Written Answers of 20 July 1990

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths and injuries due to road accidents there have been in Northern Ireland since 1969.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The figures are 5,421 and 171,998 respectively to the end of 1989. The detail was as follows:

  Year

  Killed

  Injured

  1969

  257

  7,124

  1970

  272

  7,902

  1971

  304

  7,658

  1972

  372

  8,025

  1973

  335

  7,662

  1974

  316

  7,188

  1975

  313

  7,340

  1976

  300

  7,319

  1977

  355

  7,849

  1978

  288

  8,080

  1979

  293

  7,628

  1980

  229

  7,035

  1981

  223

  7,557

  1982

  216

  7,923

  1983

  173

  7,540

  1984

  189

  8,561

  1985

  177

  8,460

  1986

  236

  9,206

  1987

  214

  9,722

  1988

  178

  10,789

  1989

  181

  11,430

  Total

  5,421

  171,998

  Security Forces
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the RUC and RUC reserve are currently estimated to be Catholics; how many people were recruited to the RUC and RUCR in 1989; and what proportion of those recruits were Catholics.

  Mr. Cope
  [ holding answer 4 July 1990]: I am advised by the Chief Constable that at 1 January 1990, 855 members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its reserves were perceived to be Roman Catholic. The religion of a further 388 officers could not be determined.

  In 1989, 556 officers were recruited to the RUC and its reserves. Seven per cent. of these were perceived to be Roman Catholic and a further 5.4 per cent. could not be determined.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants in his Department of the rank of principal or equivalent and above are graduates of Oxford and Cambridge; and how many are graduates of other universities.
  736
  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 12 July 1990]: Within the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments 991 civil servants of the rank of principal or equivalent and above are graduates.

  Information as to which university each individual attended is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of(a) the future work programme of the equal opportunities unit of the Northern Ireland civil service, in relation to the representation of (i) females and (ii) Catholics in the higher grades of the Northern Ireland civil service and (b) the timetable for the introduction and implementation of this programme of action.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: The future work programme of the equal opportunities unit of the Northern Ireland civil service is multi-faceted. It ranges from the essential maintenance and development of its computer monitoring system, through analysis of recruitment and promotion competitions to researching ways and means of dealing with specific issues such as the adverse impact of recruitment selection procedures and the low level of representation of females and of Roman Catholics in the higher grades of the service.

  As I indicated in my reply to a previous question on 18 April, Vol. 170, col. 879, the level of representation of females and Roman Catholics in the higher grades is being treated as a priority issue at senior level within the service. Consideration of this matter, assisted by discussions with the Fair Employment Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission, has produced a number of ideas which require further work to assess whether they should be included in the equal opportunities work programme. I am thus unable now to give details either in terms of content or time scale. An account of this work, as it develops, will continue to be given in the regular reports of the equal opportunities unit.

  In the meantime, the encouraging trend of increased Roman Catholic representation in the higher grades, to which I referred in my earlier response, continues. The proportion of Roman Catholics at assistant secretary level and above in the general service is now 15.1 per cent. (21 out of 139) compared with 12.3 per cent. in January 1989 and 5.9 per cent. in January 1985.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  UN Conservation Convention
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom is expected to ratify the United Nations convention on conservation.

  Mr. Sainsbury:
  I shall write to the honourable Member.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Income Tax
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the amount of income tax the Exchequer would forgo in 1990–91 if the threshold
  737
  for the starting point for the higher rate of income tax were raised to (a) £30,000, (b) £40,000, (c) £50,000, (d) £60,000, (e) £70,000, (f) £80,000, (g) £90,000 and (h) £100,000.

  Mr. Ryder
  Estimates are as follows:

  Increases to the basic rate limit from £20,700

  New basic rate limit £

  Direct revenue cost1 £ billion

  30,000

  1.6

  40,000

  2.5

  50,000

  3.0

  60,000

  3.3

  70,000

  3.5

  80,000

  3.7

  90,000

  3.8

  100,000

  3.9

  1 for a full year at 1990–91 projected levels of income

  The estimates are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are therefore provisional, the estimates for basic rate limits above £70,000 being particularly tentative.

  VAT
  Mr. French
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Gloucester on 13 July,Official Report, column 353, what is the administrative cost of implementing the change whereby value added tax is applied to (a) gas and (b) electricity bills for supplies made to domestic premises for business purposes.

  Mr. Ryder
  I regret that no estimate is available. However, the arrangements to ease the administrative burden of taxing some supplies of fuel and power, which was required following the judgment of the European Court of Justice in June 1988, were formulated after extensive consultation with representatives of fuel and power suppliers.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures the Government intend to introduce to encourage an increase in the United Kingdom's manufacturing base.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Finance Bill contains proposals to increase the small profits limit for the small companies' corporation tax rate and to introduce a comprehensive system of VAT relief on bad debts.

  Government Data Network
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to his answer of 4 April,Official Report, column 608, he will make a statement on the outcome of the price variation negotiations with Racal Data Networks Ltd. for the Government data network.

  Mr. Ryder
  I confirm that these negotiations between the Treasury and Racal Data Networks Ltd. (RDNL) have now been completed.

  RDNL has the right under the Government data network contract to increase the tariff by 6.75 per cent. for the year beginning 1 April 1990. The company has agreed,
  738
  however, to limit the effective rate of increase over this period to 5.06 per cent. by applying this price adjustment from 1 July 1990 instead of 1 April 1990.

  As foreshadowed in my answer on 4 April 1990, column 608, the Treasury and RDNL have discussed possible revisions to the Government data network contract. It has not, however, been possible to identify revisions which would be acceptable to both parties. The existing contract provisions will therefore remain in force.

  As stated by my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General on 22 June 1988, columns 599–600, Departments will continue to be free to compare alternatives to the Government data network to ensure best value for money. Hence RDNL will retain a strong interest in maintaining the Government data network tariff at a competitive level.

ENVIRONMENT

  Landfill
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those landfill sites surveyed earlier in the current year by Government—sponsored research which were found to be(a) poorly managed and (b) contributory to water pollution problems.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The hon. Member may be referring to the UKAEA Harwell paper published earlier this year and based on a survey two years ago on behalf of my Department. The co-operation of the site owners was given on the understanding that statistical information only would be published and no sites identified.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. Chris Patten
  By 16 July 1990 my Department—including PSA—had received 491 subject access requests. No prior estimate of this number had been made and I have no plans to reconsider the level of the fee charged.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to meet local authority leaders to discuss his proposals for amending the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend will be meeting the leaders of the local authority associations at the consultative council on local government finance in September. They may wish to raise the matters dealt with in his statement of 19 July,Official Report, columns 1185–89, and discussed in the consultation document issued that day.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the risk of explosion in respect of the presence of acetone or alcohol solvents in radioactive waste subject to storage and disposal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Conditions imposed in certificates of authorisation issued by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 for the short-term accumulation and disposal of radioactive waste take full account of the assessment made in each case concerning the nature and activity of the waste in question.

  For example, in the case of flammable liquids contaminated with radioactivity, conditions imposed require the waste to be kept in closed containers in a locked store which is designed and constructed so that the waste is reasonably protected from fire and that the store contains nothing else which is explosive or flammable. All authorised premises are subject to inspection by HMIP to ensure that these conditions are being met.

  Cryptosporidium
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the report of the group of experts on cryptosporidium in water supplies is to be published.

  Mr. Trippier
  The report of the expert group chaired by Sir John Badenoch is being published today by HMSO. I have placed copies in the Library.

  Following an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Swindon and that part of Oxfordshire supplied by water from Farmoor reservoir, the group was appointed in March 1989 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health and asked to examine the implications for water supplies generally. It produced an interim report in July 1989 which formed the basis of guidance issued by Government Departments to the water industry.

  Cryptosporidium has long been recognised as a parasite of animals and birds, but it was not until 1976 that it was shown to be capable of producing illness in man. Infection with cryptosporidium may cause acute diarrhoea. In 1989 there were about 9,000 reported cases of cryptosporidiosis in Britain; an increase over previous years which can be attributed in part to recent changes in laboratory sampling policies. The report concluded that water supplies can act as a source of human infection although the illness also spreads in other ways. Nationally, waterborne cases of cryptosporidiosis represent only a very small fraction of all cases of diarrhoea.

  When operated optimally, the background levels of cryptosporidium oocysts in raw water sources, current water treatment processes appear able to prevent contamination of drinking water. However, they cannot be relied upon to remove all oocysts from heavily contaminated raw water.

  The group highlights the importance of trying to prevent heavy contamination of raw water and of developing alternative disinfection processes to kill oocysts. It does not advocate routine monitoring of treated water for the parasite until more is known about the occurrence of cryptosporidium in the water environment
  740
  and techniques for its isolation and identification are improved. The group recommends that each water undertaker should develop a strategy for monitoring in certain specific situations; and that water undertakers, health authorities and local authorities should collaborate to produce detailed contingency plans for identifying, and dealing with, any outbreak of cryptosporidiosis. The report identifies a number of subjects on which further research is required.

  My right hon. and right hon. and learned Friends are most grateful to Sir John Badenoch and the other members of the expert group for producing such a comprehensive and authoritative account of the present state of knowledge. The Government had accepted and endorsed their recommendations, and I have put in the Library a copy of our detailed response. Many of the recommendations involve action by other bodies, and copies of the report and the response are being sent to all water undertakers, health authorities and local authorities.

  The Government already have wide-ranging polices to reduce pollution of source waters from farming activities. These include advice to farmers, generous grant aid, and regulations currently being finalised. In addition, we intend to increase the maximum fine in magistrates and sheriff courts for polluting controlled waters from the present £2,000 to £20,000 at the next legislative opportunity.

  Some of the specific topics which the report identifies as needing further research have already been incorporated into a national research programme funded by this Department, the National Rivers Authority, the Foundation for Water Research and water undertakers, and supported by the Public Health Laboratory Service. This will now be extended to cover the remaining subjects.

  The Government will keep the position under review, and will consider the need for further action when the findings from the research programme become available.

  Sports Clubs (Rating)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the reply he gave on 19 March to the hon. Members for Basildon (Mr. Amess) and for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy),Official Report, column 483–84, if he has made a further assessment of the effect of the new business rate upon sports facilities now that the rating lists have come into force.

  Mr. Chope
  The 25,591 sports grounds, sports stadia, playing fields and clubhouses in the rating lists for England which came into force on 1 April have average rate bills under the new system, excluding the effect of the transitional arrangements, 3.05 per cent. higher than in 1989–90. This represents a fall of about 4.5 per cent. in real terms. Average rate bills for the 3,300 golf courses, swimming pools and tennis courts in the new lists have risen by 20.6 per cent. and those for leisure and sports centres, of which there are 2,105 in the lists, by 30.3 per cent, again without transition.

  These figures take no account of rate relief: local authorities have discretion to grant up to 100 per cent. rate relief on property occupied by non-profit making bodies.

  Litter
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the current timetable for competitive tendering for street cleaning services in the light of the proposed code of practice on litter under the Environmental Protection Bill.

  Mr. Portillo
  A number of authorities are now making preparations to let contracts for street cleaning from 1 January 1991. We have proposed, in the Environmental Protection Bill, that there should be a new litter duty on local authorities from 1 April 1991 and that, in fulfilling that duty, authorities should have regard to standards contained in a code of practice. While consultation on that code is well advanced, it is not yet in its definitive form, and I recognise that authorities cannot easily settle the basis for new street cleaning contracts until the standards are finalised. In the case of those authorities to which the deadline of 1 January 1991 currently applies, I intend, therefore, to substitute a later deadline of 1 August 1991. In the case of those authorities to which the deadline of 1 August 1991 currently applies, I intend to substitute a later deadline of 1 January 1992. In the case of those authorities to which the deadline of 1 January 1992 applies, I intend to make no change to the deadline. I shall bring forward regulations to give effect to these changes.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be making similar arrangements in respect of the competitive tendering deadlines applicable to Scottish and Welsh authorities.

  Non-hazardous Waste
  Mr. Rost
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his best estimate of the current average cost of landfilling non-hazardous municipal and industrial waste per tonne; and what is the estimated cost per tonne resulting from the implementation of the Environmental Protection Bill.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: The Department is currently reviewing the availability of waste disposal statistics, but there are no firm figures on costs currently available. We estimate that the current average cost of landfilling non-hazardous waste is about £7 per tonne and that disposal to the highest possible standards reflected in the terms of the Environmental Protection Bill is likely to be in the region of £10 to £13 per tonne or more.

  Environment Exhibition, Czechoslovakia
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will send an official to the Brno environmental exhibition in Czechoslovakia; and if he will make a statement on British participation.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: This Department has not received an invitation to the environmental exhibition "ENVIBRNO" in Brno, Czechoslovakia, on 23 to 25 October. On the information available to me, however, I think it unlikely that an official from this Department will attend. My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Industry has today answered an associated question on the involvement of his Department and British industry in the exhibition.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Community Charge Benefit
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which boroughs in London have made claims to his Department for the refund of community charge benefit; and in respect of how many people in each borough such a claim has been made.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  All local authorities are currently receiving monthly payments of subsidy from the Department based on their estimated 1990–91 expenditure on community charge benefit. It is largely a matter for local authorities to determine the basis for such estimates. At the end of the financial year each authority is required to make a final claim for subsidy based on the actual outturn expenditure on community charge benefit. Any difference in subsidy between the estimated claim and the final claim is adjusted accordingly.

  Information about numbers receiving benefit is collected independently from the subsidy information. Returns of the numbers receiving community charge benefit on 31 May have not yet been received from all London boroughs.

  Household Incomes
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will now publish the 1987 data on households below average income.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We expect to publish the 1987 data on households below average income shortly.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Incomes
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer of 13 July to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Sir D. Steel),Official Report, column 349, if he will give the money figures for per capita income in £ sterling and include the United Kingdom in the table.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The information is as follows:

  Average GNP per capita in low income countries (excluding India and China) and average GNP per capita for DAC member countries and United Kingdom 1979–1988

  Year

  Low income countries GNP per capita £ sterling

  DAC member countries GNP per capita £ sterling

  United Kingdom GNP per capita £ sterling

  1979

  125

  4,559

  3,455

  1980

  168

  4,597

  4,046

  1981

  183

  5,296

  4,462

  1982

  199

  6,080

  4,901

  1983

  208

  7,250

  5,345

  1984

  178

  8,644

  5,671

  1985

  242

  9,373

  6,186

  1986

  221

  10,074

  6,673

  1987

  161

  10,394

  7,282

  1988

  194

  10,617

  8,051

  Sources:

  OECD—DAC chairman's report, 1981–1989.

  World bank atlas 1989.

  Note 1: Low income countries as classified by OECD are those

  743
  countries which have GNP per capita of

  1979—less than $500 in 1979

  1980–82—less than $600 in 1980

  1983–86—less than $700 in 1983

  1987–88—less than $700 in 1987

  Note 2: Sterling-US dollar exchange rates used

  1979 0.4713

  1980 0.4299

  1981 0.4931

  1982 0.5713

  1983 0.6592

  1984 0.7483

  1985 0.7714

  1986 0.6820

  1987 0.6102

  1988 0.5614

  Eastern Europe (Information Technology)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to the reply of 24 May,Official Report, column 368, what progress has been made on establishing a computing/information technology mission (a) in Czechoslovakia and (b) in Hungary.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We hope that information technology missions will visit Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the autumn.

  European Development Fund
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the value of goods and services procured by the European development fund from United Kingdom companies for each £1 contributed by the United Kingdom Government.

  Mrs. Chalker
  As at 31 March 1990, United Kingdom companies had won contracts to the value of 133.15 million ecu under the current (sixth) European development fund. This represents 13.7 per cent. of total procurement—some 27 per cent. of which is won by recipient countries. The United Kingdom contributes 16.58 per cent. of EDF VI.

  Know-how Fund
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries of eastern Europe and the amount that each is due to receive in each of the next five years from the know-how fund.

  Mrs. Chalker
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: It is not possible to list the amounts that each eastern European country will receive over the next five years. These will depend on the total resources available for eastern Europe which have to be agreed in the context of the public expenditure survey, plans for spending those resources, which will depend on developments in the countries concerned, and the pattern of actual disbursements. Support under the know-how fund is at present available to Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and East Germany.

TRANSPORT

  Leicester-Burton Rail Link
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received any proposals for re-opening of the Leicester to Burton railway link; and if he will make a statement.
  744
  Mr. Freeman
  Leicestershire county council has made an application for grant aid and credit approval in respect of the proposed reopening to passengers of this railway line. We are considering this application, but no decisions on resources for the project can be taken until the autumn.

  Railway Tankers
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss alternative sites for the parking of railway oil tankers at Port Talbot.

  Mr. Freeman
  Safety issues are discussed, if appropriate, at our regular meetings. I understand that loaded fuel trains are stopped briefly at Port Talbot while a new crew takes over and the train is checked. Certain empty trains returning to the refinery wait during the night at Port Talbot for periods up to four hours.

  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ask the railways inspectorate to examine British Rail's compliance with its statutory duties so far as safety is concerned in respect of the parking of rail-borne tankers at stations.

  Mr. Freeman
  The railway inspectorate is examining the practice of holding fuel tanker trains at stations to ensure that all reasonably practical safety measures are being taken. I am writing to the right hon. and learned Member with further details.

  Public Transport, London
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many passenger journeys were travelled by underground within London in 1989; what was the figure in the previous three years; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many passenger journeys were travelled by bus within London in 1989; what were the figures for the previous three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The available information is given in the table:

  Passenger journeys on London Regional Transport services

  Underground millions

  Bus millions

  1986–87

  769

  1,158

  1987–88

  798

  1,249

  1988–89

  815

  1,244

  1989–90

  765

  1,221

  The number of passenger journeys during 1989–90 was, of course, affected by industrial action during the summer of last year.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to attract commuters to the London underground and London bus systems.

  Mr. Freeman
  A total of 83 per cent. of commuters into central London already use public transport. I trust that the major investment programme being undertaken by London Transport, coupled with the quality of service objectives which the Government have set it will encourage more commuters to use its services.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoners
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what age a boy or girl may be committed to prison in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  Although a sentence of imprisonment cannot be passed on anyone under the age of 21, other custodial sentences are available. The minimum ages for custodial sentences for boys and girls are as follows. The sentence of detention in a young offender institution is available for boys from the age of 14 and girls from the age of 15 convicted of imprisonable offences. Detention under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 is available from the age of 10 for young people of either sex convicted of murder or manslaughter; and from the age of 14 for those convicted of other offences for which an adult may be imprisoned for 14 years or more.

  Boys aged 15 or 16 charged with criminal offences and refused bail may be remanded in prison department custody if a court certifies them as being too unruly to be safely committed to local authority care. The adult remand arrangements apply to young people of either sex from the age of 17.

  World Cup (Deportations)
  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what authority the 247 British citizens deported from Italy during the World Cup tournament were photographed upon arrival at Gatwick airport; what was the purpose of this photographing; what use is to be made of these photographs; and what action is open to these people to ensure that such photographs are destroyed and no records retained.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  People who were returned from Italy on 26 June following incidents of violence in Rimini were photographed on their arrival at Gatwick airport by the national football intelligence unit (NFIU), which is responsible for obtaining, collating and analysing information about individuals who are suspected of being involved in acts of football hooliganism.

  Personal information held by NFIU on computer is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Immigration Officers
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the pay scales of immigration officers are designed to reward proficiency in more than one language;

  (2) if immigration officers at ports of entry to the United Kingdom are required to speak foreign languages.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The possession of foreign language skills is not a pre-requisite of employment as an immigration officer, but it is the policy of the Department to attract new recruits who have language skills and to encourage the use of those skills in existing staff. Immigration officers who are successful in departmental language examinations are paid an allowance for each language in which they reach the required standard up to a financial limit which is reviewed regularly. Individual language allowances are higher for the more difficult languages.

  Public Order Act 1986
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the results of his evaluation of the operation of section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 with particular reference to the interpretation of police forces of the circumstances under which the relevant powers should be exercised.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We are considering the representations which we received in response to the announcement of the evaluation of section 39 and hope to reach conclusions by the end of the year.

  Police National Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the numbers of subject access requests made to police forces; whether he will introduce regulations to make it an offence for any person to require a data subject to seek subject access to personal data held by the police; whether he will introduce legislation to determine when police records may be used for vetting purposes; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that from July 1989 to June 1990 the subject access office of the national identification bureau received 10,818 requests for subject access under the Data Protection Act 1984. Of these 1,371 requests were made initially to the Metropolitan police and 9,447 to other forces. We are currently discussing with representatives of the police service and the Data Protection Registrar how to deal with enforced subject access. The Home Department is planning to mount a scrutiny in the autumn to examine the most appropriate arrangements for the maintenance of, and disclosure from, the national collection of criminal records.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision is to be taken on the application to the post in Islamabad by Shamim Ayaz, born on 31 July 1965, Home Office reference: H.162359, to join his family in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I shall write to the hon. Member about this case shortly.

  Juvenile Detainees
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the regulations concerning the imprisonment on remand in adult prisons of juvenile detainees.

  Mr. Mellor
  The provisions which govern the detention in prison custody of unconvicted and convicted unsentenced juveniles are sections 23 and 34 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, section 69 of the Children Act 1975, section 37 of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980, the Certificates of Unruly Character (Conditions) Order 1977 (Statutory Instrument 1977/1037) and the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (Transitional Modifications of Part I) Orders 1979 and
  747
  1981 (Statutory Instruments 1979/125 and 1981/81). By virtue of section 37 of the 1980 Act, when a magistrates court commits in custody to the Crown court for sentence a young offender aged 15 or 16, the committal may be only to a remand centre or prison. By virtue of the other provisions quoted, the only other unsentenced young persons who may be committed in custody to a remand centre or prison are boys aged 15 or 16 whom a criminal court has certified to be of so unruly a character that they cannot safely be committed to the care of a local authority.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles are held on remand at each adult prison in the United Kingdom at the latest available date.

  Mr. Mellor
  The available information is given in the table:

  Untried and convicted unsentenced males1 aged under 17 held in adult prisons2 in England and Wales on 30 April 1990: by establishment

  Establishment

  Number

  Bristol

  3

  Hull

  12

  Leeds

  1

  Manchester

  2

  Pentonville

  2

  Shrewsbury

  1

  Winchester

  1

  All adult prisons

  22

  1 No unsentenced juvenile girls were held on 30 April 1990.

  2 A further 62 were held in remand centres taking only prisoners aged under 21.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youngsters aged 16 years or under have committed suicide while in custody in each of the last 20 years; at which institutions; and what was the age of each.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: In the last 20 years six inmates aged 16 or under have died at their own hand while in prison custody. The details are as follows:

  Year

  Establishment

  Age

  Verdict recorded at Coroner's inquest

  1971

  Cardiff

  15

  Suicide

  1976

  Pucklechurch

  15

  Suicide

  1978

  Hindley

  16

  Suicide

  1981

  Rochester

  16

  Suicide

  1983

  Manchester

  16

  Suicide

  1990

  Swansea

  15

  Not yet held

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders aged under 17 years are in Her Majesty's prisons at present.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: According to the records held centrally, on 30 April 1990, the latest date for which information is readily available, 65 untried, 19 convicted unsentenced and 21 sentenced juveniles were held in prisons and remand centres in England and Wales. Of these 44 untried and 18 convicted unsentenced juveniles were held in remand centres for young offenders.

  Football League Grounds (Policing)
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the correspondence between the hon. Member for Stalybridge 748
  and Hyde and his Department's Under-Secretary for State on the subject of increases in charges made for policing at Football League grounds in England and Wales.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A reply to the hon. Member's letter to me of 12 July about this matter will be sent to him as soon as possible. A copy will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he is issuing to police authorities on the assessment of charges for the policing of football matches following recent increases in the levels of such charges.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  These charges are a matter for police authorities. Lord Justice Taylor's report recommended that their charges should be more realistic. We are therefore consulting the football authorities, the local authority associations and police representative bodies on the terms of the Home Office circular advising police authorities to recover as far as practicable the full cost of providing police officers inside football grounds.

  Philip Andrew Knight
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the death of Philip Andrew Knight in Swansea prison.

  Mr. Mellor
  The circumstances surrounding the death of Philip Knight will, as in all cases of death in prison custody, be thoroughly investigated at a coroner's inquest. It would not be right for me to comment on the details of the case until the inquest has taken place.

  Prisoners (Observation)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the regulations pertaining in(a) adult prisons and (b) juvenile penal establishments concerning the observation of prisoners considered to be at risk of committing suicide.

  Mr. Mellor
  Once an inmate has been identified as potentially suicidal it is for the prison medical officer to decide what form of special supervision is needed, depending on the seriousness of the risk. Broadly speaking, continuous supervision is considered appropriate where the medical officer believes there is an immediate risk of the inmate harming him or herself. Where continuous supervision is impracticable, or where the medical officer considers the inmate to present some suicide risk but not so immediately as to require continuous supervision, the inmate should normally be placed under intermittent supervision. Where this is ordered, the inmate will normally be observed by a member of staff at approximately 15-minute intervals. Where, exceptionally, this is not possible, the governor or medical officer may order the frequency of observation to be reduced, but not below once every 30 minutes.

  Detailed guidance on special supervision procedures, and on all other aspects of suicide prevention (for example, the location of suicidal inmates and sources of help and support), is set out in circular instruction 20/1989, a copy of which is in the Library. The guidance applies to all prison service establishments.

  Autopsies
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many autopsies were carried out in England and Wales for the latest year for which information is available.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of post mortems ordered by coroners is published in table 1 of the Home Office statistical bulletin issue 14/90 "Statistics of Deaths reported to Coroners: England and Wales 1989", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Pollution Prosecutions
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for pollution have been undertaken against the owners of(a) lorries, (b) buses, (c) motor cycles and (d) other motor vehicles in respect of air pollution and noise, respectively, in the past 12 month for which figures are available; and what are the comparable figures for the previous 12-month period.

  Mr. John Patten
  The available information about offences relating to motor vehicles is published annually in Home Office statistical publications. These statistics do not identify the type of vehicle involved. Summary information is set out in the bulletin entitled "Offences relating to Motor Vehicles, England and Wales"; the most recent number 34/89, included data for 1988. Detailed information is given in the publication "Offences relating to Motor Vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables". Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

  Details of noise offences, offence group 22, are included in the supplementary tables publications. Emission of smoke offences are not separately identified.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  City Technology Colleges, Wandsworth
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he or his colleagues last met the chairman of ADT Ltd. regarding the opening of city technology colleges in Wandsworth.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend last met Mr. Michael Ashcroft, the chairman of ADT plc, on 9 January 1990 to discuss the proposal to establish a city technology college at Wandsworth. They also met informally at a dinner given by the CTC Trust on 31 January.

  Baccalaureate
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the introduction of a baccalaureate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 8 May 1990,Official Report, col. 10.

  Teachers' Pay
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his talks about proposed negotiating machinery for teachers' pay and conditions.
  750
  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend is now considering the responses of the teacher unions and employers to his proposals for new permanent pay negotiation machinery. He will announce his conclusions in due course.

  Child Abuse
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has completed his review of the arrangements made by local education authorities to give effect to the recommendations in his Department's circular No. 4/88 for the protection of children from abuse.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  This review has recently been completed, and the Department is writing today to local education authorities to convey my right hon. Friend's thanks for their co-operation with it and to give them some feedback. We are encouraged both by the positive manner in which authorities have responded to our advice and by the confirmation that the measures we recommended are proving generally helpful and workable.

  School Closures
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools in England of fewer than 50 pupils closed in(a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985 and (d) 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  [holding answer 16 July 1990]: The information for the years, 1985, 1980 and 1975 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  In England, 36 maintained schools with fewer than 50 pupils were closed in 1989.

  The criteria against which my right hon. Friend considers proposals to reorganise schools are set out in the Department's circular 3/87, which makes it clear that assessing the viability of an individual school is not solely a matter of the number of pupils on roll. A copy of the circular is available in the Library.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Bank Accounts
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 13 June to the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns),Official Report, column 212, what further progress is being made on the implementation of the European Commission bank accounts directive.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department has today issued a consultative document inviting comments on draft regulations to implement the EC bank accounts directive. Copies will be placed in the Library. Views are invited on the draft regulations attached to the consultative document by 19 October.

  Rover Group
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has yet received the formal Community decision on the Rover Group.

  Mr. Lilley
  I received the formal Community decision on 19 July, and have placed copies in the Library.
  751
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the reasons there was an exceptional tax allowance pool prior to the sale of Rover in August 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: I presume the hon. Member has in mind the reference in the National Audit Office report (appendix 2, paragraph 2.1.2) to
  "the exceptional size of the capital allowance pools"
  As that paragraph went on to explain, this was
  "resulting from previous disclaimers of allowances".

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest information available to the Government about the current value to British Aerospace of the lifting of the ring fences on Rover's capital losses and allowances in July 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 17 July 1990]: This must be a matter for British Aerospace, but the report by Touche Ross for the National Audit Office in September 1989 put the commercial net present value of the trading losses and capital allowance pools at £33 million to £40 million and assigned a "negligible or nil value" to the capital losses.

  Auditing Practices Committee
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby on 3 April,Official Report, column 507, he can now indicate the Auditing Practices Committee's policy on release of information.

  Mr. Redwood
  I understand that the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies is now undertaking a comprehensive review of the methods of operation of its Auditing Practices Committee.

  Companies Act
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will seek to amend the Companies Act to provide a statutory definition of(a) revenue, (b) an expense and (c) liability.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. These terms are in general use and well understood. If definitions are required in particular contexts, that is best dealt with in accounting standards or other professional guidance.

  Tear Gas
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licences have been granted in the last 10 years for the export of tear gas to(a) Yugoslavia and (b) Tunisia.

  Mr. Redwood
  Such information is not readily available, and could be produced only at extremely disproportionate cost, as export licensing does not maintain records of export licence applications by specific products.

  Germany
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what new initiatives he has taken to improve trade relations with Germany.
  752
  Mr. Lilley
  I intend to maintain close contacts with my German counterparts on all aspects of bilateral and EC business involving my Department.

  Dunsdale Securities
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department is intending to pay compensation to those investors who dealt with Dunsdale Securities when it was under Department of Trade and Industry licence.

  Mr. Redwood
  I see no grounds for considering compensation payments to investors who placed money with Dunsdale Securities Ltd.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) of 26 June,Official Report, column 129, (1) whether the auditors' certificates issued by his Department to Dunsdale Securities were qualified in any way;

  (2) whether the auditors of Dunsdale Securities appointed by his Department were fully recognised by an appropriate accountancy body.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 12 July 1990]: The Department does not issue audit certificates to companies or appoint their auditors, nor did it do so under the regulatory system put in place by the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 which was repealed in April 1988 upon entry into force of the Financial Services Act 1986. The auditors' reports and verifications provided to the Department in relation to applications and annual monitoring returns for Dunsdale Securities were in accordance with the requirements of the Dealers in Securities (Licensing) Regulations 1983 made under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958: they were not subject to any qualifications. Dunsdale Securities Ltd. employed auditors who, when they signed the reports and verifications, were members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, were qualified in accordance with the law and held a practising certificate issued by the institute. One of the auditors was subsequently excluded from membership of the institute.

  Textiles and Clothing
  Mr. Lee
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest index of output figures for the textile and clothing industries; and what the figures were one year ago.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information is as follows:

  Index of Production (1985=100)

  Textiles (SIC 43)

  Clothing (SIC 453)

  May 1989

  98

  97

  May 1990

  92

  98

  Percentage change

  -5.8

  +0.2

  March-May 1989

  99.8

  97.1

  March-May 1990

  92.7

  100.6

  Percentage change

  -7.1

  +3.6

  Source: Central Statistical Office (CSO).

  Notes:

  1. Textiles and clothing have been classified according to the UK Standard Industrial Classification (SIC).
  753
  2. The Index of Production (IOP) figures are seasonally adjusted, and represent movements in output in constant price terms. The series for textiles has also been adjusted to account for stock movements.

  3. Although the latest IOP figures are those for May 1990, comparisons have also been made for the latest three month period. The extra data are included, on the advice of the CSO, as a more reliable guide to underlying performance than comparisons between single months. Monthly data tend to be volatile.

  4. Percentage changes have been calculated on unrounded data.

  Raw Materials Imports
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide the latest available statistics for the import content of raw materials consumption.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Based on information published in the latest available input-output tables for 1984, the proportion of all purchases by the energy and manufacturing industries accounted for by imports was approximately 26 per cent. Purchases include both raw materials and semi-manufactures, which cannot be separately distinguished. I will write to my hon. Friend in more detail.

  Environmental Control Equipment
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what involvement his Department has had in encouraging British firms to sell environmental control equipment to the countries of eastern Europe at the forthcoming Brno exhibition in Czechoslovakia; with what results; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: When my Department's programme of assistance of overseas trade for 1990–91 was drawn up last year, consideration was given to the inclusion of a British group at the exhibition to which the hon. Member refers (ENVIBRNO). However, demand for support at other trade fairs worldwide was so great that it was not possible to include ENVIBRNO in the programme. There was, of course, nothing to prevent United Kingdom firms from attending ENVIBRNO if they wished to do so.

  The Department is providing support for some 60 British companies at the annual Brno general engineering fair in September, where it is expected that some will be exhibiting environmental control equipment.

  Manufactures
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what is his estimate of the United Kingdom content of television sets produced in the United Kingdom in 1973, 1975, 1985 and the latest year for which an estimate is feasible;

  (2) what is his estimate of the United Kingdom content of cars and commercial vehicles produced in the United Kingdom in 1973, 1979, 1985 and the latest year for which an estimate is feasible.

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

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the annual exports from the United Kingdom of chlorofluorocarbons for each year from 1979 754
  to 1989; what is the figure for 1990 to the most recent practicable date; and what estimate he has made of the quantities which will be exported in 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: This information is not available.

  British Airways
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his reply of 16 July,Official Report, column 384, under what legal provision EEC inspectors entered the office of Lord King, chairman of British Airways, and inspected the chairman's personal banking papers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: Commission officials visited British Airways on 23–24 February, by prior arrangement with the company. The Commission was investigating an agreement between BA, KLM and Sabena which had been notified by the airlines under the Community's competition rules. The relevant powers are set out in article 11 of Council regulation (EEC) 3975/87, which lays down competition procedures for air transport.

  Machine Tool Industry
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the most recently available output figures for the United Kingdom machine tool industry in money and real physical output terms, and the equivalent figures in Germany, France and Italy, for the latest available statistical periods.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 18 July 1990]: Information on numbers or weight of machine tools produced is not readily available. The most recent data on output of machine tools in money terms may be found in the latest issue of "Engineering Sales and Orders", a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. The table shows the most recent international comparisons from industry sources:

  Machine tool production in 1989 (£ million)

  United Kingdom

  969

  France

  590

  West Germany

  4,840

  Italy

  1,835

  Source: Machine Tool Technologies Association.

  Note: These figures are industry estimates excluding parts and accessories.

PRIME MINISTER

  European Policy
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to convene meetings to assess the characteristics of any or each of the European Community countries for the development of European policy.

  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 1990, at column 859.

EMPLOYMENT

  Child Care
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions have been issued to the Training Agency with regard to the treatment of child care costs for single parent employment training trainees.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Training and enterprise councils (TECs) and Training Agency area offices must ensure that provision is made for the costs of caring for children of lone parents who have one or more children under the age of 16 and who are participants in assessment or training on ET. TECs may also make provision for child care out of their local initiative funds. Funding arrangements for child care are for negotiation between individual training agents, training managers and the TEC or area office concerned.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the cost of child care for single parent employment training trainees is to be covered under the new contract; and whether the Training Agency is including child care costs as part of the single unit per training place.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Contracts with training agents and training managers require them to ensure that child care provision is made for lone parents who have one or more children under the age of 16 and who are participating in assessment or are trainees on ET. Arrangements for funding child care are for negotiation between individual training agents and training managers and the training and enterprise council or Training Agency area office concerned. Provision for child care may be included within composite unit costs or funded separately.

  Illiteracy and Innumeracy
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the effects of illiteracy and innumeracy upon future prospects for British employers.

  Mr. Eggar
  Available evidence indicates that as many as 6 million people in the adult population may have experienced some difficulty with literacy or numeracy either in the workplace or outside. Lack of basic word and number skills is clearly a barrier to effective performance at work and, in turn, profitability. The problem is as much the concern of employers as of individuals.

  Tourism
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the Government's measures to encourage the tourism industry since 1979.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The then Secretary of State announced the conclusions of the Government's major review of their support to the tourism industry on 6 July and 28 November 1989. With the sharper focus of Government support, my right hon. and learned Friend is confident that the industry will continue to prosper.

  Minimum Wage
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the statements of the Minister of State of 29 November 1989,Official Report, column 761,
  756
  concerning the Government's estimates of the cost of establishing a minimum wage, if he will state when the research referred to was conducted and completed.

  Mr. Eggar
  Work estimating the effect of a national minimum wage in the context of the social charter started in early October 1989. The estimate of the costs of imposing the national minimum wage, referred to on 29 November, became available in mid-November. Subsequently, a note on method was written, and the work continued to be under review until the end of January.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 9 July,Official Report, column 98, to the hon. Member for Stretford, on the effects on pay differentials from the introduction of a minimum wage, what would be the total effects if it is assumed that differentials are restored by one half only (a) where, according to the new earnings survey and other departmental sources, more than 50 per cent. of workers in a particular industry earn between half and two thirds of national average earnings, (b) where more than half the workers in an industry are paid below the minimum wage, (c) for those earning up to two thirds average earnings and (d) in the (i) retailing, (ii) distributive trades, (iii) miscellaneous services and (iv) national and local government industries.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Such estimates could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stretford, 2 February,Official Report, column 375, on minimum wage effects, what is the estimated direct cost of raising all those to the minimum wage assumed in the note, broken down as follows: (a) industrial category, (b) region, (c) public sector and (d) private sector and the costs in each case.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 9 July,Official Report, column 98, to the hon. Member for Stretford, regarding the assumptions contained in the Treasury model on the demand effects of the introduction of a minimum wage (a) how many jobs will be gained as a direct result of the higher wages paid according to the simulations done for the Treasury paper, "The Relationship Between Employment and Wages" and (b) what are the estimated demand effects according to the latest version of the Treasury model.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The simulations reviewed in the Treasury paper, "The Relationship Between Employment and Wages" produced an estimate of the impact of changes in real wages on employment. This is an estimate of the net change taking into account both the effects on consumer demand of changes in real wages, as well as the offsetting effects on company sector demand which arise from corresponding changes in their costs. It is, therefore, not possible to make a separate estimate of how many jobs will be gained as a direct result of the higher wages paid.

  It has not, since 1978, been the practice to run particular simulations on the Treasury model to meet specific outside requests, but the hon. Member will be aware that the current version of the model is available in the Library for Members' use.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria are used in deciding whether accident prevention advisory unit reports are made public by(a) the Health and Safety Executive or (b) the employer involved.

  Mr. Nicholls
  It is not the Health and Safety Executive's policy to publish the reports of its accident prevention advisory unit which rely on information provided in confidence by employers. Publication by employers is a matter for them.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Health and Safety Executive intends to make public the full findings of the accident prevention advisory unit report into health and safety issues arising from construction of the channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive does not intend to publish the report but has sent a copy to the Select Committee on Employment, at its request. Chapter 16, which contains the report's conclusions, has already been published by the contractors, who, with assistance from HSE, are bringing the report to the attention of their work force.

  Training
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the arrangements for approving training providers under new youth training and employment training.

  Mr. Howard
  In April 1986, three years after its introduction, the youth training scheme was extended into a two-year programme. At the same time all YTS training providers were required to achieve approved training organisation status. The purpose of the approval process was to ensure that all providers developed and maintained training of the highest possible quality. By October 1988 all providers delivering YTS met the required standards. These arrangements have been carried forward into new youth training which I launched on 28 June.

  Drawing on the YTS experience a similar stringent approval process was introduced into employment training from its outset in September 1988. In April 1990 the approvals process was streamlined so that seven common criteria now apply to both employment training and new youth training. These are:

  Stage1:

  1. Recruitment, selection and competence of staff;

  2. Equal opportunities;

  3. Health, safety and suitability of premises and equipment;

  4. Financial viability.

  Stage 2:

  5. Identification of training needs;

  6. Training designed and delivered to national standards;

  7. Effective quality management.

  Good progress has been made in extending approval to employment training providers. At 13 June 90 per cent. had achieved stage 1 approval. The stage 2 approval process is still under way and I expect it to be completed not later than April 1991.

  During this period, training and enterprise councils will progressively take over the responsibility for contracting with training providers and for completing the approval
  758
  process. They will be required to ensure that providers achieve and maintain the standards necessary for approval under each of the seven criteria or to set and enforce equally or more exacting quality standards to be agreed with my Department.

WALES

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what secure units, and how many places, are available for young offenders in(a) the Swansea area, (b) south Wales and (c) Wales as a whole.

  Mr. Grist
  The following secure units, and places, are available in Wales:

  (a) the Swansea area:
  Llwyncelyn in West Glamorgan has two secure places.

  (b) South Wales and (c) Wales as a whole:
  Ty Mawr in Gwent has two secure places and Silverbrook in Mid Glamorgan has three secure places.

  Pollution Inspectorate
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what responsibility he has for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's operations and activities in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend has joint responsibility with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment for the operations and activities of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in Wales.

  Pollution, Port Talbot
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will consult Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution as regards pollution created by BP Chemicals at Baglen bay, Port Talbot;

  (2) if he will take appropriate action to deal with pollution created by BP Chemicals at Baglen bay, Port Talbot.

  Mr. Grist
  I am advised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution (HMIP) that the pollution referred to in these questions is primarily that associated with the flaring of light hydrocarbon material during periods of major plant commissioning or plant upset. The impact of such flaring is a high luminosity flame, and noise associated with the use of steam injection to ensure complete combustion of flared material. HMIP received complaints during the commissioning period of the BP petrochemical complex from 27 May to 10 June. It had 95 representations via BP Chemicals' complaint procedure system, and a similar number via Port Talbot borough council environmental health department. Six complaints were received directly by HMIP. We understand that most complaints were received by BP and the local authority over the critical period from 1 June to 5 June when instability in the refrigeration system resulted in flaring.

  HMIP tells me that the commissioning of any major petrochemical works will inevitably result in some degree of flaring as the flare system is vital for major equipment protection and safety of personnel. HMIP assures me, however, that it is being kept fully informed of the

  759
  situation at BP Chemicals by communications with the company and is currently assessing the results of internal investigations into the flaring incidents and will be taking any action deemed necessary.

  Corlan Housing Association
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements have been made to continue the outstanding commitments on Corlan housing association's grant-aided development programme.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Under the terms of the rescue package for Corlan housing association drawn up by Housing for Wales, the outstanding commitments on Corlan's grant-aided development programme will be taken over by Housing for Wales and then placed with other housing associations.

  As an interim arrangement instead of paying housing association grant, Housing for Wales will need to make payments direct to contractors. Parliamentary approval of this expenditure will be sought in a winter supplementary estimate for class XVI, vote 6. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at a total cost of £6.4 million is being met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

ENERGY

  Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place in the Library copies of all notifications provided by his Department to the European Commission relating to the level and extent of the non-fossil fuel obligation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Haynes) on Monday 26 March at column 5.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey,Official Report, 10 July, column 155, on the fossil fuel levy, if he will give details of the projected scope for efficiency savings within Nuclear Electric until 1998 as identified by his Department.

  Mr. Baldry
  No. This is a commercial matter for Nuclear Electric plc.

  Energy Paper Projections
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to update the projections in energy paper 55; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I expect to review energy paper 55 in 1991. This will include both the projections and Government programmes.

  Wind Power
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his most recent estimate of the maximum potential for wind power generation in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Government views on the potential for renewable energy sources were laid out in 760
  energy paper 55. A contribution of up to 30 TWh/y from land-based turbines was estimated by the year 2025 if R and D programmes were successful and the technology could be deployed commercially.

  PowerGen
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) with whom discussions have taken place about the sale by private treaty of PowerGen;

  (2) which companies are advising him on the possible sale of PowerGen by private treaty;

  (3) what steps are being taken to protect public financial interests under the private treaty method of sale for PowerGen.

  Mr. Wakeham
  In preparing the electricity industry for privatisation, I am bound to consider with my financial advisers all options for maximising proceeds consistent with the Government's objectives for the industry. All such discussions are confidential. It would not be right to rule out the possibility of a trade sale if a suitable purchaser emerged.

  Nuclear Fuel (Reprocessing)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is(a) the total quantity and (b) the total percentage of plutonium arising from the reprocessing of foreign spent fuel that has been returned to its country of origin, for each foreign country whose fuel has been accepted, for each year from 1965 to 1989, inclusive.

  Mr. Baldry
  I understand from British Nuclear Fuels plc that, between 1965 and 1989, some 3.5 tonnes of plutonium from the reprocessing of overseas spent fuel were returned to the country of origin or sent to a country specified by the owner of the plutonium. The bulk of this plutonium has been of Japanese or Italian origin with smaller amounts originating in Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, Spain or Switzerland. At the end of 1989, some 0.5 tonnes of extracted plutonium were held in stock at Sellafield awaiting return to overseas owners.

  National Grid Company
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the proposed capital reduction for the National Grid Company.

  Mr. Wakeham
  A court hearing is scheduled for Monday 30 July. This is an important part of the process for establishing the capital structure of the company in preparation for the move to the private sector as part of the sale of the 12 regional electricity companies later this year.

  Hinkley Point C
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the report of the Hinkley Point C inquiry before he announces his decision and before the House rises for the summer Adjournment.

  Mr. Wakeham
  [pursuant to his reply 2 July 1990, c. 431]: I am now in a position to inform the House that I shall not be able to announce my decision regarding Nuclear Electric's application before the House rises for the summer Adjournment. As I have previously indicated it is my intention to publish my decision and the inspector's report simultaneously in the late summer.
  761
  I shall be arranging for copies of both my decision letter and of the report to be placed in the Libraries of the House. Copies of my decision letter and the inspector's conclusions and recommendations will be available in the Vote Office.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Bovine Offals
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now ban the use of those offals specified in the bovine offals order in(a) pet food and (b) feed for pigs and poultry.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am considering the recommendation by the Select Committee on Agriculture of a statutory ban on the use of these materials in pet food. In doing so I will need to bear in mind whether there is any scientific evidence for such action.

  There is no evidence to support banning the use of these materials in pig and poultry feed.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy in respect of disposal of those cattle offals banned for use for human consumption which are not held in storage by the rendering industry.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 7 December 1989, (Official Report, column 374).

  Animal Feed
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now instigate an inquiry into the production of animal feed.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am considering the recommendation of the Select Committee on Agriculture that such an inquiry should be undertaken.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has of the prevalence of the practice of feeding chicken manure to(a) cattle, (b) pigs and (c) poultry; what is his policy in respect of this practice; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  As far as I am aware, chicken manure is not fed direct to animals and ensiled poultry litter is fed only to cattle. Free-range chickens may of course naturally eat their own and other chicken's droppings.

  Anyone ensiling such material is subject to the provisions of the Processed Animal Protein Order 1989 which requires registration with the Department and microbiological testing of the end product. Regular checks on the ensiling process are carried out by the state veterinary service.

  Cattle Offspring
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now introduce a comprehensive system for identifying and tracking the offspring of cattle.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 4 July,Official Report, column 590.

  Cattle Heads
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now ban the splitting of cattle heads in abattoirs.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 10 July 1990,Official Report, column 270.

  Fish Landings
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details for June 1989 and June 1990 of all(a) non-cod and (b) cod landings from sea area VIIA broken down by vessel length band for (i) east coast Scottish, (ii) west coast Scottish, (iii) English, (iv) Welsh and (v) Northern Irish, indicating within each category the number of vessels and tonnages landed.

  Mr. Gummer
  I regret that it would be too expensive to give a detailed response to the questions posed by my hon. Friend. I will, however, make a general statement about the alleged misreporting of cod in the Irish sea and off the west coast of Ireland.

  The non-sector's quota of cod in the Irish sea for 1990 is 1,858 tonnes. Approximately half this quota was apparently taken by Scottish vessels and landed into Scotland during June and early July. In addition, landings into Scotland of cod reported as taken from the west of Ireland (areas VIIb and VIIc) have shown a marked increase in the second half of June. The Irish sea cod fishery has had to be closed to the non-sector as its quota for the year has already been exhausted.

  The industry has stated its view that some Scottish vessels have been misreporting fish caught in the North sea or off the west coast of Scotland as coming from the Irish sea or off the west coast of Ireland, and has asked that catches should be reallocated from the latter to the former areas.

  Fisheries Departments accept that the circumstantial evidence points to misreporting having taken place. The Irish sea cod fishery is traditionally a spring and winter fishery and high catches in summer are unusual. The pattern of landings this year is very different from experience. Moreover, the rate of uptake by the non-sector has not been paralleled by the sector. However, departments cannot act to penalise a particular group of vessels or to compensate Irish sea fishermen affected on the basis of rumour or circumstantial evidence; they can act only following successful prosecution of offenders. Departments are examining all fishing documents and, if they can secure hard evidence of misreporting, they will prosecute.

  In the meantime, Departments are looking urgently at ways of limiting misreporting in future, and hope to be able to set up a system later this year. I know that the industry has in the past rejected tougher enforcement measures in view of their cost and inconvenience, but if it is serious about limiting misreporting, I hope that it will now accept the need for firm action.

  If a system to limit misreporting can be established quickly, Departments will try to obtain more quota from another member state with the aim of reopening the Irish sea cod fishery to the non-sector later this year. However, such a swap would depend on the successful identification of another United Kingdom stock to offer in exchange.

HEALTH

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of persons on hospital waiting lists per 1,000 persons within(a) Norwich district health authority, (b) East Anglian regional health authority and (c) all district health authorities in England.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested has been placed in the Library. The waiting list per thousand resident population may be misleading because a significant, though varying, proportion of patients on the waiting list are referred by general practitioners in other districts. The relevant population for comparison is therefore the "catchment" population which in many cases varies substantially from the resident population.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the number of people who have been treated for psychiatric or physical injuries following harassment for being HIV-positive.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all projects in the United Kingdom of which he is aware involved in researching the AIDS virus, together with their expenditure, noting specifically where the Government have financed or partly financed them.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The chief scientist of the Department of Health chairs interdepartmental meetings to discuss Government-funded AIDS/HIV research. Under the auspices of this committee, "HIV Infection and AIDS in the UK: Overview of Government Funded AIDS Research" has been compiled. A copy has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to contain the HIV-2 virus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are firmly committed to taking effective action to minimise the spread of HIV. All the possible health measures in place, including health education, are as relevant to HIV 2 as they are to HIV 1.

  All blood donations have been screened for HIV 1 and 2 as a combined test since 1 June 1990. However, HIV 2 is not considered to be a significant problem in the United Kingdom, nor for the rest of Europe, except Portugal where there appear to be roughly equal numbers of HIV 1 and HIV 2 positive donors. Many countries do not screen for HIV 2, including the United States of America.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are being used to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising the dangers of AIDS in the media.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  AIDS mass media public education campaigns are evaluated by continuing independent market research consisting of interviews with a sample of the population. This measures public awareness, comprehension and acceptability of campaign advertising. This research, which began in 1986, also includes surveys of respondents' claimed heterosexual behaviour, including condom use, and a survey 764
  undertaken in venues attended by homosexual men to gauge their response to advertising specifically directed towards them.

  Other indicators include:
  the number and nature of calls to the national AIDS helpline; and
  new attendances at genito-urinary medicine clinics.

  National Health Service Expenditure
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much per capita spending on the national health service is for the current financial year; and how much it was in 1979.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We currently spend more than £500 per head on the National Health Service each year, compared with £360 at today's prices in 1978–79.

  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the spending per resident by Dewsbury health authority was for each of the years 1979 to 1989, inclusive; and what was the comparable national average spending over the same period.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 13 June 1990]: Information for Dewsbury health authority and for all district health authorities in England for the years since 1 April 1982 are shown in the table.

  The figures relate expenditure on services within Dewsbury health authority boundaries to numbers of residents. They do not show expenditure on services for Dewsbury residents, since they do not take account of services provided by other districts for Dewsbury residents, or services provided by Dewsbury health authority for residents of other districts.

  Total revenue expenditure on hospital and community health services (HCHS) per resident

  Dewsbury health authority £ (cash)

  England average £ (cash)

  1982–83

  118

  166

  1983–84

  123

  175

  1984–85

  130

  185

  1985–86

  139

  194

  1986–87

  149

  208

  1987–88

  162

  227

  11988–89

  181

  252

  1 Latest available.

  Sources:

  (a) Annual accounts of the Dewsbury health authority and all other district health authorities in England for the financial years 1982–83 to 1988–89.

  (b) Mid year estimates of resident population—1982 to 1988 (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys).

  Notes to the table:

  1. Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) covers the total expenditure by district health authorities including that on hospital community health and where relevant patient transport (i.e. ambulance), blood transfusion and other services.

  2. District capital expenditure, all expenditure incurred by Regional health authorities on behalf of their regions as a whole and by special health authorities, etc. is excluded. Expenditure on family practitioner services, which is accounted for by family practitioner committees and cannot strictly be attributed to particular districts, is also excluded.

  3. Prior to 1 April 1982 to Dewsbury health authority's predecessor health district formed part of a larger area health authority and in those cases district based figures were not collected centrally.

  National Health Service (Contracts)
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the effect of separating purchasers and providers within the national health service in the new contracts system.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We expect the separation of purchasers and providers and the introduction of contracts to bring a new clarity to the management of the National Health Service. As purchasers, district health authorities will be able to concentrate on securing effective and efficient health care for their residents. Our initial concern for 1991–92 is to ensure that the new mechanisms are in place. As the new system develops, we expect contracts to be the means by which purchasing authorities and provider units together will be able to agree improvements in the quality and appropriateness of services offered.

  National Health Service (Surplus Land)
  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the amount which has now been raised within the national health service, for the sale of surplus land since 1979; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Sales of surplus National Health Service property from 1979–80 to 1989–90 inclusive have realised a total of approximately £1.1 billion. This money has been retained by health authorities for reinvestment in the service.

  District Health Authorities
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the new membership of the district health authorities will be announced.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Statutory responsibility for the appointment of non-executive members of district health authorities rests with the relevant regional health authority. We expect them to make announcements in due course.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions apply on the eligibility for reappointment of CHC members of eight years' standing.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The restrictions on the eligibility for reappointment of CHC members of eight years' standing are set out in the Community Health Councils Regulations 1985, regulation 7(2).

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who was consulted over the new membership for each of the positions of (1) chairperson of regions, (2) membership of regions, (3) chairperson of district health authority, (4) membership of district health authority and (5) membership of family health service authority in the new health authorities.
  766
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There is no statutory requirement to consult on these appointments. However, when my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State appoints the chairmen of regional and district health authorities and the non-executive members of regional health authorities he welcomes recommendations and comments from all quarters, as do regional health authorities when making the appointments to district health authorities and family health services authorities.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the new(a) membership and (b) chairpersons of the regional health authorities will be announced.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have today placed in the Library a list of the non-executive members of regional health authorities appointed by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State. The general manager and the director of finance will be ex-officio executive members of the regional health authority. Other executives are appointed by the chairman, the non-executives and the general manager.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State made an announcement on regional chairmen's appointments in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Stevens) on 24 May at column 337.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the new membership of the family health service authorities will be announced.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Appointments of members of family health services authorities is a matter for the appropriate regional health authority.

  Remand Homes
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of spaces available in each juvenile remand home and other secure accommodation together with the number of vacancies currently available.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Local authority social services departments provide a range of facilities and services, both residential and non-residential, which may be used by juveniles remanded to their care. This includes a national network of approved secure accommodation to which all local authorities have access.

  The number of places available in approved local authority secure units in England on 30 June 1990 was 294. Such accommodation is, however, available for children in care generally, some of whom will be alleged juvenile offenders. Details of the number of places provided in each secure unit are in the following table.

  Occupancy figures are collected annually. Provisional figures for the year ending 31 March 1989 indicate that there were 282 approved secure places on that date, of which 224 were occupied (an occupancy rate of 79.4 per cent.). This figure is similar to the year-end occupancy rates of previous years.

  Information relating to the provision of secure accommodation in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
  767

  Table: Places provided in local authority secure accommodation on 30 June 1990

  Region

  Name of Unit

  Local Authority

  Number of places

  Northern

  Aycliffe (Royston House)

  Durham

  *14M

  Aycliffe Special Unit

  Durham

  36M

  Netherton Park

  Northumberland

  5M

  Yorkshire and

  Kepples View

  Rotherham

  4M

  Humberside

  East Moor

  Leeds

  27B

  North Western

  Red Sands

  Cheshire

  6M

  Derwent House

  Liverpool

  4G

  Red Bank (Vardy House)

  Lancashire

  4B

  Red Bank Special Unit

  Lancashire

  26B

  Blackbrook House (Labore House)

  Liverpool SSVA

  5G

  Briars Hey (Orchard House)

  Lancashire

  8G

  Dyson Hall

  Liverpool

  8B

  Barton Moss (Park House)

  Salford

  7B

  West Midlands

  Stoke House

  Coventry

  8M

  St. Johns

  Birmingham

  4M

  East Midlands

  Moorfield

  Derby

  2M

  Kesteven

  Lincoln

  4M

  Amberdale

  Nottinghamshire

  8M

  Greenacres

  Derby

  5M

  Thames/Anglia

  Salters

  Cambridgeshire

  6G

  Woodside Young People's Centre

  Hertfordshire

  2M

  Thornbury House

  Oxfordshire

  3B

  Brookside

  Berkshire

  4M

  London

  Middlesex Lodge

  Hillingdon

  9G

  Little Heath Lodge

  Newham

  6B

  Orchard Lodge

  Southwark

  8B

  Frant Court

  Greenwich

  3G

  Stamford House

  Hammersmith

  16B

  Southern

  Landsdowne

  East Sussex

  5M

  Beechfield

  West Sussex

  6M

  Fairfield

  Hampshire

  3G

  Glen House

  Hampshire

  8B

  South Western

  Atkinson Unit

  Devon

  12M

  Kingswood

  Avon

  20B

  M = Mixed B = Boy G = Girl

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  High Court Judges
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the number and percentage of High Court judges, by rank, who are(a) ex-solicitors and (b) ex-barristers.

  The Attorney-General
  It is at present a statutory requirement that anyone appointed to the High Court bench must be a barrister of at least 10 years' standing (Supreme Court Act 1981, section 10(3)(c)). The Courts and Legal Services Bill, currently before Parliament, provides for a change in this requirement.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General what information he has on the number and percentage of High Court judges, by rank, who are(a) public school educated, (b) university educated and (c) Oxbridge educated.

  The Attorney-General
  There are 83 High Court judges, of whom 64 (77.1 per cent.) went to schools which are today listed in the "Independent Schools Yearbook," 80 (96.4 per cent.) went to university, and 70 (84.3 per cent.) went to either Oxford or Cambridge.
  768
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the number and percentage of High Court judges, by rank, who are(a) 70 years old and over and (b) 60 years old and over.

  The Attorney-General
  There are 83 High Court judges, of whom 23 (27.7 per cent.) are aged between 60 and 69, and 10 (12 per cent.) are aged between 70 and 75, giving a total of 33 (39.8 per cent.) who are aged 60 and over.

SCOTLAND

  Maternity Services
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has funded to assess the safety or the comparative costs of delivery in(a) district general hospitals, (b) general practitioner maternity units and (c) at home; and if he will give the conclusions of each project funded.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 11 July 1990]: The Scottish Home and Health Department provides core funding for the health economics research unit and the social paediatric and obstetric research unit, which are based in Aberdeen university and Glasgow university respectively.
  769
  In the late 1970s the health economics research unit published "An Analysis of the Costs and Functions of General Practitioner and Specialist Maternity Hospital Units" which showed that the cost per delivery and per occupied bed-day in general practitioner and consultant units was not dissimilar.

  Over the past 20 years the social paediatric and obstetric research unit's research programme has covered epidemiological studies of maternal and child care and the evaluation of the performance of aspects, including safety, of the Scottish maternity services. This recognises that in practice straightforward confinements can be handled at home but potentially more complex ones should be directed to specialist services at an early stage. The results of the studies have been widely publicised.

  The Department is funding separately a study based at Dundee university of antenatal care in a random sample of Scottish hospitals.

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the average number of days at sea per trip recorded in June by Scottish vessels landing into Peterhead and having declared fishing in area VII;

  (2) of the Scottish vessels landing into Peterhead in June having declared area VII catches, how many had radioed in; and what percentages were physically summoned for inspection;

  (3) how many of the Scottish vessels landing in Peterhead in June having declared area VII catches failed to radio in;

  (4) whether vessels crossing the 4 deg. line have to declare in which International Council for the Exploration of the Seas area their catch was caught.

  Mr. Lang
  I have been asked to reply.

  During June, 29 Scottish vessels landed fish into Peterhead which they recorded as having been caught in International Council for the Exploration of the Seas area VII. This involved 34 fishing trips, averaging eight days. None of the vessels radioed in on crossing the 4 deg. line and consequently none was summoned for inspection. There is no requirement for vessels which do radio in to report details of where catches were taken. This information is obtained from the log book.

  These cases are being fully investigated and any evidence of misreporting will be submitted to the procurator fiscal. Urgent consideration is also being given as to how to limit future misreporting.

  Local Authority Allowances
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to lay the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 before Parliament.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I am grateful to all those who submitted comments on the draft regulations circulated by my Department on 15 June 1990. Points have since arisen which will result in a number of changes to the regulations. These changes will not affect the main essentials of the Government's proposals, including the banding proposals which I announced in my letter of 15 May 1990 to the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. I have nevertheless decided to defer implementation of the 770
  new scheme of councillors' allowances in Scotland until 1 November 1990. This will provide local authorities with time to decide whether they wish to make any detailed amendments to their schemes in the light of the revised regulations which will be issued as soon as possible.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to introduce regulations to remove the need for charge payers to inform community charge registration officers of their new home address or a forwarding address whenever they move to a new charging authority area; and whether he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Under the terms of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 there is no general duty placed upon community charge payers to inform the community charges registration officer for the area in which they are registered for any of the community charges of their intended address, if they are proposing to move outwith that registration officer's area. There is, of course, a requirement for a charge payer to register at his new address. Under section 18A of the 1987 Act a registration officer may require information of a person whom he reasonably believes is, has been, or is about to be resident in the residential area but only if that information is such as the registration officer may reasonably require for the purposes of the exercise of his functions under the Act and is in the possession or control of the person. Charge payers can, of course, provide forwarding addresses to registration officers if they wish to have the notification that their register entry has been deleted sent to their new address.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will introduce regulations to prevent the disclosure of information by charging authorities, whenever the information disclosed relates to community charge debts and the recipients of information are not acting as agents of the authority with respect to debt recovery; and whether he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to introduce such regulations which he considers to be unnecessary.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of domestic rates payable for 1988–89 was collected by local authorities; and what percentage of personal poll tax payable for 1989–90 was collected by local authorities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 19 July 1990]: The information requested relating to the collection of domestic rates is not held centrally. On the general level of collection of community charges I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 July. Final collection figures will not be known until local authorities have completed their recovery procedures, which may not be for some time.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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
  771
  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. Rifkind
  Forty-six valid applications have been received under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984; 45 were received from Scottish Office staff and one was from a member of the general public. For forward planning there was a working assumption of 500 requests per annum. I do not propose to review the access fee. There have been no complaints or other evidence that the access fee accounts for the low level of public interest.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has for regulations concerning the disclosure of anonymous poll tax data; what advice he intends to give to community charges registration officers on how to ensure that the identity of individuals is guaranteed; and whether he will make a statement;

  (2) whether he will introduce legislation to prevent charging authorities from using community charge information for purposes that are not directly relevant to the management or collection of the community charge; and whether he will make a statement;

  (3) whether he will introduce legislation to prevent a community charge registration officer or charging authority from disclosing community charge information for purposes that are not directly relevant to the management or collection of the community charge; and whether he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him of 26 February 1990,Official Report, 26 February 1990, Vol. 168, column 76].

  Rural Libraries
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce a rural library incentive scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  In line with the undertaking already given to the hon. Member and others, I am considering whether a rural public library incentive scheme should be introduced in Scotland. The report, which called for a rural public library incentive scheme, also urged rural library authorities to take action to improve services within their communities and I hope that rural authorities will consider this carefully.

  A1
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland at which points the A1 in Scotland is expected to be reduced to one-way operation during the next six weeks; and whether these restrictions will apply during the Scottish and English bank holiday weekends.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  One-way operations on the A1 in Scotland in the next six weeks will take place at the following locations:Haddington Bypass—construction of a roundabout at the Aberlady (A6132) junction.
  Haddington eastwards to Beanston—two separate moving single lane.
  Beanston eastwards to East Linton—restrictions for laying a gas main.
  Musselburgh Bypass—short contraflow or lane closures for bridge works.

  Of these, the Haddington bypass restriction will be in force over the Scottish bank holiday weekend but will be
  772
  lifted for the English holiday. British Gas will still be working on both holidays but will remove one-way working over the Scottish holiday weekend and it is hoped that it will manage to do likewise for the English weekend.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what were the projected traffic flow figures for vehicles, by category, travelling on the A1 between Edinburgh and the border before the announcement of the upgrading programme south of Newcastle;

  (2) what are the projected traffic flow figures for vehicles, by category, travelling on the A1 between Edinburgh and the border following completion of the upgrading programme south of Newcastle.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 July 1990]: Traffic levels vary significantly on the A1 between Edinburgh and the border. At 1989 traffic levels, the average annual flow west of Haddington was 13,000 vehicles per day, reducing-to approximately 5,000 vehicles per day in Borders region. Heavy goods vehicles account for approximately 12 to 13 per cent. and 20 to 30 per cent. of the flows respectively. National forecasts predict an overall increase in road traffic of between 23 per cent. and 39 per cent. by the year 2000. However, the routes south of Edinburgh study concluded that improvements planned on other competing routes will affect the distribution of traffic and that traffic growth on the A1 through the Borders in Scotland will be less than might otherwise be expected.

  The study also considered the potential for a transfer of traffic to the route resulting from east coast road improvements. It is likely that the completion of a motorway link to Newcastle will result in an increase of fewer than 1,000 trips per day on the A1 in Scotland by the turn of the century.

  These assessments will be monitored by the A1 steering group whose formation I announced recently.

  Hazardous Waste Inspectorate
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the hazardous waste inspectorate will publish its fourth annual report for 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord-James Douglas-Hamilton
  The hazardous waste inspectorate's (HWI) terms of reference required it to publish reports periodically rather than annually. The last report, published in June 1988, covered the whole of the United Kingdom.

  In April 1987 the HWI in England and Wales became part of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution (HMIP) whose report does not cover Scotland. The Scottish Development Department is preparing a separate Scottish HWI report which it intends to publish before the end of 1990.

  Nitrogen Dioxide
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers he intends to use to protect the health of people in Scottish cities from the effects of nitrogen dioxide.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There is no evidence that the present levels of nitrogen dioxide pose a health hazard to people in Scottish cities.
  773
  Measurements of nitrogen dioxide made at some 50 different locations in Scotland gave no cause for concern. The relevant EC directive on air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide specifies the limits and the results from the directive monitoring site in Glasgow have been below these limits.

  Powers to reduce emissions of nitrogen dioxide from motor vehicles rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. His plans for the reduction of emissions are contained in the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 8 June, Official Report, Vol. 173, column 722.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is responsible for emissions from prescribed industrial plant and for implementing the EC large combustion plants directive which requires, inter alia, that emissions of nitrogen dioxide be reduced overall by 15 per cent. and 30 per cent. by 1993 and 1988 respectively, taking 1980 as the base year.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers he has to reduce the volume of urban traffic in Scottish cities; and whether he intends to take steps to reduce the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in city centres.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has no such powers. Responsibility for traffic management matters for local roads in Scotland rests with regional and islands councils as local roads authorities.

  Plans for the reduction of nitrogen dioxide emissions from motor vehicles are contained in the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 8 June 1990, Official Report, Volume 173, column 722.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers he has to reduce emissions of nitrogen dioxide from industry where these contribute to a level in air which exceeds the limit laid down by the EC directive on nitrogen dioxide.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Under the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate is responsible for ensuring that the best practicable means are taken by operators of prescribed classes of industrial premises to prevent the emission of substances such as nitrogen dioxide and to render such emissions as may occur harmless and inoffensive.

  Autopsies
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many autopsies were carried out in Scotland for the latest year for which information is available.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of autopsies performed in Scotland in the year ended 31 March 1989 was 9,721.

  Nurses (Grading Appeals)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what deadline he has set for all clinical grading appeals by nurses which are currently outstanding.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 12 July 1990]: A majority of health boards have already completed their regrading appeal hearings. Initial reluctance on the part of the staff side to co-operate in arranging hearings led to considerable delays in the commencement of the appeal hearings programme. These difficulties have now been overcome and health boards have been asked to ensure that the backlog of hearings is cleared as quickly as practicable.

  Bypass Operations
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of patients in each health board area currently awaiting coronary artery bypass operations.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 15 July 1990]: At March 1990 the numbers were:

  Health board of residence

  Number of patients

  Argyll and Clyde

  50

  Ayrshire and Arran

  56

  Borders

  23

  Dumfries and Galloway

  23

  Fife

  45

  Forth Valley

  31

  Grampian

  114

  Greater Glasgow

  223

  Highland

  33

  Lanarkshire

  89

  Lothian

  105

  Orkney

  2

  Shetland

  2

  Tayside

  91

  Western Isles

  3

  TOTAL

  890

  Youth Training
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 4 July,Official Report, column 607, if he will give the equivalent figures for the reduction in funding under youth training for those with special training needs.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 18 July 1990]: In 1989–90, 26.5 per cent. of youth training expenditure in Orkney and 14.4 per cent. in Shetland related to special needs trainees. Information as regards the overall percentage of youth training expenditure in 1990–91 which relates to special needs trainees will not be available until total data for that financial year have been analysed.

  CRYPTOSPORIDIUM IN WATER SUPPLIES: REPORT
  CRYPTOSPORIDIUM IN WATER SUPPLIES: REPORT
  US BASES IN EUROPE
  US BASES IN EUROPE
  BRAZIL AND THE NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
  BRAZIL AND THE NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
  FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL, 16th-17th JULY
  FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL, 16th-17th JULY
  EC BANK ACCOUNTS DIRECTIVE
  EC BANK ACCOUNTS DIRECTIVE
  CFC SUBSTITUTES
  CFC SUBSTITUTES
  INCORPORATED ENGINEERS: EC REGULATIONS
  INCORPORATED ENGINEERS: EC REGULATIONS
  DEPOSITORS: PROTECTION
  DEPOSITORS: PROTECTION
  CONSOLIDATED STERLING DEPOSITS INCORPORATED
  CONSOLIDATED STERLING DEPOSITS INCORPORATED