Written Answers of 27 June 1990

PRIME MINISTER

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her reply on 14 June,Official Report, column 464, concerning capital expenditure on road and rail facilities related to the channel tunnel, she will tabulate in the

  £ million (1989 prices)

  Trunk roads

  Completing and widening (part of) M20 from M25 to Folkestone and upgrading A20 to Dover

  265

  Upgrading M2/A2 route

  115

  Upgrading A27/A259 south coast route

  330

  —

  710

  Local authority roads in Kent

  75

  British Rail investment

  Intercapital passenger rolling stock

  350

  Waterloo international terminal

  100

  North Pole (west London) maintenance depot

  75

  Initial order of freight locomotives and track electrification

  80

  —

  1605

  Infrastructure improvements for passenger services

  2210

  Freight Infrastructure

  3145

  Passenger rolling stock for services beyond London and related infrastructure improvements

  Ashford international station

  4110–375

  Night trains from London

  Further freight locomotives and wagons

  1,855–2,120

  1 Already approved by Government.

  2 Only £45 million of this subject to Government approval.

  3 Government approval not required.

  4 Detailed proposals not yet submitted.

  General Election (Observers)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received calling for impartial international observers from the United Nations or other organisations to observe during the period of the next general election in the United Kingdom to ensure that it is conducted and financed fairly.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Spicer and Oppenheim
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the number and nature of occasions when Spicer and Oppenheim have advised her Government in the last two years; and what was the cost.

  The Prime Minister
  This information is not held centrally.
  208
  Official Report each of the principal items comprising the £2,000 million projected expenditure on these items, stating for each the sources of the capital expenditure incurred and the amounts when shared between different sources.

  The Prime Minister
  The £2 billion of public investment planned on roads and railways to the channel tunnel comprises the following:

  Pharmaceutical Industry
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will transfer the responsibility of the Department of Health for the pharmaceutical industry to the Department of Trade and Industry.

  The Prime Minister
  There are no plans to do so.

  Council of Europe
  Sir Michael Shaw
  To ask the Prime Minister what changes have been made in the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the consultative assembly of the Council of Europe.

  The Prime Minister
  I have appointed my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley (Mr. Thompson) as a full member in place of my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Mr. Hill), and my hon. Friend the
  209
  Member for Poole (Mr. Ward) as a full member in place of my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson). I have also appointed my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) as a substitute member.

  These changes will take effect from the close of the meeting of the standing committee on Tuesday 3 July.

  NHS Staff Review Body
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about the chairmanship of the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and the Professions Allied to Medicine.

  The Prime Minister
  Sir James Cleminson's period as chairman will come to an end when the review body completes its supplementary report on senior nurses. The Government are very grateful to him for the leadership, skill and dedication which he has shown as chairman since his appointment in 1986. I have appointed Mr. Michael Bett to succeed him.

  Retired People
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on how the living standards, environment, quality of life and general prospects of(a) the retired in Britain, (b) others in the country and (c) their European counterparts have fared since 1979.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The improvement in living standards since 1979 is demonstrated by a number of indicators. For example, real household disposable income per head rose by 26 per cent. between 1979 and 1989. The retired have shared in this prosperity. The average increase in pensioners' total net incomes was 31 per cent. over and above inflation between 1979 and 1987, which is the latest date for which information is available.

  Directly comparable data for other European countries are not available. However, real output per head in the United Kingdom has risen faster since 1979 than in many other Europan countries, including France and Germany.

  The rising expectation of life, the fall in infant mortality and improvement in housing standards are set out, together with a range of other indicators, in "Social Trends" and "Regional Trends". Both publications also contain some comparisons with other European countries. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

TRANSPORT

  Roads
  Dr. Blackburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of land in public ownership being used for the building of motorways and trunk roads over the next five years.

  Mr. Atkins
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Weighbridges
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether weighbridges are now provided for all commercial vehicles entering the United Kingdom from the continent of Europe by sea.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department has provided weighbridges with the agreement of the port authorities at most United Kingdom ferry ports to enable its traffic examiners to weigh incoming heavy goods vehicles. In addition, a trial has just been completed of automated weighing systems in five ports. In the light of a consultant's report on the trial which is expected shortly, we shall be considering whether to extend the installation of automated weighing systems to other ports. Preliminary negotiations have already taken place with some ports.

  Rail Services
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in considering the approval of the construction of the new trains required to operate the through passenger services to the continent via the channel tunnel from the north of the country; when he expects these trains to be ordered; and what undertakings have been given that they will be completed in time for the service to commence from the opening of the tunnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail published its plans for services beyond London on 14 December and I refer to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee) on that date,Official Report, column 767. I understand that BR currently intends to submit its investment proposals for approval this summer, with a view to ordering the trains later this year and commencing services when the tunnel opens.

  Young Drivers
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there are any plans to restrict the types of cars that young people can drive on the basis of engine capacity.

  Mr. Atkins
  I have no plans at present to impose such a restriction.

  Motorways (Tourist Signs)
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the destinations chosen for brown tourist signs on motorways.

  Mr. Atkins
  Tourist sign destinations are not chosen by the Department. They are applied for and authorised against published criteria. The following destinations have been authorised for inclusion on tourist signs on motorways in England by region:
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  London

  Hendon RAF Museum

  Wembley Stadium

  South West

  Exmoor

  Bickton Park

  Devon1

  Bristol Zoo

  SS Great Britain and Historic Harbour

  Cheddar Caves

  Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust

  Castle Combe Racing Circuit

  Somerwest World

  Wells

  Glastonbury

  Wookey Caves

  Cricket St. Thomas Wildlife Park

  Yeovilton Air Museum

  Forest of Dean

  Bowood House

  South East

  Birdworld

  Marwell Zoological Park

  Hampshire Farm Museum

  Upper Hamble Country Park

  Royal Victoria Country Park

  Southampton/Old Town Waterfront

  Broadlands

  Beaulieu/National Motor Museum

  Paultons Park

  Historic Portsmouth

  Historic Ships (Portsmouth)

  Sea Life (Portsmouth)

  D Day Museum (Portsmouth)

  The Pyramids (Portsmouth)

  Brands Hatch

  Hever Castle

  Chartwell

  Sevenoaks1

  Rochester

  Castle (Rochester)

  Cathedral (Rochester)

  Chatham

  Historic Dockyard (Chatham)

  Ice Rink (Gillingham)

  Historic Maidstone

  Leeds Castle

  Eurotunnel Exhibition Centre

  Chessington World of Adventures

  Sandown Park

  Wisley Royal Horticultural Society Gardens

  Thorpe Park

  Windsor Castle

  Royalty and Empire (Windsor)

  Safari Park (Windsor)

  Blenheim Palace

  The Parl Sports Centre

  Waterperry Gardens

  Child Beale Wildlife Trust

  Land of Littlecote

  Ice Rink and Ski Centre (Bracknell)

  East Midlands

  Chatsworth

  Gulliver's Kingdom

  Heights of Abraham

  Derbyshire Dales

  Sherwood Forest1

  American Adventure

  Billing Aquadrome

  Eastern

  Whipsnade Zoo

  Whipsnade Wild Animal Park

  Woburn Abbey

  Safari Park (Woburn)

  Hatfield House

  The Ice Bowl

  213

  Stanborough Park

  Chiltern Open Air Museum

  Model Village (Bekonscot)

  Imperial War Museum (Duxford)

  Wimpole Hall/Home Farm

  West Midlands

  Drayton Manor Park

  Historic Coventry

  Cathedral (Coventry)

  Coombe Abbey Country Park

  Weston Park

  Cosford Aerospace Museum

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (Bradford)

  Yorkshire Sculpture Park

  Doncaster Racecourse, Exhibition Centre and Leisure Park

  Elsham Country Park

  Piece Hall (Halifax)

  North West

  Wigan Pier

  Park Hall, Camelot

  Martin Mere Wildfowl Trust

  Lancaster Historic City

  Morecambe Bay

  Frontierland

  Historic Carlisle

  Borders Tourist Route to Edinburgh follow A7

  West Pennine Moors

  Last Drop Village

  Hollingworth Lake

  Liverpool Maritime City

  Albert Dock

  Southport

  Pleasureland

  Lord Street

  Knowsley Safari Park

  Tatton Park

  Dunham Massey Hall

  Quarrey Bank Mill

  Blackpool

  Stanley Park and Zoo

  North Shore (Blackpool)

  Derby Pool—Splashland

  Illuminations (only when on)

  Northern

  Durham Historic Cathedral City

  Beamish Museum

  North Pennines and Weardale

  1Denotes directions to a tourist information point or centre.

  Notes

  (1) Words in brackets are not included on the signs themselves, but explain the location of the signs for the purpose of this list.

  (2) Some destinations are combined on single signs.

  (3) Alton Towers is shown on blue tourist signs in the North West, East Midlands and West Midland regions. These will be changed to brown signs in due course.

  (4) Many tourist destinations are signed from trunk and "A" roads, for which there are no central records.

  Luton Airport
  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his officials were last in touch with Luton borough council about the prospective sale of Luton international airport to private sector owners; and what issues or problems were then discussed.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I very much welcome the moves by Luton council to sell Luton airport to the private sector.214
  My officials communicate regularly with officers of Luton borough council on a range of airport matters, including its possible sale. My hon. Friend will be aware that the council was recommended by its advisers to await the Civil Aviation Authority's advice to my right hon. Friend on airport and airspace capacity before holding detailed discussions with interested parties. Publication of the authority's advice is expected next month.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what information his Department holds on the incidence of accidents on stretches of three-lane carriageways where the centre lane may be used by vehicles travelling in either direction;

  (2) if he has any plans to phase out three-lane carriageways where the centre lane may be used by vehicles travelling in either direction.

  Mr. Atkins
  In England wide single carriageways marked in three lanes but without indication of priority—double white lines—were dropped from the Department's standards for new trunk roads about 20 years ago. Many stretches of such carriageway then in existence have since been phased out and re-marked as two lanes. A few sections remain where they are judged to be safe and appropriate to prevailing traffic conditions. Information about such sections of local roads is for local highway authorities. While road accident statistics record the number of lanes they do not distinguish between those three-lane roads with double white lines and those without. The position in Wales and Scotland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland respectively.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all schools which had achieved grant-maintained status by 1 April 1990 showing for each(a) the total amount of public funding in 1990–91 with all allocations under different heads, (b) the number of pupils, the age range and the number of pupils in each year group and (c) the total funding for each school under its last year of local education authority funding.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The table below shows the full-year equivalent amounts of annual maintenance grant—AMG—received by the first 20 grant-maintained schools last year. Provisional figures for 1990–91 have been set at a standard notional 6 per cent. above these amounts. Calculations of final AMG figures for 1990–91 are now being finalised as the Department receives information from relevant local education authorities about their spending plans for the year.

  The 1989–90 figures below do, in turn, reflect a 6·6 per cent. increase over what we estimate to have been LEA direct spending levels on these schools in 1988–89. In addition to AMG, schools receive small special purpose grants, for example to mirror what is available to LEAs under the Government's education support grant scheme.
  215

  Grant-maintained schools Annual maintenance grant (AMG) and pupil numbers for 1989–90

  Pupil numbers3

  Name of school1

  Former LEA

  Total AMG2

  Total

  Aged 11 or under

  Aged 12

  Aged 13

  Aged 14

  Aged 15

  Aged 16

  Aged 17

  Aged 18

  Aged 19

  Audenshaw High

  Tameside

  1,222,998

  725

  141

  148

  146

  141

  149

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Bacup and Rawtenstall

  Lancashire

  1,354,254

  741

  113

  105

  111

  118

  111

  91

  87

  5

  0

  Bankfield High

  Cheshire

  1,008,831

  434

  64

  96

  70

  99

  105

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Baverstock

  Birmingham

  1,700,068

  980

  223

  233

  175

  179

  170

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Castle Hall Middle

  Kirklees

  618,989

  381

  4191

  83

  107

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Colyton

  Devon

  726,449

  433

  57

  47

  68

  78

  67

  62

  52

  2

  0

  Heckmondwike

  Kirklees

  1,078,402

  565

  102

  92

  94

  89

  92

  60

  29

  7

  0

  Hendon

  Barnet

  1,754,224

  836

  103

  125

  119

  166

  174

  101

  42

  6

  0

  King's Grantham

  Lincolnshire

  1,230,509

  747

  114

  117

  118

  117

  106

  86

  83

  6

  0

  London Oratory

  ILEA5

  3,372,123

  1,168

  177

  177

  180

  182

  166

  171

  90

  25

  0

  Old Swinford

  Dudley

  1,029,967

  544

  56

  65

  88

  79

  85

  84

  83

  4

  0

  Queen Elizabeth's

  Lincolnshire

  609,091

  329

  35

  47

  59

  55

  55

  47

  31

  0

  0

  Queen Elizabeth's

  Barnet

  1,857,623

  1,036

  179

  180

  180

  172

  175

  82

  62

  6

  0

  Queensbury

  Bedfordshire

  1,408,042

  637

  0

  0

  150

  182

  197

  65

  43

  0

  0

  St. Francis Xavier

  Liverpool

  2,016,008

  1,008

  0

  177

  178

  183

  174

  161

  76

  55

  4

  St. James's CE

  Bolton

  1,096,270

  662

  95

  116

  151

  143

  156

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Skegness

  Lincolnshire

  1,051,865

  568

  51

  77

  81

  91

  99

  81

  81

  6

  1

  Small Heath

  Birmingham

  1,746,432

  771

  151

  159

  118

  163

  177

  3

  0

  0

  0

  Wilmington Girls

  Kent

  811,061

  451

  59

  74

  52

  82

  89

  53

  42

  0

  0

  Wilson's

  Sutton

  1,393,670

  725

  120

  118

  120

  111

  118

  85

  53

  0

  0

  1Eighteen schools began operating as grant-maintained from September 1989. A further two began doing so from January 1990.

  2Full-year equivalent figures.

  3Based on January 1989 figures, as used for 1989–90 AMG calculations.

  4Includes 91 pupils under 11 as the school has a 9 to 13 age range.

  5 With effect from 1 April 1990, the relevant LEA became Hammersmith and Fulham.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Incomes
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average income level of each 1 per cent. of the population with the highest incomes up to the total of 20 per cent. of the population with the highest incomes.

  Mr. Lilley
  Available information is given in the table. Estimates for 1990–91 are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are provisional. Since some investment income from which tax is deducted at source is not reflected in the survey, these estimates are uncertain and more detailed estimates cannot therefore be given.

  Average income of individuals liable to tax at 1990–91 levels of income

  Group of individuals liable to tax1

  Average income £ per annum

  Top 1 per cent.

  97,000

  Top 5 per cent.

  51,000

  Top 10 per cent.

  39,000

  Top 20 per cent.

  30,000

  1 Husband and wife counted separately.

  Enterprise Zones
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what limit he can impose on the amounts that firms situated in enterprise zones may offset against any taxable benefit tied to that location in respect of their activities, or that of any of their subsidiaries making losses at locations outside that zone.

  Mr. Lilley
  The tax reliefs which are available to businesses in enterprise zones are governed by legislation and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has no proposals for any change in the rules.

  Mortgage Arrears
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the number of people six to 12 months in arrears on their mortgage repayments.
  216
  Mr. Ryder
  The latest available figures show that at end 1989 there were approximately 58,000 mortgage loans six to 12 months in arrears. This represents less than ½ per cent. of total owner-occupied dwellings in the United Kingdom.

  Gilts
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans the next issue of gilts.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Government's funding policy is as set out in annex A to chapter 2 of the 1990–91 "Financial Statement and Budget Report". Gilt issues and purchases will be made as this policy dictates.

  Dublin Docks
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he plans to amend the designation of the Dublin docks area as a high-tax area for the purposes of the controlled foreign companies' legislation.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Inland Revenue maintains and publishes a list of countries, some of which are qualified in respect of particular provisions in their law, in which companies can operate without coming within the controlled foreign companies legislation. That list is kept under review and updated when necessary in the light of changes is the tax provisions of other countries.

  Income
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report the method by which he calculates personal real disposable income.

  Mr. Lilley
  Personal disposable income is calculated by deducting from total personal income before tax the sum of United Kingdom taxes on income, social security contributions, payments of the community charge, but not, in the past, payments of rates and transfers abroad. Real personal disposable income is derived by dividing personal disposable income by the consumers' expenditure deflator the ratio of consumers' expenditure at current prices to consumers' expenditure revalued at constant
  217
  prices. A description of the personal sector and of the methods of calculating the various compoenents of the personal disposable income calculation can be found in chapter 6, part A of the Central Statistical Office's "United Kingdom National Accounts: Sources and Methods".

  Parallel Currencies
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has discussed his proposals for parallel currencies with(a) the President of the European Commission and (b) the president of the Bundesbank; whether he has any plans to do so before the intergovernmental conference; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said on 21 June in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley) at column 655, he will be discussing his proposals further with his colleagues in the European Community, over the coming weeks.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his proposals for parallel currencies as outlined in his speech to the German Industry Forum.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor gave my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley) on 21 June, at column 655.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Census
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what are the reasons for the Central Office of Information's decision to recruit a private advertising firm to undertake a publicity campaign to promote the April 1991 census; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  I have been asked to reply.

  The census offices have commissioned the Central Office of Information to assist them in a publicity campaign to create public awareness of the 1991 census. The Central Office of Information will be handling this work in the same way as it handles work for other Government Departments. The Central Office of Information will be appointing an advertising agency, as it does for all Government advertising campaigns.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Missions (Fax Machines)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which missions abroad are fitted with fax machines.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Most of our posts overseas are fitted with facsimile machines. I refer the hon. Member to the current edition of the "HM Diplomatic Service Overseas Reference List", a copy of which is in the Library of the House, which provides facsimile numbers in each case.

  Europe Day
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution was made by Her Majesty's Government to Europe Day on 8 May.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister contributed a message to a volume prepared by the Jean Monnet Foundation to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Schuman plan.

  The United Kingdom was represented at the ceremonies in Brussels for Europe Day on 8 May by Her Majesty's permanent representative to the European Communities.

  China
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister of State's visit to China in July represents any change in the policy of no high level contacts with China; and if the visit's discussions will be limited to the question of Hong Kong.

  Mr. Maude
  It has always been accepted by our European partners that we have a special need to maintain contact and gradually to rebuild good working relations with China over Hong Kong. My visit is in pursuance of that aim. Details of the programme remain to be settled, but it is intended that the discussions should cover Hong Kong and other issues of common concern.

  Republic of Ireland
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions, if any, at international conferences or meetings within the last five years when Her Majesty's Government have formally rejected or objected to the territorial claim over the United Kingdom contained in the constitution of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Hurd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a similar question on 20 June 1990. British delegates at all international conferences and meetings explicitly represent the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and this clearly demonstrates our position.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Football Clubs
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis he has made of the steps being taken by football clubs to implement the findings of the Taylor report.

  Mr. John Patten
  Analysis of responses to inquiries made last year of the police, fire authorities and local authorities, which are responsible for the issue of safety certificates, about implementation of the urgent recommendations of the interim report of the Hillsborough inquiry indicated that nearly all of them had then been implemented at football league grounds, as had many of the non-urgent recommendations. The majority of the safety recommendations of the final report which are aimed at football clubs comprise recommendations which
  219
  were in the interim report, with the exception of those on all seated accommodation. We shall be looking to the Football Licensing Authority to check the progress of clubs towards the introduction of all-seated accommodation at football league grounds.

  Scientific Expertise
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he has made to the representations of Sir David Napley that scientific and forensic expertise ought to be made available to defences.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received no direct representations from Sir David Napley on the availability of scientific and forensic expertise for the defence although we are aware of his recent newspaper article on the subject. The establishment of forensic science units independent of the Government is a matter for private initiative.

  Dog Fighting
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prosecutions have been brought for dog fighting in England in each of the last five years; and by whom such prosecutions were brought;

  (2) how many prosecutions have been brought for dog fighting in Wales in each of the last five years; and by whom such prosecutions were brought.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information collected centrally does not distinguish offences relating to dog fights from other offences under the Protection of Animals Act 1911.

  Firearms
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has regarding the number of specialist civilian firearms officers employed by police forces to supervise the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988; and what steps he is taking to promote their use.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No records are maintained of specialist civilian firearms officers employed to supervise the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 though returns made by provincial forces to Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary at the end of December 1989 indicated that 80 civilian staff were employed on firearms registration duties with a further 151 in support duties—part-time staff are counted on a two for one basis. The Metropolitan police have 24 such staff.

  Home Office guidance on the use of civilian staff suggests that they can be used on clerical and administrative duties involved with firearms and other functions where there is no need for police powers.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the implementation of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 by different police forces; and what steps he is taking to promote a consistent approach across different forces.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received representations from a number of different sources including Members of both Houses of Parliament, the shooting organisations and individual members of the public about the implementation of the Firearms 220
  (Amendment) Act 1988. Administration of firearms controls is the responsibility of individual chief officers of police. To help ensure consistency of practice in and between police forces, the Home Department has issued advice on the administration of all aspects of firearms legislation, including the new controls, in the publication "Firearms Law: Guidance to the Police". Copies of the document, which is available to the public, have been placed in the Library. The advice in the guidance is subject to review both by the Home Department and the Firearms Consultative Committee.

  Daylight Saving
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will invite public consultation on the introduction of daylight saving by initiating differential time zones between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. I do not consider that this would be a practical proposition.

  Immigration Ministers
  Mr. Aitken
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the outcome of the meeting of Trevi and European Community Immigration Ministers in Dublin on 14 and 15 June.

  Mr. Waddington
  A major theme of Trevi Ministers' discussions was the need to improve further co-operation against drug trafficking. We approved a paper examining the links between drug trafficking and other organised crime, and endorsed new arrangements for a co-ordinated response to requests for technical assistance including training from drug producer and transit countries. At my instigation, Trevi Ministers also agreed to an accelerated timetable for work on the proposal for a European drugs intelligence unit, and to examination of the need for such a unit to have effective links with other European countries including those in eastern Europe.

  As Trevi Ministers, we also reviewed progress during the Irish Presidency on measures to develop police co-operation across the whole range of crime in the light of completion of the single European market after 1992. We approved a programme of action setting out a range of measures, a copy of which I am placing in the Library.

  The meeting of Ministers concerned with immigration, attended also by a Vice-President of the Commission, was the eighth in the series of such meetings held towards the end of each Presidency since 1986.

  Ministers took stock of the work carried out in the ad hoc working group on immigration during the Irish Presidency and considered the future programme of work. The main conclusions which we reached are set out in a press release of which I am placing a copy in the Library.

  I was pleased to join 10 of my Community colleagues in signing a convention on asylum which establishes criteria for determining which member state is responsible for examining a claim for asylum when more than one member state is involved. I am placing a copy of the convention in the Library, and it will also be laid before the House in the normal way.

  Dogs
  Mr. Knowles
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce proposals for the control of dogs.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Government have today published a consultation paper, "The Control of Dogs", to seek public reaction to proposals which my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary together with my right hon. Friends, the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for the Environment wish to make. This paper co-ordinates a number of proposals aimed at tackling dog control problems directly and without the need for a national dog registration scheme.

  Proposals to improve the control of dogs canvassed in the paper include a new offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control; additional powers for local authorities and the police to seize and detain or destroy a dangerous dog; new powers for the courts to impose muzzling and other controls on dogs; additional controls which might apply only to certain breeds or types of dogs, or the banning of such dogs; a new offence of allowing a dog to stray persistently; and a fixed penalty system for enforcement of the collar and tag rules or other dog control provisions.

  Copies of the paper have been placed in the Library. Comments on these proposals are requested by 15 November.

  Race Relations
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions(a) under the race relations provisions of the Public Order Act 1986 and (b) under the Malicious Communications Act there have been since their passing.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information is given in the table. The 1989 data will not be available until the autumn.

  Number of prosecutions under section 18 of the Public Order Act 1986 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988

  England and Wales

  Act

  1987

  1988

  Public Order Act 19861 Section 18

  6

  22

  Malicious Communications Act 19882

  n/a

  3

  Persons indicted1 for homicide where one or more of the victims was aged under 16 years of age, by outcome of proceedings

  Number of persons

  Convicted of homicide

  Year

  Indicted for homicide

  Murder

  Sec. 2 manslaughter

  Other manslaughter

  Infanticide

  England and Wales

  1982

  68

  18

  22

  19

  6

  1983

  72

  16

  11

  28

  10

  1984

  64

  8

  13

  29

  2

  1985

  79

  22

  9

  26

  8

  1986

  60

  18

  7

  18

  3

  1987

  77

  20

  11

  36

  1

  21988

  58

  12

  6

  28

  6

  Essex police force area

  1982

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1983

  2

  —

  1

  1

  —

  1984

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1985

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1986

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  222
  1 Came into force on 1 January 1987.

  2 Came into force on 29 September 1988.

  n/a = Not available.

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total of costs billed to health authorities by the Metropolitan police to cover emergency cover during the ambulance workers' dispute.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Metropolitan police have charged the South West Thames regional health authority £9·68 million for its assistance.

  Murder Statistics
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the murder rate per 1,000 of the population in the constituency of Basildon in 1989.

  Mr. John Patten
  The available information is that there were 11 homicides recorded by the Essex police force in 1989, a rate of 0·008 per 1,000 population.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were(a) charged with and (b) convicted of the killing of children in (i) England and Wales and (ii) the Basildon constituency in each year since 1965.

  Mr. John Patten
  The numbers of persons indicted and convicted for homicide offences are published annually in Table 4·7 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", copies of which are available in the Library. The number of such cases where one or more victims was less than 16 years of age are given in the table for the years 1982–88. Information on homicides in the Basildon constituency is not available, but figures for the Essex police force area for the years 1982–88 are included; corresponding figures for the years 1965–1981 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
  223

  Convicted of homicide

  Year

  Indicted for homicide

  Murder

  Sec. 2 manslaughter

  Other manslaughter

  Infanticide

  1987

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  21988

  3

  —

  —

  2

  1

  1 As at 1 June 1989.

  2 1988 figures are not yet complete: there were 277 suspects for whom court proceedings were not completed by 1 June 1989.

  Football Grounds
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice his Department has issued to local authorities on their responsibilities for granting safety certificates for, and overseeing reductions in, standing accommodation at football grounds in England and Wales for the 1990–91 football season.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The Home Office has given advice to local authorities in England and Wales on their responsibilities under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act in a number of circulars over the past 15 years. The safety standards which local authorities are currently advised to apply for both seated and standing accommodation are those recommended in the 1986 edition of the "Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds" produced by the Home Office and the Scottish Office, subject to certain changes recommended in Lord Justice Taylor's interim and final reports on the Hillsborough tragedy of which local authorities in England and Wales were advised in circulars on 4 August 1989 and 7 February 1990.

  We are advised that it would not be appropriate to use safety certificates to require football grounds to reduce standing accommodation which meets accepted standards of safety or when specific powers are available in other legislation. The circular of 7 February 1990 therefore advised local authorities that they should not be used for this purpose. It is for the football clubs to respond to Lord Justice Taylor's recommendations on all-seated accommodation in the first instance. Powers under section 11 of the Football Spectators Act will be used in due course if it proves necessary to do so.

ENERGY

  Civil Servants (Workplaces)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessments under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations have been undertaken at all workplaces used by civil servants in his Department.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Assessments under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations have been carried out by the Department of Energy at those premises where it is the major user. Where the Department is a minor occupier the responsibility for such assessments lies with the major occupier.

  Hinkley Point C
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he intends to seek the views of Parliament in the form of a debate before he makes any recommendations on the report of the inspector on the Hinkley Point C pressurised water reactor proposal.
  224
  Mr. Baldry
  No. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out his intentions for handling the inspector's report in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) on 14 June at column 287.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Community Charge Rebates
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received regarding eligibility for community charge rebates.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department of Social Security is responsible for the community charge benefit scheme. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 23 May at column 208. In the one month since that reply the Department has received a further 526 items of correspondence about the community charge benefit scheme.

  Pensioners' Incomes
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide what information he has about the level of investment income for pensioners, according to the level of their weekly pension income.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The latest available information, from the 1987 family expenditure survey, is set out in the table.

  Table1: Average investment income according to levels of weekly income from state pension and supplementary benefit2

  RP and supplementary benefit £

  Average savings/investment income £

  00·00 to 39·933

  13·45

  40·00 to 59·99

  15·24

  60·00 plus

  33·56

  1 Source: Family expenditure survey.

  2 It is not possible to identify the state retirement pension separately from supplementary benefit from the family expenditure survey.

  3 Income bands selected to provide representative sample sizes.

  Blind People
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to ensure provision of social security benefits to blind people with additional costs.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 26 February at column 61.

  Industrial Deafness
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people who were previously denied benefits under the five-year rule governing claims for industrial deafness benefit have re-applied since the ruling of the Law Lords in October 1989 on good cause grounds in(a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.

  Mr. Scott
  Eleven applications for review have been received from people in the Greenock and Port Glasgow area following the Court of Appeal ruling. Figures for Strathclyde and Scotland as a whole can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Income Support
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it would cost in the current financial year to extend to transitional protection claimants the full annual uprating of income support.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The cost in additional income support has been estimated at about £35 million.

  Energy Costs
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answers of 10 May,Official Report, column 191, and 30 April, Official Report, column 419, about energy consumption, what is the square footage of office space to which these figures relate.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The area is 17,383,684 sq ft.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was invested in improving the energy efficiency of his Department in the latest available year.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: Information is not available separately for the Departments of Health and Social Security. In the financial year 1989–90, the Departments combined invested £133,000 in energy efficiency measures. Further investment was made by the Property Services Agency, but the amount cannot be identified separately from the agency's overall expenditure on energy efficiency.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many tenants qualify for housing benefit in Ceredigion; what were the corresponding figures for the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 22 June 1990]: The information requested is in the table.

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Number of Local Authority and private tenants receiving housing benefit (rounded to the nearest 50)

  4,600

  3,750

  3,500

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  EC Legislation
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the short title of any legislative Act approved by European Community member states since 1 January in relation to which each state must take national implementing measures; and what action has been taken by each state in relation to each such measure.

  Mr. Redwood
  The table lists the directives relevant to completion of the single European market which have been formally adopted by the Council of Ministers since 1 January 1990. A period of grace, typically 18 months, is allowed for member states to transpose directives into national law. It is generally too early, therefore, to comment on what action member states will take to implement these directives. In addition, directives in other areas of application, most notably concerning health and safety at the workplace, have also been adopted during this period. A full list of these and other legislative acts—regulations, decisions and recommendations—is recorded in the Official Journal of the European Communities, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Directives relevant to completion of the single market adopted since 1 January 1990

  Marketing of compound feedingstuffs

  Amendment to Directive 87/102 concerning consumer credit

  Bovine semen—amendment to Directive 88/407

  Acceptance of pure-bred breeding pigs for breeding

  Acceptance of hybrid breeding pigs for breeding

  Production and trade in medicated feedingstuffs

  Amendment to Directive 77/93 on protective measures against the introduction into member states of organisms harmful to plants or plant products.

  Amendment to Directive 80/390 in respect of mutual recognition of public offer prospectuses and stock exchange listing particulars.

  Third Directive concerning motor liability insurance

  Maximum tar yield of cigarettes

  Active implantable electromedical devices

  Non-automatic weighing instruments.

  Chinese Bicycles
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations have been undertaken within the EEC on the French Government plan to control the importation of bicycles of Chinese origin by quota; and if he will support similar measures to be extended to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Redwood
  Member states have not yet been consulted about any plans by the French Government to restrict imports of bicycles from China. In seeking such action the French Government would have to submit a formal application to the Commission giving detailed evidence of the injury, or threat of injury, to domestic producers from the imports in question. My officials have received no requests from United Kingdom manufacturers for action to restrict imports into the United Kingdom of Chinese bicycles, but we will consider carefully any case with supporting evidence put forward by the industry.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage increase in Chinese bicycle imports in the current year over 1989; and what action he is proposing to take to protect United Kingdom manufacturing interests.
  227
  Mr. Redwood
  The percentage increase in imports of bicycles from China to the United Kingdom, for January to April 1990 over the same period for 1989 was 30·1 per cent. by volume. Imports of bicycles from China into the United Kingdom are covered by the EC's generalised system of preferences. My Department is in contact with United Kingdom bicycle manufacturers and will be meeting them shortly to discuss what action could be taken.

  Securities Regulation
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he will take with regard to the regulatory position in the light of the case of Dunsdale Securities; and if he has any plans to increase the powers of the Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Regulatory Association.

  Mr. Redwood
  It is the responsibility of the Securities and Investments Board to ensure that the regulatory framework established by its own rules and those of the self-regulating bodies, including FIMBRA, provides the appropriate level of protection for investors. The Secretary of State has responsibilities for general oversight of the regulatory system under the Financial Services Act, but not for its day-to-day operation.

  Consumer Affairs Council
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on what matters were agreed at the European Community Consumer Affairs Council on 13 June.

  Mr. Forth
  The directive on package travel was adopted. There was agreement in principle that the European home and leisure accident surveillance system should be extended and that the programme should be adoped later in June. It was agreed that the rapid exchange of information system should be extended, the matter being remitted to the Committee of Permanent Representatives to consider further detailed procedures.

  Consumer Credit Advertising
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he proposes to make changes in the consumer credit advertising regulations with regard to low start mortgage repayments;

  (2) whether he proposes to make changes in the consumer credit advertising regulations with regard to home income plans.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: I have no plans to do so, but I am always ready to consider reasoned suggestions for amending regulations.

  National Front (Printers) Ltd.
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he gave his approval to the company name National Front (Printers) Ltd. under section 26 of the Companies Act 1985.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: Applications for names requiring the Secretary of State's approval under section 26 of the Companies Act 1985 are considered using established criteria and within the
  228
  framework of administrative law. There were no grounds on which the application could properly have been rejected.

  End User Certificates
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he intends to take to prevent the abuse of end user certificates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 June 1990]: Where there is evidence of attempts to provide misleading information about the end use of equipment which is the subject of an export licence application, the matter is carefully investigated.

WALES

  Teachers (Welsh Language)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of teachers of Welsh language and literature required to implement the national curriculum for Welsh; and what proposals he has to make up any shortfall.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Estimates of the number of teachers required to deliver the national curriculum for Welsh are being prepared in the light of discussions with local education authorities, and using recent information on pupil numbers. It is clear that additional teachers of Welsh will be required as the national curriculum is introduced.

  The need for additional teachers will be met through a mix of initial teacher training—ITT—and in-service training. With regard to ITT we have issued new criteria for the training of primary teachers which will require all initial teacher training institutions in Wales to provide opportunities for students to learn Welsh and improve their Welsh language skills while they are training; added Welsh to the list of secondary shortage subjects for which a bursary of £1,500 will be available in initial teacher training; and introduced the Welsh-medium supplement which could produce teachers capable of teaching Welsh in English medium primary schools if students fail to gain posts in Welsh medium schools.

  In order to take advantage of the skills available within the existing teaching force we have provided funding to enable courses to be developed for serving primary and secondary teachers to prepare them to teach Welsh as a second language; and provided additional funding for LEA in-service training for Welsh—£900,000 has been made available this year.

  The teaching as a career unit was established to promote teaching as a career. Its activity in Wales is sharply focused on the need to recruit additional propsective teachers of Welsh and Welsh-medium teachers. A total of £116,000 has been made available through education support grants for LEAs in Wales to support the development of measures to increase the recruitment of teachers in the shortage subjects including Welsh.

  Teacher Training Courses
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many postgraduate students in Wales pursued initial teacher training courses in 1989; and how many benefited from his Department's initiative for meeting the shortfall in Welsh-medium teachers.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  A total of 883 post graduate students commenced initial teacher training in 1989. Forty-two of these students are benefiting from the Welsh incentive supplement.

  Teaching (Welsh-speaking Graduates)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will extend his initiative to train additional Welsh-medium teachers to graduate in Welsh language and literature in order to attract sufficient Welsh-speaking graduates into the teaching profession to implement the objectives of the national curriculum.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Welsh incentive supplement is aimed at encouraging students who need additional help to develop their language skills to train for Welsh-medium teaching. Additional work is required of these students. Graduates in Welsh would clearly not need additional help and thus there is no case for making the supplement available to this group.

  Countryside Change (Survey)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what contribution his Department is making to the survey on countryside change being conducted by the institute of Terrestrial Ecology at the University college of North Wales for the Natural Environmental Research Council.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  None. This is a Great Britain-wide survey funded by the Department of the Environment and the Natural Environment Research Council.

  Computers
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the school timetable on average Welsh school pupils spend using computers.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not held centrally.

  Obstetrics
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many junior doctors are employed in obstetrics on a whole-time equivalent basis in the national health service in Wales in the current year; and how many were employed in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Ian Grist
  The available information, which relates to staff in obstetrics and gynaecology, is as follows:

  Junior doctors in post as at 30 September1 (whole-time equivalents)

  Number

  1984

  109·6

  1985

  116·4

  1986

  111·7

  1987

  113·4

  1988

  122·0

  21989

  127·2

  1 Senior registrar, registrar, senior house officers and house officers. Excluding locums.

  2 Provisional.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he will list, by health authority, the number of beds available in continuing care for elderly people in the national health service in Wales;

  (2) what steps he is taking to ensure continuing care provision in the national health service for elderly people in Wales;

  (3) whether he will list, by health authority, the number of beds in continuing care for elderly people which have been contracted out in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The information requested is not held centrally. It is for local health authority management to decide the nature of the continuous care service it provides, in the light of local needs and circumstances and the overall level of provision.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been allocated in the current financial year by his Department to support the implementation of the all-Wales strategy on mental illness(a) to each local authority in Wales, (b) to voluntary organisations in each local authority area and (c) to voluntary organisations in Wales as a whole.

  Mr. Grist
  Provisional allocations have been made in respect of proposals put forward by each of the eight county joint planning teams as follows:

  £

  Clwyd

  227,100

  Dyfed

  200,000

  Gwent

  245,300

  Gwynedd

  126,597

  Mid Glamorgan

  137,700

  Powys

  101,813

  South Glamorgan

  316,799

  West Glamorgan

  241,500

  In many cases where a proposal involves participation by more than one agency, it has yet to be established how the funding will be apportioned. Some £96,000 has been allocated to the voluntary sector in respect of services being provided on an all-Wales basis.

  School Nurses
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many secondary schools in each country in Wales are currently served by a school nurse based on the premises.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information on the number of school nurses based on individual secondary school premises is not collected centrally. The numbers of secondary schools served by a school nurse in each county in Wales is as follows:

  Number of secondary schools served by a school nurse, 1988–89

  Number

  Clwyd

  30

  Dyfed

  16

  Gwent

  17

  Gwynedd

  5

  Mid Glamorgan

  13

  Powys

  3

  231

  Number

  South Glamorgan

  25

  West Glamorgan

  26

  WALES

  135

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that a school nurse be provided at each secondary or high school in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This is a matter for determination locally.

  Rural Housing
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to issue planning guidance on land for low-cost housing in rural Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  There was an excellent and constructive response to the consultation which the Welsh Office carried out last year. Thirty-two local planning authorities and 16 other organisations wrote in reply to the Welsh Office letter and my right hon. Friend and I are grateful for the time and thought which they gave to the proposed planning guidance.

  Most of the respondents supported the objectives of the guidance and agreed that in suitable places it would encourage the sale of land for low-cost housing at less than full residential value and hence reduce the cost of providing the accommodation itself. There were reservations about the degree of benefit, concern about possible adverse environmental effects of a large-scale growth of housing in rural communities and about the cost of servicing a proliferation of sites in villages, as well as many comments of detail.

  My right hon. Friend has concluded that to complement existing policies for the provision of low-cost housing in rural areas planning guidance should be issued along the lines of the consultation paper. He recognises proper concerns about the environment and about design and will ensure that in the guidance the importance which he attaches to these will be emphasised. He will also take the opportunity to stress that the scale of provision which he envisages will not be great and certainly not such as to swamp any village with new houses or to put any community at risk because of overprovision of low-cost housing whose disposal is constrained to a low-priced local market. The guidance will be included in a comprehensive planning policy guidance note on land for housing.

  Meanwhile the Secretary of State takes the view that in considering planning applications for dwellings in rural areas local planning authorities may accept as a material consideration the fact that watertight arrangements are in place which will ensure that the proposed dwellings are available only to provide affordable accommodation for local people. The local planning authority will of course also have to take into account the provisions of the development plan and all other material considerations. In so doing, they will be expected to have regard to the environmental impact of the proposal on the community and to the need for sympathetic design as well as to the extent of the local housing need which the proposal sets out to satisfy.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Televising of the House
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list those organisations and individuals who can receive the television pictures of the House of Commons chamber, those who have terminated their receivers since the beginning of the experiment and those who have applied for a signal but have been refused.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The list of organisations and individuals within the House and its outbuildings who receive a clean feed from the Chamber is as follows: Mr. Speaker; Mr. Speaker's Secretary; the Chairman of Ways and Means; the Votes and Proceedings Office the Supervisor of Broadcasting; and the Press Gallery, within which some broadcasting organisations have made their own separate arrangements. There are of course also monitors in each of the Division Lobbies.

  In addition, I understand that some Government Departments have arranged through the Central Office of Information to take the clean feed, though this facility does not apply to Ministers' rooms in the House.

  So far as organisations outside the House are concerned, all the main broadcasters within the United Kingdom,—the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky TV and BSB—are entitled under the terms of the first report of Sessiton 1988–89 of the Select Committee on Televising of Proceedings of the House to receive the clean feed. Westminster Cable TV has also been approved for this purpose. As regards foreign-based broadcasters, BBC and ITN make available on the daily Eurovision news exchange extracts from the clean feed of up to two minutes, while House of Commons Broadcasting Unit Ltd. has licensed WTN and Visnews to supply overseas customers with material from the House of Commons of not more than five minutes duration. In addition, House of Commons Broadcasting Unit Ltd. has licensed a large number of foreign broadcasters to take longer coverage, including:

  Country

  Broadcasting organisation

  Australia

  ABC

  Channel 9

  Canada

  CBC

  Germany

  ARD

  ZDF

  Hong Kong

  TVB News

  Asia TV

  Ireland

  RTE

  Japan

  NHK

  United States

  ABC

  CBS

  CNN

  C-Span

  NBC

  House of Commons Broadcasting Unit Ltd. has also licensed the Press Association to provide newspapers with still photographs of the Chamber. These are made, using a freeze-frame technique, from a clean feed supplied for the purpose.
  233
  There are a further 26 organisations, mainly in broadcasting or the press, who are already authorised to take a clean sound feed and who, on the basis of a policy decision taken by the Select Committee, are also entitled, without the need to seek separate permission, to take a clean television feed if they wish. I understand that very few of these organisations have in fact exercised their right to receive the television feed, although precise information about their identity is not readily available since as indicated, they do not need the approval of the Select Committee to do so. The full list of 26 is as follows:

  British Forces Broadcasting Service

  Manx Radio

  South African Broadcasting Corporation

  National Public Radio (USA)

  Radio stations affiliated to the National Association of Hospital Broadcasting Organisations

  Scandinavian Broadcasting (Danish (DR), Finnish (YLE), Norwegian and Swedish radio and television)

  Voice of America

  Falkland Islands Broadcasting

  Associated Press Ltd.

  IBS News Ltd.

  Radio Television Hong Kong

  Radio Basildon

  London Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (who are authorised to supply the feed to national newspapers)

  Israel Broadcasting Authority

  Norddeutscher Fundfunk Hamburg

  Westdeutscher Rundfunk Koln

  Deutsche Welle, Koln

  Wall Street Journal London Bureau

  Reuters Ltd.

  Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB)

  Sound Productions (Overseas Promotions) Ltd.

  TV Asahi

  Christian Science Monitor

  Telerate Europe/Gulf

  Bank of England

  New York Times London Bureau

  I know of no case in which a person or organisation entitled to receive the clean feed has decided to stop doing so. Apart from the hon. Member, the only direct representation for the granting of a clean feed which the Select Committee has received and rejected was from the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace), acting on behalf of his party.

  Education and Library Boards

  Board

  1982–83 £

  1983–84 £

  1984–85 £

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  Belfast

  97,036

  410,686

  1,245,945

  687,847

  510,699

  768,319

  467,225

  North-Eastern

  52,822

  116,478

  148,542

  176,672

  271,347

  239,386

  337,388

  South-Eastern

  40,725

  225,092

  336,254

  287,153

  455,409

  287,783

  275,042

  Southern

  68,420

  235,973

  187,556

  222,678

  295,427

  345,319

  274,195

  Western

  59,522

  158,677

  209,170

  237,127

  180,622

  345,913

  203,172

  Area health boards

  Board

  1982–83 £

  1983–84 £

  1984–85 £

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  Northern

  45,102

  43,663

  46,568

  34,682

  45,711

  105,206

  78,778

  Southern

  29,302

  116,817

  21,445

  48,294

  137,260

  87,317

  200,487

  Eastern

  224,852

  177,355

  114,550

  123,710

  117,135

  101,753

  397,693

  Western

  17,364

  32,828

  44,351

  9,894

  120,773

  235,667

  108,819

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Extradition
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a request has been made at any time to the Government of the Republic of Ireland to implement article 2 of the European convention on the suppression of terrorism with regard to extradition between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Cope
  At the last meeting of the Inter-Governmental Conference on 19 April, Ministers of both Governments commissioned officials to undertake a review of arrangements for dealing with fugitive offenders. We will continue to pursue these matters through the conference.

  Social Security
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to improve the budgetary allocation in respect of the social fund to each of the social security offices in South Down.

  Mr. Needham
  This year's allocations to social security offices took greater account of the level of demand for social fund payments in each area. A copy of a paper describing the allocation formula is available in the Library.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the budgetary allocation to each of the social security offices in South Down in each of the years(a) 11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, (b) 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990, and (c) 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991.

  Mr. Needham
  The information requested can be obtained from the Library.

  Public Bodies (Losses)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in statistical form the financial value of losses written off by each education and library board and each area health board in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each of the last seven years.

  Mr. Cope
  The information for the latest seven years available in each instance is as follows:
  235

  Northern Ireland Housing Executive

  £

  1983–84

  798,829

  1984–85

  758,451

  1985–86

  1,149,130

  1986–87

  1,459,219

  1987–88

  1,601,077

  1988–89

  1,194,274

  1989–90

  1,216,838

  Maternity Services
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy on the integration of hospital-based maternity and community midwifery care; whether he proposes to issue guidelines to health boards; and if he will make a statement.

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  (a) Drift nets

  29,822

  21,252

  37,165

  65,654

  18,299

  24,528

  32,280

  12,587

  17,321

  55,108

  (b) Draft nets

  16,438

  11,781

  20,304

  15,481

  10,292

  14,066

  12,709

  5,434

  16,176

  31,090

  (c) Fixed nets

  2,963

  1,748

  2,688

  2,117

  941

  1,927

  1,365

  462

  842

  330

  (d) Anglers (declared catch)

  1,134

  1,517

  2,125

  831

  379

  1,814

  1,172

  390

  960

  na

  TOTAL

  50,357

  36,298

  62,282

  84,083

  29,911

  42,335

  47,526

  18,873

  35,299

  86,528

  n.a Not available.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Terrorism
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report a table to show for each (a) police county and (b) police division, with breaks at each change of such administrative area, the number of deaths from terrorist action since 1 January 1969 until the latest available date, or as much of such information as is conveniently available to him.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 20 June 1990]: The following table details the total number of deaths due to the security situation in Northern Ireland since 1969. Figures have been compiled using current RUC divisional boundaries.

  Deaths as a result of security situation 1 January 1969 to 31 May 1990

  Division

  Total

  A

  323

  B

  430

  D

  632

  E

  49

  G

  62

  H

  418

  J

  135

  K

  189

  L

  171

  N

  282

  O

  62

  P

  44

SCOTLAND

  Departmental Research (Expenditure)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total identifiable expenditure on research by his Department in each year since 1979; what proportion
  236
  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 19 June 1990]: In Northern Ireland there is an integrated hospital and community midwifery care service. The primary responsibility for deciding the most appropriate management arrangements which will ensure the continued provision of a high quality and cost-effective service rests with health and social services boards.

  There are no proposals to issue any guidance.

  Salmon
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many salmon were taken by commercial nets in the Foyle area by(a) drift nets, (b) draft nets, (c) fixed nets and (d) anglers in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 20 June 1990]: The information requested is as follows:

  was awarded on a customer-contractor basis; and what proportion of his total departmental budget was expended on research for each year.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The information is in the following table. All of it was awarded on a customer-contractor basis.

  £ million, cash

  Expenditure on research

  Percentage of departmental budget

  1979–80

  28·5

  1·6

  1980–81

  35·7

  1·5

  1981–82

  40·8

  1·6

  1982–83

  42·8

  1·4

  1983–84

  49·5

  1·8

  1984–85

  53·3

  1·8

  1985–86

  53·8

  1·7

  1986–87

  53·4

  1·6

  1987–88

  51·6

  1·5

  1988–89

  54·6

  1·4

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he plans to take to encourage people entitled to transitional allowance and particularly pensioners to lodge claims both in 1989–90 and 1990–91; and whether he will consider an advertising campaign to that end.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The Scottish Office undertook an advertising campaign in the national press earlier this year and issued more than 150,000 leaflets explaining the scheme to local authorities and interested organisations. Additionally, most local authorities have made extensive efforts to encourage applications from pensioners and the disabled who may be eligible for increased relief under the scheme. We do not consider that any further action needs to be taken.
  237
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the percentage of those entitled to transitional allowances on the poll tax in 1989–90 who have actually claimed.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Ninety per cent. of those people estimated to be eligible for transitional relief should be identified automatically from local authorities' records. At this stage it is not possible to estimate the number of pensioners and the disabled who will receive increased relief for which application must be made.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland were liable to pay the poll tax in(a) 1989–90 and (b) 1990–91.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Returns from community charges registration officers indicate that, as at 5 September 1989, a total of 3,904,189 people were liable to pay the personal community charge. Comparable figures are not yet available for 1990, but in setting their community charges earlier this year, local authorities assumed that 3,887,531 people would be liable to pay the personal community charge in 1990–91. These figures include students, who are liable for only 20 per cent. of the community charge, but exclude those liable for collective or standard community charges.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of second homes for each local authority, on the basis of information collected for the poll tax.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on second homes is not collected for the purpose of levying the community charges. The number of premises liable for the standard community charge for each district and islands council area as at 5 September 1989 is set out in the table.

  Number of standard charge premises September 1989

  Berwickshire

  420

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  372

  Roxburgh

  482

  Tweeddale

  235

  Clackmannan

  592

  Falkirk

  1,117

  Stirling

  1,876

  Annandale and Eskdale

  654

  Nithsdale

  886

  Stewartry

  872

  Wigtown

  846

  Dunfermline

  131

  Kirkcaldy

  441

  North East Fife

  1,731

  Aberdeen

  3,390

  Banff and Buchan

  2,005

  Gordon

  1,545

  Kincardine and Deeside

  1,260

  Moray

  2,060

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  1,021

  Caithness

  1,023

  Inverness

  1,350

  Lochaber

  916

  Nairn

  251

  Ross and Cromarty

  2,022

  Skye and Lochalsh

  868

  Sutherland

  1,033

  East Lothian

  2,273

  Edinburgh

  14,469

  Midlothian

  1,442

  West Lothian

  2,348

  238

  Number of standard charge premises September 1989

  Argyll and Bute

  5,085

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  257

  Clydebank

  910

  Clydesdale

  997

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  539

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  780

  Cunninghame

  2,981

  Dumbarton

  1,620

  East Kilbride

  743

  Eastwood

  572

  Glasgow

  20,875

  Hamilton

  1,397

  Inverclyde

  1,869

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  1,092

  Kyle and Carrick

  1,502

  Monklands

  1,301

  Motherwell

  1,835

  Renfrew

  3,913

  Strathkelvin

  723

  Angus

  2,059

  Dundee

  4,699

  Perth and Kinross

  3,894

  Orkney

  700

  Shetland

  902

  Western Isles

  587

  Scotland Total

  111,763

  Hospital Laundering
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what capital expenditure has been incurred on the building of new national health service laundries and the renovation of existing laundry facilities over the last two years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No new laundries have been built in the last two years. Expenditure by health boards on renovating and upgrading laundries has been within their delegated expenditure limits. Details of this expenditure are not held centrally.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what capital expenditure has been incurred by health boards on the purchase of new laundering and dry-cleaning equipment over the past two years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the capital expenditure incurred on the purchase of a new laundry and dry-cleaning machine and on the construction of new, and renovation of existing, laundry facilities over the past two years was for the creation of additional laundry capacity.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not held centrally. It is for individual health boards to determine what laundry facilities they require.

  Housing
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number of housing starts and completions in(a) Inverclyde district, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in each quarter of 1988, 1989 and the first quarter of the current year.
  239
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information is set out in the following table. Figure for the period January to March 1990 are not yet available.

  Housing starts and completions for years 1988 and 1989

  Inverclyde

  Strathclyde

  Scotland

  Year

  Starts

  Completions

  Starts

  Completions

  Starts

  Completions

  1988

  Quarter 1

  30

  86

  2,280

  1,495

  5,208

  4,291

  Quarter 2

  70

  37

  2,310

  1,954

  5,068

  4,494

  Quarter 3

  27

  49

  1,671

  1,955

  4,488

  4,450

  Quarter 4

  56

  29

  1,946

  2,147

  4,626

  5,020

  1989

  Quarter 1

  76

  49

  2,771

  1,946

  5,642

  4,707

  Quarter 21

  156

  54

  2,930

  2,171

  6,058

  5,078

  Quarter 31

  18

  51

  1,932

  2,170

  4,748

  4,679

  Quarter 42

  86

  85

  2,112

  2,274

  5,090

  5,172

  1 Figures for Scotland include estimates.

  2 Figures for Strathclyde and Scotland include estimates.

  Dog Fighting
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions have been brought for dog fighting in Scotland during each of the last five years; and by whom such prosecutions were brought.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Statistics on prosecutions for dog fighting are not separately identifiable in the Scottish Home and Health Department classification of crimes and offences.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list, by health board, the number of beds available in continuing care for elderly people in the national health service in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The average number of available staffed beds for long term care of elderly patients, by health board is as follows:

  Average available staffed beds year ending 31 March 1990

  Health board

  Number

  Argyll and Clyde

  746

  Ayrshire and Arran

  610

  Borders

  192

  Dumfries and Galloway

  308

  Fife

  591

  Forth Valley

  515

  Grampian

  1,087

  Greater Glasgow

  1,599

  Highland

  392

  Lanarkshire

  853

  Lothian

  1,087

  Orkney

  51

  Shetland

  89

  Tayside

  652

  Western Isles

  108

  Scotland

  8,880

  In addition, there was for all Scotland an average of 5,914 available staffed beds for geriatric psychiatry.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list, by health board, the number of beds in continuing care for elderly people which have been contracted out in Scotland.
  240
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The average numbers of available staffed beds in joint user and contractual hospitals for the year ending 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is centrally available, were as follows:

  Number

  Argyll and Clyde

  14

  Greater Glasgow

  24

  Lanarkshire

  54

  Lothian

  160

  Scotland

  252

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure continuing care provision in the NHS for elderly people in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The level of service provision is a matter for individual health boards taking account of local needs. The Government have endorsed the SHARPEN report "Scottish Health Authorities' Review of Priorities for the Eighties and Nineties" which gives the highest priorities to services for old people with dementia, in hospitals and in the community, and to care in the community with particular reference to services for elderly people.

  Glasgow High Court
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to meet the future accommodation needs of the High Court in Glasgow.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Land has been purchased at the rear of the existing justiciary buildings, Glasgow, with a view to making provision for all the work of the High Court in Glasgow to be conducted on the Saltmarket site. Further preparatory work is in progress and court users and others will be consulted on the proposed provision in due course.

  Redundancies
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all notified redundancies in Scotland of more than 300 employees since 1979 giving the employer, date of announcement and number of jobs lost.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [holding answer 13 June 1990]: Information cannot be provided in the precise form

  241
  requested. The names of individual employers notifying redundancies to the Department of Employment are treated as commercial in confidence. Additionally, data on redundancies confirmed are unlikely to be complete, as employers are not obliged to advise the Department of Employment of the redundancies actually effected following notification. The remaining information sought is set out in the table.

  Year

  Redundancies notified (300 employees or more)

  Number of employees

  Redundancies confirmed

  1979

  29,515

  34

  1

  1980

  19,003

  28

  1

  1981

  25,081

  30

  1

  1982

  23,292

  30

  1

  1983

  18,210

  22

  11,948

  1984

  11,243

  13

  7,691

  1985

  10,030

  15

  8,262

  1986

  8,612

  17

  4,370

  1987

  7,806

  12

  4,618

  1988

  8,121

  15

  2,661

  1989

  19,203

  11

  4,866

  1 No information available.

  Home Improvement Grants
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the amount of the financial allocation for the new system of home improvement grants for the financial year 1991–92 will be determined.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The Government have no immediate plans to introduce a new system of improvement and repairs grants in Scotland. Resources for housing capital expenditure in 1991–92 will be allocated, as in previous years, on the basis of local authorities' relative needs and with reference to their capital programmes and housing plans.

  Procurator Fiscal, Orkney
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what savings he anticipates will be made in the present financial year as a result of downgrading the post of procurator fiscal in Orkney from a full-time to a part-time appointment.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The present arrangements for discharging the duties of the procurator fiscal, Orkney are expected to save £25,000 in the current financial year.

HEALTH

  Community Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has made an estimate of the additional costs to be incurred by local authorities in 1991–92 due to the new legislation on community care; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) on 23 May at column 199.

  Departmental Research (Expenditure)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total identifiable expenditure on research by his Department in each year since 1979; what proportion was awarded on a customer-contractor basis; and what proportion of his total departmental budget was expended on research for each year.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Research and development by the Department of Health, all of which is managed on the customer-contractor principle, is funded through the research budgets for health and personal social services, procurement directorate, national health service information technology and building and engineering.

  For 1988–89, the latest year for which out-turn figures are available, the total such expenditure was £15·8 million, forming 0·086 per cent. of total Department of Health expenditure.

  Available information for earlier years has been published in the Cabinet Office Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development.

  South London Hospital for Women
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he or officials in his Department have had, and with whom, on the future use to be made of the now closed South London hospital for women.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None. We understand that the West Lambeth health authority has plans to submit an approval in principle submission to the South East Thames regional health authority for a proposal to use the site to meet a variety of health needs in the area.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the basis on which financial help will be provided to health authorities after the establishment of hospital trusts in their areas.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  All district health authorities will receive a revenue allocation with which to purchase services for their residents whether from NHS trusts, directly managed units or the private or voluntary sectors.

  Minor Surgery
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what encouragement the Government are giving to general practitioners to undertake more minor surgery.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are keen to encourage more GPs to provide minor surgery, which is a service popular with patients. The GPs' new contract introduces for the first time specific remuneration for this work. GPs admitted to the minor surgery List will receive a sessional payment of £100 provided they perform at least five of the procedures listed in the regulations each quarter. A GP is allowed to claim no more than three sessional payments a quarter. Where a GP carries out minor surgery on behalf of a partnership or group practice he or she may claim a higher number of payments in a quarter up to a maximum of three times the number of partners or members of the group. These arrangements will provide a strong incentive to GPs to extend their skills, resulting in an enhanced
  243
  service to their patients. In consequence, patients will be saved the inconvenience of attending out-patients departments.

  Project 2000
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from the Royal College of Nursing on the implementation of Project 2000.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None. We understand that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has recently received a letter concerning the implementation of Project 2000 from Christine Hancock, the General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing.

  Lyme Disease
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Lyme disease were reported in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Dorrell
  In 1989, a total of 16 laboratory reports of Lyme disease in England and Wales were received by the public health laboratory service's communicable disease surveillance centre. The provisional number of reports received for the first five months of 1990 was five.

  Births Basildon
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of babies born at Basildon hospital in each of the last seven years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Births at particular hospitals have only been analysed by OPCS since 1989. However, records analysed by the Basildon and Thurrock district health authority give the following information.

  Year

  Number of births

  1983

  2,323

  1984

  2,378

  1985

  2,455

  1986

  2,397

  1987

  2,470

  11988–89

  2,646

  11989–90

  2,695

  Source: Basildon and Thurrock district health authority.

  1 Financial year.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the numbers of babies born in(a) Basildon constituency and (b) the Basildon and Thurrock district health authority area in each of the last seven years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is given in the tables.

  Live and still births for Basildon borough constituency

  Livebirths

  Stillbirths

  1982

  1,418

  9

  1983

  1,435

  9

  1984

  1,420

  7

  1985

  1,461

  4

  1986

  1,418

  4

  1987

  1,462

  6

  1988

  1,523

  9

  1989

  1,589

  3

  244

  Live and still births for Basildon and Thurrock DHA

  Livebirths

  Stillbirths

  1982

  3,827

  25

  1983

  3,901

  20

  1984

  4,010

  18

  1985

  4,143

  16

  1986

  4,057

  19

  1987

  4,297

  13

  1988

  4,460

  23

  1989

  4,420

  11

  Hospital Laundering
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 March,Official Report, column 579, if he will detail the relevant monitoring arrangements to ensure that health authorities take account of all relevant expenditure when determining the cost of their in-house laundering and dry cleaning facilities.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ensure independent assessment those involved in compiling an in-house tender and service costing are expressly excluded from participation in the tender evaluation exercise. All costings are also open to scrutiny by the relevant district health authority, the regional health authority and to internal and external auditors.

  Children (Social Services)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to collect the statistics necessary to estimate the number of children who are not receiving care from local authority social services and social workers in cases in which there is a statutory duty to provide such care.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no present plans to do so. The regional offices of the social services inspectorate will continue to monitor the situation within their areas.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the waiting list initiative.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. King) on 18 January at columns 403–4.

  NHS Manager
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of managers within the national health service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Managers may be employed in a wide range of professions and disciplines in the National Health Service; there is no single definition on which a total figure could be based. About 900 general manager posts, and an estimated 8,000 at senior and middle manager level, are currently included in management pay arrangements.

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will introduce measures to ensure all members of health authorities are directly elected; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No.

  Hospital junior doctors in Obstetrics and Gynaecology showing
  whole time equivalents at 30 September each year

  Year

  1988

  1987

  1986

  1985

  1984

  1983

  England

  1,866·7

  1,725·7

  1,758·3

  1,761·7

  1,762·4

  1,768·9

  Northern

  124·7

  125·7

  135·5

  134·8

  135·5

  137·2

  Yorkshire

  121·8

  103·3

  126·1

  120·7

  116·0

  130·9

  Trent

  183·1

  169·8

  175·5

  167·2

  163·8

  159·9

  East Anglia

  67·1

  70·0

  64·0

  65·4

  64·5

  66·4

  North West Thames

  166·9

  148·8

  142·1

  157·8

  145·9

  150·9

  North East Thames

  183·6

  159·1

  180·3

  185·1

  177·0

  175·9

  South East Thames

  142·4

  139·7

  128·8

  124·8

  130·8

  129·4

  South West Thames

  102·0

  100·4

  100·7

  96·0

  95·8

  99·6

  Wessex

  67·8

  76·3

  72·4

  78·3

  98·4

  77·2

  Oxford

  99·9

  93·1

  91·9

  93·8

  84·0

  86·3

  South Western

  115·0

  93·9

  96·0

  90·7

  94·1

  92·6

  West Midlands

  190·6

  178·3

  176·7

  177·8

  170·8

  169·4

  Mersey

  90·8

  91·0

  77·3

  91·8

  91·2

  101·3

  North Western

  178·6

  159·0

  176·0

  169·8

  165·1

  168·2

  SHAs

  32·4

  20·4

  14·5

  7·3

  29·5

  23·7

  Source: Medical and dental census.

  Notes:

  1. Includes permanent paid and honorary staff.

  2. Junior doctors includes senior registrar, registrar, senior house officer and house officer.

  Central Blood Laboratories Authority
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what negotiations are taking place, or scheduled to take place, with the United States firm, Baxters, in relation to the Central Blood Laboratories Authority operations at Elstree and Churchill hospital, Oxford; what are the terms of reference of the negotiations; when he expects them to be completed; and what plans he has to report publicly on the outcome.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Central Blood Laboratories Authority conducts regular negotiations with other organisations in the plasma fractionation industry with a view to gaining access to methods and processes which might lead to more efficient utilisation of the plasma received from the National Blood Transfusion Service. Baxter Inc is one such company. These negotiations are commercially sensitive and remain confidential.

  Regional Health Authorities
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what account he took of the additional costs of PTB and A and C pay restructuring when deciding cash allocations to regional health authorities;

  (2) whether the increased cost consequences of PTB and A and C pay restructuring are to be met from additional central funding or out of existing regional health authority and district health authority allocations.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Health authorities should meet increases in prices and pay, including the costs of restructuring negotiated in the Whitley councils, from their cash allocations, income generation schemes and cost improvement programmes.

  Obstetrics
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors are employed in obstetrics on a whole-time equivalent basis in the National Health Service in each regional health authority in England in the current year; and how many were employed in each of the past five years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested is given in the table.

  The PTB and A and C pay restructurings were negotiated in 1989. By the end of the two year period 1989–90 to 1990–91, the gross extra resources available to the National Health Service in England will have increased by over £4 billion or 20 per cent.

  Corwin
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken by the Committee on Safety of Medicines on the drug Corwin; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Sir Michael McNair-Wilson) on 21 June at columns 677–78.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates there are of the number of prescriptions of Corwin to patients with severe heart conditions.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 21 June at column 678. Prescriptions do not indicate the nature of severity of the patient's condition.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request the Committee on Safety of Medicines to re-evaluate the evidence about the heart drug Corwin and to reconsider its recommendations.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The safety profile of Corwin has been closely monitored since its introduction onto the market in May 1988 by inclusion on the Committee on Safety of Medicine's (CSM) intensive monitoring scheme
  247
  for all newly marketed products. The CSM has reviewed all the evidence related to the safety profile of the product on a number of occasions. Restrictions have been placed on the use of the product following re-consideration by CSM as recently as January 1990. Doctors were informed of these restrictions in a letter from ICI Pharmaceuticals, who market the product, and in CSM's bulletin "Current Problems" number 28, a copy of which is available in the Library. The use of Corwin is now to be initiated only in hospital after careful assessment of the patient who is to be regularly followed up. The CSM is satisfied that the product can be used safely if these recommendations are followed, but will continue to monitor the situation carefully.

  Drug Safety
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give consideration to adopting in the United Kingdom the United States Food and Drug Administration's system of publishing summary basis of approval reports when a product licence is given to a pharmaceutical drug.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Commission of the European Community (EC) suggested publication of a summary basis of approvals in proposals for a future licensing system for licensing in the EC. Further proposals are expected from the Commission soon and we shall consider these carefully. Section 118 of the Medicines Act 1968 currently prohibits disclosure of information obtained for the purposes of the Act.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request all pharmaceutical companies to inform the Committee on Safety of Medicines when they withdraw a licence application to the United States Food and Drug Administration for a drug which has a British licence and to give the reason for the withdrawal.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are standard provisions attached to every product licence granted to a medicinal product in the United Kingdom. These provisions require the licence holder to inform the licensing authority of any information that casts doubt upon the continued validity of the data which was submitted for the purpose of the assessment of safety, quality and efficacy of any medicinal product to which the licence relates. Licence holders are also required to provide details of adverse reaction reports received worldwide by them. These statutory requirements provide sufficient safeguards to ensure that the licensing authority and the Committee on Safety of Medicines are informed of all relevant issues relating to a licensed medicinal product by the pharmaceutical company holding the licence.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make public all discussions in the Committee on Safety of Medicines on matters pertaining directly to patients' health.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The deliberations of the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) are confidential. Information on potential problems with medicines is sent regularly to all prescribers by means of CSM's "Current Problems" bulletin; in the case of major drug safety hazards the professions are alerted by means of a letter from the Chairman. Other means of publicity may be used 248
  when necessary. Drug prescribing information arid guidance is also available from a number of other sources, for example the British National Formulary, which the Department issues free to all doctors twice yearly.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation requiring the Committee on Safety of Medicines to consider whether or not a drug is more efficacious than other drugs already on the market before it grants a product licence.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no plans to amend section 19(2) of the Medicines Act 1968 which requires the licensing authority to leave out of account any question of relative efficacy.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to request the Committee on Safety of Medicines, whenever there is a withdrawal of a licence application to the United States Food and Drug Administration for a drug which has a British licence, to re-evaluate the safety evidence.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The licensing authority would consult the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) the event of important new information being made available in relation to a medical product which was licensed in the United Kingdom. Withdrawal of a licence application made to the United States Food and Drug Administration could occur for a number of reasons. In the United Kingdom holders of product licences for medicinal products are required to inform the licensing authority of any information that casts doubt upon the continued validity of data which were submitted for the purpose of the assessment of safety, quality and efficacy of the licensed product. Licence holders are also required to provide details of adverse reaction reports received by them.

  Elderly Patients
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the daily per capita food allowance is for elderly patients in continuing care in the NHS in England.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The decision as to the level of dietary requirements rests with each individual health authority.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to ensure continuing care provision in the NHS for elderly people in England;

  (2) whether he will list by region the number of beds in continuing care for elderly people which have been contracted out in England;

  (3) whether he will list, by region, the number of beds available in continuing care for elderly people in the NHS in England.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is not held centrally. The Government consider continuous nursing care services to be an integral part of NHS provision for elderly people who require them. There are several ways in which the NHS may arrange the provision of long-term, or continuous nursing care, where it is needed: by provision of community nursing to the patient's own homes; a long stay geriatric ward; in some districts, a NHS nurse managed unit; or by beds in private nursing homes paid for under contractual arrangement. It is for local health authority management to decide the nature of the continuous care service it provides, in the light of local needs and circumstances and the overall level of provision.

  Hospitals (Health and Safety)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether specific additional funding will be available to meet the cost of implementing health and safety measures in hospitals as required by recent changes in the law.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Resources to enable health authorities to meet their responsibilities under health and safety legislation are included within existing financial allocations. The level of expenditure is for individual authorities to assess in the light of their own local circumstances.

  Beverley Lewis
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has completed its consideration of the reports from the health and social services authorities and the coroner's report on the death of Beverley Lewis; and what further action he intends to take.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We have received and are carefully considering these reports, and shall soon be in a position to decide what further action would be appropriate.

  Child Migrants Trust
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will attend the opening of the Child Migrants Trust office at 8 Kingston road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7AQ; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have written to the Child Migrants Trust expressing my regret that due to a long-standing prior ministerial engagement to visit a hospital I am unable to attend the opening of the office on 29 June. I hope that the occasion will be enjoyable and that the opening will be an important stage in the work of the trust. The Government have made a grant of £20,000 to the trust to support that work.

  Family Planning Services
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to improve the family planning service provided by(a) general practitioners, including women doctors and (b) health authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [pursuant to her reply, 19 June 1990, column 508]: People should be free to choose their source of family planning advice. We look to all health authorities to provide a full range of family planning services to meet the particular needs and preferences of the local population and to strike a proper balance between services provided by specialist clinics and general practitioners. Ninety eight per cent. of general practitioners provide family planning services and advice. Women have increasingly turned to GPs for planning and advice so that now about two thirds of the 4 million people who make use of the service each year in England go to their general practitioners.

  The letter to regional general managers referred to in my earlier reply, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, reaffirms previous guidance on family planning services. This particularly emphasised the need to give choice to encourage full take up, the need for separate, less formal, arrangements for young people and their wider health role for instance in cervical smear testing.
  250
  Spending on NHS family planning services has increased in recent years. Annual spending on NHS family planning services has risen from £37·7 million in 1979 to £90·3 million in 1987–88.

  Children at Risk
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department intends to issue an explanatory circular to local authorities regarding the conduct of case conferences on children at risk, following the recent Court of Appeal ruling on disclosure of social work records.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The conduct of case conferences will be addressed in a revision of "Working Together", in the light of the Children Act, and in training materials commissioned from Nottingham university under the Depatment's central training initiative.

DEFENCE

  Regiments
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his reply of 14 June,Official Report, columns 326–27, concerning regiments; if he will give the numbers of people employed in or connected with each regiment listed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As at 30 April 1990, the total trained strength of the Army was 136,869. The number of Army personnel employed at each of the arms and services of the Regular Army on that date is as follows:

  Officers

  Soldiers

  Total

  Staff Officers

  787

  —

  787

  Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps

  1,186

  8,930

  10,116

  The Royal Regiment of Artillery

  1,256

  10,981

  12,237

  Corps of Royal Engineers

  1,333

  11,579

  12,912

  Royal Corps of Signals

  1,073

  9,787

  10,860

  Infantry

  3,470

  32,392

  35,862

  Army Air Corps

  324

  1,250

  1,574

  Royal Army Chaplains Department

  154

  —

  154

  Royal Corps of Transport

  896

  8,124

  9,020

  Royal Army Medical Corps

  918

  2,513

  3,431

  Royal Army Ordnance Corps

  1,002

  6,135

  7,137

  Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

  968

  12,692

  13,660

  Corps of Royal Military Police

  144

  2,120

  2,264

  Royal Army Pay Corps

  440

  1,499

  1,939

  Royal Army Veterinary Corps

  29

  123

  152

  Small Arms School Corps

  29

  104

  133

  Military Provost Staff Corps

  7

  95

  102

  Royal Army Educational Corps

  499

  —

  499

  Royal Army Dental Corps

  207

  190

  397

  Royal Pioneer Corps

  102

  1,158

  1,260

  Intelligence Corps

  272

  905

  1,177

  Army Physical Training Corps

  49

  351

  400

  Army Catering Corps

  164

  3,985

  4,149

  Army Legal Corps

  58

  —

  58

  General Service Corps

  3

  —

  3

  Long Service List Soldiers

  —

  766

  766

  Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps

  490

  958

  1,448

  Women's Royal Army Corps

  311

  4,061

  4,372

  A complete breakdown could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Low Flying
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to research the relationship between the heights at which (i) RAF Tornados and (ii) Tornados operated by the Luftwaffe are regularly flown and the respective accident rates for these forces.

  Mr. Neubert
  None. The total number of accidents involving Tornados flown by either the RAF or the Luftwaffe would form too small a statistical sample to enable meaningful conclusions to be drawn.

  However, after any RAF aircraft accident, a board of inquiry investigates the full circumstances (in which aircraft height may or may not be a relevant factor) and makes recommendations to minimise the risk of recurrence.

  Missiles
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received any representations from allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation favouring the cancellation of the deployment of the tactical air-tosurface missile and Tomahawk missiles on British soil.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received concerning the deployment of the tactical air-to-surface missile and Tomahawk missiles in the United Kingdom; and how many have been opposed to the deployment.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In the last year we have received about 20 letters from right hon. and hon. Members and members of the public concerning the deployment of United States TASM and Tomahawk missiles to the United Kingdom. Most of these letters have been related to CND propaganda campaigns opposing, among other things, the possible deployment of TASM to the United Kingdom.

  Atomic Weapons Establishment
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in the course of his inquiry into the atomic weapons establishment, Sir Francis Tombs was given access to commercially confidential information.

  Mr. Neubert
  No information which was classed as commercially confidential was given to Sir Francis (now Lord) Tombs in the course of his inquiry into the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards have been established to ensure that all the companies competing for the contract to manage the atomic weapons establishment had equal access to commercially useful information.

  Mr. Neubert
  All potential bidders for the management contract at the atomic weapons establishment were given a detailed invitation to tender document, attended a bidders conference and site tour and were given full opportunity to raise additional queries during an extensive pre-bid inquiry phase.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has decided to retain the safety division of the atomic weapons establishment after the introduction of private contractors.
  252
  Mr. Neubert
  Safety will continue to be given the highest priority at the atomic weapons establishment after the introduction of a management contractor and the subsequent full contractorisation of the establishment. The safety division will become part of the contractorised establishment and will be supplemented by an additional layer of safety oversight from MOD.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has yet decided on the financial criteria that will be used to monitor the performance of the management contractors to be appointed at the atomic weapons establishment.

  Mr. Neubert
  The broad criteria against which the management contractor's performance is to be assessed were included in the invitation to tender for the interim contract phase which was issued to potential bidders on 6 April 1990. The detailed arrangements will be finalised during contract negotiation.

  Sales Mission, Malaysia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the costs of the RAF mission to Malaysia to assist in the sale of Tornado aircraft.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 20 June 1990]: I assume that the hon. Member refers to the deployment of six RAF Tornadoes to Malaysia in March 1990. The purpose of this deployment was to participate in an integrated air defence system exercise under the auspices of the five power defence arrangement with Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The opportunity was also taken to promote wider British interests in the region, including defence sales, through a number of visits and presentations. I regret that a total cost for this deployment to the far east is not available and could not be provided without disproportionate effort, but all costs were met from within existing RAF allocations apart from a contribution of £40,000 from United Kingdom industry in recognition of the defence sales benefits of elements of the deployment.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many people participated in each of the last four years in London, Birmingham and Manchester in(a) employment training, and the earlier programmes it replaced, (b) the youth training scheme and (c) the enterprise allowance scheme;

  (2) how much expenditure, excluding administrative costs, has been spent in each of the last four years in London, Birmingham and Manchester on (a) employment training, and the earlier programmes it replaced, (b) the youth training scheme and (c) the enterprise allowance scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) when the Health and Safety Executive plan of work 1990–91 was due to be published; and whether there are any implications for resourcing issues;

  (2) what representations he has received from (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) the Health and Safety Commission on resourcing issues;

  (3) what additional resources he intends to allocate for the current financial year to the Health and Safety Executive; and whether there are any conditions attached.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. and learned Friend met the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and a number of commissioners on 31 May to discuss their plan of work for 1990–91 and beyond. He has approved the plan and it will be published shortly. I also refer to my answer on 26 June to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes).

  In approving the plan of work the Secretary of State has discussed with HSC the resources required to put it into effect. He has agreed with the Commission that he will find the necessary resources from within his Department's provision for 1990–91.

  Employment Service Offices
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many extra staff he proposes to employ at the Kidsgrove and Burslem offices as a result of the proposed reorganisation;

  (2) what is his current and projected estimate of the number of people using the Biddulph jobcentre and unemployment office who will be affected by the proposed reorganisation of jobcentres and unemployment offices in Staffordshire and who will use alternative premises in Kidsgrove and Burslem as a result;

  (3) how many redundancies will result from the proposed organisation of jobcentres and unemployment offices in Staffordshire;

  (4) what is his estimate of the cost and projected Cost to his Department of reimbursing travelling costs of those people currently attending the jobcentre and unemployment office in Biddulph to enable them to attend alternative premises in Kidsgrove and Burslem.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Employment Service became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service agency's chief executive will be replying in writing to the hon. Lady.

  Civil Servants (Workplaces)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessments under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations have been undertaken at all workplaces used by civil servants in his Department.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In keeping with the requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations the Department has carried out a programme to identify the risks associated with all substances and processes which are found within its many workplaces. This has confirmed that the exposure to hazardous substances within the normal office environment is low enough not to 254
  represent a significant health risk. Where the hazard is greater steps have been taken to control the use of such substances or processes, or to eliminate their use.

  Wage Rates
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will rank by average(a) male wage rates and (b) female wage rates in each of the counties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information on wage rates is not available. However, information on the average earnings of full-time employees on adult rates by county in Great Britain is published in table 110 for males, and table 113 for females, of part E of the 1989 new earnings survey report, a copy of which is in the Library. Figures by county are not readily available for Northern Ireland.

  Earnings
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in the real value of average male earnings since 1979.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Average gross weekly earnings of full-time adult males increased by 28 per cent. in real terms between April 1979 and April 1989. The increase does not relate to the same individuals at the different dates.

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what funds from his Department are currently available to support the provision of nursery, creche or playcare facilities in education establishments and elsewhere.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Department does not provide any direct funding to support the provision of child care facilities, but training providers and employers are encouraged to help parents while their training is taking place. Training and enterprise councils will be able to contribute to help with child care from their local initiative funds. They will also have an important role in encouraging other organisations to help with child care. Lone parents on employment training are entitled to receive the costs of caring for their children under 16.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much was invested in improving the energy efficiency of his Department in the latest available year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Funding
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to increase funding for the public employment service in Staffordshire.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Employment Service became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service agency's Chief Executive, will be replying in writing to the hon. Lady.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Badger Tuberculosis
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's current programme of testing the efficacy of badger tuberculosis vaccine; and if such research has been affected by the research into BSE.

  Mr. Maclean
  Further work at the central veterinary laboratory will begin this July. Research into BSE and other priority projects has contributed to delays in this work.

  Animal Feedstuffs
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received about the use of cattle offal in pig and poultry feed.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have received representations from various quarters on this issue.

  Foodstuffs (Toxic Chemicals)
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tests are applied to ascertain residue levels of toxic chemicals in imported foodstuffs from(a) eastern Europe, (b) the European Common Market and (c) the rest of the world: how many tests were carried out in each of the past five years and on what types of foods; and what changes he intends to make in this system.

  Mr. Maclean
  Imported foodstuffs are examined by Ministry and local government staff for residues of pesticides and veterinary medicines and for a wide range of potentially toxic substances such as heavy metals, natural toxins and environmental contaminants. Details of the tests and statistics relating to them are not at present held centrally, but information on the surveillance of food imports is included in reports of the Government's steering group on food surveillance, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Council directive 89/397/EEC on the official control of foodstuffs includes a requirement, from 1992, for some statistics on food law enforcement to be communicated to the Commission.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what scientific research findings underlie the decision not to include United Kingdom beef sold in the United Kingdom in the new European Community provision relating to the certification of beef as being BSE-free.

  Mr. Maclean
  As far as boneless beef is concerned, the standards applied to meat for export will be the same as those for meat for the home market. As far as bone-in beef is concerned, I do not believe that there is any scientific justification for the Community measures.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the number of pathological tests carried out for BSE in each of the European Community countries.
  256
  Mr. Maclean
  Cases of BSE have been confirmed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It became a notifiable disease throughout the European Community from 1 April 1990. I have no information about the number of examinations carried out.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions officials of his Department have been notified of suspected incidence of BSE in cattle which die or are slaughtered before being officially inspected.

  Mr. Maclean
  Precise information is not available, but the numbers are small.

  Pesticides
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the average length of time currently taken to register new pesticides in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) West Germany.

  Mr. Maclean
  In the United Kingdom an application for registration of a new pesticide active ingredient has currently to wait approximately three and a half years before full evaluation can start. The time taken for evaluation will vary according to the nature of the ingredient and the quality of the application.

  On 3 April 1990 my right hon. Friend the Minister announced several measures to accelerate the throughput of new active ingredients, including a 60 per cent. increase in the number of scientists working on registration in 1990–91.

  I have no comparable information on registration times in France and West Germany.

  Suckler Cow Premium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he intends to implement to increase the level of the suckler cow premium following the recent meeting of European Community Agriculture Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones) on 15 June 1990.

  Fish Conservation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for both safeguarding British interests and ensuring proper conservation in the light of the threat to cod and haddock stocks.

  Mr. Maclean
  The United Kingdom already safeguarded its share under the common fisheries Policy of the North sea fishery available to the European Community having secured 47 per cent. of cod and 78 per cent. of haddock and for the second year running we have again in fact secured an 87 per cent. share of haddock.

  The best means of protecting and conserving fish stocks are setting total allowable catches to allow the stock to recover to permit catches at higher levels and to ensure technical conservation measures are effective. Total allowable catches for North sea cod and haddock for 1990 have, therefore, been set at considerably reduced levels. In

  257
  addition we introduced special measures for this year to reduce the fishing of North sea haddock by means of restricting day at sea or using highly selective gear with the aim of speeding the recovery of the stock.

  Further, we have made proposals to the Community for measures to increase the selectivity of gear to reduce the catches of immature fish and at the forthcoming Fisheries Council my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) will be pressing hard for firm proposals from the Commission.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the Agriculture Council held in Luxembourg on 25 and 26 June.

  Mr. Gummer
  I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting together with my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), Parliamentary Secretary in my Department.

  The most important decision taken was that vaccination against foot and mouth disease, currently practised in eight member states, should be discontinued throughout the Community on 1 January 1992. The main protection against the disease will thereafter be provided by the slaughter of animals from infected herds as has been the case in the United Kingdom for many years. It is a major British achievement to secure Community acceptance of our policy in this area and the decision is a big step towards establishing the single market. The possibility that the health of animals in the United Kingdom could be put at risk from contact with animals vaccinated against foot and mouth disease and imported from other member states was previously one of the main obstacles to establishing the free movement of animals throughout the Community.

  Agreement was reached in principle on a regulation defining the conditions which must be met by products marketed in the Community as "organic". This will protect and reassure consumers and help to ensure equal conditions of competition in this growing sector of the market. The United Kingdom has led the way in organic food production and much of the work concerning these methods of agriculture has been pioneered in this country. The setting up of the United Kingdom register of organic food standards has now borne fruit at a Community-wide level.

  Other agreements reached included one to encourage the non-food uses of agricultural products linked to an extension of farmland to be set aside, and one on a revised regime for dried grapes, which will for the first time impose an absolute limit on expenditure in this sector.

  In a discussion on animal welfare I stressed that the Council must move ahead rapidly to establish better Community rules.

  Among other significant decisions on veterinary matters was one to establish procedures so that in future a greater proportion of expenditure undertaken to curb outbreaks of animal diseases, notably foot and mouth disease, will be met from Community funds. Another decision establishes the rules concerning veterinary checks on intra-Community trade in live animals.

  Energy Consumption
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 30 April,Official Report, column 458, if he will break down the figure of £0·7 million between solid fuel and liquid fuel.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 22 June 1990]: Within the total of £700,000, less than £5,000 was attributable to solid fuel.

ENVIRONMENT

  National Rivers Authority
  Mr. Aspinwall
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress and performance of the National Rivers Authority.

  Mr. Trippier
  The National Rivers Authority has already demonstrated clearly its determination to be an effective guardian of the water environment. It has successfully prosecuted a number of polluters and many more have received formal warnings. The authority is carrying out a national survey of water quality this year; it is actively pursuing solutions to low river flows caused by over-abstraction; and it is co-operating with the water supply undertakers in making contingency plans to deal with drought. Across all its functions the NRA is energetically engaged in a number of reviews of key policy areas.

  Mr. Paice
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to meet the chairman of the National Rivers Authority to discuss progress in improving river quality.

  Mr. Trippier
  I met the chairman of the National Rivers Authority on 1 May to discuss a range of issues relating to the water environment. I hope to do so again shortly in the context of considering the NRA's corporate plan.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Favell
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has had any recent representations seeking replacement of the community charge with a tax on property values.

  Mr. Portillo
  I continue to receive a good number of representations on all aspects of local government finance. Some of them are in favour of a tax based on property values, but such a tax would exhibit all the unfairness of the rating system.

  Mr. Blunkett
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the assumed rate of poll tax collection he is using in formulating his grant proposals for 1991–92.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: My right hon. Friend expects to make his proposals in respect of the local authority grant settlement for 1991–92 later this year.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to monitor the level of poll tax collection in England for 1990–91.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: As with other aspects of the community charge my Department is

  259
  monitoring closely the progress which authorities are making with collection. We have been in touch with a number of authorities and have included relevant questions in a quarterly statistical survey of all charging authorities to be made in July.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assumptions he made on poll tax collection rates in formulating his grant settlement for 1990–91.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: The assumptions in respect of, among other things, any surplus or shortfall in the yield from community charges for 1990–91 are set out in footnote 2 on page 2 of the revenue support grant distribution report (England) which was approved by the House on 18 January 1990.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each charge-capped local authority the information he considered, other than that submitted by the authority itself or already held by his Department, in formulating his proposal for the level of their cap.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when, subject to the approval of Parliament, he intends that the poll tax cap for Lambeth should take legal effect in respect of the poll tax to be paid.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: My right hon. Friend will lay before the House of Commons a draft order setting out his decisions on the final cap of Lambeth once he has considered fully the arguments which the council has put forward in support of its case for a higher figure than the cap which he proposed. If the House approves the draft order my right hon. Friend will make it and a statutory notice confirming the final cap will be served on the council as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter. The authority then has 21 days to set a revised budget; a new community charge must be set as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter. Until a new charge has been set charge payers in Lambeth are liable to pay the charge originally set.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will update to 1990–91 the answer given to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 2 February 1989,Official Report, columns 359–60, showing the distributional effect of the community charge in comparison with domestic rates;

  (2) if he will update to 1990–91 the answer given to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 2 February 1989, Official Report, columns 359–60, showing the numbers of gainers and losers by family type and income band from the introduction of the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 13 June 1990]: The information requested has been placed in the Library. The figures have been calculated on the same basis as those which were placed in the Library on 15 February showing the distributional impact of the community charge. Equivalent income has been calculated using the McClements scale factors.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that all student 260
  nurses, whether undertaking training on Project 2000 or on any other undergraduate nursing course, are eligible for 80 per cent. community charge relief for 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Under the Personal Community Charge (Students) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989–443) all nurses training under Project 2000 and all pre-registration undergraduate nursing students are already elegible for the student relief from the personal community charge.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to arrange for patients who suffer from multiple sclerosis to be exempted from the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  Resident hospital patients and those cared for in residential care homes, nursing homes or hostels are exempt from the personal community charge. In a small number of cases multiple sclerosis can cause severe intellectual deterioration. Most such sufferers are in residential care and are therefore exempt on those grounds; those who are still living in the community will be exempt on the grounds of severe mental impairment if they are entitled to a prescribed benefit and have been stated to be severely mentally impaired in a certificate of a registered medical practitioner.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has received a copy of "Coping with the Community Charge? The Preparations for Implementation" published by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux in April; and if he will make a statement on representations received from the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.

  Mr. Portillo
  Copies of the report were received by my Department last April. My officials will shortly be meeting representatives of the national association to discuss its contents.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding Mr. and Mrs. Western of Beechdale, Nottingham, regarding lack of relief from the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 8 June.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will raise the amount of central Government grant for Nottingham city council.

  Mr. Chope
  Nottingham city council's grant was calculated on the same basis as for all other authorities. This basis was approved by the House on 18 January and we have no plans to make changes for the current year.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines his Department is issuing to general practitioners regarding the criteria used for assessing people as being eligible for exemption from the community charge on the grounds of brain damage.

  Mr. Portillo
  Guidelines to general practitioners on the criteria to be used in assessing eligibility for the exemption from the community charge on the grounds of severe
  261
  mental impairment are issued by the Department of Health. Guidance was originally issued in a letter from the Department of Health, dated 3 November 1989; further guidance is to be issued shortly and this will be copied to charging authorities by my Department.

  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what a person on average male earnings would pay in local income tax in 1990–91 in order to raise the same amount of revenue as the community charge on average in England.

  Mr. Portillo
  The level of local income tax payable by a person on average male earnings would depend on the tax allowances available to that person.

  Illustrative figures placed in the Library on 4 April showed that, on average, the bill payable in England by a person with a taxable income of £12,800 would be £725.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from county councils about their standard spending assessments.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike).

  Sir Bernard Braine
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he has issued to local authorities on whether councillors who are refusing to pay their community charge are entitled to vote on decisions which affect their council's policy towards the pursuit of community charge defaulters.

  Mr. Portillo
  It is a criminal offence for a councillor, except in the circumstances specified in statute, to speak or vote on a matter in which he or she has a pecuniary interest. Paragraph 8 of the national code of local government conduct, which was approved by both Houses of Parliament, reminds councillors of this. If a councillor is in arrears on any payment due to the council, this can constitute pecuniary interest in questions relating to the collection of such arrears. Paragraph 31 of the code also advised councillors that they should avoid placing themselves in a position that could lead the public to think that they are receiving preferential treatment, for instance, by being in substantial arrears to the council.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received regarding the community charge.

  Mr. Portillo
  I continue to receive a number of representations on a wide range of matters concerning the community charge.

  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate how many people have refused to pay the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  This information is not available centrally and there are very few cases of wilful refusal to pay.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has recently calculated the cost to(a) a man on average male earnings and (b) a woman on average female earnings of a system of local government finance based on capital value rates with a local income tax element based on Kirklees council's 1990–91 budget.
  262
  Mr. Chope
  No. Figures were placed in the Library on 4 April showing possible tax rates with a system of either capital value rates or local income tax based on local authorities' reported 1990–91 levels of income. From these, illustrative bills showing the effect of combining the two taxes can be calculated by taking the appropriate proportion of each.

  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the average capital value rates bill in England in 1990–91 on a property worth(a) £50,000, (b) £75,000 and (c) £100,000 in order to raise the same amount of revenue as with the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  Figures placed in the Library on 4 April show illustrative levels of capital value based rates in 1990–91 were such a system to be used to raise the same amount nationally as the community charge. The implied average bills in England for properties worth(a) £50,000, (b) £75,000 and (c) £100,000 are £528, £792 and £1,056 respectively.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local government organisations in favour of replacing the community charge with a roof tax.

  Mr. Portillo
  None.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates will be the effect on the community charge in 1991 of the pay settlement for local government staff.

  Mr. Portillo
  The effect of the local authority pay settlement on community charges will depend on the extent to which authorities feel obliged to reduce the numbers employed to accommodate the settlement.

  It is important that local authorities should make every effort to keep their expenditure under control so that community charges are set at a reasonable level.

  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to meet local authority leaders to discuss the introduction of a roof tax in place of the community charge.

  Mr. Portillo
  No.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to amend the community charge legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government have already announced that they intend to bring forward legislation to amend the law on the standard community charge as it relates to caravans.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what interested groups, including local authority organisations, he has invited to submit views on changes to the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what interested groups including local authority organisations he has invited to submit views on changes to the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  A large number of views on the community charge have been received, some solicited and others unsolicited.
  263
  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many suggested alternatives he has received for amending the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department continues to receive a good many representations and suggestions on all aspects of local government finance.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he can take against councils who refuse to use their powers to pursue community charge defaulters.

  Mr. Portillo
  Financial propriety is a matter for the local authority's auditor. Under section 20 of the Local Government Finance Act 1982 where a loss has been incurred or deficiency caused by the wilful misconduct of any person, the auditor shall in carrying out his audit certify that the amount of the loss or deficiency is due from that person and may recover that amount for the benefit of the authority. Where a loss has been incurred as a result of wilful misconduct, those responsible are liable to be surcharged for the amount involved. Where they are councillors, and the amount exceeds £2,000, they are automatically disqualified from being a councillor for five years.

  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Britons living abroad registering to vote in the United Kingdom will be liable to pay the poll tax in the local government area where they register.

  Mr. Chope
  A person is subject to the personal community charge if he or she has his or her sole or main residence in England, Wales or Scotland and is not exempt. Anyone living abroad may be subject to the standard charge if they have a relevant freehold or leasehold interest in a domestic property where no one is solely or mainly resident regardless of whether that person is or is not on the electoral register.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last examined the standard spending assessments allocated to local authorities for their capital programmes.

  Mr. Chope
  The basis of the capital financing standard spending assessment is set out in the revenue support grant distribution report (England) approved by the House on 18 January.

  Mr. Rees
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his alternative proposals for the operation of the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his alternative proposals for the operation of the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  We expect to complete our review of the operation of the community charge in the next few weeks.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department is considering any further modifications to the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.
  264
  Mr. Chope
  We are reviewing the operation of the community charge to see whether any anomalies need to be addressed.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are registered to pay the community charge; and how many ratepayers there were in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Chope
  The latest information for England available to the Department shows that 35–98 million people were registered on 1 December 1989 as subject to a personal community charge, while on 1 April 1989 there were 18·92 million domestic hereditaments on the valuation list.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his review of the poll tax has taken into consideration capacity to earn in relation to ability to pay.

  Mr. Portillo
  Ability to pay is already taken into account by the provision of community charge benefit which is expected to give about one in four charge payers a reduction of up to 80 per cent. of the full community charge.

  National taxes finance the largest share of local government spending and the top 10 per cent. of households by income pay about 15 times as much towards the cost of local government services as the bottom 10 per cent.

  Mr. David Shaw
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of his review of the community charge.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of the Government's review of the poll tax.

  Mr. Portillo
  We are continuing to review the operation of the community charge to see whether any anomalies need to be addressed.

  Land Register
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the Land Register; and when he estimates that it will be closed down.

  Sir Charles Morrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the Land Register.

  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the public Land Register; and when he expects to close it down.

  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the Land Register.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the Land Register.

  Mr. Bevan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the Land Register.
  265
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  On 30 September 1989, 82,400 acres were on the register. This is 25 per cent. less than at the end of 1985. We are currently considering the role of the register and whether further measures might be appropriate to reduce the amount of public sector vacant land.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the land on the Land Register is also designated as derelict land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Entries on the register do not include this information. However, replies to my Department's derelict land survey, the results of which will be published shortly, indicated that in April 1988 some 14,000 acres of derelict land were on the register. The total amount of land registered was some 88,000 acres.

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any proposals to extend the transitional arrangements governing the introduction of the uniform business rate for smaller businesses to 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Local Government Finance Act 1988 empowers us to provide transitional arrangements for years beyond 1995. We shall certainly he prepared to use these powers to protect businesses facing large increases after the 1995 revalu tion, if this proves to be necessary.

  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to replace the 100–day rule for liability to pay the uniform business rate for bed and breakfast operations.

  Mr. Chope
  We have received a considerable number of representations on this subject from all sides of the industry to which we are currently giving careful consideration. We have not yet reached a conclusion on what, if any, changes should be made.

  Housing Finance
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Building Societies Association to discuss housing finance.

  Mr. Chope
  Ministers and officials from the Department of the Environment meet representatives of the Building Societies Association and of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, which represents a wide spectrum of mortgage lenders, including the vast majority of building societies, from time to time.

  Disposal Notices
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many disposal notices he has issued under the 1980 Act during the last 12 months.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Four notices of proposed directions in relation to unused or underused public sector land and two directions. including one of those where a notice was issued within the period.

  Avon County Council
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations concerning the effect on services he took into account in deciding the level of the community charge cap for Avon county council.

  Mr. Portillo
  Avon's final cap represents my right hon. Friend's view of what is achievable and appropriate in all the circumstances of the county council on the basis of the information before him. It is for Avon to decide what action to take to live within its cap.

  Housing, Hackney
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to visit Hackney to discuss housing with local councillors.

  Mr. Chope
  No. The Department has regular contacts with the council and will be discussing its housing needs with it as part of the forthcoming housing investment programme round.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under what circumstances disposal of radioactive material is permitted in local authority landfill sites.

  Mr. Trippier
  Radioactive waste may be disposed of only if an authorisation has been issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. Authorisations are issued after careful assessment of the environmental impact of the proposed disposal. They impose strict conditions and activity limits which are designed to ensure that any dose of radiation to the general public is below the maximum permissible as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

  Detailed information about disposal routes and practices for radioactive wastes, including disposals at local authority landfill sites, is contained in part II of the HMSO publication entitled "Radioactive Substances Act 1960—A guide to the administration of the Act", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he plans to restrict further the discharge of radioactive liquids to the public sewerage system.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Discharges of radioactivity to the public sewerage system are already closely regulated under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 (RSA60) by authorisations issued by Her Majety's inspectorate of pollution. These authorisations impose strict conditions and activity limits, set at levels which ensure proper protection from such disposals for members of the public, sewerage workers and the environment. I am satisfied that RSA60 provides a fully satisfactory regime for regulating radioactive waste disposals and I have no plans for further changes other than those proposed in part V of the Environmental Protection Bill currently before Parliament.

  House Building, Hampshire
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what communication he has had with Hampshire county council regarding house building in the county until the year 2001; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend wrote to the chairman of Hampshire county council's planning and transportation committee on 5 May. He welcomed the progress being made on the preparation of a draft countywide structure plan. He made clear his strong support for the work of the London and south-east regional planning conference and stressed the importance of the regional guidance for the south-east particularly in regard to the housing provision figures for the years 1991 to 2001 annexed to it. I understand that Hampshire county council will undertake formal public consultation on a draft plan later this year.

  Private Rents
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to take action against private landlords who have not reduced the rent inclusive of rates following the introduction of the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 8 February, Official Report, Vol. 166, column 756.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received concerning private tenants whose landlords have not reduced their rent by any rates element.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 23 May,Official Report, vol. 173, column 249.

  Ozone Layer
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's negotiating position at the United Nations conference on the ozone layer in London on 27–29 June.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 25 June.

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the London conference on the ozone layer.

  Mr. Trippier
  The second meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer beings today in London. Some 100 countries are represented. Our aims are to achieve a significantly strengthened protocol and to persuade as many countries as possible to join it.

  Right to Buy
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has as to the number of local authority tenants who have bought their homes under the right to buy legislation.
  268
  Mr. Chope
  Some 950,000 tenants have bought their homes under the right to buy from local authorities in England since April 1979.

  Cryptosporidiosis
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the report from the drinking water inspectorate on the outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in parts of North Humberside.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The drinking water inspectorate has received a report from Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. on the outbreak. It awaits further information from the company and a report from the incident control group which comprises representatives of the health authority, local authorities, public health laboratory service, the communicable disease surveillance centre and Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. after considering this information the inspectorate will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

  Council Rents
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest information on the average rate of rent increases for 1989–90 for council tenants.

  Mr. Chope
  The estimated average weekly rent for local authority dwellings in England at April 1989 is £20·70 and the provisional figure for April 1990 is £23·36, an increase of 12·9 per cent.

  Association of County Councils
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the Association of County Councils; and whether the charge-capping of some local authorities was discussed.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I last met representatives of the Association of County Councils on 21 May, together with representatives of other associations. Charge capping was not discussed.

  Housing Corporation Approvals
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State far the Environment how many new approvals will be made by the Housing Corporation in this financial year.

  Mr. Chope
  The Housing Corporation is currently discussing with housing associations which new schemes will receive approval this year, and will make an announcement in due course.

  Local Government Efficiency
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards encouraging more efficient local government.

  Mr. Portillo
  More efficient local government is to everyone's benefit. The potential savings from improved efficiency could be used to reduce charges or to deliver better services at the same charge. The community charge and the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering will each encourage greater efficiency.

  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to meet the Controller of the Audit Commission to dicuss the potential for efficiency savings in local government.
  269
  Mr. Portillo
  I met the Controller on 18 June.

  Audit Commission figures released on 13 June 1990 showed that at March 1990 auditors had identified recurrent value improvement opportunities totalling £1,328 million a year, of which £662 million had already been implemented.

  It is the duty of the auditor of each local authority to be satisfied by examining the accounts and otherwise, that the authority has made proper arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources.

  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to meet local authority leaders to discuss the potential for efficiency savings in local government.

  Mr. Portillo
  This year, as in the past, meetings will be held with leaders of the local authority associations to discuss the revenue support grant settlement. The potential for efficiency savings in local government will be among the subjects under consideration.

  World Indoor Games
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to meet representatives of Sheffield city council to discuss funding for the world indoor games.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so at this date.

  Eutrophication
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to tackle the problem of eutrophication in British waters.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Eutrophication is a problem in only a few British waters. It is tackled on a case-by-case basis which takes into account local conditions. The National Rivers Authority has the responsibility for setting the standards of effluents discharged into those waters. The most common method of control is the removal of phosphates at sewage treatment works. Other measures being taken which will reduce inputs of nutrients to our coastal waters are listed in the United Kingdom North sea action plan. The decision to ban dumping of sewage sludge at sea, and to treat all substantial sewage discharges to sea will further reduce nutrient inputs by between 10 per cent. and 20 per cent.

  Forests
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to establish new community forests.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Government have authorised three such forests—at Tyne and Wear, south Staffordshire and east London—as pilots for this joint initiative by the Countryside and Forestry Commissions. In due course we shall consider their proposals relating to nine other candidate sites: north Bristol, Cardiff, Cleveland, Hull, west Manchester, east Merseyside, Neath-Port Talbot, Southampton-Portsmouth and South Yorkshire. However no decisions on extension of the programme have yet been made.

  Water Charges
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received concerning the working of the water infrastructure charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My right hon. Friend has received numerous representations about the new system of water and sewerage infrastructure charges. The detailed application of the charges is for individual water and sewerage companies, within the terms of their instruments of appointment. The Government believe that the new system provides a much fairer way of funding the provision of infrastructure capacity for new developments then the previous system whereby new customers were subsidised by existing ones.

  Air Pollution, London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on ozone levels in central London.

  Mr. Trippier
  The United Kingdom ozone monitoring network includes a site in central London. Between January and June 1990, ozone levels measured at this site averaged 11 parts per billion (ppb). Over the same period, an hourly average of 75 ppb was exceeded on seven occasions, The World Health Organisation hourly guideline value is 75 to 100 ppb.

  The Department has produced a "Layman's Guide to Low Level Ozone", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Integrated Pollution Control
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he hopes to see the practice of integrated pollution control, which is being pioneered in Britain, spread throughout Europe.

  Mr. Trippier
  I do indeed. Although the EC recognised the benefits of an integrated system of pollution control in the fourth action programme, Britain has gone further than any country in Europe to put such a system into practice on a national basis. Given the scope for pollution reduction offered by an integrated system of control, I hope that other member states and European Governments will follow our lead.

  South Africa (Sport)
  Mr. John Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is considering any change in policy by Her Majesty's Government towards sporting links with South Africa.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Government consider that it would be premature to do so. Therefore, we remain fully committed to the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport, the Gleneagles agreement.

  Empty Properties
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to take powers to require owners to utilise empty private properties.
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  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No. It is in owners' interest to make such properties available for renting, rather than keeping them empty, thanks to the changes to private renting legislation we made in the Housing Act 1988.

  Stationery
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of his Department's notepaper is produced from mill off-cuts.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  All the letterhead paper and ministerial notepaper used in the Department of the Environment is produced from mill off-cuts.

  Housing Action Trusts
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing action trusts have been established under the provisions of the Housing Act 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  None.

  Housing Corporation
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Housing Corporation to discuss housing development.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Housing Corporation to discuss housing development.

  Mr. Chope
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning meets the Chairman of the Housing Corporation from time to time to discuss housing development and other matters.

  Mr. Bell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about funding for the Housing Corporation.

  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the funding for the Housing Corporation for 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Chope
  The Housing Corporation's gross capital expenditure in 1989–90 was £935 million, and is planned to increase to £1,100 million in 1990–91, £1,563 million in 1991–92 and £1,736 million in 1992–93.

  Housing Waiting Lists
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures for the local authority housing waiting lists.

  Mr. Chope
  The latest information available to the Department is for the number of households on housing waiting lists at April 1989, as reported by local authorities in their 1989 housing investment programme (HIP1) returns; the figures appear in column B51 of "HIP1 All Items Print (1989)", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Council House Building
  Mr. Carr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new council properties for rent he expects to be completed during 1990 and 1991.
  272
  Mr. Chope
  In the first four months of 1990, 4,300 new council dwellings are provisionally estimated to have been completed. The Government do not forecast council housing output. Housing associations are becoming the main providers of new subsidised housing for rent.

  Land Use
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is continuing to monitor the use of derelict or under-used land, once in public ownership, now transferred to private ownership under the privatisation programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No. The efficient use of their assets is a matter for the companies concerned.

  Recycling
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to introduce recycling credits for waste collection authorities.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Government intend to place a duty on waste disposal authorities to pay recycling credits to waste collection authorities in respect of waste diverted from disposal facilities by recycling. If Parliament approves this proposal, comprehensive guidelines will be published to advise authorities on how the system should operate.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he has received from local authorities regarding the idea of recycling credits for waste collection authorities.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We have received 136 written responses from local authorities and oral comments from 10 others. Most were in favour of the proposals.

  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to promote the recycling of office grade paper.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  It is important to establish a reliable chain of collection and processing facilities. I was pleased to support the Friends of the Earth paper round project at its launch on 25 June; this project is receiving grant aid from my Department through UK 2000 to help to set itself up. The paper-making industry is expanding its manufacturing capacity and the Government are also giving a lead in specifying recycled paper wherever possible: my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, announced last week that the Department is prepared to pay a reasonable premium for recycled paper in order to encourage industry to increase volume production of such paper.

  Planning
  Mr. Michael Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has held with the Council for the Protection of Rural England on planning issues in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning met the Council for the Protection of Rural England last month, following a meeting that my
  273
  right hon. Friend had with it last October. The CPRE commented earlier this year on my Department's draft planning policy guidance note on "The Countryside and the Rural Economy", and recently sent my right hon. Friend a copy of its report on planning controls over agricultural dwellings. We are studying its comments along with others received.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he expects to publish the results of the consultations of outside opinion on proposals for prior to demolition planning applications in respect of dwelling houses;

  (2) when he expects to publish the results of the consultations on proposals for pre-demolition planning applications in respect of dwelling houses, prior to site redevelopment.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Responses to the Department's consultation paper "Planning Permission: Demolition of Houses" were invited by 25 June. Over 90 responses have been received so far. They are being analysed, but I cannot yet say when I shall be able to announce the Government's conclusions.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce new planning legislation.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I propose to introduce legislation when the parliamentary timetable permits.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to review the planning procedures for rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My Department is finalising the planning policy guidance note on "The Countryside and the Rural Economy" in the light of the many comments received on the consultation draft, and continues to keep the operation of the planning system under review.

  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent submissions he has received regarding future planning strategy for south-east England.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I continue to receive many submissions which touch upon future planning strategy for south-east England. I hope later this year to receive advice on the subject from the London and south-east regional planning conference, "SERPLAN".

  Eastern Europe (Pollution)
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking in assisting eastern European countries to tackle environmental pollution.

  Mr. Trippier
  In a meeting of EC and eastern European Environment Ministers in Dublin on 16 June, at which I represented the United Kingdom, I made clear the United Kingdom's determination to play a full part in tackling the appalling environmental problems of eastern Europe. We are already active in the multilateral PHARE Poland and Hungary Assistance for Economic Restructuring—programme co-ordinated by the European Commission. This has earmarked £216 million for restructuring the economies of Poland and Hungary, more than a sixth of it 274
  for the environment, and we have provided key experts for fact-finding missions. I am hopeful that a significant proportion of the £144 million allocated to extending the programme to other eastern European democracies will stimulate environmentally sound projects and investments.

  In addition, my Department is working closely with the United Kingdom know-how fund. We have sent a local government mission to Poland and discussed co-operative action with the British water industry. We have invited representatives of industry, environmental groups, universities and the media to a seminar next month on all aspects of environmental help. I have also invited the Polish and Czech Environment Ministers to this country in the autumn after which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I hope to visit east Europe to see for ourselves what needs to be done.

  Derelict Land
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take to assist those local authorities which face the problem of increasing dereliction.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Department maintains a vigorous programme of derelict land reclamation through the derelict land grant programme. We have provided £71·5 million for this purpose in 1990–91, and I anticipate that about 1,300 hectares of derelict land will be reclaimed. Delelict land is also reclaimed by the urban development corporations and through the operation of city grant, and the urban programme.

  My Department's survey of derelict land in England in 1988 showed that the overall level of dereliction had in fact decreased by some 5,000 hectares since the last survey in 1982, although there are areas where the amount has increased. My Department will continue to target assistance at the worst areas of dereliction.

  The measures for dealing with dereliction were reviewed last year, and we are currently considering responses to the consultation document, "A Review of Derelict Land Policy". We will be announcing policy changes later this year which will ensure that these measures continue to assist local authorities to tackle the reclamation of derelict land effectively.

  Mr. Andrew Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much derelict land in public ownership has been entered on the register of derelict land for each of the last five years for which records exist.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt) as Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities on 21 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin), [Official Report, Volume 169, column 669].

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the rate at which land in public ownership currently on the register of derelict land is being disposed of.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the speed of disposals of land from the register of derelict land.
  275
  Mr. Andrew Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to improve the effectiveness of the register of derelict land.

  Mr. Moynihan
  As I stated to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 26 April, we are currently considering whether further measures might be appropriate to reduce the amount of public sector vacant land.

  Mr. Andrew Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much vacant land in public ownership is entered on the register of derelict land; and what was the acreage in each category of(a) the public sector, (b) statutory undertakers and (c) nationalised industries.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 21 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind),Official Report, Vol. 169, column 668–69.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the register of derelict land; and what steps he is taking to reduce it.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart) earlier today and to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 26 April.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in cleaning up the rivers of the United Kingdom; and what standard has been achieved against the European Community average.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There has been an overall improvement in the quality of rivers since the first national survey carried out in 1958. The most recent river quality surveys, carried out in 1985 throughout the United Kingdom, showed that 95 per cent. of the United Kingdom's rivers were of good or fair quality. A review of river classification schemes across the European Community published in 1988 by the water research centre showed that the average figure in the EC for rivers of comparable quality was 75 per cent.; the review also indicated that no other member state bettered the United Kingdom's position.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of United Kingdom rivers are of good or fair quality; and what information he has on the situation in the rest of Europe.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The river quality surveys carried out in 1985 throughout the United Kingdom showed that 95 per cent. of the United Kingdom's rivers were of good or fair quality. A review of river classifiction schemes across the European Community published in 1988 by the water research centre showed that the average figure in the EC for rivers of comparable quality was 75 per cent.; the review also indicated that no other member state bettered the United Kingdom's position.

  Building Regulations
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is planning any alterations to the building regulations between the present time and 31 December; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  A review of the Building Regulations 1985 is currently being undertaken. A number of consultation proposals has been issued, but alterations arising from these proposals are not likely to be made before the first half of 1991.

  Housing Finance
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals under consideration for the reform of housing finance.

  Mr. Chope
  A major reform of housing finance was given effect by the Housing Act 1988 and the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and is now being implemented.

  Agricultural Land
  Mr. Hannam
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many acres currently in agricultural use are estimated as being needed to satisfy the housing requirements in the south and south-west of England in the next 10 years.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter) on 21 March,Official Report, column 668.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest available figure for homelessness; and what was the figure in 1979.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  In the 12 months to March 1990 English local authorities accepted responsibility for securing accommodation for 132,890 households under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Acts; in 1979 the figure was 57,200. However, because of a change in the reporting system between 1980 and 1982, the figure for 1979 is not strictly comparable with those for later years.

  Mr. Cox
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the organisations which will deal with homelessness in London that he has met during the last three months.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have met the following voluntary organisations dealing with homelessness in London during the last three months: West End Co-ordinated Voluntary Services; Look Ahead Housing Association; St. Mungo's Housing Trust; the Salvation Army; Shelter; the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children the Shelter Housing Aid Centre; CHAR; Centrepoint (Soho); and Thames Reach.

  Mr. Buckley
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about the number of families becoming homeless through mortgage repossession.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 June 1990 to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn),Official Report, at column 642.
  277
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures for the number of homeless households in England and Wales.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The latest estimates of households accepted as homeless in England appear in table 1(a) of "Local authorities' action under the homeless provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: England. Results for the first quarter 1990. Supplementary Tables", which is in the Library.

  For information about Wales I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  European Football Competitions
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he had in Italy regarding the admission of English football teams into European competitions next season.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I made it clear to the president of the Italian Football Association, who is vice-president of UEFA, during my visit to Italy last month that it would be unwise of the Government to take a view or for UEFA to reach a decision on the return of English clubs to European competitions until we were able to assess the behaviour of English supporters both in the 1989–90 domestic season and at the World Cup finals.

  EC Directives
  Mr. Ground
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is Britain's record on infraction proceedings arising from European Community environment directives; and what are the comparable figures for other Community countries.

  Mr. Trippier
  According to figures published for the first time this year by the European Commission, as at 31 December 1989 the number of current infraction proceedings against each member state on environmental matters was as follows:

  Number

  Spain

  57

  Belgium

  47

  Greece

  45

  France

  41

  Italy

  40

  United Kingdom

  31

  Federal Republic of Germany

  29

  Netherlands

  24

  Ireland

  21

  Portugal

  14

  Luxembourg

  12

  Denmark

  5

  These figures cover all stages of proceedings for alleged failure to comply with treaty obligations, including letters of notice. A number of the cases recorded against the United Kingdom have since been terminated.

  There are just two cases against the United Kingdom which have been brought by the Commission to the European Court of Justice, both of which have yet to be heard. According to the Commission, the comparable figures for other member states are as follows:
  278

  Number

  FRG

  8

  Belgium

  7

  France

  7

  Italy

  7

  Greece

  3

  Spain

  3

  Nethelands

  2

  Luxembourg

  1

  Denmark

  0

  Ireland

  0

  Portugal

  0

  Climate Change
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his reponse to the findings of recent scientific research on the specific impact of human activity on climatic changes.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Prime Minister set out the Government's response to the report on the science of climate change produced by working group I of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change in her speech on 25 May 1990 at the opening of the Hadley centre for climate prediction and research.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his discussions with the other European Community Environment Ministers on the directive concerning the discharge of dangerous substances into water.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) on 12 June at columns 160–61.

  Environmental Protection (Fiscal Measures)
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has made a recent assessment of the possible use of fiscal measures to improve protection of the environment.

  Mr. Trippier
  Fiscal measures are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to seek to establish Europe-wide controls on the transport of toxic waste.

  Mr. Trippier
  Movement of hazardous waste involving EC member states is regulated by national law implementing the relevant EC directive. The Government have urged the Commission to bring forward proposals quickly to amend this directive to give effect to the global system of controls to be established under the Basle convention. The Government have also taken a lead in proposing measures to reduce transfrontier movements of waste to the environmentally justified minimum and as a result EC Environment Ministers agreed earlier this month to aim for self-sufficiency in waste disposal facilities.

  Action For Cities Programme
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount the Government are currently spending on inner city regeneration under the action for cities programme.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 17 May,Official Report, column 503.

  Rents to Mortgages Scheme
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the rents to mortgages scheme will include help for participants who might encounter difficulties with meeting the mortgage payments.

  Mr. Chope
  No such scheme has been announced for England.

  Caravan Sites
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to review the workings of the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have no plans to review the workings of the legislation.

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the performance and progress of the urban development corporations.

  Mr. Portillo
  The 10 English urban development corporations are making good progress in regenerating their areas. They have secured £9 billion of private sector investment, created or attracted nearly 50,000 jobs and facilitated the completion of over 15,000 dwellings.

  Local Government (Responsibilities)
  Mr. David Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of the extra responsibilities placed by national Government on to local government except for education for each of the two years ended 5 April and his best estimate of the cost of compliance to local government.

  Mr. Chope
  The major new burdens, other than those relating to education, falling to local government in 1990–91 include: community charge collection, the implementation of the Children Act, new initiatives in waste disposal management, and the structural maintenance of bridges after existing EC derogation in respect of lorry weights ends in 1999.

  The major new burden, other than those burdens relating to education, falling to local authorities in 1989–90 was preparation for the introduction of the community charge.

  The best estimates of the costs of these burdens plus savings resulting from improvements in efficiency or the removal of responsibilities, such as the ending of the rating system, were taken into account, along with all the other relevant factors, when we made the settlements for 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Waste Disposal Sites
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number and current status of waste disposal sites in England by disposal authority, waste type, town, location of facility, and land size, or so much of such information as is available.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department of the Environment does not hold a definitive list of waste disposal sites in England. Each disposal authority is required to maintain a register containing details of all disposal licences issued by the authority which are in force. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the authorities concerned.

  European Badger
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what protective status the EEC accords to the European badger.

  Mr. Trippier
  None.

  Beach Pollution
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the main measures taken since 1974 by his Department to combat pollution of beaches in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on recent progress.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The EEC bathing water directive was adopted in 1975. In December 1979 the present administration announced a list of 27 bathing waters to be monitored under the terms of the directive. Further bathing waters were added in 1985 and subsequent years. At present 440 bathing waters have been identified including all major seaside resorts. During the 1989 bathing season 76 per cent. met the directive's mandatory standards for coliform bacteria.

  A £1·4 billion investment programme was announced last year to bring all bathing waters into compliance within 10 years. On 5 March my right hon. Friend announced, at column 452, a further £1·5 billion investment programme to ensure that all substantial discharges of sewage are treated before discharge to inland or coastal waters. Discussions are now being held with the water industry to work out the detailed implementation of this policy.

  Measures are also being taken to reduce litter on beaches. The Environmental Protection Bill places a new duty on local authorities and some other landowners to do all that is practicable to keep their land, including beaches, clear of litter and refuse.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment pursuant to hs reply to the hon. Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 23 May,Official Report, column 255, what consideration is being given in his Department's review of noise control to the noise created by low-flying military aircraft.

  Mr. Trippier
  Noise from defence establishments is formally excluded from the terms of reference of the noise review working party. However, the members of the working party are aware of the issues raised by low-flying military aircraft, and the Ministry of Defence was represented at the meeting at which aircraft noise as a whole was discussed.

  Hazardous Substances
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessments under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations have been undertaken at all workplaces used by civil servants in his Department.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department's policy is to provide a safe working environment and safe methods of work that are without risk to the health and safety of its employees. Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 (COSHH) my Department has assessed departmental working environments and found no instances of significant exposure to a hazardous substance.

  Budgeted Changes in Financial Reserves 1990–91 £
  million

  Reserves at 1 April 1990 as percentage of 1989–90 net revenue
  expenditure Percentage

  Budgeted reserves at 1 April 1991 as per centage of 1990–91 net
  revenue expenditure Percentage

  Avon

  0

  N/A

  3

  Bedfordshire

  -3·9

  5

  3

  Berkshire

  6·5

  N/A

  1

  Buckinghamshire

  -4·5

  7

  5

  Cambridgeshire

  -7·1

  17

  13

  Cheshire

  0

  3

  3

  Cleveland

  0

  2

  2

  Cornwall

  0

  6

  6

  Cumbria

  6·2

  N/A

  4

  Derbyshire

  0

  2

  1

  Devon

  4·8

  7

  7

  Dorset

  -2·5

  3

  2

  Durham

  -0·8

  9

  8

  East Sussex

  0·2

  2

  1

  Essex

  -18·2

  5

  2

  Gloucestershire

  -0·2

  2

  2

  Hampshire

  4·6

  1

  1

  Hereford & Worcester

  0

  3

  2

  Hertfordshire

  -2·0

  3

  3

  Humberside

  0·2

  3

  3

  Isle of Wight

  1·3

  1

  2

  Kent

  0

  2

  2

  Lancashire

  13·6

  1

  3

  Leicestershire

  -0·4

  4

  3

  Lincolnshire

  -6·8

  10

  7

  Norfolk

  0

  4

  4

  Northamptonshire

  0

  3

  3

  Northumberland

  0

  N/A

  7

  North Yorkshire

  -5·0

  4

  2

  Nottinghamshire

  -10·5

  9

  7

  Oxfordshire

  -0·5

  5

  4

  Shropshire

  0·3

  4

  4

  Somerset

  -1·0

  5

  4

  Staffordshire

  0

  5

  4

  Suffolk

  0

  4

  3

  Surrey

  0·3

  3

  3

  Warkwickshire

  -3·4

  3

  2

  West Sussex

  -0·4

  16

  14

  Wiltshire

  -2·9

  4

  2

  N/A—not available

  Boundary Commission Reports
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local government boundary commission reports he is currently considering, stating the date he received each and setting out reasons for any delay in making a decision.
  282
  The assessments will be reviewed on a continuing basis, and amended where there are any significant changes to work.

  County Councils (Reserves)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the latest information available to him on the proposed changes in financial reserves held by English county councils during the 1990–91 financial year, and his estimate of the proportions of net revenue expenditure represented by such reserves at 31 March 1990 and 31 March 1991.

  Mr. Chope
  The available information derived from authorities' budget returns is given in the table. Negative values indicate drawings from reserves and positive values indicate the building up of reserves.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [pursuant to his answer, 21 June 1990, Official Report, columns 638–39]: The reports under consideration are:
  283

  Commission's report number

  Date of receipt

  Review of counties

  Bedfordshire: boundaries with Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire

  566

  114 November 1988

  Berkshire: boundaries with Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey

  558

  131 August 1988

  Buckinghamshire: boundaries with Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire

  571

  15 May 1989

  Hampshire: boundaries with Dorset, West Sussex and Wiltshire

  580

  1 February 1990

  Leicestershire: boundaries with Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire

  577

  19 October 1989

  South Yorkshire: boundaries with Doncaster (North Yorkshire) and Bassetlaw (Nottinghamshire)

  585

  4 June 1990

  Staffordshire: boundaries with Cheshire, Derbyshire, Hereford and Worcester, and Warwickshire

  582

  112 February 1990

  Surrey: boundary with Hampshire

  578

  19 January 1990

  Reviews of parishes within districts/boroughs

  Chorley

  —

  1 May 1990

  Northampton

  —

  2 January 1990

  Woodspring

  —

  12 February 1990

  1 Decision to be announced shortly.

  By statute, a period of at least six weeks has to be allowed for representations to he made to the Secretary of State following the submission of proposals to him by the local government boundary commission. In practice, a longer period is given. In addition, pressure of other work on the staff concerned has meant that we have not been able to deal with all difficult cases as quickly as we would have wished.

  Admission Charges
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in light of the recent decision by the House of Lords in the case of James v. Eastleigh Borough Council, what advice he is now offering to the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England in respect of concessionary admission charges for elderly people.

  Mr. Trippier
  This is a matter for the Commission.

  North Sea (Dumping)
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to speeding up the prohibition of the dumping of sewage and other waste in the North sea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I hope to publish shortly a guidance note on implementation in the United Kingdom of the decisions agreed at the Hague conference on the North sea on 7 and 8 March. The conference was concerned with all types of waste input to the sea, including the dumping from ships of treated sewage sludge and sewage discharges to coastal waters. On these matters the United Kingdom policy remains as set out in the answer given respectively by my right hon. Friend the 284
  Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French) on 5 March and by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 5 March.

  Radioactive Waste Management
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he, or his Department, makes appointments to the panel of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  My colleages the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Scotland and Wales decide what appointments should be made to the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the meetings of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council are open to the public.

  Mr. Trippier
  The meetings of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee are not open to members of the public. However, the committee publishes annual reports summarising the work it has undertaken throughout the year.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what vacancies are current or forthcoming on the panel of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  There are no vacancies in the membership of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee. The terms of office of eight members come to an end later this year.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the membership of the panel of the
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  Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council; and if there is any provision for the representation of any environmental public interest groups on this panel or at meetings of the panel.

  Mr. Trippier
  The membership of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee is as set out in the latest annual report, with the one exception that Professor J. R. Greening has now retired. A copy of the annual report has been placed in the Library. The committee holds regular meetings with a wide range of public interest groups and takes their views into account in providing advice to Ministers.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what funding is available to facilitate public attendance at meetings of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  No funds are available for this purpose as the meetings of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee are not open to the public.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the remit of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  The remit of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee is set out in the first annual report of May 1980, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what public interest groups have representation on the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council; and whether such groups make suggestions to him for individuals to be nominated to take part in the work of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  The membership of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee is set out in the annual reports, copies of which are placed in the Library. My right hon. Friend considers all suggestions for nominations to the committee, including those from public interest groups.

  Tourist Resorts
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for assisting local authorities which have a large influx of visitors during the summer months.

  Mr. Chope
  There is an allowance in the other services block standard spending assessment fot the costs related to tourism, based on the annual average number of nights that visitors stayed in a given local authority's area.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider a specific tourism grant for major holiday resorts to cover the additional costs associated with a large increase in population for parts of the year.

  Mr. Chope
  There is no need to establish a specific grant for this purpose. The costs which fall to local authorities as a result of seasonal influxes of tourists are already taken into account in the annual revenue support grant settlement.

  South West Water
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that the inspector who conducted the inquiry at the Old Postern, Dartington, on 18 June, into South West Water's application for a drought order on the River Avon, is given the details of the accidental discharge of titanium dioxide into the River Erme on 15 June and of the damage done to aquatic life; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The discharge of titanium dioxide into the River Erme on 15 June has no direct bearing on South West Water's application for a drought order affecting the River Avon, because the rivers are not linked. I understand from the National Rivers Authority that, although this discharge affected the appearance of the Erme, it did not affect aquatic life. The Secretary of State's decision on the drought order application will be issued as soon as possible.

  Air Pollution
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the information held by the Department of the Environment press office about daily ozone pollution levels is available to members of the public; and whether he plans to further improve the availability of information from the national air pollution monitoring network to the public.

  Mr. Trippier
  As announced last August when the low-level ozone public information system was set up, information is available to any member of the public who contacts the DOE press office (telephone number 071 276 3000—public inquiries unit) during episodes of elevated ozone levels. The Department is constantly looking at ways to improve its services.

  Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost to the Warrington and Runcorm development corporation of(a) redundancy money paid to staff joining business ventures employed by the corporation and (b) the provision of rent-free accommodation to business ventures employed by the corporation.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: In accordance with its contractual obligations the corporation made redundancy payments totalling £4·6 million to staff who joined business ventures. The fees paid to business ventures by the development corporation took account of their use of corporation premises.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for how long rent-free accommodation was provided by Warrington and Runcorn development corporation to business ventures employed by them; and what was the loss of revenue to the corporation.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The corporation ensured that the provision of accommodation to business ventures was reflected in the level of fees which it paid for their services. There was therefore no loss of revenue to the corporation. The length of time that busines ventures used corporation accommodation varied from 12 months to 30 months.
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  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the redundancy payments made by Warrington and Runcorn development corporation to each of their officials, together with their grades, who joined a business venture employed by them.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 25 June 1990]: The information requested could be provided in the Form requested only at disproportionate cost. A total of £4·6 million was paid to 283 members of staff, an average of £16,300.

  Toxic Algae
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the report of the National Rivers Authority's task force on the problems of toxic blue-green algae, and the related deaths of sheep and dogs at Rutland Water, will be published.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: The report is nearing completion and will be published as soon as possible.

  Social Deprivation
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in rank order the social deprivation index for local authorities for 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 26 June 1990]: I have today placed a table in the Library showing for each charging authority the value of the all ages social index for 1990–91, described in annex A to the revenue support grant distibution report (England), together with its rank in England, and the equivalent figures for 1989–90, described
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  under indicator C9 in the rate support grant report (England) 1989–90. The values of the indicators cannot be compared directly.

  Private Rented Housing
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on changes in the size of the private rented housing market; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) earlier today.

  Norman Shaw North (Water Supply)
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 14 June,Official Report, column 296, if his Department has yet determined the source of the coli-aerogenes discovered in the water supply of the Norman Shaw North parliamentary building.

  Mr. Chope
  Since my answer of 14 June there have been further developments. The presence of coli-aerogenes was again detected in the supply, but because the chlorine level was above the minimum standard, the Parliamentary Works Office was advised that the supply did not have to be shut off. Both the system in the building and the mains have since been sterilised and the subsequent test results are good.

  It is not easy to establish the source of this sort of contamination, but it seems that the problem did not orginate in the building but in the mains.

  DOG CONTROL: CONSULTATION PAPER
  DOG CONTROL: CONSULTATION PAPER
  TREVI GROUP AND EC IMMIGRATION MINISTERS' MEETINGS 14th AND 15th JUNE
  TREVI GROUP AND EC IMMIGRATION MINISTERS' MEETINGS 14th AND 15th JUNE
  HMT "DUNERA": JEWISH REFUGEES' REPRESENTATIONS
  HMT "DUNERA": JEWISH REFUGEES' REPRESENTATIONS
  BOVINE BRAINS: ADVICE ON SLAUGHTERHOUSE PRACTICE
  BOVINE BRAINS: ADVICE ON SLAUGHTERHOUSE PRACTICE
  HEART DISEASE PREVENTION
  HEART DISEASE PREVENTION
  WORLD HERITAGE SITES: PLANNING INQUIRIES
  WORLD HERITAGE SITES: PLANNING INQUIRIES
  EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER COMPARISONS
  EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER COMPARISONS