Written Answers of 11 June 1991

TRANSPORT

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Ms. Valley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage reductions of carbon dioxide emissions are planned for each year between the present time and 2005.

  Mr. Chope
  We have not set year-by-year targets.

  Airline Deregulation
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to initiate a pan-European airline deregulation campaign as a prerequisite to an open skies environment between Europe and the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The United Kingdom Government have been and continue to be in the forefront of the pursuit of aviation liberalisation in Europe, both multilaterally in the EC and bilaterally. Wherever possible, we have been taking steps to pursue similar liberalisation elsewhere in the world. Discussions on liberalisation with the United States are at an early stage. Our aim will be to remove obstacles to fair competition, which hinder our airlines at present, and to remove unnecessary regulation.

  Driving Licence Records
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is examining the possibility of disclosing copies of photographs obtained on driver licences to the police; whether powers in section 15(1) of the Road Vehicle (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971 would allow for this; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency —DVLA—is currently collating and analysing responses to the consultation document on the proposal to include photographs on driving licences. The police are allowed access to the driver licensing records for law enforcement purposes under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1984. The DVLA would, as necessary, seek advice on disclosure of photographs from the Data Protection Registrar. Regulation 15 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971 specifically covers release of information from the vehicle register. I will make a further statement shortly.

  Taxi Licences
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 2 May,Official Report, column 306, whether he has issued advice to local authorities on how to
  470
  determine what offences make a person not a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Local authorities have broad discretion over all the main areas of taxi licensing and they decide, based on the information at their disposal, whether to issue a taxi licence. No guidance has been issued.

  A33
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the upgrading of the Chilworth to Otterbourne section of the A33 to motorway standard to be completed and opened to the public; and how he intends to control the consequential traffic congestion on the unreconstructed section of the A33 between Bar End, Winchester and Otterbourne.

  Mr. Chope
  Upgrading of the Compton (Otterbourne) to Bassett (Chilworth) section of the A33 to motorway standard is currently due to be completed and open to the public later this year. We have no plans to carry out any major works on the existing A33 between Winchester and Compton (Otterbourne) which will be superseded by the planned Bar End—Compton section of the M3. Advance works for this scheme are already under way. The main construction is due to start next year.

  Rail Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will issue a general directive to the British Railways Board, under section 27 of the Transport Act 1962, to require it to take into account the national interest of Wales in exercising its functions relating to passenger transport, relating to the need for adequate and convenient InterCity services between Cardiff and Holyhead;

  (2) if he will now use powers under section 3 of the Railways Act 1974 to give directions to the board of British Rail to continue to provide InterCity railway service through trains six times a day each way between Holyhead and London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. The Government's policy is that InterCity should take its decisions on a normal commercial basis. Government grants are available for services provided by Regional Railways.

  A1-A1068 (Junction)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has undertaken of the costs and benefits of a junction providing direct access from the Al to the A1068.

  Mr. Chope
  No economic appraisal has been undertaken of a direct access from trunk road A1 Alnwick bypass to the A1068.

  Roads (Safety Fencing)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many dual carriageways and motorways have Bridon wire fencing installed along the central section.

  Mr. Chope
  In England, wire rope safety fencing has been provided on dual carriageway central reserves at three locations. A further five such installations are in progress.
  471
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales are responsible for highway matters in Scotland and Wales.

  Red Routes
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans exist to extend red routes to other urban areas.

  Mr. Chope
  It will be for local authorities outside London to decide whether to introduce priority red routes in their areas using their existing powers, in co-operation with the police and seeking the authorisations of the priority red route signs and markings from the Secretary of State.

  Road Tankers (Safety)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to strengthen road tankers to reduce risk of spillage and fire in case of accident.

  Mr. Chope
  The Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1981 are the subject of current review and consultation by the Health and Safety Executive. Updated regulations covering improved requirements for petrol tankers and tankers carrying other flammable liquids are expected to be published at the end of this year, supported by approved codes of practice.

  A1 (Resurfacing)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the A1 south of Scremerston has been resurfaced in the course of the road works carried out there over the last year; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The road improvement south of Scremerston widened the existing carriageway by 2m to bring the section of the Al up to current design standards for a single carriageway road. Work commenced in September last year and was substantially completed in December. The contractor returned to the site in May to replace an area of surfacing that did not comply with the specification.

  West Midlands (Rail Services)
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, when he next meets the chairman of British Rail, he will discuss the quality of rail services between London Euston and the west midlands.

  Mr. Freeman
  Quality of inter-city services is a commercial matter for British Rail. I am sure that it will want to improve performance on this route in order to compete successfully with other forms of transport.

  A38
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the total number of representations his Department have received in response to the A38 trunk road improvement between Liskeard and Bodmin, indicating(a) the numbers favouring the options to the north and south of Dobwalls, respectively, (b) the numbers favouring the options to the north and south of the A390, respectively and (c) the number who would have preferred a Glynn valley option.
  472
  Mr. Chope
  More than 500 completed questionnaires were received in response to the recent public consultation on the proposed improvement of the A38, Liskeard to Bodmin. The questionnaires are still being evaluated. We will make a full statement on the results of the public consultation when the preferred route is announced towards the end of the year.

  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when and for what reasons the decision was taken not to include an upgrading of the A38 on a new line of route through the Glynn valley as an option as part of the A38 trunk road improvement between Bodmin and Liskeard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The decision not to include a new route through the Glynn valley as one of the options for the improvement of the A38, Liskeard to Bodmin, was taken at an early stage in the development of the scheme.

  Forecasts of future traffic indicate that a dual carriageway road will be necessary. The poor vertical and horizontal alignment of the existing road through the valley precludes its use as half of a dual carriageway system. It would be necessary to build a completely new road.

  The topography of the valley is such that building a new dual carriageway through it would be extremely difficult. Major engineering works, including substantial earthworks and structures, would have a very damaging impact on the environment of the valley, which is the central feature of the Mid-Fowey special area of great landscape value and a Cornwall nature conservation site.

  Railway Construction
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for all OECD countries, the number of miles of new publicly funded, main line railway track constructed, for each of the last 10 years, and the number of miles of such track(a) actually under construction and (b) planned.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

  Vehicle Licensing
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the application for a heavy goods vehicle licence from Mr. George West, ref. VDL/H/CC, was received by the DVLA at Swansea; when the licence is going to be issued; and if he will make a statement explaining the reasons for the delay in issuing this licence.

  Mr. Chope
  I regret that, without Mr. West's date of birth, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency—DVLA— officials are unable to investigate Mr. West's case. The agency has more than 40 million driver records, and these are held under unique numbers made up from the driver's name and date of birth. The agency deals with up to 40,000 driving licence applications each day.

  I have written to the hon. Member requesting the information which DVLA will need to identify Mr. West's application; and I will write to him again when my inquiries are complete.

  Seamen
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the results of the studies into the future supply and demand for United Kingdom seamen and into the supply and demand for United Kingdom merchant ships in time of war.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Summaries of both reports have today been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

  Trinity House Transmitter, Amble
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will arrange for a non-statutory public inquiry into the proposal of Trinity House to erect a Loran C transmitter at Amble, Northumberland.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The arrangement of a non-statutory public inquiry into this proposal would be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. Since no Crown development is involved in the proposal, the question of such an inquiry under Department of Environment circular 18/22 does not arise.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has been notified as the developing department of the strong objections of the local planning authority to the proposal by Trinity House to erect a 700ft mast at Amble, Northumberland; and whether he will apply the procedures set out in circular 18/84 in response to these objections so as to enable a public local inquiry to take place.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 10 June 1991]: The Department of Transport is aware of the objections of the local planning authority to the proposal by Trinity House to erect a mast near Amble in Northumberland. The Department is not however the developing Department; indeed no Crown development is involved in the proposal. Accordingly the question of using procedures under Department of the Environment circular 18/84 does not arise.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 June.

  The Prime Minister: This morning I has meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall have further meetings later today.

  Tanks
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Prime Minister what response he has made to the letter of 4 June from Sanderson Kayser Ltd. on the implications of the Chieftain main battle tank replacement contract.

  The Prime Minister
  A reply will be sent to the company shortly.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Nuclear Structure Facility, Daresbury
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Nobel prize winners wrote to him to ask for the retention of the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury; and what was the nature of his response.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received one letter from a Nobel prize winner who expressed the hope that the Science and Engineering Research Council's nuclear structure facility at Daresbu.ry could be kept open. The reply was to the effect such decisions were for the SERC to make, based on its judgments of scientific priority.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish his Department's evaluation of the quality of the work done at the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Evaluation of the scientific quality of research carried out under the aegis of the research councils is a matter for them and the scientific community to assess. The Department does not seek to make its own judgments in these matters.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations were made to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon, in the course of his recent visit to Daresbury laboratory about the desirability of a peer review of the quality of work undertaken at the nuclear structure facility; and what was his response.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  During my visit to Daresbury laboratory with my hon. Friend on 22 February I met a number of the staff and their representatives who put to me their concern about SERC's planned closure of the nuclear structure facility. Several expressed the view that such a decision should be subject to further peer review. I responded by emphasising that decisions on the management of SERC's programme must be for the council to judge, and by referring to the further study to assess the importance of the area of nuclear structure science announced by SERC on 7 February.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State For Education and Science if he will list the expenditure to date incurred on the production and administration of the national curriculum, broken down between that incurred on (i) working groups, (ii) publication, (iii) publicity, (iv) School Examinations and Assessment Council meetings, (v) in-service training, (vi) monitoring and (vii) other.

  Mr. Eggar
  Government expenditure on the national curriculum in the 1989–90 financial year was some £20·6 million; and in 1990–91 it was £24·8 million (provisional). These figures include grant-in-aid to the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council. Planned expenditure for 1991–92 is some £34·9 million.

  The implementation of the national curriculum has also been supported by the Government via specific grants to

  475
  local education authorities. Eligible expenditure includes in-service training, the employment of advisory teachers, support for non-teaching support staff, and the provision of extra books, materials and equipment. In 1989–90 these grants totalled some £100 million; in 1990–91, they were some £120 million; and in 1991–92 they will support LEA expenditure of around £170 million.

  It is not possible to break down this expenditure in the way requested by the hon. Member. The table shows direct expenditure by the Department:

  (i) Working Groups

  In the financial years 1987–88 to 1990–91—£7l0,000.

  Planned expenditure in 1991–92—£127,000.

  (ii) Publication

  National curriculum subject orders—£5,500,000.

  NC assessment statutory documents and speeches—£148,000.

  (iii)Publicity

  Leaflets for parents and teachers—£665,000.

  (vi)Monitoring

  Monitoring is being carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate as part of their normal duties.

  Local Authority Service Provision
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for which areas of local authority service provision for which he is responsible payments are required to be made to individuals who are not employees(a) in the form of a grant or one-off payment and (b) on receipt of paid invoices.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 6 June 1991]: Local education authorities may make payments to a variety of individuals who are not their employees. Examples may include mandatory and discretionary awards to students; assistance to school children and students for clothing, footwear, school journeys or towards tuition fees; allowances to councillors or governors; and payments to suppliers of goods and services. Information on the full range of such payments, or on whether they take the form of grants or of reimbursement of paid invoices, is not collected centrally.

ENERGY

  British Coal
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the number and type of job creation opportunities set up by British Coal Enterprise Ltd. in South Yorkshire since 1984.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Since 1984, in the Yorkshire region as a whole British Coal Enterprise Ltd.—BCE—has helped to create 5,711 new job opportunities by funding the start-up or expansion of new businesses, and a further 1,298 new job opportunities through the funding of managed workspace. BCE has also helped 4,695 ex-British Coal employees to find alternative employment, through the job and career change scheme. The total to 31 March 1991 is therefore 11,704. Separate figures for South Yorkshire are not published.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many of the stockbrokers eligible for selling commissions in respect of electricity privatisation in England and Wales he proposes(a) to pay and (b) not to pay, before the end of June, all or most of the fees due.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The relevant payments in respect of the regional electricity companies share offers are under way: I would expect the remainder to be substantially completed during the month. Those in respect of the generating companies share offers should be in train shortly thereafter.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects Touche Ross to complete its audit in relation to the sale of shares in the privatisation of the electricity supply industry of England and Wales.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I have recently received Touche Ross's audit report in relation to the selling commissions due to brokers in respect of the regional electricity companies share offers, on the basis of which the relevant payments are now being made to brokers; that in relation to the generating companies share offers is expected shortly. As regard the firm's work on fraud audit, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 10 June at columns 408–9.

  Fossil-Fuel Power Stations
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what uses are made of the ash created in the burning of coal in fossil-fuel power stations.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Up to 50 per cent.—around 7 million tonnes—of the ash from coal-fired power stations is used for commercial purposes in a number of constructional applications and building products, for example, as structural fill material in road construction projects, in the manufacture of aerated building blocks and lightweight aggregates, and concrete applications.

  Fuel Rationing Coupons
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current cost of storing motor fuel rationing coupons.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Due to an advance in printing techniques, such storage is no longer necessary. We have now moved to a print on demand scheme, which will involve no expenditure after this financial year, thus saving at least £200,000 per annum.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Child Tax Allowance
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the additional revenue in a full year that would result from abolishing the £3,295 annual tax allowance for children; and by how much child benefit could be raised if the additional revenue were wholly used for that purpose.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The additional revenue produced by abolishing the personal tax allowance for all children
  477
  would be about £60 million in a full year for the United Kingdom. This sum would allow child benefit to go up by about 10p a week for each eligible child.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on margins charged by banks over minimum lending rate; and what proposals he has for regulating these margins.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I have received a number of representations on this issue. My officials, together with the Bank of England, are looking at the concerns that have been raised. We will consider what—if any—action is necessary when we have established the facts.

  Mortgages
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on(a) the total number of mortgages for which monthly repayments are reviewed annually and (b) the proportion of mortgages subject to annual review which are reviewed in each month.

  Mr. Maples
  Only partial information is available. We do not hold information on the total number of mortgages for which payments are adjusted annually, but it is estimated that over 40 per cent. of building society mortgages fall into this category. No information is available on the proportion of annual review mortgages that are reviewed in each month.

  Income Tax Assessments
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many assessments for personal income tax made by the Inland Revenue were appealed against in each year since 1987.

  Mr. Maude
  The number of appeals against schedule D. capital gains and taxed income assessments since 1987 are as follows. In many cases, the appeal was against an estimated assessment raised in the absence of the taxpayer's return.

  Million

  1987–88

  2·1

  1988–89

  2·9

  1989–90

  3·1

  1990–91

  3·2

  The relevant statistics for schedule E assessments are not available on the computerised PAYE system.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many assessments for personal income-tax made by the Inland Revenue in each year since 1988 were appealed against(a) on the initial assessment, (b) on the second assessment, (c) on the third assessment and (d) on further assessments.

  Mr. Maude
  Figures for appeals are not recorded in this form.

  Inland Revenue (Efficiency)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what performance indicators are used by the Inland Revenue to monitor the service's efficiency and effectiveness(a) in terms of assessment of tax revenue due and (b) in terms of collection.
  478
  Mr. Maude
  A wide range of indicators is used to plan, manage and report the Inland Revenue's work. Key figures are published each year in the Board of Inland Revenue's plans and annual report, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library. For example, the report for the year ending 31 March 1990—Cm. 1321—showed that 98·8 per cent. of the main assessments for schedule D income tax were issued on time in 1989–90, and that the proportion of assessment taxes which had been collected was the highest for five years.

  Pensioners (Tax)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing for 1991–92 the numbers of pensioners who(a) pay no income tax, (b) pay income tax at the basic rate only and (c) pay income tax at the highest rate.

  Mr. Maude
  The latest estimates are that about 7·3 million individuals aged over 65 will pay no income tax, 2·6 million will pay income tax at the basic rate only and 150,000 will pay at the higher rate.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Expenditure
  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of local government expenditure in Worthing is likely to be financed from community charge, uniform business rate and central government, respectively in 1991–92; and what were the figures in 1990–91.

  Mr. Portillo
  Worthing borough council are expecting to raise £22·55 million in community charges in respect of 1990–91. Together with income of £23·6 million from the non-domestic rates pool, and £7·4 million revenue support grant, after safety net adjustment, this money will help finance £322·1 million net revenue expenditure by West Sussex county council, and £9 million net revenue expenditure by Worthing borough council.

  For 1991–92 Worthing borough council are expecting to raise £25·8 million in community charges in respect of that year. Together with £26·3 million from the non-domestic rates pool, and £8·4 million revenue support grant, this will help finance £354·8 million budgeted net revenue expenditure by West Sussex county council in 1991–92, and £10 million budgeted net revenue expenditure by Worthing borough council in 1991–92.

  It is not possible to say what proportion of local government expenditure in Worthing is financed by any one of these sources.

  Household Incomes
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Clay),Official Report, 27 June 1990, column 259, to 1991–92 showing, in addition, the total gainers and losers and a more detailed breakdown of net household income, equivalised and unequivalised, at the top end of the income range.

  Mr. Key
  Information placed in the Library on 15 February and 27 June 1990 showed the distributional impact of the community charge on a basis directly
  479
  comparable with domestic rates. Subsequent changes in local government spending and the level of central support mean that an equivalent basis of comparison is not available for 1991–92. Because of the small sample size, a more detailed breakdown of net household income is not possible.

  Buildings Regulations
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects his Department's proposals for the revision of part M of the Building Regulations 1985 to be introduced.

  Mr. Yeo
  I expect to lay before Parliament in the autumn of this year revised Building Regulations, incorporating changes to the requirements of part M. The revised approved document which gives practical guidance on how the requirements of the regulations can be met will be published at the same time. They will come into force subject to parliamentary approval in the summer of 1992.

  Wild Birds
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the caging of wild birds for use as decoys is permitted under the European Birds directives 1979.

  Mr. Baldry
  The directive prohibits the hunting, capturing or killing of wild birds where the methods used would result in the large-scale or non-selective capture or killing of birds, or would cause the local disappearance of a species. The directive prohibits live birds which are blind or mutilated from being used as decoys.

  Convention Centres
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of grants and other assistance given to(a) the Birmingham international conference and exhibition centre and (b) the Bournemouth international centre from public funds in the United Kingdom and from the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The Birmingham international convention centre has received £49·75 million grant from the European regional development fund.

  The national exhibition centre received a central Government grant of £1·5 million at the outset and a further £12·3 million ERDF grant in 1988 to fund the newest halls.

  The Bournemouth international centre has received no specific grant from central Government or the ERDF.

  My Department does not collect information on local authority support for such projects.

  Listed Buildings
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria are used to designate a listed building in each category.

  Sir George Young
  There are three categories of listed building in England and they are classified in three grades to show their relative importance as follows:

  Grade I —Buildings of exceptional interest.

  Grade II*—Particularly important buildings of more than special interest.

  480

  Grade II —Buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them.

  Principles of selection and grading are more fully explained in appendix 1 to my Department's circular 8/87 "Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas—Policy and Procedures".

  Local Government Structure
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce full-time councillors in his proposals for the structure of local government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The Government will be publishing shortly a separate conslutation document on the internal management arrangements of local authorities; I cannot pre-empt its contents.

  Enterprise Zones
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of(a) the lost revenue, (b) the cost of capital allowances, and (c) (a) and (b) within enterprise zones for the latest workable year.

  Mr. Portillo
  The latest available figures are:rate revenue forgone in enterprise zones in the United Kingdom—£92 million in 1989–90.
  capital allowances in enterprise zones in Great Britain—no figures are available for Northern Ireland—£150 million in 1988–89.

  Environmental Protection Act
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment since what date the guidance notes to the implementation of the Environmental Protection Act have been out of print; and when he expects new ones to be printed.

  Mr. Baldry
  A total of 6,000 copies of the "Practical Guide to Integrated Pollution Control" were issued on 28 February 1991. These were sent free of charge to operators of processers controlled under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and to all other interested bodies on request. However, demand for the guide so far exceeded our expectations that this initial supply was exhausted by mid-April. A reprint of a further 6,000 was ordered immediately and copies may now be obtained from the Department on request. The guide was out of print for less than three weeks.

  Tradeable Permits
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the results of research by London Economics Ltd. into the utility of tradeable permits; and if he will place a copy of the research in the Library.

  Mr. Baldry
  I expect to receive a final report from London Economics Ltd. before the end of the year, and will then place a copy in the Library.

  Compulsory Tendering
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken on representations he has received concerning differential treatment between
  481
  outside and in-house contractors under the local government compulsory competitive tendering schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  My right hon. Friend considers all representations about the operation of compulsory competitive tendering. Where they relate the conduct of individual competitive tendering exercises by local authorities, he considers whether there are grounds for the use of his sanction powers under sections 19A and 19B of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and sections 13 and 14 of the Local Government Act 1988, and uses them where appropriate.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the guidelines followed by the Audit Commission in settling the question of local authorities being allowed to undertake work for each other under the compulsory competitive tendering procedure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Any such guidelines are a matter for the Audit Commission.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many contracts have been put out to tender by local authorities under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1988; and how many contracts were awarded to outside contractors and how many were won in-house under the compulsory competitive tendering schemes.

  Mr. Key
  My Department does not collect this information, but indications are that the proportion of contracts awarded to external tenderers varies between services, and is highest for building cleaning work, at some 30 per cent.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a review of the retendering procedure for the carrying out of additional work to any main contracts under the compulsory competitive tendering scheme for local government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  We have no plans to make changes to the regulations made on 19 March 1991 which provided, among other things, that where "other cleaning" work had been assigned to direct service organisations and the cost of additional work to meet the litter duties proposed by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 exceeded 20 per cent. of the cost of the work already being done, the work had to be put out to tender again.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amendments have been made to the threshold included in the Local Government Act 1988, for the smaller levels of work carried out in local government under compulsory competitive tendering schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  No amendments have been made to the de minimis threshold of £100,000, set out in the order made on 29 July 1988—SI No. 1988/1372.

  Councillors
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to include in the consultative document on the internal management of local government the role of the elected member; and if he will make a statement.
  482
  Mr. Key
  The Government intend to publish this document shortly; I cannot pre-empt its contents.

  Nuclear Plants (Carbon Dioxide)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to commission a study of the effects of carbon dioxide releases to the atmosphere from sea water boiled off in the cooling of nuclear plants; and what information he presently possesses on the levels of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere as a result of the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining to waste disposal.

  Mr. Baldry
  No. The amount of carbon dioxide released from sea water used for cooling power stations is negligible in global terms.

  I understand that the nuclear industry and environmental analysts are in agreement that the nuclear power fuel cycle is responsible for about 4 per cent. of the carbon dioxide released from conventional coal-fired plant for an equivalent amount of delivered energy.

  "Environment: Ideas for the 21st Century"
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the report published in December 1990, "Environment: Ideas for the 21st Century", prepared by the Dutch committee for long-term environmental policy.

  Mr. Baldry
  Yes.

  Planning Controls
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the outcome of the consultation about planning controls over agriculture and forestry buildings conducted by his Department and the Welsh Office.

  Sir George Young
  On 5 October 1990 my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales issued a consultation paper inviting views on two significant changes to the present permitted development rights enjoyed by agriculture and forestry. We are grateful to the large number of bodies and individuals responding to this exercise. A list of their submissions is being placed in the Library of the House, where copies will be available on request. We have also published a research report on the subject—"Permitted Development Rights for Agriculture and Forestry"—which is available through HMSO.

  The consultation paper proposed: (i) the extension to all areas of England and Wales of arrangements similar to those which already apply in the national parks, giving local planning authorities discretion to require details of new agricultural and forestry buildings to be submitted for approval; (ii) an increase, in all areas of England and Wales, in the minimum area of agricultural land attracting permitted development rights under class A of part 6 of schedule 2 to the General Development Order.

  The Government have decided to implement both these changes by amendment to the General Development Order and to extend controls further in certain respects.

  The current scheme in the national parks requires anyone who wishes to erect a farm or forestry building that falls within the definition of permitted development not

  483
  requiring a specific planning permission to first send basic information about the proposed development to the local planning authority. The authority then has 28 days to decide whether the proposed development is likely to have significant effects on its surroundings. If so, it may require the submission of details for formal approval. Consultation on submitted details would be a matter for the authority's discretion.

  If the authority does not ask for details, the development can proceed after the expiry of the 28-day period. If details are sought, the authority's consent will be needed before the development can proceed, but it may concern itself only with the siting, design, and external appearance of the building. It may not challenge the need for the development. If the authority does not approve the proposed details, the applicant has the right of appeal to the Secretary of State.

  In the light of the consultation responses, and the research carried out, we have decided to build on the experience of the national park arrangements by making them apply to all parts of England and Wales. In addition to the consultation proposals, we intend in the light of the views expressed: (i) to make the arrangements cover not only new buildings, but also significant extensions and alterations, and farm and forestry roads. Extensions and alterations and farm and forestry roads are already covered in the national parks; and (ii) both in national parks and elsewhere, to expand the considerations to be taken into account by local planning authorities to cover not only visual aspects, but also the desirability of preserving ancient monuments and their settings, known archaeological sites, the settings of listed buildings, and sites of recognised nature conservation value including SSSIs.

  Some consultees argued that agricultural buildings should be subject to full development control. They claimed that the initial notification and any subsequent consideration of details would together take longer than the normal planning process. On the basis of experience in the national parks, the Government consider that in most cases the local authority will not need to request full details of the proposed development; the farmer will therefore usually be free to proceed after 28 days—much quicker than most planning consents.

  As recommended in the research findings, the new arrangements will be accompanied by guidance to local planning authorities stressing the importance of reconciling environmental considerations with the operational requirements of farm and forestry business. We hope to incorporate that guidance in a revised version of planning policy guidance note 7, also reflecting the outcome of consultation on a draft version of that document.

  We have considered whether local authorities should be required to charge fees in conjunction with these arrangements. The Government's policy is that local authorities' development control activities should be wholly funded by application fees. Accordingly, we have decided that a fee should be payable, in national parks and elsewhere at the initial notification stage; no further fee would be payable where the local authority decided to request details. The fee will be £20 initially. We will monitor the costs of the operation of the new system over the first three years, and thereafter aim to relate the fee to actual costs, as with other planning fees.

  The second main proposal in the consultation paper for new planning controls over agriculture was the extension
  484
  of full development control to all farm holdings of less than five hectares. We have considered carefully the case put by many consultees and in the research findings for a 10 hectare eligibility limit, but that would double the number of farm units coming within control—so that about one quarter of all holdings would come within control. We do not accept that the case has been made to bring in that degree of control.

  We have, however, decided: (i) not to proceed with the idea of an exemption for genuine commercial holdings when extending planning control to holdings of less than five hectares; we have concluded that the proposed genuineness test would be unworkable; (ii) to extend control to separate areas of agricultural land of less than one hectare. Land below one hectare which forms part of a unit of five hectares or more but is separated from it, for example by a public road or by land in different ownership, will thus be subject to full development control.

  Below these thresholds, all agricultural permitted development rights under class A of part 6 of schedule 2 to the General Development Order will be withdrawn. These new measures will provide more effective control over development associated with the fragmentation of holdings. They will discourage the erection under permitted development rights of buildings ultimately intended either for non-agricultural uses, or to support an application to erect an agricultural dwelling where in farming terms there may be no prospect of creating a viable holding.

  In addition, we propose to improve controls over excavations and engineering operations and over livestock units. Excavations and engineering operations which individually or collectively exceed 0·5 hectares on one site will be brought within the discretionary control system for buildings, in the national parks and elsewhere.

  We also intend to rectify an anomaly in the treatment of livestock units. Since 1988 specific planning permission has been required to erect livestock buildings within 400 m of residential or similar property. It has however been possible to use new agricultural buildings within the 400 m cordon for keeping livestock once five years have elapsed from erection. We will amend the General Development Order so that in future new buildings erected within the cordon will not be able to be used for livestock without specific planning permission, except in emergencies. And we will issue further guidance to local planning authorities on development near existing livestock farms.

  Taken together, these changes will produce substantial environmental benefits in controlling the effects of agricultural and forestry development, while ensuring that the rural economy can continue to prosper and make its own contribution to the quality of the environment. They represent a significant extension of the rights of local authorities to take an interest in the activities of our agricultural and forestry industries. We therefore intend to monitor the operation of the new system, and to review the position in three years' time with a view to making any further modifications shown to be necessary, either by increasing or reducing control.

  Nothing in this statement applies to planning controls over fish farms. We announced last December that we would be withdrawing permitted development rights for fish farm excavations and engineering operations in the national parks. In addition, during Parliament's consideration of the Planning and Compensation Bill, the Government introduced provisions to control floating

  485
  freshwater fish tanks and cages. I hope to announce shortly a consultation paper on the detailed implementation of these measures, and on the planning treatment of buildings and other developments on fish farms.

  Minerals Survey
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to publish the results of the 1988 minerals survey.

  Mr. Yeo
  I am pleased to announce that the results of the survey are published today, 11 June 1991. A copy is available in the House of Commons Library. These findings show that the majority of the minerals industry acts responsibly and effectively where our planning system requires them to restore their land when extraction or tipping ceases. But I would like to see the whole of the industry operating to the highest standards and actively ensuring that all their sites will be adequately restored and will not create future dereliction for public funds to reclaim.

  I am very concerned that a third of the workings still in operation, and almost 60 per cent. of the areas for mineral waste tipping, either have no planning conditions requiring final reclamation or that the conditions which do exist are not thought satisfactory.

  That is why the Government are taking a number of steps. The Planning and Compensation Bill now contains provisions to bring old interim development order mineral sites into the planning system and their operations up to modern standards.

  We have instituted a review of the operation of the Minerals Act 1981, which will include how best to improve the activities on the many mineral permissions granted in the 1950s and 1960s. We are to fund a pilot study by Groundwork to encourage the improvement of the environmental performance of the minerals industry, and we are funding a number of important research projects concerned with improving reclamation practices within the industry.

  All this should result in the minerals industry becoming "better neighbours" while still supplying the minerals which are needed by the country.

  Plant and Machinery
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a review of the rating of plant and machinery.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have decided to establish a small expert committee to review the rating of plant and machinery. Much of the existing law has remained substantially unchanged for almost 30 years and has become outdated as a result of technological change. The committee will have the following terms of reference:To consider the present law and practice in regard to the rating of plant and machinery in the United Kingdom; to make recommendations as to the principles that should be prescribed to comprise the extent of rateable property, having regard to the financial and other considerations involved, and with a view to removing inconsistencies and harmonising the law and practice in all parts of the United Kingdom; and to make proposals for giving effect to the recommendations.

  It will be asked to report by 31 December 1992, so that any recommendations can be implemented for the 1995 revaluation of non-domestic property.
  486
  The chairman of the committee will be Mr. Derek Wood, QC. The other members will be decided after consultation with interested bodies.

  Waltham Forest HAT
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the tenants of the Cathall road, Boundary road, Oliver close and Chingford hall estates in Waltham Forest will have the opportunity to vote for the establishment of a housing action trust.

  Sir George Young
  At a recent meeting, the joint steering group of tenant representatives proposed that a ballot of tenants on the proposal for a trust to redevelop the estates should begin on 13 July. The London borough of Waltham Forest has already confirmed that, if a trust is established after tenants vote in favour, they will fully support its implementation.

  In view of the very high level of agreement that has been reached among the parties on how the HAT proposal can best serve the interests of the tenants of the estates, I am happy to confirm that the ballot will begin on the date proposed by tenant representatives.

  I hope the tenants of the estates will seize the unique opportunity this proposal offers to transform housing and living conditions on the estates, and bring investment and jobs, in the interests of themselves, their families and the wider community in Waltham Forest.

  Waste Incineration
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list any EC regulations or directives currently in force or pending which restrict or control the erection of high-volume waste incinerators in the vicinity of food storage and processing premises.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 10 June 1991]: There are no EC directives or regulations which specifically impose restrictions or controls of this kind.

  The EC has adopted three directives on incineration: directive 84/360 on the combating of air pollution from industrial plants and directive 89/369—new plant—and directive 89/429—existing plant—on municipal waste incineration. These set emission limits and combustion conditions which apply to new plant now, and will apply to existing plant over 6 tonnes/hour capacity from 1996, and from 2000, with interim conditions from 1995, to smaller plant.

  In addition, directive 85/337 requires the environmental effects of major projects to be taken into consideration before development consent is given. These effects might include effects on food storage and processing premises in a project's vicinity.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Northern Iraq
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to protect Iraqi and Kurdish civilians who have assisted allied forces during the occupation in Northern Iraq, once allied forces have been withdrawn.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Our aim has always been that those refugees and other civilians who fled their homes in March
  487
  should be able to return in conditions of safety and security. We are working to establish the conditions which would allow for their continuing safety after the withdrawal of allied forces from Iraq.

  Israel
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the numbers of Palestinian dead and wounded, respectively, and of Israeli dead and wounded, respectively, since the start of the Intifada; and what representations he has made to Israel.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  According to our information, since the start of the Intifada 906 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli security forces and many thousands injured. There has recently been a disturbing increase in the number of Palestinians killed by other Palestinians: the total now stands at approximately 400. We regularly take up with the Israelis incidents where we believe their security forces have acted in breach of the fourth Geneva convention. According to our sources, at least 61 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians, but we have no reliable figures for numbers of Israelis injured. We continue to condemn violence on both sides.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken at United Nations Security Council level in respect of Israeli attacks on Lebanon on 4 June.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have made clear to the Israelis in London and Jerusalem our concern about the recent raids. We believe that the key to peace on Israel's northern border is the effective deployment of the Lebanese army, a strong Government in Beirut and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 425.

  Tibet
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on Tibet.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 October 1990, column 905, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas).

  Addis Ababa (British Subjects)
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects are at present trapped in Addis Ababa; how many have been invited to shelter in the British embassy during the current crisis; and what steps have been taken to ensure the safety of those not resident in the embassy.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The British community were advised to leave Ethiopia by the embassy on 23 May 1991. About 150 chose to remain. All were invited to shelter on the embassy compound. Over 60 accepted. All have now returned to their homes. The embassy remains in close touch with the community. Addis Ababa international airport reopened on 7 June 1991 and all British nationals are free to leave.

  Iraq
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of current persecution of Iraqis by the Government of Saddam Hussein.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We continue to monitor the situation in Iraq closely and receive information from a number of sources. We have made clear to the Iraqis that we would take the severest view of any evidence of persecution, which would contravene the terms of Security Council resolution 688.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the expulsion by the Sri Lankan Government of Mr. David Gladstone, British high commissioner in Colombo.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We believe that Sri Lankan action to be wholly unjustified. During four years in Colombo Mr. Galdstone has assiduously carried out Her Majesty's Government's policies, including effectively representing our concerns over Sri Lanka's unsatisfactory human rights record. It appears that his expulsion was motivated by a desire to stifle these criticisms.

  Our immediate response has been to cancel high-level visits, including one I had planned for this month. We are also reviewing other aspects of our relationship.

  We intend to move quickly to nominate a successor to Mr. Gladstone as high commissioner in Colombo.

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he proposes, either bilaterally or as part of a Commonwealth initiative to protect the security of small states, to the invasion of Sierra Leone by troops from Liberia loyal to Charles Taylor.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Following discussions with the Government of Sierra Leone we are supplying a quantity of non-lethal defence equipment to the Sierra Leone army.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Import Restrictions
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration has been given to revising or removing the restrictions on imports from Vietnam following the introduction of the market system in that country.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Restrictions on imports from Vietnam are subject to regular review in the light of foreign and trade policy considerations.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will impose restrictions upon imports of textiles from Thailand in the light of revelations about the use of child and forced labour in that country.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The EC, acting under the aegis of the multi-fibre arrangement, already restricts imports of a
  489
  wide range of textiles products from Thailand. Child labour and forced labour are extremely complex issues often born out of poverty and social deprivation. The most effective way to eradicate these problems is, I believe, to improve the underlying economic and social conditions. Open trade, rather than further trade restrictions, is more likely to contribute to this process.

  Israel
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on trade links between the United Kingdom and Israel; and what action he is taking to encourge them.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Trade links between the United Kingdom and Israel are good. Trade between the UK and Israel exceeded £1 billion for the first time in 1990—UK exports £558 million, UK imports £502 million. Israel is a priority market for export promotion under the British Overseas Trade Board's forward plan. My Department supports the activities of the British overseas trade group for Israel. I intend to visit Israel later this year to encourage trade and investment links.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on his Department's note of guidance to British exporters regarding the Arab trade boycott of Israel; and when it was last revised.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My Department's guidance note on the Arab boycott seeks to inform British firms on Government policy towards the boycott, to help remove misunderstandings about the operation of the boycott as it affects them and to provide them with information to assist their decisions about trading with the Arab world and Israel.

  The note, copies of which are in the Library, was last revised in January 1991.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on all recent and proposed trade missions to Israel supported financially or administratively by his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  During the financial year 1990–91, my Department provided financial support for three trade missions to Israel organised by the British overseas trade group for Israel. In the current financial year a further four such missions are due to receive support.

HEALTH

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his current policy towards the collection of information by his Department on the number of jobs lost and beds closed as a result of units becoming NHS trusts; and if he will make a statement on his future policy on this matter.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I do not anticipate bed closures and job losses"as a result of units becoming NHS trusts".

  Both trusts and directly managed units need to fit their staff numbers to the efficient fulfilment of the health care
  490
  contracts placed on them by health authorities. As in the past, some will doubtless expand in numbers and other contract. We do not routinely collect this kind of data from either NHS trusts or directly managed units. It is the responsibility of NHS trusts to determine the number of staff needed to provide the level of patient care contracted for.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the timetable for the second wave of NHS trusts.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Each trust application is the subject of public consultation lasting three months. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to be able to announce his decisions on the second wave applications in the autumn. The second wave of trusts will become fully operational in April 1992.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what types of information NHS trusts are expected to include in their business plans to be submitted to the national health service management executive.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Business plans are expected to set out in financial terms how a trust will deliver the services that the purchasers have commissioned from it. The plans contain financial projections covering income and expenditure, assets, source and application of funds, contract and activity analysis, cash flow and capital projects. They also include information on services provided, quality, training and teaching, research and personnel.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date NHS trusts were required to submit their business plans to the NHS management executive; and how many trusts submitted their plans by the date.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  NHS trusts were originally asked to submit their business plans to the NHS management executive—NHSME—by 8 March 1991. Although none of the trusts met this deadline they discussed their reasons individually with the NHSME and of the 57 NHS trusts, 53 have now submitted complete business plans and another three partially completed plans.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current value of the net assets of each NHS trust used to calculate the capital element of their contract prices.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 5 February at columns 96–97.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what range of salaries or other remuneration is paid to chief executives, managing directors and directors of those NHS trusts which operate ambulance services.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The salaries of chief executives and other directors are a matter for the trust board.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what commercial operations are now offered or are being proposed by those NHS trusts providing ambulance services other than the conveyance of patients or responding to emergencies.
  491
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  These NHS trusts offer a range of services. They are free to supplement their NHS income through additional services as long as they are not to the detriment of their patients and do not interfere with their ability to meet their NHS obligations.

  Occupational Therapy
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give details of the national shortfall in occupational therapists region by region;

  (2) if he will give details of the number of trained occupational therapists who will complete training in each of the next five years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Table 1 shows the percentage of occupational therapists posts in each region which had been vacant for three months or more at 31 March 1990. Steps are being taken to balance supply and demand. These include increasing the number of training places and encouraging and supporting retention and return initiatives undertaken by health authorities and the College of Occupational Therapists. These measures have contributed to the 28·7 per cent. increase in the number of occupational therapists between 1985 and 1989.

  Table 2 shows the intakes to training in England and Wales for the last three years, and gives an indication of the potential output of qualified occupational therapists over the next three years.

  Table 1

  Vacancy levels for Occupational Therapists1

  Regional Health Authority

  Vacancies as a percentage of Funded Establishment

  Northern

  20·5

  Yorkshire

  14·3

  Trent

  14·5

  East Anglian

  12·0

  North West Thames

  16·6

  North East Thames

  22·0

  South East Thames

  23·7

  South West Thames

  16·7

  Wessex

  11·4

  Oxford

  10·1

  South Western

  7·1

  West Midlands

  13·6

  Mersey

  10·6

  North Western

  11·4

  Source: Joint National Professional Manpower Initiative

  1 Vacancies of 3 months or more on 31 March 1990 as a percentage of funded establishment.

  Table 2

  Intakes to Occupational Therapist training1 England and Wales

  1988

  1989

  1990

  827

  836

  872

  1 Excludes "In-Service" training courses.

  Fertility
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information he has on how many men and women have received medical help for infertility in the last year for which figures are available;

  (2) if he will indicate which district health authorities provide (a) ovarian scanning, (b) radio-immune assay service, (c) artificial insemination, (d) IVF and (e) GIFT.
  492
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally. The provision of infertility services is a matter for individual health authorities to decide in the light of local needs and priorities.

  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities no longer provide sterilisation operations on social grounds; and if he will name these authorities.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information about the provision of sterilisation operations is not routinely collected. Regional and district general managers were recently reminded of existing guidance which makes it clear that male and female sterilisation operations should be available under the NHS on both family planning and medical grounds.

  Pain Relief
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will now take steps to ensure that adequate data are collected within the NHS concerning pain relief; and what approaches he has had from the Pain Society on this matter.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information on pain relief is not collected centrally because it is not a recognised medical specialty.

  Pregnancy Testing
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which district health authorities do not provide routine pregnancy testing.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Housing and Health
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the relationship between standards of housing and health.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A range of environmental factors, including poor housing conditions, can have an adverse effect on health. "Health of the Nation", published on 4 June, a copy of which is available in the Library, sets out proposals for improving standards of health and includes details of action the Government have already taken to improve housing conditions.

  Miscarriage Association
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to support the Miscarriage Association; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Miscarriage Association provides valuable support to many women who have had the misfortune to suffer a miscarriage. In recognition of its work we have recently awarded the association an increased core grant of £10,000 per annum and a project grant of £5,000 per annum. Both grants are for three years. The project grant is intended to help the Miscarriage Association improve the service it provides to ethnic minority communities.

  Breast Screening
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the relevance to the United Kingdom breast screening programme of the results of the Canadian trial of breast screening.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The adverse results of the reported Canadian trial have no direct relevance to the NHS breast screening programme. These research results relate to women under 50 while the United Kingdom programme covers women aged 50 and over. There is considerable international research evidence that in older, post-menopausal, women mammographic screening, followed by appropriate treatment where necessary, can reduce mortality from breast cancer by about a quarter in the age group screened. Women who are invited to attend for screening should do so.

  Death Rates
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish tables showing the death rate trends for coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer in each social class on the same basis of sex and age-group as that provided in annexes A, B and C of the document entitled, "The Health of the Nation";

  (2) if he will publish tables showing the death rate trends for coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer of each national health service region in England, showing males and females separately and distinguishing age groups in the same manner as annexes A, B and C of the document entitled, "The Health of the Nation"; and if he will give the average trends on the same basis for England as a whole over the same period.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Child Employment Legislation
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his estimate of the number of schoolchildren working part-time who are in breach of child employment legislation regulations; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is his estimate of the number of schoolchildren working part-time who are in breach of child employment legislation/regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The available information relating to prosecutions and convictions for the illegal employment of children in different areas of employment is shown in the tables.

  (a) Non-industrial undertakings
  Figures notified to the Home Office for prosecutions and convictions in England and Wales under sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933:

  Year

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  1979

  23

  18

  1980

  26

  25

  1981

  24

  22

  1982

  17

  16

  1983

  12

  12

  1984

  12

  9

  1985

  11

  9

  1986

  2

  2

  1987

  8

  8

  494

  Year

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  1988

  28

  22

  1989

  23

  19

  Information relating to the employment of children in Scotland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  (b) Industrial undertakings
  Informations laid by HSE's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates for breaches of section 1 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children's Act 1920 and concerning the illegal employment of children.

  Year1

  Informations laid

  Convictions

  1981

  4

  4

  1982

  4

  4

  1983

  3

  3

  1984

  6

  6

  1985

  8

  6

  21986

  4

  4

  1986–87

  11

  9

  1987–88

  2

  2

  1988–89

  7

  7

  1989–90

  8

  6

  1 1981–85, calendar years.

  2 1986, January to March 1986.

  1986–87 onwards, years commencing 1 April.

  (c) Agricultural Undertakings
  Information laid by HM Agricultural Inspectorate against persons at work who put at risk children under the age of 16 by the contravention of agricultural legislation:

  Year

  Informations laid

  Convictions

  1981

  40

  37

  1982

  31

  24

  1983

  18

  16

  1984

  16

  15

  1985

  30

  27

  1986

  27

  22

  1987

  21

  15

  21988

  3

  3

  31988–89

  18

  17

  1 1981–1987—Calendar years.

  2 1988—1 January to 31 March.

  3 1988–89—Year commencing 1 April (provisional).

  Figures for industrial and agricultural undertakings apply to Great Britain

  GP Fundholders (Contracts)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions exist on the freedom of general practitioner fundholders and national health service consultants to consider contracts along the lines of those contracted by Trafalgar Medical Services in Sheffield; and what monitoring his Department proposes to undertake of such arrangements.

  Mr. Dorrell
  General practice fundholders are free to place contracts for the limited range of hospital services covered by the fundholding scheme with providers who they consider will give the best care to their patients.

  Where general practice fundholders wish to contract with a non-NHS provider with which any member of the practice is connected, the National Health Service

  495
  (Fund-holding Practices) (General) Regulations 1991 require the practice to obtain the written consent of the regional health authority. Regional health authorities are expected to consider whether such proposals will provide a proper quality of care for patients and value for money compared with the alternatives available.

  HIV (Anonymised Screening)
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of people tested for HIV in the programme of anonymised screening at drug dependency units, for each of the health authorities participating in the programme; and what was the date on which the programme began in each authority.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Voluntary unlinked anonymous HIV antibody surveillance of saliva specimens from injecting drug users at a range of centres including drug dependency units began in December 1989 in London and in January 1990 outside London. The results will be published shortly.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give his latest estimate of the number of pregnant women who have been tested for HIV in the programme of unlinked anonymised screening of(a) rubella blood samples, (b) Guthrie cards and (c) in total, for each of the health authorities participating in the programme; and if he will give the dates of commencement of the programmes in each authority.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Unlinked anonymous surveillance of leftover blood samples from women attending antenatal clinics began in early 1990 in centres in inner London and in other districts in the Thames regions. In districts outside the Thames regions the programme began in mid to late 1990. At 22 May 1991, a total of 32,979 samples from women in inner London, 20,133 samples from women in other districts in the Thames regions and 21,144 samples from women in districts outside the Thames regions had been tested. Information about the number of Guthrie cards tested is not available centrally. The Guthrie card survey is not part of the Government's programme of suveys but is funded by the Medical Research Council and co-ordinated by the Institute of Child Health.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give his latest estimate of the number of hospital in-patients who have been tested for HIV in the programme of unlinked anonymised screening, for each of the health authorities participating in the programme; and if he will give the dates of commencement of the programme in each authority.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A feasibility study of unlinked anonymised HIV surveillance of hospital patients began in two centres in February 1991. Sera are stored and will be tested in batches. No blood has yet been tested.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the total number of people screened for HIV in the programme of unlinked anonymised screening(a) by each of the health authorities participating in the programme and (b) in total.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The number of people screened for HIV in the programme of anonymised HIV surveys is given in the following table.
  496

  Number

  Ante natal clinics to 22 May 1991

  South-West Thames RHA

  9,732

  South-East Thames RHA

  15,121

  North-East Thames RHA

  20,113

  North-West Thames RHA

  8,146

  Yorkshire RHA

  15,979

  North Western RHA

  5,165

  Genito urinary medicine clinics to 24 May 1991

  2 London clinics

  5,085

  4 clinics outside London

  6,610

  Saliva swabs from injecting drug users

  The results of this survey are not yet available but will be published soon.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of people tested for HIV in the programme of anonymised screening at genito-urinary medicine clinics, for each of the health authorities participating in the programme; and what was the date on which the programme began in each authority.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The studies in genito-urinary medicine clinics began in spring of 1990 in two clinics in London and later that year in four clinics outside London. At 24 May 1991, a total of 5,085 samples for people attending clinics in London, and 6,610 samples from people attending clinics outside London had been tested.

  Kidney Dialysis
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the numbers of people receiving kidney dialysis treatment in the age brackets(a) 0 to 20 years, (b) 21 to 40 years, (c) 41 to 60 years and (d) 61 to 80 years, or comparable age divisions.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The table gives estimates of the numbers of people receiving dialysis treatment according to 20-year age bands as at 31 December 1990.

  Age

  Number

  Under 20

  349

  21 to 40

  2,163

  41 to 60

  3,233

  61 to 80

  1,907

  Over 80

  101

  The figures are based on returns from renal units in 1990 adjusted to take account of the response rate and apportioned according to the age distribution of services in 1989.

  Blood Transfusion Service
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the relationship between the blood transfusion service and the national health service hospital trusts; whether it is intended to give the service its own trust status; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The establishment of NHS trusts has had no effect on the relationship between hospitals and the regional transfusion centres—RTCs—which continue to supply blood to all hospitals on a basis of clinical need. There are no current applications from RTCs for trust status.

  Kidney Transplant Operations
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost of a kidney transplant operation; who bears the cost; and what part of it is made up of booking the operating theatre.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The average annual cost of a kidney transplantation in the year of operation is around £10,000. For NHS patients the cost is borne by the health authority responsible for the care of the patient. The cost of booking the operating theatre is not separately identifiable.

  Prescription Charges
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much it would cost to make the long-term sick in receipt of invalidity benefit automatically exempt from prescription charges;

  (2) how many invalidity benefit recipients are not entitled to free prescriptions.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not available centrally.

  East Birmingham Hospital
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people had been waiting for more than a year for an operation in East Birmingham hospital on(a) 31 December 1989 and (b) 31 March 1991;

  (2) what percentage of the total on in-patient waiting lists at East Birmingham hospital on 31 March 1990 had been waiting for (a) more than one year and (b) more than two years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Waiting time information by individual hospital is not available centrally. The hon. Member might like to contact Mr. Nigel Thompson, the chairman of East Birmingham health authority, for details.

  Smoking
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's assessment of the medical effects of smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Cigarette consumption at this level results in a serious risk of developing a whole range of life-threatening diseases. The smoker's chances of contracting lung cancer, chronic obstructive airways disease and coronary heart disease are much enhanced. In addition there is an increased risk of contracting the following diseases:

  Cerebrovascular disease

  Cancer of the lip, oral cavity and pharynx

  Cancer of the oesophagus

  Cancer of the larynx

  Cancer of the pancreas

  Peripheral vascular disease.

  There is also evidence that other conditions are associated with smoking, including:

  Low birthweight babies (where the mother smokes during pregnancy)

  Aortic aneurysm

  Cancer of the bladder

  Cancer of the cervix

  Cancer of the stomach

  Cancer of the kidney

  Peptic ulcer.

  National Association of Young People in Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his policy with regard to the recognition of the National Association of Young People in Care as a representative body;

  (2) what steps he is taking to offer financial support to the National Association of Young People in Care.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The association is one of a range of voluntary organisations which is routinely consulted on policy and practice developments. The association has submitted an application for funding in the current financial year. A meeting to discuss this was held with representatives of National Association of Young People in Care on 9 May when further information was sought about their proposed new structure. A final decision about funding will be made shortly.

  Chernobyl Nuclear Accident
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representation Her Majesty's Government had at the conference hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency between 21 to 24 May in Vienna, on the IAEA international advisory committee report on the consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident; whether any United Kingdom Government scientists were involved in the study; and what study has been made of the report in regard to the applicability of its conclusions and recommendations to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Participants at the conference comprised a number of people from the United Kingdom, including a doctor from the Department of Health and a scientist from the National Radiological Protection Board. Both attended in their capacity as members of the International Advisory Committee—IAC—whose membership was drawn from independent scientists and organisations with an interest in radiological protection and epidemiology. Also in attendance was an observer from the nuclear installations inspectorate.

  The Government are currently considering the report from the IAC and will take account of any factors which may be relevant to the position in the United Kingdom.

  NHS Complaints Procedure
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients attending private consultants' clinics at general pracitioner fundholders' premises will be entitled to use national health service complaints procedures; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 23 May 1991]: Where the services of a consultant are purchased for the patient of a fundholding practice out of the practice fund and the consultant is acting in a private capacity, a complaint against the referring doctor may be pursued under the Naitonal Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations 1974. If in these circumstances the patient wishes to pursue a complaint against the consultant, he would need to do so, if there was no possibility of conciliation directly with the consultant, either through the General Medical Council or the legal process depending on the nature of the complaint. Private care can of course be purchased for NHS patients by any commissioner of care, whether a district health authority or a GP fundholder.

  HIV Tests
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the cumulative totals of positive HIV antibody test results reported by each health authority on(a) 31 March 1989, (b) 30 September 1989, (c) 31 March 1990, (d) 30 September 1990 and (e) 31 March 1991.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information available to the Department on the cumulative totals of positive HIV antibody test results reported by each health authority is given in the tables.

  United Kingdom HIV antibody positive persons reported by region for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland Cumulative totals up to end of March 1989

  Total reports

  England

  Northern

  286

  Yorkshire

  1311

  Trent

  248

  East Anglia

  1160

  North West Thames

  2,827

  North East Thames

  1,764

  South East Thames

  917

  South West Thames

  268

  Wessex

  234

  Oxford

  1332

  South Western

  237

  West Midlands

  353

  Mersey

  154

  North Western

  348

  Channel Isles

  20

  Wales

  124

  Northern Ireland

  55

  Scotland

  1,621

  United Kingdom HIV antibody positive persons reported by region Cumulative totals up to end of September 1989

  Total reports

  England

  Northern

  305

  Yorkshire

  323

  Trent

  283

  East Anglia

  171

  North West Thames

  3,089

  North East Thames

  2,048

  South East Thames

  979

  South West Thames

  303

  Wessex

  251

  Oxford

  349

  South Western

  259

  West Midlands

  375

  Mersey

  162

  North Western

  388

  Channel Isles

  20

  Wales

  144

  Northern Ireland

  62

  Scotland

  1,707

  United Kingdom antibody positive persons reported by region Cumulative totals up to end of March 1990

  Total reports

  England

  Northern

  333

  Yorkshire

  356

  Trent

  359

  500

  Total reports

  East Anglia

  188

  North West Thames

  4,073

  North East Thames

  2,263

  South East Thames

  1,434

  South West Thames

  337

  Wessex

  291

  Oxford

  365

  South Western

  278

  West Midlands

  414

  Mersey

  177

  North Western

  747

  Channel Islands

  23

  Wales

  157

  Northern Ireland

  68

  Scotland

  1,768

  United Kingdom HIV antibody positive persons reported by region Cumulative totals up to end of September 1990

  Total reports

  England

  Northern

  348

  Yorkshire

  384

  Trent

  378

  East Anglia

  197

  North West Thames

  4,497

  North East Thames

  2,505

  South East Thames

  1,592

  South West Thames

  385

  Wessex

  307

  Oxford

  384

  South Western

  298

  West Midlands

  479

  Mersey

  182

  North Western

  670

  Channel Islands

  24

  Wales

  176

  Northern Ireland

  77

  Scotland

  1,840

  Country and region of 1st report

  Cumulative total Cases

  England

  Northern

  354

  Yorkshire

  397

  Trent

  396

  East Anglia

  204

  North West Thames

  4,621

  North East Thames

  2,569

  South East Thames

  1,681

  South West Thames

  434

  Wessex

  328

  Oxford

  403

  South Western

  329

  West Midlands

  510

  Mersey

  185

  North Western

  696

  Wales

  229

  Northern Ireland

  82

  Scotland

  1,919

  United Kingdom total

  15,337

  Channel Isles

  Isle of Man

  29

WALES

  Extra-contractual Referrals
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what percentage of Welsh health authorities' current budgets are allocated for extra-contractual referrals.

  (2) what is the estimated expenditure by the Welsh health authorities on extra-contractual referrals in April and May; and how it relates to the budget set aside by those authorities for such referrals.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Health authorities have made provision in their budgets for the cost of anticipated extra-contractual referrals—ECRs. The amounts in each case depend on the expected pattern of referrals and the extent to which these have been covered by contracts. Not all authorities have reached final agreements on contracts and which services will be provided "off contract". It is therefore not possible to provide the information in the form requested at present. Authorities have been asked to give details of ECRs for the first two months of this year and to indicate whether or not their provision is adequate to meet the actual demand assessed on this basis. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman when this information is available.

  A465
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects all outstanding statutory procedures on the planned A465 Glynneath-Aberdulais improvement to be completed.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Provided the outstanding issues in the inspector's report of the public inquiry can be satisfactorily resolved, statutory procedures could be completed later this year.

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the nature of the problem which has caused extended statutory procedures on the planned A465 Glynneath-Aberdulais improvement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The inspector who held the public inquiry into the scheme recommended significant alterations which have required further investigation and consultation with a number of interests.

  Ophthalmology
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policy considerations led to his decision to set up a second ophthalmology treatment centre in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The additional treatment centre intended for Bridgend is proposed as a result of the large ophthalmology waiting lists. The centre will provide an accessible and cost effective means of reducing the lists in south and west Wales.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had(a) with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and (b) with local consultant ophthalmologists in Wales concerning medical follow-up responsibilities for patients on the ophthalmology waiting lists receiving eye surgery at the existing Bangor and proposed Bridgend treatment centres.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Our officials discussed follow-up and other procedures with the Royal College of 502
  Ophthalmologists prior to establishing the Bangor centre. Patients attend two follow-up consultations arranged with the centre in line with the guidelines of the royal college.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what account he took of the recommendations of the Royal College of Ophthalmology on staffing requirements per 100,000 people, prior to his decision on a second ophthalmology treatment centre in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The decision to establish a second ophthalmic treatment centre was taken following consideration of the particular waiting times in this speciality and local circumstances and opportunities. Detailed staffing requirements will be settled in discussion with the host authority.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what length of contract will be offered to consultants to be employed in the ophthalmology treatment centre to be opened in Bridgend; and how many consultants will be employed.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Staffing levels for the new ophthalmology treatment centre, Bridgend are currently under discussion with the host district health authority. Individual contracts for staff at the centre will be the responsibility of Mid Glamorgan health authority.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he now has to reduce waiting lists in ophthalmology and general surgery in the catchment area of South Glamorgan health authority.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Bids for funds under the waiting times initiative for 1991–92 have been invited from all health authorities in Wales. South Glamorgan DHA is able to refer general surgery patients to the treatment centre at Bridgend and ophthalmology patients to the Bangor treatment centre and will also be able to refer patients to the new cataract centre when it becomes operational.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations with ophthalmologists he undertook prior to making his decision on the setting up of a second ophthalmology treatment centre for Wales at Bridgend general hospital.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The decision to establish a second ophthalmology treatment centre at Bridgend was taken after consideration of the waiting list position in ophthalmology in south Wales and local circumstances and opportunities.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the reorganisation of the Forestry Commission in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Government have endorsed the proposal by the forestry commissioners that they should carry out an internal reorganisation of the commission in order to achieve a clearer distinction between those staff concerned with its regulatory and advisory duties as a Government Department and those engaged in the management of its forests. The commissioners plan to implement this reorganisation by 1 April 1992.
  503
  The forestry commissioners have decided that the headquarters' offices of the Forestry Authority and the Forestry Enterprise in Wales will remain in Aberystwyth. They are also proposing that the commission's forests in Wales should continue to be managed by the existing eight forest district offices, but that there should be three new local offices to administer the authority's functions. The details of the reorganisation are currently being discussed with staff representatives.

  Local Plans
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he intends to take to ensure that local plans are prepared for(a) Alyn and Deeside district council, (b) Carmarthen district council, (c) Ceredigion district council, (d) Glyndwr district council, (e) Montgomeryshire district council, (f) Neath borough council, (g) Preach district council and (h) South Pembrokeshire district council.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The preparation and adoption of local plans by planning authorities is not a statutory requirement. It is for each authority to decide which parts of their area should be covered by local plans. Planning policy guidance (PPG) note 12 of November 1988 and PPG15 (Wales) of October 1990 urged district planning authorities to extend and complete their local plan coverage. The Planning and Compensation Bill, which is currently before Parliament, includes a provision which will place a mandatory duty on each district council and each national park authority to prepare and adopt a single local plan covering the whole of its area.

  British Rail (Meetings)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the dates on which Ministers at the Welsh Office have met the chairman and other senior executives of British Rail during the past 18 months, noting the main issues raised at each such meeting.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend or I met the chairman or other directors of British Rail on 10 May, 13 June and 28 November 1990 and on 8 February, 12 February and 13 May 1991. We discussed a wide range of issues concerning rail services for Wales.

  Dentists (Patient Care)
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received from dentists in Wales since the implementation of the new contract on patient care; and what were the main concerns expressed.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The Department has received two representations from individual dentists about the new contract. The representations concerned the treatment of child patients in relation to the community dental service and alleged decline in gross income.

  Old Schools
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many schools built wholly or mainly before 1903 there are in each of the local education authorities of Wales; and what plans he has to rebuild them.
  504
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Details of the ages of school buildings are not held centrally. Reponsibility for the provision, repair and maintenance of school buildings rests with local education authorities.

  Education and Training
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the proportion of persons aged 16 years leaving full-time education or training in(a) 1989–90 and (b) 1990–91.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No information is collected centrally from the further education sector about 16-year-old leavers. The school leavers survey collects information about leavers from the school sector; however 1989–90 information is not yet available and the survey for 1990–91 has yet to commence.

  Alzheimer's Disease
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet leaders in Wales of the Alzheimer's Disease Society.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The Department is in regular and close contact with the Wales development officer of the Alzheimer's Disease Society.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what financial aid he gives to the Alzheimer's Disease Society.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  A total of £70,000 in 1991–92, including funding under the elderly initiative and the mental illness strategy and to support the work of the society's development officer in Wales.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what research moneys he gives to the Alzheimer's Disease Society in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  No money is specifically earmarked to the Alzheimer's Disease Society for research. However, the Government are contributing towards a collaborative study led by the Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool into the incidence of dementia. As part of this, some £30,000 each year is being provided for that part of the research being undertaken at University college of North Wales, Bangor.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what help he proposes to give to carers concerning Alzheimer's disease in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The Welsh Office-led all-Wales mental illness strategy and our comprehensive programme of action to develop social care more generally are intended to promote the development of services which provide care for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, including appropriate support for families and friends who contribute to care. These initiatives are supported by record levels of resources, including £4·6 million in 1991–92 for the mental illness strategy—more than double last year's allocation; and over £4 million under the elderly initiative, the new scheme to promote more flexible forms of community care for elderly people and those with sensory or physical disabilities, and in funding for voluntary organisations, including the Alzheimer's Disease Society.
  505
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of sufferers from Alzheimer's disease in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Based on an estimate derived from the NHS Health Advisory Service's publication "The Rising Tide—Developing Services for Mental Illness in Old Age" published in November 1982, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, there are approximately 28,000–9,500 males and 18,500 females—suffering from Alzheimer's disease in Wales.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many carers of Alzheimer's disease sufferers there are in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The precise number of carers is not known, but we recognise that many people contribute in different ways to the support of this group of vulnerable people.

  Alder Hey Royal Children's Hospital
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet parents of children of Deeside, Clwyd, who are awaiting heart surgery or who are deemed likely to need surgery at Alder Hey royal children's hospital.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I have no plans to intervene in contractual arrangements between health authorities in Wales and their chosen provider units.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children from(a) Clwyd, (b) Gwynedd and (c) Powys have had heart surgery performed at the Alder Hey royal children's hospital.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Data provided by Mersey regional health authority show that no children from Clwyd, Gwynedd or Powys had surgical operations on the heart at Alder Hey royal children's hospital in 1989–90, the only year for which data are available. This information is based only on those cases where the hospital episode has finished, and complete clinical details are available.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money, as a down payment, health authorities in Wales are required to pay to the appropriate health authority, to which Alder Hey hospital answers, before operations are performed or before youngsters are placed on the waiting list.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  None. District health authorities strike contractual agreements, including with Alder Hey hospital, under which they agree to make regular payments for the care provided or make individual extra-contractual arrangements, mainly for emergency cases, which incur payment after treatment has been provided.

  Dogs
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of all breeds of dogs in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This information is not held centrally.

  Consultants
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new consultants were appointed in 1989 to work at the treatment centres at(a) Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, (b) general surgery at Bridgend and (c) elective orthopaedics at Rhydlafar.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The orthopaedic treatment centre, Rhydlafar, was the only centre to become operational during 1989. One additional consultant was appointed.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what lengths of contracts were given to the consultant surgeons employed in the treatment centres in(a) ophthalmology at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, (b) general surgery at Bridgend and (c) elective orthopaedics at Rhydlafar.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The Department has contracts with the host district health authorities for the provision of treatment at the treatment centres. Contracts for individual members of staff are the management responsibility of those host health authorities.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the number of employment training places for each of the counties of Wales in 1990–91 and 1991–92, indicating the difference over the years by number and by percentage.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Information on the number of ET places provided for each of the Welsh counties in 1990–91 and 1991–92 is not available. The Government now fund each training and enterprise council for employment training according to the number of training weeks delivered, and the outputs achieved. It is for TECs to determine, in the light of local circumstances, how many places to purchase.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many residential homes for the elderly mentally infirm or very dependent he has visited in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  [holding answer 4 June 1991]: None, but I have recently visited a number of hospitals which have facilities for elderly mentally infirm patients, including Bronllys hospital, Brecon and Valley hospital, Anglesey.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Eye Surgery
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Northern Ireland what is the current waiting time before a patient receives an operation for cataracts at the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast.

  Mr. Hanley
  Waiting times vary from two to three weeks for urgent cases to over two years for a few non-urgent cases.
  507
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are currently on the waiting list for cataract operations at the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast.

  Mr. Hanley
  The estimated number of patients is 2,900.

  Fair Employment Commission
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new members of staff have been appointed to the Fair Employment Commission since 1 January 1991; and how many of them were(a) Protestants, (b) Roman Catholics and (c) other religions.

  Mr. Needham
  The commission has declared its intention to make monitoring information available on a yearly basis. To make such information available more frequently and covering shorter periods could infringe the confidentiality requirements of the Fair Employment Acts by disclosing the religious beliefs of identifiable individuals.

  Cost Limits
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the 1991–92 running cost limit for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments.

  Mr. Brooke
  The running cost limit for 1991–92 for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments is £652·6 million. Details of the provision for individual Northern Ireland Departments are set out in the Northern Ireland estimates which were laid before the House today.

  Strangford Lough
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for the participation in the management of Strangford lough of persons owning land along the lough shore.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 10 June 1991]: On 6 June 1991, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland issued a consultation paper on the future management structure for Strangford lough and on a marine nature reserve. It is being circulated widely. Officials will arrange meetings to explain the proposals further. The proposed management structure would comprise an executive committee of representatives of bodies with statutory powers in the area and of an advisory committee representing local interests. These will include lough shore land owners and other local residents, lough-users and conservationists. The closing date for comments on the consultation paper is 18 October 1991. The Department will then produce a policy document.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Drugs Offences
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women are serving sentences in British prisons under section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and how many of these are deportees.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  On 30 June 1990, a provisional figure of about 320 females were serving sentences for all types of 508
  drugs offences in prison service establishments. The only readily available information on the types of drug offences does not separately identify males and females. It is published annually in Prison Statistics England and Wales (table 1(a) of the latest volume, for 1989, Cm. 1221), copies of which are in the Library. Information on whether they were liable for deportation on completion of sentence is not available centrally.

  Electoral Arrangements
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Paisley, South (Mr. McMaster) of 14 May,Official Report, columns 71–72, if he will set out the minimum notice which the proposed advertising campaign for information regarding absent voting will give to electors; and if he will make a statement on discussions he has held with electoral registration officers on this matter.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  In the unlikely event that Parliament was dissolved on the same day as that on which a general election was announced, the proposed advertisements would appear in newspapers on a Wednesday, and applications for an absent vote would have to be returned by the following Monday. On past experience, however, electors will probably have about 12 days' notice in which to apply for an absent vote.

  The proposed campaign will be similar to one which ran before the 1987 general election and will take account of comments received from electoral registration officers following that campaign.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out in summary the information he has on procedures for absent voting at general elections in member states of the European Community outlining criteria used for registration of absent voting for various grounds such as(a) ill health, (b) employment, (c) absence from home and (d) overseas residence.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Age of Consent
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the ages of consent for heterosexual men and women and homosexual men and women in Britain and in each of the European countries, East and West.

  Mr. John Patten
  We do not have the full information requested, but I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 4 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis), a copy of which has been placed in the Library. This gives details of the ages of consent in European Community states.

  Domestic Violence
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men received a custodial sentence for domestic violence in the latest year for which figures are available; and what was the average length of sentence;

  (2) how many incidents of domestic violence were reported in the last year for which figures are available; and how many resulted in (a) a charge, (b) a prosecution and (c) a conviction.
  509
  Mr. John Patten
  Information collected centrally on court proceedings is not in sufficient detail to distinguish offences of domestic violence from other violent offences. Some information on domestic violence as a component of offences of violence against the person is given in the Home Office Research Bulletin 27, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Asylum Seekers
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to consult non-governmental organisations about the reform of arrangements for asylum seekers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We are in regular contact with organisations active in the asylum field and their views will be taken into account in the Government's continuing review of their arrangements. If decisions are taken with direct implications for outside organisations they will, of course, be discussed with them.

  Obscene Telephone Calls
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many obscene telephone calls were reported in the last year for which figures are available; how many gave rise to(a) a charge, (b) a prosecution and (c) a conviction; what plans he has to review the present maximum penalty for this offence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The figures requested are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information collected centrally does not distinguish making an obscene telephone call from other offences under the Telecommunications Act 1984. The maximum penalty for this offence will be increased from a fine of £400 to a fine of £1,000 by fine upratings in the Criminal Justice Bill.

  Homosexual Offences
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost to the prison service of gaoling the men who are sentenced each year for the consenting homosexual offences of soliciting, buggery, procuring and indecency, including the cost of keeping these men in custody for the full terms of their sentences.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  In 1989—the latest information available—178 men were received into prison service establishments following conviction for buggery and indecency between males. At 30 June 1989 the population held for such offences was 375.

  The population breakdown between prison types and the relevant cost per week (1989–90) was as follows:

  Type of establishment

  Number

  Cost per week £

  Local/remand

  156

  309

  Training prison: open

  11

  218

  Closed

  198

  257

  Young Offender Institution

  10

  346

  375

  280

  510
  Information is not readily available for the length of sentence given or served for such offences. It is therefore not possible to estimate the cost of keeping these men in prison for the full terms of their sentence.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the annual police and court costs involved in prosecuting gay and bisexual men for consenting homosexual soliciting, buggery, procuring and indecency, including men prosecuted for homosexual indecency under byelaws, public order legislation and common law.

  Mr. John Patten
  Prosecution costs are not available in the form requested.

  Women Prisoners
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide the latest figures on numbers of suicides, attempted suicides and self-mutilation inflicted by prisoners at each of the women's prisons.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Since 1980, seven women have died at their own hand while in prison service custody. The establishments involved were Holloway, in 1981 and 1985, Risley, in 1986, 1987 and twice in 1989, and Durham in 1990. Accurate information on the incidence of attempted suicide and deliberate self-injury by prisoners is not available. It is planned to introduce new arrangements for reporting all such incidents, in line with a recommendation made by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons in his report on suicide and self-harm in prison.

  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for the latest year for which there are figures(a) how many women were sent to prison for violent offences, (b) what percentage this RS of the total female prison population, (c) what percentage this is of the total prison population and (d) what percentage this is of the population of the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Excluding those committed in default of payment of a fine, 380 females were received into prison service establishments in England and Wales in 1989 under sentence for offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery. On 30 June 1989 the population of females serving sentences for these offences was 323 and formed 18 per cent. of the female prison population and 0·7 per cent. of the male and female prison population. They also represented six per million of the estimated resident male and female population of England and Wales.

  Pornography
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effects the proposed implementation of the single European market in 1992 will have on the importation of sexually explicit material classified as pornography; and whether the Government will seek special powers to maintain the status quo whereby sexually explicit material which is freely available in other EC member states will continue to be excluded from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. John Patten
  The introduction of the single market will entail changes in the nature of our customs controls
  511
  with a greater emphasis on selective checks and intelligence. However, it will not require us to relax our prohibitions on the supply of obscene material or our internal controls on display and supply.

  Deportation
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women, by nationality, are currently awaiting deportation.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The figures in the following table relate to those currently awaiting deportation as the subject of a deportation order made under section 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1971, where a recommendation for deportation made by a court was part of a custodial sentence; under section 3(5)(b) of that Act where deportation on conducive grounds will follow a custodial sentence; or under section 3(5)(a) of that Act where a woman has remained beyond her permitted stay or has breached conditions attached to her stay. The information on deportation orders made under section 3(6) and 3(5)(b) relates to the period since 1 January 1988, while the third category relates to the period since 1 June 1990.

  Women subject to a deportation order

  Nationals of

  Section 3(6)

  Section 3(5)(b)

  Section 3(5)(a)

  Bangladesh

  —

  —

  1

  Belize

  —

  1

  —

  Brazil

  3

  —

  —

  Cameron

  —

  —

  1

  Chile

  1

  —

  —

  Colombia

  19

  —

  2

  France

  1

  —

  —

  Germany

  1

  —

  —

  Ghana

  9

  —

  16

  Grenada

  1

  —

  —

  Guyana

  2

  —

  —

  Holland

  2

  2

  —

  Hong Kong

  —

  —

  1

  India

  3

  —

  2

  Iran

  —

  —

  2

  Jamaica

  22

  1

  2

  Malaysia

  —

  —

  1

  Mauritius

  —

  —

  1

  Nigeria

  63

  1

  20

  Pakistan

  —

  —

  2

  Philippines

  —

  1

  2

  Poland

  —

  —

  1

  Sierra Leone

  —

  —

  2

  Spain

  2

  —

  —

  Trinidad and Tobago

  2

  —

  —

  Turkey

  —

  —

  1

  United States of America

  7

  —

  —

  Uruguay

  1

  —

  —

  Yugoslavia

  1

  —

  —

  Zambia

  1

  —

  —

  Zimbabwe

  —

  —

  1

  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have been returned to Nigeria; and how many are awaiting deportation to Nigeria since the introduction of decree 33.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since 10 October 1990, when the Nigerian Government promulgated decree 33, 82 women have been returned to Nigeria under deportation powers, including 59 who chose to make supervised departures; and 27 Nigerian women are currently the subject of deportation orders. None of those who have left was affected by decree 33. Two of those awaiting deportation 512
  committed drug offences in this country on or after 10 October 1990 and may therefore be liable to prosecution on their return to Nigeria.

  Prisoners
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the cost of detaining(a) a category A prisoner and (b) a category B prisoner.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  During 1989–90—the latest figures available—the average cost per week of detaining an inmate in a typical dispersal prison, the type of prison in which category A inmates are normally held, was £575. The cost per week in category B training prisons was £318.

  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is a requirement for prisoners to be notified of decisions by the parole board in writing.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  There is no such requirement.

  Mr. Terry Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is responsible for communicating the decisions of the parole board to prisoners at Sudbury prison.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  All parole decisions are notified by the parole unit to the governors of the establishments; they are then responsible for informing prisoners.

  Immigration
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants there have been from the Indian sub-continent since the passage of the Immigration Act 1981 each year since 1982.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of persons from the Indian sub-continent accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1982–90 is published in table 15 of the Home Office Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1989" (Cm. 1124), and in table 1 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 3/91 "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Third and Fourth Quarters and Year 1990". A copy of both publications is in the Library.

  Gambling
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been considered by his Department on fruit machine gambling by young people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The results of the Home Office research study "Amusement Machines: Dependency and Delinquency", published in July 1988, showed that very few young people are at risk of becoming dependent on amusement machines and that there is no clear evidence of any association between the playing of machines and delinquency. We have received no reliable new evidence to contradict these results and remain of the view that further legislative controls are not justified at present.

  Jury Vetting
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate for the years 1988, 1989 and 1990 the number of occasions in which the police national computer has been accessed for the purposes of jury vetting; and if he will make a statement.
  513
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The purposes for accessing the police national computer are not recorded centrally. However, statistical returns from chief officers of police show that under arrangement described in Home Office circular 43/1988, criminal record checks were made of the following number of people summoned for jury service:

  Number

  1988

  1,152

  1989

  5,602

  1990

  4,146

  Prison Sentences
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list how many men and women received life sentences in England and Wales for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is given in the table. Data for 1990 are not yet available.

  Number of males and females who received 'Life' sentences 1979 to 1989 England and Wales

  Year

  Males

  Females

  1979

  149

  8

  1980

  181

  2

  1981

  153

  7

  1982

  206

  9

  1983

  136

  4

  1984

  138

  6

  1985

  164

  6

  1986

  183

  9

  1987

  169

  5

  1988

  206

  12

  1989

  176

  11

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Males

  7

  8

  6

  19

  26

  20

  18

  11

  9

  16

  Females

  —

  1

  —

  1

  2

  3

  4

  4

  5

  2

  Total

  7

  9

  6

  20

  28

  23

  22

  15

  14

  18

  Dog Attacks
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported attacks have taken place on people by dogs in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many of these resulted in hospital treatment; and how many resulted in death.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has concerning the incidence of injury to humans caused by attacks by dogs during each of the last five years; and what information he can provide on the breeds of dogs involved.

  Mrs. Angela Rumbold
  [holding answer 20 May 1991]: As there is no requirement to report a dog attack, or injuries caused by dog attacks, statistics on them are not collected centrally. In the last year to May 1991, the number of incidents recorded in London by the Metropolitan police were as follows:
  514
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of sentence served by men and women in England and Wales for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The readily available information is published annually in Prison Statistics England and Wales (tables 3.15, 3.16, 4.15, 4.16, 5.15 and 5.16 of the latest volume, for 1989, Cm. 1221), a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women were released on licence from a life sentence in England and Wales for each year from 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The readily available information relates to prisoners released from prison service establishments and is published annually in Prison Statistics England and Wales (table 8.5 of the latest volume, for 1989, Cm. 1221), a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mental Health Act
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women in England and Wales were given an absolute discharge under the Mental Health Act for each year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The number of males and females in England and Wales who were given an absolute discharge, by tribunal under part V of the Mental Health Act 1983 or by the Secretary of State under sections 41 to 49 of the 1983 Act and 65 to 74 of the 1959 Acts, between 1980 and 1989—the last year for which information is available—is given in the table.

  Number

  German Shepherds (Alsatians)

  200

  Pit bull terriers

  126

  Rottweilers

  109

  Staffordshire bull terriers

  43

  Undefined cross-breeds

  38

  Dobermann pinschers

  33

  English bull terriers

  27

  Labradors

  23

  Collies

  13

  Jack Russell terriers

  6

  Greyhounds

  6

  Yorkshire terriers

  3

  Great Dane

  1

  Husky

  1

  Irish wolf hound

  1

  Rhodesian Ridgeback

  1

  Total

  631

SCOTLAND

  Ambulances (Accident/Emergency Journeys)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time taken for an accident/emergency patient to be taken by ambulance from East Lothian to Edinburgh royal infirmary; what is the average daily number of such journeys; and whether any patients have died doing such journeys since the closure of the Roodlands casualty unit.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  On average, 45 minutes and nine journeys each day. Roodlands casualty unit did not treat patients suffering major trauma or life-threatening conditions and such patients were always conveyed to Edinburgh. There has been no change therefore in the journey time for such patients. The Scottish ambulance service has no evidence that any patient has died because of the journey time to hospital.

  Local Government
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what representations he has received about the proposals for change in local government;

  (2) if he will make a further statement on his proposals for a new structure for local government.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  I refer to the reply given by my right hon. Friend on 15 May. A consultation paper setting out the case for change and the principles to be applied in moving towards a single-tier system of local government throughout Scotland will be issued shortly.

  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what future role he proposes for Strathclyde regional council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  As the hon. Member knows, the existing system of local government in Scotland is under review. My right hon. Friend will be issuing a consultation paper on the structure of local government in Scotland shortly. Strathclyde regional council, together with other councils and interested organisations, will be invited to comment.

  Green Belt
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the percentage of land designated as green-belt areas in(a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Renfrew district.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The percentages of land designated as green belt in the areas mentioned are:

  per cent.

  Scotland

  1·7

  Strathclyde

  7·5

  Renfrew

  78·3

  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the criteria used to designate green belt land in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The criteria for the designation of green belt land are set out in SDD circular 24/1985. It is for local plans to establish the exact boundaries of green belts within the strategic framework set by the circular and structure plan policies.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of nitrates recorded in Scottish drinking water in each of the last 20 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information is not available in the form requested. Nitrate levels in drinking water differ from one supply to another and may vary seasonally. Surveys carried out in 1975 and 1985 showed that only a very small percentage of the total number of Scottish supply sources contained more than 25 mg of nitrate per litre. Eight of the 12 Scottish water authorities reported that no sources exceeded that figure. All water put into supply was within the EC limit of 50 mg per litre. In 1990 a few small rural supplies were recorded as occasionally exceeding this limit. In these cases nitrate levels are being reduced by blending with other water until the sources can be replaced. Information on nitrate levels in individual supply zones is included in the public records of water quality which water authorities have been required to maintain since 1 July 1990.

  Operations
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many operations were cancelled or postponed by Scottish health boards in each month from January 1990 to March 1991.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Disability
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are registered(a) blind, (b) deaf or (c) disabled in (i)Scotland, (ii)Strathclyde and (iii)Renfrew district.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Local authorities in Scotland are required to inform themselves of the number of chronically sick and disabled people in their areas but are not required to, and in practice do not, keep registers for this purpose. They do, however, receive information on the number of blind persons voluntarily registered either with local societies for blind people or with the local authorities themselves. The number of blind persons so recorded at 31 March 1990 was 6,709 in Strathclyde, and 14,120 in Scotland. I have no information in respect of Renfrew district.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the mean salary of disabled adults in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 6 June 1991]: There is no information available on the mean salary of disabled adults in Scotland. The survey "Disabled people in the labour market" conducted on behalf of the Employment Service by Social and Community Planning Research Ltd. and published in report "Employment and Handicap" in June 1990 showed that in Great Britain as a whole in 1989 the median earnings of people with disabilities was in the range £150 to £199 per week. The survey cannot provide a reliable estimate for Scotland.

  Paisley, North
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are over the age of 18 years in the constituency of Paisley, North.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Whisky
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of people employed in the manufacture and distribution of Scotch whisky in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Employment figures are available for plants manufacturing Scotch whisky as their principal product. No separate figures are available for transport services relating to just the whisky industry.

  The table shows manufacturing employment in the whisky and other related industries in Scotland in plants employing 11 or more employees in 1987, 1988 and 1989, the latest year for which figures are available.

  Manufacturing employment in the whisky and other related industries

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Scotland

  11,000

  10,600

  10,200

  Source: The Scottish Office Industry Department. Regional Data System.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress to discuss employment levels in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  My right hon. Friend has arranged to meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress General Council on 26 July to discuss economic and other issues.

  Education (Early Leavers)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is for each year since 1974 the number of students in(a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) higher education in Scotland who left their respective courses before completion; and if he will give in each case the respective percentages for males and females.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 10 June 1991]: This information is not held centrally.

  Child Immunisation
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will set up a joint working party with the British Medical Association in Scotland to review the impact of the new child immunisation targets in GP contracts on small rural practices; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will now consider allowing an element of discretion in the setting of immunisation targets for children in small practices which find it impossible to meet the current target levels in the new GP contract;

  (3) how many representations he has received from small GP practices which are unable to reach
  518
  immunisation targets for children because of the small number of children suitable for vaccination in their patient lists.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 10 June 1991]: These matters are governed by the statement of fees and allowances, the terms of which are negotiated with the profession on a Great Britain basis. The health departments are at present reviewing a number of detailed aspects of the GP contract, in consultation with the profession, with the aim of improving still further the quality of general medical services. Against this background, I see no need for a joint working party on this specific issue.

  My Department can trace only one such representation, made before the implementation of the new contract.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by location, the proposed 6,000 drill holes he has authorised the nuclear industry to make in Caithness, in respect of ascertaining a suitable site for a nuclear waste dump; when he expects them to report their findings; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 May 1991]: The exact location of any shot holes, up to the maximum of 6,000 granted planning permission by my right hon. Friend, is an operational matter for the chairman of UK Nirex Ltd. He wrote to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 13 May on this subject and I have placed a copy of his letter in the Library of the House. UK Nirex expects to identify its preferred site for a repository later this year.

  Planning
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the planning powers of new town development corporations to be transferred to district councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 6 June 1991]: The Scottish new town development corporations, apart from Glenrothes, exercise certain planning powers under special development orders. It is the Government's intention, as stated in the White Paper "The Scottish New Towns—The Way Ahead" that these orders will be revoked at the time of dissolution of each development corporation. Each new town will then become integrated into the normal planning system.

  Education
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report for each regional council area (a) the total money allocated for the implementation of the five to 14 years curriculum and testing in (i) training of staff and (ii) introductory and closure day courses for staff and what were the full costs of full implementation, (b) the total money allocated to appoint development officers for five to 14 years development and for development planning and information technology officers and what were the estimated costs for full implementation, (c) how many and what percentage of head teachers will be granted additional

  519
  relief to cope with developments of the five to 14 years curriculum and testing and (d) what increase in per capita allowances for 1991–92 have been allocated per pupil.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 June 1991]: The cost of the five to 14 development programme has been met almost entirely by central Government, either directly or through support for work carried out by the primary assessment unit in the Scottish Examination Board, and by the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum and the colleges of education; expenditure on the programme in 1990–91 was over £2 million, and will be at the same level in the current year.

  In addition specific grant is paid at a level of 75 per cent. against expenditure by authorities on in-service teacher training for the five to 14 programme.

  Per capita allowances and other forms of support for individual schools are a matter for education authorities themselves; information on these is not held centrally.

  General Government support to local authorities in the form of aggregate Exchequer finance was increased for 1991–92 by 10·5 per cent. over the level in the previous year.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Paisley, North
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single parents receive income support in the constituency of Paisley, North.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single parents in receipt of child benefit there are in the constituency of Paisley North.

  Mr. Jack
  The information requested is not available.

  Benefits (Guidelines)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines he has issued to the benefits agency on the balance between maintaining the level of service to the public and cost-cutting exercises.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The balance between service delivery and cost is achieved through the process of agreeing aims, objectives and targets. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has agreed the aims, objectives and targets for 1991–92 with the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. These are set out in the agency's business plan which is published and available in the Library. The targets cover service delivery, efficiency, budgetary performance and customer satisfaction.

  Family Credit
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average delay that a claimant for family credit experiences between applying for the benefit and receiving an award; how many claimants there are for family credit; and what measures are proposed to improve service to the low paid and people in need.
  520
  Mr. Jack
  The administration of family credit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Community Care Grant
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines exist for the degree of priority to be given to young people leaving homeless hostels, for social fund community care grant purposes; and what study he has made of the practice of his Department's Keighley, Halifax and Skipton offices in this regard.

  Mr. Scott
  The guidance issued by the Secretary of State referring to social fund payments is set out in the "Social Fund Manual", a copy of which is in the Library. The Department's district office managers also have responsibility to issue guidance that reflects local needs. A social fund officer is not bound by the guidance issued by the Secretary of State or the district manager. He may exercise his own judgment in the priority of a particular application if the circumstances dictate.

  The Department's former offices at Keighley, Halifax and Skipton now form the Benefit Agency's Halifax district. No formal local study of social fund operations has taken place since the new Halifax district was formed in April 1991, but production and monitoring of local guidance is a continuous process for which the district office manager is responsible.

DEFENCE

  Hunting
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details and dates in each year since 1989 when the Household Cavalry participated in foxhunting or deer hunting and with which hunts.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Details and dates in each year since 1989 when members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment took part in fox hunting are set out in the table. No additional costs to public funds were incurred as a result of this activity.

  The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment has not participated in any deer hunt since 1989.

  Date

  Quorn Hunt

  Belroir Hunt

  Cottesmore Hunt

  October 1989

  4

  2

  1

  November 1989

  8

  9

  2

  December 1989

  9

  8

  —

  January 1990

  8

  8

  5

  February 1990

  7

  8

  3

  March 1990

  1

  1

  —

  September 1990

  —

  2

  —

  October 1990

  9

  9

  2

  November 1990

  6

  6

  3

  December 1990

  4

  5

  2

  January 1991

  6

  5

  —

  February 1991

  6

  5

  —

  March 1991

  —

  1

  —

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision is made for members of the armed forces, in non-mounted units, to hunt in duty hours.
  521
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Personnel in non-mounted units are not normally permitted to hunt in duty hours. However, in exceptional circumstances and at the commanding officer's discretion it may be permitted provided there is no detriment to military tasks.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for defence what provision is made for members of the armed forces to hunt in duty hours.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Members of mounted regiments and other military personnel who have an official requirement to ride are authorised to ride during duty hours as a means of acquiring or perfecting equestrian skills. They may participate in a range of equestrian activities including hunting.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether army personnel are permitted to use Ministry of Defence equipment in off-duty hours.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Army personnel are permitted to use MOD equipment in off-duty hours normally on payment of hire charges.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of transporting horses and riders to hunting meets in each year since 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The costs of transporting horses and riders to hunting meets cannot be readily identified. Where horses are used by Army personnel for hunting outside normal duty, the transport costs fall to the individual.

  Tanks
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when his Department will announce a decision on the replacement for the Chieftain as the main battle tank for the British Army.

  (2) what has caused the delay by his Department in reaching a decision on selecting a replacement for the Chieftain as the main battle tank for the British Army.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  As I told the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 4 June 1991,Official Report, Volume 192, columns 142–43, a wide range of factors has to he taken into account in reaching a decision as important as that on the equipment for our future main battle tank fleet. It is our intention to make a further announcement before the end of this month.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of St ate for Defence (1) what account he will take of the likely employment consequences in the British defence industry in making his decision on the replacement main battle tank for the British Army;

  (2) what account he will take of the potential value to the British defence industry of export orders for the Vickers Challenger 2 in making his decision on the replacement main battle tank for the British Army.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  All relevant factors will be taken into account.

  Radio Mast, Coney Weston
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose he is to erect at Coney Weston, Suffolk, a 100 ft tall radio mast and related buildings; what 522
  consultations he has had with local authorities and environmental bodies about the siting of the tower; when he intends to construct it; and how much it will cost.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The 30 m high tower we propose to construct at Coney Weston, Suffolk, is part of the Royal Air Force's advanced communications system known as the Boxer network. There has been full consultation with the local planning authority and a notice of proposed development submitted for consideration. We propose to commence construction of the tower later this year. It is not our practice to disclose details of individual costs which are commercial-in-confidence.

  Strategic Defence Initiative
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the United Kingdom is involved in the high-altitude endoatmospheric defence interceptor programme;

  (2) whether the United Kingdom is involved in the development of the theatre high altitude defence system;

  (3) whether the United Kingdom is involved in the extended range interceptor system for short-range defence;

  (4) whether the United Kingdom is involved in the ground-based surveillance and tracking system;

  (5) whether the United Kingdom is involved in the ground-based free electron laser programme in collaboration with the United States of America.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  All the systems referred to are elements of the United States strategic defence initiative programme. British firms and other institutions are given opportunities in all areas of the SDI programme.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has concerning the capability of the Soviet Union to dismantle withdrawn warheads and to manage and recycle the nuclear materials arising.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Soviet Union does not reveal what it does with the nuclear materials arising from withdrawn nuclear warheads. However, it would almost certainly have the capability to dismantle warheads and recycle the nuclear materials arising for either civil or military purposes.

  BNFL (Security Vetting)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plays any role in the security vetting of applicants for work with British Nuclear Fuels plc in respect of his Department.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  No.

  Kuwait Oil Fires
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his oral answer of 4 June,Official Report, column 137, what advice he has received on the lung function of service personnel in the area of the oil fires in Kuwait and from which experts.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The monitoring of the lung function of our personnel is undertaken by our medical team in Kuwait, together with a military public health physician.
  523
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now seek information about the lung conditions of dissected sheep in Kuwait.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No. The presence of atmospheric pollutants in Kuwait is well known and effective measures are therefore in place to monitor the health of our personnel.

  Service Personnel and Ministry Staff
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will list the number of(a) service men and (b) departmental civilians in each of the regions of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The latest available figures are given in the table on page 32 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990, volume 2.

  Infantry Training
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many man training days infantry battalions are allocated on average for(a) 1990–91 and (b) 1991–92.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 June 1991]: I am unable to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate costs, but my hon. Friend may find it helpful to know that average man training day allocations for TA independent units were 40 for 1990–91 and 36 for 1991–92.

EMPLOYMENT

  Vocational Qualifications
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress is being made towards the introduction of comprehensive national vocational qualifications.

  Mr. Jackson
  Progress in developing a national framework of standards-based vocational qualifications relevant to the needs of the modern workplace has been good. This far-reaching reform is being led by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, which has been set the target of completing the framework of reformed qualifications to cover 80 per cent. of the work force by the end of 1992. At present almost 300 NVQs are available to around one third of the work force in over 40 major industries.

  Comparable progress has been made in producing equivalent Scottish vocational qualifications.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what has been the annual budget of the standards branch of the training, enterprises and education department since the establishment of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what are the annual grand totals of budgets for the industry lead bodies currently engaged in drafting competences, from the date of their establishment, the standards branch of the training, enterprise and education department since the establishment of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, and the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, since its establishment, as an annual percentage of the work-related further
  524
  education budget administered by the training, enterprise and education department in each relevant year; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he will list the industry lead bodies currently engaged in drafting competences and their associated criteria as the basis for national vocational qualifications; what was the date of the establishment of each industry lead body; and what have been their individual budgets from the date of their establishment;

  (4) if he will publish the annual budget of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications since its establishment; and if he will make a statement;

  (5) if he will place in the Library a copy of the report entitled "Knowledge and Competence", commissioned by the standards branch of the training, enterprise and education department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ) was established in 1986 to reform the national framework of vocational qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its key target is to produce national vocational qualifications (NVQs) to cover 80 per cent. of the work force by the end of 1992. The grant-in-aid budgets which have been made available to NCVQ by the Employment Department since 1986–87 to undertake this work are as follows:

  £

  1986–87

  520,000

  1987–88

  3,708,698

  1988–89

  3,750,000

  1989–90

  3,000,000

  1990–91

  2,621,000

  1991–92

  3,700,000

  The Employment Department's standards programme has provided pump-priming funding since 1987–88 to assist in the development of standards that form the basis of NVQs, and comparable Scottish vocational qualifications (SVQs) in Scotland. These standards are developed through 160 employer-led lead bodies. The annual budgets of the standards programme since 1987–88 are as follows:

  £

  1987–88

  2,086,000

  1988–89

  3,000,000

  1989–90

  6,700,000

  1990–91

  8,911,000

  1991–92

  9,077,000

  The standards programme is administered separately from and is not part of the Employment Department's work-related further education budget, which is £6,633,000 for 1991–92. Figures are not kept centrally for the budgets of lead bodies, which are employer-led and funded. The Employment Department generally funds up to 50 per cent. of the costs of developing standards in particular industries. Total budgets of lead bodies are therefore well in excess of the standards programme budgets. A list of the industry lead bodies which are currently engaged in drafting competences and their associated criteria as the basis for national vocational qualifications is given in section 2 of the Employment Department's publication "The Standards Digest", a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Lead bodies progressively came into existence. Section 3 of "The Standards Digest" details when lead bodies started work on developing standards.
  525
  The Employment Department's report "Knowledge and Competence: Current Issues in Training and Education" forms part of the technical guidance made available to those who are concerned with developing standards for competence-based vocational qualifications. I am arranging for a copy of this report to be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on unemployment in southern England.

  Mr. Jackson
  The seasonally adjusted unemployment rates in April 1991 for the south-east, south-west and East Anglia regions were 6·3 per cent., 6·8 per cent. and 5·5 per cent. of the work force respectively. This compares with 7·6 per cent. for the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current average unemployment level in the Northern region.

  Mr. Jackson
  In April 1991, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Northern region was 10.0 per cent.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the employment implications for the north-east of the completion of the channel tunnel.

  Mr. Forth
  The channel tunnel should benefit the economy and employment prospects of the United Kingdom generally. I am sure that companies and individuals in the north-east will take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the tunnel.

  Manual Handling
  Mr Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the Health and Safety Commission when the subject of manual handling was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  No discussions have been held with the Health and Safety Commission on this subject in recent years. However, I am aware that the Commission is developing proposals for regulations to implement a European directive on the minimum health and safety requirements for the manual handling of loads where there is a risk, particularly of back injury to workers. The directive must be implemented by 31 December 1992 and I understand that the Commission is planning to issue a consultative document containing its proposals for regulations and associated guidance later this year.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has about the involvement in training and enterprise councils of those engaged in running small businesses.

  Mr. Forth
  When TECs become operational my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State ensures that each TEC board has at least one director with experience of running a small business.
  526
  Over 100 TEC directors are from companies which have 30 or fewer employees. TECs have drawn up imaginative plans for helping small businesses to prosper and grow.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress in setting up TECs.

  Mr. Howard
  Excellent progress is being made in setting up training and enterprise councils. All 82 TECs in England and Wales are now in place, with 75 fully operational. The whole network will be operational later this year, nearly two years ahead of schedule.

  Young Employees (Training)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he is undertaking to encourage businesses to provide training opportunities for employees aged 16 to 19 years.

  Mr. Howard
  The Government have introduced a wide range of measures to businesses to train their 16 to 19-year-old employees. In particular, YT encourages employers to offer high-quality training. The comprehensive proposals in the recent White Paper "Education and Training for the 21st Century" are designed further to increase training opportunities for young people, particularly through the nationwide extension of training credits, the expansion of the compacts approach and improvements to the qualifications system. We are also setting a new standard—"Investors in People"—for the development of all workers, including young employees.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to develop new initiatives to assist people with disabilities into jobs.

  Mr. Jackson
  Last year's consultative document contained proposals for such initiatives. We have received many comments about ways in which we could improve the effectiveness of the help that we give to people with disabilities who want jobs. We have announced some of our decisions already and others will follow.

  Compacts
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the future of the compacts initiative.

  Mr. Howard
  The compacts initiative has been a success in urban programme areas and I have recently announced that the compact approach should now be extended across the whole country.

  It will be for the local partners, including training and enterprise councils, employers and schools to decide how best to take forward compacts in their own areas.

  Manufacturing Industry (Job Losses)
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the job losses in manufacturing industry during the last three months, six months, 12 months and 18 months; and if he will make a statement.
  527
  Mr. Forth
  The number of employees in employment in manufacturing industries in Great Britain at March 1991 has fallen by:

  Number

  last 3 months

  97,000

  last 6 months

  169,000

  last 12 months

  209,000

  last 18 months

  237,000

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of loans, the total sums outstanding and the average size of loan outstanding in each year since 1981 under the loan guarantee scheme.

  Mr. Forth
  The number of loans currently outstanding is 11,310, but this cannot be broken down by year. Information on sums outstanding and average size of loan outstanding are commercial details between lenders and borrowers and not available to the Department.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the premiums for the guarantees issued under the loan guarantee scheme in each year since 1981, the income derived from the payment of such premiums and such income net of defaults in each year since 1981.

  Mr. Forth
  The premium rates for guarantees issued under the loan guarantee scheme are:

  Per cent.

  1981 to May 1984

  3·0

  June 1984 to March 1986

  5·0

  April 1986 to date

  2·5

  Table A

  Year

  Area

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  01 South West

  45·0

  45·0

  42·5

  43·0

  45·0

  46·0

  02 South

  37·5

  37·5

  34·5

  32·0

  34·0

  37·5

  03 South East

  45·5

  47·0

  47·0

  45·5

  47·0

  46·0

  05 London North

  35·5

  34·0

  33·0

  32·5

  30·5

  32·5

  06 London South

  35·0

  34·0

  37·0

  39·0

  38·5

  38·5

  07 East Anglia

  41·0

  31·5

  28·5

  31·5

  32·0

  35·5

  08 North Home Counties

  49·0

  47·5

  44·5

  42·5

  44·5

  44·5

  09 East Midlands

  34·0

  34·0

  33·5

  35·0

  37·0

  41·5

  10 West Midlands

  51·0

  47·0

  44·0

  42·0

  44·5

  50·5

  11 Wales

  52·0

  50·0

  46·5

  46·0

  50·0

  53·0

  12 Marches

  36·5

  35·5

  35·0

  36·5

  43·5

  39·5

  13 North Midlands

  36·0

  34·0

  32·0

  35·0

  38·0

  42·0

  14 South Yorkshire and Humberside

  32·5

  31·0

  28·0

  33·0

  34·0

  36·5

  15 West and North Yorkshire

  59·0

  52·5

  52·0

  50·0

  56·0

  59·0

  16 Greater Manchester

  39·0

  42·5

  40·0

  37·5

  42·0

  47·0

  17 Merseyside

  35·0

  31·0

  29·5

  28·0

  33·0

  37·0

  18 North West

  34·0

  30·0

  27·0

  34·5

  35·5

  33·5

  19 North East

  36·0

  35·0

  28·5

  28·5

  34·5

  38·0

  20 Scotland East

  42·0

  46·0

  45·5

  46·5

  53·5

  55·0

  21 Scotland West

  31·0

  32·0

  33·0

  28·5

  27·5

  35·0

  Total

  806·5

  777·0

  741·5

  747·0

  800·5

  848·0

  528
  For loans within inner city task force areas, introduced in June 1988, the premium rate is 2·0 per cent. (2·5 per cent. to March 1990).

  Information on income prior to the Department of Employment becoming responsible for the scheme is not available. For subsequent years income derived from premia payments was:

  £ million

  1985–86

  5·4

  1986–87

  3·8

  1987–88

  2·9

  1988–89

  2·6

  1989–90

  2·8

  1990–91

  3·3

  The net cost of the scheme has been:

  £ million

  1985–86

  27·1

  1986–87

  11·2

  1987–88

  3·6

  1988–89

  3·8

  1989–90

  5·6

  1990–91

  16·5

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if will list by district the total number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Excutive in each year since 1986–87.

  Mr. Forth
  Health and Safety Executive's field inspectors are based in network of area offices, with the exception of mines inspectors who are organised by districts. The available information for the 1 April each year is given in

  Table A—Inspectors based in Areas;

  Table B—Inspectors based in Districts;

  Table C—Inspectors HQ-based.

  529
  Notes:

  1. Figures include factory, agriculture and specialist inspectors based at field consultant groups for all years.

  2. 1986 figures also include field-based industrial air pollution inspectors.

  3. 1990 and 1991 figures include field-based quarries inspectors who transferred to the factory and agricultural division in October 1989.

  4. 1991 figures include field-based railway inspectors following the transfer of the Railway Inspectorate from the Department of Transport in December 1990.

  Table B

  District

  Year

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Scottish and

  7

  7

  10

  10

  2

  2

  North Eastern

  5

  6

  North Yorkshire

  9

  7

  7

  9

  6

  6

  South Yorkshire

  8

  8

  6

  6

  6

  6

  North Midlands

  8

  10

  7

  9

  6

  6

  Western and

  8

  9

  9

  9

  7

  7

  South Eastern

  9

  10

  8

  Southern Western

  10

  11

  11

  10

  7

  6

  Total

  64

  68

  58

  53

  34

  33

  Notes:

  1. Pre 1990 figures are for field-based Mines and Quarries Inspectors.

  2. Figures for 1990 and 1991 are for Mines Inspectors only, following the transfer of the Quarries Inspectorate to the Factory and Agricultural Division in October 1989.

  3. The table shows that the Scottish and North Eastern and Western and South Eastern District offices amalgamated. District boundaries were also changed.

  Table C

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  HQ-based inspectors

  361·0

  359·5

  365·5

  382·5

  404·5

  460·0

  Total HSE inspectors

  1,231·5

  1,204·5

  1,165·0

  1,182·5

  1,239·0

  1,341·0

  Notes:

  1. HQ-based inspectors include those on non-inspection duties eg. management, policy or technical standards work etc.

  2. Nuclear Installations Inspectors are HQ-based. Their site inspections and visits are organised and carried out from HQ.

  3. Offshore Safety inspectors are based at HQ buildings and at Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth.

  National Record of Achievement
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the introduction of the national record of achievement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The national record of achievement (NRA) was launched on 27 February. It presents a simple 530
  record in summary form of an individual's achievement throughout education, training and working life. The NRA is an important step in motivating individuals to continue with their learning throughout life. To date, more than 1·3 million copies of the NRA have been ordered by schools, colleges and employers.

  CAMBODIA: KHMER ROUGE PURGE
  CAMBODIA: KHMER ROUGE PURGE
  THE BALTIC STATES: APPEAL
  THE BALTIC STATES: APPEAL
  THE BALTIC STATES: CSCE INQUIRY PROPOSAL
  THE BALTIC STATES: CSCE INQUIRY PROPOSAL
  BURMA: WORK OF UN AGENCIES
  BURMA: WORK OF UN AGENCIES
  THE BALTIC STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION
  THE BALTIC STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION
  CHANNEL TUNNEL SERVICES: BR INVESTMENT
  CHANNEL TUNNEL SERVICES: BR INVESTMENT
  EDUCATION AND TRAINING REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STAFF
  EDUCATION AND TRAINING REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STAFF
  AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY BUILDINGS PLANNING CONTROL
  AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY BUILDINGS PLANNING CONTROL