Written Answers of 1 March 1990

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Roads (Ireland)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the list of approved and unapproved roads between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Ryder
  The list of routes approved for traffic with the Republic of Ireland is being reviewed by Customs and Excise at the present time. This is linked to the introduction of computer-assisted processing of customs declarations.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of those families with children will receive more in child benefit than they pay out in income tax in the current financial year.

  Mr. Lilley
  In 1989–90, an estimated 2·3 million families will receive more in child benefit than they pay in income tax. This represents about a third of all families with children. Estimates are based on a projection of the 1987 family expenditure survey and are subject to revision.

  Corporation Taxes
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total take for corporation taxes as a percentage of gross domestic product, and of company incomes for each year from 1979–80, including his estimate of the outturn for 1989–90.

  Mr. Lilley
  The available information is as follows:

  Year

  Corporation tax1 as a proportion of

  Gross domestic product2 Percentage

  Company incomes3 Percentage

  1979–80

  2·3

  11·7

  1980–81

  2·0

  12·0

  1981–82

  1·9

  11·7

  1982–83

  2·0

  12·2

  1983–84

  1·9

  10·5

  1984–85

  2·5

  12·5

  1985–86

  2·9

  14·1

  1986–87

  3·5

  18·6

  1987–88

  3·7

  17·7

  1988–89

  4·0

  18·4

  1 Mainstream plus Advance Corporation tax, Excluding Public Corporations.

  2 At Market Prices, calendar year.

  3 Total company income in the calendar year as defined in the national accounts, net of interest payments.

  Reliable estimates for the current year are not yet available.

  Mortgages
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the median mortgage for residential property in each year since 1970 and the ratio of that median to the median annual earnings of the full-time adult male manual and non-manual worker, respectively.

  Mr. Ryder
  Information for 1978 to 1988 on median mortgages issued by building societies on residential property is published by the DOE in "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978–1988", table 10.13. Tables 10.20 and 10.22 in the same publication contain information on the size distribution of bank and insurance company mortgages respectively, from which medians may be calculated. Earlier information for building society mortgages only is contained in previous editions of "Housing and Construction Statistics". Median gross weekly earnings in April of each year for full-time adult male manual and non-manual employees are published by the Department of Employment in table 15, part A, of the new earnings survey reports. Figures for 1970 to 1978 can be found in the 1978 report and for 1979 to 1989 in the 1989 report.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year from 1970 his estimate of the number of mortgages for residential property together with (a) the average amount of mortgage, (b) average earnings of full-time adult male manual and non-manual workers, respectively, (c) average earnings of full-time adult female manual and non-manual workers, respectively, and (d) the number of workers in (b) and (c).

  Mr. Ryder
  Information on numbers of mortgage advances on residential property and average advances is published by the DOE in "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978–1988", table 10.4. Information for years previous to 1978 is available for building societies only in previous editions of "Housing and Construction Statistics". Average gross weekly earnings in April of each year for full-time adult male and female manual and non-manual employees are published by the Department of Employment in table 15, part A of the new earnings survey reports. Figures for 1970 to 1978 can be found in the 1978 report and for 1979 to 1989 in the 1989 report. Disaggregated data on employment are published in the Employment Gazette, December 1989, table 1.10, and in previous editions of the Gazette.

  Conveyancing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for each year from 1970 the number of conveyances of residential property, the average value, and the ratio of that value to median earnings of(a) all full-time adult male workers and (b) all full-time adult male manual workers.

  Mr. Lilley
  Annual information on the numbers and value of conveyances in England and Wales is not available for years prior to 1986. Figures for 1986 to 1988 are available in table 15.1 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1989". Figures for the average price of dwellings purchased with a building society mortgage can be found
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  in table 105 of the 1969–79 and table 10.11 of the 1978–88 editions of "Housing and Construction Statistics". Median earnings figures can be found in section 6 of the 1977, 1986 and 1990 editions of "Annual Abstract of Statistics".

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for 1978 and 1983 the number of conveyances of residential property in each region, the average value, and the ratio of that value to median earnings of all full-time adult male workers.

  Mr. Lilley
  Annual information on the numbers and value of conveyances in England and Wales is not available for years prior to 1986.

  Figures for the average price by region of dwellings purchased with a building society mortgage can be found at table 10.11 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1977–1987". Median earnings figures by region within Great Britain can be found at table 116 of part E of the 1978 and 1983 editions of the new earnings survey.

  Rateable Values
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the average rateable value of the highest and lowest 5 per cent. of rated dwellings.

  Mr. Lilley
  This information could not be produced without a disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for England and Wales the total rateable values of residential property at the time of the last revaluation together with the estimated capital value; and whether he will provide in each case the proportion accounted for by the half with the lowest values.

  Mr. Lilley
  As the book "Inland Revenue Statistics 1989" shows, the total rateable value of residential property in England and Wales at 1 April 1973 is £4,032 million. The information on capital value is contained in the book "UK National Accounts 1989." The other information could not be produced without a disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.

  Incomes
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the highest and lowest 5 per cent. of gross incomes the percentage of gross incomes paid in income tax and national insurance contributions in (a) 1978–79, (b) 1988–89 and (c) 1989–90.

  Mr. Lilley
  Information is given in the table; estimates are based on the distributions in 1978–79, 1988–89 and 1989–90 of the gross earnings and investment income of married couples and single people aged under 65 who would be liable to pay income tax or national insurance contributions. The estimates for 1988–89 and 1989–90 are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are provisional.
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  Married Couples and Single People Aged Under 65 Liable to Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions Ranged by Gross Income

  Distribution by Gross Income

  Proportion of Gross Income paid in income tax and NIC

  1978–79 per cent.

  1988–89 per cent.

  1989–90 per cent.

  Lowest 5 per cent.1

  9

  6

  5

  Highest 5 per cent.1

  34

  29

  29

  1 The lowest/highest 5 per cent, each contain (a) 970,000 married couples and single people in 1978–79, (b) 990,000 in 1988–89, and (c) 1 million in 1989–90.

  Independent Taxation
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many households will gain as a result of the proposals for independent taxation; how many could potentially gain because of the ability of husband and wife to swap investment income; and what is the income distribution of these households;

  (2) how many households will pay less in taxation as a proportion of household income as a result of the introduction of independent taxation; and what is (a) the income distribution and (b) the regional distribution of these households.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 February 1990]: Available information is given in the table. Estimates are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are provisional.

  Independent Taxation 1990–91

  Total income of married couple

  Married couples1

  Married couples2

  £'000

  '000

  '000

  0–5

  —

  —

  5–10

  370

  210

  10–15

  510

  530

  15–20

  390

  620

  20–25

  220

  400

  25–30

  160

  280

  Over 30

  1,350

  940

  All ranges

  3,000

  2,980

  1 With reduction in income tax liability. Makes no allowance for possible behavioural changes and the effect on Capital Gains Tax receipts.

  2 Who could reduce their income tax liability by transferring income bearing assets from husband to wife or vice versa.

  I regret that information on the regional distribution of gainers is not available.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total sale price received and the net asset value of each public undertaking sold since 1980.

  Mr. Peter Lilley
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 February 1990, c. 963]: I regret that the table relating to my answer was omitted; it is as follows:
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  £ million

  Company1

  Date of privatisation

  Gross proceeds from sale

  Net asset value at privatisation2

  British Aerospace

  1981

  3150

  296

  1985

  4551

  445

  Cable and Wireless

  1981

  5224

  152

  1983

  275

  117

  1985

  933

  166

  Amersham International

  1982

  671

  28

  National Freight Consortium

  1982

  753·5

  45·3

  Britoil

  1982

  549

  113

  1985

  449

  234

  Associated British Ports

  1983

  22

  73

  1984

  52

  77

  Enterprise Oil

  1984

  392

  117

  British Telecom

  1984

  3,916

  3,007

  British Gas

  1986

  5,434

  5,181

  British Airways

  1987

  900

  619

  Royal Ordnance

  1987

  190

  227

  Rolls-Royce

  1987

  1,363

  789

  BAA

  1987

  1,281

  694

  British Petroleum

  1983

  566

  638

  (residual sale)

  1987

  87,240

  3,199

  National Seed Development Organisation

  1987

  27

  15·4

  Professional and Executive Recruitment

  1988

  6

  1·2

  Rover Group

  1988

  9150

  10881

  British Steel

  1988

  2,500

  3,594

  General Practice Finance Corporation

  1989

  15·7

  5·6

  Shorts

  1989

  30

  30

  Harland and Wolff

  1989

  6

  6

  1 Excluding sales of subsidiaries by Nationalised Industries.

  2 Historic cost basis. For sales of less than 100 per cent, the net asset value for the proportion sold has been given.

  3 £50m to HMG.

  4 £363m to HMG.

  5 £189m to HMG.

  6 £65m to HMG.

  7 Net £6·5m after Government funding of pension liabilities.

  8 £5,725m to HMG.

  9 To be received by 30 March 1990.

  10 Includes Government cash injection of £547m.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Malicious Communications
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Attorney-General what criteria the Crown prosecution service follows when deciding whether to bring a prosecution under the Malicious Communications Act; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The criteria which the Crown prosecution service follows when deciding whether to prosecute any offence, including any under this Act, are set out in the code for Crown prosecutors promulgated under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. These are that there is sufficient admissible, substantial and reliable evidence to afford a realistic prospect of a conviction and that the public interest requires a prosecution.

  Authorised Practitioners
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Attorney-General what will be the extra manpower involved in carrying out the new responsibilities proposed in the Courts and Legal Services Bill in respect of authorised practitioners; and what is the anticipated extra financial cost.

  The Attorney-General
  The annual cost of the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board, the conveyancing ombudsman and the conveyancing appeal tribunals is anticipated to be approximately £0·9 million in its first full year. The secretariats and support staff will 268
  require about 15 staff and the board itself, the ombudsman and the tribunal members will total a maximum of 13 individuals. It is intended that the board, the ombudsman and their secretariats should be self-financing and that any initial Government funding should decrease as quickly as possible. It is not possible, however, to estimate at this stage how much of any Government grant might be recouped from fees.

  Director of Public Prosecutions
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Attorney-General if he has any plans to meet the Director of Public Prosecutions; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  I frequently meet the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss matters of departmental interest. Such meetings are arranged as and when necessary.

  House of Fraser
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Attorney-General whether the criminal investigation into matters raised by the report by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors into the House of Fraser has been concluded; and when he expects the Serious Fraud Office to reach a decision on prosecution.

  The Attorney-General
  The Director of Public Prosecutions and the director of the Serious Fraud Office have today issued the following statement:
  269
  "The Report of the Inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry was passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of the Serious Fraud Office on 14th July 1988. After careful consideration of the Report and the accompanying evidence, the Directors jointly referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police on 24th November 1988 and asked for necessary enquiries to be carried out. Following the request of the Directors, the Secretary of State witheld publication of the Report.
  The Directors are now satisfied that all lines of enquiry have been pursued and that the evidence available is insufficient to afford a realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal offence relating to any matter of substance raised in the Report.
  The Secretary of State has accordingly been informed that the Directors withdraw their objections to the publication of the Inspectors' Report."

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Magistrates Court, Crawley
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to build a new magistrates court in Crawley.

  Mr. John Patten
  West Sussex county council has sought Home Office grant approval for the extension of Crawley magistrates courthouse to provide an additional courtroom. The council has not yet submitted a first stage investment appraisal, and will need to do so before a building start date can be considered.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each category of parliamentary questions which it is his policy not to answer.

  Mr. Waddington
  Of those questions not transferred, none.

  Violent Crime (Compensation)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the nations that have signed the European convention on reciprocal compensation for victims of violent crime, and give details of the representations that have been made to those European nations which have not yet signed the convention.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Council of Europe convention on the compensation of victims of violent crimes, which lays down minimum standards for national arrangements for payment of compensation, was signed by the United Kingdom when it was opened for signature on 24 November 1983. The other signatory states are Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Turkey.

  The convention came into force on 1 February 1988. On 7 February 1990, we joined Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden as contracting states. The convention will come into force in relation to the United Kingdom on 1 June 1990, and we shall take every opportunity to encourage other countries to adopt it.

  There have been various calls in both the Council of Europe and the European Community for states to sign and ratify this convention.

  Prison Service
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Oxford, East on 19 February,Official Report, column 595, what was the cost of the contract awarded to the PA Consulting Group for its review of the prison service organisation above establishment level from its commencement until the end of its first extension in December 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  The projected price of the contract was £271,230, and £255,740 has been paid to date. Both sums include VAT.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the role of the PA Consulting Group on the studies which led to changes in working practices in prison establishments, known as "fresh start"; and what was the cost of their work.

  Mr. Mellor
  PA Management Consultants were engaged by the prison service in September 1985 to assist in studies of complementing in prisons and of the shift systems worked by prison officers. PA's role was limited to that of bringing to bear knowledge and skills, for example in the complex area of adapting shift arrangements to the grouping of work arrangements which, at the time, were unavailable within the Home Office to the extent required by the exercise.

  As part of this work, PA advised the prison service on the development of its "fresh start" proposals, which were put to prison service unions in February 1987, although they took no part in the subsequent negotiations. PA consultants also provided advice on the implementation of the proposals, including development work and training, and they assisted in the running of an evaluation of "fresh start" during November 1987. Their further assistance was used in the drawing up and implementation of an action plan, based on the evaluation, to ensure the development and establishment of best practice across all prison establishments.

  The total cost of PA's services for work undertaken over a four-year period in respect of "fresh start" was £948,720·90. This amount includes expenses and VAT as well as fees.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total number of males under the age of 17 years appearing before the courts in England and Wales during 1988;

  (2) what was the total number of males under the age of 17 years who appeared in courts in Wales during 1988.

  Mr. John Patten
  In 1988 in England and Wales, 43,600 males under the age of 17 were prosecuted for indictable offences, of whom 3,300 appeared before the Welsh courts.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of males under the age of 17 years who were remanded into prisons and remand centres in England and Wales during 1988.

  Mr. Mellor
  Information on the number of males aged 14 to 16 received on remand into prison service establishments in England and Wales is published
  271
  annually in "Prison statistics, England and Wales" (table 2.6 of the latest volume, for 1988, Cm 825) copies of which are in the Library.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to reply to the letter of 13 June 1989, and the reminders of 14 September 1989, 25 October 1989 and 21 December 1989, from the hon. Member for Livingston on behalf of his constituent Mr. Wali Mohammed, his reference M29441 1.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 27 February.

  HGVs (Roadside Checks)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces co-operate with local authority trading standards officers or environmental health officers in roadside checks of heavy goods vehicles.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  All police forces participate in roadside checks of heavy goods vehicles where resources permit, and, where appropriate, roadside check sites are available.

  Terrorist Suspects (Interviews)
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the tape recording of interviews with suspected terrorists; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  Tape recording of summaries of interviews with suspected terrorists, and of their comments on the summary, is to be introduced on an experimental basis by the Metropolitan and Merseyside police from Monday 5 March. The experiment will run for two years and will be monitored by the research and planning unit of the Home Office, reporting to a steering committee which includes representatives of the police, the Crown prosecution service, the Criminal Bar Association and the Law Society. I have placed a copy of the relevant notes of guidance in the Library.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Civil Service Unions
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will take steps to improve communications with the Civil Service unions.

  Mr. Luce
  I believe that in general the present arrangements for communications with the Civil Service unions work well.

ENERGY

  Atomic Energy Development (Files)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he requested that any files relating to atomic energy development should be withheld from release on 1 January under sections 3(4) and 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958.
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  Mr. Baldry
  In accordance with established criteria, my Department has requested that certain files in the category referred to by the hon. Member should be withheld. It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to disclose the contents of records which are so withheld from public release.

  Reactor Projects
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on current United Kingdom involvement in, and future financial commitment to(a) the international thermonuclear experimental reactor, (b) the next European Torus and (c) the compact ignition Tokamak fusion reactor projects.

  Mr. Baldry
  The proposed new framework programme for Community research and development for the period 1990–94 includes provision for continuing work on a "next step" fusion reactor. The international thermonuclear experimental reactor is the subject of collaboration in conceptual design between Euratom, Japan, the USA and the USSR which is due to be completed at the end of 1990. The United Kingdom is involved only through Euratom.

  The design of the next European Torus is being defined by a small team based at Garching in Germany. The UKAEA is a party to the agreement setting up the team and makes a modest contribution by providing staff. Extension of either project to engineering design would require a further decision by the Council of Ministers.

  I understand that the compact ignition Tokamak fusion reactor is a United States project in which the United Kingdom is not involved.

  Flue Gas Desulphurisation
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he is reviewing his policy on the fitting of flue gas desulphurisation to 12 GW of coal-burning electricity generating capacity;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to deal with coal-burning power station emission problems by means of combustion process controls as distinct from importing low-sulphur content coal;

  (3) what effect he envisages on the make-up of British Coal, after the current three-year contract with the principal generators, if flue gas desulphurisation proceeds only at the 4 GW Drax project.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government are determined to implement in full the EC large combustion plants directive. This directive commits the United Kingdom to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from existing plants, such as fossil-fuelled power stations, but does not specify the means by which this has to be done. It is for the electricity industry to plan how it will achieve its share of these reductions. The fitting of flue gas desulphurisation equipment will play an important part. Other measures, such as the burning of low-sulphur fuels, including gas, are also likely to contribute.

  The scale of future purchases of British coal by the generators will be a matter for their commercial judgment. The best protection for the United Kingdom coal industry would be for it to produce secure supplies of coal at competitive prices.

  Low-sulphur Coal
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to consider the sustainability of supplies, long-term price, and balance of payments effects of low-sulphur coal as part of a review of his Department's policy on coal-burning power stations.

  Mr. Baldry
  The source and cost of low-sulphur coal is a matter for the electricity generation industry.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what forecasts he has made of the long-term effects on British Coal(a) nationally and (b) in the east midlands region, of a policy of importing low-sulphur content coal.

  Mr. Baldry
  None. Such forecasts are a commercial matter for the British Coal Corporation.

  Oil Imports
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the proportion of oil imports to the United Kingdom used(a) in the manufacture of automobiles, buses and road haulage vehicles and (b) for fuelling road transport.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The information requested is not available.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when flotation of National Power and PowerGen will take place.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Erewash (Mr. Rost) and for Harrow, East (Mr. Dykes) on 28 February 1990 at column 226.

  United Kingdom Petroleum Production
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the Government's latest forecasts of levels of United Kingdom petroleum production.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The latest forecasts for United Kingdom petroleum production in the years 1990 to 1994 are as follows:

  Million tonnes

  1990

  85–110

  1991

  80–110

  1992

  80–110

  1993

  85–115

  1994

  80–120

  As in previous years, the forecasts are presented in the form of a range of outcomes for each year. These take into account the many uncertainties involved. The figures comprise stabilised crude oil, natural gas liquids and condensates. NGL and condensate production is expected to contribute between 5 and 10 million tonnes annually to the above.

PRIME MINISTER

  Exchange Rate Mechanism
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister which of the conditions which were agreed at the Madrid meeting of the European Council as a basis for the United Kingdom joining the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system have not yet been met; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  There has been significant progress on capital liberalisation, in competition policy and liberalisation of financial services, but further important decisions have yet to be taken. Further progress is needed to get inflation down.

  German Unification
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has held recent discussions with(a) Chancellor Kohl and (b) other European Community state leaders on the subject of the unification of the two German states.

  The Prime Minister
  I last met Chancellor Kohl at the European Council in Strasbourg in December. Other EC Heads of State or Government were also present. We had a useful discussion of the question of German unity. This was reflected in the Council's declaration.

  Walderslade, Chatham
  Mr. Rowe
  Q.116 To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Walderslade, Chatham.

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

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Ewing
  Q.125 To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for St. David's day.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 March.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 March.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 March.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 March.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had a meeting with the President of the European Parliament and presided at a meeting of the Cabinet. I also had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

  Environment
  Mr. Hunter
  Q.142 To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has received on environmental issues.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government have received very many positive representations, particularly in relation to the proposals in the Environment Protection Bill.

  Confederation of British Wool Textiles
  Mr. Cryer
  Q.164 To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to the Confederation of British Wool Textiles office in Bradford.

  The Prime Minister
  I visited a textile mill during my regional tour to Bradford yesterday and was most impressed by the quality and enthusiasm of the staff and the excellence of the products.

  European Community
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the programme for establishing the single market; and if she will make a statement.

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

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the trade which certain members of the Community have secured during the period of agreed European Economic Community sanctions; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The Community has trade sanctions in place against South Africa only. Beyond the very limited scope of these, it is for individual member states to pursue trading relationships with South Africa as they see fit.

  Policy Unit Staff
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the professional background of those joining her policy unit since 1979.

  The Prime Minister
  Those joining my policy unit since 1979 have had a variety of experience in a range of professions including:

  Accountancy

  Administration

  Banking

  Business management

  Company directorship

  Economics Engineering

  Finance Industry

  Investment analysis

  Journalism.

  Coastal Protection
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will take steps to establish a ministerial working group to study the problems of coastal protection and sea defences and to co-ordinate the work of the various Departments concerned.

  The Prime Minister
  The policy responsibility for coast protection and sea defence rests, in England, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and elsewhere with the territorial Departments. There may be direct or indirect implications for other concerns but such co-ordination as may be necessary is already carried out with the relevant Departments.

  Office Running Costs
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will detail the reasons for the increase in the costs of running her office from £6·55 million in 1988 to £7·9 million in 1989; and what steps she is taking to reduce this increase.

  The Prime Minister
  The estimated increase in costs is due almost entirely to capital expenditure on refurbishment work and security improvements. The increase in the normal running costs of my office is less than one half of one percentage point in real terms.

  Premium Bonds
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to ensure the security and non-infiltration of the Ernie draw by unauthorised persons.

  The Prime Minister
  All payments of premium bond prizes are made to winning investors, selected at random. The relevant accounts are audited by the National Audit Office, and the Department for National Savings is satisfied that there is no scope for abuse of the system.

TRANSPORT

  A31, West Moors
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how long it will take to intall safety fencing along the A31 trunk road at West Moors between Pinehurst roundabout and Boundary lane; and what are the reasons for the time taken.

  Mr. Atkins
  The work will take about three months. This is because of the need for carriageway works to enable the central reserve to be widened to accommodate the 850m long safety fence without interfering with statutory undertakers' services.

  Traffic (London)
  Mr. Tracey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many communications he had received at the close of 28 February of consultation on traffic in London and the London road assessment studies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  It will take a little while to collate and analyse the responses received. We shall make a statement as soon as possible.

  A41, Apex Corner
  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects the road works on the A41 at Apex corner, where the turning into Mount grove has been closed, to be completed; and if he will take steps to ensure that, once the central gap has been reopened, it will remain open on permanent basis.

  Mr. Atkins
  The works are expected to be completed in spring 1991. The right turn into Mount grove will then be restored. There are no plans to close it permanently. I shall continue to have regard to the safety of the trunk road network and will take appropriate safety measures wherever they are shown to be necessary.

  "A Change in the Air"
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will obtain a copy of the transcript and video cassette of the television programme "A Change In The Air", on transport pollution, broadcast on 25 February, for his departmental library.

  Mr. Atkins
  We have already ordered the video. We do not need the transcript as well.

  Channel Ferries
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review transport safety conditions and emergency rescue plans for cross-Channel ferries carrying toxic chemicals and spent nuclear fuel unable to dock in channel ports due to storms during the past month.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Ships which carry dangerous goods conform to the international maritime regulations regarding construction, equipment and manning, and are capable of riding out storms of the type recently experienced in the English Channel. It is the decision of the ship's master whether or not to leave port.

  Contingency arrangements already exist to deal with pollution arising from chemical spillages, or to recover irradiated fuel flasks from the seabed.

  Pollution
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what initiatives he has taken to inform the public of the various transport options available with regard to their comparative pollution effects.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department publishes annually in "Transport Statistics Great Britain" trends in emissions of pollutants from different transport modes. Pollution emitted by road vehicles is related to fuel consumption. My Department regularly issues a booklet about the fuel consumption of new cars which also advises motorists on how to save fuel when driving. It is generally well known that pollution may be reduced if people use public transport instead of private cars.

  M1 (Congestion)
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will institute a service advising motorists of those times on each day of the week that they can drive in either direction between junctions 6 and 12 of the M1 without being subjected to delays through congestion; and if he will make it his policy to update this advice each time a significant roadwork is commenced or completed and in any event once every three months.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department regards the provision of travel information as extremely important, and is considering with interested organisations ways of improving the reliability and availability of information through better arrangements for its collection, co-ordination and dissemination.

  Congestion on the Ml between junctions 6 and 12 occurs more commonly during peak periods, of which the travelling public is generally aware. It can also arise for a number of unforeseen reasons, for example after an accident. The police, the media and motoring organisations provide an important service in disseminating news about congestion when it occurs.
  278
  Information is already made widely available when roadworks are in prospect, in operation or about to finish. Only on Tuesday I gave a press conference about works due to commence on both the M1 and M25 in Hertfordshire. I am concerned that drivers should receive more information about delays and the reasons for them. With this in mind, new signs are being displayed in advance of roadworks advising drivers of the work being undertaken.

  Hackney Cabs
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to reform the hackney cab knowledge test outside London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Outside London, district councils are the licensing authorities for hackney carriages. It is a matter for them whether to require prospective hackney carriage drivers to undertake a geographical knowledge test for the area in which a licence would apply. The Government have no plans to propose the removal of that discretionary power.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Hungary
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Hungary.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is currently in Hungary. He arrived on 27 February and will leave on 1 March. He will be holding talks with Dr. Horn, the Foreign Minister, and other members of the Government, and will be meeting representatives of the major opposition parties.

  South Africa (Sanctions)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) submissions have been received and (b) meetings have been organised with Government representatives from each Commonwealth country since August 1989 on the subject of trade sanctions and South Africa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There were wide-ranging talks on South Africa at CHOGM in October 1989. Since then, there has been discussion of South Africa at both official and ministerial level as part of our normal contacts with Commonwealth Governments.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the procedures adopted by the European Economic Community to ensure that Community sanctions legislation relating to South Africa is adhered to by member states.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  As with any legislation adopted by the EEC, the Commission has the duty under the treaty to ensure that it is enforced and applied by member states.

  Angola
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to enforce the ceasefire agreed last year between the warring parties in Angola.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The terms of any settlement of the dispute in Angola are for the MPLA Government of Angola and UNITA to decide. We have consistently stressed to both sides the need for an early ceasefire and negotiations without preconditions, and we support President Mobutu's work as mediator.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the civil war in Ethiopia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  After a long lull in the fighting in Eritrea, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front launched a major offensive on 8 February. The fighting is still going on, but it appears that the port of Massawa is in EPLF hands. In their statement of 20 February, the Twelve expressed deep concern about the implications of the renewed fighting for the famine relief operations which are urgently required, and for the prospects for peace negotiations.

  South Africa
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communications he has had with the Government of South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We maintain regular contact with the South African authorities on a wide range of issues, both here and via Her Majesty's ambassador.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to the provision of funds to the African National Congress and other political parties in South Africa to assist with the development of democracy.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There is a case for practical assistance to those in South Africa who have previously been excluded from the political process. We are considering what practical help we can give in a non-discriminatory way.

  Arms Reductions
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the position of the Bush Administration on the exclusion of certain air-launched missiles from the strategic arms reduction talks negotiations.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Both the United States and the Soviet Union take the view that since these negotiations concern only strategic weapons, air-launched cruise missiles below a certain range should be excluded. The difference is that the Soviet Union want all such missiles with ranges of more than 600 km to be accountable, while the United States wants a higher range threshold.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's280
  Government support the position of the Bush Administration on exclusion of air-launched missiles with a range of less than 1,500 km from the strategic arms reduction talks negotiations.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The United States and the Soviet Union have not yet agreed on the range at which strategic nuclear air-launched cruise missiles would become accountable under a START agreement. The START negotiations are between the United States and Soviet Union, and it is for them to reach an understanding on this issue.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the position of the Bush Administration on exclusion of air-launched missiles with a range of less than 1,500 km from the strategic arms reduction talks negotiations has been discussed in any official NATO meeting.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The United States regularly briefs its allies at official NATO meetings on progress in the strategic arms reduction talks, including the situation regarding air-launched cruise missiles.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department are currently allocated to work on nuclear non-proliferation; and if he has any plans to increase the departmental commitment to this work.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There are 11 members of this Department working full-time on nuclear nonproliferation, including missile proliferation. In addition, there are a number of staff, both home-based and at posts abroad, who contribute to this work. There are no plans at present to increase the number of staff devoted to this issue.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to disseminate information to schools, colleges, universities, non-governmental organisations and other interested parties on the fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The arms control and disarmament research unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes notes on arms control on an approximately monthly basis, and a quarterly review. Both documents are circulated to a wide range of educational establishments and other organisations on request. Information about the non-proliferation treaty and the fourth review conference is regularly included.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, during his recent visit to Czechoslovakia, the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave), or his accompanying officials raised the forthcoming fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty with his hosts.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No.

  Indonesia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has of any improvement or deterioration in the human rights situation in East Timor in recent years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have received diplomatic and other reports which confirm that there has been a sustained improvement in respect for human rights in East Timor in recent years. We have received reports of incidents which give rise to concern during the second half of 1989. We are watching the situation closely.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received concerning the execution of four people who had been in detention for over 24 years in Jakarta on 17 February.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Indonesian Army confirms that four persons were executed on 16 February (Syryanto, Surono, Soleiman and Rohayan). There are unconfirmed reports of the execution of two others. On 21 February, the Twelve expressed their regret in the Presidency address to the UN Commission on Human Rights that these executions were carried out so long after conviction.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the occupation of East Timor by Indonesia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Our policy with regard to the annexation of East Timor by Indonesia is to support the UN Secretary-General's role in promoting a settlement between Indonesia and Portugal. We believe that both parties will be concerned to find a settlement which fully protects the interests of the people of East Timor.

  Namibia
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further measures Her Majesty's Government propose to take to help the Namibian economy.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are actively discussing with the future Government of Namibia how we can best help them after independence, in particular through the aid programme.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Brazil
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there has been further progress on the approval of projects under the memorandum of understanding with Brazil since the Minister for Overseas Development's reply to the hon. Member for Fylde of 15 February,Official Report, column 350.

  Mrs. Chalker
  As I announced earlier this week, the first project has now been approved by the Brazilian Government. This is an important five-year climate research project, involving the Institute of Hydrology. We 282
  are contributing some £2·5 million. The first field mission will start this September. We are continuing our discussions with the Brazilian Government on other project proposals.

  Indonesia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have any plans to cut their aid to Indonesia in the light of continued human rights abuses there.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In determining the appropriate level of United Kingdom aid to individual countries, the Government take account of a number of factors, including the importance of human rights. Indonesia is in the low-income group of developing countries and we believe that the current level of British aid to Indonesia is appropriate in current circumstances.

WALES

  Welsh Language
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many tutors are employed in a full-time capacity in Wales to teach the Welsh language to adults; and whether his Department has any plans to increase the number of full-time tutors of Welsh for adults.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  This information is not held centrally. We are making available some £305,000 this year to colleges, voluntary bodies and other providers of adult education to help support activity in this area. We are currently considering the level of support for 1990–91.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any further plans to help and sustain the Welsh language and culture; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The proposals for the introduction of Welsh in the national curriculum in Wales will provide the single most important boost to the Welsh language over the years to come. All other policies in support of the language will therefore complement and support what is happening in schools.

  In addition, the Government provide financial support for Welsh language and culture by way of grants to a wide range of organisations involved with the use and promotion of the language. Direct grant support in 1989–90 amounted to some £4·4 million. This figure will increase next year by 30 per cent. to a total of £5·9 million. My right hon. Friend will continue to look to the Welsh Language Board for advice in relation to all matters to do with the language and on how these grants can be harnessed to the greatest effect.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been dispensed to Welsh local authorities in grants for bilingual education under section 21 of the Education Act 1980 in each year since that Act came into force; how much he anticipates will have been granted by the end of the present financial year; and how much he has allocated for this purpose in the 1990–91 financial year.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I shall write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

  Health Care
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy to set up a fund to help meet the additional travel expenses of relatives of patients who have been referred to treatment centres outside their own health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  It will be for the patients concerned to assess the relative benefits of earlier treatment at the centres, including the possibility of additional travel for themselves and their relatives, compared with waiting for treatment more locally. As with any other hospital services, visitors on low incomes can apply for help with their travelling expenses to and from the centres from the Department of Social Security. We do not propose to introduce any additional assistance for the relatives of patients in treatment centres.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact on general practitioners' clinical responsibility of the decision to exclude general practitioners from referring their patients directly to treatment centres.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet representatives of general practitioners regarding his decision not to allow general practitioners to refer patients directly to treatment centres; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend has received no requests to meet representatives of general practitioners to discuss treatment centres. The centres will not impinge on general practitioners' clinical responsibility. GPs will continue to refer new patients direct to hospitals of their choice, which will in turn continue to treat the majority of patients. Treatment centres are an additional resource to offer patients already waiting the choice of earlier treatment.

  This principle would be undermined if general practitioners were to refer new patients to treatment centres direct since the centres would then be likely to build up their own waiting lists. However, the operational policies of the ophthalmology and general surgery centres provide for re-referrals by general practitioners of patients who have been waiting on inpatient lists for more than four months. The policy of the orthopaedic centre in this respect will be kept under review.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many health authorities have agreed contracts with private companies for the provision of health services to National Health Service patients in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what extra cash he will allocate to each of the Welsh health authorities to maintain current levels of services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 11 January at columns 725–27, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the revenue and capital allocations to health authorities in Wales for 1990–91.
  284
  I would also refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North on 12 February at columns 12–13 in which my right hon. Friend announced the distribution of almost £10 million which had been reserved for schemes to be centrally funded under the programme for the valleys initiative.

  Further announcements will be made in due course about the distribution of other sums reserved for centrally directed developments in 1990–91.

  Finally, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh) on 1 February at columns 260–62, when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that further revenue provision would be made available to health authorities in 1990–91 (over and above the sum announced on 11 January) in respect of pay awards to staff covered by the review bodies arrangement. The distribution of this additional provision will depend upon staff in post and will be notified to authorities as soon as possible.

  South Gwent Health Unit
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to have discussions with the trade unions involved before authorising proposals for revised management arrangements for the South Gwent health unit.

  Mr. Grist
  No. We are satisfied with the existing arrangements for the consideration of DHAs' revised management arrangements involving consideration by the executive committee of the Health Policy Board.

  I understand, however, that in formulating its proposals Gwent health authority has consulted trade unions and this will be borne in mind by the executive committee. After further local consultation the authority will submit the proposals to the Department for approval.

  Religious Education
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking to improve the teaching of religious education in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Education Reform Act enhances the place of religious education in the school curriculum, and central support is available to local education authorities which undertake in-service teacher training in the subject.

  Nuclear Installations (Cancer)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will instigate investigations into the rates of incidence of cancer near nuclear installations in Wales following the recent report on Sellafield.

  Mr. Grist
  Analysis of the data available from the Wales cancer registry is under way. The data require careful scrutiny and validation. When the results are ready, I will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what trends he is able to identify in respect of the incidence rates of various forms of cancer(a) in Wales as a whole and (b) in each district in Wales; and what information he has on trends in such incidence rates in the United Kingdom generally.
  285
  Mr. Grist
  Information on the individual incidence rates and trends of cancer within Wales is presented in the Welsh Office publication "Cancer Registration in Wales, 1974–1984".

  Figures for England and Wales are available from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys publication "Cancer statistics: registrations", while data for Scotland appear in "Scottish Health Statistics" published by the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service. Information on cancer registrations for Northern Ireland appear in the Department of Health and Social Services "Statistics and Research Bulletin".

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in the light of the Gardner report, he will commission fresh independent research into the incidence of leukaemia in north Wales and into the causes of high incidence of specific types of cancer in any part of Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Welsh cancer registration data are kept under regular review. Where it appears that the rate of incidence of any particular form of cancer is significantly higher than would be expected consideration is given to the need for, and the most appropriate form of, investigation into possible causes.

  Additionally, as announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 15 February, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment plans detailed epidemiological studies to obtain more information on the possible health effects in the offspring of parents occupationally exposed to radiation. These studies should start in the near future.

  Community Care
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he will make a statement setting out his proposals for independent inspection units for community care services in Wales;

  (2) whether he will make it his policy that independent inspection units for community care in Wales shall regularly review and report on the provision of services within the boundaries of each district authority in their area of responsibility;

  (3) whether he will make it his policy that there shall be an independent inspection unit for the area of each local authority in Wales which has responsibility for social services.

  Mr. Grist
  A consultation paper on the setting up of independent inspection units in Wales has recently been widely circulated. Copies have been placed in the Library. Policy decisions on the establishment and operation of these units will be taken following consideration of the comments received as a result of the consultation exercise and the deliberations of a working group comprising representatives of the independent and public sectors which has been set up to consider the issue.

ENVIRONMENT

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the application of the new uniform business rate arrangements to the sale and purchase of small businesses.
  286
  Mr. David Hunt
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on the question of the cessation of transitional protection when the rateable occupier of a business property, large or small, changes.

  Radon Gas
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further advice is being given to householders affected by radon gas as to how to tackle the problem; and what efforts are being made to ensure that builders etc. contacted by the public to tackle radon problems give correct advice to the householders.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The advice already available to householders affected by concentrations of radon in "The Householders' Guide to Radon" is still valid. A second edition is currently being prepared to take account of the new action level.

  The building research establishment is engaged in a continuing programme of research on tackling radon problems and the results of this will be published in the form of practical advice for builders and others as they become available. Meanwhile, where owners of buildings are uncertain about the best way to proceed, they should consult the building research establishment.

  Household Waste (Incineration)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities in England and Wales use incinerators to dispose of suitable household waste; and what plans he has to encourage more disposal of such rubbish by this method in the future.

  Mr. Trippier
  There are 30 municipal incinerators currently operated by local authorities in England and Wales and these dispose of some 8 per cent. of household waste. There is, however, no centrally held information on the number of local authorities which make use of these incinerators.

  The Government encourage local authorities to employ the best practicable environmental means for the disposal of their waste. It is for them to determine what that may be in the light of local circumstances.

  Industrial Pollution
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a video tape and copy of the transcript of the "Northern Eye" programme on industrial pollution in Teesside, broadcast on 15 February.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department already has copies of the transcript. It is unnecessary to have a copy of the video.

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of contracts awarded by the Property Services Agency for each of the last three years were carried out by private building contractors; and what were their total values for each year.

  Mr. Chope
  All new construction work for the Property Services Agency is undertaken by private sector contractors. In the last three years, the proportion of maintenance work undertaken by the private sector has remained steady, at about 85 per cent.
  287
  The aggregate value of all of this work, at cash prices, was:

  £ million

  1986–87

  1,794

  1987–88

  1,827

  1988–89

  1,978

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of his Department towards attribution of liability for the community charge in respect of persons resident in buildings bisected by a district boundary; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The rules for such buildings are set out in part V of the Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989/438). Broadly, a building is deemed to fall within the area of the charging authority which contains its greater or greatest part. Any person subject to a community charge by virtue of residence in the building will be subject to the community charge of that area only.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his written reply dated 14 February,Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable per adult for each region and so on, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for Humberside the estimated percentage of the adult population, including spouses, now paying rates; the percentage expected to be chargeable to the poll tax; and the percentage expected to contribute the same or less than at present as a result of the proposed increase of 29 per cent. in the rate/taxpayer's contribution.

  Mr. Chope
  The information requested is not available.

  Westminster Council
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the figure of the equivalent of £60 per head was arrived at for Westminster council's land drainage grant.

  Mr. Chope
  I have no knowledge of any "land drainage grant" for Westminster council.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the National Rivers Authority was consulted about Westminster's contribution to flood control expenses before it was decided how much central Government's grant to Westminster council would be.

  Mr. Chope
  The standard spending assessment element for flood defence is based on net current expenditure in 1989–90, as defined in annex A of the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England). This information was available without consulting the National Rivers Authority.

  House Prices
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the ratio of house prices to earnings in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany and (c) France.
  288
  Mr. Trippier
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Personal Transport
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the environmental effects of increased personal transport opportunities in the United Kingdom since 1979.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the Department of Transport's recent publication "Trunk Roads, England—Into the 1990s", and in particular to chapter 5.

  "A Change in the Air"
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to obtain a copy of the transcript and video cassette of the television programme "A Change In The Air" broadcast on 25 February.

  Mr. Trippier
  No.

  Automobile Manufacturing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual output of chemical toxic emissions from the automobile manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  This information is not collected or held centrally in the Department.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what volume of environmentally damaging solvents are typically released into the atmosphere from the paint spraying of an automobile on the production line; and what policies he has to reduce this pollution.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information requested on the specific solvent emissions from automobile spraying is not available.

  The United Kingdom Government are engaged with other signatories to the UN Economic Commission for Europe convention on long-range transport of air pollution in the production of a draft protocol for the reduction of volatile organic compound emissions.

  Within the European Community we are discussing measures to reduce photochemical pollution. These will include reductions of VOC emissions.

  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is preparing guidance defining the best available techniques not entailing excessive costs to reduce solvent emissions from large-scale automobile spraying.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what volumes of toxic wastes are created annually from the manufacture of automobiles and road haulage vehicles in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  This information is not held centrally.

  Flue Gas Desulphurisation
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 15 February,Official Report, column 411, whether all existing power stations will, in time, be required to be fitted with flue gas desulphurisation.
  289
  Mr. Trippier
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution regard the fitting of flue gas desulphurisation equipment as the best practicable means for limiting emissions of sulphur dioxide from coal or oil-fired power stations. Existing plant is required eventually to attain new plant standards if its lifetime justifies this.

  Common Land
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 27 November 1989,Official Report, column 89, when he will make a statement on the Government's intentions on common land legislation.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 11 January 1990, at column 683.

  Combustion Plants
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce a stated timetable for upgrading existing registered large combustion plants.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have already made clear our commitment to the timetable for reducing emissions from large combustion plants enshrined in the European Community directive. The detailed plan will be published at the time required by the directive.

  Emission Reduction Plan
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish the consultation paper on the proposed national emission reduction plan prior to the privatisation of the electricity supply industry.

  Mr. Trippier
  Yes.

  Pollution Abatement Technology
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the emission reduction plan will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of fitting pollution abatement technology, in terms of cost per tonne of sulphur abated, for differing sizes of plants.

  Mr. Trippier
  The emission reduction plan will contain the details specified in the large combustion plants directive (88/609/EEC).

  Sewage Disposal (Torridge Estuary)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a decision has been made as to the type of sewage disposal intended for the Torridge estuary.

  Mr. Trippier
  I understand that a decision has not yet been made. South West Water Services Ltd. has carried out intensive environmental studies over the past three years in order to develop a comprehensive water quality plan for the Taw/Torridge estuary and to assess the long-term options for improved sewage disposal arrangements. Under the provisions of the Water Act 1989, any such improvement plans and related discharge applications will require the approval and formal consent of the National Rivers Authority. This is a matter, therefore, for South West Water and the NRA.

  Special Needs Grants
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many valid applications for special needs grants under the social fund were made to Grimsby and were refused because of cash limits on local expenditure; what advice his Department will give to applicants in the light of the recent High Court ruling; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I have been asked to reply.

  In the period April 1989 to January 1990, 1,112 applications for community care grants were processed at Grimsby social security office. Of those applications 647 resulted in an award; of the remainder none was refused on budgetary grounds.

  Our advice remains that any person who has a need which he considers might be met from the social fund should make an application to his local social security office in the normal way.

SCOTLAND

  Nature Conservation
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to issue any guidance to the proposed Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland for the purposes of conserving land which is of national importance for nature conservation as provided for in section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides powers to the Secretary of State to make nature conservation orders. Such an order is made only where there is a dispute between the Nature Conservancy Council and a landowner about land notified by the council as a site of special scientific interest under section 28 of the Act. There are no powers for the Secretary of State to issue guidance to the council under either section 28 or section 29 of the Act.

  Children (Tumours)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if all children with solid malignant tumours known to the health services are recorded in the Scottish health statistics.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Yes.

  Wind (North of Scotland)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations his Department has had with the Forestry Commission in respect of wind conditions in the north of Scotland; and what representations he has received from them in this matter.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Forestry Commission has three wind-monitoring stations in the north of Scotland—on Skye, at Leanachan near Fort William and at Rosarie in Moray—where wind speeds are recorded and the effect of wind on forests is studied. The commission has advised that the pattern of winds in this area has not been unusual in the first two months of 1990 and that there has been no significant damage to forests since the gale of February 1989.

  New Towns
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of houses built by new town development corporations are now privately owned in each of the new towns.

  Mr. Lang
  As at 30 September 1989, the total number of corporation houses sold in each of the towns, as a percentage of houses completed by development corporations, is as follows:

  Percentage

  East Kilbride

  49·0

  Glenrothes

  46·5

  Cumbernauld

  51·7

  Livingston

  29·8

  Irvine

  24·0

  Primary Teaching Students
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by how much the intake for primary teaching students is to increase in 1990 for each of the colleges under his control; and by how much he intends to increase the resources of these colleges to assist them to train these students.

  Mr. Lang
  The planned intakes for session 1990–91 to primary teacher training courses are shown in the table. The allocations of grant in aid for 1990–91 which I introduced on 22 February,Official Report, columns 869–70, include funding for all these students. Having regard to the benefit of changes in rates relief for charities, colleges of education will receive overall increases in public funding of 14 to 15 per cent. over 1989–90.

  (£ million)

  Business1 income

  Investment income

  Public dividend capital

  Borrowings from: National loans fund

  European coal and steel community

  1984–85

  38·7

  3·9

  1·1

  3·5

  —

  1985–86

  36·5

  2·1

  0·9

  0·8

  0·5

  1986–87

  41·7

  3·0

  2·1

  —

  —

  1987–88

  41·5

  5·6

  2·3

  0·3

  —

  1988–89

  52·2

  4·0

  —

  3·5

  —

  1 Derived mainly from property rents and sales.

  Note

  The figures do not include repayments from sub-borrowers in respect of loans made from National Loans Fund and European Coal and Steel Community monies.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State Scotland if he will state the grant in aid given to the Scottish Development Agency in cash terms and also indexed for inflation in each of the years of the Scottish Development Agency's existence.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is set out in the table:

  £ million

  Cash

  At 1988–89 prices

  1976–77

  8·9

  24·7

  1977–78

  32·0

  77·9

  1978–79

  48·2

  106·0

  1979–80

  58·4

  110·0

  1980–81

  77·4

  123·1

  292

  Recommended intakes to primary teacher training courses in Scotland—1990–91

  BEd target

  PGCE quota

  Craigie

  120 (100)

  45 (30)

  Jordanhill

  240 (210)

  1157 (75)

  Moray House

  200 (170)

  100 (70)

  Northern

  240 (205)

  110 (75)

  St. Andrew's

  200 (165)

  80 (50)

  Total

  1,000 (850)

  450 (300)

  Note: Figures for session 1989–90 in brackets.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reasons training agents are paid £10 under the employment training scheme for trainees directly recruited by training managers and to whom training agents give no service.

  Mr. Lang
  Training agents provide an independent source of guidance and support to trainees recruited directly by a training manager on, for example, issues causing dissatisfaction or where trainees wish to change their training objectives. To ensure that this independent brokerage role is fully accessible to trainees who have been directly recruited by training managers, the Training Agency pays a flat fee of £10 to training agents in respect of each such trainee who remains in employment training for more than six days and for whom an action plan has been lodged with the training agent.

  Scottish Development Agency
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the income, not grant in aid, received by the Scottish Development Agency in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is set out in the table:

  Cash

  At 1988–89 prices

  1981–82

  76·2

  110·4

  1982–83

  94·2

  127·3

  1983–84

  83·6

  108·0

  1984–85

  74·5

  91·6

  1985–86

  92·6

  108·1

  1986–87

  87·1

  98·4

  1987–88

  91·4

  98·0

  1988–89

  87·6

  87·6

  1989–90

  95·8

  189·5

  1 Estimated.

  293
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what happens to the proceeds of the sale of equities by the Scottish Development Agency.

  Mr. Lang
  It has been the practice for some years to allow the agency to use such income to finance new investments; in the current year there will be more income than is required to finance new investments and the surplus will be used to reduce the total amount of public dividend capital owing to the Exchequer. Public dividend capital has been drawn down by the agency over the years as the principal means of financing new investments.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what will happen to the proceeds of the Scottish Development Agency's property portfolio sale.

  Mr. Lang
  The agency's budget has always been funded to a significant extent by business receipts, within which income from selling premises to tenants has been a substantial element. The receipts from the disposal exercise will likewise be taken into account in setting the level of the agency's budget and the proportion of the budget to be met from grant in aid.

  Teachers (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for monitoring the numbers of teachers from the ethnic minorities in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  As my hon. Friend the then Minister with responsibility for education announced on 25 May 1989, column 657, there are no plans to survey the ethnic origins of school teachers in Scotland.

  Crofting Estates
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the disposal of his crofting estates to community ownership.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I am issuing a consultation paper today seeking views on the possibility of transferring my crofting estates to trusts including representatives of crofting interests, or to some other form of community ownership. Copies of the paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Local Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consortia bids for local enterprise company status the local enterprise company unit is currently considering; and which areas of Scotland they come from.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 28 February 1990]: Twenty-four applications for development funding have been received to date. The areas to which they relate are listed in the table.

  Area covered

  (i) Development funding approved

  Grampian Enterprise

  Grampian Region

  Lanarkshire Enterprise

  District Council areas of Hamilton, Clydesdale, Motherwell, East Kilbride and Monklands

  Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise

  Lothian Region

  294

  Area covered

  Renfrew Enterprise

  District Council areas of Inverclyde, Renfrew and Eastwood

  Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise

  Dumfries and Galloway Region

  (ii) Under consideration

  Ayrshire Enterprise

  District Council areas of Cunninghame, Kyle and Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  Borders Enterprise

  Borders Region

  Dunbartonshire Enterprise

  District Council areas of Dumbarton, Clydebank, Strathkelvin, Bearsden and Milngavie, Cumberland and Kilsyth

  Fife Enterprise

  Fife Region

  Forth Valley Enterprise

  Central Region

  Glasgow Local Enterprise Company

  City of Glasgow District Council

  Kingdom Enterprise

  Fife Region

  Perthshire Enterprise

  District Council area of Perth and Kinross

  Scottish Enterprise Tayside

  Tayside Region

  Argyll Enterprise

  District Council area of Argyll and Bute

  Argyll and the Islands Enterprise

  District Council area of Argyll and Bute

  Caithness and Sutherland Local Enterprise Company

  District Council areas of Caithness and Sutherland

  Inverness and Nairn Enterprise

  District Council areas of Inverness and Nairn

  Lochaber Ltd.

  Lochaber District Council

  Mid-Highland Enterprise

  District Council area of Ross and Cromarty, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey and West Moray

  Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey

  District Council area of Badenoch and Strathspey and West Moray

  Ross and Cromarty Enterprise

  Ross and Cromarty District Council

  Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise

  Skye and Lochalsh District Council

  Western Isles Local Enterprise Company

  Western Isles Islands Council

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list his official visits to British industrial companies in each of the last three months;

  (2) if he will list his regional visits in the last three months.

  Mr. Ridley
  My visits round the country, and my meetings with and visits to industrial companies are numerous, and do not lead themselves to the sort of precise classification suggested by the hon. Gentleman.

  Company Audits
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will seek to amend the Companies Act 1989 so as to require companies' annual returns to state whether or not a close personal relationship exists between the auditor and any officer of a company.
  295
  Mr. Redwood
  No. The professional rules that the relevant supervisory bodies are required to have under the Companies Act 1989 are sufficient to provide against conflicts of interest.

  East Germany (Pollution)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to offer assistance in the form of environmental clean-up technology developed in the United Kingdom to the German Democratic Republic.

  Mr. Forth
  On 22 January, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced that a know-how fund would be set up for eastern Europe. This would embrace our existing commitments to Poland and Hungary, and make available help for other east European countries once they are firmly committed to reform. It is too early to indicate the distribution of such funds by country or sector.

  United Kingdom manufacturers of equipment for environmental improvement are being encouraged to develop links with prospective users in eastern Europe, including the German Democratic Republic, through a number of mechanisms. In particular, the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, to be held in Bonn between 19 March and 11 April 1990, will include opportunities for business men from eastern and western European nations to identify requirements for environmental protection equipment. United Kingdom associations in the environmental field have been asked to inform their members of this event.

  Patent Office
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made towards the establishment of the Patent Office as an executive agency.

  Mr. Ridley
  I am today establishing the Patent Office as an executive agency. The Patent Office is the fifth executive agency to be established within the DTI.

  Establishing the Patent Office as an executive agency will assist the Patent Office further to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of its services. Accordingly, I have set the Patent Office the following productivity and quality of service targets for the next five years:

  to increase the productivity of patent examination by an average of at least 1·5 per cent. a year;

  to issue at least 90 per cent. of patent search reports within 12 weeks;

  to increase the productivity of trade mark examination by an average of at least 3 per cent. a year;

  to register at least 90 per cent. of unopposed trade mark applications within 24 months of receipt; and

  to reduce the cost of common services within the Patent Office by at least 20 per cent. in real terms.

  Taken together these targets represent a requirement to improve efficiency by an average of more than 4 per cent. a year.

  In addition, I expect the relocation of the Patent Office to Newport, Gwent, which is due to be completed in September 1991, to produce substantial savings in the running costs of the Patent Office.

  Financial Services
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the purpose of the European Economic Community directive on capital adequacy;296
  what will be the impact of the directive on the Financial Services Act; whether he has made any assessment of the impact of the directive on independent financial advisers in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  The proposed EC directive on the capital adequacy of investment business is at an early stage and no draft has yet been presented to the Council of Ministers. It will set out the capital requirements with which those doing investment business must comply. It complements the investment services directive, which will allow an investment firm authorised in one member state to do business throughout the Community without the need for further authorisation.

  Implementation of the provisions of the directive, once adopted, is likely to involve changes to the relevant rules of the Securities and Investments Board and the self-regulatory organisations and changes to the Bank of England's supervision of banks.

  I am aware of the concern among independent financial advisers that the directive should take account of the way financial services business is done in the United Kingdom. We have made our position clear to the Commission on the aspects of the proposals which are of special concern to this group.

  Soviet Union
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, when he last met his Soviet conterpart, they discussed the establishment of free market systems in the Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 27 February 1990]: I am preparing to meet my Soviet counterpart, Mr. Sitaryan, the chairman of the state foreign economic commission, for the first time in Moscow next month, when I hope to discuss a wide range of trade and economic subjects.

  House of Fraser
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding publication of the report on House of Fraser.

  Mr. Ridley
  [pursuant to his answer, 17 January 1990, c. 286]: I have been informed today by the director of the Serious Fraud Office and the Director of Public Prosecutions that they have withdrawn their objections to the publication of the report by inspectors of their investigation under section 432(2) of the Companies Act 1985 into the affairs of House of Fraser Holdings plc. I intend therefore to publish it on 7 March. I do not intend to take any further action.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Education Statistics (Shropshire)
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what has been the total number of people employed by Shropshire education authority in each of the past five years;

  (2) what has been the total number of pupils and students enrolled in Shropshire in each of the past five years;

  (3) what has been the total number of teaching staff employed by Shropshire education authority in each of the past five years.
  297
  Mrs. Rumbold
  The total numbers of teachers and pupils in maintained schools and colleges in Shropshire in each of the past five years are given in the table. Data on the total number of people employed by Shropshire education authority are not held centrally.

  Teaching staff employed and pupils-students enrolled in schools and colleges maintained by Shropshire LEA (full-time equivalents)1

  Teaching staff employed

  Pupils-students enrolled2

  1985

  4,207

  68,827

  1986

  4,258

  68,737

  1987

  4,221

  67,805

  1988

  4,245

  66,944

  1989

  4,222

  67,901

  1 Figures relate to January of the year shown, except that the data on students enrolled in maintained colleges of further and higher education (FHE) included in the pupils-students row are for the preceding November.

  2 In 1989 there was a change in the factors used to convert numbers of student enrolments in maintained FHE colleges to full-time equivalents, which had the effect of increasng the total full-time equivalents.

  Beechem Cliff School
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number of people who were signatories to the 38 statutory objections to the grant-maintained proposals for Beechem Cliff school, Avon.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The signatories to the objections comprised 397 individuals and the governing bodies of 17 schools.

  Postgraduate Students
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the tuition fee for postgraduate students will be in the academic year 1990–91.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The levels at which higher education fees are set is for individual institutions. The maximum tuition fee that will be reimbursed through the awards system for eligible home students and those from other European Community countries on full-time postgraduate courses will be increased from £1,890 in the current academic year to £1,985 in 1990–91.

HEALTH

  Anaesthetic Drugs
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have(a) died and (b) suffered adverse side effects, from general anaesthetic drugs used in National Health Service hospitals for each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The table gives the available information. It shows the number of deaths in England and Wales with an underlying cause of death attributed to general anaesthetics between 1979–88 and where the death has occurred in a National Health Service Hospital. Information relating to the number of adverse side-effects is not available.
  298

  Number of deaths from general anaesthetic drugs, NHS hospitals, 1979–88, England and Wales

  Category of death

  Year

  E855.11

  E938.1 to E938.41

  1979

  —

  1

  1980

  —

  —

  1981

  —

  2

  1982

  —

  1

  1983

  —

  2

  1984

  —

  3

  1985

  1

  —

  1986

  —

  1

  1987

  —

  —

  1988

  1

  1

  Source: OPCS death registrations.

  1 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision codes: E855.1: Accidental poisonings by other drugs acting upon the central and autonomic systems: includes ether, gaseous anaesthetics, intravenous anaesthetics, halogenated hydrocarbon derivatives, thiobarbiturates.

  E938.1 to E938.4: Other central nervous system depressants (general anaesthetics). Correct drug properly administered, but adverse reaction to it.

  Hospital Laundering
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received urging health authorities be referred for unfair practice in competitive tendering for laundering facilities from the industry's trade association; and what response he has given.

  Mr. Freeman
  There has been continuing dialogue between the Department and the laundry trade association about the competitive tendering initiative since 1983. Some of its representations relating to problems about the process and its implementation by health authorities were met by guidance issued in January 1986 and November 1987, including a practical guide and handbook on monitoring of contracts following an independent study sponsored by the National Provincial Hospitals Trust and partially funded by the Department.

  A report issued by the association in mid-1988 highlighted a number of areas of continuing difficulty. The Department investigated the complaints made and consulted widely on the report's recommendations before responding fully to the association. In summary:

  Its proposed short model contract was seen as unacceptable because it failed to safeguard health authority interests. The association has been invited, however, to send in contract documents used by hospitals in Holland for consideration.

  General concerns about capital accounting will be met by the new arrangements for capital charging and asset registers. Regarding a specific complaint about capital investment in laundering equipment by a district health authority, a rigorous scrutiny by the region at the time concluded that this represented best value for money.

  Independent scrutiny of tendering arrangements, tender exercises and costs was already provided by the statutory process of external audit.

  Where contractors had firm and factual evidence of unfair practices, this should be taken up at the time with the district health authority's general manager and if necessary with the appropriate regional health authority.

  The association has also been invited to provide specific examples of completed tender exercises where, in its view,

  299
  the in-house team's costings were manifestly incomplete and this has operated to the detriment of a competitive contractor's bid. Such evidence is awaited.

  We welcome the fact that the competitive tendering initiative for laundry services has improved value for money and generated savings of over £9 million.

  Rates
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the amount paid in lieu of rates for 1989–90 for each district health authority and special health authority.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is reported in the annual accounts of health authorities. Information from such accounts for 1989–90 will not be available until the autumn.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what terms and conditions of employment within the National Health Service will apply once a self-governing trust is established.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  NHS trusts will remain firmly in the NHS. Staff who transfer from health authority to NHS trust employment will retain their existing contracts and all rights arising from them, subject to the substitution of the new employer for the old and any consequential technical changes. It will be open to NHS trusts to seek to introduce changes in existing contracts at any time after transfer. In doing so, they will be free to decide whether to continue to adopt NHS Whitley council conditions or to make alternative arrangements if they so wish.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places are currently provided by health authorities for the elderly in nursing homes in each health authority in England.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not held centrally.

  The Government consider continuous nursing care services to be an integral part of NHS provision for those elderly people who require them. However, the actual level of service to be provided by a health authority is a matter for that authority to decide for itself based on local needs and priorities.

  NHS Charges
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about National Health Service prescription and related charges and spectacle vouchers.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I will shortly be laying before the House regulations for increases in prescription charges in the National Health Service in England and Wales to come into effect on 1 April 1990. The prescription charge will increase by 25p from £2·80 to £3·05. The increase of 8·9 per cent. reflects the higher cost of the pharmaceutical services and will provide about £13 million extra income to the resources available to the Health Service in England and Wales.

  The new charge will continue to represent less than half the cost of an average prescription to the NHS. Under
  300
  existing exemption arrangements over three quarters of prescription items are provided free of charge and these exemption arrangements will continue. The four-monthly and annual prepayment certificates will continue to be provided, the fees for which will increase from £14·50 and £40·00 to £15·80 and £43·50 respectively. A prescription charge will be paid in respect of less than 20 per cent. of all items dispensed in the NHS as a result of the exemption arrangements and continued availability of prepayment certificates. The charges for elastic stockings and tights., wigs (with the exception of the charge for a full bespoke human hair wig) and fabric supports supplied through the hospital service will also be increased from 1 April, as set out in table A.

  I am pleased to announce a significant move to help those who receive vouchers for spectacles. The value of the vouchers will be increased from 1 April and some definitions changed so that more prescriptions fall into the higher bands. In all, the amount paid in spectacle vouchers is expected to rise by some 10 per cent. As from 1 April, spectacle voucher values will be increased by around 4·7 per cent. overall with the value of the most frequently prescribed A and D vouchers rising by 5·9 and 6·1 per cent. respectively. Voucher values for the hospital eye service will also rise by the same amount. In addition to the general increase, the specification of the higher spectacle voucher bands B and E will be more widely defined to take in more optical prescriptions. Those affected by this change will benefit by receiving significantly more money from which to buy the spectacles of their choice. The revised voucher values are set out in table B.

  Table A New hospital service charges from 1 April 1990 (present charge in brackets)

  Elastic stockings and tights, wigs and fabric supports

  £

  £

  Each elastic stocking

  3·05

  (2·80)

  Tights supplied through the hospital service

  6·10

  (5·60)

  Surgical brassiere

  13·00

  (12·00)

  Abdominal or spinal support

  17·00

  (16·00)

  Stock modacrylic wig

  26·00

  (24·00)

  Partial human hair wig

  67·00

  (62·00)

  Full bespoke human hair wig

  97·00

  (97·00)

  Table B

  National Health Service spectacle voucher values

  From 1 April 1990 £

  Present value £

  Voucher

  A

  18·00

  17·00

  B

  28·75

  28·00

  C

  47·00

  46·00

  D

  34·75

  32·75

  E

  59·75

  58·00

  F

  100·00

  98·00

  G1

  100·00

  98·00

  H1

  228·85

  226·50

  Complex lenses

  Single vision

  3·50

  3·25

  Bifocal

  18·75

  18·00

  Prisms per lens

  Single vision

  4·00

  3·75

  Bifocal

  5·00

  4·75

  Tints per lens

  Single vision

  2·00

  1·90

  Bifocal

  2·50

  2·40

  Photochromic per lens1

  Single vision

  2·00

  1·90

  Bifocal

  2·50

  2·40

  301

  From 1 April 1990 £

  Present value £

  Small frame supplement

  34·50

  33·00

  Supplement for special facial characteristics1

  34·50

  33·00

  1 Hospital eye service.

  2 Per lens.

  National Health Service Contracts
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when further guidance on National Health Service contracts will be published.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have today had copies of "Contracts for Health Services: Operating Contracts" placed in the Library. This includes "specimen" contracts, which have largely been developed within the National Health Service with financial support from the Department. These contracts are first efforts at those which will be necessary to stipulate the nature of the service to be delivered, the quality to be achieved and the resources to be provided for every aspect of National Health Service services across the country. They are not blueprints, nor do they set precedents to be followed by every district health authority. The contracts and the further guidance, together with the previous document "Contracts for Health Services: Operational Principles", are intended to stimulate further detailed work across the country by clinicians and managers to develop useful forms of contract for every part of the service. We intend to implement contract funding in April 1991.

  Child Cancer
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of child cancer, including leukaemia, patients recorded in each of the paediatric hospitals in the United Kingdom each year over the past 10 years.

  Mr. Freeman
  The exact information requested is not available.

  The data shown are collected from cases reported to local cancer registries (based at regional health authority level), and are not subdivided into those recorded from paediatric hospitals. The data cover the years 1980 to 1984, later data for the United Kingdom as a whole not yet being available.

  Number of cases of (a) all malignant neoplasms1 and (b) leukaemia2, ages 0 to 14 years

  United Kingdom, 1980 to 1984

  Year

  (a) All malignant neoplasms

  (b) Leukaemia

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  1984

  690

  563

  224

  190

  1983

  699

  549

  246

  198

  1982

  642

  518

  210

  182

  1981

  662

  560

  217

  184

  1980

  688

  534

  213

  169

  1 Assigned to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision codes 140 to 208.

  2 Assigned to the 9th revision ICD codes 204 to 208.

  Gay People(Adoptions)
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's policy concerning the fostering or adoption of children by individual unmarried lesbian or gay persons who fulfil all the requirements of suitability and fitness to adopt or foster.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In reaching a decision relating to the fostering or adoption of a child by any person, courts and child care and adoption agencies are required to give first consideration to the need to safeguard and promote the child's welfare. There is no prohibition on fostering or adoption by single people, who are equally subject to the statutory requirements for thorough investigation and assessment as prospective foster parents and adopters.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will seek to exempt, with immediate effect, all retirement pensioners from eye test charges; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Pensioners as a group have never been automatically exempt from the payment of optical charges since NHS charges were first introduced in 1951. The Government are keen to focus help with sight test charges on those who need it most, and we have therefore ensured that pensioners who are on a low income or who have certain special medical needs, will continue to be entitled to a free NHS sight test. We have no plans to extend entitlement to NHS sight tests to all pensioners regardless of income.

  Tuberculosis Vaccine
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether regular supplies of tuberculosis vaccine are now being received; and whether the health authorities have been advised on whether to resume their routine school immunisation programme.

  Mr. Freeman
  Temporary supply difficulties arose last year whilst our source of supply moved production facilities to a new site. This necessitated conserving remaining stocks by restricting vaccination to those at particular risk of exposure to tuberculosis. These include children who may be contacts of people with pulmonary tuberculosis as well as recent immigrants from developing countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and any infants born to them subsequently. Adequate stocks remain for that purpose.

  Fresh supplies should be available by the end of April 1990, so routine school vaccination could commence from that time. In October 1989, the Department asked health authorities to make plans to vaccinate the missed 1989 cohort of children at the same time as the 1990 cohort. The Department will be writing again in March to all health authorities suggesting that they can now resume the routine BCG schools' vaccination programme, in the summer or autumn terms depending on local arrangements.

  Junior Hospital Doctors
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the reports from health authorities about the hours worked by junior hospital doctors in September
  303
  1989 were provided by regional health authorities or district health authorities; and whether these reports cover all junior hospital doctors in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 8 February at column 770. The reports relate to junior hospital doctors in England.

  Hospital Complaints
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether hospital trusts will be subject to the Hospital Complaints Procedure Act.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Yes.

  Community Care
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be responsible for co-ordinating and supervising at a local level health and community care for persons in care both public and private.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  District health authorities and local authority social services departments will be responsible for assessing the health and social care needs of their resident populations. Each will then commission a range of services to meet those needs. DHAs will secure their services through a system of contracts or service agreements, as will local authorities when not directly providing them. In agreeing contracts, DHAs and SSDs will wish to satisfy themselves about a number of factors including the quality of treatment and care. It will be important for both district health authorities and local authorities to ensure that services are integrated and co-ordinated: they will need to ensure there is close and effective collaboration between the various elements which make up community care.

  Alcohol Research
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on animal experiments related to alcohol reseach since 1980.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 26 February 1990]: The Department is not currently funding any such research. Readily available information about research for previous years is contained in the DHSS handbooks on research and development published annually. Copies are available in the Library.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Schools
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers and pupils are currently in Northern Ireland schools; what were the comparable figures for five, 10 and 15 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In 1988, the latest year for which information is available, there were 18,491 teachers and 339,741 pupils.

  The comparable figures for five, 10 and 15 years age, for teachers and pupils respectively, were 18,887 and 352,557; 19.116 and 372,380; 15,983 and 358,801.

  Dogs
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the control of dogs in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Northern Ireland has its own separate legislative provisions in relation to dogs under the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983. The legislation is administered by the 26 Northern Ireland district councils. The system is working well.

  Londonderry
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on new commercial and industrial developments in Londonderry.

  Mr. Needham
  Since 1983 private sector commercial investment in Londonderry has totalled some £40 million either spent, under way or projected on local retail, offices, shops, restaurants and hotel developments. The most welcome recent proposed commercial development is the announcement of a substantial investment in a major town centre shopping complex together with a proposed new hotel development.

  Laganside
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what actions are proposed for the regeneration of Laganside; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  I am pleased to report that the Laganside corporation has made good progress in the regeneration of Laganside.

  County Towns
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what actions he is taking to revitalise county towns in the Province; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, West (Dr. Blackburn) on 1 February 1990,Official Report, Vol. 166, c.337.

  Anglo-Irish Agreement
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Government of the Irish Republic about article 4(b) of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I discussed political matters with Mr. Collins most recently at our meetings on 4 and 21 February. Both Governments have made clear that they wish to encourage political dialogue in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on recent ministerial discussions within the framework of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I met Mr. Collins on 4 and 21 February and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State met Mr. Burke on 15 February. At these meetings, discussions
  305
  centred on important issues with which it had been intended to deal at the postponed conference on 31 January.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has had any recent discussion regarding the dismantling of the Anglo-Irish Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  No. The Government remain committed to the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the principles it embodies. However, we remain willing to examine any proposals concerning the agreement, particularly if they are likely to command widespread support.

  Small Firms
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further steps he plans to take to encourage small firms.

  Mr. Needham
  The Government in Northern Ireland continue to encourage the promotion of enterprise within the Province's small business sector.

  Railways
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met representatives of Northern Ireland railways; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  On 16 January 1990, when policy, financial and operational matters were discussed.

  Conservation
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to conserve the environment.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Northern Ireland has an up-to-date legislative code for nature and countryside conservation.

  There are 45 national reserves, nine areas of outstanding natural beauty and 24 areas of special scientific interest. We are taking steps to ensure that further designations will be made over the next few years.

  The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has embarked on the first stages of the designation of Northern Ireland's first marine nature reserve at Strangford lough.

  The Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside provides valuable advice on all these aspects. The Department of the Environment encourages conservation by means of grant aid to voluntary bodies and others and by the provision of educational literature and information in particular at its seven country parks and at countryside centres.

  The listing and scheduling procedures for historic buildings and monuments are continuing, and 7,612 buildings have been listed. One hundred and sixty-seven historic monuments have been taken into state care while 1,000 have been scheduled.

  The Department of the Environment exercises control over water and industrial air pollution in the Province and has responsibility for oversight of the environmental health functions of the district councils. In general, water and air quality are of a high standard in Northern Ireland.
  306
  The Department of the Environment, as sole planning authority for Northern Ireland, is aware of its responsibilities in the area of conservation. This is reflected in its rural planning policy, in the preparation of development plans and in its consideration of planning applications which involve proposals that would affect the environment.

  The Department of Agriculture also has a significant influence on environmental conservation in the countryside. Among other things, it carries out a wide range of environmental research work and gives conservation advice to farmers. It provides positive incentives to farmers to engage in environmentally friendly farming practices under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme. Two such areas have been designated and consideration is being given to further designations.

  Housing Executive
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations were held between the Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive about the internal rationalisation proposals and subsequently about the reduction of the regional offices from six to four which is proposed to take effect from 1992.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I understand that the rationalisation proposals will ensure that the services provided by district offices, which are the normal point of contact for the executive's clients, will be fully maintained and the operation of additional sub-district offices is being considered as a means of bringing services even closer to them.

  The Department of the Environment has not yet been formally consulted about the proposals currently being developed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. We know that the executive is considering such a reduction as part of an organisational review for the new decade and has consulted the Northern Ireland housing council, district councils, voluntary housing bodies and the Northern Ireland public service alliance. The Department encourages the executive to improve its organisation to provide its services in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.

  Kincora Boys' Home
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any further information on the Kincora boys' home and the Wallace file that was lost.

  Mr. Cope
  I have nothing to add to the information contained in the answer given in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel (Mr. Marshall) by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 30 January 1990,Official Report, Vol. 166, columns 110–13, and in a letter written by the Secretary of State for Defence to the same hon. Member, a copy of which was placed in the Library.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of unemployment.
  307
  Mr. Needham
  At 11 January 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 100,413 unemployed claimants in the Province, representing 14·2 per cent. of the work force. Seasonally adjusted unemployment, which gives a better indication of trends, has fallen by an average of 1,100 per month during the past six months and is now at 14 per cent., which is its lowest level for over seven years.

  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current rate of unemployment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The latest unemployment figures for January 1990 show that there were 100,413 persons claiming unemployment benefit in Northern Ireland and this represented 14·2 per cent. of the total work force. The seasonally adjusted figure, which gives a better indication of trends, is at its lowest level for more than seven years and shows that the strong underlying downward trend in unemployment in the Province is continuing.

  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are currently self-employed in the Province and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The most recent estimate derived from labour force surveys and the June agricultural census is that at June 1989 the number of self-employed in Northern Ireland was approximately 70,000.

  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are unemployed in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  At 11 January 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 100,413 persons darning unemployment benefit in Northern Ireland.

  Electricity Exports
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to offer electricity for export to the Republic.

  Mr. Needham
  None at present. The interconnector between Northern Ireland and the Republic was put out of action by terrorist attacks in the 1970s and has not been restored.

  Mutual Understanding
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to promote education to improve mutual understanding between the communities in the Province.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Major steps are already being taken in this direction through the education for mutual understanding (EMU) programme which is incorporated as a compulsory cross-curricular theme in the new common curriculum. EMU enables young people to learn about and value their own culture and traditions and the culture and traditions of others.

  Grant aid under the cross-community contact scheme, introduced in September 1987, has supported joint programmes by about a third of schools and 300 youth groups. The Department of Education for Northern Ireland also supports a number of organisations which promote reconciliation in school and youth groups.

  Community Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State far Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his proposals for community care.

  Mr. Needham
  Our proposals will be set out in a paper to be published shortly.

  Organic Food
  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland is taking to encourage the development of organic agriculture in Northern Ireland in response to the increasing demand for organic food.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Northern Ireland's food is usually more natural since our agriculture is based upon low input with high health standards in livestock and plants.

  We are also setting up a demonstration organic farming unit which should encourage and benefit those interested in organic farming.

  Rural Development
  Mr. Barry Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking to promote rural development; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There is a need for a better focus and co-ordinated action towards social and economic development in the most deprived rural areas of Northern Ireland. The inter-departmental committee on rural development will oversee Government policies and programmes in these areas to ensure the maximum impact of existing expenditure with due sensitivity to identified needs in the areas themselves. Opportunities for further action will be consulted. There is a determination to achieve rural improvement.

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the effects of the ambulance workers' dispute on the emergency services in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  Full accident and emergency care has been maintained by the ambulance service since the dispute began. Some services to outpatient clinics have been affected, but all patients requiring urgent treatment have been transported. No outpatient clinic has been cancelled because of this dispute. It has not been necessary to seek assistance from the RUC or from voluntary aid societies.

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

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

  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.
  309
  Mr. Brooke
  I refer the right hon. and hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East (Mr. Ross).

  Road Closures
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on road closures between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the closure of cross-border roads.

  Mr. Cope
  The Government recognise that many crossing points between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland serve a valuable social and economic purpose. We are also aware that some crossing points are particularly valuable to terrorists. No crossing point is closed unnecessarily. But the first duty of Government is to protect life. In accordance with that duty, we will continue to support action by the police, assisted where necessary by the Army, to close or reclose border crossings when we are satisfied that this is necessary to protect the lives of those, including many particularly vulnerable members of the community, who live or work in border areas.

  Irish Prime Minister
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet the Irish Prime Minister; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have no current plans to meet the Taoiseach.

  Tobacco Products
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to stop the sales of tobacco products to children.

  Mr. Needham
  The sale of tobacco products to children who appear to be under 16 is illegal. Responsibility for enforcing the law rests with the police.

  Industrial Development Board
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the report of the Northern Ireland Economic Council on the performance of the Industrial Development Board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The report of the Northern Ireland Economic Council on the performance of the Industrial Development Board was published on 22 February. The Government welcome the report as a valuable contribution to debate on industrial development in Northern Ireland and will be giving full consideration to its detailed recommendations.

  Police Operations
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when public confidence in policing policy and operations was last discussed with Ministers from the Republic of Ireland within the Anglo-Irish Conference.
  310
  Mr. Cope
  This matter was raised at the last conference meeting on 30 November.

  Devolution
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made in consultations regarding devolution.

  Mr. Brooke
  Since the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 1 February, I and my colleagues have had a number of exploratory meetings to discuss the scope for political progress within Northern Ireland, both with the leadership of the main constitutional political parties and with the Irish Government. I expect to have further such meetings.

  Vehicle Examinations
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the waiting time for an official vehicle examination; and if he will make a statement on procedures for such examinations.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The average waiting time for a vehicle inspection appointment has been reduced from six weeks in August 1989 to four weeks at the present time. The annual inspection of private cars, heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles is carried out by the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, in 15 purpose-built centres.

  Economic Growth
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the trend of growth of the economy in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Cope
  The Northern Ireland economy, like the United Kingdom economy, has experienced sustained growth since 1981. Latest figures show an impressive growth of manufacturing output recently. The prospects for 1990 are substantially dependent upon economic conditions in the United Kingdom economy as a whole.

  Belfast
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on commercial and industrial development in Belfast.

  Mr. Needham
  I am pleased to report that in recent years commercial and industrial development in Belfast has reached unprecedented levels.

  Terrorism
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of terrorist incidents since 3 November 1989.

  Mr. Cope
  Since 3 November 1989 there have been 137 terrorist-related incidents, 13 of which resulted in fatalities.

  Integrated Education
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he proposes to offer opportunities for integrated education; and if he will make a statement.
  311
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Part VI of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, which came into operation on 20 February 1990, makes provision to facilitate the development of integrated schools.

  Under the new legislation, it is now possible for the Government to give financial support to integrated
  312
  schools being set up from new and for parents of pupils at existing schools to vote that integrated status should be sought for their schools.

  The statutory duty is also placed upon the Department: of Education to encourage and facilitate the development of integrated education.

  Nuclear Magnetic Facilities
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray facilities will be available in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  An assessment of need is at present being undertaken by the Eastern board. Subject to satisfactory completion, a magnetic resonance imaging service will be considered with other priorities for funding in the 1991–92 year.

  Drug Education
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on drug education in schools.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Schools have an important role in discouraging young people from getting involved in drugs.

  Months waiting

  Reference source

  0to2

  3 to 5

  6 to 8

  9 to 12

  13 to 23

  24+

  Totals

  Armagh

  —

  5

  3

  —

  —

  2

  10

  Ballymena

  7

  10

  4

  9

  12

  6

  48

  Ballymoney

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  BCH

  12

  19

  10

  14

  16

  10

  81

  Coleraine

  3

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  5

  Con Ref

  —

  1

  7

  1

  —

  —

  9

  Craigavon

  4

  7

  4

  5

  5

  4

  29

  Downpatrick

  7

  7

  —

  4

  5

  1

  24

  Dungannon

  —

  5

  —

  1

  5

  5

  16

  Enniskillen

  5

  15

  5

  13

  11

  —

  49

  Larne

  3

  11

  4

  3

  3

  3

  27

  Lisburn

  2

  3

  3

  —

  1

  1

  10

  Magherafelt

  6

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  10

  Mater Hospital

  4

  2

  3

  —

  —

  2

  11

  Musgrave Park

  2

  5

  1

  1

  —

  3

  12

  Newry

  4

  6

  5

  4

  5

  8

  32

  Newtownards

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Rheumatology

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  2

  4

  RVH

  16

  44

  12

  17

  13

  6

  108

  UHD

  4

  5

  2

  2

  3

  2

  18

  Whiteabbey

  5

  6

  4

  —

  6

  —

  21

  Totals

  88

  154

  68

  76

  87

  56

  529

  European Commission
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet representatives of the European Commission; and what matters he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Cope
  My colleagues and I frequently have meetings with EC Commissioners, but no such meetings are currently planned.

  Health Service
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to take a decision on the provision of a new hospital for the Coleraine, Ballymoney and Moyle district; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  A decision will be taken when the further appraisal initiated by the Northern board has been completed.
  314
  As part of health education, which recent legislation includes as a compulsory element of the common curriculum for all schools in Northern Ireland, children will be taught about the serious risks inherent in the misuse of drugs and other harmful substances. This will build on what is already good practice in many schools.

  Musgrave Park Hospital
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current waiting time for those residing in each of the health and social services boards in Northern Ireland for hip replacements and other similar orthopaedic operations at the Musgrave Park hospital, Belfast.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is not available in the form requested. Details of the waiting list and times broken down by referring hospitals are as follows:

  Handicapped Children
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many handicapped children are in residential care in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  There are eight mentally handicapped children aged under 16 years currently in residential care in Northern Ireland. There are no physically handicapped children in residential care.

  Licensed Premises (Metric Measures)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the consultation procedure on the introduction of metric measures on licensed premises.

  Mr. Needham
  A consultation paper entitled "Metrication: Sales of Spirits for Consumption on Licensed Premises" was issued on 18 September 1989 to 35 trade and other bodies; five replies were received. As required by article 48(2) of the Weights and Measures
  315
  (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, interested parties will have a further opportunity to comment when the draft amending legislation is published.

  Business Failures
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the levels of business failures in Northern Ireland in 1989.

  Mr. Needham
  During 1989, 176 companies went into liquidation compared with 174 in the previous year. Two hundred and twenty one bankruptcy orders were made in 1989 compared with 146 in 1988.

  Community Projects
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made in the development of community projects between schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Since the cross-community contact scheme was introduced in September 1987 to promote contacts across the community divide, about a third of the schools in Northern Ireland have received assistance towards the costs of structured, ongoing joint programmes.

  In addition, the education for mutual understanding programme is incorporated as a compulsory cross-curricular theme in the new common curriculum.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the prospects for inward investment into Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The attraction of inward investment is a crucial factor in the economic development of Northern Ireland, but the prospects for investment are always difficult to predict.

  Milk Quota
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the distribution of the additional milk quota.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on 13 February that he had submitted to the European Commission for approval the United Kingdom proposals for the allocation of the extra 1 per cent. quota.

  The proposals include allocation to new entrants; to small producers; to producers in remote areas; and to producers whose tribunal awards had not been granted in full because insufficient quota was available.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of employment training.

  Mr. Needham
  Some 2,764 persons are now participating in the job training programme which is the equivalent of employment training and I plan to expand the programme next year.

  Football
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he is making to the Irish Football Association following incidents at a recent football match at Windsor Park.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 28 February 1990]: The Irish Football Association is aware of and shares my concern at the crowd disturbances at Windsor park. The Association is undertaking a thorough investigation and I shall receive a copy of its report.

  Mushrooms
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial assistance LEDU has given in each of the last five years towards the development of the mushroom industry in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 28 February 1990]: LEDU grants paid to the mushroom industry over the past five years were as follows:

  Amount (£)

  1984–85

  90,997

  1985–86

  209,948

  1986–87

  95,899

  1987–88

  154,907

  1988–89

  293,981

  Total

  845,732

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many single pensioner households in Scotland are in receipt of income support or have been in receipt of income support or supplementary benefit for each of the past five years, expressed as a percentage of all single pensioner households and as a numerical total.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The latest available information is in the table. The figures relate to single people aged 60 and over. The information requested is not available for single pensioner households.
  317

  Single people in Scotland aged 60 and over

  Thousands

  1983

  1984

  1986

  1987

  1988

  (a) Total

  2,195

  2,192

  2,178

  2,174

  2,168

  (b) In receipt of Income Support

  131

  138

  135

  150

  149

  Percentage in receipt of Income Support

  5·97

  6·30

  6·20

  6·90

  6·90

  Note: The population figures are mid-year projections from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. The numbers of benefit recipients are taken from the Annual Statistical Enquiries (ASE) in December 1983, December 1984, February 1986, May 1987 and May 1988. No ASE was produced in 1985.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those organisations whose evidence as to the cost of providing care in voluntary and private residential and nursing homes is taken into account in setting national income support limits.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We receive a considerable number of views and representations from a variety of interested organisations and individuals who are entitled to have their communications treated in confidence. They are of course free to publish this evidence themselves if they wish.

  Social Fund
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate for social fund spending on loans and grants for the next two years.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) on 10 November 1989 at column 813. An announcement regarding the budget for 1991–92 will be made nearer the time.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals have so far benefited from social fund loans.

  Mr. Scott
  Since the beginning of the scheme in April 1988 over 1·7 million budgeting loans and crisis loans have been awarded. It is not possible to say how many individuals have benefited as an applicant may have received more than one loan.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking, following the High Court judgment on 21 February on the operation of the social fund, to ensure that every social fund application which has been refused is reviewed in the light of the judgment and in accordance with direction 31 in the social fund manual.

  Mr. Scott
  Our intention is that the revised guidance to social fund officers to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member on 26 February at column 58 should be accompanied by any necessary advice on the question of reviews.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether social fund officers are free to disregard the paragraphs of the social fund manual in which they are told they should under no circumstances make an award which cannot be paid from the local office budget.

  Mr. Scott
  As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 26 February 318
  at column 58, a letter was sent by electronic mail on the day of the High Court judgment which advised social fund officers that the local office budget and the level of priority that might usually be met are factors to be taken into account in reaching a decision and that the state of the local office is not the overriding factor. We intend to issue revised guidance shortly.

  Training Schemes
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the effect on the income support of participants in the action credit pilot scheme who receive financial help in kind towards their travel-to-work and meal costs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The rules for the treatment of payments for travel and meal costs are the same for participants working under the action credit scheme as for anyone in part-time employment and receiving income support. Financial help with these expenses is normally treated as earnings and taken into account in the usual way. However, any payment in respect of expenses which are incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the duties of the employment is fully disregarded. Similarly, payments made in kind, such as the provision of a meal or a bus pass, are completely ignored.

  Family Benefits
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are receiving family credit in the areas covered by the(a) Poplar, (b) Stepney and (c) Shoreditch Department of Social Security offices; and how many in Tower Hamlets as a whole.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The number of families receiving family credit who were living in the areas covered by the local social security offices in Tower Hamlets at the time their award was made is as follows:

  Number

  (a) Poplar

  490

  (b) Stepney

  260

  (c) Shoreditch

  1,010

  Total

  1,760

  Women Claimants
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of women in part-time or full-time employment who receive benefits excluding child benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information requested is in the table.
  319

  Estimated numbers of women in full-time or part-time employment in receipt of benefits excluding child benefit and one parent benefit in Great Britain in 1987

  Number in receipt of benefit (000 's)

  Part time

  375

  Full-time

  405

  Total

  780

  Notes:

  1. The estimates are derived from the 1987 Family Expenditure Survey which is a sample survey, and may be subject to sampling errors. Only benefits personally received by women are counted.

  2. The table is confined to employed and self-employed women under pension age. Full-time work is defined as 24 hours or more per week.

  3. Benefits include all State Benefits (including Widows Benefit) except child benefit and one-parent benefit.

  Food Prices
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to adjust pension and income support payments in light of the increases in the price of food; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Increases in food prices are taken into account in the indices used to calculate annual increases in these benefits.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the percentage increase in real terms in the incomes of pensioners receiving supplementary benefit or income support between 1979 and 1987; and how much of the increase was accounted for by(a) social security benefits, (b) occupational pensions, (c) income from savings and (d) earnings, respectively.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I regret that the information is not available in the form requested.

DEFENCE

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those categories of parliamentary questions on which it is the policy of his Department not to answer, together where known with the date of the blocking answer.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is our policy to answer all parliamentary questions. However, successive Governments have judged that there are a number of defence-related matters on which it would not be in the national interest to offer detailed comment; among these are operations, intelligence and security.

  It would involve disproportionate cost and effort to list the dates of past answers which reflect this policy.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from members of the public in respect of low-flying aircraft.
  320
  Mr. Neubert
  During January 1990, the Ministry of Defence received 381 inquiries or complaints about military low-flying training in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints he has received over the past 12 months about low-flying military aircraft.

  Mr. Neubert
  Between 1 February 1989 and 31 January 1990, the Ministry of Defence received 7,896 inquiries and complaints about military low flying in the United Kingdom.

  Disarmament Conference
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what part his Department is playing in the Geneva conference on disarmament.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence contributes in a number of ways to the conference on disarmament, particularly through the provision of military, technical and scientific staff and other assistance to the United Kingdom delegation in Geneva.

  Laser Targeting Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what distance is the United States Air Force laser targeting system, Pave Tack, hazardous to the sight of an observer viewing with (i) the naked eye and (ii) binoculars.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  These distances are classified. However, the military laser safety committee issues strict safety instructions on the use of all military lasers in the United Kingdom and these are observed at all air weapons ranges when Pave Tack is being used.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents of temporary blindness have been reported by range staff and civilians that may have been caused by laser targeting systems for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No such incidents have been reported.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what ranges in the United Kingdom are cleared for use by the Pave Tack laser targeting system.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The following ranges in the United Kingdom are cleared for use by the Pave Tack laser targeting system:

  RAF Holbeach; RAF Wainfleet; RAF Donna Hook; RAF Jurby; RAF Cowden; RAF Tain; RAF Rosehearty and Garvie Island.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information is provided for the range staff and the local civilian population in the area of ranges cleared for use by aircraft operating the Pave Tack laser targeting system regarding the dangers of observing aircraft on practice bombing runs using this equipment.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Instructions on laser safety are contained within the station standing orders for each air weapons range. Staff are instructed not to use magnifying optical devices, such as binoculars, when lasers are in use, unless the devices are fitted with filters or staff are wearing
  321
  goggles. Visitors to the ranges are briefed on these requirements. No specific information is provided to the public. However, warning signs instruct people to keep away from danger areas when the range is in use. If any unauthorised person is identified within the danger area, all use of the range will cease.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations cover use of the Pave Tack laser targeting system over the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A number of joint and single service publications, together with air weapons range orders, cover the use of the Pave Tack laser targeting system at ranges in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which laser targeting systems, other than Pave Tack, are cleared for use on United Kingdom training ranges.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Three laser targeting systems, other than Pave Tack, are cleared for use on United Kingdom training ranges. These are an airborne laser ranging and marked target seeker (LRMTS); a ground-based laser target marker used in conjunction with LRMTS; and Pave Spike, a system similar to Pave Tack.

  RAF Greenham Common
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence police person-days are involved in(a) escorting vehicles involved in an off-base dispersal exercise in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system from Greenham Common to the Salisbury Plain training area, (b) guarding the Salisbury Plain training area for the duration of the exercises and (c) escorting the vehicles for their return to RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not the practice, for operational and security reasons, to give information of this kind.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common are scheduled for the next 12 months.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  These exercise deployments will continue for about a further year until the withdrawal of ground-launched cruise missiles is substantially complete. However, for operational and security reasons it is not the practice to give details of future such exercises.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common there have been in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Eleven.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all areas of special use airspace within 15 miles of RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Neubert
  The following categories of "special use" airspace lie within 15 miles of RAF Greenham Common: airways and the London terminal manoeuvring area, military aerodrome traffic zones, restricted areas and a military avoidance area.
  322
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the implications for flight safety of the existence of(a) a Hilton hotel and (b) a Tesco superstore under the flight path at the western end of the runway at RAF Greenham Common;

  (2) whether his Department was consulted before planning permission was given by Newbury district council for (a) a Hilton hotel and (b) a Tesco superstore under the flightpath at the western end of the runway at RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Neubert
  In both cases the Ministry of Defence was consulted before planning permission was given but, as the established criteria for safe runway use of RAF Greenham Common were satisfied, no objection was raised.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the implications for flight safety of the unreported light civil air traffic in the area of RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Neubert
  All aircraft in the immediate vicinity of RAF Greenham Common come under the control of the base's air traffic controllers. I know of no problems concerning civilian light aircraft.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the reasons why no practice approaches are allowed at RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Neubert
  There is currently no operational requirement for aircraft to make practice approaches to RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state what restrictions there are for aircraft using visual flight rules landing on runway 29 at RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Neubert
  No general restrictions apply within the military air traffic zone at RAF Greenham Common, but the air traffic controllers at the base will regulate the use of runway 29 according to circumstances prevailing at the time.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has formulated a disaster response plan for responding to an accident involving an aircraft crashing into(a) a Hilton hotel or (b) a Tesco superstore under the flightpath at the western end of the runway at RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Neubert
  Like other operational RAF stations, RAF Greenham Common has formulated accident response plans, covering accidents both on and off the base. These are co-ordinated as appropriate with the local authority and local emergency services.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common is still subject to NATO unit assessments.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The ground-launched cruise missile system at Greenham Common will remain subject to NATO evaluation until its withdrawal is complete.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the cost per annum to his Department of the ongoing off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common;
  323
  (2) what is the cost per annum to the Ministry of Defence police of the ongoing off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not the practice, for both operational and security reasons, to give information of this kind.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United States Air Force makes any financial contribution to the costs of escorting vehicles involved in off base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Apart from payments in lieu of rates to the local authority in respect of Greenham Common, the United States Air Force does not contribute to meeting the costs incurred by the civil police and Ministry of Defence police in escorting the ground-launched cruise missiles in off-base training deployments.

  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Lands Tribunal has started work on deciding levels of compensation for commoners with rights on RAF Greenham Common; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Following our decison to proceed with the full extinguishment of the rights of common over RAF Greenham Common, we have now made a specific offer of compensation to the chairman of the commoners' committee. If we cannot agree appropriate levels of compensation it is then open to either party to refer the case to the Lands Tribunal.

  RAF Exchange Pilots
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force exchange pilots are currently serving with units in the United States of America; and which aircraft types they are flying.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are currently 32 RAF exchange pilots serving with units in the United States of America. Of these, 24 are in flying appointments. The aircraft they fly include fast jets, trainers, transports, helicopters, and refuelling aircraft.

  US Air Force Exercises
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all exercises that are scheduled to take place in(a) the Coronet, (b) the Volant and (c) the Busy Brewer series of exercises at bases in the United Kingdom during 1990.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Planning for these exercises is not yet complete. The Busy Brewer series of exercises is now known as Busy Warrior.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all exercises that took place in(a) the Coronet, (b) the Volant and (c) the Busy Brewer series of exercises at bases in the United Kingdom during 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The list of exercises is as follows:

  Coronet Exercises 1989

  Base

  Coronet Hoop

  2 to 21 April

  RAF Alconbury

  Coronet Pine

  20 May to 17 June

  RAF Sculthorpe

  Coronet Diamond

  1 to 26 June

  A&AEE Boscombe Down

  324

  Base

  Coronet Venom

  22 June to 18 July

  RAF BentWaters

  Coronet Python

  25 August to 21 September

  RAF Woodbridge

  Volant Exercises 1989

  Date

  Volant Gopher

  4 to 7 June

  Busy Warrior (former Busy Brewer) Exercises 1989

  Base

  15 to 25 April

  RAF Fairford

  7 to 25 September

  RAF Fairford

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he, or any official in his Department, is consulted by the United States Air Force about scheduling of Coronet and Volant series exercises before the United States Air Forces Europe consolidated tasking schedule for the relevant year is produced.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes.

  Air-to-surface Missiles
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current North Atlantic Treaty Organisation requirement for tactical air-to-surface missiles.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Alliance has long made clear its commitment to keeping its forces, including nuclear forces, effective and up to date. Part of this process is the replacement of ageing free-fall nuclear bombs. The United Kingdom is considering both French and American options to replace its WE177 but, as yet, no decisions have been taken.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation requirement for tactical air-to-surface missiles was(a) first and (b) most recently publicly stated.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Alliance has long made clear its intention to maintain adequate, effective and up-to-date nuclear forces and most recently reaffirmed this strategy at the October 1989 meeting of the nuclear planning group in Portugal.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any studies into the replacement of the WE177 free-fall bomb have included air-launched missiles of a range greater than 400 km.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not our practice to comment on the detailed specifications for weapons systems under consideration as possible future replacements for the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb.

  F117A Aircraft
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received any proposals regarding a permanent or temporary deployment of F117A aircraft o r the United States Air Force at any base in the United Kingdom or any United Kingdom-operated base overseas.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  RAF Chicksands
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether RAF Chicksands is assigned to NATO.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  RAF Chicksands provides communications support to United States armed forces in Europe, but is not itself assigned to NATO.

  Submarine Personnel
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regular medical checks are carried out on service personnel who have served on Her Majesty's submarines(a) during their service and (b) after they have left the Royal Navy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Before entering the submarine service Royal Navy personnel undergo various medical checks to ensure that they are fit to do so. Throughout their service they undergo regular routine preventive medical examinations, in common with all other RN personnel. About 10 per cent. of those submariners who serve in nuclear-powered submarines are classified as radiation workers, and they undergo routine medical surveillance as required by the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985.

  Prior to leaving the service, a full assessment of the individual's naval medical history is made and a thorough medical examination is carried out. Subsequently, full medical records are available to the individual's general practitioner on request, including the classified radiation worker history where applicable.

  Financial Planning
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes he has made in(a) the role of the financial planning and management committee, (b) the chiefs of staff committee and (c) the long-term costings review for his Department.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  None.

  Cypriot Ferry Attack
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence following the attack on 25 February on a Cypriot ferry which RAF Wessex helicopters attended to rescue wounded, what information he has on the type, calibre and origin of the rounds which struck the ferry and the estimated size and nationality of the attacking vessel; which navies operating in the area have vessels of this size, carrying such armaments; why the RAF was scrambled to respond to this particular emergency; and what assessment he has made of the implications of this attack for British shipping in this area.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The car ferry Baroness M was attacked in darkness on 24 February during one of her regular journeys between Larnaca, Cyprus and Jounieh, Lebanon. My understanding is that the ship is believed to have had Syrian markings but I am not in a position to confirm this. I am not able to comment on the size or type of vessel involved or the type of ammunition used in the attack. The RAF Wessex helicopters based in Cyprus include a search and rescue role among their duties and were well-placed to respond to the request for 326
  humanitarian assistance from the Baroness M. As to the implications of this attack for British shipping, I understand that as far as the General Council of British Shipping is aware, no British flagged ships trade with Lebanon or operate in the area where the attack took place.

  Mr. Colin Wallace
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the details and nature of the series of administrative errors, to which he referred in his letter to his hon. Friend the Member for Arundel (Mr. Marshall) on 30 January, a copy of which was placed in the Library, and which led to Mr. Colin Wallace's file of documents being mishandled.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to the information given in the letter to which the hon. Member has referred.

  Submarines
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how deep in the ground the cables for wires in the experimental trial ELF transmitter at Glen Garry forest will have to be buried: and if they will need to be buried in any particular medium;

  (2) if he will place in the Library a map showing the area to be covered by the experimental trial ELF transmitter at Glen Garry forest including all access routes, and any areas from which the general public may have to be excluded;

  (3) what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of a permanent installation based on the trial experimental ELF transmitter at Glen Garry forest;

  (4) which roads will be used for access during the construction of the experimental trial ELF transmitter at Glen Garry forest; and whether any existing forest roads in the area will need to be extended, widened, or altered in any way.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) on 19 February, column 573.

  The detail of any proposals would be addressed in full in the notice of proposed development and supporting environmental impact assessment which would be submitted to Highland regional council, a copy of which would be placed in the Library at the appropriate time.

  If a permanent installation were planned, a further environmental assessment would be made at the time.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Irradiated Food
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will place in the Library a summary of the evidence he has about the safety of food irradiation.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer my hon. Friend to the following reports, all of which are already in the Library of the House.Report on the Safety and Wholesomeness of Irradiated Food by the Advisory Committee on Irradiated and Novel Foods (published by the HMSO 1986).

  327
  Report of the Scientific Committee for Food (Eighteenth Series) (published by the Office of Official Publications of the European Communities, 1987).
  Report on the Irradiation of Foodstuffs by the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities (published by the HMSO, 1990).

  Food from Britain
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his plans for the future of Food from Britain.

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to continue financial support for Food from Britain beyond the end of 1991.

  Mr. Curry
  I was pleased to announce on 9 February that the current arrangements for Government funding of Food from Britain would be extended until 1992–93. Under these arrangements Food from Britain will receive £3·5 million a year to cover establishment costs plus up to a further £1 million a year on the basis of £1 for every £3 contributed by industry in the previous year. It is now for the industry to demonstrate its commitment to Food from Britain by making full and best use of the services it offers.

  Veterinary Product Licensing
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning the new scale of fees for veterinary product licensing.

  Mr. Maclean
  The fees charged for veterinary medicines licensing operations have been reviewed to ensure that they recoup the full economic costs involved. Following informal discussions between my officials and the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), I have received through hon. Members representations from several pharmaceutical companies criticising the proposed fee increases. Statutory consultation and further informal discussions are in hand.

  British Apples
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if Food From Britain will conduct an information campaign in schools to promote awareness of the readily available types of British apples.

  Mr. Curry
  Food From Britain's promotional activities are a matter between it and its prospective clients. However, I have no doubt that it would be more than happy to explore with the British apple industry the possibility of a joint venture to promote awareness of quality British apples.

  Pesticide Data
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where he stores his records of pesticide data following evaluation at Harpenden; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Data supporting evaluations are retained at Harpenden.

  North Sea (Dumping)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library any correspondence he has received from other countries concerning his applications to the Oslo commission to dump(a) waste waters from the synthesis of antibiotic and anti-ulcer medicines and (b) the chalk solution from sugar refining in the North sea.

  Mr. Gummer
  My Department has received letters from the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway concerning my intention to give a further licence for the first waste.

  I am arranging to place copies in the Library of the House.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library any correspondence he has had with the companies that dump industrial waste in the North sea concerning the agreements of the second North sea conference in 1987.

  Mr. Gummer
  No.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the meetings he has had with the companies that dump industrial waste in the North sea to discuss the agreements of the second North sea conference in 1987, giving the name of the company and date of meeting in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have not held any such meetings.

  Food Imports (Cyprus)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions or correspondence he has had with the Cypriot authorities concerning pesticide residues in imported fruit and vegetables; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  We have asked the Cypriot authorities for comments on recent reports about pesticide residues in their fruit and vegetables.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will give the results of all tests on imported fruit and vegetables from Cyprus for pesticide residues in 1989, giving the type of residue found and the quantities;

  (2) what tests he is currently carrying out on imported fruit and vegetables from Cyprus for the levels of pesticide residues; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government undertake a continuous monitoring programme of fruit and vegetables from all sources, including Cyprus, to ensure that residue levels of pesticides do not exceed statutory levels contained in the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Food) Regulations 1988. The results are published; the latest report covering the period 1985 to 1988 was published by HMSO in 1989 (food surveillance paper No. 25).

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the fruit and vegetables that were imported into the United Kingdom from Cyprus in 1989, giving the quantities in each case.
  329
  Mr. Gummer
  Provisional figures show that the quantities of the main fruit and vegetable crops imported from Cyprus during 1989 were as follows:

  Quantity (tonnes)

  Potatoes (fresh or chilled)

  90,746

  Grapefruit (fresh or dried)

  32,989

  Citrus fruits

  22,881

  Lemons and limes (fresh or dried)

  12,336

  Vegetable products, chiefly used for human food, eg. locust beans

  10,813

  Grapes fresh

  8,759

  Grape juice (including grape must)

  4,498

  Carrots, turnips, salad beetroot, celeriac, salsify, radishes and similar edible roots

  2,342

  Mandarins (fresh or dried)

  2,047

  Citrus fruit (prepared or preserved)

  1,042

  Source: Customs and Excise.

  Agricultural Development Advisory Service
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the amounts of money received from(a) farmers, (b) agro-chemical companies, (c) other parts of the agricultural industry and (d) other sources for the operation of (i) the farm and countryside service, (ii) the state veterinary service and (iii) the research and development service of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service for each year since 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Sources of Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS) income are not recorded in the form requested but in any event to provide them in that form would raise questions of commercial confidentiality.

  Charging for ADAS services on a general scale was introduced with effect from April 1987 and the present service structure of ADAS also dates from that time. Income for the ADAS services for financial years since April 1987 is as follows:

  1987–88 (£ million)

  1988–89 (£ million)

  1989–90 (10 months) (£ million)

  Farm and Countryside Service

  8·9

  10·4

  10·6

  State Veterinary Service

  2·3

  4·9

  4·7

  Research and Development Service

  5·5

  5·8

  5·1

  Total

  16·7

  21·1

  20·4

  Set-aside Scheme
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of participating farms have received a site inspection after acceptance on to the set-aside scheme; and how many of these site inspections have revealed breaches of(a) the set-aside regulations and (b) the guidelines for the management of fallow land.

  Mr. Curry
  The Community set-aside rules require member states to inspect a minimum of 5 per cent. of holdings on which land is being set aside under the scheme. It is not departmental policy to indicate the expected or achieved levels and inspection in the interests of proper enforcement. Information on the results of inspections in the first year of the scheme is not yet available.
  330
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers indicated on their set-aside application forms that they had(a) applied for and (b) obtained planning permission for land entered under the non-agricultural use option of the set-aside scheme.

  Mr. Curry
  Applicants for set-aside are not required to give this information. However, the scheme literature draws attention to the requirement to obtain planning permission before the land is used for certain nonagricultural purposes.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what area and what percentage of land set aside in each county in 1989 falls within less-favoured areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The information is available by MAFF division but not by county. It is as follows:

  Division in which LFA land has been set-aside

  Area of LFA land set-aside (hectares)

  Percentage of Division total of set-aside land

  Carlisle

  15·4

  12·7

  Newcastle

  561·7

  47·3

  Northallerton

  50·5

  3·3

  Truro

  25·7

  6·0

  Taunton

  14·8

  1·5

  Note: The information relates to 1989 entrants only and is provisional.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the reduction in the 1989 United Kingdom cereal harvest due to the operation of the set-aside scheme.

  Mr. Curry
  The area of arable land set aside in the 1988–89 season represented about 1·2 per cent. of the United Kingdom arable area. The effect on the cereal harvest depends on assessments of what crop would otherwise have been grown on the land concerned and what the yield per hectare would have been. I shall be able to form a better view on this matter when I have the results of an evaluation of the scheme which has been commissioned by my Department from Reading university.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the impact of the set-aside scheme on agricultural employment in 1988 and 1989; and what is his estimate for 1990.

  Mr. Curry
  Levels of employment in agriculture are influenced by a number of factors, of which the existence of the set-aside scheme is only one. I will be in a position to form a judgment on the employment effects of set-aside when I have the results of an evaluation of the scheme being carried out which has been commissioned by my Department from Reading university.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of land in the non-agricultural use option of the set-aside scheme is being used for enterprises connected with(a) tourism, (b) recreation and (c) leisure.

  Mr. Curry
  The information is not available in the form requested. The information I have suggests that the majority of the land set aside to non-agricultural purposes is being used for horse-based activities, golf courses and sports fields.
  331
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will produce a breakdown by county of the number of participating farms and total set-aside areas for the second year of the scheme and options chosen per county for both years of the scheme.

  Mr Gummer
  The table shows a breakdown by English county of 1989 entrants and figures of United Kingdom uptake for 1989 compared with that for 1988. Information on land use options is not available broken down by county, but overall percentages for the two years are given in the table.

  (a) Breakdown of 1989 entrants into set-aside scheme by English county

  County

  Number of participants farms

  Total area set-aside (hectares)

  Average area per farm (hectares)

  Avon

  13

  384·75

  29·60

  Bedfordshire

  31

  1,125·00

  36·29

  Berkshire

  21

  1,152·43

  54·88

  Buckinghamshire

  53

  2,063·95

  38·94

  Cambridgeshire

  48

  1,695·00

  35·31

  Cheshire

  11

  207·67

  18·88

  Cleveland

  3

  59·34

  19·78

  Cornwall

  18

  421·48

  23·42

  Cumbria

  6

  120·07

  20·01

  Derbyshire

  11

  143·42

  13·04

  Devonshire

  30

  820·23

  27·34

  Dorset

  18

  467·64

  25·98

  Durham

  6

  297·67

  49·61

  Essex

  65

  2,346·45

  36·10

  Gloucestershire

  38

  2,526·73

  66·49

  Greater London

  1

  26·32

  26·32

  Greater Manchester

  3

  62·04

  20·68

  (b) United Kingdom uptake of the set-aside scheme distributed by country

  No. of farms

  Hectares of land set-aside

  1988 entrants

  1989 entrants

  Cumulative total

  1988 entrants

  1989 entrants

  Cumulative total

  England

  1,327

  1,157

  2,484

  41,175

  46,379

  87,554

  Scotland

  374

  172

  546

  12,617

  8,567

  21,184

  Wales

  31

  11

  42

  701

  413

  1,114

  Northern Ireland

  14

  10

  24

  137

  72

  209

  Total United Kingdom

  1,746

  1,350

  3,096

  54,630

  55,431

  110,061

  Note: Figures are provisional.

  (c) Percentage of set-aside land used for the different land use options: United Kingdom figures.

  Percentage of total area set aside by entrants in each year

  1988 entrants

  1989 entrants

  Permanent fallow

  79

  80

  Rotational fallow

  12

  7

  Woodland

  2

  2

  Non-agricultural use

  7

  11

  Veal Imports
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by volume, value and country of origin imports of veal into the United Kingdom for each of the last four years.

  Mr. Curry
  The following table shows imports of veal into the United Kingdom between 1986 and 1989 by country of consignment. Figures for 1988 and 1989 exclude cuts of veal because of changes in the commodity coding.
  332

  County

  Number of participants farms

  Total area set-aside (hectares)

  Average area per farm (hectares)

  Hampshire

  37

  3,640·71

  98·40

  Hereford/Worcs

  31

  839·64

  27·09

  Hertfordshire

  24

  1,044·52

  43·52

  Humberside

  24

  924·49

  38·52

  Isle of Wight

  3

  130·02

  43·34

  Kent

  58

  2,301·57

  39·68

  Lancashire

  6

  95·74

  15·96

  Leicestershire

  19

  1,059·44

  55·76

  Lincolnshire

  76

  1,942·10

  25·55

  Merseyside

  —

  —

  —

  West Midlands

  3

  88·36

  29·45

  Norfolk

  64

  2,263·35

  35·36

  Northamptonshire

  33

  2,000·00

  60·60

  Northumberland

  13

  555·22

  42·71

  Nottinghamshire

  12

  348·96

  29·08

  Oxfordshire

  66

  3,912·43

  59·28

  Shropshire

  9

  241·62

  26·85

  Somerset

  15

  493·34

  32·89

  Staffordshire

  15

  542·01

  36·13

  Suffolk

  86

  1,943·11

  22·59

  Surrey

  16

  1,062·38

  66·40

  East Sussex

  30

  956·29

  31·88

  West Sussex

  27

  2,164·53

  80·17

  Tyne and Wear

  4

  179·70

  44·92

  Warwickshire

  27

  758·07

  28·08

  Wiltshire

  38

  1,572·17

  41·37

  North Yorkshire

  36

  1,326·40

  36·84

  South Yorkshire

  5

  44·19

  8·84

  West Yorkshire

  4

  28·17

  7·04

  Total England

  1,157

  46,378·72

  40·09

  Note: Figures are provisional.

  Tonnes

  £000

  1986

  France

  42

  112

  Netherlands

  3,699

  12,648

  Federal Republic of Germany

  76

  154

  Irish Republic

  248

  441

  Denmark

  38

  85

  Uruguay

  12

  21

  1987

  France

  11

  22

  Netherlands

  2,925

  10,954

  Federal Republic of Germany

  9

  27

  Irish Republic

  294

  599

  Australia

  27

  59

  1988

  France

  300

  713

  Netherlands

  1,066

  4,630

  Federal Republic of Germany

  290

  585

  Italy

  57

  104

  Irish Republic

  4,071

  10,418

  Denmark

  22

  70

  Bahrain

  2—

  1

  Australia

  12

  51

  Canada

  2

  5

  United States of America

  104

  277

  333

  Tonnes

  £000

  19891

  France

  208

  668

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  8

  18

  Netherlands

  765

  3,095

  Federal Republic of Germany

  167

  335

  Irish Republic

  3,734

  10,437

  Denmark

  14

  60

  Spain

  19

  38

  Sweden

  2—

  2—

  Australia

  6

  32

  United States of America

  22

  76

  Source: Customs and Excise

  1 Figures are provisional and cover the period January to November (the latest for which data in this detail are readily available).

  2 denotes less than half units shown.

  Low-fat and Dairy Spreads
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received any representations for a change in the law to bring the contents of low-fat and dairy spreads into line with current laws covering water and vitamin content of butter and margarine; and whether he has any plans to discuss the subject with interested parties.

  Mr. Curry
  I have received numerous representations from interested parties during the recent consultation period on the Ministry discussion paper on yellow fats legislation. The views of the food advisory committee are being sought before I decide how to proceed, but interested parties will be given an opportunity to comment on any proposed changes to existing legislation.

  Sheep Farmers
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sheep farmers in each of the counties in England have flocks of over 1,000 ewes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Information on flock sizes is not available in the form requested.

  Food (Pesticide Residues)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence he has had since 1 February with food retailers and manufacturers about pesticide residues in food.

  Mr. Gummer
  No.

  Food Research
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much he has allocated on research into food spoilage and applied nutrition for each of the last five years, including the current year; and how much he estimates will be spent in 1990–91.

  Mr. Gummer
  Details of my Department's expenditure on food spoilage and applied nutrition in 1988–89 are contained in a report to the priorities board for R and D in agriculture and food which I have placed in the Library of the House. For 1989–90 and 1990–91 I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 19 February,Official Report, column 576. Information for earlier years is not readily available.

  CYPRUS
  CYPRUS
  IRAQ: DETENTION OF BRITISH CITIZENS
  IRAQ: DETENTION OF BRITISH CITIZENS
  HORN OF AFRICA: ARMS SHIPMENTS
  HORN OF AFRICA: ARMS SHIPMENTS
  INDONESIA: EXECUTIONS
  INDONESIA: EXECUTIONS
  ONE-PARENT FAMILIES: BENEFITS
  ONE-PARENT FAMILIES: BENEFITS
  NUMBERS OF LONE-PARENT FAMILIES RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
  NUMBERS OF LONE-PARENT FAMILIES RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
  HONG KONG SPOUSES: BRITISH CITIZENSHIP
  HONG KONG SPOUSES: BRITISH CITIZENSHIP
  TERRORIST SUSPECTS: TAPE-RECORDING OF INTERVIEWS
  TERRORIST SUSPECTS: TAPE-RECORDING OF INTERVIEWS