Written Answers of 25 November 1991

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Parliamentary Duties
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much time he has spent on parliamentary duties since he last answered oral questions.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The parliamentary aspect of my official duties consists almost entirely of answering oral questions at the Dispatch Box. I have, however, answered six written questions since I last answered oral questions.

  EC Issues
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consideration he has given to European Community issues in his capacity as Chancellor of the Duchy.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The Duchy has several historical links with Europe. For example our coat of arms incorporates the fleurs de lys, sanctioned by Edmund Crouchback on his marriage to the Queen of Nevarre. Today, however, there are no strong links—most have lapsed with the passing of time.

  Official Duties
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next proposes to visit the Duchy on official business.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next plans to pay an official visit to the Duchy.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he plans to next visit the Duchy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I refer the hon. Gentleman and my hon. Friends to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) earlier today.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the effect of falling interest rates on small and medium-sized businesses in the Duchy.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I am sure that the fall in interest rates will be of enormous benefit to all businesses in the Duchy.

  Taxation
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the impact of taxation on tenants of the Duchy.
  356
  Mr. Chris Patten
  Like everyone else, Duchy tenants have gained tremendous benefits from the reductions in personal taxation brought about by successive Conservative Governments.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Home Repossessions
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Attorney-General whether he will take steps to ensure that where repossession proceedings are taken in the county court, information on debt counselling and housing advice services will be sent out with the summons.

  The Attorney-General
  The Government are keen to ensure that defendants in county court possession proceedings are informed that counselling and advice is available to them.

  Consultations are taking place with the major advice agencies in order to identify a method of compiling a list of advice agencies that may accompany every county court possession summons.

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Attorney-General what percentage of cases brought to court by the Serious Fraud Office have resulted in a successful conviction.

  The Attorney-General
  In the current year from 6 April 1991 there have been 14 concluded trials. Twenty-three defendants have been convicted and six acquitted—a conviction rate of nearly 80 per cent.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Attorney-General how many cases the Serious Fraud Office has brought to the courts in each year since its creation.

  The Attorney-General
  The figures are as follows:—

  Number

  April 1988—April 1989

  9

  April 1989—April 1990

  17

  April 1990—April 1991

  27

  April 1991—to date

  14

  The numbers are based on cases that have been concluded in the court of trial during the relevant period. If currently unconcluded cases are added, the last figure becomes 19.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Performance-related Pay
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have considered replacing the minimum stipend by performance-related pay.

  Mr. Alison
  Stipends have traditionally been regarded as remuneration which enables clergy to pursue their ministry and support themselves and their families, rather than rewards or salaries for a job of work. In this sense, stipends are not competitive remuneration for which performance-related pay might be an appropriate mechanism.
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  The stipend levels of individual clergy are set by their dioceses within recommendations of the Commissioners, as central stipends authority.

WALES

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

  Mr. David Hunt
  It is estimated that 185,000 employees in employment on adult rates whose pay was not affected by absence earned less than £3·40 per hour in April 1991; 147,000 were women, of whom 103,000 worked part-time. 102,000 persons were employed in manual occupations. Data for part-time male employees are not available.

  Sources: April 1991 New Earnings Survey and Quarterly Estimate Series of Employment, March 1991; Employment Department.

  Welsh Development Agency Bill
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the Welsh Development Agency Bill.

  Mr. David Hunt
  None.

  Nebulisers
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place a copy in the Library of the guidance he has given to the Welsh health authorities concerning the supply of nebulisers free of charge and on long-term loan to those requiring them.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The NHS Act 1977 clearly sets out the responsibilities of district health authorities. Section 1 of the NHS Act 1977 requires that NHS services provided under the Act to NHS patients must be free of charge, except where the making and recovery of charges is expressly provided for by legislation. Later legislation, including the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, does not alter this position, nor does it enable partial charges to be made to health service patients. Health authorities are fully aware of the position which has recently been confirmed to them.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to effect refunds for those who have proof of payment for nebulisers prescribed by national health service consultants to national health service patients.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Our officials have asked Welsh district health authorities to examine their existing policies and practices for the provision of equipment, including nebulisers. In addition, authorities have been asked to investigate and report on individual cases involving nebulisers that have been notified and to consider appropriate action.

  Pollution
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the levels of pollution from each incinerator operating in Wales; and to what extent they comply with EC legislation.
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  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Information on levels of pollution from individual incinerators is not held centrally. Current emission limits and controls for waste incineration processes under 1 tonne per hour are set out in process guidance notes PG1–25/5(91) issued by the Secretaries of State for the Environment, for Scotland and for Wales and published by HMSO. Operators of incineration processes over 1 tonne per hour are subject to individual authorisation by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. Emission limits and other control standards are included in the specific authorisation documents. The only incinerators covered by EC legislation at the moment are municipal waste incinerators—and there are none of these in Wales.

  Orimulsion
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what applications have been received by the Welsh Office to test-burn the imported fuel Orimulsion in Wales or to burn that fuel on a commercial basis.

  Mr. David Hunt
  No applications, in either category, have been received by the Welsh Office. The Secretary of State for Energy is currently considering an application from National Power to extend Pembroke power station to enable it to burn orimulsion. The company is also applying to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for authorisation to burn this fuel at Pembroke.

  Health Service Statistics
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will obtain statistics showing the number of midwives, district nurses and health visitors practising within Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  As I indicated in my reply on 18 November, at column 34, to the hon. Gentleman's question on the number of midwives, district nurses and health visitors on 18 November, complete information on staff numbers is not available at present for occupational groups such as these. The Department is working with district health authorities to improve the information on the manpower information system from which detailed breakdowns of nursing and midwifery manpower are derived, and progress is being made. Once we are satisfied that the system is a fully reliable source of occupationally disaggregated information, such as numbers of midwives, district nurses and health visitors, such information will be made available.

  Harbours
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the lengths of long-distance routes approved under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 which pass through harbours regulated under the Harbours Act 1964.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  It is likely that parts of the Pembrokeshire coast path, which runs for 269 km between Amroth and Cardigan, pass through harbours regulated under the Harbours Act 1964. However, detailed information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Wales what is his latest estimate of the amount of money owed in the poll tax in Wales in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 17 October 1991, at columns 206–7. No further information is available.

  Offloading Facilities
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what applications have been received by the Welsh Office to refurbish or extend existing facilities or to construct new facilities, for offloading from seagoing vessels(a) bulk oil, (b) natural gas, (c) liquified gas or (d) coal.

  Mr. David Hunt
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has under consideration no applications from harbour authorities in Wales seeking statutory authorisation by means of a harbour order under the Harbour Act 1964 to carry out such works which they do not otherwise have statutory powers to carry out under their local legislation.

ENERGY

  Coal Reserves
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to include estimates of United Kingdom coal reserves in the departmental Brown Book; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Under the terms of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, British Coal is charged with the development of the coal-mining industry and it publishes estimates of total United Kingdom coal reserves in its annual report. My Department does not keep separate figures.

  Onshore Petroleum Licensing
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about further onshore petroleum licensing.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses the text of a notice, which will be published as soon as possible in the Official Gazette, inviting companies to apply for exploration licences in respect of unlicensed areas in Great Britain and certain near shore waters. The notice specifies that applications should be made on Wednesday 19 February, 1992. Application forms and guidance notes will be available from my Department.

  I shall separately be inviting holders of production licences to apply to transfer exploration acreage within their existing licences to the new style exploration licences, subject to agreement being reached on a satisfactory work programme for the area.

  Successful applicants will be offered exploration licences containing the conditions set out in the Petroleum (Production) (Landward Areas) Regulations 1991. The licences will grant rights for a term of six years and entitle the licensee to carry out seismic surveys and deep drilling
  360
  subject to the need to obtain the requisite permission from the appropriate mineral planning authorities and land owners and occupiers.

  Electricity
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his calculation of United Kingdom electricity consumption in each of the next five years; and if he will give his estimate of the generating capacities that will be available from(a) oil, (b) gas, (c) nuclear, (d) coal and (e) renewable sources.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My Department does not routinely forecast electricity consumption. That, and decisions on capacity and fuel choice, are the job of the electricity industry, taking into account the commercial and regulatory environment. When specific needs arise, projections are produced, as, for example, in the UK's submission to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was published as energy paper 58 and is available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects nuclear fusion to be commercially viable for the generation of electricity.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Nuclear fusion is unlikely to be available as an energy source before 2050 at the earliest. Even if fusion were technically available at that date, its economic prospects are uncertain.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police Records
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many national indexes are held by the police or his Department, other than those relating to drugs and football hooliganism.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The Department holds the following national indexes (including all national police indexes):

  Prison service

  Inmate information system (a national register of prison inmates)1

  Category A prisoners1

  Life sentence prisoner index1

  Immigration service

  Suspect index (contains details of people whom it is considered essential to identify at the ports because, for example, they have been deported or are involved in criminal activity, or because they have an adverse immigration history)

  Port precautions index (used in embarkation control to assist in prevention of children being removed in contravention of a court order or against the wishes of one parent)

  Intelligence unit index (contains details of people known or suspected of abuses of the immigration laws and details of suspect documents. It also includes details of people refused leave to enter or refused entry clearance)

  Police department

  Criminal names index (index to the criminal records)

  Index to the national fingerprint collection

  Wanted/missing persons index

  Disqualified drivers index

  Vehicle owners index

  Vehicles reports index (stolen, suspect vehicles)

  Stolen property index (mainly plant, vehicles)

  Obscene publications squad index (persons convicted of offences under the Obscene Publications Act 1959, the Protection of Children Act 1978, the Criminal Justice Act

  361
  1988, the Sexual Offences Act 1956 and the Customs Consolidation Act 1876. The index also includes information regarding persons suspected of being associated with child pornography. The index is held by the Metropolitan police)

  Animal rights national index (collates and disseminates information on animal rights extremism)

  Statistical department

  Offenders index1 (record of offenders convicted of standard list offences recorded since 1963)

  Homicide index (a record of each case of reported homicide)

  Probation index1 (persons subject to supervision by the probation service—including those subject to community service orders)

  Mentally disordered offenders index1 (a record of persons in psychiatric hospitals who are subject to hospital orders with restrictions on discharge or who have been transferred from prison service establishments)

  United Kingdom Passport agency

  United Kingdom passports index (record of all passports issued by the United Kingdom passport offices and by Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts overseas)

  Warning list (to ensure that certain passport applications receive particular attention)

  Others

  Voluntary organisations (those in receipt of Government funding)

  Index of exempted dogs (owners of pit bull terriers and other specified breeds which have their dogs exempted from the controls of the Dangerous Dogs Act (1991)).

  1 Applies only to England and Wales.

  Police (Racial Abuse)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the amount of money paid by way of compensation to ethnic origin members serving with the Metropolitan police force as a result of claims for racial abuse and harassment from fellow police officers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since the beginning of 1990, £21,000 has been paid as compensation to ethnic minority officers in the Metropolitan police as a result of claims for racial abuse and harassment in respect of two cases.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussion he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the

  Ethnic minority officers in the Metropolitan Police by area, broken down into rank and gender

  Areas

  Superintendent (all men)

  Chief Inspector (all men)

  Inspector (all men)

  Sergeant

  Police Constable

  Men

  Women

  Men

  Women

  1

  —

  —

  1

  3

  —

  46

  13

  2

  —

  —

  2

  5

  2

  50

  20

  3

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  40

  13

  4

  —

  1

  1

  2

  —

  53

  17

  5

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  14

  4

  6

  —

  1

  1

  4

  1

  54

  11

  7

  1

  —

  1

  5

  —

  43

  14

  8

  —

  —

  2

  3

  —

  44

  14

  Headquarters

  1

  —

  —

  10

  —

  14

  8

  Police training centre

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  21

  7

  Broadcasting
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to exercise his powers under section 8(4) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 to amend rule 21 of the current code of advertising standards in order to fulfil the requirements of the European broadcasting directive—89/552/EEC—and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have no plans to amend the ITC code of advertising standards and practice. Rule 21 states
  362
  allegations of racial abuse followed up by officers in the Metropolitan police force following the case of police constable Franklyn Asumah; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the commissioner that these matters are being investigated by the complaints unit.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the number of Metropolitan officers dismissed from the service in each of the last five years, for racial abuse to fellow officers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There have been no Metropolitan police officers dismissed from the service in the last five years for racial abuse to fellow officers.

  Neighbourhood Watch
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes now operate in the East Staffordshire district in the Burton constituency.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information is not available in the form requested. I understand from the Staffordshire police that, in the Burton police subdivision, which includes East Staffordshire district, there were 73 neighbourhood watch schemes at the end of September 1991, covering nearly 17,000 households.

  Police (Ethnic Origin)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of ethnic origin police officers(a) men and (b) women serving in each of the Metropolitan police divisions; and what ranks these officers hold.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows:

  that no advertisement may encourage behaviour prejudicial to the protection of the environment, in accordance with article 12(e) of the directive, and goes on to give guidance as to how this should be interpreted in practice.

  Prison Statistics
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how expenditure in real terms on prisons has moved since 1980.
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  Mrs. Rumbold
  Expenditure on prisons has increased from £744 million in 1980–81 in 1990–91 prices to £1,342 million in 1990–91, an increase of 80 per cent.

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners, who should have been held in prisons, were held in police cells in each week to date in 1991.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The number of prisoners held in police cells in each week to date in 1991 are as follows:

  1991

  Number

  4 January

  504

  11 January

  557

  18 January

  570

  25 January

  567

  1 February

  604

  8 February

  616

  15 February

  639

  22 February

  672

  1 March

  673

  8 March

  639

  15 March

  762

  22 March

  641

  26 March

  728

  5 April

  633

  12 April

  503

  19 April

  545

  26 April

  487

  3 May

  516

  10 May

  603

  17 May

  661

  24 May

  600

  31 May

  593

  Establishments

  Headquarters

  Officer inmate ratio

  Governor grades inmate ratio

  Other staff inmate ratio

  Total staff inmate ratio

  1 April 1980

  ·32

  ·02

  ·16

  —

  1 April 1981

  ·35

  ·02

  ·17

  —

  1 April 1982

  ·35

  ·02

  ·17

  —

  1 April 1983

  ·35

  ·02

  ·17

  ·04

  1 April 1984

  ·36

  ·02

  ·17

  ·05

  1 April 1985

  ·36

  ·02

  ·17

  ·04

  1 April 1986

  ·36

  ·02

  ·17

  ·04

  1 April 1987

  ·35

  ·02

  ·16

  ·04

  1 April 1988

  ·37

  ·02

  ·16

  ·04

  1 April 1989

  ·40

  ·02

  ·17

  ·04

  1 April 1990

  ·44

  ·02

  ·19

  ·04

  1 April 1991

  ·48

  ·02

  ·21

  ·05

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours were worked on average per inmate by(a) prison officers, (b) governor grades and (c) Prison Department civil servants in each year since 1985.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Governors are an all hours worked grade and information about the actual number of hours worked by them during any particular period is not collected centrally. Similarly, no such information is available for the wide range of grades of staff who work in prison service headquarters. The average prison officer hours worked per inmate is as follows:

  Prison officer hours worked on average per inmate: 1 April 1985 to 1991

  Hours

  1 April 1985

  20·35

  1 April 1986

  20·34

  1 April 1987

  19·76

  364

  1991

  Number

  7 June

  598

  14 June

  609

  21 June

  699

  28 June

  872

  5 July

  1,049

  12 July

  1,080

  19 July

  1,194

  26 July

  1,190

  2 August

  1,165

  9 August

  1,183

  16 August

  1,301

  23 August

  1,557

  30 August

  1,534

  6 September

  1,584

  13 September

  1,647

  20 September

  1,803

  27 September

  1,665

  4 October

  1,624

  11 October

  1,661

  18 October

  1,802

  25 October

  1,807

  1 November

  1,777

  8 November

  1,718

  15 November

  1,640

  22 November

  1,638

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the ratios of(a) prison officers, (b) governor grades and (c) Prison Department civil servants to prisoners on 1 January and 1 July in each year since 1980.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The available information is as follows:

  Hours

  1 April 1988

  17·30

  1 April 1989

  18·08

  1 April 1990

  18·69

  1 April 1991

  19·72

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many industrial disputes there are at present in the prison service.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  On 22 November there were registered disputes at 36 of Her Majesty's prisons. Some of these disputes cover more than one issue.

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current estimate of(a) prisoner numbers and (b) the total certified normal accommodation in the prison estate for each year to 1997.
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  Mrs. Rumbold
  On the basis of projections made at the beginning of this year, the projected population and certified normal accommodation (CNA) for prison service establishments in England and Wales in each financial year to 1996–97 were as follows:

  Population

  CNA

  1992–93

  45,669

  49,114

  1993–94

  45,836

  50,862

  1994–95

  46,932

  51,676

  1995–96

  48,587

  51,850

  1996–97

  50,262

  51,727

  The actual prison population is already 1,500 in excess of the figure projected for 1992–93. Until the end of 1994 there will also be temporary reductions in the capacities of those establishments where access is being provided to night sanitation.

  Prison population projections in calendar year form are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, "Projections of long-term trends in the prison population to 1999" issue 10/91, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value of the food allowance for prisoners has been in real terms in each year since 1980.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The estimated average cost, per prisoner per week (at September 1991 prices), of the normal dietary scales for the 12 months ending in September, 1983–91 was:

  Year1

  Current value 2 3 £

  1983

  7·22

  1984

  7·75

  1985

  7·61

  1986

  7·25

  1987

  7·17

  1988

  7·06

  1989

  6·91

  1990

  47·00

  1991

  46·59

  Notes:

  1Information for the years prior to 1983 is not available.

  2At September 1991 prices. Values adjusted using the retail prices index for all food items.

  3The values include the estimated notional value at published farm gate prices of goods produced on prison farms and gardens.

  4From January 1990, salad items, culinary adjuncts, special provision for prisoners attending court and for medical diets and supplements for dispersal prisons and for Christmas extras have been excluded from the costings. Figures strictly comparable with those for earlier years are not available.

  Improved purchasing has led to steadily reduced costs since 1985 for a basically unchanged dietary scale.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders were transferred from Hewell Grange to the young offender institution at Prescoed (Usk) during September 1991.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Ten.

  Immigration
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what investigations are taking place into the circumstances in which the United States citizen Mr. Fred Leuchter entered the United Kingdom after being barred from entry on the ground that his presence could not be conducive to the public good, and into the role of Mr. David Irving in procuring his entry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Investigations have shown that Mr. Leuchter was admitted entirely inadvertently. Steps have been taken to avoid a recurrence. He was returned overseas on 16 November.

  Dangerous Dogs
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take in respect of those pit bull terrier owners who have been unable to arrange for their dogs to be tattooed by 30 November, in compliance with the requirements of the exemption scheme set up under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  One of the requirements of the exemption scheme set up under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was that the owners of dogs covered by section 1 should have them permanently marked.

  We are aware that there are a number of owners of such dogs, including pit bull terriers, who have been unable to arrange for their dogs to be tattooed by 30 November. It is wrong that those owners who in other respects have taken positive steps to abide by the requirements of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 should not have the opportunity to obtain a certificate of exemption.

  My right hon. Friend has therefore laid the Dangerous Dogs Act Compensation and Exemption Schemes (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1991 which comes into force today, which gives owners of exempted specially controlled dogs until 1 March 1992 to arrange for their dogs to be tattooed in the approved manner. Certificates of exemption will be issued to owners who have not been able to arrange for their dog to be tattooed with a requirement that the dog is tattooed before 1 March 1992, provided that they have complied with the other requirements of the exemption scheme. If an owner has not provided the index of exempted dogs with satisfactory evidence by 1 March 1992 to show that his dog has been tattooed, the certificate will lapse, the owner will be liable to prosecution and the dog may be seized and destroyed.

  The new order does not change the position for owners who did not notify the police by 12 October of their wish to have their dogs exempted from the provisions of section 1(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, or who have not met other conditions of the certificate of exemption. Those who are in possession of dogs to which section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 applies who have not complied with the requirements of the law by having their dogs exempted will after 30 November be liable to prosecution.

ENVIRONMENT

  SSAs
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce his standard spending assessments for local authorities.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend expects to make an announcement shortly.

  Utting Report
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take action to increase to above the national average the standard spending assessment formula for Staffordshire county council to take account of the problems highlighted by pindown and the Utting report.

  Mr. Key
  The standard spending assessment measures the appropriate cost of providing a standard level of service. It is calculated by means of a formula based on each local authority's demographic, social and geographic characteristics. The personal social services element of the formula is applied in the same way to all social services authorities. It would not be appropriate to apply a different approach to the assessment for any individual authority.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has taken any census of the homeless in Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  My Department has not undertaken a census of homeless people in Leeds. Responsibility for dealing with households accepted as homeless under part III of the Housing Act 1985 rests with local authorities; I understand that Leeds city council accepted 427 households as homeless in the quarter ending June 1991.

  A count of rough sleepers was made as part of the census on the night of 21–22 April 1991; 21 people were counted in Leeds. A copy of the "1991 Census: Supplementary Monitor of People Sleeping Rough", published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on 9 July 1991, has been placed in the Library.

  Beaches
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessments his Department has undertaken of progress achieved towards meeting the EC directives on cleaning up beaches by 1992.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 12 November at columns 465–66.

  Housing Organisations
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to create a legal and financial framework appropriate to consumer owned and controlled housing organisations.

  Mr. Yeo
  A suitable framework is already in place for the promotion and support of ownership co-operatives.368
  Grants are available from the Housing Corporation to assist their development and capital support is provided to registered co-operatives through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme. The Corporation is currently developing a comprehensive new strategy for tenant participation in the housing association sector to include both ownership and management options. Tenant management initiatives in local authority housing are promoted by the Department through an enhanced grant programme.

  Environmental Protection Act
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many commencement orders have been issued to date, pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and for what sections of the Act they have been applicable.

  Mr. Baldry
  Nine. They are as follows:

  Sections 128 to 139 (save for the amendments made by ss, 128, 130 and 132), 89(7) to (9) and (11) to (13), 105 (partially), 3, 1, 2, 4 to 28, 100 to 104, 105 (partially), 159 and 162(2) (partially), 86(2), (6) to (8), (11), (14) and (15); 88(5), (7) and (9)(b), 89(4), 90(1), (2) and (7), 94(1) and (2) and 96(2) and (3) and 162(1) (partially), sections 86(1), (4), (5), (9) and (13); 87(1), (2) (3)(a) to (e) and (4) to (6), 88(1) to (4), (6), (8), (9)(a) and (c) to (e) and (10); 98(1), (2) (5) and (6) (England and Wales only).

  The amendments made by sections 128, 130, and 132, 162(2) (partially), 86(3) and (10), 87(7), 89(1)(a) to (f), (2), (3), (5), (6), (10) and (14), 91(1)(a) to (f), (2) to (13), 92(1)(a) to (c), (2) to (10), 93, 94(3) to (9), 95, 96(1), 98(3) and (4), 106(4) and (5), 107(8), 108(1)(b), (3)(b), (5), (7) and (9), 111(1), (2), (4), (5), (7) and (11), 113, 114(1) to (3), 115(4), 122(1) (partially) and (4), 123(7) and (9), 124 to 126, 156, 158, 162(1) and (2) (partially);

  Sections 86(1), (4) (5) and (13), 87(1), (2), (3)(a) to (e) and (4) to (6), 88(1) to (4), (6), (8) (9)(a), (c) and (d) and (10) and 98(1), (5) and (6) (Scotland only).

  Sections 29 to 32, 50, 51, 60 (partially), 68, 71, 72, 75, 77, 147, 162(1) and (2) (partially), 86(12), 87(3)(f), 89(1)(g), 90(3) to (6), 91(1)(g) and 92(1)(d), 152 and 49.

  Housing Action Trusts
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether council employees working in Liverpool's direct labour organisation will be allowed to submit competitive tenders for forthcoming HATS projects.

  Mr. Key
  No. Under section 1 of the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970 local authorities may only enter into agreements with designated public bodies to supply goods, professional services and maintainance work of a minor nature. Although section 89 of the Housing Act 1988 does designate HATS as public bodies for the purposes of the 1970 Act, Liverpool's direct labour organisation would not be able to submit tenders for the major works contracts to be conducted under the HATS projects.

  Harbours Act 1964
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the lengths of long distance routes approved under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 which pass through harbours regulated under the Harbours Act 1964.

  Mr. Baldry
  The majority of long distance paths start or follow significant lengths of the English coast. Some will pass through harbours regulated under the Harbours Act 1964. However, precise information in the form requested is not held centrally and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the level of actual applications by local authorities for authorisations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Air Pollution Regulations; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of applications which should have been made to date.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department has not yet received all the quarterly returns for July, August and September from local authorities enforcing part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The figures for the first quarter (April, May and June) were 18 applications for new processes and 70 applications for existing processes. My Department estimated that the first block of processes due to apply for authorisation in the six months ending 30 September would comprise 4,600 to 4,800 processes as well as between 2,000 and 15,000 waste oil burners. It was only to be expected that the great bulk of applications would be received towards the end of this period.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of funds generated from capital receipts obtained through the sale of council houses; and whether he will now allow local authorities to use these receipts for reinvestment in new construction projects.

  Mr. Yeo
  The capital value (net of discount) of sales of dwellings by local authorities in England between April 1979 and June 1991 amounted to nearly £18 billion.

  Since 1 April 1990 local authorities have been free to use 25 per cent. of the receipts from the sale of council dwellings for new capital investment. However, our general policy is to encourage the private sector, including housing associations, rather than local authorities to be the provider of new subsidised housing.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he proposes to allocate resources in 1992–93 for waste disposal from within the local authority other services block.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I have decided that more investment in waste disposal facilities is needed so as to improve environmental standards. However, this cannot be achieved because local authority investment is necessarily 370
  restricted by public expenditure considerations. I have therefore decided that in future, investment in new facilities or major improvements in existing facilities will be drawn from the private sector unless there are overwhelming arguments to the contrary. To bring into effect these arrangements, I have decided that all capital expenditure resources for waste disposal within the other services block should be allocated by way of supplementary credit approvals (SCAs). These are divided between four main programmes as follows:

  1992–93 £ million

  Landfill gas/contaminated land

  25

  Recycling

  15

  Incinerators

  10

  Waste disposal (main progamme)

  50

  TOTAL

  100

  Furthermore, I have decided that in line with the Government's policy of increasing the role of the private sector in the disposal of municipal waste, main programme waste disposal schemes, and incinerators, will be considered for supplementary credit approvals only if they fall within the following categories:

  (a) expenditure which is contractually committed on 25 November 1991;

  (b) works necessary to make good and maintain sites and facilities which will not be transferred to the private sector;

  (c) essential works necessary to keep sites and facilities operational until they can be transferred to the private sector, or until alternative private sector sites and facilities can be provided;

  (d) investment in existing sites and facilities for which the authority have been unable to attract private sector investment, or secure satisfactory alternative provision from the private sector;

  (e) expenditure related to authorities' regulatory functions.

  These criteria do not affect the requirement under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for authorities to devolve operational control to a Local Authority Waste Disposal Company (LAWDC), joint venture, or private company.

  My Department will be writing to waste disposal authorities to let them know the detailed arrangements under which these SCAs will be allocated.

  The scope of the current programme of SCAs for landfill gas has been extended to include work on land contaminated by other pollutants.

  Local Government Commission
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to consult local government about the guidance he proposes to issue to the Local Government Commission to be set up under the Local Government Finance Bill.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have issued to the local authority associations and other organisations with an interest, a paper on the guidance we propose to issue to the new Local Government Commission. Copies have been placed in the Library and additional copies are available in the Vote Office.

  Faslane Incident
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will conduct an investigation into the incident at Faslane in which a constituent of the hon. Member for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde was attacked by an unknown assailant during the course of his work as a security guard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have been asked to reply.

  I understand that the incident in question relates to an altercation between two security guards employed by a private firm working at a contractor's site at the Royal Navy armaments depot, Coulport. The matter has been investigated by the MOD police and I am satisfied that no breach of security has occurred.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Economic Growth
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the average United Kingdom rate of economic growth since 1973 with comparable data for the previous decade, together with figures for manufacturing output, manufacturing employment and unemployment, and the levels of the real exchange rate in terms of relative export prices.

  Mr. Mellor
  Most of the information can be derived from data available on the Central Statistical Office's database as series CAOP—gross domestic product at constant factor cost; DVIS—index of the output of manufacturing industries; DYAW—employees in manufacturing industries; BCJD—United Kingdom unemployment total, seasonally adjusted; and BQHM—relative export unit value index.

  Data in respect of manufacturing employment and unemployment are available from this source only from 1971. Data for earlier years are available in "British Labour Statistics Historical Abstract 1886–1968" and in "British Labour Statistics Year Books" for 1969 and 1970.

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

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimates he has of the increased yield in VAT in 1992–93 as a result of the change he announced on 21 October for the payment of VAT by larger businesses from a quarterly payment system to a monthly system;

  (2) what estimates he has of the reduction in yield from VAT in 1992–93 as a result of the change he announced on 21 October 1991 in the collection of VAT on imported goods to the system of postponed accounting.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Moving the larger VAT payers from quartely to monthly reporting in the autumn of 1992 will create an estimated once-off cash flow gain to the Exchequer in 1992–93 of about £1½ billion, although the precise effect is difficult to predict since it will depend on larger payers' tax liabilities in 1992–93.

  Requiring traders to account for VAT on EC imports on their normal domestic VAT return from 1 January 1993, instead of monthly at importation as at present, will subsequently produce a once-off cash flow loss to the
  372
  Exchequer in 1992–93 of about £1½ billion. Again, the precise effect is uncertain as it will depend on the pattern and terms of trade in 1992–93.

  Had the Government introduced postponed accounting for EC imports in isolation the cash flow loss to the Exchequer in 1992–93 would have been about £2 billion. The cost would be more because all the VAT on imports would be paid quarterly, but the effect of introducing monthly returns first is that some VAT on imports—that of the largest payers—is paid monthly, rather than quarterly, under postponed accounting.

  Credit
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the volume of outstanding credit granted by Finance Houses Association members to consumers in 1989 and 1990;

  (2) what percentage of non-mortgage outstanding credit was accounted for by credit cards in 1989 and 1990; and what are the estimated percentage figures for the current year.

  Mr. Maples
  Information about credit advanced by members of the Finance Houses Association is not available from official statistics, but I understand the figures are published in the Finance Houses Association annual report 1991, a copy of which is in the Library.

  The percentages of non-mortgage outstanding credit to consumers accounted for by bank credit cards were 14·4 and 16·6 at the end of 1989 and 1990 respectively. The latest available figures show that at the end of the third quarter of 1991 the percentage was 17·6 per cent. Information about credit on non-bank credit cards is not available.

  EC Member States
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the national income, 60 per cent. of that figure and the Government debt of each member state in the EC, indicating the differences in accounting treatment where relevant.

  Mr. Maples
  For data on the national income of each member state in the EC, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 12 November 1991, at columns 506–7.

  Data for the level of Government debt are not yet available on a comparable basis for all EC member states. Following are estimates of the ratio of general Government gross debt, valued in nominal terms, to GDP as at 31 December 1989.

  General Government gross debt, 1989 (per cent. of GDP)

  Per cent.

  United Kingdom1

  37·4

  Belgium

  130·7

  Denmark2

  58·0

  France

  46·6

  Western Germany

  43·4

  Greece2

  76·1

  Ireland3

  125·1

  Italy

  98·8

  Luxembourg

  8·5

  Netherlands

  79·7

  Portugal2

  71·2

  Spain

  43·2

  1 At 31 March 1990.

  2 Central government only.
  373
  3 Per cent. of GNP.

  Source: OECD Economic Outlook No. 49, July 1991; except for Luxembourg and Portugal: from EC Annual Economic Report (revised), May 1991.

  Savings Ratio
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of the savings ratio in 1989 and 1990; and what is the estimated level for the current year.

  Mr. Maples
  The personal sector's savings ratio was 7·1 per cent. in 1989 and 9·2 per cent. in 1990. During the first half of 1991 it averaged 10·5 per cent.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the average income of householders in each of the proposed council tax bands, and of the ratio of the average income level in the top band to those in(a) the middle and (b) the lowest band.

  Mr. Maude
  None.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of average earnings is paid in taxation, including income tax, indirect taxes and national insurance contributions, for the average householder in(a) the lowest, (b) the middle and (c) the highest of the proposed council tax bands.

  Mr. Maude
  No such estimates of taxes paid are available.

  Illegal Arms Transfers
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990 came into force its powers have been invoked to work with foreign customs services to intercept illegal arms or military equipment transfers; what has been the cost to date of implementing the Act; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 21 November 1991]: Three requests which are arms related have been received by HM Customs. The directly identifiable costs to Customs of handling these requests has been approximately £45,000.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  BBC World Services
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries to which the BBC external services broadcast.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The BBC World Service in English is broadcast throughout the world. Broadcasts are also made to relevant countries in the following 35 languages:Arabic, Russian, Spanish (for Latin America), Polish, Mandarin, Cantonese, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Portuguese, Hindi, Persian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Serbian, Croatian, Greek, Indonesian, Urdu, Bengali, Hausa, Swahili, Vietnamese, Finnish, Burmese, Pashto, Somali, Thai, Slovene, Tamil, Nepali, Sinhala.

  Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's planned relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns), on 16 October at column 156.

  Gibraltar
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the interests of Gibraltar are represented within the European Community and the European Parliament.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Gibraltar's interests are represented by the British Government in the European Community. In the European Parliament there is an informal arrangement whereby a number of British MEPs take a close and active interest in Gibraltar.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of Ethiopia towards good government.

  Mrs. Chalker
  A broad-based transitional Government was formed in August. Elections to a new national assembly are due within two years. Her Majesty's Government welcome the transitional Government's commitment to respect for human rights, democracy and the liberalisation of the largely state-controlled economy inherited from the Mengistu regime.

  Kenya
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Kenya following the arrest of 20 leading Opposition leaders on 15 November.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave the hon. Members for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on 22 November, at column 323, and for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett) on 20 November, at column 266.

  Mozambique
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will cease providing military aid to Mozambique.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No.

PRIME MINISTER

  EC Foreign Policy
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to reject any proposal for a common EC foreign policy or for foreign policy co-ordination which would impinge on the United Kingdom's relations with other Commonwealth countries or restrict the right of the United Kingdom to work with other Commonwealth countries on any matter of Commonwealth concern.
  375
  The Prime Minister
  We shall not accept any treaty text which would impair our ability to maintain and develop our relations with other Commonwealth countries.

  Livestock Premiums
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that the Scottish Office, Welsh Office and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food co-ordinate the payment of livestock premiums so that all farmers in Great Britain receive payments at the same time.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on 14 May that it was hoped to pay the majority of first advances under the sheep annual premium scheme no later than early autumn. This target was comfortably achieved in all parts of the United Kingdom. Payment of the second advance is already under way. Each agriculture department aims to make payments under the livestock schemes as quickly as possible. Producers' interests would not be best served by co-ordinating payments in the way suggested.

  Traffic, Parliament Square
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the reasons why all traffic was stopped from entering Parliament square at 15.05 hours on 19 November.

  The Prime Minister
  The management of traffic in London is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I understand however that traffic in Parliament square was held up for a short period at 15.05 hours on 19 November to facilitate the passage of the President of Hungary to the Palace of Westminster.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to co-ordinate the activities of the Department of the Environment in dealing with homeless people and the activities of the Resettlement Agency in funding replacement bed spaces for closed resettlement units.

  The Prime Minister
  Regular discussions are held between Ministers and officials of the Department of the Environment and the Department of Social Security and the Resettlement Agency. At a local level, the agency holds detailed discussions on the provision of replacement beds for resettlement units which have closed or are to close with local authorities and the voluntary organisations in the area concerned.

  Nuclear Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to the answer of 5 November,Official Report, column 43, he will publish the text of the letter from Her Majesty's ambassador in Washington to the Chief of the Shoshone Nation regarding the continuation of British nuclear testing in Nevada.

  The Prime Minister
  I have arranged for the text of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
  376
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to the reply of 5 November,Official Report, column 43, he will publish the text of the letter on nuclear testing from his Australian counterpart.

  The Prime Minister
  Any decision to publish the text of the letter is one for the Australian Government.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to introduce a tax-free, non-means tested benefit designed to cover the extra costs incurred by disabled people in their daily lives; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Disability living allowance, which will be both tax-free and non-income-related, will be introduced in April 1992. For people disabled before the age of 65, it will replace and extend the help with the extra costs of disability currently available through attendance allowance and mobility allowance.

  Income Support
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will undertake to restore the full rate of income support for those aged under 25 years.

  Miss Widdecombe
  There are no plans to remove the differential between the levels of income support personal allowances for those aged up to 24 years and those aged 25 and over.

  Resettlement Units
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many resettlement units outside London have been closed since 1987; and whether dates have been set for closing the remaining units;

  (2) what funding is being made available for resettlement unit replacement bed spaces; and what allowance for inflation is given for both revenue and capital costs;

  (3) what consultation is taking place with housing organisations, local authorities and residents regarding the planned closure of resettlement units outside London;

  (4) when it is expected the Leeds resettlement unit will close; and whether the planned number of replacement bed spaces will cater for the same number of beds as in the existing resettlement unit;

  (5) if he will ensure that proceeds of the sale of land and buildings in the resettlement unit closure programme will be used to fund replacement beds.

  Miss. Widdecombe
  The management of the resettlement units replacement programme is a matter for Mr. Tony Ward, the chief executive of the Resettlement Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many social fund inspectors were employed on 30 June 1991;
  377
  (2) how many applications for review by a social fund inspector were outstanding for more than one month on 30 June 1991.

  Mr. Scott
  I am informed by the Social Fund Commissioner that on 30 June 1991, there were 54 social fund inspectors employed and 1,666 review applications outstanding for more than one month. Since 30 June 1991 the Social Fund Commissioner has recruited a further 12 inspectors.

  Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost in the current financial year of paying a £10 per week per person allowance for people in bed-and-breakfast accommodation without adequate cooking facilities.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is not available.

  Benefits Uprating
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list any occasions when, in benefit upratings from 1986 onwards, the power to round benefit rates up or down under section 63(5) of the Social Security Act 1986 has not been used to round rates to the nearest 5p indicating by how much and in which direction any rounding diverged from that practice.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 18 November 1991]: The table lists those rates whose increased amounts, from April 1987 to April 1991 upratings inclusive, were not rounded in the manner specified. In each case the rate was rounded up or down to the nearest amount indicated except where otherwise specified. The 1986 uprating order was made before the commencement of the Social Security Act 1986.

  Rates

  Child dependency increases

  Level at which CDIs payable with long-term benefits are affected by earnings of claimant's spouse or partner

  for first child

  £5

  for each subsequent child

  £1

  Earnings rules

  Therapeutic earnings limit

  50p

  Industrial injuries unemployability supplement permitted earnings level (annual amount)

  £1

  Income Support

  Reduction in benefit for strikers

  50p

  Industrial Death Benefit

  Widow's pension (lower rate)

  1p

  Industrial Disablement Pension and Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis Workman's Compensation Scheme

  18 or over—100 per cent, rate1

  10p

  —lesser rates1

  1p

  Under 18 —lesser rates1

  1p

  Maximum life gratuity1

  £10

  Unemployability Supplement —middle rate

  10p

  Constant Attendance Allowance Normal maximum rate

  10p

  Invalidity Benefit

  Invalidity Allowance —middle rate

  10p

  378

  Rates

  Non-Dependant Deductions (IS/HB)2

  Rent rebates and allowances

  Aged 18 or over and in remunerative work3

  10p above

  Others, aged 18 or over, or on Income Support and over 253

  10p above

  Low earnings threshold

  5p below

  Other deductions (IS) (Pre-1992)

  Deductions for direct payments

  Fuel debt 5 per cent. rate

  5p above

  Fuel debt 10 per cent. rate

  5p above

  Arrears of housing costs

  5p above

  Arrears of water rates

  5p above

  Deductions for arrears of Community Charge (from April 1990)

  Single debtor

  5p above

  Couple debtors both with IS

  5p above

  Retirement Pension

  Additional pension

  1p

  Graduated Retirement Benefit (unit)

  0·01p

  Contracted out deductions (from pre-April 1988 earnings) and graduated retirement benefit

  1p

  Contracted out deductions (CODs) and increments to CODs (from post-April 1988 earnings)

  1p

  Statutory Sick Pay/Statutory Maternity Pay4

  5p below

  Widow's Benefit

  Widow's pension (age related)

  1p

  1 Industrial Disablement Pension only.

  2 New Non-Dependent deductions from April 1992.

  3 Non-Dependent deductions from April 1991 only.

  4 The information for Statutory Sick Pay/Statutory Maternity Pay relates to the 1989 to 1991 upratings. Fron April 1992 rates are to be rounded to the nearest fivepence.

  Benefits
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many income support and unemployment benefit claimants have(a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully claimed income support under the hardship rule during each quarter from October 1989 onwards in Wales; and how many such claims were in doubt due to (i) not actively seeking work, (ii) refusing suitable employment and (iii) availability for work.

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

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Playing Fields
  Ms. Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has relating to the redevelopment of school and educational playing fields; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department has provided funding for the Sports Council to establish a national register of recreational land, which will enable gains and losses to be monitored. The register will include educational playing fields. Decisions on the disposal of playing fields at local education authority maintained schools are for the
  379
  education authority. However, in view of public concern about the loss of playing fields, we are considering the issue.

  Further Education (Special Needs)
  Mrs. Heal
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision has been made for the further education funding councils to consult people and organisations with specialist knowledge of special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Further and Higher Education Bill currently before Parliament requires the further education funding councils to have regard to the requirements of those with learning difficulties in making provision for further education. The funding councils will be able to determine what consultation is needed to enable them to carry out this duty effectively.

  Mrs. Heal
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to ensure students with special educational needs wishing to pursue courses of

  North Yorkshire local education authority Voluntary aided schools capital programme 1987–88 to 1992–93

  Planned major projects

  Bids for new projects (cash)

  Allocation (cash)

  Allocation (1987–88 prices) £000s

  1987–88

  1. Ermysted Boys Grammar School, Skipton

  661

  —

  —

  2. St. Joseph's RC Primary School, Tadcaster

  207

  —

  —

  3. St. Aelred's RC Primary School, York

  234

  —

  —

  4. St. Peter's RC Primary School, Scarborough

  463

  —

  —

  Planned minor works

  133

  —

  —

  1988–89

  1. Ermysted Boys Grammar School, Skipton

  773

  —

  —

  2. St. Joseph's RC Primary School, Tadcaster

  135

  —

  —

  3. St. Peter's RC Primary School, Scarborough

  504

  —

  —

  4. St. Aidan's CE High School, Harrogate

  747

  —

  —

  5. Manor CE Secondary School, York

  134

  —

  —

  Planned minor works

  442

  100

  93

  1989–90

  1. Ermysted Boys Grammar School, Skipton

  744

  —

  —

  2. St. Peter's RC Primary School, Scarborough

  570

  —

  —

  3. Manor CE Secondary School, York

  144

  —

  —

  Planned minor works

  474

  53

  46

  1990–91

  1. St. Peter's RC Primary School, Scarborough

  666

  123

  19

  2. St. Aidan's CE High School, Harrogate

  891

  117

  13

  3. Manor CE Secondary School, York

  176

  —

  —

  Planned minor works

  532

  37

  25

  1991–92

  1. St. Peter's RC Primary School, Scarborough

  692

  260

  196

  2. St. Aidan's CE High School, Harrogate

  447

  300

  226

  3. St. Wilfred's Primary School, York

  722

  126

  20

  4. Manor CE Secondary School, York

  135

  —

  —

  Planned minor works

  585

  183

  138

  1992–93

  1. St. Wilfred's RC Primary School, York

  515

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Note:

  1Projects on Design List—allocation in respect of design fees only.

  For 1992–93 bids for new minor works invited only in respect of Basic Need or Surplus Place removal. Allocations do not include committed expenditure for projects started in earlier years.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he advised local education authorities that they may no longer apply for resources from the voluntary aided schools capital programme for
  380
  further or adult education are enabled to choose between provision in schools and provision in colleges of further education.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Further and Higher Education Bill currently before Parliament will ensure that a wide range of educational provision continues to be available for students with special educational needs, including provision in schools and in colleges of further education.

  Voluntary Aided Schools
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all the bids submitted by North Yorkshire local education authority for resources from the voluntary aided schools capital programme and the cash value of these bids in 1987–88 and in each year since then; and if he will list the bids approved and resources allocated in cash terms and at 1987–88 prices.

  Mr. Fallon
  The information requested is as follows:

  schools needing work to remedy accommodation deficiencies or overcrowding; and if he will make a statement.
  381
  Mr. Fallon
  My right hon. and learned Friend has given local education authorities no such advice. They are free to bid for projects at voluntary aided schools needing work to remedy accommodation deficiencies or overcrowding, and many have done so. Decisions on which projects will receive allocations will be announced in December.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he raised the limit for minor works projects funded by the voluntary aided schools capital programme from £120,000 to £250,000; how he consulted local education authorities about this change; what assessment he has made of local education authorities requirement for resources to fund minor works projects costing over £120,000; how much extra money he intends to distribute to local education authorities for funding minor works; and how much of the voluntary aided schools capital programme for 1991–92 was allocated in respect of projects costing between £120,000 and £250,000.

  Mr. Fallon
  The limit for minor works projects funded by the voluntary aided schools capital programme is to be raised from £120,000 to £250,000 with effect from 1992–93 as announced in the Department's letter of 30 May to local education authorities inviting bids for 1992–93 capital expenditure. Local authority associations were consulted in March on the proposed change, and were content. Local education authorities' requirements for resources to fund minor works projects costing over £120,000 have been assessed on the basis of previous years' bids. A decision on how much extra money to distribute to local education authorities for minor works will be announced when allocations for all voluntary aided school projects are announced in December. A total of £1·5 million was allocated in respect of new projects costing between £120,000 and £250,000 in 1991–92.

  Parents Charter
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in making his request to head teachers that schoolchildren should take copies of the parents charter for distribution to their parents, what advice he took to ensure that this will not contravene section 45 of the Education Act 1986.

  Mr. Eggar
  There is no question of the distribution of the parents charter falling within the scope of sections 44 and 45 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986, which relate to political teaching in schools, nor within the scope of section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986 which relates to the distribution of political propaganda.

  The parents charter is addressed not to pupils but to their parents. It sets out in objective terms the rights which parents now have in relation to their children's education, and those changes which the Government propose to introduce if Parliament gives its approval. It fully meets the published guidelines on Government publicity.

  The decision on distribution is one for the governors and head teacher of each school, and not for local education authorities. The majority of schools have already responded positively to my right hon. and learned Friend's invitation to order copies for their parents. Others should follow their example and not be intimidated or misled by inaccurate advice.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the age participation index figure for higher education in Scotland and in England and Wales, respectively, for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Separate age participation indices for England and Wales are not calculated.

  The available figures are as follows:

  Academic year

  Great Britain1

  Scotland3

  1981–82

  13·1

  18·1

  1982–83

  13·3

  18·0

  1983–84

  13·1

  18·7

  1984–85

  13·7

  19·4

  1985–86

  13·9

  19·1

  1986–87

  14·0

  19·7

  1987–88

  14·6

  20·9

  1988–89

  15·1

  21·2

  1989–90

  17·1

  24·5

  1990–91

  219·3

  n/a

  1 Defined as the number of under 21 year old United Kingdom domiciled initial entrants expressed as a proportion of the average of the total number of 18 and 19 year olds in the population. Initial entrants are those students entering a course of higher education for the first time. Source: DES.

  2 Provisional.

  3 Defined as the number of Scottish domiciled entrants to full-time higher education anywhere in the United Kingdom who are aged 20 or less, expressed as a percentage of the population of 17 year olds one year previously. Source: SOED.

  n/a = not available.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of full-time undergraduate and post-graduate students, respectively, attending universities in Great Britain were matriculated at Scottish universities at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  In the academic year 1990–91, 16·1 and 12 per cent. of full-time undergraduates and post-graduates respectively attending universities in Great Britain were matriculated at Scottish universities.

  Scottish Universities
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the recurrent grant distributed by the Universities Funding Council or the University Grants Committee went to Scottish universities in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Scottish universities' share of the recurrent grant allocated to GB universities by the University Grants Committee or the Universities Funding Council was 15 per cent. in academic years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89 and 14 per cent. in 1989–90 and 1990–91. These percentages are based on the figures issued by the UGC or the UFC in their recurrent grant announcement letters before the beginning of the years in question.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the percentage of students at Scottish universities who are domiciled in England and abroad, respectively, for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  In the academic 1990–91, 19·2 per cent. and 13·8 per cent. of students attending Scottish universities were domiciled in England or overseas.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Environmental Issues
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will now update the table on page XV of the Environment Committee's first report on environmental issues in Northern Ireland, of Session 1990–91, providing a list of known legislative commitments for DOE (NI).

  Deaths from hypothermia in Northern Ireland1

  Year

  Disease

  All ages

  Under 1 year

  1–59

  60-

  65-

  70-

  75-

  80-

  85-

  90-

  95 and over

  1979

  Underlying cause

  13

  —

  3

  —

  1

  5

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1980

  Underlying cause

  18

  1

  2

  1

  2

  3

  4

  3

  2

  —

  —

  1981

  Underlying cause

  10

  —

  2

  —

  1

  1

  1

  3

  —

  2

  —

  1982

  Underlying cause

  17

  —

  2

  —

  1

  5

  2

  3

  2

  1

  1

  1983

  Underlying cause

  10

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  2

  3

  2

  —

  —

  19842

  Underlying cause

  11

  —

  1

  1

  2

  1

  —

  4

  2

  —

  —

  1985

  Any mention

  28

  —

  2

  1

  5

  5

  6

  5

  1

  3

  —

  Underlying cause

  16

  —

  1

  1

  5

  2

  3

  3

  1

  —

  —

  1986

  Any mention

  32

  —

  4

  1

  2

  4

  6

  5

  4

  5

  1

  Underlying cause

  14

  —

  2

  —

  1

  3

  3

  1

  1

  3

  —

  1987

  Any mention

  21

  —

  9

  1

  2

  1

  3

  2

  3

  —

  —

  Underlying cause

  7

  —

  3

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1988

  Any mention

  18

  —

  3

  —

  2

  5

  1

  2

  3

  2

  —

  Underlying cause

  7

  —

  2

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  1989

  Any mention

  14

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  2

  3

  3

  3

  —

  Underlying cause

  6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  1

  2

  —

  19903

  Any mention

  13

  —

  3

  1

  4

  2

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Underlying cause

  9

  —

  3

  —

  2

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Notes:

  1 Source: General Register Office.

  2 Prior to 1985 statistics were not collected on cases where hypothermia was shown as an associated cause of death.

  3 Figures for 1990 are provisional.

  Maydown Incinerator
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will now clarify the position regarding the proposal for a toxic-hazardous waste incinerator at Maydown, Londonderry, in the light of the recent statement by the Minister for the Environment in the Republic of Ireland that the Republic would have to construct a toxic waste incinerator in the near future.

  Mr. Needham
  The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has not received a planning application for a toxic-hazardous waste incinerator at Maydown, Londonderry. A planning application for a major development involving a hazardous waste incinerator would not be determined without a public inquiry held under the terms of article 31 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.

  Unemployed Claimants
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unemployed claimants have, since April 1990(a) been issued with warning letters for not actively seeking work, (b) had their claim referred to an adjudicating officer for not actively seeking work, (c) had their claims allowed or disallowed for not actively seeking work, (d) had their claim referred to an adjudicating officer for refusing suitable employment and (e) how many of those in (d) have had their benefit (i) disqualified or (ii) not disqualified.
  384
  Mr. Needham
  Copies of the legislative programme prepared by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland environment service during November 1991 are available in the Library of the House.

  Hypothermia
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Mr. Hanley
  Social security operational matters are the responsibility of Mr. Alex Wylie, chief executive of the Social Security Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies of his reply will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Minister for Overseas Development last visited Ethiopia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I last visited Ethiopia on 28–29 January this year. Senior officials visited in October and November.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to announce increased levels of aid to Ethiopia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have provided increasing levels of humanitarian aid to Ethiopia. Since September 1990, we have committed almost £53 million for this purpose, including our share of EC emergency aid. We expect to continue to respond generously to meet emergency needs.

  We are considering the future shape and level of our bilateral development aid programme. Our major contribution to Ethiopia's development, however, will

  385
  continue to be through the multilateral development institutions, particularly the EC. Ethiopia is the largest single recipient of aid under Lomé IV.

  Yemen
  Ms. Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to impose cuts in development aid to Yemen.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We keep under continual review the level of aid to all countries in the light of the resources available, of the policies being pursued by the recipient Governments, and of changes in our priorities.

  Simple Truth Appeal
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes),Official

  £000

  Year

  Project aid

  Programme aid

  Technical co-operation

  Disaster relief and food aid

  Total

  1981

  108

  144

  865

  1,324

  2,441

  1982

  586

  —

  906

  1,036

  2,528

  1983

  1,160

  —

  1,241

  86

  2,486

  1984

  555

  —

  1,456

  47

  2,058

  1985

  61

  300

  1,368

  9

  1,737

  1986

  630

  1,377

  1,679

  255

  3,941

  1987

  199

  2,779

  3,882

  433

  7,293

  1988

  3

  1,733

  4,703

  124

  6,614

  1989

  —

  1,597

  3,546

  152

  5,295

  1990

  —

  101

  1,577

  —

  1,678

  So far in 1991 we have committed £5·13 million disaster relief to Somalia, including our share of EC emergency aid. The development aid programme was closed in January 1991 due to the deterioration in security.

  ODA Review
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Overseas Development Administration will produce its next annual review.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The ODA's annual review was published earlier this month. The publication date for the 1992 review has not yet been decided.

  Know-how Funds
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all those countries currently in receipt of know-how funds, the amounts of money and costs of services provided, and those countries currently being considered for inclusion in the scheme.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The know-how fund currently funds projects in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, the Baltic states and the Soviet Union. It funded projects in the former GDR from April 1990 until German reunification. We have no plans at present to extend the fund to any additional countries.

  Expenditure under the Fund in 1989–90 and 1990–91, and commitments to date in 1991–92 by country are as follows:
  386
  Report, 11 November, column 352, regarding the £43,210,000 raised overseas for the Simple Truth Appeal, when this was paid into the appeal; and when it was paid out.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Of the £43,210,000 raised overseas by the Simple Truth Appeal, £31,468,000 was contributed by overseas Governments and £11,742,000 by individual and corporate donors. These contributions were made direct to United Nations and Red Cross agencies.

  Somalia
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of aid to Somalia for the last 10 years.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Details of United Kingdom bilateral aid to Somalia since 1981 are as follows:

  £ million

  Country

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Poland

  2·3

  10·9

  12·1

  Hungary

  n.a.

  1·6

  5·9

  Czechoslovakia

  n.a.

  2·0

  4·3

  Ex-GDR

  n.a.

  0·5

  n.a.

  Bulgaria

  n.a.

  n.a.

  1·3

  Romania

  n.a.

  n.a.

  1·3

  Baltic states/Soviet Union

  n.a.

  n.a.

  8·8

  The budget for 1991–92 has been increased to £46 million covering all countries.

  The cost of services paid for by the know-how fund depends on the nature of the services and of the project. We have to date committed funds to some 400 projects. The report on the first 1·5 years of the know-how fund gave an idea of the individual costs involved. This is available in the House Library.

EMPLOYMENT

  Autumn Statement
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the programmes and purposes on which the extra cash announced in the autumn statement will be spent.

  Mr. Jackson
  The additional planned resources will go towards helping unemployed people, improving the skills of the work force and assisting small businesses and enterprise. The details of the plans will be announced in the departmental report that will be published early next year.

  Apprenticeships
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the numbers beginning apprenticeship as bricklayers, joiners, electricians, plasterers and plumbers in each year since 1981.

  Mr. Jackson
  Information is not available about apprenticeships according to the year in which they begin.

  Training Credits
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training credits have been issued in the pilot areas to young people; how many young people have taken them up; what other information he has on the take-up of credits in those areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  As at 13 October 1991, some 27,000 training credits had been issued within the 11 pilot schemes. Over 12,000 of these have already been used by young people to obtain high-quality training of their choice. This number continues to rise. We hope to publish evaluation results from the first nine months of operating training credits in the spring of 1992. Evaluation will, of course, continue well beyond that, to identify the achievements of young people currently beginning training and the impact of credits on young people who leave school in 1992 and subsequently.

  Employment Action
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest information he has about the number of people who have taken up places on employment action; how many have left employment action; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is not yet available. Employment action came into operation only on 1 October, but we are confident that, by the end of March 1992, there will be provision in place to help 30,000 people.

  First Aid Code of Practice
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he proposes to take to provide further supplies of the first aid approved code of practice—ISBN 0 11 8855360—in HMSO outlets; what reasons account for the shortfall; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Executive has already made arrangements for further supplies of this publication to be made available to HMSO outlets. The reasons for the present shortfall are the unexpectedly high demand for the publication and some small delay in reprinting due to minor changes being made in one of its annexes.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the level of employment in the Leeds metropolitan district(a) in manufacturing industries, (b) in the service sector and (c) in all industries and services for (i) male and female employees, (ii) full time and (iii) part time; for each year since 1979 both as a number and as a percentage.
  388
  Mr. Jackson
  Information for employees in employment by district is only available from the censuses of employment for 1981, 1984, 1987 and 1989. This can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.

  Low Pay
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the number and percentage of(a) men and (b) women working full time and part time earning less than (i) £2·00 per hour, (ii) £2·50 per hour, (iii) £3·00 per hour, (iv) £3·50 per hour, (v) £4·00 per hour, (vi) £4·50 per hour and (vii) £5·00 per hour in the (1) Leeds, West constituency and (2) the Leeds metropolitan district.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information available from the 1991 new earnings survey closest to that requested is given in the following tables:

  Metropolitan County of West Yorkshire

  Employees on adult rates whose pay was not affected by absence and whose hourly earnings—excluding overtime—were below the following specified amounts

  April 1991

  Number in sample

  Per cent. of total

  Number in sample

  Per cent. of total

  £2·00

  £2·50

  Full-time men

  16

  0·5

  34

  1·2

  Full-time women

  11

  0·7

  32

  2·0

  Part-time men

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Part-time women

  23

  2·2

  54

  5·2

  £3·00

  £3·40

  Full-time men

  94

  3·2

  204

  6·9

  Full-time women

  150

  9·5

  284

  18·0

  Part-time men

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Part-time women

  209

  20·2

  420

  40·7

  £3·60

  £4·00

  Full-time men

  305

  10·4

  493

  16·8

  Full-time women

  371

  23·6

  523

  33·2

  Part-time men

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Part-time women

  505

  48·9

  663

  64·2

  £4·50

  £4·80

  Full-time men

  753

  25·6

  948

  32·3

  Full-time women

  700

  44·5

  807

  51·3

  Part-time men

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Part-time women

  773

  74·8

  819

  79·3

  £5·40

  Full-time men

  1,305

  44·4

  Full-time women

  965

  61·3

  Part-time men

  1—

  1—

  Part-time women

  877

  84·9

  Source: New Earnings Survey.

  "1—" denotes information not available.

  Training Credits
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on progress towards the planned national extension of training credits for young people.

  Mr. Howard
  I am delighted to be able to announce today the seven training and enterprise councils and two local enterprise companies which will develop training credits schemes to operate from April 1993. These schemes, together with the existing 11 training credits pilots, will mean that some 20 per cent. of the national total of 16 and 17-year-old school leavers will be able to benefit from the increased opportunities offered by
  389
  training credits. It remains the Government's intention to expand training credits progressively, so that by 1996, within the lifetime of the next Parliament, all young people aged 16 or 17 leaving full-time education will have the offer of a training credit.

  The TECs and local enterprise companies that will develop training credits schemes to operate from April 1993:

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  Isle of Wight

  Merseyside

  Northamptonshire

  Staffordshire

  South Thames

  Mid Glamorgan

  Caithness and Sutherland

  Dunbartonshire

HEALTH

  Meat Inspection
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet the Institution of Environmental Health Officers to discuss whether meat inspection should remain a local authority function.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave to her on 21 November at column 299.

  Hospices
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total value of extra help provided by the Government for hospices over the last 12 months.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Sir R. Rhodes James) on 18 November at column 43.

  Health Care, London
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the terms of reference and scope of the Tomlinson inquiry into delivery of health care in London; what assistance the inquiry is obtaining from the King's fund study in the same field; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The terms of reference of Sir Bernard Tomlinson's inquiry are:"To advise the Secretaries of State for Health and Education and Science on how the relevant statutory authorities are addressing the provision of health care in inner London, working within the framework of the reformed NHS, including the balance between acute and primary health services; and the organisation and provision of undergraduate medical teaching, postgraduate medical education and research and development; taking account of:

  the health needs of London's resident and day-time population;

  the emerging purchasing plans of health authorities and their likely impact on inner London hospitals;

  future developments in the provision of acute and primary care; and

  390

  the need to maintain high quality patient care and, as a foundation for this, high standards of medical teaching and research and development."

  I understand that Sir Bernard and members of his expert team have already held useful discussions with members of the King's Fund Commission studying health services in London, with a view to future co-operation.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a list of those general practitioner fundholding practices in England which have set up private companies for aspects of their patients care.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not held centrally.

  Hospital Security
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the security arrangements in NHS hospitals.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Security arrangements at NHS hospitals are the responsibility of and can best be determined by local hospital managers, in the light of their knowledge of their premises and the level of access necessary for patients, staff and visitors.

  To help local managers, the National Association of Health Authorities issued the NHS Security Manual to all health authorities in 1984. This is now being revised and updated with the help of a £37,000 grant from the Department.

  The new manual will take account of the most recent developments in security and crime prevention techniques and is being developed in consultation with key experts in the field and other interested private and public sector organisations. It will be available for circulation to health authorities and NHS trusts early next year.

  Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce changes to the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Bill was introduced in another place on 5 November.

  Pregnancy Terminations
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which EC countries permit the treatment of non-resident women for legal termination of pregnancy.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

  Mifegyne
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many briefing seminars concerning Mifegyne have been held by Roussel UK; where they were held; and approximately how many health personnel attended each seminar.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Roussel UK for the information requested.

  Mental Handicap
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how financial support for the mentally handicapped in residential care is calculated regarding training, education, employment and other day care elements; and how it is planned to be changed after 1 April 1993.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The provision of day care and other personal social services is the responsibility of local authority social services departments. They are responsible for assessing the need for services in individual cases and for deciding how this might appropriately be met. This will not alter after 1 April 1993.

  Midwives
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student midwives completed training in each of the last four years; and how many new midwives positions were created in that period.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The number of student midwives who completed training in England in the last four years and became eligible for registration is as follows:

  Year (ended 31 March)

  Number

  1988

  2,521

  1989

  2,088

  1990

  2,499

  1991

  2,336

  Note: These figures were provided by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

  Information regarding the number of new midwifery positions created in the same period is not centrally available.

  Employment of Children
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring the outstanding provisions of the Employment of Children Act 1973 into force.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no plans to implement the Employment of Children Act 1973.

  The main legislation governing the part-time employment of children under minimum school leaving age is the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. This sets out general restrictions governing hours of work and conditions of employment. Further restrictions are contained in local authority byelaws made under the Act. The provisions of primary legislation and byelaws serve as an effective framework to protect children who work part time.

  Huntington's Chorea
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spends in research into the cause and cure of Huntington's chorea.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid through this Department, is the main agency for funding medical research in this country. In the last
  392
  financial year (1990–91) the council spent £100,000 on research relevant to Huntington's chorea. The council is always willing to consider for support soundly based new scientific proposals in competition with other applications. The health departments, universities and medical schools may also be funding some research on Huntington's chorea but information on this is not collected centrally.

  Hospitals, Liverpool
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the future of Mossley Hill, hospital.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Mossley Hill hospital has a secure future. Liverpool health authority are currently implementing plans to centralise mental health services on the Mossley Hill site. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Michael Emberton, the chairman of Liverpool health authority, for further details.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are any plans to amalgamate the Royal Liverpool teaching hospital and Broadgreen hospital, or to transfer services from one hospital to the other; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I am not aware of any plan of the Royal Liverpool University Hospitals trust and the Broadgreen Hospital trust to amalgamate as a single trust. Any such proposal would need to be put to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State formally for consideration and would involve the dissolution of the two existing trusts and further public consultation.

  Any transfer of health services is a matter for the providers of those services in consultation with purchasers. This is a matter for local discussion and decision.

  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he intends to seek tenders for private capital to finance the hotel residential accommodation at the proposed obstetric and gynaecology hospital in Liverpool;

  (2) how many tenders have been put out for the proposed obstetric and gynaecology hospital in Liverpool;

  (3) what is his Department's capital limit on the proposed obstetric and gynaecology hospital in Liverpool;

  (4) if his Department intends to provide funding for the whole of the capital cost of the acute block and the hotel accommodation for the proposed obstetric and gynaecology hospital in Liverpool;

  (5) what are his Department's building cost estimates for the 163-bed acute block and the 100 hotel residential beds of the proposed obstetric and gynaecology hospital in Liverpool; what were the trust application building cost estimates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 12 November 1991]: Approval in principle was given by the Department in September to a new obstetric and gynaecology hospital in Liverpool. The base costs, for approval in principle purposes, was estimated to be around £16 million. This figure was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 10 September and was quoted in the trust application document. With additions for fees, equipment and on-costs (infrastructure) the cost is estimated to be £26·46 million to which will be added VAT and inflation.

  Approval in principle does not signal a specific allocation of capital. Any proposal to use private sector

  393
  capital must be demonstrated to represent value for money and would require the approval of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. His approval has not been sought in relation to this scheme.

  Estimates of building costs are made by the relevant health authority, whose responsibility it is to seek tenders. The district health authority has not yet reached that stage.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Public Limited Companies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing which completed inspectors' reports relating to public limited companies have not been published over the last 10 years.

  Mr. Redwood
  The table lists all inspections into public companies under sections 432 and 442 of the Companies Act 1985 (or their predecessor sections) where the inspectors have submitted their final report since 1 November 1981 and that report remains unpublished.

  The decision whether to publish the reports marked with an asterisk remains under consideration. Substantial interim reports on Bryanston Finance Limited and Dunlop Holdings Limited were published on 22 March 1983 and 17 February 1981 respectively.

  Date of appointment

  Company Name

  Date of report

  12 May 1975

  Bryanston Finance Ltd. [now Ramor Investments Ltd.]

  27 April 1987

  25 July 1980

  Dunlop Holdings Limited

  12 November 1981

  8 March 1982

  Euroflame Holdings plc

  27 June 1987

  11 March 1983

  British Anzani plc

  *28 November 1986

  25 February 1983

  Hartley Baird plc

  21 December 1983

  9 May 1985

  Hartley Baird plc

  23 May 1986

  26 May 1989

  Blue Arrow plc

  *4 June 1991

  23 June 1989

  The Bestwood plc

  *26 March 1991

  6 February 1990

  BOM Holdings plc

  *2 August 1991

  Supervisory Bodies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will propose legislation under which no unelected person would be able to sit on the councils of the bodies recognised as supervisory bodies under the Companies Act 1989.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Auditing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will propose legislation under which auditing firms criticised in the inspectors' report would be required to return the audit fee to the company.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will propose legislation under which it would be a criminal offence for the recognised supervisory bodies to recommend passive auditing guidelines.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Caparo Judgment
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now propose legislation under which the Caparo judgment would be reversed.

  Mr. Redwood
  We have no plans to do so.

  Vehicle Prices
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the relative pre-tax pricing of vehicles in the United Kingdom for ordinary car buyers and for fleet buyers and for purchases of the same vehicle on the continent; and what plans he has to introduce legislation or take other steps to safeguard the consumer's interests in this area.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about car prices. A reference relating to the supply of new motor cars was made to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on 9 May 1990. In making the reference the Director General of Fair Trading drew attention to concern about apparent differences between prices in the United Kingdom and other European countries. On 31 October 1991 the Commission delivered their report to the Secretary of State who is currently considering it. The report will be published as soon as is practicable. The contents of all MMC reports remain confidential until publication. If the MMC find no adverse effects the Secretary of State has no power to act. If the MMC have reached any adverse findings he will decide what steps, if any, should be taken to remedy the situation. He will also consider whether or not to announce a period of consultation before reaching his conclusions if the report is adverse.

  Office of Telecommunications
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for the Office of Telecommunications for each year since it was established(a) staffing levels and (b) its annual cost at both actual and current prices.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 22 November 1991]: The staffing levels and the annual expenditure of OFTEL in each financial year since it was established are as follows:

  Staff level (actual)

  Financial expenditure

  actual £k

  1990–91 prices £k

  1984–85

  53

  1,668

  2,373

  1985–86

  91

  2,792

  3,765

  1986–87

  109

  3,404

  4,444

  1987–88

  115

  3,573

  4,424

  1988–89

  117

  3,825

  4,419

  1989–90

  118

  4,291

  4,655

  1990–91

  130

  6,424

  6,424

  11991–92

  150

  7,375

  6,893

  1 provisional

  Note: OFTEL's expenditure is fully recovered from licence fee income.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the annual salary of the Director General of Telecommunications for each year since his appointment, giving year-on-year percentage rises.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 22 November 1991]: The figures requested are as follows:

  395

  Year ended 30 June

  Salary £

  Percentage increase

  1985

  50,000

  —

  1986

  55,022

  10·0

  1987

  60,224

  9·5

  1988

  62,903

  4·4

  1989

  66,341

  5·5

  1990

  71,780

  8·2

  1991

  81,915

  14·1

  1992

  87,805

  7·2

  Trade Statistics
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the total exports and imports of the United Kingdom with the other countries of the European Community for the years 1989 and 1990 and the first six months of 1991 together with the export to import ratio for each period.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 22 November 1991]: Information on United Kingdom visible trade is regularly published in "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", which is available in the Library of the House.

  European Co-operative Statute
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the United Kingdom Government's policy on the draft European co-operative statute.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 November 1991]: The Draft European Co-operative Statute is still at a draft stage. Should a formal proposal emerge from the Commission, the Government will consult widely among interested organisations, as is the normal practice.

TRANSPORT

  Overloaded Lorries
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new proposals he has to reduce the problem caused by overloaded lorries.

  Mr. Chope
  About twice as many vehicles will be weighed by the vehicle inspectorate this year as five years ago.

  Manchester Airport (Rail Link)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about a rail link to Manchester airport from the south.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The main market is to and from Manchester and other points to the north of the airport. That will be well served by the link which is currently under construction. I understand British Rail has no plans to build a southern spur to the rail link to Manchester airport at present.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the rail connections between the channel tunnel and north-west England in time for the opening of the tunnel.
  396
  Mr. Rifkind
  British Rail plans to invest over £1·4 billion in channel tunnel services. The north-west will have through passenger services and freight terminals at Trafford Park and Liverpool.

  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about British Rail's proposals for the location of rail freight depots to serve European destinations via the channel tunnel, with specific reference to the needs of south-west England.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail has announced the locations of all nine of its proposed channel tunnel freight terminals. Initially the terminal at Cardiff will serve south Wales and the south-west of England. British Rail is exploring the prospect of a terminal at Avonmouth.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a further statement on the establishment of freight terminals in the north-west of England for ongoing carriage of trade through the channel tunnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail has announced that there will be channel tunnel freight terminals in Trafford Park (Manchester) and Seaforth (Merseyside) to link industry in the north-west with the channel tunnel. Both terminals are due to open in 1993.

  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on environmental protection and compensation for residents of north-west Kent along the line of the recently-announced route for the channel tunnel high-speed rail link.

  Mr. Freeman
  There will be full public consultation on environmental protection measures, and voluntary purchase will be offered for homes required for, or seriously affected by, the construction and operation of the rail link. Neither the protection measures, nor the purchase scheme, can be adequately defined until the preferred route has been engineered in greater detail.

  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve British Rail freight links between Southampton and the channel tunnel.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The planning and running of its international freight services is a commercial matter for British Rail. Freight from Southampton through the channel tunnel will be routed through the freight terminal at Willesden.

  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what marketing strategy is to be used by British Rail in disposing of the residential properties they have bought in the Warwick gardens area of Dulwich in anticipation of the channel tunnel rail link going through south-east London.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail will seek to minimise any disruption of the local housing market by operating a carefully controlled sales programme.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the chairman of British Rail concerning the passenger and freight railway services proposed between south Wales and the channel tunnel.
  397
  Mr. Freeman
  On 25 October I visited the site of the planned channel tunnel freight terminal in Cardiff.

  Transport Expenditure
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide a geographical breakdown by United Kingdom nation and region for the additional projected increase in transport expenditure for 1992–93 and 1993–94; and if he will make a statement;

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide a geographical breakdown by United Kingdom nation and region of the additional projected increase in transport expenditure for 1992–93 and 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  British Rail's spending will include projects that benefit the whole of the United Kingdom; but its investment programme for the two years is not yet settled, and so no geographical analysis can be made.

  Road Pricing
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent calculations his Department has made as to the impact that road pricing would have on traffic flows in Greater London and the south-east.

  Mr. Chope
  We are now beginning detailed research to establish whether road pricing could become a practicable option for London and what its many effects would be. This assessment will include the likely impact on traffic flows.

  A10
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects completion of the dualling of the A10 between Cambridge and Ely.

  Mr. Chope
  Announcement of a preferred route following consultation is expected in spring 1994. Later progress will depend upon progress with statutory procedures and resources available for the roads programme.

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has to use its data base for commercial marketing purposes.

  Mr. Chope
  The DVLA's intention to explore the commercial use of its databases is included in its 1991–92 business plan, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Network SouthEast
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about further investment in rolling stock by Network SouthEast; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Around 800 passenger vehicles are currently on order for Network SouthEast which will significantly improve the quality of service for many passengers. These are as follows:398

  Network SouthEast new trains on order

  Route

  Number of Vehicles

  Class

  End delivery

  Chiltern lines

  89

  165/0

  March 1992

  Thames lines

  91

  165/1

  Summer 1992

  Kent link

  400

  465

  Spring 1993

  Waterloo and City

  20

  482

  Late 1992

  Kent link

  86

  466

  Spring 1993

  Thames express

  63

  166

  Summer 1993

  West of England (Waterloo-Exeter line)

  63

  159

  Summer 1992

  Rail Safety
  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss safety.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. and learned Friend has regular meetings with Sir Bob Reid, the British Rail chairman, to discuss a variety of railway issues. Safety remains the top priority for both the Government and British Rail.

  Road Schemes
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has had referring to environmental aspects of proposed road schemes.

  Mr. Chope
  I received many representations on various aspects of the roads programme.

  London Underground
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet the chairman of London Transport to discuss improvements to the underground network.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet the chairman of London Transport regularly to discuss a variety of issues, including improvements to the underground network. The increase in grant announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement means that the Underground will have the resources that it needs to provide London with a system described by the chairman as a "decently modern metro".

  Road Traffic (East London)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on traffic conditions at the intersection of the Mile End road—A11—and Cambridge Heath road in London E1.

  Mr. Chope
  Traffic conditions at the junction of the A11 and Cambridge Heath road are a matter for the highway authority, the London borough of Tower Hamlets. I understand that the police increased enforcement activities in the area while work was in progress to repair a gas main on the nearby A13.

  London Regional Transport Grant
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the proposed increase in grant to London Regional Transport.
  399
  Mr. Freeman
  The chairman of London Transport has welcomed the increased funding announced in the autumn statement.

  Tube Stations (Refurbishment)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much he expects London Underground Ltd. to invest in the refurbishment of the Elephant and Castle and Rotherhithe tube stations during(a) 1991–92 and (b) 1992–93.

  Mr. Freeman
  Following the recent announcement by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer of a record £3·8 billion grant for London Transport over the next three years, London Underground Limited (LUL) is currently reassessing its future investment programme. Although this work is not yet complete, I understand from LUL that work on the £6 million refurbishment of Elephant and Castle is likely to restart in 1992–93.

  I understand that LUL does not have any firm date for refurbishment works at Rotherhithe, but the station may be included in a general refurbishment programme which will benefit several stations over the next few years.

  Rail Freight Services
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve British Rail freight services between Southampton and other major cities and ports.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  This is a commercial matter for the British Railways Board. However, I understand that Railfreight Distribution is at present considering the potential for expansion at Southampton.

  M271
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to extend the M271 direct into the Western docks area of Southampton; and what is the time scale.

  Mr. Chope
  My Department has no such proposals, and I am not aware of any by Hampshire county council.

  M27
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to complete the transportation links between Dover/Folkestone to Devon using the existing M27; and what is the time scale.

  Mr. Chope
  The national roads programme includes 21 schemes for improvements to sections of the A20, A259 and A27 between Dover and the M27 motorway, and another 16 schemes for sections of the A31, A35 and A30 westwards from the M27 to Exeter, collectively valued at some £438 million at November 1987 prices. Some of these are now under construction and the others are at various stages of preparation. Subject to satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures and continuing availability of funds, we would expect all to be completed by the end of the decade.

  The needs of the trunk road network are kept under constant review, and it is possible that further schemes along the south coast route might be added to the programme from time to time.

  M3
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate is now foreseen for the completion of the missing link of the M3 motorway.

  Mr. Chope
  The Compton to Bassett section of the M3 is due for completion by the end of the year. The final section of the M3 around Winchester is programmed for completion by the end of 1994. This will complete the motorway route from London to Southampton.

  Heavy Goods Vehicles
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what period a class I certificate for a heavy goods vehicle licence, DL 923, normally remains valid; if there are any circumstances in which this period can be extended; and whether he has any plans to seek to amend these arrangements.

  Mr. Chope
  Heavy goods vehicle test pass certificates (DLG23) were issued prior to 1 April of this year and are valid for five years. If drivers do not claim their full entitlement within the five year period the validity of the test pass certificate lapses.

  From 1 April, drivers issued with large goods vehicle (LGV) or passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) test pass certificates must claim full entitlement within two years of passing the test.

  The period is laid out in regulations and there is no current plan to change them.

  Transport, London
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out in tabular form the proportion of(a) inner London and (b) central London residents who used each of the following modes of transport for non-work trips for 1989 and 1990, respectively: (a) the Underground, (b) bus, (c) British Rail, (d) car, as driver, (e) car, as passenger, (f) cycle, (g) motor cycle and (h) pedestrian, respectively.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The figures requested are not available. Data are being collected for 1991 as part of the London area transport survey and results will be available in 1993.

  Harbours Act 1964
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the harbours covered by the Harbours Act 1964 together with the name and address of the harbour authority.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are several hundred harbours as defined in section 57 of the 1964 Act. I am sending the hon. Lady a list.

  Driving Licences
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving licences were renewed by drivers over the age of 70 years during 1990–91.

  Mr. Chope
  A total of 618,235 licences were renewed by drivers over the age of 70 years during 1990–91.

  British Rail Staff
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were employed by British Rail in 1979 and in 1990.

  Mr. Freeman
  British rail had 134,361 employees at 31 March 1990. The figure at 31 December 1979 was 244,084.

  Rights of Way
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the footpaths and bridleways through harbours which have been closed in the last 10 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Apart from applications (of which no central information is kept) from harbour authorities to the local highway authority for footpath or bridleway closures under the Highways Act 1980 and references in private Acts, provision has been made in two recent harbour revision orders, those for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company in 1984 and for Blyth in 1989, for the stopping up of specific public rights of way and the provision of alternative public footpaths.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will require all details of footpaths and bridleways through trust ports to be stated in the objectives of the sales.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. Objectives of sale agreed between individual ports authorities and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State represent criteria which the authority will take into account when assessing competing bids for the port. It would be inappropriate for them to incorporate details of footpaths and bridleways through the port. The same procedures for the extinguishment of footpaths and bridleways will continue to apply following privatisation as before it.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is any requirement for a harbour authority to maintain for public inspection a map of footpaths and bridleways in the area of the harbour.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. It is the responsibility of the surveying authority (usually the county highway authority) to provide information about all public footpaths and bridleways in its area.

  Road Casualties
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what percentage the number and the rate of each category of fatal and serious road casualties has changed since the target was set of reducing casualties by one third by the year 2000.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government target of reducing casualties by one third by the year 2000 was set in 1987, using the average annual number of casualties in the years from 1981 to 1985 as a baseline. The requested information is as follows:

  Fatal and serious casualties in road injury accidents: Great Britain

  Casualties

  Percentage change

  1981–85 average

  Year to June 19911

  1981–85 to 1991

  Fatal

  5,598

  4,655

  -16·8

  Serious

  74,532

  55,528

  -25·5

  402

  Casualties

  Percentage change

  1981–85 average

  Year to June 19911

  1981–85 to 1991

  Casualty rate per 100 million vehicle kilometres

  Fatal

  1·9

  1·1

  -39·4

  Serious

  25·0

  13·6

  -45·7

  Traffic:2 (hundred million vehicle Kilometres)

  2,983

  4,092

  37·2

  1Casualty and traffic data for 1991 are provisional.

  2Source for traffic data: "Traffic in Great Britain 2nd Quarter 1991" Department of Transport Statistics Bulletin (91)7.

  Traffic Congestion
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the national economic costs of traffic congestion.

  Mr. Chope
  We are taking a wide range of measures to deal with congestion, including substantial investment in public transport, roads and traffic management. There is no precise estimate of the total costs of congestion, but the cost is some billions of pounds each year.

  Road Building and Maintenance
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the money raised from motor taxation is spent on road building and maintenance; and what comparable information he has for Germany, the USA and Japan, respectively.

  Mr. Chope
  For 1991–92, the amount spent on building, maintaining and policing roads in the United Kingdom will be approximately 40 per cent. of motoring taxation revenue. Comparable information for Germany, the USA and Japan is not readily available.

  A12
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the traffic flows along the A12 between(a) the M25 junction and Margaretting, (b) Boreham and Hatfield Peverel, (c) Feering and Marks Tey, (d) Marks Tey and Stanway and (e) at Four Sisters in 1989, 1990 and 1991, respectively.

  Mr. Chope
  Average daily traffic flows on the A12 were as follows:

  1989

  1990

  1991

  M25-Margaretting

  62,000

  63,000

  67,000

  Boreham-Hatfield Peverel

  62,000

  65,000

  69,000

  Feering-Marks Tey

  53,000

  52,000

  54,000

  Marks Tey-Stanway

  63,000

  63,000

  64,000

  Four Sisters

  32,000

  32,000

  34,000

  Trust Ports
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will amend the objectives of sale under the privatisation process of trust ports which include sites of special scientific interest in their boundaries to require a stated environment objective where one has not been included.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. There will be no change in the arrangements for the protection of an SSSI as a result of
  403
  the privatisation of a trust port. There is already a requirement on the local planning authority to consult the relevant conservation agency when dealing with a planning application for a development affecting an SSSI. Similar consultations are undertaken by bodies proposing developments which are permitted developments within the general development order.

  Heavy Goods Vehicles
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what level of inspection will be adopted by his Department to ensure that the fitting of heavy goods vehicle speed limiters on existing vehicles by operators has been carried out correctly;

  (2) if he will set out the procedures to be adopted by heavy goods vehicle operators when the fitting of speed-limiting devices on existing vehicles becomes obligatory.

  Mr. Chope
  All new HGVs over 7·5 tonnes maximum gross weight will have to be fitted with speed limiters as from 1 August 1992. It is intended that compliance with the requirement should be checked when vehicles are type-approved, and at subsequent annual roadworthiness tests.

  Regulations covering existing vehicles will be made shortly. They will require limiters to be fitted to the more recently registered of the biggest and heaviest HGVs already in service. Compliance with this requirement will be checked at annual roadworthiness tests.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure the wearing of seatbelts by passengers in heavy goods vehicles and vans.

  Mr. Chope
  Passengers travelling in the specified passenger seat are required to use a seat belt where one is fitted. Responsibility for enforcing the law rests with the police. We take every opportunity to stress the benefits of using belts, and of fitting them in vehicles which do not already have them.

  Swale Crossing
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the strategy and timetable for the planning and construction of a second crossing of the Swale to the Isle of Sheppey.

  Mr. Chope
  The proposed A249 Iwade-Queenborough scheme will include a second crossing of the Swale. Investigation of options is in hand and the next step will be public consultation early in 1993. Thereafter, the programme will depend on public reaction and the time needed to complete the detailed design and statutory procedures.

  A1M (Compensation)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the case for compensation for those homes close to the A1M in Hertfordshire to be compensated by central Government funds for extra noise and air pollution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  No. Compensation is already provided for in existing legislation: both for those from whom land is required for road schemes; and for those from whom no 404
  land is taken but whose properties depreciate in value because of such factors as noise, fumes and smoke arising as a direct result of the use of a new or altered highway.

  Vehicle Distancing
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made to prevent vehicles driving too close to vehicles in front.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department has been conducting an experiment with chevron markings on the M1, to determine whether such markings are effective in reducing the amount of close following. The results of the experiment will be published shortly.

  British Rail
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table listing the current and forecast levels of public service obligation grant and external financing limit for British Rail, and the outturn figures since 1975.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested for public service obligation grant and external financing limits for British Rail since 1975 and current forecasts to 1994–95 is as follows:

  PSO grant and EFL 1975–76 to 1994–95

  £ million

  PSO1

  EFL

  Cash

  1991–92 prices

  Cash

  1991–92 prices

  21975–76

  298

  1,157

  —

  —

  1976–77

  299

  1,022

  421

  1,439

  1977–78

  328

  987

  454

  1,365

  1978–79

  389

  1,055

  574

  1,559

  1979–80

  485

  1,128

  715

  1,662

  1980–81

  576

  1,132

  790

  1,552

  1981–82

  749

  1,342

  960

  1,720

  1982–83

  817

  1,367

  848

  1,418

  1983–84

  854

  1,365

  811

  1,296

  31984–85

  1,066

  1,623

  1,045

  1,591

  1985–86

  820

  1,183

  910

  1,313

  1986–87

  690

  964

  777

  1,085

  1987–88

  761

  1,008

  591

  783

  1988–89

  534

  660

  375

  464

  1989–90

  499

  579

  673

  781

  1990–91

  600

  642

  1,016

  1,087

  41991–92

  900

  900

  1,522

  1,522

  51992–93

  —

  —

  2,041

  1,953

  51993–94

  —

  —

  1,361

  1,255

  51994–95

  —

  —

  975

  873

  1 The 1975–83 figures for PSO grant are for the calendar year.

  2 1976–77 was the first year when an EFL was set.

  3 This was a 15-month accounting period for PSO grant. The 12 month equivalent is £853 million (1991–92 prices £1,298 million).

  4 Forecast.

  5 External finance figures are from Autumn Statement. PSO forecasts for grant are not yet available for 1992–93 to 1994–95.

  Iwade Bypass
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce a decision on the A249, Iwade bypass.

  Mr. Chope
  As soon as possible.

  Car Telephones
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions have taken place in the last two years for driving with a hand-held car telephone; what steps he is taking to prevent such driving; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  There are no separate statistics available on the number of prosecutions arising from the use of hand held car telephones. It is not a specific offence to use a car telephone whilst driving. Prosecution would result where the use of such a device leads a driver to drive without due care or without exercising proper control. Advice on the use of car telephones is given in a variety of publications including the highway code.

  European Commission
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the article 169 letter he received in mid-October from the European Commission, in respect of EC directive 85/337/EEC.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 14 November 1991]: No. It is an accepted convention that correspondence between the Government and the Commission is confidential.

  River Itchen (Bridge)
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has now invited tenders for bridge works over the River Itchen as part of the M3 Bar End-Compton.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 15 November 1991]: Tenders have been invited for bridge works in advance of the main M3 Bar End Compton contract, but these do not include a bridge over the River Itchen.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the advance works prior to the letting of a contract for bridge works over the River Itchen require an archaeological dig or any other work liable to damage the River Itchen watermeadows site of special scientific interest.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 15 November 1991]: The advance works will affect a small corner of the Itchen

  Scheme

  Consultant(s)

  A1 Alconbury to Peterborough

  W. S. Atkins Planning Consultants (main agent authority for scheme: Cambridge County Council)

  A5 Little Brickhill Bypass

  Kennedy Henderson Ltd.

  A6 Clapham Bypass

  Acer assisted by Acer Environmental and Ash Landscape Architects

  A10 Wadesmill High Cross and Colliers End Bypass

  Mott MacDonald

  A11 Roudham Heath to Attleborough

  G. Maunsell and Partners, assisted by the Landscape Partnership and Alconbury Environmental Consultants

  A11 Besthorpe Wymondham

  Norfolk County Council

  A11 Four Went ways to Newmarket

  Cambridgeshire County Council

  A41 Aston Clinton Bypass

  Buckinghamshire County Council

  406
  Valley water meadows site of special scientific interest (SSSI). Ecological and archaeological work will be carried out in the affected area of the SSSI before any construction starts on that part of the site.

  Environmental Assessments
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the correspondence between himself and the European Commission on(a) M3 motorway, reference P/1324/90 dated 26 March 1990 and 23 May 1991, (b) the Hackney Wick to M11 link road, dated 21 June 1990 and 14 August 1990 and (c) the A406 east London river crossing dated 24 October 1989 and 22 December 1989, with copies of any subsequent correspondence in respect of each.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 18 November 1991]: No. It is an accepted convention that correspondence between the Government and the Commission is confidential.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will give a breakdown of the costs to his Department of preparing environment assessments in accordance with the EC directives;

  (2) if he will list those private consultants selected by his Department to carry out environmental assessments in accordance with the EC directive and to which particular assessment they were attached;

  (3) if he will list the schemes for which his Department has prepared an environmental statement as required under the EC directive, with full details of the costs of the preparation of these statements; and which have been prepared, (a) by his staff within the Department of Transport and (b) by outside consultants.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 20 November 1991]: Consultants are appointed to undertake the preparation and supervision of trunk road schemes under the direction of the Department of Tranport's staff. The consultants are responsible for the full range of duties associated with each commission, including an environmental assessment. The preparation of the environmental assessment, including the environmental statement, is not costed separately. Attached is a list of schemes for which an environmental statement in accordance with the EC directive 85/337 as applied by section 105A of the Highway Act 1980 has been published, together with the name of the consultants appointed to carry out the work:
  407

  Scheme

  Consultant(s)

  A47 Walpole Highway to Tilney High End

  Stirling Maynard and Partners assisted by Landscape Design Associates

  A47 East Dereham to North Tuddenham

  Kennedy Henderson Ltd.

  A47 Norwich Southern Bypass (Keswick section and Trowse Newton)

  Trowse Newton—Norfolk County Council; Keswick section—G. Maunsell and Partners

  A140 Scole Bypass

  Trevor Crocker and Partners (now DVH—Burrow Crocker)

  A428 Bedford Southern Bypass

  Brian Colquhoun and Partners assisted by Landscape Partnership

  M1-A1 Link (Re-alignment of Naseby—Sibertoft Supplementary Order)

  Brian Colquhoun and Partners assisted by Percy Thomas Partnership

  M25 Motorway: Junctions 15–16 widening from dual 2–4 lanes

  Sir William Halcrow and Partners assisted by Halcrow Fox and Wyn Thomas and Partners

  M40 Motorway widening: Junctions 4–5 Buckinghamshire

  Sir William Halcrow and Partners assisted by Halcrow Fox and Wyn Thomas and Partners

  A6 Great Glen Bypass

  Bingham Cotterell

  A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass

  Northants County Council assisted by Faulkes Perry and Rech Landscape Consultants

  A16 Spalding to Sutterton improvement

  Mott MacDonald (was Husbands)

  A17 Leadenham Bypass

  Trevor Crocker

  A43 Silverstone Bypass

  Northants County Council assisted by Adams Loxton Landscape Consultants

  A46 Leicester Western Bypass

  Travers Morgan

  A564 Stoke-Derby link Derby Southern Bypass

  Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners

  A564 Foston Hatton Hilton

  Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners

  A13/A117 junction improvement

  Acer assisted by Chris Blandford Associates

  A13 West of Heathway—Wennington— Mar Dyke

  Acer Freeman Fox Ltd. and W. S. Atkins Consultants Ltd. (joint main consultants)

  A406 ELRC A13–A2016 design changes

  Sir William Halcrow and Partners assisted by Halcrow Fox Associates

  A406 Gunnersbury Avenue improvement

  Howard Humphries and Partners

  A406 Golders Green Road/Brent Street junction improvement

  Gifford Graham and Partners

  A406 Bounds Green to Green Lanes improvement

  G. Maunsell and Partners

  M1 junction 1 improvement

  W. S. Atkins and Partners

  M1 widening: Junction 9 northbound

  Hertfordshire County Council

  M5 motorway widening Warndon— Strensham junctions 6–8

  Howard Humphries and Partners

  A167 Durham Western Bypass

  Roughton and Partners assisted by A. Walker and Partners

  A590 Dalton-in-Furness Bypass

  Babtie Shaw and Morton assisted by Gillespies

  A66 Stainmore to Banksgate

  Cumbria County Council

  A500 Basford/Hough/Shavington

  Veryard and Partners

  M56 widening junctions 4–6

  L. G. Mouchel and Partners

  M6 motorway widening between junctions 20 and 21A

  Pell Frischmann

  M6 widening and improvements junctions 30 to 32

  Rendel Palmer and Tritton

  M62 widening junctions 14–17

  G. Maunsell and Partners

  408 409

  Scheme

  Consultant(s)

  M62 widening junctions 17–18

  G. Maunsell and Partners

  M65 motorway Bamber Bridge— Whitebirk section (Blackburn Southern Bypass)

  Howard Humphries and Partners

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

  L. G. Mouchel and Partners

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

  L. G. Mouchel and Partners

  A3 Milford Bypass

  W. S. Atkins and Partners

  A23 Pease Pottage-Handcross

  Acer

  A27 Crossbush Bypass

  West Sussex County Council

  A27 Patching junction improvement

  Peter Fraenkel and Partners assisted by Chris Blandford Associates

  A27 Westhampnett Bypass

  Gifford Graham and Partners

  A34 Newbury Bypass—Andover Road junction

  Mott MacDonald

  A249 Iwade Bypass

  Kent County Council

  A249 M2—Bobbing improvement

  L. G. Mouchel and Partners assisted by David Huskisson Associates

  A249 Brielle Way

  Kent County Council

  A259 Brookland Diversion

  Kent County Council

  M20 improvement junctions 5–8 (Maidstone Bypass)

  Travers Morgan

  A30 Okehampton—Launceston improvement

  Devon County Council

  A30 Shallowater Hill improvement

  Cornwall County Council assisted by Environmental Advisory Unit (Liverpool University) Ltd.

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

  Cornwall County Council assisted by Environmental Advisory Unit (Liverpool University) Ltd.

  A31 Ashley Heath Grade separated junction

  Dorset County Council

  A35 Tolpuddle Puddletown

  Frank Graham Consulting Engineers Ltd. assisted by Cooper Partnership and Environmental Advisory Unit (Liverpool University) Ltd.

  A39 Wadebridge Bypass

  Cornwall County Council

  A417 Brock worth Bypass

  Frank Graham Consulting Engineers Ltd. assisted by Cooper Partnership and Environmental Advisory Unit (Liverpool University) Ltd. and Gloucester County Council

  A419 Latton Bypass

  Frank Graham Consulting Engineers Ltd. assisted by Cooper Partnership and Environmental Advisory Unit (Liverpool University) Ltd. and Cotswold Archeological Trust

  Batheaston/Swainswick Bypass A36 link

  Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners assisted by Derek Lovejoy and Partners and Avon County Council

  M5 junction 18 improvement and Avonmouth Relief Road

  Second Severn Crossing Group

  Second Severn Crossing and approach roads

  Second Severn Crossing Group assisted by Environmental Advisory Unit (Liverpool University) Ltd.

  A5 Trunk Road Fazeley/Two Gates/ Wilnecote Bypass

  Staffordshire County Council assisted by R. P. S. Clouston and Dr. Jeff Lewis

  A49 Onibury—Stokesay improvement

  Shropshire County Council assisted by Simon Waldering Associates

  A49/A465 Hereford Bypass

  John Burrow and Partners (now DVH Burrow—Crocker Consulting)

  A50 Blythe Bridge—Queensway Stoke on Trent

  Staffordshire County Council and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners assisted by Derek Latham and Co.; R. P. S. Clouston; Scotts Haighton; Accoustical Investigation Research Organisation Ltd.

  410 411

  Scheme

  Consultant(s)

  A435 Norton Lenchwick Bypass

  Dobbie and Partners (now Babtie Dobbie)

  A435 Studley Bypass

  Dobbie and Partners (now Babtie Dobbie)

  A1(M) Walshford to Dishforth

  Bullen and Partners

  A63 Selby Bypass

  North Yorkshire County Council and Anthony Walker and Partners

  A65 Manor Park Improvement

  City of Bradford

  A65 Gargrave Bypass

  Babtie Shaw and Morton

  A65 Hellifield and Long Preston Bypass

  Pell Frischmann

  A65/A660 Burley-in-Wharfedale Bypass

  City of Bradford

  A650 Airedale route section 3 Crossflats—Cottingley Bar

  Babtie Shaw and Morton

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Room Bookings
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what changes he proposes in the arrangements for hon. Members to book rooms in the Palace of Westminster.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have no such proposals.

  European Standing Committees
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement concerning the modus operandi of European Standing Committee A and B.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Experience so far shows that the two European Standing Committees are working well and have made a real contribution to the improved scrutiny of European legislation. I am currently seeking views from the Select Committee on Procedure as part of a first stage review of the new scrutiny arrangements and will consider carefully any recommendations which the Committee might make.

  Parliamentary Hours
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he is now in a position to bring forward proposals to reduce the number of late sitting hours in the House of Commons.

  Mr. MacGregor
  This is one of the issues that the Select Committee on Sittings of the House is considering, and we await its recommendations.

  One recent improvement has been that, since they were set up in January, the European Standing Committees have made a significant contribution to reducing the burden of late night debates on the Floor. Some 20 or so of their debates would probably have been held on the Floor after 10 pm under the previous arrangements.

  Disabled People (Access)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what further action he is taking to improve access to all parts of the Palace of Westminster for people with disabilities.
  412
  Mr. MacGregor
  I commissioned consultants earlier in the year to look at means of improving access to the main public areas. Their initial report has been examined and further advice is now being sought.

  Register of Members' Interests
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will initiate a proposal to require hon. Members to declare the amounts of remuneration they received from outside directorships, consultations and all other payments made for outside work in the Register of Members' Interests.

  Mr. MacGregor
  No.

DEFENCE

  Diving Forces
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the risk of mining or sabotage in or around British ports by terrorists.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The assessment of this type of threat from terrorists is not the responsibility of the MOD.

  Service Personnel (Deaths)
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the reasons why certain documents, including boards of inquiry reports relating to deaths of service personnel, should remain confidential to his Department.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A board of inquiry aims to establish the facts of an incident and make recommendations to prevent a recurrence. It can help witnesses to speak freely and frankly if their evidence is treated confidentially. Other documents may be confidential for a variety of reasons, such as national security or medical or commercial confidentiality. Where original documents cannot be released the Department makes every effort to provide information to the next of kin of service men in alternative forms.

  Coral Sea Battle
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy vessels are due to take part in the battle of the Coral sea celebrations in April/May 1992.
  413
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No participation by RN ships in the commemoration is planned.

  Glen Parva Barracks
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will be putting into effect plans to centralise army pay and records at Glen Parva barracks, South Wigston.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We currently have no plans to centralise Army pay and records at Glen Parva barracks, South Wigston.

  Exercise Starfish
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy vessels and in which years have taken part in exercises called Starfish.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  HM ships regularly take part in the naval exercise STARFISH which is undertaken by member countries under the five power defence arrangements. Ships involved since 1981 are as follows:

  Year

  Ship(s)

  1981

  Wasperton

  Monkton

  1982

  Ajax

  Beachampton

  Wolverton

  1983

  Avenger

  Wasperton

  Monkton

  1984

  Falmouth

  Monkton

  Wolverton

  1985

  Plover

  Starling

  1986

  Amazon

  Beaver

  Starling

  Swallow

  1987

  Plover

  Starling

  1988

  Sirius

  Peacock

  1989

  Brave

  1990

  Battleaxe

  Plover

  1991

  Manchester

  Peacock

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy vessels are due to take part in Exercise Starfish 92.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is planned that the Royal Navy will take part in Exercise Starfish 92, but details of which ships will be involved are still under consideration.

  Dounreay
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long the prototype fast breeder reactor at Dounreay has been supplying electricity to HMS Vulcan; and at what cost.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Since 1957, when the MOD Vulcan facility was established, it has obtained its 414
  electricity from the Scottish Hydroboard via the adjacent Atomic Energy Authority (Technology) establishment at Dounreay. The power consumed by Vulcan is metered and paid for at commercial rates.

  Female Sailors
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total added cost of fitting out ships of the Royal Navy to cater for female crew.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The estimated cost of work done to date to provide accommodation and associated facilities on HM ships for female crew is £1·6 million.

  New Zealand
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Navy is currently prepared to send ships to visit New Zealand.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no plans for Royal Navy ships to visit New Zealand in the immediate future.

  Navy (Nuclear Weapons)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are his plans in respect of the removal of tactical nuclear weapons from Royal Navy surface ships.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Steps are being taken to remove tactical nuclear weapons from Royal Navy ships in accordance with the Government's new policy that such weapons will no longer be carried at sea in normal circumstances.

  Staff Cars
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers are based in each auditing district; and how many staff cars are provided in each district.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information is not held in the form requested, but the numbers of staff cars and service officers based in the United Kingdom are as follows:

  Officers

  Staff cars

  RN

  7,142

  551

  Army

  10,652

  1,719

  RAF

  12,880

  1,095

  The totals of cars include those held in pools which are available for use by all ranks, service and civilian, for travel on official business where this is the most cost effective option.

  Nuclear Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with the United States Department of Energy about contamination resulting from the testing of United Kingdom nuclear weapons in Nevada.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have regular discussions with the United States authorities on all aspects of United Kingdom nuclear tests carried out at the Nevada test site.

  Storage Depots
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether arrangements have been made for environmental clean-up at the naval fuel storage depot at(a) Invergordon and (b) Finnart before their closure.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is normal practice for the existence, nature and extent of any contamination to be identified by the MOD prior to the disposal of land. Any decontamination required would either be undertaken by the Department or by the acquiring authority, dependent upon the circumstances of the land disposal.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make it his policy to review the arrangements for financial assistance for serving officers who are required to change uniforms as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals;

  (2) what contribution will be made to officers of each rank who are required to change regiments as a result of the imlementation of the "Options for Change" proposals in order to enable them to meet the cost of the new uniforms which they will require.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The levels of uniform grants payable on the amalgamation of regiments are currently under consideration. In general officers are expected to meet the costs of maintaining and replacing their uniforms, but those involved in amalgamations will receive a grant to assist with the cost of essential changes in uniform when such new items are not usually provided as a free issue. It is our intention to keep changes in uniform to the minimum, and where possible to allow officers to wear out their existing uniforms.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to review the redundancy arrangements for all serving personnel who are made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No, although we are reviewing arrangements for housing and resettlement.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many junior non-commissioned officers and other ranks with under 12 years' service he expects to be made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals;

  (2) if he will give a breakdown by length of service of the average amount of redundancy payment which will be made to junior non-commissioned officers and other ranks made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals before the completion of 12 years' service.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We do not expect that anyone who has served in the Army for less than 12 years will be made redundant in 1992–93.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation he undertook prior to the setting of the limits upon financial assistance which may be made available to serving officers who are required to change uniforms as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.
  416
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No limits have yet been set on the financial assistance which may be made available to officers required to change uniforms as a result of the implementation of "Options for Change". The new uniforms have yet to be agreed, but once this has been done appropriate allowances will be calculated.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about the current average cost of the uniforms of officers of each rank in each of the regiments which will exist after the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The uniforms of many of the regiments which will exist after the implementation of "Options for Change" have yet to be determined. As a guide, however, current allowances payable to newly commissioned officers to meet the costs of those uniform items which they are required to purchase from military tailors are set out in the table. These allowances are based on average prices charged by military tailors and their current levels reflect prices notified to the Ministry of Defence in January 1991.

  Officers initial outfit allowance

  £

  Male officers

  Dismounted officers and career officers except as below

  1,716

  Officers of the Household Cavalry dismounted order

  2,617

  Officers of the Foot Guards

  2,558

  Officers of Lowland Regiments

  1,901

  Officers of Highland Regiments

  2,174

  Officers of The Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Irish Rangers, Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps, SAS and Intelligence Corps

  1,679

  Officers of the Royal Army Chaplains Department (includes rate for special scarf)

  1,829

  Female officers

  Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (Nursing Officers)

  1,628

  Non-nursing Officers

  1,416

  Officers of The Women's Royal Army Corps

  1,259

  Female direct entry to the Royal Army Medical Corps and Royal Army Dental Corps

  2,075

  Army Legal Corps

  2,453

  Royal Army Veterinary Corps

  1,985

  Notes:

  1. These figures do not include officers on probation or Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Army Dental Corps and Royal Army Veterinary Corps Cadets.

  2. Some officers receive an extra £99 for a non-standard pattern Sam Browne/Cross Belt.

  3. Officers of the Household Cavalry and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery on full Mounted Duty receive a further grant of £2,020 on first posting to that duty.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the redundancy provisions for junior noncommissioned officers and other ranks made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have received a number of representations about our general plans for redundancies.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving officers of each rank will change regiment as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It will be some time before this information is available.

  Korea (Nuclear Weapons)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the People's Republic of China about assistance by that country to the nuclear weapons programme of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  None.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Rabbits
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the legitimate methods available for controlling the rabbit population.

  Mr. Gummer
  In order to prevent or reduce the damage caused by rabbits a wide range of legitimate control methods are available. These include shooting, gassing, trapping and the use of rabbit-proof fencing. My Department also funds a substantial programme of research into ensuring that controls are available which are not only effective but humane and environmentally safe.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the increase in myxomatosis in the rabbit population in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have no information about the prevalence of myxomatosis in the rabbit population. However, the increasing rabbit population may have led to a greater number of individual rabbits being seen to be affected by the disease, without there necessarily being an increase in the percentage of the population affected.

  Milk
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the future of producer-processors in the Pennine villages whose livelihood comes from selling milk and milk products to their local communities;

  (2) what is his assessment of the impact on communities of the differential levy on producer-processors;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the impact of the levy from the milk marketing board on direct sellers of milk and milk products.

  Mr. Curry
  Under Community law the milk marketing boards have the exclusive right to purchase from producers in their area milk produced and marketed without processing. Producers may, however, with the agreement of the board, sell their milk direct to consumers or retail outlets subject to the payment of a levy.

  The Milk Marketing Board's entitlement to levy producers has been the subject of legal proceedings in which the European Court of Justice confirmed that the board's exclusive rights extended to direct sellers. The High Court subsequently found that the size of the levies was lawful. This judgment is subject to appeal. Change to the present milk marketing arrangements is essential to enable producers and processors to operate more flexibly to meet the needs of consumers and to give full scope to their entrepreneurial talents. The Government are
  418
  therefore looking to the England and Wales Milk Marketing Board to advance rapidly in discussion with the Dairy Trade Federation its proposals for change to voluntary co-operative status. The process of change must however be orderly. Until new arrangements are introduced the proper and reliable operation of the milk marketing scheme must be sustained and producers will have to operate within its rules.

  Set-aside
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider introducing a system of nitrogen set-aside, to replace the present arrangement of land set-aside.

  Mr. Curry
  Limiting nitrogen use is not a cost-effective or practical way of addressing the problem of surplus production under the common agricultural policy. However, rules concerning the quantity and timing of nitrogen fertiliser applications will in due course be introduced in nitrate vulnerable zones, in line with the provisions of the nitrate directive agreed at the Environment Council on 14 June.

  Sheep Dips
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for ending the compulsory dipping of sheep.

  Mr. Curry
  The compulsory dipping period for 1991 ended at the beginning of this month. Arrangements for 1992 will be considered when the results of this year's dip are available.

  Slaughterhouses
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many man years have been used by his staff involved in listing all abattoirs to advise on hygiene and welfare standards in exporting premises for 1990–91 and 1991–92; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Local authorities are responsible for enforcing legislation on hygiene and welfare at abattoirs. Officers of my Department visit all abattoirs to advise on hygiene and welfare standards and, in relation to export-approved red meat premises, to ensure that Community requirements are observed. The manpower involved amounted to 60 man years in 1990–91; the figure for 1991–92 is expected to show an increase over this figure to reflect increased demand for advice on single market requirements.

SCOTLAND

  Dogs (Poisoning)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about recent incidents of poisoning of dogs caused by agricultural pesticides in East Lothian.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  On 12 November The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department (SOAFD) learnt that a number of pet dogs had died or been taken ill apparently after eating blue coloured pellets in Niddrie walkway, Muckletts road, Musselburgh. The total number of reported deaths is seven.
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  Analysis of the stomach contents of three of the dogs carried out by the Department's scientific staff indicates that they died from metaldehyde poisoning.

  The police cordoned off the main extrances to the walkway and warning notices were posted by the environmental health department of East Lothian District Council. SOAFD also issued a notice of requirement under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 directing the farmer concerned to search for and remove molluscicides from the area and its adjacent boundaries.

  A full report on the incident leading to the deaths of the dogs is being prepared and will be submitted shortly to the procurator fiscal.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimate of the funding needed to repair, and bring up to 1990 standards, the fabric and building services of the further education and central institutions in Scotland; and how many of them are now regarded as being in a poor state of repair.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The condition of buildings in the further education sector is a matter for the relevant education authority and in the grant-aided colleges for the board of governors of the college concerned. The Scottish Office Education Department in its allocation of capital expenditure resource to the grant-aided colleges gives priority to proposals aimed at maintaining the physical condition of buildings and services.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy towards mergers between higher education institutions in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The Universities Funding Council will publish later today a report to me by its Scottish Committee entitled "Criteria for Assessing Merger Proposals from Institutions of Higher Education". In my foreword to the report, I have said:"I am most grateful to Professor Shaw, members of his sub-group and the Scottish Committee of the Universities Funding Council for the very thorough and careful consideration that has gone into their report. I also appreciate the contribution made by the many contributors to the consultation exercise carried out by the Committee.
  The report is a valuable and timely landmark in a period of very rapid change in higher education resulting from publication of our White Paper in the Spring and the introduction of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Bill earlier this month. In our White Paper, we set out our commitment to continued expansion of higher education to meet the growing demand from all those able to benefit from it. In recent years Scottish higher education institutions have responded very well to the changing demands of students for more courses, delivered in different ways to suit the more diverse nature of the modern student population. In doing so, they have achieved exactly the sort of efficient expansion to which our White Paper referred. There is still scope for yet more such innovation in teaching and administration, and collaboration or even closer association up to and including full institutional merger has a contribution to make to this process.
  This report provides an excellent analysis of the factors which higher education managements, staff and students should take into account when considering mergers. It provides what I am certain will become a key reference for all those committed to enhancing and developing further the achievements of Scottish higher education. I commend this report to all those involved who share our commitment to meeting the needs of future generations of students.
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  I would therefore expect institutions to assess any proposals for merger against the principles and criteria set out in the report; and in considering such proposals I shall look for evidence that this has been done."

  A copy of the report will be placed in the House Library.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of students following degree courses in universities and central institutions in Scotland for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Lang
  The number of students following first degree courses in universities and central institutions is given in the table:

  Number of students

  Year

  Universities

  Central Institutions

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  1986–87

  40,541

  2,285

  14,675

  717

  1987–88

  41,579

  2,194

  15,278

  909

  1988–89

  42,055

  1,814

  16,516

  1,180

  1989–90

  44,094

  1,655

  17,936

  1,792

  1990–91

  46,417

  1,277

  20,147

  2,235

  New Legislation
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the proposals in the citizens charter and in the documents the parents charter, the patients charter and the courts charter published by his Department for which new legislation will be required.

  Mr. Lang
  The following proposals which fall within my responsibilities will require new legislation:

  Citizens Charter

  (a) to ensure fair competition and extend compulsory competitive tendering to a wider range of local authority services;

  (b) to enable the Commission for Local Authority Accounts to require local authorities to publish common standards of performance; and

  (c) to require local authorities to consider and respond publicly to auditors reports.

  Provisions covering these three proposals are included in the Local Government Bill which was introduced to Parliament on 4 November.

  Parents Charter

  (i) to publish comparable information about schools in a standard format relating to public examination results, truancy rates, the destination of school leavers and school running costs; and

  (ii) to provide for the new pupil report card.

  Provisions covering these proposals are included in the Education (Schools) Bill which was introduced to Parliament on 6 November.

  School Meals Census
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the results of the annual census of school meals in Scotland held in January 1991; and what were the corresponding 1990 results.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is set out in the table. The number of pupils taking school meals has continued to increase, despite a fall in the number of pupils present on census day. Almost half the pupils present on census day took school meals with an estimated 17 per cent. bringing their own food to school. Free meals formed 31 per cent. of the total meals provided. Cafeteria style
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  meals remain more popular than two course fixed meals although the uptake dropped slightly from 69 per cent. to 67 per cent. of the meals taken.

  Education authority schools (including nursery and special schools)

  1991

  1990

  Number

  As percentage of pupils present

  Number

  As percentage of pupils present

  Pupils present on census day

  698,554

  704,357

  Pupils taking school meals

  —on payment

  230,378

  33·0

  230,410

  32·7

  —free

  101,915

  14·6

  99,303

  14·1

  —total

  332,293

  47·6

  329,713

  46·8

  Pupils bringing own food on school premises1

  106,110

  16·9

  100,469

  16·0

  1 Excluding Grampian.

  A detailed statement of the returns from education authorities from which these national figures are derived is being placed in the Library.

  The following table shows, as a percentage of pupils attending their respective sectors, those primary and secondary pupils taking meals or bringing their own food.

  1991

  1990

  Paid

  Free

  Total

  Percentage of pupils present

  Paid

  Free

  Total

  Percentage of pupils present

  Pupils taking fixed meals

  76,252

  33,849

  110,101

  15·8

  71,819

  30,019

  101,838

  14·5

  Pupils taking cafeteria meals

  154,126

  68,066

  222,192

  31·8

  158,591

  69,284

  227,875

  32·4

  Recycling
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many outlets there are in Scotland which deal with the recycling of organic effluents for agricultural land.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Scottish Office is not aware of any industrial operations in Scotland, of a significant size, which recycle such effluents for agricultural use. However, the direct application of such effluents to land, for the purpose of fertilising or otherwise beneficially conditioning the land, is a common agricultural practice which might be considered to be a form of recycling.

  Hip Replacements
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give figures showing the current waiting lists for hip replacements for each health board.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information on waiting lists for hip replacement surgery is not collected centrally, but arrangements are in hand to collect this in future in order to monitor the commitments of the patients charter.

  Urban Programme
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total of direct grants to voluntary organisations paid by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available together with other payments to voluntary organisations under the urban programme and through other Government agencies.
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  Primary

  Secondary

  1991 per cent.

  1990 per cent.

  1991 per cent.

  1990 per cent.

  Pupils taking school meals

  52·9

  52·7

  44·2

  42·2

  Pupils bringing own food1

  25·0

  20·6

  6·5

  6·1

  1 Excluding Grampian.

  Sixty seven per cent. of all meals are of cafeteria style.

  Mr. Lang
  The latest figures available for the total of direct grants to voluntary organisations paid by the Scottish Office including the urban programme and agencies were announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 March 1991 at columns 237–38.

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of planned expenditure funded by his Department for the production, promotion and advertising of the four documents being published in Scotland in connection with the citizens charter.

  Mr. Lang
  Expenditure on the production, promotion and advertising of the four documents published in Scotland in connection with the citizens charter is estimated at £320,000.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what responsibility the citizens charter advisory panel chaired by Sir James Blyth has for the application of the citizens charter in Scotland; and if Scottish hon. Members will be appointed to that Committee.

  Mr. Lang
  The citizens charter advisory panel has been appointed by the Prime Minister to advise on the development and application of the citizens charter principles to public services throughout Great Britain. Two of the seven members are Scots. The panel members are appointed on the basis of their professional expertise rather than to represent particular sectional interests.

  PRISON FARMS: POTATO QUOTA
  PRISON FARMS: POTATO QUOTA
  CYCLISTS: LIGHTING OFFENCES
  CYCLISTS: LIGHTING OFFENCES
  TRADE MARKS LEGISLATION
  TRADE MARKS LEGISLATION
  TRIDENT
  TRIDENT
  UK NUCLEAR WEAPONS:SAFETY STUDY
  UK NUCLEAR WEAPONS:SAFETY STUDY
  OPERATION GRANBY: EVALUATION
  OPERATION GRANBY: EVALUATION
  OPERATION GRANBY: CONTRIBUTIONS TO UK COSTS
  OPERATION GRANBY: CONTRIBUTIONS TO UK COSTS
  A.419: PROPOSED LATTON BYPASS
  A.419: PROPOSED LATTON BYPASS
  HGVs: SPEED LIMIT
  HGVs: SPEED LIMIT
  FALKLAND ISLANDS: CONTINENTAL SHELF
  FALKLAND ISLANDS: CONTINENTAL SHELF
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION: GUIDANCE
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION: GUIDANCE