Written Answers of 15 October 1990

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current percentage collection rate by each local authority for the poll tax; what is the shortfall in revenue; and by how much poll tax rates would have to be increased in each case to compensate for the loss of revenue from non-payment.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government have no comprehensive information on current collection rates. We shall be receiving details of collection rates at 30 September 1990 from local authorities and this information will be collated and made available to the local authority associations in the same way as was the information for 30 June.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the latest figures he has for actual spending in 1989–90 and planned spending in 1990–91 for (a) each of the London boroughs, (b) the metropolitan districts of Salford, Stockport, Trafford, Sefton, Wirral, Coventry, Sandwell, Bradford and Leeds and (c) the shire counties of Cambridgeshire, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hereford and Worcestershire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.

  Mr. Key
  The available information is as follows:

  Net revenue expenditure provisional outturn 1989–90 and budget estimates 1990–91

  Provisional outturn 1989–90 £'000s

  Budget estimates 1990–91 £'000s

  Cambridgeshire

  304,500

  335,093

  Devon

  456,617

  519,332

  Dorset

  273,158

  304,476

  Gloucestershire

  241,871

  274,190

  Hereford and Worcester

  292,162

  320,493

  Kent

  661,425

  760,000

  Oxfordshire

  247,861

  291,554

  Somerset

  234,537

  250,951

  Wiltshire

  261,404

  285,110

  Salford

  151,658

  163,400

  Total expenditure1 final outturn 1985–86 to 1989–90. Net revenue expenditure2 provisional outturn 1980–90 and budget estimates 1990–91

  Final Outturn 1985–86 £'000

  Final Outturn 1986–87 £'000

  Final Outturn 1987–88 £'000

  Final Outturn 1988–89 £'000

  Provisional Outturn 1989–90 £'000

  Budget Estimate 1990–91 £'000

  Suffolk

  197,896

  218,200

  230,942

  254,492

  276,116

  318,718

  Babergh

  3,061

  2,520

  3,088

  3,557

  3,534

  4,636

  Forest Heath

  2,540

  1,968

  1,983

  2,275

  3,031

  3,781

  Ipswich

  7,934

  8,865

  10,292

  10,997

  14,982

  17,782

  Mid Suffolk

  3,010

  2,807

  3,274

  3,368

  3,783

  6,064

  St. Edmundsbury

  3,181

  3,296

  3,283

  2,546

  4,095

  5,020

  Suffolk Coastal

  4,101

  3,978

  4,758

  4,744

  6,300

  9,081

  Waveney

  5,244

  5,275

  5,874

  6,574

  7,230

  8,229

  606

  Provisional outturn 1989–90 £'000s

  Budget estimates 1990–91 £'000s

  Stockport

  141,575

  168,761

  Trafford

  107,869

  130,610

  Sefton

  146,770

  179,143

  Wirral

  191,520

  218,160

  Coventry

  192,636

  218,115

  Sandwell

  187,208

  223,558

  Bradford

  297,477

  331,843

  Leeds

  358,442

  422,348

  City of London

  76,160

  67,873

  Camden

  147,683

  180,685

  Greenwich

  99,721

  221,596

  Hackney

  135,825

  236,000

  Islington

  127,107

  195,118

  Kensington and Chelsea

  65,004

  117,458

  Lewisham

  117,997

  207,292

  Southwark

  159,513

  231,020

  Tower Hamlets

  124,538

  212,471

  Wandsworth

  92,579

  242,772

  Westminster

  106,317

  173,617

  Barking and Dagenham

  85,292

  99,852

  Barnet

  150,595

  169,842

  Bexley

  118,358

  124,602

  Brent

  228,953

  238,444

  Bromley

  134,747

  150,238

  Croydon

  165,362

  189,838

  Ealing

  197,583

  222,964

  Enfield

  153,003

  170,417

  Harrow

  112,640

  126,455

  Havering

  119,620

  133,290

  Hillingdon

  138,020

  155,194

  Kingston-Upon-Thames

  76,805

  83,679

  Merton

  91,290

  117,016

  Newham

  204,721

  213,940

  Redbridge

  114,644

  132,619

  Richmond-Upon-Thames

  81,034

  90,376

  Sutton

  91,909

  105,360

  Waltham Forest

  167,193

  183,019

  In 1990–91 information for capped authorities shows the position after capping.

  Information is not yet available from Hammersmith and Fulham, Lambeth, Haringey and Hounslow.

  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what was(a) the capital expenditure and (b) the revenue expenditure of (i) Baleigh district council, (ii) Forest Heath district council, (iii) Ipswich borough council, (iv) Mid-Suffolk district council, (v) St. Edmundsbury district council, (vi) Suffolk Coastal district council, (vii) Waveney district council and (viii) Suffolk county council in each year from (1) 1985–86 and (2) to 1990–91.

  Mr. Key
  The information is as follows:
  607

  Gross capital expenditure 1985–86 to 1990–91

  1985–86 £'000

  1986–87 £'000

  1987–88 £'000

  1988–89 £'000

  1989–1990 £'000

  1990–91 £'000

  Suffolk

  18,079

  24,605

  24,703

  35,173

  34,995

  44,330

  Babergh

  3,792

  4,999

  2,736

  5,814

  7,149

  7,146

  Forest Heath

  2,112

  2,474

  4,217

  5,117

  7,669

  6,653

  Ipswich

  15,486

  14,615

  10,203

  18,993

  22,549

  17,193

  Mid Suffolk

  6,007

  6,237

  6,757

  6,834

  8,650

  7,712

  St. Edmundsbury

  8,821

  7,391

  8,183

  7,304

  12,956

  14,100

  Suffolk Coastal

  3,250

  4,789

  6,298

  6,897

  9,166

  6,084

  Waveney

  5,306

  5,991

  6,771

  8,333

  8,343

  11,114

  1Total expenditure as defined in the rate support grant system.

  2Net revenue expenditure as defined in revenue support grant system.

  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will detail the amounts received by(a) Baleigh district council, (b) Forest Heath district council, (c) Ipswich borough council, (d) Mid-Suffolk district council, (e) St. Edmundsbury district council, (f) Suffolk coastal district council, (g) Waveney district council, (h)

  Rate Support Grant 1985–86 to 1989–90

  1985–86 £'000

  1986–87 £'000

  1987–88 £'000

  1988–89 £'000

  1989–90 £'000

  Suffolk

  71,583

  70,640

  75,740

  78,863

  71,898

  Babergh

  2,212

  2,456

  2,318

  2,182

  1,096

  Forest Heath

  1,748

  1,820

  1,818

  1,684

  1,761

  Ipswich

  4,834

  4,778

  3,482

  3,027

  3,384

  Mid Suffolk

  2,086

  2,312

  2,269

  2,115

  2,134

  St. Edmundsbury

  2,341

  2,445

  2,489

  2,363

  2,390

  Suffolk Coastal

  2,833

  3,137

  2,807

  2,289

  2,663

  Waveney

  4,221

  4,528

  4,606

  4,721

  4,927

  Relevant Specific Grant 1985–86 to 1989–90

  1985–86 £'000

  1986–87 £'000

  1987–88 £'000

  1988–89 £'000

  1989–90 £'000

  Suffolk

  16,629

  19,098

  21,485

  23,787

  25,564

  Babergh

  787

  821

  863

  1,003

  1,013

  Forest Heath

  273

  287

  332

  332

  368

  Ipswich

  1,984

  2,139

  2,573

  2,558

  2,811

  Mid Suffolk

  669

  754

  818

  885

  1,013

  St. Edmundsbury

  524

  555

  664

  677

  828

  Suffolk Coastal

  1,240

  1,310

  1,531

  1,583

  1,844

  Waveney

  1,578

  1,749

  2,048

  2,119

  2,367

  Domestic rates 1985–86 to 1989–90

  1985–86 £'000

  1986–87 £'000

  1987–88 £'000

  1988–89 £'000

  1989–90 £'000

  Babergh

  8,814

  10,724

  11,596

  12,882

  14,428

  Forest Heath

  5,367

  6,601

  7,086

  7,933

  9,108

  Ipswich

  14,438

  17,013

  18,956

  20,757

  24,102

  Mid Suffolk

  7,853

  9,646

  10,599

  11,778

  13,544

  St. Edmundsbury

  9,312

  11,312

  12,395

  13,908

  15,353

  Suffolk Coastal

  13,394

  16,433

  18,403

  20,590

  22,858

  Waveney

  11,275

  13,549

  15,058

  16,529

  18,379

  Non-domestic rates 1985–86 to 1989–90

  1985–86 £'000

  1986–87 £'000

  1987–88 £'000

  1988–89 £'000

  1989–90 £'000

  Babergh

  6,321

  7,531

  8,044

  8,743

  9,725

  Forest Heath

  4,818

  5,845

  6,401

  7,160

  8,142

  Ipswich

  18,102

  20,965

  22,806

  24,731

  28,445

  Mid Suffolk

  5,513

  6,586

  7,129

  7,817

  8,913

  St. Edmundsbury

  9,524

  11,287

  12,344

  13,649

  14,985

  Suffolk Coastal

  10,276

  12,397

  13,628

  15,568

  17,185

  Waveney

  7,409

  8,721

  9,575

  10,524

  11,618

  608
  Suffolk county council by way of (i) rate revenue support grant, (ii) specific grants, (iii) non-domestic rates and (iv) domestic rates and community charge in each year from (1) 1985–86 to 1990–91.

  Mr. Key
  The information is as follows:
  609

  1990–91

  Revenue support grant £'000

  Specific grants within AEF £'000

  Community charge income £'000

  Income from non-domestic rate pool £'000

  Suffolk

  0

  29,169

  0

  0

  Babergh

  8,409

  124

  19,666

  17,525

  Forest Heath

  5,366

  113

  11,740

  9,902

  Ipswich

  14,458

  255

  40,682

  26,633

  Mid Suffolk

  8,403

  103

  19,582

  16,976

  St. Edmundsbury

  9,623

  173

  22,556

  20,192

  Suffolk Coastal

  11,272

  142

  30,208

  22,253

  Waveney

  11,894

  256

  28,297

  23,966

  Notes:

  1. Domestic rates gross of rate rebates but net of rate relief grant.

  2. Community charge income gross of charge benefits and transitional relief grant.

  3. Income from the non-domestic rate pool is distributed in proportion to relevant population (£292·51 per adult). It is not comparable with income from non-domestic ratepayers in earlier years.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the relationship of community charge to rates in the manner of his answer to the hon. Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young) on 19 June,Official Report, column 480, using actual rates of community charge set by local authorities.

  Mr. Key
  The analyses already provided offer the most valid illustration of the distributional effects of the introduction of the community charge system. Use of actual community charges would not provide a proper comparison with 1989–90 rates since increases in local authority spending mean that the community charge is raising 30 per cent. more revenue than was raised by domestic rates.

  Local Government Superannuation Regulations
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the implementation of the Local Government Superannuation (Amendment) Regulations 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Local Government Superannuation (Amendment) Regulations 1990 came into force on 17 September. Comments on the draft regulations were invited from interested parties in April, and 14 replies were received. These included a detailed response from the United Kingdom steering committee on behalf of local authorities in England and Wales.

  Archaeological Funds
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 18 July,Official Report, column 562, what consideration he has given to the most appropriate measures for protecting archaeological finds made on unscheduled sites.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department is currently discussing this issue with English Heritage.

  Nature Conservation Grants
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be made arising from the proposed reorganisation of the Nature Conservancy Council to co-ordinate applications for nature conservation grants for projects with a Great 610
  Britain interest or which relate to more than one country; and whether the Joint Nature Conservation Committee will take a co-ordinating role.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Government has already made it clear that the new agencies should agree efficient procedures for dealing with applications for nature conservation grants which cover more than one agency's interests, in order to prevent duplication of funding and to avoid unnecessary work for applicants. Grants are an executive function for the country agencies themselves and there is no need for any statutory or other formal provision for involvement by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

  Water Quality
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list each nitrate derogation which has been granted to each water company in England and Wales, giving the date when each derogation was issued and the expiry date;

  (2) if he will list each centre of population which receives drinking water which is in breach of European Community nitrate limits.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Derogations for nitrate which were granted in 1985 were withdrawn by the government in 1988. For those supplies which breach the EC and national standard for nitrate, or where there has been a past breach which is likely to recur, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has accepted an undertaking from the water company under section 20 of the Water Act 1989 to secure compliance with the standard. All supplies will comply by 1995 at the latest. Those supplies which do not meet the standard in the interim are not considered to endanger health. Copies of the undertakings by the water service companies are available in the Library.

  I am arranging for copies of the undertakings my right hon. Friend has accepted from the statutory water companies to be placed in the Library.

  Undertakings accepted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales are a matter for the Welsh Office.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment further to his reply of 19 July,Official Report, column 729, if he will give details and results of all surveys of groundwater contamination in Staffordshire undertaken by the National Rivers Authority.
  611
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The National Rivers Authority has a network of 75 regularly measured groundwater quality monitoring points in Staffordshire. The network particularly covers the triassic sandstone aquifer which is a major source of public water supplies in the county. The data collected from the monitoring surveys is lodged on the public Water Act register which is held at the authority's Severn Trent region's office.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that the chargepayer's privacy is adequately protected when information is disclosed by a community charge registration office or charging authority without the knowledge or consent of the charge payer; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether he will introduce regulations to provide that a community charges registration officer should not disclose information about a charge payer to another community charges registration officer without the knowledge or informed and express consent of the charge payer; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Community charges registration officers and charging authorities may only make use of information they have obtained in carrying out their statutory functions in accordance with their powers under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, and are bound by the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984. There is no intention to alter this position.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar, all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Christopher Patten
  I am reminding my officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  England

  United Kingdom

  Owner-occupied dwellings (millions)

  per cent. of all dwellings

  Owner-occupied dwellings (millions)

  per cent. of all dwellings

  December 1960

  6·4

  45

  7·0

  42

  December 1970

  8·2

  51

  9·5

  49

  December 1980

  10·3

  57

  11·9

  55

  December 1989

  13·2

  68

  15·3

  66

  June 1990

  13·3

  69

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.=not available.

  Landfill Gas
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 19 July,Official Report, column 726, when he intends to publish the results of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's survey into landfill sites to determine those with the potential to generate landfill gas; and which sites have been and are being monitored in Staffordshire.

  Mr. Trippier
  The results of the survey are expected to be published in the near future. The survey has identified 22 gassing or potentially gassing sites in Staffordshire. It

  Blue-green Algae
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to local authorities concerning advice to the general public of health hazards associated with blue-green algae.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Advice from the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is included in the standard letters sent by the National Rivers Authority to chief environmental health officers, medical officers of environmental health and site owners when particular water bodies are identified as being likely to develop potentially toxic algal blooms. This advice is also included in a leaflet containing information on the dangers associated with blue-green algae published by the National Rivers Authority on 6 June. The wide distribution given to this leaflet included environmental health officers as well as owners and users of recreational water facilities.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of all research currently undertaken into blue-green algae.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  As part of the work of its task group on blue-green algae, the National Rivers Authority has undertaken a comprehensive survey of research into this field, both in this country and overseas. Details are included in the report published by the National Rivers Authority on 1 October. The report makes a number of detailed recommendations for further research which are being carefully considered.

  Home Ownership
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of home ownership currently(a) in number and (b) as a percentage of all housing; and what are the comparable figures for 1980, 1970 and 1960.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The information is as follows:

  would be for Staffordshire county council as the waste disposal authority to provide any details about the number of sites currently being monitored.

  Voluntary Agencies
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many voluntary agencies, who in 1989 received Government funding under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985, did not do so in the current year.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Fourteen. However, the following 23 organisations received section 73 grant for the first time this year:
  613

  Brighton Housing Trust

  Centrepoint (Soho)

  Chester Lodgings and Support Group

  Coventry Day Centre

  Housing Aid for Youth, Blyth

  Key House Project, Keighley

  Leicester Night Shelter

  Lodgers

  The London Connection

  St. Martin in the Fields Social Care Unit

  The National Foster Care Association

  Newark Young Single Homeless Trust

  North Lambeth Day Centre

  The Passage Day Centre, Westminster

  The Portsmouth Housing Trust

  Reading Emergency Accommodation Project

  Riverpoint Single Homeless Ltd., London

  St Basil's Centre, Birmingham

  The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, London

  Thames Reach, London

  Threshold, Hammersmith

  West End Co-ordinated Voluntary Services for Homeless Single People, London

  Yeldall Christian Centre.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further criteria were used to determine which voluntary agencies received funding in the current year in addition to section 73 of the Housing Act 1985.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet), on 5 June, at column 485.

  Palace of Westminster (Cleaning)
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the timetable for the cleaning of the exterior of the inner courtyards of the Palace of Westminster.

  Mr. Key
  The work to repair and clean the stonework in the courtyards is due to begin in 1994–95 following the completion of the work to the Victoria tower.

  Rents
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the typical gross rate of return on uncontrolled rents of private residences in the private sector in(a) central London and (b) north-west England as a percentage of the capital value of the asset.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  We do not yet have sufficient information on the level of rents being charged for assured tenancies to serve as a basis for estimates of the rate of return on capital. A survey intended to provide such information is currently in hand.

  Environment Protection (Local Government Spending)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account the autumn statement on standard spending assessment will take of the necessary expenditure incurred by local authorities on(a) pollution control, (b) enforcement, (c) prevention, (d) training of staff and (e) all extra duties to be conferred following the enactment of the Environmental Protection Bill.

  Mr. Portillo
  Extra duties falling to local authorities were one element in my right hon. Friend's decision to 614
  increase aggregate external finance for local authorities by 12·8 per cent. for 1991–92. He expects to make his proposals for standard spending assessments, including control totals for service blocks, in the next few weeks.

  Peatlands
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reach conclusions about measures necessary to conserve peatlands; if he is satisfied that the current options offer sufficient scope to accommodate both continued peat extraction and conservation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The noble Lord Reay's response to the debate on peatland issues, which took place in another place on 9 May 1990, indicated that there were a considerable number of matters to be addressed. Work on these is progressing both in my Department and elsewhere, but information on some key aspects is not yet available. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to be able to make a statement about measures necessary to conserve peatlands during the first half of 1991.

  Amphibians
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his efforts in the last three months to establish the extent of the changes in the population of frogs and other amphibians over the last decade; and if he will detail the effect on frogs of habitat loss and pesticides.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) has commissioned Leicester Polytechnic to undertake an inquiry to provide information on the current status of widespread species of amphibians and reptiles.

  Provisional information shows that the status of the frog has continued to improve during the 1980s; it has increased in seven of the NCC's regions and not changed appreciably in the other eight. The crested newt has done least well of the species studied, but the rate of decline has slowed. The toad, the smooth newt and the palmate newt have more or less held their own nationally during the 1980s.

  In instances where frog numbers had declined, and where the reasons for decline were given, 88 per cent. of correspondents mentioned habitat loss. Nobody specifically mentioned pesticides.

  City Grant
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by region, and date of completion, all projects completed where city grant has been paid, the name of company, the amount of private investment and the amount of grant paid for these projects.

  Mr. Atkins
  The information requested is shown in the following table. Although some schemes are physically complete some of them are still incurring expenditure and in those cases final claims are still to come. A further 54 schemes are currently under construction.
  615

  Completed City Grant Schemes

  Region and project name

  Project completion date

  City grant paid

  Private expenditure

  West Midlands

  Constitution Hill T.S. Gandhi Esq.

  1 September 1990

  67,933

  284,000

  Garrison Lane, Industrial Development Birmingham J. A. Elliott (Developments) Ltd.

  30 March 1990

  570,000

  2,906,000

  Startpoint Industrial Development Pentos plc

  9 March 1990

  283,000

  850,000

  Walsall Chamber of Commerce Walsall Chamber of Commerce

  7 June 1990

  25,593

  281,000

  Windmill Lane, Smethwick McLean in the Inner Cities Ltd.

  1 May 1990

  748,922

  2,286,000

  1,695,448

  6,607,000

  North West

  Hazel Avenue and Acme Mill Housing Development Brackenlea Ltd.

  30 April 1990

  490,158

  2,915,000

  Oozebooth Mill Euro Jeans Ltd.

  11 May 1990

  142,000

  441,000

  Prospect Mills Housing Tay Homes (Northern) Ltd

  26 March 1990

  649,773

  1,593,000

  1,281,931

  4,949,000

  Northern

  Ascot Court, Phase 3, Farringdon Two Castles Ltd.

  6 October 1989

  100,800

  403,000

  Ascot Court, Sunderland, Phase 4 Two Castles Ltd.

  18 December 1989

  52,360

  307,800

  Coach Lane, North Shields Nomad Properties plc

  10 November 1989

  88,892

  442,600

  Dean Street, Newcastle Avatar Ltd.

  27 February 1990

  351,000

  896,000

  Former Walkers Department Store Onix Construction Ltd.

  31 March 1990

  128,485

  412,485

  Grosvenor Mews, North Shields R. A. Construction Ltd.

  28 February 1990

  64,620

  253,000

  West Row, Stockton Glynns Estates (Cleveland) Ltd.

  20 August 1990

  96,772

  425,000

  882,929

  3,139,885

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  175 Arundel Gate Manor Developments (Chesterfield) Ltd.

  16 January 1990

  233,353

  856,000

  Maxi's Chinese Restaurant Maxi's (Yorkshire) Co. Ltd.

  30 November 1989

  74,000

  614,000

  Site 2, Ringway Industrial Centre Slough Properties Ltd.

  2 March 1990

  204,639

  565,000

  Victoria Buildings Lynthorpe Property and Development Ltd.

  22 November 1989

  72,790

  224,000

  584,782

  2,259,000

  London

  Ackermans Chocolates Ltd. Ackermans Chocolates Ltd.

  31 January 1990

  70,000

  280,000

  70,000

  280,000

  East Midlands

  8 Stanford Street, Notts Rushcliffe Developments Ltd.

  30 September 1989

  305,500

  1,159,000

  Lamberts Factory Office Development Pickering Developments Ltd.

  31 August 1990

  709,333

  2,594,000

  Pilcher Gate, Nottingham James McArtney Architects

  9 March 1990

  58,717

  627,000

  Rutland Square Hotel Rutland Square Hotels Ltd.

  20 October 1989

  738,000

  2,478,000

  St. Johns Corner Provident Mutual Life Assurance Assoc.

  13 July 1990

  294,639

  5,078,000

  2,106,189

  11,936,000

  Merseyside

  Former Huntley and Palmer Building Anglo International Holdings Ltd.

  31 December 1989

  334,690

  1,307,000

  616 617

  Region and project name

  Project completion date

  City grant paid

  Private expenditure

  334,690

  1,307,000

  Grand Total

  6,955,969

  30,477,885

  Sunday Markets
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received about the effects on residents of the introduction of Sunday markets;

  (2) whether he intends to take any action to control the spread of Sunday markets.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Department has received a small number of representations about Sunday markets during the last 12 months. The representations have commonly raised issues relating to noise nuisance, traffic congestion, permitted development rights, unauthorised operators, and amenity.

  Local authorities already have a variety of statutory powers to control markets, and my right hon. Friend has no plans for further legislation.

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the pressure on the resources of the NCC of their increased volume of planning applications coming from the south-east of England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) has drawn attention to this pressure in the corporate planning documents submitted this year. It will be taken into account when determining the grant-in-aid to be made available to the Nature Conservancy Council for England next year.

  Development Corporations
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his proposed guidelines to the chairmen of development corporations will include arrangements relating to compulsory purchase powers in respect of land acquisition; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The guidance will contain advice on handling any conflicts of interest which may appear to arise from the use of compulsory purchase powers by an urban development corporation.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the procedures adopted for the letting of contracts or the offering of consultancies by the Sheffield development corporation have conformed with the procedures outlined in his answer of 20 December 1989,Official Report, column 329; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what steps his Department takes to ensure that all development corporations are following the procedures laid down in regulations arising out of the Local Government Act 1988 or similar previous enactments relating to competitive tendering, together with appropriate EC directives; and if he will make a statement.
  618
  Mr. Portillo
  Guidance on the competitive tendering requirements of the Local Government Act 1988 and EC directives was issued to all UDCs, including Sheffield, in December 1988. The Department monitors compliance through arrangements for project approval, post implementation sampling of projects, and the work of external auditors appointed by the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will now publish the report of the investigation into the running of Sheffield development corporation; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he intends to take any action arising from the recommendations of the inquiry into the operation of the Sheffield development corporation in respect of separating out potential conflict of interest arising out of appointments held in companies or organisations who may have a commercial or other similar relationship with the development corporation, to review the membership of the Sheffield development corporation board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Those who gave evidence to Sir John Garlick's inquiry did so in confidence. I do not therefore believe that it would be fair or appropriate to publish the report.

  On 29 August, I issued the following statement:
  "Earlier this year my Department received from Mr. Keith Beaumont, the Chief Executive of Sheffield Development Corporation, a letter criticising the Chairman's role in the conduct of the Corporation's business.
  "The letter was sent by Mr. Beaumont quite properly in his role as the Corporation's Accounting Officer. I thought it right to ask Sir John Garlick, a former Permanent Secretary of this Department, who as a Member of the Board of London Docklands Corporation is familiar with UDC procedures, to look into the matters raised and report to me as quickly as possible. He has now done so.
  "I am satisfied that Mr. Sykes has performed his role as Chairman with complete honesty and integrity. Sir John found no grounds whatever for thinking Mr. Sykes had attempted to secure improper financial gain through his role as SDC Chairman—nor had Mr. Beaumont made any such suggestion.
  "Mr. Sykes has tremendous enthusiasm for and commitment to the regeneration of the Lower Don Valley and has my full support in continuing as Chairman of the Development Corporation.
  "Sir John did however find a number of shortcomings in the way Corporation business had been conducted. Some of these were the responsibility of the Chairman, others of SDC officers. Sir John also concluded that some criticism could be made of the Department for not ensuring that the most effective guidance was available to the Chairman.
  "The shortcomings in the conduct of SDC business were in four areas:

  (1) The holding of Chairmanship of Hallamshire Investments plc concurrently with SDC Chairmanship. Mr. Sykes was instrumental in establishing Hallamshire Investments plc which is a joint public/private sector investment company set up with the specific objective of investing in the regeneration of Sheffield. Mr. Sykes is non-executive Chairman of Hallamshire, but has no financial interest in the company and is not involved in its investment decisions. On this basis my Department agreed, after discussion with Mr. Sykes, that he could properly retain the Chairmanship. This was an exception to the

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  normal rule that Development Corporation Chairmen give up Chairmanships of companies which operate in their area.

  "Sir John found no evidence of harm or wrongdoing but concluded that, given the nature of the company's activities, for one person to hold the chairmanship of both Hallamshire Investments and the SDC was inconsistent with the need to avoid situations where public duties and private interests conflict or where there could be a suspicion of conflict. Sir John also found that my Department's views on his retention of the Chairmanship of Hallamshire Investments and of certain other business interests may have left the Chairman confused as to exactly what constraints applied to his activities, particularly in relation to Hallamshire Investments.

  (2) "The Chairman's business interests. Mr. Sykes has a wide range of business interests both inside and outside Sheffield. He has been entirely open about these to the Department since his appointment and has in general followed the guidance given to Development Corporation Chairmen which is designed to ensure that there can be no conflict or suspicion of conflict between public and private interests.

  "Sir John was satisfied that the Chairman had no wish deliberately to disobey the rules and indeed noted that on several occasions he was at pains to ensure that he was acting entirely properly. But Sir John found a few occasions when a clear distance was not kept between his public and private activities and when as a result a suspicion of conflict might have arisen. He found no evidence whatever of any financial impropriety or wrongdoing.

  (3) "Appointment of consultants to the SDC. The rules governing the appointment of consultants to public bodies are strict. Competitive tender is required in all but exceptional circumstances and the Corporation's systems need to be able to ensure and demonstrate that value for money is being achieved.

  "Sir John told me that, in his wish to ensure that the SDC had access to high quality advice, the Chairman had, he judged pressed too hard for the appointment of a particular consultant. Sir John noted however that it was a matter of judgment as to how far it was reasonable for a Chairman to press for the appointment of a particular individual or firm, and that his own judgment in this case was inevitably subjective. He also noted that SDC officers had been slow in making progress on the appointment of any candidate in the particular case.

  "Sir John also criticised the SDC's systems for selecting, appointing and subsequently monitoring consultancy appointments. These were the responsibility of the Chief Executive. Again Sir John found no evidence of financial impropriety or wrongdoing, but noted the need for proper observance of procedures and adequate systems to ensure that the SDC always obtained best value for money.

  (4) "Use of SDC facilities. Mr. Sykes' personal staff of two full time secretaries and one part time assistant work on both SDC and non-SDC business. The SDC pays for one full time member of staff, Mr. Sykes for the other two.

  "Sir John found no evidence that the SDC paid for more secretarial time than it should under this arrangement. Indeed the SDC may well, on balance have gained. But he regarded the arrangement which the SDC had entered into as untidy and open to abuse.

  "Sir John emphasised that he found no evidence of actual harm arising from any of these matters. But noted that a continuation of what had happened in the past could lead to justifiable criticisms in future.

  "I have discussed these findings with Mr. Sykes and with my officials. Mr. Sykes entirely recognises the procedures and standards involved in public business and the need for the SDC to improve its official systems and procedures. He and his board have given me an assurance that the Corporation will maintain the highest possible standards in future. The Corporation is also taking steps to review its systems and procedures.

  "As far as Sir John's criticism of the Department is concerned, I am making arrangements to strengthen the guidance given to all Chairmen and board members.
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  Detailed guidance will be given to cover the difficult issues that can arise for a Chairman who has a range of local business interests. Local knowledge and connections can in themselves be of considerable value to an urban development corporation. But a clear distance needs to be kept between the activities of the public body and private business interests to avoid any suspicion of a conflict of interest.

  "As far as the Chairmanship of Hallamshire Investments is concerned, I am satisfied that Mr. Sykes behaved entirely properly in continuing to hold both Chairmanships after the first discussions with the Department. But we both accept Sir John's conclusion that, given the nature of the company's activities, there are difficulties in one man holding the Chairmanships of both the SDC and Hallamshire. Mr. Sykes has therefore told me that he will be talking to the Board of Hallamshire Investments with a view to resigning his Chairmanship.

  "I am most grateful to Sir John for the speed and thoroughness with which he has completed his work. I am happy that the Corporation will now be able to get on with its vital work of regenerating the Lower Don Valley. The Corporation has made excellent progress so far in securing environmental and economic improvements. I confidently expect that positive change to continue and accelerate over the next few years".

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has anything to add to his answer of 20 December 1990,Official Report, column 329, in respect of the practice adopted by the development corporations in the letting of contracts or the funding of consultancies, following the statement issued by the Minister of State on 29 August in respect of the investigation which had been undertaken into the running of the Sheffield Development Corporation; and if he will make a statement on the new guidance to be given to the chairmen of development corporations in respect of the separation of public and private interest.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have nothing to add to the answer given by my right hon. Friend on 20 December 1989. When the Department's revised guidance to UDC chairmen and board members on handling conflicts of interest is issued a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the guidelines to be issued to development corporation chairmen, advice will be given on(a) the appointment of staff without public advertisement or interview for the post concerned, (b) the separation of payment from public and private funds for those employed by, or paid on behalf of, the development corporation and (c) the calling of ad hoc and unminuted meetings of selected members of the board of development corporations for discussion of business to be considered by the whole of the board membership; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  All urban development corporations have been advised that staff should be recruited on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and in accordance with the standards expected of public sector employers. My Department will shortly issue guidance on the separation of payment from public and private funds for those employed by or paid by UDCs. Arrangements relating to meetings of a UDC board are a matter for the corporation to determine.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when officials of his Department were notified of suggestions of impropriety or concerns relating to the procedural or other conduct of the workings of the
  621
  Sheffield development corporation about which he subsequently initiated inquiries; what action was taken at that time as a consequence of the reference made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  In July 1989 a member of the public expressed concern about the conduct of SDC's affairs. In September that year the chief executive raised similar concerns informally with the Department. In neither case did the Department consider that there was any evidence of impropriety.

  At the end of May this year, the chief executive wrote to the Department criticising the chairman's role in the conduct of the corporation's business, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State asked Sir John Garlick to carry out a formal investigation. That investigation found no grounds whatever for thinking that the chairman had attempted to secure improper financial gain through his role as SDC chairman.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether development corporations are now to be made subject to the provisions of the compulsory competitive tendering legislation contained in regulations arising out of the Local Government Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Urban development corporations have always been subject to the provisions of parts I and II of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what further resources he has made available for successor agencies to the Nature Conservancy Council in addition to his estimate of the notional cost required to perform the new range of statutory duties;

  (2) pursuant to his reply of 25 July, Official Report, column 453, if he will make it his policy that the final additional costs of reorganisation of the Nature Conservancy Council will be made available to Parliament before the Environmental Protection Bill concludes its parliamentary stages;

  (3) what funding he proposes to enable successor agencies to the Nature Conservancy Council to carry forward new initiatives to enhance nature conservation;

  (4) what is his latest estimate of the increase in staff numbers and resources as a result of the Nature Conservancy Council being split into four separate agencies;

  (5) what percentage of the agreed posts in successor authorities to the Nature Conservancy Council, on current estimates, will be staffed by April 1991.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Government have made an extra £1·4 million available in the current financial year to cover initial reorganisation costs. Detailed work on the cost of reorganisation in 1991–92 has been carried out by the existing agencies and the relevant Government Departments. It is already the Government's intention to make the main results of this work available to Parliament very shortly and before the Environmental Protection Bill concludes its parliamentary stages.

  The Government's statement will include details of the manpower requirements of the new agencies and the outcome of the current work being undertaken by the
  622
  Nature Conservancy Council and Countryside Commission to meet those requirements by assigning existing staff to the new agencies. Any vacancies which remain will be filled by trawls or recruitment and every effort will be made to complete this process before 1 April 1991.

  Decisions about the total resources to be made available to the successor agencies to cover all their responsibilities in 1991–92 will be taken within the timetable and context of the annual public expenditure round.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the number of grants given by the Nature Conservancy Council in the year ending 31 March 1990 for the management of land which is not SSSI and not related to net profits forgone, and the total cost of such grants.

  Mr. Trippier
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what dates in 1988, 1989, and 1990 he met the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council to discuss formally his proposed changes in the Nature Conservancy Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Secretary of State or his predecessor, as well as other Ministers, met the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council on a number of occasions in 1989 and 1990 to discuss the Government's proposals to reorganise the Nature Conservancy Council.

  Restrictive Covenants
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what weight his inspectors attach to restrictive covenants when considering and determining planning appeals.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The weight to be attached to any relevant planning consideration is a matter for the inspector to assess within the particular circumstances of each appeal.

  Nitrogen Oxide Abatement
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 26 July,Official Report, column 387, if he will make a statement on the final report into evaluation of nitrogen oxide abatement technologies for large combustion plant.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department has not yet received the final report.

  Kurdish Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what finance has been made available to local authorities in London to assist the needs of Kurdish asylum seekers in the past two years.

  Mr. Key
  The Department has to date made payments of £790,174 to London boroughs on the basis of initial claims under the terms of the scheme of special financial assistance established in January 1990 for London local authorities which incurred in 1989–90 extra expenditure directly as a result of the influx of Turkish asylum seekers
  623
  into the United Kingdom in April, May and June 1989. Final audited claims are due to be submitted to the Department by 31 December 1990. The housing investment programme allocations made to the London authorities for 1990–91 took account of the housing capital needs related to the arrival of refugees, including Turkish asylum seekers.

  Next Steps
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the management consultancies(a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible have employed in connection with the Next Steps agency programme; and if he will list the task for which they were employed, and the fee paid.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Consultants have been employed on eight occasions to advise on the development of financial and management systems for my Department's agencies and agency candidates. Details of the individual contracts are commercially confidential.

  Water Undertakers (Land Disposals)
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of land disposals by regional water undertakers, stating in each case the reasons for the disposal of each parcel of land.
  624
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No. The Department does not hold this information since land disposals do not normally require the Secretary of State's specific approval. Customers interests in disposals are protected by the Director General of Water Services. Proposed disposals in National Parks, the Broads, areas of outstanding natural beauty and sites of special scientific interest must be cleared by the Countryside Commission, and, in the case of SSSIs, the Nature Conservancy Council. Water undertakers as private companies can exercise their commercial judgment on disposals, subject to meeting their obligations under the Water Act 1989.

  Community Charge
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to end the entitlement of the mature student spouse of a top income tax rate payer to pay the reduced rate of 20 per cent. community charge.

  Mr. Key
  Pursuant to the reply given on Tuesday 24 July at column 182, a student for the purposes of the community charge is defined by reference to the nature of the studies undertaken not the source or level of income available. The administrative cost of assessing the resources of all students and their spouses would far outweigh the increased charge revenue collected to the disadvantage of all chargepayers and taxpayers and would serve only to create new anomalies.

  House of Commons Crypt
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the result of the work of a team from his Department and English Heritage in investigating the stonework round the crypt font in the Palace of Westminster.

  Mr. Key
  Work to solve the problem of damp penetration which has caused the deterioration of the marble is proceeding on two fronts.

  Recent excavations by English Heritage have revealed evidence of a pre-Victorian culvert running parallel to the south wall of St. Stephen's Hall. The culvert is damp leading to the thought that it may be drawing up ground water. English Heritage's proposals are now awaited for further excavations to try to establish the relationship, if any, of the culvert to the dampness in the Chapel.

  Consultant architects have also been considering the means of preventing the seepage of moisture through the stonework. Because of the pressure of the rising ground water they do not recommend the application of a damp proof outer membrane. Instead they propose the construction of a new waterproof retaining wall. This will be considered together with the results of English Heritage's further work.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his Department's discussions with the sculpture conservation department of the Tate gallery on the progress of the restoration of the purbeck marble in the Crypt of the House of Commons.

  Mr. Key
  The head of sculpture conservation at the Tate gallery visited the Crypt Chapel in January 1990 when he saw at first hand the complexity of the conservation problem under consideration. It was agreed that before any action could be taken within the Chapel, the source and entry route of the ground water has to be established.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the level of United Kingdom overseas aid and the ways in which it is allocated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Increasingly people who talk to me about aid recognise the importance of aid supporting sound economic policies and good government, and doing more to tackle the key issues of poverty, population and the environment.

  Sheep Farming
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy in respect of aid to encourage sheep farming in the third world.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Sheep play an important role in the livelihoods of many poor communities, as they exist on marginal land and produce a range of products which provide subsistence and cash income.
  626
  ODA supports activities which directly or indirectly enhance sustainable sheep production in developing countries, priority being given to nutrition, health and breeding in the context of land use systems.

  Bangladesh
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total amount of aid to Bangladesh granted over each of the past three years.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Gross disbursements of bilateral official development assistance provided by the United Kingdom to Bangladesh over the calendar years 1987, 1988 and 1989 amounted to £31·6 million, £44·9 million and £52·9 million respectively. In addition the share of aid given through multilateral institutions, and attributed to the United Kingdom was £25·3 million in 1987 and £27·2 million in 1988. Figures for 1989 are not yet available.

  Tigray
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he propposes to take to assist the work of the Relief Society of Tigray.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have committed emergency aid worth over £35 million to Ethiopia since the beginning of 1989. This includes the provision of 5,859 tonnes of sorghum, and other relief assistance, totalling some £6·18 million for the hungry in those areas of northern Ethiopia where the Relief Society of Tigray works. A further 2,500 tonnes of wheat valued at £0·733 million is currently on its way to Tigray.

  Animal Conservation
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what animal conservation projects are currently being considered by his Department for funding.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Several possible projects are under consideration of which animal conservation would be an important element. They include the following:

  Anguilla: Coastal zone inventory.

  Belize: Coastal zone inventory.

  British Virgin Islands: Coastal zone inventory.

  Cameroon: Environmental advice.

  Egypt: Study of impact of pollution on acquatic communities, Lake Manzala; Ecological studies, Lake Maryut.

  Kenya: Further support for Kenya Wildlife Service.

  Madagascar and Mauritius: Creation of nature reserve areas on off-shore islets.

  Namibia: Fisheries resource management.

  Nigeria: Conservation adviser, conservation education programme.

  Tanzania: Support for Ruaha game park.

  Zambia
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list any requests he has received from the Government of Zambia for specific items of aid since July.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Since July of this year, the Government of Zambia have formally requested:

  (a) extension of earlier assistance to the Central Statistical Office;

  627

  (b) assistance with rehabilitation of Lusaka urban district council water supply, sanitation and other utilities;

  (c) provision of fisheries instructors;

  (d) a second phase of assistance under the Central Province district development project; and

  (e) payment of the first £5 million tranche of a £30 million programme aid grant in support of economic adjustment.

  Items (b) and (c) are under consideration, the former in company with other donors. The remaining requests have been accepted and implementation is in hand.

  Brazil
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals Her Majesty's Government have to increase aid to Brazil to tackle environmental problems.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Under the memorandum of understanding on environmental co-operation, signed in July 1989, we have agreed four projects with the Brazilian authorities with a total cost to Her Majesty's Government of £4·6 million. We expect to agree a further four projects soon. We are discussing a number of further proposals with the Brazilian authorities.

  As part of our programme of environmental assistance, we are also supporting—as a tripartite initiative, involving the Brazilian Government and ICI—a conference on the theme of "Ecological Restoration for Forest Conservation". It will be held in Brasilia from 30 October to 1 November 1990. I am looking forward to the conference and I will be taking the opportunity whilst in Brazil of discussing with the Brazilian authorities, including their Secretary for the Environment, our present and proposed programme of environmental projects.

  Emergency Relief
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on emergency relief aid expended under the United Kingdom's aid programme.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Providing immediate and effective humanitarian assistance is one of the key areas of the aid programme. Last year we spent over £61 million in disaster relief, help for refugees and emergency food aid.

  Natural History Museum (Collections)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the discussions of the right hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker) over the summer with Dr. Neil Chalmers, Dr. John Peake and other officials of the natural history museum about the future of the collections relative to the Overseas Development Administration.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My recent visit to the natural history museum was informative and useful. Working particularly with our Natural Resources Institute, the museum will play a valuable role in ODA's research and development programmes for developing countries and identify new opportunities for fruitful collaboration. The institute and museum will pursue these opportunities and I will be kept informed of developments.

  Biological Diversity (Study)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the letter of 9 July from the Minister for Overseas Development to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, if she will make a statement on the interim results of the strategic study she has commissioned on biological diversity in marine environments, with particular reference to work on reefs.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are studying the first draft of the report that we commissioned on marine biological diversity. I shall let the hon. Member know the outcome.

  Bophuthatswana
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many housing projects in Bophuthatswana have been assisted by the Overseas Development Administration;

  (2) what community development projects are being assisted by the Overseas Development Administration in Bophuthatswana;

  (3) if the British awards scheme has funded academic support at South African universities for any students from Bophuthatswana;

  (4) what proportion of British aid to black South Africans is directed to Bophuthatswana;

  (5) how many scholarships and training awards in Britain are being provided for undergraduates and postgraduates from Bophuthatswana.

  Mrs. Chalker
  While we and other countries, with the exception of South Africa itself, do not recognise Bophuthatswana as an independent state, assistance has been approved since April 1989 for 12 community development projects located within that territory. We see no reason, however, to keep records of the geographical origin of those receiving help under scholarship and housing assistance programmes which are intended to benefit disadvantaged black people throughout South Africa.

  Overseas Aid Annual Review (Cost)
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was to public funds of publishing the 1990 overseas aid annual review; and how many copies were printed.

  Mrs. Chalker
  15,000 copies were produced at a total cost of £76,504·90, a unit cost of £5·10.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 June,Official Report, column 682, if he will make a statement about Britain's current humanitarian and other assistance to the people of Cambodia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I am monitoring the situation closely and announced that I would make up to £100,000 available for British non-government organisations to help civil war displaced people inside Cambodia. My officials are in touch with interested NGOs about this.

  Since 1988–89 under the Overseas Development Administration's joint funding scheme we have committed

  629
  £565,000 in support of 12 humanitarian assistance projects carried out by non-government organisations. We currently have a number of other NGO project proposals under consideration and expect to receive more applications. In addition we have allocated £1·25 million to support programmes in Cambodia carried out by the United Nation's Children's Fund, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation; these include provision of safe water supplies, food for work schemes, primary health care, education and assistance for agricultural development. We have also provided nearly £15 million since 1979 in assistance for refugees on the Thai-Cambodian border.

  For the future, we are ready to consider with other donors, initially in a reconvened Paris International Conference on Cambodia, how refugee repatriation and development/reconstruction needs might best be met in the context of a comprehensive political settlement.

PRIME MINISTER

  Spanish Fishermen
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a further statement on the implications of the European Court of Justice decision on interim relief to Spanish fishermen from the 1988 Act; and if she will consider submitting all future draft bills to the court for its consideration with a view to avoiding administrative complexities involved with interim relief.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing to add to my earlier answers on the subject of the European Court of Justice's decision on interim relief. I have no plans to take up my hon. Friend's suggestion.

  Waverley Housing Trust
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidance is given to civil servants concerning the scope of advice and information given to local authority officials prior to the passage of relevant legislation through Parliament; and whether she will make a statement concerning advice surrounding the establishment of the Waverley Housing Trust.

  The Prime Minister
  Civil servants may give information and advice to outside organisations and individuals concerning the Government's policies, consistent with the general rules governing conduct and the requirements of statute regarding the disclosure of information. Where information is given about policies whose implementation is dependent on the passage of legislation through Parliament, this would be made clear.

  I shall ask my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to write to the right hon. Member once his information into contacts between civil servants and those who established the Waverley Housing Trust is complete.

  Children
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will accept the invitation to attend the world summit for children to be held at the United Nations on 29 and 30 September.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Prime Minister if she proposes to accept the invitation to attend the United Nations world summit for children in New York during September.
  630
  The Prime Minister
  I attended the world summit for children in New York on 29 and 30 September where I gave an address on the role of the family in child development.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Prime Minister which new initiative designed to protect British children in the areas of(a) health, (b) education rights and (c) environment Her Majesty's Government are taking as a result of the recent New York international conference.

  The Prime Minister
  The United Nations world summit for children drew upon the experience of developed countries in drawing up an action plan for improving the health and welfare of all children. We have already made substantial progress in most of the areas mentioned and are undertaking a number of relevant initiatives which, where appropriate, we will be progressing in co-operation with overseas countries.

  Examples in the field of health care include the treatment and prevention of AIDS, childhood immunisation programmes aimed at controlling infectious diseases and better nutrition for pregnant mothers and young children.

  In the United Kingdom rights to education are already provided for in legislation. Section 8 of the 1944 Education Act places a duty on local education authorities to "secure provision of Primary and Secondary schools". Futhermore, British education aims to develop fully the abilities of all children, with compulsory school starting at 5 years of age.

  The White Paper "This Common Inheritance", which sets out the Government's environmental policies for the next decade and beyond, emphasises our duty to protect the environment for the benefit of future generations.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Prime Minister what specific measures Her Majesty's Government are proposing in order(a) to help children in the Third world in the areas of health and education and (b) to combat child labour exploitation both at home and abroad; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  Through our aid programme we provide a great deal of assistance to children, both through our bilateral programme, and multilaterally through organisations such as UNICEF and WHO. Our policy is to support the development of health care services for all the family as the best way of improving child health.

  In education, we support programmes of assistance to educational institutions in the developing world covering school buildings, training of teachers, the provision of materials and educational planning.

  The Government deplore the exploitation of children for economic purposes. However in many countries children in the cities and the countryside have to work in order to survive. Widespread exploitation of children can only be overcome by the alleviation of poverty and by more appropriate policies for economic growth and social development. We are assisting in this through our aid programme.

PRIME MINISTER

  Science Policy
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the visits she has made during the recess in her capacity as Minister for co-ordinating science policy in appropriate cases.

  The Prime Minister
  On 28 September I hosted a seminar given by young scientists on the following subjects, antibody engineering, novel materials, collision physics: human genetic disease, enzymology and astronomy.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  My colleagues in charge of Departments have been asked to ensure that officials are aware of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  European Community
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions she has had with other heads of Government in the European Community about the enlargement of the Community territorially.

  The Prime Minister
  Heads of Government reaffirmed at their meeting in November 1989 that there should be no decisions on EC enlargement until the work on the single market has been completed. However I have made clear on many occasions our view that the Community should remain open to all the countries of Europe once they are democratic and ready to join.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment she has made of the benefits child benefit has given to families on income support since it was introduced.

  The Prime Minister
  Families on income support do not gain any overall financial advantage from child benefit because it is taken fully into account in the assessment of their income support entitlement. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security has indicated on many occasions, this is one of the factors he has to take into account when he reviews the level of child benefit.

  Company Cars
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government will introduce legislation to(a) disallow business expenditure on the supply or running costs of passenger cars other than light vans as a business expense and (b) charge the full cost of such vehicles to the keeper for income tax purposes; and if she will provide an estimate of the revenue yield in each case.

  The Prime Minister
  I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion. The detailed information needed to give estimates of yield is not available.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make it her policy that the Private Office will in future return to the sender all requests addressed to her for intervention at departmental level with a request to make representations direct to those concerned.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to release to the press any letters she receives asking for favours or intervention with Departments of State.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Mr. Colin Wallace
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library a copy of her reply to the letter sent to her on 21 July by Mr. Colin Wallace, 14 Dalloway road, Arundel, about the Calcutt inquiry.

  The Prime Minister
  No. It is not my normal practice to do so.

  Nautical Archaeology
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she has now completed her review of Departmental responsibilities for nautical archaeology; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We have completed the review of Departmental responsibilities for nautical archaeology. We have now proposed, in paragraph 9·36 of the White Paper "This Common Inheritance", that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment should assume responsibility for the protection of historic wrecks in English waters, and that similar transfers of responsibility should take place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will bring together control of archaeology on land with that under water. We will be responding more fully to the Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee on the other matters raised in its report, "Heritage at Sea".

  Gulf Crisis
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will take urgent steps to help those Third world countries which as a direct consequence of the Gulf crisis are in danger of economic hardship.

  The Prime Minister
  The best way to help countries damaged by the Gulf crisis is to bring an end to the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and restore stability to the region. Britain has made a very substantial contribution to that effort, including the decision to send over 15,000 servicemen to the Gulf. We have also contributed to the cost of resettling refugees and shall also contribute to the European Community's special programme of assistance to Jordan, Egypt and Turkey. But the bulk of assistance to affected countries will need to come through adjustment assistance to be given by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and from those countries which are not participating in the military effort.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the Third world countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America
  633
  most seriously affected (a) by the oil price increases and (b) by the trade embargo ordered by the United Nations as a consequence of the Gulf crisis.

  The Prime Minister
  The economies of Egypt, Jordan and Turkey have been most directly affected by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the consequent application of UN sanctions against Iraq.

  All net oil-importing countries are being adversely affected by the increase in oil prices, but there is no single measure of which are the most seriously affected. This will depend on the source and volume of their oil imports and access to alternative energy sources, as well as on the initial strength of their economies and their ability to adjust to the new situation.

  Veterans
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will create a veterans' Department.

  The Prime Minister
  No. The Government and everyone in this country recognise the immense debt of gratitude owed to war veterans and other ex-Service personnel. It is essential that departments deal with their affairs efficiently. However, although it might seem convenient to have a separate Department of veterans' affairs, I do not believe that this would result in better service and it could have the effect of confusing responsibilities which at present fall clearly on each departmental Minister.

EMPLOYMENT

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I am reminding my officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the safety record of companies working on the channel tunnel project.

  Mr. Forth
  The Government and Health and Safety Executive have made clear their concern about accidents on the channel tunnel project. The contractors are now engaged in a programme of implementing the recommedations made in the HSE's accident prevention advisory unit's recent audit of safety management on the project. The HSE is monitoring this process carefully.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements are made for the Health and Safety Executive to inspect the channel tunnel workings.

  Mr. Forth
  It is for the Health and Safety Executive to make arrangements for inspections of the channel tunnel 634
  workings. Inspectors visit the workings regularly to inspect and monitor conditions and to investigate incidents and accidents.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department has indentified any additional safety measures which might be introducted on the channel tunnel project to make working safer.

  Mr. Forth
  Responsibility for health and safety on the channel tunnel project rests with the employers.

  The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) accident prevention advisory unit carried out an audit of the management of health and safety on the channel tunnel project in May 1990. The contractors have accepted the recommendations of the audit and are now engaged in a programme of implementing them. HSE is monitoring that process carefully. HSE inspectors continue to visit the channel tunnel sites and will continue to take whatever action is necessary to maintain and develop safety standards.

  Social Attitudes Survey
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects the British social attitudes survey to be completed; and when he expects it to be published.

  Mr. Jackson
  The British social attitudes survey takes place annually in the early spring. The results of each survey are published approximately 18 months after the field work. The results of the 1990 survey, which covers questions on the child care needs of working women as referred to in the reply from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment on 24 July at columns 195–96 will be published in November 1991.

  Iraqis (Training)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many Iraqis have been in Britain for industrial training in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Forth
  The number of work permits issued under the training and work experience scheme since 1984 are given below. Statistics for issues prior to April 1984 are not available. Records of approvals for the work element of sandwich courses are not kept by nationality.

  Number

  1 April 1984 to 31 December 1984

  6

  1 January 1985 to 31 December 1985

  12

  1 January 1986 to 31 December 1986

  7

  1 January 1987 to 31 December 1987

  4

  1 January 1988 to 31 December 1988

  6

  1 January 1989 to 31 December 1989

  6

  1 January 1990 to 31 August 1990

  5

  "Hard Labour"
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department has considered the report "Hard Labour", prepared by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  I have considered this report. I believe that the existing provisions of employment legislation strike a fair balance between safeguarding the rights of employees and avoiding excessive burdens on business which would discourage the growth of job opportunities.

  Unemployment (Costs)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department has considered the estimates of the costs of unemployment assessed by the unemployment unit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  My Department has not considered the estimates in any detail as we do not accept the analysis on which they are based.

  Earnings
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of national average earnings for(a) men, (b) women and (c) all workers (i) at current prices and (ii) at 1990 prices for each year since 1970; and what was the level of medium earnings for (a) men, (b) women and (c) all workers for each of these years.

  Mr. Jackson
  Information on the earnings of full-time adult employees in Great Britain in April of each year is published in table 15 of Part A of the annual new earnings survey reports. Figures for males and females combined are readily available only from 1983 onwards and are given in table 17 of the recently published part A of the 1990 survey report. Information on the retail prices index (all items) to convert the figures to 1990 prices is published in table 6·4 of Employment Gazette for April 1990, and table 26 of the annual supplement to Economic Trends for April of each earlier year.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Statutes
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps he takes to ensure that his Department obtains up-to-date information on statutes and orders in force.

  The Attorney General
  The Departments for which I am responsible obtain such up-to-date information both from Her Majesty's Stationery Office and from commercial publishers.

  Guinness Trial
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General whether he will refer to the Court of Appeal the sentence on Mr. Gerald Ronson, in the Guinness trial, on grounds of leniency.

  The Attorney-General
  No. I did not consider the sentence to have been unduly lenient, which is the criterion specified in Section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 as governing my power to refer sentences to the Court of Appeal.

  "Another Blood Libel"
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Attorney-General what consideration has been given by the Crown prosecution service to initiating proceedings in respect of the leaflet "Another Blood Libel", published by the Campaign for Gentile-Jewish Reconciliation.

  The Attorney-General
  I understand that the Board of Deputies of British Jews have forwarded a leaflet entitled 636
  "Another Blood Libel or Ritual Murder", to the police with a request that an investigation leading to criminal proceedings is begun.

  Before the Crown prosecution service can consider initiating proceedings it is necessary for a police investigation to produce evidence as to the individual or individuals responsible for publication or distribution of the leaflet. No file of evidence has yet been received by the Crown prosecution service but should one be forwarded then full and careful consideration will be given to the institution of criminal proceedings. The Law Officers and the Director of Public Prosecutions regard the publication and distribution of material which offends against the provisions of part III of the Public Order Act 1986 as a serious matter.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  ERASMUS Project
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students in the academic year 1990–91 have applied and how many have been accepted, to take part in the ERASMUS project·4

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Student mobility under ERASMUS takes place largely within inter-university co-operation programmes for which higher education institutions apply direct to the European Commission for funding. For 1990–91, the Commission has approved for support 1,748 ICPs involving 1,100 insitutions and 44,484 student exchanges. This includes 375 United Kingdom led ICPs and 8,857 UK students who will spend a period of their study in another European Community country.

  Information is not available on the number of student exchanges proposed in ICP applications made to the Commission or on the number of students not involved in an ICP who are assisted as "free movers" under ERASMUS.

  Special Needs Teaching
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the impact of local management of schools in special needs teaching.

  Mr. Fallon
  Local management of schools was introduced in April this year. We are monitoring its effects carefully. I expect the introduction of LMS to benefit all school provision, including that for special needs.

  Teachers (Pay)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he next expects to meet the teaching unions to discuss local arrangements for pay.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. Friend has met each of the six teacher unions on several occasions to discuss the Government's proposals for new teachers' pay negotiating machinery. He has no immediate plans for further meetings.

  University Accommodation
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on student accommodation in Scottish universities.
  637
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The provision of accommodation for students in universities is a matter for the institutions themselves. Universities are autonomous and therefore responsible for deciding their own funding priorities within the total resources at their disposal. I pay tribute to the efforts made by university accommodation services to help students find suitable accommodation.

  Funds Allocation (Local Authorities)
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidelines he has recently issued on the criteria applied by local education authorities in allocating funds.

  Mr. Fallon
  The last major set of guidelines issued was in circular 7/88, published in September 1988. My right hon. Friend expects to issue a draft circular for consultation later this year.

  Trafford (Secondary Schools)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent discussions he has had with Trafford council about the selection procedures for Trafford's secondary schools.

  Mr. Fallon
  No recent discussions have taken place, but officials from the Department have been in correspondence with the authority over its selection procedures.

  TVEI
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his assessment of the technical and vocational education initiative scheme's operation in St. Helens.

  Mr. Eggar
  I understand that the pilot TVEI scheme in St. Helens went well, producing effective curriculum changes with good practice in teaching and learning styles.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the latest figures for the numbers of applications for all approvals of city technology colleges.

  Mr. Fallon
  My right hon. Friend has to date agreed with sponsors to establish 14 city technology colleges. Proposals to establish a 15th city technology college at Bristol are currently subject to consultation with the local education authority and other interested parties.

  Open Enrolment
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the implementation of open enrolment in secondary schools.

  Mr. Fallon
  The provisions of the Education Reform Act 1988 relating to school admissions came into effect for all secondary schools on 4 August this year. These provisions do away with the artificial limits placed by some local education authorities on the number of pupils admitted to particular schools, thus increasing parents' chances of securing a place for their child at the school of their choice. Following the introduction of pupil-led funding the "more open enrolment" provisions also provide a clear incentive for schools to raise educational standards.

  Pupils (Attainment)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures he is taking to improve the educational attainment of school pupils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The national curriculum is central to the Government's drive to raise standards of achievement in schools. It will provide pupils with a framework of clear objectives, matched with regular assessment against national standards. We have already introduced the first national curriculum requirements for English, maths, science and technology, and early feedback from Her Majesty's inspectorate is encouraging. Preparatory work on the remaining national curriculum subjects is well in hand.

  Schools (Local Management)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received regarding local management of schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  My right hon. Friend continues to receive representations from governing bodies, headteachers, parents and others about local management of schools. Many of these welcome the opportunities which delegated budgeting brings them.

  Sport and Physical Recreation
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps his Department will take to protect the position of sport and physical recreation in the national curriculum for pupils aged 14 to 16 years.

  Mr. Eggar
  Physical education, which includes sport, will be a compulsory part of the curriculum in all maintained schools for the first time under the requirements of the national curriculum. My right hon. Friend has asked the National Curriculum Council for advice on increasing flexibility in the curriculum framework for 14 to 16-year-olds. Their advice will be submitted in early November. Whatever the outcome of this consultation, we expect the great majority of pupils in this age group to undertake some form of physical education.

  Sport
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary for State for Education and Science what progress has been made by his Department's working group on sport in the national curriculum; and when its interim report will be published.

  Mr. Eggar
  The national curriculum working group on physical education is working towards production of its interim report, which is to be submitted to my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales by 31 December 1990.

  Teacher Vacancies (Newham)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about current levels of teacher vacancies in the London borough of Newham.
  639
  Mr. Fallon
  Data provided by the London borough of Newham for the Department's September survey shows that there were 13 secondary vacancies and no primary vacancies at the beginning of the new school year.

  1979–80

  1987–88

  1989–901

  Age

  Numbers (thousands)

  Participation rate Per cent.

  Numbers (thousands)

  Participation rate Per cent.

  Numbers (thousands)

  Participation rate Per cent.

  16

  322

  42

  350

  48

  349

  55

  17

  204

  27

  237

  33

  264

  39

  16 and 17

  526

  34

  587

  41

  613

  47

  1 Provisional.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I am reminding my officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984. The Department expects to issue guidance shortly on the responsibilities of school governors under the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Local Education Authorities
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he reviews cases where a local education authority refuses to comply with the recommendations of the local government ombudsman.

  Mr. Fallon
  No. The Commission for Local Administration in England is entirely independent of central and local government. Part II of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 made new provision for cases where the local government ombudsman is not satisfied with the action which a local authority is taking in response to a report.

  Honours Degrees
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the provisions of four-year honours degrees.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  None. The length of degree courses is essentially a matter for individual higher education institutions and validating bodies.

  Iraqi Students
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Iraqi students have been in British institutions of (a) secondary and (b) tertiary education in each of the years from 1980 to 1990.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the number of 16 and 17-year-olds remaining in full-time education.

  Mr. Tim Eggar
  Trends in the numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds in full-time education in England are shown in the following table.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The numbers of students from Iraq enrolled on courses in publicly-funded institutions of further and higher education in Great Britain between 1980 and 1989 are as follows:

  Academic Year

  Students

  1980–81

  2,218

  1981–82

  2,018

  1982–83

  2,239

  1983–84

  1,845

  1984–85

  1,559

  1985–86

  1,378

  1986–87

  1,420

  1987–88

  1,255

  1988–89

  918

  Figures for 1989–90 are still being collated. Comparable information on secondary education is not held centrally.

  Literacy (Devon)
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the literacy levels of primary school children in Devon from current statistics and those of 10 and 20 years ago.

  Mr. Eggar
  Information on the literacy levels of primary school children in Devon is not available centrally.

  Research Projects
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list research projects currently being undertaken into reducing hypertension and improving treatments for cardiac failure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Government fund medical research primarily through the Medical Research Council. I am arranging to place in the Library a list of the main projects relating to hypertension and cardiac failure currently supported by the MRC. Other relevant research may also be supported by university departments and medical schools, and the health authorities.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to prevent the closure of the blood pressure research unit at the Western infirmary, Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.
  641
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The unit is funded by the Medical Research Council. The council receives grant in aid from this Department. Under the terms of its royal charter, it is for the council to decide what research to support. I understand that the council has not taken a decision about the future of the Glasgow unit.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those grant-maintained schools that have been visited by Her Majesty's inspectors and the dates on which they were visited.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 23 July 1990]: Up to June 1990, the following grant-maintained schools had been visited by Her Majesty's inspectors. The last date of visit is given.

  Queensbury School, Beds

  May 1990

  Hendon School, Barnet

  June 1990

  Queen Elizabeth's, Barnet

  June 1990

  Baverstock School, Birmingham

  February 1990

  Small Heath School, Birmingham

  June 1990

  St James CE School, Bolton

  January 1990

  Colyton GS, Devon

  March 1990

  Old Swinford Hospital School, Dudley

  March 1990

  London Oratory School

  February 1990

  Wilmington Girls School, Kent

  February 1990

  Castle Hall School, Kirklees

  January 1990

  Heckmondwike GS, Kirklees

  June 1990

  Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School,

  Lancs January 1990

  King's School, Grantham

  June 1990

  Queen Elizabeth GS, Lincs

  June 1990

  Skegness GS

  November 1989

  Wilson's School, Sutton

  May 1990

  Audenshaw School, Tameside

  February 1990

  Bankfield School, Cheshire

  March 1990

  Southlands School, Berkshire

  June 1990

  Cardinal Vaughan School, London

  June 1990

  City Technology Colleges (Private Donations)
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total amount of private donations to city technology colleges, including planned and proposed colleges(a) pledged, (b) confirmed, (c) committed, and (d) actually paid over and showing in each case the nature of donations in kind rather than cash.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 25 July 1990]: The total value of private donations for announced projects in

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  M-25 Margaretting

  40,000

  49,000

  54,000

  59,000

  62,000

  Boreham-Hatfield Peverel

  42,000

  44,000

  56,000

  58,000

  62,000

  Feering-Marks Tey

  34,000

  38,000

  52,000

  53,000

  58,000

  Marks Tey-Stanway

  41,000

  46,000

  52,000

  57,000

  63,000

  Four Sisters

  26,000

  29,000

  32,000

  31,000

  32,000

  Heavy goods vehicles accounted for approximately 15–20 per cent. of these daily traffic flows.

  London Underground
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing the level of investment in the London Underground system in each year from 1974 to date, and in which year it ceased to be the responsibility of the Greater London council.
  642
  the CTC programme currently stands at some £31·5 million. To date, £8·636 million has already been paid over —£7·081 million in cash and £1·555 million in kind. In addition, some £6 million has been promised for possible further projects not yet announced, the support of curriculum development work and other work by the City Technology Colleges Trust. I regard these resources as representing the firm commitment of the private sector to date.

  Football Licensing Authority
  Mr. Tom Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects the inspectorate required by the Football Licensing Authority for the exercise of its functions to be in place; and what will be its terms of reference.

  Mr. John Patten
  I have been asked to reply.

  The appointment of the inspectorate and the formulation of its terms of refernce are the responsibility of the Football Licensing Authority. I understand, however, that advertisements have been commissioned by the authority to appear at around the end of October. Applications will then be processed and appointments made as soon as possible. The role of the inspectorate will be to inform and advise the authority on matters relating to the licensing of sports grounds at which designated football matches are played, and to the exercise by local authorities, in relation to those sports grounds, of their functions under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975.

TRANSPORT

  A12
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the traffic flows along the A12 between(a) the M25 interchange and Chelmsford, (b) Chelmsford and Witham, (c) Witham and Colchester and (d) Colchester and Ipswich for each year from 1985 to 1989; and if he will indicate the division between heavy goods vehicles and other traffic.

  Mr. Chope
  Information is not available in exactly the format requested. However, representative data are available for daily traffic flows between the following points on the A12 trunk road:

  Mr. Freeman
  The figures for investment in the Underground since 1974 are as follows:

  Year

  Cash £ million

  Real (1990–91 prices) £ million

  1974

  36·3

  162·7

  1975

  43·4

  155·7

  1976

  49·9

  154·2

  1977

  43·6

  116·0

  643

  Year

  Cash £ million

  Real (1990–91 prices) £ million

  1978

  46·8

  115·1

  1979

  65·0

  141·0

  1980

  77·9

  143·2

  1981

  90·9

  149·1

  1982

  81·8

  123·7

  1983

  109·8

  158·9

  1984–85

  1117·0

  1158·9

  1985–86

  135·1

  135·1

  1986–87

  171·2

  212·6

  1987–88

  212·9

  256·1

  1988–89

  206·2

  233·9

  1989–90

  307·3

  327·2

  21990–91

  400·0

  1 Annualised equivalents figure of a 15-month total of £156 million (cash) and £211·8 million (real).

  2 Planned figure.

  The London Regional Transport Act came into force in 1984. However, the level of the Underground's funding for 1984–85 was determined by the GLC. On current estimates, Underground investment in 1990–91 will be two and a half times higher, in real terms, than in 1984–85.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what surveys have been made of the impact of the opening of the channel tunnel in 1993 and of the Waterloo link upon the numbers travelling by the Northern line.

  Mr. Freeman
  A survey carried out by Halcrow Fox for British Rail in 1989 estimated the numbers of channel tunnel passengers that would be using the Underground. London Underground is making use of the resulting data in its strategic planning.

  Airport Capacity
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the working party he has established to examine the Civil Aviation Authority's report on runway capacity in the south-east will be examining only the range of options set out in that report; and if he will make his policy that greenfield sites for major new airports in the south-east will not be considered.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend explained in his reply of 17 July to a parliamentary question from my hon. Friend the Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. Haselhurst) his intention that the working group should address the wider implications of airport development for the options identified by the Civil Aviation Authority, in addition to examining the contribution of regional airports to meeting demand. My right hon. Friend had earlier agreed with the authority's judgment that the development of a major airport on a completely new site in the south-east was unlikely to be realistic or acceptable.

  Railway Investment
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing the level of railway investment on a comparable basis in each year from 1974 to date.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Railways Board's railway investment is as follows, in constant 1990–91 prices:
  644

  £ million

  1974

  492

  1975

  534

  1976

  506

  1977

  502

  1978

  484

  1979

  489

  1980

  512

  1981

  432

  1982

  362

  1983

  353

  11984–85

  421

  1985–86

  504

  1986–87

  486

  1987–88

  601

  1988–89

  612

  1989–90

  741

  1 1984–85 was a 15-month accounting period. The 12-month equivalent is given; the actual figure (in 1990–91 prices) was £526 million.

  Note: Railway investment includes track, signalling, locomotives, rolling stock, stations and railway facilities. Expenditure by subsidiaries, and on non-operational land and continuously welded rail (CWR), are excluded. Figures are drawn from BR Annual Reports and Accounts, adjusted to exclude CWR between 1974 and 1979, and adjusted to 1990–91 prices using published GDP deflators.

  Summerley Coal Aston Airstrip (Accidents)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will arrange for the air accidents investigation branch to investigate and report upon the two separate aircraft accidents at the Summerley Coal Aston airstrip in Derbyshire on 24 July; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The air investigation branch has completed its investigations into the two unconnected light aircraft accidents at Coal Aston airstrip, Derbyshire on 24 July 1990.

  The first accident occurred when the pilot of a Cessna 150 aircraft landed with excessive speed and bounced heavily causing the nose landing gear to collapse. The second accident occurred when a Piper Tomahawk aircraft, operated by the United States Air Force Flying Club failed to accelerate to a safe flying speed within the reduced runway length used. There were no injuries sustained in either accident.

  Full details of the AAIB investigations will be published in the next AAIB Bulletin on 7 November.

  Oil Spillages (Protection Equipment)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the stockpile of equipment, particularly oil absorbent booms or barrier booms, held in Scotland at Cambusbarron; and how long it would take to transport this equipment to protect Loch Roag in the western isles in the event of an oil spillage.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Cambusbarron stockpile is one of three centrally located stockpiles of specialist equipment for shoreline clean-up of oil pollution maintained by the marine pollution control unit (MPCU) and available at short notice to local authorites who have accepted primary responsibility for beach cleaning. A list of all directly owned or contracted counter-pollution resources available to the MCPU, including the Cambusbarron stockpile, is held in the House of Commons Library. Equipment from the Cambusbarron stockpile could be deployed to Loch
  645
  Roag within 10 to 17 hours from Callout, depending on the availability of suitable aircraft and vessels. Additional equipment relevant to a particular incident could also be deployed as necessary from the other MPCU stockpiles or from commercial sources.

  Taxis
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has, subsequent to his announcement of 11 May 1989,Official Report, column 486, to propose changes in legislation concerning taxi and private hire car vehicles.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government have no such legislative changes to propose at this stage.

  Minch Oil Spill Exercise
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make public the results of analysis of the marine pollution unit oil spill exercise carried out in the Minch on 4 and 5 July.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The marine pollution control unit (MPCU) oil spill exercise carried out in the Minch on 4 and 5 July 1990 was the latest in a continuing series of annual live exercises designed to activate and test contingency plans to deal with oil spillages from ships. These objectives were successfully achieved by the exercise. Some minor lessons were learned with regard to communications and certain aspects of on-scene command and control. These have been taken into account.

  Airports (Safety)
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which statutory body or part of his Department is responsible for advising(a) him and (b) local authorities on the safety of people on the ground outside the statutory safety and air zones of new or expanding airports.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Civil Aviation Authority has the statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of civil aviation. The primary purpose of its safety regulation group, which comprises some 750 professional and other staff, is to minimise the probability of aircraft having accidents or incidents. By so doing, the authority also protects people on the ground.

  Bus Routes (London)
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to requiring tendering for bus route contracts for London Regional Transport to be published in the same manner as other areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Under the London Regional Transport Act 1984, the tendering of bus routes in London and the decision on whether to publish successful tender bids are matters for London Transport. While the Government have no immediate plans to amend this legislation, the point raised by the hon. Gentleman will be considered in the context of our plans to deregulate the London bus market.

HEALTH

  Hospital Catering Costs
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the cost of food in hospitals, per patient, excluding special diets and supplementary food and labour costs, but including all meals and beverages, for each district health area in England.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department collects the average cost of provisions per patient per day for each hospital annually. These figures exclude labour costs but include special diets and supplementary food. They will be published for 1987–88 and 1988–89 as part of the additional health service indicators which will be placed in the Library later this month.

  Friern Barnet Psychiatric Hospital
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds have been allocated to date by North East Thames regional health authority on reprovision of facilities for patients currently resident at Friern Barnet psychiatric hospital; and what funds are scheduled to be spent between the present time and September 1991.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The allocation of funds for the reprovision of care for the mentally ill, is a matter for the individual health authorities concerned.

  Water Supply
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has received from the chief medical officer of the possible dangers to public health from the presence of viruses in water mains; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Viruses are removed from mains water during the process of water treatment. These treatment processes are designed to ensure that the water supply meets microbiological standards and is not therefore a risk to public health.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possible dangers to public health from viruses in water mains and from leakage of harmful organisms and viruses from(a) water mains and (b) sewage pipes to (i) water services and (ii) land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  As drinking water conveyed in water mains is treated to remove harmful organisms and viruses, leakages do not present a risk to public health. Potentially harmful organisms leaked from sewage pipes will be attenuated by natural decay and dilution, thus minimising the risk to public health. No land is free from naturally occurring bacteria or viruses and any additional risk from leaked sewage, unless in sufficient quantity to cause flood conditions, is minor.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possible damages to public health from(a) the flushing of water mains and (b) the reduction of water pressure in respect of any harmful organisms or viruses which may be present in water mains; and if he will make a statement.
  647
  Mr. Dorrell
  As flushing is done with disinfected mains water which is flushed into sewers or surface water drains, there is no risk to public health. Following any significant drop in mains pressure due to some loss of integrity of a distribution system it is routine procedure for pipes into which contaminated water may have entered to be disinfected and flushed. The water is then sampled and analysed before it is returend to the public supply. Reductions in pressure for operational purposes are controlled to prevent contamination and minimise the risk to public health.

  Kidney Dialysis
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under 10 years of age are receiving kidney dialysis per million of the population; how many he estimates could benefit from this treatment who are not getting it; and what was the number in 1985 of children under 10 years of age receiving kidney dialysis per million of the population.

  Mr. Dorrell
  According to information provided by the European Dialysis and Transplant Association, the number of children in the United Kingdom under 10 years of age receiving treatment for end stage renal failure was as follows:

  At 31 December 1985:
  185 children, of whom 35 (5·0 per million population) were receiving dialysis

  At 31 December 1988:
  212 children, of whom 32 (4·3 per million population) were receiving dialysis

  The rate per million population is based on the number of children in the relevant age group. The latest year for which statistics are available is 1988.

  It is not possible to provide accurate information on the number of children who could benefit from this treatment, but we are not aware of any children requiring renal reaplacement therapy who are not receiving it.

  Diabetic Kidney Patients
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of diabetic kidney patients are receiving treatment; and whether any patients in this category have been refused care.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information is not available in the form requested. According to information provided by the European Dialysis and Transplant Association, the number of diabetic patients receiving treatment in the United Kingdom for end stage renal failure at 31 December 1988 was approximately 800.

  Romanian Orphans
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the charges to be levied on parents for documents required to adopt Romanian orphans; and if he will make a statement.
  648
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Local authorities have been advised that they can charge prospective adopters to cover the costs of assessment and preparation of reports in connection with the adoption of children from overseas. The charges made are a matter for the authorities. The local authority associations are considering whether there is any advice which they can offer to authorities about the level of charges.

  South-East Thames Region
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the figures for revenue and capital expended in the South East Thames region hospital service in each year on a comparable basis since 1974.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information on the expenditure by the South East Thames regional health authority and the district health authorities (and their predecessor authorities) comprising the South East Thames region, derived from annual accounts submitted to the Department in cash and at constant prices, is shown in the table. Over such a long period the figures are not entirely comparable.

  Total revenue and capital expenditure on Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS)—South East Thames Region

  £'000s

  Year

  Revenue Expenditure

  Capital Expenditure

  (Cash)

  (1989–90 Prices)

  (Cash)

  (1989–90 Prices)

  1974–75

  208,755

  877,512

  19,970

  83,945

  1975–76

  279,572

  934,623

  25,625

  85,666

  1976–77

  321,373

  947,915

  23,529

  69,401

  1977–78

  356,258

  923,139

  17,539

  45,447

  1978–79

  395,880

  926,656

  23,026

  53,898

  1979–80

  471,151

  944,300

  25,992

  52,094

  1980–81

  603,001

  1,021,261

  35,138

  59,511

  1981–82

  662,702

  1,022,291

  39,422

  60,813

  1982–83

  700,421

  1,007,717

  46,327

  66,652

  1983–84

  739,438

  1,016,387

  51,988

  71,460

  1984–85

  772,108

  1,011,045

  49,853

  65,281

  1985–86

  807,525

  1,003,624

  55,181

  68,581

  1986–87

  857,088

  1,030,203

  76,517

  91,972

  1987–88

  928,872

  1,059,685

  91,148

  103,984

  1988–89

  1,039,270

  1,106,823

  92,284

  98,282

  11989–90

  1,116,191

  1,116,191

  103,905

  103,905

  1 Provisional figures—as yet subject to audit.

  Notes:

  1. The figures for earlier years have been expressed at 1989–90 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  2. HCHS covers all health authorities' services including hospital, community health, patient transport (i.e., ambulance) and blood transfusion. Expenditure on family practitioner services is excluded. However, the figures prior to 1 April 1985 include small elements related to the administrative expenses of family practitioner committees (FPCs).

  3. The figures from 1987–88 exclude an element for the costs of the London Ambulance Service which in earlier years was shared by all four Thames RHAs.

  4. Capital expenditure for particular authorities and regions tends to fluctuate year on year mainly reflecting changes in the pattern of capital investment throughout the country.

HEALTH

  Hospices
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospices there are in each of the counties of England; and what is his policy regarding the expansion of hospice provision in England.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not available in the form requested. The following table gives an analysis by health district. The Government value the contribution made by the hospice movement to improving services for people with a terminal illness and their families. We expect health authorities to take the lead in planning and co-ordinating such services, in consultation with hospices and other interested organisations.

  Hospice in-patient units

  Health district

  Existing

  Number Proposed

  Airedale

  2

  0

  Aylesbury Vale

  1

  0

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  1

  0

  Barnet

  0

  2

  Barnsley

  0

  0

  Basildon and Thurrock

  0

  1

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  0

  1

  Bassetlaw

  0

  1

  Bath

  1

  0

  Bexley

  0

  0

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  1

  0

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  1

  0

  Bloomsbury

  1

  0

  Bolton

  0

  1

  Bradford

  0

  0

  Brighton

  2

  1

  Bristol and Weston

  0

  0

  Bromley

  1

  0

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  0

  0

  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale

  0

  0

  Bury

  0

  1

  Calderdale

  1

  0

  Camberwell

  0

  0

  Cambridge

  2

  0

  Canterbury and Thanet

  1

  —

  Central Birmingham

  —

  Central Manchester

  —

  Central Nottinghamshire

  —

  1

  Cheltenham and District

  1

  —

  Chester

  1

  —

  Chichester

  2

  —

  Chorley and South Ribble

  —

  —

  City and Hackney

  1

  —

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  3

  —

  Coventry

  —

  Crewe

  —

  1

  Croydon

  —

  —

  Darlington

  —

  —

  Dartford and Gravesham

  1

  1

  Dewsbury

  —

  —

  Doncaster

  —

  1

  Dudley

  —

  —

  Durham

  —

  1

  Ealing

  1

  —

  East Berkshire

  1

  —

  East Birmingham

  —

  —

  Eastbourne

  2

  —

  East Cumbria

  —

  1

  East Dorset

  1

  2

  East Hertfordshire

  —

  1

  East Suffolk

  1

  —

  East Surrey

  1

  —

  East Yorkshire

  —

  —

  Enfield

  —

  —

  Exeter

  1

  1

  Frenchay

  —

  —

  650

  Hospice in-patient units

  Health district

  Existing

  Number Proposed

  Gateshead

  —

  —

  Gloucester

  —

  —

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  1

  —

  Greenwich

  —

  1

  Grimsby

  1

  —

  Halton

  —

  —

  Hampstead

  1

  —

  Haringey

  —

  —

  Harrogate

  1

  —

  Harrow

  —

  —

  Hartlepool

  1

  —

  Hastings

  1

  —

  Herefordshire

  2

  —

  Hillingdon

  3

  1

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  —

  —

  Huddersfield

  1

  —

  Hull

  —

  1

  Huntingdon

  —

  —

  Isle of Wight

  1

  —

  Islington

  —

  —

  Kettering

  —

  1

  Kidderminster

  —

  —

  Kingston and Esher

  1

  —

  Lancaster

  1

  —

  Leeds Eastern

  3

  —

  Leeds Western

  —

  —

  Leicestershire

  2

  —

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  —

  —

  Liverpool

  1

  —

  Maccelesfield

  1

  —

  Maidstone

  —

  1

  Medway

  1

  —

  Merton and Sutton

  1

  —

  Mid-Downs

  1

  —

  Mid-Essex

  1

  —

  Mid-Staffordshire

  —

  —

  Mid-Surrey

  —

  —

  Milton Keynes

  1

  —

  Newcastle

  2

  —

  Newham

  —

  —

  Northallerton

  —

  —

  Northampton

  1

  —

  North Bedfordshire

  1

  1

  North Birmingham

  —

  —

  North Derbyshire

  1

  —

  North Devon

  —

  —

  North East Essex

  1

  —

  North Hertfordshire

  —

  1

  North Lincolnshire

  1

  —

  North Manchester

  —

  1

  North Staffordshire

  1

  —

  North Tees

  1

  —

  North Tyneside

  —

  —

  Northumberland

  —

  —

  North Warwickshire

  —

  1

  North West Durham

  —

  —

  North West Hertfordshire

  1

  —

  North West Surrey

  1

  —

  Norwich

  1

  —

  Nottingham

  1

  —

  Oldham

  —

  1

  Oxfordshire

  2

  1

  Parkside

  2

  —

  Peterborough

  —

  —

  Plymouth

  1

  —

  Pontefract

  —

  1

  Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire

  1

  1

  Preston

  1

  —

  Redbridge

  —

  —

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  —

  —

  Riverside

  —

  1

  Rochdale

  1

  —

  Rotherham

  —

  1

  Rugby

  —

  —

  St Helen's and Knowsley

  1

  —

  Salford

  2

  —

  651

  Hospice in-patient units

  Health district

  Existing

  Number Proposed

  Salisbury

  1

  —

  Sandwell

  —

  —

  Scarborough

  1

  —

  Scunthorpe

  1

  —

  Sheffield

  1

  —

  Shropshire

  1

  —

  Solihull

  1

  —

  Somerset

  2

  —

  Southampton and South-West Hampshire

  1

  1

  South Bedfordshire

  1

  1

  South Birmingham

  2

  —

  South Cumbria

  1

  —

  South East Kent

  —

  —

  South East Staffordshire

  1

  —

  Southend

  1

  —

  South Derbyshire

  1

  1

  South Lincolnshire

  —

  —

  South Manchester

  1

  —

  Southmead

  2

  —

  Southport and Formby

  —

  1

  South Sefton

  1

  —

  South Tees

  —

  1

  South Tyneside

  —

  —

  South Warwickshire

  1

  —

  South West Durham

  —

  —

  South West Hertfordshire

  1

  1

  South West Surrey

  1

  —

  Stockport

  —

  —

  Sunderland

  1

  —

  Swindon

  1

  —

  Tameside and Glossop

  —

  —

  Torbay

  1

  —

  Tower Hamlets

  1

  —

  Trafford

  —

  —

  Tunbridge Wells

  —

  —

  Wakefield

  1

  —

  Walsall

  —

  —

  Waltham Forest

  1

  —

  Wandsworth

  —

  —

  Warrington

  1

  —

  West Berkshire

  2

  1

  West Birmingham

  1

  —

  West Cumbria

  1

  —

  West Dorset

  —

  —

  West Essex

  —

  1

  West Lambeth

  1

  —

  West Lancashire

  1

  —

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  —

  1

  West Suffolk

  —

  1

  West Surrey and North East Hampshire

  1

  —

  Wigan

  1

  —

  Winchester

  1

  —

  Wirral

  1

  —

  Wolverhampton

  1

  —

  Worcester and District

  —

  —

  Worthing District

  1

  —

  Wycombe

  —

  1

  York

  1

  —

  Special Health Authorities

  3

  —

  TOTAL

  128

  44

  Northern Region
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what total sum has been made available for the distinction awards to hospital consultants in the northern 652
  region in the financial year 1988–89 and in the current financial year; and how much will be available in the 1990–91 financial year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No specific sum is allocated to authorities for the payment of distinction awards. Health authorities are expected to meet the cost of distinction awards from their own resources.

  Health Education
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the funding of organisations working with elderly people to enable them to develop additional health education programmes.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department grant-aids a number of voluntary organisations under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, several of which include a health education element in their programmes. The overall funding available through this source will be increased to £15,680,000 for the financial year 1991–92. We are currently receiving applications for funding, all of which will be carefully considered. It is too early to say at this stage what proportion of the overall funding will be allocated to organisations working with and for elderly people.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the total saving to the Health Education Authority arising from the ending of the health in old age programme.

  Mr. Dorrell
  During 1990–91 £106,000 will be spent by the Health Education Authority on its health in old age programme. The ending of the Programme is not intended to achieve a financial saving, but to enable the Authority to utilise its resources more effectively by addressing the health education needs of elderly people across the whole range of its activities rather than by being restricted to a specific programme. It is too early to say what resources the Authority will devote to the health education needs of elderly people in 1991–92 and beyond.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the future of the age well programme.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Officials are in discussion with Age Concern, who have responsibility for the age well programme, to discuss its future. We are not aware of any representations other than those made by the hon. Member.

  Consultants
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the amount of distinction awards paid to consultants in each of the health authorities in the Northern Region for the last five years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information on the amount of distinction awards paid, as given in a footnote to the annual accounts of the Northern Regional Health Authority (RHA) and the district health authorities comprising the Northern region, is shown in the table.
  653

  Northern Region—Medical and Dental Consultants Distinction Awards National Health Service Staff

  1985–86 £ (cash)

  1986–87 £ (cash)

  1987–88 £ (cash)

  1988–89 £ (cash)

  11989–90 £ (cash)

  Northern RHA

  49,910

  24,580

  26,720

  20,280

  33,030

  Hartlepool

  38,848

  37,862

  37,412

  32,107

  28,261

  North Tees

  105,967

  103,333

  121,653

  131,614

  131,048

  South Tees

  198,514

  172,333

  220,474

  227,172

  227,187

  East Cumbria

  110,142

  122,868

  157,775

  187,120

  178,712

  South Cumbria

  109,420

  77,509

  83,556

  88,922

  n/g

  West Cumbria

  84,001

  93,706

  101,939

  103,750

  95,124

  Darlington

  n/g

  56,768

  n/g

  n/g

  n/g

  Durham

  66,280

  103,005

  n/g

  95,727

  63,824

  NW Durham

  43,316

  35,532

  38,123

  35,051

  53,836

  SW Durham

  46,210

  62,348

  58,220

  49,705

  43,764

  Northumberland

  97,217

  125,181

  136,574

  153,078

  118,341

  Gateshead

  50,316

  71,533

  77,370

  97,511

  104,482

  Newcastle

  703,120

  755,680

  784,866

  986,739

  1,292,602

  North Tyneside

  26,151

  18,785

  35,958

  47,338

  75,779

  South Tyneside

  25,648

  29,257

  31,592

  42,456

  87,931

  Sunderland

  102,596

  138,534

  168,635

  160,714

  172,934

  1 1989–90 figures are "provisional" in that the annual accounts for that year are as yet subject to audit.

  n/g—Not given.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the number of hospital consultants who received top-up bonuses in each health authority in the Northern region in the financial year 1988–89 and in the current financial year;

  (2) what sums have been made available for top-up bonuses to hospital consultants in each health authority in the Northern region in the financial year 1988–89 and in the current financial year; and how much will be budgeted for each authority for the 1990–91 financial year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  NHS hospital consultants do not receive "top-up bonuses".

  Menopause Services
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the guidance notes issued by his Department asking health authorities to balance the services provided by specialist clinics and those provided by general practitioners as they relate to the menopause.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The guidance referred to in my reply to my hon. Friend on 24 July at column 176, relates to family planning services. No specific guidance has been issued on menopause clinics. The provision of services for the women concerned is a matter for local health authorities to determine in the light of local needs and priorities.

  Social Services (Unallocated Cases)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of unallocated cases for each social services area.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Members for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths), for Mid-Staffordshire (Mrs. Heal), for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde (Mr. Graham) and for Newcastle upon Tyne North (Mr. Henderson) on 3 July at column 535.

  DES/Stilboestrol
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will meet the representatives of the DES/Stilboestrol Action Group in England;

  (2) if his Department plans to examine the conclusions of the DES/Stilboestrol symposium held in Dublin on 14 September;

  (3) if his Department will inquire into reports that the grandchildren of patients treated with the drug DES/Stilboestrol have suffered ill effects.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) carefully monitors all issues of drug safety. There is also a statutory obligation for pharmaceutical companies to provide details of any suspected adverse drug reactions which they may receive in relation to one of their products. Any new information relating to side effects from stilboestrol will be monitored in the usual way when it becomes available to the CSM. There are no plans to meet representatives of the DES Action Group.

  Travellers
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is routinely collected by his Department about health authority plans, targets and services for traveller mothers and babies.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Routine information as not collected centrally. We recognise that meeting the health care needs of traveller families requires special attention from health authorities in areas with a significant traveller population. To help develop good practice the Department provides financial support to a travellers information and liaison unit run by the Save the Children Fund.

  Tehidy Hospital, Cornwall
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce his decision on the future of Tehidy hospital, Cornwall.
  655
  Mr. Dorrell
  South Western regional health authority will consider on 6 November a proposal by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Authority to develop a community hospital at Barncoose, and to sell Tehidy hospital. If the regional health authority supports the proposal it will be referred to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the final decision.

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatment is available for ME on the National Health Service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department of health and the National Health Service recognise myalgic encephalomyelitis as a debilitating and distressing disease. Its causes are not yet fully understood, nor is there a generally agreed method of treatment. Treatment to alleviate the various symptoms is a matter for medical judgment in individual cases. A number of licensed medicines, prescribable under the NHS, have been found to bring relief to some patients.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent by his Department in funding research on myalgic encephalomyelitis for each year for the past three years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department of Health is aware of several studies being conducted into myalgic encephalomyelitis although it has not sponsored this research. The main Government agency responsible for the promotion of biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science. I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Education and Science gave my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 2 February at column 422.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total staff of the London ambulance service for each month since January 1989.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Data is not collected in the form requested but annual figures are available in a national ambulance survey prepared by York health authority. The total numbers of staff for the last two available financial years for the London ambulance service are given in the table. Total staffing figures include officers, operational staff and general staff such as mechanics and domestics.

  London Ambulance Service Total staff (whole-time equivalent)

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Total Staff

  2,939·19

  2,993·19

  Source: York health authority

  National Ambulance Survey 1987–88 and 1988–89

  The management of the London ambulance service is the responsibility of the London ambulance service board, chairman Mr. James Harris, to whom the hon. Member may wish to write for further information.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the average response time for the London ambulance service in emergencies for each week since January 1989.
  656
  Mr. Dorrell
  Data are collected centrally only on a financial year basis. In both 1987–88 and 1988–89 the median response time to emergency calls was less then 10 minutes. The management of the London ambulance service is the responsibility of the London ambulance service board, chairman Mr. James Harris, to whom the hon. Member may wish to write for more detailed information.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) the total number of vehicles and (b) vehicle miles covered by the London ambulance service for each week since January 1989.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Data is not collected in the form requested but annual figures are available in a national ambulance survey prepared by York health authority. The total numbers of vehicles and vehicle miles for the last 2 available financial years for the London ambulance service are given in the table. Vehicles included ambulance and other ambulance service vehicles such as major incident vehicles and recovery vehicles.

  London ambulance service: vehicles and vehicle miles

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Vehicles

  994

  963

  Vehicles miles

  12,369,411

  12,199,647

  The management of the London ambulance service is the responsibility of the London service board, chairman Mr. James Harris, to whom the hon. Member may wish to write for further information.

  Birth Statistics
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give for England and Wales for 1988, for births within marriage and jointly registered births outside marriage, the numbers of live births, still births, early neonatal deaths, late neonatal deaths and post-neonatal deaths of babies with mothers with occupations in:(a) social class I, (b) social class II, (c) social class III non-manual, (d) social class III manual, (e) social class IV, (f) social class V, (g) in other occupations and (h) with no stated occupation;

  (2) if he will give for England and Wales for 1988 the numbers of live births, still births, early neonatal deaths, late neonatal deaths and post-neonatal deaths of babies with mothers with occupations in (a) social class I, (b) social class II, (c) social class III non-manual, (d) social class III manual, (e) social class IV, (f) social class V, (g) other occupations and (h) with no stated occupation.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will give the numbers of women resident in (a) Dacorum local government district and (b) St. Albans local government district who gave birth in 1989 in (i) St. Albans City Hospital, (ii) Luton and Dunstable Hospital, (iii) Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, (iv) Watford general hospital, (v) Royal Bucks hospital, Aylesbury, (vi) RAF Halton maternity unit, (vii) other hospitals, (viii) at home and (ix) elsewhere.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is as follows:
  657

  Dacorum

  St. Albans

  St. Albans City hospital

  1,016

  1,124

  Luton and Dunstable hospital

  39

  51

  Queen Elizabeth II hospital, Welwyn Garden City

  8

  145

  Watford general hospital

  279

  77

  Royal Bucks hospital, Aylesbury

  186

  —

  Non-NHS hospitals1

  189

  6

  Other NHS hospitals

  78

  101

  At home

  31

  11

  Elsewhere

  3

  0

  1,829

  1,515

  1Figures for individual non-NHS hospitals are not available for 1989.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State fro Health if he will give for England and Wales for 1983 and 1988 the

  Birthweight within marriage and jointly registered outside marriage by father's social class for singleton livebirths

  Birthweight

  Social class of father

  1,000

  1,000–1,499

  1,500–1,999

  2,000–2,499

  2,500

  Not stated

  Total

  1983

  Within marriage

  I

  80

  110

  310

  1,030

  36,720

  50

  38,300

  II

  120

  400

  910

  3,680

  109,150

  130

  114,380

  IIIN

  90

  220

  370

  1,860

  53,360

  70

  55,970

  IIIM

  330

  910

  1,910

  6,620

  174,910

  180

  184,860

  IV

  170

  310

  870

  3,640

  69,850

  80

  74,920

  V

  30

  160

  350

  1,580

  28,480

  70

  30,680

  Other occupations1

  40

  140

  190

  760

  18,030

  80

  19,240

  Occupation not stated

  10

  10

  30

  70

  950

  —

  1,070

  Total

  870

  2,260

  4,940

  19,240

  491,150

  660

  519,420

  Jointly registered outside marriage

  I

  10

  —

  10

  20

  920

  —

  960

  II

  30

  60

  50

  380

  6,500

  10

  7,020

  IIIN

  10

  20

  40

  130

  3,460

  —

  3,660

  IIIM

  80

  170

  390

  1,290

  23,250

  30

  25,210

  IV

  40

  20

  210

  690

  10,620

  30

  11,610

  V

  50

  90

  80

  570

  8,420

  —

  9,210

  Other occupations1

  10

  40

  40

  50

  1,690

  10

  1,840

  Occupation not stated

  —

  10

  10

  30

  590

  —

  640

  Total

  230

  410

  830

  3,160

  55,450

  80

  60,150

  1988

  Within marriage

  I

  70

  90

  150

  1,020

  39,190

  80

  40,600

  II

  290

  550

  1,070

  3,280

  117,500

  210

  122,900

  IIIN

  120

  260

  470

  1,700

  51,120

  50

  53,710

  IIIM

  470

  940

  1,540

  6,270

  161,690

  180

  171,080

  IV

  180

  380

  680

  2,770

  63,430

  50

  67,490

  V

  90

  120

  270

  1,230

  23,050

  40

  24,790

  Other occupations1

  60

  50

  190

  710

  21,310

  60

  22,380

  Occupation not stated

  —

  10

  20

  110

  1,480

  10

  1,630

  Total

  1,280

  2,400

  4,390

  17,090

  478,770

  680

  504,580

  Jointly registered outside marriage

  I

  —

  —

  60

  110

  2,600

  —

  2,770

  II

  50

  90

  220

  600

  14,640

  40

  15,640

  IIIN

  20

  70

  110

  230

  7,560

  20

  8,020

  IIIM

  150

  340

  600

  2,220

  47,030

  60

  50,400

  IV

  40

  180

  420

  1,150

  21,640

  20

  23,450

  V

  90

  120

  240

  750

  14,270

  30

  15,500

  Other occupations1

  10

  70

  20

  210

  3,220

  10

  3,540

  Occupation not stated

  20

  10

  40

  60

  1,690

  —

  1,820

  Total

  380

  880

  1,710

  5,330

  112,650

  180

  121,140

  1 Other occupations = Armed Forces, inadequately described, students, independent means, permanently sick, no previous job.

  658
  estimated total numbers of live births within marriage and jointly registered births outside marriage of singleton babies weighing (i) under 1000g, (ii) 1000–1499g, (iii) 1500–1999g, (iv) 2000–2499g, (v) 2500g and over and (vi) with unstated birthweights for babies with fathers in (a) social class I, (b) social class II, (c) social class III non-manual, (d) social class III manual, (e) social class IV, (f) social class V, (g) other occupations and (h) with no stated occupation.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information is shown in the table. The data on social class are derived from a 10 per cent. coding of occupation details, and weighting factors have been applied to this sample to give estimated data. It should also be noted that the two years are not exactly comparable in the "other occupations" and "no stated occupation" categories due to a change in coding practice.

  Bloomsbury and Islington Health Authority
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements will be made to ensure adequate provisions of finance for the merged Bloomsbury and Islington health authority.

  Mr. Dorrell
  It is for North East Thames regional health authority to decide funding levels for the merged Bloomsbury and Islington health authority.

  Friern Barnet Hospital (Closure)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision has been made by his Department for the effects of the closure of Friern Barnet hospital on the neighbouring health and local authorities.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This is a matter for the North East Thames regional health authority and for the health and local authorities concerned.

  Peak Flow Meters
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the cost per unit of peak flow meters available at present to his Department; and what he treats as an acceptable cost;

  (2) if he will now announce a date from which peak flow meters will become available on prescription to asthmatics; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what information he has on the reasons for the delay in implementation of his Department's earlier announcement that peak flow meters would be made available on prescription to asthmatics; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Peak flow meters were made available on prescription from 1 October 1990. Two brands of meter have been included in the prescribable list—the drug tariff—manufactured by Clement Clarke Limited and Vitalograph Limited.

  Two models have been approved for each manufacturer: standard-range meters suitable for both adults and children and low-range meters for adults or children with serverely restricted air flow. Clement Clarke meters are priced in the drug tariff at £6·39 and Vitalograph meters at £5·99. These prices are both acceptable.

  Recording charts in the form of a booklet are being issued free of charge via general practitioners for making a daily record of the user's peak expiratory flow rate. The booklet covers a year's usage and includes notes on the use and care of the meter.

  I announced on 21 March 1990 that peak flow meters would become available on prescription. To be accepted for listing on the drug tariff, each company's meters had to conform to a Departmental specification, meet criteria of safety, efficacy and cost effectiveness, and be available in sufficient quantity to meet potential demand. Labelling, packaging, user instructions and prices were also the subject of consultation and negotiations.

  Haemophiliacs (AIDS)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total cost to the Government to date of the legal case in which people with haemophilia, having been infected with the AIDS virus in the course of national health service treatment, are suing the Government.
  660
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The cost of the time spent by civil servants on this litigation and other administrative expenditure is not separately identified. So far, £25,961 has been paid in legal fees, and £10,495 in fees to expert witnesses. This does not include the costs of legal aid, which are a charge on the Lord Chancellor's Department.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on his reaction to Mr. Justice Ognall's appeal to both sides in the legal case in which people with haemophilia, having been infected with the AIDS virus in the course of national health service treatment, are suing the Government, to give anxious consideration to a compromise solution and the judge's offer to arbitrate in a speedy settlement of the case.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have carefully considered the points put forward by Mr. Justice Ognall in his statement handed down on 26 June 1990. The text of the Department's response was as follows:Thank you very much for providing me with a copy of the note handed down by Mr. Justice Ognall on 26 June 1990.
  The Secretary of State has carefully considered the points put forward by the Judge, together with the advice given previously by Counsel in the light of the overall situation concerning the tragic effect on haemophiliacs of the use of Factor VIII containing the HIV virus.
  The Government has recognised that the plight of haemophiliacs and the fact that the treatment which led to their infection was intended to help them to lead as near a normal life as possible, makes their case wholly exceptional. Accordingly, and in recognition of their unique position, the Macfarlane Trust was set up following an announcement by the Minister of Health in November 1987 and was provided with £10 million, to make payments on an ex-gratia basis to affected individuals and their families throughout the United Kingdom. Since then, many payments have been made out of the fund, on the basis of financial need, and this continues.
  When announcing the establishment of the Macfarlane Trust, the Government made it clear that, while it considered the sum of £ 10 million to be appropriate at that time, it would nevertheless keep open to review the question of what funds were required. Following an announcement by the Secretary of State on 23 November 1989, a further sum of £24 million was made available for haemophiliacs. The aim was first, to make individual payments of £20,000 to each haemophiliac infected with AIDS virus as a result of treatment with blood products in the United Kingdom or the family of such a person who has died; and second, to enable the Macfarlane Trust to continue on a more generous scale to help families in particular need.
  So the Government has already made available a total of £34 million to mitigate the effects of this tragedy on all haemophiliacs with HIV and their families and not just the litigants in this action. Some £24 million of this total has been distributed to individuals affected, irrespective of means, whilst the remainder has been and continues to be made available on the basis of need. None of these payments is taken into account for the purposes of social security or indeed of legal aid.
  The Government proposes to keep the sums available to the Macfarlane Trust and the needs of haemophiliacs under regular review.
  All these sums are of course paid on an ex-gratia basis. They are intended to provide the resources to respond positively to the particular needs of affected haemophiliacs and their families. They are not however intended to be a substitute for litigation of the issues presently before the Court. Mr. Justice Ognall has suggested that there are actions which should perhaps be settled on the basis of moral obligation rather than on a strict assessment of legal liability. The Secretary of State has already recognised the moral argument and the strong compassionate arguments in favour of providing assistance to haemophiliacs affected by HIV in the setting up of the Macfarlane Trust and in providing resources for their treatment. In the Secretary of State's view,

  661
  the fact that the affected haemophiliacs have chosen to pursue their legal claim does not raise any fresh moral obligation beyond that already recognised by the Government. And, of course, he has the general duty to weigh up the claims for assistance of this particular group as against the claims of other groups of sick or disabled people, within the resources voted by Parliament.
  Ministers are always and understandably faced by an array of competing demands for highly desirable objectives within the inevitably finite resources available. Spending more on one group, whatever the reason for doing so, inevitably means spending less on others. The haemophiliacs with HIV infection have attracted public attention and quite rightly won the nation's sympathy, but there are many other examples of people suffering severe disability with the prospect of premature death also through no fault of their own—for example, patients with advanced cancer; patients with end-stage renal failure; or children born with severe congenital heart defects. It is the responsibility of Ministers and their advisers to weigh up these difficult choices and to arrive at a reasonable ordering of priorities.
  Ministers are, of course, and rightly, accountable to Parliament for their decisions on policies and priorities. As you know it is the Secretary of State's case in this litigation that such decisions do not and should not give rise to a duty of care to individual members of the public such as to enable those individuals to bring a claim for damages. This is an important principle and one which would have far reaching repercussions if compromised. There are strong public policy reasons why this is so. First, it would make the process of policy formation very much less effective if every decision were subject to the risk of legal challenge in the courts. Second, if it were accepted in this particular action that Ministers did owe such a duty of care this would be likely to lead to very large numbers of costly and time-consuming claims against the Department, Licensing Authority and CSM. There is nothing unique about this aspect of the present claim.
  The Secretary of State fully recognises the force of the argument that the resources likely to be taken up by this litigation would be better used to alleviate suffering. However, it would not achieve this purpose if the likely consequence of compromising these actions were to encourage other expensive litigation in future. The Secretary of State considers that the existence of this litigation on its own is not a sufficient reason to adopt different criteria from those which govern the decisions which regularly have to be made where the competing demands of many pressing and deserving causes have to be balanced in the light of the resources that are actually available.
  The Secretary of State is satisfied that the best and indeed the proper way of meeting the need referred to by Mr. Justice Ognall is through the machinery of the Macfarlane Trust or similar means. The Government remains committed to pursuing that course and will ensure that the needs of all affected haemophiliacs and their families are kept under review. That resolve will not be affected by the progress or outcome of the litigation.
  It is recognised that it would be in the interests of everyone that the present litigation should be brought to a speedy conclusion. Apart from the anguish which it inevitably causes to plaintiffs and their families, it has placed a heavy burden on the resources of the Legal Aid Fund and of the Department and Health Authorities. That inevitably involves the diversion of scarce resources from elsewhere. It must be a matter for individual Plaintiffs and their advisers as to whether they wish to continue to pursue their allegations against the Central Defendants in the expectation or hope that they will be able to establish liability. However, whilst the Secretary of State will continue to review the position from time to time, until or unless you advise that there is a real likelihood of the Plaintiffs or any of them succeeding in establishing liability, his view is that these actions should continue to be defended firmly. Meanwhile, I know that you and Counsel will do everything possible to adhere to the timetable set by the Court.
  I would be grateful if you would express the Secretary of State's thanks to the Judge for his observations and make him aware of the matters set out in this letter. A copy of this letter may be provided to the Judge if you consider this appropriate.
  662
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health why he withheld from the courts documents that are wanted by the legal representatives of people with haemophilia who contracted the AIDS virus in the course of National Health Service treatment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  A number of documents were withheld because the Department of Health considered that a claim for public interest immunity applied to them. This immunity cannot be waived by the Crown.

  The documents in question related to the period of office of both the previous Labour Government and the present Conservative Government.

  Public interest immunity is a principle of law that prevents the dislosure of documents on the grounds that production of those documents would be injurious to the public interest. The immunity prevents the disclosure of, for example, documents which concern the inner workings of the Government machine or policy making within Departments. In the course of his judgment in the Court of Appeal on 20 September 1990 Lord Justice Ralph Gibson said:
  "The Department of Health has raised the matter of public interest immunity so as to prevent the disclosure of [certain documents]. The Department does not do that in order to put difficulty in the way of plaintiffs, or to withhold from the Court documents which might help the plaintiffs. The Department raises the matter because it is the duty of the Department in law to do so in support of the public interest and the proper functioning of the public service, that is the executive arm of the Government…It is not for the Department but for the Court to determine whether the documents should be produced. The plaintiffs acknowledge the validity of the claim to public interest immunity but ask the Court to order production notwithstanding the existence of a valid claim to immunity. It is essential that the aspect of these proceedings should be clearly understood.
  The valid claim to immunity to be overridden by the order of the Court if the law requires that it should be overridden. The task of the Court is properly to balance the public interest in preserving the immunity on the one hand, and the public interest in the fair trial of the proceedings on the other".

  Prescription Costs
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department has considered research conducted by the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries on estimated and actual prescription costs for the elderly; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have received a copy of the ABPI briefing pamphlet "Trends in usage of prescription medicines by the elderly and the very elderly between 1977 and 1988". We agree with the general conclusion that the need for prescription medicines increases with aging population and progressively more so at the extreme end of the age spectrum. This will be reflected in the setting of indicative prescribing amounts for practices under the indicative prescribing scheme set out in "Improving Prescribing".

  X-rays
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department considered research by the Royal College of Radiologists on effects of excessive X-ray treatment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We are considering the document entitled "Patient Dose Reduction in Diagnostic Radiology" issued
  663
  by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) on 5 September 1990. This document reports the findings of the joint working party of the Royal College of Radiologists and NRPB, and makes recommendations for the reduction of radiation doses to patients. Radiologists and other professionals who work in this field have a statutory obligation to keep the dose of ionising radiation to the patient as low as reasonably practicable in order to achieve the required diagnostic purpose, and we are considering what other assistance or advice can be offered by the Department of Health.

  Special and neonatal intensive care cots, by health authority, England, 1985 to 1989–901

  Health Authority

  1985

  1986

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–902

  Northern RHA

  289

  273

  258

  260

  262

  Hartlepool

  15

  26

  15

  15

  15

  North Tees

  19

  19

  19

  19

  19

  South Tees

  28

  21

  16

  19

  20

  East Cumbria

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  South Cumbria

  12

  10

  10

  10

  10

  West Cumbria

  12

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Darlington

  14

  14

  14

  14

  13

  Durham

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  North West Durham

  8

  8

  8

  8

  8

  South West Durham

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Northumberland

  18

  18

  18

  18

  18

  Gateshead

  13

  13

  13

  13

  14

  Newcastle

  45

  45

  45

  45

  45

  North Tyneside

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  South Tyneside

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Sunderland

  41

  25

  26

  26

  26

  Yorkshire RHA

  304

  293

  290

  282

  280

  Hull

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  East Yorkshire

  15

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Grimsby

  25

  25

  25

  19

  18

  Scunthorpe

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Northallerton

  6

  6

  10

  10

  10

  York

  13

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Scarborough

  6

  8

  8

  10

  10

  Harrogate

  14

  14

  14

  14

  13

  Bradford

  36

  36

  29

  32

  32

  Airedale

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Calderdale

  18

  18

  18

  18

  18

  Huddersfield

  18

  18

  18

  18

  18

  Dewsbury

  20

  20

  20

  17

  18

  Leeds Western

  21

  16

  16

  16

  16

  Leeds Eastern

  35

  35

  35

  31

  30

  Wakefield

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Pontefract

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  Trent RHA

  341

  331

  321

  310

  302

  North Derbyshire

  22

  18

  16

  16

  16

  Southern Derbyshire

  28

  28

  24

  24

  24

  Leicestershire

  43

  43

  43

  43

  41

  North Lincolnshire

  21

  21

  20

  15

  15

  South Lincolnshire

  23

  22

  23

  23

  23

  Bassetlaw

  8

  8

  8

  8

  8

  Central Nottinghamshire

  28

  28

  28

  28

  23

  Nottingham

  49

  50

  45

  45

  45

  Barnsley

  20

  15

  13

  13

  13

  Doncaster

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  Rotherham

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  Sheffield

  61

  61

  62

  56

  55

  East Anglian RHA

  145

  135

  134

  135

  132

  Cambridge

  24

  24

  24

  25

  24

  Peterborough

  20

  20

  20

  20

  18

  West Suffolk

  12

  12

  12

  12

  12

  East Suffolk

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Norwich

  22

  22

  22

  22

  22

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  18

  16

  16

  16

  16

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  20

  12

  12

  12

  12

  Huntingdon

  8

  8

  8

  8

  8

  North West Thames RHA

  293

  297

  280

  269

  249

  Intensive Care Cots
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify the number of intensive care cots(a) in each region and (b) in each district of the last five years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 28 June 1990]: The tables showing the daily average numbers of neonatal cots which are not in a maternity unit for the period from 1985 to 1989–90 are as follows, although it should be noted that some health authorities also provide intensive care facilities within maternity units.
  665

  Health Authority

  1985

  1986

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–902

  North Bedfordshire

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  South Bedfordshire

  26

  26

  26

  26

  26

  North Hertfordshire

  20

  20

  20

  20

  13

  East Hertfordshire

  16

  16

  15

  14

  14

  North West Hertfordshire

  24

  24

  17

  18

  12

  South West Hertfordshire

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Barnet

  34

  38

  36

  26

  26

  Harrow

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  Hillingdon

  22

  22

  22

  22

  22

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  27

  27

  27

  26

  23

  Ealing

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Riverside

  21

  21

  21

  18

  15

  Parkside

  34

  35

  28

  30

  30

  North East Thames RHA

  318

  300

  295

  291

  291

  Basildon and Thurrock

  21

  21

  17

  21

  21

  Mid Essex

  21

  21

  21

  21

  21

  North East Essex

  20

  18

  18

  18

  18

  West Essex

  16

  16

  16

  16

  16

  Southend

  16

  16

  16

  16

  16

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  31

  27

  27

  27

  27

  Hampstead

  18

  16

  19

  18

  18

  Bloomsbury

  30

  31

  22

  22

  23

  Islington

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  City and Hackney

  23

  14

  21

  21

  21

  Newham

  21

  20

  20

  20

  18

  Tower Hamlets

  12

  13

  12

  12

  12

  Enfield

  20

  20

  15

  10

  10

  Haringey

  17

  16

  18

  18

  18

  Redbridge

  18

  18

  18

  18

  18

  Waltham Forest

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  South East Thames RHA

  281

  277

  279

  282

  278

  Brighton

  22

  21

  24

  24

  24

  Eastbourne

  12

  12

  12

  12

  12

  Hastings

  12

  12

  12

  12

  12

  South East Kent

  19

  18

  19

  19

  19

  Canterbury and Thanet

  22

  22

  22

  22

  22

  Dartford and Gravesham

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Maidstone

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Medway

  19

  19

  20

  20

  20

  Tunbridge Wells

  17

  17

  17

  17

  17

  Bexley

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Greenwich

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Bromley

  19

  16

  15

  15

  15

  West Lambeth

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Camberwell

  21

  21

  20

  20

  21

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  40

  40

  40

  42

  38

  South West Thames RHA

  187

  188

  185

  188

  189

  North West Surrey

  15

  15

  16

  15

  15

  West Surrey and North East Hants

  20

  20

  20

  12

  12

  South West Surrey

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Mid Surrey

  14

  14

  14

  13

  14

  East Surrey

  12

  12

  12

  12

  11

  Chichester

  10

  10

  10

  9

  10

  Mid Downs

  18

  18

  18

  20

  19

  Worthing

  11

  10

  10

  10

  9

  Croydon

  19

  20

  19

  20

  20

  Kingston and Esher

  13

  13

  13

  13

  13

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  8

  8

  8

  8

  8

  Wandsworth

  18

  19

  16

  17

  19

  Merton and Sutton

  15

  15

  16

  25

  25

  Wessex RHA

  193

  180

  179

  182

  183

  East Dorset

  28

  28

  28

  28

  28

  West Dorset

  13

  13

  14

  15

  15

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  25

  25

  25

  25

  25

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  22

  22

  22

  22

  22

  Winchester

  16

  16

  16

  16

  16

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Salisbury

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Swindon

  31

  18

  18

  18

  19

  Bath

  21

  21

  19

  21

  21

  Isle of Wight

  9

  9

  9

  9

  9

  Oxford RHA

  194

  192

  193

  193

  183

  666 667

  Health Authority

  1985

  1986

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–902

  East Berkshire

  33

  35

  35

  35

  27

  West Berkshire

  30

  30

  30

  30

  28

  Aylesbury Vale

  13

  13

  13

  13

  13

  Wycombe

  18

  16

  16

  16

  16

  Milton Keynes

  17

  20

  21

  21

  21

  Kettering

  16

  16

  16

  16

  16

  Northampton

  32

  27

  27

  27

  27

  Oxfordshire

  35

  35

  35

  35

  35

  South Western RHA

  208

  200

  198

  166

  168

  Bristol and Weston

  32

  32

  32

  32

  32

  Southmead

  32

  30

  30

  30

  30

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Exeter

  31

  31

  31

  28

  27

  North Devon

  6

  6

  7

  0

  2

  Plymouth

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  Torbay

  5

  5

  2

  0

  1

  Cheltenham

  12

  12

  12

  12

  12

  Gloucester

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Somerset

  26

  20

  20

  0

  0

  West Midlands RHA

  434

  428

  400

  402

  387

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  12

  10

  12

  12

  12

  Herefordshire

  12

  12

  12

  14

  12

  Worcester and District

  20

  20

  12

  12

  12

  Shropshire

  22

  22

  24

  22

  22

  Mid Staffordshire

  12

  12

  12

  12

  12

  North Staffordshire

  30

  30

  30

  30

  30

  South East Staffordshire

  14

  14

  14

  14

  15

  Rugby

  8

  8

  6

  8

  8

  North Warwickshire

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  South Warwickshire

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  Central Birmingham

  45

  45

  36

  36

  30

  North Birmingham

  22

  22

  22

  22

  22

  South Birmingham

  30

  26

  14

  14

  14

  West Birmingham

  25

  25

  25

  24

  23

  Coventry

  29

  29

  29

  29

  29

  Dudley

  20

  20

  20

  18

  18

  Sandwell

  14

  14

  13

  14

  14

  Solihull

  39

  39

  39

  39

  38

  Walsall

  20

  20

  20

  21

  21

  Wolverhampton

  26

  26

  26

  26

  20

  Mersey RHA

  188

  188

  178

  175

  172

  Chester

  29

  29

  23

  20

  20

  Crewe

  15

  15

  15

  15

  15

  Macclesfield

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  Warrington

  18

  18

  18

  18

  15

  Liverpool

  37

  37

  37

  37

  37

  St Helens and Knowsley

  24

  24

  20

  20

  20

  Southport and Formby

  11

  11

  11

  11

  11

  South Sefton

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Wirral

  24

  24

  24

  24

  24

  North Western RHA

  341

  328

  333

  332

  334

  Lancaster

  16

  16

  15

  16

  16

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  24

  24

  18

  18

  18

  Preston

  29

  21

  21

  20

  20

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale

  17

  17

  17

  17

  17

  West Lancashire

  9

  9

  9

  9

  9

  Bolton

  21

  21

  21

  21

  21

  Bury

  17

  17

  17

  17

  16

  North Manchester

  18

  18

  18

  18

  18

  Central Manchester

  30

  30

  43

  41

  41

  South Manchester

  29

  28

  27

  28

  28

  Oldham

  16

  16

  16

  16

  16

  Rochdale

  15

  13

  15

  15

  15

  Salford

  16

  16

  15

  15

  18

  Stockport

  22

  22

  20

  20

  20

  Tameside and Glossop

  20

  19

  19

  19

  19

  Trafford

  9

  8

  8

  8

  8

  Wigan

  14

  14

  14

  14

  14

  Special Health Authorities

  40

  40

  47

  46

  41

  Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's

  40

  40

  47

  46

  41

  England

  3,754

  3,651

  3,567

  3,513

  3,451

  668 669
  1 Figures for 1987–88 to 1989–90 are not strictly comparable with earlier figures.

  2 Provisional.

  Source:

  SH3 return (special care baby unit cots) 1985 and 1986.

  KHO3 return (neonate cots not on maternity units) 1977–88 onwards.

ENERGY

  Uranium consumption
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report details of the United Kingdom uranium consumption for each year since 1960; and if he will set alongside this the level of world uranium consumption indicating the percentage annual growth in each case, and the predicted levels to be reached by the year 2000.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 25 January 1990 col.817.

  The OECD/IAEA publication referred to in that answer has been updated this year. Forecast requirements now relate to Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear.

  British Nuclear Fuels
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish details of the expenditure on reprocessing and decommissioning undertaken by BNFL plc in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Baldry
  This is a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc.

  Nuclear Incidents
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report information supplied to his Department through the incident reporting system of the International Atomic energy Agency about nuclear incidents reported to that agency by states participating in the incident reporting system.

  Mr. Baldry
  No. The International Atomic Energy Agency gives its incident reporting system reports restricted circulation because they may not be publicly available in their country of origin.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) pursuant to his statement of 23 July,Official Report, column 39, if he will make it his policy to negotiate with Hanson Trust plc maximum values for capital and tax allowances available to the parent company, in connection with the sale of PowerGen;

  (2) what methods of advertisement to possible trade purchasers of PowerGen, other than Hanson Trust, he proposes, pursuant to his statement to the house of 23 July, Official Report, column 39.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the announcement that I made on 23 August 1990, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with the European Commission regarding the implications for European Community competition policy of the possible trade sale of PowerGen, pursuant to his statement to the House of 23 July,Official Report, column 39.
  670
  Mr. Baldry
  The European Commission was kept fully informed about the Government's proposals.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will publish details of the current location of separated plutonium arising out of reprocessing, but originating from Magnox reactors at Bradwell and Berkeley.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Magnox reactors at Bradwell and Berkeley have contributed, along with other civil nuclear installations, to the stocks of plutonium held by British Nuclear Fuels plc at Sellafield for Nuclear Electric plc and by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. All this material is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement. Details of the plutonium held at 31 March 1989 were given in the press release issued by my Department on 5 December 1989, copies of which were placed in the Library of the House. In addition, some separated plutonium from Bradwell and Berkeley was consigned to the United States before 1971 under the United States/United Kingdom mutual defence agreement. The United States authorities have confirmed subsequently that this material has been used for civil purposes.

  Radioactive Material
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of radioactive material produced at nuclear installations in the United Kingdom is not subject to the 1977 tripartite safeguards agreement between the United Kingdom, Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency in each year since 1983; and if he will publish in the Official Report details of the international export of plutonium from civil nuclear reactors in the United Kingdom to (a) European Community Countries and (b) third countries.

  Mr. Baldry
  All uranium and plutonium produced in civil nuclear installations is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the UK/Euratom/IAEA tripartite Agreement of 6 September 1976 (IAEA INFCIRC 263) at all times.

  For information on exports of civil plutonium, including the recipient countries, I refer the hon. Member to the answer in Official Report, 17 January 1989, at column 157, and to the Department's annual press releases on plutonium production, (produced since the year 1986–87), which are available in the Library of the House.

  Nuclear Power
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what funding the United Kingdom makes available to the International Atomic Energy Agency in respect of its safeguarding activities and if he will give a breakdown of that funding in each year since the United Kingdom first contributed.

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Kingdom contributes approximately five per cent. of the International Atomic
  671
  Energy Agency's general funding through an annual membership subscription. It is a matter for the IAEA to decide, subject to the approval of the board of governors, as to how much of these funds are allocated to the activities of its safeguards department. In addition to this funding, the United Kingdom provides a sum annually to send IAEA inspectors on training courses arranged in the United Kingdom.

  Gas Fields
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for energy whether any of the additional costs of taking the proposed central area transmission system pipeline to Teesside, rather than the shorter route to a landfall at St. Fergus, will be met from public funds by offsets against petroleum revenue tax, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The petroleum revenue tax liabilities and reliefs of companies participating in the proposed central area transmission system would fall to be assessed in due time by the oil taxation office in the light of the actual costs of the project and the revenues it earned. If the cost of the proposed pipeline is admissible for petroleum revenue tax relief, this would apply to a landfall at either Teesside or St. Fergus.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if there are any plans to develop the Drake, Maggie or Hawkins fields; and if he will give details;

  (2) if he has had any discussions about, or received any applications under annex B, for the development of the Maggie, Drake or Hawkins fields.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No such plans or applications have yet been received by my Department; neither has the Department had recent discussions with any of the operators concerned about possible development of the fields.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will give details of any requirement upon companies developing gas fields to recover gas condensate and of any regulations relating to this; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will give details of any guidance issued to companies developing gas fields about or relating to the recovery of gas condensate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  In considering plans for the development of gas fields on the UKCS my Department seeks to ensure that, where it is economic to do so, all hydrocarbons, including condensate liquids, will be recovered to the maximum extent that is technically achievable. Since the optimum recovery procedure differs from field to field, the Department bases its discussions with operators on specific technical studies of the individual field concerned. In addition my officials have regularly participated in conferences and specialist seminars at which general guidance has been provided to the industry on the Department's criteria for the development of reservoirs containing condensate liquids.

  Power Station, Teesside
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what involvement he has had with Northern Electric and the Neptune Group and their plans to locate a gas-fired power station in Teesside; and if he will make a statement.
  672
  Mr. Baldry
  My Department is aware of the Neptune Group's interest in constructing a 1,050 MW combined cycle gas turbine power station on Teesside. However my right hon. Friend has not yet received either an application under section 14 of the Energy Act 1976 for his agreement to use gas as the fuel in such a station or an application under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for his consent to construct the station.

  Foreign Magnox Fuel (Reprocessing)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what are the volumes of intermediate-level waste, low-level waste and high-level waste produced in the United Kingdom by the reprocessing of foreign magnox fuel that has been returned to the original owners of the fuel for each of the years from 1965 to 1990 inclusive; and what are the projected volumes to 1999;

  (2) what are the volumes of intermediate-level waste, low-level waste, and high-level waste produced in the United Kingdom by the reprocessing of foreign magnox fuel that has not been returned to the original owners of the fuel, for each of the years 1965 to 1990, inclusive; and what are the projected volumes to 1989.

  Mr. Baldry
  Since 1976 all overseas reprocessing contracts have contained options for the return of wastes arising. For the Government's policy with regard to the return of such wastes, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad) to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 2 May 1986 at columns 500–01. No waste from the reprocessing of overseas magnox fuel has yet been returned. The total projected volumes of waste from reprocessing magnox fuel irradiated at overseas power stations are:

  cubic metres

  Pre-76 contracts

  Post-76 contracts

  High-level waste

  20

  20

  Intermediate-level waste

  1,600

  1,700

  Low-level waste

  44,000

  110,000

  1Compacted.

  From 1993 all low-level waste will be compacted, thus reducing its volume.

  Neptune Project
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of the type and level of grant assistance or tax relief available for the Neptune project; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  No formal proposals for the project have been submitted to my right hon. Friend, whose approval would be required before it could proceed. Teesside, the Neptune location, has development area status, and is thus an area where regional selective assistance applies. No application for assistance has been received by the Department of Trade and Industry. It would be for that Department to determine the eligibility of the project for such assistance. The implications of any capital expenditure on the project for the tax positions of the companies concerned are a matter for the company and the Inland Revenue in each case.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have reminded my officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received concerning the home energy efficiency scheme.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department received a large number of responses to the consultation paper published earlier this year from both voluntary and commercial organisations. It also received a number of letters from interested individuals, including Members of Parliament, and my right hon. Friend the former Minister of State for Energy met the director of Neighbourhood Energy Action and representatives of relevant trade associations before details of the scheme were finalised.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps his Department will take to publicise the home energy efficiency scheme.

  Mr. Baldry
  The administering agency for the home energy efficiency scheme will agree arrangements for publicity on the scheme with my department. It is in that agency's own financial interests to ensure that take-up of the scheme fully utilises the resources available for grants.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, when he expects to be in a position to publish details of the home energy efficiency scheme.

  Mr. Baldry
  Regulations governing the operation of the home energy efficiency scheme were laid on 3 September 1990, and the award of the contract for the administration of the scheme to Neighbourhood Energy Action was announced on 1 October.

  Petrol Prices
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1978 in terms of pence per gallon the fob export and cif import price of (a) crude oil and (b) petrol together with the United Kingdom ex-refinery price of petrol, excluding tax.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The figures requested are given in the following table:
  674

  Pence per gallon

  Crude oil

  Petrol1

  Export price (fob)

  Import price (cif)

  Export price (fob)

  Import price (cif)

  United Kingdom refinery petrol price2 (premium leaded)

  1978

  20·5

  20·9

  28·2

  28·5

  32·5

  1979

  26·7

  24·8

  42·5

  45·7

  46·7

  1980

  41·9

  37·4

  55·3

  52·4

  60·8

  1981

  51·5

  48·7

  62·9

  62·1

  67·9

  1982

  54·0

  54·6

  64·0

  65·7

  67·5

  1983

  56·4

  56·9

  64·6

  68·4

  73·0

  1984

  61·2

  62·4

  66·5

  70·2

  73·7

  1985

  62·4

  63·1

  70·3

  72·5

  79·8

  1986

  29·3

  29·6

  39·8

  39·6

  49·2

  1987

  32·0

  31·9

  37·3

  41·1

  51·3

  1988

  24·5

  24·0

  32·8

  33·6

  45·5

  1989

  31·3

  30·7

  40·3

  46·5

  55·0

  1 Includes aviation spirit.

  2 Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs.

  Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price from Department of Energy statistics.

  The same information at 1989 prices is shown in the following table:

  Pence per gallon1

  Crude oil

  Petrol2

  Export price (fob)

  Import price (fob)

  Export price (fob)

  Import price (cif)

  UK refinery petrol price3 (premium leaded)

  1978

  48·5

  49·4

  66·7

  67·4

  76·8

  1979

  55·1

  51·2

  87·8

  94·4

  96·4

  1980

  72·4

  64·6

  95·6

  90·5

  105·1

  1981

  80·0

  75·6

  97·7

  96·4

  105·4

  1982

  77·9

  78·8

  92·3

  92·3

  97·4

  1983

  77·3

  78·0

  88·5

  93·7

  100·1

  1984

  80·2

  81·7

  87·1

  91·9

  96·5

  1985

  77·3

  78·2

  87·1

  89·8

  98·9

  1986

  35·1

  35·4

  47·6

  47·4

  58·9

  1987

  36·5

  36·4

  42·5

  46·8

  58·5

  1988

  26·2

  25·6

  35·0

  35·9

  48·6

  1989

  31·3

  30·7

  40·3

  46·5

  55·0

  (1) Revalued to 1989 prices using the implied deflator for gross domestic product (at market prices).

  (2) Includes aviation spirit.

  (3) Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs.

  Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price from Department of Energy statistics.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the average cif import price of a gallon of crude oil and the average fob export price of petrol for each month of 1990 to date, the corresponding United Kingdom ex-refinery price of petrol, excluding tax, and the current crude price at $25 and $30 a barrel, respectively, together with the current ex-refinery price of petrol.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The figures available, which are still provisional, are given in the table.
  675

  Pence per gallon

  1990

  Export price (fob)

  Import price (cif)

  Export price (fob)

  Import price (cif)

  United Kingdom refinery petrol price2 (premium leaded)

  January

  35·9

  34·8

  41·9

  46·7

  56·1

  February

  34·0

  35·0

  42·7

  45·6

  March

  32·4

  31·7

  42·8

  45·0

  April

  30·3

  28·8

  44·8

  48·5

  59·1

  May

  30·4

  27·6

  44·1

  46·9

  June

  27·3

  26·4

  43·8

  49·3

  July

  28·1

  26·9

  43·6

  47·2

  Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price from Department of Energy statistics.

  1 Includes aviation spirit.

  2 Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs. Data are available only quarterly.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, what information he has on petrol prices per litre in Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Spain and the United States of America(a) in December 1989, (b) at the latest available date and (c) the percentage increase since 2 August.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The petrol prices are given in the table for the countries requested(a) in December 1989, (b) at 17 September, which is the latest available date. At (c) the percentage increase since 30 July is given, as this is the nearest date prior to 2 August for which the Department of Energy has prices. Prices are in pence per litre (including tax and duty) for premium petrol, except those for the USA which are for regular unleaded.

  (a) December 1989

  (b) 17 September

  (c) Percentage increase since 30 July

  Germany

  44·1

  48·7

  15·7

  France

  53·1

  59·7

  14·3

  Holland

  51·9

  58·1

  11·8

  Italy

  68·5

  73·7

  11·1

  Spain

  43·9

  47·7

  10·1

  USA

  16·2

  17·6

  15·6

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek powers to issue an order freezing petrol prices at the level which appertained prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and direct that oil companies must justify any application for a price rise with his Department.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No. Price controls below market levels stop the market working and affect availabilities. France has now abandoned the price controls it applied in August and September which restrained prices less well than the approach the United Kingdom and other countries have followed. The hon. Member may also be aware of the Director General of Fair Trading's conclusions about price control in his report published on 28 September.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many meetings he has had with oil companies to discuss heating oil prices since 2 August;

  (2) how many meetings he has had with oil companies to discuss petrol prices since 2 August.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend and I regularly meet representatives of the oil companies and discuss a range of issues including oil product prices.
  676
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what value and quantity of oil was bought and sold by British companies on(a) the Rotterdam market and (b) long-term contracts in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Data are not available to the Department in the precise form requested. Figures are available from the major importers of crude oil into the United Kingdom showing their purchases under continuing supply agreements (i.e., long-term agreements) and other purchases. The figures, which cover a majority of crude oil imports, are shown in the table below, but are available only from 1983 onwards:

  Continuing supply agreements

  Non-continuing supply agreements

  Value US$ million

  Quantity million barrels

  Value US$ million

  Quantity million barrels

  1983

  3,268

  109

  1,171

  39

  1984

  2,251

  79

  1,350

  47

  1985

  2,122

  77

  1,812

  65

  1986

  1,740

  123

  892

  64

  1987

  2,393

  132

  1,251

  70

  1988

  2,259

  150

  720

  50

  1989

  3,333

  188

  999

  57

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the refinery input cost in terms of a gallon of crude oil at $20 and $30 a barrel.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The input costs to a refinery are the cost of the crude oil plus any delivery costs to the refinery not included in that price. Delivery costs vary greatly, depending on the distance and the method of transport (ie pipeline, barges, tanker) and the going rate for transport at that time, and are not directly related to the price of the crude oil itself.

  The Department does not collect information on delivery costs or delivered prices of crude oil.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for energy whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1978 and for the first six months of 1990 the average ex-refinery price of petrol less tax in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy as well as the current price.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Department has limited information on ex-refinery prices. The figures presented in the following table are for pump prices excluding tax for the countries and periods requested.
  677

  Petrol price less tax (pence/litre)

  West Germany

  Italy

  United Kingdom

  1978

  10·09

  8·82

  8·20

  1979

  11·51

  9·39

  11·90

  1980

  14·13

  13·56

  15·20

  1981

  16·88

  15·61

  16·50

  1982

  16·94

  17·57

  16·70

  1983

  17·76

  18·77

  18·00

  1984

  18·92

  18·96

  18·30

  1985

  19·61

  19·20

  19·70

  1986

  13·00

  12·72

  13·59

  1987

  13·18

  13·36

  13·60

  1988

  11·61

  12·48

  12·30

  1989

  13·98

  14·76

  14·70

  1990

  January

  15·46

  15·53

  15·14

  February

  14·59

  15·90

  15·08

  March

  15·04

  16·11

  15·12

  April

  14·73

  16·27

  16·02

  May

  15·38

  16·10

  15·64

  June

  14·17

  15·44

  15·54

  17 September

  20·73

  21·09

  21·69

  Oil Companies (Gifts)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what entertainment or gifts have been offered by the oil companies and accepted by civil servants in his Department in their official capacity in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Moynihan
  All gifts received by civil servants in their official capacity have to be reported and recorded. Excluding minor items of a seasonal or promotional nature, such as calendars or diaries, officials accepted, and were authorised to accept, from oil companies, one gift in 1987, two in 1988 and two in 1989. All were valued at less than £20.

  It is frequently essential to the work of the Department for officials to attend working lunches and working dinners and to attend other functions which further the work of the Department. Some of these functions can be classified as entertainment because they are cultural or sporting events. Acceptance of invitations to these must be reported to senior officers, who will consider whether the work of the Department will be forwarded and whether the invitation is appropriate. The only full year for which my Department has records of such social invitations is 1989. In that year 239 of them were received from oil companies and 114 of them accepted.

  Orimulsion Fuel
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate he has made of the impact upon Snowdonia of the burning of orimulsion fuel at power stations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I understand that PowerGen is conducting orimulsion combustion trials which aim to assess the potential of orimulsion as a fuel, including environmental effects. The trials are being conducted in consultation with Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will meet Friends of the Earth Cymru to discuss the environment in Snowdonia consequent upon the burning of orimulsion fuel at Ince power station.
  678
  Mr. Baldry
  I have had no request for a meeting from Friends of the Earth Cymru.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy concerning the burning of orimulsion fuel at Ince power station.

  Mr. Baldry
  It is an operational matter for the generating companies to decide which fuels to burn in their power stations.

  Oil Supply
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, how many days' oil supply companies are required to maintain for emergency purposes.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Orders made under the Energy Act 1976 require contingency oil stocks to be held by all companies supplying petroleum products to the United Kingdom market if their total deliveries exceed 50,000 tonnes per annum. Refiners must hold stocks equivalent to 76·5 days of their previous calendar year deliveries; non-refiners must hold 66 days.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Trade Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the increase between 1985 and May 1990 in United Kingdom production of intermediate goods for use in the United Kingdom; what was the corresponding increase in the volume of imports; and what is the implied increase in the import content of goods manufactured in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Information on the volume of imports of intermediate goods is published in the "Monthly Review of Overseas Trade Statistics" tables C9 and C14. Other information requested is not readily available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of finished capital goods whose exports have more than doubled since 1985, together with the percentage increase in imports and in United Kingdom output.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  On the basis of trade analysed in terms of the industries of which they are the principal product there are no capital goods industries whose exports have more than doubled in value since 1985.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the reasons why exports of intermediate goods have increased by less than 30 per cent. in volume since 1985; and if he will publish a list of the products for which there was no increase.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is not the policy of this Government to set targets for exports, which result from action by individual companies. In August the seasonally adjusted volume of exports of intermediate goods was 37 per cent. above the monthly average in 1985.

  Estimates are not available of the volume of trade in individual products classified as intermediate goods. Trade

  679
  in goods analysed in terms of the industries of which they are the principal products gives a rough indication of intermediate products where the volume of exports has not increased since 1985. The industries are:

  AH 3410 Insulated wires and cables

  AH 3434 Electrical equipment for motor vehicles

  AH 3470 Electric lamps and lighting equipment

  AH 3740 Watches, clocks and other timing devices

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many officials in his Department are employed in collecting and collating information and statistics concerning trade between the United Kingdom, other members of the European Economic Community and third countries, respectively; and if he envisages any change in their duties and the nature of published information from 1991 until the end of the decade.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There are some 950 officials directly engaged on overseas trade matters, and the provision of advice and information about export opportunities, in the Department's overseas trade divisions and regional offices. Approximately 17 officials in the economics, market intelligence and statistics division work with published trade statistics. At present no significant changes in their duties are envisaged.

  The collecting and collation of trade statistics is the responsibility of the Central Statistical Office and HM Customs and Excise.

  Computers
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether United Kingdom exports of computers imported from non-European Economic Community countries have to be identified as such on export to other European Economic Community countries.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No, unless individual contracts require it.

  Company Directors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to enable him to disqualify, as a director or a shareholder, any director or owner of a private company found guilty of criminal malpractice.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 already provides wide powers allowing the courts to disqualify, where appropriate, a person as director of a company and from being concerned, whether directly or indirectly, in management of a company, whether private of public.

  Meat Exports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will extend export sales guarantees to the British meat export trade with France.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  ECGD facilities for the export of British meat to France are already available, subject to ECGD's normal terms and conditions.

  Recycled Paper
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the rate of progress in using recycled paper by the paper and board industry;680
  what percentage of United Kingdom production is now manufactured from recycled materials; and what is the value of this in terms of import saving.

  Mr. Redwood
  Use of recycled fibre by United Kingdom mills has set new records in each of the past three years. It is estimated that waste paper accounted for 53 per cent. of the total fibre used in making British paper and board in 1989. The cost of importing an equivalent quantity of new pulp is estimated at around £600 million.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I am reminding my officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Beer
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his Department's monitoring of the developing structure of the beer industry consequent upon the implementation of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission proposals.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Director General of Fair Trading is monitoring compliance with the measures we have adopted following the MMC report on beer, and will be carrying out a review of their overall effectiveness after they have come fully into effect in November 1992. The director general will advise the Secretary of State if he thinks action is necessary to modify the orders before the review. In the meantime the Department maintains close contact with the Office of Fair Trading on issues that arise. The director general also has the responsibility of keeping himself informed about developments in this or any other sector which may give rise to merger situations qualifying for investigation by the MMC, and of making recommendations to the Secretary of State concerning any action that may be appropriate.

  Iraq
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many trade missions to Iraq have been sponsored by his Department for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The number of trade missions that have visited Iraq for each year since 1979 which have been sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry is as follows:

  Number

  1979–80

  1

  1980–81

  4

  1981–82

  9

  1982–83

  4

  1983–84

  5

  1984–85

  2

  1985–86

  2

  1986–87

  2

  681

  Number

  1987–88

  2

  1988–89

  2

  1989–90

  4

  1990–91

  1

  Defence Equipment
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions have been taken by his Department concerning the sale of defence and defence-related equipment to Chile and the enforcement of the end user certificates system; and what evidence he has of the sale to Chile of such equipment.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Defence and defence-related equipment for sale to Chile or elsewhere which is subject to export control under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1989 requires an export licence, for which my Department is the issuing authority.

  Each application for a licence is considered on its merits in consultation with other Departments taking into account the type of equipment, its end use and end user. It would not be appropriate to disclose the nature of the end use checks made.

  Under the EG(C)O there are penalties, enforceable through the courts, for any person who makes a false statement or provides information known to be false to obtain an export licence.

  Over the past 12 months, 96 licences have been issued for defence and defence-related equipment exports to Chile, though not all cases in which a licence was issued would have resulted in a sale.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the number of export licences that have been(a) granted and (b) refused for the sale of defence equipment and defence-related equipment for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Figures for the number of export licences(a) granted and (b) refused for the sale of defence equipment and defence-related equipment cannot be provided for the years 1979 to 1986. The figures for the years 1987 to the end of September 1990 are as follows:

  Year

  Number of export licences issued

  Refused

  1987

  16,745

  113

  1988

  16,005

  97

  1989

  13,584

  167

  11990

  10,269

  117

  1January to September

  Approximately one third of the licences issued are for small arms including personal firearms and shotguns.

  Timeshare Industry
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to regulate the timeshare industry.

  Mr. Redwood
  We are currently considering recommendations for new legislation made by the Director General of Fair Trading, Sir Gordon Borrie, in his recent report on timeshare.

  House of Fraser
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make it his policy to ask the House of Fraser to pay for the report by his Department's inspectors into that company.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. Provision for the recovery of the expenses of and incidental to Companies Act inspections is contained in section 439 of the Companies Act 1985, as amended by section 59 of the Companies Act 1989. These provisions are not applicable in the case of House of Fraser Holdings plc.

  Reverse Charge Calls
  Sir Alan Glyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss with the chairman of British Telecom methods of blocking reverse charge calls from overseas so that they are not debited to the renter of private call boxes.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  This is a matter for the Director General of Telecommunications to consider. My hon. Friend may wish to write to the director general with details of any problems of which he is aware that have arisen in this area.

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

  Mr. Redwood
  [pursuant to the reply by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr Forth), 20 July 1990, c. 753–54]: Information is available only in respect of exports since 1 January 1989. Exports were 37,044 tonnes in 1989, valued at £32·278 million. Exports for the first five months of 1990 were 17,811 tonnes valued at £18·309 million. Further small quantities may have been exported in mixtures with other chemicals but these cannot be identified. My right hon. Friend has made no estimate of exports in 1991 or 1992.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Agencies
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what changes in accountability have taken place in the relationship between agencies and non-departmental public bodies in those instances where an agency has replaced the Department as the sponsoring body.

  Mr. Mellor
  The position on ministerial accountability to Parliament remains unchanged: Ministers remain accountable to Parliament for non-departmental public bodies which are sponsored by an agency.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the criteria used to decide whether a unit of central Government is suitable for agency status under the "next steps" programme.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Prime
  683
  Minister on 18 February 1988 at col. 1149. There are currently 34 Next Steps agencies, and the identification of further candidates among the executive functions of Government will continue.

  Recruitment (Salaries)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list(a) those Departments offering above the adult minimum starting salaries to executive officer recruits, (b) the numbers involved in each Department, (c) the spine point that is offered in each case and (d) whether in (i) London and the south-east or (ii) elsewhere.

  Mr. Mellor
  The required information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DEFENCE

  Mid-air Collision, Northumberland
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the report to be published on the inquiry into the mid-air collision between two Royal Air Force jets near Riding hill in Northumberland on 9 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The military aircraft accident summary was published on 9 October.

  Military Lands Acts (Byelaws)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of any new byelaws that he makes under the Military Lands Acts 1892.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My officials are aware of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Greenham and Crookham Commons
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current situation regarding rights of common at Greenham and Crookham commons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  An application has recently been made for a judicial review of the decision to extinguish the rights of common over our land at Greenham and Crookham commons. In the circumstances, we do not intend to proceed with the extinguishment process until the outcome of this application, and any subsequent judicial review, is known.

  Middle East
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the projected costs of the deployment of troops in the middle east, arising out of Iraq's invasion of 684
  Kuwait and associated costs (a) to the present time and (b) to the end of the financial year, assuming that full-scale war has not taken place or an early resolution of the dispute has been reached; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The full costs to date of the operation in the middle east, arising out of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, including commitments for equipment purchases, is estimated to be £300 million. On the assumption that the operation continues at the present level, without hostilities, the full cost to the end of the financial year is expected to exceed £600 million.

  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he has made to inform British service men serving in the current operations in the Gulf of the circumstances in which they will be exempt from paying poll tax.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Information about the community charge has already been made known to all members of the armed forces and covers the circumstances under which they may apply for deregistration. Individuals should therefore, have sufficient information to enable them to make appropriate arrangements, although they can seek advice on specific points from administration officers at the main locations and on board ships. The guidance will, however, be repeated in financial instructions being produced for Army units and personnel who may deploy in future.

  Morocco
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military information was made available to Prince Mohammed when he visited Britain as a guest of the Government in June.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A range of matters of mutual defence interest were discussed during the visit by Crown Prince Mohammed of Morocco to the United Kingdom in June this year.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give any details of British Government military trade with Morocco including present uncompleted contracts.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It has been the policy of this and previous Administrations not to comment on matters of this kind.

  North Sea (Submarines)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what statements have been made by officers of his Department about submarine activity in the North sea on 4 October at the time of an incident involving the fishing vessel Moray Adventurer.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Statements were made both to Her Majesty's Coastguard and to the media that no Royal Navy or NATO submarine was operating in the vicinity of the Moray Adventurer at the time of the incident.

  South-east Asia
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which Governments and forces in south-east Asia military training assistance has been supplied by Her Majesty's Government over the past 12 months.
  685
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In the 12 months to 1 October 1990, the following countries in south-east Asia have received assistance in the form of military training courses in the United Kingdom or training from British service personnel overseas:

  Brunei

  Indonesia

  Malaysia

  Philippines

  Singapore

  Thailand

  Details about training provided are generally confidential between Her Majesty's Government and the Government concerned.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Schools
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the estimated cost per pupil for each of the grammar schools in each education and library board's area for the last five years;

  (2) what is the average cost per pupil in each of the maintained schools in each of the education and library board areas in Northern Ireland over the last five years;

  (3) what is the annual cost per pupil in each of the secondary schools in each education and library board's area over the last five years in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  School year

  Education and Library Board Area

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  Belfast

  Ashleigh House

  1,170

  1,374

  —

  —

  —

  Belfast Royal Academy

  1,269

  1,363

  1,534

  1,593

  1,767

  Bloomfield Collegiate

  1,200

  1,314

  1,392

  1,398

  1,541

  Campbell College

  1,897

  1,958

  2,102

  2,077

  1,962

  Dominican College

  1,175

  1,294

  1,473

  1,509

  1,594

  Hunterhouse College

  —

  —

  1,492

  1,585

  1,894

  Methodist College

  1,268

  1,374

  1,481

  1,659

  1,718

  Princess Gardens

  1,187

  1,278

  —

  —

  —

  Rathmore Grammar

  1,120

  1,279

  1,354

  1,398

  1,529

  Royal Belfast Academical Institution

  1,336

  1,467

  1,568

  1,674

  1,858

  Richmond Lodge

  1,173

  1,431

  —

  —

  —

  St. Dominic's High

  1,170

  1,361

  1,526

  1,628

  1,794

  St. Malachy's College

  1,139

  1,323

  1,510

  1,626

  1,803

  St. Mary's Christian Brothers

  1,177

  1,305

  1,416

  1,527

  1,696

  Strathearn

  1,296

  1,300

  1,359

  1,445

  1,546

  Victoria College

  1,300

  1,481

  1,706

  1,736

  1,968

  North-Eastern

  Ballymena Academy

  1,098

  1,204

  1,359

  1,450

  1,624

  Ballymena, St. Louis

  1,020

  1,148

  1,333

  1,388

  1,448

  Ballymoney, Dalriada

  1,155

  1,301

  1,415

  1,528

  1,692

  Belfast High School

  1,157

  1,285

  1,453

  1,586

  1,822

  Coleraine Academical Institution

  1,154

  1,336

  1,501

  1,606

  1,885

  Coleraine Loreto Convent

  1,072

  1,257

  1,406

  1,533

  1,632

  Garron Tower, St. Macnissi's

  1,148

  1,241

  1,325

  1,456

  1,640

  Larne Grammar School

  1,117

  1,330

  1,503

  1,628

  1,835

  Magherafelt, Rainey Endowed

  1,189

  1,371

  1,587

  1,653

  1,744

  Magherafelt, St. Mary's

  1,016

  1,185

  1,266

  1,449

  1,513

  Portstewart, Dominican

  1,258

  1,386

  1,639

  1,791

  1,805

  Whitehead High

  1,111

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South-Eastern

  Ballynahinch, Assumption

  1,060

  1,243

  1,397

  1,486

  1,583

  686
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many grade 2 pupils were denied grammar schools places in each of the education and library board areas in Northern Ireland in 1990.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information in the form requested is not readily available. In this year's transfer procedure tests 2,789 pupils were awarded grade 2 of whom 2,008 have been admitted to grammar schools. This includes pupils awarded places as a result of directions given by appeal tribunals. Not all pupils with a grade 2 applied for admission to grammar schools.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many grade 3 and 4 pupils, including preparatory department pupils, were accepted into grammar schools in each of the education and library board areas in 1990.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows:

  Grade 3

  Grade 4

  Belfast

  109

  34

  Western

  17

  1

  North-Eastern

  152

  4

  South-Eastern

  28

  3

  Southern

  105

  43

  These figures include pupils who were awarded places as a result of directions given by appeal tribunals.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average cost per pupil in each of the voluntary grammar schools in each education and library board's area in Northern Ireland for each of the last five years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows:
  687

  School year

  Education and Library Board Area

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  Bangor Grammar

  1,122

  1,236

  1,344

  1,418

  1,620

  Belfast, Our Lady and St. Patrick's

  1·123

  1,317

  1,417

  1,553

  1,613

  Downpatrick, St. Patrick's

  1,078

  1,234

  1,259

  1,359

  1,440

  Holywood, Sullivan Upper

  1,088

  1,156

  1,291

  1,395

  1,534

  Lisburn, Friends

  1,142

  1,268

  1,396

  1,511

  1,643

  Lisburn, Wallace

  1,072

  1,181

  1,301

  1,455

  1,522

  Southern

  Armagh, Christian Brothers

  1,142

  1,298

  1,591

  —

  —

  Armagh Royal

  1,366

  1,559

  1,712

  1,889

  1,973

  Armagh, St. Patrick's College

  1,256

  1,414

  1,653

  —

  —

  Armagh, St. Patrick's Grammar

  —

  —

  —

  1,540

  1,797

  Donaghmore, St. Joseph's

  1,210

  1,335

  1,450

  1,693

  1,819

  Dungannon Royal

  1,358

  1,600

  1,809

  1,849

  1,905

  Dungannon, St. Patrick's Boys'

  947

  1,061

  1,170

  1,296

  1,533

  Dungannon, St. Patrick's Girls'

  1,017

  1,132

  1,186

  1,275

  1,345

  Kilkeel, St. Louis High

  1,180

  1,394

  1,713

  2,017

  2,287

  Lurgan, St. Michael's Senior

  1,339

  1,533

  1,701

  1,965

  2,118

  Newry, Christian Brothers

  1·070

  1·203

  1·281

  1,386

  1,581

  Newry, Our Lady's Grammar

  917

  1,036

  1,146

  1,254

  1,390

  Newry, Sacred Heart

  1,032

  1,146

  1,304

  1,307

  1,446

  Newry, St. Colman's

  1,021

  1,095

  1,212

  1,353

  1,455

  Western

  Enniskillen Convent

  1,037

  1,154

  1,256

  1,347

  1,455

  Enniskillen, Portora

  1,440

  1,721

  1,876

  2,048

  2,287

  Enniskillen, St. Michael's

  1,022

  1,148

  1,310

  1,440

  1,556

  Londonderry, Foyle and Londonderry College

  1,221

  1,313

  1,421

  1,514

  1,656

  Londonderry, St. Columba's

  1,001

  1,116

  1,270

  1,423

  1,552

  Londonderry, Thornhill

  1,074

  1,220

  1,343

  1,395

  1,588

  Omagh, Christian Brothers

  1,040

  1,162

  1,267

  1,380

  1,525

  Omagh, Loreto Convent

  1,095

  1,191

  1,336

  1,321

  1,437

  Strabane Convent

  1,016

  1,164

  1,336

  1,463

  1,595

  Notes:

  1. The figures exclude preparatory departments.

  2. Whitehead High closed in August 1986.

  3. Armagh Royal amalgamated with Armagh Girls' High School (a controlled grammar school) to become a co-educational voluntary grammar school with effect from the 1986–87 school year.

  4. Dungannon Royal amalgamated with Dungannon Girls' High School (a controlled grammar school) to become a co-educational voluntary grammar school with effect from the 1986–87 school year.

  5. Princess Gardens and Ashleigh House amalgamated to become Hunterhouse College with effect from the 1987–88 school year.

  6. Victoria College and Richmond Lodge amalgamated to become Victoria College with effect from 1987–88 school year.

  7. Armagh Christian Brothers and St. Patrick's College, Armagh amalgamated to become St. Patrick's Grammar, Armagh with effect from the 1988–89 school year.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils there are in each primary and secondary school in the constituency of Newry and Armagh in the new academic year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Latest available information is for the 1989–90 academic year and is as follows:

  Primary schools

  Enrolment (at January 1990)

  Aghavilly, Armagh

  83

  Ahorey, Craigavon

  31

  Anamar, Newry

  84

  Annaghmore, Craigavon

  86

  Armagh Christian Bros, Armagh

  462

  Armstrong, Armagh

  429

  Bessbrook, Newry

  128

  Cabra, Craigavon

  34

  Carrickrovaddy, Newry

  35

  Clare, Craigavon

  71

  Clay, Keady

  71

  Clonalig, Newry

  171

  Cloughoge, Newry

  353

  Collegeland, Dungannon

  39

  Collone, Armagh

  140

  The Cope, Armagh

  93

  Corttamlet, Newry

  37

  Darkely, Armagh

  93

  688

  Primary schools

  Enrolment (at January 1990)

  Derryhale, Craigavon

  89

  Drelincourt Infants, Armagh

  45

  Dromintee, Newry

  144

  Drumhillery, Armagh

  89

  Drumsallen, Armagh

  48

  Foley, Armagh

  96

  Glassdrummond, Armagh

  75

  Hamiltonsbawn, Armagh

  100

  Hardy Memorial, Richhill, Armagh

  501

  Jonesborough, Newry

  148

  Keady, Armagh

  59

  Killeen, Newry

  99

  Killylea, Armagh

  84

  Kingsmills, Armagh

  33

  Kinnego, Dungannon

  26

  Lisdrumchor, Armagh

  29

  Lislea, Armagh

  5

  Lisnadill, Armagh

  57

  Lissummon, Newry

  55

  Loughgall, Armagh

  51

  Markethill, Armagh

  241

  Middletown Boys', Armagh

  51

  Mount St. Catherine's Convent, Armagh

  487

  Mountnorris, Armagh

  89

  Mullaghglass, Newry

  71

  Mullavilly, Craigavon

  61

  689

  Primary schools

  Enrolment (at January 1990)

  Newry Model, Newry

  39

  Newtownhamilton, Newry

  125

  Our Lady's, Keady, Armagh

  45

  Poyntzpass, Newry

  64

  St. Brigid's, Crossmaglen

  133

  St. Brigid's, Belleeks, Newry

  89

  St. Clare's Convent, Keady

  266

  St. Clare's Convent, Newry

  682

  St. Colman's Abbey, Newry

  764

  St. Colmcille's, Armagh

  28

  St. James', Armagh

  44

  St. James', Craigavon

  73

  St. Jarlath's, Dungannon

  169

  St. Joseph's, Armagh

  126

  St. Joseph's, Bessbrook, Newry

  386

  St. Joseph's, Killeavy, Newry

  188

  St. Joseph's, Poyntzpass, Newry

  90

  St. Joseph's Convent, Newry

  436

  St. Lawrence's, Newry

  57

  St. Louis' Convent, Armagh

  46

  St. Malachy's, Whitecross, Armagh

  83

  St. Malachy's Boys', Armagh

  193

  St. Malachy's, Camlough, Newry

  299

  St. Malachy's, Newry

  449

  St. Mary's Boys', Keady, Armagh

  252

  St. Mary's (Barr), Newry

  53

  St. Mary's, Tassagh, Armagh

  63

  St. Mary's, Newry

  235

  St. Michael's, Mowhan, Armagh

  39

  St. Michael's, Newry

  102

  St. Mochua's Armagh

  91

  St. Oliver Plunkett, Kilmore, Armagh

  102

  St. Oliver Plunkett, Newry

  79

  St. Patrick's, Armagh

  522

  St. Patrick's, Crossmaglen, Newry

  311

  St. Patrick's Cullyhanna, Newry

  285

  St. Patrick's Boys', Newry

  388

  St. Peter's, Newry

  280

  Salters Grange, Armagh

  14

  Tandragee, Craigavon

  344

  Tullyheron, Armagh

  51

  Tullymore, Armagh

  68

  Tullyroan, Dungannon

  39

  Tullysaran, Armagh

  69

  Tynan, Armagh

  21

  Windsor Hill, Newry

  217

  Secondary schools

  Armagh Secondary, Armagh

  619

  Armagh Royal, Armagh

  547

  Christian Brothers', Abbey, Newry

  683

  Markethill Junior High, Armagh

  412

  Newry High, Newry

  571

  Newtownhamilton, Newry

  89

  Our Lady's Girls' Grammar, Newry

  770

  Sacred Heart Girls' Grammar, Newry

  813

  St. Brigid's Boys', Armagh

  322

  St. Catherine's College, Armagh

  852

  St. Colman's College, Newry

  775

  St. Joseph's, Crossmaglen

  536

  St. Joseph's, Newry

  516

  St. Mary's, Newry

  542

  St. Patrick's Grammar, Armagh

  704

  St. Patrick's High, Keady, Armagh

  828

  St. Paul's, Bessbrook, Newry

  1,244

  Tandragee Junior High, Craigavon

  281

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils there are at each primary and secondary school in the constituency of Strangford in the new academic year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Latest available information is for the 1989–90 academic year and is as follows:
  690

  Enrolment (at January 1990)

  Primary schools

  Abbey, Newtownards

  221

  Alexander Dickson, Newtownards

  178

  Andrews Memorial, Comber

  511

  Ballykeigle, Comber

  57

  Ballyvester, Donaghadee

  78

  Ballywalter, Newtownards

  144

  Belvoir, Belfast

  303

  Braniel, Belfast

  341

  Cairnshill, Newtownbreda

  353

  Carrickmannon, Ballygowan

  74

  Carrowdore, Newtownards

  151

  Castle Gardens, Newtownards

  564

  Comber, Newtownards

  468

  Cottown, Bangor

  41

  Donaghadee, Donaghadee

  352

  Greyabbey, Newtownards

  63

  Killinchy, Comber

  225

  Kircubbin, Newtownards

  51

  Kirkistown, Cloughey

  51

  Leadhill, Belfast

  181

  Londonderry Model, Newtownards

  274

  Loughries, Newtownards

  74

  Millisle, Newtownards

  209

  Moneyrea, Newtownards

  133

  Newtownards Model, Newtownards

  361

  Newtownbreda, Belfast

  219

  O'Neill Memorial, Belfast

  49

  Portaferry, Newtownards

  51

  Portavogie, Newtownards

  181

  St. Anne's, Donaghadee

  47

  St. Finian's, Newtownards

  234

  St. Mary's, Ballygowan

  60

  St. Mary's, Comber

  30

  St. Mary's, Kircubbin

  220

  St. Mary's, Portaferry

  343

  St. Patrick's, Portaferry

  72

  Victoria, Newtownards

  681

  Victoria, Ballyhalbert

  94

  West Winds, Newtownards

  231

  Secondary schools

  Comber, Newtownards

  570

  Donaghadee, Donaghadee

  322

  Glastry, Newtownards

  475

  Lagan College, Belfast

  585

  Movilla, Newtownards

  631

  Regent House, Newtownards

  1,638

  Scrabo, Newtownards

  445

  St. Columba's, Portaferry

  403

  Strangford Lough
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what way the residents around and users of Strangford Lough are involved in its management; what proposals he has to increase local participation in the management of the lough; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The management of the lands around Strangford Lough is in the hands of individual owners and occupiers. Where the lands comprise or contain foreshore designated as Strangford Lough area of special scientific interest co-operation between the owners and occupiers and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is required. The users of the lough can make their views on or proposals for the management of the lough known to the relevant Government Department (Department of the Environment or Department of Agriculture) at any time, either individually or through one of the bodies which represent various interests.
  691
  The Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside will advise the Department of the Environment regarding management structures.

  The Department will consult widely during the formulation stage of management plans for Strangford Lough in the context of the proposed marine nature reserve.

  Roads
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when road traffic conditions on the main Belfast/Ballygowan road in the vicinity of Ryan Park in the borough of Castlereagh were last examined; and what proposals he has to improve road safety at this location.

  Mr. Needham
  Traffic conditions were last examined in June this year.

  It is planned to provide a double line along the centre of the road to deter excess speed and overtaking and to enhance road safety.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for road improvement schemes in the next 12 months in the locality of Donaghadee and district.

  Mr. Needham
  The only road improvement scheme planned in the next 12 months is a sight-line improvement at the junction of the Windmill road and Killaughy road, Donaghadee.

  Drainage Costs
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with regard to the recovery of costs from developers of off-site drainage work where building developments have taken place.

  Mr. Needham
  The Planning and Building Regulations (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990, which came into operation on 24 September 1990 contains, inter alia, provision for the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland to enter into agreements with developers to recoup the cost of off-site infrastructure improvement works.

  The Department is currently considering with the Department of Agriculture how best to administer these agreements in relation to off-site drainage works.

  European Community
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the whole of Northern Ireland will qualify under the new European Community Interreg initiative.

  Mr. Cope
  The whole of Northern Ireland will qualify, apart from the city of Belfast.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what way he has brought to the attention of the public in Northern Ireland the eligible measures under the European Community Interreg initiative; what is the closing date for the submission of proposals to the Government; what is the closing date for submission of proposals to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.
  692
  Mr. Cope
  Officials from the Department of Finance and Personnel wrote to a large number of local bodies and organisations in Northern Ireland in August and September advising them about the Interreg initiative enclosing a set of guidelines on the Initiative issued by the Commission. Recipients were asked to forward preliminary proposals for consideration. A number of presentations, to which local bodies and organisations were invited, are taking place during this month to explain the initiative further and answer any queries. In addition, a conference, organised jointly by the Belfast and Dublin European Commission Offices, will be held in November at which interested parties, north and south of the border, can obtain further information and put forward their ideas.

  The Government wrote to ask local bodies and organisations in September to put forward their preliminary ideas by the middle of this month in order that work can proceed in preparing a Northern Ireland/ Republic of Ireland submission detailing the aims, objectives and measures of a joint programme for submission to the European Commission by the due date. That date is at the end of February 1991—six months from the date of publication of the European Commission guidelines on the initiative. However, it should be noted, that provided projects fall within the scope of the measures under the programme they can be submitted and considered at any time during its lifetime, that is, to the end of 1993.

  Louis Robinson
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for a judicial inquiry into the events prior to and at the time of the IRA ambush and murder of Louis Robinson of the Royal Ulster Constabulary on the border with the Republic of Ireland on 15 and 16 September; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  No. The murder of Detective Constable Louis Robinson is already the subject of a full RUC investigation.

  Ministerial Responsibilities
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which Minister will now carry out the duties allocated to the hon. Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) in the last Cabinet Office document intituled, "A List of Ministerial Responsibilities."

  Mr. Brooke
  [pursuant to his reply of 26 July 1990, Official Report, col 570]: After further consideration, there have been some minor adjustments to the allocation of responsibilities given in my answer of 26 July.

  The main differences are that my hon. Friend the Member for Wiltshire, North (Mr. Needham) will now take responsibility for water and transport while my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) will take over responsibility for works service and the public record office. I will retain responsibility for decisions relating to certain planning applications.

  Industrial Development Board
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs were created by the Industrial Development Board in each district council area in Northern Ireland in each of the years from 1 April 1985 to 31 March 1990.

  Mr. Needham
  Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names of the companies assisted by the Industrial Development Board who located factories in each of the district council areas in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1985 to 31 March 1990.

  Mr. Needham
  The following table shows, by district council area, those new inward investment projects for which letters of offer were accepted in the period from 1 April 1985 to 31 March 1990:

  1985–86

  Ards borough council

  Down Linen Yarns Ltd.

  Ballymena borough council

  Smart (UK) Ltd.

  Belfast city council

  De La Rue (Smurfit) Ltd.

  Carrickfergus borough council

  Multi Food Machinery

  Craigavon borough council

  Norish (NI) Ltd.

  North Down borough council

  Samson Yarns Ltd.

  1986–87

  Antrim borough council

  Swaddlers (Europe)Ltd.

  Camella Foods Ltd.

  Ards borough council

  Tensator (NI) Ltd.

  Belfast city council

  ICS Computing Ltd.

  Craigavon borough council

  United Meat Packers (NI) Ltd.

  Newtownabbey borough council

  Canyon Europe Ltd.

  1987–88

  Antrim borough council

  Neotech Industries Europe Ltd.

  Group Publishing Co. Ltd.

  Ballymena district council

  Mastercut Foods Ltd.

  Belfast city council

  Capita (NI) Ltd.

  Crosspharma Ltd.

  Craigavon borough council

  Henry Denny & Sons (NI) Ltd.

  Larne borough council

  Stern Fenster UPVC Ltd.

  Newry and Mourne district council

  ETI Ltd.

  Newtownabbey borough council

  McDonnell Douglas Information Systems Ltd.

  1988–89

  Antrim borough council

  Daewoo Electronics Ltd.

  Belfast city council

  Science Typographers International Ltd.

  MSS International Ltd.

  Carrickfergus borough council

  Kalon Group PLC

  Down district council

  International Leathers Ltd.

  Gross Domestic Fixed Capital Formation in Scotland for selected industries1, 2

  £ millions current prices

  Year

  Agriculture, forestry and fishing

  Energy and water supply

  Manufacturing

  Transport 3 and communication

  Private dwellings

  Public dwellings

  Total of industries shown

  1974

  90

  226

  309

  4

  5156

  214

  4

  1979

  171

  620

  561

  258

  5401

  288

  52,299

  1980

  194

  859

  645

  244

  399

  309

  2,650

  1981

  189

  838

  586

  247

  412

  298

  2,569

  1982

  204

  813

  541

  251

  469

  325

  2,603

  1983

  222

  756

  470

  297

  501

  385

  2,631

  1984

  238

  664

  597

  376

  616

  376

  2,865

  1985

  237

  618

  861

  415

  663

  339

  3,133

  1986

  233

  554

  788

  392

  742

  389

  3,099

  1987

  230

  456

  738

  403

  762

  454

  3,043

  694

  Limavady borough council

  Hueco Lightronic (NI) Ltd.

  Lisburn borough council

  Montupet (UK) Ltd./Willace (UK) Ltd.

  Newtownabbey borough council

  BS Toolings Ltd.

  1989–90

  Antrim borough council

  Du Pont (UK) Ltd.

  Belfast city council

  Harris Laboratories Ltd.

  Printapack (NI) Ltd.

  British Telecommunications PLC GB

  Carrickfergus borough council

  Ryobi Aluminium Casting (UK) Ltd.

  Castlereagh borough council

  Barney (UK) Ltd.

  Craigavon borough council

  British Telecommunications PLC GB

  DDL Electronics Ltd.

  Derry city council

  British Telecommunications PLC Sigro (UK) Ltd.

  Fruit of the Loom Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

  Dungannon district council

  Viper International

  Newtownabbey borough council

  Circaprint (NI) Ltd.

SCOTLAND

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary for Scotland what was the incidence of calling in of fishing vessels for(a) June 1989 and (b) June in the current year, by length band.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 24 July.

  Capital Expenditure
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will published the capital expenditure in Scotland on(a) vehicles, ships and aircraft, (b) plants and machinery, (c) private dwellings, (d) public dwellings and (e) other new buildings and works for the year 1974 and for every year since 1979, at 1985 prices.

  Mr. Lang
  The table gives the total gross domestic fixed capital formation GDFCF in Scotland in current prices for selected industries and dwellings for each of the years for which the information is requested. Estimates for other industries are not available. Estimates of GDFCF in private and public dwellings are given, but further analysis by asset type could be provided only at disproportionate cost. There are no separate Scottish deflators from which to construct constant price estimates.
  695
  Source: Central Statistical Office

  Note:

  1 Leased assets are excluded

  2 All figures exclude investment in land and existing buildings

  3 Sea and air transport are excluded from the transport and communication estimates

  4 This figure is not available

  5 The 1974 and 1979 estimates for private dwellings are not strictly comparable with estimates for later years.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage collection rate for each local authority for the poll tax(a) in 1989 and (b) in 1990; what was the shortfall in revenue in 1989 in each case; and by how much poll tax rates would have to be increased to compensate for the loss of revenue from non-payment.

  Mr. Lang
  The collection of community charges is the responsibility of individual local authorities and the information requested is not held centrally. I understand that in respect of 1989–90 most levying authorities now expect to collect 90 per cent. or more of the total billed revenue from the community charge, which is over 95 per cent. of their budget estimates. Final collection figures will not be known until local authorities have completed their recovery procedures, which may not be for some time. I understand also that collection for 1990–91 is proceeding generally at a similar rate to last year. It is not possible to estimate the effect of community charge non-payment upon future community charge levels. Any shortfall on budgeted revenue is unlikely to be more than 1 per cent. of local authorities' overall income, and may be less. We have made it clear that local authorities faced with such a shortfall should be able to adjust their expenditure, for example by making efficiency savings, without materially affecting services and that the shortfall should not be seen as a pretext for increasing charges.

  Drift Nets
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many English fishing vessels have been prosecuted for carrying drift nets in Scottish waters.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There have been no prosecutions of English vessels for carriage of drift nets in any of the past four years.

  Output
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the annual index of(a) gross domestic product (output) and (b) manufacturing output for Scotland in each year from 1970 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Year

  Production output (1985=100)

  Construction output (1985=100)

  Industrial production and construction (1985=100)

  Manufacturing output (1985=100)

  1970

  95·3

  117·0

  99·8

  101·5

  1971

  94·2

  114·1

  98·4

  99·5

  1972

  96·2

  118·8

  100·9

  101·7

  1973

  104·5

  126·8

  109·2

  109·8

  1974

  103·4

  113·9

  105·6

  109·1

  1975

  99·8

  118·9

  103·9

  104·2

  1976

  100·1

  115·6

  103·4

  104·1

  1977

  99·9

  120·3

  104·2

  103·4

  1978

  100·6

  119·9

  104·7

  103·5

  1979

  101·2

  113·8

  103·9

  103·3

  1980

  95·1

  107·5

  97·7

  96·4

  1981

  93·1

  93·6

  93·1

  93·8

  1982

  93·6

  96·4

  94·1

  94·5

  696
  Mr. Rifkind
  The table gives the latest figures for gross domestic product (output) and manufacturing output. These figures are at constant prices and indexed to
  1985= 100.

  Year

  Gross Domestic Product (output) (1985=100)

  Manufacturing Output (1985=100)

  1970

  80·1

  101·5

  1971

  81·0

  99·4

  1972

  83·9

  101·7

  1973

  90·0

  109·8

  1974

  89·8

  109·1

  1975

  88·5

  104·2

  1976

  90·1

  104·1

  1977

  91·7

  103·4

  1978

  93·9

  103·5

  1979

  94·8

  103·3

  1980

  93·0

  96·4

  1981

  91·7

  93·8

  1982

  93·1

  94·5

  1983

  94·4

  93·5

  1984

  97·5

  97·8

  1985

  100·0

  100·0

  1986

  100·4

  97·9

  1987

  103·5

  100·8

  1988

  108·7

  108·6

  1989

  n/a

  113·6

  Souce: Industry Department for Scotland.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the annual index of(a) total industrial production and construction and (b) manufacturing industry for Scotland in each year from 1970 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The information requested is set out in the table. This gives output figures, at constant prices, indexed to 1985 =100, for production, construction, production and construction, and manufacturing.
  697

  Year

  Production output (1985=100)

  Construction output (1985=100)

  Industrial production and construction (1985=100)

  Manufacturing output (1985=100)

  1983

  93·3

  98·6

  94·4

  93·5

  1984

  97·2

  98·2

  97·4

  97·8

  1985

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  1986

  97·8

  98·4

  97·9

  97·9

  1987

  99·7

  96·3

  99·0

  100·8

  1988

  107·1

  101·9

  106·1

  108·6

  1989

  111·3

  101·5

  109·4

  113·6

  Source: Index of Industrial Production for Scotland.

  Fishery Enforcement Officers
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secrertary of State for Scotland how many enforcement officers from his Department are permanently stationed in each Scottish fishing port; and where none are resident, how many landing days per annum are supervised by his officials.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland has 59 permanent staff based at 20 coastal offices. The normal deployment of these staff is shown in the table.

  Port

  Number of staff

  South East area

  Eyemouth

  4

  Pittenweem

  2

  Arbroath

  2

  Eastern area

  Aberdeen

  5

  North Eastern area

  Peterhead

  8

  Moray Firth area

  Fraserburgh

  5

  Macduff

  1

  Buckie

  2

  Lossiemouth

  1

  Northern area

  Wick

  2

  Lerwick

  4

  Scrabster

  1

  North Western area

  Kinlochbervie

  3

  Lochinver

  2

  Stornoway

  2

  Ullapool

  4

  Mallaig

  3

  South Western area

  Oban

  1

  Campbeltown

  2

  Ayr

  5

  Total

  59

  No records are maintained of the frequency of inspections at other ports, but they are visited regularly having regard to the level of fishing activity in each area.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what checks are made by his officials to see that fish listed as caught in a specified area were actually caught there.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Log books are examined each time a fishing vessel lands a catch or is boarded at sea.
  698
  Confirmation of the reported areas of fishing activity is sought by comparing the log book entries with surveillance data provided by fishery protection vessels and aircraft.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the gross domestic fixed capital formation for manufacturing industry in Scotland in real terms in each year since 1970.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The information is not available in the form requested. The table gives the gross domestic fixed capital formation at current prices from 1971 to 1987.

  Gross domestic fixed capital formation in manufacturing industry in Scotland.

  Year

  Gross domestic fixed capital formation in (£million)

  1971

  176

  1972

  182

  1973

  233

  1974

  309

  1975

  421

  1976

  468

  1977

  491

  1978

  523

  1979

  561

  1980

  645

  1981

  586

  1982

  541

  1983

  470

  1984

  597

  1985

  861

  1986

  788

  1987

  738

  Source: Central Statistical Office.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the annual index of gross domestic capital formation at factor cost in manufacturing industry in Scotland in each year from 1970 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

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

  Fish Quotas
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of prosecutions for fish caught over quota by Scottish fishing boats in(a) 1988, (b) 1989 and (c) 1990 to date.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of successful prosecutions for breach of quotas by Scottish vessels is set out in the table.
  699

  1988—three cases

  1989—Nil

  1990—Nil to date; four cases are pending.

  A1
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library all the data on which he bases his figures and projections for traffic flows on the A1 road.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The projections for future traffic on the A1 formed part of the work carried out by the consultants commissioned to undertake the Scottish Development Department's major "Routes South of Edinburgh" trunk road study. It is not our practice to place copies of detailed technical reports on road studies in the Library. I did however lodge copies of the consultation document in the Library, together with a series of short technical papers which provide further details on specific aspects of the study.

  Hospital Casualty Services, East Lothian
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the provision of hospital casualty services in East Lothian following his announcement on 6 September about the Lothian health board's proposal to close the unit at Roodlands hospital in Haddington.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Lothian health board is currently developing, in consultation with general practitioners in Haddington and relevant nursing staff, the proposals for a minor casualty service at Roodlands hospital.

  College Students
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the reduction in the numbers of students attending colleges of education in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The numbers of full-time students attending colleges of education in Scotland have risen from 4,300 in 1984–85 to 5,150 in 1989–90, a rise of 20 per cent. Student rolls in the colleges are expected to increase further in the years ahead as the demand for newly trained teachers expands.

  University Students
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the reduction in the numbers of Scottish students gaining entry to Scottish universities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information on the numbers of Scottish students entering Scottish universities was published by the Scottish Education Department in its statistical bulletin "University Students (No 10/H1/1990)" which is available in the Library. I am pleased to say that the numbers of Scottish undergraduates in full-time higher education rose from 53,400 in 1980–81 to 60,300 in 1988–89, a rise of 13 per cent.

  Health Visiting Diploma
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many National Health Service staff in Scotland have been seconded to take the one-year diploma in health visiting during the periods(a) 1989 to 1990 and (b) 1990 to 1991.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of student health visitors in Scotland was 85 at 31 March 1989 and 109 at 31 March 1990, the latest date for which information is available centrally.

  RECHAR Programme
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how European Community grant aid under the RECHAR programme is being administered and distributed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  Proposals for RECHAR programmes in Eastern and Western Scotland were submitted by the Government to the European Commission on 27 July. Its decision is awaited.

  Community Care
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department has considered research conducted by the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations into the effects of recent legislation on availability of funding for voluntary organisations involved in community care; and if he will consider a review of funding provision and collaborative arrangements.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend will reach conclusions on the report, which was funded by the Scottish Office, in the light of discussions which are due to be held shortly between officials and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. The provision of grant assistance to voluntary organisations in the social work field is reviewed annually. The funding of services in the community care field in 1991–92 will receive careful consideration in this context.

  Asthma
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will take steps to promote and assist the national asthma survey, organised by Action Asthma; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I understand that the survey was launched on 3 September with the aim of assessing the extent to which people in the United Kingdom are affected by asthma, thus enabling improvements in asthma management to be considered. The Scottish Home and Health Department is obtaining from Action Asthma information about its work.

  Junior Doctors (Working Hours)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications for variation orders on working hours per week of junior doctors have been made by Greater Glasgow health board during 1990; and, of these, how many(a) have been refused and (b) are currently under consideration.
  701
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many variation orders on working hours per week of junior doctors have been issued during 1990; and how many are currently in force, for each health board area in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  One variation order has been issued in 1990 to permit a junior doctor to be regularly rostered for duty in excess of the limit permitted under the hospital, medical and dental staff terms and conditions of service.

  Health Visitors
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that no newly qualified health visitor in Scotland is unable to find a job; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The responsibility for reviewing manpower requirements lies with health boards and it is for each health board to determine the number of students to be trained in accordance with identified manpower needs. While most newly qualified health visitors should find employment on completion of their training, it is impossible to guarantee the employment of all such health visitors and students are made aware of this when they enrol.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vacancies for health visitors currently exist in each health board area in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not held centrally.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department has considered research conducted by the Scottish Foundation for Economic Research for Strathclyde regional council into the effects of the community charge upon the poor; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend has noted the findings of this research.

  Old People's Homes
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to implement in Scotland arrangements under the Registered Houses Act 1984 to ensure that local authorities may satisfy themselves that a person applying for registration to run a small home for old people is a fit person and that they may visit any such home as necessary.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The 1984 Act provisions do not apply in Scotland. Local authorities' statutory responsibilities for the registration and inspection of residential establishments provided under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 apply as matters stand to all homes irrespective of size.

  Multiple Sclerosis
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the nature and locations of therapeutic services currently available within the National Health Service in Scotland for sufferers from multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not held centrally.

WALES

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  My officials are aware of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of the inward investment projects secured for Wales during 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In 1988, Wales secured 97 inward investment projects and in 1989, 100 projects were secured. A list of the companies concerned, except where they have requested confidentiality, has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Teaching Posts
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list showing the latest figures for(a) the total number of applications, (b) the total number of teaching posts and (c) the ratio of applications to teaching posts at secondary school level in Wales; and if he will include a breakdown for each county and for each subject taught.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No information is available centrally on the number of teaching posts by subject. This, together with applications for appointment, is a matter for local education authorities.

  General information about the numbers of subject teachers is available from the secondary school staffing survey, which was published in July, and is in the Library of the House.

  Water and Sewerage (Security Measures)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will list the dates on which the undertakers submitted their plans pursuant to paragraph 2(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;

  (2) if he will place in the Library copies of the plans submitted to him by each water and sewerage undertaker pursuant to paragraph 2(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;

  (3) if for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will state which plans he has approved with modification pursuant to paragraph 2(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;
  703
  (4) if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will state the form in which he has prescribed the reports shall be submitted pursuant to paragraph 2(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;

  (5) if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will state which plans he has approved without modifications pursuant to paragraph 2(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989.

  Mr. Grist
  The former Welsh water authority prepared and submitted plans progressively, under letters of direction issued in 1983 and 1986. Undertakers are currently reviewing these plans, following the 1989 direction. In addition, plans for expenditure each year on the provision or purchase of facilities and equipment are submitted to the Department for approval, with modifications if necessary. It is neither in the interests of national security nor commercial confidentiality to provide the further information requested.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will list the number of employees he has required to be made available(a) as regional co-ordinators and (b) in such other capacity as he has required and in what capacity, pursuant to paragraph 5(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage undertakers) Direction 1989.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has appointed a chief regional water co-ordinator, a deputy chief regional water co-ordinator and regional water co-ordinators. Seven employees have been made available by Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig to fulfil these roles.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will give the losses which it has sustained by reason of compliance with the direction, pursuant to paragraph 6(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;

  (2) if he will place in the Library copies of the reports submitted to him on or before 1 April 1990 pursuant to paragraph 6(1) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;

  (3) if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will state the form in which he has prescribed the reports shall be submitted pursuant to paragraph 6(2) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;

  (4) if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will list the dates on which the undertakers reported to him pursuant to paragraph 6(1) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989.

  Mr. Grist
  It is not in the interest of national security to provide details. Information on the losses sustained by each undertaker in complying with the direction is subject to the normal rules of commercial confidentiality.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether, having regard to the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983 and section 3 of "Emergency Planning Guidance to Local Authorities", the duty to consult other water and sewerage undertakers pursuant to paragraph 5(1) of the Security Measures (Water Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989 is 704
  to be extended to local authorities with civil defence functions under regulation 4 of the 1983 regulations; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will state the extent to which he has required their plans, operations, facilities and services to be complementary and co-ordinated pursuant to paragraph 5(1) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989;

  (3) whether, having regard to the Civil Defence (Fire Services) (Water) Regulations 1956, the duty to consult other water and sewerage undertakers pursuant to paragraph 5(1) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989 is to be extended to fire authorities; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) what guidance, procedures and requirements have been notified to the water sewerage undertakers by him pursuant to paragraph 2(1)(b) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989; and if he will place copies in the Library;

  (5) what general policy in respect of civil defence he has notified to the water and sewerage undertakers pursuant to paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 23 July 1990.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, for each water and sewerage undertaker, he will list the land he has specified pursuant to paragraph 3(1) of the Security Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1989.

  Mr. Grist
  It would not be in the interests of national security to give the information requested.

  Milford Haven (Fishing)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what financial support has been given for fish processing in Milford Haven since 1979.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Since 1979 regional selective assistance of £40,000 has been provided for two fish processing projects in Milford Haven.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what financial support has been given to individual trawler companies and combines operating from Milford Haven since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Since 1979, grants totalling £489,000 have been provided by the Welsh Office and the European Commission for six commercial fishing projects in Milford Haven. In addition the Sea Fish Industry Authority, acting on behalf of the Government, provides grants and loans for the construction of new fishing vessels and improvements to existing vessels. For Wales as a whole, the authority has since 1979 provided £1,653,000 in grants and loans for 251 projects.

  I place a great deal of importance on the need to sustain and develop a successful sea fishing industry in Wales, and am pleased that practical support is being provided to commercial fishermen.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the fishing industry in Milford Haven since June 1987.
  705
  Mr. David Hunt
  During the period in question, Welsh Office Ministers and officials have received numerous representations on a wide range of issues relating to the fishing industry in Milford Haven. My hon. Friend did bring in to see me on 20 September senior representatives of the industry and I am carefully considering the arguments he and they put forward.

  Laura Ashley
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the Leeswood, Clwyd, Laura Ashley factory now proposed for closure.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have no present plans to do so.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet the Clwyd, Delyn and Alyn and Deeside councils to discuss the job losses associated with the Laura Ashley company.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I very much regret the job losses recently announced by Laura Ashley Holdings Ltd. I, my officials, the WDA and DBRW are in close touch with the company and are exploring what might be done to off-set the job losses. The local authorities involved will have a part to play and I will not hesitate to contact them if necessary.

  Gwynedd Health Services
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the £8 million to be provided to the Gwynedd health authority to transform the provision of health services in the county will be wholly or partly by way of loan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  On the basis of the Gwynedd health authority's plan to rationalise health services within the district, as outlined in its pathfinder business plan, my right hon. Friend has offered, in principle, a loan of up to £8 million toward the capital cost of the implementation of this strategy. As currently envisaged, the loan would amount to £3·5 million in 1991–92 and £4·5 million in 1992–93; and, under existing arrangements, the expectation would be for this finance to be repaid subsequently from revenue savings. However, as a result of the reforms arising from the National Health Service and Community Care Act, resource allocation arrangements are currently under review. Authorities were recently consulted on proposed changes which would re-establish a central funding mechanism for capital schemes of strategic importance as from 1 April 1992. If these proposals are implemented, it is likely that the funding of major schemes in progress at that time—which would, of course, include those which are in prospect in Gwynedd—will be subsumed within transitional arrangements that accord with the new allocation mechanisms. In such circumstances, the strategic capital brokerage made available to Gwynedd to enable the authority to proceed with these schemes would cease to be regarded as a loan and would instead be redefined as central funding of those schemes under the transitional arrangements. My right hon. Friend intends to make an announcement on new resource allocation arrangements and transitional arrangements to apply from 1 April 1991 in January when consultations on new revenue allocation mechanisms have also been completed.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Diesel Duty
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the special rate of duty charged on diesel used by agriculture; what is the purpose of this provision; and what is the differential between this rate and that for diesel used by industry.

  Mr. Ryder
  The special rate of duty charged on diesel—gas oil—used by agriculture is 1·18p per litre. Its purpose is to raise revenue but at a rate significantly lower than that chargeable on diesel—gas oil—used as road fuel. Both industry and agriculture pay duty at the rebated rate; the full rate of 19·02p per litre is paid only on fuel used in road vehicles.

  European Monetary System
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment as to whether the conditions for entry into the exchange rate mechanism of the EMS have been met; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The conditions have now been substantially met, and accordingly the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Government's decision to join the exchange rate mechanism of the EMS on 5 October.

  Money Supply
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the increase in the money supply since 1 January 1988; and how much of the total is accounted for by the funding of the trade deficit.

  Mr. Maples
  There is no simple connection between the money supply and the trade deficit. Figures for the monetary aggregates are published in table 11·1 of "Financial Statistics". Information on the trade balance is published in table 27 of "Economic Trends".

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

  Mr. Ryder
  No subject access requests have been received by the Treasury since the Act came into effect. Initial estimates of likely volume, based on discussions with the Data Protection Registrar and examination of the experience of other European countries, were that the number would probably be low. Departments agreed that civil servants would not be charged for reasonable access to their records, but that non civil-servants—with legitimate access—would be charged the guideline £10. That is still the Treasury view.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.
  707
  Mr. Ryder
  I am reminding my officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has discussed his concerns about the direct marketing exploits of financial institutions that promote the uptake of credit with the Data Protection Registrar; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  No.

  Trade Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent to which the deterioration in the trade balance since 1975 is due to lack of productive capacity in British industry; and if he will name the sectors in which British suppliers have been unable to meet demand for this reason.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The rise in the United Kingdom trade deficit in 1988 and 1989 reflected very strong growth of domestic demand from both companies and the personal sector, which outstripped industry's capacity to meet it. Strong growth in investment has begun to produce additional capacity which will enable British industry to meet more of the demands made on it. Industry has already exploited export opportunities. In 1989, exports of manufactures, excluding erratics, increased by 10½ per cent., the fastest growth rate since 1973. Manufactured exports, excluding erratics, in the current year to date are 10¾ per cent. higher than in the corresponding period last year.

  CBI surveys suggest that an historically high proportion of firms across all sectors experienced capacity constraints during 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the annual index of(a) total industrial production and construction and (b) manufacturing industry for the United Kingdom in each year from 1970 to the most recent year for which figures are available;

  (2) what was the annual index of (a) gross domestic product (output) and (b) manufacturing output for the United Kingdom in each year from 1970 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  For the answers to these questions I refer the hon. Member to table 1·5 of "United Kingdom National Accounts", 1990 edition, otherwise known as the CSO Blue Book and to the Scottish Office news release 0801 of 15 May 1990. The former gives separate annual output index numbers for the years 1968 to 1989, for each of construction, manufacturing, and total production as well as the output based gross domestic product index. The latter includes the available figures for an index of construction and production for the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to Chancellor Kohl concerning the adverse effect on other countries of the German surplus on visible trade; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the amount of that surplus in terms of dollars for (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the United States of America and (c) Japan in 1979, 1985, 1989 and the current year to date.
  708
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has made no such representations. The information for 1989 and the current year is available in recent editions of "IMF Directions of Trade Statistics". Figures for 1985 and 1979 are available in the "IMF Direction of Trade Statistics Yearbook" for 1989 and 1986 respectively.

  Mortgages
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are taken to assess the number of cases on which interest relief is being given on mortgages taken out for purposes other than home purchase.

  Mr. Maude
  For loans taken out from 6 April, 1988, mortgage interest relief is given only where the loan is applied to the purchase of a person's sole or main residence or for the purchase of life annuities by people aged 65 or over.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received calling for abolition of mortgage interest tax relief.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer receives a variety of representations about mortgage interest relief, ranging from extension to abolition.

  Import Levies
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the import levy imposed at the last convenient date on imports from(a) African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and (b) other countries of (i) paddy rice round grain, (ii) paddy rice long grain, (iii) husked rice round grain, (iv) husked rice long grain, (v) semi-milled round grain, (vi) semi-milled long grain, (vii) wholly-milled rice round grain, (viii) wholly-milled rice long grain and (ix) broken rice.

  Mr. Ryder
  The import levy per tonne on rice at 1 October 1990 falling within the stated descriptions was:

  States associated with the Community1 £

  Other Countries £

  Paddy rice round grain (CN Code 100610 92 0 00)

  121·8837

  249·5501

  Paddy rice long grain (CN Code 100610 96 0 90)

  123·6322

  253·0389

  Husked rice round grain (CN Code 100620 92 0 00)

  153·0825

  311·9396

  Husked rice long grain (CN Code 100620 96 0 90)

  155·2560

  316·2946

  Semi-milled round grain (CN Code 100630 42 0 00)

  189·8393

  398·8069

  Semi-milled long grain (CN Code 100630 48 0 90)

  230·0609

  479·1939

  Wholly-milled round grain (CN Code 100630 92 0 00)

  202·4552

  424·7284

  Wholly-milled long grain (CN Code 100630 96 0 90)

  246·9435

  513·6970

  Broken rice (CN Code 100640 00 0 00)

  73·8906

  152·6000

  1 African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries; and Overseas Countries and Territories of member States associated with the Community.

  709
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present import levy on duty on cheese from Canada.

  Mr. Ryder
  The present import levy, effective from 16 September 1990, on cheese from Canada (CN Code 040690 21 0 10) is £178·8483 per 100 kg. Consignments accompanied by a valid IMA 1 certificate, issued by exporting countries having special agreements with the European Community may be admitted at a reduced rate of £9·1665. No duty is payable in either case.

  Manufacturing Exports
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the growth of manufacturing exports since 1983.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Manufacturing exports have grown on average by 7·1 per cent. a year since 1983 and in 1989 by 10·5 per cent.—the fastest growth in any year since 1973. Supply side reforms have transformed industry's ability to compete on world markets, and allowed manufacturers to maintain their share of world trade after decades of decline.

  Exchange Rates
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the percentage increases to date in the trade-weighted real exchange for the £ sterling at current nominal rates of exchange, against the Deutschmark, dollar and yen since (a) the fourth quarter of 1976 and (b) the first quarter of 1987, measured in terms of relative export prices for manufacturers, taking into account: (i) the increase in the nominal rate of exchange and (ii) the difference in the rate of inflation since the fourth quarter of 1989, as shown in table F8 of the monthly "Review of External Trade Statistics"; and if he will add a figure for the exchange rate mechanism countries combined in so far as these are available.

  Mr. Maples
  Table F8 of the monthly "Review of External Trade Statistics" is compiled using information from the IMF, and will be updated in due course.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the percentage increases in the trade-weighted real exchange for sterling at current nominal rates of exchange compared to the D-mark, dollar and yen between the fourth quarter of 1976 and the first quarter of 1990 measured in terms of relative export prices for manufacturers and the increase since then in the nominal rates of exchange; what effect the increase to the first quarter of 1990 had on the balance of trade in manufacturers; and what is his estimate of the effect which the increase since the first quarter will have on that balance in the next 12 months.

  Mr. Maples
  Figures for nominal and real exchange rates are available in "IMF International Financial Statistics". Recent movements in nominal and real exchange rates will be among the many factors taken into account in the revised forecast for visible trade to be published in the "Autumn Statement".

  Public Expenditure
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state in percentage terms the increase or decrease in expenditure since 1979 of each of the 17 programmes of public expenditure.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The information requested can be derived from table 21.2.10—General Government expenditure by function, 1978–79 to 1989–90—in chapter 21 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1990–91 to 1992–93", Cm. 1021.

  Inflation
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the current inflation rates in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) other Group of Seven countries.

  Mr. Maples
  Excluding mortgage interest payments and community charge, UK inflation was 8·3 per cent. in September 1990. The latest, more comparable inflation rate for other G7 countries was 3·4 per cent. in August.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the rate of inflation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maples
  The all-times RPI inflation rate was 10·9 per cent. in September. Underlying inflation, as measured by the RPI, excluding mortgage interest payments and the community charge, was 8·3 per cent.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Chanbcellor of the Exchequer what is the underlying rate of inflation.

  Mr. Maples
  There are a number of ways of estimating the underlying rate of inflation. As measured by the RPI, excluding mortgage interest payments and the community charge, it was 8·3 per cent. in September.

  Taxpayers' Charter
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a charter for taxpayers in relation to their rights under investigation by either the Inland Revenue or Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

  Mr. Maude
  The Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise jointly published a taxpayer's charter in July 1986. It sets out the principles and standards of service which both departments aim to achieve in handling taxpayers' affairs; and what people can do if they wish to appeal or complain.

  In addition, a number of leaflets are published for people involved in investigations:

  IR71 PAYE: Inspection of Employers' and Contractors Records.

  IR72 Inland Revenue Investigations: The examination of business accounts; and

  IR73 Inland Revenue Investigations: How settlements are negotiated.

  Visits by VAT officers.

  Copies of the taxpayer's charter and of the leaflets have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Criminal investigations carried out by both departments are conducted under the codes of practice of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current level of interest rates.

  Mr. Maples
  Bank base rates are 14 per cent.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received in relation to the impact of interest rates on Welsh economic performance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maples
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of such representations.

  Environmental Improvement
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for using the taxation system to improve the environment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The White Paper on the environment set out the Government's view that market-based instruments, such as tax measures, are often an effective way of achieving environmental goals. But the Government must consider a whole range of factors in determining the right response to environmental problems.

  Bank of England
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss Britain's economic performance.

  Mr. Maples
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer meets the Governor of the Bank of England from time to time to discuss a variety of matters.

  Child Tax Allowance
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the benefits which would be given to families on low incomes or on income support by a child tax allowance.

  Mr. Maude
  Child tax allowances would not benefit families who do not pay tax and some families with relatively small taxable incomes would only be able to take partial advantage of them. This is so whether or not a family is on income support.

  Oil
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of(a) the current yield in tax on indigenous oil production of an increase of one dollar per barrel and (b) the increase in cost to the United Kingdom economy as a result of that increase.

  Mr. Maples
  It is estimated that the extra North sea tax receipts from a sustained increase in the oil price of 1 dollar per barrel would yield about £0·2 billion in a full year assuming no change in the exchange rate or in company spending in the North sea. A rise in the price of oil can be expected to lead to somewhat higher inflation and slower growth, in the short term. However, sound fiscal and monetary policies should help guard against any sustained adverse effect on inflation or economic growth.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the yield from a tax of 712
  1p per litre on all oil fuels and of an additional 20p on a gallon of (a) petrol and (b) diesel on top of the present price.

  Mr. Ryder
  The yield from a tax change on road fuels can be calculated from the tax revenue ready reckoner table published in chapter 4 of the "Autumn Statement".

  Civil Service Pensions
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the non-payment of civil service widows' pensions to the widows of post-retirement marriages with civil servants who retired before 6 April 1978.

  Mr Ryder
  A number of representations have been received about the arrangements made by the civil service pension scheme for the payment of pensions to the widows of post-retirement marriages. These seek an extension of those arrangements to include those widows of post-retirement marriages whose husbands retired before 6 April 1978. The Government have no plans to extend the present arrangements.

  Ronson Group
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Inland Revenue will investigate the tax affairs of the Ronson group of companies.

  Mr. Maude
  Such information is confidential.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross domestic fixed capital formation for manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in real terms in each year since 1970.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  This information may be obtained from the CSO database, which is accessible through the House of Commons Library.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the annual index of gross domestic capital formation at factor cost in manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in each year from 1970 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Information in the form requested is not available.

  Mr. Austin Michell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the increase in the volume of exports of manufactured goods since 1985 in terms of 1990 prices.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Information relating to volumes of manufactured goods is only calculated at 1985 prices. This can be found in table A 10 of the monthly "Review of External Trade Statistics" which is available in the Library of the House, or on the Central Statistical Office database which may be accessed through the Library.

  Middle East (Expenditure)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which budget headings the expenditure now being undertaken in the middle east, arising out of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, is to be drawn; and if he will make a statement.
  713
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Most of the present expenditure in the middle east arising from Iraq's invasion of Kuwait falls to the defence budget. Assistance to refugees displaced by the invasion is being drawn from the aid budget.

  New Coins
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new coins he intends to approve before December 1992; and what estimate he has of the cost involved in adapting, replacing or scrapping coin-operated machines.

  Mr. Maples
  The Royal Mint has recently consulted the vending industry about proposals to issue United Kingdom 1 p and 2p coins in copper-plated steel rather than bronze, as at present, because the cost of producing the coins now exceeds their face value.

  After careful consideration of the industry's response, my right hon. Friend has decided that copper-plated coins should be introduced from September 1992. The plated 1p and 2p coins will have the same weight, diameter and design as the existing coins and will circulate alongside them. I am placing an assessment of the cost to the industry in the library.

  Following the consultation exercise carried out by the Royal Mint in 1987, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that a smaller 10p coin would be introduced in 1992. The Chancellor has decided that this coin should also be introduced in September 1992, at the same time as the copper plated 1p and 2p coins, to minimise the cost to the vending industry.

  NHS Contracts (VAT)
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what refunds of value added tax on national health service contracts have been made to health boards in Scotland since 16 October 1989; where refunds of value added tax are made; and what arrangements there are for that portion of such value added tax which requires to be paid to the European Community.

  Mr. Ryder
  A total of £24·3 million VAT has been refunded in respect of Scottish health boards' contracts since 16 October 1989. This sum includes refunds in respect of contracts where the special provisions of section 27(2A) of the VAT Act 1983 apply. Such refunds are included in the calculations necessary to establish our "own resources" payments to the European Community.

  European Community
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement concerning Councils of Finance Ministers of the European Communities, both formal and informal, he has attended since 1 September.

  Mr. Major
  Members of the Economic and Finance Council met informally on 7 and 8 September in Rome and formally in Luxembourg on 8 October. On both occasions I represented the United Kingdom with the assistance of the Financial Secretary at the October meeting.

  The September meeting concentrated on a discussion of economic and monetary union during which I gave a full explanation of the British proposals for a gradual evolutionary approach through the establishment of a
  714
  common currency, known as the "hard ecu", and a European monetary fund. A majority of member states shared our view that much greater economic convergence in the Community was a necessary condition for further monetary integration, and that it was therefore undesirable to set a premature date for moving beyond stage one of EMU. I stressed the importance of ensuring that all member states could move forward together. I explained that our proposals would allow for that while providing a strong anti-inflationary discipline and giving people and businesses the opportunity to choose which currency they wished to use. It was agreed that there was a need for further analysis of our proposals both before and during the forthcoming intergovernmental conference.

  The consequences of the Gulf crisis were also discussed and the Commission put forward proposals for aid to those front-line states which were suffering as a result of the crisis. No decision was reached. It was agreed, however, that the resulting rise in oil prices should not be accommodated either by relaxing monetary or budgetary policies and that the increase in oil costs should not lead to higher wage settlements or product prices.

  At the October meeting, the entry of the United Kingdom into the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system was widely welcomed. Economic and monetary union was again discussed both during the Council and at an inter-institutional meeting beforehand with the European Parliament. There was a growing consensus that more economic convergence was indeed needed before the Community moved beyond stage one and that objective criteria to determine the timing of such a move should be considered. The presidency will be reporting on progress with preparatory work on EMU to the European Council on 27 and 28 October. I expect discussions in ECOFIN and the Monetary Committee to continue.

  There was a brief discussion of the Commission's proposals for VAT and excise systems after 1992 and for raising travellers' allowances on duty-paid goods in preparation for the single market. The consequences for the financial perspectives of German unification and the Gulf crisis were also considered. The money laundering directive was discussed. The majority of member states shared our concerns that the present draft appeared to extend the competence of the Community into the field of criminal law, but it was hoped that this problem could be resolved so that the directive could be agreed before the end of the year.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library any document or proposal sent to the Council or Commission of the European Community concerning implementation of economic and monetary union.

  Mr. Maude
  The Commission's report of 21 August entitled "Economic and Monetary Union", which was discussed at the informal Council of Economic and Finance Ministers in Rome on 7 and 8 September, was deposited in the House on 12 October; and I have today placed in the Vote Office copies of an explanatory memorandum about it.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he deposited in the Vote Office the communication of the Commission of the European Community to member
  715
  Governments, dated 21 August, concerning implementation of economic and monetary union and the related Government memorandum; and what other steps he has taken to publicise the contents of each document.

  Mr. Maude
  The Commission report to which the hon. Member refers was deposited in the House on 12 October and copies of an explanatory memorandum have today been placed in the Vote Office.

  Liquid Petroleum Gas
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he plans to review the taxation of liquid petroleum gas used for automotive propulsion purposes.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will carefully consider the taxation of all forms of road fuel in the course of preparing his Budget.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Convicted Persons (New Evidence)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the machinery by which the Court of Appeal deals with new evidence on convicted persons.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations from Members of both Houses of Parliament, and from members of the public, about the role of the Court of Appeal in considering such cases.

  World Cup (Deportations)
  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to seek the destruction of all photographs and records of the English football supporters deported from Italy following the decision of the Italian Government to withdraw restrictions upon them returning to Italy and acceptance of their innocence.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  In the absence of any other football-related information on them, the national football intelligence unit will destroy by the end of the year the records it holds of all those who were removed from Italy during the World cup without having been convicted of an offence. Any person who wishes to see his record may apply to do so under the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the name, ranks and forces of those who attended the meeting at Scotland Yard on Friday 29 November 1974 to co-ordinate action for gathering intelligence against suspected members of the IRA in England, in connection with the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Waddington
  I understand that a number of conferences were held following the Birmingham pub bombings and that these were attended by members of police forces which were engaged in the investigations. Records relating to these conferences have since been destroyed, and the Metropolitan police are unable to say which forces attended which conferences or on what dates the conferences took place.

  Wyndham Burnett
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the release on parole of Wyndham Burnett a prisoner at Wayland prison, Norfolk, sentenced in December 1986.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 17 September.

  Police Cells
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were still in police cells in Greater Manchester on 12 October.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  On Friday 12 October, there were 269 prisoners in Greater Manchester police cells.

  Sports Events
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans for the future of the national football intelligence unit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The purpose of the national football intelligence unit is to counteract serious and persistent football hooligans by co-ordinating police intelligence in this country and by improving liaison with police forces abroad. Its aims were more fully explained in Home Office circular 30/1990, a copy of which is in the Library. We shall continue to support the unit in its important work.

  Sports Events
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his undertaking to look carefully and quickly at the recommendation in Lord Justice Taylor's final report into the Hillsborough tragedy that it be made a specific offence to chant obscene or racialist abuse at designated sports grounds, 29 January,Official Report, column 21, what plans he has for implementing this recommendation.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We hope to announce shortly our conclusions on whether to create this offence and the others recommended by Lord Justice Taylor.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to prevent broadcasters giving prominence through coverage of motor sports events to brewing companies' names and advertising.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have no plans to do so. I understand, however, that the Brewer's Society has advised its members not to become involved in the sponsorship of motor sports events.

  Special Constabulary
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how funding is distributed for the special constabulary in England and Wales; and whether he has any plans to increase this funding in the near future.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Expenditure on the special constabulary is a matter for police authorities; all expenditure qualifies for 51 per cent. police grant from the Government.
  717
  The Government are also financing a three-year national publicity campaign to aid recruitment. This will start in 1991 at an estimated cost of around £1·5 million a year.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I am reminding officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Government reserved the right to comply, or not, with principles 2·2 and 2·4 (collection of data) of the recommendation NO R (87) 15 of the Committee of Ministers to member states regulating the use of personal data in the public sector; whether these principles are complied with in respect of the information held on the police national computer; whether these principles are complied with in respect of personal information held on computer by the special branch; and whether it is the Government's intention to rescind the reservation entered to these principles.

  Mr. Lloyd
  The Government reserved their position on principles 2·2 and 2·4 after consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers. Principle 2·2 requires the police to inform individuals, where practicable, that data have been collected about them without their knowledge. It was felt that occasions would arise when although it would be practicable to disclose such information, it would be undesirable to do so; for example, where an individual might inform an associate that he had been under suspicion. The proviso that information need be disclosed only when the object of the police activities was no longer likely to he prejudiced was regarded as unrealistic and impractical in the context of police work.

  Principle 2·4, which restricts police activities in collecting data on particular groups such as suspected paedophiles, could seriously inhibit the police in preventing and detecting crime. The Government therefore entered reservations on both these principles. That remains the position.

  In collecting and storing data, the police national computer and computer systems in police forces comply with the ACPO code of practice for police computer systems. The code establishes procedures and safeguards to promote the maintenance of good practice and compliance with the Data Protection Act 1984. A copy of the code is in the Library.

  Iraqi Nationals
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi nationals are at present in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  It is estimated from the labour force surveys that some 5,000 Iraqi nationals, including students, are usually resident in the United Kingdom. Information on the number of Iraqi nationals currently in this country as visitors is not available.

  May Inquiry
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make arrangements for those classified documents which Sir John May's inquiry into the Guildford and Maguire cases deems necessary for the purposes of that inquiry, to be made available to that inquiry;

  (2) if he will make arrangements so that Sir John May's inquiry into the Guildford and Maguire cases is not constrained by the convention that police reports are not customarily allowed to enter the public domain;

  (3) if he will waive public interest immunity in respect of documents which Sir John May's inquiry into the Guildford and Maguire cases deems necessary for the purposes of that inquiry.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have no reason to believe that the present arrangements make unavailable to Sir John May the documents he needs to carry out his inquiry satisfactorily, and therefore see no need at present to change those arrangements.

  Security Checks
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many security check inquiries were made of the National Identification Bureau on individuals by(a) Government departments and (b) other approved bodies in the years 1986, 1987 and 1988; and if he will list the names of the approved bodies who may undertake such inquiries;

  (2) if he will list the areas of employment which require security checks; and if he will list the areas of employment of those individuals who were the subject of a security check in 1989;

  (3) what was the cost of making security check inquiries on individuals in 1989.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Details of criminal records are not released to bodies outside the criminal justice system except where disclosure is clearly in the public interest Information may be provided by the Nationa Identification Bureau to Government Departments and other bodies, direct or through the police, for purpose: such as the protection of national security, the protection of children and other vulnerable members of society and ensuring probity of justice. This covers a wide range o areas of employment but detailed records of these are no kept.

  Under the terms of the data protection registration fo the police, information may be released to the following

  Central Government Departments

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority

  Gaming Board for Great Britain

  Office of Fair Trading

  Local Authorities

  Foreign Governments

  Police Forces

  Prosecuting Authorities

  Courts

  Judges

  Magistrates

  Probation Service

  Hospitals, nursing homes

  Banks

  Lawyers

  Research Organisations

  British Telecom

  British Broadcasting Corporation

  Civil Aviation Authority

  719

  Post Office

  Police Complaints Authority

  General Medical Council and other similar professional organizations

  Official Receiver

  Traffic Commissioners

  Criminal Injury Compensation Board

  Crown Agents

  Crown Estate Commissioners

  National Museums and Galleries

  Royal Mint

  United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

  Securities and Investments Board

  The purposes of criminal record checks by the police, Government Departments or approved bodies are not recorded centrally and the number and cost of those for security vetting cannot be identified. The number of checks undertaken by the Government searches section of the National Identification Bureau for vetting and other purposes was as follows:

  Number

  1986

  384,595

  1987

  348,901

  1988

  385,308

  These figures represent the number of transactions undertaken and not the number of individuals on whom checks were made. The same individual may have been checked more than once.

  The estimated cost of the Government searches section in 1989 was about £500,000.

  Police Computer
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Government Departments(a) presently have access to the police national computer and (b) will have access to the new police computer.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  In addition to the Home Office, HM Customs and Excise investigation division and the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Agency have terminals giving them direct access to some of the information on the police national computer.

  Consideration is being given to a proposal to allow a number of other Government Departments to have direct access to the criminal names index on the new police national computer. This would enable Departments to undertake their own preliminary inquiries, thus reducing the work load of the National Identification Bureau. In cases where this preliminary inquiry indicates that the subject might have a criminal record, the Department would ask the NIB to undertake a detailed check of the records.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a date has been set for the new police computer (PNC2) to become fully operational; what is its potential full capacity; and approximately how many individual records are likely to be held on the PNC2 at the date when it becomes fully operational.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A firm date has not yet been set for the "cut over" from the present PNC system to PNC2. It will be set only after all the components of the new system have been delivered and fully tested.

  As the hon. Member was told in reply to his question on 24 July at column 132, the PNC2 system will be capable
  720
  of handling 62 million instructions per second, its main memory will be capable of storing 190 million bytes of data and it will have sufficient disk capacity to store 80,000 million bytes of data.

  PNC2 is expected to hold records on about 45 million vehicles, 6 million persons and 4 million fingerprints.

  Criminal Records
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether there are plans to establish an agency independent of the police to maintain the national collection of criminal records;

  (2) whether a decision has been taken on transferring those criminal records presently held on microfiche to the new police computer.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  As stated in the Governments' response to the Home Affairs Select Committee's report on criminal records (Cm. 1163), a study is to be undertaken to examine the most appropriate arrangements for the maintenance of, and disclosure from, the national collection of criminal records. In the light of the findings of this study, the Government will consider where responsibility for this work should lie.

  The response also makes clear the Government's intention to computerise the national collection of criminal records, which is currently held on microfiche, as and when resources permit.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are plans to update and amend Home Offices circular No. 45/1986 or to lay down statutory principles to govern the disclosure of criminal records as recommended by the Home Affairs Committee's report on criminal records.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 24 July 1990 at column 132.

  As stated in the Government's response to the Home Affairs Select Committee's report on criminal records (Cm. 1163), a study is to be undertaken to examine, among other things, the most appropriate arrangements for disclosure from the national collection of criminal records.

  Guinness Trial
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether those convicted in the Guinness trial will be allowed to carry on their private business directly or indirectly during their imprisonment.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Restrictions on business activities that apply to all prisoners have been published in prison standing order 1C, a copy of which is in the Library. Convicted prisoners are not allowed to conduct any business activity from prison, other than to wind up a business or to make arrangements for it to be managed in their absence.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are plans to include the new police computer into the Government data network.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There are no such plans.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the kind of information presently held on the police national computer under the data class of warning signals.
  721
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Warning signals are intended to alert officers to potential difficulties or risks in dealing with the individual. They may be used only in cases where there is supporting evidence of the need for them to be included in the record. Their inclusion and removal is at the discretion of the force which enters the record on the police national computer.

  The information held under the data class of warning signals is intended to indicate individuals who may possess firearms, may possess weapons, may resort to violent behaviour, may attempt to escape, may suffer from mental disorder, may possess explosives, may make false allegations against the police, may be a hazard to others as a carrier of contagious diseases (e.g., hepatitis), may suffer from a medical condition and/or require medication, e.g., heart condition, claustrophobia, epilepsy, alcoholism, may attempt suicide, may be in unlawful possession of controlled drugs, may impersonate male or female.

  Overseas Voters
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he has taken to monitor the use by political parties of the provision for registration of overseas voters for proxy vote of the Representation of the People Act 1989; (2) what guidance has been issued to groups seeking to register overseas voters as to how under the Representation of the People Act 1989 it is permissible to choose proxy voters for any particular constituency.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  There is no reason for the Home Office to monitor the activities of the political parties in encouraging eligible expatriates to register as overseas electors, or in assisting them to appoint proxies to vote on their behalf. A proxy appointed to vote on behalf of an overseas elector can do so only in the constituency for which the elector is registered. Political parties are, we believe, well aware of the legal requirements for appointing a proxy, and we see no need to issue special guidance on the subject.

  Visas
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes there have been in entry requirements for citizens of east European countries; and what information he has that relates to changes between those countries of the European Community.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  During the summer, my right hon. and learned Friend introduced an immigration rules change removing the former German Democratic Republic from the list of countries whose nationals require a visa for admission to the United Kingdom. Following a further change last month, Czechoslovakia and Hungary were removed from the visa list with effect from 1 October. Most of our European Community partners have taken similar steps in relation to these countries.

  Drugs
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of those convicted of drug offences offend again within three years of(a) release from imprisonment or (b) the pronouncement of a non-custodial sentence;

  (2) what are the comparative success ratios, measured by reoffending rates, of the various types of sentence passed upon those convicted of drug-related offences.
  722
  Mrs. Rumbold
  The only readily available information is about drugs offenders discharged from custody in 1984 who were reconvicted within two years. This was published in table 8(c) of prison statistics for England and Wales 1987 (Cm 547) a copy of which is in the Library.

  Philippine Citizens (Employment)
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what conditions Philippine citizens are admitted into the United Kingdom for employment by(a) public bodies, (b) registered businesses, (c) United Kingdom citizens and (d) non-United Kingdom citizens; and what steps he takes to ensure equitable conditions and contracts of employment and registration of any change of employer.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Overseas nationals seeking admission to the United Kingdom must qualify under the relevant provisions of the immigration rules (currently HC 251 as amended). As non-EC nationals, Philippine citizens wishing to work here generally require work permits. However, as I explained in a reply to a question from the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 22 February 1990 at columns 917–8, there are exceptional arrangements outside the immigration rules and the work permit scheme under which a domestic servant who has worked abroad for an employer who comes to the United Kingdom can be admitted to continue working for him here. We have recently reviewed these arrangements in view of the concern about the possible exploitation of domestics and the outcome of that review was announced in another place by my noble Friend Lord Ferrers in reply to a question from Lord Hylton on 24 July 1990 at columns 1449–50. Whatever the provisions under which overseas nationals are admitted for work, they are entitled to the normal protection of our law. Their ability to change employers will, however, depend on the conditions on which they have been granted leave to enter or stay in the United Kingdom.

  Operation Carnaby
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for an interim report from the Metropolitan Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the investigation operation Carnaby, outlining its terms of reference, manpower utilisation, and budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Operation Carnaby is a criminal investigation by the Metropolitan police. I have no plans to ask the Commissioner for a report on that investigation.

  Research Contracts
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the research contracts awarded by his Department to academic institutions, and their cost, since 1985.

  Mr. Waddington
  [holding answer 10 July 1990]: Information on the cost and nature of each research contract awarded by my Department to academic and research institutions since 1985 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Total estimated Home Office expenditure on assignments

  723
  awarded to academic institutions for the period January 1985 to April 1990 is £6,725,271, and is represented as follows:

  £

  Oxford Centre for Criminological Research/Oxford University

  799,309

  New Mexico Engineering Research Institute

  605,195

  University of East Anglia

  572,500

  Institute of Criminology/Cambridge University

  564,250

  University of London

  510,788

  Policy Studies Institute

  299,000

  University of Birmingham

  294,330

  NACRO

  252,000

  VERA Institute of Justice

  250,532

  University of Manchester

  210,839

  University of Surrey

  165,981

  University of Bath

  165,400

  Tavistock Institute

  164,000

  London School of Economics

  141,662

  University of Swansea

  140,685

  University of Essex

  138,000

  University of Leeds

  128,123

  University of Bristol

  118,650

  University of Liverpool

  118,000

  University of Kent

  113,427

  University of Edinburgh

  105,953

  University of Aberdeen

  95,087

  University of Loughborough

  87,779

  University of Sheffield

  84,000

  University of Nottingham

  82,235

  University of Sussex

  75,000

  Hatfield Polytechnic

  69,522

  Bradford/Ilkley College

  59,000

  University of Dundee

  56,000

  City University

  55,078

  Policy Foundation

  45,500

  University of Hull

  40,990

  Trent Polytechnic

  40,700

  University of Warwick

  40,574

  Economics and Social Research Council

  40,000

  South Bank Polytechnic

  37,146

  Local Govenment Operation Research Unit

  34,500

  University of North London

  30,000

  University of Reading

  28,158

  National Institute for Social Work

  27,500

  North London Polytechnic

  25,200

  University of Lancaster

  18,000

  Thames Polytechnic

  18,000

  University of Cardiff

  8,000

  University of Brunel

  7,950

  Coventry Polytechnic

  7,000

  University of Southampton

  4,260

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Maintenance
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on his proposals to ensure that fathers pay maintenance.

  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on his proposals to ensure that fathers pay maintenance.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on his proposals to ensure that fathers pay maintenance.

  Mr. Newton
  I have received correspondence on this subject from one of the major lone parent organisations, members of the public and other interested parties. We will be publishing full details of our proposals in a White Paper shortly.

  Personal Pensions
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the numbers who have taken out personal pensions.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the numbers who will have taken out personal pensions.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the numbers who have taken out personal pensions.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley (Mr. Thompson) earlier today.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families are now in receipt of family credit.

  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families are now in receipt of family credit.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families are now in receipt of family credit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer my hon. Friends to my reply to the hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) earlier today.

  Computerisation
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received regarding computerisation of the social security system.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Various inquiries have been received, both from members of the public and a number of outside organisations regarding the effectiveness of the Department's strategy systems, for which I have been able to provide comprehensive replies.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about spending on disabled people since 1979.

  Sir Bernard Braine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about spending on disabled people since 1979.

  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the increase in spending by the Government in support of disabled people since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer my hon. Friends to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir David Price) earlier today.

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the numbers of people who will benefit from the measures outlined in "The Way Ahead".
  725
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the numbers of people who will benefit from the measures outlined in "The Way Ahead".

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the numbers of people who will benefit from the measures outlined in "The Way Ahead".

  Mr. Scott
  I refer my hon. Friends to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) earlier today.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had with disability organisations on his proposals outlined in "The Way Ahead-Benefits for Disabled People".

  Mr. Scott
  We regularly meet the disability organisations to discuss a wide range of issues. I met the Disability Benefits Consortium—an umbrella group representing over 250 disability organisations—on 5 April in the second of a series of meetings to discuss their views on "The Way Ahead". On 1 August we issued a consultation document, "Disability Allowance: Assessment and Adjudication" building on the proposals set out in "The Way Ahead" and inviting comments. Copies of the paper have been sent to over 125 disability organisations and a number of these have sent constructive and interesting replies. A copy of the paper has been placed in the Library.

  Income Support
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many deductions are now taking place from people on income support to cover debts arising from the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Just over 9,000 deductions for community charge arrears were being made at 31 August 1990.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the level of supplementary benefit and income support scale rates for(a) a single person householder aged over 25 years and (b) married couples, each year since 1970; and what these amounts were as a percentage of national average earnings for each of these years.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information requested is available in tables 6·4b and 6·5b of the Abstract of Statistics for index of retail prices, Average Earnings, Social Security Benefits and Contributions published August 1989. A copy of this is in the Library.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the numbers of (i) men and (ii) women pensioners on income support by duration of time on benefit.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number and proportion of pensioners were receiving (i) income support only, (ii) retirement pensions only and (iii) income support and retirement pension, broken down by sex in each case.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information to show whether pensioners in receipt of Income Support also receive the 726
  state retirement pension is not available. The remainder of the information requested is available in tables 12·2A, 12·2B and 12·2C of the Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry. This was published in July 1990 and a copy is in the Library.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number and proportion of unemployed people were receiving (i) income support only, (ii) unemployment benefit only and (iii) income support and unemployment benefit, broken down by sex in each case.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information as at May 1990 is contained in part (1) of table 1·1 of "Unemployment Benefit Statistics—Quarterly Analysis of Unemployed Claimants", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Community Care
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will direct social fund officers to consider applications for community care grants from persons leaving institutional care and entitled to invalidity benefit, whose weekly income is not more than £10 above income support level.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will direct social fund oflicers to consider applications for community care grants from persons leaving institutional care and entitled to invalidity benefit, whose weekly income is not more than £10 above income support level.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will direct social fund officers to consider applications for community care grants from persons leaving institutional care and entitled to invalidity benefit, whose weekly income is not more than £10 above income support level.

  Mr. Scott
  My hon. Friend the Member for Ealing Acton (Sir George Young) asked me if I would look at extending eligibility for community care grants on 2 July 1990, and I am doing so.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of applications for community care grants were refused in 1988–89, 1989–90 and the first half of 1990–91.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) earlier today.

  Pensioners' Incomes
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the latest trend in pensioners' real incomes since 1979.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes) earlier today.

  Social Security Applications
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has regarding the percentage of errors made by his Department in calculating social security applications.
  727
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department has a well established management information system which includes a range of output measures and performance indicators covering the adminsitration of all the major benefits. One performance indicator provides a measure of how accurately claims are handled, based on the percentage of payments which are incorrect. The figures are published in table 14·31 in the Government's Expenditure Plans 1990–91 to 1992–93 (Cm 1014) a copy of which is in the Library.

  Contributions (Earnings Limit)
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the upper earnings limit for social security contributions.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the upper earnings limit for social security contributions.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the upper earnings limit for social security contributions.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We received representations from the Institute of Directors on this subject early this year.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the value of child benefit in real terms and as a percentage of average earnings in 1980, 1985 and 1990, respectively.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the value of child benefit in real terms and as a percentage of average earnings in 1980, 1985 and 1990, respectively.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information is as follows:

  Date

  Weekly rate of child benefit (£)

  Equivalent value at April 1990 price1 (£)

  Rate as a percentage of average male gross earnings

  November 1980

  4·75

  8·55

  3·5

  November 1985

  7·00

  9·13

  3·5

  April 1990

  7·25

  7·25

  2·5

  1 Based on the movement in the general index of retail prices between the date in the first column and April 1990.

  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his plans for child benefit in 1991.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his plans for child benefit in 1991.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Government's position on child benefit remains as set out in our last manifesto. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will continue therefore to review its level each year in accordance with existing law.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the number of standard rate taxpayers who would be affected by the abolition of the upper earnings limit on national insurance contributions.
  728
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the numbers of standard rate taxpayers who would be affected by the abolition of the upper earnings limit on national insurance contributions.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer my hon. Friends to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) earlier today.

  Lone-parent Families
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest figure he has for the number of lone-parent families in receipt of income support; and how many such families were receiving supplementary benefit five years ago.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  In 1989 there were 767,000 lone-parent families in receipt of income support; the corresponding figure for supplementary benefit for 1984 was 500,000. The figures do not include prisoners' partners.

  Source:Annual Statistical Enquiries for the relevant years.

  Mobility Allowance
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the criteria governing the award of mobility allowance so that dependent blind persons who are unable to enjoy any mobility may qualify.

  Mr. Scott
  In April this year we extended mobility allowance to people who are both deaf and blind. Our proposals set out in "The Way Ahead: benefits for disabled people" (Cm. 917) will extend help to less severely disabled people of working age and below and will benefit many people with sight disabilities who are not independently mobile.

  Departmental Manuals
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list(a) the titles of guidance and procedural manuals produced for his Department's offices which are not available to the public and (b) in each case, the reason for them not being available publicly.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The table shows the titles of Departmental guidance and procedural manuals which are not available to the public. They contain administrative and procedural instructions for staff which would be of little value to the general public, and also prescribe checks and controls which must remain confidential.

  Title

  AA

  Attendance Allowance

  ABC

  Aids to Benefit calculation

  AP

  Adjudication Procedure

  AR

  Adjudication Reference

  CAP

  Common Appeals Procedures

  CC

  Contributions and Credits

  CCG

  Country Code Gazetteer

  CCM

  Court Collection Manual

  CHL

  Child Benefit Law

  CHP

  Child Benefit Procedure

  Conts Calc

  Contributions Calculator

  729

  Title

  COP

  Communications and Office Practice

  CRM

  Civil Recovery Manual

  CT

  Credits Manual

  DC

  Departmental Circulars

  DCI

  Departmental Central Index

  DM

  Datalink Manual

  DPM

  Data Protection Manual

  DPM Circulars

  Social Security Weekly Staff Announcements

  DSI

  Departmental Security Instructions

  Detailed User Guide

  Detailed User Guide for Family Credit

  EPIC

  Emergency Instructions and Procedures Code

  F

  Finance Code

  FIG (E&W)

  Fraud Investigator's Guide (England and Wales)

  FIG (SCOT)

  Fraud Investigator's Guide (Scotland)

  GB

  General Benefits

  GSC

  General Staff Code

  II (HQMB)

  Handbook for Industrial Injuries Medical Board

  IS (POG)

  Income Support (Printed Output Guide)

  IS (OS) SRG

  Income Support (Operational Strategy) System Reference Guide

  LAM

  Legal Aid Manual

  LOSP

  Local Office Stationery Procedure

  LP

  Legal Proceedings

  LR Guide

  Liability of Relatives (England and Wales)

  LR (S) Guide

  Liability of Relatives (Scotland)

  M

  Maternity: Benefits Procedure

  MAM

  Microcomputer Administration Manual

  MB

  Maternity Benefit

  MDLT

  Manual of Draft Letters for Typists

  ME

  Medical Boarding and Examinations

  Mob A

  Mobility Allowance

  MPM 57

  Handbook for War Pensions Medical Board

  MPM 57A

  Handbook for Medical Officer (War Pensions)

  MS

  Guidance for Medical Staff

  MUM

  Microcomputer User Manual

  NP

  New Pensions

  Notes for Managers

  Security Matters

  OA

  Office Administration

  OAL

  Office Address List

  OPAM

  Order Printer and Addresser Manual

  ORG

  Overpayments Recovery Guide

  P

  Pneumoconiosis: Office Procedure

  P (Supp)

  Pneumoconiosis: Board Procedure

  PIP

  Pensions Instructions and Procedures

  PL

  Pensions Law

  POM

  Post Operations Manual

  PPI

  Protection of Personal Information

  PSCS (POG)

  Pensions Strategy Computer Systems (Printed Output Guide)

  RC

  Reception Centre

  RIG

  Regional Implementation Guide

  ROW

  Relocation of Work

  ROWIG

  Relocation of Work Implementation Guide

  SB

  Sickness Benefit

  SFIM

  Social Fund Information for Managers

  SIG

  Strategy Implementation Manual

  SML

  Screen Message List

  SMR

  Statistics and Management Returns

  SSTI

  Social Security Technical Instructions

  STS

  Strategy Terminal Systems

  TAG

  Terminal Administration Guide

  VDLF

  Volume of Draft Letters and Forms

  WIP

  Widows Instructions and Procedures

  WP

  War Pensions

  WP (LO)

  War Pensions

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether students who will remain entitled to housing benefit and non-student partners in receipt of housing benefit will receive a £10 disregard for income from top-up loans.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Yes. The disregard, which will be subject to the overriding disregard of £10 on all income other than earnings, will apply for as long as the loan recipient remains a student.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department intends to reply to the letter sent by Merseyside Welfare Rights Resource Centre on 25 April regarding an apparent contradiction between practices within his Department and a written reply given by the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We are unable to trace this letter. If the hon. member could provide a copy, I will look into the matter.

  Family Benefits
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the relative benefits given to a family with children(a) in the higher tax range and (b) below the tax threshold of child benefit or a general equivalent child tax allowance.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Child benefit provides virtually all families with a contribution towards the costs of bringing up their children, irrespective of their tax liability, though the total family income of those receiving income support or family credit is not normally affected by the level of child benefit. A child tax allowance whose value to the basic rate taxpayer was equivalent to the level of child benefit would be worth more to families with incomes liable to tax at the higher rate. Child tax allowances would not benefit families who do not pay tax, and some families with relatively small taxable incomes would be able to take only partial advantage of them.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar, all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We are reminding our officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Review Applications
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for review were received during the period(a) April 1988 to March 1989 and (b) April 1989 to March 1990 in respect of (i) community care grants, (ii) budgeting loans and (iii) crisis loans by each of the local offices in Leeds; and how many of these applications for review resulted in revised decisions.
  731
  Mr. Scott
  The table shows the number of applications for review received by the Department's offices in Leeds and the number of revised decisions subsequently made by the social fund officers, senior officers and the social fund inspectors.

  Applications received

  Decision revised

  LEEDS EAST

  April 1988 to March 1989

  Community care grant

  33

  11

  Budgeting loan

  149

  67

  Crisis loan

  8

  3

  April 1989 to March 1990

  Community care grant

  105

  38

  Budgeting loan

  211

  83

  Crisis loan

  7

  1

  LEEDS NORTH

  April 1988 to March 1989

  Community care grant

  57

  27

  Budgeting loan

  118

  50

  Crisis loan

  9

  5

  April 1989 to March 1990

  Community care grant

  144

  44

  Budgeting loan

  174

  73

  Crisis loan

  8

  3

  LEEDS NORTH WEST

  April 1988 to March 1989

  Community care grant

  58

  24

  Budgeting loan

  102

  54

  Crisis loan

  10

  5

  April 1989 to March 1990

  Community care grant

  147

  53

  Budgeting loan

  181

  57

  Crisis loan

  5

  0

  LEEDS SOUTH

  April 1988 to March 1989

  Community care grant

  29

  11

  Budgeting loan

  78

  21

  Crisis loan

  12

  6

  April 1989 to March 1990

  Community care grant

  57

  22

  Budgeting loan

  85

  29

  Crisis loan

  12

  5

  LEEDS WEST

  April 1988 to March 1989

  Community care grant

  21

  5

  Budgeting loan

  110

  44

  Crisis loan

  7

  4

  April 1989 to March 1990

  Community care grant

  48

  23

  Budgeting loan

  102

  31

  Crisis loan

  5

  4

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the financing and future of the Independent Living Fund.

  Mr. Scott
  Our plans for the future of the Independent Living Fund are still under consideration following the decision to phase the implementation of community care. The level of funding for the ILF in 1991–92 will be announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his usual statement on the uprating of benefits.
  732
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State of Social Security what plans he has to incorporate the Independent Living Fund into the social security system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We have no plans to incorporate the Independent Living Fund into the social security system.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications to the Independent Living Fund have been submitted since 1 August.

  Mr. Scott
  At 10 October the Independent Living Fund had received 1,233 applications since 1 August.

  Crisis Loans
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of the budgeting loans budget was spent on crisis loans for those making an initial claim for income support and awaiting payment in arrears for the years(a) April 1988 to March 1989 and (b) April 1989 to March 1990 in (i) the local offices within the Leeds metropolitan area and (ii) nationally as (1) an actual figure and (2) a percentage.

  Mr. Scott
  The tables show the crisis loan expenditure by the Department's offices nationally and in Leeds arising from applications for applicants awaiting an initial payment of benefit.

  Crisis loan expenditure (Alignment) £

  Percentage of loans budget spent on crisis loans for alignment

  April 1988 to 1989

  National

  5,016,000·00

  4·00

  Leeds East

  20,871·66

  3·61

  Leeds North

  22,193·24

  3·70

  Leeds North West

  24,629·23

  7·74

  Leeds South

  6,632·38

  2·85

  Leeds West

  5,201·47

  1·71

  April 1989 to 1990

  National

  6,202,000·00

  4·39

  Leeds East

  20,023·98

  3·39

  Leeds North

  25,842·84

  3·70

  Leeds North West

  26,471·16

  7·02

  Leeds South

  11,987·78

  5·01

  Leeds West

  8,640·15

  2·79

  Social Fund
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for review of social fund decisions were received by the office of the social fund inspectors during the periods(a) April 1988 to March 1989 and (b) April 1989 to March 1990 in respect of (i) community care grants, (ii) budgeting loans and (iii) crisis loans, relating to decisions made by each of the local offices in Leeds; and how many of these applications for social fund inspectors' review resulted in (1) decisions substituted by the social fund inspectors, (2) decisions referred back to the social fund office and (3) decisions confirmed by the social fund inspector.

  Mr. Scott
  I am advised by the Social Fund Commissioner that the table represents the total number of applications for review received at the office of the social fund inspectors from the Department's offices in Leeds. The social fund inspectors have reached decisions in 27 cases for the first year and 79 cases for the second year.
  733

  Budget loans

  Crisis loans

  Community care grants

  LEEDS EAST

  11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  Received

  2

  0

  2

  Confirmed

  1

  0

  0

  Referred back

  1

  0

  2

  Substituted

  0

  0

  0

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  Received

  8

  0

  7

  Confirmed

  1

  0

  0

  Referred back

  6

  0

  5

  Substituted

  0

  0

  0

  LEEDS NORTH-WEST

  11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  Received

  8

  0

  6

  Confirmed

  1

  0

  2

  Referred Back

  3

  0

  1

  Substituted

  1

  0

  1

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  Received

  12

  0

  19

  Confirmed

  1

  0

  2

  Referred Back

  9

  0

  13

  Substituted

  0

  0

  2

  LEEDS NORTH

  11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  Received

  3

  0

  3

  Confirmed

  1

  0

  2

  Referred Back

  1

  0

  0

  Substituted

  0

  0

  0

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  Received

  7

  1

  14

  Confirmed

  3

  1

  0

  Referred Back

  4

  0

  11

  Substituted

  0

  0

  0

  LEEDS SOUTH

  11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  Received

  2

  1

  3

  Confirmed

  1

  0

  1

  Referred Back

  0

  0

  1

  Substituted

  0

  1

  0

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  Received

  5

  3

  5

  Confirmed

  0

  1

  4

  Referred Back

  3

  1

  1

  Substituted

  0

  1

  0

  LEEDS WEST

  11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  Received

  6

  0

  0

  Confirmed

  2

  0

  0

  Referred Back

  4

  0

  0

  Substituted

  0

  0

  0

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  Received

  6

  2

  4

  Confirmed

  2

  0

  1

  Referred Back

  2

  1

  2

  Substituted

  0

  1

  1

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide for each of the local offices in the Leeds metropolitan district comparable information to that provided in his answer of 6 July to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn),Official Report, column 721, for the years (a) 1985–86, (b) 1986–87, (c) 1987–88, (d) 1988–89 and (e) 1989–90.
  734
  Mr. Scott
  The table shows the comparative expenditure for the Department's offices in Leeds as reckoned by the gross domestic product deflator.

  Expenditure (£ thousands)

  Leeds South

  1985–86 single payments

  903

  1986–87 single payments

  689

  1987–88 single payments

  323

  1988–89 social fund

  Gross

  273

  Net

  102

  1989–90 social fund

  Gross

  277

  Net

  108

  Leeds North

  1985–86 single payments

  2,984

  1986–87 single payments

  2,215

  1987–88 single payments

  854

  1988–89 social fund

  Gross

  768

  Net

  425

  1989–90 social fund

  Gross

  804

  Net

  371

  Leeds North West

  1985–86 single payments

  725

  1986–87 single payments

  691

  1987–88 single payments

  522

  1988–89 social fund

  Gross

  340

  Net

  188

  1989–90 social fund

  Gross

  443

  Net

  212

  Leeds East

  1985–86 single payments

  1,272

  1986–87 single payments

  1,088

  1987–88 single payments

  793

  1988–89 social fund

  Gross

  685

  Net

  322

  1989–90 social fund

  Gross

  674

  Net

  313

  Leeds West

  1985–86 single payments

  1,076

  1986–87 single payments

  797

  1987–88 single payments

  453

  1988–89 social fund

  Gross

  337

  Net

  163

  1989–90 social fund

  Gross

  364

  Net

  156

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if his Department has considered research conducted by the university of Lancaster for the Social Security Research Consortium on the effects of the social fund in responding to the needs of claimants in Strathclyde; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Yes. The research was based on a small localised sample that only reflects the first year of the scheme. The conclusions it reaches are unlikely to be typical of the current operation of the social fund.

  We have commissioned major independent research which is being conducted by the university of York's social policy research unit, to examine whether the social fund is meeting its objectives.
  735
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what extra social fund resources have been available to each social security office in Glasgow since 1 July.

  Mr Scott
  Details of all additional allocations to local offices since 1 July 1990 were placed in the Library on 3 September. There have been no further allocations since 3 September.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each social security office in Glasgow the numbers of social fund applications(a) submitted and (b) rejected on grounds of insufficient priority, since 1 July in each of the categories (i) grants, (ii) budget loans and (iii) crisis loans.

  Mr. Scott
  The information given in the table represents the number of applications and the number which were refused on grounds of insufficient priority, within each category, since 1 July 1990.

  Note: The figures given relate to the period 1 July to 30 September 1990 only.

  Glasgow social security offices

  Budgeting loans

  Crisis loans

  Community care grants

  Anniesland

  Applications made

  1,427

  570

  845

  Applications rejected

  54

  0

  23

  Bridgeton

  Applications made

  1,070

  745

  821

  Applications rejected

  72

  2

  31

  City

  Applications made

  1,030

  488

  787

  Applications rejected

  42

  0

  42

  Craigton

  Applications made

  1,150

  739

  761

  Applications rejected

  5

  0

  16

  Cranstonhill

  Applications made

  266

  771

  228

  Applications rejected

  89

  0

  0

  Laurieston

  Applications made

  1,124

  686

  623

  Applications rejected

  1

  1

  0

  Maryhill

  Applications made

  965

  574

  625

  Applications rejected

  30

  0

  10

  Partick

  Applications made

  682

  433

  360

  Applications rejected

  83

  1

  14

  Provan

  Applications made

  2,359

  844

  1,372

  Applications rejected

  132

  1

  55

  Rutherglen

  Applications made

  2,082

  1,041

  1,085

  Applications rejected

  160

  1

  41

  Shettlestone

  Applications made

  1,563

  416

  871

  Applications rejected

  34

  0

  79

  South Side

  Applications made

  1,692

  921

  953

  Applications rejected

  292

  2

  91

  Springburn

  736

  Budgeting loans

  Crisis loans

  Community care grants

  Applications made

  1,904

  1,188

  1,404

  Applications rejected

  101

  3

  103

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he is considering to establish a departmental or private agency for the pursuit and recovery of social fund loans and income support overpayments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We have no plans for the establishment of a separate agency for the pursuit and recovery of social fund loans and income support overpayments. Such work will become a responsibility of the Benefits Agency after its inception in April 1991.

  Social Security Commissioners
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average cost to his Department of an appeal to the social security commissioners.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The office of the chief adjudication officer, which is funded by the Department of Social Security, is responsible for processing appeals to the Commissioners. The most recent estimate of the total average cost of the work involved, which has been provided by the chief adjudication officer, is about £2,000. However, the cost is being recalculated and I will write to the hon. Member again when this information becomes available.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has to why the necessary claims forms and assessment forms were not available on 1 October for obtaining attendance allowance under the new rules for people who are terminally ill; how many persons he estimates experienced delays as a result; who was responsible for the failure to provide the necessary forms on time; and what actions he has taken to remedy these problems.

  Mr. Scott
  The new forms for use by people claiming attendance allowance on grounds of terminal illness were distributed to local offices on 11 September. Supplies were also sent to carers' organisations and welfare rights groups by 22 September. The report forms for use by doctors were distributed during September and all GPs and other doctors likely to need them should have had access to one by 1 October.

  Some delays in the distribution of these forms did occur due to a breakdown in communication between the Department and HMSO. Special arrangements were made to enable people to get supplies urgently and to ensure that claimants do not lose benefit due to delay in obtaining a form.

  Pensions
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the value of the state retirement pension for (i) a single person and (ii) a married couple for each of the years 1980 to 1990, if it had been uprated in line with average earnings or increase in prices, whichever was the higher.
  737
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  It should be noted that such a link would attract a consequent increase in the national insurance contribution. It is estimated that the necessary increase in the contribution rate to support the additional cost in 1990 would be 1·25 per cent. and 1·45 per cent. on the basic rate of employees and employers contributions respectively; increasing them to 10·25 per cent. and 11·9 per cent. respectively. This would have meant for example a contribution increase for an employee on average earnings of £3·18 per week, together with an additional contribution of £4·35 per week for his employer.

  Standard rate RP increased by RPI or earnings since 1980

  Uprating date

  Single person

  Married couple

  November 1980

  27·45

  44·00

  November 1981

  30·75

  49·30

  November 1982

  33·30

  53·40

  November 1983

  36·20

  58·05

  November 1984

  38·05

  61·00

  November 1985

  41·40

  66·35

  July 1986

  43·70

  70·05

  April 1987

  45·60

  73·15

  April 1988

  49·20

  78·95

  April 1989

  53·45

  85·75

  April 1990

  58·65

  94·05

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average weekly amount received, by quintile groups, by retirement pensioners from occupational pensions.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 25 July at columns 305–10.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Sri Lanka
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will make representations to the Government of Sri Lanka to accept an immediate ceasefire in the civil war and a return to negotiations with mediation by the United Nations Secretary General.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Since the latest outbreak of fighting the Sri Lankan Government have twice proposed a ceasefire. The Tamil terrorists "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam" have rejected these proposals on both occasions. In the circumstances, representations would not be appropriate.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities are currently banned by the Antarctic treaty; and what information he has in respect of breaches of banned practices by any of the treaty parties since 1961.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Under the Antarctic treaty the following are prohibited:any measure of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military manoeuvres, as well as the testing of any type of weapon;
  738
  any nuclear explosions and the disposal there of radioactive waste material.

  None of the inspections carried out in accordance with article VII of the Antarctic treaty has indicated that there have been any breaches of these provisions of the treaty.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from Greenpeace concerning the 1989–90 Greenpeace Antarctic expedition to the abandoned British bases B and G and to Rothera base; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We have received from Greenpeace a copy of its report on its Antarctic expedition between September 1989 and March 1990, which included visits to the British bases mentioned.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what total number of representations his Department has received from hon. Members and the public regarding Antarctic conservation.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We have received more than 1,400.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the activities which are regulated by the Antarctic treaty system.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Antarctic treaty system has adopted 186 recommendations, the agreed measures for the conservation of Antarctic flora and fauna, plus three separate conventions:The convention for the conservation of Antarctic seals, the convention for the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources and the convention for the regulation of Antarctic mineral resource activities.

  The specific activities which are regulated are set out in those documents, copies of which I have placed in the Library of the House. To list those activities separately would involve disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what documents he has received from Wildlife Link regarding the conservation of the Antarctic; and it he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We have received a Wildlife Link draft report dated 18 July entitled "Comments on the various proposals for improved Antarctic environmental protection".

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which government departments are to be represented on the delegation to the consultative meeting of Antarctic treaty parties in November.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Present intentions are that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Departments of Energy, Environment and Trade and Industry will be represented.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the agreements, conventions and recommendations agreed by the Antarctic treaty parties since 1961.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Apart from the Antarctic treaty itself, three Conventions have been concluded and form part of the Antarctic treaty system: the convention for the
  739
  Conservation of Antarctic seals of 1972 (Cmnd. 7209), the convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources of 1980 (Cmnd. 8714), and the convention on the regulation of Antarctic mineral resource activities of 1988 (Cm. 634). In addition, in pursuance of the Antarctic treaty, the parties thereto have concluded the agreed measures for the conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora (set out in schedule 2 to the Antarctic Treaty Act 1967) as well as 186 recommendations. A list of the recommendations has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the statutes, statutory instruments and the statutory rules and orders which implement the United Kingdom's obligations arising from the Antarctic treaty and the consultative meetings of the parties to the treaty.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The relevant statutes and statutory instruments currently in force are the following:

  Antarctic Treaty Act 1967

  The Antarctic Treaty Order in Council 1962 (SI 1962/401)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Specially Protected Areas) Order 1968 (SI 1968/889)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Specially Protected Species) Order 1968 (SI 1968/889)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Specially Protected Area) Order 1971 (SI 1971/1236)

  The Conservation of Antarctic Mammals and Birds (High Seas) Order 1973 (SI 1973/1755)

  The Antarctic Treaty Act 1967 (Isle of Man) Order 1970 (SI 1970/1436)

  The Antarctic Treaty Act 1967 (Channel Islands) Order 1974 (SI 1974/1109)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Specially Protected Areas) Order 1977 (SI 1977/1235)

  The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (Immunities and Privileges) Order 1981 (SI 1981/1108)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Agreed Measures) Order 1988 (SI 1988/586)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Specially Protected Areas) Order 1988 (SI 1988/587)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Agreed Measures) (No. 2) Order 1988 (SI 1988/1296)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Amendment) Order 1989 (SI 1989/841)

  The Antarctic Treaty (Contracting Parties) Order 1990 (SI 1990/989)

  The Antarctic Treaty Act 1967 (Isle of Man) (Variation) Order 1990 (SI 1990/1198)

  Nuclear Power
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what extra expenditure has been incurred by his Department in 1990–91 following the assumption of responsibility for that part of the United Kingdom mission in Vienna which deals with the International Atomic Energy Agency; and what changes to his Department's cash limits have been made in consequence of the change in responsibilities.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The estimated cost to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of assuming responsibility for that part of the United Kingdom mission in Vienna which deals with the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1990–91 is £200,000. Subject to parliamentary approval, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cash limits for class 2 vote 1 and its running cost limits will be increased in due course.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any discussions have 740
  taken place with his counterpart in the People's Republic of China on the provision of radioactive waste management technology from the United Kingdom to the Daya Bay nuclear installation in the People's Republic of China.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  No such discussions have taken place.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the United States and the USSR about the developing of nuclear weapons by the Democratic Republic of North Korea.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not personally discussed North Korea's nuclear programme with his American or Russian counterparts. However, as I made clear in my speech to the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) review conference, we are concerned at North Korea's failure to conclude a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, pursuant to her obligations under article III of the NPT. British officials have raised this subject on several occasions in the appropriate fora.

  Brazil
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Brazilian Government; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last met a representative of the Brazilian Government in the course of the meeting between European Community Foreign Ministers and representatives of the Rio Group in New York on 27 September, when discussion concentrated on measures to strengthen relations between the two regions.

  Italy
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his Italian counterpart; what discussion took place relating to the Italian presidency of the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met the Italian Foreign Minister during the informal meeting of EC Foreign Ministers on 6–7 October in Asolo, Italy. They had discussions on a wide range of European Community issues. They meet frequently and shall do so again shortly during the President of Italy's state visit later this month.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the decision to prosecute demonstrators in Hong Kong for using loud hailers without prior permission.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The cases in question are still sub judice, pending the hearing of an appeal lodged by the five
  741
  convicted persons. The charges were brought under Hong Kong laws and at the decision of the Hong Kong Attorney-General. It is for the Hong Kong Government to handle these cases in accordance with Hong Kong law.

  British Embassy, Washington
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff from the Civil Aviation Authority are attached to the embassy in Washington; and what are their grades and functions.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  A member of the staff of the Civil Aviation Authority serves on secondment to the embassy as civil air attach-eacute;. This post is graded at DS4 (equivalent to HCS5). The civil air attach-eacute;s functions are as follows:

  (i) to ensure that CAA senior management is kept aware of FAA policy and technological developments in respect of air traffic services, aviation safety regulation and related research and development

  (ii) to foster and develop further an harmonious relationship between the CAA and FAA based on mutual respect;

  (iii) to provide technical information to the CAA on FAA intentions and programmes, to ensure compatibility on subsequent international approaches, and to minimise nugatory effort by the CAA;

  (iv) to ensure that the CAA and FAA are each aware of any potential interactions of their policy decisions;

  (v) to advise FAA of CAA interests and to ensure these are adequately considered in the formation of FAA policy;

  (vi) to act as a focal point for CAA enquiries on technical issues at the working level; and

  (vii) to advise HM Ambassador on matters relating to air traffic services and the safety regulation of civil aviation operations.

  Middle East
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role Her Majesty's Government are playing in the middle east peace process.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary is making clear during his present visit to Egypt, Israel and the Occupied Territories our strong support for new efforts to relaunch the middle east peace process, once the Gulf crisis is over. The recent killings in Jerusalem have tragically underlined the need to find a just and lasting solution which combines Palestinian self-determination and secure borders for the state of Israel.

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about diplomatic links with Afghanistan, particularly in regard to staffing arrangements in Kabul.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  British diplomats were withdrawn from Kabul in February 1989. It is too early to say when they will return. The Afghan Embassy in London continues to operate under a chargé d'affaires.

  Toxic Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he last met his European Community colleagues to discuss the export, movement and disposal of toxic wastes to and from third countries, including developing countries; and if he will make a statement.
  742
  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The EC Environment Council will consider a proposal for Community and member states' ratification of the convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal (known as the Basel convention), under which parties to the convention shall not permit the export of toxic waste to parties which have prohibited the import of such waste. The fourth Lomé convention signed in December 1989 (and currently in the process of being ratified) has provisions prohibiting the direct or indirect export of Community waste to ACP states.

  Members of Parliament (Assize)
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what status will be given to any resolutions proposed or made at the forthcoming assize between Members of the European Parliament and Members of the United Kingdom Parliament.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We understand that the parliamentary conference of the European Community (as the assizes are now called) will probably conclude with a communiqué. This will not be binding on the inter-governmental conference. We will follow the proceedings with interest.

  Gulf Energy Resources
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on(a) the productive capacity of the oilfields in (i) Kuwait and (ii) Iraq and (b) the proven reserves of petroleum and natural gas in both Iraq and Kuwait.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Crude oil production capacities are estimated to be as follows: Kuwait 2·3 million barrels a day; Iraq 3·5 million barrels a day. Proven reserves of oil as at 31 December 1989 were as follows: Kuwait 94,500 million barrels; Iraq 100,000 million barrels. Proven reserves of natural gas as at 31 December 1989 were as follows: Kuwait 1·4 trillion (million million) cubic metres; Iraq 2·7 trillion cubic metres.

  Kuwait Oil
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the output of Kuwait oil refineries and the export of petroleum products prior to the invasion on an annual basis.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Kuwait oil refinery production and exports 1984–88 (the most recent available figures) were as follows (all figures in thousands of barrels per day):

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Production

  478·9

  566·5

  599·0

  619·0

  653·1

  Exports

  394·9

  492·9

  525·0

  553·0

  635·0

  In 1987, the latest year for which detailed figures are available, the breakdown of production by product was as follows:

  Barrels1

  Gasoline

  34·0

  Kerosene

  68·1

  Distillate fuels

  132·5

  743

  Barrels1

  Residual fuels

  276·7

  Others

  107·7

  1 All figures in thousands of barrels per day.

  Source: OPEC

  Kuwait (Desalination Plants)
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the impact on the operation of desalination plants in Kuwait as a result of reduced gas availability in the current crisis.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Unfortunately, we have no authoritative information available on this point.

  Iraq (Sanctions)
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that sanctions against Iraq are not breached by the maintenance of air transport links.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Security Council resolution 670, adopted on 25 September, is designed to ensure that the embargo against Iraq is not breached by means of air transport. The resolution confirms that Security Council resolution 661 applies to all means of transport, including aircraft; requires all States to deny take-off rights to any aircraft carrying cargo other than food in humanitarian circumstances or medical supplies; and requires all States to deny overflight rights to aircraft destined for Iraq or Kuwait unless such aircraft land for inspection, have been approved by the sanctions committee, or are carrying supplies intended for UN forces. A number of aircraft have already landed for inspection under the terms of the resolution.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Gulf (UN Resolutions)
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the resolutions of the Security Council 660 to 665 with a brief analysis of the purpose of each, indicating how many of the resolutions were unanimous and upon which the Yemen and Cuba abstained.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The table shows the voting on each of the Security Council resolutions so far adopted on Iraq and Kuwait:

  Resolution No.

  Subject

  Voting

  SCR 660 (adopted 2 August)

  Condemned invasion and called for immediate and unconditional Iraqi withdrawal.

  14 votes for: 0 abstentions: 0 against. Yemen absent.

  SCR 661 (6 August)

  Imposed sanctions.

  13: 2: 0. Yemen and Cuba abstained.

  SCR 662 (9 August)

  Decided annexation of Kuwait by Iraq null and void.

  15: 0: 0.

  SCR 664 (18 August)

  Reaffirmed rights of third state nationals, including the right to leave.

  15: 0: 0.

  SCR 665 (25 August)

  Authorised measures to halt shipping in order to inspect and verify cargoes.

  13: 2: 0. Yemen and Cuba abstained.

  SCR 666 (13 September)

  Established system to permit food imports to Iraq and Kuwait in humanitarian circumstances.

  13: 0: 2. Yemen and Cuba voted against.

  SCR 667 (16 September)

  Condemned Iraqi attacks against diplomatic premises and personnel.

  15: 0: 0.

  SCR 669 (24 September)

  Called on Sanctions Committee to consider requests for economic assistance under article 50 of UN charter.

  15: 0: 0.

  SCR 670 (25 September)

  Measures to tighten air embargo and detain or deny entry to Iraqi-registered ships breaching sanctions.

  14:0:1. Cuba voted against.

  EC Programmes
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will tabulate in the Official Report in alphabetical or topic sequence the past or current programmes of the European Community, denoted by acronyms where applicable, showing for each (a) its approved cost, (b) its period of operation, (c) the approximate contribution of the United Kingdom and (d) the category and number of bodies or institutions in the United Kingdom participating.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at 746
  disproportionate cost. Most of the information sought by the hon. Member is available in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

  Hungary
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by Her Majesty's Government in helping Hungary's economic and political development.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The know-how fund for Hungary started in April. It is already running some 60 projects on the basis of priorities agreed with the Hungarians. We are involved in nine projects under the EC PHARE Programme and have taken a lead in promoting the speedy negotiation of an EC/Hungary Association agreement. The United Kingdom also participates in international financial assistance to Hungary.

  European Political Union
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he is making in preparation for the intergovernmental conferences in December, with particular reference to the issue of political union.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress he is making in preparation for the intergovernmental conferences in December, with particular reference to the issue of political union.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  EC Foreign and Finance Ministers discussed preparations for the intergovernmental conferences at their recent meetings and will report to the Special European Council in Rome on 27 and 28 October.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he is making in preparation for the inter-governmental conferences in December, with particular reference to the issue of political union.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  EC Foreign and Finance Ministers discussed preparations for the inter-governmental conferences at their recent meetings and will report to the Special European Council in Rome on 27–28 October.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Kashmir.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We remain concerned about the situation in Kashmir and welcome the discussions between India and Pakistan on ways of reducing tension. We hope these will result in progress on confidence building measures, and allow the wider issues involved to be tackled in the spirit of the 1972 Simla agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan.

  Central and Eastern Europe (Visas)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the easing of visa restrictions between the United Kingdom and the states of eastern and central Europe.
  747
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have received many such representations from hon. Members and members of the public. I am glad to say that visa abolition agreements have been concluded with Czechoslovakia and Hungary, and took effect on 1 October 1990. We are keeping the situation regarding the other countries of eastern and central Europe under review. There are no plans at present for further visa abolition agreements, but where possible requirements have been eased, for example by extending the validity of multiple entry visas.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in improving the service provided to visa applicants by the British Embassy in Warsaw.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The visa section in Warsaw has now succeeded in clearing the backlog that arose from the surge in applications this summer (about 30 per cent. higher than last year). Applicants are normally seen on their day of arrival and, provided they meet the requirements of the immigration rules, receive their visas that day.

  Procedures have been streamlined. Greater authority has been delegated to issue visas without reference to London. The period within which single entry visas may be used has been extended from three to six months. Multiple entry visas have been extended in validity from six months to two years, and are now available to businessmen and other travellers with a genuine need to visit the United Kingdom frequently.

  The Polish authorities have been asked to help in an urgent search for more adequate premises. Meanwhile plans are under way to install a temporary waiting room and expand interview facilities to improve comfort and speed processing of applicants. This will also enable us to reinforce the visa section further.

  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the length of time taken to process a visa application for entry into the United Kingdom for short-term visits from(a) Hungary, (b) Romania, (c) Poland and (d) Czechoslavakia; if he has any proposals to improve this performance; and what are the comparable times for the processing of visa applications from these countries to other members of the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Since 1 October 1990, Czechoslovak and Hungarian nationals visiting the United Kingdom no longer require visas. There are intergovernmental arrangements with Poland and Romania laying down target processing times for visas. For short visits the timescales are 14 working days for Poland (seven working days for officially sponsored applicants) and seven working days for Romania. We normally meet those targets. The great majority of applicants at both embassies now receive their visas within 24 hours and many on the day of application. We have sent additional staff to Warsaw and Bucharest and introduced new procedures to streamline visa issuing. Comparable times (where available) for processing applications from Polish and Romanian nationals visiting other European Community countries are: Belgium one to two weeks; Denmark 15 days; France 21 days (but 24 hours for Poles under 25 years); Germany 24 hours; Greece one week; Italy 15–30 days; Netherlands about five days to one month; Spain two weeks.

  Romania
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet his Romanian counterpart to discuss the plight of Romanian orphans.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met the Romanian Foreign Minister in New York on 1 October and has no further plans to meet him in the near future. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is organising and partly funding a visit to Romania by Department of Health and Home Office officials to discuss how the situation can be improved.

  British Hostages (Beirut)
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards the release of British hostages held in Beirut.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We resumed diplomatic relations with Iran on 27 September. Both sides felt that our outstanding bilateral problems, including that of the British hostages in Lebanon, would be more easily resolved with diplomatic relations. Iran, which played a decisive and helpful role in the release of Mr. Brian Keenan in August, has undertaken publicly to use her humanitarian influence to achieve the release of hostages in Lebanon. We shall urge the Iranian Government to persevere in their efforts until the British hostages, Mr. Jack Mann, Mr. John McCarthy and Mr. Terry Waite, are freed.

  Viraj Mendis
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made any representations to the West German Government following their decision to allow Viraj Mendis to settle in the Federal Republic.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We have made no such representations.

  Fishing (South Atlantic)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the approach of the Falkland Islands Government to the Japanese Government over fishing in the south Atlantic.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making about squid fishing and related fishing matters in the south Atlantic, to the Governments of Korea and Japan, as a result of the recent Falkland Islands Government delegation to Tokyo.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Following a visit by a Falkland Islands Government (FIG) delegation to Tokyo to meet far eastern fishing associations, we reinforced to the Japanese and Korean authorities the delegation's message abut the importance of fisheries conservation in the south west Atlantic. Such Government to Government contacts are properly a matter for Her Majesty's Government rather than FIG, although the latter are fully consulted about such contacts.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar, all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Our officials are being reminded of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.

  USSR (Visas)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russians on behalf of Leonid Belopolsky of Kiev and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We can certainly raise the case of Leonid Belopolsky and his family with the Soviet authorities, but in order to make our representations as effective as possible we shall need further details.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russians on behalf of Anatoly Butov of Bendery and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We can certainly raise the case of Anatoly Butov and his family with the Soviet authorities, but in order to make our representations as effective as possible we shall need further details.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russians on behalf of Alexander Borodyansky of Kiev and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have made numerous representations to the Soviet authorites about this case, most recently during the CSCE conference on the human dimension in Copenhagen in June. We shall continue to press until it is satisfactorily resolved.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Boris Zolotarevsky and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  These cases have now been added to the list of those on which we make regular representations to the Soviet authorities. We shall not let up until there is a satisfactory outcome.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Irina Voronkevich, a pensioner from Moscow, in her efforts to obtain an exit visa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have raised the case of Mrs Voronkevich with the Soviet authorities on a number of occasions. I understand that she has recently been granted permission to visit her family in Israel, she has not yet been given permission to emigrate.
  750
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Liev Frenklakh and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (2) representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Rosa Frelikh and her family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (3) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Leonid Chulsky of Moscow and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (4) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Anatoly Brenner of Moscow and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (5) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Raisa Tarasova of Moscow and her family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We can certainly raise these cases with the Soviet authorities, but in order to make our representations most effective we shall need further details.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Vladimir Tsivkin of Leningrad and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We raised Mr Tsivkin's case on a number of occasions with the Soviet authorities. I understand that he has now left Leningrad to join his wife and daughter in the United States.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Lev Milman and Lia Krichman and their family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (2) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Boris Tsireleson and his mother Esther in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (3) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Anatoly Gennis and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (4) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Irina Sokolova and Mikhail Lidsky and their family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (5) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Roman Bekker of Lvov and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa;

  (6) what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Evgeny Pizarevsky of Leningrad and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  These cases are all among those on which we regularly press the Soviet authorities, most recently when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited the Soviet Union from 11–14 September. We shall not let up until there is a satisfactory outcome.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Soviet Union on behalf of Emil Kunin and his family in their efforts to obtain an exit visa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  These cases have now been added to the list of those on which we make regular representations to the Soviet authorities. We shall not let up until there is a satisfactory outcome.

  Bophuthatswana
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any of his officials have visited Bophuthatswana in the last year.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Staff from our diplomatic Posts in South Africa pay regular visits to all parts of the country, including Bophuthatswana.

  Vietnam
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is he will list those EEC countries which support British objections to diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the EEC.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Following agreement by the Vietnamese Government to accept back those Vietnamese who have not been accorded refugee status in other countries, we have informed our Community partners that we would welcome the renewal of formal diplomatic relations between the Community and Vietnam.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about Vietnamese money blocked in British bank accounts; and what are the obstacles to its release.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 23 July 1990]: According to the Bank of England's Quarterly Bulletin of May 1990, at 29 December 1989 Vietnamese deposits with banks and other financial institutions in the United Kingdom stood at US$18 million. The Government have not imposed a freeze on Vietnamese assets in the United Kingdom.

  Live Animals (Burning)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic representations have been made in respect of the burning of live animals in transit in France from the United Kingdom; and what responses he has received.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Both my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs have taken this up with our French counterparts. The French authorities have condemned the use of violence, initiated legal proceedings and are taking necessary police action. They have also undertaken to secure compensation.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigations the Embassy in Paris has instigated into the burning of live animals from the United Kingdom while in transit in France; and what information he now has available.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Her Majesty's embassy in Paris had repeatedly made clear the concern of the British authorities about all recent incidents affecting British exporters and hauliers. It will remain in the closest touch with the French authorities.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agirculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what investigations he has instigated into the burning of live animals from the United Kingdom while in transit in France; and what information he now has available;
  752
  (2) what representations he has made in respect of the burning of live animals in transit in France from the United Kingdom; and what response he has received.

  Mr. Curry
  My colleagues and I have made it clear to the French Government that we thoroughly deplore all recent incidents in France involving attacks on imported lamb, beef and live sheep.

  I have also raised the matter in the Council of Agriculture Ministers. The incident involving the burning of live animals was particularly abhorrent. The French Government, who are responsible for investigating these incidents, have emphasised their determination to maintain law and order, to take action against those concerned, and to compensate for damages sustained. I understand that a number of people have been charged in respect of the incident involving the burning of live sheep at Thouars.

  Western Sahara
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the United Kingdom's role in resolving the western Saharan conflict.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have no direct role to play in resolving the dispute over the western Sahara. However as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council we have consistently supported the UN Secretary General in his efforts to arrange a free and fair referendum to determine the territory's future.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations Her Majesty's Government has made to the Moroccan government on the subject of Moroccan abuses of human rights in the occupied territories of the western Sahara.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Moroccan authorities are well aware of our condemnation of human rights abuses, no matter where they occur.

  Iraq and Kuwait (Telephone Inquiries)
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many calls have been made on the premium-rate telephone system set up for families to make inquiries about relatives trapped in Iraq and Kuwait; how much in total has been received at the latest available date from British Telecom as the Foreign Office's share of the premium tariff; and how much British Telecom receives as its share of the agreement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A total of 38,699 calls were received between 8 August, when the system was introduced, and 3 October when it was discontinued and replaced by a freefone facility. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's share of the premium tariff was £8,136, of which so far £4,000 has been given to the Gulf Support Group for accommodation costs.

  It is not the policy of British Telecom to divulge details of their share of revenue accruing from individual agreements.

  Live Animals (Export)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list his Department's responsibilities in relation to the export of live animals purely for slaughter.
  753
  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Responsibility for controls on the export of live animals, including those exported for slaughter, rests with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  EC Presidency (Speech)
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the dates on which and means used whereby a full transcript of the speech of the Italian Foreign Minister, President of the Foreign Affairs and General Council of the European Community outlining the programme and policies of the Italian presidency of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 11 July was made available in the United Kingdom(a) in Italian and (b) in English; and what steps were taken to circulate and publicise either.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Italian Foreign Minister's speech, with an English summary, was passed to the Select Committee for European Legislation on 16 July, and was discussed fully when my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs appeared before the Committee on 18 July. It is not the responsibility of the British Government to publicise speeches made by representatives of other member states in Strasbourg.

  Iraq
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library details of official responses by Her Majesty's Government to(a) the use of Iraqi troops of chemical weapons against their own citizens and (b) the Iraqi invasion of Iran.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions, and when, since 1979 Her Majesty's Government has protested at the use by Iraq of chemical weapons(a) internally and (b) in the war between Iran and Iraq.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have repeatedly condemned in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons by Iraq both during the Iran-Iraq war and against their own Kurdish population. As an illustration, I would refer the hon. Member to the following Hansard references:

  Date of protest (if known)

  Hansard reference

  5 April 1984

  HC 30 April 1984, Vol. 59 col. 43

  29 March 1985

  HC 24 April 1985, Vol. 77 col. 442

  24 September 1986

  HC 3 December 1986, Vol. 106 col. 928–9

  "Recently" (October 1987)

  HC 28 October 1987, Vol. 121 col. 265

  2 September 1988

  HC 27 October 1988, Vol. 139 col. 410

  21 September 1988

  4–8 November 1988

  HC 10 November 1988, Vol. 140 col. 268–69

  "Recent" (February 1989)

  HC 20 February 1989, Vol. 147 col. 368–69

  In particular, we sponsored United Nations Security Council resolution 620 in August 1988 condemning the use of chemical weapons in the Iran-Iraq conflict. At the Paris
  754
  conference on chemical weapons 7–11 January 1989 I specifically referred to the full horror of the use of chemical weapons in the Iran/Iraq war and the compelling evidence of the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds. Following Iraq's right of reply we made public the evidence on which this was based.

  In response to Iraq's invasion of Iran, the United Kingdom voted in favour of Security Council resolution 479, which was adopted unanimously on 28 September 1980. A copy of the resolution is available in the Library of the House.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to inform all relations of hostages of the telephone and telex numbers of the British embassy in Baghdad.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The British embassy's telephone and telex numbers are (Baghdad code: 010 964 1) 5372121 and 213414 respectively. This information is published in standard reference works available in most public libraries. It is also available by telephone inquiry to the FCO Helpline on 071–430–9920/21.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what class of post is used for forwarding hostages' mail to their families when it arrives in London.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Mail forwarded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is sent by first class post.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iraqi Government about their continued refusal to release Mr. Alistair Ross of 19 Lidfield road, Stoke Newington N16 9NA; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The plight of those detained in Iraq is a matter of great concern to us. Representations are continuously being made in Baghdad and in London.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he is doing to ensure Red Cross or Red Crescent access to the British hostages in Iraq.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Iraq has a clear obligation under international law to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to exercise its humanitarian mandate. The ICRC continues to seek access to foreign nationals in Iraq and Kuwait but Iraq has denied this. We continue to give the ICRC our full support.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what he is doing to ensure diplomatic access to the hostages in Iraq.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have made and will continue to make frequent and vigorous representations in Baghdad and London for access to British nationals held in Iraq. The Iraqis have rejected all such applications.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he is doing to ensure continued(a) postal, (b) telephonic and (c) telex contact between British hostages in Iraq and their friends and relatives in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
  755
  Mr. Waldegrave
  We and our Embassy in Baghdad are doing everything possible to ensure that British nationals detained in Iraq can remain in contact with their relatives and friends here.

  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the economic measures that have now been taken by each of the member states of the Council of Europe to enforce effective sanctions against Iraq.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The 33 members of the Council of Europe which are also members of the United Nations are required to comply with the terms of Security Council resolutions 661, 665 and 670 which impose sanctions against Iraq. All except Liechtenstein have notified the Security Council of measures taken to implement SCR 661. Of the remaining two countries, Switzerland and San Marino, Switzerland has undertaken to observe sanctions and has notified the Security Council of measures taken.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Nigerian Government for assistance in training police or military personnel.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  At the request of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the United Kingdom has agreed to provide assistance in the training of Nigerian police officers. A joint project is currently being put together, supported by funds from the Overseas Development Administration's technical co-operation programme. The project involves the provision of a team of five British police officers as advisers to the Nigerian police force for two years. Nigerians have for many years attended a variety of military training courses in the United Kingdom. Training assistance is also provided in Nigeria.

  Kurdish People
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with representatives of the Kurdish people of(a) Iraq, (b) Iran, (c) Syria and (d) the Soviet Union since 1979.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There have been no formal discussions with any Kurdish groups or their representatives.

  Gulf (Human Rights)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Governments of(a) Kuwait, (b) Saudi Arabia and (c) the United Arab Emirates concerning the level of democracy and respect for human rights that pertain in those countries.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are well aware of the importance we attach to the observance of international human rights standards.

  Fiji
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has taken any recent steps to persuade the present Fijian Government to adopt a democratic constitution.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My noble Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made our view known to the interim Government of Fiji when he was there for an international meeting in March. We wish to see an early return to parliamentary democracy in Fiji under a constitution acceptable to all its peoples.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present position with regard to the development of tourism in the Falklands; and what part the new airport at Mount Pleasant has played in that development.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Falkland Islands Government are at present diversifying their current economic base of agriculture and fisheries into other areas such as tourism. The Falkland Islands Government have close links with United Kingdom based tour operators to encourage tourist groups to visit the Islands. Links are also being developed with Chile and Uruguay. The opening of the airport at Mount Pleasant has facilitated visits by land-based groups who previously could not have visited the Falklands.

  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the position with regard to the purchase of large land holdings in the Falklands and their subsequent resale in smaller lots to owner occupiers.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  As recommended by Lord Shackleton's report in September 1982, the Falklands Islands Government have followed in recent years a policy of subdivision of large farms into smaller units. A total of 13 large farms have been divided to create 38 new farms. In eight years the number of individual farms has increased from 36 to 92. Further subdivision has been halted until the results of the previous subdivisions have been assessed fully.

  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals put forward by Lord Shackleton in 1982 have been implemented in the Falklands Islands and with what results.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Most of the recommendations made by Lord Shackleton and his team in September 1982 have been implemented, such as the establishment of a Falkland Islands Development Corporation, the subdivision of large farms, the development of agriculture and tourism industries, the establishment of a fisheries zone (of 150 miles but not the 200 recommended in the report) and the employment of a chief executive. Others, such as the provision of camp roads are in the process of being implemented. All the recommendations which have been implemented have had a positive effect on the islands' economy.

  Major Herbert Harwood (Arrest)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs what representations he has made to the Government in the Greek sector of Cyprus about the arrest of Major (Retd.) Herbert Norton Harwood; what age is the prisoner; what is the state of his health; whether he has been charged with any offence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Mr. Herbert Norton Harwood, a 77-year-old British national resident in Kyrenia, was arrested in Nicosia on 11 September 1990 and charged with photographing National Guard positions without permission. On 4 October 1990 he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. In consultation with his lawyer he is considering an appeal.

  He has received regular consular visits, most recently on 5 October 1990. He did not mention any health problems and appeared fit for his age. Nevertheless, the prison authorities have been reminded of the need to provide him with prompt medical treatment should he require it.

  We have made no representations to the Cyprus Government about Mr. Harwood.

  St. Helena (Airstrip)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there has been any progress in the establishment of an airstrip on St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We understand that the private company planning to build an airstrip on St. Helena is currently seeking financial backing for the project. We welcome all measures which will improve St. Helena's transport links with the outside world. We have already financed the construction of a replacement ship which from later this year will continue to operate the Island's only regular link with the outside world, and we are considering other measures to reduce St. Helena's isolation.

  Cyprus
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the application by Cyprus to join the European Community relates to the whole island of Cyprus; whether he has spoken to the Government in the Greek sector about this application; whether he has spoken to the Government in the Turkish sector about this application; whether the United Kingdom supported this application at the Council of Ministers' meeting in Brussels; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garet-Jones
  The application for European Community membership was submitted by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. The United Kingdom received representations from both the Government of Cyprus and the leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community. On 17 September, the Council referred the application to the Commission for its Opinion, a purely procedural act, in accordance with Article 237 of the EEC Treaties. In doing so, the Council reaffirmed its longstanding view that the benefits of relations with the European Community should extend to the whole population of the island.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 and 18 September.

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

  Ministers discussed the Iraq-Kuwait crisis. They reiterated their condemnation of Iraqi policies of aggression. In response to illegal acts against certain EC embassies in Kuwait, they decided to expel military personnel attached to Iraqi embassies and to limit the freedom of movement of other members of their staff. They reaffirmed their commitment to reinforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq.

  The Council discussed provision of short-term economic assistance to the countries most seriously affected by the strict implementation of the sanctions against Iraq, notably Egypt, Jordan and Turkey.

  The Council also approved 30 mecu additional emergency aid for the region and agreed that negotiations for an EC/GCC free trade agreement should start as soon as possible and that the Commission should start negotiations with Syria for a third financial protocol.

  The Council approved a regulation to extend economic aid to Czechoslovakia, GDR, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia in addition to Poland and Hungary. The Council also decided to remove quantitative restrictions on exports to the EC from Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, GDR, Yugoslavia and Romania. The Council asked the Commission to make preparations for the signature of the Community's Trade and Co-operation Agreement with Romania. The Council had a preliminary discussion of the Commission's paper on association agreements with east European countries and invited the Commission to conduct exploratory talks with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

  Ministers welcomed the continued progress towards German unification and the signature of the two-plus-four settlement. The Council considered the Commission's proposals for the integration of the former GDR territory into the Community, and adopted two interim measures governing the short period between unification and final adoption of the overall package.

  The Council confirmed the need to accelerate consideration of Commission proposals to strengthen the Community's Mediterranean policy. The United Kingdom encouraged a greater emphasis on reform of EC trade with the Mediterranean countries. The Council also had a first discussion of the proposed declaration on transatlantic relations. The Council received a progress report from the Commission on the negotiations between the EC and EFTA for the creation of the European Economic Area.

  In accordance with article 237 of the treaty of Rome, the Council referred the applications for EC membership received from Cyprus and Malta to the Commission for an Opinion. In the case of Cyprus, the Council reaffirmed its consistent position that the advantages of relations between the EC and the Republic of Cyprus should benefit the whole population of the island and its full support for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Cyprus.
  759
  Meetings of the EC-Israel and EC-Algeria co-operation councils were held in the margins of the Council.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Forestry
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, following the European Community report on forest damage in Europe, his Department intends to raise in the European Community the issue of forestry policy in England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland on 26 July at column 599.

  Mr. Benyon
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to forestry to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have been asked to reply.

  I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 12 November to Friday 16 November.

  Aflatoxin
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer in the Official Report, 18 July, column 612, if the consideration being given by the Food Advisory Committee to statutory limits of aflatoxin in nuts and nut products extends to nuts and nut products intended for consumption by wild birds.

  Mr. Maclean
  There are at present no plans to introduce statutory limits of aflatoxin in nuts and nut products for wild birds. My Department, along with that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, which has responsibility for the general protection of wild birds, is keeping the matter under close review.

  Equine Exports
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on how the United Kingdom laws restricting the export of horses and ponies are affected by current discussions in the Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  This subject has not yet been discussed in the Council of Ministers. As explained in the reply given to my hon. Friend on 26 June, we will be pressing to maintain controls on the export of horses and ponies.

  EC Budget
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest figure for the provision which has been made for expenditure relating to agriculture in the 1991 EEC Budget; and what was the estimate for 1990.
  760
  Mr. Curry
  The provisions for expendure relating to agriculture in the European Community's 1990 budget and 1991 draft budget are 30·3 billion ecu (£21·4 billion) and 33·4 billion ecu (£23·9 billion) respectively. In addition there is provision in each year for a monetary reserve of a further 1 billion ecu (£0·7 billion), which may be drawn on if unfavourable movements in the ecu : US dollar exchange rate cause an increase in expenditure on agricultural price support of more than 400 mecu (£286 million).

  Surplus Produce
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provision has been made in the 1991 EEC budget for the dumping and destruction of surplus food and wine.

  Mr. Curry
  The 1991 European Community draft budget provides for 854 million ecu (£610 million) of expenditure on the withdrawal of agricultural produce, not all of which is destroyed.

  Sheep
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much additional aid to farmers has been announced by the French Government following incidents involving British sheep and if this additional aid is subject to EEC approval.

  Mr. Curry
  On 31 August the French Government announced a package of national aid, costing some £120 million, giving immediate help to livestock farmers affected by the drought. A further package of aid to these farmers was announced on 26 September. This involves a three-year restructuring programme; the cost in the first year (1991) will be around £35 million. All national aids must be approved by the European Commission.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the price support system for sheep in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) France; how much is spent on such protection; and what price is guaranteed per pound for producers.

  Mr. Curry
  The sheep industry in the United Kingdom currently benefits under various support schemes, including particularly the sheep annual premium and the sheep variable premium: sheep producers in less-favoured areas also benefit from hill livestock compensatory allowances. These support payments are made under European Community schemes and, with the exception of sheep variable premium which is payable in Great Britain only and is to be phased out by the end of 1992 at the latest, are available in all member states. In 1989, sheep annual premium and sheep variable premium expenditure amounted to 423 million ecu in the United Kingdom and 196 million ecu in France. The 1990 basic price under the sheepmeat regime is 303·6p/kg (137·7p/lb), but this is subject to seasonal adjustment and the operation of the stabiliser mechanism.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what provision has been made for expenditure by his Department relating to agriculture in
  761
  the current financial year; and if he will publish a table showing the actual spending in each of the previous 10 years.

  Mr. Curry
  Provision for expenditure relating to agriculture in the current year is contained in the Supply estimates. Figures for the previous 10 years are available in the publication "Agriculture in the United Kingdom 1989" and in the annual review of agriculture White Papers. These publications are available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the level of direct expenditure in support of United Kingdom agriculture not extended via the European Community, in each of the last 20 years.

  Mr. Curry
  Details of agricultural support in the United Kingdom for the years 1985–86 to 1989–90 (forecast) are set out in the publication "Agriculture in the United Kingdom 1989". Figures for preceding years are contained in the annual review of agriculture White Papers. These publications are available in the Library of the House.

  Sheep Farmers
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what actions he proposes to take to safeguard the interests of British sheep farmers in the context of (a) falling prices for lamb, (b) threats of dumping from Ireland and (c) attacks on British lamb exports in France; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  I fully appreciate the difficulties faced by sheepmeat producers in this country as a result of a number of factors currently affecting the market. The Government already provide very substantial support to the sheep sector, and have been in constant touch with the French authorities to ensure that our exports flow freely and safely. I shall continue to watch the situation very carefully.

  Fishing (North-east)
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in respect of the review of the north-east coast salmon fishery; and when he expects the conclusions of the review to be published.

  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has published the results of the inquiry into the north-east coast drift net policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Under the terms of section 39 of the Salmon Act 1986, Ministers are required to carry out a review of salmon fishing on the east coast of Scotland and the north-east coast of England and to lay a report before Parliament as soon as practicable after November last year. The report, incorporating background information collected by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the Department will be submitted to Parliament as soon as possible.

  Dairy Products
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the relationship between Dairy Crest and the Milk Marketing Board.

  Mr. Curry
  We receive representations on this subject from organisations and individuals from time to time. The Department monitors the relationship between the Milk Marketing Board and its subsidiary Dairy Crest to ensure that the latter operates on an equal footing with independent dairy companies.

  Agricultural Exports (France)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken in respect of French attacks on agricultural exports from the United Kingdom; what further proposals he has to support the United Kingdom farming industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  My colleagues and I have taken every opportunity to make clear to the French authorities that everything possible should be done to ensure the safety of British drivers, livestock and vehicles, allowing our exports to flow freely and safely. The Government already provide very significant support for farmers, both nationally and through our membership of the European Community. I will continue to keep the situation of the agricultural industry under review.

  Livestock Industry
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to assist the livestock industry to encourage beef consumption; and what are the latest trends and figures.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Meat and Livestock Commission, which is financed by a statutory levy on the meat industry, is charged, among other tasks, with the promotion of the meat and livestock industry. The latest figure of beef consumption from the national food survey (which does not include beef consumed in restaurants or as processed products) covers the period from April to June 1990. In that period the average person in the United Kingdom consumed 5·13 ounces of beef and veal a week. This compares with 5·62 ounces a week in the same period last year.

  Mineral Hydrocarbons
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to introduce further controls on the use of mineral hydrocarbons in veterinary medicines, pesticides or food additives.

  Mr. Maclean
  Our intention to prohibit the remaining uses of mineral hydrocarbons in food following the advice of the Food Advisory Committee and the Committee on Toxicity was announced to the House on 9 February 1989, at column 781. Proposals to amend the Mineral Hydrocarbons in Food Regulations 1966 were subsequently issued for public comment. The comments received are currently under consideration and I shall make a further announcement on the outcome as soon as possible.
  763
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library the report of the committee on toxicology on mineral hydrocarbons.

  Mr. Maclean
  In this instance the Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) did not produce a report. Its findings were passed directly to the Food Advisory Committee, which in turn advised me of its recommendations. However, the considerations on which the COT based its advice were published in a consultation letter to interested parties on 9 February 1989. I have arranged for a copy of this letter to be lodged in the Library.

  Personal Data
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  My Department will take all necessary steps to ensure that new legislation or major computer applications wherein personal data, as defined by the Act, are used, will be drawn to the attention of the Data Protection Registrar, and his views sought, before the introduction of such legislation.

  The hon. Member will no doubt be aware that the Home Office is currently considering a system to cover the notification by Government Departments of any legislation likely to be sensitive in the area of personal data. My Department will comply fully with its instructions.

  Eastern Europe (Imports)
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the level of soft fruit imports from eastern Europe; what steps are being taken to monitor quantities and prices; and what is his assessment of whether the European Economic Community and the United Kingdom have the necessary information and power to ensure that such imports are unsubsidised.

  Mr. Curry
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have received numerous representations from growers and their representatives about the instability in the Community market for semi-processed soft fruit in recent months. This market is significantly influenced by substantial imports from Poland and Yugoslavia, with which the EC 764
  Commission makes annual agreements involving monitoring of quantities and prices of imports. Subsidies on imports from third countries generally are a matter for the EC Commission which has the necessary power to take any appropriate action. Following a request from the United Kingdom, the Commission has now introduced minimum import prices in the face of a disturbed market.

  I have continued to press the Commission to implement the undertaking it gave last year when substantial tariff concessions were granted on Polish imports of the products in question. These involved the strengthening of the agreements with suppliers, notably by the introduction of different prices for the different qualities of products involved.

  Fur Farms
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what agricultural grants are available for fur farms; whether there are grants which apply specifically to fur farms; and what has been the level of agricultural grant uptake by fur farms in the past three years.

  Mr. Maclean
  Fur farmers are eligible for the same grants under the farm and conservation grant scheme and the farm diversification grant scheme as other farmers. No agricultural grants are targeted specifically to fur farms. Figures indicating the level of grant uptake by farmers do not allow for separate identification of fur farmers.

  Live Animals (Export)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list his responsibilities in relation to the export of live animals purely for slaughter.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Minister has licensing responsibilities for the export of farm livestock from Great Britain under the Export of Animals (Protection) Order 1981. Under the requirements all animals destined for slaughter must be rested for a minimum of 10 hours at an approved export lairage near the port, and be offered food and water. They receive a veterinary inspection for fitness to travel and their loading is supervised. Other orders made under the Animal Health Act 1981 lay down requirements for welfare conditions during export journeys.

  There are also responsibilities under sections 40 to 49 of the 1981 Act which were designed to prevent the export of horses and ponies for slaughter.

  The Minister is responsible for the issue of health certification for exported cattle and pigs in accordance with the requirements of EC directive 64/432.

  ARCHBISHOPS' COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS: IMPLEMENTATION
  ARCHBISHOPS' COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS: IMPLEMENTATION
  ECOFIN COUNCIL MEETINGS
  ECOFIN COUNCIL MEETINGS
  KEGWORTH AIR DISASTER: REPORT
  KEGWORTH AIR DISASTER: REPORT