Written Answers of 30 April 1991

TRANSPORT

  Aviation Fires
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reliable biological testing has been undertaken of the sprinkler systems proposed for use in passenger transport aircraft at time of aviation fires.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority. As the answer requires detailed technical information, I have drawn the hon. Member's question to the attention of the Civil Aviation Authority, asking it to write to the hon. Member.

  Central Transport Consultative Committee
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received any representations from the Central Transport Consultative Committee on the ministerial direction issued in 1988 to British Rail concerning the maintenance of railway passenger services under the Railways Act 1974; and if he proposes to revise it.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes; no.

  Drink Driving
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he has on the effectiveness of random mass alcohol testing of drivers in securing continuing reductions in drink driving after any one-off drop.

  Mr. Chope
  The best evidence we have on the effect of random breath testing come from New South Wales. The table below shows its effectiveness in reducing the proportion of drivers and riders killed who were over the limit since its introduction in 1982. Following the effect of an "on-off" drop that might be attributed to the introduction of such a measure, levels have remained largely unchanged.

  Proportion of drivers and riders killed, whose alcohol level was known, over the legal limit

  New South Wales

  Great Britain

  per cent.

  per cent.

  1982

  40

  33

  1983

  36

  28

  1984

  33

  26

  1985

  33

  26

  1986

  34

  24

  1987

  32

  23

  1988

  31

  21

  1989

  33

  119

  1 Provisional.

  96
  A comparison with the proportional fall in Britain shows that our approach, of seeking to change public attitudes through a carefully targeted campaign, has been more successful.

  The legal limit in New South Wales is 50 milligrammes of alcohol per millilitre of blood, compared with 80 in Great Britain.

  Crash Casualties
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people die on average in(a) motorway fog crashes each year and (b) in urban crashes each day.

  Mr. Chope
  During the five-year period 1985 to 1989, the most recent for which figures are available, there were on average five deaths in Great Britain each year resulting from motorway accidents in fog. Over the same period there were on average seven deaths each day on built-up roads.

  Railway Services
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the statutory compliance of railway services with his direction of March 1988 under the Railways Act 1974.

  Mr. Freeman
  The central transport consultative committee has made a representation about reductions in specific services since March 1988, while at the same time observing that the majority of services provide the same or a better level of frequency. I receive other representations from time to time.

  Railway Investment
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if investment in new railway carriages for the services on the Eltham and New Eltham lines has been authorised.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Four hundred class 465 Networker vehicles were approved in August 1989. The first of these is due to be delivered to British Rail in September this year. The new trains will begin to come into service on Kent Link routes, which include Eltham and New Eltham, from May 1992. The Department is currently considering an investment submission for further orders totalling 274 vehicles. We will respond as soon as possible.

  Cars (Anti-Theft Measures)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends introducing higher specifications and standards for the design of motor vehicles to make them less susceptible to theft.

  Mr. Chope
  There is already a British standard on vehicle security BS AU 209, which, if complied with by vehicle manufacturers, should make their motor vehicles less susceptible to theft.

  My Department has therefore presented proposals to the European Commission for the amendment of the EC directive on vehicle security, based on the requirements contained in the British standard.

  These proposals have so far been resisted by some other member states; but with the co-operation of the Society of

  97
  Motor Manufacturers and Traders we intend to submit revised proposals and press for their introduction at the earliest possible opportunity.

  £000s

  Privatisation

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Sale of shares in National Freight Corporation

  151

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sale of shares in Associated British Ports

  —

  1,809

  260

  1,494

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sale of shares in British Airways plc

  —

  —

  50

  1,012

  674

  20,804

  11,364

  72

  675

  47

  1

  Sale of shares in BAA plc

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  564

  41,149

  3,095

  17

  1.392

  1

  Sale of National Bus Company Operations

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  635

  324

  139

  49

  27

  1,098

  British Rail Privatisation Study (Consultants' fees)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  94

  503

  139

  805

  1Estimate.

  No expenditure was incurred before 1981–82.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The total expenditure on the Department's press and public relations office since 1984–85 is as follows:

  £

  1984–85

  339,426

  1985–86

  354,393

  1986–87

  363,446

  1987–88

  389,473

  1988–89

  437,950

  1989–90

  451,214

  1990–911

  517,905

  1991–922

  558,301

  1 Estimate.

  2 Budget.

  These figures cover the overall costs of running the press office, calculated using the ready reckoner for staff-related costs.

  Before 1984–85 the information division was a common service of the Departments of Transport, Environment and Property Services Agency.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The total sums paid out by my Department in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation are as follows:

  Road Inquiries
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public inquiries into major new road proposals have been initiated by his Department since 1979; in how many cases the inspector's report was published (1) prior to and (2) simultaneously with the announcement of his directions; and what considerations governed the timing of the publication of the Inspector's report and the announcement of his direction.

  Mr. Chope
  Figures for the number of public inquiries initiated since 1979 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Reports are invariably published in the event of a decision being taken, and at the same time as the decision is announced. Prior publication would undermine the value of the inquiry and the report. It would not be appropriate to initiate another round of consultations, or to accept further representations, on the inspector's report after the inquiry has given all interested parties an equal opportunity to express their views. Sometimes a provisional decision is announced; the report is published with that provisional decision, and following it an inquiry may be reopened.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many cases, following a public inquiry into a major road proposal, he has decided to adopt proposals that differed significantly from the recommendations made in the inspector's report; and what restrictions there are on his freedom to disregard the recommendations of an inspector.
  99
  Mr. Chope
  The Secretary of State for Transport makes decisions relating to his own highway proposals acting jointly with the Secretary of State for the Environment. While precise figures are not collected, it is very rare for the Secretaries of State to make decisions which differ substantially from an inspector's recommendation. If the Secretaries of State differ from an inspector on a finding of fact or take into account evidence which was not before the inquiry and by reason of this are disposed to disagree with the inspector's recommendation, they will almost invariably reopen the inquiry, and in certain circumstances they will be required to do so by rule 15 of the Highways (Inquiries Procedures) Rules 1976.

  Medals
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will arrange to amend the rules concerning the issuing of medals and replacement medals to include grandchildren of the person entitled to such medals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer Friday 26 April 1991]: The issue of campaign medals by my Department for services in the Merchant Navy is made in accordance with the rules agreed between the Central Chancery, Orders of Knighthood, and the Ministry of Defence on 21 May 1973. Under these, replacement medals are issued only to the first generation of legal beneficiaries which would exclude grandchildren.

  There appears to be no reason to depart from these rules in the case of medals for merchant seamen, about which I have corresponded with the hon. Member.

  Light Dues
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fishing boats in the United Kingdom failed to pay light dues in 1990.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer Friday 26 April 1991]: These figures are not available for the calendar year 1990. Payments of light dues for which they are liable have not yet been made in respect of about 450 fishing vessels for the year beginning 1 April 1990.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give for each year from 1979–80, including 1991–92, the number of staff actually employed

  Directorate of Statistics Staff Complement of Department of Transport

  1 April 1979

  1 April 1982

  1 April 1983

  1 April 1984

  1 April 1985

  1 April 1986

  1 April 1987

  1 April 1988

  1 April 1989

  1 April 1990

  1 April 1991

  Statistician Group

  Director of Statistics (Grade 3)

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Chief Statistician (Grade5)

  3

  3

  3

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Statistician (Grade 6)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  Statistician (Grade 7)

  13

  13

  15

  16

  18

  21

  21

  20

  23

  23

  20

  (Senior) Assistant Statistician

  4

  4

  4

  6

  6

  7

  8

  8

  6

  8

  8

  SUB-TOTAL

  21

  21

  23

  27

  29

  33

  34

  33

  34

  37

  34

  Other Staff

  Economic Adviser

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Senior Information Officer

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Senior Executive Officer

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  Higher Executive Officer

  8

  7

  7

  6

  8

  8

  10

  10

  9

  10

  12

  Executive Officer

  19

  18

  17

  18

  22

  25

  25

  29

  30

  32

  31

  Administrative Officer (CO)

  44

  33

  33

  36

  34

  31

  28

  26

  27

  25

  27

  Administrative Assistant (CA)

  16

  9

  8

  6

  7

  6

  6

  5

  5

  4

  4

  (Senior) Personal Secretary

  4

  4

  4

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  Principal Scientific Officer

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Higher Professional and Technical Officer

  0

  0

  1

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  Professional and Technical Officer

  0

  0

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  3

  Graphics Officer (Typographer)

  0

  1

  1

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  1

  Senior Data Processor

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Data Processor

  15

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Messenger

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  SUB-TOTAL

  112

  72

  73

  76

  82

  82

  80

  82

  82

  81

  85

  GRAND TOTAL

  133

  93

  96

  103

  111

  115

  114

  115

  116

  118

  119

  Staff in Post in Directorate of Statistics of Department of Transport

  All years as at 1 April

  1979

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Statistician Group

  Director of Statistics (Grade 3)

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Chief Statistician (Grade 5)

  3

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Statistician (Grade 6)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  2

  Statistician (Grade 7)

  13

  17

  18

  21

  19

  20

  23

  19

  18

  (Senior) Assistant Statistician

  4

  4

  5

  5

  7

  7

  4

  5

  7

  Sub-total

  21

  26

  28

  31

  31

  32

  32

  30

  32

  Other Staff

  Economic Adviser

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  0

  1

  0

  Senior Information Officer

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Senior Executive Officer

  2

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Higher Executive Officer

  7

  7

  8

  9

  9

  8

  9

  11

  12

  Executive Officer

  20

  18

  22

  26

  24

  27

  29

  30

  30

  Administrative Officer (CO)

  42

  34

  34

  32

  30

  26

  24

  26

  28

  Administrative Assistant (CA)

  13

  6

  7

  6

  5

  5

  4

  4

  3

  (Senior) Personal Secretary

  3

  5

  5

  5

  4

  4

  4

  3

  5

  102
  on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in his Department; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer Monday 29 April 1991]: The tables give the information requested for the complements and permanent staff employed in the directorate of statistics of the Department of Transport. The complement table shows details as at 1 April 1979 and annually from 1 April 1982; the staff in post figures are at 1 April 1979, and, thereafter annually from 1 April 1984. Data for the intervening years on each table are not available. The principal scientific officer between 1984 and 1990 and the economic adviser in 1990 were filling statistical posts.
  103

  All years as at 1 April

  1979

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Principal Scientific Officer

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  0

  Higher Professional and Technical Officer

  0

  0

  2

  2

  2

  1

  2

  2

  3

  Professional and Technical Officer

  0

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  1

  2

  Graphics Officer (Typographer)

  0

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Senior Data Processor

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Data Processor

  13

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Messenger

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Sub-total

  104

  74

  83

  86

  81

  77

  77

  81

  85

  Grand Total

  125

  100

  111

  117

  112

  109

  109

  111

  117

  Shipping Accident
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the circumstances which resulted in the loss of' the trawler Wilhelmina J when in collision with the Cypriot cargo vessel Zulfikar on 10 April; and what actions his Department took subsequently.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: The trawler Wilhelmina J collided with the Cypriot registered cargo ship Zulfikar during the early hours of 10 April in the English Channel. The Zulfikar, although aware of the collision, failed to stop. The Wilhelmina J sank with the tragic loss of all six persons on board.

  Investigations were begun by both the Cypriot authorities and the marine accident investigation branch (MAIB).

  Both MAIB and the Cypriot authorities made immediate and sustained efforts to have the Zulfikar diverted to enable inspectors to interview the master and crew. After initial rejection, the ship's managers agreed on 12 April to divert to a position off Lisbon, where on 14 April an official from the Cypriot High Commission accompanied by inspectors from MAIB boarded the vessel by helicopter to pursue their investigations.

  An interim inspector's report has been submitted to the Secretary of State, and a bulletin giving the facts so far established will shortly be issued: a copy will be placed in the Library.

  The inspectors have had the full co-operation of the flag state (Cyprus) and as the Zulfikar was manned by Indian nationals, an appropriate report has been sent to the Indian High Commission in London.

  The investigation, which has the status of an inspector's inquiry under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Investigation) Regulations, is continuing. I cannot discuss the circumstances of the accident further at this stage. A

  TV (£)

  Radio (£)

  Press (£)

  Other (£)

  Total (£)

  Actual

  1979–80

  N/A

  N/A

  —

  —

  —

  1980–81

  424,102

  4,127

  2,496,440

  2,588,540

  5,513,209

  1981–82

  —

  62,896

  1,814,935

  2,784,279

  4,662,110

  1982/83

  —

  89,654

  2,984,230

  3,222,031

  6,295,915

  1983–84

  1,479,748

  17,434

  764,409

  2,670,666

  4,932,257

  1984–85

  944,975

  3,477

  717,057

  4,473,283

  6,138,792

  1985–86

  9,676,257

  311,537

  1,867,286

  5,111,180

  16,966,260

  1986–87

  15,624,000

  258,631

  6,927,370

  12,124,000

  34,934,001

  1987–88

  17,321,000

  26,841

  6,950,159

  11,647,000

  35,945,000

  1988–89

  12,569,000

  —

  5,502,000

  12,449,000

  30,520,000

  1989–90

  8,610,000

  56,000

  6,164,000

  12,485,000

  27,315,000

  104
  full report will be produced when the inquiry is completed, and the inspector's findings will be published unless a formal investigation is ordered.

EMPLOYMENT

  Single Mothers
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many single mothers are currently in(a) full-time and (b) part-time employment, respectively.

  Mr. Jackson
  Preliminary estimates from the GB labour force survey for spring 1990 indicate that there were 170,000 single mothers in full-time work and 213,000 in part-time work.

  Child Care
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of firms provide child care facilities, on or off-site, for their employees; and what percentage of(a) all employees and (b) single mothers in employment work for firms which provide child care facilities.

  Mr. Forth
  This information is not collected, but indications are that the provision of such facilities is growing.

  Advertising
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Training Agency or Manpower Services Commission on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1990–91 and budgets for 1991–92.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is given in the table.
  105

  TV (£)

  Radio (£)

  Press (£)

  Other (£)

  Total (£)

  Estimate

  1990–91

  6,115,000

  —

  3,764,000

  11,269,000

  21,148,000

  The total budget for 1991–92 excluding HSE and ACAS is £17·4 million. Detailed decisions on allocation by media as requested have not yet been taken.

  From 1991–92, and following the abolition of the Training Agency in November 1990, the Department's advertising and publicity budget, excluding HSE and ACAS, is to be held centrally.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Jackson
  There are fees paid to organisations in furtherance of privatisation by the Employment Department Group—including the former Training Agency and Manpower Services Commission—in the financial period from 1979–80 to 1987–88 inclusive.

  Fees to the value of £525,000 were incurred in 1988–89, to the value of £613,000 in 1989–90, and the value of £622,000 in 1990–91. These figures are inclusive of expenses plus VAT.

  There is no current privatisation being undertaken, though an outstanding invoice for £30,000 will be paid in the current financial year.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Year

  Expenditure

  £ million

  Actual

  1979–80 to 1985–86

  n/a

  1986–87

  1·08

  1987–88

  1·014

  1988–89

  3·185

  1989–90

  3·331

  Estimated

  1990–91

  3·564

  Employees in employment in the northern region—Unadjusted

  Thousands

  Male

  Female

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total

  September 19891

  555·0

  40·0

  595·0

  280·0

  240·9

  520·9

  December 19902

  n/a

  n/a

  587·9

  275·1

  255·7

  530·8

  1 The most recent regional male full-time and male part-time estimates available are from the September 1989 census of employment.

  2 The latest date for which regional estimates are available.

  n/a = Not available.

  106
  Notes:

  Figures for 1986–87 and 1987–88 are for DE information division only. Figures for TA are not available.

  Figures for 1988–89 and 1989–90 represent total expenditure separately incurred by DE information services branch; the two merged in November 1989.

  Expenditure levels for 1991–92 are in the process of being set.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure by the Training Agency/MSC on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: The information requested is given in the table.

  Year

  Expenditure

  (£000)

  Actual

  1979–80

  Not available

  1980–81

  Not available

  1981–82

  Not available

  1982–83

  Not available

  1983–84

  Not available

  1984–85

  Not available

  1985–86

  Not available

  1986–87

  1·08

  1987–88

  1·014

  1988–89

  3·185

  Estimated

  1989–90

  3·331

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the total number of employees in employment in the northern region in the following categories(a) male full-time, (b) male part-time, (c) female full-time, (d) female part-time, (e) total male and (f) total female, indicating in each case an estimate of the number of such employees paying national insurance contributions.

  Mr. Jackson
  There is no information relating to national insurance contributions at regional level or on a full-time and part-time basis. The available information is in the table.

  ACAS
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to receive the annual report of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

  Mr. Howard
  I have received the ACAS report for 1990, which has been laid before both Houses of Parliament today. The report is also published today and copies are available from the Vote Office.

  Disabled People (Training)
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria are used in deciding if registered disabled persons would benefit from two-year employment training; and how many people had such extended training in the last period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: Before 1991 the normal period of training for ET was a maximum of one year. People with disabilities for whom extended training would substantially enhance chances of obtaining suitable employment could be offered up to a further year of training.

  As from April 1991, all fixed limits on the duration of ET training were removed. From April 1991 trainees are entitled to a reasonable duration of training having regard to the nature and level of the intended qualification or credits, and to the training needs and prior learning of the trainee. Information about the numbers of people with disabilities who had extended training is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

ENERGY

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The estimated expenditure in 1990–91 is £657,000. This figure includes:

  (i) forecast expenditure by the press office;

  (ii) staff costs (salaries, accommodation and common services) for all permanent information service and support staff in the press office, including the speech writing unit, at 31 March 1991.

  The corresponding expenditure for previous years is as follows:

  £

  1989–90

  615,000

  1988–89

  475,000

  1987–88

  460,000

  1986–87

  293,000

  Expenditure for the years prior to 1986–87 is not available on a comparable basis.

  Currently proposed expenditure for 1991–92 is £677,000.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Total expenditure on fees paid to outside organisations in relation to the privatisation of Amersham International, Britoil and Enterprise Oil could not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. Fees paid to outside organisations in the case of the privatisation of British Gas and of the regional electricity companies and the electricity generating companies in England and Wales are as follows:

  British Gas

  Electricity industry

  £ million

  £ million

  1985–86

  1·4

  —

  1986–87

  162·4

  —

  1987–88

  10·5

  0·8

  1988–89

  11·1

  5·5

  1989–90

  2·2

  12·1

  The remaining costs resulting from the privatisation of British Gas and of the regional electricity companies and electricity generating companies, including fees paid to advisers, will be published in due course.

WALES

  Epilepsy Unit, Cardiff
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the epilepsy unit at University College Cardiff was closed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The epilepsy unit is independently funded—largely, I understand, by the pharmaceutical industry to facilitate the development and trial of new drugs. It is not an NHS facility. I understand that the unit is to continue to function on a more limited scale. It is the responsibility of health authorities and general medical practitioners to secure the services they regard as necessary for local residents with epilepsy, as for all other conditions.

  Specialist Treatment Centres
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to ensure that there is no geographical quota which discriminates in favour of any area health authority being able to benefit disproportionately from the three specialist treatment centres for: hip and knee replacement at Rhydlafar hospital, hernias and varicose vein surgery at Bridgend general hospital and cataract surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The targets set for each of the treatment centres reflect local waiting lists but otherwise do not discriminate in favour of the host authority.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that general practitioners throughout Wales can refer their patients direct to the specialist treatment centre funded by his Department for cataract surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor.
  109
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The right of general medical practitioners to directly to refer patients to the three treatment centres is ensured by the contractual agreements negotiated between the Welsh Office and the centres.

  Opticians
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many opticians were registered in Wales in March 1989.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  There were 478 opticians on contract to Welsh FHSAs on 31 December 1989. Of these, 435 were ophthalmic opticians and 43 ophthalmic medical practitioners.

  "Social Care Plans"
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the first draft of "Social Care Plans".

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  It is for each social services authority in Wales to decide the distribution of drafts of social care plans. Authorities are required by statute to publish the final version of the first social care plans by 1 April 1992.

  Family Health Services Authorities
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if all family health services authorities have now been connected to the all-Wales telecommunications network and the English family health services network.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  As a result of changes to the timetable South Glamorgan is currently the only FHSA in Wales connected to the English FHS and the all-Wales telecommunications networks. Arrangements are in hand to connect the remaining seven Welsh FHSAs to both networks during the period 13 to 17 May 1991.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for the quarterly reports on the performance monitoring of family health services authorities' plans to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The performance monitoring of FTISA business plans, indicated in the "NHS Wales: Agenda for Action 1991–93", will not be the subject of separate report documents but will be part of the continuing management discussions between the NHS directorate of the Welsh Office and FHSAs.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place a copy of all family health services authorities' business plans in the Library.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Yes.

  District Health Authorities (Telecommunications)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those district health authorities that have not yet submitted their telecommunications strategies for approval and funding.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  All nine Welsh district health authorities have submitted their telecommunications strategies for approval and funding. Funding has been approved for eight authorities. However, further information has been requested from Pembrokeshire health authority.

  Trunk Road Improvements
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of his Department's spending on trunk road improvements in Wales for each of the next three years, together with the outturn for 1990–91, and the current planned spending for 1991–92 for such purposes.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  As indicated in the Welsh Office departmental report (Cm. 1516), provisional net outturn for motorway and trunk road new construction and improvement in Wales in 1990–91 is £163 million; planned net expenditure in 1991–92 is £147 million. No firm decisions have been taken on the Secretary of State's allocation of block resources for 1992–93 to 1994–95, though provision for the motorway and trunk road programme in Wales is expected to exceed £550 million during this period.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each environmentally sensitive area in Wales and for each year of each scheme's existence the number of applicants for entry, the number of applicants accepted for entry, and the number of unsuccessful applicants who have subsequently withdrawn from each scheme.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information is as follows:

  Applications received

  Applications accepted

  Successful applications withdrawn

  Cambrian Mountains Original Area

  1987

  1293

  34

  Nil

  1988

  71

  1989

  27

  1990

  5

  23

  —

  Cambrian Mountains Extension

  1988

  1367

  46

  Nil

  1989

  90

  1990

  162

  48

  Lleyn Peninsula

  1988

  210

  84

  Nil

  1989

  101

  180

  1990

  57

  42

  1 No separate figures available.

  Outstanding applications continue to be processed.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount paid to farmers under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme in each of the designated areas for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Participants in the ESA schemes in the Cambrian mountains original area, Cambrian mountains extended area, and Lleyn peninsula received £477,000, £121,000 and £284,000 respectively in the year ended 31 March 1991.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.
  111
  Mr. David Hunt
  No expenditure was incurred by my Department on privatisation prior to 1988–89.

  Subsequently, sums were paid in respect of water privatisation. The total sums paid to outside organisations on water privatisation in 1989–90 and 1990–91 were £13·3 million and £0·8 million respectively. Costs incurred in 1991–92 will be reported to Parliament in the usual way.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Figures for expenditure by the Department's information division, including staff and press cutting service but excluding media advertising and promotional material, cannot readily be disaggregated for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88.

  Figures for the succeeding years are:

  £

  1988–89

  469,000

  1989–90

  487,000

  1990–91

  481,000

  Estimated budget for 1991–92 is £529,880.

CIVIL SERVICE

  "Next Steps" Agencies
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service, if he will make a statement on the progress so far achieved by "Next Steps" agencies.

  Mr. Renton
  [pursuant to his reply, 15 April, 1991, c. 37–39]: Good progress is being made in setting up "Next Steps" agencies. This month the number of agencies reached 50 and there are now over 200,000 staff working on "Next Steps" lines. Announced candidates for agency status total 23 covering over 20,000 further staff. On top of this, the Inland Revenue will establish by April 1992 33 executive offices with nearly 60,000 staff working along "Next Steps" lines. By then I expect half the civil service to be working fully on "Next Steps" lines. The tables attached set out the existing agencies and announced candidates.

  "Next Steps" places great importance on improving the delivery of Government services for all customers. The benefits of the programme can be seen from the numbers of improvements and initiatives which agencies are introducing to enable them to provide their customers with a better, more flexible, service. Agencies are increasingly consulting customers about their needs and where possible tailoring services to meet those needs. Each agency publishes its own annual report describing targets set, providing financial information and setting out what has been achieved. Last October the first annual review of "Next Steps" was published (Cm 1261) giving details of the achievements and improved performance of the agencies then established. I will ensure that this year a further review will be published to bring together for the benefit of the House information from these reports on all the agencies and what they are doing to meet the alms of "Next Steps".
  112
  Demanding financial and quality of service targets are being set and delivered for each agency. They demonstrate very clearly that the initiative is succeeding.

  "Next Steps"—

  Executive agencies established as of April 1991

  Number

  Building Research Establishment

  69

  Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments)

  22

  Central Office of Information1

  73

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  58

  Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment2

  58

  Civil Service College

  21

  Companies House

  1,15

  Defence Research Agency

  11,70

  Directorate General of Defence Accounts2

  2,10

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  5,45

  Driving Standards Agency

  2,05

  Employment Service

  35,60

  Forensic Science Service

  58

  Historic Royal Palaces

  30

  Historic Scotland

  58

  Her Majesty's Stationery Office1

  3,30

  Hydrographic Office2

  88

  Information Technology Services Agency

  3,35

  Insolvency Service

  1,45

  Intervention Board

  91

  Laboratory of the Government Chemist

  32

  Land Registry

  10,40

  Meteorological Office

  2,25

  Military Survey2

  85

  National Engineering Laboratory

  43

  National Physical Laboratory

  82

  National Weights and Measures Laboratory

  5

  Natural Resources Institute

  39

  NHS Estates

  12

  Occupational Health Service

  10

  Ordnance Survey

  2,50

  Patent Office

  1,15

  Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

  7

  Radiocommunications Agency

  50

  RAF Maintenance2

  5,70

  Rate Collection Agency (Northern Ireland)

  28

  Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency

  32

  Registers of Scotland

  1,10

  Resettlement Agency

  51

  Royal Mint1

  1,05

  Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency

  23

  Service Children's Schools (North West Europe)2

  2,30

  Social Security Benefits Agency

  68,00

  Social Security Contributions Agency

  6,60

  Training and Employment Agency (Northern Ireland)

  1,70

  United Kingdom Passport Agency

  1,20

  Vehicle Certification Agency

  7

  Vehicle Inspectorate1

  1,65

  Veterinary Medicines Directorate

  7

  Warren Spring Laboratory

  32

  50 in number

  183,46

  Customs and Excise3 (30 executive units)

  26,80

  210,260

  1 Trading funds.

  2 Defence Support Agency. Figure does not include service personnel.

  3 Moving towards full operation on "Next Steps" lines publication of framework documents.

  Staffing figures are based on staff in post on 1 October 1990.

  "Next Steps—activities announced by Departments as under consideration as of April 1991

  Number

  ADAS Agency

  2,500

  Agricultural Scientific Services1

  130

  Central Science Laboratory

  340

  Central Statistical Office

  1,050

  113

  Number

  Chessington Computer Centre

  440

  Not yet

  Child Support Agency2

  known

  Fire Service College1

  200

  Fuel Suppliers Branch

  30

  Medicines Safety Division1

  350

  Pesticide Safety Division1

  160

  Planning Inspectorate

  570

  Pollution Inspectorate

  230

  Property Holdings

  1,650

  Public Record Office

  430

  RAF Training3

  2,500

  Royal Parks

  600

  Teachers' Pensions Branch

  300

  The Buying Agency4

  120

  Transport Road Research Laboratory1

  580

  Valuation Office

  5,250

  Youth Treatment Service

  210

  Ordnance Survey (Northern Ireland)

  200

  Social Security Operations (Northern Ireland)

  5,000

  23 in number

  22,840

  Inland Revenue5 (excluding Valuation Office)

  59,800

  82,640

  1 Current staffing figures.

  2 From 1 April 1993 the agency is estimated to require 4,500 staff, 1,500 of which will come from the Social Security Benefits Agency.

  3 Defence Support Agency. Figure does not include service personnel.

  4 Trading fund.

  5 Moving towards full operation on "Next Steps" lines in accordance with the action plan of February 1991: 33 executive offices by April 1992, each with a framework document, sharper accountabilities and wider managerial freedoms.

  Notes:

  Staffing figures are based on staff in post 1 October 1990, except where specified.

  Many other areas are under consideration.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Passport Control Checks
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what passport control checks will be applied to EC nationals entering the United Kingdom after 1992.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We intend to retain immigration controls on non-EC nationals. In order to ensure that these controls are effective, we believe that it will be necessary to require EC nationals to show their passports or other identity documents.

  Regional Scientific Advisers
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each civil defence region(a) the number of regional scientific advisers other than the chief regional scientific adviser, (b) the number of regional scientific adviser appointments that are currently vacant, (c) the average age of the regional scientific advisers other than the chief regional scientific adviser and (d) the amounts paid to regional scientific advisers other than the chief regional scientific adviser in each of the last five years in the form of salary, retainer and expenses.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Home Office has responsibility for appointing regional scientific advisers (RSAs) for the nine home defence regions in England and Wales. The Scottish Home and Health Department and Northern Ireland Office have similar responsibilities for their own home defence regions.
  114
  RSAs are not paid either a salary or a retainer as part of their civil defence duties. They are paid expenses in the form of professional lecturing fees together with costs for travel and subsistence in the course of their civil defence activities. With the exception of No. 5 region, each of the regions in England and Wales has a wartime operational scientific establishment of four RSAs. No. 5 region has only three. There are currently 43 RSAs appointed by the Home Office who in time of war could be assigned to any of the Home Defence regions; there are no vacancies for the wartime operational establishment.

  The average ages of RSAs by region are given in table A. Aggregated figures for lecturing fees, subsistence and travel over the past five years are given in table B. Figures for individual regions and RSAs could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

  Table A

  Number of RSAs

  Average age

  Region 2: North East

  4

  56

  Region 3: East Midlands

  3

  62

  Region 4: East

  5

  63

  Region 5: Greater London

  5

  63

  Region 6: South East

  7

  62

  Region 7: South West

  4

  70

  Region 8: Wales

  3

  61

  Region 9: West Midlands

  5

  58

  Region 10: North West

  7

  58

  Total

  43

  60

  Table B

  Travel and subsistence/professional fee

  Travel

  Subsistence

  Total

  £

  £

  £

  1986–87

  14,458

  42,416

  56,874

  1987–88

  17,068

  46,933

  64,001

  1988–89

  24,193

  44,777

  68,970

  1989–90

  19,007

  50,741

  69,748

  1990–91

  1—

  1—

  70,515

  1 Separate figures for travel and subsistence not yet available.

  Police Time (Witnesses)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any consideration has been given to transferring the cost of police time spent on duty as witnesses in court proceedings from the Home Office vote to the vote of the Lord Chancellor's office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. A police officer giving evidence in court is acting in pursuance of the general duty of the police to preserve law and order. We have no plans to alter the present arrangements.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make it his policy to remove the exemptions which are currently allowed as part of the January 1990 regulations to oblige laboratories to buy only specifically bred cats and dogs from registered suppliers.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Where animals of a species specified in schedule 2 to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which includes cats and dogs, are
  115
  not obtainable from designated sources, requests to obtain such animals from non-designated sources will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. Dunnachie) of 11 March,Official Report, column 335, what evidence he has received from the Medical Research Council on alleged deliberate breaches of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  We received a number of documents on 16 April from the Medical Research Council and we are now considering them.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct inspectors not to allow any dispensation from the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, in the light of the Medical Research Council report on Professor Feldberg; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The Medical Research Council inquiry report alleged that a dispensation was agreed at the National Institute for Medical Research, with the approval of the Home Office inspector, which allowed Professor Feldberg and Mr. Stean to leave anaesthetised animals undergoing procedures unattended for short periods.

  We have been assured by the director of NIMR that it was at the time and remains NIMR policy that under no circumstances must such animals be left unattended. The inspectorate did not give any dispensation to override these local instructions, nor would such a dispensation be given at any establishment.

  Advertising
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Metropolitan Police on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1990–91 and budgets for 1991–92.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the deputy commissioner that expenditure by the Metropolitan police on all forms of recruitment and other advertising and other promotional material in each financial year since 1979–80 is as follows—it is not possible to give separate spending figures for the years prior to 1987–88:

  £

  1979–80

  759,000

  1980–81

  967,000

  1981–82

  1,062,000

  1982–83

  1,028,000

  1983–84

  1,675,000

  1984–85

  1,747,000

  1985–86

  1,868,000

  1986–87

  2,269,000

  Television advertising

  Radio advertising

  Newspaper advertising

  Other promotional literature

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1987–88

  —

  3,000

  1,722,000

  1,111,000

  1988–89

  —

  6,000

  1,881,000

  1,258,000

  1989–90

  472,000

  15,000

  1,660,000

  663,000

  116

  Television advertising

  Radio advertising

  Newspaper advertising

  Other promotional literature

  £

  £

  £

  £

  11990–91

  683,000

  59,000

  978,000

  1,402,000

  21991–92

  313,000

  75,000

  1,466,000

  1,550,000

  1 Estimated outturn.

  1 Budget estimate.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The full cost of staff, accommodation and administration for the Home Office press office from 1979–80 to 1989–90 was:

  £

  1979–80

  283,140

  1980–81

  392,532

  1981–82

  381,799

  1982–83

  424,290

  1983–84

  516,362

  1984–85

  560,512

  1985–86

  606,996

  1986–87

  548,136

  1987–88

  599,282

  1988–89

  674,945

  1989–90

  715,646

  Notes:

  The estimated cost for 1990–91 is £786,519.

  The budget for 1991–92 is £882,582.

  1. Figures supplied before 1986–87 were the costs estimated by the Treasury. After devolved budgeting in 1986 the estimates are based on Home Office costs.

  2. Press office figures include the costs for staff, accommodation and administration costs.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  For information up to 1989–90, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the then Home Secretary on 15 March 1990, at column 358. In 1990–91 payments in respect of expenses in furtherance of privatisation of the Independent Broadcasting Authority transmission system are expected to be £767,000. The costs of the current privatisation of the IBA, including fees paid to advisers, will be reported to Parliament after the sale is completed.

  Victim Support Schemes
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide financial support to victim support schemes in Manchester, after June; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Home Office grant for local victim support schemes will rise to £5·4 million this year from £4·5 million last year, an increase of 20 per cent. Last
  117
  year's grant of £328,910 to schemes in Greater Manchester area, mainly for co-ordinators' salaries, is also expected to increase. In addition, the criteria under which grants are administered have been changed for this year to allow running costs as well as salaries to be funded in schemes which would otherwise be at risk of closure because of withdrawal of local authority funding.

HEALTH

  Dentures
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will now disclose the full findings relating solely to the supply of dentures to the public reported to the then Minister for Health following the inquiry carried out by the Office of Fair Trading from 1983 to 1985.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Director General of Fair Trading wrote to my right hon. and learned Friend the then Minister for Health on 20 June 1985 following allegations by the Association for Denture Prosthesis that dentists were abusing their monopoly through high prices and profits from the supply of private dentures and that the quality of treatment would improve if dental technicians were allowed to take impressions and fit dentures—a practice called "denturism". In his letter the director general said:"Denturism appears to have reduced the cost of dentures, including those provided by dentists, in countries without a National Health Service. However, in the United Kingdom the office's survey suggests that dentures can be obtained readily on the NHS although it may be necessary to change dentists, especially in London and the South East, in order to do this. The price is closely controlled by the DHSS and there is no evidence that dentists are making monopoly profits on providing them. It seems unlikely that denturists providing facilities to see patients could provide them much more cheaply. Against any savings would need to be set the cost of additional training for denturists if this was provided at public expense.
  In general therefore I am reasonably satisfied that the NHS provides a competitive alternative to private treatment, and I see little justification for the introduction of denturism on economic grounds. We did not assess the arguments about health care and quality of service but found little to suggest they would strengthen the case for denturism in the United Kingdom in present circumstances."

  NHS (Highest Paid Employees)
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in order the top 10 highest paid employees within the national health service, stating the name of the health authority and the salary in each case.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. Details of payments awarded to individual NHS employees are a confidential matter between employer and employee.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No expenditure prior to 1986–87 has been identified. Expenditure in 1986–87 and subsequent years has been incurred for work by 118
  professional advisors on the sale of the General Practice Finance Corporation. The expenditure for each year is as follows:

  £

  1986–87

  23,000

  1987–88

  37,800

  1988–89

  174,621

  1989–90

  414,000

  1990–91

  Nil

  All expenditure up to and including 1988–89 has been from a joint health and social security budget.

  There are no plans for any expenditure in 1991–92.

  Advertising
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give separate figures for the spending by the HEA/HEC on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1990–91 and budgets for 1991–92.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Donald Maitland, the chairman of the Health Education Authority, for details.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Functions which are commonly associated with press and public relations are carried out by the Department's information division, the manpower and running costs of which are:

  £'000s

  1989–90

  Expenditure

  890

  1990–91

  Estimated expenditure

  1,279

  1991–92

  Budget

  1,527

  Information for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 is not available in the form requested.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the salaries and pension entitlements of(a) the chairpersons, (b) the deputy chairpersons, (c) the chief executive or manager, (d) the other executive directors and (e) the non-executive directors of each national health service self-governing trust in the period to 31 March 1991 and in the year 1991–92.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  On the question of the remuneration of NHS trust chairmen, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the Member for Sheffield,
  119
  Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 25 January at column 356. All other non executive directors of NHS trusts are remunerated at a standard rate of £5,000 per annum. Remuneration is taxable arid subject to national insurance contributions, but is not pensionable.

  The salaries and pension entitlements of NHS trust chief executives and other executive directors are matters for the individual trust boards.

  Health Authorities (VAT Increase)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the cost to health authorities in 1991–92 of the increase in the rate of VAT to 17·5 per cent.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Health authorities have been asked to provide information to enable us to estimate additional costs following the increase in the standard rate of VAT. Adjustments will be made to health authority provision to reflect these costs.

  General Practitioner Fundholders
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total sum of money paid out in start-up and preparation costs for general practitioner fundholders in the financial year 1990–91; and if he will provide such estimates for each of the NHS regions.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The table provides the estimated expenditure, during 1990–91, on GP fundholding preparatory allowance broken down by regional health authority. Information on other payments made to potential fundholders is not available as it is not separately identifiable.

  Region

  Estimated total expenditure 1990–91

  Northern

  464,000

  Yorkshire

  558,481

  Trent

  438,518

  East Anglia

  157,353

  North West Thames

  396,640

  North East Thames

  186,317

  South East Thames

  254,000

  South West Thames

  347,417

  Wessex

  233,200

  Oxford

  401,480

  South-Western

  300,228

  West Midlands

  450,000

  Mersey

  335,999

  North-Western

  312,754

  Total

  4,372,387

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the cost of making financial transactions internal to the NHS as a result of contracts and general practitioner budgets subject to VAT at the standard rate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is not available.

  Grove Park Children's Home
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the report of the social services inspectorate into Grove Park children's home, Southwark; and if he will make a statement.
  120
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The social services inspectorate report into residential child care services in Southwark has been received by the Department and is being considered. It is expected that the report will be published shortly.

  Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the full report of the Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy is now available for 1990–91; whether this consultancy is to continue in 1991–92, what estimate has been made of the cost; and what is its programme of work for 1991–92.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy (IACC) expects to publish its full report in the summer. A copy will be placed in the Library. In 1991–92 IACC will be working on the reduction of waiting time in the West Midlands region. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 27 February, we have engaged Qa Business Services to carry forward studies of 80 of the worst lists in 1991–92; £9 million will be available from the waiting list fund to finance the team's recommendations.

  Waiting List Initiative
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all the schemes agreed for funding from the waiting list initiative fund from the £12 million reserved for Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy recommendations.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The districts and specialties examined by Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy and the funding allocated from the waiting list fund is given in the table.

  Schemes which received funding from the £12 million reserved from the waiting list fund to finance the recommendations of Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy in 1990–91

  District and specialty list

  Fund allocated

  £

  Aylesbury

  Plastic surgery

  35,000

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  General surgery

  167,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  120,000

  ENT

  51,000

  Oral surgery

  100,000

  Basildon and Thurrock

  General surgery

  500,000

  Plastic surgery

  50,000

  Bath

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  283,000

  Bloomsbury

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  267,000

  ENT

  212,000

  Plastic surgery

  43,000

  Bolton

  General surgery

  156,000

  Bradford

  ENT

  86,000

  Plastic surgery

  95,000

  Brighton

  121

  District and specialty list

  Fund allocated

  £

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  200,000

  Bristol and Weston

  General surgery

  242,000

  Central Manchester

  Ophthalmology

  29,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  125,000

  City and Hackney

  ENT

  34,000

  Dartford and Gravesham

  ENT

  37,000

  Dudley

  Plastic surgery

  179,000

  Durham

  General surgery

  56,000

  East Berkshire

  Plastic surgery

  59,000

  East Cumbria

  General surgery

  121,000

  East Suffolk

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  260,000

  Greenwich

  General surgery

  111,000

  Hastings

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  250,000

  Hillingdon

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  160,000

  Hounslow

  ENT

  48,000

  Hull

  Urology

  106,000

  ENT

  50,000

  Kettering

  General surgery

  219,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  488,000

  Kingston and Esher

  Ophthalmology

  396,000

  Leicestershire

  Plastic surgery

  134,000

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  General surgery

  375,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  200,000

  ENT

  16,000

  Medway

  General surgery

  17,000

  Mid Downs

  General surgery

  102,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  174,000

  Newcastle

  Plastic surgery

  143,000

  North Devon General surgery

  60,000

  North East Essex

  General surgery

  250,000

  North Staffordshire

  122

  District and specialty list

  Fund allocated

  £

  General surgery

  50,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  410,000

  Gynaecology

  50,000

  North Warwickshire

  Plastic surgery

  160,000

  North West Surrey

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  218,000

  Norwich

  General surgery

  55,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  266,000

  Plastic surgery

  89,000

  Nottingham

  Plastic surgery

  142,000

  Oldham

  General surgery

  216,000

  Preston

  Plastic surgery

  12,000

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  Plastic surgery

  255,000

  Salisbury

  Plastic surgery

  288,000

  Sheffield

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  492,000

  Shropshire

  General surgery

  382,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  350,000

  Somerset

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  114,000

  Southampton

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  211,000

  South Manchester

  Plastic surgery

  200,000

  Tower Hamlets

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  25,000

  Oral surgery

  25,000

  Waltham Forest

  ENT

  82,000

  West Essex

  General surgery

  32,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  221,000

  West Lancashire

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  294,000

  West Surrey and North East Hampshire

  General surgery

  50,000

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  100,000

  Ophthalmology

  143,000

  Winchester

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  179,000

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he proposes to produce a detailed report on the expenditures from the waiting list initiative showing each project approved, together with its outcome.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We do not intend to publish a detailed report on all the projects which have received funding under the waiting time initiative. Allocations from
  123
  the waiting list fund are made to regional health authorities (RHAs) which use the funds in a variety of ways, with the common objective of reducing the number of patients who wait over one year for hospital treatment. Allocations to RHAs for 1990–91 are shown in the table. In the first half of that year, the total number of patients waiting over one year fell by 2½ per cent. and the number waiting over two years fell by 12 per cent. Provisional figures indicate a further fall in the five months to February 1991 of 12 per cent. in the number waiting over one year and 21 per cent. in the number waiting over two years.

  Waiting list fund—allocations to regions

  1990–911

  (£ million)

  Northern

  1·798

  Yorkshire

  2·017

  Trent

  2·923

  East Anglian

  1·135

  North West Thames

  1·690

  North East Thames

  3·808

  South East Thames

  2·738

  South West Thames

  2·138

  Wessex

  2·024

  Oxford

  1·638

  South Western

  1·546

  West Midlands

  4·472

  Mersey

  1·515

  North Western

  2·860

  SHAs

  0·200

  Total

  £33 million

  1 Includes allocations from the £12 million set aside for the 100 longest specialty waiting lists in the country.

  Auditing of Accounts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who has the responsibility for the audit of national health service self-governing trusts and general practitioner fundholders accounts; and whether these accounts will be available to hon. Members.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Audit Commission has the responsibility for appointing the auditors of the accounts of general practitioner fundholders. A summary of these accounts is included in family health services authority's accounts which are submitted to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. There has never been a requirement that these should be published and we do not propose to introduce such a change.

  The Audit Commission is also responsible for appointing the auditors of the accounts of national health service trusts. NHS trusts are required to present their annual reports, audited accounts and any report on those accounts made by the auditor at a public meeting which the trust is required to hold in every calendar year except the year in which it becomes operational. These reports will also be available to hon. Members.

  Anti-cancer Drugs
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost per head of population in 1990 in each standard health region of general practitioner prescribed anti-cancer drugs such as boplatin and interleukin; and what were the hospital allocations of such drugs in each national health service health region in 1990–91.
  124
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not held centrally on the hospital allocations of such drugs. Information on the cost of general practitioner prescribed anti-cancer drugs could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been given to purchasing authorities about making provision for the cost of anti-cancer drugs in placing contracts; and what agency is responsible for monitoring the results of any such guidance.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Guidance about contracts has not been given to purchasing authorities in that level of detail.

  Child Cancer
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions he has reached, and what research is being undertaken, on the possibility of links between water supply from ground and river sources and the increased incidence of child cancer.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The numerous published studies of cancer rates in relation to the type of source of drinking water do not point to an association for childhood cancers.

  The Department is not aware of any current or proposed research in the United Kingdom on this hypothesis.

  Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the recommendations of Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy with regard to the Newcastle plastic surgery waiting list have been acted on; with what result; and at what cost.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  As recommended by Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy (IACC), Newcastle district health authority employed a locum consultant in plastic surgery for nine months in 1990–91 to undertake additional in-patient, day case and out-patient sessions. This scheme received an allocation of £143,000 from the £12 million reserved for problem lists from the waiting list fund. The district has met the requirements of its contract with IACC. Between April 1990 and March 1991 it reduced the numbers waiting over a year for in-patient and day case plastic surgery by 565 and has treated an additional 422 in-patients and day cases, and 400 out-patients.

  Health Authorities (Discharge Procedures)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will arrange for the reports of health authorities on their discharge procedures as per HC(89)5 together with the subsequent comments and action of regional health authorities and his own Department to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information about action taken by district health authorities is not available centrally, since they were asked to report to their regional health authorities. Action by special health authorities is being followed up through the quality control and business planning process. Business plans will be published in due course.

  Work-related Health Problems
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the number of health authorities who have staff in post specifically to advise, instruct and inform on preventable work-related health problems such as repetitive strain injury; what guidance his Department offers health authorities on this point; and what steps he is taking to review the results of the guidance he has given.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Each health authority is responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work and will be guided by particular advice issued by the Health and Safety Executive. The Department has issued guidance on the establishment of occupational health services generally, but does not collect information on the number of health authority staff deployed on such services.

  Abortion
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases of breaches of the Abortion Act 1967 and regulations relating to abortion his Department has referred the cases to the legal authorities in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many forms relating to abortion were submitted late by King's College hospital, London, in relation to the regulations governing abortion in the last 12 months.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is not the Department's practice to disclose detailed information relating to terminations of pregnancy carried out at individual places.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action his Department takes in relation to forms concerning abortion submitted to the chief medical officer without being dated or signed by the doctors concerned; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what action his Department takes in relation to forms concerning abortion submitted to the chief medical officer which breach the regulations concerning the notification of abortions.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  All of the notification forms sent to the chief medical officer are scrutinised by staff authorised by him. Any incomplete forms are returned to the notifying doctor for completion and breaches of the regulations are taken up as appropriate.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Monopolies and Mergers Commission
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ask the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to review its 1978 report on the supply of national newspapers and periodicals (Cmnd. 7214).

  Mr. Redwood
  The Director General of Fair Trading is currently conducting a review of a number of issues concerning the distribution of newspapers and periodicals. The director general will decide in the light of this review 126
  whether further action under the competition legislation for which he is responsible is required. It would not be appropriate for me to comment in advance of the completion of the director general's review.

  Policy Holders Protection Board
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will list the current members of the Policy Holders Protection Board and give the relevant experience of each member; how many of the commission are women; and what percentage of the total membership they comprise.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Policyholders Protection Act 1975 provides that the Policyholders Protection Board comprises five members. The Act requires that at least three members shall be directors, chief executives or managers of authorised insurance companies and at least one member shall be qualified to represent the interests of policyholders. The information requested on the current members of the board is as follows:

  Colin North Smith CBE (Chairman)

  Former senior partner in Peat Marwick McLintock and former chairman of the insurance sub-committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

  Anthony Brend

  Chief executive of Commercial Union Assurance Company.

  Charles O'Brien

  Director of the M & G Assurance Group. Former general manager and actuary of the Royal National Pension Fund for Nurses and currently a member of its council. President of the Institute of Actuaries 1976–78.

  Nigel Proddow

  Former director and chief general manager of Pearl Assurance plc.

  Rosemary McRobert OBE

  Currently a director of the investors compensation scheme. Former deputy director of the Consumers Association and director of the Retail Trading Standards Association.

  Women comprise 20 per cent. of the board's membership.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Leigh
  The total sums paid out by my Department in fees to outside organisations in furtherance of privatisation since 1979 are shown below. As far as possible, the sums paid have been broken down by year, and between fees and commissions.

  The costs of current privatisations, including fees paid to advisers, will be reported to Parliament after the sale is completed.

  Year

  Fees

  Commissions

  £ million

  £ million

  1981–82

  2·6

  3·0

  1984–85

  74·6

  94·4

  1985–86

  110·6

  —

  1986–87

  17·9

  —

  1987–88

  137·0

  —

  1988–89

  24·6

  22·9

  1989–90

  1·7

  0·1

  1990–91

  10·1

  —

  127
  1 Includes commission, if any.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Leigh
  I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member on 13 March 1990, at column 172. Expenditure in the past two years was as follows:

  £000

  1989–90

  2,287

  11990–91

  2,297

  1Estimated.

  The figures include regional press officer and other support services. Activity in this area during the current year is expected to remain at broadly the same level as in 1990–91.

  Departmental Objectives
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the objectives of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  I am publishing revised objectives of my Department. They are as follows:The aim of the Department of Trade and Industry is to foster a market environment which results in satisfied customers and prosperous producers.
  To this end the DTI works to ensure that markets at home and abroad are open, fair and competitive; to see that UK business is best placed to take full advantage of market opportunities; and to champion all those involved in wealth creation.

  The DTI will
  work for trade liberalisation worldwide, and the completion of the single European market;
  promote exports of UK goods and services;
  stimulate innovation in industry by encouraging research, the transfer of technologies, the spread of technical skills and closer links between business and the science base;
  improve the provision of information to business about new methods, opportunities and management skills;
  encourage competition by tackling restrictive practices, cartels and monopolies, and by extending privatisation and contracting out;
  foster the integrity of markets so that customers, creditors and investors benefit from a well targeted system of protection and a light but effective regulatory framework allowing informed choices to be made;
  encourage a positive attitude towards wealth creation;
  reduce burdens on business by simplifying regulation and scrutinising the compliance costs which regulation brings;
  listen to the concerns of business and consumers and ensure that these are taken into account in the development of Government policies;
  ensure that policies respond to the needs of different regions and areas with special difficulties.

  In order to achieve these objectives, the DTI is committed to managing and developing the people who work within it, to enable them to provide a professional, high quality, accessible and responsive service to business and the community.

  Development Management
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will review the work done by the United Nations centre on transnational corporations in regard to the establishment of criteria for sustainable development management.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 April 1991]: The Government have kept the centre's work on criteria for sustainable development management under close review and will continue to do so.

  Matrix Churchill
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the grades and official responsibilities at that time of the officials of his Department who visited the offices of Matrix Churchill in Coventry at 11.15 am on 24 April 1989, 3.51 pm on 11 September 1989, 3.10 pm on 27 October 1989, 9.35 am on 1 December 1989, 9.35 am on 26 March 1990, 9.35 am on 20 April 1990 and 1.17 pm on 26 April 1990.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: In the light of the fact that criminal proceedings have been instituted against three individuals, it would not be right to provide this information.

  Stock Exchange Council of America
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has now taken all necessary action arising from the contents of the memorandum of understanding with the Stock Exchange Council of America, with particular reference to the evidence provided by Ivan Boesky.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: For reasons of international comity, the Secretary of State declines to comment on exchanges of information which may or may not have taken place between international regulators.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  St. John Ambulance Brigade
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what facilities he has made available to staff in his Department to contribute to the appeal that has been launched for people with the name of John to help raise £5 million for the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Prior to the tabling of this question, no request for assistance with the appeal had been received. There is scope for arrangements to be made to draw it to the attention of staff.

  Environment
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the response of the Government to the Environment Select Committee's report on Northern Ireland environmental issues.

  Mr. Needham
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee) on 26 March 1991, at column 366–68.

  Education and Library Boards
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Northern Ireland Department of Education will take action to remedy the division of the South Eastern education and library board into four different locations in the city of Belfast.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department of Education for Northern Ireland is considering proposals by the board for a single site headquarters and has sought clarification on some aspects of the proposals.

  Building Work
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will list the number and location of all new buildings or extensions commissioned by his Department in each of the past five years which(a) had contracts worth between £3 million and £5 million and (b) had contracts worth more than £5 million.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 25 April 1991]: The information is as follows:

  Year

  £3 to £5 million

  Location

  Over £5 million

  Location

  1986–87

  —

  —

  1

  Antrim

  1987–88

  2

  Armagh Maze

  2

  Newry

  Maze

  1988–89

  9

  Antrim

  14

  Banbridge

  Dungannon

  Greater Belfast

  Londonderry

  Omagh

  Warrenpoint

  1989–90

  18

  Ballyclare

  13

  Antrim

  Belfast

  Belfast

  Hillsborough

  Londonderry

  1990–91

  6

  Belfast

  16

  Bangor

  Dromore

  Belfast

  Enniskillen

  Carrickfergus

  Larne

  Londonderry

  Limavady

  Londonderry

  1 These figures include building and accommodation needs of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and a civil defence centre. The locations of the buildings have not been divulged for security reasons.

  Housing, Newry
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of any improvement or renovation schemes scheduled to be undertaken by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive at properties in North street, Newry, over the next three years.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive but I have been advised by the chief executive that no improvement/renovation works are proposed for North street, Newry, within the next three years.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what improvement or renovation schemes have been carried out by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to properties at North street, Newry, in each of the past five years; and what was the cost of each scheme.
  130
  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I have been advised by the chief executive that two improvements/renovation schemes were carried out in North street, Newry, during the past five years. They are as follows:

  1. North street phase 1

  Improvement scheme (103 dwellings). Completed in February 1986 at a cost of £408,800, which comprised of the following works:

  (a) fire regulation compliance

  (b) upgrading of entrance hall and access galleries

  (c)provision of audio/visual entry system.

  2. North street phase 2

  Improvement scheme 2

  Improvement scheme (18 dwellings). Completed in February 1987 at a cost of £129,337, which comprised the following works:

  (a) fire regulation compliance

  (b) upgrading of entrance hall and accesses

  (c) provision of audio/visual entry system

  (d)general repairs including kitchen fittings

  (e)re-roofing

  (f)re-wiring and installation of Economy 7.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what changes will occur in Northern Ireland's rates arising from the new Government proposals for local government financing in Great Britain;

  (2) if he will make a statement on local government finances in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: The application in Northern Ireland of the reduction announced in the Budget is a good outcome for the Province's domestic ratepayers. They will contribute, on average, 36 per cent. less towards the cost of local authority-type services, which is in line with the switch to contral funding of 36 per cent. of the amount charge payers contribute to local authority expenditure in Great Britain.

  The Government's review of the community charge did not extend to Northern Ireland, which has different arrangements for financing local government services and continues to operate a rates system. Some 90 per cent. of expenditure on these services is administered by central Government in Northern Ireland, to which the ratepayers contribute through the regional rate, while district rates contribute towards the remaining 10 per cent. of services which the district councils administer. Rate relevent expenditure on the services administered by Northern Ireland departments or their agencies, to which the regional rate contributes, is determined through the public expenditure survey system and as such is subject to the full scrutiny of Parliament. This expenditure is supported by central Government at a rate of 81 per cent. which indicates the Government's continued commitment to tackling the high level of need in the Province.

  Ministers in Northern Ireland will, however, be examining the proposals in the recent Green Paper and will consider any implications they may have for Northern Ireland.

  Expenditure in Schools
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the expenditure per pupil on (i) books and (ii) equipment in(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in cash and real terms since 1976.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: Total expenditure on books and equipment is as follows—separate figures not available. Figures are not available prior to the 1978–79 financial year.

  Primary schools

  Secondary schools

  Cash

  Real terms

  Cash

  Real terms

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1978–79

  10·40

  24·33

  22·88

  53·53

  1979–80

  12·05

  24·15

  25·24

  50·58

  1980–81

  12·34

  20·89

  25·73

  43·56

  1981–82

  14·37

  22·19

  29·22

  45·12

  1982–83

  14·63

  21·09

  30·62

  44·14

  1983–84

  15·08

  20·76

  31·74

  43·69

  1984–85

  16·37

  21·45

  34·26

  44·89

  1985–86

  17·14

  21·25

  36·40

  45·13

  1986–87

  18·30

  22·01

  42·14

  50·68

  1987–88

  19·94

  22·74

  47·92

  54·66

  1988·89

  20·00

  21·26

  46·55

  49·48

  1989–90

  27·74

  27·74

  54·26

  54·26

  1990–911

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1 Figures not yet available.

PRIME MINISTER

  Prisoners (Visits)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will co-ordinate policy on the allocation of prisoners so that persons convicted in either England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland may serve their sentences at a convenient establishment for regular visits from their families.

  The Prime Minister
  The allocation of prisoners in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the respective prison authorities. Nearness to home is one of the factors which is taken into account, along with other matters, in deciding a prisoner's allocation. There is provision in the Criminal Justice Act 1961 for the transfer of prisoners between United Kingdom jurisdictions.

  Engagements
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 30 April.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

  Advertising
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Prime Minister's office on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1990–91 and budgets for 1991–92.
  132
  The Prime Minister
  My office has incurred no expenditure on advertising or promotional material, and there are no plans for any such expenditure in 1991–92.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Cabinet Office on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1990–91 and budgets for 1991–92.

  The Prime Minister
  The Cabinet Office has not incurred and does not expect to incur any expenditure on promotional advertising on television, radio or in newspapers in the years 1979–92.

  Information on other promotional material is not available for the years 1979 to 1987. Expenditure on such material from 1987–88 was:

  £

  1987–88

  19,306

  1988–89

  9,500

  1989–90

  14,833

  The estimates for 1990–91 is £1,000.

  The Cabinet Office does not expect to incur any expenditure on other promotional material in 1991–92.

  Matrix Churchill
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will name the Government Department to which a Crown servant calling himself Balson and visiting the offices of Matrix Churchill in Coventry at 11.15 am on 24 April 1989, 3.51 pm on 11 September 1989, 3.10 pm on 27 October 1989, 9.35 am on 1 December 1989, 9.35 am on 26 March 1990, 9.35 am on 20 April 1990 and 1.17 pm on 26 April 1990 was attached between 1 April 1989 and 30 April 1990; what was his grade; and what were his official responsibilities.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and industry.

  Arms Trade
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister which proposals he has to allow international advance warning of arms' build-up by a particular country.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding reply 29 April 1991]: On 8 April I proposed the establishment of a United Nations register of arms sales to enable the international community to monitor and control any excessive build-up of arms by a particular country. The proposal was endorsed by our European partners. We are now pursuing it in discussions with the other permanent members of the Security Council and the United Nations secretariat.

ENVIRONMENT

  Immingham Port Development
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what protection is intended for communities living near, or en route to, power stations in the east midlands who will be adversley effected by coal lorry traffic resulting from the use of the new port development at Immingham.
  133
  Mr. Baldry
  I am advised that the Secretary of State for Transport has no proposals to improve the trunk road network or to carry out other measures as a consequence of the Immingham lorry traffic. However, he intends to keep the situation under review.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in his consideration of the relative weight to be given to people and to property in his replacement of the community charge, (1) he will make it his policy to avoid creating a deterrent to home improvement if rental values are to be used;

  (2) he will make it his policy (a) to avoid unfairness due to changes in capital values which are caused by factors extraneous to the property itself and (b) to avoid subjective and variable valuation procedures;

  (3) he will make it his policy to identify property values in the taxes paid by tenants of councils and housing associations;

  (4) he will make it his policy that (a) residents in areas served by inefficient councils should pay more than those being served by efficient councils, (b) that the principle of local accountability is maintained and (c) that local taxes paid should reflect the services used;

  (5) he will make it his policy to distinguish between nominal property values and the ability to pay.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 23 April our proposals for the new council tax. The proposal is to place each property in one of the seven bands by value.

  There will be no need either for precise valuations or for regular general revaluations. Paragraph 2.30 of the consultation paper explains that
  "because the tax is to be based on broad bands improvements to a property would not necessarily lead to a change in its appropriate band. One option would be to take alterations into account only when a property changed hands".

  The highest band property will pay about two and a half times as much as the lowest in an area. Each household will receive a single bill on the assumption that it consists of two people. There will be a 25 per cent. discount for one-adult households. The level of council tax will be higher than the standard level where an authority spends more than is necessary to provide a standard level of service, and lower in more efficient authorities. People on low incomes will receive rebates of up to 100 per cent. of the council tax.

  Tombs
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to amend or vary the appropriate regulations on conservation areas to prevent the demolition of tombs which are less than 115 cu m in size and which have an important historical interest.

  Sir George Young
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to amend the direction in paragraph 97 of circular 8/87 which exempts from conservation area controls any building with a total cubic content not exceeding 115 cu m.

  If a building in a conservation area smaller than 115 cu m is of sufficient architectural or historic interest it can be listed and will then be subject to the more extensive listed building controls.

  Environmental Protection Agency
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in favour of establishing an environmental protection agency for the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend has received from a variety of sources proposals for the creation of environmental protection agencies of various kinds. The Government's views on the institutions required for environmental protection were set out in chapter 18 of the White Paper "This Common Inheritance" (Cm. 1200) published in September 1990.

  Litter
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the names of the officers appointed by each local authority in England with responsibility for issuing £10 fixed penalty fines for dropping litter under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the number of such notices issued since 13 February.

  Mr. Baldry
  This information is not held by my Department. However, I understand that a number of local authorities, including Bath, Darlington, Chorley and Warrington councils, have made use of the power under section 88 of the Act and have adopted the fixed penalty scheme in their areas.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what percentage poll tax collection rate the reduction of £140 in respect of each poll tax payer in Lambeth will be paid.

  Mr. Key
  Entitlement to community charge grant, which will compensate authorities for the income from community charges forgone under the Community Charges (General Reduction Act) 1991, will be based on the rate of charge collection actually achieved by each authority in 1991–92; except that, where the charge is reduced to zero as a result of the Act, entitlement will be based on the authority's original estimate of its rate of collection, disregarding the effect of the Act.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the sums added to or subtracted from Grimsby's standard spending assessment under his new system of resource allocation under his new system of local government finance.

  Mr. Key
  The consultation paper about the proposed new council tax issued on 23 April states that the Government do not propose any major changes to standard spending assessments.

  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out those local authorities which have been rate-capped or charge-capped during each of the years in which the capping system has operated.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: Listed in the table are those authorities which were selected for rate limitation in each of the years between 1985–86 and 1989–90, and for community charge limitation in 1990–91

  135
  and 1991–92. In addition for 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89, the three years following abolition of the metropolitan county councils and the Greater London council, the Local Government Act 1985 designated for precept limitation the Inner London education authority, the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority, the Northumbria police authority, the metropolitan county police authorities, the metropolitan county fire arid civil defence authorities, and the metropolitan county passenger transport authorities.

  Authorities designated for selective rate limitation.

  1985–86

  Basildon

  Lambeth

  Brent

  Leicester

  Camden

  Lewisham

  Greenwich

  Merseyside

  GLC

  Portsmouth

  Hackney

  Sheffield

  Haringey

  South Yorkshire

  ILEA

  Southwark

  Islington

  Thamesdown

  1986–87

  Basildon

  Lambeth

  Camden

  Lewisham

  Greenwich

  Liverpool

  Hackney

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  Haringey

  Southwark

  Islington

  Thamesdown

  1987–88

  Basildon

  Lambeth

  Brent

  Lewisham

  Brighton

  Middlebrough

  Camden

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  Gateshead

  Newham

  Greenwich

  North Tyneside

  Hackney

  Sheffield

  Haringey

  Southwark

  Hounslow

  Thamesdown

  Islington

  Tower Hamlets

  1988–89

  Basildon

  Liverpool

  Camden

  Manchester

  Ealing

  Middlesbrough

  Greenwich

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  Hackney

  Southwark

  Haringey

  Thamesdown

  Kingston upon Hull

  Tower Hamlets

  Lambeth

  Waltham Forest

  Lewisham

  1989–90

  Camden

  Southwark

  Greewich

  Thamesdown

  Hackney

  Tower Hamlets

  Lewisham

  ILEA

  Authorities designated for community charge limitation

  1990–91

  Avon

  Haringey

  Barnsley

  Hillingdon

  Basildon

  Islington

  Brent

  Lambeth

  Bristol

  North Tyneside

  Calderdale

  Rochdale

  Camden

  Rotherham

  Derbyshire

  St. Helens

  Doncaster

  Southwark

  Greewich

  Wigan

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1991–92

  Basildon

  Milton Keynes

  Bristol

  Norwich

  Greenwich

  Reading

  136

  Ipswich

  Somerset

  Lambeth

  Stoke-on-Trent

  Langbaurgh-on-Tees

  Warwickshire

  Middlesbrough

  Wirral

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate(a) the cost of establishing and maintaining community charge registers in the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91 and (b) the cost of central Government publicity and information, including staff costs, to promote and support the establishment and maintenance of community charge registers in the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Mr. Key
  The costs of establishing and maintaining community charge registers are not separately identifiable. The Government have not undertaken specific publicity on the establishment and maintenance of community charge registers. We have, however, produced a series of community charge practice notes, jointly with the local authority associations. Practice note No. 3 dealt with compiling the community charge register; No. 8 dealt with the canvass; No. 9 dealt with sole or main residence; and No. 24 dealt with maintaining the community charges register. We estimate that the total cost of printing these practice notes was £17,400. Copies were placed in the Library.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate(a) the direct cost to local authorities of collection, and the enforcement of collection, of the community charge in 1990–91, (b) the indirect cost to local authorities of loss of cash flow arising from delays in payment of the community charge in 1990–91 and (c) the payments shortfall and the national non-collection rate of the community charge in its first year of operation in England.

  Mr. Key
  English local authorities budgeted to spend £440 million on the collection of community charges in 1990–91. Estimates of the cost resulting from delays in collection cannot be made from the information collected from authorities; and information on arrears and bad debts at 31 March 1991 is not yet available.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the cost of community charge transitional relief in 1990–91(a) in total and (b) for each standard region.

  Mr. Key
  We shall be in a position to publish a final figure for the amount of relief given in 1990–91 when local authorities submit their final grant claims later this year. The total amount of relief grant claimed by authorities in their initial claims for 1990–91 is £259,881,592. The amount for each region in England is as follows.

  £

  North West

  47,854,631

  North

  22,451,448

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  36,023,883

  West Midlands

  21,353,472

  East Midlands

  26,830,977

  East Anglia

  11,137,309

  South East

  68,733,298

  South West

  25,496,574

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost of re-billing the community charge for 1991–92.
  137
  Mr. Key
  My Department is discussing with the local authority associations what additional administrative costs local authorities are incurring as a result of the Community Charges (General Reduction) Act and of the accompanying changes in the community charge reduction scheme, and how these should be reimbursed. Our preliminary estimate is that these costs will be in the range of £50 to £60 million in England.

  Local Government Officials
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will tabulate in league order the top 10 highest paid officials in local government stating the employing authority in each case, and the amount of each salary.

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

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 April,Official Report, Volume 189, column 492.

  Government Buildings
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future use of Norfolk house, East Kilbride.

  Mr. Yeo
  The future of Norfolk house will depend on the outcome of tripartite negotiations currently in progress between the Department as tenant, the Department's landlord, East Kilbride development corporation, and the head landlord, the Norwich Union Insurance Group. These negotiations aim to establish agreement on the complex issue of legal liability for the defects which have made Norfolk house unusable.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those Government properties, owned, leased or rented, which are currently subject to structural investigation.

  Mr. Yeo
  A wide range of structural investigations are taking place at any given time, varying from cases where options from repair to renewal are explicitly under consideration through full-scale inspections prior to lease renewals and down to routine inspections to anticipate problems and establish future maintenance requirements. In addition, responsibility for maintenance of Government property lies with a wide range of Government Departments. It is not therefore practicable to provide the information in the form requested.

  Staff in post at 1 April 1991

  Complement 1 April 1991

  Statistical

  Administrative

  Statistical

  Administrative

  Grade 5/Chief Statistician

  5

  —

  5

  —

  Grade 6

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Grade 7/Statistician

  22

  4

  22

  3

  138
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the structural investigation currently being undertaken into Centre 1, East Kilbride.

  Mr. Yeo
  Investigations have shown that Centre 1 requires considerable repair and refurbishment. My Department has appointed Hugh Martin Partnership, assisted by the Property Services Agency, to compare the long-run value for money of effecting the necessary remedial work with the alternative of developing a new building elsewhere in East Kilbride.

  Gulf Coral Atolls
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many experts work for his Department on the protection of fragile coral atolls in the northern Gulf; what contact he has had with Dr. Nigel Downing, formerly of the Kuwaiti scientific service, on the damage to fish larvae; and how many civilians working on the ecological consequences of the Gulf war have been flown to Kuwait at Her Majesty's Government's expense.

  Mr. Baldry
  The protection of coral atolls in the northern Gulf lies outside the direct responsibilities of my Department. On the action that we have taken to pass Dr. Downing's concerns to the Government of Kuwait, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on 21 March 1991,Official Report, Vol. 188, column 171. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met the transport cost of a team of three officials of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who flew to the Gulf in response to a specific request from the Government of Saudi Arabia.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each year from 1979–80, including 1991–92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in his Department; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: The numbers and grades of staff and complement in the statistical divisions1 of DOE (Central) are set out in the table.

  1 The statistical divisions in DOE (Central) comprise housing data statistics, finance local authority statistics, land and general statistics, environmental protection statistics, and construction industry statistics.

  There are also statisticians employed throughout the Department in posts of a largely administrative nature: these numbered 10 at 1 April 1991.

  We do not have readily available historical data for each year back to 1 April 1979, but I have provided staff in post data for various dates within the 1979–80 to 1991–92 period in my replies to questions dated 21 July 1988, 13 March 1989 and 6 March 1990.
  139

  Staff in post at 1 April 1991

  Complement 1 April 1991

  Statistical

  Administrative

  Statistical

  Administrative

  SEO

  —

  4

  —

  4

  HEO/Senior Assistant Statistician

  3

  12

  3

  16

  EO/Assistant Statistician

  4

  32

  4

  32

  AO

  —

  36

  —

  33·5

  AA

  —

  12

  —

  13

  Sub Total

  35

  101

  35

  102·5

  Total

  136

  137·5

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  St. Helena
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that extra aid will be provided for St. Helena to cover the whole costs of the current drugs case on the island.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Financial provision has been made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for all the costs of this case.

  Cartagena Convention
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom Government or its representative will be supporting the listing of sea turtles on annex II of the protocol as proposed by the ad hoc meeting of experts for the development of annexes in November 1990 concerning specially protected areas and wildlife under the convention for the protection and development of the marine environment of the wider Caribbean region, Cartagena convention.

  Total expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on press and public relations from 1983–84 to 1989–90, latest estimates for 1990–91 and budget provisions for 1991–92

  (£ million):

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Payments to Central Office of Information for overseas information material and related activities

  17·4

  18·8

  18·3

  18·7

  19·2

  18·3

  18·1

  15·7

  11·9

  Other information services

  0·9

  0·8

  0·9

  0·7

  0·9

  0·9

  3·3

  5·8

  5·5

  Running costs of Diplomatic Wing Information/News Department

  1·8

  1·4

  1·9

  1·9

  2·0

  1·8

  2·4

  3·6

  5·0

  Running costs of ODA Wing Information Department

  0·3

  0·3

  0·3

  0·2

  0·2

  0·3

  0·4

  0·4

  0·4

  Costs of information staff at overseas posts

  12·4

  12·8

  13·6

  14·6

  17·6

  17·5

  18·8

  20·2

  21·6

  Total

  32·8

  34·1

  35·0

  36·1

  39·9

  38·8

  43·0

  45·7

  44·4

  Figures for the period before 1983–84 are not available on a comparable basis.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No such fees have been paid for the period in question and there is no expenditure planned.
  140
  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We are considering the implications for the dependent territories of all the proposed listings on the annexes of the protocol concerning specially protected areas and wildlife under the Cartagena convention.

  Correspondence Unit
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the volume of correspondence (i) coming in and (ii) being sent out by the Members of Parliament's correspondence unit of the Foreign Office for each month in 1990.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  It is not possible to put a figure to the volume of all correspondence addressed to the Secretary of State and Ministers of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, 14,275 letters were received from Members of Parliament in 1990. It is our policy to reply to all such letters.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Following is the reply:

  Prince Ranariddh Cambodia
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Ministers and officials of his Department who met Prince Ranariddh of Cambodia during his recent visit; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  My noble Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, supported by officials of the South-East Asian department of the
  141
  Foreign and Commonwealth Office, met Prince Ranariddh on 24 April to discuss the Cambodian peace process and related matters.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Advertising
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Lord Chancellor's Department on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1990–91 and budgets for 1991–92.

  The Attorney-General
  The figures for the Lord Chancellor's Department, excluding staff costs, are as follows:

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Television advertising

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Radio advertising

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Newspaper advertising

  15,000

  3,967

  50,242

  5,975

  Other promotional material

  32,500

  31,208

  77,968

  82,000

  1 Forecast.

  The breakdown of the amounts spent on respective areas and the amounts spent for the previous years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but the total expenditure, including staff costs, was:

  £

  1984–85

  135,730

  1985–86

  176,613

  1986–87

  148,020

  1987–88

  137,001

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  School Budgets
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list those London education authorities which have delegated the whole of their school budgets;

  (2) if he will list those London education authorities which have delegated the budget for educational psychological services.

  Mr. Fallon
  No local education authority has delegated all its potential schools budget to schools. Nor has any local education authority delegated all the budget for education psychology services.

  The proportions of their potential schools budgets which local education authorities are delegating to schools are listed in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes) on 21 February, Official Report, columns 235–36, together with the pursuant reply of 22 March, Official Report, column 236.

  Education, Eltham
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many reports by Her Majesty's inspectors have been produced on education in Eltham during the past 10 years; and what arrangements have been made for these reports to be seen by the public.

  Mr. Eggar
  Since 1983, when reports were first published, Her Majesty's inspectorate has produced four reports on education provided for the constituents of Eltham. All four reports were published. Three were institutional inspection reports and one was a survey report on science education in years one to three of some secondary schools in Greenwich.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Eggar
  The expenditure figures for press and public relations by this Department for the financial year 1984–85 to 1990–91 are provided in the table. Figures for 1979 to 1983–84 are not available on a comparable basis. The 1990–91 figure is provisional. The 1991–92 estimate is £2,778·0.

  Year

  £000s

  1984–85

  788·8

  1985–86

  1,026·3

  1986–87

  1,937·8

  1987–88

  2,313·6

  1988–89

  2,336·2

  1989–90

  2,596·0

  1990–91

  2,281·5

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Eggar
  In the privatisation of the National Seed Development Organisation Ltd. and assets of the Plant Breeding Institute, the fees and other sale expenses in 1987–88 totalled about £0·6 million as stated in the published appropriation account for class XII, vote 13. In 1986 fees amounted to only £48,000, as stated in the published appropriation account for class XII, vote 4 for 1986–87. This is the only privatisation conducted by this Department in the period referred to.

  Disability and Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to the document "Guidelines on Disability and Equal Opportunities Issues" drawn up by a working party including disabled teachers and published by the National Union of Teachers; if there is any action he has taken or will be taking; and if he will make a statement.
  143
  Mr. Fallon
  My right hon. and learned Friend understands that the National Union of Teachers will be writing to him about the recommendations in its document, "Guidelines on Disability".

  Southwark
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the cost to public funds to date of Bacon's city technology college, Southwark, in each of the financial years since its announcement; what is the latest projected cost up to and including completion; and what proportion of capital moneys expended by his Department in(a) Southwark and (b) the parliamentary constituency of Southwark and Bermondsey on (i) secondary schools, (ii) all schools and (iii) in total this comprises in each of the years in question.

  Mr. Eggar
  Capital expenditure by the Department on the Bacon's city technology college was £1·799 million in 1989–90 and £5·671 million in 1990–91. The building programme is expected to conclude in 1991·92 and the forecast spend is £3·956 million. Information on capital expenditure by the London borough of Southwark since it took over educational responsibilities from ILEA is not yet available. Southwark local education authority's annual capital guideline for 1991–92 was £1·258 million, of which the notional schools' component was £1·220 million. The comparable figures for 1990–91 were £1·429 million, £1·367 million of which was for schools. Southwark's allocation for capital works at voluntary aided schools in 1991–92 was £0·861 million and in 1990–91 was £1·186 million.

  Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what rating the Newcastle upon Tyne polytechnic has been given by Her Majesty's inspectors as regards quality of provision of teaching; and whether he has had any discussions with the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council as to how this will be reflected in its funding decisions.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  HMI offers advice to the PCFC programme advisory groups on subject areas, not whole institutions. That advice is used by PCFC in judging claims made for outstanding quality by institutions in their bids for funds. The PCFC programme advisory group accepted Newcastle polytechnic's claims for outstanding quality in six of the nine PCFC programme areas. HMI judgments, subject by subject, are always made known to the institution.

  My right hon. and learned Friend has not had discussions of how these gradings for Newcastle polytechnic will be reflected in its funding decisions. He would not regard it as appropriate to do so arid he is satisfied with the arrangements adopted by PCFC to reward outstanding quality.

  Free School Meals
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the cost in the financial year 1991–92 of restoring entitlement to free school meals to(a) the children of parents on family credit and (b) all others who lost entitlement to free school meals as a result of the Social Security Act 1986, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.
  144
  Mr. Fallon
  It is not possible to estimate the cost of reintroducing the wide variety of discretionary schemes which existed prior to the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Pension Fund Surpluses
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider reviewing the permissibility of the practice of companies capitalising on pension fund surpluses to obtain higher rating and funding.

  Mr. Maples
  I have no plans to review accounting treatment for pension fund surpluses as set out in the Companies act 1985 and statement of standard accounting practice (SSAP) 24.

  Tampons
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991–92 and in a full year of zero-rating VAT on sanitary towels and tampons.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information is not available on which to base an estimate.

  Accident Prevention Equipment
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of loss of revenue if items of home safety equipment were all sold at zero VAT.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information is not available on which to base an estimate.

  Advertising
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Central Office of Information on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotion material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1990–91 and budgets for 1991–92.

  Mr. Maples
  Figures for the Central Office of Information on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material for the years 1979–80 to 1985–86 were given in the answer at columns 240–42 on 25 November 1986. Figures for the years 1986–87 to 1988–89 were given in the answer at columns 167–68 on 13 March 1990. Figures for the years 1989–90 and 1990–91 are listed in the table below:

  1989–90

  11990–91

  £000s

  £000s

  Television advertising

  45,460

  48,100

  Radio advertising

  2,770

  1,800

  Press advertising

  40,880

  39,800

  Other promotional material

  33,000

  33,700

  1 Estimate

  Detailed decisions on estimated expenditure on advertising through the Central Office of Information on behalf of other Government Departments for 1991–92 are for departmental Ministers.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by the Treasury in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Maude
  The total sums paid by Her Majesty's Treasury in fees and commissions to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation since 1979–80 is shown in the table. Where the split between fees and commissions is known this has been shown.

  The costs of the forthcoming secondary sale of BT shares, including total fees paid to advisers, will be reported to Parliament after the sale is completed.

  Year

  Fees

  Commissions

  Total

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  1979–80

  n/a

  n/a

  4

  1980–81

  0

  0

  0

  1981–82

  n/a

  n/a

  7

  1982–83

  0

  0

  0

  1983–84

  n/a

  n/a

  23

  1984–85

  n/a

  n/a

  2

  1985–86

  18

  17

  35

  1986–87

  0

  0

  0

  1987–88

  79

  40

  119

  1988–89

  2

  0

  2

  1989–90

  1

  0

  1

  1990–91

  1

  0

  1

  1 Negligible.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total expenditure by the Treasury on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Her Majesty's Treasury press and public relations expenditure is as follows:

  £

  1988–89

  548,264

  1989–90

  564,691

  1990–91

  510,489

  1991–92

  1560,989

  1 Estimate.

  Comparable figures on press and public relations from 1979–80 to 1987–88 are unavailable and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Top Rate Taxpayers
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate for the total number of top rate taxpayers after the Budget changes in 1991–92.

  Mr. Maude
  About 1·7 million taxpayers are estimated to be liable to pay tax at the higher rate in 1991–92.

  VAT
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for 1991–92 the additional revenue that would be generated by an increase of 5 per cent. in the rate of value added tax levied on those products which were historically subject to a 25 per cent. purchase tax.
  146
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Around £2·5 billion in a full year.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total burden to commerce and industry of re-programming computers, reprinting brochures, changing notices and other indirect costs arising from the change in the rate of value added tax.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  It is accepted that the change in rate will involve some additional and unavoidable compliance costs for business, but there is no readily available means of estimating them. However, these one-off costs should be viewed against the impact of the Budget as a whole, which is to reduce the burden which the tax system imposes on business.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the average extra cost per person per year of the extra 2·5 per cent. VAT announced in the Budget to(a) people in the Glanford and Scunthorpe constituency and (b) the national average.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: Information is not available that would permit us to estimate the extra cost per person in the Glanford and Scunthorpe constituency.

  The extra yield in a full year of the VAT increase is £5·5 billion and the population is around 57 million—this suggests an average cost of £96 per person.

  Tax Allowances
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of individuals in 1991–92 claiming(a) the additional personal allowance and (b) the widow's bereavement allowance.

  Mr. Maude
  In 1991–92 the number of individuals claiming the additional personal allowance is estimated to be 480,000. The corresponding figure for the widow's bereavement allowance is 130,000.

  Earnings
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for 1991–92 the numbers of men and women with earnings below(a) the tax threshold and (b) the national insurance contribution threshold.

  Mr. Maude
  Provisional estimates for 1991–92, based on projections from the 1988 and 1989 family expenditure surveys, are as follows:

  Women

  Men

  Numbers (millions) with earnings below

  Tax threshold

  2·9

  1·0

  National insurance lower earnings limit

  2·25

  0·75

  National Savings
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to change the aims of national savings.

  Mr. Maples
  Yes. I have decided that the following national savings aims should apply for 1991–92:To attract personal saving as required by the Government's funding policy.

  147
  To encourage the saving habit among a wide range of people.
  To give our customers a good, prompt and friendly service.
  To market a range of products, with particular emphasis on encouraging longer-term saving.

  Staff are to meet these aims within resource levels decided by Ministers and with the continuing objective of improving economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

  Coinage
  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the new copper-coated steel 1p and 2p pieces to be introduced in 1992 will, if magnetised, affect the operation of credit cards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: The Royal Mint has advised that it is not aware of any such problems in countries that have been using low carbon mild steel in coins.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Independent Radio News
  Sir Robert McCrindle
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the provision made to accommodate Independent Radio News within the Palace of Westminster.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 22 April 1991]: I understand IRN currently occupies space in No. 1 Bridge street, a building in the charge of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

DEFENCE

  Air Defence Operations
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the grading of air electronic operations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The decision to reduce the pay banding of master and flight sergeant air electronic operator with effect from 1 October 1989 has generated about 35 representations.

  Downbanding was implemented after three job evaluations over a period of six years had shown it to be justified. In accordance with normal practice, no one suffered a cut in pay; personnel affected kept their existing pay rates on a mark-time basis.

  Helicopters
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters of the British armed forces have been used in(a) the Gulf war and (b) assisting Kurdish refugees.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Some 100 British armed forces' helicopters were used in the Gulf war. On 30 April there were 12 RAF Chinook helicopters based in Turkey undertaking relief operations.

  Peace Dividend
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current estimated saving arising out of the peace dividend.
  148
  Mr. Tom King
  Since 1985, United Kingdom defence spending has reduced in real terms by over 10 per cent.—excluding the cost of the Gulf conflict. Figures for coming years are set out in the public expenditure White Paper.

  NATO
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with other Defence Ministers regarding the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tom King
  I am in regular contact with my alliance colleagues on a range of defence issues, including the future evolution of NATO in the light of the London declaration.

  Army (Current Enlistment)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons are currently enlisted in the Army; and how many of these are based(a) in Wales, (b) in the United Kingdom and (c) abroad.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  As at 1 March, there were 131,643 other ranks enlisted in the Army. Of these, 973 were based in Wales, 70,047 in the rest of the United Kingdom and 60,623 abroad.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to complete the "Options for Change" inquiry.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish his revised "Options for Change" policy statement.

  Mr. Tom King
  As the hon. Member and my hon. Friend will be aware, we are continuing to study the proposals in "Options for Change" which I announced last July. When we are in a position to take decisions on the final size and shape of the armed forces, I shall of course report further to the House.

  The Gulf
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current and future employment of British forces in the Gulf.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current level of United Kingdom deployment of armed services in the Gulf region.

  Mr. Tom King
  I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Leith (Mr. Brown).

  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the volunteer forces took part in the Gulf operation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A total of 877 members of the volunteer forces were called out in support of British operations in the Gulf.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the speed of advance of the allied forces in the Gulf war has been assessed to have any strategic implications in the European theatre.
  149
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We are considering the outcome of the campaign and the conclusions to be drawn from it, but it is too early to say how the results of this work might be made public.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was estimated to have been spent on the Gulf war by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 24 April 1991, at column 483.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a decision has yet been reached on the issuing of a campaign medal to those members of Her Majesty's forces who served in the war for the liberation of Kuwait.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated in a written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for East Hampshire (Mr. Mates) on 22 March, Her Majesty the Queen has approved the award of a medal for those who served in the Gulf. Further details about the medal will be announced in due course.

  Territorial Army
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for strengthening the Territorial Army.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It is not possible to say what the future strength of the TA will be until the future size and shape of the Regular Army has been decided.

  Unused Airfields
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unused airfields are owned by his Department; what is the total acreage they cover; and what is his estimate of their value if sold on the open market.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The only unused airfield currently owned by the Ministry of Defence is RAF Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland, consisting of some 577 acres, which is currently being offered for sale on the open market. It is not our policy to disclose our estimate of the value of property in the process of disposal.

  UN Forces
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he intends to contribute United Kingdom troops to a United Nations force to protect refugees from Iraqi troops; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We hope that the United Nations will take over the running of the camps for Kurdish refugees as soon as possible. Any requests from the United Nations for United Kingdom military assistance would be considered in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time. No such request has yet been made.

  Oilfield Fires (Kuwait)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military or administrative assistance his Department is giving to those attempting to extinguish the Kuwaiti oilfield fires; and what military lessons his Department has drawn from this environmental disaster.
  150
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Assistance and advice has been provided on the disposal of unexploded ordnance by Royal Engineers personnel in Kuwait. In addition, the Royal Engineers have given safety briefings and have produced maps showing danger areas and leaflets giving safety advice. As for the lessons learnt, all aspects of the Gulf conflict are currently being investigated.

  Chieftain Tank
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the lessons of the Gulf conflict have now enabled him to decide on the most suitable replacement for Chieftain tanks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  We hope that a decision will not have to be delayed too long.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The only privatisation my Department has undertaken since 1979 was the sale of Royal Ordnance plc, following an open competition, to British Aerospace plc in April 1987. The fees paid out in respect of that privatisation amounted to £1·9 million for work carried out between 1 January 1985 and completion of the sale.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The earliest year for which figures are available is 1982–83. Figures for the period 1982–83 to 1989–90 are as follows:

  £ million

  1982–83

  5·1

  1983–84

  6·3

  1984–85

  6·8

  1985–86

  6·7

  1986–87

  7·3

  1987–88

  7·0

  1988–89

  7·1

  1989–90

  8·0

  The estimated expenditure figure for 1990–91 is £8·2 million and for 1991–92 £9·2 million.

  Figures for 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82 are not available.

  The figures provided include staff costs and expenditure on films, exhibitions, publications and equipment.

  Nimrod (Airframes)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Nimrod airframes have been purchased; at what cost; and how many such airframes are in current active service.
  151
  Mr. Alan Clark
  Forty-nine Nimrod airframes were purchased and 36 are in current active service. The original cost of these airframes is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate expense.

  AWACS
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many AWACS aircraft have been ordered from the United States: and at what cost.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Seven E-3D AWACS aircraft have been ordered from the United States at a cost of £990 million.

  Al Yamamah Contract
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Al Yamamah contract with Saudi Arabia to be completed.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The formal understandings between Her Majesty's Government and the Saudi Arabian Government specify no date for completion.

  Military Training (Fatalities)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the practice when fatalities among military personnel occur during training, with respect to whether a coroner's court conducts the post mortem; and whether the arrangements differ for regular and territorial personnel, and for domestic and overseas exercises.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I assume that the question relates to coroners' inquests. Should a sudden, violent or unnatural death occur in England or Wales, the coroner for the area concerned is obliged to conduct an inquest in accordance with the Coroners Act 1988. This applies to all service personnel whether of the regular or reserve forces. Coroners are also obliged to investigate the sudden or unnatural death of a person abroad if the body is brought back to England or Wales. Deaths in Scotland or bodies returned to Scotland including those of service personnel are dealt with under the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Death Inquiries Act 1976 which allows the relevant procurator fiscal to decide whether a fatal accident inquiry should be held or not.

  Management Strategy
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will be the budget holders for territorial units under the new management strategy; who will have the power to dismiss unsatisfactory clerical and stores staff in territorial units; and who will have the power to replace clerical staff in territorial units with contracted-out services.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The general officer commanding the district in which the unit is located is the budget holder for all funds other than those administered by TAVRAs. Powers of dismissal are held under delegated authority by commanding officers not below the rank of colonel in respect of stores grades with less than five years service, and clerical staff during their probation period. Outside these categories, dismissal may be approved at major general or equivalent level only on the advice of personnel management staff at grade 7 level or above. District headquarters exercise the appropriate powers to replace clerical staff in territorial units with contracted-out services.
  152
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals(a) civilian and (b) military were employed by his Department wholly or mainly on accounting and budget management duties in (a) 1980, (b) 1985 and (c) 1990; how many persons his Department envisages employing once the new management strategy is in place; and how many of these were concerned wholly or mainly on duties in connection with volunteer forces.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  TA 2000
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is TA 2000; when its terms of reference were published; if he will place a copy in the Library; whether an interim progress report has been published; and what is its relationship to the study referred to in the debate of 21 February,Official Report, column 546.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  TA 2000 was the name given to an internal aide memoire prepared in the Ministry of Defence in 1989 which listed the current and future improvements then being considered for the TA. It was purely an internal management document to help co-ordination in the Ministry of Defence and is not appropriate for placing in the Library. It covered a wide range of activities including training. The study I referred to on 21 February is considering the organisation of training in order to make the best use of training time. This work was foreseen in TA 2000.

  Bloodhound Missile
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the intended service life of the Bloodhound missile when it first came into service.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Ten years, although this has been progressively extended through a variety of modifications.

  RAF Personnel
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel left the service from(a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering, in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The numbers of ground airmen, including airwomen, in engineering trades who left the service each year since 1979 are as follows:

  Armaments

  Mechanical

  Electrical

  Electronic

  1980

  100

  610

  155

  433

  1981

  120

  635

  208

  522

  1982

  157

  729

  217

  606

  1983

  128

  688

  212

  585

  1984

  139

  660

  213

  551

  1985

  161

  858

  247

  676

  1986

  147

  921

  258

  702

  1987

  122

  850

  208

  571

  1988

  170

  1,005

  310

  808

  1989

  253

  1,372

  432

  1,152

  1990

  170

  1,157

  330

  808

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel became qualified to serve in(a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering, in each year since 1979.
  153
  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The numbers of ground airmen, including airwomen, who became qualified to serve in engineering trades are as follows:

  Armaments

  Mechanical

  Electrical

  Electronic

  CY 80

  360

  1,680

  405

  987

  CY 81

  371

  1,552

  397

  833

  CY 82

  72

  301

  198

  802

  CY 83

  276

  153

  324

  571

  CY 84

  260

  1,569

  335

  817

  CY 85

  222

  1,075

  252

  942

  CY 86

  153

  523

  292

  876

  CY 87

  152

  632

  224

  739

  CY 88

  275

  572

  246

  381

  CY 89

  248

  794

  169

  516

  CY 90

  108

  835

  235

  565

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained fast jet pilots(a) took premature voluntary retirement and (b) requested premature voluntary retirement in 1989–90.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The number of fast jet pilots who took premature voluntary retirement in financial year 1989–90 was 47. The number who applied for voluntary retirement was 64.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel served in(a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering, in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The numbers of ground airmen, including airwomen, who were employed on engineering duties in the RAF in each of the years after 1979 are as follows:

  Armaments

  Mechanical

  Electrical

  Electronic

  1 April 1980

  2,493

  14,346

  3,727

  9,633

  1 April 1981

  2,753

  15,416

  3,977

  10,187

  1 April 1982

  3,004

  16,333

  4,166

  9,498

  1 April 1983

  2,919

  15,905

  4,147

  10,694

  1 April 1984

  3,067

  15,370

  4,259

  10,680

  1 April 1985

  3,188

  16,279

  4,381

  10,946

  1 April 1986

  3,249

  16,496

  4,386

  11,212

  1 April 1987

  3,255

  16,098

  4,420

  11,386

  1 April 1988

  3,285

  15,880

  4,436

  11,554

  1 April 1989

  3,390

  15,447

  4,372

  11,127

  1 April 1990

  3,385

  14,868

  4,110

  10,491

  1 April 1991

  3,323

  14,543

  4,006

  10,253

  Prince Ranariddh (Visit)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Ministers and officials of his Department who met with Prince Ranariddh of Cambodia during his recent visit; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  None.

  Tornado Aircraft
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado aircraft are currently in storage.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Fourteen Tornado aircraft are currently in storage.

SCOTLAND

  Civil Marriages
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the response of local authorities to the Registrar-General's request that schemes should be submitted to him for providing improved facilities for civil marriages within their areas.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Registrar-General has received interim responses from three of the 12 Scottish local registration authorities. As his letter of November 1990 suggested that authorities should undertake any local consultation procedures about terms and conditions of service of staff before submitting schemes to him, it was anticipated that full responses would take some time to prepare.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report all the paid appointments within his patronage and the annual remuneration paid to each one.

  Mr. Lang
  Table 1 shows the information requested as at 1 July 1990. Table 2 provides information in respect of those appointments for which I am jointly responsible with other Ministers. I have made appointments to four major new bodies since July. Scottish Enterprise has a chairman, salary £43,000, and 10 members, salary £6,000; Highlands and Islands Enterprise has a chairman, salary £57,105, one member with a salary of £52,650 and eight members with salaries of £6,000; the Health Education Board for Scotland has a chairman, salary £13,500, and 10 members, salary £2,000; and the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland has a chairman, salary £20,000, four members with salaries of £8,616 and three members with salaries of £5,385.

  Table 1

  Paid appointments for which the Secretary of State for Scotland is responsible as at 1 July 1990

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1990

  £

  Argyll and Clyde health board

  Chairman

  16,005

  Ayrshire and Arran health board

  Chairman

  13,415

  Borders health board

  Chairman

  10,810

  Caledonian MacBrayne

  Chairman

  15,000

  Seven members

  4,500

  Central Scotland Woodlands Ltd.

  Chairman

  Fee paid

  Commission for Local Authority Accounts in Scotland

  Chairman

  7,939

  Deputy chairman

  5,030

  Six members

  2,500

  Two members

  2,650

  Common Services Agency for the Scottish health service

  management committee

  Chairman

  12,355

  155

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1990

  £

  Counsel to Secretary of State on private legislation procedure

  One member

  10,994

  One member

  7,568

  Countryside Commission for Scotland

  Chairman

  15,365

  Deputy chairman

  6,422

  Crofters Commission

  Chairman

  36,848

  Six members

  9,393

  Cumbernauld development corporation

  Chairman

  18,202

  Deputy chairman

  7,804

  Seven members

  3,525

  One member

  3,735

  Dumfries and Galloway health board

  Chairman

  10,810

  East Kilbride development corporation

  Chairman

  18,202

  Deputy chairman

  8,272

  Five members

  3,525

  Two members

  3,735

  Fife health board

  Chairman

  13,415

  Forth Valley health board

  Chairman

  13,415

  Glenrothes development corporation

  Chairman

  18,202

  Deputy chairman

  7,804

  Eight members

  3,525

  Grampian health board

  Chairman

  18,250

  Greater Glasgow health board

  Chairman

  22,730

  Highland and Islands development board (replaced by Highlands and Islands Enterprise from 1 April 1991)

  Chairman

  56,540

  Deputy chairman

  52,130

  One member

  46,695

  One member

  41,500

  Three members

  8,123

  Highland health board

  Chairman

  13,415

  Horse Race Betting Levy Appeal Tribunal for Scotland

  Two members

  1109

  Irvine development corporation

  Chairman

  18,202

  Deputy chairman

  8,272

  Seven members

  3,735

  Lanarkshire health board

  Chairman

  16,005

  Livingston development corporation

  Chairman

  17,172

  Deputy chairman

  8,272

  Five members

  3,525

  Two members

  3,735

  Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland

  Chairman

  4,691

  Vice chairman

  11,122

  156

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1990

  £

  Three members

  1,573

  Lothian health board

  Chairman

  20,490

  Orkney health board

  Chairman

  6,510

  Preliminary review committee for life sentence prisoners

  Three members

  2

  Red deer commission

  Chairman

  15,173

  Rent assessment panel for Scotland

  President

  12,471

  Vice president

  7,863

  Scottish Agricultural Wages Board

  Chairman

  1137

  Three members

  187

  Scottish Dental Practice Board

  Chairman

  33,991

  Scottish Development Agency (replaced by Scottish Enterprise from 1 April 1991)

  Chairman

  38,836

  Deputy chairman

  19,665

  Five members

  5,330

  Scottish Homes

  Chairman

  30,719

  Deputy chairman

  13,957

  Seven members

  5,330

  Scottish Hydro-Electric PLC

  Chairman

  39,750

  Three members

  4,860

  Three members

  60,000

  One member

  79,700

  Scottish Legal Aid Board

  Chairman

  17,170

  14 members

  8,529

  Scottish Power PLC

  Chairman

  66,900

  Four members

  4,860

  One member

  66,000

  One member

  63,000

  One member

  57,000

  One member

  54,000

  Scottish Seed Potato Development Council

  Chairman

  7,110

  Scottish tourist board

  Chairman

  28,048

  Five members

  5,330

  Scottish Transport Group

  Chairman

  64,610

  Deputy chairman

  12,922

  One member

  6,804

  Three members

  5,184

  Shetland health board

  Chairman

  6,510

  State hospital management committee

  Chairman

  11,955

  Tayside health board

  Chairman

  18,250

  157

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1990

  £

  Western Isles health board

  Chairman

  6,510

  1 Per day.

  2 Varied daily fees paid.

  Table 2

  Paid appointments made jointly by Secretary of State for Scotland and other ministers as at 1 July 1990

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1990

  £

  Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards

  Chairman

  21,450

  Deputy chairman

  7,900

  Agricultural Training Board

  Chairman

  6,589

  Deputy Chairman

  6,041

  British Wool Marketing Board

  Three members

  5,675

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board

  Chairman

  22,650

  Director General of Electricity Supply

  71,000

  Food from Britain

  Chairman

  30,000

  Deputy chairman

  4,290

  One member

  4,290

  Nine members

  1,895

  Two members

  1,804

  Home Grown Cereals Authority

  Chairman

  15,441

  Deputy chairman

  5,330

  19 members

  2,660

  Horticultural Development Council

  Chairman

  21,138

  Deputy chairman

  3,830

  20 members

  125

  Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce

  Chairman

  5,477

  Meat and Livestock Commission

  Chairman

  45,453

  Deputy chairman

  22,465

  One member

  10,840

  Nine members

  5,330

  National Radiological Protection Board

  Chairman

  9,310

  12 members

  166

  Sea Fish Industry Authority

  Chairman

  25,490

  10 members

  5,330

  United Kingdom Seeds Executive

  Chairman

  6,689

  Four members

  2,382

  1 Per day.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Lang
  The total sums paid out by my Department in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation since 1979–80 are shown in the following table.

  Year

  £ million

  1987–88

  0·616

  1988–89

  2·246

  1989–90

  4·001

  1990–91

  15·126

  1 Estimated outturn.

  The total costs of the current privatisation of Scottish Power, Scottish Hydro-Electric and the Scottish Bus Group, including fees paid to advisers, will be reported to Parliament after the sales have been completed.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Lang
  The running costs of the Scottish Office information directorate for each year from 1985–86 are as follows:

  Year

  £ million

  1985–86

  0·9

  1986–87

  1·0

  1987–88

  1·1

  1988–89

  1·2

  1989–90

  1·4

  1990–91

  1·7

  11991–92

  1·9

  1 Plans.

  These figures exclude expenditure on information campaigns.

  Directly comparable figures for years prior to the introduction of new Scottish Office budgetary arrangements in 1985–86 are not available.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will break down the expenditure on industry, energy, trade and employment, excluding Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in every year since 1986–87 and include plans for 1991–92.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 22 April 1991]: The information requested is shown in the table below. The figures for 1986–87 to 1989–90 are taken from the appropriation accounts. The figures for 1990–91 are consistent with those shown in the main estimates for 1991–92.
  159

  £ million1

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Outturn

  Outturn

  Outturn

  Outturn

  Estimated outturn

  Plans

  Regional Selective Assistance

  41·2

  43·2

  41·3

  40·5

  67·4

  73·8

  Regional Development Grant

  166·3

  75·2

  74·0

  58·6

  40·7

  25·5

  Regional Enterprise Grant

  —

  —

  0·2

  1·5

  2·8

  5·2

  Central and Miscellaneous Services

  0·5

  0·2

  0·3

  0·3

  1·2

  0·6

  Technical and Vocational Education Initiative

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  213·8

  Highlands and Islands Development Board

  26·3

  26·2

  31·6

  33·6

  32·8

  —

  Scottish Development Agency

  89·3

  93·9

  87·5

  97·5

  101·3

  —

  Total3

  323·6

  238·6

  234·8

  231·9

  246·2

  4118·9

  Notes:

  1Figures have been rounded to the nearest £0·1 million and totals may, in consequence, not add up.

  2Prior to 1 April 1991 TVEI in Scotland was the responsibility of the Department of Employment.

  3These are net figures. Total expenditure is higher when receipts are taken into account.

  4Including Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise the total for 1991–92 would be £572·1 million. This figure includes provision for training.

  Building Work
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list the number and location of all new buildings or extensions commissioned by his Department in each of the past five years which(a) had contracts worth between £3 million and £5 million and (b) had contracts worth more than £5 million.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 25 April 1991]: My Department has commissioned buildings as follows:

  £3 million to £5 million

  Over £5 million

  Number

  Locations

  Number

  Locations

  1986–87

  —

  —

  two

  Glasgow sheriff court

  Kilmarnock sheriff court

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1988–89

  —

  —

  one

  Parliament House extension, Edinburgh

  1989–90

  —

  —

  two

  Edinburgh sheriff court Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen

  1990–91

  one

  Falkirk sheriff court

  —

  —

  Sand Eels
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the results of his monitoring of the sand-eel situation in Scottish waters.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: The Scottish Office announced on 6 March that the sand-eel fishery in waters around Shetland would remain closed until spawning stock levels recover. This followed receipt of scientific advice that the downward trend in spawning stock levels had continued and that recruitment continued to be poor. The scientific advice on the fishery in the west of Scotland indicates that the stock is in a reasonable condition but that significant diversion of
  160
  effort into the fishery would be undesirable. A consultation paper was therefore issued on 16 April proposing that effort limitation arrangements similar to those in force in 1990 should apply this year. Comments on the paper have been sought by 1 May and it is hoped that a final announcement on the management arrangements can be made shortly after that date.

  Forestry Commission Land
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is the practice that all Forestry Commission land is advertised in the Estates Gazette when it is up for sale; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 March, Official Report, column 689.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to introduce a child benefit for grandparents who care for a grandchild in the absence of the mother; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  A grandparent who is responsible for bringing up a grandchild can claim child benefit under the existing rules.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the full-year cost of raising child benefit in October to £9·55 a week for all children, assuming a corresponding increase in income-related benefit allowances for children and in child dependency increases paid with national insurance benefits, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Jack
  The cost for Great Britain over that of next October's actual benefit increases would be £695 million. Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Benefit (Young Persons)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor) of 26 July 1990,Official Report, columns 494–95, when he now expects to publish the results of research into the way in which benefit provision for 16 and 17-year-olds is working.

  Mr. Jack
  We expect to publish a report later in the spring.

  Community Charge Benefit
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many community charge payers in Lambeth were in receipt of community charge benefit at the last period for which figures are available to his Department based on claims for refunds.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 14 February 1991 at column 578.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of persons in each local authority area in Scotland in receipt of(a) full rebate of 80 per cent. of their community charge and (b) exemption from payment of 80 per cent. of their community charge.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is as follows:

  Regional councils

  Persons in receipt of maximum 80 per cent, community charge benefit with income support as at November 1990

  Persons exempt from payment of the community charge as at July 1990

  Borders

  5,000

  410

  Central

  22,000

  4,080

  Dumfries and Galloway

  10,000

  800

  Fife

  26,000

  1,760

  Grampian

  24,000

  3,400

  Highland

  11,000

  780

  Lothian

  35,000

  4,400

  Strathclyde

  274,000

  35,110

  Tayside

  30,000

  2,060

  Orkney

  1,000

  320

  Shetland

  11,000

  260

  Western Isles

  4,000

  140

  Total Scotland

  443,000

  53,520

  1 Estimated.

  In addition to the above exemptions there were, in July 1990, 99,460 students in Scotland who were liable to pay only 20 per cent. of the full community charge.

  The number of people receiving maximum community charge benefit is slightly underestimated because a small number of people not in receipt of income support also receive the maximum benefit.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken to publicise the arrangements and closing date for applications for claiming the special cold weather payments in respect of the February cold snap.

  Mr. Scott
  Advertisements placed in national and local newspapers at the time of the cold snap explained how to 162
  claim and advised that claims would be accepted up to three months after the period of cold weather. Local radio stations broadcast information and posters and leaflets were also distributed by local offices.

  Single Payments (Appeals)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state, for the number of appeals made against the refusal of single payments needing supplementary benefit appeal tribunals in 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88, what proportion were successful(a) where neither claimants nor representatives attended, (b) where the claimant attended but was unrepresented and (c) where the claimant attended with a representative.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is in the table.

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  (a) Neither appellant nor representative attended

  4·63

  4·31

  4·62

  (b) Appellant only attended

  10·95

  9·67

  9·25

  (c) Appellant and representative attended

  9·50

  7·92

  8·26

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many council tenants were in receipt of housing benefit at the end of the last period for which figures are available to his Department based on claims for refund of housing benefit by his Department to Lambeth.

  Miss Widdecombe
  As at 30 November 1990, the housing benefit rent rebate case load in the London borough of Lambeth was 20,931.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Jack
  No such fees have been identified, and no such expenditure is planned for 1991–92.

  Pensions (Increases)
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in 1991–92 of raising the single pension by £5 a week and the married pension by £8 a week above current levels(a) assuming a similar increase in income-related benefits and (b) net of income-related benefits, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The net additional cost of increasing the basic retirement pension in this way for pensioners in Great Britain would be(a) around £2·5 billion with a corresponding increase in income-related benefits and (b) around £1·6 billion with no such corresponding increase. Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Budgeting and Crisis Loans
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in respect of his Bradford east office how many applications were received in 1990–91 for(a) budgeting loans and (b) crisis loans; and how many refusals there were in each category.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what allocations there were in 1988–89, 1989–90 and for 1991–92 in respect of(a) community care grants, (b) budgeting loans and (c) crisis loans for each of the Bradford offices.

  Mr. Scott
  Information on allocations for all offices is available in the Library.

  National Insurance Contributions
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991–92 of extending liability to national insurance contributions on(a) company cars and (b) free fuel to employees earning over £8,500 a year.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Government's proposal to extend employers' national insurance contribution liability to the benefit gained from cars and fuel provided by them will have no effect on Treasury revenues in 1991–92. It is estimated that these proposals will yield an extra £550 million in respect of cars, and £60 million in respect of fuel, for the 1991–92 year. However the payment to be made by employers in respect of the 1991–92 year will not be made until early in 1992–93. These amounts will be apportioned between the national insurance fund and the national health service. There will be no added liability on employees.

  Tax paying employers will be able to claim corporation tax or income tax relief, which will reduce income to the Consolidated Fund by about £200 million in a full year.

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in the financial year 1991–92 of raising the invalid care allowance to the level of the category A retirement pension, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Scott
  The estimated gross cost for Great Britain is £116·6 million. The estimate is based on the public expenditure plans contained in the current Departmental Report (Cm. 1514). Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in the financial year 1991–92 of converting all social fund loans into grants, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Scott
  The level of loan recoveries in 1991–92 assumed in determining the gross discretionary budget for 164
  Great Britain is £128 million—from past loans, as well as those made in 1991–92. This is not necessarily a valid estimate of the cost of converting all discretionary loans into grants, as the latter would fundamentally change the nature of the scheme.

  Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures on social fund and single payment expenditure on the same basis as those provided to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North on 19 April,Official Report, column 270, excluding any expenditure on maternity and funeral payments.

  Mr. Scott
  Direct comparisons between expenditure on single payments in 1987–88 and social fund expenditure in 1990–91 are misleading, given the very different scope of the two schemes.

  The information requested is shown in the table. The figures exclude help with maternity expenses and assistance provided with the cost of funerals.

  Single payments

  1987–88: £214 million (cash) £263 million (at 1990–91 prices1)

  Social fund

  1990–91 (provisional): £232 million 12 per cent. (percentage reduction)

  1 Calculated using the estimated gross domestic product deflator.

  Income Support
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in the financial year 1991–92 of restoring entitlement to income support for all 16 and 17-year-olds at(a) the current benefit rate for under-25s and (b) the current benefit rate for people 25 and over, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply to him on 12 December 1990 at column 424 which quoted figures for Great Britain. Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in the financial year 1991–92 of raising the income support personal allowance for people aged 18 to 24 years to the level of the personal allowance for those aged 25 and over, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The cost in the financial year 1991–92 of raising the income support personal allowance for people aged 18 to 24 years in Great Britain to the level of the personal allowance for those aged 25 and over would be around £185 million. There would be additional costs due to increased expenditure on housing benefit and community charge benefit.

  Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Source: Modelled using data drawn from the 1986–7–8 family expenditure surveys and the 1989 ASE uprated to 1991–92 price and benefit levels.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Horticultural Wholesalers
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many horticultural wholesalers have gone out of business in England in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Curry
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Meat and Livestock Commission
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the current members of the Meat and Livestock Commission, and give the relevant experience of each member; how many members of the commission are females; and what percentage of the total membership they comprise.

  Mr. Maclean
  The members of the Meat and Livestock Commission and their relevant interests are as follows. There are 13 commissioners, one of whom is a woman. This comprises 8 per cent. of the membership.

  Mr. G. John—Chairman. Has a wide experience of the food industry, is non-executive Chairman of Dairy Crest Ltd. and serves on the Council of Food From Britain.

  Mr. Werner Mattes—Deputy Chairman and founder member of Matteson's Meat Ltd.

  Mrs. E. Rose—Chairman of Consumers' Committee of the MLC. Past Chairman of the Institute of Home Economics.

  Mr. G. Adams—Extensive interests in fresh meat wholesaling, slaughtering and distribution of meat.

  Mr. J. Baker—Joint Managing Director of the Baker Group of companies which includes Midland Meat Packers. A former President of the Federation of Fresh Meat Wholesalers.

  Mr. D. Curry—Hill farmer.

  Mr. A. Mason—Chairman of Buchan Meats a farmer co-operative meat company.

  Mr. Meuric Rees—Farmer.

  Mr. P. Redshaw—Arable and livestock farmer. A member of the NFU Pigs Committee.

  Mr. J. Royan—Retail butcher and past President of the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders.

  Mr. A. Roxburgh—Past President of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers.

  Mr. C. Smith—Meat Trading Director of Tesco Stores Ltd.

  Mr. J. Steer—Managing Director of British Beef Co. Ltd.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number and incidence by year and county of confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases known to have been born to bovine spongiform encephalopathy infected dams.

  Mr. Maclean
  There have been 27 such cases, of which 26 were born before the ban on the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminant animals in July 1988. The breakdown is as follows:166

  County

  Year in which BSE in offspring confirmed

  Number

  Avon

  1990

  2

  Berkshire

  1991

  1

  Cheshire

  1991

  1

  Cornwall

  1988

  1

  Cornwall

  1990

  2

  Cornwall

  1991

  1

  Devon

  1989

  1

  Devon

  1991

  3

  Dorset

  1990

  2

  Dyfed

  1991

  1

  Gloucestershire

  1991

  1

  Hampshire

  1989

  1

  Leicestershire

  1990

  2

  Norfolk

  1990

  1

  Oxfordshire

  1990

  1

  Somerset

  1989

  1

  Staffordshire

  1990

  1

  Sussex West

  1991

  1

  Wiltshire

  1989

  1

  Wiltshire

  1991

  2

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each county of England and Wales for the four-week periods ended 17 March and 17 April, respectively.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information for England and Wales is as follows:

  County

  Confirmed cases four-week period ending 17 March 1991

  Confirmed cases four-week period ending 17 April 1991

  Avon

  36

  18

  Bedfordshire

  3

  1

  Berkshire

  5

  9

  Buckinghamshire

  12

  5

  Cambridgeshire

  5

  1

  Cheshire

  49

  53

  Cleveland

  0

  1

  Clwyd

  22

  11

  Cornwall

  91

  61

  Cumbria

  24

  16

  Derbyshire

  23

  21

  Devon

  123

  131

  Dorset

  91

  99

  Durham

  3

  3

  Dyfed

  72

  66

  Essex

  5

  0

  Mid Glamorgan

  2

  2

  South Glamorgan

  5

  1

  West Glamorgan

  0

  2

  Gloucestershire

  50

  37

  Gwent

  5

  8

  Gwynedd

  3

  2

  Hampshire

  44

  16

  Hereford and Worcester

  9

  29

  Hertfordshire

  5

  5

  Humberside

  6

  3

  Isle of Wight

  9

  10

  Kent

  28

  12

  Lancashire

  23

  47

  Leicestershire

  35

  25

  Lincolnshire

  13

  11

  London

  1

  0

  Manchester

  4

  5

  Norfolk

  25

  10

  Northamptonshire

  4

  9

  Northumberland

  3

  7

  Nottinghamshire

  11

  5

  Oxfordshire

  14

  15

  Powys

  14

  8

  Shropshire

  20

  41

  167

  County

  Confirmed cases four-week period ending 17 March 1991

  Confirmed cases four-week period ending 17 April 1991

  Somerset

  117

  147

  Staffordshire

  21

  21

  Suffolk

  25

  13

  Surrey

  12

  2

  East Sussex

  21

  13

  West Sussex

  33

  27

  Tyne and Wear

  1

  0

  West Midlands

  0

  1

  Warwickshire

  8

  7

  Wiltshire

  81

  78

  North Yorkshire

  58

  44

  South Yorkshire

  4

  1

  West Yorkshire

  2

  6

  TOTAL

  1,280

  1,166

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the location of the live progeny of bovine spongiform encephalopathy cows.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on offspring is recorded as part of the epidemiological inquiry. In addition, since 15 October 1990, farmers have been required to maintain breeding records for cattle; and to keep both these and movement records for 10 years. The offspring of confirmed cases can therefore be traced if necessary.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the current number of live cattle which are the offspring of cows confirmed as suffering from bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Maclean
  Up to 12 April 1991, the number of offspring recorded as live at the time that epidemiological inquiries were made into each case is 20,694. A number of these will have subsequently been slaughtered or died.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what research he has undertaken to ascertain whether confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases born to confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy dams had suffered vertical transmission of the disease;

  (2) if he has any proposals to restrict the use for breeding purposes of cattle which are themselves the progeny of bovine spongiform encephalopathy cows;

  (3) if he will publish the latest information he has concerning the possible vertical transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East (Mr. Ross) on 27 March 1991 at columns 471–74.

  Farm Water Supplies
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representation he has received from farming businesses over the National River Authority's proposals to charge(a) for discharge consents and (b) for the monitoring of pure water supplies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Prior to the National Rivers Authority issuing its formal proposals on charges for discharge 168
  consents, the Department received representations from individuals and organisations in the fish farming industry, a watercress grower and the Country Landowners Association. These were conveyed to the authority, which took them into account in formulating its proposals. The authority does not have plans to charge for the monitoring of pure water supplies. Earlier this year, the Government issued a consultation paper on private water supplies, which contained details of a proposed local authority charging regime for monitoring. The comments received are being considered by the Departments concerned.

  Cattle (Illegal Hormones)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has received alleging unfair competition from the giving of illegal hormones to cattle in other EC countries; whether he has raised this matter with the European Commission; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what representations he has received urging the desirability of increasing the number of tests on imported beef for hormones and clenbuterol; and if he will make a statement on measures to protect both producers and consumers in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  We have received a number of representations recently about veterinary drug abuse in the European Community and the testing which is carried out. Under the residues directive 86/469, EC member states are required to carry out a programme of monitoring for residues of veterinary drugs, including hormones and other illegal growth promoters. The Ministry also has in place a programme of surveillance specifically directed at veterinary drug residues in imported meat, including hormones and clenbuterol.

  Surveillance for clenbuterol is being stepped up in 1991, both in terms of the number of animals tested and the range of cattle covered. The position is under continuing review, and if there is evidence of a particular problem, urgent consideration will be given to further increases in the level of monitoring.

  We have not raised this matter with the European Commission although we have discussed the situation with the Irish Minister of Agriculture, and offered him our full support in the steps he is taking against illegal clenbuterol use in the Irish Republic.

  Agricultural Products
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, 26 March,Official Report, column 378, what was the degree of self-sufficiency in the United Kingdom, European Community, United States of America, Canada and the Cairns group countries of all agricultural products in the years 1979, 1985 and the latest year available.

  Mr. Curry
  United Kingdom self-sufficiency in all food and feed was as follows: 1979, 53·1 per cent.; 1985, 57·7 per cent.; 1990 (provisional) 56·4 per cent. Corresponding information for the other countries referred to is not readily available.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each of the environmentally sensitive areas established in England and for each year of each scheme's existence, the number of

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Applications

  Agreements

  Applications

  Agreements

  Applications

  Agreements

  Applications

  Agreements

  Applications up to 31 March 1991

  Broads

  413

  393

  239

  220

  65

  55

  38

  33

  17

  Pennine dales

  232

  221

  39

  34

  34

  22

  20

  12

  14

  Somerset levels

  566

  524

  148

  117

  75

  59

  48

  41

  36

  South downs

  58

  58

  65

  62

  38

  37

  24

  23

  5

  West Penwith

  158

  158

  10

  9

  12

  10

  3

  2

  1

  Breckland

  —

  —

  86

  84

  36

  32

  24

  23

  11

  North peak

  —

  —

  77

  66

  8

  8

  3

  3

  1

  Shropshire borders

  —

  —

  184

  161

  37

  27

  20

  18

  24

  Suffolk river valleys

  —

  —

  287

  272

  80

  77

  50

  44

  31

  Test valley

  —

  —

  15

  13

  6

  6

  2

  1

  0

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when, pursuant to his answer of 31 January,Official Report, column 634, he expects to announce the result of his review of environmentally sensitive areas policy.

  Mr. Curry
  As soon as we have completed our deliberations.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, pursuant to his answer of 31 January,Official Report, column 634, he will publish the studies conducted for him on the costs and savings of his environmentally sensitive areas policy; and what are the conclusions of his evaluation of these studies.

  Mr. Curry
  We intend to publish reports summarising the results of the economic and environmental monitoring of the five environmentally sensitive areas designated in 1987. The conclusions drawn from our evaluation will be clear when we announce the results of our review of ESA policy.

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those organisations which he has consulted during his review of hill livestock compensatory allowances.

  Mr. Curry
  I have nothing to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 15 April at column 41.

  GATT and Codex Alimentarius Commission
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline his policy on the selection of United Kingdom representatives to GATT.

  Mr. Curry
  The European Commission negotiates in GATT on behalf of member states and in consultation with them. Attendance of Ministers or officials at any meeting is determined in accordance with the nature of the meeting and the subjects under discussion.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his Department's procedures 170
  applicants for entry, the number of applicants accepted for entry and the numbers of successful applicants who have subsequently withdrawn from each scheme.

  Mr. Curry
  The table shows the number of applications in each of the 10 ESAs in England, together with the number of agreements reached for each year of the schemes operations. No agreement holders have subsequently withdrawn.

  for giving formal advice to the United Kingdom delegations to GATT, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and their respective committees.

  Mr. Curry
  The European Commission negotiates in GATT on behalf of the member States, and in close consultation with their representatives. My officials prepare negotiating briefs for the United Kingdom permanent delegates to GATT which take into account the wide range of United Kingdom interests in the subjects under discussion, and attend important meetings with them. In the codex, the Commission negotiates on matters within Community competence, while on others member States speak individually. The United Kingdom delegation to codex meetings includes officials from my Department when appropriate and may include industry or consumer representatives who can be consulted in the course of discussion.

  Meetings
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those organisations with which he has had formal meetings regarding the United Kingdom's position on the GATT negotiations; and how often he has met representatives of(a) the National Farmers Union, (b) the TGWU agricultural workers section, (c) the National Consumer Council, (d) the Consumers Association, (e) the National Food Alliance, (f) Oxfam, (g) the National Office of Animal Health, (h) the Catholic Institute for International Relations, (i) Christian Aid, (j) the Retail Consortium, (k) the CBI, (l) UKASTA and (m) the Fertiliser Manufacturers Association, to discuss the United Kingdom's position in those negotiations.

  Mr. Curry
  The United Kingdom has played a leading part in development of the Community approach to the agriculture negotiations in GATT. We have discussed the issues and United Kingdom interests with a wide range of organisations on many occasions. To provide precise details of these frequent consultations could only be done at disproportionate cost to public funds.

  Wheat and Grain
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Ariculture, Fisheries and Food what is the level of intervention stock of(a) wheat and (b) grain estimated for July 1991 in the United Kingdom; and how many days' supply this represents.

  Mr. Curry
  Current estimates of wheat and grain likely to be in intervention stores in the United Kingdom at the end of the 1990–91 marketing year on 30 June 1991, and the days' supply these represent, are as follows:

  Million tonnes

  Days' supply

  Wheat

  0

  0

  Grain

  0·67

  12

  Banana Regime
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the future of the EC's banana regime post-1991.

  Mr. Curry
  The European Commission is currently considering arrangements to apply to bananas in the single European market post-1992, but has not yet come forward with proposals. We are making it clear to the Commission and other member states that any new arrangements must fulfil our commitments to Commonwealth Caribbean suppliers and that they should take account of consumer interests, budgetary discipline, trade policy considerations and the competition and efficiency objectives of the single market initiative.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Curry
  The Department has not paid any sums to outside organisations for the furtherance of privatisation in the period 1979–80 to 1989–90. We keep continually under review the contribution that the Department might make to the Government's privatisation policy.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Curry
  The information required for the financial years 1979–80 to 1983–84 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  The figures for the subsequent years are as follows:

  £ million

  1984–85

  3·2

  1985–86

  3·5

  1986–87

  3·0

  1987–88

  0·6

  172

  £ million

  1988–89

  0·8

  1989–90

  1·1

  1990–91

  0·5

  Figures for the years 1984–85 to 1986–87 refer to the total cost of press services and paid publicity which could be separated to show expenditure on press services only at disproportionate cost. Figures for 1987–88 to 1989–90 relate to press services alone. The estimated budget for press services for 1991–92 is £0·6 million.

  Sweeteners in Food Directive
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimate he has made of the loss of sales and jobs which will accrue from the exclusion of snack foods from the sweeteners in food directive 8745/90;

  (2) if he will seek to clarify the reasons why Mr. Bangemann, the European Commissioner, decided on 15 April that snack foods should not be covered by the sweeteners in food directive 8745/90;

  (3) if he will explain the reasons for his confidence that snack food would be covered by the sweeteners in food directive 8745/90; and why he prepared the explanatory papers for Standing Committee A on the basis that they would be so covered;

  (4) if he is aware of any specific health hazards which would accrue from the inclusion of snack food within the terms of the sweeteners in food directive 8745/90.

  Mr. Curry
  Consideration of sweeteners by the United Kingdom's independent expert advisory committees, following official surveys to monitor sweetener intakes, has revealed no health hazard from the current inclusion of these substances in snack foods. We are not aware that the matter has been reviewed by any other expert body. Accordingly, we see no health grounds why the draft EC sweeteners in food directive should not provide for the continuation of this existing practice. We are urgently seeking to clarify why the EC Commission's attitude on this matter appears to have changed since the preparation of the explanatory memorandum for Standing Committee A on the proposals.

  It is the industry's view that sales of £70 million a year would be jeopardised if snack foods did not appear in the Directive. Whether jobs would be lost would depend on the industry's ability to reformulate the flavours concerned or divert resources to other products.

  We aim to highlight identified problem areas in the explanatory memorandum prepared for Standing Committee A. Our expectation, after long negotiations, was that no difficulty existed and that this existing use could be continued. All the indications given by the Commission staff to this officials were that matters would be arranged so as to facilitate this. Industry representatives and Members of the European Parliament who could discuss the matter with Commission officials met the same response. We are urgently seeking to clarify why the Commission's attitude on this matter has since changed.

  European Standing Committees
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure that explanatory notes submitted to European Standing
  173
  Committees are based on the terms of the directive; and if he will make it his policy to disregard in such notes expectations by his Department that changes might be permitted by the European Commission.

  Mr. Curry
  Explanatory memoranda are the means by which Parliament is kept in touch with, and is able to comment on, draft EC legislation. All Government explanatory memoranda follow a standard format. This 174
  provides for a factual account of the documents under consideration, but it also allows for the inclusion of additional information, which may depart from the official text. The sole purpose is to keep Parliament as fully informed as possible, and we believe that this is generally welcomed by members of this House. We will try to ensure that all relevant information is included in such documents.

  TREASURE TROVE
  TREASURE TROVE
  TURKISH STRAITS: LAWFUL PASSAGE
  TURKISH STRAITS: LAWFUL PASSAGE
  SPECIAL EDUCATION IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS
  SPECIAL EDUCATION IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS
  SPECIAL EDUCATION AND LOCAL AUTHORITY SERVICES
  SPECIAL EDUCATION AND LOCAL AUTHORITY SERVICES
  SPECIAL SCHOOLS: STATUS
  SPECIAL SCHOOLS: STATUS
  NATIONAL CURRICULUM ASSESSMENTS: ARRANGEMENTS
  NATIONAL CURRICULUM ASSESSMENTS: ARRANGEMENTS
  ASSESSMENT TESTS FOR SEVEN-YEAR-OLDS: COSTS
  ASSESSMENT TESTS FOR SEVEN-YEAR-OLDS: COSTS
  DTI OBJECTIVES
  DTI OBJECTIVES
  CRIME PREVENTION: GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
  CRIME PREVENTION: GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE