Written Answers of 13 November 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Mr. Paul Eric Walker
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Attorney-General whether Paul Eric Walker can now be treated as a new applicant for the purposes of legal aid.

  The Attorney-General
  Paul Eric Walker is in possession of a valid current legal aid certificate. There is no need for him to apply for a new certificate.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Attorney-General when Paul Eric Walker first applied for legal aid to the Northern area legal aid office; and if he will make a statement about the reasons for the delay in granting it.

  The Attorney-General
  Paul Eric Walker first applied for legal aid on 9 May 1990 and his certificate was granted on 22 August 1991. The delay in granting the certificate arose because the Legal Aid Assessment Office had difficulty in establishing Mr. Walker's correct address and a number of changes to his financial circumstances led to further delays while his means were recalculated. Between August and October 1991 Mr. Walker was asked to show cause why his certificate should not be discharged in the light of his most recent failure to co-operate with the means assessment process. The matter was finally resolved in Mr. Walker's favour on 31 October 1991.

TRANSPORT

  MV Richard Montgomery
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last inspection of the vessel Richard Montgomery was carried out on the River Thames; and if he will make a statement on the conclusions arrived at.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  A very thorough survey was completed early in September this year and a detailed report has been submitted to the Department by the contractor. I hope to be in a position to make a statement very shortly.

TRANSPORT

  Lorries
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many inspections in relation to loading and roadworthiness of lorries were undertaken in the last year for which figures were available; how many infringements of regulations were detected; how many prosecutions and convictions secured; and if he will tabulate the results by county and metropolitan district area.

  Mr. Chope
  Almost 113,000 HGV roadworthiness inspections were carried out at the roadside during 522
  1990–91. These resulted in just under 8,000 vehicles being immediately prohibited from further use, and just over 9,000 being required to have essential repairs undertaken within a maximum of 10 days. In addition, vehicle examiners made almost 98,000 visits to operators during the year to inspect either particular vehicles or maintenance facilities. A total of 114,000 HGVs were checkweighed during the same period. This activity resulted in the issue of just over 8,000 prohibitions. There were about 10,000 prosecutions, and 9,000 convictions.

  It is not possible to provide this information by county and district.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the penalties for infringement of loading and roadworthiness regulations in relation to lorries.

  Mr. Chope
  The Criminal Justice Act 1991 increased level 5 on the standard scale of fines, which is the maximum punishment for overloading and the more serious roadworthiness offences, from £2,000 to £5,000. This will be implemented in October 1992. In addition, infringements can lead to action being taken against operators' and drivers' licences.

  Toll Roads
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the proposed toll road from Birmingham to Manchester satisfies the environmental impact assessment requirement of EC directive 85/337.

  Mr. Chope
  EC directive 85/337 applies to major road projects whether or not they are privately financed. Any proposed toll road from Birmingham to Manchester would require an environmental impact assessment before a decision was made to proceed.

  Heathrow Airport (Signposting)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve directional signing, with particular reference to reaching motorways, on the roads around Heathrow airport.

  Mr. Chope
  It is planned to revise the directional signing on the primary routes around Heathrow airport in 1994 as part of a general revision of the signing. Consultation on both the primary route network and its signing took place in 1989. Copies of the consultation documents were placed in the Library.

  A685
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will look again at the congestion on the A685 road through Kirkby Stephen and provide an estimate of how soon a bypass will be put on the forward programme.

  Mr. Chope
  The A685 is not a trunk road. The needs of the route are therefore a matter for consideration by the local highways authority, Cumbria county council.

  Heathrow Express
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about progress on the Heathrow express rail link; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have had a number of discussions with BR on this matter. The Government are keen to see the project go ahead, but it is for BR to determine its priorities within the resources available.

  BR Tracks
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are being taken to make British Rail tracks suitable to accommodate continental Berne standard rolling stock.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail will be able to carry the great majority of containers—up to 9 ft high—and standard European swap bodies between the channel tunnel and its regional freight terminals using low platform wagons, without substantially changing the existing structure gauge. Converting existing lines to continental structure gauge would be extremely costly and disruptive. Apart from the need to alter tunnels and bridges, station platforms would have to be realigned and passenger rolling stock adapted to the new platform dimensions. BR has no plans to do this and does not believe the costs would be commercially justified. However, it is envisaged that the new high speed rail link would be built to continental gauge.

  Queue 1

  Queue 2

  Queue 3

  Queue 4

  Total

  Bombay

  0

  238

  494

  197

  929

  New Delhi

  0

  331

  333

  113

  777

  Dhaka

  347

  1,247

  157

  516

  2,267

  Islamabad

  15

  1,211

  198

  449

  1,873

  Karachi

  16

  120

  36

  8

  180

  There are no queues in Calcutta, Nairobi or Dar-es-Salaam.

  Queue 1

  Queue 2

  Queue 3

  Queue 4

  Bombay

  0

  4

  9

  12

  New Delhi

  0

  3

  7

  10

  Dhaka

  3

  5

  6

  12

  Islamabad

  3

  3

  6

  9

  Karachi

  2

  3

  3

  6

  Settlement queues are organised as follows:

  Queue 1—Persons with a claim to the right of abode, dependant relatives over 70 years, special compassionate cases.

  Queue 2—All spouses, and all children under 18 years.

  Queue 3—Finance(e)s and others applying for the first time for settlement.

  Queue 4—Re-applicants.

  During periods of seasonal high demand applicants for visit visas in Islamabad requiring a full interview can expect to wait up to five days. Elsewhere they are dealt with on day of application.

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent visit by the Minister of State to Abu Dhabi; and whether he discussed BCCI.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Correspondence
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average length of time it takes to reply to a letter from an hon. Member.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The length of time it takes to reply to a letter from an hon. Member varies according to the subject. It is our policy to reply to letters from hon. Members as soon as practically possible. We meet our aim of replying within 15 working days in 80 per cent. of cases.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are employed at the migration and visa correspondence unit.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Ten.

  Immigration Interviews
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list(a) the numbers of people in each queue who are waiting for interviews for entry clearance to Britain and (b) the average waiting time in Bombay, Delhi, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi, Calcutta, Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  As at 30 September the number of people waiting for interviews for entry clearance to Britain are:

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I visited Abu Dhabi from 28 to 29 October. I met Shaikh Zayed, the President of the UAE, and other senior Ministers, who made it clear that bilateral relations remain close and cordial, and should be kept separate from the BCCI affair.

  Iraq (Nuclear Activity)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the efficacy of the international inspection and surveillance of Iraqi nuclear activity in the period before the Gulf war.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The IAEA conducted regular inspections of Iraq's declared nuclear facilities before the Gulf war. Its reports did not indicate any significant diversions of nuclear materials under safeguards.
  525
  Notwithstanding this, we now know that Iraq circumvented IAEA safeguards in seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability. This is a cause for concern. The IAEA is considering how to strengthen the system, a process to which the United Kingdom, with European Community partners, is contributing.

  East Timor
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken(a) by the Government (b) by the Government within the Council of Ministers and (c) by the Government within the United Nations to make progress towards a just peace in East Timor.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Her Majesty's Government have had bilateral contacts with Indonesia and Portugal to encourage them to work towards a negotiated solution of the East Timor question. The issue is discussed regularly in European political cooperation. We support the United Nations Secretary-General's efforts to encourage Indonesia and Portugal to resolve their differences.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the Government to put pressure On the Indonesian Government about its human rights record in East Timor.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We regularly draw the attention of the Indonesian authorities to our concern about reports of human rights abuses in East Timor. We will continue to do so.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ban supply of military weapons to the Indonesian Government while that Government continue to occupy East Timor.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 12 November, at column 481.

  Iraq
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his current proposals to negate the Iraqi capacity to detonate initiators, launch nuclear capable missiles and assemble super-guns.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We shall continue actively to support the work of the UN Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency in dismantling Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capability under the terms of UN Security Council resolutions 687 and 707, and in carrying out their plans to monitor and verify Iraq's long-term compliance with those resolutions, under the authority of Security Council resolution 715.

  Media Funding
  Mrs. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the documents released to the Congress of People's Deputies by the Russian Justice Minister concerning funding of the Morning Star and Pergamon Press by the Soviet Communist party.
  526
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are aware of the documents in question. We have asked our embassy in Moscow to obtain the excerpts relating to the reported funding of the Morning Star and Pergamon Press by the Soviet Communist party.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Tax-exempt Special Savings Accounts
  Mr. French
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the operation of TESSAs.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend has received a small number of representations about the operation of TESSAs.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to modify the rules relating to TESSAs.

  Mr. Maude
  There are no plans to modify the rules relating to TESSAs.

  Vocational Training (Tax Relief)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the ordinary and advanced diplomas proposed in the White Paper, "Education and Training for the 21st Century", would fall within the terms of tax relief for vocational training introduced in the Finance Act 1991.

  Mr. Maude
  The Government are considering carefully the interaction between the proposals in the White Paper "Education and Training for the 21st Century" and the new tax relief for vocational training.

  Inflation and Minimum Lending Rate
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the underlying rate of inflation and minimum lending rate for each of the last 150 months, setting out in each case the difference showing whether it is positive or negative, also marking each month when the economy was in recession with the letter R.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: There is no single measure of underlying inflation. For the purposes of this answer, it is defined as the RPI less mortgage interest payments. Since 1981 a minimum lending rate has been in operation for only two days. Instead three-month inter-bank rates have been used. There is no agreed definition of recession. For the purposes of this answer, it is defined as occurring when GDP falls for two or more consecutive quarters. GDP figures are available only quarterly, so it is not possible to identify when the economy is in recession month by month. Rs have been placed beside those months which make up recessionary quarters. The information is in the following table:

  Average 3 month interbank rate (i)

  RPI excluding mips (ii)

  Difference (iii)

  1979

  April

  11·69

  9·1

  2·59

  May

  11·82

  9·3

  2·52

  527

  Average 3 month interbank rate (i)

  RPI excluding mips (ii)

  Difference (iii)

  June

  13·12

  10·2

  2·92

  July

  13·98

  14·7

  -0·72

  August

  14·12

  15·0

  -0·88

  September

  14·17

  15·9

  -1·73

  October

  14·12

  16·6

  -2·48

  November

  16·24

  16·7

  -0·46

  December

  16·81

  16·9

  -0·09

  1980

  January

  17·16

  17·4

  R -0·24

  February

  17·77

  17·9

  R -0·13

  March

  18·11

  18·6

  R -0·49

  April

  17·64

  20·6

  R -2·96

  May

  17·05

  20·8

  R -3·75

  June

  16·77

  20·0

  R -3·23

  July

  15·88

  15·8

  R 0·08

  August

  16·53

  15·2

  R 1·33

  September

  16·00

  14·7

  R 1·30

  October

  15·98

  14·3

  R 1·68

  November

  15·84

  14·2

  R 1·64

  December

  14·73

  13·9

  R 0·83

  1981

  January

  14·28

  13·0

  R 1·28

  February

  13·04

  12·6

  R 0·44

  March

  12·65

  12·8

  R -0·15

  April

  12·33

  12·4

  -0·07

  May

  12·40

  12·2

  0·20

  June

  12·66

  11·8

  0·86

  July

  13·79

  11·4

  2·39

  August

  14·18

  12·0

  2·18

  September

  14·78

  11·9

  2·88

  October

  16·33

  12·2

  4·13

  November

  15·06

  12·1

  2·96

  December

  15·44

  12·0

  3·44

  1982

  January

  15·13

  12·0

  3·13

  February

  14·48

  10·6

  3·88

  March

  13·57

  9·8

  3·77

  April

  13·77

  9·1

  4·67

  May

  13·35

  9·2

  4·15

  June

  13·00

  8·8

  4·20

  July

  12·37

  8·3

  4·07

  August

  11·11

  7·6

  3·51

  September

  10·89

  7·3

  3·59

  October

  9·79

  7·0

  2·79

  November

  9·39

  6·7

  2·69

  December

  10·62

  6·6

  4·02

  1983

  January

  11·21

  6·0

  5·21

  February

  11·34

  6·7

  4·64

  March

  10·98

  6·0

  4·98

  April

  10·26

  4·9

  5·36

  May

  10·26

  4·5

  5·76

  June

  9·94

  4·5

  5·44

  July

  9·89

  4·7

  5·19

  August

  9·87

  5·1

  4·77

  September

  9·69

  5·2

  4·49

  October

  9·38

  5·0

  4·38

  November

  9·30

  4·9

  4·40

  December

  9·42

  4·8

  4·62

  1984

  January

  9·45

  4·5

  4·95

  February

  9·38

  4·5

  4·88

  March

  8·95

  4·6

  4·35

  April

  8·88

  4·9

  3·98

  May

  9·40

  4·9

  4·50

  June

  9·45

  4·9

  4·55

  July

  11·51

  4·5

  7·01

  August

  11·07

  4·3

  6·77

  September

  10·83

  3·9

  6·93

  October

  10·67

  4·2

  6·47

  528

  Average 3 month inter-bank rate (i)

  RPI excluding mips (ii)

  Difference (iii)

  November

  9·93

  4·1

  5·83

  December

  9·82

  4·1

  5·72

  1985

  January

  11·68

  4·6

  7·08

  February

  13·76

  4·6

  9·16

  March

  13·63

  5·2

  8·43

  April

  12·76

  5·3

  7·46

  May

  12·66

  5·3

  7·36

  June

  12·44

  5·3

  7·14

  July

  12·04

  5·2

  6·84

  August

  11·50

  5·3

  6·20

  September

  11·55

  5·6

  5·95

  October

  11·55

  5·2

  6·35

  November

  11·57

  5·2

  6·37

  December

  11·76

  5·1

  6·66

  1986

  January

  12·83

  4·9

  7·93

  February

  12·65

  4·8

  7·85

  March

  11·72

  4·0

  7·72

  April

  10·48

  3·4

  7·08

  May

  10·22

  3·1

  7·12

  June

  9·78

  3·3

  6·48

  July

  9·96

  3·2

  6·76

  August

  9·84

  3·3

  6·54

  September

  10·12

  3·4

  6·72

  October

  11·04

  3·4

  7·64

  November

  11·17

  3·3

  7·87

  December

  11·36

  3·5

  7·86

  1987

  January

  11·05

  3·6

  7·45

  February

  10·86

  3·7

  7·16

  March

  9·97

  3·8

  6·17

  April

  9·80

  3·6

  6·20

  May

  8·82

  3·8

  5·02

  June

  8·90

  3·5

  5·40

  July

  9·21

  3·7

  5·51

  August

  10·04

  3·7

  6·34

  September

  10·16

  3·5

  6·66

  October

  9·98

  3·9

  6·08

  November

  8·95

  4·0

  4·95

  December

  8·77

  4·0

  4·77

  1988

  January

  8·97

  3·7

  5·27

  February

  9·27

  3·6

  5·67

  March

  8·89

  3·8

  5·09

  April

  8·30

  4·2

  4·10

  May

  8·03

  4·4

  3·63

  June

  8·93

  4·7

  4·23

  July

  10·55

  5·0

  5·55

  August

  11·39

  5·0

  6·39

  September

  12·15

  5·2

  6·95

  October

  12·04

  5·1

  6·94

  November

  12·31

  5·1

  7·21

  December

  13·13

  5·1

  8·03

  1989

  January

  13·14

  5·5

  7·64

  February

  13·02

  5·7

  7·32

  March

  13·05

  5·7

  7·35

  April

  13·13

  5·9

  7·23

  May

  13·14

  6·0

  7·14

  June

  14·15

  5·9

  8·25

  July

  13·92

  5·8

  8·12

  August

  13·85

  5·7

  8·15

  September

  14·02

  5·8

  8·22

  October

  15·02

  6·1

  8·92

  November

  15·11

  6·1

  9·01

  December

  15·12

  6·1

  9·02

  1990

  January

  15·16

  6·1

  9·06

  529

  Average 3 month inter-bank rate (i)

  RPI excluding mips (ii)

  Difference (iii)

  February

  15·11

  6·2

  8·91

  March

  15·29

  6·3

  8·99

  April

  15·21

  7·9

  7·31

  May

  15·15

  8·1

  7·05

  June

  14·97

  8·2

  R 6·77

  July

  14·95

  8·3

  R 6·65

  August

  15·00

  9·1

  R 5·90

  September

  14·91

  9·5

  R 5·41

  October

  14·03

  9·5

  R 4·53

  November

  13·64

  9·2

  R 4·44

  December

  13·80

  9·0

  R 4·80

  1991

  January

  13·97

  8·5

  R 5·47

  February

  13·25

  8·6

  R 4·65

  March

  12·40

  8·4

  R 4·00

  April

  11·95

  6·8

  R 5·15

  May

  11·53

  6·6

  R 4·93

  June

  11·24

  6·9

  R 4·34

  July

  11·09

  6·8

  * 4·29

  August

  10·89

  6·2

  * 4·69

  September

  10·29

  5·7

  * 4·59

  (a) Column (iii) only shows difference between columns (i) and (ii), not the "real" interest rate as usually calculated. For this see OR 12 June 1991, cols. 549–554w.

  (b) *GDP figures only available until 1991 Q2.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the real interest rates in the United Kingdom and Germany for each of the last 60 months using as real rates the difference between MLR and the underlying rate of inflation.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: Official interest rates, such as the MLR or the German discount rate, are not comparable across countries. International comparisons therefore generally use market interest rates; three-month inter-bank rates have been used in the table.

  There is no generally agreed definition of "underlying inflation". For Germany the table uses consumer price inflation excluding rent. For the United Kingdom the retail prices index excluding mortgage interest payments has been used.

  There is no single measure of real interest rates. They are most often calculated by deflating the interest rate by an appropriate measure of inflation, rather than from a simple difference between two rates. The table uses the method suggested in my hon. Friend's question.

  United Kingdom 3 month interest rates less RPI excluding mips

  German 3 month interest rates less CPI excluding rent

  1986

  January

  7·9

  3·5

  February

  7·9

  3·9

  March

  7·7

  4·6

  April

  7·1

  4·9

  May

  7·1

  5·0

  June

  6·4

  5·0

  July

  6·7

  5·3

  August

  6·4

  5·3

  September

  6·8

  4·2

  October

  7·7

  5·7

  November

  7·9

  6·2

  December

  7·9

  6·4

  1987

  January

  7·5

  5·8

  530

  United Kingdom 3 month interest rates less RPI excluding mips

  German 3 month interest rates less CPI excluding rent

  February

  7·2

  5·0

  March

  6·2

  4·6

  April

  6·2

  4·2

  May

  5·0

  4·0

  June

  5·4

  3·9

  July

  5·5

  3·6

  August

  6·3

  3·4

  September

  6·7

  3·8

  October

  6·1

  4·1

  November

  5·0

  3·0

  December

  4·9

  1·9

  1988

  January

  5·3

  2·7

  February

  5·7

  2·5

  March

  5·1

  2·5

  April

  4·1

  2·4

  May

  3·6

  2·5

  June

  4·2

  2·8

  July

  5·6

  3·9

  August

  6·4

  4·4

  September

  7·0

  3·7

  October

  6·9

  3·8

  November

  7·2

  3·5

  December

  8·0

  3·8

  1989

  January

  7·6

  3·5

  February

  7·3

  4·1

  March

  7·4

  4·2

  April

  7·2

  3·6

  May

  7·1

  4·2

  June

  8·3

  4·2

  July

  8·1

  4·4

  August

  8·2

  4·3

  September

  8·2

  4·5

  October

  8·9

  5·0

  November

  9·0

  5·3

  December

  9·0

  5·0

  1990

  January

  9·1

  5·6

  February

  8·9

  5·7

  March

  9·0

  5·9

  April

  7·3

  6·1

  May

  7·1

  6·2

  June

  6·8

  6·2

  July

  6·6

  6·0

  August

  5·9

  5·7

  September

  5·4

  5·6

  October

  4·5

  5·3

  November

  4·4

  6·0

  December

  4·8

  6·6

  1991

  January

  3·5

  6·6

  February

  4·7

  6·5

  March

  4·0

  6·8

  April

  5·2

  6·6

  May

  4·9

  6·3

  June

  4·3

  5·8

  July

  4·3

  4·7

  August

  4·7

  5·2

  September

  4·6

  5·3

THE ARTS

  Devon
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what assistance is to be given to the county of Devon in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
  531
  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: The detailed allocation of the Government's grant for the support of the arts is a matter for the Arts Council of Great Britain and, where appropriate, the regional arts boards through which the Arts Council provides support for regional arts development.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Animals (Scientific Procedures)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for 1990 in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Our records show that 613 project licences were issued in Great Britain in 1990. I understand from the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, which is responsible for administering the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Northern Ireland, that 31 project licences were issued there in 1990.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of scientific procedures on living animals reported in 1990 authorised by project licences in the following severity categories,(a) mild, (b) moderate, (c) substantial and (d) unclassified in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Statistical returns of procedures submitted for the purposes of preparing the annual statistical publications are not classified by severity category. Although an applicant for a project licence is required to assess the overall severity of the proposed project, the project licence may authorise a range of procedures with differing severity limits. The assessments of the severity of individual procedures and the assessment of the overall severity of the project as a whole are prospective. The purpose of this assessment is to allow the likely adverse effects on the animals to be used to be weighed against the benefits likely to accrue from the research, as required by section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the total institutions in the United Kingdom which use non-human primates have so far conformed with the minimum standards of the code of practice on the housing and care of animals used in scientific procedures introduced in February 1989; and within what time frame the remainder will be required to conform;

  (2) how many United Kingdom institutions currently conform to maximum standards outlined in the special considerations of the code of practice relating to cage furniture, opportunities for social interaction, foraging, maximum vertical flight height and training the animals to co-operate for routine procedures.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The special considerations of the Home Office code of practice to which the hon. Member refers relate to non-human primates. Since the Home Office code of practice was published, there has been a marked improvement in the standard of facilities for non-human primates in designated establishments. There has also been 532
  an encouraging increase in awareness within establishments of the desirability of providing environmental enrichment and appropriate upgrading in accordance with programmes agreed with the inspectorate.

  Statistics on the housing of non-human primates are not routinely collected centrally, although the Home Office inspectorate carried out a special survey of large non-human primate holding facilities in 1988. A further review of establishments using these larger primates is planned for next year and one of its aims will be to examine progress made in improving facilities since the 1988 review.

  Juveniles (Detention)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the educational training and recreational facilities made available to those children detained in relation to section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Juveniles sentenced to detention under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 may be held either in the prison system, normally in a young offender institution, or in the child care system as the Secretary of State directs. In young offender institutions those under school leaving age receive a minimum of 15 hours education a week. Educational programmes include academic subjects, life and social skills, leisure activities and work skills. Older juveniles are expected to participate in these educational programmes although they are not compulsory: alternative constructive activities are provided for those who decline education.

  Arrangements are also made for participation in physical education for at least one hour each weekday on average, with the opportunity to attend additional physical education, sports and recreational activities in the evening and at the weekend.

  Detainees held in the child care system also receive a full programme of education and in some exceptional circumstances approval might be given for attendance at a local school. Many child care establishments have good recreational facilities. In addition, approval may be given for suitable offenders to participate in educational and recreational activities within the community under appropriate supervision.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what stage of detention of a child detained under the terms of section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, he or she is eligible for home visits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Any juvenile offender detained under this power in a young offender institution may be allowed a home visit as part of preparation for release when a date has been approved for him or her to be released on licence. Home visits may also be allowed before release on licence has been approved, under the home leave scheme, at a time depending upon the security classification of the establishment in which the juvenile offender is detained. For example, in open young offender institutions juvenile offenders serving determinate sentences may take their first home leave when they have reached the one third point of their sentences, and juvenile offenders detained for life are eligible for home leave when they have completed nine months in open conditions. On the other hand, in the most secure young offender institutions, juvenile offenders are
  533
  not allowed home leave until nine months before they are due to be released. In addition, home visits may be allowed on compassionate grounds at any stage of detention if this is warranted by the circumstances.

  Juvenile offenders detained in community homes and youth treatment centres do not become eligible for home visits at any fixed point in their sentences. Such visits are normally allowed as part of each detainee's treatment programme and preparation for release and the time at which this should commence is considered on its merits in each case.

  Illegal Parking
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the costs of towing away illegally parked vehicles in greater London; and what was the total amount of moneys received in redemption charges since the task was put out to contract.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the removal of illegally parked vehicles was put out to contract initially in three areas of the Metropolitan police district in February 1988. There are now 11 areas covering 11 boroughs or parts of those boroughs. The total cost of the contracted-out services up to the end of 1990–91 was £24·5 million. The redemption charges received in the same period amounted to £19·5 million.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list(a) the names, periods of office and remuneration of the chairman and members of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (b) the number of officials employed by the board and (c) the number and proportion of these officials who are located in Scotland.

  Mr. John Patten
  The names and dates of appointment of the chairman and members of the board are as follows:

  Date of appointment

  Chairman

  Lord Carlisle of Bucklow PC QC

  1 December 1988

  Members

  Mr. James Law QC

  29 September 1970

  Mr. Charles Whitby QC

  20 September 1975

  Mr. Barry Chedlow QC

  13 January 1976

  Mr. David Calcutt QC

  5 September 1977

  Miss Beryl Cooper QC

  12 September 1978

  Miss Shirley Ritchie QC

  23 June 1980

  Sir John Palmer JP

  6 March 1981

  Mr. Stuart Shields QC

  13 March 1981

  Mr. Hugh Carlisle QC

  22 December 1982

  Mr. Colin Fawcett QC

  12 April 1983

  Mr. Michael Park CBE1

  8 July 1983

  Mr. Martin Thomas OBE QC

  9 July 1985

  Mr. John Crowley QC

  3 July 1985

  Sir Arthur Hoole

  30 July 1985

  Mr. Donald Robertson QC1

  1 April 1986

  Mr. Michael Lewer QC

  30 September 1986

  Mr. Peter Weitzman QC

  8 November 1986

  Mr. Conrad Seagroatt QC

  15 November 1986

  Mr. John Archer QC

  2 January 1987

  Mr. Owen Thomas QC

  18 March 1987

  Mr. Leighton Williams QC

  26 March 1987

  Mr. Graeme Hamilton QC

  15 April 1987

  Mr. William Gage QC

  22 December 1987

  Mr. Barry Green QC

  24 December 1987

  Mrs. Janet Smith QC

  29 December 1987

  Mr. Thomas Dawson QC1

  31 January 1988

  534

  Sir Derek Bradbeer OBE

  18 April 1988

  Mr. Crawford Lindsay QC

  19 April 1988

  Mr. Robert Smith QC

  7 November 1988

  Lord Macaulay of Bragar QC1

  12 January 1989

  Miss Diana Cotton QC

  26 January 1989

  Mr. Donald Mackay QC1

  6 February 1989

  Mr. Evan Stone QC

  13 July 1989

  Mr. Daniel Brennan QC

  21 September 1989

  Mr. Timothy Preston QC

  25 September 1989

  Mr. John Cherry QC

  21 October 1989

  Mr. Kevin Drummond QC1

  25 April 1990

  Mr. Edward Gee

  26 July 1990

  Mr. David Barker QC

  29 September 1990

  His Honour James Kingham

  24 December 1990

  His Honour Lewis McCreery

  31 December 1990

  His Honour David West-Russell

  2 January 1991

  His Honour Thomas O Kellock QC

  31 July 1991

  1 Scottish Member

  The readily available information on remuneration, contained in the board's annual report for the year ended 31 March 1990 (Cm. 1365), is as follows.

  The emoluments of Lord Carlisle QC were £50,342 and of the highest paid board member £66,488.

  Other members' emoluments, excluding VAT, were within the following ranges:

  1989–90

  1988–89

  £

  £

  Number

  Number

  Not exceeding 5,000

  4

  3

  5,001–10,000

  2

  1

  10,001–15,000

  1

  —

  15,001–20,000

  4

  —

  20,001–25,000

  5

  3

  25,001–30,000

  4

  6

  30,001–35,000

  5

  4

  35,001–40,000

  4

  7

  40,001–45,000

  3

  3

  45,001–50,000

  5

  4

  50,001–55,000

  2

  2

  over 55,000

  1

  —

  40

  33

  At the end of October 1991 the board had 386 staff; 274–70·7 per cent.—in Glasgow and 113 in London.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list(a) the number of applications for compensation submitted to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board from (i) England and Wales and (ii) Scotland in each of the past five years, (b) the average amount of time taken by the board to deal with an application, (c) the total amount of compensation paid in each of the past five years and (d) the average sum paid to victims of rape and sexual assault; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The number of applications received by the board from England and Wales, and Scotland, in the past five years, with the compensation paid, are given in the table.

  Number of applications

  England and Wales

  Scotland

  Total

  Compensation paid (£)

  1986–87

  35,957

  6,344

  42,301

  48,241,764

  1987–88

  35,940

  7,114

  43,054

  52,042,581

  1988–89

  36,285

  7,100

  43,385

  69,381,286

  1989–90

  45,700

  7,955

  53,655

  72,721,563

  1990–911

  43,432

  7,388

  50,820

  109,330,303

  1 Provisional figures.

  535
  The board does not produce statistics on the average time for processing applications, but percentages of cases completed within certain periods of registration are shown in the board's annual reports, copies of which are in the Library.

  The board does not keep a central record of the amount of compensation awarded in cases of rape and sexual assault.

  Bail
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to introduce a new offence of committing a crime while on bail; and if he will make a statement on Northumbria police's recent report on the subject.

  Mr. John Patten
  Home Office researchers have been reviewing recent studies by Northumbria police, and others, of offending on bail. In the light of the results of the review, we shall consider urgently what further action could reduce offending on bail.

  Independent Television Levy
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has completed his review of the ITV levy rates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  On 1 January 1990 a mixed levy on profits and advertising revenue was introduced, with the intention of recovering in the 1990–92 ITV contract extension period broadly the same yield as would have arisen under the 66·7 per cent. levy on domestic profits which operated until 1986, other things being equal.

  Although advertising revenue is likely to rise in real terms in 1992, to date it has been considerably lower than was expected when the new rates were set. This means that over the three years the levy is likely to raise more than we intended. I therefore propose to adjust the levy rates for the final year of the levy's existence in its current form. The free slice on net advertising revenue—NAR—will be raised from £15 million to £25 million and the rate of NAR levy reduced from 10 to 2·5 per cent. The levy on profits will remain unchanged.

  These changes will take effect once the necessary regulations have been approved by both Houses of Parliament.

  Psychiatric Patients (Homicide)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many psychiatric patients discharged from Home Office institutions have committed homicide in each of the last five years.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Number of defendants prosecuted and convicted for the offences of begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by Police Force Area 1989

  England and Wales

  Begging

  Sleeping Out

  Police Force Area

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Avon and Somerset

  15

  14

  —

  —

  Bedfordshire

  2

  1

  1

  —

  Cambridgeshire

  10

  9

  —

  —

  Cumbria

  3

  3

  —

  —

  Burglary
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he will give to funding crime prevention measures, including improved street lighting, to help reverse the increased level of burglary in Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Grants for specific crime prevention projects are made under the Home Office safer cities programme and the Department of the Environment's estate action and urban programme schemes. These are targeted largely at inner city areas where crime rates are generally higher than elsewhere. Staffordshire police are taking action to tackle the incidence of burglary in Stoke-on-Trent. Measures such as the development of neighbourhood watch schemes and encouraging householders to take steps, often at little or no cost, to secure their property can be simple but effective. Recent research for the Home Office has shown, however, that while good street lighting can help to reduce the fear of crime, it has little effect on crime itself.

  Fire Services (Chiswick)
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ensure that there is no reduction in the provison of fire services covering the Chiswick area as a result of reorganisation of the London fire service.

  Mr. John Patten
  It is for the London fire and civil defence authority to consider the deployment of its resources in the light of the recent review of fire cover in the capital. Should the authority subsequently propose to close any fire stations, or to reduce the number of operational firefighters or appliances, my right hon. Friend's approval would be required under section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947. My right hon. Friend would not grant this unless we were satisfied that the authority would maintain the nationally recommended minimum standards of fire cover.

  Begging and Sleeping Rough
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were(a) prosecuted for begging, (b) convicted of begging, (c) prosecuted for sleeping rough and (d) convicted of sleeping rough in each police district in England and Wales in the year ending 31 December 1990.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information is not yet available for 1990. The table shows the number of prosecutions and convictions for begging and sleeping out offences by police force area in 1989.
  537

  Begging

  Sleeping Out

  Police Force Area

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Devon and Cornwall

  20

  19

  —

  —

  Dorset

  3

  2

  —

  —

  Essex

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Greater Manchester

  2

  1

  3

  1

  Hampshire

  5

  3

  2

  —

  Hertfordshire

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Humberside

  1

  1

  2

  2

  Kent

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Lancashire

  7

  3

  1

  1

  London, City of

  5

  5

  —

  —

  Merseyside

  7

  6

  1

  —

  Metropolitan Police District (MPD)

  1,251

  1,188

  12

  10

  North Yorkshire

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Staffordshire

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Surrey

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Sussex

  19

  17

  —

  —

  Thames Valley

  40

  37

  1

  1

  West Midlands

  2

  1

  —

  —

  Wiltshire

  3

  3

  —

  —

  South Wales

  2

  1

  —

  —

  England and Wales

  1,402

  1,319

  24

  16

  No prosecutions were recorded in the Police Force Areas of Cheshire, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Durham, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumbria, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire, West Mercia, West Yorkshire, Dyfed Powys, Gwent and North Wales.

  Vagrancy Act 1824
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received and from whom in respect of the Vagrancy Act 1824 and its operation.

  Mr. John Patten
  In the past 12 months we have received 11 representations from right hon. and hon. Members and 16 from members of the public about the Vagrancy Act 1824. We have also responded to 12 parliamentary questions and noted one early-day motion on the subject. These figures include representations from those who support the present legislation or want to see more powers as well as those who oppose it.

  United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service about the increases in resources for its work.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Discussions have been continuing between the Home Office and representatives of UKIAS on the resources needed to enable the organisation to respond to an increased workload. An initial payment of £200,000 has been made to UKIAS to enhance the refugee unit and further amounts will be made available for this purpose as they become necessary.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to the taxpayer of legal aid provided through the legal aid service and through the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service to asylum seekers for the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that legal aid for all immigration cases was £2·65 million for 1990–91. No 538
  separate figure is available for asylum-related costs. For the year ending March 1991, the Home Office provided UKIAS with £72,690, as part of the annual grant in aid, towards the cost of its refugee unit.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were(a) recorded and (b) reported but unrecorded relating to (i) vandalism, (ii) theft from vehicles, (iii) burglary, (iv) wounding, (v) theft of vehicles, (vi) theft from persons, (vii) robbery and (viii) theft from homes, in each poke authority area in Wales for every year between 1979 to 1990.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information available to the Home Office is for recorded crimes—notifiable offences—only and tables are published for police force areas for Wales in table 32 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" for the year 1979: for 1980 to 1989 in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales Supplementary Volume 3", table 3.1. Copies of these publications are in the Library, as are tables for 1990. Information about crime reported to the police but not recorded by them is not collected centrally. There is no specific offence of vandalism, but criminal damage is usually regarded as covering this type of offence.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of total crimes was accounted for by(a) burglary, (b) robbery, (c) criminal damage, (d) fraud and forgery, (e) sexual offences, (f) violence against the person, (g) theft and (h) other offences, in each police authority area in Wales for every year between 1979 to 1990.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information for the years 1988–90 is contained in the table. Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
  539

  Percentage of notifiable offences recorded in Wales by police force area

  Number of offences

  Burglary

  Robbery

  Criminal damage

  Fraud and forgery

  Sexual offences

  Violence against the person

  Theft

  Other offences

  1990

  Dyfed Powys

  16·5

  0·1

  17·9

  6·4

  1·5

  8·8

  47·9

  1·0

  Gwent

  16·5

  0·3

  17·1

  3·7

  1·0

  7·0

  53·7

  0·7

  North Wales

  22·0

  0·2

  18·7

  3·1

  0·8

  6·2

  48·3

  0·7

  South Wales

  20·2

  0·2

  20·4

  2·2

  0·4

  3·2

  52·9

  0·5

  1989

  Dyfed Powys

  15·4

  0·1

  19·6

  6·4

  1·5

  8·2

  47·7

  1·1

  Gwent

  15·2

  0·2

  17·6

  4·2

  1·3

  7·8

  53·1

  0·6

  North Wales

  21·3

  0·2

  17·8

  5·2

  1·5

  6·5

  46·8

  0·7

  South Wales

  21·2

  0·2

  19·1

  2·3

  0·4

  3·8

  52·4

  0·5

  1988

  Dyfed Powys

  16·3

  0·1

  19·2

  8·0

  1·6

  6·3

  47·5

  1·1

  Gwent

  17·1

  0·2

  16·1

  4·3

  1·2

  7·3

  53·1

  0·7

  North Wales

  25·0

  0·2

  15·0

  5·3

  0·9

  6·2

  46·9

  0·5

  South Wales

  21·5

  0·2

  16·0

  2·3

  0·4

  3·3

  55·9

  0·4

  Immigration (Carriers' Liability)
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct the immigration service not to impose the £2,000 penalty on carriers in circumstances of passengers' non-possession of valid United Kingdom entry documents, in the case of transit passengers required to be permitted to proceed to an onward destination, pursuant to the current instructions under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Charges are not imposed under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 in respect of passengers who fulfil the published criteria of the visa waiver for transit purposes.

  Bus Lanes
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the number of prosecutions of motorists for illegal driving in bus lanes during restricted hours in Greater London in each of the last three years.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is not separately identified in the motoring offences statistics collected centrally. However, I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 16,525 fixed penalties notices were issued by the Metropolitan police during 1990 for the offence of contravening a bus lane, a category which excludes parking offences.

  Football Offences Act
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a breakdown of the dates and venues of the matches from which arose each of the offences under sections 2 to 4 of the Football Offences Act outlined in his answer to the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde of 17 October 1991,Official Report, column 188.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: The information requested is as follows.

  Date

  Match

  Number of arrests

  Section 2 (throwing of missiles)

  17 August

  Scarborough v. Mansfield Town

  3

  Rotherham United v. Burnley

  1

  23 August

  Wigan Athletic v. Chester City

  3

  540

  Date

  Match

  Number of arrests

  24 August

  Newcastle United v. Watford

  1

  5 October

  York City v. Scarborough

  1

  Arsenal v. Chelsea

  1

  Section 3 (indecent or racialist chanting)

  17 August

  Arsenal v. QPR

  2

  24 August

  Tottenham Hotspur v. Chelsea

  4

  Wimbledon v. West Ham United

  1

  28 August

  Chelsea v. Notts County

  1

  31 August

  Chelsea v. Luton Town

  1

  Arsenal v. Manchester City

  6

  4 September

  Newcastle United v. Watford

  1

  7 September

  Arsenal v. Coventry City

  4

  Hartlepool United v. Leyton Orient

  1

  14 September

  Newcastle United v. Watford

  1

  21 September

  Newcastle United v. Millwall

  1

  Section 4 (going on to the playing area)

  17 August

  Doncaster Rovers v. Carlisle United

  1

  AFC Bournmouth v. Darlington

  2

  Brighton v. Tranmere

  1

  Barnsley v. Sunderland

  3

  21 August

  Derby County v. Middlesbrough

  1

  31 August

  West Ham United v. Notts County

  1

  4 September

  Millwall v. Brighton

  1

  Newcastle United v. Plymouth Argyle

  1

  7 September

  Notts County v. Liverpool

  2

  Derby County v. Barnsley

  1

  Burnley v. Crewe Alexandra

  2

  Rotherham United v. Hereford United

  7

  14 September

  Stoke City v. Fulham

  1

  Bury v. Huddersfield Town

  1

  17 September

  Swindon Town v. Leicester

  3

  Stoke City v. Hartlepool United

  1

  21 September

  Everton v. Coventry City

  1

  Hartlepool United v. Birmingham City

  1

  Rotherham United v. Maidstone United

  1

  28 September

  Middlesbrough v. Sunderland

  2

  Newcastle United v. Derby County

  2

  Stoke City v. Stockport County

  2

  Barnet v. Cardiff City

  2

  Royal Parks
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been given to the security implications of the contracting out of the management of the royal parks for those public buildings and royal palaces under the protection of the Metropolitan police.
  541
  Mr. Heseltine
  I have been asked to reply.

  The security implications for the royal palaces, public buildings and MoD property of contracting out the garden and landscape maintenance work in the royal parks are considered in the same way as they are whenever a contractor's staff undertakes work in such buildings or their gardens.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Accommodation Strategy
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if any conclusions have yet been reached following his Department's review of its accommodation strategy.

  Mr. Leigh
  The review is not yet completed.

  Taiwan
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of British export sales to Taiwan in each of the past 10 years and the equivalent figures for France and Germany.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information is available from an OECD publication called "Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade" held in the House of Commons Library.

  Enterprise Initiative
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evaluation there has been so far of the usefulness of his Department's enterprise initiative to(a) consultancy companies and (b) entrepreneurs in receipt of assisted consultancy advice; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  Since it was introduced in January 1988 the enterprise initiative consultancy scheme has made a major contribution towards overcoming the reluctance of small and medium-sized firms to use outside expertise to improve their competitiveness: more than 90,000 firms have sought assistance under the scheme, the majority of which have never before used consultants.

  The need for monitoring and evaluation has been built into the enterprise initiative consultancy scheme from its inception. On going in-house monitoring is supplemented by independent evaluation. This is centered on interview surveys with two samples of assisted firms, carried out by independent consultants, Segal Quince Wicksteed Ltd. The two panels of firms are interviewed shortly after project completion and then again one to two years later. Reports of the first three stages of the four-stage survey programme have been completed and published as follows:

  (a) Evaluation of the Consultancy Initiatives by Segal Quince Wicksteed, published in 1989 by HMSO, ISBN 0 11 514677 6.

  (b) Second Stage, published by HMSO in 1991, ISBN 0 11 515269 5.

  (c) Third Stage, published by HMSO in 1991, ISBN 011 515270 9.

  The results of the fourth stage will be published in the new year.

  Evaluation has demonstrated the benefit to firms of an assisted consultancy project. It has found that 70 per cent. of assisted firms began to reap clear commercial benefits
  542
  within a year of their assisted consultancy project and expected to recover their full project costs within three years. Firms had experienced improvements in the relationship between operating costs and turnover; and had experienced wider benefits in terms of improvements to management capability and an increased confidence in running the business.

  One of the major aims of the enterprise initiative consultancy scheme is to encourage the use of consultants among small and medium-sized firms. Evaluation has found that 51 per cent. of assisted firms were more likely to use full-price consultancy in future. The benefits to consultancy companies of the scheme are the opportunity to work on projects encouraged and supported by the scheme; and, in the longer term, the general opening up of the small and medium-sized firm market to consultancy.

  Indonesia
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now make it his policy to provide information on export credits made available to Indonesia.

  Mr. Lilley
  The full range of Export Credits Guarantee Department facilities is available to support short and medium-term transactions with Indonesia subject to the ECGD's normal underwriting judgment being satisfied.

  Efficiency Reviews
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to ask the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to undertake an efficiency review of a publicly owned body under section 11 of the Competition Act 1980.

  Mr. Redwood
  As part of its regular programme of efficiency studies of publicly owned bodies, the commission has been asked to look into the service provided by the Commonwealth Development Corporation. The formal reference was made today. It asks the MMC to look at whether, in carrying out its functions under the relevant legislation, the CDC could improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve the quality of service provided.

  The commission will report in five months.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State For Trade and Industry what information he has on the level at which British arms manufacturers are currently supplying equipment to the warring factions in Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: None. The Twelve members of the European Community agreed an embargo on the supply of arms to Yugoslavia on 5 July 1991. Her Majesty's Government fully supported this initiative and the DTI, in anticipation, revoked all export licences for weapons and military equipment to Yugoslavia on 3 July 1991. These measures were reinforced by the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 713 on 25 September which placed a general and complete embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Yugoslavia.

  Iraq Arms Embargo
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list any chemicals with potential military uses which were exported to Iraq in contravention of the arms embargo.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: There is no evidence that any chemicals under statutory control have been exported to Iraq in contravention of the statement concerning the supply of lethal defence equipment made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 29 October 1985.

  Development Areas
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations are required by the European Commission prior to the United Kingdom Government exercising its right to create new development areas within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: The European Commission's approval is required for assisted area designations made under section 1 of the Industrial Development Act 1982. Consultations would take place as and when changes were proposed, and from time to time under the Commission's own rolling programme to check member states' support programmes.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now consider conferring development area status on travel-to-work areas within the Borders region in south-east Scotland.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: No. The Government have repeatedly made it clear that they will not make piecemeal changes to, nor conduct a full review of, the assisted areas map during the present Parliament.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the powers the Government have under the Assisted Areas Order 1984 to designate new areas under the regional development provisions.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: The power to designate development or intermediate area status to areas is contained in section 1(1) and (3) of the Industrial Development Act 1982. The Assisted Areas Order 1984 was made in exercise of these powers.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now review the criteria by which development area status is conferred on new areas within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: In designating assisted areas, the Secretary of State is required under the terms of section 1(3) of the Industrial Development Act 1982 to
  "—have regard to all the circumstances actual and expected, including the state of employment and unemployment, population changes, migration and the objectives of regional policies".

  The particular parameters to be used in constructing the map will be determined when a review is done.

ENVIRONMENT

  Royal Parks
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were made before the decision to contract out the royal parks was taken.

  Mr. Heseltine
  It is the Government's policy to buy in services after competitive tender and I see no need for consultation on each occasion that we do so. We are consulting very widely on the future role and use of the royal parks.

  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on what basis the decision to close the royal parks apprentice training centre was taken; and how much money will be saved by the closure;

  (2) what will be the future arrangements for apprentice training and who will fix the pay for apprentices, following contracting out of the management of the royal parks; and what arrangements will be made for apprentices to gain experience in a range of parks following contracting out.

  Mr. Heseltine
  When the gardening and landscape maintenance work is contracted out next March the royal parks will no longer employ any horticultural apprentices and there will be no need for the training centre at Eltham. The Department will, however, require companies awarded contracts in the parks to take part in a new royal parks apprenticeship scheme. The academic part of the training will be provided at Southwark college. Successful tenderers will offer employment to existing apprentices and make arrangements for them to complete their training. They will also be required to take on new apprentices each year to continue training at its present level. Where necessary, arrangements will be made for apprentices to move between parks to get a wide range of experience. It will be for the firms concerned to fix the pay for apprentices, but all firms tendering for contracts are being asked to supply information about their proposed rates of pay and that will be taken into account in awarding contracts.

  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which outside consultants have been involved in the drawing up of specifications for the management of each of the royal parks.

  Mr. Heseltine
  No specifications are being drawn up for the management of the royal parks, which will remain the responsibility of my Department. The firm of Gillespies has been involved in drawing up the specifications for the day-to-day garden and landscape maintenance work in the royal parks.

  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what savings he expects to achieve from the contracting out of the management of the royal parks; and what are the redundancy costs involved.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The contracting-out of the garden and landscape maintenance work in the royal parks is about maintaining and raising standards and spreading those standards to other parts of the country, while ensuring better value for money. The costs of the redundancies and early retirement have been estimated at around £3 million. This is an acceptable, one-off cost to bear for the benefits of moving this work into the private sector.
  545
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what concern with standards of horticulture has led to the appointment of an advisory committee on standards in the royal parks.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I am determined to ensure that the standards of horticulture in the royal parks are high. Robin Herbert, president of the Royal Horticultural Society, and his panel will provide a source of independent advice to this process.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the running of the royal parks.

  Mr. Yeo
  We are determined that in future the existing high standards of quality in the royal parks should be maintained and where possible improved. We have recently undertaken two initiatives aimed at achieving this. A review group, under the chairmanship of Dame Jennifer Jenkins, has been set up to look at the role and the use of the parks. The group is concentrating in the first place on Hyde park and Kensington gardens and will be bringing forward proposals for improving their overall quality. The review group's report is due early next year. In addition, tenders are being invited to carry out the garden and landscape maintenance work in the royal parks from March 1992. Management of the royal parks will remain the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The contracts will be let by the Department to specifications which lay down high standards and will be closely monitored by the park managers.

  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received in favour and against the contracting out of the management of the royal parks.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I have received a number of representations both for and against the exercise.

  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what horticultural qualifications and experience will be required for the managers of the royal parks when their management is contracted out.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The management of the royal parks is not being contracted out. The parks will continue to be managed by suitably qualified and experienced people employed by the Department.

  Bathing Waters
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those EC countries which have designated inland bathing waters under EC directive 76/160.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the EC Commission report "Quality of Bathing Water 1989–1990", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Red Data Book Birds
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the red data book birds in the United Kingdom, with details of their current populations.

  Mr. Baldry
  I will write to the hon. Member.
  546
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to preserve, protect and provide habitat for, British red data book birds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 some 8 per cent. of Britain's wildlife habitat is protected as sites of special scientific interest—some 5,600 sites. Many of these are important nesting, roosting and feeding sites for species listed in the red data books. The Countryside Commission's countryside stewardship initiative and the programme of environmentally sensitive areas implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, also encourage the conservation of features of our countryside that are important to wildlife, including these birds. I have asked for further advice specific to the needs of these species. I will write to the hon. Member when this is available.

  Red Kite
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has taken place in 1991 towards re-establishing the red kite as a breeding species in England and Scotland.

  Mr. Baldry
  A reintroduction programme now co-ordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the RSPB began in 1989. It has continued in 1991 with the release of further young birds in suitable areas of England and Scotland. These are intended to form the basis of successful breeding population in future years. To date, 78 red kites have been released, of which 62 are known to have survived.

  Sleeping Rough
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give his Department's estimates of the number of people sleeping rough for each of the months October 1990 to October 1991, inclusive, and provide a breakdown of the figures for each local authority area.

  Mr. Yeo
  The most reliable information available to my Department is contained in "1991 Census: Supplementary Monitor on People Sleeping Rough" published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on 9 July 1991; a copy was placed in the Library.

  Water Abstraction
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the statutory instruments relevant to the abstraction of water.

  Mr. Baldry
  The annual "Index to Government Orders" gives details of all the public general statutory instruments which are in force including those relevant to water abstraction. The annual volumes of statutory instruments contain, at the end of the last volume for each year, a classified list of local statutory instruments.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what changes the conditions governing the abstraction of water have been subject since 1 January 1990.

  Mr. Baldry
  The abstraction of water is regulated both by statutory provisions and by the terms of the licence for
  547
  each abstraction granted by the National Rivers Authority or, for the authority itself, by the Department. The only changes in the statutory provisions have been in the temporary drought orders made under section 131 of the Water Act 1989. Changes in licence conditions are specific to each licence.

  River Quality
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the National Rivers Authority's report on river quality in respect of its comparison of river quality in 1985 and 1990.

  Mr. Baldry
  There have been references in the press to a preliminary draft of this report, but I believe any comment should await the report as approved and published by the authority later in the year.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will, in establishing the banding of property values for the purposes of collecting the council tax, introduce a mechanism that will protect the clergy who live in large tied property whilst in receipt of limited stipends.

  Mr. Key
  My Department is presently discussing with representatives of the churches the position of the clergy under the council tax.

  Mortgages
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance has been offered to local authorities who wish to purchase the homes of mortgagees facing repossession as a means to enable the mortgagees to remain in their homes as tenants.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: Long-standing rules have enabled local authorities to acquire property from a defaulting borrower where they are themselves the lender and, if they choose, leave the former owner in place as a tenant. Authorities also acquire property with a view to disposal including disposal of a shared ownership lease. Details of these rules are currently set out in schedule 3 to the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Determination 1990. They may also provide resources to housing associations to enable them to purchase homes to enable the previous owner to remain on shared ownership terms or as a tenant.

  Wind Farms
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance has been issued to farmers wishing to have wind farms on their land if they are in(a) environmentally sensitive areas, (b) national parks, (c) areas of outstanding natural beauty and (d) outwith any designated area; andif he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: Preliminary guidance about renewable energy installations, including wind farms, was given in a written answer by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 28 March at column 543. Officials in my Department, the Department of Energy and the Welsh Office are preparing a draft planning policy guidance note—PPG
  548
  —about renewable energy which we hope to issue for public consultation later this month. The draft PPG will include the Government's proposed planning policies for renewable energy installations in designated and other areas.

  Coca-Cola Development, Northampton
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the critical conditions highlighted by the European Commissioner for Environment concerning the Coca-Cola development in Northampton.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: The European Commission's letter of 17 October alleges infraction of directive 85/337/EEC in respect of a number of development projects including the proposed Coca-Cola factory at Brackmills, Northampton. The Commission alleges that the developer's environmental statement which was considered by the local planning authority in granting planning permission failed to cover various relevant significant environmental effects. My Department has asked the authority for its comments for the purpose of providing a full response to the detailed points raised by the Commission. In the meantime, I understand that the developer has submitted a new planning application and accompanying environmental statement in respect of a revised proposal.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a summary of the ballots on grant-maintained school status, tabulated according to(a) the proportion of eligible parents voting and (b) the proportion of votes cast for and against grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:

  Name of school

  Column A

  Column B

  Column C

  Skegness Grammar School

  80

  95

  5

  St. James' CE School

  89

  99

  1

  Hendon School

  76

  95

  5

  The GS For Girls Wilmington

  83

  94

  6

  Queen Elizabeth's GM Grammar School

  65

  79

  21

  Baverstock Grant-Maintained School

  68

  75

  25

  The Kings School Grantham

  76

  80

  20

  Old Swinford Hospital

  79

  96

  4

  Heckmondwike Grammar School

  84

  97

  3

  Bankfield High School

  83

  97

  3

  Netherthorpe School

  68

  92

  8

  Ribston Hall High School

  61

  73

  27

  Claremont High School

  63

  65

  35

  Southfield School for Girls

  81

  93

  7

  Guildford County School

  68

  67

  33

  Blessed Hugh More RC Secondary School

  81

  100

  0

  Southpark High School

  88

  97

  3

  The Longlands School

  84

  97

  3

  Simon Digby Comprehensive School

  73

  98

  2

  Rickmansworth School

  69

  81

  19

  549

  Name of school

  Column A

  Column B

  Column C

  Foster's Grammar School

  71

  63

  37

  Lord Digby's Grammar School for Girls

  69

  51

  49

  Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School

  92

  95

  5

  Watford Grammar School

  80

  54

  46

  Stratford School

  65

  51

  49

  Francis Bacon School

  81

  95

  5

  Sale Grammar School for Boys

  72

  45

  55

  Wilmington Grammar School for Boys

  88

  99

  1

  Chesterfield School

  79

  35

  65

  Droylsden County High School

  54

  15

  85

  Hadham Hall School

  68

  20

  80

  Weald of Kent Grammar School

  76

  13

  87

  Ruffwood School

  73

  3

  97

  Eckington School

  81

  25

  75

  St. Josephs RC High School

  62

  22

  78

  Watford Girls Grammar School

  66

  36

  64

  Wade Deacon High School

  59

  23

  77

  North Halifax High School

  72

  82

  18

  Crossley Heath School

  68

  80

  20

  Highwood School

  57

  81

  19

  Wymondham College

  80

  89

  11

  Pate's Grammar School

  62

  70

  30

  Audenshaw School

  86

  91

  9

  Wilsons School

  76

  89

  11

  Queensbury School

  84

  97

  3

  London Oratory School

  63

  96

  4

  Queen Elizabeth's GM School for Boys

  68

  61

  39

  Colyton Grammar School

  82

  78

  22

  Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

  69

  56

  44

  Castle Hall Grant-Maintained School

  76

  82

  18

  Small Heath School

  80

  56

  44

  St. Francis Xavier's College

  72

  60

  40

  London Nautical School

  63

  99

  1

  Beechen Cliff School

  69

  55

  45

  Lancaster Royal Grammar School

  68

  58

  42

  Long Field High School

  85

  96

  4

  Sir James Altham School

  52

  59

  41

  Castlemount School

  60

  97

  3

  Ramsden School for Girls

  57

  71

  29

  Kettering Boy's School

  55

  91

  9

  Hindley Park High School

  43

  85

  15

  Southlands School

  43

  83

  17

  Marling School

  70

  71

  29

  Stroud High School

  66

  63

  37

  Bishopshalt School

  66

  77

  23

  Wolverhampton Girls High School

  76

  96

  4

  Adams' Grammar School

  78

  91

  9

  Ravensbourne School for Girls

  59

  27

  73

  Millais School

  79

  9

  91

  Queen Elizabeth's Senior High School

  64

  30

  70

  Chichele School

  58

  39

  61

  Siddal Moor High School

  70

  13

  87

  Gaynes School

  66

  9

  91

  St. Helena School

  74

  48

  52

  St. Gregory's RC High School

  76

  4

  96

  Sir Thomas Rich's School

  73

  7

  93

  Preston Manor High School

  52

  22

  78

  Bridgewater Hall School

  29

  66

  34

  Brindley Hall School

  35

  59

  41

  Handsworth Grammar School

  81

  96

  4

  Carre's Grammar School

  80

  85

  15

  Bournemouth School

  81

  83

  17

  The Mountbatten School

  54

  72

  28

  The Maplesden Noakes School

  66

  85

  15

  Ecclesbourne School

  84

  64

  36

  Armthorpe Comprehensive School

  60

  31

  69

  550

  Name of school

  Column A

  Column B

  Column C

  The Cornwallis School

  54

  81

  19

  St. George's School

  59

  80

  20

  Reading School

  73

  67

  33

  Chalvedon School

  54

  52

  48

  Bullers Wood School for Girls

  70

  74

  26

  Sutton Manor High School

  87

  89

  11

  The Grammar School for Boys Wilmington

  72

  45

  55

  Lancaster Girls Grammar School

  67

  54

  46

  King Edward VI School

  64

  62

  38

  Failsworth School

  66

  15

  85

  Hardley School

  64

  60

  40

  Ailwyn Community School

  65

  17

  83

  Ripon Grammar School

  80

  44

  56

  Woodford County High

  69

  22

  78

  Kingsley Park Middle School

  60

  83

  17

  Blackfield Middle School

  71

  27

  73

  Dearneside Comprehensive School

  62

  22

  78

  Swanscombe High School

  66

  99

  1

  Cliffe Woods Middle School

  53

  60

  40

  Blackpool 6th Form College

  68

  37

  63

  Hoo St. Werburgh Middle School

  49

  19

  81

  Manor High School

  59

  98

  2

  Oldfield School

  66

  56

  44

  Bingley Grammar School

  72

  68

  32

  Edenbridge Middle School

  59

  58

  42

  Kings School

  72

  40

  60

  Westcliff High School for Boys

  71

  69

  31

  Woodroffe School

  62

  67

  33

  St. Bartholomew's School

  52

  65

  35

  St. George's CE School

  64

  89

  11

  Grange School

  70

  41

  59

  Walsingham School

  68

  96

  4

  Sexey's School

  74

  94

  6

  Alexandra High School

  47

  31

  69

  Nonsuch High School For Girls

  76

  71

  29

  St Augustine RC School

  79

  65

  35

  Queen Elizabeth Grammar School

  82

  63

  37

  Beaconsfield High School

  73

  68

  32

  Great Barr School

  62

  52

  48

  Burgate School

  79

  88

  12

  Kingswood School

  57

  79

  21

  Caistor Grammar School

  62

  81

  19

  Thamesview School

  44

  71

  29

  Queensmead School

  60

  91

  9

  Manor High School, Oadby

  65

  27

  73

  Morecambe High School

  66

  24

  76

  Haydon School

  67

  83

  17

  Cliffe Woods Primary School Rochester

  67

  76

  24

  Aylesford School

  56

  89

  11

  Banbury School

  60

  38

  62

  Blackthorn Middle School

  62

  13

  87

  Chestnut Grove School

  58

  7

  93

  Homewood School

  63

  81

  19

  Harwood School

  64

  96

  4

  King Edward VI School

  63

  39

  61

  Parmiters School

  72

  58

  42

  Saffron Walden County High School

  66

  60

  40

  Hayes Manor School

  54

  97

  3

  The Down County Primary School

  3

  95

  5

  Dartford Grammar School

  78

  85

  15

  Kettleshulme CE Cont Primary School

  95

  100

  0

  Kirkbie Kendal School

  62

  60

  40

  Clitheroe Royal Grammar School

  67

  57

  43

  Ellerdine County Primary School

  73

  94

  6

  Watford Girls' Grammar School

  75

  71

  29

  Whickham School

  78

  44

  56

  551

  Name of school

  Column A

  Column B

  Column C

  Moseley Park GM School

  62

  54

  46

  St Theresa's RC Girls School

  39

  32

  68

  Crossgates Primary School

  80

  59

  41

  Drayton Manor High School

  55

  57

  43

  Copland Community School

  85

  99

  1

  Greenway Comprehensive School

  76

  99

  1

  Foster's Boys Grammar School

  84

  78

  22

  Lord Digby's Girls Grammar School

  81

  74

  26

  Ridgeway JMI School

  70

  26

  74

  Newton Bluecoat C of E GM Primary School

  89

  50

  50

  Wold Newton Primary School

  84

  79

  21

  Vyners School

  68

  82

  18

  William Gladstone School

  60

  98

  2

  Bourne Primary School

  70

  91

  9

  Highams Park School

  52

  48

  52

  Southlands Comprehensive School

  63

  87

  13

  St. Helen's Primary School

  71

  87

  13

  Magdalen CE/Methodist Primary School

  83

  98

  2

  Featherstone High School

  75

  24

  76

  St. Mary's R.C. Primary School

  86

  94

  6

  Appledore CE Primary School

  76

  89

  11

  St. Aidan's School

  84

  97

  3

  Villiers High School

  74

  7

  93

  Weaverham High School

  70

  45

  55

  Langley Park Boys School

  67

  74

  26

  Coopers School

  64

  63

  37

  Boothroyd Junior & Infants School

  68

  46

  54

  Collingwood School

  66

  83

  17

  Northolt High School

  57

  76

  24

  Raines Foundation School

  64

  74

  26

  Graveney School

  54

  87

  13

  Moulton Primary School

  58

  42

  58

  Turnham Junior & Infant School

  71

  86

  14

  Mellow Lane School

  44

  93

  7

  Townmead School

  67

  98

  2

  Arley County Primary School

  93

  100

  0

  Sheppey School

  45

  79

  21

  Arnewood School

  62

  79

  21

  Budmouth School

  54

  90

  10

  Burntwood School

  73

  89

  11

  Elmbridge School

  72

  97

  3

  John Henry Newman School

  59

  43

  57

  Kelsey Park School

  57

  86

  14

  Lincoln Christ's Hospital School

  54

  77

  23

  Oakwood Park Grammar School

  81

  96

  4

  The Plume School

  56

  71

  29

  Ravens Wood Boys' School

  77

  91

  9

  Wood End First School

  55

  61

  39

  Wood End Middle School

  51

  65

  35

  Northwood School

  51

  80

  20

  Senacre High School

  54

  77

  23

  Send C of E First School

  80

  96

  4

  Manor County First School Byfleet

  82

  1

  9

  The Crypt School

  61

  87

  13

  St. John the Baptist School

  61

  79

  21

  de Stafford School

  81

  95

  5

  Greenford High School

  65

  75

  25

  Newborough Primary School

  80

  67

  33

  Ellen Wilkinson High School

  68

  88

  12

  King James 1st Comprehensive School

  78

  24

  76

  Dartford Grammar School for Girls

  65

  87

  13

  South Farnborough County Infants

  67

  6

  94

  Desborough Comprehensive School

  62

  67

  33

  Waltham Toll Bar

  80

  28

  72

  552

  Name of school

  Column A

  Column B

  Column C

  Ravensdale Middle School

  61

  57

  43

  Hawkedale 1st School

  94

  96

  4

  Oldborough Manor High

  51

  77

  23

  Yarborough High School

  58

  70

  30

  London Middle School

  61

  75

  25

  Gamlingay Village College (Middle School)

  63

  87

  13

  Riddlesdown High School

  59

  56

  44

  Ash Green School

  52

  71

  29

  Glyn School

  59

  77

  23

  Redgate Middle School

  72

  89

  11

  Silverdale School

  81

  36

  64

  Hatchford Junior and Infant School

  42

  53

  47

  St. Thomas More RC High School

  68

  49

  51

  Snodland CE Primary School

  55

  77

  23

  The Skinner's School

  84

  92

  8

  King John School

  67

  74

  26

  Woolley CE First School

  80

  86

  14

  Booth Lower School

  61

  42

  58

  Hayes School

  65

  57

  43

  Wrotham School

  58

  77

  23

  Simon Langton Boys' Grammar School

  63

  62

  38

  The Park School

  59

  94

  6

  Stoneleigh First School

  64

  70

  30

  The Admiral's Middle School

  60

  66

  34

  High Oakham Middle School

  62

  30

  70

  South Holmwood CE First School

  90

  98

  2

  Brookmead County Combined Middle School

  65

  77

  23

  Christ Church CE JMI School Chorleywood

  84

  92

  8

  Downham Market High School

  54

  58

  42

  Eden School

  73

  98

  2

  Gordon's School

  68

  98

  2

  Norwich Road First and Middle School

  58

  87

  13

  St. Paul's CE Primary School

  76

  17

  83

  St. Peter's Primary School Tunbridge Wells

  81

  3

  97

  Wortley CE Controlled Junior and Infant School

  82

  90

  10

  Sir Wilfrid Martineau School

  51

  31

  69

  Cranbrook School

  66

  86

  14

  Hartshill School

  51

  57

  43

  Belmont Primary School

  77

  52

  48

  North Rauceby School

  82

  88

  12

  Heathside Secondary School

  57

  80

  20

  William Alvey CE Junior School

  64

  86

  14

  Warmbrook Junior School

  75

  38

  62

  Gresham County Primary School

  86

  90

  10

  Barnhill School

  74

  98

  2

  King John School, Benfleet

  52

  83

  17

  Heacham Middle School

  75

  75

  25

  Salterlee Primay School

  89

  84

  16

  The Philip Morant School

  57

  59

  41

  Tudor Grange School

  71

  45

  55

  Windmill Ridge Middle School

  64

  45

  55

  Borrow Wood Junior School

  67

  51

  49

  Boyton Primary School

  75

  73

  27

  Denefield School

  54

  52

  48

  Walford High School

  50

  75

  25

  Brentside High School

  44

  65

  35

  Bishop Stopford School

  62

  22

  78

  Newstead Wood School

  73

  82

  18

  Nower Hill High School

  68

  40

  60

  Silverhill Primary School

  83

  47

  53

  Langley Grammar School, Slough

  59

  81

  19

  Rainham Mark Grammar School

  74

  73

  27

  553

  Name of school

  Column A

  Column B

  Column C

  Elmwood County Primary School

  70

  86

  14

  Bliss Charity Primary School

  76

  58

  42

  Crofton Junior School

  64

  86

  14

  Parkstone Grammar School, Poole

  67

  85

  15

  La Retraite School

  83

  98

  2

  Epsom and Ewell High School

  60

  69

  31

  Ringwood Comprehensive School

  59

  87

  13

  John Fisher School

  68

  77

  23

  Ethelburga JMI School

  78

  96

  4

  Neroche Primary School

  79

  27

  73

  Gartree School

  60

  83

  17

  Hassall Green Methodist Primary School

  83

  91

  9

  Beaverwood School for Girls

  52

  68

  32

  Romanby County Primary School

  93

  23

  77

  Castle Hills School, Gainsborough

  54

  82

  18

  Dereham Church VA First School

  75

  75

  25

  Bowness-on-Solway Primary School

  83

  93

  7

  Myton School

  57

  53

  47

  Queen Elizabeth High School

  65

  28

  72

  Hayton CE Primary School

  97

  76

  24

  Newlands Spring County Primary School

  83

  79

  21

  Northampton School for Boys

  56

  68

  32

  Bridport County Primary School

  72

  10

  90

  Cheam High School

  57

  63

  37

  Lodge Park School

  52

  79

  21

  Fulston Manor School

  60

  85

  15

  Westfield County First School

  53

  26

  74

  Parkside First School

  47

  86

  14

  Underhill Junior School

  73

  43

  57

  Baines School

  61

  82

  18

  Cromer High School

  58

  58

  42

  Robinswood Primary School

  68

  64

  36

  Huntingfield Primary School

  60

  98

  2

  Deighton High School

  54

  88

  12

  Thomas Whitehead VA Lower School

  71

  83

  17

  Blindley Heath CE First School

  88

  98

  2

  Angley School

  70

  87

  13

  Hamilton County Primary School

  68

  44

  56

  The Canterbury High

  51

  86

  14

  Sir Roger Manwood's School

  81

  88

  12

  Trinity School

  74

  86

  14

  The City of Portsmouth Boys' School

  66

  81

  19

  The North Kesteven School

  72

  82

  18

  West Hatch High School

  75

  93

  7

  Atherstone Upper School

  67

  75

  25

  Robert Napier School, Gillingham

  55

  90

  10

  Crofton School, Fareham

  72

  53

  47

  Borough Green CP

  71

  74

  26

  The Robert Pattison School

  71

  86

  14

  The Downs School

  64

  78

  22

  Atherstone Lower School

  56

  77

  23

  Marshland High, West Walton

  68

  68

  32

  Manor JMI School, Walsall

  67

  65

  35

  Torells Comprehensive School, Grays

  50

  72

  28

  Clifford School, Sheffield

  76

  66

  34

  St. George's Middle School, Norfolk

  80

  29

  71

  The Mailing School

  61

  78

  22

  Note: Column A represents the percentage of eligible parents voting.

  Column B represents the percentage of "yes" votes of those
  554
  voting.

  Column C represents the percentage of "no" votes of those voting.

  Science and Engineering Research Council
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the annual report of the Science and Engineering Research Council for 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The annual report of the Science and Engineering Research Council—SERC—for 1990–91 has been submitted to me under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act 1965, and a copy is being placed before the House today.

  The report describes a challenging year for the council when important decisions were taken about future research priorities. The report describes important developments in science and engineering. These include, among many others.
  a. The completion of the MERLIN network of radio-telescopes. In November 1990 I had the pleasure of opening the new 32 metre radio-telescope at Cambridge—the central element of the project. With the linking together of the seven telescopes in the network, the UK now has a facility equivalent to a telescope 230 kilometres in diameter. Observations from the MERLIN system will allow British astronomers to maintain their position in the forefront of their field.b. The exciting discovery by a team at Cambridge of light-emitting polymers. This is an excellent example of collaboration between physicists and chemists in tackling problems in the important field of materials science. Light-emitting polymers have now been produced of a similar efficiency to conventional light-emitting diodes and the development of such materials to cover the whole of the optical spectrum is now in progress.c. The Clean Technology programme. This is a joint venture by the SERC and the AFRC which promotes long-range opportunities for research into prospective new clean technologies. Examples of work in progress include investigation of alternatives to bulk chemicals and the concentration and disposal of dilute waste.d. The identification of a third form of carbon structure in addition to diamond and graphite. These closed cage structures have become known as "fullerenes" after Buckminster Fuller, the architect of the geodesic dome. As well as opening up whole new fields of carbon chemistry and materials science their discovery also promises new insights into the mechanisms of star and planet formation. A group at Sussex university has played a leading role in identifying these structures.e. In the field of engineering, the development of novel image sensing technology. Work at Edinburgh university has made possible for the first time the combination of analogue image sensors and digital processing circuitry on a single silicon chip. This will enable the production of high resolution image sensors at a substantially lower cost, size and power consumption than previously possible. This important development offers the possibility of new products such as "micro" video cameras, with potential further applications in computer optics, videophones and robotics.
  I congratulate the Science and Engineering Research Council on these and other achievements during the year. I expect the council to continue the task of reviewing its forward programme to match changing scientific priorities.

  Student Grants
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what amount student grants will be reduced, pursuant upon the introduction of the council
  555
  tax, based on today's rate of payments made to compensate for the 20 per cent. community charge payments, assuming no increase in the cost of living.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Students' total resources from grant and loans will continue to be reviewed annually in the light of broad overall cost changes, including those in local taxation, affecting students. We have recently announced an increase in the average student support of 4½ per cent. for the academic year 1992–93, thereby at least maintaining its value in real terms. It remains our policy to freeze the basic maintenance grant rates in cash and to apply any increase in resources to the loan facility only.

WALES

  Local Government Structure
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give(a) the consultants appointed by his Department to evaluate responses to the consultation paper on the structure of local government in Wales, (b) the fee agreed in each case, (c) the criteria used in selecting the consultants and (d) state whether consultants were appointed for the process of drawing up the consultation paper.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The consultation paper on the structure of local government was produced by my Department; consultants were not engaged. Responses to the paper are being evaluated by my Department in consultation with the Council of Welsh Districts and the Assembly of Welsh Counties and in due course will be the subject of discussion by the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government. Touche Ross has been appointed following open competition to provide technical advice to enable officials to make an assessment of the financial implications of any reorganisation. The fee agreed is subject to commercial confidentiality.

  Patients Charter
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the cost of printing and distributing the patients charter in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The cost of printing and distributing the patients charter for Wales to every household in Wales is £203,030.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many households in Wales are expected to receive the patients charter in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The patients charter for Wales will be sent to all households in Wales. Approximately 1,192,000 copies will be distributed.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the patients charter in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The patients charter for Wales was launched by my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and myself on 28 October.

  The patients charter for Wales is part of the Government's citizens charter initiative aimed at improving the standards of public services. The patients
  556
  charter aims to raise the standard of the NHS in Wales. It describes the rights of patients and the standards and guarantees which we expect health authorities to achieve.

  It reiterates the Government's belief that there must be no change to the fundamental principles on which the NHS was founded and on which it has continued ever since, namely that services should be available to every citizen on the basis of clinical need, regardless of ability to pay, and that the service should mainly be paid for out of general taxation.

  The patients charter builds on the aim of making the NHS in Wales a people-centred service. It complements the strategic intent and direction of the NHS in Wales and the all-Wales quality strategy.

  The patients charter introduces a number of new measures.

  From 1 April 1992 there will be a waiting times guarantee. Patients will be guaranteed admission for treatment by a specific date no later than two years from the day when they are placed on a waiting list. The great majority of patients will be admitted before their guaranteed date. Exceptionally for some treatments it may be necessary to set a date more than two years away. Health authorities or GPs will be responsible for ensuring that the guaranteed times are met, if necessary by offering treatment in an alternative hospital.

  Charter standards have been set in several key areas of health care. These are waiting times for an emergency ambulance; waiting times in accident and emergency departments; cancellation of operations; named nurses, midwives and health visitors responsible for patients' care; arrangements for discharge from hospital; waiting times for out-patients.

  These standards build on existing good practice. We are asking health authorities to set their own standards in these areas in the first instance, with the aim of meeting all the charter standards as soon as possible.

  Local charters will be drawn up jointly by district health authorities and family health services authorities to tell people about the services available in their locality. Health authorities will publish waiting times for out-patient, day care and in-patient treatment by hospital, speciality and individual consultant.

  Health authorities will publish standards of service agreed with hospitals and others who provide care. Health authorities will publish an annual report of achievement against local standards, and what action has been taken where necessary to improve performance. The Welsh Office will monitor authorities' performance against these standards.

  Hospitals and other organisations which provide health care services will display a patients charter which will explain the main aspects of the service and the standards patients should receive. Details of an information service will be made available shortly.

  The Department will be monitoring the performance of all those concerned with health care in these areas.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of the patients charter in Wales have been printed; and if he will give the name and address of the printer.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  A total of 1,253,000 copies of the patients charter for Wales are being printed. An initial quantity of 3,000 copies was produced by Colibri Press Ltd. of Amhurst terrace, Hackney, London. The
  557
  production of the remainder was undertaken by Flair Printers of South Portway close, Round Spinney, Northampton. Contracts for printing and distribution were arranged for the Department by the Central Office of Information, in accordance with print procurement procedures.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales to whom the patients charter in Wales has been distributed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The patients charter for Wales has been distributed to health authorities, health professional groups, consumer groups, Members of Parliament and individual members of the public who have requested a copy. The charter will shortly be distributed to all households in Wales. Copies of the charter will also be made available from hospitals, surgeries and other information points.

  The charter describes the rights, standards and guarantees which patients can expect from the NHS in Wales. It is important that every household is informed about these matters.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the cost of the public launch of the patients charter in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The cost of the launch of the patients charter for Wales was £1,352.

  HMI Wales
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when Her Majesty's inspectorate Wales' last annual report was published; and what is the expected publication date of the next annual report.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The last annual report of Her Majesty's inspectorate Wales was published in March 1991. It is anticipated that the next annual report will be published in January 1992.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future of Her Majesty's inspectorate Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Education (Schools) Bill introduced on 6 November will establish an independent office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in Wales to oversee arrangements for a new system of regular school inspections and to advise my right hon. Friend about the quality of education provided by schools and the educational standards achieved. Other aspects of the role of Her Majesty's inspectorate in Wales are being considered in the light of the review which has been undertaken and my right hon. Friend will make his proposals known as soon as possible.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current size of Her Majesty's inspectorate Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Fifty-nine.

  St. Michael's Church, Manafon
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the response of Cadw to the request for grant aid towards the maintenance and repair of the historic church of St. Michael, Manafon.
  558
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend makes grants towards the costs of repairing churches and other buildings judged by the Historic Buildings Council for Wales—our independent adviser—to be of outstanding architectural or historic interest.

  The council's assessment of St. Michael's church, Manafon, after considering further information provided by the church authorities, is that the building is not outstanding and, therefore, regrettably does not qualify for grant aid under the terms of the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953.

  Wind Farms
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards proposals for the construction of wind farms in rural Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Government wish to exploit the development of renewable energy resources wherever they are environmentally and economically acceptable. The policy of encouraging renewables is being carried forward in two principal ways: first, through a Government-funded research, development and demonstration programme; and, secondly, by removing institutional barriers to the renewables, for example by introducing the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation Renewables Order. We intend to issue a draft planning policy guidance note on renewable energy, including wind farms, for public consultation later this month.

  Lamb Sales
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the gross value of fat lamb sales by farmers at live markets and direct to abattoirs, respectively, in Wales in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The estimated gross values of fat lambs sold in Wales at live markets and direct to abattoirs in each year since 1979 are shown in the table:

  Sales at live sales

  Sales to abattoirs

  (£,000)

  (£,000)

  1979

  62,705

  13,951

  1980

  73,595

  16,375

  1981

  96,890

  21,557

  1982

  102,575

  22,822

  1983

  105,725

  27,766

  1984

  125,286

  37,423

  1985

  129,143

  41,455

  1986

  137,294

  43,833

  1987

  145,793

  48,597

  1988

  157,608

  47,344

  1989

  159,630

  47,951

  11990

  163,744

  49,187

  1 Forecast.

  Development Board for Rural Wales
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the gross budget of the Development Board for Rural Wales in each year from 1975; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The table shows the DBRW's gross expenditure for each year since its inception in 1977.
  559

  DBRW gross expenditure3

  Year

  £ million

  1977–78

  6·5

  1978–79

  9·7

  1979–80

  12·2

  1980–81

  10·3

  1981–82

  12·6

  1982–83

  14·4

  1983–84

  14·2

  1984–85

  16·4

  1985–86

  17·9

  1986–87

  415·4

  1987–88

  15·3

  1988·89

  18·3

  1989–90

  19·5

  1990–91

  19·6

  1991–92

  120·9

  1992–93

  223·6

  1 Estimated.

  2 Planned.

  3 Including National Loans Fund servicing.

  4 Loan servicing requirements reduced by Welsh Office.

  The increase of £2·2 million planned for the DBRW's budget in 1992–93 will enable the board to build on its special rural action programme, introduced to stimulate enterprise in the more remote rural areas of mid-Wales, as well as allowing the board to increase its social development work and take forward several joint initiatives with local authorities.

  The planned gross expenditure for the board in 1992–93 represents an increase of almost 13 per cent. over estimated gross expenditure for 1991–92.

  Welsh Office Expenditure
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate, following the Chancellor's autumn statement on the allocation of Welsh Office expenditure for 1992–93, how much of the block has been allocated to(a) health, (b) education, (c) housing, (d) the environment and (e) tourism; and what were the comparable allocations to these headings for 1991–92.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have already announced that I have secured an extra £80 million per year for mandatory home renovation grants. This means that, within the £5,810 million available for Welsh Office programmes in 1992–93, total provision for these grants will be £143 million—sufficient to bring over 11,500 dwellings up to the required fitness standard.

  I shall be making further announcements about the allocation of resources to the remainder of my block programmes in due course, and full details will be published in next year's departmental report. The original allocations of provision for 1991–92 were set out in this year's report, Cm 1516.

  Agriculture
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to visit the President of the European Commission to discuss the situation of the Welsh farmers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  It is my intention to visit Brussels in the near future for discussions with the Agriculture Commissioner among others.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines he has issued to the chairmen of the Welsh health authorities concerning the logos to be used on NHS ambulances in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  None.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the South Glamorgan health authority concerning the expenditure of £40,000 on so far unused uniforms for the South Glamorgan ambulance service.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  None. This is a matter for the health authority.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated cost to local authorities in Wales of preparing for the administration of the council tax and the level of Welsh Office support for this expenditure.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  A study undertaken by the management consultants CSL Group estimated the cost to local authorities in Wales at £9·2 million. The Government have accepted the report's conclusions and on 5 November my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales announced that revenue costs would be supported by a specific grant of 75 per cent. and capital costs through supplementary credit approvals.

  Livestock Feed
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many tonnes of grain have been fed to Welsh livestock during the last 12 months; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Information is not available separately on grain fed to Welsh livestock. The total cost of the feed bill as a whole over the past 12 months is estimated to be over £198 million.

ENERGY

  Electricity Production
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what studies have been undertaken by his Department into the effect of increasing dependency on gas-fired electricity production; and what are the implications for gas reserves.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My Department is monitoring the development of the new power generation market for gas. Power generation from gas contributes towards fuel diversity in electricity production and carries environmental benefits. The current evidence suggests the United Kingdom has sufficient known reserves of gas and the potential for new discoveries to supply all the demands of the United Kingdom market, including power generation, well into the next century.

  Nuclear Power Stations
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he hopes to announce his decision about the dates of closure or continued operation of the nuclear power stations at(a) Bradwell, Essex, (b) Sizewell A, Suffolk, (c) Dungeness A, Kent, and (d) Hinkley Point, Somerset.
  561
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  This is a matter for the company. The decision will be a commercial one, provided that the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate are satisfied that continued operation of the plant is safe.

  Chapel Cross Power Station
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the proposal to construct a new atomic power station at Chapel Cross.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No such proposal has been made at this stage. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 15 October 1991 at columns 137–38.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his statement of 5 November,Official Report, columns 329–31, which new projects from the first approved tranche of renewable energy contracts have so far proceeded to commencement of construction: and what arrangement he has made to recycle entitlement from projects approved but not proceeded with, to those not approved but still active.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Of the 42 new projects which secured contracts under the 1990 renewables non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO), some 12 have already been commissioned. The other 30 are planned to commission by the end of 1994 at the latest. The Government are committed to make further renewables orders during the 1990s to provide up to 600 MW of capacity, in addition to that forthcoming from the 1990 NFFO. The 1991 Renewables Order which I announced on 5 November made a substantial contribution to this commitment.

  Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in full the assessment by the nuclear installations inspectorate of the safety of the gas outlet welds at Trawsfynydd reactor number one and all similar reactors at Bradwell, Sizewell and Dungeness.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The publication of such reports is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of

  Sector

  Title

  First year of expenditure

  Overseas Development Administration

  Agricultural and water resources

  East Java operation and maintenance

  1980

  Agricultural and water resources

  Madura groundwater

  1980

  Agricultural and water resources

  Kediri Nganjuk irrigation II

  1980

  Agricultural and water resources

  Kediri irrigation IIIa

  1980

  Agricultural and water resources

  Krueng Jerue and Baro irrigation

  1980

  Oil-fired power plants

  Isolated diesel generator

  1980

  Oil-fired power plants

  Bali/Madura power generators

  1980

  Agricultural and water resources

  Kali Progo irrigation

  1980

  Electrical distribution

  Bali electrification I

  1980

  Electrical distribution

  Bali electrification: Nusa Dua

  1980

  Harbours and docks

  Marine navigational aids

  1980

  General Government services

  Computer: statistics bureau

  1980

  Water supply

  Palambang water supply

  1980

  Passenger road transport

  Buses for Jakarta

  1981

  Hydro-electric power/dams

  Mrica hydro-electric project

  1982

  Agricultural and water resources

  Kali Progo irrigation

  1983

  Coal mining

  Ombilin coal mine

  1983

  Electrical distribution

  Java/Madura power programme

  1984

  Telecommunications

  Telecommunications cable

  1984

  Rail infrastructure

  Rail bridges

  1985

  562
  which the nuclear installations inspectorate (NII) is a part. However, I understand that in due course the HSE intends to publish the NII's response to operators' assessments of a number of generic issues relating to Magnox reactors which will include that of the integrity of steel pressure vessel welds. The HSE also intend to publish the NII's response to Nuclear Electric plc's long-term safety reviews (LTSR) of Trawsfynydd, Sizewell A and Dungeness A reactors. The response to the LTSR of Bradwell was published in 1987.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Indonesia
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all aid payments made available to Indonesia between 1975 to 1991 and the projects financed by this aid.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The gross bilateral aid expenditure on technical co-operation, debt relief, disaster relief and project aid was as follows:

  £ thousand

  Total of which Project aid

  1975

  6,777

  4,796

  1976

  4,651

  2,407

  1977

  5,646

  2,691

  1978

  6,541

  2,718

  1979

  13,144

  7,334

  1980

  11,190

  4,963

  1981

  15,350

  9,729

  1982

  17,219

  11,442

  1983

  12,358

  6,260

  1984

  28,292

  22,192

  1985

  33,649

  26,753

  1986

  8,898

  2,482

  1987

  12,223

  4,550

  1988

  17,334

  6,139

  1989

  20,772

  10,883

  1990

  22,714

  9,464

  The "project aid" column covers expenditure on the following Overseas Development Administration and Commonwealth Development Corporation capital aid projects.
  563

  Sector

  Title

  First year of expenditure

  Oil-fired power plants

  Diesel power plants

  1985

  Passenger road transport

  Supply of steel bridges

  1987

  Water transport

  Marine navigation aids

  1987

  Telecommunications

  Colour television station equipment

  1988

  Hydro-electric power/dams

  Scattered diesels

  1989

  Harbours and docks

  Port facilities

  1989

  Rail infrastructure

  Cigading/Serpong railway

  1990

  Radio links and equipment

  Radio studios

  1990

  Commonwealth Development Corporation

  Coffee/cocoa/tea

  Coklat Ransiki cocoa/chocolate

  1980

  Textile fibres

  Tubantia Kudus spinning mills

  1980

  Textile fibres

  Pt Sumatex Subur

  1980

  Cement/lime/plaster

  Pt Semen Andalas; equity

  1980

  Textile fibres

  Pt Kewalrams-spinning plant

  1981

  Crop production

  Tatar Anyar tea and rubber

  1981

  Textile fibres

  Tubantia Kudus spinning mills

  1982

  Textile fibres

  Sumatex Suber textile mill

  1982

  Cement/lime/plaster

  Pt Semen Andalas I

  1982

  Cement/lime/plaster

  Pt Semen Andalas II

  1982

  Crop production

  Pt Tatar Anyar

  1982

  Coffee/cocoa/tea

  Cocoa estates development

  1983

  Agricultural development

  Nucleus estates/smallholders

  1983

  Hydro-electric power/dams

  Java hydro-electric scheme

  1983

  Crops: development-processing

  Crop developing and processing

  1983

  Textile fibres

  PTKI—fund operating deficit

  1984

  Fibre crops

  Cloth and yarn production

  1986

  Rubber

  Rubber plantations

  1986

  Coffee/cocoa/tea

  Cocoa estate development II

  1987

  Textile fibres

  Yarn spinning mill and dye house

  1989

  Oils and fats

  PT Tasik Raja

  1990

  Project level information is not available prior to 1980. Projects listed under 1980 include projects started in the 1970s on which expenditure was still continuing at that date.

  Figures for 1991 are not available.

  Technology Transfer Fund
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what progress has been made so far with the allocation of expenditure to each of the former eastern bloc countries under the technology transfer fund; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is the total expenditure so far allocated on individual projects out of the technology transfer fund set up to assist the development of eastern bloc countries; and in which of the categories within the fund the projects fit;

  (3) if he will give details of the staffing, training and qualifications of the unit set up to administer the technology transfer fund with the former eastern bloc countries.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I assume that by "technology transfer fund" the hon. Gentleman means the know-how fund, Britain's programme of bilateral technical assistance to the countries of central and eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The fund was first established for Poland in 1989 and subsequently, extended to Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, the Baltic states and the Soviet Union. We have made public commitments to spend £50 million in Poland, £25 million in Hungary and £50 million in the Soviet Union, but we have not set financial ceilings for any other country.

  Know-how fund expenditure by country in the last financial year, and commitments made to date for 1991–92 are as follows:
  564

  Spent 1990–91

  Committed 1991–92

  £ million

  £ million

  Poland

  10·9

  12·1

  Hungary

  1·6

  5·9

  Czechoslovakia

  2·0

  4·3

  Ex-GDR

  0·5

  n/a

  Bulgaria

  n/a

  1·3

  Romania

  n/a

  1·3

  Soviet Union

  n/a

  8·8

  The funds have been used to finance some 390 projects, the overwhelming majority of which fall within a small number of priority sectors of key importance to the economic reform programme. These are principally: banking and financial services; management development and training; public administration, and employment and small business support. For the Soviet Union the four designated priority sectors are banking and financial services, small business creation, food distribution and energy. In addition to this, there are two schemes established to encourage British investments in the region (the pre-investment feasibility studies, and training for investment personnel schemes). To date £2·3 million has been allocated under these schemes.

  The joint assistance unit, which was established to administer the know-how fund, is staffed by a total of 32 officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Overseas Development Administration, and the Department of Trade and Industry. Collectively they have a wide range of experience in administrative, aid and trade-related matters. A number of members of the unit have lived and worked in eastern Europe; six of them speak Russian, one Polish, one Czech and one Slovak. The unit has access to a wide range of professional advisers, both in-house, and contracted to it by the Overseas Development Administration. An advisory board has also been established which comprises senior figures from

  565
  industry, the trade unions, finance and journalism, as well as Members of Parliament and academics with a particular interest in eastern Europe.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Bovine Tuberculosis
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of badgers culled each year since 1970 and the proportion culled each year which were found to be infected with bovine tuberculosis.

  Mr. Maclean
  From 1971 to 1982, a total of 6,075 badgers were culled, of which 803–13–22 per cent.—were found to be infected with bovine tuberculosis. Annual figures are not available for those years.

  The annual figures for badgers culled and the percentage of those proven to be infected with bovine tuberculosis since 1983 are as follows:

  Number

  Per cent

  1983

  1,239

  12·43

  1984

  1,337

  16·89

  1985

  1,115

  13·36

  1986

  782

  15·86

  1987

  711

  12·94

  1988

  778

  27·25

  1989

  727

  16·78

  1990

  811

  19·24

  This compares with some 20,000 badgers killed each year in road accidents and a total adult badger population of approximately 250,000.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the estimated percentages of cattle in Great Britain infected with bovine tuberculosis in each year since 1965.

  Mr. Maclean
  The estimated percentage of the cattle population which reacted positively to the intradermal tuberculin test was as follows:

  Year

  per cent.

  1965

  0·029

  1966

  0·027

  1967

  0·025

  1968

  0·018

  1969

  0·020

  1970

  0·016

  1971

  0·014

  1972

  0·004

  1973

  0·011

  1974

  0·011

  1975

  0·011

  1976

  0·008

  1977

  0·005

  1978

  0·005

  1979

  0·005

  1980

  0·007

  1981

  0·007

  1982

  0·004

  1983

  0·005

  1984

  0·005

  1985

  0·005

  1986

  0·004

  1987

  0·007

  1988

  0·006

  1989

  0·008

  1990

  0·009

  566
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether dairy and non-dairy cattle imported from Ireland are routinely tested for tuberculosis.

  Mr. Maclean
  Yes. Council directive 64/432/EEC established the testing requirements for cattle traded within the Community.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the cost of offering environmentally sensitive area grants to farmers in each of the national parks in England and Wales using similar take-up percentages as exist in those areas which are of a similar nature and region.

  Mr. Curry
  Figures are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on his proposals to increase expenditure on the environmentally sensitive areas scheme over the three years to 1994–95 giving estimates of the increased amount of land which will be included and the number of farms; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that farms in the Lake District national park will be eligible for inclusion.

  Mr. Curry
  We have plans to increase expenditure on environmentally sensitive areas in England by £75 million over the next three years. It is too soon to provide estimates of the resulting increase in coverage in terms of land and farms but announcements will be made shortly concerning improvements in existing areas and the designation of new ones. The Lake District is one of many new areas that have been suggested and full account will be taken of the information submitted on each.

  Sheep Quotas
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is his policy to press for the introduction of sheep quotas within the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Sheep quotas would create major administrative problems both on introduction and subsequently. They would inhibit improvements in the efficiency of the industry and would stifle the development of more market-oriented production. A reduction in the level of price support remains by far the best approach to reform of the CAP sheepmeat sector.

  Lambs
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the gross value of fat lamb sales by farmers at live markets and direct to abattoirs, respectively, in England in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The table is drawn from information produced from the administration of the sheep variable premium scheme and therefore includes only fat lambs certified under the scheme. This information is available only on a Great Britain basis and only for the period since 1981.
  567

  Year

  Live Market

  Abbatoirs

  £ million

  £ million

  1981

  234·32

  93·62

  1982

  240·35

  95·26

  1983

  242·73

  99·95

  1984

  268·81

  121·31

  1985

  287·71

  124·37

  1986

  300·84

  117·48

  1987

  333·11

  129·19

  1988

  339·73

  126·23

  1989

  375·57

  143·93

  1990

  352·77

  144·38

  11991

  313·21

  123·52

  1 Forecast.

  Amounts received in the United Kingdom on import levies

  Amounts received (£'000)

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Cereals

  88,948

  84,310

  62,601

  47,393

  74,838

  Beef

  2,034

  2,890

  3,943

  3,569

  1,459

  Pigmeat

  2,437

  3,175

  2,076

  1,889

  346

  Milk products

  19,549

  17,217

  21,883

  28,458

  11,157

  Rice

  42,344

  20,810

  19,150

  25,272

  27,251

  Other

  52,590

  86,550

  68,896

  28,901

  12,111

  Total

  207,902

  214,952

  178,549

  135,482

  127,162

  Source: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the amounts in pounds sterling paid out in the United Kingdom on export refunds

  Amounts Paid out in the United Kingdom on Export Refunds By Product and Quantity

  Amounts Paid (£'000)

  1986(a)

  1987(a)

  1988(a)

  1989(a)

  1989–90(b)

  1990–91(b)

  Cereals

  95,022

  334,367

  187,386

  222,155

  251,071

  150,829

  Sugar and Isoglucose

  39,551

  33,807

  48,291

  30,600

  27,892

  35,547

  Processed Fruit and Veg

  1,400

  1,194

  1,838

  1,251

  976

  1,295

  Milk and Milk Products

  74,194

  117,932

  93,790

  100,238

  89,823

  83,915

  Beef and Veal

  43,672

  27,424

  22,225

  25,036

  24,571

  15,806

  Pigmeat

  1,253

  1,145

  1,038

  1,746

  1,988

  2,494

  Pigs

  430

  480

  559

  691

  677

  395

  Poultry

  1,195

  2,345

  3,219

  2,603

  2,586

  2,378

  Processed Goods

  37,248

  49,688

  42,777

  45,964

  38,504

  41,538

  Other Commodities

  61

  67

  21

  102

  116

  102

  Amounts Exported ('000t)

  1986(c)

  1987(c)

  1988(c)

  1989(c)

  1990(c)

  Cereals

  2,361

  3,929

  3,129

  4,861

  5,428

  Sugar and Isoglucose

  163

  98

  154

  117

  146

  Processed Fruit and Veg

  24

  16

  24

  21

  24

  Milk and Milk Products

  131

  171

  124

  164

  179

  Beef and Veal

  46

  33

  29

  27

  23

  Pigmeat

  7

  5

  4

  6

  10

  Pigs1

  6

  2

  2

  2

  3

  Poultry1

  10

  9

  12

  18

  18

  Processed Goods

  295

  288

  210

  404

  430

  Other Commodities

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2

  Notes: The tables are not compatable as a mixture of (a) calendar, (b) financial and (c) EC budget years have been used.

  1 = Excludes hatching eggs and live chicks,

  2— = Less than 500 tonnes.

  Source: Intervention Board Annual Reports.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the amounts in pounds sterling paid in the EC for(a) import levies and (b) export refunds in each of the last five years by product; and if he will make a statement.

  Import and Export Payments
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the amounts in pounds sterling received in the United Kingdom in import levies in each of the last five years by product, giving the amounts imported in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The informaton is given in the table. A breakdown of the amounts by product could be produced only at disproportionate cost. Details of products imported into the United Kingdom are contained in the annual report published by the Central Statistical Ofice entitled "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom".

  in each of the last five years by product and give the amounts exported in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The information is given in the table.

  Mr. Gummer
  The information is given in the table. A breakdown by product for import levies is not available.
  569

  Total import levies and export refunds by product in £ million

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Import levies

  762

  1,170

  1,021

  840

  818

  Export refunds:

  Cereals

  1,070

  2,209

  1,984

  1,700

  1,735

  Rice

  39

  68

  41

  29

  21

  Sugar

  802

  1,090

  1,062

  950

  657

  Olive oil

  19

  17

  43

  61

  96

  Oilseeds

  1

  46

  17

  4

  1

  Fruit and vegetables

  50

  48

  43

  52

  58

  Wine

  7

  14

  30

  29

  39

  Tobacco

  21

  31

  29

  41

  44

  Milk and milk products

  1,284

  1,624

  2,045

  1,878

  1,371

  Beef

  786

  632

  522

  879

  788

  Pigmeat

  49

  81

  117

  130

  124

  Eggs and poultry

  63

  109

  132

  153

  127

  Non-annex II products

  326

  424

  408

  361

  363

  MCA's

  110

  163

  97

  37

  54

  Food aid

  171

  186

  165

  87

  61

  Total

  4,799

  6,744

  6,735

  6,393

  5,538

  Note: 1990 import levies figure is an estimate.

  Sources: The Agricultural Situation in the Community 1989.

  The European Court of Auditors' Report 1989.

  EAGGF Financial Reports 1986–90.

  Grant Aid
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Ministry pays out grant aid for the establishment of poultry businesses or slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  My Department administers EC grants under regulation 866/90 which, subject to Commission approval, will be available for the processing of meat, including poultry meat, but not the establishment of slaughterhouses. Grant aid is not available to assist the establishment of new poultry businesses.

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will consult interested parties on making the environmental benefits afforded by hill livestock compensatory allowances more specific.

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friends and I have today issued a consultation document, seeking the views of interested parties on a package of measures designed to enhance environmental aspects of support for hill farming. Copies have been placed in the Library. We will study the views put to us carefully before drawing final conclusions.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensioners
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals aged between 65 and 80 years are(a) not in receipt of a full pension and (b) losing more than £5 a week because they are not on his Department's files.

  Mr. Jack
  In a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on national insurance contributions—HOC 665 570
  —it was estimated that some 130,000 people between the ages of 60 to 65 and 80 years for whom the Department did not have a valid address might have an entitlement to state pension exceeding £5.

  The Department's analysis of a sample of the individuals has shown that most of these people's entitlements are small and stem from contributions paid many years ago. Some 5 per cent. have subsequently claimed their pension. Of the remaining 95 per cent., very few are thought to be still alive, living in the United Kingdom, or likely to benefit from making a claim. Around 50 per cent. appear to have emigrated at least 20 years ago or to have died and another 40 per cent. were women who may well be receiving a pension on their husband's contributions of an amount equal to or higher than that payable on their own contributions.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners were in receipt of(a) pension income other than the basic retirement pension and (b) other income from savings in (i) 1979 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will estimate the figure for 1992.

  Miss Widdecombe
  In 1979 a total of 3 million individuals over state pension age were receiving income from an occupational pension; the corresponding figure for 1988 was 4·5 million. For 1979 it is estimated that 4 million single pensioners and pensioner couples were receiving income from savings and investments; the corresponding figure for 1988 is 5·1 million. In no case is it possible to give an estimate for 1992.

  Sources:

  Government Actuary's Survey of Occupational Pensions Schemes

  Family Expenditure Survey.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average amount of the second pension received by newly retired pensioners in(a) 1979, (b) the most recent year for which figures are available and (c) giving an estimate of the figure for 1992.

  Miss Widdecombe
  In 1979, the average amount of income derived from occupational pensions by those pensioners and pensioner couples who had occupational pensions was £41·40; the corresponding figure for 1988 was £64·20. It is not possible to give an estimate for 1992.

  Note: Figures given in 1988 prices.

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey; newly-retired pensioners are defined as single women aged 60–64, single men aged 65–69 and couples in which the man is aged 65–69.

  Departmental Consultants
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the consultants currently undertaking work in his Department, the title of each project, its cost and its estimated finishing date.

  Mr. Jack
  The consultants currently undertaking work in this Department and agencies, the project and the estimated finishing date are as shown. We have not supplied information on the cost of individual projects as to do so could be a breach of commercial confidentiality.
  571

  Project Title

  Consultants

  Estimated finishing date

  Activity Recording

  Price Waterhouse

  March 1992

  Ad Hoc Quantity Surveyors

  Appleyard & Trew

  March 1992

  Analytical Services Division—Analytical Services Statistical Information Systems

  Dame Image

  December 1991

  Administrative Resource Management System (Version 1)

  Sema Group

  December 1991

  Assist

  Les Probert Ass.

  February 1992

  Building Management & Planned Maintenance Programme

  Ulec Services Limited

  July 1992

  Cable Design for Leeds Headquarters

  Scheme Limited

  March 1992

  Capacity Planning

  Ultracomp

  December 1991

  Catalysing Change Communications Project

  Baddeley Associates Limited

  December 1991

  Central Architectural Team

  Crantex Limited

  May 1992

  Child Support Agency

  PA Consulting Group

  March 1992

  Combined Services Architect

  Triad Special Systems

  March 1992

  Competancies for Headquarters

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  February 1992

  Communications Marketing Plan for Benefits Agency Information Services

  P Four Consultancy Limited

  December 1991

  Contributions Agency Work Measurement Exercise

  TOP-IX Limited

  January 1992

  Contributions Agency

  Andersen Consulting

  January 1992

  Corporate Brochure on Secondment

  Redhouse Lane Communications Limited

  November 1991

  Current Year Monitoring System

  Hollyhill

  May 1992

  Data Quality Convergence & Whole Person Concept

  Mr. J. M. Bankier

  December 1991

  Debt recovery

  KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock

  March 1992

  Development of Complementing & Monitoring Projects

  Urvashi Patel

  February 1992

  Disablement Living Allowance

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Earnings Related Supplement Project

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  EC-Related Work

  Dianne Robbins

  September 1992

  Employment Services

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Engagement of Professional Purchasing Staff

  SERCO Limited

  March 1992

  Equal Opportunities Audit

  Pearn Kandola Downs

  February 1992

  Equal Opportunities Training Development

  INLI—Institute for a New Leadership Initiative

  March 1992

  Essential Services Plant Level

  Buro Rappold

  November 1991

  Executive Information System

  H.M.G. Consulting Limited

  September 1992

  Executive Reporting System Project

  Price Waterhouse

  November 1991

  Executive Reporting System Project

  H.M.G. Consulting Limited

  March 1992

  Financial Accounting

  Price Waterhouse

  March 1992

  Financial & Management Information System

  Price Waterhouse

  November 1991

  Financial & Management Information System Accounting Policies Project

  Price Waterhouse

  November 1991

  Financial & Management Information System

  Dun & Bradstreet

  December 1991

  Headquarters Information Systems Strategy (Implementation Phase)

  Ernst & Young

  December 1991

  IT User Development

  Sema Group

  October 1992

  ITSA Core Curriculum

  Impact

  March 1992

  ITSA Core Curriculum Functional Training

  Andersen Consulting

  December 1991

  ITSA Core Curriculum Functional Training

  The Training Partnership

  December 1991

  ITSA Core Curriculum Review of Analysis & Design & Small Audience Group

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  ITSA Management Services

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  ITSA Security

  Computer Sciences Company

  December 1991

  ITSA Security

  Pathfinder

  March 1992

  ITSA Security

  PA Consulting Group

  March 1992

  ITSA Security Training

  Computer Sciences Company

  March 1992

  Local Office Project—Income Support

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Local Office Project—Social Fund

  Sema Group

  March 1992

  Management Accounting

  Price Waterhouse

  March 1992

  Management Customer Service Seminars and Workshops

  Diane Bailey Associates

  March 1992

  572 573

  Project Title

  Consultants

  Estimated finishing date

  Management Development Programme Assessment Centre

  Recruitment & Assessment Agency

  February 1992

  Manpower Planning Workshops

  Institute of Manpower Studies

  March 1992

  Marketing Strategy for Paying Social Benefits

  Touche Ross

  December 1992

  Monitoring Change Project

  Kinsley Lord

  December 1991

  Motability

  Easams Limited

  May 1992

  National Insurance Recording System—Social Fund

  Sema Group

  March 1994

  National Unemployment Benefit System 1

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  National Unemployment Benefit System 1

  Williamson G K

  December 1991

  National Unemployment Benefit System 2

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Network Administration Centre

  Insight Logistics

  November 1991

  Network/Comms

  Level—7 Limited

  March 1992

  OPSTRAT Review

  Hartley McMaster

  March 1992

  Office Small Systems Group

  Easams Limited

  April 1992

  Office Small System Group

  Telecommuting Management Consultants

  April 1992

  Outplacement Scheme for Senior Staff

  KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock

  March 1992

  Pension Age Discussion Document

  Redhduse Lane Communications Limited

  Continuing

  Pensions Strategy Project

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Pensions Strategy Project (Overseas Branch)

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Policy and Planning Unit

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Product Assurance

  Dameimage

  March 1992

  Production Service Support Group

  PSA Services

  March 1992

  Project Control

  Astrac Limited

  March 1992

  Quality Management Group

  W. S. Atkins

  April 1992

  Quality Management Services

  Admiral Management Systems

  December 1991

  Retirement Counselling Courses for Senior Staff

  DPS Consultants Limited

  March 1992

  Review of Benefits Agency Central Office Management

  PA Consulting Group

  March 1992

  Reviews of the Benefits Agency Appraisal System and Career Development

  Peter Byde Management and Training Consultant

  November 1991

  Review of Project Management in Social Security Policy Group

  Mrs. K. Limm

  December 1991

  Route 400 Training

  Level-7 Limited

  November 1991

  Secondment of a Consultant to DSS for Various Projects

  British Coal Corporation

  Continuing

  Service Agreement Methodology

  PA Consulting Group

  February 1992

  Service Delivery Security

  S Computer Sciences Company

  March 1992

  Services Management

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Services Management—Service Delivery

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Single Terminal Access Project

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1992

  Single Terminal Access Project

  Computer Sciences Company

  March 1992

  Single Terminal Access Project

  Discrealm Limited

  November 1991

  Single Terminal Access Project

  Facilita Software

  May 1992

  Single Terminal Access Project—Integrated Terminal Test System

  Facilita Software

  March 1992

  Single Terminal Access Project X

  ASE Consulting

  March 1992

  Software Systems

  Ace Data Systems

  March 1992

  Space Standards Consultancy (Central Office Guidelines)

  DEGW Limited

  November 1991

  Strategy Help Desk

  Price Waterhouse

  February 1992

  Strategy Operations Architecture Project

  Easams Limited

  March 1992

  Support to ITSA

  ASE Consulting

  March 1992

  The Resettlement Index

  Office of Public Management

  December 1991

  Training of Internal Consultancy Staff

  Morris Foster, Management & Training Consultant

  November 1991

  Training and Support Services

  Andersen Consulting

  March 1995

  Wright Circuit

  WS Atkins

  November 1991

  X-400

  Level-7 Limited

  December 1991

  574

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it has now been decided whether the Child Support Agency will require a mainframe computer system.

  Mr. Jack
  A study of the information technology requirements of the Child Support Agency is currently under way and no final decisions have been taken.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications in the last year were made for assistance with the social fund; how many and what percentage were turned down; of those turned down, how many applied for review by the social fund officer; how many were accepted; how many and what percentage were rejected; of those rejected, how many were reviewed by an HEO (SF); how many were accepted; how many and what percentage were rejected; of those rejected, how many were sent for review by a social fund inspector; how many were accepted; how many and what percentage rejected; and what were the equivalent figures for the previous three years.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is provided in the tables. The information in table II has been provided by the social fund commissioner and is as published in her annual reports to the Secretary of State. Information for 1987–88 is not available since the social fund did not commence operation until April 1988.

  Table I

  SFO and HEO(SF) reviews

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  (a) Number of applications to Social Fund

  1,749,000

  2,299,000

  2,317,000

  (b) Number of applications refused

  521,000 (30 per cent.)

  779,000 (34 per cent.)

  895,000 (39 per cent.)

  SFO reviews

  (c) Number of applications1 for review as percentage of refusals

  61,425 (12 per cent.)

  96,584 (12 per cent.)

  115,636 (13 per cent.)

  (d) Number of reviews—decision revised

  20,260

  22,230

  25,837

  (e) Number of reviews—decision confirmed

  33,494 (55 per cent.)

  60,402 (63 per cent.)

  70,827 (61 per cent.)

  HEO(SF) reviews

  (f) Number of applications1 2 for review as percentage of (e)

  33,494 (100 per cent.)

  60,402 (100 per cent.)

  70,827 (100 per cent.)

  (g) Number of reviews—decision revised

  4,846

  12,684

  18,211

  576

  SFO and HEO(SF) reviews

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  (h) Number of reviews—decision confirmed

  23,535 (70 per cent.)

  45,726 (76 per cent.)

  52,645 (74 per cent.)

  Table II

  SFI review

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  (a) Number of applications3 for SFI review

  2,954

  7,858

  9,775

  (b) Number of decisions3 4 made by SFIs

  2,499

  6,238

  9,383

  (c) Number of decisions revised5

  1,205 48 per cent.

  4,278 69 per cent.

  7,689 82 per cent.

  (d) Number of decisions confirmed

  1,294 52 per cent.

  1,960 31 per cent.

  1,694 18 per cent.

  1 The difference between the sum of "decisions revised" plus "decisions confirmed" and the number of applications received, is attributable partly to applications being withdrawn by the applicant and partly to applications which have been made, but have not been decided in the statistical period.

  2 All applications for an SFO review that are not revised have been automatically counted as an application for HEO(SF) review, as it is not possible to identify whether review applications are withdrawn at this stage.

  3 The difference between the number of applications and the total number of decisions is attributable to a combination of different factors; applications which have been made but not decided in the statistical period; applications not being within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Social Fund Inspector; and applications not being within the time, form or manner laid down by regulations.

  4 The method of counting decisions changed in April 1990–91. Whilst each review application received counted as one case, the number of decisions reviewed by SFIs were analysed by type (award, refusals, etc.). It is possible therefore, that a case can result in more than one decision.

  5 Includes decisions made by the SFI to substitute his own decision or to refer the application back to the HEO(SF) for redetermination.

  "Diminishing Options"
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has received a copy of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux report "Diminishing Options".

  Miss Widdecombe
  Yes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the assistant director of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux on 21 October.

  Students (Benefits)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review arrangements for benefit payments to students on sandwich courses who are unable to obtain work experience and receive no grant.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Full-time students should generally look to the education maintenance system for financial support. In common with other full-time students, those attending sandwich courses are excluded from housing benefit, income support and unemployment benefit for the
  577
  duration of their course. This includes any periods designated for work experience, whether or not a placement is obtained. The social security system was never intended to finance those who are undertaking a course of full-time study, including those courses which combine practical expertise with classroom instruction.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will reinstate housing benefit for students; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  No. Financial support for full-time students is properly the responsibility of the educational maintenance system, although certain vulnerable students remain eligible for housing benefit.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will urgently review benefit payments for students who are carers and have special family responsibilities and are currently unable to claim benefits.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Full-time students should generally look to the education maintenance system for financial support. Students who are attending courses only part-time continue to be eligible for income support, housing benefit and invalid care allowance. We have no plans to change these arrangements.

  Children
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow, of 7 November,Official Report, columns 243–46, if he will ensure that copies of his consultative document, "The Proposed Contents of the Child Support Regulations to be made under the Child Support Act 1991", are sent to the Association of Directors of Social Work and the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

  Mr. Jack
  A copy of the consultation document has been sent to both organisations.

HEALTH

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Chief Medical Officer established the group of experts to examine evidence relating to cot deaths; and what evidence it is asking them to examine.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 21 October at column 423.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the increase in cot deaths between 1986 and 1989 has been attributed to; and what government-funded studies there have been into the sudden increase;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the reasons for the apparent reduction in cot death rates in the last two years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  An increase in the number of deaths attributed to sudden infant death—SID—occurred between 1986 and 1988. The rate of sudden infant death per 1,000 live births came down from the 1988 level of 2·35 to 1·81 in 1990.

  The reasons for fluctuations and trends in the incidence of SID nationally are not clear. SID is more common in
  578
  the winter months and the rate may vary according to the severity of the winter; but the relationship is not fully understood. There is now growing evidence that changes in child rearing practice have been accompanied by changes in mortality attributed to SID. These include: a reduction in the prone sleeping position for the infants; attention to the risk of overheating; and increased support to those infants thought to be at highest risk, for example, those children suffering from respiratory disease. In addition, it is believed that there is a trend in the pattern of certification of death towards certifying as sudden infant deaths, deaths that might previously have been certified as due to respiratory disease. The rates for respiratory disease fell over this period when SID was increasing.

  For information relating to government-funded studies into cot death research, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science gave him on 7 November at column 206.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretaryt of State for Health how much money the Government have giver to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths since it was set up.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Since 1983–84, the foundation has received a total of £97,500 in grants under section 64 of the National Health Service and Public Health Act, 1968. The foundation also currently receives a grant of £25,000 per annum payable over the two financial years, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the inquiry he has set up into stillbirths and deaths in infancy to report; when it will issue a preliminary report on the recommended cot sleeping position for babies; and what steps he will take to communicate that recommendation to health service professionals.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  On 21 October, I announced the setting up of an expert group to report to the chief medical officer following its examination and assessment of available evidence on reducing the risk of cot death. After studying the group's recommendations, the chief medical officer made its advice public in a press release issued on 31 October. He also announced that he and the chief nursing officer would be writing specifically to health professionals about the expert group's advice.

  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the group for the speed and clarity of their advice.

  The confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy, which I announced on 2 July, is a longer-term and more wide-ranging initiative which will organise detailed investigations into foetal losses, stillbirths and infant deaths.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State For Health what funding was made available to the Avon study into infant deaths.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I understand that the most recent study in Avon was funded with the assistance of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. The Department was not approached directly to provide
  579
  funding for this particular study, though financial assistance is provided for the foundation's administrative costs.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Medical Research Council was commissioned to review existing cot death research; and to what end.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department commissioned the Medical Research Council in June 1989 to undertake a major review of the literature relating to sudden infant death syndrome—SIDS—and to advise on what further research was needed. This has been received and is under consideration.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much extra was spent on research into cot deaths as a result of the recommendation of the Select Committee on Social Services (HC 54 Session 1988–89) that further research into the causes of sudden infant death syndrome should be conducted as a matter of urgency.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Government expenditure on research into sudden infant death syndrome and

  Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) Revenue Expenditure on salaries and wages

  1989–90

  1978–79

  £ million (cash)

  As a proportion of total revenue expenditure (per cent.)

  £ million (cash)

  As a proportion of total revenue expenditure (per cent.)

  Medical and Dental Staff Consultants

  Medical

  672·0

  5·0

  158·4

  3·6

  Dental

  13·7

  0·1

  3·7

  0·1

  Total

  685·7

  5·1

  162·1

  3·7

  Other Medical Staff

  765·7

  5·6

  212·4

  4·8

  Other Dental Staff

  49·1

  0·4

  17·1

  0·4

  Nurses and Midwives

  4,893·2

  36·0

  1,353·7

  30·6

  All Other Staff

  3,861·3

  28·5

  1,533·2

  34·7

  Total

  10,255·0

  75·6

  3,278·5

  74·7

  Source:

  Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities in England and those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals 1989–90 (predecessor authorities 1978–89).

  Notes:

  1. HCHS covers all services managed by the health authorities concerned including hospital, community health, patient transport (i.e. ambulance), blood transfusion and other services. Capital expenditure and all expenditure incurred by Family Health Services Authorities (FHSAs) and certain supporting special health authorities and other bodies is excluded; however 1978–79 figures include small elements for administrative costs of the FHSA predecessor Family Practitioner Committees which were at that time included with the annual accounts of health authorities and were not separately identified.

  2. The figures are gross salaries and wages costs and include employers' national insurance and superannuation contributions.

  3. "All other staff' includes professional, technical, scientific, ancillary, maintenance, ambulance and administrative and clerical staff. The correspondingly small total costs incurred by the health authorities on employing all non-NHS (agency etc) staff are also included—£297·5 million (cash) in 1989–90 and £40·6 million (cash) in 1978–89.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his advice that young babies should be laid on their back includes premature babies.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In individual cases, such as premature babies, this must be a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned with the baby's care.
  580
  respiratory distress syndrome in 1989–90 and 1990–91 amounted to £1,095,000, a 30 per cent. increase over the previous two-year period.

  NHS
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the national health service budget is spent on(a) consultants, (b) doctors, (c) nurses and (d) others; how much this represents in cash terms; what were the comparable figures in April 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information derived from annual accounts of health authorities and their predecessor authorities, as submitted to the Department and related to hospital and community health services—HCHS—only, is shown in the table.

  Expenditure on family health services has been excluded from the table as such expenditure consists principally of payments to general practitioners and other professionals contracted to the NHS to provide those services.

  Optical Charge Vouchers
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the increase in the value of vouchers for glasses in each band from A to F since 1987, in (i) cash terms and (ii) real value, calculated using the GDP deflator.
  581
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The voucher scheme was introduced to improve patient choice in where and which spectacles they purchased, and to increase competition in the optical market. Voucher values are set with reference

  A

  B

  C

  D

  E

  F

  1987

  Cash terms (£)

  14·25

  22·00

  33·00

  27·00

  42·00

  66·00

  Real terms (£)

  14·25

  22·00

  33·00

  27·00

  42·00

  66·00

  1 April 1988

  Cash terms (£)

  15·50

  25·50

  42·00

  29·50

  50·00

  85·00

  Real terms (£)

  14·46

  23·80

  39·19

  27·52

  46·65

  79·30

  1 September 1988

  Cash terms (£)

  16·25

  27·00

  44·00

  31·00

  52·50

  89·00

  Real terms (£)

  15·16

  25·19

  41·05

  28·92

  42·98

  83·04

  1 April 1989

  Cash terms (£)

  17·00

  28·00

  46·00

  32·75

  58·00

  98·00

  Real terms (£)

  14·90

  24·53

  40·30

  28·69

  50·81

  85·86

  1 April 1990

  Cash terms (£)

  18·00

  28·75

  47·00

  34·75

  59·75

  100·00

  Real terms (£)

  14·54

  23·22

  37·96

  28·07

  48·26

  80·77

  1 April 1991

  Cash terms (£)

  19·30

  30·50

  48·00

  37·00

  61·00

  102·00

  Real terms (£)

  14·57

  23·02

  36·23

  27·93

  46·04

  77·00

  1 August 1991

  Cash terms (£)

  19·70

  31·15

  49·00

  37·80

  62·30

  104·20

  Real terms (£)

  14·87

  23·51

  36·99

  28·53

  47·03

  78·65

  Asthma
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital visits per year are a result of asthma; and what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to reduce this number.

  Mr. Dorrell
  During 1989–90, the latest year for which information is available centrally, the estimated number of in-patient cases with a principal diagnosis of asthma treated in NHS hospitals in England was 95,000. Better control of asthma may result in fewer hospital admissions. Peak flow meters, which help in improving control by monitoring the changes in the asthmatic patient's airways and giving advance warning of an impending attack, have been available on GP prescription since 1 October 1990. The introduction of self-management protocols agreed between patient and doctor should also help to reduce the number of hospital admissions.

  Female Circumcision
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (l) what specific guidelines have been issued by the Department of Health on the matter of female circumcision being practised on young girls;

  (2) if he will fund a publicity campaign to warn of the dangers of female circumcision of children.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Interdepartmental guidance on new arrangements for inter-agency working to protect children from abuse under the Children Act 1989 was issued on 14 October. This document, "Working Together", a copy of which is available in the Library, reminds authorities of the effect of the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985, and gives guidance that where there is reason to believe a child is likely to suffer significant harm as a result of female circumcision local
  582
  to nationwide average manufacturers' prices: the majority of opticians supply spectacles within voucher values. The increases in voucher values since 1987, in both cash and real terms, are given in the table.

  authorities should consider the exercise of investigative powers under section 47 of the Children Act 1989. In addition, the Department is currently funding the production of a training video and accompanying guidance booklet for professionals on female genital mutilation. The Department provides grant aid to the main voluntary organisation working in this area to assist it in its very valuable work of education, publicity and counselling.

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals to tackle ME.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Both the Government and the NHS recognise myalgic encephalomyelitis as a debilitating and distressing condition. Unfortunately its causes are not yet fully understood, nor is there a generally agreed method of treatment. Consensus on a case definition is under discussion and some epidemiological studies are under way. The Department of Health and the Medical Research Council remain willing to consider funding well-founded research proposals on ME, as on other medical conditions.

  Psychiatric Patients (Homicide)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatric patients discharged from health service institutions have committed homicide in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mentally Disordered Offenders
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the joint Department of Health and Home Office review of health and social services for mentally disordered offenders.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I announced the establishment of the joint review in my reply on 19 December 1990 to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) at columns 244–45. A steering committee was appointed under the chairmanship of Dr. John Reed, senior principal medical officer, Department of Health. It met first on 31 January 1991 and I am pleased to report that it has made substantial progress.

  We are today publishing four consultation documents submitted by the steering committee. Copies are available in the Library. These are the reports of three advisory groups that have been examining services provided in the community, in hospitals and in prisons, and an overview by the steering committee itself. We are issuing them to a wide range of interested bodies with an invitation to comment by 31 January 1992.

  Between them, the advisory groups have made 87 recommendations aimed at improving the delivery and co-ordination of care and treatment for mentally disordered offenders. They provide advice on the level and range of health and social services provision that may be needed, as well as the mechanisms required to identify and assess the needs of those who should be diverted from the criminal justice system to more suitable settings. A number of recommendations for the mental health care of prisoners are consistent with proposals in the White Paper on the prison service, "Custody, Care and Justice", Cm. 1647, and the current consultation paper on contracting for prison health services.

  The steering committee has set up three further advisory groups which are now beginning work. These are concerned with finance, staffing and training, and research issues. They are due to report in the spring of next year. Work is also being undertaken on performance measurement and quality control, and services for patients with special needs.

  The present reports reinforce the Government's policy that mentally disordered offenders who need care and treatment should receive it from the health and personal social services rather than being dealt with in the criminal justice system. They propose also a set of guiding principles for future service provision which we endorse. These are that patients should be cared for with regard to the quality of care and proper attention to the needs of individuals; as far as possible, in the community, rather than in institutional settings; under conditions of no

  NHS staff in post at 30 September 1990

  England by regions1 2

  Whole-time equivalents3

  Regions

  Total

  Male

  Percentage male

  Female

  Percentage female

  Northern

  53,000

  13,300

  25·1

  39,700

  74·9

  Yorkshire

  58,500

  14,600

  25·0

  43,800

  75·0

  Trent

  75,700

  17,400

  23·0

  58,300

  77·0

  East Anglian

  31,700

  7,800

  24·5

  23,900

  75·5

  North West Thames

  51,600

  12,200

  23·5

  39,500

  76·5

  North East Thames

  67,600

  16,800

  24·8

  50,800

  75·2

  South East Thames

  61,200

  15,200

  24·9

  46,000

  75·1

  South West Thames

  42,900

  11,000

  25·6

  31,900

  74·4

  Wessex

  44,500

  9,900

  22·2

  34,600

  77·8

  584
  greater security than is justified by the degree of danger they present to themselves or others; in such a way as to maximise their rehabilitation and chances of sustaining an independent life; as near as possible to their own homes or families, if they have them.

  I have already indicated that we do not want necessary action to be delayed merely because the review is in progress. We are considering the present recommendations to identify those which could be implemented at an early date. The steering committee has proposed an initial action plan whose main elements are the improvement of inter-agency arrangements for joint working at both planning and operational level; local assessments of service need, including assessments in each NHS region before the end of the review of needs for local and medium secure hospital provision; the continued protection of existing NHS services for mentally disordered offenders, including those for people with certain special needs, pending consideration by the review of arrangements for purchasing services; to build on the positive response of agencies in the health, social and criminal justice services to Home Office circular 66/90 and to the review itself, and to review good practice guidance in the light of the advisory group reports.

  We endorse the direction set by these proposals and will be taking action to follow them up so far as it lies within our direct responsibility. Final decisions will need to take account of the further work initiated by the steering committee and of responses to the present consultation exercise.

  My right hon. and hon. Friends and I are committed to maintaining the close co-operation which has developed between our Departments through the review. We are very grateful to Dr. Reed and his colleagues, and others who have contributed to the advisory groups, for their work so far.

  Existing NHS services for mentally disordered offenders are subject to NHS management executive letter (90) 190 which directs health authorities to maintain at least the present level of service until December 1991. This guidance is being extended until March 1993 in order to ensure that future planning of these services takes place against a reasonably stable background.

  Health Service Staff
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each national health service region the ratio of male to female staff working in the health service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: The number of male to female staff working in the health service is shown in the table.
  585

  Regions

  Total

  Male

  Percentage male

  Female

  Percentage female

  Oxford

  33,800

  7,800

  23·0

  26,000

  77·0

  South Western

  52,000

  12,600

  24·1

  39,500

  75·9

  West Midlands

  85,000

  19,100

  22·5

  65,900

  77·5

  Mersey

  40,700

  9,700

  23·9

  31,000

  76·1

  North Western

  70,800

  17,100

  24·2

  53,700

  75·8

  England1 2 4

  794,400

  193,300

  24·3

  601,200

  75·7

  Source: Department of Health (SM13) annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower.

  Notes:

  1 Includes permanent paid and honorary medical and dental staff but excludes locums.

  2 Includes nursing and midwifery agency staff.

  3 All figures are individually rounded to the nearest hundred (100) whole-time equivalents.

  4 Includes staff in the London post graduate special health authorities, family health service authorities and "other statutory authorities" (eg dental estimates board, prescription pricing authority, public health laboratory service and the health education authority).

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each national health service region the ratio of male to female staff groups:(a) dentists, (b) professional and technical, (c) works and maintenance, (d) administrative and clerical,

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  Northern region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  170

  100·0

  100

  61·7

  60

  38·3

  (b) Professional and technical

  2,090

  100·0

  840

  40·2

  1,250

  59·8

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,630

  100·0

  1,610

  99·2

  10

  0·8

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  6,940

  100·0

  1,030

  14·8

  5,910

  85·2

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  1,320

  100·0

  1,120

  85·1

  200

  14·9

  (f) Ancillary

  7,330

  100·0

  2,430

  33·1

  4,910

  66·9

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  2,170

  100·0

  320

  14·6

  1,850

  85·4

  (h) Scientific and professional

  760

  100·0

  310

  40·0

  460

  60·0

  (i) General and senior managers

  550

  100·0

  380

  69·7

  170

  30·3

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole·time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  Yorkshire region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  150

  100·0

  100

  62·1

  60

  37·9

  (b) Professional and technical

  2,610

  100·0

  1,090

  41·8

  1,520

  58·2

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,550

  100·0

  1,550

  99·4

  10

  0·6

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  7,870

  100·0

  1,200

  15·2

  6,680

  84·8

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  1,560

  100·0

  1,180

  75·7

  380

  24·3

  (f) Ancillary

  7,000

  100·0

  2,550

  36·5

  4,450

  63·5

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  2,910

  100·0

  400

  13·8

  2,510

  86·2

  (h) Scientific and professional

  870

  100·0

  330

  38·2

  540

  61·8

  (i) General and senior managers

  930

  100·0

  640

  69·2

  290

  30·8

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.
  586
  (e) ambulance staff, (f) ancillary staff, (g) professions allied to medicine, (h) scientific and professional and (i) general and senior managers.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: The number of female to male members of staff in the following staff groups is shown in the tables.
  587

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  Trent region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  180

  100·0

  110

  62·1

  70

  37·9

  (b) Professional and technical

  3,350

  100·0

  1,250

  37·4

  2,090

  62·2

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,870

  100·0

  1,860

  99·6

  10

  0·4

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  10,120

  100·0

  1,420

  14·0

  8,700

  86·0

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  1,890

  100·0

  1,500

  79·7

  380

  20·3

  (f) Ancillary

  10,760

  100·0

  2,990

  27·8

  7,770

  72·2

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  3,730

  100·0

  550

  14·7

  3,190

  85·3

  (h) Scientific and professional

  1,140

  100·0

  430

  37·3

  720

  62·7

  (i) General and senior managers

  600

  100·0

  420

  70·4

  180

  29·6

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole·time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM13) Annual Census of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  East Anglian region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  70

  100·0

  50

  66·8

  20

  33·2

  (b) Professional and technical

  1,350

  100·0

  590

  44·2

  750

  55·8

  (c) Works and maintenance

  790

  100·0

  790

  99·6

  —3

  0·4

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  4,070

  100·0

  550

  13·5

  3,520

  86·5

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  790

  100·0

  590

  74·6

  200

  25·4

  (f) Ancillary

  3,920

  100·0

  1,520

  38·6

  2,410

  61·4

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  1,700

  100·0

  230

  13·2

  1,480

  86·8

  (h) Scientific and professional

  440

  100·0

  150

  33·9

  290

  66·1

  (i) General and senior managers

  480

  100·0

  320

  66·2

  160

  33·8

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  3 Indicates that figure is less than 5·0 whole-time equivalents.

  Source: Department of Health (SM13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  North West Thames region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  160

  100·0

  80

  49·3

  80

  50·7

  (b) Professional and technical

  1,900

  100·0

  700

  36·7

  1,210

  63·3

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,150

  100·0

  1,140

  99·2

  10

  0·8

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  8,160

  100·0

  1,400

  17·1

  6,760

  82·9

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  540

  100·0

  330

  61·5

  210

  38·5

  (f) Ancillary

  5,460

  100·0

  2,530

  46·4

  2,930

  53·6

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  2,450

  100·0

  290

  11·8

  2,160

  88·2

  (h) Scientific and professional

  970

  100·0

  260

  27·0

  710

  73·0

  (i) General and senior managers

  80

  100·0

  50

  60·5

  30

  39·5

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Census of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.
  588 589

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  North East Thames region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  200

  100·0

  110

  55·6

  90

  44·4

  (b) Professional and technical

  2,910

  100·0

  1,100

  37·8

  1,810

  62·2

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,720

  100·0

  1,700

  98·8

  20

  1·2

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  10,450

  100·0

  1,810

  17·3

  8,640

  82·7

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  550

  100·0

  410

  74·9

  140

  25·1

  (f) Ancillary

  8,290

  100·0

  3,360

  40·5

  4,930

  59·5

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  3,160

  100·0

  520

  16·5

  2,640

  83·5

  (h) Scientific and professional

  1,350

  100·0

  490

  36·4

  860

  63·6

  (i) General and senior managers

  1,030

  100·0

  580

  57·0

  440

  43·0

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SN13) Annual Census of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  South East Thames region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  250

  100·0

  160

  63·8

  90

  36·2

  (b) Professional and technical

  2,500

  100·0

  890

  35·3

  1,620

  64·7

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,510

  100·0

  1,500

  99·4

  10

  0·6

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  10,030

  100·0

  1,640

  16·4

  8,390

  83·6

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  860

  100·0

  760

  88·8

  100

  11·2

  (f) Ancillary

  8,020

  100·0

  3,250

  40·5

  4,780

  59·5

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  2,690

  100·0

  390

  14·3

  2,310

  85·7

  (h) Scientific and professional

  1,050

  100·0

  350

  33·0

  710

  67·0

  (i) General and senior managers

  780

  100·0

  500

  64·0

  280

  36·0

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  South West Thames region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  130

  100·0

  70

  57·5

  60

  42·5

  (b) Professional and technical

  1,420

  100·0

  510

  36·1

  910

  63·9

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,160

  100·0

  1,150

  98·8

  10

  1·2

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  6,340

  100·0

  1,010

  16·0

  5,330

  84·0

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  660

  100·0

  540

  81·9

  120

  18·1

  (f) Ancillary

  4,390

  100·0

  2,140

  48·8

  2,250

  51·2

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  2,160

  100·0

  270

  12·5

  1,890

  87·5

  (h) Scientific and professional

  720

  100·0

  190

  27·2

  520

  72·8

  (i) General and senior managers

  520

  100·0

  330

  63·1

  190

  36·9

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  Wessex region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  150

  100·0

  90

  56·2

  70

  43·8

  (b) Professional and technical

  1,730

  100·0

  660

  37·9

  1,080

  62·1

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,010

  100·0

  1,000

  99·4

  10

  0·6

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  5,840

  100·0

  760

  13·0

  5,080

  87·0

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  940

  100·0

  750

  80·1

  190

  19·9

  590 591

  Staff groups

  Total

  Mate

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (f) Ancillary

  5,360

  100·0

  1,970

  36·8

  3,390

  63·2

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  2,220

  100·0

  250

  11·4

  1,970

  88·6

  (h) Scientific and professional

  620

  100·0

  220

  35·5

  400

  64·5

  (i) General and senior managers

  610

  100·0

  380

  62·0

  230

  38·0

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  Oxford region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  90

  100·0

  50

  57·1

  40

  42·9

  (b) Professional and technical

  1,370

  100·0

  530

  38·6

  840

  61·4

  (c) Works and maintenance

  860

  100·0

  850

  99·3

  10

  0·7

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  5,150

  100·0

  710

  13·7

  4,440

  86·3

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  800

  100·0

  620

  77·7

  180

  22·3

  (f) Ancillary

  3,470

  100·0

  1,450

  41·7

  2,020

  58·3

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  1,760

  100·0

  180

  10·4

  1,580

  89·6

  (h) Scientific and professional

  540

  100·0

  150

  27·0

  400

  73·0

  (i) General and senior managers

  420

  100·0

  260

  61·8

  160

  38·2

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Includes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  South Western region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  160

  100·0

  120

  71·1

  50

  28·9

  (b) Professional and technical

  1,960

  100·0

  780

  40·0

  1,180

  60·0

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,070

  100·0

  1,070

  99·7

  ..

  0·3

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  6,980

  100·0

  1,120

  16·0

  5,870

  84·0

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  1,460

  100·0

  1,260

  86·1

  200

  13·9

  (f) Ancillary

  6,370

  100·0

  2,330

  36·5

  4,040

  63·5

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  2,590

  100·0

  320

  12·4

  2,270

  87·6

  (h) Scientific and professional

  810

  100·0

  270

  33·0

  540

  67·0

  (i) General and senior managers

  610

  100·0

  400

  64·7

  220

  35·3

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Includes locums.

  .. Indicates that figure is less than 5·0 whole-time equivalents.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Census of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  West Midlands region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  270

  100·0

  160

  58·6

  110

  41·4

  (b) Professional and technical

  3,790

  100·0

  1,310

  34·7

  2,480

  65·3

  (c) Works and maintenance

  2,430

  100·0

  2,410

  99·2

  20

  0·8

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  11,950

  100·0

  1,590

  13·3

  10,360

  86·7

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  1,850

  100·0

  1,500

  80·7

  360

  19·3

  (f) Ancillary

  11,100

  100·0

  3,430

  30·9

  7,670

  69·1

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  3860

  100·0

  460

  11·9

  3,400

  88·1

  592 593

  Staff groups

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (h) Scientific and professional

  1,170

  100·0

  430

  36·9

  740

  63·1

  (i) General and senior managers

  1,060

  100·0

  690

  64·9

  370

  35·1

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Includes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  Mersey region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  130

  100·0

  80

  59·6

  50

  40·4

  (b) Professional and technical

  1,870

  100·0

  740

  39·6

  1,130

  60·4

  (c) Works and maintenance

  990

  100·0

  990

  99·8

  0

  0·2

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  5,810

  100·0

  870

  15·0

  4,950

  85·0

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  880

  100·0

  760

  87·2

  110

  12·8

  (f) Ancillary

  4,690

  100·0

  1,520

  32·4

  3,170

  67·6

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  1,910

  100·0

  200

  10·2

  1,720

  89·8

  (h) Scientific and professional

  520

  100·0

  170

  33·5

  350

  66·5

  (i) General and senior managers

  500

  100·0

  330

  66·6

  170

  33·4

  Source: Department of Health (SMI3) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-Medical Manpower.

  Notes:

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Includes locums.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staff groups by gender at 30 September 1990

  North Western Region

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists2

  200

  100·0

  120

  60·4

  80

  39·6

  (b) Professional and technical

  2,940

  100·0

  990

  33·9

  1,940

  66·1

  (c) Works and maintenance

  1,770

  100·0

  1,760

  99·4

  10

  0·6

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  10,070

  100·0

  1,370

  13·6

  8,700

  86·4

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  1,580

  100·0

  1,320

  83·4

  260

  16·6

  (f) Ancillary

  8,020

  100·0

  3,230

  40·3

  4,780

  59·7

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  3,440

  100·0

  430

  12·4

  3,010

  87·6

  (h) Scientific and professional

  970

  100·0

  350

  36·4

  620

  63·6

  (i) General and senior managers

  690

  100·0

  480

  68·8

  220

  31·2

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  2 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Includes locums.

  Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  NHS staff in post

  Selected staffgroups by gender at 30 September 1990

  London post-graduate special Health Authorities

  Whole-time equivalents (1)

  Staff groups

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  Total

  Percentage of total

  (a) Dentists (2)

  70

  100·0

  50

  64·2

  30

  35·8

  (b) Professional and technical

  690

  100·0

  320

  46·2

  370

  53·8

  (c) Works and maintenance

  270

  100·0

  270

  99·3

  1

  0·7

  (d) Administrative and clerical

  1,840

  100·0

  390

  21·3

  1,450

  78·7

  (e) Ambulance (including officers)

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  (f) Ancillary

  1,080

  100·0

  540

  50·6

  530

  49·4

  (g) Professions allied to medicine

  520

  100·0

  40

  8·3

  480

  91·7

  (h) Scientific and professional

  350

  100·0

  140

  38·7

  220

  61·3

  (i) General and senior managers

  130

  100·0

  80

  61·1

  50

  38·9

  Notes:

  (1) All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Percentages calculated on unrounded figures.

  (2) Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums.
  594 595
  1Indicates that figure is less than 5·0 whole-time equivalents.

  2lndicates that figure is nil.

  Source: Department of Health (SM13) Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek powers to impose a non-fossil fuel obligation for electricity generation.

  Mr. Hanley
  Provisions to enable the promotion of the generation of electricity from renewable sources were included in the proposal for a draft Electricity (NI) Order published on 19 April. My right hon. Friend hopes to lay such an order before the House shortly.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Pay and Allowances
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many individuals currently in receipt of employee payments from the office costs allowance are married or otherwise related to current hon. Members.

  Mr. MacGregor
  There is no requirement for hon. Members to inform the Fees Office of any family relationship with them or other hon. Members when authorising payments of salaries to their staff from the office costs allowance. I regret therefore that the information requested is not available.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many Members employ(a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five or more employees from their office costs allowance.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Excluding one-off payments, 171 Members employed one member of staff; 270 employed two; 141 employed three; 42 employed four and 13 employed five or more as at the end of October.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many employees are paid out of the office costs allowance; and how many Members have given their employees a contract of employment as requested by the Fees Office and the House.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Excluding one-off payments there were, at 31 October 1991, 1,332 persons employed by hon. Members and paid from the office costs allowance. This represents 1,370 separate employments. On the same date 601 hon. Members had contracts of employment with members of their staff.

  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if there is to be any increase in 1991 in the maximum sum that may be claimed by an hon. Member in respect of additional expenses necessarily incurred in staying overnight away from his main home for the purpose of performing his parliamentary duties.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The civil service daily rate of subsistence for class 1 regular visitor (inner London) remains at £74·90 per day from 1 August 1991. Therefore, in accordance with the resolutions of the House of 20 December 1971 and 22 July 1975, the maximum sum that may be reimbursed will remain at £10,786 for the year ending 31 March 1992.

SCOTLAND

  Scottish Government
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for reforming the government machinery dealing with Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Reform of the government machinery in Scotland is continuous. We have transferred to the Scottish Office responsibility for nature conservation matters and for training under Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and local enterprise companies. We propose that responsibility for Scottish universities will also be transferred.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to create environmentally sensitive areas in Caithness and Sutherland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government believe that environmentally sensitive areas offer significant benefits to farming and conservation. My right hon. Friend intends to designate further areas in Scotland and has sought advice from his statutory advisers. He will announce the new areas in due course.

  European Community
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to improve representation of Scotland's interests within the European Community.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Scotland's interests are well served by existing arrangements for governmental representation within the European Community. The Scottish Office makes full use of these in its handling of Community business.

  In addition, my right hon. Friend supports Scottish Enterprise's plans to establish Scotland Europa, which will serve the European interests of a range of nongovernmental Scottish organisations.

  Patients Charter
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the implications of the patients charter for patients who presently benefit from in-patient specialised units.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The patients charter provides commitments on raising the standard of service for all who make use of the NHS in Scotland. In particular, all in-patients will benefit from the guarantees to be provided as from April 1992 on waiting times for admission to hospital.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the aims and objects of the patients charter.

  Mr. Lang
  The aim of our patients charter is to set out simply and clearly what everyone who uses the NHS in Scotland can expect from it; and to give a series of commitments designed to improve the standards of service.

  Cardiac Patients (Lothian)
  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when patients who were assessed as in need of cardiac surgery in February in Lothian health board area can expect to receive notification for their operation.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  About 60 per cent. of the patients assessed in February will have been admitted immediately as emergencies. Of those placed on the waiting list about 80 per cent will already have been admitted and the remainder will be notified as soon as a firm date for admission can be given.

  Salmon
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the salmon farming industry.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  On 8 November, in response to a request from the United Kingdom, the European Commission announced a minimum import price for certain presentations of Atlantic salmon, designed to prevent any further fall in the market price. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has welcomed the Commission's action as a helpful step in stabilising the market while attention is given to the industry's complaints of dumping by Norwegian companies.

  Proportional Representation
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce proportional representation for all elections in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

  Constituencies
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans his Department has for ensuring the size of Scottish constituencies conform to a United Kingdom average.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no present intention to propose changes in the rules set out in schedule 2 of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, to which the Boundary Commission for Scotland is required to give effect by section 3(1) of that Act.

  Health Visitors, Glasgow
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to discuss with the Greater Glasgow health board the proposed cuts in the number of home visits made by health visitors.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have no plans to do so. The board proposes to extend the benefits of the health visitor service to those who need it most by improving its efficiency and re-directing its efforts to the most vulnerable groups. This will result in an increase from 317,000 visits last year to an expected 540,000 contacts in 1992.

  Higher Education
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the number of students in higher education.
  598
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The numbers of students in full-time higher education have increased by over 40 per cent. to nearly 97,000 since the Government took office.

  Tourism
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many overseas visitors to Scotland are expected in 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The Scottish tourist board believes that visitor numbers in 1991 will be within the range of 1·45 to 1·5 million.

  Hill Farming
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with 'the National Farmers Union about hill farming; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My noble Friend the Minister for Agriculture in Scotland and other Agriculture Ministers met the four national farming unions on 23 October to review the economic situation in the hills and uplands. We will announce the results of the review as soon as possible.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on trust status for the hospital service in Edinburgh.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  NHS trust status with its emphasis on the delegation of responsibility to locally run trust boards provides considerable potential for improved patient care within the national health service and with services continuing to be free at the point of delivery as at present. All hospitals and units in Scotland have been invited to consider their potential for trust status. So far one hospital in Edinburgh, the Princess Margaret Rose, plus the Lothian college of nursing and midwives have expressed an interest. Others, I am confident, will follow.

  Local Authority Services
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss funding of essential services.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  My right hon. Friend's next scheduled meeting with the convention about local government finance matters is on 29 November.

  Agriculture
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure the future prosperity of the Scottish agricultural industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The output of Scottish agriculture in 1990 rose to 1·6 billion and aggregate farm income was estimated to rise to £172 million, above the average for the 1980s. We continue to monitor the situation closely, especially for hill farming. We are resisting firmly the discriminatory elements of the EC Commission's proposals to reform the common agricultural policy, and shall maintain special support to farmers and crofters in the highlands and islands under the rural enterprise programme.

  Public Health (Borders)
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response he will make to the second annual report of the chief administrative medical officer and director of public health concerning the health of the people of the Borders; and whether he intends to increase the resources available to enable the Borders health board to implement its recommendations.

  Mr. Lang
  Responsibility for the delivery of health care services in the area lies with Borders health board and it is for the board to determine its own priorities within the resources it receives. In reaching its decisions, the board will no doubt take into account, among other factors, the reports it receives annually from the chief administrative medical officer/director of public health about the health of the population in the area and the implications for services.

  Fish Conservation
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he proposes to meet leaders of the Scottish fishing industry to discuss fisheries conservation measures.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My noble Friend the Scottish Fisheries Minister will be meeting the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on 18 November.

  Highland Scottish Omnibuses
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much the Scottish Office was paid for the sale of Highland Scottish Omnibuses.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As has previously been indicated to this House, information on the sale prices obtained for each of the bus companies sold under the Scottish Bus Group disposal programme will be made available to Parliament as soon as possible.

  The legislation provides that sums received by the Secretary of State for the Scottish Transport Group by way of sale proceeds shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

  Trunk Roads (Salting)
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail what guidelines are issued to regional councils concerning the salting of trunk roads; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Currently there are no formal guidelines issued. The salting of trunk roads in Scotland is carried out in accordance with the procedures laid down by individual regional councils. These give the rates of spread for varying weather conditions and locations. The decision on whether salting should be carried out is taken on the information supplied by Met Office forecasts and ice detection equipment. The Scottish Office roads directorate intends to issue shortly a code of practice on winter maintenance which will include the regularising of regional practices with regard to the level of service of salting required on trunk roads.

  Education
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he received a copy of the report of the Channel Four Commission on Education; and what response he has made to the views expressed about Scottish education.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have not received a copy.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department supplied the Channel Four Commission on Education with statistical information or comments on the performance of Scottish education.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  It was for education authorities to decide for themselves whether they did so. My Department was not asked for information or comments.

  Courts (Amenities)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list his powers with regard to ensuring that district courts have basic standards of amenities for accused, witnesses, solicitors and staff.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Under section 8 of the District Courts (Scotland) Act 1975 it is the responsibility of local authorities to provide suitable and sufficient premises and facilities for the purposes of the district court.

  School Nurses
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many school nurses were employed in Scotland in(a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985 and (d)

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is as follows:

  School nurses employed by the NHS in Scotland as at 30 September

  Year

  Whole time equivalent

  1975

  137·0

  1980

  158·3

  1985

  227·1

  1990

  232·9

  Sentencing Appeals
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many appeals against sentence to the High Court of Justiciary there have been following conviction on indictment in each of the last 10 years for which information is available; and of these how many have been successful;

  (2) how many appeals against sentence to the High Court of Justiciary there have been following conviction on summary complaint in each of the last 10 years for which information is available; and of these how many have been successful;

  (3) how many appeals against conviction to the High Court of Justiciary there have been following conviction on indictment in each of the last 10 years for which information is available; and of these how many have been successful;

  (4) how many appeals against conviction to the High Court of Justiciary there have been following conviction on summary complaint in each of the last 10 years for which information is available; and of these how many have been successful.
  601
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Appeals against conviction, sentence and both conviction and sentence, 1981 to 1990

  Conviction

  Sentence

  Conviction and Sentence

  Year in which appeal determined

  Appeals proceeding to determination1

  Appeals upheld

  Appeals proceeding to determination1

  Appeals upheld

  Appeals proceeding to determination1

  Appeals upheld

  All appeals lodged2

  (a) Solemn Procedure

  1981

  93

  25

  102

  22

  66

  22

  398

  1982

  45

  3

  89

  13

  20

  5

  609

  1983

  84

  6

  130

  31

  49

  16

  576

  1984

  54

  3

  100

  22

  35

  15

  633

  1985

  43

  6

  163

  37

  15

  2

  715

  1986

  38

  2

  132

  48

  64

  19

  621

  1987

  54

  7

  182

  61

  30

  10

  624

  1988

  62

  9

  222

  57

  68

  18

  759

  1989

  69

  15

  250

  72

  77

  23

  767

  19903

  72

  18

  299

  83

  52

  20

  704

  (b) Summary Procedure

  1981

  110

  30

  232

  75

  116

  67

  717

  1982

  129

  31

  307

  67

  80

  26

  940

  1983

  150

  42

  356

  53

  97

  42

  1,067

  1984

  63

  22

  445

  103

  35

  10

  1,180

  1985

  56

  22

  494

  126

  48

  31

  1,338

  1986

  100

  23

  518

  177

  80

  43

  1,461

  1987

  112

  26

  573

  199

  70

  39

  1,502

  1988

  140

  46

  820

  268

  97

  51

  1,799

  1989

  164

  61

  1,011

  282

  145

  70

  2,039

  19903

  172

  71

  1,104

  325

  181

  101

  2,091

  1 Excludes abandoned appeals

  2 Subject of appeal not recorded. Bills of suspension are included in summary appeals in 1986 and earlier years.

  3 Provisional.

  Children
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in relation to the justice charter for Scotland, he has any plans to introduce legislation concerning the tendering of video-recorded interviews of children as admissible evidence in court cases involving sexual abuse or physical abuse of children; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A proposal to enable the evidence of children to be taken on commission and for the commission proceedings to be video recorded was contained in the Scottish Law Commission's report on the evidence of children and other potentially vulnerable witnesses and is at present under consideration.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement concerning the educational, training and recreational facilities made available to those children detained in relation to section 205 or section 206 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Children detained under section 205 or 206 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 in residential child care establishments receive the same standard of educational, training and recreational facilities as the other children in them. Such establishments have educational and recreational facilities within their premises, but they also have access to external facilities to help them meet the needs of individual children, subject to any additional safeguards which are necessary for their own safety, or the safety of others.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland at what stage of detention of a child, detained under the terms of section 205 or section 206 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, he or she is eligible for home visits; and if he will make a statement.
  602
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Children who are detained without limit of time under section 205 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, following a conviction for murder, are not allowed home visits while detained in the child care system. There are regular opportunities for family and friends to visit the child in the appropriate residential establishments.

  As regards home visits for children sentenced to be detained under section 206 of the 1975 Act, each case is considered on its merits, having particular regard to the nature of offence and length of sentence. In most cases, home visits become a regular part of the child's programme.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state(a) the number of children detained in relation to section 205 or section 206 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 in each of the past 15 years, (b) the average length of detention/imprisonment undertaken by such offenders, (c) how many have been released under licence and (d) in how many cases licences were revoked; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Details of the number of children sentenced and recalled under section 206 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 during each of the 15 years to 31 December 1990 are given in the table. Records of the number of children released each year and the average period of detention are not maintained.

  Corresponding records for children convicted of murder and sentenced under section 205 of the 1975 Act are not separately maintained.

  Year

  Number sentenced

  Number recalled

  1976

  42

  5

  1977

  53

  5

  1978

  26

  1

  603

  Year

  Number sentenced

  Number recalled

  1979

  33

  5

  1980

  12

  1

  1981

  9

  —

  1982

  18

  —

  1983

  16

  —

  1984

  16

  2

  1985

  13

  1

  1986

  15

  2

  1987

  12

  —

  1988

  17

  1

  1989

  14

  —

  1990

  14

  2

  309

  25

  Number of patients waiting for orthopaedic surgery

  Lothian Health Board

  Scotland

  In-patients

  Day cases

  In-patients

  Day cases

  31 December 1989

  1,153

  123

  8,269

  1,150

  30 June 1990

  1,178

  139

  7,994

  1,255

  31 December 1990

  1,178

  107

  8,674

  1,398

  30 June 1991

  1,201

  135

  8,742

  1,427

  Note: This information was not collected at 30 June and 31 December in each year prior to 31 December 1989.

  "The Justice Charter for Scotland"
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of producing and distributing the Scottish Office publication "The justice charter for Scotland".

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: The estimated cost of producing and distributing the justice charter for Scotland is £14,000.

EMPLOYMENT

  EC Labour Statistics
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage increase in unemployment in each of the EC countries over the last 12 months.

  Mr. Jackson
  The table gives the percentage point change over the latest 12 months in the internationally comparable unemployment rates for EC countries, as produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Where such rates are not available, harmonised rates produced by the Statistical Office of the European Communities are given.

  Percentage point change in unemployment rates over the latest 12 months in EC countries

  Standardised unemployment rates seasonally adjusted

  Percentage point change

  Latest month

  United Kingdom

  3·2

  September

  Ireland

  2·4

  September

  Denmark1

  0·9

  September

  France

  0·7

  August

  Belgium

  0·5

  September

  Luxembourg1

  0·4

  September

  Italy

  0·3

  April

  Child Care Inquiry, Fife
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the Fife child care inquiry.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The chairman of the inquiry into child care policy in Fife has finished hearing evidence from the parties concerned and is now preparing his report, which we are keenly awaiting.

  Orthopaedic Surgery
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of patients waiting for operations or procedures in respect of orthopaedic surgery as at 31 December and 30 June in each year since 1988 in respect of(a) Lothian health board and (b) Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: The information available is set out in the table:

  Percentage point change

  Latest month

  Spain

  -0·4

  May

  Portugal

  -0·5

  May

  Netherlands

  -0·9

  July

  1 OECD standardised rates are not available for Denmark and Luxembourg. Similar harmonised rates compiled by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (SOEC) are shown for these countries.

  Notes:

  1. There are currently no comparable rates available for Greece.

  2. There are no reliable figures available as yet for the unified Germany.

  Source: OECD "Main Economic Indicators" and press releases.

  EUROSTAT "Unemployment" bulletins.

  Heathrow Airport (Signposting)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will provide extra funds to the tourist boards to promote improved signposting in the vicinity of Heathrow airport.

  Mr. Forth
  No. The Department does not provide funds either directly or through the English tourist board to cover the costs of directional or tourist road signs. Directional signs are a matter for the Department of Transport or for the appropriate local highway authority. The costs of erecting white-on-brown tourist road signs must be met by the attraction or venue concerned.

  Ports (Cargo Handling)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many port businesses employing workers involved in cargo-handling activities which have commenced business since July 1989 have had their operations inspected by the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on cargo handling businesses is not recorded separately from other support services to sea
  605
  transport by the Health and Safety Executive and would require a manual search of records. This could be carried out only at disproportionate cost. HSE inspectors do regularly carry out preventive inspections of port operations, including cargo handling and other transient activities. This is in addition to investigating accidents and dangerous occurrences and complaints which are reported to them.

  TECs and LECs
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from trade associations about the overhead costs incurred in administering Government funds via training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies; if he has any plans to change the current funding arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The arrangements for administering training programmes funded by TECs is a matter for agreement between each TEC and the training provider concerned. Funding arrangements for TECs are being reviewed as part of the review of the TEC operating agreement for next year and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State hopes to be in a position to agree any changes with TECs shortly.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to reduce(a) the bureaucracy surrounding the operation of training and enterprise councils and (b) the costs borne by national training organisations through having to operate the current funding arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has reduced administrative burdens on TECs to a minimum, consistent with the need for proper control of public funds, including the oversight exercised by Parliament. The TECs and national providers unit established within the Department facilitates arrangements between national training providers and individual TECs. TECs have substantial freedom to adapt training and enterprise support to the needs of their local area.

  Injuries to employees in the sea transport and port and inland water transport industries in Great Britain 1984 to 1989–90

  Date of accidents

  Number of reported injuries (a)

  Number of accidents involving dangerous goods

  Fatal

  Major

  Over three days (b)

  Total

  Fatal

  Injuries

  1984

  9

  113

  N/A

  N/A

  —

  N/A

  1985

  12

  120

  N/A

  N/A

  —

  N/A

  1986–87(c)

  6

  144

  694

  844

  —

  7

  1987–88(c)

  13

  136

  672

  821

  —

  9

  1988–89(c)

  9

  123

  655

  787

  —

  2

  1989–90(c)

  11

  94

  514

  619

  —

  1

  (a) As reported to the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 (NADOR) for the years 1984 and 1985, and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (RIDDOR) for subsequent years.

  (b) Injuries causing incapacity for work for more that three consecutive days.

  (c) Year beginning 1 April.

  National Vocational Qualifications
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if it remains his intention to withhold training funding from national training organisations until national vocational qualifications are awarded; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The funding of training organisations for training leading to national vocational qualifications under employment training and youth training is a matter for negotiation between training and enterprise councils and the organisations concerned.

  Training Credit Schemes
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he is taking to ensure a degree of standardisation in the administration of local training credit schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The training credits pilots now running in 11 areas throughout Great Britain were selected to test a range of approaches in a number of different environments. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has commissioned a rigorous evaluation of these pilot schemes. The evaluation results will be disseminated to TECs and local enterprise companies to inform the future development of training credit schemes, including any areas where the evaluation suggests that a degree of standardisation may be appropriate.

  Ports (Accidents)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many serious accidents involving injury or death of employees have occurred in each major port(a) each year since July 1989 and (b) in each of the previous five years; and how many of these accidents have involved dangerous goods, as defined in the international maritime goods code.

  Mr. Forth
  This information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The total numbers of injuries to employees in ports notified to the Health and Safety Executive during this period are given in the table. Statistics for 1990–91 are not yet available.

  Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the arrangements for the early retirement of the chief inspector of the nuclear installations inspectorate includes a non-disclosure agreement.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Executive chief inspector of nuclear installations retired on reaching the normal age of retirement. In common with all civil servants, he signed the Official Secrets Act on commencement of his employment and will continue to be bound by it after retirement. This covers the divulging of any information gained as a result of his appointment.

DEFENCE

  Unused Defence Establishments
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in tabular form a list of Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force establishments in the United Kingdom which are not at present in use but which are capable of being used at up to three months' notice; and if he will specify the number of beds available in each case.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Army Vehicles
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the categories of vehicle among the 400 Army vehicles in London district covered by the contract maintenance scheme; and to which specific units they are allocated.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information is as follows:

  Categories of vehicles covered by the London district contract maintenance scheme and their distribution

  Vehicle type

  Site 1

  Site 2

  Site 3

  Site 4

  Total

  Car saloon grade A

  35

  —

  1

  —

  36

  Car saloon grade B

  51

  3

  11

  3

  68

  Car saloon grade C

  45

  12

  17

  2

  76

  Car utility small

  32

  14

  24

  7

  77

  Minibus 13 seater

  35

  15

  11

  2

  63

  Minibus 17 seater

  6

  2

  8

  —

  16

  Van 3·5 tonne (diesel)

  22

  —

  —

  12

  34

  Van 3·5 tonne (petrol)

  14

  4

  2

  —

  20

  Truck 7·5 tonne (W/tail lift)

  4

  1

  2

  4

  11

  Truck 7·5 tonne (curtain sided)

  —

  2

  2

  —

  4

  Truck van 10 tonne (box body)

  8

  —

  —

  —

  8

  Transit ambulance

  —

  9

  —

  —

  9

  Total

  252

  62

  78

  30

  422

  The vehicles are used throughout London district and the sites from which they operate are:

  1. 20 Squadron RCT, Regents Park.

  2. 56 Squadron RCT, Woolwich.

  3. D Troop, 20 Squadron RCT, Hounslow.

  4. Postal and Courier Depot, RE, Mill Hill.

  608
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances officers in each of the three services are issued with cars without the services of a driver.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Officers are issued with self-drive cars when this is the most cost-effective means of providing transport to enable them to fulfil their duties.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the lowest rank in each of the three services which confers entitlement to the exclusive use of a staff car.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Entitlement to a staff car is determined by an officer's appointment rather than by his rank. Officers in command of major units are allocated cars, but other personnel whose duties justify exclusive use of a car may also be entitled.

  Scottish Division
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions during the last five years when personnel from Scottish Division infantry divisions have been deployed to make up the strength of battalions from other divisions serving in Northern Ireland; and whether any such deployments are planned at present.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Using soldiers from one division to reinforce another is not an unusual occurrence. Over the last five years Scottish battalions have reinforced non-Scottish battalions serving in Northern Ireland on the following occasions:

  —7 soldiers between April and October 1988.

  —30 soldiers between September 1988 and March 1989.

  —10 soldiers between November 1988 and July 1989.

  —4 soldiers between September 1989 and January 1990.

  For operational reasons we do not give details of future deployments.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average length of service of trained soldiers in the Scottish Division and in the rest of the infantry, apart from the Gurkhas, respectively.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Average Length of Service of Trained Soldiers

  Length of Service (in Years)

  Financial Year

  Scottish Division

  Rest of Infantry1

  1988–89

  6·9

  7·0

  1989–90

  7·0

  7·2

  1990–91

  7·3

  7·4

  1 Rest of Infantry includes Guards and Parachute Regiment but excludes Scottish Division.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the rate of losses of recruits during initial training over the last five years at the Scottish Division depot and in the rest of the Army, respectively.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Wastage rates for the Scottish division depot are not kept separately; the table below shows wastage rates for the whole Scottish Division, compared with those for the rest of the Army.
  609

  Wastage of adults and young soldiers within first six months of service

  Financial year of intake

  Scottish division

  Rest of army

  Rate per cent.

  Rate per cent.

  1986–87

  11·0

  25·9

  1987–88

  23·6

  29·7

  1988–89

  28·1

  27·8

  1989–90

  29·5

  30·0

  11990–91

  26·6

  31·7

  1 Provisional figures for 1990–91.

  Sandhurst
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average number of warrant officer and staff sergeant instructors at Sandhurst for each infantry division for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Average number of Warrant Officer and Staff Sergeant Instructors at Sandhurst for each Infantry Division for each of the last five years

  Division

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Household

  33

  36

  38

  41

  36

  Scottish

  3

  6

  5

  8

  9

  Queens

  9

  11

  9

  9

  5

  Regiment/Unit

  Regional links/Recruiting areas

  Changes following restructuring

  1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

  Shropshire, Hereford, Wales

  No change

  The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys)

  Scotland

  No change

  4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards

  North and West Yorkshire

  To amalgamate with the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in Mid 1992

  5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards

  Northern Ireland, Cumbria, Cheshire

  To amalgamate with the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards in Mid 1992

  The Queen's Own Hussars

  Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcester

  To amalgamate with The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1993

  The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars

  Northern Ireland, Surrey, Sussex, London (part)

  To amalgamate with The Queen's Own Hussars in 1993

  9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)

  Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Blackheath

  No change

  The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)

  Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire

  To amalgamate with the 14th/20th King's Hussars late 1992

  13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)

  South Yorkshire, North Humberside

  To amalgamate with 15th/ 19th The King's Royal Hussars late 1992

  14th/20th King's Hussars

  Manchester, Iancashire, Isle of Man

  To amalgamate with The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) late 1992

  15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars

  Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear

  To amalgamate with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) in late 1992

  610

  Division

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Kings

  6

  6

  6

  6

  8

  Prince of Wales

  10

  7

  9

  6

  6

  Light

  3

  5

  6

  4

  3

  Parachute

  2

  4

  3

  4

  4

  Regimental Links
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State For Defence if he will list the artillery and armoured regiments which have recognised links with geographical areas of the United Kingdom, giving the area concerned; and if he will make a statement on the effect of his plans for the Army on each of these regiments.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Current regional links and recruiting areas for Royal Armoured Corps and Royal Artillery regiments are listed in the table below, together with any effects of restructuring on those regiments. We will ensure that the new Army structure covers those regional areas currently covered by units to be disbanded or amalgamated. Timings should be broadly as shown, although there may have to be some adjustment to later dates as detailed plans take shape.
  611

  Regiment/Unit

  Regional links/Recruiting areas

  Changes following restructuring

  16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers

  Staffordshire, Wolverhampton

  To amalgamate with the 17th/21st Lancers in 1993

  17th/21st Lancers

  South Humberside, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire

  To amalgamate with the 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers in 1993

  1st Royal Tank Regiment

  Leeds, Halifax, Wakefield, Manchester, Merseyside

  To amalgamate with 4th Royal Tank Regiment in 1993

  2nd Royal Tank Regiment

  Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, London

  To amalgamate with 3rd Royal Tank Regiment in mid 1992

  3rd Royal Tank Regiment

  Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset

  To amalgamate with 2nd Royal Tank Regiment in mid 1992

  4th Royal Tank Regiment

  Scotland

  To amalgamate with 1st Royal Tank Regiment in 1993

  1st Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

  South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire

  No change

  3rd Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

  Northumberland and northern half of Tyne and Wear

  No change

  7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

  Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire

  No change

  2nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Greater Manchester

  To be disbanded 1994

  4th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  North Yorkshire, Cleveland, Durham, southern half of Tyne and Wear

  No change

  19th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Fife, Grampian, Highlands, Western Isles, Tayside

  No change

  26th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Sussex, Surrey and South-West London

  No change

  27th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset and South Wiltshire

  To be disbanded early 1993

  29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery

  Somerset, Devon, Cornwall

  No change

  40th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Lothian, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway

  No change

  45th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  West Yorkshire and southern North Yorkshire

  To be disbanded 1993

  47th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Leicestershire, Derbyshire

  To be redesignated as 47 AD Regiment in 1993

  49th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Hertfordshire

  To be disbanded 1992

  5th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery

  Northern Wiltshire, Avon, Gloucestershire

  No change

  32nd Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery

  Cheshire and Merseyside

  No change

  39th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery

  Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcester

  No change

  12th Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery

  Cumbria, Iancashire

  No change

  16th Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery

  Strathclyde and Central

  No change

  22nd Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery

  Wales

  No change

  612 613

  Regiment/Unit

  Regional links/Recruiting areas

  Changes following restructuring

  50th Missile Regiment Royal Artillery

  Lincolnshire, Humberside

  To be disbanded early 1993

  94th Locating Regiment Royal Artillery

  Kent

  To be disbanded 1993

  Infantry Battalions
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table showing the tasks for infantry battalions and the units earmarked to fulfil those tasks up to 1997, indicating the number of battalions required for each task and the number of battalions available to be deployed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Details of infantry tasks and the battalions available to undertake these tasks are provided in the Command Paper "Britain's Army for the 90s". Future arms plot and emergency tour plot details are classified and cannot therefore be provided but, in most cases, tasks are not allotted to specific units as far ahead as 1997.

  Ballistic Missiles
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the threat to NATO territory from ballistic missiles deployed by countries other than the Soviet Union and China.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Excluding the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, the following nations have a ballistic missile capability with the range to hit NATO territory: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Syria. The possession of such a capability does not necessarily imply that any particular country constitutes a threat to NATO.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he intends to conduct(a) with the United States Government and (b) with the Soviet Union Government about ballistic missile defences.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to discuss ballistic missile defences with the Government of the Soviet Union. We remain in close touch with the United States on this subject.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many anti-ballistic missile systems the Soviet Union currently deploys; and where these are situated;

  (2) what is his assessment of the range of existing Soviet ABM systems;

  (3) what is the maximum number of ABM launchers the Soviet Union is permitted to deploy under the terms of the ABM treaty;

  (4) what is his assessment of the current status of the Soviet Union's modernisation programme of its ABM system;

  (5) what is his assessment of the improved military capability of the Soviet Union's ABM defences since these were first deployed;

  (6) what is his assessment as to the numbers and location of deployments of future Soviet ABM systems.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Under the 1972 United States-Soviet ABM treaty and subsequent protocols, the 614
  Soviet Union is limited to a maximum of 100 ABM launchers located within a radius of 150 km around either the national capital or one area containing silo fields. The current, upgraded, Soviet ABM system became operational in 1989. Components of the system, deployed around Moscow, include the short-range Gazelle interceptor and the Gorgon long-range interceptor for engagements beyond the atmosphere. The upgraded system is believed to comprise the full 100 launchers permitted compared with the 64 launchers of the original system. Future Soviet ABM deployments are similarly expected to conform to the 1972 treaty and its protocols or any future renegotiations of the agreement.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the continuing adherence to the ABM treaty by the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Soviet Union is party to the ABM treaty and has undertaken to abide by its international obligations, including those to arms control. We strongly support this.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards President Bush's proposal to conduct joint discussions about the development of ballistic missile defences with the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We remain committed to the six points agreed with President Reagan in the mid-1980s which included our support for negotiated deployment of strategic defences. The latest developments are consistent with this.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the development and deployment of(a) anti-tactical ballistic missile systems and (b) strategic ABM systems by NATO.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United Kingdom's approach to ballistic missile defences remains based on the agreements reached between the then Prime Minister and President Reagan at Camp David in December 1984 and November 1986. These are set out in paragraph 208 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988.

  Free-fall Bombs and Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many United Kingdom free-fall bombs(a) are currently stockpiled or deployed, (b) will be withdrawn from service in accordance with the announced cuts and (c) will remain in service;

  (2) what means he intends to make available to international inspectors in order to verify the announced reduction in the number of United Kingdom nuclear weapons;

  (3) what information he intends to make available to the House to verify the announced reduction in United Kingdom nuclear weapons.
  615
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend announced to the House on 14 October at column 58 a substantial reduction in the numbers of our WE177 free-fall bombs. However, in keeping with the practice of successive Governments, we do not make public detailed information on our stockpile size. The question of verification does not arise.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to open the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear weapons to international inspection for the purpose of verifying the numbers of warheads and launchers deployed, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United Kingdom's nuclear weapons are not subject to any international treaty and there is therefore no requirement to make them open for inspection.

  Tactical Air-to-Surface Missiles
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what systems are currently being developed in the United States which could perform the role of(a) a NATO tactical air-to-surface missile and (b) a United Kingdom TASM; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  There are two systems known to be at the development stage in the United States which might have technical characteristics suitable for either a NATO or United Kingdom TASM. These are the short-range attack missile (tactical) (SRAM-T) and the supersonic low-level air target (SLAT).

  Soviet Navy
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards negotiating reductions in Soviet naval power through arms control.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Her Majesty's Government are always willing to consider any proposal aimed at increasing mutual trust, openness and confidence, and enhancing security and stability. In general terms, we consider that negotiations relating specifically to maritime forces would at present be premature, but the possibility of some naval transparency measures is under consideration.

  Main Battle Tanks
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of how many main battle tanks the United Kingdom will deploy by 1995.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Once the "Options for Change" reductions have been completed, it is planned to deploy eight regiments of 50 main battle tanks each within the Field Army.

  Ulster Defence Regiment
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to introduce legislation to give effect to the merger of the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Rangers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Existing legislation will be amended as necessary in due course.

  Iraq
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what revision he has made of his assessment of the likely date when Iraq was likely to be able to detonate a nuclear bomb following proof that Iraq has detonated nuclear initiators.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We are unable to comment on the sixth United Nations nuclear inspection of Iraq until the IAEA releases the full documentation for analysis in the United Kingdom.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for compensation because of exposure to asbestos while in the services have been received and rejected because of section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Fifty-five.

  Frigates and Destroyers
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average age of the frigates and destroyers in the Royal Navy for 1990, 1985 and 1980.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The average age of the destroyer and frigate force on 1 April of each year was as follows: 1980, 11 years and 9 months; 1985, 13 years and three months; 1990, 12 years.

  Royal Parks
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the security aspects for barracks and other MOD property of the proposed contracting out of the management of the royal parks.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I have been asked to reply.

  The security implications for the royal palaces, public buildings and MOD property of contracting out the garden and landscape maintenance work in the royal parks are considered in the same way as they are whenever a contractor's staff undertakes work in such buildings or their gardens.

  BATHING WATER QUALITY SURVEY
  BATHING WATER QUALITY SURVEY
  URBAN REGENERATION PROGRAMMES
  URBAN REGENERATION PROGRAMMES
  ITV LEVY RATES
  ITV LEVY RATES
  EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS: TAXATION
  EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS: TAXATION
  CAA: GOVERNMENT OBJECTIVES
  CAA: GOVERNMENT OBJECTIVES
  SALMON MARKET: PRICING REGULATION
  SALMON MARKET: PRICING REGULATION