally deemed sufficient to meet the needs of the armed services in the event of a conventional war.

  Personal Injury Claims
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for compensation because of personal injury due to alleged negligence have been made by members of the forces in each year since they were entitled to do so; and how many have been successful.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A total of 139 claims were received in 1987, a further 265 in 1988 and another 204 have been received so far this year. Of these claims, 60 have been successfully concluded and 425 have yet to be finalised. These figures include claims arising from incidents occurring during the six months immediately prior to the repeal of section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, which are being dealt with exceptionally on an ex-gratia basis.

  Section 10 Certificates
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many section 10 certificates have been issued since 1947 in respect of service men/women who were not nuclear test veterans.

  Mr. Neubert
  The information could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

  Vehicle Insurance
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the insurance policy which the services are required to have for their vehicles by the Road Traffic Acts and whether it covers tracked armoured cars.

  Mr. Neubert
  The legislation relating to insurance in respect of third-party risks does not apply to vehicles or persons acting in the service of the Crown. Nevertheless, my Department does hold an insurance policy with Guardian Royal Exchange for third-party claims arising out of road traffic accidents involving all its vehicles, including tracked armoured vehicles.

  Contractors (Payments)
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report the precise amounts paid to each of the following contractors by his Department in respect of headquarter contracts in the year ended 31 March 1988 (a) Jaguar plc, (b) Dunlop Ltd. aviation division, (c) Rolls-Royce plc supply group and (d) Rolls-Royce plc industrial and marine division.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Records of payments made to divisions or other sub-groups within companies are not generally kept. Such information is in any event regarded as commercially confidential. We have no record of any payments made to Jaguar plc.

  Woolwich Arsenal West Site
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total area of the Woolwich arsenal west site which is to be released by his Department; and what is its estimated current market value.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 11 April 1989 at column 516. The total area of the Woolwich arsenal west site to be released following the move of the director general of defence quality assurance, a proposal at present the subject of consultation with the trade unions, is approximately 79 acres.

  As the site will be sold on the open market by competitive tender, it would not be appropriate to disclose our estimate of current market value.

  RAVC, Melton Mowbray
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is now able to announce his decision on the future of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Melton Mowbray.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No. As my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces told my hon. Friend on 9 May 1989 at column 427, consideration of the review into future arrangements for service animal training will be completed this month. We will then be in a position to make a decision.

  LONDON GROUNDWATER LEVELS
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  AIDS SUFFERERS AND HOMELESSNESS LEGISLATION
  AIDS SUFFERERS AND HOMELESSNESS LEGISLATION
  EC ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, LUXEMBOURG, 8th-9th JUNE
  EC ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, LUXEMBOURG, 8th-9th JUNE
  LOCAL AUTHORITIES' DISPOSAL COSTS—CONSULTATION PAPER
  LOCAL AUTHORITIES' DISPOSAL COSTS—CONSULTATION PAPER
  BSE: SOUTHWOOD REPORT
  BSE: SOUTHWOOD REPORT
  UNTREATED MILK: FUTURE SALES
  UNTREATED MILK: FUTURE SALES
  SENEGAL AND MAURITANIA: MEDIATION INITIATIVE
  SENEGAL AND MAURITANIA: MEDIATION INITIATIVE
  INDIA-NEPAL DISPUTE
  INDIA-NEPAL DISPUTE
  US: PRIME MINISTER'S REMARKS
  US: PRIME MINISTER'S REMARKS
  KATYN MASSACRE
  KATYN MASSACRE
  GRENADA: POLITICAL PRISONERS—ALLEGATIONS
  GRENADA: POLITICAL PRISONERS—ALLEGATIONS