Written Answers of 30 April 1990

ENVIRONMENT

  Civil Servants (Accommodation)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had about standards of accommodation for civil servants working in central London.

  Mr. Chope
  Guidance on standards of accommodation for civil servants in London and elsewhere is contained in the office accommodation standards code which is maintained by my Department. I have not been involved in any recent discussions on this issue.

  Beaches
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will arrange for the monitoring results of all designated beaches in the European Community sampled in the summer of 1989 to be placed in the Library;

  (2) which designated bathing waters beaches in Europe under the 1976 EC directive, had a higher level of total coliforms and faecal coliforms for the 1989 season than Seaton Carew centre.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  This information is collated and published by the Commission of the European Communities, in accordance with article 13 of directive 76/160/EEC. Information in respect of United Kingdom bathing waters for the 1989 bathing season was sent to the Commission on 8 February 1990. The information is held in the House of Commons Library. The latest report published by the Commission relates to the 1987 bathing season.

  Local Government Finance
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether community charge regulations enable poll tax arrears and payments to be deducted at source from the payments made to(a) non-employed trainees and (b) employed trainees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Where a charging authority has obtained a liability order—that is, an order under regulation 29 of the Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1989—in respect of arrears of community charge, it may make an attachment of earnings order under regulation 32 of those regulations. Such an order requires the employer to make deductions from the debtor's earnings. For these purposes "earnings" has the meaning given in section 24 of the Attachment of Earnings Act 1971. Since an attachment of earnings order can operate only where there is an employer-employee relationship, payments made to non-employed trainees 378
  cannot be the subject of such an order. To the extent that the pay of employed trainees falls within the definition of "earnings" in the 1971 Act, it is attachable.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he holds on current local authority charges in England and Wales concerning the collective community charge; and what was the equivalent level of rates for 1989–90.

  Mr. Chope
  Contributors to the collective community charge are liable to pay the same amount (on a daily basis) as the amount set for the personal community charge in that area. The amounts reported to the Department for each authority's average charge for 1990–91 were placed in the Library of the House on 18 April 1990, together with a comparison with the average rate bill in 1989–90. Local authorities estimated that as at 1 December 1989 the number of people liable to contribute to the collective community charge over a full year reduced by 5 per cent. to cover the cost of collection to which the landlords are entitled was 30,000.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to review the community charge in the light of experience and representation in respect of(a) joint and several liability and (b) second home charge where it is a second home only because it is for sale.

  Mr. David Hunt
  We continue to keep all aspects of local government finance policy under review. On second homes, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Couchman) on 21 March,Official Report, column 658. In particular, we have prescribed that local authorities may not levy a standard charge for at least three months where a property is unoccupied and substantially unfurnished. This is similar to the arrangements under domestic rates.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his most up-to-date assessment of the numbers of local authorities in England which are charging standard community charge on empty properties at(a) the single rate, (b) the double rate, (c) zero rate, (d) 0·5 rate and (e) 1·5 rate.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French) on 20 April,Official Report, column 1033.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect of the current levels of standard community charge levied on empty properties on(a) inter-regional labour mobility, (b) regional economic development and (c) the housing market.

  Mr. Chope
  We have given charging authorities the discretion to set standard charge multipliers for properties in their area at 0, 0·5, 1, 1·5 or 2 times the personal community charge. We have prescribed nine categories of property in respect of which no standard charge is payable and two where the multiplier may not exceed unity. As with domestic rates, we have prescribed that no standard charge is payable in respect of unoccupied, unfurnished properties until three months after they become unoccupied. Authorities have wide discretion to specify
  379
  additional classes of property which enables them to respond to local factors. This discretion contrasts with the lack of such discretion that existed under domestic rates.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give such information as he has available on(a) the sums which will be received from standard community charge in each local authority in England during 1990–91 and (b) which authorities are not charging at the level of twice the personal community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  This information is not available.

  Bulb Trade
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has obtained a copy for its library of the article, "The Bulb Trade—A Threat to Wild Plant Populations", in volume 23 of the FFPS journal, "Oryx"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Yes. Endangered species of bulbs are already afforded strict protection under the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES). The United Kingdom plays a full and active part in the CITES plants committee and in discussions with our EC partners concerning the trade controls on bulbs. At the seventh CITES conference in 1989, we supported the addition to the appendices of the genus Galanthus (snowdrop) and were successful in proposing the addition of the genus Sternbergia (autumn daffodil), thereby ensuring the regulation of trade in these species.

  Divisions

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Director

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Regulatory standards

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  East

  1

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  West

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  1

  North

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  Total

  1

  2

  4

  1

  4

  3

  Sellafield
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department was represented at the seminar on the environmental impact of Sellafield, held at Chilton, sponsored by the National Radiological Protection Board, on 23 March.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department was represented at the seminar by the director of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Radiation
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he, or officials of his Department, have been invited to participate in, or been observers at, the sixth international standing conference on low level radiation and health, to be held at the University college of North Wales, Bangor, on 7 to 8 July.

  Mr. Trippier
  No.

  Peat
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ban all use of peat by his Department; whether he will formulate a national peatlands conservation policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  We already use alternatives to peat whenever appropriate. We will carefully consider extending their use, but it is considered premature at this stage to ban the use of peat completely.

  The Government recognise the nature conservation importance of the peatlands and are aware of the concerns expressed about the effects of peat extraction on them. We believe the best way of resolving these complex issues is within the established planning and conservation framework. We shall of course take account of forthcoming advice from the Nature Conservancy Council, together with the views expressed by the voluntary conservation bodies in their "Peat Report", the horticultural industry and many others. In England and Wales, mineral planning authorities are undertaking reviews of mineral working sites and permissions under the Town and Country Planning (Minerals) Act 1981 and will be considering peat working in this context.

  Pollution Inspectors
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution inspectors he expects to retire in the next year and in each of the next five years, by divisions.

  Mr. Trippier
  The number of inspectors reaching retirement age over the period is as follows:

  Mineral and Peat Extraction
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions since 1981 mineral planning authorities have made orders modifying the planning permission for mineral and peat extraction or requiring the use of land to be discontinued or continued subject to conditions.

  Mr. Moynihan
  According to our records, since 1981 no orders have been made which relate to peat extraction. Six orders have been made relating to other minerals.

  Nature Conservation
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those nature conservation orders which have been made since the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 came into force; and if he will list those applications which have been submitted by the Nature Conservancy Council to himself and been rejected.

  Mr. Trippier
  The number of orders made or rejected in England is as follows:
  381

  Made

  Rejected

  1981

  —

  —

  1982

  2

  —

  1983

  3

  1

  1984

  4

  1

  1985

  5

  2

  1986

  1

  —

  1987

  2

  —

  1988

  —

  —

  1989

  6

  —

  1990

  I

  —

  In addition, it has been unnecessary for the Secretary of State to make an order on about 10 occasions because agreement was reached with the owner-occupier of the land concerned or the threat to the land did not materialise. Furthermore, agreement has been reached on seven occasions after the making of an order and the orders have been subsequently revoked. The responsibility for making orders in Wales and Scotland rests with the respective Secretaries of State.

  Airborne Emissions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by year for the last five years the number of buildings that have suffered damage problems from airborne emissions of(a) lead, (b) carbon monoxide and (c) particulates.

  Mr. Trippier
  No case of damage to buildings from airborne emissions of lead or carbon monoxide have been reported. These substances would not be expected to damage buildings. Particulates from diesel-engined vehicles and some industrial processes can give rise to soiling of buildings especially in urban areas, but are not known to cause structural damage.

  Ordnance Survey
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in establishing Ordnance Survey as a next steps agency.

  Mr. Trippier
  Ordnance Survey becomes an executive agency on I May and Mr. Peter McMaster, a barrister and professional surveyor who is the present director general, will be its first chief executive.

  Ordnance Survey will continue to be a separate Government department, but as an agency it will be able to develop and expand its business on increasingly commercial lines. It will be expected to achieve progressively more demanding targets and for 1990–91 we have brought forward by one year the agency's key financial target to recover not less than 55 per cent. of the total annual cost of core activities; this will rise to 65 per cent. by 1992–93. Other financial objectives are:
  to recover at least 100 per cent. of the total cost of public sector repayment at home and overseas;
  to maximise the return on small scales and special products and recover not less than 110 per cent. of the total cost in that category.

  These targets are subsumed in the principal financial target shown at paragraph (a).

  For 1990–91 the performance of Ordnance Survey will be monitored by the following financial, productivity and quality of service targets which are linked to the strategic objectives set out in the framework document:

  (a) to recover at least 65 per cent. of the total cost incurred by the agency;

  382

  (b) to survey 0·93 million house units (based on construction forecasts for major developments) so as to keep the national mapping of Great Britain up-to-date;

  (c) to increase from 81,000 to 97,000 the number of basic scale maps available in digital form;

  (d) to publish on microfilm within four months, each large-scale map reaching the criteria and specification for reproduction;

  (e) to dispatch within seven working days (including the day the order is received), 90 per cent. of orders for 1:50,000 folded maps.

  The levels of delegation to the director general for capital expenditure and new information technology projects have been increased to £1 million and £2 million respectively.

  Copies of the framework document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Housing Action Trust, Sunderland
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the actual expenditure by his Department on the ballot arranged by the Electoral Reform Society in connection with the proposed housing action trust in Sunderland.

  Mr. Chope
  We expect the cost for conducting the ballot to be around £12,300.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of the consultation and consultants' reports to his Department in connection with the proposed housing action trust in Sunderland.

  Mr. Chope
  The initial consultants' report and subsequent tenant consultation exercise cost around £620,000 including VAT.

  House Building Land
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to permit the release of more house building land outside the restraints of existing plans; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  We announced last year that, in order to meet needs for low-cost housing in rural areas, planning authorities may exceptionally grant planning permission for the development of small unallocated sites which would not ordinarily be released for general housing development. We emphasised that such sites must be sensibly related to existing settlements, and that arrangements must be in place to reserve the housing in question for local needs. The full policy is set out in the draft revision of "Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (Housing)" issued last October.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Chope
  The target reduction for energy consumption in my Department's buildings is 15 per cent. over the five-year period ending in April 1995.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.
  383
  Mr. Chope
  The latest estimate of energy consumption for buildings occupied by my Department for 1989–90 is:

  Consumption

  Electricity

  34,000,000 Kwh

  Gas

  2,600,000 therms

  Liquid Fuel

  3,300,000 litres

  Solid Fuel

  70 tonnes

  Empty Farm Cottages
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will fix the standard community charge on empty farm cottages in England and Wales on the same basis as that in Scotland.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Government have provided that local authorities may not levy a standard charge for at least three months where properties, including farm cottages, are empty and substantially unfurnished. Local authorities have discretion to increase this period if they wish; and to levy a standard charge of less than the maximum if they want to. This discretion has been given to authorities precisely so that they can reflect local circumstances. We will be monitoring the position closely over the next few months to see if changes are necessary for 1991–92.

  Industrial Development Grants
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the grants made by his Department under section 13 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 showing the value of the grant as a percentage of the whole project cost.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I shall write to my hon. Friend.

  Owls
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the approximate number of(a) barn owls and (b) tawny owls reported found dead whose death is ascribed to collisions with traffic in 1989.

  Mr. Trippier
  The approximate numbers of barn owls and tawny owls reported as found dead from collisions with traffic in 1989 are 480 and 450 respectively.

  Water Supply
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the operation of section 7 of the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 1989 (S.I., 1989, No. 1159).

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Under regulation 7 of the Customer Service Standards Regulations domestic customers may in some circumstances be eligible to claim payments or credits against water charges of £5 per day, if their water supplies have been interrupted or cut off and not restored within specified time limits. Such payments or credits are initially a matter for the water companies. Disputes as to eligibility may be referred by either party to the Director General of Water Services.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the presence of carbon tetrachloride in public water supplies near the Harwell Atomic Energy Authority site.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Thames Water Utilities has kept the Department informed of the results of monitoring for carbon tetrachloride in the water taken from its Blewbury borehole and put into public supply. Since the beginning of April the water has contained between 0·7 and 1·6 micrograms per litre which is well below the prescribed concentration of 3 micrograms per litre in the Water Quality Regulations.

  Environment White Paper
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the proposed White Paper on the environment; and when he expects to introduce legislation on this subject.

  Mr. Trippier
  The White Paper on the environment will be published in the autumn and will include any proposals for further legislation.

  GEC-Marconi (Toxic Gas Leak)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the leak of toxic chemical gases from the GEC-Marconi research centre at Great Baddow, Essex, on 13 April; and if he will instruct Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to conduct an investigation into the incident.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply.

  Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive have investigated the circumstances of the fire which occurred on 13 April 1990 at the GEC-Marconi research centre at Great Baddow, Essex. The exact composition of the fumes released during the fire is unknown, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that despite media reports to the contrary no cyanide was involved.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Rost
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those bodies responsible for each of the research projects currently undertaken by his Department into waste management, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Devizes (Sir C. Morrison), 23 April,Official Report, column 2.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 27 April 1990]: I regret that for reasons of commercial confidence I cannot associate the names of contractors with the costs for each project already given.

PRIME MINISTER

  Pensioners
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Prime Minister what further steps she proposes to make additional financial provision for pensioners whose sole income is provided by their state pension.

  The Prime Minister
  Most such pensioners are already entitled to additional help through income support,
  385
  housing benefit and community charge benefit. Pensioners have a higher entitlement to these benefits through the pensioner premiums, which were increased earlier this month and will continue to be reviewed annually. In addition, a special increase in the premiums made in October 1989 has given extra help totalling £200 million a year to over 2·5 million less well0-off disabled and older pensioners.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Prime Minister if the case of the Birmingham pub bombings was raised by either side during her recent meeting with the Irish Prime Minister.

  The Prime Minister
  The subject was not discussed.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by the Cabinet Office, for the latest year available.

  The Prime Minister
  The latest available breakdown (1988–89) of energy for accommodation occupied by the Cabinet Office is as follows:

  £

  Electricity

  294,485·22

  Gas

  53,904·17

  Liquid fuel

  39,905·96

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by the Cabinet Office.

  The Prime Minister
  The Cabinet Office target will be to achieve savings rising over five years to 15 per cent. of the current annual costs.

  ANZAC Day
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what factors she took into account when selecting the official party 'to represent Britain on ANZAC Day in Turkey.

  The Prime Minister
  As Prime Minister of a nation which lost so many lives in the campaign, I decided that I should attend the Gallipoli ceremonies. My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary also attended. No official invitations were issued.

  Mr. Martin Galvin
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the decision of the Irish Government to offer Irish citizenship to Martin Galvin, who has been banned from entering the United Kingdom on security grounds, and the consequent decision of the Home Office to raise the ban on Mr. Galvin's admission because of EEC rules; if she will invite the Council to consider the implications for the security of member states of decisions similar to that of the Irish Government; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I understand that Mr. Galvin was registered as a citizen of the Republic of Ireland in 1986 in accordance with that country's law. This fact was one 386
  factor among others in the reconsideration of the 1984 decision to exclude him from the United Kingdom. Should circumstances change materially, it will remain open to my right hon. and learned Friend to reimpose a ban as necessary. It follows that there are no grounds for raising the matter in the European Council.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Film Production
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance he proposes to give to feature film production in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Forth
  The Government provide support of £1·5 million a year through British Screen Finance Ltd. for feature film production, together with a further £500,000 a year for short films and script development. Our present five-year commitment to British Screen is due to expire at the end of this year, but we announced in July 1989 that funding will continue at the present level of £2 million a year for a further three years, until the end of 1993.

  Baldrige National Quality Award
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to institute an award for quality similar to the Baldrige national quality award in the United States of America.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no such plans.

  Measurement Accreditation
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has any proposals to increase the numbers of national measurement accreditation service centres between now and the planned establishment of the large European market at the end of 1992.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Growth in the number of laboratories accredited by NAMAS, the national measurement accreditation service, is continuing. However, NAMAS is a voluntary accrediation service and growth between now and the end of 1992 will be determined by the rate at which laboratories apply for accreditation.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply the numbers, by standard planning region, of national measurement accreditation centres.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The regional distribution of accreditations granted to laboratories by NAMAS is as follows:

  Number

  East

  125

  South-East

  303

  South-West

  66

  East Midlands

  60

  West Midlands

  123

  North-East

  56

  North-West

  81

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  77

  Wales

  32

  Scotland

  66

  Northern Ireland

  19

  European Community Standards
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply figures, by standard planning region, for the average waiting time between the application by companies for certification of products in accordance with European Community standards and the receipt of certificates.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Forth
  My Department aims to achieve a 15 per cent. reduction in energy usage over the next five years.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department for the latest year available.

  Mr. Forth
  Energy consumption in buildings occupied by the Department of Trade and Industry in 1988–89, the latest full year for which figures are available, was as follows:

  million

  Electricity

  37·8 kilowatt hours

  Gas

  14 therms

  Oil

  2·8 litres

  Export Restrictions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what exports have been refused a licence under the Export of Goods Control Order 1989, since it came into force; for what countries were the prohibited goods destined; and what goods and materials were involved in each case.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 23 April 1990]: It is not the practice to publish such information.

  Iraq (Arms Component Exports)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether officials of his Department made any statement or communication to the press prior to 18 April indicating that his Department did not think it likely that the pipes impounded on Teesside by Her Majesty's Customs were for military purposes;

  (2) what response his Department gave to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Sir H. Miller) when he approached them about the Iraqi contract.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 23 April 1990]: In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the specifications of the Iraqi export order were first available to his Department.

  Mr. Ridley
  In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.
  388
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the day on which his Department was first made aware of the military implications of the Iraqi contract with Sheffield Forgemasters and Walter Somers;

  (2) what was the day on which it was made known to his Department that Dr. Gerald Bull had conceived plans involving piping for a gun or launcher;

  (3) what letters there are on the Iraqi contract now known to be for a gun between his Department and Sheffield Forgemasters; and if he will list the dates of them.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 26 April 1990] In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Friedreich's Ataxia
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial support is given to research into Friedreich's Ataxia.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Medical Research Council, which receives grant in aid from the Department of Education and Science, spent £197,000 in 1988–89, the last financial year for which figures are available, on research projects which were relevant to Friedreich's Ataxia. The council is always willing to consider soundly based proposals for research funding in competition with other publications. In addition to this, university departments and medical schools, with support from University Funding Council block grants and heath authorities, may be undertaking research into Friedreich's Ataxia, but information on this is not collected centrally.

  Medical Research Council
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the amount spent by the Medical Research Council in 1989–90.

  Mr. Jackson
  I understand that the Medical Research Council's actual gross expenditure in the 1989–90 financial year was £191,143,000.

  Environmental Enterprise Award Scheme
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of schools and colleges have participated in the environmental enterprise award scheme for schools and colleges.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The environmental enterprise award scheme is operated on behalf of the Department by the World Wide Fund for Nature with financial support from the Laura Ashley Foundation. It offers prizes to pupils and students in the age range seven to 19 who submit environment-related practical projects.

  Following the launch of the scheme in September last year, 134 groups of pupils or students registered projects in 1989–90. Of the 18 registrations by pupils or students in the 16 to 19 age category, five were by students in colleges. The scheme is to continue in 1990–91 and 1991–92.
  389
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people were undertaking courses leading to qualifications in environmental protection for each of the last five years.

  Mr Jackson
  Readily available information is as follows for students in England.

  November 1988

  Students on courses at establishments in England

  Higher education courses1

  Further education courses2

  (thousands)

  (thousands)

  Students identified as studying subject:

  A3

  0·6

  1·2

  B4

  0·2

  0·1

  C5

  3·5

  0·1

  Total: A, B and C

  4·4

  1·4

  1 Establishments other than universities.

  2 Excluding adult education courses.

  3 Environmental health; cleaning science; solid waste.

  4 Pollution control; conservation policy.

  5 Human ecology; earth science; environmental studies and other environmental sciences; environmental engineering.

  Brighton CTC
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the company or companies intending to invest in Brighton's city technology college at Woodingdean;

  (2) what sums of money the private sponsors investing in the new city technology college at Woodingdean, Brighton, will be putting into that project in the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92;

  (3) when it is estimated that the Brighton city technology college will be open to receive pupils; and how many pupils will be received in the first year of operation;

  (4) what guarantees he has had from the Faraday Trust that adequate sponsorship for the Brighton city technology college project will be forthcoming; and what percentage of the total cost of the project will be provided by the private sector;

  (5) what references have been provided for the private sector supporters of the Brighton city technology college; and what measures have been taken to check on those references;

  (6) what discussions have recently taken place between Ministers and officials from his Department, local education authority representatives and representatives from the Faraday Trust; and what the contents of those discussions were;

  (7) what information he has on the curriculum and admissions policy to be followed by the Brighton city technology college.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the pursuant reply that my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) on Thursday 26 April 1990,Official Report, column 270.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) in respect of the Brighton city technology college what sums of public money have directly and indirectly been paid over to. or repaid by, Mr. Ivor Revere 390
  or to or by any company with which he has been associated; and if, in every case, he will give details of each transaction including date, amount, payee and drawer;

  (2) if he will list for each payment forming any part of the sums of £2·3 million and £2·5 million specified in those answers to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) of 20 October 1989, Official Report, column 264 and the hon. Member for Blackburn of 24 April in respect of the Brighton city technology college, the amount and date of each payment, the payee and the drawer.

  Mr. MacGregor
  In June 1989 a sum of £250,000 was paid from public funds as a deposit for the purchase of the site of the former Fitzherbert school in Brighton. The balance of the price, £2,250,000, was paid from public funds in September 1989. Those sums were paid to the CTC trust and thence to solicitors acting for the trust and by them to solicitors acting for the initial purchaser, Mr. Ivor Revere. In December 1989 the CTC trust discovered that the purchase price of £2·5 million included a commission of £200,000 charged by Mr. Revere. This was immediately recovered and returned to public funds.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what factors account for the difference between the figure given in his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn,Official Report, 24 April for the sum paid from public funds for the acquisition of the proposed city technology college site in Brighton, and that given in his answer to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) of 20 October 1989, Official Report, column 264.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The figure of £2·5 million quoted in my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) on 20 October 1989,Official Report, column 264, included a commission charged by the then principal sponsor of the proposed Brighton CTC who purchased the site initially before its transfer to the CTC trust. The commission was repaid immediately once the CTC trust discovered that it had been charged. The net cost of the site to public funds is £2·3 million, excluding legal expenses, as I told the hon. Member on 24 April, Official Report, column 145.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 24 April,Official Report, column 146, what consultations he is undertaking as part of his review of the proposed Brighton city technology college, following the withdrawal of the principal sponsor; and what deadline he has set for the conclusion of these discussions.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I refer the hon. Member to the pursuant reply that I gave to him on Thursday 26 April 1990,Official Report column 270. Consultations were undertaken with the Michael Faraday Trust.

  Putney CTC
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on progress towards establishing a city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney;

  (2) how much ADT securities or companies and individuals associated with them have offered by way of financial support for the proposed city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney; and how much has been paid over by them;
  391
  (3) what is his latest estimate of the total cost of the proposed city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney; and how much of this is due to be met by (a) private donors (b) public funds.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The Department is considering proposals to establish a city technical college on the site of the former Mayfield school. ADT plc has pledged £1 million sponsorship towards this project. No payments by the sponsor are required at this stage. Architectural feasibility studies are being undertaken in order to determine the capital costs of establishing the CTC. Until these are completed, no firm figure for capital costs can be given. If a decision is taken in favour of going ahead, I will contribute 80 per cent. of total capital expenditure on this project and the sponsors will contribute the remaining 20 per cent.

  Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what response has been made by the Medical Research Council to the letter from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommending further research into bronchitis and emphysema following the council's 1988 report, Cm. 379.

  Mr. Jackson
  The secretary of the Medical Research Council wrote to the Industrial Injuries Council (IIAC) on 3 June 1988 explaining that the council would review the possibilities for further research in this field. When it completes this review it will inform the IIAC of its conclusions. The Medical Research Council is always willing to consider soundly based research proposals in competition with other applications.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much he has spent or allocated for research into bovine spongiform encephalopathy from 1985 to 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first diagnosed in November 1986. No funds were allocated specifically for research on it prior to that date. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy belongs to a family of diseases called the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies which include scrapie in sheep. The main United Kingdom centre of research on scrapie and related diseases is the neuropathogenesis unit in Edinburgh which is jointly run by the Agricultural and Food Research Council's institute for animal health and the Medical Research Council. The following table gives the science budget funding allocated by the Agricultural and Food Research Council to the institute for animal health for work on scrapie and related diseases since 1985.

  £'000s (cash)

  1985–86

  584

  1986–87

  805

  1987–88

  742

  1988–89

  702

  1989–90

  950

  1990–91

  1,500

  1991–92

  1 2,950

  1 The figure for 1991–92 is an estimate based on planning figures.

  392
  University departments, with support from University Funding Council block grants, may be undertaking research on bovine spongiform encephalopathy, but information on this is not collected centrally.

  University of Wales
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to review the extent of surplus land and buildings available to University of Wales college of Cardiff.

  Mr. Jackson
  That is a matter for the institution itself in consultation as necessary with the Universities Funding Council.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to review or clarify the terms of the repayable grant of £4·4 million made to University of Wales college of Cardiff to assist the merger of University college, Cardiff and the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 20 March 1990,Official Report, column 520.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department aims to reduce energy use by 15 per cent. (temperature corrected at constant prices) over the period 1990–91 to 1994–95.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:

  Fuel consumption for calendar year 1989

  Quantity

  Electricity Kilowatt hours

  4,751,507

  Gas therms

  102,168

  Liquid Fuel litres

  313,686

  This information relates to the Department's head-quarters premises and all Her Majesty's inspectorate's local offices.

  Parental Choice
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to(a) require parents wishing to change their child's school to state what the reason is for their request and (b) deny any request based on racial grounds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Local authorities are required by the Education Act 1980 to enable parents to express a preference as to the school their child should attend, and
  393
  to give reasons for their choice. Such reasons are, quite properly, only of relevance if the school in question is oversubscribed. They will then be tested against the published admission criteria, which cannot be racial ones. In other circumstances, parents' choices should be accepted without further ado.

  My right hon. Friend has said, in commending the code of practice recently produced by the Commission for Racial Equality, that racial discrimination has no place in the education service. The Department has also taken a variety of initiatives to improve the response of the education service to ethnic diversity, while the remits to the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council require them, in exercising their functions, to take account of the ethnic and cultural diversity of British society, and of the importance of promoting equal opportunities for all pupils, regardless of ethnic origin and gender.

  Medway CTC
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will name all individuals and bodies which have offered themselves as sponsors of the proposed Medway city technology college;

  (2) if he will place in the Library copies of letters from him to officers of the Skinners Company covering the proposed Medway city technology college;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the sponsorship of the proposed Medway city technology college by (a) the Skinners Company, (b) Cable and Wireless and (c) McAlpine.

  Mr. MacGregor
  A consortium consisting of Cable and Wireless plc, the Skinners Livery Company, Robert McAlpine and Sons, and Evelyn Rothschild has expressed interest in supporting a city technology college in the Medway area. To date, no project for a city technology college in this area has been agreed, and the court of the Skinners Company has now decided that it will no longer sponsor a city technology college. It is not appropriate to make public details of private correspondence between me and sponsors, or potential sponsors, of city technology colleges.

  Welsh Students
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of applications for places in each university college in Wales were made by prospective students from Wales in each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 25 April 1990]: Applications to United Kingdom universities for admissions to full-time undergraduate courses are dealt with by the Universities Central Council on Admissions.

  Information about the candidature at individual universities, or constituent colleges of individual universities, is not released by the Universities Central Council on Admissions without prior authorisation of the institution (or its constituent colleges).

  The table, prepared from data provided by the Universities Central Council on Admissions, shows the percentage of applications from United Kingdom candidates to the University of Wales as a whole made by individuals recorded as being of Welsh domicile.
  394

  Applications received for entry to the University of Wales

  per cent.

  Academic year beginning:

  1979

  23·7

  1984

  20·4

  1985

  20·0

  1986

  20·2

  1987

  19·9

  1988

  20·4

  1989

  20·2

  Note: Each applicant is permitted to make up to 5 applications for courses falling within the Universities Central Council on Admissions scheme.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Population
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current prison population.

  Mr. Mellor
  On Friday 27 April the total prison population was 45,948. This represents a reduction of some 3,513 since the same time last year. The initiatives taken by the Government to reduce the number of people held in custody are bearing fruit. The intention of our proposals in the White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public" (Cmd. 965) is to reduce the prison population still further.

  Pentonville Prison
  Sir Charles Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what he is doing to speed up the completion of the Pentonville extension;

  (2) when the extension at Pentonville was originally expected to be completed; and what the completion date now is.

  Mr. Mellor
  No plans exist for extending accommodation at Her Majesty's prison Pentonville but a phased programme of improvement work is under way. This includes the refurbishment of the four living blocks, including installation of integral sanitation, and improvements to ancillary facilities.

  Refurbishment of the first living block is virtually complete and, on current plans, the remaining blocks should be finished by 1994. Work is due to start in the coming year on a new reception area and improvements to the gate. Other work planned in the next few years includes a new kitchen which should be ready by 1993–94.

  Prisons, North-West
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which prisons in the north-west he has received reports from boards of prison visitors since January.

  Mr. Mellor
  As at 23 April 1990, annual reports for 1989 had been received from boards of visitors for Her Majesty's prisons Haverigg, Kirkham, Liverpool, Manchester, Risley and Wymott.

  Prison Disturbances
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent prison disturbances.
  395
  Mr. Mellor
  My hon. Friend will understand that following the statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend in the House on 26 April at the conclusion of the disturbances at Manchester prison, it would now be appropriate to await the outcome of Lord Justice Woolf's inquiry into the disturbances before seeking to draw conclusions.

  In the meantime, however, as was explained to the House last week, my right hon. and learned Friend is taking urgent action in a number of areas to reduce the possibility of a repeat of the appalling events of the last few weeks.

  Prison Building
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress on the Government's prison building programme.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Government are engaged in the largest prison building programme this century. Eight new prisons, providing 3,500 places, are already open. A further 14 are at various stages of construction and design, and are planned to provide over 8,000 new places by 1994. In 1991, we shall be spending nearly £300 million on new prisons.

  Much is also being done to improve conditions at existing establishments. In 1990–91, we shall be spending over £120 million in all in improving the prison estate, and over £20 million on major maintenance. Similar sums will be spent in the following two years.

  Local Authority Grants
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase grants for use by local authorities' civil defence and emergency planning departments to respond to peacetime natural disasters or industrial accidents.

  Mr. John Patten
  Provision for civil defence grant payable to local authorities has increased from £21·867 million in 1989–90 to £23·372 million in 1990–91. Under the Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986, local authorities may use civil defence resources in connection with emergencies and disasters occurring in peacetime.

  Japanese War Criminals
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate an investigation into the possibility of Japanese war criminals who should face criminal proceedings living in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Any allegations that alleged Japanese war criminals may now be resident in the United Kingdom would of course be seriously considered. We are not aware that any such allegations have been made, however, and therefore see no reason to initiate any investigation.

  Metropolitan Police Force
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the level of morale in the Metropolitan police force.

  Mr. Waddington
  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the morale of his force is excellent.

  Prisons
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisons are more than 100 years old.

  Mr. Mellor
  Thirty-four per cent. of prison establishments (42) in England and Wales were in use as prisons before 1890. Many of these have, of course, been substantially altered or reconstructed since they first opened as prisons. In addition, 4 per cent. of establishments (five) are in premises which are partly or wholly over 100 years old but which have been converted to prison service use more recently.

  Remand
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many objections were received by his Department to the building of a new remand facility at Everthorpe.

  Mr. Mellor
  Apart from representations made by my hon. Friend the Member for Boothferry (Mr. Davis), four letters and a petition signed by 65 residents were received objecting, in principle, to the building of the remand centre on the Home Office land at Everthorpe. Additionally, 19 representations were received in respect of the loss of woodland on the site chosen.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to his Department of keeping Lorrain Osman in prison on remand; and how long that period of remand has been.

  Mr. Mellor
  Mr. Osman was remanded in custody on 7 December 1985 pending consideration of a request for his extradition.

  On 1 June 1987 he was committed to custody to await the Secretary of State's order for his surrender to the Hong Kong authorities. Mr. Osman has not yet been returned to Hong Kong because of the series of appeals initiated by him against extradition.

  On the basis of average operating costs for Pentonville prison, the total cost to date of detaining Mr. Osman is estimated at about £56,000.

  Overseas Voters
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the proposed expenditure in 1990–91 on advertising the rights of overseas voters under the Representation of the People Act 1989, for each overseas country;

  (2) what is the total sum to be spent in 1990–91 advertising the rights available under the Representation of the People Act 1990 to overseas voters.

  Mr. Waddington
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Electoral registration overseas: breakdown by country of Home Office/Foreign and Commonwealth Office expenditure on publicity/ advertising in 1990–91

  Country

  Allocated provision

  (£)

  Algeria

  1,850

  Angola

  30

  Antigua

  325

  397

  Country

  Allocated provision

  (£)

  Argentina

  3,100

  Ascension

  50

  Australia

  32,486

  Austria

  6,000

  Bahamas

  750

  Bahrain

  987

  Bangladesh

  1,500

  Barbados

  950

  Belgium

  1,365

  Belize

  750

  Benin

  175

  Bermuda

  3,000

  Botswana

  565

  Brazil

  10,840

  Brunei

  470

  Bulgaria

  30

  Burma

  20

  Cameroon

  25

  Canada

  45,805

  Canary Islands

  3,285

  Cayman Islands

  30

  Chile

  2,000

  China

  1,270

  Colombia

  1,500

  Costa Rica

  250

  Cuba

  25

  Cyprus

  3,768

  Czechoslovakia

  150

  Denmark

  2,093

  East Germany

  30

  Ecuador

  1,000

  Egypt

  375

  El Salvador

  750

  Ethiopia

  100

  Falkland Islands

  370

  Fiji

  330

  Finland

  2,200

  France

  37,117

  Gabon

  350

  Gambia

  250

  Ghana

  20

  Gibraltar

  3,000

  Greece

  3,399

  Grenada

  100

  Guatemala

  100

  Guinea

  230

  Guinea-Bissau

  10

  Guyana

  185

  Honduras

  400

  Hong Kong

  3,815

  Hungary

  50

  Iceland

  950

  India

  3,520

  Indonesia

  2,578

  Israel

  4,778

  Italy

  30,557

  Ivory Coast

  175

  Jamaica

  1,550

  Japan

  3,283

  Jordan

  200

  Kenya

  2,943

  Kiribati

  200

  Korea

  750

  Kuwait

  2,018

  Lebanon

  70

  Leeward Islands

  20

  Lesotho

  150

  Liberia

  550

  Luxembourg

  1,200

  Madagascar

  90

  Malawi

  300

  Malaysia

  1,005

  Malta

  1,600

  Mauritius

  150

  Mexico

  1,500

  Montserrat

  20

  398

  Country

  Allocated provision

  (£)

  Morocco

  1,350

  Mozambique

  145

  Nepal

  100

  Netherlands

  7,824

  New Zealand

  24,049

  Nicaragua

  150

  Nigeria

  2,077

  North Yemen

  100

  Norway

  3,272

  Oman

  1,761

  Pakistan

  630

  Panama

  50

  Papua New Guinea

  2,089

  Paraguay

  300

  Peru

  2,650

  Phillipines

  2,030

  Poland

  20

  Portugal

  3,976

  Qatar

  1,000

  Republic of Ireland

  100

  Rumania

  10

  Saudi Arabia

  3,801

  Senegal

  530

  Seychelles

  200

  Singapore

  3,841

  Solomon Islands

  150

  Somalia

  10

  South Africa

  10,947

  Spain

  22,967

  Sir Lanka

  100

  St. Lucia

  320

  St. Vincent

  30

  St. Helena

  10

  St. Kitts

  25

  Sudan

  50

  Swaziland

  350

  Sweden

  2,900

  Switzerland

  9,301

  Syria

  690

  Tanzania

  250

  Thailand

  1,650

  Tonga

  10

  Trinidad

  615

  Tristan da Cunha

  50

  Tunisia

  1,225

  Turkey

  1,550

  Turks and Caicos Islands

  20

  Uganda

  550

  United Arab Emerates

  3,448

  Uraguay

  60

  USA

  42,036

  USSR

  600

  Vanuatu

  150

  Venezuala

  650

  Vietnam

  150

  Virgin Islands

  475

  West Germany

  18,070

  Yugoslavia

  950

  Zaire

  300

  Zambia

  1,435

  Zimbabwe

  1,100

  Total

  425,031

  Provision not allocated to any particular country

  334,969

  Grand Total

  760,000

  Settlement
  Mr. leuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of people allowed to settle in the United Kingdom from other countries in each year from 1979 to 1989.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The total number of persons accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in each of the years 1979 to 1989 is published in table 18 of the Home Office Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1988" (Cm 726) and in table 3 of Home Office Statistical bulletin issue 8/90 "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Fourth Quarter and Year 1989", copies of both of which are in the Library.

  Falmouth Police Station
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet able to announce the commencement date for Falmouth's new police station; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Approval has now been given for the building of the new police station to start in 1992–93.

  Magistracy
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on(a) the duties and (b) the separation of responsibilities of the magistracy and of the justices' clerks and managers' administrative roles;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the judicial independence of magistrates, with reference to the proposals of the Le Vay report;

  (3) what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on joint funding between central and local government of the magistracy; what implications have been assessed for other funding arrangements; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) what alternative is being considered to the agency proposed in the Le Vay report on magistrates courts;

  (5) if he will make a statement on progress towards the implementation of the Le Vay report on the magistracy.

  Mr. John Patten
  As my right hon. and learned Friend stated in his reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Martin) on 21 March 1990 at column 634, we wish to have well-founded estimates of the costs of the executive agency proposals in the scrutiny report and for comparison purposes those of

  Energy consumption in 21 Home Office buildings in 1989–90

  Site

  Gas

  Electricity

  Oil

  Solid

  (therms)

  (kWhs)

  (litres)

  (tonnes)

  Abell House

  66,289

  1,546,890

  0

  0

  Branston

  7,234

  2,153,347

  0

  6,380

  Cleland House

  51,074

  1,617,130

  0

  0

  Clive House

  36,276

  864,680

  0

  0

  Corby

  8,751

  281,080

  56,100

  0

  Cowley

  8,208

  160,021

  0

  0

  Dunkeswell

  0

  86,694

  1,250

  0

  Easingwold

  0

  298,449

  113,245

  0

  Fire Service College

  222,566

  2,699,320

  1,258,650

  0

  Harmondsworth

  8,744

  785,080

  258,350

  0

  Horseferry House

  0

  1,561,560

  141,700

  0

  Horsham

  5,165

  214,734

  0

  0

  Inverness

  0

  30,975

  0

  0

  Langhurst

  0

  296,098

  16,095

  0

  Leeds

  54,244

  262,417

  0

  0

  400
  an alternative model based on areas managed by independent boards. I have already made it clear that we shall not reach decisions on the structure or future financing of the magistrates courts service until we have an opportunity to consider these estimates. In reaching decisions we shall take into consideration both the paramount importance of preserving the independence of judicial processes and the need to ensure that there are satisfactory arrangements for the effective and efficient management of the resources committed to the magistrates courts service.

  Mr. Viv Richards
  Mr. John Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether any request was made for police protection for Mr. Vivian Richards on his arrival at Heathrow airport on 23 April;

  (2) what was the cost of the provision of a police escort for Mr. Vivian Richards on his arrival at Heathrow airport on 23 April.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No request was made to the Home Office, but I understand that Mr. Richards was escorted by the police through Heathrow airport on 23 April to prevent congestion caused by the extensive media interest. No additional costs were incurred, and, contrary to some press reports, none of the police officers was armed.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Waddington
  A target reduction of 15 per cent. over five years has been set.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Waddington
  The information requested is not readily available in respect of all the buildings occupied by the Home Office. However, in respect of the 21 buildings which in 1989–90 accounted for over 70 per cent. of Home Office total expenditure on energy, the information is as follows:
  401

  Site

  Gas

  Electricity

  Oil

  Solid

  (therms)

  (kWhs)

  (litres)

  (tonnes)

  Lunar House

  0

  2,681,770

  544,600

  0

  Olympia

  0

  200,805

  70,820

  0

  Queen Anne's Gate

  213,395

  6,883,300

  219,160

  0

  Sandridge

  0

  348,259

  94,140

  0

  Steven ton

  0

  409,040

  265,026

  0

  Woking

  62,343

  243,907

  0

  0

  Metropolitan Police (Housing Allowance)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the amount of the new force housing allowance for the Metropolitan police.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The new force housing allowance for the Metropolitan police has not yet been set.

  Wildlife Protection (Prosecutions)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prosecutions of drivers have been instigated, and how many resulted in successful prosecution, in respect of deaths to protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as a result of collisions with traffic; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, how many prosecutions have been instigated, and how many have been successful, in respect of the illegal poisoning of birds of prey; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information is not available centrally.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters to him of 29 December 1989, 5 February and 23 March 1990, with regard to Mrs. R. Sarwar of 209 Northmoor road.

  Mr. Waddington
  I shall write to the right hon. Member.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Missile Technology Control Regime
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to initiate amendments to the missile technology control regime agreements to include prohibitions on the sale of large-scale projectile launchers and high altitude cannon.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The missile technology control regime (MTCR) aims to control transfers that could make a contribution to nuclear weapons delivery systems other than manned aircraft. Launch and ground support equipment and facilities usable for delivery systems falling within the MTCR parameters are already covered under item 12 of the MTCR equipment and technology annex.

  European Security Commission
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the European security commission proposed by President Havel of Czechoslovakia.
  402
  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Czechoslovak Government outlined their proposal to representatives of CSCE countries in Prague on 6 April. We expect to have further discussions with the Czechoslovak authorities after considering the proposal in NATO.

  Turkey
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last raised with the Turkish Government issues of human rights abuses in that country.

  Mr. Maude
  We regularly raise the issue of human rights in Turkey with the Turkish Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the matter when he saw the deputy Prime Minister on 22 January. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the question with President Ozal on 25 April.

  Rights of the Child
  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has established a timetable for ratification of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom signed the United Nations convention on the rights of the child on 19 April 1990. We intend to ratify the convention as soon as possible.

  Mr. Jonathon Moyle
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will call for a report from Her Majesty's ambassador in Santiago on the death of British editor Jonathon Moyle in his hotel room in Santiago on 28 or 29 March; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he is satisfied that the Chilean authorities are fully investigating the death in his hotel room in Santiago on 28 or 29 March, of Jonathon Moyle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Her Majesty's embassy at Santiago is in contact with the examining magistrate, and keeps the consular department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office fully informed of developments in the investigation into Mr. Moyle's death on 31 March 1990. The consular department is in contact with Mr. Moyle's parents and former employers.

  A Chilean magistrate gave approval on 2 April 1990 for a full investigation into the death of Mr. Moyle. The Chilean authorities are pursuing their investigation vigorously and the results are expected shortly.

  Mr. Victor Taipe Zuniga
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now raise with the Peruvian Government the detention of Victor Taipe Zuniga, president of the National Mineworkers Federation.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The British embassy in Lima is looking into this case and has contacted the Peruvian authorities.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has any plans to re-examine its policy in respect of the seating of Cambodian representatives at the United Nations.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We shall have to look closely at the question of Cambodia's seat at the United Nations in the context of current diplomatic activity aimed at achieving a peaceful settlement.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will deposit a copy of the report by the British mission to Cambodia of December 1989 in the Library.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 31 January,Official Report, column 223.

  Burma
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding United Kingdom relations with Burma.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 27 February,Official Report, column 111.

  European Community (Member States)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has raised within the European Community the issue of the constitutional imperative of one member state to work for the acquisition of part of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  No. The EC does not have competence to consider questions of interpretation of the constitution of the Republic of Ireland.

  European Civil Service
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to increase the number of(a) generalist, (b) specialist, (c) lawyers and (d) economist British recruits to the European civil service.

  Mr. Maude
  While appointments are a matter for the EC institutions themselves, we are working with the European Commission to improve the recruitment of British nationals throughout the range of disciplines, and particularly as generalists. We and the Commission have 404
  recently agreed a package of measures aimed at increasing recruitment of United Kingdom nationals. These include regular recruitment competitions for generalists in addition to those for lawyers and economists, the bringing forward of more United Kingdom nationals from the reserve list of those successful in competitions, and improved publicity.

  For our part we are taking action to increase the number of United Kingdom candidates applying for employment in the institutions. A European stream within administrative grade recruitment to the civil service will be created, increased funding provided for secondments to the EC institutions and a central unit established within the Cabinet Office to co—ordinate the British recruitment effort.

  Somalia
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest developments in Somalia and any international discussions regarding Somali refugees.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Somali Government's proposals for internal reconciliation have so far been rebuffed by the Somali National Movement. The situation of Somali refugees is kept under review by the relevant international organisations. So far this year, we have contributed a further £325,000 for Somali refugees.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had from(a) the Irish Government and (b) the Spanish Government about his decision to issue certificates under the Crown Proceedings Act in respect of legal action relating to the deaths of three persons in Gibraltar.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have had no representations.

  Launching Equipment
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has had(a) from the Government of Canada and (b) from the Government of Barbados about pictures of the launching equipment in their countries constructed by the late Dr. Bull.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he first received warnings from the United States of America about the Space Research Corporation.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In the light of the charges laid against an individual on 25 April and in the light of the continuing investigations by Customs and Excise, it would be wrong to make further comments on these matters.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration each aim to reduce energy consumption by 15 per cent. over the next five years at an annual rate of 3 per cent.
  405
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department for the latest year available.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In the calendar year 1989, energy consumption in Foreign and Commonwealth Office buildings was:

  Energy consumption

  (i) Electricity

  19,411,000 kwh

  (ii) Gas

  391,000 therms

  (iii) Fuel Oil

  1,003,000 litres

  The figures are taken from statistical returns produced by the Property Services Agency (PSA).

  The PSA does not provide details of ODA fuel consumption. However, expenditure in the financial year 1988–89 was:

  £

  (i) Electricity

  95,641

  (ii) Gas

  70,250

  Iraq (Missile Development)
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he first became aware of Iraq's involvement in an advanced missile development programme.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We first became aware of Iraq's involvement with advanced ballistic missiles in 1987 when Iraq announced it had developed missiles with a 650 km range. It used such missiles against Iran in early 1988.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Mr. Lorrain Osman
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Attorney-General what have been the costs incurred by Her Majesty's Government in dealing with all aspects of the Lorrain Osman case.

  Mr. John Patten
  I have been asked to reply.

  The costs fall into three general categories. First, there is the cost of his detention, on which I would refer the hon. Member to the other reply given to him today on this matter. Secondly there are the legal costs incurred in the proceedings in the United Kingdom against Mr. Osman, and in respect of his subsequent appeals. Up to his committal, such costs fell to the Hong Kong Government. Costs identified so far in the first of Mr. Osman's habeas corpus applications amount to over £20,000. Costs incurred in the second and third habeas corpus applications were awarded against Mr. Osman. Finally there are the administrative costs incurred by Ministers and officials in dealing with the case, answering correspondence, parliamentary questions, and so on. These arise from the normal duties of the people concerned and cannot be calculated separately.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Stationery
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to arrange for a stationery supplies store to be established in the Palace of Westminster for the purchase of common office requirements not readily available in shops close to the Palace.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  Present plans envisage that the first opportunity to establish any such service for those who work in the House will arise with the completion of phase I of the new parliamentary buildings when a small general shop run by the Refreshment Department and selling a limited range of essential items will be opened. Thereafter it is understood that planning for phase 2 will include the provision of a number of retail units.

  European Community Business
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he now expects the Government to respond to the Select Committee on Procedure's report on how European Community business should be dealt with by the House.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The Government have been giving detailed and careful consideration to the issues covered by the report and I expect to be in a position to publish their response shortly.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by the Privy Council Office;

  (2) if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by the Privy Council Office for the latest year available.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The Privy Council Office occupies part of the Cabinet Office building in Whitehall. In the financial year 1989–90 the costs to the Department for the supply of electricity and gas were £10,923 and £1,920 respectively. The office has no formal targets for reducing consumption, but expects to contribute to the overall reduction of 15 per cent. over five years proposed for Government Departments by the Energy Efficiency Office of the Department of Energy.

HEALTH

  Leighton Hospital, Crewe
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been done into the numbers of private patients using Leighton hospital, Crewe, during the last two years and their views on the creation of an independent hospital trust.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The latest information held centrally on private patients treated at Leighton hospital is given in the table.
  407

  Private patients, Leighton hospital, Crewe District Health Authority, 1987–88 and 1988–89

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Average daily occupied beds

  6·5

  9·5

  In-patient cases treated

  950·0

  917·0

  Day case admissions

  423·0

  573·0

  In-patients occupying a bed as at 31 March

  7·0

  8·0

  In-patient average length of stay (days)

  2·5

  3·8

  Source: KP21 return.

  Since 1989, Leighton hospital has provided no accommodation for private in-patients and day cases, although it continues to receive an income from other services provided for private patients. We know of no research into the views of private patients on the creation of independent hospital trusts.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute a consultation procedure in the Crewe and Nantwich area which will enable patients and the general populace of Crewe and Nantwich to give their opinions on the creation of an independent hospital trust at Leighton hospital, Crewe.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It will be for Mersey region to determine locally the detailed arrangements to be made for consultation if an application for NHS trust status is submitted by Leighton hospital. We have made it clear that we expect regions to seek the views of all those with an interest, including the local community.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what machinery has been recommended by his Department to Leighton hospital, Crewe as a means of consulting the staff before any decisions are taken on the creation of an independent hospital trust.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Applications for NHS trust status will not be invited until Parliament has approved the necessary legislation. It will then be for regions to determine locally the detailed arrangements to be made for formal consultation on applications. We have made it clear that we expect them to seek the views of all those with an interest, including the staff at the unit concerned.

  Radiation
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he, or officials of his Department, have been invited to participate in, or be observers at, the sixth international standing conference on low-level radiation and health, to be held at the University college of north Wales, Bangor, on 7 to 8 July.

  Mr. Freeman
  No.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he, Ministers or officials of his Department, have been invited to attend, or present a paper at, the seminar on environmental radioactivity and leukaemia clusters, to be held at the Institute of Cryogenics at Southampton university on 1 June.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department has received notice of this scientific seminar and an official will attend as an observer. In addition, I understand that papers will be presented by officers from the National Radiological Protection Board, and the public health laboratory service.

  Nursing Staff
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of nursing staff employed in private hospitals in England.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In the year ending 31 March 1988, the latest date for which this information is available centrally, there were 56,447 nursing staff (whole—time equivalents) employed in private hospitals, homes and clinics in England.

  Source: K036 return 1988. Private hospitals, homes and clinics registered under Section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984.

  Special Hospitals
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects a review to be undertaken into the special hospitals system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Major changes in the management of the special hospitals service were made during the latter half of 1989, including the transfer of management responsibility to the new special hospitals service authority and the introduction of general management. We have instructed the authority to review existing policies and priorities within the strategic framework provided by the Government's stated objectives for the further development of the service, to provide an effective basis for its management of special hospitals in future years. We will review its progress regularly, and a comprehensive evaluation of the new arrangements will be undertaken in due course.

  Drugs
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Morris) on 4 April at column 652, if his Department has made any forecast of the likely increase in the cost of drugs in 1990–91; what this increase is likely to be; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department's forecast of the cost of drugs and appliances prescribed by general practitioners and dispensed by pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors in England is published in the supply estimates 1990–91 (242-XIII, HMSO), a copy of which is in the Library.

  The forecasts of expenditure are the subject of continual updating as new information becomes available, and the statistical models from which the forecasts are derived are subject to close monitoring and development. The Department has recently commissioned management consultants to review its models and suggest improvements. The Department will shortly be revising its forecast of drugs expenditure in the family practitioner service in the light of both the forthcoming consultants' report and recent outturn information.

  Blood Transfusion Service
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes are planned in the funding arrangements for the blood transfusion service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No fundamental changes to the arrangements for blood supply to the National Health Service are planned.
  409
  New accounting arrangements are being introduced which will help to establish closer relationships between regional transfusion centres and their hospitals and so enable an even better service to be provided. These changes affect the way in which the regional transfusion centres are funded for their operating costs of approximately £70 million per annum. The regional health authorities have traditionally allocated funds direct to the regional transfusion centres. In future those funds will be devolved to the district health authorities and the regional transfusion centres will recover their operating costs in proportion to the districts' demands on the regional transfusion centre for blood supplies.

  The reimbursement of the regional transfusion centres will not include any element for the blood itself. This is freely donated by voluntary donors to whom we are all indebted.

  I understand that two regional transfusion centres have introduced the new arrangements from 1 April this year and the others plan to do so from 1 April 1991.

  Adoption (Romania)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the procedures to be followed when couples in the United Kingdom wish to bring a baby from Romania for adoption in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are established procedures whereby prospective adopters, once the Romanian authorities have provisionally agreed to place a child with them, should obtain entry clearance for the child. The application is made to the consulate in Bucharest. This must include information about the child, his state of health, and documents to verify that the child is legally available for adoption, with parental consent where appropriate. The application is transmitted without delay to London where my Department requests that the applicants' local authority undertakes, within a maximum of six weeks, the inquiries necessary to determine that the applicants are suitable adopters for that child. We have asked local authorities to act swiftly in the current Romanian crisis.

  These procedures are necessary to protect the children in accordance with the central principle of adoption law that the child's welfare is the first consideration. It would be wrong—and in breach of the United Nations declaration on adoption and fostering—if lower standards were applied to Romanian children who are especially in need of protection from further risk.

  Residential Care Homes
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the quality of care in residential care homes.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are today publishing "Caring for Quality" guidance on standards for residential homes for elderly people. Copies have been placed in the Library. This SSI publication is an important further component of the Department's programme to raise standards in residential care. Steps are being taken to improve standards in residential care homes. Other measures include:The setting up by local authorities of arms length inspection units to inspect all homes, whether public or independent, in an even-handed way;
  410
  A training pack for registration and inspection staff commissioned by the Department which was published earlier this year;
  A £2·2 million development programme, the caring in homes initiative, aimed at improving life for people in residential care homes;
  From 1 April 1991 social services authorities will be responsible for meeting the care costs of people eligible for public support who enter independently run residential and nursing homes. In entering into contracts with such homes authorities will be expected to satisfy themselves of the quality of care provided. In addition, care managers will ensure that the needs of the individual continue to be monitored.

  The complaints procedures for personal social services to be set up and publicised by all social services authorities will provide additional safeguards.

  The Registered Homes Act 1984 and associated regulations placed a responsibility on local authorities to register private and voluntary residential care homes catering for four or more residents, to inspect them at least twice a year and to ensure that good standards are maintained. Fresh legislation is under consideration to bring homes for fewer than four residents under control.

  Health Service Indicators
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Health Service indicators for 1988–89 will be published.

  Mr. Freeman
  The set of 1988–89 indicators, which has just been sent to every English health authority, has been placed in the Library.

  Kidney Patients (HIV Infection)
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney patients have received HIV-contaminated blood as a result of transfusions; and if he will take steps to make such persons eligible to benefit from the funds held by the Macfarlane Trust.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Of the reports received by the communicable disease surveillance centre of cases of HIV infection among the recipients of blood transfusions, none relates to kidney patients.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department of Health is currently considering its energy policy and aims to achieve the target suggested by the ministerial group on energy efficiency of a 15 per cent. improvement over five years.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Freeman
  The last year for which figures are available is 1988–89 and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security will provide the figures for the then Department of Health and Social Security.

  Capital Accountancy System
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grounds underline the decision to use an interest rate figure of 6 per cent. in the new capital accountancy system to be introduced into the National Health Service in 1991.

  Mr. Freeman
  The 6 per cent. interest rate is a real (as opposed to nominal) rate based on the long-term cost of capital, and is the same as the discount rate used for the non-trading part of the public sector. The discount rate is based on the cost of capital for low-risk purposes in the private sector, and aims to ensure that investments in the public sector are broadly comparable, in terms of economic efficiency, to those undertaken in the private sector.

  Regional Allocations
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate what the allocations would have been to each English regional health authority for 1990–91 if the same cash total had been distributed on the same basis as

  £000s at cash

  Regions

  Total main allocation available for services in region

  Percentage share of total allocation

  Total main allocation available for services in region

  Percentage share of total allocation

  1990–91 allocation for spend on resident population

  Percentage share of total allocation

  Total main allocation available for services in region

  Percentage share of total allocation

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  (1)

  (2)

  (3)

  (4)

  (5)

  (6)

  (7)

  (8)

  Northern

  735,253

  6·64

  817,311

  6·63

  885,403

  6·63

  884,179

  6·61

  Yorkshire

  829,677

  7·49

  920,376

  7·46

  1,005,316

  7·53

  999,322

  7·47

  Trent

  1,010,146

  9·12

  1,126,131

  9·13

  1,261,890

  9·45

  1,227,583

  9·18

  East Anglian

  437,676

  3·95

  488,050

  3·96

  529,280

  3·96

  539,690

  4·03

  North West Thames

  808,071

  7·30

  895,111

  7·26

  995,223

  7·45

  968,446

  7·24

  North East Thames

  1,007,139

  9·09

  1,114,489

  9·04

  1,164,301

  8·72

  1,197,287

  8·95

  South East Thames

  897,538

  8·10

  1,000,077

  8·11

  1,098,777

  8·23

  1,092,602

  8·17

  South West Thames

  745,778

  6·73

  828,304

  6·72

  866,378

  6·49

  900,756

  6·73

  Wessex

  614,551

  5·55

  687,346

  5·57

  770,975

  5·77

  757,653

  5·66

  Oxford

  482,415

  4·36

  548,386

  4·45

  609,466

  4·56

  595,806

  4·45

  South Western

  731,564

  6·61

  818,155

  6·64

  888,517

  6·65

  896,046

  6·70

  West Midlands

  1,185,562

  10·70

  1,316,619

  10·68

  1,414,673

  10·59

  1,419,349

  10·61

  Mersey

  585,517

  5·29

  652,367

  5·29

  702,087

  5·26

  699,175

  5·23

  North Western

  1,004,859

  9·07

  1,117,456

  9·06

  1,164,562

  8·72

  1,199,999

  8·97

  Total

  11,075,746

  100·00

  12,330,178

  100·00

  13,356,848

  100·00

  13,377,893

  100·00

  Notes:

  1. Column (5) adjusted for the effect of cross-boundary flows.

  2. The difference of £21,045 between columns (5) and (7) reflects the cost of net cross boundary flows between England and Wales/Scotland.

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has examined the findings of the Bristol pathologist specialising in sudden infant deaths.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 27 April 1990]: We are aware of a three-year study due for completion in 1993 which the department of child health at Bristol maternity hospital is undertaking into factors which may be contributing to sudden infant deaths. I understand that the team, which includes a paediatric pathologist, will be collecting information on the social and medical history of infants who die and recording data on the thermal environment and levels of electro-magnetic radiation present in their homes. Comparisons will be made with a control group of healthy infants. We await the outcome of this research with keen interest.
  412
  the 1988–89 allocations; what is the difference between the allocation estimated as above and the actual allocation; and if he will express the actual allocation as a percentage of the estimated allocation.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 4 April 1990]: The table shows the information which is available, and 1988–89 was the final year of allocations under the resource allocation working party (RAWP) formula. Allocations in 1989–90 were based on a uniform increase for all regions, while 1990–91 allocations represent the beginning of the introduction of the new weighted capitation formula proposed in "Working for Patients".

  It is not possible to estimate what regions would have received in 1990–91 if the old RAWP formula had been applied. Allocations in 1988–89 were based on ministerial judgment about the right pace of movement towards funding targets set by the old allocation formula. The question of how Ministers would have exercised their judgment in 1990–91 if the old system had continued is an entirely hypothetical one.

  Furthermore, the application of the RAWP formula would require information which is no longer collected.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the case of the Birmingham pub bombings was raised by either side at the recent meeting of the Anglo-Irish conference.

  Mr. Cope
  No.

  Kincora Boys' Home
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what contacts his Department has had with the BBC over its preparation for the "Private View" programmes about the Kincora boys' home.

  Mr. Cope
  None. I am not aware of any programmes called "Private View". An approach was made to my
  413
  Department's press office by the BBC's "Public Eye" programme but no assistance was offered to the programme.

  Terrorism (Use of Stolen Vehicles)
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been charged in(a) the Irish Republic and (b) Northern Ireland with the theft in the Irish Republic of vehicles which were subsequently used in terrorist incidents in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: The information is not collated centrally, but I understand that since 1 January 1989, no such charges have been brought.

  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles stolen in the Irish Republic have been used in bombings, shootings or other terrorist incidents in Northern Ireland since the beginning of 1989; and if he will give details.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Comprehensive and reliable information is not available.

ENERGY

  Nuclear Power
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what contribution the United Kingdom has made to the International Atomic Energy Agency's assessment of safety significant events team programme; and what benefits he expects to accrue to safety of nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom from ASSET.

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Kingdom endorses the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) "Assessment of Safety-Significant Events Team" (ASSET) service, and recognises the contribution which it makes to the improvement of operational safety worldwide by assisting nuclear operators to achieve the safe operation of installations. However, given the expertise of the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate, we see no current need to request the services of ASSET in order to ensure a safe operating regime at the United Kingdom's civil nuclear installations.

  United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the recent meeting he had with the trade unions at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and I met Atomic Energy Authority staff trade unions representatives on 22 January 1990. We discussed a range of issues, including the formation of Nuclear Electric, the maintenance of the nuclear option and the greenhouse effect.

  Electricity Companies (Audits)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps to ensure that independent audits in respect of(a) the finances and (b) the environmental commitment of electricity companies are made freely available to the public.
  414
  Mr. Baldry
  All limited liability companies are obliged to have an independent audit of their accounts under the Companies Act 1985. The annual accounts of the companies must be submitted to Companies House where they are available for inspection. Schedule 9 to the Electricity Act 1989 requires licence holders to prepare and publish an environmental statement, after consultation with the Countryside Commission, Nature Conservancy Council and other statutory bodies. These documents, when finalised, should complement the guiding principles set out in the statement of environmental care prepared and publicised by the generators last year.

  Pollution Abatement Technology
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has to create a fund for National Power and PowerGen to fund the installation and maintenance of pollution abatement technology.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have no such plans.

  Oil and Gas Resources
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he will publish his next report on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, the Brown Book.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I have today published the latest edition of the Brown Book, and have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House and the Vote Office. The report gives a detailed account of the development of oil and gas resources during 1990.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The only building of which the Department of Energy is the sole occupant is its London headquarters, into which it moved in September 1989. That building already has an up-to-date building energy management system and other energy-saving measures judged likely to be cost-effective after the necessary period for the building, plant and equipment to settle down. In its premises in Aberdeen, Glasgow, London and Lytham the Department is a minor occupant; and it is for the major occupants to set targets for reductions in energy consumption within the Government's overall policy. At Leicester, where energy consumption is determined by the meter testing operations carried out by the Department's gas and oil measurement branch, I have set a target for reductions of 15 per cent. over the next five years.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Wakeham
  In 1989–90 my Department spent a total of £186,585 on fuel, of which £167,655 was spent on electricity and £18,930 on gas. The Department moved to new headquarters premises during the year and complete consumption figures are not available. The figures do not include fuel consumption at the Department's former headquarters building, where fuel was included within the overall accommodation charge paid to the Property Services Agency.

  Fuel Exports and Imports
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what was the total value at constant prices of oil, natural gas and coal exported and imported, respectively, in March on the same basis as his answer of 9 November 1989,Official Report, columns 767–68;

  (2) what was the total tonnage of oil, natural gas and coal exported and imported, respectively, in March on the same basis as his answer of 9 November 1989, Official Report, c>olumns 767–68.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The equivalent information for exports and imports of oil, gas and coal for March 1990 as set out in my earlier answer of 9 November 1989,Official Report, columns 767–68 is not yet available.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total of electricity imported and exported through the channel link with France in each month of 1989 and each of the first three months of 1990; and what was the value of such imports and exports in each month in question.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The most up-to-date information on electricity imports is as follows:

  Volume

  Value

  (gigawatt hours)

  (£ million)

  1989

  January

  1,259·5

  26·7

  February

  1,004·9

  21·2

  March

  1,007·5

  21·3

  April

  1,129·9

  24·0

  May

  1,339·4

  29·9

  June

  1,210·3

  27·0

  July

  1,419·7

  33·2

  August

  1,150·1

  24·9

  September

  1,227·8

  27·0

  October

  1,426·6

  28·5

  November

  962·9

  21·6

  December

  834·8

  19·7

  1990

  January

  1,092·5

  25·8

  February

  0

  0

  Source: Customs and Excise, Overseas Trade Statistics.

  There were no exports of electricity in any of the above months except January 1990. In January 1990 electricity exports amounted to 1,069 gigawatt hours, worth £25·2 million.

  Figures for March 1990 are not yet available.

  Industrial Development Grants
  Mr. Cohn Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report the grants made by his Department under section 13 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 showing the value of the grant as a percentage of the whole project cost.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No such grants have been made.

  Energy Efficiency Office
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the advertising component of the budget of the Energy Efficiency Office for each year since its inception.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Advertising is part of a much wider marketing strategy for the Energy Efficiency Office.416
  However, the advertising component of the Energy Efficiency Office's budget since its inception in 1983 is as follows:

  £000

  1983–84

  1,630

  1984–85

  4,227

  1985–86

  4,191

  1986–87

  6,062

  1987–88

  942

  1988–89

  1,842

  1989–90

  806

  Coal Industry (Privatisation)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his privatisation plans for the coal industry.

  Mr. Baldry
  It remains the Government's intention to introduce legislation during the next Parliament to return British Coal's coal mining activities to the private sector. The timing and form in which they will be privatised have yet to be decided.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Reduced Earnings Allowance
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will make a statement on reduced earnings allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  Our policy on reduced earnings allowance, which was thoroughly discussed during the passage of this year's Social Security Bill, is set out in Cm. 917 "The Way Ahead", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Vaccine Damage
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether any departmental advice has been given to the independent doctors who sit on vaccine damage tribunals regarding the implications of the Loveday judgment on their consideration of whether or not, on the balance of probabilities, a child has been damaged by whooping cough vaccine;

  (2) how many doctors sit on the vaccine damage tribunals, and what are their specialties and experience.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  These matters are the responsibility of the president of social security and medical appeal tribunals and vaccine damage tribunals and arrangements have been made for him to respond to the right hon. Member.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for a vaccine damage payment because of alleged damage from the whooping cough vaccine, given either separately or in combination with other vaccines, were received in 1989 and in each of the preceding four years; and in each case what proportion were successful.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The available information is given in the table.
  417

  Number of claims and awards under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act on the grounds that whooping cough vaccine (administered either singly or in combination with other vaccines) caused severe disablement 1985 to 1989

  Number of claims

  Number of awards1

  1989

  20

  nil

  1988

  23

  3

  1987

  37

  9

  1986

  42

  15

  1985

  52

  23

  1 The awards in each year do not necessarily relate to the claims made within the same year.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence from other countries is considered by doctors adjudicating on applications for vaccine damage payments because of alleged damage from the whooping cough vaccine; and whether they are encouraged to consider evidence from those countries which also have vaccine damage payments schemes.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  In considering whether severe disablement was caused by a particular vaccine the doctor will have regard to the body of research and medical opinion emerging worldwide. In particular, as part of the evidence, account has to be taken of Lord Justice Stuart-Smith's decision in the case of Loveday ν. Renton. After taking evidence from a wide range of medical opinion both from this country and abroad, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith concluded that he was not satisfied on the balance of probability that pertussis vaccine can cause permanent brain damage in young children.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether any vaccine damage payments have been made to children allegedly damaged by the whooping cough vaccine since the announcement of the Loveday judgment.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Since April 1988, when judgment was given in Loveday ν. Renton, there have been no vaccine damage payments in respect of claims made on the grounds that whooping cough vaccine caused severe disablement.

  Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what response has been made to the letter from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommending further research into bronchitis and emphysema following the council's 1988 report (Cm. 379).

  Mr. Scott
  Various avenues are being pursued, including consultations with the Medical Research Council, and I understand that the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is discussing ways of establishing a formal study with the steel industry, the European coal and steel fund and the Health and Safety Executive.

  21-hour Rule
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether his Department has any plans to issue new guidelines to social security officials on how to apply the 21-hour rule for unemployed adults wishing to study; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department is shortly to issue to officials clarification of its existing procedures. The 418
  instruction will be designed to ensure that the Department's policy is operated as efficiently as possible and no new guidelines on its policy concerning the application of the 21-hour rule or changes of that policy are involved.

  Family Credit
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will supply figures for the number of people claiming family credit for each district authority in the counties of(a) Cleveland, (b) Cumbria, (c) Durham, (d) Northumberland and (e) Tyne and Wear; and if he will indicate in each case what percentage this represents of the total eligible to claim family benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information is available only in relation to the Department's own local office areas. The latest available information about the number of families receiving family credit who at the time their awards were made were living in the areas covered by the local offices in the counties concerned is as follows.

  Number

  Ashington

  661

  Barrow in Furness

  482

  Berwick upon Tweed

  277

  Bishop Auckland

  929

  Blyth

  713

  Carlisle

  701

  Chester-le-Street

  360

  Darlington

  855

  Durham

  691

  Eston

  208

  Gateshead

  1,172

  Hartlepool

  815

  Hexham

  343

  Houghton-le-Spring

  294

  Jarrow

  307

  Kendal

  296

  Middlesbrough

  1,264

  Newcastle upon Tyne (West)

  443

  Newcastle (St. James)

  796

  Newcastle upon Tyne (East)

  899

  North Shields

  683

  Penrith

  246

  Peterlee

  264

  Redcar

  396

  Seaham

  196

  South Shields

  555

  Stanley

  649

  Stockton

  1,075

  Sunderland (North)

  1,442

  Sunderland (South)

  695

  Wallsend

  428

  Whitehaven

  299

  Workington

  422

  Information about the total numbers of families eligible for family credit can be obtained only for Great Britain as a whole, and only retrospectively, from family expenditure survey data.

  Vibration White Finger
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead of 23 April,Official Report, column 87, how many of the new and review applications relating to vibration white finger were completed in each calendar month since January of this year.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Action Credit Schemes
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what national insurance contribution is payable by participants in action credit schemes who are in receipt of a £5 per week disregard in order to maintain a full national insurance contribution record; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Earnings from action credit schemes are normally accrued by the employer in a special account and are released to the employee at the end of the training period. A single earnings-related class 1 national insurance contribution is due on the final payment and is subject to the weekly upper earnings limit. Participants can also pay voluntary class 3 contributions during the course of the scheme.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department's target for energy savings is to reduce the level of consumption by 15 per cent. over the next five years, after correction for weather and space occupied, in line with the Government's overall target for energy consumption.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department for the latest year available.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The latest available figures are for the financial year 1988–89. The division of administration of the Department of Health and Social Security was not completed at that time and the figures therefore reflect the consumption of both Departments.

  Energy consumption

  Gas

  7·8m therms

  Electricity

  130m kWhrs

  Solid fuel

  4,250 tonnes

  Liquid fuel

  4·6m litres

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps have been taken to enable people on action credit schemes to maintain full entitlement to national insurance contributions if(a) the participant receives the commission bonus, but remains unemployed, and (b) the participant receives the commission bonus and enters full-time employment.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  A person who completes a course of training under an action credit scheme but who subsequently remains unemployed can then claim class 1 national insurance contributions credits. If he or she enters full-time employment class I national insurance contributions will be payable in the normal way.

WALES

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last discussed with the chairman of British Rail investment in facilities for the marshalling of freight for transmission through the channel tunnel.
  420
  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have had discussions with British Rail at both national and regional level during 1989. Further discussions at national level will be taking place next week.

  Local Government
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of(a) county councils and (b) district councils in Wales; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I met representatives of the Welsh Counties Committee and the Council of Welsh Districts on 30 January to discuss local authority budgets for 1990–91. I also met Gwent district councils association on 13 March 1990, when it discussed a variety of issues. On 25 April I had the pleasure of opening the new headquarters for the Council of Welsh Districts in Cardiff.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the proposed total expenditure for training in Wales in 1990–91; how much of this will be spent on training and enterprise councils; and what assessment he has made of the progress made in developing these councils.

  Mr. Roberts
  The Training Agency's total budget for Wales is £144,324,000. How much of this will be allocated to TECs will depend upon their individual start dates. The network of TECs in Wales is now complete with seven councils in the development phase. I am extremely pleased that we have reached this position much earlier than originally envisaged and look forward to all the TECs in Wales being operational by about the turn of the year.

  Legislative Devolution
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for legislative devolution in the Principality.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None.

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the Welsh language in the national curriculum.

  Mr. Roberts
  My right hon. Friend has received a great number of representations about Welsh in the national curriculum, including about 160 responses to his statutory consultation exercises.

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

  Mr. Peter Walker
  On 9 March 1990 the number of unemployment claimants in the Newport district, Gwent and Wales was 4,636, 13,722 and 86,638 respectively. Unadjusted figures for 1979 are not available on a basis
  421
  that enables a valid comparison to be made. Since the last general election unemployment in Newport district, Gwent and Wales has fallen by 49·2 per cent., 47·4 per cent. and 45·1 per cent. respectively.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of local government expenditure will be raised from the community charge payer, the uniform business rate payer and Government grant; and what were the Government's original estimates if councils had kept to Government spending guidelines.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  On the basis of local authority budgets for 1990–91, 58 per cent. of expenditure will be met from Government grant, 20 per cent. from the national non-domestic rate and 22 per cent. by charge payers. After allowing for rebates and transitional relief the amount met locally should reduce to below 19 per cent.

  If local government had spent in line with my settlement 61 per cent. of its expenditure would have been met by central Government grant and 21 per cent. by non-domestic rates, leaving 18 per cent. to be met by community charge payers. After taking account of transitional relief and community charge rebates the share met by charge payers would have fallen to below 15 per cent.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to increase the standard spending assessment for Clwyd.
  422
  Mr. Peter Walker
  Standard spending assessments (SSAs) for 1990–91 were discussed with, and agreed by, the Welsh local government associations. The formulae for 1991–92 are under discussion and all representations will be considered before final decisions are taken on grant distribution for that year.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his experience with implementation of the community charge in the current year; and whether he will recommend any major changes in its application next year.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have been impressed with the professionalism demonstrated by Welsh local authorities in implementing the community charge, and I have written to the chairmen of the associations to that effect. As with any new policy, the Government will monitor the working of the policy in practice.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the number of local authorities in Wales which are charging standard community charge on empty properties at(a) single rate, (b) double rate (c) other ratios.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have made no such assessment. I shall shortly be collecting information from all charging authorities about the use they have made of their powers to specify property classes and set multipliers at less than the maximum.
  423
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has held with the local authorities in Wales on the level of standard community charge to be levied on empty properties.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I consulted the Welsh local authority associations on draft regulations prescribing standard charge classes and maximum multipliers for those classes. Within the framework established by legislation and regulations, decisions on standard charge multipliers for any class of property are for individual charging authorities.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to visit any of the poll tax administration and collection offices in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have no present plans to do so.

  Sea Defences
  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will order an immediate and comprehensive review of the Principality's sea defences.

  Mr. Grist
  A survey of the sea defences round the coastline of Wales and England was announced by the chairman of the National Rivers Authority, Lord Crickhowell, on 22 March.

  Baden-Wurttemberg
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives from the government in Baden-Wurttemberg; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I had the very great pleasure of accompanying the Minister—President of Baden-Wurttemberg, Herr Dr. Lothar Spath, and other members of his delegation, including senior business men, during their visit to Wales on 26–27 March. Together, Herr Dr. Spath and I signed a co-operation agreement between Wales and Baden-Wurttemberg which will pave the way for joint activity in a range of industrial, academic, technological and commercial fields.

  Transport
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has had any recent discussion with Welsh local authorities on the future of transport.

  Mr. Roberts
  My right hon. Friend has had a number of meetings with local authorities' representatives, including the Gwent District Councils Association on 13 March 1990. A variety of issues, including transport, was discussed.

  Flooding, Towyn
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what communication he has had with the European Community regarding aid for flood victims in Towyn.

  Mr. Grist
  The Department has been involved in arranging payment of £111,500 as EC aid to the three appeals set up by the mayors of Colwyn, Rhuddlan and Delyn.

  Local Income Tax
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what would be the estimated charge on the basis of current expenditure(a) per household and (b) per capita for each Welsh district if a system of local income tax were introduced.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 22 February 1989, c.624. I have made no subsequent estimates of the effect of introducing a local income tax in Wales.

  Waste Recycling
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his Department's policy regarding the separation and recycling of waste by district, borough and city councils in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 27 April, c.366–67.

  Road Deaths
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing the number of road fatalities in Wales since 1 October 1989 and for each year from 1980 to 1990.

  Mr. Roberts
  Data for 1990 are not yet available, but the provisional figure for the period October to December 1989, the latest available, is 55. Information requested is as follows for the remaining years.

  Fatal road casualties

  1980

  268

  1981

  275

  1982

  300

  1983

  245

  1984

  250

  1985

  245

  1986

  235

  1987

  220

  1988

  226

  11989

  232

  1 Provisional.

  Psychiatric Nurses
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those health authorities which provide a full-time psychiatric nursing service seven days a week; and if he will provide details of emergency cover arrangements made by those authorities which do not have a full-time service.

  Mr. Grist
  Deployment of psychiatric nurses is a matter for individual health authorities. The information requested is not available centrally.

  Mental Hospital Sites
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that money raised from the sale of mental hospital sites is used in full for the development of services for the mentally ill.

  Mr. Grist
  The Welsh Office proposes to issue later this year revised and consolidated guidance to district health
  425
  authorities on the management of the National Health Service estate, including the disposal of National Health Service land and buildings. In respect of the use of receipts from sales at mental illness hospital sites this guidance will concentrate on the need, already clearly stated in the Welsh Office mental illness strategy, for health authorities to satisfy themselves in advance of significant reductions in the provision of hospital psychiatric services that there is a pattern of alternative services available which will meet adequately the individual needs of persons suffering from a mental illness who are or would otherwise have been in hospital. The Welsh Office will wish to be assured through the county mental illness plans drawn up by the district health authorities, social services authorities and other interested groups, through the executive committee's annual review process of district health authorities' performance and through the revised arrangements for local consultation on changes in health services that this is happening and in particular that there is in place a financial strategy for the development of a comprehensive new pattern of mental illness services which takes fully into account the contribution that existing service resources, including land and buildings, can make. While, therefore, there is unlikely to be a blanket requirement that all receipts from sales at mental illness hospital sites should be re-invested in the new pattern of services, the Department will wish there to be a clear linkage between the development of local services and the optimal use of the resources which become available.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list all submissions under the mental illness strategy which have been made by participating bodies, stating which have been accepted for Welsh Office funding; and if he will give the amount in each case;

  (2) what extra resources have been provided to health authorities, local authorities and the voluntary sector to date in carrying out his mental illness strategy; what posts and projects are currently being funded; and what extra resources will be provided in future;

  (3) what arrangements have been made to ensure that funds provided for projects financed under his mental illness strategy are spent in full on these projects.

  Mr. Grist
  The local planning and implementation of the mental illness strategy is co-ordinated by the eight county joint planning teams, which comprise representatives of district health authorities, social services authorities, and other interested groups. All eight county teams have submitted plans which have been considered as a basis for Welsh Office funding for the current year. Chapter 16 of the Government's expenditure plans 1990–91 to 1992–93 (Cm. 1016) indicated that the sum of £2·2 million would be made available in 1990–91 to support developments under the mental illness strategy. Provisional offers totalling some £1·6 million are being made to county teams; the distribution of these extra resources by county and between partners in the teams is not yet finalised, and depends upon the acceptance of the offers by the county teams, and in some cases the clarification of particular aspects of specific proposals. A further offer of some £100,000 is being made in respect of bids from other organisations intended to support the development of services under the strategy on an all-Wales rather than a county basis.
  426
  The overall total of £2·2 million available under the strategy represents resources additional to those directly available to partner agencies in the county teams for the provision of mental illness services. Recipient bodies will be responsible for ensuring the full and proper application of funding to the agreed purposes; the Welsh Office will be monitoring activity and reviewing progress made by county teams during the course of the year, and will be holding annual review meetings with each team.

  It is not possible to forecast what resources will be made available in future years, not least because that will depend in part upon the progress made in developing new patterns of service, and the levels of funding which the county team partners are prepared to commit from their own resources.

  Office Chairs
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what criteria apply to decisions on the replacement of office chairs in his Department.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Office chairs are replaced when they are broken, worn out or no longer meet modern standards or requirements.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the standard useful life of office chairs used by civil servants.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  A number of factors will determine the life of an office chair, including the frequency of use, changing user requirements, the introduction of information technology, and improvement in product design and manufacture.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average age of the office chairs in his Department replaced with new chairs in the final quarter of the financial year 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  At least 10 years.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department's aim is to reduce its energy consumption over the next five years to a level which will give a saving of 15 per cent. of the current energy bill.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Energy consumption in buildings occupied by my Department in 1988–89 was as follows:

  Energy consumption

  Electricity

  18,048,000 kWh

  Gas

  840,000 therms

  Liquid fuel

  7,000 litres

  Solid fuel

  86 tonnes

  Museum of Modern Art
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will reconsider his refusal to support the proposal to establish at Machynlleth the Welsh museum of modern art; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roberts
  The Department does not provide direct financial assistance for museums other than the National Museum of Wales. The attention of the organisers of the proposed museum at Machynlleth has been drawn to the possibility of alternative sources of support, but it is entirely for the bodies concerned to decide on priorities.

  Coastal Sediment, Anglesey
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will appoint an inquiry into the cause of a 6-mile wide band of sediment off the Anglesey coast; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Water samples are being tested to determine the nature of this occurrence.

  Management Information System
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he now has available to him a fully operational management information system.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  A new computerised finance system became operational on 1 April 1990 as planned.

  Rural Housing
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet representatives of local authorities to discuss the housing shortage in rural Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The Department regularly meets all housing authorities in Wales to discuss a wide range of relevant issues.

DEFENCE

  Radar Emissions
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to any ill effects on animal livestock of radar emissions; and what estimates he has as to the range over which such emissions might pose a health hazard.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I am not aware of any studies into the effects of radar transmissions on animal livestock.

  Defence Export Services
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the respective roles of the Defence Export Services Organisation and International Military Services.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The primary role of the MOD Defence Export Services Organisation is, in conformity with Government export control policies, to assist the British defence industry in selling its products in overseas markets. It is also responsible for the disposal by sale, at 428
  home and overseas, of surplus service equipments and stores. International Military Services Ltd. is a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act whose shares are vested in the Secretary of State for Defence. It offers, on a commercial basis, a range of marketing and project management services in the defence field available to both Government and industry.

  Stornoway Airport
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what account has been taken of noise from ground engine running in the survey of aircraft noise at Stornoway airport; and what plans he has to make measurements of that source of noise during the forthcoming military exercise at Stornoway;

  (2) what account has been taken of noise from aircraft performing run—in and break manoeuvres in the survey of aircraft noise at Stornoway airport; and what plans he has to make measurements of this source of noise during the forthcoming military exercise at Stornoway.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to the information contained in the letter of 23 April to the hon. Member from my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many simulated attacks were made on Stornoway airport during 1988 and 1989; and how many of these occurred during periods of military activation of the airfield.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 March 1989 (column 675). There were no recorded simulated attacks on Stornoway airport during the periods of military activation in 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the replies to the hon. Members for Western Isles on 20 February,Official Report, columns 664–65, what was the number of practice approach and overshoot movements at Stornoway airport during 1989 which occurred during periods of military activation of the airfield.

  Mr. Neubert
  There were 60 recorded practice approaches and overshoots by military aircraft at Stornoway airport during periods of military activation of the airfield in 1989.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what are the minimum permitted height and maximum permitted speed for aircraft carrying out simulated attacks on Stornoway airport; and what are the regulations concerning the direction of ingress to and egress from the airfield during these attacks.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 March 1989 (column 675).

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence has a target of 25 per cent. for the reduction in consumption of
  429
  non-operational energy on the Defence estate for the period 1985–86 to 1990–91. The Ministry will also participate in the target reduction on non-operational energy of 15 per cent. over five years set for all Government Departments with effect from 1 April 1990.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available and equivalent figures for each of the armed services.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Details of operational and non-operational energy consumption by the armed services and the procurement executive for 1988–89 are contained in table 3.6 in volume 2 of the 1990 Statement on the Defence Estimates (Cm. 1022–11). The only figures available for the civil estate are those for electricity and gas for the calendar year 1989.

  There are:

  Energy Consumption

  Electricity

  Gas

  71,803,344 kWhs

  1,653,321 therms

  RAF Trials
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the purpose of the trials activity to be conducted by the Royal Air Force central tactics and trials organisation to the west of the Isle of Lewis between 30 April and 4 May; how many and what types of aircraft are involved; what airfield the aircraft will be operating from; and what precautions will be taken to avoid dropping missile or other debris on vessels operating in the extended danger area.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The purpose of this trial is to assess the capability of United Kingdom air defence assets in the detection of incoming cruise missiles, which will be simulated by television-guided Martel missiles. Buccaneer, Tornado F3, Nimrod, NATO E3A and Shackleton aircraft will take part in the trial, operating from RAF Lossiemouth, Coningsby, Leeming and Kinloss, and from the German air force base at Geilenkirchen. A maximum of 12 aircraft will participate in the trial area at any one time and approximately 60 sorties will be flown over the trial period.

  A notice to mariners has been issued advising of the extension to the range danger area, and all proper precautions will be taken to ensure that no vessel is within range of any missile when firing takes place.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of his Department's investigation of a complaint about low flying over Coll, Lewis, on 6 April 1989.

  Mr. Neubert
  I have nothing further to add to my letter of 19 June 1989 to the hon. Member, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recently reported breach of low-flying regulations over St. Kilda by two Tornado aircraft from RAF Leeming.
  430
  Mr. Neubert
  In September 1989, the National Trust for Scotland complained about unauthorised low-flying military aircraft on 24 and 26 June 1989 over a bird sanctuary on the St. Kilda group of islands. Following an investigation by the Royal Air Force police, appropriate disciplinary action has been taken against the aircrews concerned.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about low—flying aircraft were received by his Department in 1988 and in 1989 from addresses in the Western Isles; and how many were found to relate to aircraft operating from Stornoway airport.

  Mr. Neubert
  The Ministry of Defence received the following numbers of complaints or inquiries about military low flying from addresses in the Western Isles:

  Number

  1988

  4

  1989

  21

  Complaint records do not generally identify the operating base of the aircraft concerned, but one complaint in 1988 and two complaints in 1989 have been positively identified as relating to military aircraft operating from Stornoway airport.

  Near Miss (Stornoway)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Nimrod aircraft which was involved in a near miss with a British Airways aircraft near Stornoway on 13 March was participating in exercise Northaxe.

  Mr. Neubert
  No.

  RAF Crash, Berwickshire
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now publish the report on the fatal RAF crash 12 months ago at Fast Castle, Berwickshire.

  Mr. Neubert
  Yes.

  Petrol
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of vehicles used by his Department currently run on(a) leaded petrol and (b) diesel.

  Mr. Neubert
  Information is not available in the form requested. However, within the main vehicle fleets, 56 per cent. of vehicles use diesel fuel and 36 per cent. use leaded petrol. The remaining 8 per cent. are capable of using unleaded petrol.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Business Appointments
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many business appointments of former civil servants have been approved by the advisory committee in the last year.

  Mr. Luce
  Twenty—seven in 1989.

  Skill Centres
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what rules govern the arrangement of civil service buy-outs such as the recent purchase of skill centres.

  Mr. Luce
  The overall objective is to get the best value for the taxpayer consistent with the avoidance of possible conflicts of interest.

  Civil Service Agencies
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what proportion of the original agency candidates have now been successfully set up as agencies within the civil service.

  Mr. Luce
  Nine of the original 12 candidates for agency status are among the 30 executive agencies which have now been launched. Work continues on the remaining three candidates.

  Civil Service (Duties and Functions)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will review the duties and functions of the civil service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  Ministers continually review the functions and priorities of their Departments in order to improve efficiency and service to the public.

  Trade Unions
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what recent discussions he has had with civil service trade union representatives; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes).

  Civil Service Medical Centre
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service whether he has any plans to improve the present method of manually recording treatment of persons by the civil service medical centre; and whether individuals treated by the centre can be supplied with records of past treatment.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 26 April 1990]: The only form of treatment provided by the civil service occupational health service (CSOHS) at its clinic in central London is the provision of immunisations and other prophylactic procedures for individuals exposed to specific risks. Each individual is supplied with a personal record of the procedure undertaken but, at present, it is not possible to supply records of past procedures.

  A feasibility study is currently being undertaken into the information-recording needs of the service in preparation for introducing a new computer system in 1991–92. This study will address the issue of improving all recording systems in the CSOHS.

  The CSOHS became a "next steps" agency at the beginning of April and Dr. George Sorrie, the medical adviser and director, will be pleased to provide information about day-to-day operations of the CSOHS if the honourable Member for Cynon Valley would like to write to him directly.

TRANSPORT

  Irradiated Fuel
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will ensure that the proposed transportation of irradiated fuel from the Torness nuclear power station will satisfy the current International Atomic Energy Authority series 6 regulations on the emissions of radioactivity from exposed surfaces of the flasks used to carry the irradiated fuel;

  (2) if he will name the type of flask to be used for the transport of irradiated fuel from the Torness nuclear power station; and in which way these flasks differ from other varieties of nuclear flasks;

  (3) if he will ensure that the current means of transportation of irradiated fuel from Hunterston B nuclear power station and the proposed transport of irradiated fuel from Torness nuclear power station will comply with his Department's requirements.

  Mr. Portillo
  Irradiated fuel flasks are designed and tested in accordance with the International Atomic Energy Agency's safety series No. 6 and certified for compliance by my Department. Regular compliance audits are carried out at points of departure, transhipment and receipt.

  The proposed mark A2 flask, to be used at Torness nuclear power station, is an evolutionary development of the existing mark I AGR fuel flask.

  Air Traffic Control
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the provisions for protection of aircraft flying on advisory routes from other air traffic; and what regulations exist to restrict other aircraft from crossing advisory routes without air traffic control clearance.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority. The CAA discharges its responsibilities in respect of air traffic control through the national air traffic services (NATS), a joint CAA/Ministry of Defence organisation.

  I have been informed that air traffic service advisory services have been established offering, in addition to flight information services, a continuous separation service to all participating aircraft. Participation is not compulsory and it has to be emphasised that the advice offered to participating aircraft relates only to known traffic. Pilots of aircraft wishing to cross an air traffic service advisory route should contact the appropriate air traffic services unit before doing so in accordance with the rules of the air. The United Kingdom aeronautical information publication contains details of the advisory airspace within the United Kingdom.

  Road Deaths
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing the number of road fatalities in England since 1 October 1989 and for each year from 1980 to 1990.

  Mr. Atkins
  Following is the table requested for road accident fatalities from 1980 to 1989. No information is yet available for 1990.
  433

  Number of road accident fatalities in England: 1980–1990

  Year

  Killed

  1980

  4,984

  1981

  4,896

  1982

  4,943

  1983

  4,576

  1984

  4,754

  1985

  4,322

  1986

  4,546

  1987

  4,349

  1988

  4,283

  11989

  4,492

  1 21989

  1,254

  1Provisional.

  24th quarter.

  M1 (Junction 15A)
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the contract for junction 15A on the M1 to be let; and when he anticipates it being completed.

  Mr. Atkins
  The construction of the new junction 15A on the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire is part of the contract for the A43 Blisworth and Milton Malsor bypass.

  A £15 million contract for construction of the bypass has been awarded to Calliford Engineering and work started on site on 18 April. Construction is expected to take about two years.

  EC Aviation
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his policy on the recent proposal by the European Community Commission to take responsibility on behalf of European Community member states for aviation negotiations with non-European Community countries; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is his policy towards the application of the liberalisation principles currently being applied to bilateral aviation relations within the European Community to international aviation agreements between the United Kingdom and non-European Community countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We continue to seek liberal aviation arrangements both bilaterally and within the European Community. At its March meeting, the Council of Transport Ministers agreed in principle that negotiations should get under way with the countries of the European Free Trade Association on a package of civil aviation measures and asked the Commission to produce more specific proposals for this. We are considering the Commission's proposal about responsibility for aviation negotiations with non-EC countries.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department of Transport aims to achieve real cost reductions in energy consumption of 5 per cent. per annum over the next five years.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.
  434
  Mr. Atkins
  Consumption of energy by the Department of Transport in 1989–90 is calculated to have been:

  Energy consumption

  Electricity

  32 million kWh

  Gas

  1·6 million therms

  Liquid fuel

  240,000 litres

  Solid fuel

  185 tonnes

  Airline Safety
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that all the passengers in an airliner can be successfully evacuated in 90 seconds if the cabin is full of smoke and some of the exits inoperable; and how recently a practical demonstration of evacuation on each of the civil airliners currently on the British register has taken place;

  (2) how many of the recommendations relating to airliner safety arising from the fire on a 737 aircraft at Manchester in 1985 have now been made mandatory on British airliners; and if he will list them.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The statutory responsibility for the safety regulations of civil aviation within the United Kingdom rests with the Civil Aviation Authority. As my hon. Friend's questions require detailed answers, I have drawn them to the attention of the chairman of the authority and asked him to write to my hon. Friend direct.

  Long-haul Flights
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on when the Civil Aviation Authority expects to produce the fourth version of CAP 371 for fixed-wing long-haul and ultra long-haul two-crew operations.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am advised by the Civil Aviation Authority, which has the statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation, that it is currently examining the results of tests and research conducted by several nations into the effects of long-haul two-crew operations. When these tests have been fully analysed, the Civil Aviation Authority will make any necessary changes to the provisions contained in CAP 371 covering such flights.

  Jump Seats
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he last met his European partners to discuss the use of jump seats on tourist buses; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether he will introduce legislation to ban jump seats on tourist buses.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 26 April 1990]: British requirements for folding crew seats are similar to those in other European countries. This Department is involved closely in the current European Commission work on a draft directive to cover all safety aspects relating to bus and coach construction, including these seats. It would he premature for Ministers to discuss appropriate EC requirements before the technical work is complete.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied or owned by the Duchy of Lancaster;

  (2) if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied or owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The principal building which is both owned and occupied by the Duchy, and which houses their administrative staff, is at Lancaster place. Heating for this building, which comprises the main form of energy used, is supplied on a fixed cost basis from a circuit linked to an adjoining building. The amount of energy and type of fuel consumed is not within the Duchy's control.

  Other buildings owned by the Duchy are leased to occupiers who are responsible for meeting their own costs of energy consumption. It would not be appropriate for the Duchy to set energy consumption targets, or to seek a breakdown of fuel consumed.

THE ARTS

  P G Wodehouse Memorial Library
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Minister for the Arts when he next plans to visit the P G Wodehouse memorial library at Dulwich college to discuss support for cultural commemorations.

  Mr. Luce
  I shall be visiting the P G Wodehouse memorial library tomorrow. P G Wodehouse made a unique contribution to the literature of this country.

  Arts, South-West
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received about arts in the south-west.

  Mr. Luce
  I visited Plymouth on 9 February and met many representatives of the arts in the south-west. I was able to see at first hand the thriving arts scene they have created.

  Library Association
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last met the chairman of the Library Association; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Luce
  I last met the president of the Library Association on 18 April and discussed matters of concern to the Library Association and other issues of mutual interest.

  National Companies
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the current financial circumstances of the national companies.

  Mr. Luce
  I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 5 March, column 480.

  Arts Companies (Trading Deficits)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the number of Arts Council clients who are currently in deficit.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received about the number of arts companies currently trading in deficit.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received about arts companies which are in current deficit.

  Mr. Luce
  I understand that arts organisations funded directly by the Arts Council were expected to have accumulated deficits of some £12·7 million, or 6 per cent. of total turnover, by the end of March. This figure conceals a wide variation in the performance of individual organisations.

  European Community
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how he intends to spread British culture into the European Community.

  Mr. Luce
  Lead responsibility for the promotion of British culture overseas rests with the British Council which launched last autumn its "Britain in Europe" initiative to encourage commercial sponsorship of visits to Europe by leading British arts organisations. The Arts Council is also actively exploring the new opportunities for artistic interchange which 1992 will bring.

  I am confident that the excellence of many British performers and companies will continue to be recognised in Europe and recently had the pleasure of showing to my EC colleagues some of the range and distinction of Glasgow's cultural provision during its inauguration celebrations as EC city of culture.

  Liverpool Theatres
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received on the financial circumstances of the Liverpool Playhouse theatre and Everyman theatre.

  Mr. Luce
  I understand that the Arts Council is continuing to work closely with Liverpool city council to ensure a satisfactory solution to the problems facing these two theatres.

  Arts Funding
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what additional resources he will make available to the arts consequent upon his proposed restructuring of their funding in England.

  Mr. Luce
  I expect changes in the structure of arts funding that I have announced to be achieved within the Arts Council's existing financial allocation. There will, of course, be an appropriate transfer of resources from the Arts Council to the regional arts board as clients are devolved.

  Museums and Galleries
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what provision he is making for the refurbishment and repair of museums and galleries.
  437
  Mr. Luce
  I have earmarked £180 million over the next three years for the building and maintenance programmes at the national museums and galleries which I sponsor.

  Welsh Arts Council
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has any proposals for the restructuring of the Welsh Arts Council.

  Mr. Luce
  No, but I shall be considering with my Welsh and Scottish colleagues whether the Welsh and Scottish Arts Councils need to be brought within the new planning and monitoring arrangements that I have proposed for the English regions.

  Arts, East Midlands
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a further statement on funding for the arts in the east Midlands.

  Mr. Luce
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 12 February 1990, columns 15–16.

  Works of Art (Public Viewing)
  Mr. Bowls
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what contribution the private sector can make to preserve important works of art for public viewing.

  Mr. Luce
  The Government firmly believe in the partnership between private and public sectors in the preservation of our nation's heritage. There are many ways in which the private sector, whether corporations or private individuals, may contribute to the preservation of important works of art in this country. Sponsorship and generous private patronage of our museums and galleries has already made a significant contribution to the acquisition, conservation and display of important works of art. Those who are fortunate enough to own such works of art may offset them against capital taxation by either offering them to the nation in lieu of tax or to a national institution by means of a private treaty sale. Similar benefits to both the nation and the individual or corporate giver will accrue from cash gifts to arts charities with the establishment of gift aid as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement. I am confident that the introduction of this concession will further encourage both corporate and private giving to museums and galleries and fine arts charities such as the national art collections fund as well as more generally to a range of other arts bodies.

  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what steps he is taking to encourage public access to important works of art held in private hands.

  Mr. Luce
  I actively encourage public access to privately owned works of art by facilitating the lending of such works for public exhibition through the Government indemnity scheme. This scheme, by removing the substantial cost of insurance, not only makes it possible for institutions around the country to stage exhibitions which often include the cream of private collections but enables the long-term loan of privately owned items to institutions which can then display them in their galleries.

  Arts Council
  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Minister for the Arts when he is next due to meet the chairman of the Arts Council.

  Mr. Luce
  I meet the chairman regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make further funds available to the Arts Council to enable it to assist the local authorities which have now been subject to capping of the community charge to maintain support for libraries, museums and cultural activities.

  Mr. Luce
  It is up to local authorities to decide how much to spend on the arts.

  Public Libraries
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the current level of expenditure on public library services.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the current level of expenditure on public library services.

  Mr. Luce
  Information on the current level of expenditure on public library services is not held centrally. The latest figures available show that expenditure by 100 authorities in England totalled £495·2 million in 1988–89. This indicates a real terms increase of 4·3 per cent. over expenditure by 106 authorities in 1978–79.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he plans to meet the Library Association to discuss the level of funding for public library authorities.

  Mr. Luce
  I met the president of the Library Association on 18 April. Our discussions covered a wide range of library interests. The question of funding for public library authorities was not raised. It is a matter for individual local authorities.

  Business Donations
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether there have been any donations from the private or corporate sector to assist with the refurbishment of public buildings under his control.

  Mr. Luce
  I recently announced the establishment of the museums and galleries improvement fund, a joint initiative between the Wolfson charities and Government. The fund will have an annual budget of £4 million for the next three years for the refurbishment of galleries in United Kingdom public museums and galleries. I greatly welcome this exciting initiative.

  National museums and galleries have attracted substantial support from business and private sources towards the refurbishment of their buildings. The following are recent major donations (over £0·5 million):
  439

  Sponsor

  Amount

  Museum/Gallery

  Purpose

  (£ million)

  MEPC

  1·0

  Sir John Soane's Museum

  Repairs to fabric of the building

  Clore Foundation

  6·0

  Tate Gallery

  New Clore Gallery housing The Turner bequest (opened 1987)

  Sainsbury Brothers

  Substantial sum

  National Gallery

  New Sainsbury Wing (due open Spring 1991)

  Walter Annenberg

  $5·0

  National Gallery

  Refurbishment of Impressionist Rooms

  Nomura Securities Ltd.

  1·5

  Tate Gallery

  Refurbishment work

  Mr. T. T. Tsui

  1·25

  Victoria and Albert

  New Chinese Gallery

  Mr. Wohl

  0·75

  National Gallery

  Refurbishment of Room 9

  Benefaction from the late Sir John Addis

  0·66

  British Museum

  Islamic Gallery (opened June 1989)

  Sainsbury Family

  0·85

  Science Museum

  New Food For Thought Gallery (opened October 1989)

  Repertory Theatres
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the number of repertory theatres currently facing financial deficits.

  Mr. Luce
  I understand that building-based drama companies operating outside London and funded by the Arts Council were projected to have an accumulated deficit of some £1·47 million by the end of March. This represents about 4·4 per cent. of their annual turnover and conceals a wide variation in the performance of individual companies.

  Budget Statement
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how he intends to inform the general public how they can benefit arts institutions following the last Budget.

  Mr. Luce
  The introduction by the Chancellor of the gift aid incentive to charitable giving provides a most welcome opportunity for the arts to raise even more resources from individuals and the private sector. The Arts Council and the Museums and Galleries Commission intend to publicise the new arrangements.

  Acceptance in Lieu
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the total amount of tax satisfied consequential on the acceptance of objects and property in lieu of inheritance tax and capital transfer tax which have been covered in the public accounts by means of resort to the Reserve in respect of the five financial years since the written answer on 26 July 1985 on behalf of the then Minister for the Arts,Official Report, column 779; and if he will indicate the average annual figure which would arise from a breakdown of the total amount.

  Mr. Luce
  The amount of tax satisfied by means of resort to the Reserve in the last five financial years is listed in the table. Due to underspends in each financial year on the annual provision of £2 million provided jointly by my Department and that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment for the acceptance in lieu of objects and property, the amount actually spent from the Reserve was less than the original call. I list the actual money spent from the Reserve from the hon. Member's information.
  440

  Year

  Amount of tax Satisfied/Call on the Reserve

  Amount actually spent from the Reserve

  £

  £

  1985–86

  520,000·00

  366,707·00

  1986–87

  1,165,000·00

  947,842·00

  1987–88

  7,338,444·00

  6,627,464·00

  1988–89

  5,584,692·88

  4,719,816·88

  1989–90

  9,977,898·00

  9,513,768·05

  Total

  24,586,034·88

  22,175,597·93

  Annual average

  4,917,207·00

  4,435,120·00

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of local government as a proportion of gross domestic product in(a) 1960, (b) 1970, (c) 1979, (d) 1985, (e) 1989 and (f)

  Mr. Lilley
  The importance of local government within the economy is generally measured on the basis of their expenditure. Such expenditure as a percentage of GDP, using definitions consistent with the information contained in the financial statement and Budget report, is given in the table.

  Local authority expenditure1 as a percentage of GDP

  Per cent.

  1960

  9¼

  1970

  13¼

  1979

  12½

  1985

  11¾

  1989

  10½

  1990–912

  11

  1 Current expenditure on goods and services, current grants and subsidies, interest, capital expenditure and net lending.

  2 FSBR forecast. If the effect of the abolition of domestic rates on the measure of GDP is excluded the figure becomes 10¾ per cent.

  Corporation Tax
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total of capital allowances claimed by companies in respect of(a) scientific research and (b) patents and know-how, and the corporation tax forgone as a result of such claims, giving the most recently available information.

  Mr. Lilley
  Allowances for scientific research are tentatively estimated to be in the region of £1½ billion in
  441
  1988. Fully used to reduced corporation tax liability, the cost to the Exchequer would be about £½ billion. No estimate can be made for patents and know-how.

  Unit Labour Costs
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in tabular form for the period 1980 to 1990, for the United Kingdom, France and Italy, the change in unit labour costs and the change in currency parities expressed as a percentage against German unit labour costs and the value of the deutschmark.

  Mr. Ryder
  The table shows indices of EC and CSO estimates of relative unit labour costs (whole economy), expressed in a common currency (deutschmark), for the years since 1980 for which complete data are available.

  United Kingdom (CSO)

  France

  Italy

  Germany

  1980

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  1981

  115·0

  104·1

  108·9

  100·0

  1982

  107·2

  99·9

  111·0

  100·0

  1983

  100·3

  98·1

  119·4

  100·0

  1984

  101·5

  100·3

  124·3

  100·0

  1985

  104·4

  103·7

  125·7

  100·0

  1986

  89·3

  98·8

  122·1

  100·0

  1987

  84·2

  94·1

  121·1

  100·0

  1988

  95·1

  93·6

  124·7

  100·0

  These figures have been derived using whole economy unit labour cost indices as published by the European Commission in "European Economy, November 1989" by the CSO in "Monthly Digest of Statistics", and from the nominal bilateral exchange rates published by the IMF in "International Financial Statistics".

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to percentage changes in unit labour costs in each European Community country and percentage changes in each European Community country's exchange rate against the deutschmark in the past five years.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 26 April 1990]: The table shows indices of EC and CSO estimates of relative unit labour costs (whole economy), expressed in a common currency (deutschmark), for the latest five years for which complete data are available.

  Indices, 1980 = 100

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  United Kingdom (CSO)

  101·5

  104·4

  89·3

  84·2

  95·1

  Germany

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  France

  100·3

  103·7

  98·8

  94·1

  93·6

  Italy

  124·3

  125·7

  122·1

  121·1

  124·7

  Netherlands

  92·7

  91·4

  90·7

  90·2

  90·1

  Belgium

  88·1

  90·8

  89·6

  86·6

  85·7

  Luxembourg

  87·6

  87·8

  86·5

  87·7

  88·4

  Denmark

  101·0

  103·8

  101·4

  107·9

  111·7

  Greece

  127·5

  127·8

  101·8

  95·9

  102·9

  Ireland

  111·6

  115·1

  110·0

  101·2

  100·9

  Spain

  94·3

  95·6

  90·6

  88·8

  95·9

  Portugal

  101·0

  105·0

  96·6

  93·1

  97·0

  These figures have been derived using the whole economy unit labour costs indices published by the EC in "European Economy, November 1989" and by the CSO in "Monthly Digest of Statistics", and from the nominal bilateral exchange rates published by the IMF in "International Financial Statistics".

  Minimum Reserves
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the European countries which operate minimum reserve requirements; and what they are in each case.

  Mr. Ryder
  Minimum reserve requirements in the main European countries are as follows:

  Austria:
  Between 9 per cent. and 4½ per cent. of sight, time a nd savings deposits in Schillings, certain securities issues, net foreign exchange position.

  Belgium:
  Not used currently.

  Denmark:
  No compulsory reserve requirements.

  Federal Republic of Germany:
  Between 6·6 per cent. and 12·1 per cent. on residents sight deposits. 12·1 per cent. on non-resident sight deposits. 4·95 per cent. on time deposits and 4·15 per cent. on savings deposits.

  France:
  5·5 per cent. on sight deposits, 3 per cent. on time deposits.

  Greece:
  A primary reserve requirement of 8 per cent. on drachma and foreign currency deposits.

  Ireland:
  A liquidity ratio of 10 per cent. of banks' current and deposit account liabilities to non-bank residents plus net interbank funding on the domestic market plus net external liabilities.

  Italy:
  25 per cent. of the monthly increase in deposits in excess of the growth of capital and reserves, up to a maximum of 22·5 per cent. of the level.

  Luxembourg:
  Not used.

  Netherlands:
  The money market cash reserve requirement varies with conditions in the money market. Until 2 May it is between 1¾ per cent. and 3½ per cent. of guilder and foreign currency short—term deposit liabilities plus 25 per cent. of all other liabilities.

  Portugal:
  17 per cent. of eligible liabilities (private sight, notice and time deposits in escudos and foreign currency deposits held by residents or emigrant workers).

  Spain:
  5 per cent. of sight, time and savings deposits, plus securitised bank liabilities held by domestic non-banks in Peseta.

  Switzerland:
  Not used.

  United Kingdom:
  Not used for purposes of monetary control.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.
  443
  Mr. Ryder
  The target reduction for energy consumption in Her Majesty's Treasury is a cumulative 1½ per cent. per annum saving over five years. Reductions in individual buildings may vary from this norm.

  Gas

  Electricity

  Solid/liquid fuel

  '000 therms

  '000 kWh

  '000 litres

  Government Offices, Great George Street, London SW1

  169

  3,341

  42

  Chessington Computer Centre, Surrey

  71

  935

  97

  Alencon Link, Basingstoke, Hampshire

  1

  100

  24

  Grosvenor House, Basingstoke, Hampshire

  6

  53

  —

  Riverwalk House, London SW1

  57

  1,449

  —

  All figures reflect consumption in calendar year 1989.

  Recycling
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to zero-rate, for the purposes of value added tax, recycled paper and cardboard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  No.

  Arms Exports
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the prosecutions to be undertaken for breach of regulations prohibiting the sale of arms with reference to the seized gun components destined for Iraq.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 23 April 1990.] One person has been charged in connection with these export consignments. Customs and Excise is continuing to make inquiries to see whether firms or other individuals have committed offences in the United Kingdom. The disclosure of any further information than this may prejudice any subsequent proceedings.

  European Monetary System
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Southport of 18 April, what form the representations from British industry regarding British entry into the ERM of the EMS took; and how many were in support of British entry and how many against.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 24 April 1990]: My right hon. Friend has received several written representations from British industry indicating support for sterling's entry into the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system.

  Taxation
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will apply the formula used in his reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) of 4 April 1989,Official Report, columns 7–8, to those on 1989–90 incomes
  444
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Ryder
  The information, which covers major offices only, is as follows:

  of £6,000, £12,000, £18,000, £24,000, £30,000, £36,000 and £42,000 to indicate aggregate tax gain or loss since 1979 for (a) a single man, (b) a man with no children and (c) a married man with two children.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 24 April 1990]: The information is in the table which shows the additional liability to income tax in 1989–90 if the 1978–79 regime had been indexed for inflation and applied to the individuals specified.

  Increase in 1989–90 in income tax under 1978–79 indexed regime

  Earnings

  Single person

  Married man

  £ per annum

  £ per annum

  £ per annum

  6,000

  286·30

  264·70

  12,000

  766·30

  744·70

  18,000

  1,246·30

  1,224·70

  24,000

  191,6·05

  1,841·55

  30,000

  2,538·55

  247,6·05

  36,000

  371,6·05

  3,538·80

  42,000

  5,332·30

  5,079·30

  Note:Calculations assume no other source of income and no reliefs or allowances other than the appropriate personal allowance. Child tax allowances in 1978–79 are excluded from the calculations as they were being phased out.

EMPLOYMENT

  Benefits
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether any cuts have been imposed on the youth training and employment training benefits for Scotland in 1990–91.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No.

  Gas Containers
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the improved health and safety to the public and workers expected to accrue from the recently introduced pressure systems and transportable gas containers regulations; and what information is being made available, in what numbers, and to whom, arising from these regulations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The following information is generally available on the regulations:
  445
  The Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers Regulations 1989: (S.I. 1989 No. 2169), HMSO, ISBN 0 11 098169 3, £3·40, (11,000 copies printed).
  Safety of Pressure Systems: Approved Code of Practice, COP 37, HMSO, ISBN 0 11 885514 X, £4·50, (6,000 copies printed and a further 10,000 copies are currently being printed).
  Safety of Transportable Gas Containers: Approved Code of Practice, COP 38, HMSO, ISBN 0 11 885515 8, £4·00, (9,700 copies printed).
  A Guide to the Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers Regulations 1989: HS(R) 30, HMSO, ISBN 0 11 885516 6, £4·50, (10,000 copies printed).
  Safe Pressure Systems: IND(S)27(L), free (50,000 copies printed).

  A further free leaflet will be available later in the year giving guidance on competent persons as defined in the regulations. Copies of the free leaflets are available on request from any of the following Health and Safety Executive public inquiry points:
  Broad Lane, Sheffield, S3 7HQ
  Telephone: 0742 752539
  St. Hugh's House, Stanley Precinct,
  Trinity Road, Bootle, Merseyside L20 3QY
  Telephone: 051 951 4381
  Baynards House, 1 Chepstow Place,
  Westbourne Grove, London W2 4TF
  Telephone: 071 221 0870

  The other publications are obtainable through booksellers or from HMSO publications centre, PO Box 276, London SW8 5DT (Telephone: 071 873 9090).

  The regulations are to be introduced over the next four years and it is therefore too early to assess their impact.

  Hazardous Substances
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the implementation of paragraphs 77 and 78 of the approved code of practice in regard to the surveys conducted under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) came into force on 1 October 1989 and their implementation is being monitored by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is too early for the HSE to comment on the effectiveness of paragraphs 77 and 78 of the COSHH approved code of practice.

  Advisory Committee on Women's Employment
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many meetings the Department's advisory committee on women's employment held in 1989; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The advisory committee on women's employment which I chair held three meetings in 1989. The topics discussed include child care, labour retention and attraction, importance of women and family friendly policies, the employment of women in rural areas and women and public appointments.

  Equal Pay Appeals
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to shorten the time taken through the employment appeal tribunal procedure for equal pay for equal value cases to be dealt with.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Appeals to the employment appeal tribunal in equal pay cases come to a hearing in the same time as other cases and there is no reason for such appeals to be given precedence. However, the Government are concerned to remedy any unreasonable delays and after consultation with the Lord Chancellor and the senior judiciary it has now been agreed that additional judge time will be provided. This should enable the employment appeal tribunal to reduce the time taken for all cases.

  Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response has been made by the Health and Safety Executive to the letter from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommending further research into bronchitis and emphysema following the council's 1988 report, Cm. 379.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission replied to the chairman of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on 16 June 1988, expressing sympathy with the council's viewpoint that further research should be conducted into non-smoking, dust-exposed workers and giving details of the Health and Safety Executive's studies on dust problems.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what studies have been carried out into bronchitis and emphysema among steelworkers and non-smokers since 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I am unaware of any studies which have been carried out into bronchitis and emphysema among steelworkers and non-smokers since 1988. There is an on-going programme of research supported through the independent scientific committee on smoking and health that includes assessments of the prevalence of bronchitis among non-smokers as well as smokers. Some of the relevant studies were completed during 1988–89 and findings will be published in the scientific literature.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions were brought in a magistrates court for health and safety offences for each year since 1974; and how many of these resulted in a conviction.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information is available in the form requested only for 1988–89. In that year, provisional figures show that in England and Wales HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates laid a total of 1,990 informations in magistrates courts and that 1,798 of these resulted in a conviction.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions were brought in courts other than a magistrates court for health and safety offences for each year since 1974; how many of those
  447
  resulted in a conviction; what was the average fine in each year; and how many custodial sentences were awarded in each year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information about courts other than magistrates courts in England and Wales is available in the form requested only for the year 1988–89. For Scotland, separation of summary and solemn procedure hearings could be done only at disproportionate cost. Factory and agricultural inspectorates are given in the table. Since 1974 two HSE prosecutions have resulted in suspended custodial sentences.

  Type of court

  Informations laid

  Convictions

  Average fine per conviction

  £

  Crown

  66

  56

  2,145

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the maximum fine available to magistrates for health and safety offences in each year since 1974; on how many occasions each year the maximum was, awarded; and what was the average fine each year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The vast majority of health and safety offences can attract the maximum fine specified in section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA). The remainder (which are of a minor nature) attract a variety of lesser maxima.

  The maximum fine available to magistrates for offences described in section 33 of HSWA was initially £400. The Criminal Law Act 1977 raised it to £1,000. In 1984 it was further increased to £2,000 by the Criminal Penalties Increase Order.

  Provisional figures from HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates show that in 1988–89 45 informations attracted the maximum fine of £2,000 from magistrates. For the same year the average fine for convictions in magistrates courts was £505. In earlier years it is not possible to distinguish the level of fine in magistrates courts from that in all courts. The table shows the average level of fine in all courts since 1975:

  Prosecution action taken by HSC/E Enforcing Authorities (excluding local authorities), 1975–1988–891

  Date of hearing

  Average fine per conviction

  (£)

  1975

  281

  1976

  294

  1977

  2105

  1978

  2134

  1979

  3184

  1980

  3180

  1981

  3189

  1982

  4233

  1983

  252

  1984

  313

  1985

  436

  1986–87

  410

  1987–88

  5792

  11988–89

  547

  1 Provisional

  2 Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate only

  3 HSE's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates only

  4 HSE's Factory, Agricultural and Mines and Quarries Inspectorate only

  5 Includes fines totalling £750,000 imposed against BP. If these convictions are excluded the average fine for 1987–88 would be £427

  Restart
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list the restart menu options and indicate which of them involves the client leaving the claimant count;

  (2) how many restart interviews were conducted in the period July 1986 to June 1989; what numbers were referred to each menu option; what numbers actually took up their referral; what numbers were referred to the unemployment benefit service for (a) non-attendance at interview, (b) non-availability and (c) refusal of suitable employment; and, of the latter three groups, what number had their benefit suspended or withdrawn, for Great Britain and each of the standard regions.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service, which is responsible for the restart programme, became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the employment service agency's chief executive, will be replying in writing to the hon. Gentleman.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Department is committed to a target for energy savings (temperature and price corrected) of 15 per cent. over a five-year period commencing on 1 April 1990.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Eggar
  Figures for energy consumption are available only by cost. For the year ending 31 March 1989 the energy expenditure of the Department was as follows:

  Fuel

  Expenditure

  (£ millions)

  Electricity

  5·917

  Gas

  2·905

  Other

  0·578

  Total

  9·400

  Factory Inspectorate
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will place in the Library a copy of the review carried out by the Health and Safety Executive internal audit section and the Treasury staff inspection division decision on Her Majesty's factory inspectorate.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No. The review is a confidential management document.

  Employment Service
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has approved the employment service's operational plan for 1991–92; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has approved the plan and placed copies in the Libraries of the
  449
  House. The plan sets out the ways in which the employment service intends to meet the targets he has set for it in the annual performance agreement which was published on 2 April. The plan also sets out how the business of the employment service is expected to develop over the next three years and shows how the employment service intends to improve the efficiency and quality of its services to the public.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those organisations consulted on the reduction in public expenditure in the gross cost per trainee week.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 23 April 1990]: None.

SCOTLAND

  Fish Farming Advisory Committee
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the members of his fish farming advisory committee, the dates and venues of its meetings since being established; and if he will make a statement on its work so far.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has appointed the hon. Lord Grieve VRD, QC, MA., LLB as chairman of the fish farming advisory committee and Professor G. Dunnet as vice-chairman. The membership is made up as follows: Mr. J. A. MacAskill, Highlands and Islands development board; Dr. J. Francis, Nature Conservancy Council; Mr. D. Campbell, Countryside Commission for Scotland; the councillor for the appropriate area of Highland regional council; Messrs I. McLennan and A. Graham, Western Isles islands council; Mr. D. McKerrell, Argyll and Bute district council; Mrs. J. Crichton, Orkney islands council; Mr. T. Kelly, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland; Mr. D. Buchanan, Highland river purification board and Mr. D. Hammerton, Clyde river purification board. Representatives of other statutory bodies may be invited as necessary.

  The committee met over 19 and 20 March 1990 in the Fort William area to discuss procedural matters. The committee has been established at the Secretary of State's request by the Crown Estate to advise commissioners on applications for sea bed leases which have given rise to unresolved objections by any of the bodies represented on the committee. The committee stands ready to consider any such cases.

  Peat
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ban all use of peat by his Department; whether he will formulate a national peatlands conservation policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The hon. Member will no doubt be pleased to note that whenever appropriate, alternatives to peat are already used by Scottish Office. We will carefully consider extending the use of peat alternatives; but it is considered premature at this stage to ban the use of peat completely.

  The Government are conscious of the nature conservation importance of the peatlands of Great Britain
  450
  and are aware of the concerns expressed about the conflicts between peat extraction and the nature conservation interests. We believe that the best way of dealing with the complex issues raised is within the established planning and conservation framework.

  Lead Plumbing
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate for each district and islands council(a) the number of houses which have whole or partial lead plumbing and (b) the total cost at current prices of replacing all lead plumbing in the affected houses together with separate estimates for (i) the private sector, (ii) the public sector, (iii) housing associations and (iv) new towns and Scottish Homes.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I am unable to provide such estimates at present. The responsibility for monitoring the condition of houses in Scotland rests with local authorities for houses in their districts and with Scottish Homes and new town development corporations for houses in their ownership. The Scottish Development Department has however asked those bodies for their estimate of the number of houses with whole or partial lead plumbing and their estimate of the cost of replacing it. Many returns have yet to be received; and I will write to the hon. Member when the information is complete.

  Sea Lice
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration his Department's experts are giving to Norwegian experiments to eliminate the use of Nuvan in dealing with problems of sea lice.

  Mr. Lang
  Information on the use of gold sinny wrasse as "cleaner fish" to remove sea lice from farmed salmon was given in my replies to the hon. Member on 22 January and on 13 November last year.

  Scientists in Norway are also working on the use of a natural insecticide, pyrethrin, which is found in chrysanthemum flowers, to control sea lice infestation in farmed salmon. The method employed involves mixing a crude extract of pyrethrin with oil which is poured on to the top of the water in fish cages. Details of the treatment regime, method of recovery and fate of the oil are required before a detailed environmental impact assessment can be made.

  Scientists at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland's marine laboratory continue to take an active part in research to develop alternative treatments for sea lice infestation, and to monitor work being carried out elsewhere.

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Government intend to respond to the report of the Select Committee on Agriculture on forestry.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government have responded to the Select Committee's report. It is expected that the Committee will publish this response before the end of May.

  Bed-and-Breakfast Businesses
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of bed-and-breakfast businesses which were assessed for non-domestic rates for 1989–90; and what proportion of the total of such businesses were so assessed in each region and islands area.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not available centrally. We are aware that there have been differences in the criteria adopted by regional assessors in deciding whether a bed-and-breakfast establishment should be entered on the valuation roll. In order to ensure a consistent approach in the future, we propose to clarify in legislation the boundary between domestic and non-domestic in the case of bed-and-breakfast establishments. We have been consulting interested parties on our proposals, and are now studying the many responses received before bringing forward appropriate regulations to limit the liability for non-domestic rates to those establishments clearly being run as a business.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Angus, East on 24 April on waste disposal sites, he will consider introducing a national register of landfill sites; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  District and islands councils in Scotland are the competent authorities with respect to waste management. Each council is required by law to have at its principal office a register containing copies of all current waste disposal licences issued by the council. Accordingly, we have no plans to introduce a national register of landfill sites.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the research and development projects currently being undertaken into waste disposal by his Department and other agencies, listing the cost and number of people employed in each project.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Research into waste disposal management and practices is normally commissioned by the DOE on a United Kingdom basis. Details of the work currently under way were given in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Sir C. Morrison) on 23 April 1990 at columns 2–4. Nevertheless, in order to investigate a particular issue within Scotland we recently contributed £15,000 towards the cost of a study into waste arising in central Scotland being carried out by the SDA.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the operational waste disposal sites which have been identified by the hazardous waste inspectorate in 1989 as having the potential to generate methane gas.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In 1988, the Department asked district and islands councils to identify all sites in their areas which had received biodegradable (potentially methane-generating) waste since 1960. They identified 520 such sites, of which 216 were operational. In February 1989, the authorities were urged by the 452
  Department to monitor and take appropriate action at all the sites in accordance with guidelines contained in waste management paper No. 27, "The Control of Landfill Gas".

  In view of the limited information available from the survey and the need for further work by the authorities to confirm the extent of any landfill gas problems, it would be inappropriate to publish details of the sites. However, a follow—up survey to review progress will be undertaken shortly, and I expect an appropriate summary to be available in due course.

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer on 23 April,Official Report, column 59, what steps his Department will take to identify the risk of contamination in those 58 per cent. of vacant land sites in Scotland for which the question of contamination was unknown.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The 1990 Scottish vacant land survey and any subsequent surveys will identify the extent of contamination in the 58 per cent. of vacant and derelict sites for which the situation was unknown in 1988. It is the responsibility of the local authorities to collect the data for the survey and to identify the extent of contamination.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer of 23 April,Official Report, column 59, he will list the names and locations, with grid references, of the 10 per cent. of vacant land which is known or suspected to be contaminated.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The 1988 Scottish vacant land survey was a pilot study of partial coverage. The data were collected on an in-confidence basis by the local authorities. This arrangement precludes me from giving site-specific information and is in accordance with the Government statistical service code of practice (Cmnd 9270).

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds his Department has made available for the purpose of cleaning up contaminated land or leaky waste disposal sites.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Responsibility for dealing with contaminated land or problem waste disposal sites rests with the site owners.

  As far as local authorities are concerned the capital allocation to their general services budget is not targeted and it is for each council to determine its own priorities for expenditure on such work.

  The Scottish Development Agency is empowered to provide assistance for the clearance of derelict land which can include contaminated land. For this financial year the agency will have available approximately £58 million to carry out its derelict land function.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Angus, East on 24 April, he will state how many of the (i) open and (ii) closed landfill sites, as contained in the Scottish Development Department Survey 1989, were operational prior to the introduction of the Control of Pollution Act 1974; and how many constitute a serious risk to groundwater.
  453
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  All the sites included in my reply of 24 April operate under licences or resolutions issued under the requirements of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The licensing provisions came into operation on 1 January 1978. About 100 of the sites were already operational at that time.

  The identification of sites causing pollution to groundwater is the responsibility of the river purification authorities. Although the numbers may fluctuate from year to year, authorities' annual reports for 1988 indicate that 10 active and two or three closed landfill sites are of concern.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Rifkind
  A total of 15 per cent. covering the five-year period to 1994–95. This figure excludes prisons and the minor Scottish Departments.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department for the latest year available.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The figures, in kilowatt hours, for 1989–90 are:

  Kilowatt hours

  Electricity

  25,807,925

  Gas

  2,878,675

  Liquid Fuel

  1,336,117

  Solid Fuel

  1,285,443

  These figures exclude prisons and the minor Scottish Departments.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will urgently announce measures to protect Scottish businesses, especially small businesses and self-employed enterprises, from the effects of(a) increases of water charges and (b) difficulties in passenger and freight transit from Scotland to the continent.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The charging arrangements in Scotland for water supply require authorities to be even-handed in apportioning expenditure between classes of consumer and they have discretion to set different metered charges for different circumstances. There are no provisions for the Secretary of State to intervene in the setting of charges. The average metered water charge for 1990–91 is 30·89p. per cu m, an increase of less than 9 per cent. on last year.

  The provision of passenger and freight services from Scotland to the continent is a matter for the commercial judgment of transport operators, which are best placed to evaluate transport needs. If these needs are not being met, Scottish businesses should identify the nature of the services they require and discuss their needs with the transport operators concerned.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response he has given to the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses of Scotland regarding their complaints against the increases of metered water charges and their effects on competitiveness.
  454
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Secretary of State has received a letter relating to water charges and other matters from the Scottish secretary of the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses Ltd. The points raised by the federation are being considered and a response will be made in due course.

  A77
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Strathclyde regional council concerning the timetable for the Ayr road route (A77); and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 April 1990]: My right hon. and learned Friend has had no recent discussions with Strathclyde regional council concerning the timetable for the Ayr road route.

  Parts of Strathclyde regional council's section of the Ayr road route were affected by a legal challenge by Glasgow district council in October 1989. Prior to that challenge, the main works associated with this section of the road were due to start in 1991 and it was hoped that the trunk road section would follow on in 1992 subject to the availability of funds and priorities at that time. Advance works for the region's section of the road, in areas not affected by the legal challenge, have already started.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on whether Strathclyde regional council will proceed with construction of the Ayr road route (A77) after 3 May.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 April 1990]: My right hon. and learned Friend has had no communication from Strathclyde regional council on the matter of whether the council intends to proceed with the construction of the Ayr road route after 3 May.

  Police
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Strathclyde as to the dates of incidents at which police were armed since 1985.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 26 April 1990]: I am advised by the chief constable that firearms were issued on 319 occasions over the last five years. If the hon. Member is concerned about any particular incident, he may care to write to the chief constable.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Strathclyde as to the number of officers by division trained in armed weapons and the number available in arty emergency;

  (2) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Strathclyde as to how many officers can be armed at any one time.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 26 April 1990]: The number of officers trained in the use of firearms is an operational matter for the chief constable. Officers are issued with firearms only on specific occasions which are judged to require a firearms capability. The Department issued guidelines to the police in 1984 covering the circumstances when firearms may be issued, the authority for issue, training and record-keeping; a copy is in the Library.
  455
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Strathclyde as to how many police officers are licensed and insured to drive police vehicles by division.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 26 April 1990]: I am advised by the Chief Constable that there are 5,296 officers in the Strathclyde force currently authorised to drive police vehicles. These officers are deployed throughout the 15 divisions and other specialist departments within the force on the basis of the Chief Constable's assessment of local needs.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Strathclyde as to the number of armoured vehicles held by his force and their locations.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 26 April 1990]: Strathclyde police do not possess any armoured vehicles.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Slaughter Policy
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what evidence received subsequent to 11 January 1989 he decided to implement the slaughter policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  On the assumption that the question relates to the slaughter policy for salmonella-infected poultry flocks, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on this subject on 13 December 1989 at column 689.

  Agriculture Support
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the total amount of support for agriculture by the Government for each year since 1979, expressed in actual and constant prices in each case.

  Mr. Maclean
  Support to the agriculture industry is provided directly by means of grants and subsidies, and indirectly through expenditure on research and development, advisory services, administration and so on.

  Agriculture in the United Kingdom reports direct expenditure while the public expenditure White Paper covers total expenditure—direct and indirect—on agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry.

  The table gives direct and total expenditure since 1978–79, both actual and at constant (1978–79) prices:

  £ million.

  Outturn

  Direct support

  Total support

  Actual prices

  Constant prices1

  Actual prices

  Constant prices1

  1978–79

  537

  537

  1,008

  1,008

  1979–80

  677

  585

  1,244

  1,074

  1980–81

  1,012

  751

  1,639

  1,217

  1981–82

  972

  647

  1,669

  1,111

  1982–83

  1,432

  890

  2,157

  1,341

  1983–84

  1,717

  1,020

  2,424

  1,440

  1984–85

  1,712

  968

  2,419

  1,368

  1985–86

  2,165

  1,156

  2,878

  1,537

  1986–87

  1,449

  750

  2,199

  1,138

  1987–88

  1,630

  811

  2,372

  1,180

  1988–892

  1,380

  648

  2,346

  1,101

  1989–903

  1,255

  546

  2,418

  1,053

  456
  1 Based on 1987–79 prices.

  2 Estimated.

  3 Forecast.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much he has either spent or allocated on bovine spongiform encephalopathy(a) research or (b) compensation for each year from 1985 to 1992 in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Expenditure on BSE research to date is as follows:

  Financial year

  Expenditure

  £

  1988–89

  454,000

  1989–90

  922,000

  The Ministry recently announced a £6·1 million programme of research on BSE, following the recommendations of Dr. Tyrrell's research consultative committee as follows:

  Financial year

  Forecast

  £ million

  1990–91

  2·2

  1991–92

  2·2

  1992–93

  1·7

  In addition, the Department of Education and Science will be committing £6·3 million to slow virus research over the next three years.

  Expenditure on compensation since the introduction of the compulsory slaughter policy in August 1988 is as follows:

  Financial year

  Expenditure

  £

  1988–89

  1,066,613

  1989–90

  2,127,654

  The forecast expenditure on compensation contained in the 1989 public expenditure survey is as follows:

  Financial year

  Forecast

  £

  1990–91

  3,381,300

  1991–92

  3,482,739

  1992–93

  3,569,807

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what tests he has carried out for the presence of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent on(a) blood, (b) saliva, (c) urine, (d) faeces and (e) semen in cattle which are suspected of having bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make the results public;

  (2) what tests he has carried out for the presence of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent on (a) blood, (b) saliva, (c) urine, (d) faeces and (e) semen in cattle; and if he will make those results public.

  Mr. Gummer
  Research is in progress to determine whether the BSE agent is present in the blood and semen
  457
  of confirmed cases of BSE. Further studies are planned which will determine the infectivity of gut, kidney and salivary gland from confirmed cases. No experiments are being conducted using material derived from clinically healthy cattle.

  I shall follow our general policy of publishing the results of the research that we fund.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 23 April,Official Report, column 86, to the hon. Member for South Shields, how many of the notified cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected cattle were later confirmed as having the disease in each week end 5 January to 13 April.

  Mr. Gummer
  Results are not yet complete but the information requested to date is as follows:

  Week ending

  Number notified

  Number confirmed

  Still alive or awaiting diagnosis

  5 January 1990

  245

  201

  18

  12 January 1990

  292

  258

  4

  19 January 1990

  284

  234

  14

  26 January 1990

  294

  242

  19

  2 February 1990

  309

  250

  22

  9 February 1990

  329

  270

  23

  16 February 1990

  362

  297

  29

  23 February 1990

  367

  276

  61

  2 March 1990

  424

  249

  160

  9 March 1990

  393

  123

  260

  16 March 1990

  392

  54

  335

  23 March 1990

  351

  8

  343

  30 March 1990

  329

  3

  326

  6 April 1990

  323

  0

  323

  13 April 1990

  278

  0

  278

  USSR (Agricultural Imports)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the agricultural products which the authorities in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have recently announced will not be permitted to be imported into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Gummer
  Cattle, sheep, goats, beef, sheepmeat, bovine semen, bovine embryos and dairy products.

  Eggs
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the EEC on the use of Government funds for the promotion of British eggs; how much expenditure has been incurred on this scheme to date; what provision has been made for the full financial year 1990–91; and whether the European Community has approved this expenditure.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have no plans to use Government funds to promote eggs. As to the use of the net assets of the old Eggs Authority for such purposes, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman) on 29 March at column 258.

  Animal-derived Protein
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what animal-derived protein can legally be incorporated in cattle rations; and what is his estimate of the annual consumption by cattle of such protein.

  Mr. Maclean
  The feeding of ruminant-derived protein to ruminants was prohibited from July 1988. Protein derived from other animals may be fed to cattle providing it has been prepared in accordance with the Protein Processing Order 1989 and the Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order 1973. Information on the annual consumption by cattle of such protein is not available.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is available only in financial terms and for the Department as a whole. For the 1989–90 financial year the expenditure was as follows:

  £ million

  Electricity

  1·8

  Gas

  0·4

  Solid and liquid fuel

  0·7

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Department is participating in the public sector energy efficiency campaign and, in common with other Government Departments, has a target of saving 15 per cent. of its energy bill over a period of five years.

  Meat Imports (South America)
  Mr. Shore
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what, in constant prices, was the level of imports of Argentinian and Uruguayan meat and meat products in 1972, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Maclean
  Since constant price data are not readily available at this level of disaggregation, the table shows the value and volume of imports of meat and meat preparations from Argentina and Uruguay in the specified years:

  Argentina

  Uruguay

  Value

  Volume

  Value

  Volume

  £ million

  '000s tonnes

  £ million

  '000s tonnes

  1972

  56·3

  93·0

  —

  —

  1982

  23·0

  16·0

  6·4

  4·1

  1985

  0·3

  0·3

  18·9

  13·3

  1986

  3·9

  2·3

  24·7

  17·0

  1987

  29·5

  17·9

  15·9

  9·5

  1988

  23·8

  20·3

  13·4

  9·2

  11989

  47·9

  25·6

  24·3

  13·2

  1 Optional.

  Cows
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of(a) cows and (b) herds of cows in each county of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Gummer
  The tables show the number of agricultural holdings which had beef or dairy cows at the June 1989 agricultural census, for each county of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, together with the number of cows on those holdings. For Scotland, where county data are not available, the information is by local authority districts

  June 1989 census (England and Wales) Distribution of breeding cows (dairy and beef) by county England and Wales

  County within region

  Number

  England and Wales

  Dairy and beef cows

  3,145,842

  Holdings with cows

  72,985

  England

  Dairy and beef cows

  2,624,366

  Holdings with cows

  57,035

  North Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  326,628

  Holdings with cows

  6,954

  Cleveland

  Dairy and beef cows

  6,726

  Holdings with cows

  171

  Cumbria

  Dairy and beef cows

  206,175

  Holdings with cows

  4,252

  Durham

  Dairy and beef cows

  40,609

  Holdings with cows

  1,158

  Northumberland

  Dairy and beef cows

  69,885

  Holdings with cows

  1,287

  Tyne and Wear

  Dairy and beef cows

  3,233

  Holdings with cows

  86

  Yorkshire/Humberside Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  228,767

  Holdings with cows

  6,380

  Humberside

  Dairy and beef cows

  21,312

  Holdings with cows

  709

  North Yorkshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  147,084

  (North Allerton)

  Holdings with cows

  3,699

  North Yorkshire (Beverley)

  Dairy and beef cows

  4,977

  Holdings with cows

  177

  South Yorkshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  17,951

  Holdings with cows

  508

  West Yorkshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  37,443

  Holdings with cows

  1,287

  East Midlands Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  210,910

  Holdings with cows

  5,164

  Derbyshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  81,028

  Holdings with cows

  1,998

  Leicestershire

  Dairy and beef cows

  49,465

  Holdings with cows

  1,111

  Lincolnshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  35,194

  Holdings with cows

  1,005

  Northamptonshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  23,229

  Holdings with cows

  552

  Nottinghamshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  21,994

  Holdings with cows

  498

  East Anglia Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  65,939

  Holdings with cows

  1,846

  Cambridgeshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  8,210

  Holdings with cows

  328

  Norfolk

  Dairy and beef cows

  36,695

  Holdings with cows

  945

  460

  County within region

  Number

  Suffolk

  Dairy and beef cows

  21,034

  Holdings with cows

  573

  South East Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  289,109

  Holdings with cows

  5,991

  Bedfordshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  6,644

  Holdings with cows

  181

  Berkshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  13,907

  Holdings with cows

  261

  Buckinghamshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  27,238

  Holdings with cows

  586

  East Sussex

  Dairy and beef cows

  28,416

  Holdings with cows

  699

  Essex

  Dairy and beef cows

  17,826

  Holdings with cows

  425

  Greater London (East)

  Dairy and beef cows

  774

  Holdings with cows

  21

  Greater London (South East)

  Dairy and beef cows

  2,209

  Holdings with cows

  46

  Hampshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  51,519

  Holdings with cows

  876

  Hertfordshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  13,445

  Holdings with cows

  282

  Isle of Wight

  Dairy and beef cows

  9,481

  Holdings with cows

  204

  Kent

  Dairy and beef cows

  27,844

  Holdings with cows

  769

  Oxfordshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  36,444

  Holdings with cows

  671

  Surrey

  Dairy and beef cows

  21,188

  Holdings with cows

  445

  West Sussex

  Dairy and beef cows

  32,174

  Holdings with cows

  525

  South West Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  862,334

  Holdings with cows

  17,325

  Avon

  Dairy and beef cows

  47,421

  Holdings with cows

  907

  Cornwall

  Dairy and beef cows

  136,727

  Holdings with cows

  3,614

  Devon

  Dairy and beef cows

  244,028

  Holdings with cows

  5,836

  Dorset

  Dairy and beef cows

  112,173

  Holdings with cows

  1,543

  Gloucestershire

  Dairy and beef cows

  61,642

  Holdings with cows

  1,261

  Isles of Stilly

  Dairy and beef cows

  87

  Holdings with cows

  27

  Somerset

  Dairy and beef cows

  165,071

  Holdings with cows

  2,850

  Wiltshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  95,185

  Holdings with cows

  1,287

  West Midlands Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  357,377

  Holdings with cows

  8,114

  Hereford and Worcester

  Dairy and beef cows

  77,121

  Holdings with cows

  2,254

  Shropshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  125,073

  Holdings with cows

  2,489

  Staffordshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  117,383

  Holdings with cows

  2,441

  Warwickshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  32,928

  Holdings with cows

  782

  West Midlands

  Dairy and beef cows

  4,872

  Holdings with cows

  148

  461

  County within region

  Number

  North West Region

  Dairy and beef cows

  283,302

  Holdings with cows

  5,261

  Cheshire

  Dairy and beef cows

  149,301

  Holdings with cows

  2,127

  Greater Manchester

  Dairy and beef cows

  16,428

  Holdings with cows

  561

  Lancashire

  Dairy and beef cows

  113,819

  Holdings with cows

  2,500

  Merseyside

  Dairy and beef cows

  3,754

  Holdings with cows

  73

  Wales

  Dairy and beef cows

  521,476

  Holdings with cows

  15,950

  Clwyd

  Dairy and beef cows

  78,977

  Holdings with cows

  2,019

  Dyfed

  Dairy and beef cows

  227,171

  Holdings with cows

  6,221

  Gwent

  Dairy and beef cows

  32,877

  Holdings with cows

  1,019

  Gwynedd

  Dairy and beef cows

  52,157

  Holdings with cows

  2,261

  Mid Glamorgan

  Dairy and beef cows

  11,207

  Holdings with cows

  454

  Powys

  Dairy and beef cows

  99,103

  Holdings with cows

  3,345

  South Glamorgan

  Dairy and beef cows

  10,182

  Holdings with cows

  222

  West Glamorgan

  Dairy and beef cows

  9,802

  Holdings with cows

  409

  Northern Ireland

  County with region

  Number

  Northern Ireland total

  Dairy and beef cows

  501,628

  Holdings with cows

  20,916

  County Antrim

  Dairy and beef cows

  106,368

  Holdings with cows

  3,511

  County Armagh

  Dairy and beef cows

  51,989

  Holdings with cows

  2,637

  County Down

  Dairy and beef cows

  90,294

  Holdings with cows

  3,470

  County Fermanagh

  Dairy and beef cows

  70,699

  Holdings with cows

  3,273

  County Londonderry

  Dairy and beef cows

  63,354

  Holdings with cows

  2,618

  County Tyrone

  Dairy and beef cows

  118,924

  Holdings with cows

  5,407

  Scotland

  Local authority district

  Number of cows

  Number of holdings

  Shetland

  2,576

  218

  Orkney

  33,507

  838

  Western Isles

  2,364

  270

  Caithness

  20,142

  517

  Sutherland

  4,234

  225

  Ross and Cromarty

  12,906

  325

  Skye and Lochalsh

  2,798

  213

  Lochaber

  2,484

  106

  Inverness

  7,,929

  190

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  6,291

  109

  Nairn

  5,163

  70

  Moray

  26,154

  484

  Banff and Buchan

  20,758

  574

  Gordon

  32,886

  632

  City of Aberdeen

  2,555

  50

  Kincardine and Deeside

  21,946

  395

  Angus

  14,108

  265

  462

  Local authority district

  Number of cows

  Number of holdings

  City of Dundee

  2,496

  40

  Perth and Kinross

  28,319

  556

  Kirkcaldy

  3,865

  58

  North East Fife

  9,732

  165

  Dunfermline

  4,642

  84

  West Lothian

  7,601

  137

  City of Edinburgh

  1,662

  20

  Midlothian

  3,739

  62

  East Lothian

  4,416

  71

  Tweeddale

  8,811

  141

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  13,795

  198

  Roxburgh

  16,392

  257

  Berwickshire

  11,388

  175

  Clackmannan

  1,157

  26

  Stirling

  14,199

  322

  Falkirk

  4,077

  109

  Argyll and Bute

  33,350

  731

  Dumbarton

  4,074

  85

  City of Glasgow

  495

  11

  Clydebank

  303

  6

  Bearsden and Milngarvie

  487

  8

  Strathkelvin

  2,175

  50

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  1,034

  19

  Monklands

  4,376

  80

  Motherwell

  2,616

  49

  Hamilton

  4,506

  76

  East Kilbride

  10,726

  168

  Eastwood

  3,062

  48

  Renfew

  7,968

  137

  Inverclyde

  2,443

  35

  Clydesdale

  26,113

  410

  Cunninghame

  16,351

  288

  Kilmarnock and Loudon

  16,741

  250

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  20,266

  291

  Kyle and Carrick

  29,398

  401

  Wigtown

  49,026

  588

  Stewartry

  36,043

  435

  Nithsdale

  33,833

  456

  Annandale and Eskdale

  32,740

  499

  Total

  693,218

  13,023

  Cattle
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the extent of illegal movement of cattle from the United Kingdom into the Republic of Ireland; what are its implications for dead meat plants in Northern Ireland; what incentive encourages this movement of livestock; whether he has drawn it to the attention of the European Commission; what proposals he has to bring this trade to an end; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  It is not possible to determine the extent of illegal exports of cattle from the United Kingdom into the Republic of Ireland, since such movements can be established only when detected by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise. When there are high negative monetary compensatory amounts (MCAs) chargeable on exports of agricultural produce from the United Kingdom, there is an incentive to export such products illegally. The MCA charge on finished cattle exports to the Republic of Ireland has been around £75 a head in recent weeks, but from 14 May it will be reduced to less than £30 a head following the devaluation agreed in the price fixing. The European Commission is well aware of the problems created in recent years by high MCAs on trade in cattle and other agricultural produce across the Irish land border. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is responsible for prevention of MCA fraud and is vigilant in its efforts to
  463
  prevent illegal movements across the frontier. Any substantial movement of finished cattle from Northern Ireland for slaughter in the Republic of Ireland must have the effect of reducing the supply of stock available for
  464
  slaughter at meat plants in Northern Ireland and the consequential reduction in supply could increase the level of producer prices payable in Northern Ireland.

  MEDICAL HERBALISTS: RECOGNITION
  MEDICAL HERBALISTS: RECOGNITION
  WORLD HERITAGE SITES AND PLANNING AUTHORITIES
  WORLD HERITAGE SITES AND PLANNING AUTHORITIES
  CARAVANS: RATING LIABILITY
  CARAVANS: RATING LIABILITY
  ORDNANCE SURVEY
  ORDNANCE SURVEY