Written Answers of 14 February 1991

PRIME MINISTER

  The Gulf
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Prime Minister what communications he has had with King Hussein of Jordan since 6 February concerning the situation in the Gulf.

  The Prime Minister
  We are in continuing contact with the Jordanian Government. We have made clear our regret at King Hussein's misleading description of coalition objectives and activities in his 6 February speech to his people. I last communicated directly with King Hussein on 3 January, when I met him in London.

  Saddam Hussein
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Prime Minister who was the last Minister to meet President Saddam Hussein; and what matters were discussed.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor), the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, met President Saddam Hussein on 24 February 1988. A number of regional and bilateral issues were discussed.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.

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

  Central and South America
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the(a) economic, (b) scientific, (c) technical, (d) environmental, and (e) social programmes which Her Majesty's Government have supported since 1989 in (i) Argentina, (ii) Brazil, (iii) Chile, (iv) Colombia, (v) Mexico, (vi) Panama, (vii) Peru, (viii) Venezuela and (ix) Uruguay.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I have been asked to reply.

  We have no bilateral aid programmes for Argentina or Venezuela. We have technical co-operation programmes of varying sizes in the other seven countries. All these programmes concentrate on renewable natural resources (with a special emphasis on the sustainable use of the environment), English language teaching, and postgraduate training in Britain. Since July 1989 we have been building up a specifically environmental programme in Brazil.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Community Charge
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 28 January,Official Report, column 391, if he will publish the uprated tables on transitional grants referred to in his answer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  These tables have now been published as tables 5.2 and 5.4 of the "Public Expenditure Analyses to 1993–94, Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"—Cm 1520.

  The changes as a result of the new community charge reduction scheme announced on 17 January were not included in these tables and are as follows:

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  Great Britain

  Community charge reduction scheme 1991–92 (£ million)

  1,695

  90

  62

  1,847

  These figures replace those for transitional relief given in the published tables.

  Funding for the new scheme results in offsetting savings of some £300 million on community charge benefit.

  Bingo Duty
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newark of 29 January, Official Report, column 466, how much of the £66 million bingo duty was paid by non-profit making members' clubs in the year ended 31 March 1990.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  In the year ended 31 March 1990, approximately £3 million was paid by these clubs.

TRANSPORT

  Departmental Achievements
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the principal achievements of his Department since June 1987.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My Department has ensured that Britain's growing transport needs are met with regard to safety, efficiency and with proper respect for the environment.

  Investment in transport infrastructure by both the public and private sectors has been greatly increased. British Rail's investment this year is over 50 per cent. higher in real terms than in 1986–87 and London Transport's is 85 per cent. higher; investment in national roads in England is 70 per cent. higher. Massive investment is already in progress to provide rail and road links to the channel tunnel from the day it opens. The Government's spending plans provide for further substantial increases in investment over the next few years, particularly in London Transport, British Rail and air traffic control.

  The private sector also now has a greatly enhanced role in the provision of transport infrastructure, most notably in the channel tunnel, authorised by the 1987 Act, in roads

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  and bridges such as the Dartford-Thurrock bridge, the second Severn bridge and the Birmingham northern relief road, and in airports such as BAA's new terminal at Stansted. The BAA was privatised in 1987 and the privatisation of the National Bus Company was completed in 1988.

  The United Kingdom Government have been in the forefront of moves to achieve greater liberalisation in the provision of transport services in the European Community, where there has been considerable progress on aviation, road haulage and shipping, in international aviation, and in Britain's docks through the abolition of the dock labour scheme.

  Transport safety is being enhanced through investment, regulation and publicity. We have approved British Rail's plans to spend £330 million for specific safety measures over the next three years—all that it asked for—and London Underground plans to invest approaching £400 million in further safety improvements over that period. Following a major review of road safety in 1987, the Government set a target of a one third reduction in road accident casualties by the year 2000. This is being implemented vigorously through legislation, including this Session's Road Traffic Bill, through low-cost road engineering schemes and through enhanced publicity campaigns under the safety on the move umbrella, notably on drinking and driving and child road safety. Numerous measures have been taken to improve ferry safety; and both aviation and maritime security are being tightened up, assisted by the new powers in the 1990 Act.

  Stringent new European limits for vehicle emissions have been agreed, and unleaded petrol is rapidly supplanting leaded. Careful environmental assessments are undertaken for all national road schemes, and new roads are now being blended into the environment through more imaginative landscaping. More stringent limits on noise levels have been introduced for both road vehicles and aircraft.

  Trust Ports
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of the comments of the British Ports Federation submitted at the request of the then shipping minister on 9 November 1990 on the matter of trust ports privatisation and consultation.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The meeting to which the hon. Lady refers was one of a regular series of discussions at ministerial level between the Department of Transport and the federation, which are not limited to trust ports privatisation and consultation. My noble Friend Lord Brabazon of Tara did not at that meeting request, nor did he subsequently receive, a statement on these topics from the federation.

  Heathrow Airport
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, following receipt of Civil Aviation Authority report CAP578 on 22 January, he has commissioned any research into the number of spare slots at Heathrow airport.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Civil Aviation Authority noted in the consultation document it issued in November the number of unused slots at Heathrow in a busy week during 538
  summer 1990. More generally, the authority addressed the question of spare capacity at Heathrow in its advice last year on the United Kingdom's longer-term airport needs.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to undertake research into the implications of the recommendations of Civil Aviation Authority report CAP578 on the number of spare slots that would be applied for at Heathrow airport.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. The Civil Aviation Authority has advised in CAP578 that the effects of abolishing Heathrow rules one, two and three are unpredictable, in part because they must depend on decisions which might be taken by foreign airlines on whether to seek to mount services at Heathrow.

  London Transport
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on the financial position of London Transport.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The Government have had discussions with London Transport about the financial difficulties it has encountered in 1990–91. The Government have concluded that the appropriate course is to increase London Transport's external financing limit for 1990–91 by £55 million. At the same time, an increase of £7·55 million is necessary to cover London Transport's expenditure in the current year on east-west crossrail, and costs associated with safeguarding the Chelsea-Hackney line proposal. These increases will change London Transport's 1990–91 EFL from £448·00 million to £510·55 million. This is within the forecast outturn for the planning total published in the statistical supplement to the 1990 autumn statement.

  Urgent discussions with London Transport are continuing, about their budget for 1991–92. Pending the outcome of those discussions, London Transport's EFL and capital expenditure ceilings will remain at the levels previously announced.

  Dial-a-Ride Service
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements have been made to fund the London dial-a-ride service.

  Mr. Freeman
  I am pleased to announce that the grant to London dial-a-ride services for 1991–92 will be £10·015 million, an increase of over £1·7 million on 1990–91. It has been most encouraging to see the rapid expansion of the scheme in recent years and I am confident that this latest injection of cash will allow London Transport to increase the services still further in 1991–92 by an estimated 60,000 journeys—equivalent to an increase of 9 per cent.—and also to proceed with the first stages of their planned reorganisation.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Plant Classification
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has for projects to help the consistent classification of plants, as proposed by Dr. Martin Holdgate FRS at the nature conservancy conference on 31 January.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are studing Dr. Holdgate's proposal within the context of our overall assistance to developing countries on environmental issues, including biodiversity, and requests from them.

  Famine Relief
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria are used to determine whether Hercules aircraft are used for famine relief.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Aircraft of any type are used as a last resort in famine relief operations, due to their limited load capacity and extremely high operating costs. Where sea or ground transport cannot be used, however, airlifts are recognised as an alternative means of delivering food. In such operations Hercules aircraft have advantages in operating into short or inaccessible airstrips.

  Somalia
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on diplomatic relations with Somalia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The British embassy in Mogadishu was closed and staff withdrawn in early January because of the complete breakdown in law and order. Since the United Kingdom maintains diplomatic relations with states rather than governments, there has been no breach in relations. We keep in regular contact with the Somali ambassador in London as well as with representatives of the various Somali groups.

ENVIRONMENT

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what estimate he has of the total value of Crown business so far lost by the Property Services Agency through competitive tendering by Government Departments;

  (2) how many Crown tenders the Property Services Agency has competed for and how many has it won in competition since Crown customers were untied.

  Mr. Yeo
  The PSA has submitted competitive bids for some 200 separate commissions since Departments were untied. The extent to which these were successful is commercially sensitive information for the PSA businesses, which it would be inappropriate to disclose, but PSA has been successful in a sizeable proportion. The market testing has provided a powerful stimulus to efficiency, and Departments will have benefited from keener prices.
  540
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what date he now expects the Property Services Agency to operate on commercial accounts.

  Mr. Yeo
  PSA Services—PSAS—already produces, for management use, monthly income and expenditure accounts. The implementation of new commercial financial systems is well advanced and as they are introduced they are running in parallel with cash accounting for the Vote. PSAS will continue to operate on the basis of cash accounting until it ceases to be a Government Department.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the salary cost, including pay bonuses and compensation paid on termination of contract, of the Property Services Agency board members in the period January 1990 to January 1991.

  Mr. Yeo
  The salary cost of the executive members of the PSAS board for the 1990 calendar year was £680,100. The non-executive members received fees amounting to £23,904 in the same year.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many performance pay bonuses have been awarded to Property Services Agency board members in the period 1 January 1990 to 1 January 1991; and what was the total cost of those bonuses.

  Mr. Yeo
  During the 1990 calendar year three performance pay bonuses totalling £11,468 were awarded to Property Services Agency board members. The salaries of a further three board members included an element of performance pay totalling £8,538 as a result of awards made in previous years.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for the Environment whether he expects compulsory redundancies among employees of the Property Services Agency Government-owned companies.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Property Services Agency hopes to achieve most of its required manpower reduction by voluntary means, but some compulsory redundancies will be inevitable.

  Non-domestic Rates
  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those local authorities whose non-domestic rate poundage rose by less than 110.9 per cent. in 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90.

  Mr. Portillo
  I am arranging for copies of the information to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Rates, Kent
  Mr. Cambell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average rates bill in 1989–90 for each local authority in Kent.

  Mr. Key
  The information requested is as follows:

  £

  Ashford

  452

  Canterbury

  420

  Dartford

  402

  541

  £

  Dover

  372

  Gillingham

  391

  Gravesham

  441

  Maidstone

  433

  Rochester on Medway

  376

  Sevenoaks

  474

  Shepway

  475

  Swale

  340

  Thanet

  425

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  438

  Tunbridge Wells

  435

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the provision of assistance by his Department at the end of military conflict in the Gulf in safely packaging the radioactively contaminated rubble and radioactive waste arising from the Iraqi nuclear facilities destroyed by allied bombing.

  Mr. Trippier
  Her Majesty's Government will give consideration to provision of such assistance, if so requested, following the end of current hostilities.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the credit approvals of each local authority in England for 1990–91 and 1991–92, showing the percentage change between the two years.

  Mr. Portillo
  A list of the basic credit approvals issued to local authorities in England for 1991–92 was placed in the House of Commons Library on 4 January 1991. I am arranging for a further list to be placed in the Library giving, for each authority, basic credit approvals for 1990–91 and 1991–92 and showing the percentage changes between the two years.

  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the annual capital guideline of each local authority in England for 1990–91 and 1991–92, showing the percentage change between the two years.

  Mr. Portillo
  Annual capital guidelines—ACGs—for local authorities in England are issued by the Secretary of State responsible for each service block. My Department is responsible for issuing ACGs in respect of the housing and other services blocks—OSB. I am arranging for two lists to be placed in the Library giving, for each authority, the 1990–91 and 1991–92 ACGs for housing and OSB respectively and showing the percentage change between the two years.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from the Audit Commission concerning the pursuit of non-payers of poll tax through the courts; and whether he has any plans to offer additional moneys to magistrates courts to cover such cases.

  Mr. Key
  The Audit Commission produced a report in November 1990 on the administration of the community charge. Among other things, it suggested to authorities that they should liaise closely with clerks to magistrates 542
  courts in order to ensure that community charge cases are handled satisfactorily and in appropriate numbers. We have warmly welcomed this report and strongly commended its findings to local authorities. In January the Audit Commission's paper for the local government review suggested that authorities are now able to issue more summonses but court time remains inadequate in most authorities. On the question of magistrates courts funding I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten), to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 13 February, Official Report, column 492.

  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the £1·7 billion funding available for the community charge reduction scheme is to be allocated to(a) Blackburn, (b) Hyndburn and (c) Burnley; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  This information is not yet available. The amount of reduction scheme grant a charging authority receives will depend on the personal community charge that it sets for 1991–92 and the number of eligible people in its area. Claims for community charge reduction scheme grant will be requested shortly.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest estimate of local authority spending on collecting the poll tax.

  Mr. Key
  The English local authorities budgeted to spend £440·2 million on collecting the community charge in 1990–91.

  Community Charge, Kent
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the average level of community charge for each local authority in the Kent area for two adult person households;

  (2) what was the average level of community charge for each local authority in the Kent area for three adult person households.

  Mr. Key
  In 1990–91 each adult, unless a student or exempted, would be liable for a full personal community charge less, depending on personal circumstances, amounts for transitional relief and community charge rebate. The following table, using information returned by the local authorities, shows the estimated average community charge and the average charge after reliefs and rebates.

  Average charge £

  Average charge after transitional relief and community charge benefit £

  Ashford

  299

  267

  Canterbury

  300

  256

  Dartford

  330

  292

  Dover

  298

  271

  Gillingham

  285

  260

  Gravesham

  294

  262

  Maidstone

  330

  308

  Rochester upon Medway

  249

  224

  543

  Average charge £

  Average charge after transitional relief and community charge benefit £

  Sevenoaks

  322

  299

  Shepway

  347

  293

  Swale

  299

  260

  Thanet

  300

  257

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  320

  298

  Tunbridge Wells

  315

  294

  Private Rented Accommodation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in reviving the private rented sector since the passage of the Housing Act 1988.

  Mr. Yeo
  It is too early to assess the overall impact of the Act on private renting. Research now in progress will provide information in the course of 1991. There are, however, clear signs of increased activity in the residential lettings market. In particular, it is estimated that business expansion scheme companies have so far raised £580 million, which will provide over 10,000 new homes to rent.

  Leisure Centres
  Sir Ian Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish a table listing the total capital expenditure on leisure centres and swimming baths by local authorities in the last five years for which detailed information is available.

  Mr. Portillo
  Following is the information:

  Year

  Leisure centres

  Swimming pools

  1984–85

  107·914

  35·429

  1985–86

  63·998

  25·534

  1986–87

  76·687

  34·672

  1987–88

  87·783

  51·056

  1988–89

  105·223

  51·311

  Figures are shown in £ million.

  NB: For the years 1987–88 and 1988–89 the figures for leisure centres include expenditure on indoor sports and community centres; for the years 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87 data were collected under the heading sports and recreation centres.

  Home Repair Grants
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures, by quarter, for the number of(a) applications and (b) approvals of the various grants for home renovation and repair (i) since June 1990 and (ii) for the eight quarters ending in June 1990.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 changed the system of renovation grants to private owners and tenants in England from 1 July 1990. Under the new system the Department collects information about grant applications approved and final payments made. Information about grant approvals under the new system during the third quarter of 1990 are shown in the table. Figures for the fourth quarter of 1990 are not yet available.
  544
  The previous system of grants to private owners and tenants ended at 30 June 1990. Grant applications and approvals under the old system up to and including the first quarter of 1990 are shown in table 2.16 of "Housing and Construction Statistics Part 2" June 1990. A copy of this publication is in the Library.

  Renovation grants under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989

  Grant applications approved—England—third quarter, 1990

  Mandatory

  Discretionary

  Renovation grants

  144

  66

  HMO1 grants

  Nil

  Nil

  Common parts grants

  Nil

  Nil

  Disabled facilities grant

  172

  16

  Minor works assistance

  —

  3,362

  1 Houses in multiple occupation.

  Rubbish Collection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest estimate of local authority spending on rubbish collection.

  Mr. Key
  The English local authorities budgeted to spend £476·9 million on refuse collection in 1990–91.

  Customer Services Committees
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current payment to those chairing customer services committees; and what proposals he has to increase these payments.

  Mr. Trippier
  The remuneration of the chairmen of the customer service committees is a matter for the Director General of Water Services to determine with the approval of the Treasury.

  Plant Protection
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for representation at the fourth international parks conference at Caracas in 1992, in relation to protection of areas of plant communities, as proposed by Dr. Rodwell of Lancaster university.

  Mr. Baldry
  I understand that the fourth world congress on national parks and protected areas will include discussions on the classification and monitoring of vegetation. The International union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, as organisers of the congress, is considering inviting Dr. Rodwell to participate in these discussions.

  Caravan Sites
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will respond to the Countryside Commission's proposal for certain caravan sites to be removed from heritage coastlines.

  Mr. Trippier
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is aware that the Countryside Commission published a policy statement on heritage coasts last month and that the commission intends to seek his views on it in due course.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to establish companies or trusts to run residential homes for the elderly; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Local authorities already have powers to promote the formation of societies, trusts or companies for these and other purposes under the Housing Associations Act 1985.

  Sleeping Rough
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) which voluntary organisations carried out the survey of people sleeping rough in London referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary on 8 January,Official Report, column 543; and on what date the survey was conducted;

  (2) if he will provide a borough-by-borough breakdown of the 1,046 people sleeping rough in London quoted by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary on 8 February, Official Report, column 543;

  (3) whether the Metropolitan police took part in the survey of people sleeping rough in London referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary on 8 January, Official Report, column 543.

  Sir George Young
  The estimate of 1,046 people sleeping rough in central London quoted by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary was drawn from estimates made by the voluntary organisations listed in the table. These estimates were made at the end of January in relation to seven areas in central London in which the main concentrations of rough sleepers are found. The voluntary organisations are in regular contact with the Metropolitan police but they did not consult the police on these estimates.

  The estimates for the seven areas were as follows; it is not possible to analyse them on a borough-by-borough basis:

  Number

  Strand and West End

  130

  Victoria and Vauxhall

  300

  Earl's Court and Hammersmith Broadway

  56

  The "Bullring" and Waterloo

  120

  The City

  130

  Lincoln's Inn Fields and Kingsway

  210

  King's Cross

  100

  The voluntary organisations that took part in the estimates were:

  Salvation Army

  Beacon House

  Providence Row Housing Association

  East London Homeless Primary Care Team

  Look Ahead Housing Association

  City Social Services

  St. Botolph's Day Centre

  Thamesreach

  Church Housing Association

  Roman Catholic Chaplaincy for the Homeless

  King's Cross Homelessness Project

  Camden Homeless Monitoring Group

  New Horizon

  Shaftesbury Society

  St. Mongo's Association

  North Lambeth Day Centre

  546

  De Paul Trust

  Vauxhall Action for the Homeless in the Community

  The Passage Day Centre

  St. Vincent Centre

  The Cardinal Hume Centre

  Streetwise Youth

  The Basement Project

  The Joint Homelessness Team

  —Westminster Social Services

  Arlington House

  Hornsey YMCA

  Threshold Housing Advice Centre

  St. Martin's Social Care Unit

  The London Connection

  Piccadilly Advice Centre

  Centrepoint Soho

  Bondway Housing Association

  Homeless Network

  Community Forests
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to establish further community forests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  As part of their joint initiative to develop a programme of community forests near major conurbations, the Countryside Commission and Forestry Commission have announced nine new candidate sites. The locations are Bedford, Bristol, Cleveland, Manchester, Merseyside, Nottingham, south Hertfordshire, South Yorkshire and Swindon. As the next step, the Government have authoritised the commissions to propose to their local authority partners the appointment of project teams for each area. These teams, consulting closely with interested parties, will draw up detailed plans as the basis for deciding future action. Such plans are already in preparation for three other sites: the Forest of Mercia—south Staffordshire; the Great North Forest—south Tyneside and north-east Durham; and Thames Chase—to the east of London. The further areas bring the total programme proposed to 12 forests, spread throughout England.

  US Service Men
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will pay the grant to parishes in respect of resident United States service men, announced on 3 May 1990.

  Mr. Portillo
  Claims by parishes for a one-off grant, payable exceptionally for 1990–91, in respect of resident US service men who are exempt from the community charge have now been assessed. A list showing determinations of grant for each eligible parish has been placed in the Library.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will make a statement on the recent initiatives taken by his Department to help relieve the plight of the homeless.

  Mr. Yeo
  [pursuant to the reply, 30 January 1991, c. 535]: I am today placing in the Library a list of 78 voluntary organisations to which we are offering grants for 1991–92. In all, over £4·5 million will be available for specific projects providing practical help for homeless people and for the second phase of the national

  547
  homelessness advice service coordinated through citizens' advice bureaux with support from Shelter and the London Housing Aid Centre. This represents an increase of over 100 per cent. of the £2 million available in 1990–91. The extra money has made it possible for us to help a much larger number of voluntary organisations, most of them outside London. The grants are a recognition of the vital role which these organisations play in relieving the problems experienced by the homeless and in encouraging them towards independent living.

  Urban block public expenditure £ million—outturn prices

  LDDC external financing limits

  All UDCs external financing limits

  LDDC as percentage of all UDCs

  1 Urban block total

  LDDC as percentage of block

  1981–82

  31

  38

  82

  162

  19

  1982–83

  41

  62

  66

  283

  14

  1983–84

  62

  94

  66

  325

  19

  1984–85

  58

  88

  66

  450

  13

  1985–86

  57

  86

  66

  436

  13

  1986–87

  65

  289

  73

  429

  15

  1987–88

  83

  134

  62

  483

  17

  1988–89

  116

  2234

  50

  559

  25

  1989–90

  256

  436

  59

  3760

  34

  1990–914

  333

  550

  61

  905

  37

  1 Includes for 1984–85 onwards other Government Departments' contributions to the Urban Programme.

  2 LDDC and Merseyside were the only UDCs until February 1987. Four second generation UDCs were set up in 1987 in England and the four third generation UDCs in 1988–89.

  3 Includes City Action teams, transferred from DTI during 1989–90.

  4 Current provision.

  Industrial Relocation
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans for environmental grants for new buildings to encourage industrial relocation out of residential urban areas.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 11 February 1991]: I have no such plans, but urban development corporations have powers to offer a range of grants to businesses relocating in their areas. Environmental improvement is a key element of such redevelopment.

  Refuse-derived Fuel
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Thurrock,Official Report, 29 January, columns 472–73, if he will make it his policy to (a) consult the private sector on the best use of the powers of derogation and (b) ensure that all legislation and regulations ultimately controlled by his Department encourage both the development and use of refuse-derived fuels as an economically viable commodity and do not add to its cost in the medium term.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 12 February 1991]: As regards consultation, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 21 January, Official Report, column 87. The Government's policy is to encourage the recycling and productive use of waste, where possible, but I am not in a position to give general assurances of the kind sought about the effect of legislation for which my Department is responsible.

  London Docklands Development Corporation
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the total amount of public money allocated to the London Docklands development corporation for each year since 1981, at current prices, indicating for each year what proportion the figure is in relation to total allocation for urban development corporations, and the proportion in relation to the urban block.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 11 February 1991]: Information on public expenditure totals is as follows:

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Parole
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to announce his decision in relation to the parole board's recommendation in the case of Dennis Stafford.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Mr. Stafford has already been notified of this decision.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many scientific procedures were carried out on animals in(a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in 1989;

  (2) what response he has made to the criticisms contained within the RSPCA/FRAME report on the use of non-human primates as laboratory animals in Britain; and whether he has any plans to implement its main recommendations;

  (3) how the likely benefits of a procedure are assessed when considering a project licence application under section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; whether any assessment is made concerning how useful the product to be tested will be once marketed; and how project licences issued for the testing of cosmetics have been justified under this section.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I have nothing to add to the replies which I gave to similar questions from the hon. Member on 11 December, at columns 348–49.

  Refugees
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to ensure that asylum-seekers are granted comprehensive advice on asylum procedures and information on agencies and refugee community organisations upon their arrival in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Government provide 25 per cent. of the funding of the refugee unit of the United Kingdom immigration advisory service for the purpose of advising asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. I am satisfied that the present arrangements for informing asylum seekers of the advice available from the United Kingdom immigration advisory service are adequate.

  Public Order Act
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has completed his evaluation of section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Hicks) on 6 February 1991, at column 141.

  Bail Hostels
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations were undertaken by the probation service with the residents of Elworth prior to the recent submission of an application to open a bail hostel within the village.

  Mr. John Patten
  I understand that Cheshire probation service began consultation with local residents after the planning application was submitted to Congleton borough council but before the formal planning committee meeting on 4 December 1990 when planning permission was refused.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were committed by individuals resident in bail hostels at the time of the offence in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria upon which potential sites for bail hostels are assessed by the probation service.

  Mr. John Patten
  Local probation services assess potential sites for bail hostels on the basis of a range of factors such as the level of unmet demand for bail places in the surrounding area; the availability of suitable properties in terms of size, price and ease of management; the proximity of amenities and public transport links; the general character of the area and the likelihood of planning consent being granted.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will visit the village of Elworth to meet local residents to discuss the proposal to site a bail hostel in the village.
  550
  Mr. John Patten
  The role of the Home Office in these matters is confined to approval of proposals that new hostels should be set up and their funding. It falls to local probation committees to choose the particular sites, negotiate purchases, consult the neighbours and apply for the relevant planning consents. I understand that Cheshire probation service is already discussing its proposal to site a bail hostel in Elworth with local residents and representatives. I hope that discussions can continue on this basis.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is given by the probation service to the proximity of primary schools when assessing potential sites for use as bail hostels.

  Mr. John Patten
  The proximity of a primary school or schools may be one of many factors which local probation services need to consider when assessing a potential site for use as a bail hostel.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is given by the probation service to the proximity of clubs and societies for senior citizens when assessing potential sites for use as bail hostels.

  Mr. John Patten
  The proximity of such clubs or societies may be one of many factors which local probation services may need to consider when assessing a site for use as a bail hostel.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is given by the probation service to local employment opportunities for inmates when assessing potential sites for use as bail hostels.

  Mr. John Patten
  Unemployed bailees can experience difficulty in finding local jobs because the average period of residence on bail is only a few weeks. In general terms, the local probation service would, therefore, look first of all for good public transport links so that hostel residents already in work could, wherever possible, retain their existing employment.

  Prisons (Farm Land)
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing, in respect of each prison establishment listed in appendix 3 to the report of the work of the prison service April 1989 to March 1990, the acreage of farm land attached to it.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information is as follows:

  Establishment

  Acres

  Blantyre House

  2

  Blundeston

  15

  Buckley Hall

  76

  Bullwood Hall

  14

  Camp Hill

  198

  Channings Wood

  14

  Dartmoor

  1,368

  East Sutton Park

  51

  Erlestoke House

  12

  Everthorpe

  274

  Featherstone

  393

  Gartree

  86

  Guys Marsh

  30

  Hatfield

  606

  551

  Establishment

  Acres

  Hewell Grange

  105

  Hindley

  38

  Hollesley Bay Colony

  1,200

  Kirkham

  400

  Leyhill

  24

  Lindholme

  357

  Littlehey

  69

  Lowdham Grange

  357

  New Hall

  129

  Northallerton

  4

  North Sea Camp

  868

  Onley

  280

  Portland

  165

  Rudgate

  19

  Spring Hill

  10

  Standford Hill

  196

  Stocken Hall

  412

  Swinfen Hall

  81

  Usk

  237

  The Verne

  168

  Werrington

  32

  Whatton

  17

  Wymott

  69

  Establishments not listed have no farmland attached.

  Annual Report Costs
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Home Office annual report 1991 cost to produce and distribute.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The costs of printing, publishing and distribution were borne by Her Majesty's Stationery Office which aims to recover its costs from sales revenue.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Higher Education
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many educational institutions had(a) not set criteria for payment of access funds and (b) not paid out access funds by 31 December 1990.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  These are matters for the institutions concerned. The information is not held centrally.

  Nursery Education
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice his Department gives to those local education authorities who are considering charging for nursery education.

  Mr. Eggar
  Under Section 106 of the Education Reform Act 1988, charges cannot be made for admission to maintained schools or for education provided for registered pupils at maintained schools during school hours.

  Inner-city Sport
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the reasons for the delay in publishing a clear and comprehensive statement of the Government's overall objectives for sport and recreation in inner-city areas; and when such a statement will be published.
  552
  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 5 February 1991,Official Report, column 131.

  Students
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which colleges of higher education have expressed opposition to the implementation of top-up fees for students in their institutions.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The setting of fees is properly for individual higher education institutions. Information is not collected about their views on appropriate fee levels.

  Child Abuse
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Fallon), first met Ms. Esther Rantzen to discuss child abuse; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, when he first met Ms. Esther Rantzen to discuss child abuse; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  My officials and I met Ms. Rantzen on 26 November, not in October, as alleged in an article in The People, dated 10 February. She told us of some material which she thought might warrant investigation. It was not until 20 December we had sufficient material from her office to investigate. Any allegation of this kind relating to teachers' misconduct is investigated urgently and thoroughly.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Beer
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of beer will apply to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  In its report on the supply of beer in the United Kingdom published on 21 March 1989 the Monopolies and Mergers Commission looked at the market in Northern Ireland. The commission noted that the markets in Scotland and Northern Ireland differed in some respects from those in England and Wales, but that in others were similar. The commission concluded that the characteristics of those markets were not so different as to warrant separate regulation. The Supply of Beer Orders made following the report therefore apply equally to Northern Ireland and Scotland as to other parts of the United Kingdom.

  Rugby
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer to the Director General of Fair Trading the question of interference by the English Rugby Football Union with the commercial activities of individual English international players.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to do so. It does not seem to me that these matters are capable of being dealt with under the competition legislation for which the Director General of Fair Trading is responsible.

  Film Industry
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the basis used to calculate the current funding for British film screen finance.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 11 February 1991]: The current Government grant for British Screen Finance Limited—BSF—was set after discussions with the company about the level of funding required to administer its support schemes for feature film production, short films and script development. The £2 million annual grant announced in July 1989 by the then Secretary of State for three years from 1991 also took account for the loans received from BSF's private sector shareholders.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the name and date of appointment of each Minister within his Department who has had responsibility for the British film industry since 1979.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 12 February 1991]: The names of the Ministers who have had responsibility for film policy since 1979 and the dates on which they were first appointed to the Department are as follows:
  Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes (4 May 1979), right hon. Norman Tebbit (7 May 1979), right hon. Kenneth Baker (5 January 1981), Lord Trefgarne (5 August 1981), Iain Sproat (30 September 1981), right hon. Norman Lamont (30 September 1981), John Butcher (6 April 1982), right hon. Sir Geoffrey Pattie (10 September 1984), Robert Atkins (15 August 1987), Eric Forth (25 July 1988) and Lord Hesketh (23 July 1990).

  Responsibility for film policy does not necessarily coincide with the date of appointment to the Department.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make it his policy that advice and counselling for civil servants employed by ECGD on their future career options should be provided from sources outside that department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 12 February 1991]: ECGD staff are able to seek advice and counselling on career matters within the Department in the usual way. They are also free to seek advice from other sources if they wish.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements he has made to provide advice and counselling for civil servants employed within the ECGD, and in particular those in the insurance services group, on their future career options in the light of Government's policy to privatise the ECGD.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 12 February 1991]: The ECGD has provided all its staff with a summary of their existing terms and conditions of employment, including pensions, to help them compare the terms and conditions which will be offered by the prospective owners of the privatised company. The ECGD has also arranged a series of career decision workshops to help staff in their approach to the issues involved in decisions about their future careers. When the private sector terms and conditions on offer are known, the Government Actuary's department will express a view about their compliance with the requirements of the Transfer of Undertakings
  554
  (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and this will be transmitted to staff. All ECGD staff are, of course, able to take advantage of the Department's normal facilities for career guidance and counselling.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  NATO Science Programme
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money the Foreign Office has contributed towards the NATO science programme in each of the last 10 years; and if he has any plans to stop this contribution.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The NATO science programme is a co-operative international programme for advancing the frontiers of civil science through high-level basic research. It benefits all members of the alliance. It has recently increased its links with scientists in central and eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Figures for the overall programme and the United Kingdom contribution in the last 10 years are as follows:

  Total NATO science programme budget in Belgian francs

  United Kingdom share in per cent, (paid by FCO)

  United Kingdom share in Belgian francs

  1980

  423,500,000

  19·50

  82,582,500

  1981

  507,000,000

  19·50

  98,865,000

  1982

  575,000,000

  19·50

  112,125,000

  1983

  712,000,000

  19·50

  138,840,000

  1984

  778,000,000

  18·82

  146,419,000

  1985

  818,000,000

  18·82

  153,947,600

  1986

  854,000,000

  18·82

  160,722,800

  1987

  871,000,000

  18·82

  163,922,200

  1988

  905,000,000

  18·82

  170,321,000

  1989

  932,500,000

  18·82

  175,496,500

  1990

  970,000,000

  18·82

  182,554,000

  We have no plans to stop the United Kingdom contribution to the NATO science programme.

HEALTH

  Embryology Authority
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the embryology authority to assume its full powers and commence its work.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority started work when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act received Royal Assent in November last year. The authority is currently planning the arrangements which need to be in place by the time it assumes its full powers and commences licensing.

  I announced today in my speech to the Interim Licensing Authority's annual meeting for infertility treatment centres and ethics committees, that an order will be laid shortly which will enable the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to assume its full powers on 1 August this year.

  Cancelled Operations
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations have been cancelled in national health service hospitals during the current financial year.
  555
  Mr. Dorrell
  In the year ending 31 March 1990 provisional figures show that an estimated 315,000 operations did not take place at the originally appointed time. During that year the national health service completed 8·6 million in-patient and day-patient treatments—an increase of 3 per cent. over the previous year and 30 per cent. over 1979.

  Blood Products
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information the Medicines Control Agency has on the import of unlicensed high purity factor VIII products for the treatment of haemophilia A patients.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Under the provisions of the Medicines Act 1968 a medicinal product cannot normally be imported for use with patients except under the authority of a product licence, a clinical trial certificate or under the clinical trial exemption scheme. The Medicines Control Agency holds licensing records in respect of all such products. There are, however, certain circumstances under which medicinal products may be imported without the above authority.

  Medical and dental practitioners may import unlicensed medicinal products in order to perform their own clinical trials. In these cases the practitioner must notify the licensing authority by means of the doctors and dentists exemption scheme. The Medicines Control Agency maintains records of all such notifications.

  A United Kingdom company may import an unlicensed product which is required by a doctor for a particular patient, under SI No. 673, the Medicines (Exemption from Licences) Importation Order 1984. The company is required to notify the licensing authority prior to each importation.

  All information concerning licence and other applications, including notifications, is held in confidence by the Medicines Control Agency in accordance with section 118 of the Act.

  Medical and dental practitioners may also import unlicenced products for administration to particular patients—"named patient" supply. Under the terms of this exemption the practitioner is not required to notify the Licensing authority. As a consequence the Medicines Control Agency does not maintain centralised records of this type of supply.

  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to visit the bio products laboratory; what plans he has for its privatisation; what is the cost of the laboratory to the national health service; and what charges it makes to health authorities for human blood and blood-derived products.

  Mr. Dorrell
  My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health will visit the bio products laboratory on 11 March. The planned visit is a routine one. There are no plans to privatise the laboratory.

  The aggregate cost of the bio products laboratory to the NHS is not separately identified. The bio products laboratory supplies products derived from human blood and the charges are shown in the table. These charges do not include any element for the freely donated blood from which the products are derived. The prices paid by the health authorities are not necessarily those shown in the table as there are volume related discounts for some product lines.
  556

  Therapeutic product prices Price list code

  Product code

  Description

  Cash list Price

  1. Coagulation Factors

  9124

  Factor VII

  25p/u

  9109

  Factor VIII (8Y)

  28p/iu

  9144

  Factor IX (with Heparin)

  25p/iu

  9125

  Factor XI

  25p/u

  9126

  Factor XIII

  25p/u

  9127

  Antithrombin III 1000iu

  £100·00

  2. Albumin

  9101

  Albumin 4·5 per cent 100m1

  £10·00

  9102

  Albumin 4·5 per cent 250m1

  £21·00

  9103

  Albumin 4·5 per cent 500m1

  £33·00

  9104

  Albumin 10 per cent 2·5m1

  £600

  9105

  Albumin 10 per cent 100m1

  £21·00

  9106

  Albumin 20 per cent 5m1

  £2·75

  9107

  Albumin 20 per cent 100m1

  £32·00

  3. Immunoglobulins

  9112

  Human Normal Immunoglobulin 250mg

  £3·10

  9113

  Human Normal Immunoglobulin 750mg

  £640

  9115

  Human Anti-D (RHo) Immunoglobulin 250iu

  £10·90

  9116

  Human Anti-D (RHo) Immunoglobulin 500iu

  £19·25

  9117

  Human Anti-D (RHo) Immunoglobulin 2,500iu

  £72·50

  9118

  Human Tetanus Immunoglobulin

  £12·50

  9119

  Human Varicella-Zoster Immunoglobulin

  £121·00

  9146

  Human Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin 200iu

  £41·00

  9121

  Human Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin 500iu

  £82·60

  9122

  Human Rabies Immunoglobulin

  £113·00

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the capital and revenue savings obtained from the running down and disposal of large-scale mental health hospitals are transferred from health authorities to social service authorities for the expansion of community care services and facilities for the resettlement of discharged patients.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The resources released by the closure and disposal of psychiatric hospitals are mainly redeployed for the development of community based mental health services. A mechanism exists for the transfer of such resources to local authorities in order to develop social care services through the dowry system described in circular HC(83)6/LAC(83)5, a copy of which is in the Library. Dowries are predominantly used for the resettlement of patients from mental handicap hospitals.

  Fluoride
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice his Department has received concerning dangers to health arising from the use of fluoridated toothpaste in areas where the level of fluoride in the water has been raised to 1 part per million;

  (2) what advice his Department has received concerning the risk of discolouration of teeth where fluoridated toothpaste is used in areas where the level of fluoride in the water has been raised to 1 part per million;

  (3) whether his Department monitors the effect of fluoridated toothpaste and other freely available fluoride additives in areas where the level of fluoride in the water has been raised to 1 part per million;

  (4) what guidance he has given to dentists, hospitals, the retail trade and other affected groups about the sale

  557
  and use of fluoridated toothpaste in areas where the level of fluoride in the water has been raised to 1 part per million.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The total daily oral intake of fluoride from food, water and fluoridated toothpaste in those areas in the United Kingdom where the drinking water contains fluoride at 1 part per million, whether present naturally or added, is too low to have any adverse effect on health.

  A study to compare the effect on enamel formation of the use of fluoride toothpaste in fluoridated Birmingham and non-fluoridated Leeds concluded that while there was a higher level of mild fluorosis in the fluoridated area there was no evidence of an increase in the higher grades of fluorosis, and that the use of fluoride toothpaste by young children in fluoridated areas was unlikely to produce aesthetically unacceptable levels of enamel fluorosis.

  Not all toothpastes are licensed medicinal products. The EC cosmetics directive permits the addition of fluoride ion up to 1,500 ppm. No toothpaste on the United Kingdom market contains more than this and most are limited to 1,000 ppm. A voluntary agreement has been reached with the Cosmetics, Toiletries, and Perfumeries Association to include information on packaging about the amount of toothpaste to be used when cleaning teeth. A toothpaste containing more than 1,500 ppm would only be available on prescription.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence his Department has of a level of ingestion at which sodium fluoride becomes carcinogenic; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department has no evidence that shows sodium fluoride to be carcinogenic at any level of ingestion.

  The Committee on the Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment—COC—reviewed the animal data on the carcinogenicity of sodium fluoride in 1990. The only noteworthy finding was a statistically significant dose-related positive trend for the incidence of osteosarcomas in one strain of male rats which was observed in one carcinogenicity study. No osteosarcomas were found in female rats in the same study, or in mice in a parallel study. A further study in another strain of rats showed no evidence of neoplastic effects.

  The COC noted that all well conducted in vivo mutagenicity tests were negative; that limited epidemiological data revealed no relationship between bone cancer rates in humans and fluoride concentrations in drinking water; and that there was no available evidence that fluoride causes bone cancers in humans, even in people in whom excessive long-term exposure to fluoride has caused skeletal fluorosis. It concluded that there was no evidence for carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure to fluoride.

  Local Government Responsibilities
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he is reconsidering plans for the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Act in relation to the roles and responsibilities of local government after April 1993; and if he will make a statement.
  558
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke) on 12 February at column 731.

  Staff Accommodation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what status residential accommodation in hospitals used by NHS staff will have once Crown immunity is lifted from NHS property on 1 April.

  Mr. Dorrell
  From 1 April all lettings of National Health Service staff residential accommodation will be subject to the relevant housing legislation. Staff who already occupy NHS residential accommodation will be offered new tenancy or licence agreements as appropriate.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide grant aid to local authorities to enable them to improve residential homes for the elderly to meet the statutory requirements laid down by Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is for local authorities, having determined their priorities, to make provision from their annual capital guidelines—ACGs—other receipts and transfers from revenue funds for any improvements which they consider necessary to their residential homes for the elderly. For 1991–92, ACGs of £98 million have been issued to local authorities for the personal social services, an increase of £13 million on 1990–91.

  Electoral Statistics
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the total number of electors registered in each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales for 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91; and if he will list the percentage changes that have taken place in each case compared with the previous year's figures.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Health Expenditure
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was(a) total United Kingdom expenditure on health and (b) Government expenditure on health, expressing both as a percentage of GNP, in each of the last 20 years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 8 February 1991]: The table shows total United Kingdom expenditure on health and total public spending on health since 1970. It expresses each as a proportion of gross domestic product, rather than gross national product. GDP has been used in this presentation for the sake of consistency with other sources of information on public spending such as the autumn statement and the Budget report.

  Total United Kingdom and total Government spending on health as a proportion of GDP 1970–1989

  Total United Kingdom expenditure on health

  Percentage of GDP

  Total Government spending on health

  Percentage of GDP

  1970

  2,195

  4·24

  1,896

  3·66

  1971

  2,500

  4·33

  2,158

  3·74

  1972

  2,868

  4·44

  2,493

  3·86

  559

  Total United Kingdom expenditure on health

  Percentage of GDP

  Total Government spending on health

  Percentage of GDP

  1973

  3,233

  4·36

  2,806

  3,78

  1974

  4,356

  5·20

  3,874

  4·63

  1975

  5,838

  5·52

  5,268

  4·98

  1976

  6,902

  5·52

  6,233

  4·99

  1977

  7,775

  5·34

  6,996

  4·80

  1978

  8,934

  5·31

  8,044

  4·78

  1979

  10,373

  5·24

  9,288

  4·69

  1980

  13,343

  5·77

  11,952

  5·17

  1981

  15,405

  6·09

  13,744

  5·43

  1982

  16,461

  5·95

  14,474

  5·23

  1983

  18,636

  6·17

  16,367

  5·42

  1984

  19,768

  6·08

  17,293

  5·32

  1985

  21,270

  5·97

  18,496

  5·19

  1986

  23,059

  6·02

  19,862

  5·19

  1987

  25,302

  6·02

  21,790

  5·18

  1988

  28,010

  5·98

  24,024

  5·13

  1989

  30,731

  6·03

  26,461

  5·19

  Source: CSO.

  NHS Costs
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost per consultant appointment in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 11 February 1991]: Financial returns submitted by district health authorities in England show the average cost per out-patient attendance as £24·86 for 1988–89, and £26·58—provisional figure—for 1989–90. These figures are average for all specialties, and cover direct consultation-treatment costs only.

  Health Services, Kent
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each parliamentary constituency in Kent, what percentage of the population are(a) owner-occupiers and (b) local authority tenants according to the most recent information updated since the 1981 census.

  Mr. Yeo
  I have been asked to reply.
  560
  There is no more recent information for parliamentary constituencies than the 1981 census. Estimates of the number of dwellings owned by four sectors—local authority, other public sector, housing association and private—are provided by local authorities for their areas in the annual housing investment programme returns. These are in the Library. They do not however provide a breakdown of the privately owned dwellings between owner-occupied and rented.

ENERGY

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his expectation of the rise in carbon dioxide emission levels by the year 2005 and the reasons for it; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Projections prepared by the Government in 1989 and published in 1990 in energy paper 58, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House, suggested that Britain's emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from all sources might be in the range of 178 million to 225 million tonnes of carbon—Mtc—by 2005 if no action to control them were taken. These compared with emissions in 1989 of about 160 mtc. This range reflects the assumptions used in energy paper 58 for economic growth, energy prices, and so on.

  The White Paper "This Common Inheritance" noted certain developments which had taken place since the publication of energy paper 58 which might affect emissions levels. These were a change in the projected level of new nuclear capacity, which would tend to increase emissions, and an expected increase in the use of gas for electricity generation purposes, which would tend to reduce them.

  The Government have announced that Britain is prepared, if other countries take similar action, to set itself the demanding target of returning emissions of carbon dioxide to 1990 levels by 2005.

  Coal
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the tonnage of coal produced by(a) deep and (b) opencast mining for the most recent available year; and what is the projection for these figures in five years' time.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  In 1989–90 the amount of coal produced in Britain was 76·6 million tonnes from deep mines and 18·6 million tonnes from opencast. Future levels of production are for the coal industry to decide and will depend on the tonnages which can be sold on a competitive basis.

  Trawsfynnydd Power Station
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide details of the ground contamination discovered near the active waste vaults at Trawsfynnydd nuclear power station around September 1990 and the source of this radioactive contamination.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  On 24 July 1990 during excavations for the construction of a new reactor fence close to the former site of a storage tank at the Trawsfynnydd nuclear power station, small amounts of low level radioactive contamination were revealed. This contamination was centred on a bolt approximately twelve inches long and associated rubble. These items are now being stored safely at the station pending their transfer to British Nuclear Fuels plc's low-level waste disposal site at Drigg. There was no radiological hazard to the work force or to members of the public as a result of this incident.

  Departmental Achievements
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the principal achievements of his Department since November 1990.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department successfully completed the flotation of the 12 regional electricity companies in November, and plans are on schedule for the flotation of the two generating companies this month. Planning is well advanced for the transfer of responsibility for offshore safety matters to the Health and Safety Executive.

  Adviser

  Area

  From

  To

  Kleinwort Benson

  Financial

  July 1987

  Continuing

  Touche Ross

  Regulatory/accounting

  August 1987

  Continuing

  Slaughter and May

  Legal

  August 1987

  Continuing

  Professor Littlechild

  Regulatory

  November 1987

  May 1989

  James Capel

  Lead brokers

  May 1988

  Continuing

  Lowe Bell

  Public relations

  July 1988

  January 1990

  Merz and McLellan

  Technical

  August 1987

  Continuing

  Lloyds Bank

  Receiving bank/registrar

  August 1988

  May 19901

  Deloitte, Haskins and Sells2

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  Continuing

  Price Waterhouse

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  Continuing

  Peat Marwick Mclintock

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  Continuing

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total cost of the advertising campaign for the privatisation of the electricity generating companies.

  Mr. Wakeham
  It is not the practice to give advertising costs in advance of flotations. All expenditure, including that on marketing, will be reported to Parliament in the usual way.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether at the time he appointed Smith New Court to advise on electricity privatisation he was aware they had been criticised by DTI inspectors for their conduct in the Consolidated Goldfields case.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I took all relevant factors into account in appointing Smith New Court.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether Smith New Court's appointment as advisers on electricity privatisation was the result of a process of competitive tendering.

  Mr. Wakeham
  It was agreed in 1989 that there should be the same broking syndicate of James Capel, Rowe and Pitman, Smith New Court, Cazenoves, County NatWest and Kleinwort Benson Securities for both the 12 regional electricity companies and the generating companies flotations. Each of the brokers will receive a broking fee for both issues relating to the amount of stock for which they are responsible. As Smith New Court was already a member of the broking syndicate and as no advisory fee will be payable to Smith New Court, a competitive tender would not be appropriate.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the individuals and organisations who have been retained by his Department as advisers on electricity privatisation, indicating in each case the aspect on which they have advised together with the date of their appointment and where appropriate the date they ceased to be retained as advisers.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The information is as follows
  563

  Adviser

  Area

  From

  To

  Binder Hamlyn

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  December 1990

  Ernst and Whinney3

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  December 1990

  Coopers and Lybrand2

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  December 1990

  Spicer and Oppenheim4

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  December 1990

  Touche Ross

  Reporting accountants

  May 1988

  December 1990

  BM RB

  Market research

  August 1988

  Continuing

  Davis Polk and Wardell

  United States legal

  September 1988

  Continuing

  Russell Reynolds

  Executive selection

  December 1988

  February 1989

  Oster Renault

  Canadian legal

  February 1989

  Continuing

  Anderson Mori and Rabinowitz

  Japanese legal

  March 1989

  Continuing

  Goldman Sachs

  United States financial

  December 1988

  Continuing

  Wood Gundy

  Canadian financial

  March 1989

  Continuing

  Nomura

  Japanese financial

  March 1989

  Continuing

  Credit Suisse First Boston

  European Financial

  June 1989

  Continuing

  Saxton Bampfylde

  Executive selection

  February 1989

  October 1989

  Price Waterhouse

  Accounting

  July 1988

  July 1989

  The VPI Group

  Marketing

  February 1989

  January 1990

  Jones Lang Wootton

  Property

  March 1989

  Continuing

  UKAEA

  Advanced gas-cooled reactor

  September 1989

  October 1989

  Nuclear Services Group

  Decommissioning

  April 1989

  April 1989

  Lamb and Edge

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  August 1990

  Grimley J. R. Eve

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Gerald Eve

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Knight Frank Rutley

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Weatherall Green and Smith

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Debenham Tewson and Cheshire

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Hartnell Taylor and Cook

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  September 1990

  Connell Hallum and Brackett

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Matthews and Goodman

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  March 1990

  Cook and Arkwright

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Bernard Thorpe

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  April 1990

  Henry Butcher

  Property valuers

  June 1989

  September 1990

  Debenham Tewson and Chinnocks

  Property valuers

  August 1990

  Continuing

  Edward Erdman

  Property valuers

  August 1990

  Continuing

  Lloyd Northover

  Design

  January 1990

  February 1990

  Coopers and Lybrand2

  Salaries

  July 1989

  April 1990

  Williams Lea

  Printing

  April 1989

  October 1989

  Dewe Rogerson

  Marketing and public relations

  February 1990

  Continuing

  Lowe Bell

  Special marketing and public relations

  February 1990

  February 1990

  564 565

  Adviser

  Area

  From

  To

  Russell Reynolds

  Executive selection

  February 1990

  July 1990

  RL Associates

  Licence X factors

  January 1990

  Continuing

  Lincoln Hannah

  Press cutting

  March 1990

  Continuing

  Imagination

  Roadshows

  May 1990

  Continuing

  WCRS

  Advertising

  May 1990

  December 1990

  Rowe and Pitman

  Brokers

  September 1990

  Continuing

  J. Henry Schroder Wagg

  Possible PowerGen trade sale

  July 1990

  September 1990

  J. Chiene

  Pricing

  June 1990

  Continuing

  J. Henry Schroder Wagg

  Underwriting

  September 1990

  November 19905

  Company Writers

  Prospectus

  September 1990

  October 1990

  Phillips and Buck

  Legal

  July 1990

  August 1990

  Notes:

  Certain overseas lawyers have provided advice on overseas jurisdictions.

  1 Lloyds Bank were initially appointed to advise on receiving bank and registrar issues and subsequently appointed as the lead Receiving Bank.

  2 Coopers and Lybrand and Deloitte Haskins and Sells have merged and are now known as Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte.

  3 Now known as Ernst and Young.

  4 Now part of Touche Ross.

  5 Subsequently appointed as Lead Underwriter.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what will be the total underwriting fees in respect of the flotation of the electricity generating companies.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The total underwriting fees on the flotation of the electricity generating companies have not yet been fixed. The fees will only be settled once the price and terms of the offer for sale are agreed.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he, any other Minister or any of his officials, last had discussions with any director, employee or adviser of the Hanson Group or any of its companies about electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My private discussions with companies and individuals about electricity privatisation are confidential. I announced on 23 August 1990 that discussions with Hanson plc on a possible trade sale of PowerGen had ended.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the total fees paid out so far to Dewe Rogerson for its involvement in electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The fees paid to advisers are commercially confidential. The full costs of the privatisation, including marketing costs, will be reported to Parliament in the usual way.

  Electricity Supply
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information is collected systematically by his Department to enable him to discharge his duty under section 3(3)(b) of the Electricity Act 1989 to ensure that electricity distribution companies promote the efficient use of electricity supplied to consumers.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Section 3 of the Electricity Act 1989 sets out various duties 1 have to take into account when 566
  exercising my functions under the Act. In granting the initial licences to the regional electricity companies, included conditions in their public supply licences requiring them to produce a code of practice for the provision of information on the efficient use of electricity and to comply with a standard set for this activity. It falls to the Director General of Electricity Supply to approve and monitor those codes and to determine the actual standard of performance.

  Electricity Disconnections
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the source of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary's figures on electricity disconnections of 12 November,Official Report, column 318, and publish the full figures.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The figures referred to were provided by the Office of Electricity Regulation. The total number of disconnections for the year ending 30 June, which were the latest figures available in November, stood at 62,262, representing 0–33 per cent. of domestic consumers. In 1976 the total was 125,483, representing 0·80 per cent. of domestic consumers.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information is collected systematically by his Department to enable him to discharge his duty under section 3(3)(a)(ii) of the Electricity Act 1989.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Secretary of State's duty to protect the interests of consumers in respect of the continuity of supply was taken into account in placing conditions requiring adherence to matters such as the generation security standard, and the distribution and grid codes in the initial Public Electricity Supply and other licences granted by him under the Electricity Act 1989. Responsibility for monitoring and enforcing those
  567
  conditions lies with the Director General of Electricity Supply. The electricity supply regulations require my Department to be informed of each case of major supply interruption.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the last quarterly figures for electricity disconnections were published.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The figures for the year ending 30 September were published by the Office of Electricity Regulation on 12 February. The total number of disconnections during the quarter ending 30 September stood at 14,189, or 0·07 per cent. of all domestic consumers. The number of disconnections for the year ending 30 September was 57,846 or 0·30 per cent. of domestic consumers. The figures for the quarter ending 31 December are expected to be published shortly.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will request the Director General of the Office of Electricity Regulation to initiate a study into the level of cut-offs and voluntary cut-offs during the current cold snap.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Director General of Electricity Supply continually monitors both the level of disconnections and the regional electricity companies' practices relating to disconnections.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place in the Library any information held by his Department on the environmental impact of the burning of orimulsion in power stations.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I am placing a copy of PowerGen's environmental statement for the installation of an electrostatic precipitator at the Ince B power station and explanatory booklets on orimulsion prepared by BP Bitor in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when his Department first knew that orimulsion was to be imported into Britain to be burnt in power stations.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Decisions on the type and quantity of fuel used in electricity generation are an operational matter for the industry. The Central Electricity Generating Board started trials involving the use of orimulsion at the Ince B power station in early 1988 when a single burner was modified to allow the burning of 200 tonnes of the fuel.

  Power Stations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what tonnage of oil was burnt in power stations in 1986 and each subsequent year.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Figures for the quantity of oil burnt in power stations by the major generating companies in the United Kingdom are as follows:

  Million tones

  1986

  6·1

  1987

  4·8

  1988

  5·4

  568

  Million tones

  1989

  5·5

  1990

  6·7

  Interviews
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many interviews he has given to individual journalists since 1 August 1990.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have given a number of interviews since 1 August 1990, individually and collectively, to journalists with an interest in the energy industries. The precise number of interviews is not readily available.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Health Service
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the level of spending on the health service in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  A total of £1·16 billion will be spent on the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland in 1991–92. This is an increase of some £127 million or 12·3 per cent. over 1990–91, and demonstrates the Government's commitment to maintaining high standards of services, able to meet the demands of the 1990s.

  Hospital Provision
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on funding for capital costs in hospital provision.

  Mr. Hanley
  Funding for capital costs in the current year amounts to over £45 million, an increase of 18 per cent. over last year.

  Schemes costing more than £1 million are managed directly by the Department of Health and Social Services, (that's about £16 million) with the balance administered by the hoards after option appraisal.

  Aircraft Industry
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the development of the aircraft construction industry in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  Following its privatisation in October 1989, Short Brothers plc, which is the only aircraft manufacturer in Northern Ireland, is implementing a major capital investment programme aimed at making it a viable and self-sustaining aerospace employer.

  Extortion
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest position with regard to the stopping of extortion rackets.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Action to cut off sources of terrorist finance is a vital part of the Government's strategy for ending terrorism in Northern Ireland. Recent action (led by the RUC) has been successful in curtailing the flow of
  569
  money from a number of traditional sources—including extortion. Parliament is currently being asked to strengthen the law against more sophisticated forms of terrorist financing.

  Tourism
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the development of tourism in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The Government is confident that the strategy for tourism now being implemented should achieve sustained growth of tourism to and within Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will consider supporting the creation of an all-Ireland tourist authority.

  Mr. Needham
  I am satisfied that co-operation between the two existing tourist boards represents the best way of promoting the holiday attractions of both parts of the island of Ireland.

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

  Mr. Brooke
  Since I answered a similar question on 17 January there have been two civilian deaths arising from the security situation in Northern Ireland. The police and Army continue to make significant finds of arms and ammunition, and have in recent weeks made several arrests.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next proposes to meet Ministers of the Government of the Republic of Ireland to discuss the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  I expect to discuss security matters with Irish Ministers at the next meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference within the next few weeks.

  Political Parties (Discussions)
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of talks with the political parties about a local administration for the Province.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on recent discussions he has had with representatives of the political parties in the Province.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Orpington (Mr. Stanbrook).

  Cross-community Activities
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools, youth and community groups are engaged in cross-community activities; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Uptake under the cross-community contact scheme has grown progressively since its 570
  introduction in 1987 and today over one-third of all Northern Ireland schools—about 450 schools—and 300 youth or community groups are participating in joint programmes. The budget for the present financial year is £500,000.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the latest available unemployment figures for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  At 10 January 1991 there were 98,268 unemployed claimants in the Province representing 14·1 per cent. of the workforce.

  Anglo-Irish Agreement
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent meetings he has had with Irish Ministers to discuss the Anglo-Irish Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  Matters arising under the Anglo-Irish Agreement continue to be discussed within the framework of the regular meetings of the Intergovernmental Conference. The last conference meeting was on January 31.

  Business Expansion
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what effect terrorist destruction of businesses will have on Government plans for business expansion in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  Terrorist destruction of businesses will obviously make the promotion of Northern Ireland as an investment location more difficult in overseas markets by heightening potential investors' concern about security. This is particularly disappointing after a period when investment in the Province has been very encouraging.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the impact on the Northern Ireland agriculture industry of the recent proposed reforms of the common agriculture policy by the Commission of the European Communities.

  Mr. Hanley
  The impact on Northern Ireland agriculture cannot be assessed until the European Commission tables detailed proposals. I am not therefore in a position to make a statement at this stage.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has on the creation of small businesses in the Province.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on the number of small businesses created is not available. However VAT registration provide a useful indicator of the numbers of businesses created and in the five-year period from 1985 to 1989 an estimated 18,000 businesses registered for VAT in Northern Ireland. While VAT registration relate to businesses of all sizes the vast majority fall within the small
  571
  business category. In the same period 9,352 people became self-employed under the Training and Employment Agency's enterprise allowance scheme. Since 1986, LEDU has provided assistance to 2,009 new businesses under its enterprise grant scheme.

  Further Education
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of persons in Northern Ireland in full or part-time education who will have their 19th birthday during the current school year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The latest available figures show that for the 1989–90 school year there were 5,480 full-time and 3,407 part-time 19-year-old students.

  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the full-time equivalent staffing level in each of the further education colleges in Northern Ireland during the academic year 1989–90;

  (2) what was the full-time equivalent student enrolment to each of the further education colleges in Northern Ireland during the academic year 1989–90.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows:

  Further education college

  Staff Full-time equivalent lecturers

  Enrolments Full-time equivalent students

  Belfast College of Technology

  289

  3,017

  Belfast College of Business Studies

  138

  1,938

  Rupert Stanley College

  287

  3,866

  North-West College

  207

  2,669

  Fermanagh

  89

  994

  Limavady

  72

  752

  Omagh

  101

  990

  Antrim

  47

  529

  Ballymena

  133

  1,597

  Newtownabbey

  142

  1,561

  North Antrim

  39

  429

  Coleraine

  75

  941

  Magherafelt

  50

  593

  Lame

  59

  503

  Northern Ireland Hotel and

  Catering College

  22

  199

  Lisburn

  123

  1,247

  Down

  92

  1,049

  Newcastle

  45

  577

  Castlereagh

  107

  1,238

  North Down

  182

  1,940

  Lurgan

  69

  814

  Portadown

  124

  1,502

  Armagh

  94

  1,092

  Banbridge

  45

  528

  East Tyrone

  89

  1,019

  Newry/Kilkeel

  129

  1,502

  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total recurrent budget for each of the further education colleges in Northern Ireland during the academic year 1989–90.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is not held centrally for individual further education colleges and will have to be obtained from the education and library boards. I will write to the hon. Gentleman when the information is to hand and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

  Leisure Facilities
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the district council leisure facilities in Northern Ireland from which his Department is seeking to collect rates.

  Mr. Needham
  The list set out below shows the better known council leisure facilities on which rates are collected.

  Preparation of a definitive list would be a most time-consuming exercise and could be prepared only at disproportionate cost.

  List of leisure facilities on which rates are collected for all or part of the hereditament

  Donard Ward 12 Central Promenade Newcastle BT33 ODJ

  Down district council

  Tourist centre

  Andersonstown Ward 128 Andersonstown Road Belfast BT11 2BX

  Belfast city council

  Andersonstown leisure centre

  Whiterock Ward 339–445 Falls Road Belfast BT12 6FD

  Belfast city council

  Beechmount leisure centre

  Shaftesbury Ward 30–32 Bedford Street Belfast BT2 7FF

  Belfast city council

  Ulster hall hall and flat

  Corrody Ward 20 Victoria Road Londonderry BT47 2NR

  Derry city council

  Recreation centre

  University Ward 2 University Road Coleraine BT52 1RR

  Coleraine borough council

  Marina, caravans, site and amenities

  Royal Portrush Ward 3–4 Harbour Road Portrush BTT56 8DF

  Coleraine borough council

  Leisure complex

  Hawthorne Ward 385 Doagh Road

  Newtownabbey borough council Newtownabbey

  Playing fields and outbuildings

  M1 Rogers Quay Belfast Road Carrickfergus

  Carrickfergus borough council

  Marina

  Harbour Ward M1 Quay Street Bangor

  North Down borough council

  Marina

  Drumgor Ward 2 Lakeview Road Craigavon BT64 1AL

  Craigavon borough council

  Civic centre

  Ballyhanwood Ward 111 Old Dundonald Road Belfast

  Castlereagh borough council

  Leisure centre

  Councillors
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Nothern Ireland if he will list all councillors who have been absent from council and committee meetings for more than two months since the local government election in May 1989; how many exceeded three months; how many were disqualified; and what was their party affiliation and the council to which they belonged.

  Mr. Needham
  Information about the attendance record of councillors is a matter for individual councils.

  Council Committees
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Nothern Ireland which councils in Northern Ireland conduct business through committees; and which of these councils form committees which are(a) as proportional to party strengths as is possible, (b) largely proportional or (c) non-proportional.

  Mr. Needham
  Twenty councils conduct business through committees. Information about representation in proportion to party strengths on such committees is not available in the form requested. Party representation can vary, either by design or choice, from committee to committee within some councils.

  Belfast Housing Districts

  Year

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  1979–80

  6

  —

  2

  20

  4

  —

  28

  1980–81

  30

  28

  —

  —

  31

  23

  45

  1981–82

  12

  51

  —

  19

  12

  5

  78

  1982–83

  1

  30

  —

  22

  35

  24

  62

  1983–84

  1

  64

  4

  —

  45

  17

  83

  1984–85

  —

  105

  5

  63

  15

  45

  78

  1985–86

  —

  34

  3

  —

  27

  3

  123

  1986–87

  —

  45

  22

  19

  26

  32

  149

  1987–88

  —

  81

  2

  29

  119

  24

  33

  1988–89

  —

  27

  —

  —

  26

  14

  20

  1989–90

  —

  9

  —

  1

  —

  18

  13

  1990–911

  1

  17

  —

  —

  23

  2

  21

  1 Figures for 1990–91 are for the period April 1990—January 1991

  Robberies and Burglaries
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many robberies and burglaries were reported during the month of January in and around the vicinity of Millisle village, Co. Down; how many of these incidents involved the use of firearms; and if he will make a statement on the police presence at this location.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In January 1991 two burglaries and one robbery in Millisle were reported to the RUC. A firearm was used in the robbery. Millisle area is policed from Donaghadee, approximately two miles away. Mobile patrols cover the area on a 24-hour basis and foot patrols operate in the village.

  Intergovernmental Conference
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on discussions between the environment ministers at the recent Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.

  Mr. Needham
  I had discussions with the Irish Minister for the Environment, Mr. Padraig Flynn TD, at the conference on 31 January. Among the topics on which we exchanged views were hazardous waste disposal, road improvements and the management of water resources.

  Sinn Fein
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that Sinn Fein will not be invited to participate in any talks on the future of Northern Ireland until such time as the IRA unconditionally surrenders and dissociates itself from armed struggle and there is verifiable evidence that the IRA has laid down its weapons and destroyed its terrorist arsenal.

  Housing Belfast
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Nothern Ireland how many houses have been rehabilitated by(a) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and (b) housing associations in each housing district in Belfast in each of the years from 1979 to 1991.

  Mr. Needham
  (a) This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive but I have been advised by the chief executive that the information is not readily available in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  (b) The numbers of dwellings rehabilitated by registered housing associations for the period 1979–80 to 1990–91 are as follows:

  Mr. Brooke
  So long as Sinn Fein endorses violence the Government will not engage with it as though it were a normal democratic party.

  Dundonald Ice Bowl
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what values of rates have been paid in connection with Dundonald International Ice Bowl in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Needham
  The amount of rates paid on Dundonald International Ice Bowl during 1990–91 was £144,231·00. No payments were made in previous years.

  Blood Products
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people with haemophilia in Northern Ireland who require factor VIII infusions are being treated with the high-purity monoclonal products; how many are being treated with the intermediate purity concentrates; if he will break the figures down by product manufacturer; if he will break the figures down in terms of the number of units of each product prescribed in the latest year for which data are available; and if he will break down the figures for each health and social services board.

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 7 February 1991]: The available information is as follows. In 1989 three patients who were allergic to intermediate purity Factor VIII were treated with 34,210 units of high purity monoclonal products manufactured by Baxter Health Care Ltd. In the same year approximately 100 patients were treated with intermediate purity Factor VIII concentrate manufactured by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (1·6 million units) and by Alphatherapeutic (UK) Ltd. (1·6

  575
  million units). As treatment for haemophilia patients in Northern Ireland is provided on a regional basis at the Royal Victoria hospital the figures for each health and social services board are not readily available.

SCOTLAND

  Clinical Physics and Bioengineering
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Scotland if he will give the numbers on each part of the medical technical officer grade for those administered from the Department of Clinical Physics and Bioengineering, West Graham street, Glasgow; and what are the equivalent figures for those staff in Lothian, Fife, Grampian and Tayside health boards.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is shown in the table:

  Medical Technical Officer in Medical Physics WTE at 30 September 19901

  Grade

  Glasgow

  Fife

  Grampian

  Lothian

  Tayside

  5

  5·0

  —

  —

  7·0

  1·0

  4

  12·0

  —

  3·0

  12·0

  7·0

  3

  47·6

  —

  9·0

  28·0

  8·0

  2

  30·6

  —

  3·6

  17·1

  15·0

  1

  11·0

  —

  1·3

  6·0

  7·0

  Trainee

  6·0

  —

  1·0

  1·0

  3·0

  Assistant

  1·0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  113·2

  17·9

  71·1

  1

  41·1

  1 Provisional.

  Farming
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment has been made of the effect of current interest rates on the farming industry in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department estimates that in 1990 interest payments by farmers for current farming purposes amounted to £116.4 million. Details are in "Scottish Agriculture—Output Input and Income Statistics, January 1991", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement explaining the delay in setting the levels of hill livestock compensatory allowances for 1991;

  (2) what plans he has to provide financial assistance to the hill livestock industry in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's reply on 11 February to the hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller). The increase in rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances announced by my right hon. Friend will add a further £7 million to the £48 million which we pay annually to more than 18,000 Scottish producers. Every effort will be made to make these payments quickly. Other assistance is available under a range of agricultural support schemes, notably the sheep annual premium and the suckler cow premium, which together with the HLCA scheme now provide over £100 million a year to Scottish hill livestock farmers.
  576
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of full-time farmers in Scotland whose businesses have failed financially in each of the years since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No comprehensive information is available relating to financial failure of farm businesses in Scotland. The only available data of relevance are numbers of farmers declared bankrupt. The annual recorded information on such bankruptcies since 1986—the first year for which the data are likely to be complete —is shown in the table:

  Number of farmers

  1986

  26

  1987

  36

  11988

  13

  11989

  17

  1 Provisional.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to meet his EC counterparts to discuss the future of the hill livestock industry in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. Friend is always represented at discussions in the Agriculture Council about matters which affect livestock farmers in Scotland.

  Fishing
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish Fishermen's Federation to discuss changes in net sizes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My noble Friend met the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on a number of occasions towards the end of last year, including at the December Fisheries Council. A number of issues were discussed at these meetings including possible changes in mesh size. We are currently consulting the industry over a package of improved technical conservation measures proposed for introduction in the North sea and west coast of Scotland this year. These measures include the introduction of 90mm square mesh panels in current demersal fishing gear.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who will be appointed to the four regions of the Scottish Nature Conservancy Council; who will be their chairmen; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The appointment of chairmen and members to the regional committees of the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland is a matter for the chairman and board to decide. I have asked the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February in Cardiff of the three chairmen of the Scottish, Welsh and English Nature Conservancy Councils at their joint committee session; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the statutory committee
  577
  through which the Nature Conservancy Councils for England and Scotland and the Countryside Council for Wales exercise their responsibilities on matters of national and international importance. The JNCC is required to make an annual report on its activities and place a copy in the House. The decision whether to publish or circulate minutes is a matter for the councils.

  Small Landholders
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many claims for compensation in respect of resumptions by landlords have been made to the Scottish land court under the Small Landholders (Scotland) Acts 1886 to 1931 in each year since 1977.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is as follows. There have been no further claims since 1986.

  Number

  1977

  1

  1978

  3

  1979

  2

  1980

  1

  1981

  —

  1982

  2

  1983

  2

  1984

  1

  1985

  —

  1986

  1

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many smallholdings, by district are rented under the Small Landholders (Scotland) Acts 1886 to 1931; and if he will bring forward proposals to extend them the same rights and protections provided to crofters by the Crofting Reform Act 1976.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information relating to holdings belonging to the Secretary of State is set out in the table. The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department does not hold details of holdings in private or commericial ownership.

  My right hon. Friend has no plans to extend the provisions of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 1976 to non-crofting tenants.

  Holdings on Secretary of State's non-crofting estates As at 30 September 1990

  Lowland estates

  Landhold

  Aberdeen

  7

  Ayr

  1

  Berwick

  4

  Dumfries

  5

  Kirkcudbright

  1

  Midlothian

  5

  Perth

  2

  (1) Expenditure in cash terms(£ million)

  (2) Expenditure at1990–91 prices(£ million)

  (3) Provision/GAE in cash terms(£ million)

  (4) Provision/GAE at1990–91 prices(£ million)

  1978–79

  709·5

  1,792·8

  645·5

  1,631·2

  1979–80

  830·7

  1,799·1

  736·0

  1,594·0

  1980–81

  1,025·9

  1,877·5

  801·2

  1,466·4

  1981–82

  1,155·5

  1,928·6

  1,021·8

  1,705·4

  1982–83

  1,241·0

  1,934·0

  1,193·8

  1,860·4

  1983–84

  1,309·6

  1,950·6

  1,237·0

  1,842·5

  1984–85

  1,350·0

  1,913·6

  1,249·1

  1,770·6

  1985–86

  1,391·9

  1,871·0

  1,297·3

  1,743·9

  1986–87

  1,491·2

  1,938·3

  1,343·3

  1,746·2

  578

  Lowland estates

  Landhold

  Renfrew

  1

  Wigtown

  2

  TOTAL

  28

  Special Needs Training
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the amount of Training Agency expenditure on the (i) youth training scheme and (ii) employment training scheme for trainees with special needs for each of the Training Agency regions in Scotland for each month since September 1988.

  Mr. Stewart
  This information is not collected.

  Hazardous Waste Inspectorate
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline the recent activities of the hazardous waste inspectorate in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I am pleased to say that a report of the hazardous waste inspectorate in Scotland has been published today. The report, which covers the period April 1987 to December 1990, outlines the activities and findings of the inspectorate and also sets out a number of conclusions and recommendations concerning waste management practices in Scotland. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  This report will be of interest to everyone who has a part to play in ensuring that waste management in Scotland is practised in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner. The findings of the inspectorate, which have been drawn from its surveys and visits over recent years, are discussed in the report. It concludes that whilst a general improvement in waste disposal practices is evident there is still scope for further improvement.

  I welcome this report at a time when environmental issues are so high in the minds of everyone and commend its contents to the public and private sectors of the industry alike.

  Education Spending
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will produce a table, both at cost and 1990–91 prices, showing what level of expenditure local government has incurred on education in every year since 1978–79 compared to what central Government had built into their assessed need to spend on education.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 8 February 1991]: The information is as follows:
  579

  (1) Expenditure in cash terms(£ million)

  (2) Expenditure at1990–91 prices(£ million)

  (3) Provision/GAE in cash terms(£ million)

  (4) Provision/GAE at1990–91 prices(£ million)

  1987–88

  1,623·6

  2,001·4

  1,424·7

  1,756·2

  1988–89

  1,764·2

  2,026·8

  1,676·0

  1,925·5

  1989–90

  1,926·7

  2,080·9

  1,793·3

  1,936·8

  1990–91

  2,097·1

  2,097·1

  1,973·1

  1,973·1

  Notes:

  1. The Government no longer issue assessments of relative expenditure need and the figures for 1990–91 in columns (3) and (4) relate to grant aided expenditure (GAE).

  2. In columns (3) and (4) the figures for the years 1978–79 to 1983–84 include provision for libraries and museums as well as education in accordance with the provision categorisation provided in the rate support grant orders.

  3. Expenditure figures are at final outturn to 1988–89, provisional outturn for 1989–90 and budget estimate for 1990–91.

  4. All years have been converted to 1990–91 prices by means of the Treasury GDP deflator (October 1990).

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Family Credit
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average lapse of time between applications made for family credit and the determination thereof in the case of(a) claims made by people who have just started work, (b) renewal claims and (c) all claims.

  Mr. Jack
  For the 12 months ended December 1990, the available information on the basis requested is as follows:

  (a) Claims made by people who have just started work
  A fast-path arrangement is available for people who start work after being on unemployment benefit or income support. 88 per cent. of claims dealt with under this arrangement were cleared within five working days. Claims from those people who have just started work can not be identified separately from those of other claimants who have been in work for some time when they make their first claim. The average clearance time for all new claims was 21·5 working days.

  (b) Renewal claims
  The average clearance time was 19·3 working days.

  (c) All claims
  The average clearance time was 20·45 working days.

  Disability
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of potential beneficiaries of the disability working allowance who will be excluded due to the capital limit.

  Mr. Scott
  It is not possible to estimate with confidence how many people will be excluded from receiving disability working allowance due to the capital limit.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the research project, Effect of the Actively Seeking Work Provisions, has been completed; and if he will publish the results.

  Mr. Jack
  The report on the research commissioned by the Department into the effects of the changes to unemployment benefits legislation operative from October 1989, including the introduction of the "actively seeking employment" condition, has not yet been completed. A copy of the report will, in due course, be placed in the Library.

  Community Charge Benefit
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Lambeth have claimed community charge benefit based on claims for reimbursement by his Department.

  Miss Widdecombe
  As at 30 November 1990, 41,199 individual charge payers were receiving community charge benefit in the London borough of Lambeth. This figure is likely to underestimate the true position as the local authority still had to assess a number of unprocessed benefit claims.

  Departmental Achievements
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the principal achievements of his Department since June 1987.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Government have continued to commit greater resources than ever before to social security. In 1990–91 total social security spending will have been increased by nearly 41 per cent. in real terms since 1978–79. Specific improvements include extra help for less well-off families and elderly and disabled pensioners. By the end of 1990 over 4 million people had taken out a personal pension and contracted-out of the state earnings-related pension scheme. The new structure of income-related benefits introduced in 1988 enables additional resources to be targeted more effectively than under the old scheme and together with subsequent changes in the tax and national insurance systems has improved work incentives by significantly reducing the worst effects of the poverty and unemployment traps. The recent White Paper "Children Come First" has set out the Government's proposals for a new system of child maintenance in the United Kingdom and the new disability benefits announced in the White Paper "The Way Ahead" are planned to come into operation in April 1992.

  Further increases in benefit rates, including child benefit, from April 1991 will bring total expenditure on social security to well over £60 billion a year, reflecting our firm commitment to protect the value of the national insurance pension and to focus extra help on those most in need, such as the less well-off pensioners and families with children, disabled people and carers.

  The Department of Social Security is well advanced in its programme of establishing executive agencies. The Resettlement Agency and the Information Technology Services Agency are already in place, and the Contributions Agency and the Benefits Agency—the

  581
  largest "next steps" agency—are to be established in April 1991. In early 1993 we expect to launch the Child Support Agency. The DSS computerisation programme—one of the largest in the world—is well advanced.

  Commitment to improve service to the public continues. For example, clearance times for income support are significantly better than those for its predecessor, supplementary benefit. The relocation of benefits work from some London offices to areas where staff recruitment and retention are easier has also improved service to the public. Plans are well advanced to relocate some 800 DSS headquarters' posts from London and the south east to Leeds by 1992, which will play an important part in the Government's inner cities initiative.

  Retired People (Earnings)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many United Kingdom retired people(a) overall and (b) as a proportion of the total retired population received weekly incomes from all sources above the average of those in work in the last year for which figures are available.

  Miss Widdecombe
  In 1987 approximately half a million (or eight per cent. of) retired pensioner units (ie married couples or singles) are estimated to have an income above the average for all benefit units with at least one working adult. It should be noted that between 1979 and 1987 the incomes of pensioners rose twice as fast as those of the rest of the population.

  Note: Income has been equivalised to allow for differences in family size. Retired pensioner units are those where the head is over state pension age and works less than 16 hours per week. Other (non-retired) pensioner units are included with the benefit units containing at least one working adult. A benefit unit is a family group assessed for benefit ie singles or couples with or without children. The data source is the 1987 Family Expenditure Survey.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce legislation to enable residents of local authority residential homes for the elderly to receive the same amount of benefit as those in private and voluntary sector homes; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have no plans to do so.

  The care in the Community proposals from April 1993 will encourage local authorities to consider making use of the independent sector when placing people in residential homes.

  War Widows
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many war widows are currently receiving children's allowances; and for how many children;
  582
  (2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that there is no further reduction in the combined value of children's allowances and child benefit for war widows' children;

  (3) what is the annual loss to a war widow with one, or two or three children respectively, resulting from the decision not to maintain the real value of war widows' children's allowances and child benefit since November 1979;

  (4) what was the outcome of his consideration of the issues relating to war widows' children's allowances mentioned in the adjournment debate on child dependency additions on 21 January, Official Report, columns 142–46.

  Mr. Jack
  The disposable income available to war widows and their families has benefited substantially from this Government's policies. Child allowances are only one element in a structure of benefit payments with levels set above those for other widows on pensions.

  Virtually all war widows receiving children's allowances, being "post-1973" war widows are also likely to be receiving children's pensions from the Ministry of Defence under the armed forces pension scheme. This Government have made several significant improvements to the overall position of war widows. The hon. Member will be aware from my reply to him on 28 January 1991 at columns 440–42 that in 1979 war widows' pensions were made tax free; in 1984 a new tier of age allowance was introduced for those over 80; in 1988 the disregard on war pensions for income-related benefits was increased to £5 and to £10 in 1990. In 1990 pre-1973 war widows were awarded special payments of £40 a week. These, too, were tax free and are also totally disregarded for the purpose of calculating entitlement to income-related benefits. Also, in April 1990 war widows' age allowances were increased by more than the rate of inflation. Both war widows' children's allowances and war widows' pensions have consistently been set at preferential rates compared to those applicable to national insurance widows and children.

  We will continue to uprate the basic war widows' children's allowance by the increase in the RPI, deducting any overlapping cash increase in child benefit, using the formula introduced by the last Labour Government in order to safeguard war widows against the loss of tax allowances during the phasing in of child benefit.

  The number of war widows' children's allowance in payment is about 2,500; information on the number of war widows receiving them is not readily available.

  The combined values of war widows' children's allowance and child benefit at current prices and at the values as they would have been had this been uprated in line with movements in the retail prices index are as shown in the tables:
  583

  One child

  A

  B

  C

  D

  E

  Uprating date1

  Value of child benefit plus children's allowance

  Value if uprated in line with movements in retail prices
  index2

  Difference between A and B(weekly loss)

  Total loss over period between uprating dates3

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  November 1979

  14·00

  —

  —

  —

  November 1980

  15·35

  16·14

  ·79

  41·28

  November 1981

  16·10

  18·08

  1·98

  102·74

  November 1982

  17·10

  19·21

  2·11

  109·54

  November 1983

  17·45

  20·14

  2·69

  139·73

  November 1984

  17·90

  21·13

  3·23

  168·09

  November 1985

  18·55

  22·29

  3·74

  130·79

  July 1986

  18·65

  22·66

  4·01

  140·28

  April 1987

  18·85

  23·65

  4·80

  249·78

  April 1988

  19·25

  24·58

  5·33

  277·31

  April 1989

  19·85

  26·56

  6·71

  348·81

  April 1990

  20·65

  29·07

  8·42

  437·69

  Tow children

  A

  B

  C

  D

  E

  Uprating date1

  Value of child benefit plus children's allowance

  Value if uprated in line with movements in retail prices
  index2

  Difference between A and B(weekly loss)

  Total loss over period between uprating dates3

  £

  £

  £

  £

  November 1979

  28·00

  —

  —

  —

  November 1980

  30·70

  32·29

  1·59

  82·56

  November 1981

  32·20

  36·15

  3·95

  205·48

  November 1982

  34·20

  38·41

  4·21

  219·08

  November 1983

  34·90

  40·27

  5·37

  279·46

  November 1984

  35·80

  42·27

  6·47

  336·18

  November 1985

  37·10

  44·57

  7·47

  261·58

  July 1986

  37·30

  45·32

  8·02

  280·56

  April 1987

  37·70

  47·31

  9·61

  499·55

  April 1988

  38·50

  49·17

  10·67

  554·61

  April 1989

  39·70

  53·12

  13·42

  697·61

  April 1990

  41·30

  58·13

  16·83

  875·39

  Three children

  A

  B

  C

  D

  E

  Uprating date1

  Value of child benefit plus children's allowance

  Value if uprated in line with movements in retail prices
  index2

  Difference between A and B(weekly loss)

  Total loss over period between uprating dates3

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  November 1979

  42·00

  —

  —

  —

  November 1980

  46·05

  48·43

  2·38

  123·85

  November 1981

  48·30

  54·23

  5·93

  308·21

  November 1982

  51·30

  57·62

  6·32

  328·62

  November 1983

  52·35

  60·41

  8·06

  419·20

  November 1984

  53·70

  63·40

  9·70

  504·27

  November 1985

  55·65

  66·86

  11·21

  392·38

  July 1986

  55·95

  67·97

  12·02

  420·84

  April 1987

  56·55

  70·96

  14·41

  749·33

  April 1988

  57·75

  73·75

  16·00

  831·92

  April 1989

  59·55

  79·67

  20·12

  1,046·42

  April 1990

  61·95

  87·20

  25·25

  1,313·08

  Notes:

  1 Uprating dates refer to the children's allowance. For all but the
  first date they are also the uprating dates for child benefit.

  2 Values of child benefit plus children's allowance as they would
  have been had they been uprated in line with movements in the retail prices index between
  uprating dates.

  3 The period between uprating dates is taken as 52 weeks except for the periods from November 1985 and July 1986 for which the relevant number of weeks is 35.

  584

  Severe Weather Payments
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the location of points used for the measuring of the temperatures in the United Kingdom for the purposes of triggering special severe weather payments since 1986.

  Mr. Scott
  Temperatures are measured at the national climatological message (MCM) stations. These are listed in the schedules to the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations 1981 and the schedules to the Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Regulations 1988, copies of which are in the Library.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the total amount paid since 1986 as severe weather payments; and if he will list these by local office.

  Mr. Scott
  The available information is in the table. Details of the payments for each local office for 1986–87 and 1987–88 are in the Library. For 1988–89, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 5 December 1989 at column 157.

  Information for each local office for 1989–90 and 1990–91 is not currently available, but will be placed in the Library in due course.

  £

  Exceptionally cold weather payments

  1986–87

  10,201,860

  1987–88

  496,798

  Social fund cold weather payments

  1988–89

  2,510

  1989–90

  406,481

  Total

  11,107,649

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of applications refused by each DSS office for payment of severe weather allowances since 1986.

  Mr. Scott
  Details of exceptionally cold weather payments for each local office for the winters of 1986–87 and 1987–88 are in the Library. In 1988–89 Social Fund cold weather payments were made only for the area covered by the Department's local office at Galashiels where 174 claims were refused because the eligibility criteria for the payments were not fulfilled. There were 502 successful claims.

  Information on refusals for each local office for 1989–90 and for 1990–91 is not currently available, but will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to advertise the application forms for special cold weather payments in the appropriate local newspapers.

  Mr. Scott
  When a weather station triggers, local offices linked with it have been instructed to place an advertisement in the local press. This advertisement includes a claim form for a cold weather payment.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all those social security offices which advertised the application forms for special cold weather payments in their appropriate local newspapers.
  586
  Mr. Scott
  All social security offices have been instructed to advertise, and are in the process of doing so.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will instruct all local social security offices to advertise the application forms for special cold weather payments in their appropriate local newspapers.

  Mr. Scott
  On 8 February all social security offices were instructed to place such advertisements in appropriate local newspapers.

  Local Offices, Cardiff
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to formulate and announce plans to alter the provision and location of offices and counter services for social security in the Cardiff area.

  Miss Widdecombe
  In April 1991 the Barry, Cardiff West, Cardiff East and Cardiff Central offices will combine to form the South Glamorgan district and will be managed as a single unit. The senior management team for this project has recently been appointed, and one of their priorities will be to draw up detailed plans to provide the best possible service to local customers. There will be the widest possible consultation with Members of Parliament, and with local statutory and voluntary organisations. There are no plans to close offices in the Cardiff area.

  Bari Harbour
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many appeals have been made to the north west of England pensions appeal tribunal involving cases arising from the Bari harbour mustard gas disaster in 1943; and how many of them have been successful;

  (2) pursuant to his reply of 4 February, Official Report, col. 63–64, what gave rise to the special exercise in 1986–87 to trace cases of casualties caused by the Bari harbour mustard gas disaster in 1943; how this exercise was carried out; how many new cases arose from the exercise; how many of these were successful; and if he has any plans to conduct a similar special exercise;

  (3) pursuant to his reply of 4 February, Official Report, column 63, when the first claim for a war pension arising out of the Bari harbour incident in 1943 was made; and when the last one was made.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The special exercise was undertaken following the exceptional decision to backdate the payment of war disablement pension to an individual who had been exposed to mustard gas whilst serving in the Royal Navy at Bari harbour in 1943. He claimed a war pension in 1983 and contended that he would have claimed earlier had he been aware of the precise nature of the substance with which he had been contaminated.

  The purpose of the special exercise was to identify other casualties of the incident in order to establish whether similar action was appropriate. The names of the casualties of the Bari harbour incident were obtained from Ministry of Defence and Department of Health and Social Security records. A press notice announcing the exercise was issued and as a result of this 87 new claims for war pension were received of which 33 were successful, bringing the total number of claims arising from the incident to 185, of which 106 have been successful. All awards for exposure to mustard gas at Bari harbour were

  587
  reviewed to see whether backdating was appropriate. The exercise confirmed that all but one of those traced were aware at the time of the incident that they had been exposed to mustard gas. Little purpose would therefore be served by conducting a similar exercise.

  The first claim for war pension as a result of the Bari harbour incident was made in 1943. Information is not available regarding the date on which the last claim was made nor on the number of appeals that have been made to the north-west of England pensions appeal tribunal.

  Statutory Sick Pay
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the firms and trade organisations the deregulation unit consulted over their new legislation on statutory sick pay and the outcome of these consultations.

  Mr. Scott
  Following the introduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Bill on 8 November 1990, a copy of the Bill and press release were sent to all employers and organisations represented on the Department's employers panel. Subsequently, Ministers and/or officials have discussed the proposals with the Confederation of British Industry, the National Federation of the Self Employed and Small Businesses, the Forum of Private Businesses and the National Farmers Union. In addition, Ministers have responded to some 200 written representations, mainly from hon. Members on behalf of employers and their organisations.

  The Government have introduced a scheme for small employers' relief to assist small employers with the cost of the statutory sick pay changes.

  Banks
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will seek to introduce legislation to control bank charges on retail transactions.

  Mr. Maples
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government see no need to introduce legislation to control the level of bank charges. These are commercial decisions for the banks and subject to competition.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will propose legislation to open bank operations to competition and scrutiny by bodies representing consumers' and clients' associations.

  Mr. Maples
  I have been asked to reply.

  Banks are already subject to competition and scrutiny by consumer bodies.

WALES

  Educational Psychologists
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report for each education authority in Wales for the financial year 1991–92 the specific grant to be paid by his Department for each trainee educational psychologist to pursue the postgraduate course enabling them to satisfy the criteria for employment as educational psychologists in local authorities.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Allocations under the grants for educational support and training programme have been 588
  made available as set out in the following table. This covers ongoing commitments for the 1991–92 from the 1990–91 financial year and that part of new initial training activity falling within 1991–92.

  £

  Clwyd

  39,600

  Dyfed

  29,200

  Gwent

  8,000

  Gwynedd

  20,000

  Mid Glamorgan

  52,900

  West Glamorgan

  39,300

  No bids were received from Powys and South Glamorgan local education authorities.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many places were offered annually under the employment training scheme since its founding; and how many of these positions have been filled by trainees with special needs.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The number of employment training places offered annually in Wales is as follows:

  Some 22,300 between September 1988 and March 1989.

  Some 15,200 in 1989–90.

  Some 13,400 in 1990–91.

  These figures relate to locally contracted provision only. Figures for nationally contracted places are not available on a regional basis.

  Since the introduction of the programme in Wales, people with disabilities have accounted for 12 per cent. of starts and those requiring literacy and numeracy training 16 per cent. of starts.

  A487, Gwynedd
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the starting date for the construction of the Felinheli bypass on the A487 trunk road in Gwynedd; and if he will list all causes of delay with regard to this scheme since it was first placed in the Welsh trunk roads preparation pool.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Inclusion of a scheme in the trunk road programme indicates that a road improvement is needed—it does not convey any commitment as to timing. This depends on satisfactory completion of engineering design and statutory procedures; and on scheme priorities in relation to the finance available. The Felinheli—Port Dinorwic—bypass is expected to start in period up to April 1994. Objections to supplementary orders published late last year are under consideration and provisional arrangements are being made for a public inquiry in mid-1991.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many places there were in day centres in Wales for mentally ill people in 1989; and what was the corresponding figure for 1979.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  There were 935 places in day centres in Wales for mentally ill people at 31 March 1939. The corresponding figure for 31 March 1979 was 393.

  Music (Grants)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been paid out of Welsh Office funds by way of grant or subsidy in Wales during the past 12 months to support(a) orchestral music, (b) opera, (c) choral music, (d) brass bands, (e) folk music and (f) rock music.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Government financial support for the performing arts in Wales is channelled through the Welsh Arts Council which receives its funding from my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts via the Arts Council of Great Britain. There has been no separate Welsh Office support for such activities save for the £842,000 which we announced on 31 January had been transferred from our existing provision to the Office of Arts and Libraries to write off the accumulated deficit of the Welsh National Opera.

  Physiotherapists
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many trained physiotherapists there are currently employed by the national health service in Wales.

  19781

  19881

  Function of home

  Local authority homes

  Voluntary homes

  Private homes

  Local authority homes

  Voluntary homes

  Private homes

  Elderly, younger physically handicapped and blind

  201

  932

  201

  36

  421

  Mentally ill

  37

  1

  5

  53

  4

  19

  Mentally handicapped

  29

  2

  6

  90

  19

  42

  Mixed3

  13

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  Alcohol dependence

  4—

  4—

  4—

  0

  3

  0

  1 As at 31 March.

  2 No split available between voluntary and private.

  3 These homes accommodate both mentally ill and mentally handicapped people.

  4 Not available.

  Welsh Language Bill
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) when he intends to publish his draft Welsh Language Bill;

  (2) when he plans to place legislation before the House to enact a new Welsh Language Bill;

  (3) what is his response to the draft Welsh Language Bill published on 14 February by the Welsh Language Board.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Welsh Language Board published its proposals for legislation in support of the Welsh language on 11 February. Those proposals will be carefully considered and the Government's response will be announced in due course.

  Coal Industry (Redundancies)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what special measures he plans to take to deal with the consequences of redundancies in the coal industry in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Welsh Office and other agencies will respond swiftly to opportunities as they arise.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the redundancies effected and declared
  590
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  At 30 September 1990 there were 766—a whole-time equivalent of 597·4—trained physiotherapists employed by the NHS in Wales.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many places there were available in Wales in residential homes in 1988; what were the corresponding figures for 1978; and how many were(a) local authority homes, (b) registered homes run by voluntary organisations and (c) registered homes run by private owners.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  There were 17,836 places available in local authority, private and voluntary residential homes for elderly, younger physically handicapped, blind, mentally ill, mentally handicapped and alcohol dependent people at 31 March 1988. The corresponding figure at 31 March 1978 was 10,750. The number of local authority homes, registered homes run by voluntary organisations and registered homes run by private owners is shown in the table:

  in the coal industry in south Wales since 1 January 1990, indicating the measures he has taken to ameliorate their impact upon communities.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Since 1 January 1990 there have been 880 redundancies effected and 705 redundancies announced in the coal industry in south Wales. The Welsh Office, Welsh Development Agency, British Coal Enterprise, other agencies and Government Departments are working together and are responding to opportunities as they arise to offset the effects that the redundancies have on local communities.

  New Crown Buildings
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for utilising the space at the New Crown buildings, Cathays park, after its evacuation by the Export Credit Guarantees Department insurance services group.

  Mr. David Hunt
  It is expected to be some time before the space now occupied by ECGD insurance services group in the new Crown building, Cathays park, becomes vacant. The reletting of this space, which forms part of the Government's civil estate, is ultimately the responsibility
  591
  of the Department of Environment—Property Holdings —but my Department will be keeping in close touch with events.

  Education Department (Location)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for the future office location of the Education Department of the Welsh Office.

  Mr. David Hunt
  At present, none.

  Leybucht Bay
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his reply of 12 November 1990,Official Report, column 49, when he will place in the Library an authorised English language version of the Advocate-General's opinion on the Leybucht bay case heard at Luxembourg before the European Court of Justice.

  Mr. David Hunt
  An English language version of the Advocate-General's opinion prepared by the court is unlikely to be available for some time. However, I understand that an English language translation prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be available very shortly. I shall be placing a copy of this in the Library of the House.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline his policy on setting targets for the numbers of those in training who obtain qualifications; and if he will give the reasons underlying the policy.

  Mr. Jackson
  Targets for the numbers of employment training and youth training trainees who are expected to obtain national vocational qualifications at various levels are negotiated between my Department and individual training and enterprise councils. Targets are influenced by, amongst other things, past performance, expected improvements in performance and local circumstances.

  Action Credit
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what impact the earnings paid to participants in the action credit pilot scheme being run by the employment service will have on their(a) entitlement to housing benefit, (b) entitlement to community charge benefit, and (c) entitlement to income support during (i) the time that they are building up their terminal commission bonus and (ii) when they receive their accumulated bonus at the end of the action credit; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The action credit scheme was recently piloted by the Department of Employment's training, enterprise and education directorate (formerly the Training Agency) for people leaving employment training who are receiving income support.

  Under the scheme, participants who take up part-time work placements receive payments equal to the level of their income support earnings disregard, normally £5 or
  592
  £15 per week. These earnings have no effect on entitlement to income support, housing benefit or community charge benefit.

  The balance of the earnings is accumulated and paid at a later date. Any income support in payment is reduced by the net weekly equivalent of the earnings, after deducting a further earnings disregard, for a forward period equal to the length of the period of employment. Housing benefit and community charge benefit are not affected.

  If income support is not in payment, or is extinguished by the earnings, the accumulated bonus is treated as capital for the purposes of housing benefit and community charge benefit. It will only affect those benefits if the payment takes any existing capital over £3,000, of if the participant's capital is already over that amount.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons in the United Kingdom have been unemployed for(a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) three to five years and (e) over five years.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information is contained in the following table and can also be obtained from the NOMIS database system in the House of Commons Library.

  Duration

  1Total

  0–1 year

  1,162,879

  1–2 years

  202,631

  2–3 years

  80,374

  3–5 years

  81,304

  5 years or more

  143,432

  1 Unemployment figures by duration are produced quarterly. The figures shown are for October 1990, the latest date available, and are on the unadjusted basis.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what initiatives he is considering in order to reduce long-term unemployment within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  We already have in place a comprehensive package of employment and training measures to help the long-term unemployed back into work. The range of help available for individuals is the widest ever. Next year we shall be providing up to 100,000 additional opportunities through programmes such as jobclub and the job interview guarantee.

  Labour Statistics
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress the employment service has made in meeting the numerical targets outlined in its 1990–91 agency agreement; and if he will show the specific targets and achievements for the latest available date in relation to(a) placing unemployed people in jobs, (b) placing the long-term unemployed in jobs and (c) the number of claims not pursued; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  Employment service targets for placing people into jobs this financial year are set out in the annual performance agreement published in April 1990. I am informed by the chief executive of the employment service that in the period April to December 1990 the employment service placed 1,088,286 unemployed people into jobs (annual target 1,650,000), of whom 165,400 had been
  593
  claiming benefit for six months or longer (annual target 275,000). Over the same period 320,034 people enquired at local offices of the employment service about entitlement to benefit but did not pursue a claim (reference level 400,000 in 1989–90 financial year). The chief executive will report to the Secretary of State on employment service achievements at the end of the financial year and his report will be published in the summer.

  Annual Performance Agreement
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to place in the Library a copy of the new annual performance agreement agreed with the employment service for 1991–92; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  Discussions on the 1991–92 annual performance agreement are well advanced. I intend to place a copy in the Library by the beginning of April.

  Part-time Work
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to ratify EC directive 1983–90 on part-time work.

  Mr. Forth
  The draft directives on part-time work are still under discussion in the European Council.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed claimants in each month since 9 October 1989, for each region and for Great Britain as a whole(a) have been issued with a warning letter for not actively seeking work, (b) had their claims referred to an adjudication officer for not actively seeking work, (c) had their claims (i) allowed or (ii) disallowed, (d) have been referred to an adjudication officer for refusing employment; how many of those in (d) have had their benefit (1) disqualified or (2) allowed; how many have been referred to an adjudication officer for neglect to avail oneself of employment; and how many of those have had their benefit (a) disqualified or (b) allowed.

  Mr. Jackson
  Questions on operational matters in the employment service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply of 5 February,Official Report, column 90, what consultations he has had with the chairman of South Glamorgan TEC concerning the issuing of advertisements to tender for the construction of the new TEC building.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have had no such consultations.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidelines he has issued to the training and enterprise councils concerning advertising for senior management positions.

  Mr. Jackson
  TECs have been issued with a staffing manual which sets out certain procedures which they are 594
  required to observe. This includes the obligation to advertise openly the post of chief executive should a TEC not wish to appoint an Employment Department group secondee.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidelines he has issued to the training and enterprise councils regarding the employment of close relatives of TEC chairmen in senior management positions.

  Mr. Jackson
  No specific guidance has been issued.

DEFENCE

  Transmitter, Scotland
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the plans for an experimental extremely low frequency transmitter in Scotland.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We have reassessed this project in the light of current defence requirements and have decided not to proceed with the programme to construct an experimental transmitter in Glengarry forest. Accordingly, we shall not be proceeding with the notice of proposed development. We are notifying local authorities to this effect.

  Gulf War
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from the Paisley, South constituency are currently on military service in the Gulf or engaged in support services in this country.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested could not he provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government's war aims encompass the bombing of any non-Iraqi vehicles on the main Iraq-Jordan highway; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No. The Government's objectives are those set out in the United Nations Security Council resolutions. The allied intention is to implement these resolutions in the shortest possible time with the minimum casualties. Allied pilots have instructions only to attack military targets which could pose a threat to allied forces or facilities which are supporting Iraq's occupation of Kuwait.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the delay experienced by Mrs. Joan Webb of Leicester in communicating with her son Colin Webb of the Signals Regiment at BFPO 649; what is the length of time now taken to transmit mail to services personnel in the Gulf; and what further measures he is taking to improve the situation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The hon. Gentleman has been in contact with my office about a delay experienced by Mrs. Joan Wells in communicating with her son in the Gulf. The matter is being investigated, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman shortly.

  In general, the transmit time to the Gulf for letters is around five days, and ten days for parcels. These timings may be exceeded for troops in forward positions.
  595
  Transit times are monitored regularly and every effort is made to achieve the earliest possible delivery.

  Nulear Test Veterans
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his current assessment of the effects on British service men present in the vicinity of the second United Kingdom nuclear test at Christmas Island in 1958 of their exposure to radiation;

  (2) what is his current assessment of the effects on ex-service men present in the vicinity of the first United Kingdom nuclear test at Christmas Island in 1958 of their exposure to radiation.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now estimate the number of premature deaths of ex-service men who took part in the Christmas Island tests between 1952 and 1958, including the clean up operations up to 1964.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the National Radiological Protection Board report NRPBR214, "Mortality and Cancer Incidence in UK Participants in UK Atmospheric Nuclear Weapon Tests and Experimental Programmes" published in 1988. In their report, the NRBP did not establish a causal link between any increased incidence of cancer and participation in the test programme.

  The NRPB are now carrying out an analysis of data received up until 1 January 1988 and their further report will be available in 1992.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now reconsider the benefit and compensation claims of nuclear test veterans who took part in the British nuclear test programme from 1952 until 1958, including the clean-up programme up to 1964; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Government's policy is based on the National Radiological Protection Board's (NRPB) report published in 1988, which found no casual link between participation in the test programme and any increased incidence of cancer. A further follow-up study by the NRPB has been commissioned and it will be necessary to await the conclusions of this before considering what changes, if any, might be appropriate to the Government's current policy.

  Arms Fair, Baghdad
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations Her Majesty's Government received opposing British involvement in the first Baghdad international arms fair held in April 1989.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  A number of hon. Members and members of the public registered their opposition to the participation of United Kingdom companies in the international arms fair held in Baghdad in April 1989

  Gulf Crisis (Nuclear Weapons)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his American counterpart concerning the conditions under which United States forces in the allied military alliance deployed in the Gulf region would be permitted to use nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend keeps in regular contact with his American counterpart. The details of these discussions are confidential. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made the Government's position on the possible use of United Kingdom nuclear weapons in the Gulf quite clear on 15 January 1991 at col.726.

  Quality Assurance
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current estimate of the cost of moving the Directorate General of Quality Assurance to(a) Stockton-on-Tees and (b) Portland, in Dorset.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Studies have yet to be completed.

  Forces Personnel
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Army personnel were (i) absent without leave and (ii) applied for discharge as conscientious objectors between 1 January and the latest available date; what were the figures for the comparable period of 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member.

  VIETNAM: AID
  VIETNAM: AID
  VIETNAM: QUANG NINH AND HAIPHONG PROJECTS
  VIETNAM: QUANG NINH AND HAIPHONG PROJECTS
  THE GULF WAR: CONTRIBUTIONS TO UK COSTS
  THE GULF WAR: CONTRIBUTIONS TO UK COSTS
  THE GULF WAR: CONTRIBUTIONS TO US COSTS
  THE GULF WAR: CONTRIBUTIONS TO US COSTS
  THE GULF WAR: EC CONSIDERATION OF FUNDING
  THE GULF WAR: EC CONSIDERATION OF FUNDING
  GULF CRISIS FINANCIAL CO-ORDINATION GROUP
  GULF CRISIS FINANCIAL CO-ORDINATION GROUP
  USSR: RESTRICTIONS ON NEWS AND BROADCASTING ORGANISATIONS
  USSR: RESTRICTIONS ON NEWS AND BROADCASTING ORGANISATIONS
  ERITREA: RELIEF SHIPPED THROUGH MASSAWA
  ERITREA: RELIEF SHIPPED THROUGH MASSAWA
  ERITREA: PEACE INITIATIVES
  ERITREA: PEACE INITIATIVES
  THORP NUCLEAR FUEL REPROCESSING PLANT
  THORP NUCLEAR FUEL REPROCESSING PLANT
  PRISON POPULATION, 2nd JANUARY 1991
  PRISON POPULATION, 2nd JANUARY 1991
  PURCHASING POWER COMPARISONS
  PURCHASING POWER COMPARISONS
  SINGLE CURRENCIES: TRANSFER OF FUNDS
  SINGLE CURRENCIES: TRANSFER OF FUNDS
  FORESTRY COMMISSION WOODLAND: PUBLIC ACCESS AFTER SALE
  FORESTRY COMMISSION WOODLAND: PUBLIC ACCESS AFTER SALE
  EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
  EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
  HOSPITAL PATIENTS: ADVICE ON DISCHARGE
  HOSPITAL PATIENTS: ADVICE ON DISCHARGE
  FOREST ESTABLISHMENT PROJECTS
  FOREST ESTABLISHMENT PROJECTS
  HOMELESSNESS: GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY BODIES
  HOMELESSNESS: GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY BODIES
  US SERVICEMEN: COMMUNITY CHARGE GRANTS TO PARISHES
  US SERVICEMEN: COMMUNITY CHARGE GRANTS TO PARISHES