Written Answers of 19 July 1990

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  EC Officials (Search Warrants)
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions in the current year courts have issued warrants to officials of the European Community to search the offices of companies in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  There have been no instances during the current year of United Kingdom courts granting orders in connection with the search of company premises by officials of the European Community under the EC rules on competition.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list those categories of alleged offence which qualify for international legal aid.

  The Attorney-General
  International legal aid is available under the provisions of the European agreement on the transmission of legal aid applications for civil, commercial and administrative cases. This agreement provides for the transfer of legal aid applications between signatory states. The treatment of applications is governed by the rules of the legal aid schemes of the recipient states and varies from state to state.

DEFENCE

  Low Flying
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration is being given in his "Options for Change" review to the amount of low flying carried out by RAF fast jets.

  Mr. Neubert
  The amount of low flying training carried out by the RAF will continue to reflect operational requirements.

  Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Clarence yard at Gosport.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In common with the rest of the naval estate, the cost effectiveness of the Royal Clarence yard is continually monitored.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many subject access requests under the terms of the Data Protection Act his Department has received; what 654
  was his estimate of the number of requests that would be received; what consideration he is giving to the subject access fee charged by his Department as a result; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  A total of 21,985 subject access requests have been received by the major pay and personnel database centres in the Ministry of Defence; all were from current, past and potential employees. The figures so far are considered to be roughly in line with the forecast of between 0.01 and 0.1 per cent. of the target population per annum. The subject access fee charged is not being reconsidered.

  Al Yamamah Agreement
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the date of the conclusion of the Al Yamamah agreement with Saudi Arabia and the dates of the conclusion of subsequent modifications of that agreement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The original formal understanding and the memorandum of understanding between Her Majesty's Government and the Saudi Arabian Government concerning Project Al Yamamah were concluded, respectively, in 1985 and 1986. A further formal understanding was concluded in 1988.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and places of meetings about the Al Yamamah agreement with Saudi Arabia and officials or representatives of his Department.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My officials are in constant touch with representatives of the Saudi Arabian Government during which a wide range of issues concerning the Al Yamamah agreement are reviewed and discussed.

  Menwith Hill
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current agreement under which Menwith Hill base is occupied and controlled by the National Security Agency of America; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, North (Mr. Stewart) gave to the hon. Member on 27 April 1988,Official Report, column 203.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Company Taxation
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will identify the provisions by which, if under the proposed pay and file system no assessment has been made on a company within the normal six-year time limit, the tax already paid by the company under the pay rules of pay and file will be repayable to it; within what period from the end of such six-year period such tax will have to be repaid; whether interest will be payable on the repayment by the Revenue; and by what legal process the tax-paying company will be able to enforce such payment.

  Mr. Ryder
  As I explained in Standing Committee E on 21 June,Official Report, column 383, it would not necessarily be appropriate for tax paid by a company under pay and file to be repaid where an assessment was

  655
  not made within the normal six-year time limit. But where the company was then able to show that no assessment could be made, it would be entitled to claim repayment of the tax and interest would be due on the tax repaid.

  Married Woman's Tax Allowance
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated cost to the Treasury in a full year of making the married woman's tax allowance transferable to(a) working husbands and (b) nonworking husbands; and what is his policy on making such a move.

  Mr. Ryder
  The cost would be a little over £3 billion; some 95 per cent. would result from married women transferring unused personal allowance to husbands in paid employment. These estimates are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are, therefore, provisional.

  An arrangement of this kind would have some similarity to the system of fully transferable allowances for married couples described in the 1986 Green Paper "The Reform of Personal Taxation". In the light of the response to the Green Paper the Government decided not to go ahead with that proposal, but to introduce the present system of independent taxation incorporating the transferable married couple's allowance.

  Customs and Excise
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Customs and Excise officers at ports of entry to the United Kingdom have pay scales designed to reward proficiency in more than one language.

  Mr. Ryder
  Although pay scales are not designed to reward foreign language proficiency, Customs and Excise officers at ports of entry can be paid allowances in addition to basic salary, normally for a maximum of two languages but exceptionally for three where one language is Finnish, Greek, Arabic, Hungarian, Turkish, or any Asian or Slavonic language.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Customs and Excise officers at ports of entry to the United Kingdom are required to be able to speak foreign languages.

  Mr. Ryder
  Customs and Excise officers at ports of entry to the United Kingdom are not so required but some are proficient in foreign languages and receive appropriate allowances.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the report on eastern European economics entitled "End of the Cycle" by Morgan Stanley; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  At present the Treasury and Cabinet Office library does not hold a copy of the report entitled "End of the Cycle" by Morgan Stanley. The library is trying to obtain a copy.

  Government Departments (Staff)
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of staff in post in central Government Departments at 1 April.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  On 1 April 1990 there were 562,388 staff in post in central Government Departments. Of these 495,233 were non-industrials and 67,155 were classified as being in industrial work.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Schools, Wandsworth
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what consultations he has had with Wandsworth borough council regarding parental choice of secondary schools;

  (2) what representations he has received regarding the closure notices for Chestnut Grove, Walsingham, John Archer and Battersea Park comprehensive schools, issued by Wandsworth borough council;

  (3) when he or his colleagues last met (a) the director of education of Wandsworth borough council and (b) the chairman of Wandsworth borough council education committee, regarding the closure of comprehensive schools in Wandsworth and the resulting pattern of school provision in Wandsworth;

  (4) when he next proposes to meet the chairman of the Wandsworth education committee to discuss comprehensive school closures in Wandsworth.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  As part of a cycle of meetings with the inner London councils to discuss the progress they have made since they took over responsibility for education from ILEA on 1 April, I intend soon to meet representatives of Wandsworth local education authority. That meeting will include discussion of the authority's secondary reorganisation proposals, on which it is to issue a public consultation document. If consultation led to the publication of statutory proposals requiring the determination of the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend would consider these in due course.

  Haberdashers' Aske's CTC
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science with what persons he will enter into an agreement under section 105 of the Education Reform Act 1988, for the purposes of establishing and maintaining a Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Secretary of State will enter into an agreement with the Haberdashers' Aske's City Technology College Trust, which has not yet been formed. When it is formed the primary members of the trust will be persons nominated by those organisations including the Haberdashers' Company which intend to sponsor the CTC. Membership will include a nominee of the Secretary of State.

  World Literacy Survey
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to ensure that the United Kingdom participates in the world literacy survey; and if he will make a statement.
  657
  Mrs. Rumbold
  No proposal on this has been put to the Government, but I understand that the National Foundation for Educational Research—to which it was put—declined to participate on justified grounds. The national curriculum and the equivalent arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland, should in due course provide a much sounder platform for international comparisons.

  City Technology Colleges
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science in relation to each city technology college, what amount of earmarked annual grant or related payments were paid by his Department for the school year 1989–90; and for what purposes each element of earmarked annual grant was paid.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Earmarked grants are the subject of specific bids for the colleges and relate to specific expenditure on:

  a. consumables—the purchase, during the start-up period only, of a basic stock of library and text books, courseware, stationery and other consumable materials;

  b. school meals—the provision of free meals for pupils who qualify, a subsidy in respect of those pupils who do not, and supervision costs;

  c. pupil support—to cover the costs of school uniforms and school transport for disadvantaged pupils;

  d. IT development—software and courseware for the incorporation and exploitation of IT throughout the curriculum and in the administration of the college; and

  e. staff development—to provide for in-service training and curriculum development needs arising from the curriculum in CTCs.

  The total EAG provision for the three colleges in the academic year 1989–90 is as follows:

  £

  Kingshurst

  143,000

  Djanogly, Nottingham

  213,000

  Macmillan College, Teesside

  204,000

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science in respect of each city technology college what amount of annual per capita grant or related revenue costs were paid by his Department for the school year 1989–90; what unit of cost per pupil was used in calculating the amount of such payments; how this was determined; and what enhancement of annual per capita grant was allowed under the terms of paragraph 11 of the model funding agreement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The annual per capita grant—APG—for the academic year 1989–90 for the three CTCs that are open is as follows:

  £

  Kingshurst

  927,000

  Djanogly, Nottingham

  871,000

  Macmillan College, Teesside

  852,000

  The APG is determined by taking the unit cost for pupils under school leaving age, which for the academic year 1989–90 works out at £1,929, and for pupils over school leaving age, is £3,086. These are determined by the actual expenditure per secondary pupil in a group of 24 LEAs that maintain schools in similar areas to CTCs with an addition for central administration costs. Furthermore,
  658
  an allowance is made for diseconomies of scale during the start-up period of a CTC while it works up to full pupil capacity. This provides for more teachers in year one than the overall pupil-teacher ratio would justify; more non-teaching staff in year one than the final target complement would imply pro rata; and an additional sum to reflect premises-related diseconomies.

  Management Information Systems
  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the criticisms in the report, "Computerised Management Information Systems in Further Education—A Study of Quality Assurance", of the two major suppliers of these systems.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department plans to publish the findings of the project in the early autumn.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations his Department has received from suppliers mentioned in the report "Computerised Management Information Systems in Further Education—A Study of Quality Assurance" seeking to have the report modified or changed before its publication.

  Mr. Jackson
  Before accepting the completion of the project, the Department sought the suppliers' views on the factual accuracy of the project team's findings. The suppliers' replies highlighted some inaccuracies and indicated how they proposed to respond to the team's findings. These responses will be taken into account in the report due to be published in the autumn.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when his Department will publish the report entitled "Computerised Management Information Systems in Further Education—A Study of Quality Assurance", which was presented to his Department in December 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 10 July 1990,Official Report, column 186.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he expects to be available to him, and what studies have been made and are being undertaken relating to governors of grant-maintained schools and proposed grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The views of the governors of grant-maintained schools are sought on a variety of issues. It is clear that they welcome their new status. In particular, governors welcome their greater independence and the freedom to decide their own priorities and to implement policies for achieving their goals. Many governors believe that their increased responsibilities make for a more satisfying and fulfilling role.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the appointment of an independent person, pursuant to paragraph 3(5) of schedule 2 to the Education (Student Loans) Act 1990.
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  Mr. MacGregor
  The Student Loans Company will appoint an independent assessor, whose function will be to investigate and report on disputes between the company and borrowers or intending borrowers under the loans scheme. The appointment of the assessor will be subject to my approval. The assessor will operate in accordance with an agreed set of procedures and terms of reference, a copy of which I have placed today in the Library of each House.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Animal Welfare Inspections
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many animal welfare inspections were made by state veterinary officers in each of 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Maclean
  The number of visits to farms specifically to carry out animal welfare inspections in each of these years was:

  Year

  Inspections

  1985

  6,064

  1986

  5,804

  1987

  5,219

  1988

  5,670

  1989

  3,902

  The reduction in 1989 was due largely to the need to divert the effort of the state veterinary service to tackling the problems of BSE. However, veterinary officers continued to monitor welfare in the course of their visits to farms for other purposes.

  Veterinary Investigation Centre, Polwhele
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tests for listeria were carried out at the veterinary investigation centre, Polwhele, Truro, in 1987, 1989 and to the most convenient date in 1990; and what percentage of these tests gave a positive response.

  Mr. Maclean
  The veterinary investigation service does not routinely carry out tests specifically for listeria. As a disease of animals, listeriosis is considered as a differential diagnosis when pathological material is submitted to a veterinary investigation centre by a practising veterinary surgeon.

  In the period 1987 to 9 July 1990 the following diagnoses of listeriosis were made at Truro VIC either by microbiological examination or pathological examination or both:

  1987

  1988

  1989

  11990

  Cattle

  3

  17

  14

  9

  Sheep

  7

  6

  8

  10

  1 To 9 July 1990.

  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many possible BSE samples were examined at the veterinary investigation centre, Polwhele, Truro, in each of the years 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990 to date; and what percentage of these cases proved positive.

  Mr. Maclean
  There are two stages in the examination of brain material for BSE carried out in veterinary investigation centres.660

  (i) The removal of brain material for examination.

  (ii) The histopathological preparation and miscroscopic examination of the selected tissues.

  In respect of (ii) the VI centre at Polwhele acts as one of 11 designated centres for this purpose and as such the numbers examined do not necessary reflect the situation.

  In 1987 to 9 July 1990 the VI centre at Truro carried out the following procedures:

  1987

  1988

  1989

  11990

  (i) Removal of brain tissue

  44

  364.00

  611.00

  620.00

  (ii) Histopathological examination

  44

  437.00

  537.00

  730.00

  Percentage histopathological examination +ve

  100

  90.16

  89.57

  89.18

  1To 9 July 1990.

  Veterinary Investigation Centres
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary investigation centres are currently operated by his Department; and how many of these are currently under review as to their future retention.

  Mr. Maclean
  There are 19 veterinary investigation centres in England and Wales. The review of the veterinary investigation service was commissioned by the Minister with a view to improving the quality, efficiency and the cost effectiveness of the services provided by VI centres. As such the review considered the service as a whole. The report of this review has been submitted to Ministers but as yet no decision has been reached on any of the recommendations within the report.

  North-East Salmon Review
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the north-east salmon review has been completed; and when he expects to publish the report.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 29 June,Official Report, column 388.

  Fishery Protection
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to change the arrangements for fishery protection at sea.

  Mr. Curry
  Yes. In order to maintain the patrol capability at the level I consider necessary to achieve effective deterrence and proper compliance with United Kingdom and Economic Community fisheries regulations, the Department has arranged to charter the Southella to carry out fishery enforcement duties within British fishery limits. The charter will run from the middle of this month. The ship is already converted for this work, having previously carried out similar duties for the Falkland Islands Government and the Commission of the European Communities. It will supplement the forces of the Royal Navy's fishery protection squadron.

  Like the ships of the fishery protection squadron, Southella will operate under the direction of the Ministry's sea fisheries inspectorate. She will carry a team of

  661
  experienced inspectors who will carry out enforcement checks on both British and foreign fishing boats, mainly though not exclusively in the south-west approaches.

  This civilian addition to the fishery enforcement capability is necessary because of a current shortfall in the availability of suitable naval ships this year. The requirements for next year will be reviewed in the light of the availability of Royal Navy vessels.

  I commend the fishery protection squadron for the invaluable service it has given and continues to give in carrying out the fishery enforcement duties for the protection of fisheries and the ultimate benefit of all fishermen.

WALES

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 11 July to the hon. Member for Newport, West,Official Report, column 199, what was (a) the percentage of polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated material, and (b) the tonnage of other toxic materials that were imported into Newport via the River Usk during the period 1 April 1989 to 31 March.

  Mr. Grist
  Of the 1,314 tonnes of hazardous waste recorded as imported into Newport via facilities on the River Usk, 479 tonnes or 36.45 per cent. was polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated material, and 835 tonnes was other material.

  Hospitals (Salmonella)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) when he anticipates receiving a report on the cause of the salmonella outbreak at Ely hospital, Cardiff;

  (2) when he next expects to meet the chairman of the South Glamorgan health authority to discuss the salmonella outbreak at the Ely hospital, Cardiff.

  Mr. Grist
  Officials at the Welsh Office have already received a preliminary report from the health authority concerning the investigation and control of the salmonella outbreak at Ely hospital and further progress reports are awaited. At the present time my right hon. Friend has no plans to meet the chairman of South Glamorgan health authority to discuss this matter.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to institute better anti-salmonella preventive measures in hospitals and other institutions in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The Food Safety Bill, which applies to hospitals and other institutions in Wales, will require higher standards in relation to the preparation and handling of food including the requirement for food handlers to receive a minimum level of training.

  NHS Drugs
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the value of national health service drugs administered in Wales(a) in total and (b) in hospitals in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The net ingredient cost of all drugs and dressing administered by the NHS in Wales during 662
  1988–89 was £160,154,164 of which the cost of drugs and dressing administered by district health authorities was £22,618,505 and £3,556,682 respectively.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received for the provision of a secure unit for young offenders below the age normally committed to prison; over what time span these representations have been made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  We have not received any representations which call for the provision of a secure unit for young offenders. However, we have received representations which draw attention to the availability of secure accommodation in Wales.

  Housing Grants
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the arrangements for paying new housing capital grants.

  Mr. Grist
  New housing capital grants were introduced by part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. The approval of Parliament for expenditure on these new grants is being sought in the main supply estimates for class XVI, vote 6—housing, other environmental services and welfare food, Wales. Pending that approval urgent expenditure, estimated at £22,733 million, will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will announce his proposals arising out of the Government's recent review of the operation of the new system of local government finance in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of a consultation paper which has been produced as a result of the review. The paper, which I shall be distributing shortly to interested bodies and individuals, sets out proposals with respect to the standard community charge, and certain other matters. Views are being sought on a number of changes which we are proposing to make in Wales. Similar consultations will also take place in England and Scotland. Comments on the proposals are invited by 28 September.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  United Nations Conference, Paris
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will be representing Her Majesty's Government at the second United Nations conference on the least-developed countries to be held in Paris in September; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I hope to lead the United Kingdom delegation to the second United Nations conference on the least-developed countries in Paris.

  Rihand Power Station, India
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that no further British Government aid will be provided
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  for the Rihand power station project in India, involving British companies, unless flue gas desulphurisation technology is installed.

  Mrs. Chalker
  A thorough appraisal of the project, including its environmental impact, is a condition for the provision of British aid to the second stage of the Rihand power station in India. The appraisal will examine the impact on the Indian environment of the level of sulphur dioxide emissions from the plant and assess the environmental and economic costs and benefits of flue gas desulphurisation. Because of the low sulphur content of Indian coal, the level of sulphur dioxide emissions would be relatively small. In the light of the appraisal, we will ensure adequate environmental safeguards are taken in consultation with the Government of India.

  Developing Countries (Aid)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to increase support for the least developed countries.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The British aid programme is focused on the poorest, including those classified as least developed. Within an aid programme that is planned to grow in real terms, the Government will increasingly support least developed countries which are well governed and implement sound economic policies.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the proportion of gross national product given in overseas aid for each year from 1980 to 1989 to(a) the original 31 least developed countries and (b) the current 42 least developed countries.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The proportion of GNP given as official development assistance to the 31 countries classified as least developed at the time of the first UN conference on the least developed, and the 42 countries currently classified as least developed from 1980 to 1989 was as follows:

  Proportion of GNP given as official development assistance to LLDCs from 1980 to 1989

  Year

  31 original countries Total per cent.

  42 current countries Total per cent.

  1980

  0.09

  n/a

  1981

  0.12

  n/a

  1982

  0.10

  0.11

  1983

  0.09

  0.14

  1984

  0.09

  0.11

  1985

  0.10

  0.11

  1986

  0.08

  0.09

  1987

  0.08

  0.10

  1988

  n/a

  0.10

  1989

  n/a

  n/a

  Note: The total is made up of bilateral assistance and imputed multilateral assistance.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police National Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accesses were made to each index of the police national computer over the last year; and how many of the access requests could search more than one index.
  664
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The total number of accesses to each of the indices of the police national computer in the year to 30 June 1990 was as follows:

  Index

  Number of Accesses

  1. Stolen and Suspect Vehicles

  21,370,168

  2. Vehicle Owners

  3. Chassis/Engine Numbers

  508,710

  4. Fingerprints

  200,917

  5. Fingerprints (Scene of Crime)

  13,658

  6. Criminal Names

  1,094,072

  7. Wanted/Missing Persons

  2,134,554

  8. Disqualified Drivers

  765,081

  9. Convictions

  902,277

  10. Major Investigations

  5,921

  11. Crime Pattern Analysis

  279,711

  There have also been the following joint accesses:

  Number

  To indices 6 and 91

  1,996,349

  To indices 6, 7 and 9

  1,687,245

  To indices 6, 7, 8 and 9

  8,265,989

  To indices 4, 6 and 9

  652,426

  1 All accesses to the criminal names index will in addition automatically generate information from the convictions application.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the number of accesses made to the police national computer by each constabulary over the last year; and what was the proportion of access requests made to the vehicle indexes of the police national computer.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows:

  Force

  Numbers of transactions for the year up to June 1990

  Proportion of transactions made to vehicle indices

  Avon and Somerset

  928,045

  60.5

  Bedfordshire

  376,446

  66.9

  British Transport Police

  141,988

  42.1

  Cambridgeshire

  375,627

  60.7

  Central

  141,178

  51.6

  Cheshire

  436,687

  62.1

  City of London

  101,987

  58.8

  Cleveland

  331,288

  55.8

  Cumbria

  366,151

  62.9

  Derbyshire

  448,074

  61.1

  Devon and Cornwall

  730,000

  55.6

  Dorset

  457,665

  59.6

  Dumfries and Galloway

  106,837

  59.0

  Durham

  350,553

  53.1

  Dyfed-Powys

  241,976

  48.3

  Essex

  892,740

  60.1

  Fife

  137,425

  56.4

  Gloucestershire

  359,446

  68.0

  Grampian

  265,928

  49.4

  Greater Manchester

  2,271,199

  57.3

  Guernsey

  19,249

  10.5

  Gwent

  187,118

  46.3

  Hampshire

  877,175

  59.4

  Hertfordshire

  463,569

  46.5

  Humberside

  529,245

  60.2

  Isle of Man

  20,547

  52.9

  Jersey

  33,476

  10.1

  Kent

  1,198,384

  60.7

  Lancashire

  1,126,272

  58.4

  Leicestershire

  397,810

  55.4

  Lincolnshire

  267,208

  61.3

  Lothian and Borders

  610,533

  59.4

  Merseyside

  932,268

  55.6

  Metropolitan

  7,597,182

  48.4

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  Force

  Numbers of transactions for the year up to June 1990

  Proportion of transactions made to vehicle indices

  Norfolk

  392,549

  63.5

  North Wales

  309,407

  51.3

  North Yorkshire

  440,309

  65.6

  Northamptonshire

  319,903

  67.8

  Northern

  103,454

  52.0

  Northumberland

  990,490

  66.7

  Nottinghamshire

  650,988

  71.8

  South Wales

  842,909

  59.2

  South Yorkshire

  684,321

  70.4

  Staffordshire

  398,871

  58.4

  Strathclyde

  1,289,244

  33.8

  Suffolk

  288,693

  58.7

  Surrey

  370,132

  61.8

  Sussex

  791,593

  51.8

  Tayside

  318,767

  50.7

  Thames Valley

  1,232,066

  57.4

  Warwickshire

  312,924

  68.7

  West Mercia

  498,609

  57.5

  West Midlands

  2,240,914

  62.8

  West Yorkshire

  1,407,148

  54.6

  Wiltshire

  286,988

  64.0

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current size of each category found in the stolen and suspect vehicle index of the police national computer; and what was the minimum and maximum size of each category in the index over the year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows:

  Category

  Current

  Minimum

  Maximum

  Confirmed lost or obtained by deception

  397,420

  307,408

  397,420

  Lost or Stolen

  406,337

  406,337

  411,018

  Obtained by deception

  88

  78

  88

  Found

  28,284

  28,284

  28,572

  Removed

  13,035

  12,980

  14,063

  Street to Street

  121

  121

  162

  Repossessed by Finance Company

  0

  0

  0

  Suspect

  128

  122

  128

  Police Vehicle

  3,621

  3,621

  3,704

  Blocked

  6,328

  6,323

  6,410

  Information

  16,752

  16,327

  16,877

  Seen

  7,490

  7,348

  8,357

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current size of each index of the police national computer; and what was the minimum and maximum size of each index over the last year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows:

  Index

  Current

  Minimum

  Maximum

  Vehicle owners

  43,846,016

  41,386,599

  43,846,016

  Stolen vehicles

  489,162

  469,874

  489,162

  Chassis-engine numbers

  823,393

  791,850

  823,393

  Wanted/Missing persons

  117,805

  112,011

  117,805

  Cross reference

  983,949

  964,898

  985,202

  Disqualified drivers

  375,708

  367,864

  377,057

  Convictions

  3,249,407

  2,929,865

  3,249,407

  Criminal names

  5,582,320

  5,457,187

  5,582,320

  Fingerprints

  4,094,626

  4,004,441

  4,094,626

  Crime pattern analysis

  110,214

  103,149

  110,214

  Extremists crime index

  1,202

  1,118

  1,202

  Major investigations

  328,426

  326,360

  328,426

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current size of each category 666
  found in the wanted and missing persons index of the police national computer; and the minimum and maximum size of each category in the index over the year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows:

  Category

  Current

  Wanted

  33,031

  Fails to Appear

  33,083

  Suspect

  215

  Impending Prosecution

  49

  Deserter

  1,552

  Locate

  42,299

  Missing

  2,513

  Found

  13

  Absconder—from care

  574

  —from hospital

  66

  —from detention

  2

  —from youth custody

  134

  —from prison

  934

  —from remand

  5

  —from school

  47

  Recall—from detention

  0

  —from youth custody

  1

  —from prison

  320

  A record of the minimum and maximum size of each category over the past year has not been maintained and the information is therefore not available.

  Mr. D. J. Burrows
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy in respect of compensation for damage done to private property by convicted criminals who abscond from Her Majesty's penal establishments; what factors underlay his refusal to make payments to Mr. D. J. Burrows of Lakenheath, Suffolk, in respect of the damage done to his boat in October 1989 by two persons who had escaped from Hollesley Bay remand centre in Suffolk, and were convicted of breaking-in offences; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  The Home Office does not accept general responsibility for loss or damage caused by absconders from penal establishments. The courts have upheld that Home Office liability applies only where an escape takes place which is attributable to the negligence of staff, when they are under a duty to take steps to prevent an escape. There must be some failure to take proper care on the part of the authorities. In the case of Mr. Burrows there was no evidence of negligence by the staff involved at Hollesley Bay colony and the Department cannot therefore accept any legal liability for the damage to his yacht.

  In certain circumstances ex-gratia payments may be made to owners of property stolen or damaged. This ex-gratia scheme is operated regardless of whether the abscond was due to any fault on the part of the staff of the establishment concerned. It simply accepts that in some establishments the conditions are such as to permit absconding if the inmate is so minded and in these circumstances compensation has been paid, for the sake of good will, to members of the public particularly at risk when they suffer loss. The Department makes such payments only where the loss or damage is not covered by insurance.

  Mr. Burrows' boat was covered by an insurance policy, but the insurance company declined to meet his claim

  667
  because, in breach of a policy condition, he failed to notify it until several months after the incident. The Department could have considered an ex-gratia payment to cover uninsured losses, such as an excess charge on the claim or a loss of no claims discount; but not to cover insured losses which Mr. Burrows has had to bear because of his failure to make a timely claim. Mr. Burrows was advised orally of the position on more than one occasion before he finally claimed from the insurance company. I am reviewing the case however to see whether the Department's actions contributed in any way to Mr. Burrows' delay in making a formal claim to his insurance company; and I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many subject access requests under the terms of the Data Protection Act his Department has received; what was his estimate of the number of requests that would be received; what consideration he is giving to the subject access fee charged by his Department as a result; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  During the period 11 November 1987 to 16 July 1990 the Department received 35 requests for subject access. It was not judged possible, at the time when the provisions came into operation, to make any firm advance estimate of likely take-up, but there was an indication, on the basis of experience in other European countries, that requests might be in the range 0.1 to 1 per cent. per annum of records held—that is, between 5,400 and 54,000 requests per year to be addressed to the Home Office. I have no plans to reconsider the subject access fees charged by the Department.

  Asylum
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals and of which nationality have been granted asylum in the United Kingdom since 1 April.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This information is not yet available. Provisional figures for grants of refugee status in the second quarter of 1990 will shortly be provided to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Isle of Man Bank
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations have been received in connection with the failure of the Isle of Man bank.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since the collapse of the Savings and Investment Bank in the Isle of Man in 1982, a total of 52 representations have been received from, or on behalf of, 18 former investors with the bank. They have been informed that the matter is a domestic one within the jurisdiction of the Isle of Man.

  Greater Manchester Police
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the internal police inquiries into Greater Manchester police(a) following the collapse of the court proceedings
  668
  against Kevin Taylor and (b) following the collapse of the court proceedings against Gerard Corley; and if he intends to publish the report.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Both these investigations are being carried out under the terms of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The reports will be submitted to the Police Complaints Authority and copied to the chief constable of Greater Manchester.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given to magistrates in deciding whether young offenders under 17 years of age should be confined in Her Majesty's prisons.

  Mr. John Patten
  The only juveniles under 17 who may be remanded to prison department establishments are 15 and 16-year-old boys who have been refused bail and certified by a court as being too unruly to be safely remanded to local authority care. The criteria governing the issue of unruliness certificates are laid down in the Certificates of Unruly Character (Conditions) Order 1977. The use of the sentence of detention in a young offender institution, which is available for some juveniles, is governed by the criteria in section 1 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982. Guidance to courts on the use of their powers is given from time to time by the Court of Appeal.

  Minority Communities
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings the responsible Minister has held in the last 12 months with members of the minority communities; how many of these meetings were with young people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Since 1 July 1989, I have held 30 meetings with individuals and groups from the minority communities, of which 14 have been with young people. The meetings have taken place not only in the Home Office but also in areas such as Birmingham, Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham.

  In addition, I have attended two meetings of the Home Secretary's advisory council on race relations, the formal interdepartmental committee on which individual members of the minority communities can advise the Government on all aspects of race relations in Britain.

  All these meetings have been an invaluable opportunity for me to learn about the issues that concern our minority communities. I have also been able to discuss ways of developing Britain as an integrated, multiracial society in which the minority communities can participate fully and freely without fear of prejudice and discrimination.

  Forensic Pathology
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the results of his consideration of the report of the working party on forensic pathology in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  I have now carefully considered the report of the working party which had been examining the provision of forensic pathology services to police forces and coroners in England and Wales together with the
  669
  comments which I have received on it from 23 interested individuals and representative bodies. Without exception, those consulted have endorsed the report's principal findings and recommendations, particularly in relation to funding, accreditation, training and research, and have urged me to implement these urgently in order to reverse the recent decline of the service and ensure an adequate supply of forensic specialists in the future.

  The main proposal of the report is that the supply of forensic pathology services should be regulated through the market—that is, the main users of these services, police forces, should contract with the suppliers, the pathologists, for the services they need at prices and on conditions to be agreed between them. The role of the Home Office would be to maintain the high quality of the service through new arrangements for accreditation, training and research.

  I have decided to accept the working party's proposals and to introduce the new arrangements straight away, including the establishment of a policy advisory board to oversee the development of this vital part of our criminal justice system.

  Prisoners
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the youngest(a) boy and (b) girl being held in a prison in England and Wales on 9 July.

  Mr. Mellor
  According to the records held centrally on 31 May 1990, the latest date for which information is readily available, the youngest boy and girl held in a prison or remand centre were aged 15. Both had been sentenced.

  Strangeways Prison
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extra financial allowance and additional days' leave were given to prison officers from prisons in England and Wales who were sent to Strangeways prison during the recent riot at that prison; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Prison officers sent to Her Majesty's prison Manchester during the recent emergency received an ex-gratia payment of £8 per hour in respect of additional hours worked. All staff involved in control and restraint deployment received five days' special leave with pay. Governors were asked also to grant a discretionary five days' special leave to any other staff who suffered particular stress at Manchester.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be charged the costs of supplying prison officers from prisons in England and Wales for duty at Strangeways prison during the recent riot at that prison; what was the total cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The costs of supplying prison officers for duty at Her Majesty's prison Manchester during the recent riot there are borne on the prisons vote—(class XI, 2).

  The salaries of prison officers sent to Manchester are already paid by the prison service. The only additional salary costs are payments for additional hours worked in connection with the disturbance. These costs, together with transport and subsistence expenses, amounted to £545,094.

  Prison Officers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support is given and by whom, to women prison officers now working in male prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Guidance to line managers in the prison service emphasises the importance of effective induction for staff who are new to an establishment, and line managers at all levels are expected to encourage and support their staff.

  Murders
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the police clear-up rates for(a) all murders and (b) murders of gay men for the two most recent years for which he has figures.

  Mr. John Patten
  In cases of homicide it is not possible in the absence of a court decision to distinguish between offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. In England and Wales in 1988 and 1989 the ratio of offences of homicide cleared up to offences of homicide recorded in the same years was 96 and 92 per cent. respectively. Some offences are recorded and cleared up in different years. Statistics of homicide recorded and cleared up in 1988 are published in table 2.8 "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1988"—Cm. 847—and for 1989 in table 6 of "Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/90". Records available centrally on the sexual status of homicide victims are incomplete. The available information shows six homosexual men to have been victims of homicide in 1988 and 1989; all these cases were cleared up.

  Prisons (Incidents)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each of the reported serious incidents that have taken place in prisons in England and Wales between 1 January and 9 July.

  Mr. Mellor
  The following numbers of incidents between 1 January and 9 July 1990 are recorded as having been reported by prison service establishments under the broad headings shown, excluding incidents under headings categorised as minor.

  Number

  Escapes

  53

  Attempted escapes

  7

  Escapes from escort

  46

  Attempted escapes from escort

  3

  Recapture/surrender of escaped inmates

  50

  Assaults—on staff

  48

  —on inmates

  77

  —on other

  8

  Deaths of inmates, believed to be suicide

  21

  Other deaths of inmates

  20

  Deaths of staff

  3

  Fires causing personal injury, or serious and/or extensive damage to property

  11

  Acts of concerted indiscipline

  60

  Barricade incidents

  7

  Rooftop demonstrations

  26

  Food refusals

  39

  Key/lock compromises

  7

  Hostage incidents

  11

  Bomb threats/explosions

  24

  Dirty protest

  1

  Other miscellaneous incidents

  38

  671
  To be meaningful, a list would need to include some description of incidents. In view of the number of incidents, such information could be given only at disproportionate cost.

THE ARTS

  Regional Film Theatres
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he plans to meet the chairman of the British Film Institute to discuss increased investment in regional film theatres.

  Mr. Luce
  I regularly meet the chairman of the British Film Institute to discuss current issues.

  Works of Art (Resale)
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what controls he intends to place on the resale of works of art by those who have purchased under the new regulations recently announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Luce
  The Government have never had the power to control the sale of privately owned works of art. On 4 May, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced that, if an owner does not accept an offer from a private individual, the existence of that offer will be taken into account in deciding on the export licence application. If either the original owner, having rejected all offers to purchase, or a new owner, subsequently offer the item for resale, no conditions can be imposed on that sale. Should a resale result in an application for an export licence, the normal procedures for considering it would operate.

  Natural History Museum
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will publish the response he has made to the letter from Dr. Peter Jung and expert colleagues in foraminifera, ammonites and mammals of the naturhistorische museum in Basel about whether a major collection can be actively cared for under proposals such as those for the natural history museum in respect of expert staff; and what action he proposes to take to discharge obligations, in respect of scientists' work in building up collections to the benefit of smaller museums, throughout the world.

  Mr. Luce
  I have placed a copy of my correspondence with Dr. Peter Jung in the Library of the House. I have asked the Government's chief scientific adviser, who is in discussion with the natural history museum, to keep me informed of the museum's position in relation to the United Kingdom science base. I shall be meeting the chairman and director of the museum to discuss these and other issues.

  British Library
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many reader seats were provided in the £2.3 million first phase conversion of the Corn Merchant's Store at the British Library, Boston Spa; and whether the second phase of this conversion has been approved.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: None. Approval has not been sought for a second phase.
  672
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will make it his policy to move little used material to stores outside London so that readers may use most of the St. Pancras building.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: This is a matter for the British Library Board.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the cost of repairs at the India Office library and records; and whether the British Library is to use the section vacated some years ago by the Ministry of Defence.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: The refurbishment at Orbit house by the British Library includes the area vacated by the Ministry of Defence and the costs are estimated to be £1.1 million excluding VAT.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on details of published surveys relating to readers' characteristics and needs in planning the new building at St. Pancras.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: The "Report of the National Libraries Committee" Cm 4028 included several surveys. Further surveys have been undertaken by the British Library for use in planning the new building and have been reported to its advisory committees.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts when readers may inspect plans of the collection allocations and visit the site of the St. Pancras building.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: The detailed collection allocations have not been finalised by the British Library although broad plans are being prepared. They will not be available for consideration before the end of this year. A user and staff communication programme has already commenced including a video and the production of leaflets. It is intended to institute site visits for readers towards the new year subject to safety considerations.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the percentage of shelving in phase I of the new St. Pancras building housing science and technology publications.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: Over 40,000 m of shelving, representing 13.8 per cent. of the shelving in the first stage of construction, are destined for science and technology publications. This compares with 27,000 m in the present Holborn and Aldwych buildings. A further 6,500 m are planned for the completion phase.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what are the total costs of the development of the radiation polymer preservation programme and the number of books which have been preserved by this process.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: The development costs incurred by the British Library for the polymer preservation programme total £540,000. During the research period which has recently ended the process has been applied to sample volumes only.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the revenue from commercial sales of the British Library archivist book copier.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: Royalties from commercial sales so far total £15,000.
  673
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what area in phase I of the new St. Pancras building is to be allocated for book preservation.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: An area of over 1,500 sq m is assigned to book preservation functions in the first stage of construction, in addition to the environmentally controlled storage and consultation facilities and associated plant.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will itemise total investment by the British Library in compact disc with read-only memory.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: This information is not readily obtainable. Increasingly, the British Library's various operations employ equipment which makes some use of CD-ROM technology.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will take steps to ensure that stools, work surfaces and trolleys are part of the brief for the science and technology reading rooms at St. Pancras.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: Work surfaces, chairs and trolleys are included in the brief for the science and technology reading rooms at St. Pancras. Stools are not included.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how it is proposed to manage phase I of the new St. Pancras building so it provides a national centre for reference, study and other information in relation to scientific and technological matters.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: The whole of the British Library's London-based scientific, technological and business services currently spread over three buildings will be brought together at the same time at St. Pancras and will provide reference, study and information services in response to users' needs.

PRIME MINISTER

  Criminal Proceedings (Children's Evidence)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have any proposals to modify or change the legal procedures concerning the evidence of children on commission in criminal proceedings; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government are giving careful consideration to the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission in its recent report on the evidence of children and other potentially vulnerable witnesses; and, for England and Wales, to the comments received on the report of Judge Pigot's advisory group on video evidence. We shall announce our proposals as soon as possible.

  Westwood Hospital, Bradford
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to Westwood hospital, Bradford.

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

  European Monetary Union
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received any views from member states since the Dublin meeting of the European Council on the United Kingdom proposals to be submitted to the intergovernmental conference on monetary union.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government's proposals have been welcomed as a constructive contribution to the debate on EMU and are being considered further in ECOFIN and other appropriate bodies.

  Wandsworth Director of Education
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Prime Minister when she last met in an official capacity the director of education of Wandsworth borough council.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Education and Science are in regular contact with representatives of all local authorities in England.

  Council of Europe/WEU
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will place in the Library a copy of the correspondence received from the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate about the information bulletin on the activities of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of the Western European Union.

  The Prime Minister
  I have done so today.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will obtain for her office library a copy of the report on eastern European economics entitled "End of the Cycle" by Morgan Stanley.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government are obtaining a copy of that report.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister which east European countries have not taken up the credit which is available to them; how much is still available; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  Export Credits Guarantee Department cover, subject to varying security requirements, is available for short-term credits for all markets of eastern Europe. Cover for medium-term export credits—that is, credits in excess of two years—is available to Czechoslovakia, GDR, Hungary and the USSR. The position on the availability of ECGD medium-term credit for other countries is under active review.

  National Characteristics
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will hold meetings to discuss the national characteristics of peoples of countries other than Germany.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the replies given to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook (Mr. Hattersley) on 17 July,Official Report, column 859.
  675
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting on 24 March which discussed what were considered to be the characteristics of Germans.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Engagements
  Mr. French
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 July.

  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 July.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 July.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 July.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I also participated in the deputation from the House which attended on Her Majesty the Queen Mother.

  In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Departmental Spending
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department spent in 1989–90, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product; and what comparable information he has on the Japanese Ministry of International Trade.

  Mr. Lilley
  Expenditure by the DTI last year was one quarter per cent. of GDP whereas general expenditure by Japan's Ministry of International Trade proportionate to GDP was one third lower, even though its responsibilities are wider.

  Car Parks
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has plans to amend the Fair Trading Act 1974 to include car park operations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  There are no plans to do so at present.

  Dixon Takeover Report
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what compensation his Department has so far paid out to investors due to the early release of the price-sensitive Kingfisher-Dixon takeover report.

  Mr. Redwood
  All claims which are received before the end of the month will be considered for compensation. No payments have yet been made.

  Chartered Accountants
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will hold a public hearing before granting supervisory status to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
  676
  Mr. Redwood
  No. But we intend, in considering applications for recognition as a supervisory body, to take account of any views or representations we receive from third parties.

  Unlisted Securities
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has introduced since 1982 to protect investors in the unlisted securities market; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Since 1 July 1985, the issue of shares other than those to be included on the official list of the stock exchange has been regulated under part III of the Companies Act 1985. Prior to that Act, such issues were primarily regulated by provisions of the Companies Act 1948 of which the 1985 Act provisions are a consolidation. Shares may be offered to the public only by public limited companies, and there must be a prospectus which complies with the requirements set out in schedule 3 to the Act. My Department has recently issued a consultative document on part V of the Financial Services Act 1986 which will complete the replacement of the provisions of the Companies Act relating to the public offers of securities.

  The stock exchange, of which the unlisted securities market is part, has been a recognised investment exchange—RIE—within the terms of the Financial Services Act 1986 since the main provisions of that Act came into force in April 1988. Prior to this, the stock exchange was a recognised stock exchange under the terms of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. Responsibility for RIEs has been transferred to the Securities and Investments Board, including ensuring their compliance with schedule 4 to the 1986 Act, which sets out the safeguards for investors which RIEs must provide.

  Since April 1988 those carrying on investment business in the United Kingdom, including advising investors and dealing or arranging deals in securities for them, have had to be authorised or exempt under the terms of the Financial Services Act.

  Al Yamamah Agreement
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates and places of meetings about the Al Yamamah agreement with Saudi Arabia that involved officials or representatives of his Department or the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

  Mr. Redwood
  Departmental and Export Credits Guarantee Department officials participate when necessary in interdepartmental meetings on the Al Yamamah project. Listing the dates and places of such meetings, which date back to 1985, would involve disproportionate cost.

  Insurance Bundling
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will refer the practice of selling cars with free insurance, known as insurance bundling, to the Director General of Fair Trading; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I understand that the Office of Fair Trading is already examining this practice, following a recent complaint.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his reply of 18 December 1989,Official Report, columns 23–24, what conclusions have been reached on the future of the Export Credits Guarantee Department, after separation of the insurance services group.

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has agreed that ECGD will continue as a separate Government Department, with the chief executive reporting directly to the Minister for Trade and me.

  The immediate priority of ECGD's management is to prepare, subject to enabling legislation, for the separation and sale of the insurance services group.

  The work of the remaining part of ECGD is essentially an executive function of the Government, and as such falls within the scope of the Prime Minister's statement of February 1988 launching the "next steps" project. The ECGD is engaged in redefining its financial objectives and developing a more consistent methodology for market assessment and underwriting decisions. This is compatible with the "next steps" approach, and agency status will be further considered when we have experience of how the new arrangements are working.

  United Kingdom Manufactures
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the import content, other than fuel, of United Kingdom manufactures other than food and fuel in 1973, 1979, 1985 and 1989.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 July 1990]: Information on which to base a reliable estimate is not available.

  Insurance Companies
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the persons who have conducted investigations under the Insurance Companies Acts.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: Such investigations are usually conducted by those concerned with insurance company regulation. To publish the names of the civil servants concerned would be against usual Government practice, and could lead others to the wrong conclusions if a named official subsequently made a routine visit to a different company which was not being investigated.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the companies investigated since 1979 under the Insurance Companies Act.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: The table lists the number of investigations under section 44(2)(b) of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 since 1979.

  Investigated

  1979

  1

  1981

  1

  1983

  2

  1984

  1

  1987

  3

  1988

  3

  1989

  1

  678
  These investigations are confidential. They may find that there is nothing of concern, or they may find problems that can be remedied fairly easily. To publish the name in such circumstances would do unjustified damage to the business.

  Compliance Officers
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about inadequacies in the performance of compliance officers; and from whom they came.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: The Securities and Investments Board and the self-regulating organisations employ compliance officers to check that investment businesses comply with the regulatory requirements in the financial services sector. This includes assessing the adequacy of compliance procedures in licensed businesses under their regulatory control. These bodies themselves are responsible for the performance of their own officers. I receive complaints about inadequacies from time to time, which are pursued by the relevant bodies in the most appropriate way.

  Property Development
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on shortfalls of liquidity in companies involved in property development; and from what source.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: I recently received a letter from an hon. Member enclosing representations about the entry into administrative receivership of a construction company. I am not aware of any other such representations.

  FIMBRA
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on the effectiveness of the Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Regulatory Association.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 July 1990]: My right hon. Friend and I regularly receive a variety of representations on the effectiveness of the Financial Services Act and the self-regulating organisations. Since 3 July we have received two representations about FIMBRA through hon. Members.

  Inspectors' Reports
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the reply given to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 26 February,Official Report, column 16, in how many of the unpublished companies inspectors' reports listed there, there were criticisms of the quality of company reports and accounts.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 July 1990]: I cannot disclose details of unpublished reports. The inspector's report on Euroflame Holdings plc was referred to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. The decision whether to publish reports involving 13 of the companies listed in the Official Report on 26 February, at columns 16–17 remains under consideration. The report on House of Fraser Holdings plc was published on 7 March 1990.

  Internal Market Council
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) which Minister from his Department is to attend the European Community Internal Market Council on 17 July;

  (2) what matters are to be discussed in the European Community Internal Market Council of 17 July.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: The Internal Market Council on 17 July was cancelled.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what matters are to be discussed at the European Community Internal Market Council on 17 September.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: I understand that at this stage the matters likely to be discussed at the Internal Market Council on 17 September are transEuropean infrastructure networks, the copyright protection of computer programmes, and spray suppression devices for vehicles and trailers. However, this agenda must be very uncertain. It is some time before the Council, and firm agendas are usually announced in the committee of permanent representatives about two weeks before the Council in question.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister from his Department is to attend the European Community Internal Market Council on 17 September.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: Plans have not yet been finalised for ministerial attendance at the 17 September Internal Market Council. It is unlikely that I will be the United Kingdom representative.

  Vietnam
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of United Kingdom exports to Vietnam has been in both volume and cash terms for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: The only information available is for visible trade at current prices and is as follows:

  United Kingdom visible exports to Vietnam

  £,000

  1980

  15,213

  1981

  1,180

  1982

  858

  1983

  950

  1984

  1,786

  1985

  2,076

  1986

  1,287

  1987

  2,597

  1988

  2,212

  1989

  4,108

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of United Kingdom imports from Vietnam has been in both volume and cash terms for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: The only information available is for visible trade at current prices and is as follows:
  680

  United Kingdom visible imports from Vietnam

  £,000

  1980

  69

  1981

  130

  1982

  132

  1983

  603

  1984

  1,154

  1985

  1,757

  1986

  1,200

  1987

  356

  1988

  491

  1989

  1,711

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Antarctica
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received proposals from any Antarctic treaty nation regarding a moratorium on minerals mining in Antarctica.

  Mr. Maude
  No such proposals have been formally put to us. In respect of other proposals for conservation in Antarctica I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 3 May, at column 626.

  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects that his Department will finalise proposals which the United Kingdom is to make to the meeting of Antarctic treaty parties in November.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 17 July to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), at column 494.

  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whom he will be consulting before the special meeting of the Antarctic treaty parties in November to discuss environmental protection for the Antarctic environment.

  Mr. Maude
  We shall be consulting various Antarctic treaty parties.

  Israel
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the extent to which Her Majesty's Government's policies with regard to Israel are influenced by the holocaust.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We can never forget the suffering of the Jewish people in the holocaust. We want friendly relations with Israel and a just and lasting settlement of the middle east conflict to enable Israel to live in peace and security with its neighbours, including the Palestinians.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds the Government have made available for the promotion of democratic trade unionism in eastern Europe; and how that money has been allocated.
  681
  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have made available money to assist eastern European countries in their transition to democracy and a market economy. This takes the form of a know-how fund for eastern Europe which is administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Any requests from eastern European countries for assistance within the area of democratic trade unionism will be considered on their merit and funds allocated accordingly.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests have been received from trades unions and the Trades Union Congress for funds for the promotion of democratic trade unionism in eastern Europe; and what action has been taken.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The joint assistance unit in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which administers the know-how fund for eastern Europe has not received any proposals for assistance in this area from the United Kingdom trade union movement. In order to keep in touch with trade union views a senior union leader is a member of the know-how fund advisory board.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken on the application made to the post in Jedda on 29 May by Mohd Nasir, who was born in 1961 and whose application reference is 7987, to visit the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when entry clearance will be issued by the British High Commission Islamabad to Khalid Mahmood, husband of Mrs. Saeeda Begum of 48 Maple street, Blackburn, following the refusal of leave of appeal to the tribunal against the decision of the adjudicator to grant entry clearance; and why entry clearance has not yet been issued.

  Mr. Maude
  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 the questions to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Members will receive a reply from the unit as soon as possible.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the promptness with which British posts overseas issue entry clearances after the completion of the appeal process.

  Mr. Maude
  Posts overseas contact successful appellants immediately on receipt of notification from the Home Office that an appeal has been allowed. How quickly entry clearance can be issued varies according to individual circumstances.

  World Cup
  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Italian authorities about the treatment of the English football supporters deported from Italy during the world cup.
  682
  Mr. Maude
  Both Her Majesty's embassy at Rome and Her Majesty's consul at Florence are in touch with the Italian authorities to assist them in the location, identification and return to the United Kingdom of the personal property of those British nationals removed from Italy following the violence at Rimini on 26 June 1990.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 and 17 July.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Foreign Affairs Council met in Brussels on 16 and 17 July. My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and I represented the United Kingdom.

  The Council considered the necessary follow-up to the European Council in Dublin, including on preparations for the two intergovernmental conferences, and on development policy and social policy. The Council also took note of the outcome of the Houston economic summit.

  The Council further reviewed the Community's relations with central and eastern Europe, including the G24 programme of western assistance and the extension of the Community's PHARE programme to other eastern European countries in addition to Poland and Hungary. The Council endorsed the postponement of signature of the trade and economic and commercial co-operation agreement with Romania and the exclusion of Romania from the proposed extension of the PHARE programme.

  The Council considered Commission proposals for additional assistance to Yugoslavia and remitted them for further study. The presidency also presented a proposal for a Mediterranean financial institution, which was similarly remitted for further study.

  The Council agreed a negotiating mandate for a trade and economic co-operation agreement with Chile, and conclusions and guidelines for a common position of the Community and member states for the second United Nations conference on the least developed, to be held in Paris in September. The Commission presented proposals for the Community's response to Colombia's special plan to combat drugs, and referred them for further discussion.

  On 17 July, the Council discussed the current state of play in the GATT Uruguay round in the light of the outcome of the Houston summit and in advance of the trade negotiations committee in Geneva from 23 July.

  A meeting of the European Community/Malta Association Council took place in the margins of the Council on 16 July. Separately, Ministers agreed informally to defer decisions on the referral of the Malta and Cyprus European Community membership applications to the Commission until the September Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

  There was also discussion on 16 July in European Political Co-operation of CSCE, eastern Europe—including Albania—South Africa, Vietnam, Kenya and the middle east. Ministers agreed that a Troika ministerial mission will meet separately the Israeli Foreign Ministers and the presidency of the Arab League on 23 and 24 July to follow up the Dublin declaration on the middle east.

  Albania
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to encourage the settlement of Albanian refugees in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  Any applications for asylum in this country from Albanian nationals would be considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees.

SCOTLAND

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the percentage change on the previous year in(a) current, (b) capital and (c) total local government expenditure in real terms for each year since 1980 and the total and average annual changes in the period 1980 to 1989.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The figures are shown in the table.

  Expenditure by local authorities in Scotland Change from previous year (per cent.)

  £ million

  Current

  Capital (gross)

  Total

  1981–82

  3.0

  -2.6

  1.7

  1982–83

  1.5

  -1.2

  0.9

  1983–84

  5.0

  16.2

  7.4

  1984–85

  -1.7

  -13.0

  -4.3

  1985–86

  -2.6

  -4.3

  -2.9

  1986–87

  5.1

  4.9

  5.0

  1987–88

  2.8

  13.8

  5.0

  1988–89

  1.0

  -4.8

  -0.3

  1989–90 Provisional

  3.5

  -3.2

  2.1

  Average annual change

  1.9

  0.3

  1.6

  Total change

  18.6

  2.4

  15.0

  Cancer
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the mortality one year after diagnosis for(a) colonic cancer and (b) breast cancer for each health board.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Mortality figures one year after diagnosis for the period 1983–87 are as follows:

  Colonic Cancer

  Health Board

  Number of registrations 1983–87

  Percentage of Patients who died within one year of diagnosis

  Argyll and Clyde

  620

  45

  Ayrshire and Arran

  596

  44

  Borders

  203

  34

  Dumfries and Galloway

  246

  39

  Fife

  522

  42

  Forth Valley

  405

  42

  Grampian

  813

  44

  Greater Glasgow

  1,650

  45

  Highland

  403

  35

  Lanarkshire

  590

  43

  Lothian

  1,232

  42

  Orkney

  30

  43

  Shetland

  34

  53

  Tayside

  812

  45

  Western Isles

  55

  36

  684

  Health Board

  Number of registrations 1983–87

  Percentage of Patients who died within one year of diagnosis

  Scotland Total

  8,211

  43

  Breast Cancer

  Health Board

  Number of registrations 1983–87

  Percentage of patients who died within one year of diagnosis

  Argyll and Clyde

  856

  17

  Ayrshire and Arran

  763

  15

  Borders

  265

  16

  Dumfries and Galloway

  331

  14

  Fife

  768

  13

  Forth Valley

  597

  14

  Grampian

  992

  11

  Greater Glasgow

  2,246

  13

  Highland

  519

  14

  Lanarkshire

  1,017

  14

  Lothian

  1,865

  14

  Orkney

  40

  5

  Shetland

  64

  19

  Tayside

  1,013

  14

  Western Isles

  89

  12

  Scotland Total

  11,425

  14

  Family Planning
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the centres which offer the kind of comprehensive counselling outlined in Her Majesty's Government's guidelines for unplanned pregnancies in Scotland in the Edinburgh area.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Current guidance from the Scottish Home and Health Department about the provision of family planning services draws health boards' attention to the need for counselling facilities, especially for young people. Such counselling is available within Lothian health board's area through general practitioners; obstetric and gynaecological in-patient and out-patient services; the board's community clinics; family planning clinics in central Edinburgh and peripheral locations; and at the Brook advisory centre.

  More detailed information about individual centres is not held centrally.

  Forestry Commission Land
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of the Forestry Commission land announced for disposal on 16 June 1989 has so far been disposed of; on how much of this land has public access been protected; and if he will consider retrospective action to reinstate public access to land sold where access was not protected at the time of the sale.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Just over 7,000 hectares of forest land were sold by the Forestry Commission in the period between April 1989 and June 1990; in addition, some 2,900 hectares of other land were sold in that period. These sales were not subject to special conditions relating to public access and retrospective action to impose such conditions would not be practical or appropriate.

  The Government are concerned, however, that the general public should continue to enjoy access to those

  685
  forests to be disposed of by the Forestry Commission in a way which is compatible with their management for forestry and other purposes. We are giving careful consideration to ways of achieving this objective. In the meantime, the commission is deferring the sale of woodlands that are particularly sensitive from the point of view of public access, except in those cases where the sale is to an environmental body under the sponsorship arrangements.

  A68-A697 Junction
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking on proposals for the improvement of the junction between the A68 and the A697.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Borders regional council, as agent authority, has put forward two sets of proposals for improving the safety of the A68-A697 junction. The first, which involves changes to the side road traffic island and the laying of anti-skid surfacing material has been approved for implementation in this financial year. The second proposal, which was recently submitted, is to substantially alter the geometrical layout of the junction. This is a longer-term solution and will be the subject of further discussions between my Department and Borders regional council.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many deaths in Scotland were as a result of assault with(a) a household axe, (b) a kitchen knife, (c) a Stanley knife and (d) a coal hammer in each year since 1980;

  (2) how many convictions for grievous bodily harm in Scotland were as a result of assault with (a) a household axe, (b) a kitchen knife, (c) a Stanley knife and (d) a coal hammer in each year since 1980.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Details of the exact type of weapon used in cases of homicide and serious assault are not collected centrally, with the exception of firearms.

  Trunk Road Improvements
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the cost of the trunk road improvements, road by road, since 1979 in Dumfries and Galloway; and the projected expenditure for the next five years, including reconstructing the A74 into a motorway.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The total expenditure on new construction and improvements on trunk roads in Dumfries and Galloway region for each year from 1 April 1979 is listed in the table.

  Year

  Expenditure (£ million)

  1979–80

  1·2

  1980–81

  1·4

  1981–82

  4·0

  1982–83

  7·2

  1983–84

  5·6

  1984–85

  8·1

  1985–86

  11·1

  1986–87

  8·8

  686

  Year

  Expenditure (£ million)

  1987–88

  17·9

  1988–89

  19·9

  1989–90

  24·2

  Information from 1979 on individual schemes costing under £1 million is not available. However, the following table lists all major trunk road schemes costing over £1 million completed since May 1979.

  Scheme

  Expenditure (£ million)

  A7 Canonbie Diversion

  5·4

  A7 Synton to Mossend

  1·3

  A74 Johnstone Bridge to Dinwoodie Lodge

  1·8

  A75 Carsluith Diversion

  1·5

  A75 Collin Diversion

  3·8

  A75 Gatehouse of Fleet Bypass

  9·0

  A75 Creetown Bypass

  5·2

  A75 Bridge of Dee Diversion

  2·6

  A75 Castle Douglas Bypass

  6·2

  A75 Ringlord Bypass

  2·5

  A75 Annan Bypass

  17·0

  A75 Glenluce Bypass

  6·8

  The following table gives the estimated expenditure on major schemes costing over £1 million which started prior to April 1990 but are not yet completed.

  Scheme

  Cost (£ million)

  A701 Ae Bridge

  1·4

  A75 Dumfries Bypass

  20·3

  Start dates for future schemes currently in preparation are dependent on the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures, the availability of finance and the relative priorities of the individual improvements. It is not therefore practical to determine individual starts and the associated expenditure in detail beyond the year ahead. Starts have been announced for 1990–91 to the £4 million A74 Carrutherstown-Hetland improvement, which is now under construction, and the £35 million upgrading of the A74 between Gretna and Kirkpatrick Fleming, which is due to commence in the near future. In addition schemes for major trunk road improvements in Dumfries and Galloway costing in excess of £250 million are the subject of studies or are being prepared.

  NHS Drugs
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the value of national health service drugs administered in Scotland(a) in total and (b) in hospitals in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In the year ending 31 March 1990, the cost of drugs in Scotland was:

  £ million

  Hospitals

  43·96

  Community Pharmacists and dispensing doctors

  215·42

  Total

  259·38

  Greater Glasgow Health Board
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply of 11 July,Official Report, column 233, if he will take steps to ensure that the Greater Glasgow health board writes immediately to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen about the weekly cost per bed it will pay to Takare plc under the contract for care of the elderly in Rutherglen.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 11 July.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he is proposing to make to the community charge arrangements following the review of those arrangements.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I am proposing to make the following changes:

  Community charge relief
  (1) with effect from 1 April 1990 the threshold for relief will be reduced from £3 per week to £2 per week.
  (2) the scheme will be extended by two years.
  (3) relief paid under the scheme to an individual will not reduce until the fourth and fifth years.
  Those proposals will take effect from the beginning of the second year of the scheme in Scotland. The lowering of the threshold for relief will give £52 more relief than would otherwise have been the case to each household that qualified for it, provided they have not moved. Pensioners and the disabled who were not former ratepayers and who qualified for extra relief will also receive an increase of £52 of relief. On top of this, postponing the withdrawal of relief will be worth up to £13 in 1990–91 to everybody already entitled to relief in respect of 1989–90. Many couples will be £78 a year better off than they would otherwise have been as a result of these changes. It is estimated also that the number of people benefiting may increase by more than 50 per cent. as a result. The amount of relief paid out is expected to increase by more than this proportion, reflecting the increase in relief that existing recipients of relief will receive as well as relief being paid for the first time to new recipients. The implementation of these changes will be subject to discussion with local authorities before regulations bringing them into effect are made.

  Local Authority and Financial Year

  Number of CPOs received

  Number of CPOs confirmed

  Number of CPOs subject to Public Local Inquiry

  1986–87

  Aberdeen

  —

  1

  —

  Angus

  —

  —

  1

  Annandale and Eskdale

  —

  1

  —

  Argyll and Bute

  9

  5

  1

  Banff and Buchan

  3

  3

  —

  Clackmannan

  1

  1

  —

  Cunninghame

  2

  1

  —

  Dundee

  4

  4

  2

  Dunfermline

  1

  1

  —

  East Kilbride

  —

  1

  —

  Edinburgh

  6

  5

  —

  Glasgow

  34

  20

  3

  Gordon

  3

  —

  —

  Hamilton

  2

  2

  1

  Kilmarnock

  —

  1

  —

  Kirkcaldy

  1

  1

  —

  Kyle and Carrick

  1

  1

  —

  Moray

  —

  1

  —

  Motherwell

  3

  3

  —

  My proposals to exempt small bed-and-breakfast establishments from non-domestic rating have been widely welcomed in Scotland: in consultations, there was general agreement that a limit of six bed spaces would be appropriate, and that it would not be desirable also to extend the exemption to establishments available for 100 days or less. Accordingly, I intend to lay regulations very shortly to exempt bed-and-breakfast establishments providing accommodation for no more than six people from non-domestic rates, by prescribing that they shall be treated as domestic property.
  A number of specific classes with maximum multipliers have already been prescribed. These include empty manses, properties empty as a result of a person's death, property whose owner is being cared for elsewhere, empty homes belonging to students, and empty property belonging to prisoners. It is my intention now to prescribe additional classes of premises and the maximum multipliers which will apply to them. I will consult with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and with community charge registration officers with regard to the details before making the appropriate regulations. My intention is to make provisions relating to property owned by people who live in tied accommodation, property which has been repossessed by a mortgage lender and, subject to views which are expressed during consultation, property which forms a self-contained part of either the main residence of a charge payer or of a non-domestic property owned by him.

  Compulsory Purchase Orders
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many compulsory purchase orders in each of the last four years were subject to public local inquiry from local authorities, broken down by local authority;

  (2) how many compulsory purchase orders have been confirmed by his officials, broken down by local authority, in each of the last four financial years;

  (3) how many applications for compulsory purchase orders he has received from local authorities broken down by local authority, in each of the last four financial years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 July 1990]: The information requested is set out in the table.
  689

  Local Authority and Financial Year

  Number of CPOs received

  Number of CPOs confirmed

  Number of CPOs subject to Public Local Inquiry

  North East Fife

  4

  2

  —

  Perth and Kinross

  1

  1

  —

  Renfrew

  —

  1

  —

  Stewartry

  1

  1

  —

  Stirling

  1

  1

  —

  Strathkelvin

  2

  2

  —

  Tweeddale

  —

  —

  1

  West Lothian

  7

  4

  2

  Borders Regional Council

  1

  —

  —

  Lothian Regional Council

  1

  1

  2

  Totals

  88

  65

  13

  1987–88

  Aberdeen

  1

  1

  —

  Angus

  1

  1

  —

  Argyll

  2

  4

  —

  Banff and Buchan

  —

  —

  1

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  1

  1

  —

  Clydebank

  1

  1

  —

  Clydesdale

  1

  1

  1

  Cunninghame

  1

  1

  —

  Dumbarton

  2

  2

  —

  Dundee

  6

  6

  —

  Dunfermline

  3

  —

  —

  Edinburgh

  3

  3

  —

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  1

  —

  —

  Glasgow

  35

  27

  3

  Hamilton

  1

  1

  2

  Inverclyde

  1

  1

  —

  Kirkcaldy

  5

  2

  —

  Monklands

  2

  —

  —

  Moray

  2

  1

  —

  Motherwell

  4

  3

  1

  North East Fife

  1

  1

  —

  Perth and Kinross

  1

  1

  —

  Renfrew

  3

  1

  —

  Stirling

  1

  —

  —

  Strathkelvin

  2

  2

  —

  Tweeddale

  —

  1

  —

  Borders Regional Council

  1

  1

  —

  Highland Regional Council

  1

  1

  —

  Lothian Regional Council

  1

  —

  1

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  1

  —

  —

  Totals

  85

  64

  9

  1988–89

  Aberdeen

  4

  4

  —

  Angus

  1

  1

  —

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1

  —

  —

  Argyll and Bute

  3

  1

  —

  Banff and Buchan

  —

  1

  —

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  2

  1

  —

  Clackmannan

  1

  —

  —

  Clydebank

  1

  1

  —

  Cumbernauld

  1

  1

  —

  Dumbarton

  3

  2

  1

  Dundee

  4

  1

  —

  Dunfermline

  —

  1

  —

  Edinburgh

  —

  1

  —

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  —

  1

  1

  Glasgow

  25

  25

  1

  Hamilton

  4

  3

  —

  Inverclyde

  1

  1

  —

  Inverness

  3

  —

  —

  Kirkcaldy

  3

  3

  —

  Midlothian

  1

  1

  —

  Moray

  1

  2

  —

  North East Fife

  —

  1

  —

  Perth and Kinross

  1

  1

  —

  Renfrew

  5

  3

  1

  Stirling

  1

  1

  1

  Strathkelvin

  13

  10

  —

  West Lothian

  1

  1

  —

  690 691

  Local Authority and Financial Year

  Number of CPOs received

  Number of CPOs confirmed

  Number of CPOs subject to Public Local Inquiry

  Lothian Regional Council

  1

  —

  —

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  1

  2

  —

  Totals

  82

  70

  5

  1989–90

  Angus

  2

  —

  1

  Argyll and Bute

  1

  2

  1

  Clackmannan

  1

  1

  —

  Clydebank

  1

  1

  —

  Clydesdale

  2

  1

  —

  Dundee

  —

  2

  —

  Falkirk

  1

  —

  —

  Glasgow

  24

  19

  2

  Hamilton

  2

  1

  —

  Inverclyde

  —

  1

  —

  Inverness

  1

  —

  —

  Kyle and Carrick

  1

  —

  —

  Midlothian

  1

  —

  —

  Moray

  2

  —

  —

  Nithsdale

  1

  1

  —

  North East Fife

  4

  1

  —

  Renfrew

  5

  4

  —

  Stewartry

  1

  1

  —

  Strathkelvin

  3

  1

  1

  West Lothian

  2

  —

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council

  1

  1

  —

  Lothian Regional Council

  —

  1

  —

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  1

  1

  —

  Totals

  57

  39

  5

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the applications for compulsory purchase orders he received in each of the last four financial years were in respect of(a) unfit houses which were occupied, (b) empty private sector housing properties, (c) empty private sector industrial properties, (d) poor management of privately rented housing properties and (e) poor management of privately rented industrial properties; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 July 1990]: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Respite Care
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will release additional funds to enable greater respite care facilities to be offered within Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 18 July 1990]: As regards resources for local authorities, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to his question on 3 July 1990. In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend makes financial assistance directly available to voluntary organisations in the social work field. Grants are currently made to Crossroads (Scotland) and a number of other bodies at national level which promote local respite care services. Support for voluntary organisations providing local caring services is seen as essentially the responsibility of local authorities and in some circumstances, health boards.

  Police National Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to the number of accesses made to the police national computer by each constabulary over the last year; and what was the proportion of access requests made to the vehicle indexes of the police national computer.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information is as follows:

  Force

  Numbers of transactions for the year up to June 1990

  Proportion of transactions made to vehicle indices

  Avon and Somerset

  928,045

  60·5

  Bedfordshire

  376,446

  66·9

  British Transport Police

  141,988

  42·1

  Cambridgeshire

  375,627

  60·7

  Central

  141,178

  51·6

  Cheshire

  436,687

  62·1

  City of London

  101,987

  58·8

  Cleveland

  331,288

  55·8

  Cumbria

  366,151

  62·9

  Derbyshire

  448,074

  61·1

  Devon and Cornwall

  730,000

  55·6

  Dorset

  457,665

  59·6

  Dumfries and Galloway

  106,837

  59·0

  Durham

  350,553

  53·1

  Dyfed-Powys

  241,976

  48·3

  Essex

  892,740

  60·1

  Fife

  137,425

  56·4

  Gloucestershire

  359,446

  68·0

  Grampian

  265,928

  49·4

  Greater Manchester

  2,271,199

  57·3

  Guernsey

  19,249

  10·5

  Gwent

  187,118

  46·3

  693

  Force

  Numbers of transactions for the year up to June 1990

  Proportion of transactions made to vehicle indices

  Hampshire

  877,175

  59·4

  Hertfordshire

  463,569

  46·5

  Humberside

  529,245

  60·2

  Isle of Man

  20,547

  52·9

  Jersey

  33,476

  10·1

  Kent

  1,198,384

  60·7

  Lancashire

  1,126,272

  58·4

  Leicestershire

  397,810

  55·4

  Lincolnshire

  267,208

  61·3

  Lothian and Borders

  610,533

  59·4

  Merseyside

  932,268

  55·6

  Metropolitan

  7,597,182

  48·4

  Norfolk

  392,549

  63·5

  North Wales

  309,407

  51·3

  North Yorkshire

  440,309

  65·6

  Northamptonshire

  319,903

  67·8

  Northern

  103,454

  52·0

  Northumberland

  990,490

  66·7

  Nottinghamshire

  650,988

  71·8

  South Wales

  842,909

  59·2

  South Yorkshire

  684,321

  70·4

  Staffordshire

  398,871

  58·4

  Strathclyde

  1,289,244

  33·8

  Suffolk

  288,693

  58·7

  Surrey

  370,132

  61·8

  Sussex

  791,593

  51·8

  Tayside

  318,767

  50·7

  Thames Valley

  1,232,066

  57·4

  Warwickshire

  312,924

  68·7

  West Mercia

  498,609

  57·5

  West Midlands

  2,240,914

  62·8

  West Yorkshire

  1,407,148

  54·6

  Wiltshire

  286,988

  64·0

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many accesses were made to each index of the police national computer over the last year; and how many of the access requests could search more than one index.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The total number of accesses to each of the indices of the police national computer in the year to 30 June 1990 was as follows:

  Index

  Number of accesses

  1. Stolen and Suspect Vehicles

  21,370,168

  2. Vehicle Owners

  3. Chassis/Engine Numbers

  508,710

  4. Fingerprints

  200,917

  5. Fingerprints (Scene of Crime)

  13,658

  6. Criminal Names

  1,094,072

  7. Wanted/Missing Persons

  2,134,554

  8. Disqualified Drivers

  765,081

  9. Convictions

  902,277

  10. Major Investigations

  5,921

  11. Crime Pattern Analysis

  279,711

  There have also been the following joint accesses:

  To indices 6 and 91

  1,996,349

  To indices 6, 7 and 9

  1,687,245

  To indices 6, 7, 8 and 9

  8,265,989

  To indices 4,6 and 9

  652,426

  1 All accesses to the criminal names index will in addition automatically generate information from the convictions application.

EMPLOYMENT

  Disabled People
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the ministerial review of employment services for disabled people.

  Mr. Eggar
  The results of the review were published on 29 June in a consultative document, "Employment and Training for People with Disabilities". The document sets out our intentions for the development of services in the 1990s, taking forward the themes established in the 1980s of integration into the work force and the active commitment of employers to good practice in creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The document has been widely distributed and the period of consultation lasts until 31 December.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to outlaw discrimination against disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The consultative document "Employment and Training for People with Disabilities" was published on 29 June. It invites comments on the merits and demerits of various legislative approaches to securing good practice in the employment of people with disabilities. Antidiscrimination legislation is one of the approaches discussed. Decisions on the best way forward will be taken when we have considered the comments that are received.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the consultation paper "Employment and Training for People with Disabilities"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The consultative document was published on 29 June and only a few comments have so far been received. It is too soon to expect interested parties to make considered responses. The consultative period ends on 31 December 1990.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) on what basis he made his estimate of the savings in the cost of administration staff if the Neasden Health and Safety Executive office were to close;

  (2) if he will give details of estimates of (a) the number and (b) the cost of extra inspector hours used in travelling if the Neasden Health and Safety Executive office were to close and of the number of inspections forgone.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available as the Health and Safety Executive has no current plans to close the Neasden office.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the number of inspections performed by Health and Safety Executive offices in(a) Neasden, (b) Barking and (c) Southwark.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available in the form requested. The total number of visits made by Health and Safety Executive inspectors operating from the three locations between 1 April 1989 and 31 March 1990 is as follows:
  695

  Number

  Neasden

  5,235

  Barking

  3,085

  Southwark

  10,558

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the policy of the Health and Safety Executive with respect to advertising job vacancies internally in the London region.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Jobs are filled by seeking the most suitable people in the most economical way, taking account of the requirements of the post, the capacities and career aspirations of available people, and the possibilities of finding suitable candidates by normal postings action or by promotion. In general, posts are advertised where the HSE has difficulty—or expects to have difficulty—in securing sufficient suitable candidates: not as a matter of course.

  Hazardous Substances Regulations
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The responsibility for the implementation of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 rests with industry.

  The Health and Safety Executive has committed substantial resources to promoting awareness and understanding of the regulations through the preparation of a wide range of guidance material, national and trade advertising and extensive use of local TV, radio and press. The HSE has worked closely with employers' organisations and others to encourage them to develop guidance for their members. The HSE and local authority inspectors have given advice and, where appropriate, initiated enforcement action during the course of their visits to employers' premises.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it would cost to increase the maximum poll tax rebate from 80 to 100 per cent. for everyone in Scotland receiving the maximum 80 per cent. rebate in 1990–91, assuming that others in receipt of less than the maximum rebate were not affected by this change.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The estimated cost of increasing the maximum community charge benefit from 80 to 100 per cent. of the community charge set by the local authority, only for those already in receipt of maximum benefit, would be about £35 million in Scotland in 1990–91. (Source: Modelled using data drawn from the 1985–86–87 Family Expenditure Survey).

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many subject access requests under the terms of the Data Protection Act his Department has received; what was his estimate of the number of requests that 696
  would be received; what consideration he is giving to the subject access fee charged by his Department as a result; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The total number of subject access requests from the Department's records from October 1987 to 13 July 1990 is 1,420. This includes those made of the then DHSS up to July 1988. The original estimate in 1987 of the number of such requests in DHSS was based on a 0.3 per cent. take-up of requests by data subjects, or 210,000 per annum. No subject access fee is charged by the Department.

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the new criteria for eligibility for independent living fund grants were drawn up.

  Mr. Scott
  In order to make effective use of the fund's resources and to enable the fund to respond positively to the majority of new applications, as well as continuing to provide assistance to those already being helped, the fund's trustees have decided to give priority, for the time being, to those applicants between 16 and 74 years of age and who are also in receipt of the higher rate of attendance allowance.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many, and what percentage, of income support claimants under 60 years of age are repaying social fund loans by deductions from their benefit payments.

  Mr. Scott
  At June 1990, the latest date for which data are available, 399,421 social fund loans were being recovered from income support recipients under the age of 60, representing 14.4 per cent. of all such recipients.

  Single Parents
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to increase the earnings disregard and slacken the earnings taper for single parents in receipt of benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We have already announced that the earnings disregard in housing benefit and community charge benefit for lone parents is to be increased in October of this year from £15 to £25 per week. We have no plans to alter the benefit tapers.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals have been lodged against local adjudication officers who have refused claims for attendance allowance in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those appeals have been successful during the same period.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is in the table.

  Attendance allowance appeals lodged with and percentage success rates at Social Security appeal tribunals 1985–89

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Appeals lodged

  237

  204

  163

  402

  457

  Percentage successful

  11·8

  13·7

  19·6

  14·4

  14·7

  697
  Requests for reviews of the decisions on attendance needs are for the Attendance Allowance Board.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines have been issued in the last two years to local officers to determine eligibility for attendance allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  The main adjudicating authority for attendance allowance is the attendance allowance board. The board published its handbook for delegated medical practitioners—the doctors who make decisions on its behalf—in 1988. Amendments to the guidance in the handbook are included in the board's published annual reports. A copy of the last report, which was issued in June 1990, has been put in the Library. I understand that a further three amendments to this guidance—dealing with children under two years of age, children with deafness and blindness, and relevant changes in circumstances—are to be issued shortly.

  Staff Shortages, Bootle
  Mr. Carr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has for dealing with staff shortages at his Department's Bootle office.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The current staffing level at the Bootle office is 119.5 including nine fixed-term contract staff. This is above the level assessed as necessary to meet the operational needs of the office from 1 August 1990.

  State Pension
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the Government's intentions on a common state pension age for men and women, in the light of the recent European Court of Justice ruling in the Barber v. Guardian Royal Exchange group case.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Barber judgment dealt with pensions paid under a contracted-out scheme. It distinguished these from benefits awarded under statutory social security schemes. The Government's position on a common state pension age was set out in our response in April to the report of the Select Committee in another place.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence he has of payments of income support to claimants in residential care whose total additional weekly income from retirement pension, attendance allowance and housing or other benefits exceeds the care fees being charged when the weekly personal allowance is taken into account.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We have no evidence of such payments.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is his estimate of the number of persons in residential care now eligible to claim housing benefit following the widening of the difference between the capital thresholds for eligibility for income support and housing benefit;

  (2) what is his estimate of the annual cost to his Department of additional claims for housing benefit from
  698
  persons in residential care arising from the widening of the difference between the capital thresholds for income support and housing benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  This information is not available.

  Community Care
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any information about the results of applications for community care grants for furniture and household goods by pregnant women or women with babies who have been homeless but have been allocated accommodation.

  Mr. Scott
  This information is not available.

  Benefit Subsidy
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he intends to make any change to the benefit subsidy arrangements for housing benefit and community charge benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  We are today consulting the local authority associations on a proposal to change the basic rate of direct benefit subsidy from 97 to 95 per cent. from April 1991, as an improved incentive to economy. This change would affect all community charge benefit and housing benefit expenditure other than rent rebates in England and Wales covered by the housing revenue account arrangements, which are taken into account at 100 per cent. in calculating subsidy.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland are taking the proposed change into account in drawing up their proposed local authority expenditure settlements for the next financial year.

  Income Support
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much he estimates it would cost his Department to extend the full rate of income support to cover all adults, including 16 and 17-year-olds.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 5 June 1990]: The estimated cost for income-related benefits would be around £400 million, based on existing benefit rates and youth training allowances. The actual cost would also depend on the number of people on youth training at the time.

  Source: Modelled using data drawn from the 1985–86–87 family expenditure surveys.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer given on 21 June,Official Report, column 714, how many people on income support receiving a transitional addition lost entitlement to maximum housing benefit in a similar way in April.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: The estimated number of claimants so affected is 7,500. But an estimated 96 per cent. of all those floated off maximum housing benefit, some 187,500, gained or were no worse off.

  Dependants
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest figures for the numbers of children aged 16 to 18 years claimed for as dependants by parents(a) on income support and (b) on family credit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: The latest available information is that, at May 1989, the number of dependants aged 16 to 18 years for whom income support was in payment was 109,000. In the families receiving family credit at the end of April 1990 there were 37,000 dependants who were aged 16, 17 and 18 at the time the awards were made.

ENERGY

  United Kingdom Continental Shelf Gas
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the level of gas production this year on the United Kingdom continental shelf.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Gas production in the first four months of 1990 was some 7,200 million therms. The level of production in the remainder of the year will depend on many factors, in particular the severity of the forthcoming winter.

  Methane
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to decide whether to grant a consent under section 12 of the Energy Act 1976 for the discharge of methane into the atmosphere from the St. Fergus gas terminal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Both operators of the St. Fergus gas terminal currently hold valid venting consents for normal operations. No further venting consents are currently needed because gas which must be disposed of as a result of the fitting of emergency shut-down valves and the depressurisation of the main gas line will be flared.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is his policy in respect of the granting of consents under section 12 of the Energy Act 1976 for discharges of methane into the atmosphere; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what environmental factors he takes into consideration before granting consents under section 12 of the Energy Act 1976 for discharge of methane into the atmosphere; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The Government are well aware of the adverse environmental impact of methane as a greenhouse gas. However, provision has to be made for venting for safety reasons. My Department scrutinises venting consent applications carefully and no consents are issued until I am satisfied that they are for the minimum amounts necessary for safe and economic operation.

  Global Warming
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of global warming, in so far as this relates to emissions from energy sources.
  700
  Mr. Peter Morrison
  It is essential that all nations play their part in reducing emissions of man-made greenhouse gases. As regards carbon dioxide, the Government have announced that the United Kingdom is prepared, provided that other nations do their share, to set itself the target of stabilising emissions at 1990 levels by 2005. The White Paper on the environment to be published in the autumn will spell out the full range of the Government's policies in relation to global warming, including those in the energy sector.

  British Nuclear Fuels plc
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list his responsibilities(a) as Secretary of State and (b) as sole shareholder in British Nuclear Fuels plc in relation to the company's financial and accounting procedures; and if he will make a statement on the exercise of these responsibilities.

  Mr. Baldry
  British Nuclear Fuels plc and its directors must comply with the requirements of the Companies Acts on financial, accounting and audit procedures. Under the terms of section 14 of the Atomic Energy Act 1971 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for laying copies of BNFL's report and accounts before both Houses of Parliament.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many subject access requests under the terms of the Data Protection Act his Department has received; what was his estimate of the number of requests that would be received; what consideration he is giving to the subject access fee charged by his Department as a result; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  This information is not collected by my Department.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to announce the details of the proposed capital structure of National Power and PowerGen; what factors he will take into account; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I shall announce the proposed capital structures at flotation of National Power and PowerGen as soon as possible. All relevant factors will be taken into account.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will call for a report from the Director General of Electricity Supply on the operation of the upper limits on direct sales by National Power and PowerGen to electricity consumers above 1MW.

  Mr. Baldry
  My officials are in regular contact with the Director General of Electricity Supply's office on all aspects of the regulatory regime.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the answer of 2 July to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras,Official Report, column 430, (1) what types of competitive process were used to choose those companies chosen competitively; and what was the smallest number of competitors for any one appointment;
  701
  (2) how many valuers were chosen on the basis of an already established association with the company concerned.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Six of the firms of valuers were appointed on the basis of established relationships with the body concerned. The other nine were chosen following a competitive tender process with the number of competitors ranging from six to two depending on the availability of firms with sufficient resources and suitable local experience. The competitive process involved assessment on all the usual criteria, including price. My Department then carried out an exercise to cross-check prices across all the property advisers and negotiated discounts to fee rates where appropriate.

  Nuclear Power
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has received any representations from Kleinwort Benson regarding the selection procedure of items of correspondence between that company and his Department concerning the feasibility of privatising nuclear power to be sent to the Energy Select Committee for the purpose of its inquiry into that subject.

  Mr. Baldry
  Kleinwort Benson was consulted on the papers released to the Committee.

  Electricity Distribution Companies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those electricity distribution companies which have lost more than(a) 15 per cent., (b) 20 per cent., (c) 25 per cent. and (d) 30 per cent. of their supply contract load since the first quarter of the current financial year.

  Mr. Baldry
  This is a matter for the regional electricity companies.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from the chairmen of the 12 regional electricity distribution companies regarding their investment proposals in new electricity generating stations.

  Mr. Baldry
  Decisions to invest in independent generation projects are matters for the company concerned.

  Natural Gas
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the use of natural gas in electricity generation over the next 10 years, and on the breakdown of its use between different sectors of the supply industry.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The future use of gas in electricity generation is a matter for the industry.

  Fossil Fuel Levy
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the latest estimate for the annual amount raised by the fossil fuel levy.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I announced on 12 February that I intended to set the levy rate for 1990–91 at 10·6 per cent.702
  The detailed forecasts underlying this calculation are commercially confidential because they depend, inter alia, on forecasts of the electricity pool price. I shall publish the amount of levy collected in respect of 1990–91 after the end of the year.

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has recived the 1989–90 report and accounts of the electricity industry successor companies.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have today placed copies of the regional electricity companies' and National Grid Company's accounts in the Library. I will place copies of the accounts of National Power plc, PowerGen plc and Nuclear Electric plc when they are available.

  British Coal
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has considered the British Coal Corporation's further response to the report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the corporation's capital investment programme.

  Mr. Wakeham
  In May 1989, at columns 455–47, my predecessor informed the House that the British Coal Corporation had provided its initial response to the MMC report on the corporation's investment programme, and that a copy had been placed in the Library of the House. Under the normal arrangements for the follow-up to MMC recommendations arising from section 11 inquiries British Coal has now provided a second response, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. This second response is intended to give an account of the steps taken over the last 12 months to implement the commission's recommendations. It also ensures the continuing relevance of the report by providing a helpful description of the developments in the corporation's business environment since its initial response and setting out fully the organisational changes that British Coal has made in response to those developments.

  The commission's report drew attention to the need for British Coal to commit itself to specific, quantified financial objectives—recommendations 1 and 2. In its initial response, the corporation said that it geared its investment programme to the need to fulfil the overall objectives set by the Government. It also pointed out that it would be able to consider what further objectives should be set only when the new coal supply contracts with the generators had been finalised. In informing the House of that initial statement, my predecessor supported the commission's recommendation, but accepted that new medium-term objectives could not sensibly be finalised before the completion of the new coal supply contracts with the electricity supply industry. I share this view, but I have made it clear that following the financial reconstruction provided for in the Coal Industry Act 1990 I expect the corporation at least to break even this financial year and to remain profitable thereafter. We also expect the corporation within the next two years to have made sufficient progress towards self-financing that it can start to reduce the oustanding borrowings remaining after the financial reconstruction. We have therefore told the European Commission that apart from restructuring and social costs it is not our intention to make any financial support available to the corporation in respect of 1990–91

  703
  and subsequent years under the terms of the current state aids decision. Once the full implications of the coal contracts have been digested I hope to announce firm and precise targets for the corporation.

  The MMC report pointed to the major changes in its business environment facing British Coal, and expressed the view (recommendation 3) that the corporation's board will need to ensure
  "that the systems and organisation are conducive to systematic and rigorous review of future prospects in British Coal's business environment."
  In his statement last year my predecessor emphasised the importance of a fully articulated and co-ordinated business planning system, and indicated that he expected the corporation to set out in detail its response to this. British Coal has separately told me that in its view the business planning system continues to be
  "well constructed to meet the requirements of the main planks of British Coal's strategy since the strike"
  (MMC report, paragraph 4.75). It appreciates that business planning in the future, given the privatisation of the electricity supply industry, will need to allow for the prediction of and timely response to significant changes in the commercial environment. It considers that flexible response amid uncertainty will need to go together with setting a firm overall direction towards a state of sustained viability. In particular, greater emphasis will be placed on the cash-generating ability of individual collieries. In future, where a colliery has no hope of achieving a positive cash flow it cannot be regarded as having much chance of surviving. I welcome this general approach, and in particular I would expect the level of sales projected beyond the transitional period ahead to be based on those supply sources able to show a positive cash contribution, not on those units which represent a cash drain on the corporation's finances.

  I have indicated that its future business strategy needs to be based on a thorough and co-ordinated examination of all aspects of the corporation's operations. It will be particularly important to ensure that specific loss-making sales of coal are identified and addressed, and that new commitments, particularly in the industrial and domestic sectors, are not taken on, unless realisations generate an adequate return. There also needs to be a firm co-ordination of the marketing and financial strategies.

  I have asked British Coal to provide a further response to this MMC recommendation in 12 months' time setting out the detailed steps that have been taken to strengthen its business planning.

  The MMC report highlighted the need for British Coal to adapt its organisation and systems in the light of developments and changes in its business environment (recommendation 5). British Coal's response reports the progress made in adapting its management organisation since the MMC report was first published. I therefore welcome the changes the corporation has made to the way its production management is organised. This is important not only in terms of cost savings, but in respect of matching British Coal's management structure to the market and business environment in which it has to operate. The corporation is right to draw attention to this in its response, and also to the changes it has made to its industrial relations and staff departments. This should help it to develop a more integrated approach in the key area of employee relations. The changes in the marketing department, too, are welcome evidence that British Coal is
  704
  making real and significant efforts to adapt its organisational and management structure to meet the challenge of a new market place. In this context, I welcome the corporation's recent decision to end the arrangement whereby each colliery is attributed with a share of the average proceeds nationally. From the beginning of 1990–91 regional groupings of supplying units will be credited with the average proceeds available to that region for coal of the qualities produced, thereby aiding the identification of the profitability of coal flows on a local basis.

  Apart from the specific response on business planning which I have asked for next year, British Coal will, under the normal arrangements for the follow-up to MMC recommendations arising from section 11 inquiries, be reporting to me in two years' time on its implementation of the MMC's recommendations. I shall inform the House when these further responses have been made.

  Energy and Carbon Dioxide Modelling
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy during the period from December 1989 to May 1990, how many staff in his Department were employed on energy and carbon dioxide modelling; and what assessment he has made as to whether his Department has sufficient internal capability to review the energy and carbon dioxide projections as outlined in energy paper 58 and to carry out approximate additional modelling exercises.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Contributions to work on energy and carbon dioxide modelling are made by several staff involving different fields of expertise, as appropriate. The Department's model is kept under general review. I am confident that the Department has the necessary expertise to do this and carry out any review of energy paper No. 58, as required.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Sitting Times
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what estimates he has made of the costs of keeping the House open for sittings which go beyond 10 pm.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The costs of keeping the House open for sittings which go beyond 10 pm are diverse and many are not at present separately identified. I shall be giving consideration to methods for improving this position.

  Members' Remuneration
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what changes are proposed to the way in which hon. Members are remunerated.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  No changes are proposed to the way in which hon. Members are remunerated.

HEALTH

  Maternity Services
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has funded to assess the safety or the comparative costs of delivery in(a) district

  705
  general hospitals, (b) general practitioner maternity units and (c) at home; and if he will give the conclusions of each project funded.

  Mr. Dorrell
  "Place of delivery: a review" by Rona Campbell and Alison Macfarlane;British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (1986) volume 93 pages 675–83 a copy of which is available in the Library, is the most recent refereed publication arising from work funded by the Department. Alison Macfarlane is employed by the national perinatal epidemiology unit at Oxford which has conducted considerable work in this field with departmental funding since 1978.

  Accident Prevention
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants he intends to make available for the purpose of funding regional accident prevention groups and home and water safety councils, in the light of the report by the National Association of Health Authorities on "Action on Accidents: The Unique Role of the Health Service."

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department does not make grants for this purpose. Regional and district health authorities may decide, in taking account of local priorities, whether to make funding available to such groups.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given to regional health authorities and district health authorities on accident prevention in the areas of home and water safety.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No specific advice has been given to health authorities on these issues.

  NHS staff at 30 September of each year

  Whole-time equivalent1

  South East Thames Region

  Medway district health authority

  Year

  Medical and dental2

  Nursing and midwifery3

  Medical and dental4

  Nursing and midwifery3 5

  19796

  3,300

  29,040

  n/a

  1,050

  1982

  3,360

  31,570

  120

  1,510

  1988

  3,730

  30,480

  140

  1,640

  Source: Department of Health (SM13) annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower.

  Notes:

  1 Figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalent.

  2Includes permanent paid, honorary and locum staff.

  3Includes agency staff.

  4Excludes all Consultants and Senior Registrars whose contracts are held by the Regional Health Authority. There will therefore be more doctors and dentists actually working in Medway DHA than are accounted for.

  5Due to reorganisation of District Health Authorities in 1982, district data for 1979 are not directly comparable to later years.

  6Not adjusted for reduction in nurses' working hours during 1980–81 (from 40 to 37.5 hours per week).

  Elderly People
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those health authorities which have partnership arrangements with the private sector for the care of the elderly and give in each case the company concerned.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not collected centrally. However, we welcome cost-effective collaboration between the national health service and the independent sector to make services available to all patients including elderly people and expect health authorities to consider appropriate opportunities as part of their regular reviews of performance.
  706
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics he requires district and regional health authorities to collect on home and water safety accidents.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department of Health does not require health authorities to collect specific statistics in these areas.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce his proposals to clarify the new role of the community health councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State laid regulations on 6 July which amended the Community Health Councils Regulations 1985. The Department will be issuing revised guidance on these and related matters to the health service shortly.

  Medway Health District
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the figures for the number of doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives in the South East Thames region, and separately, in the Medway health district, 1979–80, 1982–83 and 1988–89.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The available information is shown in the table. Our census data are collected every year at 30 September. Therefore, figures in the table relate to staff in post at 30 September for the years 1979, 1982 and 1988.

  Health Care
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to achieve a reduction in inequalities in access to health care between regions and socio-economic groups.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 26 June at column 165.

  Family Planning
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve family planning services.
  707
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) on 19 June at column 508 and on 27 June at columns 249–50.

  Census
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health in the debate on the draft census order on 19 December 1989 in the Fourth Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c., whether a decision has been made on the request from the Economic and Social Research Council for output from the 1991 census in the form of samples of anonymous records for people and households.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Under the authority provided by section 4(2) of the Census Act 1920, the Registrars-General for England and Wales and for Scotland have agreed, in principle, to the Economic and Social Research Council's request to prepare two separate samples of anonymous records from the 1991 census at the cost of the Council. One sample, for people, would consist of extracts from census data about two individuals in every hundred; and the other, for households, would consist of extracts from census data about one household in every hundred. The Registrars-General are confident that these samples would not disclose any information about identifiable individuals.

  The samples of anonymous records would complement the information available from the traditional type of tabulated census statistics. They would provide a flexible sample database for statistical research and would also help users assess which extra tables it would be cost effective to commission from the full census database. They would make a significant contribution towards ensuring that the country gains as much benefit as possible from the taxpayers' investment in the census.

  Confidentiality would be safeguarded both by not identifying any geographic areas smaller than a large local authority district and by omitting data categories which apply to small groups in the population. Furthermore, there would be some blurring of data so that not all records would represent actual individuals exactly. In addition, the possibility is being investigated of setting up a body of independent experts to advise Ministers on the confidentiality arrangements for the samples of anonymised records.

  The Registrars-General's decision follows consultation with the Office of the Data Protection Registrar, which has confirmed that it has no objection in principle to the issue of samples of anonymous records. The Registrars-General are continuing discussions with the Economic and Social Research Council on the detailed arrangements.

  Novopen
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to add Novopen pens and needles used by diabetics to the drug tariff list of prescribable appliances.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no present plans to make this equipment available on general practitioner prescription although the matter will be kept under review.708
  We believe that the existing range of disposable and reusable syringe equipment fully meets the needs of most insulin dependent diabetics.

  Wakefield Health Authority
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total interest-bearing capital debt for Wakefield health authority.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Wakefield health authority does not have an interest-bearing debt. In common with all district health authorities, it is required to value its capital assets in order to introduce capital charging from April 1991–92. All directly managed units will include capital charges—equivalent to interest and depreciation—in their revenue costs, and consequently in the prices charged to purchasers of services.

  Community Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued by his Department to local authorities with regard to the format, content and consistency of their community care plans.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Draft guidance on community care plans was issued by the Department on 15 June. The guidance will be finalised in the light of responses to formal consultation.

  Care Villages
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's policy with regard to the establishment of large-scale care villages accommodating on a residential basis several hundred or more individuals who all require some form of social or nursing care.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There is no reason in principle why large-scale care villages should not meet the registration requirements of the Registered Homes Act 1984. The decision in individual cases, however, is a matter for the local registration authority.

  Cornwall Air Ambulance
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his meeting with hon. Members representing constituencies in Cornwall, if he will now make a statement on the funding of the Cornwall air ambulance.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Discussions with Cornwall and Isles of Scilly health authority are continuing. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.

  Youth Treatment Service
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has reached a decision on the future management of the youth treatment service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The findings of a social services inspectorate inspection of the two youth treatment centres managed by the Department of Health were published in May 1989. Copies of the report had been placed in the Library.
  709
  A key recommendation was that, while a national service of the kind provided by the YTCs was still needed, their management was not most appropriately placed within the Department, but should be brought more within the framework of mainstream child care. The findings were made available to providers and users of the service and other interests.

  Having carefully considered the views expressed on the findings and visited both centres, we concluded that there remains a need for a nationally based YTC service to deal with a small but very difficult group of disturbed young people who cannot be catered for elsewhere in the child care system.

  Direct management by the Department is not the most effective way to run the service.

  We are assessing the benefits which might be obtained from establishing a "next steps" agency to run this service. A feasibility study on this will be completed by the end of this year.

  The study will need to consider how best to involve those in the voluntary and local authority sectors with experience of developments in mainstream child care. The views of local authority, voluntary bodies, YTC staff and other interests will inform the study.

  Number of units of blood issued to non-NHS hospitals and clinics by blood transfusion centres in England and Wales—1982 to 1988

  Blood transfusion center

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Northern

  0

  2,236

  1,739

  1,722

  1,678

  1,360

  879

  Yorkshire

  0

  0

  950

  1,589

  2,443

  6,432

  2,116

  Trent

  331

  102

  2

  0

  20

  546

  2,662

  East Anglia

  2,078

  1,864

  1,690

  1,758

  1,655

  1,441

  3,502

  North West Thames

  14,580

  19,439

  22,413

  21,512

  21,955

  24,127

  24,202

  North East Thames

  6

  0

  0

  0

  127

  2,620

  3,357

  South East and South West Thames

  9,141

  10,174

  10,433

  13,885

  17,857

  16,350

  19,134

  Wessex

  0

  257

  1,342

  2,333

  2,523

  5,879

  4,301

  Oxford

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4,359

  0

  South western

  1,259

  1,241

  4,338

  4,032

  2,315

  3,658

  3,008

  West-Midlands

  2,628

  3,512

  3,601

  4,431

  10,154

  9,086

  5,095

  Mersey1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,362

  1,438

  North western

  1,414

  1,961

  2,724

  3,065

  3,313

  5,302

  6,058

  Wales2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,839

  209

  England and Wales

  31,437

  40,786

  49,232

  54,327

  64,040

  84,361

  75,961

  1 Covers Mersey regional health authority and North Wales.

  2 Covers South and Mid Wales.

  Figures may be unreliable as the data submitted by many of the transfusion centres are incomplete.

  For the years 1979 to 1981 the following figures relate to the number of donors reporting at blood transfusion centres. From 1982 onwards the figures are those of actual donations received.

  Transfusion centre

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Northern

  139,797

  145,938

  144,880

  134,392

  133,039

  131,947

  133,544

  128,321

  120,878

  122,267

  Yorkshire

  147,875

  157,078

  155,653

  143,626

  152,874

  154,905

  149,128

  146,119

  134,463

  133,088

  Trent

  146,554

  153,587

  163,187

  162,229

  166,362

  174,425

  169,680

  174,976

  186,605

  197,746

  East Anglia

  90,954

  93,350

  93,406

  84,629

  86,275

  87,650

  86,393

  90,012

  91,536

  92,195

  North West Thames

  184,273

  187,042

  197,504

  180,644

  183,033

  189,246

  190,048

  199,731

  193,372

  192,004

  North East Thames

  169,066

  169,238

  170,966

  145,472

  145,241

  136,647

  138,875

  136,722

  135,439

  142,716

  South East and South West Thames

  268,240

  277,720

  285,737

  256,589

  301,029

  302,097

  282,738

  277,696

  268,585

  282,188

  Wessex

  89,376

  95,584

  96,902

  90,030

  93,889

  95,719

  94,088

  93,990

  95,931

  95,484

  Oxford

  123,565

  125,859

  128,299

  115,997

  118,822

  119,689

  111,129

  104,609

  104,537

  107,805

  South western

  182,513

  186,274

  186,808

  172,462

  171,678

  170,859

  168,169

  175,570

  180,057

  182,008

  West Midlands

  194,823

  199,051

  201,019

  195,332

  193,048

  200,128

  199,389

  199,290

  199,320

  216,485

  Mersey

  123,059

  129,680

  123,433

  115,478

  119,604

  117,589

  121,642

  123,190

  112,659

  108,387

  North western

  190,029

  202,523

  209,886

  179,351

  179,844

  181,638

  180,133

  181,587

  176,843

  176,328

  Wales

  94,360

  97,112

  98,051

  82,763

  91,102

  96,087

  94,104

  96,637

  94,091

  92,109

  England and Wales

  2,144,484

  2,220,036

  2,255,731

  2,058,994

  2,135,840

  2,158,626

  2,119,060

  2,128,450

  2,034,316

  2,140,810

  710
  We want the resources deployed in the YTCs to be better used to provide a higher quality and more cost-effective service. This might be achieved by unifying the service at its current level of 70 available places on the Birmingham site. Conclusions will be made public by the end of the year.

  Blood Supplies
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give for each region the units of blood supplied to private hospitals for each year since 1979;

  (2) how many units were handled by the blood transfusion service in each year since 1979 by regional transfusion service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: The available information is given in the tables. Data giving units of blood supplied to private hospitals were not collected prior to 1982. Figures essentially for years before 1987, are likely to be incomplete because regional transfusion centres were not always informed of issues from hospital blood banks.

TRANSPORT

  Railway Inspectorate
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has reached conclusions on the future location of the railway inspectorate.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have now completed my consultations with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission. It has been agreed that an agency agreement should be made with the commission for the discharge of my railway safety functions and for the transfer of the railway inspectorate to the Health and Safety Executive, where its identity would be maintained. These arrangements will come into effect in the autumn.

  Bicycles
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what practical steps he has introduced to encourage the use of bicycles as an alternative to cars in urban areas.

  Mr. Atkins
  Both car use and cycling are matters of personal choice. Cycling remains one of the least safe modes of transport, so our main role must be to help make it safer. People will then feel freer to cycle and will be more prepared to allow their children to do so.

  My Department continues to promote safer cycling through the publication of technical advice and guidance based on our research and application studies. We have announced recently changes in the criteria for transport supplementary grant under which local highway authorities will be able to bid for grants for local safety schemes, which can include cycling provision. This is in addition to the cycle elements of major highway and traffic management schemes which will still be eligible for grant.

  Car Journeys
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on traffic speeds in London and other urban areas if the number of car journeys were to decrease by 10 per cent.

  Mr. Atkins
  Traffic speeds in urban areas are influenced by a number of factors such as road and junction capacity, parked vehicles, signal timings, roadworks, time of day and weather conditions. Other things being equal, a reduction of 10 per cent. in car traffic might lead to an increase in peak-hour speeds of between 5 and 20 per cent.

  Northolt Airport
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if, pursuant to his answer of 13 July,Official Report, column 347, he will estimate the implications of increased use of Northolt airport for aircraft noise in the area of the airport and increased road congestion to, from and around the airport; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will meet a deputation of local residents and the hon. Member for Ealing, North to discuss the future of Northolt airport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We have no proposals to increase the use of Northolt by civil aircraft, so estimates of possible 712
  effects would be speculative. A civil enclave is a separate issue. I am, of course, always willing to meet my hon. Friend.

  Public Inquiries
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the annual expenditure of his Department on public local inquiries in each of the last 10 years, indicating the date, the cost and the duration of each inquiry.

  Mr. Atkins
  In 1989, the last full year for which information is available, 30 inquiries into trunk road schemes were held. Details available are as follows:

  Scheme

  Date

  Duration (days)

  A41 Chester improvement

  17 January

  2

  A595 Egremont bypass

  6 February

  3

  A12 Capel St. Mary

  14 February

  1

  A47 Norwich southern bypass

  21 February

  4

  A3 Milford bypass

  21 March

  9

  A5 Telford — Shrewsbury bypass

  4 April

  5

  A523 Macclesfield relief road

  11 April

  2

  A259 Guestling Thorn diversion

  18 April

  4

  A49 Weaverham diversion

  26 April

  5

  A422 Alcester

  2 May

  1

  A6 Burton Latimer bypass

  6 June

  1

  A259 Dymchurch

  13 June

  2

  A66 Bowes bypass — County boundary

  20 June

  2

  A6 Improvement Derby

  20 June

  1

  A65 Gargrave bypass

  4 July

  14

  A339 Basinstoke northern bypass

  4 July

  1

  A38 Alrewas — Barton

  14 July

  4

  A40 Gipsey Corner

  18 July

  17

  A590 Dalton-in-Furness bypass

  9 September

  5

  A59 Mellor Brook bypass

  26 September

  4

  A516 Etwall bypass

  23 October

  3

  A47 East Dereham

  31 October

  2

  A1 Gatenby Lane Leeming

  7 November

  10

  A568 Widnes eastern bypass

  8 November

  4

  M5 Warnden — Strensham

  21 November

  7

  A12 Hackney Wick — M11

  21 November

  29

  A31 Stoney Cross junction

  21 November

  10

  A1 Tempsford

  28 November

  8

  A41/A421 Bicester bypass

  28 November

  3

  A27 Crossbush bypass

  12 December

  3

  Accurate costs to the Department of these inquiries, including consultants' fees and costs, are not identified separately from total scheme preparation cost. Costs of the elements such as inspectors' costs, which can be identified, and details of previous years' inquiries could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  River Thames (Accident Procedure)
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the emergency accident procedure known as POLACAP was immediately put into effect on the night of 20 August 1989 after the collision of the Bowbelle and the Marchioness on the River Thames.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The conduct of emergency procedures following the accident was examined in the investigation carried out by the marine accident investigation branch, and will be covered in the chief inspector's report when it is published.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the emergency exercises carried out under the Port of London authority combined accident procedure in recent years.
  713
  Mr. McLoughlin
  The emergency exercises carried out under the Port of London authority combined accident procedure in recent years were:June 1986—PLAFIRE
  October 1987—PLAFIRE
  May 1988—NEPTUNE

  Marine Craft
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Government inspectors there have been, in each of the last 10 years, inspecting(a) pleasure craft and (b) non-pleasure craft for seaworthiness.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The number of Department of Transport surveyors in marine offices available to carry out such inspections in each of the last 10 years was as follows:

  Date

  Number

  1 April 1981

  168

  1 April 1982

  165

  1 April 1983

  171

  1 April 1984

  172

  1 April 1985

  157

  1 April 1986

  146

  1 April 1987

  138

  1 April 1988

  127

  1 April 1989

  122

  1 April 1990

  122

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) pleasure craft and (b) non-pleasure craft using the River Thames have had their seaworthy licences withdrawn in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Some 135 passenger vessels operating on the River Thames are required to be periodically surveyed and certificated by the Department of Transport to ensure compliance with relevant safety provisions. Any serious deficiencies detected during random inspections must be corrected before the vessel is allowed to operate. In the past 12 months four vessels have had their certificates temporarily invalidated.

  Larger non-passenger vessels are also subject to periodic survey and certification as well as random inspections. It is normal practice to detain a vessel found to have serious deficiencies until they are corrected rather than withdraw certificates. In the past 12 months four vessels were detained.

  Detailed information for earlier years is not readily available.

  Airline Regulations
  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the international regulations that govern the actions of police on a national airline or in national airspace.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Tokyo convention of 14 September 1963 sets out the powers of the commander of an aircraft to protect the safety of the aircraft and its passengers and to maintain order on board, whilst the aircraft is in flight. It is a matter for the commander, and the law of the aircraft's state of registry, to regulate the use of the police for this purpose.

  Investment
  Sir William Shelton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, year by year from 1974 to the present, with estimates for the next five years, the total investment by central Government in roads and London Underground in the Greater London area, and roads and British Rail countrywide.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is not possible to provide all the figures requested. No planning figures have been agreed for the period after 1992–93 and allocations for investment in roads in London are made only one year ahead. It would be possible to identify the total investment by central Government in roads in Greater London before 1982–83 only at disproportionate cost.

  £ million

  Investment in

  1Roads in London

  2 London Underground

  3 National roads in England

  4 British Rail

  1974–75

  n.a.

  36

  286

  124

  1975–76

  n.a.

  43

  403

  171

  1976–77

  n.a.

  50

  393

  200

  1977–78

  n.a.

  44

  313

  214

  1978–79

  n.a.

  47

  330

  245

  1979–80

  n.a.

  65

  408

  300

  1980–81

  n.a.

  78

  478

  337

  1981–82

  n.a.

  91

  568

  310

  1982–83

  30

  82

  684

  269

  1983–84

  21

  110

  651

  277

  1984–85

  20

  143

  726

  404

  1985–86

  54

  168

  754

  412

  1986–87

  85

  187

  794

  411

  1987–88

  88

  274

  908

  543

  1988–89

  62

  264

  935

  590

  1989–90

  118

  371

  1,296

  715

  Plans

  1990–91

  131

  546

  1,758

  1,052

  1991–92

  n.a.

  711

  1,818

  1,258

  1992–93

  n.a.

  812

  1,920

  1,421

  n.a.= not available.

  1 Central Government expenditure on new construction and the improvement of motorways and trunk roads in Greater London. Includes costs of works, land and design supervision but excludes maintenance expenditure.

  2 Funds for investment in London Underground Limited are allocated by London Transport (LT). Prior to 1984–85, the Greater London Council were responsible for funding LT. Figures up to and including 1983 are for calendar years. Expenditure on Jubilee Extension and Dockland Light Railway is included.

  3 Gross capital spend by central Government on national roads in England only.

  4 Covers Great Britain. Includes investment in BR Engineering Ltd., BR Maintenance Ltd., Freightliner, Road Transport Organisation and BR Property Board but excludes expenditure on continuously welded rail which is now classified as maintenance. Figures up to and including 1983 are for calendar years. The figure for 1984–85 covers a 15-month period; the 12-month equivalent was £323 million.

  Merchant Ships
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the increase in United Kingdom merchant shipping tonnage for 1989.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There was no increase.

  Unroadworthy Vehicles
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths and serious injuries each year can be attributed to the use of unroadworthy vehicles.

  Mr. Atkins
  The police complete a standard accident report form called STATS19 for each personal injury accident that occurs on public roads. The information requested is not recorded on the STATS19 accident report form and is therefore not available.

  Road Safety
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the number of (i) deaths, (ii) serious injuries and (iii) slight injuries relating to passengers on(a) stage carriage services and (b) other bus and coach services which occurred in the last three years for which figures are available, expressed in terms of number per million passenger miles.

  Mr. Atkins
  The police complete a standard accident report form called STATS19 for each personal injury accident that occurs on public roads. The information requested—subdividing buses and coaches into stage carriage services and others—is not recorded on the STATS19 accident report form and is, therefore, not available.

  Casualty rates for all public service vehicles, whether or not in stage operation, are given in table 26 in "Road Accidents Great Britain", a copy of which is in the Library.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Colin Wallace
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what response he has sent to the letters about Kincora which he has recently received from Colin Wallace.

  Mr. Cope
  The letters will be replied to shortly.

  Investment
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on inward investment in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  Northern Ireland has achieved its best-ever year for inward investment since the Industrial Development Board was formed in 1982. A total of 14 projects were secured promoting almost 2,000 new jobs.

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of inward investment in the Londonderry area and the jobs created.

  Mr. Needham
  Of the 14 new inward investment projects secured by the Industrial Development Board in 1989–90, three have chosen to locate in Londonderry, promoting 620 new jobs.

  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current levels of private sector investment in Belfast.
  716
  Mr. Needham
  I am pleased to report that private investment in Belfast has increased dramatically in recent years. In the city centre alone, major projects completed in the past five years, under way or programmed total £573 million. In addition, during the past five years the Industrial Development Board has backed industrial projects with a total planned investment of £177 million.

  Government
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for the better government of the Province.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Government would consider any proposals likely to prove stable and durable which would command widespread support and provide an appropriate role for both sides of the community.

  Local Government
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to introduce local government structures and responsibilities in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  Local government structures and responsibilities already exist in Northern Ireland. The Government would give serious consideration to any workable proposals for more local involvement in the government of Northern Ireland, if they seemed likely to command widespread acceptance. However, in their talks with us, the Northern Ireland parties have indicated their support for the establishment of a form of locally accountable administration for Northern Ireland as a whole.

  Legislation (Amendment)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to extend to Northern Ireland legislation the same provisions in respect of amendment as exist for Great Britain and United Kingdom legislation.

  Mr. Brooke
  If the right hon. Gentleman has any proposals, he knows that I should be happy to discuss them with him.

  UK-Irish Relations
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he expects to discuss United Kingdom-Irish relations at his next meeting with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  At my next meeting under the Anglo-Irish Agreement with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Ireland, I expect to discuss the range of issues which normally arises at such meetings, just as I did on 17 July.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current levels of employment in Northern Ireland.
  717
  Mr. Needham
  At March 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, there were an estimated 524,840 employees in employment. This is the highest figure for March since 1980.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  At 14 June 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 95,055 unemployed claimants in the Province, representing 13.6 per cent. of the work force. Seasonally adjusted unemployment has fallen for 17 consecutive months and is at its lowest level for over eight years.

  Blood Transfusion Service
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his plans for the development of the blood transfusion service.

  Mr. Needham
  Final approval has now been given to a new £7.7 million blood transfusion centre on the Belfast city hospital site. Construction of the new centre, which will be purpose built and will provide the most modern and up-to-date facilities, is expected to start early in 1992 and should be completed within two years.

  Multiple-handicap Young People
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision is being made in Northern Ireland for the education of children and young people with visual and audio multiple handicap.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  At the pre-school stage, support from the education sector can take the form of assistance to parents at home by teachers from special schools or from the peripatetic teaching service, or by attendance of the child at a nursery school or unit. Toy and book libraries are also available.

  Provision for children of compulsory school age is made at primary or secondary schools or in special units attached to such schools, or in special schools. In addition, a support service based in the Jordanstown school advises schools in the field of visual impairment and this is supplemented by the board's peripatetic service which provides a support and counselling service for children with hearing difficulties.

  Anglo-Irish Agreement
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to amend the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement concerning the discussions to find an agreement for transcending the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
  718
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the trilateral talks to find an agreement to transcend the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the talks he is holding with various political parties in Northern Ireland and the Eire Government.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Berkshire, East (Mr. MacKay).

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next hopes to meet the Foreign Secretary of Ireland to discuss the workings of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet the Foreign Secretary of the Republic of Ireland to discuss the workings of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I expect to meet the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs at the next meeting of the intergovernmental conference which is likely to take place within the next few weeks. We are likely to discuss the normal range of issues falling under the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Security
  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Molyneaux
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer the hon. Member and the right hon. Member to the answer which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton).

  General Practitioners' lists
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals the Government are considering to give patients the right of appeal when removed from general practitioners' lists.

  Mr. Needham
  None.

  Integrated Education
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the development of integrated education.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Since the coming into effect last February of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, a number of schools have approached the Department of Education for advice about integrated status.

  The Department of Education has received proposals for the establishment of two new grant-maintained integrated schools and three existing independent integrated schools are also seeking that status. In addition, seven existing grant-aided schools have begun the procedures to achieve either grant-maintained or controlled integrated status.

  Devolution
  Mr. Barry Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received regarding the devolution of powers to the Province from Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have been engaged in discussions since January with the main constitutional parties in Northern Ireland. These discussions have, in part, considered how progress might be made towards a transfer of powers from Westminster to locally elected representatives. I have also received, from time to time, representations from various organisations and individual members of the public.

  "Making Belfast Work"
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress being made under his Department's "Making Belfast Work" initiative; and what resources have so far been committed to it.

  Mr. Needham
  The "Making Belfast Work" initiative was launched in July 1988 to reinforce, through specifically targeted programmes, the efforts being made to address the economic, educational, social and environmental problems in the most disadvantaged areas of Belfast. The initiative is delivered under a strategy published in January 1989, which is designed to address problems of unemployment, lack of skills, low educational achievement, poor health and a bad environment.

  More than 100 separate projects—large and small—were operational during 1989–90; of these, more than 80 are being continued or expanded in the current financial year in addition to 40 new projects which have been introduced. There are encouraging signs of progress; for example in 1989–90 LEDU, the Local Enterprise Development Unit—Northern Ireland's small business development agency—promoted 1,100 jobs in the "Making Belfast Work" areas, a trebling of its performance prior to the initiative; almost 3,000 people were placed in jobs or training by eight local job clubs and new job markets in the Falls and Shankill areas; the Whiterock further education centre had around 2,000 people enrolled on 80 different courses; almost 1,000 people undertook open learning training; and there were significant improvements in immunisation uptake rates, particularly in north and west Belfast. Particularly encouraging is the fact that during 1989–90 unemployment fell in virtually every ward in the initiative area, and the recently announced Springvale project is an exciting opportunity for a major economic regeneration initiative in the heart of north and west Belfast.

  A total of £92.5 million has been provided for the initiative for the period 1988–89 to 1992–93, of which £10 million was spent in 1988–89, £15 million in 1989–90 and for which £22.5 million is available in each of the years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93. This is in addition to the extensive resources already allocated to Departments' mainstream programmes in the "Making Belfast Work" areas.

  Maintaining and accelerating the progress achieved to date requires a comprehensive and sustained effort involving the Government, the private sector and the local community.

  Kilroot Phase II
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further progress has been made towards a final decision on the future of Kilroot phase II.

  Mr. Needham
  Work is continuing on the comparison between Kilroot phase II and interconnection with Scotland. I hope to be able to announce my conclusions within the next few months.

  Conservation
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on conservation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Since replying to the hon. Gentleman on 1 March 1990, at columns 307–8 with a detailed statement on conservation of the environment in Northern Ireland, there have been some further developments.

  Two new areas of special scientific interest, Moninea bog and Fairy Water bogs, have been declared bringing the number of ASSIs to 26. A further 73 historic buildings have been listed bringing the total to 7,685.

  The Department of the Environment's planning service has been considering a report by Professor John Hendry of Queen's university who has proposed that the Department should consider designating a further 28 conservation areas in addition to the 26 already designated and the eight proposed in the Belfast urban plan. Two of the 36 proposed conservation areas—Ballycastle and the cathedral area in Belfast—were designated in June.

  On 9 July 1990 the Department of Agriculture issued its document "Countryside Management" which outlines its strategy on conservation. I shall arrange for a copy to be sent to the hon. Gentleman. We look forward to receiving the report from the Select Committee on the Environment and to the first report for the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside.

  The size of the directorate in the Department of the Environment is to be doubled.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish his considered reply to the second report of the Standing Committee on Human Rights.

  Mr. Cope
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Mr. Evans) on 26 June at columns 154–55. We intend awaiting comments on the report (Cm. 1107) from any interested persons or organisations prior to coming to any conclusions.

  Cross-border Security
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-border security co-operation between the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

  Mr. Cope
  Measures to improve security co-operation are regularly discussed at Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference meetings, most recently on 17 July. In
  721
  addition, regular meetings take place at all levels between members of the RUC and the Garda Siochana. Progress has been made, but further improvement is possible and the Government are committed to securing it.

  County Towns
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for the regeneration of the county towns of Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, West (Dr. Blackburn) on 1 February 1990 at column 337. Since then the International Fund for Ireland—IFI—has made available up to £3 million this year for a third urban development programme and has announced a new programe focused on smaller towns—those with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. Both these programmes are administered by the Department of the Environment's planning service on behalf of the IFI.

  The Department of the Environment has consultants working on regeneration strategies in Downpatrick and the Craigavon area and regeneration partnership arrangements with district councils in Armagh and Carrickfergus.

  Anglo-Irish Conference
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the next meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference will be held.

  Mr. Brooke
  The next meeting is likely to be held within the next few weeks.

  Community Relations
  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to meet representatives of the Community Relations Council to discuss improved links between Catholic and Protestant communities.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Northern Ireland Community Relations Council was established in January 1990. The council has already established a wide range of contacts with groups working to promote reconciliation, greater cross-community contact and awareness and understanding of cultural diversity in Northern Ireland. The council has also launched a number of funding programmes designed to support the work of these groups. I have not yet had the opportunity to meet the council, but I hope to do so later in the year.

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools are taking part in the cross-community contact scheme.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Since the introduction of the cross-community contact scheme in October 1987, more than 400 schools—about one third of all schools in Northern Ireland—have become involved.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last discussed the case of those found guilty of the Birmingham pub bombings with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Cope
  This is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary and is not within the ambit of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, but the matter was referred to during a meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 30 November 1989.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what level the youth training programme allowance would need to be increased to bring it to the same value as on its introduction, measured by(a) the rise in prices, and (b) the rise in average earnings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The weekly training allowance was first paid to young people in the youth opportunities programme (YOP) in April 1978 and was £19.50. The equivalent value of the youth training programme allowance if adjusted for changes in the retail prices index would be £49.50 and if adjusted for changes in the index of average earnings it would be £63.48.

  The youth training programme (YTP) especially since the introduction from 1 April 1990 of the new arrangements for delivery and funding, incorporates substantially higher quality training than YOP. It is, therefore, misleading to compare the values of the YOP and YTP training allowances, which reflect the fact that trainees are still learning.

  Royal Ulster Constabulary
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what value-for-money and cost-effectiveness evaluations the Royal Ulster Constabulary performs on its own services.

  Mr. Cope
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Chief Constable's strategy statement 1990 in which he sets out the RUC's principal objectives for the current year. The RUC has developed and continues to develop a range of methods of judging the extent to which those objectives are being achieved.

  Heart Disease
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the incidence of heart disease in Northern Ireland in 1990, 1989, 1988 and 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  Mortality rates for the four most recent years for which figures are available are given in the following table. Morbidity incidence figures are not available.

  Age standardised death rates from ischaemic heart disease per 100,000 population aged 40–69 years

  Year

  Male

  Female

  1986

  557

  169

  1987

  497

  155

  1988

  512

  175

  1989

  461

  155

  723
  It is encouraging to note that deaths from heart disease are on a definite downward trend having fallen by around 25 per cent. over the last 10 years. The Government's "Change of Heart" coronary prevention programme, launched in October 1986, aims to ensure that the reduction in mortality continues over the next decade.

  Road Deaths
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were accidentally killed on the roads in Northern Ireland last year; and what was the average number for the previous five years.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  One hundred and eighty-one people were killed on the roads in Northern Ireland in 1989. The average during the previous five years was 199. In 1986, 236 died.

  A programme was launched on 31 October to achieve the following targets:
  to reduce by one third within 12 months commencing 1 November the average annual fatality rate of 210 over the last three years; and
  to reduce by one third serious road casualties—killed and seriously injured—by the end of the century.

  The preliminary total of deaths from 1 November 1989 to 30 June 1990 shows a 13 per cent. decrease over the same period last year. This statistic may change.

  Reduced levels of drink driving are likely to be contributing to reduced levels of death.

  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by how much the number of road deaths has fallen since the launch of the road casualty reduction campaign.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The fall has been 18 per cent. Since the campaign was launched on 1 November 1989, road deaths have fallen to 114 compared with 139 for the same period last year. The number is provisional.

  I am grateful that the media in Northern Ireland have been treating road deaths as events that generally have avoidable causes. It is particularly noticeable that the main categories—adults as passengers, pedestrians and drivers—have fallen from 117 to 84, a drop of 28 per cent.

  School Governors
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration is being given to offering recompense to members of new boards of governors in the form of attendance allowance in respect of their increase of responsibility and work load under local management of schools.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no plans to change present arrangements.

  Education Achievement
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will initiate an inquiry into the levels of achievement for Northern Ireland schoolchildren in A-level and general certificate of secondary education results relative to comparable children in England, Scotland and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The qualifications of Northern Ireland school leavers compare favourably with those in England and Wales; comparison with Scotland is not appropriate 724
  because of different examination arrangements. The most recent comparable statistics show 26 per cent. of Northern Ireland leavers with one or more A-levels compared to 18.7 per cent. in England and 17.9 per cent. in Wales. The figures also show that some 16.4 per cent. of Northern Ireland school leavers obtained no recognised qualifications compared to 9.6 per cent. in England and 17.5 per cent. in Wales. However, there has been an encouraging reduction in the number of unqualified leavers in Northern Ireland in recent years and the Government believe that the education reforms will accelerate this trend.

  NHS Drugs
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the value of national health service drugs administered in Northern Ireland(a) in total and (b) in hospitals in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The total expenditure on drugs in Northern Ireland for the latest financial year available, 1988–89, was £78.21 million, of which £9.96 million was hospital expenditure.

  Dog Fighting
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has on the incidence of organised dog fighting in Northern Ireland; and whether any prosecutions have been brought for this activity in the last four years.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 27 June 1990]: I am advised by the Chief Constable that information held centrally does not distinguish dog fighting from other offences of cruelty to animals.

  Terrorism
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show for each of the present council areas in Northern Ireland the number of deaths from terrorist action since these council areas came into existence until the latest available date, or as much of such information as is available to him.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 3 July 1990]: The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Courts and Legal Services
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will outline his proposed course of action following the publication of the Green Paper on the courts and legal services in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: The future framework for legal services in Northern Ireland is presently being considered in consultation with my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor. I expect that a policy paper for Northern Ireland will be published in the autumn.

ENVIRONMENT

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the responsibilities of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in respect of discharge of radioactive waste to the public sewers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution regulates the disposal of all radioactive waste, including discharges to the public sewerage system, by means of authorisations issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 (RSA 60). These authorisations impose strict conditions and activity limits, set at levels which ensure proper protection from such disposals for members of the public, sewerage workers and the environment. In all cases, proper and detailed records must be maintained by disposers. These records and the premises concerned are subject to scrutiny by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution inspectors under powers contained in section 12 of RSA 60, to ensure compliance with the terms of certificates of authorisation issued.

  Landfill
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra resources he will make available to ensure full monitoring and necessary remedial work to all landfill sites where there is a risk of leachate and ground water pollution.

  Mr. Trippier
  Under the licensing provisions of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 waste disposal authorities already have responsibilities, in consultation with water authorities, now the National Rivers Authority, to ensure that no water pollution is likely to arise from the disposal of waste to land. The costs of meeting any monitoring and remedial works have to be borne within the budgets for operating licensed sites and for the enforcement of statutory responsibilities. No extra resources would appear to be necessary.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce legislation in line with the proposals of the European Community draft directive on landfill; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  A draft directive is still in preparation by the Commission, with the aid of expert working groups on which the United Kingdom is represented, but is unlikely to be available until the end of the year for further consideration and negotiation. It is, therefore, too early to say what legislative implications it might have. However, the Commission appears to be basing its proposals upon systems of site licensing to high operational standards, therefore meeting the objectives of the Environmental Protection Bill.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those statutory functions currently carried out by the Nature Conservancy Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  The statutory functions of the Nature Conservancy Council were set out in section 1, together with schedule 1, of the Nature Conservancy Council Act 1973.
  726
  Since 1973, the following Acts have conferred additional functions on the council: Import of Live Fish (Scotland) Act 1978, Highways Act 1980, Animal Health Act 1981, Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Inheritance Tax Act 1984, Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, Agriculture Act 1986, Channel Tunnel Act 1987, Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988, Electricity Act 1989, and the Water Act 1989.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are currently employed by the Nature Conservancy Council on(a) permanent contracts and (b) temporary contracts.

  Mr. Trippier
  On 1 July this year, the Nature Conservancy Council employed 766 full-time staff and 87 part-time staff on permanent contracts, and 449 full-time and 42 part-time staff on temporary contracts.

  Methane
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that all waste tips are monitored to identify those which are at risk from methane release; what resources he will make available for this; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  In 1988–89 Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, together with waste disposal authorities, undertook surveys of landfill sites to determine those with the potential to generate landfill gas. It is intended that the results of these surveys will be published in due course.

  A capital allocation of £33 million has been earmarked during 1990–91 for local authorities undertaking landfill gas remedial work on closed sites. Similar resources will be made available in future years.

  Gas controls should be installed in current landfill sites within normal operational budgets in line with the recommendations of waste management paper 27 and no additional resources need to be made available.

  Crassula
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he has taken concerning the sale of crassula from aquarium shops;

  (2) what advice he has received from the Nature Conservancy Council concerning the sale of crassula as a pond and aquarium oxygenator.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have received no information or advice from the Nature Conservancy Council on the use of crassula in aquaria and I have taken no action regarding its sale in aquarium shops.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes),Official Report, 23 May, columns 187–88, what steps he takes to ensure environmental factors are given full weight in respect of the Antarctic environment.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department's officials have regular discussions on the protection of the Antarctic environment with officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which has overall responsibility for the Government's policy on the Antarctic.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those public supplies identified by the drinking water inspectorate where levels of tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene exceed the World Health Organisation standards for these substances; and where undertakings under section 20 of the Water Act 1989 have been given.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his earlier question,Official Report, 5 July 1990, Vol. 175, column 646.

  Undertakings have been given by water companies as follows under section 20 of the Water Act 1989 to take steps to secure or facilitate compliance with the standards for tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene:

  Water supply zones

  Date by which steps to be completed

  Lee Valley Water Company

  Luton Park Town

  31 March 1990

  Luton Stopsley

  Luton Chaul End

  Mid Southern Water Company

  Maidenhead No. 1

  31 December 1990

  Maidenhead No. 2

  South Staffordshire Water Company

  Sutton Boreholes: City

  Brownhills

  Central

  Three phases:

  December 1990

  December 1992

  Deember 1994

  Barr Beacon: Aldridge

  Pheasey

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now publish his Department's report into radioactive contamination of London drinking water.

  Mr. Trippier
  The research work commissioned by my Department on iodine 125 and being carried out by St. Bartholomew's hospital medical college will not be completed until March 1991. A first draft report was received this month and is currently being reviewed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The report will be published in due course and copies will be placed in the Library.

  Inspectorate of Pollution
  Mr. Carr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the director of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to discuss staff recruitment.

  Mr. Trippier
  I meet the director of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution regularly and discuss all aspects of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's business including staffing and recruitment. There are currently 215 staff in post in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution compared with 148 when Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution was established in April 1987 and 193 a year ago. The staff complement has recently been increased further to 250. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has 35 vacancies in the increased complement, of which 26 are for 728
  professional staff. Eight of the professional vacancies are reserved for successful candidates from the current recruitment competition. We are continuing to recruit actively to fill the remaining posts.

  Dogs
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to introduce new controls on dogs.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Our consultation paper "Action on Dogs", issued in August 1989, put forward two main proposals: transferring the duty for dealing with strays from the police to local authorities and clarifying enforcement of the existing collar and identification tag requirement. We recently issued, together with the Home Office and the Welsh and Scottish Offices, a consultation paper entitled "The Control of Dogs". Following discussions with the joint advisory committee on pets in society about how the package of measures outlined in "Action on Dogs" could be strengthened, the new paper considers two ideas in particular: first, that there should be a specific offence of allowing a dog persistently to stray, and, secondly, that there should be a fixed penalty scheme for the enforcement of the collar and tag provisions. We intend to legislate at a convenient opportunity.

  Empty Properties
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has developed any new proposals for the utilisation of suitable Government-owned empty properties for homeless families.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Government's policy is to sell surplus properties wherever possible. Where disposal is not practicable, Government Departments are encouraged to let their empty properties to local authorities and housing associations to assist them in relieving local housing pressures. The Department of Transport has recently contracted out the management of the majority of its domestic dwellings to housing associations, and the Ministry of Defence has so far leased 650 homes to local authorities.

  Leisure Centres
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications he has received from boroughs with loss-making leisure centres, built with European Community grants, to be released from restrictive conditions so they may be privatised.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is not aware of any formal applications from local authorities to be released from the conditions placed on European regional development fund grants by the European Commission which relate to the disposal of publicly owned leisure centres to the private sector.

  Nitrates
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the practicality of reducing nitrate content in water through the creation of new wetlands; and if he will make a statement.
  729
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am aware that studies carried out in other countries have shown encouraging results. This is an interesting proposal and I will keep developments under review.

  Groundwater Contamination
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a full national survey to identify aquifers most at risk from groundwater contamination; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  As part of its statutory duties to protect water resources and control pollution the National Rivers Authority is already undertaking national surveys of groundwater contamination and establishing a uniform national network of monitoring sites. It is also developing a national groundwater protection policy which will include a classification of aquifers according to vulnerability from pollution.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the financial benefits of compulsory competitive tendering.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We have no comprehensive information about the financial results of compulsory competitive tendering for local authority services. However, findings published by the Audit Commission and other bodies point clearly to the possibility of achieving substantial savings in the cost of providing services, which may be as high as 20 per cent.

  Housebuilding Costs
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the average price, excluding the value of land, of building(a) a two-storey house with three bedrooms, reception room, bathroom, toilet, kitchen, with external dimensions 21 ft by 22 ft, or the nearest equivalent for which he has information and (b) a terraced house block comprising five such houses.

  Mr. Chope
  Estimates, based on tenders accepted by local authorities, indicate that in England the current average cost of building a two-storey three-bedroomed house with external dimensions of 21 ft by 22 ft, excluding the value of land but including external works and professional fees, is approximately £43,000. The cost of a terrace of five such houses is approximately £215,000.

  National Rivers Authority
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the recreation duties of the National Rivers Authority.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Section 8 of the Water Act 1989 imposes upon the National Rivers Authority a duty to make available for recreation the waters and associated lands to which it has rights. This section also places upon the National Rivers Authority a duty to promote the use of other inland and coastal waters and land associated with such waters for recreational purposes.

  In carrying out these duties I understand that the National Rivers Authority seeks advice from the statutory regional rivers advisory committee.

  Footpaths and Bridleways
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that authorities adequately carry out their duties with regard to signposting footpaths and bridleways.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My Department recently carried out a survey among authorities to establish the extent of signposting of footpaths and bridleways; the results have been made available to highway authorities through the County Surveyors Society and the rights of way review committee. It is for the authorities to take action as appropriate in the light of these findings, within the context of the formulation of their rights of way strategies.

  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what lengths of footpaths and bridleways now exist in England and Wales.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Precise figures are not available: however, a recent sample survey by the Countryside Commission suggests the total length of rights of way in England and Wales to be about 140,000 miles. Of this, footpaths make up 106,000 miles and bridleways 28,000 miles.

  Forestry Commission Land
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding the introduction of a mechanism to protect access to Forestry Commission land which is to be disposed of.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 18 June,Official Report, column 450, by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Water Gathering Grounds (Public Access)
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the National Rivers Authority has any duty to protect public access to water gathering grounds owned by water undertakers.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Water Act 1989 imposes on the water undertakers a duty to have regard to the desirability of preserving public freedom of access to areas of natural beauty and to sites of architectural or historic interest on their lands. This duty also applies to the National Rivers Authority in respect of its own lands. The NRA is also under a duty generally to promote recreational use of inland and coastal waters and associated land.

  The code of practice issued by the Government under section 10 of the Water Act gives practical guidance to the National Rivers Authority and the water undertakers on the performance of their environmental and recreational duties.

  Rights of Way
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is a requirement of the countryside premium scheme that rights of way must be kept clear and in good order; and if he will include in the
  731
  countryside premium scheme a management guidelines requirement that rights of way must be kept clear at all times.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Landowners and the local highway authorities are statutorily required to keep all rights of way clear and in good order. The countryside premium scheme, operating in seven eastern counties of England, enhances public access to the countryside and does not override any statutory provisions. It is implict in the general rules and conditions of the scheme that farmers should fulfil their statutory obligations in respect of existing rights of way and, under the guidelines for the meadowland option, there is a specific requirement for landowners to keep open and available for use at all times any footpaths, bridleways or byways on land entered into the scheme. The Countryside Commission keeps the guidelines for the scheme under review.

  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that rights of way across countryside premium scheme land are in good order; and what steps have been taken where rights of way are found not to be in good order.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The duty to protect and assert the public's right of passage and to prevent the stopping up or obstruction of highways is placed with the highway authority under the Highways Act 1980. I am not aware of any problems with rights of way on countryside premium land. However, if such problems came to the attention of the Countryside Commission project officers who are responsible for administering the scheme, they would ask the landowner to take remedial action. Landowners failing to meet their obligations may prejudice payments under the scheme. They may also be prosecuted in certain circumstances by the highway authority or any other person.

  Leaseholds
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many leaseholders have enfranchised their lease under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967.

  Mr. Chope
  This information is not held centrally.

  Car Pollution
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of car-induced air pollution in urban areas and the estimated impact if the number of car journeys were(a) reduced and (b) increased by 10 per cent.

  Mr. Trippier
  Cars are responsible for about 81 per cent. of national emissions of carbon monoxide, 23 per cent. of national emissions of oxides of nitrogen and 28 per cent. of national emissions of volatile organic hydrocarbons. Estimates for central London suggest that petrol-driven vehicles contributed 46 per cent. to annual mean concentrations of oxides of nitrogen. However, emissions depend not only on the number of car journeys, but on road speed and traffic congestion. It is not presently possible to make precise estimates of the impact of a change in driving habits on urban air quality.

  Sewage Sludge
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to introduce legislation to prevent the dumping of sewage sludge at sea which is contaminated by toxic pollutants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No. Control of dumping of waste at sea is already exercised by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in accordance with powers available in the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.

  Local Government Finance
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling of 28 June,Official Report, columns 312–13, if he will state the relevant sections of the primary or secondary legislation under which exemption from the community charge is given to those aged 18 years who have left secondary education and in respect of whom child benefit is continuing to be paid.

  Mr. Portillo
  Paragraph 5 of schedule 1 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988, as amended by paragraph 10 of schedule 5 to the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

  Sewage Discharges
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to introduce legislation to require nutrient removal pollution controls at sewage works discharging to the sea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Sufficient powers to require nutrient removal at sewage treatment works where necessary are already available under the Water Act 1989. It is for the National Rivers Authority to decide when to impose such conditions.

  Atmospheric Conditions (Monitoring)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 1 May,Official Report, columns 502–3, if he will give the county or region in Scotland of each monitoring site; and if he will give grid references for those rain acidity monitoring sites whose grid references are not contained in the second report of the United Kingdom review group on acid rain 1987.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information for the current acid rain monitoring network is as follows:

  Site Name

  Map Reference

  Region

  Eskdalemuir

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Strathvaich Dam

  NH 347 750

  Highland

  Glen Dye

  NO 642 864

  Grampian

  Allt a'Mharcaidh

  NH 876 052

  Highland

  Whiteadder

  Lothian

  Loch Dee

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Achanarras

  ND 151 550

  Highland

  Balquhidder

  NN 521 206

  Central

  Yarner Wood

  SX 786 789

  High Muffles

  SE 776 939

  Preston Montford

  SJ 423 143

  733

  Site Name

  Map Reference

  Region

  Flatford Mill

  TM 077 333

  Bannisdale

  NY 515 043

  Cow Green

  NY 817 298

  Thorganby

  SE 676 428

  Beddgelert

  SH 556 518

  Wardlow Hay Cop

  SK 177 739

  Tycanol Wood

  SN 093 364

  Llyn Brianne

  SN 822 507

  Woburn

  SP 964 361

  Compton

  SU 512 804

  Driby

  TF 386 744

  Hillsborough Forest

  J 243 577

  Pumlumon

  SN 823 854

  Sheltered Housing
  Mr. Carr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will bring forward funds already committed in order to develop sheltered housing schemes.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No.

  Small Shops
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is(a) the average change and (b) the aggregate change in rate bills for small shops in 1990–91 as against 1989–90.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  While there is considerable variation in the charges for individual shops, the average rate bill for small shops in England has fallen as a result of the introduction of the uniform business rate and of the non-domestic revaluation: including the effect of the transitional arrangements, there has been a 2 per cent. reduction in real terms compared with 1989–90. The aggregate rate bill of such shops has fallen by £10 million in real terms. This is partly because the uniform business rate has kept the total increase in business rates well below the increase in local authority spending this year. For this purpose small shops are those with rateable values of £500 or more and less than £15,000 in London and £10,000 elsewhere—the definition used in the business rate transitional arrangements.

  Empty Council Properties
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to enable local councils to bring the council properties now lying empty to habitable standards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  [holding answer 18 July 1990]: The Government have made clear to local authorities the need to make efficient use of their housing stock, including giving a high priority to using their capital resources to bring empty properties back into use. The new housing revenue account subsidy encourages to reduce the number of their empty properties. Inefficient authorities reduce their entitlement to HRA subsidy.

  In addition to their normal housing investment programme allocations local authorities in London and the south-east will this year have an additional £42 million to repair and rehabilitate their empty housing as part of our initiative to help tackle homelessness. This should create up to 2,500 new lettings.

  Industrial Pollution Inspectorate (Report)
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date the industrial pollution inspectorate will produce its annual report.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I have been asked to reply.

  A report covering the work of Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate for Scotland for the period January 1987 to March 1988 is presently being printed and will be published within the next few weeks. Copies of the report will be placed in the Library.

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what tonnage of polychlorinated biphenyls 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 PCB contaminated materials were imported via Newport for disposal in the year 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990.

  GENERIC PRESCRIBING: SAVINGS ESTIMATE
  GENERIC PRESCRIBING: SAVINGS ESTIMATE
  NHS MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT
  NHS MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT
  SMALL SHOPS: RATE LEVELS
  SMALL SHOPS: RATE LEVELS
  COMMUNITY CHARGE: LOCAL AUTHORITY STAFF INCREASE
  COMMUNITY CHARGE: LOCAL AUTHORITY STAFF INCREASE
  GREATER LONDON: EMPTY DWELLINGS
  GREATER LONDON: EMPTY DWELLINGS
  RADIOACTIVE WASTE:MONITORING
  RADIOACTIVE WASTE:MONITORING
  HCFCs: EC RESOLUTION
  HCFCs: EC RESOLUTION
  PDLLUTION INSPECTORATE: STAFF VACANCIES
  PDLLUTION INSPECTORATE: STAFF VACANCIES
  MISSILE TARGETING
  MISSILE TARGETING
  SYRIA—UK RELATIONS
  SYRIA—UK RELATIONS
  ALBANIA—UK RELATIONS
  ALBANIA—UK RELATIONS
  RAILWAY SAFETY:FUNDING
  RAILWAY SAFETY:FUNDING
  VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS
  VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS
  SEVERE DISABLEMENT ALLOWANCE: CROWN SERVANTS' FAMILIES
  SEVERE DISABLEMENT ALLOWANCE: CROWN SERVANTS' FAMILIES
  CITY TECHNOLOGY COLLEGES
  CITY TECHNOLOGY COLLEGES
  ASSISTED PLACES SCHEME
  ASSISTED PLACES SCHEME
  LICENSED TEACHERS: COST OF SCHEME
  LICENSED TEACHERS: COST OF SCHEME
  SUICIDES IN PRISON: TUMIM REPORT
  SUICIDES IN PRISON: TUMIM REPORT