Written Answers of 29 November 1989

ENVIRONMENT

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on United Kingdom participation in international efforts to protect the environment.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what international initiatives Her Majesty's Government are taking to protect and improve the natural environment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what initiatives Her Majesty's Government are taking to protect and improve the international environment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's participation in international efforts to protect the environment.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what international initiatives Her Majesty's Government are taking to protect and improve the national and international environment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what role Britain can play in international efforts to protect the environment.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I will write to my hon. Friends.

  Tritium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will investigate the reasons why 5 gm of radioactive tritium imported from the United States of America to the United Kingdom for the use in lighting has gone missing; if he will instruct Her Majesty's chief inspectors of pollution and nuclear installations to produce a report on the disappearance of the tritium; and if he will seek details from the United States Department of Energy on the background to its report on the incident issued in November 1989.

  Mr. Trippier
  Users of tritium are either registered under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 or, in the case of licensed nuclear installations, licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 and are regulated by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution or Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate as appropriate. In all cases the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, which control the storage and provide for accountancy for all radioactive substances, apply.

  Officials of the United States Department of Energy met recently with the United Kingdom Department of
  248
  Energy and with United Kingdom customers for United States tritium to discuss improved measurement and auditing procedures.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he decided to use 1981 census information about the numbers of persons in households without inside lavatories in setting the all-ages social index for his calculation of standard spending assessments in respect of poll tax.

  Mr. Chope
  Decisions on information to use for standard spending assessments were taken after full discussion with the local authority associations. The proportion of persons in private households without exclusive use of a bath or inside WC has been used as one of a number of factors selected to identify those local authorities with relatively inferior living conditions. The information from the 1981 census is the latest available on a consistent basis for each local authority.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he has used 1981 census information about the numbers of elderly living alone in calculating standard spending assessments in respect of poll tax.

  Mr. Chope
  Decisions on information to use for standard spending assessments were taken after full discussion with the local authority associations. The information from the 1981 census on the number of elderly people living alone is the latest available on a consistent basis for each local authority for which the assessments are made.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he has used 1981 census information in respect of children of lone parents in calculating standard spending assessments in respect of poll tax.

  Mr. Chope
  Decisions on information to use for standard spending assessments were taken after Full discussion with the local authority associations. The 1981 census is the most recent source of this information on a consistent basis for each local authority.

  Caravan Sites
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the caravan sites owned by local authorities which afford permanent housing yet lack a bathroom, indoor lavatory and hot water system; and if he will give the reasons why he decided to withhold permission for the necessary expenditure in these cases.

  Mr. Howard
  My Department does not keep detailed records of the standards of facility local authorities provide on caravan sites they own, and councils do not need my permission to spend money on such sites. Grant is available to meet 100 per cent. of the reasonable capital costs of provision.

  Rifle Range (Palace of Westminster)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the proposals which his Department has received since 1979 for alternative uses for the Palace of Westminster rifle range.
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  Mr. Chope
  No alternative proposals have been put to my Department.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the standard spending assessments for highway maintenance for each highway authority in England giving, in each case, the actual spending for 1988–89 adjusted for inflation;

  (2) if he will list the 1990–91 standard spending assessment for (a) personal social services, (b) social services for children, (c) social services for the elderly and (d) other social services for each social services authority in England, giving in each case the actual spend for 1988–89 adjusted for inflation.

  Housebuilding starts in thousands

  September quarter 1988

  September quarter 1989

  Percentage change

  North

  2·6

  2·5

  -4·2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  4·9

  3·9

  -19·3

  East Midlands

  6·0

  3·9

  -35·5

  East Anglia

  4·5

  2·9

  -36·0

  South East:

  Greater London

  3·6

  2·3

  -34·6

  Rest of South East

  16·2

  8·4

  -48·1

  South West

  7·3

  4·3

  -41·3

  West Midlands

  4·8

  3·3

  -31·0

  North West

  4·5

  4·4

  -3·1

  England

  54·4

  35·9

  -34·0

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many prosecutions there have been or are pending as a result of damage caused by agricultural or forestry activities to sites of special scientific interest under part II of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for each year since 1981; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number

  1981

  None

  1982

  None

  1983

  None

  1984

  1

  1985

  2

  1986

  None

  1987

  None

  1988

  4

  1989

  1

  Details of these cases are set out in the Nature Conservancy Council's annual reports.

  Basking Sharks
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about his investigations into giving basking sharks protection under part I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and when he expects to make an announcement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Nature Conservancy Council recommended protection for the basking sharks under section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as part
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  Mr. Chope
  The information requested on SSAs has been placed in the Library. The provisional figures are those underlying the exemplifications in the consultation paper my right hon. Friend issued on 6 November. Outturn expenditure figures for 1988–89 are not yet available for all relevant authorities.

  Housing Starts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing housing starts in each region to May 1989, showing the percentage change in starts from the same quarter in 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  Housebuilding starts for regions in England are now available for the September quarter of 1989, and are given below, together with figures for the corresponding quarter of 1988:

  of its first statutory quinquennial review of schedules 5 and 8 to that Act. This recommendation is the subject of ongoing consultation with other Government Departments and an announcement will be made when the consultation is complete.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to research into the status of basking sharks in the United Kingdom; what financial resources have been devoted to this by his Department; when he expects the results of this research be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Research on basking sharks populations is being carried out by the Marine Conservation Society with grant aid from the Nature Conservancy Council which also holds the data bank for the project. No date has yet been fixed for the publication of the results.

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a statement on the uniform business rate.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend told the House on 6 November his provisional view that the non-domestic rating multiplier for 1990–91 would be 36p. The final figure, which will appear in the revenue support grant report to be laid in January, will depend on later information about the non-domestic revaluation.

  Housing Grants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing housing grants in each region to June 1989 showing the percentage change in grants for the same quarters in 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  The total number of conversion and improvement, intermediate, repairs and special grants paid in each region in the June quarters of 1988 and 1989 are shown in table 2.19, part C, of "Housing and Construction Statistics, Part 2" No. 38. A copy of the publication is available in the Library.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice the Government have received from the Audit Commission and from the Government Actuary's department about the proposal that in future local authorities should not be allowed to fund fully their obligations to future pensioners, but should be restricted to 75 per cent. of this obligation.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 28 November 1989]: The proposals for funding the payment of pensions increases, as well as basic pensions in the local government superannuation scheme, have been developed in full consultation with the Government Actuary's department. They have been the subject of consultation with various bodies, including the Audit Commission.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of re-establishing the link of pensions to the rise in earnings.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  In 1988–89 the cost of restoring the link between retirement pension and average earnings would have been £3·58 billion.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what are the obstacles to reaching a reciprocal agreement which would allow indexing of British pensions abroad in each of the countries where unindexed pensions are paid;

  (2) what would be the net cost of providing a reciprocal agreement which would allow the uprating of British pensions abroad in each of the countries where pensions are paid but not currently indexed.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  British pensions are payable anywhere in the world, but pension increases are not paid in some 145 countries where British pensioners live. The primary obstacle to paying full British pensions in these countries is the high cost, which would be of the order of an additional £248 million a year at April 1989 rates of benefit and a further £38·2 million at the April 1990 uprating.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the net cost of uprating British pensions in each of the countries with which the United Kingdom has a reciprocal agreement to index pensions.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The current annual cost of British pensions in the 30 countries where pension 252
  increases are paid is of the order of £266 million. The cost of uprating these pensions in April 1990 will be about £20·2 million.

ENERGY

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what reduction in civil servant numbers there will be in existing Government Departments presently dealing with the electricity industry after its privatisation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  There will be a reduction in civil servants employed in my Department to deal with the electricity industry after privatisation, but I cannot at this stage say what the full extent of the reduction will be.

  Collieries
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the collieries closed or merged since 1979, by British Coal area.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  In his reply of 13 May 1987 to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart), my predecessor gave details of collieries closed between 1960 and March 1987 by British Coal area, at columns 237–54.

  The following brings the list of colliery closures up to date:

  1987–88

  Scottish

  Seafield/Frances

  North East

  Ashington

  North Yorkshire

  Wheldale

  Nostell

  Woolley/Redbrook

  South Kirby/Riddings

  South Yorkshire

  Manvers

  Nottinghamshire

  Linby

  Mansfield

  Central

  Arkwright

  Cadley Hill

  Western

  South Wales

  Lady Windsor/Abercynon

  Abernant

  Kent

  Snowdown

  1988–89

  Scottish

  Barony/Killoch

  North East

  North Yorkshire

  South Yorkshire

  Nottinghamshire

  Blidworth

  Central

  Baddesley

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  Renishaw Park

  Western

  South Wales

  Cynheidre

  Marine

  Kent

  1989–90

  Scottish

  Bilston Glen

  North East

  North Yorkshire

  Royston Drift

  South Yorkshire

  Barnburgh

  Nottinghamshire

  Sutton

  Central

  Warsop

  Western

  Holditch

  South Wales

  Trelewis

  Oakdale

  Methyr Vale

  Kent

  Betteshanger

  The following list shows those pits which have merged since 1979:

  Scottish

  Seafield/Frances

  Barony/Killoch

  North East

  Shilbottle/Whittle

  South Hetton/Murton

  Lynemouth/Ellington

  Vane Tempest/Seaham

  North Yorkshire

  Caphouse/Denby Grange

  Caphouse/Denby Grange/Bulcliffee Wood

  Woolley/North Gawber

  Haughton Main/Darfield Main

  South Kirkby/Ferrymoor Riddings

  Denby Grange/Park Mill

  South Yorkshire

  Shireoaks/Streetley

  Goldthorpe/Highgate/Hickleton

  Manvers/Wath/Kilnhurst

  Nottinghamshire

  Huchnall/Babbington

  Annesley/Bentinck

  Shirebrook/Pleasley

  Markham/Ireland

  Snibston/South Leicester/Whitwick

  Western

  Donisthorpe/Measham/Rawdon

  Bayworth/Ellistown

  South Wales

  Oakdale/Celynen North

  Blaensercan/Six Bells

  Tower/Mardy

  Marine/Six Bells

  Environment and Local Economy
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what input Her Majesty's Government had into the energy, environment and local economy conference, held at Wakefield in West Yorkshire on 21 November.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No Minister was invited.

PRIME MINISTER

  Lancashire
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Lancashire.

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

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Cambodia
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last reviewed Her Majesty's Government's aid and development embargo on Cambodia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) on 23 November, at col 17.

  Horn of Africa
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about inter-governmental co-operation and co-ordination with non-governmental organisations, in the light of the situation in the Horn of Africa.

  Mrs. Chalker
  At the European Community Development Council on 21 November I drew attention to the serious threat of famine in northern Ethiopia and urged that all possible diplomatic channels be used to exert pressure on the parties to the conflict to secure free access for food supplies. We are also liaising closely with other donor Governments and international agencies. Similar co-ordination takes place on the situation in Sudan. I meet regularly with the British non-governmental organisations working in the Horn of Africa.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if h has any plans to increase overseas aid to Sri Lanka.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Aid disbursements were £19·2 million in 1988–89, but will be less this year. We have plans for a number of new projects including some in the natural resources sector and further assistance with reconstruction, but some of these have been or are being held up due to civil disturbances in the country.

  Animal Conservation, Africa
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make additional resources available for those African countries implementing animal conservation and anti-poaching measures.
  255
  Mrs. Chalker
  We are already funding a number of wildlife conservation activities in Africa, and are always ready to consider new requests for help. The hon. Gentleman may wish to refer to the list placed in the Library of the House, which was referred to in the answer I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on 6 November, at column 437, as an indication of the sort of assistance we are able to provide.

  Ethiopia
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further emergency assistance he is providing to Ethiopia in the light of reports of impending famine.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I approved on 27 November a further allocation of £2 million of emergency relief aid for Ethiopia. This is in addition to more than £7·5 million already agreed this year. This new money will probably be channelled largely through British voluntary agencies involved in the provision of food to those at risk of famine in Eritrea and Tigray.

WALES

  M4
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate by how long the start of work on the missing link on the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lon Las has been delayed by expenditure on roads in the former county of Pembrokeshire.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on Tuesday 28 November, at column 206.

  Local Authority Expenditure
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will make known his plans for local authority capital expenditure for 1990–91.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Following the autumn review of public expenditure, I have decided to issue, in accordance with the new planning total arrangements, capital grant and credit approvals to local authorities in 1990–91 amounting to £414·3 million.

  In addition, there is no limit being set on the amount district councils can spend on mandatory home renovation grants next year. I have already provided £75 million for this purpose. Additional resources will be made available if local authorities spend beyond this level.

  My proposals include priority for investment in personal social services and transport; gross provision for both is being increased by 16 per cent. in real terms. The increase in personal social services provision reflects the need for local authorities to provide services for the rising number of the elderly as well as to provide for the shift in the burden of care in the mental health services from the NHS to local authorities. The increase in transport provision allows for three major road schemes to progress.

  The new arrangements for capital expenditure embodied in part IV of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 enabled local authorities to enhance the spending authorised by grant and credit approvals by the use of capital receipts not required for debt redemption and by an unfettered use of contributions from revenue.
  256
  Assuming they continue previous trends in spending from these sources, total spending in the year will be of the order of £475 million. This compares with an equivalent total gross provision in 1989–90 under the previous capital control system of £444 million; and represents an increase of around £30 million.

  Within the total for housing, £38·5 million has been set aside for highly cost-effective group repair schemes and to complete approved enveloping schemes; to support renewal areas; to support the priority estates programme (to improve the quality of the housing service to the customer in council estates); to help rural authorities with a high concentration of rural homes and to assist specific homelessness projects. In addition, £10 million has been distributed to authorities in the form of supplementary credit approvals for discretionary home renovation grants.

  Local authorities are being notified today of their individual annual capital guidelines and basic credit approvals on all services including supplementary credit approvals and grant in respect of major road schemes (£51 million) and projects of regional or national importance and special projects (£14·7 million).

  The distribution of urban programme capital resources, totalling £24·9 million, will be announced shortly.

  Details of the allocation of resources to individual authorities have been placed in the Library.

  Tai Cymru
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of funding he is providing to Tai Cymru in 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I am delighted to announce that I shall be providing for an increase of over £27 million in the funds made available to Tai Cymru in the next financial year. This is an improvement of over 40 per cent. and will result in a major advance in the activities of housing associations within the Principality. The gross programme for Tai Cymru increases to over £102 million.

  Tai Cymru has been established only since April 1989. It has made an excellent start. I want to see its work develop strongly so that housing associations can provide many more homes for people in housing need in Wales, both now and for the future.

  The increase in provision is planned to rise further over the period to 1992–93. I shall be reviewing the allocations year by year in the light of Tai Cymru's overall performance, and that of housing associations generally—not least in developing further partnership arrangements with local authorities. But already I expect that as early as 1991–92, and just three years after Tai Cymru's inception, net provision will have increased to nearly double that provided for housing associations in 1988–89.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the country of origin and the destination of all toxic waste imports through the ports(a) Briton Ferry (Neath), (b) Fishguard, (c) Holyhead and (d) Newport for the last three available years., together with the nature of toxic waste in each case.

  Mr. Grist
  The information for the period is not available in the detail requested. Since the implementation of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste
  257
  Regulations in October 1988, more detailed information is being collected, and the first full financial year's data will be available after March 1990.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether there have been any movements of special hazardous waste through Swansea in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Grist
  None was reported in the local authority returns for the period to March of this year, but we understand that a consignment of special waste was imported through Swansea in July.

  Intensive Care (Babies)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of intensive care baby cots available in Wales, the number in each health authority and their locations within each health authority.

  Mr. Grist
  Specialist care for new-born babies in Wales, including intensive care, is presently provided in special care baby units, the disposition of which is shown in the table:

  Health Authority

  Hospital

  Cots

  Clwyd

  HM Stanley

  15

  Wrexham Maelor

  22

  East Dyfed

  Bronglais

  2

  West Wales General

  12

  Gwent

  Nevill Hall

  15

  Royal Gwent

  20

  Gwynedd

  Ysbyty Bangor

  22

  Mid Glamorgan

  Prince of Wales

  17

  East Glamorgan

  15

  Merthyr General

  12

  South Glamorgan

  University Hospital

  25

  St. David's

  16

  West Glamorgan

  Morriston

  16

  Neath

  10

  Pembroke

  Withybush

  8

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to increase the number of intensive care baby cots available in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend has recently received the report of the advisory group on perinatal intensive care in Wales which was set up to inform the Department of development requirements. It will be considered carefully in formulating plans.

  Chernobyl
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure he has incurred in compensation for farmers as a result of the Chernobyl accident for each year since 1986 in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 27 November, at column 118.

  Interest Rates (Farmers)
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received about high interest rates from the Farmers Union of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have received two representations in writing and the matter was discussed in my meeting with the union on 23 October.

  Rivers (Protection)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many rivers in Wales have protection zone status; and if he will extend the scheme to cover other rivers.

  Mr. Grist
  None. It is for the National Rivers Authority or a water undertaker to apply to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State if they consider it necessary to restrict particular activities likely to result in the pollution of water.

  Roads
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will set out his allocation for Welsh roads.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Our proposals for the development of the motorway and trunk road network in Wales are set out in "Roads in Wales 1989". Details of the schemes programmed to start in 1990–91 will be given in the Welsh Office commentary to be published early next year.

  We have announced today the provision made for local authority programmes. Within the total available, gross provision for local roads is £86·6 million, an increase of 22 per cent. over the provision for the current year. Local authority expenditure accepted for transport grant in 1990–91 is £50·9 million, an increase of 29 per cent. over that for 1989–90. Details of the transport grant settlement for individual county councils in Wales have been sent to each chief executive today.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Management Studies
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has made to the Polytechnic and Colleges Funding Council and the Universities Funding Council to change the funding of courses and student places in management studies.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has made no such proposals.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the number of students involved in(a) degree courses and (b) Higher National Diploma or equivalent courses in management in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Jackson
  The available information is given in the table.

  Full-time and part-time higher education students1

  thousands

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Management and management related studies Degree

  45·8

  48·0

  51·2

  Sub-degree

  75·1

  83·2

  89·2

  1 Universities in Great Britain, polytechnics and colleges in England.

  Secondary Schools
  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table to show, for secondary schools in England(a) how many have been

  259
  closed, (b) how many have been subject to significant change of character by (i) loss of sixth form and (ii) other means and (c) how many have been subject to significant change of capacity for (i) girls' schools, (ii) boys' schools, (iii) mixed schools, (iv) voluntary schools and (v) county

  Calendar year

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  19891

  Number of maintained secondary schools approved for closure

  61

  53

  43

  24

  43

  Total number of maintained secondary schools in 1985

  4,382

  Number of maintained secondary schools for which proposals were approved for significant change of character

  (i) By loss of sixth form

  18

  46

  16

  8

  27

  (ii) Otherwise

  13

  29

  2

  27

  10

  Number of maintained secondary schools for which significant enlargement proposals were approved

  (i) Girls' schools

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Total number of maintained girls' secondary schools in 1985

  333

  (ii) Boys' schools

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total number of maintained boys' secondary schools in 1985

  318

  (iii) Mixed schools

  2

  6

  3

  5

  1

  Total number of maintained mixed secondary schools in 1985

  3,731

  (iv) Voluntary schools

  —

  2

  1

  1

  1

  Total number of maintained voluntary schools in 1985

  871

  (v) County schools

  2

  4

  2

  4

  1

  Total number of maintained county schools in 1985

  3,511

  1 31 October 1989.

  Nursery Education (Bolton)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of children under the age of five years who are currently receiving nursery education provided by Bolton education authority; and what was the figure 10 years ago.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The number of children under five attending maintained nursery schools and classes in Bolton in January 1989 and January 1979 are as follows:

  January 1989: 2,785.

  January 1979: 1,941.

  Safety (London Schools)
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the safety of school buildings in London, following the death of Richard Cooney at Sir James Barrie primary school, Battersea, on 23 November.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  I was greatly saddened to hear of this tragic accident. I understand that the Inner London education authority, which is responsible for the safety of school premises in inner London, is preparing a report on the incident. I am asking the Inner London education authority to make a copy of its report available to my hon. Friend.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Seat Belts
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many(a) males and (b) females, aged (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18, (iii) 19 to 21, (iv) 22 to 24,
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  schools for the last five years; and if he will indicate in each case how many schools there were in that category at the commencement of the five-year period.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The information is given in the following table; figures are in respect of schools approved for closure in the year in question:

  (v) 24 to 30 and (vi) 30 years and over were (aa) charged and (M) convicted of failure to wear a seat belt in each month in 1987, 1988 and to date in 1989 in England and Wales; what percentage the latter was of the former; and what was the average fine;

  (2) how many (a) males and (b) females, aged (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18, (iii) 19 to 21, (iv) 22 to 24, (v) 24 to 30 and (vi) 30 years and over were (aa) charged and (bb) convicted of failure to war a seat belt in each month in 1987, 1988 and to date in 1989 in the Basildon area: what percentage the latter was of the former; and what was the average fine.

  Mr. John Patten
  Breaches of regulations requiring wearing of seat belts are normally fixed penalty offences. The amount of the fixed penalty was £12 during 1987 and 1988, but the motorist could opt instead for court proceedings.

  The table gives the number of court proceedings and convictions for each month in 1987 and 1988 in England' and Wales and for Billericay petty sessional division; details for the Basildon area are not available. Separate: figures are shown for males and females and an age breakdown is given; no sub-division of those aged 21 and over is available. Data for 1989 are not yet available.

  In 1987 and 1988, the proportion of those charged who were convicted was 77 per cent. in England and Wales and 90 per cent. in the Billericay petty sessional division. The average fined for those offenders fines were £15 and £16 respectively.
  261

  Proceedings at Magistrates' Courts for seat belt offences, Billericay

  Under 16

  16–18

  19–20

  21 and over

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Proceedings

  1987

  January

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  3

  —

  February

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  March

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  5

  —

  April

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  May

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  June

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  July

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  August

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  September

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  October

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  November

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  December

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Total

  —

  —

  3

  —

  1

  —

  19

  —

  23

  —

  1988

  January

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  February

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  March

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  April

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  May

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  June

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  July

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  August

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  3

  —

  September

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  3

  —

  October

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  November

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  December

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Total

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  1

  11

  1

  14

  2

  Found guilty

  1987

  January

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  February

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  March

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  5

  —

  April

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  May

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  June

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  July

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  August

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  September

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  October

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  November

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  December

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Total

  —

  —

  3

  —

  1

  —

  16

  —

  20

  —

  1987

  January

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  February

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  March

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  April

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  May

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  June

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  July

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  August

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  3

  —

  September

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  3

  —

  October

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  November

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  December

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Total

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  1

  10

  1

  13

  2

  Proceedings at magistrates' courts for seat belt offences

  England and Wales

  Under 16

  16–18

  19–20

  21 and over

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Proceedings

  1987

  January

  —

  —

  40

  2

  84

  8

  879

  80

  1,003

  90

  February

  2

  —

  31

  3

  76

  3

  796

  72

  905

  78

  262 263

  Under 16

  16–18

  19–20

  21 and over

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  March

  1

  —

  33

  2

  52

  6

  703

  52

  789

  60

  April

  4

  —

  27

  —

  57

  2

  645

  40

  723

  42

  May

  —

  —

  28

  5

  42

  4

  550

  45

  620

  54

  June

  2

  —

  17

  5

  58

  3

  647

  50

  724

  58

  July

  —

  —

  25

  2

  42

  1

  566

  48

  633

  51

  August

  1

  —

  22

  5

  49

  5

  519

  35

  591

  45

  September

  1

  —

  30

  3

  54

  3

  511

  34

  596

  40

  October

  1

  —

  33

  1

  45

  10

  619

  32

  698

  43

  November

  2

  —

  35

  —

  58

  2

  564

  46

  659

  48

  December

  2

  —

  20

  1

  50

  2

  469

  34

  541

  37

  Total

  16

  —

  341

  29

  657

  49

  7,468

  568

  8,482

  646

  1988

  January

  1

  —

  20

  2

  44

  1

  550

  30

  615

  33

  February

  3

  —

  26

  —

  49

  2

  543

  43

  621

  45

  March

  3

  —

  27

  —

  62

  4

  613

  55

  705

  59

  April

  —

  —

  32

  1

  45

  3

  536

  40

  613

  44

  May

  1

  —

  31

  —

  67

  5

  559

  37

  658

  42

  June

  1

  —

  29

  —

  51

  6

  622

  49

  703

  55

  July

  —

  —

  29

  2

  73

  1

  520

  37

  622

  40

  August

  2

  —

  31

  4

  64

  4

  601

  46

  698

  54

  September

  1

  —

  31

  4

  48

  2

  537

  42

  617

  48

  October

  2

  —

  27

  1

  57

  2

  529

  56

  615

  59

  November

  3

  —

  29

  —

  62

  2

  575

  48

  669

  50

  December

  —

  —

  24

  —

  34

  3

  422

  29

  480

  32

  Total

  17

  —

  336

  14

  656

  35

  6,607

  512

  7,616

  561

  Found Guilty

  1987

  January

  —

  —

  36

  —

  75

  8

  743

  70

  854

  78

  February

  1

  —

  21

  3

  62

  2

  649

  64

  733

  69

  March

  1

  —

  30

  2

  43

  6

  565

  43

  639

  51

  April

  3

  —

  23

  —

  43

  2

  513

  33

  582

  35

  May

  —

  —

  24

  4

  40

  3

  435

  37

  499

  44

  June

  1

  —

  13

  5

  53

  2

  523

  43

  590

  50

  July

  —

  —

  19

  2

  32

  1

  469

  43

  520

  46

  August

  1

  —

  18

  5

  42

  4

  415

  28

  476

  37

  September

  1

  —

  27

  3

  42

  2

  432

  30

  502

  35

  October

  1

  —

  25

  1

  39

  9

  490

  27

  555

  37

  November

  2

  —

  30

  —

  42

  2

  468

  38

  542

  40

  December

  2

  —

  18

  1

  41

  2

  381

  31

  442

  34

  Total

  13

  —

  284

  26

  554

  43

  6,083

  487

  6,934

  556

  1988

  January

  1

  —

  16

  2

  35

  —

  426

  26

  478

  28

  February

  3

  —

  23

  —

  41

  1

  446

  39

  513

  40

  March

  2

  —

  24

  —

  49

  4

  513

  46

  588

  50

  April

  —

  —

  29

  1

  42

  2

  442

  36

  513

  39

  May

  1

  —

  28

  —

  53

  5

  475

  31

  557

  36

  June

  1

  —

  26

  —

  45

  6

  511

  42

  583

  48

  July

  —

  —

  29

  2

  66

  1

  434

  34

  529

  37

  August

  2

  —

  27

  4

  56

  4

  502

  43

  587

  51

  September

  1

  —

  26

  4

  42

  2

  451

  36

  520

  42

  October

  2

  —

  25

  1

  47

  2

  442

  52

  516

  55

  November

  3

  —

  25

  —

  52

  2

  465

  47

  545

  49

  December

  —

  —

  22

  —

  29

  2

  351

  24

  402

  26

  Total

  16

  —

  300

  14

  557

  31

  5,458

  456

  6,331

  501

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) males and (b) females, aged (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18, (iii) 19 to 21, (iv) 22 to 24, (v) 24 to 30 and (vi) 30 years and over were sent to prison for failure to pay a fine for not wearing a seat belt in (aa) England and Wales and (bb) the Basildon area in each month since 1987.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Discrimination
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider whether there should be further general guidelines as to the amount of an award of damages for compensation for injury to feelings in cases brought under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Race Relations Act 1976 following the decisions of the Court of Appeal in Alexander v. Home Office and Noone v. North West Thames regional health authority.
  265
  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. and learned Friend considers it neither necessary nor appropriate for him to issue any such guidelines.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to monitor the effectiveness of the probation service's action plans during the next two years.

  Mr. John Patten
  The effectiveness of the probation service's action plans will be monitored by analysis of national sentencing and probation statistics, with special reference to young adult offenders; by the collection of core monitoring data from probation areas which are establishing intensive probation programmes; and by detailed research projects funded by the Home Office in five probation areas. Good progress is being made.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many action plans he has received from probation services in England and Wales during the course of 1989.

  Mr. John Patten
  Action plans have been received from 55 of the 56 probation areas. No action plan has been received from the City of London probation service.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the aims and objectives of the probation service's action plans.

  Mr. John Patten
  In general the action plans have the following aims and objectives: improving the presentation to courts of proposals for supervising offenders under non-custodial orders; confronting offending behaviour and reducing the risk of further offending; improving co-operation and co-ordination between different local services which can contribute to effective supervision; and improving information systems within the probation service for monitoring the effectiveness of their work with the courts and with offenders.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to increase the resources available to the probation service during the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Government have provided for the following increase in specific grant payable to local authorities in support of current and capital expenditure on the probation service:

  millions

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  184

  206

  223

  The Government also plan to increase their capital and current expenditure on probation and bail hostels from £22 million in 1989–90 to £24 million in 1990–91 and £28·1 million in 1991–92. Between 1979–80 and 1988–89 there has been a 51 per cent. increase in expenditure on the probation service.

  Child Abuse
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will identify the number of cases in the last year in which the child has been removed from the home instead of the abuser.
  266
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information available centrally relates solely to the number of children for whom a place of safety order was made and where the local authority was responsible, or where the local authority made provision for a child removed on the authority of some other person or body. The most recently published information is in "Private Fostering and Place of Safety Orders in the year ended 31 March 1988: England" and is available in the Library. Provisional estimates for the year ended 31 March 1989 are that there were 7,100 children subject to such orders.

  Statistics are not available centrally about whether the suspected abuser was part of the household.

  Birmingham Six
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that members of the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, in their inquiry into the conviction of the Birmingham Six, are given full access to information about those west midlands police force members who at the time were members of the recently disbanded regional crime squad.

  Mr. Waddington
  I understand that the Legal Affairs Committee has not yet decided whether to conduct such an inquiry, and if so, what its terms of reference should be. We believe it would be wholly inappropriate for the European Parliament to inquire into the convictions of the Birmingham Six, which are within national competence.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Private Advisers
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rules or guidelines govern the use by Government Departments of paid advisers or consultants from the private sector.

  Mr. Ryder
  Central terms and conditions and guidance, supplemented as appropriate by individual Departments, govern the use by Government Departments of paid advisers or consultants from the private sector.

  Special advisers are appointed by Ministers under terms and conditions of service which in the main are the same as for civil servants. They are used by Ministers as considered necessary subject to those terms and conditions.

  Guidance on the use of consultants is contained in the establishement officers guide. For management consultancy this is supplemented by the Treasury's "Seeking Help from Management Consultants" booklet. Other central advice is also provided, by, for example, the Treasury's central unit on purchasing for works consultants and by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency for computer consultancies.

  Government Purchasing
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made in implementing the report, "Government Purchasing", of December 1984.

  Mr. Ryder
  A report by the central unit on purchasing on progress in Government purchasing during 1988–89 is published today. It records that central Government
  267
  Departments (excluding the Ministry of Defence) reported value-for-money improvements in their purchasing totalling over £350 million equivalent to 5·3 per cent. of total reported expenditure. This represents an increase of over £100 million, or 1·4 percentage points, over last year's achievement and exceeds the 5 per cent. target originally set by Ministers.

  For 1989–90, these Departments have set targets for value-for-money improvements totalling about £450 million, equivalent to over 6 per cent. of expenditure. Greater emphasis is being given to monitoring Departments' current performance within this target, with a separate and sharper focus on value for money improvements arising from actions taken by Departments during the year. The purchasing initiative has now resulted in value for money improvements equivalent to some £850 million during the period 1985–86 to 1988–89.

  A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Import Penetration
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the proportion of imports of semi-manufactures bought by manufacturing industry; and what is the ratio of imports of consumer goods to United Kingdom production of consumer goods.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 28 November 1989]: No estimates exist giving the proportion of imports of semi-manufactures bought by manufacturing industry, or of the ratio of imports of consumer goods to United Kingdom production of consumer goods. To derive these estimates would involved disproportionate costs.

THE ARTS

  National Plan
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what input his Department is making into the drafting of the national plan Her Majesty's Government will offer to the European Community in 1990.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 27 November 1989]: I am not aware of such a plan.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Derbyshire were employed in 1979; and how many were employed in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information on a comparable basis for Derbyshire is from censuses of employment taken in September 1981 and September 1987. There were 334,900 employees in employment in September 1981 and 342,500 in September 1987. These figures exclude the self-employed and members of Her Majesty's forces.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the recent fall in unemployment in the northern region.
  268
  Mr. Nicholls
  The following information is available in the Library. In the 12 months to October 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the north fell by 35,000, or 21 per cent. Unemployment in the north is now at its lowest level for nearly nine years, as it is in the country as a whole.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many EC countries that operate quota schemes have been visited by his officials in the course of their consideration of measures to help disabled people secure employment.

  Mr. Eggar
  My officials are in regular contact with their European counterparts in the disability field and have access to information about provision in all EC countries including those which operate quota schemes. This information is being fully taken into account in the review of services for people with disabilities which my Department is undertaking.

  National Council for Vocational Qualifications
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps are taken to ensure that the National Council for Vocational Qualifications is doing sufficient to set standards for training; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The National Council for Vocational Qualifications does not itself have responsibility for setting standards for training, although it has an important role in approving qualifications based upon standards.

  Encouraging the development of occupational standards and the nationally recognised vocational qualifications based upon them is a key objective of the Training Agency. It carries out this remit by providing specialist advice, and financial assistance to almost 150 lead bodies each responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining standards and qualifications for the occupational area it represents. The Training Agency is confident that this will lead to standards being available by 1991 up to NCVQ level IV for at least 90 per cent. of the employed population.

  Benefit Office (Hackney)
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to visit the unemployment benefit office in Hackney.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are two unemployment benefit offices serving the Hackney area. Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have any current plans to visit them.

  Enterprise Agencies
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many enterprise agencies have been set up; how many more are under consideration; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  We know of 415 local enterprise agencies operating in the United Kingdom. Of these, 396 are approved by my Department under the statutory provisions which allow for tax relief on donations to them.
  269
  Enterprise agencies are independent organisations set up locally, usually through members of the business community, local authority or others. Currently there are no applications for approval being considered.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of its planned programme of basic inspections the Health and Safety Executive area office 17 in Merseyside has achieved in the half year from 1 April to 31 October; and how many visits were involved in total.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The plan of the Health and Safety Executive's factory inspectorate is based on proportions of time to be spent on different aspects of its work. In the half year from 1 April to 30 September 1989 inspectors in the Health and Safety Executive's Merseyside area office made 2,910 preventive inspection visits which is 111·9 per cent. of the number of visits which it was estimated would be carried out in the period.

  Protection of Employment
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has to extend the protection of employment rights to those at work.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has no current plans to extend the employment protection legislation.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Rural Roads
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the £25 million announced by the Under-Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, on Friday 10 November for rural roads provision over the next six years will be spent in the Newry and Mourne district council area.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The reference was to funding of a programme of measures to improve the strategic road network in Northern Ireland. Approximately 40 per cent. of this programme relates to the Newry and Mourne district council area.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the £25 million announced by the Under-Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, on Friday 10 November for rural roads provision over the next six years will be spent in the Down district council area.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The reference was to the funding of a programme of measures to improve the strategic road network in Northern Ireland. None of this programme relates to the Down district council area.

  Slieve Croob, Dromara
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what inspections were carried out by the Department of the Environment's town and country planning service on the site of the building currently under construction at Slieve Croob, Dromara in South Down.
  270
  Mr. Needham
  None.

  Roads Expenditure
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the capital expenditure on roads provision in Down district council in each year from 1 April 1977 until 31 March 1989.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Capital expenditure on roads, and associated road lighting and car park provision was as follows:

  £'000's

  1977–78

  612

  1978–79

  984

  1979–80

  1,350

  1980–81

  1,083

  1981–82

  426

  1982–83

  305

  1983–84

  380

  1984–85

  424

  1985–86

  369

  1986–87

  478

  1987–88

  419

  1988–89

  486

  Roads Expenditure
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the capital expenditure on roads provision in each of the years from 1 April 1977 until 31 March 1989 in the Newry and Mourne district council area.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Capital expenditure on roads and associated road lighting and car park provision was as follows:

  £'000s

  Year

  Number

  1977–78

  1,219

  1978–79

  1,246

  1979–80

  2,018

  1980–81

  1,186

  1981–82

  827

  1982–83

  908

  1983–84

  1,912

  1984–85

  1,892

  1985–86

  1,839

  1986–87

  1,968

  1987–88

  2,113

  1988–89

  1,310

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the capital expenditure on roads provision in the constituency of South Down in each year since 1 April 1977 until 31 March 1989.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Roads functions in Northern Ireland are not administered on a constituency basis. Information is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the planning application was submitted and approved in respect of the building currently under construction at Slieve Croob, Dromara in South Down at the divisional planning office in Craigavon.

  Mr. Needham
  This is Crown development, which does not require planning permission.

  Hospices
  The Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to give financial support to hospices in Northern Ireland similar to the proposals recently announced by the Scottish Office for hospices in Scotland.

  Mr. Needham
  Arrangements for financial support for independent hospices in the United Kingdom have been under careful consideration for some time and my noble Friend the Minister with special responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Services hopes to be in a position to make a statement on the way forward in Northern Ireland in the near future.

  Quarrying
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expressions of public concern he has received about a planning application in respect of a proposed quarrying operation on land in the vicinity of the Ballybarnos road, Newtownards; if he will ensure that there is full consultations with Ards borough council about the application; and if he will arrange a public inquiry before a final planning decision is issued.

  Mr. Needham
  Nine letters of objection have been received in respect of the quarry extension application.

  £ million

  Programme

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northern Ireland Office:

  Law, Order, Protective and Miscellaneous Services

  684

  730

  780

  NI Departments:

  Northern Ireland Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Services and Support

  113

  110

  120

  Industry Trade and Employment

  481

  440

  440

  Energy

  -35

  -70

  -110

  Transport

  162

  170

  180

  Housing

  248

  250

  260

  Environmental and Miscellaneous Services

  243

  250

  260

  Law, Order and Protective Services (Fire Service)

  32

  30

  30

  Education

  989

  1,040

  1,080

  Health and Personal Social Services

  1,035

  1,090

  1,140

  Social Security Administration

  117

  120

  120

  Other Public Services

  68

  70

  80

  TOTAL NI BLOCK (excluding Social Security Benefits)

  4,136

  4,270

  4,380

  Social Security Benefits

  1,751

  1,900

  2,010

  TOTAL NI BLOCK

  5,887

  6,170

  6,390

  National Agriculture and Fishery Support

  81

  70

  70

  TOTAL NORTHERN IRELAND PROGRAMME

  5,968

  6,240

  6,460

  Notes:

  (1)Figures are rounded to nearest £1 million for 1990–91 and to the nearest £10 million for 1991–92 and 1992–93. Figures may not sum to totals due to roundings.

  (2) Figures for the Industry, Trade and Employment programme include support for capital investment and restructuring costs of Shorts and Harland and Wolff, following their privatisation.

  (3) Figures for the Energy programme are negative because it is anticipated that in the years concerned NIE will be repaying loans to Government: while it is Government's intention that NIE should be privatised early in 1992, work is at an early stage and the PE plans for the energy programme for 1992–93 have not yet been adjusted to reflect the proposed privatisation.

  (4) Figures for Social Security administration also include district councils' share of rate rebates.

  The planning figures for 1990–91 form the basis for preparation by Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office of main estimates for the coming year. These will be presented to Parliament in due course.
  272
  The DOE (NI) will ensure full consultation with Ards borough council before a decision is taken. A public inquiry will not be held.

  Level Crossings
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement as to the practical consequences of the revocation of the No. 315 Road and Railway Transport Statutory Rules 1989 relating to the level crossing at Bushmills road, Coleraine.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The level crossing will remain as it is until the new road improvement scheme being carried out in conjunction with Northern Ireland Railways' scheme for modernising the crossing is completed.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the allocation to individual programmes in Northern Ireland of the public expenditure totals announced on 15 November.

  Mr. Brooke
  In his Autumn Statement on 15 November, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced total public expenditure planning figures for the Northern Ireland programme. I have now decided on the following allocations to individual programmes:

  The allocations reflect my assessment of how best to distribute the Northern Ireland public expenditure totals

  273
  in response to local needs and circumstances. Copies of a more detailed statement on these allocations have been placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

TRANSPORT

  M6 (Truck Stops)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the provision of truck stops or lorry parks close to the M6; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  There have been several representations to the Department about the proposed truck stop at Lymm on the M6. Representations have come from the developers of the proposed truck stop, from local residents, from the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) and from my hon. Friend himself, in whose constituency the proposed development lies.

  More general representations have also been made about adequacy of service facilities for heavy goods vehicles on motorways. If my hon. Friend has any other specific questions in mind about truck stops in relation to M6, perhaps he will write to me.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are being taken to ensure that an integrated transport system is established so that all parts of the country benefit from the opening of the Channel tunnel.

  Mr. Portillo
  Good road and rail links to the Channel tunnel will be available when it opens. Users will have a choice of modes to suit their needs. British Rail will shortly be publishing a plan setting out its current proposals for Channel tunnel passenger and freight services in accordance with section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act.

  Aircraft Noise
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many houses are directly under the flight paths to(a) Glasgow (b) Edinburgh and (c) Prestwick airports;

  (2) if he will detail the noise abatement procedures in operation at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports;

  (3) if he will give the number of chapter 2 type aircraft using (a) Prestwick, (b) Edinburgh and (c) Glasgow airports at present;

  (4) if he will list the regulations governing noise pollution in the areas surrounding Glasgow and Edinburgh airports;

  (5) what are the present noise limits in operation at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports; when these limits were set; and when they were last reviewed;

  (6) what surveys his Department has made into the effect of vibration on houses on the flight paths to Glasgow airport;

  (7) what was the number of payments made under the noise insulation grants scheme for each of the last five years in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  These are all matters for the operators of the airports concerned.
  274
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of aircraft landing and taking off from Glasgow airport between the hours of 11 pm and 7 am during the last year.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Information on night aircraft movements at Glasgow (between the hours of 11.30 pm and 6 am) is available from Glasgow Airport Limited. I understand that in the year to April 1989 the figure was 2,294, of which 1,843 were jet aircraft.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on studies into the effects of aircraft noise in the Glasgow area since 1986.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am aware of no such studies.

  Rail Electrification (East Midlands)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in the past year seeking his approval for the electrification of British Rail's east midlands line.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have received some 20 such representations.

  Motorcyclists (Leg Protectors)
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement of the compulsory introduction of leg protectors for motorcyclists.

  Mr. Atkins
  Over 3,000 serious injuries to motorcyclists a year would be prevented with properly designed leg protectors. That represents a huge sum of pain, disfigurement and personal financial loss. We want manufacturers to design and offer them to motorcyclists who want better protection from accidents. No decision has been taken about any legislative option.

  Bermuda 2A Negotiations
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the principles upon which Britain has entered the current round of negotiations under Bermuda 2A.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We shall be asking the United States Government to address the broad question of a thorough liberalisation of air services arrangements between our two countries and we shall also be seeking a balanced exchange of opportunities to meet the shorter term ambitions of the airlines of both sides.

  Road Construction (Safety)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety initiatives he has researched for the construction of new roads.

  Mr. Atkins
  There is a continuing programme of research into methods of improving road safety. The results are applied to existing as well as to new roads.

  Recent safety research has resulted in improvements to traffic signs and signals; better road layout and junction design; skid resistant surfaces; more widespread use of safety fencing; and better road markings. In addition, following research, the Department will shortly be introducing systematic independent safety audits of the design of its new roads.

  Avonmouth Relief Road
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the results of the recent public consultations on the proposed Avonmouth relief road.

  Mr. Atkins
  Over 650 people attended the public exhibition held between 8 and 11 November. Some comments have been received, but more are expected before the close of the consultation period on 31 December. After due consideration has been given to all the representations, a further announcement will be made.

  Air Traffic
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made to integrate Europe's air traffic control.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The United Kingdom's proposals for the integration of Europe's air traffic control were well received at the first meeting of the European civil aviation conference task force held on 3 November. These are now being developed by the task force with a view to the presentation of proposals to the Ministers of the European civil aviation conference next spring.

  Irish Lights
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representation Northern Ireland has within the controlling body of Irish Lights; how such persons are appointed; and what is the authority for Irish Lights to require payment to it of light dues by fishing boats based in Northern Ireland ports.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Commissioners of Irish Lights is the statutory general lighthouse authority charged with the superintendence and management of all lighthouses, buoys and beacons around the whole of Ireland. Their powers in Northern Ireland and the Republic are similar and were vested in them under part XI of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894. This legislation remains in force in Northern Ireland and has a parallel counterpart in the statutes of the Republic. Irish Lights commissioners are appointed by the CIL board, and currently three of the commissioners are from Northern Ireland. The light dues liability of United Kingdom fishing vessels is contained in regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 5(2) of the Merchant Shipping (Mercantile Marine Fund) Act 1898. The relevant regulations are SI 1987 No. 746, SI 1988 No. 330 and SI 1989 No. 305. The general lighthouse authorities are required to levy such dues under section 5(1) of the 1898 Act.

  M5
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the purpose of the lane closures on the west bound carriageway of the M5, between junctions 25 and 26; how long the closures are expected to last; what other closures are planned for the near future on this stretch of motorway; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The current lane closures are required to enable localised maintenance operations to be carried out. This work should be completed within a few days.
  276
  No further closures are planned in the near future. However, I hope to award a contract next spring for the replacement of a further length of the concrete carriageway.

  M11 Link Road
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will extend the times of the current M 11 link road public inquiry beyond Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 5 pm to allow residents whose homes are likely to be affected by the proposed road, and who work at these times, to participate fully; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether creche facilities will be made available at the current public inquiry into the proposed M11 link road; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) whether interpreting facilities will be made available at the public inquiry now under way, for residents whose first language is not English, and whose homes are likely to be affected by the proposed M11 link road; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) whether the scope of the current public inquiry into the proposed M 11 link road will be widened beyond consideration of compulsory purchase orders and exchange of land, to include consideration of the views of people whose homes are likely to be affected by the proposed road and who have moved into the area since the earlier public inquiry several years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The inspector conducting the public inquiry is an independent nominee of the Lord Chancellor. The inspector alone is responsible for conduct of the inquiry.

  The inspector has already given a written ruling at the inquiry on points of procedure. The representations dealt with by this ruling included those relating to the scope of the inquiry, evening sessions, creche facilities and translators.

  Peterlee
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will travel by car on an official visit from London to Peterlee via the M1, M18, A1M, A1 and Al9 and then make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I have no plans to visit Peterlee in the near future. But if the opportunity arises to inspect any of the roads referred to, I will of course do so.

  Fishing Boat Loss
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are being made for an inquiry into the loss of the fishing boat Flamingo off Lamorna on 24 November; whether the findings of the inquiry will be published in full; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The loss of the Grey Flamingo is being investigated by the marine accident investigation branch. A report will be published which will include the inspector's findings in full.

  Coastguard Service
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of any telex messages dated 16 August between Milford Haven coastguard and
  277
  Swansea coastguard, together with a copy of any forms CG15, CG19 and CG21 used at Swansea coastguard on that day.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer Monday 27 November]: Following the coroner's inquest in September on the death by drowning of Mark Woodward on 16 August, Mr. J. Smith, a relative of the deceased, has written to the coroner stating that he has new evidence to hand. In view of the contents of this letter, the coroner has requested the police to carry out an investigation into the case. The police have asked that no documentary evidence be made available to third parties until the investigation is complete.

SCOTLAND

  Railways
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet the chairman of ScotRail to discuss the electrification of the Edinburgh-Glasgow rail link.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend meets the chairman of the British Rail (Scotland) Board from time to time to discuss matters of mutual interest. But decisions on electrification are for British Rail, working within guidelines set by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.

  Prisoners
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give, for each year since 1986, the average daily prison population in Scotland per 100,000 inhabitants distinguishing between convicted and untried prisoners.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is set out in the table.

  Average daily prison population in Scotland per 100,000 population

  Year

  Convicted

  Untried

  1986

  94

  16

  1987

  92

  15

  11988

  89

  14

  1 Provisional.

  Law of Damages
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Scottish Law Commission will complete its review of the civil law of damages in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I asked the Scottish Law Commission in mid-September to consider the case for amending the law of damages in Scotland having regard to the possibility that there may be an incentive in the present law for a defender to postpone making settlement until after the death of the pursuer to minimise the amount of any compensation. The commission has accorded the matter priority and hopes to issue a discussion paper in 1990. It is too early to say when the commission's report will be completed.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will introduce interim measures in civil litigation in actions for damages for personal injuries 278
  (a) to prevent defenders seeking to delay hearings, (b) to allow courts to increase an award of damages where it is considered that there has been a deliberate use of delay by defenders in preventing cases from coming to a hearing, submissions of appeals on spurious grounds, or otherwise, (c) to encourage realistic settlements of claims at an early stage arid (d) to permit executors to pursue claims for personal injuries of a deceased family member.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No. Interim measures on these lines would be inappropriate. Under existing provisions, the Court of Session or the sheriff may—by an award of expenses, or otherwise—act to prevent a party abusing court procedures by unreasonable delay. In addition, interest is payable on damages from the date when the claimant's loss occurred. However, the Scottish Law Commission has been asked to consider the case for amending the law of damages in Scotland having regard to the possibility that defenders may delay an action to minimise the amount of compensation payable in the event of the claimant's death before conclusion of the action.

  British Medical Association
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will institute an investigation to find out the source of the leak of the confidential British Medical Association correspondence to The Sunday Times, Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The correspondence concerned was not marked confidential and I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I have given today to the hon. Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker).

  Employment Training
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inspectors examine employment training schemes, by region in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  The Training Agency has 115 staff in Scotland monitoring training agents and training managers, and six training standards inspectors. Financial checks on all employment training providers are carried out by the Training Agency's professional accountant. The Training Agency also employs independent consultants to undertake a range of quality development tasks. The activities of many of these staff cross regional boundaries and it is therefore impossible to give a regional breakdown.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any recent representations regarding the operation of the employment training scheme in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  In the last six months my right hon. and learned Friend has received 10 representations about the operation of employment training in Scotland.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the bodies in Scotland which have been asked to make improvements in their performance to comply with the terms of their contract under the employment training scheme.

  Mr. Lang
  I cannot provide details of individual training agents and training managers who have been
  279
  asked to improve their performance because the terms of contract with these organisations require such communications to be treated as commercial in confidence.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of trainees in the employment training scheme in Scotland go into full-time employment; what proportion leave the scheme and return to unemployment; and how many instructors have the appropriate qualifications for the supervisory work that they undertake.

  Mr. Lang
  At present information about employment training trainees in Scotland who find full-time employment or return to unemployment is unavailable. A 100 per cent. follow-up survey which will provide such data is now under way.

  All supervisory staff of employment training providers are required to be competent to undertake such work and these training providers are expected to have plans to develop and update the skills of their staff.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the employment training scheme in Scotland; and if he has any proposals to improve the current level of accountability of all training agencies in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  Under the approved training organisations scheme, the ability of each training organisation to meet the Training Agency's quality requirements is being assessed. All training organisations that wish to continue as employment training providers will be expected to achieve approved training organisation status.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how frequently inspections are made of employment training schemes in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  Frequent visits to training agents and training managers are undertaken by Training Agency staff in accordance with a laid down sampling framework. The frequency of visits will vary and will be governed by agency's confidence in the organisations visited.

  Rents-into-Mortgages Scheme
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to extend his rents-into-mortgages scheme to local authority tenants.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The rents to mortgages scheme introduced by Scottish Homes is a trial scheme which is intended to run for three years, during which it will be subject to very careful monitoring and a full evaluation to ensure that any changes in content or in application which might be appropriate can be made as soon as possible.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to use television advertising to promote his rents-into-mortgages scheme.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No. The experimental scheme now in operation is restricted in application to a specified group of tenants. Promotion of the scheme will be through a careful targeting of that group of tenants, rather than through the widespread publicity of a television campaign.
  280
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the estates owned by Scottish Homes, showing their locations; and if he will estimate the average income of eligible tenants for participation in the rents-in to-mortgages scheme for those estates.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Scottish Homes owns houses in some 600 locations in Scotland. I will write to my hon. Friend with the list shortly.

  We have no information on tenants' incomes in these areas on which to base an estimate of the average income of those tenants eligible for participation in the rents to mortgages scheme.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of applications he has received to date from eligible tenants wishing to convert their rents into mortgages.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Applications are made to Scottish Homes which is the body responsible for the operation of the scheme. As at 27 November one application from an eligible tenant has been received by that body.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of inquiries since 30 October which have been received from eligible tenants willing to convert their rents into mortgages.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since my right hon. and learned Friend's announcement of the formal launch of the scheme on 30 October, at least 360 inquiries have been received.

  At this stage we have insufficient information on the persons making these inquiries to enable us to say what percentage are eligible to purchase under the rents to mortgages scheme.

  Scottish Homes (Sales)
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Scottish Homes dwellings were sold prior to 30 October.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The number of Scottish Homes dwellings sold prior to 30 October 1989 was 3,566, representing 4·8 per cent. of the dwellings inherited by that body on 1 April 1989.

  Health Service
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce which hospitals are to become independent hospital trusts.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend will consider each initial proposal carefully before deciding whether to seek a full application, and announcements will be made as decisions are taken.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money was raised in prescription charges in Scotland in each year from 1979–80 to 1987–88; and into what fund these receipts are paid.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The total amounts raised from prescription charges in Scotland were as follows:

  £ million

  1979–80

  4·247

  1980–81

  7·597

  1981–82

  9·879

  281

  £ million

  1982–83

  11·805

  1983–84

  12·798

  1984–85

  13·976

  1985–86

  15·313

  1986–87

  18·869

  1987–88

  17·233

  The prescription charges collected in Scotland in the family practitioner services are credited to class XVI, vote 17, subheads A2 and AZ.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of his latest negotiations with the British Medical Association with regard to general practitioner contracts in Scotland; and if he will publish the British Medical Association's latest letters on this matter.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 24 November 1989]: Formal negotiations with the British Medical Association on the new contract for general practitioners culminated in the agreement reached with the GMSC negotiators on 4 May. Since then, and despite the rejection of that agreement by a number of doctors, there has been extensive consultation with the British Medical Association, including the Scottish General Medical Services Committee, on the draft regulations, statement of fees and allowances and other matters relating to the implementation of the new contract. Within the terms of the 4 May agreement, I remain willing to consider any matters affecting the detailed implementation of the contract in Scotland which the SGMSC may wish to draw to my attention to take account of the particular circumstances of doctors in Scotland. These have been the subject of correspondence between me or officials and the British Medical Association. I have arranged for copies of the latest letters from the chariman of the Scottish General Medical Services Committee to be placed in the Library of the House.

  South Africa Trade1

  Percentage Shares by Partner Country

  United Kingdom

  Australia

  New Zealand

  Canada

  India

  1984

  7·4

  0·9

  0·1

  0·9

  NA

  1985

  8·3

  0·8

  0·1

  0·8

  NA

  1986

  7·5

  0·7

  0·1

  1·1

  NA

  1987

  7·1

  0·6

  0·1

  0·6

  NA

  1988

  7·4

  0·4

  0·1

  0·5

  NA

  1exports plus imports not available

  Source: IMF Direction of Trade Statistics.

  Shops (Closing Down Offers)
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has received any representations concerning shops which misrepresent their closing down in order to attract custom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  There have been few complaints to date about the misrepresentation of closing down sales.

  This term would normally imply a comparison with a previous, higher price at which goods were on offer. Any

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Manufactured Goods (Imports)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the increase in import penetration of manufactured goods from 1979 until the first quarter of the current year.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 1 November 1989, at column 258.

  Task Force (Leicester)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current position of the task force which he established in Leicester.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Highfields (Leicester) task force closed its doors on 31 October after closure was announced on 9 March this year.

  A number of projects will continue to receive financial and other forms of support over the next 12 months. These include a construction skills training centre, and a public-private sector inner city partnership which will act as a focal point for encouraging enterprise development locally. I will be in Leicester on 1 December to launch the partnership.

  Trade Deficit (West Germany)
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the manufacturing trade deficit with West Germany.

  Mr. Redwood
  In the first nine months of 1989 imports of manufactures into the United Kingdom consigned from the Federal Republic of Germany exceeded United Kingdom exports to that country by £7,411 million.

  South Africa
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the trend of trade with South Africa in recent years by(a) the United Kingdom (b) Canada, (c) Australia, (d) New Zealand and (e) India.

  Mr. Redwood
  Shares of these countries in South Africa's total trade in the five years to 1988 are as follows:

  misrepresentation may therefore be considered an offence under the provisions of part III of the Consumer Protection Act 1987. I believe that this legislation provides sufficient safeguards for consumers.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice his Department is issuing to businesses to help them develop trading links with countries in eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The advice given depends on the needs and circumstances of individual businesses. My Department provides information about the economic changes in eastern Europe and their implications, and about specific opportunities for business and investment. Companies are encouraged to make full use of existing mechanisms for undertaking market research and pursuing identified opportunities. These include Government-supported joint commissions, sectoral working groups, seminars, missions and exhibitions, as well as the know-how fund for Poland which is administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The know-how fund announced for Hungary will open in April.

  Giro Bank
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the Giro bank.

  Mr. Forth
  I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) on 27 November.

  Subsidy
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much direct subsidy was paid by(a) the United Kingdom Government, (b) the Italian Government and (c) the French Government to their domestic industry in 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I regret that comparable figures for 1987 are not yet available. According to the European Commission, in 1986, the United Kingdom gave £1·9 billion, France £3·6 billion, Germany £4·8 billion and Italy £16 billion (or nine times as much as the United Kingdom). Average 1981–86 figures are as follows:

  Aids to manufacturing industry (excluding steel and shipbuilding) Average 1981–86

  (a) Percentage of value added United Kingdom

  (b) £per worker France

  (c) ECU per worker Italy

  (a) 2·9

  3·6

  15·8

  (b)448

  724

  3,523

  (c) 757

  1,223

  5,951

  Source: Survey of state aids—European Commission.

  European Community
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet European Economic Community Ministers to discuss trade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I intend to maintain close contact with all my EC counterparts, and a whole range of matters will be discussed.

  Footwear and Textiles
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms closed in the(a) footwear and (b) textile industry for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information is not available.

  MFA (Silberston Report)
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Silberston report on the multi-fibre arrangement.

  Mr Redwood
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 19 October 1989, of column 176. The Government have received comments on the Silberston report from a number of organisations and these are now being considered.

  Sales (Capacity Constraints)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State For Trade and Industry which industries wholly or mainly engaged in manufacturing importable and exportable goods were unable to increase sales to the United Kingdom market in 1988 because of capacity constraints; and if he will provide similar figures for 1989 to date.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information on capacity constraints can be found in the results of the quarterly industrial trends surveys carried out by the Confederation of British Industry, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. Decisions as to whether to use available capacity to supply the home or the export market are matters for individual firms to decide on commercial grounds.

  Estate Agents
  Mr Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what would be the cost to the Exchequer of implementing section 22 of the Estate Agents Act 1979;

  (2) when he expects to give a considered response to the recommendation of Professor Likierman on the implementation of section 22 of the Estate Agents Act 1979;

  (3) whether he has consulted the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the National Association of Estate Agents, the Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers, and the Law Society regarding the main conclusions of the Likierman report;

  (4) whether he plans to implement the recommendation in the Likierman report, that estate agents should be brought under greater control through tests of competence.

  Mr. Forth
  The arguments for and against implementation of section 22 of the Estate Agents Act 1979 were examined in the review of estate agency which I completed in June. I decided against implementation for reasons which are set out in my report, copies of which are in the Library. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the National Association of Estate Agents, the Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers and the Law Society were all consulted in the course of my review. Accordingly, I have no plans to consult these bodies about the
  285
  recommendation in the Likierman report on section 22. No estimate has been made of the cost to the Exchequer of implementing section 22.

  European Business Co-operative Network
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on how many companies subscribe to the European business co-operation network.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 27 November 1989]: At the end of each month, the Commission publishes figures on the number and types of companies subscribing to the business co-operation network (BC-Net). The latest set of statistics available, published at the end of October 1989, show that there are currently 5,604 subscribers, of which 23·9 per cent. are United Kingdom companies.

  Inspections
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Guinness plc inspectors to complete their inspection.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 28 November 1989]: Not before the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the James Ferguson (Holdings) plc inspectors completed their inspection; and how much it cost.

  Table 1

  Government expenditure on regional preferential assistance to industry at current prices1

  £ million

  Region

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Northern

  158·9

  147·8

  145·4

  175·1

  158·5

  124·7

  122·2

  94·4

  137·1

  108·7

  133·2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  37·4

  32·1

  52·2

  61·6

  52·9

  35·5

  41·9

  34·3

  41·4

  38·6

  49·9

  East Midlands3

  3·4

  4·1

  4·6

  8·6

  13·7

  17·6

  10·1

  8·3

  10·5

  9·3

  8·9

  South West

  9·6

  10·7

  11·5

  14·8

  16·4

  11·9

  13·7

  11·8

  22·2

  14·7

  14·5

  West Midlands4

  0·4

  0·1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5·5

  10·0

  18·8

  25·5

  North West

  6114·0

  686·7

  6130·2

  6174·8

  6123·8

  6104·2

  101·6

  85·9

  128·5

  78·6

  82·0

  England

  323·7

  281·5

  343·9

  434·9

  365·3

  293·9

  289·5

  240·2

  349·8

  268·7

  314·0

  Wales

  132·1

  100·2

  171·3

  198·1

  182·2

  116·8

  146·0

  137·7

  150·4

  132·2

  147·4

  Scotland

  153·6

  130·5

  192·8

  231·9

  369·4

  227·8

  179·2

  204·7

  241·6

  152·1

  151·1

  Great Britain2

  609·4

  512·2

  708·0

  864·9

  917·0

  638·5

  614·6

  582·6

  741·8

  552·9

  612·5

  Northern Ireland

  102·6

  108·3

  142·5

  115·7

  153·6

  115·0

  141·5

  158·7

  146·7

  127·2

  125·9

  United Kingdom

  712·0

  620·5

  850·5

  980·6

  1,070·6

  753·5

  756·1

  741·3

  888·5

  680·1

  738·4

  Table 2

  Government expenditure on regional preferential assistance to industry at 1988–89 prices1,5

  £ million

  Region

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Northern

  347·9

  277·2

  230·5

  253·4

  214·1

  160·9

  149·9

  110·0

  154·7

  116·3

  133·2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  81·9

  60·2

  82·8

  89·1

  71·5

  45·8

  51·4

  40·0

  46·7

  41·3

  49·9

  East Midlands3

  7·4

  7·7

  7·3

  12·4

  18·5

  22·7

  12·4

  9·7

  11·8

  10·0

  8·9

  South West

  21·0

  20·1

  18·2

  21·4

  22·2

  15·4

  16·8

  13·7

  25·0

  15·7

  14·5

  West Midlands4

  0·9

  0·2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6·4

  11·3

  20·1

  25·5

  North West

  6249·6

  6162·6

  6206·4

  6253·0

  6167·2

  6134·4

  124·7

  100·1

  145·0

  84·1

  82·0

  ENGLAND

  708·8

  528·0

  545·2

  629·3

  493·5

  379·2

  355·2

  279·9

  394·7

  287·5

  314·0

  WALES

  289·2

  188·0

  271·6

  286·7

  246·1

  150·7

  179·2

  160·4

  169·7

  141·4

  147·4

  SCOTLAND

  336·3

  244·8

  305·7

  335·6

  499·0

  293·9

  219·9

  238·5

  272·6

  162·7

  151·1

  GREAT BRITAIN2

  1,334·2

  9608

  1,122·5

  1,251·7

  1,238·8

  823·8

  754·2

  678·8

  837·0

  591·6

  612·5

  NORTHERN IRELAND

  224·7

  203·1

  225·9

  167·4

  207·5

  148·4

  173·6

  184·9

  165·5

  136·1

  125·9

  UNITED KINGDOM

  1,558·9

  1,163·9

  1,348·4

  1,419·1

  1,446·3

  972·2

  927·8

  863·8

  1,002·5

  727·7

  738·4

  1 All figures are gross and include payments to nationalised industries.

  2 The totals do not always equal the sum of the component parts because of rounding.

  3 Includes some minor expenditure in west midlands in respect of Oswestry TTWA which ceased to be an assisted area in 1982–83.

  286
  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 28 November 1989]: The inspection is continuing together with that into Barlow Clowes Gilt Managers Limited. Their combined cost to date is £1,216,085.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regional preferential assistance, including regional selective assistance, is in(a) cash terms and (b) 1988–89 process, as (i) the outturn for each financial year since 1978–79, (ii) plans for 1990–91, (iii) 1991–92 and 1992–93 and (iv) these figures broken down by region.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent in real terms in each eligible standard planning region of the United Kingdom on regional preferential assistance in each year from 1978–79 to 1988–89.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will outline, in constant prices, the total Government spending on regional policy in the United Kingdom for the period 1979 to 1989 inclusive.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 24 and 27 November 1989]: The information requested for the financial years 1978–79 to 1988–89 is set out below. Information on provision for future years will be published in the public expenditure White Paper in January 1990.
  287

  4 Certain TTWAS in the west midlands were designated as assisted areas on 29 November 1984.

  5 Expenditure on a 1988–89 price basis for each year is calculated by applying the appropriate deflator to expenditure at current prices.

  6 Includes expenditure in Cumbria, otherwise shown within the totals for the Northern region.

  The items included in the expenditure are regional development grants and regional selective assistance; regional enterprise grants; expenditure on land and factories by the English Industrial Estates Corporation, the Scottish and Welsh Development Agencies, the Development Board for Rural Wales, and the Highlands and Islands Development Board.

  Northern Ireland has a different range of financial incentives available and the items included are Industrial Development Board grants and loans, expenditure on land and factories, standard capital grants and Local Enterprise Development Unit grants and loans.

  Israel
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Israel; what the balance of trade is with other countries in the middle east; what steps are taken by his Department to encourage United Kingdom/Israel trade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  For the period January to September 1989, the crude visible trade balance between the United Kingdom and Israel was £7 million. The crude balance of the United Kingdom's trade with other countries in the middle east for the same period was as follows:

  £ million

  Egypt

  86

  Syria

  -20

  Lebanon

  21

  Jordan

  66

  £000

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Assistance provided under the Outward and Inward Missions, TradeFairs and Seminars Schemes

  145·6

  122·6

  158·7

  60·3

  238·6

  1512·2

  Overseas Projects Fund expenditure against projects in Iraq

  220·7

  167·3

  42·0

  0·0

  0·0

  2220·2

  366·3

  289·9

  200·7

  60·3

  238·6

  732·4

  1 estimate.

  2 to date.

  Forestry Investment
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to review the Financial Services Act 1986, section 76, to permit the marketing of forestry and forestry investment schemes.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 27 November 1989]: It is already possible for regulations to be made under section 76(3) of the Act permitting promotion of commercial forestry schemes otherwise than to the general public. The power to make those regulations has been transferred to the Securities and Investments Board. I am not satisfied that investors' interests would be served by an amendment to the Act permitting these schemes to be promoted to the general public.

  Columbus (Polar Platform)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are his expectations regarding the future of the British option for Columbus's polar platform; and if he will make a statement.
  288

  £ million

  Saudi Arabia

  1,409

  Kuwait

  34

  Bahrain

  54

  Qatar

  61

  Abu Dhabi

  70

  Dubai

  221

  Sharjah

  19

  Oman

  174

  Yemen North

  29

  Yemen South

  8

  Iran

  -10

  Iraq

  305

  Her Majesty's Government encourage trade with overseas countries, including Israel, consistent with our international obligations. My Department provides a grant-in-aid to the British Overseas Trade Group for Israel, and the normal range of the Department's services are available to British exporters to Israel.

  Iraq
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent on promoting United Kingdom trade with Iraq for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 24 November 1989]:Details of DTI programme expenditure on promotion of United Kingdom exports to Iraq are not available for the years 1979–80–1983–84. Net promotional expenditure in subsequent years was as follows:

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 27 November 1989]: Discussions between European Space Agency officials and industry to finalise the design configuration for the Columbus polar platform are under way. These should be completed soon and we are hopeful of a satisfactory outcome.

  Records and Publishing
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish tables showing(a) the invisible and (b) the visible imports and exports of (i) the record industry and (ii) the publishing industry for the past five years.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 27 November 1989]: Figures for visible trade are shown in the table. Invisible trade data are not available.
  289

  Visible trade 1984–1988

  £ million

  The record industry

  The publishing industry

  Year

  Imports

  Exports

  Imports

  Exports

  1984

  48·5

  52·0

  285·6

  514·2

  1985

  49·3

  69·3

  318·9

  569·0

  1986

  55·6

  75·6

  325·0

  559·9

  1987

  49·5

  86·2

  373·6

  628·6

  1988

  96·8

  111·8

  491·4

  674·1

  Notes and Definitions.

  The Record Industry: Records (7" and 12") and pre-recorded cassettes. Compact discs are included in the 1988 totals (imports £48·2 m; exports £40·1 m), but figures are not available for earlier years.

  Source: BPI Year Book 1989–90.

  The Publishing Industry: Books, pamphlets, maps, newspapers, Journals and periodicals (SITC 892.1, 892.2).

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

  Mergers
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on the negotiations on European Community merger control regulation.

  Mr. Redwood
  [pursuant to his reply, 24 November, c. 41]: I should like to point to a typographical error which led to the omission of some of the text in the fourth sentence. The fourth sentence should now read:
  "There has been general agreement about the threshold levels of 5 billion ECU worldwide turnover; 250 million ECU Community-wide turnover in each of at least two of the undertakings concerned; unless 66 per cent. of the Community-wide turnover is in one and the same Member State."

HEALTH

  Delta Te
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the activities of Mr. Yves Delatte and the sale of Delta Te immune support therapy;

  (2) if his Department will immediately ban the sale and distribution of Delta Te immune support therapy;

  (3) what are his Department's estimates as to the amount of Delta Te sold in Great Britain;

  (4) what information he has about the continued sale of Delta Te immune support therapy;

  (5) what representations he has received about the sale of Delta Te immune support therapy;

  (6) what steps his Department has taken to prohibit the import and sale of Delta Te immune support therapy under the Medicines Act;

  (7) if he will make a statement on the sale of Delta Te immune support therapy.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have been asked to reply.

  Further to the reply my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) gave on 5 July at column 186, the Department is continuing to investigate the activities of Mr. Yves Delatte and the supply of Delta Te, including recent reports about the renewed sale of the substance. The information obtained so far is being examined for possible action. This will include prosecution where, on legal advice, there is evidence of a breach of the Medicines Act, or if the evidence supports this: possible use of powers to prohibit, in the interests of safety, import, sale and distribution of the material. Representations about the sale of Delta Te have been received from journal
  290
  and television reporters and the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association. Information about the amount of Delta Te sold in Great Britain is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission a study into the composition and effects of Delta Te immune support therapy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have been asked to reply. I understand that the Medical Research Council is not aware of any evidence indicating the safety of Delta Te for human use, or its likely effectiveness in treatment of persons whose immune system has been compromised. The council has no current plans for a study.

  Abortion
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he requires an interpreter fluent in the language of the foreign mother presenting for an abortion to be present during counselling.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Clinics accepting foreign patients for treatment already have arrangements for interpreters to be present when required.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more upon women with four or fewer previous children; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usually resident women with four or fewer previous liveborn or stillborn children at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales, 19881 was 6,374. This figure represents 98·90 per cent. of all abortions performed upon usual residents at 18 weeks or more gestation.

  1Provisional data.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more upon resident women; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usually resident women at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales 19881 was 6,445. This figure represents 66·37 per cent. of all abortions performed at 18 weeks or more gestation upon usual residents and non-residents.

  1Provisional data.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more in emergency to save the life of the mother; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.
  291
  Mr. Freeman
  There were no abortions performed on usual residents of England and Wales 19881 at 18 weeks or more gestation in an emergency to save the life of the pregnant woman (ground 5 of the Abortion Act 1967).

  1Provisional data.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more for the reason that the child was likely to be born handicapped; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usual residents of England and Wales, 19881 at 18 weeks or more gestation under ground 4 of the Act, which allows abortions to be performed when there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped, was 682. This figure represents 10·58 per cent. of all abortions performed upon usual residents at 18 weeks or more gestation.

  1 Provisional data.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks upon single women; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usually resident single women at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales 19881 was 4,781. This figure represents 74·18 per cent. of all abortions performed at 18 weeks or more gestation.

  1 Provisional data.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more for social reasons under ground 2 of the Abortion Act; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of abortions performed under ground 2 of the Abortion Act 1967 (which allows abortions to be performed when the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated) upon usually resident women at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales 19881 was 5,343. This figure represents 82·9 per cent. of all abortions performed upon usual residents at 18 weeks or more gestation.

  1Provisional data.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give a breakdown by grounds of the number of abortions in England and Wales performed in the latest year for which figures are available upon girls aged under 16 years, women aged 16 to 20 years, women aged 21 to 40 years, and women aged 40 years or more.

  Mr. Freeman
  The exact information requested is not available. The number of abortions carried out under the 292
  Abortion Act 1967 by statutory grounds and mothers age to usual residents of England and Wales 19881 is shown in the table.

  Statutory grounds2

  Mothers age

  Number of abortions

  All grounds

  All ages

  168,298

  Under 16

  3,568

  16–19

  37,928

  20–39

  121,332

  40+

  5,470

  1. (with other)

  All ages

  479

  Under 16

  7

  16–19

  72

  20–39

  36

  40+

  39

  2. (alone)

  All ages

  148,895

  Under 16

  3,522

  16–19

  36,601

  20–39

  104,625

  40+

  4,147

  3. (with or without)

  All ages1

  17,181

  Under 16

  31

  16–19

  1,151

  20–39

  14,972

  40+

  1,027

  4. (alone)

  All ages

  1,205

  Under 16

  3

  16–19

  73

  20–39

  1,002

  40+

  127

  4. (with any other except 1)

  All ages

  527

  Under 16

  5

  16–19

  31

  20–39

  363

  40+

  128

  5. or 6.

  All ages

  11

  Under 16

  —

  16–19

  —

  20–39

  9

  40+

  2

  1 Provisional data.

  2 Statutory grounds

  1. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.

  2. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.

  3. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of any existing child(ren) in the family of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.

  4. There is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.

  5. To save the life of the pregnant mother.

  6. To prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the child.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give a breakdown by marital status of the total numbers of abortions performed in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  Numbers of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usual residents of England and Wales 19881 by marital status.
  293

  Marital status

  Number of abortions

  Total

  168,298

  Single

  111,044

  Married

  38,689

  Widowed/divorced/separated

  15,860

  Not stated

  2,705

  1 Provisional data.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of abortions performed in the latest year for which figures are available upon girls aged 15 years and under, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 or more years; and, in each case, whether these were National Health Service abortions, private abortions, or National Health Service abortions performed under agency arrangements in the private sector.

  Mr. Freeman
  Numbers of abortions performed in 19881 to usual residents of England and Wales by category of premises and age.

  Category of premises

  Age

  NHS

  Non-NHS

  Agency

  Under 16

  2,063

  1,505

  368

  16

  3,184

  3,329

  677

  17

  4,055

  5,157

  904

  18

  4,389

  6,209

  642

  19

  4,679

  6,926

  652

  20

  4,709

  7,057

  640

  21

  4,603

  6,887

  570

  1 Provisional data.

  Counterfeit Medicines
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if any United Kingdom product licence holders have informed his Department of counterfeit medicines reaching the United Kingdom supply chain.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department was informed on 27 September 1989 by Glaxo Pharmaceuticals Limited of a suspected counterfeit version of their licensed product Zantac, which had entered the United Kingdom supply chain. With the company's help it was confirmed that the product was a copy of Greek Zantac 150 mg. I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 2 November at columns 311–12.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take in the immediate future to minimise the risk of National Health Service patients receiving counterfeit medicines imported from other European Community countries.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department are seeking to identify products which might be vulnerable to counterfeiting. These will be targeted in the sampling programme operated by the medicines inspectorate for analysis. We are also proposing to collect and monitor data relating to selected imported products. These activities are in addition to the controls outined to my hon. Friend on 2 November 1989 at columns 311–12.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has of the number of pharmaceutical wholesalers or importers who received quantities of Zantac 150 mg tablets, batch number 294
  A092F8, which were the subject of a drug alert notice issued by his Department on 29 September; and if he will name the wholesalers or importers concerned.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department established that five pharmaceutical wholesalers/importers received consignments of Zantac 150 mg tablets, batch No. A092F8. A study of the batch samples retained by these trading companies suggests that only one may have received the counterfeit product. As the Department's examination of the incident is continuing and it is also the subject of police inquiries, it would not be appropriate to identify the companies concerned.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response was received from hospital and community pharmacists in respect of the drug alert notice issued by his Department on 29 September concerning counterfeit Zantac 150 mg tablets; and what quantity of stocks were returned by dispensing pharmacists to their usual suppliers.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The response to the Department from hospital and community pharmacists following the issue of the drug alert letter on 29 Sepember was limited to a few inquiries seeking clarification. No stocks were returned by dispensing pharmacists to their suppliers.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has informed his Department of incidents of counterfeit medicines being distributed in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department has been informed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society that during inquiries carried out by their inspectors into the sale of steroid creams and lotions some counterfeit medicines have been identified. The products, which are only permitted to be sold from registered pharmacies, were being sold by food and general shops to Afro-Caribbean customers for lightening the skin. The society intend to prosecute the retailers where possible.

  There is no evidence that the material has reached pharmacies or even entered the licensed distribution system. On present information there is nothing to suggest that the application of the cream would be a danger to health. The society has alerted its members through professional journals.

  Oral Tobacco Products
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has now received a signed copy of the voluntary agreement relating to the sale of oral tobacco products from United States Tobacco.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes. The agreement, which is without prejudice to the decision whether to ban oral snuff, was concluded on 14 November.

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the consultation period on his proposed oral tobacco product ban has been further extended by the European Community Commission proposal to bring forward its own recommendations on oral tobacco.
  295
  Mr. Freeman
  No, the consultation period ended on 9 November. The Government will now reach a final decision on whether to proceed to a ban on oral snuff as quickly as possible.

  Haemophiliacs
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements have been made by each of the Governments of the 12 European countries to arrange for compensation to haemophiliacs accidentally infected with the AIDS virus through contaminated blood transfusions, listing the actions taken, country by country, including the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Haemophiliacs were infected through the use of blood products such as factor VIII and not through ordinary blood transfusions. The information available to us about schemes set up by governments in the European Community countries is set out in the table. The hon. Member may wish to contact the embassies concerned for full details.

  Payments for people with AIDS or HIV in other countries Denmark
  Government have provided ex-gratia payments totalling 250,000 Danish kroner (about £25,000) for each person infected with HIV through blood products or blood transfusions.

  Eire
  Government have provided £million for a trust for haemophiliacs infected with HIV.

  France
  Government are providing a fund which will pay an average of 100,000 French francs (about £10,000) to haemophiliacs who have developed clinical AIDS.

  United Kingdom
  Government are providing £29 million to the Macfarlane Trust to provide assistance to haemophiliacs with HIV and to their dependants.

  We do not know of any Government schemes in other Community countries. [In the Federal Republic of West Germany we understand that the insurers of the manufacturers of blood products have made out-of-court settlements averaging 80,000 deutschmarks (about £27,000).]

  Self-Governing Hospitals
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have indicated that they wish to become self-governing; and if he will list them.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A total of 187 units have expressed interest in National Health Service trust status. I understand that 79 of these intend to proceed with preparing applications for the first wave, which we would expect to be established in April 1991. However, applications will not be invited until Parliament has approved the necessary legislation. The table lists all the units which have expressed an interest in National Health Service trust status.

  Northern Regional Health Authority

  Aycliffe Hospital and Mental Handicap Services

  Blood Transfusion Service (Northern Regional Health Authority)

  Darlington—hospital and community services

  Freeman Hospital, Newcastle

  Hartlepool District

  Mental Illness Services in Gateshead

  Newcastle Mental Health Services

  Newcastle General Hospital

  North West Durham hospital and community services

  296

  North Tyneside District

  Northgate Hospital

  Northumbrian Ambulance Service

  South West Durham Community SS0

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority

  Bradford Acute Services

  Bradford—Psychiatric Unit Hospital Trust

  Calderdale Hospitals, Calderdale Health Authority

  Grimsby District General Hospital and associated services

  High Royds Hospital Mental Health Services, Leeds Western

  Leeds General Infirmary and associated Hospitals

  Seacroft and Killingbeck Hospitals, Leeds Eastern

  St. James's University Hospital, Leeds

  Wakefield District—Mental Health Unit

  Wharfedale General Hospital, Leeds Western

  Trent Regional Health Authority

  Bassetlaw

  Children's Hospital, Sheffield

  Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Montagu Hospital

  Lincolnshire Ambulance Service

  Nether Edge Hospital, Sheffield

  Northern General Hospital, Sheffield

  Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield

  South Lincolnshire Mental Handicap Services

  University Hospital, Nottingham

  East Anglian Regional Health Authority

  East Suffolk Community Services

  East Suffolk Psychiatric Services

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney Priority Services

  Newmarket General Hospital

  Peterborough District General Hospital, Edith Cavell District

  General Hospital, Stamford and Rutland Hospital

  West Norfolk and Wisbech Community Services

  West Norfolk and Wisbech Acute Services

  North West Thames Regional Health Authority

  Central Middlesex Hospital

  East Hertfordshire Priority and Community Services Units

  East Hertfordshire Acute Services UE0

  Harefield Hospital

  Hillingdon Hospital/Mount Vernon Hospital

  North Hertfordshire Acute and Community Services

  Northwick Park Hospital

  North West Hertfordshire Priority Services Unit

  Westminster and Westminster Children's Hospitals

  North East Thames Regional Health Authority

  Basildon and Thurrock Health Authority

  Brentwood Community Hospital

  Central North London Mental Health Unit

  City and Hackney (St. Bart's, Homerton and St. Marks Hospital Trust)

  Harwich Hospital

  Mid Essex Acute Unit

  North East Essex Acute UN0

  North Middlesex Hospital

  North East Essex Mental Health Unit

  North East Essex Mental Handicap Unit

  Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital

  Royal London Homeopathic Hospital

  Southend District Services

  St. Bartholomew's Hospital

  St. Peter's Group of Hospitals

  St. Margaret's Hospital, Epping

  Tavistock and Portman Clinics

  The London Hospital Group

  The Royal Free Hospital

  The Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital

  Waltham Forest Health Authority

  Waltham Forest Mental Health UW0

  West Essex Priority Care SW0

  South East Thames Regional Health Authority

  Bexley Health Authority—Mental Health Community Services

  Brighton Acute Services

  Bromley Acute Services

  297

  Conquest Hospital, Hastings Health Authority

  Dartford and Gravesham HA—Proposed District General Hospital

  Eastbourne Acute Services

  Guy's and Lewisham Hospitals and associated Mental Illness Services

  King's-Camberwell and associated Community Services

  Lewisham Hospital Unit

  Lewisham and North Southwark Health Authority—Mental Illness Services

  Maidstone District General Hospital

  Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead

  Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Erith and District Hospital and Community

  South East Kent Health Authority—Community Services

  South East Thames Regional Health Authority Commercial Services Directorate

  Sevenoaks Hospital

  St. Thomas' Hospital and associated Community Services

  Tunbridge Wells Mental Handicap Unit

  West Lambeth Health Authority—Priority Care Unit

  William Harvey and Buckland Hospitals—South East Kent

  Health Authority

  South West Thames Regional Health Authority

  Croydon Community Unit

  Croydon Health Authority—Mental Illness Unit

  Croydon Mental Handicap Unit

  East Surrey Health Authority—Combined Mental Illness-Mental Handicap Unit

  East Surrey Health Authority—Acute and Community Services Unit

  Kingston Hospital

  Mid Surrey Health Authority—Mental Illness Unit

  Mid Surrey General Unit

  Mid Downs West Unit

  Mid Downs East Unit

  North West Surrey Health Authority—Mental Handicap, Mental Health and Acute Units

  South West Surrey Acute Unit

  St. George's Group Trust, Wandsworth Health Authority

  St. Helier and Sutton Hospitals

  Weybridge Hospital

  Worthing and Southlands Hospitals, Worthing Health Authority

  Essex Regional Health Authority

  Bournemouth Acute Unit, East Dorset Health Authority

  Christchurch Hospital, East Dorset Health Authority

  Lymington Hospitals

  Mental Health Services, East Dorset Health Authority

  North West Wiltshire Community Service, Bath Health Authority

  Psychiatric Division, Basingstoke Health Authority

  Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases

  Swindon Health Authority—All District Services

  Treloar Chase Unit, Basingstoke Health Authority

  West Dorset Mental Health Services

  West Dorset Community and General Hospital Services

  Oxford Regional Health Authority

  Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre

  South Western Regional Health Authority

  Avon College of Health

  Bristol Homoeopathic Hospital

  Bristol Paediatric Services

  Bristol

  Cornwall Mental Handicap Services

  Cornwall Community Services

  East Somerset

  East Gloucestershire National Health Service Trust

  Exeter Community Services

  North Devon

  Plymouth Acute Services

  Royal Cornwall Hospitals

  South Devon Health Care Trust

  Supplies Function—Regionwide (South Western Regional Health Authority)

  West Cornwall

  West Somerset

  298

  Weston

  Wonford Acute Services

  West Midlands Regional Health Authority

  Alexandra Hospital

  Bridgnorth Cottage Hospital (including community) (Shropshire)

  Bromsgrove Community Unit (Bromsgrove and Redditch)

  Coventry and Warwick Hospitals (including Paybody) (Coventry)

  Ellesmere Cottage Hospital (Shropshire)

  Good Hope District General Hospital/Northcroft/Jaffray/ Community (North Birmingham) [Hayley Green Hospital (Dudley) (Withdrawn 26 June 1989)]

  Highcroft, Mental Illness Hospital (North Birmingham)

  Lady Forrester Cottage Hospital (Much Wenlock, Shropshire)

  Mid Staffordshire Mental Health Unit [St. George's Hospital]

  Mid Staffordshire Community Unit

  Oswestry and District Hospital (including Community) (Shropshire)

  Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (Shropshire)

  Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (Shropshire)

  Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (South Birmingham)

  Rugby District Services

  St. Margaret's, Mental Handicap Hospital, (Walsall)

  Walsall Acute Services [Manor District General Hospital]

  Walsgrave District General Hospital, Coventry

  Mersey Regional Health Authority

  Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge Hospitals

  Broadgreen Hospital, excluding Mersey Regional Cardio-Thoracic Unit

  Cranage Hall, Crewe

  Crewe, Psychiatric and Community Services

  Halton Community Services

  Halton, combined Hospital and Community Services

  Leighton Hospital, Crewe (Acute Services)

  Liverpool Obstetrics and Gynaecology Services

  Liverpool Mental Health Services

  Liverpool Dental Hospital

  Liverpool Community Health Services

  Macclesfield District General Hospital (Acute Services)

  Macclesfield Mental Health Services

  Macclesfield Community and Mental Handicap Services

  Regional Adult Cardio-Thoracic Unit (RACTU), Liverpool

  Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital (Alder Hey)

  Royal Liverpool Hospital

  Southport District General Hospital (Acute Services)

  Southport and Formby Psychiatric/Community Services

  St. Helens and Knowsley Community Health Services

  Walton and Fazakerley Hospitals, South Sefton

  Warrington District General Hospital

  Whiston and St. Helens Hospital

  Wirral Community and Support Hospitals

  North Western Regional Health Authority

  Central Manchester Hospital and Community Services

  Christie Hospital [South Manchester Health Authority]

  Royal Preston Hospital, Preston Health Authority

  South Manchester Health Authority Community Unit

  Stepping Hill Hospital and Stockport Infirmary, Stockport Health Authority

  Wrightington Hospital, West Lancashire Health Authority

  Special Health Authorities

  Eastman Dental Hospital

  Leicestershire Health Authority
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he intends to have concerning the re-appointment of the chairman of Leicestershire health authority.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The terms of office of a number of district health authority chairmen come up for consideration with effect from 1 April 1990. My hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor), then
  299
  Minister for Health, invited nominations from hon. Members in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Mr. Goodson-Wickes) on 10 May at column 457.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was raised in prescription charges in England in each year from 1979–80 to 1987–99; and into which fund these receipts were paid.

  Mr. Freeman
  Prescription charges, including receipts from the sale of pre-payment certificates, in the family practitioner service in England amounted to:

  year

  £ million

  1979–80

  38·6

  1980–81

  70·8

  1981–82

  86·6

  1982–83

  102·8

  1983–84

  110·0

  1984–85

  120·7

  1985–86

  127·8

  1986–87

  147·9

  1987–88

  157·5

  The prescription charges collected in the family practitioner services in England are credited to class XIV, Vote 2.

  Young Offenders
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many local authorities' areas there are special counselling services available for young offenders.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not held centrally in the form requested. All local authorities have a statutory duty to provide programmes of intermediate treatment. Juvenile offenders who are subject to supervision orders may be required by the juvenile courts to take part in these programmes, which often include counselling services.

  Midwives
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will negotiate midwives' pay independently with representatives of midwives.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The pay of midwives is determined on the advice of the pay review body, established in 1983 for nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine. The review body is independent and free to determine its own methods of working and to take evidence from interested parties, including a number of trade unions who have midwives in membership.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many midwives are currently undergoing training for the advanced diploma in midwifery; and how many of these receive financial assistance from their local health authority;

  (2) what guidance he has issued to health authorities about assistance and support to be given to midwives studying for the advanced diploma in midwifery; and if he has any plans to issue new guidance;
  300
  (3) what is his policy on the value of the advanced diploma in midwifery;

  (4) what steps he is taking to encourage midwives to undertake further training to improve their qualifications.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The advanced diploma in midwifery (ADM) is a recordable qualification on the register maintained by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, which is an independent statutory body. It is evidence of professional development for midwives whether in clinical practice, management or teaching. It is also an entry requirement to midwife teacher training.

  It is for health authorities to determine the extent to which they should fund midwives to undertake training in the ADM in the light of the needs of the service locally. Information supplied by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting shows that there were 141 entrants to training for the ADM in the year ending 31 March 1989. Information is not held centrally on how many midwives currently taking the ADM receive financial assistance from their local health authority.

  No guidance has been issued to authorities on financial assistance to midwives who study for the ADM. However, the Department has commissioned the South Bank polytechnic to develop an open learning package for the ADM, with funding of £175,850 for that purpose. In addition, South East Thames regional health authority has been provided with £52,614 this year, for the South Bank polytechnic to develop a two-year part-time course for the ADM.

  Blind People
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances blind people are(a) required to pay for white canes and (b) exempt from having to pay for white canes.

  Mr. Freeman
  Section 2 of the chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 places a statutory responsibility on local authorities to provide equipment to all disabled people, including those with a visual impairment. A number of voluntary organisations have also, traditionally provided equipment to visually impaired people. Both voluntary organisations and local authority social services departments have discretion over whether to charge for equipment, including white canes.

  There is a wide range of canes available at various prices up to a maximum of £21. However, many local authorities provide a symbol white cane free of charge. Concessionary rates are also available for those individuals who obtain their canes directly from voluntary organisations.

  Overtime Pay
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of pay was overtime in the National Health Service in administrative, clerical and staff grades for 1960, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1985 and 1989 or the latest date possible.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The percentages were as follows:
  301

  Per cent.

  1984–85

  0·7

  1985–86

  0·8

  1988–89

  1·4

  Information is not held centrally for years before 1984–85.

  Blood Transfusion Service
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter to the Northern regional health authority declining to allow the regional blood transfusion service to become a self-governing trust.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. We do not believe that self-governing status is appropriate to the blood transfusion service at present.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which districts or regions it is proposed to operate the blood transfusion service as a trading agency.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  All regional health authorities have reviewed their arrangements for managing the blood transfusion service as part of their response to the Department's circular EL(89) MB/59 (a copy of which is in the Library). Several have proposed to set up boards to manage the service on their behalf and to devolve the budgets to district health authorities.

  Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Scanners
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when it is proposed to have nuclear magnetic resonance scanners available within the National Health Service in the regions of the north, Yorkshire, north-west and Merseyside.

  Mr. Freeman
  Installation of these scanners is a matter for individual regional health authorities. I understand that scanners are already in place in Manchester and Liverpool, that one is planned for Leeds and one for Newcastle is under discussion. The hon. Member may wish to contact the regional chairmen for more information.

  Pharmacies
  Mr. Critchley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide revised guidance to family practitioner committees on the handling of applications for the inclusion of pharmacies in National Health Service pharmaceutical lists.

  Mr. Freeman
  Experience of the arrangements introduced in 1987 to control the number of new

  Number of adoptions of babies aged under one year

  Location of court

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  England and Wales

  2,599

  2,365

  2,177

  1,962

  1,836

  1,605

  1,572

  1,333

  1,235

  Scotland

  379

  321

  326

  291

  229

  199

  160

  156

  132

  Northern Ireland

  147

  116

  82

  113

  89

  93

  83

  73

  70

  United Kingdom

  3,125

  2,802

  2,585

  2,366

  2,154

  1,897

  1,815

  1,562

  1,437

  302
  pharmacies suggested that some revised guidance would be helpful. Following widespread consultation new guidance has been prepared and is now being sent to family practitioner committees. Copies are also being sent to all existing pharmacy contractors. A copy has been placed in the Library and I have sent one to the hon. Member.

  Speech Therapists
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the research study commissioned by his Department into the speech therapy requirements of different kinds of patients will be published; whether it will be placed in the Library; and whether it will cover the use of speech therapy in assisting recovery from strokes.

  Mr. Freeman
  An article by Dr. Davies and Dr. Enderby based on the research study will be published in the December 1989 edition of the British Journal of Disorders of Communication. A copy of the article will be placed in the Library. Both the research study and the article cover the use of speech therapy in assistin recovery from strokes.

  Orpington Hospital
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if assurances given by the Under-Secretary of State for Health in reply to questions about capital expenditure plans, asked by the hon. Member for Bolton, North East (Mr. Thurnham), apply to the current approved plan for Orpington hospital.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 24 November 1989]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Bolton, North East (Mr. Thurnham) on Tuesday 7 November at columns 823–24. I was referring to specific capital expenditure plans supported by districts and awaiting implementation. I am not aware that these circumstances apply to Orpington hospital.

  Adoptions
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conveniently available figures he has for the number of babies adopted in each year from 1980 to 1989; and if he has any conveniently available breakdown into the regions of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 27 November 1989]: The number of adoption orders awarded by the courts are shown. Because the courts, and in particular the High Court, do not relate to defined geographical areas more detailed geographical analyses are not available. Data for 1989 for the United Kingdom are expected to be available in April 1990.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Colouring Matter
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take in the light of the recommendations of the food advisory committee in its review of the colouring matter in food regulations.

  Mr. Maclean
  My colleagues and I accept the view of the food advisory committee that food colours have a role in providing consumers with a choice of attractively presented foods. We also accept the committee's recommendations. We therefore intend to issue detailed proposals for public comment as quickly as possible to:

  i. restrict the amount of colour in food by setting maximum levels for all permitted colours;

  ii. prohibit or restrict certain colours which are currently permitted in food.

  Implementation of a number of the specific recommendations would first require amendment to EC legislation and we will be discussing these with our European partners as appropriate. I will also encourage our EC partners to adopt the same approach to colours in Community legislation. The FAC made 25 recommendations in all, and I have placed in the Library of the House a detailed statement of how we intend to deal with each of them.

  Copies of the committee's final report on the review of the Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1973, published by HMSO in 1987, have already been placed in the Library of the House. The committee's response to comments received on that final report has been published by my Department today and I have also arranged for copies of this to be placed in the Library.

  Milk (Lead Pollution)
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish the information he has received from the Netherlands about the safety of milk which has been condemned in the last two weeks on the ground of lead pollution.

  Mr. Curry
  I understand that the Dutch action level for lead in milk is 50 parts per billion, and we are working to the same figure.

  Imports (Eastern Europe)
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to support European Commission proposals for quotas of imports into the Community for onions, cut flowers and soft fruit from eastern European countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The European Commission has not proposed any quotas for imports into the Community for onions, cut flowers or soft fruit from eastern Europe.

  A Commission action plan for co-ordinated aid to Poland and Hungary was agreed in principle on 3 October. As part of that plan the Commission put forward proposals for tariff concessions on a number of agricultural products of primary interest to Poland and Hungary, including dried onions, cut flowers and semi-processed fruit to be included in the Community's generalised system of preferences. Both I and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland are aware of the difficulties which tariff
  304
  concessions in these sectors pose for our industry. The package which has finally been secured involves smaller cuts in tariffs on certain products, including soft fruit, than those originally proposed. These changes should alleviate the impact of the measures on our growers and processors, while at the same time reflecting our commitment to assist the process of political and economic reform in eastern Europe.

  Eggs
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was(a) the number and (b) the value of eggs imported into the United Kingdom in each month since September 1988.

  Mr. Curry
  The monthly data supplied by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise are as follows:

  '000 Eggs

  £

  1988

  September

  28,765

  967,272

  October

  29,172

  995,983

  November

  28,728

  949,873

  December

  7,767

  260,444

  1989

  January

  14,371

  454,818

  February

  7,553

  254,033

  March

  7,956

  275,402

  April

  40,073

  1,387,578

  May

  28,172

  895,365

  June

  25,961

  861,535

  July

  22,794

  729,146

  August

  35,120

  1,308,199

  September

  58,044

  2,532,210

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many calves have been born, during the incubation period for the disease, to cows later certified as having bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and what is his Department's policy on the slaughter of such calves.

  Mr. Maclean
  It is estimated that some 20,000 calves could have been born to cows later confirmed as having BSE. There is no evidence that BSE can be transmitted from cow to calf and therefore no scientific justification for such calves to be slaughtered.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cows have been certified as contracting bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each year from 1985 to the present.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is as follows:

  Year of confirmation

  Number of cases

  1985

  0

  1986

  4

  1987

  149

  1988

  1,910

  11989

  6,037

  8,100

  1 Up to 27 November 1989.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what inquiries are made
  305
  about calves to which a cow found to be suffering from bovine spongiform encephalopathy has given birth during the incubation period of the disease.

  Mr. Maclean
  A comprehensive epidemiological inquiry is made into every case of BSE including information on calves.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tests are carried out on calves of cows certified as having bovine spongiform encephalopathy to see whether they are carrying the disease.

  Mr. Maclean
  No diagnostic test exists to determine sub-clinical BSE in a live animal.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy for each county of England and Wales for the four-week period ended 16 November.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is as follows:

  Number of cases of BSE confirmed 20 October—16 November 1989

  County

  Number

  Bedfordshire

  3

  Cambridgeshire

  2

  Essex

  3

  Hertfordshire

  6

  Lincolnshire

  7

  Norfolk

  5

  Northamptonshire

  10

  Suffolk

  8

  44

  Cheshire

  12

  Deryshire

  13

  Hereford and Worcestershire

  12

  Lancashire

  15

  Leicestershire

  19

  Nottinghamshire

  7

  Shropshire

  9

  Staffordshire

  8

  Warwickshire

  11

  106

  Cleveland

  2

  Cumbria

  11

  Durham

  5

  Humberside

  2

  Northumberland

  4

  Tyne and Wear

  1

  Yorkshire North

  22

  Yorkshire South

  2

  Yorkshire West

  1

  52

  Berkshire

  3

  Buckinghamshire

  5

  Hampshire

  26

  Isle of Wight

  4

  Kent

  11

  Oxfordshire

  5

  Surrey

  6

  Sussex East

  12

  Sussex West

  19

  Avon

  15

  Cornwall

  45

  Devon

  40

  Dorset

  51

  Gloucestershire

  28

  Somerset

  66

  Wiltshire

  35

  280

  Clwyd

  7

  Dyfed

  18

  Glamorganshire M

  2

  Glamorganshire S

  7

  306

  County

  Number

  Gwent

  9

  Gwynedd

  1

  Powys

  5

  49

  622

  Enzyme-treated Meat
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the policy reasons for the European Commission's intention to propose a ban on the sale of enzyme-treated meat.

  Mr. Maclean
  None. The draft proposal has not yet been discussed in Brussels. The existing derogation under which the United Kingdom and Ireland trade in meat treated with enzymes would not be compatible with the concept of the single market, and the Commission may simply be anticipating that a proposal to permit trade in enzyme-treated meat throughout the Community after 1992 is unlikely to attract sufficient support from member states.

  Bovine Offal
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further necessary scientific studies were required between the announcement of his proposed ban on human consumption of bovine offal on 13 June and its implementation on 13 November; and what were the results of those studies.

  Mr. Maclean
  Studies were conducted into the presence of lymphatic tissue which might harbour the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent, in bovine gut and tripe, casings and rennet produced from it. The results showed that no restrictions were necessary on bovine stomachs (including the tripe organs) or rennet. Intestines and the casings produced from them did, however, contain significant amounts of lymphatic tissue and were thus included in the ban as a precautionary measure.

  Environmental Protection Grants
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to ensure that all grants given to farmers by his Department for environmental protection and improvement do not give an unfair financial advantage to farmers in the lowlands as against farmers in upland and hill areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The current grant scheme, the farm and conservation grant scheme, makes generous provision for the aiding of investments benefiting the environment. For most grants, farmers in the hills and uplands receive rates which are 10 percentage points higher than in the lowlands. The only exceptions are grants for investments in farm waste control which attract uniform rates of 50 per cent., reflecting the priority that we attach to combating farm pollution in the lowlands, and grants for the repair or renovation of traditional farm buildings. For these the grant rate is 35 per cent. and takes account of the generally higher cost of repairs in the lowlands.

  In no case do grants outside the less favoured areas exceed those within.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Drugs
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current United Nations policies to combat drug abuse; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current United Nations policies to combat drug abuse.

  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current United Nations policies to combat drug abuse.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Nations performs a vital role in the international anti-drugs effort, but there is much scope for improvement. We are supporting efforts to secure additional resources for the United Nations drugs effort and structural reforms to make its work more cost-effective.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the involvement of his Department in the efforts to reduce the illegal imports of drugs from Colombia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Department, and Her Majesty's embassy in Bogotoa, liaise closely with the Colombian authorities on anti-narcotics measures, and are currently supervising the delivery and implementation of the special package of drugs-related training and equipment for Colombians announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 27 September.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking against drug trafficking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking against drug trafficking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom has signed the 1988 United Nations convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, adopted in December 1988. Our Drug Trafficking Offences Act provides strong powers for the tracing, freezing and confiscation of the proceeds of trafficking. We have agreed bilateral agreements or arrangements to reciprocate these powers with 11 countries and are negotiating with a number of others.

  Britain is the fourth largest donor to the United Nations fund for drug abuse control.

  We are also hosting a world ministerial summit next April to reduce the demand for drugs and combat the cocaine threat.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the worldwide demands for illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.
  308
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the worldwide demand for illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for an international conference in London next year on the subject of reducing the demand for cocaine and other illegal drugs.

  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for an international conference in London next year on the subject of reducing the demand for cocaine and other illegal drugs.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We are hosting a world ministerial summit in London in April 1990 to reduce the demand for drugs and combat the cocaine threat. The Prime Minister will open the summit and President Barco of Colombia and the UN secretary-general have agreed to speak at the opening ceremony. The United Kingdom is also providing, or has provided, bilateral assistance to demand reduction projects in such countries as Barbados, Nigeria, Peru and Malaysia.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he is doing to encourage China to sign the single convention on narcotic drugs.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The People's Republic of China acceded to the single convention on narcotic drugs in 1985.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to visit Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs hopes to visit Hong Kong in the new year. Precise dates have not yet been determined.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any commitment has been made to the Chinese People's Republic regarding the number of British passports to be issued to the people of Hong Kong.

  Mr. Maude
  No.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Vietnamese nationals are at present detained in camps in Hong Kong; and what is the cost of accommodating them.

  Mr. Maude
  There are just over 56,800 Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong. We estimate that capital expenditure on the camps for 1989–90 will be about £38 million. The cost of running them during the same period will be around £40 million.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European Community counterparts regarding the future of Hong Kong.
  309
  Mr. Maude
  We have been taking every suitable opportunity to discuss international aspects of Hong Kong's continued prosperity and stability with our Community partners both in multilateral fora such as the Madrid European Council and the Paris economic summit and in bilateral contacts.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends meeting his Chinese counterpart to discuss Hong Kong.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans at present to meet the Chinese Foreign Minister.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received from the public regarding his policy on Cambodia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have received more than 10,400 representations this year regarding our policy on Cambodia.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the reasons for the Government's decision to abstain on the last vote on Cambodia at the United Nations.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the reasons for the Government's decision to abstain on the last vote on Cambodia at the United Nations.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the reasons for the Government's decision to abstain on the last vote on Cambodia at the United Nations.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will explain the reasons for the Government's decision to abstain on the last vote on Cambodia at the United Nations.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As one of 79 co-sponsors of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) resolution on Cambodia, Britain voted in favour of the resolution at the United Nations General Assembly on 16 November. Our vote underlined our wish to see a comprehensive political solution of the conflict in Cambodia.

  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government propose to take to provide assistance to the people of Cambodia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 8 November. My right hon. Friend has since held a meeting with representatives of leading British non-Government organisations working in Cambodia to discuss the possibility of further Government co-sponsoring of humanitarian projects inside Cambodia.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he will give to British subjects working in Cambodia; and if he will make a statement.
  310
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he will offer to British subjects working in Cambodia in the light of the military situation there; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  British subjects should be aware that the situation in Cambodia remains unsettled and that fighting is taking place in some parts of the country. There is no local British consular or diplomatic representation and therefore no assistance available. Local medical facilities are very limited. We strongly recommend that British subjects avoid travelling outside the main cities, especially after dark, and in particular that they keep away from the provinces bordering Thailand and other areas where fighting is reported.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the British representative at the United Nations to discuss Cambodia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met our permanent representative to the United Nations during his visit to the General Assembly from 24–29 September. Cambodia was among the topics discussed.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Government policy on the representation of Cambodia at the United Nations.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 16 November at column 497.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards Cambodia, with specific reference to the position of the Khmer Rouge.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 8 November at column 645.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Cambodia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has at present no plans to visit Cambodia.

  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Her Majesty's mission to the United Nations on the subject of Cambodia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom mission to the United Nations in New York regularly provides reports to the Department and receives instructions from it.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Cambodia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has at present no plans to visit Cambodia.
  311
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Cambodia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has at present no plans to visit Cambodia.

  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Cambodia and towards support for the inclusion of representatives from the Khmer Rouge in any negotiated settlement for a future Cambodian Government.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 8 November.

  E1 Salvador
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he will now offer to British subjects working in E1 Salvador; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The British chargé d'affaires is advising those members of the British community with no urgent need to remain in the country to leave while normal commercial flights are available. The advice to those remaining is to stay at home.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the murder of the six Jesuit priests in San Salvador on 17 November; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heifer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the murder of the six Jesuit priests in San Salvador on 17 November; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the murder of the six Jesuit priests in San Salvador on 17 November; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Our information is that Father Ignacio Ellacuria, Rector of the Catholic university in E1 Salvador, five of his colleagues, their cook and her daughter were murdered in the early hours of 16 November by assassins armed with automatic weapons. Some were reported to be in uniform. We utterly condemn this cowardly and appalling murder, and urge that those responsible be identified and brought to justice without delay.

  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Government are taking to promote a cease-fire in E1 Salvador.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have called on the FMLN to end their offensive and have urged both sides to return to the negotiating table.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last 312
  discussed the situation in E1 Salvador with representatives of the United States Government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have regular discussions with the United States Administration on a wide range of subjects, including E1 Salvador.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of E1 Salvador about the safety of British subjects there; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Her Majesty's chargé d'affaires in San Salvador has repeatedly reminded the authorities of their responsibility for their protection and given clear advice to United Kingdom citizens in E1 Salvador. He has received the fullest co-operation in carrying out his consular duties during the present emergency.

  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, he will cut British financial and diplomatic links with the Government of E1 Salvador, in the light of Government violence against citizens.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have no plans to break relations with the Government of E1 Salvador. The current escalation of violence there results from the offensive launched by the FMLN guerrillas on 11 November. We call on them to return to the negotiating table.

  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of the United States of America concerning the worsening human rights situation in E1 Salvador.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have regular discussions with the US Administration on a wide range of subjects, including E1 Salvador.

  East Germany
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his discussions with the West German Foreign Minister on East Germany's relationship with the European Community.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  On 15 November Herr Genscher and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the dramatic changes taking place in eastern Europe, including the GDR, and the Community's response to them. They agreed on the importance of real political and economic reform in the GDR. My right hon. Friend will resume his discussions with Herr Genscher this evening.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit East Germany.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no present plans to do so.

  Poland
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met a member of the Polish Government; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not yet had an opportunity to meet any members of the new Polish Government. He will have talks on 30 November with Mr. Lech Walesa, chairman of Solidarity. I met Mr. Regulski, Minister of Local Government on 21 November.

  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current United Kingdom relations with Poland.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council on 24 October.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress Her Majesty's Government are making in setting up a know-how fund for Poland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We established a know-how fund for Poland after General Jaruzelski's visit to Britain in June. This will contribute £25 million over the next five years towards projects which will underpin Polish democracy and help economic reform. A considerable number of projects are already under way, notably in the field of management training.

  Middle East
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote a middle east peace settlement.

  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards peace in the middle east.

  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement of progress towards peace in the middle east.

  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the peace process in the Palestinian-Israeli dispute.

  Sir Dennis Walters
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards a middle east peace settlement.

  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends submitting any fresh proposals to try and resolve the middle east problem; and if he will make a statement.
  314
  Mr. Waldegrave
  We fully support current efforts to bring about a dialogue between the Israeli Government and a representative team of Palestinians.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European counterparts about ways of assisting the middle east peace process; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We discuss the middle east regularly with our European colleagues, and did so most recently on 27 November. We shall continue to support the current efforts to develop a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what latest representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Israel about the occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Issues that we and our EC partners have taken up recently with the Israeli authorities include the closure of universities, Israeli tax-collecting raids at Beit Sahour, harassment of UNRWA's operations and a number of individual cases.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are at present held in middle eastern gaols; and if he will list in which countries they are being held and the length of their sentences.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  According to our latest information, 24 British citizens were in detention in the middle east on 23 November 1989. The countries in which they are held and the length of their sentences are as follows:

  Number of British citizens in detention in the Middle East on 23 November 1989

  Country

  Number of detainees

  Sentence

  Egypt

  2

  (i) 25 years

  (ii) 25 years

  Iraq

  2

  (i) detained without charge

  (ii) 20 years

  Iran

  2

  (i) detained without charge

  (ii) detained on remand

  Israel

  3

  (i) 10 years

  (ii) 12 years

  (iii) 18 months (12 months suspended]

  Kuwait

  3

  6 years 4 months

  (ii) 3 years 6 months

  (iii) 4 years 6 months

  Saudi Arabia

  4

  (i) 1 year

  (ii) 2 years

  (iii) detained on remand

  (iv) detained on remand

  Turkey

  1

  (i) 5 years 5 months

  United Arab Emirates

  7

  (i) 8 years

  (ii) 20 years

  (iii) 7 years

  (iv) 10 years

  (v) until debts are paid

  (vi) 15 years

  (vii) detained on remand

  Cyprus
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current position on the Cyprus talks.

  Mr. Maude
  The intercommunal talks remain stalled. When my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met the United Nations Secretary-General on 8 November, he told her that he would be meeting the leaders of the two communities at the end of this month to discuss ways in which the talks can be resumed. She assured Mr. Perez de Cuellar of our continued full support.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make an official visit to Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no present plans to visit Cyprus.

  Israeli Occupied Territories
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will monitor the elections within the Israeli occupied territories.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We support the early convening of Israeli/Palestinian talks in Cairo to discuss the modalities of the proposed elections in the occupied territories, including possible international supervision, and shall be ready to play our part in helping to implement the arrangements agreed.

  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the Israeli Government concerning the enforced closure of schools in the West Bank.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We do not accept that the closure of schools and universities in the occupied territories is justified. We have called regularly on the Israeli authorities, most recently in the EC statement on 6 October, to allow them to function normally.

  Turkey
  Mr. Litherland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to meet the Turkish Foreign Minister in the near future.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will meet Mr. Yilmaz, when they are both at the North Atlantic Council meeting on 14 to 15 December.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to Poland and Hungary in their efforts to establish liberal democracy.

  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress Her Majesty's Government are making in setting up a know-how fund for Poland; and if he will make a statement.
  316
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress Her Majesty's Government are making in setting up, a know-how fund for Poland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training in the technical processes of democracy Britain is offering to countries in eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We established a know-how fund for Poland after General Jaruzelski's visit to Britain in June. This will contribute £25 million over the next five years towards projects which will underpin Polish democracy and help economic reform. I am glad to be able to announce that it will now be doubled in size to £50 million. Moreover, we shall be making a contribution of $100 million to a stabilisation fund set up in support of the agreement being discussed between the IMF and the Polish Government. Finally, we shall be spending £15 million on a major project to improve the Polish food supply situation.

  A know-how fund will provide British expertise for Hungary, amounting to £25 million over five years and will operate from next year.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress the European Community Commission has made in carrying out its co-ordination of aid measures to Poland arid Hungary following the Paris summit.

  Mr. Maude
  The European Commission is coordinating aid measures to Hungary and Poland effectively, and have within the Community made numerous proposals which have led to the comprehensive series of measures approved by the Council. Three co-ordination meetings of the 24 countries providing aid to Poland and Hungary have been held since the Paris summit, as well as expert working groups dealing with food aid, investment, environmental protection and vocational training. The international financial institutions and the OECD have been associated with this work. There will be a substantive review of progress at a ministerial meeting of the 24 countries in Brussels on 13 December.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is planning any changes in Britain's relations with eastern Europe in the light of the breaching of the Berlin wall.

  Mr. Maude
  We welcome the changes that are taking place in eastern Europe. Our policy of maintaining sound defences through NATO, and building up economic success in the EC, has been an important factor in the process which is now unfolding. This policy will continue. As individual countries in eastern Europe embark on genuine political reform, we are actively seeking, in common with our Community partners, to develop our relations with them and to encourage them with advice and practical help.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on European Economic Community policy towards eastern Europe.
  317
  Mr. Maude
  The aim of EC policy has been to respond to and encourage reform in the emerging democracies of eastern Europe. The Community therefore differentiates in its relations with individual countries. The Community responds positively to significant progress towards genuine democracy and a market economy through appropriate bilateral trade and co-operation agreements, the extent of which depends on the reform being achieved.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place within the European Community concerning the entry into European Community territory by nationals of east European states.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Discussions are continuing between member states in the European Community ad hoc working group on immigration on access to the Community by third country nationals generally, but there has been no specific discussion on east Europeans.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no firm plans to visit eastern Europe at present, but hopes to include it in his travels at an early stage.

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to Poland and Hungary in their efforts to establish democracy.

  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training in the technical processes of democracy Britain is offering to countries in eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have invited groups of Hungarian and Polish parliamentarians to this country to learn about democratic procedures. We intend to invite further groups in the future. We also intend to help in other areas, such as the media and local government.

  Namibia
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent elections in Namibia.

  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent elections in Namibia.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Namibia following the elections for a constitutional council.

  Mr. Knowles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent elections in Namibia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We warmly welcome the successful elections in Namibia and the unanimous adoption by the constituent assembly of the 1982 constitutional principles. We call on all parties to adhere to the remaining provisions of the United Nations settlement plan.
  318
  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he intends to give to the newly elected Government of Namibia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking in support of the newly independent and democratic Namibia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We will continue to give our full support to the United Nations' secretary general's efforts to ensure a peaceful transition to independence. We have already indicated our willingness to provide financial aid and, if asked, military training assistance to an independent Namibian Government after independence is achieved.

  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to support Namibia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We will continue to give our full support to the United Nations Secretary General's efforts to ensure a peaceful transition to independence in Namibia, and we look forward to discussing Namibia's requirements with the new Government after independence.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to meet the new Government of Namibia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is looking forward to meeting the new Government of an independent Namibia at the earliest opportunity after independence is declared.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Namibia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  At present my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no firm plans to visit Namibia.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to support Namibia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We will continue to give our full support to the United Nations Secretary General's efforts to ensure a peaceful transition to independence in Namibia, and we look forward to discussing Namibia's requirements with the new Government after independence.

  European Community
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet his counterparts in the European Community.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs expects to meet his EC colleagues at the European Council in Strasbourg on 8 to 9 December.

  Mr. Aitken
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many draft and
  319
  final European Community directives, regulations and decisions have been published by the Commission since 31 November 1988; approximately how many pages this represents; and if he has any plans to improve scrutiny of European Community documents in future.

  Mr. Maude
  The Commission have been asked for information on the number of formal proposals issued during the period. When this is available it will be passed to my hon. Friend.

  Effective scrutiny is essential. The Government will consider the Procedure Committee's forthcoming report with care and sympathy.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the United Kingdom's priority at the forthcoming Heads of Government meeting in Strasbourg.

  Mr. Maude
  We hope the European Council will ensure sustained progress on measures necessary for the Community's healthy internal development, and effective Community support for emerging democracies in eastern Europe.

  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the enlargement of the European Community.

  Mr. Maude
  According to the EEC treaty, any European state may apply to become a member of the Community. We agree with the consensus in the Community that the emphasis—until at least 1993—must be on consolidation, not enlargement. The Community's priority must be completion of the single market.

  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his counterparts in the European Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The Foreign Affairs Council met in Brussels on 27 November. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development and I represented the United Kingdom.

  The Council discussed preparations for the Strasbourg European Council on 8–9 December. The Council confirmed its agreement to a further package of trade measures for Poland and Hungary and agreed in principle to a draft Commission regulation on the disbursement of 300 mecu of assistance to the two countries. The Council welcomed a Commission report on progress made in exploratory discussions with EFTA on strengthening EC-EFTA relations: the United Kingdom and other member states now look forward to a joint EC-EFTA ministerial meeting on 19 December. The Council took note of a paper presented by the Commission on future relations between the Community and Mediterranean countries, which was remitted for further study. In the margins of the Council, a meeting of the EC-Yugoslavia Co-operation Council took place, and the Community expressed its support for the process of economic reform in Yugoslavia. Also in the margins, the Community position on all aspects of Lomé IV was confirmed. The non-aid elements were agreed with ACP representatives. In the framework of European political co-operation, Ministers discussed the situation in eastern Europe, the middle east,
  320
  southern Africa and central America, issuing a statement condemning the fresh upsurge in violence in central America. Copies of the statement have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for. Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals have been received by Her Majesty's Government, other than those in the monetary sphere, concerning institutional development of the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Maude
  Proposals to establish a Community trade mark office and a European environment agency are under discussion in the Council. They do not require treaty amendment.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expect to meet the President of the European Commission: and if the European social charter will be discussed.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will next meet the President of the Commission on 30 November in London. The European social charter may be among the subjects that they discuss.

  Nepal
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the effect on the people of Nepal of the restricted flow of imports to that country through India; and what representations Her Majesty's Government has made to the Government of India on such restrictions.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have been very concerned at the dispute between India and Nepal, in particular at its increasingly damaging effect on the people of Nepal and on their economic development. Nepal is an old and close friend of Britain, whose prosperity we have always sought to promote.

  We remain closely in touch with both sides. The Indian Government are aware of our concern to see early negotiations leading to a mutually satisfactory settlement of this dispute.

  Entry Clearance Applications
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to reduce the time taken to process applications for entry clearance at British high commisions in Pakistan.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The majority of visit visa applications in Pakistan are processed within 24 hours of receipt. In settlement cases waiting times for interview have been reduced this year following an increase in the number of permanent entry clearance staff and a further streamlining of procedures. I expect that waiting times will shorten still further during the coming year.

  Spain
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his Spanish counterpart; and if he will make a statement.
  321
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his Spanish counterpart; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs meets his Spanish counterpart regularly at EC and NATO meetings. In addition, he will be going to Madrid next month for the annual bilateral talks on Gibraltar and other issues.

  Commissioner Papandreou
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Commissioner Papandreou; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has yet to meet Commissioner Papandreou.

  Iraq
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Iraqi Government concerning the human rights of the Kurdish people in Iraq.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We regularly make clear to the Iraqi Government at all levels our concern over Iraq's human rights record, including the treatment of its Kurdish population.

  Conventional Forces
  Sir Hal Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made at the CFE talks in Vienna.

  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made at the CFE talks in Vienna.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The negotiations on conventional armed forces in Vienna continue to make successful progress and a wide measure of convergence has already been achieved. There is a good prospect of an agreement being reached in the course of next year.

  Central America
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary-General of the United Nations in regard to the sending of a United Nations peace-keeping force to central America.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary-General of the United Nations in regard to the sending of a United Nations peace-keeping force to central America.

  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary-General of the United Nations in regard to the sending of a United Nations peace-keeping force to Central America.
  322
  Mr. Sainsbury
  The formation of the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA) was approved in Security Council resolution No. 644 on 7 November, with our support.

  Berlin
  Mr. Bell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to West Berlin.

  Mr. Barry Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Berlin.

  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Berlin.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited Berlin on 16 November. He called on the acting Governing Mayor, Frau Stahmer, and visited Potsdamerplatz, the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag. He saw the great excitement and happiness which followed the breaching of the Wall, and the tremendous efforts which the Berlin authorities are making to cope with the influx of new arrivals. He was glad to see the British Military Government and our forces helping with this work.

  South Africa
  Mr. John Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to visit South Africa in the near future.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to do so.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now meet the President of the African National Congress of South Africa to discuss future developments to end apartheid.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to do so.

  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with other Commonwealth countries concerning Commonwealth policy towards the Republic of South Africa in the light of recent reforms announced within the Republic.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There have been no such discussions since the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in Kuala Lumpur from 18 to 24 October.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet the South African ambassador to discuss the situation of the railway workers under sentence of death in that country.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No.

  Argentina
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of relations with Argentina.
  323
  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have made progress towards more normal relations with Argentina, without in any way compromising our position on Falklands sovereignty. Last month in Madrid we were able to resolve a number of practical issues, and will shortly be resuming consular relations. A copy of the joint statement agreed in Madrid has been placed in the Library of the House.

  We aim to build on this progress. Working groups will meet in Montevideo on 5–7 December to discuss measures to build confidence and avoid incidents in the military sphere and in Paris on 18–20 December to discuss fisheries conservation. We agreed to consider the question of diplomatic relations at our next substantive meeting in Madrid on 14–15 February.

  Burma
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Burmese Authorities that the elections promised for next year should he free and fair.

  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Burmese authorities that the elections promised for next year should be free and fair.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Yes. We shall continue to make plain to the Burmese authorities that any elections which are not seen to be free and fair will be regarded as a sham.

  Czechoslovakia
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his assessment of developments in Czechoslovakia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The situation in Czechoslovakia is very fluid. We strongly urge the Czechoslovak authorities to permit the people to exercise their rights under the Helsinki Final Act and to open the way to peaceful political change, as has happened elsewhere in eastern Europe.

  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protests he has made to the Czechoslovakian Government about the use of violence against the two British journalists, Edward Lucas of The Independent and cameramen Philip Bye of ITV.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We protested both to the Czechoslovak ambassador in London and to the Foreign Ministry in Prague on 20 November about this disgraceful incident.

  Baltic Republics
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's present policy towards developments in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the present situation in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Successive British Governments have never recognised de jure the forcible incorporation of the 324
  former Baltic states in the Soviet Union. It follows that we respect the right of the peoples of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to say what their own future should be. Considerable progress has been made towards greater democracy in the Baltic states in recent months. We welcome this.

  Pakistan
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he may be able to give to the Government of Pakistan to help resolve their economic difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We welcome Pakistan's return to the Commonwealth. We have an effective and growing bilateral aid programme for Pakistan. Last year we spent £23 million. During Prime Minister Bhutto's visit here in July, a memorandum of understanding was signed covering grants of £25 million for social sector projects.

  Israel
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement concering British relations with Israel.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Relations with Israel are good.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions when(a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department visited Israel during 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I visited Israel in March. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office pay regular visits to Israel.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions when(a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department met officials from the embassy of Israel during 1989; what was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Ministers and officials have frequent contacts with the Israeli ambassador and his staff to discuss issues of mutual interest.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the prospects for realistic peace negotiations developing from current international efforts to bring representatives of the Palestinian people and the Israeli Government to direct talks.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We fully support efforts to convene talks in Cairo between the Israeli Government and the Palestinians, from inside and outside the occupied territories, to carry forward Mr. Shamir's elections proposal.

  Soviet Union
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet his Soviet counterpart to discuss Anglo-Soviet: relations.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs hopes to meet Mr. Shevardnadze during the first half of next year.

  Nicaragua
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he plans to offer Nicaragua to help in the organisation of the forthcoming general elections there; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  At the invitation of the Nicaraguan Supreme Electoral Council, we have appointed an official British election observer for the elections. We have also donated photocopying equipment. A number of our partners have provided aid for the elections, and the EC is also considering doing so.

  Chile
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit Chile.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans at present to visit Chile.

  Brussels Treaty
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to re-examine with its co-signatories the provisions of the Brussels treaty.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Yes.

  Sarawak
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Sarawak.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no immediate plans to visit Sarawak.

  British Council
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the British Council's promotion of British interests overseas.

  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the British Council is promoting British interests overseas.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The British Council have proved that they can deliver excellent value for money in promoting our interests worldwide, most notably in the fields of educational exchanges, English language teaching and the arts. We are glad to have been able to increase their grant substantially for the second year in succession which will, for example, enable the British Council to increase its operation in eastern Europe.

  Somalia
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what fresh initiatives he has taken or intends to take to encourage an end to the civil war in Somalia and enable refugees to return home.
  326
  Mr. Waldegrave
  We continue to support efforts aimed at bringing peace and reconciliation to Somalia.

  NATO
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications of recent events in Germany for the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  NATO remains the cornerstone of our defence, and has a vital role in providing the framework of stability within which further progress towards democracy and freedom in the German Democratic Republic can be made.

  Lebanon
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the peace process in the Lebanon.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The assassination of President Moawad is a grave setback to the process of reconciliation in Lebanon. We call on the Lebanese people and other parties concerned to exercise restraint and to continue the search for peace.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on any current Government initiatives to bring about the release of British citizens held captive in Lebanon.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans any new initiatives to free the British hostages held captive in Lebanon.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have reviewed our efforts to secure the release of the hostages and have concluded that our policy of making no substantive concessions to the hostage holders is correct. We shall take every opportunity to urge those countries and organisations having influence on this matter to use it to bring about the hostages' release. Meanwhile, we shall continue to follow up all possible leads.

  Arms Control
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the current state of arms control negotiations.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  NATO is pursuing energetically all the arms control priorities set out at the May NATO summit, and western proposals continue to dominate the arms control agenda. The conventional arms control negotiations have made good progress since they were established in March, and we remain on course to reach the ambitious target we have set ourselves of agreement next year. We are also moving forward towards a global chemical weapons convention at the negotiations in Geneva. As United States and Soviet negotiators are making progress towards a START agreement which would make deep cuts in each country's strategic nuclear arsenal.

  Council of Europe
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet his opposite numbers in the Council of Europe.

  Mr. Maude
  The next ministerial session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will take place on 10 May 1990. A decision on whether my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary or another Minister will attend will be taken nearer the time.

  Human Rights
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make it his policy that the United Kingdom should not attend any human rights conference in Moscow until there is a substantial improvement in Soviet performance in protecting human rights; and if he will make a statement about recent developments in this area.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  As we made clear in January, we shall attend the CSCE human rights conference in Moscow in 1991 only if progress made on human rights in the Soviet Union in recent years is sustained. While there have been undoubted improvements, significant problems remain—in particular the plight of many long-term refuseniks who are still not allowed to emigrate.

  Islamabad
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit Islamabad.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no immediate plans to visit Pakistan.

  UNESCO
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how Her Majesty's Government are using the resources previously allocated to UNESCO; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how Her Majesty's Government are using the resources previously allocated to UNESCO; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In the financial year 1988–89 the money saved by our withdrawal from UNESCO was re-allocated and spent as follows:

  £

  £

  committed

  spent

  1.

  ODA Technical Co-operation Training Programme

  1,872,000

  1,773,033

  2.

  English Language Training Courses

  799,000

  593,920

  3.

  ODA Shared Scholarship Scheme

  320,000

  320,000

  4.

  FCO Scholarships and Awards Scheme

  640,000

  640,000

  5.

  ODA Cultural Projects

  100,000

  92,000

  6.

  PES transfer to FCO for cultural projects

  100,000

  100,000

  7.

  Chinese student scholarships in United Kingdom

  950,000

  950,000

  8.

  Distance learning project in Commonwealth countries

  100,000

  —

  9.

  Nassau fellowships

  500,000

  743,368

  328

  £

  £

  committed

  spent

  10.

  Commonwealth Media Development Fund

  150,000

  150,000

  11.

  Royal Society

  112,000

  116,000

  12.

  Research in Arid Commonwealth Africa

  300,000

  300,000

  13.

  Inter-Governmental Oceanographic Commission

  96,000

  78,000

  14.

  Man and the Biosphere/International Hydrological Programme/International Association of Hydro-logical Sciences

  200,000

  200,000

  15.

  Dissemination of results of research

  200,000

  200,000

  Total

  6,439,000

  6,256,321

  China
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current relations between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Adley) on 20 October at column 267.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied that the sale of radar equipment to China by GEC-Marconi was not in contravention of the Madrid declaration of 27 June to cease high technology and military sales to China.

  Mr. Maude
  The Madrid declaration imposed an embargo on trade in arms with China but did not prohibit sales of high technology. We have therefore banned export of weapons together with any equipment which could be used for the purposes of internal repression. Proposed exports are considered on a case-by-case basis. The avionics equipment to be supplied to China by GEC Marconi falls outside the embargo.

  Refuseniks
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian Government about their treatment of refuseniks.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We continue to take every opportunity to raise individual refusenik cases with the Soviet authorities, and to underline the need for satisfactory and effective legislation in this area. The most recent high level exchange took place on 29 September when my predecessor met Mr. Shevardnadze in New York.

  Tibet
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received regarding the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has received four letters from hon. Members on behalf of constituents and 48 letters from members of the public.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations
  329
  he has made to the Government of the People's Republic of China about events in Tibet; and what response has he received.

  Mr. Maude
  We have frequently made clear to the Chinese our concern about human rights in Tibet, both bilaterally and in association with our EC partners. The Chinese have reiterated their willingness to talk with the Dalai Lama but reject any moves to promote the independence of Tibet.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to meet the Dalai Lama.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. Membe to the answer that I gave at column 498 on 16 November to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry).

  Arts and Culture
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what prominence he intends to give to the role of arts and cultural policy in the national plan that Her Majesty's Government will offer to the European Community in 1990.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 27 November 1989]: I am not aware of such a plan.

  Bulgaria
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to meet Mr. Peter Mladenov, the new head of state of Bulgaria.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to meet Mr. Mladenov.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote a cessation of the escalating conflict in Sri Lanka.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We support the efforts of the Sri Lankan Government to restore peace and stability throughout the country. To that end, we welcome the agreement between India and Sri Lanka announced on 18 September, which provided a framework for implementation of measures to achieve a peaceful settlement in the north and east.

  Genocide (UN Convention)
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a list of those countries known to his Department to have ratified the United Nations convention on genocide, according to date of ratification.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As at 1 August 1989, 102 countries have ratified acceded or succeeded to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide:

  Ethiopia: 1 July 1949.

  Australia: 8 July 1949.

  Norway: 22 July 1949.

  Iceland: 29 August 1949.

  330

  Ecuador: 21 December 1949.

  Panama: 11 January 1950.

  Guatemala: 13 January 1950.

  Israel: 9 March 1950.

  Monaco: 13 March 1950.

  Jordan: 3 April 1950.

  Liberia: 9 June 1950.

  Philippines: 7 July 1950.

  Saudi Arabia: 13 July 1950.

  Bulgaria: 21 July 1950.

  Turkey: 31 July 1950.

  Yugoslavia: 29 August 1950.

  E1 Salvador: 28 September 1950.

  Sri Lanka: 12 October 1950.

  Costa Rica: 14 October 1950.

  Democratic Kampuchea: 14 October 1950.

  France: 14 October 1950.

  Haiti: 14 October 1950.

  Republic of Korea: 14 October 1950.

  Romania: 2 November 1950.

  Poland: 14 November 1950.

  Lao People's Democratic Republic: 8 December 1950.

  Czechoslovakia: 21 December 1950.

  Denmark: 15 June 1951.

  Belgium: 5 September 1951.

  Hungary: 7 January 1952.

  Nicaragua: 29 January 1952.

  Egypt: 8 February 1952.

  Honduras: 5 March 1952.

  Brazil: 15 April 1952.

  Sweden: 27 May 1952.

  Italy: 4 June 1952.

  Mexico: 22 July 1952.

  Canada: 3 September 1952.

  Cuba: 4 March 1953.

  Chile: 3 June 1953.

  Lebanon: 17 December 1953.

  Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic: 11 August 1954.

  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: 3 May 1954.

  Ukranian Soviet Socialist Republic: 15 November 1954.

  Germany, Federal Republic of: 24 November 1954.

  Greece: 8 December 1954.

  Albania: 12 May 1955.

  Syrian Arab Republic: 25 June 1955.

  Burma: 14 March 1956.

  Afghanistan: 22 March 1956.

  Argentina: 5 June 1956.

  Iran (Islamic Republic of): 14 August 1956.

  Tunisia: 29 November 1956.

  Pakistan: 12 October 1957.

  Morocco: 24 January 1958.

  Austria: 19 March 1958.

  Ghana: 24 December 1958.

  Iraq: 20 January 1959.

  Iceland: 27 August 1959.

  Colombia: 27 October 1959.

  Finland: 18 December 1959.

  Peru: 24 February 1960.

  Venezuela: 12 July 1960.

  Zaire: 31 May 1962.

  Algeria: 31 October 1963.

  Burkina Faso: 14 September 1965.

  Netherlands: 20 June 1966.

  Mongolia: 5 January 1967.

  Uruguay: 11 July 1967.

  Spain: 13 September 1968.

  Jamaica: 23 September 1968.

  Nepal: 17 January 1969.

  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: 30 January 1970.

  Tonga: 16 February 1972.

  Fiji: 11 January 1973.

  German Democratic Republic: 27 March 1973.

  Mali: 16 July 1974.

  Lesotho: 29 November 1974.

  Rwanda: 16 April 1975.

  Bahamas: 5 August 1975.

  Ireland: 22 June 1976.

  New Zealand: 28 December 1978.

  Gambia: 29 December 1978.

  331

  Barbados: 14 January 1980.

  Vietnam: 9 June 1981.

  Luxembourg: 7 October 1981.

  St. Vincent and the Grenadines: 9 November 1981.

  Papua New Guinea: 27 January 1982.

  Cyprus: 29 March 1982.

  Gabon: 21 January 1983.

  China: 18 April 1983.

  Mozambique: 18 April 1983.

  Senegal: 4 August 1983.

  United Republic of Tanzania: 5 April 1984.

  Maldives: 24 April 1984.

  Togo: 24 May 1984.

  Democratic Yemen: 9 February 1987.

  Antigua and Barbuda: 25 October 1988.

  United States of America: 25 November 1988.

  Democratic People's Republic of Korea: 31 January 1989.

  Yemen: 6 April 1989.

  Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: 16 May 1989.

  Soviet Jews
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a list of those Soviet Jews known by his Department who emigrated from the Soviet Union during 1989, together with the date they first applied.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The following is a list of refuseniks whose cases we have raised with the Soviet government since August 1988 and who have received permission to emigrate. This amounts to 70 per cent. of the total number of cases that we have raised. The dates in brackets show when those concerned first applied for exit visas.

  Boris Aibinder (1975)

  Lydia Berkovich (1980)

  Mark Bernfeld (1977)

  Alexander Blinov (1975)

  Irina Chasin (1979)

  Boris Chernobilsky (1976)

  Yuri Chernyak (1978)

  Miron Finerman (1977)

  Leonid Gershun (1988)

  Grigory Gimpleson (1978)

  Valery Golub (1980)

  Leonid Gonorovskiy (1979)

  Inna Gorenstein (1978)

  Mikhail Gurfink (1976)

  David Gusak (1982)

  Yakov Ioselevich (1979)

  Mikhail Kalendarev (1979)

  Mikhail Kazanevich (1980)

  Mikhail Kaplansky (1987)

  Elena Keiss-Kuna (1974)

  Yulian Khasin (1979)

  Kilberg family (1983)

  Vladimir Kislik (1974)

  Genzl Klebanov (1979)

  Vladimir Knokh (1975)

  Vladimir Koifman (1979)

  Valerie Kokuyeva (1988)

  Yuli Kosharovsky (1971)

  Don Kozlenko (1981)

  Mikhail Kremen (1974)

  Pavel Krivonos (1974)

  Iosif Latinsky (1980)

  Evgeny Lein (1978)

  Oleg Leshinsky (1979)

  Boris Lifshitz (1979)

  Ludmilla Lubenskaya (1979)

  Alexander Lukatsky (1979)

  Emmanuel and Judith Lurie (1980)

  Feliks Lyuboshits (1980)

  Norbet Magazanik (1977)

  Oscar Mendeleyev (1970)

  Vladimir Meshkov (1981)

  Eduard Nadgorni (1979)

  Boris Orlov (1977)

  332

  Zinovy Ostrovsky (1979)

  Iosif Pilmenstein (1979)

  Elias Pinsker (1986)

  Georgy Pozdnyakov (1977)

  Malka Prilutskaya (1988)

  Alexander Pyatetsky (1974)

  Naum Rabinovich (1981)

  Gennady Reznikov (1979)

  Ilya Resnikov (1979)

  Grigory Rosenstein (1982)

  George, Vera and Victor Samoilovich (1972)

  Max Severinovsky (1978)

  Lev Sheibas (1979)

  Dmitri Shchiglik (1973)

  Ilya Shostakovsky (1974)

  Mikhail Shoychet (1976)

  Arnold Shpeizman (1977)

  Alexander Sinichkin (1988)

  Anna Sofman (1983)

  Roman Sorkin (1988)

  Sonya Spitkovsky (1978)

  Abe Stolar (1975)

  Lev Stambler (1979)

  Igor Uspensky (1979)

  Elya Varshavskaya (1980)

  Alexander Yampolsky (1974)

  Mikhail Yusim (1979)

  Raold Zelichenok (1978)

  Boris Zolotarevsky (1988)

  Raoul Wallenberg
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department gave to the family of Raoul Wallenberg during their recent visit to the Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The visit was organised by members of Raoul Wallenberg's family with the co-operation of the Soviet authorities. We were not involved. We welcome the visit as a further step towards establishing the truth about what happened to Raoul Wallenberg.

  Palestine Liberation Organisation
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy on the application of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to join the World Health Organisation and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The 12 member states of the European Community made their position clear in a formal note to the director general of the World Health Organisation on 28 April 1989. No member of the European Community has recognised the "state of Palestine" declared by the Palestine National Council in November 1988. Accordingly we do not accept that the PLO satisfied the criteria for membership of WHO. We have also strongly advised the PLO not to pursue their application.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards official contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We believe that the steps that it has taken in the past year have qualified the PLO to participate in the peace process. We maintain regular contact with members of the PLO.

  United States House of Representatives
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in obtaining the hearings and reports from the United States House of Representatives on house joint resolution 220 of the 97th Congress, session one; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have asked Her Majesty's embassy in Washington to try to obtain copies of these reports. These will be deposited in the Library of the House.

  Dr. Peter Southwell
  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action has been taken by Her Majesty's Government to ascertain the whereabouts of Dr. Peter Southwell, a British citizen missing in Kenya.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The British High Commission in Nairobi is in regular contact with the Kenyan authorities about the progress of the latter's investigations into the disappearance of Dr. Southwell. To date, the investigations have proved inconclusive.

  Iran
  Mr. Crowther
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about public executions in Iran since the death of the Ayatollah Khomeini.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have consistently condemned violations of human rights in Iran. We continue to be disturbed by reports of summary executions there. We therefore welcome the decision of the Iranian authorities to accept a visit by the United Nations special representative on human rights in Iran and urge them to co-operate fully with his investigations.

  Visas
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will reduce the cost of visas which Hungarian students require to come to the United Kingdom on student exchanges.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No. Visa fees are levied at the same rates on a world wide basis, irrespective of the nationality of the applicant and the purpose of travel.

  Human Rights Day
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to celebrate human rights day 1989.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have no particular plans to celebrate human rights day. The best way for all nations to do so is by better observance of human rights in accordance with the universal declaration of human rights.

  Burundi
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the use of the joint funding scheme for funding development projects being carried out by British non-governmental organisations in Burundi.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There is no predetermined geographical allocation of resources under the joint funding scheme. Non-governmental organisations are free to submit long-term development project proposals for most developing countries, including Burundi. Decisions on funding rest on the quality and relevance of those project proposals.

  HIV (Central Africa)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to launch any specific programme to aid those regions of Central Africa where the HIV infection rate appears to exceed 30 per cent. of the population.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  According to the World Health Organisation, no country in Africa is known to have an HIV infection rate of 30 per cent. or more in the general population.

  Subject to parliamentary approval, we shall contribute a further £4·5 million to the WHO's global programme on AIDS in 1990, bringing the total committed so far to £16·83 million. All countries in Africa collaborating with the WHO benefit from this contribution. In addition, we have agreed to provide £6 million so far through WHO to national A IDs programmes in 10 countries in Africa where we can build on our existing health assistance programmes. We stand ready to help further where we can and where countries can absorb more assistance.

  GOVERNMENT PURCHASING
  GOVERNMENT PURCHASING
  NORTHERN IRELAND: PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ALLOCATION
  NORTHERN IRELAND: PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ALLOCATION
  FOOD COLOURING MATTER
  FOOD COLOURING MATTER