Written Answers of 15 January 1992

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Takeover Panel
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will bring forward legislation to remove liability of the takeover panel and its members in defamation proceedings arising from the publication of its bona fide reports.

  The Attorney-General
  No such legislation is contemplated.

  European Court of Justice
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to expedite a decision by the European Court of Justice on the cases referred to it by the House of Lords in May 1991.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the second answer that I gave the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 13 January 1992, at column 417.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Attorney-General if he has submitted evidence on behalf of the Government to the European Court of Justice on the cases referred to it by the House of Lords in May 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the third answer that I gave the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 13 January 1992, at column 417.

  Shops Act 1950
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make it his policy to take steps to give local authorities crown immunity in order to enable them to discharge their responsibilities under section 47 of the Shops Act 1950.

  The Attorney-General
  I have no plans to take the action suggested by the hon. Member. The question whether local authorities should be obliged to give cross-undertakings in damages when seeking, by means of an interlocutory injunction, to enforce the Shops Act 1950 was recently considered by the Court of Appeal in Kirklees borough council v. Wickes Building Supplies Ltd. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on this decision because it is shortly to be appealed to the House of Lords.

TRANSPORT

  Tyres
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implications for road safety of the new regulations on tyre tread introduced on 1 January.
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  Mr. Chope
  The new tyre tread regulations requiring a tread depth of 1·6 mm over three quarters of the width for passenger cars, light vans and light trailers should improve the general condition of tyres and hence have a beneficial effect on road safety.

  A36 Bypass, West Wellow
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he will publish the collated results of the consultation survey carried out by MRM Consultants into people's preference for the route of the A36 bypass of West Wellow;

  (2) when he expects to announce the preferred route for the A36 bypass of West Wellow.

  Mr. Chope
  I hope to make a further announcement about the A36 West Wellow bypass later this year. The results of the poublic consultation will be announced at that stage.

  High-speed Rail Network
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Her Majesty's Government has responded to the proposals for a European high-speed rail network prepared by the EC working group; when they will be considered by the Transport Council in the European Community; whether the Government approve the proposals for the Belfast/Dublin/Holyhead/Crewe routes; and what are the longer-term implications for the Belfast/Larne/Stranraer/Carlisle routes.

  Mr. Freeman
  The proposals of the EC working group were interim ones. The group is doing further studies which are now expected to be ready by the end of this year. I am sending the right hon. Gentleman a copy of the joint statement made on this subject on 2 December 1991 by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and and Scotland.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether London boroughs will be required to subject their new services under the Road Traffic Act 1991 to compulsory competitive tendering from the inception of these services in 1992;

  (2) what is the proposed date of the application of compulsory competitive tendering to the new responsibilities of local authorities under the Road Traffic Act 1991.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer Tuesday 14 January 1992]: It is the Government's intention that local authorities should be required to subject their new services under the Road Traffic Act 1991 to compulsory competitive tendering. This proposal is included in the consultation paper "Competing for Quality". No decisions on timing can be taken until consultation has been completed.

ENERGY

  Land Restoration (UKAEA)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what guidance is given in the most recent programme letters to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's
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  various business groups in regard to the choice of contractors for independent evaluation of land restoration at each of the nuclear establishments operated by the authority.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The relevant programme letters between the Department of Energy and AEA Technology assume that AEA nuclear sites will ultimately be cleared to a "green-field" state allowing unrestricted use without prior knowledge of previous use of the site. The extent to which independent evaluation may be required of the work needed to achieve this condition will be assessed at the appropriate time.

  Nuclear-generated Electricity
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what policy statements have been made by Her Majesty's Government since 1987 concerning the identification by electricity companies in bills sent to consumers of the element that comprises costs from nuclear-generated electricity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Government's policy is that the costs of nuclear electricity generation, and of the requirement on the regional electricity companies to contract for non-fossil generating capacity, should be fully transparent. These objectives are achieved through, respectively, the published accounts of Nuclear Electric and the duty on the Director General of Electricity Supply to publish the rate of the fossil fuel levy. However, how the regional electricity companies structure their bills is a matter for them.

  Nuclear Industry
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has assessed the possibility of the United Kingdom nuclear reprocessors, British Nuclear Fuels plc and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority taking thermal oxide irradiated reactor fuel from countries of eastern Europe for safe management following the collapse of the organisation of the civil nuclear industry of the former Soviet Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The United Kingdom nuclear industry is offering a variety of services, on commercial terms, to potential customers both in eastern Europe and elsewhere. Any contract offered for reprocessing spent fuel would need to include options for the return of wastes.

  Safeguards Agreement
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has received from the International Atomic Energy Agency on the comprehensive safeguards agreement establishing a joint Brazilian-Argentinian agency for accounting and control of nuclear materials.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  On 7 December 1991, the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency approved the text of a safeguards agreement for the accounting of nuclear material between Argentina, Brazil, and the IAEA. On 13 December, the agreement was signed at the IAEA in Vienna by President Menem of Argentina and President Collor of Brazil. The agency has publicly reported these events.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Authority Chief Officers
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions govern the amount of the salary of chief officers of local authorities; and what information he has on the level of pay rises for chief officers for the forthcoming year.

  Mr. Key
  There are no statutory provisions governing the pay of local authority employees. In the case of most authorities, the pay of chief officers is related to a national pay spine determined by the joint negotiating committee (JNC) for chief officers of local authorities, although authorities decide for themselves the point within this context at which their chief officers' pay is set. About two dozen authorities have opted out of these national negotiations and set the pay of their chief officers locally. Salaries within the scope of the JNC were increased by 6·4 per cent. from 1 July 1991.

  Fallen Animals
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the respects in which the provisions in England and Wales for the disposal of fallen and diseased animals diverge from the standards applying in the EC for the environment with particular reference to the possible pollution of water resources through on-farm burial and how it is monitored.

  Mr. Baldry
  The disposal of fallen and diseased animals from premises used for agriculture is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The disposal of such animals from other premises must comply with the provisions in the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990. These Acts meet the requirements of EC legislation on the disposal of waste. The National Rivers Authority is a statutory consultee for waste disposal licensing and is also responsible for monitoring water pollution in England and Wales in order to ensure compliance with EC legislation.

  River Pollution, Rochdale
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he has had with the chairman of the National Rivers Authority regarding the level of pollution in the rivers and brooks in the Rochdale borough.

  Mr. Baldry
  The National Rivers Authority (NRA) has the duty to monitor pollution of watercourses and has wide powers to review discharge consents, and to prosecute those that breach their consents, or discharge pollutants without consent. It is the NRA that is responsible for taking action in individual cases. There have been no consultations with the chairman of the NRA on this case.

  Community Charge
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance was given to councils to exempt from paying the community charge residents in residential care homes, nursing homes, mental nursing homes or hostels and sheltered dwellings.
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  Mr. Key
  Paragraph 9 of schedule 1 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 provides that a person is an exempt individual on a particular day if at any time on the day he has his sole or main residence in a residential care home, nursing home, mental nursing home or hostel and is receiving care or treatment—or both—in the home or hostel. There is no exemption for residents of sheltered dwellings. A practice note prepared jointly between the Department of the Environment and the local authority associations convering the subject of exemptions was distributed to all local authorities in May 1989. A copy was placed in the Library of the House.

  Emergency Equipment
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, when implementing the EEC construction products directive interpretation document TC 2/020 "Safety in Case of Fire", he will require the independent certification of emergency equipment including emergency lighting and fire alarms to the appropriate European standard.

  Mr. Yeo
  The EC construction products directive, 89/106/EEC, has been implemented in the United Kingdom by means of the Construction Products Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991, No. 1620). These regulations came into force on 27 December last year.

  The subordinate requirements for the certification of those construction products within the scope of the directive will be established at EC level. The decisions on this will be taken by the European Commission and the Standing Committee of Member States' representatives set up under article 19 of the directive.

  The Department recognises the vital health and safety significance of construction products used to secure protection in case of fire. The line taken in EC negotiations on certification requirements will be determined in the light of negotiations with appropriate United Kingdom trade, professional and regulatory authorities.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet representatives of the construction industry to discuss the effects of the recession in industry.

  Mr. Yeo
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his Ministers are engaged in a continuing round of discussions with representatives of the construction industry.

  Gulf (Ecological Restoration)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom contribution to ecological restoration in the Gulf region in regard to(a) dugong habitats, (b) coral reef protection, (c) capping of oil wells, (d) oil pollution of the Kuwaiti desert, and (e) removal of Iraqi mines.

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Kingdom was the first and largest contributor to the International Maritime Organisation's special trust fund to assist environmental recovery in the Gulf. Our £1 million contribution has been successfully used with those of others to clean up some of the Gulf's most sensitive habitats, including salt marsh and 572
  mangrove. I understand that no floating oil remains at sea. A United Kingdom expert, flown out with Government assistance to survey important Kuwaiti coral islands, found little evidence of damage.

  All oil well fires are now out, some capped by a British group of companies which is continuing work on the reconstruction and repair of pipelines in the Sabriyah and Bahra fields. Other British consortia are bidding for recovery work to clear inland lakes of oil and the Natural Environment Research Council is helping to advise the Gulf states on pollution monitoring. Royal Ordnance plc is carrying out minefield clearance operations in Kuwait.

  UN Environment and Development Conference
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial or logistical support Her Majesty's Government have given to the organisers of the '92 global forum to be held in conjunction with the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June in the current year.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government are contributing to international funding to enable government experts and representatives of non-governmental organisations from developing countries to attend UNCED and its preparatory committees. It is also providing financial support to British NGOs to enable them to contribute to United Kingdom preparations. It is the Government's priority to concentrate effort on ensuring the widest possible participation of governments and NGOs in the United Nations conference itself rather than the other events that are being held in parallel in Rio de Janeiro.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if has has any plans to meet(a) the British chambers of commerce and (b) non-governmental organisations in regard to plans for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

  Mr. Baldry
  My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside has held a number of meetings with environment and development nongovernmental organisations and with representatives of the business community, including the United Kingdom section of the International Chamber of Commerce, on British preparations for UNCED. Further meetings are planned between now and the conference itself.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what preparations or proposals his Department has made for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in preparing proposals and reaching agreement on international environmental protection protocols and conventions for the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Department of the Environment is responsible for co-ordinating the United Kingdom's preparations for UNCED in close consultation with other Government Departments and the non-governmental community. A number of wide-ranging British proposals
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  have been put forward in the preparatory committees and in the parallel negotiations for conventions on climate change and biological diversity which we hope will be signed in Rio de Janeiro in June. A booklet on the United Kingdom's overall approach to UNCED has been prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.

  Environmental Protection Act 1990
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what draft guidance notes have been issued for consultation, pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to date this year; and what further notes are expected to be issued this year.

  Mr. Baldry
  Consultation has already been undertaken in respect of all 50 process guidance notes for local authority air pollution control under part I of the Act which were published in February and July 1991. The following 27 such guidance notes have also been issued in draft for consultation:

  PG1/10 — waste derived fuel combustion processes less than 3MW.

  PG6/10 — coating manufacturing.

  PG6/11 — manufacture of printing ink.

  PG6/16 — printworks.

  PG6/17 — printing of flexible packaging.

  PG6/18 — paper coating.

  PG6/19 — fish meal and fish oil.

  PG6/20 — paint application in vehicle manufacturing.

  PG6/21 — hide and skin processes.

  PG6/22 — leather finishing.

  PG6/23 — coating of metal and plastic.

  PG6/24 — pet food manufacturing.

  PG6/25 — vegetable oil extraction and fat and oil refining.

  PG6/26 — animal feed compounding.

  PG6/27 — vegetable matter drying.

  PG6/28 — rubber processes.

  PG6/29 — di-isocyanate processes.

  PG6/30 — composting.

  PG6/31 — powder coating (including sheradizing).

  PG6/32 — adhesive coating.

  PG6/33 — wood coating.

  PG6/34 — respraying of road vehicles.

  PG6/35 — metal and other thermal spraying processes.

  PG6/36 — tobacco processing.

  PG6/37 — knackers yards.

  PG6/38 — blood processing.

  PG6/39 — animal by-product dealers.

  A further draft note on reheat and heat treatment furnaces (PG1/11) is expected to be issued this year.

  Consultation was also undertaken on the six guidance notes published during 1991 by the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The following draft guidance notes have so far been issued by him for consultation:

  IPR1/2 — gas turbines.

  IPR1/3 — compression ignition engines 50MW(th) and over.

  IPR1/4 — waste oil burners 3MW(th) and over.

  IPR1/5 — refuse derived fuel burners.

  IPR1/6 — tyre burners.

  IPR1/7 — poultry litter burners.

  IPR1/8 — straw and wood burners.

  IPR1/9 — carbonisation and associated processes—coke ovens.

  IPR1/10 — carbonisation processes—smokeless fuel plants.

  IPR1/11 — gasification of solid and liquid feedstocks.

  IPR1/12 — refining of natural gas.

  IPR1/13 — refining of natural gas at liquefied natural gas sites.

  IPR1/14 — the odorising of natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas.

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  IPR1/15 — crude oil refineries.

  IPR1/16 — on-shore oil production.

  IPR3/1 — cement manufacture and associated processes.

  IPR3/2 — lime manufacture and associated processes.

  IPR3/3 — processes involving asbestos.

  IPR3/4 — glass and non-asbestos mineral fibres.

  IPR3/5 — glass frit and enamel frit.

  IPR3/6 — ceramic processes.

  IPR5/1 — merchant and in-house chemical waste incineration.

  IPR5/2 — clinical waste incineration.

  IPR5/3 — municipal waste incineration.

  IPR5/4 — animal carcase incineration.

  IPR5/5 — burning out of metal containers.

  IPR5/6 — making solid fuel from waste.

  IPR5/7 — cleaning and regeneration of activated carbon.

  IPR5/8 — recovery of organic solvents by distillation.

  IPR5/9 — regeneration of ion exchange resins.

  IPR5/10 — recovery of waste oil by distillation.

  IPR5/11 — sewage sludge incineration.

  The chief inspector is expected to issue further draft guidance notes for consultation this year as follows:

  IPR4/1 — petrochemical.

  IPR4/2 — production and use of amines, nitriles, isocyanates and pyridines.

  IPR4/3 — production or use of aldehydes acids, anhydrides and phenols.

  IPR4/4 — production or use of organic sulphur compounds; production, use or recovery of carbon disulphide.

  IPR4/5 — batch manufacture of organic chemicals in multipurpose plant.

  IPR4/6 — production and polymerisation of organic monomers.

  IPR4/7 — manufacture of organo-metallic compounds.

  IPR4/8 — pesticide processes.

  IPR4/9 — pharmaceutical processes.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations his Department has had with UK Nirex Ltd. between the initial announcement of the low and intermediate level nuclear waste repository plans and the public announcement of substantial revisions in the plans.

  Mr. Baldry
  None. It is for Nirex to bring forward plans for the deep disposal facility for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

  Defective Housing
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the payment of loan charge contributions to local authorities in England and Wales in respect of defective housing expenditure.

  Sir George Young
  It has recently come to light that the statutory basis for making defective housing loan charge contributions to local authorities, originally contained in section 569 of the Housing Act 1985, was inadvertently repealed when making provision for the commutation of loan charge contributions through section 157 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. We have always made it clear to local authorities that they should expect to receive these payments until commutation took place. Local authorities' total audited final claims in respect of 1991–92 are likely to amount to almost £21 million.

  To ensure that local authorities do not incur financial loss, it has been agreed with the Treasury that although payments in respect of 1991–92 claims cannot be made

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  under the 1989 legislation, local authorities will be recompensed the full amounts that would have been due to them by means of ex-gratia payments.

  We shall be seeking legislation at the earliest possible opportunity in order to restore the original statutory position, and allow the commutation of defective housing payments including sums by way of loan charges to go ahead as quickly as possible.

  Local Government Commission
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his timetable for establishing a local government commission.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 13 January 1992]: The commission will be formally established at an appropriate point following parliamentary approval of the relevant provisions of the Local Government Bill.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Oil Revenues
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total amount of money received from North sea oil revenues.

  Mr. Maples
  Total revenues to the Exchequer from the North sea since 1969–70 have been £72 billion. At 1991–92 prices—by reference to movements in the gross domestic product market prices implied deflator—revenues have been £112 billion.

  Manufactured Exports
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give figures for the change in the volume of manufactured exports over the last 48 months.

  Mr. Mellor
  On a balance of payments basis, the volume of United Kingdom exports of manufactures is estimated to have risen by 26 per cent. between November 1987 and November 1991.

  Note 1: Standard International Trade Classification (Rev. 3) Sections 5 to 8.

  VAT
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the calculations for United Kingdom payments to the own resources element of funding of the European Community value added tax-related payments for 1991 and give(a) the expected total yield of value added tax for the 12 months of 1991, (b) the amount payable to the European Community consequent on the calculation and (c) the sum (b) as a percentage of the sum (a).

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 13 January 1992]: Final accounting data for the calendar year 1991 have not yet been produced but payments have been made monthly based on estimates. Using current estimates the United Kingdom's net VAT yield and VAT-based contribution to the European Community are calculated to be:

  (a) net VAT yield for the calendar year 1991—£35,796 million;

  (b) amount paid to the European Community, net of the United Kingdom abatement—£771 million;

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  (c) net contribution as a proportion of VAT receipts —2·2 per cent.

  The 1991 United Kingdom abatement, referred to above and made under the terms of article 4 of Council decision 88/376 dated 24 June 1988, amounts to £2,497 million.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Data Protection (Voters)
  Sir Anthony Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Cash) of 28 November,Official Report, column 570, what progress has been made in removing or mitigating the effects of the draft European directive on data protection on canvassing voters' intentions.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The draft directive is still under consideration in the official working group in Brussels. I understand that the Commission will produce a redraft in the light of the opinion of the European Parliament. The opinion is not expected before next month.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward a measure to amend schedule 4 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to include offences under section 47 of the Shops Act 1950.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 16 December 1991,Official Report, columns 10–11, to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton).

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Social Fund
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will arrange for the Benefits Agency to amend the statement in leaflet FB31 that social fund payments do not usually have to be paid back.

  Mr. Scott
  The wording of leaflets 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.

PRIME MINISTER

  Foreign Investment
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in regard to selective intervention in circumstances of inward economic investment by foreign companies in(a) the regions of England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland, respectively.

  The Prime Minister
  Regional selective assistance (RSA) is available to encourage inward investment in the assisted areas of England, Wales and Scotland. Investors with a choice of location are offered the same level of RSA to go to assisted areas of equal status. A similar scheme operates in Northern Ireland but higher levels of assistance are available and may be offered.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what correspondence his office had with Mr. W. R. Burton on nuclear waste disposal over the past three years.

  The Prime Minister
  As far as I am aware, none.

  World Commission on Environment and Development
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans Her Majesty's Government have to contribute new proposals to the World Commission on Environment and Development when it reconvenes in London on 21 to 24 April.

  The Prime Minister
  I am delighted that the World commission will reconvene in London in April. The purpose of the meeting is to enable the commissioners to make their independent assessment of the prospects for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The commissioners are not seeking proposals from Governments but, in view of the importance of the event, Her Majesty's Government are giving financial and other support to the organisers, the Centre for our Common Future.

  UN Environment and Development Conference
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what resources have been committed by Her Majesty's Government to ensuring wide public distribution of preparatory committee reports and decisions for the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government have provided reports on decisions so far taken at UNCED preparatory committees to a wide range of interested organisations and individuals through the United Kingdom committee for UNEP.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what information he has received on the international meeting of non-governmental organisations held in Paris in December to formulate agreed proposals to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

  The Prime Minister
  It is important that the views of the non-governmental community should be taken fully into account in preparations for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. I understand that agreement was not reached on all items addressed by the Paris meeting in December but that a partial set of proposals will be forwarded to the UNCED secretariat. These will be discussed at a meeting today between officials of the Department of the Environment and the British representatives of non-governmental organisations who attended the Paris meeting.

  "Women and the Environment"
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will obtain for his Office's library a copy of the recently published "Women and the Environment" compiled by Annabel Rodda.

  The Prime Minister
  I have already done so.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Medical Reports
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the guidance given by his Department to medical practitioners providing medical reports under regulation 10 to the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1989; and whether the teacher has the right to access to the report before it is sent to the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Fallon
  Guidance to local education authorities and others on the suspension or termination of a teacher's employment on medical grounds is contained in circular 1/88 "Physical and Mental Fitness to Teach of Teachers and of Entrants to Teacher Training". Copies are available in the Library.

  Whenever the Secretary of State requests a medical report to consider a person's exclusion from teaching on medical grounds, individual guidance is given about the nature of the report required. The teacher may have access to the report before the Secretary of State determines his or her case, except where the medical practitioners concerned consider that disclosure might not be in the teacher's best interests. The teacher also has the right to submit a separate report from a medical practitioner of his or her own choosing.

  The Secretary of State has no power to require a medical report for the purpose of considering barring a person from teaching or related employment on the grounds of misconduct. However, he may, in appropriate cases, suggest that it would be helpful for the teacher to provide one. In all cases, the teacher's written consent to the report's being seen by the Secretary of State is obtained before the report is commissioned.

  Reading Tests
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements he made to ensure that the standards of testing by local authorities for seven-year-old readers was of a nationally consistent standard; and if he will state the names of any local authorities not sending in returns.

  Mr. Eggar
  The teachers who carried out the reading tests used standard materials and marking schemes, and used books chosen from a national list.

  Each local education authority was required to secure consistency between its assessment standards and national standards, and training was provided for LEA assessment staff.

  Tower Hamlets and Lambeth LEAs did not submit their schools' returns by the due date.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will tabulate in respect of each local education authority making returns of their assessments tests for seven-year-old readers, the number of schools making or not making returns, respectively, and the appropriate number and percentage within each authority contributing to the test results.

  Mr. Eggar
  The tables published by my right hon. and learned Friend on 19 December were based on the usable returns from the following percentages of maintained primary schools with seven-year-olds in each LEA.
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  The tables excluded Tower Hamlets and Lambeth, as they had not submitted sufficient returns. Action has been taken to obtain this outstanding data.

  LEA ranking—proportion of returns from maintained schools with 7 year olds used to compile the 19 December LEA tables

  Percentage returns used

  Avon

  100

  Barking

  100

  Berkshire

  100

  Bexley

  100

  Bury

  100

  Cleveland

  100

  Coventry

  100

  Croydon

  100

  Enfield

  100

  Essex

  100

  Hackney

  100

  Hammersmith

  100

  Haringey

  100

  Havering

  100

  Kensington and Chelsea

  100

  Kingston upon Thames

  100

  Merton

  100

  Northamptonshire

  100

  Stockport

  100

  Sutton

  100

  Calderdale

  99

  Devon

  99

  Hereford and Worcester

  99

  Humberside

  99

  Lincolnshire

  99

  Sunderland

  99

  Tameside

  99

  Wakefield

  99

  Walsall

  99

  West Sussex

  99

  Bradford

  98

  Bromley

  98

  Cambridgeshire

  98

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  98

  Dudley

  98

  North Yorkshire

  98

  Northumberland

  98

  Rotherham

  98

  Solihull

  98

  South Tyneside

  98

  Suffolk

  98

  Warwickshire

  98

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  97

  Wolverhampton

  97

  Westminster

  97

  Gateshead

  97

  Trafford

  97

  Wirral

  97

  Surrey

  97

  Manchester

  96

  Shropshire

  96

  Somerset

  96

  Redbridge

  95

  Sefton

  95

  Waltham Forest

  95

  Kent

  94

  St. Helens

  94

  Staffordshire

  94

  Barnet

  94

  Gloucestershire

  93

  Leeds

  93

  Rochdale

  93

  Wiltshire

  93

  Barnsley

  92

  Brent

  92

  Camden

  92

  Cheshire

  92

  Cumbria

  92

  Doncaster

  92

  Knowsley

  92

  Sandwell

  92

  580

  Percentage returns used

  Durham

  91

  Harrow

  91

  Hertfordshire

  91

  Lancashire

  91

  Bedfordshire

  90

  Derbyshire

  89

  Isle of Wight

  89

  Lewisham

  89

  Oldham

  89

  Nottinghamshire

  88

  Richmond upon Thames

  88

  Wandsworth

  88

  Sheffield

  87

  Dorset

  85

  Hampshire

  82

  Leicestershire

  81

  Hillingdon

  78

  Ealing

  77

  Greenwich

  75

  Wigan

  75

  North Tyneside

  73

  Birmingham

  72

  Bolton

  70

  Oxfordshire

  70

  Liverpool

  70

  East Sussex

  66

  Islington

  65

  Kirklees

  65

  Salford

  65

  South wark

  60

  Buckinghamshire

  59

  Norfolk

  59

  Hounslow

  58

  Newham

  55

  Universities
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the outcome of his consultations about university titles.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My Department and the Welsh Office are today writing to higher education institutions in the following terms:

  University title beyond the present Polytechnics

  1. The Education Department's paper, "Degree Awarding Powers and University Titles" consulted on the Government's proposals concerning:

  (a) criteria for the extension of degree awarding powers beyond the present polytechnics:

  (b) arrangements for the Secretary of State to secure advice on whether institutions meet those criteria; and

  (c) criteria for extending the university title beyond the present polytechnics.

  2. My letter of 16 December 1991 set out the Government's conclusions on the first two issues. This letter sets out the Secretary of State's decisions on the extension of the university title in the light of comments received on the consultation paper.

  3. The Government's proposal was that the criteria for extending the university title beyond the present polytechnics should be that an institution would normally have:

  (a) at least 300 full-time equivalent higher education students in a majority of the PCFC's nine academic programmes (or the Scottish equivalent);

  (b) a higher education enrolment of at least 4,000 full-time equivalent students:

  (c) at least 3,000 full-time higher education students on degree level courses;

  (d) power to award its own taught course and research degrees.

  4. Three of the four criteria have been widely welcomed. Some concern was expressed that criterion (c) would act as a

  581
  disincentive to institutions expanding part-time provision at degree level. The Secretary of State accepts this point. He has decided that the criteria which shall apply are those in paragraph 3 above except that criterion (c) shall read:

  (c) at least 3,000 full-time equivalent higher education students on degree level courses.

  5. As explained in my letter of 16 December 1991, during the period up to the formal dissolution of the CNAA, the Government will look to the Council to advise on whether institutions validated by it meet the degree awarding criteria. The Government will, in parallel, appoint Ad Hoc Committees to look similarly at institutions which are validated by universities. The Secretary of State will announce later in the year the arrangements which will apply after the dissolution of the CNAA.

  6. The procedures by which an institution may change its title will vary between institutions. However, any institution which the Secretary of State by order specifies as competent to grant its own degree-awarding powers for taught-courses and research and which meets the remaining university title criteria will be able to seek the consent of the Privy Council to a "university" title. The Privy Council will write soon to all Colleges of Higher Education explaining the procedures and the timing of applications.

  7. A related issue to that of "university" title is that of the use of the title, "university college". This was not covered in the consultation paper because the Secretary of State did not see any cause to review the prevailing policy which was that an institution using a "university college" title should be a constituent part of a collegiate university. However, a number of respondents to the consultation paper commented to the effect that the "university college" title should be more widely available, possibly extending to all institutions of higher education which did not meet the university criteria.

  8. The Secretary of State has considered the points made on this matter and has concluded that there should be no change in the current policy. Extending the availability of "university college" to independent institutions which are not part of a university would cause confusion with established "university colleges". The Secretary of State believes nevertheless that Colleges of Higher Education which do not qualify for a university title will be able to maintain their successes over recent years.

  Republic of Ireland (Education)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has about(a) the number of students from the United Kingdom receiving higher education in the Republic of Ireland and (b) the number of students from the Republic of Ireland receiving higher education in the United Kingdom; whether the United Kingdom Government pay for the fees for the Irish students in the United Kingdom; and whether the Republic of Ireland authorities pay the fees for United Kingdom students in the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Information is not collected centrally on the number of United Kingdom-domiciled students attending courses of higher education in the Irish Republic. However, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, there were 814 United Kingdom students in full-time higher education in the Irish Republic in the academic year 1988–89. In the academic year 1990–91 there were 4,823 students from the Irish Republic on higher education courses in the United Kingdom. Under article 7 of the treaty of Rome, nationals of other EC states are entitled to have access to higher education on the same terms as apply to nationals of the host state. Accordingly, Irish students who attend higher education courses at United Kingdom institutions, and who fulfil broadly the same eligibility conditions as those applied to United Kingdom students,582
  may qualify for an award which covers the cost of tuition fees up to a prescribed maximum level. The Irish Government have similar obligations under the EC treaty.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Russian Federation (Treaties)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current status of (i) the 1963 partial test ban treaty and (ii) the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty in the light of the dissolution of the former Soviet Union.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The rights and obligations of the Soviet Union as a party to the 1963 partial test ban treaty have been inherited by the Russian federation, which has continuity of statehood with the former Soviet Union. The United Kingdom is not a party to the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty, but we would assume that the same considerations apply.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what agreement has been reached with the new Government of the Russian federation to establish Russia as a third depositary state for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in place of the disbanded Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None. The rights and responsibilities of a depositary Government of the non-proliferation treaty have been inherited by the Russian federation which has continuity of statehood with the former Soviet Union.

  East Timor
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review Her Majesty's Government's policy in relation to the supply of all arms and provision of military training to Indonesia in light of the report of the massacre in East Timor.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Government's policy on the supply of arms and the provision of military training is kept under constant review. All applications to export defence equipment are carefully scrutinised on a case-by-case basis.

  Verification
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution was made by United Kingdom experts to the United Nations study, "Verification in all its Aspects; a Study on the Role of the United Nations in the Field of Verification", documents A/451372, presented to the General Assembly in August 1990; and what subsequent developments there have been arising from the report that affected United Kingdom policy on international verification.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A consultant from the Verification Technology Information Centre (VERTIC) was appointed to the United Nations Secretary-General's governmental experts' study on the role of the United Nations in the field of verification. The United Kingdom made a significant contribution to the successful outcome of the study.

  The experts' report was considered at the United Nations General Assembly's --45th session. Resolution

  583
  45/63, adopted without vote, requested member states to give active consideration to the experts' proposals and asked the United Nations Secretary-General to report the outcome at the Assembly's 47th session in 1992.

  Iraq (UN Contingent)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial resources the United Kingdom has committed to the United Nations guards contingent in Iraq; and what proportion of the total budget for the contingent is contributed by the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom initially committed $6,000,000 in cash and kind to the United nations guards contingent in Iraq. On 17 December 1991 it pledged a further $1,000,000. This constitutes approximately 14 per cent. of the total budget so far committed for the contingent.

  Gulf War (Radioactivity)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response was made by Her Majesty's ambassador to the United Nations to the plea by Iraq's Foreign Minister to the United Nations on 21 November 1991, that it establish a team of United Nations experts to determine the level and possible danger of radioactive depleted uranium shells used by allied forces in Desert Storm and Operation Granby in 1991.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  None.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise at the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting the issue of weapons usable enriched uranium and plutonium seized by customs authorities in Italy, originating in the former Soviet Union; and if he will instruct the United Kingdom ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency to urge an immediate agency investigation into the clandestine commerce in weapons-usable nuclear materials.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We view all reports of clandestine traffic in nuclear materials with great concern and are active in seeking to prevent such trafficking. In doing so, we naturally consult with our partners and with the IAEA where appropriate. We have discussed the present case with the Italian authorities.

  UN Missions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of recent decisions taken at the United Nations General Assembly's fifth committee on budgetary affairs in regard to(a) the United Nation's advance mission to Cambodia and (b) the United Nation's Iraq-Kuwait observation mission; and what contribution the United Kingdom has made in respect of these missions.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  At its 46th regular session, the United Nations General Assembly decided, on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), to appropriate and assess the sum of 584
  $13,967,300 to finance the United Nations advance mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC) for a six-month period beginning November 1991 and the sum of $33·6 million to finance the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait observer mission (UNIKOM) for the period 9 October 1991 to 8 April 1992. Both recommendations were accepted by the General Assembly.

  The United Kingdom-assessed share, at the special peacekeeping scale of the cost of both these missions is 6·1 per cent. There are 20 United Kingdom observers serving with UNIKOM and three with UNAMIC.

  Somalia
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Somalia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Government are deeply concerned by the continuing instability in Somalia. We have called on the parties to halt the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas in Mogadishu and to allow secure distribution of humanitarian relief supplies. We continue to support international initiatives to bring about a ceasefire. We deplore the refusal of some Somali leaders to accept mediation.

  On 8 January I announced a further £2·2 million food aid, raising the total humanitarian aid to Somalia since January 1991 to £7·42 million, including our share of EC assistance.

WALES

  Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he sent a letter to the hon. Member for Gower informing him that his Minister of State was to visit Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, sited in the village of Gowerton, Swansea.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  It is standard practice for my private office to notify right hon. and hon. Members, in writing and in advance, of my official visits to their constituencies. I regret that owing to an oversight, no letter was sent on this occasion.

  A44
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to improve the A44 trunk road between Gelli Isaf and Dyffryn Castell hotel, Ponterwyd, during the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Consideration is being given to undertaking an improvement scheme on this stretch of road during the next five years.

  Chernobyl
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farms were initially put on the restricted list following the radioactive fallout contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986; if he will list the number of farms and their respective acreage taken off the list in each subsequent year; and what steps he is taking to restore to full usage the remaining farms.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Restrictions were first introduced in Wales in June 1986 and affected about 5,100 holdings and
  585
  approximately 1,013,000 acres of land. During 1986 and 1987 some 4,684 holdings and approximately 804,000 acres were derestricted, with a further nine holdings and approximately 4,000 acres derestricted in 1991.

  The extent of the restrictions depends on the levels of radioactivity found in sheep grazing the area. Monitoring results from sheep leaving the restricted area, under the mark and release scheme, and results from regular monitoring of sheep at selected sites throughout the restricted area are continually assessed. This information assists in the identification of suitable locations for intensive monitoring to assess the prospects for derestriction. As a result of these procedures I was able to lift restrictions on nine holdings in 1991. Work, including research and development, will continue to be carried out to achieve further derestrictions as soon as it can be shown that it is safe to do so. Meanwhile, the "mark and release" arrangements are designed to ensure that normal sheep farming practices within the restricted area continue with the minimum of disruption consistent with the protection of the foodchain.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) for what reason it is his Department's policy that separate charges are made when a doctor in Wales prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are packaged as a single entity by the manufacturers;

  (2) for what reason it is his Department's policy that a single charge is made when a doctor in Wales prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are formulated together in a single package.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliance) Regulations 1989 provide that a prescription charge is payable in respect of each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed unless the patient is exempt. Where two or more ingredients are supplied in a single tablet or capsule, a single charge is made. If, for the convenience of the patient and to improve compliance, two or more kinds of tablet or capsule are supplied in one package, each carries a separate prescription charge.

  The Government are concerned to ensure that patient's liability to meet prescription charges is applied in an equitable manner. It would not be appropriate to allow manufacturers' packaging arrangements, which provide a benefit to some patients, also to determine the number of charges a patient may have to pay.

  Education Funding Councils
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the names of the chairmen and chief executive of both the further and higher education funding councils for Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Subject to the Further and Higher Education Bill receiving Royal Assent, I intend to appoint Mr. Malcolm Wallace to be chairman of the Further Education Funding Council and Sir Idris Pearce to be chairman of the Higher Education Council. Both will be employed as chairmen designate on preparatory work.

  I have also decided after consulting the chairmen designate, that the councils should be serviced by a single
  586
  secretariat. This should make close working arrangements between the two bodies very much easier. The important post of chief executive of the two councils will be filled by Professor John Andrews.

  Tourism
  Mr. Grist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that the Wales tourist board should be able to carry on activities outside the United Kingdom in order to promote Welsh tourism.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Government remain concerned that Wales should continue to receive the economic benefits which accrue from a strong and broadly based tourism industry. We have considered carefully that many representations which have been made suggesting that powers should be granted to the Wales tourist board to undertake activities outside the United Kingdom in order to promote tourism in Wales.

  The industry is expected to continue to expand rapidly worldwide, and there will undoubtedly be increasing competition for overseas visitors. The Government therefore support the intentions of the Tourism (Overseas Promotion) (Wales) Bill—which was introduced by the hon. Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan)—to grant powers to the Wales tourist board corresponding to those enjoyed by the Scottish tourist board under the Tourism (Overseas Promotion) (Scotland) Act 1984. The Government are also prepared to offer drafting assistance if necessary.

  I have accepted the Wales tourist board's assurance that it would not exercise such powers unless it had undertaken full consultation with and obtained the agreement of the British Tourist Authority before embarking upon any overseas marketing activity, and that it would not seek a direct overseas presence by opening separate offices in overseas markets. My consent will only be given on this basis.

  Home Repossessions
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homeowners in Cardiganshire have suffered repossession of their homes due to mortgage arrears in each year since 1980 until the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  I have been asked to reply.

  The figures for the number of repossessions are not collected. The only information available on mortgage possessions is the number of actions entered and orders made in each county court. Two county courts deal with Cardiganshire cases—Aberystwyth and Carmarthen—and information is available, as set out below, for Aberystwyth county court for each year from 1987 to 1990 and the first 11 months of 1991.

  Not all these orders will have resulted in the issue and execution of warrants of possession. Carmarthen county court deals with a wider area than just Cardiganshire and it is not possible to separate these cases.

  Mortgage possession actions entered and orders made in Aberystwyth county court

  Actions entered

  Orders made

  1987

  37

  22

  1988

  40

  26

  1989

  35

  19

  587

  Actions entered

  Orders made

  1990

  52

  30

  11991

  70

  46

  1 January to November

EMPLOYMENT

  Hairdressers
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that employers comply with Government guidelines relating to minimum wages for hairdressers and trainee hairdressers.

  Mr. Forth
  Hairdressers are covered by the Hairdressing Undertakings Wages Council (Great Britain), and workers aged 21 years and over must be paid at least the statutory minimum remuneration agreed by that Council. The wages inspectorate provides information about the requirements of the Wages Act 1986 and checks that establishments comply with the law. A leaflet on the wages council system is freely available to all inquirers.

  New Businesses
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new businesses are estimated to have been started since May 1979; how many were started in the previous five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Between the end of 1979 and the end of 1990, there were an estimated 2,147,000 new registrations for VAT and 1,727,000 deregistrations—a net increase of 420,000. During the previous five years, between the end of 1974 and the end of 1979, there were an estimated 809,000 new registrations and 724,000 deregistrations—a net increase of 85,000.

  The available indicators for 1991 show that there continue to be more businesses starting up than closing down. For example, there have been over 1,000 starts a week under enterprise allowance alone.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on progress in his policy to abolish wages councils.

  Mr. Forth
  The wages councils have no permanent place in the labour market and their operation remains under review.

  Tourism
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce powers for the English tourist board to promote England as a tourist destination overseas.

  Mr. Howard
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is informing the House separately of the Government's views on whether powers should be granted to the Wales tourist board, corresponding to those enjoyed by the Scottish tourist board under the Tourism (Overseas Promotion) (Scotland) Act 1984. The Government are 588
  also considering whether, at an appropriate time, the English tourist board should be granted similar powers. I therefore intend shortly to arrange for representatives of the tourism industry to be consulted on this question.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  United Nations (Distribution)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific proposals his Department has for the wide distribution of handtools to agrarian developing economies via the United Nations agencies and institutions.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have no such plans. Except in cases of humanitarian need where we occasionally provide handtools via the United Nations system to aid post-disaster recovery, we do not consider the wide distribution of handtools to agrarian developing economies to be sound development policy. This process can distort and damage manufacturing sectors in these economies. We prefer instead to stimulate the local production of such tools.

  UN Research Institute for Social Development
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Overseas Development Administration gives to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development to distribute its publications in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The ODA currently gives no assistance to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.

  Aid Programme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the new agenda for Africa in the 1990s adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1991; and what are the implications of this agenda for Her Majesty's Government's overseas aid programme.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The United Nation's new agenda for the development of Africa in the 1990s encourages African countries to make further progress on economic reform; improve the quality of their public expenditure programmes; and pay particular attention to human resource development and capacity building. It stresses the link between economic and social development and good governance.

  These are already the aims of our bilateral assistance programmes to African countries. Almost 50 per cent. of our bilateral aid goes to Africa. We have also taken the lead in promoting international consensus and action on debt relief for the poorest, most heavily indebted countries undertaking economic reforms, many of which are in Africa.

  Natural Resources Institute
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities have been undertaken by the Natural Resources Institute since its last annual report.
  589
  Mrs. Chalker
  I have placed in the Library of the House copies of the Natural Resources Institute's report on operational programmes 1989–91 and the annual report and accounts 1990–91. These reports give details of work undertaken by NRI in support of the renewable natural resources sector in developing countries, and of the institute's performance in its first year as a "next steps" agency.

HEALTH

  Access to Equipment
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Cardiff, West dated 24 October 1991, regarding the enforcement of the right of free access to equipment, including nebulisers.

  Mr. Dorrell
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be responding to the hon. Member's letter of 24 October shortly. The individual cases to which he refers are being investigated by South Glamorgan health authority whose policy and practice in the supply of equipment such as nebulisers complies with the requirements of the National Health Service Act 1977.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (I) for what reason it is his Department's policy that separate charges are made when a doctor prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are packaged as a single entity by the manufacturers;

  (2) for what reason it is his Department's policy that a single charge is made when a doctor prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are formulated together in a single package.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 1989 provide that a prescription charge is payable in respect of each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed, unless the patient is exempt. Where two or more ingredients are supplied in a single tablet or capsule, a single charge is made. If, for the convenience of the patient and to improve

  £ million

  1978–79

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Expenditure on Acute Services2

  Inpatient care

  1,621

  3,372

  3,589

  3,885

  4,372

  4,736

  —

  —

  Outpatient care

  431

  998

  1,065

  1,147

  1,249

  1,376

  —

  —

  Total

  2,052

  4,370

  4,654

  5,032

  5,621

  6,112

  —

  —

  As a percentage of expenditure on the HCHS3

  46·4

  45·5

  45·1

  44·6

  44·8

  45·0

  Expenditure on geriatric services and services for people with mental illness and learning disabilities

  Inpatient care

  Geriatric

  835

  902

  981

  1,062

  1,087

  —

  —

  Mental Illness

  937

  998

  1,146

  1,262

  1,323

  —

  —

  Learning disability

  477

  496

  527

  586

  620

  —

  —

  Outpatient care

  Geriatric

  7

  8

  26

  24

  25

  —

  —

  Mental illness

  68

  71

  67

  68

  74

  —

  —

  Learning disability

  1

  1

  3

  3

  2

  —

  —

  590
  compliance, two or more kinds of tablet or capsule are supplied in one package, each carries a separate prescription charge.

  The Government are concerned to ensure that patients' liability to meet prescription charges is applied in an equitable manner. It would not be appropriate to allow manufacturers' packaging arrangements, which provide a benefit to some patients, also to determine the number of charges a patient may have to pay.

  Haemoglobinopathies
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the members of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee working party on the clinical and service aspects of haemoglobinopathies; when the working party will report; and what are its terms of reference.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 20 December 1991]: The membership of the working party is as follows:

  Professor A. G. Johnson, Chairman

  Dr. E. Anionwu

  Professor A. J. Bellingham,

  Dr. M. Brozovic

  Dr. I Cox

  Professor C. J. Dickinson

  Dr. R. MacFaul

  Dr. B. Modell

  Professor A. Spence

  The working party is due to hold its first meeting in the new year. Broadly, it will address issues of current good practice, screening, counselling and information for patients in respect of sickle cell disease and make recommendations to the medical profession. Terms of reference and the timescale for reporting to SMAC are currently under discussion.

  NHS Budget
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing the amount and proportion of the national health service budget spent on acute hospital care, chronic and long-term hospital care, health promotion advice and services and primary health care in each of the years from 1985–86 to 1991–92.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 13 January 1992]: Information is not collected centrally in precisely the form requested, but the available figures are given in the table.
  591

  1978–79

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Total

  2,325

  2,476

  2,750

  3,005

  3,131

  —

  —

  As a percentage of expenditure on the HCHS3

  24·2

  24·0

  24·4

  23·9

  23·1

  Health promotion and advice services4 5

  Health visiting

  149

  164

  188

  221

  —

  —

  —

  Professional advice and support

  —

  —

  —

  173

  200

  —

  —

  Health promotion

  —

  —

  —

  62

  72

  —

  —

  Total

  149

  164

  188

  221/235

  272

  —

  —

  As a percentage of expenditure on the HCHS3

  1·5

  1·6

  1·7

  1·8/1·9

  2·0

  Primary care services:

  Hospital and Community Health Services5

  District nursing

  293

  332

  402

  490

  —

  —

  —

  General community patient care.

  —

  —

  —

  558

  581

  —

  —

  Community mental illness

  —

  —

  —

  120

  154

  —

  —

  Community learning disability

  —

  —

  —

  60

  77

  —

  —

  Total

  3

  332

  402

  490/738

  812

  —

  —

  As a percentage of expenditure on the HCHS3

  3·0

  3·2

  3·6

  3·9/5·9

  6·0

  Family Health Services 6

  Non-cash limited7

  3,376

  3,631

  4,019

  4,554

  4,811

  5,304

  5,804

  GMS cash limited8

  162

  175

  201

  232

  302

  464

  592

  Total

  3,538

  3,806

  4,220

  4,786

  5,113

  5,768

  6,396

  As a percentage of total NHS expenditure

  23·7

  23·7

  23·9

  24·4

  24·2

  24·4

  24·0

  1 Estimated outturn

  2 Expenditure on hospital care is classified by specialty according to the consultant responsible for the care of the patient. Acute services are defined as all specialities except maternity, mental illness and learning disability (mental handicap). Expenditure on the latter three specialities cannot be broken down between short episodes and long stay.

  3 Figures shown are drawn from the Programme Budget. Disaggregated figures are not yet available for years after 1989–90. The HCHS current expenditure covered by the Programme Budget represents around 64 per cent, of total NHS expenditure.

  4 Health promotion and advice form part of many programmes of care, particularly in primary care and community health services and the expenditure shown above under this heading reflects only part of the total expenditure in this area.

  5 From 1988–89, the classification of expenditure on community health services has changed, and it is not possible to provide figures on a consistent basis with those for earlier years. In particular, expenditure on "health visiting" recorded under either "immunisation", "surveillance" or professional advice and support. Expenditure on "district nursing" is now recorded under "general community patient care", which also includes expenditure on paramedical services. Figures for 1988–89 have been provided on both old and new bases, for comparison with earlier and later years.

  6 Expenditure on Family Health Services (excluding administration) provided by family doctors, dentists, community pharmacists and opticians.

  7 1991–92 figure includes provision of £141 million for drug costs of GP fundholders which is incorporated in the cash limited Class XIII Vote 1.

  8 GP practice expenses cash limited from April 1990.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Industrial policy
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will next meet representatives of the west midlands regional CBI to discuss industrial policy.

  Mr. Lilley
  I shall be visiting a number of companies in the west midlands in March.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet representatives of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce to discuss industrial policy.

  Mr. Lilley
  From time to time I have met representatives of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, or of individual chambers, to discuss industrial policy.

  International Competitiveness
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from business men about the importance of maintaining for the international competitiveness of British industry a low regulatory burden.

  Mr. Redwood
  I regularly receive representations from business on the importance of minimising regulatory burdens on business. In the Government's approach to national regulation and in negotiations on proposals for new EC regulations, the potential costs of compliance and impact on the competitiveness of United Kingdom industry are fully taken into account.

  The most recent record of progress under the Deregulation Initiative, "Cutting Red Tape for Business", was published on 13 May 1991 and a copy placed in the Library.

  Direct Mail
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received about the regulation of direct mail.

  Mr. Leigh
  I receive a small but steady flow of complaints from individuals and hon. Members about direct mail.

  Vehicle Transfer Agencies
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to outlaw vehicle transfer agencies; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  The existing law, in particular the Consumer Credit Act 1974, contains provisions regulating the activities of vehicle transfer agencies. I welcome the action which the Director General of Fair Trading is taking under those provisions.

  Motor Industry
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet representatives of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to discuss the effects of the recession on the motor industry.

  Mr. Leigh
  My right hon. Friend met representatives of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on 11 November to discuss various motor industry issues. While no further meeting is planned for the immediate future, the Department maintains regular contact with the SMMT at all levels.

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has recently received from the engineering industry about the state of the motor car industry.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Secretary of State has regular contacts with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which represents component manufacturers as well as vehicle builders, and with individual companies. These contacts, together with those of other DTI Ministers and officials in the DTI's vehicles task force and regional offices, enable him to keep up-to-date on issues affecting the motor car industry.

  Maastricht
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations he has carried out amongst the leaders of British industry on their attitude to the Maastricht negotiations; what were the responses he received; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The director general of the CBI congratulated the Prime Minister and his colleagues on having"achieved exactly what business needs"
  from Maastricht. The Government, too, believe that British industry will be well served by the agreement reached at Maastricht.

  Investment Location
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from business men concerning the impact of the regulatory environment on decisions about location of investment.
  594
  Mr. Redwood
  None, Sir. However, my Department's Invest in Britain Bureau reports that foreign potential investors have often commented favourably on the United Kingdom's regulatory environment. That is why we are the preferred location in the Economic Community for investment from Japan and the United States.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the present availability of export assistance to United Kingdom companies trading with eastern Europe.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  A range of services is available under the enterprise initiative including support for outward missions and participation in overseas trade fairs, the provision of general information on overseas markets and answers to specific questions about market opportunities. The services are available through the country sections of my Department or our network of regional offices.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department credit insurance cover for medium-term business—ie on credit term of two years or more—is available for Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Short-term cover is now provided by the private sector.

  Aircraft Industry
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the balance of trade in aircraft and aircraft components for the most recent two years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Leigh
  The latest available figures are for the 12-month period ending September 1991 for which the United Kingdom had a positive trade balance in aircraft and aircraft components of £2·8 billion, compared with £l·7 billion for the previous 12 months ending September 1990.

  Plugs and Sockets
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any proposals to amend the Plugs and Sockets Etc. (Safety) Regulations 1987.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department is currently considering a number of amendments to the Plugs and Sockets Etc. (Safety) Regulations 1987 as part of a general review.

  Mining Exports
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met representatives of the mining engineering industry to discuss export prospects.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have had no request for such a meeting.

  My officials are, however, in frequent contact with the industry and its trade association on this subject.

  Aerospace Industry
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will meet the British representatives of General Electric to discuss the aerospace industry.
  595
  Mr. Leigh
  I have no plans to meet the British representatives of General Electric.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on trade between the United Kingdom and Kuwait since the end of the Gulf war.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  United Kingdom exports began to recover almost immediately after the end of the war so that by the third quarter of 1991 the value of exports was at the 1989—pre-war—level of approximately £56 million per quarter. Imports from Kuwait are recovering more slowly.

  US Investment
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement about the United Kingdom's share of investment from the United States into the European Community.

  Mr. Leigh
  The UK has maintained its successful track record as the preferred location within the European Community for inward investment from the USA. Britain's share of United States investment in the EC stood at 37·5 per cent. at the end of 1990.

  Manufacturing Trade Deficit
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has recently received about the manufacturing trade deficit.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have received no representations recently on the manufacturing trade deficit. However, I frequently meet representatives from the CBI and industry and a wide variety of subjects are discussed.

  Exports and Inward Investment
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support his Department gives to consulate staff in non-EC countries in identifying export opportunities for United Kingdom firms and inward investment opportunities.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Commercial staff in Foreign and Commonwealth Office overseas posts provide a wide range of information, advice, and assistance to UK exporters and to potential investors in the UK. They are assisted by the joint directorate and the Invest in Britain Bureau.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Internal Market Council held in Brussels on Thursday 19 December.

  Mr. Redwood
  I attended the Internal Market Council on 19 December 1991. Political agreements were reached on public procurement (services), the third non-life insurance directive and the second diplomas directive. Common positions were reached on the three remaining vehicle type approval measures, pharmaceutical patent protection and homeopathic medicines. Also, final agreement was reached on insurance accounts, insurance committees, and common positions on sweeteners, two and three-wheeled vehicles and hot water boilers.
  596
  The council also held policy discussions on food irradiation and the Berne and Paris conventions along with brief progress reports on border controls, the future medicinal systems, the CE mark and data protection. The council also agree to reject a request for talks on Commission staff pay.

  Employee Inventions
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for adjudication have been made to the Comptroller of Patents seeking awards for employee inventions as provided in section 40 of the Patents Act 1977 in each year since 1978; in how many of those cases an award was made; and what was the average value of the awards made in each year.

  Mr. Leigh
  The number of applications under section 40 to the comptroller since 1978 has been 16—one in 1984, one in 1985, five in 1986, one in 1987, four in 1989, two in 1990 and two in 1991. Of these, eight were withdrawn before hearing, three were heard but no award made, and the remaining five are still in the evidence stage. One of the applicants heard but rejected is under appeal to the Patents Court.

  Protein Engineering
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many research projects are being funded under the protein engineering link programme in universities and polytechnics; what is their total value; how many universities and polytechnics have research projects funded under the protein engineering link programme; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Leigh
  There are eight projects with university involvement within the link protein engineering programme; no polytechnics are as yet involved. The total value of these projects amounts to over £3 million—50 per cent. from the Government grant and the rest from industry. The seven universities involved are Bath, Cambridge—two projects—Leeds, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield and Sussex.

  Takeover Panel
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will indemnify the takeover panel against possible liability for defamation arising from the preparation and publication of its pending report on the takeover of House of Fraser; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I am not responsible for the takeover panel and the question of indemnification in respect of any of its business does not therefore arise.

  Textiles and Clothing
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made in those parts of the general agreement on tariffs and trade Uruguay round negotiations relating to textiles and clothing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The draft Final Act on the Uruguay round which the GATT director-general recently circulated provides, in relation to textiles, for the
  597
  multi-fibre arrangement to be phased out over 10 years from 1993. It explicitly links this to strengthened GATT rules and disciplines and market access.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what business incentives are available to support private sector nuclear waste and safety consultants to obtain work through the public civil nuclear authorities operating in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department offers no incentives to consultants to help them obtain work of this kind.

  Environmental Investment
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what invitations Ministers or officials of his Department have received to participate in the Club de Bruxelles forum on environmental investment priorities in Europe on 6 February.

  Mr. Leigh
  Officials of my Department recently received details of this event but have yet to decide whether or not they will attend it.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to combat short-termism and its effects on the manufacturing sector of industry.

  Mr. Redwood
  In recent years there have been many good examples of major long term manufacturing investments in the United Kingdom. The key to this is encouraging competitiveness.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  BSE
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle were destroyed as a result of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each of the months of October, November and December 1991; whether the problem of BSE is now in decline; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The answer is:

  Month

  Total number destroyed

  October

  21

  November

  32

  December

  18

  Total

  71

  There are 1,533,226 cattle in Northern Ireland, and a total of 308 confirmed cases of BSE have been reported to date.

  Braniel Estate, Castlereagh
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many housing allocations were made in the Braniel estate, Castlereagh, in each of the 598
  months of October, November and December 1991; and how many of these allocations in each of the three months were to (a) homeless persons and (b) single-parent families.

  Mr. Hanley
  These are matters for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I am advised by its chief executive that the information requested is as follows:

  October 1991

  November 1991

  December 1991

  Total allocations

  7

  6

  3

  Homeless

  14

  12

  —

  Single parent

  1

  1

  1

  1Includes single-parent allocation.

  Newtownards(Housing)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applicants there are on the waiting list for homes in Newtownards; how many are categorised as primary cases; how many homes are presently under construction in Newtownards; and how many new homes will be commenced in 1992 in Newtownards.

  Mr. Hanley
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, whose chief executive has advised that at 31 December there were 856 applicants on the executive's waiting list for the Ards borough council area, of whom 131 were in the priority category. Separate information for the town of Newtownards is not available. There are 66 Housing Executive dwellings under construction in Newtownards and the executive proposes to start building 62 new houses in the town in 1992–93.

  "Angel Dust"
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of "angel dust" were detected in animals in each of the months of October, November and December 1991; and how many prosecutions are now pending.

  Mr. Hanley
  Clenbuterol, commonly referred to as "angel dust", was detected in the following numbers of animals during the periods in question:

  Number of cases detected

  October

  9

  November

  2

  December

  5

  Excluding the above, four prosecutions are pending in respect of offences committed prior to October 1991.

SCOTLAND

  Appointments
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) the paid appointments within his patronage, (b) the annual remuneration paid to each one and (c) the total remuneration costs.

  Mr. Lang
  Table 1 shows the annual remuneration at 1 July 1991 to my appointees in paid appointments.
  599
  Table 2 provides the same information in respect of appointments made jointly with other Ministers. The respective totals, excluding those appointees paid on a fee basis, are £1,458,172 and £603,689.

  Table 1

  Paid appointments for which the Secretary of State for Scotland irresponsible as at 1 July 1991

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1991

  £

  Argyll and Clyde Health Board

  Chairman

  17,375

  Ayrshire and Arran Health Board

  Chairman

  14,565

  Borders Health Board

  Chairman

  11,740

  Caledonian Macbrayne

  Chairman

  16,050

  7 Members

  4,815

  Central Scotland Woodlands Ltd.

  Chairman

  Fee paid

  Commission for Local Authority accounts in Scotland

  Chairman

  9,130

  Deputy Chairman

  5,790

  8 Members

  2,800

  Counsel to Secretary of State on private legislation procedure

  1 Member

  15,374

  1 Member

  10,005

  Countryside Commission for Scotland

  Chairman

  15,401

  Deputy Chairman

  6,438

  Crofters Commission

  Chairman

  40,027

  6 Members

  10,203

  Cumbernauld Development Corporation

  Chairman

  19,765

  Deputy Chairman

  8,980

  8 Members

  4,050

  Dumfries and Galloway Health Board

  Chairman

  11,740

  East Kilbride Development Corporation

  Chairman

  19,765

  Deputy Chairman

  8,980

  7 Members

  4,050

  Fife Health Board

  Chairman

  14,565

  Forth Valley Health Board

  Chairman

  14,565

  Glenrothes Development Corporation

  Chairman

  19,765

  Deputy Chairman

  8,980

  7 Members

  4,050

  Grampian Health Board

  Chairman

  19,810

  Greater Glasgow Health Board

  Chairman

  24,680

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise

  Chairman

  61,390

  9 Members

  6,450

  600

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1991

  £

  Highland Health Board

  Chairman

  14,565

  Horse Race Betting Levy Appeal Tribunal for Scotland

  2 Members

  171 per day

  Irvine Development Corporation

  Chairman

  19,765

  Deputy Chairman

  8,980

  7 Members

  4,050

  Lanarkshire Health Board

  Chairman

  17,375

  Livingston Development Corporation

  Chairman

  19,765

  Deputy Chairman

  8,980

  7 Members

  4,050

  Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland

  Chairman

  5,092

  Vice Chairman

  12,075

  3 Members

  1,708

  Lothian Health Board

  Chairman

  22,245

  Orkney Health Board

  Chairman

  7,070

  Preliminary Review Committee for Life Sentence Prisoners

  3 Members

  varied daily fees paid

  Red Deer Commission

  Chairman

  16,482

  Rent Assessment Panel for Scotland

  President

  12,981

  Vice President

  8,184

  Scottish Agricultural Wages Board

  Chairman

  158 per day

  3 Members

  101 per day

  Scottish Dental Practice Board

  Chairman

  39,402

  Scottish Enterprise

  Chairman

  43,000

  Deputy Chairman

  9,000

  9 Members

  6,000

  Scottish Homes

  Chairman

  31,350

  Deputy Chairman

  15,150

  7 Members

  5,790

  Scottish Legal Aid Board

  Chairman

  17,332

  11 Members

  8,528

  2 Members

  5,685

  Scottish Seed Potato Development Council

  Chairman

  7,650

  Scottish Tourist Board

  Chairman

  31,670

  6 Members

  5,790

  Scottish Transport Group

  Chairman

  69,132

  1 Member

  7,280

  2 Members

  5,546

  601

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1991

  £

  Shetland Health Board

  Chairman

  7,070

  State Hospital Management Committee

  Chairman

  12,980

  Tayside Health Board

  Chairman

  19,810

  Western Isles Health Board

  Chairman

  7,070

  Table 2

  Paid appointments made jointly by Secretary of Slate for Scotland and other Ministers as at 1 July 1991

  Annual salary as at 1 July 1991

  £

  Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards

  Chairman

  23,500

  Deputy Chairman

  9,249

  Agricultural Training Board

  Chairman

  7,155

  Deputy Chairman

  6,560

  British Wool Marketing Board

  3 Members

  5,925

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board

  Chairman

  23,100

  Director General of Electricity Supply

  81,700

  Food from Britain

  Chairman

  30,000

  Deputy Chairman

  4,400

  12 Members

  1,804

  Home Grown Cereals Authority

  Chairman

  16,765

  Deputy Chairman

  5,790

  19 Members

  2,890

  Horticultural Development Council

  Chairman

  22,950

  Deputy Chairman

  4,160

  20 Members

  25 per day

  Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce

  Chairman

  6,055

  Meat and Livestock Commission

  Chairman

  49,350

  Deputy Chairman

  24,390

  1 Member

  11,770

  10 Members

  5,790

  National Radiological Protection Board

  Chairman

  9,970

  12 Members

  72 per day

  Sea Fish Industry Authority

  Chairman

  25,745

  Deputy Chairman

  12,027

  10 Members

  5,650

  United Kingdom Seeds Executive

  Chairman

  8,800

  4 Members

  2,880

  Hospital Beds (Highland Region)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many unoccupied beds in private nursing homes are being paid for by Highland health board; and at what cost.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I understand that Highland health board has concluded that the negotiation of a contract with a private nursing home in Portree would be a more cost-effective way of providing better care for the elderly in a more central location in Skye. The closure of Gesto hospital is now the subject of public consultation. If meanwhile the board judges it right to reserve accommodation to ensure that its plans can be implemented, that is a matter for it. I will approve the closure of Gesto hospital only if it is clear that the alternative accommodation offers a better service to patients.

  Skye Bridge
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the implications, in terms of compensation, of a decision by Her Majesty's Government not to proceed with the proposed Skye toll bridge.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As is normal commercial practice, termination by one party which constituted a breach of contract could entitle the other party to claim compensation.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate the implications for the toll period of any increase in the cost of the proposed Skye toll bridge.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Depending on the circumstances, an increase in costs required by the Secretary of State may result in an increase in the toll period. The length of such an extension would depend on the scale of extra costs and the forecast traffic volumes.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the principal terms, including those relating to compensation, of the contract entered into by the Scottish Office in relation to the proposed Skye bridge.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As is normal commercial practice, the financial details of the contracts are confidential. However, the other principal terms of the contract are set out in the assignation statement published with the draft toll order.

  There is provision in the contracts for compensation in the event of default by either party at all stages in both the construction and operation of the crossing.

  House Repossessions
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many home owners in Scotland have suffered repossession of their homes due to mortgage arrears in each year since 1979 until the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Lang
  This information is not available in the form requested. The Council of Mortgage Lenders publishes statistics in its regular newsletters on various aspects of mortgage lending by building societies but this is on a
  603
  Great Britain basis and no corresponding information is available for Scotland only. No information about other mortgage lenders is held centrally.

  Ayr Hospital
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last visited the new Ayr hospital; whether he informed the hon. Member for the constituency which includes the new hospital in advance of his visit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  As the hon. Member is aware I last visited the new Ayr hospital on 6 January. I have since written to him on the matter.

  Dundee Institute of Technology
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the implications for Dundee institute of technology of the Government's proposed reforms of higher education.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro), confirming the criteria for the extension of university title to institutions other than polytechnics.

  This decision means that Dundee institute of technology does not at present meet the criteria for the right to use the university title. The institute will benefit from my right hon. Friend's announcement of 30 December under which it will acquire degree-awarding powers for both taught and research degrees in recognition of the very high academic standards it has attained. Clearly, the institute will wish to consider how best to build on its record of achievement. The institute can look forward to the opportunity presented by the establishment of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to compete for funds on exactly the same basis as all Scottish higher education establishments.

  The institute recently submitted proposals to the Secretary of State to merge with Highland, Western. Isles and Fife colleges of nursing and midwifery. I wrote to Dr. Cuming, the principal of the institute, on 12 December asking him to review an expanded range of options for its future development. In that letter, I made it clear that, before I could give a considered response to the proposals involving the nursing colleges, I would want to view them in the context of the institute's assessment of the merits and practicality of collaboration with other providers of higher education in the Dundee area. So far as the specific option submitted to my right hon. Friend was concerned, if this were to be pursued I made it clear that I would in due course require to see a more fully argued case which addressed the detailed criteria set out in annex B of the report on mergers by the Scottish committee of the Universities Funding Council published on 25 November.

  Universities
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the criteria he will apply in advising the Privy Council on applications for the use of the university title by higher education institutions other than the present polytechnics and universities.

  Mr. Lang
  My Department has today written to those representative bodies to which copies of our consultation 604
  paper on this matter were issued on 31 October. Copies have also been sent to all Members presently serving on the First Scottish Standing Committee considering the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Bill. Given the public interest in this matter the full text of the letter is reproduced below.

  Universities

    University title
    1. The Consultation Paper "Degree Awarding Powers and University Title" issued by the Education Departments on 31 October 1991 consulted on the Government's proposals concerning:

    1.1 criteria for the extension of degree awarding powers beyond the present polytechnics;

    1.2 arrangements for the Secretary of State to secure advice on whether institutions meet those criteria; and

    1.3 criteria for extending the university title beyond the present polytechnics.

    2. The Government's conclusions on the first 2 issues have already been set out in our letter of 30 December 1991. This letter sets out the Government's conclusions on the criteria for extending the university title beyond the present polytechnics.
    Criteria for University Title
    3. Following a generally favourable response to the criteria set out in its consultation paper, the Government has decided that the criteria on which the Secretary of State will base his advice to the Privy Council on any application for use of the university title will be substantially as set out in the consultation paper. The criteria will be that an institution should have:—

    (a) at least 300 full-time equivalent higher education students in a majority of the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council's 9 academic programmes;

    (b) a higher education enrollment of at least 4,000 full-time equivalent students;

    (c) at least 3,000 full-time equivalent higher education students on degree level courses;

    (d) power to award its own taught course and research degrees.

    4. The only change in the above criteria, compared with those in the consultation paper, is that the third criterion is now cast by reference to full-time equivalent student numbers rather than full-time student numbers. In view of the importance of increasing access to higher education through more flexible course structures and, in particular, part-time provision the Government concluded in the light of comments received that this change was desirable. Assessment of the number of full-time equivalent higher education students on degree level courses in an institution will be made by reference to the proportion of students leaving an institution with a full first degree or higher qualification, or a qualification which is equivalent to a full first degree or higher qualification, in the latest academic session for which figures are available.
    5. Some institutions asked which students might he included for the purposes of those criteria which include reference to student numbers. The Government does not intend that account should be taken, in assessing applications from individual institutions, of students in associated institutions.
    6. The Privy Council Office will write soon to Colleges of Higher Education explaining the procedures and the timing of applications. We are writing in similar terms to all representative organisations which responded to the Consultation Paper of 31 October 1991".

  Revaluation
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he intends to make for 1992–93 to continue phasing in the effects of the 1990 revaluation.

  Mr. Lang
  We are committed to limiting annual increases in non-domestic rate bills resulting from revaluation to a maximum of 20 per cent. in real terms, to 15 per cent. for those ratepayers occupying properties with
  605
  rateable values of less than £10,000, and to 10 per cent. in the case of part-residential properties with rateable values of less than £10,000.

  In order to maintain the level of non-domestic rate income this year, we arranged to limit decreases in non-domestic rate bills resulting from revaluation to 11·5 per cent. in real terms, and to 16·5 per cent. for those ratepayers occupying properties with rateable values of less than £10,000. The limits for those who benefited from the revaluation will reduce by a further 11·5 per cent. and 16·5 per cent. in real terms in 1992–93.

  These changes will be set out in regulations which I shall lay before Parliament in the near future. The regulations will prescribe the multipliers to be applied to the rateable values of properties in the valuation roll on 31 March 1990 to determine the upper and lower notional rateable values for the purpose of calculating non-domestic rate bills for 1992–93. The multipliers for the upper limits will be 2·323 for properties with rateable values as at 1 April 1990 of £10,000 or more, 2·045 for those with rateable values of less than £10,000 and 1·871 for part-residential properties with values of less than £10,000. The multipliers for the lower limits will be 0·931 for properties with rateable values as at 1 April 1990 of £10,000 or more and 0·782 for those properties with values of less than £10,000.

DEFENCE

  "The Campus Connection"
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will obtain a copy of "The Campus Connection" for his departmental library.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The MOD library added a copy of the CND publication "The Campus Connection" to its loan stock on 11 November 1991.

  Ms. Lindis Percy
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department is claiming against Ms. Lindis Percy in respect of police costs as part of the proceedings to prevent Ms. Percy from entering Menwith hill; how the amount has been calculated; and under what powers the claim is being made against Ms. Percy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence is claiming common law damages from Ms. Lindis Percy, based on the cost of MOD police man hours devoted to dealing with Ms. Percy's persistent trespasses at Menwith hill station. This cost has reached some £11,600 by 21 August 1991.

  Defence Arrangements (CIS)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the leadership of the new Commonwealth of Independent States has communicated with NATO Defence Ministers regarding decisions taken at its planning meeting on new collective independent conventional and nuclear defence arrangements in Minsk at the end of December 1991.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No formal notification of the outcome of the meeting was sent to NATO Defence 606
  Ministers. The outcome was, however, widely reported in the media, and the Government have followed developments closely.

  Mayak (Radioactive Pollution)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to give assistance to the Russian military nuclear authorities to decontaminate the radioactive pollution at the Mayak atomic complex and the nearby Techa river near Chelyabinsk.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In conjunction with our NATO partners, we are ready to consider requests for assistance in the nuclear field from the successor states to the former Soviet Union. NATO is reviewing where best that effort might be directed.

  Commonwealth of Independent States
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all national and local television and radio broadcasts he and other Ministers in his Department have made since 20 December on the questions of(a) the control of the nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union by the Commonwealth of Independent States and (b) the future of British nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Nuclear Research
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military nuclear research has been conducted at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich; and what clean up programmes have taken place at former facilities used for military nuclear research or storage.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Some early research was carried out at various locations at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. The facilities used have been decommissioned and cleaned up. Current decontamination work at the nearby Woolwich garrison is unrelated to the former facilities at the Royal Arsenal site.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Farm Woodland Premium Scheme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the implementation of the farm woodland premium scheme announced in November last year.

  Mr. Curry
  We are finalising the details of this scheme, which will be introduced on 1 April 1992, in the light of comments received from interested organisations consulted about our proposals. A further announcement will made shortly.

  I would also refer the hon. Member to the announcement on 19 December by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro), Official Report, column 296 about special arrangements for the payment of higher establishment grants in respect of all planting carried out under the farm woodland scheme since 1 October 1991.

  CAST IRON FITTINGS ON ROADS AND PAVEMENTS
  CAST IRON FITTINGS ON ROADS AND PAVEMENTS
  DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
  DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS