Written Answers of 8 May 1989

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Crime (Greater London)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the trends in crime in Greater London during 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information is published in table 7 of Home Office statistical bulletin 7/89, a copy of which is in the Library. More detailed figures for each borough in the Metropolitan police district are also available in the Library. My right hon. Friend has also sent some further details of the figures for their local police force area to all right hon. and hon. Members for constituencies in England and Wales and placed copies of those further details in the Library.

  DNA Testing
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received regarding the use of DNA testing.

  Mr. Renton
  We continue to receive various representations from Members of Parliament and others concerning the use of DNA testing in immigration cases.

  Drugs (International Co-operation)
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to strengthen international co-operation against drugs.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are pursuing a wide range of initiatives to strengthen international co-operation. We are working to enable the United Kingdom to ratify the new United Nations Convention against the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. We are negotiating bilateral agreements on the confiscation of drug traffickers' assets. Five such agreements have now been concluded and more are in the pipeline. We are holding a ministerial conference of the Council of Europe's drug co-operation group (the Pompidou Group), under my right hon. Friend's chairmanship, in London on 18–19 May, to discuss the threat posed by cocaine and "crack", confiscation of proceeds derived from illicit trafficking and the problems of AIDS and drug misuse.

  Traffic Congestion
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, concerning the police role in coping with traffic congestion in London.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions with the commissioner on this subject 282
  but he has drawn to the commissioner's attention a number of points raised with him by hon. Members representing constituencies in London.

  Exeter Prison
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Exeter prison was built; what was the originally intended maximum number of prisoners; what is the number on remand or serving custodial sentences there now; and for how many hours daily an inmate is confined to his cell.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Her Majesty's prison Exeter was opened in 1853 to accommodate about 280 inmates and the young offender remand centre there was added in 1964 to accommodate a further 53. At 28 April 1989 the numbers held compared with the certified normal accommodation were as follows:

  Numbers held

  Certified normal accommodation

  Exeter Prison

  Adult Male

  236 sentenced

  254

  12 convicted not

  sentenced

  90 unconvicted

  Female

  Nil

  3

  338

  257

  Exeter Remand Centre

  Young Offender

  11 sentenced

  53

  20 convicted not

  sentenced

  30 unconvicted

  399

  310

  Inmates are confined to their cells for 8–19 hours a day; the average is 16 hours a day.

  Jersey (Housing)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the. Home Department what representations he has received concerning the laws governing housing in Jersey.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There have been three such cases during the last year.

  Firefighters
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about changes he proposes to the pay and conditions of firefighters.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 3 May to the similar question from my hon. Friend the Member of Stafford (Mr. Cash) at column 113.

  Police Drivers
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the training of drivers of fast response cars; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Police driver training has recently been reviewed by a working party set up by the
  283
  Association of Chief Police Officers. I understand that the working party's report will be published within the next few weeks.

  Immigration
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State expects to reply to the hon. Member for Stretford's letter of 7 February last regarding Mr. M. F. (Ref. EBO762).

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 28 April.

  Street Lighting
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals for the introduction of a statutory obligation to provide adequate street lighting, as a measure to protect against mugging or rape, he is considering.

  Mr. John Patten
  There is widespread concern, which we share, about the level of violent crime. Improved street lighting may have a part to play in tackling this and other problems, and many local authorities have undertaken improved lighting schemes, a significant number of which have been funded through the Department of the Environment estate action programme. I await with interest the results of the major research study being carried out in Wandsworth on our behalf by Southampton university, assessing the impact of street lighting on crime and the fear of crime.

  Summer Time
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement spelling out the differences in summer time by comparison with last year in consequence of the Summer Time Order, 1989; if the order stems from a decision of the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Summer Time Order 1989 is necessary to set out the dates of the summer time period for the years 1990 to 1992 inclusive. It also gives effect to the Fifth Council Directive on summer time arrangements in the European Community which was formally adopted by the Council of Ministers in Brussels on 21 December 1988. The effect of the order is to continue the present summer time system for a further three years.

  Police Vehicles
  Mr. Beaumont-Dark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fatal accidents involving motor vehicles driven by police in the course of their duties have occurred from 1 January 1989.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Information about accidents involving police vehicles is collected and published annually by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Full information will, therefore, not be available until returns are submitted by individual forces to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary after the end of the year. However, I am aware of nine specific accidents which have occurred since 1 March 1989 arising from police vehicle pursuits, or responses to emergency calls, which have resulted in a total of 12 fatalities.
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  Mr. Beaumont-Dark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any intention of issuing new guidelines in respect of pursuit by police vehicles; and if he has any plans to meet chief constables to discuss the matter.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Police driver training, including police pursuit management, has recently been reviewed by a working party set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers. I understand that its report will be published within the next few weeks. We shall consider it carefully when it is published.

  Breath Tests
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of the representations that he has received following his recent consultation about police powers to stop motorists and administer breath tests; and how many of those representations supported(a) consolidation of existing powers as no change, (b) unfettered discretion to administer breath tests and (c) spot checks by the police administered on a random basis.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Following the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) on 1 February, at column 252, we have received some 3,400 letters from individuals, letters from organisations and petitions on the subject of police powers to require roadside breath tests. Of these, approximately 3,000 express support for extended powers in the form of unfettered discretion, random breath testing or other forms. The remainder suggest that there should be no change to current powers. We shall consider these responses carefully, including whether they should be placed in the Library.

  Sunday Trading
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether his proposed new working party on small shops and Sunday trading will include representatives of the National Chamber of Trade;

  (2) if he will make a statement outlining the constitution and purpose of his proposed new working party on small shops and Sunday trading.

  Mr. Renton
  No working party has been established but I propose to hold a meeting on 24 May with representatives of the Shopping Hours Reform Council at its request and of the Association of District Councils to seek a way forward on shopping hours reform. Representatives of the National Chamber of Trade will not be present.

  National Stadium
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department has received concerning proposals to build a national stadium to improve the safety of sports spectators in the light of events at Hillsborough on 15 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  My Department has not received any representations about proposals to build a national studium. Responsibility for the safety and comfort of
  285
  spectators rests with the individual sports ground operator or event organiser, who must comply with the terms and conditions of any safety certificate in force for the ground in question.

  Hillsborough Disaster
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire outlining the interviewing criteria and procedures to be used by West Yorkshire police in response to telephone calls and their investigations following the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The interviewing critera and procedures are a matter for the investigating officers in consultation with Lord Justice Taylor. I understand that anyone who telephoned the police on the special telephone lines and who has relevant information will be interviewed by the investigating team.

  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire, as to on what basis and by whom the decision was taken to allow only one week for members of the public to contact West Yorkshire police, by special 'phone lines, after the Hillsborough disaster; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The officer in charge of the police investigation team, in consultation with Lord Justice Taylor, decided to open the special telephone lines for three days initially. Owing to the heavy response on the first three days the lines were kept open for a further three days. The number of calls had lessened considerably by the sixth day and it was not thought necessary to keep the lines open any longer. The fact that the lines would close on the sixth day was widely publicised.

  It remains open to anyone who believes that he or she has relevant information to contact the secretary to the inquiry at room 662, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT.

  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire as to how many telephone calls have been received on the special telephone lines set up by West Yorkshire police, investigating events at Hillsborough on 15 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A total of 2,666 calls were received on the special telephone lines during the six-day period.

  Offences (Leicestershire)
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences there were in Leicestershire in 1987 and 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Leicestershire, North-West (Mr. Ashby) on the 13 April at column 713.

  Car Telephones
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been(a) charged with and (b) convicted of road traffic offences connected with the use of mobile car telephones.

  Mr. John Patten
  The available information relates to proceedings at magistrates courts for all offences of careless driving and so on and is published annually in "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables" (table 5 of the issue for 1987, the latest available). Information is not collected centrally about the circumstances of these alleged offences.

  Risley
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently at Risley have ever been in-patients at a psychiatric hospital or clinic.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Of the population on 5 May (322 male and 114 female prisoners) 37 male and 33 female prisoners have been in-patients at a psychiatric hosptial or clinic.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently at Risley were unable to give a permanent address when the order for their remand was made.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Current information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. A survey conducted in November 1988 indicated that 13 per cent. (40) of prisoners at Risley who had been remanded from Cheshire courts and 9 per cent. (46) of those from Lancashire courts had been remanded in custody because they had no permanent address or had an unsuitable address.

  Gaelic Broadcasting
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement concerning the level and source of funding of a new Gaelic-speaking broadcasting authority;

  (2) what agreement has been reached between his Department, S4C, Scottish television companies and other interested parties concerning the use of money currently paid by Scottish ITV companies to S4C, to fund Gaelic television programming.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: Representations about the funding of Gaelic television programmes will be considered alongside the other comments which have been made in response to the Government's broadcasting White Paper.

  Political Asylum
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of(a) the Soviet Union, (b) Hong Kong, (c) India, (d) Pakistan and (e) Bangladesh (i) the numbers of requests received annually since 1979 for political asylum from citizens of these countries and the number granted and (ii) the number of requests received annually since 1979 for residency from citizens of each of the countries and the number granted.
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  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 27 April 1989]: Information on applications for, and on grants of refugee status in the United Kingdom in the years since 1979 to 1987, by nationality, is published in the annual Home Office statistical bulletins "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom" (tables 5A-5F of issue 12/86, table 6 of issue 13/87 and table 7 of issue 16/88), copies of which are in the Library. Information for 1988 will be published in the summer of 1989.

  Information on applications in the Indian subcontinent in 1979–87 for an entry clearance for settlement, and in 1985–87 for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode, in the United Kingdom is given in tables 6, 9, 11 and 12 of "Control of Immigration Statistics, United Kingdom, 1987" (Cm. 415). The corresponding figures for the other years, and information on applications in Hong Kong in 1985–88 for an entry clearance for settlement, are given in the following tables 1 and 2. Information for earlier years for Hong Kong and similar information for the Soviet Union is not readily available.

  Information on the total number of persons granted settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1979 to 1987, by nationality, is published in table 22 of "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 1987" (Cm. 415). The number of persons accepted in 1988 for the nationalities requested is given in the following table 3.

  Table 1

  Applications1 in Hong Kong and the Indian sub-continent for an entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom

  Number of persons

  Applications

  Country

  Newly received2

  Granted34

  Refused initially4

  Hong Kong5:

  1985

  680

  750

  40

  1986

  960

  850

  40

  1987

  710

  590

  30

  1988

  750

  640

  40

  India:

  1988

  4,090

  3,630

  1,100

  Pakistan:

  1988

  6,540

  4,270

  1,420

  Bangladesh:

  1988

  4,050

  3,710

  1,480

  1 By wives, children, persons for immediate settlement, husbands and fiance(e)s.

  2 Including applications subsequently withdrawn.

  3 Granted initially or on appeal.

  4 These applications may have been received in an earlier period.

  5 Including applications from Hong Kong stateless persons.

  Table 2

  Applications in the Indian sub-continent for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode1 in the United Kingdom

  Number of persons

  Country

  Applications

  Newly received2

  Granted3 4

  Refused initially4

  India

  1979

  440

  430

  —

  1980

  420

  420

  —

  1981

  480

  430

  5

  1982

  520

  480

  5

  1983

  180

  180

  5

  1984

  160

  150

  5

  1988

  190

  180

  5

  Pakistan

  1979

  5

  —

  —

  288

  Country

  Applications

  Newly receive2

  Granted3 4

  Refused initially4

  1980

  5

  5

  —

  1981

  —

  —

  —

  1982

  5

  5

  —

  1983

  —

  —

  —

  1984

  —

  —

  —

  1988

  420

  460

  10

  Bangladesh

  1979

  20

  10

  10

  1980

  20

  20

  5

  1981

  20

  20

  —

  1982

  40

  30

  10

  1983

  50

  20

  30

  1984

  50

  60

  20

  1988

  2,600

  2,150

  390

  1 Including applications for a confirmation of the right of abode (prior to August 1988).

  2 Including applications subsequently withdrawn.

  3 Granted initially or an appeal.

  4 These applications may have been received in an earlier period.

  5 5 or fewer.

  Table 3

  Acceptances for settlement in the United Kingdom by nationality: 1988

  Nationality

  Number of persons

  Soviet Union

  60

  Hong Kong (British Dependent Territory Citizens)

  1,150

  India

  5,020

  Pakistan

  4,280

  Bangladesh

  2,890

  Assault and Battery
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he has issued to police authorities on the recording in local crime statistics of offences committed under section 39 of the Ciminal Justice Act 1988.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 3 May 1989]: The compilation of local crime statistics is a matter for the chief constable. The information collected centrally relates to notifiable offences recorded by the police covering nearly all indictable offences and a few types of summary offence. (Full details are given in the appendices to "Criminal statistics, England and Wales", pp 180 and 184–8 of the issue for 1987, Cm. 498). The coverage of this series has not been changed since 1978, apart from its extension in 1983 to include offences of gross indecency with a child and offences of drug trafficking, currently together amounting to about 9,000 offences a year. The procedures for recording notifiable offences have also not been changed since 1980 when new counting rules were introduced to improve the consistency of recording multiple, continuous and repeated offences. Those offences made summary under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 continue to be covered, with the exception of offences of common assault made summary under section 39 of the Act. The police are being advised no longer to include offences of common assault in the count of notifiable offences reported to the Home Office, in order to avoid unduly complicating police recording practices for

  289
  summary offences of assault. The average number of such offences recorded by the police in the whole of England and Wales over the last 10 years has been around 600 a year so the reduction in the coverage of the series for notifiable offences recorded will be negligible (about 0·02 per cent.).

ENERGY

  Nuclear Fusion
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will make it his policy to ask the chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to evaluate the feasibility of low temperature nuclear fusion, as discovered by Professor Fleischman of Southampton university and Professor Pons of the university of Utah in a joint experiment, announced in March 1989;

  (2) what effort has been committed by officers in his Department to evaluate the claims by the British, American and Hungarian scientists in March and April 1989 to have produced energy from a cold fusion nuclear experiment.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has already initiated experiments to reproduce and understand the effects which have been reported. It is too early to speculate on the outcome.

  Plutonium and Nuclear Waste (Soviet Union)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, during his recent visit to the Soviet Union, he discussed with his Soviet counterpart(a) the possibility of the Soviet Union sending spent nuclear fuel to the United Kingdom for reprocessing at Sellafield, (b) the possibility of the United Kingdom exporting plutonium under safeguards to the Soviet Union for use in civil nuclear fuel rods, and (c) areas of mutual interest in the development of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste disposal.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  None of the topics were discussed at the meeting.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the statement made by the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Mr. Spicer)Official Report, 13 April, column 1135, whether the reports on plutonium production sent by reactor operators to safeguard authorities on the despatch of spent irradiated fuel to reprocessing plants, give details of plutonium content to gramme quantities.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Yes.

  Coal-fired Power Stations
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his policy on the future of coal-fired power stations.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The future of coal-fired stations in the mix of generating capacity will be a commercial matter for the privatised electricity industry.

  EC (Meetings)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the European Community meetings on matters concerning his Department held in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.
  290
  Mr. Parkinson
  Full Energy Councils were held in March, June and November of 1985 and 1986, and in June and November of 1987 and 1988. There were also three informal meetings of Community Energy Ministers during the period. Meetings of officials from member states have been held to prepare for the Councils. In addition, Councils of other Ministers have dealt with matters in which my Department has some concern and they also have been preceded by preparatory meetings of officials. The Commission has convened many meetings of Government experts on particular matters relevant to my Department's responsibilities and has also held relevant seminars, symposia etc. Finally, the European Parliament and its Committees and the Economic and Social Committee of the Community have considered relevant matters from time to time.

  Preparation of a list of all such meetings could be achieved only at a disproportionate cost.

  Nottinghamshire Mineworkers (Allocation Fund)
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details on the amount of moneys paid by British Coal into the Nottinghamshire and district mineworkers allocation fund for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation.

DEFENCE

  University Staff (Security Clearance)
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of staff in universities and other institutions of higher education working on research contracts or agreements currently funded by his Department are required to have security clearance.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is a condition of contract that, before anyone is employed on an MOD contract which may give access to classified information, the prior agreement of MOD is sought.

  Electromagnetic Radiation
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has funded any studies since 1979 in universities and polytechnics to determine the effects of electromagnetic radiation at extremely low frequencies on human or animal life.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Territorial Army
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the rate of recruitment into the Territorial Army, showing which areas and which arms show the most and which the least progress in recruiting.

  Mr. Neubert
  Overall recruitment continues to show a satisfactory improvement with intakes during January and February showing increases, respectively, of 500 and 300 over that of August 1988. We continue to monitor the position most closely and to take stringent measures to build on this impetus including, of course, the Volunteer
  291
  Reserve Forces campaign. Although this campaign is aimed primarily at improving retention, we would expect to see some sort of spin-off in the area of recruitment. The generally improved position is largely reflected throughout all arms and all areas of the country.

  Defence Budget
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the United Kingdom annual defence budget is spent in Wales; and what this is in cash terms in the last three years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Defence expenditure is not accounted for on a regional basis.

  Natural Environment Research Council
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the research projects undertaken for his Department by the Natural Environment Research Council during the past five years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Ministry of Defence has currently three research agreements and 11 research contracts placed with the Natural Environment Research Council. Comparable information for the past five years is not readily available. It is not our policy to give details of these arrangements.

  RAF Upper Heyford (Flight Path)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 18 April to the hon. Member for Leyton,Official Report, columns 110–12, whether it was his Department's decision to change the flight path used by F-111s taking off from RAF Upper Heyford so that these aircraft fly directly over local villages.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to the Adjournment debate on 30 November 1988,Official Report columns 849–856.

  Research Institutes
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will(a) list by standard region the research institutes operated for or on behalf of his Department and the total employment thereat, (b) list for each region the total number of such institutes and the employment therein and (c) express the regional totals as a percentage of the national totals.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 4 May 1989]: As at 1 April 1989, the total number of staff employed at the Ministry of Defence's non-nuclear research establishments was 13,640. This was broken down as follows:

  Number

  Admiralty Research Establishment (Headquarters at Portsdown)

  2,931

  Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment (Boscombe Down)

  1,101

  Chemical Defence Establishment (Porton Down)

  560

  Royal Aerospace Establishment (Headquarters at Farnborough)

  5,200

  292

  Number

  Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (Headquarters at Fort Halstead)

  2,262

  Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (Headquarters at Malvern)

  1,586

  Staff are employed at a variety of sites throughout the United Kingdom. It is not our policy to provide a further breakdown of these figures.

  Ozone Layer
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any intention of establishing an interdisciplinary research centre in relation to ozone layer research at the Meteorological Office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: No. Ozone layer research in the EC and EFTA countries is being co-ordinated from 1 April this year with the assistance of a special unit set up by the Department of the Environment and the European Commission. The Meteorological Office plays an important national and international advisory role through the expertise developed from work on atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. It has participated, with part funding from the Department of the Environment, in the large US-led 1987 Antarctic ozone experiment and in the similar 1989 experiment carried out in the Arctic; it is also collaborating with universities in this field.

EMPLOYMENT

  Availability for Work
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions claimant advisers are given to help them assess the availability for work of those unemployed claimants whom they interview; and whether these instructions will be made available in the Library.

  Mr. Lee
  There are no discrete instructions to claimant advisers to help them assess availability for work. Claimant advisers work within the same framework of instructions used by all employment service staff.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.

  Mr. Lee
  The information is available from the Library. In March 1989 unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,918,100, the lowest for more than eight years on a consistent basis. Unemployment has fallen for 32 months running, giving the longest and largest continuous fall since the second world war.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he can give details of the number of people in employment in Scotland and the United Kingdom in 1978 and 1988.
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  Mr. Lee
  The information is as follows. The figures are unadjusted for the effects of seasonal variation.

  Civilian work force in employment1

  Work force in employment2

  Scotland

  December 1978

  2,231,000

  3

  December 1988

  2,211,000

  3

  United Kingdom

  December 1978

  24,998,000

  25,315,000

  December 1988

  26,300,000

  26,612,000

  1 The sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work related Government training programmes.

  2 The sum of the civilian work force in employment and Her Majesty's Forces. Estimates are not available for Scotland as consistent Her Majesty's Forces figures are not available below national level.

  3 Not available.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the level of employment in the south-east.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the south-east region was 9,014,000. This represents an increase of 1,012,000 or 13 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the level of employment in London.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in Greater London was 4,053,000. This represents an increase of 261,000 or 7 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job vacancies are currently registered with jobcentres; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In March 1989 the number of unfilled vacancies, seasonally adjusted, at jobcentres was 222,900. Vacancies at jobcentres do not represent the total number of vacancies in the economy. The latest research shows that only about a third of vacancies are notified to jobcentres.

  School Compacts
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the development of school compacts.

  Mr. Cope
  Most of the 30 applications for compact operational funding in England and Scotland have now been approved. I expect that all 30 will begin full operation this September. In addition, invitations have gone to the 24 urban programme areas in England that are not already covered by compacts to apply for funding for development work. I hope to be able to announce those areas awarded development funding during the summer.
  294
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales are considering how best to take forward the further development of compacts.

  I continue to be impressed, not just by the very positive response from both business and education to this initiative but also by the hard work which local partnerships have put into establishing compacts in their areas.

  Tourism
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the growth of employment in the catering industry as a whole and the tourism sector in particular over the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  It is estimated that, between December 1983 and December 1988, the number of employees in employment in the hotel and catering industry in Great Britain increased by 233,000. Further information from the labour force survey indicates that there was an increase of about 41,000 self-employed workers in the industry between spring 1983 and spring 1988. The estimated growth between December 1983 and December 1988 in the number of employees in employment in the sector of the hotel and catering industry directly related to tourism was 210,000. It is not possible to identify separately the growth in the number of self-employed workers in this sector.

  Hendy and Miskin Quarries
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will order an immediate halt to any blasting operations at the Hendy and Miskin quarries in Taff Ely which are found to he endangering the health and property of local residents.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has no such intentions. Any decision to halt blasting at the Hendy and Miskin quarries would be the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive's mines and quarries inspectorate which is keeping the situation under review.

  Technical and Vocational Education Initiative
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what methods of assessment are being used by his Department to monitor the development of the technical and vocational education initiative in the 2,000 schools and colleges already involved; and if he will make a statement as to the progress and achievement which has been made by those who are proceeding beyond the pilot stage.

  Mr. Cope
  The technical and vocational education initiative has been extensively assessed both nationally and within each education authority. The national evaluation undertaken by a number of independent research institutions has included statistical databases and studies of management and education issues within the technical and vocational education initiative.

  Significant progress has already been made by authorities beyond the pilot stage in ensuring that the curriculum is broad, balanced and more relevant to working life.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of staff employed in employment benefit fraud investigations for each year from 1979 to the latest available year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.

  The number of fraud investigators employed by my Department each year since 1984 is as follows:

  Number

  1984–85

  450

  1985–86

  650

  1986–87

  720

  1987–88

  785

  1988–89

  820

  In addition a number of other staff are engaged, on either a part-time or full-time basis, as support staff to these investigations.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the total number of prosecutions for employment benefit fraud for each of the years from 1979 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.

  The number of prosecutions for benefit fraud for each year since 1984 is as follows:

  Number

  1984–85

  2,250

  1985–86

  2,800

  1986–87

  3,650

  1987–88

  3,960

  1988–89

  4,045

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report an estimate of the total amount of money lost through benefit fraud in 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No reliable figure is available of the money lost through benefit fraud in 1988 because the full extent of the fraud that is occurring is not known.

  As a result of investigations during 1988, however, the estimated net savings to public funds were £65 million.

  European Social Fund
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the 1989 European social fund allocation was divided in(a) actual cash and (b) percentage terms between (i) central Government, (ii) local government, (iii) the voluntary sector and (iv) others; and what were the equivalent figures for 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: Details of the 1987 and 1988 allocations are as follows:
  296

  1987 allocation

  1988 allocation

  £ million

  Per cent.

  £ million

  Per cent.

  Central Government

  323·5

  74·3

  263·5

  65·4

  Local Government

  60·3

  13·9

  85·8

  21·3

  Volutary sector

  16·5

  3·8

  23·0

  5·8

  Others

  34·7

  8·0

  29·1

  7·25

  My Department is awaiting notification from the European Commision of the amounts allocated to individual schemes for 1989.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many European social fund projects submitted by the voluntary sector were given(a) full priority decisions, (b) part priority decisions, (c) no priority decisions and (d) not eligible decisions in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: The status given by the European Commission to projects submitted by the voluntary sector is as follows:

  1987

  1988

  11989

  Full priority

  251

  372

  232

  Part priority including partly eligible

  45

  87

  272

  No priority

  21

  20

  70

  Not eligible

  33

  29

  75

  TOTAL

  350

  508

  649

  1 Provisional.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many European social fund projects designed to train people in the skills required to establish new trading enterprises(a) received full priority and (b) received part priority in 1987, 1988 and 1989; and how many of these projects were devoted to training people to establish co-operatives.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: I regret that the information can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria for cost per trainee were used in judging European social fund projects submitted by the voluntary sector in 1989; whether these criteria were published before the closing date for applications; and whether the criteria were based on those set out in any European Commission decision on management of the European social fund.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: The Commission publishes no criteria on the costs per trainee which it uses for any category of European social fund projects.

  Dock Workers (Wages)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to the average wages of dockers in non-dock labour scheme ports.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 3 May 1989]: Pay rates in ports outside the dock labour scheme are determined locally, as is the case for ports covered by the scheme. Average pay therefore varies between ports, both in and out of the scheme. Detailed average pay figures for the main ports outside the scheme could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  National Dock Labour Board
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the different welfare expenses of the National Dock Labour Board in 1987.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 3 May 1989]: I refer my hon. Friend to page 17 of the board's annual report for 1987, which provides the following information on medical and welfare expenses over that year.

  £

  Medical supplies and services

  19,110

  First aid training

  74,937

  Less: amount receivable from other users

  (60,649)

  Rehabilitation services

  22,491

  Sports activities

  59,292

  Dock workers clubs

  50,135

  Other welfare expenses

  9,648

  174,964

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Local Management of Schools
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what date he anticipates that all schools will be run on a local management basis; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend expects local management to be introduced progressively from April 1990. All secondary schools and all primary schools with 200 or more pupils in authorities outside inner London must receive delegated budgets by April 1993. For inner London boroughs, all qualifying schools must receive delegated budgets by April 1994.

  Bromley Schools (Amalgamation)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the circumstances under which the London borough of Bromley was retrospectively permitted to change its section 12 notice for the amalgamation of an infant and junior school at Poverest, Orpington; and whether he will reconsider the decision to permit the amalgamation.

  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend approved, on 20 February 1989, section 12 proposals, published by the London borough of Bromley, to amalgamate Poverest infant and junior schools. Bromley subsequently wrote requesting a modification to the proposals relating to admissions. In accordance with section 12(9) of the Education Act 1980, my right hon. Friend approved the modification on 21 March 1989. While my right hon. Friend is empowered to modify the proposals at the request of the authority, he is not empowered to rescind his decision on the proposals. Bromley LEA is therefore under a duty to implement the proposals as approved with the modification.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to alter educational material distributed to schools concerning AIDS in the 298
  light of the evidence presented in the journal of the American Medical Association 1989, 261(2), pp. 244–5, that passionate kissing favours the transmission of HIV.

  Mr. Butcher
  On the basis of advice from the Department of Health, my right hon. Friend has no plans to alter the guidance currently given to schools concerning the risks of HIV infection from kissing.

  Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing(a) the number of in-service training courses offered by his Department in design in each of the past five years, (b) the cost of each year's programme and (c) the number of teachers participating in such courses.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The details requested are given in the table. The courses range in length from one to six days arid involve not only school teachers but also lecturers arid advisers. The courses are organised and run by Her Majesty's inspectorate with contributions from others knowledgeable in the field, including industrialists. The costs stated include the charges made by the venues for facilities, the fees and subsistence of speakers and the cost of materials and all tuition.

  The courses are often heavily over-subscribed and attract applications from Europe as well as the United Kingdom.

  Year

  Number of Courses

  Number of participants

  Cost (£)

  1984

  10

  746

  21,629

  1985

  5

  477

  13,160

  1986

  7

  591

  16,796

  1987

  7

  650

  22,465

  1988

  12

  1,113

  29,864

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing the number of(a) teacher training colleges offering courses in design and (b) student teacher's training design courses in each of the past five years.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Twenty-five institutions in England and Wales offer secondary phase initial teacher training courses in craft, design and technology. Design may also form a significant part in the subject studies element in primary phase courses and secondary phase courses in art and in art and design. The table shows the number of students recruited to secondary phase courses in craft, design and technology in each of the last five years:

  Year

  Number

  1984

  487

  1985

  452

  1986

  551

  1987

  754

  1988

  783

  Source: DES annual survey of recruitment to initial teacher training.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities have advisers or inspectors who specialise in design.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Teachers
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford of 15 March,Official Report, columns 221–22, if he will describe how, in 1987, his Department determined the numbers of rate B, rate D and rate E incentive allowances which would be awarded automatically as at 30 September 1987; whether the information used in making such determinations was up to date; what information subsequently became available to his Department regarding the actual numbers of teachers either on the basis of entitlement to such automatic awards or on the basis of payment of such awards; whether the numbers of actual payments exceeded the original expectations of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  [holding answer 24 April 1989]: Circular 8/87 assumed that 129,000 teachers in ordinary schools would be awarded an incentive allowance in October 1987, of whom 104,000 would receive a B, D or E allowance automatically as a result of being on scale 3, scale 4 or the senior teacher scale on 30 September 1987. These numbers were based on the distribution of teachers across the pay scales at March 1985 as shown on the database of teacher records. Results from the DTR are currently emerging about two years in arrears because of delays in the supply of information to the Department. The Department projected these 1985 DTR data forward to September 1987 on the basis of assumptions about wastage, recruitment and the movement of teachers on the pay scales.

  DTR data for March 1987 will be available shortly. Early indications are that the numbers of teachers on scale 3, scale 4 or the senior teacher scale in March 1987 were slightly higher than had been projected at the time the system of incentive allowances was being introduced. Information about the numbers of teachers who actually received an incentive allowance in October 1987 will become available in due course from the 1988 DTR.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford of 15 March,Official Report, columns 221–22, what was the total cost to employers of school teachers' incentive allowances in financial year 1987–88 (a) on the basis of his Department's plans before October 1987 and (b) on the basis of outturn figures; what amount and proportion, for each case (a) and (b) above, relates to allowances awarded automatically on 30 September 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  [holding answer 24 April 1989]: The estimated cost of incentive allowances awarded to teachers in ordinary schools in the financial year 1987–88 was £113 million, of which approximately £106 million (94 per cent.) was in respect of allowances awarded automatically on 1 October 1987. Outturn figures for the cost of incentive allowances cannot be disaggregated from the total cost of teachers' pay.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Queen's Counsel
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Attorney-General what qualities and abilities are fundamental to the appointment of an individual as a Queen's counsel; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The Lord Chancellor recommends the grant of silk only to barristers of sufficient standing who he is satisfied have reached an appropriate level of professional eminence and distinction.

  Category A Prisoners (Trials)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Attorney-General what is his practice with respect to ordering the trials of category A prisoners to be held at the most cost-effective location; and under what powers he acts in such circumstances.

  The Attorney-General
  Should the prosecution or defence wish the place of trial to be other than that directed by the justices under section 7 of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980, application may be made to the Crown court under s.76 of the Supreme Court Act 1981, the application being heard by a judge of the High Court in open court, who may comply with or refuse the application, or give a direction not in compliance with it as the court thinks fit. Classification and allocation to judges of cases triable in the Crown court and place of trial generally are governed by a practice direction issued by the Lord Chief Justice with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor on 2 November 1987 pursuant to section 75 of the 1981 Act.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  House of Fraser
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 21 April,Official Report, column 310, what aspect of the public interest persuaded him not to refer the House of Fraser inspector's report to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. and noble Friend's decision was reached after taking into account all relevant considerations.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made by the serious fraud squad in its inquiries with the House of Fraser report; when he expects it to complete its inquiries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  I cannot say.

  Business Development Consultancy
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications were(a) received, and (b) approved for business development consultancy initiatives from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989; and what was the total amount of expenditure involved, for each of the regions of his Department, Scotland and Wales.

  Mr. Forth
  In the period from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, 19,691 applications were received for the business
  301
  development consultancy initiatives. In the same period 14,221 applications were approved for assisted consultancy. The Department's contribution to the cost of completed consultancies totalled £14·3 million. It is estimated that those consultancies not completed by 31

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  DTI Region/Country

  Number of applications received

  Number of applications approved for assisted consultancy

  DTI Expenditure on completed consultancies

  Estimated expenditure on outstanding consultancies

  (£'000)

  (£'000)

  North East

  1,003

  751

  686

  980

  North West

  2,954

  2,401

  2,744

  3,643

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  1,917

  1,359

  1,601

  1,910

  West Midlands

  2,102

  1,456

  1,558

  2,740

  East Midlands

  1,173

  916

  943

  1,447

  South West

  1,933

  1,141

  886

  1,711

  South East:

  Cambridge

  1,439

  915

  643

  1,229

  London

  2,199

  1,504

  1,415

  1,817

  Reading

  1,136

  871

  672

  1,115

  Reigate

  1,116

  820

  658

  1,066

  Scotland

  1,529

  1,235

  1,644

  2,076

  Wales

  1,190

  852

  843

  1,200

  Total

  19,691

  14,221

  14,293

  20,934

  Electrical Goods
  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current import penetration of the market for household electrical goods.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Taking the coverage of "household electrical goods" to be the same as that of Business Monitor PQ 3460—"Domestic electrical appliances"—it is estimated that in 1988 the import penetration of the market for household electrical goods was 40 per cent.

  Single European Market
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a further statement on his Department's objectives for the completion of the single European market; and on what steps he is taking to ensure the attainment of those objectives.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: We strongly support progress to complete the single European market. Areas to which we attach particular priority include the liberalisation of financial services: public purchasing, transport and telecommunications services, and the removal of technical barriers to trade. In the Council of Ministers, we will continue to press for these objectives to be achieved in ways which open markets without placing unnecessary burdens on business, and which ensure that the Community remains open to the outside world.

  The Government are also determined that United Kingdom industry should be as well placed as possible to meet the challenges the single market will bring. Our "Europe—Open for Business" campaign is designed to ensure that businesses are fully aware of the changes and to encourage them to take action to adapt their strategies accordingly.
  302
  March 1989 will cost the Department £20·9 million. A breakdown of numbers and cost of consultancy projects for each DTI region and for Scotland and Wales is as follows:

  Productivity (Steel and Coal)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to increases in productivity in(a) the steel industry and (b) the coal industry since 1979.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: The official data series on productivity was published by the Department of Employment in the Employment Gazette but these do not include separately identifiable figures For the steel industry and the coal industry. The following data from the annual census of production provide the required information for the iron and steel industry and for coal extraction and the manufacture of solid fuels for the period to 1987, the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Iron and steel industry1

  Year

  Production (gross value added)(1985 prices)

  Employment

  Productivity (gross value added per head)(1985 prices)

  £ billion

  thousands

  £ thousands

  1979

  1·4

  184·8

  7·3

  1980

  0·9

  145·0

  6·4

  1981

  1·2

  111·9

  10·6

  1982

  0·9

  92·9

  9·6

  1983

  1·2

  78·6

  15·8

  1984

  1·3

  69·7

  18·1

  1985

  1·4

  67·3

  20·3

  1986

  1·4

  64·0

  21·9

  1987

  1·7

  56·0

  30·6

  1 The iron and steel industry comprises group 221 of the Standard Industrial Classification (revised 1980) and covers the iron and steel industry as defined by the European Coal and Steel Community in the treaty of Paris, 1951.

  303

  Coal extraction and manufacture of solid fuels2

  Year

  Production (gross value added)(1985 prices)

  Employment

  Productivity (gross value added per head)(1985 prices)

  1979

  3·9

  282·9

  13·9

  1980

  4·1

  280·5

  14·6

  1981

  4·0

  268·2

  14·8

  1982

  3·7

  256·5

  14·6

  1983

  3·3

  236·3

  13·9

  1984

  0·9

  217·3

  4·2

  1985

  2·6

  172·4

  15·1

  1986

  2·3

  157·6

  14·7

  1987

  1·9

  130·6

  14·9

  2 Coal extraction and manufacture of solid fuels comprises group 111 of the Standard Industrial Classification (revised 1980).

  Source: Annual Census of Production.

  Car Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to the numbers of cars manufactured per employee in the United Kingdom, other European countries and Japanese car plants in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: The information is not available.

  Child Labour (Third World)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to name those high street stores which currently sell goods whose manufacturing process has involved the use of child labour in countries of the Third world; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: The issue of child labour is a distressing phenomenon of Third world commerce but one of long standing. The complexity of the problem makes indirect action of the kind the hon. Member suggests both impractical and quite possibly unjust.

THE ARTS

  Northern Ballet Theatre
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many representations have been received(a) by his Office and (b) by the Arts Council on the subject of the future of the Northern Ballet theatre.

  Mr. Luce
  I have received more than 100 letters from hon. and right hon. Members, and a similar number from members of the public. The Arts Council has received more than 12,000 letters and postcards.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Uranium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has ever sought permission from the appropriate authorities in(a) the
  304
  Republic of South Africa and (b) Namibia, to change the safeguards and use of coding on uranium from those countries, from N to P.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have been asked to reply. No.

  Chile
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Chilean Government regarding their announced reduction in the number of representatives to be elected for the Chilean Parliament in the general elections in those constituencies with an opposition majority.

  Mr. Eggar
  None. There have so far been no official proposals regarding the electoral law, or electoral boundaries and districts.

  West Germany
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the West German Foreign Minister; what subjects were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State last met Herr Genscher on 14 and 15 April at an informal weekend meeting of European Community Foreign Ministers in Granada, where a range of European Community and other international issues were discussed.

  Narcotics
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international measures are in force to interdict supplies of chemical materials necessary for the manufacture of narcotics; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The United Nations convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances contains provisions designed to prevent diversion of substances for illicit drugs manufacture. A total of 64 countries, including the United Kingdom, have signed the convention. We intend to ratify it as soon as Parliament approves enabling legislation.

  Drug Trafficking
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of Austria, West Germany, Holland and Turkey regarding drug trafficking through those countries into western Europe.

  Mr. Eggar
  Discussions on drugs with all four countries take place periodically within the Council of Europe Pompidou group. A ministerial meeting of this group will be held in London next week. In addition, we are discussing with the Federal Republic of Germany the possibility of a bilateral asset seizure agreement, and bilateral talks with the Dutch on a similar agreement are planned for later this month.

  Visas
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications from Polish residents to visit relations in the United Kingdom remain outstanding at the latest available date.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is not possible to determine how many of the 1,991 short-term visit applications currently—28 April —under consideration at the British embassy, Warsaw originate from Polish nationals seeking to visit relations in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy for granting visas to Argentine nationals; how long applications take to be considered; and how many applications have been turned down in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Eggar
  Visas are normally granted to Argentine nationals, other than serving military officers, who can satisfy an entry clearance officer that they meet the requirements of the immigration rules. Straightforward applications lodged with the British interests section of the Swiss embassy in Buenos Aires are processed within three days. Figures for refusals are readily available only for visa applications lodged in Buenos Aires. These are:

  1986 — five

  1987 — three

  1988 — two

  "Britain's Voice in South Africa"
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost to public funds of publishing the pamphlet "Britain's Voice in South Africa".

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) on 2 May.

  Syria
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government in conjunction with their EEC partners are pressing to obtain Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have consistently called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, in order that the country's national unity, integrity, full sovereignty and independence may be restored.

  Middle East
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to take any action(a) unilaterally, and (b) with his European colleagues, to halt the escalation of arms sales to the middle east in order to reduce the possibility of arms falling into unauthorised hands.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  All exports of British defence-related equipment are considered on a strict case-by-case basis taking account of the United Kingdom's political, strategic and security interests. Each transaction is subject to stringent export licensing procedures, including where appropriate an end-user undertaking and a no transfer clause.
  306
  These strict procedures are applied uniformly to all defence equipment exports worldwide, including the middle east. In addition, special restrictions are applied to exports to certain middle eastern countries, reflecting our wish not to fuel or prolong conflicts in the region, and our determination to take a firm line on state-sponsored terrorism.

  We believe that restraint can be brought about only by wider international agreement on ways to control the escalation of arms sales and to reduce tension. In that spirit we co-sponsored a resolution adopted in the UN first committee in November 1988 calling inter alia for reinforcement of national systems of control.

  Vietnamese Refugees
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he would expect a Vietnamese refugee arriving in Hong Kong today to have completed the screening procedure at the present rate of disposal; how much longer he would expect the appeal procedure to take if screened out; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  At the present rate of screening, Vietnamese boat people arriving in Hong Kong today would have to wait for about four and a half years before they could be screened. Those screened out who appeal against the decision could expect to wait another year before the appeal is determined. The Hong Kong Government are aware that the present screening and appeal procedures take too long to complete: these procedures are under urgent review.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs!what is the nationality status of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong; what provision is made under the British Nationality Act concerning the status of children born to refugees residing in the territory of Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The nationality of Vietnamese refugees and boat people in Hong Kong will be governed by the nationality laws of Vietnam, or of any other state whose nationality they might claim.

  Persons born in Hong Kong before 1 January 1983, including those born to Vietnamese refugees, were born "British subjects: citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies" under the British Nationality Act 1948. On 1 January 1983, such persons became British Dependent Territories Citizens under the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on that date. After that date, persons born to Vietnamese refugees or boat people in Hong Kong do not have British nationality by virtue of their birth there.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice is given to Vietnamese refugees during the screening procedure in Hong Kong, including advice as to legal representation; whether such refugees are entitled to legal representation during the procedure; if he will place in the Library copies of the forms of all notices and documents served upon such refugees; what proportion of the refugees is represented by lawyers during the screening procedure; and if he will make a statement.
  307
  Mr. Eggar
  Asylum seekers are informed of the nature and purpose of the screening procedure before the screening interview. Those asylum seekers who, after the screening interview, are refused refugee status are informed in writing of their right of appeal, how to lodge an appeal, and the availability of legal assistance from the UNHCR in preparing their statements of appeal. Notices and documents served to asylum seekers will be obained from the Hong Kong authorities and placed in the Library.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any proposals to extend to Hong Kong the treaty obligations applicable to the United Kingdom as a result of United Kingdom ratification of the United Nations convention on refugees (1951) and the protocol (1967); and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  No. The procedures currently being used in Hong Kong to determine whether newly arrived boat people meet the criteria for refugee status are fully in accordance with the terms of the 1951 convention and the 1967 protocol.

  EC (Meetings)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the European Community meetings on matters concerning his Department held in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The European Council met on three occasions in both 1985 and 1988 and twice in both 1986 and 1987. The Foreign Affairs Council met on 13 occasions in 1985, 11 in 1986 and 1987 and 12 in 1988; there were also occasional informal meetings of Foreign Ministers. In addition, there were numerous meetings of officials. Information on the number of such meetings could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Embassies (Commercial Departments)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time Foreign Office personnel are employed in the commercial department of British embassies in(a) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, (b) China, (c) Japan, (d) France and (e) West Germany.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The total numbers of staff working in the commercial sections of our overseas posts (embassies and consulates general) by country are:

  United Kingdom based

  Locally engaged

  USSR

  9

  5

  China

  19

  9

  Japan

  12

  31

  France

  12

  27

  West Germany

  18

  54

  This includes the heads of each post and other staff who have more than just commercial work responsibilities.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Road Junction Safety
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what road markings exist at the junction of the Buchill Park avenue with Buchill road; whether the sight lines at this junction comply with present road design standards; when the hedges at this junction were last cut back; when a footway will be provided at this location; and what other proposals he has to improve this road junction.

  Mr. Needham
  I believe that the right hon. Gentleman's question refers to Beechill Park avenue and Beechill road.

  As is customary with junctions of this type, road markings do not exist at the junction of Beechill Park avenue Beechill road. The sight line to the left at this junction complies with the normal standard, the sight line to the right does not. The roads service has no record of when the hedges at this junction were last cut back but can confirm that they are regularly faced by the owner. At the present time they do not overhang the road.

  There are no plans to provide a footway or to carry out any improvements at this location.

  Anglo-Irish Secretariat
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total costs incurred by the siting of the Anglo-Irish secretariat at Maryfield; of this sum how much relates to wages and salaries of the staff involved, how much to security measures taken; how the rest of the sum was expended, and how much of the total under each heading was borne by the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Tom King
  The Secretariat is operated on a basis of shared costs for shared facilities, the Irish Government contributing to the operating expenses in varying proportions, reflecting the use made of each facility. The costs to the Irish Government of their staff, transport etc. is a matter for them. Salaries and wages for the British staff over the total period from the start in December 1985 to 30 April 1989 amounted to £405,000. Security costs fall exclusively to the British Government. Manpower costs for security were £1,666,000. Other costs, totalling three-quarters of a million pounds, comprised alterations to the building and site, and operating expenses.

  Processions and Marches
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any representations have been made to him by the Government of the Irish Republic about any processions or marches which(a) have taken place, or (b) were banned by him in Northern Ireland in each year since 1984, or (c) about any scheduled to take place in the current year.

  Mr. Tom King
  The Irish Government have made representations from time to time about particular marches and processions in Northern Ireland, the details of which are confidential. These representations, like any others, are passed on to the Chief Constable of the RUC who has operational responsibility for this matter. Any decision by me to ban or reroute a march or procession would be made on the basis of his recommendation.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration has been given to the respective numbers of premium recipients at each social security office in determining the 1989–90 social fund budget.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 26 April 1989]: The characteristics of the income support caseload of each social security office were taken into account in determining its social fund budget for 1989–90—that is, the number of pensioners, people with disability premiums, unemployed and others. Details of the basis of the calculations were placed in the Library on 23 March.

  Income Support
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated number of 16 and 17-year-olds who since the September 1988 changes to general income support entitlement have continued to be entitled to income support in their own right.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: The information requested is not available.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated number of school leavers affected by the September 1988 changes removing general income support entitlement and guaranteeing a YTS place and training allowance.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: The only available information about summer school leavers affected is the number who were receiving extended child benefit. The highest figure between September and December 1988 was 621.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Marginal Tax Rates
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the numbers of lower-paid families with and without children whose marginal tax rates including benefit withdrawal will be(a) 90 to 100 per cent., (b) 80 to 90 per cent., (c) 70 to 80 per cent., (d) 60 to 70 per cent., (e) 50 to 60 per cent. and (f) 40 to 50 per cent., taking into account the tax changes for 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The latest available information requested is as follows:

  Combined marginal income tax and benefit withdrawal rates 1989–90 Working heads of tax units (000) Great Britain numbers facing combined rates of over 40 per cent.—in bands

  Families with children

  Couples and single people

  Total

  100 per cent. and over

  —

  —

  —

  90 per cent. to 99 per cent.

  40

  5

  45

  80 per cent. to 89 per cent.

  155

  10

  165

  70 per cent. to 79 per cent.

  170

  35

  205

  60 per cent. to 69 per cent.

  1

  5

  5

  50 per cent. to 59 per cent.

  1

  5

  5

  40 per cent. to 49 per cent.

  10

  25

  35

  Notes:

  (i) Marginal deduction rates shown are for heads of tax units
  310
  in receipt of Family Credit/Housing benefit where at least one partner works 24 hours or more a week.

  (ii) All estimates are for 1989–90 and are based on combined 1985 and 1986 Family Expenditure Survey data and are consistent with this year's Government Expenditure White Paper.

  (iii)1 denotes an estimate of fewer than 2,500.

  (iv) The total number of working heads of tax units with more than 24 weekly remunerative hours is approximately 17 million. Those shown in the table therefore represent under 3 per cent. of the total.

  Family Credit (Wales)
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the cause of the low rate of claims for family credit in Wales; and what statistics he has collected on this matter.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  An assessment of the reasons why people failed to claim family credit can be found in "Family Credit: The Strategic Development of the Spring 1989 Publicity Campaign: Research Summary" which has been placed in the Library by the Central Office of Information.

  Separate estimates of the eligible population, or the level of take up, are not available for Wales. At the beginning of April 1989 around 17,000 families in Wales were actually receiving family credit, but this does not include those who were still awaiting a decision on a claim and eventually received payment covering that date.

  Appeals
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average total cost to his Department of the administrative procedures which occur between a refusal of benefit by an adjudication officer and the implementation of a decision by the Social Security appeal tribunal.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A typical case where, for example, income support is refused by an adjudication officer and subsequently allowed by the Social Security appeal tribunal, will incur local office administrative costs of about £90. This figure excludes administrative costs incurred by the office of the president of Social Security appeal tribunals which are the responsibility of the President, His Honour Judge Byrt QC. The hon. Member may care to contact him direct for these details.

  EC (Meetings)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the European Community meetings on matters concerning his Department held in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I shall let the hon. Member have such information as can be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost as soon as possible.

  Fraud
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of staff employed in his Department's benefit fraud investigations for each year from 1979 to the latest available year;
  311
  (2) if he will publish in the Official Report the total number of prosecutions for social security benefit fraud for each of the years from 1979 to the most recent year for which figures are available;

  (3) if he will publish in the Official Report an estimate of the total amount of money lost through benefit fraud in 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Precise figures are not available, but it is possible to estimate the numbers of full-time equivalent posts on the basis of records of staff time expended on fraud-related work. The numbers of full-time equivalent posts each year since 1979 have been as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1979–80

  2,311

  1980–81

  2,336

  1981–82

  2,346

  1982–83

  2,185

  1983–84

  2,211

  1984–85

  2,204

  1985–86

  2,285

  1986–87

  2,390

  1987–88

  2,724

  1988–89

  2,940

  Additional information requested is contained in my reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 31 January at column 192.

  Disability Provision (Employment Training)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether a person who is in receipt of disability provision would lose their entitlement on completion of an employment training scheme.

  Mr. Nicholas Scott
  Subject to satisfaction of the relevant eligibility criteria, attendance allowance, mobility allowance and the disability premium with income support can be paid during and after a period of employment training. Trainees who were receiving sickness benefit, invalidity benefit or severe disablement allowance immediately before employment training can have their benefit reinstated as a linked claim if they are incapable of work and make the fresh claim within eight weeks of the end of training.

  Means-tested Benefits
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether, pursuant to his statement on 24 April,Official Report, column 725, that £9 of every £10 of means-tested benefit reaches those to whom it is intended, he will list the total sum in public expenditure allocated to each of the main means-tested benefits administered by his Department; and if he will also list the sums paid out to claimants in the last relevant financial year.

  Mr. Scott
  The total sums allocated to each of the main income-related benefits for forward years and the latest estimates of the sums paid out to claimants in repect of these benefits in 1988–89, the last relevant financial year, are set out in table 15·1 of Cm 615.

  Living Standards
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library his 312
  calculations showing that the living standards of lone parents have risen by 10 per cent., couples with children by 9 per cent. and couples without children and single people by 6 per cent. over the period 1979 to 1985, as cited by him on 24 April, Official Report, column 725.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The figures refer to the incomes of households in the non-pensioner population. They are based on the total net incomes of individuals in households derived from all sources less income tax and national insurance. Incomes were adjusted for the differing sizes and compositions of households in order to make direct comparisions between the improvements in living standards of people with and without children. The esimates are based on the family expenditure survey and cover Great Britain as a whole.

  Social Fund
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much the Aberdare Department of Social Security offices were given for the social fund(a) in 1988–89 and (b) in 1989–90; whether this has increased in line with inflation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The details of the social fund allocations are as follows:

  Loans

  Grants

  £

  £

  1988–89

  275,645

  117,197

  1989–90

  281,323

  123,789

  A note explaining the basis on which the social fund allocations for 1989–90 were calculated is in the Library.

  Pensioners
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of how many pensioners have(a) an occupational pension, (b) investment income and (c) both; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: In 1986 approximately 3·4 million (50 per cent.) pensioner tax units had an occupational pension, 4·7 million (70 per cent.) had investment income, and 2·8 million (40 per cent.) had both.

  Note: A pensioner tax unit is a single person of state pension age or over, or a couple where the man is of state pension age or over.

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1986.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Value Added Tax (Dental Inputs)
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of value added tax paid on dental inputs by general dental practitioners in England and Wales during the last three financial years.

  Mr. Lilley
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Football Pools
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will earmark annually £100 million of the sum paid to
  313
  the Government in tax on football pools to a fund for the purpose of bringing about all-seater stadia at the earliest possible date.

  Mr. Lilley
  In line with an established principle of the tax system, followed by successive Governments, and in the interests of efficient management of public expenditure, receipts from taxation are not hypothecated for particular purposes.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the savings would be of taxing child benefit for taxpayers at the 40 per cent. tax rate in 1989–90.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The direct revenue yield in 1989–90 from taxing child benefit at 40 per cent. for those married couples and single parents facing a marginal tax rate of 40 per cent. for that year is estimated to be about £140 million.

  Reply Paid Envelopes
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when it was decided that those required to supply information to the commissioners of Inland Revenue using OHMS envelopes must affix postage stamps; when the use of reply paid envelopes was discontinued; and what publicity was given to this change.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 29 January 1988 at column 420 and to the Inland Revenue press release of that date.

  Allowances and Reliefs
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the savings in a full year at 1989–90 rates of restricting all allowances and reliefs to the standard rate of tax; and if he will provide a breakdown by category of allowance and relief.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: Estimates of the direct revenue yield in a full year at 1989–90 levels of income from restricting the main income tax reliefs and allowances to the basic rate are as follows:

  £ million

  (a) Personal allowances

  1,320

  (b) Mortgage interest relief

  430

  (c) Employees' superannuation and personal pension contributions

  200

  (d) Retirement annuity relief1

  100

  1 Including relief for retirement annuity payments made by employees.

  It is not possible to provide reliable estimates for the effects of restricting other smaller reliefs to the basic rate.

  The direct revenue yield from restricting all reliefs and allowances simultaneously to the basic rate is likely to be in the order of £2½ billion, somewhat more than the sum of the yields from restricting the reliefs and allowances separately; this is due to the cumulative effect of bringing more people into higher rate tax. About two thirds of those who would pay more tax as a result of this change are currently liable only at the basic rate. Estimates are
  314
  based on a projection of the 1986–87 survey of personal income and are provisional. No account is taken of possible behavioural changes or the effect on receipts of capital gains tax.

  Housing (Tax Exemption)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when tax-free employer grants to employees moving to higher cost housing areas were introduced; what the largest allowable size of grant to qualify for tax exemption was in each tax year of operation; and if he will provide an estimate of the number of such tax-free grants made.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Subject to certain conditions, payments of this kind have never been regarded as taxable. To be tax-free payments must be spread over a number of years and not exceed, in total, a prescribed amount. Since 1 April 1987, the maximum amount payable tax-free has varied in line with the maximum amount payable under the Civil Service additional housing costs allowance. The relevant amounts are given in the table. I regret that estimates of the number of tax-exempt payments is not available.

  Moves on or after:

  Total payable tax-free

  £

  1 April 1987

  18,270

  1 June 1987

  17,220

  30 March 1988

  15,750

  1 October 1988

  20,160

  1 February 1989

  21,210

  Personal Borrowing
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the level of personal sector bank borrowings, gross and net, in each year since 1983 in current and standard prices;

  (2) what was the personal sector consumer credit outstanding in each year since 1983 in current and standard prices.

  Mr. Lilley
  Figures for personal sector consumer credit outstanding and bank borrowing in current prices are available in Financial Statistics (tables 9.3 and 14.4). Figures for such debt measured in standard (ie. constant) prices are not published, and there is no unique, correct method of calculating them. But Economic Trends includes a number of price indices which could be combined with the current price data to provide estimates.

  Separate Taxation
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that when husbands and wives are taxed separately there will be no adverse effect on elderly married pensioners caused by the abolition of the married personal allowance where the wife's only taxable income is her state retirement pension; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  No elderly married couple will be worse off as a result of the changes to allowances when independent taxation of husbands and wives is introduced in April 1990. The allowances available to an elderly husband under the new system—the personal allowance
  315
  and the married couple's allowance—will be at least as great as the married age allowance which he is receiving at present, and the elderly wife will for the first time be entitled to an age-related personal allowance in her own right which she will be able to set against any of her income, from whatever source. In fact, over 85 per cent. of taxpaying elderly couples will pay less tax under independent taxation.

  Profit Sharing (Luton)
  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those companies in the Luton area which made a profit-sharing payment to their employees in 1988–89, showing in each case when the last such payment was made.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  As information provided to the Inland Revenue about payments made by particular employers to their employees, whether under profit-related pay schemes or otherwise, is confidential, I regret I cannot publish the details requested.

  Tax Allowances
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to abolish the tax allowance for married couples and replace this with two single persons' allowances.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  No. Under independent taxation, which begins in April 1990, both husband and wife will get their own personal allowance. The new system will continue to recognise marriage through the married couple's allowance, which will be given in the first instance to the husband. The personal allowance and the married couple's allowance will together be equivalent to the present married man's allowance.

  Payroll Giving
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the percentage and number of(a) basic rate taxpayers and (b) higher rate taxpayers participating in charity payroll giving in 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  It is estimated that over 120,000 people were participating in the scheme at the end of 1988–89, but I regret that information on their marginal rate of tax is not available.

  Tax Statistics
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax was remitted or written-off as irrecoverable in 1979 and 1987; and what was(a) the amount written-off and (b) the number of taxpayers for whom the ground for non-payment was (i) that they had gone abroad, (ii) that they were untraceable, (iii) insolvency and (iv) hardship.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The total amounts of tax remitted or written off as irrecoverable in 1979 and 1987 were:

  £ thousand

  1979

  60,310

  1987

  333,294

  316
  The amounts written off and number of taxpayers involved, where the grounds were (i) gone abroad, (ii) untraceable, (iii) insolvency and (iv) hardship were:

  £ thousand

  Taxpayers

  1979

  (i) Gone abroad

  4,631

  2,491

  (ii) Untraceable

  14,179

  23,680

  (iii) Insolvency

  32,564

  23,032

  (iv) Hardship

  1,108

  7,988

  1987

  (i) Gone abroad

  9,683

  2,678

  (ii) Untraceable

  51,448

  41,067

  (iii) Insolvency

  241,290

  68,868

  (iv) Hardship

  1,896

  6,907

  Taxable Income
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett), 4 April,Official Report, columns 9–10, he will express the figures given of taxable income as a per capita and per taxpayer figure, and if in each case he will also express the county figures in rank order in an index form taking the national average to be 100.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: I regret that the sample size of the survey of personal incomes is not large enough to provide reliable comparisons amongst individual counties of income per head. The table therefore shows a regional analysis.

  Total Income1 liable to tax 1986–87

  Per taxpayer2

  per head of population at mid-1986

  Region

  £

  UK = 100

  £

  UK = 100

  North

  11,000

  95

  3,800

  92

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  11,300

  98

  3,700

  91

  North West

  11,200

  97

  3,800

  93

  East Midlands

  11,000

  95

  3,800

  92

  West Midlands

  10,900

  94

  3,900

  94

  East Anglia

  11,400

  98

  3,900

  94

  South East

  12,600

  109

  4,800

  116

  South West

  11,200

  97

  4,000

  99

  Wales

  10,400

  90

  3,200

  78

  Scotland

  10,800

  94

  3,600

  88

  Northern Ireland

  10,700

  93

  2,900

  71

  United Kingdom

  11,500

  100

  4,100

  100

  1 Income liable to tax before deductions and personal allowances. The previous reply was in terms of taxable income—that is income liable to tax after deductions and allowances.

  2 Counting only those taxpayers whose incomes are large enough for them to be liable to tax.

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current estimated income cost of the rebasing of capital gains tax to 1982 enacted in the Finance Act 1988.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 24 April 1989]: Updated estimates of the effect on receipts in 1989–90 are reductions of £55 million for capital gains tax and £250 million for corporation tax.

  Premium Bonds
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what public consultations were carried out by the director of savings prior to his decision to increase the minimum purchase of premium bonds from £10 to £100 and to abolish premium bond gift tokens;

  (2) what consultations he carried out regarding (a) the increase in the minimum purchase of premium bonds from £10 to £100 and (b) the abolition of the premium bond gift tokens.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: These decisions were taken by Treasury Ministers in the usual way. They keep the terms of all National Savings products under constant review, and make changes whenever they consider them necessary. Minimum purchases of £10 may still be made by parents, grandparents and guardians on behalf of children under 16.

  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instruct the director of savings to defer to 1 January 1990 the increase in the minimum purchase of premium bonds from £10 to £100 and the abolition of premium bond gift tokens.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: No.

  Company Pension Funds
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the value of company pension fund contribution holidays in the United Kingdom in each of the past two years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 3 May 1989]: Full information in the form requested is not available. Information from large self-administered pension schemes proposing contribution holidays to reduce surpluses following the legislation in the Finance Act 1986 is as follows:

  Schemes proposing a contribution holiday

  Number

  Amount (£ million)

  Schemes reporting in 1987–88

  67

  58

  Schemes reporting between April 1988 and January 1989

  157

  236

  Note:

  The figures represent the total amount of surplus to be eliminated by means of a contribution holiday by schemes which have reported in each period. The contribution holiday may be spread across several years. Schemes proposing a reduction in contributions rather than a contribution holiday are not included in the above.

  Percentage increase in real take home pay 1978–79 to 1989–901

  Multiples of average male earnings1

  ½

  ¾

  1

  1½

  Single person

  31

  34

  36

  40

  Married man with wife not in paid employment and 2 children3

  24

  28

  31

  36

  1 Financial year average of pre- and post-October regimes for employees' National Insurance Contributions, using illustrative growth rates between 1988–89 and 1989–90 of 7½ per cent, in average earnings and 6 per cent, in prices.

  2 Full time males on adult rates (all occupations).

  3 Children assumed to be under 11, and child benefit included in figures to allow comparison with 1978–79 when child tax allowances were still being phased out.

  Electoral Register
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Inland Revenue makes use of the information from electoral registers for taxation purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 4 May 1989]: When appropriate the Inland Revenue uses the electoral register and other publicly available information in its efforts to ensure that everyone pays the right tax.

  European Monetary System
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the advantages which would accrue to British industry by virtue of United Kingdom membership of the European monetary system.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: I have been asked to reply.

  I refer my hon. Friend to the speech which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made to the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham house on 25 January and to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Holland with Boston (Sir R. Body) on 20 January 1989 at column 358.

  Incomes
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give his latest estimate for net disposal income after mortgage payments in each region of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Major
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: The most recently available figures are for 1986: these were given in my reply to my hon. Friend on 1 March 1988 at column 503. It is expected that the estimates for 1987 will he available in July.

  Standard of Living
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give his latest estimate of the increase in the standard of living of(a) a single man and (b) a married man with two children and a wife who is not in paid employment on (i) half average earnings, (ii) three-quarters average earnings, (iii) average earnings and (iv) one and a half times average earnings since 1979.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: Latest estimates for increases in real take-home pay between 1978–79 and 1989–90 are given in the table.

  North Sea Oil and Gas
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 May, if he will express the value of North sea oil and gas revenues in fiscal years 1979–80 to 1988–89 in current prices.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 5 May 1989]: The value of North sea oil and gas revenues given in the answer of 2 May was expressed in current prices. More detailed information on North sea oil and gas revenues is published by the Department of Energy in the annual Brown Book.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the distribution of the benefit of the proposed national insurance contribution changes amongst employees ranked into deciles of earnings.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government Actuary's Department estimate that for 1990–91, the first full year for which the new contribution rates will apply, the decile of employees with the lowest earnings will gain £80 million. The second lowest decile will gain £120 million. The remaining eight deciles will each gain £325 million; a total gain for all employees of £2·8 billion.

PRIME MINISTER

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Prime Minister how many parliamentary questions in the past 12 months have received the answer that the requested information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  The Prime Minister
  As far as I am aware three questions addressed to me within the past 12 months have fallen into the disproportionate cost category.

  Works of Art
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will publish a table showing the works of art, objects or artefacts currently on loan from public galleries and museums at(a) Lancaster house, (b) Dorney Wood, (e) the Chevening estate and (d) Chequers.

  The Prime Minister
  The furnishings and other contents of Lancaster house are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment, and of the houses at Dorney Wood, Chevening and Chequers of the relevant trust bodies.

  Single European Act
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Cash) on 2 May,Official Report column 16, if she will make a statement setting out the procedures which she has advised her Ministers to follow after the passing of the Single European Act to prevent (a) an undue volume of community directives, (b) harmonisation measures regarded by Her Majesty's Government as unnecessary and (c) the extension of the powers of the Commission beyond those envisaged by Her Majesty's Government when the Single Act was approved.
  320
  The Prime Minister
  I shall ensure that the Government will continue to examine very carefully all proposals for EC legislation, to ensure that they are necessary to achieve the aims and objectives of the treaty of Rome as amended by the Single European Act and that they fall within agreed Community competence.

  Government Information Officers
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report the text of Mr. Ingham's letter to Ms. Elizabeth Jenkins on a code of ethics for Government information officers.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Government Agencies
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Miniser if she will list all Government agencies(a) which individuals can join as members and (b) which seek sponsorship from private companies.

  The Prime Minister
  This information is not held centrally.

HEALTH

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he intends to make for general practitioners to attend suitable courses in business management to enable them to implement the relevant proposals in the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We shall be bringing forward proposals in due course to enable eligible general practitioners who opt to have practice budgets to ensure that the practice has the necessary management skills available to it.

  Drug Budgets
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what adjustments he intends to make to the concept of indicative drug budgets to ensure that general practitioners who have high cost patients, such as the elderly and the chronic sick, on their practice lists are not financially penalised for prescribing treatment.

  Mr. Mellor
  The amount allocated to a practice for its indicative prescribing budget will fully reflect the presence on the practice's list of patients, such as the elderly and the chronic sick, who need a greater volume of drugs or more expensive drugs than others. No doctor will be penalised for prescribing necessary treatment to any patient. We expect doctors to examine their prescribing patterns to ensure that they prescribe only when and for as long as necessary and, where there is a choice of equally effective products, to prescribe the cheapest.

  Medical Accidents
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health why information on awards to victims of medical accidents in respect of health authorities in England is not held centrally; and if he has any plans to gather such information.
  321
  Mr. Freeman
  Awards for medical accidents in excess of £100,000 are notified to the Department. Awards below that figure fall within the delegated limits for authorities and are not notified separately to the centre. The Department is considering whether further information about medical accidents is needed and if so how it may be obtained.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to issue further advice to health authorities concerning appropriate action to be taken towards patients alleging medical accidents.

  Mr. Freeman
  Action in response to complaints by patients (including allegations about treatment and medical accidents) should be taken in accordance with directions issued with circular HC(88)37 on hospital complaints procedures. No further advice is contemplated.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to review the weight given to the interests of patients in relation to negotiations between health authorities and medical insurance organisations in the event of medical accidents.

  Mr. Freeman
  Negotiations between health authorities and medical defence organisations occur only when there is a prospect of a successful civil claim by a patient against a health authority or a medical practitioner represented by a medical defence organisation in respect of a medical accident. These negotiations are currently regulated by the terms of the agreement contained in memorandum HM(54)32. In such matters I would expect the best interests of the litigant patient to be protected by his or own legal advisors.

  However we are currently consulting interested organisations on proposals whereby health authorities would indemnify medical and dental staff working in the NHS. This would bring them into line with other NHS staff who are already so covered. It is proposed that henceforth there will be no need for clinicians to be independently insured and therefore represented by medical defence organisations (although some may still wish to do so). This will necessarily involve review of the

  19831

  19841

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  United Kingdom usage of imported factor VIII concentrate (millions of international units

  39·5

  38·5

  50·9

  53·8

  59·2

  n/a

  Percentage of total United Kingdom usage of factor VIII concentrate

  56·8

  48·9

  68·8

  63·1

  69·5

  1 Does not include users with acquired haemophilia.

  Self-governing Hospitals
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in considering the issue of self-governing status in respect of hospitals falling within the Islington district, what degree of priority he will attach to(a) the views of the chairman of the district health authority and (b) the voted views of the district health authority, the community health council, and the consultants at the respective hospitals.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  When I come to consider individual applications, I aim to take proper account of the views of all those with an interest.
  322
  HM(54)32 agreement and in this regard my hon. Friend may be assured that the interests of NHS patients will be fully taken into account.

  Operating Department Assistants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the National Health Service Training Authority to report on competence based training for operating department assistants.

  Mr. Mellor
  The NHSTA has outlined a preliminary schedule of competences for operating department assistants which has been circulated for consultation. Work on a proposal to take forward the development of a national vocational qualification for operating department assistants is planned to start next month.

  Blood Products
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is(a) the volume and value of blood products imported and (b) the percentage of the total blood products supply in the United Kingdom that comes from imports in each year since 1983; and whether any checks are made as to whether such products originate from blood that is sold rather than donated.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information held centrally about the level of imported blood products relates only to factor VIII concentrate and is given in the table.

  Blood products imported into the United Kingdom are sourced from both blood that has been donated and purchased. The manufacturing sites of overseas manufacturers of licensed blood products (imported into the United Kingdom) are routinely inspected by or on behalf of the medicines inspectorate of the medicines control agency. One aim of these inspections is to ensure that the blood used is of good quality and is acceptable for use in the manufacture of the products concerned. Furthermore, samples of all commercially imported batches of blood products are routinely submitted to the national institute for biological standards and control for testing to ensure that they conform to laid down standards of quality.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the list of hospitals that each regional health authority has proposed to become self-governing hospitals.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  RHAs are still receiving and considering expressions of interest from hospitals. They have been asked to submit these to the Department by 31 May.

  Tranquillisers
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been made to(a) family practitioner committees and (b) the General Medical

  323
  Council regarding the prescribing of benzodiazepine drugs for periods of time greater than those recommended by the Committee on Safety of Medicines.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold this information centrally. The right hon. Member may wish to contact the General Medical Council direct.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South of 26 April,Official Report, column 552, if he will commission a sample survey to discover how many of the 23,185,000 prescriptions for benzodiazepines dispensed in 1987 were repeat prescriptions being given on a long or medium-term basis.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Government have made every effort to ensure that doctors are aware of the problems which can arise from prolonged treatment with these drugs and to encourage good prescribing habits. In addition, the most recent guidance from the Committee on Safety of Medicines issued in January 1988 is repeated in the twice-yearly British National Formulary. It is now up to all doctors using their clinical judgment to take heed of this advice when deciding on the most appropriate treatment for each individual patient. A survey of repeat prescriptions would not be of additional value.

  Nurses
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) state registered nurses, (b) state enrolled nurses and (c) auxiliary nurses are employed in each health authority in England and Wales.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 16 January at columns 115–118 for the information for England.

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

  Residential Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretry of State for Health if he will make it his policy to seek to ensure that elderly persons in residential care are encouraged and enabled to manage their own finances whenever possible rather than being made to surrender their pension books and personal allowances.

  Mr. Mellor
  I agree that people in residential care homes should be encouraged to manage their own financial affairs whenever they are capable of doing so. We are considering whether guidance should be issued on the conduct of residents' financial affairs, taking into account the recommendations in the Wagner report on residential care.

  GPs (Overprescribing)
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretry of State for Health how many investigations of general practitioners for overprescribing have taken place in England since the National Health Service Committee Tribunal Regulations (S.I. 1974 No. 455) came into effect.

  Mr. Mellor
  There have been no referrals under Regulation 16 of the NHS (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations since 1974.

  Support Tights
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make support tights available on prescription in addition to support stockings.

  Mr. Mellor
  No. I am satisfied that the present prescribable range of support stockings fully meets the clinical needs of most patients who require compression hosiery. If the equivalent tights were made available on GP prescription it would add to NHS costs without benefit to patients.

WALES

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the level of inward investment in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Wales continues to attract very high levels of inward investment. In terms of related new jobs, Wales' share of inward investment to the United Kingdom was 20 per cent. in 1987. The provisional figures for 1988 indicate that this has increased to 22 per cent. This compares with 6 per cent. in 1979. Projects secured from abroad and the United Kingdom in 1988 promise over 11,000 new jobs and nearly I.2 billion of capital investment.

  Committee of Welsh District Councils
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the Association of District Councils in Wales; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend last met representatives of the Committee of Welsh District Councils at a meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government finance on 8 December to discuss the Welsh rate support grant settlement for 1989–90.

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department is doing to promote energy conservation in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department's energy efficiency plan for 1989 is published today, and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Prince of Wales Orthopaedic Hospital, Rhydlafar
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the future of the children's ward at the Prince of Wales orthopaedic hospital, Rhydlafar, South Glamorgan

  Mr. Grist
  We have received eight representations concerning the future of the ward.

  British Coal
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next intends to meet the chairman of the National Coal Board to discuss matters relating to its operations in Wales.
  325
  Mr. Peter Walker
  I am in regular touch with the chairman of British Coal on matters relating to the corporation's operations in Wales.

  Development Control
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what planning guidelines his Department intends to use for development control.

  Mr. Grist
  The Welsh Office continues to have regard to the planning guidance contained in planning policy and minerals planning guidance notes, departmental circulars and development control policy notes.

  Psychiatric Patients
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what existing or interim arrangements there are for providing medium-secure facilities for psychiatric patients from Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Secure facilities are available at Whitchurch hospital, Cardiff and North Wales hospital, Denbigh. Patients may also be referred to hospitals in England. Plans for four purpose-built medium secure units have been announced and discussions are in progress for the development of the first two. Arrangements are in hand to appoint the consultant forensic psychiatrist who, with the senior nurse already in post, will have a major role in planning and running the units.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the problem of acid rain in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  We have received a number of representations from hon. Members, and organisations such as the Welsh water authority, the Wales tourist board, Snowdonia national park, the Country Landowners Association. Friends of the Earth Cymru, the Wales Green party and indvidual members of the public.

  North Wales (Strategy)
  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress being made in developing a strategy for North Wales following the Minister of State's examination of the implications of the completion of the A55.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I am engaged in a series of meetings with the local authorities, which I hope to complete during the summer, to discuss opportunities in tourism, commerce and industry and how these can best be tackled.

  Labour Statistics
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the change in the total number employed in Wales during the past two years.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Between December 1986 and December 1988, the latest date for which information is available, the civilian work force in employment in Wales increased by 35,000. There have also been increases in the self-employed and those in higher education.

  Epilepsy Association
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the Welsh Office received a grant application from the Wales Epilepsy Association; whether a reply has been sent; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  An application for grant made under section 64 of the Health Service and Public Health Act 1968 was received from the Wales Epilepsy Association in November 1988. The application was considered along with bids for funding under this section of the Act received from other voluntary organisations, and a reply was sent to the association on 3 May 1989.

  Quarrying (Taff Ely)
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy not to sanction any new quarrying in and around Taff Ely which might result in the despoilation of the remaining ridges, skylines, visible hillsides and forests of that area.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend can give no assurances relating to decisions which he may have to take in any particular area. General planning principles and policy considerations for mineral workings are described in mineral planning guidance note No. 1, issued jointly by the Welsh Office and the Department of the Environment in January 1988.

  Public Houses (Tenancies)
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the recommendations of the recent Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the brewing industry on the livelihood of sitting tenants of public houses in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of beer in the United Kingdom made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the position of tenants. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has said that he is minded to implement the recommendations. He has also indicated that he is willing to receive representations on matters of concern.

  Coal Imports
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the quantity of United States coal which has been imported via Newport docks and on its final destination.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  This is an operational matter for the importer, in this case the Central Electricity Generating Board. I am, however, aware of the board's announcement on 17 April of its intention to import 35,000 tonnes of American coal into Newport docks for trans-shipment to its Aberthaw power station.

  River Taff (Pollution)
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has assessed the extent to which the Welsh water authority's treatment plants in the Mid-Glamorgan area have been contributors to the accumulation of pollution and litter in the River Taff and its tributaries over the past three years.
  327
  Mr. Grist
  No such assessment has been made.

  A470-Porth Link Road
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on progress of the planned restructuring-refurbishment of the A473-A4058 link road between the A470 and Porth in Rhondda.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  This is a matter for Mid Glamorgan county council as local highway authority.

  Welsh Water Authority (Monitoring Building)
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what sum has been allocated by the Welsh Office to help the Welsh water authority construct a reinforced, bunkered monitoring building at its south-eastern division headquarters at Nelson, Mid Glamorgan.

  Mr. Grist
  The Department has undertaken to make a grant of £279,959 towards the cost of construction of the control and command centre at Nelson.

  Heads of the Valleys Road
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to authorise the upgrading to dual-carriageway status of the whole length of the Heads of the Valleys trunk road.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Traffic flows on the Heads of the Valleys road are well within the road's capacity. Trends in traffic growth will be kept under review.

  Channel Tunnel
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to agree to any investment proposals by British Rail to upgrade its Reading-Redhill-Ashford line in order to provide south Wales with a direct, high-speed rail access for passengers and freight to the Channel tunnel.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  No. British Rail has not yet made proposals to the Government for Channel tunnel passenger and freight services. Careful consideration will be given to its proposals at the appropriate time.

  Severn Crossing
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to ensure that a second crossing of the Severn will be in place by 1995.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Subject to the present excellent rate of progress being maintained by the Department of Transport, a second crossing could be completed in 1995. My right hon. Friend will continue to give this important project his full support.

  Overseas Investment
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of overseas investment into the United Kingdom Wales currently receives.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  In terms of related new jobs, Wales' share of inward investment was 20 per cent. in 1987. The provisional figures for 1988 indicate that this has increased to 22 per cent. This compares with 6 per cent. in 1979.

  Beaches
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that beaches in Wales meet the European Community standards of cleanliness.

  Mr. Grist
  None. There are no European Community standards of cleanliness for beaches.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the estimated cost of each of (a) Colwyn bay and (b) Inmel bay of (i) a long sea outfall, (ii) full sewage treatment works with a short sea outfall and (iii) full sewage treatment works with a long sea outfall to enable them to comply with European Economic Community bathing water directive 76/160/EEC; and when the appropriate solution will be put in place giving the estimated date of commencement and completion.

  Mr. Grist
  The authority is currently reviewing its programme of works, which aims to achieve compliance of all listed waters. The full cost of the programme has yet to be evaluated. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the waters at Colwyn bay have complied with the standards of the directive over the past three years.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library the detailed coliform and E. coli results of all samples collected in the summer of 1988 for each of the 48 beaches summarised in deposited document NS 4754.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is contained on the public registers maintained by the Welsh water authority.

  Young Farmers
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the assistance which his Department makes to help young farmers.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Young farmers (under 40) with an approved improvement plan under the farm and conservation grant scheme can qualify for a 25 per cent. increase in the total grant they receive. In addition officers of the agricultural development and advisory service are always ready to help young farmers who need advice.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give by area the number of cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy reported in each of the past three years and the number reported in each of the past 12 months.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each county in Wales during 1987, 1988 and 1989 (to 28 April) was:

  County

  Number of cases

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Clwyd

  0

  13

  19

  Dyfed

  8

  64

  79

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  5

  5

  South Glamorgan

  0

  8

  9

  West Glamorgan

  0

  1

  1

  Gwent

  0

  20

  24

  329

  County

  Number of cases

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Gwynedd

  0

  7

  8

  Powys

  0

  13

  10

  1988

  1989

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  April

  Clwyd

  3

  0

  0

  1

  1

  3

  3

  1

  3

  4

  2

  10

  Dyfed

  5

  3

  2

  15

  12

  3

  9

  13

  10

  20

  20

  29

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  1

  2

  2

  0

  2

  1

  South Glamorgan

  3

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  1

  3

  3

  1

  2

  3

  West Glamorgan

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Gwent

  1

  1

  0

  3

  4

  0

  3

  5

  4

  9

  4

  7

  Gwynedd

  3

  0

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  1

  1

  2

  1

  4

  Powys

  1

  0

  2

  0

  3

  5

  1

  0

  2

  3

  2

  3

  Farm and Conservation Grant
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action is being taken by his Department to ensure that farmers can obtain application forms for the new farm and conservation grant.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Application forms to join the farm and conservation grant scheme are held by the divisional offices of WOAD. Claim forms are currently being printed and are expected to be available from the divisional offices this week.

  Land (Planning Permission)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to the amount of land for which planning permission is granted but on which no subsequent development takes place within the permitted time; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is not available.

  Regional Selective Assistance
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was(a) the number of applications for regional selective assistance received between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, (b) the number of the above applications that have been processed and (c) the total amount of money paid out in that period.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Two hundred and sixty-five applications for regional selective assistance grants were received by my Department and 202 of these processed in the period from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989. The total amount of grant paid out over the same period was £36·2 million1.

  Note: 1 RSA project and training grants.

  Innovation Grants
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was(a) the total number of applications received for innovation grants from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure planned for that period and the estimated expenditure for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Under the regional enterprise grant scheme 120 applications for innovation projects were received by my Department and 31 offers of grant to the value of £598,165 were made in the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989.
  330
  There were no reported cases in 1986.

  The number of reported cases in Wales in each of the past 12 months is as follows:

  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 20 March 1989 for details of planned and future expenditure provision.

  Investment Grants
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was(a) the total number of applications received for investment grants from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure planned for that period and the estimated expenditure for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Under the regional enterprise grant scheme 319 applications for investment projects were received by my Department and 135 offers of grant to the value of £818,460 were made in the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989.

  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 20 March 1989 for details of planned and future expenditure provision.

  Regional Development Grants
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was(a) the number of applications for regional development grants outstanding on 31 March 1988, (b) the number of those outstanding applications that have subsequently been processed, (c) the number of applications that are still outstanding and (d) the total amount of money paid out in regional development grants to those applicants.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  All 1,935 applications for revised regional development grant (RDG II) outstanding on 31 March 1988 have been actioned, and decisions had been made on 1,855 by 31 March 1989 leaving a balance of 80. Payments authorised on these applications total £14·8 million. Total expenditure on RDG II during the 1988–89 financial year was £45 million.

SCOTLAND

  Social Security (Glasgow, Provan)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will restore in 1989 moneys the budgets of the Department of Social Security offices in Glasgow, Provan to 1988–89 levels.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.
  331
  No. Allocations were made in accordance with a national allocation formula which applied to all local offices. A note explaining the basis on which the 1989–90 allocations were calculated is in the Library.

  The allocations of both Glasgow, Provan and Glasgow, Parkhead local offices represent £114 per head of their respective income support caseloads compared with the average allocation per head for Great Britain of £46.

  Tree Planting
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what assessment his Department has made of the impact upon the number of trees planted of the 1988 Budget and the ending of schedule D reliefs; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many trees have been planted (a) in the last year and (b) in the 10 years before the 1988 Budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The amount of tree planting grant aided by the Forestry Commission since 1979 is shown in the following table. As the figures for the year to 31 March 1989 include a substantial amount of planting which was carried out before the 1988 Budget, or subsequently with the benefit of transitional tax reliefs, it is too early to say what impact the changes made in that Budget will have on planting levels.

  Area (Thousands of hectares)

  Year ending 31 March

  New planting

  Restocking

  1979

  8

  3

  1980

  8

  3

  1981

  8

  3

  Table 1

  Expenditure per pupil on text and library books and on educational tools, equipment and materials at outturn prices

  Books

  Education tools, equipment and materials

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1978–79

  4·54

  8·31

  7·27

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1979–80

  5·49

  9·61

  11·25

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980·81

  5·84

  9·29

  12·20

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1981–82

  6·54

  9·77

  12·17

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1982–83

  7·03

  10·03

  13·64

  8·18

  27·33

  48·46

  1983–84

  8·99

  13·35

  22·64

  7·28

  25·36

  42·11

  1984–85

  9·55

  13·83

  21·41

  8·91

  30·09

  57·77

  1985–86

  8·91

  13·47

  21·37

  8·33

  30·26

  53·42

  1986–87

  10·93

  16·67

  22·22

  8·92

  33·85

  61·98

  1987–88

  9·25

  12·93

  17·42

  11·71

  44·42

  77·58

  Table 2

  Expenditure per pupil on text and library books and on educational tools, equipment and materials adjusted to 1987–88 prices using the GDP deflator

  Books

  Education tools, equipment and materials

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1978·79

  9·28

  16·98

  14·85

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1979·80

  9·62

  16·83

  19·71

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980·81

  8·63

  13·73

  18·03

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1981·82

  8·80

  13·15

  16·38

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1982–83

  8·84

  12·61

  17·15

  10·28

  34·36

  60·93

  1983–84

  10·80

  16·04

  27·20

  8·75

  30·47

  50·60

  1984–85

  10·93

  15·84

  24·51

  10·20

  34·45

  66·15

  1985–86

  9·67

  14·62

  23·20

  9·04

  32·85

  57·99

  1986–87

  11·48

  17·51

  23·34

  9·37

  35·55

  65·09

  1987–88

  9·25

  12·93

  17·42

  11·71

  44·42

  77·58

  332

  Area (Thousands of hectares)

  Year ending 31 March

  New planting

  Restocking

  1982

  12

  3

  1983

  13

  3

  1984

  17

  3

  1985

  16

  3

  1986

  19

  4

  1987

  19

  4

  1988

  24

  5

  11989

  25

  5

  1 Estimate.

  Schools (Books and Equipment)
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the latest figure for expenditure per pupil on(a) books and (b) equipment and comparable figures for each year since 1978–79 in (i) primary schools, (ii) secondary schools and (iii) special schools in cash and real terms using an index of 100 for 1978–79.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information available is given in the following tables which have been compiled from local authority financial returns. Expenditure on equipment was not separately identified in these returns until 1982–83. There have been some variations from year to year in the recording of expenditure under these two headings. In particular some of the figures for expenditure on library books may include some expenditure on items of equipment.
  333

  Table 3: Expenditure per pupil on text and library books at outturn prices expressed as an index with 1978–79 = 100

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  1978–79

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  1979–80

  120·9

  115·6

  154·7

  1980–81

  128·6

  111·8

  167·8

  1981–82

  144·1

  117·6

  167·4

  1982–83

  154·8

  120·7

  187·6

  1983–84

  198·0

  160·6

  311·4

  1984–85

  210·4

  166·4

  294·5

  1985–86

  196·3

  162·1

  293·9

  1986–87

  240·7

  200·6

  305·6

  1987–88

  203·7

  155·6

  239·6

  Table 4: Expenditure per pupil on text and library books adjusted to 1987–88 prices using the GDP deflator, expressed as an index with 1978–79=100

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  1978–79

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  1979–80

  103·

  99·1

  132·7

  1980–81

  93·0

  80·9

  121·4

  1981–82

  94·8

  77·4

  110·3

  1982–83

  95·3

  74·3

  115·5

  1983–84

  116·4

  94·5

  183·2

  1984–85

  117·8

  93·3

  165·1

  1985–86

  104·2

  86·1

  156·2

  1986–87

  123·7

  103·1

  157·2

  1987–88

  99·7

  76·1

  117·3

  Note:

  Tables 3 and 4 do not include expenditure by authorities on educational tools, equipment and materials from 1982–83 as shown in tables 1 and 2.

  Private Roads
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department intends to implement the recommendation in the Stodart report that private roads which form part of a public highway network should be taken over by the highways authorities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Cognisance has already been taken of the recommendation of the Stodart report in the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. I shall write to the hon. Member explaining the details of this.

  SSHA (Rent Increase)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why he recommended a minimum rent increase of 9·74 per cent. for tenants of the Scottish Special Housing Association, Scottish Homes.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Secretary of State recommended a minimum average rent increase of £1·80 per week, which was a 9·55 per cent. increase, to the Scottish Special Housing Association. This recommendation was based on projections of costs and income and was set at a level which would sustain a reasonable level of repairs and maintenance of the stock. It was for the association's council of management to decide on the actual rent increase.

  Adam House, Edinburgh
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the ownership and state of repair of the Adam house, Mavisbank, in Edinburgh.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I understand that ownership of Mavisbank house is shared jointly by three 334
  citizens of the United States of America. The house is presently derelict. Emergency works were carried out in 1987, at public expense, to safeguard the stability of the house.

  Social Work Department (Strathclyde Region)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of Strathclyde region social work department; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No such meetings have been requested or held.

  Nurses
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) state registered nurses, (b) state enrolled nurses and (c) auxiliary nurses are employed in each health board in Scotland.

  Nursing staff employed by Health Boards 30 September 1988 (provisional)

  Whole-time equivalent

  Health Board

  State registered1

  Enrolled

  Auxiliary2

  Argyll and Clyde

  1,843·6

  705·4

  1,629·2

  Ayrshire and Arran

  1,376·3

  589·2

  1,005·1

  Borders

  501·6

  163·5

  344·1

  Dumfries and Galloway

  811·3

  260·7

  519·9

  Fife

  1,339·3

  731·3

  931·1

  Forth Valley

  1,350·0

  474·0

  1,247·0

  Grampian

  2,343·6

  1,079·5

  1,611·1

  Greater Glasgow

  6,102·6

  2,081·9

  4,028·1

  Highland

  1,153·1

  328·3

  545·6

  Lanarkshire

  2,074·7

  1,178·0

  1,289·0

  Lothian

  3,998·6

  1,187·4

  2,360·7

  Orkney

  67·6

  72·0

  35·5

  Shetland

  102·5

  51·7

  41·8

  Tayside

  2,327·2

  1,120·0

  1,615·5

  Western Isles

  179·1

  27·8

  59·7

  1 Includes teaching and administrative nurses.

  2 Includes all unqualified nursing staff.

  Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund moneys in respect of the various schemes from 1988–89.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Details of contributions and receipts in 1988–89 will be presented to Parliament later this year in the appropriation accounts for expenditure class XVI relating to agricultural support for which the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland has responsibility. Provisional outturn figures for the year are set out in the table. To these amounts should be added the Scottish share of market support expenditure incurred by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce which in the United Kingdom in 1988–89 is currently estimated to be £984 million.

  £ million

  1. Reimbursement schemes

  Capital Grants/Farm Structure

  2·691

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances

  10·146

  335

  £ million

  Integrated Development Programme for the Western Isles

  0·796

  Fish Producers' Organisations

  —

  Marketing and Processing Projects

  2·380

  Fishery Projects

  3·375

  19·388

  2. Pre-funded schemes

  Annual Ewe Premium

  28·684

  Suckler Cow Premium

  6·706

  Non-Marketing of Milk

  —

  Milk Outgoers

  6·293

  Cereal Co-responsibility Levy Refunds

  0·723

  42·406

  Overall total

  61·794

  GPs (Overprescribing)
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions of general practitioners for overprescribing have taken place in Scotland by the health board in the last(a) five years, (b) 10 years and (c) 15 years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Financial penalties for over-prescribing are normally imposed by health boards on general practitioners only where advice and guidance have failed to have effect. Such penalties have been imposed in four cases in the last five years, in nine cases in the last 10 years and in 12 cases in the last 15 years.

  Pre-school Education
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any proposals to assist local authorities to extend the provision of pre-school education to children in their area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The planning figure for nursery education included in the revenue support grant settlement has been increased by almost 15 per cent. between 1988–89 and 1989–90. It is, however, for local authorities to determine the level of provision of nursery education in their area in the light of local need and competing priorities.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has regarding the proportion of children aged three years and four years who are in receipt of local authority provided nursery education in each islands and regional council in Scotland; and if he will give the equivalent figures for 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) on 17 January at column 62.

  Buses (Privatisation)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which local authority bus groups public limited companies are still under the ownership of the regional councils in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: The bus companies concerned are Tayside Public Transport Company Ltd, Strathclyde Buses Ltd and Lothian Region Transport plc.
  336
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to require local authority bus public limited companies to introduce schemes to encourage the privatisation of their respective companies.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: The Government wish to encourage local authorities to privatise their bus companies. The possibility of seeking statutory powers to require them to do so has not been ruled out.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give assistance to the employees and management of the Tayside bus groups in its scheme to privatise the groups, along the lines of that provided to the Scottish bus groups.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 May 1989]: The arrangements for any proposed sale of Tayside Public Transport Company Ltd are a matter for Tayside regional council. My right hon. and learned Friend's responsibility is limited to approving any such sale.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Greenhouse Effect
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy at the next Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting to take steps to initiate a European study on the effects of sea rise from the greenhouse global warming effect on low-lying agricultural land.

  Mr. Ryder
  Atmospheric warming is of global significance and there will be a range of consequences. The effect on low-lying agricultural land is one of the many aspects which will need to be studied. But research into the greenhouse effect is still at a relatively early stage, and specialised studies such as this will be more appropriate later on.

  For the moment there are several international studies and conferences taking place. For example, the United Kingdom is a participatory member of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, a worldwide organisation which is studying all aspects of global warming, and we are a party to joint studies with European researchers to investigate the potential effects to the coastline of a rise in sea level.

  Quality of Life
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Farming and Fisheries if he will set out in the Official Report details of the policies introduced by him since 1983 with the intention of improving the quality of life for farming communities.

  Mr. Ryder
  Since 1983 we have introduced a wide range of measures, including those set out below, intended to further the interests of farming communities as a whole. Some measures have been designed with more remote rural areas in mind.

  There have been a number of important changes in capital grant schemes since 1983. These were designed to increase assistance for investments which have a positive impact on the farm environment and the wider rural economy. On 1 December 1983 grants for hedge and

  337
  shelter belt planting and traditional wall building were increased from 50 per cent. to 60 per cent. in the less-favoured areas, while grants for hedge removal were withdrawn.

  The agriculture improvement scheme, introduced on 1 October 1985, extended higher rates of grant to environmental improvements in the lowlands. It also offered grants of 60 per cent. in the LFAs, and 30 per cent. elsewhere, for the installation and upgrading of facilities to prevent farm pollution.

  The farm and conservation grant scheme introduced on 20 February 1989 extended the range of conservation items to include repairs to traditional buildings and the regeneration of heather moors and native woodlands. Lowland grants for facilities to handle farm effluent were increased to 50 per cent.

  The farm diversification grant scheme introduced on 1 January 1988 offers grants of 25 per cent. towards the capital costs of establishing a wide range of diversified non-agricultural businesses on farms. These can bring additional employment to farmers and their families as well as broadening the farm income base.

  Since 1987 we have established 10 environmentally sensitive areas in England, covering over 300,000 hectares of land. There are now 19 ESAs in the United Kingdom covering over 790,000 hectares. This represents a considerable commitment to helping to protect some of the most beautiful parts of the country. The voluntary scheme, which encourages environmentally beneficial agricultural practices, has been very popular among farmers in the designated areas and was warmly welcomed by the countryside agencies.

  The farm woodland scheme launched on 1 October 1988 has several objectives, including the creation of an alternative source of income and rural employment, and the provision of environmental benefits. Initial take-up of the scheme has been very encouraging with over 5,700 hectares worth of applications in the first six months.

  The set-aside scheme, introduced last year, offers support for producers reducing surplus production and new land-use opportunities for the enterprising farmer. The set-aside scheme also contains a good deal for the environment. There are statutory rules for the maintenance of land fallowed under set-aside designed to keep it in good condition and minimise the risk of nitrate leaching. Only some pesticides and fertilisers can be used and only then in special circumstances. Environmental features like trees, hedges and watercourses must be maintained.

  The agricultural holdings legislation underwent major changes in 1984 following lengthy consultation with the industry. A new rent formula was introduced, statutory succession was ended for new tenancies and a number of other technical changes were made.

  We have negotiated improvements in the EC milk quota system allowing producers greater flexibility to make use of available quota by leasing arrangements and

  Number of confirmed cases of BSE by month of confirmation

  1988

  1989

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  April

  Bedfordshire

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  0

  2

  3

  2

  Cambridgeshire

  0

  0

  1

  0

  2

  0

  0

  1

  3

  4

  2

  1

  Essex

  1

  0

  1

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  3

  Hertfordshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5

  3

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  3

  338
  other means. In conjunction with prudent market management measures, quota restraints have contributed towards the recent recovery in dairy farm incomes.

  In 1984 we extended the less-favoured areas by 1·2 million hectares. As a result 26,550 holdings became eligible for hill livestock compensatory allowances and enhanced rates of capital grant. As part of the 1989–90 price fixing it was agreed that all milk producers in less-favoured areas should not pay the milk co-responsibility levy.

  Pigs (Sweat Box System)
  Dr. Glyn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has had as a result of the Farm Animals Welfare Council's recommendations banning the sweat box system for keeping pigs; and what action he is taking.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The Government consulted a wide range of interested organisations on this and other recommendations made by the Farm Animal Welfare Council on pig production systems, and took account of their comments in preparing their response, which was published in March. We shall be seeking to have a ban implemented on a European Community basis.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his replies of Thursday 27 April,Official Report, column 678, and Friday 14 April, Official Report, column 748, to the hon. Member for Caerphilly, why information concerning ante-mortem inspections of cattle is not available for 1989.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The number of' cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy identified at markets and slaughterhouses is monitored but the information is not held centrally at present. We are making arrangements to do so and will let the hon. Member have the information requested when it is available.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about increasing the compensation for bovine spongiform encephalopathy from 50 per cent. to 100 per cent; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have received a number of representations seeking an increase in the level of compensation. I believe however that compensation of 50 per cent. is fair, given that the animals are suffering from a terminal illness and are, for practical purposes, valueless but are in fact valued as if unaffected by the disease.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give by area the number of cases of bovine spongiform encephalophathy reported in each of the past three years and the number reported in each of the past 12 months.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The information requested for England, broken down by county, is as follows:
  339

  1988

  1989

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  April

  Lincolnshire

  5

  0

  2

  3

  1

  6

  4

  5

  6

  4

  4

  2

  Norfolk

  1

  2

  0

  8

  0

  2

  5

  3

  12

  6

  11

  6

  Northamptonshire

  2

  0

  4

  0

  0

  |

  0

  4

  2

  4

  4

  7

  Suffolk

  0

  1

  1

  0

  5

  7

  7

  1

  7

  6

  7

  6

  Cheshire

  0

  1

  3

  7

  8

  3

  1

  5

  6

  0

  6

  9

  Derbyshire

  0

  2

  0

  2

  1

  8

  5

  2

  3

  6

  3

  11

  Herefordshire/Worcestershire

  1

  2

  1

  6

  2

  9

  6

  7

  15

  9

  11

  19

  Lancashire

  0

  0

  1

  5

  4

  7

  7

  10

  4

  5

  9

  11

  Leicestershire

  0

  0

  1

  1

  4

  10

  11

  8

  7

  14

  11

  13

  Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  Merseyside

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  2

  0

  1

  Shropshire

  2

  0

  7

  3

  11

  4

  4

  9

  16

  5

  10

  16

  Staffordshire

  2

  0

  2

  2

  5

  4

  4

  14

  9

  1

  7

  16

  West Midlands

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  |

  0

  0

  1

  Warwickshire

  3

  0

  0

  1

  1

  5

  0

  2

  5

  3

  2

  13

  Cleveland

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  2

  Cumbria

  0

  2

  0

  0

  7

  4

  5

  4

  13

  10

  3

  4

  Durham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  1

  2

  1

  Humberside

  0

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  3

  1

  2

  0

  3

  3

  Northumberland

  0

  1

  0

  0

  4

  0

  0

  5

  6

  0

  7

  1

  North Yorkshire

  0

  1

  3

  8

  13

  9

  11

  7

  16

  14

  15

  11

  South Yorkshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  West Yorkshire

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  1

  6

  91

  1

  0

  1

  1

  Berkshire

  3

  0

  1

  6

  3

  1

  6

  1

  11

  2

  3

  7

  Buckinghamshire

  0

  1

  3

  2

  0

  0

  3

  0

  1

  4

  2

  3

  Hampshire

  5

  2

  2

  5

  11

  17

  14

  15

  28

  45

  28

  23

  Isle of Wight

  0

  0

  0

  1

  2

  2

  2

  1

  4

  2

  2

  3

  Kent

  2

  0

  1

  8

  1

  3

  4

  8

  20

  23

  20

  14

  Oxfordshire

  2

  0

  1

  6

  3

  5

  11

  4

  6

  17

  13

  12

  Surrey

  2

  0

  1

  2

  1

  5

  5

  8

  8

  5

  7

  2

  East Sussex

  0

  1

  2

  1

  0

  4

  5

  5

  5

  8

  4

  8

  West Sussex

  1

  1

  2

  7

  5

  14

  7

  17

  19

  15

  17

  12

  Avon

  0

  1

  2

  1

  0

  1

  2

  3

  7

  4

  18

  9

  Cornwall

  26

  12

  12

  18

  14

  27

  22

  45

  48

  55

  55

  34

  Devon

  6

  28

  14

  20

  28

  26

  55

  25

  74

  63

  73

  79

  Dorset

  1

  4

  4

  5

  14

  29

  18

  24

  36

  70

  61

  47

  Gloucestershire

  0

  4

  1

  8

  5

  21

  15

  11

  33

  22

  15

  16

  Somerset

  0

  3

  4

  10

  14

  31

  18

  19

  42

  36

  43

  41

  Wiltshire

  1

  1

  2

  14

  6

  17

  20

  16

  39

  44

  38

  39

  Number of confirmed cases of BSE by year of confirmation

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Bedfordshire

  0

  0

  7

  Cambridgeshire

  0

  0

  6

  Essex

  0

  0

  5

  Hertfordshire

  0

  0

  8

  Lincolnshire

  0

  0

  28

  Norfolk

  0

  0

  18

  Northants

  0

  0

  11

  Suffolk

  0

  0

  28

  Cheshire

  0

  0

  36

  Derby

  0

  0

  22

  Hereford and Worcester

  0

  4

  40

  Lancashire

  0

  1

  38

  Lincolnshire

  0

  2

  39

  Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  Merseyside

  0

  0

  1

  Nottinghamshire

  0

  2

  6

  Salop

  0

  0

  51

  Staffordshire

  0

  0

  37

  West Midlands

  0

  0

  2

  Warwick

  0

  0

  13

  Cleveland

  0

  0

  1

  Cumbria

  0

  1

  30

  Durham

  0

  0

  3

  Humber

  0

  0

  6

  Northumberland

  0

  0

  10

  Yorkshire North

  0

  1

  61

  Yorkshire South

  0

  0

  2

  Yorkshire West

  0

  0

  10

  Berkshire

  0

  2

  24

  Buckinghamshire

  0

  2

  15

  Hampshire

  0

  2

  82

  Isle of Wight

  0

  0

  9

  Kent

  5

  11

  40

  Oxon

  0

  0

  36

  Surrey

  0

  1

  28

  Sussex East

  0

  2

  21

  Sussex West

  0

  2

  61

  340

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Avon

  0

  3

  16

  Cornwall

  0

  16

  216

  Devon

  0

  33

  248

  Dorset

  0

  0

  103

  Gloucestershire

  0

  3

  84

  Somerset

  1

  8

  127

  Wiltshire

  0

  6

  86

  Stickler Cow Premium
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning the raising of the suckler cow premium to the level of the European agriculture guidance and guarantee fund grant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have received numerous representations urging payment of the suckler cow premium at the maximum permissible amount (which would include both the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund contribution and the discretionary contribution from national funds).

  These representations have been carefully considered and I hope to be in a position to make a statement shortly.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be able to make an announcement about the amount of the Government's contribution to the new suckler cow premium; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  An announcement on the rate of the suckler cow premium will be made before the start of the new scheme year on 15 June.

TRANSPORT

  Detonators and Explosives (Transport)
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to strengthen the law as it relates to the transportation of detonators and high explosives in the same vehicle on roads in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 4 April, at columns 66–67.

  The new Road Traffic (Carriage of Explosives) Regulations were laid before Parliament on II April and come into force on 3 July this year.

  Western Environmental Improvement Route
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made, or will make, an environmental impact assessment on the western environment improvement route; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No decision will he taken on the western environmental improvement route until the west London assessment study has been completed later this year. If it is then decided to proceed with the scheme, an environmental assessment will be produced in accordance with the Highways (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 (S.1. 1988/1241).

  NERC (Research Projects)
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the research projects undertaken for his Department by the Natural Environment Research Council during the past five years.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  None.

  Car Telephones
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many road accidents, for each of the last five years, mobile car telephones have been a contributory factor.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  This information is not available. One case has been brought to our attention in recent correspondence where the use of an in-car telephone may have been a contributory factor. The guidance in the Highway Code is clear—do not use a hand-held phone while driving.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions there have been for road traffic offences connected with the use of mobile car telephones.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In 1987 over 87,500 motorists were found guilty of careless driving. Information is not available on how many of these offences involved the use of in-car telephones.

  Exhaust Emissions
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the regulations covering the emission of fumes from vehicle exhausts; and if he has any proposals to review them.
  342
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The regulations and relevant amendments are:

  Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986 No. 1078), Regulation 61.

  Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 6) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988 No. 1524).

  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval for Goods Vehicles) (Great Britain) Regulations 1982 (S.I. 1982 No. 1271), Regulation 4.

  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval for Goods Vehicles) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 1984 (S.I. 1984 No. 697).

  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval for Goods Vehicles) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986 No. 427).

  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval for Goods Vehicles) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987 No. 1508).

  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval for Goods Vehicles) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988 No. 1523)
  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) (Great Britain) Regulations 1984 (S.I. 1984 No. 981), Regulation 4.

  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987 No. 1509).

  Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988 No. 1522).

  We shall amend the regulations to enforce the provisions of Community Directives 88/77/EEC and 88/436/EEC.

  Tighter standards for all categories of vehicle are still under negotiation in the Community. When these are agreed, we shall make further amendments to the regulations.

  Parkland Walk, Hornsey
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters he has received opposing the Ove Arup suggestions for use of the Parkland walk, Hornsey, as a roadway; and at what rate per week such letters are currently being received.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Many. The weekly rate varies. There is, too, opposition to the re-use of the rail line.

  Air Transport
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has considered the implications for his policy on air transport of the judgment by the Court of Session in the case brought by Air 2000; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Channon
  [pursuant to the reply, 2 May, 1989 column 119]: I am making new traffic distribution rules for Scotland, taking proper account of the written judgment of the Court of Session, to ensure that effect continues to be given to the Government's Scottish lowland airports policy, as set out in the 1985 White Paper (Cmnd. 9542).

  The White Paper said that this policy, under which Prestwick is designated as the gateway for long-haul flights, would be reviewed if by 1989 there had not been a steady improvement in Prestwick's financial results. Earlier this year, the chairman of BAA plc requested an immediate review on general grounds.

  Though Prestwick's financial position has in fact enjoyed a steady improvement, I have nevertheless considered the BAA request and have consulted my right

  343
  hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. I have concluded that a review of current policy would not be appropriate.

  The Government are, however, conscious of the belief that Prestwick would be better able to play its part in meeting demand for air transport in Scotland if it enjoyed better surface access. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is making a separate statement about this.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Overseas Students
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs how many students on Overseas Development Administration grants, and from which countries of origin, are currently studying in the United Kingdom; what is the comparable information for five, 10 and 15 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  More than 14,350 overseas students were studying in the United Kingdom on ODA grants, or held grants from organisations financed from the aid programme, in the 1988–89 financial year. I shall arrange for a list of their countries of origin to be published in the Official Report. Comparable figures for 1983, 1978 and 1973 were 11,847, 14,387 and 14,970 respectively.

  The information for students on ODA grants is as follows:

  Country

  Number here financial year 1988–89

  Afghanistan

  17

  Africa (Regional)

  4

  Algeria

  50

  Angola

  44

  Anguilla

  3

  Antigua

  11

  Bahamas

  —

  Bangladesh

  593

  Barbados

  29

  Belize

  23

  Bermuda

  2

  Benin

  25

  Bhutan

  28

  Bolivia

  34

  Botswana

  320

  Brazil

  89

  British Virgin Islands

  9

  Burkina Faso

  19

  Burma

  82

  Burundi

  5

  Cameroon

  170

  Cape Verde Islands

  6

  Caribbean Regional

  25

  Central African Republic

  6

  Chad

  13

  Chile

  15

  China

  1,159

  Colombia

  81

  Congo

  17

  Costa Rica

  20

  Cyprus

  67

  Djibouti

  6

  Dominica

  16

  Dominican Republic

  4

  Ecuador

  47

  Egypt

  132

  Ethiopia

  87

  Falklands

  33

  344

  Country

  Number here financial year 1988–89

  Fiji

  38

  Gabon

  7

  Gambia

  82

  Ghana

  265

  Gibraltar

  23

  Grenada

  18

  Guatemala

  5

  Guinea Bissau

  6

  Guinea Conakry

  22

  Guyana

  41

  Honduras

  13

  Hong Kong

  36

  India

  1,597

  Indonesia

  284

  Ivory Coast

  18

  Jamaica

  43

  Jordan

  94

  Kenya

  831

  Kiribati

  19

  Korea

  18

  Lebanon

  —

  Lesotho

  131

  Liberia

  52

  Madagascar

  17

  Malawi

  599

  Malaysia

  176

  Maldive Islands

  40

  Mali

  25

  Malta

  8

  Mauritania

  17

  Mauritius

  159

  Mexico

  80

  Montserrat

  11

  Morocco

  24

  Mozambique

  157

  Namibia

  181

  Nepal

  208

  Nicaragua

  —

  Niger

  24

  Nigeria

  389

  Oman

  49

  Pakistan

  405

  Panama

  17

  Papua New Guinea

  2

  Paraguay

  25

  Peru

  53

  Philippines

  81

  Rwanda

  8

  Senegal

  32

  Seychelles

  47

  Sierra Leone

  146

  Singapore

  12

  Solomon Islands

  40

  Somalia

  75

  South Africa

  492

  Sri Lanka

  257

  St. Helena

  44

  St. Kitts and Nevis

  13

  St. Lucia

  16

  St. Vincent

  18

  Sudan

  306

  Swaziland

  158

  Syria

  1

  Tanzania

  467

  Thailand

  108

  Togo

  22

  Tonga

  16

  Trinidad and Tobago

  10

  Tunisia

  18

  Turkey

  27

  Turks and Caicos

  27

  Tuvalu

  10

  Uganda

  458

  Vanuatu

  25

  Western Samoa

  3

  Yemen Arab Republic

  122

  345

  Country

  Number here financial year 1988–89

  Yemen PDR

  26

  Zaire

  51

  Zambia

  471

  Zimbabwe

  311

  Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)

  101

  UN Water Decade

  30

  Total

  13,649

  West Bank and Gaza Strip
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for increasing aid in the current and next financial year to the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We aim to increase our bilateral programme to the West Bank and Gaza to over £1 million this year. Our contribution to the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees rose to £5.25 million last year and has been increased to £5.5 million this year; in addition we are providing £0.25 million for a special study of housing.

  Kampuchea
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give figures for the level of Her Majesty's Government's aid given to Kampuchea in 1988; and if he will make a statement on future aid policy for Kampuchea.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Aid to Cambodia amounted to £402,000 in the 1988–89 financial year. This comprised a contribution of £100,000 to the special FAO/World Food Programme appeal, £250,000 to the UNICEF programme, and £52,000 on projects administered by British voluntary agencies.

  It is still too early to consider the provision of Government-to-Government aid. We will reconsider the position when Vietnam has fully withdrawn from its illegal occupation of Cambodia and an acceptable political settlement is in place.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give figures for the level of United Kingdom aid given to Kampuchea in 1988; and if he will make a statement on future aid policy for Kampuchea.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Aid to Cambodia amounted to £402,000 in the 1988–89 financial year. This comprised a contribution of £100,000 to the special FAO/World Food Programme appeal, £250,000 to the UNICEF programme, and £52,000 on projects administered by British Voluntary agencies.

  It is still too early to consider the provision of Government-to-Government aid. We will reconsider the position when Vietnam has fully withdrawn from its illegal occupation of Cambodia and an acceptable political settlement is in place.

  Africa (Refugees)
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department is providing for refugees in Africa.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In 1988 we provided nearly £31 million for refugees and displaced persons in Africa. This included Britain's share of the European Community's refugee assistance. So far this year we have announced a total of over £14 million in assistance for refugees and displaced persons in countries including Sudan, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia and Uganda.

  Namibia
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have for aid to Namibia.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I expect our programme to Namibia to continue its present focus on English language training and scholarships, on which we are spending £1.5 million this year. I have also announced £500,000 of aid to help repatriate refugees.

  Women
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British aid development policy in relation to women.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Our recent booklet, "Women, Development and the British Aid Programme", copies of which are in the Library, explains our women in development policy and progress in implementing it.

  Ethiopia (Somalian Refugees)
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current level of aid given by the United Kingdom to Somalian refugees in Ethiopia.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Since the outbreak of the civil conflict in Somalia last year, we have provided assistance totalling some £2·45 million for Somali refugees in Ethiopia. We have provided a further £2·73 million in support of programmes, run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for the benefit of both Sudanese and Somali refugees in Ethiopia.

  Amnesty International
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Amnesty International to discuss human rights aspects of Her Majesty's Government's aid policy.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Amnesty International is one of a number of human rights organisations with which Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have regular consultations to discuss all aspects of human rights policy.

  Child Health Care
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support immunisation and other programmes to improve child health in the developing countries.
  347
  Mr. Chris Patten
  We support immunisation programmes and other measures to improve child health care through our contributions to the United Nations Children's Fund and the special programmes of the World Health Organisation; through our bilaterally-funded health-care projects, including those financed jointly with non-governmental organisations; and through our support for research.

  Nicaragua
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the level of aid given to Nicaragua by Her Majesty's Government in 1988, expressed as per capita sum of the population of Nicaragua.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The level of aid given to Nicaragua by Her Majesty's Government in 1988 through the European Community, disaster relief and other channels was around £1.05 per capita.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the overseas development budget is devoted to helping overseas countries in their efforts against AIDS.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We have committed over £17·6 million in support of activities aimed specifically at helping to prevent the further spread of AIDS. Of this, about £11 million was spent in the past two financial years, representing some 0·4 per cent. of the overseas aid budget for those years. Much of our help is given through the World Health Organisation. We are currently the third largest donor to its global programme on AIDS. This year, subject to parliamentary approval, we shall contribute a further £4·5 million to the programme.

ENVIRONMENT

  Property Services Agency
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the course of his examining the case for transferring Property Services Agency staff from Newmarket in the rural district of Forest Heath to the city of Cambridge, he took account of the submissions made to him by the Cambridgeshire Small Business Group about the impact on business and jobs and of the shortage and high cost of land in Cambridge and it's environs; how much land Property Services Agency now occupies at the Brooklands avenue site in Cambridge; how many civil servants of all Departments work there; what is his policy on accommodating civil servants in town centre sites in single storey accommodation built during the second world war; and whether, in view of his study of the housing situation in Cambridge, he will invite the Property Services Agency to reconsider its intention to abandon its site in Newmarket in favour of accommodation in Cambridge.

  Mr. Chope
  The site at Brooklands avenue, Cambridge, comprising some 30 acres, contains offices housing about 1,100 civil servants. The decision to transfer 49 Property Services Agency staff from Newmarket to Cambridge was taken some time ago on grounds of operational efficiency. It did not necessitate the acquisition of any more land. The 348
  chairman of the Cambridgeshire Small Business Group wrote to my right hon. Friend in March this year and has received a reply to the points he made in his letter. There is no reason to change the decision about the closure of the Property Services Agency office in Newmarket.

  Brooklands Site, Cambridge
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the market value with planning consent for residential use of the Brooklands site currently occupied by Government servants in Cambridge; how many square feet of office space are occupied per civil servant employed on this site; and what is the average space per office employee in(a) the city of Cambridge, (b) the town of Newmarket and (c) the London borough of Westminster.

  Mr. Chope
  The market value of land for housing in the Cambridge area is estimated to be around £650,000 an acre depending on size, location and planning constraints. The 1,100 staff at Brooklands avenue occupy about 175,000 sq ft of office and circulation space, an average of 159 sq ft each. These staff, like all civil servants throughout the country, are accommodated in accordance with nationally agreed space standards.

  Sea Levels
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been commissioned into the likely effect of a rise in sea levels on wild birds which depend on Britain's estuaries and soft coasts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Government Departments are currently spending nearly £13 million on research into climate change. Whilst some of this is related to the effects of a resulting rise in sea levels, none is directed specifically at the effects on birds habitats.

  The Department has commissioned research to predict the effects of reductions in shore width caused by land claim on estuarine wading bird numbers. A report on this research will be available shortly. We intend to utilise and extend these studies to examine the impacts of reductions in shore width from the seaward side, resulting from sea levels rise.

  Roman Remains (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 18 April,Official Report, column 77, what is involved in preservation by record.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Preservation by record is a general term used to describe the process of documenting by means of photographic record, written report and where appropriate the display of the important artefacts/remains that have been uncovered in the course of an excavation.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make it his policy to take steps to provide protection from double charging under the community charge system for an individual, who owns his
  349
  own home and who is required to live in accommodation provided for him by his employer; if he will undertake consultations for this purpose; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the liability to community charge after April 1990 of a teacher in an independent boarding school who owns his own home at a distance from the school and lives in school accommodation either (a) as a condition of his employment or (b) for convenience, as to whether an exemption from either personal community charge or standard community charge will apply in any such case, and as to whether a maximum limit will be prescribed for the standard community charge in any such case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to make any special provision for individuals in the circumstances described by my hon. Friend. Domestic property which is not used as a sole or main residence will give rise to a standard community charge.

  In determining the level of the standard charge for their areas, local authorities already have a discretion to set this at a multiple of 0, 1/2, 1, 11/2 or 2 of the personal charge.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the illustrative community charge levels for each local authority in England for 1989–90.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 April at column 532.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on(a) the means of distribution being used to distribute the household community charge leaflet and (b) the cost of this distribution.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have written to the hon. Member.

  Longford Hall, Stretford
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received concerning Longford hall, Stretford;

  (2) if he will investigate allegations that work has taken place at Longford hall, Stretford in contravention of regulations affecting listed buildings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Representations have been received on behalf of the Longford District Conservation Area Association. These concerned the proposed sale of Longford hall, its present state of repair and works alleged to have been carried out without listed building consent.

  It is primarily for Trafford metropolitan borough council, both as owners of the hall and as planning authority, to take all appropriate steps to secure the building from deterioration and to ensure compliance with listed building procedures. We understand from the council that the recent work was needed to clear up debris left by vandalism, and that security will be increased to deter further unauthorised access. It hopes soon to finalise its proposals for the future of the building.

  Wimbledon Common
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the funding base for the upkeep of Wimbledon common.
  350
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are considering a proposal from the conservators of the common that they become a special levying body under provisions in the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the joint report of Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace called "Exposing the Faults: the Geological Case against Plans by Nirex to Dispose of Radioactive Waste".

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not responded to the joint Friends of the Earth/Greenpeace report. Any proposal submitted by UK Nirex for the development of a deep repository for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste will have to satisfy the authorising Departments' assessment principles.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many studies regarding the geological formation of places which Nirex chose for the disposal of nuclear waste were carried out prior to such decisions; and who carried out the studies.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In seeking to identify a preferred site for a radioactive waste repository, Nirex has followed the three-stage approach recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency. This is outlined in Nirex's report to Government, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The report also lists the main contractors and consultants.

  Bathing Water
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the estimated cost for each of (a) Bispham, (b) Cleveleys, (c) Fleetwood and (d) Heysham—Half Moon bay of (i) a long sea outfall, (ii) full sewage treatment works with a short sea outfall and (iii) full sewage treatment works with a long sea outfall to enable them to comply with European Economic Community bathing water directive 76/160/ EEC; and when the appropriate solution will be put in place, giving estimated date of commencement and completion.

  Mr. Howard
  The North West water authority has proposed a scheme involving the construction of a long sea outfall to bring, inter alia, the five bathing waters at Blackpool including the waters at Bispham and Cleveleys into compliance with the EC bathing water directive by 1993 at a total cost of about £55 million. I understand that as a result of this scheme, the waters at Fleetwood are also expected to meet the directive's standards by the same date. The date of commencement for this scheme depends upon the Secretary of State's decision on whether to grant NWWA's applications for consent to discharge from the proposed long sea outfall.

  The capital cost of providing, as an alternative, a sewage treatment works with a short sea outfall is estimated to be around £10 million higher than the proposed scheme, with additional running costs of around £1 million per annum. However, such a scheme is unlikely to enable all the identified bathing waters in the area to achieve the required EC standards.
  351
  Full details of the option of a sewage treatment works combined with a long sea outfall are not available, but I understand that the capital cost would be some £20 million to £30 million higher than the proposed scheme.

  With regard to the bathing waters at Heysham—Half Moon bay, the North West water authority has been asked to draw up detailed plans to bring this, and other bathing waters in the north-west, up to EC standards by 1995. Until these plans have been fully assessed I am unable to give details of either the costs involved or compliance dates.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the estimated cost for each of (a) Formby, (b) Ainsdale and (c) Southport of (i) a long sea outfall, (ii) full sewage treatment works with a short sea outfall, (iii) full sewage treatment works with a long sea outfall to enable them to comply with EEC bathing water directive 76/160/EEC; and when the appropriate solutions will be put in place giving the estimated date of commencement and completion.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 3 May 1989]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the North West water authority to draw up detailed plans with a view to bringing their bathing waters up to EC standards by 1995. Until these plans have been fully assessed, I am unable to give details of either the costs or compliance dates involved for particular bathing waters.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the estimated cost for each of (a) St. Annes, (b) St. Annes north, (c) Blackpool south, (d) Blackpool central and (e) Blackpool north of (i) a long sea outfall, (ii) full sewerage treatment works with a short sea outfall and (iii) full sewerage treatment works with a long sea outfall to enable them to comply with European Economic Community bathing water directive 76/160/EEC; and when the appropriate solution will be put in place, giving the estimated date of commencement and completion.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 4 May 1989]: The North West water authority has proposed a scheme involving the construction of a long sea outfall to bring, inter alia, the

  £ billion

  Market value of housing stock

  31 December 1986

  645·3

  Rateable value of domestic property

  1 April 1988

  3·969

  Rate income from domestic ratepayers in 1988–89

  7·812

  BISF Houses (Nottingham)
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made in his discussions with building societies concerning the mortgageability of BISF houses in Nottingham; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Abbey National and Halifax building societies have confirmed to officials that their national lending policies make no distinction between BISF houses and those of traditional construction. They treat each house on its individual merits, lending on normal terms up to the societies' usual maximum loan, subject to condition, valuation, and status of the applicant.
  352
  five bathing waters at Blackpool together with the waters at St. Annes North into compliance with the EC bathing water directive by 1993 at a total cost of about £55 million. The date of commencement for this scheme depends upon my right hon. Friend's decision on whether to grant NWWA's applications for consent to discharge from the proposed long sea outfall.

  The capital cost of providing, as an alternative, a sewage treatment works with a short sea outfall is estimated to be about £10 million higher than the proposed scheme, with additional costs of about £1 million per annum. However, such a scheme is unlikely to enable all the identified bathing waters in the area to achieve the required EC standards.

  Full details of the option of a sewage treatment works combined with a long sea outfall are not available, but I understand that the capital cost would be some £20 million to £30 million higher than the proposed scheme.

  North West water authority has been asked to draw up detailed plans to bring the bathing waters at St. Anne's, and other non-complying bathing waters, up to EC standards by 1995. Until these plans have been fully assessed I cannot give details of the costs or compliance dates involved.

  Natural Environment Research Council
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the research projects undertaken for his Department by the Natural Environment Research Council during the past five years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science.

  Domestic Property
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the market value of all domestic rated property in England and Wales, the rateable value of that property and the sums which will be raised by rates on that property in the current year.

  Mr. Gummer
  The latest information for England and Wales is as follows:

  Where owners wish to carry out improvements, the societies will consider applications for re-mortgage in the normal way.

  These national policies apply equally to properties in the Nottingham area. The societies have taken steps to remind surveyors, valuers and estate agents with whom they normally deal in Nottingham of those policies.

  The societies have also pointed out that valuations of all kinds of property can easily be affected by misleading statements about safety and durability, and that some recent press and television coverage may not have had a helpful effect on the market.

  I very much welcome the positive and public attitude taken by these two major building societies, which I believe reflects the position of other lending institutions, and I am

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  sure that owners of BISF houses will welcome this, and take to heart their advice on factors which could affect the operation of the market locally.

  Ozone Layer
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Her Majesty's Government are considering new steps for the protection of the ozone layer in line with the United Nations call for immediate urgent action.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment said at the first meeting of the Montreal protocol parties in Helsinki last week it is time to "sharpen the teeth" of the protocol. During the review process which was started there, and building on the impetus provided by the London conference, we shall be pressing for a significant strengthening of the protocol. The European Community is calling for a reduction of production and consumption of CFCs by 85 per cent. as soon as possible with a view to their complete elimination by the end of the century.

  Hillsborough Disaster
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will make provision to reimburse Liverpool city council for special expenditure arising out of the events at Hillsborough on 15 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Normally, local authorities make some provision in their own budgets for extraordinary and unforeseeable costs.

  Liverpool city council's officers have raised orally with the Department's regional office officials the possibility of the council's seeking special assistance. If the council was to seek such assistance, we should of course consider its request carefully.

  English Heritage
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many English Heritage properties which were, prior to the forming of English Heritage in 1984, open all day every day now have opening and closing times; and if he will list these, with their current opening and closing times.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department holds no records of opening hours at the various monuments for which English Heritage assumed responsibility on 1 April 1984. Details of opening hours since then are a matter for English Heritage.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, further to his reply of 2 May,Official Report, column 52, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan, compliance with the European Community directive on water standards will be achieved within the timing given by the European Community.

  Mr. Howard
  We are fully committed to compliance with the EC drinking water directive as soon as practicable. However, water undertakers have recently submitted improvement programmes for supplies which occasionally fail to comply in all respects with the directive. These programmes are being assessed and it is not therefore possible at present to state how long it will take to comply fully with the directive. In due course t he programmes will be presented to the European Commission.

  Crown Suppliers
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Crown Suppliers continue to comply with established public procurement procedures and relevant EEC/GATT regulations.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 4 May 1989]: Yes.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tenders the Crown Suppliers competed for in the past year; what was their estimated value; and how many it won.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 4 May 1989]: Information relating to tender bids by the Crown Suppliers is commercial in confidence.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of public money has so far been paid out to the management buy-out teams in the Crown Suppliers in order to help finance their bids; what is the specific uses for which the money has been claimed; and what is the maximum amount of subsidy he is prepared to pay to each team.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 4 May 1989]: We have agreed to help the management buy-out teams with the fees paid to their professional advisers, so that they are not at a disadvantage when compared with outside bidders. The contribution formulae provide for repayment if a team's bid is successful, a maximum Government contribution of £132,000 for the team which is interested in the whole business and of £36,000 for the team interested only in the transport operations. Each team is expected to make a substantial contribution to their own fees. Payment of £700 has been authorised to date.

  ARMS EXPORTS TO IRAN AND IRAQ
  ARMS EXPORTS TO IRAN AND IRAQ
  FOOTBALL: TAX REVENUE
  FOOTBALL: TAX REVENUE
  BOPHUTHATSWANA: TRADE POLICY
  BOPHUTHATSWANA: TRADE POLICY
  HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER FUND
  HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER FUND
  NORTHERN IRELAND SPECIAL PROTECTION AREAS FOR BIRDS
  NORTHERN IRELAND SPECIAL PROTECTION AREAS FOR BIRDS
  PESTICIDES: APPROVED USES
  PESTICIDES: APPROVED USES
  BUSINESS RATE: REFORM ARRANGEMENTS
  BUSINESS RATE: REFORM ARRANGEMENTS