Written Answers of 2 July 1991

TRANSPORT

  Piracy
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by year for the last 10 years, and by location, the number of incidents of piracy at sea involving United Kingdom merchant seafarers.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Shipowners, flag states and coastal states are encouraged to report incidents of piracy to the International Maritime Organisation. When we are advised of incidents involving British ships we report them to the International Maritime Organisation. However, it is not mandatory to report incidents of piracy so records may be incomplete. Nor is it possible to identify from the reports that are made if British seafarers serving on foreign flag vessels were victims of piracy. The reports made to the International Maritime Organisation indicate that since 1984 there were 11 incidents of piracy involving British ships:

  Year

  Number

  Location

  1984

  2

  Singapore (2)

  1985

  1

  Singapore

  1987

  6

  Singapore (4)

  Indonesia

  India

  1988

  1

  Brazil

  1989

  1

  Sri Lanka

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by year for the last 10 years, and by location, the number of United Kingdom merchant seafarers who have been(a) killed, (b) injured and (c) reported missing after attacks of piracy on the high seas.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No British seafarer serving on a British ship has been reported killed or missing as the result of an act of piracy in recent years. Information regarding injuries or about British seafarers serving on foreign flag vessels is not available.

  International Maritime Bureau
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last had discussions with officials of the International Maritime Bureau; what was discussed; when he next expects to have discussions with officials from the International Maritime Bureau; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have not met the International Maritime Bureau and have no plans to do so.

  British Rail (Inflammable Goods)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss measures to ensure that the inquiry into the derailment of a freight train carrying inflammable goods at Bradford on Tone on 16 May proceeds with expedition and the steps which will be taken to ensure that hon. Members are notified of any preliminary conclusion from this inquiry as soon as possible.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  British Rail is carrying out an internal inquiry into this derailment. It will send a full report to the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate, which is also holding a technical investigation into the accident. BR reports, and those of investigations under section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, are not normally published, but I have asked the chief inspecting officer to let me know the conclusions of the investigations. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.

  Northolt Airport
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans for the use of Northolt airport by civil aircraft.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  RAF Northolt is used by both military and civil aircraft. There are no plans to alter this arrangement.

  Passenger Safety
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends taking following the Clapham rail crash to ensure that the safety lessons learnt in one section of the transport world are passed on to other travel modes.

  Mr. Freeman
  We shall continue to ensure that accidents are thoroughly investigated and that any wider lessons are identified and applied across the modes.

  Flight Delays, London-Gibraltar
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on any delays caused by Madrid air controllers to flights between London and Gibraltar that can be attributed to non-operational reasons.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am not aware of any such delays.

  Ferries (Safety)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research there is available to his Department into passenger safety on ferries; and which of these receive funds from Government.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: The Secretary of State sponsored a comprehensive research programme in 1988 aimed at enhancing the survivability standards of roll on/roll off passenger ferries. The initial phase of that programme was completed last year. Copies of the reports were sent to interested parties and a report giving an overview of the whole programme was placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Government-funded research has also been undertaken in recent years to study the effect of damage to roll on/roll

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  off passenger ferries in shallow waters, to investigate the evacuation of passengers from roll on/roll off passenger ships and to produce a risk analysis.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give(a) the total number of ferries using British ports, (b) those over 10 years old and (c) those over 25 years old for each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: Figures for 1990–91 for roll on/roll off passenger ferries using United Kingdom ports are set out below. Figures for earlier years are not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  1990

  1991

  Over 10 years old

  185

  189

  Over 25 years old

  8

  9

  Total

  113

  110

  1 Figure includes vessels over 25 years old.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many reported shipping accidents there were(a) in British waters and (b) involving British ships; and if he will give the number and percentage of those involving ferries for each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: The information requested is as follows:

  (a) The statistics maintained do not distinguish between shipping accidents in United Kingdom and non-United Kingdom territorial waters.

  (b) The number of reported accidents worldwide involving United Kingdom registered merchant vessels over 100 gross tonnes for the period 1981 to 1990 is:

  Year

  Number of United Kingdom vessel accidents

  1981

  430

  1982

  413

  1983

  284

  1984

  269

  1985

  237

  1986

  188

  1987

  152

  1988

  190

  1989

  210

  1990

  183

  The number of reported accidents involving United Kingdom registered passenger and/or cargo ro-ro ferries worldwide for 1989 and 1990 (the only years for which figures are readily obtainable) is:

  1989

  1990

  Number of ro-ro ferry accidents

  42

  44

  Number of United Kingdom vessel accidents

  210

  183

  Percentage of United Kingdom vessel accidents

  20·00

  24·04

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the Government risk analysis figures for United Kingdom ferry travel for(a) collisions involving a ferry, (b) a collision induced capsize, (c) flooding and (d) ferry fires for each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of accidents on United Kingdom
  86
  passenger ferries recorded in a recent risk analysis study for the period 1 January 1978 to 30 April 1988 was as follows:

  (a) four collisions; 1980, 1982, 1983 and 1987

  (b) one collision leading to capsize; 1982

  (c) one flooding; 1987, and

  (d) seven serious fires; 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983 (two) and 1988 (two).

  Advertising Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the topics of each television advertising campaign to be carried out by his Department and any other publicity campaign costing more than £100,000.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: The following topics are expected to be the subject of television campaigns in the current financial year:

  Child road safety

  Drinking and driving

  The following other topics are expected to be the subject of campaigns costing over £100,000 in the current financial year:

  Transport and the environment

  Coastguard advice for users of coastal waters

  Road Traffic Act

  "Safety on the Move" exhibition programme.

ENERGY

  British Coal
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the British Coal complaint to the European Commission on the dumping of coal in the Community.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  It is for the European Commission to consider British Coal's complaint and take action if necessary. The Commission has not, at this stage, reached a decision on whether to launch a formal investigation.

  Coopers and Lybrand
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place in the Library details of the advice he received from Coopers and Lybrand between July 1989 and April 1990 on salaries appropriate for the privatised electricity industry.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No. Advice given to the Secretary of State is confidential.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Race Relations (Legal Aid)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will extend legal aid to discrimination cases involving race relations; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  Legal advice and assistance from a solicitor is available under the green form scheme,
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  subject to the normal financial conditions, where there is no reasonable expectation of an applicant obtaining help from an alternative source such as a trade union or the Commission for Racial Equality.

  In addition, where civil remedies are sought under the Race Relations Act 1976, legal aid is available for legal representation in county court proceedings, under the normal conditions.

  Maguire Judgment
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will arrange for a copy of the Maguire judgment to be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  The Attorney-General
  The approved transcript of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the Maguire case is not yet available. I will cause copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament as soon as it is received.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Capital Flows
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide the latest available information on inward and outward capital flows between the United Kingdom and other EC member states and the United Kingdom and north America for each year from 1979 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Maples
  Information by country on direct investment abroad by United Kingdom companies and by overseas companies in the United Kingdom is given in tables 5 and 9 of CSO Bulletin 33/91 "Overseas Direct Investment 1989". Figures for earlier years are given in the "Business Monitor MA4 (Overseas Transactions)". Copies of these publications are in the Library.

  Some additional information on capital transactions with countries and institutions of the European Community is given in the published annual Pink Books on the United Kingdom balance of payments and is available from the CSO databank, both of which are available in the Library.

  Advertising Agencies
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which advertising agencies were on the Central Office of Information approved list in 1986; which have been added in each year since 1986; and if he will make a statement on how the system works.

  Mr. Maples
  The Central Office of Information does not keep a list of approved advertising agencies. Advertising agencies are appointed to work for Government following competitions between agencies nominated by the Advisory Committee on Advertising. The advisory committee is an independent group of media and marketing professionals appointed to advise on the nomination of suitable advertising agencies for Government work.

  Woolwich Tax Model
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which day or days, in any hearing, counsel for the Inland Revenue challenged the Woolwich tax model of the effects of regulations 3 and 11 (1985).

  Mr. Maples
  The Inland Revenue's response, challenging the conclusions of the Woolwich building society based on its hypothetical tax model, was set out in affidavits which were in evidence in all the courts up to the House of Lords.

THE ARTS

  Provincial Amateur Orchestras
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will list the provincial amateur orchestras encouraged by his Department.

  Mr. Renton
  Last year no fewer than 132 amateur orchestras, as listed, received support from the English regional arts associations and the Scottish and Welsh Arts Councils.

  Support for amateur orchestras by the regional arts associations and the Scottish and Welsh Arts Councils is usually through the payment of the fees of professionals working with the orchestras. Some organisations pay support directly to the orchestras; others channel the support through independently constituted bodies like the Welsh Amateur Music Federation.

  I have listed the orchestras supported in this way by the original funding agency.

  Scottish Arts Council

  Dundee Orchestral Society

  Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra

  Glasgow Chamber Orchestra

  Glasgow Orchestral Society

  Helensburgh Orchestral Society

  Kirkaldy Orchestral Society

  Meadows Chamber Orchestra, Edinburgh

  Perth Orchestral Society

  St. James Orchestra, Paisley

  Welsh Arts Council

  Abergavenny Orchestra

  City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra

  Philomusica of Aberystwyth

  St. Mary's Orchestra, Monmouth

  University College (Cardiff) Choir and Orchestra

  University College of North Wales (Bangor) Orchestra

  Eastern Arts

  Bedfordshire Orchestral Society

  Bushey Symphony Orchestra

  Cambridge Philharmonic

  Cambridge University Music Society

  Essex Symphony Orchestra

  Hatfield Philharmonic Orchestra

  Haverhill Sinfonia

  Hertford Symphony Orchestra

  Hitchin Concert Orchestra

  Huntingdonshire Philharmonic

  Ipswich Orchestra Society

  Luton Symphony Orchestra

  Norwich Philharmonic

  Peterborough Philharmonic

  Southend Symphony Orchestra

  Watford Philharmonic Society

  Welwyn Garden City Music Society

  Wolsey Chamber Orchestra, Ipswich

  89
  East Midlands Arts

  Chesterfield Symphony Orchestra

  Northampton Symphony Orchestra

  Nottingham Symphony Orchestra

  Rutland Sinfonia

  Greater London Arts

  Chelsea Opera Group

  Collegium Musicum of London

  Croydon Philharmonic Society

  Ealing Symphony Orchestra

  Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra

  Forest Philharmonic Society

  Kensington Symphony Orchestra

  Royal Orchestral Society for Amateur Music

  Salomon Orchestra

  Tallis Chamber Orchestra Society

  Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra

  Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra

  Lincolnshire and Humberside Arts

  Hull Philharmonic Orchestra

  Lincoln Symphony Orchestra

  Stamford Chamber Orchestra

  Merseyside Arts

  Liverpool Mozart Orchestra

  Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Concerts Society

  Northern Arts

  Darlington Orchestra

  Durham Sinfonia

  New Tyneside Orchestral Society

  West Lakeland Orchestra Society

  Westmorland Orchestra

  North West Arts

  Blackburn Sinfonia

  Haffner Orchestra, Lancaster

  Oldham Symphony Orchestra

  Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra

  Southern Arts

  Abingdon and District Music Society

  Aylesbury Orchestral Society

  Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra

  City of Southampton Orchestra

  Havant and District Orchestral Society

  Henley Symphony Orchestra

  Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra

  Milton Keynes Sinfonia

  Newbury Symphony Orchestra

  Oxford Symphony Orchestra

  Petersfield Orchestra

  RAE Symphony Orchestra, Farnborough

  Reading Symphony Orchestra

  Winchester Music Club

  Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra

  Woodstock Music Society Wycombe Sinfonia

  South East Arts

  Canterbury Orchestra

  Claud Powell Concerts Society, Guildford

  Dartford Symphony Orchestra

  Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra

  Epsom Symphony Orchestra

  Folkestone and Hythe Orchestral Society

  Jupiter Chamber Orchestra, Haywards Heath

  Maidstone Orchestral Society

  Mid Sussex Sinfonia

  Oare String Orchestra

  Redhill Society of Instrumentalists

  Rochester Arts Orchestra

  Sevenoaks Symphony Orchestra

  Surrey Philarmonic Society

  Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra

  University of Kent Orchestra

  Woking Mozart Players

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  Woking Symphony Orchestra

  North West Arts

  Bath Symphony Orchestra

  Bristol Opera Company

  Cheltenham Philharmonic Orchestra

  Cornwall Youth Percussion Ensemble

  Devon Opera

  Dorset Philharmonic Society

  Duchy Opera

  East Cornwall Bach Festival

  Exeter Musical Society

  Exmouth Choral and Orchestral Society

  Glastonbury Music Co-operative

  Gloucester Opera

  Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra

  Keynsham Orchestra

  New Stroud Orchestra

  Plymouth Symphony Orchestra

  Somerset County Orchestra

  Somerset Opera Group

  Wedmore Opera

  West Midlands Arts

  Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra

  Leamington Chamber Orchestra

  Sutton Coldfield Chamber Orchestra

  Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra

  Yorkshire Arts

  Airedale Symphony Orchestra, Shipley

  Guildhall Orchestra, York

  Halifax Orchestral Society

  Harrogate Chamber Orchestra

  Huddersfield Philharmonic Society

  Settle Orchestra

  Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra

  Sinfonia of Leeds

  Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra

  Todmorden Orchestra

  York Symphony Orchestra

  British Library
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the progress of the new British Library building at St. Pancras.

  Mr. Renton
  I am happy to announce the timely completion of the first of a number of major handover targets which will be taking place over the next 18 months at St. Pancras. Basement 4, the deepest of the book storage basements, is essentially ready for occupation by the British Library. This achievement reflects great credit on PSA services and its design and construction teams as well as on all those who are associated with the construction of this magnificent building. The project is thus on schedule and the present prediction is that it will be completed within budget.

ENVIRONMENT

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities have adequate resources to compile registers on contaminated land sites.

  Mr. Baldry
  The estimated costs of compiling registers of land which may be contaminated will be taken into consideration in the local authority finance settlement for 1992–93.

  Integrated Pollution Control
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the effect on pollution of the decision to delay the implementation of the new system of integrated pollution control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Mr. Baldry
  Integrated pollution control was introduced by part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, for which Royal Assent had originally been expected by July 1990. In the event, there was some slippage in the legislative process, mainly as a result of extended consideration at Committee stage in this House, and Royal Assent was not obtained until November.

  When it became apparent that Royal Assent would be later than had been anticipated, we announced that implementation of the IPC system, originally planned for 2 January 1991, would be delayed to allow an adequate period for consultation with interested parties and the public on guidance notes and regulations to be issued.

  My right hon. Friend has made no estimate of the effect that this slight delay in implementation has had on pollution; IPC came into operation on 1 April 1991, and all the prescribed processes will be phased into the system over the next five years.

  Catalytic Reductions
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to establish a selective catalytic reduction system in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Baldry
  Selective catalytic reduction is one of a number of techniques for reducing emissions of nitrogen oxide from combustion plant, and guidance to inspectors from the chief inspector, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution suggests that it is one of the abatement options which operators of large combustion plant should consider.

  Permanent dwellings completed: London Borough of Tower Hamlets1

  (number of dwellings)

  Private sector

  Local authority

  Housing associations and other public sector5

  All dwellings

  Tower Hamlets2

  Greater London Council 3 4

  1961

  19

  251

  ֵ

  0

  ֵ

  1962

  13

  278

  ֵ

  0

  ֵ

  1963

  3

  446

  ֵ

  0

  ֵ

  1964

  14

  469

  ֵ

  0

  ֵ

  1965

  26

  271

  ֵ

  0

  ֵ

  1966

  12

  355

  489

  0

  856

  1967

  12

  359

  767

  48

  1,186

  1968

  20

  911

  1,209

  5

  2,145

  1969

  14

  905

  1,024

  8

  1,951

  1970

  23

  869

  811

  11

  1,714

  1971

  43

  361

  708

  15

  1,127

  1972

  113

  708

  610

  4

  1,435

  1973

  56

  249

  425

  52

  782

  1974

  111

  575

  704

  1

  1,391

  1975

  6

  225

  787

  0

  1,018

  1976

  16

  286

  682

  0

  984

  1977

  3

  1,267

  598

  2

  1,870

  1978

  0

  203

  726

  0

  929

  1979

  0

  280

  424

  0

  704

  1980

  0

  405

  509

  0

  914

  1981

  0

  376

  504

  0

  880

  1982

  43

  35

  239

  0

  317

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of hazardous and toxic waste is(a) produced and (b) processed by each member country of the EC.

  Mr. Baldry
  There are at present no reliable figures on the production and processing of hazardous and toxic waste in member states of the EC. However, authoritative figures should be available in the future. EC directive 91/156 requires the competent authority or authorities of member states to draw up waste management plans indicating, among other things, the type, quantity and origin of waste to be recovered or disposed of; any special arrangements for particular wastes; and suitable disposal sites or installations. The directive will come into force on 1 April 1993. In addition, the statistical office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT) is undertaking a study on waste statistics as part of its current four-year work programme. It is estimated that in 1989–90 the United Kingdom generated between 2 and 2·5 million tonnes of special waste—the United Kingdom definition of hazardous and toxic waste—which were disposed of outside the premises of production.

  Housing, Tower Hamlets
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing units were built in Tower Hamlets each year from 1961 to 1990 by(a) boroughs, (b) London-wide authorities, (c) housing associations, (d) other public sector and (e) the private sector.

  Mr. Yeo
  The London borough of Tower Hamlets has not sent the Department any statistical returns about housebuilding in its area since 1984. The available information is shown in the table.
  93

  Private sector

  Local authority

  Housing associations and other public sector5

  All dwellings

  Tower Hamlets2

  Greater London Council3 4

  1983

  0

  31

  402

  0

  433

  19846

  146

  0

  69

  0

  ֵ

  1985

  ֵ

  ֵ

  85

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1986

  ֵ

  ֵ

  0

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1987

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1988

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1989

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1990

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1 The London borough of Tower Hamlets was established in 1965. It comprised the metropolitan boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney. Figures for total housing completions in these three boroughs are shown for the period 1961 to 1965.

  2 Figures show number of dwellings completed by the authority and some of these may have been outside the borough.

  3 Completions by London county council (ie prior to 1966) are not available by area of building.

  4 The Greater London council was established in 1965 and abolished in 1986.

  5Prior to 1980 housing association and other public sector completions in the borough are not available separately. The figures have not been shown separately after that date as the local authority has reported nil activity under both headings.

  6 Private sector, borough and other public sector information covers ten months of the year only.

  Sheltered Housing
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received on the management of sheltered leasehold housing.

  Mr. Yeo
  Since 1 January we have received 15 letters from hon. Members and five from leaseholders themselves. These have dealt with various matters relating to the management of sheltered housing; the most common issue has been the freeholder's selection of managing agents.

  Retirement Leaseholders
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met representatives of the National Alliance of Retirement Leaseholders; and what points were discussed.

  Mr. Yeo
  I with my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Sir. T. Taylor) met representatives of the National Alliance of Private Retirement Leaseholders on 15 May. We discussed the management of sheltered accommodation, and, in particular, problems arising from the appointment of managing agents by the landlord and the feasibility of giving leaseholders a right to appoint managers themselves.

  Politically Restricted Posts
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people currently hold politically restricted posts as defined by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

  Mr. Portillo
  My Department does not collect this information. I understand, however, that there are in the region of 35,000 politically restricted posts in the local government service in England.

  South Park School, Lincoln
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his decision to call in the planning application submitted on behalf of Lincolnshire county council for the erection of dwellings at South Park school, Lincoln, application No. LHO4/0219/91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Secretary of State has not called in this application. On 20 June the Department's east midlands regional office issued an article 14 direction preventing the county council from granting itself deemed consent for this proposal without special authorisation. This was done to enable the Secretary of State to examine the proposal in detail before deciding whether or not to call it in for his own determination.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that mentally handicapped adults and children moving into a local authority area shall carry with them a sum of money for local authority grant purposes taken from the area they have left and transferred to their new local authority in the year after they have moved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: In cases where a local authority has responsibility for such persons, financial arrangements resulting from moves to another area are a matter for the authorities concerned. A local authority's standard assessment will reflect, in due course, changes which influence the cost of providing a standard level of social services, including those for people with learning disabilities.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will show for each local authority(a) the budgeted increase or reduction in financial reserves for 1990–91 and 1991–92, expressed both in million pounds and pounds per adult, using the appropriate figure for relevant population and (b) political control in each of the above financial years.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: I have today arranged for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Bathing Water
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many inland waterways have been designated as safe for swimming by Her Majesty's Government under the European Commission bathing water directive.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: The criteria set for the identification of bathing waters in the EC directive are the number of bathers using the waters, and the provision of facilities such as car parks, toilets and changing facilities. No inland waters meet the definition of bathing water in the directive or the criteria for identification developed since the adoption of the directive.

  Local Authority Usable Receipts
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate for local authority usable receipts in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: I have made no estimate of local authority usable capital receipts for 1992–93. Local authorities have been asked to provide forecasts for 1991–92 and an estimate based on the available returns will be made shortly. I will provide this information as soon as it is available.

  Household Waste
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to promote the recycling of household waste.

  Mr. Baldry
  My right hon. Friend is bringing into force the duty on waste collection authorities to produce 96
  recycling plans on 1 August 1991. Authorities are being asked to submit their plans to him in draft by 1 August 1992.

  We will be sending a copy of waste management paper No. 28 on recycling to all local authorities next week. The paper provides guidance on preparing recycling strategies and drawing up recycling plans. It will be available through HMSO.

  We will also start consultation on our proposals for recycling credits next week. Copies of the consultation paper and the waste management paper will be placed in the Library.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Portugal and Luxembourg
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, columns 390–91, if he will make a statement on the available data on volumes of exports for (a) Portugal and (b) Luxembourg.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My Department is not aware of any publication which provides export volume figures for Portugal or Luxembourg on an internationally comparable basis.

  Eurostats calculates the volume series for member countries for internal Commission use, but they do not show Luxembourg separately because its trade figures are combined with Belgium.

  European Community
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what sources of statistical data on trade figures of other EC member countries are available to his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The following sources of trade statistics for EC member countries are available to the Department: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the statistical office of the European Communities, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the national statistics of each member country.

  Link Initiative
  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public funding was originally earmarked for the Link initiative when it was launched in 1986; how much was provided in the estimates for that and for each succeeding financial year; on which votes these estimates have been carried; how much has been disbursed on each such vote in each such financial year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  I have been asked to reply to this question on Link funding and expenditure, although the question as put cannot be answered without disproportionate cost. When the Link initiative was announced on 10 December 1986 by the then Prime Minister, the Government contribution was to be £210 million spread over five years. This assumed a roughly linear build-up to a steady-state Government funding target of £85 million per annum; the agreed planning figures for Departments are shown in table A. The first five programmes were announced in
  97
  February 1988, and currently there are 28 programmes in existence; the Government commitment to them is £175 million, and table B shows the funding commitment of individual Departments to programmes.

  Table C shows expenditure to date, which significantly lags work under way because participants are very slow in submitting claims for reimbursement. The total spent will be approximately double the Government expenditure by virtue of industry's own expenditure. There are now over 150 projects under way and nearly 100 more approved, at a total value of around £150 million. After a slow start, Link is now making good progress.

  Table A

  Link

  Department targets

  1992–93 £ million

  1988–89 to 1992–93 £ million

  DTI

  25

  62·5

  DES (Research Councils)

  25

  62·5

  MoD

  15

  36·0

  DEn

  5

  12·0

  MAFF

  4

  9·5

  DoE

  2

  5·0

  DTp

  1

  2·5

  DH

  1

  2·5

  SO, WO, NIO

  7

  17·0

  Table C

  Link

  £000

  Departmental spend (FY)

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Total

  DTI

  50·6

  1,767·1

  3,543·5

  5,361·2

  DES (research councils)

  117·8

  783·5

  3,186·9

  4,088·2

  MoD

  —

  —

  —

  18·1

  DEn

  —

  —

  —

  —

  MAFF

  —

  10·0

  166·6

  176·6

  DoE

  30–0

  43·8

  6·5

  80·3

  DTp

  —

  —

  24·1

  24·1

  DH

  —

  —

  —

  —

  SO, WO, NIO

  —

  —

  0·2

  0·2

  (SOAFD)

  TOTAL

  198·4

  2,604·4

  6,927·8

  9,748·7

  Industrial Design
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his plans for new legislation on industrial design.

  Mr. Leigh
  New legislation on the protection of industrial design came into force on 1 August 1989 as part of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, when the Government introduced a wholly new kind of protection in the form of an unregistered design right. Some changes were also made to the existing registered design system. The European Commission is currently examining the question of design protection with a view to issuing a consultative document.

  Trade Marks
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans he has for action in relation to trade marks infringements;

  (2) what plans he has to update the Trade Marks Act 1938.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Government's proposals for updating the law on trade marks, including the provisions concerning infringement of trade marks, were set out in
  98

  Department targets

  1992–93 £ million

  1988–89 to 1992–93 £ million

  TOTAL

  85

  1210

  1 Rounded.

  Table B

  Link

  Departmental commitment (June '91)

  £ million1

  DTI

  92·2

  DES (research councils)+

  59·9+

  MoD

  3·7

  DEn

  3·0

  MAFF

  9·4

  DoE

  0·8

  DTp

  4·1

  DH

  1·8

  SO, WO, NIO

  0·4

  TOTAL

  1175·0

  1 Rounded.

  + SERC £51·8 million, AFRC £3·6 million, MRC £1·5 million, NERC £3·0 million. the White Paper, "Reform of Trade Marks Law" (Cm. 1203), which was published last September. As stated in the White Paper, legislation to implement these proposals will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits.

  Pharmaceutical Patents
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his most recent response to representations from the pharmaceutical industry for extension of its patent rights in the bracket of 10 to 20 years.

  Mr. Leigh
  On 12 June I confirmed to European Standing Committee B that the Government support the EC Commission's proposal to give supplementary protection certificates to patented medicinal products but with a maximum extension of five years and a limit of 13 years on the resulting effective protection.

  Dangerous Animals
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many children aged under 16 years were(a) injured and (b) killed by (i) dogs and (ii) other animals in 1990.
  99
  Mr. Leigh
  National estimates for numbers of injured children under 16 for 1988, the last year for which figures are available, are as follows:

  Number

  Injuries from dog bites

  56,000

  Injuries involving other animals

  34,000

  Egypt
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance has been given by Her Majesty's Government to British companies since 1987 seeking contracts in Egypt.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The full range of DTI export services is available to British companies wishing to do business in Egypt. ECGD cover for short-term business (up to 180 days) is available subject to payments being secured by an irrevocable letter of credit.

  Units of Measurement
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation on phasing out the use of imperial units following the adoption of the 1989 amendment to the units of measurement directive; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  Having considered the replies to my Department's consultation paper, I intend to amend the legislation on the units of measurement authorised for use in the United Kingdom, generally taking maximum advantage of the transitional arrangements in the directive, and accordingly to:

  (i) cease to authorise after 31 December 1994, imperial units used for economic, public health, public safety and administrative purposes except for the units used for the purposes set out in (ii) and (iii);

  (ii) cease to authorise after 31 December 1999:

  (a) the pound and ounce for goods sold loose from bulk;

  (b) the pint and fluid ounce for beer, cider, waters, lemonades and fruit juices in returnable containers;

  (c) the fathom for marine navigation; and

  (d) the therm for gas supply;

  (iii) authorise the continued use, without time limit, of:

  (a)the mile, yard, foot and inch for road traffic signs and related distances and speed measurement;

  (b) the pint for dispensing draught beer and cider and for milk in returnable containers;

  (c) the troy ounce for transactions in precious metals; and

  (d) the acre for land registration purposes.

  Metric units will continue to be authorised for use in the United Kingdom for economic, public health, public safety and administrative purposes.

  Changes to other legislation which refers to imperial units of measurement will be a matter for the Government Departments and other bodies responsible for that legislation.

  Defence Industries
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communication his Department ha .s had with local authorities concerning the application of the European Community's Stride programme on the possibilities for conversion or technological reorientation of regional defence industries.
  100
  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 13 June 1991]: At the moment, the details of the allocation of Stride money in the United Kingdom are still being agreed with the European Commission. Once this is finalised, the possible use of Stride for regional projects such as the reorientation of defence industries, will be discussed in the programme committee on which local authorities will be represented.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the implementation of projects sponsored by the European Community's Sprint programme in the United Kingdom; how many companies and organisations are presently receiving support; and what assessment he has made of the benefit to the United Kingdom economy of the Sprint initiative.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 13 June 1991]: Sprint aims to stimulate technology transfer within the European Community. The programme has been in operation for six years. Over 100 United Kingdom companies and organisations are actively involved in Sprint, more than any other EC country. It is too early to judge the full benefits to the United Kingdom economy, but already over 260 agreements to transfer technology have been signed. United Kingdom companies are involved in a significant number of those agreements.

  Output Prices
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the increase in the prices of output since October 1990 in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 25 June 1991]: I have been asked to reply.

  Between 1990 quarter 3 and 1991 quarter 1 the implied deflator of United Kingdom GDP rose by 2¼ per cent. and the implied deflator of GNP in Germany rose by 1 per cent. Both these figures are measured at market prices. The implied deflator of GDP measures the prices of the net output of total goods and services in the economy. Figures based on GNP have been used for Germany because they are the most comparable available.

WALES

  Blind Students
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what arrangements are being made by his Department to ensure that examination papers for the GCSE are available in Braille;

  (2) what is his Department's policy on ensuring that blind and partially sighted students have adequate access to the examination process.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The responsibility for administering the examination process rests with individual examining boards. The joint council for the GCSE have issued guidance common to all examing groups to deal with pupils with disabilities such as a visual impairment. The Welsh Joint Education Committee issues GCSE and A-level papers in Braille when requested.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure that adults with learning difficulties in Wales are given adequate opportunities for employment training.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The responsibility for ensuring appropriate provision under employment training now rests with training and enterprise councils (TECs). All TECs are required to address the need of adults with learning difficulties in their corporate and business plans. The additional resources for employment training announced on 19 June 1991 will be targeted on people with special training needs, in particular those with literacy and numeracy difficulties. In addition negotiations are taking place with two TECs in Wales to pilot centres to encourage trainees to improve basic literacy and numeracy and promote the use of City and Guilds Certificates in word power and number power.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Wrongful Imprisonment
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the criteria by which he determines what level of compensation to pay to people who have been wrongfully imprisoned; and whether he has any plans to alter these criteria.

  Mr. John Patten
  When my right hon. Friend has determined that payment of compensation following a wrongful conviction is justified, the amount to be paid is assessed by an independent assessor. The assessor applies principles analogous to those governing the assessment of damages for civil wrongs.

  The assessment takes account of both pecuniary and non-pecuniary loss arising from the conviction and/or loss of liberty, including matters such as damage to character or reputation, hardship (including mental suffering) and inconvenience, loss of earnings and future earning capacity, legal costs, and other additional expenses arising in consequence of detention including expenses incurred by the immediate family

  We have no plans at present to amend these arrangements.

  Taxi Drivers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will outline the procedures used by the Metropolitan police to vet taxi drivers, describe the offences for which licenses are refused and outline the appeals procedure open to the driver; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Applicants for cab drivers' licences are required to declare any previous convictions to the Public Carriage Office of the Metropolitan police. Appliations are checked against the national collection of criminal records. In considering whether or not to grant a licence regard is paid to the seriousness of any offences and to how long ago they were committed. A right of appeal against the refusal of a licence is contained in section 17 of the Transport Act 1985.

  Police Records
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation is required to implement the police national computer network, the new criminal record system or the integration of police criminal information systems in general; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The need for legislation is one of the matters which is considered in preparing the case for new national information services for the police. It is presently being considered in relation to both a police national network and a new national criminal records system and would need to be examined in any proposal for the integration of police criminal information systems.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current size of each category found in the wanted and missing persons index of the police national computer; and whether he can include in these statistics an indication of the minimum and maximum size of each category in the index over the year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Category

  Current

  Wanted

  33,192

  Fails to Appear

  36,544

  Suspect

  21

  Impending Prosecution

  77

  Deserter

  1,367

  Locate

  51,582

  Missing

  2,460

  Found

  15

  Absconder—from care

  484

  —from hospital

  81

  —from detention

  4

  —from youth custody

  112

  —from prison

  1,140

  —from remand

  11

  —from school

  36

  Recall —from detention

  0

  —from youth custody

  2

  —from prison

  319

  Figures on the minimum and maximum size of each category over the past year are not available.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many subject access requests were made under the Data Protection Act 1984 to the Metropolitan police for each year since 1987; and what proportion were made to criminal records.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that the number of subject access requests made to the Metropolitan police in each year since 1987 was as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1987

  23

  1988

  423

  1989

  1,131

  1990

  1,647

  11991

  399

  1 March.

  Statistics are not kept on the proportion of requests which relate to criminal records, but it is estimated that the vast majority of requests were for this purpose.

  The vast majority sought access to criminal names.
  103
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current size of each index of the police national computer; and whether he can include in these statistics an indication of the minimum and maximum size of each index over the last year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Intex

  Current size

  Vehicle owners

  39,017,200

  Stolen vehicles

  547,332

  Chassis-engine numbers

  914,274

  Wanted/missing persons

  131,948

  Cross reference

  706,363

  Disqualified drivers

  382,298

  Convictions

  3,827,885

  Criminal names

  5,783,622

  Fingerprints

  4,270,292

  Crime pattern analysis

  110,059

  Extremists crime index

  1,152

  Major investigations

  330,939

  Information on the minimum and maximum size of each index over the last year has not been collected because of other essential work on preparing the database for its transfer to the new police national computer.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the number of accesses made to the police national computer by each constabulary in Great Britain over the last year; and whether he can give the proportion of access requests made to the vehicle indexes of the police national computer.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Force

  Numbers of transactions for the year up to May 1991

  Proportion of transactions made to vehicle indices

  Avon and Somerset

  994,287

  64·8

  Bedfordshire

  398,709

  70·1

  British Transport Police

  161,730

  43·1

  Cambridgeshire

  388,925

  64·0

  Central

  159,990

  52·9

  Cheshire

  440,291

  60·2

  City of London

  99,339

  64·6

  Cleveland

  357,058

  60·7

  Cumbria

  386,831

  62·8

  Derbyshire

  463,873

  68·4

  Devon and Cornwall

  783,853

  61·1

  Dorset

  515,411

  59·2

  Dumfries and Galloway

  106,396

  54·6

  Durham

  362,429

  55·4

  Dyfed-Powys

  223,378

  52·1

  Essex

  859,664

  60·1

  Fife

  140,848

  48·7

  Gloucestershire

  343,580

  68·1

  Grampian

  290,132

  54·0

  Greater Manchester

  2,436,529

  60·6

  Guernsey

  16,491

  6·5

  Gwent

  232,584

  51·5

  Hampshire

  908,148

  60·0

  Hertfordshire

  451,152

  64·7

  Humberside

  548,998

  60·2

  Isle of Man

  10,234

  28·4

  Jersey

  35,232

  5·4

  Kent

  1,139,038

  64·1

  Lancashire

  1,172,783

  57·2

  Leicestershire

  432,221

  64·3

  Lincolnshire

  288,829

  62·8

  104

  Force

  Numbers of transactions for the year up to May 1991

  Proportion of transactions made to vehicle indices

  Lothian and Borders

  680,544

  62·3

  Merseyside

  935,499

  55·8

  Metropolitan

  7,773,109

  49·1

  Norfolk

  392,824

  67·1

  North Wales

  346,732

  45·1

  North Yorkshire

  489,871

  69·4

  Northamptonshire

  345,864

  69·2

  Northern

  200,871

  51 2

  Northumbria

  1,124,897

  70·5

  Nottinghamshire

  670,482

  75·4

  South Wales

  895,957

  62·6

  South Yorkshire

  706,531

  73·9

  Staffordshire

  448,699

  59·8

  Strathclyde

  1,341,243

  39·2

  Suffolk

  323,544

  61·2

  Surrey

  370,469

  62·2

  Sussex

  784,633

  53·3

  Tayside

  216,105

  47·6

  Thames Valley

  892,968

  60·8

  Warwickshire

  255,512

  73·8

  West Mercia

  333,871

  56·4

  West Midlands

  1,608,881

  65·4

  West Yorkshire

  1,180,234

  59·3

  Wiltshire

  299,116

  67·6

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he has as to the number of subject access requests made to criminal records held by the Metropolitan police or the police national computer that have been made for vetting purposes; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No statistics are available on this matter as applicants seeking subject access do not have to give reasons for their requests.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accesses were made to each index of the police national computer over the last year; and whether he will include in these statistics an indication of the number of access requests that could search more than one index.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The total number of accesses to each of the indices of the police national computer in the year to 31 May 1991 was as follows:

  Index

  Number of accesses

  1.

  Stolen and Suspect Vehicles

  22,771,400

  2.

  Vehicle Owners

  3.

  Chassis/Engine Numbers

  4.

  Fingerprints

  194,074

  5.

  Fingerprints (Scenes of Crime)

  13,021

  6.

  Criminal Names1

  2,017,903

  7.

  Wanted/Missing Persons

  2,144,1(13

  8.

  Disqualified Drivers

  725,448

  9.

  Convictions

  956,352

  10.

  Major Investigations

  1,302

  11.

  Crime Pattern Analysis

  296,535

  There have also been the following joint accesses:

  Number

  To indices 6 and 92

  2,017,903

  To indices 6, 7 and 9

  1,534,343

  To indices 6, 7, 8 and 9

  8,460,357

  To indices 4, 6 and 9

  606,569

  105

  1 The figure for the year to June 1990 was 1,996,349 and not 1,094,072 as incorrectly given on 19 July 1990 at column 664.

  2 All access to the criminal names index will in addition automatically generate information from the convictions application.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current size of each category found in the stolen and suspect vehicle index of the police national computer; and whether he can include in these statistics an indication of the minimum and maximum size of each category in the index over the year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information requested is as follows:

  Category

  Current

  Confirmed lost or obtained by deception

  437,847

  Lost or stolen

  447,634

  Obtained by deception

  18

  Found

  31,712

  Removed

  16,764

  Street to street

  152

  Repossessed by finance company

  0

  Suspect

  42

  Police vehicle

  3,037

  Blocked

  6,980

  Information

  20,486

  Seen

  8,021

  Information on the minimum and maximum of each category over the last year has not been collected because of other essential work on preparing the database for transfer to the new police national computer.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many subject access requests were made under the Data Protection Act 1984 to the police national computer for each year since 1987; and what proportion were made to the criminal names index.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number

  1987

  82

  1988

  2,628

  1989

  8,758

  1990

  13,848

  11991

  8,413

  1 31 May.

  Nearly all were made of the criminal names index, save in 1987 when the proportion was under 50 per cent.

  Passport Offices
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the decision was taken to send passport applications from Peterborough to Belfast;

  (2) how many unopened letters are there on a daily basis at each of the passport offices;

  (3) how many unopened passport applications there are at the Peterborough office.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  These questions have been passed to the chief executive of the United Kingdom Passport Agency who will reply shortly. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

  Police Station, Rutland
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on his Department's funding for the building of the new police station in Oakham, Rutland; and when it is scheduled to be completed.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that work on the new police station at Oakham began in April and is expected to be completed in October 1992 at a cost of £1,125,000. This expenditure will be eligible for Home Office grant of 51 per cent.

  Race Relations Act
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward legislation to extend the provisions of the Race Relations Act to all areas of governmental and regulatory activity, including the immigration, police and prison services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Section 75 of the Race Relations Act 1976 states that the provisions of the Act as a whole apply to actions done by Ministers and Government Departments, and to actions done on their behalf, in the same way as they apply to the actions of a private person. It is for the courts to decide how the provisions should be interpreted.

  If an on-duty police officer treats a person improperly on the grounds of that person's colour, race, nationality, or ethnic or national origin, he is committing an offence of racially discriminatory behaviour and can be disciplined under paragraph 9 of the police discipline code, which is set out in schedule 1 to the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985.

  The Commission for Racial Equality has recently launched a review of the 1976 Act; we will, of course, consider any recommendations which come out of the review, but at present we have no plans for legislation.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests he has received this year from local authorities for guidance on the enforcement of Sunday trading legislation.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Between I January and 27 June this year inclusive we received, either directly or via hon. Members, 31 letters from local authorities about Sunday trading. Two of these specifically requested guidance on the enforcement of the Sunday trading provisions of the Shops Act 1950.

  Boundary Commission
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the terms of reference for the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England, fourth general review; what is its timetable; and what is its progress to date.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Boundary Commission for England is carrying out its fourth general review of constituencies under the provisions of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986. Under the Act, it is required to
  107
  submit reports on all the constituencies in England to the Secretary of State not less than 10 nor more than 15 years after the submission of the previous such reports. The Commission is therefore required to report between February 1993 and February 1998.

  Since the start of the review, in February, the Commission has obtained ward electorates from the 1991 electoral register. These have been updated to take account of ward changes up to 1 April. A list giving the electorate for each ward has been placed in the Library.

  Later this month, the Commission will be considering its provisional recommendations for Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset; these will be published later this year.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list biographical details of each member of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information requested is as follows: The chairman of the Commission is the Speaker of the House of Commons.

  The deputy chairman is Sir John Knox. He was called to the Bar in 1953, became a QC in 1979, and was appointed a judge of the Chancery Division of the High Court in 1985. He is also a member of the Lord Chancellor's Law Reform Committee.

  Miss Sheila Cameron QC was called to the Bar in 1957 and became a QC in 1983. She is a deputy High Court judge, recorder, and vicar-general of the province of Canterbury and a member of the parliamentary, planning and local government Bar.

  Mr. David Macklin CBE is a former chief executive of Devon county council and has also held local government posts in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

EMPLOYMENT

  Disability and Employment
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response has been made to the recommendations of the Employment Select Committee's first report of Session 1990–91 on disability and employment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the Chairman of the Select Committee on 15 January to express his pleasure at the participation of the Committee in the consultative process, to say that the Committee's comments will be given full consideration along with all others received and to commit himself to keeping the Committee informed on progress on all the issues they raised.

  My right hon. and learned Friend wrote again on 17 April, to inform the Committee of the decision about the future development of the specialist services for people with disabilities which are provided by the Employment Services and to say that he believed that the changes which he announced would help to meet the concerns about disablement resettlement officers (DROs) expressed in the Committee's report.

  The Committee will continue to be informed of appropriate decisions in line with the Secretary of State's commitment.

  Earnings, Scotland
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 10 June,Official Report, column 435–38; if he will provide the same information given in percentage form in terms of the absolute number of employees affected in each category.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is not available.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Miscampbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YOP, YTS and youth training places were available in Lancashire for each year since 1978 to 1990.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is given in the following table. Information prior to 1985–86 is not readily available.

  Youth training

  Number of agreed places in Lancashire

  At 31 March

  Number

  1986

  7,100

  1987

  11,400

  1988

  15,800

  1989

  15,000

  1990

  13,900

  Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

  Source: SPECTRUM.

  Learning Difficulties
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that adults with learning difficulties are given adequate opportunities for employment training.

  Mr. Jackson
  Training and enterprise councils are required to set out in their business plans how they intend to offer suitable training to people with special needs, including learning difficulties. These plans form the basis of their contract with the Department. Those people joining employment training from the Government's guarantee and aim groups for long-term unemployed people will include substantial numbers of people with special training needs.

  On 19 June the Secretary of State announced a package of measures including an additional £35 million for employment training, in particular to support training for people with special needs.

  Disability Advisory Council
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will announce the membership of the new National Advisory Council on the Employment. of People with Disabilities.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has appointed 12 new members and reappointed four existing members to the National Advisory Council on Employment of People with Disabilities for a period of three years from 1 July 1991. The chairman of the council is Mr. Alan Smith MBE, FIPM, FBIM, FinstD. His appointment runs until 31 December 1992, and has not been affected by the new appointments.
  109
  The members of the council are:

  Members appointed after consultation with organisations representing employers

  Mr. P. T. G. Hobbs MA (Oxon), FIPM, FlnstD.

  Mr. R. C. Spoor OBE, RD, DCL, (Hon), DL, FCA

  Mr. A. Wild BA (Hons), MIPM

  Members appointed after consultation with organisations representing workers

  Mr. W. Anderson BSc (Econ), FLA

  Mr. R. D. Exell

  Mr. P. E. Gallant BSc, ARCS, C Chem, FRSC

  Other Members

  Ms. C. M. Ashton BSc (Hons)

  Mr. I. Bruce BSocSc, FBIM

  Mr. J. Denholm

  Dr. A. Fingret MBBS, MFOM

  Mr. P. Large MBE, CBE

  Mr. P. MacDonald

  Mr. W. H. Massie OBE

  Dr. C. N. Morton CEng, MICE, MIPM

  Mr. T. V. F. Pape BSc

  Ms. S. Scott-Parker BA

  The council has always provided valuable advice and assistance on issues concerning the employment and training of people with disabilities and I am sure that with the new membership it will continue to do so.

  Textiles and Footwear Industry
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what measures he intends to take to encourage the creation of alternative employment for textile and footwear workers who have been made redundant, with particular reference to the east midlands;

  (2) what measures he intends to take to reverse the employment trends that have occurred in the textile and footwear industry since 1979.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: It is the private sector that will create alternative employment for textile and footwear workers made redundant in the east midlands or elsewhere. The work force in employment in the east midlands rose by 263,000 in the period March 1983 to December 1990.

  The Department supports a number of initiatives in the textile and footwear industries aimed at increasing skill levels, meeting skill shortages, and strengthening the industries' ability to export.

  The full range of services and facilities of the Department, the employment service, and the training and enterprise councils is available to assist employees who lose their jobs in the textile and footwear industry and other industries to find, and train for, alternative employment.

  Maternity beds and special care baby cots per thousand births by District Health Authority of occurrence, National Health Service hospitals, England 1989–90

  Total maternity beds

  Special care baby cots not in maternity wards

  Regional/District Health Authority

  Live births (thousands)

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  Northern RHA

  38·95

  1,058

  27·2

  262

  6·7

  Hartlepool

  1·80

  52

  28·9

  15

  8·3

  North Tees

  2·27

  74

  32·6

  19

  8·4

  South Tees

  4·58

  92

  20·1

  20

  4·4

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Correspondence
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Prime Minister whether he will remind all Ministers of the requirement that with all ministerial replies to Members' letters, a copy of the Minister's letter must always be enclosed.

  The Prime Minister
  I have asked my hon. Friend the Patronage Secretary to write to Ministers' offices.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2 July.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning 1 had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

  University Funding
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will meet Sir Edward Parkes, chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, to discuss university funding.

  The Prime Minister
  I have told the CVCP that I am ready to meet them in due course to discuss their proposals for achieving the desired expansion of higher education with greater efficiency.

  Information Bulletin
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the information bulletin on the activities of the United Kingdom delegation to the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe and the assembly of the Western European Union which has been sent to him.

  The Prime Minister
  I have done so today.

HEALTH

  Maternity Services
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many maternity beds are available in each district health authority per 1,000 births;

  (2) what is the number of special care baby cots in each district health authority per 1,000 births.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The available information is given in the following table. It should be noted that some health authorities provide special care facilities for neonates within maternity units. In these cases the cots are not counted separately and are therefore not included in the table.
  111

  Total maternity beds

  Special care baby cots not in maternity wards

  Regional/District Health Authority

  Live births (thousands)

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  East Cumbria

  2·09

  58

  27·8

  15

  7·2

  South Cumbria

  1·89

  59

  31·2

  10

  5·2

  West Cumbria

  1·65

  51

  30·9

  10

  6·1

  Darlington

  1·41

  41

  29·1

  13

  9·6

  Durham

  1·74

  52

  29·9

  10

  5·7

  North West Durham

  1·00

  30

  30·1

  8

  8·0

  South West Durham

  1·92

  62

  32·3

  10

  5·2

  Northumberland

  3·11

  91

  29·3

  18

  5·8

  Gateshead

  2·01

  60

  29·8

  14

  7·0

  Newcastle

  5·25

  125

  23·8

  45

  8·5

  North Tyneside

  1·93

  57

  29·5

  15

  7·8

  South Tyneside

  1·99

  54

  27·1

  14

  7·0

  Sunderland

  4·31

  102

  23·7

  26

  6·0

  Yorkshire RHA

  49·61

  1,252

  25·2

  280

  5·6

  Hull

  4·07

  76

  18·7

  24

  5·9

  East Yorkshire

  2·40

  63

  26·3

  10

  4·2

  Grimsby

  3·05

  70

  22·9

  18

  5·9

  Scunthorpe

  1·91

  48

  25·1

  10

  5·2

  Northallerton

  1·31

  36

  27·5

  10

  7·7

  York

  3·23

  82

  25·4

  10

  3·1

  Scarborough

  1·83

  45

  24·6

  10

  5·6

  Harrogate

  1·70

  43

  25·3

  13

  7·7

  Bradford

  5·95

  176

  29·6

  32

  5·4

  Airedale

  2·18

  65

  29·8

  14

  6·4

  Calderdale

  2·47

  78

  31·6

  18

  7·3

  Huddersfield

  2·76

  62

  22·5

  18

  6·5

  Dewsbury

  2·59

  60

  23·1

  18

  6·9

  Leeds Western

  4·62

  112

  24·2

  16

  3·5

  Leeds Eastern

  5·04

  119

  23·6

  30

  6·0

  Wakefield

  2·08

  58

  27·9

  14

  6·7

  Pontefract

  2·43

  60

  24·7

  15

  6·2

  Trent RHA

  57·69

  1,344

  23·3

  302

  5·2

  North Derbyshire

  2·83

  86

  30·4

  16

  5·7

  Southern Derbyshire

  5·07

  94

  18·5

  24

  4·7

  Leicestershire

  10·62

  250

  23·5

  41

  3·9

  North Lincolnshire

  2·83

  62

  21·9

  15

  5·3

  South Lincolnshire

  3·20

  83

  26·0

  23

  7·2

  Bassetlaw

  1·10

  30

  27·2

  8

  7·3

  Central Nottinghamshire

  3·44

  86

  25·0

  23

  6·7

  Nottingham

  10·87

  251

  23·1

  45

  4·1

  Barnsley

  2·56

  52

  20·3

  13

  5·1

  Doncaster

  4·44

  101

  22·7

  24

  5·4

  Rotherham

  3·18

  67

  21·1

  15

  4·7

  Sheffield

  7·56

  182

  24·1

  55

  7·3

  East Anglian RHA

  26·40

  613

  23·2

  132

  5·0

  Cambridge

  4·16

  94

  22·6

  24

  5·8

  Peterborough

  3·44

  92

  26·8

  18

  5·2

  West Suffolk

  3·02

  87

  28·8

  12

  4·0

  East Suffolk

  3·83

  95

  24·8

  20

  5·2

  Norwich

  5·10

  91

  17·9

  22

  4·3

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  2·31

  54

  23·4

  16

  6·9

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  2·28

  59

  25·9

  12

  5·3

  Huntingdon

  2·27

  40

  17·6

  8

  3·6

  North West Thames RHA

  40·07

  846

  21·1

  249

  6·2

  North Bedfordshire

  2·34

  45

  19·2

  14

  6·0

  South Bedfordshire

  4·54

  93

  20·5

  26

  5·7

  North Hertfordshire

  3·10

  66

  21·3

  13

  4·2

  East Hertfordshire

  2·36

  53

  22·4

  14

  6·0

  North West Hertfordshire

  2·32

  42

  18·1

  12

  5·2

  South West Hertfordshire

  3·15

  48

  15·2

  20

  6·4

  Barnet

  3·07

  73

  23·8

  26

  8·5

  Harrow

  3·13

  75

  24·0

  24

  7·7

  Hillingdon

  3·08

  51

  16·6

  22

  7·1

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  4·04

  92

  22·8

  23

  5·7

  Ealing

  2·14

  55

  25·7

  10

  4·7

  Riverside

  2·04

  54

  26·4

  15

  7·3

  Parkside

  4·75

  98

  20·6

  30

  6·3

  North East Thames RHA

  57·13

  1,241

  21·7

  291

  5·1

  Basildon and Thurrock

  4·47

  116

  26·0

  21

  4·7

  Mid Essex

  3·85

  75

  19·5

  21

  5·6

  112 113

  Total maternity beds

  Special care baby cots not in maternity wards

  Regional/District Health Authority

  Live births (thousands)

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  North East Essex

  3·78

  75

  19·8

  18

  4·8

  West Essex

  3·03

  76

  25·1

  16

  5·3

  Southend

  3·90

  85

  21·8

  16

  4·1

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  4·86

  107

  22·0

  27

  5·5

  Hampstead

  2·34

  64

  27·4

  18

  7·7

  Bloomsbury

  3·28

  78

  23·8

  23

  7·0

  Islington

  2·76

  70

  25·4

  20

  7·3

  City and Hackney

  3·76

  75

  19·9

  21

  5·6

  Newham

  3·96

  68

  17·2

  18

  4·6

  Tower Hamlets

  3·38

  77

  22·8

  12

  3·6

  Enfield

  3·51

  74

  21·1

  10

  2·8

  Haringey

  2·86

  69

  24·2

  18

  6·3

  Redbridge

  3·20

  72

  22·5

  18

  5·6

  Waltham Forest

  4·20

  61

  14·5

  14

  3·3

  South East Thames RHA

  50·23

  1,070

  21·3

  278

  5·5

  Brighton

  3·69

  49

  13·3

  24

  6·5

  Eastbourne

  1·75

  52

  29·8

  12

  6·9

  Hastings

  1·78

  35

  19·7

  12

  6·7

  South East Kent

  3·38

  79

  23·4

  19

  5·6

  Canterbury and Thanet

  3·74

  94

  25·1

  22

  5·9

  Dartford and Gravesham

  3·21

  77

  24·0

  14

  4·4

  Maidstone

  2·51

  47

  18·7

  10

  4·0

  Medway

  4·61

  79

  17·1

  20

  4·3

  Tunbridge Wells

  2·84

  60

  21·1

  17

  6·0

  Bexley

  3·54

  81

  22·9

  14

  4·0

  Greenwich

  3·37

  69

  20·5

  20

  5·9

  Bromley

  3·50

  78

  22·3

  15

  4·3

  West Lambeth

  3·43

  89

  25·9

  20

  5·8

  Camberwell

  4·04

  88

  21·8

  21

  5·2

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  4·86

  92

  18·9

  38

  7·8

  South West Thames RHA

  34·78

  705

  20·3

  189

  5·4

  North West Surrey

  2·83

  75

  26·5

  15

  5·5

  West Surrey and North East Hampshire

  2·36

  54

  22·9

  12

  5·1

  South West Surrey

  2·13

  44

  20·6

  14

  6·6

  Mid Surrey

  1·90

  50

  26·3

  14

  7·4

  East Surrey

  2·32

  39

  16·8

  11

  4·7

  Chichester

  2·11

  43

  20·4

  10

  4·7

  Mid Downs

  3·83

  59

  15·4

  19

  5·0

  Worthing

  2·47

  37

  15·0

  9

  3·6

  Croydon

  4·19

  64

  15·3

  20

  4·8

  Kingston and Esher

  2·38

  63

  26·4

  13

  5·4

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  1·57

  31

  19·8

  8

  5·1

  Wandsworth

  3·35

  75

  22·4

  19

  5·7

  Merton and Sutton

  3·34

  69

  20·7

  25

  7·5

  Wessex RHA

  37·09

  1,032

  27·8

  183

  4·9

  East Dorset

  4·65

  206

  44·3

  28

  6·0

  West Dorset

  1·96

  56

  28·5

  15

  7·5

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  6·92

  196

  28·3

  25

  3·6

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  5·94

  141

  23·7

  22

  3·7

  Winchester

  2·73

  57

  20·9

  16

  5·9

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  2·54

  46

  18·1

  14

  5·5

  Salisbury

  2·16

  55

  25·4

  14

  6·5

  Swindon

  3·72

  95

  25·5

  19

  5·1

  Bath

  5·14

  145

  28·2

  21

  4·1

  Isle of Wight

  1·32

  36

  27·2

  9

  6·8

  Oxford RHA

  34·18

  691

  20·2

  183

  5·3

  East Berkshire

  4·92

  106

  21·6

  27

  5·5

  West Berkshire

  5·41

  96

  17·7

  28

  5·2

  Aylesbury Vale

  2·12

  49

  23·2

  13

  6·1

  Wycombe

  3·13

  54

  17·3

  16

  5·2

  Milton Keynes

  3·14

  59

  18·8

  21

  6·7

  Kettering

  3·41

  54

  15·8

  16

  4·7

  Northampton

  42·1

  66

  15·7

  27

  6·4

  Oxfordshire

  7·84

  207

  26·4

  35

  4·4

  South Western RHA

  40·25

  902

  22·4

  168

  4·2

  114 115

  Total maternity beds

  Special care baby cots not in maternity wards

  Regional/District Health Authority

  Live births (thousands)

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  Average daily number

  Number per 1,000 births

  Bristol and Weston

  5·55

  121

  21·8

  32

  5·8

  Southmead

  5·88

  106

  18·0

  30

  5·1

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  4·33

  109

  25·2

  20

  4·6

  Exeter

  3·71

  80

  21·6

  27

  7·3

  North Devon

  1·71

  39

  22·8

  2

  1·2

  Plymouth

  5·45

  121

  22·2

  24

  4·4

  Torbay

  2·40

  57

  23·8

  1

  0·4

  Cheltenham

  2·42

  55

  22·7

  12

  5·0

  Gloucester

  3·93

  88

  22·4

  20

  5·1

  Somerset

  4·87

  127

  26·1

  0

  0·0

  West Midlands RHA

  74·35

  1,626

  21·9

  387

  5·2

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  2·88

  50

  17·4

  12

  4·2

  Herefordshire

  1·95

  35

  17·9

  12

  6·1

  Kidderminster and District

  0·35

  24

  68·8

  0

  0·0

  Worcester and District

  2·79

  63

  22·6

  12

  4·3

  Shropshire

  5·33

  137

  25·7

  22

  4·1

  Mid Staffordshire

  2·57

  60

  23·3

  12

  4·7

  North Staffordshire

  6·71

  165

  24·6

  30

  4·5

  South East Staffordshire

  3·18

  55

  17·3

  15

  4·7

  Rugby

  1·08

  24

  22·2

  8

  7·4

  North Warwickshire

  2·94

  71

  24·1

  20

  6·8

  South Warwickshire

  2·16

  53

  24·6

  15

  6·9

  Central Birmingham

  4·62

  109

  23·6

  30

  6·5

  North Birmingham

  3·61

  88

  24·4

  22

  6·1

  South Birmingham

  2·64

  54

  20·5

  14

  5·1

  West Birmingham

  4·20

  76

  18·1

  23

  5·5

  Coventry

  4·93

  119

  24·1

  29

  5·9

  Dudley

  4·33

  92

  21·3

  18

  4·2

  Sandwell

  3·19

  64

  20·1

  14

  4·4

  Solihull

  6·59

  109

  16·6

  38

  5·8

  Walsall

  3·39

  66

  19·5

  21

  6·1

  Wolverhampton

  4·93

  111

  22·5

  20

  4·1

  Mersey RHA

  32·18

  711

  22·1

  172

  5·3

  Chester

  4·14

  89

  21·5

  20

  4·8

  Crewe

  2·92

  53

  18·1

  15

  5·1

  Macclesfield

  1·36

  24

  17·7

  10

  7·4

  Warrington

  3·11

  60

  19·3

  15

  4·8

  Liverpool

  7·14

  164

  23·0

  37

  5·2

  St Helens and Knowsley

  3·60

  99

  27·5

  20

  5·6

  Southport and Formby

  1·29

  35

  27·1

  11

  8·5

  South Sefton

  4·09

  84

  20·5

  20

  4·9

  Wirral

  4·52

  102

  22·6

  24

  5·3

  North Western RHA

  58·04

  1,454

  25·1

  334

  5·8

  Lancaster

  1·91

  48

  25·1

  16

  8·4

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  3·54

  93

  26·3

  18

  5·1

  Preston

  4·55

  89

  19·6

  20

  4·4

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  3·82

  115

  30·1

  20

  5·2

  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale

  2·97

  65

  21·9

  17

  5·7

  West Lancashire

  1·32

  34

  25·7

  9

  6·8

  Chorley and South Ribble

  0·24

  25

  105·9

  0

  0·0

  Bolton

  4·28

  104

  24·3

  21

  4·9

  Bury

  2·50

  68

  27·2

  16

  6·4

  North Manchester

  2·64

  60

  22·7

  18

  6·8

  Central Manchester

  3·99

  114

  28·6

  41

  10·3

  South Manchester

  4·78

  119

  24·9

  28

  5·9

  Oldham

  3·25

  85

  26·2

  16

  5·0

  Rochdale

  2·26

  52

  23·0

  15

  6·6

  Salford

  3·67

  79

  21·5

  18

  4·9

  Stockport

  4·13

  94

  22·7

  20

  4·9

  Tameside and Glossop

  3·21

  82

  25·5

  19

  5·9

  Trafford

  1·17

  38

  32·4

  8

  6·8

  Wigan

  3·81

  88

  23·1

  14

  3·7

  Sickle-cell Disease
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority, and by district health authority, the facilities provided for(a) sickle-cell
  116
  counselling, (b) sickle-cell opportunist screening, (c) sickle-cell ante-natal screening and (d) sickle-cell post-natal screening.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally.

  Menopause
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to undertake a national survey to determine the numbers of women who suffer unpleasant symptoms during the menopause; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. It is the experience of clinicians working in this field that about a quarter of women will have no menopausal symptoms, about half will have some symptoms, and the remainder will have symptoms severe enough to require medical treatment.

  Birth Statistics
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for 1990 for the residents of(a) England and (b) each NHS region and district within England (i) the number of live births, (ii) the percentage of live births with unstated birthweight, (iii) the number of live births with stated birthweight and (iv) the percentages of these which were under 1000g, 1000g to 1499g, 1500g to 1999g, 2000g to 2499g, 2500g to 2999g, 3000g to 3499g, 3500g to 3999g and 4000g and above.

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

  Brook Hospital
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings Ministers have had with local campaigners concerning the Brook hospital.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I met my hon. Friend and local campaigners on 14 February.

  Mentally Handicapped People
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to local authorities in respect of services they provide for people with a mental handicap and the role of specialist mental handicap nurses in the provision of such services.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department recently issued for consultation a draft circular giving specific guidance to local authorities on services for people with learning disabilities (mental handicap) together with a parallel draft health circular on the role of the NHS in providing health care for this client group. There is a long-term requirement for trained mental handicap nurses and we are currently considering with professional and other interests how nurses' skills and experience can best be made available in the new pattern of services.

  Elderly People
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether under the terms of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, elderly people will be(a) given the opportunity to contribute to and comment on any care plan drawn up for them, (b) entitled to the help of an advocate if so desired to comment and contribute to any care plan drawn up for them and (c) offered a choice of services within the care plan.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In both the policy guidance and the forthcoming practice guidance on care management and assessment, strong emphasis is given to enabling 118
  potential users of services of all ages to participate in the assessment process and to contribute to their care plan, with any points of difference between the assessor and the user being recorded. Local authorities will also be encouraged in the practice guidance to encourage advocacy support where people are unable to speak for themselves and have no other friend or relative to speak on their behalf.

  The promotion of choice and independence underlies the whole community care reform programme. The assessment and care management process will encourage choice, with assessors providing information on services available across both the statutory and independent sectors.

  Hepatitis B
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the estimated cost of inoculating all children of school age against the hepatitis B virus.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No accurate assessment exists of the cost of this proposal.

  NHS Facilities (Gedling)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional medical facilities in the national health service have been made available to the residents of the Gedling constituency during the last 10 years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to write to Mr. D. H. White, chairman of the Nottingham health authority, for details.

  Waiting Lists
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the Government's response to the report of the Health Select Committee on waiting lists.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government's response to the first report of the Select Committee on Health (Session 1990–91) ("Public Expenditure on Health Services: Waiting Lists") (HC 429) is being laid before the House today as Cm. 1586. Copies are available in the Vote Office. It will be published by HMSO in due course.

  Medical Services Committees
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will issue a circular to family health services authorities advising them of the importance of seeking the views of local medical committees prior to appointing medical services committees; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the proportion of overseas qualified doctors on medical services committees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations 1974 (S.I. 1974 No. 455) provide that local medical committees shall appoint the medical members of medical service committees and that if dissatisfied with the appointment of the lay chairman, they may require the family health services authority to refer the matter to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Information is not available centrally on the representation on medical service
  119
  committees of doctors qualified overseas. Guidance on the constitution of service committees and the appointment of members was included in letters FPCL190/90 and FPCL(W)83/90 issued to health authorities in September 1990. Copies of the letters have been placed in the Library.

  Doctors (EC Employment)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the arrangements within the European Community relating to the employment within the Community of overseas qualified doctors who have the status of British citizens and who are fully registered medical practitioners in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We are aware of the difficulties that British citizens who are fully registered and hold overseas qualifications may experience in gaining access to employment in other member states. The European Commission has only recently provided information on each member state's arrangements for recognising overseas qualifications and we have not properly assessed them yet. The arrangements are currently being discussed in Brussels as part of an initiative by the Commission to examine the difficulties associated with recognition of overseas qualifications. We are represented at the discussions.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make representations in the EC Council of Ministers for the equal treatment in Community law of all British citizens who are fully registered medical practitioners in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  All British citizens have the right to establish themselves in any country of the Community. The main difference in the treatment of British citizens which relates to my responsibilities concerns medical practitioners who are fully registered but hold non-EC qualifications and the recognition of these qualifications by other member states. We are aware that Community citizens holding qualifications obtained outside the Community which are recognised in one state may experience difficulty in persuading other member states to accept them. However, the European Commission has begun an assessment of member states' arrangements for recognition of non-EC qualifications held by EC nationals. We are involved in the current discussions between member states on this complex issue.

  Special Diets
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that children and other patients who are required to follow a dairy and egg-free diet should be able to obtain the products they require under prescription; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is not the function of the NHS to provide food products on prescription. We recognise that in some cases GPs may consider their active intervention is necessary to help patients keep to medically recommended diets. In such cases, GPs may prescribe from a range of specially manufactured food products recommended by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances. These include products designed for the 120
  treatment of patients with lactose intolerance or whole protein intolerance and patients who have to follow a low protein diet.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the MENCAP report on day services, a copy of which has been sent to the Minister responsible for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department recently issued for consultation a draft circular on social care for people with learning disabilities supported by an annex giving draft guidance on the development of day services. Mencap was consulted during the preparation of these documents, and we shall take account of its latest report, and any additional documents from Mencap and others with an interest, when preparing the final version of the guidance.

  Blood Products
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give figures for the charges made for the collection of blood and blood products by each regional transfusion centre;

  (2) what guidance has been issued on the pricing of blood products.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No charge is made for blood which is freely donated by our volunteer donors. From 1 April it is our policy that regional transfusion centres (RTCs) should recover the cost of collecting, processing and transporting blood by levying handling charges on the user hospitals. Within this general policy it is for the regional transfusion centres, following consultation with the users to determine an appropriate structure for handling charges to recover their operating costs. Information about these individual arrangements is not held centrally.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the future of the national blood transfusion service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We greatly appreciate the efforts of the national blood transfusion service (NBTS) and the altruism of our voluntary and unpaid donors for maintaining adequate blood supplies in this country. The last major change in the national blood transfusion service was the establishment in 1989 of the national directorate to co-ordinate the activities of the regional transfusion centres in relation to national policies and strategies for the blood supply. Organisation of the national blood transfusion service is kept under review.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from the Ambulance Council working party on the problems of lay serving ambulance staff; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have accepted the recommendations made by a working party set up by the Department to consider the problems of long-serving ambulance men and women and officials will be writing shortly to interested parties about implementation.

  Heart Pacemakers
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the practice of charging bereaved relatives of patients who have died a fee for the removal, by a doctor at the hospital, of a heart pacemaker prior to cremation is customary throughout the United Kingdom;

  (2) what provision exists under the national health service for the removal of pacemakers from the bodies of patients who have died while in hospital;

  (3) under what authority doctors at Sandwell general hospital, West Bromwich, charge bereaved relatives a fixed fee for the removal of pacemakers from the bodies of patients who have died at the hospital.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 18 June 1991]: Central guidance on the removal of pacemakers from people who have died in hospital was issued in 1983 through Health Notice (83)6, a copy of which is available in the Library. The intention is that the health authority should meet the cost and that in no circumstances should bereaved relatives be charged. I understand that Sandwell health authority has reimbursed the relatives who were charged, and has apologised to them for the unnecessary distress caused by its action.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Severe Disability Premium
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reason his Department is not paying severe disability premium to Mr. D. Wilkes of Perry Barr, Birmingham, awarded by the social security appeal tribunal on 8 January 1991, Ref. 401: 33475.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The severe disability premium is not being paid to Mr. Wilkes because the chief adjudication officer is appealing to the social security commissioner against the social security appeal tribunal's decision. Under regulation 37 of the Social Security (Claims and Payment) Regulations 1987 the award is not implemented pending the outcome of this appeal.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reason his Department is not paying disability premium from 11 April 1988 to Miss M. Hunt of Perry Barr, Birmingham, awarded by the social security appeal tribunal on 8 January 1991, Ref. 401: 33209.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The severe disability premium is not being paid to Miss Hunt because the chief adjudication officer is appealing to the social security commissioner against the social security appeal tribunal's decision. Under regulation 37 of the Social Security (Claims and Payment) Regulations 1987 the award is not being implemented pending the outcome of this appeal.

  Benefit Cheques
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to change the arrangements so that claimants can more easily cash benefit girocheques for more than £75.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The arrangements for encashment of girocheques are matters for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the financial amount deducted from pensioners in hospital longer than six weeks, for the last year for which figures are available; and what steps he is prepared to take to review this policy.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Most social security benefits, including retirement pensions and invalidity pensions, are reduced after the beneficiary has been in hospital for more than six weeks. The current reductions are £10·40 a week for those with dependants and £20·80 a week for those without dependants. A further reduction is made after the beneficiary has been in hospital for more than 52 weeks. At that stage, the benefit of those with dependants is reduced by a further £10·40, making £20·80 in all, and the benefit of those without dependants is reduced to the personal requirements rate of £10·40.

  These provisions are based on the view that state funds should not make double provision for the same needs. As the national health service provides free maintenance as well as free treatment, maintenance benefits, also paid out of state funds, should not be paid in full indefinitely.

  The policy on benefits paid to hospital in-patients was reviewed in 1987 as part of the social security review and we have no current plans to conduct a further review.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate for 1981 and for the latest available date through child benefit payments the numbers of(a) children and (b) children in lone parent households in Greenwich, Wandsworth and Lewisham.

  Mr. Jack
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that information relating to child benefit is available only on a national basis and cannot be given for particular areas.

  Non-Public Information
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list(a) the titles of guidance and procedural manuals produced for his Department's offices, other than local offices, which are not available to the public, and (b) in each case the reason for them not being available publicly.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department produces a large number of formal and informal guidance and procedural documents for its staff on a wide range of subjects. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Philippines
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government are giving to the people of the Philippines following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have made grants totalling almost £100,000 to two United Kingdom-based voluntary agencies. Our embassy is discussing with the Government of the Philippines their appeal of 27 June to identify what further help we can give locally.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Animal Welfare
  Dame Janet Fookes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking at the intergovernmental conference on political union to protect the welfare of animals.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The United Kingdom has proposed that the conference makes a declaration, noting that Community legislation on a wide range of subjects can affect the welfare of animals and calling on the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament to ensure that the Community, when taking any action which affects animals, pays full regard to their welfare requirements and their status as sentient beings.

  Croatia and Slovenia
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government support the endeavours of Croatia and Slovenia to seek independence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We and our western partners have consistently made clear our preference for a single Yugoslav political entity, and have called on all Yugoslav republics to avoid unilateral actions which may jeopardise negotiations to secure a new basis for Yugoslav unity. But this cannot be brought about by force. We are opposed to intimidation or coercion of democratically elected Governments in Slovenia and Croatia, as elsewhere.

  Albania
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will establish a United Kingdom mission in Albania; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no plans to establish a resident British mission in Albania.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the provision of know-how or similar funding for Albania.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no plans to extend the know-how fund to Albania.

  Philippines
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what services are provided by Thomas Cook (Philippines) Inc. to the British embassy in Manila; whether these arrangements involve payments by United Kingdom citizens to Thomas Cook (Philippines) Inc. in respect of visa applications; whether any Filipino citizens applying for entry visas to the United Kingdom have been advised by the embassy to seek the assistance of Thomas Cook (Philippines) Inc; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The British embassy in Manila has no official agreement with Thomas Cook (Philippines) Inc. to provide services either for officially funded travel or as a conduit for visa applications.
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  Thomas Cook is one of over 300 travel and shipping agents permitted to lodge visa applications at the embassy. Any charge they make for their services is a matter for the company and not the British Government.

  Inquiries are occasionally received asking whether attendance in person is necessary to obtain a visa. Frequent travellers are advised that their applications can be submitted through a recognised travel agent, but the British embassy does not encourage the specific use of Thomas Cook or any other individual travel agent.

  Weapons (Iraq)
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts the United Kingdom is making to deal with Iraq's remaining nuclear, chemical, biological weapon and missile capabilities.

  Mr. Hurd
  We took a prominent part in the establishment under Security Council resolution 687 of the special commission to ensure that Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile capabilities are destroyed.

  We continue to take an active role in supporting the special commission's work. We have made available: a senior British expert on chemical and biological defence matters to serve as a full-time member of the commission; three British experts for the first chemical weapons inspection in Iraq; an RAF explosives expert as adviser to the first ballistic missile inspection; one United Kingdom expert for the second IAEA inspection and two or more to take part in the third inspection. We have offered up to six inspectors to take part in the first biological weapons inspection and we intend to reinforce our embassy in Bahrain to liaise with the special commission's field office there.

  We have also provided information on Iraq's weapons capabilities as well as minor items of equipment and RAF transport facilities, plus eight Land-Rovers and trailers. Further specialised equipment and support will be provided at an initial cost of up to £1 million, as stated in the answer of my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' on 19 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns). The facilities at the chemical and biological defence establishment, Porton Down will be used to analyse samples taken by the inspection teams.

  We shall continue to support the special commission in carrying out its mandate, and encourage others to do likewise. It is important that Iraq should not be allowed to retain or redevelop these weapons of mass destruction.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have been assisted by the British embassy in Kuwait since it reopened to return to the United Kingdom for medical treatment following injuries sustained in clearing mines or other war-related explosives.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 24 June 1991]: None.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Offshore Islands
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many offshore islands are inhabited and what their population is.

  Mr. Hanley
  The latest available information is from the 1991 census of population taken on 21 April. The results are being collated for inclusion in a preliminary report to be published around the end of July. I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library when the information is available.

  Public Order Offences
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the prosecutions under the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 for incitement to(a) religious and (b) racial hatred, indicating the outcome in each case.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 26 June 1991]: I understand that no persons have been prosecuted under part III of the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987.

  Retirement Pensions
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what would be the cost in 1991–92 of increasing the basic retirement pension by £5 per week for a single pensioner and £8 a week for a married couple, assuming similar increases in linked benefits and in income-related benefits for pensioners, giving figures(a) gross and (b) net of tax revenues and savings in other benefits.

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 27 June 1991]: The gross cost in Northern Ireland of increasing the weekly basic retirement pension by £5 a week for a single pensioner and £8 a week for a married couple, assuming similar increases in linked benefits and in income-related benefits for all those receiving these increases, is £69·3 million. Net of income tax, the figure would be £64·8 million. A reliable estimate is not available of the cost, if those in receipt of a linked benefit but not the pensioner premium, did not receive a similar increase in their income-related benefit.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the clearing house arrangements under the assisted places scheme.

  Mr. Fallon
  As part of a package of measures to contain the costs of the assisted places scheme within the resources available, my right hon. and learned Friend has reluctantly decided that the proposed scheme for the redistribution of vacant places under clearing house arrangements, notified to schools earlier, cannot go ahead this year. The Government remain committed to the assisted places scheme and some 27,000 children are expected to have places under the scheme in the coming year.

  Braille Exam Papers
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what funds he makes available to examining boards to produce examination papers in Braille.

  Mr. Eggar
  None. The examining bodies cover the cost of producing papers in Braille by making a small addition to the examination entry fees of all candidates—whose fees are met, in the case of candidates from maintained schools, by the local education authorities.

  South Park School, Lincoln
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the procedures by which he will decide whether to approve an application by Lincolnshire county council to reopen for educational purposes the former South Park school in Lincoln.

  Mr. Fallon
  If Lincolnshire county council wishes to establish a new school in the premises of the former South Park school, it will have to publish proposals under section 12 of the Education Act 1980. In considering whether to approve such proposals, my right hon. and learned Friend would take account of all relevant factors, including any objections to the proposals.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out his reasons for turning down the proposal to establish a voluntary-aided city technology college on the site of the former South Park school, Lincoln.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has never been asked formally to consider a proposal to establish a voluntary aided school with city technology college characteristics in Lincoln.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek a report from Lincolnshire county council on the possible future use of the school playing fields adjacent to the site of the former South Park school, Lincoln; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  The disposal of surplus local authority land is a matter for the local authority concerned and the Secretary of State for the Environment. A planning policy guidance note on sport and recreation already issued in draft for consultation asks local authorities to review longer-term educational and community need before deciding on disposal of school playing fields.

  Student Costs
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent per pupil at primary and secondary schools in Cornwall and per student in further education colleges in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in 1978–79 at constant prices.

  Mr. Fallon
  In 1988–89, the latest year for which information on actual spending is available, net institutional expenditure per pupil in Cornwall was £1,010 in nursery and primary schools, £1,525 in secondary schools and £3,615 per student in further education. In
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  1978–79 net institutional expenditure per pupil in Cornwall was £325 in nursery and primary schools and £490 in secondary schools. At 1988–89 prices this represents some £710 and £1,085 respectively. Figures for net institutional expenditure per further education student in 1978–79 are not available.

SCOTLAND

  Ministerial Responsibilities
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the allocation of ministerial responsibilities within his Department; if he has any plans to review these; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  I have no plans to review the allocation of ministerial responsibilities in my Department. The present allocation works well.

  Local Authority Members
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence he has relating to the average number of hours per week devoted to public duties by members of Scottish local authorities; what plans he has to seek evidence of this; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Research commissioned by the Widdicombe committee of inquiry into the conduct of local authority business was based on average hours per month rather than per week. This indicated that in 1976 and in 1985 regional and islands councillors spent on average 129 hours per month on council duties. The equivalent figures for district councillors were 92 hours per month in 1976 and 93 hours per month in 1985.

  My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to update that research.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has plans to review the allowances or expenses paid to local authority councillors in Scotland for(a) remuneration, (b) recompense for lost salaries or wages, (c) subsistence allowance and (d) travelling expenses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  A new system of remuneration for councillors came into effect on 1 April 1991. Under the new arrangements, financial loss allowance is no longer available for councillors. The system will be reviewed after it has been in operation for about a year. In the interim my right hon. Friend intends to make regulations for Scotland which will counter abuse of the special responsibility allowance element of the new scheme which has been drawn to his attention.

  The arrangements for travel and subsistence allowances are unchanged. Rates of all allowances will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis.

  Local Government Services
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to subject any further local government services to compulsory competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The Government are looking at ways of extending the range of local authority services 128
  subject to compulsory competitive tendering. Consultants have been appointed to examine and report on the technical feasibility of extending the legislative requirements for competitive tendering to the provision of professional services. Local government will be consulted about any proposals which emerge.

  Johnstone Health Clinic
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the development of the Johnstone health clinic.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have nothing to add at this time to the answer that I gave the hon. Member on 13 February at column 454–55.

  Political Advisers
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names of each political adviser working in the Scottish Office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  One special adviser is employed in the Scottish Office, Mr. Alan Young.

  Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures have been taken to enhance security at the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley in the last six months; what further proposals will be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The measures taken recently have been

  — Security sub-committee established in January

  — Report produced in February on improvements to be carried out

  — Access to service corridors restricted from February

  — All Staff sent a memorandum in February

  — Meetings with Strathclyde police on crime prevention in May

  — Each induction programme for new staff includes security session with local police

  — Discussions with firm of security consultants during May

  — Extra digital locks fitted to a number of internal and external doors

  — Video cameras recording 24-hour period in respect of car park

  — Full-time car park attendant appointed

  — An extra portering round during evenings

  Further measures in the process of being implemented are

  — Staff identification system to be introduced in July

  — Alarms for all doors leading to fire escapes to be fitted

  — Locks for additional external doors

  — Formal instruction to staff that misuse of fire doors is a disciplinary offence

  — Further exhortation to staff to be vigilant at all times

  These measures build on a range of security improvements which the local management has initiated over the past two years. The position is being kept under constant review and further steps will be taken if appropriate. The health board has assured me that all practical measures are being taken to ensure the security of patients, visitors and staff without being excessively restrictive.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to review the annuality principle applied to local government finance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  No.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was raised by local authorities in Scotland in 1990–91 using their discretionary powers to raise £5 per head of adult population, in areas where there is a single tier of principal local authority, and £2·50 per head of adult population, in areas where there are two administrative tiers; and if he has made any assumptions for the likely yield under this power for 1991–92.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: In terms of section 83 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, as amended by schedule 1 to the Abolition of Domestic Rates, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, Scottish local authorities have a discretionary power to incur expenditure not exceeding the product of a 2p rate based on 1988–89 rate poundage.

  Information about the extent of such expenditure is not held centrally.

  Elderslie Hospital
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with Argyll and Clyde health board concerning the development of Elderslie hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Argyll and Clyde health board has submitted to my Department proposals which will enable the young handicapped patients residing in Elderslie hospital to live as normal a life as possible in a community environment. On 12 June I announced that the sum of £12·4 million is to be made available to Scotland's health boards in bridging finance to develop and expand care in the community in conjunction with local authorities. Argyll and Clyde health board have been allocated £764,000 over a three-year period to enable them to implement immediately their plans for fully supported community units for the young residents of Elderslie.

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes in the incidence of unemployment have taken place in(a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde and (c) the Greenock travel-to-work area in each of the past 30 months for which figures are available.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The information is available on the NOMIS database in the House of Commons Library. Library staff are ready to assist in accessing the information if necessary.

  HIV Tests
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the cost to the Scottish Office of financing the HIV ante-natal named testing study in Edinburgh and Dundee from 31 August 1990 to 31 March 1991; and what efforts were made to secure alternative funding for the study from 31 March 1991;
  130
  (2) if he will set out the reasons for ceasing to fund the HIV ante-natal named screening study in Edinburgh and Dundee on 31 March;

  (3) if he will set out the Government's policy towards HIV named testing studies of the sort carried out in Edinburgh and Dundee ante-natal units.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This study began in December 1988 and received financial support from the Medical Research Council up to 31 August 1990. The Scottish Office provided £55,000 to support the study for a further seven months up to the end of March 1991 in order to maximise the benefits of the information which had been collected and to enable a reliable assessment to be made of HIV prevalence among pregnant women in Edinburgh and Dundee. The information collected in the study is now being analysed and a report is expected to be published in the autumn.

  There are no plans for further named surveys of this kind to be conducted in Scotland, but I understand that the Medical Research Council has agreed to fund a further study in Edinburgh and Dundee, involving anonymised testing both of women attending ante-natal clinics and of women having termination of pregnancy. This study is expected to begin in September.

  Agency Status
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those bodies currently with agency status within his Department under the "next steps" initiative; and whether he has identified any further candidates for agency status under the initiative within his Department.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 3 June 1991]: Three executive agencies have so far been established under the next steps initiative from within my responsibilities: the Registers of Scotland, Historic Scotland and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. I announced the candidature of the agricultural scientific services of the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department for agency status on Tuesday 16 April 1991 and further candidates will be brought forward in due course.

  Abortions
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many abortions were performed in Scotland in the first 12 months of operation of the Abortion Act 1967 and in the latest year for which figures are available; and under what statutory grounds these abortions were performed.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 28 June 1991]: The information requested on terminations under the Abortion Act 1967 is as follows:

  1 April 1968 to 31 March 1969

  1990 (calendar year)

  Risk to life of woman

  110

  36

  Risk of injury to health of woman

  1,892

  9,962

  Risk to health of existing children

  126

  95

  Risk of abnormality of foetus

  110

  99

  Emergency to save life of woman

  3

  —

  Emergency to prevent injury to health of woman

  3

  —

  Total

  2,244

  10,192

  Advertising Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the topics of each television advertising campaign to be carried out by his Department and any other publicity campaign costing more than £100,000.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 1 July 1991]: My Department has proposals to mount television information campaigns in 1991–92 on road safety and crime prevention. Planned campaigns costing £100,000 or more are proposed on fire prevention, children's hearings and right to buy. Detailed campaign planning, including media to be used, has yet to be decided on these topics.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Knacker Industry
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to draw up a code of practice to ensure the continuity of derogations from EEC regulations in respect of the knacker industry.

  Mr. Maclean
  A derogation in the directive on the disposal of animal waste (90/667 EEC), which we fought hard to achieve, permits the knacker industry to continue to sell petfood, at least until the end of 1995. In the meantime, proposals will be considered by the European Community by the end of 1992 in relation to the controls which might secure the longer-term future of this trade. Our officials are, therefore, currently reviewing with the knacker trade existing control measures.

  EC Grants
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make representations in the EC Council of Ministers to remove the bar on payment of EC grants to farmers following late claims, and to replace the present rule with a discretion exercisable by himself; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have every sympathy with the efforts of the hon. Member on behalf of his constituents. He will be aware that we make every effort to ensure that our administration of EC schemes is sensitive to farmers' practical concerns, consistent with effectively addressing the risk of fraud. It is, however, important that there is comparability of treatment between producers in different member states and strictly applied Community-wide rules regarding claims received after the closing dates for the suckler cow premium scheme and the sheep annual premium scheme are necessary to ensure this. Giving a general discretion to the various national authorities responsible for administering these schemes to accept or reject late claims would undermine this important principle.

  Dioxins
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will revert to the previously established lower safety level for dioxin.

  Mr. Maclean
  No safety limit was set prior to the work recently carried out for the World Health Organisation which established a provisional tolerable daily intake of dioxins.
  132
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of municipal and private incinerators where he has conducted tests for dioxins in England on(a) agricultural land or (b) products; what proportions these are of the total number of incinerators in England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Dioxin levels have been measured in milk collected from farms in the vicinity of two of the four high-temperature chemical waste incinerators situated in England and Wales. The preliminary results fall within the range of background levels found in other industrial areas.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set up a public inquiry into the dioxin levels in milk in the Bolsover area.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 1 July 1991.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the maximum tolerable concentration of dioxins in nanogrammes per kilogramme of milk prior to its level being set at 0·7 nanogrammes.

  Mr. Gummer
  No prior figure was set.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) of 26 June, if he will list the names and positions of the scientific and medical experts which calculated the maximum tolerable concentration of dioxins in milk; whether they were members of any Government advisory committees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The chairman of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) was consulted about the calculation of the maximum tolerable concentration of dioxins in milk and agreed the tolerance level set. The full set of results from the dioxins survey will be considered by the COT before publication later this year. In order to deal quickly with the enhanced levels of dioxins found in the milk from two farms in Derbyshire an expert scientific and medical team from my Department and the Department of Health was assembled to make the detailed calculations which were based on recommendations made in December 1990 by a WHO expert group.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will pay compensation to those who have had their livelihood adversely affected as a result of the dioxin levels in the milk supply in the Bolsover area.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have every sympathy with the two farmers whose milk can no longer go for human consumption and my staff are giving all the help they can. As for compensation, the established principle which applies in such circumstances is that it is the polluter who should pay.

DEFENCE

  Racial Harassment
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints in respect of racial abuse or harassment have been made against military personnel in each of the past three years.
  133
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We do not maintain central records of all complaints of racial abuse or harassment. The MOD is aware, however, of four complaints in both 1988 and 1989, three in 1990 and one in 1991, so far.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to appoint a liaison officer to deal with concerns and complaints from communities in the highlands and islands on the subject of low-flying military aircraft.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My Department plans to establish three RAF regional community relations officers in southern Scotland and the Borders, the Lake District and in Wales on a trial basis. If the scheme is successful, we will consider whether to extend it to other areas.

  Territorial Army
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if advertising for volunteers to join the Territorial Army has been discontinued.

  Mr. Tom King
  No.

  Scottish Units
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the record of recruitment and retention of service personnel in units based in Scotland.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Recruitment in Scotland to all the services in 1989–90, the last full year for which data are available, was 11·6 per cent. of the United Kingdom total. The only relevant data on retention relate to the Scottish division, where the rate is marginally below that for the Army as a whole.

  Rosyth
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has held with the local authorities concerned about the economic consequences of the closure of the Rosyth royal naval base.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have received a number of representations from the local authorities. I met representatives of Fife regional council, Dunfermline district council and the trade unions earlier this year.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to visit Rosyth naval dockyard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

  Defence Industry
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he has taken in his consideration of "Options for Change" of the continuing need for a British defence manufacturing capability.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Industrial considerations are among the factors being taken into account.

  Naval Bases
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the options he is considering concerning the future of the royal naval bases to allow full consultation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We will consult the trade unions in the usual way once we have proposals to make, but we are not yet in that position.

  Trident
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the progress of the Trident programme.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Trident programme continues to progress to time and within budget towards its in-service date of the mid-1990s.

  Kurdish Refugees
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the timetable for withdrawal of British troops from duties of protecting Kurdish refugees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tom King
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes).

  Soviet Forces (Nuclear Warheads)
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear warheads the Soviet armed forces have at their disposal.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Soviet armed forces are estimated to have in excess of 25,000 nuclear warheads at their disposal.

  Surplus Land
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review Ministry of Defence landholdings with a view to returning surplus land to community use.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is this Government's policy that the defence estate should be no larger than necessary for defence purposes; we continually seek opportunities for rationalisation and the release of land surplus to our requirements. In order to ensure the best return is achieved for the taxpayer it is our normal practice to offer surplus land for sale on the open market.

  Helicopters
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the extended use of military helicopters for civilian duties including use as air ambulances.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A number of representations have been received.

  RAF Bentwaters and Woodbridge
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge.
  135
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  On 17 May the United States Air Force announced its intention to withdraw from RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge by September 1993. The Ministry of Defence is examining options for the possible future use of the stations. No decisions have yet been taken.

  The Gulf
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish an account of the operational record of the Royal Air Force in the Gulf conflict; and what information he has on what such reports are being published by other allied participating countries.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine's dispatch on Operation Granby was published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office as a supplement to the London Gazette on 29 June. I have no information on whether other coalition countries will be publishing official reports of their role in the conflict.

  German Minister of Defence
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his German counterpart; and what aspects of future defence arrangements were discussed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend last met Dr. Stoltenberg at the Eurogroup conference held in Washington on 24 and 25 June, which considered various themes concerning the future of the NATO alliance under the headings: "New Security Challenges and the Future Role of the Alliance", "Future Force Structures and the Arms Control Process" and "NATO's Strategy: Political Guidance, Alliance Policy and Concepts".

  Regiments
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which regiments will be disbanded under the Government's latest proposals.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 4 June, consultations are taking place within the Army on its future structure. It would not be appropriate to comment on the future of individual units while that process is under way.

  Range Safety Certificates
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will publish the detailed criteria for the granting of range safety certificates for full-bore ranges in disused quarry sites;

  (2) what changes there have been in the criteria for the assessment of range safety certificates in the last three years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The criteria against which range safety certificates for civilian ranges are issued are the same as those for MOD ranges. There are no plans to publish the criteria, which have not been changed in the last three years.

  Search-and-Rescue Operations
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has completed his consideration of the contractorisation of search-and-rescue operations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As part of the "Options for Change" review of the future size and shape of the armed forces, the Ministry of Defence is currently studying the provision of military SAR. A decision on the contractorisation of part of the military SAR task will be taken after this work has been completed.

  Army Manpower
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the need for redeployment measures in the light of his recent announcement of a reduction in Army personnel.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I assume that my hon. Friend's question relates to resettlement provision for those Army personnel who might be made redundant as a result of reductions in the strength of the Army. Those made redundant will have access to the same resettlement support as is provided to those leaving the services at the end of a normal engagement or commission. They will receive advice and counselling, and will also receive up to 28 days' training to equip them with new skills or assist them in transferring their existing skills to the civilian job market. In addition they will be able to obtain assistance with job finding from the Army Resettlement Employment Liaison Cell, or from the Officers Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association, both of which receive funding from the MOD.

  Defence Estimates
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the Statement on the Defence Estimates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tom King
  The Statement on the Defence Estimates 1991 will be published on 9 July.

  Arab Industrial Organisation
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the British military attaché in Cairo has met the director of the Arab Industrial Organisation in Egypt this year.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It is not our normal practice to discuss the duties of military personnel attached to our posts overseas.

  Wyre Forest
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for the use of the facility at Drakelow lane in Wyre Forest; and what is the annual cost of maintaining this facility.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence has no further use for its site at Drakelow, Wolverley and negotiations for its sale are currently in progress. No annual maintenance costs are being incurred; part of the site is let and producing rent.

  Options for Change
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decisions have been taken on the implementation of "Options for Change" in the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have identified a number of measures needed to ensure the most effective use of the resources available for defence.

  Subject to the usual consultation with the trade unions we have decided to close RAF Hullavington and No. 7 Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton starting in April 1992, and RAF Abingdon by May 1993. The RAF
  138
  elementary flying training school will be relocated from RAF Swinderby to RAF Topcliffe in July 1993. We have also decided that it should additionally be possible to close RAF West Raynham at some future date. No. 16 and No. 58 Squadrons, RAF Regiment, will be disbanded on 1 April 1992, and No. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment will be disbanded on 1 October 1992. These changes are part of the move towards smaller, better equipped, properly trained and housed and well-motivated armed forces announced by my right hon. Friend on 25 July 1990. Further announcements on the implementation of "Options for Change" in the RAF will be made as decisions are taken.

  ASYLUM AND REFUGEE-STATUS: CONSULTATIONS
  ASYLUM AND REFUGEE-STATUS: CONSULTATIONS
  ASYLUM-SEEKERS: ACCOMMODATION
  ASYLUM-SEEKERS: ACCOMMODATION
  ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS AND VETERINARY TRAINING
  ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS AND VETERINARY TRAINING
  PET SHOP PREMISES
  PET SHOP PREMISES
  RAF: IMPLEMENTATION OF "OPTIONS FOR CHANGE"
  RAF: IMPLEMENTATION OF "OPTIONS FOR CHANGE"
  NORTHERN IRELAND: GRANTS TO STATUTORY BODIES
  NORTHERN IRELAND: GRANTS TO STATUTORY BODIES