Written Answers of 3 November 1989

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Staff Statistics
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many(a) civil servants with higher education responsibilities, and (b) Her Majesty's inspectors (higher education), UGC/UFC, and NAB/PCFC, have been employed in 1987–88 and 1988–89; and how many extra it is proposed to recruit in 1989–90.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information requested is as follows:

  11987–88

  11988–89

  11989–90

  Civil Servants with responsibility for policy on higher education

  57

  54

  51

  HMI (Higher Education)2

  150

  150

  150

  UGC

  70

  68

  —

  UFC

  —

  —

  80

  NAB

  30

  33

  —

  PCFC

  —

  —

  63

  Notes

  1 Staff in post on 1 October.

  2 The majority of HMI with responsibilities in higher education also have further education responsibilities. It is not possible to disaggregate the time spent on higher education.

  Most of the additional staff budgeted for in 1989–90 have already been recruited and are included in the third column. Any further net additions should not be significant.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Ministerial Duties (Mileage)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average mileage per day travelled by the Minister for Overseas Development in performing her official duties; and what was the figure for her predecessor.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Between mid-1988 and mid-1989 my predecessor, the right hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Patten) travelled over 100,000 miles, an average of nearly 300 miles per day, in the course of his official duties. I expect my travel to follow a similar pattern.

  Consultants
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Overseas Development Administration maintains a list of approved consultants.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The ODA maintains a register of consultants but inclusion on this register does not imply that ODA approves of the firm or individual concerned, nor that they will necessarily be invited to tender for projects.

  Overseas Civil Service (Pensions)
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been made to include Hong Kong and other colonies in the arrangements for pensioners of Her Majesty's overseas Civil Service to include pre-appointment war service in the calculation of their pensions.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Any overseas pensioner from one of our dependencies who also receives a pension paid under the terms of the Overseas Pensions Act 1973, will be eligible for consideration under the terms of the Colonial Service Officers' Pensions Addition for War Service (United Kingdom) Scheme 1989.

  We have written to Hong Kong and other dependencies whose expatriate pensions do not come within the scope of the Act, to ask if they will introduce arrangements which would parallel our scheme. Bermuda and the Cayman Islands have advised us that they have no pensioners to whom the terms would apply; we still await replies from the others, including Hong Kong whose Government have previously expressed a desire to intoduce credit for war service.

PRIME MINISTER

  Public Safety
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps are taken to encourage scientific civil servants working on areas related to public safety to draw public attention to threats to public safety.

  The Prime Minister
  This will depend on the circumstances in each case. In bringing matters to the attention of the public all civil servants are required to act in accordance with the principles concerning the provision of information set out in chapter 6 of the "Personnel Management Handbook", copies of which are available in the House Libraries.

WALES

  Disabled People
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much of the money currently spent on residential care in Wales is specifically allocated to services for disabled people.

  Mr. Grist
  The only relevant figures available are those for expenditure by local authorities on residential homes for different categories of resident as shown in the following table.

  Residential homes for

  Net current expenditure (1987–38) (£)

  The elderly

  29,623,980

  The younger physically disabled blind and deaf

  1,869,453

  Persons with a mental illness—Staffed homes

  1,168,760

  Persons with a mental illness—Unstaffed homes

  11,287

  Persons with a mental handicap—Staffed homes

  5,947,987

  Persons with a mental handicap—Unstaffed homes

  43,406

  Residential accommodation for mixed client groups

  59,883

  337

  Residential homes for

  Net current expenditure (1987–88) (£)

  TOTAL

  38,724,756

  Note—Includes expenditure on employees and running expenditure financed from relevant specific grants, rates and balances. Excludes expenditure financed by local income and non-relevant specific grants.

  Excludes expenditure associated with the All-Wales Mental Handicap Strategy.

  Farmers
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions during 1988 and 1989 either he, or his officials, have met representatives of the Farmers Union of Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have met representatives of the Farmers Union of Wales on seven occasions and my officials have on 25 occasions. In addition there are frequent but irregular meetings with officials at the four divisional offices dealing with matters involving either individual farmers or of a more general, but essentially local, interest. Central records are not kept of these local meetings.

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps are being taken to monitor the linguistic rights of elderly Welsh-speaking people within private sector nursing and old people's homes.

  Mr. Grist
  It is for the individual elderly person to select a home which suits his/her particular language requirements. In exercising their responsibilities, several registration authorities have issued guidance to proprietors on how to cater for the Welsh-language needs of residents.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the subjects on which he is not prepared to answer parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  It is not possible to provide a definite and exhaustive list of questions which I might exceptionally decline to answer on grounds other than cost and commercial confidence. Each question will continue to be considered on its merits.

  Welsh Water plc
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether it was with his authority that Welsh Water plc joined with Saur UK Ltd. to form a joint subsidiary company to undertake a variety of commercial activities.

  Mr. Grist
  We welcome Welsh Water's proposals to diversify its activities including its joint venture with SAUR about which we have been kept fully informed.

  Rural Housing
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list(a) those county, district and community councils which have submitted comments on
  338
  the letter dated 30 June entitled, land for low cost housing in rural areas in Wales draft planning guidance and (b) the authorities which were sent a copy of this letter.

  Mr. Grist
  The information is shown as follows:

  (a)Clwyd County Council

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Delyn Borough Council

  Glyndwr District Council

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Wrexham Maelor Borough Council

  Dyfed County Council

  Carmarthen District Council

  Ceredigion District Council

  Dinefwr Borough Council

  Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Gwent County Council

  Monmouth Borough Council

  Gwynedd County Council

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  Arfon Borough Council

  Dwyfor District Council

  Ynys Môn—Isle of Anglesey Borough Council

  Ogwr Borough Council

  Powys County Council

  Brecknock Borough Council

  Montgomeryshire District Council

  South Glamorgan County Council

  Cardiff City Council

  Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council

  West Glamorgan County Council

  Neath Borough Council

  Port Talbot Borough Council

  The Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast and Snowdonia National Park Committees also commented on the draft guidance.

  No Community Council has submitted comments.

  (b) All District and County Councils in Wales together with the three Welsh National Park Committees. The Welsh Counties Committee, the Council of Welsh Districts and the Welsh Association of Town and Community Councils were also consulted on the draft guidance.

  Mr. W. D. Harries
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department will pay the agricultural capital grant of £904·55 under the agriculture and horticultural development scheme in respect of sheep fencing for holding number 55/443/16 Mr. W. D. Harries, Crafty farm, Hayscastle cross, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, which was submitted in May.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Mr. W. D. Harries has already been informed that his claim has been approved for payment. He should receive his payment order by mid-November.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  EC Charter of Rights
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to implement paragraph 29 of the European Community charter of fundamental social rights.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The charter has not been agreed by member states. Discussion of its implementation is therefore premature at this stage.

  Computer Centre (Livingston)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guarantees his Department has gained from the company EDS, awarded the contract to run the computer centre at Livingston, that a continuous service will be maintained.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Contractual arrangements are in place to ensure effective performance by EDS. Failure to meet the agreed levels of service will result in financial penalties.

  Chief Adjudication Officer Guidance
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will place a copy of any guidance issued by the chief adjudication officer as a result of Commissioner's decision R(SB)6/89 in the Library.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The guidance issued by the chief adjudication officer as a result of Commissioner's decision R(SB)6/89 is contained in AOG Memo Vol. 3/22 which has been placed in the Library.

  Personal Pensions
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, for men and women aged 16, 20, 30 and 40 years in April 1988, the ages at which it would pay the person concerned to cease contributing to a personal pension or other money purchase scheme, assuming rates of return of 0·5 per cent, and 2·5 per cent, above the annual increase in ·average earnings.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  It is not possible to give such a table because of the wide range of other factors, in addition to the rate of return, which would affect the amount of the personal pension.

  Ms. Marsha Basaj
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will investigate the circumstances surrounding the visit to Ms. Marsha Basaj by two regionally based fraud investigators responsible to the Central Office for Scotland CN (Fraud) branch.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have called for a report on this case and will write to the hon. Member in due course.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much the Government have spent on social fund loans and community grants; how many people have been refused help by the social fund from its inception to date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Information relating to 1988–89 is contained in the Secretary of State's annual report to Parliament.

  Information for the current year is available from the national summary statistics which are placed in the Library monthly. The latest month for which information is available is September 1989.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is proposing to take about the 340
  administration of the social fund following the report by the Social Fund Commission for 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The Social Fund Commissioner's first annual report, which was published in July, discharged her responsibility to report annually on the standard of reviews by social fund inspectors. I was pleased to note that 90 per cent, of the decisions monitored "met fully or exceeded the required standard" and that of the remainder very few "were found to be fundamentally flawed". I agree fully with the Commissioner's conclusion that the results of her monitoring will encourage public confidence in the review system.

  The Commissioner also made a number of recommendations to the Department. These are all issues on which the Department's views have been made known to the Commissioner, or on which the Department has already taken action. I understand that the Commissioner's next annual report will refer to this year's recommendations and the Department's response to them.

TRANSPORT

  British Rail (Expenditure)
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the following totals at constant prices:(a) capital expenditure out of the public service obligation grant to British Rail and (b) other capital expenditure by British Rail authorised by his Department for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Portillo
  The public service obligation grant meets the difference between costs and revenues for grant-supported services. Eligible costs include depreciation, a supplement to fund capital renewals, and interest. Grant therefore provides support for capital investment, but grant is not allocated to particular categories of expenditure.

  Figures for total BR investment are given in the table:

  £ million 1989–90 prices

  Total BR investment

  1979

  518

  1980

  529

  1981

  433

  1982

  352

  1983

  347

  1984

  368

  1985–86

  491

  1986–87

  475

  1987–88

  594

  1988–89

  600

  Note:—1984–85 was a 15 month financial period. The 1984 figure is the 12 month internally reported result. Figures exclude the laying of continuous welded track which BR no longer classify as investment.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department has on the length of time taken to respond to letters from hon. Members.

  Mr. Atkins
  Ministerial colleagues and I aim to deal with all correspondence in three weeks.

  Manually kept records show that of approximately 15,000 letters received from hon. Members since January

  341
  1989, 378 are currently outstanding. These have raised complex questions or problems which inevitably take longer to research.

  Road Improvement Contracts
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Hexham on 10 January,Official Report, column 617, if he will list (a) those trunk road improvement contracts that have been awarded since the start of the financial year 1989–90. together with the name of the successful tenderer and the value of the contract, (b) those contracts on which tenders have been invited but contracts have not yet been awarded and (c) those contracts on which tenders have not yet been invited but are expected to be let by the end of the financial year 1989–90.

  Mr. Atkins
  The following contracts have been awarded since 1 April 1989:

  Scheme and Successful Tenderer

  Contract Price £ million

  M1 J34 Meadowhall Development1— Birse Construction

  1·2

  M3 Compton-Bassett Widening—John Mowlem

  41·5

  M20 Maidstone-Ashford (Contract 2)—Wimpey Construction

  28·7

  M40 Waterstock-Wendlebury Section—Fairclough/Alfred McAlpine

  63·9

  A23 Waddon Marsh Bridge—Balfour Beatty

  2·7

  A27 Brighton Bypass (Dyke Road/Patcham)— Alfred McAlpine

  16·7

  A41 Chester Improvement—Fairclough

  17·5

  A41 Bicester Bypass State 1—John Mowlem

  4·7

  A42 Castle Donnington North (Contract 1)— A F Budge (Construction)

  24·7

  A65 Addingham Bypass—Cumbrian Industrials

  3·1

  A69 Brampton Bypass—Cumbrian Industrials

  4·9

  A127 Rayleigh Weir GSJ—Christiani and Nielsen

  11·8

  A282 Dartford Third Crossing Approach Roads—Balfour Beatty

  27·7

  A303 Ilchester to South Petherton—

  Wimpey Construction

  12·8

  A406 Chingford Road to Hale Road·Cementation Construction

  60·3

  A604 M1–A1 Link: Contract 6 (Kettering-Thrapston)— A. F. Budge (Construction)

  25·7

  Contract 7 (Thrapston-Brampton phase 1)—Tarmac Construction

  14·2

  1 Grant aided scheme.

  Tenders have been invited for the following schemes and the contracts should be awarded before the end of the financial year:
  342

  A6

  Quorn and Mountsorrel Bypass

  A16

  Boston Algakirk Diversion

  A16

  Louth Bypass

  A23

  Warninglid to Brighton (Sayers Common to Muddlewood)

  A43

  Castle Donzington North (Contract 2)

  A47

  Castor and Ailsworth Bypass

  A47

  Eye Bypass

  A418

  Leighton Linslade Bypass1

  A523

  Macclesfield Inner Relief Road

  A604

  M1–A1 Link:

  Contract 1 (Catthorpe Interchange)

  Contract 4 (Rothwell to Kettering)

  Contract 5 (Kettering Southern Bypass)

  A650

  Drighlington Bypass

  A1079

  Market Weighton Bypass

  1 Grant aided scheme

  Subject to completion of statutory procedures further tenders for other schemes may be invited before the end of the financial year.

  Cars (Anti-theft Systems)
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has assessed whether the development of electronic anti-theft systems for cars has reached the point in cost and effectiveness at which he will consider legislation to make their installation mandatory.

  Mr. Atkins
  Every new car sold in Britain since 1978 has had to have a steering lock. Britain has developed, in co-operation with manufacturers, new standards to improve car locks and to shield window mechanisms We are pressing for these to be adopted in the EC.

  Many cars are also fitted with alarm systems. The variations in their design and location contribute to their effectiveness. The greater standardisation likely to result from obligatory installation might diminish that effectiveness. Moreover, there is a growing volume of complaints about the environmental effects of alarms set off with no apparent attempt at theft.

  Parking sensibly, locking up carefully and avoiding leaving valuables in view are all strong deterrents to thieves.

  Lorry Weights
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many inspectors are employed at ports to ensure that lorry weights from incoming vessels are within United Kingdom requirements; and how many prosecutions were undertaken in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989 to the most recent practicable date.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department currently has a force of 235 traffic examiners who carry out lorry weight checks at inland sites as well as at major ferry ports. Vehicles found to be overweight in ports are prohibited from further movement but are not normally prosecuted because an offence has not taken place until the vehicle has been on a public road. Separate figures for prohibitions in ports are not kept. The number of prosecutions nationally for overloading, with in brackets figures for prohibitions, in each of the years 1986–88 were, respectively, 6,400 (5,700), 5,500 (4,250) and 7,600 (7,700). The figures for the first half of 1989–90 were 3,250 and 2,900. These figures do not include offences taken by the police and local authority trading standards staff.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many of the short-span bridges on non-trunk
  343
  roads will not meet 40-tonne lorry weights; what will be the cost of repairing or replacing such bridges; and what is the estimated cost of the traffic delays arising from such work;

  (2) whether his Department has carried out an assessment of the likely extra strengthening costs in the event of the EEC directive on 40-tonne lorries being applied in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  It was agreed at a meeting of the European Council of Transport Ministers in July that the United Kingdom's derogation from the directive permitting the use of lorries weighing 40 tonnes should end on 31 December 1998.

  In 1988 my Department began a programme—expected to last 10 years—to assess all the bridges on trunk roads and to strengthen them, where necessary, to cater for heavier lorries. The increase from 38 tonnes to 40 tonnes will require about another 400 bridges to be assessed, but it is expected to account for only a relatively small proportion of the total cost of strengthening work.

  Last December, the Government made provision through the rate support grant settlement for an additional £27 million expenditure by local authorities in England in 1989–90 so that a start could be made on the long-term programmes of work necessary on their roads. It is too soon to say what proportion of their bridges will eventually need to be strengthened, but a sample survey carried out by my Department in 1987 suggested that it might be about 20 per cent.

  In some cases, strengthening may not be the only option. It will be more appropriate to restrict some bridges to vehicles of a lower weight; in other cases, it would be possible to cater for heavier lorries by reducing the number of lanes of traffic.

  It is inevitable that there will be traffic delays while some of the work is carried out, but it is not possible to predict where these will occur or their economic cost. My Department's regional offices will assist in co-ordination of the work to help keep delays to a minimum.

  Articulated Lorries
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what research has been undertaken on the use of 16·5 m articulated lorries in the United Kingdom; what alterations will be required to existing tractor units, what design requirements will be needed for compatible tractor units for the 13·6 m trailer; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when he expects to lay the order allowing 16·5 m articulated lorries in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) why he is advancing by 12 months the implementation of the EEC directive permitting 16·5 m articulated lorries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Once the EC date was imposed on us, there was a serious risk of detriment to the interests of British manufacturers. We therefore advanced implementation to January 1990 from January 1991.

  The order will be laid as soon as possible, subject to the completion of the necessary detailed consultation. No specific research was carried out on the proposals leading to the EC directive. The new 13·6 m semi-trailer will require the use of a tractor unit slightly longer than the
  344
  shortest units now in use: some already exist. The shortest tractor units can still be used with semi-trailers slightly shorter than 13·6 m.

  Commercial Vehicles
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the total numbers of commercial vehicles in each category of unladen weight registered for 1989; what were the totals for each year from 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Information on vehicle stock for 1989 is not yet available. Details of the number of commercial vehicles registered in Great Britain are available by gross weight and were published in "Heavy Goods Vehicles in Great Britain 1988", transport statistics report, August 1989, a copy of which was placed in the House of Commons Library.

  The number of heavy goods vehicles has fallen from 506,000 in 1979 to 462,000 in 1988 despite a 25 per cent, increase in road freight activity.

  Channel Tunnel (Rail Services)
  Mr. Aitken
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been reported to him in the provision of rail services between the Channel tunnel and London; and whether it remains the Government's policy not to subsidise this project.

  Mr. Parkinson
  British Rail is planning to spend over £1 billion on upgrading the rail network in Kent and London, on developing Waterloo station and on rolling stock, so that a full international passenger and freight service can commence on the day that the Channel tunnel opens.

  In July of last year British Rail began consultations on the proposal to build a new line which would be needed by the end of the century. On the basis of consultation on four route options, British Rail narrowed the choice to a preferred route in March of this year. British Rail also isued an invitation to the private sector to participate in a joint venture. Five positive responses to this invitation were received, and BR subsequently shortlisted two consortia.

  Today British Rail has announced that it has selected its preferred partner in a joint venture for Channel tunnel rail services, and that is Eurorail, comprising Trafalgar House and BICC. I very much welcome this announcement.

  The broad scope of the joint venture has been settled. It includes the operation of international rail services, not just the construction of the link. The details are still to be negotiated and my approval to the final agreement will be necessary. At this stage, however, I am greatly encouraged by the clear indications that I have had from the private sector that Channel tunnel rail services, including a new Channel tunnel rail link, can be financed commercially and that the new link can still be brought into operation in 1998.

  I have been greatly impressed by the confidence, expertise and commitment shown by both the shortlisted consortia, Eurorail and the Acer Group. Eurorail is satisfied that detailed work carried out on the route through Kent confirms that the route proposed by BR is the best solution. It is confident that an acceptable way can

  345
  be found of continuing the route from the outskirts of London to Waterloo and to a second terminal at Kings Cross with its excellent connections to the north.

  This confirmation of the route through Kent, on which so much work has already been done to minimise the environmental consequences, will help to end uncertainty in the county. I welcome that as I welcome the decision to bring forward immediately legislative proposals to allow Ashford international passenger station to be relocated so as to open in 1993, but to fit in with the new line. It is for British Rail and its partner to determine the best route and terminals to be included in a parliamentary Bill, and I accept that now that BR and Eurorail have reached agreement it will not be practicable or sensible for them to examine other possible alternative proposals and projects. It will be for Parliament to decide whether the route can be accepted.

  I think that it must be primarily for BR and Eurorail to judge how and when to seek the necessary legislative approval for their proposals. I accept BR's judgment that it is wiser to wait until all the details of the route through London have been finalised before introducing a Private Bill and that will also give the opportunity for further refinement of the detailed measures proposed for Kent. I welcome their stated intention to introduce a Bill in 1990.

  The provision of the Channel tunnel link is now the responsibility of BR and its chosen partner, Eurorail. I confirm that it remains the policy of the Government that no subsidy will be given to Channel tunnel rail services.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many gainers and losers his Department now estimates there will be after the introduction of the poll tax in England.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Mr. Patten) to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 1 November 1989, at column 75.

  Lindane
  Mr. Graham Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what have been and will be the environmental consequences to the United Kingdom of the recent loss of a container of lindane in the Channel.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No signs of lindane pollution have been detected from the continuing joint Anglo-French monitoring programme, set up immediately after the incident.

  British and French scientists are confident that any increases in lindane concentrations in the marine environment could be easily detected at levels well below those at which they would represent a risk to human health. They further agree, after having carefully considered the probable rate of dissolution of the lindane in its container and its likely rate of release to the sea, that the chances of the lindane having any significant detectable effect are very slight.

  As a precaution joint monitoring continues and if any leakage is detected this would provide important clues as to the whereabouts of the container and so assist recovery action, should this be necessary.

  Waste Recycling
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider giving additional incentives to councils to encourage the introduction of further schemes for the recycling of domestic waste; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Our proposals to improve waste management on which we hope to legislate shortly should encourage local authorities to promote recycling. In addition we are carefully considering what further measures might be taken to encourage recycling both at the collection and disposal stages, and are evaluating examples of current best practice and the major experiment in recycling—"Recycling City"—which is now taking place in Sheffield, with the support of the Government.

  Litter
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to allow local authorities to appoint designated officers for the purpose of taking the name and address of any alleged litter offender for subsequent prosecution.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that our proposals for legislation to tackle the problem of litter, published on 20 July, include a provision which will allow all district and borough councils to operate a fixed penalty scheme for littering. Under such a scheme an authorised officer of the authority will be empowered to issue tickets to litterers requiring payment of a fixed penalty within a set period. Failure to pay the fixed penalty will render the offender liable to prosecution. We are not, however, proposing to give the authorised officer extra powers to demand the name and address of the offender.

  Housing Finance (Leicester)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for the financial years 1981 to 1988 inclusive the following information:(a) the housing investment allocation paid to Leicester city council for each of the years and (b) the housing investment allocation in real terms for each of those years.

  Mr. Chope
  The following figures give Leicester city council's housing investment programme allocations and also its outturn expenditure for the years requested, in both actual and real terms.

  £ million Allocation

  £ million Outturn

  Year

  Actual

  Real terms

  Actual

  Real terms

  1981–82

  17·036

  24·628

  19·464

  28·137

  1982–83

  18·496

  24·971

  21·063

  28·436

  1983–84

  17·373

  22·416

  22·488

  29·016

  1984–85

  18·900

  23·238

  30·604

  37·628

  1985–86

  15·000

  17·482

  28·395

  33·093

  1986–87

  13·285

  15·002

  26·013

  29·375

  1987–88

  14·277

  15·319

  23·983

  25·733

  1988–89

  13·716

  13·716

  32·393

  32·393

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the subjects on which he is not prepared to answer parliamentary questions.
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  Mr. Patten
  I would normally expect to answer questions within my area of responsibility other than those involving disproportionate cost.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Her Majesty's Government intend to ratify the Basel convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Yes, together with our European Community partners.

  Nature Conservancy Council and Countryside Commission
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to proceed with the restructuring of the Nature Conservancy Council and Countryside Commission as outlined by the previous Secretary of State for the Environment on 11 July.

  Mr. Trippier
  Yes.

  Green Belt (Derbyshire)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an assurance that he will uphold the terms of the north-east Derbyshire green belt local plan (paragraph 5.20, proposal 6) and reject any application lodged on appeal by British Coal to begin opencast mining in the green belt and around Barlborough.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No. I cannot give such an assurance. This would clearly prejudice the position of the Secretary of State were an application to come before him on appeal. Minerals can be worked only where they occur, but extraction, including opencast coal, need not be incompatible with green belt objectives provided high environmental standards are maintained and sites are restored to a good standard. As Derbyshire's green belt local plan makes clear, mineral working is a temporary operation which can be acceptable in green belt areas and is not incompatible with the eventual restoration of the area to an open use.

  Water Authorities (Foreign Investment)
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the extent of foreign investment in British water authorities.

  Mr. Howard
  The successor companies to the nine water authorities in England are wholly owned by the Crown.

  Works of Art Committee
  Mr. Cormack
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will appoint a new member to the advisory committee on works of art in the House of Commons following the resignation from the committee of the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton (Mr. Callaghan).

  Mr. Patten
  I am pleased to announce that, with Mr. Speaker's agreement, I have appointed the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) to the advisory committee.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made with preparations for the forthcoming water share offers.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I have today placed in the Library the "Pathfinder" prospectus for the 10 water share offers which has been published today. It gives details of the forthcoming offers, apart from the price, share capital and related information. The share price will be announced on 22 November.

  Benzene (Toxicity)
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the toxic and carcinogenic properties of unleaded petrol; and what assessment he has made of the effects of using benzene in such petrol.

  Mr. Roger Freeman
  I have been asked to reply.

  We are not aware of any information to suggest that there are toxic or carcinogenic properties specific to unleaded petrol.

  Benzene is toxic at high doses and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen on the basis of data from workers who were exposed to high levels in the past. The concentration of benzene permitted in petrol is regulated under a European directive and it is not used as an additive to substitute for lead.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Scotch Whisky (Korea)
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to persuade the Korean Government to equalise the levels of duty on Scotch whisky and other spirits.

  Mr. Redwood
  It has been our objective for some time to remove the discriminatory features of Korea's tax and tariff treatment of Scotch whisky and other imported spirits, as well as other restrictions on the import and distribution of these products. There has been some liberalisation which has benefited Scotch whisky but discriminatory treatment continues to hold back sales in Korea. We have made strong representations to the Korean Government and will continue to take every opportunity to do so, both bilaterally and through the European Community.

  Scotch Whisky (Taiwan)
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to overcome the import restrictions faced by Scotch whisky exports to Taiwan.

  Mr. Redwood
  The authorities in Taiwan are well aware of United Kingdom concerns. Her Majesty's Government have no dealings with the Taiwanese authorities but United Kingdom concerns on this and other matters are put across very clearly in Taipei and London by the Anglo-Taiwan trade committee, a private organisation set up to promote British exports to Taiwan.

  Selling by Telephone
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which recommendations of the Office of Fair Trading set out in the document "Selling by telephone," in 1983 he has accepted; which of these have been implemented; and what are his reasons for not implementing the remainder.

  Mr. Forth
  Two of the recommendations in the 1984 report by the Office of Fair Trading on selling by telephone were addressed to Government.

  The first related to automatic dialling equipment. Such equipment which transmits recorded messages or synthesised speech may only be used with the consent in writing of the intended recipient. Other such equipment which transmits speech or data has only been approved by the Director General of Telecommunications for connection to the public network where there are legitimate reasons for its use.

  The Government have accepted the more recent advice of the Director General of Telecommunications that the new branch systems general licence, which will soon be granted under the Telecommunications Act 1984, should contain a condition requiring anyone making telephone sales calls not to do so in respect of any user who requests them to stop.

  On the second recommendation, the Government are not convinced that there have been sufficient problems to require the introduction of a statutory cooling-off period for oral contracts resulting from unsolicited telephone calls.

  Northern Region
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will list all offers of regional selective assistance in the Darlington area for each year since 1982; and whether he will provide the same information for(a) Stockton-on-Tees and (b) Middlesbrough.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The offers of regional selective assistance in the Darlington, Stockton and Middlesbrough areas in each year since 1 April 1982 are as follows:

  (A) Offers of regional selective assistance in the Darlington parliamentary constituency

  Company

  Amount offered £

  1 April 1982–31 March 1983

  Nil

  1 April 1983–31 March 1984

  Whessoe Projects Ltd.

  1,070,000

  Brent Chemicals International Ltd.

  40,000

  Stenga Ltd.

  25,000

  C. P. Offset

  25,000

  Darlington Pattern Making Company

  6,500

  1 April 1984–31 March 1985

  T. E. Catterall Ltd.

  20,000

  Amdega Ltd.

  50,000

  Indescon Ltd.

  35,000

  Priestgate Services (No. 29) Ltd.

  30,000

  1 April 1985–31 March 1986

  Harvey Plating Ltd.

  50,000

  Rallbar Ltd.

  10,000

  Areena Shoe Components Ltd.

  50,000

  Mech-Tool Engineering Ltd.

  70,000

  Mini-Prints North East

  15,000

  350

  Company

  Amount offered £

  F. W. Alderson

  5,000

  S. R. Steel Ltd.

  5,000

  1 April 1986–31 March 1987

  Kohlangaz Fire Co. Ltd.

  30,000

  Con-Mech Group Ltd.

  45,000

  Darlington Timber Supplies Ltd.

  15,000

  Mitre Tooling Co. Ltd.

  35,000

  Epcot Leisure Ltd.

  15,000

  BSA Foundries Ltd.

  175,000

  Baydale Engineering

  8,000

  Forge Diesel Services Ltd.

  5,000

  Amdega Ltd.

  70,000

  1 April 1987–31 March 1988

  Vector Electronics

  10,000

  Rennyco Ltd.

  5,000

  Aycliffe Paper Winding Ltd.

  5,000

  Darcham Ltd.

  65,000

  Amdega Ltd.

  100,000

  Edgeworth Electronics Ltd.

  5,000

  Harvey Plating Ltd.

  25,000

  Glassfibre Flagpoles Ltd.

  20,000

  Mitre Plastics Ltd.

  35,000

  1 April 1988–31 March 1989

  Regis Fibres (UK) Ltd.

  25,000

  BSA Engineering Ltd.

  10,000

  J. L. Moore & Sons

  75,000

  Stenga Ltd.

  90,000

  Thrivewell Ltd.

  7,500

  Shildon Manufacturing

  15,000

  Baydale Architectural Metalwork

  25,000

  Great Northern Timber Co. Ltd.

  60,000

  1 April 1989–30 September 1989

  No case details published.

  (B) Offers of Regional Selective Assistance in the Stockton North Parliamentary Constituency

  Company

  Amount Offered £

  1 April 1982–31 March 1983

  Derian Ltd.

  25,000

  Supreme Knitwear Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

  25,000

  1 April 1983–31 March 1984

  Cleveland Redpath English Holdings Ltd.

  4,000,000

  English Conservatories Ltd.

  25,000

  Supreme Knitwear Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

  25,000

  John Harrison (Stockton) Ltd.

  27,000

  Brandtex Manufacturing Ltd.

  25,000

  1 April 1984–31 March 1985

  Fine Organics Ltd.

  300,000

  Supreme Knitwear Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

  35,000

  ITM Head Wrightson Teesdale Ltd.

  400,000

  Josty (UK) Ltd.

  20,000

  1 April 1985–31 March 1986

  Brandtex Manufacturing Ltd.

  176,000

  Bellrise Fashions Ltd.

  12,500

  Supreme Knitwear Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

  25,000

  John Harrison (Stockton) Ltd.

  20,000

  Herrewege Brushes Ltd.

  45,000

  1 April 1986–31 March 1987

  Portrack Security Services

  5,000

  F. Hills & Sons Ltd.

  80,000

  C. & S. Hogarth Ltd.

  25,000

  1 April 1987–31 March 1988

  Falcon Press (Stockton on Tees) Ltd.

  35,000

  351

  Company

  Amount Offered £

  Artix Ltd.

  280,000

  Lionweld Ltd.

  255,000

  F. Hills & Sons Ltd.

  40,000

  1 April 1988–31 March 1989

  Billingham Press Ltd.

  25,000

  Spencer & Halstead Ltd.

  400,000

  BKE Ltd.

  10,000

  1 April 1989–30 September 1989

  No case details published

  (c) Offers of regional selective assistance in the Stockton, South parliamentary constituency

  Company

  Amount offered £

  1 April 1982–31 March 1983

  Parkfield Group plc

  30,000

  M. M. Knitwear 1982 Ltd.

  96,000

  Cleveland Microfilm Services Ltd.

  25,000

  Cardosi's Ltd.

  15,000

  Eyetech Group Ltd.

  95,000

  Nerco Products Ltd.

  5,000

  Hygena Ltd.

  172,628

  1 April 1983–31 March 1984

  Northdale Rotary Engineering Ltd.

  22,000

  Hygena Ltd.

  366,000

  Churchcliffe Glass

  8,000

  Panda Supplies Ltd.

  20,000

  Sanderson Chemical Consultants

  20,000

  1 April 1984–31 March 1985

  Cresstale Ltd.

  20,000

  J. G. Tinkler Ltd.

  72,303

  Tabuchi Electric (UK) Ltd.

  300,000

  1 April 1985–31 March 1986

  British Visqueen Ltd.

  400,000

  Elta Plastics Ltd.

  50,000

  Cresstale Ltd.

  75,000

  Harcros Chemicals UK Ltd.

  400,000

  Supreme Knitwear (1986) Ltd.

  25,000

  1 April 1986–31 March 1987

  Laserprint and Display Ltd.

  5,000

  Cresstale Ltd.

  85,000

  1 April 1987–31 March 1988

  Supreme Knitwear Manufacturing Company Ltd.

  100,000

  Wireless Video Products

  5,000

  Stainton Metal Company Ltd.

  50,000

  Tees Components Ltd.

  48,000

  Silleck Mouldings Ltd.

  170,000

  Sanyo Electric Manufacturing (UK) Ltd.

  721,000

  1 April 1988–31 March 1989

  De Novo Engineering Ltd.

  20,000

  Ready-To-Assemble Furniture Ltd.

  400,000

  Styles Precision Components Ltd.

  20,000

  Dalestone Concrete Products Ltd.

  70,000

  E. H. Education and Training (E. E. Hughes T. A.)

  10,000

  1 April 1989–30 September 1989

  No case details published

  352

  (D) Offers of regional selective assistance in the Middlesbrough local authority district

  Company

  Amount offered £

  1 April 1982–31 March 1983

  Seaway International Cables Company Ltd.

  20,000

  Fabrikat industries Ltd.

  230,000

  Collin Maintenance and Inspection Services

  200,000

  1 April 1983–31 March 1984

  Norlite Windows Ltd.

  14,000

  A. C. Walker and Co.

  10,000

  Solar Pans Ltd.

  50,000

  1 April 1984–31 March 1985

  Henry Newbould Ltd.

  480,000

  1 April 1985–31 March 1986

  Cleveland Cable Company Ltd.

  45,000

  1 April 1986–31 March 1987

  Chemoxy International Ltd.

  200,000

  1 April 1987–31 March 1988

  Marinecrown Ltd. T/A Tees Inshore Engineering

  25,000

  Bulkhaul Ltd.

  100,000

  Stanley Vickers Ltd.

  45,000

  Northern Systems Ltd.

  30,000

  Amberley Foods Ltd.

  550,000

  Recovery Ltd.

  15,000

  Maval Engineering Company Ltd.

  25,000

  1 April 1988–31 March 1989

  Gordian Print Ltd.

  22,000

  River Tees Engineering and Welding Ltd.

  50,000

  Wearparts Ltd.

  60,000

  Cherry Marine Ltd.

  15,000

  1 April 1989–30 September 1989

  No case details published

  Notes:

  1 In accordance with normal practice, information has been restricted to that published in the quarterly tables in "British Business".

  2 The figures relate to the Parliamentary Constituency areas of

  (a) Darlington

  (b) Stockton North

  (c) Stockton South and to the local authority area of

  (d)Middlesbrough, excluding that part of the Stockton South Parliamentary Constituency within the borough boundary.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs have been created or safeguarded by regional aid in the Northern region since 1984.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The number of jobs expected to be created or safeguarded in the Northern region1 through offers of regional develpment grant (RDG) and regional selective assistance (RSA) since 1984 is:

  Regional Development Grants

  Financial Year

  Jobs

  1984–85

  2846

  1985–86

  11,340

  1986–87

  18,389

  1987–88

  21,156

  1988–89

  25,013

  Total

  76,744

  353

  Regional Selective Assistance

  Financial Year

  Jobs

  1983–84

  14,133

  1984–85

  13,579

  1985–86

  5,984

  1986–87

  9,600

  1987–88

  6,123

  1988–89

  4,487

  1989–903

  3,708

  Total

  57,614

  1 The northern region is the north east region plus Cumbria.

  2 Offers were made under the revised RGD scheme from 29 November 1984. Following the closure of the scheme on 31 March 1988, all outstanding offers were made in the period ending 31 March 1989. Prior to November 1984, RDG's were not linked to the creation or preservation of jobs, so no estimate is available of the effect on employment of payments under that scheme.

  3 Period to 30 October 1989.

  Notes:

  1.Some RSA and RGD offers will relate to the same jobs but it is not practicable accurately to identify these.

  2.The figures for both schemes are based on offers made.

  3.Regional enterprise grants have also been available for firms employing less than 25 people in development areas since April 1988. Job creation or safeguarding is not, however, a condition of the scheme.

  4.Other Government Departments have no job-linked regional aid schemes.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the subjects on which he is not prepared to answer parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Ridley
  It is not possible to provide a definite and exhaustive list of questions which I might exceptionally decline to answer on grounds other than cost and commercial confidence. Each question will continue to be considered on its merits.

  Ticket Touts
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make it his policy to introduce a system of licensing for ticket touts.

  Mr. Forth
  No.

  Crown Immunity
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to remove Crown immunity from those establishments run by his Department subject to consumer protection and environmental health laws; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend gave to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) on 20 October 1989 at column 279.

  Export Seminar
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the cost to small firms wishing to attend the seminar organised by his Department on exporting to Belgium and Germany on 21 November.

  Mr. Redwood
  The exporting to Belgium seminar on 21 November costs £35 per delegate, including lunch.

  European Trade Committee
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what trade union representation exists on the European trade committee.

  Mr. Redwood
  There is no trade union representation on the European trade committee. Members are selected on the basis of their wide experience of exporting and their knowledge of western Europe.

EMPLOYMENT

  Earnings
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide information covering each of the last five years showing the number of employees whose earnings fell below(a) the national insurance contributions lower earnings limit; and (b) the PAYE threshold; and if he will estimate what proportion of these employees are (i) women, (ii) female part-timers and (iii) part-timers.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information from the new earnings survey is not sufficiently precise to make reliable estimates separately distinguishing the numbers with earnings below these two thresholds. However, the numbers are broadly estimated to be in the following ranges:

  April

  Millions

  1984

  2½–3

  1985

  2¾–3¼

  1986

  2¾–3¼

  1987

  3–3½

  1988

  3–3½

  It is estimated that women account for 75 per cent, of these employees, that female part-timers account for 70 per cent, and that all part-timers account for 90 per cent.

  Restart
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when results from the Restart cohort survey will be available; if a copy of any preliminary findings and subsequently the full results will be published or placed in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The final results from the Restart cohort study are likely to be available in the middle of 1991. A decision on publication will be taken in due course.

  Employment Training
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is collected on the ET2 form which is completed for each employment training trainee by training managers; and if he will give as much information as he has for each region and for Great Britain as a whole showing how many employment training trainees have achieved vocational qualifications; how many have received any form of training bonus: and how much.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information which is collected from the ET2 trainee record form is detailed in the following
  355
  table. Information from the forms on qualifications obtained and numbers receiving training bonuses is still being analysed and its reliability assessed. No information is available about the amount of training bonus paid to trainees.

  EMPLOYMENT TRAINING

  INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM ET2, TRAINEE RECORD FORM

  Name and address

  National Insurance number

  Date of birth

  Sex

  Marital Status

  Age band

  Duration of unemployment

  Whether disabled/health problem

  Ethnic origin

  Referral source

  Eligibility code

  Literacy and numeracy need

  Whether trainee referred to Training Manager

  Date of assessment

  Training Agent/Training Manager Reference number

  Date training started

  Date training expected to end

  Placed on project in first 4 weeks

  Date of Training Manager action

  Training Manager reference number

  Date training ended

  Main training occupation classification code

  Type of training received

  Whether studied for vocational qualification or credit

  Whether gained vocational qualification or credit

  Whether fulfilled agreed action plan

  Whether received training bonus

  Leaving code

  Training Manager reference number

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why there has been a delay in assessing employment training training managers for ATO status; what effect this has had on the original timetable; how many employment training training managers passed stage one; how many have been told to make improvements; how many have failed; and if he will make a statement about the future timetable for carrying out the full assessment of ATO status in employment training.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Area office staff began the assessment of employment training training managers for ATO status immediately the programme began and they have continued that process.

  It was originally hoped the process would be completed within 18 months of the beginning of the programme. It was recognised that training of managers, many of whom were new to training of this type, needed sufficient time to provide the evidence of the high standards of training required to satisfy the stringent criteria leading to the award of approved status. For this reason, the timetable allowed for the approval process is now set at two years from the date of commencement of operation.

  At 31 October 1989, 338 training managers had passed stage 1. The monitoring activities for approved status provide for Training Agency staff to work in partnership with all training managers to offer advice about the developments necessary to achieve full status.

  No training managers have failed.

  The timetable for approved status is set as described.

  Women Managers
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline the steps being taken by Her Majesty's Government to encourage the employment of women in management jobs.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Employers are bound by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to afford equal opportunities at all occupational levels to women and men. The careers service, the employment service and the Training Agency take every opportunity to bring openings in management and other senior appointments to the attention of appropriate women and to advise them of the necessary qualifications and available training.

  I and colleagues frequently remind employers of the need to use women's talents to the full, particularly at managerial level, and to emphasise that women must be treated equally with men. We are also supporting initiatives which help to promote women's enterprise. It is encouraging that the number of women managers is rising and that the Institute of Employment Research predicts that by 1995 two fifths of managers and entrepreneurs will be women.

  NATO Exercises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the extent of involvement by his Department in NATO exercise Wintex-Cimex 1987 and exercise Wintex-Cimex 1989; what is the number of staff engaged in the exercise planning process and in the exercises themselves; and what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of the staff involved.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department plays its part in testing those procedures in which we have an interest. Staff participate as required; it would not be appropriate for me to supply the detail requested.

  Computers (Public Safety)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure all aspects of decision-making at all levels involving public safety will not be compromised by the commercial secrecy of any computer codes which may be involved in such decision-making.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive is working with Government Departments to develop guidelines and standards for the use of computer software in safety-related applications. Under section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, inspectors have powers to make any necessary examination or investigation.

  Industrial Accident Regulations
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will extend the scope of the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard (CIMAH) Regulations to cover nuclear installations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No. Such an extension is neither appropriate nor necessary. The operation of nuclear installations is already closely controlled by the conditions attached to nuclear site licences granted by the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.
  357
  The HSE is currently developing regulations which will apply to nuclear installations requirements similar to those of the CIMAH regulations on the preparation of off-site emergency plans by local authorities and the provision of information to the public.

  New Businesses
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new businesses registered for value added tax in Derbyshire in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Eggar
  In 1988, the estimated number of new registrations for value added tax in Derbyshire was 3,110. The net increase in the number of VAT-registered businesses in Derbyshire in 1988 was 740, or 3·3 per cent, bringing the total number of VAT-registered businesses in Derbyshire to 22,770.

  Injury incidence rates1 for injuries to employees and the self employed in the construction industry2 in Great Britain

  Year

  Employees

  Self employed

  Fatal and major Rate per thousand3

  All reported Rate per thousand4

  Fatal and major Rate per thousand3

  All reported Rate per thousand4

  1979

  7

  31·5

  7

  7

  1980

  7

  30·0

  7

  7

  1981

  1·7

  41·9

  0·1

  7

  1982

  2·0

  40·7

  7

  7

  1983

  2·2

  7

  0·2

  7

  1984

  2·4

  7

  0·2

  7

  1985

  2·4

  7

  0·3

  7

  1986–875

  2·7

  19·4

  0·9

  2·3

  1987–885

  2·8

  19·3

  1·0

  2·4

  1988–895 6

  2·8

  18·4

  1·3

  2·9

  1 Rates based on injuries reported to Health and Safety Executive's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates and all other relevant enforcing authorities, under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1980 (NADOR) for 1981 to 1985 and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985 (RIDDOR) for later years. Rates for the years 1979–80 are based on reports made under various legislation to the Health and Safety Executive's Inspectorate only.

  2 The construction industry is defined as Standard Industrial Classification 1980 Division 5.

  3 The major injury category was first introduced by NADOR. The definition of a major injury was widened with the introduction of RIDDOR on 1 April 1986.

  4 Includes injuries causing incapacity for work for more than three days. For the years 1979–80 and from 1986–87 over three day injury data is based on employers' reports to enforcing authorities. For 1981–82 the over three day injury data is based on industrial injury benefit claims.

  5 Year beginning 1 April.

  6 Provisional.

  7 Not available.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Trade Deficit
  Mr. Orme
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the balance of trade deficit.

  Mr. Major
  The deficit on visible trade in the third quarter of 1989 was £6·8 billion. In that quarter exports, in both value and volume terms, were at an all-time high. Excluding oil and erratics, export volumes were 8½ per cent. higher than in the third quarter of 1988. Imports in the third quarter of 1989 were also at an all-time high, but import growth has slowed down significantly since last year. As domestic demand slows further, import growth should also continue to decline.

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Derbyshire were benefiting from the enterprise allowance scheme in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Eggar
  In the financial year April 1988 to March 1989 a total of 1,555 people joined the enterprise allowance scheme in Derbyshire.

  Construction Industry (Injuries)
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many occupational injuries per 1,000 workers were reported in the construction industry(a) in total, (b) for employees, (c) for the self-employed and (d) others for each year from 1979 to 1988·89.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 2 November 1989]: The available information is given in the table. Figures for the periods 1979–80, 1981 to 1985 and 1986 onwards are not comparable owing to changes in reporting arrangements. Figures for 1988–89 are provisional.

  Crown Estates (Revenue)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the revenue raised by the Crown Estate for the last five years by sea area for(a) dredging licences and (b) mooring rights.

  Mr. Major
  Statistics on dredging activity are collated by main dredging area. The revenues raised by the Crown Estate from licences to dredge aggregate for the last five calendar years were:

  £ million

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  East Coast

  0·9

  1·1

  1·3

  1·5

  1·9

  Thames Estuary

  0·4

  0·4

  0·4

  0·4

  0·5

  South Coast

  0·5

  0·6

  0·6

  0·7

  0·9

  Solent and Spithead

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  Bristol channel

  0·3

  0·3

  0·4

  0·5

  0·5

  Liverpool Bay and River Mersey

  0·05

  0·05

  0·06

  0·07

  0·07

  359
  Statistics for the revenue from mooring rights for the last five years are not readily available on the same basis. However, revenue for the 1988–89 financial year by main area of activity was:

  £ (thousands)

  East Coast of England

  10·2

  South Coast of England

  96·8

  West Coast of England (with Wales and Northern Ireland)

  8·3

  Scottish Waters

  46·8

  Child Care
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rules he applies to parents receiving vouchers or allowances in lieu of child care facilities not provided by employers; and what concessions he makes to those employers who do.

  Mr. Lilley
  Under the normal business tax rules, employers qualify for tax relief on day-to-day expenditure on all forms of child care provision for their employees' children, including cash allowances and vouchers. Tax relief is also available for certain capital expenditure on child care facilities. Cash allowances or vouchers given by employers to employees in lieu of child care facilities are taxable under the normal income tax rules.

  Workplace Nurseries
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider a change in the law in relation to the taxation of workplace nurseries and child care subsidies.

  Mr. Lilley
  Proposals to change the tax law in relation to workplace nurseries and child care subsidies were considered and rejected by the House during the passage of this year's Finance Bill. My right hon. Friend has no plans to reopen this matter.

  Emergency Communications
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the liaison arrangements between the Central Office of Information and United States civilian or military authorities on the proposed content of emergency radio and television broadcasts in the United Kingdom during a pre-war crisis.

  Mr. Ryder
  No liaison arrangements have been made between the Central Office of Information and United States civilian or military authorities on the proposed content of emergency radio and television broadcasts in the United Kingdom during a pre-war crisis.

  Benjamin Report
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for a copy of the report by Professor Bernard Benjamin, "Accessibility and other problems relating to statistics used by social scientists", to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Lilley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 31 October at cols.153–54. I understand that the report is available on request from the Economic and Social Research Council.

  Pensions
  Mr. Neil Thorne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider removing the attributable forces family pension from taxation.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: I have no plans to do so.

  War Widows
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's definition of a war widow for the purpose of taxation.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: There is no definition of war widow in tax legislation. Section 318 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 defines the pensions and allowances, generally regarded as war widows' pensions, which are not treated as income for tax purposes.

  Rugby Players (Tax)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply of 25 October to the hon. Member for Wakefield, if he will specify the information that is available about income tax paid by rugby union players in respect of relevant earnings.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 30 October 1989]: For the reason given in my reply of 25 October to the hon. Member at column 451, no such information is available.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  County Courts
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to make county courts more accessible for disabled people, especially in terms of physical accessibility, provision for the hard of hearing, clarity of signposting.

  The Attorney-General
  New and adapted or reconditioned court buildings provide, to the maximum possible extent, all the facilities required for the disabled, including lifts and ramps as necessary. Other buildings have had improvements incorporated where this has been feasible. New court rooms are designed to high acoustic standards which benefit the hard of hearing. Internal signs are made as clear as possible. Court staff are always available to assist disabled court users.

  Court Fees
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Attorney-General how much money was raised by county court fees, respectively, in the years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89; how much money was spent on county court services, other than on judicial salaries in each of these years; how much money was raised in High Court fees in each of these years; and how much money was spent on High Court services other than on judicial salaries in each of these years.

  The Attorney-General
  The income raised by fees in the county court and the Supreme Court (High Court and Court of Appeal) respectively for the last three years, and the total cost of the civil courts, exclusive of judicial costs,
  361
  are shown in the table. It is not possible to give a precise breakdown of costs between the Supreme Court and county courts. Civil business is treated as a single entity and many of the components of the overall figure, for example administrative overheads, are not broken down in this way. However, an estimate based on 1988–89 figures suggests that 75 per cent, of the cost is attributable to county court and district registry services, and 25 per cent. to other Supreme Court services.

  £ millions

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  County Court fees

  91·5

  96·4

  97·4

  Supreme Court fees

  43·2

  47·0

  52·5

  Total fees

  134·7

  143·4

  149·9

  Non judicial cost of civil courts

  121·1

  133·5

  143·9

  Excess of fees over cost

  13·6

  9·9

  6·0

  County Courts (Civil Justice Review)
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Attorney-General what additional staff accommodation, judges and registrars will be made available to the county court in order to implement the recommendations of the civil justice review.

  The Attorney-General
  Implementation of the civil justice review recommendations are to be phased over a period of five years. Resources for the first stages of the programme are currently the subject of public expenditure survey negotiations.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the percentage increase(a) in legal aid fees and (b) in total costs per legal aid certificate in each year since 1979.

  The Attorney-General
  (a) No rates are prescribed for non-matrimonial civil cases. From 1 October 1988 a system of prescribed rates and fees was introduced for legally aided matrimonial work, which were increased by 6 per cent, with effect from 1 April 1989. Rates for non-matrimonial legal aid work remain in the discretion of individual court taxing officers.

  For criminal cases prior to 1982 there were no prescribed rates for remuneration. With effect from 1 October 1982 rates were prescribed by regulations. Those rates have been increased by the following percentages:

  Solicitors per cent.

  Counsel per cent.

  1983–84

  5

  5

  1984–85

  4·5

  4·5

  1985–86

  4

  4

  1986–87

  15

  5

  26·5

  5

  1987–88

  6

  5

  1988–89

  5·4

  5·2

  1 with effect from 1 April 1986

  2 with effect from 1 October 1986

  (b) For civil cases the percentage increase in total costs per legal aid certificate in each year since 1979 was:

  per cent.

  1979–80

  18·44

  1980–81

  14·91

  1981–82

  26·25

  1982–83

  17·89

  362

  per cent.

  1983–84

  14·18

  1984–85

  10·36

  1985–86

  10·16

  1986–87

  10·22

  1987–88

  8·99

  1988–89

  16·22

  For criminal proceedings in magistrates courts the percentage increase in total costs per legal certificate in each year since 1979 was:

  Per cent.

  1979–80

  19·08

  1980–81

  23·50

  1981–82

  5·98

  1982–83

  6·93

  1983–84

  7·73

  1984–85

  8·85

  1985–86

  7·46

  1986–87

  11·54

  1987–88

  14·95

  1988–89

  10·06

  For criminal proceedings in the higher courts information is available only from 1985. The percentage increase in total costs per legal aid order for solicitors from that year was:

  Per cent.

  1985–86

  9·79

  1986–87

  13·53

  1987–88

  11·32

  1988–89

  4·40

  No information is available on counsel's fees by reference to legal aid orders for the higher courts.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Naturalisation
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation were made to the immigration and nationality department in(a) 1987, (b) 1988 and (c) the current year to date.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of applications for naturalisation received in caseworking groups was as follows:

  Number

  1987

  22,696

  1988

  24,632

  1989

  46,515

  Because of delays in the initial processing of applications, the figures for the years in question may include applications received in a previous year.

  Citizenship
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of applications received for registration for citizenship by 31 December 1987.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of applications for registration for citizenship received in caseworking groups
  363
  during 1987 was 57,322. In addition, there were a substantial number of applications for registration received in the Home Office which were received in groups after 1987. A figure for this is not currently available.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy not to grant any licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to Perrycroft Lodge kennels in Malvern.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Applications for licences and certificates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are considered individually on their merits but it is not our practice to comment on particular applications.

  Game Licences
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to review the system of game licences in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have no plans to review the system of game licences.

  Deportations
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been deported from the United Kingdom in each of the past 10 years(a) for being illegal immigrants and (b) for other reasons.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on persons removed from the United Kingdom between 1987 and 1988 under the enforcement powers in the Immigration Act 1971, either as illegal entrants or under the deportation process, is published in tables 23 and 24 of "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 1988" (Cm. 726), a copy of which is in the Library.

  Drug Addicts
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will advise chief constables to make available police pathology lab photographs of the bodies of dead drug addicts to schools and parents in order to show the effects more realistically.

  Mr. Waddington
  We have no plans to give such advice. Many schools have already introduced a programme of drugs education and all schools will be required to do so under the national curriculum.

  HM Prison, Shrewsbury
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the causes for delay in selling houses owned by his Department in Shrewsbury to prison officers based at Her Majesty's prison, Shrewsbury; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  Since the introduction of the discount sale scheme of quarters to prison officers in June 1987, over 4,500 applications have been received in England and Wales. Approximately 3,400–75 per cent.—sales have so far been completed, with a further 500 accepted offers currently with solicitors.
  364
  Inevitably there have been some delays in dealing with difficult cases and at Shrewsbury there have been particular problems with four properties in The Dana opposite the prison. A detailed survey was needed to determine the areas of land to be sold with each property and the question of rights of way and inclusion of associated lock-up garages had also to be considered. The deeds, dating back to 1598, were rather obscure and had to be investigated by the Treasury Solicitor to establish proper title.

  The delay in these cases is regretted but the Treasury Solicitor is in possession of all necessary deeds and documents, together with detailed plans for conveyance purposes, and is reaching completions as quickly as possible.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board between the receiving of a claim and bringing the matter to settlement; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 17 October 1989 at column 16.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the efficiency and staffing of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

  Mr. John Patten
  To deal with the steep rise in the number of applications the board's complement has been increased from 220 in 1987 to 320 now and a new office has been opened in Glasgow. We are in close touch with the chairman of the board about ways of improving efficiency at the board and tackling the problems of delay and backlog caused by the increased workload.

  Child Abuse
  Mrs. Dun woody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will instigate a report to discover the sociological and psychological backgrounds on child abusers;

  (2) if he will instigate a research project to discover how widespread the problem of child abuse is within the community; and what are the effects upon the individual child, the family unit concerned, and the sentencing and removal of the abuser.

  Mr. John Patten
  A table listing recent, current and planned research into child abuse funded by all Government Departments was placed in the Library in May this year. This covers the period 1989–90 and includes projects on the perpetrators, prevalence and effects of child abuse to be undertaken mainly by health departments. The Home Office is undertaking research into prevention and evidential matters. We are also preparing for publication a statistical study of criminal proceedings for offences against children, taking in sentencing. It is too early to say what projects Departments will be including in 1990–91 research programmes.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up a national prevention programme against child abuse.
  365
  Mr. John Patten
  The Government are supporting a number of preventive measures. An important factor in preventing child abuse is to ensure that children are taught how to keep themselves safe, and to this end a set of guidelines for parents, drawn up by the organisation KIDSCAPE, has been incorporated in the Home Office crime prevention handbook "Practical Ways to Crack Crime". Three million copies of the handbook have been distributed.

  The Department of Health provides a financial contribution towards the administrative expenses of a number of national voluntary organisations which campaign for the prevention of child abuse, for example the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Childline. The Department of Health also funded the production of a training package by the Open university which was launched earlier this year and which aims to provide people who have had little or no knowledge of the subject of child abuse, as well as professionals and voluntary workers, with greater awareness and recognition skills.

  Broadwater Farm (Police Raid)
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  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 as to how many police officers and other personnel were used in the raid on Broadwater Farm by the police on Friday 29 September; if any armed police officers were used; how many press, radio and television journalists accompanied the police, and representing which newspapers, radio and television stations; how many observers accompanied the police and from where; what briefing was given to the observers and the press by the police; and where and for how long the observers and the press were kept incommunicado.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 229 police officers were involved in the operation but none of them was armed. Eight media organisations accompanied the police. There were four personnel (one reporter, three crew) from Independent Television News, three (one reporter, two crew) from BBC News, two (one reporter, one photographer) from the Press Association, and one journalist from each of The Mail on Sunday, BBC Radio News, the News of the World, the Tottenham and Hornsey Journal and Independent Radio News. Four observers accompanied the police, of which three were members of the Haringey police liaison committee and the fourth was the director of criminal justice studies at Reading university. All the observers and the media representatives were present throughout the entire main briefing given to the police officers at the police training centre at Hendon. They were incommunicado from the time they joined police early on the morning of 29 September until about 5 pm that afternoon when the operation commenced.

  Attempted Suicides
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attempted suicides have been recorded in prison establishments in England and Wales during 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  We have received reports of 463 apparent suicide attempts made by inmates in prison service custody so far during 1989.

  Suicides
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides in England and Wales have occurred during 1989(a) at prison establishments and (b) in remand establishments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  At the end of October 1989 verdicts of suicide had been returned on 20 inmates who died in prison establishments in England and Wales during 1989. Of these inmates eight were on remand. Inquests have yet to be held on 13 other inmates, of whom 10 were on remand, who have died in prison department custody during this period and whose deaths are thought to have been suicides.

  Prisoners
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the sentence and remand prison population for England and Wales for the latest date available, and for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  The latest available information is that in September 1989, 10,536 remand, 222 non-criminal and 37,851 sentenced prisoners were held in prison service establishments. A further 30, most of whom were on remand, were held in police cells. Average populations in each of the last 11 years were published in table 1.5 of "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1988" (Cm 825), a copy of which is in the Library.

  Acid House Parties
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many arrests for drug-related offences have been made to date at events described as acid house parties;

  (2) what information he has on which drugs and in what quantities have been seized by police at events described as acid house parties.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Drugs
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in each of the last 10 years have been fined for drug-related offences.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information is published in table 1.1 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 30/89, "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs: Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted for unlawful possession of(a) cannabis, (b) cocaine, (c) LSD, (d) heroin, and (e) crack for each year from 1979.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information on the number of persons found guilty, cautioned or dealt with by compounding for unlawful possession of cannabis, cocaine, LSD and heroin for each year since 1979 is
  367
  published in tables S2.29, S2.17, S2.23 and S2.21 respectively of "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs: Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988— Supplementary tables", a copy of which is in the Library. Corresponding tables S2.28, S2.16, S2.22 and S2.20 give the number of persons found guilty in 1988. Crack offences are included in those for cocaine.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers of registered addicts in the United Kingdom for each year from 1979.

  Mr. Waddington
  There is no system of registration of addicts. Information on the numbers of addicts notified to the chief medical officer at the Home Office in the years 1979 to 1988 was published in Statistical Bulletin issue 13/89 "Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the current street price of crack.

  Mr. Waddington
  Information from the national drugs intelligence unit suggests that the street price of crack is in the region of £20 to £25 for a piece of about 0·2gs.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the levels of addiction of hard drugs in(a) West Germany, (b) France, (c) Netherlands, (d) Switzerland, (e) Spain, (f Italy, (g) Belgium, and (h) the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Waddington
  Information about the numbers of drug addicts notified to the Home Office in 1988 was published in Home Office statistical bulletin issue 13/89, "Statistics of Drug Addicts Notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1988," a copy of which is in the Library. In addition, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, in its report "Aids and Drug Misuse part 1," estimated that there might have been between 75,000 and 150,000 misusers of notified drugs in the United Kingdom during 1986, together with as many again (excluding cannabis users) who are using a variety of non-notifiable drugs (such as amphetamines) on an experimental or occasional basis. Comparable information about addiction levels in other European countries is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the numbers of young people aged 16 or under, arrested or cautioned for possession of drugs.

  Mr. Waddington
  The number of persons aged 16 or under dealt with in the United Kingdom in 1988 for unlawful possession of drugs was 831. This includes persons dealt with at court and cautioned, and cases where other action (such as informal warnings and no further action) was taken. There is likely to be under-recording of persons in the last group.

  Mr. Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the use of the drug ectasy in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Waddington
  MDMA, known as "ecstasy", has been a controlled drug since 1977. Seizures of MDMA 368
  have increased in recent years but still remain small compared to those of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis. Informaton from the forensic science service indicates that some 90 MDMA seizures were analysed in 1988.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average sentence given for(a) unlawful possession and (b) possession with intent to supply drugs.

  Mr. Waddington
  The information is published in table S2.6 of "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs: Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988— Supplementary tables", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weight of the seizures of(a) cannabis, (b) cocaine, (c) LSD, (d) heroin and (e) crack for each year from 1979.

  Mr. Waddington
  The information is published in tables 2.4 and 2.5 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 30/89, "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs: Seizures and Offenders Dealt With, United Kingdom, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library. Crack seizures are included in cocaine seizures.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prison suicides, is among those inmates serving sentences for drug-related offences.

  Mr. Waddington
  The table gives the figures for inmates held in prison establishments in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

  Total suicides1

  Suicides by sentenced inmates1

  Suicides by inmates serving sentences for drug related offences1

  1984

  23

  11

  1

  1985

  23

  9

  —

  1986

  17

  5

  —

  1987

  42

  14

  2

  1988

  30

  11

  2

  1989

  220

  212

  21

  1 The table gives the number of deaths for which suicide verdicts were returned at the inquest.

  2 Inquests have yet to be held on 13 other inmates who have died in 1989 and whose deaths are thought to have been suicides. Of these two were serving sentences for drug related offences.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the gaol population of the United Kingdom is in detention for(a) drug and (b) cannabis-related offences.

  Mr. Waddington
  The latest readily available information was published in table 1(b) of "Prison statistics England and Wales 1988" (Cm 825), a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to seek powers for the police to be able to apply for a court order to allow them access to information about a suspected drug dealer's tax affairs.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. Courts already have powers under sections 27 and 30 of the Drug Trafficking Offences
  369
  Act 1986 to make an order authorising the police to gain access to information about the tax affairs of any person who is suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is able to estimate per year(a) the approximate levels of consumption in the United Kingdom of cannabis, cocaine, LSD, heroin and crack and (b) the total value of each of these drugs.

  Mr. Waddington
  No. But information on seizures of these drugs is published annually by the Home Office.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is able to estimate the number of police officers in the United Kingdom who are solely engaged in combating crime from drug-related offences.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We estimate that by the end of 1988 a total of 1,323 police officers were solely engaged in the investigation of drug-related offences at force and regional level in England and Wales. Twenty posts from the 1989–90 manpower programme have been allocated to regional crime squad drugs wings.

  In addition, very many police officers at force and crime squad level will contribute to the prevention and investigation of drug-related offences in the course of their duties.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is able to give an estimation of the cost per year of prosecuting and convicting individuals accused of drug-related offences.

  Mr. Waddington
  No. But information on persons dealt with for drug offences is published annually by the Home Office.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is considering the greater use of confiscation orders for drug trafficking convictions.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 already provides that, when a person is convicted of a drug trafficking offence, the court must determine whether he has ever benefited from drug trafficking and, if he has, impose a confiscation order to deprive him of his proceeds.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will undertake a review of the penalties for drug-related offences.

  Mr. John Patten
  No. The courts have adequate powers to deal with drug-related offences. For the production, supply or possession with intent to supply a class A drug the maximum penalty is life imprisonment; for class B drugs, it is 14 years and five years for class C drugs. Sentencing is a matter for the courts and the Court of Appeal has given guidance on sentencing drug offences.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department collects regular information on the street prices of drugs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  No. But the national drugs intelligence unit collates information on the approximate street prices provided by police forces for intelligence purposes.

  Crack
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the first seizure of crack was made in the United Kingdom; and how much has been seized to date.

  Mr. Waddington
  The first seizure of crack recorded by the national drugs intelligence unit was in 1986, although it is possible that earlier seizures were made but reported as of cocaine. The total numbers of seizures of crack recorded so far are as follows:

  Number

  1986

  5

  1987

  12

  1988

  27

  19891

  75

  1 January to September.

  Kurdish People
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kurdish asylum seekers have been detained, and for what period, since 1 January.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: The information is not available in the form requested. Of approximately 3,900 Turkish nationals who have claimed asylum on arrival in the United Kingdom since 1 January some 300 have been detained at some time, for periods ranging from one day to five months. On 26 October, four Turkish asylum seekers, one of whom arrived in May and three in June, remained in detention, their applications for asylum having been considered and refused. On the same date two other Turkish nationals who were being treated as illegal entrants and were detained had applied for asylum. One had been in prison—following a criminal conviction, the other was detained in September 1989.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kurdish people from Turkey have arrived at Heathrow airport and then returned to Turkey without seeking entry to Britain since 1 January.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: Information on passengers subject to control who seek leave to enter is maintained by nationality not ethnic or religious origin. There are no records of passengers who do not seek leave to enter, for example because they are in direct transit. Up to 26 October a total of 232 Turkish asylum seekers had departed voluntarily without awaiting the outcome of their applications.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Siho Iyiguven arrived in Britain; for what periods he was detained; how many representations were received on his behalf; who took the decision to remove him; whether his Department will pay for the return of his body to Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: Mr. Siho Iyiguven arrived in Britain on 2 May 1989. He was detained on 22 August for one night and on 4 October until the fire on 5 October which led to his death. Representations were received on his behalf on five occasions. The decision that he did not qualify for asylum

  371
  in this country was taken in the refugee section of the immigration and nationality department and removal directions were issued by the immigration service. The inquest into Mr. Iyiguven's death has been adjourned and I understand that his next of kin have yet to decide what arrangements to make for his remains.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of Kurdish asylum seekers from Turkey who have arrived in Britain since 1 January; and how many have(a) made voluntary departures, (b) been given exceptional leave to remain, (c) been granted asylum and (d) been removed to Turkey.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: Immigration statistics do not record ethnic origins of asylum seekers. From 1 January until 25 October some 3,900 Turkish nationals had applied for asylum on arrival (a) 232 had made voluntary departures, (b) 270 had been given exceptional leave to enter, (c) 75 had been granted asylum and (d) 38 had been removed to Turkey.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations from human rights and church organisations he has received concerning the treatment of Kurdish asylum seekers since 1 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: Representations have been received from various individuals and organisations about general and specific issues concerned with Turkish asylum seekers.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Polish Economic Delegations
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if visits by Polish economic delegations which include seminars at the Adam Smith Institute are being subsidised by his Department.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No. But we have funded a seminar on privatisation in Warsaw organised by the Adam Smith Institute. Polish economists, whose visits here are financed by us, sometimes have talks with the institute.

  Cambodia
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy towards the continuing membership at the United Nations of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the hon. Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin) on 25 October at column 491.

  Political Groups (EC)
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will tabulate in the Official Report the amounts paid, in 1988 pound sterling equivalents, to each of the political groups of the European Parliament together with an indication of any allocated expenditure within the totals and the total expected expenditure in 1990.
  372
  Mr. Maude
  [pursuant to his reply, 24 October 1989, c. 402]: The amounts paid in 1988 to the political groups of the European Parliament were:

  ECU

  £(at1·5057 ecu = £l)

  Contribution to administrative/secretarial operating expenses of the political groups and non-attached members

  6,851,970

  4,550,687

  European Information Campaign (information activities on the role and work of the European Parliament, its political groups and their members)

  27,700,000

  18,396,758

  Purchase of data-processing equipment

  800,000

  531,314

  Hire and maintenance of equipment

  330,000

  219,167

  Other activities

  3,496,100

  2,321,910

  No breakdown of the payments to each political group is available.

ENERGY

  Correspondence
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what percentage of letters from hon. Members to his Department received a reply(a) in under four weeks, (b) within four to six weeks, (c) within six to eight weeks and (d) over eight weeks, in each of the last three years;

  (2) what information his Department has on the length of time taken to respond to letters from hon. Members.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Department's general objective: is to answer letters from hon. Members within three weeks of receipt. At present the Department has no letters awaiting a reply which have been outstanding for longer than that period. The specific information requested by the hon. Member can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Risley Programmes
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress of the Chardis, Thor and Supersomite programes at Risley.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the UKAEA and I will ask the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Reactors (Privatisation)
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a further statement on tier Majesty's Government's policy on the privatisation of advanced gas-cooled reactors and the pressurised water reactors under construction.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House on 24 July by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Energy at columns 744–45.

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the competitive structure of the United Kingdom electricity industry and other member nations of the EEC.
  373
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The electricity industries of EC member states show a variety of structures. Some are dominated by a single state monopoly; in others, dominant generators play a significant role in transmission; regional monopolies in supply are also common. In England and Wales, the Government are putting in place a competitive structure. Use of the distribution and transmission system will be open to all on published and regulated terms. There will be competition between generators from day one. And the market in supply to customers will be progressively opened up to competition. There will be no permanent monopolies in supply or generation.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what studies he has carried out regarding the effect of the privatisation of the electricity supply industry on British Coal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Since it has responsibility for the coal industry, my Department naturally monitors closely and continuously the implications for British Coal of electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on European Community investigations into the nuclear provisions in the electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Government have kept the EC Commission fully informed of their proposals relating to the privatisation of the electricity industry. The dialogue is continuing. We are confident that the arrangements for the new industry will be consistent with the United Kingdom's Community obligations.

  Wylfa B Power Station
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will cancel plans for the public inquiry into the proposed Wylfa B pressurised water reactor station.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend has received formal objections to the CEGB's application for his consent to construct a PWR nuclear power station at Wylfa from both the Isle of Anglesey borough council and the Gwynedd county council. He is therefore obliged to arrange a public inquiry pursuant to section 34(1) of the Electricity Act 1957.

  Hinkley Point C Power Station
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will cancel plans to build the Hinkley Point C pressurised water reactor station.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The CEGB's application for my right hon. Friend's consent to construct a PWR nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C is currently the subject of a public inquiry.

  My right hon. Friend will wish to consider the inspector's report before deciding whether or not to grant his consent to the CEGB's application.

  The construction of new nuclear power stations in England and Wales is a matter for the CEGB.

  Coal Productivity (North-East)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give the latest figures for productivity for the north-east coal field; and if he will give those for 1985.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Productivity in the north-east coalfield rose from 2·23 tonnes per man shift in 1985–86 to 3–82 tonnes in 1988–89.

  Nato Exercises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the extent of involvement by his Department in NATO exercise Wintex/Cimex 1987 and exercise Wintex/Cimex 1989; what is the number of staff engaged in the exercise planning process and in the exercises themselves; and what are the ranks and responsibilities of the staff involved.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department plays its part in testing those procedures in which we have an interest. Staff participate as required; it would not be appropriate for me to supply the detail required.

  Nuclear Power
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the annual load factor achieved by United Kingdom nuclear power plants.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The average load factor of the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear power stations for the first six months of the current financial year was 60·6 per cent. The equivalent load factor for the South of Scotland Electricity Board's nuclear power stations was 62·8 per cent.

  Fast Breeder Reactors
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the future of the fast breeder reactor programme.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House on 21 July last year by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Energy at column 1288.

  Magnox Plants
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he now expects to be able to announce the estimated decommissioning costs for the Magnox nuclear power plants.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Members for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) and for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 24 October at column 381.

DEFENCE

  Armed Services (Privatisation)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to evaluate the benefits to the efficiency of national defence of privatisation of the armed services.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  B2
  Mr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received any request from the United States administration to base the B2 stealth nuclear bomber in the United Kingdom, under the updated 1948 Anglo-American military air bases agreement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  Collisions
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report all instances of Royal Navy surface or submarine vessels in collision, or otherwise in contact, with commercial vessels in the Irish sea since May 1979.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In the case of surface vessels, this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and effort. Incidents in which Royal Navy submarines have been in collision with surface vessels or their gear since 1 January 1980, in or around the Irish sea, are as follows:

  Date

  17 November 1981

  FV Sapphire

  Clyde Area

  18 April 1982

  FV Sharelga

  Irish Sea

  10 March 1983

  FV Targuen

  Irish Sea

  11 August 1984

  FV Huntress

  Clyde Area

  6 December 1987

  FV Prevail

  North Channel

  2 July 1988

  Yacht Dalriada

  North Channel

  16 July 1988

  Yacht Drum FV Brilliant

  North Channel

  27 October 1988

  Star

  Sound of Bute

  28 June 1989

  FV Huntress

  Clyde Area

  12 September 1989

  FV Contester

  Irish Sea

  Contester (Incident)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the incident in the Irish sea off Skerries, county Dublin, involving the trawler Contester and a Royal Navy vessel; and what communications have been received by Her Majesty's ambassador in Dublin over this incident.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  At 1830 hours on 12 September 1989, some 25 miles north-east of Dublin, a communications buoy being towed by a Royal Navy submarine became caught in the nets of the Irish fishing vessel Contester; the buoy wire parted shortly afterwards. The submarine came to periscope depth, made a very careful visual examination of Contester, which had been monitored on sonar throughout, and listened on radio circuits to ensure that all was well. Once it had been established that neither Contester nor any of the other fishing vessels in sight were in any difficulty, the submarine proceeded on her way.

  The British embassy in Dublin has been in contact with the relevant authorities in the Irish Republic and has also received letters from interested organisations and individuals in connection with this incident.

  Australian Service Men (Compensation)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Australian Government have sought any financial compensation from the United Kingdom to offset 376
  payments they agreed to make, on 4 September, to Australian service men contaminated by radioactive fallout from United Kingdom nuclear weapons tested in Australia in the 1950s.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have not received any such request from the Australian Federal Government, nor would we expect to do so.

  Hydrographer's Department (Sales)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will authorise the Hydrographer's department to reproduce old charts, pilots and fleet review anchor plans for sale to the general public.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The hydrographic office already makes photocopies of old charts and documents available to researchers and other individual inquirers for specific purposes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence informed the House on 18 October at column 155 that the hydrographic office is planned to become a defence support agency from 1 April 1990.I hope that, as such an agency, the office would more easily pursue commercially viable opportunities for wider sales of reproductions of the historic collections in its archives.

  Nuclear Tests (Safety)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek advice from the Health and Safety Executive under section 11 (5)(b) of the Health and Safety at Work, Etc. Act 1974 as to the health of the United Kingdom participants in the British nuclear weapons test programme 1952–67.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  With regard to the health of United Kingdom participants in the British nuclear weapons test programme, we are completely satisfied with the independent and expert advice already being provided by the national Radiological Protection Board, which is engaged in an ongoing study and is free to consult whichever experts it sees fit. It is not for the Government to dictate the conduct or methodology of that study. Furthermore, the Health and Safety at Work Act did not come into force until 1974 and therefore the Health and Safety Executive had no direct involvement in the trials. It would, therefore, seem inappropriate to consult them and the NRPB has not advised us to do so.

  Open Skies
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the open skies aerial surveillance and reconnaissance proposals for cooperation between NATO and the Warsaw pact.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As the May 1989 NATO summit declaration made clear, we consider President Bush's call for an open skies regime to be an important intitiative. It is currently the subject of study and consultations.

  Uniter
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the Uniter RAF telecom system; what was the original cost and target completion date; what are his current estimates; and if he will make a statement.
  377
  Mr. Alan Clark
  Uniter will provide the RAF with a new secure voice and data communications system to support the effective operation of a number of new equipments and systems coming into service in the next few years. Uniter stage 1, involving 12 improved United Kindom air defence ground environment stations, was commissioned and handed over to the RAF in December 1988. Stage 2, involving a further 48 sites, will come into service in the early 1990s.

  The equipment delivery programme for stage 2 is proceeding according to schedule. Some equipment costs have, however, increased; and greater than foreseen difficulties with the substantial works programme, combined with high cost escalation in recent years in the civil construction industry, have led to cost and timescale overruns for the programme as a whole. I am considering proposals to strengthen the management arrangements for the remainder of the programme in order to minimise the likelihood of further delays or cost increases.

  Red Arrows
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what factors are taken into consideration when deciding the annual programme of appearances at air displays for the Red Arrows; and if he will make a statement regarding next year's programme;

  (2) what representations he has received regarding the annual programme for the Red Arrows display team; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  To date, the Ministry of Defence has received nearly 200 requests for public appearances by the Red Arrows in 1990.

  At the end of each year, a Ministry of Defence committee considers all the requests received for appearances by the Red Arrows, and other RAF display teams and aircraft, at public events the following year. The main aims of RAF participation in such events are to create good public relations and to attract recruits into the service. With these aims in mind, the committee considers factors such as likely crowd size, expected media coverage, geographical location, whether repeat performances are being sought, and financial and practical considerations.

  The committee plans to meet in December 1989 to decide the programme for the Red Arrows, and the other RAF display teams and aircraft, for 1990.

  Weapons (Dismantlement)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investment in terms of finance and personnel his Department has made in arms control and disarmament verification in the sectors of(a) nuclear weapons dismantlement, (b) nuclear warhead dismantlement, (c) conventional weapons dismantlement and (d) chemical and biological weapons detection and dismantlement, in each year since 1979; and what has been for each year the proportion of the annual defence budget devoted to verification issues.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 November 1989]: Demands on the defence budget connected with arms control verification have been met from existing resources and are not accounted for separately. The information requested could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has had any discussions or plans any future discussions with the defence Minister of any country not party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty on the joint developments with the United Kingdom of stand-off air-launched nuclear weapons systems.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As I have made clear on several occasions, discussions are taking place with both the United States and French Governments on procurement options for the possible replacement of WE 177 free-fall bomb.

  Army Presentation Team
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Army presentation team started to give presentations on the British Army to invited audiences throughout the United Kingdom; and if he will state the dates and occasions of presentations by the Army presentation team on the British Army to invited audiences in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Army presentation team was established to explain the vital role of the Army, both regular and reserve, in the defence of the United Kingdom. The first presentation was given in Tunbridge Wells on 4 September 1989, since when further presentations have been given as follows:

  Date

  Canterbury

  5 September

  Guildford

  6 September

  Portsmouth

  11 September

  Bletchley

  13 September

  Shrivenham

  14 September

  Stirling

  26 September

  Glasgow

  27 September

  Galashiels

  28 September

  Harrow

  9 October

  Walthamstow

  11 October

  Marble Arch

  17 October

  Twickenham

  18 October

  Lewisham

  19 October

  Stoke-on-Trent

  31 October

  Shrewsbury

  1 November

  Wolverhampton

  2 November

  Presentations are open to all, and are publicised via the local media.

  Ambulances
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's ambulances are(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas; and if he will estimate the normal requirements of the service in peacetime.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The armed forces have approximately 1,000 ambulances of various types in service in the United Kingdom and approximately 700 overseas. The services also maintain stocks of vehicles for use in the event of war, however details of such holdings are classified.

  The military requirement for ambulances in peacetime centres on the need to provide day-to-day emergency medical cover at service establishments and also the need to ensure that appropriate numbers of vehicles are available for training and exercises. The current size of the military ambulance fleet reflects this.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance Her Majesty's Government are giving towards the military training of each of the factions contending for power in Cambodia.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 30 October 1989 at column 43.

SCOTLAND

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Alan Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the subjects on which he is not prepared to answer parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Rifkind
  No. I answer all questions which appear to be proper to my responsibilities.

  Land Renewal
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was(a) the total amount of expenditure on land renewal by the Scottish Development Agency in each of the years 1979–80 to 1988–89 inclusive and (b) the estimated expenditure on land renewal in 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92, at current and constant prices.

  Mr. Lang
  This information is set out in the table and includes the agency's expenditure on urban renewal and environmental improvement generally. The Government's expenditure plans for the years beyond 1989–90 will be expenditure White Paper early in the New Year.

  £ millions

  Year

  Cash

  1988–89 prices

  1979–80

  24·9

  46·8

  1980–81

  31·6

  50·1

  1981–82

  24·0

  34·7

  1982–83

  30·7

  41·4

  1983–84

  30·3

  39·0

  1984–85

  36·4

  44·7

  1985–86

  41·2

  48·0

  1986–87

  44·1

  49·7

  1987–88

  44·9

  48·2

  1988–89

  46·5

  46·5

  11989–90

  47·7

  244·6

  1 Provisional.

  2 Estimated.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was(a) the total number of land renewal schemes started by the Scottish Development Agency in each of the years 1979–80 to 1988–89 inclusive and (b) the estimated number of schemes to be started in 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is set out in the following table. Wide variations in the agency's level of support for individual schemes makes it impossible to give realistic forecasts of the number of schemes which will receive assistance this year or in 1990–91. From 1991–92 onwards, this will of course be a matter for Scottish Enterprise.
  380

  Number of schemes started

  1979–80

  210

  1980–81

  70

  1981–82

  116

  1982–83

  448

  1983–84

  264

  1984–85

  173

  1985–86

  242

  1986–87

  287

  1987–88

  336

  1988–89

  364

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure from the land renewal budget of the Scottish Development Agency on the Glasgow garden festival in each of the years 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is set out in the table. The table also shows expenditure on the festival in 1988–89.

  £ million

  Year

  Cash

  1988–89

  1985–86

  2·9

  3·4

  1986–87

  5·5

  6·2

  1987–88

  11·9

  12·8

  1988–89

  3·6

  3·6

  Public Rights of Way
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy as to whether the Countryside Commission for Scotland will be permitted to fund the erection of a structure which substantially altered the value of a right of way without a variation order being obtained.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 November 1989]: The Countryside Commission for Scotland operates in conformity with the powers and duties contained in the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967. Under the Act, it is the duty of local planning authorities and not of the Commission to assert and protect public rights of way. Questions about the application and interpretation of this duty are matters for the courts to decide.

HEALTH

  Hospital Facilities (Closures)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency provisions he has made or is contemplating to avoid bed closures and other temporary closures of hospital facilities during Christmas and winter of the current year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is for health authorities to decide how health services should be provided to meet local needs and priorities within the resources allocated by the Government.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new district general hospitals have been built or approved in principle in the last 10 years; what was their size in area and in bed provision; and what is the population of the health districts they serve.
  381
  Mr. Freeman
  District general hospitals are normally developed on a phased basis, each phase or scheme being the subject of a separate approval in principle submission and construction contract. Information held centrally is not therefore in the form requested and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate expense. I have, however, placed in the Library of the House a list of 482 schemes costing over £1 million completed or approved in principle since 1 January 1980, giving the number of beds in each case. (There is some undercounting because(a) before 1986 information was only collected on schemes over £2 million and (b) central records for 1980–82 are incomplete). Information on the population of health districts is set out in OPCS Monitor PP1/89/1. However hospitals often treat patients from outside their own district boundaries.

  Elderly Patients
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of acute hospital in-patients are over the age of 70 years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In the year ending March 1988, the latest year for which information is available centrally, 24 per cent, of acute patients treated were aged 65 years and over and 12 per cent, were 75 years and over.

  Maternity Units
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his Department's guidelines as to the number of births per annum in a district hospital maternity unit for it to be recognised as a training establishment.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This is not a matter for the Department. The design and accreditation of training for these professional staff is the responsibility of the relevant statutory and professional bodies: the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  Shropshire Health Authority
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what increase in patient through put he expected to result from the opening of Telford district hospital at the time he decided to approve plans by the Shropshire health authority to close hospitals in the county and reduce the number of beds available within Shrewsbury.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Shropshire district health authority's consultation document "The future of health services in Shropshire" (January 1988) indicated that the number of in-patients treated across the district would increase in 1990 by about 2,000 a year.

  Child Abuse
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the special programmes for social workers that include training in handling specific cases of child abuse.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government introduced this year the training support programme (child care), which makes available to local authorities grants of 70 per cent, in support of expenditure of £10 million on training for social services staff working in the child care field.
  382
  Within the programme authorities were asked to give particular emphasis to training for staff handling child abuse and child sexual abuse. The programme will continue in the next financial year.

  Mrs. Dun woody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the definition of child abuse used by his Department.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department's guidance "Working Together" (1988), copies of which are available in the Library, describes child abuse as harm to children by parents, relatives, carers, acquaintances or strangers. Paragraph 5.31 of the guidance details definitions of neglect, physical abuse, emotional and sexual abuse. It states that these categories are not necessarily exhaustive nor mutually exclusive; and that all are encompassed within the term "child abuse".

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what facilities are available for child abusers under the age of 12 years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Child abusers under the age of 12 years are eligible for the full range of assessment, treatment and support services provided by local authority social services departments and health authorities. These may include for example placement in residential or foster care, including secure accommodation where appropriate, or provision of psychological and psychiatric services.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in South Yorkshire are currently on the child abuse register.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Child protection registers record those children who are the subject of an inter-agency plan for the protection of the child. The most recent published information about children and young persons on child protection registers is contained in "Survey of Children and Young Persons on Child Protection Registers Year Ended 31 March 1988". Copies are available in the Library.

  NHS Accommodation
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of nurses and other hospital staff living in National Health Service accommodation in the west midlands.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The West Midlands regional health authority estimates that 3,852 nurses and 2,762 other staff were living in NHS accommodation on 23 October 1989.

  HIV-positive People
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to issue an update of the Cox estimate of the number of HIV-positive individuals in England and Wales as at the end of 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The estimates of the Cox report are being considered by a group of experts. It is expected that the revised changes will be published early next year.

  Waltham Forest Health Authority
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy not to merge Waltham Forest district health authority with any other district health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no plans for a merger involving Waltham Forest district health authority.

  Health Authorities (Capital Charges)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish updated estimates of the capital charges for health authorities under his White Paper proposals.

  Mr. Freeman
  Health authorities are making good progress in compiling asset registers in preparation for capital charging. Estimates of capital charges will be available when these have been completed and valued.

  Community Care
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those district health authorities which are most advanced in the provision of care for the mentally ill in the community.

  Mr. Freeman
  Many district health authorities are responsible for examples of good practice in relation to health care for people with a mental illness being treated in the community and I referred to some in the written answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad) on 13 July at columns 620–25. We do not have within the Department the information necessary to compile a definitive list of such districts.

  BMA
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the chairman of the British Medical Association; and what subject was discussed.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I met Dr. John Marks, the chairman of the British Medical Association, with some of his colleagues on 18 October when we discussed details of the implementation of the proposals in the White Paper, "Working For Patients". It was a friendly and useful meeting.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has recently made to, or received from, the British Medical Association.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Ministers met the British Medical Association on 18 October to discuss the implementation of our proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients". We have also received a number of letters from the BMA about the details of our proposals.

  Treatment (Boundaries)
  Mr. Harry Green way
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to enable patients to cross district health authority boundaries for treatment in authority areas other than their own, where their own authority cannot provide the treatment concerned; and if he will make a statement.
  384
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  GPs are free to refer patients to the consultant of their choice, and consultants are free to refuse or accept such referrals. Sometimes referrals are not accepted when they involve patients from outside the health authority boundary for whom the authority is not remunerated.

  Proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients" will make it easier for patients to get treatment outside their home district if they choose to do so. Districts will ignore administrative boundaries in ensuring that a comprehensive range of high quality services is available to their population. Money will follow the patient so that all hospitals will have an incentive to offer their services widely. The most popular hospitals that attract patients by the quality of their care will be rewarded. The effect will be to give patients greater choice and better access to the highest standards of service.

  Hampstead Health Authority
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the spending per head of the population served by Hampstead district health authority in the year 1987–88; and what is the figure per head on the most nearly comparable basis for(a) England and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Freeman
  Figures for spending per head of resident population for 1987–88 are shown in the table:

  Revenue expenditure per head of resident population

  Hospital and community health services1

  £

  Hampstead District Health Authority

  592

  England—average for all district health authorities

  227

  United Kingdom

  238

  1 Includes hospital, community health, patient transport (ie. ambulance), blood transfusion and other services.

  Sources:

  (a) 1987–88 annual accounts of district health authorities in England and those of the analogous health authorities, boards and agencies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—as submitted to the central health department in each country.

  (b)Mid-year estimates of populations—1987 (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys).

  Notes to the table

  1.Capital expenditure on hospital and community health services is excluded. Expenditure on family practitioner services (which cannot be strictly attributed to particular districts) and expenditure on personal social services (which in Northern Ireland is accounted for by Health and Social Services Boards) is also excluded.

  2.Significant variations in figures for spending per head of population at district level arise principally because:

  (a) people travel across district boundaries for treatment and resource allocations reflect the pattern of service provision locally;

  (b) the population figures used make no allowance for people resident in one district who receive treatment in another or for differences in morbidity and age/sex structure of particular populations.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to commission a study of possible adverse health effects of abandoned and leaking toxic waste dumps.
  385
  Mr. Freeman
  The Department, with others concerned, would commission a study if there were reasonable grounds to consider that there might be adverse health effects associated with a localised source of pollution.

  The Department, with others, has established a small health statistics unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This independent unit is developing new techniques specifically to undertake studies of this sort.

  Officials will be discussing with officials at the Department of the Environment whether there are any particular sites used for the disposal of toxic chemicals where environmental contamination may be occurring in circumstances which would make a health study appropriate.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment gave to him on 26 October at columns 552–53.

  NHS Supplies
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that in no circumstance the National Health Service should pay more for supplies than the private sector, and that it should pay less when there is a large and regular order.

  Mr. Freeman
  Existing policy is to seek maximum value for money and commercial awareness in all NHS tendering and contracting practices and procedures.

  Hearing Aids
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South on 26 October whether the main suppliers who have offered to supply commercial hearing aid equipment to the National Health Service at reduced prices are now charging the National Health Service the same prices as those charged to private hearing aid dispensers; what is meant by the term main suppliers; and which suppliers are still charging the National Health Service more than they charge the private sector;

  (2) pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South on 26 October, if he will request those suppliers of hearing aids who have overcharged the National Health Service either to pay immediate compensation or to lower their prices for a fixed period to such an extent as to fully compensate the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Virgina Bottomley
  Mersey RHA has completed negotiations on behalf of the NHS with the relatively small group of suppliers who provide commercial hearing aid products to the NHS for special requirement which fall outside that of the established NHS hearing aid range. The NHS accounts for only a small market share of such products in this country.

  We welcome the fact that all the suppliers concerned have agreed to supply the NHS at the same wholesale prices as supplied to private hearing aid dispensers. Contract terms and conditions are being established with each supplier by Mersey RHA and the new prices will be effective nationally from 1 December 1989. Suppliers have previously provided hearing aids on the basis of contracts freely entered into by individual health authorities. In
  386
  these circumstances where there is no evidence of any breach of contract it would not be appropriate to claim compensation.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South on 26 October, if the National Health Service procurement directorate routinely compares prices charged to the National Health Service with those charged to the private sector; when was the last occasion that a major supplier was found to be charging the National Health Service more than the private sector; and what action was taken.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Action is continuously taken by NHS purchasing officers to secure more competitive prices by reference to market or other conditions. It would not be practicable for the procurement directorate to monitor every price charged to the 3,000 points of delivery that exist in the NHS, or to ensure that prices were always lower than those charged to every other purchaser. The NHS is by no means always a main or dominant purchaser, and prices may vary between health authorities according to delivery, service and volume requirements.

  Methadone Substitution
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many addicts are on methadone substitution programmes.

  Mr. Freeman
  The figures published in the Home Office statistical bulletin, issue 13/89, a copy of which is in the Library, record that there were 12,339 drug addicts in the United Kingdom recorded as receiving methadone to treat their addiction as at 31 December 1988.

  Vinegar
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the health implications of the consumption of vinegar.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are not aware of any adverse health implications from the normal usage of vinegar (acetic acid).

  Drug Treatment Centres
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on specialised drug treatment centres, for each year from 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information relating to the expenditure by health authorities on specialised drug treatment centres is not held centrally.

  Illegal Drugs
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he is able to estimate the cost per year to the National Health Service of patients suffering from the effects of illegal drugs.

  Mr. Freeman
  Because drug misuse has many different effects, which will be treated by a wide range of specific and general medical services, it is not possible to estimate the overall cost to the National Health Service.
  387
  However, since 1984 we have committed nearly £65 million of new money to preventing drug misuse and providing services.

  Hormone Replacement Therapy
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to fund a research centre at King's College hospital, London to investigate the beneficial effects of hormone replacement therapy on menopausally related problems.

  Mr. Freeman
  This matter is still under consideration.

  NHS Reform
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the units that have expressed interest in self-governing status intend to prepare applications to become National Health Service community trusts or National Health Service hospital trusts in April 1991.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I will not be able to receive any formal applications until Parliament has given approval to the necessary legislation. Since it is for the sponsor of the proposal in individual units to decide whether and when to prepare an application, the picture is likely to change over time. Amongst those units interested in self-governing status, some are more advanced than others and are likely to be in a position to apply to become an NHS trust in the first wave in April 1991. Others will follow in due course. The preparation of applications is proceeding in many places and the local sponsors are drawing up plans for service development that concentrate on the benefits that establishing an NHS trust could bring to the unit and its patients. Neither I nor any local sponsors have entered into any final commitment at this stage in respect of any unit. Seventy-nine units currently intend to prepare draft applications for NHS Trust status in 1991. The units are listed in the table.

  Northern RHA

  Darlington Hospital and Community Services

  Freeman Hospital

  Newcastle Mental Health Services

  North Tyneside District

  Northumbria Ambulance Services

  Yorkshire RHA

  Bradford Acute Services

  Leeds General Infirmary and Associated Hospitals

  St. James University Hospital, Leeds

  Trent RHA

  Bassetlaw

  Children's Hospital, Sheffield

  Doncaster Royal Infirmary and the Montagu Hospital

  Lincolnshire Ambulance Service

  Nether Edge Hospital, Sheffield

  Northern General Hospital

  Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield

  South Lincolnshire Mental Handicap Services

  University Hospital, Nottingham

  East Anglian RHA

  East Suffolk Community Services

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney Priority Services

  West Norfolk and Wisbech Community Services

  West Norfolk and Wisbech Acute Services

  North West Thames RHA

  Central Middlesex Hospital

  Harefield Hospital

  Hillingdon Hospital

  Mount Vernon Hospital

  388

  North West Hertfordshire Priority Services Unit

  North Hertfordshire Acute and Community Services

  Northwick Park Hospital

  North East Thames RHA

  City and Hackney (St. Bartholomew's, Homerton, St. Mark's Hospital Trust)

  North Middlesex Hospital

  Southend District Services

  The London Hospital Group

  The Royal Free Hospital

  The Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital

  South East Thames RHA

  Brighton Acute Services

  Bromley Acute Services

  Eastbourne Acute Services

  Guy's and Lewisham Hospitals and associated Mental Illness Services

  King's-Camberwell Acute Services and associated
  Community Services

  St. Thomas's Hospital and associated Community Services

  South West Thames RHA

  Croydon Mental Handicap Unit

  Croydon Community Unit

  Kingston Hospital

  Mid-Downs West Unit

  Mid-Surrey General Unit

  South West Surrey Acute Unit

  St. Helier and Sutton Hospitals

  Wessex RHA

  Lymington Hospitals

  Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases

  West Dorset Community and General Hospital Services

  West Dorset Mental Health Services

  Oxford RHA

  Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford

  South Western RHA

  Bristol

  Cornwall Mental Handicap Services

  Cornwall Community Services

  East Somerset

  East Gloucestershire NHS Trust

  Exeter Community Services

  North Devon

  Plymouth Acute Services

  Royal Cornwall Hospitals

  South Devon Health Care Trust

  West Somerset

  West Cornwall

  Weston

  Wonford Acute Services

  West Midlands RHA

  Alexandra Hospital

  Mid Staffs Mental Health Unit

  Mid Staffs Community Unit

  Rugby District Services

  Walsall Acute Services

  Mersey RHA

  Broadgreen Hospital, exc. Mersey Regional Cardio-Thoracic Unit

  Crewe Acute Services

  Halton Community Services

  Regional Adult Cardio-Thoracic Unit, Liverpool

  Royal Liverpool Children's Hospitals

  Whiston St. Helens Hospital

  North Western RHA

  Central Manchester Hospital and Community Services

  Christie Hospital

  Pregnancy-related Disease
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged 14–16 years, 17–21 years, 22–24 years, 25–30 years, 31–35 years and 36–40 years died from pregnancy-related diseases in each year since 1959.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 28 July 1989]: The information is not available precisely in the form requested. Details have been extracted from the reports of the confidential inquiry into maternal deaths in England and Wales, which are produced triennially rather than annually. The breakdown of information among age groups is comprehensive but not exactly the same as the age groups requested.

  Definitions used in the classification of maternal deaths altered in 1972. Before then they were sub-classified as

  Number of Associated/Indirect Maternal Deaths by Age of Mother 1958–1984

  Under 16

  16–17

  18–19

  20–24

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45+

  Total

  Year

  "Associated" Deaths

  58–60

  —

  —1

  8

  40

  62

  67

  51

  224

  —

  252

  61–63

  1

  —

  310

  49

  65

  48

  45

  24

  2

  244

  64–66

  —

  3

  3

  30

  44

  41

  29

  16

  5

  176

  67–69

  —

  4

  7

  60

  66

  50

  29

  26

  1

  243

  70–72

  1

  3

  19

  58

  65

  42

  46

  17

  —

  251

  "Indirect" Deaths

  73–75

  —

  6

  11

  34

  48

  35

  14

  6

  1

  155

  76–78

  1

  4

  5

  11

  27

  20

  6

  4

  —

  78

  79–81

  —

  2

  3

  29

  20

  27

  5

  4

  —

  90

  82–84

  1

  2

  4

  16

  19

  13

  13

  3

  —

  71

  1 under 20 years

  2 40+ years

  3 16–19 years

  Single Mothers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State of State for Health what is the percentage of single mothers aged 16 to 19 years, by country. in England and Wales.

  Mr. Freeman
  The numbers of families consisting of a single mother with one or more children in each country are not known However, the country percentage of all births outside marriage in 1998 which were as follows:

  Area

  per cent.

  England and Wales

  24·5

  England

  24·2

  Standard regions and counties

  North

  30·2

  Tyne and Wear

  29·2

  Cleveland

  31·0

  Cumbria

  29·9

  Durham

  30·9

  Northumberland

  32·5

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  28·5

  South Yorkshire

  27·5

  West Yorkshire

  29·5

  Humberside

  29·0

  North Yorkshire

  25·6

  East Midlands

  25·8

  Derbyshire

  26·7

  Leicestershire

  24·9

  Lincolnshire

  28·1

  390
  "true" maternal deaths—resulting from complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium; or "associated" maternal deaths—due to other causes when the deceased woman was know to be pregnant, or had been pregnant within one year.

  From 1973 maternal deaths have been sub-classified as "direct"—resulting from obstetric complications of pregnancy, labour and childbirth; "indirect"—resulting from previous existing disease or a disease which developed during pregnancy and which was aggravated by pregnancy; or "fortuitous"—resulting from causes not related to or influenced by pregnancy.

  The request for information about "deaths from pregnancy-related diseases" has been interpreted as a request for information on "associated maternal deaths" up to 1972 and to "indirect deaths" thereafter.

  Area

  per cent.

  Northamptonshire

  23·6

  Nottinghamshire

  25·9

  East Anglia

  24·9

  Cambridgeshire

  24·1

  Norfolk

  24·9

  Suffolk

  25·6

  South East

  19·0

  Greater London

  15·9

  Inner London

  14·1

  Outer London

  17·8

  Bedfordshire

  21·5

  Berkshire

  21·8

  Buckinghamshire

  22·0

  East Sussex

  18·4

  Essex

  21·7

  Hampshire

  24·5

  Hertfordshire

  23·2

  Isle of Wight

  26·7

  Kent

  23·3

  Oxfordshire

  21·4

  Surrey

  19·4

  West Sussex

  22·1

  South West

  24·3

  Avon

  22·9

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  25·7

  Devon

  25·1

  Dorset

  23·4

  Gloucestershire

  23·1

  Somerset

  26·4

  Wiltshire

  25·4

  West Midlands

  26·0

  391

  Area

  per cent.

  West Midlands

  24·6

  Hereford and Worcester

  26·2

  Shropshire

  25·6

  Staffordshire

  30·3

  Warwickshire

  27·7

  North West

  27·1

  Greater Manchester

  27·7

  Merseyside

  24·6

  Cheshire

  28·9

  Lancashire

  28·2

  Wales

  29·5

  Clwyd

  26·2

  Dyfed

  28·1

  Gwent

  31·9

  Gwynedd

  23·9

  Mid Glamorgan

  35·1

  Powys

  24·9

  South Glamorgan

  27·0

  West Glamorgan

  27·8

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Recycled Paper
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether his Department has taken any steps to consider the use of recycled paper for House of Commons publications; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  Much of the material published for the House is of archival significance and must be printed on paper of suitable archival quality which is not currently obtainable in paper produced from recycled waste.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Set-aside Scheme
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will allow fibre-producing or other animals to be added to existing set-aside scheme provision.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to my written answer to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Steel) on 31 October 1989 at column 129.

  Respiratory Disease
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department has on the incidence of respiratory disease among the agricultural work force; and what steps he is taking to promote improvement in this situation.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply.

  Nineteen cases of occupational respiratory disease occurring in agricultural workers in England and Wales were reported to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985, in the two years 1986–87 and 1987–88, the two years for which information is available. However, data collected under these regulations is regarded as an incomplete measure of the true incidence of occupational disease. The Executive's employment
  392
  medical advisory service is about to begin a publicity campaign, lasting 12 months, on occupational lung disease with the objective of increasing the awareness of employers, employees and the medical community to this group of diseases. Also, the Executive is currently supporting a project on the surveillance of occupational lung disease from reports of consultant chest physicians and occupational physicians.

  Fishing Industry
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Curry
  I met representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on 25 October when we discussed the 1989 allocations of North sea haddock.

  Farm Animal Welfare Council
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary surgeons are appointed to the Farm Animal Welfare Council; and how many meetings they have participated in during the last two years.

  Mr. Curry
  The three registered veterinary surgeons referred to in the reply are Professor Webster of Bristol university, Mr. Haxby, ex-president of the BVA and RCVS, and Mr. MacPherson, veterinary consultant and member of the RCVS council.

  Meat and Meat Products
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state any current restriction placed by any member state of the European Economic Communities, or any Community authority, on the import into any Community member other than the United Kingdom of meat or meat products currently permitted for sale in the United Kingdom together with the related reasons, and showing what categories of slaughterhouses, or food processing plants, are unacceptable to any of the authorities concerned; and what action he is taking to make such exports possible.

  Mr. Currry
  West Germany has recently announced that it requires additional certification for beef from the United Kingdom and that it will not accept bovine slaughter by-products for human consumption. We consider these restrictions unjustified on public health grounds and are pursuing the matter with the authorities of the Federal Republic as a matter of urgency.

  Slaughterhouse and processing plants in any member state which wish to engage in intra-community trade must be approved as meeting the requirements of directives 64/433 (red meat), 71/118 (poultrymeat) and 77/99 (meat products). Plants operating only under the national rules of member states are not permitted to export. We shall be discussing with the EC Commission and other member states the rules which are to apply to all meat plants on completion of the internal market.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions have been placed by Britain's trading partners on the importation of British meat and bone meal of ruminant derivation.
  393
  Mr. Curry
  France, West Germany and Israel have set conditions for the import of British meat and bone meal. France requires that British meat and bone meal should not be fed to ruminants. West Germany seeks to require certification that the material is not derived from cattle confirmed or suspected of having BSE. Such cattle in the United Kingdom would in any case be compulsorily slaughtered and their carcases destroyed. Exports to Israel are restricted to meat and bone meal derived from poultry.

  Swales Moor Mink Factory
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his inspectors last visited Swales Moor mink factory; what their findings were; and if he will place a copy of the inspector's report in the Library.

  Mr. Curry
  Officials of the Ministry's wildlife and storage biology discipline and the state veterinary service last visited Swales Moor farm on 26 September and 11 October respectively.

  Reports on specific premises obtained during the course of statutory duties are not made public.

  Fur Farming
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what minimum conditions have to be complied with by applicants for fur farming licences; and how many such licences are currently extant.

  Mr. Curry
  A total of 55 licences were issued for the farming of mink in England and eight in Scotland during 1988–89. There are no licensing controls for other species farmed for fur.

  Mink farm owners must satisfy the security arrangements specified in the Mink (Keeping) Regulations 1975, as amended in 1982.

  Food Irradiation
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he has made for the vitamins value of irradiated foodstuffs to be checked; and when he expects to have the results of such tests.

  Mr. Maclean
  Extensive research by a number of expert bodies has established that food irradiation does not result in any greater loss of vitamins than other comparable food preservation processes. Nevertheless the Government intend, if Parliament approves the introduction of food irradiation, to require details of vitamin content before and after irradiation to be provided by those licensed to undertake the process. This information would be made available to the steering group on food surveillance (SGFS) who would keep under review the nutritional implications of the consumption of irradiated food. The SGFS regularly publishes the results of its work.

  Live Animals (Export)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now establish an independent and representative inquiry into the economics, welfare and transport implications of the export trade in live animals.

  Mr. Curry
  I have no plans for a specific inquiry but we will take the factors referred to fully into account in negotiating new EC controls on the welfare of animals during transport.
  394
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions in each of the past five years his officials have accompanied shipments of live food animals to destinations in Europe; and with what results.

  Mr. Curry
  Monitoring the welfare of animals transported in other Community countries is essentially a matter for the authorities of those countries. Nevertheless in the last five years nine export journeys of food animals have been accompanied by representatives of our state veterinary service under arrangements agreed with the countries concerned.

  Myopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department has on the incidence of myopathy in deer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has no information on the incidence of myopathy in deer.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total expenditure on structural and support measures in the common agricultural policy in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what is the total British contribution to the common agricultural policy.

  Mr. Curry
  Total expenditure in the European Community on structural and support measures under the common agricultural policy was 28·9 billion ECU (£19·6 billion) in 1988. This was about 65 per cent, of the total EC budget. The United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC budget in 1988 was £1·36 billion.

  Badgers
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the release of lactating sow badgers trapped as part of his Department's tuberculosis control scheme; and whether he authorises any exceptions to this policy.

  Mr. Curry
  Lactating sow badgers trapped during official badger removal operations are released.

  All possible precautions are taken to avoid taking them by mistake and, as such, where doubt exists, they are released.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions during the last 12 months operatives from or on behalf of his Department have used snares for the purpose of catching badgers under the tuberculosis control scheme.

  Mr. Curry
  Since 1 November 1988 snares have been employed in eight badger investigations. Snares are used as a last resort, under careful supervision, when it is either not possible to use traps or when traps have proved ineffective.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has revised his guidelines on the trapping of badgers under tuberculosis control release;
  395
  whether any trapping is authorised other than on farms where tuberculosis has recently been confirmed; and what definition is used for these purposes of the word "recently."

  Mr. Curry
  Revised procedures, allowing a single trapping period of four months rather than a three-month period with follow-up trapping, have been introduced. There have been no other changes in the guidelines for trapping procedures, which are based upon the recommendations of the Dunnet report published in 1986. No trapping is carried out beyond those breakdown farms where badgers have been implicated in the transmission of

  Cereal area and yield 1985–1989

  Area ('000 ha.) Yield (tonnes/ha.)

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  11989

  Area

  Yield

  Area

  Yield

  Area

  Yield

  Area

  Yield

  Area

  Yield

  Wheat

  1,902

  6·33

  1,997

  6·96

  1,994

  5·99

  1,886

  6·23

  2,106

  6·55

  Barley

  1,966

  4·95

  1,917

  5·22

  1,831

  5·04

  1,878

  4·67

  1,662

  4·81

  Oats

  134

  4·59

  97

  5·16

  99

  4·57

  120

  4·50

  121

  4·55

  Rye

  8

  4·64

  7

  4·72

  7

  4·76

  7

  4·57

  7

  4·12

  Mixed Corn

  7

  4·27

  7

  4·31

  6

  4·50

  5

  4·19

  5

  4·14

  1 provisional.

  Eggs
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many laying hens producing eggs for human consumption there were on British farms in(a) September 1988 and (b) September 1989; and how many individual flocks of such poultry there were on the same dates.

  Mr. Curry
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Details of the numbers of fowls laying eggs for human consumption, and the number of holdings in Great Britain on which laying fowls are recorded, taken from the agricultural census which is held in June each year, are given in the table.

  Year

  Number of fowls producing eggs for eating (millions)

  Number of holdings (thousands)

  1988

  33·931

  38·2

  19891

  31·216

  36·6

  1 Provisional.

  Very small holdings which make only occasional returns are excluded from these figures.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he anticipates announcing modifications to the Testing of Poulty Flocks Order to assist the smaller egg producer.

  Mr. Curry
  The Poultry Laying Flocks (Testing and Registration etc.) Order 1989 came into operation on 26 October 1989, replacing the provisions in the Testing of Poultry Flocks Order 1989 which related to flocks producing eggs for human consumption. The new order reduces the required frequency of sampling and provides for a simpler sampling method involving the collection of droppings. These changes will, without compromising the protection of public health, lead to a considerable reduction in the cost of testing, particularly for small flocks.
  396
  the disease to cattle. Investigations into the cause of breakdowns are carried out as quickly as is practicable and the word recently is not used.

  Cereals
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the respective acreages and yields for the last five years of(a) wheat, (b) barley, (c) oats, (d) rye and (e) other cereals produced in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Curry
  The information is as follows:

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report a table of average egg prices for each month of the current year.

  Mr. Curry
  The average packer to producer price (in terms of pence per dozen) for each of the last 12 months has been as follows:

  pence

  January

  25·0

  February

  28·5

  March

  29·7

  April

  32·0

  May

  35·7

  June

  36·2

  July

  35·1

  August

  38·9

  September

  45·1

  1October

  45·7

  1 provisional.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of laying hens in the United Kingdom at the latest date for which figures are available and on the equivalent date of 1988.

  Mr. Curry
  Details of the size of the laying flock in the United Kingdom, taken from the United Kingdom agricultural census which is held in June each year, are given in the table. These figures are for fowls laying eggs for human consumption and include estimates for very small holdings in England and Wales (but not for Scotland or Northern Ireland).

  Number of fowls Producing egg for eating

  Year

  millions

  1988

  37·389

  11989

  34·152

  1 provisional.

  Farmers Union of Wales
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions in 1988 and 1989 either he, or his predecessor, or his officials, have met representatives of the Farmers Union of Wales.

  Mr. Curry
  Meetings with the Farmers Union of Wales are, in the first instance, for the Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Walker), and his Department. However, there are occasional meetings between representatives of the union and Ministers and officials of my Department. The most recent such occasion occurred last week, when I held discussions on sheep scab.

  EC (Fraud)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent measures his Department has taken to combat European Community fraud.
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  Mr. Curry
  The Government have taken the initiative in the Council of Ministers on several occasions to press for further action to deal with fraud in the common agricultural policy and good progress is now being made on strengthening controls. Proposals are currently under discussion which would require member states to carry out annual physical checks on intervention stocks and a minimum level of inspections on consignments attracting export refunds; and to improve the system of audit checks on firms making or receiving CAP payments. My Department is actively involved in these negotiations and is working towards early implementation. In addition, new anti-fraud controls and penalties have recently been introduced into a number of CAP schemes, such as the suckler-cow premium beef special premium and durum wheat production aid.