Written Answers of 14 November 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Mr. and Mrs. Beurton
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Attorney-General what action he intends to take to stop the self-confessed spy Ursula Beurton from profiting from the sale of her book; and if he will refer the case of Mr. and Mrs. Beurton to the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide what case there is to answer in light of Mrs. Beurton's admission in the book that she and her husband were Soviet intelligence officers.

  The Attorney-General
  The case of Mr. and Mrs. Beurton has been drawn to the attention of the acting Director of Public Prosecutions. Taking into account all the circumstances, in particular their ages, the lapse of some 50 years since any Official Secrets Act offences may have been committed and the context in which they were then operating, the acting Director has decided that it would not be in the public interest to take any action against them in respect of these offences. There does not at present appear to be any basis for civil proceedings in respect of the publication of the book.

  Legal Aid Board
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the names, salaries and former and present occupations of each member of the Legal Aid Board; and how often the board has met.

  The Attorney-General
  The names and occupations, or former occupations, of the present members of the Legal Aid Board are:

  John Pitts (Chairman)—Former Chairman and Chief Executive of the Tioxide Group. Chairman of the Shildon and Sedgefield Development Agency.

  Martin Acland—JP, General Commissioner of Income Tax and Former Executive Director of Mercantile Credit Co.

  Diana Beale—Advice Worker and member of the National Association of Citizen Advice Bureaux.

  Allan Blake—Associate Dean of Leeds Business School. Formerly Head of Department of Law at Leeds Polytechnic.

  Lyn Devonald—Solicitor.

  Kenneth Farrow—Barrister and Recorder.

  Geoffrey Hibbert—JP, former Personnel Director, Shell International Petroleum Co.

  David Sinker—JP, Chartered Accountant and Director. Formerly advisor to the National Board of Prices and Incomes.

  John Smith—JP, former Personnel Director and Assistant Managing Director, Associated British Ports. Member of Industrial Tribunals.

  Peter Soar—Solicitor. Former Chairman of Cambridge Duty Solicitors Scheme.

  The chairman of the board is paid £22,930 per annum. All other members are paid £7,109 per annum. With effect from 1 December the salaries will increase to £23,355 and £7,785 per annum respectively. There have been 29 full meetings of the board since 1 April 1989.

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General how many members of staff are at the disposal of the Serious Fraud Office in dealing with the BCCI issue.

  The Attorney-General
  The director of the SFO is satisfied that the staff resources available to her are sufficient for this purpose, and that there is sufficient flexibility to enable the fluctuating requirements of current cases to be satisfactorily met. It is the policy of the Serious Fraud Office not to disclose the deployment of operational staff involved in particular criminal investigations.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  National Insurance
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking arising from the report on national insurance contributions which his permanent secretary agreed with the National Audit Office.

  Mr. Jack
  The Department's official response and indications of any action required will form part of the evidence to be given by the Permanent Secretary on 20 November 1991 to the Public Accounts Committee. The formation of the Contributions Agency in April 1991 has already enabled the Department to improve the effectiveness of its management of contributions business by, among other things:

  (a) setting financial and business targets and providing an information system to monitor costs and progress

  (b) reorganising its operations to centralise contribution correction work which does not involve face-to-face contact with employers or contributors, achieving substantial efficiency savings and tighter control of queries;

  (c) developing a dedicated inspectorate with more, better-informed and better-trained staff able to tackle non-compliance, and provide guidance to employers, the self-employed and contributors to prevent errors; and

  (d) publicising its contributions business in employer and contributor charters and through conferences and surveys monitoring the agency's performance.

  The Department already has in hand a substantial programme of action, which includes the specific issues raised by the NAO report.

  Retirement Ages
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards equalising the retirement ages of men and women.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made in the House on 26 June at columns 997–1006.

  Cold Weather Credits
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from the Campaign for Cold Weather Credits; if he has costed its proposals; and what action he now proposes.

  Mr. Scott
  We have received a letter dated 17 October 1991 from the Campaign for Cold Weather Credits. Its proposals have not been costed in detail, but it quotes an
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  estimated cost of £500 million per year. We have recently introduced improvements to the cold weather payments scheme for the coming winter by introducing automatic payment based on forecasting as well as actual periods of very cold weather, and by abolishing the capital rule. We will continue to keep this scheme under review.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will explain the procedure whereby he notifies changes to the social fund directions and the stage in the procedure at which the changes take effect.

  Mr. Scott
  Changes to the social fund directions are normally made through an amendment to the Social Fund Manual. When an amendment is made to the manual, the date from which it takes effect is indicated by the date on the amendment. This date has in the past been the month and year, but will in future be a specified day.

  Five Countries Meeting
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total estimated cost of the five countries meeting on 3 to 8 November being hosted by his Department; who are the delegates and how they were appointed; and if he will publish the minutes of the meetings.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 5 November 1991]: The total estimated cost is somewhat less than £40,000. Delegates are chosen by their own countries and a full list is as follows. As discussions are informal no proceedings will be published.

  Delegates

  United Kingdom—Department of Social Security

  Sir Michael Partridge, KCB, Permanent Secretary

  Mr. Nick Montagu, Deputy Secretary, Resource Management and Planning Group

  Mr. Alec Wylie, Chief Executive, Social Security Agency, Northern Ireland

  Australia—Department of Social Security

  Mr. Derek Volker, AO, The Secretary

  Mr. Jim Humphreys, National Manager, Operations

  Dr. Owen Donald, First Assistant Secretary, Social Policy Division

  Canada—Department of National Health and Welfare

  Mrs. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Deputy Minister

  Mr. John Soar, Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security Programs Branch

  Mr. Ray Laframboise, Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management Branch

  New Zealand—Department of Social Welfare

  Mr. Robin J. Wilson, Deputy Director-General

  Mr. Alan Nixon, Assistant Director-General, Programmes and Services

  United States of America—Social Security Administration

  Mr. Louis D. Enoff, Principal Deputy Commissioner

  Ms. Janice Warden, Deputy Commissioner for Operations

  Mr. Renato A. DiPentima, Deputy Commissioner for Systems

  [Mrs. Geraldine Novak, Director, International Activities Staff

  Mrs. Gertrude Wiggins, International Activities Staff]

  Mortgage Assistance
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the comparable figures to those contained in his answer of 22 October,Official Report, columns 577–78, for 1987, 1988 and 1989; and if he will give unemployed claimants receiving mortgage assistance as a proportion of unemployed claimants.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [pursuant to her reply, 7 November 1991, c. 87–88]: The following information was incorrect:

  Supplementary benefit 1987

  Number

  Per cent.

  Unemployed

  207,000

  As proportion of all claimants receiving help with mortgages

  28

  As proportion of all unemployed claimants

  10

  Lone Parents

  74,000

  As proportion of all claimants receiving help with mortgages

  10

  The correct information is as follows:

  Supplementary benefit 1987

  Number

  Per cent.

  Unemployed claimants receiving help with mortgages

  160,000

  As proportion of all claimants receiving help with mortgages

  48

  As proportion of all unemployed claimants

  9

  Lone parents receiving help with mortgages

  58,000

  As proportion of all claimants receiving help with mortgages

  17

ENERGY

  Standing Charges
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will now introduce legislation abolishing standing charges on gas and electricity consumption; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No. Standing charges are intended to reflect those fixed costs of supply which do not vary according to the actual consumption.

  Royal Portbury Dock
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on coal mining employment in each coalfield in the United Kingdom of the development of a coal-importing terminal proposed for the Royal Portbury dock;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed Royal Portbury dock coal importing terminal on the south Wales coalfield in respect of(a) deep mines and(b) licensed mines.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No such assessments have been made.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had regarding a rail link for the proposed Royal Portbury dock coal importation terminal.
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  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  None.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Sea Bass
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice and powers have been given to officials who will enforce the bass conservation measures.

  Mr. Curry
  Bass conservation measures are currently enforced by British sea fisheries officers (BSFOs) with powers arising from the Sea Fisheries Act 1968, the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 and in relation to fishing boats the Bass (Specified Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1990. Advice is given in the context of compulsory training programmes for BSFOs.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what dates he listed the sea bass fishing nursery areas; and how many warrants have been issued since those dates to officials to patrol and enforce the conservation measures.

  Mr. Curry
  The Bass (Specified Area) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1990 came into force on 27 June 1990. No new warrants have been issued in respect of this legislation because existing warrants held by officers of the sea fisheries inspectorate acting as British sea fisheries officers (BSFOs) cover all fisheries legislation. Instruments of appointment held by sea fisheries committees' officers trained and appointed as BSFOs include the enforcement of the bass legislation.

  Compensatory Allowances
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give details of how he intends to allot the extra £16·5 million in compensatory allowances payable on hill sheep and cattle in the 1992–93 scheme year.

  Mr. Curry
  The additional £16·5 million expenditure on hill livestock compensatory allowances for 1992–93 shown in the autumn statement represents the extra money necessary to meet the average 14 per cent. increase in headage rates announced on 11 February 1991. The terms of the 1992 scheme will be announced as soon as decisions have been reached in the light of the autumn review.

  Sheep Scab
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of sheep scab there were in the United Kingdom during the last 12 months; what were the corresponding figures for 1971 and 1981; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  In the last 12 months 160 cases of sheep scab were reported in the United Kingdom, compared with 69 in 1981 and none in 1971.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for approval of occupational pension schemes were received by the Inland Revenue; and 622
  how many were approved in each year since 1988–89; and what was the cost per scheme of approving(a) insured schemes,(b) large self-administered schemes and(c) small self-administered schemes in 1990–91.

  Mr. Maude
  The number of applications received and approvals given since 1988–89 are as follows:

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Number of applications

  57,328

  50,251

  32,347

  19,281

  Number of final approvals

  20,780

  30,082

  14,178

  12,144

  1To 31 October.

  The difference between the numbers of applications and approvals each year is largely a reflection of the need for schemes to amend their rules to comply with recent legislation before they can be approved.

  It is not possible to provide a precise cost for approving schemes. Many pension schemes are not capable of approval in the same year that an application is received. Estimated costs for each type of scheme, based on a recent sample of approvals work, are:

  Cost per scheme

  £

  (a) Insured schemes

  19

  (b) Large self-administered schemes

  173

  (c) Small self-administered schemes

  205

  EC Budget
  Mr. Ridley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he expects the United Kingdom's gross contribution to the European Community budget to be in 1991–92 and in 1992–93, respectively.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The United Kingdom's gross contribution, after abatement, (but excluding receipts) to the European Community budget is forecast to be £3,827 million in 1991–92 and £5,397 million in 1992–93. The contribution in 1991–92 is lower than it would otherwise have been as a result of a refund of earlier years' contributions and higher than usual abatement.

  Economic and Finance Council
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council on 11 November and of the meetings of the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union on 11 and 12 November.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The Economic and Finance Council of the European Community met in Brussels on 11 November and the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union met afterwards on 11 and 12 November. I represented the United Kingdom at both meetings.

  The Council discussed the Italian Government's programme for economic convergence, the first such discussion of a member state's programme under the Council's new framework for multilateral surveillance. The Council focused on the need for improved budgetary discipline.
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  The Council agreed to bring forward the remaining tranches of the Community's balance of payments loans to Romania and Bulgaria subject to confirmation from the IMF that their programmes for the two countries would remain on track. The Community will also continue to encourage the members of the G24 outside the Community to increase their assistance to the two countries.

  The Council also discussed two proposals for aid to the Soviet Union. It was agreed that the existing 500 million ecu food credit should be disbursed as soon as possible. I urged that the Commission's new proposals for a further 1·25 billion ecu loan should be considered swiftly. It was agreed that the Commission should send a task force to Moscow to consider the operational details of the loan and that ministers should aim for agreement on the first tranche of such a loan on 25 November. I stressed the importance of including provision for feed grains in that first tranche. It was also agreed that both loans would allow a substantial element of the food to be bought from Eastern Europe.

  A Commission proposal to revise the financial perspective of the EC budget was also discussed but without agreement and the proposal was remitted to the Budget Council for further consideration.

  The Council reached agreement in principle on the VAT technical system directive and the administrative co-operation regulation. These provide for the operation of the intra-Community VAT system in the single market, and enhanced administrative co-operation between the fiscal authorities of member states in support of that system. These measures are vital steps toward the abolition of fiscal frontiers in the Community and the creation of the single market. Agreement brings a welcome end to uncertainty, allowing business and others with an interest, to plan with confidence for the completion of the single market.

  I again argued strongly that while tax free and duty-free shopping could not be retained indefinitely in the single market a transitional period longer than that proposed by the Presidency was needed. Member states agreed that intra-Community duty-free shopping should continue for almost eight years: until 1 July 1999. This will be reflected in the VAT technical and excise movements and control directives. Agreement on this transitional period allows businesses a reasonable period of time in which to make the necessary changes to their marketing and investment strategies.

  Full legal agreement on these two texts was not possible in the absence of texts in all Community languages, and given the need for certain technical clarifications. I made clear that the United Kingdom's agreement was subject to parliamentary scrutiny, which I look forward to completing shortly through a debate on this and the earlier agreement reached at the 24 June ECOFIN. Consideration of the draft excise movements and control directive was deferred until the next Council meeting.

  In the afternon of the same day and in the morning of 12 November Economics and Finance Ministers reconvened at a meeting of the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union. Three main issues were discussed: economic and social cohesion, the role of the European Parliament, and the institutional provisions for stage two.
  624
  I stressed that economic and social cohesion in the Community was best achieved through sound macroeconomic policies and progress on the single market. Many member states agreed that proposals for financial arrangements to promote cohesion could be discussed only in next year's review of the future financing of the Community, not in the intergovernmental conference.

  There was a brief discussion of the role of the European Parliament in economic and monetary union. I expressed the view that its involvement should be limited. Economic policy would remain largely a national responsibility under EMU, and hence accountability should properly be to national Parliaments. There might, however, be a role for the European Parliament in scrutinising the activities of the Commission and European Central bank. The role of the Parliament was discussed further at an inter-institutional meeting with MEPs in the afternoon of 12 November.

  On the institutional provisions for stage two, there was broad agreement on the principle of establishing a European monetary institute and for developing the ECU.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  School Examinations and Assessment Council
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place in the Library copies of the responses from local education authorities and the School Examination and Assessment Council made in relation to standard assessment tasks taken by seven-year-olds last term.

  Mr. Eggar
  The School Examinations and Assessment Council will publish reports of the evaluations which it commissioned from the National Foundation for Educational Research and from Leeds university in due course. It is for LEAs themselves to decide whether to publish their own evaluations.

  School Rolls
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the number of infant schools with(a) fewer than 50 pupils,(b) 50 to 100 pupils and(c) more than 100 pupils, respectively;

  (2) if he will list the number of primary schools with(a) fewer than 50 pupils,(b) 50 to 100 pupils,(c) 100 to 150 pupils,(d) 150 to 200 pupils and(e) more than 200 pupils, respectively.

  Mr. Eggar
  Provisional information for January 1991 on the number of maintained infant and primary schools in England, by size of school, is given in the table. The primary school figures include infant schools and middle-deemed-primary schools.

  England

  Infant schools

  Up to 50 full-time pupils

  53

  51 to 100

  237

  more than 100

  2,368

  Total

  2,658

  Primary schools

  Up to 50 full-time pupils

  1,294

  625

  England

  51 to 100

  2,344

  100 to 150

  2,667

  151 to 200

  3,948

  more than 200

  8,792

  Total

  19,045

  HMI (French Visit)
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the report from Her Majesty's inspectors following their visit to France.

  Mr. Eggar
  Yes, in due course.

  School Classes
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of primary school children are taught in classes which cover more than one year group.

  Mr. Eggar
  The primary school staffing survey carried out in 1987 showed that 28 per cent. of primary school children in England were being taught in mixed age classes. Mixed age classes were defined in the survey as those where more than 30 per cent. of pupils are in age ranges other than the largest for the class.

  Primary Education
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the written material submitted to his Department which he is considering regarding primary education.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend is considering a wide range of evidence about performance and standards in primary education. Evidence is regularly available to him from HM inspectorate, and from other sources, much of which is published.

  GCSE
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the consultations entered into with(a) parents,(b) teachers and(c) local education authorities prior to his announcement of a reduction in the percentage of coursework in GCSE.

  Mr. Eggar
  Decisions by my right hon. and learned Friend on the restraint and control of coursework in the GCSE examination take account of consultations with, and advice from, the School Examinations and Assessment Council established under the Education Reform Act 1988 as the Government's principal advisory body in the field of public examinations. The council includes several members with teaching or local authority experience.

  Student Grants
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of applications by students for mandatory grants for the current academic year were(a) processed and(b) paid by 1 November.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Batiste) on 6 November 1991, at column 134.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Company Administrators
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to introduce regulations to require the administrators of a company to make a full disclosure of their relationship with the company they are administering.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no such plans.

  Accounting Standards Board
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to exclude partners from the auditing firms criticised by his Department's inspectors from the working of the Accounting Standards Board.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Departmental Accommodation
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department intends to reoccupy 1 Victoria street following refurbishment; and whether his Department will give up any of its other central London accommodation.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department intends to move back into 1 Victoria street, following refurbishment, and the intention is to relinquish at least two other central London offices.

  Auditing Practices Board
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his representative on the Auditing Practices Board has received any documents prepared by a working party headed by any partner from the auditing firms criticised by his Department's inspectors.

  Mr. Redwood
  Yes.

  Enterprise Initiative
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for each year in which the quality initiative section of the enterprise initiative has been operational(a) what sum of Government money has been spent,(b) how many separate grants have been provided,(c) what is the average amount provided by the Government for each grant,(d) how many enterprises have applied for arid received certification by third party certification authorities confirming compliance with the requirements of BS 5750 and(e) how many grants have been provided to trade associations for the purpose of preparing guidelines and model quality manuals for the use of their members in developing their own manuals.

  Mr. Lilley
  The information requested is provided by financial year and covers the quality element of the enterprise initiative consultancy scheme.

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Project spend (£ million)

  2·8

  10·0

  13·3

  Completed projects

  903

  3,263

  3,782

  Average project spend (£)

  3,101

  3,065

  3,517

  627
  A recent survey carried out by scheme contractors has indicated that 95 per cent. of firms taking the quality consultancy scheme have applied for, intend to apply for, or have achieved certification under BS5750. To date, under the quality consultancy scheme, one trade association has applied for strategic advice on the preparation of quality procedures common to member businesses.

  China
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what checks are made on the importation of products manufactured in the People's Republic of China in order to ensure that they have not been produced in prison labour camps; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Such trade is governed by the Foreign Prison Made Goods Act 1897, as amended in 1988. For enforcement of the Act, the Government have to rely in the main on the private sector or others to supply sufficient information to Customs and Excise.

  Enterprise Initiative
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the regional takeup of each of the enterprise initiative schemes; and if he will place copies of such tables of regional takeup in the Library.

  Mr. Lilley
  Information on regional takeup of the consultancy help available under the enterprise initiative is published in the Industrial Development Act annual report. A copy of the report for the year ending 31 March has been placed in the Library of the house—House of Commons paper number 593. The relevant information is contained in tables 1 to 4 of appendix 25.

  Electronics Industry
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of the recession upon production and employment in the United Kingdom electronics industry.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 13 November 1991]: There is no official assessment of the effect of the recession on particular industries. However, the electronics industry has made great strides during the last decade in terms of improved growth and productivity and is now very much better placed to take advantage of the upturn in the economy as it occurs.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Lancashire Constabulary
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of police officers in the Lancashire constabulary in 1979 and at the last date available.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  In December 1979 there were 3,089 police officers on the strength of the Lancashire constabulary. By the end of August 1991 this had increased by 121 to 3,210 police officers.

  Television Franchises
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from members of the public concerning the process for awarding of the television franchises.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since the Broadcasting Act 1990 came into force on 1 January 1991, the Home Office has received 25 representations from members of the public; 20 of them have been received since September and were prompted by the Independent Television Commission's announcement of the channel 3 licence awards on 16 October.

  Absent Voting
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to ensure that form RPF 7B concerning applications for absent voting on grounds of blindness or physical disability are available in large print, in Braille and on tape.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  We are not aware of any demand for form RPF 7B to be made available in Braille or tape format. If there is such a demand, then we would be prepared to consider meeting it where practicable. We are currently considering the possibility of producing the form in a large print version.

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of police stations that are holding prisoners on remand; and how many are being held at each station.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  On Tuesdaty 12 November, prisoners were held in police cells in the following force areas:

  Number

  Avon and Somerset

  46

  Bedfordshire

  32

  Cambridgeshire

  21

  Cheshire

  44

  Cleveland

  22

  Cumbria

  12

  Derbyshire

  50

  Devon and Cornwall

  23

  Dorset

  3

  Durham

  21

  Dyfed

  15

  Essex

  11

  Gloucestershire

  8

  Greater Manchester

  227

  Gwent

  23

  Hampshire

  17

  Hertfordshire

  18

  Humberside

  67

  Kent

  37

  Lancashire

  97

  Leicestershire

  36

  Lincolnshire

  17

  Merseyside

  89

  Metropolitan

  122

  Norfolk

  28

  North Wales

  15

  North Yorkshire

  35

  Northamptonshire

  26

  Northumbria

  34

  Nottinghamshire

  42

  South Wales

  63

  629

  Number

  South Yorkshire

  95

  Staffordshire

  10

  Suffolk

  12

  Surrey

  9

  Sussex

  45

  Thames Valley

  31

  Warwickshire

  8

  West Mercia

  35

  West Midlands

  43

  West Yorkshire

  99

  Wiltshire

  31

  Total

  1,719

  Details of the individual police stations in which these prisoners are detained are not collected centrally.

  Policing, Docklands
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for increasing the number of police officers based and working in the London docklands.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This is a matter for the commissioner. But we are satisfied that the Metropolitan police will have adequate manpower, and that the commissioner's plans for their deployment take adequate account of the docklands development.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consultations he had regarding his Minister of State's visit to Glanely high school, Michaelston road, Ely, Cardiff, on Wednesday 6 November;

  (2) what discussions he had with the chairman of the education committee of the South Glamorgan county council and his director of education concerning his Minister of State's visit to Glanely high school, Michaelston road, Ely, Cardiff, on 6 November either(a) before his visit and(b) after the visit;

  (3) what was the purpose of the visit by his Minister of State to a school and parish priest's office in Ely, Cardiff, on Wednesday 6 November; how many officials accompanied him and from which sections of his Department; at what total cost; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) what consultations he undertook regarding the constituency boundaries of the Cardiff West constituency, prior to his Minister of State's visit to the Glanely high school and other locations in Ely, Cardiff, on 6 November.

  Mr. John Patten
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Dangerous Dogs Act
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to cover rottweiler and doberman pinscher breeds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which creates criminal offences relating to dogs that are dangerously out of control in a public place, already applies to all breeds of dog including the doberman pinscher and the rottweiler.
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  Section 1 of the Act, which imposes stringent requirements relating to certain breeds of dog and their owners, applies to types of dog bred for fighting or having the characteristics of a type bred for that purpose. As neither the rottweiler nor the doberman pinscher is a. type of dog bred for fighting, section 1 cannot be applied to them.

  I have no plans at present to use the reserve powers of section 2 of the Act which enables me to impose restrictions on any breed of dog which I consider presents a serious danger to the public. I shall continue to keep under review the need to use these powers in the light of experience of the operation of existing measures to deal with dangerous dogs.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for(a) begging and(b) sleeping rough and how many people have been convicted of (i) begging and (ii) sleeping rough in the Metropolitan police areaa during the period from January to October 1991.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 13 November at columns 536–38.

  Youth Remand Centre (Reconstruction)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposal he has for the reconstruction of Her Majesty's youth remand centre at Pucklechurch or in another convenient location.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I announced on 24 July at columns 598–600 the outcome of a review of the prison estate. This included proposals to close Pucklechurch remand centre in 1993–94, to convert part of Gloucester prison to a remand centre for male young offenders in 1992–93 and to reopen in 1993–94 Eastwood Park, following its closure as a young offender institution in 1992–93, as a female establishment.

  We are considering representations on these and other review proposals. I hope to make a further announcement soon.

  Hotels (Fire Safety)
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to publish new guidance on fire safety in hotels.

  Mr. John Patten
  Two guides on fire safety in hotels have been published today. The first, a new guide, is entitled "Fire Safety Management in Hotels and Boarding Houses". It is a simple, commonsense and practical guide comprising good housekeeping measures with a check list which managers can use to make sure that their hotels are as safe as possible from fire. The guide has been produced jointly with the Fire Protection Association and the Scottish Office. It is a blueprint for the 1990s and will help to make British hotels and boarding houses the safest in Europe.

  The second guide is a technical document entitled "Guide to Fire Precautions in Premises Used as Hotels and Boarding Houses which require a Fire Certificate". It has been produced by the Home Office and the Scottish Office and is mainly aimed at fire authorities although it will also

  631
  be relevant to all professionals in the field of fire precautions. The guide updates guidance produced in 1972 and incorporates the EC recommendation on fire safety in existing hotels.

  Copies of both guides have been placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT

  Royal Parks
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 applies to apprentices currently employed in the royal parks; and how many apprentices working in the royal parks received redundancy notices.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I am advised that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 does not apply to the apprentices currently employed in the royal parks. Redundancy notices have been issued to the 27 apprentices, but before contracts are signed I shall require contractors to enter into a deed to maintain apprentice training in the royal parks.

  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the cost and purpose of the work commissioned from land use consultants into the management of the royal parks; and if he will place a copy of their report in the Library.

  Mr. Heseltine
  Land use consultants have been commissioned by my Department to prepare various reports over the last 10 years on several of the royal parks covering their historical significance, strategy plans for their long term conservation and management, and assessments of staffing needs at the time. Records of the cost of the original historical surveys are no longer available. The cost of the other studies has been £154,000. The reports will form an important framework for the future management of the royal parks by the ground maintenance contractors. I am arranging for copies of the strategy and manpower reports for Regent's park, Hyde park and Kensington gardens, and for the staffing report for St. James's and Green park, to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many registered disabled workers are currently under redundancy notice in the royal parks; and what plans he has to ensure their continued employment by future contractors.

  Mr. Heseltine
  There are nine staff in the royal parks who are registered disabled and who have received notice of redundancy. All staff who have been made redundant, including those who are disabled, will be granted a job interview with the preferred tenderers, and must be informed of the tenderers' decisions before the contracts are signed. Tenderers will also be required to submit details of their company policy and practice regarding the employment of disabled persons. The Department will therefore be able to take these decisions into account in awarding contracts.

  Rifle Club
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Property Services Agency will complete their work in the Palace of Westminster Rifle Club.

  Mr. Yeo
  The major part of the electrical work affecting the rifle range has been completed. There will be further minor work next year but disruption will be kept to a minimum and the work is expected to be complete by the summer.

  North Sea
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take to encourage North sea states to produce a directory of the North sea coastal margin in order to protect North sea ecosystems; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Kingdom delegation to the North sea task force will be presenting a draft of our North Sea Coastal directory to the seventh meeting of the task force to be held in Antwerp from 19 to 22 November. This directory has been compiled for my Department by the Nature Conservancy Council, and subsequently the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, in order to bring together informaton on the conservation interest of the coastal zone. It will be a valauble contribution to the next quality status report on the North sea. We very much hope that other North sea states will support similar studies for their areas. Copies of the draft are being sent to interested organisations in the United Kingdom.

  Planning Applications
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received during 1991 over the use by planning applicants of untruthful or misleading statements in their applications; what remedies he proposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  The number of such representations could be established only at disproportionate cost. It is for local planning authorities to satisfy themselves that information given in planning applications is accurate. Under the Town and Country Planning (Applications) Regulations 1988, applicants can be required to furnish evidence to verify any statement made in a planning application.

  Boundary Commission
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision on the Local Government Boundary Commission's report No. 608 and recommendations regarding the boundary between Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Commission's final report was sent to my right hon. Friend on 9 September 1991. I regret that its notices informing the public that no decision could be taken for at least six weeks, and it was now open to them to make any representations directly to him, were defective. They have now been re-published, thus extending that period to the end of the year. There will be no avoidable delay in reaching a decision as soon as possible.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate how many regulations he intends to issue after 31 January 1992, with regard to extending compulsory competitive tendering to more local authority services; what individual services such regulations will apply to; and when he intends to issue the regulations.

  Mr. Portillo
  The number, content and timing of the necessary orders will depend on the outcome of our consideration of responses to the consultation paper "Competing for Quality—Competition in the Provision of Local Services", published on 5 November 1991, and on parliamentary approval of the provisions in the Local Government Bill.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations and comments he has received, either direct to his Department or through the PA Consulting Group(a) in favour of and(b) against extending compulsory competitive tendering to professional and technical services and if he will publish them.

  Mr. Portillo
  The publication of "Competing for Quality—Competition in the Provision of Local Services" has launched the process of consultation on our proposals to extend compulsory competitive tendering to professional and other services provided by local authorities. Comments have been invited by 31 January 1992. We shall place copies of non-confidential responses in the Libraries of the House of Commons and of the Department of the Environment.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost to his Department of awarding the contract to investigate the viability of extending compulsory competitive tendering to local authority professional and technical services, to PA Consulting Group; at what price other companies submitted bids; and if he will publish the evaluation procedure his Department used in awarding the contract and a summary of the specification.

  Mr. Portillo
  The cost to the Department was £55,000. The consultants were asked to examine the technical feasibility of extending the legislative requirements for competitive tendering to professional services. It is not our policy to comment on bids or evaluation procedure for individual consultancy contracts.

  Local Authorities (Trading Accounts)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to introduce primary legislation to establish internal trading accounts within local authorities.

  Mr. Portillo
  At the earliest opportunity after the election.

  Business Rate
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give, for each London borough, the total uniform business rate collected and the net amount of uniform business rate which is redistributed outside London under the pooling arrangements.
  634
  Mr. Portillo
  The following is the most useful, information that I can give. In 1991–92 authorities in London, including the City of London, will receive £1,780 million from the non-domestic rates pool and contribute, provisionally, £3,121 million. The table gives the estimated receipts of the 1991–92 non-domestic rates up to 30 September for those London authorities who have made a return to the Department.

  Estimated receipts of 1991–92 non-domestic rates 1 April to 30 September 1991

  £000

  City of London

  361,286

  Greenwich

  16,316

  Hackney

  36,901

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  28,628

  Islington

  46,812

  Lewisham

  12,030

  Tower Hamlets

  36,687

  Wandsworth

  19,263

  Barking and Dagenham

  17,932

  Bexley

  14,006

  Bromley

  21,538

  Ealing

  37,921

  Enfield

  25,546

  Harrow

  14,454

  Havering

  18,069

  Hillingdon

  53,478

  Hounslow

  50,406

  Merton

  17,248

  Newham

  23,276

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  15,140

  Waltham Forest

  12,268

  Red Squirrels
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has carried out in the last 10 years into the presence of red squirrels in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The most important national work on red squirrel populations is carried out by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Forestry Commission. The Institute of Terrestrial Ecology of NERC collects records of the presence of red squirrels and intends to publish the results in an atlas of mammal distribution in the United Kingdom. The Forestry Commission carries out surveys and maps the presence of red and grey squirrels on its land at regular intervals.

  Protected Species
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each of the last 10 years the number of licences issued to take species protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, indicating the species involved in each case.

  Mr. Baldry
  Details of licences issued to take protected bird species are given in the United Kingdom's annual derogation reports to the European Commission under the terms of the EC directive (79/409) on the conservation of wild birds. Copies of each report for the years 1981 to 1990 are placed in the Library of the House.

  In the case of non-bird species, 14 licences have been issued in this period to take unlimited numbers of the edible dormouse.

  Thamesmead Town Centre
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision on the planning application for the development of the Thamesmead town centre.

  Mr. Yeo
  The inspector's report is under active consideration and it is hoped to issue a decision shortly.

  Wind Energy
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish planning guidelines for local authorities dealing with wind energy planning applications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Preliminary guidance about this was given in a written answer by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 28 March at col.543. It advised local planning authorities to pay attention to the desirability of energy sources which do not emit harmful gases and to the need to protect the local environment from damage and loss of amenity.

  Officials in my Department, the Department of Energy and the Welsh Office are preparing a draft planning policy guidance note about renewable energy which we hope to issue for public consultation later this month.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to amend part VI of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to release capital receipts from the sale of council houses for investment in the provision of new housing.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (part IV, not VI) requires local authorities to set aside part of their capital receipts to meet outstanding loan debt and other liabilities, and this remains a sensible and prudent requirement. It has also enabled a greater proportion of capital receipts to be recycled in the form of new credit approvals to those local authorities where housing needs are greatest. Local authorities are free to spend the remainder of receipts on new capital investment. The balance between debt redemption and new investment is set in regulations and is kept under review.

  Wildlife Sanctuaries
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make it his policy to establish a register of wildlife sanctuaries, hospitals and rescue services, with a requirement that before registration such bodies have suitably qualified members of staff or qualified veterinary consultants who must visit the sanctuaries at least fortnightly;

  (2) if he will introduce legislation to ensure that wildlife sanctuaries, hospitals and rescue services are subject to regular spot checks by local authority environmental health inspectors or other appropriately qualified inspectors.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government recognise the excellent practical work already undertaken on a voluntary basis by the growing number of wildlife sanctuaries, hospitals and rescue centres. Existing legislation already protects captive 636
  animals against ill-treatment. The Government are not persuaded of the case for further statutory measures either for registration or inspection. In this field, it would be preferable for the bodies themselves to develop and agree voluntary codes of practice and thereby avoid incurring unnecessary costs and bureaucracy.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants his Department proposes to give to those organisations in the United Kingdom which will provide shelter and comfort to homeless people over the Christmas period; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  My Department has made £96 million available over three years under the rough sleepers initiative in central London. This has provided 500 places in hostels, with another 400 to come; 500 bedspaces in flats and houses leased from private owners and 250 places—out of an anticipated 1,850—in permanent housing.

  We are also providing grants under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 to over 80 voluntary organisations in England for practical projects to prevent and relieve homelessness.

  My officials are also in discussion with Single Homelessness in London about the provision of shelters for homeless people in central London this winter.

  Responsibility for housing in Scotland and Wales lies with my right hon. Friends, the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales respectively.

  Housing Renovation Grants
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will amend publicity issued by his Department in respect of housing renovation grants to make it clear that the mandatory rights of owners to receive grants are subject to the availability of resources in the local authority; and if he will make statement.

  Sir George Young
  No. Under part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 a local authority must approve a grant application for works to make a property fit for human habitation or for works to comply with a statutory notice. There is no provision under the Act to make such grants subject to resource availability.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decision he has made in respect of the application by Blackburn borough council for supplementary credit approval for mandatory renovation grants.

  Sir George Young
  Blackburn's application is currently being considered along with the bids received from other local housing authorities. Decisions on these will be announced shortly.

  Defective Housing
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department proposes to take under the Housing Defects Act 1984 to assist in the resolution of problems arising from the collapse of balconies at blocks of flats and maisonettes at Rowner, Gosport, originally owned by the Ministry of Defence but now leased to the borough of Gosport or owned by private purchasers.
  637
  Mr. Yeo
  I am considering whether the housing defects legislation is relevant to this case in the light of the report to the borough of Gosport by the Building Research Establishment. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Bathing Water
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many designated bathing waters there are in(a) the United Kingdom,(b) France and(c) Italy, respectively.

  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.

  Tecnazene
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he has had with the National Rivers Authority to take steps to prevent the contamination of water courses by the fungicide Tecnazene.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: With the cooperation of the National Rivers Authority my Department has carried out a survey of Tecnazene and its metabolites in rivers and effluents from potato washing and processing. The Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food has suggested a provisional water quality standard of 1 microgram per litre for tecnazene. The results of the survey, and the NRA's data, have been submitted to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides which is currently reviewing the registration of this fungicide.

  RNIB Needs Survey
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the report "Blind and Partially Sighted Adults in Britain—The RNIB Needs Survey"; what action he will be taking in relation to its findings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: I welcome the publication of this report, which gives us for the first time comprehensive and authoritative information about visually handicapped people in Britain. It will be of value to my Department when advice is given on the planning of programmes and the delivery of services in which attention is given to the special needs of visually handicapped people.

  Local Authority Investments
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each month from January 1991 and subsequently outstanding local authority investments by amount outstanding and the net change between periods using the categorisation that appears in the CSO's financial statistics, and differentiating between those banks which have eligible status and those which do not.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: The most recent quarterly figures for local authority investments were published in table 4.8 of "Financial Statistics", October 1991 edition. Figures for the third quarter will be available in the November edition.
  638
  Whereas the quarterly information on investments is collected from all authorities, the monthly information is collected only from a sample of authorities. The sample is not large enough to provide reliable figures in the detail requested.

  Information on local authority bank deposits used in table 4.8 is collected from banks by the Bank of England on a quarterly basis. Monthly figures, used for the provisional calculation of the local authority borrowing requirement, are estimated from information on all public sector bank deposits.

  No separate statistics are available for local authority deposits with eligible banks, which are banks whose sterling acceptances are eligible for discount at the Bank of England. The list of eligible banks, which is entirely a matter for the Bank of England, is determined on a functional basis, reflecting levels of activity arid commitment to the sterling acceptance market. Whether or not a bank is on this functional list carries no implications for its competence or credit-worthiness.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each month from January 1991 and subsequently outstanding inter-local authority investments by amount outstanding and the net change between periods.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: Information from the Department's quarterly survey of local authorities is as follows. I regret that no reliable monthly information is available.

  Local authority investments with other local authorities

  Amount outstanding

  Change from previous quarter

  £ million

  £ million

  1991 Ql

  960

  -159

  Q2

  1,335

  + 375

  Q3

  1,231

  1-104

  1 Q3 provisional.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish an update of his tables showing illustrative council tax bills for 1991–92 with the inclusion of an eighth property band.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: I do not propose to do so since the inclusion of an eighth property band makes no significant difference to the council tax figures for bands A to G published on 23 April.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Iraq
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the proportion of Government aid moneys given to the Simple Truth Campaign which was spent on Kurds living in Iraq; and if he will provide a breakdown of how the public moneys provided by the Government were spent.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave on 11 November to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes).

PRIME MINISTER

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

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

  Tibet
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister what factors he regards as part of the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We believe that human rights, as set out in the universal declaration of human rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, should apply to all people.

  Redistribution of Wealth
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards reducing the gap between the richest and the poorest 10 per cent. of the British population.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government's policy is to improve incentives to work and to save. Over the period 1979 to 1988—the latest available information—real incomes in all parts of the income distribution have risen.

  EC Regional Body
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he has given to the proposals to establish an EC institution representing the regions of the EC; what are his proposals regarding United Kingdom regional representation on the body; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We support proposals in the intergovernmental conference on political union for a new consultative body to represent the regions at Community level. Negotiations continue on the detailed arrangements. United Kingdom representation will be considered after the IGC.

  Minister for Youth
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will expressly designate a Minister with specific responsibility for youth.

  The Prime Minister
  No. The opportunities and problems facing young people are often not specific to that age group, and young people are themselves not a homogeneous group. They can best be served through specific actions spanning a range of Departments.

WALES

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many companies in(a) Merthr Tydfil and Rhymney,(b) Mid-Glamorgan and(c) Wales employ more than 200 people; and what percentage these are of the total number of companies in each case.
  640
  Mr. David Hunt
  Available information is given in the table. The analysis excludes agriculture and horticulture, activity heading 0100, of Standard Industrial Classification (revised) 1980.

  Units employing 200 or more persons

  Percentage of all units

  Merthyr and Rhymney travel-to-work1

  40

  1·8

  Mid Glamorgan

  128

  1·5

  Wales

  647

  1·1

  Source Census of Employment, 1989.

  1 Data for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney parliamentary constituency are not available.

  Investors in People Awards
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many companies in Wales have to date qualified for Investors in People awards; and whether he will list them, indicating the number of employees in each company.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Four companies in Wales have so far met the Investors in People standard. They are:

  Employees

  Monsanto PLC (Newport)

  480

  Tulsa Holdings Ltd (Newport)

  176

  Pirelli Cables (Aberdare)

  152

  Quattech Services Ltd (Treforest)

  3

  Low Pay
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in the constituency of Clwyd, South-West are paid less than £3·40 an hour; how many of these employees are(a) women,(b) part time and(c) in manual occupations.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Information on the numbers of employees earning less than £3·40 per hour is not available for sub-areas of Wales.

  Conwy Tunnel
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the causes of the recent flooding in the Conwy tunnel; and what remedies he proposes to prevent further flooding.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  There has been no flooding of the Conwy tunnel. The westbound carriageway was closed for two hours on 1 November to deal with a faulty heat/gas detection sensor.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if detergents used for cleaning of the Conwy crossing tunnel will be discharged into the Conwy estuary; and how the discharge will be treated.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Detergents are discharged into the public foul sewer. The type used in the tunnel are of a fully biodegradable kind.

  Penmaenbach Tunnel
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the anticipated annual cost of the maintenance of the Penmaenbach tunnel arising from the cracks in the lining of the tunnel.
  641
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  To date, the only maintenance cost associated with the cracking since the tunnel was opened to traffic in June 1989 is about £2,000 for minor remedial works. Future costs cannot be predicted, but are not expected to be significant.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration was given in the plans for Penmaenbach tunnel of the possibility of cracking of the lining of the tunnel.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The probability of shrinkage cracking in the tunnel lining was always recognised. The lining's main purpose is to provide a smooth surface to aid illumination and assist ventilation.

  Convey Estuary
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the annual quantity from all sources of raw, untreated sewage, presently discharged into the Conwy estuary.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This information is not available. The consented volumes of discharges are entered onto public registers maintained by the National Rivers Authority.

  Housing Starts
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses, private houses and housing association houses have been started in each of the months in 1991.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The number of dwellings started by district councils, private sector and housing associations for each of the months between January and August 1991 is given in the table:

  Local authority

  Private sector

  Housing association

  January

  42

  576

  157

  February

  0

  435

  196

  March

  3

  589

  222

  April

  20

  615

  236

  May

  0

  552

  172

  June

  9

  786

  274

  July

  0

  658

  213

  August

  4

  690

  155

  Roads, Mid Wales
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to build a dual carriageway in mid Wales during the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Health authority capital allocations 1981–82 to 1990–91

  £ million

  Clwyd

  East Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glamorgan

  Pembrokeshire

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  Annual total

  1981–82

  Discretionary allocation

  0·888

  0·731

  1·115

  0·504

  1·264

  —

  0·256

  1·484

  0·859

  7·101

  Centrally funded developments

  0·830

  0·140

  0·656

  0·522

  0·452

  —

  0·193

  1·761

  0·884

  5·438

  1982–83

  Discretionary allocation

  0·992

  0·624

  1·256

  0·568

  1·416

  0·200

  0·296

  1·680

  0·968

  8·000

  Centrally funded developments

  0·381

  0·168

  0·567

  0·668

  0·129

  0·010

  0·024

  2·608

  0·894

  5·449

  1983–84

  642
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No. Our policy is to undertake selective improvements to the A470 which is the main north-south link through mid Wales. That policy is set out in "Roads in Wales: Progress and Plans for the 1990s". The 1991 supplement to that, published in February, details the substantial programme of major improvements.

  Burns and Plastic Surgery
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now direct health authorities within Wales not to place contracts for specialist burns and plastic surgery outside Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The placement of contracts for specialist burns and plastic surgery is a matter for individual district health authorities. However, it is expected that contracts at the historic level for these services for patients in south Wales will continue to be placed with St. Lawrence hospital, Chepstow. I understand that patients in north Wales are continuing to be referred to specialist centres in England.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage of inward investment into Wales which is located in(a) Powys,(b) Dyfed excluding Llanelli and(c) Gwynedd, during the financial year 1990–91; and if he has any plans for increasing this amount.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Statistics held by Welsh Development International show the following percentage shares of inward investment projects secured in Wales:

  Projects

  Forecast jobs

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Dyfed (excluding Llanelli)

  2·0

  1·5

  Gwynedd

  3·4

  2·5

  Powys

  2·0

  0·4

  Total

  7·4

  4·4

  Health Authorities (Capital Spending)
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate the funds he has made available to each of the local health authorities for capital expenditure over(a) the past 10 years and(b) the sum proposed in the present year 1991–92.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The information requested is shown in the table.
  643

  Clwyd

  East Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glamorgan

  Pembrokeshire

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  Annual total

  Discretionary allocation

  1·000

  0·624

  1·272

  0·568

  1·408

  0·208

  0·288

  1·664

  0·968

  8·000

  Centrally funded developments

  0·245

  0·318

  0·140

  0·499

  0·234

  0·003

  0·020

  0·455

  0·456

  2·370

  1984–85

  Discretionary allocation

  1·437

  0·644

  1·504

  0·528

  1·646

  0·305

  0·311

  0·789

  1·434

  8·598

  Centrally funded developments

  0·676

  0·195

  0·055

  1·961

  1·315

  0·010

  0·047

  1·297

  1·902

  7·458

  1985–86

  Discretionary allocation

  2·697

  1·209

  2·823

  0·991

  3·089

  0·573

  0·584

  1·482

  2·692

  16·140

  Centrally funded developments

  2·658

  0·077

  0·055

  0·014

  5·488

  —

  0·411

  1·082

  1·504

  11·289

  1986–87

  Discretionary allocation

  3·576

  1·603

  3·743

  1·314

  4·096

  0·760

  0·775

  1·965

  3·570

  21·402

  Centrally funded developments

  1·291

  0·358

  0·337

  0·103

  1·498

  0·320

  0·077

  1·912

  1·719

  7·615

  1987–88

  Discretionary allocation

  4·086

  1·831

  4·277

  1·501

  4·680

  0·868

  0·885

  2·245

  4·079

  24·452

  Centrally funded developments

  0·155

  0·066

  0·036

  0·628

  0·817

  —

  0·153

  1·315

  0·912

  4·082

  1988–89

  Discretionary allocation

  4·935

  2·212

  5·166

  1·814

  5·653

  1·049

  1·069

  2·711

  4·927

  29·536

  Centrally funded developments

  0·399

  0·380

  0·259

  0·023

  0·798

  —

  —

  3·847

  0·608

  6·314

  1989–90

  Discretionary allocation

  6·915

  1·967

  7·308

  1·741

  7·168

  1·963

  1·589

  3·572

  6·732

  38·955

  Centrally funded developments

  0·466

  4·536

  3·036

  0·259

  2·570

  0·202

  0·040

  5·308

  0·345

  16·762

  1990–91

  Discretionary allocation

  6·277

  3·205

  6·184

  1·710

  8·054

  1·968

  1·113

  7·938

  8·072

  44·521

  Centrally funded developments

  0·070

  3·716

  1·400

  0·061

  4·095

  0·948

  0·095

  4·082

  2·242

  16·709

  1991–92

  Discretionary allocation

  8·582

  4·382

  8·454

  2·337

  11·010

  2·690

  1·522

  10·852

  11·034

  60·863

  Notes:

  (1) The discretionary allocation figures given above represent "start of year" allocations. They do not reflect any additional capital resources made available in-year as a result of land receipts or brokerage loans; nor do they take account of any funds which health authorities may have vired during the course of any of the years in question from revenue capital.

  (2) The figures also exclude further capital expenditure which has been incurred on behalf of health authorities concerned in respect of major building schemes and the purchase of IT equipment or other major items of equipment by the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  (3) All figures are at cash prices.

  (4) During the course of 1991–92 health authorities will also receive specific allocations for centrally funded developments.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what checks he made before the appointment of Touche Ross as his consultants on the reform of local government in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Selection followed the guidance set out in "Seeking help from Management Consultants" produced by the Treasury and published by HMSO.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the South Glamorgan TEC concerning the numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds leaving school in 1991 not so far in a job or training place under the youth training guarantee.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular meetings with the chairman of TECs in Wales. He is satisfied that sufficient financial resources have been made available to the South Glamorgan TEC for youth training provision. The TEC and the careers service are working closely with employers and training providers to ensure that the Government's guarantee is met.

  Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines were given for his departmental civil servants and Cardiff Bay development corporation consultants attending meetings with individual political parties on Saturday 9 November.

  Mr. David Hunt
  If the hon. Gentleman is referring to the Labour party meeting held on 9 November to discuss the predicted effects on groundwater levels of the Cardiff Bay barrage, I can confirm that my Department did not give any guidelines on conduct, and was not represented at that meeting.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Baltic States
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps are proposed by the European Community to assist the Baltic states in their efforts to create genuine independent economic conditions and policies.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Foreign Affairs Council on 4 November agreed negotiating directives for the European Commission to negotiate trade and co-operation agreements with the three Baltic states. These would
  645
  provide a framework for the liberalisation of trading relations between the European Community and the Baltic states, and encourage the process of economic reform. The Community has also extended its PHARE programme of technical assistance to include the Baltic states.

  Sovereign Republics
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements he is making for British representation in the sovereign republics of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tadjikistan, Turkenistan and Kirghizia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  British interests in these republics are represented by the embassy in Moscow. We are discussing the question of resident representation in Kiev and St. Petersburg with the appropriate authorities. We are keeping the question of resident representation elsewhere in the republics under constant review.

  Tibet
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning the policy of the Government of the People's Republic of China to transfer Chinese citizens to Tibet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A number of individuals and organisations have drawn reports of such transfers to our attention. There is however little or no reliable independent confirmation that such a policy exists. According to the most recent Chinese census figures, over 95 per cent. of the population of the Tibet autonomous region is Tibetan while 3·7 per cent. is Han Chinese.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to propose a United Nations or non-governmental organisation sponsored fact-finding delegation to Tibet in the near future to examine allegations concerning the violation of human rights and the destruction of the environment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to do so. A number of delegations concerned particularly with human rights have recently visited Tibet, including a delegation from the European Parliament. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister specifically raised Tibet when discussing human rights with Chinese Premier Li Peng in Peking in September.

  Departmental Papers
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of his Department's papers have been made available to the public since 1 October 1990.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Between 1 October 1990 and 31 October 1991, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office—excluding the Overseas Development Administration—made the following papers available to the public on request:

  Africa

  Decline of the One-Party State in Sub-Saharan Africa

  646

  Famine in Africa

  South Africa: Chronology March-December 1990

  South Africa: Chronology

  Asia: Far East

  Burma: A Missed Opportunity

  Heroin in South-East and South-West Asia

  New Hong Kong Airport

  Vietnamese Migrants in Hong Kong

  Reform in Mongolia

  Asia: Near and Middle East

  Oil Pollution in the Gulf

  Lebanon after the Taif Agreement

  Jerusalem: A Background

  Asia: Gulf Crisis

  An Offence against International Law

  Dismantling of Kuwait

  Effects of the UN Sanctions on the Iraqi Economy

  Foreign Hostages in Iraq and Kuwait

  International Community rejects Compromise

  Iraqi Claims to Kuwait

  Iraq: the Wasted Potential

  Life in Iraq-occupied Kuwait

  Multinational Force

  Oil Pollution in the Gulf: Iraq's New Dirty Weapon

  Rape of Kuwait

  Saddam Hussein's Legacy

  Suffering in Iraq

  Why Sanctions could not be given more Time

  Wider Repercussions of the Invasion of Kuwait

  Saddam Hussein: A continuing menace

  UN Security Council Resolution 687: Iraq: Weapons of Mass Destruction

  Europe

  Assistance to Eastern and Central Europe

  Britain and NATO

  Britain in the Community: Europe in the 1990s

  Changes in Soviet Aid Policy

  Energy problems in Eastern Europe

  Know How Fund: Czechoslovakia

  Know How Fund: Hungary

  Know How Fund: Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Soviet Union

  USSR and Eastern Europe: Problems in Trade Relations

  Britain and the Baltic States

  Disarmament

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 19

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 20

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 21

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 22

  Arms Control Agreements (Revised)

  Arms Control at the United Nations

  British Non-Proliferation Policy (Revised)

  Chemical and Biological Weapons: Negotiating an International Ban

  Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty

  Economic

  Aid to the Developing World

  Directory of Overseas Export Services

  International Debt

  Talking Points on Britain's Economy

  World Food Supplies

  Consular

  Annual Review of Consular Work 1990

  Checklist for Travellers

  Consular Assistance Abroad

  General

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Diplomatic Wing): Basic Facts and Figures

  Miscellaneous

  Children in the 1990s

  Combating Drug Abuse in the 1990s

  647

  Human Rights in Foreign Policy

  International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)

  Tropical Forests

  Twelfth World Trade Union Congress, November 1990

  WFTU: New Wine in Old Bottles

  UNCED 1992: The United Kingdom Approach

TRANSPORT

  Harbour Revision Orders
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport. pursuant to his reply of 7 November,Official Report, columns 189–90, if he will name the further two applications for harbour revision orders for which the authorisation of specific works projects fell within annex 11 to Council directive 85/337/EEC, indicating in respect of each with whom he consulted and what procedure he adopted before deciding that an environmental impact assessment was not necessary.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The two other applications for harbour revision orders which fell to be considered within annex II to Council directive 85/337/EEC were in respect of Portsmouth Flathouse quay and Portsmouth Mile End quay. In both cases this Department consulted the Department of the Environment about the need for an environmental assessment and they in turn consulted the former Nature Conservancy Council to establish whether the project was likely to have any impact on the SSSI at Portsmouth. In neither case was any significant environmental implication identified, and, having regard to the scale and location of the proposed works, no environmental assessment was called for by the Secretary of State.

  Trust Ports
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which trust ports have included environmental objectives in their objectives of sale under the privatisation process.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Medway ports authority has included in their objectives for sale the following objectives:"consultation procedures with local authorities and environmental bodies will be maintained.
  "The Authority would wish to see … the continuance of existing environmental and conservation protection."

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the trust ports which have submitted schemes for privatisation contain sites of special scientific interest or other recognised designation within their harbour limits.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Tees and Hartlepool port authority, the Medway ports authority, and the Clyde ports authority have sites of special scientific interest within their harbour limits.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to his answer of 7 November,Official Report, columns 189–90, which of the 35 applications for harbour revision orders since 1988 contain SSSIs or other similar designation within their harbour limits.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information cannot be provided in the form requested except at disproportionate cost.648
  However, there are SSSIs and areas with similar designations in the vicinity of the following harbours which have applied for harbour revision orders since 3 August 1988:

  Bristol

  Colliestone

  Great Yarmouth

  Harwich (Parkestone Quay)

  Heysham

  Langstone

  Manchester Ship Canal

  Medway

  Newport (Gwent)

  Portsmouth

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library in respect of each trust port seeking privatisation a copy of the objectives on the sale as agreed between him and the authority.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: Yes.

  South Circular Road
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations there have been into the safety of the South Circular road at its junction with Lancaster avenue and Rosendale road, London SE21.

  Mr. Chope
  As part of a backlog inherited from Lambeth council, the previous trunk road agents, our consultant agents for the A205 south circular road are currently undertaking safety studies at both the Lancaster avenue and the Rosendale road junctions. We expect a report with recommendations for appropriate action to be received early in the new year.

  Oxleas Wood
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EC first suggested that the road proposed for Oxleas wood did not meet the environmental requirements of EC directives.

  Mr. Chope
  The Commission wrote to the Government in October 1989 about a complaint that it had received alleging that the United Kingdom had not complied with the European directive 85/337/EEC on environmental assessment in respect of the east London river crossing. A response was made to the Commission in December 1989.

  This directive is concerned with procedures that member states are required to follow to ensure that the environmental effects of certain projects are assessed. The environmental merits of the east London river crossing are not at issue. That, as the Commission fully recognises, is for the United Kingdom Government to determine.

  Association of County Councils Report
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations his Department has had with the Association of County Councils over the contents of their report, "Towards a Sustainable Transport Policy", launched on 7 November.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. and learned Friend has written to the Association of County Councils welcoming the report as a contribution to the increasingly important debate on how we should respond to the continuing
  649
  growth in demand for travel, both in urban areas and between them. We look forward to working together with the Association of County Councils and the other local authority associations in improving the measures available to deal with the country's transport needs.

  Hot Air Balloons
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions are imposed on the flight of hot air balloons over built-up areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Rule 5, paragraph (1)(a) of the Rules of the Air Regulations 1991 provides that an aircraft—a term which includes a hot air balloon—"shall not fly over any congested area of a city, town or settlement below (i) such height as would enable the aircraft to alight clear of the area and without danger to persons or property on the surface, in the event of failure of a power unit…; or (ii) a height of 1,500 feet above the highest fixed object within 2,000 feet of the aircraft: whichever is the higher".

  The term "congested area" is defined in article 106 of the Air Navigation Order 1989
  "in relation to a city, town or settlement"
  as being
  "any area which is substantially used for residential, industrial, commercial or recreational purposes".

  Traffic Calming
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to clarify the law on the application of traffic calming measures.

  Mr. Chope
  If road humps conform to the Road Hump Regulations 1990, then they are legal. A clarifying power in the Road Traffic Act 1991 places it beyond doubt that, additionally, the Secretary of State has the power to authorise humps on roads including those subject to 30 mph speed limits or less.

  We have been considering the extent to which changes in the law are needed to clarify the powers to provide other traffic calming measures. Amending legislation will be sought at the earliest convenient opportunity.

  Trunk Roads
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the trunk road schemes in the United Kingdom for which environmental impact assessments have been prepared under EC directive 85/337/EEC since it came into force on 21 July 1988;

  (2) if he will list the trunk road schemes for which draft line orders have been published since 21 July 1988, but which he deemed did not require environmental impact assessment under EC directive 85/337/88.

  Mr. Chope
  All schemes in the national programme have for many years been subject to a very full environmental appraisal. An environmental statement has been published in respect of the following schemes:

  Al Alconbury to Peterborough

  A5 Little Brickhill Bypass

  A6 Clapham Bypass

  A10 Wadesmill High Cross and Colliers End Bypass

  Al 1 Roudham Heath to Attleborough

  All Besthorpe to Wymondham

  A11 Four Wentways to Newmarket

  A41 Aston Clinton Bypass

  650

  A47 Walpole Highway to Tilney High End

  A47 East Dereham to North Tuddenham

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass (Keswick Section and Trowse Newton)

  A140 Scole Bypass

  A428 Bedford Southern Bypass

  Ml-Al Link (Re-alignment of Naseby—Sibertoft Supplementary Order)

  M25 Junctions 15–16 Widening from Dual 2–4 Lanes

  M40 Widening: junctions 4–5 Buckinghamshire

  A6 Great Glen Bypass

  A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass

  A16 Spalding to Sutterton Improvement

  A17 Leadenham Bypass

  A43 Silverstone Bypass

  A46 Leicester Western Bypass

  A564 Stoke-Derby Link Derby Southern Bypass

  A564 Foston Hatton Hilton

  A13/A117 Junction Improvement

  A13 West of Heathway-Wennington—Mar Dyke

  A406 ELRC Proposed Design changes (A13-A2016)

  A406 Gunnersbury Avenue Improvement

  A406 Golders Green Road/Brent Street Junction Improvement

  A406 Bounds Green to Green Lanes Improvement

  Ml Junction 1 Improvement

  Ml Widening: Junction 9 Northbound

  M5 Widening Warndon-Strensham Junctions 6–8

  A167 Durham Western Bypass

  A590 Dalton-in-Furness Bypass

  A66 Stainmore to Banksgate

  A500 Basford/Hough/Shavington

  M56 Widening Junctions 4–6

  M6 Widening Between Junctions 20 and 21A

  M6 Widening and Improvements Junctions 30 to 32

  M62 Widening Junctions 14–17

  M62 Widening Junctions 17–18

  M65 Bamber Bridge-Whitebirk Section (Blackburn Southern Bypass)

  M66 Manchester Outer Ring Road Denton—Middleton (A576-M62)

  M66 Manchester Outer Ring Road Denton—Middleton (M67-A576)

  A3 Milford Bypass

  A23 Pease Pottage-Handcross

  A27 Crossbush Bypass

  A27 Patching Junction Improvement

  A27 Westhampnett Bypass

  A34 Newbury Bypass—Andover Road Junction

  A249 Iwade Bypass

  A249—M2 Bobbing Improvement

  A249 Brielle Way

  A249 Stockbury—Sheerness

  A259 Brookland Diversion

  M20 Improvement Junctions 5–8 (Maidstone Bypass)

  A30 Okehampton—Launceston Improvement

  A30 Shallowater Hill Improvement

  A30/A39 Indian Queens, Fraddon and St. Columb Road Bypasses

  A31 Ashley Heath Grade Separated Junction

  A35 Tolpuddle Puddletown

  A39 Wadebridge Bypass

  A417 Brockworth Bypass

  A419 Latton Bypass

  Batheaston/Swainswick Bypass and A36 Link

  M5 Junction 18 Improvement and Avonmouth Relief Road

  Second Severn Crossing and Approach Roads

  A5 Fazeley/Two Gates/Wilnecote Bypass

  A49 Onibury—Stokesay Improvement

  A49/A465 Hereford Bypass

  A50 Blythe Bridge—Queensway Stoke on Trent

  A435 Norton Lenchwick Bypass

  A435 Studley Bypass

  A1(M) Walshford to Dishforth

  A63 Selby Bypass

  A65 Manor Park Improvement

  A65 Gargrave Bypass

  A65 Hellifield and Long Preston Bypass

  A65/A660 Burley-in-Wharfedale Bypass

  A650 Airedale Route Section 3 Crossflats—Cottingley Bar

  651
  The schemes for which no environmental statement has been published are:

  Al Gatenby Lane Junction

  Al Tempsford Overbridge Scheme

  A6 Burton Latimer Bypass and Black Lodge

  A11 Stumps Cross to Fourwentways

  All Four Went Ways Junction Improvement

  All Newmarket to Red Lodge

  A13 West India Dock Road (Final) Scheme

  A16 Ludborough Bypass

  A16 Stickford Bypass

  A17 Wigtoft Sutterton Bypass

  A19 Easingwold Bypass

  A35 Yellowham Hill to Troytown

  A38 Bell Bridge to Alrewas

  A46 East Norton Bypass

  A49 Weaverham Diversion

  A52 Ashbourne Relief Road

  A59 Mellor Brook Bypass

  A66 Bowes Bypass—County Boundary

  A516 Etwall Bypass

  A568 Widnes Eastern Bypass (Northern Section)

  A568 Widnes Eastern Bypass (Southern Section)

  A585 Dock Street Fleetwood

  A638 Doncaster North Bridge Relief Road

  Ml—Al Link Road Rothwell Interchange.

  Trunk Roads (Fencing)
  Mr. Ground
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the London regional office of the Department of Transport has previously erected wire fencing of the type recently erected along the central reservation of the A4 at Cranford along any other trunk road in London; and what information the London regional office of the Department of Transport or the Secretary of State has on similar use of such fencing on trunk roads in England.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: This combination of fencing has been installed along some 24 miles of trunk road in north, west and east London. There is no central record of how much wire fencing of a similar design to that on the A4 has been used on other trunk roads in England.

  Mr. Ground
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost of supplying and erecting the wire fence recently erected along the central reservation of the A4 at Cranford.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: About £125,000.

  Mr. Ground
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any consultation took place with the local authority, the local community, the Metropolitan Police or any motoring organisations prior to the erection of the type of fencing recently erected at Cranford.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: The Metropolitan police were consulted in the course of regular liaison meetings and are in agreement with the measures taken. The London borough of Hillingdon, which is the Department's agent for these works informed local residents by letter that the works are being carried out.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Light Rapid Transit Systems
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what will be the consequences of the proposed legislation on Private Bill procedure for Bills on light rapid transit systems introduced in the current Session.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Transport and Works Bill published this week does not affect the introduction of private Bills in the current Session. Their progress thereafter is a matter for Parliament.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training and Employment
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to provide training and employment for the young unemployed aged 18 to 24 years in Stoke on Trent, North constituency.

  Mr. Jackson
  Provision of training in the Stoke on Trent, North constituency is a matter for the Staffordshire training and enterprise council to answer. Staffordshire TEC, which covers Stoke on Trent, North, is meeting the Government's requirement of providing an employment training place for people in the Government's guarantee and aim groups who wish to enter ET. The TEC has, in addition, been able to open recruitment to ET for all people who have been unemployed for six months or more. The guarantee group is those aged 18 to 24 who have been unemployed for six months or more but less than 12 months and the aim group is those aged 18 to 49 who have been unemployed for two years or more and those people with disabilities regardless of the length of time of the latter's unemployment.

  Female Work Force
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the work force is female.

  Mr. Jackson
  At June 1991, the latest date for which estimates are available, 42·6 per cent. of the work force in the United Kingdom was female.

  Students (Summer Jobs)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will review the progress made by students who applied for temporary jobs during the long university summer vacation compared to non-student applicants for summer jobs;

  (2) whether students applying for summer jobs in the long recess are treated by jobcentres differently from non-student applicants.

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

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make it his policy to take steps to make it easier for university students to secure temporary work during the summer vacation.
  653
  Mr. Jackson
  I appreciate that the long summer break on limited financial support can be a difficult time for many students and this year there are likely to have been fewer vacancies on offer to them.

  The Employment Service, through its network of jobcentres, does all that it can to help students find temporary vacational work. All temporary jobs notified are put on display in jobcentres and many students use these facilities. This service will continue to operate.

HEALTH

  Child Labour
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he proposes to take to inform businesses about the risks and penalties relating to employment of child labour.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Section 18 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 sets out general restrictions governing the employment of children under minimum school leaving age. Local authorities may make byelaws under that section to regulate further the hours and conditions of children's employment. The purpose of all the provisions is to enable children to work to the extent that their health, education and general welfare are not adversely affected.

  Anyone, apart from the person employed, who is found guilty of contravening the provisions of section 18 or of any byelaw is liable to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. Local education authorities are responsible for enforcing the provisions and ensuring that they are complied with.

  Section 1(1) of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920 prohibits the employment of any person under school leaving age in an industrial undertaking. This legislation is enforced by Health and Safety Executive inspectors. The maximum penalty on conviction in the magistrates court is £2,000.

  Tobacco Advertising
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to introduce legislation banning the advertising of tobacco products.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There are no plans to introduce legislation to introduce further bans on tobacco advertising. Our system of voluntary agreements continues to provide a flexible and effective way of controlling such advertising. On 9 September my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the conclusion of a revised voluntary agreement on advertising which introduces a range of new controls many of which are designed to protect children.

  Health Authorities (Referrals)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that all health authorities will be able to fund extra-contractual referrals.

  Mr. Dorrell
  All health authorities have reserves set aside for extra-contractual referrals based on information about patient flows. In addition, health authorities have other uncommitted reserves which can be used to cover extra-contractual referrals. Evidence to date suggests that the reserves will prove sufficient.

  Asthma
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people die each year from asthma in the United Kingdom; and what action he plans to take to help reduce this number.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The table gives the number of deaths in the United Kingdom with an underlying cause of asthma for the years 1986 to 1990. The greater use of self-management protocols agreed between patient and doctor, and the availability of peak flow meters, which give advance warning of an impending asthma attack, on GP prescription, should help to reduce the numbers of deaths.

  Number of deaths in the United Kingdom with an underlying cause of asthma—all persons, all ages1

  Year

  Number of deaths

  1986

  2,206

  1987

  2,107

  1988

  2,213

  1989

  2,191

  1990

  2,055

  1 Source: OPCS ICD Code 493

  Women Employees
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the NHS's employees are women; and what percentage of trusts are chaired by women.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The latest available data for England relate to the position at 30 September 1990 and show that 76 per cent. of all directly employed staff in the hospital and community health service were female. A total of 17 per cent. of trusts are chaired by women. This represents 5 per cent. of first wave trusts and 24 per cent. of second wave trusts.

  Coronary Heart Disease
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of deaths from coronary heart disease in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, with reference to the number in 1989.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The number of deaths for which coronary heart disease ' was stated as the underlying cause of death in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in 1989 is given in the table.

  Country

  Numbers

  Wales

  9,686

  Northern Ireland

  4,508

  Scotland

  18,107

  1 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision codes 410–414.

  Eye and Dental Checks
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will simplify the form filling required of retirement pensioners without other significant income who seek free eye tests or dental checks.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The review of the NHS low income scheme is examining all aspects of the administration of the scheme including the potential for simplifying claim form AG1.

  Cochlear Implants
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total funding allocated to health authorities for cochlear implant operations in each of the past five years; and what funds will be made available in the next three years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Funding has been agreed for the three-year period 1990–91 to 1992–93. Details of funding made available in the first two years of the scheme are given in the table. It will continue at a similar level in the third year. Decisions about arrangements beyond 1993 will be made in the light of the evaluation of the programme which is being undertaken by Professor Mark Haggard of Nottingham university.

  Central funding of cochlear implant operations

  Funding

  Centre

  1990–91

  1991–92

  (£)

  (£)

  University College Hospital/ Royal Ear Hospital

  200,000

  220,000

  Manchester Royal Infirmary

  160,000

  190,000

  Nottingham General Hospital

  160,000

  200,000

  South Hants Hospital, Southampton

  150,000

  180,000

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham

  150,000

  190,000

  North Riding Infirmary, Middlesbrough

  150,000

  170,000

  Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge

  —

  180,000

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total number of cochlear implant operations conducted in the last three years in each health authority; and what assessment has been made of the current waiting list.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not available centrally.

  Legionnaire's Disease
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often, and when, the central heating systems at Broadgreen hospital were checked for Legionnaire's disease.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Closed water systems, such as central heating, which do not generate aerosols will not infect patients or staff and are therefore not tested for the presence of legionella.

  In 1988 the Department issued a code of practice on "The Control of Legionellae in Health Care Premises", published by HMSO, which provides detailed advice and guidance on the design, operation and maintenance of hot and cold water systems, cooling towers and other systems which can harbour legionella. It is for hospital managers to ensure compliance with that guidance. A copy of the guidance is available in the Library.

  The code of practice does not, however, recommend routine testing of water systems for legionella on the basis that the bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment. Instead the guidance recommends measures designed to minimise the risks of legionella multiplying in water systems in a way that could cause outbreaks of disease.

  Abortion
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the national health service is now receiving each month in receipts from private abortion clinics for the incineration, on national health service premises, of the 656
  remains of aborted unborn children; how many hospital furnaces are being used for incineration of the remains of the aborted unborn; and if he will list them.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether private abortion clinics may offer abortions in the United Kingdom to foreign women via advertising in magazines with an international circulation.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is a condition of approval under section 1(3) of the Abortion Act that places must not advertise, outside the United Kingdom, their facilities for the treatment of abortion patients.

  HIV
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of people who received national health service transfusions of blood contaminated with the HIV virus; how many have subsequently been diagnosed HIV positive; and how many have died.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No individual has knowingly been given HIV-contaminated blood. Measures to safeguard the blood supply against HIV infection were applied when these became known and available.

  There have been 50 reports in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of HIV infections in people who received blood in the United Kingdom. All these occurred before the screening of donations was introduced in October 1985. Of those persons infected, 22 are known to have died.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners in the United Kingdom have refused to treat people suffering from HIV and AIDS; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally.

  Community Midwives
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his plans for reviewing the terms and conditions of community midwives.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None. These are the same as for other nursing and midwifery staff.

  Alder Hey Children's Hospital
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many wards have been closed at the Alder Hey children's hospital, Liverpool, since it became a trust; and how many children are on the waiting list.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Ian Hill, the chairman of the Royal Liverpool children's hospital and community services NHS trust, for details.

  Incontinence Pads
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 7 November,Official Report, column 256, what statutory provisions exist for charging for incontinence pads by local health authorities to those who are not in-patients or in nursing homes.
  657
  Mr. Dorrell
  There are no statutory provisions allowing health authorities to charge NHS patients for incontinence pads in the course of treatment. Health authorities nevertheless have discretion to provide the level and form of service they judge to be appropriate.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 7 November,Official Report, column 256, whether he will now provide details of the guidance issued to health authorities on the supply of incontinence pads; and if he will make a statment.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The NHS management executive issued guidance on the supply of incontinence aids—EL(91)28—on 18 February, and guidance on charging—EL(91)129—on 24 October. In addition, the report of a departmental review, "An Agenda for Action on Continence Services", was issued to the health service with a ministerial letter—ML(91)1 of 31 July—and listed key features of an effective local continence service. Copies of this guidance are available in the Library.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants his Department proposes to give to those organisations in the United Kingdom who will provide shelter and comfort to homeless people over the Christmas period; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The responsibility which the Department exercised last winter for providing emergency shelters for people sleeping rough in central London was transferred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment with effect from 1 April 1991.

SCOTLAND

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to assist towards the improvement of the railway system in Scotland from Glasgow to connect with the Eurotunnel; when these proposals will be implemented; and what asssessment he has made of the proposals by ScotRail for such services in 1993.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Investment in railways in Scotland and the provision of services between Scotland and the channel tunnel and beyond are matters for British Rail. My right hon. Friend and I have, however, taken every opportunity to impress on British Rail the importance we attach to the provision of fast and efficient links to ensure that Scotland is able to take full advantage of the benefits the tunnel will bring.

  Skye Ferry
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the price of a single fare ticket for a car on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry crossing between Kyle and Kyleakin; and if he will list the prices for each of the last 15 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is as follows:658

  Fare rates (£)

  With effect from

  Off-peak

  Standard

  (Winter)

  (Summer)

  11 April 1976

  1·00

  n/a

  6 March 1977

  1·00

  1·15

  6 March 1978

  1·10

  1·30

  5 March 1979

  1·20

  1·45

  30 July 1979

  1·40

  1·45

  16 March 1980

  1·65

  2·00

  1 March 1981

  1·75

  2·10

  1 March 1982

  1·75

  2·10

  1 March 1983

  1·75

  2·10

  4 March 1984

  1·90

  2·25

  3 March 1985

  2·10

  2·50

  2 March 1986

  2·20

  2·65

  1 March 1987

  2·25

  2·70

  6 March 1988

  2·90

  3·60

  26 February 1989

  3·10

  3·80

  25 February 1990

  3·30

  4·00

  24 February 1991

  3·65

  4·50

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of solicitors in Scotland; and how many of them have withdrawn from the civil legal aid service.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The number of enrolled solicitors in Scotland as at 31 October 1990 was 8,510. No reliable information is at present available on how many firms and fee earners currently provide civil legal aid or on whether this figure has changed in the past few years.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations the Legal Aid Board has received from Glasgow Bar Association about the levels of legal aid and the board's procedures for payment; and what has been the outcome of the board's consideration of points made to it.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I have asked the chairman of the Scottish Legal Aid Board to write to the hon. Member on this matter.

  Local Income Tax
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the level of income tax supplement which would require to be levied in each region, district and island area to raise the local revenue required for 1991–92 local authority budgets under a system of local income tax, taking into account variations in the tax base between local authority areas.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Approximate rates of local income tax required to replace the budgeted income from the community charge in 1991–92, including rebates and after receipt of community charge grant, are given in the table. The calculations assume resources equalisation—that the yield of 1p in the pound is the same per adult in all areas. It is not possible to calculate equivalent figures on the basis of an unequalised local income tax base.

  Note: The local income tax rate for Scotland has been estimated for 1991–92 by dividing the total amount to be raised from the community charge (net of community charge grant) by an estimate of the yield of 1p in the £ on the basic rate of income tax for Scotland. Income from the community water charge is not included.
  659

  Local Income Tax Rate

  (pence in £)

  Borders

  3·1

  Central

  4·5

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3·4

  Fife

  50

  Grampian

  3·3

  Highland

  3·5

  Lothian

  7·2

  Strathclyde

  4·0

  Tayside

  4·7

  Orkney

  0·1

  Shetland

  —

  Western Isles

  0·7

  Berwickshire

  0·2

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  0·6

  Roxburgh

  0·5

  Tweeddale

  0·4

  Clackmannan

  2·1

  Falkirk

  0·5

  Stirling

  2·0

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1·0

  Nithsdale

  1·0

  Stewartry

  0·5

  Wigtown

  0·9

  Dunfermline

  1·2

  Kirkcaldy

  1·2

  North East Fife

  1·4

  Aberdeen City

  2·1

  Banff and Buchan

  1·0

  Gordon

  0·6

  Kincardine and Deeside

  0·l

  Moray

  0·4

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  0·3

  Caithness

  0·1

  Inverness

  0·1

  Lochaber

  0·9

  Nairn

  0·2

  Ross and Cromarty

  0·8

  Skye and Lochalsh

  0·4

  Sutherland

  0·5

  East Lothian

  1·5

  Edinburgh City

  2·5

  Midlothian

  1·3

  West Lothian

  0·8

  Argyll and Bute

  1·8

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  1·4

  Clydebank

  2·3

  Clydesdale

  1·7

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  0·9

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  1·0

  Cunninghame

  1·9

  Dumbarton

  2·8

  East Kilbride

  2·1

  Eastwood

  0·5

  Glasgow City

  2·0

  Hamilton

  1·8

  Inverclyde

  1·4

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  1·2

  Kyle and Carrick

  2·2

  Monklands

  1·8

  Motherwell

  1·3

  Renfrew

  2·1

  Strathkelvin

  1·9

  Angus

  0·7

  Dundee City

  1·9

  Perth and Kinross

  0·9

  Cochlear Implants
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the total funding allocated to relevant Scottish health boards for cochlear implant operations; and what funds will be made available in the next three years;
  660
  (2) if he will list the total number of cochlear implant operations which were conducted in Scotland in the last three years; and what assessment has been made of the current waiting list.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Government announced their decision in 1990 to allocate £200,000 over the next three years to establish a cochlear implant programme in Scotland. £150,000 per annum has been allocated to Ayrshire and Arran health board to enable the service already initiated there through public support to be developed and consolidated. £50,000 per annum has also been allocated to Lothian health board to establish a second implant centre for Scotland.

  A total of 20 cochlear implant operations have been conducted in Scotland to date. Charitable funding had allowed seven operations to take place at Crosshouse hospital, Kilmarnock prior to central funding in 1990–91. Central funding will enable eight implants per year to be undertaken at Crosshouse hospital and three implant operations per annum in Lothian. A further three operations are expected to be carried out at Crosshouse hospital per annum from charitable funds.

  There are currently six people on the short-term waiting list for cochlear implant at Crosshouse hospital who are categorised as urgent cases. The board has also assessed a further 30 people who would be expected to benefit from an implant and another 64 who are considered to be low priority cases in terms of expected benefit. At present Lothian health board has identified six people as suitable for cochlear implant. The board expects to undertake three of these operations before March 1992.

  Housing Improvement
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the number of housing improvements and modernisations carried out by(a) Edinburgh,(b) Dundee,(c) Glasgow and(d) Aberdeen district councils in each year from 1974–75.

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

  Comparable information for 1974 to 1978 is not available.

  Modernisation and improvement of dwellings

  Aberdeen

  Edinburgh

  Glasgow

  Dundee

  1979

  192

  —

  2,745

  580

  1980

  322

  324

  1,981

  263

  1981

  131

  407

  1,364

  232

  1982

  2,537

  541

  2,397

  218

  1983

  1,964

  620

  4,817

  194

  1984

  1,307

  747

  3,182

  88

  1985

  1,298

  959

  23,894

  297

  1986

  1,471

  353

  21,755

  294

  1987

  1,091

  1,015

  27,616

  254

  1988

  406

  522

  13,136

  326

  1989

  161

  541

  9,939

  356

  1990

  8,036

  550

  12,255

  74

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Chief Executives Forum
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the purpose of the Chief Executives Forum; and how it is funded.
  661
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Chief Executives Forum brings together the chief executive officers of almost 100 public bodies in Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to strengthen communication links and provide a mechanism to share best management practice within the Province's public service. The forum is to be funded for a three-year period by a grant-in-aid from the Department of Finance and Personnel of approximately £100,000 per annum.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on current levels of inward investment in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  During the last financial year we have secured 13 inward investment projects involving both the private and public sector. These projects are expected to create 1,294 jobs.

  Constitutional Reform
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his recent talks with the constitutional political parties in the Province.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for an early introduction of devolution of government in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions are currently being held between Northern Ireland's political parties and with the Irish Government.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he intends to carry out any further talks between the interested parties on the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow. (Dr. Godman).

  Select Committees
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions he has given oral evidence to Select Committees.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have not given evidence myself in my present capacity, but Northern Ireland Office Ministers including my predecessor as Secretary of State have given such evidence on four occasions in the past three years, most recently on 16 October when my hon. Friend the Member for Wiltshire, North (Mr. Needham) appeared before the Select Committee on Energy.

  I am particularly pleased that seven Select Committees have visited Northern Ireland in the past 18 months to look at matters for which I have responsibility. I was able to meet two of those committees during their visit.

  Security
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest terrorist killings in Northern Ireland.
  662
  Sir Patrick Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on security in Northern Ireland.

  Rev. William McCrea
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Province.

  Mr. Brooke
  Since I last answered a question on the security situation in Northern Ireland on 11 July, 41 people have been killed in terrorist-related incidents. Of these 36 were civilians, four were members of the Army, including one member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, and one was an RUC officer.

  The response of the Government and the security forces to terrorist activity has been and will continue to be firm and resolute. It is already the case that a high proportion of attempted terrorist attacks are aborted because of pre-emptive activity by the security forces. Moreover, in the period from 1 September to 13 November, 115 people have been charged with terrorist-related offences, of whom 14 have been charged with murder and 23 with attempted murder.

  NHS Spending
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the change in real terms of the annual spending on the national health service in Northern Ireland since 1979.

  Mr. Hanley
  Net public expenditure on the health service in Northern Ireland in 1991–92 will be an estimated £1,015 million, an increase of almost 42 per cent. in real terms, as measured by the GDP deflator since 1978–79.

  Murder Sentences
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on his Department's policy concerning guideline sentences for persons convicted of the murder of members of the security forces.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government are conscious of the great debt which the community in Northern Ireland owes to members of the security forces. All life sentences are regularly reviewed. A provisional release date is set only when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is satisfied that a period appropriate to the nature of the crime, and the offender's role in it, has been served and that the risk of reoffending is minimal. The case of each terrorist convicted of murder is dealt with according to those criteria.

  Patients Charter
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the application of the patients charter to Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  I aim to publish a charter for patients and clients of the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland towards the end of this year.

  Plastic Bullets
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for (i) the continued use or (ii) the replacement of plastic bullets.
  663
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The security situation in Northern Ireland continues to require the protection of life and property from organised and vicious attacks. No method for dealing with such attacks is entirely free from risk. The plastic baton round provides the security forces with an option in circumstances where the only realistic alternatives are the use of live rounds or withdrawal from the scene and consequent risk to life and property.

  The existing baton round launchers are no longer in production and are therefore increasingly difficult to maintain. Careful consideration is being given to a replacement baton round system, although no final decision has yet been reached.

  Social Security Offices
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the changes he has made in social security offices in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  There have been several significant changes in social security office operations and recommendations in Northern Ireland within the past year. A new Social Security Agency has been set up and the 34 social security offices have been reorganised into 11 districts under new management structures. These districts are committed to the provision of a good quality service to the public.

  Engineering
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what encouragement is being given to encourage the study of engineering in further education institutions in the Province.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department of Education encourages further education colleges to provide courses which meet the identified training needs of Northern Ireland industry, including the engineering sector. Engineering courses at colleges have been identified by the Department as a priority area for the allocation of additional resources for teachers, capital equipment and staff development.

  Northern Ireland Electricity
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the proposals for interconnectors with Scotland and the Republic of Ireland following the privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity.

  Mr. Hanley
  Heads of agreement for a 250 MW interconnector between Northern Ireland and Scotland were signed in September by NIE and Scottish Power. NIE hopes to have the interconnector operational by late 1995/early 1996.

  The re-establishment of the interconnector with the Republic of Ireland is under review.

  Health Care
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-operation takes place between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on health care; and if he will make a statement.
  664
  Mr. Hanley
  There have been regular and useful meetings between the Health Ministers for a number of years, I have met Dr. O'Hanlon TD, Minister of Health, on two occasions during the past year. Staff from both Departments meet to review areas of existing co-operation and to examine the possibilities for further co-operation as and when the need arises. There are also exchanges between chief executives and managers and long-standing co-operation between professional staff north and south.

  The arrangements for co-operation cover the whole spectrum of health care and discussions and initiatives have included health promotion; the provision of highly specialised treatments to each other's patients; joint emergency planning exercises; the export of health care services to other countries and the purchasing of equipment and supplies.

  Co-operation of this nature has been of mutual benefit to both health services and the populations they serve.

  Student Support
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he will take to improve the financial situation of many students to enable them to continue third level education apart from the student loans regime.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The total resources—grant plus loan—available to each full-time student for the 1991–92 academic year have been increased by 6 per cent. The availability of this support, together with new and more flexible access fund arrangements, should mean that no student need suffer undue financial hardship.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish his Bill to privatise the Northern Ireland electricity industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Following an extended and thorough consultation period, I have recently authorised the draft Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order to be laid before Parliament. I anticipate that it will be printed and available to the House before the end of November. The draft order is based on the Electricity Act 1989 and I am convinced that it will bring lasting benefits to electricity consumers in Northern Ireland.

  Employment
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the levels of employment in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  At June 1991, the latest date for which figures are available, there were an estimated 525,680 employees in employment plus approximately 75,000 self-employed people. This represents an increase of almost 25,000 employees and 40,000 self-employed people over the past five years.

  Traffic How, Limavady
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles per day use the one-way section of Catherine street, Limavady; what are
  665
  the highest and lowest hourly flows; and how many of these vehicles are in each of the categories used in road traffic surveys.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information is not available in the form requested. On 3 May 1991 the highest hourly flow was 1,121 vehicles.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles per day use Linen Hall street, Limavady; what are the highest and lowest hourly flows; how many of those vehicles there are in each of the categories used in road traffic surveys; and at what level of hourly traffic flow he would assess this street to be at its maximum possible number.

  Location

  Date of last survey

  Number of vehicles per day

  Lowest hourly traffic flow

  Highest hourly traffic flow

  Number of heavy goods vehicles per day

  Roe bridge, Limavady

  14 August 1991

  14,691

  17

  1,503

  1,836

  Roe bridge, Dungiven

  20 September 1991

  8,125

  6

  847

  894

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles per day use the two way section of Irish Green street, Limavady; what are the highest and lowest hourly traffic flows; and how many of these vehicles are in each of the categories used in road traffic surveys.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information is not available in the form requested. On 3 May 1991 the highest hourly flow was 725 vehicles.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the last three traffic surveys were carried out on(a) the Roe bridge, Dungiven,(b) the Roe bridge, Limavady,(c) Linen Hall street, Limavady,(d) the one-way section of Catherine street, Limavady and(e) the two-way section of Irish Green street, Limavady; and what is his estimate of the change in traffic flows at each of those places since the last survey was carried out.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Location

  Date for last Three Surveys

  Roe bridge, Dungiven

  February 1991, May 1991, September 1991

  Roe bridge, Limavady

  January 1991, April 1991, August 1991

  Linenhall Street, Limavady

  June 1986, September 1989, May 1991

  Catherine Street, Limavady

  June 1986, September 1989, May 1991

  Irish Green Street, Limavady

  June 1985, June 1986, May 1991

  There has been no significant change in traffic volumes at these locations since the last surveys were carried out.

  Local Enterprise Development Unit
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums have been paid in each of the last three years by the Local Enterprise Development Unit for consultancy fees in respect of clients seeking assistance from the Local Enterprise Development Unit; and what percentage of the grant aid paid to those clients in each of those years these fees represent.
  666
  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that he was given by my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) on 9 January 1990,Official Report, column 577. More recent information is riot available in the form requested. On 3 May 1991 the highest hourly flow was 951 vehicles.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show for(a) the Roe bridge, Limavady and(b) the Roe bridge, Dungiven, the number of vehicles per day, the highest hourly flow and the lowest hourly flow; and how many of those vehicles are in each case in each category used in traffic surveys for each of the bridges in question.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested in relation to consultancy fees, expressed as a percentage of the total grants paid to clients in each of the last three years, is given in the table:

  Year

  Consultancy Fees

  Fees as a percentage of Total Grant Aid

  £'000

  per cent.

  1988–89

  713

  3·5

  1989–90

  641

  2·4

  1990–91

  507

  1·6

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Republican remand prisoners there were in Crumlin road prison every year from 1976 until the present date.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is not available.

  Rates Collection
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total sums were collected by the Housing Executive in respect of rates for the Department of the Environment in each of the last three years for which figures are available; what was the cost of collection; what sums were transferred to the rates after the costs of collection were deducted; and how many dwellings were involved in each of those years.

  Mr. Hanley
  I have been informed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that it is not possible to disaggregate the total value of rates collected as both rent and rates are collated and collected as one amount. This, also applies to the cost of rate collection.

  The Housing Executive has an agreement with the Department of the Environment (NI) under article 21(a) of the Rates (NI) Order 1977 by which it pays the rates chargeable in respect of each of its properties whether they

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  are occupied or not. The executive receives an allowance of 10 per cent. when payment in full is made on or before the prescribed date in the agreement.

  Over the last three years the rates paid by the executive to the Department were as follows:

  Net Rates Paid

  Years

  £'000

  1988–89

  31,321

  1989–90

  33,912

  1990–91

  35,827

  The number of properties involved were:—

  Rateable Properties

  Year

  Number

  At 31 March 1989

  180,576

  At 31 March 1990

  176,097

  At 31 March 1991

  172,032

  Social Fund
  Mr. Bendall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any additional funds are to be made available for social fund payments in Northern Ireland in the current financial year.

  Mr. Hanley
  I am glad to be able to announce that the budgets of all district offices are being increased by a total of £1 million for loans and £0·4 million for community care grants. Details of the revised budgets are being placed in the Library. These increases are additional to any extra expenditure which may be incurred on automatic cold weather payments under the greatly improved arrangements which will apply during the approaching winter.

  Royal Ulster Constabulary
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has reached a decision on the Royal Ulster Constabulary's manpower bid.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have today conveyed to the Police Authority for Northern Ireland the statutory approval required under section 6 of the Police Act (Northern Ireland) 1970 for an increase in the total strength of the RUC regular force from 8,250 to 8,489 and of the full-time RUC reserve from 3,000 to 3,202. My approval of this increase in the RUC establishment of 441 extra officers endorses the decision of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland to support in full the Chief Constable's request for additional manpower. It will now be for the authority and the Chief Constable to make arrangements for the new officers to be recruited and trained; but I understand that it will be possible for that process to start immediately.

DEFENCE

  Press Reports
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the remarks of Admiral Sir Julian Oswald concerning the safety of Royal Navy marine nuclear reactors, the operational condition of Polaris submarines and the dunking, naming and in service dates of the first Trident submarine, reported in The Times of 29 October 1991, were agreed with his Department before publication.
  668
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As is the normal practice, Ministers agreed in advance that Admiral Oswald should give an interview; and Ministers take responsibility for all interviews properly given by senior serving officers and officials.

  HMS Vanguard
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the planned in service date for HMS Vanguard of December 1994 became declassified information.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It remains our practice not to make public the exact date upon which a warship becomes operational.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the planned dates of the first dunking and the official naming ceremony of HMS Vanguard.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It is not our practice to make public the precise dates of submarine construction and related programmes.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who it is planned to carry out the official naming ceremony for HMS Vanguard.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We expect to be able to make an announcement nearer the time of the event.

  Polaris Submarines
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision over any further refits for Polaris submarines.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not the usual practice to disclose details about the nuclear submarine refit programme.

  Staff Cars
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current total requirement for(a) grade A and(b) grade B staff cars in each service, and for civilians employed by his Department; and how many procurement authorisations for such vehicles were given in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Current total requirements for grade A and grade B staff cars are:

  Grade A

  Grade B

  Royal Navy

  47

  332

  Army

  88

  1,017

  Royal Air Force

  30

  753

  Vehicles used by MOD civilians are included in service totals, but there is no fixed allocation. Procurement authorisations in the last financial year were:

  Number

  Grade A staff cars

  0

  Grade B staff cars

  451

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how many service personnel in
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  each service are allocated to(a) driving and(b) maintaining staff cars; and what is the approximate annual cost.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  All service personnel in possession of a valid driving licence may be called upon to drive a service vehicle. Maintenance of staff cars is carried out with that of other service vehicles. The work is performed by MOD civilian and military staff, and contractors.

  Nuclear Weapon Safety
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will identify those nuclear weapon safety arrangements in force in the United Kingdom which Dr. Sidney Drell recommended in the United States House of Representatives Armed Services Committee panel on nuclear weapons safety as a model for the United States to follow; and what assistance or information was given by his Department to the panel.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Section III Of Dr. Drell's report recommends setting up an advisory committee similar in function to our own nuclear weapons safety committee. On the question of assistance or information given by my Department, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) on 28 June,Official Report, column 581.

  Menwith Hill Station
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security personnel he provides at Menwith Hill station and at Hunter's Stones post office tower; at what cost in each of the past three years, to date; and how many security staff are provided at each location.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  MOD police and civilian patrolmen are employed at Menwith Hill. Security at the Hunter's Stones site is not the responsibility of the MOD.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people, in each of the last three years, to date, have been issued with summonses for trespass and other breaches of byelaws at Menwith Hill station; in how many cases such people have been(a) fined,(b) found not guilty and(c) had summonses withdrawn.

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

  Depleted Uranium
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what health and safety guidelines have been issued to those service personnel whose duties will bring them into contact with depleted uranium;

  (2) what information has been given to service personnel deployed in Kuwait about the health and safety risks involved in clearing depleted uranium munitions;

  (3) what steps he has taken to minimise the health and safety risks associated with the clearance of depleted uranium munitions.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Existing service procedures and instructions cover the health and safety aspects of the handling, transport and storage of ammunition containing 670
  depleted uranium. In addition, specific advice on the detection and clearance of depleted uranium was provided to British forces involved in clearing ordnance in Kuwait.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the health and safety risks resulting from(a) the chemical toxicity of depleted uranium and(b) the radioactivity generated by depleted uranium.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The explanatory memorandum on anti-armour ammunition with depleted uranium penetrators which was placed in the Library of the House in March 1979 makes it clear that depleted uranium has a chemical toxicity similar to that of lead and is a material of low radioactivity. The properties of depleted uranium have been taken into account in the procedures adopted for its transport, handling and storage.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received from the Atomic Energy Authority regarding the health risks associated with the use of depleted uranium during the Gulf conflict.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence has a copy of a commercially produced, theoretical appraisal by Atomic Energy Authority Technology of the possible consequences of the use during hostilities in the Gulf of ammunition containing depleted uranium. The assessment of the situation in Kuwait is a matter for the Kuwait Government. Her Majesty's Government have not received a request for assistance with the production of such an assessment.

  Armoured Divisions
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 November,Official Report, column 297, in what form information on the percentage change in capabilities of British armoured divisions is held.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Assessments of the percentage increase in 1st Armoured Division's future capability were carried out as part of the Ministry of Defence's examination of our defences for the 1990s. There is no requirement for a comparable historical analysis and, therefore, no information is held on the percentage change in capabilities of British armoured divisions.

  Army Personnel
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current proportion of Army personnel who are(a) private soldiers,(b) non-commissioned officers and(c) officers, respectively.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A total of 36 per cent. of the Army are currently serving as private soldiers, 52 per cent. are non-commissioned officers and 12 per cent. are officers

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current proportion of Army personnel with(a) the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers,(b) the Royal Corps of Signals and(c) the Corps of Royal Engineers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A total of 10 per cent. of the Army are currently serving in the REME and 10 per cent. in the Royal Engineers; 8 per cent. are serving in the Royal Corps of Signals.

  Service Accommodation
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total maintenance backlog of(a) unavoidable and essential repairs and (b) urgent repairs for service accommodation as of 1 April.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Information in the form requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Post-service Training
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 November,Official Report, column 296, when work began on the production of a guide detailing services available to personnel after they have left the service; and if he will place a copy of the guide in the Library when it is completed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Work on preparation of the guide began on 11 September 1991. I shall arrange for copies of it, and of the revised Employment Service booklets, to be placed in the Library when they are completed.

  Southern Africa
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel have been killed in southern Africa during the last five years; and what were the circumstances of their deaths.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There have been four deaths since 1 January 1986; a staff sergeant was killed in a climbing accident in Botswana in February 1986; two corporals were killed in a road traffic accident in Namibia in March 1989; a sergeant died in a further road traffic accident in Zimbabwe in September 1990.

  Helicopters
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make available to police forces helicopters that are surplus to the needs of the armed forces and encourage Army helicopter pilots who may be facing early redundancy to seek to transfer to the police service.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We do not, at present, have surplus helicopters, nor do we expect to have to make Army helicopter pilots redundant.

  NHS TRUSTS: CLAIMS LIABILITIES
  NHS TRUSTS: CLAIMS LIABILITIES
  BROADCASTING STANDARDS COUNCIL
  BROADCASTING STANDARDS COUNCIL
  FIRE SAFETY IN HOTELS
  FIRE SAFETY IN HOTELS
  BALLISTIC MISSILES: DEFENCE
  BALLISTIC MISSILES: DEFENCE
  "BRILLIANT EYES" SATELLITES
  "BRILLIANT EYES" SATELLITES
  ABM TREATY
  ABM TREATY
  MINEWORKERS: REDUNDANCY PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS
  MINEWORKERS: REDUNDANCY PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS
  COAL MINES
  COAL MINES
  SINGLE INSURANCE MARKET REPORT RESPONSE
  SINGLE INSURANCE MARKET REPORT RESPONSE
  FCO PAPERS
  FCO PAPERS