Written Answers of 6 November 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  House of Fraser
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Attorney-General what action he has taken following the report of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry to the effect that criminal offences may have been committed by persons interested in the outcome of that Committee's report into the takeover of House of Fraser; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  On 13 September I informed the Chairman of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry that some further inquiries would be necessary before a firm view could be reached about possible criminality of those mentioned by the hon. Member. On the same day the Director of Public Prosecutions asked the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to undertake those inquiries. The police report is awaited.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Attorney-General if the Crown prosecution service has received a report from the Metropolitan police concerning possible criminal offences by persons interested in the outcome of the report by the Select Committee on Trade and Industry into the takeover of House of Fraser; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  A report has not yet been received by the Crown Prosecution Service; the Metropolitan police are conducting their inquiries as quickly as the circumstances allow and will submit a report as soon as possible.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes have been made to the class X, vote 3 cash limit and running costs limit for the Northern Ireland court service.

  The Attorney-General
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class X, vote 3 has been increased by £560,000 from £17,996,000 to £18,556,000 and the running costs limit by £120,000 from £13,498,000 to £13,618,000. The increase is within the forecast out turn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today. The increases arises because of additional costs incurred in respect of bomb damage to a court building, a judicial removal and computer costs for a fixed penalty/penalty points scheme. Additional appropriations-in-aid of £725,000 will offset the increase in the provision.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes will be made to the class X, vote 12 cash limit and running costs limit for the Public Record Office.

  The Attorney-General
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the 114
  cash limit for class X, vote 12 will be increased by £254,000 from £21,997,000 to £22,251,000. This includes £169,000 for part take up of the £880,000 capital end year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991; and £85,000 towards the pay and associated expenses of the additional staff recommended in the recent Efficiency Scrutiny report. The running costs limit for the Public Record Office will as a result be increased by £85,000 from £19,207,000 to £19,292,000.

  These increases are within the forecast out turn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes will be made to the Lord Chancellor's Department's running costs limit for 1991–92.

  The Attorney-General
  Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the running costs limit for the Lord Chancellor's Department, class X, vote 1 will be increased by £7,413,000 from £347,899,000 to £355,312,000.

  The Supplementary Estimate gives effect to an increase of £1,419,000 in running costs under end year flexibility arrangements.

  It is also required to increase the running costs provision for certain tribunals by £391,000 and to regularise arrangements for management charges in respect of the common investment funds scheme by an increase to provision of £300,000.

  The Supplementary Estimate is required to increase provision in running costs by £5,125,000 to meet the cost of PSA bills carried over from 1990–91 that have been paid in 1991–92 or that remain outstanding.

  Finally the Supplementary Estimate gives effect to a running costs transfer of £18,000 from Her Majesty's Stationery Office for work by the Statutory Publications Office and a running costs transfer of £160,000 from the Home Office for training material to be provided through the Judicial Studies Board.

  The increase is within the forecast out turn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Attorney-General whether he proposes any changes to the Serious Fraud Office's cash and running costs limit for 1991–92.

  The Attorney-General
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class X vote 7 will be increased by £1,070,000 from £7,792,000 to £8,862,000. Within this total the Department's running costs limit will be increased by £793,000 from £7,339,000 to £8,132,000.

  This increase will enable the Serious Fraud Office to meet the additional costs arising from the investigation into the affairs of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International. The increase is within the forecast out turn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

DEFENCE

  Ocean Hound
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information is in his possession which would indicate whether any naval ships from countries other than the United Kingdom were in the proximity of the Ocean Hound when it sank off the Kent coast on 10–11 August; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Records of the movements of non-United Kingdom naval ships in and around United Kingdom waters are not maintained unless they are operating in conjunction with Royal Navy vessels. There were no such joint operations in the vicinity of the Ocean Hound on 10–11 August.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he has arranged for all records held by his Department with regard to the location of naval vessels in the area where the Ocean Hound sank on 10–11 August, to be made available to the marine accident investigation branch of the Department of Transport;

  (2) if he will make available all records indicating which naval vessels were in the area off the Kent coast in which the Ocean Hound sank on 10–11 August; and what evidence there is that none of the naval ships in the area collided with the Ocean Hound.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There were no Royal Navy ships or submarines at sea within 300 nautical miles of the area at the estimated time of the loss of the Ocean Hound. The marine accident investigation branch has been advised accordingly.

  Departmental Land Holdings
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of agricultural land owned by his Department in each county or Scottish region in(a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Meteorological Office
  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will announce the identity of the next chief executive of the Meteorological Office.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My right hon. Friend has decided, following an open competition, to appoint Professor Julian Hunt as the chief executive of the Meteorological Office Executive Agency. He is currently the professor of fluid mechanics at the university of Cambridge. He will take up the appointment on 2 January 1992, in succession to Sir John Houghton.

TRANSPORT

  Railway Junctions
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the locations which British Rail has identified at which enhanced protection arrangements, to 116
  which he referred in his answer of 22 October, Official Report, column 477, are being introduced; and if he will set out for each location what specific measures are being adopted.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail have identified the following 10 locations as requiring changes to the protection: Ashford (junction with Appledore line), Bellgrove, Doncaster (junction with Sheffield line), Dorchester, West, Hanwell, Hydem, Newton, Paddock Wood, Shipley and Wimbledon (junction with Merton line).

  At present, BR has amended the signalman's instructions in eight cases, so that if it is not possible to permit a train to leave a station platform, trains will be held at the previous signal (ie will not be allowed to enter the station). In the other two cases, that instruction is not applicable, as the train starts from a dead-end platform. The instructions given to platform staff on the starting of trains from those platforms have been reinforced by special instructions and monitoring.

  Other options under consideration include modifying the signal inter-locking to achieve that precaution automatically, and modifying the track layouts to reduce the effect on services of these precautions. BR is evaluating the options in each case, and will discuss proposals with the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate before taking further action.

  Seat Belts
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which other countries of the European Community fit seat belts to all seats in coaches and minibuses.

  Mr. Chope
  None. EC legislation does not require seat belts or anchorages to be fitted other than on front seats or exposed seats.

  The Government have been seeking to have the EC directives on seat belts and anchorages amended so that fitment to all seats in minibuses and coaches can be required.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the fitting of seat belts to all seats in coaches and minibuses on the incidence of death and injury in coaches in the event of an accident.

  Mr. Chope
  The number of injuries to seated bus and coach passengers in Great Britain in 1990 was 4,670, of which 289 were serious and nine fatal. The average annual total of injuries in the years 1986–1990 was 4,202.

  It is believed that the fitting of seat belts could significantly reduce the minority of injuries which are due to passenger ejection or vehicle rollover. The benefit of seat belts in the case of frontal impact accidents is less clear, since the nature of the seat or surface in front of the occupant has to be taken into account. Research into this problem is continuing.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the provision of seat belts in coaches and minibuses.

  Mr. Chope
  We have received a great many letters from individuals, schools and other organisations on this question, the vast majority of whom are in favour of the provision of seat belts in these vehicles.
  117
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place between his Department and coach manufacturers and operators about the fitting of seat belts.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department meets representatives of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the Bus and Coach Council on a regular basis. Whenever the question of seat belts is raised, we emphasise the importance of making seat belts in coaches more readily available to the travelling public. Seat belts can already be fitted in most large coaches.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the likely additional cost of fitting seat belts to all seats in coaches and minibuses.

  Mr. Chope
  The estimated cost of fitting lap belts to every seat in a new coach is about £1,000, approximately £20 per seat.

  Comparable figures for minibuses are not available but would probably be higher because of the additional floor strengthening work necessary to secure the seat belt anchorages.

  Road Construction
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will quantify the savings expected this year in the road construction budget; what percentage of these savings has been reallocated to (i) road building and (ii) rail investment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government always seek to secure best value for money from its road construction budget. Estimated provision for new construction and renewal of national roads systems in England is £1,842 million gross (£1,755 million net) in the current financial year. We expect to start more than 150 miles of new roads this year.

  A12, Chelmsford
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects emergency telephones to be installed on the A12 Chelmsford by-pass; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  During 1992.

  BR (Bus Services)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers British Rail has to run bus services to link in with and complement its rail services.

  Mr. Freeman
  Section 118 of the Transport Act 1985 gives the British Railways Board powers to secure the provision by other persons of services for the carriage of passengers by road where a railway service has been temporarily interrupted, or has been discontinued. The board has no power to run bus services themselves.

  Road Schemes
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to make in updating COEIA 9 to COBA 10 to be used in evaluating possible road schemes on a cost benefit analysis basis.

  Mr. Chope
  The basic parameters, assumptions and methodologies incorporated in COBA are continually 118
  reviewed and researched. Since COBA 9 was released, there have been several parameter changes which have been considered necessary, and users have accordingly been notified of changes they need to make when running COBA 9. COBA 10 will incorporate these changes in to the default parameter set, thus simplifying the task of running the program. These changes include revised national road traffic forecasts (1989), values of time, accident rates, discount rate, GDP and petrol price forecasts.

  Occasionally research may indicate the need for change to parameters or methodologies which cannot be incorporated by the user, and which therefore require a revised version of the program to be released. COBA 10 will incorporate some changes of this kind.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what basis his Department uses in cost benefit analysis terms on the valuation of time savings in relation to different methods of commuting to work when considering possible road schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  In cost-benefit analyses of road schemes, time savings for commuting to work are given the same value, whatever the method of commuting. Commuting time is valued at the standard appraisal value for non-work time, which is based on research into what people are willing to pay to save time.

  A27
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce possible routes for the proposed A27 Polegate-Lewes dual carriageway; how many options he intends to publish; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  I hope to consult the public on a number of possible options for improving the A27 Lewes-Polegate route around the end of the year.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much British Rail has invested, and is planning to invest, in Scotland's railway infrastructure in preparation for the opening of the channel tunnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail plans to invest, with the private sector, in a channel tunnel freight terminal in Strathclyde. It considers the existing infrastructure is otherwise adequate for the channel tunnel services it plans to run to and from Scotland. Its substantial investment in passenger and freight rolling stock for these services will benefit Scotland as well as other parts of Great Britain.

  Railways (Bus Services)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those countries in Europe whose publicly-owned railway undertakings operate bus services to complement their railway services.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is not available within the Department.

  Public Service Obligation Grant
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the public service obligation grant ceiling for 1991–92.
  119
  Mr. Freeman
  The cash ceiling on public service obligation grant for 1991–92 will be £900 million.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to make to the cash limit and running costs limit for his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit in class VII will be changed as follows:

  Class and vote

  Current cash limit

  Changes

  Revised cash limit

  £'000s

  VII, 1

  1,968,824

  1—15,160

  1,953,664

  2

  232,444

  21,994

  234,438

  1 There is a reduction of £15,000,000 in the cash limit on this Vote to cover part of a shortfall on class VII, vote 3 and additionally £160,000 running costs has been transferred to class VII, vote 2 in respect of certain relocation costs.

  2 Take up of entitlement to end year flexibility announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991, Official Report, columns 186–89. There are additions in respect of repayment services of £80,000 from Department of Trade and Industry (class IV, vote 2) and £15,000 running costs from Civil Service Commission (class XIX, vote 1) together with an addition of £1,000,000 for consultancy work connected with the sale of the Trust Ports. There is a reduction of £325,000 in Appropriations on Aid as a consequence of the transfer of Offshore Safety responsibilities to Department of Employment. There are reductions on this Vote in respect of the transfer of running costs to Department of Employment for Offshore Safety (£300,000) and to the Lord Chancellor's Department (class XIX, vote 1) for pensions (£21,000).

  The running costs limit of the Department of Transport has been reduced by £306,000 from £379,290,000 to £378,984,000 as a consequence of the above.

  The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Ocean Hound
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will release the video film taken last week by agents acting on behalf of the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau, and in particular the shots of the damage primarily to the starboard and portside of the Ocean Hound which is currently lying on the sea bed off the Kent coast; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Marine accident investigation branch inspectors are examining the video film. The nature of the damage to the vessel is such that very thorough analysis is required.

  To release the film to be viewed generally would be inappropriate both because it is an important item of evidence for the inquiry in progress and because general release might be offensive to the feelings of the bereaved. It has already been shown to near family of those lost.

  The hon. Gentleman and I have exchanged letters, and we are to meet soon to discuss the Ocean Hound.

  Departmental Land Holdings
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of holdings of agricultural land 120
  owned by (a) his Department and (b) British Rail in each county or region in the United Kingdom in (a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is not held in the format mentioned by the hon. Member and records of the 1980 holdings would not exist. The latest information on the Department's holdings is shown in our Register of Unused and Underused Land for 1990–91 in the Library. Details of individual tenancies are not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  The Department does not hold information on agricultural land owned by British Rail and the hon. Member is advised to contact the British Rail Property Board for this information.

  Breath Testing
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of drivers breath-tested for alcohol in 1989–90; how many tests proved positive; and what was the comparable position in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  Statistics of breath tests for England and Wales are published in Home Office statistical bulletins. The most recent annual statistics, for the calendar year 1990, were published in issue 16/91 on 23 July 1991. A copy of this bulletin is in the Library.

  The following table shows for England and Wales the number of screening breath tests reported and the number of these with positive results for the financial years 1984–85 to 1989–90.

  Number of screening breath tests and those with positive results—England and Wales

  Screening breath tests

  Total tests

  Number positive

  Thousands

  Thousands

  1984–85

  203·0

  174·0

  1985–86

  263·3

  180·0

  1986–872

  321·1

  186·0

  1987–88

  420·0

  103·3

  1988–89

  455·0

  99·9

  1989–90

  557·6

  98·3

  1 Estimate using monthly figures for total tests and percentage negative.

  2 Improvements in the comprehensiveness of reporting were made from 1 January 1987 so that figures for earlier years are not comparable.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Taxi and Hire Car Licences
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that local authorities issuing taxi and hire care licences are aware of any criminal record of the applicants.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Section 47 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 makes provision for this. It is due to come into effect on 1 April 1992.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne can expect replies to his letters of 10 July, 24 July and 24 September regarding the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 29 October.

  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne can expect a reply to his letter of 2 September on behalf of Mr. W. M. Dewdney, of Cairngorm Cottage, Treluswell, Penryn, Cornwall.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 1 November 1991.

  Court Hearings
  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prosecutions for murder in the last 10 years have been terminated before or during court proceedings as a result of failure of material witnesses to attend;

  (2) how many proceedings for malicious wounding and grievous bodily harm have been terminated during the last 10 years as a result of failure of material witnesses to attend.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information collected centrally does not identify the number of court cases which are terminated because of a failure of material witnesses to attend.

  Prisoners (Psychiatric Care)
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in the United Kingdom are receiving psychiatric care; how many of these were previously in long-term psychiatric hospitals; how many of those who receive psychiatric care or were previously in long term psychiatric hospitals have been imprisoned for crimes of violence; and what percentage of the prison population received psychiatric care in each of the last five years.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Prisoners (Suicides)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent proposal by the governor, medical officers and staff at Lewes prison that suicidal prisoners should be kept with others and supervised on a 24-hour basis by prison staff.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  It is the general policy of the prison service that, where prisoners are identified as being at risk of suicide, they should wherever possible be kept in shared accommodation to reduce feelings of isolation, facilitate support and ensure more effective monitoring and supervision. The options include location in a multi-cell or in a dormitory or hospital ward. Some prisoners, however, cannot always be held with others because of their difficult 122
  or violent behaviour. It is a matter for governors and their staff to decide where individual prisoners should be located, taking into account the needs and behaviour of the prisoner, the degree of suicide risk (which will vary from time to time), and the facilities and staffing which are available. It is desirable for local prisons and remand centres to have the option of holding acutely suicidal prisoners in a ward with 24-hour supervision by staff. This is not yet feasible at a number of establishments, including Lewes, but it is the prison service's intention to work towards the introduction of such wards as the necessary resources become available.

  House of Fraser
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Metropolitan Commissioner on the progress of inquiries by the Metropolitan police into possible criminal offences by persons interested in the outcome of the report by the Select Committee on Trade and Industry into the takeover of House of Fraser.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. Any question of possible criminal offences arising out of the Department of Trade and Industry's report into the takeover of House of Fraser would be a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  Illegal Camping
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to give additional powers to the police to curb illegal camping by itinerants.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. Friend has no such plans.

  Departmental Land Holdings
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of holdings of agricultural land owned by his Department in each county or Scottish region in(a) 1980 and (b)

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Home Office has the following agricultural land holdings in England and Wales:

  Hectarage of agricultural land owned and managed by the prison service

  County

  Number of Holdings

  1980

  1990

  Cambridge

  1

  51

  28

  Devon

  3

  751

  559

  Dorset

  3

  146

  146

  Buckinghamshire

  1

  4

  4

  Essex

  1

  6

  6

  Gloucestershire

  1

  10

  10

  Greater Manchester

  2

  46

  46

  Gwent

  1

  86

  86

  Hampshire

  1

  79

  79

  Hereford and Worcestershire

  1

  43

  43

  Humberside

  1

  102

  102

  Kent

  3

  101

  85

  Leicestershire

  1

  34

  34

  Lancashire

  2

  189

  189

  Lincolnshire

  2

  518

  518

  Nottinghamshire

  3

  353

  353

  123

  County

  Number of Holdings

  1980

  1990

  Oxfordshire

  1

  123

  nil

  Staffordshire

  3

  204

  204

  Suffolk

  2

  491

  491

  Warwickshire

  1

  nil

  113

  Wiltshire

  1

  5

  5

  Yorkshire (North)

  1

  2

  2

  Yorkshire (South)

  2

  226

  226

  Yorkshire (West)

  2

  60

  60

  Hectarage of agricultural land owned by the prison service but let to tenants

  County

  Number of Tenants

  1980

  1990

  Warwickshire

  1

  1—

  95·0

  Surrey

  1

  1—

  19·0

  Oxfordshire

  1

  5·5

  5·5

  1 (Tenancies not in existence in 1980)

  Cash Limits
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to make any changes to the 1991–92 cash limits within his responsibilities.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The cash limit for class IX, vote 3 will be reduced by £365,000 from £891,317,000 to £890,952,000 to reflect transfers of provision to the Department of Education and Science for additional resource units for probation students at universities (£205,000) and to the Lord Chancellor's Department for training material for magistrates on the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (£160,000).

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Aid Budget
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the Government's spending on aid in 1990, expressed both in actual sum spent and as a percentage of gross national product; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Official development assistance in 1990 was £1,490 million, which was 0·27 per cent. of gross national product. We plan the aid programme on financial years, so that figures based on calendar years may not reflect the planned level of expenditure. Our planning figure for 1991–92 as a proportion of estimated GNP is 0·31 per cent.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made in the 1991–92 cash limit for expenditure by the Overseas Development Administration.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit on the Overseas Aid Vote (class II vote 5) will be increased by £65,225,000 from £1,573,117,000 to £1,638,342,000. The increase provides for humanitarian relief responses in 124
  respect of Iraqi refugees, the African famine and the Bangladesh cyclone, and balance of payments support for India. It also takes account of two small transfers of resources in respect of eastern Europe involving the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health. The running costs cash limit for the ODA has also been increased by £50,000 from £44,843,000 to £44,893,000. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Hong Kong
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the new obligations and undertakings contained in the recently agreed memorandum of understanding between the United Kingdom and Chinese Governments.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The details of the memorandum of understanding were placed in the Library of the House on the same day as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a statement to the House on this subject.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the autonomy of Hong Kong before and after 1997.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Hong Kong has in practice long enjoyed substantial autonomy in most areas, particularly in economic, commercial and financial matters. Under the joint declaration, from 1 July 1997 the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of China will enjoy a high degree of autonomy except for foreign and defence affairs. It will be vested with executive, legislative and independent judicial power.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in Cambodia arising from the Paris peace agreement of 23 October.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the honourable Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam) on 22 October. Since then, on 31 October, the UN Security Council has adopted resolution 718 authorising the UN Secretary General to designate a special representative for Cambodia and carry out preparatory work for the establishment of UN transitional authority in Cambodia.

  Mr. Mariusz Kuziak
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Mariusz Kuziak, a Polish citizen, was denied an entry visa to spend a fortnight with his relatives in Bury St. Edmunds.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

  European Community
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration the intergovernmental conferences have given to increasing
  125
  the membership of the Community; and what adjustment, if any, has been made to draft treaties on environment and political union to accommodate future new members.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The agenda of the intergovernmental conference includes consideration of extended Community action on environment, but enlargement of the Community is not formally under discussion. It is expected to be debated after the conclusion of the conference.

  Nuclear Weapons (Ukraine)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what negotiations Her Majesty's Government are engaged in with the Republic of Ukraine to reduce or eliminate nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None. In addition to President Kravchuk's earlier assurances to the United Nations General Assembly, the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet recently adopted a declaration affirming its commitment to observing the provisions of START and achieving eventual non-nuclear status, including accession to the non-proliferation treaty. We have, however, had contacts with Ukrainian representatives and are urging them to adhere to these commitments.

  Albania
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning government policy towards Albania, its economy and the establishment of democratic institutions there.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We warmly welcome the progress towards full democratisation and the establishment of a free market economy in Albania. In pursuit of this, the Government support the help being given by international institutions and maintains contact with members of the Government and opposition in Tirana.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to establish a British embassy in Albania; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  This matter is currently under review. I will inform the hon. and learned Member when a decision is taken.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he proposes to make any changes in his Department's diplomatic wing cash limits for 1991–92.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for class II, vote 2 (Other External Relations) will be increased by £8,500,000 from £156,931,000 to £165,431,000 to reflect increased costs due to our contributions to the United Nations Iraq/Kuwait observer mission, United Nations observer mission in Western Sahara, United Nations human rights verification unit in El Salvador and the United Nations special commission in Iraq.

  This increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total as announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Footwear Imports
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the representations he has received from the footwear industry concerning footwear imports from China; whether he has replied; and what measures he plans to take to address their concerns.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have received a number of letters, including an application from the British Footwear Manufacturers' Federation for my Department to ask the European Commission for the suspension, under article 115 of the treaty of Rome, of free circulation of imported footwear originating in the People's Republic of China. After careful consideration of the industry's case I decided that the facts were not sufficient to warrant such a step. The federation has been informed and I have agreed to meet their representatives on 13 December.

  RETEXT Scheme
  Mr. Lee
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has been consulted by the European Commission on proposals for a RETEXT scheme to encourage economic development of areas of textile and clothing concentration; and whether the United Kingdom will be eligible for EC assistance under such a scheme.

  Mr. Leigh
  I have not yet been consulted. If such a scheme proceeds, however, I would expect textile areas of the United Kingdom to be eligible.

  Uruguay Round
  Mr. Lee
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress in the GATT Uruguay round, with particular reference to the textile and clothing trade.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Government are continuing to work with our European Community partners for an early successful conclusion to the Uruguay round. This would involve, among other things, an agreement to reduce barriers to world trade in textiles and to integrate this sector into GATT on the basis of strengthened rules and disciplines.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Wolfson
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if there are any proposals to change the 1991–92 cash limit for the office of the Minister for the Civil Service.

  Mr. Renton
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (class XIX, vote 1) will be increased by £4,173,000 from £37,548,000 to £41,721,000.

  The increase is required to cover the increased cost of the London economic summit; the cost of launching the citizens charter and the take up of capital expenditure provision under end year flexibility arrangements. In addition certain capital expenditure provision has been reallocated to current expenditure to cover reimbursing former Prime Ministers for the cost of maintaining an additional office.
  127
  Some of the above changes in provision have a consequent effect on the Department's running costs limit which will be increased by £3,776,000 from £45,276,000 to £49,052,000.

  The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Index-linked Gilts
  Mr. Lawson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, for each year since their inception, the proportion that index-linked gilts represented of the total amount of gilt-edged stock in the hands of the public, that is, all holdings other than official.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The proportion of market holdings of gilts in indexed form is as follows:

  End-March

  1981

  1·3

  1982

  3·1

  1983

  6·5

  1984

  7·0

  1985

  8·4

  1986

  9·1

  1987

  11·3

  1988

  11·3

  1989

  13·7

  1990

  16·0

  1991

  17·7

  Note: Calculated using nominal values plus accrued uplift for indexed gilts divided by the total.

  Mortgages
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are currently repaying a mortgage.

  Mr. Maples
  According to figures published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, 9,628,000 mortgages were outstanding at the end of June 1991. A figure for the number of people repaying a mortgage is not available because a proportion of mortgages are joint or second mortgages.

  European Central Bank
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what substantial differences Her Majesty's Government have identified between the model set out by the Dutch EC Presidency for an independent European central bank and the Bundesbank.

  Mr. Maude
  The model to which the hon. Gentleman refers is set out in a document produced by the EC Presidency as a basis for further negotiation at the Inter-Governmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union. The United Kingdom and other member states are not committed to any particular part of its contents.

  The Government have not sought to draw comparisons between the institution proposed in that document and the German Bundesbank.

  Bankruptcy
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bankruptcy petitions have been brought by Customs and Excise this year.

  Mr. Gillian Shephard
  In the calendar year to 1 November 1991 Customs and Excise have presented 5,486 bankruptcy petitions in England and Wales, 255 in Scotland and a further 178 in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bankruptcy petitions have been brought by the Inland Revenue this year.

  Mr. Maude
  The number of bankruptcy (individuals) and winding-up (Companies) petitions filed by the Inland Revenue in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the period 1 January 1991 to 30 September 1991 is:

  Number

  Bankruptcy petitions

  2,013

  Winding-up petitions

  592

  The precise equivalent figures for Scotland cannot be ascertained without disproportionate cost but do not exceed 74 individuals and 20 companies.

  EC Economic Growth
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the average rate of economic growth of the six founder members of the EC from 1964 to 1973 and since 1979.

  Mr. Maples
  Table RI in "National Accounts ESA Aggregates 1970–1989 Theme 2 Series C" published by Eurostat gives annual growth rates for gross domestic product at market prices for 1970 to 1989. Data for earlier years can be calculated from Table 25 in "National Accounts Main Aggregates Volume 1 1960–1989" published by OECD or can be obtained from the Statistical Office of the European Communities.

  Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.

  Taxpayers Charter
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the differences between the 1986 taxpayers charter and the 1991 taxpayers charter represent changes in Government policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The new charter seeks to convey the aims of the 1986 charter more clearly, by expressing them in a fresh and more focused way.

  Economic and Monetary Union
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what alteration to the statutes governing the Bank of England's relationship with the Government would be required to comply with the Dutch Government's proposed draft treaty on economic and monetary union and the independence of member states' central banks.

  Mr. Maude
  The model to which the hon. Gentleman refers is set out in a document produced by the EC Presidency as a basis for further negotiation at the
  129
  Inter-Governmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union. The UK and other member states are not committed to any particular part of its contents. The issues raised by the hon. Gentleman are still under discussion and no conclusion has yet been reached.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration was given by participants in the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union to including among the convergence measurement criteria the levels of unemployment and investment.

  Mr. Maude
  The Inter-Governmental Conference on economic and monetary union has considered a range of criteria. The Dutch Presidency text reflects the view that convergence of inflation and interest rates, successful membership of the narrow band of the ERM, and the avoidance of excessive budget deficits are the appropriate tests.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the lastest available index figures for real output in manufacturing industry together with figures for the time period or periods since 1973 for the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Mr. Mellor
  The latest available information of manufacturing output at 1985 prices, seasonally adjusted is as follows:

  United Kingdom

  France

  Italy

  Germany

  1973

  110·5

  93·7

  85·5

  87·9

  1991

  Q2

  112·6

  110·9

  114·2

  124·3

  July

  113·4

  not available

  August

  112·2

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing manufacturing output less food, drink, tobacco, paper, printing and publishing in 1973, 1979, 1989 and the second quarter of 1991.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested on manufacturing output less food, drink, tobacco, paper, printing and publishing cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for each year since 1970 imports and exports of semi-finished and finished manufactures, less erratics, at 1990 prices.

  Mr. Mellor
  Information from which trade in semi-manufactures and finished manufactures less erratics at 1990 prices may be derived is available on the Central Statistical Office database which may be accessed through the Library of the House.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on the balance of payments on current account in terms of £ billion of an increase of 1 million in the number of unemployed.
  130
  Mr. Mellor
  There is no straightforward relationship between unemployment and the current account.

  Money Supply
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for each of the years 1961 to 1990 the percentage increase in the supply of money plus quasi-money as defined by the International Monetary Fund in its International Financial Statistics Yearbook.

  Mr. Maples
  The information is given in the IMF's International Financial Statistics Yearbook for 1991 (pages 94 and 95) and for 1989 (also pages 94 and 95), copies of which are available in the Library.

  House Prices
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect the increase in the real price of houses since 1979 has had on the level of economic activity.

  Mr. Maples
  Increases in real house prices raise real personal sector wealth and hence probably consumer spending. But both real house prices and economic activity will to some extent be influenced by the same underlying factors.

  European Parliament
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reasons a majority of member states in the intergovernmental conference has given for preferring a consultative and not a legislative role for the European Parliament, as set out in the letter to him of 25 October from the Dutch Minister of Finance.

  Mr. Maude
  The views of the member states expressed in the Inter-Governmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union are a matter for their respective Governments. The Treaty provisions on EMU as presently under discussion in the IGC will encompass relatively little legislation. Instead, they will develop the coordination of national economic policies between the member states, and will establish a European central bank to be responsible for monetary policy.

  Guest Houses
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has any plans to give Inland Revenue officials the power to carry out spot checks on premises not registered for uniform business rate which can accommodate six or more paying guests.

  Mr. Maude
  Inland Revenue valuation officers and their staff have powers to enter premises in pursuance of their statutory duties, provided at least 24 hours notice in writing is given, and the authorised person produces his other authority on request. There are no plans to extend these powers.

  VAT
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the aggregate amount of bank guarantees currently provided by registered traders to Her Majesty's
  131
  Customs and Excise in respect of VAT on imports and the proportion thereof that relates to imports from other EC member states.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Under the duty deferment scheme Her Majesty's Customs and Excise hold guarantees given by banks and insurance companies in respect of combined import VAT, customs and excise duties and levies. The total value of these guarantees fluctuates daily but the element attributable to import VAT is currently estimated to be about £2,600 million, of which some £1,600 million can be attributed to imports from other EC Member States.

  Exchange Rate Mechanism
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of membership of the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system on economic growth.

  Mr. Maude
  Membership of the exchange rate mechanism helps to secure lower inflation, thereby providing the necessary climate for healthy sustainable growth.

  Citizens Charter
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his citizens charter includes measures taken by Government Departments prior to the publication of the document; and if he will make statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The citizens charter builds on the earlier successes of the financial management initiative and, more recently, the Next Steps programme of management reform which has led to the creation of 56 agencies. It draws on the efforts of individual Departments and agencies to improve the services they offer to their customers. The charter aims to raise the quality of public services and make them more responsive to their users through increased choice, the extension of competition and accountability, and the provision of more information on the standards of service that they can expect to receive. The citizens charter contains a wide range of new proposals for this.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any changes will be made to the Department for National Savings' cash limit and running cost limit for 1991–92.

  Mr. Maples
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 9 (expenditure of the Department for National Savings on administration, publicity costs and certain other expenses) will be increased by £2,082,000 from £181,732,000 to £183,814,000. The running costs limit for the Department for National Savings will be increased by £2,082,000 from £175,118,000 to £177,200,000. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  £582,000 of the increase is in respect of the take-up of end-year-flexibility on running costs as announced by the
  132
  Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 186–190. The remaining £1,500,000 of the increase is in respect of additional expenditure on marketing activities to support the Government's funding objectives.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is proposing any change to the Central Statistical Office's cash or running costs limits for 1991–92.

  Mr. Maples
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 13 will be increased by £2,126,000 from £31,741,000 to £33,867,000 and the running costs limit by £1,336,000 from £31,101,000 to £32,437,000. These increases reflect measures to improve the quality of economic statistics including the redevelopment of computer systems following a review of the Department's information systems strategy, the take up of both capital and running costs end year flexibility entitlements, and transfers from Property Holdings (£78,000), class VIII, vote 7, the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (£65,000), class XIX, vote 1, the Department of Trade and Industry (£11,000), class IV, vote 2 and Her Majesty's Treasury (£9,000), class XVIII, vote 1. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planned total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any changes are proposed to the cash limit and running cost limit for 1991–92 for the Inland Revenue.

  Mr. Maude
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 6 will be increased by £6,509,000 from £1,543,608,000 to £1,550,117,000 and the Department's running cost limit by £82,574,000 from £1,521,011,000 to £1,603,585,000. The change in both the cash limit and the running costs limit arises because of the work being undertaken by the valuation office in setting up the valuation lists for the council tax.

  This increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed in the cash limit and running cost cash limit for 1991–92 for Customs and Excise.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 5 will be increased by £8,656,000 from £729,600,000 to £738,256,000 and the running cost limit for Customs and Excise by £3,096,000 from £629,800,000 to £632,896,000. The increase in the running costs limit arises from the take up of full end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 185–90 and the costs associated with a programme for the training of overseas customs officers, the costs of which are being met by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (class II, vote 1), the Home Office (class IX, vote 3) and the Overseas Development Administration (class II, vote 5). The increase in the cash limit otherwise includes take up of the full end-year flexibility entitlement for capital expenditure; the need to pay interest on refunds of VAT being made as
  133
  a result of legal decisions prior to Royal Assent to the 1991 Finance Act (from which date payments can be made from revenue); and increased expenditure on legal fees and payments to the civil superannuation vote. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is proposing any change to the Central Office of Information cash limit for 1991–92.

  Mr. Maples
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 14, will be increased by £7,400,000 from £20,709,000 to £28,109,000.

  The increase is made necessary as a result of the difference between the actual value of assets and liabilities transferred to the Central Office of Information (trading fund) and those anticipated at the time the Trading Fund Order was passed by the House. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Press and Publicity Staff
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any member of the Treasury's press and publicity staff accompanied him in Blackpool during the Conservative party conference.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: No.

  Public Opinion Survey
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the public opinion surveys carried out by Her Majesty's Treasury since 12 July 1991.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: The following public opinion surveys have been carried out on behalf of HM Treasury in connection with the forthcoming sale of shares in BT:

  August 1991, surveys covering public attitudes to BT, privatisation and awareness of the forthcoming BT sale;

  October 1991, Survey covering public expectations about level of incentives in BT sale;

  October and November 1991, further surveys covering awareness of and interest in participation in BT sale.

ENERGY

  Departmental Land Holdings
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of holdings of agricultural land owned by(a) his Department and (b) British Coal in each county or region in the United Kingdom in (a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department has no holdings of agricultural land; holdings by British Coal are a matter for the corporation.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether any changes will be made to his Department's cash limits for 1991–92.
  134
  Mr. Wakeham
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary winter supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class V, vote 9 will be increased by £4,000,000 to £5,000,000. This extra provision is sought to meet further expenditure on advisers' fees in connection with the privatisation of the coal industry.

  The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Correspondence
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne can expect replies to his letters of 18 January, 29 March and 24 September regarding funding for the Falmouth school of art and design.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My hon. Friend has received interim replies. I will write again to him as soon as possible and no later than the end of November.

  Development Education
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether development education falls within the remit of Her Majesty's inspectorate for schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Her Majesty's inspectorate inspects all aspects of pupils' learning within and across the national curriculum. The national curriculum offers pupils considerable opportunity to develop ideas, knowledge arid understanding about development education particularly within the study of geography, but also in their study of cross-curricular themes and issues.

  Mandatory Grants
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the local education authorities which were more than seven days late in sending cheques for mandatory grants to students in higher education.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  This information is not available centrally. Most local education authorities are coping with the record numbers of students seeking grants for higher education. I am, however, most concerned by reports that some students may be in difficulty because their grant cheques have not arrived from certain authorities. My officials are following up such reports and seeking assurances that the authorities concerned are taking action, including making provisional payments where necessary, to ensure that students do not suffer hardship.

  World Affairs (Teaching)
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how his Department utilises the resources and information from the Foreign Office to teach British schoolchildren about world affairs.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is for schools to determine how best to deliver the statutory requirements of the national curriculum so as to meet the needs of all pupils. It is they who are therefore charged with selecting the most effective teaching methods and the resources and information necessary to support them.
  135
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what scope there is within the national curriculum for world development issues to be studied in British schools.

  Mr. Eggar
  The national curriculum allows ample scope for world development issues to be studied. National curriculum geography is the main vehicle for this, although other subjects may play a part. The attainment targets and programmes of study in geography afford a balanced perspective of development—its causes, constraints and effects—in a wide range of countries at different levels of economic development.

  Health Education
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to protect school children from exploitation by commercial groups sending teaching materials into schools by setting up a national accreditation scheme for health education materials.

  Mr. Atkins
  No. My right hon. and learned Friend believes that judgments about the use of such materials are best left to individual schools.

  Hearnville School
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will ask for all of the views expressed by parents of children attending Hearnville school, Balham, London SW12 before approving any decision made by Wandsworth council to close this school; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Wandsworth council has not published proposals relating to the closure of Hearnville school. If it does so, parents of children attending the school will have the opportunity to make their views known during the two-month objection period following publication. My right hon. Friend will take those views into account in determining any proposals which come before him.

  School Buildings (Regulations)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps his Department is taking to review the Education (School Buildings) Regulations 1981; which bodies are being consulted; and when new draft regulations will be proposed.

  Mr. Eggar
  Work is currently in progress on a range of topics as part of the review of the School Premises Regulations. The following organisations were sent a consultation letter by DES. Others were consulted by the Welsh Office.

  Local Authority Associations

  Association of Metropolitan Authorities

  Association of County Councils

  Local Education Authorities

  Chief Education Officers—England

  School Governors

  National Association of Governors and Managers

  GM Schools

  Grant Maintained Schools Trust

  City Technology Colleges

  CTC Trust
  136
  Religious Bodies

  Catholic Education Council

  General Synod of the Church of England

  London Board of Jewish Religious Education

  Methodist Church Division of Education and Youth

  Teachers Associations

  National Union of Teachers

  Secondary Heads Association

  Professional Association of Teachers

  National Association of School Masters/Union of Women Teachers

  National Association of Head Teachers

  Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association

  Special Education Needs

  Local Authority Social Services Department

  Centre for Studies of Integration in Education

  National Council for Special Education

  Royal National Institute for the Blind

  Royal National Institute for the Deaf

  The Spastics Society

  Special Educational Needs National Advisory Council

  National Association of Independent and Non-Maintained Special Schools

  Local Authority Professional Associations

  perSociety of Education Officers

  Society of Chief Architects in Local Authorities (SCALA)

  Association of Heads of County Property Departments

  Society of Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

  Society of Chief Building Surveyors

  Ethnic Minority Organisations

  Afro-Caribbean Teachers Association

  Asian Teachers Association

  British Association of Muslims

  Board of Deputies of British Jews Education Office

  Federation of Bangladeshi Associations

  Caribbean Teachers Association

  Greek Cypriot Teachers Association

  National Association of Hindu Associations

  National Muslim Education Council for UK

  Sikh Education Council

  Standing Conference of Asian Organisations UK

  The Islamic Academy

  The Council of Mosques: UK and EIRE

  The Islamic School Trust

  Muslim Educational Trust

  Muslim Educational Services

  Muslim Education Co-ordinating Council UK

  Other

  The Chartered Institute of Building

  National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations

  Association of Community Councils in Rural England (ACRE)

  Organisations maintaining non-maintained special schools

  Royal National Institute for the Blind

  Barnardo's

  National Children's Home

  The Shaftesbury Society

  Invalid Children's Aid Nationwide

  Order of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Essex)

  Order of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Merseyside)

  The English Province of the Daughters of the Cross

  The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul

  Order of the Dominicans

  Royal London Society for the Blind

  Christian Service Union

  Boys' and Girls' Welfare Society

  The Royal Eastern Counties Schools Ltd

  Mind

  Henshaw's Society for the Blind

  The Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind

  The Smith Foundation

  The Royal Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton

  137
  Other Bodies

  Local authority social services departments.

  The results of the review are expected to be available towards the end of next year, at which stage decisions will be taken about the necessary action.

  GCSE
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he conducted and what evidence he assembled for his appraisal of the function of course work as a part of the GCSE; and if he will place the material in the Library.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the honourable Member to my reply of 21 October to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett),Official Report, column 362.

  My right honourable and learned Friend is currently considering advice on GCSE coursework from the School Examinations and Assessment Council.

  Parents Charter
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on the reasons for the differences in the form and substance of the parents charter commitments on the publication of examination and test results in England, Wales and Scotland;

  (2) whether performance tables on school examination results will be published in the same way throughout Great Britain if the parents charter is enacted.

  Mr. Eggar
  The parents charters for England, Scotland and Wales all contained a commitment that performance information about schools would be published in order to help parents choose a school for their child and monitor the school's performance. The necessary new powers are included in the Education (Schools) Bill which was introduced today. Detailed arrangements for implementing the commitment will be set out in regulations in due course; these may vary according to the particular circumstances in each country, but will all be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

  Expenditure Plans
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about his Department's expenditure plans for the financial years 1992–93 to 1994–95.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his statement today, the provision for the Department of Education and Science's own spending programme in 1992–93 will be £7,947 million, which is £627 million or 8·6 per cent. higher than the estimated outturn for 1991–92. This figure includes central Government expenditure on higher education, science, schools, and sport; it also includes specific grants to local authorities and credit approvals for capital expenditure by LEAs.

  Capital Expenditure in Schools and Colleges

  Local authority capital programmes at schools and colleges—annual capital guidelines and supplementary credit approvals—rise from £538 million in 1991–92 to £590 million in 1992–93. The total for local authority
  138
  schools rises from £472 million to £524 million—an increase of 11 per cent. Provision for building grants for voluntary aided schools increases from £130·8 million to £150·7 million, a rise of over 15 per cent. £28·5 million has been allocated for capital expenditure in grant-maintained schools, up from £10·5 million in 1991–92, reflecting the rapid increase in the number of schools entering this sector. The total for school building work rises to £703 million in 1992–93: up by some 10 per cent. in real terms over the equivalent figure for this year. The increase should also be seen against continuing downward pressure on building tender prices, which should enable sums allocated to new work this year and next to go even further. This level of provision underscores the Government's commitment to give priority to improving school buildings and to implementing the national curriculum, in particular science and technology.

  For the third year running, available recurrent public funding for universities, polytechnics and colleges is planned to increase by some 10 per cent. outturn in the previous year—to £3·9 billion in 1992–93. Total recurrentand capital spending on all higher education—UFC, PCFC and other higher education—funded through fees and grant will be £4·4 billion in 1992·93.

  These plans will enable the continued expansion of the number of students in higher education described in the White Paper "Higher Education: A New Framework" (Cm. 1541). More than one in four of all young people in Britain are expected to enter higher education in autumn next year and one in three by the end of the century. As the White Paper explained, the plans envisage additional public funding to support this expansion while also expecting institutions to take advantage of the efficiency gains available to them as they take on more students.

  Based on actual enrolments to each sector up to October 1990, the plans allow for the following distribution between sectors of the projected number of students for 1992–93 given in the White Paper:

  Projected Home and EC student numbers (FTE) (Financial years)

  thousands

  Percentage increase

  1991–92

  1992–93

  PCFC

  368

  401

  9·0

  UFC

  343

  363

  5·8

  Under the Government's proposals to bring together universities, polytechnics and colleges into one higher education sector, the funds for 1993–94 will be made available to the new higher education funding councils. On a comparable basis to 1992–93, the planned available recurrent funding for 1993–94 and 1994–95 is £4·2 billion and £4·4 billion, some 17 per cent. and 22 per cent. respectively more than in 1991–92. Subject to the passage of the necessary legislation, there will be adjustments from 1993–94 to the planned funding for these years to take account of the changes in territorial responsibilities of the new funding councils.

  These plans confirm that the Government are providing for the cost of the extra students enrolled as well as for an increase in resources for the funding councils. Universities, polytechnics and colleges remain free to take on, and finance through the tuition fee, as many qualified students as they are able to accommodate.

  The level of fees which will be reimbursed through public funds in the academic year 1992–93 will be up to these limits:

  139

  Classroom based courses: £1,855.

  Laboratory/workshop based courses: £2,770.

  Clinical medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses: £4,985.

  Postgraduate fee: £2,200.

  The plans allow for an increase in fee income and capital and recurrent grant to the universities of £144 million in 1992–93, compared with estimated outturn for 1991–92. They will also benefit from extra income from tuition fees for every additional student enrolled beyond these plans.

  The total planned recurrent grant for the Universities Funding Council in 1992–93 will be £1,585 million. The plans allow for a further transfer of resources to provision for science as part of the new boundary for dual support. Taking account of the dual support transfer, total planned available recurrent funding in 1992–93 is nearly 8½ per cent. higher than the expected level in 1991–92.

  It will be for the universities to determine what can be afforded for academic pay within their overall resources, having regard to other cost increases, the scope for efficiency improvements and the need for additional staff. The Government will hold back £24 million of grant in 1992–93 for release only in the event of a satisfactory pay settlement for non-clinical academic staff which makes provision to relate pay more closely to performance.

  Capital funding for the universities will be £9 million more than plans for 1991–92. This should allow a start to be made on an upgraded academic computer network, SuperJANET.

  The plans allow for an increase in fee income and capital and recurrent grant to the polytechnics and colleges of £175 million in 1992–93, compared with estimated outturn for 1991–92. They will also benefit from tuition fee income for every additional student enrolled beyond these plans. The total planned recurrent grant for the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council in 1992–93 will be £898 million. Planned available recurrent funding in 1992–93 is some 12 per cent. higher than the expected level in 1991–92.

  It will be for the polytechnic and college employers to determine what can be afforded for academic pay having regard to other cost increases, the scope for efficiency improvements and the need for additional staff. The Government will hold back £11 million of grant in 1992–93 for release only in the event of a satisfactory pay settlement for the lecturers to whom national negotiations currently apply which makes provision to relate pay more closely to performance.

  Capital funding for the PCFC sector is increased to £137·5 million, a level over 50 per cent. higher than in 1989–90 when the polytechnic and college sector was established.

  We will increase by 4½ per cent. the level of support to each student next year from grant and loan combined, thus maintaining its value in real terms. Mandatory awards and loans will be available for all eligible students who apply for them.

  Public expenditure provision for the DES science programme, including expenditure financed by EC receipts, has been increased significantly to £1,054 million in 1992–93, £1,184 million in 1993–94 and £1,274 million in 1994–95. These figures include transfers from higher education funding of £48 million, £125 million and £154 million respectively, which will enable the research
  140
  councils, from August 1992, to meet the full costs of the projects which they support in higher education institutions.

  Within these totals, the sums available for distribution by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils will be £1,050 million, £1,181 million and £1,270 million. The totals for 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95 are £29 million, £50 million and £85 million higher than previous plans for those years. Total science provision for each year will be 7, 12 and 19 per cent. higher in cash than the estimated outturn in 1991–92, excluding the sums transferred and after allowing for the one-off saving of £8 million in 1991–92 on postgraduate fees. This gives an excellent basis for the research councils to plan and manage basic and strategic research.

  I am inviting the Advisory Board for the Research Councils to advise me on the distribution of these resources which will best advance the Government's aims for civil science in the interests of the nation as a whole.

  The plans provide for the successful establishment and development of the 15 city technology colleges announced, and for a start from 1993–94 on spreading CTC principles and practices into other secondary schools.

  The 1992–93 settlement for recurrent provision for grant-maintained schools takes account of the rapid increase in projected school numbers; there are already over 100 grant-maintained schools operating, and numbers are projected to double by April 1992.

  We shall make available, subject to the passage of the Further and Higher Education Bill, £25 million in 1992–93 for the costs of establishing the Further Education Funding Council and preparing further education and sixth form colleges for independence from local authority control.

  Economic and Social Research Council
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he received the annual report of the Economic and Social Research Council for 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The annual report of the Economic and Social Research Council has been submitted to me under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act 1965 and a copy is being laid before the House today.

  I was most interested to read about the council's achievements during its 25th anniversary year. I would note in particular its publication of new "Postgraduate Training Guidelines" issued after widespread consultation to help establish higher standards of training for research students in the social sciences; and the launch of the ESRC's largest-ever research initiative to examine the causes and consequences of global environmental change.

  I congratulate the council on these and its other achievements during its silver jubilee year.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any changes to announce to cash limits on votes within his responsibility for 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limits for class XI, vote 1, schools, research and miscellaneous
  141
  services, class XI, vote 2, higher and further education, and class XI, vote 4, administration will be changed. The cash limit changes are as follows:

  Class and vote

  Current cash limit

  Change

  Revised/cash limit

  £

  £

  £

  Class XI, vote 1

  712,863,000

  +5,607,000

  718,470,000

  Class XI, vote 2

  2,916,285,000

  +518,000

  2,916,803,000

  Class XI, vote 4

  98,692,000

  +7,925,000

  106,617,000

  The increase on class XI, vote 1 includes the full take-up of capital end-year flexibility entitlement of £6,085,000 announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991, columns 186–89. It takes account of the transfer to the Overseas Development Administration of £300,000 towards covering the shortfall between the contribution from the European Commission and the level of fees levied by higher education institutions for students coming to the United Kingdom from central and eastern Europe under the trans-European mobility scheme for university studies (TEM PUS) for which the British Council is undertaking administration of United Kingdom participation; and a transfer of £178,000 to class XI, vote 2.

  The increase on class XI, vote 2 includes provision for a transfer of responsibility to the Universities Funding Council for course costs in training for social work. This is offset by decreases in provision for the Department of Health (class XIII, vote 3), the Home Office (class IX, vote 3) and the Welsh Office (class XVI, vote 5). The vote 2 increase also makes provision for the preparatory costs of establishing new funding arrangements for further education in England, offset by a reduction in provision on vote 1 and in provision on vote 2 for bursaries for the training of teachers in shortage subjects.

  The increase on class XI, vote 4 includes the full take-up of capital (£2,000,000) and running costs (£404,000) end-year flexibility entitlement. It provides for slippage of expenditure associated with the Department's new headquarters building. It also provides for a further transfer (£200,000) from the Department of the Environment towards the costs of the sport and recreation directorate following the transfer of responsibility for sport to my Department. The increase is net of a transfer of £78,000 to the Department of Employment to reflect that Department's responsibility for the secretariat of the School Teachers' Review Body. The net effect of the changes to running costs is to increase the limit by £526,000 from £96,445,000 to £96,971,000.

  These changes are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the numbers of persons or bodies appointed by him or by departments subject to his direction and control; and the date of creation of each such body.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  At 31 August 1991, there were 147 such public bodies with a total of 2,358 appointments.142
  Further details of these bodies may be found in "Public Bodies" and "Public Appointments: A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Departmental Land Holdings
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of holdings of agricultural land owned by his Department in each county in Northern Ireland in(a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. Hanley
  The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland owns agricultural land which it farms for educational and research purposes. Its forest service also owns areas of agricultural land which are surplus to its current planting plans or which it is holding pending the availability of adjoining land; this land is generally let out to neighbouring farmers under short-term lets. The figures for 1990 are shown below (1980 figures in brackets):

  Areas of agricultural land owned and the number of holdings owned and let by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, 1990 (1980)

  County

  Hectares owned

  Holdings owned

  Holdings let

  Antrim

  1,691

  (1,490)

  20

  (10)

  18

  (8)

  Armagh/Down

  658

  (1,179)

  27

  (31)

  23

  (27)

  Fermanagh

  1,768

  (1,753)

  36

  (50)

  34

  (48)

  Londonderry

  1,148

  (868)

  16

  (27)

  16

  (27)

  Tyrone

  1,367

  (2,480)

  45

  (14)

  44

  (13)

  Northern Ireland

  6,632

  (7,770)

  144

  (132)

  135

  (123)

EMPLOYMENT

  Manufacturing (Earnings)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will publish a table showing the increase in, respectively, the average real earnings of full-time adult male and female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April compared to full-time male and female manual employees (i) in the public sector and (ii) not in the public sector;

  (2) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult male manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April 1991 relative to full-time male adult manual workers in (i) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (ii) the nationalised industries and (iii) the private sector;

  (3) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay

  143
  was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April 1991 relative to full-time adult female manual workers in (i) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (ii) the nationalised industries and (iii) the private sector;

  (4) if he will publish a table showing the increase in, respectively, the average real earnings of full-time adult male and female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April compared to full-time adult male and female non-manual employees in (i) the public sector and (ii) not in the public sector;

  (5) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April and the same data for full-time adult female non-manual workers in (a) manufacturing, (b) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (c) the nationalised industries and (d) the private sector;

  (6) if he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult male and female manual workers in manufacturing industry whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April compared to full-time adult male and female non-manual employees in (i) the public sector and (ii) not in the public sector;

  (7) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult male manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April 1991 relative to full-time adult male non-manual workers in (a) manufacturing, (b) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (c) the nationalised industries and(d) the private sector.

  Mr. Jackson
  Information on the average gross earnings of manual and non-manual male and female employees by sector and of manual employees in manufacturing can be found in tables 1, 4 and 6 of part A of the new earnings survey reports from 1979 onwards, apart from those in the "Public Sector other than the nationalised industries" for 1979 which are given in the table below.

  Information on the retail prices index (all items) to convert 1979 figures to 1991 prices is published in table 6.4 of the latest Employment Gazette for April 1991, and in table 26 of the annual supplement to Economic Trends for April of earlier years.

  Copies of the publications are available in the Library.

  Average gross weekly earnings of full-time adult employees whose pay was not affected by absence. Public sector other than public corporations

  April 1979

  £

  Manual women

  52·9

  Manual men

  79·5

  Non-manual women

  74·5

  Non-manual men

  111·0

  Employees (Underpayments)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers in the east midlands have been prosecuted for underpaying their employees since 1979; and if he will list the name, offence and penalty in each case.
  144
  Mr. Forth
  Maurice's Discount of Nottingham is the only employer in the east midlands to have been prosecuted since 1979. The employer was prosecuted in 1989 under section 16 of the Wages Act 1986 for failing to pay at least the statutory minimum remuneration. The court imposed a fine of £100 and costs of £100 were awarded against the employer. Arrears of wages amounting to £429·71 were paid by the employer to the worker concerned.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the number of jobs lost in manufacturing since 1970, 1973, 1979 and 1988, respectively; and what is his estimate of the number of jobs in each case lost as a result of (i) lack of training and (ii) lack of capital investment.

  Mr. Jackson
  The number of employees in employment in manufacturing in the United Kingdom at June 1991 has fallen by:

  Since

  Number

  1970

  3,456,000

  1973

  2,959,000

  1979

  2,375,000

  1988

  332,000

  It is not possible to estimate the causes underlying the falls, but manufacturing has accounted for a declining share of total employment in most other industrial countries over the last twenty years, and has seen substantial increases in output per employee over the period.

  Mr. Lee
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the level of employment in the United Kingdom apparel, knitting and textile industries (classes 26, 43, 453 and 455; including Northern Ireland) at September 1988, September 1989, September 1990 and September 1991.

  Mr. Jackson
  Estimates of employees in employment in the apparel, knitting and textile industries in the United Kingdom are only available at census of employment dates. The following table shows Great Britain estimates for the dates requested together with United Kingdom estimates for the latest two censuses.

  Employees in employment Apparel, knitting and textile industries (SIC 26, 43, 453 and 455)

  Thousands

  Great Britain1

  United Kingdom

  September 1987

  511·2

  508·6

  September 1988

  509·1

  —

  September 1989

  477·7

  476·5

  September 1990

  456·0

  —

  June 1991

  429·1

  —

  1 The Great Britain figures include:

  (i) group 255, manufacture of paints, varnishes and printing ink, and;

  (ii) activity heading 4560, manufacture of fur goods.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria are used to justify different unit prices for youth training places, or weeks; and what is the range of prices paid.

  Mr. Jackson
  Targets for numbers of training weeks and outputs to be delivered on youth training (YT), the payment for each and the overall budget are agreed by negotiation between the employment department and individual training and enterprise councils (TECs). TEC volume targets and unit prices are influenced by past performance and by a range of local factors.

  TECs are responsible for all contractual and financial arrangements with individual organisations which provide training.

  Car Industry
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the increase since April 1979 in(a) output per head and (b) the average weekly earnings in real terms of adult male manual workers in the car industry.

  Mr. Jackson
  The increase in output per head in the motor vehicles and parts industry between the second quarter of 1979 and the second quarter of 1991 is estimated to be 57 per cent.

  Information on the average gross weekly earnings of manual male employees in the motor vehicle industry can be found in table 4 of part A of the new earnings survey reports for 1979 and 1991.

  Information on the retail prices index (all items) to convert 1979 figures to 1991 prices is published in table 6·4 of the latest Employment Gazette for April 1991, and in table 26 of the annual supplement to Economic Trends for April of earlier years.

  Copies of the publications are available in the Library.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether any changes will be made to his Department's cash limits or running costs limits for 1991–92.

  Mr. Howard
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the following changes will be made:

  The cash limit for class VI, vote (programmes and central services) will be increased by £81,066,000 from £2,357,241,000 to £2,438,307,000. The increase principally reflects additional provision for the package of employment measures which I announced to the House on 19 June 1991. The changes for this vote relating to the package are: £43,520,000 provision for the new employment action (EA) programme; an increase of £29,900,000 for employment training (ET); increased provision of £1,000,000 for publicity to promote the June measures; increased receipts from the Welsh Office (class XVI, vote 4) to recover increased expenditure on EA and ET in Wales; and increased running costs associated with the delivery of EA, of which £1,315,000 is for training and enterprise councils and departmental area offices in England and Wales and local enterprise companies in Scotland, and £342,000 is for Employment Department
  146
  headquarters. The increase in the cash limit as a result of these measures is partially offset by reduced requirements by the Department of Social Security (class XIV, vote 1). Other changes to the cash limit reflect: a transfer of £3,100,000 from the Scottish Office (class XV, vote 3) for residual expenditure by my department mainly on Youth Training (YT) in Scotland; increased provision of £1,599,000 (running costs) and £2,000,000 (capital) for full take up of end year flexibility entitlement, to carry forward unspent provision from 1990–91 to 1991–92 as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 186–190; an increase of £2,585,000 running costs for payment to Property Holdings for opportunity cost rents; an increase of £ 1,168,000 running costs for payment to the Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSD) for legal services and £17,000 new receipts for recovery of costs and awards from legal cases following the move to a repayment system with the Treasury Solicitor's Department; a transfer of £78,000 running costs from the Department of Education and Science (class XI, vote 4) for secretariat services to the school teachers review body; increased receipts of £300,000 from the sale of capital assets from the former National Dock Labour Board; a transfer of £45,000 to the Scottish Office (class XV, vote 13) to fund a grant to the Scottish Council on Alcohol; and a reduction of £20,000 for tourist projects to reflect an excess in expenditure on tourism in 1990–91.

  The cash limit for class VI, vote 2 (employment service), will be increased by £35,031,000 from £453,849,000 to £488,880,000. The increase is the net result of an increase of £15,715,000 running costs for measures to assist the unemployed; an increase of £5,408,000 running costs for administration of payments to ET, YT and EA participants; an increase of £2,800,000 for job review and restart courses programmes; an increase of £10,060,000 running costs in respect of opportunity costs rents; an increase of £3,106,000 for full take up of running costs end year flexibility entitlement to carry forward unspent provision from 1990–91 to 1991–92 as announced by the Chief Secretary on 17 July 1991; an increase of £5,000,000 in running costs for increased funding for fraud investigation, offset by equivalent receipts from the Department of Social Security (class XIV, vote 4); increased receipts of £1,651,000 relating to VAT refunds on contracted out services and increased VAT receipts of £407,000 in respect of programmes for priority groups.

  The running costs limit for the Department of Employment will be increased by £44,725,000 from £1,057,699,000 to £1,102,424,000.

  The increases are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

WALES

  Pupils (English)
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure parents who wish their children to be educated through the medium of English in maintained primary schools in Dyfed will receive such an education for their children.

  Mr. David Hunt
  This is the responsibility of the local education authority.

  Cancer Specialists
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will indicate where there are health authorities in Wales with a shortage of consultant cancer specialists;

  (2) what steps he will take to deal with a shortage of consultant cancer specialists.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The Welsh medical and dental manpower committee advises the Department on the relative priority of consultant appointments and reflect in their recommendations any shortages identified by district health authorities.

  The latest information shows no shortages in this speciality.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he will take to speed up treatment for cancer sufferers.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  We are continuing to make available central funds to improve the accessibility and quality of the regional radiotherapy and oncology service. We are also encouraging an exchange of information and ideas between those interested in the development of an effective cancer service in Wales.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were in employment in the Holyhead travel-to-work area in(a) June 1987 and (b) June 1991.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In September 1987 there were 13,800 employees in employment in the Holyhead travel to work area. In September 1989 (the latest date for which information is available) the number of employees in employment had increased to 15,000. Employment data for the area are available only from biennial censuses of employment.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limits for his Department in the current year.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 4 will be increased by £5,159,000 from £151,408,000 to £156,567,000; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 5 will be reduced by £6,590,000 from £399,875,000 to £393,285,000; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 8 will be increased by £12,783,000 from £1,130,677,000 to £1,143,460,000; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 10 will be increased by £10,521,000 from £1,764,799,000 to £1,775,320,000. In addition, the cash limit for WO/UA will be increased by £8,061,000 from £74,091,000 to £82,152,000 and the cash limit for WO/LACAP will be reduced by £4,879,000 from £379,541,000 to £374,662,000.

  The increase in vote 4 is in respect of the Welsh share of the increased provision for measures to help unemployed people, announced by the Secretary of State for Employment on 19 June 1991. The Welsh share is mainly for employment training and the new employment action programme.
  148
  The reduction to vote 5 allows for the transfer to class XVI, vote 10 of payments to the Valuation Office Agency for rating list work (£5,158,000). There are also further reductions of (i) £735,000 in the provision for rating list work and (ii) £697,000 in respect of the running costs of the valuation and community charge tribunal offices (including associated receipts) which are being accommodated from offsetting savings within vote 10.

  The additional resources for vote 8 are for (i) the increase in VAT announced on 19 March 1991 (£7,500,000), (ii) full take-up of end year flexibility entitlement for capital carryover as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 (cols. 186 to 190) (£5,086,000) and (iii) the transfer from class XIII, vote 1 (Department of Health) of the Incentive Bonus Scheme Policy Group (£197,000).

  The increase to vote 10 takes account of (i) the transfer of provision for rating services from class XVI, vote 5 (£5,158,000) and (ii) additional provision for payments to the Valuation Office Agency in respect of council tax banding work (£5,363,000).

  The increase to the urban aid capital cash limit (WO/UA) takes account of (i) the take-up of end year flexibility entitlement on capital expenditure (£3,182,000) as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 186 to 190 and (ii) the transfer of provision for the rural initiative from WO/LACAP (£4,879,000).

  The reduction in the local authority capital cash limit (WO/LACAP) relates to the transfer of provision to WO/UA in respect of the rural initiative.

  The net increase represented by these changes is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Non-domestic Rates
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the national non-domestic rate poundage for Wales for 1992–93 and the distributable amount of non-domestic rates which will flow from this.

  Mr. David Hunt
  We propose that the national non-domestic rate poundage for Wales should rise in line with the increase in the retail price index for the 12 months to September 1991 giving a poundage for 1992–93 of £0·425. This represents an increase of just over 4 per cent. compared with just under 11 per cent. between 1990–91 and 1991–92. We believe this is fair and reasonable, and will be widely welcomed. It reflects the Government's success in reducing inflation, and will demonstrate to business the benefits of the uniform business rate. We propose that the distributable amount of non-domestic rates income will be £536 million.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Mr. T M French
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne can expect a reply to his letter of 14 August on behalf of Mr. T M French, of Portobello boarding cattery, Portobello, Troon, Camborne, Cornwall.

  Mr. Jack
  A reply was sent to the hon. Member on Tuesday 5 November.

  Benefits (Claimants' Savings)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state(a) the present tariff income schedule of attributed interest on savings held by benefit claimants, (b) the interest rate and annual percentage rate on savings implied by the schedule, (c) when the schedule was last revised and (d) whether he proposes to revise it again in the light of recent falls in interest rates.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The tariff income rules in the income-related benefits do not imply any particular return on savings. They ensure that help is targeted on those who need it most, while gradually reducing the amount of benefit paid to those with higher amounts of capital.

  The level of income assumed from capital is calculated by ignoring the first £3,000 and taking into account £1 a week for every £250, or part of £250, between £3,000 and the upper capital limit for the particular benefit. The tariff income rule has not been revised since it was introduced in 1988. The maximum amount of capital that a claimant can have and still be entitled to benefit was increased in income support and family credit from £6,000 to £8,000, and doubled in housing benefit and community charge benefit from £8,000 to £16,000 in April 1990.

  The capital rules continue to be kept under review.

  National Insurance Contributions
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has yet completed the review of National Insurance contributions for 1992–93.

  Mr. Newton
  I have completed the annual review under section 120 of the Social Security Act 1975. My proposals will take effect from 6 April 1992.

  Employers and employees

  As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his statement earlier today, I do not propose to change the standard rates of contributions for either employees or employers, which remain at 9 per cent. and 10·4 per cent. respectively.

  In line with the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, the lower earnings limit for class 1 contributions is to be raised to £54 a week, which is the nearest whole pound to the basic retirement pension rate for a single person from April 1992. The upper earnings limit is to be raised to £405 a week, which is slightly less than seven and a half times the new basic pension rate as provided by the Social Security Pensions Act. These new earnings limits will replace the current ones of £52 and £390 respectively.

  Under the structure for employees which came into force in October 1989 people whose earnings reach the lower earnings limit will continue to pay an initial contribution of 2 per cent. of that limit and standard rate contributions of 9 per cent. on that portion of their earnings which exceeds the lower but not the upper earnings limit. For employers the reduced contribution rates of 4·6 per cent., 6·6 per cent. and 8·6 per cent. for the lower paid will continue unchanged. However, the ceilings for these rates will be raised so that from April 1992 they apply to weekly earnings which fall below the ceilings of £90, £135, and £190 respectively, compared with £85, £130 and £185 at present.
  150
  Not contracted-out employees and their employers

  Neither the employee nor his employer will have to pay any contribution if earnings are less than £54 a week. Those whose earnings do not exceed £390 (the former upper earnings limit) will pay 14 pence a week less in contributions than at present. This is because a further £2 of their weekly earnings will be subject to a deduction of 2 per cent. rather than 9 per cent. For employees with earnings above £390 a week the maximum possible increase will be £1·21 a week. Employers' contributions will generally be unchanged although there will be some gains where employees' earnings which were above the former ceilings fall below the new ceilings. There will be no increase for employers of the higher paid since there is no upper earnings limit for employers' contributions.

  Contracted-out employees and their employers

  Contracted-out employees will gain in the same way. The contributions due from employees earning less than £390 a week will drop by 10 pence a week. For employees earning over £390 the maximum possible increase will he 95 pence a week. Their employers will generally pay 7 or 8 pence a week more than at present because they will have to pay not contracted-out contributions on the first £54 of earnings rather than the present lower limit of £52 a week, although there will be gains in respect of lower paid employees whose earnings fall between the old and new ceilings for reduced rate contributions.

  Self-employed people

  The flat rate class 2 contribution will be raised by 20p to £5·35 a week.

  There will be no increase in the rate of class 4 contributions currently 6·3 per cent. The annual limits of profits between which class 4 contributions are paid will be raised £6,120 and £21,060 from £5,900 and £20,280 respectively. Self-employed people who pay only class 2 contributions will pay an extra £10·40 a year in 1992–93.

  For people with profits between £6,120 and £20,280 (the former upper profits limit) class 4 contributions will be reduced by £13·86 per year assuming an unaltered level of profits. For those self-employed people with profits at or above the new upper profits limit the annual charge for class 4 contributions will be £35·28 higher.

  Class 3 (Voluntary) contributions

  The rate of class 3 contributions will be raised by 20p to £5·25 a week.

  National Health Service Allocation

  The allocation to the national health service, currently 1·05 per cent. from employees and 0·9 per cent. from employers, remains unchanged.

  The draft order, together with a report by the Government Actuary, will be laid before Parliament shortly.

  National Insurance Contributions on Shares

  I am also today laying before Parliament regulations concerning the payment of national insurance contributions on certain financial instruments including shares and unit trusts, which are at present treated as payments in kind and are not therefore subject to such contributions, and which in some cases have clearly been used by employers as a means of avoiding them.
  151
  As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made clear in his Budget statement when announcing the changes in respect of company cars and free fuel, subsequently enacted in the Social Security (Contributions) Act 1991, in the Government's view there is no reason why payments in kind should necessarily be treated any differently from payments in cash for national insurance contribution purposes. The regulations laid today, which will come into effect at midnight tonight, accordingly provide that both primary and secondary contributions will be payable on the value of financial instruments and certain short-term insurance policies which form part of an employee's remuneration. There will however be an exemption for shares and options to acquire shares in the company for which an employee works, so that employee share ownership schemes will not be affected.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether there are any proposed changes in the cash-limited programme expenditure of his Department for 1991–92.

  Mr. Scott
  Subject to parliamentary approval on the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XIV vote 3 (housing benefit administration and community charge benefit administration, and other grants) will be increased by £32,918,000 from £292,625,000 to £325,543,000. The revision takes account of a transfer from class XIV vote 4 (Administration and Miscellaneous Services) for housing benefit administration and community charge benefit administration costs (£1,070,000), an increase in the grant towards Motability's administrative costs (£38,000), an increase in the grant-in-aid to Motability to help with high cost car adaptations for war pensioners (£60,000) and an increase in the subsidies to local authorities for housing benefit administration (£1,750,000). There is also an increase in payments into the social fund to finance budgeting loans, crisis loans and community care grants (£30,000,000). The increases are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether there are any proposed changes in the cash limits or running costs limit of his Department for 1991–92.

  Mr. Scott
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for class XIV, vote 4 (Administration and Miscellaneous Services) will be increased by £19,789,000 from £1,881,428,000 to £1,901,217,000. The revision takes account of increased requirements to meet the additional administrative expenditure arising from higher unemployment (£34,736,000), additional expenditure within the child support unit (£4,000,000), an increase in Agency Payments to Department of Employment (class VI, vote 2) (£5,000,000), £2,434,000 in respect of the end of the year flexibility arrangements for capital expenditure, a transfer to Housing Benefit Administration (class XIV, vote 3) of £1,070,000, a transfer to Department of Health (class XIII, vote 3) of £69,000 and a transfer from Inland Revenue (class XVIII, vote 6) of £76,000. The additional requirements are partially offset by an increase in receipts 152
  of £25,318,000 and the balance is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  In addition to the running cost increases of £35,213,000 included above there is a transfer to Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) of £445,000 for the running costs of the Belfast Social Security Centre. There will be a corresponding increase on Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) vote 3 Administration and Miscellaneous Services. Also a reduction of £677,000 to take account of a variation from a previously anticipated outturn of expenditure.

  As a result of these changes the running cost limit of the Department of Social Security will be increased by £34,091,000 from £2,115,817,000 to £2,149,908,000.

  Benefits Uprating
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list each of the measures announced in his uprating statement of 21 October, giving the gross cost or saving for each, and the net cost or saving net of other benefit expenditure, in 1992–93.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced earlier today, the increase in total expenditure on social security between 1991–92 and 1992–93 is planned to be some £5·5 billion.

  Increases in rates for contributory and non-contributory benefits generally will be with reference to the September 1990 to September 1991 increase in the retail price index (RPI) and for income-related benefits with reference to the revised Rossi index which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, announced on 21 October. The cost of these increases over unchanged rates of benefit amounts to over £3 billion in 1992–93.

  On 21 October my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State was also able to announce measures to extend or increase provision in 1992–93 in a number of important areas. The benefit costs of these are listed below (except in the case of the social fund, the difference between the net and gross costs is negligible and does not affect the figures given).

  £ million

  Increase in income support premium for pensioners who are disabled or over 80

  +57

  Changes in attendance allowance/disabled living allowance giving additional benefit to people in voluntary hospices

  +2

  Direct funding of hospices (through the Department of Health)

  +1

  Social fund discretionary budgets (increase in gross budgets)

  +67

  Minor measures to improve war pensions, severe disability allowance, disability living allowance, invalid care allowance provision and to provide protection for changes in the severe disability premium

  +10

  Increased provision for independent living fund

  >1+23

  Increases in income support limits for residential care

  +190

  Note:

  1 Subject to confirmation in the light of later information on caseload.

  In reviewing the level of statutory sick pay my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State decided to increase the lower rate by RPI but not to increase the higher rate which goes to many people covered by occupational schemes.

  153
  The overall cost of this is £19 million less than if both rates were increased. He also announced a restructuring of the system for calculating the contributions which could be reasonably expected from non-householders living with those householders on income-related benefits. This would reduce the contribution expected from those on lower incomes and would increase the contribution expected from those with significant incomes from full-time work. The net effect would be to reduce benefit expenditure by £50 million.

  The uprating statement also covered extra help in 1992–93 for disabled people through disability living allowance at a cost of £120 million and for the families of those in work, through the hours change in family credit and the introduction of a maintenance disregard, a t a net cost of £70 million.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the net cost to the Exchequer of the measures announced in the uprating statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) earlier today.

ENVIRONMENT

  Poll Tax
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received to date advocating the abolition of the minimum payment requirement of 20 per cent. for poll tax payers.

  Mr. Key
  I have received a number of representations.

  Broadleaved Trees
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what initiative his Department is currently taking for the protection and provision of broadleaved trees.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of tree preservation policies and legislation. We have also made available resources for the Countryside Commission to provide grants for amenity planting, and have supported initiatives to create community forests near towns and cities and to establish a proposed new national forest.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made any assessment of the amendments in local services that will be needed if his total standard spending target is to be achieved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The £41·8 billion which we have proposed for total standard spending in 1992–93 is sufficient to cover the full range of local authority services.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to confirm his proposed 1992–93 financial settlement for local authorities; and if he will make a statement.
  154
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to confirm his proposed 1992–93 financial settlement for local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Shortly.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any proposals to strengthen the ability of his Department to restrict the spending of local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Local Government Finance and Valuation Act enacted earlier this year removes the exemption capping for those authorities setting budgets below £15 million. In future we shall be able to protect all chargepayers from high bills caused by their authorities' excessive spending, and we shall not hesitate to do so should it prove necessary.

  Building Work
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his most recent assessment of activity in the building and construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Output rose every year from 1981 to 1990 It fell back during 1990, but still reached a new record level. Output is expected to continue falling in the remainder of this year. However, the first indications of a recovery are now appearing.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with representatives of the construction industry over the effect the recession has been having on building works.

  Sir George Young
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is closely in touch with representatives of the construction industry and frequently discusses this and other matters of interest with them.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the Royal Institute of British Architects over planning for building work over the next six months.

  Sir George Young
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such consultations.

  Beaches
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which was the English beach in the summer of 1991, designated as a bathing beach under the terms of the 1976 European Commission's bathing waters directive which had the sample containing(a) the highest number of E. Coli per 100 ml of water and (b) the highest number of total Coliforms per 100 ml of water.

  Mr. Baldry
  This information will be available in the detailed summary of the 1991 bathing water quality monitoring results which will be placed in the Library when available from the National Rivers Authority.

  Thames Corridor
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision for consultancy for the placing of his Thames corridor initiative.
  155
  Mr. Heseltine
  I shall announce the names of the consultants who will undertake the Lower Thames study shortly.

  Local Government (Internal Management)
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has so far received to the consultation paper on the internal management of local authorities.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department has received about 150 responses so far.

  Empty Council Properties
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest figure for the number of council properties left empty by the 10 worst councils.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Local authorities reporting the highest percentage of their stock empty in housing investment programme returns for April 1991 were: Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, Burnley, Brent, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Knowsley, Newcastle upon Tyne and Wolverhampton. In total, these 10 authorities had some 24,000 properties lying empty.

  Waste Regulation
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the effect of the transfer of local authorities' waste regulation role to the new environment agency, on the functions of that service.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government's proposals for transferring waste regulation to the new Environment Agency are set out in the consultation paper issued on 3 October—copies of which have been placed in the Library. The new agency will be able to ensure that standards of waste disposal are applied consistently across the country, and develop the necessary expertise to deal with the increasingly sophisticated waste disposal techniques. It will also ensure better co-ordination with the agency's other regulatory responsibilities.

  Commonhold
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to introduce legislation concerning commonhold; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  As soon as parliamentary time allows.

  City Challenge
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact on housing in inner city areas of the Government's city challenge initiative.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The 11 city challenge pacemakers have yet to prepare detailed action plans for their areas. Housing initiatives can, however, be expected to be included in these plans, their number and type depending on the needs and characteristics of the individual city challenge areas.

  Environment Agency
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the form that the proposed environment agency should take.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government's proposals for an Environment Agency were set out in a consultation paper published on 3 October. We have invited views on these proposals by 31 January 1992. So far we have received representations about the role of the National Rivers Authority, the arrangements for waste regulation, and the drinking water inspectorate.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the progress of the privatised water companies programme to improve water quality.

  Mr. Baldry
  Progress on the water companies' improvement programmes was checked in the course of the drinking water inspectorate's first round of annual inspections. The chief inspector concluded in his report that the programmes were found generally to be running to timetable. This is consistent with the findings of the Director General of Water Services.

  Street Lighting
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider making additional finances available to local authorities to deal with the problems of inadequate street lighting.

  Mr. Key
  Local authorities' responsibilities for street lighting are taken into account in each year's local authority finance settlement. It is for authorities themselves to decide how much to spend.

  Tyne and Wear UDC
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will report on the progress made by the Tyne and Wear urban development corporation.

  Mr. Portillo
  Tyne and Wear Development Corporation has made excellent progress in transforming and regenerating the riverside areas of Tyneside and Wearside. It has attracted over £250 million of private investment and created more than 3,000 jobs since it was set up in 1987.

  Water Rates
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his long-term proposals for the future of water rates.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Water Act 1989 already prohibits water companies from fixing their charges wholly or partly by reference to rateable value after the year 2000. It is for individual companies to choose their preferred alternative method of charging, in the light of guidance which the Director General of Water Services will be issuing following his consultation exercise.

  EC Environment Directives
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next proposes to meet the European Commissioner for the Environment to discuss compliance with EC environmental directives.

  Mr. Baldry
  I plan to attend the Environment Council when it next meets in December, when a variety of topics will doubtless be on the agenda.

  Community Charge (Bailiffs)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the responsibilities of local authorities for giving advice to community charge payers who do not pay their charge in full on how to handle bailiffs when they visit their home;

  (2) what information he has on the number of local authorities issuing guidance to community charge payers on dealing with bailiffs who call to recover unpaid community charge.

  Mr. Key
  There is no requirement on local authorities to inform community chargepayers about their rights when bailiffs visit their home and we have no information on the number of authorities who issue guidance on this. The majority of local authorities do have, however, a code of practice which governs the way their bailiffs undertake distress action.

  Water Abstraction
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in tabular form, by National Rivers Authority region, the amount of water abstracted in 1990 for(a) water supply, (b) spray irrigation, (c) other agricultural purposes, (d) electricity generating companies and (e) other industrial purposes, respectively.

  Mr. Baldry
  These statistics are published annually in chapter 7 (Water Supply and Use) of the Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics. The next volume (No. 14) will be published in February/March 1992.

  Public Bodies (Audits)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether external audit for public bodies and local authorities can be carried out by panels of auditors working collectively;

  (2) what guidance he has given to local authorities and other public bodies on the appointment of external auditors; and what efforts he has made to ensure that small accountancy practices are able to take up the position of external auditors to public bodies.

  Mr. Key
  The appointment of external auditors to local authorities, related bodies and the national health service is the responsibility of the Audit Commission. Section 13 of the Local Government Finance Act 1982 states that an auditor may be an officer of the commission, an individual who is not such an officer or a firm of such individuals. It is for the commission to determine its own policies on audit appointments.

  The appointment of external auditors to public bodies is made in accordance with the relevant statute and is a
  158
  matter for the relevant Secretary of State or the National Audit Office. Appointments made by the Secretary of State may consist of a qualified individual or a firm whose members are qualified individuals. Any applicant, whet her an individual or a firm, with relevant qualifications or experience may be considered for such appointments.

  Flats
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government intend to introduce for England and Wales a scheme providing for the freehold ownership and communal management of flats including the collective right to buy from the freeholder at market value; when legislation to implement the proposals will be introduced; and whether the title of the Bill will allow an amendment to the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, so as to allow long leaseholders of higher rateable value houses to enfranchise.

  Sir George Young
  The Government intend to introduce legislation to provide for the communal management of flats, including a collective right to buy the freehold interest at market value, as soon as parliamentary time can be found. The Government are currently considering sympathetically the case for including in the Bill provision to allow long leaseholders of higher rateable houses to enfranchise, but I can in any case confirm that the long title of the Bill will be so drawn as to allow amendments to the Leasehold Reform Act 1967.

  Social Housing
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to encourage local authorities to repair and replace social housing stock.

  Sir George Young
  Local authorities are already responsible for the maintenance and repair of their own housing stock. The building of new social housing is now mainly the responsibility of the Housing Corporation, with local authorities assuming an enabling role.

  European Commission
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will raise with Commissioner Ripa di Meana the issue of the extent to which the Commission intends to exercise powers relating to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The European Commission's powers and functions and its relationship with the Governments of member states are set out in the treaties establishing the European Communities. I encourage constructive communication between my Department and the Commission's directorate general XI.

  Non-domestic Rates
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the national non-domestic rate poundage for 1992–93 and the distributable amount of non-domestic rates which will flow from this.

  Mr. Heseltine
  We propose that the national non-domestic rate poundage for England should rise by 4·1 per cent., the September increase in the retail price index, giving a poundage for 1992–93 of 40·2p. We believe
  159
  this is fair and reasonable. It reflects the Government's success in reducing inflation, and will demonstrate to business the benefits of the uniform business rate. We propose that the distributable amount of non-domestic rates income will be £12,306 million.

  Eco-labelling
  Mr. Knowles
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government's response to the eighth report from the Environment Committee (HC 474–1) will be published.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have today published our response to the Environment Select Committee's report on eco-labelling (Cm 1720). We welcome this comprehensive and helpful report from the Select Committee, which is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on eco-labelling, and are grateful for its endorsement of much of the work we have done towards the development of an official scheme of environmental labelling.

  We are particularly pleased that the Committee has chosen to back our quest for agreement on an acceptable European Community-wide scheme of eco-labelling. We have aired the Committee's concerns in the continuing negotiations over the scheme and are optimistic that these will be addressed in the final text of the Regulation.

  The Government's response backs many of the specific recommendations made by the Committee. In particular, my colleagues at the Department of Trade and Industry have given a commitment to amending the Trade Descriptions Act at the earliest opportunity to put beyond doubt that the Act embraces environmental claims.

  The response outlines action that we have already taken to address some of the Committee's concerns. By commissioning further logo designs and market testing them against the Commission's proposed logo, we have persuaded the Commission to undertake further work to ensure that a more appropriate logo is adopted. The UK is also working with the Commission to develop detailed guidance to assist in the development of product criteria on a cradle to grave basis.

  I would also echo the Committee's praise for the immensely valuable contribution the National Advisory Group on Eco-Labelling have made to the development of our ideas on eco-labelling over the past year.

  PSA Services
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to make any changes to the running cost limit on PSA Services' Vote in 1991–92.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval, and as part of wider changes to my Department's cash limits for 1991–92, the cost limit for class VIII, vote 13 will be reduced by £13,691,000 from £83,307,000 to £69,346,000 mainly due to lower than previously forecast expenditure on severance. In addition, the following changes will be made to my Department's cash limits:i) the DOE/UA non-voted cash limit will be increased by £28,781,000 from £855,033,000 to £883,814,000. This includes increased grant-in-aid of £23,000,000 to the London Docklands Development Corporation for the Eastern extension of the docklands light railway. A further £11,581,000 is required for various projects by other urban development corporations and to meet a backlog of urban programme grant claims. The costs will be met, in part, from full take up of entitlement of £8,781,000 under the end year
  160
  flexibility scheme for capital projects. There are also some offsetting savings amounting to £5,800,000 on the city grant programme;
  ii) the cash limit for class VIII, vote 5 (Central environmental services, etc.) will be reduced by £9,450,000 from £327,290,000 to £317,840,000. Of this decrease £7,000,000 reflects reduced grant-in-aid requirement by the National Rivers Authority, and £2,450,000 reflects adjustments to the grant-in-aid payable in 1991–92 to the Nature Conservancy Council and English Nature. The latter offsets in part an increase in the cash limit on class VIII, Vote 6 (Royal palaces, royal parks, historic buildings, etc.) as described below;
  iii) the cash limit for class VIII, vote 6 (Royal palaces, royal parks, historic buildings? etc.) will be increased by £3,450,000 from £173,034,000 to £176,484,000. An increase of £2,450,000 is required to meet payments arising from contracting out the gardening services in the royal parks, in accordance with the plans I announced to the House on 18 July. This increase is offset by a reduction in the cash limit on class VIII, vote 5 as outlined above. The additional associated running cost provision of £2,450,000 will be offset by an equivalent reduction in running cost provision on class VIII, vote 8 (Department of the Environment: Administration) so that the Department's running cost limit of £190,061,000 remains unchanged. There will be a further increase of £1,000,000 for improving public facilities in the royal parks that will be met from part take up of entitlement of £1,048,000 under the end year flexibility scheme for capital projects;
  iv) the cash limit for class VIII, Vote 9 (Revenue support grant, payment of non-domestic rates, Valuation Office rating service, etc., England) will be increased by £78,232,000 from £22,681,112,000 to £22,759,344,000. The increase is required for the implementation of Council Tax; and
  v) the DOE/LACAP non-voted cash limit will be reduced by £3,867,000. The reduction is due to lower than expected claims by local authorities of specific current grants.

  The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, announced in a written answer on 17 July 1991 at columns 186–190 the entitlements for 1991–92 cash limits allowed under the end-year flexibility schemes.

  These changes are reflected in the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about the treatment under the council tax of district councils in England whose budgets are less than their entitlement to redistributed non-domestic rates and revenue support grant.

  Mr. Portillo
  Under our council tax proposals some district councils, because of prudent housekeeping, are likely to receive more redistributed non-domestic rates and revenue support grant than they wish to spend. We do not propose to claw back non-domestic rates or revenue support grant in such circumstances. Instead we are seeking Parliament's approval, in the Local Government Finance Bill, to permit district councils in this position to use surplus non-domestic rates and revenue support grant for the benefit of local taxpayers, by offsetting the county precepts in their areas.

  Development Plans
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to commence the development plans provisions of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  On 4 September, the Department published proposals for the implementation of the
  161
  development plans provisions of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 and invited views on a draft of planning policy guidance note 12. The consultation period closed on 1 November. The Department is carefully considering all the responses made but it would clearly assist those local planning authorities at critical stages of plan preparation to have as much notice as possible of the intended date of commencement of the new development plans system.

  Accordingly, I am announcing today that, subject to Parliamentary considerations, we propose to commence the new system early in February 1992. We shall try to lay the regulations setting out the details as early as possible before that date, and I expect to announce a firm commencement date within the next month or so. The Department is today writing to all local planning authorities in England to confirm that information. The Welsh Office are writing similarly to authorities in Wales.

  Loan Charge Grants
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to commute specific loan charge grants to local authorities.

  Mr. Portillo
  We will commute specific loan charge grants for housing and urban programme expenditure in England on 1 October 1992. The Department will pay a lump sum equivalent to the present value of future grants for each local authority to the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB), or to the local authority itself if any authorities have insufficient PWLB debt though such payments are expected to be small. Annual loan charge grants will then cease. As the commuted sums will repay local authority debt, cancelling out the loss of annual grant, the effect on local authority resources will be neutral. The commutation payment is expected to be around £4·5 billion in England, but the effect on general government expenditure will be negligible because virtually all the transfer payments involved are within general government. Similarly, the effect on the central government borrowing requirement, the public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR) and monetary aggregates will be negligible, since virtually all the commuted sums will return to the PWLB. Within the PSBR, central government borrowing on own account will be increased and the local authority borrowing requirement will be reduced by the amount of debt repayment. There is no effect on the planning total. The various transfer payments involved have been taken into account in my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement.

  Abortion
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines he has issued to the National Rivers Authority on the disposal of bodies of aborted unborn babies into the sewerage system.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: Human tissue is disposed of as clinical waste. Guidance on the treatment and disposal of such waste is given in Waste Management Paper No. 25 (published 1983) which also refers to the recommendations given in the Health and Safety Commission guidance note: The Safe Disposal of Clinical Waste (1982).
  162
  Paragraph 5.1.4 of Waste Management Paper No. 25, which is based mainly on the conclusions of the HSC guidance document, states that incineration should be the preferred disposal route for human tissues.

  Advice is given on discharges to the sewers in Chapter 6. Discharges of certain other clinical wastes can be made to the sewer but only with the consent of the sewerage authority.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give(a) the number of confirmed cases and (b) the number of expected cases of BSE between (i) April 1990 and March 1991 and (ii) April 1991 to date.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give(a) the actual amounts and (b) the estimated amounts of money paid out in compensation for BSE in (i) 1990–91 and (ii) to date in 1991–92.

  Mr. Gummer
  The numbers of confirmed cases of BSE by date of clinical onset is as follows:

  (i) between April 1990 and March 1991

  15,869 cases

  (ii) in April 1991

  1,708 cases

  More recent information is not available for the reason given in my reply to the hon. Member on 23 May 1991 col. 559.

  The amount of money paid in compensation for BSE is as follows:

  (i) 1990–91—£10·8 million, compared with a forecast in early April 1990 of £12·1 million.

  (ii) 1991–92 to the end of September 1991—£8·0 million from an expected total annual spend of £14·6 million.

  It is impossible to predict accurately the number of expected cases over particular periods and forecasts are regularly revised as more data comes in. Nevertheless the number of cases is in line with the epidemiological forecast that they will continue to increase until a peak is reached some time in 1992. Thereafter a decline in the number of cases is expected leading to the eradication of the disease around the end of the decade.

  Ministry Land Holdings
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of holdings of agricultural land owned by his Ministry in each county in England in(a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. Gummer
  The information requested for 1980 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The information requested for 1990 is as follows.

  Agricultural land owned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (excluding land managed by the Forestry Commission) 31 March 1990

  County

  Hectarage

  Number of holdings

  Number of tenanted holdings

  Bedfordshire

  26

  12

  12

  Cambridgeshire

  404

  4

  2

  Cornwall

  50

  1

  0

  Essex

  38

  1

  1

  Hampshire

  653

  4

  2

  163

  County

  Hectarage

  Number of holdings

  Number of tenanted holdings

  Hereford/Worcester

  176

  1

  0

  Hertfordshire

  10

  1

  0

  Kent

  75

  1

  0

  Lincolnshire

  42

  1

  0

  North Yorkshire

  500

  2

  0

  Norfolk

  119

  1

  0

  Nottinghamshire

  199

  1

  0

  Somerset

  200

  1

  0

  Suffolk

  5

  1

  1

  Surrey

  133

  2

  0

  Tyne and Wear

  21

  1

  0

  Warwickshire

  280

  2

  0

  Total

  2,931

  37

  18

  No central record is kept of the number of holdings or of the distribution by county, but information is available on the number of tenancies and grazing lets for each of the commission's conservancies. This is set out in the table.

  Agricultural land owned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and managed by the Forestry Commission—31 March 1990

  Conservancy

  Hectarage

  Number of tenancies

  Number of grazing lets

  North

  7,900

  57

  126

  East

  1,300

  48

  49

  West

  800

  59

  50

  Total

  10,000

  164

  225

  Farmhouse Cheeses
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the EC member states that have applied the recent reduction in milk quotas to farmhouse cheesemakers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  All member states are obliged to apply the quota reductions agreed by the Council of Ministers in May, which apply equally to all categories of producer.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any changes are proposed in the cash limits for the Intervention Board executive unit.

  Mr. Gummer
  Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class III, vote 2 (administration) will be increased by £2,046,000 from £55,042,000 to £57,088,000. Within this limit running costs including VAT recovery will be increased by £117,000 from £28,814,000 to £28,931,000 and capital will be increased by £306,000 from £2,400,000 to £2,706,000 both in respect of end of year flexibility as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 185–89; agency services will be increased by £1,650,000 from £24,572,000 to £26,222,000, and appropriations in aid, excluding VAT recovery on running costs, will be increased by £27,000. These increases in administration costs reflect Meat and Livestock Commission redundancy costs following the ending of the sheep variable premium scheme offset in part by various savings, and take up of running cost and capital end year flexibility entitlement. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Fisheries Council
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting on 28 October 1991.

  Mr. Curry
  I attended the EC Council of Fisheries Ministers on 28 October 1991 with my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office.

  This specially convened Council met to discuss the 10th, 11 th and 12th amendments to the Community's technical conservation measures regulation 3094/86. The measures which the Council agreed were primarily designed to reduce the catches of immature fish to secure better conservation of fish stocks and to control strictly the use of drift nets. The measures will come into effect on 1 June 1992.

  In the North sea and west of Scotland areas there will be an increase in the minimum mesh size from 90 mm to 100 mm diamond mesh. Additionally, all EC fishermen may use a 90 mm square mesh panel; the acceptance by the Community of the value of such a panel, which we introduced unilaterally this summer, for the benefit of the conservation of fish stocks is very welcome. Further, new net design specifications which we worked out with the industry will be introduced to prevent the ballooning of nets and so improve selectivity.

  These changes in mesh size and new net design are major steps forward in the conservation of cod and haddock stocks which are of great importance to this country but currently at a low ebb.

  A derogation from the 100 mm mesh provision will permit the use of 90 mm diamond mesh only in respect of a directed whiting fishery for which there must be a minimum percentage of 50 per cent. whiting and a maximum percentage of 10 per cent. cod, haddock and saithe. The details will be subject to review in the first half of next year in the light of trials being conducted this year.

  In the Irish sea we achieved the increase in mesh size from 70 mm to 80 mm which we and our industry have been pressing for and which should lead to better conservation.

  In the North sea the derogation provisions in respect of sole are to be rationalised to allow vessels to use 80 mm mesh all year round south of 55ºN with a minimum percentage of sole of 5 per cent. and no than 10 per cent. cod, haddock or saithe. This should ease enforcement and the introduction of a minimum percentage of sole, which previously did not apply to the large beam trawls, should also assist conservation.

  There will be a uniform mesh size of 40 mm, instead of the 16 or 32 mm requirement, for fishing for the pelagic species of herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, pilchard and squid. Associated with this mesh size will be a minimum percentage of 50 per cent. for any one of these species or a minimum cumulative percentage of 80 per cent. of a mixture of these species. The maximum percentage of other protected species will be 10 per cent.

  In order to reduce the waste of fish by discarding, it will be prohibited for vessels using purse seines or towed gear to carry automatic sorting equipment on when fishing for mackerel, herring and horse mackerel. This rule will not apply to freezer vessels but the sorting equipment on such vessels will have to be installed and used under strictly controlled rules.
  165
  There will be a number of changes in minimum landing sizes of fish. These will include whiting reduced from 27 cm to 23 cm in line with the new directed fishery, 20 cm introduced for mackerel (except 30 cm in the north sea), 15 cm for horse mackerel and 110 mm for scallops (Pecten spp.) in ICES division VIId. It will be permitted to land only entire scallops and not parts, which is designed to prevent the landing of undersized scallops.

  We rejected the proposal put to the Council that there would be an automatic increase in mesh sizes in 1995. The Council will instead consider a proposal in due time from the Co mmission, to be made if scientific analysis confirms that stocks have not been restored, to increase mesh sizes from 100 mm to 110 mm in the North sea and west of Scotland and from 65 mm to 80 mm in the region from the bay of Biscay southwards from 1 January 1995.

  A number of other changes to rationalise the very detailed technical conservation measures regulation and to upgrade conservation aspects were also in the final package.

  Most importantly the Council agreed, in response to the United Nations Resolution on large-scale drift nets, that Community vessels should not be able to use drift nets longer than 2·5 kilometres wherever they fish. The only exception to this will be those vessels which have been fishing in the north-east Atlantic tuna fishery for two years or more. No United Kingdom vessel meets this qualification. Qualifying vessels may, until 31 December 1993, use up to 5 km of net which is less than the nets of up to 8 or 10 km which have been in use. The nets are to be submerged 2 metres in depth to help avoid the catch of dolphins and porpoises. The fishery will be closely monitored throughout and in 1993 the data obtained will be reviewed. Unless it is shown that the fishery is not environmentally damaging the derogation will cease at the end of 1993. This important decision means there can be no development of large scale drift netting by European Community vessels anywhere in the world.

  There are a few elements in the package which we fought strongly against, in particular the whiting derogation and reduction in the minimum landing size for whiting. However, the Government believe that it would have been wrong to oppose what is otherwise a very good package, which incorporates gains which we have sought for two years.

  We have secured a substantive and positive basis on which to work for the recovery and stability of fish stocks for the longer-term benefit of the fishing industry.

  Low-fat Milk
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what answer he has made to the recent reasoned opinion from the European Commission about low-fat milk.

  Mr. Gummer
  In its reasoned opinion the Commission asserts that the exclusive purchasing rights granted to the milk marketing boards under Community legislation extend to whole milk only. It takes the view that the actions undertaken by the milk marketing boards to assert exclusive purchasing rights over low-fat milk, and the extension of the three Scottish milk marketing schemes in 1982 and 1984 to cover low-fat milk are contrary to Community law. It also states that the United Kingdom Government have failed in their obligation to ensure that the boards comply with Community requirements.
  166
  We are today informing the Commission that the Government consider that skimmed and semi-skimmed milk should be regarded as falling within the exclusive purchasing powers of the boards. We therefore do not accept that we are in breach of our obligations under the EC treaty or Community law.

  Our response to the reasoned opinion in no way reduces the need for progress to be made on ending the milk marketing boards' present statutory monopoly. The need for change is as great as ever and we are looking to the boards to advance rapidly towards voluntary co-operative status. I shall therefore be urging the milk marketing board for England and Wales to complete its current proposals.

SCOTLAND

  Examination Costs
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost of presenting a pupil for an SCE standard grade exam.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Scottish Examination Board's charge for each examination presentation in 1991 was £15·68.

  Infant Mortality Statistics (Cot Deaths)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the total infant mortality rate for Scotland;

  (2) what is the infant mortality rate attributed to respiratory disorders up to one year old in Scotland;

  (3) what is the sudden infant death syndrome rate of death per 1,000 live births in Scotland;

  (4) what the incidence of cot deaths each year since 1969 was in Scotland;

  (5) what are the cot death rates for Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The terms sudden infant death syndrome and cot death are synonymous. I have therefore grouped the questions together and the answers are given in order.

  Sudden infant death syndrome was first defined in 1969, but until 1979 there was no specific code under the World Health Organisation international classification of diseases to which to allocate such deaths. Before sudden infant death syndrome became an accepted term for use on death certificates, many cot deaths would have been assigned to "bronchopneumonia", "accidential suffocation in the cot" or "regurgitation and inhalation of milk". It is therefore not possible, with any certainty, to provide numbers or rates of sudden infant deaths in Scotland prior to 1979.

  1. The infant mortality rate in Scotland in 1990 was 7·7 deaths per 1,000 live births, the lowest figure ever recorded.

  2. The infant mortality rate attributed to respiratory disorders (ICD* Nos 450–519, 769 and 770) in Scotland in 1990 was 1·5 deaths per 1,000 live births.

  3. The sudden infant death syndrome rate of death in Scotland in 1990 was 1·9 deaths per 1,000 live births.

  4. The numbers of sudden infant deaths in Scotland since 1979 are as follows:

  Male

  Female

  Total

  >1979

  66

  51

  117

  1980

  72

  58

  130

  1981

  95

  59

  154

  167

  Male

  Female

  Total

  1982

  89

  55

  144

  1983

  79

  45

  124

  1984

  76

  51

  127

  1985

  86

  51

  137

  1986

  95

  52

  147

  1987

  85

  48

  133

  1988

  75

  57

  132

  1989

  83

  55

  138

  1990

  83

  45

  128

  5. The sudden infant death rates per 1,000 live births in Scotland since 1979 are as follows:

  Male

  Female

  Total

  1979

  1·9

  1·5

  1·7

  1980

  2·0

  1·7

  1·9

  1981

  2·7

  1·7

  2·2

  1982

  2·6

  1·7

  2·2

  1983

  2·3

  1·4

  1·9

  1984

  2·3

  1·6

  2·0

  1985

  2·5

  1·6

  2·1

  1986

  2·8

  1·6

  2·2

  1987

  2·5

  1·5

  2·0

  1988

  2·2

  1·8

  2·0

  1989

  2·6

  1·8

  2·2

  1890

  2·4

  1·4

  1·9

  * International Classification of Diseases (9th Revision)

  Housing
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will set out the number of(a) housing starts and (b) housing completions carried out in the private housing sector in (i) Edinburgh, (ii) Dundee, (iii) Glasgow and (iv) Aberdeen districts in each year from 1974–75;

  (2) what was the number of (a) housing starts and (b) housing completions carried out in the non-council public sector in (i) Edinburgh, (ii) Dundee, (iii) Glasgow and (iv) Aberdeen districts in each year from 1974–75;

  (3) what was the number of (a) housing starts and (b) housing completions carried out by (i) Edinburgh, (ii) Dundee, (iii) Glasgow and (iv) Aberdeen district councils in each year from 1974–75.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information, as supplied by the relevant housing authorities and agencies, is set out in the following tables.

  Housing starts and completions 1975–1990

  Year

  Starts

  Completions

  Private

  Local authority

  Public sector1

  Private

  Local authority

  Public sector1

  Edinburgh

  1975

  1,100

  227

  215

  1,051

  355

  102

  1976

  1,977

  129

  —

  978

  621

  184

  1977

  1,420

  283

  64

  1,012

  167

  8

  1978

  1,226

  29

  39

  1,563

  84

  20

  1979

  1,808

  35

  40

  1,882

  199

  83

  1980

  1,241

  110

  120

  1,217

  —

  —

  1981

  935

  —

  17

  1,165

  117

  157

  1982

  1,000

  —

  60

  600

  49

  18

  1983

  1,901

  —

  74

  1,206

  8

  55

  1984

  1,403

  —

  13

  1,227

  —

  25

  1985

  1,493

  —

  —

  1,504

  —

  69

  1986

  2,369

  115

  123

  1,711

  —

  1

  1987

  1,899

  107

  —

  1,640

  63

  111

  1988

  1,169

  154

  46

  1,412

  87

  12

  1989

  1,699

  —

  2—

  1,369

  101

  2—

  1990

  98

  —

  2—

  381

  125

  2—

  Dundee

  1975

  179

  32

  89

  158

  263

  12

  1976

  332

  124

  —

  304

  211

  184

  168

  Year

  Starts

  Completions

  Private

  Local authority

  Public sector1

  Private

  Local authority

  Public sector1

  1977

  164

  278

  6

  186

  128

  —

  1978

  249

  107

  133

  232

  84

  —

  1979

  340

  83

  37

  261

  221

  112

  1980

  109

  82

  109

  244

  82

  63

  1981

  224

  84

  9

  160

  163

  114

  1982

  364

  49

  37

  162

  55

  7

  1983

  484

  8

  46

  469

  80

  34

  1984

  434

  56

  38

  470

  5

  49

  1985

  113

  3

  55

  250

  57

  38

  1986

  241

  4

  21

  179

  —

  —

  1987

  279

  1

  6

  260

  —

  76

  1988

  179

  —

  80

  299

  5

  —

  1989

  524

  5

  2—

  338

  8

  2—

  1990

  346

  5

  2—

  397

  —

  2—

  Glasgow

  1975

  164

  1,382

  —

  107

  1,856

  —

  1976

  376

  1,115

  188

  426

  1,923

  —

  1977

  387

  224

  110

  530

  1,733

  20

  1978

  586

  258

  243

  347

  1,430

  182

  1979

  866

  777

  340

  817

  615

  96

  1980

  988

  227

  632

  897

  385

  79

  1981

  971

  —

  42

  1,061

  558

  972

  1982

  1,479

  94

  225

  1,201

  161

  255

  1983

  1,426

  118

  111

  1,299

  63

  147

  1984

  1,591

  —

  290

  1,372

  —

  92

  1985

  1,782

  49

  —

  1,644

  140

  237

  1986

  1,582

  —

  80

  1,814

  58

  101

  1987

  1,630

  —

  218

  1,587

  —

  45

  1988

  1,500

  —

  140

  1,429

  —

  293

  1989

  2,350

  —

  22

  1,745

  —

  297

  1990

  2,001

  —

  2—

  1,961

  —

  2—

  Aberdeen

  1975

  403

  476

  159

  237

  987

  125

  1976

  563

  629

  135

  431

  1,184

  143

  1977

  504

  715

  352

  491

  921

  191

  1978

  935

  386

  —

  609

  754

  296

  1979

  630

  440

  —

  774

  430

  —

  1980

  538

  243

  —

  604

  518

  11

  1981

  866

  63

  —

  834

  372

  —

  1982

  887

  121

  —

  816

  134

  —

  1983

  969

  75

  87

  871

  47

  —

  1984

  1,219

  103

  24

  1,090

  117

  —

  1985

  1,262

  81

  57

  1,214

  178

  111

  1986

  623

  91

  120

  981

  45

  27

  1987

  290

  185

  47

  525

  93

  173

  1988

  295

  35

  57

  295

  136

  52

  1989

  516

  12

  212

  410

  109

  213

  1990

  738

  107

  2—

  729

  71

  2—

  1 Scottish Homes/SSHA and Government Departments except for years 1975 to 1978 which consists of SSHA only.

  2 Returns outstanding for Scottish Homes.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount of expenditure directly provided by central Government in respect of local authority housing to(a) Edinburgh, (b) Dundee, (c) Glasgow and (d) Aberdeen district councils for each year since 1974–75 and in (i) cash and (ii) 1991–92 prices.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The amounts of housing support grant paid to the four local authorities referred to are shown in the tables. Before 1979–80, Exchequer support for local authority housing was provided under a variety of schemes, the details of which could not be provided except at disproportionate cost. The tables exclude subsidy paid to local authorities in respect of rent rebates.

  Year

  Aberdeen

  Edinburgh

  Glasgow

  Dundee

  (i) Cash terms (£)

  1979–80

  9,749,391

  11,269,405

  41,496,149

  7,740,698

  1980–81

  10,733,105

  12,517,913

  49,487,984

  8,602,017

  169

  Year

  Aberdeen

  Edinburgh

  Glasgow

  Dundee

  1981–82

  9,533,966

  7,869,440

  44,099,691

  5,285,879

  1982–83

  7,089,761

  2,327,904

  37,292,928

  1,820,168

  1983–84

  3,724,702

  0

  32,355,851

  0

  1984–85

  0

  0

  32,269,404

  0

  1985–86

  2,260,303

  0

  32,675,646

  0

  1986–87

  0

  0

  21,891,239

  0

  1987–88

  0

  0

  15,116,893

  0

  1988–89

  0

  0

  24,660,513

  0

  1989–90

  0

  0

  30,697,621

  0

  1990–91

  0

  0

  24,536,123

  0

  1991–92

  0

  526,144

  22,687,417

  0

  (ii) 1991–92 prices (£)

  1979–80

  22,554,982

  26,071,498

  96,000,345

  17,907,919

  1980–81

  20,983,587

  24,472,948

  96,750,702

  16,817,238

  1981–82

  16,997,925

  14,030,273

  78,624,491

  9,424,092

  1982–83

  11,801,909

  3,875,125

  62,079,350

  3,029,927

  1983–84

  5,926,241

  0

  51,480,249

  0

  1984–85

  0

  0

  48,861,203

  0

  1985–86

  3,246,069

  0

  46,926,192

  0

  1986–87

  0

  0

  30,385,508

  0

  1987–88

  0

  0

  19,920,004

  0

  1988–89

  0

  0

  30,243,455

  0

  1989–90

  0

  0

  35,392,018

  0

  1990–91

  0

  0

  26,253,636

  0

  1991–92

  0

  526,144

  22,687,417

  0

  Parents Charter
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) which parts of the parents charter in Scotland would require legislation if it were to be enforced;

  (2) whether independent schools in Scotland will be required to comply with the parents charter.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Education (Schools) Bill, introduced in Parliament today, provides my right hon. Friend with powers to make regulations to implement elements of the parents charter including information about schools and about progress of pupils.

  My right hon. Friend will consider in due course the scope and extent of the matters on which he should prescribe under these and other powers to give effect to the commitments in the parents charter, including the requirements to be placed on independent schools.

  School Report Cards
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which parents' organisations and other bodies are being consulted on the new report card.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Scottish Office Education Department working paper No. 11 "Reporting 5–14" has been distributed to a variety of bodies and individuals including the following:

  Education authorities for distribution to schools and School Boards; Colleges of Education; Scottish Council for Independent Schools; Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; Teacher Bodies; Scottish Parent Teacher Association; Lothian Parents Federation; Lothian Parents Action Group; Strathclyde Parents Federation; Education Alert; Scottish Council for Research in Education; Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum.

  Table 1

  Government owned land per SOAFD

  1983

  1990

  Region

  Hectarage

  Holdings/Lets1

  Hectarage

  Holdings/Lets1

  Highlands

  Highland

  96,713

  966

  93,380

  933

  Strathclyde

  10,896

  28

  6,626

  19

  Western Isles

  18,195

  409

  18,080

  409

  Vocational Courses
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what circumstances regional councils will be able to provide vocational courses, under the Government's further education proposals.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Bill provides for the Secretary of State to have a duty to secure in Scotland adequate and efficient provision of further education. Further education as defined in clause 6 of the Bill includes a programme of learning which prepares a person for a vocational qualification. Clause 2 removes from education authorities the duty of providing for their areas further education within the meaning of the Bill. It gives education authorities power to provide such further education. It will be for education authorities to determine in what circumstances they exercise that power, including the power to provide courses which prepare a person for a vocational qualification.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria will be applied when judging whether Robert Gordon Institute of Technology, Paisley College and Dundee Institute of Technology should have university status under the Government's higher education proposals.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The proposed criteria are set out in the consultation document on degree awarding powers and university title which was issued on Thursday 31 October and to which responses have been invited by 2 December 1991. A copy of the consultation paper is available in the Library.

  Departmental Land Holdings
  Mr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of agricultural land owned by his Ministry in each region in Scotland in(a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information relating to agricultural land owned by the Secretary of State is set out in table 1. The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department has provided information relating to the Highland Estates for 1983 and 1990. Prior to 1983 the detail was not held in the format requested. In the case of the lowland estates records were never held in that format. Consequently the information in respect of the lowland estates is presented in summary form.

  Relevant information provided by the Forestry Commission is presented in summary form separately in table 2.
  171

  1983

  1990

  Region

  Hectarage

  Holdings/Lets1

  Hectarage

  Holdings/Lets1

  Orkney Islands

  280

  9

  247

  4

  Shetland Islands

  2,247

  62

  2,161

  15

  Total

  128,331

  1,474

  120,494

  1,420

  Lowlands

  Lowlands Total

  5,202

  276

  967

  59

  Grand Total for SOAFD

  133,533

  1,750

  121,461

  1,479

  1 The number of holdings/lets may differ slightly from the number of "tenants" because of multiple tenancies.

  Table 2

  Government land managed by the forestry commission position as at 30 March 1990

  Conservancy

  Area of agricultural land (hectares)

  Number of tenancies1

  Number of grazing lets

  North

  24,800

  162

  74

  Mid

  14,100

  54

  61

  South

  10,400

  39

  37

  Total

  49,300

  255

  172

  1 This includes crofting tenancies.

  Note: The total area of agricultural land managed by the Forestry Commission at 30 March 1990 was about 104,000 hectares.

  Forestry
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures the Government are taking to encourage the planting of new forests close to towns and cities.

  Mr. Lang
  It is an important part of our forestry policy to encourage the creation of new woodlands close to areas of population. We have therefore decided to introduce a community woodland supplement, of £950 per hectare, as a top-up grant under the woodland grant scheme, which will be available for planting near to towns and cities.

  I am sure that this initiative will be welcomed. It will provide a substantial boost to community woodland projects throughout Britain. The Forestry Commission will be publishing details of the arrangements for administering this supplement later this year.

  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Government will make a statement on forestry policy.

  Mr. Lang
  In our response last year to the Agriculture Committee's report on land use and forestry, we said that we would consider whether there would be benefit in drawing the various strands of forestry policy together into a single statement. We have now decided that there would be advantage in making such a statement available, and a composite summary of our current forestry policy has been published by the Forestry Commission. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Cash Limits
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limits for 1991–92 within his responsibility.

  Mr. Lang
  Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate:172

  (a) the cash limit for class XV, vote 3: Training programmes, roads and transport, and industrial support, Scotland will be increased by £23,036,000 from £605,682,000 to £628,718,000. This increase takes account of the £15,000,000 increase in provision for Scottish Enterprise announced by the Prime Minister on 10 May 1991; the final reallocation of £4,921,000 in respect of the transfer of the roads and transport programme from the Scottish Office Environment Department to the Scottish Office Industry Department; also takes account of increased provision of £4,708,000 for Scottish Enterprise and £292,000 for Highlands and Islands Enterprise in respect of Scotland's share of the increased provision for adult training announced by the Secretary of State for Employment on 19 June 1991 after account has been taken of £3,100,000 of residual expenditure incurred by the Department of Employment in respect of training programmes in Scotland; and to take up the £1,215,000 capital end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991, at columns 186–90.

  (b) the cash limit for class XV, vote 5: Roads, transport and environmental services, Scotland will be reduced by £3,881,000 from £133,443,000 to £129,562,000. This reduction comprises two changes. First, the cash limit will be increased by £1,040,000 to reflect the full take-up of capital end-year flexibility entitlement and part Of the end-year flexibility entitlement for running costs of £984,000. Secondly, the cash limit will be reduced by £4,921,000 in respect of the transfer of roads and transport expenditure to class XV, vote 3: Training programmes, roads and transport services and industrial support, Scotland. Running cost provision will increase by £123,000 from this vote which forms part of the Scottish Office running cost limit.

  (c) the cash limit for class XV, vote 13: Law, Order, Miscellaneous Health and Social Work Services, Scotland will be increased by £1,700,000 from £211,764,000 to £213,464,000. This reflects the take-up of full capital end-year flexibility entitlement of £1,075,000 and £495,000 of the running cost entitlement. Provision is also included to cover the costs arising from the Orkney judicial inquiry, for social work offender services and to take account of a transfer of provision from class VI, vote I and class XV, vote 26 to cover the costs of grants to voluntary health services bodies.

  173

  (d) the cash limit for class XV, vote 21: Revenue and rate support grants, Scotland will be increased by £170,000 from £2,692,607,000 to £2,692,777,000. This increase is required in respect of expenditure to be incurred by local authorities and the Inland Revenue Valuation Office this year in carrying out the valuation of domestic properties in Scotland for the purposes of the proposed council tax.

  (e) the cash limit for class XV, vote 26: Hospital, community health, family health (part) and other health services, Scotland will be increased by £23,083,000 from £2,332,404,000 to £2,355,487,000 mainly for the costs of the increase in VAT, announced on 19 March; for full take-up of capital end-year flexibility entitlement of £10,068,000 and to meet the legal expenses of haemophiliacs with HIV.

  (f) as a result of the increase on class XV, vote 5 to provide additional management and works services and the take-up of end-year flexibility arrangements in respect of running costs expenditure on that vote and class XV, votes 13 and 20, the running costs limit for the Scottish Office will be increased by £1,084,000 from £260,072,000 to £261,156,000.

  (g) in addition the cash block SO/LA1, which covers non-housing capital expenditure by local authorities, will be increased by £8,763,000 from £542,887,000 to £551,650,000. An increase of £8,900,000 in respect of the end-year flexibility arrangements for capital expenditure was announced on 17 July. Since the July announcement, a further increase of £4,363,000 has been agreed. This will be offset by a reduction of £4,500,000 to offset increases in non-cash limited votes.

  (h) the non-voted cash limit, SO/LA2, which covers net allocation to local authorities on new town capital expenditure, will be increased by £561,000 from £342,935,000 to £343,496,000. This increase results from take-up in full of end-year flexibility entitlement as announced on 17 July.

  The increases are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  Gourock Ropeworks
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement concerning the circumstances surrounding the sale of the Gourock Ropeworks, Port Glasgow.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 5 November 1991:] My right hon. Friend understands that Chatom Investments Ltd. may now have concluded missives for the acquisition of the ropeworks. He continues to hope that a new use can be found for this category A listed building.

  Publicity
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1991–92 and budget for 1992–93.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: The running costs of the Scottish Office information directorate for each year from 1985–86 are as follows:

  Year

  £m

  1985–86

  0·9

  1986–87

  1·0

  1987–88

  1·1

  1988–89

  1·2

  1989–90

  1·4

  1990–91

  1·7

  1991–92

  1·9

  Budget proposals for 1992–93 have not yet been finalised. These figures exclude expenditure on information campaigns. Directly comparable figures for years prior to the introduction of new Scottish Office budgetary arrangements in 1985–86 are not available.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide an up-to-date list of each television advertising campaign carried out, or to be carried out, by(a) the Scottish Office, (b) the Scottish Development Agency and (c) the Forestry Commission during 1991–92, and of each other publicity campaign costing more than £100,000, giving for each (i) the topic, (ii) the commencement date, (iii) the duration and (iv) the advertising, promotional and public relations companies involved.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: Information television campaigns undertaken by the Scottish Office to date and those planned to be carried out in the current financial year are:

  Road Safety: 8–21 April, 6–19 May, 3–16 June, 2–29 September; Faulds Advertising, Edinburgh.

  School Boards: 19 August–27 September; Faulds Advertising.

  Crime Prevention: 7 October–3 November, Faulds Avertising.

  Rent to Mortgage: 14 October–4 November, The Leith Agency, Edinburgh.

  Fire Prevention: January-February 1992, Faulds Advertising.

  There have been no other campaigns costing more than£100,000 carried out and none are planned.

  The Forestry Commission has carried out no television campaigns.

  The only publicity campaign costing more than £100,000 carried out by the Commission was:
  Promotion of the Woodland Grant Scheme: 4 June—continuing; Hall Advertising, Edinburgh and Brown Associated, Edinburgh.

  Expenditure on television advertising and other publicity is an operational matter for the Scottish Development Agency's successor body, Scottish Enterprise, and its local enterprise companies. I understand, however, that Scottish Enterprise has no plans for television advertising this financial year.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give separate figures for the spending by his Department on(a) television advertising, (b) radio

  175
  advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1991–92 and budgets for 1992–93.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: Estimates for 1991–92 are television advertising £339,000, radio advertising £86,000, newspaper advertising £476,000 and other promotional material £364,000.

  For 1988–89 to 1990–91, the figures were:

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  £

  £

  £

  TV Advertising

  576,000

  974,000

  741,000

  Radio Advertising

  40,000

  85,000

  188,000

  Newspaper Advertising

  378,000

  1,022,000

  613,000

  Other Promotional Material

  933,000

  1,001,000

  1,098,000

  For 1979–88 an analysis in the form requested is not available.

  Total expenditure on information publicity was:

  £

  1979–80

  263,000

  1980–81

  362,000

  1981–82

  393,000

  1982–83

  386,000

  1983–84

  360,000

  1984–85

  704,000

  1985–86

  677,000

  1986–87

  857,000

  1987–88

  1,094,000

  The budget for 1992–93 has not yet been finalised.

  The above figures do not include the running costs of the Scottish Office information directorate.

  HIV
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many non-haemophiliacs in Scotland have contracted HIV infection as a result of contaminated NHS blood/tissue transfers; and how many of those became infected before the introduction of the screening of donations in October 1985.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: As at 31 October there were 11 reported cases. It is not possible from the information currently available to identify when these cases became infected.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount paid from public funds to individuals of groups who have prepared or are in the course of preparation of proposals to set up national health trusts in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: Resources have been made available to all health boards to implement NHS reforms. These moneys are additional to the allocations which are provided to health boards for patient care which, over the past 12 years, have increased by approximately 40 per cent. in real terms.

  Public Opinion Surveys
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the public opinion surveys carried out by his Department since 11 July.
  176
  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: I shall place a list of surveys in the Library as soon as possible.

HEALTH

  Hospital Consultants
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the average waiting times for a first appointment with a hospital consultant in England and Wales in(a) ophthalmology, (b) ear, nose and throat and (c) adult orthopaedics; and what are the shortest and longest waiting times respectively in each of these three specialties.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Newmarket Hospital
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made, or received from the regional health authority, about the costs of re-providing at West Suffolk and Addenbrookes hospitals the facilities that will be closed at Newmarket hospital in the event that the latter is run down to community status;

  (2) what information he has received from the East Anglian regional health authority about its plans to continue Newmarket hospital as a general hospital for three years after any decision is taken on the authority's proposals to downgrade it to community status.

  Mr. Dorrell
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will announce his decision about the future of Newmarket hospital as soon as possible.

  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on Newmarket hospital in each of the past five years; and what are the projected sums he has budgeted to spend over the next three years, irrespective of any decision he may take on its future status.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Bio Products Laboratory
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of BSM factor VIII were sold by the Bio Products Laboratory to United Kingdom hospitals before 31 March.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is commercially confidential.

  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will audit the Bio Products Laboratory from 1 April; and under what accounting standard this audit will take place.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  From 1 April 1991 the Central Blood Laboratories Authority and the other health authorities will be audited by the Audit Commission. The audits are conducted in accordance with the code of audit practice for local authorities and the national health service in England and Wales dated November 1990.

  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what requirements the Bio Products Laboratory now lies in respect of the publication of annual accounts.
  177
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Bio Products Laboratory is not required to publish annual accounts separately from the Central Blood Laboratories Authority, which publishes an annual report covering its activities as a whole.

  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all Bio Products Laboratory products deemed to have licences have been subject to the full product licence fee of £130,000 per product payable on the product licence application to the Medicines Control Agency.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Bio Products Laboratory is required to pay a licence fee appropriate to each of its applications for product licences made under the Medicines Act. Details of the fees paid by the Bio Products Laboratory as with any other pharmaceutical company are confidential between the Medicines Control Agency and the applicant.

  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what differences exist between the terms, including conditions of confidentiality, on which(a) the Bio Products Laboratory and other state institutions and (b) commercial pharmaceutical companies compete in respect of tendering;

  (2) if he will give details of all contracts or agreements for plasma products including factor VIII, Albumin and IVGG made for 1991–92 by the Bio Products Laboratory with regional health authorities which were not subject to general tenders to the commercial pharmaceutical industry.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The purchase of blood products is a matter for provider units and health authorities. We are not aware of any differences in the terms on which the Bio Products Laboratory and commercial suppliers compete for the supply of such products to national health service purchasers; nor are we aware of any contracts or agreements made by the Bio Products Laboratory in 1991–92 which were not subject to tender to commercial suppliers.

  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is now responsible for funding any losses made by the Bio Products Laboratory over a financial year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Central Blood Laboratories Authority, of which Bio Products Laboratory is part, is required to stay within the cash limit set by the Department and funded from class XIII, vote 1.

  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what legal status the Bio Products Laboratory has been trading since 1 April.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Bio Products Laboratory is an integral part of the Central Blood Laboratories Authority, a special health authority set up in December 1982. The legal status of that body as a special health authority has not changed.

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to facilitate the development of an agreed autopsy protocol for the cot death.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The formulation and adoption of an autopsy protocol for cot death will be for 178
  health authorities to determine as part of their involvement in the confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the recommendation to mothers on whether to lie babies down to sleep on back, front or side in the "Pregnancy Book" issued to all mothers(a) in the version issued in 1990, (b) as revised in 1991, (c) as reprinted in 1991 and (d) as intended now; and how many copies of it were printed for distribution.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: Advice to pregnant women and mothers contained in the Health Education Authority's "Pregnancy Book" and "Birth To Five" on the recommended sleeping position of babies has been changed once in 1990. Prior to that, the advice was that for the first two months or so babies should sleep on their fronts. This was in accordance with the then commonly held clinical view that not to do so could increase the risk of inhalation of vomit, especially in those babies who were vulnerable or sick.

  At the time the text of these books was revised in 1990, the advice was changed to reflect the evidence that was then emerging that the prone sleeping position might have been a risk factor in cot death. On the basis of the evidence at that time, no one type of sleeping position for babies could be recommended. In versions of the booklets reprinted earlier in 1991 this advice continued to be current, although the opportunity was taken to remove photographs of babies lying on their fronts.

  Following the chief medical officer's advice last week that babies should no longer be laid down to sleep on their fronts except on medical advice, the authority has taken immediate steps to notify health education units and prevent them from distributing further copies of both books. Urgent steps are being taken to revise the advice in the booklets.

  Altogether, approximately half a million copies each of the "Pregnancy Book" and "Birth to Five" are issued to first-time pregnant women and parents each year.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is Government policy on the training of health care workers to deal with cot death;

  (2) what steps he is taking to inform health care professionals, doctors, midwives, and maternity homes of how to advise mothers on avoiding cot deaths;

  (3) what television advertising his Department intends or has carried out on cot deaths;

  (4) how he intends to communicate his advice that young babies should be laid on their backs to (a) health care professionals, (b) the public generally and (c) mothers.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: Although the underlying causes remain unexplained, as the advice issued by the chief medical officer last week made clear, it is possible to reduce the risk of cot death. Sleeping position is only one factor associated with cot death. Other known risks to be avoided are cigarette smoking, overheating a baby and not acting promptly by seeking professional advice when a baby appears unwell.

  Whilst non-breast feeding has been identified as a factor in cot deaths in New Zealand, it has not been identified as a risk factor in the United Kingdom. The Department's advice on the known benefits of breastfeeding remains unchanged.
  179
  The chief medical officer's press announcement last week and the media coverage following that, has alerted the public to the new advice relating to sleeping position. The chief medical officer and chief nursing officer will be writing to doctors and to other health care professionals shortly with more detailed advice to guide them in their advice to parents. We would expect the statutory and professional bodies to incorporate the new advice into their curricula straightaway.

  In addition, the text of the two books published by the Health Education Authority and distributed to first-time pregnant women and parents, the "Pregnancy Book" and "Birth To Five", is being amended to reflect the new advice. We are considering urgently whether further steps are needed to ensure that the new advice is available to parents of young babies.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which parts of the confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy are relevant to cot death; and who has devised these.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will shortly be setting up a national advisory body to advise on which aspects of stillbirths and deaths in infancy should be examined in the confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of infant deaths are given a proper paediatric post-mortem by someone trained as a paediatric pathologist to recognise cot death.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy was established.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This inquiry is being established on a nationwide basis to examine in detail the circumstances of selected stillbirths and deaths in infancy. This is the first such inquiry worldwide. With increased knowledge of the reason why babies die, health care professionals and others will be better able to prevent these tragic events.

  Liver Transplants
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the contracts between King's College hospital, London, and St. Mary's hospital, London, for liver transplantation with non-United Kingdom residents;

  (2) if he will give to date the number of private liver transplants undertaken at King's College hospital, London, and St. Mary's hospital, London.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not held centrally. The management of King's College hospital is the responsibility of Camberwell health authority and the management of St. Mary's hospital is the responsibility of Parkside health authority. The hon. Member may wish to write to Sir Derek Boorman, the chairman of Camberwell health authority, and Mr. Michael Hatfield, chairman of Parkside health authority, for details.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give to date the number of national health service 180
  patients in whom it has not been possible to perform a liver transplant due to lack of intensive care facilities, and in which the liver subsequently went to a private non-United Kingdom resident.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Paediatric Pathologists
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's policy on conducting paediatric post-mortems and funding them.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government required regional health authorities to have at least one paediatric pathologist in post by 31 March 1991 and to conduct a review of the need for further posts by 1992. The conduct of paediatric post-mortems is a matter for professional judgment and there are no special arrangements in place for funding them.

  Blood Plasma
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any voluntary donated blood plasma collected in the United Kingdom is used other than to produce plasma fractions or finished products which are used solely for patients in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Our aim is to collect from our unpaid voluntary donors sufficient blood and plasma to meet national requirements for blood products. Not all the products derived from blood and plasma are in equal demand and a surplus of a particular fraction may arise from time to time. Those products which are genuinely surplus to our own needs may then be exported to EC or other countries which may not be self-sufficient in that particular fraction.

  Women's Hospital, Liverpool
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact the proposed new women's hospital in Liverpool will have on services for women; how much of the expenditure earmarked for the hospital will be used for security and road alterations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Obstetric and gynaecology services are presently scattered across the city and will be provided on a single site in modern, well-equipped accommodation. The balance of expenditure on new facilities and infrastructure such as security and road alterations is a matter for Liverpool health authority.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to reply to the letter of 29 October from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North, regarding Mr. L. Lowe and the Queen's Medical Centre hospital, Nottingham.

  Mr. Dorrell
  A reply will be sent shortly.

  Nottingham DHA
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify the waiting list for the City, Highbury, General and Queen's Medical Centre hospitals, Nottingham, in each of the specialties for which figures are held centrally for each of the years since 1987.
  181
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. D. H. White, the chairman of Nottingham health authority, for details.

  AIDS and Breast Cancer
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the Government have put into AIDS and breast cancer research and publicity.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Government expenditure on AIDS research in 1990–91 totalled £20·4 million. In the same year £10·0 million was spent on publicity on AIDS. In the present financial year, 1991–92, the estimated Government expenditure is £22·5 million on AIDS research and £11·3 million on publicity on AIDS. Government spending on research into breast cancer in 1990–91 amounted to £3·0 million. The estimated figure for research in 1991–92 is not yet available. Information on the levels of expenditure on publicity about breast cancer and the breast cancer screening programme is not separately identifiable. The Health Education Authority, the Department of Health and the NHS breast cancer screening programme include advice and information about breast cancer in a range of publications giving general advice on health matters.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to revise the amount of money his Department spends on AIDS; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The amount of money available for spending on AIDS and HIV is kept under constant review.

  London Health Service
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the recently announced survey of the health service in London will include consideration of hospital provision in the London borough of Havering.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Sir Bernard Tomlinson, was appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to advise him on the development of London health services. He has been given a wide-ranging remit to look at the provision of health care, the organisation and provision of undergraduate medical teaching, post-graduate medical education and research and development. Although we expect him to focus mainly on central London, there may well be issues with wider implications where it is appropriate for him to include outer London in his consideration.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any changes will be made to the cash limits and running cost limits of his Department in 1991–92.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made:

  The cash limit for class XIII, vote 1—Hospital, community health, family health services (part) and related services, England—will increase by £110,667,000, from £16,410,032,000 to £16,520,699,000. This increase
  182
  covers additions of £100,841,000 for health authorities and other bodies for the increase in VAT announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 19 March 1991; £31,480,000 for the take-up of entitlement to carry-over underspends under the end-year flexibility arrangements, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 and transfers from class XIII, vote 3 of £3,000,000 for construction of a building for orthotists and prosthetists and £500,000 for drug misuse publicity. These increases are partly offset by a reduction of £19,678,000 reflecting an increase in the NHS trusts' aggregate external financing limit, and transfers to class XIII, vote 3 of £4,679,000 for the NHS estates agency and £600,000 for the clinical standards advisory group, and to class XVI, vote 8 of £197,000 for an incentive bonus schemes policy group.

  The cash limits for class XIII, vote 3—Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England—will be increased by £6,960,000, from £726,469,000 to £733,429,000. This increase provides an additional £4,713,000 for litigation costs of haemophiliacs infected with HIV; £531,000 for the increase on VAT as mentioned above; £4,679,000 from class XIII, vote 1 for the NHS estates agency and £600,000 for the clinical standards advisory group; £91,000 from class XIV, vote 3 for an increase in petrol tax allowance and for replacement vehicles; £75,000 from class II, vote 5 for a contribution to the International Peto Institute; and £69,000 from class XIV, vote 4 for the low income scheme and computer equipment. These increases are partly offset by the transfers to class XIII, vote 1 mentioned above; £127,000 to class XI, vote 2 for conversion of social work training courses. Also as a consequence of the excess on the departmental running cost limit in 1990–91 a further reduction of £171,000 is being made.

  The provision for running costs on class XIII, vote 3 and the Department's running cost limit is increased by £29,000 from £252,892,000 to £252,921,000. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many of the second wave of hospital trusts announced by him have indicated that they have made provision for a nurse to be on the board of the trust; and if he will list those that have not;

  (2) if he will list those existing hospital trusts which do not have a nurse on the board of the trust.

  Mr. Dorrell
  All NHS trusts providing patient services, apart from ambulance and other transport services, are required to have a registered nurse or midwife as an executive director on their board.

  Dietary Sugars
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that the recommendations of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy report "Dietary Sugars and Human Disease" (1989) are implemented.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 30 January at column 529. Work continues on all fronts mentioned.
  183
  In July this year the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy published its report "Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the UK", in which it fully endorsed the findings in the 1989 report; a copy is available in the Library. It advised that the population's average intake of non-milk extrinsic sugars should not exceed about 60 g per day or 10 per cent. of total dietary energy. The Health Education Authority is now working in close co-operation with officials of the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to translate this advice into further nutrition education material.

  Stillbirths
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be(a) the initial costs and (b) the annual running costs of confidential inquiries into stillbirths and infant deaths in England; and what additional funds he is making available to (i) the Department of Health, (ii) the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, (iii) regional health authorities and (iv) district health authorities to (a) set up and (b) run the inquiries.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: Initial costs in regions of setting up epidemiological surveys of stillbirths and infant deaths and of recruiting additional perinatal pathologists are already being met from current allocations. Details of further expenditure are under consideration. As the confidential inquiry will be part of the NHS reforms audit initiative, regions will be

  Hospital medical staff in England as at 30 September 1990

  Consultants

  All other staff

  All staff

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Northern

  878

  140

  1,396

  635

  2,274

  775

  Yorkshire

  916

  118

  1,757

  659

  2,673

  777

  Trent

  1,175

  173

  1,967

  947

  3,142

  1,120

  East Anglia

  564

  83

  905

  427

  1,469

  510

  North West Thames

  847

  227

  1,613

  907

  2,460

  1,134

  North East Thames

  1,176

  306

  1,855

  974

  3,031

  1,280

  South East Thames

  1,069

  207

  1,734

  827

  2,803

  1,034

  South West Thames

  742

  202

  1,122

  641

  1,864

  843

  Wessex

  745

  106

  1,282

  662

  2,027

  768

  Oxford

  629

  137

  1,083

  630

  1,712

  767

  South Western

  817

  109

  1,390

  732

  2,207

  841

  West Midlands

  1,307

  207

  2,333

  935

  3,640

  1,142

  Mersey

  686

  104

  1,137

  504

  1,823

  608

  North Western

  1,128

  189

  2,183

  902

  3,311

  1,091

  LPGTHs1

  544

  110

  698

  303

  1,242

  413

  Total

  12,834

  2,369

  22,275

  10,590

  35,109

  12,959

  1 London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals.

  Notes:

  Figures include all permanent paid and honorary staff and exclude all locum staff.

  England totals do not equal the sum of the regions due to doctors working in more than one region.
  184
  eligible to seek funds which have been especially assigned to clinical audit. The total amount available for all clinical audit work will be around £40 million in 1992–93.

  Health Service Staff
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each national health service region the number of male doctors and the number of female doctors(a) in general practice, (b) who are consultants and (c) other than consultants who work in hospitals.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: The information requested is given in the tables.

  Unrestricted principals (GPs) in England as at 1 April 1991

  Male

  Female

  Northern

  1,276

  357

  Yorkshire

  1,511

  431

  Trent

  1,877

  531

  East Anglia

  899

  217

  NW Thames

  1,306

  650

  NE Thames

  1,468

  552

  SE Thames

  1,475

  475

  SW Thames

  1,101

  461

  Wessex

  1,196

  391

  Oxford

  1,003

  351

  South Western

  1,573

  409

  West Midlands

  2,116

  586

  Mersey

  928

  313

  North Western

  1,548

  463

  Total: England

  19,277

  6,187

  UNPAID PARKING FINES
  UNPAID PARKING FINES
  DoT CASH AND COSTS LIMITS
  DoT CASH AND COSTS LIMITS
  PSO GRANT CASH CEILING
  PSO GRANT CASH CEILING
  LOCAL AUTHORITY SERVICES: COMPETITIVE TENDERING
  LOCAL AUTHORITY SERVICES: COMPETITIVE TENDERING
  ECO-LABELLING: RESPONSE TO SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT
  ECO-LABELLING: RESPONSE TO SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT
  COUNCIL TAX
  COUNCIL TAX
  NON-DOMESTIC RATE
  NON-DOMESTIC RATE