Written Answers of 6 July 1992

TRANSPORT

  Expenditure
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the expenditure from his Department by standard regions, showing Greater London as a separate region, for each year from 1987–88(a) at current prices and (b) at 1987–88 prices.

  Mr. Freeman
  Estimates of general Government expenditure on transport by standard region for the years 1988–89 and 1989–90, the last two years for which information is available, are given in appendix E of "Public Expenditure Analyses to 1994–95: Statistical Supplement to the Autumn Statement", Cm. 1920. The figures for 1987–88 appear in appendix F of the prior year's publication, Cm. 1520.

  The figures are produced only on a cash basis and Greater London expenditure is not separately identified from that of the south-east region.

  Ocean Hound
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to detonate or otherwise destroy the wreck of the Brixham Trawler Ocean Hound which currently lies on the ocean bed off the Dover straits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Trinity House has the responsibility for ensuring that wrecks do not constitute a danger to navigation. It is aware of the sensitivity of this case and has no plans to detonate or otherwise destroy the wreck of the Ocean Hound. I
  understand that work will be limited to the removal of about 3 m of the vessel's mast and will be undertaken with the least possible disturbance to the wreck.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Mr. Chakufwa Chihana
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Malawi concerning M r. Chakufwa Chihana, an international trade union official, detained in Malawi.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In April we initiated a joint EC demarche calling on the Malawian Government for Chakufwa Chihana's immediate release. We continue 10 take every opportunity to press the Malawian Government for Mr. Chihana either to be released or charged and brought to trial.

  Subsidiarity
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which areas he assesses powers will be diverted from the European institutions back to the nation states under the principle of subsidiarity.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The principle of subsidiarity states that the Community should take action"only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the member states".

  The Lisbon European Council set in hand urgent work on the procedural and practical steps to implement this principle. The Commission and the Council will report to the European Council in Edinburgh.

  Tibet
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will seek to persuade the Chinese authorities to admit the delegations from Austria, the United States Senate and Australia, to investigate alleged human rights violations in Tibet: and whether he will also seek agreement for a delegation from the United Kingdom to visit Tibet for this purpose.

  Mr. Goodlad
  It is for the Governments concerned to approach the Chinese authorities. They have agreed to receive a human rights delegation led by Lord Howe later this year. Timing, itinerary, and other details have yet to be decided.

  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about violations of the freedom of religion in Tibet; and how many monks and nuns have been killed, detained and sentenced to terms of imprisonment for political offences in each of the years 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 to date.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Information of this kind comes mainly from the findings of organisations such as Amnesty International and Asia Watch. We have no independent corroboration of these disturbing reports. We take every opportunity to express to the Chinese our deep concern about human rights abuses in China, including Tibet.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about recent violations of human rights in Nigeria, including the riots in Kaduna, during the week beginning 17 May.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Nigerian Government are aware of the importance we attach to human rights. We raise with them any serious violations such as the recent arrest and detention of human rights activists. We regret the loss of life in the riots in Kaduna state in May which were the result of a dispute between two ethnic groups. We understand that order has now been restored.

  Mr. Salman Rushdie
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to the Iranian authorities over the declaration regarding Mr. Salman Rushdie; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The fatwa against Salman Rushdie is an infringement of his fundamental rights as a British citizen. We have made this clear to the Iranian authorities on many occasions. We have also made clear to him that we deplore the recent statement by the Iranian parliament.

  Indonesia
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will cancel the invitations to three officers of the Indonesian army to attend courses at the Royal Military College of Science, in view of Indonesia's record on human rights.

  Mr. Goodlad
  No. We do not believe that the cancellation of this form of educational assistance would help the human rights situation in Indonesia.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Queen's Counsel
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the criteria used by the Lord Chancellor in recommending to Her Majesty the appointment of Queen's Counsel.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor recommends the grant of practising silk only to those practitioners who hold full rights of audience in the High Court or the Crown court, who arc considered to be sufficiently senior—; normally of at least 10 years' standing —; and who have reached an appropriate level of professional eminence and distinction as advocates. The Lord Chancellor also takes account of the numbers of new silks appropriate in the different fields of practice. In addition, the Lord Chancellor recommends a small number of particularly distinguished lawyers for the award of Queen's Counsel honoris causa.

  Destination of leavers (Youth Training and Employment Training) Youth Training (YT) April 1991 to August 1991

  Percentage

  Gwent

  West Wales

  Cardiff

  Wrexham

  Wales

  In a job

  38

  44

  41

  57

  46

  Unemployed

  29

  24

  32

  21

  26

  In education

  20

  19

  13

  11

  15

  April 1990 to March 1991

  Percentage

  Gwent

  West Wales

  Cardiff

  Wrexham

  Wales

  In a job

  56

  51

  49

  60

  53

  Unemployed

  24

  22

  28

  18

  23

  In education

  20

  19

  13

  15

  16

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the amount of legal aid owed to solicitors for completed work at the latest date for which figures are available; if he will estimate the average length of time between the date on which payment is claimed by solicitors and the date on which payment is made to them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Information is not available in the form requested. However, the Legal Aid Board publishes in its annual report targets and performance for the time taken to process legal aid bills from receipt in the area offices to payment being made. Targets are also published in the Court Service annual report for payment of criminal legal aid hills in the higher courts. As at March 1992 the targets—; set out in the table—; were all being met or exceeded apart from in the south eastern circuit central taxing team where special measures are being taken to reduce the backlog.Civil bills: 65 per cent. paid within six weeks of receipt.
  Magistrates' court bills: 80 per cent. paid within six weeks of receipt.
  Other legal aid fund hills: 90 per cent. paid within six weeks of receipt.
  Crown Court taxations: 70 per cent. paid within four weeks of being lodged.
  Central taxing teams: 75 per cent. paid within three months of being ready to tax.

  It should be borne in mind that, except where standard fees are in force, time has to he allowed for the claim submitted to be given full and detailed examination by way of taxation by the court or assessment by the Legal Aid Board before final payment can be made.

WALES

  Youth Training
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of those leaving(a) YTS and (b) employment training schemes in each training division in Wales (i) entered employment, (ii) entered further education and (iii) were subsequently unemployed; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since the scheme's inception.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is contained in the tables.
  5

  April 1989 to March 1990

  Percentage

  Gwent

  West Wales

  Cardiff

  Wrexham

  Wales

  In a job

  65

  63

  59

  67

  63

  Unemployed

  14

  15

  20

  14

  16

  In education

  15

  16

  14

  14

  15

  April 1988 to March 1989

  Percentage

  Gwent

  West Wales

  Cardiff

  Wrexham

  Wales

  In a job

  62

  61

  60

  66

  62

  Unemployed

  16

  16

  20

  15

  17

  In education

  17

  18

  15

  15

  16

  Definitions:

  "In a job" includes full-time, part-time and self employment.

  "In education" includes full-time education and a further YT course.

  Employment Training (ET) April 1991-Augest 1991

  Percentage

  Gwent

  West Wales

  Cardiff

  Wrexham

  Wales

  In a job

  32

  35

  27

  29

  30

  Unemployed

  59

  56

  62

  54

  60

  In Training/Education

  4

  5

  5

  8

  4

  April 1990-March 1991

  Percentage

  Gwent

  West Wales

  Cardiff

  Wrexham

  Wales

  In a job

  34

  34

  27

  42

  33

  Unemployed

  58

  56

  63

  46

  58

  In Training/Education

  2

  3

  2

  3

  3

  July 1989-March 1990

  Percentage

  Gwent

  West Wales

  Cardiff

  Wrexham

  Wales

  In a job

  41

  41

  36

  49

  37

  Unemployed

  51

  51

  56

  42

  54

  In Training/Education

  2

  1

  2

  1

  2

  Definitions

  In a Job includes full-time, part-time and self employment

  Unemployed includes those claiming and those not claiming benefits.

  Training/Education includes full-time education and a subsequent Employment Training course.

  Regional Policy
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on his policies concerning assisted area status in Wales;

  (2) if he will make a statement on regional policy in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  A review of the assisted areas map in Great Britain was launched on 9 June. My Department has issued a consultation document, jointly with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Scottish Office, to interested organisations in Wales. The objectives of the Government's regional policy will continue to be to reduce regional imbalance in employment opportunities and to encourage the development of indigenous potential within the assisted areas on a stable, long-term basis. The needs of all areas will be carefully taken into account.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list each of the assisted areas in Wales; and what was the number of unemployed in each area for each year since 1989.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The assisted areas in Wales, along with the numbers unemployed in each area since May 1989, are shown in the table:6

  Wales Assisted Area Unemployed, at May

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Aberdare (D)

  2,679

  2,182

  2,917

  2,981

  Bangor and Caernarfon (I)

  3,020

  2,845

  3,229

  3,817

  Blaenau Gwent and Abergavenny (D)

  4,242

  3,376

  4,003

  4,086

  Bridgend (I)

  4,896

  4,225

  6,160

  6,618

  Cardiff (I)

  15,486

  13,851

  19,087

  21,745

  Cardigan (D)

  912

  568

  859

  1,080

  Fishguard (I)

  390

  270

  349

  471

  Haverfordwest (I)

  2,083

  1,685

  2,267

  2,447

  Holyhead (D)

  2,479

  2,104

  2,604

  3,085

  Lampeter and Aberaeron (D)

  586

  393

  584

  644

  Llanelli (I)

  3,427

  2,899

  3,727

  4,139

  Merthyr and Rhymney (D)

  6,345

  5,581

  7,134

  7,393

  Neath and Port Talbot (D)

  3,617

  2,713

  4,020

  4,342

  Newport (I)

  6,736

  5,627

  8,056

  9,266

  Pontypool and Cwmbran (I)

  3,435

  2,770

  4,076

  4,737

  Pontypridd and Rhondda (D)

  6,473

  5,614

  7,798

  8,009

  Portmadoc and Ffestiniog (I)

  494

  441

  615

  714

  Pwellheli (I)

  687

  530

  613

  686

  Shotton, Flint and Rhyl (D)

  5,924

  4,467

  5,964

  7,366

  7

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  South Pembrokeshire (D)

  1,626

  1,339

  1,928

  1,962

  Swansea (I)

  10,126

  8,091

  10,669

  11,358

  Wrexham (D)

  4,135

  3,272

  4,600

  5,425

  Source: Employment Department

  (D) Development Area

  (I) Intermediate Area

  Council Responsibilities
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further plans he has to assist Welsh district and borough councils to meet their responsibilities concerning(a) economic development, (b) environmental health and (c) refuse disposal.

  Mr. David Hunt
  It is for the local authorities concerned to decide how to discharge these, and indeed their other, responsibilities, taking account of such guidance as my Department may issue from time to time.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give figures for inward investment into Wales from(a) north America, (b) Japan and the far east and (c) Europe classified by greenfield investment, joint ventures, non-United Kingdom company purchase of United Kingdom company, and re-investment for each year since 1987 measured by job numbers and project numbers; and if he will express such figures as percentages of the United Kingdom total for that year;

  (2) if he will give figures for inward investment into Wales separately from (a) north America, (b) Japan and the far east and (c) Europe for each year since 1987; and if he will express each figure as a percentage share of all inward investment into the United Kingdom measured by (i) numbers of individual projects and (ii) jobs secured and created.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible and place a copy in the Library of the House.

  Council Housing
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses have been built by local authorities in Wales since 1981.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Between January 1981 and April 1992, a total of 13,669 local authority dwellings—;6,904 houses and 6,765 flats—; have been built.

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of council house waiting lists in Wales; and what was the comparable list in 1981.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is not centrally available.

  Unitary Authority, Cardiff
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what boundaries he is intending to set for the new unitary authority based on Cardiff.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I am at present consulting on the boundaries appropriate for all the unitary authorities to be 8
  established in Wales, including an authority based on Cardiff. I will be announcing decisions in a White Paper later this year.

  Sports Council
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the 15 recommendations of the Sports Council for Wales have been(a) accepted in full by the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales, (b) accepted in part and (c) rejected in respect of the organisation and funding of participation of Welsh teams at Canada and beyond.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I understand that the Sports Council for Wales considers that only three of the recommendations contained in its report on the management and administration of the Welsh team in Auckland in 1990 have been implemented in full. The council believes that some movement has been made on other recommendations, but not to the extent that it believes to be necessary.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Agencies
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody),Official Report, 23 June, columns 117–20, he will indicate for each of the executive agencies listed, the numbers of civil servants employed in all predecessor organisations.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  This information is not held centrally. Figures showing the allocation of staff and work within Departments prior to an agency's launch are normally only held by individual Departments.

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the citizens charter in relation to the wearing of name badges by civil servants; what percentage of civil servants now wear name badges; and if he has any plans to change this percentage.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have made good progress in implementing the citizens charter White Paper commitment on name badges. Most civil servants are happy to wear name badges, and the majority of civil servants who deal directly with the public now wear them, except where there is a real threat to their safety. The Employment Service, where the 38,000 staff who deal directly with the public now wear name badges, is a good example. We will continue to encourage all civil servants who deal with the public to wear name badges.

  Her Majesty's Stationery Office
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to make HMSO publications available on computer files; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  HMSO actively pursues viable opportunities for publishing official material in computer form, including working in concert with private sector firms in the information industry, in the spirit of the tradeable information policy. Currently available products include:
  9
  On CD-ROM (Compact Disc—; Read Only Memory):
  Statutory Instruments from 1987—; published six-monthly.
  DTI United Kingdom Register of Quality Assessed Companies—; published quarterly.
  Civil Service YearBook—; published annually.
  Catalogue of United Kingdom Official Publications—; published quarterly.

  As Data-Only Files on Magnetic Tape or Disc:
  Customs & Excise Tariff (magnetic tape)—; published monthly.
  Standard Methods for Measurement (floppy disc)—; available for purchase on request.
  Specified Acts and Statutory Instruments (tape or disc)—;available for purchase on request.
  The Budget (tape or disc)—;available for purchase on request.
  The Birthday and New Year's Honours List (tape or disc)—;available for purchase on request.
  Sections of the House of Commons Vote Bundle (tape or disc)—;bespoke daily service, on request.
  Other Non-Parliamentary Publications which have been typeset by computer—;available for purchase on request.

  As floppy disc supplements to printed publications:
  Neighbourhood Renewal Program.
  SLOPE (Stability Calculation facility for Surveyors).
  Annual Review of Government funded Research and Development.
  Forthcoming Products include:

  On CD-ROM
  Full text of Commons Official Report—; to be published three times per year.
  Full text of current HSE publications and related legislation—; to be published six monthly.
  Current taxation legislation and related material—; to be published three or four times per year.

  On floppy disc:
  United Kingdom VAT Legislation and regulations and related European Commission Directives Technical procure-ment information standard for computer communication systems (GOSIP).

  As floppy disc supplements to printed publications:
  Companies Assisted Standard Occupational Classification.
  Structural Systems Analysis and Designs Methods (SSADM).

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  (a) Number of companies

  South East

  269

  277

  486

  509

  512

  512

  450

  South West

  42

  51

  74

  78

  74

  68

  60

  East Anglia

  32

  39

  68

  60

  48

  57

  50

  West Midlands

  36

  37

  86

  119

  116

  87

  102

  East Midlands

  17

  26

  75

  72

  90

  81

  80

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  17

  18

  70

  36

  71

  75

  104

  North West

  14

  26

  78

  94

  107

  64

  66

  North

  10

  18

  38

  98

  79

  50

  45

  Scotland

  62

  52

  116

  145

  147

  174

  150

  Wales

  12

  53

  71

  94

  43

  39

  57

  Northern Ireland

  2

  3

  12

  21

  15

  14

  32

  Total

  513

  600

  1,174

  1,326

  1,302

  1,221

  1,196

  (b) Amount invested (£ million)

  South East

  171·4

  245·8

  529

  640

  689

  674

  513

  South West

  18·4

  17·6

  67

  53

  93

  34

  72

  East Anglia

  15·9

  20·1

  24

  38

  39

  51

  27

  West Midlands

  19·2

  11·3

  40

  119

  82

  64

  93

  East Midlands

  5·8

  10·5

  71

  86

  103

  70

  47

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  7·4

  12·5

  68

  80

  58

  57

  74

  North West

  4·7

  16·6

  36

  57

  76

  38

  46

  North

  2·0

  11·9

  6

  103

  37

  23

  21

  Scotland

  18·4

  26·1

  50

  81

  217

  81

  73

  Wales

  6·8

  11·2

  42

  27

  19

  12

  17

  Northern Ireland

  0·2

  0·4

  1

  14

  7

  2

  6

  Total

  270·2

  384·0

  934

  1,298

  1,420

  1,106

  989

  Market Testing
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to announce the detailed programme for market testing for each Department following the reviews which have recently been undertaken as a result of "Competing for Quality".

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) on 22 June 1992, at column 102.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Disabled Employees
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively and overall in his Department are registered disabled people.

  Mr. Nelson
  There are no officers registered as disabled people in grades 1 to 7 in the Treasury. There are 30 Treasury staff who are registered disabled, this proportion representing 1 per cent. at 1 June 1991, the latest date for which figures are available. The Department employs a number of people with disabilities who have chosen not to register as disabled.

  Venture Capital
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a table of expenditure of venture capital availability by standard region by(a) number of companies and (b) level of expenditure for each year from 1985.

  Mr. Nelson
  The British Venture Capital Association collects information on venture capital activity by its members. The latest available figures, by standard region, are as follows:

  Financial Services
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for reviewing the working, structure and adequacy of the system of self-regulation set up by the Financial Services Act 1986, the Lloyd's Act 1981 and the Companies Act 1989; and what proposals he has for an independent statutorily based public regulatory commission.

  Mr. Nelson
  I keep the working of the Financial Services Act and the provisions of the Companies Act 1989 which are my responsibility under review. The Lloyd's Act 1981 and other parts of the Companies Act 1989 are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Excheuqer what information he has on the number of complaints to and disciplinary actions taken by, each self-regulatory organisation for the two most recent available annual periods.

  Mr. Nelson
  This is a matter for the Securities and Investments Board.

  Carbon Tax
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer on 9 June to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill),Official Report, column 83, if he will list those industries which he estimates will increase employment as a result of a carbon tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  The impact of a carbon tax on employment in specific industries would depend on the coverage and rate of the tax, the use made of the revenues raised and the extent to which similar measures were implemented in other countries.

  Saztec Philippines Inc.
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Treasury contracts have been let to Saztec Philippines Inc. in each of the last five years; what was the nature of the contracts; what was their combined value; and what was the total estimated saving to the Treasury as a result of letting those contracts.

  Mr. Nelson
  The Treasury has not let any contracts to Saztec Philippines during the last five years.

  Public Sector Borrowing Requirement
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the proportion of the public sector borrowing requirement which is represented by additional expenditure due to the recession.

  Mr. Portillo
  While it is very difficult to make accurate assessments of the impact of the cycle on Government expenditure, my predecessor told the Treasury and Civil Service Committee that of the increases in expenditure for 1992–93 announced in the 1991 autumn statement"around £ 5 billion could be directly attributed to the cycle".

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps were taken to ascertain the profitability of businesses in the area before valuation for uniform business rates on commercial property in west Worthing were made by the Inland Revenue.

  Mr. Lamont
  Rating valuations are based on rental values at 1 April 1988 and the valuation officer at Worthing sent out forms of return requesting rental information. In the case of specialised properties which were valued by reference to accounts, information about trading receipts was also requested, and this was followed up with requests for actual accounts in appropriate cases.

  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals against uniform business rates valuations remain to be decided; and when he expects initial appeals against valuations to be completed.

  Mr. Lamont
  The total number of 1990 rating list appeals outstanding at 31 March 1992 was 624,091 of which 409,000 were initial appeals. The target date for clearance of the initial appeals is 31 March 1994.

  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are used by the Inland Revenue when valuing commercial properties for uniform business rates purposes.

  Mr. Lamont
  Valuation officers are required to determine the rateable values of commercial properties having regard to the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. An estimate has to be made of the rent at which the property might reasonably be expected to be let from year to year based on levels of value at 1 April 1988, and all the factors which might affect this figure need to be considered.

  Car Taxation
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to alter the current tax regime to ensure lower taxes on fuel-efficient cars.

  Sir John Cope
  I note this suggestion for my right hon. Friend's next Budget. The excise duty on road fuels already encourage motorists to buy more fuel-efficient cars.

  Inheritance Tax (Exemptions)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each county or region where there are(a) six cases, (b) seven cases, (c) eight cases, (d) nine cases and (e) 10 or more cases where conditional exemptions from inheritance tax and capital transfer tax has been granted, giving the number of cases in each of those counties or regions; and in how many counties or regions there are (i) five cases, (ii) four cases, (iii) three cases, (iv) two cases, (v) one case and (vi) no cases.

  Mr. Dorrell
  A detailed breakdown for all conditional exemptions from inheritance tax or capital transfer tax by county or region is not readily available.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the list, "Access Deals", for works of art where tax exemptions have been given.
  13
  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 3 July 1992]: A copy of the list containing details of those works of art which have been conditionally exempted from inheritance tax and which are either not on display in houses or rooms open to the public or on long term loan to a public collection is held by the National Art Library in the Victorha and Albert museum. Additional copies are held in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. The list is freely available for inspection by members of the general public during opening hours.

  As the list consists of about 1,400 pages and requires regular updating and amending and as a copy of the list is already available for inspection in the National Art Library, I have not placed a copy in the library.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provisions govern the access of members of planning boards and elected members of local authorities to information about the proposed land management plan in cases where inheritance tax exemption is being considered.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 2 July 1992]: Where inheritance tax exemption is being considered, a land management plan is prepared by the landowner. The appropriate heritage advisory agency consults the local authority or national park authority on the proposed plan. The planning authority is, therefore, aware of the exemption.

  In many cases the heritage advisory agency will, with the agreement of the landowner, ask the local authority or national park authority to act as its agent monitoring that the landowner complies with the tems of the agreed land management plan. In these cases the local authority or national park authority is required to ensure that the tax confidentiality of the owner is observed.

  Landowners (Tax Exemption)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 30 June,Official Report, columns 469–70, what is the minimum number of designations in a county which he is prepared to identify in answers to parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Dorrell
  To protect taxpayer confidentiality in respect of conditional exemption, information would not be provided about the number of designations in a county where this was under live. As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member on 30 June, at columns 469–70, information on the number of conditional exemptions for land in each county is not readily available.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he received the letter, dated 9 June from a constituent of the hon. Member for Stockton, North, Dr. R. C. Turnock; and why he has not sent an acknowledgement.

  Sir John Cope
  Dr. R. C. Turnock's letter was received on 15 June. An acknowledgement was sent to Dr. Turnock on 3 July and a full reply will be sent as soon as possible.

  Bingham Inquiry
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to publish the evidence given to the Bingham inquiry with the report.
  14
  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 10 July 1992]: Lord Justice Bingham's report will be published subject to such restrictions as may be needed to avoid prejudicing any criminal proceedings and subject to the provisions of the Banking Act 1987. There are no plans to publish the evidence that is not reflected in the report.

  Financial Services Division
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statment on the aims of the financial services division recently transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry; how many officials of each grade were transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry into the Treasury; and what changes he proposes to the staffing level.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 30 June 1992]: The aim of the financial services division, which has been renamed securities and investment services group, is to maintain and develop a good regulatory system for financial services which provides an appropriate level of investor protection, fosters the integrity of the markets and encourages international competitiveness. It is also concerned to secure the removal of barriers to fair and free competition in the provision of financial services in all important markets. A total of 49 staff were transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry. A breakdown by grade is given in the table. I do not propose to make any changes to the staffing level at present, hut I will keep this under review.

  Number

  Grade 3

  1

  Grade 5

  3

  Grade 7

  10

  SEO

  5·5

  HEO

  9

  EO

  3

  Other

  17·5

  Total

  49

  Foreign Prison-Made Goods Act 1897
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has issued to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on the Foreign Prison-Made Goods Act 1897, amended in 1988; and when the last prosecution was made under this Act.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 3 July 1992]: No guidance has been issued to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on the Foreign Prison-Made Goods Act 1897. There is no record of any prosecution having been brought by Customs and Excise under this Act.

  Stamp Duty
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what written representations he has received on the reintroduction of stamp duty for house sales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 1 July 1992]: I have received a number of representations on this matter. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer decided in December to limit the increase in the stamp duty threshold to a period of eight months. The Government have no plans to change that decision.

EDUCATION

  Mentally Handicapped Students
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what consideration has been given to the allocation of funds to private institutions for the mentally handicapped under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992;

  (2) if decisions regarding the distribution of funds for private institutions for the mentally handicapped under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 will he made by local or central authorities;

  (3) what estimate he has made of the number of mentally handicapped students who are likely to qualify under section 4 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

  (4) what arrangements will be made to provide payment to private educational institutions under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

  Mr. Forman
  The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 provides for the further education funding councils to secure provision for students with learning difficulties in independent institutions where appropriate, and to meet any fees charged. Local education authorities continue to have discretion to arrange and fund such placements. In a circular dated 29 June, the further education funding council unit has set out an initial approach to placement arrangements. The circular seeks information on numbers of placements and the associated costs.

  Relocation
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to relocate civil service posts in his Department to Darlington.

  Mr. Forman
  The Department has plans to relocate some 50 posts from London to Darlington, most of them by the end of 1992.

  Special Needs Schools
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of the education budget is allocated to special needs schools at the present time; and if he will make a statement about future needs funding.

  Mr. Forth
  It is for each local education authority to decide how much of its budget to allocate to special needs. In 1989–90, the latest year for which information on actual spending is available, English local education authorities' net recurrent expenditure on maintained special education represented some 5·7 per cent. of their total net recurrent expenditure on education. That percentage does not include spending on special needs within mainstream schools nor on support services for special needs, for which information is not collected separately.

  The Government's proposals for education spending by local authorities in 1993–94 will be announced in the autumn.

  Schools (Capital Allocations)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make provision in the capital allocations to voluntary and special arrangement schools for second bids where the allocation, is not entirely taken up.
  16
  Mr. Forth
  The Department is monitoring this year's expenditure of capital grant to voluntary-aided and special agreement schools through returns which the local education authorities have been asked to supply in July and October. Where allocations are not being fully spent, we shall seek to redeploy the sums involved to other worthwhile capital projects at aided schools, so long as the work could be completed and grant claims made before the end of the financial year.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the average time taken in the English local education authorities to produce statements on children with individual learning needs; what plans he has to improve the time; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Information for each local education authority is not available centrally. However, there is recent evidence that some authorities are failing to meet the Government's guideline that the procedures for assessment and the issue of a statement should not exceed six months. The Government have now decided that there should be comprehensive provisions for regulating the time and way in which the assessment and statementing procedures are carried out.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will designate by local authority the number of parents who are appealing against the refusal to make a statement about their child.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend is currently considering 50 appeals from parents or their advocates under section 5(6) of the Education Act 1981 against the refusal of the local education authority to make a statement of special educational needs. The authorities concerned are as follows:

  Avon (2)

  London Borough of Barking

  Bedfordshire

  Berkshire (2)

  Bradford

  London Borough of Brent

  Buckinghamshire (3)

  Bury

  Cheshire (3)

  Cumbria (3)

  Devon

  Dorset

  Gloucestershire

  London Borough of Greenwich

  London Borough of Havering

  Hampshire

  Hertfordshire

  London Borough of Hounslow (3)

  Humberside

  Kent (2)

  Lincolnshire

  Nottinghamshire

  Northamptonshire (5)

  Oxfordshire

  London Borough of Richmond (2)

  Somerset

  Shropshire (2)

  Stockport (2)

  Wakefield

  London Borough of Waltham Forest

  Wiltshire

  Wirral

  Education Finance
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he calculates the impact of opt-out schools on his total basic credit approval for each local education authority; and if he has any plans to change the basis of his calculation.

  Mr. Forth
  The determination of authorities' basic credit approvals is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Environment. In doing so, he takes account of the distribution of annual capital guidelines to local education authorities by my right hon. Friend.

  Decisions on the distribution of the capital resources available between the LEA-maintained schools and grant-maintained schools sectors take account of a number of factors including the bids made and the size and needs of the two sectors. The distribution of annual capital guidelines to LEAs takes account of the number of pupils in GM schools in each authority, and will, continue to be based on the application of national priority criteria set out each year in the LEA capital bidding letter.

PRIME MINISTER

  Forests
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister, further to his speech at the Earth summit, if he will use the United Kingdom presidency to press for binding international commitments on management of forests: and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  At my initiative the EC and its member states agreed an eight point plan to follow up the Earth summit at the Lisbon Council last month. It included a proposal for establishing an international review process for the forest principles agreed at the Earth summit. We intend to take this forward during our presidency.

  European Council
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what initiatives he intends to take as President of the European Council to establish greater openness and transparency in the work of the Council and of the Committee of Permanent Representatives' support role for Council meetings.

  The Prime Minister
  Under the rules of procedure of the Council, meetings of the Council are not public unless the Council unanimously decides otherwise. The same rules apply to COREPER. We do not intend to seek a change in the rules. However, we shall also continue to ensure that this House is fully consulted throughout the established scrutiny procedures.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister when he last met representatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association to discuss compensation; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I have not met representatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association. I have, however, had meetings with a number of hon. Members on related matters.
  18
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 5 June,Official Report, column 655, if he will sympathetically consider any request to meet represen-tatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association to discuss compensation; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The position on compensation remains as set out in my answer of 5 June. I have no current plans to meet representatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association.

  Additionality
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the application of the additionality principle in the United Kingdom; and what information he has on how the principle is applied by other member nations of the European Community.

  The Prime Minister
  The United Kingdom accepts the principle of additionality as set out in Article 9 of Council regulation (EEC) 4253/88. The application of the principle by other member states is a matter for the European Commission.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to raise the security and physical protection measures for the transport of plutonium from the United Kingdom to Japan during his meeting with his Japanese counterpart in London on 3 July and in the subsequent Group of Seven meeting in Munich.

  The Prime Minister
  In my meetings with the Prime Minister of Japan I shall be discussing a wide range of issues. Responsibility for developing transport proposals rests with British Nuclear Fuels plc in association with its overseas customers. These arrangements will have to comply with international regulations.

  Environmental Legislation
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions were undertaken and decisions taken on the future scope of environmental legislation within the European Communities at the European Heads of State and Government summit in Portugal on 26 and 27 June.

  The Prime Minister
  None. But this is one of the areas of activity which will be considered as proposals are developed to ensure that the Community does not intervene where member states can act more effectively on their own.

  Academic Research
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that the findings of academic research commissioned by Government Departments at public expense are published at the same time as, or as soon as possible after, they become available to Ministers.

  The Prime Minister
  Timing of publication must depend on the circumstances in each case.

  Food Aid
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the commodities and the quantity of each commodity purchased by the European Commission for Food and
  19
  purposes as outlined in his answer of 25 July 1991, Official Report, columns 781–82 (a) in 1990, (b) in 1991 and in each half of 1991 and (c) in the first half of 1992.

  The Prime Minister
  The available information is set out in the tables. The European Commission does not produce half-year calculations; nor are any statistics yet available for the first half of 1992.

  European Community Food Aid, 1990–91

  Amount £

  1990

  Cereals

  Wheat

  914,194

  Wheat flour

  143,171

  Rice

  132,663

  White maize

  55,167

  Maize

  30,210

  Maize flour

  5,254

  Rolled oats

  7,881

  Sorghum

  24,956

  Total cereals

  1,313,497

  Non-cereals

  Skimmed milk powder

  80,793

  Butteroil

  9,190

  Vegetable oil

  42,732

  Sugar

  14,837

  1991

  Cereals

  Wheat

  898,764

  Wheat flour

  181,182

  Rice

  167,519

  Wheat maize

  65,966

  Maize

  46,400

  Maize flour

  10,000

  Oats

  8,979

  Sorghum

  17,030

  Pasta

  173

  Seeds

  1,600

  Total cereals

  1,397,613

  Non-cereals

  Skimmed milk powder

  68,443

  Butteroil

  11,593

  Vegetable oil

  52,827

  Sugar

  16,527

  Maastricht Treaty
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister if it is his intention that the Luxembourg compromise concerning veto powers for the United Kingdom, France and Germany, will continue in force under the Maastricht treaty.

  The Prime Minister
  The Luxembourg compromise is a political agreement, rather than a legally binding text. Nothing in the Maastricht treaty conflicts with its continuing existence.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  European Arts Festival
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage why he decided to base none of the events in London in the European arts festival, July to December, in Waltham Forest.
  20
  Mr. Mellor
  Even with more than 600 published events across the United Kingdom throughout the European arts festival, it was not possible to support projects in every locality. But I am delighted to tell the hon. Member that, as part of the schools and youth programme to be published later in the summer, Oily Cart will be presenting "Gobble and Gook" at Handsworth primary school on 5 November. Through the local education authority, all state schools in Waltham Forest have also been invited to take part in the schools and youth programme. A number of schools have expressed interest in doing so.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many of the arts events listed in the brochure on the European arts festival, to be held in the United Kingdom during the current presidency of the European Council, are events additional to those held on a regular basis; and what is the additional cost to the United Kingdom in sponsoring the special arts and musical events listed in the brochure.

  Mr. Mellor
  The events in the European arts festival fall into four categories: new initiatives, largely funded by the festival; long-held ambitions which could only be realised by the additional funding provided by the festival; partially funded projects which needed additional support to bring them to fruition; and a very small number of events which the festival has not supported, but which the organisers wished to associate with the programme because of the nature of the event. None of the major projects, for instance the touring festival tent, the visits of the great European drama companies and some of the major exhibitions, could have happened without the support of the festival.

  The cost to the Exchequer of sponsoring the European arts festival is £ 6 million.

  Specialist Libraries
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what the Government's policy is on support for specialist libraries providing services to academics and the wider community; and what plans he has to provide additional support to such libraries with specialisms in race relations.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Government have no specific policy for the support of specialist libraries. It is for individual Government Departments to consider the needs of applicants within their policy responsibilities and to decide whether, in the light of available resources and potential claims from similar bodies, a special grant is needed for their library or information services. The libraries in question are outside my responsibilities.

  Works of Art (Exports)
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he will list the items for which the issuing of export licences was withheld on the recommendation of the reviewing committee on the Export of Works of Art during the half year ended 30 June, specifying in each case the valuation and whether an item was exported or retained, with particulars in the latter event of the acquiring institution; whether he will list any items for which licences have been withheld but the final disposal of which is not yet decided, specifying in each case(a) the valuation and (b) the relevant time limit; and whether a

  21
  press notice will be issued by his Department covering the information given in his reply, including that relating to the outcome in individual cases.

  Description of item

  Valuation £

  Outcome

  A drawing, `A wild boar at bay', Frans Snyders (1579–1647)

  64,700

  Export licence granted

  A Berlin ormolu-mounted mahogany and parquetry commode, by Fiedler (c. 1875)

  2,164,318

  Export license granted

  A George III mahogany commode, by Thomas Chippendale (1766)

  949,875

  Export license granted

  A pair of George III black and gilt-japanned armchairs, by William and John Linnell (c. 1752–1755)

  167,625

  Export licence granted

  A drawing, 'An allegorical female figure' by Veronese (1528–1588)

  38,000

  Export licence granted

  A painting, 'Venus and Adonis', by Titian (c. 1490–1576)

  7,599,000

  Export licence granted

  A George I ebony and silver mounted stick Barometer, by Delander (c. 1720)

  275,000

  Purchased for a private collection

  An astronomical and musical mahogany pedestal clock, by Jenkins (1778)

  122,925

  Decision deferred until after 1 July 1992, extended to 1 Augest 1992

  'Collage with Spanish Postcard', by Ben Nicholson (1933)

  275,000

  Decision deferred until after 1 July 1992

  A painting, 'Christ at the Column', by Antonello da Messina (1425–1479)

  4,250,000

  Export licence granted

  A drawing, 'Christ at the Cross', by Cortona (1596–1669)

  254,500

  Decision deferred until after 7 Augest 1992

  A pastel drawing, 'Portrait of Mrs. Ayscoughe Boucherett', by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1794)

  83,812·50

  Decision deferred until after 7 September 1992

  A drawing, 'The seven acts of mercy: ransoming prisoners', by Kunst (c. 1490-after 1542)

  40,650

  Decision deferred until after 7 Augest 1992

  A drawing, 'Agony in the garden', by Castello (1625–1659)

  52,300

  Decision deferred until after 7 Augest 1992

  Details of the items on which decisions were deferred were given in press notices issued at the time the reviewing committee's recommendations were accepted.

  Items in Lieu of Tax
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he will list the objects and property accepted in satisfaction of inheritance tax during the financial year ended 31 March; if, in listing them, he will specify(a) the amount of tax satisfied in each case, (b) whether any offers of objects carried conditions as to destination, (c) the dates in each case of the

  Item

  Tax satisfied £

  Conditions or wishes

  Date of MGC recommendation

  Augustus John portrait

  105,000

  Unconditional

  21 May 1991

  Vintage motor cycles and car

  153,000

  Unconditional

  21 June 1991

  Staham porcelain collection

  77,000

  Conditional

  22 April 1991

  8 contemporary paintings

  108,920

  Conditional

  1 June 1991

  Poele de I'Atelier by Cezanne

  750,562

  Conditional

  28 May 1991

  Upton House Chattels

  484,820

  Conditional

  21 June 1991

  Sporting paintings and silver collection

  233,250

  Wish for the paintings to go to the British Art Sporting Trust and silver to the Victoria and Albert museum

  1 July 1991

  Surface substitution by Jennifer Bartlett

  64,400

  Conditional

  5 August 1991

  Up and Out by Richard Hamilton

  7,000

  Conditional

  6 December 1991

  Hambledon Cricket Club accounts

  39,120

  Wish to go to the Hampshire Record Office

  25 September 1991

  22
  Mr. Mellor
  The information is as follows:

  recommendations received by him from the Museums and Galleries Commission for the acceptance of objects, (d) the total for the financial year of the tax thus satisfied and (e) how much of this total was covered in the public accounts by means of resort to the reserve in accordance with Government policy as announced on 26 July 1985, Official Report, column 779; and whether a press notice will be issued by his Department making available the complete list of acceptances during the financial year covered in his reply.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested is as follows:
  23
  The total expenditure for the 1991–92 financial year was £ 3,834,989·72. This includes a further payment for a Rubens cameo, which was accepted in 1989–90. It also includes payment for a Sevres dinner service and bas d'armoire which was accepted in 1990–91, and paid for by a call on the reserve this financial year. In total £ 1,144,172 was met by access to the reserve.

  Press notices have already been issued on the acceptance of these items. A further notice will therefore not be issued.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he will specify the allocations made to public institutions in the United Kingdom during the half year ended 30 June of individual works of art and museum objects pre-eminent for national, scientific, historical or artistic interest which have been accepted in satisfaction of inheritance tax, together with information, where applicable, as to conditions or wishes expressed by testators or executors in the matter of allocation; whether he will list the works of art and museum objects which are still awaiting allocation, with the respective dates of their acceptance in satisfaction of inheritance tax; and whether a press notice will be issued by his Department in the event of any information being given in his reply which has not previously been announced.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information the hon. Member requests is as follows:

  Item

  To whom allocated

  Condition/ wishes expressed

  Poele de l'Atelier by Paul Cezanne

  National Gallery

  Conditional

  Surface Substitution by Jennifer Bartlett

  Tate Gallery

  Conditional

  Chattels at Upton House

  National Trust

  Conditional

  Up and Out by Richard Hamilton

  Tate Gallery

  Conditional

  Two portraits by Reynolds and Van Dyck

  National Trust

  Conditional

  Two busts by Rysbrack

  National Trust

  Conditional

  Portrait by Peter Greenham

  Tate Gallery

  Conditional

  Items awaiting allocation

  Date of acceptance

  Portrait by Beechey

  20 April 1990

  Collection of drawings by Runciman

  26 April 1991

  Hambledon Cricket Club Accounts

  16 June 1992

  8 Contemporary paintings

  18 February 1992

  Vintage motor vehicles

  28 November 1991

  Press notices have already been issued announcing the allocation of these items. A further notice will therefore not be issued.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the organisations that have made submissions to his Department about the proposed national lottery; and how many individuals have made such submissions.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Home Office and the Department of National Heritage have received responses from the following 224 organisations and individuals.24

  Access Formdesign

  ACRE—; Rural Communities' Charity

  Action for Blind People

  Advertising Standards Authority

  Alfred Marks Bureau Limited

  AmTote

  Ancient Monuments Society

  Andersen Consulting

  Arc Advertising

  Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland

  Art Libraries Society

  Arts Council

  Arundel Festival

  Association of Business Sponsorship of the Arts

  Association of Charitable Foundations

  Association of Chief Police Officers (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

  Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland)

  Association of Community Trusts and Foundations

  Association of District Councils

  Association of Medical Research Charities

  Association of Metropolitan Authorities

  BABN Technologies

  Ballymoney Borough Council

  Baptist Union of Great Britain

  Baptist Union of Scotland

  Barnet Borough Council

  Bass Leisure

  Bates, Wells and Braithwaite

  Belfast City Council

  Betting Office Licensees Association

  Bingo Association of Great Britain

  Birmingham City Council

  Brewers' Society

  Bridewell Newspower Association

  British Amusement Catering Trades Association

  British Casino Association

  British Film Institute

  British Greyhound Racing Board

  British Institute of Sports Coaches

  British Library Board

  British Museum

  British Olympic Association

  British Retail Consortium

  British Sports Forum

  British Sports Trust

  British Tourist Authority

  Bromley Leisure Services

  Buck & Sons Limited

  Business in Sport and Leisure

  Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

  Central Council of Physical Recreation

  Charities Aid Foundation

  Chatham Historic Dockyard Institute

  Chief Leisure Officers Association

  Church of England General Synod, Board for Social Responsibility

  Church of England National Council for Social Aid Mr T Christopher

  Coldham Consultancy

  Colorgraphic plc

  Committee of Area Museum Councils

  Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals

  Commonwealth Lotteries—; Summer Ducks Limited

  Community Council of Devon

  Compton Verney Opera Project

  Control Data

  Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

  Corals

  Cornish National Lottery Initiative

  Cornwall County Council

  County Landowners' Association

  Countryside Commission

  CPM Field Marketing Limited

  D'arcy Masius Benton & Bowles

  De La Rue plc

  Democratic Unionist Party Councillors—; Craigavon Borough Council

  Dibb Lupton Broomhead

  Dittler Brothers Limited

  25

  Down District Council

  Dr. B. S. Freeman

  Dundee District Council

  East Lothian District Council

  Eastern Council for Sport and Recreation

  English Heritage

  Free Church Federal Council

  Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

  Gaming Board of Great Britain

  Gingerbread Northern Ireland

  Glasgow Development Agency

  GTech

  Hambros Bank

  Heritage Consulting Consortium

  HM Stationery Office

  Reverend D. R. J. Halloway

  Mr. W. Hombersley

  Hull Kingston Rovers RFC

  Institute of Charity Fundraising Managers

  Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management

  Institute of Professionals, Managers and Specialists

  Interactive Telephone Services

  J. Walter Thompson

  Jet Heritage Limited

  Jockey Club

  Joe Marks Roger Marks

  Kesslers International Limited

  Kidney Foundation

  Kunick

  Lawn Tennis Association

  Leo Burnett Limited

  Lisburn Borough Council

  London Advisory Group of Chief Leisure Officers

  London Boroughs Association

  London Community Cricket Association

  London Community Trust

  London Council for Sport and Recreation

  Lord Prior of Brampton

  Lotteries Action Group

  Lotteries Council

  Lottery Promotion Company

  M. Milsotn

  M. Shefras

  Macclesfield District Health Trust

  Maclntyre

  Magherafelt District Council

  Methodist Church Division of Social Responsibility

  MIND

  Motorsports Facilities Unit

  Museum of London

  Museums and Galleries Commission

  Museums Association

  N. M. Rothschild

  National Art Collections Fund

  National Association of Bookmakers

  National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service

  National Association of Local Councils

  National Bingo Game

  National Campaign for the Arts

  National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens

  National Council for Schools' Sports

  National Council for Voluntary Organisations

  National Council on Gambling

  National Dairymen's Association

  National Federation of Community Organisations

  National Federation of Retail Newsagents

  National Greyhound Racing Club Racecourse Promoters

  National Heritage Memorial Fund

  National Portrait Gallery

  National Sporting League

  National Trust

  National Trust for Scotland

  Nationwide Lotteries Limited

  Newtownabbey Borough Council

  Norman Franklin Trust

  North West Council for Sport and Recreation

  Northern Council for Sport and Recreation

  NI Amusement Caterers Trades Association

  26

  Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action

  Opax International

  Opera North

  Police Federation of England and Wales

  Pool Promoters Association

  Post Office Counters Limited

  Prisoners Abroad

  R. Rafferty

  RADAR

  Rank Organisation

  Professor R. L. Reid

  Religious Society of Friends

  Richmond-upon-Thames Borough Council

  Roxburgh District Council

  Royal National Institute for Deaf People

  Royal National Lifeboat Institution

  Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

  Saatchi & Saatchi

  Salvation Army

  SALVO—;Scottish Arts Lobby

  Save the Children

  Scientific Games Incorporated

  Scottish Arts Council

  Scottish Churches Committee

  Scottish Council for Spastics

  Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

  Scottish FA/Football League

  Scottish Film Council

  Scottish Museums Council

  Scottish Natural Heritage

  Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped

  Scottish Sports Association

  Scottish Sports Council

  Scottish Squash Rackets Association

  Securicor

  Select Mail

  Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

  South East Council for Sport and Recreation

  Sports Council for Wales

  Sports Aid Foundation

  Sports Council

  T. D. Woods

  T. Shaughnessy

  Taff Ely Borough Council

  Tenovus

  The Transport Trust

  Theatre Workshop Edinburgh Limited

  Theatrical Management Association

  Tote

  UK Charity Lotteries Limited

  UK Forum on Young People and Gambling

  UK Institute for Conservation

  UNICEF (UK)

  UNICEF (UK) (NI)

  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers

  Unisys

  United Reform Church

  Vaux Inns

  Volunteer Development Scotland

  Wales Council for Voluntary Action

  Welsh Arts Council

  West Midlands Arts

  West Midlands Council for Sport and Recreation

  Women's Forum Northern Ireland

  Woodland Trust

  Working Men's Club and Institute Union

  World Wildlife Fund (UK)

  Worthing Borough Council

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Beer Orders
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent tenancies which previously provided for a renewal option after five years are automatically varied by the Beer Orders.
  27
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Beer Orders do not automatically vary existing tenancy agreements. Certain changes are required when pubs are leased by national brewers free of ties to ensure a proper arms-length relationship between tenants and their landlords.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will re-refer to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission the offer of only a 20-year full-repairs lease to all existing Courage tenants, irrespective of the circumstances or terms of the original lease.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  No. The rights of tenants under existing agreements and the terms of new leases offered to them are matters for the tenants concerned and their landlords; any dispute must ultimately be resolved by the courts.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will review the Beer Orders.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Beer Orders, made in 1989, come fully into force from 1 November 1992. The Director General of Fair Trading is due to review them next year when their effectiveness can be assessed.

  Structural Funds
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement concerning his Department's views on the future of EC structural funds as they relate to objective 2 areas.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Article 130c EEC, reaffirmed at Maastricht, makes objective 2 areas one of the tasks of the European regional development fund. The Government will seek to ensure that they continue to receive appropriate priority.

  Motor Vehicles
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect of inward investment on the level of imports and exports of motor vehicles.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Inward investment in the motor vehicle industry in recent years has made a major positive contribution to the balance of payments and to improving the competitiveness of the industry in the United Kingdom.

  The establishment of new car plants in the United Kingdom is expected to result in additional exports of 300,000 units per annum by 1995 compared with 1991.

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the premium rates under the loan guarantee scheme for 1991–92, the income derived from premia in 1991–92 and the net cost of the scheme for 1991–92; and the number and total size of loans guaranteed in each region and nation for 1991–92.

  Mr. Leigh
  For most guarantees issued in 1991–92 the premium rate was 2·5 per cent. of the guaranteed portion of the loan. For guarantees of loans in the 16 inner city task force areas, the premium paid was 2 per cent.

  A total of £ 3·211 million was derived from premiums in 1991–92.
  28
  The net cost of the scheme in 1991–92 was £ 27·351 million.

  The number and total size of loans in each region and Nation in 1991–92 are as follows:

  Region

  Loans guaranteed

  Value £ million

  Northern

  164

  3·61

  North West

  271

  5·43

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  171

  3·36

  West Midlands

  193

  4·76

  East Midlands and Eastern

  301

  7·17

  London

  393

  9·82

  South East

  681

  17·83

  South West

  477

  9·92

  Total in England

  2,651

  61·90

  Scotland

  131

  4·29

  Wales

  154

  3·41

  Northern Ireland

  14

  0·58

  Northern Ireland

  14

  0·58

  TOTAL

  2,950

  70·18

  Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library a copy of the reports into computer misuse and safety-related computer systems, commissioned from Coopers and Lybrand by his Department, referred to in his predecessor's answer to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) 23 January 1992,Official Report, column 290; and what plans he has to publish these reports.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My Department has received both reports from Coopers and Lybrand. They will both be published shortly and a copy of each will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Export Licences
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what communications his Department has had with Mr. Tim Kelsey of The Independent newspaper in regard to articles published in the paper on 22 and 23 June on possible circumvention of his Department's export control licensing procedures.

  Mr. Needham
  Mr. Kelsey contacted my Department's press office on a number of occasions in regard to the articles. I wrote to the editor of The Independent on 24 June pointing out that I was concerned about the allegations, that it was a criminal offence to supply fraudulent documents in support of an export licence application, and that Mr. Kelsey should provide evidence to substantiate the allegations. This has not so far been provided.

  Exports
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of cover by the Export Credits Guarantee Department for(a) military and (b) civil exports, for each year from 1985 to 1991, inclusive.

  Mr. Needham
  The answer is set out in the table.
  29

  Values in Millions Sterling

  Year

  Total Capital Cost Insured

  Total Arms Capital Cost Insured

  Total Civil Capital Cost Insured

  Arms as a Percentage total business

  1985

  1,478

  300

  1,178

  20

  1986

  1,518

  252

  1,266

  17

  1987

  1,274

  186

  1,088

  14·5

  1988

  1,854

  623

  1,231

  33·5

  1989

  1,248

  357

  891

  28·5

  1990

  1,615

  553

  1,062

  34

  1991

  1,855

  213

  1,642

  11·5

  Total

  10,842

  2,484

  8,358

  23

  1. The information relates solely to Project business.

  Passenger Ships
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the range and criteria of schemes to subsidise the building of passenger ships available to United Kingdom shipyards; and how many such yards he expects to be eligible in 1992–93 and 1993–94.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The shipbuilding intervention fund provides assistance to United Kingdom merchant shipbuilders to enable them to secure orders against competition from outside the EC. The level of grant is intended to allow yards to secure orders at what would otherwise be loss making prices but to break even on the resulting contracts. The maximum grant available for 1992 is 9 per cent. for ships costing more than £7·1 million and 4·5 per cent. for smaller ships. Grants are available for merchant vessels, including dredgers, of not less than 100 gross registered tons, fishing vessels of not less than 100 gross registered tons intended for non-Community based owner and tugs of not less than 365KW. For 1992, grants are available to all merchant shipbuilders which have built a qualifying vessel within the last three years and which were not privatised as warship builders. No decision about availability of grants for future years has yet been taken.

  Contact Lens Solutions
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the price of contact lens cleaning solutions and the public availability of such solutions; what inquiries are being made into these matters by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 July 1992]: On 30 April the Director General of Fair Trading made a monopoly reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission concerning the supply of contact lens solutions. The Commission will have 10 months in which to complete its investigations and report to the President.

  Pyramid Selling
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to strengthen present pyramid selling regulations in the Fair Trading Act 1973 to ensure that(a) promoting companies are able to fulfil their legal obligation to refund money, where participants exercise their rights of resignation and refund and (b)
  30
  participants may not be subjected to mandatory standing order or fixed payment schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: My Department has received a number of representations from hon. Members on behalf of members of the multi level marketing industry which raise the same matters as the hon. Gentleman. As yet, I am unconvinced that there is need for revision of the legislation.

  Tobacco Advertising
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ban the advertising of tobacco in video games where the speed at which they are played could cause the products to be subliminally advertised.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: The advertising of tobacco in video cassettes for sale or hire to the public is not permitted under the terms of the voluntary agreement between the tobacco industry and the Government. If the hon. Member has examples of advertisements or promotions which he believes are in breach of this agreement, I suggest he makes them available to COMATAS, the Committee for Monitoring Agreements on Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Husbands (Murder)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions have been brought by the Crown prosecution service of women for alleged murder of husbands in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

  The Solicitor-General
  The Crown prosecution service does not keep records in that form. The most relevant figures available relating to domestic homicides are contained in the Home Office criminal statistics for England and Wales 1990.

  British National Party
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the consideration being given to prosecution of the British National party in respect of its publications.

  The Attorney-General
  I am not aware that the Director of Public Prosecutions is currently considering the prosecution of any member of the British National party in respect of its publications.

  International Trading Agreements
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Attorney-General what is his policy towards the prosecution of those who breach international trading agreements.

  The Attorney-General
  Responsibility for enforcement of the law relating to international trading is shared between a number of public authorities who will apply the principles set out in the code for Crown prosecutors.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Attorney-General what progress is being made to adopt national standards in the Crown prosecution service.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) earlier today.

  Trade Union Bill
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Attorney-General what consultations he has had with interested organisations about the points raised by the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills about clauses 62 and 226 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Bill[Lords]; when these took place; and if he will list the organisations.

  The Attorney-General
  I have had no such consultations.

  In its Report to Parliament on the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Bill, the Joint Committee of Consolidation Bills recommended that the attention of interested organisations should be drawn to the provisions of clauses 62 and 226 of the Bill and to the Committee's decision that the more concise wording and revised arrangement of the Bill was justifiable in order to improve the form of the legislation and did accurately reproduce the existing law.

  In response to the Committee's recommendation, the secretary of the Law Commission wrote on 14 February 1992 to the CBI, the Engineering Employers Federation, the TUC and the Law Society drawing their attention to the provisions and to the Committee's decision. The TUC on 27 February and the Law Society on 4 March have written to confirm that they are satisfied that the revised wording does not alter the meaning of the legislation. No response has been received from the other two organisations.

  In addition, the Law Commission draftsman wrote to leading practitioners in the field who agreed that the proposed text accurately reproduced the existing law.

  The Joint Committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Browne-Wilkinson, reported to this House that it was of the opinion that the Bill as amended is pure consolidation and accurately reproduces the existing law.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Malawi
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what have been the results of Her Majesty's Government's policy of linking aid and good government in relation to Malawi; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Since the United Kingdom and other donors agreed to restrict new non-humanitarian aid to Malawi, the Government of Malawi have released eight detainees and have agreed that the International Committee of the Red Cross may visit places of detention. We will maintain our pressure.

  Child Health
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the Overseas Development Administration is making to the promotion of child health both directly and through the United Nations and other international agencies.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We make a significant contribution. The Overseas Development Administration is spending some £ 100 million a year on health and population activities, bilaterally and multilaterally. It is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown but a substantial proportion of this aid benefits children's health.

  Know-how Fund
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Scottish organisations and educational institutions which are taking part in the know-how fund scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  There are numerous Scottish companies, voluntary organisations and educational institutions involved in the various strands of the know-how fund scheme. A list has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the United Kingdom overseas aid programme for reaching the target of 0·7 per cent. of gross domestic product.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Government have received a number of representations about progress towards the United Nations aid target. We have said that we shall reach it as soon as possible, but we are not prepared to set down a timetable.

  Overseas Development Administration
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people served in the Overseas Development Administration(a) in May 1979 and (b) currently; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The numbers of permanent Overseas Development Administration staff in post were:

  1979

  1992

  Overseas Development Administration Headquarters

  1,375·5

  1,229·3

  Scientific Units (now the Natural Resources Institute)

  628·5

  466·2

  The 1992 headquarters figure takes account of the transfer of overseas pensions work to the Overseas Development Administration from the Crown Agents in 1987, when 112 staff transferred with the work. The 1979 figure for the scientific units excludes 346 staff of the directorate of overseas surveys which was merged with Ordnance Survey in 1984.
  33
  Comparing like with like, rationalisation and efficiency measures introduced during the period have led to a reduction overall of 21 per cent. in the total staff in the Overseas Development Administration.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisons (Halal Meat)
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons currently offer the alternative of halal meat(a) with every meal, (b) with more than half the meals, (c) with less than half the meals or (d) not at all.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The prison dietary scale provides for halal meat for inmates who register as Muslims, and ask to have halal meat.

  The number of meals at which halal meat is offered varies from prison to prison and from day to day to take account of the changing inmate population. Detailed statistics are not maintained.

  Microfiche Data
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to consult the relative trade unions and professional associations before contracting out back-record conversion of National Identification Bureau microfiche data.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This matter has already been discussed with the Home Office trade union side. It will be kept informed of further developments in accordance with the standing arrangements which are established for such purposes.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of individual convictions and individual records which are involved in the back-record conversion of NIB microfiche data; and whether the contract will cover all convictions regardless of the seriousness of the offence.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The National Identification Bureau only holds records of those who have been convicted of offences for which a term of imprisonment may be imposed. It is estimated that there are some 3 million records in the collection and that these relate to some 9 million convictions. No decision has yet been taken as to how much of this material should be back record converted.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what terms of reference have been prepared by the computer services branch at his Department for the back-record conversion of NIB microfiche data; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No such terms of reference have been prepared.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many posts in his Department would be lost as a result of the contracting out of the back-record conversion of NIB microfiche.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None.
  34
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the consultancy on the back-record conversion of NIB microfiche data.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No. Much of the information in the consultants' report is commercially sensitive.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to offering the contract for the back-record conversion of NIB microfiche data to staff of his Department.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This is one of the options being considered.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality and secrecy in the event of contracting out of the back-record conversion of NIB microfiche data.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This is one of the matters being considered.

  Brixton Prison (IRA Escapees)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is to be taken against members of special branch for their part in events leading up to the escape in 1991 of two Irish Republican Army suspects from Her Majesty's prison Brixton; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand that the chief constable of Staffordshire has received the report which he commissioned from the deputy chief constable of Nottinghamshire into allegations of special branch involvement in the escape. The report concludes that there is no evidence to warrant criminal or disciplinary action against any member of Staffordshire police. Any action to be taken on the report is for the chief constable of Staffordshire in the first instance.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are reduced on the grounds of previous convictions of the claimant; and by how much on average they are reduced;

  (2) what proportion of claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are rejected on the grounds of previous convictions of the claimant.

  Mr. Jack
  The latest figures available relate to 1990–91. They may be found in the board's 27th published annual report, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. This shows that in that year the board received 50,820 applications and resolved 53,384 cases. In 1,783 cases nil awards were made because of the applicant's character as shown by his criminal convictions or unlawful conduct. In a further 696 cases reduced awards were made, but the available records do not show whether this was because of the applicants' conduct before, during or after the events giving rise to the claim or because of his character as shown by his criminal convictions or unlawful conduct. Information about the amount of any reduction made for such purposes is not recorded centrally.

  Saztec Philippines Inc.
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he has taken to ensure confidentiality of information passed to Saztec Philippines Inc. as a result of contracting out in the past five years;

  (2) how many of his Department's contracts have been let to Saztec Philippines Inc. in each of the past five years; what was the nature of the contracts; what was their total value in that period; and what was the estimated saving to his Department as a result of letting those contracts;

  (3) how many persons have been laid off in his Department as a result of contracting out his Department's work to Saztec Philippines Inc. in the past five years.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No Home Office contracts have been let to Saztec Philippines Inc in the last five years.

  Data Access Requests
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many subject access requests were made under the Data Protection Act 1984 to the Metropolitan police last year; and what proportion were made to criminal records.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  There were 1,623 subject access applications in 1991. Of these 1,576, or 97 per cent. were made to criminal records.

  Prison Service (Sick Leave)
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average sick leave figure in the prison service; how many days are lost in the 23 establishments with the worst record; and if he will make a statement on the work of the consultant and the prison headquarters team set up to examine this problem.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Figures for the whole of the Prison Service are not readily available; but the average number of prison officer days lost through sick absence in the 12 month period ending March 1992 was 13·97 days and the average number of days lost in the 23 establishments with the highest level of sick absence was 21·12 days.

  An external consultant was commissioned in autumn 1991 to review the Prison Service's handling of sick absence. She found that the average sick absence rate for prison officers was not out of line with other large organisations, although there was cause for concern in some establishments. She did, however, identify a number of ways in which the management of sick absence in the Prison Service could be improved.

  In response to the consultant's report, a co-ordinating group, drawn from staff at headquarters and in the field, has been set up to assess the practicality of the recommendations and to oversee their implementation. The group will concentrate action on three main areas: monitoring and reporting, training and procedures for dealing with sick absence.

  A guidance document on the management of sick absence was issued to all managers in prison establishments in March 1992.

  Sex Offenders
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many hours of special training are given to staff who deal with sex offenders;
  36
  (2) how many prison staff have special training in the treatment of sex offenders.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The sex offender treatment programmes currently being run in a number of prisons in England and Wales are run by multi-disciplinary teams. These include professionally qualified psychologists and probation staff and also prison officers and other grades. all of whom have considerable experience of working with prisoners, and many of whom have counselling and other relevant skills.

  In addition, last autumn, three weeks specialist training was provided to 84 staff involved in running the pilot core programmes, and a further week's training was provided to 29 prison psychologists who are supporting the programme. Further courses are being run in the current financial year.

  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are in prison convicted of child sexual abuse.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information about the age of victims of imprisoned sexual offenders is not recorded centrally. About 200 inmates of Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 31 March 1992 were serving sentences for unlawful sexual intercourse with a female under 16 years of age or gross indecency with or indecent assault on a child. Other inmates will, however, be serving sentences for rape, buggery and other sexual offences, and for murder, involving a sexual assault, where the victim was a child.

  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners convicted of child sexual abuse are receiving treatment to help them not to reoffend.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  At 1 July 1992, a total of 171 prisoners had taken part in the pilot core programmes, introduced at the end of last year by the Prison Service to address offending behaviour. Of these, 122 had been convicted of sexual offences against children.

  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many prisons there are schemes for the special treatment of sex offenders.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Structured treatment programmes for sex offenders are currently being run at 14 prisons and one young offender institution.

  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to monitor the effect of the special treatment of sex offenders.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Home Office is currently funding an independent research study by a team of criminologists and clinical psychologists of a number of community-based treatment programmes for sex offenders. The study is addressing the content of treatment programmes and how they are delivered; the short-term impact on attitudes to offending and behaviour, and the longer term impact on re-offending. Similar arrangements will be made independently to evaluate the treatment programmes currently being run in prisons in England and Wales, following completion of the initial pilots.

  Prisons (Private Caterers)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at which prisons food is provided by private caterers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Catering services for inmates are supplied by contract caterers at Downview, Belmarsh. Bullingdon, Holme House and Woodhill prisons. The Wolds remand prison, including its catering service, is run by private contractors.

  Wolds Private Prison
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide details of the inmate protests that have taken place at the Wolds private prison since it opened in April.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There have been four instances of inmate protest at HM Prison Wolds since April.

  On 16 May a prisoner on morning exercise climbed onto the first floor windowsill of an unoccupied living unit. He tied himself to the window bars with a sweatshirt and stayed there for about four hours, protesting about being in prison. After he was persuaded to come down he went to the hospital to he kept under observation.

  On 28 May, 43 prisoners in one living unit refused to go to bed at 2200 hours and remained in the communal living area while discussions took place with management about food distribution methods and drugs dependency treatment. During the night 39 prisoners returned to their own rooms of their own accord and four were escorted to the segregation unit. The incident finished at 0645 hours on 29 May. It was entirely peaceful throughout.

  On 18 June, 28 prisoners in A unit, 12 on B unit and 34 on C unit refused to leave the association areas to go to bed at 2200 hours. The director agreed to their request for a prisoner committee comprising representatives of each unit to meet on a regular basis with prison management, and by 0130 on 19 June all prisoners had returned to their rooms voluntarily. The incident was entirely peaceful.

  On 27 June, 48 prisoners in two units refused to go to their cells at 2200 hours. The sit-in was peaceful throughout in one unit and after agreement to the request for an early meeting with management and others to discuss medical provision the prisoners went to their cells at 0245 on 28 June. No specific complaints were voiced by prisoners in the second unit who caused damage of around £ 5,000 to furniture, recreational items and files. The incident was resolved without force with most prisoners returning to their cells voluntarily. Eight were escorted to the segregation unit. One prisoner cut his arm breaking a window and received appropriate medical treatment. The police are investigating the incident with a view to bringing charges if appropriate.

  The Home Office controller or her deputy and members of the boards of visitors were present throughout on all these occasions.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the reports made by the Crown Controller into service delivery at the Wolds private prison.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. The controller's reports on how the contract is managed and delivered contain information 38
  that is commercial in confidence. Reports by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons will be published and the board of visitors is free to publish its annual report.

  Police National Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he has as to the number of subject access requests, made to criminal records held by the Metropolitan police or the police national computer that have been made for vetting purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information on this matter is not available, as applicants for subject access do not have to give their reasons.

  Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is expected that the Royal Commission on criminal procedure will report.

  Mr. Jack
  It is anticipated that the Royal Commission on criminal justice will report by June 1993.

  Immigration (Medical Examinations)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers arriving at United Kingdom ports of entry during 1991 and the first quarter of 1992 were referred to port medical inspectors for examination; what are the most common diagnoses made; and how many people have been(a) refused entry (i) wholly or (ii) partly on medical grounds and for what medical reason or (b) required to report for further medical treatment after entry, and for what medical reason.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Twenty-six passengers were refused entry principally on medical grounds in 1991, and two during the first quarter of 1992. The other information requested is not available centrally.

  Public Information
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 June,Official Report, column 344, when he expects to complete his review of the Shingle Street incident files.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The review of the files dealing with the evacuation of the civilian population from several villages in East Anglia including Shingle Street during the second world war, which the Home Office has on extended closure, has now been completed. I have decided that all the files will be opened to access in the Public Record Office as soon as possible.

  Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notices have been issued(a) in total and (b) to each airline under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 in each quarter since January 1991; how much money has accrued as a result; and how many such notices have been contested by each airline.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is not the practice to disclose information on the record of individual airlines under the
  39
  Act. The total number of notices issued to carriers—; airlines and sea operators—; in each quarter since January 1991 was as follows:

  Quarter ending

  Number of notices

  31 March 1991

  2,843

  30 June 1991

  2,759

  30 September 1991

  2,674

  31 December 1991

  2,031

  31 March 1991

  1,954

  A total of £9·154 million was received in payments, many of which would have related to notices issued before this period. Representations were made by carriers in 4,683 cases.

  Deportations
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions to make a deportation order, by nationality of the potential deportee, where there is only a right of appeal under section 5 of the Immigration Act 1988 have been made in each quarter since 1 August 1988; and on what basis these decisions have been made.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's current policy on enforcing deportation decisions against genuine students who have been found to be working in breach of their conditions of entry; how many such deportation decisions have been made in each quarter since January 1991; how he would define a genuine student; and whether he will list the colleges which he would not recognise as providing courses of study for overseas students acceptable under the immigration rules.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Any overseas student who wishes to work during his free time or vacations may do so by obtaining permission from the Department of Employment. Each case in which a student is found working without such permission is considered on its merits. As required by the immigration rules, all relevant factors are taken into account before deciding whether deportation is the right course. A genuine student in this context is one who meets the requirements of the immigration rules for the grant of leave to enter or remain as student. Records are not kept in a form which would enable the number of students deported to be identified.

  The immigration and nationality department keeps records of information which come to light about

  DNA tests on children under the Government scheme, results received and outcomes

  Number of children

  Number of tests carried out

  Number of results received

  Related as claimed to both patients

  Outcomes Related as claimed to one parent but no other

  Not related as claimed to either parent

  Country of origin

  1991

  11992

  1991

  11992

  1991

  11992

  1991

  11992

  1991

  11992

  Indian sub-continenl2

  Bangladesh (Dhaka)

  758

  238

  447

  239

  355

  183

  45

  27

  47

  29

  Pakistan (Islamabad)

  438

  246

  198

  40

  156

  35

  11

  5

  31

  —;

  India (Bombay, New Delhi)

  34

  7

  6

  4

  6

  4

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Outside of Indian sub—;continenl

  Nigeria

  3

  —;

  2

  1

  2

  1

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Ghana

  —;

  3

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Sri Lanka

  2

  —;

  2

  —;

  2

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  40
  individual colleges, and account is taken of this by staff when dealing with applications from students. Staff are made aware of what information is available by means of internal notices which are part of staff instructions and are not published.

  Citizenship
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many minor children born to a British overseas citizen parent outside the United Kingdom have(a) been registered or (b) been refused registration as (i) a British citizen of (ii) a British overseas citizen in each year since 1 January 1983.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is not available in the form requested. Minor children may apply for registration as British overseas citizens under section 27 of the British Nationality Act 1981. The numbers of grants made under this section, most of which will have been to minor children born abroad to a British overseas citizen parent, are as follows:

  Number

  1983

  2

  1984

  28

  1985

  64

  1986

  32

  1987

  27

  1988

  l0

  1989

  29

  1990

  10

  1991

  12

  DNA Tests
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA tests to prove family relationships for immigration purposes have been carried out under the Home Office-funded scheme since its inception, listed by country of origin; what was the average waiting period for the test and for its results; and in how many of those tests the family relationships were proved to be as claimed by the applicants.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information on the number of DNA tests carried out, the results received and their outcomes is given in the table. Information on the average waiting period for a test is not available centrally. The average time taken from receipt of samples to despatch of results is about six and a half weeks.
  41

  Number of tests carried out

  Number of results received

  Related as claimed to both patients

  Outcomes Related as claimed to one parent but not other

  Not related as claimed to either parent

  Country of origin

  1991

  1l992

  1991

  11992

  1991

  11992

  1991

  11992

  1991

  11992

  Philippines

  2

  —;

  2

  —;

  2

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Germany3

  2

  —;

  —;

  2

  —;

  2

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  1 1992 first quarter. Results received in the first quarter of 1992 may have been for tests carried out in 1991.

  2 No tests have been carried out in Calcutta, Madras or Karachi.

  3 Thought to be of Indian sub-continent origin.

  —;Nil

  Asylum
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum were made(a) at ports of entry and (b) to the immigration and nationality department in each quarter since January

  Table 1 Application1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom excluding dependants, by location of application, and decisions,12 1991 first quarter to 1992 first quarter

  Number of principal applicants

  Year

  Applications received

  Decisions2

  Total applica-tions

  Applied at port3

  Applied in country4

  Total decisions

  Granted asylum

  Granted exceptional leave

  Total refused

  Refused asylum and exceptional leave after determina-tion

  Refused on third country grounds

  Refused under para 101 of Immigration Rules5

  Applications outstanding at end of quarter6

  1991

  Quarter 1

  11,790

  3,490

  8,300

  1,370

  140

  910

  315

  295

  20

  —;

  39,670

  Quarter 2

  12,075

  2,040

  10,035

  645

  100

  215

  325

  280

  45

  —;

  50,960

  Quarter 3

  10,600

  1,970

  8,630

  570

  90

  195

  290

  255

  35

  —;

  60,810

  Quarter 4

  10,375

  1.525

  8,850

  2,100

  85

  535

  1,480

  595

  100

  785

  68,880

  1992

  Quarter 1

  5,185

  1,335

  3,845

  6,330

  165

  1,500

  4,665

  565

  150

  3,945

  67,500

  1 Provisional figures, rounded to the nearest 5. 1991 decision figures are likely to understate because of delays in recording.

  2 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same quarter.

  3 Figures include certain in-country applications made in illegal entrant cases.

  4 In country figures include a small number of applications recorded as having been made overseas and referred to the Home Office for a decision. These cases may be under recorded.

  5 For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period. Figures from 1 December 1991 only. These refusals in January—;November 1991 arc included in the column "Refused asylum and exceptional leave after determination".

  6 Figures are maxima which overstate because of earlier under recording of decisions. Figures are approximate and rounded to the nearest 10.

  European Constituencies
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will ensure that the review of European constituency boundaries will be completed in time for the 1994 European elections.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There is currently no requirement for a review of European constituency boundaries to be undertaken before the 1994 European elections.

  Mr. Salman Rushdie
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government that adequate protection will at all times continue to be given to Mr. Salman Rushdie as long as his life is in danger.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Decisions concerning the protection provided for Mr. Rushdie are operational matters for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis based on the level of the threat and the police resources
  42
  1991; how many asylum applications have been (i) decided, (ii) granted, (iii) refused, but exceptional leave granted, or (iv) refused in each quarter; and how many applications are pending at the latest convenient date.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information is given in the table.

  available. The necessary level of protection will continue to be provided by the Metropolitan police while the threat to Mr. Rushdie remains high.

  South Wales Police
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the current manpower needs of the South Wales police in relation to the latest crime figures.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Police force establishments are reviewed annually in the light of bids for extra police officers. Requests for increases are considered in relation to a number of criteria, including rates of recorded crime. Approvals for establishment increases for the current financial year were announced on 28 November 1991.

  Police (Inquiry)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now announce the terms of reference and membership of his proposed inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards.
  43
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I have appointed Sir Patrick Sheehy as chairman of the inquiry and Sir Paul Fox, Professor Colin Campbell, Mr. John Bullock and Mr. Eric Caincs as members.

  The inquiry will have the following terms of reference:
  "To examine the rank structure, remuneration and conditions of service of the police service in England and Wales, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and to recommend what changes, if any, would be sensible to ensure
  —;rank structures and conditions of service, which reflect the current roles and responsibilities of police officers;
  —; enough flexibility in the distribution of rewards to ensure that responsibilities and performance may be properly recognised in changing circumstances;
  —;remuneration set and maintained at a level adequate to ensure the recruitment, retention and motivation of officers of the right quality;

  having full regard to
  —; the principle recommended by the Edmund-Davies Inquiry that police pay should reflect the special nature of the police officers' role;
  —;the principles set out in the police service statement of common purposes and values;
  —; the need to ensure affordability and value for money in public spending.

  Background

  The Inquiry should take into account:—;
  —;the results of fact-finding studies into

  (i) the current roles and responsibilities of police officers;

  (ii) the current manpower profiles of the police forces and the possible impact on career development of changes in police retirement policy;

  —;relevant recommendations by the Audit Commission;
  —; all work currently being undertaken relating to manpower and personnel issues, including work on police performance measures and indicators;
  —; developments in pay generally;
  —; the special and different circumstances of the Royal Ulster Constabulary."

  The purpose of the inquiry is to ensure that police rank and pay structures meet the long term needs of the public for a professional, competent and effective police service in the United Kingdom. The inquiry will report jointly to me, to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In addition to the fact-finding studies mentioned in the terms of reference, the inquiry may decide to set in hand other research which it considers necessary and desirable. We also expect it to take evidence from a wide range of bodies and individuals concerned with the police and the services they provide. It will be expected to have regard to the differing circumstances in which police officers have to carry out their duties in different parts of the United Kingdom, considering in particular the special circumstances of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the responsibilities of the Metropolitan police in respect of other parts of the United Kingdom. The inquiry will be looking at rank structure, remuneration, including allowances as well as basic pay, and conditions of service and we expect it to make recommendations which will provide a sound basis for establishing these in a way which meets the present and future needs of the police and the public they serve.

DEFENCE

  Submarine Reactor Fuel
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the scope and reasons for the new regulations being introduced to replace those covering existing used core transport packages for the movement of spent irradiated submarine fuel.

  Mr. Aitken
  The national regulations for the road transport of radioactive materials apply equally to used core transport packages as to other loads. The revised regulations, which came into effect last year, were a result of implementation by the UK of new International Atomic Energy Authority regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material—; safety series 6.

  Radioactive Materials
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many facilities operated by or for his Department store or process radioactive materials; and if he will list all notifiable radiological incidents that occurred at these sites since 1979.

  Mr. Aitken
  The number of sites that exceed the threshold for exemptions from the Radioactive Substances Act, 1960, is currently under review but is in the region of 160. Records of the notifiable radiological incidents under the Ionising Radiations Regulations, 1985, are held by individual establishments and units and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total administrative cost of the Defence Export Services Organisation in 1991–92 and projected for 1992–93, both in full and also net of any offsetting administrative charges.

  Mr. Aitken
  The administrative costs of the DESO were £ 10·2 million for 1991–92 and are estimated to be £ 10·9 million for 1992–93. These costs are more than offset by the revenue earned by the organisation.

  Chiefs of Staff
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the procedure followed for the selection and appointment of the Chief of the Defence Staff and the chiefs of staff of the three armed services.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The arrangements are that the outgoing chief of staff puts to me, as Secretary of State for Defence, an assessment of the field of possible successors together with a recommendation. He will have checked that the candidates are willing and medically fit. I then take soundings, for example with appropriate officers senior in rank to the candidates, before reporting my conclusions to the Prime Minister.

  Once the Government have reached a view, the approval of Her Majesty the Queen is sought.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 June,Official Report, column 529, if he will make a statement on the progress of the sale to a housing association of the 170 empty dwellings owned by his Department in Plymouth.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Negotiations are continuing with the Devon and Cornwall housing association.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 June,Official Report, column 529, what plans he has for the remaining 106 empty dwellings owned by his Department in Plymouth for which he did not indicate plans in his answer.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  They are available for allocation to service personnel.

  Eurosatory '92 Exhibition
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment belonging to the United Kingdom armed forces was loaned or hired back to the company which produced it for display at the Eurosatory '92 exhibition in Paris.

  Mr. Aitken
  Information of this kind is not held centrally and disproportionate effort would be needed to ascertain whether any service equipment had been so loaned.

EMPLOYMENT

  Trade Unions
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were in trade union membership for the latest date available; and what are the comparative figures with other EC countries.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The total membership of trade unions known to the Employment Department at the end of 1990, the latest date available, was 9·9 million. Comparative figures for other EC countries are not available.

  Industrial Disputes
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many days have been lost due to industrial disputes for the latest year available in local government and public services.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  A total of 323,000 working days were lost in local government and public services in 1991, the latest calendar year for which data are available.

  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many days have been lost due to unauthorised industrial action in each year since 1989.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Because of difficulties in categorising disputes, data distinguishing between authorised and unauthorised action are not routinely collected. No such information is available for the years requested.

  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many days have been lost due to 46
  industrial disputes in each of the years since 1979, expressed both as an absolute figure and as a proportion of employees in employment.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Data expressed as absolute figures of working days lost, and working days lost per thousand employees in employment are given in the following table and have been extracted from an article on industrial disputes published in the May 1992 edition of the Employment Gazette.

  Year

  Absolute figure in thousands

  Working days lost per 1,000 employees in employment

  1979

  29,474

  1,273

  1980

  11,964

  521

  1981

  4,266

  195

  1982

  5,313

  248

  1983

  3,754

  178

  1984

  27,135

  1,278

  1985

  6,402

  299

  1986

  1,920

  90

  1987

  3,546

  164

  1988

  3,702

  166

  1989

  4,128

  182

  1990

  1,903

  83

  1991

  761

  34

  Equal Pay
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she intends to implement the proposals for reform of the equal pay laws recommended by the Equal Opportunities Commission.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The EOC's detailed and complex recommendations are receiving careful consideration.

  Legislation (Consultations)
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consultations she has held with employers' organisations, the Trades Union Congress, individual trade unions and other relevant organisations about the proposed Employment Bill.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. Friend and her predecessor have had discussions about these matters in the course of meetings with a number of organisations, including employers' associations and the TUC.

  All such organisations are, of course, free to offer views about relevant issues. Many did so, for example, in the form of representations on proposals for further reform of industrial relations and trade union law put forward in the 1991 Green Paper "Industrial Relations in the 1990s" (Cm. 1602) and the 1992 White Paper "People, Jobs and Opportunities" (Cm. 1810).

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average period of assessment, counselling and guidance provided by her Department to(a) disabled people and (b) people with a mental illness for each year since 1985; if she has any plans to change this in future years; what guidelines she issues regarding the maximum length of assessment contracts; and if she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of registered
  47
  disabled people in the Chesham and Amersham constituency for the most recent date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred these questions for reply.

  Training
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the budget for employment training and youth training in 1991–92 for each training and enterprise council.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested for each training and enterprise council (TEC) in England is shown in the following table.

  Information for Wales is for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales to answer.

  TEC budgets for Employment Training and Youth Training for 1991–92

  £ millions

  TEC

  ET

  YT

  London

  AZTEC

  2·4

  3·4

  CENTEC (16 September 1991)

  3·2

  3·2

  CILNTEC (14 October 1991)

  2·2

  3·1

  LETEC

  9·0

  10·5

  North London (16 September 1991)

  3·2

  2·4

  North West London (l6 September 1991)

  1·8

  1·5

  SOLOTEC

  3·8

  4·7

  South Tames (27 May 1991)

  7·0

  5·3

  West London (16 September 1991)

  2·0

  3·4

  South East

  Essex

  5·8

  12·3

  Hampshire

  5·0

  16·8

  Heart of England

  1·6

  4·9

  Hertfordshire

  2·8

  5·4

  Isle of Wight

  0·6

  1·6

  Kent

  5·5

  14·3

  Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire

  1·2

  3·5

  Surrey

  1·8

  4·5

  Sussex

  4·5

  11·2

  Thames Valley Enterprise

  2·4

  13·6

  South West

  Avon

  6·0

  13·0

  Devon and Cornwall

  10·5

  22·1

  Dorset

  2·5

  7·1

  Gloucester

  1·9

  6·4

  Somerset

  1·7

  6·4

  Wiltshire

  1·7

  6·3

  West Midlands

  Birmingham

  16·6

  15·1

  Central England

  2·2

  4·8

  Coventry

  4·9

  12·9

  Dudley

  2·9

  5·1

  Hereford and Worcester

  2·0

  4·7

  Sandwell

  2·8

  5·2

  Shropshire

  2·9

  6·6

  Staffordshire

  6·0

  19·6

  Walsall

  3·2

  4·5

  Wolverhampton

  3·1

  5·0

  East Midlands and Anglia

  Leicester

  4·7

  14·2

  Northamptonshire

  2·5

  6·2

  Lincolnshire

  3·7

  11·1

  Greater Nottingham

  4·7

  11·2

  North Nottingham

  5·0

  8·2

  South Derbyshire

  4·1

  9·2

  North Derbyshire

  2·2

  6·2

  Norfolk and Waveney

  4·7

  12·4

  48

  TEC

  ET

  YT

  Suffolk

  1·8

  4·5

  Bedfordshire

  1·7

  7·0

  Greater Peterborough

  1·6

  4·3

  CAMBSTEC

  0·7

  3·2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Leeds

  5·5

  10·6

  North Yorkshire

  3·5

  5·1

  Bradford

  4·7

  6·9

  Calderdale/Kirklees

  5·5

  9·8

  Wakefield

  3·2

  6·0

  Barnsley and Doncaster

  7·5

  14·1

  Sheffield

  6·8

  12·6

  Rotherham

  3·3

  6·0

  Humberside

  10·6

  18·5

  North West

  Bolton and Bury

  2·5

  6·6

  CEWTEC

  7·4

  10·4

  Cumbria

  3·4

  10·3

  ELTEC

  3·5

  8·6

  LAWTEC

  6·1

  12·9

  Manchester

  9·9

  16·9

  METROTEC

  2·4

  5·1

  Oldham

  1·6

  4·7

  QUALITEC

  2·3

  5·5

  Rochdale

  2·1

  2·9

  South and East Cheshire

  1·8

  4·2

  Stockport and High Peak

  1·7

  4·9

  Merseyside (24 June 1991

  12·6

  20·8

  NORMID (24 June 1991)

  2·3

  7·1

  Northern

  Teesside

  11·8

  14·8

  Tyneside

  13·5

  20·1

  Wearside

  6·6

  9·4

  County Durham

  10·6

  15·7

  Northumberland

  3·5

  5·1

  Notes:

  1. Where TECs became operational after 1 April 1991, the dates arc shown in brackets.

  2. ET Budgets exclude notional allowances (ie unemployment benefit +£ 10).

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps she is taking to ensure that training and enterprise councils cater appropriately for people with special learning difficulties.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  TECs are obliged through their contracts with the Employment Department to ensure that suitable high quality training is available for all trainees with special training needs. This includes people with learning difficulties. TECs' business plans are examined before approval to ensure that they have included objectives and targets for helping people with special training needs.

  The Employment Department's regional contract managers review TECs' achievements against objectives at regular intervals.

  Inspectors of the Training Standards Advisory Service are also used by the Employment Department's regional offices to examine specific issues including special needs provision.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the budget for employment training and youth training in 1990–91 for each training and enterprise council.
  49
  Mr. McLoughlin
  The allocated budgets for ET and YT for each of the approved training and enterprise councils (TECs) for the financial year 1990–91 are set out in the following table.

  Individual budget figures relate to the period from the date when the TEC became operational to the end of the 1990–91 financial year.

  TEC budgets for Employment Training and Youth Training for 1990–91

  £ millions

  TEC

  ET

  YT

  London

  AZTEC (12 November 1990)

  0·7

  0·9

  South East

  Essex (23 July 1990)

  3–6

  7·0

  Hampshire (17 September 1990)

  3·0

  7·7

  Heart of England (17 September 1990)

  0·8

  2·3

  Hertfordshire (3 April 1990)

  1·9

  4·4

  Isle of Wight (15 October 1990)

  0·3

  0·7

  Kent (12 November 1990)

  2·1

  4·5

  Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire(17 September 1990)

  0·6

  1·6

  Thames Valley Enterprise (3 April 1990)

  2·0

  6·4

  South West

  Devon and Cornwall (30 April 1990)

  11·1

  20·1

  Dorset (30 April 1990)

  2·0

  5·5

  Gloucester (7 January 1991)

  0·3

  0·8

  Somerset (23 July 1990)

  1·3

  4·0

  West Midlands

  Birmingham (12 November 1990)

  4·4

  4·7

  Coventry (10 September 1990)

  3·2

  7·0

  Staffordshire (5 October 1990)

  3·3

  10·1

  Walsall (15 October 1990)

  1·4

  2·0

  East Midlands and Anglia

  North Nottingham (25 May 1990)

  2·7

  7·2

  South Derbyshire (7 January 1991)

  0·7

  2·2

  Norfolk and Waveney (12 November 1990)

  1·8

  5·3

  Suffolk (12 November 1990)

  0·6

  2·9

  Greater Peterborough (4 February 1991)

  0·1

  0·4

  CAMBSTEC (4 February 1991)

  0·4

  0·1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Leeds (15 October 1990)

  2·3

  3·2

  North Yorkshire (25 May 1990)

  2·4

  4·0

  Bradford (7 January 1991)

  0·7

  1·1

  Calderdale/Kirklees (3 April 1990)

  4·8

  9·3

  Wakefield (7 January 1991)

  0·5

  0·1

  Barnsley and Doncaster (7 January 1991)

  1·3

  2·0

  Sheffield (1 October 1990)

  3·3

  4·7

  Rotherham (30 July 1990)

  2·2

  2·8

  North West

  Bolton and Bury (15 October 1990)

  0·8

  2·5

  Cumbria (30 April 1990)

  2·8

  8·6

  ELTEC (28 May 1990)

  3·1

  6·8

  Manchester (12 November 1990)

  3·6

  5·3

  METROTEC (23 June 1990)

  1·8

  3·7

  Oldham (30 April 1990)

  1·4

  4·4

  Rochdale (30 April 1990)

  1·6

  2·3

  South and East Cheshire (9 April 1990)

  1·6

  4·6

  Stockport and High Peak (20 August 1990)

  0·8

  1·6

  Northern

  Teesside (30 April 1990)

  12·4

  15·5

  Tyneside (30 April 1990)

  14·4

  17·1

  Wearside (30 April 1990)

  7·3

  8·5

  County Durham (1 October 1990)

  5·2

  8·6

  Northumberland (17 September 1990)

  1·8

  3·5

  Wales

  Gwent (4 February 1991)

  0·4

  0·6

  North West Wales (4 February 1991)

  0·3

  0·4

  South Glamorgan (4 February 1991)

  0·4

  0·3

  50

  TEC

  ET

  YT

  West Wales (23 July 1990)

  6·1

  7·5

  North East Wales (17 September 1990)

  1·2

  3·1

  Mid Glamorgan (27 July 1990)

  4·2

  6·7

  Notes:

  1. The dates when the TECs became operational are shown in brackets.

  2. ET budgets exclude notional allowances (ie unemployment benefit + £ 10).

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the costs of the Government's youth training, employment training and employment action programmes are met by social security benefits, European social fund or her Department's funding.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In 1992–93 the Employment Department expects to spend £ 851 million on youth training (YT), £ 807 million on employment training (ET) and £ 178 million on employment action (EA), including allowances for participants.

  An estimated 47 per cent. of ET expenditure and 45 per cent. of EA expenditure is for that part of participant allowances which is equivalent to previous entitlement to social security benefits. Young people on YT are not generally entitled to such benefits.

  The latest information available in respect of the European social fund (ESF) is for 1991 when £ 157 million was received for ET and £ 16 million for YT. There was no ESF receipt for employment action. Expected receipts from the ESF are taken into account in setting the total expenditure plans for ET and YT.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what plans she has to change the youth training guarantee; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) if she will make a statement about the youth training guarantee.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are no plans to change the YT guarantee. The guarantee provides for the offer of a suitable YT place to young people under 18 who are unemployed, not in full-time education and seeking training. The Government are committed to ensuring that the guarantee will be met.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the representations she has received from(a) training and enterprise councils (b) local education authority career services and (c) employers about the youth training guarantee.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is not available.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will publish figures of the number of young people seeking a youth training place for (i) standard regions of the Training, Enterprise and Education Directorate, (ii) training and enterprise councils or local education authority careers service areas or (iii) another convenient form, for the most recent date for which the information is available.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will give the total number of
  51
  participants in youth training for the most recent date for which figures are available and in the previous three years for Great Britain and each of the standard regions broken down by sex and those on employer-based schemes.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The full information asked for is not available. The following table gives numbers of young

  Youth Training—;Numbers in Training in Great Britain

  March 89

  March 90

  2March 91

  1March 92

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Total

  Total

  South East

  25,800

  13,500

  39,300

  24,900

  12,900

  37,700

  25,800

  32,300

  London

  13,400

  6,900

  20,300

  13,300

  6,600

  19,900

  12,700

  21,500

  South West

  18,400

  10,900

  29,300

  17,200

  9,900

  27,100

  20,500

  22,100

  West Midlands

  24,700

  17,500

  42,200

  22,400

  15,100

  37,500

  31,500

  29,800

  East Midlands and Eastern

  27,800

  16,500

  44,300

  26,200

  15,300

  41,500

  21,900

  38,300

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  25,900

  17,500

  43,400

  23,200

  15,000

  38,300

  28,800

  28,600

  North West

  35,200

  22,900

  58,100

  31,000

  19,600

  50,600

  30,600

  48,600

  Northern

  17,400

  11,900

  29,300

  15,700

  10,800

  26,500

  19,700

  20,800

  Wales

  14,700

  8,200

  22,900

  13,900

  7,900

  21,800

  16,400

  16,500

  Scotland

  29,100

  18,400

  47,600

  26,600

  16,200

  42,800

  37,100

  37,300

  Great Britain

  232,400

  144,200

  376,600

  214,500

  129,300

  343,800

  3314,200

  295,800

  Figures are individually rounded and may not add up to the totals.

  Notes:

  1 March 1992 Youth Training and Training Credits figures are subject to adjustment.

  2 Information not available for males and females for March 1991 and March 1992.

  3 Total for March 1991 includes 69,200 trainees covered by providers contracted nationally and not included in the regional totals.

  Source:

  March 1989, 90: Spectrum

  March 1991, 92: Osmosis/Pes 92.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list as per the requirement set out in the TEC operating agreement the number of youth training starts and the number of youth training trainees in training at the end of the four-weekly period as set out in the schedule of management information for(a) the most recent period for which information is available, (b) each of the previous periods hack to 1 to 26 April 1991 and (c) for each TEC.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  As the information requested is contained within a number of tables I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when she last met representatives of training and enterprise councils to discuss the delivery of the youth training guarantee.

  Youth Training Scheme/Youth Training—;Minimum allowance levels (£)

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  31992–93

  Minimum allowance (YT/YTS)1

  25·00

  26·25

  27·30

  27·30

  28·50

  29·50

  29·50

  29·50

  29·50

  29·50

  At 1992–93 price level

  41·70

  41·75

  41·10

  39·79

  39·40

  38·04

  35·68

  32·98

  30·82

  29·50

  Minimum allowance (YT/YTS)2

  —;

  —;

  —;

  35·00

  35·00

  35·00

  35·00

  35·00

  35·00

  35·00

  At 1992–93 price level

  —;

  —;

  —;

  51·02

  48·39

  45·12

  42·34

  39·13

  36·57

  35·00

  1 Minimum level of allowance payable to first year trainees until 29 May 1990. Payable to 16 year old trainees thereafter.

  2 Minimum level of allowance payable to second year trainees until 29 May 1990. Payable to trainees aged 17 and above thereafter·

  3 1992–93 price levels obtained by application of appropriate GDP deflator index.

  Note: The Youth Training Scheme (YTS) was replaced by Youth Training (YT) on 29 May 1990.

  Bridging Allowances
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people received bridging allowance in each of the standard regions including Scotland, and in total, in each month since January 1991.
  52
  people in training by region and gender for years ending March 1989 and March 1990, and regional totals for March 1991 and March 1992. Information about the numbers of people on youth training programmes that were employer based is not held centrally.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment meets representatives of training and enterprise councils regularly, and the priority which the Government attach to meeting the YT guarantee is frequently discussed.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the value of the youth training allowance, or its equivalent, in every year since it was introduced expressed in both actual prices and in constant price terms for 1992–93.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is shown in the following table.

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

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Social Services Guide
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many printing firms in Northern Ireland were invited to print the summary guide "A Charter for Patients and Clients" on Northern Ireland health and personal social services; whether this guide was printed in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Department of Health and Social Services has an agreement for printing with Her Majesty's Stationery Office. I understand from HMSO that three printing firms in Northern Ireland were among those invited to tender for the printing of the summary guide. The summary guide was printed in Great Britain.

  Factor 8
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the operation of the Medicines Act (Exemptions from Licences) (Importation) Order 1984—;SI 1984, No. 673 —;in relation to named patient arrangements for the supply of unlicensed factor 8 preparations and other unlicensed pharmaceutical products.

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 1 July 1992, Official Report column 636. Responsibility for the operation of the Medicines (Exemptions from Licences) (Importation) Order 1984 is a matter for the Medicines Control Agency.

  Table 9.1

  Public expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies

  £ million April/March (financial years)

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92(forecast)

  1 Market regulation under the CAP

  (i) Expenditure by the intervention Board1

  cereals

  229·4

  210·1

  120·6

  120·8

  197·3

  oilseeds

  208·3

  177·8

  187·0

  236·4

  250·6

  sugar

  151·1

  118·8

  104·0

  110·7

  111·1

  beef and veal

  201·4

  149·5

  63·8

  357·6

  341·0

  sheepmeat

  119·4

  133·2

  78·6

  126·5

  154·7

  pigmeat

  -1.9

  0·3

  2·6

  6·6

  3·5

  milk products

  251·1

  48·9

  92·9

  203·9

  165·9

  processed goods

  47·6

  45·6

  38·5

  44·6

  54·6

  other2

  16·6

  27·2

  46·7

  55·2

  45·4

  Sub-total

  1,222·9

  911·4

  734·7

  1,262·3

  1,324·1

  (ii) Expenditure by the Agriculture Departments:

  Repayments of Cereals Levies

  1·7

  2·2

  24·2

  19·2

  1·7

  Suckler Cow Premium Scheme

  36·7

  37·7

  61·8

  73·7

  70·4

  Annual Premium on Ewes

  80·6

  130·7

  114·9

  201·8

  276·1

  Milk Non-Marketing Premiums

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Payments to producers giving up some milk production

  51·0

  74·1

  65·2

  59·6

  54·5

  Beef Special Premium Scheme—;Northern Ireland3

  —;

  —;

  11·6

  6·2

  7·3

  Orchard Grubbing Scheme

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  1·5

  Sub-total

  170·0

  244·6

  277·7

  360·5

  411·7

  Total

  1,392·9

  1,156·0

  1,012·4

  1,622·8

  1,735·8

  Inter-party Talks
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his oral answer of 25 June,Official Report, columns 373–74, to the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon) what commitment he gave on the proposed strand 3 meeting of the Northern Ireland talks in his letter of 17 June to the hon. Member for Antrim, North.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  When I wrote to the hon. Member and to the other Northern Ireland party leaders participating in the talks on 17 June I was not able to give any commitment as to whether a meeting would take place on any particular date, because discussions with the Irish Government were still continuing. I accordingly gave none. The hon. Member will recall that the question from the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh related to a "written commitment to the Democratic Unionist party that a strand 3 formation meeting would take place this week." In a letter to the hon. Member for Antrim, North and other party leaders I did, however, confirm that the British and Irish Governments both envisaged that the meeting in question would take place the following week. I added that, for my part, I hoped it would take place in the early part of that week.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Support Payments
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount of all forms of agriculture support payments made in 1991; and what was the average amount of support payment per farm.

  Mr. Curry
  The publication "Agriculture In The United Kingdom: 1991" gives details of expenditure on agriculture support—;table 9.1—;and the number of farm holdings—;table 2.3.
  55

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92 (forecast)

  II Price guarantees

  Potatoes4

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Wool4

  0·7

  0·1

  2·9

  18·2

  38·0

  Assistance to the Egg Industry

  —;

  2·9

  0·1

  0·1

  —;

  Total

  0·7

  3·0

  3·0

  18·3

  38·0

  III Support for capital and other improvements

  Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme (EC)5

  —;

  —;

  0·4

  3·2

  6·3

  Agriculture Improvement Scheme (EC)5

  18·9

  25·9

  24·0

  13·3

  10·2

  Agriculture and Horticulture Development Scheme56

  32·3

  21·6

  15·1

  12·2

  7·7

  Farm structures

  0·4

  0·4

  0·3

  0·3

  0·3

  Agriculture and Horticulture Grant Scheme 57

  3·6

  1·0

  0·1

  —;

  —;

  Agriculture Improvement Scheme (National) 5

  9·0

  7·1

  7·2

  0·9

  0·3

  Northern Ireland Agricultural Development Programme 58

  2·0

  1·1

  2·6

  7·0

  8·3

  Farm Woodlands

  —;

  —;

  0·3

  1·0

  2·1

  Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme (National) 5

  —;

  —;

  11·5

  32·1

  33·8

  Guidance Premiums

  2·3

  1·0

  0·3

  0·1

  0·1

  Farm accounts

  0·7

  0·4

  0·2

  0·2

  0·3

  Others9

  0·3

  0·2

  —;

  0·2

  0·4

  Total

  69·5

  58·7

  62·0

  70·5

  69·8

  IV Support for agriculture in special areas

  Hill Livestock compensatory allowances:

  cattle

  52·0

  50·6

  52·9

  57·4

  69·7

  sheep

  69·0

  62·6

  69·5

  73·0

  89·6

  Additional benefit under AHDs, NIADP, AHGS, AIS (EC), AIS (Nat) FCGS (EC), FCGS (Nat)

  20·9

  19·6

  20·1

  18·6

  19·8

  Others10

  4·1

  4·9

  8·1

  10·1

  11·3

  Total

  145·9

  137·1

  150·6

  159·1

  190·4

  V Other payments

  Set-Aside

  —;

  —;

  9·8

  19·1

  27·4

  Milk outgoers scheme8

  11·1

  11·4

  4·7

  0·8

  0·7

  Weather aid 1985

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Storm damage 1987

  —;

  0·2

  0·1

  0·4

  —;

  Sheep compensation scheme 1986

  1·0

  0·9

  0·4

  0·9

  1·0

  Co-operation grants

  1·7

  1·2

  1·2

  0·9

  1·2

  Crofting building grants and loans (net)

  3·3

  3·1

  2·7

  3·3

  4·2

  Farm diversification:

  Capital grants

  —;

  0·5

  2·3

  2·8

  3·0

  Marketing and feasibility grants

  —;

  —;

  —;

  0·1

  0·4

  Nitrate sensitive areas

  —;

  —;

  —;

  0·3

  0·9

  Environmentally sensitive areas

  2·9

  6·8

  8·6

  9·4

  11·6

  Extensification

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·4

  Others11

  1·0

  0·8

  0·2

  1·0

  1·2

  Total

  21·0

  24·9

  30·0

  39·0

  52·0

  Total I to V12

  1.630·0

  1.379·7

  1,.258·0

  1.909·7

  2.086·0

  1 The figures are net of receipts treated as negative expenditure. Receipts from levies on and on third country exports, which are regarded as community own resources, are excluded

  2 Includes eggs, poultrymeat. fruit and vegetables, hops, herbage seeds, dried fodder, expenditure on products covered by the CAP but not produced to any significant exten must and hemp).

  3 Payments in Great Britain are made by the Intervention Board and included in beef and veal expenditure in section (i).

  4 Payments in respect of potatoes and wool relate partly to the crop or clip of the year indicated and partly to the crop or clip in the preceding year or years.

  5 Farmers in special areas are also eligible for additional assistance. The estimated benefit is shown separately in section IV of the table.

  6 Includes the farm and horticulture development scheme.

  7 Includes the farm and horticulture capital grant schemes.

  8 Except for the Northern Ireland Agricultural Development Programme (NIADP) and the milk outgoers scheme expenditure from the Northern Ireland block is excluded.

  9 Includes loan guarantees, grants for agricultural drainage in Scotland and farm structure loans.

  10 Includes the integrated development programme for the Western Isles. grants for crofting improvements.

  11 Includes producer organisations and forage groups and Shetland wool producers.

  12 Receipts from the European Community (to which the United Kingdom contributes) are set out below (£ million). Receipts do not always relate to expenditure in the year in which they are received. Reimbursement of spending on structural measures (Section III) is normally a year in arrears. Receipts for 1988–89 and subsequent years reflect the arrangements for depreciation Council in February 1988.

  56

  57

  £ million

  1987–88

  1,127·7

  1988–89

  1,597·0

  1989·90

  1,228·5

  1990–91

  1,635·9

  1991–9213

  1,744·6

  13 Forecast.

  Table 2.3

  Numbers and sizes of holdings (the data in this table exclude minor holdings)

  At June of each year

  1986

  1991 (provisional)1

  Number of holdings('000)

  Percent of total BSU

  Number of holdings ('000)

  Percent of total BSU

  Size of holding (BSU)2

  under 40 BSU

  102·8

  2·7

  102·6

  2·6

  4·0 to under 16·0 BSU

  65·6

  13·5

  60·9

  12·5

  (British Size Units (BSUs) measure the financial potential of the holding in terms of the margins which might be expected from its crops and stock The margins used are gross margins standardized at average 1978·80 values. The threshold of 4 BSU is judged to be the minimum for full-time holding).

  16·0 to under 40·0 BSU

  50·4

  29·0

  48·0

  28·0

  40·0 BSU and over

  29·3

  54·8

  30·0

  56·8

  Total

  248·1

  100·0

  241·4

  100·0

  Holdings 4 BSU and over:

  Average size: BSUs

  —

  29·6

  —

  30·7

  : total area (hectares)

  —

  105·8

  —

  107·3

  Number of holdings('000)

  Hectares ('000)

  Number of holdings('000)

  Hectares ('000)

  Total area on holdings2

  0·1 to under 20 hectares

  102·2

  834

  97·9

  82·0

  20·0 to under 50 hectares

  62·8

  2,073

  60·4

  2,001

  50·0 to under 100 hectares

  43·1

  3,051

  42·7

  3,032

  100·0 hectares and over

  40·0

  11,337

  40·4

  11,268

  Total

  248·1

  17,295

  241·4

  17,122

  Average total area per holding (hectares)

  —

  69·7

  —

  70·9

  % of total area on holdings with 100 hectares and over

  —

  65·6

  —

  65·8

  Number of holdings ('000)

  Hectares ('000)

  Number of holdings('000)

  Hectares ('000)

  Crops and grass area23

  0·1 to under 20 hectares

  102·0

  827

  96·2

  803

  20·0 to undr 50 hectares

  63·0

  2,079

  60·3

  1,991

  50·0 to under 100 hectares

  41·2

  2,904

  40·9

  2,877

  100·0 hectares and over

  31·2

  6,168

  31·2

  6,109

  Total

  237·4

  11,978

  228·6

  11,780

  Average crops and grass area per holding (hectares)

  —;

  50·5

  —;

  51·5

  % of total crops and grass area on holdings with 100 hectares and over

  —

  51·5

  —

  51·9

  1 The provisional 1991 figures include returns on about 3,500 holdings (net) in Scotland which have been reclassified as main holdings.

  2 Land in Great Britain let out under short term lets is attributed to the lessor, but land so let out in Northern Ireland (under the conacre system) is now attributed to the lessee. This difference, which applies to both the 1986 and 1991 figures in the table, affects both the number of holdings and their average size.

  3 The numbers of holdings shown in this part of the table are lower than those presented in the "total a without crops and grass are excluded.

  Summer Solstice
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from farmers or farming organisations over damage to fences, gates, hedges, land or frightening of animals arising from the various manifestations to celebrate the 1992 summer solstice.
  58
  Mr. Curry
  Neither I nor my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who has primary responsibility for matters of public order, has received any such representations. However, I understand that the president of the National Farmers Union recently met the Minister of State, Home Office to discuss the general problem of trespass on farm land.

  Surplus Food
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the criteria applied in selecting persons or agencies empowered to distribute European Community surplus foods to certain pensioners at the time of the last distribution.

  Mr. Curry
  Charitable or non-profit making organisa-tions were designated to distribute food to eligible persons if they appeared to the Agriculture Minister to be appropriate and were of a non-commercial character; already involved in the provision of goods or services to the most needy; and not concerned by way of commerce in production, wholesaling, storage or retailing of butter or beef. Preference was given to organisations providing cooked meals to the homeless or destitute, or capable of undertaking the distribution of food widely throughout their local community.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects some of the European Community's food surpluses next to be available for distribution to pensioners in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Curry
  I shall shortly be announcing the arrangements for the distribution of food in the United Kingdom under the 1992 EC surplus food scheme. I have already announced that the only change to the categories of people eligible for produce would be the inclusion of recipients of the disability working allowance.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the income, or other criteria, applied to decide which pensioners qualified for a share of the European Community's food surpluses at the time of the last distribution.

  Mr. Curry
  The following categories of people were eligible to receive food under the 1991 surplus food scheme: the homeless and destitute and those in receipt of income support or family credit, living in welfare hostels.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what method, and by which agencies, the share of the European Community's food surpluses was distributed in the borough of Thurrock at the time of the last distribution.

  Mr. Curry
  Thurrock borough council and the South Ockenden gateway club, were designated to distribute food under the European Community surplus food scheme in the Thurrock area. Arrangements for distribution of food were made by designated organisations in accordance with the conditions laid down in leaflets LP45 and LP46, copies of which were placed in the Library of the House.

  Flood Risks
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department holds on coastal areas considered to be at risk of flooding; how often this information is updated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  As part of its investigations into the likely effects of sea level rise, the Department has produced maps showing areas in England and Wales below the 5 and 10 m60
  contour, the areas most at risk from flooding. This information will be kept up to date as required. In addition, regional offices of the National Rivers Authority hold more detailed information relating to their areas.

  Peak National Park
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much money has been allocated by his Department to environmentally sensitive areas in the Peak national park; and what is the nature of such projects.

  Mr. Curry
  The North Peak was designated as an environmentally sensitive area in 1988 and I intend to designate the South West Peak later this year. Both schemes lie within the Peak national park and aim to protect the heather moorland and other characteristic environmental features. The annual expenditure on environmentally sensitive area agreements in the North Peak is currently £ 735,000. I will be reviewing this scheme during the year with the aim of enhancing its environmental achievements.

  Sea Fisheries
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the procedures followed for awarding the contract to build ESF Protector 3 for the Eastern sea fisheries joint committee; and what opportunities were provided for shipbuilders in the area which the new vessel will serve to compete on an equal footing with other contenders.

  Mr. Curry
  Expenditure by the Eastern sea fisheries committee is the responsibility of the committee and its financing local authority. The committee has sought European Community funding for the vessel and we are satisfied it has followed the tender procedure required under EC rules.

  Sugar
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response he has made to the recommendation in the second report of the Agriculture Committee, Session 1991–92, on the trade gap in food and drink, as regards the sugar quota.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government's response to the Agriculture Committee's report on the trade gap in food and drink was published on 17 June—;Cm 1982. Copies were deposited in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to increase the EC quota for British sugar beet production to a level equal to or exceeding the domestic consumption.

  Mr. Curry
  The Commission has not yet made proposals for the reform of the EC sugar regimes for beet and cane sugar: we are pressing them to do so. United Kingdom domestic sugar consumption is supplied both from sugar processed from beets and from sugar refined from cane, imported under the Lome sugar protocol. There is no case for seeking to increase beet sugar quota to cover our consumption. However, in any review of EC sugar quotas, the United Kingdom will argue for an increase in our share of the total.

  Animal Diseases
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculure, Fisheries and Food if he will list the notifiable diseases of animals.

  Mr. Soames
  The following diseases of animals are notifiable in Great Britain.

  African Horse Sickness

  African Swine Fever

  Anthrax

  Aujeszky's Disease

  Blue Eared Pig Disease

  Blue Tongue

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

  Brucella Melitensis in Cattle

  Cattle Plague (Rinderpest)

  Classical Swine Fever

  Contagious Equine Metritis

  Dourine

  Enzootic Bovine Leukosis

  Epizootic Lymphangitis

  Equine Encephalomyelitis

  Equine Infectious Anaemia

  Foot and Mouth Disease

  Fowl Pest (Fowl Plague, Newcastle Disease and Paramyxovirus) in Poultry

  Glanders and Farcy

  Goat Pox

  Lumpy Skin Disease

  Paramyxovirus in Pigeons

  Peste Des Petits Ruminants

  Pleuro-Pneumonia in Cattle

  Rabies

  Rift Valley Fever

  Sheep Pox

  Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD)

  Teschen Disease

  Tuberculosis in Cattle and Deer

  Vesicular Stomatitis

  Viral Haemorrhagic Disease of Rabbits

  Warble Fly

  Sheep Scab

  Mastitis
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number and percentage of(a) dairy cattle and (b) beef cattle suffering from mastitis in each year since 1982.

  Mr. Soames
  Mastitis is not a notifiable disease and comprehensive data are not maintained. The number of cases in all types of cattle recorded by veterinary investigation centres for the years concerned are as follows:

  Number

  1982

  16,021

  1983

  14,355

  1984

  9,189

  1985

  8,589

  1986

  7,052

  1987

  6,003

  1988

  5,992

  1989

  5,959

  1990

  7,008

  1991

  7,596

  1992

  2,304

  Dredging
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the beaches and mudflats in England and Wales on which material dredged from ports and fairways has been used in each of the last five years and the number of tonnes deposited in each case.

  Mr. Curry
  The information sought is not collected centrally.

  CAP Reform
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are Her Majesty's Government's plans to implement the agri-environment measures agreed as part of the May 1992 common agricultural policy reforms.

  Mr. Curry
  We welcome the positive environmental aspects of the CAP reform agreement. We have a year to draw up our implementation plans for the agri-environment measure and we will consult widely in doing so.

SCOTLAND

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in tabular form the waiting list for operations and procedures in each specialty for each health board area as at 31 December 1990 to 31 March 1991 and at the end of each successive quarter to 31 March 1992.

  Mr. Stewart
  The latest available information is set out in the "NHS Patient Treatment and Waiting Time Bulletin" for 31 March 1992, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Enterprise Allowance
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total number of applications for enterprise allowance received by each local enterprise company in the area covered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise over the last 12 months and the total number of awards made; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Highlands and Islands Enterprise is responsible for monitoring the enterprise allowance scheme within its area and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

  Shellfish
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer of 16 June,Official Report, column 518, what is the amount of additional resources which have been provided to the Marine laboratory in Aberdeen to assist the laboratory in its work relating to EC directive 91/492.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 2 July 1992.]: The marine laboratory's ongoing programme already includes work which will be required under EC directive 91/492 and

  63
  its financial provision reflects this. An additional £ 42,000 has been provided for 1992–93 to assist with the work involved in the classification of shellfish harvesting areas.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional sums of money his Department has made available to environmental health authorities to facilitate the collection and transmission of shellfish samples in pursuance of EC directive 91/492.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer of 2 July 1992]: In common with most local authority services this activity is met from the general revenues of the local authorities which are supported through aggregate external finance.

HEALTH

  Abortion
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the Wessex regional health authority under the Abortion Act 1967 since its implementation; and how many, and what percentage of these abortions, were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

  Mr. Sackville
  Wessex regional health authority (RHA) was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are calculated from 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). During this period a total of 85.538 abortions have been performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in the Wessex RHA. Of these, 6 (·007 per cent.) were performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).

  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the North West Thames regional health authority under the Abortions Act 1967 since its implementation; and how many and what percentage of those abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

  Mr. Sackville
  North West Thames regional health authority (RHA) was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are calculated from I January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). During this period a total of 318,817 abortions have been performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in the North West Thames RHA. Of these 5 (0·002 per cent.) were performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).

  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the West Midlands regional health authority under the Abortion Act since 1967; and how many and what percentage of these were performed to save the life of the mother.

  Mr. Sackville
  West Midlands regional health authority (RHA) was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are calculated from 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). During this period a total of 354,547 abortions have been performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in the West Midlands RHA. Of these 5 (0·002 per cent.) were performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).
  64
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde regional health authority under the Abortion Act 1967 since its implementation; and how many and what percentage of these abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

  Mr. Sackville
  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde district health authority (DHA) was constituted on 1 April 1982 and data on this basis are calculated from 1 January 1983 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). The number of abortions performed in each DHA are not released as a consequence of confidentiality. There were however, during this period and under the Abortion Act 1967, a total of 7,997 abortions performed on residents of Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde DHA. One (0·01 per cent.) of these abortions was performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).

  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the Wessex regional health authority under the Abortion Act 1967 in each year since its implementation; and how many and what percentage of these abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  (1) Total number of abortions; (2) number and percentage of these abortions performed in an emergency 'to save the life of the pregnant woman' (ground 5), 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991, Wessex Regional Health Authority1 Wessex Regional Health Authority

  Total

  Ground 5

  Ground 5 as a percentage of the total

  1975

  2,331

  1

  0·04 per cent.

  1976

  2,288

  1977

  2,624

  1978

  2,961

  0·03 per cent.

  1979

  2,955

  1980

  3,267

  1981

  3,311

  1982

  4,513

  1

  0·02 per cent.

  1983

  4,886

  1984

  5,525

  1

  0·02 per cent.

  1985

  6,009

  1986

  6,292

  1987

  6,476

  1988

  7,693

  1989

  8,670

  1990

  9,075

  1991

  6,662

  1 Wessex Regional Health Authority was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are available from 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available).

  Cervical Cancer
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will fund the development of the Quest cancer test as an alternative to the current method of cervical cancer screening.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government are committed to reducing mortality from cervical cancer; that is why we introduced a national cervical screening programme. We are always willing to consider new proposals which might lead to improvements in health care and health promotion.
  65
  The Quest test for cancer has been considered in detail and an earlier application to fund a trial, assessed at the same time as 12 other proposals in the field of screening, was turned down in 1988. It is for the medical profession to decide whether to use the Quest test on the basis of published research findings.

  NHS-Private Sector Co-operation
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out examples of co-operation between the national health service and the private health care sector of the type which her Department wishes to encourage.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Detailed information is not collected centrally. We welcome cost-effective co-operation between the national health service and the independent sector. It increases the range of options available to patients, GP's and NHS managers.

  Elderly People
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimates her Department has made of the numbers of elderly people requiring health care under the national health service in the years(a) 2000, (b) 2010 and (c) 2020 respectively;

  (2) what long-term estimates her Department has made (a) of the cost to the NHS and (b) expenditure in the private sector of health care for people over the age of 60 years in the years (a) 2000, (b) 2010 and (c) 2020 respectively.

  Mr. Yeo
  Various studies have been undertaken in this area including some work done by the Department's economics and operational research division which will be published shortly in "The Health of Elderly People, An epidemiological overview: companion papers" a copy of which will he placed in the Library.

  Hospitals
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on how many occasions and in what circumstances house officers contracted to work in hospitals of the North-East Thames region, attended patients in Nuffield hospital, Shenfield in Essex over the past two years;

  (2) how many consultants who have contracts with the four Thames health regions also have contracts with private hospitals and clinics;

  (3) how many consultants with national health service contracts also have contracts with the Nuffield hospital, Shenfield in Essex; and for how many hours each of those consultants is contracted to work in national health service hospitals.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the standard prescription charge for each year from 1962 to the present time.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is in the table.66

  Standard prescription charge. for each rear from 1962 to date

  Year

  Charge £

  1962

  0·10

  1963

  0·10

  1964

  0·10

  1965 to 28 February 1965

  0·10

  1965 from 1 March 1965

  nil

  1966

  nil

  1967

  nil

  1968 to 9 June 1968

  nil

  1968 from 10 June 1968

  0·12½

  1969

  0·12½

  1970

  0·12½

  1971 to 31 March 1971

  0·12½

  1971 from 1 April 1971

  0·20

  1972

  0·20

  1973

  0·20

  1974

  0·20

  1975

  0·20

  1976

  0·20

  1977

  0·20

  1978

  0·20

  1979 to 15 July 1979

  0–20

  1979 from 16 July 1979

  0·45

  1980 to 31 March 1980

  0·45

  1980 from 1 April 1980

  0·70

  1980 from 1 December 1980

  1·00

  1981

  1·00

  1982 to 31 March 1982

  1·00

  1982 from 1 April 1982

  1·30

  1983 to 31 March 1983

  1·30

  1983 from 1 April 1983

  1·40

  1984 to 31 March 1984

  1·40

  1984 from 1 April 1984

  1·60

  1985 to 31 March 1985

  1·60

  1985 from 1 April 1985

  2·00

  1986 to 31 March 1986

  2·00

  1986 from 1 April 1986

  2·20

  1987 to 31 March 1987

  2·20

  1987 from 1 April 1987

  2·40

  1988 to 31 March 1988

  2·40

  1988 from 1 April 1988

  2·60

  1989 to 31 March 1989

  2·60

  1989 from 1 April 1989

  2·80

  1990 to 31 March 1990

  2·80

  1990 from 1 April 1990

  3·05

  1991 to 31 March 1991

  3·05

  1991 from 1 April 1991

  3·40

  1992 to 3 March 1992

  3·40

  1992 from 1 April 1992

  3·75

  South-East Essex Health Consortium
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given to making the South-East Essex Health Consortium a new health authority covering the areas currently served by the Southend health authority, the Basildon and Thurrock health authority and the Brentwood part of the Havering and Brentwood health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  I understand that North East Thames regional health authority is reviewing the present configeration of its district health authorities. Any proposal for change would be subject to full consultation.

  Consultants: House Officers
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidelines or advice are given to house officers employed in national health service hospitals who are invited by their consultants to accompany or attend their practices and clinics in private hospitals;
  67
  (2) what guidelines are given to consultants with national health service contracts who also have contracts with private hospitals or clinics, about the accounting of their time distributed between their two contracts, their use of national health service equipment and their direction of house officers and other national health service employees.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  No central guidelines are issued on these matters. However, under their terms and conditions of service, whole-time and maximum part-time consultants are expected to devote substantially the whole of their professional time to their national health service duties. In addition, a whole-time consultant must certify annually that his or her gross income from private practice does not exceed 10 per cent. of his or her gross salary.

  Where private practice is undertaken by a whole-time consultant outside the national health service hospitals
  68
  where he or she is contracted to work, it is to be so limited that significant amounts of the consultant's time are not spent travelling to and from private commitments.

  Consultants should be aware that junior doctors practice (including house officers) may only undertake private work outside the times for which they are contracted to an employing authority.

  Equipment (Unauthorised Use)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the unauthorised use of national health service medical equipment by national health service consultants in private hospitals is deemed a prima facie dismissable offence.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It is for employers to decide what action to take in relation to allegations of misconduct.

  Multiple Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the total numbers of(a) sets of (i) twins, (ii) triplets, (iii) quadruplets, (iv) quintuplets, (v) sextuplets and (vi) septuplets born in England and Wales in each year from 1980 to 1991, (b) maternities in England and Wales in each year and (c) multiple births of each type in each year which were conceived as a result of (1) in vitro fertilisation, (2) gamete intra-fallopian transfer and (3) other forms of assisted conception.

  England and Wales

  1980

  11981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1983

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Twins

  6,308

  —;

  6,201

  6,293

  6,321

  6,700

  6,969

  7,186

  7,452

  7,579

  7,934

  8,160

  Triplets

  91

  —;

  70

  89

  80

  93

  123

  125

  157

  183

  201

  208

  Quadruplets

  4

  —;

  6

  4

  5

  7

  10

  7

  12

  11

  10

  10

  Quintuplets

  1

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  2

  2

  1

  1

  1

  —;

  2

  Sextuplets

  —;

  —;

  —;

  1

  —;

  1

  1

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Septuplets

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;-

  —;

  —;

  —;

  1

  —;

  —;

  —;

  —;

  Total number of maternities with multiple births

  6,404

  —;

  6,277

  6,387

  6,406

  6,803

  7,105

  7,320

  7,622

  7,774

  8,145

  8,380

  All maternities

  654,501

  632,350

  623,511

  626,277

  633,965

  653.142

  657,308

  677,467

  689,153

  682,979

  701.030

  693,857

  1 Information on multiple maternities is not available for 1981.

  Atopic Illnesses
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of asthma and other atopic illnesses were reported this year, last year and two years ago; and how many of these were for children under 10 years of age.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Cyclo-progynova Tablets
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is her intention that the dispensing of a pack of cyclo-progynova 1 mg tablets containing two different coloured sets of tablets should attract one or two prescription charges.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A prescription charge is payable in respect of each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed, unless the patient is entitled to charge exemption or remission. Cyclo-Progynova 1 mg tablets contain two separate preparations differentiated by colour and two prescriptions charges are, therefore, due when these items are dispensed. The fact that for convenience, and as an aid to patient compliance, the two preparations are supplied in one pack does not alter the patient's liability for prescription charges.

  Allergies
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department holds on the incidence of allergic diseases in each of the past 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the grants paid for the international work of the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation in each year since 1977 in cash terms and at constant prices; and if she will make a statement.
  70
  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested on multiple and total maternities is shown in the table. Figures relating to multiple births following assisted conception are contained in the reports of the Interim Licensing Authority for Human In Vitro Fertilisation and Embryology and in the report of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Yeo
  Since its foundation in 1977, the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) has received a Government grant to cover its affiliation fee to the international body, Rehabilitation International (RI), and to help with the expenses of sending delegates to RI's annual assemblies. The amount of those grants in cash terms and at constant prices is as follows:

  Year

  Cash amount £

  Constant £

  1977–78

  15,000

  15,000

  1978–79

  15,000

  13,529

  1979–80

  15,000

  11,594

  1980–81

  16,500

  10,778

  1981–82

  16,500

  9,829

  1982–83

  16,500

  9,177

  1983–84

  17,000

  9,037

  1984–85

  18,000

  9,106

  1985–86

  19,000

  9,118

  1986–87

  19,000

  8,812

  1987–88

  20,000

  8,806

  1988–89

  22,000

  9,016

  1989–90

  22,000

  8,474

  1990–91

  22,000

  7,865

  1991–92

  22,000

  7,350

  Retired People, Waveney
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the findings of the 1991 census by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys into the numbers of retired people in Waveney and their proportion to the total population of Waveney compared with 1981; and what consequential changes to funding distribution she expects to make.

  Mr. Sackville
  The findings of the 1991 census will be used progressively in the allocation of national health service funds from the financial year 1993–94 onwards as the census results become available at different levels of detail. Deciding the funding of district health authorities is the responsibility of regional health authorities, applying common principles of weighted capitation funding. Health authorities' capitation-based funding routinely reflects their resident populations' age structure, because the average cost of providing health services is higher for people in some age bands than in others. The funding formula gives successively greater weight to people in age
  71
  bands over sixty five. Projections of the age structure of regional and district populations (including Great Yarmouth and Waveney) which make full use of the 1991 census findings will be used in the funding distribution from the financial year 1995–96 onwards.

  Dentists
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to accredit dental laboratories.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government support the concept of self-regulation and independent accreditation. We have no present plans to accredit dental laboratories.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate the Government have made of how much of the funds paid to dentists for laboratory fees is actually paid over to laboratories.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Fees for treatments which require dental laboratory work include an element estimated to be the average cost to dentists of commissioning such work. It is then for individual dentists to agree prices directly with laboratories.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will make a statement on the performance of Denplan.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Denplan is a private health insurance scheme. Private arrangements are a matter for dentists and their patients. All the treatment which is necessary to secure and maintain oral health is available under the national health service.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Government have made of the insurance-based dental services provided in Germany and Italy.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will require all dental laboratories to conform to British Standard 5750.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will consider direct payments from the national health service to dental laboratories instead of funds going through dentists' accounts.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We have no present plans to do this. This is an issue which could arise in the proposed fundamental review into the whole system of dentists' remuneration.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to replace current dentistry arrangements with a state-funded insurance system.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of dentists and the number of courses of treatment in(a) Darlington and (b) County Durham in each year since 1987–88.
  72
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested about Darlington is not routinely available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost for each of the five years requested. The table shows the number of general dental practitioners and the number of courses of dental treatment given in Durham family health services authority in each of the five financial years from 1987–88 to 1991–92.

  Durham Family Health Services Authority

  Financial year

  Number of dentists1

  Courses of treatment23

  Children

  Adults

  All patients

  1987–88

  164

  115,260

  223,100

  338,360

  1988–89

  162

  116,170

  237,890

  354,060

  1989–90

  162

  116,450

  228,410

  344,860

  1990–91

  172

  97,150

  232,760

  329,910

  1991–92

  168

  42,430

  257,090

  299,520

  1 As at 30 September in each year, including all principal dentists and their assistants on Durham FHSA's dental list. The figures quoted are those numbers of dentists who provided the courses of treatment shown. Some of these dentists will also be on the dental lists of other family health services authorities.

  2 The numbers of courses of treatment have been taken from a 5 per cent, sample and rounded to the nearest 10.

  3 The apparent decline in the number of courses of treatment to children is misleading. Under the new dental contract from 1 October 1990, most treatment to children is given under capitation arrangements under which it is not possible to monitor all treatment to children.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics she has for the dental health of the population of(a) Darlington, (b) County Durham and (c) the national average.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Statistics on dental health are not collected centrally for district health authorities or counties. Information on decayed, missing and filled teeth (DM FT) among 5, 12 and 14-year-old children in Darlington is available from surveys collated by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry.In 1990–91, 358 14-year-olds were examined in Darlington.

  The mean number of decayed teeth was 0·54.

  The mean number of missing teeth was 0·36.

  The mean number of filled teeth was 1·59.

  The average DMFT was 2·49.

  71 per cent. had evidence of caries experience and 23 per cent. had active decay.

  In 1989–90, 215 5-year-olds were examined in Darlington.

  The mean number of decayed teeth was 1·01.

  The mean number of missing teeth was 0·42.

  The mean number of filled teeth was 0·28.

  The average DMFT was 1·71.

  43 per cent. had evidence of caries experience and 33 per cent. had active decay.

  In 1988–89, 271 12-year-olds were examined in Darlington.

  The mean number of decayed teeth was 0·18.

  The mean number of missing teeth was 0·22.

  The mean number of filled teeth was 0·99.

  The average DMFT was 1·39.

  52 per cent. had evidence of caries experience.

  The latest figures available for United Kingdom are from the child dental health survey of 1983 and the adult dental health survey of 1988. In 1983, the average number of decayed or filled deciduous teeth for five-year-olds was 1·8. The average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth for 12 and 15-year-olds was respectively 3·1 and 5·9 permanent teeth. In 1988, 79 per cent. of adults had some natural teeth. Among dentate adults in the United Kingdom, the average number of missing teeth was 7·8, decayed or unsound teeth, 1·0 and filled teeth 8·4.
  73
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average earnings of dentists have been(a) in Darlington, (b) in County Durham, (c) in the northern region and (d) in England and Wales in each year since 1987–88, at current and 1987–88 prices.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested about Darlington is not routinely available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The tables show the average gross fee earnings of general dental practitioners in Durham family health services authority, Northern regional health authority, and England and Wales in each of the five financial years from 1987–88 to 1991–92, at current and at 1987–88 prices.

  Average gross fee earnings per dentist

  Financial year

  Durham FHSA (£)

  Northern region (£)

  England and Wales (£)

  Actual prices

  1987–88

  56,434

  56,476

  55,971

  1988–89

  65,134

  64,725

  64,377

  1989–90

  69,996

  65,143

  64.008

  1990–91

  81,798

  73,794

  70.410

  1991–92

  100,527

  89,483

  84.833

  1987–88 prices

  1987–88

  56,434

  56,476

  55.971

  1988–89

  60,744

  60,363

  60.038

  1989–90

  61,247

  57,000

  56.007

  1990–91

  66,158

  59,685

  56,948

  1991–92

  75,988

  67,640

  64,125

  Note: These averages relate only to earnings through fees by dentists in the population group of the Dental Rates Study Group. They exclude maternity payments, sickness payments, postgraduate education allowances and other such allowances; and they relate only to dentists who, for the year in question, were in contract for the complete financial year.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have withdrawn from the NHS since October 1990(a) in Darlington, (b) in County Durham and (c) in the northern region.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is not available. The number of dentists on the dental list of Durham family health services authority (FHSA), and the number on dental lists in the Northern region (RHA), at 30 September 1990 and at 31 March 1992 (the latest available figures) are shown in the table. Information on the number of general dental practitioners in Darlington district health authority is not routinely collected and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Number of dentists

  30 September

  31 March

  1990

  1992

  Durham FHSA

  144

  146

  Northern RHA

  869

  897

  Hospital Treatment (Overseas Visitors)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her investigation of the use of hospital treatment by overseas visitors has been completed; when it will be published; and when any new guidelines for staff will be reissued and published.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The national health service management executive has completed its investigation into 74
  procedures for NHS hospital treatment of overseas visitors. It has confirmed that the existing guidelines are being correctly and fairly applied. We intend to reissue guidance later this year.

  Southampton General Hospital
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will take steps to ensure that district health authorities using the basic medicine and neuro-surgery facilities at Southampton general hospital have sufficient funds to ensure that increases in workload may be fully funded;

  (2) if she will take all steps necessary to ensure that no patients will suffer reduced access to treatment or examination at the Southampton general hospital as a result of the hospital management's need to overcome a £ 350,000 overspend in the first two months of the current financial year.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for the Wessex regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to write to Sir Robin Buchanan, the chairman of the Wessex regional authority, for details.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had on the causes of the £ 355,000 overspend by Southampton general hospital in the first two months of the current financial year.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department is in regular contact with Wessex regional health authority, which is keeping the situation under close review.

  GPs (Equipment)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the regulations controlling the quality and suitability of equipment carried by general practitioners on call.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no regulations dealing specifically with the quality and suitability of equipment carried by general practitioners on call.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has issued on the equipment that on-call general practitioners should carry with them.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It is for the profession to issue any necessary guidance on clinical matters of this sort.

ENVIRONMENT

  Thames Riverbus
  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to seek the transfer of the existing riverbus service on the Thames to the London Docklands development corporation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department has no such plans. The London Docklands development corporation has assembled a consortium of docklands interests who will together meet the expected deficit of riverbus in the short term. The LDDC has contributed to that funding package. The service is a private transport undertaking, and its long-term future must lie in commercial operation by the private sector.

  Environmental Health Officers
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had from individual local authorities or local authority associations about the recruitment of sufficient environmental health officers, with particular reference to those employed to enforce regulations governing,(a) food hygiene and (b) noise.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am not aware of any recent representations. Local authority responsibilities for food hygiene and noise are taken into account, along with other responsibilities, in the local government finance settlement.

  Additional resources have already been provided for new work arising from food safety legislation.

  Green Issues
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 18 June to the hon. Member for Croydon, South (Mr. Ottaway),Official Report, column 663, which Ministers will be the spokesmen in this House for those Departments where the green Minister is a member of the House of Lords.

  Mr. Howard
  That would be decided by the appropriate Secretary of State.

  Surface Waters
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he supports the development of a European Community directive on the ecological quality of surface waters to return the quality of such waters to an unpolluted state.

  Mr. Maclean
  We will consider carefully any proposals that the Commission puts forward. We are already committed to securing improvements in water quality wherever they are justified.

  Pollution Consent System
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for the National Rivers Authority to replace the present pollution consent system with measures to eliminate toxic substances so as to return rivers and estuaries to an unpolluted state.

  Mr. Maclean
  None. Discharge consents and integrated pollution control authorisations, set so as to meet statutory water quality objectives, and in particular those relating to the EC dangerous substances directives, already provide precautionary controls on toxic substances as well as a means of meeting environmental goals and obligations.

  Water Pollution
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those instances in which the National Rivers Authority has brought prosecutions against individual managers or directors of industrial concerns found to be committing a criminal pollution offence; and if he will say what sentence resulted in each case.
  76
  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the National Rivers Authority that it has not to date brought any prosecutions for water pollution against individuals in industrial concerns.

  Community Charge (Travellers)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the success of collecting appropriate community charges from travelling people.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information is not available on the community charge collection rates from specific groups.

  Councillors (Bankruptcy)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many councillors have had to resign their seats for reasons of bankruptcy in each year since 1967.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not collected by my Department.

  Regional Office, Nottingham
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans there are for a new East Midlands regional office in Nottingham.

  Mr. Howard
  There are currently no proposals for a new east midlands regional office in Nottingham.

  Environmental Rights (Booklet)
  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he has received to his booklet on environmental rights and responsibilities issued in February.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on Tuesday 2 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn)Official Report, column 381.

  Rent-a-Room Scheme
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what legislation he is considering to ensure security of tenure for tenants in relation to his Department's rent-a-room scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The new rent-a-room scheme will make no difference to tenants' security of tenure. We therefore have no proposals to make any changes to the legislation.

  Green Minister
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the priorities for future action of the green Minister in his Department(a) over the next year and (b) over this Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Over the next 12 months I shall continue to follow up commitments in the White Paper Cm. 1200 "This Common Inheritance" and its successor Cm. 1655 "The First Year Report". I shall also publish, with the help of my colleagues, a second anniversary White Paper in the
  77
  autumn. By the end of 1992 my Department will have developed an environmental housekeeping strategy for the management of its accommodation and purchasing. And over the next year and beyond I shall continue to ensure that environmental concerns shape the policy and work of my Department whenever appropriate, in this country, in our presidency of the European Community, and in following up the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in the wider international community.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he calculates the expenditure of opt-out schools in deciding the designation of local authorities for charge-capping; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. and learned Friend does not calculate the expenditure of grant-maintained schools for the purposes of his decisions on designation for capping. He takes these decisions in accordance with principles which operate by reference to the overall amount of each authority's budget. Before deciding his principles, my right hon. and learned Friend has regard to all appropriate considerations.

  National Rivers Authority
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will set out the budget and planned budget of the National Rivers Authority for the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 at April 1992 prices;

  (2) if he will give details of the number of staff working for the National Rivers Authority for the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and planned for 1992–93.

  Mr. Maclean
  The figures are as follows:

  National Rivers Authority total expenditure

  Actual

  At 1992–93 prices

  Year

  £ million

  £ million

  Staff1

  1989–90

  334

  404

  6,484

  1990–91

  350

  391

  7,111

  1991–92

  417

  436

  7,735

  1992–93

  457

  457

  7,953

  1 Full-time equivalents.

  Notes:

  Figures are from the National Rivers Authority's 1992 Corporate Plan.

  Staff numbers are at 31 March of each year.

  Urban Development Areas
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of people unemployed in April in each year from 1987 in each urban development area.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Urban development areas do not correspond to areas for which unemployment figures are available.

  Pesticides
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that information gathered regularly by various Government Departments 78
  on the sale and usage of pesticides in different localities should be passed on routinely and free of charge to local authorities to help them in the discharge of their duties to monitor drinking water quality.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Water Quality Regulations make the water undertaker responsible for regular monitoring of drinking water for traces of pesticides. In deciding which pesticides they should analyse for, water undertakers are expected to make use of all the data available, whether from Government Departments or other sources, about the usage and properties of particular pesticides. The drinking water inspectorate reviews each company's monitoring strategy annually to ensure it is doing so. Local authorities receive detailed annual reports on drinking water quality from the relevant water company, and it is not necessary therefore for local authorities to duplicate these procedures.

  Enterprise Zones
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the public sector cost per additional permanent job created as a result of the enterprise zone experiment, excluding multiplier effects and construction jobs.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Consultants commissioned to carry out "An Evaluation of the Enterprise Zone Experiment" calculated that the public cost per additional job in British enterprise zones, excluding multiplier effects and construction jobs, was £ 8,500 in 1986. The cost per job in 1989, calculated on the same basis, was about £ 8,700. Copies of the consultants' report, published in 1987 by HMSO, are held in the House of Commons Library.

  Leeds Task Force
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has as to the number of businesses which have now been assisted as a result of the activities of the inner-city task force in Leeds.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Government's former Leeds task force assisted more than 400 businesses in the Chapeltown and Harehills area.

  EC Environment Proposals
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are Her Majesty's Government's plans to implement the EC habitats directive and the EC fifth environmental action programme.

  Mr. Maclean
  With regard to implementation of the EC habitats directive, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 16 June, [Official Report, columns 439–40]. The fifth environmental action programme has not yet been approved by the Council of Ministers.

  Stray Dogs (Leeds)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the measures taken by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Leeds to control stray dogs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 3 July 1992]: None.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to monitor sulphur emissions caused by the burning of orimulsion at Ince and Richborough power stations; and with what results.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 30 June 1992]: Such releases of sulphur to the atmosphere are calculated from the sulphur content of the fuel. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is satisfied that resulting emissions comply with the limits specified.

  Marine Dredgings
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the weight of(a) lead, (b) mercury, (c) cadmium and (d) organo-chlorines he estimates is or will be contained in marine or river dredgings dumped in United Kingdom waters in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. Curry
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information about the annual quantity of contaminants, including lead, mercury and cadmium in wastes dumped in United Kingdom waters are published annually in the Ministry's aquatic environment monitoring reports and reported internationally in accordance with our obligations under the Oslo and London dumping conventions.

  Data for the period 1986–89 are contained in report No. 26 "Monitoring and Surveillance of Non-radioactive Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment and Activities Regulating the Disposal of Wastes at Sea 1988–89"—; ISSN 0142 2499—; a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Similar data for the year 1990 will be published very shortly.

  Comparable information about the quantity of organochlorines is not available since samples are only analysed for such substances where there is reason to believe that such contamination might be present to any significant degree.

  Dredging
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tonnes of material dredged annually from harbours, ports and fairways is used in the building industry; and what percentage of the dredged materials it constitutes.

  Mr. Curry
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information sought is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what methods are used to assess the suitability of material dredged from harbours, ports and fairways for use in the building industry; who makes the assessment; and whether it is carried out on each boatload dredged.

  Mr. Curry
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to ans\ners given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales on dredging on 12 June, at column 312.

  The Ministry has a duty under section 8 of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to ensure before issuing a licence to dispose of dredged material at sea that all other disposal options have been examined and that it is satisfied that no practical alternative is available.
  80
  A detailed assessment of each application is made by Ministry scientists based on information provided by the applicant about the physical and chemical nature, origin, relative amounts and total tonnage of the materials involved and of the results of analyses of samples submitted. This assessment will include the possibility of commercial use as building aggregate or other beneficial uses including beach replenishment and coastal defence work.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many telephone lines are available to people claiming disability living allowance at the Blackpool office of his Department.

  Mr. Scott
  One hundred and twenty telephone lines are operated by the central inquiry handling service. These are dedicated to inquiries about disability living allowance and the lines are now open from 8 am to 5.30 pm. The benefits inquiry line which is open seven days a week has 29 lines plus a commercial back-up and call-back service. The main switchboard at Blackpool has 149 lines.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many telephone lines are connected to the disability living allowance office in Blackpool.

  Mr. Scott
  The main switchboard at Blackpool has 149 lines. There are also 120 telephone lines, with links to Blackpool, operated by the central inquiry handling service which is dedicated exclusively to enquiries about disability living allowance. A freephone benefits inquiry line with 29 lines is also available.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applicants for disability living allowance have received the benefit since January 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The latest available information is that about 81,000 awards of disability living allowance had been made by 30 June 1992. This figure is for new claims and "top up" claims, including claims made on the ground of terminal illness.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make a statement on the current situation governing arrangements for processing claims for disability living allowance;

  (2) what is the average time for dealing with new claims for disability living allowance; how many claims are currently being processed; how many are waiting to be processed; and how long he estimates it will take for the current claims to be cleared.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of disability living allowance 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.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will consider allowing existing levels of benefit to continue to be paid pending disability living allowance being granted.
  81
  Mr. Scott
  Existing levels of benefit can continue to be paid pending disability living allowance being granted. For old attendance allowance and mobility allowance cases with expired awards, priority measures have been taken by the Benefits Agency to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible and interim awards ma de if necessary.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to increase the resources available to the social fund in order to meet demand; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The 32 per cent. increase made to the discretionary budget over the last year will enable even more help to be given to those in need.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number and percentage of total applications which were refused for(a) community care grants, (b) budgeting loans and (c) crisis loans for each of the years of the social fund's operation in his Department's office area covering the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency.

  Mr. Scott
  The two years for which information is available are 1990–91 and 1991–92. In 1990–91, a total of 1,177 grant, 1,516 budgeting loan and 100 crisis loan applications were refused by Dumbarton office. Last year's corresponding figures for the larger Benefits Agency district of Lomond and Argyll were 3,451, 3,681 and 158. A total of 37·6 per cent. of applications were not successful. Three quarters of the applications refused did not meet the basic eligibility criteria.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will increase the social fund allocations for 1992–93 to enable expenditure to be maintained at March 1992 levels throughout the year; and what would be the cost of doing so.

  Mr. Scott
  Social Fund budget allocations are made on an annual, not a monthly, basis. The allocations of £ 302 million for 1992–93 represents a 32 per cent. increase on April 1991 and is already higher than total expenditure for the financial year ending March 1992. We constantly monitor the fund to ensure that the highest priority needs are met throughout the year.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the proportion of income support recipients repaying social fund loans at(a) less than 15 per cent. of weekly income, (b) 15 per cent. of weekly income and (c) more than 15 per cent. of weekly income.

  Mr. Scott
  This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the administrative cost of making and recovering a social fund loan to a young person whose need for income support has been accepted by the hardship unit; and what would be the administrative cost of arranging for income support to be paid immediately in these circumstances.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the 82
  Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of people refused help from the social fund on the ground of inability to pay, expressing this number(a) as a whole number, (b) as a proportion of the total number of loan applications and (c) as a proportion of the total number of loan refusals, from 13 April 1988 to the present time.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is in the Library.

  Income Support
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many young people received severe hardship benefit in each of the standard regions, including Scotland and in total, in each month since January 1991.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of income support recipients are now having deductions made from benefit as a result of paying back social fund loans(a) nationally, (b) regionally and (c) for each local benefits agency district.

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

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women are in receipt of invalid care allowance; and what was the comparable figure for 1978–79.

  Miss Widdecombe
  On 31 March 1992 there were 134,500 women receiving invalid care allowance, compared to 3,600 in January 1981, the earliest date for which such information is available.

  Care Homes
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have benefited from increases in spending on income support for those in residential care and nursing homes since 1979.

  Mr. Burt
  In 1979 some 12,000 people were receiving supplementary benefit in residential care and nursing homes. By November 1991 some 253,000 people were benefiting from Government support.

  Divorced Pensioners
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the position of divorced ladies who do not qualify for an old age pension on the basis of their former husband's contributions.

  Miss Widdecombe
  These ladies are in the same position as any person who does not qualify for a basic state retirement pension because of a deficient contribution record: they still have access to other benefits.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the operation of the Benefits Agency as it affects attendance allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  The major changes in the assessment and adjudication arrangements for attendance allowance since April have been warmly welcomed by organisations of and for disabled people. These arrangements are assisting Benefits Agency staff in processing a very large number of claims.

  Compensation Payments
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will review his Department's policy on the inclusion of criminal compensation payments in the calculation of benefit entitlement.

  Mr. Burt
  The vast majority of payments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board have no effect whatsoever on social security benefits. The rules are kept under review, although there are no plans to change them at present.

  Poverty
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the extent of poverty in Britain.

  Mr. Burt
  We continually monitor the effectiveness of the benefit system, and direct extra help to those in most need. Pensioners, disabled people and families on low incomes have all received valuable extra help, in real terms, since our reform of social security in 1988.

  Pensioners' Savings
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners retiring(a) in 1979 and (h) in the latest year for which figures are available had incomes from savings; and what was the real average level of savings on each of those dates.

  Miss Widdecombe
  In 1979, 68 per cent. of recently retired pensioners received income from savings; the 1988 figure was 78 per cent. At 1988 prices, the income from savings of these pensioners was £ 12 per week in 1979 and £ 26·30 in 1988.

  Recently retired pensioners are defined as single women aged 60 to 64, single men aged 65 to 69 and couples in which the man is aged 65 to 69. This provides an adequate sample for analysis of the data.

  Changes to national insurance benefits: estimated expenditure effects

  Great Britain: £ million

  Financial year introduced

  Cash effect1

  Cash effect (1992–93 prices)

  Uprating of long-term benefits by prices

  1981–82

  -280

  -520

  5 per cent, abatement in uprating of invalidity benefit, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit and maternity allowance

  1981–82

  -160

  -300

  Abolition of earnings related supplements to short-term benefits

  1982–83

  -390

  -680

  Introduction of statutory sick pay2

  1983–84

  -10

  -20

  Restoration of 5 per cent, abatement of UB

  1984–85

  80

  130

  Offsetting of invalidity benefit age addition by additional pension

  1986–87

  -140

  -200

  Restoration of 5 per cent, abatement of IVS

  1986–87

  120

  170

  Extension of statutory sick pay2

  1986–87

  -80

  -120

  Introduction of statutory maternity pay2

  1987–88

  40

  60

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that his Department receives value for money from housing benefit paid to tenants in private rented property.

  Mr. Burt
  Regulations are designed to ensure that housing benefit is properly paid and there is a range of other measures such as subsidy controls and monitoring arrangements.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress he has made in setting up the committee to review the legal and a regulatory framework for the occupational pensions industry.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Pension Law Review Committee has started its work.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners have an occupational pension(a) now and (b) in 1979.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Fifty-seven per cent. of all pensioners receive income from an occupational pension. This compares with only 44 per cent. in 1979.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners have occupational pensions today; and what was the figure in 1979.

  Miss Widdecombe
  A total of 6 million people receive income from an occupational pension. Of these, 4·5 million are over state pension age. In 1979 there were 3·5 million occupational pensioners, of whom 3 million were over state pension age.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what have been the total savings in expenditure that have accrued from the various changes made to national insurance benefits since 1979.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Between 1978–79 and 1991–92, expenditure on national insurance benefits has grown by around £ 6 billion in real terms. The costs and savings which have accrued from the main policy changes to national insurance benefits since 1979 are set out in the table.
  85

  Financial year introduced

  Cash effect1

  Cash effect (1992–93 prices)

  Unemployment benefit abatement for occupational/personal pension reduced from age 80 to 65

  1988–89

  -63

  -80

  Weekly earnings rule introduced for UB

  1989–90

  -49

  -50

  UB "full extent normal" —;ce minimis provision

  1989–90

  "Actively seeking work" test for UB

  1989–90

  Abolition of pensioners earnings rule

  1989–90

  375

  450

  Widows: revised entitlement conditions for women widowed before April 1988

  1988–90

  13

  20

  Statutory sick pay: amendment of rates and higher/lower rate threshold

  1990–91

  -72

  -80

  Invalidity benefit: revised RMO procedures

  1991–91

  -8

  -10

  Statutory sick pay: higher rate freeze/change in threshold

  1991–92

  -108

  -110

  Statutory sick pay: 80% reimbursement

  1991–92

  -181

  -190

  Statutory sick pay: reimbursement at 100% for small employers

  1991–92

  3

  3

  1 Figures shown represent the initial estimates of the effect on national insurance benefit expenditure only in the first full year following implementation. No account is taken of the impact on the changes on administration costs, income tax and national insurance revenues or expenditure on income-related benefits, other than as shown in note 2.

  2 Amounts shown represent the net effect on N.I. benefit expenditure after employees' recoveries from contributions to the N.I. Fund in respect of payments of statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay to their employees.

  Resettlement Units
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the current state of the replacement programme for resettlement units.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Currently there are more than 500 replacement beds in operation; by March 1993 this will have increased to more than 800 and will have led to the closure of eight resettlement units, with a total bed capacity of 533.

  Not only do the replacement facilities offer an overall increase in scale but, more importantly, they achieve a much higher standard and a greater mix of hostel provision.

  Retirement Pensions
  Mr. Macklinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to improve the basic rate of retirement pensions.

  Miss Widdecombe
  This Government have pledged to maintain the value of retirement pension in line with prices. We have done that, and more since 1979, and we will keep to our pledge in the future.

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made on the application of the citizens charter to the operation of the Benefits Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  Significant progress has been made towards making the service more accessible, accountable and responsive to customer needs and expectations. The aims in the citizens charter have been expanded and clearly laid out in the agency's own customer charter, which sets out a framework for customer service. This underpins quality standards which local units are setting in consultation with their customers.

  I have asked Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, to write to the hon. Member with examples of the achievements so far.

  Allowances (Waiting Times)
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average time taken to deal with applications for attendance allowance, living allowance and disability living allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  Information is not collected in this form. More than 11,000 disability living allowance claims and nearly 8,000 attendance allowance claims are being cleared each week. These numbers are steadily rising as staff gain experience with the new systems.

  Doctors
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of the doctors used by his Department to examine claimants are men; and what guidelines he has issued on the need to increase the proportion who are women.

  Mr. Scott
  The employment of doctors to examine claimants for social security benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  War Pensioners
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the countries where United Kingdom war pensioners are currently receiving a United Kingdom war pension or war widow's pension, showing separately the countries of the former Soviet Union and showing for each country the number of war pensioners.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The operations of the war pensions directorate are 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.

  Travellers
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what difficulties have been encountered in enforcing the availability for work rule on travelling people; what research he has commissioned; and if he will make a statement.
  87
  Mr. Burt
  Unemployed travellers are required to satisfy the same benefit rules as other unemployed claimants; they must be available for work and actively seek it. The Employment Service makes every effort to ensure that benefit is paid only where these conditions of entitlement are satisfied.

  Mortgage Interest
  Ms. Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in receipt of income support payments to cover mortgage interest hold joint mortgages with individuals not on income support.

  Mr. Burt
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Pensions
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much total pension incomes have changed per annum between 1979 and 1992; and what was the equivalent figure between 1974 and 1979.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Between 1979 and 1988, pensioners' average total net income grew by 34 per cent.—;an average growth of over 3 per cent. each year. In the period 1974 to 1979 total growth was 3 per cent., a yearly increase of 0·6 per cent. Growth per annum 1979 to 1988 was therefore greater than that for the whole of the period 1974 to 1979. Analysis of pensioners' income on this basis for later years is not yet available.

  Newcastle Offices
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will provide an access road into his Department's new complex on Whitley road, Benton, Newcastle from either Coach lane or the coast road, Newcastle;

  (2) what consultations took place with North Tyneside council concerning the siting of his Department's new complex on Whitley road, Benton, Newcastle;

  (3) what surveys were carried out into the traffic volume implications of the development of his Department's new complex at Whitley road, Benton, Newcastle;

  (4) what consideration was given to the safety of children attending St. Bartholomew's primary school, Benton when the decision was made to site his Department's new complex at Whitley road, Benton, Newcastle.

  Mr. Burt
  The responsibility for investigating such matters as the provision of an access road, the traffic volume implications and the safety of children attending St. Bartholomew's primary school, Benton lies with the local authority.

  Planning for the provision of the new DSS offices at Whitley road, Newcastle, and the need for consultation with outside bodies, are matters for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will visit the site of his Department's new 88
  complex at Whitley road, Benton, Newcastle in order to listen to the views of local residents about the development.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no plans so to do.

  Maxwell Pension Schemes
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will introduce regulations to implement section 58B of the Social Security Act 1990; and what estimate he has made of the levels of payments to Maxwell pension schemes under that section.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, gave to the hon. Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) on 30 June at column 504, on the introduction of these regulations. We have no estimates of the level of payment that may be made in any particular case. This will depend on the amount of assets available to ordinary creditors.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what funds have been obtained by the Sir John Cuckney unit as part of the exercise to replenish Maxwell pension funds; and which organisations have been approved to make payments into the voluntary trust.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Sir John Cuckney is chairman of the Maxwell Pensioners Trust, which is being set up to enable voluntary contributions to be made by any individuals or organisations concerned about the plight of Maxwell pensioners and Sir John is holding discussions with a wide range of institutions about the contributions they may be willing to make. Sir John and his fellow trustees act as a board of advisers to the Maxwell pensions unit. The unit's role in securing the speedy return of assets to Maxwell pension funds is to provide all the assistance it can to liquidators, pension scheme trustees and others in carrying out this task. I warmly welcome the decision of NatWest to return some £ 25 million of Teva shares to Maxwell pension funds.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 19 June,Official Report, column 704, what assistance the special unit established by his Department has provided to date to the liquidators, the trustees and others towards making contact with the authorities in Liechtenstein about Maxwell funds that could be held in that country.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Maxwell pensions unit has not been asked to provide assistance in making contact with the authorities in Liechtenstein about Maxwell assets which may be held there; but remains ready to help where it can.

  Retired People, Waveney
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment his Department has made of the findings of the 1991 census by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys into the numbers of retired people in Waveney and their proportion to the total population of Waveney compared with 1981; and what changes he expects to make in delivery of his Department's service as a consequence.
  89
  Miss Widdecombe
  This is an operational 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 Public Information Office.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many young people received extended child benefit in each of the standard regions including Scotland, and in total, in each month since January 1991.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

  Weekly average of awards of extended Child Benefit

  January 1991

  1,184

  February 1991

  1,828

  March 1991

  2,208

  April 1991

  3,257

  May 1991

  4,302

  June 1991

  4,889

  July 1991

  NIL

  August 1991

  NIL

  September 1991

  25,270

  October 1991

  26,006

  November 1991

  25,243

  December 1991

  24,577

  January 1992

  1,510

  February 1992

  2,563

  March 1992

  3,131

  April 1992

  NIL

  May 1992

  3,498

  June 1992

  4,916

  Notes: A NIL is shown for July and August 1991 as the extension period for Easter leavers finished before the Summer extension period began in September.

  The NIL for April 1992 is due to the extension period for Christmas leavers finishing before the Easter extension began in May.

  Disability Benefits
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many requests for review of attendance allowance there have been in Carlisle following unsuccessful claims;

  (2) how many claims have been made in Carlisle for disability living allowance since its introduction;

  (3) how many claims were made in Carlisle for attendance allowance in the financial year ended April;

  (4) how many people in Carlisle who claimed attendance allowance were successful; and at what rates;

  (5) how many claims in Carlisle were made under special rules and what percentage was successful.

  Mr. Scott
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in the Makerfield parliamentary constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.
  90
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in the Paisley, South constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in Glasgow, Maryhill, qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in Leeds, West qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) on what dates the cold weather payments system in Glasgow, Maryhill, were triggered during the winter of 1991–92; and how many households received payments on each occasion;

  (2) on what dates cold weather payments were made in Glasgow, Maryhill, in response to a forecast of a qualifying period; and if he will indicate the period taken for payments to be made once the system had been triggered.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) on what dates and in what parts of the Paisley, South constituency the cold weather payments scheme was triggered during the winter of 1991–92; and how many households received payments on each occasion;

  (2) on what dates cold weather payments were made in the Paisley, South constituency in response to a forecast of a qualifying period; and how long it took on average for payments to be made once the system had been triggered.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) on what dates cold weather payments were made in Leeds, West in response to a forecast of a qualifying period; and if he will indicate the period taken for payments to be made once the system had been triggered;

  (2) on what dates and in what parts of Leeds, West the cold weather payments system was triggered during the winter of 1991–92; and how many households received payments on each occasion.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Members with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the library and the Public Information Office.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) on what dates and in what parts of the Makerfield constituency the cold weather payments system was triggered during the winter of 1991–92; and how many households received payments on each occasion;

  (2) on what dates cold weather payments were made in the Makerfield constituency in response to a forecast of a qualifying period; and what were the periods taken for payments to be made once the system had been triggered.

  Mr. Scott
  Such information as is available is in the Library.

  AGRICULTURE: AREA PAYMENTS AND SET-ASIDE
  AGRICULTURE: AREA PAYMENTS AND SET-ASIDE
  AGRICULTURE COUNCIL, 30th JUNE
  AGRICULTURE COUNCIL, 30th JUNE
  TYRRELL COMMITTEE REPORT
  TYRRELL COMMITTEE REPORT
  CANCER TREATMENT: MEDICAL MANPOWER
  CANCER TREATMENT: MEDICAL MANPOWER
  SOCIAL FUND: CRISIS LOANS
  SOCIAL FUND: CRISIS LOANS
  SUBMARINES: DEPLOYMENT
  SUBMARINES: DEPLOYMENT
  AIR-TO-SURFACE MISSILE PROJECT
  AIR-TO-SURFACE MISSILE PROJECT
  BRITISH BALLISTIC MISSILES: TARGETS
  BRITISH BALLISTIC MISSILES: TARGETS
  POLICE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REWARDS: INQUIRY
  POLICE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REWARDS: INQUIRY