Written Answers of 10 February 1992

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Immigration Appeals
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps he intends to take to speed up the process of hearing immigration appeals.

  The Attorney-General
  The Lord Chancellor is in the process of appointing an extra three full-time and 25 part-time adjudicators, with a corresponding addition to support staff. The multi-terminal case-tracking computer system is now also in operation.

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Attorney-General if he has any plans to widen the remit of the Serious Fraud Office; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The statutory remit of the Serious Fraud Office is to investigate and prosecute suspected offences involving serious complex fraud. I do not consider any revision necessary.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Attorney-General what consideration has been given to the introduction of performance targets for the Serious Fraud Office.

  The Attorney-General
  The Serious Fraud Office annual report for 1990–1991 set out performance targets for the investigative stages and completion of cases. The Serious Fraud Office is developing further performance indicators.

  Alexander Saharievski
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the case of the abduction of Alexander Saharievski from his home in Liverpool.

  The Attorney-General
  Both the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia, to which Alexander Saharievski was taken by his father, have signed and ratified the Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction. An obstacle to the making of an application for Alexander's return to this country was presented by the fact that Yugoslavia has not yet been able to designate a central authority for the processing of applications under the convention. However, the staff of the child abduction unit of the Lord Chancellor's Department, which provides the central authority for England and Wales, and of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been able to assist in finding a lawyer in Yugoslavia for Alexander's mother and in securing the agreement of the Macedonian Ministry of Justice to accept an application under the convention and the urgent assistance of the local authorities in Yugoslavia in tracing Alexander's current whereabouts. Staff will continue to assist in any way they can, and it is hoped that it will not be long before Alexander can be reunited with his mother.

  Solicitors
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on time taken from receipt of claim to the payment of solicitors in the No. 3 (southern) legal aid area.

  The Attorney-General
  Details on the time taken from receipt of claim to the payment of solicitors in the No. 3 legal aid area are kept in the form of percentages of set targets for the board. Legal aid area No. 3 experienced difficulties early last year but these have now been addressed and the area is now regularly surpassing its targets. Its oldest claim awaiting assessment and payment dates from 9 December 1991.

  Figures are available for a 12-month period and are set out in the table.

  Payment within 6 weeks

  Civil Per cent.

  Criminal per cent.

  Other bills Per cent.

  Office target for payment within 6 weeks

  65

  80

  95

  Actual achievement over last 3 months

  90·1

  97·2

  97·5

  Actual achievement over last 6 months

  77·9

  94·7

  96

  Actual achievement over last 12 months

  64·8

  92·7

  94·3

NATIONAL FINANCE

  General Fund
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of the subsidy that was collected into the general fund in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Mr. Mellor
  Her Majesty's Treasury does not possess a general fund.

  Company Directors
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all those companies where he has a right to appoint directors, whether as a result of special shares or otherwise; how those powers of appointment have been exercised, and whom he has appointed, since 1987.

  Mr. Maude
  There are no companies to which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has the right to appoint directors.

  Personal Information
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to allow a taxpayer to consent to, or be aware of, those uses and disclosures of personal information that are not obvious at the time the taxpayer provides the information; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  None. The circumstances in which information concerning taxpayers held by the Inland Revenue or Customs and Excise may be disclosed outside those departments without the consent of the taxpayer are very limited.

  Under section 182 of the Finance Act 1989 it is an offence for tax officials to make disclosures other than in the course of their duties. The circumstances in which such

  335
  disclosures might be authorised are limited to occasions when the confidentiality obligation is specifically overridden by statute or where a serious crime such as murder or treason is involved.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will include in the citizens charter plans to ensure that the citizen's consent is obtained prior to the use and disclosure of personal information relating to the citizen that are not obvious at the time the citizen provides the information; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  I have no plans to include such a proposal in the citizens charter.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he intends to take relating to the tax-exempt special savings account regulations in the light of the seventh report from the Data Protection Registrar; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  No action is necessary. The TESSA regulations are well suited to their intended purpose. The information requirements have been kept to a minimum to make the scheme as simple as possible. Use of the national insurance number as a tax reference is long established. As the report of the Data Protection Registrar acknowledges, the Inland Revenue has made it clear that such information may be used only for the purpose of validating applications.

  Income Statistics
  Mr. Carr
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many self-employed people had incomes(a) below £3,000, (b) between £3,000 and £5,900, (c) between £5,900 and £15,000, (d) between £15,000 and £20,000, (e) between £20,000 and £25,000, (f) between £25,000 and £33,000,

  Shareholdings1 in privatised and former Government-controlled companies

  Size of share register

  Company

  Date of privatisation

  Initial

  Highest since privatisation

  Current

  Proportion of shares retained by HMG Per cent.

  Proportion and dates of subsequent disposals

  British Petroleum

  2December 1977

  n.a.

  621,159 (December 1988)

  569,183 (31 December 1990)

  51

  35·17 per cent./November 1979: 7·12 per cent./September 1983: 31·5 per cent./September 1987:0·09 per cent/October 1990 on 1 January 1991 HMG held about 1·88 per cent.

  British Aerospace

  February 1981

  27,179

  120,200 (December 1986)

  91,700 (31December 1990)

  48·43

  48·43 per cent./10 May 1985

  Cable and Wireless

  October 1981

  27,320

  210,994 (31 March 1986)

  166,179 (31 March 1990)

  50·64

  27·54 per cent./November 1983: 23·1 per./December 1985

  Amersham International

  February 1982

  10,051

  8,601 (June 1982)

  5,904 (31 May 1991)

  nil

  NFC

  February 1982

  10,300

  42,000 (October 1988)

  60,000 (February 1992)

  nil

  Britoil

  November 1982

  37,257

  245,556 (31 December 1985)

  owned by BP

  49

  49 per cent./8 August 1985

  Associated British Ports

  February 1983

  37,205

  12,321 (July 1989)

  12,000 (31 December 1989)

  48·5

  48·5 per cent./17 April 1984

  Enterprise Oil

  June 1984

  13,695

  14,166 (June 1985)

  10,811 (31 December 1990)

  nil

  336
  (g) between £33,000 and £40,000, (h) between £40,000 and £50,000 and (i) above £50,000 in 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Maude
  Estimates, based on projections of information
  from 1989–90 are as follows:

  Estimated numbers of taxpaying individuals with main source of income from self-employment

  Annual gross income1

  Number in 1990–91

  Number 1991–92

  (£)

  (000s)

  (000s)

  1- 3000

  0

  0

  3,000- 5,900

  340

  280

  5900-15000

  1,500

  1,490

  15,000-20,000

  350

  410

  20,000-25,000

  180

  200

  25,000-33,000

  150

  180

  33,000-40,000

  70

  80

  40,000-50,000

  60

  70

  Over 50,000

  120

  140

  Total2

  2,800

  2,800

  1 Income from all sources

  2 To the nearest 100,000

  Shareholders
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for Conventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) on 14 November 1990,Official Report, column 150, as to the number of individual shareholders retaining shares in each of the concerns privatised since 1979.

  Mr. Maude
  The table shows the number of shareholdings in each of the companies privatised since 1979. Where Her Majesty's Government retained a shareholding on privatisation, together with the size and date of any subsequent share disposals, this has also been shown.
  337

  Size of share register

  Company

  Date of privatisation

  Initial

  Highest since privatisation

  Current

  Proportion of shares retained by HMG Per cent.

  Proportion and dates of subsequent disposals

  Jaguar

  July 1984

  125,000

  64,126 (November 1984)

  Owned by Ford

  4nil

  BT

  November 1984

  2,139,520

  1,649,722 (30 November 1985)

  2,931,570 (1 February 1992)

  49·8

  0·8 per cent/December 1987: 27·5 per cent/.November 1991

  British Gas

  December 1986

  4,407,079

  3,112,000 (30 April 1987)

  2,285,325 (31 March 1991)

  3·3

  1·6 per cent/.January 1990:1·6 per cent./July 1990

  British Airways

  February 1987

  1,200,000

  450,000 (July 1987)

  314,039 (15 May 1990)

  2·5

  1 per cent./June 1987: 1 per cent./March 1990

  Rolls-Royce

  May 1987

  1,988,966

  925,000 (December 1987)

  738,659 (31 December 1989)

  0·4

  0·4 per cent. sold during 1987

  BAA

  July 1987

  2,187,500

  1,350,000 (November 1987)

  798,643 (1 June 1990)

  4·36

  1·42 per cent./August 1990

  British Steel

  December 1988

  650,553

  419,727 (1 April 1989)

  318,025 (23 August 1990)

  0·05

  0·04 per cent. disposed of during 1989. On 12 November 1990 HMG held about 0·002 per cent.

  Water and Sewerage Companies

  December 1989

  52,650,000

  61,318,352 (June 1990)

  61,106,564 (27 June 1991)

  1·62

  Regional Electricity Companies

  December 1990

  512,750,000

  n.a.

  63,400,000 (20 September 1991)

  n.a.

  Generating Companies

  March 1991

  71,910,000

  n.a.

  61,700,000 (January 1992)

  40

  Scottish Electricity Companies

  June 1991

  81,840,00

  n.a.

  62,100,000 (January 1992)

  3·5

  Notes:
  1 For single company privatisations, these figures are not an exact guide to the number of shareholders because some shareholdings are held jointly in more than one name.
  2 Her Majesty's Government obtained a majority holding in 1914 but this never reached 100 per cent. The 1977 sale is shown as the first disposal of recent times.
  3 These proportions do not sum to 51 per cent. because of rights issues.
  4 Subsidiary of BL plc.
  5 The offer allowed for holdings by individuals in any or all of the companies in the offer and therefore holders may appear on more than one register.
  6 Shareholders may appear on the register of more than one company.
  7 The offer required public applicants to apply for shares in both companies.
  8 The offer required non-customer public applicants to apply for shares in both companies.

  Trade Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring up to date table F8 of the January 1992 issue of the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics."

  Mr. Mellor
  The information for the table in question is provided by the International Monetary Fund. I regret that it has not been forthcoming from that source for recent quarters.

  Manufactured Goods (Import Content)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his estimate of the import content of goods manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1970, 1979, 1985 and each of the years from 1989 to 1991.

  Mr. Mellor
  The latest available analysis is for 1985. Central Statistical Office's published input—output tables for that year and the two earlier years (1) show the imported and domestic content of manufactures. These publications are available in the Library.
  338
  (1) "Input-Output Tables for the United Kingdom, 1985" table 4, "Input-Output Tables for the United Kingdom, 1979" table K, "Input-Output Tables for the United Kingdom, 1970" table K.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Recruitment and Assessment Services
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what plans he has for redundancy of staff at Recruitment and Assessment Services or any other civil service agency.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 7 February 1992]: In view of the financial position of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency the chief executive is looking at all options for improvement. Staff numbers are being reduced in various ways, including transfers to other Departments and the offer of early retirement. Other measures will need to be taken if these prove insufficient. There can be no undertaking at this stage that there may not be a requirement for redundancies.
  339
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the financial position of the Recruitment and Assessment Services civil service agency; and when he expects a report to be laid before Parliament.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 7 February 1992]: Because of a sharp fall in the recruitment business placed with the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency, it is unlikely to cover its full costs by income from its customers in its first year. However, the agency aims to break even in the first three years of trading. The agency will publish its first annual report and accounts later in the year.

THE ARTS

  Arts Spending (South Hams)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what was the amount of public subsidy spent on the arts in the South Hams parliamentary constituency in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: The amount spent by the South West regional arts board in the South Hams parliamentary constituency in each of the last three years is as follows:

  £

  1988–89

  36,408

  1989–90

  33,824

  1990–91

  37,433

ENVIRONMENT

  Community Charge
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities in rank order of the additional community charge levied in 1991–92 to cover non-collection, showing which party, if any, is in overall control.

  Mr. Key
  I am arranging for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount was subtracted from the standard spending assessments of London boroughs and the City of London, to reflect the fact that those authorities do not provide support for public transport, in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Key
  The amount subtracted for 1991–92 was £160·037 million. For 1992–93 a different approach has been used which involves separate formulae to reflect the fact that public transport support is provided centrally in London but not in the rest of the country. As a result there is no comparable 1992–93 figure.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes any changes to his Department's cash limits for Property Holdings for 1991–92.
  340
  Mr. Yeo
  Yes, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class VIII vote 7 will be increased by a token £1,000. Excess receipts, which were to be surrendered to the Consolidated Fund, will be used to offset increased expenditure on freehold acquisitions, accommodation services for the Houses of Parliament and a shortfall of property disposal receipts; the supplementary estimate will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure. The running cost limit of £57,031,000 will be reduced by £2,227,000 to £54,804,000 as a result of delays in filling vacant posts and to offset increased expenditure on other administrative subheads.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limit on Property Services Agency Services vote in 1991–92.

  Mr. Yeo
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class VIII vote 13 will be increased by £135,105,000 from £90,947,000 to £226,052,000. £50,000,000 of the increase will be offset by receipts from other Departments relating to the recovery of prior years' works expenditure. The remainder will be charged to the reserve. There will, therefore, be no addition to the planned total of public expenditure.

  The increase will enable PSAS to bring into account in its 1991–92 appropriation accounts any works contractors bills which will be paid by PSAS on behalf of other vote funded Departments but which, in the event, it will not have recovered in time for inclusion with those Departments' accounts.

  Waste Water
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total percentage of waste water(a) treated at inland works and receiving secondary or tertiary treatment, (b) treated at inland works and receiving primary treatment or less, (c) discharged at sea through properly designed long outfalls and (d) discharged into the sea without treatment in each water authority area in England.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the following three reports: House of Lords' Select Committee on the European Communities, Session 1990–91, 10th report, "Municipal Waste Water Treatment"—House of Lords paper 50-I of 14 May 1991; the study of coastal and sewage discharges carried out for my Department by Consultants in Environmental Services, a copy of which is in the Library; and "Waterfacts 1990" published by the Water Services Association, a copy of which is also in the Library.

  Listed Buildings
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate new measures within his Department, in conjunction with English Heritage, to draw up a scheme whereby the reasons for the listing of buildings are fully examined when decisions are both positive and negative.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Secretary of State has published national criteria for listing in DOE circular 8/87 and takes careful
  341
  account of English Heritage's advice, and of any other representations, before reaching his decisions. When a building is listed, the list entry identifies the main features which are considered to justify the listing. When a building is not listed, reasons for the decision are given; but whether a building is or is not of special architectural or historic interest will inevitably often be a matter of judgment.

  Manchester Concert Hall
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement about the funding of the proposed new concert hall in Manchester.

  Sir George Young
  The Government have already set aside £15 million towards the cost of this project in the budget of the Central Manchester development corporation. Despite a proposed contribution from Manchester city council, there remains a funding gap. Discussions are continuing about how to bridge it.

  Emissions (Central London)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the air quality results for central London for June and December each year from 1980 to the present for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and low-level ozone and any other relevant measurements for which he has results.

  Mr. Baldry
  The table shows the average figures for the months of June and December at the central London site, With the maximum hourly level reached in that month for carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3)and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). No measurement data in this format are available for carbon dioxide.

  CO ppm

  Average

  Maximum

  Year

  June

  December

  June

  December

  1980

  0·6

  0·9

  3·1

  4·6

  1981

  0·7

  1·7

  3·8

  7·1

  1982

  0·6

  1·0

  3·3

  3·4

  1983

  —

  1·0

  —

  6·2

  1984

  0·8

  1·4

  4·3

  11·5

  1985

  0·5

  0·7

  3·2

  4·0

  1986

  0·7

  —

  3·8

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1988

  0·7

  1·5

  2·5

  8·1

  1989

  0·9

  1·9

  2·8

  13·1

  1990

  0·9

  1·5

  4·2

  11·7

  1991

  1·1

  2·2

  3·6

  13·3

  SO2 ppb

  Average

  Maximum

  Year

  June

  December

  June

  December

  1980

  26

  21

  150

  152

  1981

  15

  58

  98

  339

  1982

  24

  36

  281

  238

  1983

  17

  34

  142

  133

  1984

  16

  16

  295

  379

  1985

  7

  7

  31

  16

  1986

  16

  16

  178

  68

  1987

  7

  14

  47

  153

  1988

  6

  14

  76

  57

  1989

  10

  15

  125

  190

  1990

  9

  11

  86

  72

  1991

  5

  18

  54

  144

  342

  O3 ppb

  Average

  Maximum

  Year

  June

  December

  June

  December

  1980

  14

  2

  42

  10

  1981

  13

  2

  63

  16

  1982

  —

  5

  —

  23

  1983

  13

  —

  49

  —

  1984

  17

  1

  68

  7

  1985

  22

  12

  84

  59

  1986

  21

  5

  105

  26

  1987

  6

  3

  35

  21

  1988

  10

  4

  59

  29

  1989

  19

  5

  108

  33

  1990

  12

  7

  67

  30

  1991

  13

  4

  47

  18

  NO2 ppb

  Average

  Maximum

  Year

  June

  December

  June

  December

  1980

  32

  34

  88

  72

  1981

  —

  42

  —

  103

  1982

  40

  38

  98

  78

  1983

  37

  39

  101

  114

  1984

  42

  —

  156

  —

  1985

  34

  29

  108

  75

  1986

  33

  36

  141

  77

  1987

  37

  38

  90

  239

  1988

  33

  33

  100

  92

  1989

  40

  34

  108

  125

  1990

  28

  39

  86

  150

  1991

  34

  56

  84

  423

  Poll Tax
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department has as to the percentage of those people taken to court for failure to pay poll tax that have(a) been receiving rebate and (b) have been on the maximum rebate of 80 per cent.

  Mr. Key
  My Department does not collect this information.

  Montreal Protocol
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake immediately to sign on behalf of Her Majesty's Government the Montreal protocol treaty on substances that deplete the ozone layer.

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Kingdom was among the first 25 signatories to the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer in September 1987. The United Kingdom ratified the amendment to the protocol in December 1991.

  Housing (Capital Funding)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to give tenant-control initiatives similar status to initiatives such as housing action trusts, the city challenge and estate action schemes when allocating capital funding.

  Mr. Key
  No. Housing action trusts, estate action and city challenge are all ways of better targeting resources, and tenant management or control of housing estates is one important ingredient in them. It would not be right to treat tenant control in isolation as a means of targeting scarce capital resources: tenants taking on such responsibilities need the support that comes from sound management, strategies and policies.

  Urban Programme (Bradford)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the allocated amounts for each item in the urban programme funding for Bradford announced on 16 January which make up the total of £4·491 million.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 5 February 1992]: Bradford's initial allocation for 1992–93 is as follows:

  £ million

  Capital

  3·234

  Revenue

  1·257

  Total

  4·491

  The authority will receive its final allocation when its urban programme is approved by the Department.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been on public order and trespass charges of persons protesting at breaches of the Sunday trading laws in the last six months.

  Mr. John Patten
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Crime Statistics (Warrington)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give crime figures for Warrington for each year since 1979 in the categories: offences against the person, sexual offences against women, robbery, burglary (domestic), burglary (other), theft of vehicle, theft from vehicle, theft of pedal cycles, theft from shops, obtaining property by deception, criminal damage, drug trafficking and other crimes.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Credit Card Fraud
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the amount of police time that is spent on investigating credit card fraud; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the amount of credit card fraud in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  A Home Office report "The Prevention of Cheque and Credit Card Fraud" published in June last year, estimated that the losses to the major retail banks from all forms of "plastic card" fraud amounted to £121 million in 1990; of this sum, about £68 million was attributable to credit card fraud.
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  My right hon. Friend met senior financial sector representatives on 26 June and 15 October last year to discuss initiatives for tackling credit card and cheque fraud. He indicated that he wished to see as rapid progress as possible. It is intended that a further meeting should take place soon.

  Eavesdropping Devices
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what legitimate purposes he considers eavesdropping devices may be used by the general public as indicated in his letter to the hon. Member for Newport, West of 18 January.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Devices that amplify and transmit sound can be used for entirely innocuous purposes including birdwatching, monitoring the sleep of children or aiding those whose hearing is impaired.

  Magistrates Court Houses
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the policy guidelines for the closure of magistrates courthouses; and if he will make a statement on the position of the Government with regard to the local provision of justice.

  Mr. John Patten
  As part of their management responsibilities, magistrates courts committees, in consultation with their paying local authorities, must keep under review the number and location of their courthouses, paying close attention to the amount of work which is undertaken at them. It would be a mistake to think that arguments of efficiency would inevitably draw a committee towards closing smaller courthouses or that keeping courthouses open, whatever the circumstances, must inevitably be in the interests of providing a good quality of service for court users.

  So far as efficiency is concerned, in some cases it is clearly very difficult to justify keeping a courthouse open. There are a number of courthouses throughout the country that are used for only a limited period each week or even more infrequently, and which are costly in various ways to maintain. Some are only a short distance from other courthouses which have spare capacity.

  On the other hand, courts committees need to approach issues of efficiency in a broad and not a narrow way, recognising the interdependence of criminal justice agencies, practitioners and the courts. Committees will need to take account of the possible effects of a closure on the operation of other local services. It is also very important for efficiency improvements to be pursued across the whole range of magistrates courts operations, and not simply in relation to courthouse accommodation. Courthouses are an important local resource and should not be proposed for closure because other savings require more effort to achieve.

  But local justice does not and cannot mean that every town or community throughout England and Wales should have its own courthouse. It is also important that courthouses should offer good standards of facilities and service. Unfortunately many courthouses are old or unsuitable buildings, lacking even basic facilities for court users. It would simply not be realistic or affordable to expect that all could be brought up to an acceptable standard. Courts committees will need to consider the

  345
  balance of advantage between maintaining unsatisfactory courthouses and providing good facilities and accommodation through selective closures.

  Each courts committee will obviously also need to take into account the amount of grant within the cash limit for its area. Courts committees can themselves influence that amount: the arrangements for the distribution of grant announced on 18 October are dynamic and not static. So if a higher volume of cases is completed in an area through improvements in efficiency and court management, the proportion of total grant available for that area will increase. This might enable the committee to maintain a courthouse which would otherwise be at risk of closure. The more that courthouses are productively used, the stronger the case for their retention.

  The Justices of the Peace Act 1979 provides for a paying authority to appeal to the Secretary of State if it opposes a committee's decision to close a courthouse. All such appeals are considered on the individual merits of the case and in the light of all relevant local circumstances. In addition to looking carefully at details of the grounds for the appeal, we look specifically at the long-term savings to be made, both in terms of running costs, whether they are realisable, as well as the cost of repairs and refurbishment that would otherwise have been met from capital grant; the cost penalties, particularly travelling costs, that would arise for all categories of court users; and the accessibility of alternative courthouses, particularly by public transport.

  As will be clear from the Home Secretary's recent reply on the future organisation of the service—20 December 1991, Official Report, columns 250-51—the Government are fully committed to the principle that the magistrates courts are a quality local service, serving local communities. Since 1979 the Home Office has authorised building projects which provide 402 courtrooms at a total cost of about £350 million; over the next five years we expect to see a further 155 new courtrooms. Resources are, of course, limited; but it is important that there should be a network of courts, so that court users do not face unreasonable travelling difficulties and that the principle that magistrates are drawn from local communities is not weakened. But how these objectives are best met is a matter initially for local judgment.

  Security Service (Access to Information)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce proposals for legislation to allow an independent person, with the relevant security clearance, to access on behalf of a citizen the personal information held by the security service in order to assess whether the information is relevant for the purpose of national security and, if appropriate, to make representations to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I refer the hon. Member to the Security Service Act 1989 which established the Security Service Tribunal. The tribunal investigates complaints about the service from members of the public. If the tribunal finds that a complainant has been the subject of inquiries by the service it is required to investigate whether the service had reasonable grounds for instituting or continuing inquiries about the complainant in the discharge of its functions. If the tribunal determines that the service did not have reasonable grounds for instituting or continuing inquiries, it is required to notify the 346
  complainant that it has made a determination in his favour, and to make a report of its findings to the Secretary of State and to the Security Service Commissioner. In such circumstances, the tribunal may also order inquiries by the service about the complainant to be ended and any records relating to such inquiries to be destroyed, and they may direct the Secretary of State to pay compensation to the complainant.

  Sound Advantage
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received about the Royal National Institute for the Deaf's subsidiary Sound Advantage; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Home Secretary has not received any representations. This is primarily a matter for the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales. I understand from the Charity Commissioners that they have received some representations and that they have met with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf to discuss the charity's relationship with Sound Advantage, a commercial company which is not part of the institute.

  Crime Costs
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated total cost of crime per annum.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: No reliable estimate of the total cost of crime is available. The report of the working group on the cost of crime in 1988 —available in the Library of the House—gives various costs of different aspects of crime but states that these costs overlap and cannot be added to make a total. A recent CBI-Crime Concern report estimated the costs of crime to business to be around £10 billion per year: any realistic assessment of the total costs of crime generally would have to take into account the personal and social damage which it causes.

PRIME MINISTER

  Clearance Procedures
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 3 December 1991,Official Report, column 94, whether those employed in executive agencies are also required to seek clearance before taking up posts with outside organisations and companies; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  Yes, where appropriate.

  Iraq (United Nations Inspections)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister when Her Majesty's Government received the appeal from the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency for supplementary funds to continue the United Nations special commission on inspection in Iraq; and what response was made to the appeal.

  The Prime Minister
  No appeal has been received.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to halt the geographical proliferation of nuclear weapons by nuclear-armed states to their military allies.

  The Prime Minister
  As a depositary power for the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons—NPT —the United Kingdom has consistently worked to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to encourage other states to accede to and abide by the treaty.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the actions taken by Her Majesty's Government to support and strengthen each article, respectively, of the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  The Prime Minister
  The information is not centrally recorded and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. In our role as a depositary power for the treaty, the United Kingdom has strongly supported the NPT since its inception, and has been consistently active to this end.

  South Africa
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in regard to South Africa on(a) the need for transitional arrangements for the Government during the negotiating process, (b) the continued detention of political prisoners, (c) the implementation of the national peace accord, (d) the introduction of regulations banning the carrying of weapons at political rallies and (e) the proposal to give the white electorate a veto through a referendum on any agreement reached at the convention for a democratic South Africa.

  The Prime Minister
  I welcome the negotiations which are taking place within the Convention for a Democratic South Africa-CODESA. I have discussed them with President de Klerk and Mr. Mandela in meetings this month. It is for the South African people to decide on constitutional issues and any transitional arrangements.

  We have urged the release of all political prisoners throughout South Africa: more than 1,000 political prisoners were released last year.

  I welcomed the national peace accord when it was signed last year. Since then I have urged all parties to work for its implementation.

  I welcome all measures designed to reduce the risk of violence.

  The South African Government have proposed a referendum to obtain the views of all South Africans. The procedure for this is a matter for discussion in CODESA.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he has given to the National party proposals published on 5 September 1991 on constitutional change in South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I welcome the National party's intention to negotiate a democratic constitution which is non-racial and based on universal suffrage. These issues are being discussed in the Convention for a Democratic South Africa.

  President de Klerk
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his meeting with President de Klerk on 1 February.
  348
  The Prime Minister
  I met President de Klerk on 2 February. We discussed the constitutional talks in South Africa. The President expressed his determination to see them through to a new constitution. On township violence, President de Klerk said that national peace accord measures were in place and beginning to prove effective. The Goldstone commission was examining allegations against the South African defence force. The President explained the progress made in integration in sport, and said that unification of control of rugby should be concluded by late March. We agreed to keep up our dialogue.

  Dietary Supplements
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Prime Minister who will represent Britain at the meeting to be held between the European Commission and the member Community states on a draft Council directive on dietary supplements.

  The Prime Minister
  The meeting to which the hon. Member refers will be attended by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health. I should add that no Council directive on dietary supplements has yet been drafted: the meeting is to examine a Commission discussion paper.

  Pay Review Bodies
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the latest reports of the pay review bodies.

  The Prime Minister
  In 1992 reports of the review bodies on the pay of the doctors and dentists, the professions allied to medicine, nursing staff, midwives and health visitors, the armed forces and school teachers have been published today. Copies are available in the Vote Office. The Government are grateful to the members of the review bodies for the time and care which they have put into the preparation of the reports.

  The following table shows the increases recommended by the review bodies for each group, and their cost.

  Review body

  Pay bill increase l992–931 per cent.

  Range of increases per cent.

  Public expenditure cost £ million

  Doctors and dentists (DDRB)2

  6·0

  5·5-8·5

  3314

  Nurses and allied professions (NAPRB)2 —nurses and midwives

  5·8

  5·6-6·0

  3435

  —professions allied to medicine (PAMs)

  6·3

  6·2-6·5

  348

  Armed forces (AFRB)4

  5·9

  5·9-7·9

  274

  Schoolteachers (STRB)5

  7·8

  7·5

  765

  1 Percentages by which the awards would increase the estimated 1992–93 pay bill.

  2 Great Britain. Northern Ireland health service pay normally follows Great Britain but is described separately.

  3 Includes cost of staff in NHS Trusts.

  4 United Kingdom.

  5 England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate pay regimes for school teachers.

  The Government accept these recommendations and propose to pay them in full from 1 April 1992. The cost of implementing them will be met from within the public expenditure planning totals published in the autumn statement.
  349
  The Government recognise that the cost of the health service awards could not be met in full from present health service provision without adversely affecting services to patients. The Government will therefore provide an extra £149 million from the reserve for next year. The Government also accept that local education authorities would have difficulty in absorbing the full cost of the teachers' pay award, and have therefore decided to finance from the reserve an additional £60 million of grant to local authorities. The cost for the armed forces will be absorbed within the defence budget.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Wood (Fuel Use)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what strategic plans there are to assist moves towards the diminution of the amount of wood used as a fuel in the third world and rain forest countries, and to address the consequences of such wood use on the top soil.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Many developing countries have national plans for the energy sector, which are drawn up and implemented with external assistance. These plans typically involve a range of fuels, including wood, which, when it comes from sustainably managed sources, can play a valuable role in meeting energy needs.

  Pakistan
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current amount of aid given to Pakistan.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In 1990, the last year for which full figures are available, Britain's gross bilateral aid amounted to £47·6 million. The ODA provided £34·6 million.

  India
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received over the effectiveness of United Kingdom financial aid to India's economic reform programme.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Indian Prime Minister and Finance Minister thanked my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State during his recent visit to India for British support of their economic reforms, and for the £30 million of additional aid provided this year.

  Non-governmental Development Organisations
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has met representatives of non-governmental development organisations during the last month to discuss their role in aid matters.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In the last four weeks my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has met voluntary agencies on five occasions. I have had two such meetings.

  Overseas Aid
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in rank order the donor nations of the United Nations showing the 350
  proportion of gross national product donated to overseas aid for the most recent year available, and the cash figures in sterling.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The latest information is as follows:

  Official development assistance by United Nations member countries in 1990 in oda/GNP percentage order

  Country

  Amount £ million

  Per cent. of GNP 1990

  Saudi Arabia

  2,079

  3·89

  Norway

  678

  1·17

  Netherlands

  1,459

  0·94

  Denmark

  659

  0·.93

  Sweden

  1,133

  0·90

  France

  5,281

  0·.79

  Finland

  476

  0·64

  Libya

  272

  20·52

  Belgium

  501

  0·45

  Canada

  1,391

  0·44

  Germany

  3,558

  0·42

  Australia

  538

  0·34

  Italy

  1,911

  0·32

  Japan

  5,106

  0·31

  Luxembourg

  14

  0·28

  United Kingdom

  1,485

  0·27

  Austria

  222

  0·25

  Portugal

  79

  0·25

  New Zealand

  52

  0·22

  United States

  6,399

  0·21

  Ireland

  32

  0·16

  Spain

  450

  10·16

  Venezuela

  23

  0·09

  Qatar

  22

  20·08

  Greece

  121

  20·07

  Nigeria

  28

  20·05

  China

  1101

  10·05

  Algeria

  127

  20·02

  Iceland

  21

  20·02

  Kuwait

  938

  n/a

  UAE

  500

  n/a

  India

  162

  n/a

  USSR

  1,126

  n/a

  Israel

  210

  n/a

  Yugoslavia

  23

  n/a

  Other Central and Eastern Europe

  184

  n/a

  1 Estimate by OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Secretariat whole or in part.

  2 1988 figures given, being the latest year for which data is available.

  n/a—GNP figures not available.

  Other non United Nations donors

  £ million

  oda/GNP

  Switzerland

  422

  0·31

  Korea (Rep.)

  43

  0·03

  Taiwan

  34

  0·04

  Source: DAC Chairman's Report 1990 and 1991 (OECD, Paris).

  Developing Countries
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the total ODA budget, bilateral and multilateral, for 1991–92 has been committed for direct support for good government in developing countries; what is the level of funding; and in which countries Her Majesty's Government are supporting such projects.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We plan to spend around £30 million of bilateral aid1 this year in direct support of "good government" activities. This is 3 per cent. of total bilateral aid. Countries in which we are funding such projects include:

  Egypt

  Ethiopia

  351

  Gambia

  Ghana

  Guinea

  Kenya

  Malawi

  Mauritius

  Mozambique

  Namibia

  Nigeria

  Uganda

  Zambia

  Zimbabwe

  Bangladesh

  India

  Malaysia

  Maldives

  Nepal

  Pakistan

  Philippines

  Sri Lanka

  Dominica

  Grenada

  Guyana

  Jamaica

  Montserrat

  St. Kitts

  St. Lucia

  St. Vincent

  Turks and Caicos

  Eastern Caribbean

  Mexico

  Senegal

  Seychelles

  Sierra Leone

  South Africa

  Swaziland

  Tanzania

  St. Helena

  Anguilla

  Antigua

  Barbados

  Belize

  British Virgin Islands

  Fiji

  Kiribati

  Solomon Islands

  Tonga

  Tuvalu

  Vanuatu

  We also plan to provide in excess of £140 million—l4 per cent. of total bilateral aid—this year for balance of payments support to countries implementing IMF-approved economic reform programmes, which also fall within "good government".

  1 The data required to assess our multilateral aid expenditure on good government projects this year are not available.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Audit Committees
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received since 1988, and from whom, opposing the need for a statutory requirement for companies to have audit committees.

  Mr. Redwood
  None. Those opposed to a statutory requirement for companies to have audit committees had no call to make representations since the Government have not made proposals to introduce such a requirement.

  Company Directors
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he proposes to bring forward legislation to increase the powers and resources of independent company directors.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. I would encourage companies to have high-calibre non-executive directors and to give all their directors adequate powers and resources. How this is done is best left to individual companies. All directors, in fulfilling their responsibilities, should exercise their judgment independently.

  Company Voting Procedures
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will review the proxy system of voting exercised at company annual general meetings.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Departmental Computers
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how long each computerised system in his Department would take to return to full operation in the event of a disaster.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Department's IT security policy requires that, for each IT system, appropriate measures are adopted to maintain availability. Measures are determined by means of risk analysis and include disaster recovery plans. Such plans will take into account the time-critical nature of the system, the various types of disaster—say, from loss of stored data to loss of a building—and the costs and impact of loss of service. Such planning provides a mechanism for dealing with different types of loss of service in a cost-effective manner. System recovery times following a disaster will vary in accordance with the size of the system, the recovery requirements established and the type and magnitude of any disaster that might occur.

  Executive Agencies
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will arrange to place in the Library the business plans of the executive agencies which come within his Department's responsibilities.

  Mr. Leigh
  I am arranging for copies of the current corporate plans to be placed in the Library for Accounts Branch—now Accounts Services Agency—and for the Patent Office executive agency, together with the summary corporate plan for Companies House executive agency.

  In cases where commercial confidentiality, or the need to protect other sensitive information means it is not possible to make an agency's corporate plan public, information about its corporate strategy should be available from the annual report. In addition to the statutory reports required to be laid before Parliament, I am arranging for copies of the most recent annual reports to be placed in the Library for the following agencies:
  Insolvency Service Executive Agency.
  Laboratory of the Government Chemist Executive Agency.
  National Engineering Laboratory Executive Agency.
  National Physical Laboratory Executive Agency.
  National Weights and Measures Laboratory Executive Agency.

  353
  Radiocommunications Executive Agency.
  Warren Spring Laboratory Executive Agency.

  EC (Aid Distribution)
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will outline the differences between the proposals by the European Commission for the distribution of regional and other aids and the practice of the United Kingdom Government; and what proposals the Commission has for public authorities and other bodies to make direct application to Brussels for such aid or grants.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Commission has suggested that the allocation of Community structural funds should be completely separated from other central Government allocations in the United Kingdom public expenditure system.

  The Government believe that expenditure financed by the funds should be approved by Parliament. The funds therefore feature in the supply estimates of relevant Departments.

  As regards the possibility of public authorities and other bodies making direct application to Brussels for grants, the Commission has made no such proposals formally. Article 14(1) of Council regulation (EEC) 4253/88 requires applications to be submitted by the member state concerned or by any body it may designate to do so. As it is not expected that the increase in the appropriations for the Funds will lead to any increase in the United Kingdom's receipts from them, the Government believes that Article 9 has no practical impact on the United Kingdom.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will outline the nature of the changes agreed by the EC on the distribution of regional grants in 1988, and the impact these changes have for the established practices of the United Kingdom Government on the distribution of such grants.

  Mr. Leigh
  Article 9 of Council regulation (EEC) 4253/88 provides that"In establishing and implementing the Community support frameworks, the Commission and the Member States shall ensure that the increase in the appropriations for the Funds provided for in Article 12(2) of Regulation (EEC) No. 2052/88 has a genuine additional economic impact in the regions concerned and results in at least an equivalent increase in the total volume of official or similar (Community and national) structural aid in the Member State concerned, taking account of the macro-economic circumstances in which the funding takes place."

  Article 12(2) of Council regulation (EEC) 2052/88 states, inter alia, that
  "Commitment appropriations for the Structural Funds shall be doubled in real terms in 1993 by comparison with 1987."

  As it is not expected that the increase in the appropriations for the funds will lead to any increase in the United Kingdom's receipts from them, the Government believe that article 9 has no practical impact on the United Kingdom.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Trade and Industry whether the sums allocated by the EC for regional aid to the United Kingdom is spent only for that purpose.

  Mr. Leigh
  Yes.
  354
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much aid from the EC is being delayed on account of the procedural issues raised by the EC Commission; and if Her Majesty's Government will delay comparable amounts in their payments to the EC.

  Mr. Leigh
  (a) Approximately £135 million; (b) No.

  Foreign Telecommunications Companies
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from foreign telecommunications companies that wish to commence business in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Government's pro-competitive telecommunications policy has already led to major overseas investment in the United Kingdom, most notably with a projected £5 billion commitment by cable television companies. Of the 24 applications for licences to run telecommunications systems since the duopoly review, 12 are from foreign companies or companies with a significant foreign shareholding. A further 30 firms, both British and foreign owned, have expressed an interest in applying for a licence. I welcome the investment and jobs that will be created by foreign companies and the wide range of innovative services they plan to offer. This further confirms that the United Kingdom is the preferred location in Europe for inward investment in telecommunications.

  Home Income Investment
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Regulatory Organisation and other regulatory bodies on the subject of home income investment bond schemes and related debt incurred by older people.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have encouraged the Securities and Investments Board to take the lead in ensuring that everything possible is done to help clients who were sold unsuitable schemes, and to prevent such difficulties in the future.

  Home Income Investment Bonds
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the losses incurred by pensioners taking out home income investment bond schemes.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have received a number of representations on this subject, which I have referred to the appropriate regulatory bodies.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress towards agreement on the proposed European directive on data protection and telecommunications.

  Mr. Redwood
  Member states have given initial views on the directive in a working group of the Council, though detailed discussions have to date been delayed pending consideration of the draft general directive on data protection. The European Parliament's opinion on the directive is expected shortly.

  Eureka
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to implement the agreements on Eureka worked out at Helsinki in 1991.

  Mr. Leigh
  The United Kingdom is actively involved in the Eureka high-level group, which is responsible for the implementation of the agreements worked out at The Hague in 1991. Current major issues under discussion are the new medium-term plan, strategic projects, interaction between EC research and development and Eureka, and new members. My noble Friend the Under Secretary of State for Industry and Technology and other European Ministers will review the progress made at the Finnish ministerial conference, which will be held in Tampere, Finland in May 1992.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to involve small firms in the Eureka project.

  Mr. Leigh
  Participation in Eureka projects is a matter for individual companies, but the DTI offers preferential rates of funding to small firms and is constantly improving the flow of information to enable them to consider the Eureka option.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations he is having with the CBI on framework programmes for Eureka.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department maintains good contacts with the CBI on European R and D issues. Over recent months, senior departmental officials have been involved in discussions with the CBI on the EC's framework programme for R and D—for example at the round-table meeting organised by the CBI in September of last year.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help he is giving to British Industry by providing case studies on Eureka.

  Mr. Leigh
  Twelve case studies have just been published to illustrate the benefits of Eureka collaboration to potential project participants in the United Kingdom. The case studies will be primarily targeted at United Kingdom industry to enable them to consider the Eureka mechanism in developing their own European and world market strategies.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he is providing to British firms about potential partners across Europe for Eureka projects.

  Mr. Leigh
  The main promotional tool for Eureka in the United Kingdom is the Eureka handbook which is produced by the DTI's Eureka unit. The handbook contains details of the Eureka database in Brussels, which can be used as a contact mechanism for potential partners, and of DTI feasibility studies which can be used for partner search activities.

  Also, through the use of consultancies, the DTI provides information to United Kingdom industry on Eureka in general as well as details of European partnering and marriage broking events in Europe aimed at generating Eureka projects.
  356
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what encouragement he is giving to British industry to back large strategic projects in relation to Eureka.

  Mr. Leigh
  In some cases, the DTI actively encourages United Kingdom industry to participate in large strategic projects by holding workshops, and launching targeted consultancy activities and mailshots. More generally, the DTI's Eureka unit is constantly improving the flow of information to United Kingdom firms to enable them to consider the possible role of the Eureka mechanism in developing their own European and world market strategies.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help he is giving to British industry in clarifying the start-up procedures for the Eureka project.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Eureka unit has produced a handbook, which details how Eureka works and summarises the process of seeking Eureka status and Government support for a project. Information on Eureka and copies of the handbook are available from the Eureka inquiry point.

  Staff in the Eureka unit regularly give presentations to industry covering the start-up processes in detail, while project officers from DTI line divisions give advice to companies on the specifics of Government grants when sought.

  Line divisions also run consultancies in their own areas of policy responsibility. This activity disseminates information on Eureka to companies having no prior knowledge of the Eureka initiative, in order to help them participate in new Eureka projects.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he is giving to the conditions for the withdrawal of the Eureka grant if a project does not perform well over a period of years.

  Mr. Leigh
  The assistance the Department gives to Eureka projects is governed by standard conditions.

  While the Department, in supporting projects, recognises the inherent financial and technical risks involved in pan-European collaboration, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may, under the terms of the Department's offer letter, terminate payment of grant, and, if appropriate, reclaim grant already paid, if certain specified conditions are not met.

  Circumstances that might trigger withdrawal of grant include:

  (i) that the future of the project is in jeopardy;

  (ii) that in the opinion of the Secretary of State progress towards completion of the project is unsatisfactory.

  Instances of withdrawal of Eureka grant are rare.

  The matter of funding for United Kingdom firms participating in Eureka projects is quite distinct from the issue of Eureka status for projects. Introducing a mechanism for withdrawal of such status from projects which do not perform as expected, was one recommendation of the international Eureka assessment panel which reported last year; it is being pursued in the high-level group of representatives from Eureka countries.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to help management resources in small companies bidding to participate in European and Eureka projects.

  Mr. Leigh
  There are no immediate plans to give additional help to small companies in this way.
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  The DTI's enterprise initiative currently offers consultancy advice to small companies on making better use of technology, and advice on participation in Eureka projects is always readily available from the Eureka unit, DTI line divisions and regional offices.

  Financially, small and medium-sized companies may be eligible for 50 per cent. funding for a pre-Eureka feasibility study. In recognition of the higher technical and commercial risks associated with European collaboration, the United Kingdom Government can offer a higher overall grant rate to small and medium-sized enterprises for participation in a Eureka project.

  Intermediate Goods
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the percentage difference in the volume of imports of intermediate goods recorded in December 1991, compared to December 1985; and what assessment he has made of the factors which led to this change.

  Mr. Redwood
  The volume of imports of intermediate goods increased by 63 per cent. between the fourth quarters of 1985 and 1991. The change is due to decisions by United Kingdom industry to import goods at the later stage of manufacture, in order to obtain the best value for money and thereby maintain competitiveness.

  Interest-free Credit
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what concerns have been expressed to his Department in relation to the advertising of interest-free credit; how many complaints about the advertising of interest-free credit have been received by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 4 February 1992]: The National Consumer Council and the Consumers Association are concerned that advertisements for interest-free credit should include information about repayments. In the last year there have been no complaints about such advertisements. I shall give careful consideration to the views on interest-free credit which have been expressed in reply to the consultation document "Revised Proposals on Credit Marketing".

  Photocopiers and Fax Machines
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in improving the rights of lessees of photocopiers and fax machines by amending the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 7 February 1992]: A number of possible amendments to the Consumer Credit Act are being examined. However, no decisions have been taken. If it should be decided to amend the Act, implementation of that decision would have to await parliamentary time for primary legislation.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to reply to the letter sent to him on 10 January 1991 by the information secretary of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents concerning alleged misrepresentation by salesmen of fax machines and photocopiers.
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  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 7 February 1992]: A reply was sent on 4 February.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Earnings Disregards
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the additional annual cost to the Exchequer of paying benefits while applying an earnings disregard for (i) child care costs, (ii) fares to work and (iii) other reasonable expenses connected with work.

  Mr. Jack
  In the absence of specific assumptions about the size of such disregards, information is not available to make a reliable estimate of the costs involved. However, the estimated additional annual cost of increasing earnings disregards by £1 per week for all claimants in income support, community charge benefit, housing benefit and family credit is around £25 million in total at 1991–92 prices and benefit levels.

  Source: Modelled using data drawn from the 1986–88 family expenditure surveys and the 1990 annual statistical inquiry.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether pensioner couples aged 60 to 74 years who are not entitled to income support since the April 1991 pension uprating will be entitled to cold weather payments for the current winter.

  Mr. Scott
  No. To qualify for a cold weather payment a pensioner must be getting income support with the pensioner premium.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, following the social security commissioners' decision CA/380/90, what are his plans to identify children who were under the age of two before April 1990 and refused attendance allowance under the pre-1990 law.

  Mr. Scott
  We have no plans to do so. Children who were refused attendance allowance on age grounds cannot benefit from the commissioners' decision. This is because legislation prevents the payment of arrears where claims have been adjudicated upon and a review is then sought following a reinterpretation of the law.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations have been received to date concerning payment of attendance allowance for a child under two in the period before April 1990.

  Mr. Scott
  We have received a number of representations on individual cases, to which we are replying.

  Maternity Payments
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are claiming maternity payment as a proportion of the people who are eligible for this payment.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is not available.

  Data Information Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what data information systems his Department has(a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems; whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The data information systems in use in the Department are detailed in the Information Technology Services Agency's annual business plan 1991–92 and reported on in the agency's annual report 1990–91 both of which have been placed in the Library. All the systems are registered under, and fully comply with, the Data Protection Act which compels the listing of all those to whom data might be provided.

  Departmental Annual Report
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what date he expects the Department's annual report to be available to hon. Members in the Vote Office.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) on 30 January at columns 634-35.

  Home Visits
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give(a) the total number of home visits to claimants, (b) the total mileage covered in carrying out those visits and (c) the total travel expenses paid out for home visits by staff at the Maryhill road, Atlas road and Pitt street, Glasgow Department of Social Security offices, respectively, in each year from 1979 to 1991; and also give the total number of (i) staff employed, (ii) benefit claimants interviewed and (iii) benefit claimants serviced at those offices in those years.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The administration of benefits 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.

  Benefit Payments (Delays)
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement explaining in full the action which was taken by(a) his private office and (b) his Department following the inquiry made in December on behalf of the hon. Member for Macclesfield in connection with the delay in the payment of benefits to Mr. Manning of 3 Renfrew close, Macclesfield.

  Mr. Scott
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement explaining the assistance to which Mr. Manning of 3 Renfrew close, Macclesfield is entitled in connection with his increased responsibilities and commitments in providing a home for his two nephews; and if he will set out the reasons why no payments have yet been made in this respect to Mr. Manning.
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  Mr. Scott
  The administration of benefit payments is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend shortly and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Orphans
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the assistance which is available from his Department to assist young orphans with the cost of the provision of the funerals of their parents.

  Mr. Scott
  An adult who receives income support, family credit, housing benefit or community charge benefit, and who is responsible for arranging a funeral, will be entitled to a funeral payment from the social fund. A young orphan would not be entitled in his own right because he could not receive any of the qualifying benefits.

  Social Fund
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was(a) the budget loan awarded and (b) the crisis loan awarded under the social fund for the year 1990–91 and the first six months of 1991–92.

  Mr. Scott
  Information on budget and crisis loan awards for 1990–91 and the first six months of 1991–92 is in the Library.

  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claimants applied for grants or loans under the social fund during the financial year 1990–91 and the first six months of 1991–92 in each of the benefit offices in North Tees and South Tees area;

  (2) how many claimants were refused grants or loans under the social fund during the financial year 1990–91 and the first six months of 1991–92 in each of the benefit offices in North Tees and South Tees; and for what reason;

  (3) under the social fund, what was the average size of the grant awarded for the year 1990–91 and the first six months of 1991–92 in each of the benefit offices in North Tees and South Tees area.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Teesside Benefit Areas
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the current targets for the North Tees and South Tees benefit areas are for meeting(a) delivery and (b) accuracy for benefits administered.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The setting of targets for district offices is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Severe Hardship Allowance
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many severe hardship allowance payments were made to young people for the year 1990–91(a) in the North and (b) in South Tees benefit area; and how many have been made in the first six months of 1991–92.

  Mr. Jack
  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 and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Disability Benefits
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the figures(a) by region and (b) nationally for each year from 1987 onwards of the number of people applying for (i) mobility allowances and (ii) attendance allowances; and the actual numbers granted in each case.

  Mr. Scott
  [pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1992, c. 467-68]: I regret that the figure for 1991 was incorrect. The correct information is as follows:

  Regional figures are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Available national figures are given in the table:

  AA initial and subsequent claims1 (rounded thousands)

  MobA initial and subsequent claims1 (rounded thousands)

  Year

  Number received

  Awards

  Number received

  Awards

  1987

  320

  209

  182

  92

  1988

  362

  208

  200

  92

  1989

  365

  229

  200

  93

  1990

  409

  274

  198

  130

  1991

  539

  348

  231

  109

  1 Claims received in any year are not necessarily processed in that same year. Figures for renewals are not included.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  East Timor
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss the resolution of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly calling on Indonesia to withdraw from East Timor with the Indonesian Foreign Minister at his meeting in London on 5 February.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made clear to the Indonesian Foreign Minister that we continue to support the United Nations Secretary-General in his efforts to promote contacts between Indonesia and Portugal to reach a settlement satisfactory to both sides, as called for in a United Nations General Assembly resolution of 1982.

  Data Information Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what data information systems his Department has(a) agreed and (b) been
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  consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems; whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In common with many other Departments, the business of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is increasingly conducted with the use of data information systems. It would not be possible to document them fully other than at a disproportionate cost. Systems are registered under the terms of the Data Protection Act, under which the FCO has eight registrations, at present encompassing 1,194 applications. None of these is linked to the police national computer, or to other external systems.

  Aung San Suu Kyi
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the case of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We deplore the continuing failure of the Burmese authorities to respond to our own and other international calls for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, including the United Nations General Assembly resolution on human rights in Burma which we co-sponsored and which drew attention to her plight. With our EC partners we have called on the Burmese authorities to allow Aung San Suu Kyi access to her family and to permit her to receive proper medical attention. We have urged other countries to make similar approaches to the regime in Burma.

  Albanians, Kosovo
  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to monitor how recognition of Slovenia and Croatia may alter the prospects for ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We will continue to monitor closely the situation in Yugoslavia and the impact which recognition of Slovenia and Croatia has had there.

  Arms Sales (Definition)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his proposed definition of arms for the purposes of the establishment of an arms sales register as required by United Nations resolution will cover(a) the sales of designs, technology and project management expertise, (b) military end-users of dual-use machine tools, and electronic equipment, (c) radar, communications and energy option equipment and (d) bunkers, testing facilities and target-hardening equipment.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 12 December 1991, at column 499.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries over which Her Majesty's Government have concern
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  arising from the buildup of fissile nuclear materials capable of being diverted to military use in nuclear warheads.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Any country failing to accede to the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons or to other similar nuclear non-proliferation agreements involving the safeguarding of all their fissile nuclear materials must expect to be viewed with same concern.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community's Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  [pursuant to his answer, 5 February 1992, c. 1991]: The Foreign Affairs Council met on 3 February and a statement on its outcome was made on 7 February.

  The Economic and Financial Council will meet on 10 February. Ministers will consider multilateral surveillance of the economies of member states, including the Irish convergence programme, and also the formal adoption of the Commission's annual economic report. The Council will also consider aid to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The Council may also consider the revision to the financial perspective for 1992, the investment services directive and the legislative programme relating to economic and monetary union arising from the treaty on European union. Ministers may also formally adopt the legal text of the draft directive on the commercial movement of excise goods in the single market which they agreed at the Economic and Finance Council on 16 December 1991. It is also expected that Ministers will formally adopt a new regulation for enhanced administrative cooperation between member states. This will provide for the automatic exchange of information between EC tax authorities.

  The Agriculture Council will meet on 10 and 11 February. Ministers will discuss reform on the common agricultural policy, agricultural aspects of the GATT Uruguay round, public health problems affecting the killing of wild game and the marketing of wild game meat.

  The internal market council will meet on 25 February. Ministers may consider the final adoption of the public procurement directive for remedies in the utilities sectors, and the adoption of common positions on the third non-life insurance directive. Consolidation directives on tractors and on units of measurement, and a directive on veterinary homeopathic medicines will also be discussed by Ministers. There may also be further ministerial discussions on frontier controls, and draft legislation on data protection, precursor chemicals, food colourings and food irradiation.

TRANSPORT

  Light Dues
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to abolish the system of light dues.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government have no plans to abolish the system of light dues.

  British Rail
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects to publish proposals for the privatisation of British Rail.

  Sir Robert McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects to publish his White Paper on the privatisation of British Rail.

  Mr. Rifkind
  We are making very good progress in developing our proposals to expand the use of the railways through the ending of the rail monopoly and involving the private sector in providing rail services.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to improve the commercial responsiveness of British Rail.

  Mr. Freeman
  Privatisation will improve the commercial responsiveness of British Rail. Meanwhile, the passengers charter, BR's response to the citizens charter, which will be published later this month, will signal a better deal for rail users.

  Greenford-Paddington Line
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss investment in a direct line from Greenford to Paddington; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet the chairman of British Rail regularly to discuss current issues. Substantial investment in the Greenford to Paddington corridor is planned over the next few years as part of the total modernisation of Network SouthEast's Thames line.

  Network SouthEast
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss the running of Network SouthEast; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet the chairman of British Rail regularly to discuss current issues.

  Lorries (Lateral Spray)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made by his Department on identifying the cause of lateral spray from large lorries and other heavy vehicles during wet conditions on motorways; and what means he has identified to reduce such spray.

  Mr. Chope
  Research at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory into quantifying the danger caused by loss of vision as a result of spray is continuing. A new EC directive at a slightly higher standard than, and operating as an alternative to, the existing national regulations will come into force from April 1992. 1 hope that a revised British standard, reflecting the improvements in the directive, will be available by the middle of this year so it can then be incorporated in national regulations.

  Blight Notice Regulations
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the scope of the blight notice regulations.

  Mr. Chope
  I announced on 17 January the rules which will govern the exercise of the additional discretionary powers conferred by section 62 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991.

  A11
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the dualling of the A11 between Newmarket and Four Wentways to be completed.

  Mr. Chope
  Tenders for the work were received on 4 February. Assessment, award of contract and mobilisation of the successful contractor normally take about two months. The period for completion in the tender documents is two years, which means the road would be dualled by spring 1993.

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what redress under the citizens charter he proposes to make available to passengers on public transport.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail and London Underground are to publish their customer charters shortly. Both charters will introduce new systems of redress.

  A5
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has plans to upgrade the A5 from Hinckley—M69/A5 junction—to Nuneaton—A47/A5.

  Mr. Chope
  No schemes are currently included in the roads programme to upgrade this section of the A5.

  A scheme identification study has been carried out to examine the length of the A5 betwen Old Sleaford, Bucks and the M42, to identify viable options for improving this route. The study report is now being evaluated. Any suitable schemes arising from this will be considered for inclusion in the roads programme when it is next reviewed.

  Fenchurch Street Line
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what priority is now being given to improving rail services on the Fenchurch Street line.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail is treating plans for modernisation of the Fenchurch Street line as a matter of high priority. It will shortly let a contract for the £50 resignalling programme which should be completed during 1995. British Rail sees this as the key to improving services. British Rail's rolling stock proposals are currently under discussion with the Department.

  Motorist Courtesy Campaign
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a motorist courtesy campaign, including television and cinema advertising, to enforce respect for the rights of pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
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  Mr. Chope
  As part of our wider policy initiatives to improve the safety of vulnerable road users we are currently running a series of campaigns to make motorists more aware of their responsibility for the safety of others, particularly children. These campaigns focus on the need to slow down in residential areas, where inappropriate speed is a major contributory cause of accidents.

  Midland Line
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings he has had with local authorities to discuss electrification of the midland line; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I met representatives of the midland main line consortium of local authorities on 4 November. I understand that the consortium has commissioned consultants to examine the case for electrification of the line. Their final report is awaited. It would be for British Rail to bring forward an investment submission if it believed that the project deserves priority within the resources available to it.

  Docklands Light Railway
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects the Beckton extension of the docklands light railway to be opened for passenger traffic.

  Mr. Freeman
  Good progress has been made so far on the construction of the Beckton extension. However, the exact date of the opening of the passenger service will be dependent upon the satisfactory commissioning and clear demonstration of reliability of the new signalling system. An announcement will be made by the DLR as soon as a firm date is known.

  Alternative Rail Services
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with possible providers of alternative rail services.

  Mr. Freeman
  A number of private companies have expressed interest in providing rail services, including Virgin, Stagecoach, Badgerline, National Power, Hunslet Barclay and others. This is very encouraging evidence of the opportunities which exist for private sector participation in the passenger and freight railway.

  Roads (North-East England)
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government have spent on road construction and maintenance in the north-east of England since 1979; how much the Government plan to spend in 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Since 1979 the Government have spent some £412 million in cash terms on road construction and maintenance of trunk roads and the motorways in the north-east of England.

  Additionally over the last six years the Department has provided transport supplementary grant for local authority road schemes amounting to some £73 million.

  The total provision for 1992–93 has not yet been decided.

  London Underground (Disabled People)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what survey has been made of the access available for disabled people to travel on London underground; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The unit for disabled passengers at London Transport works closely with London Underground Ltd.—LUL—and representatives of people with disabilities on improvements in access to the underground system. A guide is produced by the unit which gives information on access at all stations.

  LUL has also recently commissioned a report on safety aspects of wheelchair users travelling in deep sections of the system, and that report is currently under discussion with the railway inspectorate.

  Rail Services (Swansea)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to provide further funding for rail services to and from Swansea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  It is for British Rail to determine future investment priorities within the funds available. Any investment in the south Wales line would have to be considered in the light of investment needs elsewhere on the network, as well as the merits of the actual case.

  Agricultural Vehicles
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to rationalise the handling of European type approval applications for agricultural vehicles.

  Mr. Chope
  In order to reduce the burden on manufacturers and to improve the efficiency of type approval procedures, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has approved the transfer of responsibility for agricultural vehicle type approval matters from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the Department of Transport. Subject to parliamentary approval, the relevant regulations will be amended to bring this into effect from 10 February 1992.

  River Safety Inquiry
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that adequate resources for legal advice and assistance are available to those seeking to make representations or give evidence to the inquiry set up into river safety.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. and learned Friend has asked Mr. John Hayes, secretary general of the Law Society, to carry out an independent investigation into river safety. Mr. Hayes has already asked for written representations, through advertisements in the press and letters to those with a known interest. I understand that he also intends inviting some individuals to discuss their evidence with him. These discussions will be totally non-adversarial and held in private. In the circumstances I do not think that those who choose to give evidence should have any need of legal advice and I do not propose to use public funds to meet any costs they might incur.

  Coastguard
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the proposed changes in coastguard service provision on the ability of auxiliary staff to provide an effective service.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The sector review provided inter alia an in-depth assessment of the ability of the auxiliary coastguard service to provide an effective service. Proposals put forward as a result aim further to improve this ability, including the establishment of 68 additional auxiliary coastguard companies around the coast at locations where there previously were none; by doubling numbers of pagers and portable radios; by improving remuneration, equipment, and training of auxiliaries; and by way of an extensive station building and upgrading programme to provide the coastguard with modern bases from which to operate.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide a breakdown by United Kingdom county and region of the finance being allocated for the implementation of the proposed changes in coastguard provision; and how much of this will be offset by planned disposals.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The internal structure of the coastguard service is not organised along United Kingdom county/regional boundaries. The financial allocation for the whole of the United Kingdom for the implementation period of the sector review is in the region of £1,430,000. I would refer the hon. Member to an earlier reply I gave him concerning the disposal of assets, where I stated that no significant income is expected, and that annual running cost savings of over £50,000 will be achieved once the programme of disposals is complete.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from members of the public expressing dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the coastguard service in responding quickly to reported incidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Secretary of State for Transport has received no representations from members of the public expressing dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the coastguard service in responding quickly to reported incidents in the past year. Her Majesty's coastguard has received expressions of dissatisfaction over the handling of four incidents—out of over 7,200—in the past year.

  Her Majesty's coastguard constantly seeks to improve availability, readiness and resources in order to provide the best possible search-and-rescue service in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, columns 216-17, if he will specify the meetings, including dates, he has had with the representatives of coastguard auxiliary staff on the proposed changes to coastguard service provision.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any meetings with representatives of the auxiliary coastguard concerning proposed changes
  369
  resulting from the sector review. The coastguard management structure is in place to fulfil the Secretary of State's remit to provide a search-and-rescue organisation within the United Kingdom and auxiliary coastguards have formal access to this management to communicate their views, opinions and concerns.

  The hon. Member will be aware that all auxiliary coastguard companies had ample opportunity to communicate their views and opinions on the sector review proposals to district and regional management before final regional implementation plans were submitted to coastguard headquarters.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from chief coastguards on the proposed changes in coastguard service provision; how many expressed(a) approval and (b) disapproval with the proposed changes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Secretary of State has received no representations from regional controllers on the sector review. Regional controllers have had, apart from frequent written consultations and coastal visits by the chief coastguard, six meetings between January 1989 and May 1991 with the chief coastguard to discuss and formulate recommendations, and to put forward their local implementation plans. All expressed approval of the proposed changes.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he received from representatives of the auxiliary staff of the coastguard service on the review of the service; and how many indicated(a) approval and (b) disapproval.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Secretary of State has received no direct representation from representatives of the auxiliary staff of the coastguard service on the review of the service. Auxiliary coastguards were given ample opportunity to express their views and opinions concerning the sector review through local line management during the consultative period in 1991 before final regional implementation plans were submitted to coastguard headquarters.

  The vast majority of auxiliary coastguards and regular officers are in favour of the review and its proposals. There are, exceptionally, a few localised areas where disapproval has been expressed.

  A6M/A627 Junction, Stockport
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish details of the junction proposed for the A6M/A627 junction at Offerton road, Stockport, mentioned in his letter of 27 January to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove.

  Mr. Chope
  The junction proposals were published in November as part of the supplementary line and side roads orders.

  Catalytic Converters
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has of the effects of the fitting of catalytic converters to vehicles in terms of noxious emissions, other emissions and fuel consumption.
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  Mr. Chope
  On the basis of road tests carried out by the Government's Warren Spring laboratory, a typical vehicle equipped with a catalyst in good condition will reduce its emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen by approximately 90 per cent. in each case. On the other hand, fuel consumption will increase by 3 to 9 per cent., and there will be an increase of 9 to 23 per cent. in carbon dioxide emissions.

  Smoke Hoods
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will obtain confirmation from the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority that where smoke hood manufacturers can demonstrate that their smoke hoods meet the requirement of the internationally agreed EUROCAE standard for passenger protective breathing equipment they will be deemed to have satisfied the Civil Aviation Authority's requirement that their smoke hoods do not hinder escape.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am advised by the Civil Aviation Authority that the best strategies to protect passengers in an aircraft fire are rapid evacuation and prevention of the spread of fire. The CAA believes that smokehoods, whether to the EUROCAE standard or otherwise, are likely to give rise to an unacceptable delay in evacuation.

  London Underground (Policing)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the manning levels of British Transport police on the Central line; and what arrangements there are for compensating shopkeepers for criminal damage to shops on London Transport premises.

  Mr. Freeman
  More than 160 officers are stationed at British Transport police stations in the geographical area covered by the Central line. The terms of leases between LT and its tenants are a commercial matter for the parties involved, but I understand that LT's normal practice is to advise shopkeepers to take out insurance against criminal damage.

  Bypasses and Motorways
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) bypasses and (b) motorways have been constructed by his Department since 1972; and if he will list for each of those bypasses and motorways the estimated traffic flows (i) at the time of design, (ii) on completion, (iii) after the first year of operation and (iv) at present.

  Mr. Chope
  The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  The Department records traffic forecasts and actual traffic one year after opening for trunk road schemes for which orders have been published since 1981.

  Traffic Accidents (Leicestershire)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of traffic accidents(a) in total and (b) resulting in deaths, for each year since 1980 (i) in Leicestershire and (ii) on the distributor road network in Leicester.
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  Mr. Chope
  The number of injury accidents, and the number of these which resulted in deaths, in Leicestershire and the A563 Leicester ring road, from 1980 to 1990, are given in the table.

  Injury accidents in Leicestershire and on the A563 Leicester ring road: By severity: 1980–1990

  Leicestershire

  A563

  Year

  Fatal accidents

  All injury accidents

  Fatal accidents

  All injury accidents

  1980

  102

  3,708

  0

  0

  1981

  100

  3,624

  0

  0

  1982

  95

  3,634

  0

  0

  1983

  98

  3,658

  0

  0

  1984

  80

  3,847

  0

  0

  1985

  91

  3,748

  0

  5

  1986

  93

  3,334

  1

  67

  1987

  87

  3,651

  1

  56

  1988

  85

  3,706

  1

  64

  The 1990–91 figures for the main toll bridges in England, for which accounts have been published, are as follows:

  Humber £ million

  Itchen £ million

  Severn £ million

  Tamar £ million

  1. Income (from toll)

  10·7

  2·0

  20·8

  2·7

  2. Cost:

  Operating expenses

  1·7

  0·6

  8·6

  2·3

  Debt and other charges

  43·4

  1·0

  19·0

  0·0

  Total expenditure

  45·1

  1·6

  27·6

  2·3

  Outstanding debt at 31 March 1991

  404·7

  3·6

  148·9

  —

  Notes:

  1. Annual income from toll (excludes income from other sources).

  2. Outstanding debt comprises original capital cost and accumulated debt charges.

  English Channel
  Mr. Aitken
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the action his Department proposes to take as a result of the recent collision in the English channel off Ramsgate between the tanker Darya Kamal and the F3 Lanby buoy.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The marine accident investigation branch—MAIB—obtained a written report from the master pertaining to the incident. The report was received on 30 January. After discussion with Trinity House, the MAIB decided that no further action needed to be taken.

  Mr. Aitken
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department proposes to take in the light of recent collisions in the English channel to ensure that proper bridge watch keeping and manning levels exist on all ships using the English channel separation lanes inside or outside British territorial waters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The English channel and the Dover strait are an international waterway and rights of innocent passage exist so that the United Kingdom has no powers to board these ships while in transit. Ship movements are continuously monitored to verify compliance with traffic separation schemes. Apparent contraventions of the collision regulations are followed up with a view to prosecution by the United Kingdom or flag state as appropriate. Manning levels are checked during port state control inspections and the inspectors are empowered to detain any vessel where the manning is deficient.
  372

  Leicestershire

  A563

  Year

  Fatal accidents

  All injury accidents

  Fatal accidents

  All injury accidents

  1989

  90

  3,690

  4

  90

  1990

  93

  3,782

  2

  103

  The A563 has been opened in several stages since 1983. The upward trend in accidents is related to increases in road length and the amount of traffic using it.

  Toll Bridges
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the secretary of State for Transport what are the figures for(a) annual income and cost and (b) capital debt outstanding, for toll bridges in England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The information requested is as follows:

  Government Grants
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Government grants were awarded for(a) ferry services and (b) bridge projects in England listed by region for each of the last five years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Grants amounting to £1·325 million have been made to the Merseyside passenger transport authority in respect of the Woodside ferry terminal; the last payment was in February 1990.

  Many local authority road schemes which have been assisted by transport supplementary grant include overpasses underpasses, and bridges over railways, rivers, streams, canals, or other roads. Records are not kept as to which schemes include bridges or as to the proportion of scheme costs representing bridges.

  No grants have been made by my Department since 1986–87 towards the provision or improvement of tolled road bridges.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Asthma
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice is given to nursery, infant, primary and secondary schools concerning asthma sufferers and the proximity of schools and school playgrounds to major roads.

  Mr. Fallon
  Medical paediatric advice is available to schools and to LEAs from the district health authorities'
  373
  community child health service. Individual children with asthma may be seen with their parents when advice may be given to the child and family, the teacher and the school with regard to management in a particular case.

  The child's general medical practitioner who has responsibility for his or her medical care, or the hospital paediatrician in more severe cases, may also give advice not only to the child and family but to the teacher and school.

  The proximity of a school and the school playground to major roads would be for local consideration by the school and the school doctor according to the state of health and asthma of an individual child or group of children.

  Higher Education (Quality Audits)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements he proposes to replace the quality audit and quality assurance work in higher education currently undertaken by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals' academic audit unit and the Council for National Academic Awards.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, the Committee of Directors of Polytechnics and the Standing Conference of Principals have submitted proposals to establish a new quality and access organisation. This would be responsible for monitoring institutions' quality control and validation arrangements, building on the work of the academic audit unit and the Council for National Academic Awards. It would also have a role in the promotion and dissemination of best practice, and would take on and develop the CNAA's functions in the areas of credit accumulation and transfer schemes and the recognition of access courses. Audit and other reports would be published. The steering council of the organisation would have industrial and professional, as well as academic, members. These proposals are in line with those in Cm 1541 and we have welcomed them in principle. I am expecting later this month a further report describing in greater detail how it is proposed that the new organisation would operate in practice.

  Primary Education
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make available in the Vote Office copies of the report on primary education by Professor Alexander, Mr. Rose and Mr. Woodhead;

  (2) when copies of the report on primary education are to be sent to schools and colleges; how many copies are to be printed; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the interval between the publication date of the report and its likely receipt by schools.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I published the typescript of the report "Curriculum Organisation and Classroom Practice in Primary Schools" as soon as I received it, and placed copies in the Library on that day, 22 January. It took until 5 February to prepare and produce the initial run of 145,000 printed copies. The extensive mailing of six copies to each primary school and further copies to local authorities, teacher educators and other interested bodies should be completed by 13 February. I have today placed copies of the printed report in the Vote Office.

  Assisted Places
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children attend city technology colleges, grant-maintained schools and grammar schools and use the assisted-places scheme.

  Mr. Eggar
  The numbers of pupils attending those schools in England in January 1991 are shown in the table. In the same academic year 26,740 pupils in independent schools received support under the assisted places scheme.

  Number of pupils

  City technology colleges

  3,429

  Grant-maintained schools1

  36,445

  LEA-maintained grammar schools

  91,116

  1 Includes grant-maintained grammar schools.

  Pupil-Teacher Ratios
  Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the pupil-teacher ratio in Lancashire in(a) 1979 and (b) to latest date in (i) secondary and (ii) primary schools.

  Mr. Fallon
  The pupil-teacher ratios requested are shown in the table.

  Pupil-teacher ratios in Lancashire local education authority 1979 to 1991 1

  January

  Maintained primary schools

  Maintained secondary schools

  1979

  24·7

  16·5

  1980

  24·2

  16·4

  1981

  24·2

  16·4

  1982

  24·4

  16·7

  1983

  23·8

  16·6

  1984

  23·2

  16·4

  1985

  23·7

  16·6

  1986

  23·7

  16·4

  1987

  23·6

  15·9

  1988

  23·3

  15·6

  1989

  23·5

  15·4

  1990

  23·3

  15·6

  1991

  23·1

  15·7

  1 The pupil-teacher ratios of qualified teachers within schools.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities submitted results for the pupils with special educational needs with their returns of assessment tests for seven-year-old readers; and whether these were used in the compilation of the tables published on 19 December 1991.

  Mr. Eggar
  Returns from special schools were not included in the results published on 19 December. However, many LEAs included the results of pupils with special educational needs on roll in mainstream schools in their returns. It is not, however, possible to identify these pupils and hence the LEAs concerned.

  Seven-year-olds
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) pursuant to his answer of 16 January to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr.
  375
  Spearing). Official Report, columns 580-82, if he will list the reasons why some of the returns of assessment tests for seven-year-old readers submitted by local education authorities were not usable;

  (2) if he will state for each local education authority the percentage of their assessment tests for seven-year-old readers which they submitted to his Department.

  Mr. Eggar
  Certain returns could not be used because they were incomplete or wrongly completed. Those returns were referred back to the LEA concerned. Any corrected results which were returned in time for publication and were usable, were included in the report published on 19 December. The table gives the percentage of returns of the test results for seven-year-olds received for each local education authority. Both usable and unusable returns are included.

  Proportion of returns from maintained schools with 7 year olds processed for the purposes of publication of 19 December Report

  LEA

  Percentage returns received

  Camden

  97

  Greenwich

  98

  Hackney

  100

  Hammersmith

  100

  Islington

  88

  Kensington and Chelsea

  100

  Lewisham

  94

  Southwark

  91

  Wandsworth

  92

  Westminster

  100

  Barking

  100

  Barnet

  97

  Bexley

  100

  Brent

  100

  Bromley

  100

  Croydon

  100

  Ealing

  92

  Enfield

  100

  Haringey

  100

  Harrow

  94

  Havering

  100

  Hillingdon

  100

  Hounslow

  93

  Kingston upon Thames

  100

  Merton

  100

  Newham

  93

  Redbridge

  100

  Richmond upon Thames

  91

  Sutton

  100

  Waltham Forest

  100

  Birmingham

  78

  Coventry

  100

  Dudley

  100

  Sandwell

  95

  Solihull

  98

  Walsall

  99

  Wolverhampton

  97

  Knowsley

  98

  Liverpool

  93

  St. Helens

  98

  Sefton

  97

  Wirral

  99

  Bolton

  87

  Bury

  100

  Manchester

  97

  Oldham

  100

  Rochdale

  95

  Salford

  95

  Stockport

  100

  Tameside

  99

  Trafford

  98

  Wigan

  97

  Barnsley

  97

  Doncaster

  100

  376

  LEA

  Percentage returns received

  Rotherham

  100

  Sheffield

  89

  Bradford

  98

  Calderdale

  100

  Kirklees

  99

  Leeds

  96

  Wakefield

  99

  Gateshead

  97

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  99

  North Tyneside

  75

  South Tyneside

  100

  Sunderland

  100

  Avon

  100

  Bedfordshire

  96

  Berkshire

  100

  Buckinghamshire

  76

  Cambridgeshire

  100

  Cheshire

  99

  Cleveland

  100

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  100

  Cumbria

  93

  Derbyshire

  94

  Devon

  100

  Dorset

  88

  Durham

  97

  East Sussex

  66

  Essesx

  100

  Gloucestershire

  100

  Hampshire

  90

  Hereford and Worcester

  100

  Hertfordshire

  99

  Humberside

  99

  Isle of Wight

  96

  Kent

  99

  Lancashire

  95

  Leicestershire

  81

  Lincolnshire

  100

  Norfolk

  75

  North Yorkshire

  99

  Northamptonshire

  100

  Northumberland

  98

  Nottinghamshire

  93

  Oxfordshire

  87

  Shropshire

  98

  Somerset

  98

  Staffordshire

  96

  Suffolk

  100

  Surrey

  98

  Warwickshire

  100

  West Sussex

  99

  Wiltshire

  98

  England

  95

  Chorlton School
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his answer of 13 January, Official Report, column 449, if he will detail the steps taken by the Secretary of State to expedite the matters regarding Chorlton school between 25 July and 30 September and between 30 September and 5 December; when he became aware that the pupil in question had already commenced her secondary school career; and if he will publish the information provided by Manchester local education authority that led him to conclude that he did not need to issue a formal directive to the school.

  Mr. Fallon
  Officials wrote to the chairman of governors of Chorlton school on 22 July, asking the school to comply with Trafford LEA's request for information
  377
  and saying that if the governing body failed without good reason to meet this request, the Secretary of State would be minded to direct it to do so. Because of the holiday period, the full governing body did not meet to consider the issue until 10 September. Since the governors did not agree at that meeting to provide the necessary information, my right hon. and learned Friend decided to require them to do so by issuing a direction under section 68 of the Education Act 1944.

  The issue of direction was delayed because the Manchester LEA told officials at a meeting on 4 October that it planned to discuss the case with the governors on 9 October. Immediately after the 9 October meeting, solicitors acting for the governors asked for a full list of the pupils concerned, and confirmed on 21 October that the necessary information would be supplied to Trafford. However, despite repeated requests from the Department, the information was not forthcoming, and my right hon. and learned Friend issued his direction on 5 December. The information requested has now been supplied and Trafford hopes to consider outstanding cases within the next fortnight.

  My right hon. and learned Friend was not informed that the hon. Member's constituent was already attending secondary school, although it is common in complex admission cases for pupils to attend school pending the final outcome of their appeal.

  Local Management of Schools
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities have already delegated 84 per cent. of their funds to schools.

  Mr. Fallon
  [pursuant to his reply, 10 December 1991 c. 409-12]; I have today announced a number of developments which will extend local management of

  School

  Education and Library Board Area

  Boarders

  Overall Enrolments (Inc Boarders)

  Coleraine High

  North-Eastern

  47

  711

  Thornfield, Special, Newtownabbey

  North-Eastern

  13

  69

  Fleming Fulton, Special, Belfast

  Belfast

  16

  172

  Beechlawn, Special, Hillsborough

  South-Eastern

  20

  201

  Killard House, Special, Newtownards

  South-Eastern

  20

  210

  Fallowfield, Special, Lurgan

  Southern

  25

  25

  Health Service Staff
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what studies have been conducted, or are under way, into the administrative workloads of doctors, nurses and clinical staff in the professions associated with medicine; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  No studies which specifically examine the administrative workloads of these staff groups have been undertaken, or are currently planned. However, manpower planning in units of management will address the duties of medical and nursing staff in reprofiling and skill mix exercises. The duties of junior doctors will also be scrutinised within the current initiative to reduce their hours.
  378
  schools—LMS—to every school in England, and will ensure that all schools have more freedom to run their own affairs. These are:

  (1) the approval of the remaining 12 inner London LEAs' schemes;

  (2) the approval of 60 LEA proposals for secondary schools to have their own bank accounts;

  (3) an exemption for most small schools from the competitive tendering requirements that apply to all LEAs;

  (4) confirmation that LMS schemes will extend to cover special schools.

  These developments set the seal on the success of LMS. From 1 April, an LMS scheme will operate in each of the 109 LEAs in England.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Suspended Sittings
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals to enable motions under Standing Order No. 10 (Sittings of the House (Suspended Sittings)) to be moved by any hon. Member.

  Mr. MacGregor
  No.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Boarding Schools
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list(a) for each local education authority and (b) by location, the current state-owned boarding schools and the pupil establishment for each school.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is as follows:

  Mental Handicap
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sales of capital assets have arisen from closures of mental handicap hospitals; and if he will list the assets disposed of and the money raised by each sale.

  Mr. Hanley
  To date, two small mental handicap hospitals have been sold, namely:

  Hospital

  Year of disposal

  Money realised £

  Cultra House

  1988

  800,000

  Drumarg House

  1989

  40,000

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number, for each regional health authority, of in-patient residents in health service facilities for patients with a mental handicap for each year
  379
  since 1981; and what proportion of the reduction in numbers is due to discharge and what proportion due to death, in each regional health authority.

  Mr. Hanley
  The table shows the number of patients with a mental handicap resident in mental handicap hospitals and units in Northern Ireland at 31 December each year from 1981 to 1990. It is not possible to calculate the proportions of the reduction due to discharge or to deaths as the data on admissions and discharges collected centrally do not relate to individual patients.

  Year

  Number of patients

  1981

  1,737

  1982

  1,712

  1983

  1,577

  1984

  1,599

  1985

  1,577

  1986

  1,509

  1987

  1,434

  1988

  1,412

  1989

  1,296

  1990

  1,185

  Terrorism
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many claims have been made against the Northern Ireland Office in respect of fatalities and injuries which have occurred from activities by the security forces against terrorists in each of the last five years; and what sums have been paid in compensation.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  However, under the provisions of the statutory compensation scheme in Northern Ireland, no compensation can be paid to, or in respect of a criminal injury to, any person who has been engaged in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

  Harbour Authorities (Members)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names of the members of(a) Warrenpoint harbour authority and (b) Belfast harbour commissioners; and if he will identify with which user firms of these harbours each of those persons are associated.

  Mr. Needham
  The members of Warrenpoint harbour authority and Belfast harbour commissioners are:

  Warrenpoint harbour authority

  Member

  User firm

  H. J. Armstrong (Chairman)

  —

  B. Campbell

  —

  S. Fearon

  —

  E. Gaynor

  Cawoods of Northern Ireland Ltd.

  Q. Goldie

  —

  E. Haughey

  —

  Councillor J. V. McCart

  —

  Miss H. E. Roulston

  —

  J. Wright

  —

  380

  Belfast harbour commissioners

  Member

  User firm

  D. Moreland (Chairman)

  —

  R. Barnett (Deputy Chairman)

  W. and R. Barnett Ltd.

  Councillor Mrs. M. Clarke

  —

  T. R. Corry

  J. P. Corry Ltd.

  F. Cushnahan

  —

  G. R. Irwin

  —

  Mrs. C. M. Kennedy

  —

  K. Lagan

  Lagan Holdings Ltd.

  S. McVeigh

  —

  F. D. Tughan

  —

  Northern Ireland Tourist Board
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual salary of the part-time chairman of the Northern Ireland tourist board.

  Mr. Needham
  The salary paid to the chairman of the Northern Ireland tourist board is £22,195 per annum.

  Forestry Production
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to increase forestry production in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  The current timber production by the Forest Service in Northern Ireland is about 200,000 m3 per annum. This is projected to increase to 250,000 m3 per annum by the end of the decade.

  Electricity Supply
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions during each year since 1986 a loss of electricity supply has been experienced in each district council area in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  Northern Ireland Electricity does not hold information on electricity supply interruptions by district council area.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals there are to improve electricity supply in (i) south Armagh and (ii) the rest of the Newry and Armagh constituency.

  Mr. Needham
  Northern Ireland Electricity has completed a detailed study of electricity supply in the south Down/south Armagh area and work has commenced on a £5·5 million programme to strengthen the supply system in the area.

  Railway Crossings
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many open railway level crossings, for which appropriate orders have been laid, have been converted to half-barrier crossings.

  Mr. Needham
  I am advised by the management of Northern Ireland Railways that, the orders to convert them from open crossings having come into effect, six automatic half-barrier crossings have been commissioned. Details are set out in the table:

  Crossing

  Date commissioned

  Slaght

  2 September 1991

  Galgorm

  30 September 1991

  Cromore

  20 December 1991

  381

  Crossing

  Date commissioned

  Broughdone

  13 January 1992

  Glarryford

  20 January 1992

  Killagan

  27 January 1992

  Note: In each case the barrier was commissioned on the same day as the order came into effect.

EMPLOYMENT

  Offshore Installations (Safety)
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will introduce a licensing fee for offshore oil companies to cover or to contribute towards the cost of the health and safety inspectors in charge of offshore oil safety provisions.

  Mr. Forth
  I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer that I gave him on 4 February 1992,Official Report, column 117.

  Data Information Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what data information systems his Department has(a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems: whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The Employment Department group has a number of computer systems, many of which are small. The EDG's systems are registered under, and fully comply with, the Data Protection Act, which compels the recording of all sources and disclosures of data. None of them has links with the police national computer and few have links outside the EDG.

  The criteria for participation in computer systems which require links with those in other organisations are legality, business need and priority. The EDG uses computer systems for financial management and payments. For example, payment reconciliation information is received by tape from HMSO, salaries are paid using links to the bankers automated clearing service and in the Employment Service there are tape links between the benefit-related payments system, and its successor employment service payments, and the Department of Social Security's national insurance recording system and giro reconciliation systems. In the Health and Safety Executive, terminal access to some of its systems is provided to other organisations, and vice versa, where there are joint responsibilities—for example, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for pesticide information. Statistical information is supplied to meet legislative requirements, and to external bodies. A variety of data on employment-linked issues is made available.

  Significant systems on which the EDG is involved in discussions are the inter-department business register, which would hold a register of employers, and an inter-departmental alert scheme for toxic substances. The proposed Employment Service local office system is planned to have links to exchange client data with the national unemployment benefit system, which is operated by the Employment Service as the paying agent on behalf of the Department of Social Security.

  Travel-to-interview Scheme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the regional distribution of uptake and costs of the travel-to-interview scheme for 1989–90 and 1990–91.

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

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for changes to his Department's cash limits or running costs limits for 1991–92.

  Mr. Howard
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made: the cash limit for class VI, vote 1—programmes and central services—will be reduced by £8,730,000 from £2,438,307,000 to £2,429,577,000.

  There are a number of changes to reallocate provision within the vote. They mainly reflect changes in demand for various programmes and are as follows: a £17,500,000 increase for the small firms loan guarantee scheme; a £13,000,000 increase for the technical and vocational education initiative; a £13,500,000 increase for youth training; a £5,500,000 increase for expenditure on the national records of achievement; an increase of £4,514,000 for working capital loans made to training and enterprise councils for youth training, employment training, the enterprise allowance scheme and employment action and offset by receipts on these loans; an increase of £4,500,000 on capital expenditure; decreased receipts of £2,200,000 from the small-firms loan guarantee scheme; an increase of £1,500,000 for the training credits for young people pilot scheme; and increase of £9,659,000 running costs partially met by transfers from other votes within the group and increased receipts from the national insurance fund; a £59,773,000 decrease in provision for employment training; a £16,321,000 decrease in provision for the local initiative fund; a decrease of £12,644,000 in the contribution from the Welsh Office, class XVI, vote 4, in respect of the cost of services in Wales; and a £5,000,000 decrease in provision for business and enterprise support. The decrease in the cash limit on this vote more than offsets an increase of £2,000,000 on class VI, vote 3.

  The cash limit for class VI, vote 2—Employment Service—will be increased by a token £1,000 from £488,880,000 to £488,881,000. This is the net result of an increase of £24,630,000 in running costs, mainly in connection with the administration of unemployment benefit payments; an increase of £5,348,000 for capital expenditure, also mainly in connection with administering unemployment benefit payments; a net decrease of £1,797,000 in programme provision, which includes £200,000 provision for a pilot scheme to assist lone parents to return to work; increased receipts of £27,532,000 from the Department of Social Security—class XI, vote 4—and other minor changes, mainly in connection with the ES revenue generation scheme.

  The cash limit for class VI, vote 3—Health and Safety Commission and Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service—will be increased by £339,000 from £178,806,000

  383
  to £179,145,000. This increase is offset by a reduction of the cash limit on class VI, vote 1. The increase is the net result of an increase of £2,000,000 from vote 1 for capital expenditure; increased receipts of £451,000 from the Department of Transport—class VII, vote 2—for the railways inspectorate work carried out by the Health and Safety Executive; and transfer of running costs of £1,150,000 from the Health and Safety Executive and £60,000 from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to the Department of Employment—vote 1.

  The running costs limit for the Department of Employment—votes 1 and 2—will be increased by £34,289,000 from £1,102,424,000 to £1,136,713,000. The running costs limit for the Health and Safety Commission and Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service—vote 3—will be decreased by £1,210,000 from £153,023,000 to £151,813,000.

  Those increases are either offset as described above or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the workings of the loan guarantee scheme; and what amendments have been made in its operation since it was introduced.

  Mr. Forth
  The loan guarantee scheme was introduced to assist viable small firms which are unable to raise conventional finance due to lack of security or track record. By providing a 70 per cent. guarantee—85 per cent. in inner-city task force areas—the scheme encourages banks and other financial institutions to lend where they would normally be unable to do so.

  In return for the guarantee the Department charges the borrower an annual premium of 2·5 per cent.—2 per cent. in inner-city task force areas—of the guaranteed portion of the outstanding loan.

  Since the scheme began in June 1981 the major changes affecting the scheme have been:

  1984
  Premium charge increased from an initial 3 per cent. to 5 per cent. per year on the guaranteed portion of the loan.

  1985
  Administrative responsibility for the scheme moved from Department of Trade and Industry to Department of Employment.

  1986
  Premium charge reduced from 5 per cent. to 2·5 per cent. per year on the guaranteed portion of the loan.

  1988
  Simplified arrangements introduced for loans of £15,000 or less.
  85 per cent. guarantee for businesses in Inner City Task Force areas introduced.

  1990
  Premium percentage reduced to 2 per cent. for those businesses in Inner City Task Force Areas.
  Agriculture and horticulture became business activities eligible for Scheme assistance.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications there have been under the loan guarantee scheme in each year since its introduction.
  384
  Mr. Forth
  The number of applications under the loan guarantee scheme in each year since its introduction in June 1981 has been:

  Number

  1981–82

  3,351

  1982–83

  6,045

  1983–84

  4,889

  1984–85

  2,081

  1985–86

  543

  1986–87

  1,042

  1987–88

  1,222

  1988–89

  2,266

  1989–90

  3,214

  1990–91

  3,394

  1 1991–92

  2,155

  1 To 31 December 1991.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cost to the Government of underwriting the loan guarantee scheme in each year since its introduction.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on scheme expenditure prior to the Department of Employment becoming responsible for the scheme is not available. For subsequent years the net cost to the Government was:

  £ million

  1985–86

  27·1

  1986–87

  11·2

  1987–88

  3·6

  1988–89

  3·8

  1989–90

  5·6

  1990–91

  16·5

  1 1991–92

  20·6

  1 To 31 December 1992.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many failures there have been in the loan guaranteee scheme in each year since its inception.

  Mr. Forth
  Figures prior to June 1987 are not available by individual financial year. The numbers of failures by financial year since July 1987 were:

  Numbers

  Total up to June 1987

  6,164

  1987–88 (from July 1987)

  248

  1988–89

  402

  1989–90

  656

  1990–91

  1,310

  1991–92 (to December 1991)

  1,348

  Overall total

  10,128

  Technical and Vocational Education Initiative
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the planned programme for the conclusion of the technical and vocational education initiative.

  Mr. Jackson
  The technical and vocational educational initiative (TVEI) is a 10-year programme, running from 1987 to 1997, in which education authorities participate for up to seven years. Some authorities are nearing the end of their contracts. The Department is working with these authorities on the development of plans for assimilating the lessons of TVEI and will continue to include them in
  385
  any arrangements for disseminating information or other outcomes from the national programme, and to encourage the continuation of networking arrangements.

  Income Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the mean, median, quartile and decile earnings for(a) manual workers in manufacturing and (b) non-manuals in the non-manufacturing private sector together with the numbers represented by each of the two categories; and in each case what was the increase in real earnings since 1979.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on the mean, median, quartile and decile earnings, and sample numbers, for manual workers in manufacturing, may be found in tables 54, 56, 74 and 76 of part C of the new earnings survey reports from 1979 onwards. Figures for the non-manufacturing private sector are not available.

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

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the figures corresponding to table 19 of part A of the 1991 new earnings survey for manual workers in manufacturing industry and for non-manuals in the non-manufacturing private sector, together with the total numbers represented by each category.

  Mr. Forth
  The information available from the 1991 new earnings survey closest to that requested is given in the following table. Figures for non-manual workers in the non-manufacturing private sector are not available.

  Distribution of gross weekly earnings:

  Manual employees in manufacturing April 1991

  Numbers in sample with weekly earnings in the range

  All employees, including those receiving no pay range

  Full-time

  Part-time

  (£100-110 means £100 or more but less than £100

  Males on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Nil

  163

  106

  63

  Others under £100

  326

  638

  1,065

  £100-110

  152

  319

  75

  £110-120

  195

  396

  52

  £120-130

  306

  472

  40

  £130-140

  389

  439

  30

  £140-150

  469

  443

  15

  £150-160

  578

  421

  12

  £160-170

  649

  323

  7

  £170-180

  707

  306

  13

  £180-190

  792

  221

  6

  £190-200

  837

  181

  3

  £200-210

  932

  155

  5

  £210-230

  1,854

  224

  2

  £230-270

  3,390

  239

  3

  £270-300

  2,017

  95

  2

  £300-330

  1,496

  46

  1

  £330-360

  954

  26

  —

  386

  Numbers in sample with weekly earnings in the range

  All employees, including those receiving no pay

  Full-time

  Part-time

  (£100-110 means £100 or more but less than £110)

  Males on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  £360-390

  685

  15

  —

  £390-420

  459

  3

  —

  £420-480

  507

  8

  1

  £480-540

  246

  1

  —

  £540-600

  146

  2

  2

  £600-700

  97

  1

  —

  £700 and more

  50

  1

  —

  Numbers of employees included

  18,396

  5,081

  1,397

  Note: "—" denotes nil.

  Source: New Earnings Survey.

  Distribution of gross weekly earnings: Manual employees in manufacturing

  April 1991

  Numbers in sample with weekly earnings in the range

  Employees whose pay was unaffected by absence

  Full-time

  Part-time

  (£100-£110 means £100 or more but less than £110)

  Males on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Nil

  —

  —

  —

  Others under £100

  72

  250

  896

  £100-£110

  87

  235

  73

  £110-£120

  141

  317

  46

  £120-£130

  209

  370

  35

  £130-£140

  302

  353

  28

  £140-£150

  360

  380

  15

  £150-£160

  473

  378

  11

  £160-£170

  547

  302

  7

  £170-£180

  592

  276

  12

  £180-£190

  690

  203

  4

  £190-£200

  719

  171

  3

  £200-£210

  824

  139

  5

  £210-£230

  1,665

  210

  2

  £230-£270

  3,101

  225

  3

  £270-£300

  1,869

  82

  2

  £300-£330

  1,411

  44

  1

  £330-£360

  890

  24

  —

  £360-£390

  644

  14

  —

  £390-£420

  433

  2

  —

  £420-£480

  481

  8

  —

  £480-£540

  229

  1

  —

  £540-£600

  138

  2

  1

  £600-£700

  88

  1

  —

  £700 and more

  47

  —

  —

  Number of employees included

  16,012

  3,987

  1,143

  Source; New Earnings survey.

  Note;"—" denotes nil.

  Gross weekly earnings

  Manual employees in manufacturing April 1991

  Employees whose pay was unaffected by absence

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Males on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Mean £

  261·8

  162·1

  78·0

  Highest decile £

  379·9

  230·5

  n/a

  Upper quartile £

  306·5

  186·4

  n/a

  Median £

  246·5

  151·9

  n/a

  387

  Employees whose pay was unaffected by absence

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Males on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Females on adult rates

  Lower quartile £

  197·3

  125·1

  n/a

  Lowest decile £

  159·1

  106·6

  n/a

  As percentage of the median

  Highest decile

  154·1

  151·8

  n/a

  Upper quartile

  124·3

  122·7

  n/a

  Lower quartile

  80·0

  82·3

  n/a

  Lowest decile

  64·5

  70·2

  n/a

  Standard error of mean £

  0·76

  0·86

  1·20

  Percentage standard error (mean)

  0·29

  0·53

  1·54

  Standard error of median £

  0·92

  0·69

  n/a

  Percentage standard error (median)

  0·37

  0·46

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey.

  n/a—Denotes not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the mean, median, quartile and decile earnings for part-time employees, excluding those who received no pay for the survey period together with the numbers and aggregate incomes of those earning less than £54 and between £54 and £100 per week; and if he will provide corresponding figures for 1979 which likewise distinguish between part-time workers earning less than the lower earnings limit and between that limit and the ceiling for the lowest income category.

  Mr. Forth
  Information from the 1991 new earnings survey on the weekly earnings of part-time employees on adult rates is published in table 19 of part A of the survey report, a copy of which is in the Library. These figures relate to(a) all employees, and (b) employees whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. Figures excluding employees who received no pay for the survey period are not available, except for mean (average) earnings, which were as follows in April 1991 (£ per week).

  Men

  Women

  All

  £

  £

  £

  101·4

  83·1

  85·5

  Projections for 1992–93 concerning part-time employees earning less than £54 (the National Insurance lower earnings limit), excluding those with no earnings, and between £54 and £100, are as follows:

  Numbers

  Aggregate earnings

  Less than £54

  2·25 million

  £4 billion

  £54—£100

  1·50 million

  £6 billion

  Comparable figures for 1979 are not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether, further to table 12 of part A of the 1991 new earnings survey, he will publish a table showing the mean, median, quartile and decile earnings for(a) manual workers in manufacturing and (b) non-manuals in the non-manufacturing private sector in the Greater
  388
  London sub-region and in the west midlands region, together with the numbers represented by each category in each region.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on the mean earnings, and sample numbers, for manual workers in manufacturing, for Greater London and for the west midlands, may be found in tables 118 and 120 of part E of the new earnings survey reports from 1979 onwards. There is no available information for median, quartile and decile earnings for manufacturing on a regional basis. Figures for the mean, median, quartile and decile earnings for non-manuals, in the non-manufacturing private sector, are not available. Copies of the publications are available in the Library.

  Toxic Emissions (Merseyside)
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will place a copy in the Library of the health and safety inspector's report on emissions and leaks of toxic fluids and gases on Merseyside.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) investigations into the circumstances of recent incidents involving emissions and leaks of toxic fluids and gases on Merseyside are continuing. At this stage HSE has no plans to publish reports on its investigations into these incidents.

HEALTH

  Management Executive
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the present work, research and development programmes of the NHS management executive with regard to the assessment of the health of the population and the cost effectiveness of present spending programmes.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The assessment of health need is the responsibility of district health authorities. The management executive offers a wide range of support to local health needs assessment and the assessment of cost effectiveness of services.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish an updated table of hospital and county health service programme expenditure by age group comparable with that for 1986–87 supplied to the Social Services Select Committee in 1988 and publish such a table both in cash terms and cash adjusted for NHS pay and prices using the same base as the 1986–87 table.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is given in the table. The expenditure relates only to that by regional health authorities and excludes expenditure on certain centrally financed services, and on joint finance with the personal social services, as well as all expenditure on family health services.

  The methodology for estimating the distribution of expenditure by age has been revised since the 1986–87 estimates were made, largely as a result of changes in the way in which financial data are reported. The figures for 1989–90 are therefore not comparable with the figures for 1986–87.

  Changes in input volumes are an inadequate guide to the level of service the NHS can be expected to, achieve,

  389
  since they do not reflect the continuing success of the NHS

  Hospital and community health service Estimated gross current expenditure by age

  £ Million

  (1)

  (2)

  (3)

  (4)

  Expenditure in 1986–87

  Expenditure in 1989–90

  Expenditure in 1989–90

  Expenditure in 1989–90

  Age bands

  (Cash)

  (Cash)

  In real terms1

  In volume terms2

  All births

  742·3

  888·4

  738·1

  692·1

  0 to 4

  590·6

  645·8

  536·6

  503·1

  5 to 15

  641·5

  662·3

  550·3

  516·0

  16 to 44

  1,795·9

  2,365·7

  1,965·6

  1,842·9

  45 to 64

  1,521·7

  2,623·9

  2,180·1

  2,044·0

  65 to 74

  1,738·1

  2,292·8

  1,905·0

  1,786·1

  75 to 84

  2,318·1

  2,650·7

  2,202·4

  2,064·9

  85 plus

  876·2

  1,336·5

  1,110·4

  1,041·1

  Total, all ages

  10,224·4

  13,466·0

  11,188·5

  10,490·0

  1 In 1986–87 prices after allowing for changes in general inflation as measured by the GDP deflator.

  2 In 1986–87 prices after allowing for changes in HCHS pay and prices.

  Child Protection
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to support moves towards introducing approved or accredited social workers to tackle complex child protection cases.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are in discussion with the local authority associations, the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW) and the Association of Directors of Social Services on this issue.

  Liverpool (Proposed Hospital)
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds will be in(a) the acute and (b) the recovery wings of the proposed new obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in Liverpool.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is planned that there will be a total of 263 beds, of which 163 will be acute.

  Asthma
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the reported level of asthma sufferers, by age range of 0-11, 11-21, 21-45 and over 45 years for each London health district from 1980 to the present.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information in the form requested is not held centrally. The vast majority of asthma sufferers do not attend hospital as in-patients.

  Prescriptions (Respiratory Drugs)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of children's prescriptions, by family practitioner committee area, of ventolin or equivalent respiratory drugs for each year since 1980.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Health Units (Deficits)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish his Department's analysis of regions' deficits—"Financial management of the NHS: Winter 1991–92, DMU and Trust deficits", month nine report;
  390
  in increasing the efficiency with which it uses resources. The table therefore also shows expenditure figures in real terms, ie adjusted by the GDP deflator.

  (2) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-ended deficit and current deficit of the London Ambulance Service;

  (3) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit and the current deficit in Bloomsbury and Islington district health authority;

  (4) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit in the Camberwell district health authority;

  (5) if he will make a statement about current and recent deficit forecast year-end deficits in (a) the West Suffolk district health authority and (b) the Cambridge district health authority;

  (6) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond street;

  (7) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit at (a) the Royal Surrey county trust, (b) the Nuffield orthopaedic centre and (c) the North West Hertfordshire mental handicap unit;

  (8) if he will make a statement on (a) the current financial situation for both capital and revenue and (b) the forecast year-end deficit, at Guy's hospital;

  (9) if he will make a statement about the deficit and forecast year-end deficit at St. Bartholomew's hospital;

  (10) if he will make a statement about the number of units reporting current deficits above £100,000 in January 1992;

  (11) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit in the national heart and chest hospitals special health authority;

  (12) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit in the (a) South West Hertfordshire district health authority and (b) Riverside health authority;

  (13) if he will make a statement about the year-end deficit and current deficit in the Bromsgrove and Redditch district health authority;

  (14) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit and current deficit in the Basingstoke district health authority;

  (15) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit in East Surrey district health authority;
  391
  (16) if he will make a statement about the forecast year-end deficit and current deficit at the (a) Salford and (b) South Manchester district health authorities.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The recently leaked internal management document to which the questions refer contained unaudited management information, some of which has been overtaken by events. The proper way of reporting the financial position of the National Health Service and its component parts is in the annual accounts of these bodies for 1991–92, which will be published in due course.

  Community Care
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress being made in implementing the Government's community care reforms.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The policies set out in the White Paper "Caring for People" are widely supported by local authorities, health authorities, voluntary organisations, practitioners in the field and many other interested commentators. The objectives are that good quality local services are provided that are responsive to the needs of users and carers, that provide choice and that enable elderly, disabled or vulnerable people to live as independently as possible in their own homes or in homely settings in the community. The Government attach particular importance to the successful implementation of these reforms.

  Special monitoring arrangements have been established. The regional social services inspectorate and regional health authorities have been asked to submit six-monthly reports on the progress being made by authorities in their regions against a checklist of issues. The first reports were submitted at the end of September.

  These reports showed that overall, satisfactory progress was being made at that stage in implementing the reforms. Most local authorities had met the specific requirements of the first phase of implementation by establishing complaints procedures and "arm's-length" inspection units for residential homes by 1 April 1991. They were also establishing a wide range of projects under the new mental illness specific grant which supports £30 million of expenditure in 1991–92 and £43·6 million in 1992–93 and under the new alcohol and drug misuse specific grant which supports £2 million of expenditure in 1991–92 and £3 million in 1992–93. Nearly all are on course to produce their first community care plans for 1 April 1992. A number of local authorities were making progress in clarifying the different "purchaser" and "provider" roles within the authority. We expect all authorities to make progress on this issue in the next few months. It is also clear that the degree of collaboration between health and local authorities which is essential to successful implementation has notably improved and that many authorities are making significant efforts to involve voluntary organisations, users and carers in preparing their plans.

  Authorities should now be addressing the detail of the reforms' implications, having undertaken much of the necessary groundwork for full implementation by 1 April 1993. At that stage, local authorities must have in place needs-based assessment systems. Funds will also be transferred to them from the Department of Social Security to enable them to arrange care for those people who would have entered residential or nursing home care
  392
  and looked to the Department of Social Security for financial support. Implementing the remaining aspects of the reforms will be a challenging task. Local and health authorities will need to tackle a number of difficult issues. Closer collaboration will also be required between authorities generally and independent sector providers of community care services. The next round of the monitoring exercise will concentrate on those aspects to which authorities must give priority in order to achieve a smooth and successful introduction of the remainder of the changes required by legislation. Once these elements are in place authorities will be in a good position to take advantage of the opportunities created and to develop more appropriate and more responsive services to meet the needs of users and carers.

  NHS Estate
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for each NHS region the amount needed for repairs and maintenance to bring the estate to an overall condition which exhibits only minor deterioration.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 12 July 1991,Official Report, at columns 500-4. That gave the figures at March 1990; the final figures at March 1991 are not yet available.

  Ko Hsuan School, Chawleigh
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute an inquiry into the welfare of children at the Ko Hsuan school in Chawleigh, north Devon.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I understand that a joint social services and police investigation took place on 3 February and that the findings of the investigation are now being studied. We do not anticipate the need for a Government inquiry at this time. We will, however, keep the situation under review.

  Under the terms of the Children Act 1989 the proprietors of the school have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children accommodated in the school.

  Children's Beds (Oxfordshire)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the proposed rationalisation of children's beds in Oxfordshire district health authority; and what are the(a) current and (b) forecast end of year deficits for the authority.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her today. I understand that Oxfordshire health authority has no plans to rationalise children's beds.

  Novopen Needles
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to end the charging of diabetics for supplies of Novopen needles.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Needles for insulin injection pens including Novopens are not compatible with conventional syringes and so arrangements for both pens and needles have to be considered together. We are currently reviewing the case for making both these items available on GP prescription.

  NHS Trusts
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by regional health authority, those units and hospitals which are not in the first, second or third waves of trusts, and which are eligible to apply for trust status.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Any NHS hospital or other unit involved directly in patient care may apply for NHS trust status.

  National Blood Authority
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of the consultation exercise into establishing a national blood authority.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) on 29 January at column 586.

  Ambulances
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will state for each metropolitan ambulance authority(a) the percentage of emergency calls responded

  Patient transport services: Table 1 1987–88

  Quality of service

  Emergency calls: response times: non-metropolitan authorities England

  Ambulance authority

  Total number of emergency calls

  Number where response within 7-8 minutes

  Percentage of calls where response within 7-8 minutes

  Time at 50th percentile (minutes)

  Cleveland

  23,890

  18,200

  76·2

  6·0

  Cumbria

  12,562

  7,828

  62·3

  6·2

  Durham

  29,098

  17,243

  59·3

  7·3

  Humberside

  42,403

  30,455

  71·8

  6·0

  North Yorkshire

  19,361

  12,711

  65·7

  5·9

  Derbyshire

  32,556

  17,944

  55·1

  8·0

  Leicestershire

  31,129

  19,304

  62·0

  8·0

  Lincolnshire

  16,237

  10,300

  63·4

  7·0

  Nottinghamshire

  58,018

  35,332

  60·9

  8·0

  Cambridgeshire

  16,807

  8,526

  50·7

  8·0

  Norfolk

  25,151

  16,028

  63·7

  6·4

  Suffolk

  10,313

  5,641

  54·7

  7·5

  Bedfordshire

  19,495

  12,216

  62·7

  7·0

  Hertfordshire

  35,981

  19,983

  55·5

  8·0

  Essex

  62,107

  28,901

  46·5

  8·0

  East Sussex

  35,221

  24,541

  69·7

  6·0

  Kent

  51,272

  31,709

  61·8

  7·0

  Surrey

  47,151

  25,984

  55·1

  6·0

  West Sussex

  5,734

  3,658

  63·8

  7·0

  Dorset

  23,200

  14,130

  60·9

  6·2

  Hampshire

  46,996

  24,017

  51·1

  7·3

  Wiltshire

  13,452

  8,123

  60·4

  6·6

  Isle of Wight

  4,199

  2,376

  56·6

  7·1

  Berkshire

  22,538

  10,481

  46·5

  7·0

  Buckinghamshire

  16,511

  10,060

  60·9

  7·0

  Northamptonshire

  18,381

  8,361

  45·5

  7·1

  Oxfordshire

  12,556

  7,187

  57·2

  7·0

  Avon

  31,327

  20,573

  65·7

  8·0

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  14,581

  6,658

  45·7

  9·0

  Devon

  33,875

  21,284

  62·8

  7·0

  Gloucestershire

  14,133

  9,227

  65·3

  7·0

  Somerset

  9,575

  5,704

  59·6

  6·0

  Hereford and Worcester

  17,482

  11,888

  68·0

  6·0

  Shropshire

  12,333

  6,340

  51·4

  7·9

  Staffordshire

  33,875

  21,284

  62·8

  7·0

  Warwickshire

  13,019

  8,643

  66·4

  6·8

  Cheshire

  33,031

  17,308

  52·4

  8·0

  Lancashire

  70,509

  49,845

  70·7

  6·2

  Source; KA34.

  DH Statistics and management Information (SM12B)1992.
  394
  to within seven minutes and (b) the percentage of emergency calls responded to within 14 minutes for each quarter since March 1991;

  (2) if he will state for each non-metropolitan ambulance authority (a) the percentage of emergency calls responded to within eight minutes and (b) the percentage of emergency calls responded to within 20 minutes for each quarter since March 1991.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 24 January at columns 391-96.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, columns 392-94, if he will give corresponding figures for ambulance response times for the years 1983 and 1987.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested was not collected centrally until the financial year 1987–88.

  The tables show the numbers and percentages of emergency calls being responded to within the standards of eight and 20 minutes for non-metropolitan authorities and seven and 14 minutes for metropolitan authorities for 1987–88.
  395

  Patient transport services: Table 2

  1987–88

  Quality of service

  Emergency calls: response times: non-metropolitan authorities

  England

  Ambulance authority

  Total number of emergency calls

  Number where response within 14-20 minutes

  Percentage of calls where response within 14-20 minutes

  Time at 95th percentile (minutes)

  Cleveland

  23,890

  23,353

  97·8

  12·0

  Cumbria

  12,562

  11,855

  94·4

  20·7

  Durham

  29,098

  28,691

  98·6

  16·4

  Humberside

  42,403

  42,276

  99·7

  14·0

  North Yorkshire

  19,361

  18,317

  94·6

  16·5

  Derbyshire

  32,556

  31,579

  97·0

  18·0

  Leicestershire

  31,129

  30,462

  97·9

  17·0

  Lincolnshire

  16,237

  15,572

  95·9

  20·0

  Nottinghamshire

  58,018

  56,139

  96·8

  18·0

  Cambridgeshire

  16,807

  15,459

  92·0

  18·0

  Norfolk

  25,151

  24,441

  97·2

  17·7

  Suffolk

  10,313

  9,336

  90·5

  20·5

  Bedfordshire

  19,495

  18,922

  97·1

  17·0

  Hertfordshire

  35,981

  34,666

  96·3

  18·0

  Essex

  62,107

  53,709

  86·5

  17·0

  East Sussex

  35,221

  32,543

  92·4

  14·0

  Kent

  51,272

  49,536

  96·6

  18·0

  Surrey

  47,151

  27,044

  57·4

  13·0

  West Sussex

  5,734

  4,529

  79·0

  21·0

  Dorset

  23,200

  20,770

  89·5

  16·4

  Hampshire

  46,996

  40,645

  86·5

  16·5

  Wiltshire

  13,452

  12,777

  95·0

  17·0

  Isle of Wight

  4,199

  3,951

  94·1

  19·3

  Berkshire

  22,538

  21,989

  97·6

  16·0

  Buckinghamshire

  16,511

  15,711

  95·2

  15·5

  Northamptonshire

  18,381

  16,779

  91·3

  15·3

  Oxfordshire

  12,556

  11,818

  94·1

  20·0

  Avon

  31,327

  30,526

  97·4

  20·0

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  14,581

  13,173

  90·3

  25·0

  Devon

  33,875

  32,179

  95·0

  18·0

  Gloucestershire

  14,133

  13,900

  98·4

  17·0

  Somerset

  9,575

  8,921

  93·2

  19·0

  Hereford and Worcester

  17,482

  17,132

  98·0

  16·0

  Shropshire

  12,333

  11,648

  94·4

  19·6

  Staffordshire

  33,875

  32,179

  95·0

  18·0

  Warwickshire

  13,019

  12,700

  97·5

  16·8

  Cheshire

  33,031

  31,544

  95·5

  20·0

  Lancashire

  70,509

  69,883

  99·1

  13·8

  Source: KA34.

  DH Statistics and Management Information (SM12B) 1992.

  Patient Transport Services: Table 3

  1987–88

  Quality of service

  Emergency calls: Response times: Metropolitan authorities

  Ambulance authority

  Total number of emergency calls

  Number where response within 7 to 8 minutes

  Percentage of calls where response within 7 to 8 minutes

  Time at 50th percentile (minutes)

  Northumbria Metropolitan

  61,148

  36,689

  60·0

  7·0

  West Yorkshire Metropolitan

  108,519

  33,661

  31·0

  9·0

  South Yorkshire Metropolitan

  49,099

  20,741

  42·2

  7·9

  London Ambulance Service

  470,348

  97,903

  20·8

  10·0

  West Midlands Metropolitan

  115,081

  44,698

  38·8

  7·6

  Mersey Metropolitan

  108,541

  61,161

  56·3

  6·5

  Greater Manchester Metropolitan

  149,255

  73,135

  49·0

  7·3

  Source: KA34 DH Statistics and Management Information (SM12B) 1992.
  396 397

  Patient Transport Services: Table 4

  1987–88

  Quality of service

  Emergency calls: Response times: Metropolitan authorities

  Ambulance authority

  Total number of emergency calls

  Number where response within 14 to 20 minutes

  Percentage of calls where response within 14 to 20 minutes

  Time at 95th percentile (minutes)

  Northumbria Metropolitan

  61,148

  59,314

  97·0

  13·0

  West Yorkshire Metropolitan

  108,519

  89,918

  82·9

  19·0

  South Yorkshire Metropolitan

  49,099

  43,467

  88·5

  16·4

  London Ambulance Service

  470,348

  400,610

  85·2

  19·0

  West Midlands Metropolitan

  115,081

  109,788

  95·4

  13·8

  Mersey Metropolitan

  108,541

  103,478

  95·3

  13·8

  Greater Manchester Metropolitan

  149,255

  140,300

  94·0

  14·7

  Source: KA34 DH Statistics and Management Information (SM12B) 1992.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the average length of service expected from emergency ambulance vehicles in terms of(a) years and (b) miles; and if he will give for each ambulance authority the percentage of vehicles which meet those specifications.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Cancelled Operations
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for each regional health authority(a) the number of scheduled operations cancelled and (b) the average number of operations per session held for each quarter since 31 March 1991.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information on the number of operations cancelled is not collected centrally. Statistics on the number of cases operated on in each region per scheduled session held are collected annually. Data for 1990–91 will be published in the near future in "NHS Operating Theatres Availability and Use, England, Financial year 1990–91", a copy of which will be placed in the Library.

  Maternity Beds
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by national health service region(a) for 1980 and (b) for 1990–91 the hospitals in England which had consultant obstetric or general practitioner maternity beds, giving the number of beds of each type in each hospital.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 24 January 1992]: The information requested for 1990–91 has been placed in the Library. Figures for 1980 and 1989–90 were placed in the Library in reply to the question from the hon. Member for Peckham on 15 March 1991 at column 709. Due to changes in the type of information collected, the data for the years concerned are not strictly comparable. The data for 1980 identified the beds available in the type of unit concerned. Since 1987, the bed type has been classified according to clinical responsibility—by consultant, general practitioner or for joint use. In addition, many of the individual sites were not open during one or other of the years in question. While there has been an overall reduction in the number of beds over the period, this has been accompanied by a significant reduction in the average length of stay of over 30 per cent.

  Home Helps
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each year since 1979 the number of home helps employed by local authorities.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: The net expenditure on home helps and the numbers of home helps directly employed by social services departments in England (in whole time equivalent terms at 30 September) in each year are set out in the table.

  Net expenditure on home help services £ million

  Staff numbers directly employed

  1979

  132·8

  44,660

  1980

  157·1

  46,637

  1981

  186·9

  46,541

  1982

  205·6

  47,310

  1983

  228·7

  49,326

  1984

  253·6

  50,561

  1985

  269·4

  51,959

  1986

  296·5

  53,706

  1987

  336·2

  56,336

  1988

  413·1

  57,004

  1989

  464·7

  56,613

  1990

  519·6

  55,783

  per cent.

  per cent.

  Percentage increase over the period

  167·0

  25·0

  1 In real terms.

  Note: Staff figures relate only to local authorities' directly employed staff.

  Although there is a drop in the number of home helps since 1988 the expenditure on the service has been increasing, indicating that local authorities are contracting out an increasing proportion of the service to the voluntary and private sectors.

ENERGY

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the latest position with regard to the issues before him relating to National Power plc's proposals to burn orimulsion at Pembroke power station; what decisions under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, or under section 10 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, are still awaited; and if he will make a statement.
  399
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  South Pembrokeshire district council, a relevant planning authority, has objected to National Power plc's application under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for my right hon. Friend's consent to fit electrostatic precipitators in order to use orimulsion as the fuel for the Pembroke power station. My right hon. Friend is, therefore, statutorily obliged to call for a public inquiry to be held into the application unless the district council withdraws its objection.

  Before arranging the inquiry, my right hon. Friend does, however, need to know the views of all statutory consultees, including the other relevant planning authority, Dyfed county council, in order to determine the matters that are relevant to his consideration of the application. The relevant inquiry procedure rules require him to issue a statement of such matters.

  The authorisation of a licence under section 10 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is a matter for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Data Information Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what data information systems his Department has(a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems; whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department has established links with the following organisations for the following purposes:

  Organisation and Purpose

  HM Paymaster General—Pay-roll

  Department of Trade and Industry—Accounts and Library Services

  British Geological Survey—Petroleum Engineering data.

  AEA—Energy Technology Data

  HMIP—Radio-active Incident Monitoring.

  OECD—Transferral of papers.

  My Department also subscribes to several commercial databases such as Lexis and those available with BT Gold.

  The main criterion used in deciding whether to join a system is whether it would further the objectives of the Department in a cost-effective manner. My Department is not linked to the police national computer. All systems which contain data on personnel are registered with the Data Protection Registrar.

  Solar Energy Devices
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when his Department's programme on photovoltaic cell-based solar energy devices began; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  On 8 May, I announced that the Government would fund a programme of research into the use of solar power for electricity production. The first contract under that programme was let in June 1991. To date, contracts have been placed covering work to the value of more than £200,000. The purpose of the work is to assess the potential for photovoltaic electricity generation in the United Kingdom, particularly when incorporated into building fabric.

  Employment Statistics
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the total number of staff employed by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels overall and at their Warrington establishment in 1979, 1987 and at the present date.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am advised that the total number of employees at the two sites in Warrington—Risley and Culcheth—in 1979, 1987 and at the start of 1992, with the overall number employed by the UKAEA and British Nuclear Fuels plc are as follows:

  Employed at Risley

  Employed at Culcheth

  Employed Overall

  1979

  4,075

  240

  26,743

  1987

  4,941

  290

  30,315

  1992

  3,717

  438

  24,644

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will obtain for his departmental library a subscription to "Renew: the Independent Journal on Renewable Energy", produced by the Network for Alternative Technology and Technology Assessment.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Department has a subscription to "Renew", which is published by the Network for Alternative Technology and Technology Assessment.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the report, "Energy Efficiency and Renewables; Recent Experience on Mainland Europe", prepared by David Olivier for Energy Advisory Associates.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  A copy of this report was ordered by the library of the Department of Energy on 4 February.

  Nuclear Materials Convention
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has any plans to seek a strengthening of the convention on the physical protection of nuclear materials 1980.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I have nothing further to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Member on 20 January 1992, at column 7.

DEFENCE

  Headquarter Contracts
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the total amounts paid by his Department in respect of headquarter contracts to United Kingdom-based contracts in each of the three years to 31 March 1991.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Ministry of Defence paid the following total amounts to United Kingdom-based contractors for the financial years 1988–89 to 1990–91:
  401

  £ million

  1988–89

  7,776·38

  1989–90

  8,232·57

  1990–91

  9,132·48

  Centrally held records do not differentiate between payments made under headquarters contracts and other types of payments. The precise information requested could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the precise amounts paid to each of the 10 contractors which received the largest shares of headquarter contracts awarded by his Department in each of the three years to 31 March 1991.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The 10 contractors that received the largest payments from my Department in each of the years specified were:

  £ million

  1988–89

  British Aerospace plc

  1,085·94

  The General Electric Co. plc

  902·04

  Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Consortium plc

  409·31

  Rolls-Royce plc

  329·20

  The Plessey Co. plc

  308·74

  Devonport Management Ltd.

  236·79

  Ferranti plc

  209·71

  Thorn EMI plc

  157·95

  FKI Babcock plc

  151·08

  GKN plc

  131·88

  1989–90

  BAe plc

  926·39

  GEC plc

  785·43

  VSEL Consortium plc

  561·88

  Rolls-Royce plc

  319·73

  Devonport Management plc

  277·22

  Plessey plc

  248·44

  Ferranti International plc

  220·96

  FKI Babcock plc

  171·54

  Thorn EMI plc

  163·11

  Westland Group plc

  138·30

  1990–91

  BAe plc

  996·29

  GEC plc

  799·92

  VSEL Consortium plc

  591·35

  Rolls-Royce plc

  399·86

  The Weir Group plc

  293·36

  GEC Siemens plc

  246·13

  Ferranti International plc

  198·05

  Babcock International Group plc

  183·90

  Thorn EMI plc

  165·67

  Vickers plc

  154·48

  The proportion of these sums represented by headquarters contracts could only be identified at disproportionate cost.

  Low Flying (Compensation)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid out by his Department in respect of compensation to farmers and landowners for loss or injury to animals caused by low-flying aircraft in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The information is not immediately available in the form requested. As at November 1991 the cumulative amount of compensation 402
  paid in respect of livestock losses resulting from military low flying activity, for the last three financial years 1988 to 1991 was £569,313. Our information does not identify claimants by occupation.

  Defence Research Agency
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the employment implications, in terms of jobs lost, gross and net, of the decision to merge the quality assurance laboratory at Woolwich with the Defence Research Agency near Farnborough and to close the outstations at Bromley, Bridgwater and Manchester; and if he will give details for each of the locations separately.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I will write to the right hon. Member.

  Hunt Transport
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 February,Official Report, columns 213-14 what elements of the costs of transporting horses and riders to hunting meets are met from public funds.

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

  Trident
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what long-lead items for the fourth Trident submarine are under construction; how much money has been spent on them; and under what parliamentary vote the money has been committed.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Construction of steelwork and engineering items, including hull units, sub-frames, bulkheads and pumps has started under long lead funding arrangements. Expenditure to December 1991 was £138 million. Submarine construction is appropriated to Ministry of Defence vote 2F.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Mink
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on how many occasions in 1990 and 1991 his inspectors supervised, examined or monitored the slaughter of factory farm mink by injection or gassing;

  (2) if he will outline the methods of gassing used to kill mink observed by his inspectors during visits to fur factory farms in 1990 and 1991.

  Mr. Maclean
  Officers of the State Veterinary Service observed the slaughter of mink, by gassing, on four occasions in England in 1990. The methods observed involved euthanasia by carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of research carried out by his Department to ensure that the method of gassing used to kill mink on Britain's fur factory farms is humane.
  403
  Mr. Maclean
  This Department has carried out no specific research into the gassing of mink. Research and obervations in other countries have concluded that gassing by carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide as practised in Britain is humane.

  Premium Schemes
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the amount paid out in(a) the sheep variable premium scheme and (b) the beef premium scheme at each auction market in the financial year 1991–92.

  Mr. Gummer
  This is an operational matter for the Intervention Board executive agency whose chief executive will write to the hon. Member about the information requested.

  Farm Income
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the percentage change in farming incomes in the United Kingdom after taking inflation into account in each year since 1986–87.

  Mr. Curry
  Details of farming incomes have recently been published in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom: 1991", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Indices of the aggregate income from farming in real terms are contained in table 6.4 and indices of average net farm income in real terms by type of farm are shown in the lower part of table 8.1.

  Pollution Control
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce a grant for farmers for separating clean from dirty water similar to the grant already available for pollution control measures.

  Mr. Curry
  The European Community regulations on farm capital grants set a maximum rate of 35 per cent. for grants on pollution control equipment. Because we target our aid on the main items and do not cover ancillary equipment, such as clean water separation, we have persuaded the Commission to allow us to pay grant at the exceptionally high rate of 50 per cent. If we were to widen the scope of these grants we would have to match this by offsetting cuts in the grant rate.

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the planned expansion of environmentally sensitive areas.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Boscawen) on 6 February.

  Lake District
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the number of farmers eligible for the environmentally sensitive areas scheme in the Lake District national park, living in 404
  parishes which are entirely within the park and within South Lakeland district council, giving both the number of parishes concerned and the number of parishes omitted from the calculation owing to their being only partly within the park.

  Mr. Curry
  The precise area to be covered by the new Lake District environmentally sensitive area has not yet been decided. Proposals will be issued for consultation shortly.

  Fishing Quotas
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends taking to prevent Dutch flag ships from increasing their share of plaice, cod and sole quotas from 1 January 1993 onwards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  As a result of the European Court ruling given in the Factortame case last year, non-British EC nationals may register fishing vessels in the United Kingdom provided those vessels are to be operated, managed and controlled from here. Such vessels are subject to United Kingdom licensing and quota management rules, but any restriction on grounds of nationality would be discriminatory and contrary to Community law.

  Multi-annual Guidance Programme
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress the United Kingdom is making with fleet reductions under the multi-annual guidance programme; and when individuals in fleets such as those at Lowestoft can expect to be eligible for new build grants.

  Mr. Curry
  The payment of construction grants is dependent on member states meeting their multi-annual guidance programme targets. The United Kingdom did not meet its end 1991 target and 1992 to 1996 targets have not yet been promulgated.

  Divisional Offices (Exeter and Truro)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he received the study relating to the future of his Ministry's Exeter and Truro divisional offices; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The study was completed shortly after Christmas, but detailed consideration of its findings did not begin until after my right hon. Friend the Minister met hon. Members from Cornwall in mid-January.

SCOTLAND

  Rent Arrears
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide, in relation to rent arrears for each district and islands council in Scotland for 1985–86 and each succeeding year for which the information is available(a) the number of tenants in arrears and this figure as a percentage of all local authority tenants, (b) the average and total amounts due and (c) the total amount as a percentage of local authorities' revenue from rents.
  405
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 28 January 1992]: The available information is shown in the following tables, which should be read in conjunction with the following notes:

  (1) Information on local authority rent arrears relates to the amounts outstanding on a particular date rather than to financial years.

  (2) Until 1988, rent arrears information was collected from local authorities on the basis of the position at 30 September. Thereafter, it has been collected on the basis of the position at 31 March. No information on rent arrears on any date in 1989 was collected.

  (3) Column 1 in the tables shows the number of local authority tenants who were in arrears of rent on the relevant date shown at the head of the table.

  (4) Column 2 in the tables shows for each local authority the number of tenants in arrears expressed as a percentage of the total number of tenants of that authority.

  (5) Column 3 in the tables shows the average arrears per tenant (in £) of those tenants in arrears.

  (6) Column 4 in the tables shows the total amount of arrears outstanding (in £ million) for each authority on the relevant date shown at the head of the table.

  (7) Column 5 expresses the corresponding figure shown in column 4 as a percentage of the standard rental income for the financial year in which the relevant date at the head of the table occurs.

  30 September 1985

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Berwickshire

  575

  22·1

  75

  0·043

  2·3

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  851

  19·4

  34

  0·029

  1·0

  Roxburgh

  2,374

  40·5

  68

  0·162

  3·6

  Tweeddale

  330

  22·0

  59

  0·020

  2·2

  Clackmannan

  3,226

  35·3

  53

  0·170

  3·0

  Falkirk

  12,859

  41·1

  47

  0·605

  3·2

  Stirling

  5,959

  47·2

  61

  0·363

  4·7

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1,291

  25·4

  70

  0·090

  2·5

  Nithsdale

  2,730

  34·2

  51

  0·138

  2·9

  Stewartry

  673

  27·8

  25

  0·017

  1·0

  Wigtown

  721

  16·0

  93

  0·067

  1·8

  Dunfermline

  6,739

  33·0

  69

  0·467

  3·6

  Kirkcaldy

  9,380

  38·4

  41

  0·382

  2·4

  North East Fife

  1,661

  22·7

  38

  0·064

  1·3

  Aberdeen

  5,746

  15·2

  99

  0·569

  2·6

  Banff and Buchan

  2,923

  24·1

  67

  0·195

  2·2

  Gordon

  789

  14·3

  49

  0·038

  1·0

  Kincardine and Deeside

  317

  9·3

  81

  0·026

  1·1

  Moray

  1,859

  17·5

  22

  0·042

  0·6

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  271

  24·3

  44

  0·012

  1·5

  Caithness

  960

  24·5

  27

  0·026

  1·0

  Inverness

  2,525

  37·5

  54

  0·137

  2·9

  Lochaber

  1,511

  46·6

  58

  0·088

  3·9

  Nairn

  223

  21·0

  23

  0·005

  0·7

  Ross and Cromarty

  2,882

  46·6

  74

  0·214

  5·2

  Skye and Lochalsh

  108

  14·5

  229

  0·025

  4·3

  Sutherland

  396

  23·4

  36

  0·014

  1·3

  East Lothian

  4,205

  28·1

  51

  0·214

  2·3

  Edinburgh

  16,332

  31·2

  61

  0·993

  2·8

  Midlothian

  4,710

  40·1

  52

  0·244

  3·4

  West Lothian

  6,495

  30·6

  23

  0·151

  1·1

  Argyll and Bute

  2,591

  31·7

  25

  0·065

  1·0

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  576

  32·1

  53

  0·030

  2·7

  Clydebank

  5,273

  45·1

  98

  0·517

  7·0

  Clydesdale

  1,840

  19·2

  40

  0·074

  1·2

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  2,281

  52·9

  173

  0·394

  13·8

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  3,370

  33·4

  80

  0·269

  4·6

  406

  30 September 1985

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Cunninghame

  5,000

  22·1

  34

  0·170

  1·6

  Dumbarton

  5,521

  43·5

  88

  0·486

  7·8

  East Kilbride

  578

  39·5

  61

  0·036

  3·5

  Eastwood

  193

  10·5

  132

  0·025

  2·4

  Glasgow

  69,126

  41·1

  84

  5·814

  6·3

  Hamilton

  7,988

  35·2

  67

  0·538

  4·2

  Inverclyde

  4,905

  25·7

  52

  0·254

  2·3

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  4,530

  26·3

  25

  0·113

  1·2

  Kyle and Carrick

  3,882

  22·1

  49

  0·190

  1·7

  Monklands

  7,126

  25·2

  83

  0·595

  3·6

  Motherwell

  17,611

  44·9

  42

  0·743

  3·2

  Renfrew

  10,770

  28·3

  43

  0·463

  2·4

  Strathkelvin

  4,554

  44·0

  103

  0·469

  7·4

  Angus

  3,143

  23·5

  30

  0·094

  1·1

  Dundee

  13,259

  33·4

  37

  0·488

  2·4

  Perth and Kinross

  4,119

  27·5

  32

  0·133

  1·4

  Orkney Islands

  787

  53·6

  43

  0·034

  3·4

  Shetland Islands

  1,080

  41·0

  88

  0·095

  4·8

  Western Isles

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1 Rent arrears figures not available.

  30 September 1986

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Berwickshire

  475

  18·4

  91

  0·043

  2·2

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  863

  20·2

  34

  0·029

  1·0

  Roxburgh

  2,381

  41·5

  73

  0·173

  3·5

  Tweeddale

  282

  19·1

  45

  0·013

  1·3

  Clackmannan

  3,900

  43·0

  95

  0·369

  6·0

  Falkirk

  10,417

  33·7

  47

  0·491

  2·4

  Stirling

  5,252

  42·3

  80

  0·419

  4·7

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1,331

  26·5

  76

  0·102

  2·6

  Nithsdale

  2,339

  29·9

  55

  0·129

  2·4

  Stewartry

  666

  27·8

  27

  0·018

  0·9

  Wigtown

  687

  15·6

  95

  0·065

  1·7

  Dunfermline

  6,914

  34·1

  66

  0·457

  3·3

  Kirkcaldy

  9,289

  39·9

  45

  0·420

  2·4

  North East Fife

  1,457

  20·7

  63

  0·092

  1·6

  Aberdeen

  6,472

  17·2

  100

  0·646

  2·6

  Banff and Buchan

  3,515

  29·4

  78

  0·274

  2·9

  Gordon

  820

  15·0

  58

  0·047

  1·1

  Kincardine and Deeside

  381

  10·9

  84

  0·032

  1·3

  Moray

  2,128

  20·4

  23

  0·049

  0·6

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  198

  18·0

  32

  0·006

  0·7

  Caithness

  1,037

  26·6

  36

  0·037

  1·3

  Inverness

  2,082

  30·9

  55

  0·115

  2·3

  Lochaber

  405

  13·2

  157

  0·064

  2·6

  Nairn

  261

  24·3

  23

  0·006

  0·7

  Ross and Cromarty

  3,045

  49·6

  49

  0·151

  3·2

  Skye and Lochalsh

  78

  9·9

  466

  0·036

  5·3

  Sutherland

  394

  23·2

  44

  0·017

  1·4

  East Lothian

  4,214

  28·5

  49

  0·206

  2·0

  Edinburgh

  15,946

  31·1

  65

  1·039

  3·0

  Midlothian

  4,936

  42·8

  50

  0·246

  3·2

  West Lothian

  6,400

  30·6

  25

  0·159

  1·1

  Argyll and Bute

  2,786

  34·6

  39

  0·109

  1·7

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  569

  32·2

  65

  0·037

  2·8

  Clydebank

  5,213

  45·1

  93

  0·482

  5·3

  Clydesdale

  2,001

  21·0

  48

  0·095

  1·5

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  2,358

  55·7

  199

  0·468

  14·3

  407

  30 September 1986

  Column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  3,057

  30·9

  84

  0·256

  4·1

  Cunninghame

  5,500

  24·5

  35

  0·190

  1·6

  Dumbarton

  7,101

  56·3

  76

  0·542

  7·0

  East Kilbride

  441

  31·0

  77

  0·034

  3·0

  Eastwood

  204

  11·1

  146

  0·030

  2·6

  Glasgow

  82,239

  49·2

  103

  8·486

  7·8

  Hamilton

  8,284

  36·8

  44

  0·362

  2·4

  Inverclyde

  4,973

  26·7

  70

  0·350

  2·9

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  4,530

  26·7

  60

  0·271

  2·5

  Kyle and Carrick

  4,086

  23·8

  46

  0·187

  1·6

  Monklands

  15,421

  54·8

  48

  0·733

  3·6

  Motherwell

  15,781

  40·8

  37

  0·589

  2·4

  Renfrew

  11,322

  30·2

  54

  0·606

  2·7

  Strathkelvin

  5,206

  50·3

  71

  0·369

  4·8

  Angus

  3,150

  24·0

  35

  0·111

  1·2

  Dundee

  14,824

  37·9

  62

  0·921

  3·9

  Perth and Kinross

  4,566

  30·7

  24

  0·108

  1·1

  Orkney Islands

  680

  46·0

  59

  0·040

  3·6

  Shetland Islands

  1,304

  50·2

  93

  0·121

  5·9

  Western Isles

  1,700

  70·2

  304

  0·517

  24·0

  30 September 1987

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Berwickshire

  490

  19·5

  83

  0·041

  2·0

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  865

  20·9

  34

  0·030

  1·0

  Roxburgh

  2,075

  37·2

  77

  0·159

  3·2

  Tweeddale

  282

  19·5

  35

  0·010

  1·0

  Clackmannan

  4,218

  47·7

  119

  0·501

  7·5

  Falkirk

  9,299

  30·6

  51

  0·477

  2·2

  Stirling

  5,100

  41·9

  91

  0·467

  4·0

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1,235

  24·9

  81

  0·100

  2·4

  Nithsdale

  2,483

  32·6

  51

  0·127

  2·3

  Stewartry

  701

  29·8

  39

  0·028

  1·4

  Wigtown

  459

  10·5

  217

  0·099

  2·6

  Dunfermline

  6,865

  34·8

  67

  0·460

  3·0

  Kirkcaldy

  8,058

  34·3

  57

  0·462

  2·5

  North East Fife

  1,449

  21·3

  47

  0·068

  1·1

  Aberdeen

  8.672

  23·3

  93

  0·803

  2·8

  Banff and Buchan

  3,786

  32·4

  67

  0·254

  2·7

  Gordon

  941

  17·5

  69

  0·065

  1·5

  Kincardine and Deeside

  421

  12·1

  94

  0·040

  1·5

  Moray

  2,066

  20·2

  24

  0·049

  0·6

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  203

  18·8

  63

  0·013

  1·5

  Caithness

  983

  25·4

  38

  0·038

  1·3

  Inverness

  2,216

  33·1

  65

  0·143

  2·5

  Lochaber

  363

  11·9

  119

  0·043

  1·7

  Nairn

  267

  25·0

  28

  0·007

  0·8

  Ross and Cromarty

  2,916

  47·6

  59

  0·171

  3·4

  Skye and Lochalsh

  122

  15·6

  315

  0·038

  5·5

  Sutherland

  554

  32·4

  31

  0·017

  1·3

  East Lothian

  4,738

  32·6

  49

  0·231

  2·1

  Edinburgh

  15,586

  30·7

  74

  1·148

  2·8

  Midlothian

  5,686

  50·2

  43

  0·247

  3·1

  West Lothian

  6,640

  32·4

  25

  0·164

  1·1

  Argyll and Bute

  2,576

  32·5

  29

  0·074

  1·1

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  581

  32·9

  73

  0·042

  2·8

  Clydebank

  3,526

  31·0

  129

  0·456

  4·5

  Clydesdale

  2,125

  22·6

  55

  0·117

  1·7

  408

  30 September 1987

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  2,148

  51·9

  250

  0·537

  15·2

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  3,802

  39·0

  82

  0·312

  4·5

  Cunninghame

  5,680

  25·7

  45

  0·257

  1·7

  Dumbarton

  4,768

  38·4

  88

  0·422

  4·4

  East Kilbride

  559

  41·0

  58

  0·032

  2·7

  Eastwood

  217

  12·2

  162

  0·035

  3·0

  Glasgow

  62,099

  37·4

  154

  9·550

  7·6

  Hamilton

  7,629

  34·5

  56

  0·429

  2·5

  Inverclyde

  4,830

  26·9

  55

  0·265

  2·1

  Kilmarnick and Loudoun

  4,724

  28·3

  40

  0·190

  1·6

  Kyle and Carrick

  4,452

  26·6

  49

  0·220

  1·8

  Monklands

  14,734

  53·0

  46

  0·672

  3·0

  Motherwell

  15,760

  41·1

  59

  0·935

  3·3

  Renfrew

  11,141

  30·1

  69

  0·767

  3·1

  Strathkelvin

  5,362

  53·9

  135

  0·724

  9·1

  Angus

  3,628

  28·0

  27

  0·099

  1·0

  Dundee

  14,807

  38·4

  75

  1·113

  4·1

  Perth and Kinross

  3,788

  25·8

  29

  0·111

  1·1

  Orkney Islands

  629

  43·4

  81

  0·051

  4·3

  Shetland Islands

  796

  30·7

  116

  0·093

  4·3

  Western Isles

  1,695

  69·6

  260

  0·441

  19·8

  30 September 1988

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Berwickshire

  541

  22·0

  101

  0·055

  2·5

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  1,087

  27·1

  37

  0·041

  1·3

  Roxburgh

  1,842

  34·0

  55

  0·101

  2·0

  Tweeddale

  430

  29·5

  37

  0·016

  1·5

  Clackmannan

  4,873

  56·8

  164

  0·801

  11·1

  Falkirk

  6,242

  21·2

  107

  0·668

  2·9

  Stirling

  5,994

  50·7

  106

  0·636

  6·4

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1,260

  26·1

  97

  0·122

  2·7

  Nithsdale

  3,247

  44·1

  99

  0·323

  5·5

  Stewartry

  908

  39·4

  34

  0·031

  1·4

  Wigtown

  1,112

  26·1

  156

  0·173

  4·5

  Dunfermline

  8,354

  43·6

  80

  0·670

  4·0

  Kirkcaldy

  8,821

  39·1

  79

  0·699

  3·5

  North East Fife

  1,913

  29·2

  62

  0·118

  1·9

  Aberdeen

  11,037

  29·9

  104

  1·144

  3·7

  Banff and Buchan

  3,842

  33·5

  72

  0·277

  2·7

  Gordon

  926

  17·0

  82

  0·076

  1·7

  Kincardine and Deeside

  560

  15·8

  87

  0·049

  1·8

  Moray

  2,809

  28·0

  38

  0·106

  1·2

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  260

  24·9

  69

  0·018

  1·9

  Caithness

  1,363

  36·1

  80

  0·110

  3·4

  Inverness

  4,000

  60·3

  103

  0·411

  6·7

  Lochaber

  421

  14·5

  127

  0·053

  2·1

  Nairn

  360

  33·7

  114

  0·041

  4·6

  Ross and Cromarty

  3,760

  61·9

  71

  0·268

  4·8

  Skye and Lochalsh

  152

  19·7

  180

  0·027

  3·8

  Sutherland

  482

  28·0

  61

  0·029

  2·1

  East Lothian

  6,399

  46·0

  65

  0·417

  3·5

  Edinburgh

  22,788

  46·1

  75

  1,709

  3·9

  Midlothian

  4,654

  42·8

  60

  0·280

  3·4

  West Lothian

  8,412

  42·1

  28

  0·239

  1·5

  Argyll and Bute

  3,823

  48·7

  44

  0·168

  2·4

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  725

  42·2

  174

  0·126

  7·9

  Clydebank

  7,047

  63·9

  223

  1·568

  14·4

  409

  30 September 1988

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Clydesdale

  2,870

  31·1

  67

  0·191

  2·6

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  2,064

  51·2

  217

  0·447

  11·9

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  4,516

  47·7

  87

  0·391

  5·4

  Cunninghame

  2,665

  12·5

  114

  0·304

  1·9

  Dumbarton

  4,515

  37·4

  99

  0·445

  3·9

  East Kilbride

  531

  40·5

  75

  0·040

  3·4

  Eastwood

  341

  19·7

  112

  0·038

  3·1

  Glasgow

  68,604

  42·7

  149

  10·241

  7·1

  Hamilton

  8,033

  37·3

  61

  0·487

  2·8

  Inverclyde

  6,374

  35·5

  50

  0·318

  2·4

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  4,798

  29·5

  45

  0·214

  1·7

  Kyle and Carrick

  6,205

  38·8

  54

  0·333

  2·6

  Monklands

  21,227

  77·9

  45

  0·959

  4·0

  Motherwell

  20,335

  55·0

  52

  1·064

  3·7

  Renfrew

  14,851

  40·9

  83

  1·227

  4·7

  Strathkelvin

  1,871

  19·7

  246

  0·460

  5·4

  Angus

  3,539

  27·9

  33

  0·118

  1·2

  Dundee

  18,500

  48·9

  55

  1·019

  3·0

  Perth and Kinross

  5,649

  39·4

  33

  0·189

  1·7

  Orkney Islands

  647

  46·0

  89

  0·058

  4·6

  Shetland Islands

  843

  32·7

  133

  0·112

  4·6

  Western Isles

  900

  37·3

  330

  0·297

  12·5

  31 March 1990

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Berwickshire

  497

  21·3

  88

  0·044

  2·0

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  680

  17·9

  67

  0·045

  1·5

  Roxburgh

  677

  13·2

  103

  0·070

  1·3

  Tweeddale

  542

  39·1

  49

  0·026

  2·6

  Clackmannan

  2,902

  36·0

  176

  0·512

  6·3

  Falkirk

  8,000

  29·4

  114

  0·911

  3·7

  Stirling

  5,834

  52·7

  152

  0·888

  8·2

  Annandale and Eskdale

  605

  13·2

  218

  0·132

  2·8

  Nithsdale

  2,800

  40·9

  129

  0·362

  5·9

  Stewartry

  964

  43·6

  48

  0·046

  2·0

  Wigtown

  302

  7·3

  465

  0·140

  3·5

  Dunfermline

  7,774

  43·7

  87

  0·678

  4·0

  Kirkcaldy

  7,941

  36·3

  111

  0·880

  4·1

  North East Fife

  1,625

  27·3

  133

  0·216

  3·3

  Aberdeen

  8,557

  23·8

  195

  1·670

  4·9

  Banff and Buchan

  2,993

  27·2

  62

  0·185

  1·7

  Gordon

  674

  12·3

  88

  0·060

  1·2

  Kincardine and Deeside

  504

  14·3

  111

  0·056

  2·0

  Moray

  1,602

  16·8

  84

  0·135

  1·4

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  179

  17·8

  95

  0·017

  1·9

  Caithness

  1,254

  33·7

  62

  0·077

  2·2

  Inverness

  2,017

  31·7

  211

  0·425

  6·3

  Lochaber

  307

  11·5

  186

  0·057

  2·1

  Nairn

  166

  15·7

  106

  0·018

  1·6

  Ross and Cromarty

  2,904

  48·8

  61

  0·177

  2·9

  Skye and Lochalsh

  300

  36·9

  163

  0·049

  6·1

  Sutherland

  229

  13·5

  54

  0·012

  0·8

  East Lothian

  5,911

  45·6

  107

  0·631

  5·1

  Edinburgh

  14,600

  32·5

  137

  1·996

  3·9

  Midlothian

  3,257

  32·4

  74

  0·241

  2·9

  West Lothian

  3,433

  18·3

  109

  0·375

  2·2

  Argyll and Bute

  2,093

  27·6

  61

  0·127

  1·7

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  693

  41·8

  119

  0·082

  4·8

  410

  31 March 1990

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Clydebank

  7,815

  77·3

  93

  0·730

  5·9

  Clydesdale

  3,391

  39·2

  101

  0·342

  4·3

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  1,707

  44·8

  173

  0·295

  7·5

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  3,270

  36·2

  111

  0·362

  4·7

  Cunninghame

  7,443

  37·4

  89

  0·661

  3·8

  Dumbarton

  5,115

  47·2

  125

  0·639

  5·3

  East Kilbride

  224

  19·0

  188

  0·042

  3·4

  Eastwood

  203

  12·1

  158

  0·032

  2·4

  Glasgow

  78,568

  51·5

  147

  11·558

  6·8

  Hamilton

  7,250

  36·1

  90

  0·650

  3·4

  Inverclyde

  5,692

  32·4

  65

  0·368

  2·4

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  5,057

  33·7

  62

  0·314

  2·4

  Kyle and Carrick

  3,910

  25·6

  107

  0·418

  3·0

  Monklands

  6,435

  25·1

  142

  0·917

  3·6

  Motherwell

  15,047

  42·7

  84

  1·267

  4·0

  Renfrew

  10,150

  31·0

  187

  1·898

  6·6

  Strathkelvin

  1,501

  17·0

  411

  0·617

  7·3

  Angus

  1,394

  11·4

  72

  0·100

  1·0

  Dundee

  15,102

  43·4

  71

  1·079

  2·7

  Perth and Kinross

  3,917

  29·2

  34

  0·132

  1·2

  Orkney Islands

  424

  31·4

  140

  0·060

  4·1

  Shetland Islands

  818

  32·2

  200

  0·164

  6·5

  Western Isles

  837

  35·3

  343

  0·287

  11·8

  31 March 1991

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Berwickshire

  546

  24·0

  83

  0·045

  2·0

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  959

  25·9

  59

  0·057

  1·8

  Roxburgh

  435

  8·7

  87

  0·038

  0·7

  Tweeddale

  428

  31·6

  56

  0·024

  2·2

  Clackmannan

  3,005

  39·7

  187

  0·562

  6·4

  Falkirk

  10,525

  40·4

  91

  0·963

  3·7

  Stirling

  3,800

  35·7

  267

  1·016

  8·8

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1,120

  24·9

  105

  0·118

  2·3

  Nithsdale

  2,148

  32·2

  161

  0·345

  5·2

  Stewarty

  788

  36·0

  68

  0·054

  2·3

  Wigtown

  675

  16·8

  250

  0·169

  4·2

  Dunfermline

  6,621

  39·0

  94

  0·622

  3·5

  Kirkcaldy

  8·463

  39·3

  95

  0·806

  3·6

  North East Fife

  1,571

  27·1

  99

  0·155

  2·4

  Aberdeen

  8,941

  25·4

  165

  1,472

  4·1

  Banff and Buchan

  4,517

  42·0

  64

  0·287

  2·5

  Gordon

  573

  10·6

  130

  0·074

  1·4

  Kincardine and Deeside

  646

  18·3

  95

  0·061

  2·0

  Moray

  1,601

  17·2

  68

  0·108

  1·1

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  215

  21·7

  124

  0·027

  3·2

  Caithness

  1,573

  42·7

  54

  0·084

  2·2

  Inverness

  1,881

  30·2

  71

  0·133

  1·9

  Lochaber

  381

  14·8

  195

  0·074

  2·6

  Nairn

  147

  14·0

  94

  0·014

  1·3

  Ross and Cromarty

  2,832

  48·2

  60

  0·170

  2·6

  Skye and Lochalsh

  151

  18·3

  150

  0·023

  2·5

  Sutherland

  236

  13·7

  63

  0·015

  0·8

  East Lochalsh

  5,451

  43·6

  123

  0·668

  5·1

  Edinburgh

  14,225

  33·7

  173

  2·465

  4·4

  Midlothian

  4,149

  43·1

  59

  0·245

  3·0

  West Lothian

  3,400

  18·9

  139

  0·471

  2·8

  Argyll and Bute

  2,595

  35·1

  58

  0·151

  1·8

  411

  31 March 1991

  column 1

  column 2

  column 3

  column 4

  column 5

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  603

  37·6

  139

  0·084

  4·5

  Clydebank

  4,986

  52·8

  164

  0·816

  6·3

  Clydesdale

  2,550

  30·3

  143

  0·365

  4·4

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  2,132

  57·0

  169

  0·359

  9·0

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  3,659

  41·3

  107

  0·391

  4·8

  Cunninghame

  6,547

  34·0

  84

  0·550

  2·9

  Dumbarton

  5,488

  52·2

  109

  0·600

  4·5

  East Kilbride

  1,122

  100·3

  46

  0·052

  4·0

  Eastwood

  237

  14·3

  138

  0·033

  2·3

  Glasgow

  80,687

  54·9

  154

  12·434

  6·7

  Hamilton

  7,150

  37·3

  100

  0·718

  3·7

  Inverclyde

  5,739

  33·4

  137

  0·787

  4·5

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  3,484

  24·1

  77

  0·270

  2·0

  Kyle and Carrick

  4,001

  27·9

  131

  0·523

  3·7

  Monklands

  6,443

  26·1

  143

  0·919

  3·5

  Motherwell

  15,524

  45·2

  66

  1·021

  3·0

  Renfrew

  10,435

  32·5

  212

  2·210

  7·0

  Strathkelvin

  2,838

  33·2

  238

  0·675

  7·6

  Angus

  1,373

  11·5

  78

  0·107

  1·0

  Dundee

  12,831

  39·5

  97

  1·247

  2·8

  Perth and Kinross

  3,611

  28·0

  45

  0·161

  1·3

  Orkney Islands

  389

  29·5

  170

  0·066

  4·2

  Shetland Islands

  887

  34·9

  196

  0·174

  6·5

  Western Isles

  1,281

  54·2

  288

  0·368

  13·7

  Condensation and Dampness
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money his Department is making available to local housing authorities in Scotland to deal specifically with problems of condensation and dampness in council housing stock; what is his assessment of the extent of this problem in Scotland; and the prospects for achieving a solution.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: The gross provisional housing capital allocations to local authorities for 1992–93 total £412 million for expenditure on the housing revenue account

  Scotland, 1980 to 1990

  Police Force

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Northern

  1

  3

  6

  7

  12

  7

  5

  10

  1

  7

  9

  Grampian

  21

  13

  13

  20

  10

  24

  22

  16

  7

  4

  15

  Tayside

  7

  19

  18

  15

  11

  14

  14

  17

  3

  4

  10

  Fife

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  10

  10

  7

  6

  1

  4

  Lothian and Borders

  45

  44

  38

  44

  46

  109

  86

  65

  32

  44

  66

  Central

  3

  6

  5

  4

  2

  6

  6

  7

  6

  4

  10

  Strathclyde

  204

  241

  200

  262

  228

  265

  239

  243

  224

  154

  213

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1

  2

  1

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  SCOTLAND

  282

  328

  281

  352

  311

  436

  382

  365

  280

  219

  327

  Notes:

  1. Assaults include the categories homicide, attempted murder, serious assault, sexual assault and petty assault.

  2. Firearms include imitation firearms and crossbows.

  412
  block for investment in authorities' own housing stock. Local authorities have estimated that at 31 March 1991 about 259,000 local authority houses were affected by condensation and damp. It is for local authorities to decide how best to deploy the substantial resources available to them to meet local housing needs, including the need to tackle condensation and dampness.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy towards support for small independent electricity generators who use renewable energy sources; and whether he intends to take any further steps to ensure that electricity distribution companies increase their use of renewable energy.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 31 January 1992]: The hon. Member is referring to the parliamentary answer given to the hon. Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) on 15 May 1991 at column 208-9. These arrangements have enabled a number of new small hydro projects to be brought forward for development.

  Moreover, as I told the Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy on 29 January, the Secretary of State is now putting in hand discussions with a view to implementing a Scottish renewables obligation (SRO) requiring Scottish Power and Scottish Hydro-Electric to increase the amount of electricity they purchase from renewable sources. The form and size of the order have yet to be determined, but the intention is to make a series of orders over a period of years. Any SRO will have clearly defined objectives which will take fully into account the Scottish context within which it will operate.

  Armed Assaults
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each police force in Scotland the number of armed assaults for each year since 1980.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 7 February 1992]: Information on assaults involving weapons other than firearms is not collected centrally. The number of assaults in which a firearm was alleged to have been used by police force area is given in the following table.

  Imitation Firearms
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the latest figures he has on the number of armed robberies in which imitation guns were used.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 31 January 1992]: This information is contained in table 4 of the Scottish Office statistical bulletin CRJ/1991/2 "Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland 1990", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to curb the sale of imitation guns; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 31 January 1992]: The firearms consultative committee has recently considered this matter and has put recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. These recommendations include extending the range of offences relating to the misuse of firearms and ensuring that in future the packaging of such weapons carries a warning about offences and penalties relating to their use. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is looking afresh at the law regarding replicas in the light of the recommendations put to him by the committee.

  Punt-Gunning
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many black powder licences were issued in each of the last three years for the purpose of punt-gunning.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: This information is not available; punt-gunning is not common in Scotland.

  Road Construction
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average cost of building a mile of(a) dual carriageway and (b) motorway at current prices; and what moneys he has allocated to current (i) dual carriageway and (ii) motorway construction in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 7 February 1992]: The average total estimated cost per mile of schemes currently under construction or completed in the last six years at 1991–92 prices is detailed, by category, together with the relevant predicted expenditure in 1991–92. It should be noted that cost of building can vary widely depending on the nature of the terrain through which a road passes, bridgeworks and other structures required etc.

  £ million

  Classification

  Average cost per mile

  1991–92 predicted expenditure

  Dual carriageway

  3·3

  1·5

  Dual 2 lane motorway (rural)

  7·0

  7·3

  Dual 3 lane motorway (rural)

  8·0

  49·3

  AIDS
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many non-haemophiliacs in Scotland who have contracted HIV as a result of national health service blood/tissue transfers(a) remain alive, (b) have developed AIDS and remain alive and (c) have developed AIDS and have died.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 7 February 1992]: There have been 12 reported cases of HIV infected persons in Scotland as a result of blood or tissue transfers from NHS sources. Of these 12, six have progressed to AIDS and three of these have died.

  Foresterhill Hospital
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what authority the chairman of Foresterhill hospital NHS trust may intervene in the management of the hospital laundry on the Foresterhill site prior to 1 April.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: The Foresterhill NHS trust was established in January and becomes operational on 1 April. Whilst the trust board has no current day-to-day responsibility for the running of the hospitals it clearly makes sense for there to be close liaison between Grampian health board and the trust board on issues which are likely to have a bearing on matters which will affect the trust after April.

  Health Boards (Financing)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial allocations he has made to health boards for 1992–93.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. Friend has allocated £2,709·2 million to health boards to meet their expenditure commitment on hospital and community health services in 1992–93. The figure includes £2,480·5 million to meet gross recurrent expenditure commitments—£2,451·6 million net—and £228·7 million to meet gross capital expenditure commitments. In addition the Common Services Agency has been allocated £135·9 million.

  The allocation taken with health boards' own cash-releasing efficiency savings gives an increase in available resources of 10·04 per cent. and 10·06 per cent. for the Common Services Agency. It amounts to an extra £230·4 million for health boards in Scotland.

  The revenue resources have been made available to health boards as purchasers of services and they will negotiate contracts with provider units for the services which their resident population needs.

  The gross capital amount available to boards and trusts represents a 7·7 per cent. increase over 1991–92. Within this amount capital allocations to health boards will continue the high level of investment in recent years in health building projects and the existing estate. Every board will have the resources to begin at least one new building project in some cases many more. Substantial investment will be made in major hospital projects now under construction including the Royal Cornhill hospital in Grampian, the Perth royal infirmary, Tayside, the

  415
  Western Isles hospital in Stornoway, the West Fife district general hospital phase 2 in Dunfermline, the spinal injuries unit at the Southern general hospital, Glasgow and Udston hospital in Lanarkshire. It will also provide the resources to progress new hospital developments at Oban, Campbeltown, Elgin, Peterhead and Crieff, a new maternity unit for Glasgow, a new acute hospital for South Lanarkshire, the redevelopment for Hairmyres hospital in Lanarkshire, the acquisition of a site for the new teaching hospital in Edinburgh, mental health developments in Inverness and for improvements to GP surgeries in the highlands and islands. The allocations also include resources for computer development.

  Details of individual board allocations are contained in the table.

  Health Board Allocations: 1992–93

  Health Board

  HCH Revenue Allocation £000s

  HCH Capital Allocation £000s

  Argyll and Clyde

  193,176

  17,369

  Ayrshire and Arran

  152,000

  8,808

  Borders

  48,651

  2,138

  Dumfries and Galloway

  69,534

  3,141

  Fife

  143,602

  26,946

  Forth Valley

  112,385

  11,349

  416

  Health Board

  HCH Revenue Allocation £000s

  HCH Capital Allocation £000s

  Grampian

  222,328

  19,972

  Greater Glasgow

  496,421

  41,155

  Highland

  93,606

  11,161

  Lanarkshire

  213,007

  15,388

  Lothian

  356,675

  20,039

  Orkney

  9,941

  1,415

  Shetland

  11,292

  1,847

  Tayside

  211,155

  15,905

  Western Isles

  17,620

  7,210

  Scotland

  2,351,393

  203,843

  Common Services Agency

  1£135,900

  1 Revenue and Capital

  A further £136·87 million revenue and £24·857 million capital will be distributed during the year for cardiac surgery, medical and clinical audit, breast cancer screening, bridging finance and other specific initiatives. External financing limits for trusts will be announced in early February.

  HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION: RATIFICATION OF NINTH PROTOCOL
  HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION: RATIFICATION OF NINTH PROTOCOL
  BURMA: HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVES
  BURMA: HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVES
  CARRYING OF KNIVES: CONTROL MEASURES
  CARRYING OF KNIVES: CONTROL MEASURES
  TAXATION REVENUE 1980–92
  TAXATION REVENUE 1980–92
  ACCOUNTANTS: NUMBERS
  ACCOUNTANTS: NUMBERS
  NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
  NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM