Written Answers of 21 November 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions his Department has had with local authorities regarding enforcement of existing Sunday shopping legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  I have had correspondence with three local authorities in England recently concerning enforcement of the law and, in particular, the effect of recent decisions of the courts.

  A local authority in Northern Ireland has also asked me whether I would be prepared to consent to an application for an injunction against a retailer that was allegedly breaking the law. My consent is needed under the law of Northern Ireland.

TRANSPORT

  Seat Belts
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to require seat belts to be fitted in buses(a) used to transport school children and (b) in all buses and public service vehicles.

  Mr. Chope
  By reason of European Commission directives, it is not possible for the United Kingdom unilaterally to require seat belts on all seats in new buses and coaches.

  Highways
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the announced £1½ billion additional expenditure is to be invested in highways in East Anglia; what sums are currently being spent on highways in this region; and if he will publish a list of the trunk road schemes currently under construction, shortly to be started and in preparation in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex with the approximate cost of each.

  Mr. Chope
  The £1½ billion additional expenditure over three years announced by the Secretary of State on 6 November is almost all for public transport provision throughout the country, including East Anglia. Provision for highways was not increased.

  Forecast expenditure on motorways and trunk roads in the Department's eastern region—the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire—is estimated at £312 million in 1991–92.

  The total of local authority expenditure budgets for local roads in these counties for 1991–92 is £102 million capital and £198 million current.

  Following is a list of the motorway and trunk road schemes in progress in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
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  Approximate £ million works costs (excluding VAT)

  NORFOLK, NATIONAL SCHEMES

  Under construction

  A47 East Dereham—North Tuddenham

  7·6

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass Contract 1

  9·7

  Contract 2

  10·2

  Contract 3

  17·1

  Contract 4

  22·6

  A12 Gorleston Relief Road

  19·2

  A47 Narborough Bypass

  2·25

  A10 Brandon Creek to Southery

  1·0

  To start construction this financial year

  A11 Thetford to Bridgham Heath

  3·4

  A11 Besthorpe to Wymondham

  22·9

  In preparation

  A17/A47 Tilney High End to Sutton Bridge

  35·2

  A10/A47 A134 Hardwick Roundabout Improvement

  16·4

  A47 Hardwick to East Dereham

  72·0

  A47 North Tuddenham to Easton

  18·0

  A47 Blofield to Acle

  4·7

  A47 Acle Straight Improvement

  15·0

  A11 Fiveways Roundabout to Thetford

  42·1

  A11 Roundham Heath to Attleborough

  20·4

  A11 Attleborough Bypass Improvement

  9·0

  A140 Dickleburgh to Norwich

  24·0

  A140 Scole to Dickleburgh

  10·0

  A47 Walpole Highway—Tilney High End

  18·36

  SUFFOLK, NATIONAL SCHEMES

  In preparation

  A12 Hartlesham—Wickham Market

  12·6

  A12 Wickham Market—Saxmundham

  13·6

  A12 Saxmundham Bypass Dualling

  10·4

  A12 Saxmundham—South of Wrentham

  23·0

  A12 South of Wrentham—Kessingland

  8·0

  A12 Lowestoft Relief Road

  70·0

  A12 South of Four Sisters GSJ

  3·0

  A45 Quarries Cross GSJ

  3·0

  A45 Rockery Cross GSJ

  2·0

  A140 Beacon Hill—Scole

  34·0

  ESSEX, NATIONAL SCHEMES

  Under construction

  A127 Rayleigh Weir GSJ

  16·0

  In preparation

  M25 Junctions 25·28 Rapid Widening

  100·0

  A127 M25—Rayleigh Weir

  85·0

  M12 M25—Chelmsford

  65·0

  A12 Chelmsford Bypass Widening

  35·0

  A12 Hatfield Peverel—Marks Tey Widening

  40·0

  A120 Stansted—Braintree (100 per cent, grant)

  73·0

  M11 Junction 5 North facing Slips

  6·0

  M11 Widening

  75·0

  A13 Wennington—Mar Dyke

  23·5

  A120 Braintree—A12

  28·6

  A1 (North Yorkshire)
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated cost of the upgrading to motorway standards of the A1 in North Yorkshire and the completion date of the programme.

  Mr. Chope
  Seven A1(M) upgrading schemes are wholly or partially within the county of North Yorkshire. The estimated cost of all these schemes at current prices is approximately £550 million and completion is expected within 10 years.

  Orange Badge Scheme
  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to bring forward amending regulations regarding the orange badge scheme for the disabled.

  Mr. Chope
  Amending regulations will be brought forward within the next fortnight. The intention is that the new scheme should come into effect on 2 March 1992.

  Vehicle Licensing
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to alter the public service vehicle and goods vehicle licensing system to extend to parish councils the right to make representations about public service vehicle and goods vehicle operating centres; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  A commitment to amend the goods vehicle operator licence provisions to give a general right of environmental representation for parish councils was made in 1989. This followed a wide-ranging review of operators licensing and acknowledged the role of parish councils as representative of local communities.

  A change to the primary legislation will be required.

  Public service vehicle operating centres are not currently subject to environmental control through operator licensing. This is being reviewed at present.

  M5 (Drains)
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate the motorway contractor's proposals in the M5 junctions 6 and 8 widening contract to change from modern drains specification to traditional drains.

  Mr. Chope
  The contractor's proposal to use filter drains instead of Fin drains was within the scope of the Department's specification and the terms of the contract.

  Road Accident Statistics
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make arrangements to obtain information, for inclusion in the annual road accident statistics, about the numbers of fatalities and injuries in road accidents in Great Britain resulting from the use of motor vehicless which have been stolen or driven without the owners' consent, resulting from the use of motor vehicles driven for other criminal purposes, and resulting from the use of motor vehicles by the police in connection with the performance of their duties, including when pursuing drivers of vehicles which have been stolen or taken without the owners' consent or used for other criminal purposes.

  Mr. Chope
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Building Contracts
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with John Laing Construction and other major motorway road contractors regarding changing contract specifications after a contract has been awarded by public tender.

  Mr. Chope
  There are regular discussions with the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors about matters of common interest.

  Road Accidents (A1)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths and how many injuries have occurred as a result of road traffic accidents on the A1 road between Morpeth and the Scottish border in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Chope
  The number of deaths and injuries as a result of accidents on the Al between Morpeth and the Scottish border during the period from 1980–90 are shown in the following table:

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  1980

  8

  42

  66

  1981

  6

  25

  92

  1982

  6

  40

  91

  1983

  7

  20

  77

  1984

  11

  33

  74

  1985

  4

  35

  112

  1986

  6

  35

  84

  1987

  5

  18

  68

  1988

  4

  24

  65

  1989

  8

  26

  72

  1990

  4

  33

  127

  Total

  69

  331

  928

  Motorways (Drainage)
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that the motorway contractors adhere to consulting engineers' specifications for drainage on major contracts.

  Mr. Chope
  Under the terms of the contract the engineer has a duty to consider alternative materials or methods put forward by the contractor and may approve their use provided they meet the criteria set out in the Department's specification for highway works and represent good value for money.

  Air Pollution
  Ms. Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he intends to ta ke to combat air pollution caused by road transport.

  Mr. Chope
  Stricter limits on emissions have very recently been agreed by the United Kingdom and its EC partners.

  On 26 June the EC Council of Ministers adopted an amending directive 91/441/EEC setting tighter limits on emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by new cars and light vans. The standards set by the directive will require almost all new petrol-engined cars from the end of 1992 to use three-way catalytic converters and to run on unleaded petrol. Diesel cars and light vans will need to comply with a strict limit on particulates—smoke.

  Pride of Portsmouth
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the dismissal of the British crew members of the Pride of Portsmouth.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Mr. McCluskie of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers has
  235
  written to the Secretary of State concerning the owners' decision to replace the British crew members of the Pride of Portsmouth with foreign nationals. I will be responding shortly on behalf of the Secretary of State and will answer the points made by Mr. McCluskie.

  Scandinavian Star
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will obtain a copy of the Danish inquiry into the case of the Scandinavian Star.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  A copy of the inquiry report on the Scandinavian Star accident has been requested from the Danish maritime authorities.

  Ferry Safety
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the implications for safety of British passengers travelling on ferry services crewed and staffed by non-English speaking officers and ratings.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  This is kept under review. Surveyors make unannounced safety inspections of foreign registered passenger ro-ro ferries visiting United Kingdom ports and, among other items, they are instructed to check that enough crew can speak English to be able to give announcements and communicate with United Kingdom passengers in an emergency.

  Road Schemes
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will be issuing for consultation the criteria he proposes to use in exercising his discretionary power under section 62 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 to acquire property which is seriously affected by his Department's road schemes; and whether he expects to make the criteria public before the end of 1991.

  Mr. Chope
  Guidelines for the use of the new discretionary power to acquire property seriously affected by the Department's road schemes will be announced as soon as possible. The guidelines will be reviewed in the light of experience, and any representations received will be taken into account.

  Lyme Bay
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to inform all the agencies to which he wrote on 22 July about anchoring in Lyme bay that ships may continue to call off Lyme/Torbay for legitimate servicing, and that they may anchor there for that purpose for periods of time.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Letters sent out by my Department on 22 July were directed to the owners of three ships and referred specifically to the long-term anchoring of those ships in Lyme bay with the attendant risk of large-scale pollution. It is not proposed to write again to these owners on this matter.

  Fishing Vessels (Accidents)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in relation to the losses of the fishing vessels(a) Girl Fiona, (b) Inspire, (c) Alert II, (d) Boy Shaun,
  236
  (e) Sylvia Marita, (f) Jake II, (g) Tarradale II, (h) Pearl, (i) Mhari L and (j) South Stack which had Marine Accident Investigation Branch inquiries; which of these were published; which had any other inquiry and of what nature; and which of those were published.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  All the accidents occurred before July 1989, when the marine accident investigation branch was set up. Under the pre-existing system losses were investigated by the Department's surveyors, but there was no provision for making reports available for general release, unless the accident was subject to public inquiry. The loss of Boy Shaun, being an Irish vessel, will have been investigated by the Irish authorities. None of the incidents listed by the hon. Member led to such an inquiry. Summary reports of the surveyor's investigations into the losses of Mhari L and of Inspire were produced and the hon. Member will recall having being sent copies.

  The deaths of those lost in the accidents were subject to inquest, fatal accident inquiry or to a death inquiry under the Merchant Shipping Acts. Reports of such proceedings are not published though the findings are made known to those concerned.

  Since July 1989, specific provision has been made in the relevant regulations for the reports of investigations submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport to be published under the terms of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will instigate a full public inquiry into the sinking of the Wilhelmina J; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will instigate a full public inquiry into the sinking of the Ocean Hound; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Both accidents are the subject of investigation under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Accident Investigation) Regulations 1989. Such investigations are very comprehensive and are the most expeditious means of establishing the nature and cause of a marine accident, and my right hon. and learned Friend is not minded to order full public inquiries.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about incidents involving(a) United Kingdom and (b) other fishing boats in United Kingdom waters and submarines in each of the years (a) 1989, (b) 1990 and (c) 1991 to date; what action he is currently considering to reduce such incidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The fishing vessels reported to the Department as having been involved in incidents or suspected incidents in UK waters with submarines from 1 January 1989 to date are as listed, together with the reported date incident.

  Vessel

  Date of Incident

  New Dawn

  3 January 1989

  Lau Ann

  22 January 1989

  Spes Bona (and Arturus and Strathayre)

  27 February 1989

  Seagull

  31 March 1989

  Northern Lights

  31 March 1989

  Laurel

  17 April 1989

  Huntress

  28 June 1989

  Scotia

  13 November 1989

  Sarah Marie

  7 December 1989

  Moray Adventurer

  4 October 1990

  237

  Vessel

  Date of Incident

  Antares

  22 November 1990

  Green Eagle

  14 December 1990

  Delvan

  13 February 1991

  Maritan

  19 February 1991

  Hercules II

  February 1991

  Wavecrest, Alpha and Athena

  6 March 1991

  Swyn-Y-Mor

  20 March 1991

  Saffron

  12 November 1991

  All are UK vessels except the Laurel—Isle of Man—and the Sarah Mardie—Jersey.

  A sub-group of the Department of Transport's fishing industry safety group—which will include representatives of the fishing industry, the Fisheries Departments and the Ministry of Defence—will meet on 9 December to discuss safety issues arising from the interaction of fishing vessels and submerged submarines. My Department is also giving urgent consideration to the recommendations contained in the determination of the fatal accident inquiry which followed the loss of the Antares with regard to the issue of fishing vessel safety certificates, the siting of liferafts on fishing vessels and arrangements for the carriage of emergency position indicating radio beacons and will consider the marine accident investigation branch's recommendations as soon as these are available.

  British Rail
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had over his proposals to privatise British Rail.

  Date of accident

  Name of vessel

  Type of vessel

  Flag

  Size

  Type of accident

  24 July 1991

  Valulla

  Class V Passenger Launch

  United Kingdom

  112·06 grt

  Fire

  24 July 1991

  Pride of Baltimore II

  Sailing ship

  United States of America

  97 grt

  Grounding

  28 July 1991

  Southern Comfort

  Class V Passenger

  United Kingdom

  —

  Accident to Person

  29 July 1991

  Loch Maravaig/ Amity

  FV/FV

  United Kingdom/ United Kingdom

  12·59m/ 20·68m

  Collision

  30 July 1991

  Larrissa/ Rebis

  FV/ FV

  United Kingdom/ Danish

  37m

  Collision

  30 July 1991

  Jubilence

  Cargo

  United Kingdom

  475 grt

  Accident to Person

  31 July 1991

  Thomas William

  FV

  United Kingdom

  9·75m

  Capsize/Sinking

  1 August 1991

  Geestcape

  Cargo

  United Kingdom

  8,030 grt

  Fire

  5 August 1991

  Kedarost

  FV

  United Kingdom

  23·41m

  Fire

  5 August 1991

  Emerald

  Bulk Carrier

  Isle of Man

  1,583 grt

  Fire

  12 August 1991

  Ocean Hound

  FV

  United Kingdom

  21·40m

  Sank

  17 August 1991

  Fidelity

  FV

  United Kingdom

  14·33m

  Grounding

  22 August 1991

  Autobahn

  Vehicle Carrier

  United Kingdom

  499 grt

  Machinery Failure

  25 August 1991

  Un-named power boats

  Power boats

  Various

  Various

  Grounding

  28 August 1991

  Calby Queen/ Un-named tender

  Passenger/ Tender

  —

  —

  Collision

  2 September 1991

  Ocean Crest

  FV

  United Kingdom

  24·34m

  Accident to Person

  4 September 1991

  Esso Mersey

  Tanker

  United Kingdom

  11,898 grt

  Explosion

  5 September 1991

  Margaret & William II/ Jacobus Broere

  FV/ Tanker

  United Kingdom/ Netherlands

  10·90m 3,693 grt

  Missing

  12 September 1991

  CPC Gallia

  Cargo

  Antigua

  6,500 grt

  Grounding

  18 September 1991

  Arran Lass

  FV

  United Kingdom

  15·24m

  Fire

  19 September 1991

  Mountwood

  Passenger Ferry

  United Kingdom

  464 grt

  Contact

  238
  Mr. McLoughlin
  We have had a number of representations about British Rail privatisation. We expect to publish proposals soon.

  Pilots
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to arrange for consultations to take place between his Department and the United Kingdom Pilots Association, Europilots and local pilots before decisions are taken and changes made which affect the livelihoods of the pilots; if he will ensure that guidelines are published in consultation with the pilots regarding anchoring of tankers in Torbay and Lyme bay: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The action taken with regard to tankers in Lyme bay did not affect the overall demand or the arrangements for pilotage and the Secretary of State saw no need to consult the pilot organisations. I have arranged to meet my hon. Friend to discuss these questions.

  Marine Accident Investigation Branch
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list and give full details of all investigations carried out by the marine accident investigation branch since April 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  A list of investigations will be found in the appendix to the occasional marine accident investigation branch publication entitled "Summary of Investigations"; the next edition is to be published before the end of this year. The list of investigations carried out between 1 April 1991 and 15 November 1991 is as follows.
  239

  Date of accident

  Name of vessel

  Type of vessel

  Flag

  Size

  Type of accident

  26 September 1991

  Brummi/ Norina

  Cargo/ FV

  St. Vincent/ United Kingdom

  423 grt 39·25m

  Collision

  26 September 1991

  Diamond

  Bulk Carrier

  Norway

  35,873 grt

  Explosion

  29 September 1991

  Marga Cortes

  Cargo

  Honduras

  499 grt

  Stranding

  1 October 1991

  Whispering Hope/ Sagacity

  FV/ Cargo

  United Kingdom/ Bahamas

  10·42m 1,594 grt

  Collision

  4 October 1991

  Hoverspeed G8

  Ro-Ro Passenger

  Bahamas

  3,003 grt

  Broken down

  5 October 1991

  Farstream

  Tug/Supply

  United Kingdom

  1,583 grt

  Accident to Person

  14 October 1991

  Freedom

  FV

  United Kingdom

  14·33m

  Fire

  20 October 1991

  Sally Star

  Passenger

  Bahamas

  9,120 grt

  Fire

  28 October 1991

  Sincere

  FV

  United Kingdom

  9·35m

  Grounding

  31 October 1991

  Rix Eagle

  Barge

  United Kingdom

  292 grt

  Explosion

  Environmental Assessments
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the tendering procedure adopted by his Department when employing consultants to undertake an environmental assessment.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Generally the tendering procedure for appointment of the main consultant is by means of a one or two-envelope competition, dependent upon the cost of the works. Under the one-envelope system, quality and financial bids are assessed together.

  Under the two-envelope system, quality is first assessed and then the financial bids are considered. The quality envelope contains the consultant's proposals for handling and staffing the commission and details of the firm's relevant experience. A panel gives an overall quality marking to each tender. Tenders which receive unacceptable quality markings are not considered further. The second envelope is then opened in which the consultants provide details of their financial bids. The contract is awarded to the consultant who tenders the best balance of quality and price.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria outside consultants are required to meet when appointed by him to carry out an environmental assessment.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: The consultants who are appointed to undertake the preparation and supervision of trunk road schemes are generally large multi-disciplinary civil engineering firms which have significant resources and well-proven skills. They are responsible for the full range of duties associated with each commission, including an environmental assessment where appropriate.

  Many large firms have a separate specialist division dealing with environmental matters. Where a consultant does not have, or needs to supplement, in-house environmental expertise, he will appoint a sub-consultant. Such appointments require the Department's approval. The Department considers proposed appointments on the basis of relevant expertise, capacity to undertake work and a proven track record.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the findings of the standing advisory committee on trunk road assessment report; and 240
  what timetable he envisages to incorporate the recommendations of that report into his Department's environmental assessment procedures.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Early next year.

  Birkham Wood
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what alternative routes he considered to the proposal to build a road through Birkham Wood.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Five routes were considered by the inspector at the public inquiry in 1989 before the Secretary of State confirmed the route proposed by North Yorkshire county council.

  Road Fund Taxes (Coaches)
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each European Community country the road fund tax payable on(a) a 30-seater, (b) a 40-seater (c) a 50-seater and (d) a 60-seater coach.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 18 November 1991]: The information requested is not available for all member countries. Not all countries use seating capacity as a basis for calculating VED rates. Many use gross vehicle weight instead. Accurate comparisons between the two systems are difficult to make as there is no direct correlation between seating capacity and weight.

  The current yearly rates applicable in those countries for which information is available are as follows

  United Kingdom VED rates for buses and coaches are calculated according to seating capacity

  Seating capacity

  12 month rate £

  Up to 8

  100·00

  9–16

  130·00

  17–35

  200·00

  36–60

  300·00

  61 and over

  450·00

  Germany

  Buses and coaches are taxed according to their net maximum weight and the number of axles. The current yearly rates are as follows:

  241

  Maximum weight (kg)

  12 month VED rate (sterling equivalent)

  2 axles £

  2 axles plus £

  14,000

  806

  755

  15,000

  959

  870

  16,000

  1,172

  1,017

  17,000

  1,396

  1,172

  18,000

  1,630

  1,334

  19,000

  1,874

  1,506

  20,000

  2,129

  1,678

  Greece

  Tax on private coaches is charged at £3·86 per seat. Yearly rates for a range of coaches (rounded to the nearest £) are as follows:

  Sealing capacity

  12 month rate (sterling equivalent) £

  30

  116

  40

  154

  50

  193

  60

  232

  Ireland

  Coaches are taxed according to seating capacity. The current yearly rates are as follows:

  Seating capacity

  12 month VED rate (sterling equivalent) £

  9–20

  94

  21–40

  150

  41–60

  207

  61 and over

  263

  Luxembourg

  Coaches are taxed according to the net weight of the vehicle. Tax rates increase for every 200 kg. Current rates for a range of coaches are as follows:

  Net weight (kg)

  12-month VED rate (sterling equivalent) (£)

  14,000

  30

  15,000

  32

  16,000

  34

  17,000

  35

  18,000

  37

  19,000

  39

  Netherlands

  Coaches are taxed according to the net weight of the vehicle and the type of fuel used. There are small differences in taxation depending on the province in which the coach is registered. Rates increase for every 100 kg. Current rates for a range of coaches in the province of Zuid-Holland are as follows:
  242

  Net weight (kg)

  12-month VED rate (sterling equivalent)

  Benzine or diesel (£)

  Other fuel (£)

  14,000

  1,375

  4,597

  15,000

  1,456

  4,917

  16,000

  1,538

  5,237

  17,000

  1,620

  5,556

  18,000

  1,701

  5,876

  19,000

  1,783

  6,196

  20,000

  1,864

  6,515

  F

  Spain

  Coaches are taxed according to seating capacity. The current yearly charges are as follows:

  Seating capacity

  12-month VED rate (sterling equivalent) (£)

  21–50

  103

  50 or over

  128

  A1 (Bypasses)
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many towns along the route of the A1 have been bypassed; how many towns are planned for bypasses to be constructed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr Chope
  [holding answer 19 November 1991]: The provision of bypasses for towns and villages is a continuing feature of the trunk road programme. Since the early 1960s some 26 towns have been bypassed as a result of realignment of the A1 Our current plans to upgrade the Al to motorway largely follow the corridor of the existing A1.

  Thornbridge Viaduct
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when work is expected to finish on the Thornbridge viaduct of the M6 motorway in Birmingham; and what are the reasons for, and costs of, the delays in completion.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 19 November 1991]: The Thornbridge viaduct contract south of Thornbridge avenue is on programme for completion in March 1992. No delays are expected on this contract.

  Traffic Forecasts
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account he has taken of the recent report by the Association of County Councils into increased traffic forecasts when considering the future of his roads programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: My right hon. Friend welcomes the Association of County Councils' report "Towards a Sustainable Transport Policy" as a contribution to the important debate on how we should respond to the continuing growth in demand for travel, both in urban areas and between them. A range of measures is needed, including investment in roads, and in public transport, traffic management, and attention to land use planning. The Department's road traffic demand

  243
  forecasts are not a target; the programme of investment in inter-urban road improvements strikes a balance between the economic benefits from avoiding future congestion, which are recognised in the report, safety benefits, and environmental and other considerations.

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many sites of special scientific interest are within 100 m of options for alternative trunk routes currently under consideration by his Department; and if he will name each site of special scientific interest and proposed route;

  (2) how many sites of special scientific interest are within 100 m of currently proposed routes for trunk road improvements; and if he will name each site of special scientific interest and the name of the proposed route.

  Mr. Chope
  The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. One tenth of land in England is covered by over 4,000 sites of special scientific interest.

  The Department consults widely at many stages in a scheme's development. Where proposed schemes may affect sites of special scientific interest, the Department consults English Nature.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Polly Peck
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the position of Her Majesty's Government on the question of state immunity being used in the case of Polly Peck in connection with the unrecognised state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Government do not recognise the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" as a state. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the matter raised by the hon. Gentleman, which is sub judice.

  Parking Fines
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretry of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many unpaid parking fines there are attributable to British missions in European Community countries; and if he will make a statement about reciprocal arrangements for the payment of parking fines.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We are not aware of any unpaid parking fines. We instruct staff at all British missions overseas to pay any parking fines promptly. There are no reciprocal arrangements.

  European Community Draft Directives
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on each European Community country's procedures for considering draft directives before their consideration by the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  A European Parliament publication "Bodies within National Parliaments specialising in 244
  European Community affairs", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, gives information on national scrutiny arrangements. Each member state has its own procedures for considering proposals with national administrations, and consulting outside parties.

  Visas
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the visa for Sabia Begum will be issued by the high commission in Dhaka, ref. BEG/A2627, as authorised on 10 September 1991.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  In accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the question to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit as soon as possible.

  Romania
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action he has taken to assist in the strengthening of democracy in Romania.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We take every opportunity to encourage the Romanian Government to adhere to their programme of political and economic reform, most recently during the visit of my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to Romania on 18 to 20 November.

  Under the know-how fund, which was extended to Romania in May this year, and other programmes, we are assisting with the establishment of democratic institutions by, for example, providing training programmes for government officials, journalists, and radio and television personnel; and supporting visits in both directions by parliamentarians and members of political parties. We have also paid for two legal experts to visit Romania to advise on drafting the new constitution.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Road Safety
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland roads service has to improve safety at Pound street and Circular road/Harbour highway road junctions, Lame, Co. Antrim; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  In the light of the tragic accident on 23 October a further examination of these junctions is under way to identify whether any additional improvements are necessary.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fatalities there have been as a result of accidents at(a) the Circular road/Harbour highway junction, Lame and (b) the Pound street/Harbour highway junction, Lame, since their construction.

  Mr. Needham
  Since 1976 when these two junctions were constructed the number of fatalities as a result of accidents at each has been(a)(b)

  Parking
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce legislation for Northern Ireland which would enable residents to obtain parking permits from the Department of Environment (NI) Roads Service, allowing them to park outside their own premises under a resident parking scheme.

  Mr. Needham
  Residents parking schemes are being considered for inclusion in future primary legislation.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if Rathlin island will achieve designation as environmentally sensitive;

  (2) if he will name parts of Fermanagh as environmentally sensitive.

  Mr. Hanley
  I announced on 20 November that both Rathlin island and other parts of Antrim, and parts of Fermanagh, are presently being considered for designation as environmentally sensitive areas. Details are being completed and interested parties will be consulted in due course. A copy of the press release has been placed in the Library.

  Carrickfergus
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the increase in(a) population and (b) unemployment in the borough of Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, in the last three years; and what consideration he has given to the establishment of a job club in Carrickfergus.

  Mr. Needham
  Mid-year population estimates for June 1990, the latest available, for the Carrickfergus district council area show an increase of 1,700 in the population over the three-year period from 30 June 1987. Over the same period unemployment in the area decreased by 630.

  Between October 1988 and October 1991 unemployment fell by 275.

  In considering locations for job clubs the Training and Employment Agency takes into account the relative numbers of long-term unemployed in the area and the availability of other job clubs within a reasonable travelling distance. It is not proposed to establish a job club in Carrickfergus.

  Unlawful Killings
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the number of Catholics and the number of Protestants who have been killed in Northern Ireland in the current year to the latest available date.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Information on the religious affiliation of those who have died in Northern Ireland this year as a result of the security situation is not available. Overall statistics for such fatalities are, however, set out as follows:

  11991

  Civilians2

  66

  RUC

  6

  Regular Army

  5

  UDR

  7

  246
  1As at 19 November 1991.

  2Category includes suspect terrorists.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on unlawful killings in the Province since his oral answers of 14 November.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Three civilians were killed in an incident near Craigavon on the evening of 14 November in what appears to have been a sectarian attack on workers making their way home.

  The RUC investigation into these and other recent killings is being vigorously pursued. Measures have been taken to enhance the security force presence in areas believed to be most at risk.

  Terrorism
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilians have been killed, and how many wounded, by terrorist action since 1969; and of these how many were children aged under 10 years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 14 November 1991]: Since 1969, a total of 1,713 civilians have been killed and more than 22,000 civilians have been injured as a direct result of terrorist action in Northern Ireland. Of those killed, 24 were children under the age of 10 years. Information is not available on how many children have been injured.

ENVIRONMENT

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the payment of management fees to housing associations by local authorities following the decision of the district auditor in relation to the payment of such fees by Hammersmith and Fulham council.

  Mr. Yeo
  I understand the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is considering the legal implications of certain payments made to housing associations as management fees. My Department is in touch with the borough on this issue.

  Public Rights of Way
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the planning inspection handbook dealing with public rights of way will be revised to take into account the Court of Appeal decision in the Rubinstein case mentioned in paragraphs D8. 33.

  Mr. Yeo
  The section of the planning inspectors handbook dealing with public rights of way is currently under revision and is being amended to take account of the effect of the Court of Appeal decision on the Rubinstein case. At present it is not possible to give a firm date when the updated section will be finalised. However, guidance on the implications of the Court of Appeal judgment affecting the Rubinstein decision is set out in Department of the Environment circular 18/90 which was issued to inspectors shortly after its publication. They are therefore already aware of the most recent guidance and are able to take it into account where applicable.

  Pollution and Wastes Directorate
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when each of the six extra staff recently added to his Department's pollution control and wastes directorate took up their posts; what will be their duties; what grades they are employed at; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information is:

  Post created

  Grades

  Tasks

  1 September

  1 Grade 6 and 1 Personal Secretary

  Work on setting up local authority waste disposal companies.

  1 October

  1 Grade 7

  Secretary of Radioactive Waste Management

  1 October

  1 HEO

  Advisory Committee International waste management policy work.

  1 October

  1 Administration trainee

  Assistance to Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment.

  1 October

  1 Divisional Secretary

  General assistance of environment protection and industry division.

  Refuse Collection
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department proposes to issue new guidelines for charging for collection of refuse from mixed hereditaments.

  Mr. Baldry
  We intend to implement those provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 relating to the collection of waste, along with other provisions of part II of the Act, on 1 April 1992. Implementation of these provisions requires us to revise the Collection and Disposal of Waste Regulations 1988. The circular which will accompany the revised regulations will provide guidance on charging for the collection of waste from mixed (composite) hereditaments. The Department will consult the local authority associations and others on a draft of the regulations and circular.

  Toxic Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information Her Majesty's Government provided to the European Commission under article 13 of Council directive 84/631/EEC on the transfrontier shipment of toxic and hazardous waste; whether this information is publicly available; and what information he has regarding submissions under article 13 by the other EC member states.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Commission has said that member states will be invited to report on a number of directives concerning waste, including 84/631/EEC, on the basis of a single standardised questionnaire which is in preparation. The United Kingdom will therefore make its report under article 13 of this directive through the questionnaire.

  Wild-caught Birds (Imports)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the proportion of imported wild-caught birds which are destined for(a) high street pet shops, (b) aviculturalists and (c) conservation, research and zoos.

  Mr. Baldry
  This information is not available in the form requested. Since September, my Department has issued licences to import about 60,000 birds covered by conservation legislation. Some 98 per cent. of these birds were required for commercial purposes and the remaining 2 per cent. for personal, breeding or scientific purposes.

  UN Environment Conference
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions were agreed on the transfrontier transport of toxic materials at working group 11 of the third preparatory committee meeting of the United Nations conference on environment and development in August and September 1991.

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Nations conference on the environment and development working group considered proposals relating to the transfrontier transport of toxic materials for the UNCED action plan (agenda 21). These will now be revised for consideration by the preparatory committee at its fourth session in March 1992. The Government believe the conference can give further impetus to international moves to greater self-sufficiency in waste disposal and improved waste management, including the needs of developing countries.

  Harrogate Borough Council
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate received by his Department of the total expenditure by Harrogate borough council for the present financial year.

  Mr. Key
  Harrogate borough council's budget estimate of net revenue expenditure for 1991–92 is £14·5 million.

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of council dwellings sold in the current financial year by Harrogate borough council.

  Mr. Yeo
  During the first six months of the current financial year, Harrogate borough council received £743,000 from the sale of fixed assets, including £558,000 from the sale of houses and flats. The total receipts figure may include receipts from the sale of land as well as property.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has studied the environmental implications of burning Orimulsion for the generation of electricity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is closely monitoring the current trials for burning Orimulsion at two power stations—Ince and Richborough. The environmental impacts of emissions from power stations are taken into consideration by
  249
  HMIP when determining authorisations under part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. HMIP is required to include in any such authorisations conditions to ensure that best available techniques not entailing excessive cost —BATNEEC—will be used to prevent or minimise harmful emissions.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a revised code of guidance to local authorities on homelessness which specifically addresses the issue of how to interpret those in mortgage arrears.

  Mr. Yeo
  My Department published a revised third edition of the homelessness code of guidance for local authorities on 14 August, and copies are available in the Library. This gives detailed advice to local authorities on their homelessness functions, including matters that should be taken into account when considering the cases of applicants who are homeless as a result of mortgage arrears. Local authorities are required to have regard to this guidance; but in deciding whether to accept responsibility to secure accommodation for any applicant, authorities must consider the circumstances of each individual case. I do not consider further guidance to be necessary.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what communications he has received from the European Commission over the last five years regarding the 1980 drinking water quality directive; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  There are frequent communications between the Department and the European Commission, formal and informal, about various aspects of this and other directives. The most significant of those relating to the drinking water directive over the last five years have been as follows.

  The Commission has pursued infraction proceedings against the United Kingdom alleging failure to incorporate the directive into legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland, to apply it to water for food production, and to comply in certain respects with the directive's requirements in relation to lead and nitrate. I firmly believe that, following a hearing later this month, the European Court of Justice should recognise that we have in fact taken all practicable steps to meet the requirements of the directive.

  The Environment Commissioner wrote to the then Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside in May 1989 expressing himself satisfied that provisions in what is now the Water Act 1989, and statements made in another place during the debates on it, showed that the United Kingdom intended
  "to rectify any deficiencies in water supplies as quickly as possible taking certain practicalities into account".

  We have since sent the Commission detailed information about the compliance programme which is now in place in all parts of the United Kingdom. As we have told the Commission, we believe this clearly
  250
  demonstrates that we are implementing the drinking water directive successfully and effectively. Indeed, we do not know of any other member state which has a comparable compliance programme firmly committed and fully funded. We have also sent the Commission the first report of the drinking water inspectorate covering 1990, which is also unique in the Community as a published and comprehensive record of drinking water quality. The chief drinking water inspector will be making a presentation about the report to staff of the Commission in Brussels next month.

  Water Act 1989
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the cases which have been referred to the Countryside Commission under section 152 of the Water Act 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  This information is commercially sensitive and is provided to the Secretary of State on the understanding that it will not be made public without the agreement of the water companies.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those water companies which have been successfully prosecuted and which are currently in the process of being prosecuted under the Water Act 1989.

  Mr. Baldry
  The drinking water inspectorate is investigating a number of incidents which may have had an adverse effect on drinking water quality. When their investigations are concluded they will advise me whether to prosecute the companies concerned.

  Water Disconnections
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of water supply disconnections over the last available period of 12 consecutive months for each water company in England and Wales.

  Mr. Baldry
  This is a matter for the Director General of Water Services. Companies are required under their licence to report the number of domestic disconnections to the area customer service committee of Ofwat every six months. By agreement non-domestic disconnections are also reported. The director general published on 17 July figures for the year ending on 31 March.

  Council House Sales
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by district authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside all capital receipts from the sale of council houses received each year since the introduction of the right to buy.

  Mr. Yeo
  The total discounted values of all sales of houses and flats for each year from 1980–81, as reported by local authorities, are in the table. Actual cash receipts in any year will depend on the extent to which the sales were financed by loans from the authorities.
  251

  Yorkshire and Humberside Region1 Discounted value of all sales (£'000)

  Local Authority

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Beverley

  981

  1,443

  2,200

  2,170

  1,062

  1,159

  1,136

  1,429

  2,966

  3,049

  1,420

  Boothferry

  2,107

  2,154

  1,518

  882

  829

  623

  952

  914

  1,620

  2,275

  809

  Cleethorpes

  71

  2,669

  954

  569

  410

  560

  912

  845

  1,667

  1,661

  572

  East Yorkshire

  716

  2,018

  1,116

  n/a

  714

  883

  690

  1,436

  1,969

  n/a

  1,314

  Glanford

  910

  1,236

  774

  725

  936

  770

  474

  829

  1,201

  1,237

  613

  Great Grimsby

  64

  1,128

  2,300

  956

  1,093

  893

  1,288

  1,380

  2,535

  3,105

  n/a

  Holderness

  478

  995

  880

  715

  581

  472

  590

  613

  1,371

  1,165

  495

  Kingston upon Hull

  0

  5,927

  6,284

  6,472

  6,069

  4,915

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Scunthorpe

  0

  2,702

  4,736

  1,779

  1,199

  1,067

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Craven

  475

  531

  603

  914

  469

  466

  659

  n/a

  1,280

  1,406

  517

  Hambleton

  16

  1,801

  2,236

  2,008

  1,084

  815

  n/a

  n/a

  3,265

  2,508

  1,178

  Harrogate

  1,470

  1,987

  3,917

  1,782

  1,009

  1,347

  1,534

  2,313

  3,828

  3,192

  1,408

  Richmondshire

  3

  1,601

  1,236

  911

  920

  432

  675

  1,027

  1,381

  2,127

  820

  Ryedale

  882

  1,029

  1,376

  1,028

  792

  733

  1,264

  1,352

  2,868

  2,661

  29,157

  Scarborough

  10

  887

  n/a

  n/a

  903

  487

  n/a

  1,705

  3,002

  4,734

  2,340

  Selby

  936

  2,833

  2,227

  1,451

  873

  1,171

  1,342

  1,791

  2,660

  3,207

  1,949

  York

  708

  2,829

  3,219

  3,309

  2,557

  2,473

  n/a

  2,993

  6,058

  4,435

  2,118

  Barnsley

  0

  4,040

  18,573

  4,565

  2,515

  2,601

  3,445

  4,165

  5,013

  9,147

  8,213

  Doncaster

  491

  10,750

  23,783

  n/a

  4,753

  3,869

  3,447

  5,131

  7,819

  19,752

  8,183

  Rotherham

  48

  12,564

  18,937

  9,500

  4,786

  4,219

  4,664

  5,323

  5,881

  11,603

  8,105

  Sheffield

  192

  3,979

  16,141

  7,937

  6,727

  8,594

  8,893

  16,394

  23,959

  42,893

  20,724

  Bradford

  7,630

  3,243

  4,448

  3,520

  3,155

  3,105

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  15,756

  11,580

  Calderdale

  3,310

  2,388

  1,493

  1,255

  1,568

  1,469

  1,567

  1,753

  3,128

  3,694

  2,741

  Kirklees

  4,171

  3,647

  3,614

  1,782

  2,596

  3,048

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  12,808

  15,209

  Leeds

  3,671

  4,974

  n/a

  9,546

  8,495

  8,203

  n/a

  n/a

  16,505

  38,669

  28,559

  Wakefield

  2

  8,497

  13,119

  5,150

  4,168

  4,112

  5,004

  5,837

  9,852

  17,861

  10,670

  1 Figures shown are as reported by individual authorities.

  n/a indicates that no data is available.

  Multiple Occupation
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received following the publication of his Department's consultative document, "Draft guidance on the fitness standards for houses in multiple occupation."

  Mr. Yeo
  The Department has received 16 responses, nine of which were from individual local housing authorities, with the remainder from landlords' or tenants' organisations, professional bodies and others. The responses are all broadly supportive of the line taken by the Department and points of detail are being taken into account in preparing the final version.

  Council House Sales
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total figure held by each district authority in Yorkshire and Humberside in capital receipts from the sale of council houses for(a) 1990 and (b) the total held at the end of the first financial quarter for the current year.

  Mr. Yeo
  The total of usable capital receipts held by each authority at 31 March 1991 is given in the table. Capital receipts held from the sale of council houses are not separately identifiable. Data on the stock of receipts are collected on an annual basis only.

  Usuable receipts held at 31 March 19911

  Thousands

  Barnsley

  0

  Doncaster

  0

  Rotherham

  6,641

  Sheffield

  44

  Bradford

  4,306

  Calderdale

  2

  Kirklees

  348

  Leeds

  0

  252

  Thousands

  Wakefield

  493

  Beverley

  514

  Boothferry

  2,676

  Cleethorpes

  1,128

  Glanford

  0

  Great Grimsby

  1,069

  Holderness

  754

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  12,785

  East Yorkshire

  2,125

  Scunthorpe

  3,962

  Craven

  1,155

  Hambleton

  0

  Harrogate

  3,193

  Richmondshire

  376

  Ryedale

  7,200

  Scarborough

  0

  Selby

  2,115

  York

  2,604

  1 Latest available information.

  Caravan Sites
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce a decision on the application by South Cambridgeshire district council for designated status under the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

  Mr. Yeo
  I am considering the application very carefully. I hope to announce the decision shortly and will write to my hon. Friend.

  Homosexuality
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all legal actions that have been taken against local authorities under section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Mr. Key
  I am not aware of any legal actions that have been taken against local authorities under section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.
  253
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is taking to monitor the effect on local government practices of section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Mr. Key
  While maintaining an overview of how local government legislation operates, my Department does not specifically monitor the effect of section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. I have no plans to amend the section.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Mr. Key
  Since section 28 came into force my Department has received some 126 representations about the section.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward proposals to amend section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Mr. Key
  No.

  River Ribble (Radioactive Contamination)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measurements are made of radioactive contamination of the River Ribble in Preston; and what have been the most recent measurements.

  Mr. Baldry
  Levels of radioactivity in the River Ribble are monitored by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, by my Department, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and British Nuclear Fuels plc. The most recent results are published in the inspectorate's "Environmental Monitoring Programme Report for 1989 on the environmental impact of authorised discharges of radioactive wastes in England and Wales" and the Ministry's "Aquatic Environment Monitoring Report Number 23, Radioactivity in Surface and Coastal Waters of the British Isles, 1989", both of which are available in the Library of the House. British Nuclear Fuels also publishes results in an annual report entitled "Radioactive Discharges and Monitoring of the Environment", the most recent of which is for 1990.

  East Thames Corridor
  Mr. Shore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many civil servants from his Department are deployed on work relating to the East Thames corridor project.

  Sir George Young
  A core team of eight civil servants is being established to deal with work related to the East Thames corridor and the Department's interests in the channel tunnel rail link. They will be supported by consultants, who will be appointed shortly. Staff in relevant policy divisions and in the London, Eastern and South Eastern regional offices of the Department will also contribute part of their time to this work.

  Whale (Export)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under what circumstances his Department recently authorised the export of an orcinus orca, known as Winnie, from Windsor safari park to Seaworld, Orlando, Florida.
  254
  Mr. Baldry
  My Department permitted export in accordance with the provisions of EC regulation 3626/82, which implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora within the European Community.

  The joint Nature Conservation Committee confirmed that export would not be detrimental to the survival of the species and we were satisfied that the other conditions specified in article III of the convention had been met.

  City Challenge
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the total bids received from local authorities under the city challenge initiative; and what criteria he uses to make choices on the distribution of resources.

  Mr. Key
  In May 1991 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment invited 15 local authorities to bid for resources under the first, pilot round of the city challenge initiative: Barnsley, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Lewisham, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets, Wirral and Wolverhampton. Barnsley was invited to work together with Doncaster and Rotherham in the preparation of a joint bid covering the Dearne Valley. In addition to the 15 invited authorities, six others submitted bids: Coventry, Newham, Sandwell, St. Helen's, Stockton and Sunderland.

  In July 1991 the Secretary of State announced that 11 authorities would be invited to work up their bids into five-year action plans for their areas: Bradford, Barnsley (with Doncaster and Rotherham), Lewisham, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nottingham, Tower Hamlets, Wirral and Wolverhampton.

  Subject to the preparation of satisfactory action plans and the availability of resources, the Government intend to commit £82·5 million in resources to these areas over five years starting in 1992–93.

  The criteria used in making choices on the distribution of resources include assessments of the needs of urban areas and their potential for regeneration, the quality of the bids received, the subsequent preparation of satisfactory action plans and the capacity of local authorities and their partners in city challenge effectively to implement the action plans.

  Community Charge (Refugees)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an estimate of the cost to individual community charge payers in the London borough of Hillingdon of administration, accommodation and all other related expenses arising from the care of refugees arriving in the borough during the current financial year.

  Mr. Key
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to take account of expenditure by local authorities, including major ports of entry within their area, on administration, accommodation and all other related expenditure arising from the care of refugees.
  255
  Mr. Key
  It is my right hon. Friend's policy, in making the annual local authority finance settlement, to take account of all expenditure by local authorities which is notified to him.

  London Docklands Development Corporation
  Mr. Shore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many civil servants from his Department are seconded to the London Docklands development corporation.

  Mr. Portillo
  Two.

  Local Council Meetings
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will use his powers under section 20 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to ensure that local authority members have the right to have their votes recorded at the conclusion of meetings.

  Mr. Key
  It is important that members should be able to put on record their support, or otherwise, for questions decided at meetings.

  My Department is today consulting the English and Welsh local authority associations on draft regulations which will include a requirement for all county, district and London borough councils to adopt a standing order giving any member the right to have their votes recorded in the minutes at the conclusion of meetings.

  My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities announced on 22 May that these regulations will also provide for compulsory standing orders on the appointment and dismissal of chief officers and a number of minor procedural matters.

  Sir Peter Levene
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of remuneration and other benefits offered to Sir Peter Levene (i) as special adviser to his Department and (ii) as chairman of the docklands light railway.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Sir Peter Levene receives no remuneration or other benefits as my special adviser. He has been appointed chairman of the docklands light railway by the board of London Regional Transport whose responsibility it is to agree his remuneration.

  Endangered Species
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what notice was given to United Kingdom importers of species covered by CITES on each of the last three occasions when the import of such species was banned in the EC;

  (2) when he expects to receive the up-to-date list of CITES appendix C2 species detailing the range states for each species and the current EC position with regard to import; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) when and by what means British importers of reptile species from Indonesia were informed of the decision by the EC CITES committee to instigate a ban on imports of such species; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: We give general information to importers about changes as
  256
  quickly as possible. Whenever individual traders have been identified, they have been notified in advance of the issue of general notification. General notification has been by way of a revised list, produced by the European Commission, of all species subject to restrictions of this kind. Such revisions were sent to all known United Kingdom traders on 30 April and 26 September. My Department will circulate a further revision reflecting the decisions taken at the meeting on 23 and 24 September as soon as is available. I understand that this is likely to he after the December meeting of the EC CITES committee. Given this delay, we proposed to notify all known traders of the changes made in September within the next few days.

  Written notification of the restrictions on trade with Indonesia was sent to one company in October, in response to a related inquiry. Departmental officials have since met representatives of the British Leather Confederation and the principal importers.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those species covered by CITES whose import is banned into the EC only; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to press for a worldwide ban on exports from Indonesia of reptile species listed in appendix C2 of CITES; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Future action will depend on how constructively the Indonesian authorities respond to the EC CITES committee's decision to impose a temporary ban on the import of annex C2 species into the European Community.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) which officials represented the United Kingdom at the EC CITES committee meeting on 23 and 24 September 1991; at what civil service grades they are each employed; how long each has been working in the policy area concerned with CITES; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes from the EC CITES committee meeting which took place on 23 and 24 September 1991;

  (3) what procedure has been agreed by member states governing the confidentiality of the minutes of the EC CITES committee.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: The United Kingdom was represented by: one grade 6 official from my Department; one grade 7 from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; a senior scientific officer from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee; and a higher scientific officer from the royal botanical gardens. All members of the United Kingdom team have had extensive experience of CITES.

  The commission does not produce a detailed record of the discussions at EC committee meetings. A summary of the main decisions reached is circulated to member states, but these summaries are not public documents, and are regarded by the Commission as confidential.

PRIME MINISTER

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Prime Minister which Government Ministers have made an official visit to Cyprus since June 1987.

  The Prime Minister
  There have been no bilateral ministerial visits to Cyprus in the period specified.

  Perisher Submarines
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will intervene to stop the Perisher submarine exercise scheduled for 22 to 27 November in the Clyde following fishermen's organisations warnings.

  The Prime Minister
  I understand the sensitivity of the anniversary of the Antares sinking on 22 November. In recognition of this, no submarines on the essential Perisher exercise will enter inshore waters until Saturday 23 November when no fishing activity will be taking place.

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost of official entertainment associated with the office of Prime Minister in the financial year 1990–91.

  The Prime Minister
  The cost of official entertainment associated with my office during 1990–91, including entertainment overseas, was £23,830.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21 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.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Parents Charter
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what methods are being used to distribute a copy of the parents charter to every parent; what is the estimated cost of(a) preparing the text, (b) printing and (c) distributing the charter; how many copies have been printed; by what process commercial firms used to distribute the charter were selected; which companies were appointed; and at what cost to public funds.

  Mr. Eggar
  Schools have been asked, on a voluntary basis, to distribute the charter to parents. Copies are also available in main libraries and post offices, and could he ordered via a freepost address or freephone number which were advertised in the national press and magazines in September and October.

  The cost of preparing the text for publication was some £21,000. Printing costs have so far amounted to £446,000, and distribution costs to £550,000. Nearly 6·8 million copies of the charter have been printed, including 281,000 translated into eight ethnic minority languages. The
  258
  Central Office of Information was commissioned to manage the distribution arrangements, at a cost to date of nearly £4,000. It selected the mailing house, Mail Marketing (Bristol) Ltd., and telephone agency, Merit Direct Ltd., from an approved list of contractors.

  Adult Education
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the component for adult education included in the standard spending assessment for each local education authority for the years 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Eggar
  Standard spending assessments replaced grant-related expenditure—(GRE)—assessments from April 1990. GRE components for adult education for each local education authority for 1988–89 and 1989–90 are listed in "Technical Handbook of Grant-Related Expenditure" for the relevant year published by the Department of the Environment. Copies are available in the Library. Standard spending assessments do not contain a separate component for adult education.

ENERGY

  Nuclear Electricity
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the value expressed in real terms from a 1991 base of the plutonium credit (per kilogram) for the plutonium produced as a by-product of the production of nuclear electricity in the years 1991, 1990, 1985, 1980, 1975, 1970, 1965 and 1961.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  As with other nuclear fuels held in stock, it is for each owner of plutonium to attach a value to the material in drawing up its accounts and to justify that value to its auditors. The precise figures are therefore commercial matters for Nuclear Electric plc, Scottish Nuclear Ltd., British Nuclear Fuels plc and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

  Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has yet received any recommendations from the Energy Action Grants Agency with regard to the future operation of the home energy efficiency scheme in Scottish area 14; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Following consultation with interested bodies, the Energy Action Grants Agency—EAGA—made recommendations to me that network installer area 14 in Scotland should be divided into four smaller areas. These are: Highlands, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, the boundaries being those of the relevant local authorities. I understand that the present network installer for the area agreed to step down in order that a new bidding process could take place. In September the EAGA placed advertisements inviting bids by 1 November for registration as network installers in these areas. A total of 11 bids were received, and these are currently being assessed with the aim of enabling successful bidders to be registered before the end of December.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department has any policy guidelines on the burning of Orimulsion for the generation of electricity; what information he has on its current use; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The type and quantity of fuel used by the electricity generators is an operational matter for the companies concerned, subject to emission limits imposed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution—HMIP—under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Orimulsion is currently being burnt by PowerGen plc, with the agreement of HMIP under SI 318, at its Ince and Richborough power stations on a long-term trial basis.

  Thermal Efficiency
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has about the relative thermal efficiency of(a) combined cycle gas power plants and (b) combined heat and power plants; and if he will publish a table showing the approximate range of thermal efficiency achieved by plants using both types of power generators.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Modern combined cycle gas turbine electricity generating stations of the type planned currently have a thermal efficiency of about 48 per cent., although future plants are expected to offer improvements on this, possibly reaching 54 per cent. in the next five years.

  Combined heat and power plants are usualy tailored to meet the particular combination of heat and electricity loads of individual customers, and can be almost any size and combination of type of equipment and fuel. Therefore

  Department of Energy RD and D Expenditure on Renewable Energy

  £ million

  Programme

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Wind

  0·6

  0·8

  0·9

  2·5

  2·5

  4·8

  5·4

  3·7

  4

  3·9

  4·8

  4·5

  6·2

  Wave

  3

  3·3

  4·4

  3·1

  1

  0·4

  0·4

  0·1

  0·2

  0·1

  0·1

  0·4

  0·5

  Geothermal Aquifers

  1·3

  1·7

  2·6

  1·5

  1·8

  1·1

  0·3

  0·1

  0

  0·1

  0·2

  0

  0·1

  Geothermal HDR

  0

  0·6

  5·6

  3

  2·9

  4·6

  3·5

  3·5

  3·6

  3·5

  3·3

  2·6

  1·8

  Solar

  1·2

  0·9

  0·7

  1·4

  0·9

  0·5

  0·7

  0·9

  1·1

  1·4

  1·9

  2·1

  2·3

  Biomass1

  0·1

  0·4

  0·4

  1·2

  0·7

  1·1

  0·8

  1·3

  2·2

  1·5

  1·4

  1·8

  2·3

  Tide

  0·6

  1·4

  0·4

  0

  0

  0·3

  0·1

  0·1

  1·4

  1·2

  1·1

  1·9

  2·0

  Hydro/General Studies

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·8

  0·8

  0·8

  1·0

  1·5

  Technology Transfer/ Promotion

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·7

  1

  1·6

  2·7

  3·0

  ETSU Services

  1·4

  2·2

  2·3

  2

  1·9

  2·1

  2

  2·3

  2·3

  2·5

  2·7

  3·8

  4·3

  Total

  8·2

  11·3

  17·3

  14·7

  11·7

  14·9

  13·2

  12·0

  16·3

  16

  17·9

  20·8

  24·0

  1 Includes expenditure on "Waste as a Fuel" projects under the Energy Efficiency Office demonstration scheme

  Notes:

  Up to 1986–87 the total for R&D also includes expenditure on Low Head Hydro and General Studies to 1986–87. These are separately identified

  for 1987–88 and include work carried out by the Chief Scientist Group, ETSU.

  Department of Energy RD and D Expenditure on Renewable Energy (1991–92 prices)

  £ million

  Programme

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Wind

  1·4

  1·6

  1·6

  4·2

  4·0

  7·4

  7·8

  5·2

  5·3

  4·8

  5·6

  4·8

  6·2

  Wave

  7·0

  6·5

  7·9

  5·2

  1·6

  0·6

  0·6

  0·1

  0·3

  0·1

  0·1

  0·4

  0·5

  Geothermal Aquifers

  3·0

  3·3

  4·7

  2·5

  2·9

  1·7

  0·4

  0·1

  0·0

  0·1

  0·2

  0·0

  0·1

  Geothermal HDR

  0·0

  1·2

  10·0

  5·0

  4·6

  7·0

  5·0

  4·9

  4·8

  4·3

  3·8

  2·8

  1·8

  Solar

  2·8

  1·8

  1·3

  2·3

  1·4

  0·7

  1·0

  1·3

  1·5

  1·7

  2·2

  2·3

  2·3

  Biomass1

  0·2

  0·8

  0·7

  2·0

  11

  1·7

  1·2

  1·8

  2·9

  1·9

  1·6

  1·9

  2·3

  Tide

  1·4

  2·7

  0·7

  0·0

  0·0

  0·4

  0·1

  0·1

  1·9

  1·5

  1·3

  20

  2·0

  Hydro/General Studies/ CSG

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·0

  1·0

  0·9

  1·1

  1·5

  260
  it is not possible to generalise but efficiencies are normally in the range of 70 to 80 per cent. but can be as high as 90 per cent.

  Ratcliffe Power Station
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the amount of limestone which will be required for the flue gas desulphurisation programme at Ratcliffe power station.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  In the environmental statement which accompanied PowerGen plc's application for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 the company stated that the flue gas desulphurisation plant at Ratcliffe would use some 306,000 tonnes of limestone annually.

  Research Expenditure
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give for each year from 1979–80 to 1992–93 inclusive the spending or proposed spending on renewables research funded by his Department breaking the figures down into type of renewable technology and expressing all the figures in (i) money terms and (ii) 1991–92 real terms.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Outturn expenditure from 1979–80 on my Department's renewable energy research, development and demonstration programme is set out in tables. Expenditure for the current year is estimated. Proposed expenditure on renewables in 1992–93 is £24·3 million; a breakdown of this figure by type of renewable technology is not yet available.
  261

  Programme

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Technology Transfer/ Promotion

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·9

  1·2

  2·0

  2·9

  3·0

  ETSU Services

  3·3

  4·3

  4·1

  3·3

  3·0

  3·2

  2·9

  3·2

  3·0

  3·1

  3·1

  4·0

  4·3

  Total

  19·1

  22·2

  31·0

  24·5

  18·6

  22·7

  19·0

  16·7

  21·6

  19·7

  20·8

  22·2

  24·0

  1 Includes expenditure on "Waste as a Fuel" projects under the EEO's demonstration scheme

  Notes:

  CSG = Chief Scientist's Group

  Up to 1986–87 the total for R&D includes expenditure on Low Head Hydro and General Studies

  IAEA Inspection
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the countries currently subject to International Atomic Energy Agency inspection.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The International Atomic Energy Agency is entitled to inspect the declared facilities of a country with which it has concluded a safeguards agreement. A list of those agreements, as of 31 December 1990, is contained in the agency's annual report for 1990, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Offshore Supplies Office
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what changes he expects to make in the future operation of the Offshore Supplies Office.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have reviewed the future role of the Offshore Supplies Office—OSO—in the light of the present stage of development of the offshore supplies industry and the challenges facing it in the 1990s. The OSO's principal tasks will remain unchanged—promotion of fair commercial opportunity in all oil and gas markets, support for the development of the latest technologies and promotion of United Kingdom exports. It will have a major role in supporting EC initiatives for the creation of open and commercially fair markets. Open and commercially fair markets are crucial to the continued success of the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas field supplies industry. That industry is now mature, however, and firmly established at home. I take the view, therefore, that the detailed monitoring of orders for the United Kingdom continental shelf is no longer necessary and that the OSO should no longer be charged with this task. I shall continue to report

  Unaccompanied1 minors2 seeking asylum on their arrival in the United Kingdom, and granted temporary admission, by nationality

  1990

  1991

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  Afghanistan

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Angola

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  3

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Bangladesh

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Ethiopia

  4

  3

  —

  2

  1

  1

  2

  3

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Ghana

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Somalia

  2

  —

  2

  2

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  4

  —

  4

  Sri Lanka

  7

  1

  8

  2

  2

  6

  9

  4

  4

  4

  9

  9

  Turkey

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  Uganda

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Yugoslavia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Zaire

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  16

  5

  12

  8

  3

  10

  15

  8

  8

  12

  10

  15

  1 Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival.

  2 Aged 16 or under.

  262
  to Parliament, in my annual report on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, on the progress of the supplies industry. But I plan to give new emphasis to its success in overseas markets, in place of the present analysis of orders placed for the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Child Refugees
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child refugees under the age of 17 years have been admitted to the United Kingdom during each of the past 12 months; if he will provide a table showing their country or origin; and what financial support the Home Offfice provides for the care and resettlement of child refugees in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the United Kingdom who are granted temporary admission pending consideration of their application. The available information is on those cases who were unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, and is given in the table.

  In addition to providing grants to certain voluntary organisations to assist with refugee resettlement, the Home Office makes a grant—about £600,000 in 1991—to the refugees arrivals project which provides emergency assistance to newly arrived destitute asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors. I understand that under the Children Act 1989 local authorities are responsible for arranging the care of unaccompanied child refugees or asylum seekers.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of crimes committed in each police area in 1979 and in 1990 with the percentage change given in each case.

  Mr. John Patten
  This information is published annually in chapter 2 of the Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" the latest edition of which, Cm 1322, contains 1989 statistics. 1990 figures were published in "Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 4/91" in March 1991. Both publications have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Brixton Prison
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information the governor of Brixton prison was given about Staffordshire police operations in Brixton prison during 1990 and 1991;

  (2) what consultations took place in 1990 between the Prison Department, the Metropolitan police and the Staffordshire police about police operations in Brixton prison.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  As I indicated in my statement of 5 August following the report of the inquiry by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons into the escape. information became available to Prison Service headquarters and to Brixton prison from the police in February 1991 that the prisoners were seeking to escape, that they had identified the Sunday chapel service as an opportunity and that they were seeking to acquire a firearm. This information was not passed to Ministers.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the last governor of Brixton prison will be given the opportunity to answer charges made directly or indirectly against him;

  (2) if any employees at the Prison Department will be disciplined following investigations into the Brixton prison escape in July of two IRA suspects.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I announced on 5 August that. Mr. Ralph Shulfrey CB has been asked to advise the principal establishment officer of the Home Office and the Director General of the Prison Service on whether there were any grounds for taking disciplinary action against any member of staff in connection with the escape from Brixton prison on 7 July. Mr. Shuffrey, who was assisted by Mr. John Richardson OBE, subsequently advised that there were such grounds in relation to the then head of DOC1 division in Prison Service headquarters, the then governor of Brixton and four prison officers who were on duty at the time.

  Because of his retirement, the question of disciplinary action against the then governor of Brixton did not arise and no charges were laid against him. The position was explained to him and he was told that it was open to him to write to the director of personnel and finance of the Prison Service with his comments. A disciplinary charge was laid against the then head of DOC1 division. The disciplinary proceedings found that there had been errors of judgment and failures of procedure, but the charge was not sustained and was dismissed. In the case of the prison officers, an investigation was conducted under the code of
  264
  discipline for prison officers, in the light of which the governor of Brixton decided that no charges should be laid.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in apprehending the two IRA suspects who escaped from Her Majesty's prison, Brixton last July; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that investigations are continuing.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how a loaded 2·5 calibre pistol was smuggled into Brixton gaol between February and July 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  These matters were inquired into by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons, parts of whose report on the escape of two prisoners from Brixton prison on 7 July were published on 5 August. Copies were placed in the Library along with copies of my statement of the same date. In his report Her Majesty's chief inspector said that most probably the gun was sent in by post, in the cut-out soles of a pair of shoes, the body of the gun in one shoe, the magazine in the other.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Staffordshire about Staffordshire police operations in Brixton prison during 1990 and 1991.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I called for a report from the chief constable of Staffordshire on 6 August after I had received the report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons into the Brixton escape on 7 July. The chief constable's report was submitted on 13 August, and a supplementary report on 5 September. The chief constable has arranged for a further investigation by Mr. Colin Bailey, the deputy chief constable of Nottinghamshire, as announced yesterday into allegations made in the "Thames Reports" programme broadcast on 19 November.

  Mrs. Jamila Sadiq
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will take a decision over the application of Mrs. Jamila Sadiq (Ref. IMP 5767465(S)) (GV100/12157) to join her husband in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The entry clearance officer in Islamabad was notified on 20 November of the decision to refuse the application. I regret the delay in dealing with this application, which was first referred to the Home Office in April 1991.

  "As Safe as Houses"
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken on the recommendations of the Fire Brigades Union report, "As Safe as Houses", a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The discussion document was submitted for consideration to the Central Fire Brigades
  265
  Advisory Council at its meeting of 20 November. The Home Office will consider its response to the document in the light of advice from that forum.

  Vagrancy Act 1824
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake to bring forward proposals to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824.

  Mr. John Patten
  No. The Vagrancy Act 1824 has been much amended over the years and in its present form provides power to deal with a number of nuisances, including indecent exposure.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had in connection with the number of homeless persons arrested under the Vagrancy Act 1824.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 13 November 1991 at column 537.

  Prison Security
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the recent prison security audit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend recently received the final report of the prison security audit conducted by Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes and is still considering it.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when section 3 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 will be enacted; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  There are no plans to bring section 3 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 into force.

  Private living accommodation is a matter best left to local housing authorities. They have a duty at least once a year to consider the housing conditions in their district with a view to determining what action to take in performance of their functions.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to protect elderly persons from fire risks.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Home Office provides specific advice on fire safety for elderly people in the form of written and video material. That material provides general guidance on fire prevention and fire safety measures in the home and is targeted to the elderly age group.

  In addition, the Home Office targeted its 1990–91 national television advertising campaign on smoke alarms at the elderly. The main target group for the 1991–92 campaign will again be the elderly.

  There is legislation in place in respect of types of accommodation housing elderly people which, among other things, makes provision for fire precautions. Such legislation is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

  Special Branch
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has authorised any special branch operations in British gaols since he took office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  It is not the practice to disclose such information.

  Drugs
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of drugs seized in the United Kingdom are seized at the frontier; and what percentage comes from other member states of the European Community.

  Mr. John Patten
  About 65 per cent. by weight of drugs seized in 1990 were seized at ports by HM Customs and some 60 per cent. by weight of all customs seizures came through other member states of the European Community.

  Terrorist Offences
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the present number of Irish(a) men and (b) women being held in prisons for terrorist activities committed in the United Kingdom;

  (2) what is the prison category of Irish (a) men and (b) women being held in prisons in England and Wales for terrorist activities.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  As at 19 November 1991, the numbers of men and women held in prisons in England and Wales for terrorist-related offences committed in the United Kingdom who have given the Irish Republic as their place of birth were nine and one respectively. All these prisoners are in category A.

  Prison Escapes
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department of the inmates who have escaped from prisons in the United Kingdom during the current year, how many escaped from(a) closed establishments and (b) open establishments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  From 1 January 1991 to 18 November 1991 a total of 270 prisoners escaped from closed prison establishments in England and Wales. In the same period, two prisoners escaped from open establishments in England and Wales. Prison matters elsewhere in the United Kingdom are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

  A further 279 prisoners absconded from closed establishments and 1,022 from open establishments in England and Wales during the same period. Absconding in this context means unlawfully gaining liberty by abusing trust without having to overcome a security barrier or specific supervision.

  Prison Officers (Shifts)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent change in prison officers' shift patterns have taken place at Castington youth training
  267
  centre; what changes there have been to visiting on Mondays and Fridays; and what effect the new shift patterns have had on the number of meals taken in cells.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  New shift systems, designed to make more efficient use of staff resources, were introduced on 13 October 1991. As a general rule visits are not now held on Mondays and Fridays, because neither day was popular with visitors. Inmates dine in association, but breakfast and tea meals are now taken in cells. This has enabled an earlier start to evening association, which is preferred by inmates.

  Animal Rights
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the animal rights national index; how many names are contained in this index; and in what year it was created.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The animal rights national index—ARNI—was created in 1986 and it holds about 21,000 names. The data held by ARNI are used to assist the police in their investigations into acts of animal extremism and also to provide advice and guidance to those who may be at risk from such acts.

  Electoral Registration
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list those newspapers, magazines and periodicals in which the Government have placed advertisements aimed at encouraging electoral registration in the last year; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing what the Government have spent in the last year promoting the use of postal and proxy voting in each parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The annual electoral registration advertising campaign in England and Wales this year used national poster sites only; no advertisements were placed in newspapers, magazines or periodicals. In a smaller, separate campaign designed to help teachers to encourage young people to register, advertisements were placed in The Times Educational Supplement, Educational Guardian, Telegraph Education and Teachers Weekly.

  A total of £14,500 has been spent in England and Wales on a leaflet and poster on absent voting. It is not possible to break this figure down by parliamentary constituency.

  Police Statistics
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by police authority in England(a) the number of police officers who would have been lost to force establishments if the 1991–92 budget reductions had fallen entirely on manpower and (b) the actual number of police officers it is planned to reduce the force establishments by in that year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  It is for police authorities to set force budgets and determine police strength. I am aware that some authorities set budgets for 1991–92 on a basis likely to result in the strength of the police force falling below the establishment which I had approved: Merseyside by 100 officers, Northumbria by 116, West Yorkshire by around 200, and Derbyshire by a cumulative figure of 130.
  268
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will show the marginal cost of every extra 10 police officers in West Yorkshire above the present establishment for the poll tax payers of Leeds, taking into account the impact of charge capping on the West Yorkshire police authority budget.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This information can be provided only by the West Yorkshire police authority.

  Child Protection
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration his Department has given to the project pilot schemes completed in September on "Protection of Children Disclosure of Criminal Background for the Voluntary Sector", in accordance with his Department's guidelines 58/1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Home Office has received and considered a report from an independent researcher which evaluates the pilot schemes. The report is due to be published by the Volunteer Centre UK early next year. In response to the Home Office scrutiny of criminal records, the Government have announced their intention to publish a consultation paper towards the end of next year outlining their proposals for new arrangements for disclosing information from the criminal record.

  Prisoners (Mail)
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria he uses to determine which penal establishments have outgoing mail from prisoners routinely read; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend announced on publication of the Woolf report that routine reading of prisoners' mail would be abolished save in dispersal prisons and for certain other limited categories of prisoners. A copy of circular instruction CI 10/1991, which gave effect to this, is in the Library. The circular instruction also sets out the circumstances in which the governor may reinstitute routine reading for a temporary period.

  Bail Offenders
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent studies he has considered of the percentage of crime which is committed by people on bail; if he will fund ongoing national research into this problem; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos) on 13 November 1991 at column 535.

SCOTLAND

  Trunk Roads
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the planned expenditure on(a) new construction and improvement,

  269
  (b) structural maintenance and (c) current maintenance on trunk roads by his Department for the years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Decisions on forward spending plans for individual programmes within the Scottish block have still to be finalised. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is available.

  Housing Statistics
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the amount of(a) sheltered and (b) special needs housing built by (i) district councils, (ii) Scottish Homes or its predecessor, (iii) housing associations and (iv) the private sector, in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on housebuilding by user category is not available for the years prior to 1986, and could be extracted only at disproportionate cost. The latest available information on sheltered and special needs housing built by district councils and the private sector is set out in the tables. Information on Scottish Homes, and its predecessor, and on housing associations, is not available in the precise form requested. I will write to the hon. Member about this.

  Sheltered Housing1—Dwellings Completed2 1986–1990

  Numbers

  1986

  Private Sector

  415

  District Councils

  273

  1987

  Private Sector

  744

  District Councils

  321

  1988

  Private Sector

  255

  District Councils

  312

  1989

  Private Sector

  237

  District Councils3

  330

  1990

  Private Sector3

  92

  District Councils3

  207

  1 Includes sheltered wheelchair housing

  2 Excluding housing associations

  3 Returns are incomplete

  Special needs housing1: Dwellings completed2 1986 to 1990

  Numbers

  1986

  Private sector

  —

  District councils

  267

  1987

  Private sector

  36

  District councils

  271

  1988

  Private sector

  4

  District councils

  320

  1989

  Private sector

  17

  District councils3

  168

  1990

  Private sector3

  48

  District councils3

  87

  270
  1 Includes amenity, wheelchair and ambulant disabled housing.

  2 Excluding housing associations.

  3 Returns are incomplete.

  Sewage Sludge
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what alternative means of disposal for sewage sludge in Scotland will be available when dumping at sea ceases.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Disposal options will include agricultural land, forestry, landfill, incineration and composting.

  Water Supply (Lead)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the water authorities' assessment of lead in water supply zones to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Water authorities have given undertakings to my right hon. Friend that their assessments of water supply zones where there is a risk that the United Kingdom standard for lead in water may not always be met will be completed by 31 December 1991. Where a need for further treatment to comply with the regulations is identified authorities will be required to undertake the necessary improvements within specified time scales.

  Water Disconnections
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of water supply disconnections over the latest available 12-month period for each regional authority.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Supplies to domestic consumers in Scotland may be disconnected only for short-term operational reasons, for example to undertake repairs, make connections or plumbing alterations. Supplies to non-domestic consumers may also be disconnected for other reasons, including those arising from non-payment of water charges. Information on the
  number of disconnections is not held centrally.

  Cumbernauld High School
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the reply given to the hon. Member for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth on 11 November,Official Report, column 381, when he will publish the follow-up report on Cumbernauld high school undertaken by Her Majesty's inspectorate of schools in January 1991.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: At present reports of follow-up inspections are not published although such reports are likely to be published Private sector in future following the implementation of the parents District councils charter.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Libya (Contracts)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance he is providing to British businesses to try to obtain contracts in connection with(a) the great manmade river project and (b) the Melita power station in Libya.
  271
  Mr. Lilley
  None. We have neither encouraged nor discouraged British companies which wish to trade with Libya. This has been a matter for their commercial judgment alone.

  Blue Arrow
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) on what date his Department sold copies of his inspector's report on Blue Arrow; and how much money was made as a result of these sales;

  (2) how much it cost his Department to recover copies of the inspector's report on Blue Arrow after they had been sold to members of the public;

  (3) for what reason his Department (a) sold certain copies of the DTI inspector's report on Blue Arrow and (b) decided not to publish the report.

  Mr. Lilley
  My Department supplied copies of the report on 7 and 8 November to a number of people who might be affected by it, against written undertakings of confidentiality from their solicitors. This was done in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 1985"on request and on payment of the prescribed fee".
  The cost of recovering the reports from recipients was negligible.

  I have discretion to furnish copies of reports to persons who might be affected by it in order to give them an opportunity to make representations to me about publication of the report. In the light of representations made to me, I have decided to delay publication.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration was given to the effect on the continuing trial involving the financial advisers of Blue Arrow before the decision was taken to release details of an investigation on one aspect of Blue Arrow's affairs.

  Mr. Lilley
  Full consideration, including the taking of legal advice. Details have been given in confidence only to persons whose interests might be affected by the report.

  Independent Financial Sector
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to encourage the independent financial sector; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The provision of independent financial advice is one of the matters currently being considered by the Securities and Investments Board in its review of retail regulation.

  The Government are keen to see a wide range of suitable independent advice available in the marketplace through independent financial advisers and others.

  European Space Agency
  Sir Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Space Agency's ministerial council meeting held on 18 to 20 November in Munich.

  Mr. Leigh
  The main achievement of the European Space Agency—ESA—council meeting at ministerial level, held in Munich, was to initiate a new ESA programme for the observation of the Earth and its environment from polar orbit, known as the first polar mission.

  Ministers also agreed to continue development of ESA's Columbus programme, of the Hermes manned
  272
  spaceplane, and of a data relay satellite, within a slightly reduced budget, during 1992. They will meet again late in 1992 to review the future direction of the programmes approved at Munich.

  The new Earth observation programme will develop advanced instruments in support of climate research and the monitoring of global climate. It will also support the flight of operational meteorological instruments and will carry forward radar-based remote sensing using synthetic aperture radar. In addition, the programme will address the necessary facilities for data reception and distribution on the ground.

  The instruments are scheduled to be flown in 1998 on the polar platform, which is under development within ESA's Columbus programme. The United Kingdom played a prominent role at the council in urging ESA member states to give a decisive impetus to this new Earth observation and environment programme. The programme represents a positive European contribution to worldwide efforts to understand the global environment. This is a matter of central importance to current international discussions and negotiations including the forthcoming United Nations conference on environment and development, in Rio de Janiero next year.

  Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will show the value of output per hour in the manufacturing sector(a) at 1991 prices and (b) the percentage change year on year from 1961.

  Mr. Mellor
  I have been asked to reply.

  This information is not available in the form requested. Estimates of output per hour in the manufacturing sector are available, in index numbers at constant 1985 prices, for years from 1970. These are held as series DMBH on the Central Statistical Office database which can he accessed by the House of Commons Library.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Cardiff Airport
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the level of Customs and Excise personnel at Cardiff international airport;

  (2) how many full-time customs officers were deployed at Cardiff international airport in each year since 1985; and how many are deployed now;

  (3) what level of centrally funded resources is deployed at Cardiff international airport to deter and detect drug smuggling; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Resources are centrally funded to individual executive units, but the allocation of those resources is a matter for the head of the executive unit. In the allocation process full account is taken of the varying degrees of risk that occur in the ports and airports within the boundaries of the executive unit.

  Since 1985 the following numbers of full-time customs officers have been deployed at Cardiff international airport:

  273

  Number

  1985

  16

  1986–87

  16

  1988

  17

  1989–90

  17

  The numbers include staff employed on both anti-smuggling and fiscal work. They also reflect additional staff years to cover peak seasonal periods as well as the perceived need, at that time, to staff on a continuous basis rather than effort being targeted according to risk.

  Following the national review of anti-smuggling controls which has taken place within the Customs and Excise Department, improvements are being made which involve a shift away from predictable static controls to a more mobile, flexible effort directed at areas of greatest risk as perceived at any given time. These risks are assessed within the executive unit on a wider base than Cardiff international airport alone.

  As part of the process of greater flexibility, customs staff for the locality are now concentrated in premises at Barry docks and cover Cardiff and Barry docks as well as the airport. There is a total of 20 full-time anti-smuggling staff available and these can be supplemented by additional resources from elsewhere in the executive unit as the need arises. In addition 16 full-time staff are employed on customs fiscal work in the locality.

  Car Allowances
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the conditions under which(a) volunteer hospital drivers and (b) hon. Members are taxed on notional profits on car allowances.

  Mr. Maude
  The position in law is that motor mileage allowances paid to individuals, whether employees or office holders, or volunteer hospital drivers, are liable to income tax if the allowances exceed the costs of running and maintaining the car for use for work or office, or for use for driving for a hospital car service. The tax liability arises under schedule E, employees and office holders, and schedule D, volunteer hospital drivers.

  Hon. Members, like other office holders or employees, may use a simplified administrative arrangement, known as the fixed profit car scheme, under which "tax free" rates calculated by the Inland Revenue to reflect typical motoring costs can be set against motor mileage allowances received in order to calculate the taxable profit element. Alternatively, hon. Members can choose to keep detailed records of the actual motoring expenses incurred and the precise parliamentary, constituency and private mileage travelled to enable them to make their own claims for relief.

  Volunteer hospital drivers may use simple tables drawn up by the Inland Revenue based on the FPCS arrangements, which are available for employees and office holders, to work out if there is any taxable profit element of their motor mileage allowances. The Revenue has compared the rates of mileage allowances paid by the various health authorities with the "tax free" FPCS rates; the tables show a profit figure where the mileage allowances exceed the FPCS rates. Alternatively, volunteer hospital drivers can choose to keep detailed
  274
  records of the mileage allowances received, the actual motoring expenses incurred, and the mileage driven privately and for the hospital car service.

  Taxpayers Charter
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the omission of a statement informing taxpayers that they will be presumed to have dealt with their tax affairs honestly unless there is reason to believe otherwise, which was contained in the taxpayers charter of 1986. from the taxpayers charter of 1991 constitutes a change in policy: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Francis Maude
  Taxpayers will continue to be presumed to have dealt with their tax affairs honestly unless there is reason to believe otherwise. The omission of a statement to that effect from the 1991 taxpayers charter does not constitute a change of policy in this regard.

  Hospital Car Service
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to letters of 20 September, 8 October and 24 October from the hon. Member for South Hams about the taxation of the hospital car service mileage allowance.

  Mr. Maude
  Letters on this subject were delayed while the Inland Revenue gave consideration to the tax treatment of these allowances. I have now set out the tax treatment and I will reply shortly.

  Civil Service Relocation
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will increase his efforts to ensure civil service relocation is speeded up; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Government's relocation policy is not centrally directed. Departments are required to review the location of their work regularly and systematically in accordance with clear guidelines. Between 1988 and June 1990 Departments identified nearly 23,000 posts for location or relocation away from the south-east. I hope to update the House shortly on the progress made by the end of June 1991.

  Multilateral Surveillance
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to submit the United Kingdom medium-term economic plan to the European Council of Finance Ministers for consideration by the Council in its programme of multilateral surveillance.

  Mr. Maude
  The Government have submitted the United Kingdom's medium-term convergence programme, based on the medium-term financial strategy and the autumn statement, to the Community. It will be considered by ECOFIN in due course. A copy of the programme has been placed in the Library of the House.

  PSBR
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the Treasury rules which determine the construction of, and accounting conventions governing, the public sector borrowing requirement.
  275
  Mr. Mellor
  The notes to table 2·5 in the Financial Statistics Explanatory Handbook, July 1990 edition, describe how the public sector borrowing requirement is defined and measured. More details are available from further references listed there.

  Taxpayers Charter
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers in the United Kingdom fall within the ambit of the taxpayers charter.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 18 November 1991]: The taxpayers charter covers taxpayers dealt with by the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise. The Inland Revenue deal with over 30 million taxpayers, including individuals, partnerships, companies and trusts. Customs and Excise deal with around 1·8 million VAT traders, 35,000 excise and inland customs traders and international travellers (some 60 million each year). Some people fall under more than one of these categories.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the total cost to the Exchequer of raising child benefit to £15 for every child during a full financial year and the gains in taxation revenues made if(a) the additional married couple's allowance had not been raised at the last Budget and (b) the additional married couple's allowance—additional to single person's allowance—at the last Budget had been reduced by half.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 19 November 1991]: The additional social security expenditure arising from paying child benefit at £15 per week throughout 1991–92 would be about £3·2 billion. The married couple's allowance for those aged under 65 was not changed in the last Budget. The direct revenue yield of reducing the additional allowance by half is estimated to be about £2·3 billion at 1991–92 income levels.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Free School Meals
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children will lose their entitlement to free school meals under the Social Security (Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit) Amendment Regulations 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The amendment to the Social Security (Unemployment. Sickness and Invalidity) Regulations 1983 will not now be made and the current definition of employment will remain unchanged. Consequently those refusing work of up to 24 hours a week will not lose I heir entitlement to unemployment benefit or income support. Thus for those on income support with children, included in this category, there will be no loss of free school meals.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to improve benefits payable to disabled people in employment who have a reduced work capacity because of their disability; and if he will make a statement.
  276
  Mr. Scott
  In April 1992 the Government will introduce the new disability working allowance. This will be the first benefit in this country specifically intended to help disabled people to work even if their earning capacity is reduced.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking on the actuary's report on the level of the rebate to be paid over the next five-year period on national insurance contributions for those contracting out of the state earnings-related pension scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 15 November 1991 at column 685.

  Health Screening
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those companies which tendered for the contract for the Department of Social Security health screening programme; what is the cost to public funds; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Disclosure of the names of the companies invited to tender for the Department of Social Security health screening programme could cause commercial damage to the unsuccessful tenderers and jeopardise the Department's future relationships with its suppliers. The cost of the three-year contract at current prices and depending upon take-up is estimated to be £4 million.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the BUPA health screening service will visit the Coventry offices of his Department; for how long; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  BUPA mobile screening units will be visiting Department of Social Security offices in Coventry early in December for a period of one or two weeks depending upon take-up.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the criteria which led to the selection of BUPA to provide a health screening programme for his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  BUPA was chosen following a competitive tendering exercise to assess the ability of leading health-care providers to deliver the Department's requirements, having particular regard to company infrastructure; financial stability; mechanisms for ensuring quality and integrity of service; logistical planning; standard of mobile screening units; experience of comparable screening programmes; capacity to meet the Department's specification; and overall value for money within available budget.

  Young Persons (Benefits)
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons aged 16 and 17 years, respectively, received(a) unemployment benefit and (b) income support in each year after 1987.

  Mr. Jack
  The information requested is shown in the table.
  277

  May

  Aged

  Number of claimants in receipt of Income Support

  Number of claimants in receipt of Unemployment Benefit

  1988

  16

  32,000

  1,000

  17

  69,000

  6,000

  1989

  16

  5,000

  —

  17

  13,000

  —

  1990

  16

  4,000

  —

  17

  17,000

  —

  Figures are not yet available for Income Support for 1991.

  Notes:

  1. Some cases may be receiving both Income Support and Unemployment Benefit.

  2. All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  3. From October 1988 Unemployment Benefit was no longer payable to a 16 or 17 year old.

  Source: annual statistical enquiry 1988, 1989 and 1990 half-yearly analysis of unemployment claimants (grossed up from a 5 per cent. sample).

  Mortgage Support
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has on the current level of mortgage support expenditure; and what was the comparable situation 12 months previously.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Help with mortgage interest is given through income support. Estimates of the amounts included in income support assessments for mortgage interest in 1989 and 1990, the latest year for which information is available, are as follows:

  £ million

  1989

  355

  1990

  555

  Note: Estimates arc rounded to the nearest £5 million.

  Source: Income support annual statistical enquiries, May 1989 and 1990.

  Community Charge Benefit
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost of increasing benefits to cover the 20 per cent. of the poll tax in 1989–90 and 1990–91 and the estimate for 1991–92; and how many people in each year were helped.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 18 November 1991]: The information requested is as follows:

  Year

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Estimated cost of increasing income-related benefits to cover the 20 per cent, contribution to the community charge (£ million)

  £500

  £520

  £580

  Number of income-related benefit cases (million)

  7·7

  7·5

  7·7

  Sources: Sources of the caseload information are the housing benefit/community charge benefit management information system, the income support annual statistical enquiry, and the family credit statistical system.

  The figures relate to May of each year for income support and housing benefit, and April for family credit. The average caseload for the year may be different due to fluctuations during the year; the caseload and expenditure figures cannot be compared directly because each is derived differently.

WALES

  Dental Health
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has now completed his consideration of implementing a new management information system for the community dental service.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The development of management information systems for the community dental service is a matter for district health authorities. The Welsh Office has fully funded authorities to purchase equipment for capturing data which will meet the information requirements agreed with chief administrative dental officers and notified to district general managers in February 1991.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of those hospitals providing paediatric emergency dental services staffed by the community dental service.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information his Department holds on the relationship between the incidence of dental caries and social deprivation.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Information about the incidence of dental caries in households of different social class is collected and published decennially by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. The latest published information is from the 1988 adult dental health survey and the 1983 child dental health survey.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library the reports by district health authorities in Wales of the assessment of local dental health needs in their area.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I will arrange for copies of the reports of directors of dental public health to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of cross-infection in general dental surgeries.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The incidence of cross-infection in general dental practice surgeries is determined by the quality of hygienic practices undertaken in those surgeries and is the responsibility of the individual general dental practitioners. Where a family health service authority has reason to believe that appropriate infection control is not practised, it may seek an independent inspection and report from an officer of the dental reference service. Many family health service authorities also operate a voluntary inspection for all new practices.

  In 1988, with the aid of family health service authorities and the dental profession in Wales, all practices were surveyed by questionnaire on the quality of their infection control arrangements. Where identified as necessary, counselling of practitioners was given by the profession locally.

  To ensure appropriate practitioner training in cross-infection and understanding of practice responsibilities:

  279
  Guidance has been issued to the profession. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 10 July 1991;
  Funding was allocated for equipment to facilitate improved undergraduate and postgraduate training (£605,000 in 1988–89–90 and 1990–91 and £900,000 in 1991–92);
  A video on hygienic practice was issued to all general practitioners in Wales in 1989.

  In order to pump-prime appropriate equipment purchases in 1989 by general dental practitioners, the

  Percentage of school children1 inspected by Community dental Service

  Clwyd

  Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glamorgan

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  1976

  41

  49

  64

  57

  41

  65

  45

  33

  1977

  41

  58

  62

  60

  55

  77

  44

  60

  1978

  43

  67

  85

  44

  63

  74

  42

  56

  1979

  45

  62

  65

  41

  61

  65

  58

  57

  1980

  61

  73

  77

  34

  73

  77

  55

  59

  1981

  78

  77

  77

  24

  84

  94

  59

  59

  1982

  87

  72

  68

  23

  78

  78

  60

  61

  1983

  77

  77

  n/a

  26

  73

  88

  63

  60

  1984

  70

  75

  78

  46

  80

  88

  60

  70

  1985

  67

  74

  82

  50

  73

  92

  62

  79

  1986–87

  67

  89

  73

  45

  69

  98

  59

  89

  1987–88

  73

  73

  85

  37

  64

  91

  63

  86

  1988–89

  50

  63

  66

  40

  63

  88

  65

  90

  1989–90

  47

  59

  48

  50

  62

  69

  69

  90

  1990–91

  50

  67

  40

  64

  52

  59

  54

  79

  1 School children aged over 5 in maintained schools.

  The following footnote was omitted from the answer I gave on 22 July (Hansard Vol 195. Col 382) to a similar question from the hon. Gentleman:
  "Percentages for the years 1971 to 1975 include re-inspections"

  Oro-facial Cancer
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has now received the report of the Welsh Dental Committee working party on oro-facial cancer.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  No.

  Assisted places scheme: Payment to schools financial years 1984–85 to 1990–91

  School

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Christ College, Brecon

  48,289·45

  62,116·51

  95,473·37

  131,470·78

  155,404·79

  189,933·43

  244,081·45

  Howell's School, Denbigh

  96,971·98

  132,971·98

  179,033·86

  225,465·70

  243,740·40

  237,474·63

  231,442·31

  Howell's School, Llandaff

  144,940·27

  209,858·38

  274,274·74

  314,274·85

  243,740·40

  334,290·42

  358,798·97

  Llandovery College

  31,013·22

  38,279·65

  454,407·00

  55,732·49

  75,308·91

  92,650·75

  140,381·50

  Monmouth School (for Boys)

  134,170·47

  181,642·40

  233,684·75

  307,291·19

  277,352·49

  323,194·26

  303,951·04

  Monmouth School (for Girls)

  52,598·51

  68,760·75

  90,225·23

  109,297·62

  114,422·49

  128,010·24

  140,618·97

  Penrhos College, Colwyn Bay

  62,843·75

  81,089·97

  99,399·15

  140,459·21

  136,944·07

  156,617·49

  183,500·70

  Rydal School, Colwyn Bay

  56,864·75

  67,768·75

  93,274·00

  110,254·91

  112,767·80

  128,121·05

  153,508·72

  Total

  626,876·45

  842,488·19

  1,519,772·10

  1,394,246·75

  1,359,681·35

  1,589,392·27

  1,756,283·66

  Sewage Treatment Works, Llanfaes
  Mr. leuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will outline his reasons for refusing to exercise his powers under the planning Acts to call in for determination a planning application by Welsh Water to construct a sewage treatment works at Llanfaes, Ynys Mon, Gwynedd.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  On the information available to him, my right hon. Friend concluded that this application
  280
  forecast outturn for each general dental practitioner in the United Kingdom was uplifted by approximately £1,000 additional to the usual refund of expenses.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of school children aged over five years is maintained schools were inspected by the community dental service in each family health service authority area in Wales in each year since 1971.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Information on an individual FHSA basis is not available prior to 1976. The available data are given in the following table:

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what amount of money he has given(a) annually and (b) by school to the assisted places scheme in each of the years 1984 to 1991.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Payments made to independent schools for fee remissions under the assisted places scheme from 1984–85 to 1991 are shown in the table:

  did not involve planning issues of more than local importance and should be determined by the local planning authority.

  Nebulisers
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will contact the Welsh health authorities on payments for nebulisers and other health requisites.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Our officials have already contacted Welsh district health authorities asking them to
  281
  examine their existing policies and practices for the provision of equipment such as nebulisers. In addition, the authorities have been asked to investigate and report on individual cases that have been notified.

  Paediatrics
  Mr. Allan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new senior registrar posts in paediatrics have been created in Wales this year; at which hospitals they are based; and what arrangements exist for rotation with other areas.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Three new senior registrar posts in paediatrics have been created this year in Wales; two in community paediatrics and one in the regional perinatal intensive care service. All three are located in South Glamorgan hospitals. The rotations involved were decided on the advice of the speciality standing advisory committee and the specialty training committee.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the amount of toxic waste imported into the ports of Wales for the years(a) 1988, (b) 1989, (c) 1990 and for the first three quarters of 1991 giving the place of origin of the toxins.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Returns on the importation of hazardous waste into the United Kingdom are available only for the period since the introduction of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations in October 1988.

  On the basis of information currently available the information requested is as follows:

  Date and port with country of origin

  Waste imported

  Total disposed of in Wales

  Tonnes

  Tonnes

  Percentage

  October 1988—31 March 1989

  Newport

  43·0

  Ireland

  Total

  43·0

  Nil

  0

  1 April 1989—31 March 1990

  Holyhead

  Ireland

  156·2

  Newport

  Austria

  73·7

  Germany

  108·0

  Ireland

  483·2

  Spain

  238·5

  Switzerland

  423·7

  Swansea

  Greece

  5·2

  Total

  1,488·5

  754·9

  51

  Session

  Title of Report

  HC Number

  Principal recommendation not yet put to the House for decision

  1985–86 (Second)

  Allocation of time to Government Bills in

  324

  (a) Proceedings in Standing Committee should not continue beyond 10 pm.

  Standing Committee

  (b) Business Sub-Committees to be established for each Standing Committee on a Government Bill, to meet after sixth sitting of Standing Committee to consider progress of Bill and, if necessary, propose timetable for remainder of clauses.

  1986–87 (First)

  A Parliamentary Calendar

  157

  (a) Greater predictability of Recess timings and lengths.

  (b) Firmer dates for Christmas Recess (House to rise no later than 22 December and return no earlier than 7 January).

  282

  Date and port with country of origin

  Waste imported

  Total disposed of in Wales

  Tonnes

  Tonnes

  Percentage

  1 April 1990—31 March 1991

  Holyhead

  Ireland

  815·9

  Newport

  Austria

  1,914·7

  Germany

  167·2

  Finland

  10·7

  Ireland

  1,547·1

  Switzerland

  877·6

  Swansea

  Ireland

  10·1

  TOTAL

  5,343·3

  585·3

  11

  1 April 1991—30 September 1991

  Holyhead

  Ireland

  128·3

  Newport

  Austria

  109·3

  Germany

  80·7

  Finland

  14·4

  Ireland

  279·4

  Switzerland

  108·0

  TOTAL

  720·1

  N/a

  N/a

  N/a—Not available.

  Nominated Bodies
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the total number of(a) male and (b) female members of nominated bodies in Wales in 1979 and 1990.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is as follows:

  1990

  Female members of nominated bodies in Wales

  282

  Male members of nominated bodies in Wales

  1,397

  Information for 1979 was not collected and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Procedure Committee
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list the outstanding recommendations of the Procedure Committee which have not yet been put before the House for decision.

  Mr.MacGregor
  The following are the principal recommendations Procedure Committee since 1983–84 which have not yet been put to the House for decision on a substantive motion:
  283

  Session

  Title of Report

  HC Number

  Principal recommendation not yet put to the House for decision

  (c) Easter and Whitsun Recesses to last at least one week.

  (d) Summer Recess to start no later then 21 July and end no earlier than 15 October.

  (e) Motions specifying Recess dates should not be taken on the same day as back-bench Adjournment debates following Third Reading of Consolidated Fund Bill.

  1986–87 (Second)

  Use of Time on the Floor

  350

  (a) Greater use of Special Standing Committees.

  of the House

  (b) Debate on Statutory Instrument to be normally limited to 1½ hours, whenever started.

  (c) Motions to approve Statutory Instruments to stand automatically referred to a Standing Committee, subject to the ability of 20 Members (or a Minister) to table a Motion to the effect that the Instrument be debated on the Floor of the House.

  (d) No entrenchment of 10 pm rule.

  (e) No adoption of morning sittings.

  (f) No new procedure for deferred divisions.

  (g) Private Members should not be empowered to move Motion at 2.30 pm on Fridays to prolong proceedings on Private Members' Bills or Motions.

  (h) On four Fridays devoted to Private Members' Motions, debate on the first Motion should lapse at 12.30 pm

  (i) On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, on an experimental basis, an additional 20 minute Adjournment debate should be introduced.

  1988–89 (First)

  Conduct of Members in the Chamber and the Alleged

  290

  (a) No blanket increase in lengths of suspension laid down in Standing Order No. 43.

  Abuse of Parliamentary

  (b) Suspension not to be accompanied by loss of salary.

  Privilege

  (c) Uncompleted periods of suspension to be carried over from one Session to the next.

  (d) Period of suspension incurred under Standing Order No. 43 to take account of any previous suspensions both in current and preceding Session.

  (e) Question on Motion to suspend Member named by Chair to be put forthwith, without formal moving by Leader of House (or another Minister).

  (f) No need for new rules of order to deal with alleged abuses of parliamentary privilege.

  (g) No case for formalised right of reply for persons claiming to have been harmed by unfounded allegations made under protection of privilege.

  1988–89 (Third)

  The System for Determining Precedence for the Introduction of Ten Minute Rule Bills

  352

  (a) For an experimental period, system of queueing for Ten Minute Rule Bill 'slots' to be replaced by ballot.

  1989–90 (Second)

  The Working of the Select Committee System

  19-I

  (a) Establishment of Sub-Committee of Liaison Committee to scrutinise bids for overseas travel by Select Committee.

  (b) Amendment of Standing Order No. 116 to permit embargoed copies of Select Committee Reports to be circulated two sitting days ahead of publication (rather than 48 hours).

  (c) Financial Secretary to the Treasury to cease to be member of Public Accounts Committee.

  (d) Changes in procedure for electing Select Committee Chairmen; senior Member to take Chair instead of Clerk; seniority to be defined as for election of Speaker.

  1990–91 (Third)

  Parliamentary Questions

  178

  (a) Period of Notice for Oral Questions to be reduced from 10 to 5 sitting days.

  (b) No ration on number of written questions tabled by a Members any one day.

  (c) Various changes in rules of order governing admissibility of Parliamentary Questions.

  (d) Abolition of 'blocks' system.

  (e) Answers to Parliamentary Questions about executive agencies to appear in Official Report, preceded by introductory form of words by the relevant Minister.

  (f) Speaker to instruct Editor of Official Report not to print 'pursuant' answers in certain circumstances.

  1990–91 (Fourth)

  Short Speeches

  569

  (a) Speaker to have free hand in deciding when to impose 10 minute limit on speeches "for the convenience of the House", after the opening speeches from the Government and from the main Opposition parties.

  (b) Front bench spokesmen to aim to speak, as a matter of normal practice, for no more than 20 minutes, excluding interruptions.

  284 285
  Note: It should be noted, however, that a number of the recommendations listed have been either the subject of, or relevant to, occasional general procedure debates, usually on Motions for the Adjournment of the House. Moreover, so far as the Procedure Committee's recommendations on Recess dates are concerned, the Hon. Member will know that in my Business Statement on 7 November, I repeated last year's innovation of giving much longer notice than usual of the likely dates of the Christmas and Easter Recesses. Equally, many of the Committee's outstanding recommendations about hours of sitting and the use of time on the floor of the House are directly relevant to the matters currently being considered by the Select Committee on Sittings of the House, and I understand that the Committee has access to all the relevant Procedure Committee Reports and Minutes of Evidence. Finally, I should point out that the Government has not yet replied formally to the Committee's two most recent Reports on Parliamentary Questions and Short Speeches and it is not the normal practice to ask the House to reach specific conclusions in those circumstances. So far as the Report on Short Speeches is concerned, I indicated in my recent oral evidence to the Sittings of the House Committee that I hoped they would feel able to endorse the Procedure Committee's recommendations in their own eventual Report to the House.

  Parliamentary Television
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when the Parliamentary Works Office study on supplying the live television feed to hon. Members' offices is expected to report; and whether hon. Members are permitted to make their own arrangements to receive the feed, at their own expense, in the interval.

  Mr. MacGregor
  A preliminary examination of the technical feasibility of providing both data and video links to Members' offices is currently being undertaken by the House authorities. It is hoped that its conclusions will be submitted to the appropriate domestic Committee in the near future. If a decision were taken to proceed further with the project, the next step would be a detailed physical survey of the House and its outbuildings by the Parliamentary Works Office, or its successor organisation under the Ibbs reforms. It is too early to speculate on the timing of any such further study. In the meantime, it would not be appropriate for individual right hon. or hon. Members to seek to pre-empt the conclusions of those studies and their consideration by the relevant domestic Committees by making their own separate arrangements, whether or not at their own expense.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if hon. Members are permitted to receive the United Artists local cable services live television feed from the Chamber(a) at their homes and (b) in their Commons office.

  Mr. MacGregor
  On the first part of the hon. Member's question, what cable services right hon. and hon. Members choose to subscribe to at their own homes is entirely a matter for them. Access to a dedicated parliamentary channel, however delivered, in Members' offices in the House or its outbuildings would be no different, for practical purposes, from the provision of a clean feed direct from the Chamber, so the approval of both the Broadcasting Committee and the relevant post-Ibbs domestic Committee would be necessary.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if there is a live television feed from the Chamber to his Office(a) in the House and (b) in his departmental offices in Whitehall.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I do not have a live television feed in my House of Commons office, but my Whitehall office is connected by spur to the Prime Minister's television feed.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when and from whom Mr. Speaker received permission to receive the clean television feed from the Chamber.

  Mr. MacGregor
  This facility was originally approved by the then Select Committee on the Televising of Proceedings of the House as part of the arrangements for the experiment in televising the House's proceedings, which began in November 1989.
  286
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list those Government Departments which have arranged through the Central Office of Information to take the clean television feed from the Chamber; how many television sets can receive the pictures in each department; and where in each department each of the sets is located.

  Mr. MacGregor
  A clean television feed from the House of Commons is supplied by the Central Office of
  Information to the following Departments:

  Department of Employment

  Department of Energy

  Department of the Environment

  Department of Health

  Prime Minister's Office

  Scottish Office

  Department of Trade and Industry

  Department of Transport

  Her Majesty's Treasury

  Welsh Office

  The number and location of television sets is a matter for Ministers in the Departments listed.

  GAYE
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. Members are participating in the give-as-you-earn scheme of charitable giving so far as their parliamentary salary is concerned.

  Mr. MacGregor
  There are currently 56 Members who have authorised deductions from their parliamentary salaries under the payroll-giving scheme.

  Members' Pensions
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what additional retirement pension would be earned by an hon. Member who had 10 years' service as(a) a junior Minister, (b) a Minister of State and (c) a Cabinet Minister.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Under the terms of the governing Acts of the parliamentary contributory pension fund Ministers and paid office-holders have the option of whether or not to join the supplementary scheme in addition to the basic scheme which is available to all Members. The rate of supplementary pension payable from the fund is based on the contributions paid on the amount of the Ministers' or office-holders' total remuneration which is in excess of Members' pensionable salary during the period of office. Since these salary and contribution levels are not constant, the pension figures set out have been calculated on current levels as if they were to pertain throughout the 10-year period. They also assume that the 10-year period ends at age 65.
  287

  Percentage of ordinary Members salary as supplementary pension

  On supplementary pension calculated on current salary rate £

  Ten years service as a

  Cabinet Minister

  21

  6,200·00

  Minister of State

  14

  3,969·00

  Parliamentary Secretary

  9

  2,665·00

  Members' Staff (Contracts)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. Members have not yet given any of their staff a contract of employment; how many individual staff do not have contracts; what action he is taking to ensure contracts are provided; what sanction he has against hon. Members who refuse to issue contracts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  As at 31 October 1991, 35 Members had not sent contracts of employment in respect of any of their staff to the Fees Office. As at the same date, 195 staff of hon. Members were without contracts of employment lodged with the Fees Office. This figure includes both part-time staff for whom contracts may not be required and staff only recently engaged.

  In those cases where a contract of employment has not been lodged with the Fees Office all hon. Members. other than those with recently engaged staff, have been contacted. As no hon. Member has refused to issue a contract the question of sanctions has not arisen.

  Given that the Top Salaries Review Body is currently conducting a review of the office costs allowance, I have nothing further to add at this stage.

EMPLOYMENT

  TECs
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why he decided not to accept the recommendation of the Select Committee on Employment's fifth report of Session 1990–91 that there should be only one auditor for each training and enterprise council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  This is fully set out in the Government's response to the Committee's report, a copy of which is available in the Library. The current audit arrangements are necessary to ensure the proper stewardship of public money and to comply with the Companies Act. These do not affect the TECs' ability to operate in a flexible and enterprising way.

  Training Places
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many training and enterprise councils have(a) more than 1,000 and (b) between 500 and 999 young people awaiting offers of training places;

  (2) how many young people in the Leeds training and enterprise council area are still awaiting an offer of a training place.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is not available.
  288
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the provision by training and enterprise councils of work experience for young people in youth training.

  Mr. Jackson
  Training opportunities are dependent on employers' participation in the training programme. With our support, TECs are actively promoting the need for employers to maintain their investment in training. The Government are committed to ensuring the availability of suitable training for young people under the terms of their youth training guarantee.

  Training Credits
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cost of implementing training credits.

  Mr. Jackson
  The training credits initiative is a partnership involving expenditure from many different sources, including employers. In 1990–91, the cost to the Department of developing the training credits pilot schemes was £4·8 million. Planned provision for the 11 pilot schemes in the first full year of operation, 1991–92, is £122 million. This does not take account of administrative costs incurred by the Department and the training and enterprise councils and local enterprise company delivering training credits.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what sums have been spent on advertising training credits(a) to employers and (b) to trainees.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department has incurred no expenditure on advertising training credits.

  NVQs
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which areas of employment now have recognised NVQ qualifications; and when remaining areas will be finalised.

  Mr. Jackson
  A detailed listing of accredited NVQs is provided in the booket "The NVQ Framework", which is published by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and updated on a quarterly basis. A copy has been placed in the Library.

  "The NVQ Framework" covers all major occupational areas and is sub-divided into 11 main categories, the first 10 of which already have a number of NVQs in place. These are:

  (1) Tending animals, plants and land.

  (2) Extracting and providing natural resources.

  (3) Constructing.

  (4) Engineering.

  (5) Manufacturing.

  (6) Transporting.

  (7) Providing goods and services.

  (8) Providing health, social care and protective services.

  (9) Providing business services.

  (10) Communicating and entertaining.

  (11) Developing and extending knowledge and skill.

  Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that all 11 categories are fully covered in all five NVQ levels within the framework. However, the immediate target is to have sufficient NVQs accredited by 31 December 1992 to cover 80 per cent. of the employed work force at NVQ levels 1 to 4. This will ensure all major occupations are covered.
  289
  Good progress continues to be made, with currently 322 NVQs accredited, covering some 40 per cent. of the employed work force at levels I to 4.

  "The NVQ Framework" booklet includes a timetable for the submission of NVQs for accreditation over the ensuing 18 months.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment for the latest period for which figures are available how much has been spent on marketing NVQ's to employers.

  Mr. Jackson
  The main responsibility for marketing NVQs rests with the employers in the sector concerned, and with the awarding bodies offering the NVQs.

  The Government offer marketing support through the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and the Department of Employment's standards programme. To date this support has been concentrated on the development of NVQs. Marketing activities have included seminars, exhibitions and conferences. Some £400,000 was spent on these activities in 1990–91.

  Over the next 18 months, the Government's focus will move increasingly to the implementation of NVQs. The NCVQ communications strategy will take forward the enhanced marketing of NVQs to employers. This commits £800,000 in 1991–92 and proposes further substantial investment in the following two years.

  Job Vacancies
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will issue notices at all jobcentres warning people of the potential costs of responding to advertisements from purported employers offering vacancies through 0898 telephone numbers.

  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.

  Company Directors' Reports
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what conclusions he has drawn from recent employee involvement statements in company directors' reports in accordance with section 235 and schedule 7, part V, of the Companies Act 1985.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has today placed in the Library a survey of a sample of recent company reports. It shows a continuing improvement in the level and variety of employee involvement practices reported.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Yugoslavia
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any consideration has been given to giving aid to Hungary to help with the Yugoslav refugees either bilaterally from the United Kingdom or from the European Community.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are carefully monitoring the situation of Yugoslav refugees in Hungary and have 290
  contributed via the European Community, which has so far provided 360,000 ecu for refugee relief in Hungary to be distributed via the International Red Cross and non-governmental organisations.

  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to which we are also a major contributor, has set aside a budget this year of US$3·1 million for these refugees. The number of refugees is currently estimated at 35,000.

  We have no aid programme for Hungary, although it is able to benefit from the know-how fund for eastern European countries.

  Dubrovnik
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give consideration to joining the French and Italian Governments in the provision of humanitarian aid to the besieged people of Dubrovnik; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are urgently considering with all other member states of the European Community and with agencies of the United Nations and the International Red Cross movement options for co-ordinated humanitarian aid to the people of Dubrovnik, as well as to other parts of Yugoslavia affected by the recent fighting.

  Ministers of the member countries of the Western European Union agreed on 18 November to examine the possibility of helping the Red Cross by the use of naval units in the area. We have already responded to Red Cross requests by providing 425,000 blankets and a cash grant of £250,000, together valued at £.1·75 million, for the victims of the fighting. Consignments of these blankets have gone direct to Dubrovnik.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to improve animal welfare standards throughout Europe.

  Mr. Maclean
  We continue to press for the highest standards of animal welfare to be adopted throughout the Community and have now achieved our key objectives on the protection on animal transport including horses.

  We will continue to strive for adoption of United Kingdom standards, including those for calf and pig farming, throughout the EC.

  Farm Woodland Premium Scheme
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement about the proposed farm woodland premium scheme.

  Mr. Gummer
  This week we published our consultation document on our proposed new farm woodland premium scheme and a copy is in the Library of the House.

  CAP
  Sir Patrick Duffy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the reform of the common agricultural policy.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a
  291
  statement on the MacSharry proposals for reform of the common agricultural policy outlining the latest position in their consideration by the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Bellingham).

  Mrs Currie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in reducing subsidies to agriculture in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer to the reply I have just given to the hon. Members for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Sir P. Duffy) and for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams). The Government aim to secure, through reform of the common agricultural policy, lower levels of agricultural support throughout the European Community.

  Mesh Sizes
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what position he intends to take on the French call for a reduction in minimum mesh sizes in the southern North sea.

  Mr. Curry
  We reject this and it was not included in the package of technical conservation measures recently agreed by the Council of Fisheries Ministers.

  Fish Stocks
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the implementation of measures to conserve fish stocks in the European Community.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter) on 6 November following the EC Council of Fisheries Ministers on 28 October 1991. At that meeting, we secured a package of important measures to improve the conservation of fish stocks; these will be implemented from 1 June 1992.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken recently to improve the conservation of fish stocks.

  Mr. Curry
  In July the United Kingdom introduced a unilateral requirement for square mesh panels in certain nets to reduce the catch and discard of immature fish. At the October Fisheries Council we secured an important package of EC measures which will greatly improve the conservation of fish stocks.

  Countryside Stewardship Scheme
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects his Department to take over responsibility for the countryside stewardship scheme.

  Mr. Curry
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I will review the position when the Countryside Commission is able to provide an evaluation of the scheme based on its achievements.

  Fishing, Northumberland
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will undertake a visit to Northumberland fishing ports to study the future of the fishing industry in the area.

  Mr. Curry
  I have no plans to do so at present.

  Food From Britain
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what promotional activities Food From Britain has organised to draw attention to British products.

  Mr. Curry
  Food From Britain promotes British food and drink both at home and abroad. Its activities include British displays at all the major food trade fairs, tastings and other forms of catering and retail promotion, introductions of British suppliers to potential customers, and comprehensive guides to the availability of British foods, newsletters and other forms of printed publicity.

  Scientific Whaling
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has made to those countries engaged in scientific whaling.

  Mr. Gummer
  Programmes for scientific whaling were again fully discussed at the last meeting of the International Whaling Commission in May. The United Kingdom successfully co-sponsored resolutions calling upon both Japan and the USSR to reconsider their position.

  Horses and Ponies
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the welfare of horses and ponies subject to export after 1992.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Butler).

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what time limit has been set on the derogation to Britain of the ban on the export of live horses to the continent for slaughter; if he will make a statement on the conditions relating to the agreement; and when he envisages the matter being raised again in Community negotiations.

  Mr. Maclean
  The directive concerning the welfare of animals during transport provides for national arrangements on horses to continue without specifying a time limit. It also establishes that the Council, acting on proposals from the commission, will adopt additional conditions for all transport of horses in the Community in order to safeguard their welfare. No timetable is set for these additional rules and it is not known when the Community will address the issue.

  Animals (Transport)
  Mr. Ashby
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to improve the transport of animals within the European Community.
  293
  Mr. Gummer
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington).

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the recent agreement in the Farm Council on the transport of horses and other animals.

  Mr. Maclean
  The directive on protection of animals during transport has now been adopted formally by the Council and will be published shortly. The agreement reflects the deep public concern in this country over the transport of horses and other animals and the Government are grateful to all those who gave support in the negotiations by making their views known to the Commission and throughout the Community.

  Fishing Grounds (Pollution)
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are being taken to safeguard fishing grounds from pollution originating offshore.

  Mr. Curry
  This Ministry works closely with other Departments in operating a comprehensive range of measures under the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 and the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to protect fisheries, and the marine environment generally, from pollution originating offshore.

  State Veterinary Service
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the British Veterinary Association to discuss the future of the state veterinary service.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. Friend the Minister has not met the British Veterinary Association specifically to discuss the future of the state veterinary service.

  However, Ministers and officials have regular contact with the association and its representatives on a wide range of issues.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Agriculture Council held on 18 and 19 November.

  Mr. Gummer
  I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting of the Council together with my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), Parliamentary Secretary in my Department.

  There was a discussion of the significant progress that has been made recently in the discussions towards an agricultural agreement in GATT. I stressed that genuine reform required reductions in support over time whatever form such support took, with only genuine environmental and similar measures being exempted from the process of reduction. I urged the Commissioner to negotiate accordingly. Unfortunately he seems to take the view at present that only direct price support need be subject to reduction and in particular that any compensation for such reductions need not be reduced. We shall continue to press our view.
  294
  There were detailed discussions on the arable, tobacco and sheepmeat dossiers included in the proposed reforms of the common agricultural policy. On the arable dossier I stressed that payments on set-aside land must not discriminate against larger producers. On tobacco we urged the need to scale down support significantly consistent with the Community's position on health issues. On sheepmeat, I said that the proposed reductions in headage limits—maximum payments per producer—were unacceptable to the United Kingdom and urged that savings be made instead by price cuts or other means. Discussion will resume at the next meeting on 11–12 December.

  Veterinary Products
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the technical competence of the Veterinary Products Committee and of the EC Veterinary Products Committee to judge the safety and human health aspects of the use of veterinary products.

  Mr. Gummer
  Members of the Veterinary Products Committee are expert in a number of scientific disciplines relevant to the consideration of the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines. When aspects falling outside their specific fields of expertise arise, they take advice from the Department of Health and other suitably qualified experts. Apart from the Medicines Commission, we are satisfied that no other body of equivalent competence exists in this country.

  Members of the EC Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products are officials from member states. They are not required to have personal scientific expertise in the same way as VPC members, but draw on expertise available in all the member states, including that of the Veterinary Products Committee.

  Poultry (Rare Breeds)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will amend the poultry regulations to ensure that rare breeds, housed and kept separately for breeding purposes, are defined as individual flocks.

  Mr. Curry
  I have no plans to do so.

  Milk Production
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the total volume of United Kingdom milk production last year; and what proportion this represents of total EC milk production.

  Mr. Curry
  Total United Kingdom milk production, including milk fed directly to calves, was estimated at 15,212,000 tonnes during 1990, 13 per cent. of the EC total. Deliveries to dairies amounted to 14,574,000 tonnes, 13·75 per cent. of the EC total.

  Animals and Birds (Imports)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken in the light of recommendations by the Joint Nature Conservation
  295
  Committee to restrict the number of United Kingdom ports through which live animals and birds may be imported.

  Mr. Maclean
  The recommendation to consider restricting the number of ports through which live animals may be imported was one of a number of recommendations made by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in its recent report on trade in wildlife. As the wildlife trade raises many complex issues which do not affect the United Kingdom alone, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment and I wrote recently to the European Commissioners for agriculture and the environment drawing the JNCC report to their attention and pressing for stricter Community-wide controls over international trade in wildlife. A Commission proposal for a new regulation on the wildlife trade is expected to be published soon and we shall take full account of the JNCC advice in the subsequent discussions.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tests have been carried out by his Ministry concerning the safety of bovine somatotropin and food products derived from it for humans; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  It is for licence applicants to undertake, in accordance with internationally accepted rules of good laboratory practice, all tests which are considered necessary to satisfy the licensing authority.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications for the use of bovine somatotropin he has received in each of the last three years and to date in 1991; if he will indicate in each case whether the applications have been refused, and how many are going through appeal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  No product licence applications were received during this period. One application for an animal test certificate was received in 1988: that application is currently the subject of an appeal to the Veterinary Products Committee which is minded to advise that it should not be granted.

  In addition, applications to renew ATCs granted before 1988 were received in each of the years identified, and were granted. Applications to vary these ATCs were received in 1988, two; 1989, nine; 1990 seven; and 1991 to date, four; and have been granted.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the discussions in the EC about the continuation of the moratorium on the use of bovine somatotropin after 31 December; and when he expects a decision to be taken about its continuation.

  Mr. Gummer
  Progress made by the Commission with its report on the future use of BST was raised under other business at the Agriculture Council on 18–19 November. The Commission indicated that it expects to report to the Council within the next few weeks.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the research that has been 296
  considered by the Veterinary Products Committee concerning the effect of food produced by the use of bovine somatotropin on human health; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Committee has seen the results of research into the composition of milk from treated and untreated cows which identified minute differences in the average content of lipids, biotin, IGFI and BST. It has also seen the results of research into the effect of these four substances on humans and has taken advice from nutritional experts. It is satisfied that the widespread use of BST to increase milk yields would not adversely affect the health of consumers.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the possible extension of the present EC ban on bovine somatotropin; and when he expects the matter to be further discussed at the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Commission has made no proposals for arrangements to apply after the current moratorium on the use of BST expires. If it does, my right hon. Friend will determine his policy according to the merit of the proposals. Progress made by the Commission with its report on the future use of BST was raised under other business at the Argiculture Council on 18–19 November. The Commission indicated that it expected to report to the Council within the next few weeks.

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will state the number of draft proposals he has received from sea fisheries committees to regulate the use of fixed engines and the number he rejected in respect of the last 12 months for which data are available.

  Mr. Curry
  Ministerial confirmation has been sought for three byelaws made by sea fisheries committees to regulate the placing or use of fixed engines. One needs to be re-advertised and we are in active correspondence with the relevant SFC on the other two on drafting and procedural points respectively. None has been rejected.

  "Our Farming Future"
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he intends to distribute copies of "Our Farming Future" to individual farmers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Copies of "Our Farming Future" are available to farmers on request from the Ministry, particularly through its regional and divisional offices. Copies have also been provided to the National Farmers Union.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to publish the follow-up to "Our Farming Future"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Decisions on any future statements of Government policy on agriculture will be taken in the light of the outcome of negotiations on CAP reform and on the Uruguay round.

  Environmental Health
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will meet the Institution of Environmental Health Officers to discuss whether meat inspection should remain a local authority function.

  Mr. Maclean
  Our officials and those of the Department of Health are in regular contact with representatives of the institution, and have on a number of occasions discussed with them the future arrangements for meat hygiene enforcement. In addition, the institution has submitted written evidence to the review of meat hygiene enforcement in Great Britain and was represented on the review consultative panel. The views of the institution will be taken fully into account by the Agriculture and Health Ministers when a decision is reached on future meat hygiene enforcement arrangements.

  Dairy Industry
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the present state of the dairy industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Dairy farming remains a relatively profitable sector of United Kingdom agriculture, sustained by support prices substantially above world market levels. Despite the existence of quotas limiting production, more than 20 per cent. of EC milk production in 1990 required subsidised disposal. It remains our long-term aim to return to a more market-oriented system in the dairy sector, including the eventual removal of production quotas. In the meantime we are convinced of the need to change United Kingdom milk marketing arrangements to enable the industry to meet the challenge of the single market.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to reduce the cost to the Exchequer of the common agricultural policy tobacco regime.

  Mr. Curry
  The EC Commission has tabled proposals for the reform of the tobacco regime which, it estimates, would result in budgetary savings of some 418 million ECU(B)—£291 million—a year when fully implemented. In discussion of these proposals the Government are pressing for the most radical reform negotiable.

  Beef Imports
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of live cattle and the tonnage of beef imported into Great Britain for human consumption from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively for each year since 1985.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 11 November 1991]: Imports from the Republic of Ireland, since 1985, are as follows:

  Beef (tonnes)

  Cattle (Number of head)

  1985

  84,000

  220,000

  1986

  122,000

  232,000

  1987

  123,000

  151,000

  298

  Beef (tonnes)

  Cattle (Number of head)

  1988

  112,000

  175,000

  1989

  84,000

  115,000

  1990

  78,000

  121,000

  Note: Figures to nearest '000 tonnes.

  Source: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

  We are unable to provide figures for imports from Northern Ireland as these statistics are not collected by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

  Pollution
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what contribution has been made to date by his Department to Her Majesty's Government's submission on control and reduction of aquatic pollution to the preparatory committee meetings for the United Nations conference on environment and development in Brazil in 1992; and what proposals he expects to be submitted on oceanic and marine pollution by Her Majesty's Government to the UNCED from the present day to June 1992.

  Mr. Curry
  The Ministry has been involved in the normal way in the Government's collective consideration of aquatic pollution matters arising in the preparatory committee meetings for the United Nations conference on environment and development. A very wide range of proposals is already under discussion at those meetings.

DEFENCE

  Reserve Forces Act 1980
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to propose amendments to the Reserve Forces Act 1980 in the light of the Gulf war experiences.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Studies into the role and size of the reserve forces are currently being undertaken as a result of both the "Options for Change" exercise and our Gulf war experiences. In the light of the conclusions of these studies we will, of course, consider whether a review of our existing reserves legislation will be required.

  Medical Services
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to review the present level of medical services for the armed forces; and when he expects to announce the results.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A review is in progress to consider the future requirement for medical support to the armed forces, the outcome of which will in part be reliant upon other changes in the armed forces. It is too early to say when the review will be complete.

  Ministry Houses, Fife
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many houses are owned by the Ministry of Defence in Fife, North-East; and what is the current occupancy rate.
  299
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As at 30 September 1991, the latest date for which figures are available, the Ministry of Defence owned 726 houses and flats in the Fife, North-East constituency, of which 633 were occupied representing 87 per cent. of the total stock. Many of the unoccupied properties were either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work or modernisation or were already allotted to service families who were due to move in shortly. In addition, two properties were in the process of being sold.

  Date

  Vessel

  Area

  Incident

  28 June 1989

  FV Huntress

  Clyde

  Submarine snagged nets

  12 September 1989

  FV Contester

  Irish Sea

  Submarine communications buoy became caught in nets

  13 November 1989

  FV Scotia

  Off Lewis

  Submarine snagged nets

  22 November 1990

  FV Antares

  Clyde

  Submarine snagged nets and as a result the fishing vessel capsized and sank

  Over the same period, there were also two incidents involving United States submarines in United Kingdom waters, neither of which involved the loss of life.

  There have been no changes in the arrangements for reporting incidents between Royal Navy ships and civilian craft.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all compensation payments(a) already made and (b) outstanding to owners of fishing boats for damage caused by submarine activity in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The following list relates solely to damage caused or alleged to be caused by Royal Navy submarines:

  Number of claims and compensation paid

  1979

  Number of claims made

  4

  Number refuted

  1

  Number settled

  3

  Amount of compensation paid

  £1,008·00

  1980

  Number of claims made

  1

  Number settled

  1

  Amount of compensation paid

  £2,900·00

  1981

  Number of claims made

  1

  Number settled

  1

  Amount of compensation paid

  £2,80000

  1982

  Number of claims made

  2

  Number settled

  2

  Amount of compensation paid

  £451,00000

  1983

  Number of claims made

  4

  Number refuted

  3

  Number settled

  1

  Amount of compensation paid

  £24,273·96

  1984

  Number of claims

  1

  Number settled

  1

  Amount of compensation paid

  £8,013·54

  1985

  No incidents

  Fishing Vessels (Accidents)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about all types of incidents leading to damage or loss of life involving fishing boats and submarines in(a) 1989, (b) 1990 and (c) 1991 to date; and if he has made any arrangements to alter the method of notification of such incidents.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested for Royal Navy submarines is as follows:

  Number of claims and compensation paid

  1986

  Number of claims

  2

  Number refuted

  2

  1987

  Number of claims

  2

  Number refuted

  1

  Number settled

  1

  Amount of compensation paid

  £9,611·00

  1988

  Number of claims

  4

  Number refuted

  1

  Number settled

  3

  Amount of compensation paid

  £19,000·00

  1989

  Number of claims

  4

  Number refuted

  2

  Number outstanding

  1

  Number settled

  1

  Amount of compensation paid

  £18,963·41

  1990

  Number of claims

  1

  Number outstanding

  1

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what inquiry reports his Department has received from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch since 1979 of losses of, or damage to, fishing vessels; what action has been taken in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Department currently holds reports of the marine accident investigation branch investigations into incidents between submarines and the fishing vessels Huntress and Scotia. These reports were taken into account when formulating current operating instructions. Reports into incidents involving the fishing vessels Mhari-L, Inspire and Moray Adventurer are also held. There was no Royal Navy involvement in these incidents and therefore no need for any subsequent follow-up action by this Department.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each of the last three years the number of occasions the Royal Navy air-sea rescue has been called out to deal with incidents involving fishing vessels at sea; and if he will make a statement.
  301
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The following table provides details of call-outs of both Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopters to incidents involving fishing vessels at sea during 1988, 1989, 1990 and to 31 August 1991:

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Royal Navy

  42

  59

  47

  46

  Royal Air Force

  179

  185

  145

  81

  Total number of people recovered

  116

  166

  114

  108

  MFV Inspire
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has regarding the verdict of the jury in relation to the sinking of the Inspire and the possibility of submarine involvement; what information he has concerning activities of(a) United Kingdom, (b) NATO and (c) other countries' submarines in the area at the date and time in question; what action he proposes to take; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I understand that the jury at the inquest returned a verdict of death by unlawful killing. As was made clear in the evidence given, there were no Royal Navy or NATO submarines in Cardigan bay or the Irish sea on the day in question. Nor, to the best of our knowledge, were there any submarines belonging to other nations in the area at the time. I therefore see no need for the Ministry of Defence to take any action as a result of the inquest.

  Exercise Cockfight
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what surface and submarine vessels will be involved in Exercise Cockfight in the firth of Clyde later this month; what is the total duration of the exercise; what will be the extent of submarine activity and during which periods; what representations he has received expressing concern at the dangers to fishing activity in the area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  One Royal Navy and one Royal Netherlands Navy submarine, together with HMS Brave, His Belgian Majesty's naval ship Wielingen, HMS Sentinel and support craft of the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service are taking part in the inshore phase of Exercise Cockfight, which lasts from 23 to 28 November. During this period, both submarines will conduct dived operations in the Firth of Clyde on each day. The Clyde fishermen's associations have been given full details of planned submarine movements, which will also be notified under the subfacts arrangements. Representations on this exercise have been received from a number of hon. Members, representatives of Scottish fishing interests and others.

  Territorial Army
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to pay the annual bounty to Territorial soldiers who served in the Gulf, although they have not served the statutory 15-day period camp or course.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We are considering a number of claims in the light of individual circumstances.
  302
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Scottish Territorial soldiers have not received the annual bounty this year after serving in the Gulf with 205 Scottish general hospital.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  This information is not immediately available, but I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  Zimbabwe
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 14 November,Official Report, column 672, if he will name the sergeant who died in Zimbabwe in September 1990; in which part of the country the accident took place; what were the circumstances of the accident; if there was an inquest; and what were the duties in Zimbabwe of the noncommissioned officer in question.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The service man in question was Sergeant Sibajang Rai, of the 7th Gurkha Rifles. Sergeant Rai was part of the British military advisory team. The road traffic accident occurred in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe in the Nyanga area, on the Dombo road leading from the village of Nyanga to the Mozambique training team border camp. Sergeant Rai was killed when his vehicle overturned on the winding dirt road. No United Kingdom inquest was held as Sergeant Rai's body was repatriated to Hong Kong and therefore did not come under the jurisdiction of a United Kingdom coroner. Although a local post-mortem was conducted, the district administrative office in Nyanga did not require an inquest. Sergeant Rai's duties were as a platoon sergeant instructor of Mozambique recruits.

  Ballistic Missiles
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all those countries assessed as possessing ballistic missiles.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The following countries are assessed as possessing ballistic missiles: Afghanistan, Belgium, Bulgaria, China (PRC), Czechoslovakia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Netherlands, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland. Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Syria, USSR, United States of America, United Kingdom and Yemen.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) Army service personnel, (b) Royal Air Force service personnel and (c) Royal Navy personnel have applied for voluntary redundancy; and whether he has any plans to make further offers of voluntary redundancy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [pursuant to his reply, 8 November col. 296]: A reduction of 8,000 in total Royal Navy numbers is planned by 1995. Most of these will be achieved by natural turnover, reduced recruiting and by the application of certain manpower regulators. However, there will he a need for a limited redundancy programme, phased over two or three years. In 1992–93 this will affect about 80 captains and commanders and 320 warrant officers and chief and petty officers. It is hoped that this target will he achieved by voluntary means, but some

  303
  compulsory measures cannot be ruled out in order to achieve the correct seniority spread within the ranks and specialisations. Personnel will be selected from categories in surplus, bearing in mind the need to maintain a balance of skills and experience. It will be necessary to include in the programme officers and ratings with significant time to serve as well as those within a few years of retirement/discharge.

  The same financial terms will apply as in all such service schemes since 1975. These provide for an immediate pension for those with 12 or more years service—instead of the normal 16 years for an officer and 22 for a rating—together with a tax-free capital payment of up to 18 months' pay in addition to the pension benefits. The detailed terms will shortly be promulgated to the Navy and applications will be invited to take effect in 1992–93.

  All those selected are eligible for the full facilities of the resettlement programme, including counselling and up to 28 days' training to assist them in utilising their skills in the civilian job market. Help with job finding will be available from the employment liaison officer, Navy, the Officers Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association, both of which receive funding from the Department. Full details of these and other agencies will be covered in resettlement interviews. Advice is also included on how to set about finding housing and how to put special capital payment and pensions to best use for this purpose. It is expected that most naval personnel leaving on this basis will have made, or will be able to make, suitable arrangements for their housing needs. Where this is not the case we are currently studying a number of options in order to assist in both the short and long term.

  In the case of the Army, we have received applications from 4,492 soldiers and 801 officers for the scheme in 1992–93. I am pleased therefore to say that all the reduction of 2,500 soldiers and the large majority of the reduction of 850 officers in 1992–93 will be from those who asked to be considered. It will, however, be necessary to select about 160 officers of middle and more senior rank who have not put their names forward for consideration. Selection boards are now sitting and everyone will be notified on 26 February 1992.

  Number of deaths, and rates per million population, for which hypothermia1 was stated as the underlying cause of death in England 1979–90

  Year

  Age at death

  All ages2

  Under 12

  1–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  20–24

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  1979

  Number

  404

  7

  1

  —

  —

  3

  —

  2

  6

  4

  Rate

  8·7

  12·0

  0·5

  —

  —

  0·8

  —

  0·6

  1·7

  1·4

  1980

  Number

  245

  3

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  Rate

  5·2

  5·0

  —

  —

  0·3

  0·3

  0·3

  0·3

  0·6

  0·7

  1981

  Number

  250

  2

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  2

  2

  Rate

  5·3

  3·3

  0·9

  —

  —

  0·3

  —

  0·6

  0·6

  0·7

  1982

  Number

  301

  2

  —

  —

  1

  2

  4

  —

  —

  1

  Rate

  6·4

  3·4

  —

  —

  0·3

  0·5

  1·1

  —

  —

  0·3

  1983

  Number

  209

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  1

  5

  Rate

  4·5

  3·4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·3

  0·6

  0·3

  1·5

  304
  In the RAF, the need for redundancies remains under consideration.

  Royal Navy Ships
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) why, pursuant to his answer of 7 November,Official Report, column 253, he has reversed his decision announced on 21 October, Official Report, column 446, to place HMS Humber in reserve; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when, pursuant to his answer of 7 November, Official Report, column 253, it was decided to place HMS Ribble in reserve; to which Royal Naval Reserve sea training centre it was allocated; and where those Royal Naval Reserve personnel affected will now have access to sea training.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The decision to place two River class minesweepers in reserve was taken earlier this year as part of our annual review of the forward equipment programme. Originally HMS Humber and HMS Helmsdale were identified. It was decided subsequently that HMS Ribble should be placed in reserve rather than HMS Humber which was in better condition. HMS Ribble had been allocated to HMS Eaglet in Liverpool; HMS Humber will replace HMS Ribble there, and will continue to provide access to sea training for Royal Naval Reserve personnel.

HEALTH

  Hypothermia
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing how many people categorised by age died of hypothermia, or illnesses associated with hypothermia, in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information is given in the following tables:
  305

  Year

  Age at death

  All ages2

  Under 12

  1–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  20–24

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  1984

  Number

  249

  2

  —

  1

  —

  3

  1

  1

  1

  3

  Rate

  5·3

  3·4

  —

  0·4

  —

  0·8

  0·3

  0·3

  0·3

  0·9

  1985

  Number

  407

  2

  1

  1

  —

  1

  2

  2

  3

  6

  Rate

  8·7

  3·3

  0·4

  —

  —

  0·3

  0·5

  0·6

  1·0

  1·7

  1986

  Number

  411

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  3

  4

  2

  2

  Rate

  8·7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·5

  0·7

  1·1

  0·6

  0·6

  1987

  Number

  249

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  10

  Rate

  5·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·3

  0·3

  0·3

  3·0

  1988

  Number

  181

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  4

  1

  Rate

  3·8

  —

  0·8

  —

  —

  —

  0·3

  —

  1·2

  0·3

  1989

  Number

  156

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Rate

  3·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·3

  —

  —

  —

  1990

  Number

  143

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  1

  —

  Rate

  3·0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·5

  0·3

  0·3

  —

  Year

  40 to 44

  45 to 49

  50 to 54

  55 to 59

  60 to 64

  65 to 69

  70 to 74

  75 to 79

  80 to 84

  85 and over

  1979

  Number

  8

  4

  9

  20

  32

  24

  49

  60

  79

  96

  Rate

  3·0

  1·5

  3·3

  6·8

  14·1

  10·1

  24·8

  43·6

  104·3

  197·3

  1980

  Number

  3

  5

  8

  13

  12

  23

  25

  57

  41

  47

  Rate

  1·1

  1·9

  3·0

  4·6

  5·1

  9·7

  12·5

  40·5

  52·3

  94·0

  1981

  Number

  5

  6

  8

  7

  11

  14

  22

  54

  43

  69

  Rate

  1·9

  2·3

  3·0

  2·6

  4·5

  6·0

  11·0

  37·6

  52·8

  135·0

  1982

  Number

  4

  7

  13

  14

  11

  32

  38

  41

  54

  77

  Rate

  1·5

  2·7

  5·0

  5·3

  4·3

  14·1

  18·9

  28·1

  64·0

  146·0

  1983

  Number

  3

  6

  3

  6

  11

  14

  25

  39

  41

  50

  Rate

  1·1

  2·3

  1·2

  2·3

  4·1

  6·5

  12·4

  26·2

  46·7

  92·5

  1984

  Number

  1

  8

  7

  6

  15

  15

  42

  43

  44

  56

  Rate

  0·4

  3·0

  2·7

  2·3

  5·5

  7·4

  20·8

  28·3

  48·3

  100·3

  1985

  Number

  4

  7

  9

  9

  19

  23

  41

  96

  74

  108

  Rate

  1·4

  2·6

  3·6

  3·5

  7·2

  10·8

  20·4

  62·5

  79·1

  185·9

  1986

  Number

  6

  7

  6

  17

  26

  26

  34

  64

  90

  122

  Rate

  2·0

  2·7

  2·4

  6·7

  10·2

  11·8

  17·1

  41·4

  94·1

  202·2

  1987

  Number

  6

  7

  5

  13

  16

  21

  25

  36

  48

  59

  Rate

  1·8

  2·7

  2·0

  5·1

  6·4

  9·1

  13·0

  23·1

  48·7

  91·0

  1988

  Number

  5

  S

  4

  6

  16

  16

  14

  18

  42

  50

  Rate

  1·5

  3·0

  1·6

  2·4

  4·1

  6·7

  7·7

  11·5

  41·6

  73·7

  1989

  Number

  4

  2

  3

  4

  8

  11

  23

  20

  26

  54

  Rate

  1·2

  0·7

  1·2

  1·6

  3·3

  4·4

  13·4

  12·7

  25·1

  75·8

  306

  307

  Year

  40 to 44

  45 to 49

  50 to 54

  55 to 59

  60 to 64

  65 to 69

  70 to 74

  75 to 79

  80 to 84

  85 and over

  1990

  Number

  6

  3

  1

  2

  11

  12

  13

  27

  25

  39

  Rate

  1·7

  1·1

  0·4

  0·8

  4·6

  5·0

  7·2

  17·1

  23·8

  52·7

  1 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision codes 778·3 and 991·6.

  2 Excluding deaths at ages under 28 days for the years 1986 to 1990.

  Number of deaths with mention of hypothermia on the death certificate in England and Wales, 1979–1990

  Year

  Number of deaths

  1979

  863

  1980

  596

  1981

  685

  1982

  664

  1983

  538

  1984

  555

  1985

  827

  1986

  837

  1987

  559

  1988

  440

  1989

  368

  1990

  370

  Mental and Psychiatric Illness
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of hospital in-patient admissions on grounds of mental or psychiatric illness in each regional health authority area for each quarterly period from 1 April 1989.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Provisional figures for the financial year 1989–90 are shown in the table. It is not possible to produce a quarterly breakdown of these figures without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Estimated Admissions, under the care of a Mental Illness Consultant, to National Health Service hospitals and units, by Regional Health Authority during 1989–90.

  Regional Health Authority

  Admissions

  Northern

  14,100

  Yorkshire

  15,200

  Trent

  13,900

  East Anglian

  7,300

  North West Thames

  13,700

  North East Thames

  17,000

  South East Thames

  14,700

  South West Thames

  12,900

  Wessex

  12,800

  Oxford

  8,000

  South Western

  17,200

  West Midlands

  17,200

  Mersey

  10,000

  North Western

  18,700

  SHAs

  1,700

  England

  194,500

  Note: Figures may not add due to rounding.

  Lancashire Ambulance Service
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions in each of the last five years ambulances of the Lancashire ambulance service have been used to convey private patients.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information is not available in the form requested.
  308
  The table shows the number of patient journeys carried out by the Lancashire ambulance service for each year from 1986 to 1990–91 for which a charge was made. Patients charged for include those moved on behalf of social services or other departments of local authorities, organisations on repayment, and private individuals.

  Patient transport services: summary of patient journeys Lancashire Ambulance Authority

  Year

  Total number of patients charged for

  1986

  15

  11987–88

  104

  1988–89

  69

  21989–90

  33

  1990–91

  90

  1 From 1987 collection of data changed from years ending 31 December to years ending 31 March.

  2 The industrial action during 1989 has affected data quality and completeness.

  Youth Treatment Centres
  Sir Robert McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made appointments to his special group on youth treatment centres; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  On 1 October 1991 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health established a special group of outside people to provide independent advice about the youth treatment centres. Chaired by Mrs. Winifred Tumim, the group consists of: Dr. Zarrina Kurtz, assistant regional medical officer in South West Thames regional health authority; Mr. Tom White CBE, chief executive of the National Children's Homes; Mr. Harry Cayton, director of the Alzheimers Disease Society; and Dr. Michael Lindsay, from 1987 children's rights officer for Leicestershire social services department. Their responsibility is to provide an independent perspective on care and practice in the youth treatment service, with particular regard to ensuring that children's rights are properly safeguarded, and to advise the Secretary of State on these matters. Their periodic reports will be published.

  The social services inspectorate remains the principal monitoring arm for detailed scrutiny of the standard of care, control, education and rehabilitation programmes provided in the centres. Medical and nursing experts and HMIs will form part of this evaluation. There will be a full inspection every three years and reports will be published.

  On 1 April 1992, the service will be managed by a chief executive accountable to the Secretary of State for the facilities provided under section 82(5) of the Children Act 1989. After open competition Mr. Eugene Ostapuik, the director of Glenthorne YTC, has been appointed chief executive for the whole service. He will be chief executive designate with effect from 1 December 1991 and will take up post next April, initially for a three-year term. He will

  309
  be supported by an advisory committee, which will help him to keep the service abreast of child care practice. A service specification for the new organisation will be published in the new year. The Secretary of State's special group is being consulted at the drafting stage. Meanwhile, regulations and guidance on secure accommodation, which came into effect on 14 October 1991 under the Children Act 1989, have been applied administratively to the Glenthorne and St. Charles youth treatment centres.

  On 24 June my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced temporary management changes at the St. Charles YTC following an inquiry into complaints about treatment at that centre, Official Report, Volume 193, col. 687–93. The disciplinary inquiry into the conduct of some members of staff at St. Charles YTC is continuing. My right hon. Friend also announced a review to ensure that the headquarters of the Department of Health had pursued with proper vigour and judgment the recommendations of the inspection by the social services inspectorate in 1988. He asked Sir Ewen Broadbent to consider the circumstances, and I am placing a copy of Sir Ewen's report in the Library. Sir Ewen concluded, broadly, that those parts of the Department closely concerned with the SSI inspection report acted with efficiency and vigour.

  The YTCs cater for the country's most difficult adolescents. The work is always demanding, often stressful and the many achievements go largely unnoticed. The new management structure will promote better integration of care practice and standards as well as improved value for money.

  Pimozide
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by year the numbers of reports of(a) cardiac arrhythmias (fatal and non-fatal) and (b) other fatalities associated with pimozide which were reported to the licensing authority since it was first licensed; and indicate in all those cases the dose of pimozide used and types and doses of other anti-psychotic medicines which were taken at the same time as pimozide.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There have been 29 yellow card reports of cardiac arrhythmias associated with the drug pimozide, of which 14 were fatal. The breakdown by year is as follows:

  Year of Report

  Reports

  Fatalities

  1971

  2

  —

  1980

  1

  —

  1984

  1

  —

  1988

  2

  1

  1989

  2

  1

  1990

  14

  8

  1991

  7

  4

  There have been seven other fatalities associated with pimozide as follows:

  Year of Report

  Fatalities

  1972

  1

  1978

  1

  1980

  3

  1984

  1

  1986

  1

  310
  The daily dose of pimozide and concurrent use of neuroleptic agents in the fatal reports is summarised as follows:

  Daily dose (mg)

  Total

  Concurrent Neuroleptics

  <10

  5

  2

  11–20

  2

  2

  21–30

  2

  —

  31–40

  5

  4

  41–50

  2

  1

  51–60

  2

  2

  61 +

  3

  2

  I will write to the right hon. Member with full details of dose and other anti-psychotic medicines taken.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when doctors in the United Kingdom were recommended to reduce the maximum dosage of pimozide to 20 mg; and when he first became aware of the United States recommendation on this matter.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In August 1990, the Committee on Safety of Medicines advised that a maximum daily dose of 20 mg should not be exceeded for the drug pimozide. This information was communicated to all doctors in the United Kingdom in issue No. 29 of the CSM bulletin "Current Problems", a copy of which is available in the Library. The company marketing the drug wrote to all doctors in October 1990 enclosing a copy of the revised data sheet and emphasising the change in prescribing information and the maximum recommended dose of 20 mg per day.

  Revised dose recommendations made in the United States in 1988 related to use in a different medical condition, commonly prevalent in children, and not to use in schizophrenia and other psychoses, the main indication in the United Kingdom.

  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will detail the research proposals on myalgic encephalomyelitis that have been(a) accepted and (b) rejected for funding by his Department and the Medical Research Council over the last three years, stating in relation to rejected proposals the reasons for rejection in each case.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department has not accepted any research proposals on myalgic encephalomyelitis. Such proposals would normally be referred to the Medical Research Council, which is the main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom. The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science. It decides what research to support on its own expert judgment.

  The MRC is not currently funding research specifically into ME. It is, however, funding one study at the Institute of Psychiatry, which is to investigate chronic fatigue in general practitioner attenders. Five other research applications in this area were received over the last three years, which the MRC rejected because they were not of high enough scientific quality, given the funds available. The council also supports work on immune responses to

  311
  the muscle, nerve cells and related structures which may have some relevance to the understanding and treatment of this condition.

  Social Work (International Centre)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the recent feasibility study by the National Institute of Social Work concerning a proposed international centre, a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have not as yet received a copy of the feasibility study which I understand is shortly to be put out for consultation. We are, however, providing the National Institute of Social Work with a grant of £100,000 in 1992–93 for work to promote the international exchange of social services staff.

  Autistic Children
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any assessment of the number of autistic children in England and Wales; and if he will give the total number of places in residential schools for autistic children.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The most reliable estimates indicate that the prevalence of autism is between four to five per 10,000 population. The number of places in residential schools for autistic children is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science.

  National Health Service Leaflet (Cost)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost of the production and distribution of the leaflet, "Your NHS, Our Pledge", which was produced by South West Thames regional health authority.

  Mr. Dorrell
  A total of 7,000 copies of the leaflet "Your NHS, Our Pledge" were produced and distributed by South West Thames regional health authority at a cost of £2,181. Its purpose is to demonstrate the firm commitment of chairmen in that region to improving patient care through the charter.

  National Health Service (Information Strategy)
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the information strategy for the national health service; how much it will cost to implement: and whether additional funds will be made available to the national health service to cover the cost of implementation.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The national health service management executive is discussing the development of information systems within the national health service. Information systems must support the provision of high—quality, cost-effective health services. The scope, costs and funding of information systems depend on the outcome of these discussions.

  Child Refugees
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child refugees have been taken into care by each London local authority during each of the last 12 months; what information he has on their country of origin; and what is the estimated cost of care to each local authority.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Nursery Places (Crown Premises)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis a Department of Health press release, dated 11 June, identified an increase of 75 per cent. in nursery places on Crown premises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The figure was derived from the Department's statistics on day care services in "Children's Day Care Facilities at 31 March 1990 England (A/F 90/6)", a copy of which is available in the Library. Tables 1 and 2, which contain historical data on the number of day care places and premises, include information on facilities which were not required to register with the local authority. Between 1988 and 1990, the number of places in such facilities grew from 1,034 to 1,810. Facilities on Crown premises are likely to he the most significant category exempt from the requirement to register.

  Child Workers
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he will take to regularise child working conditions across the United Kingdom, in terms of hours worked, daytime work periods, nature of work and working conditions; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what studies have been carried out by his Department dealing with the number of children working in the United Kingdom; and what are his current estimates for the number of children working in Great Britain.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no plans to introduce changes to the present provisions.

  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, which is applicable to Great Britain, is enforced by Health and Safety Executive inspectors.

  In England, the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 sets out general restrictions governing the part-time employment of children under school leaving age. Local authority byelaws made under the Act set out further restrictions while responding to local employment conditions.

  The Department has not carried out any recent studies concerning the employment of children in England. Information is not collected centrally on the number of children employed in England.

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  POLICING AT PUBLIC EVENTS: CHARGES
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  ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
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  EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY MINISTERIAL MEETING, 18th-20th NOVEMBER
  EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY MINISTERIAL MEETING, 18th-20th NOVEMBER
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  FOOTBALL CLUBS IN SCOTLAND: POLICE POWERS