Written Answers of 11 July 1990

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Leasehold Reform
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to introduce leasehold reform legislation to give tenants rights of commonhold.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr. Soley) on 18 June 1990 at column 389.

ENVIRONMENT

  Mundic Aggregates
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the 28 June edition of the "Construction Journal" article concerning Mundic aggregates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  I understand that the hon. Member is referring to the journal "New Builder", which my Department receives regularly.

  The article suggests that unsatisfactory aggregates for concrete made from mine waste, are still in use in the west country. The effect of "Mundic" in aggregates impairs durability of concrete used in construction. As such the matter is of concern to the Government as well as to householders and others affected by the problem. The Government have overall responsibility for the health and safety aspects of new construction under building regulations as well as those interests arising out of their purchasing role.

  The mechanism of "Mundic" in aggregates is little understood and, as the article makes clear, there is confusion within the construction industry. The first priority is to obtain a better understanding of the factors that indicate a risk of the effect and work on this is being carried out by the Building Research Establishment within the Department's research programme on aggregates. We shall then examine the extent to which the existing British standard (BS 882(1983): Aggregates from natural sources for concrete) may need amendment to be able to function as an effective check on unsuitable aggregates.

  The results of this research are being made available to the responsible BSI technical committee. However, a European standard for aggregates that, in due course, will take the place of the British standard is currently under development within CEN—the European Standards Organisation. United Kingdom interests within CEN are represented by BSI. The Department will support action by BSI to ensure that the European standards and the accompanying methods of testing provide the United Kingdom construction industry with an effective means of ensuring that the Mundic problem does not recur.

  Otters
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made an assessment of the threat to the otter population posed by the practice of mink hunting; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Government have made no assessment of the threat to otter populations posed by mink hunting. However, the Nature Conservancy Council advises me that voluntary guidelines are already in place to discourage mink hunting in areas where otters may be found.

  Air Conditioning
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to improve the efficiency of the air conditioning in the Palace of Westminster.

  Mr. Chope
  Only a limited area of the Palace has air conditioning or mechanical ventilation. Although there is no immediate need to carry out any major work, the replacement and upgrading of some plant and controls is included in the forward maintenance programme.

  Housebuilding
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what proportion the level of housebuilding completions in 1989 differs from the figure for 10 years earlier.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Figures for housebuilding completions in England for 1989 appear in table 2 of my Department's press release issued on 5 July 1990, and for 1979, in table 6.1(a) of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978–1988". Copies are in the Library.

  AEA Technology
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to assess the potential of AEA Technology, Dounreay to be included in the European Environment Agency's proposed monitoring network; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The regulation establishing the European Environment Agency has not yet come into force, but some preparatory work has been set in hand in my Department on the compilation of a list of United Kingdom institutions which could contribute to the work of the agency. AEA Technology, Dounreay has provided details of its capabilities which have been noted in this respect.

  Arts (Planning Policy)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to issue planning policy guidance on the arts for consultation with local authorities.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend has not yet decided whether or when to issue for public consultation draft guidance on planning policy in relation to the arts, but we have recently received from the Arts Council its proposals for such guidance. We will consider the council's draft carefully in the context of reviewing planning policy guidance note 1 (PPGI—general policy and principles).

  Archaeological Areas
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has now completed his consideration of English Heritage's advice on the effectiveness of part II of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 concerning archaeological areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have considered English Heritage's advice on the operation and effectiveness of areas of archaeological importance (AAIs) in the light of the likely impact of the Department's planning policy guidance note (PPG) on archaeology and planning. We are currently considering the 200 or so responses to the draft guidance note and expect to publish final guidance within the next few months. English Heritage has advised me that no further areas of archaeological importance should be designated at present but that it would be premature to take decisions on the future use of the existing statutory provisions until the impact of the Department's forthcoming planning policy guidance note on archaeology and planning has been assessed.

  The provisions of part II of the 1979 Act are broadly intended to help prevent important archaeological sites being damaged or destroyed without there first being an opportunity for archaeological investigation and recording. By contrast the draft planning policy guidance note places archaeology more firmly in the planning process with its message to developers and local planning authorities to consider the possible existence of archaeological remains on site before submitting planning applications and the desirability of preserving them. This guidance will apply across the country whereas areas of archaeological importance must be limited to specified areas.

  In the circumstances I have concluded, in agreement with English Heritage advice, that it would be sensible to allow time for the impact of the planning policy guidance note to be assessed before considering further the role of areas of archaeological importance. I therefore intend to review the position with regard to areas of archaeological importance 12 months after publication of the planning policy guidance note by which time we can begin to form a judgment on the effectiveness of the forthcoming planning policy guidance note.

  Satellite TV Antennas
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue a consultation paper on planning controls over satellite television antennas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Wales have today issued a consultation paper on permitted development rights for satellite television antennas.

  The Government are fully committed both to protecting the environment and to facilitating the growth of telecommunications. There have been major changes since the present planning regime for satellite television dishes was introduced in the mid-1980s. We need to provide better safeguards for the visual environment, respond to the growth in satellite broadcasting, and take advantage of the development of smaller antennas. The consultation paper sets out a range of options. Any
  198
  extension of permitted development rights—which remove the need to apply for specific planning permission—should in our view be balanced by additional controls over unnecessarily obtrusive installations, particularly in sensitive areas.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would have been the total level of local government spending in the current year had local government spending plans not been subject to capping.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 27 June 1990]: The caps which, if the House approves, my right hon. Friend intends to set for the designated authorities will result in the £35.8 billion total of all local authorities' budgets being reduced by £217 million.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from those local authorities that have been community charge-capped over the reduction and disruption of services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 9 July 1990]: My right hon. Friend received many representations about the effect of charge capping on services, including those from the designated authorities which put forward alternative maxima. My right hon. Friend carefully considered all the information which he considered relevant, before taking his decisions on final caps which are at present before the House in the draft Charge Limitation (England) (Maximum Amount) (No. 2) Order 1990 and the draft Charge Limitation (England) (Maximum Amount) (No. 3) Order 1990.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has considered increasing the upper spending limit for local authorities for each adult in their area when assessing their poll tax before applying the charge capping; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 9 July 1990]: My right hon. Friend considered carefully all the relevant information before him before taking his decisions on designation of authorities for community charge capping for 1990–91; he is satisfied that the principles he adopted for designation were appropriate.

  JET Project, Culham
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will conduct an inquiry into the recent release of CFC-113 at the Culham JET laboratory.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  No: I understand that a representative of the Health and Safety Executive has already visited the plant and is satisfied that improvements have now been made to the system which failed. CFC-113 is not itself a toxic substance and this release has not imperilled achievement of our obligations under the Montreal protocol. Nevertheless avoidable releases of ozone-depleting chemicals are regrettable.

  RECHAR
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account was taken of the funds to be made available under the European Community
  199
  RECHAR initiative when standard spending assessments for local authorities for the current financial year were drawn up.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 10 July 1990]: No account was taken.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will take steps to ensure that the required contribution from Wakefield district council under the European Community RECHAR scheme does not count against its current approved capital programme;

  (2) what steps have been taken by his Department to ensure that money made available through the European Community RECHAR initiative is additional to local authorities, over and above their approved level of borrowing.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 10 July 1990]: The Government take anticipated European Community receipts into account at the national level when setting the level of public expenditure programmes, so that these programmes are higher than they would otherwise be.

  Thereafter, capital allocations are made to individual authorities on the basis of overall assessments of their needs to spend. No explicit account is taken of whether expenditure may be financed in part through grant from the European Community. A limited exception has been made in the case of expenditure on the "other services" block. In the current financial year, the Government have held back credit approvals of £25 million to be distributed in respect of ERDF grant claims for expenditure on that block.

  PCBs
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what tonnage of polychlorinate bi-phenyls was imported into Newport by sea in the past three years.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: I have been asked to reply.

  The information sought is available only since the introduction of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988.

  Records of shipments under the regulations show that 479 tonnes of polychlorinate bi-phenyl contaminated materials were imported via Newport for disposal in the year 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990.

TRANSPORT

  A11
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work on the A11 Red Lodge bypass to start; and what arrangements are being made about the timing of a new A45/A11 connector road.

  Mr. Atkins
  Selected contractors are currently preparing bids for the construction of the A11 Red Lodge bypass. Work is expected to commence in early autumn this year. My Department has no proposals to construct a new link road between the A45 and A11.

  Draft proposals have also been published which would provide a second carriageway for the A11 between Red Lodge and the A45. Further progress on this scheme depends on the outcome of statutory procedures.

  Fuel Tankers (Safety)
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment the railway inspectorate has made of the safety of parked railway fuel tankers at Port Talbot station.

  Mr. Freeman
  The primary responsibility for railway safety rests with the operator. British Rail has already taken a number of steps to reduce leakages from fuel tank wagons at Port Talbot station. There were eight such incidents in 1989 but only one so far in 1990.

  The railway inspectorate will be reviewing the situation to make sure that all reasonably practicable safety measures are being taken.

  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents have occurred with parked railway fuel tankers in south Wales in the last two years; and on how many occasions passengers have had to be disembarked from main line trains because of concern with safety.

  Mr. Freeman
  I understand from British Rail that there have been 14 incidents of seepage or leakage from railway fuel tank wagons in south Wales since January 1988. No passengers have been disembarked from trains as a direct result, but it is usual for the fire service to be called and the passage of other trains stopped whilst any leakage is investigated and rectified.

  A1 (Upgrading)
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of traffic flows on the A1 north of Newcastle following upgrading to motorway standard of the A1 between London and Newcastle.

  Mr. Atkins
  Estimates of increased traffic flows resulting from a new motorway link from London to Newcastle have not been assessed specifically. However, the study commissioned by the Scottish Development Department, "Routes South of Edinburgh", indicated that the completion of a motorway link between London and Tyneside would not lead to any significant transfer of traffic to the route north of Newcastle.

  The joint A1 steering group will of course monitor the traffic flows on the route between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

  Roads
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of his road construction programme for 1990–91.

  Mr. Atkins
  Following publication of the report "Trunk Roads, England" in February, the latest information for the current financial year is as follows:

  10 contracts have been let (value £101 million).

  11 contracts have been advertised in the Official Journal (value £114 million).

  18 further contracts are expected to be let, subject to satisfactory completion of statutory processes (estimated value £260 million).

  59 schemes are currently under construction (value £1,384 million).

  A list of these schemes will be placed in the Library and sent to contractors.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the new roads which have been built in each
  201
  of the last five years in (a) areas of outstanding natural beauty, (b) sites of special scientific interest and (c) national parks.

  Date

  Areas of outstanding natural beauty

  Sites of special scientific interest

  1985–86

  M25 Leatherhead—Reigate

  M3 Popham—Bar End

  M3 Popham—Bar End

  M25 Swanley—Sevenoaks

  1986–87

  A34 East Ilsley—Chilton

  A483 Oswestry BP

  1987–88

  A39 Bideford BP

  A36 Heytesbury BP

  A303 Furze Hedge

  A2 Barham Crossroads

  1988–89

  A35 Bridport

  A650 Airedale 1

  A35 Dorchester

  A65 Settle/Giggleswick BP

  A303 Ilminster BP

  A361 North Devon Link Road

  A417 Birdlip BP

  A34 Whitway Diversion

  1989–90

  A36 Steeple Langford BP

  All Thetford BP

  A46 Coventry Eastern BP1

  1 Designated after work on site started.

  The Okehampton bypass completed in 1988–89 is the only scheme to pass through national park land in recent years.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoners
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners were transferred from(a) England and Wales to Northern Ireland and (b) Northern Ireland to England and Wales in 1989; and under what section of the Criminal Justice Act 1961 such transfers were carried out;

  (2) how many prisoners in British gaols who give as their domicile Northern Ireland have been returned to Northern Ireland to serve the whole or part of their sentences in 1989; and how many of these prisoners were serving sentences for terrorist-type offences.

  Mr. Mellor
  In 1989, 15 prisoners were transferred from England and Wales to Northern Ireland under section 26 of the Criminal Justice Act 1961, one of whom was convicted of terrorist-type offences. One other prisoner was transferred under section 27. All were either domiciled in, or had close family links with, Northern Ireland. In the same year, four prisoners were transferred fom Northern Ireland to England and Wales under section 26, two under section 27 and one under section 28 of the Act.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in British gaols give as their place of domicile (i) the Republic of Ireland and (ii) Northern Ireland; and how many of these prisoners are serving sentences for terrorist-type offences as on 31 December 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information which is readily available centrally relates to prisoners' place of birth and to those terrorist-type prisoners who are held in category A. On 31 December 1989, 561 sentenced inmates of prison establishments in England and Wales were recorded as born in the Republic of Ireland and 378 in Northern
  202
  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 4 July 1990]: The information for trunk roads is as follows. Information about local authority roads is not available.

  Ireland. Of those, 13 born in the Republic of Ireland and 21 born in Northern Ireland had been convicted of terrorist-type offences and were held in category A.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners giving as their domicile either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland have been permitted to return home to the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland on parole for humanitarian reasons in 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  This information is not available.

  Civil Unrest, Northern Ireland
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of deaths and injuries which have occurred in Great Britain and mainland western Europe in 1989 which are regarded as being connected with present civil unrest in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Waddington
  The information is given in the table.

  Deaths and injuries in Great Britain and Western Europe in 1989 attributable to Northern Irish terrorism

  Date of incident and location

  Deaths

  Injuries

  20 February 1989

  Clive Barracks, Tern Hill, Shropshire

  —

  1

  19 June 1989

  Quebec Barracks, Osnabruck, West Germany

  —

  1

  2 July 1989

  Hanover, West Germany

  1

  5

  1 September 1989

  York Barracks, Munster, West Germany

  0

  2

  7 September 1989

  Dortmund, West Germany

  1

  0

  22 September 1989

  Royal Marines School of Music, Deal, Kent

  11

  21

  20 October 1989

  Wildenrath, West Germany

  2

  0

  203

  Date of incident and location

  Deaths

  Injuries

  18 November 1989

  Married quarters, nr. Goojerat Barracks, Colchester

  0

  2

  Total

  15

  32

  Terrorism
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average number of days spent on remand by those remanded in custody for terrorist-type offences in 1989, with regard to cases now completed in England and Wales and the number of bail applications refused;

  (2) how many persons were remanded in custody before trial for terrorist-type offences in 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  The only relevant information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are now in prison custody in category A and does not cover prisoners who have been released or downgraded.

  Three such prisoners were first received in custody in 1989. The case of one of them has now been completed. This prisoner spent a total of 479 days on remand, and, according to our records, no applications for bail were made.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons in England and Wales were charged with terrorist-type offences relating to Northern Ireland in 1989; how many of those charged were released on bail; and what was the average period between remand and trial for prisoners refused bail relating to such charges in Britain in 1989.

  Mr. John Patten
  The criminal statistics do not distinguish between terrorist-related and other offences. However, information about the number of people charged with criminal offences following detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act is published quarterly for Great Britain in statistical bulletins which are placed in the Library. The latest issue, 15/90, gives in table 1 the number charged in 1989 after detention in connection with Northern Ireland terrorism. Of the 12 people who were so charged in England and Wales in 1989, eight were charged with relatively minor offences; six of these were dealt with at court on the same day or the next day, and two were released on bail. Of the four who were remanded in custody, one person who had been charged in February 1989 was brought to trial in April 1990, and a second, who had been charged in October 1989, was released in January 1990 after the Director of Public Prosecutions decided to offer no evidence against him. The two others, who were charged in December 1989, are currently in custody awaiting trial.

  Visa fees

  (£)

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  National Total

  186,925

  287,815

  388,378

  556,135

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  London

  —

  —

  —

  —

  737,639

  915,407

  1,121,027

  1,318,245

  1,437,983

  Liverpool

  —

  —

  —

  —

  76,411

  105,099

  127,338

  112,446

  89,100

  Peterborough

  —

  —

  —

  —

  44,236

  57,856

  78,713

  95,618

  123,220

  Newport

  —

  —

  —

  —

  38,784

  49,466

  57,022

  56,682

  62,900

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average period of custodial remand for female custodial remand prisoners in England and Wales in 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) on 3 May, at column 658.

  Marches
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing the number of marches that have been banned in England arid Wales in relation to Northern Ireland, since 1986, detailing what the marches were, who applied for permission to hold them and the grounds on which they were refused.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The only public processions relating to events in Northern Ireland which are known to have been prevented as a result of an order made under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 are a procession organised by the Manchester branch of the Apprentice Boys of Derry to take place on 21 November 1987 and a procession organised by Manchester Martyrs' Memorial Committee to take place the following day.

  Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 provides that if a chief officer of police has reason to believe that his powers to impose conditions on public processions are not sufficient to prevent the holding of a procession from resulting in serious public disorder, he may apply to the district council for an order prohibiting all processions, or specified classes of processions, for a period not exceeding three months.

  The district council may make such an order with the consent of the Home Secretary.

  Firearms
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to require a photograph of the bearer to appear on a certificate of registration as a firearms dealer.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. It would not be possible to do so as many firearms dealers are companies.

  Visa Fees
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the income from visa fees for each of the offices in the United Kingdom from 1980 to the present for each year inclusive.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is not available in the form requested. The table shows the total income received from fees for visas issued in the United Kingdom for the financial years 1981–82 to 1984–85 inclusive and by office for the financial years 1985–86 to 1989–90 inclusive.
  205

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Glasgow

  —

  —

  —

  —

  29,601

  33,905

  39,588

  139,000

  165,400

  Belfast

  —

  —

  —

  —

  971

  1,856

  2,493

  3,080

  2,816

  Lunar House

  —

  —

  —

  —

  n.a.

  27,000

  65,000

  77,000

  99,000

  1 Estimated.

  Remand System
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet in a position to announce the Government's decisions on private sector involvement in the remand system.

  Mr. Waddington
  In his statement to the House on 1 March 1989, at columns 277–78, my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary indicated that, in the light of the comments received on the Green Paper "Private Sector Involvement in the Remand System"—July 1988, Cm. 434—and of the report to the Home Office on the practicality of such involvement from the management consultants Deloitte, Haskins and Sells, the Government wished to take further their consideration of the possibility of contracting out to the private sector the design, construction and operation of new remand centres, the escorting of prisoners to and from court and their guarding whilst at court. Final decisions depended, however, on the outcome of further research into the likely cost-effectiveness of contracting out in these areas.

  In the light of the results of this further research, I have decided to go ahead with preparations to reorganise arrangements for court escorts, custody and security services and to invite competitive tenders for the provision of these services. I am confident that the resulting rationalisation of the existing complex and overlapping arrangements will lead to a substantial improvement in the cost-effectiveness with which these services are provided. An important objective of the new arrangements will be to enable the police and prison services to concentrate their efforts on work which makes more effective use of the skills and training of their officers.

  I am today issuing to interested parties a discussion document setting out the Government's proposals in greater detail, and describing the legislative framework which the Government propose should support the reorganisation of these services. A copy has been placed in the Library. Further copies can be obtained from Room 1103, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1H 9AT. Any comments should be submitted to the same address by 7 September 1990.

  The further evidence which has been obtained on the cost-effectiveness of privately operated remand centres indicates that the private sector could, if invited to operate remand centres, reasonably be expected to provide a good standard of service and value for money for the taxpayer. But the opportunities for involving the private sector in the running of remand centres will be considerably more limited than appeared likely at the time of the publication of the Green Paper and my right hon. Friend's statement on 1 March 1989.

  In the context of a general reduction in the prison population recently, the remand population in custody, including those held in police cells, has fallen from an average of 11,400 in 1988 to an average of 10,500 in 1989, and at the end of May this year stood at about 9,800. The proposals set out in the White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public"—February 1990, Cm. 965—should
  206
  lead to a further significant reduction in the numbers in custody. Taken with the success of the prison building programme, the result of these developments is that the likely need for additional remand places provided by the private sector is now very limited.

  The opportunity to mount a trial of competitive tendering for the operation of a remand centre still arises, however, in respect of the new remand centre currently under development at Everthorpe, Humberside. This establishment is due to be completed in 1992. Subject to the passage of the necessary enabling legislation, I have decided that a trial should be mounted in which competitive tenders would be invited from the private sector for the operation of this remand centre. If one or more satisfactory tenders were received from the private sector which offered better value for money than the prison service could offer, a contract would be awarded for private sector management of the establishment. The arrangements for letting and supervising any such contract would in the main follow the recommendations of the report from Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. The staff would be prisoner custody officers, with duties and protections similar to those which it is proposed staff engaged in court escorts and custody should have, and which are described in the discussion document.

  I believe that the introduction of this element of competition into the management of the prison system will make a valuable contribution to the prison service's continuing and successful efforts to raise standards and improve efficiency.

  Maguire Family
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he will take in the cases of the Maguire family and their co-defendants.

  Mr. Waddington
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General and I have now received Sir John May's interim report on these cases. In the light of the report, I have decided to refer the cases of Mr. and Mrs. Maguire, their sons, Vincent and Patrick, Mr. William Smyth and Mr. Patrick O'Neill to the Court of Appeal under the provisions of section 17(1)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968.

  I will seek the views of the Court of Appeal under section 17(1)(b) of the 1968 Act on the question of whether it is possible to refer to the court under section 17(1)(a) the case of a person who is now dead. If the court's view is that such action is legally possible, I will refer the case of Mr. Patrick "Guiseppe" Conlon also under the provisions of section 17(1)(a). If the court's view is that such action is not possible, I will consider what further steps to take in the light of its advice.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General and I are arranging for Sir John May's interim report to be published tomorrow at 3 pm in response to an order of the House for a return. Copies will be placed in the Library.

  Prisoners' Pay
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the results of the review of prisoners' pay.

  Mr. Mellor
  Consideration of the review of inmates' earnings by the prisons board has identified the need for some further work to be done. The outcome will be announced as soon as conclusions are reached.

  Police Officers
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his policy on having an officer class in the police forces;

  (2) what consideration he is giving to the introduction of an officer class in the police forces.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We need to look actively for opportunities to recruit talented people from all sources while recognising that senior police officers need to start their careers by gaining experience as constables.

  Immigration
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on a common immigration policy at European Community level.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  EC Heads of Government agreed at the European Council in Strasbourg in December 1989 that an inventory of member states' immigration position should be prepared, with a view to further discussion at ministerial level. I would not wish to prejudge the outcome of this discussion, but we have made it clear that we regard immigration policy as a national matter.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how much crime figures have increased since 1979.

  Mr. John Patten
  Since 1979 and up to the end of March 1990, recorded crime has increased by 58 per cent. However, there is evidence from the British crime survey that the real increase in crime has been less than that recorded by the police: between 1981 and 1987, survey crimes increased by 30 per cent. compared with 41 per cent. for comparable crimes recorded by the police. Results of the 1988 British crime survey are published in Home Office research study 111. Recorded crime figures for 1979 are published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1988"—Cm. 847—and for the 12 months to March 1990 in Home Office statistical bulletin 19/90. Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

  Territorial Seas
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the territorial sea round the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is to be extended to 12 miles.

  Mr. Waddington
  The Isle of Man has asked that such an extension be made. Agreement in principle has been reached on the terms and conditions for the transfer of rights relating to petroleum beneath the sea bed.208
  Agreement has also been reached for compensation to be paid to the Crown Estate for its interests in the extended territorial sea. Rights for coal will not be transferred at this time, but may be subject to negotiation at a later date. In exercising jurisdiction over fisheries, the established rights of all fishermen will be safeguarded and any measures will be subject to approval by Fisheries Ministers. On the basis of these negotiations, it is proposed that the territorial sea wil be extended. Discussions are continuing with Jersey and Guernsey.

HEALTH

  Benefit Provision
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to investigate ways in which the families of individuals who are seriously ill can be given better financial security.

  Mr. Scott
  I have been asked to reply.

  On 10 January we laid before Parliament "The Way Ahead: Benefits for Disabled People" which details our major proposals arising from our review of the balance and structure of social security benefits for long-term sick and disabled people and their carers. With effect from October 1990 we propose to remove the six-month qualifying period for attendance allowance for people who are terminally ill. Carers of people who are terminally ill will automatically be eligible to claim invalid care allowance. Also effective from October 1990 a carer's premium, initially at a rate of £10 a week, will be introduced into income support and housing benefit for those receiving invalid care allowance. This will help 30,000 carers.

  Complementary Medicine
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of complementary medicine; what aspects of impending EEC legislation were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  My hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State met representatives of the complementary therapies on 29 November 1989. At the meeting they expressed fears that their professions might be adversely affected by EC legislation.

  There are three current EC directives in this area—two on higher education diplomas one of a general nature, containing nothing specific to individual professions; they will not affect alternative practitioners' right to practise in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the other directive, on homeopathic medicinal products, is to achieve a single market whilst safeguarding public health. Our considerations will take account of United Kingdom interests and traditions.

  AIDS
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what money Her Majesty's Government have allocated specifically for public health education for the avoidance of contracting HIV and AIDS in each year since such an allocation was first made; whether any major new campaign is proposed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The table sets out total allocations made to regional health authorities, local
  209
  authorities and to the voluntary sector as a contribution towards the development of HIV and AIDS-related services, including educational and other initiatives to help further prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. The table also shows spending by the Department of Health and the Health Education Authority (HEA) on AIDS public education work between 1985–86 and 1987–88, and allocations to the HEA for the development of the

  (£ million)

  Year

  Regional Health authorities

  Local authorities

  Voluntary sector

  Department of Health

  Health Education authority

  1985–86

  —

  —

  0·10

  0·52

  —

  1986–87

  —

  —

  0·16

  7·60

  —

  1987–88

  25·1

  —

  1·30

  6·74

  4·47

  1988–89

  61·7

  —

  1·09

  —

  10·00

  1989–90

  122·8

  7·0

  1·60

  —

  12·00

  1990–91

  127·5

  9·8

  1·80

  —

  10·00

  So far as general Government strategies for HIV prevention are concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 15 June at columns 372–73.

  Graham Gaskin
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct Liverpool city council to allow Graham Gaskin access to his file.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There is no power under which my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State can order a local authority to release confidential records of this kind.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health following the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the Graham Gaskin case, what steps the Government have taken to implement the ruling; whether an independent procedure has yet been established to consider the release of Graham Gaskin's file; and what legislation is being considered arising out of the case.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The implications of the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights for the arrangements governing access to personal records are being carefully reviewed. Decisions on the need to modify those arrangements will be taken on completion of the review, at which stage I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ascertain whether the Graham Gaskin file is complete and request that a copy be deposited with his office for safe keeping.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The file relating to Mr. Graham Gaskin is, quite properly, held by Liverpool city council. We have no wish to assume its responsibility for its safe keeping, nor does my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State have power to require the council to supply a copy.

  Child Migrants
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) further to his answer of 15 January,Official Report, column 81, how many further inquiries he has received on the Child Migrant Trust; and what steps he is taking to encourage such inquiries;
  210
  national AIDS public education campaign from October 1987 and in subsequent years. These amounts include the running costs of the national AIDS helpline and related telephone information and advice services. Not shown in the table are the amounts spent by other Government Departments on HIV prevention work within their own spheres of interest.

  (2) how many child migrants has the Department helped since 1979.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Two further inquiries relating to the Child Migrant Trust's grant application have been received since 15 January.

  Responsibility for the welfare of former child migrants rests with the countries to which they have emigrated.

  Neuroblastoma
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to the statement by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health in the Adjournment Debate on neuroblastoma on 30 March,Official Report, column 870, if he will now state the number of children diagnosed with the disease and the number of deaths from it in each of the years since 1980; if there is any progress he can report in regard to research on screening the disease; and if there is any further action he is taking arising from the debate.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I understand that the Medical Research Council is considering the need for research on screening for neuroblastoma. I wrote to the right hon. Member on 27 June offering to discuss this topic further with him and parents' representatives. The statistical information requested is as follows:

  Year

  Neuroblastoma diagnosed at age 0–14 (England)

  Neuroblastoma deaths at age 0–14 (England)

  1980

  56

  42

  1981

  69

  37

  1982

  63

  33

  1983

  60

  26

  1984

  67

  38

  1985

  163

  30

  1986

  167

  42

  1987

  179

  34

  1988

  188

  56

  1989

  —

  45

  1 Provisional.

  Hospital Watch Schemes
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department is doing to encourage the extension of hospital watch schemes.
  211
  Mr. Dorrell
  It is the responsibility of health authorities to determine security arrangements but we welcome local initiatives such as hospital watch schemes.

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his reasons for seeking to prohibit full-time trade union officials from sitting on health authorities.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: The new Membership and Procedure Regulations disqualify from non-executive membership of a regional or district health authority a person who holds any paid employment or office with a trade union which represents the interests of members who are employed by a health service body. This is one of a number of grounds for disqualification from health authority membership which aim to avoid any conflict of interest on the part of health authority members. It is for the same reason that directors of NHS trusts; members of other regional and district health authorities; members of the family health services authorities (FHSAs) (except for the FHSA chairman member of RHAs) and GPs who are practice fund holders are disqualified from membership by the regulations.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many written parliamentary questions he has answered; and how many of these were in reply to hon. Members representing Northern Ireland constituencies in each of the last two parliamentary Sessions and the current Session to the latest convenient date indicating in a table(a) how many were answered by each Northern Ireland Office Minister, (b) how many were answered on the date requested and (c) in how many cases a holding reply was first given.

  Mr. Cope
  In the 1988–89 and 1989–90 (to 9 July 1990) Sessions 1,162 and 1,079 written parliamentary questions were answered. Of those 766 and 781 respectively were in reply to hon. Members for Northern Ireland. Similar information for the 1987–88 Session is not available.

  Answered by

  Parliamentary Session

  1988–89

  11989–90

  Mr. Brooke

  7

  53

  Mr. King

  44

  —

  Mr. Cope

  99

  327

  Mr. Stewart

  212

  —

  Mr. Bottomley

  37

  287

  Mr. Needham

  450

  295

  Dr. Mawhinney

  118

  117

  Mr. Viggers

  195

  —

  Total

  1,162

  1,079

  Answered on time (priority and ordinary)

  811

  628

  Answered on time (priority only)

  218

  188

  Holding replies

  351

  451

  1 To 9 July

  1991 Census
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the information from the 1991 census in Northern Ireland will make it possible to aggregate population and employment statistics on a constituency basis.

  Mr. Needham
  As for past censuses, the 1991 census in Northern Ireland will have the capacity to aggregate population and employment statistics on the basis of local government districts and wards. Since the boundaries of these do not correspond to constituency boundaries it will not be possible to produce exact statistics for the latter. Instead, where required, they will be provided on an estimated basis, making appropriate adjustment for boundary differences.

  Unemployment
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the latest available figures which indicate unemployment in each parliamentary constituency and in each electoral ward in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The information available is as follows:

  Numbers of unemployed claimants by parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland at 10 May 1990

  Parliamentary constituency

  Total number of unemployed claimants

  Belfast East

  3,994

  Belfast North

  6,588

  Belfast South

  4,465

  Belfast West

  9,222

  East Antrim

  4,576

  East Londonderry

  6,986

  Fermanagh and South Tyrone

  6,363

  Foyle

  9,835

  Lagan Valley

  4,604

  Mid-Ulster

  6,893

  Newry and Armagh

  6,889

  North Antrim

  5,027

  North Down

  3,400

  South Antrim

  3,927

  South Down

  5,117

  Strangford

  3,258

  Upper Bann

  4,920

  Total

  96,064

  Note: Figures for parliamentary constituencies are estimated from ward data.

  Since there are 566 electoral wards in Northern Ireland I will write to the hon. Member, giving unemployment figures for each electoral ward, and place copies of the information in the House of Commons Library.

  Housing
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's activities in the last financial year and what figures in respect of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive are available to indicate(a) the dwelling stocks, (b) the collectable rent which should have been received from tenants, (c) expenditure on repairs and maintenance of stock, (d) expenditure on new buildings, (e) expenditure on rehabilitation of stock, (f) expenditure

  213
  on salaries and administration, (g) expenditure on grants to the private sector, (h) expenditure incurred on interest charges and (i) grant received from the Department of the Environment.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The total cost of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's activities in the last financial year (1989–90) was £476,310,000.

  The detailed information sought is as follows:

  (a) Total housing stock at 31 March 1990 was 169,971

  (b) Rent collectable £169,414,000

  (c) Expenditure on repairs and maintenance £70,139,000

  (d) Expenditure on new building £51,280,000

  (e) Expenditure on rehabilitation of stock £76,606,000

  (f) Expenditure on salaries and administration £46,256,000

  (g) Expenditure on grants to the private sector £36,185,000

  (h) Expenditure incurred on interest charges £170,000,000

  (i) Housing grant from DOE (NI) £157,373,000

  Most of the information concerns the executive's revenue expenditure which is financed partly by rental income and partly by a grant (housing grant) from the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland to meet the difference between rental income and approved revenue expenditure.

  The executive's capital expenditure includes new build and rehabilitation of existing stock which is financed by borrowing mainly from the Government and by capital receipts from the sale of dwellings, land and mortgage redemptions.

  Firearms
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Ulster Defence Regiment, and its reserve, currently hold private firearms certificates.

  Mr. Cope
  The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Emergency Provisions
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish the report on Lord Colville's review of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Acts 1978 and 1987.

  Mr. Brooke
  It has been published today (Cm. 1115). I am most grateful to Lord Colville for his comprehensive and detailed report, which deserves to be widely read. The Government will consider carefully his recommendations and in due course bring forward proposals for new legislation. In the meantime, the Government would welcome the views both of hon. Members and of the public at large on the matters addressed in the review.

  Documents
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what system he employs to classify, log and otherwise record each document generated by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 2 July 1990]: Staff are provided with clear instructions on the registering and classification of documents and on the transmission and storage of classified documents.
  214
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria he uses when deciding which documents to pass on to the Public Record Office.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 2 July 1990]: No document falls due for selection and transfer to the Public Record Office until it is at least 30 years old. A document's suitability for permanent preservation under the terms of the Public Records Act 1958 will be reviewed during that period. The Act does not require statistics to be kept in the form requested and to do so would inevitably incur disproportionate cost. However, in order to comply with their duties under the Act, Departments are obliged to ensure that all documentary records are properly preserved with a view to possible transfer to the Public Record Office and eventual release to the public. The general criteria under which the Department may retain documents over 30 years old are set out in section 3(4) of the Public Records Act.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  European Monetary Union
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has discussed with his European Community counterparts the compatibility of European monetary union with the principle of subsidiarity.

  Mr. Lilley
  In discussions with his ECOFIN colleagues my right hon. Friend has stressed the need for all economic and monetary arrangements in the Community to respect the principle of subsidiarity.

  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the current progress of discussions regarding the achievement of economic and monetary union in the European Community.

  Mr. Lilley
  Economic and monetary union was last discussed at the European Council in Dublin on 25–26 June. It was agreed that more convergence of member states' economic performance and wider use of the ecu were needed during stage 1; and that the intergovernmental conference to decide on further stages should open on 13 December. ECOFIN and the Foreign Affairs Council and their committees will now continue their preparatory work.

  Inflation
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the rate of inflation for the period April 1990 to April 1991.

  Mr. Ryder
  It is not the practice to publish month-by-month forecasts for inflation. The FSBR forecast that all-items RPI inflation would be 5 per cent. in 1991Q2.

  Football Clubs
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he holds on arrears of three months or more on(a) pay as you earn and (b) value added tax payments by professional football clubs.

  Mr. Lilley
  Information held by the Inland Revenue and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise about individual
  215
  football clubs is, of course, confidential and may not be disclosed. A global figure of arrears over three months old for all professional football clubs could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Independent Taxation
  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the benefits of independent taxation for married women.

  Mr. Lilley
  Independent taxation, which took effect on 6 April 1990, offers all married women the opportunity to enjoy independence and privacy in their own tax affairs.

  Every married woman is now entitled to a personal allowance and basic rate band in her own right, which she can set against her own income of any kind. This includes any income which she may have from savings or investments, and any state retirement pension which she may receive by virtue of her husband's national insurance contributions. The allowance is given at higher, age-related levels if she is aged 65 or over, subject to her own income limit.

  Almost 3 million wives (just under half of all wives on whose income tax is charged) will have less tax charged on their income, because they will have their own personal allowance and their income will no longer be taxed as if it belonged to their husband. These changes remove the tax penalty on marriage because the tax payable on a married woman's income will now never exceed—as it could previously—the tax payable by a single woman on the same income.

  Sterling-Deutschmark Link
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates the pound sterling has been linked by Her Majesty's Government informally to the deutschmark at given rates of exchange since June 1983; what were the exchange rates on each given date; how long each arrangement was maintained; and if he will list the changes in the United Kingdom interest rates during each period of each informal link.

  Mr. Major
  [holding answer 5 July 1990]: Tables 13.1 and 13.8 of the Central Statistical Office's monthly publication "Financial Statistics" give information on sterling's exchange rate against other major currencies and United Kingdom short-term interest rates, respectively.

  Government Shareholdings
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the answer of 11 December,Official Report, column 463, on (a) the golden shares and (b) other shares currently owned by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Lilley
  [pursuant to his reply, 10 July 1990, c. 112–13]: I regret that Southern Water was accidentally omitted from the list of companies in which the Government hold a special share.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Hampshire
  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what are the statutory duties of(a) Hampshire county council and (b) his Department and its
  216
  regional offices in relation to the development of commercial and industrial links with the lower Normandy area of the EEC;

  (2) what are the statutory duties of (a) Hampshire county council and (b) his Department for the provision of services to assist the location of industry and commerce in Hampshire.

  Mr. Ridley
  The Hampshire county council has no statutory duties to develop commercial and industrial links with lower Normandy or to provide services to assist the location of industry and commerce in Hampshire.

  My Department has a number of powers (but no statutory duties) to achieve these ends, but is making limited use of them at present.

  GATT
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration has been given to the environmental implications of the European Community and the United States' proposals on trade-related investment measures and trade in intellectual property rights in the current general agreement on tariffs and trade round.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Government believe that agreements such as those sought by the European Community and the United States in the current GATT Uruguay round negotiations to liberalise trade in the fields of investment and intellectual property will helpfully complement wider international efforts to tackle global and regional environmental problems. For example, by providing greater incentives and security for innovators, a GATT agreement leading to improved international protection of intellectual property would help facilitate the investment and technology flows needed to meet environmental challenges.

  Chambers of Commerce
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many chambers of commerce have received assistance from his Department in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Redwood
  Thirty-seven chambers have received funding in respect of their position as local host organisations under the enterprise and education initiative. Seventeen chambers have received funding to assist with the appointment of export development advisers. Six chambers have received funding for various activities from inner-city task forces. Three chambers have received funding as part of the Department's support for the South-West Export Federation initiative.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the matters which are under discussion between himself and chambers of commerce; when he next plans to meet their representatives; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is intending to meet Mr. Miles Middleton, president of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce (ABCC), later this month to discuss the ABCC's five-year development plan.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met representatives of chambers of commerce; and what was discussed.
  217
  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met representatives of chambers of commerce at a dinner organised by the Association of British Chambers of Commerce on 19 December 1989. A general discussion of the role of chambers of commerce took place.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which Group of Seven countries it is compulsory for local businesses to be members of the chamber of commerce in order to trade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  It is compulsory for local businesses to be members of the chamber of commerce in order to trade in France, Italy and West Germany.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what functions are currently contracted out by his Department to chambers of commerce; and what proposals he has to extend this cover.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Association of British Chambers of Commerce (ABCC) has, since 1966, acted as the Department's agent in the administration of the certificates of origin scheme. Since January 1989 the export marketing research scheme has been operated by the ABCC on behalf of the Department on a three-year contract. In May 1990 the ABCC assumed responsibility for issuing international import certificates. Officials are currently holding discussions with the ABCC regarding the possibility of transferring the issue of certificates of experience to chambers of commerce.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government have done to protect the title and definitive status of chambers of commerce and industry.

  Mr. Redwood
  The titles "Chamber of Commerce", "Chamber of Industry" and "Chamber of Trade" are specified in the schedule to Statutory Instrument 1981 No. 1685 ("The Company and Business Names Regulations 1981").

  This schedule specifies words and expressions for whose registration as, or as part of, a company's corporate name or whose use as, or as part of, a business name the Secretary of State's approval is required.

  Insider Trading
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of alleged insider trading were investigated by his Department in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Redwood
  The power to appoint inspectors to investigate possible insider trading is contained in section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 which came into force in November 1986. The Secretary of State has made the following number of appointments for each year since then:

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  11990

  3

  10

  12

  16

  1

  1 to date

  These statistics are published at page 152 of the Trade and Industry Committee third report on company investigations.

  British Telecom
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any proposals to relinquish his golden share in British Telecom.

  Mr. Forth
  The articles of association of British Telecommunications plc require that the special share in the company may be held only by Her Majesty's Government. It could not therefore be sold.

  Share Transfers
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Scretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to facilitate the introduction of electronic recording and transfer of shares.

  Mr. Redwood
  Section 207 of the Companies Act 1989 gives me power to make regulations to enable title to securities to be evidenced and transferred without a written instrument. The international stock exchange (ISE) has published proposals for the introduction of TAURUS, its scheme for recording and transferring shares electronically in October 1991, and I am therefore considering the form of the regulations which I should make.

  I welcome developments that improve the international competitiveness of the United Kingdom as a financial centre. However, the introduction of electronic share transfers will also affect the way in which companies can meet their obligations, and change the manner in which investors hold shares. Striking the right balance between the interests of investors, companies and market participants may not be easy and I would like to hear the comments of a wide range of interested parties before reaching decisions on how to proceed.

  I am today publishing a consultative paper which describes the proposed legal framework for TAURUS, and seeks views on how different rights and obligations should be handled by statutory provisions or by the appropriate regulatory bodies. Comments are invited by 14 September. I am arranging for a copy of the paper to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to take any steps to ensure that the privatised insurance group of the ECGD will not operate in direct competition with the ECGD.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 July 1990]: The core business of the Insurance Services Group of the ECGD is quite different from that of the project group. The question of their competing is therefore unlikely to arise.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce the name of the successful bidder for the Insurance Services Group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 July 1990]: Final decisions have not yet been taken about the proposed method of sale of the Insurance Services Group, which would be subject to the necessary legislation. It is not therefore possible at present to say when I will be in a position to announce the name of any successful bidder(s).
  219
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce the site of the new offices of the Insurance Services Group, Export Credits Guarantee Department.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 July 1990]: Decisions on the site of any new offices would be for the new management and owners.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any proposition has been submitted to him and the ECGD concerning the possible conversion of the ECGD's projects group into a "next steps"-style agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 July 1990]: In his written answer of 18 December 1989, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced that the precise form of the organisation of ECGD after the separation of its Insurance Services Group would be decided as soon as possible. Decisions would focus on whether ECGD should remain a Department or acquire agency status.

  A review has been conducted by the Office of the Minister of the Civil Service (OMCS) to inform that decision. This has taken account of the views expressed by a number of interested parties some of which were opposed to the idea of agency status. A final decision is expected to be announced very shortly.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the accumulated net annual profit or loss in respect of the Export Credits Guarantee Department and the main export credit insurers in(a) the United States of America, (b) Japan, (c) West Germany, (d) France and (e) Italy at the end of the 1988–89 financial year.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 10 July 1990]: The accumulated net annual profit and loss of the Export Credits Guarantee Department as at the end of the 1988–89 financial year can be found in the trading accounts laid before the House in HC 153 in February 1990. Owing to different organisational structures and accounting practices, no comparable figures are available for the other countries from published sources.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the annual profit or loss in respect of the Export Credits Guarantee Department and the main export credit insurers in(a) the United States of America, (b) Japan, (c) West Germany, (d) France and (e) Italy in 1988–89.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 9 July 1990]: The profit and loss account for the 1988–89 financial year of the Export Credits Guarantee Department can be found in the trading accounts laid before the House in HC 153 in February 1990. Owing to different organisational structures and accounting practices, no comparable figures are available for the other countries from published sources.

  Leather Industry
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he intends to take, in conjunction with the United States of America and European Community countries, to protect the leather industry when the current tariff quota agreement expires in March 1991.
  220
  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 4 July 1990]: The hon. Member is right that the tariff quota agreement with Japan expires in March 1991.

  The agreement imposes high import duties on all but a small volume of EC imports of dressed leather and leather footwear whereas EC import duties on those products are low.

  Negotiations are handled by the EC. They are currently aiming to reduce Japan's import duties on dressed leather and leather footwear in the Uruguay round and bilaterally.

  The EC Commission will look at any allegations of unfair trade practices if damage is being done to the domestic EC industry.

  Takeovers
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to alter his policy regarding hostile takeovers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 5 July 1990]: No. The 1988 blue paper policy made clear our belief that the possibility of takeover acts as an important discipline on incumbent managements to demonstrate to their shareholders that they are running their companies as efficiently as possible. I have no plans to amend our policy in respect of hostile takeover bids (which form only a small proportion of the total merger activity in the United Kingdom). It is in general up to the shareholders whether to accept or reject a bid. The main grounds for deciding whether to refer a bid to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission will continue to be its likely effect on competition.

  Amateur Radio
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much time the radio investigation service spends monitoring(a) the amateur bands, and (b) amateur radio licence enforcement.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: The radio investigation service (RIS) works to clearly defined priorities. These are firstly to deal with complaints of interference to radio used by emergency and other safety of life services; secondly with complaints of interference to those who depend on radio for the successful operation of their businesses; and thirdly with other categories of radio use. The amateur radio hobby falls within the third category. Figures of time spent monitoring the amateur bands and on amateur licence enforcement are not separately recorded.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to introduce a novice amateur radio licence.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: The licensing of amateur radio is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry. I announced on 19 April 1990 that a final draft of the amateur novice licence has been published and that the Radiocommunications Agency of the DTI hoped to be ready to issue the first novice licence in early 1991. A press notice was issued to that effect.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what action radio investigation service officers are taking to stop abuse on GB35L, GB3BM and GB3NA amateur radio repeaters; and if he will make a statement;
  221
  (2) what representations he has received about the damage being done to amateur radio by continuous abuse of the VHF two-metre repeater network; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: A number of complaints have been received about abuse on these repeater stations. When the radio investigation service (RIS) of my Department's Radiocommunications Agency is able to prove offences or to establish that improper use of radio facilities has occurred, appropriate action is taken. This may include licence variation or prosecution. In addition to action which the RIS can take it is currently discussing proposals with the Radio Society of Great Britain, the licensee for repeaters, to exercise closer control of repeater stations.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many radio investigation service officers were in post in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990 to date.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: Staff in post figures for radio investigation service district offices are published each year in the annual report of my Department's Radiocommunications Agency. The figures were (at 1 April each year):

  In post

  1986

  188

  1987

  184

  1988

  154

  1989

  140·5

  1990

  143·5

  The figures for 1985 are not available.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will close down radio voice repeaters in the United Kingdom until the Radio Society of Great Britain self-policing scheme is in operation.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: In general, no. The majority of amateur radio repeaters are used by responsible licensees. Closure in specific cases is an option if there is abuse.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the number of radio investigation service officers required to cope with the workload.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: The performance of the radio investigation service of my Department's Radiocommunications Agency is kept under review to ensure that the service is correctly resourced. I am satisfied that the number of officers is appropriate to the present workload.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many amateur radio operators licences have been revoked by him in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: The number of amateur radio licences revoked was: in 1988, nil; in 1989, seven; in 1990 to date, two are being considered.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Radio Society of Great Britain amateur 222
  observation service is currently operational; and if he will list any occasions in the last year in which it has not been operational.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 6 July 1990]: This is a matter for the Radio Society of Great Britain.

  0898 Telephone Lines
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the voluntary codes for governing services available on 0898 number telephone lines; and if he has plans further to regulate such lines.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 9 July 1990]: This is a matter for the Director General of Telecommunications who has taken firm action to control 0898 and other premium-rate services. He announced on 29 June that from 10 July he is to withdraw recognition of the code of practice that governs "one-to-one" premium-rate services. They will not be able to operate from that date unless a new code of practice is recognised by the director general.

  Philately Counters
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on(a) the number of specialist philately counters currently operating at post offices in England and Wales, (b) the location of those currently proposed for closure and (c) the total value of annual sales through these counters.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 9 July 1990]: The Post Office tells me there are currently 33 philatelic counters in operation in England and Wales of which seven are new-style "collections" centres opened this financial year. There are, I understand, no plans to close any philatelic counters at present. The figure for the total value of annual sales through these counters is not available.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  United Nations Development Programme
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Kingdom's contributions to the United Nations Development Programme for every year since 1979 in current prices, real prices (1990 prices) and as a percentage of United Nations Development Programme's total budget.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  Contribution £ million

  Contribution at constant 1990 pries £ million

  Proportion of UNDP total per cent.

  1979

  28·53

  62·5

  8·3

  1980

  15·0

  27·5

  4·9

  1981

  17·5

  28·8

  5·1

  1982

  18·5

  28·3

  4·8

  1983

  18·5

  26·9

  4·2

  1984

  19·0

  26·4

  3·9

  1985

  21·0

  27·6

  3·6

  1986

  21·0

  26·7

  4·0

  1987

  23·0

  27·8

  4·2

  1988

  24·5

  27·9

  4·6

  1989

  26·0

  27·7

  4·5

  1990

  27·0

  27·0

  4·2

  Aid and Trade Provision
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all aid and trade provision projects from 1979 to date with the companies and the sums of money involved.

  Country

  Project

  Company

  Export value (£ million)

  ATP element (£ million)

  January 1979 to March 1979

  Belize

  Telecommunications

  Plessey

  3·000

  0·688

  Jordan

  Potash Plant

  Wimpey

  35·000

  10·000

  Vietnam

  Haiphon Power Station

  JBE

  9·600

  2·888

  Vietnam

  SD 14 Ships

  Austin Pickersgill

  18·000

  4·463

  April 1979 to March 1980

  Egypt

  Electrical Switchgear

  GEC

  7·500

  2·000

  Egypt

  Electricity Generation Project

  Rolls Royce

  28·000

  10·020

  Egypt

  (Draglines) Irrigation Project

  Ransome Rapier

  7·500

  2·600

  Kenya

  Soda Ash Wagons

  BRE Metro

  3·098

  1·279

  Malaysia

  Locum Submarine Cable

  STC

  23·000

  9·018

  Senegal

  HS 748 Aircraft

  British Aerospace

  3·000

  1·000

  Tanzania

  Bus Chassis

  Leyland

  0·960

  0·481

  April 1980 to March 1981

  Bangladesh

  Combined Cycle Gas Power Station

  GEC

  17·297

  4·680

  Brazil

  Seine Net Winch

  Anglo Dansk

  0·019

  0·019

  Burma

  Gas Turbines Project

  JBE

  15·625

  3·201

  Burma

  Jute Mill Expansion

  Mackies

  10·592

  2·154

  Burma

  Marine Diesel Engines

  Kelvin Diesels

  7·350

  1·202

  Burma

  Jute Carpet Backing Machinery

  Mackies

  5·882

  1·178

  Caribbean

  HS 748 Aircraft (Liat)

  British Aerospace

  3·000

  1·000

  Cyprus

  Dhekelia B Power Station

  NEI Reyrolle

  2·500

  0·366

  Madagascar

  Maintenance for HS 748's

  British Aerospace

  2·800

  0·600

  Malaysia

  Airport Study

  BAI

  0·443

  0·443

  Philippines

  Wood Burning Power Station

  Balfour Beatty

  8·592

  1·967

  Sri Lanka

  Locomotives

  British Electrical

  7·952

  2·867

  Zimbabwe

  Railway Electrification

  GEC/Westinghouse

  27·465

  8·068

  April 1981 to March 1982

  Burma

  Pharmaceutical Plant Study

  Cementation/APV

  0·188

  0·188

  Colombia

  Bridges Project

  Balfour Beatty

  1·070

  0·301

  Kenya

  Telecommunications

  Plessey

  2·815

  0·703

  Mexico

  Sicartsa Steel Works

  Davey McKee

  200·000

  34·943

  Morocco

  Nador Roll Mill

  Davey Leowy

  51·500

  13·505

  Mozambique

  Bus Maintenance

  Leyland

  4·223

  1·060

  Mozambique

  Mineral Survey

  Hunting Geology

  4·230

  1·030

  Pakistan

  3 SD 18 Ships

  Austin and Pickersgill

  27·000

  9·572

  Paraguay

  Power Transmission Scheme

  Balfour Beatty

  11·303

  2·870

  April 1982 to March 1983

  Brazil

  Jacui Power Station

  Klockner/NEI

  90·800

  24·138

  Burma

  Gas Turbines

  JBE

  11·044

  2·213

  Burma

  Bridge Project

  Balfour Beatty

  0·360

  0·090

  Egypt

  W· Sebaeya Phosphate Mine

  Seltrust Engineering

  20·000

  7·315

  India

  Rihand Super Thermal Power Plant

  NEI

  231·200

  17·034

  Indonesia

  Mrica Hydro Project

  Balfour Beatty

  44·646

  12·075

  Kenya

  Railway Coaches

  BRE Metro

  23·700

  5·030

  Mexico

  Scientific Instrument Training

  Darwin Instruments

  0·029

  0·029

  Paraguay

  Power Transmission Scheme

  Balfour Beatty

  5·290

  1·350

  Peru

  Mini Hydros

  Balfour Beatty

  25·625

  4·852

  Zimbabwe

  Hwange Power Station

  PED

  3·600

  1·000

  April 1983 to March 1984

  Botswana

  Moruple Power Station Turbines

  NEI/Parsons

  17·126

  4·418

  Burma

  Outboard Propulsion Units

  Sykes Marine

  5·000

  1·202

  Colombia

  Coffee Rust Control Programme

  Wiles and Associates

  0·201

  0·201

  Colombia

  Mine Safety Training

  BMC

  0·018

  0·018

  Honduras

  Aguan Valley Study

  Halcrows

  0·500

  0·100

  India

  Amlori Coal Mine

  BMC

  80·030

  15·030

  Indonesia

  Jambu Aye Hydro-Electric Dam Study

  Rendel Williamson Hydro

  0·200

  0·200

  Indonesia

  Ombilin Coal Mine

  Dowty Meco

  19·200

  4·445

  Jordan

  HV Transmission Line

  Balfour Beatty

  13·568

  3·611

  Malawi

  Telecommunications

  GEC/BT

  1·000

  0·260

  Malaysia

  View Data

  GEC

  2·367

  0·851

  Philippines

  Dendro Power Station Adviser

  Balfour Beatty

  0·080

  0·040

  224
  Mrs. Chalker
  The aid and trade provision projects funded since 1979 are listed in the following schedule.
  225

  Country

  Project

  Company

  Export value (£ million)

  ATP element (£ million)

  Zimbabwe

  Abattoir Feasibility Study

  Ove Arup

  1·760

  1·760

  April 1984 to March 1985

  Botswana

  Moruple Power Station Coal and Ash Plant

  Butterfly Engineering

  4·736

  1·343

  Brazil

  Coal Mining Training

  BMC Limited

  0·019

  0·019

  Cameroon

  4 Towns Water Project

  Sir A· Gibb and W· S· Atkins

  0·910

  0·910

  Colombia

  Bridge Project Extension

  Balfour Beatty

  0·540

  0·152

  ECOWAS1

  Telecommunications Feasibility Study

  British Teleconsult

  0·065

  0·065

  Egypt

  Electricity Management Study

  British Electricity Int

  0·166

  0·166

  Egypt

  Draglines

  Ransome and Rapier

  0·463

  0·463

  India

  Balco Power Station

  GEC

  130·000

  33·066

  Indonesia

  AIS Submarine Cable

  STC

  104·000

  3·093

  Indonesia

  Isolated Diesels

  HSPE

  38·400

  12·515

  Indonesia

  Education Equipment Study

  British Council

  0·036

  0·036

  Indonesia

  Jabotabek Railway Study

  L· H· Manderstan

  1·000

  1·000

  Malaysia

  Sunghai Ahning Dam

  Balfour Beatty

  9·000

  2·344

  Malaysia

  Ulu Jelai Hydro Feasibility Study

  WLPU/Ewbank

  1·850

  1·850

  Paraguay

  Ascuncion Sewerage Consultancy

  Halcrow/Balfour

  1·020

  1·020

  Sri Lanka

  Colombo Airport

  UKAG

  20·940

  5·264

  Thailand

  Mini Hydros Pilot Plant

  Balfour Beatty

  2·500

  2·500

  Thailand

  Post-Harvest Ground Nut Study: Phase I

  Rural Investment Overseas

  0·081

  0·081

  Thailand

  Railbus Evaluation Study

  Transmark

  0·082

  0·082

  April 1985 to March 1986

  Belize

  Electricity Feasibility Study

  Merz and McLellan

  0·081

  0·081

  Bolivia

  Mineral Concentrator

  GEC

  0·027

  0·027

  Caribbean

  BAE 748 Aircraft

  British Aerospace

  10·336

  3·838

  Colombia

  Coffee Bean Sorter

  Gunsons Sortex

  0·068

  0·068

  ECOWAS1

  Telecommunications implementation Study

  British Teleconsult

  0·250

  0·250

  Egypt

  Maghara Coal Mine

  Babcock

  50·035

  12·578

  Egypt

  Welding Equipment and Training

  British Federal Limited

  0·049

  0·049

  India

  Ganga River Consultancy

  Thames Water Authority

  0·200

  0·200

  Indonesia

  South Bengkulu Oil Palm Study

  Massey Ferguson

  0·400

  0·400

  Indonesia

  Bukit Asam Rail Bridges

  Balfour Beatty

  0·750

  0·152

  Indonesia

  Offshore Supply Vessels

  Marine Design Consultants

  2·156

  0·571

  Indonesia

  Ombilin Coal Mining Training

  Dowty Meco

  0·655

  0·655

  Kenya

  Sugar Milling Equipment

  Fletcher and Stewart

  0·891

  0·235

  Kenya

  Upland Bacon Factory Study

  Mitchell Cotts

  0·100

  0·100

  Malaysia

  Cross Braced Bogies

  British Rail Engineering Limited

  7·083

  1·850

  Mauritius

  Plaisance Airport

  Plessey

  18·960

  6·311

  Papua New Guinea

  Port Moresby Airport Study

  Plessey

  0·100

  0·100

  Thailand

  Post-Harvest Ground Nut Study: Phase II

  Rural Investment Overseas

  0·499

  0·499

  Zimbabwe

  Kariba South Power Consultancy

  Merz and McLellan

  0·300

  0·300

  April 1986 to March 1987

  Burma

  Rangoon Electrical Distribution

  BCPE

  20·000

  6·400

  Cameroon

  Ministry of Equipment/Agriculture Technical Assistance

  British Standards Institute

  0·075

  0·075

  Cameroon

  Bamenda Ring Road Survey

  SWK

  0·173

  0·173

  Cameroon

  Limbe Port Feasibility Study

  NYK

  0·250

  0·250

  China

  Coal Sector Training

  Dosco

  0·150

  0·150

  Egypt

  N W Electrification Study

  Numerous

  0·825

  0·825

  Egypt

  Brake Block Foundry

  Davy McKee

  2·749

  0·884

  Egypt

  N W Electrification Project

  Numerous

  4·345

  1·308

  Egypt

  El Omoun Drain

  Sulzer

  3·195

  0·804

  Indonesia

  Jabotabek Feasibility Study

  Manderstam/F· Wheeler

  0·007

  0·007

  Kenya

  Kipevu

  JBE

  7·618

  1·959

  Malawi

  Telecommunications Study

  GEC/BT

  0·052

  0·052

  Malaysia

  Rural Water Study

  Biwater

  194·000

  59·460

  Malta

  Luqa Airport Study

  BAI

  0·131

  0·131

  Sri Lanka

  Samanala Wewa Hydro

  Balfour Beatty

  57·200

  16·570

  Turkey

  Ankara Natural Gas Study

  British Gas

  0·350

  0·350

  China

  Shengli Power Plant

  JBE

  14·913

  4·873

  April 1987 to March 1988

  Belize

  Leyland Trucks

  British Leyland

  0·463

  0·117

  Burma

  Jute Carpet Mills

  Mackies

  0·040

  0·040

  226 227

  Country

  Project

  Company

  Export value (£ million)

  ATP element (£ million)

  Cameroon

  N W Electrification Project

  Balfour Beatty

  5·428

  1·362

  Cameroon

  Douala Port Telecoms

  Placons Limited

  0·100

  0·100

  China

  Shandong Paper Mill

  Black Clawson International Limited

  1·667

  0·502

  China

  Cosco Ships

  British Shipbuilders

  44·300

  13·578

  China

  Beijing Traffic Management Study

  MVA Consultants

  0·450

  0·450

  China

  Liaodong Bay Oil Training

  Global Engineering

  1·000

  0·080

  China

  Shanxi Mining College

  HSDE

  0·061

  0·061

  Cyprus

  Southern Conveyor

  SPP

  3·467

  0·870

  Djibouti

  Transhipment Study

  Ocean Mackenzie

  0·179

  0·179

  India

  India/UAE Submarine Cable

  STC

  24·450

  6·140

  India

  HBJ Pipeline and Generators

  Toyo UK

  24·080

  6·060

  India

  Geological Appraisal

  Robertson Research International

  0·305

  0·305

  Indonesia

  Steel Bridging

  Mabey and Johnson

  10·702

  6·846

  Indonesia

  Navigational Aids

  Pharos Marine

  9·906

  7·007

  Indonesia

  Batam Island Power

  Kennedy and Donkin

  0·252

  0·252

  Indonesia

  Coalfired Power Station Training

  BEI

  0·800

  0·800

  Indonesia

  Radio/TV Consultancy

  BBC

  0·250

  0·250

  Indonesia

  Batam Island Airport

  Techcon

  0·013

  0·013

  Jordan

  Walking Draglines

  Ransome and Rapier

  9·000

  4·654

  Kenya

  Rural Telecommunications

  Communication Supplies

  20·625

  7·300

  Malawi

  Power Transmission

  Balfour/HSPE/Kennedy

  8·080

  2·590

  Malawi

  UXD5 Telecoms Study

  GEC

  0·300

  0·300

  Malawi

  UXD5 Telecoms Stage I

  GEC

  5·580

  1·734

  Mozambique

  Trucks

  Leyland

  2·496

  0·661

  Malaysia

  Liwagu Hydroelectric Study

  Watermeyer Ewbank

  0·850

  0·850

  Malaysia

  Rural Water Supervision

  John Taylor

  3·000

  3·000

  Panama

  Gas Turbine Power Station

  JBE

  14·222

  6·727

  Pakistan

  Karachi Water II

  Sir M· McDonald/Balfour Beatty

  1·500

  1·500

  Peru

  Water Test Units

  Potopak

  0·088

  0·088

  Seychelles

  Mahe Water Consultancy

  Sir A· Gibb

  0·122

  0·122

  Tunisia

  Polypropylene Plant Equipment

  Extrusion Systems

  0·188

  0·047

  Tunisia

  Sakmo II

  Froude Consine

  1·933

  0·584

  Turkey

  Circuit Breakers

  GCE Switchgear

  3·745

  0·940

  Turkey

  Cerkezkoy Water Consultancy

  Thames Water

  0·498

  0·498

  Zimbabwe

  Harare Airport Master Plan

  Sir A· Gibb

  0·257

  0·257

  Zimbabwe

  Zisco Steel Works

  Otto-Simon Carves

  14·161

  5·117

  April 1988—March 1989

  China

  Shanghai No· 3 Flour Mill

  Henry Simon

  8·450

  2·121

  China

  Traffic Control Equipment

  Plessey Controls Limited

  3·999

  1·204

  China

  Infant Rusks Factories

  Baker Perkins

  7·070

  2·128

  China

  Jinzhou Textile Mills

  PSL

  6·408

  1·929

  China

  Chongqing Tyre Factory

  Dunlop International

  21·200

  6·380

  China

  Fushun Textile Plant

  William Tatham Limited

  2·373

  0·715

  China

  Chongqing Power Station

  JBE

  21·710

  6·500

  China

  Yue Yang Transmission

  Balfour Beatty

  8·776

  3·072

  China

  Bohai Aluminium Phase I

  Davey McKee (Poole)

  27·750

  8·786

  China

  Yue Yang Coal Power Station

  GEC

  171·718

  51·417

  China

  Yue Yang Monitoring

  Hattersley

  0·273

  0·273

  China

  Yue Yang Third Party Inspection

  Kennedy Donkin

  0·324

  0·324

  China

  Yue Yang Power Training

  GEC

  3·865

  3·865

  Egypt

  Pyramid Road Hospital

  Higgs and Hill

  3·290

  1·200

  Egypt

  Leak Detection Equipment

  Palmer Environmental

  0·251

  0·251

  Indonesia

  Cigading Port

  Tarmac Consortium

  17·280

  13·173

  Indonesia

  Bandung TV Studio

  Quantel-Link Systems

  11·735

  9·201

  Indonesia

  Scattered Diesals

  GEC

  6·887

  5·421

  Indonesia

  Airport Security Systems

  Holmes Aviation

  0·020

  0·020

  Indonesia

  Forest Radio Communications

  Phillips Radio Communications

  0·228

  0·138

  Kenya

  Telephone Cables

  BICC Cables Limited

  13·088

  5·242

  Kenya

  Rural Telecoms (Systems X)

  Communications Supplies

  27·300

  7·525

  Kenya

  Chemical Sugar Mill

  —

  0·003

  0·003

  Kenya

  Power Distribution

  —

  0·007

  0·007

  Kenya

  Mombasa Causeway

  Sir A· Gibb

  0·412

  0·315

  Pakistan

  Switching Systems

  Ferranti Computers

  1·513

  0·398

  Panama

  Gas Turbines

  JBE

  14·222

  6·958

  Malaysia

  Sandakan Power Station

  NEI/APE

  2·965

  0·929

  Malaysia

  Privatisation Programme

  J· H· Schroder Wagg and Co·

  0·642

  0·194

  Sri Lanka

  Bus Bodies

  Duple Metsec

  8·894

  2·677

  Thailand

  Laem Chabang Port

  Port of Flexstowe International

  0·151

  0·151

  228 229

  Country

  Project

  Company

  Export value (£ million)

  ATP element (£ million)

  Thailand

  Supply of DMU

  BREL

  12·784

  4·487

  YAR

  MF Tractors

  Massey Ferguson Limited

  3·840

  1·924

  Zimbabwe

  Zisco Monitoring

  W· S· Atkins

  0·048

  0·048

  April 1989-March 1990

  Colombia

  System X Digital Telecoms

  GEC/Plessey

  8·601

  4·939

  Egypt

  Maghara Coal Mine

  Babcocks

  0·080

  0·080

  India

  URI-Hydro

  Bovine and Co·

  51·200

  17·920

  Indonesia

  Radio Studios

  David Whittle Associates

  0·390

  0·390

  Indonesia

  Aircraft Simulator

  CAA

  0·050

  0·050

  Indonesia

  Satellite Remote Sensing

  Technology Applied Systems

  0·062

  0·025

  Indonesia

  Cigading/Serpong Railway Rehabilitation

  Davy/British Rail International

  33·000

  20·995

  Indonesia

  Radio Studio Rehabilitation

  Audix Limited

  6·330

  5·040

  Jordan

  Reconstruction of TCC

  BT Telecoms

  1·585

  0·793

  Kenya

  Moi University

  Cambridgeshire University

  0·050

  0·050

  Kenya

  Digital Radio Link I

  GEC

  6·109

  2·434

  Kenya

  Digital Micro Wave Link

  Telectron Systems

  12·040

  4·214

  Morocco

  Gas Turbines

  JBE

  18·564

  7·276

  Morocco

  Diesel Electric Locos

  Brush Electrical

  18·000

  6·300

  Morocco

  Nador Steel Works Study

  W· S· Atkins

  0·265

  0·133

  Pakistan

  Karachi Water II

  Portals Water Treatment

  18·940

  6·629

  Philippines

  Gas Turbines Power Station

  JBE

  37·500

  7·276

  Red Sea

  Regional Hydro Carbon Study

  Robertson Research International

  0·375

  0·187

  Swaziland

  Fire Equipment

  Carmichael Fire and Bulk

  0·410

  0·123

  Tunisia

  Railway Equipment

  Balfour Beatty

  1·584

  0·572

  Tunisia

  Yarn and Fibre Plant

  Extrusion Systems Limited

  1·118

  0·337

  Turkey

  Natural Gas Conversion

  AMEC International Construction

  68·019

  62·470

  April 1990 to June 1990

  China

  Beijing Metro

  Metrotec Group

  20·020

  7·070

  1 Economic Commission for West African States·

  India
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 June,Official Report, column 125, what proportion of United Kingdom bilateral aid was spent on the projects in housing, welfare, education and renewable natural resources sectors, which were regarded as being for direct poverty alleviation.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The proportion of bilateral aid to India spent from 1980 to 1988 on projects in housing, welfare and education was 7 per cent., and in renewable natural resources sectors 11 per cent., giving a total for the poverty-focused sectors of 18 per cent.

  It is not possible to extend this analysis to the aid programme as a whole because the circumstances in India, which mean that spending there in these sectors can be directly attributed to poverty alleviation, are not necessarily applicable in other countries.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Secondary Schools
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what criteria he uses to define the physical capacity of secondary schools; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of these criteria.
  230
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The pupil capacity of a maintained school is defined in the light of the statutory minimum teaching area (MTA) requirements set out in the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981. In connection with the more open enrolment provisions of the Education Reform Act 1988, an LEA or school governing body wishing to vary the standard number for admissions to a secondary school is invited to complete a questionnaire based on pupil work places. The information provided permits the calculation of an indicated admission limit for the school. The method, with minor amendments, has been in use since 1978. It takes account of the size, purpose and intensity of use of each space, and of the number and age of pupils on roll. These criteria appear adequate for the purpose. The procedures allow for the individual consideration of cases where necessary.

  Computers
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the level of integration of computers on to the school timetable.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The information is not available. The level of integration of information technology across the curriculum will vary with such factors as the age of pupils, subjects timetabled, the availability of microcomputers and other information technology equipment, and the expertise of teachers in the effective use of information technology. This is not statistically quantifiable.

  City Technology Colleges
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to have all appointments to the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college suspended until such time as the Haberdashers' city technology college trust company has been formed and that body has adopted a code of good employment practices.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Appointments will be made in conformity with the requirements of employment legislation following the establishment of the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college trust.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement concerning the compensation of local education authorities for costs they may incur directly or indirectly, as a result of the closure of a voluntary school under section 14 of the Education Act 1944 for the purposes of converting the school to a city technology college;

  (2) if he will fully compensate Lewisham education authority for the redundancy payments it will be obliged to make as a result of the closure of the Haberdashers' Aske's schools in Deptford and their conversion to a city technology college.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend is not empowered to pay compensation to any local education authority for the costs, if any, it may incur as a result of the discontinuance of a voluntary school under section 14 of the Education Act 1944.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the deadline for receiving proposals relating to the catchment area, admissions policy and pupil numbers for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  It is for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college trust, when established, to decide when it wishes to invite applications for first year places at the CTC for September 1991, subject to the Secretary of State having already agreed the trust's admissions policy.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the £1 million sponsorship for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college, to be underwritten by the Haberdashers' Company, additional to the value of the existing schools' sites, will be contributed towards either capital or revenue costs of the college.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The £1 million sponsorship which the Haberdashers' Company has undertaken to underwrite may be contributed towards capital costs.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional steps his Department will take to consult those local education authorities whose own educational planning may be affected before approving any proposals relating to catchment area, admissions policy and pupil numbers for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave her on 22 June 1990,Official Report, column 717.
  232
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college will be legally constituted. for the purposes of section 105 of the Education Reform Act 1988 and paragraph 21 of the model funding agreement, as a single school or two schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college will be a single CTC which has single-sex departments. The college will be managed by a single charitable company, and will be conducted by one governing body on the basis of a single instrument of government and one funding agreement with the Secretary of State.

  Higher Education (Research Equipment)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he has taken to ensure that the most recent allocations of the Universities Funding Council and the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council for research equipment in universities and polytechnics match the investment recommended by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The allocation of grant to individual higher education institutions is the responsibility of the funding councils. The Universities Funding Council's allocations for equipment take into account relative research strengths. The Government's latest expenditure plans allow for further increases in spending on equipment.

  Reading Standards
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will place in the Library of the House a note summarising the main evidence and conclusions of the group of senior educational psychologists from nine local education authorities, concerning reading standards; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what study, and with what conclusions, Her Majesty's inspectors have yet been able to make of the evidence and conclusions about reading standards of senior educational psychologists from nine local education authorities.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have called for the evidence underlying the reported conclusions of the nine senior educational psychologists. The information that has been made available to Her Majesty's inspectors to date provides an insufficient basis to support firm conclusions concerning the claim that reading standards have fallen significantly. I am continuing to try to accumulate evidence.

SCOTLAND

  Takare plc
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct Greater Glasgow health board to disclose the weekly cost per bed which it will pay to Takare plc under the recently signed contract for care of the ederly in Rutherglen.
  233
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have already asked Greater Glasgow health board to write to the hon. Member on this matter. I understand that it has now done so.

  City of Culture
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any current plans to commemorate Glasgow's year as the City of Culture by releasing further specific funding to the city for a permanent environmental testament to the year; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government are contributing £0.5 million directly to the European City of Culture 1990 and, in addition, Government-funded bodies are committing significant resources in support of particular events taking place in 1990. The City of Glasgow district council did not include in its latest financial plan any proposals to commemorate Glasgow's year as City of Culture and there has been no subsequent request for funding or capital consent for this purpose.

  Less-favoured Areas
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many registered holdings in Scotland are eligible for less-favoured area projects.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In Scotland, 19,047 holdings submitting agricultural census returns in 1989 contained land classified as less favoured, which confers eligibility for benefits such as hill livestock compensatory allowances and enhanced rates of capital grants.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to make mandatory the awarding of grant where the level of lead in drinking water of a privately owned house is above that set out in the European Community directive on the quality of water for human consumption.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  We have at present no plans to alter the grant arrangements for replacement of lead plumbing. I shall, however, give this matter further consideration when I have the findings of a survey which the Scottish Development Department is currently undertaking of local authorities, new towns and Scottish Homes to establish the incidence of domestic lead plumbing in Scotland.

  Mental Welfare Commission
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of the Mental Welfare Commission are members of health boards; and if he will give their names.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  One, Mrs. J. I. D. Isbister.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of the Mental Welfare Commission since its inception have simultaneously held health board appointments; and if he will give their names.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not readily available.

  Prisoners
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average length of custodial sentence of female prisoners in Scotland in 1989.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Statistics on court disposals during 1989 are not yet available. Provisional estimates based on prison reception statistics indicate that in 1989 the average length of sentence of females received into the penal system on direct sentence was 118 days. Thee were no females received into penal establishments in 1989 sentenced to life imprisonment or indeterminate detention.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners were transferred from(a) Scotland to Northern Ireland and (b) Northern Ireland to Scotland in 1989; and under which section of the Criminal Justice Act 1961 such transfers were carried out.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  One from Scotland to Northern Ireland and one from Northern Ireland to Scotland, both under section (27)1.

  Paramilitary Activity
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons have been(a) killed and (b) injured in Scotland in 1989 as a result of paramilitary activity; and if he will break down the figures specifying whether the paramilitaries were (i) from western Europe, (ii) from Northern Ireland, (iii) from the Republic of Ireland, (iv) from other parts of the world and (v) of unknown origin.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None.

  A1 (Upgrading)
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to upgrade the A1 to motorway standard.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Traffic levels on the A1 through Borders region are approximately 5,000 vehicles per day. Even on the highest predictions for traffic growth and making allowance for improvements to the route south of Newcastle we do not expect this figure to rise to a level which would justify dual carriageway or motorway provision. We are, however, providing dual carriageway on those sections of the route which justify it, and plan to spend £50 million on the A1 in due course.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of agricultural land has been designated as environmentally sensitive in Scotland; what percentage of land in the environmentally sensitive areas is farmed under this scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Approximately 3 per cent. of agricultural land in Scotland is within environmentally sensitive areas. Some 46 per cent. of the eligible agricultural land within those areas is farmed under the scheme.

  School Class Sizes
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a breakdown by subject of class sizes from years S1 to S6 categorised according to(a) normal classes, for class sizes (i) under 20, (ii) 20 to 24, (iii) 25 to 30 and (iv) over 30 and (b) practical classes, for class sizes (i) under 15, (ii) 16 to 20 and (iii) over 20.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 21 May 1990]: The information requested is shown in the form of a percentage distribution of subject groups by average teaching group in roll bands, using provisional figures for September 1989.

  Distribution of average teaching group roll

  Percentages

  Pupil Roll Band (over and up to)

  0–15

  15–20

  20–25

  25–30

  30 any

  Total number 100 per cent.

  Stage 1

  English

  3·3

  5·9

  26·8

  56·4

  7·7

  2,306

  Modern Languages

  3·9

  6·8

  26·3

  53·9

  9·1

  2,252

  Classical Subjects

  3·1

  11·7

  22·1

  53·5

  9·5

  452

  Mathematical Subject

  4·7

  9·7

  26·5

  51·8

  7·3

  2,299

  Business Subjcts

  25·1

  59·4

  8·9

  4·8

  1·8

  271

  Computing Subjects

  33·8

  49·3

  4·4

  10·6

  1·9

  1,167

  Science Subjects

  8·8

  89·5

  1·3

  0·4

  0·0

  3,459

  Technical Subjects

  15·4

  81·1

  2·3

  1·0

  0·1

  3,372

  Social Subjects

  4·7

  7·3

  25·9

  54·6

  7·5

  4,615

  Religious Education

  5·4

  13·8

  23·1

  49·9

  7·8

  1,932

  Home Economics

  18·4

  78·9

  1·6

  0·8

  0·2

  3,224

  Creative/Aesthetic Subjects

  14·3

  61·3

  10·6

  11·8

  2·0

  9,599

  Other Subjects

  23·2

  29·1

  18·3

  26·5

  2·9

  2,035

  Total

  11·7

  45·3

  14·1

  25·2

  3·7

  36,983

  Stage 2

  English

  3·7

  6·4

  25·6

  57·3

  7·1

  2,328

  Modern Languages

  7·3

  8·1

  29·0

  47·6

  8·0

  2,601

  Classical Subjects

  18·9

  14·3

  21·3

  37·6

  7·9

  455

  Mathematical Subject

  5·5

  9·5

  28·3

  51·2

  5·6

  2,378

  Business Subjects

  28·1

  47·3

  11·3

  11·5

  1·8

  391

  Computing Subjects

  33·2

  52·7

  4·3

  7·4

  2·5

  1,414

  Science Subjects

  7·4

  91·0

  0·9

  0·6

  0·2

  3,817

  Technical Subjects

  14·3

  84·4

  0·8

  0·3

  0·2

  3,542

  Social Subjects

  5·7

  5·9

  20·9

  59·4

  8·0

  5,292

  Religious Education

  6·6

  12·8

  20·9

  51·4

  8·2

  1,946

  Home Economics

  16·7

  81·2

  1·5

  0·4

  0·2

  3,132

  Creative/Aesthetic Subjects

  14·5

  62·1

  11·1

  10·8

  1·5

  9,721

  Other Subjects

  27·6

  31·7

  11·1

  24·4

  5·2

  2,135

  Total

  12·3

  45·6

  13·2

  25·2

  3·7

  39,152

  Stage 3

  English

  3·9

  9·2

  61·0

  25·7

  0·2

  2,711

  Modern Languages

  26·5

  29·3

  31·6

  12·5

  0·2

  1,686

  Classical subjects

  85·8

  5·7

  6·3

  1·7

  0·6

  176

  Mathematical subject

  4·1

  12·3

  60·6

  22·8

  0·2

  2,669

  Business subjects

  40·6

  51·5

  4·9

  2·7

  0·4

  1,652

  Computing subjects

  24·6

  71·4

  3·2

  0·5

  0·3

  1,096

  Science subjects

  34·1

  65·6

  0·3

  0·0

  0·0

  5,035

  Technical subjects

  53·7

  45·0

  0·8

  0·4

  0·0

  2,243

  Social subjects

  17·2

  26·5

  35·2

  20·2

  0·9

  3,050

  Religious education

  11·1

  21·2

  38·5

  28·4

  0·8

  1,889

  Home economics

  61·0

  38·0

  0·5

  0·3

  0·2

  1,169

  Creative-aesthetic subjects

  30·0

  40·6

  19·3

  9·1

  1·0

  6,555

  Other subjects

  26·0

  39·6

  21·1

  12·2

  1·0

  2,786

  Total

  26·9

  38·0

  23·3

  11·2

  0·5

  32,717

  Stage 4

  English

  3·1

  10·8

  66·6

  19·1

  0·3

  2,780

  Modern Languages

  34·1

  29·2

  26·0

  10·0

  0·7

  1,628

  236
  Four key points arise from these figures of interest to those concerned about the issue of class sizes in our schools.

  (i) in years S1 and S2 over 96 per cent. of teaching groups have no more than 30 pupils (the normal maximum in the teachers' scheme of conditions of service is 33 pupils per class);

  (ii) in S3 and S4 almost two thirds of teaching groups have 20 pupils or fewer. In languages, mathematics and social subjects around 80 per cent. of teaching groups have 25 pupils or fewer (the S3-S6 maxima are 30 pupils per class);

  (iii) in S5 almost 80 per cent. of teaching groups have up to 20 pupils and over 80 per cent. in many subjects have up to 15 pupils;

  (iv) in S6 84 per cent. of teaching groups have up to 15 pupils.

  237

  Pupil Roll Band (over and up to)

  0–15

  15–20

  20–25

  25–30

  30 any

  Total number 10 per cent.

  Classical subjects

  84·0

  8·5

  5·2

  2·4

  0·0

  212

  Mathematical subject

  4·1

  13·2

  64·5

  17·9

  0·2

  2,894

  Business subjects

  44·2

  46·8

  5·7

  3·0

  0·3

  1,757

  Computing subjects

  29·3

  67·7

  1·9

  0·8

  0·2

  883

  Science subjects

  35·9

  63·5

  0·5

  0·1

  0·0

  5,108

  Technical subjects

  60·3

  39·2

  0·5

  0·0

  0·0

  2,161

  Social subjects

  20·0

  26·6

  35·5

  17·0

  1·0

  3,203

  Religious education

  10·0

  21·2

  41·8

  26·2

  0·9

  1,758

  Home economics

  63·6

  34·0

  1·3

  0·6

  0·4

  1,386

  Creative-aesthetic subjects

  31·7

  37·1

  22·2

  8·0

  1·0

  6,578

  Other subjects

  25·6

  37·6

  25·4

  10·5

  0·9

  2,907

  Total

  29·0

  35·8

  25·3

  9·4

  0·5

  33,255

  Stage 5

  English

  13·8

  25·1

  42·3

  17·4

  1·4

  2,370

  Modern Languages

  82·2

  11·0

  5·0

  1·2

  0·5

  1,142

  Classical subjects

  97·8

  1·1

  0·6

  0·6

  0·0

  179

  Mathematical subject

  26·5

  30·8

  30·5

  11·4

  0·8

  2,118

  Business subjects

  66·3

  23·4

  7·4

  2·5

  0·4

  2,470

  Computing subjects

  66·2

  26·8

  5·7

  0·8

  0·6

  848

  Science subjects

  60·2

  38·2

  1·5

  0·1

  0·0

  3,441

  Technical subjects

  89·0

  10·2

  0·8

  0·0

  0·0

  1,310

  Social subjects

  56·4

  25·0

  13·4

  4·3

  0·8

  2,296

  Religious education

  28·1

  20·5

  35·7

  12·9

  2·8

  677

  Home economics

  83·4

  15·3

  0·9

  0·2

  0·1

  1,372

  Creative-aesthetic subjects

  56·9

  22·9

  11·8

  6·6

  1·7

  4,363

  Other subjects

  36·6

  31·7

  18·1

  10·4

  3·1

  1,893

  Total

  54·1

  25·1

  14·0

  5·8

  1·0

  24,479

  Stage 6

  English

  80·7

  9·6

  5·2

  4·2

  0·3

  384

  Modern Languages

  98·1

  0·8

  0·8

  0·3

  0·0

  371

  Classical Subjects

  100·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  73

  Mathematical Subject

  88·5

  6·2

  4·1

  0·9

  0·3

  581

  Business Subjects

  84·3

  9·6

  5·4

  0·8

  0·0

  261

  Computing Subjects

  83·9

  16·1

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  62

  Science Subjects

  96·3

  3·6

  0·1

  0·0

  0·0

  807

  Technical Subjects

  98·2

  1·8

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  55

  Social Subjects

  92·7

  4·5

  1·8

  1·0

  0·0

  494

  Religious Education

  29·8

  19·6

  30·4

  19·0

  1·2

  168

  Home Economics

  78·9

  20·0

  1·1

  0·0

  0·0

  95

  Creative/Aesthetic Subjects

  84·2

  6·6

  4·9

  2·3

  2·1

  576

  Other Subjects

  45·6

  21·3

  24·3

  6·0

  2·7

  333

  Total

  84·1

  7·6

  5·4

  2·2

  0·6

  4,260

  Information on which classes are practical is not collected centrally.

  Seals
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show the species of seals and the number of each species found and/or resident in Scottish coastal waters, and indicate how many (a) juveniles, (b) adult males and (c) adult females there are of each species; what the numbers were five, 10 and 20 years ago; and if he will indicate his estimate of the amount of fish consumed by each seal species every year and the breakdown of fish species consumed by weight and/or number or as much of such information as is available to him.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 10 July 1990]: There are no complete counts of either grey or common seals in Scottish waters, and no separate figures for the numbers of juveniles, adult males, or adult females of either species.
  238
  Estimates of total population of seals, resident in Scottish waters, made by the sea mammal research unit (SMRU) of the Natural Environment Research Council are as follows:

  GREY SEALS

  1989—between 76,500 and 97,500

  1984—between 58,500 and 74,500

  1979—between 41,000 and 53,500

  1969—between 27,000 and 34,000

  COMMON SEALS

  1989—19,900

  The figures for grey seals are based on counts of pups, and the ranges given reflect the confidence limits of indirect calculation in this way. The estimate for common seals in 1989 is the only such estimate available at present.

  The diet of seals varies with locality and season and it is difficult to analyse or estimate accurately prey taken by seals at sea.

  Estimates of total diet of grey seals in the North sea in 1985 have been made by SMRU for a report, "Impact of Grey and Common Seals on North Sea Resources", under

  239
  a research contract for the Commission of the European Communities (Contract Number ENV 665 UK(H)). The estimates, based on faecal analysis, were as follows:

  Estimated consumption by grey seals in 1985

  Tonnes

  Northern North sea ICES division IVa

  Central and Southern North sea ICES division IVb and IVc

  Cod

  1,250

  9,575

  Whiting

  146

  1,245

  Haddock

  690

  788

  Saithe

  2,278

  933

  Norway Pout

  —

  31

  Ling

  —

  374

  Plaice

  —

  127

  Lemon Sole

  —

  407

  Mackerel

  —

  21

  Sandeels

  29,803

  5,180

  Dover Sole

  —

  304

  Flounder

  535

  481

  Dab

  196

  95

  There are no reliable estimates of consumption by either species of seal in waters to the west of Scotland (ICES division VIa).

  Methods of estimation of consumption by seals are known to have limitations. Further research is being undertaken to improve identification of the species and estimation of the quantities of fish in seal diets. The findings of these studies will be published in due course.

  Warrant Sales
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what research has been carried out into warrant sales since the research report from the Scottish Law Commission published in October 1980;

  (2) whether he has instructed any research to be undertaken as to the impact of (a) the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 and (b) the Debtors Scotland Act 1987 upon the use of warrant sales; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he will commission further research into the characteristics of warrant sales, with particular reference to the number of warrant sales per annum, the total principal sums, expenses and sums realised, pursuer groups, amounts of principal sums, and the proportions of expenses and principal sums covered by sale proceeds distinguishing between personal warrant sales and commercial warrant sales.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 10 July 1990]: My right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Advocate keeps under review the need for and the optimum timing of the commissioning of research into the law of diligence. To this end, the operation of the new diligence legislation is being monitored, including the collection of statistical information on the number of poindings and warrant sales. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has policy responsibility for the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985.

  Security Contracts
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy in respect of the Department of the Registers of Scotland putting security contracts out for private tender.
  240
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 10 July 1990]: Consistent with Government policy, and with a view to achieving value for money, the Department of the Registers of Scotland has been testing the market for the provision of security guarding at its premises.

EMPLOYMENT

  Advisers
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to second a public relations adviser from the firm WPP to his Department.

  Mr. Howard
  I have no such plans.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to appoint further advisers to his Department.

  Mr. Howard
  My Department employs advisers in a range of specialist areas, including further education, TVEI and health and safety. Such appointments are made as circumstances require.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the external advisers currently assisting his Department.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department seeks advice from those in a position to help with the development of its policies and its programmes. Details could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which firm has been appointed to advise on the work of his Department in the autumn campaign on training.

  Mr. Eggar
  Saatchi and Saatchi was appointed in May to advise on the Department's paid publicity. No decisions have been taken on an autumn training campaign.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) when he last met representatives of the firm WPP to discuss services to his Department;

  (2) if he will make a statement on his meeting with Mr. Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP Group plc.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 9 July 1990]: I last met the chief executive of WPP plc on 21 March 1990. We discussed a wide range of issues.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensions
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what has been the total cost of paying retirement pensions in each year since 1980;

  (2) what would have been the total cost of paying retirement pensions in each year since 1980, had pensions been uprated in line with the higher of earnings or movements in the retail prices index in each year concerned.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is set out in the table.
  241

  Year

  Cash expenditure £ million

  Estimated cash expenditure if pensions increased by higher of prices or earnings £ million

  1980–81

  10,526

  10,532

  1981–82

  12,126

  12,326

  1982–83

  13,549

  13,859

  1983–84

  14,613

  14,963

  1984–85

  15,268

  16,138

  1985–86

  16,584

  17,604

  1986–87

  17,779

  18,719

  1987–88

  18,648

  21,398

  1988–89

  19,237

  22,817

  1989–90

  20,802

  24,972

  Net income at which full community charge becomes payable

  Annual charge

  Weekly charge

  Maximum 80 per cent. rebate

  (i) Single under 25 working

  (ii) Single over 25 working

  (iii) Single aged 60–74

  (iv) Single aged 75–79

  (v) Single over 80

  (vi) Married couple working

  310·00

  5·95

  4·76

  62·21

  70·11

  76·91

  79·51

  82·16

  127·72

  320·00

  6·14

  4·91

  63·24

  71·14

  77·94

  80·54

  83·19

  129·77

  325·00

  6·23

  4·99

  63·75

  71·65

  78·45

  81·05

  83·70

  130·79

  345·00

  6·62

  5·29

  65·79

  73·69

  80·49

  83·09

  85·74

  134·88

  355·00

  6·81

  5·45

  66·82

  74·72

  81·52

  84·12

  86·77

  136·93

  360·00

  6·90

  5·52

  67·33

  75·23

  82·03

  84·63

  87·28

  137·95

  385·00

  7·38

  5·91

  69·89

  77·79

  84·59

  87·19

  89·84

  143·06

  390·00

  7·48

  5·98

  70·40

  78·30

  85·10

  87·70

  90·35

  144·09

  415·00

  7·96

  6·37

  72·95

  80·85

  87·65

  90·25

  92·90

  149·20

  420·00

  8·05

  6·44

  73·47

  81·37

  88·17

  90·77

  93·42

  150·22

  430·00

  8·25

  6·60

  74·49

  82·39

  89·19

  91·79

  94·44

  152·27

  435·00

  8·34

  6·67

  75·00

  82·90

  89·70

  92·30

  94·95

  153·29

  440·00

  8·44

  6·75

  75·51

  83·41

  90·21

  92·81

  95·46

  154·32

  (vii) Couple, two children under 11, working

  (viii) Couple, child under 11 and one aged 11–15, working

  (ix) Couple under 75

  (x) Lone parent, one child under 11, working

  (zi) Lone parent, two children under 11, working

  159·77

  165·67

  135·67

  109·51

  121·86

  161·82

  167·72

  137·72

  110·54

  122·89

  162·84

  168·74

  138·74

  111·05

  123·40

  166·93

  172·83

  142·83

  113·09

  125·44

  168·98

  174·88

  144·88

  114·12

  126·47

  170·00

  175·90

  145·90

  114·63

  126·98

  175·11

  181·01

  151·01

  117·19

  129·54

  176·14

  182·04

  152·04

  117·70

  130·05

  181·25

  187·15

  157·15

  120·25

  132·60

  182·27

  188·17

  158·17

  120·77

  133·12

  184·32

  190·22

  160·22

  121·79

  134·14

  185·34

  191·24

  161·24

  122·30

  134·65

  186·37

  192·27

  162·27

  122·81

  135·16

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how much was spent on supplementary benefit or income support to people in independent residential care homes and nursing homes in Wales for each year since 1979 in Wales; and for each year what was the average payment made;

  (2) how many claims there were for supplementary benefit or income support by people in independent residential care homes and nursing homes for each year

  Community Charge
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security at what level of net income full community charge becomes payable at(a) £310, (b) £320, (c) £325, (d) £345, (e) £355, (f) £360, (g) £385, (h) £390, (i) £415, (j) £420, (k) £430, (l) £435 and (m) £440 for a (i) single person aged under 25 years, (ii) single person aged over 25 years, (iii) single person aged 60 to 75 years, (iv) single person 75 to 80 years, (v) single person over 80 years, (vi) married couple with no children, (vii) married couple with two children under 11 years, (viii) married couple with one child under 11 years and one 11 to 15 years, (ix) pensioner couple aged under 75 years, (x) lone parent with one child under 11 years and (xi) lone parent with two children under 11 years.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is shown in the tables.

  since 1979 in Wales; and what proportion of residents received supplementary benefit for each year since 1979 in Wales.

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

  Rochdale Offices
  Sir Cyril Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to close offices in Rochdale metropolitan district council area, including Middleton; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We have no such plans. We have been carrying out a comprehensive review of the Department's existing network of local offices, arising from our plans to convert social security benefit operations into a "next steps" agency from April 1991. We intend to devolve authority for the day-to-day running of operations, to the greatest extent possible, from headquarters and the present regional tiers of management to local level. In practice, these units of administration, to be known as local management units, will be made up of two or more existing local offices controlled by a single management team. It is no part of our plans to reduce the number of local offices.

  Local managers will have much more responsibility for planning their service to fit local needs, depending on factors such as the population to be served, predicted

  243
  economic activity and local transport facilities. The emphasis will be on making the local service more responsive to the needs of local customers, not less.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he proposes to implement to increase the take-up of attendance allowance among members of the social security disabled persons register.

  Mr. Scott
  We have no plans to mount such a campaign. The number of people receiving attendance allowance has more than doubled from 306,000 in 1979 to 763,000 in 1989.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the percentage of people on the social security disabled persons register currently not receiving the attendance allowances entitled to them; and how much money the unclaimed benefit amounts to.

  Mr. Scott
  Information is not kept in a form which would enable such a comparison to be made.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners have ceased to be eligible for exemption from community charge benefit as a result of SI 1990 No. 462.

  Mr. Scott
  The statutory instrument quoted by the hon. Member amended the rules governing the exemption of severely mentally impaired people from any liability to pay the personal community charge. It did not alter the rules governing entitlement to community charge benefit: any person liable to pay the personal community charge, except for registered students who pay only 20 per cent. of that charge, is eligible to receive community charge benefit if his net income is low enough.

DEFENCE

  Ulster Defence Regiment
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give such details as he is prepared to make public of the military equipment of the Ulster Defence Regiment and its reserve, listing separately firearms and the type of firearms, motor vehicles, armoured vehicles and the number of radio, radar and electronics surveillance equipment with which the regiment was equipped at the end of 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The current deployment of weapons and vehicles for the Ulster Defence Regiment is as follows; the equivalent data for the end of 1989 have not been kept. The UDR has no reserve.

  Weapons and vehicles

  Number

  5.56mm Rifle SA 80

  5,843

  5.56mm Rifle Light Support Weapon

  912

  7.62mm Machine Gun

  6

  9mm Pistol (Browning)

  1865

  9mm Pistol (Walther)

  21,985

  Shotgun

  3

  L67 Riot Gun

  167

  Landrovers

  447

  244

  Weapons and vehicles

  Number

  4 Ton Trucks

  16

  Trailers

  61

  Recruiting Trailer

  1

  Other Vehicles

  340

  1 265 of which are issued as personal protection weapons—PPWs.

  2 1,846 of which are issued as PPWs.

  The Walther 9mm pistol has replaced the .38in revolver, the .22in pistol, and 7.65mm pistol as the standard UDR PPW. However, some Browning 9mm pistols are still issued as PPWs. The L67 riot gun was issued for use by the UDR in 1989. Other equipment can be issued when commitments or circumstances dictate. The radio allocation varies from week to week, depending upon the tasks and commitments of each battalion.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning current policy and practice of deployment of the Ulster Defence Regiment, with particular reference to the areas and circumstances in which it is deemed opportune and inopportune to deploy the regiment.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The role of the Ulster Defence Regiment, as of any other regiment deployed in Northern Ireland, is to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the fight against terrorism. To fulfil this role the Ulster Defence Regiment may be deployed how and where military support to the police is required, except that for policy reasons the Ulster Defence Regiment is riot deployed in west Belfast or the city of Londonderry; nor is it used for crowd control or riot duties.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Ulster Defence Regiment are currently estimated to be Catholics; what was the total recruitment in 1989; and what proportion of those recruited in 1989 are thought to be Catholic.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  At the end of April 1990, a total of 184 soldiers, or 3 per cent. of the UDR were Roman Catholics. During the period 1 January to 31 December 1989, a total of 898 were enlisted, 34 of whom were Catholics.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the number of operatives, by rank, of those who have joined the Ulster Defence Regiment and its reserve, and of those who have resigned from the Ulster Defence Regiment, and its reserve, in the calendar year 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the costs of the Ulster Defence Regiment and its reserve, divided between wages and salaries, other personnel costs, costs of construction and buildings, investment in military equipment and other costs for the fiscal years 1988–89 and 1989–90.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Estimated costs of the Ulster Defence Regiment for the financial years 1988–89 and 1989–90 are as follows:
  245

  £ million, current prices

  Financial year

  Wages and salaries

  Support costs

  Capital expenditure on equipment

  Total

  1988–89

  54·1

  5·0

  0·6

  59·7

  1989–90

  54·7

  5·0

  0·6

  60·3

  The figures for works costs are not readily available.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average time served by (i) full-time and (ii) part-time(a) officers and (b) other ranks of the Ulster Defence Regiment as at 31 December 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The most recent information available is for 1988 when the average length of service in the UDR was:

  Permanent cadre

  Part-time

  Officers

  Male

  4 years 6 months

  9 years 4 months

  Female

  4 years 5 months

  4 years 1 month

  Soldiers

  Male

  7 years 6 months

  6 years 9 months

  Female

  6 years 9 months

  4 years 6 months

  Radiation
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the implications for other ex-service personnel who were exposed to radiation, of the Lancashire coroner's findings in the case of Mr. Walter Fazackerley; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the right hon. Member.

  Military Flights
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 21 June,Official Report, columns 647–48, to the hon. Member for Don Valley, concerning the cost of passengers on military flights, what insurance cover was provided for the non-military persons involved.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  None.

WALES

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all the(a) chairmen and women, (b) vice-chairmen and women and (c) members of the boards of non-departmental public bodies in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information required is shown as follows:

  NON-DEPARTMENTAL PUBLIC BODIES IN WALES—EXECUTIVE BODIES (AS SHOWN IN 'PUBLIC BODIES 1989')

  AGRICULTURAL WAGES COMMITTEES

  Clwyd

  Mr. T. Jones (Chairman)

  Mr. J. E. Ambrose

  Mr. I. G. Richards

  246
  Dyfed

  Mr. T. E. Davies (Chairman)

  Mr. C. F. Hosking

  Mrs. E. D. Williams

  Glamorgan

  Mr. D. R. I. Williams (Chairman)

  Mr. P. T. Hart

  Mrs. S. E. L. Reeve

  Gwent

  Mr. P. A. Thomas (Chairman)

  Mr. J. M. H. Stephens

  Mr. J. L. Evans

  Gwynedd

  Mr. T. H. Morgan (Chairman)

  Mr. R. R. Harris

  Dr. E. Lloyd Evans

  Powys

  Mr. W. G. Davies (Chairman)

  Ms. G. L. Thomas

  Canon E. C. John

  CARDIFF BAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

  Mr. G. Inkin OBE (Chairman)

  Councillor Lord Brooks of Tremorfa (Deputy Chairman)

  Mrs. M. Barnes

  Mrs. H. Chapman

  Councillor P. Chapple

  Mr. A. Cox

  Mr. H. Hudson-Davies

  Councillor P. Kitson

  Councillor R. F. Watkiss

  Professor R. Silverman

  Mr. J. Beveridge

  CURRICULUM COUNCIL FOR WALES

  Mr. H. Evans (Chairman)

  Mr. R. Dougherty

  Mr. A. Evans

  Mrs. M. Hemmings

  Mr. M. Jones

  Mr. W. Lewis

  Mr. J. Love

  Miss R. A. Powell

  Mr. E. Roberts

  Mr. I. Roberts

  Mr. I. Price

  Dr. P. Winterborn

  Mrs. G. Jeffreys

  Mr. J. Walne

  DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR RURAL WALES

  Mr. E. G. Davies (Chairman)

  Mr. R. Gee

  Councillor Mrs. V. Hollis

  Councillor A. M. Leonard

  Mr. J. Morgan

  Mr. E. Rea

  Mr. H. Roberts

  Mr. P. Saunders

  Councillor M. W. Shaw

  Sir Donald Walters

  Councillor R. Williams

  Mr. I. A. Jones

  HOUSING FOR WALES

  Mr. J. Allen CBE (Chairman)

  Mr. J. Evans (Deputy Chairman)

  Mr. G. Lloyd

  Professor P. Williams

  Mr. J. Proctor

  Mrs. A. Mainwaring

  LAND AUTHORITY FOR WALES

  Mr. G. Inkin OBE (Chairman)

  Mr. J. Allen CBE (Deputy Chairman)

  Mr. R. P. V. Rees

  Mr. G. Jones

  247

  Cllr. R. F. Watkiss

  Mr. W. Rhys-Webb

  Cllr. R. G. Owen OBE

  Mr. A. Edwards

  Mr. E. M. W. Griffith CBE

  NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES

  Prof. J. Gwyn Williams (President)1

  Prof. Dr. Ellis Evans (Vice President)1

  Court of Governors

  Mr. J. H. Davies

  Mrs. O. C. Evans

  Dr. E. Gwynn

  Mr. I. G. M. Hughes

  Mr. H. G. Jones

  Mr. R. Keen

  Mr. J. Morgan

  Miss M. Owen

  Mr. P. G. Price

  Mr. P. Riden

  Mr. J. Watkin

  Council

  Mr. J. H. Davies

  Mr. I. G. M. Hughes

  Miss M. Owen

  Mr. P. G. Price

  Mr. J. Watkin

  The above listed governors and council members are appointed by the Secretary of State. In addition, there are another 123 governors and 26 council members. A full list appears in the library's annual report, a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library. Membership is under review.

  1Not appointed by the Secretary of State.

  NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WALES

  The Hon. J. Davies (President)1

  Mr. C. R. T. Edwards (Vice President)1

  1 Not appointed by the Secretary of State

  Court of Governors

  Mr. A. G. Davies

  Mr. P. Edington

  Mr. E. W. Jones

  Mr. J. E. H. Rees

  The right hon. the Lord Rees

  Mrs. M. Thomas

  Mr. R. G. Thomas

  Mr. H. L. Williams

  Council

  Mr. A. G. Davies

  Mr. J. E. H. Rees

  The right hon. the Lord Rees

  The above listed governors and council members are appointed by the Secretary of State. In addition, there are another 156 governors and 30 council members. A full list appears in the museum's annual report, a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library. Membership is under review.

  ROYAL COMMISSION ON ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS IN WALES

  Professor Glanmor Williams (Chairman)

  Dr. M. R. Apted

  Mr. G. C. Boom

  Dr. R. W. Brunskill

  Professor Elias Evans

  Professor J. Gwyn Williams

  Professor J. B. Smith

  Mr. R. Haslam

  Dr. G. J. Wainwright

  SPORTS COUNCIL FOR WALES

  Mr. O. Wheatley (Chairman)

  Mr. T. Baxter-Wright (Vice Chairman)

  Mr. G. Crimp

  Mrs. J. Edwards

  248

  Professor D. T. Herbert

  County Councillor Mrs. D. James

  Mrs. W. Williams

  Councillor W. J. Williams

  Mr. G. Davies

  Mr. H. Davies

  Mr. P. Gunn

  County Councillor K. J. Powell

  Mr. H. M. Thomas

  Mr. D. R. Turner

  WALES TOURIST BOARD

  Mr. I. Prys Edwards (Chairman)

  Mrs. L. Minors

  Mr. C. L. Pollard OBE

  Mr. E. G. Davies

  Mr. E. Roberts

  Mr. D. H. Griffith

  Mr. J. Dunscombe

  WELSH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

  Dr. G. Jones (Chairman)

  Sir Donald Walters (Deputy Chairman)

  Mr. D. Waterstone

  Mr. E. G. Davies

  Mr. R. P. V. Rees

  Mr. D. Griffith Roberts OBE

  Mr. B. H. R. Hudson-Davies

  Mr. J. Foley MBE

  Dr. D. C. Gardner

  Mr. D. Malpas

  Mr. W. Elfed Roberts

  WELSH NATIONAL BOARD FOR NURSING, MIDWIFERY AND HEALTH VISITING

  Professor C. M. Chapman (Chairman)

  Mrs. E. Walker (Deputy Chairman)

  Dr. S. K. Armitage

  Mrs. C. G. Ball

  Mrs. J. Beese

  Mr. D. J. Black

  Mr. G. Boulton

  Mr. G. Castledine

  Mrs. A. C. D. Davies

  Mr. D. C. Jones-Davies

  Mrs. J. Davies

  Miss A. Doyle

  Mrs. A. Moore

  Mr. P. Ebenezer

  Mr. E. R. Edwards

  Mrs. J. E. M. Edwards

  Mrs. S. E. Gregory

  Miss M. Hughes

  Dr. D. Harrett

  Mrs. S. C. Hunt

  Mrs. D. A. Keddi

  Mrs. A. Kelly

  Mr. D. A. Kingswell

  Mis J. Martin

  Dr. J. S. Morris

  Mrs. A. V. Males

  Mrs. S. B. Nuttall

  Mrs. T. J. Parry

  Miss R. M. Phillips

  Mr. P. J. Pye

  Ms. L. I. Silverton

  Ms. R. Thome

  Mr. N. S. Towns

  Mrs. A. Whitehead

  Mrs. B. Wroe

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to non-departmental public bodies in Wales at chief executive level on equal opportunities principles to be used in appointments procedures for vacancies.
  249
  Mr. David Hunt
  The principles of equal opportunities are covered by legislation of which non-departmental public bodies are aware. More detailed advice is given as and when the need arises.

  Housing
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department is taking to help first-time house seekers in Wales to secure a house to buy or rent at a price within their reach.

  Mr. Grist
  A large number of first-time buyers are able to buy a house at prices well within their reach through our right-to-buy policy and, more recently through our pilot flexi-ownership scheme in mid-Wales. Furthermore, there are a number of established low-cost home ownership initiatives operating in Wales and several authorities have developed innovative schemes to meet particular local needs. The Department actively encourages the development of these schemes both through the dissemination of information and best practice and by allowing the beneficial treatment of capital receipts derived from such schemes. In addition, Housing for Wales, funded this year in excess of £100 million, will provide some 3,000 new homes to rent and to buy at affordable prices, including innovative schemes for the elderly and for homes in rural areas. These new homes will supplement the substantial number of homes available for rent each year by local authorities at affordable rents.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information there is as to the number and proportion of homes in Wales(a) in need of repairs exceeding £2,000 and (b) which lack basic amenities; and whether the Welsh housing survey identifies those occupied by pensioners, unemployed single-parent families, disabled people and people with low incomes, respectively.

  New housebuilding in Wales: 1979 to 1989

  Completions of new dwellings for local authorities, new towns and Government departments

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Aberconwy

  125

  —

  123

  —

  38

  —

  20

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Alyn and Deeside

  29

  32

  52

  50

  86

  39

  30

  33

  49

  31

  29

  Arfon

  59

  31

  19

  46

  4

  28

  9

  —

  18

  —

  31

  Blaenau Gwent

  58

  331

  366

  67

  —

  30

  48

  —

  27

  27

  39

  Brecknock

  70

  49

  —

  30

  24

  14

  12

  —

  25

  32

  12

  Cardiff

  353

  443

  368

  240

  310

  344

  107

  —

  6

  16

  —

  Carmarthen

  22

  66

  55

  61

  132

  46

  28

  18

  43

  13

  4

  Ceredigion

  89

  48

  113

  86

  —

  165

  —

  41

  40

  23

  3

  Colwyn

  43

  109

  81

  —

  50

  24

  —

  18

  —

  —

  —

  Cynon Valley

  122

  40

  —

  14

  —

  40

  —

  —

  —

  25

  —

  Delyn

  —

  39

  10

  7

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dinefwr

  34

  54

  52

  2

  22

  55

  16

  34

  30

  2

  —

  Dwyfor

  40

  30

  27

  8

  5

  —

  9

  4

  —

  5

  —

  Glyndwr

  100

  13

  114

  43

  23

  4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  42

  Islwyn

  151

  26

  119

  44

  25

  64

  21

  40

  64

  21

  28

  Llanelli

  70

  34

  78

  26

  42

  —

  67

  40

  70

  —

  81

  Lliw Valley

  211

  124

  132

  91

  90

  111

  22

  34

  33

  21

  6

  Meirionnydd

  33

  54

  51

  16

  33

  12

  —

  —

  1

  —

  12

  Merthyr Tydfil

  75

  218

  156

  12

  7

  9

  —

  —

  4

  12

  20

  Monmouth

  —

  93

  6

  80

  71

  60

  107

  74

  15

  —

  16

  Montgomeryshire1

  141

  98

  99

  26

  41

  103

  —

  64

  8

  26

  73

  Neath

  103

  56

  43

  18

  71

  76

  16

  26

  38

  39

  4

  Newport

  159

  85

  285

  172

  43

  169

  67

  119

  42

  261

  111

  Ogwr

  97

  131

  202

  79

  9

  60

  139

  40

  51

  8

  —

  Port Talbot

  60

  —

  24

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  62

  62

  3

  16

  —

  —

  —

  9

  24

  21

  20

  Radnorshire

  39

  30

  20

  20

  —

  69

  10

  2

  12

  —

  —

  Rhondda

  78

  161

  116

  27

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rhuddlan

  24

  57

  25

  37

  40

  59

  24

  44

  42

  —

  24

  Rhymney Valley

  70

  169

  161

  58

  73

  79

  30

  15

  —

  18

  24

  South Pembrokeshire

  88

  65

  —

  —

  6

  1

  20

  —

  —

  —

  —

  250
  Mr. Grist
  The information is given in the following table; that for disabled people is not available.

  Repair Costs and Availability of Basic Amenities, By Household Type1

  Occupied first homes

  Number

  As a percentage of all occupied first homes2

  Repair costs of £2,000 and over

  180,900

  17·7

  Of these:

  Household headed by person of pensionable age

  71,200

  7·0

  Single parent household headed by unemployed person

  500

  —

  Gross household income less than £4,000

  90,900

  8·9

  Lacking one or more basic amenity

  42,200

  4·1

  Of these:

  Household headed by person of pensionable age

  22,600

  2·2

  Single parent household headed by unemployed person

  200

  —

  Gross household income less than £4,000

  28,600

  2·8

  Source:

  1 Welsh Housing Surveys, 1986. Figures are estimates based on the results of sample surveys and are rounded to the nearest hundred.

  2 "—" represents less than one half of one per cent.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses were built in(a) the public sector and (b) the private sector in each district authority area in Wales in 1989; and what were the corresponding figures for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Grist
  The information is given in the following tables. Figures exclude dwellings provided by rehabilitation or conversion.
  251

  Completions of new dwellings for local authorities, new towns and Government departments

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Swansea

  153

  107

  63

  126

  29

  105

  57

  —

  29

  53

  9

  Taff-Ely

  104

  227

  110

  62

  85

  90

  —

  12

  54

  58

  24

  Torfaen2

  345

  313

  145

  137

  252

  131

  112

  122

  20

  33

  —

  Vale of Glamorgan

  13

  69

  124

  49

  24

  20

  18

  36

  3

  28

  6

  Wrexham Maelor

  6

  42

  113

  69

  62

  61

  66

  11

  55

  —

  12

  Ynys Môn

  109

  198

  81

  61

  41

  84

  18

  34

  9

  21

  —

  Wales

  3,335

  3,704

  3,536

  1,880

  1,738

  2,152

  1,075

  870

  812

  794

  630

  1 Includes dwellings in the New Town of Newtown.

  2 Includes dwellings in the New Town of Cwmbran until April 1986.

  Completions of new dwellings for housing associations

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Aberconwy

  10

  0

  0

  0

  12

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  24

  Alyn and Deeside

  0

  33

  0

  0

  0

  0

  24

  19

  0

  0

  0

  Arfon

  0

  25

  52

  12

  0

  0

  1

  9

  30

  20

  40

  Blaenau Gwent

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  33

  38

  40

  0

  64

  Brecknock

  11

  18

  22

  36

  30

  0

  0

  0

  12

  0

  65

  Cardiff

  223

  207

  76

  180

  57

  38

  117

  38

  23

  214

  462

  Carmarthen

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  8

  0

  23

  21

  2

  Ceredigion

  30

  43

  12

  10

  0

  0

  0

  17

  12

  43

  65

  Colwyn

  25

  0

  50

  34

  2

  15

  0

  0

  10

  30

  34

  Cynon Valley

  0

  0

  0

  46

  14

  0

  0

  40

  40

  34

  67

  Delyn

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  18

  0

  16

  0

  0

  12

  Dinefwr

  40

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  23

  22

  Dwyfor

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  35

  21

  8

  Glyndwr

  0

  46

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  8

  9

  10

  7

  Islwyn

  0

  0

  0

  12

  37

  13

  8

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Llanelli

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lliw Valley

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  54

  0

  14

  0

  0

  14

  Meirionnydd

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  10

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Merthyr Tydfil

  142

  154

  0

  154

  80

  15

  3

  0

  14

  28

  26

  Monmouth

  0

  0

  63

  0

  0

  39

  0

  0

  0

  74

  121

  Montgomeryshire1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  12

  15

  19

  0

  23

  79

  Neath

  51

  76

  0

  0

  11

  24

  0

  10

  0

  32

  0

  Newport

  60

  0

  0

  6

  0

  54

  84

  74

  0

  9

  0

  Ogwr

  0

  116

  28

  49

  58

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Port Talbot

  0

  0

  91

  8

  0

  0

  0

  39

  28

  6

  40

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  29

  33

  0

  29

  Radnorshire

  24

  35

  0

  17

  34

  13

  0

  37

  0

  6

  4

  Rhondda

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  12

  12

  8

  16

  73

  Rhuddlan

  34

  0

  24

  0

  39

  0

  10

  0

  0

  12

  16

  Rhymney Valley

  134

  54

  0

  21

  64

  6

  9

  27

  14

  4

  80

  South Pembrokeshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  6

  30

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Swansea

  128

  14

  0

  0

  76

  118

  88

  33

  46

  44

  50

  Taff-Ely

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  24

  68

  20

  12

  0

  16

  Torfaen2

  2

  0

  0

  117

  0

  0

  58

  7

  0

  12

  0

  Vale of Glamorgan

  70

  78

  61

  51

  9

  68

  0

  0

  31

  0

  0

  Wrexham Maelor

  32

  18

  61

  41

  0

  52

  0

  28

  47

  20

  24

  Ynys Môn

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  6

  21

  Wales

  1,016

  917

  540

  794

  529

  593

  607

  534

  467

  708

  1,465

  1 Includes dwellings in the New Town of Newtown.

  2 Includes dwellings in the New Town of Cwmbran until April 1986.

  Completions of new dwellings for the private sector

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Aberconwy

  102

  48

  59

  81

  67

  35

  260

  156

  255

  132

  151

  Alyn and Deeside

  228

  151

  79

  151

  181

  170

  98

  150

  208

  294

  148

  Arfon

  75

  121

  101

  87

  64

  47

  98

  83

  110

  112

  101

  Blaenau Gwent

  3

  19

  0

  18

  37

  123

  53

  12

  59

  84

  167

  Brecknock

  117

  108

  87

  80

  75

  90

  108

  82

  84

  116

  150

  Cardiff

  458

  495

  639

  694

  686

  695

  1,165

  1,219

  1,458

  1,894

  1,070

  Carmarthen

  71

  140

  148

  92

  125

  236

  120

  145

  169

  270

  205

  Ceredigion

  198

  238

  165

  149

  134

  189

  132

  171

  149

  227

  262

  Colwyn

  305

  263

  156

  159

  261

  212

  235

  252

  241

  355

  358

  Cynon Valley

  35

  13

  83

  40

  112

  102

  53

  52

  60

  66

  148

  Delyn

  166

  197

  150

  134

  106

  140

  106

  210

  189

  212

  229

  Dinefwr

  61

  104

  88

  39

  51

  60

  88

  54

  69

  140

  222

  Dwyfor

  186

  168

  71

  64

  110

  62

  66

  61

  69

  82

  83

  Glyndwr

  110

  74

  112

  101

  135

  131

  183

  182

  116

  89

  249

  Islwyn

  12

  0

  43

  22

  75

  43

  115

  88

  25

  31

  87

  Llanelli

  105

  91

  72

  67

  105

  45

  103

  98

  51

  38

  63

  Lliw Valley

  114

  160

  108

  71

  153

  203

  180

  130

  160

  88

  233

  252 253

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Meirionnydd

  62

  74

  49

  55

  2

  25

  54

  46

  19

  72

  51

  Merthyr Tydfil

  108

  70

  15

  30

  75

  68

  113

  83

  127

  153

  165

  Monmouth

  392

  291

  247

  211

  254

  427

  364

  348

  376

  414

  327

  Montgomeryshire1

  170

  282

  202

  174

  195

  92

  165

  231

  298

  283

  317

  Neath

  124

  137

  115

  72

  58

  55

  50

  90

  94

  161

  141

  Newport

  375

  323

  374

  304

  184

  124

  702

  527

  335

  376

  453

  Ogwr

  365

  319

  265

  273

  375

  359

  351

  275

  438

  527

  399

  Port Talbot

  29

  11

  34

  32

  9

  15

  12

  35

  15

  79

  87

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  233

  138

  77

  101

  104

  83

  34

  70

  331

  244

  229

  Radnorshire

  104

  76

  62

  43

  40

  106

  79

  74

  130

  171

  216

  Rhondda

  38

  33

  45

  27

  9

  16

  19

  16

  15

  124

  81

  Rhuddlan

  233

  166

  179

  115

  108

  183

  129

  143

  109

  122

  67

  Rhymney Valley

  319

  172

  179

  156

  109

  168

  109

  131

  213

  127

  182

  South Pembrokeshire

  105

  153

  121

  99

  65

  161

  78

  90

  166

  165

  162

  Swansea

  358

  212

  197

  136

  278

  211

  78

  313

  361

  497

  302

  Taff-Ely

  380

  262

  152

  190

  172

  178

  286

  306

  330

  527

  437

  Torfaen2

  18

  0

  4

  192

  126

  290

  247

  164

  273

  259

  245

  Vale of Glamorgan

  395

  163

  41

  267

  256

  448

  159

  383

  457

  463

  958

  Wrexham Maelor

  436

  379

  363

  295

  295

  484

  207

  422

  250

  388

  371

  Ynys Môn

  294

  281

  223

  261

  204

  200

  141

  134

  166

  153

  182

  Wales

  6,914

  5,932

  5,105

  5,082

  5,395

  6,276

  6,540

  7,026

  7,975

  9,535

  9,298

  1 Includes dwellings in the New Town of Newtown.

  2 Includes dwellings in the New Town of Cwmbran until April 1986.

  District Nurse Training
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many places were(a) offered and (b) filled on district nurse training programmes in Wales in each year since 1979–80.

  Mr. Grist
  The information from 1983–84, obtained from the Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, is given in the table. Data are not held centrally before the setting up of the board in 1982.

  District Nurse Training

  District Enrolled Nurse Training

  Year

  Places

  Numbers

  Places

  Numbers

  1989–90

  70

  50

  —

  —

  1988–89

  85

  62

  39

  25

  1987–88

  84

  62

  39

  33

  1986–87

  84

  61

  39

  26

  1985–86

  90

  69

  30

  22

  1984–85

  90

  74

  30

  26

  1983–84

  90

  77

  1—

  25

  1 Data not available.

  It is the responsibility of each district health authority in Wales to determine its demand and training needs for district nurses according to manpower requirements.

  Corlan Housing Association
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 4 July, if the investigation of the affairs of Corlan housing association will include its purchases of land over the last five years and the prices paid for that land.

  Mr. Grist
  The investigation is to establish whether mismanagement of the affairs of Corlan housing association or misconduct have taken place. The inquiry will focus on relevant events, including purchases of land, which have taken place in the last two years.

  Inflation
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he is offering to(a) district councils and (b) county councils in Wales in respect of the estimate of inflation they should use in the initial stages of preparing their finances for 1991–92.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 9 July 1990, column 59.

  Rivers
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the causes of the increase between 1987 and 1988 in the percentage of rivers in Wales that fall into class 3 and 4 of the National Water Council grading system as shown in table 2.09 of the "Environmental Digest for Wales".

  Mr. Grist
  Between 1987 and 1988, 364 stretches of rivers in Wales, totalling 1,602.6 km, changed classification. Details are held by the Welsh region of the National Rivers Authority. The increases of stretches falling within classes 3 and 4, at 0.8 per cent. (37 km) and 0.2 per cent. (7 km) respectively are such that the authority does not consider them to be indicative of any significant overall trend.

  Recycling
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to encourage the reclamation and recycling of(a) paper, (b) domestic waste and (c) industrial waste in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The Environmental Protection Bill contains a range of measures which will assist and promote waste recycling and waste minimisation including a requirement for local authorities to draw up recycling plans. The Welsh Office is currently setting up an initiative to encourage industry to develop high standards of performance in waste minimisation and recycling. A wide range of Government grants is available to support research and development and industrial innovation in these areas.

  Beaches
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by which date he expects those non-EC identified beaches currently failing to comply with standard criteria to meet such criteria; what standard criteria it is his policy that they should meet, and what actions he is taking or encouraging to that end.

  Mr. Grist
  The Government's priority is to ensure compliance of bathing waters identified under the EC directive. However, the recent announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that all significant coastal and estuarial discharges of sewage will, as soon as practicable, receive treatment should have a beneficial effect on all our bathing waters.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of agricultural land has been designated as environmentally sensitive in Wales; what percentage of land in the environmentally sensitive areas is farmed under this scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The designated areas of the Lleyn peninsula and Cambrian mountains ESAs between them represent just over 11 per cent. of the total agricultural land in Wales. The Lleyn peninsula ESA covers 39,700 ha, 40 per cent. of which has been entered into the scheme. The Cambrian mountains ESA covers a total area of 153,000 ha, within which 79,900 ha will be eligible for management agreements. Twenty-eight per cent. of this eligible land has been entered into the scheme. Further applications are being processed.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Central America
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had any contact with the countries of central America on the prospects for peace in and between the countries concerned.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have regular contacts with the Governments of central America, including at the San Jose VI conference at which the EC, central America and Panama were represented together with Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. We consistently make clear our support for peaceful negotiated settlements to the various conflicts in the region. Recent events have given grounds for optimism.

  Burma
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the elections in Burma and the implications for Her Majesty's Government's policies.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In a decisive rejection of the repressive policies of the current regime, the National League for Democracy won a massive victory in the election on 27 May. We welcome this, and are doing all we can to ensure that the regime gives effect to the clearly expressed wishes of the Burmese people by handing over power and releasing detained political leaders immediately.

  Soviet Union
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the European Community proposal to provide an £8.5 billion economic development package for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

  Mr. Maude
  There is no such Community proposal.

  European Free Trade Association
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in negotiations with the European Free Trade Association for the extension of the single market to European Free Trade Association countries through the creation of a European economic area.

  Mr. Maude
  These negotiations opened on 20 June and are being conducted in five working groups. Both the Community and the European Free Trade Association countries want agreement by the end of 1990 on the creation of the European economic area. We strongly support this.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had expressing concern about non-scientific activities in Antarctica.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have received representations from many hon. Members and members of the public.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning proposals to make Antarctica a world park.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to a reply given on 9 May to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall). I also met representatives of the environmental organisation Wildlife Link on 5 March.

  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to ensure that the environment is protected in Antarctica.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13 June to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber (Sir. R. Johnston).

  Middle East
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to European Community statements of 26 June on the middle east, what further action Her Majesty's Government intend taking to ensure protection of the Palestinian population.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Dublin declaration speaks for itself. We and our partners are committed to continued vigilance over human rights abuses in the occupied territories and to taking these up, in as effective a manner as possible, with the Israeli authorities.

  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts have been made by Her Majesty's Government with the newly formed Government in Israel.
  257
  Mr. Waldegrave
  There have been a number of contacts on diplomatic channels. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to see his new Israeli colleague before long.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to seek the same undertakings from the Government of Israel in relation to international terrorism as he has sought from the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Israeli Government know we abhor terrorism from whichever quarter it comes. Resort to deliberately planned acts of violence can only increase tension in the region and set back the search for peace.

  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to discuss the situation in Palestine; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Mr. Bassam Abu Sharif on 1 March and I met him again as recently as 4 June.

  We remain in regular contact with the PLO leadership and take every opportunity to urge them to maintain their commitment to the moderate policies adopted in 1988.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the plight of United Kingdom citizens kidnapped in the Lebanon.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have continued to receive representations as described in my answer of 12 July 1989 to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has plans to meet the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to discuss the peace process in the middle east.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to meet Mr. Arafat. We are however in regular contact with the PLO leadership and urge them to maintain their commitment to the moderate policies adopted in 1988. It is this commitment which entitles them to participate in the peace process.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to visit Israel to discuss the middle east peace process.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Israel to discuss the peace process in the middle east.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs hopes to 258
  visit Israel before long. The Israeli Government are well aware of our views on the urgent need for direct dialogue with representative Palestinians.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the middle east peace process.

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

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to advance the peace process in the middle east.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The situation in the middle east is serious. The continuing stalemate in the peace process plays into the hands of extremists on all sides and increases the danger of greater violence. European concerns were expressed in the Dublin declaration of 26 June. We are working closely with partners and with the United States to encourage Israel to open a dialogue with representative Palestinians as a first step towards a comprehensive settlement.

  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to meet the new Foreign Minister of Israel to discuss the middle east situation.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet a representative of the Israeli Government to discuss the middle east peace process.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel concerning the situation in the middle east; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs hopes to meet the new Israeli Foreign Minister before too long. We regularly discuss the peace process with the Israelis. They are well aware of our view that a direct dialogue between Israel and representative Palestinians is needed soon as a first step towards an overall settlement.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government about the occupation of the west bank and Gaza strip.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Israeli Government are in no doubt about our view that Israel should withdraw from territories occupied since 1967 as part of a comprehensive peace settlement and that pending such a withdrawal Israel should adhere to its obligations under the Geneva convention.

  Economic and Political Co-operation
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the President of the European Commission to discuss economic and political co-operation.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the President of the European Commission are at present taking part in the economic summit discussions at Houston. They will meet again at the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 July, which is likely to discuss follow-up to the Dublin European Council.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to advance the peace process in Cambodia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 26 March, we have continued to promote a comprehensive political settlement, notably through meetings of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

  The permanent five plan to meet again later this month.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to review the Government's position on the seating of Cambodia at the United Nations when the matter comes before the credentials committee.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 13 June.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed Cambodia with members of(a) the United States Government and (b) European Economic Community Governments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discusses Cambodia regularly with the US Secretary of State and his European colleagues.

  Treaty of Rome
  Mr. Carr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the extent, under United Kingdom legislation, to which article 27(2) of the Rome convention has been invoked.

  Mr. Maude
  Article 227 of the treaty of Rome is fully incorporated into United Kigndom law and the question of invocation does not arise.

  Drug Traffickers
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussion he has had with the Foreign Ministers of Spain and 260
  Portugal about the strengthening of their external non-European Community borders against drug traffickers.

  Mr. Maude
  The subject of strengthening external Community borders against drug traffickers, terrorists and other criminals, is discussed regularly between Interior and Justice Ministers of the Twelve, and in the relevant working groups.

  Yemen
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has plans to have early talks with the Foreign Secretary of the new Republic of Yemen to discuss United Kingdom-Yemen relations.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no firm plans for an early meeting with the Yemeni Foreign Minister. But Dr. Al Iryani has an open invitation to visit London. I recently met the Vice-President of the Republic of Yemen when he was visiting London.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's relations with the new Republic of Yemen.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We enjoy good relations with the new Republic of Yemen. This was reflected in the warm messages of congratulations from the Queen, my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, sent on the occasion of the unification of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen on 22 May. We wish the Government and people of the Republic of Yemen well.

  Franco-British Relations
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the French Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss Franco-British relations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs had extensive discussions of Franco-British relations with M. Dumas at the annual bilateral summit on 4 May. Since then they have kept closely in touch when they have seen each other at a dozen or so multilateral meetings.

  Bilateral relations are extremely good. We consult and co-operate very closely.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement regarding recent developments concerning anti-Semitism in eastern Europe.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We deplore anti-Semitism in all its forms and will continue to do all we can to counter it. We worked for the unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism contained in the concluding document adopted by the CSCE participating states at the human dimension conference in Copenhagen on 29 June. We strongly endorse the recent statement in Dublin by the European Council on anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.
  261
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for which countries he has received IPU observers' reports on the elections in eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have received reports, either written or oral, from IPU observers to the elections in East Germany, Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. We have found the information from the IPU observers of great interest and value, along with reports from others, in assessing the fairness of the elections. We welcome these elections and look forward to continuing moves towards full democracy in all of the countries of eastern Europe.

  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make it his policy to apply the principle of conditionality to United Kingdom assistance to the countries of eastern Europe.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Our policy remains that the type and degree of aid to the reforming eastern European countries should match the stage of political and economic reform they have each reached.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the grounds upon which he would extend the know-how funds to other countries in eastern Europe.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The know-how fund, which currently covers Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the GDR, will be extended to other eastern European countries once they are firmly committed to reform.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the Foreign Secretary of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to discuss the relationship between the European Community and the Baltic states.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will doubtless discuss progress in negotiating between Moscow and the Baltic states at one of his forthcoming meetings with Mr. Shevardnadze; he has no plans specifically to raise relations between the EC and the Baltic states.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European partners concerning the reconstruction in eastern Europe.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs attended the second ministerial meeting of the Group of 24 countries on 4 July in Brussels. Ministers welcomed the reforms being undertaken in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and the GDR, and agreed to extend G24 assistance to these countries, in addition to Poland and Hungary. Ministers have called on Romania to implement the necessary reforms to permit it to qualify for such assistance. There was brief discussion of aid to the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Foreign Affairs Council is next due to discuss the proposed introduction of association agreements with those countries of eastern Europe making progress in implementing political and economic reforms.
  262
  Mr. Maude
  The FAC on 16–17 July will discuss association agreements with the reforming countries of central and eastern Europe. The European Council on 25–26 June called for exploratory talks to be opened soon. We are continuing to press the European Commission to make rapid progress with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in encouraging the Chinese Government to introduce a series of confidence-building measures with respect to the future of Hong Kong.

  Mr. Maude
  The Chinese Government have, on a number of recent occasions, reaffirmed their commitment to the joint declaration. During my forthcoming visit to China I will be discussing with the Chinese leadership measures which both our Governments can take to build confidence in Hong Kong.

  Romania
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations were made by the United Kingdom and by the European Community about the violent repression of demonstrations in Romania.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We protested formally to the Romanian authorities in London and Bucharest on 15 June about President Iliescu's use of vigilantes to crush the opposition on 14–15 June. We invoked the Helsinki agreement on 21 June to request information on three arrested student leaders. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and his EC colleagues strongly condemned the violence in a statement on 18 June.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Romania to discuss the aftermath of the recent elections; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs plan to visit Romania at present. We condemn President Iliescu's use of miners as vigilantes to attack the opposition on 14–15 June, and urge the Romanian Government to take decisive steps to restore progress towards democracy.

  NATO
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation head-quarters; and what he plans to discuss.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and what he plans to discuss with him.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Following the successful NATO summit in London last week, the alliance has a full programme of work to adapt its policies and strategies to
  263
  the changing circumstances of Europe. We shall keep in close touch with the NATO Secretary-General on the full range of issues set out in the declaration from the summit, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the NATO summit in Turnberry.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the NATO summit at Turnberry.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The North Atlantic Council ministerial meeting, held at Turnberry on 6–8 June, usefully prepared the ground for the important and successful NATO summit, held in London on 5–6 July, at which the allies set out the future direction of NATO in the 1990s. A copy of the Turnberry communiqué and the London declaration have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Southern Africa
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid and development assistance Her Majesty's Government propose to give to those states which form the Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have provided nearly £1,300 million gross bilateral aid to the Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference member states since 1980, and continue to maintain substantial programmes in most of them.

  Somalia
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Somalia and on the hopes for an end to the internal conflict in Somalia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have made clear to the Somali Government that respect for human rights and good government are the touchstones of our bilateral relations. We have been urging all parties to the conflict to negotiate, but the Somali National Movement continues to refuse to do so with the present Government.

  Latin America
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the United Kingdom is making to international efforts to achieve the consolidation of democracy in Latin America.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have given consistent and strong support to democratisation in Latin America in our bilateral dealings with the countries concerned and in conjunction with our EC partners and other members of the international community. Specific examples include:

  Contributions to United Nations peacekeeping efforts in the region including demobilisation of the Contras (some £3 million to date);

  A grant to Nicaragua announced on 2 June (£600,000);

  Restitution of our modest aid to Panama; maintenance of existing aid elsewhere in the region; additional assistance to the Colombian Government's efforts against drugs trafficking;

  264

  Participation in the San Jose dialogue between the EC, central America and Panama (with Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela as co-operating countries), which includes as one of its prime objectives the establishment of pluralist democracies in the region. As a result of this dialogue, EC aid to the region has doubled since 1984. The United Kingdom contributes some 20 per cent;

  Political support for human rights organisations in the region, and for those promoting dialogue in Guatemala;

  Support for a Nicaraguan parliamentary delegation visiting the United Kingdom for know-how talks; with the Inter-Parliamentary Union;

  Recent visits by Mr. Donald Limón, a British parliamentary expert to Chile, and by 10 senior Chilean parliamentarians to this country.

  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent trends towards democracy in Latin America.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We warmly welcome them. We particularly welcome the restoration of democracy in Chile, Nicaragua and Panama. We are encouraged that in E1 Salvador the third round of talks between the Government and the FMLN guerillas ended on a positive note, and that they are to be resumed on 20 July. We hope that the FMLN will soon agree to join the democratic process, and that Cuba will at last join the rest of Latin America in adopting pluralist democracy.

  Security and Co-operation in Europe
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether sufficient progress is being made in the two-plus-four talks and in CFE negotiations to enable a conference on security and co-operation in Europe to take place in the current year.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We and our NATO partners continue to regard it as important that the CFE negotiations should reach a satisfactory conclusion in order to lay the necessary basis for a CSCE summit to take place this year. It is also our aim to complete the two-plus-four talks by then. Progress is being made in both sets of talks. We were encouraged to note that the Warsaw pact summit declaration on 7 June committed Warsaw pact members to a successful termination of the CFE talks in time for the treaty to be signed at a CSCE summit late in 1990.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have put forward any proposals to enhance the role of the CSCE in European affairs and in relation to the security of European states; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The NATO summit meeting on 5 and 6 July agreed that the CSCE should become more prominent in Europe's future, and that a CSCE summit later this year should set new standards for the establishment and preservation of free societies. The NATO summit also made specific proposals on the institutionalisation of the CSCE, including in the security field establishing a CSCE centre for the prevention of conflict that would provide conciliation of disputes involving member states, together with measures to increase transparency and confidence-building. The United Kingdom played a leading role in the formulation of these proposals, in particular in relation to the proposed
  265
  centre for the prevention of conflict. The full text is contained in the NATO summit declaration, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions took place at the recent CSCE conference on the human dimension in Copenhagen about the conditions under which the next conference is to take place in Moscow in September 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The annex to the concluding document of the Copenhagen CDH meeting reiterates the practices of openness and access which should be respected at forthcoming conferences on the human dimension. We have made clear to the Soviet Union on a number of occasions the human rights conditions which we consider must be fulfilled if the United Kingdom is to attend the Moscow meeting. We continue to monitor the situation.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the Council of Europe providing the framework for the structured consideration of CSCE matters.

  Mr. Maude
  The United Kingdom and other CSCE member states recognise the important expertise of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms and will be considering further ways and means to enable the Council to make a contribution to the human dimension of the CSCE.

  Council of Europe
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will be seeking a revised and enlarged role for the Council of Europe in a new European framework; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  We believe that the Council of Europe has an increasingly important and valuable role to play in the development of democracy in Europe. With other member states we shall be examining the role of the Council in the architecture of the new Europe.

  EC Policies
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further proposals he intends to place before his European Community partners for the development of Community policies.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave him on 9 May and 13 June. We shall continue to play a constructive role in Community discussions.

  Nelson Mandela
  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has yet had discussions with Mr. Nelson Mandela.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I had friendly and positive discussions with Mr. Mandela on 3 July about how best to take forward the process of ending apartheid in South Africa by negotiation.

  European Political Union
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will be submitting proposals to the conference on European political union, initiated at the Dublin European conference; and if he will publish a White Paper setting out the views of Her Majesty's Government on this issue.

  Mr. Maude
  We have already made a number of suggestions for institutional reform. These will be pursued in the preparations for and at the intergovernmental conference. We have no plans at present for a White Paper.

  EC Summit, Dublin
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the European Community summit in Dublin.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the European Community summit in Dublin.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. Gentleman and the hon. Lady to the statement my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made to the House on 28 June.

  Korea
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to encourage the peaceful reunification of Korea.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have consistently supported efforts to achieve the peaceful reunification of Korea. But our view is that this can be achieved only through direct contacts between North and South Korea. We welcome the resumption of contacts on 3 July at Panmunjom.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made through the chemical weapons convention in achieving a comprehensive and verifiable global ban on the production, possession and use of chemical weapons.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Some progress has been made recently on technical issues in the negotiations in Geneva for a comprehensive, effectively verifiable, global ban on chemical weapons, but some key issues remain to be resolved, particularly verification. I will be visiting Geneva tomorrow to present a report on the United Kingdom's extensive series of trial inspections over the last two years at a number of Government-owned establishments. The practical lessons and conclusions drawn will, I am sure, be a valuable input to the negotiations.

  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any information relating to geological specimens purporting to confirm the use of chemical weapons in Angola; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A number of soil and vegetation samples purported to be from Angola have been examined by Government experts. The samples have not been found to contain any traces which would indicate the use of chemical weapons.

  Bulgaria
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the United Kingdom is giving to help Bulgaria implement its democratic reforms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have made no firm commitment yet of bilateral help to Bulgaria. The elections of 10 and 17 June mark a considerable step towards democracy. But, in view of residual doubts about some aspects of those elections, we shall still need to assess the policies of the new Government, and their commitment to political and economic reform, before we can extend aid.

  United States Secretary of State
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the United States Secretary of State; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs saw the United States Secretary of State at the G24 meeting in Brussels on 4 July and at the subsequent NATO and Houston summits. They discussed a wide range of subjects.

  Seychelles
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to pay an official visit to the Seychelles; and if he will make a statement on relations with that country.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to do so. We have normal relations with the Seychelles' Government and an aid programme directed towards the needs of the Seychelles' people. As elsewhere in Africa, we have made it clear we support freedom of expression and genuine political participation.

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

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood) on 9 May.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has yet set a timetable for the 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.

  E1 Salvador
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet the Foreign Minister of El Salvador to discuss the activities of death squads in that country.
  268
  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no present plans to meet the Foreign Minister of El Salvador. The subject of human rights is invariably on the agenda when we meet Ministers from that country. Most recently I raised it with Presidency Minister Altschul on 12 June.

  French Foreign Minister
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the French Foreign Minister to discuss developments in the European Community.

  Mr. Maude
  Apart from contacts in the margins of other international meetings, the last such meeting took place at the European Council in Dublin on 25–26 June.

  Poland
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to further improve relations with Poland.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have close and friendly relations with Poland. High-level contacts are increasingly frequent. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited Poland from 30 April—2 May and many more visits are planned this year.

  We will continue to give substantial help to ease Poland's transition to a market-based democracy, including through the know-how fund.

  Vietnamese Boat People
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in the intergovernmental discussions concerning the resettlement of Vietnamese boat people currently held in Hong Kong detention camps.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 24 May 1990 to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague).

  The next meeting of the full steering committee is expected to take place on 16–17 July in Geneva.

  Western Sahara
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European Community partners to obtain a joint approach to the western Sahara dispute.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Twelve have issued a statement supporting the United Nations Secretary-General's referendum proposals and welcoming their acceptance in principle by both parties to the dispute.

  Aid Policy
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make it his policy to use aid as a lever to promote democracy, human rights and free market economies.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's speech to the Overseas Development Institute on 6 June 1990.
  269
  Economic and social progress depends to a large degree on effective and honest government, political pluralism, observance of the rules of law and sound market-based economic policies.

  The adoption or otherwise of such policies and practices is an important factor in deciding upon the level and form of aid we are prepared to provide to particular developing countries.

  Visas
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when Mr. Nazir Ahmed Qureshi, ref. TH/10238/89, is to be issued with a visa by the post in Islamabad; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when Mrs. Azra Bibi, ref. GV/G100/8597, is to be issued with a visa by the post in Islamabad to join her husband in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred these questions to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive replies from the unit as soon as possible.

  Nuclear Arms
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty he has received recently from the Mexican Government.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  None.

  EC Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which extra-European territories European Communities Foreign Affairs Council decisions apply.

  Mr. Maude
  Responsibility for the Community's relations with third countries rests with the Foreign Affairs Council. Decisions of the Council applying to the territory of the Community apply to French overseas Departments, Martinique, French Guyana, Guadeloup and Reunion, and according to the precise proposal before the Council and the provisions of the EEC treaty can also apply to the dependent territories listed in part IV of the EEC treaty.

  Brazil
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had any discussions with the Brazilian Government concerning the relationship between the military and non-governmental organisations working in the Amazon.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on alleged threats made by the Brazilian superior war college to non-governmental organisations working with the indigenous peoples in the Amazon.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have no information other than that referred to in press reports.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Slaughterhouses
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he proposes to implement and enforce his latest regulations relating to the handling of bovine brains in slaughterhouses.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Bovine Offal (Prohibition) Regulations 1989 require that specified bovine offal—which includes brains—should be excluded from food for human consumption. The practice in some plants of removing brains before recovering head meat intended for human consumption was raised with my Department, and, after taking advice from the Tyrrell committee, I have issued guidance to local authorities that head meat should be recovered from the intact skull before the brain is removed so that the requirements of the regulations can be met.

  I am confident that these guidelines are sufficient to achieve their purpose. Nevertheless, it will be necessary for the Department shortly to be consulting on changes to slaughterhouse legislation to take account of future EC requirements and other technical amendments and I shall consider whether to include in those consultations proposals to give the guidelines legislative force.

  Animal Feed
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to require animal feed compounders henceforth to include only crop protein in cattle, sheep, pig and poultry rations.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have no plans to do so.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what research his Department is conducting into a possible link between BSE in cattle and maedi visna in sheep;

  (2) whether any research of which he is aware has established any links between BSE in cattle and maedi visna in sheep.

  Mr. Maclean
  Maedi visna is a disease of sheep caused by a well characterised virus unrelated to the unconventional agents which cause BSE and the other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Research into a link between the two diseases would therefore not be appropriate.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ensure that milk produced by animals treated with BST can be identified by the consumer.

  Mr. Maclean
  This matter will be covered by the Food Advisory Committee's current review of food labelling.

  Swine Swill Farms
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many swine swill farms are licensed in Norfolk.
  271
  Mr. Maclean
  Eleven such farms in Norfolk are licensed under the Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order 1973.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of agricultural land has been designated as environmentally sensitive in 272
  England; what percentage of land in the environmentally sensitive areas is farmed under this scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Some 3·4 per cent. of agricultural land in England has been designated as an environmentally sensitive area. Of the eligible land in each ESA which I targeted in the schemes some 92 per cent. is now being farmed under ESA agreement demonstrating the high level of interest among farmers in participation in this voluntary scheme.

  THE MAGUIRE FAMILY AND CO-DEFENDANTS
  THE MAGUIRE FAMILY AND CO-DEFENDANTS
  REMAND SYSTEM: PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT
  REMAND SYSTEM: PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT
  PRISON DISTURBANCES: INMATE PLACE LOSSES
  PRISON DISTURBANCES: INMATE PLACE LOSSES
  SATELLITE TELEVISION ANTENNAS: CONTROL
  SATELLITE TELEVISION ANTENNAS: CONTROL
  AREAS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE
  AREAS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE
  NATIONAL RIVERS AUTHORITY: ADDITIONAL FUNDING
  NATIONAL RIVERS AUTHORITY: ADDITIONAL FUNDING
  MONTREAL PROTOCOL
  MONTREAL PROTOCOL
  HEVENINGHAM HALL
  HEVENINGHAM HALL
  OLYMPIC GAMES 1996: MANCHESTER BID
  OLYMPIC GAMES 1996: MANCHESTER BID
  IN VITRO FERTILISATION REGISTER
  IN VITRO FERTILISATION REGISTER
  GAMETE INTRA-FALLOPIAN TRANSFER
  GAMETE INTRA-FALLOPIAN TRANSFER
  IN VITRO FERTILISATION: SUCCESS RATES
  IN VITRO FERTILISATION: SUCCESS RATES
  NORTHERN IRELAND: NEW BLOOD TRANSFUSION CENTRE
  NORTHERN IRELAND: NEW BLOOD TRANSFUSION CENTRE
  COCAINE AND HEROIN SEIZURES
  COCAINE AND HEROIN SEIZURES