Written Answers of 18 June 1992

TRANSPORT

  Aircraft Engines
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been commissioned into the environmental impact and property damage implications of aircraft engines capable of powering 600-seater aircraft.

  Mr. Norris
  There are no 600-seater aircraft yet in production. The regulatory authorities have not yet been provided with information about any such aircraft which would enable them to undertake environmental assessment. However, all new types of civil aircraft must receive a certificate of airworthiness, covering a wide range of safety and environmental standards, before they are permitted to operate.

  A5-M11 Trunk Road
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the latest position as regards the consultation study by Acer Consultants Ltd. in connection with its work on the alignment of an east/west trunk route regarding the section between the A5 and the M11.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We expect to receive a report from our consultant this autumn. This will provide information about route options on which we hope to consult the public in 1993.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the first degree obtained by each of the chief executives of DVOIT and the Transport Research Agency; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded;

  (2) how much was spent on events and publicity surrounding the launch of DVOIT and the Transport Research Agency as agencies; and whether the cost in each case was borne by the parent department or the new agency.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The chief executives of the DVOIT agency and the Transport Research Laboratory will be writing to the hon. Member.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the maximum salary payable, including performance related element, and the length of time of the contract, of each of the chief executives of DVOIT and the Transport Research Agency.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The chief executive of the DVOIT agency has been appointed from 1 April 1992 for five years. The maximum salary that the chief executive DVOIT agency could be paid in 1992–93 on the basis of the 610
  current scale is £46,671 but a further general increase is expected on 1 August 1992. In addition, the chief executive is eligible for special non pensionable performance related bonus payments of up to 10 per cent. of salary.

  The chief executive of the Transport Research Laboratory has been appointed from 11 November 1991 for five years. The maximum salary that the executive could be paid in 1992–93 is currently £63,000. This figure is subject to annual review in the light of the Government's decisions on the recommendations of the top salaries review body for the senior open structure. In addition the chief executive is eligible for non pensionable performance related bonuses up to a maximum of 10 per cent. of salary for the years to which the bonuses relate.

  Red Routes
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the additional cost of(a) initiating, (b) administering each year and (c) policing each year the scheme of red routes in London as announced on 11 June.

  Mr. Norris
  I expect the implementation of the red route network announced on 11 June to cost in the region of £50 million (over the next five years) and the cost of administration to be of the order of £1.5 million a year subject to variation in workload. When the system becomes fully operational the annual cost of the additional police officers and traffic wardens will be about £25 million. However, the final cost will depend on the extent to which the boroughs' future involvement in parking enforcement releases existing traffic warden resources.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements relating to regulated parking, pedestrian crossings, cycle facilities and bus lanes or bus preference traffic schemes are possible under red route legislation and not possible under other provisions for traffic and highway management.

  Mr. Norris
  The power for the Secretary of State to designate a coherent network across London and to ensure the co-ordinated implementation of effective measures on it.

  Orbital Trunk Road, M25
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to build an outer orbital trunk road outside the M25.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  None.

  Colne Foulridge Bypass
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects construction of the Colne Foulridge bypass to begin.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  This is Lancashire county council's scheme. Its timing is a matter for the council, although the council is hoping for exceptional central Government funding.

  Selby Bypass
  Mr. Michael Alison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress on the Selby bypass following the conclusion in 1991 of the local public inquiry into the line of the route.
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  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The joint decision of the Secretaries of State for Transport and the Environment is awaited. I am aware of the need for an early decision, but in view of their statutory position it would be wrong for me to forecast when an announcement can be made. Of course, they have to consider all evidence before them, including the inquiry inspector's report.

  Wheel Clamping
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what review is being undertaken of the law relating to wheel clamping of vehicles by private companies in England.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The law on wheel clamping on private land is a matter for the courts. But the recent ruling of the Scottish High Court of Judiciary will be examined carefully by my Department—with other relevant Government Departments—with a view to the position in England.

WALES

  Radionuclides
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he has taken in relation to the conclusions on page seven of the report commissioned by his Department from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority on a post-Chernobyl survey of radionuclides in Wales from August to October 1986.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The report to which the hon. Gentleman refers is one of many dealing with the effects of radioactive deposition from Chernobyl within the United Kingdom as a whole. Since the accident there have been a wide range of laboratory and field studies to improve our understanding of the behaviour of the fallout from Chernobyl in the affected areas, including north Wales.

  The recommendations for further work in this particular report are being followed up. The Welsh Office is currently funding a project examining the dynamics of caesium in soils in upland Wales. As part of its wide ranging research programme the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has also funded work in the migration of radiocaesium in peat, as well as into the presence of strontium 90 in crops before and after the Chernobyl accident.

  Following the Chernobyl accident a comprehensive monitoring programme of all foodstuffs likely to be affected was undertaken in Wales. The results indicated that radioactivity levels were generally well below those at which action was necessary to protect the safety of the food chain—with the exception of sheepmeat from certain parts of north Wales. As a result, sheep movement and marketing restrictions remain in force.

  Access to Records
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what conclusions he has reached on the implications of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Graham Gaskin for people seeking access to personal records for which he has responsibility; and what action he intends to take.

  Mr. David Hunt
  My Department has consulted relevant agencies in Wales about how existing legislation 612
  and practice on the subject of access to social work records might need to be modified in the light of the judgment given by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Graham Gaskin.

  I am considering, together with other Ministers, what action should now be taken.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the approval by his Department for the West Glamorgan family health services authority to begin the immediate checking of standards at dental surgeries in the county will include the aim of reducing the rates of cross-infection; and if this initiative will now be extended to the whole of Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The inspection of general dental practitioners premises is a matter for individual family health services authorities to decide as part of their management responsibility for general dental services. The composition of the inspection checklist is stipulated in guidance issued to FHSAs and includes consideration of cross-infection control.

  Penylag County Primary School
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review his financial regulations to enable the Penylag county primary school, Deeside to be extended; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  No. In accordance with practices agreed with the local authority associations it is for local authorities to determine the distribution of the resources made available to them between services and projects in the light of their view of local needs and priorities.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit Penylag county primary school and meet the governors, staff and the parent-teachers association.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have no present plans to do so.

  School Playing Fields
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will earmark cash in the Sports Council grant aid to enable the Sports Council to list the current stock of school playing fields land.

  Mr. David Hunt
  As indicated in the Government's policy statement "Sport and Active Recreation" published last November, I will be considering with the Sports Council for Wales whether the register of all playing fields in England currently being compiled should be extended to Wales.

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what reasons the construction of the alternative feeding grounds for wading birds was omitted from the re-advertisement of the specifications of the tender to construct the proposed Cardiff bay barrage in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities dated 5 June; and what difference it made to the total estimated construction cost.
  613
  Mr. David Hunt
  The construction of the alternative feeding grounds for wading birds was omitted from Cardiff Bay Development Corporation's re-advertisement since the Select Committee required the provision for the feeding grounds to be removed from the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill. The indicative value of £112 million given in the advertisement should have been reduced by the £5.7 million cost of the feeding ground to £106 million. As I indicated in my answer to the hon. Gentleman on 16 June the estimated value in the advertisement is intended to be purely indicative of the scale of the project.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what reasons it was decided to increase the volume of dredged material in the specification for the construction of the Cardiff bay barrage from 1,000,000 m3 to 1,700,000 m3, and for sandfill from 1,300,000 m3 to 1,500,000 m3 between the original advertisement in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities dated 14 November 1990 and the most recent re-advertisement dated 5 June 1992.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Following completion of ground investigations and detailed design of the barrage, allowance has been made for removal of all soft material from beneath the locks, sluices and Penarth Link, and removal of some soft material from beneath the embankment. This is required to avoid problems during construction and to ensure the complete structure integrity of the finished structure. It has resulted in the increases in dredging and sandfill quantities.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the increase since November 1990 in cost and in percentage terms of the proposed Cardiff bay barrage exclusive of the cost of the alternative feeding grounds.

  Mr. David Hunt
  If the cost of the alternative feeding grounds had been excluded from the November 1990 prequalification notice, the cost of the Cardiff bay barrage would have been £82 million at 1988–89 prices. The equivalent figure for the latest notice is £106 million at 1991–92 prices. Estimated construction costs exclusive of the alternative feeding grounds have therefore risen by £24 million or 29 per cent. over a period of some three years.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what special measures he plans to encourage manufacturing industry in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Development of manufacturing industry in Wales is a high priority. A wide range of schemes is available to encourage investment, research and development, and job creation. Specific initiatives have been taken to strengthen supplier networks, encourage technology transfer and build on the record levels of inward investment that have been achieved.

  Banking Jobs
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the loss of banking and finance jobs in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Employment Department figures show that between 1989 and 1991 employment in the banking, insurance and finance sector in Wales increased by almost one third to 90,000.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  War Crimes
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Attorney-General how much money has been spent on investigations under the War Crimes Act 1991; and how many individual cases have been investigated.

  The Attorney-General
  The War Crimes Act 1991 came into effect on 9 May 1991. Costs associated with investigations in England and Wales in 1991–92 were £1,003,072. This includes running costs and direct expenditure by the CPS in providing advice and other support to the investigators. The corresponding figure for Scotland is £300,000. No individual investigations have been completed. The inquiry is focusing on the case identified in the Hetherington/Chalmers report which appear most susceptible to criminal investigation.

  No figures are yet available for the expenditure in the current year.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will now indicate when the opinion of the Advocate General and the judgments of the court will be available on the case relating to Sunday trading.

  The Attorney-General
  The Advocate-General will give his opinion on 8 July. The court will give public notice in due course after 8 July of the date when it will give judgment.

  European Court of Justice
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on his attendance at the European Court of Justice on 2 June.

  The Attorney-General
  On 2 June the European Court of Justice heard references by English courts concerning the compatibility of the Shops Act 1950 and Community law. I addressed the court on behalf of the United Kingdom and argued that the Act was compatible with Community law.

  "Final Exit"
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Attorney-General what consideration the Director of Public Prosecutions is giving to instituting proceedings under section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961 against the publishers or distributors of "Final Exit"; and what criteria the Director of Public Prosecutions applies to such cases.

  The Attorney-General
  In December 1991 the acting director of Public Prosecutions considered a complaint relating to the distribution of "Final Exit" by Derek Humphrey. He concluded that there were no grounds for proceeding against either the publishers or distributors for an offence contrary to section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961. In reaching this decision the acting director took into account the High Court's consideration in Attorney General v. Able and Others [1984] 1 ALL ER p. 277 of the circumstances in which supply of a publication may contravene section 2. It is for the police to investigate any particular supply of "Final Exit" which might constitute an offence.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of cases heard by each magistrates court in Greater London and Essex for each week during the past 12 months.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information is not available centrally in the form requested. However, the Home Office collects and publishes the numbers of people proceeded against annually by petty sessional division and commission of the peace area in "Criminal statistics England and Wales". The 1990 publication, the latest available, is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of court sittings for each magistrates court in Greater London and Essex for each week during the past 12 months.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  This information is not available centrally in the form requested. The annual number of bench sittings for north-east London is 10,220 in 1990 (the latest year available) and for Essex is 10,217 in 1991. It is possible to provide the numbers of individual bench sittings only at disproportionate cost.

  Small Claims Courts
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if small claims courts are required to issue documents to plaintiffs and defendants by recorded or registered post; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The county court rules 1981 require that any document which is to be served on a person should be served personally or by first class post. There is no requirement for documents to be sent by recorded or registered post.

  Children
  Mr. Olner
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many children have been taken abroad by one parent against the wishes of the other parent in the last year of record.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No statistics are kept of the total number of children taken abroad unlawfully by one parent against the wishes of the other. However, in the year 1991, the child abduction unit of the Lord Chancellor's Department, which acts as the central authority for applications in England and Wales under the Hague convention of 1980 and the European convention of 1980, processed 108 applications involving 149 children who were said to have been wrongfully removed to other contracting states under those conventions.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Wildlife Management
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much is allocated by the Overseas Development Administration to special training 616
  programmes in wildlife management techniques and if he will break these figures down into the amounts spent on (a) annual capture and translocation, (b) management of crop-raiding animals, (c) veterinary diagnosis and management of diseases, (d) operation of culling programmes, (e) the development of village-level use of wild species, (f) management of sports hunting and other associated activities, (g)implementation of reintroduction programmes for both plants and animals and (h) programmes to exterminate damaging introduced and invasive species.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Information is not readily available in the form requested by the hon. Member. However, many of the projects ODA supports in wildlife management include elements for training for developing country personnel. Some examples include:

  (i) £12 million for Kenya's protected areas Wildlife Services project to protect rare and endangered species;

  (ii) £474,000 for the Zoological Society of London to protect black rhinos and other flora and fauna and prevent damage to crops and livestock by predators in the Aberdares, Kenya;

  (iii) £91,000 in support of community education programme to promote conservation and sustainable resource use in Zimbabwe;

  (iv) £30,000 for training and equipment for the Ecological Research Institute at Etosha, Namibia to develop remote sensing techniques for effective environment monitoring and management of wildlife parks.

  We also support training in the United Kingdom on environmental subjects; of the 485 broad-based environment awards in 1990–91, 12 were for specific wildlife management training courses at a cost of approximately £140,000.

  Bahrain
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid Her Majesty's Government provides for Bahrain(a) in real terms and (b) as a percentage of gross national product.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  None.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Seal Pups
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian Government concerning slaughter of baby seal pups; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Russian authorities are well aware of public concern in the United Kingdom about seal culling. The EC banned the import of harp and hooded seal pup skins in 1983. The United Kingdom persuaded the Community to make the ban indefinite in 1989.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many papers have been withdrawn from the Public Record Office by his Department in each of the last five years.
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  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In each of the past five years the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has temporarily recalled the following numbers of files from the Public Record Office.

  Number

  1991

  2,425

  1990

  2,113

  1989

  3,316

  1988

  3,324

  1987

  2,851

  All Foreign and Commonwealth Office files temporarily recalled from the Public Record Office are held for the minimum period of time necessary for official business, and are returned to the Public Record Office thereafter.

  Bosnia-Herzogovina
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken towards protection of the chemical plant in Tuzla, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, against the risks of war damage leading to environmental damage.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The best protection for all sites in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be a durable ceasefire. We therefore wholeheartedly support Lord Carrington's and the United Nations efforts to bring this about.

  Slovenia
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that United Nations sanctions against Serbia do not harm the economy or the people of Slovenia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  As a United Nations member state, Slovenia has a legal obligation to implement the sanctions imposed on Serbia and Montenegro by Security Council Resolution 757. It is for the Slovenian authorities to take steps, consistent with this resolution, to protect the interests of their economy and people should they be affected by Slovenian implementation of the sanctions.

  Patricia Cahill
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to secure the release of Patricia Cahill from prison in Thailand.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The British embassy in Bangkok submitted Patricia Cahill's petition for a pardon from His Majesty the King of Thailand to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 4 May 1992. The embassy strongly supported the petition on the grounds of Miss Cahill's youth and immaturity at the time the offence was committed.

  Entry Applications
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for entry clearance at the deputy high commission in Karachi have been outstanding for more than one month.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 12 June 1992]: There are 745 applications which have been outstanding
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  for more than one month. Of these, 528 are non-settlement cases where the post requires further information or the applicants have failed to attend for interview. Of the remaining 217 settlement cases, 50 have been referred to the Home Office for decision, 82 applicants are waiting first interview, and 85 are applicants who have been interviewed but from whom further documents are required.

EDUCATION

  School Toilets
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will update the 1977 survey conducted by his Department and the Welsh Office on how many schools in England and Wales have outside toilets in use by pupils.

  Mr. Forth
  I have no plans at present to update the information contained in the 1977 "A Study of School Building" which gave the number of schools with outside toilets on a sample basis.

  School Governing Bodies
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to strengthen the representative base of school governing bodies by opening up all places on every body to election by parents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  We have no plans to alter the carefully constructed balance of membership of school governing bodies established by the Education (No. 2) Act 1986.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review the procedure for appointment of school governors by minor authorities to prevent such authorities from removing well-established school governors and replacing them with political appointees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  We have no plans to review the procedure for the appointment of school governors by minor authorities.

  The Education (No. 2) Act 1986 allows those appointing governors to remove them at any time. The courts have, however, taken the view that in doing so they must act reasonably. There is therefore a remedy in law for a governor who considers that he has been unreasonably removed.

  Surplus School Places
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the latest figure for the cost of surplus school places for(a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

  Mr. Forth
  The average premises-related cost of maintaining a school place is estimated to be £150 a year for a primary school and £250 a year for a secondary school at 1991–92 prices. The amount that can be saved by removing surplus places will, however, vary considerably according to the particular circumstances.

  School Repairs
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the differences in the arrangements for(a) aided schools and (b) county schools in using school

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  budget money to support governors' money for paying for decorations or repairs approved for 85 per cent. grant from his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  County schools are not eligible for grant from the Department for repairs or decorations. Governors of county and voluntary aided schools with delegated budgets may, subject to any conditions in their LMS scheme, spend the budget share of their school as they see fit for the purposes of the school. In the voluntary aided schools, such purposes could include external repairs to school buildings, including decoration, which are their responsibility under the provisions of section 15 of the Education Act 1944 and eligible for grant.

PRIME MINISTER

  Official Visits
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Prime Minister when he will next pay an official visit to Kinsley.

  The Prime Minister
  I shall be making further visits to many parts of the country and hope to include Kinsley among them.

  Ministerial Responsibilities
  Sir John Hannam
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about ministerial responsibilities for HMSO, the Central Office of Information, Chessington Computer Centre and CCTA—the Government Centre for Information Systems.

  The Prime Minister
  The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Minister of Public Service and Science) will assume responsibility for these bodies from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  The transfer of responsibility for the Central Office of Information and Her Majesty's Stationery Office will take place on Monday 22 June. The transfer of CCTA will take place once the necessary Transfer of Functions Order permits. Responsibility for Chessington Computer Centre will be transferred as soon as the administrative arrangements have been completed.

  These four bodies are largely self-contained units engaged in providing services, mostly on a repayment basis, and mainly to other civil service departments and agencies. They will take their place alongside the Civil Service college, the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency and the Occupational Health Service, which are also self-contained units largely serving civil service departments and agencies and which are already the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Duchy. Bringing these seven units under one Minister is designed to improve their effectiveness and help to provide even better value for those who use those services.

  Millennium Fund
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what benefits are planned to flow to London from the millennium fund.

  The Prime Minister
  It is far too early to say. But the millennium fund, which will commemorate the start of the 21st century, will be one of the areas funded by the national lottery.

  Private Sector Forum for London
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) what functions will be carried out by the Private Sector Forum for London; and whether its proceedings will be subject to public scrutiny;

  (2) when he intends to announce the membership of the proposed Private Sector Forum for London; and if he is inviting nominations from representative bodies in the capital.

  The Prime Minister
  The forum will promote London internationally as a business, tourist and cultural centre. We are still considering the detailed arrangements for the forum. We will announce our conclusions in due course.

  Rail Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has made an official visit by train since becoming Prime Minister.

  The Prime Minister
  I do so when ever the opportunity arises but for practical and security reasons I am unable to travel often by train.

  Royal British Legion (Training Centre)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the most appropriate Department to sponsor the Royal British Legion's bid to PERIFRA II for the establishment of a training centre in Tidworth for providing specific training for members of the armed forces and their families, so as to prepare them for continuing careers in civilian life; what action he will take in consultation with the Royal British Legion; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 17 June 1992]: The aims of the British Legion proposal are to provide employment opportunities and training for the wives and dependants of service personnel, for ex-service personnel, and for the local community in Tidworth. The Ministry of Defence has the matter under consideration.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Accountants
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to prevent a reporting accountant acting for debenture holders from acting as a receiver.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have no such plans.

  Compact Discs
  Mr. French
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received regarding the pricing of compact discs.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department has received a small number of letters about the price of compact discs and other aspects of the market for recorded music in the course of the last few months. The Office of Fair Trading has also received correspondence on this issue and is keeping the market under review.

  Aerospace Exports
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value of exports by the aerospace industry to Britain for each of the years from 1979, giving the financial value under the headings of airframe, engines etc.

  United Kingdom Aerospace exports

  (£ millions)

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Aircraft

  Aircraft—new

  799

  1,194

  1,030

  1,157

  —other

  275

  877

  942

  569

  Spacecraft

  1

  1

  23

  0

  Aircraft Parts

  1,722

  2,406

  2,498

  3,229

  Guided Weapons

  210

  315

  182

  81

  TOTAL

  3,008

  4,794

  4,674

  5,036

  Propulsion devices

  Reciprocating

  4

  5

  6

  6

  Reciprocating—parts

  26

  36

  44

  34

  Jet and turbo—new

  504

  1,085

  1,133

  912

  —other

  491

  474

  478

  461

  Other than jet

  8

  11

  6

  7

  Jet and turbo parts

  737

  794

  827

  817

  TOTAL

  1,770

  2,405

  2,494

  2,237

  Equipment

  Aircraft tyres

  11

  8

  10

  7

  Radio Communications

  40

  54

  57

  54

  Aircraft radar

  41

  57

  42

  29

  Aircraft instruments

  177

  219

  225

  183

  Seating and furnishings

  16

  48

  53

  58

  Parachutes, rotochutes

  7

  5

  5

  6

  Catapults, launching gear

  5

  3

  6

  5

  Ground trainers

  118

  166

  131

  89

  Spcialised machinery

  1

  3

  6

  8

  Mechanical handling equipment

  2

  3

  5

  3

  Transmission Shafts

  12

  14

  17

  11

  Other equipment

  163

  182

  234

  238

  TOTAL

  593

  764

  790

  692

  TOTAL AEROSPACE

  5,370

  7,962

  7,958

  7,966

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Steel
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value and tonnage of exports of hot rolled coil by the British steel industry for each of the years from 1979.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is given in the table.

  United Kingdom exports of hot rolled coil steel

  Value (£ million)

  Weight (thousand tonnes)

  1979

  23.6

  161.0

  1980

  9.3

  55.8

  1981

  10.3

  79.8

  1982

  7.3

  49.3

  1983

  26.5

  146.9

  1984

  35.4

  198.5

  1985

  39.6

  199.7

  1986

  42.7

  231.1

  1987

  50.4

  257.6

  1988

  68.9

  332.4

  1989

  90.4

  390.3

  1990

  110.3

  493.2

  1991

  124.0

  656.0

  622
  Mr. Needham
  The available information is given in the following table. Figures for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Source: Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau from the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value and tonnage of imports of(a) HRC and (b) other categories of steel by the British steel industry for each of the years from 1979.

  Mr. Needham
  The available information is given in the table.

  United Kingdom imports of steel

  Hot rolled coil steel

  Other steel

  Value (£ million)

  Weight (thousand tonnes)

  Value (£ million)

  Weight (thousand tonnes)

  1979

  92.8

  526.9

  901

  3,257

  1980

  97.7

  525.1

  1,173

  4,102

  1981

  63.9

  379.9

  842

  2,935

  1982

  99.4

  524.5

  1,056

  3,312

  1983

  104.5

  520.6

  930

  2,824

  1984

  101.1

  482.5

  1,132

  3,071

  1985

  128.2

  574.6

  1,274

  3,175

  1986

  157.7

  694.1

  1,331

  3,424

  1987

  165.7

  707.7

  1,403

  3,560

  1988

  149.0

  583.0

  1,828

  4,447

  1989

  155.1

  567.0

  2,144

  4,715

  623

  Hot rolled coil steel

  Other steel

  Value (£ million)

  Weight (thousand tonnes)

  Value (£ million)

  Weight (thousand tonnes)

  1990

  166.6

  631.9

  2,053

  4,526

  1991

  118.4

  494.3

  2,065

  4,815

  Source: Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau from the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value and numbers of motor cars, vans and lorries(a) imported and (b) exported for each of the years from 1979.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is given in the table.

  United Kingdom trade in motor cars, vans and lorries1

  Imports

  Exports

  Value (£ billion)

  Numbers (thousands)

  Value (£ billion)

  Numbers (thousands)

  1979

  2.85

  1,132

  1.40

  552

  1980

  2.38

  941

  1.40

  485

  1981

  2.40

  861

  1.44

  453

  United Kingdom trade in textiles (£ million)

  Exports

  Imports

  Textile fibres1

  Other textiles2

  Total textiles

  Textiles

  fibres1

  Other textiles2

  Total textiles

  1979

  316

  1,339

  1,655

  476

  1,691

  2,167

  1980

  313

  1,363

  1,676

  376

  1,544

  1,920

  1981

  298

  1,203

  1,501

  376

  1,762

  2,138

  1982

  314

  1,192

  1,506

  411

  1,928

  2,338

  1983

  375

  1,285

  1,660

  476

  2,320

  2,796

  1984

  428

  1,485

  1,913

  597

  2,705

  3,302

  1985

  420

  1,709

  2,129

  663

  3,032

  3,695

  1986

  373

  1,712

  2,085

  547

  3,162

  3,709

  1987

  397

  1,886

  2,283

  658

  3,472

  4,130

  1988

  440

  1,935

  2,374

  688

  3,636

  4,323

  1989

  498

  2,205

  2,703

  681

  3,770

  4,451

  1990

  495

  2,447

  2,942

  549

  3,936

  4,485

  1991

  466

  2,349

  2,816

  453

  3,739

  4,191

  1 Textile fibres are defined as division 26 of the Standard International Trade Classification.

  2 Other textiles consist of textile yarn, fabrics, made-up articles not elsewhere specified and related products, and are defined as division 65 of the Standard International Trade Classification.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Telecommunications Council
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Telecommunications Council on 5 June.

  Mr. Leigh
  The principal item for discussion was a proposal for a Council decision on an action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe. The action plan proposes a subsidy of up to 850 mecu to accelerate development of a market for wide-screen and high-definition television services broadcast by satellite or cable and using MAC (Multiplex Analogue Components) transmission standards. The United Kingdom supported by several other member states, rejected the sum of 850 mecu as unacceptably high. The United Kingdom further stated that a convincing business case for any subsidy had yet to be presented. No Council conclusions were drawn from the discussion. Consideration of the action plan will continue.

  The otherwise light agenda included a brief discussion on the long awaited postal services green paper. The
  624

  Imports

  Exports

  Value (£ billion)

  Numbers (thousands)

  Value (£ billion)

  Numbers (thousands)

  1982

  3.16

  1,007

  1.45

  407

  1983

  4.08

  1,172

  1.39

  364

  1984

  4.14

  1,120

  1.39

  296

  1985

  4.67

  1,172

  1.72

  294

  1986

  5.45

  1,198

  1.70

  250

  1987

  5.76

  1,153

  2.38

  310

  1988

  7.83

  1,506

  2.49

  346

  1989

  8.87

  1,521

  3.23

  444

  1990

  8.20

  1,287

  4.07

  540

  1991

  6.05

  887

  5.02

  744

  1 Motor cars, vans and lorries are defined as items 781 and 782 of the Standard International Trade Classification.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Textiles
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value of textiles exported and imported for each of the years from 1979.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is given in the table.

  United Kingdom strongly welcomed its stated objective of seeking the maximum deregulation consistent with the maintenance of affordable efficient universal letter delivery services. The Council also adopted the open network provision (ONP) directive on leased lines and ONP recommendations on integrated services digital networks (ISDN) and packet switched data services. A resolution on ISDN was also adopted.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the work of the renewable energy advisory group.

  Mr. Eggar
  In August 1991, the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy, the hon. Colin Moynihan, announced the formation of a ministerial advisory group to spearhead the Government's review of renewable energy strategy. Since then the group has considered evidence submitted by a wide range of
  625
  interested external parties, as well as drawing upon a technical assessment being conducted by the energy technology support unit.

  The group will complete its work under the chairmanship of Dr. Martin Holdgate, the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. I look forward to receiving the report from the group in the autumn and I expect it to be published.

  Environmental Incentives
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money has been allocated under the Better Environmental Awards for Industry scheme in each year since its establishment.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have been asked to reply.

  The scheme is run by the Royal Society of Arts. My Department has made grants towards the RSA's scheme costs as follows:

  £

  1988–89

  25,000

  1989–90

  29,200

  1990–91

  33,000

  1991–92

  150,000

  The Department acted as a promoter of the Better Environment Awards for Industry scheme in its first year, 1987, but made no grant in that year towards scheme costs.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Potato Marketing
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his European counterparts regarding potato marketing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  None. We shall do so once the European Commission makes its proposals for a common régime, expected shortly.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the potato marketing system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  I have received a number of representations both for and against continuation of the existing arrangements. We shall not take a decision about the future of the potato marketing scheme until the European Commission publishes its proposals for a common regime for potatoes.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the first degree obtained by the chief executives of ADAS and the Central Science Laboratory; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded.

  Mr. Curry
  The chief executive of ADAS was awarded a graduateship from the Royal Institute of Chemistry, equivalent to a first class honours degree in chemistry. The chief executive of the Central Science Laboratory obtained a first class honours degree in biochemistry from University college, London.
  626
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the maximum salary payable, including performance-related element, and the length of time of the contract of the chief executives of ADAS and the Central Science Laboratory.

  Mr. Curry
  The chief executive of ADAS was appointed in June 1991 and the chief executive of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) in May 1991, each for a period of five years. They receive the standard civil service pay at grade 2 and grade 3 respectively. Neither participates in civil service performance pay. Instead, both are eligible for an annual, non-pensionable performance bonus, linked to the achievement of predetermined targets, of up to 12.5 per cent. of salary at the end of the financial year. The maximum payable to the chief executive of ADAS in 1992–93 would therefore be £73,125, while for the chief executive of CSL the 1992–93 maximum would be £57,713.

  Sheep and Beef Quotas
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set up an agency to administer sheep and beef quotas, to provide opportunities for new entrants and to avoid unused quotas in less favoured areas.

  Mr. Curry
  Decisions on the administration of quotas in the beef and sheep sectors will be taken following the adoption of detailed implementing rules by the EC Commission. These rules are expected to include provision for new entrants and for unused quota not to be lost.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set up a procedure to arbitrate on special cases involving beef and sheep quotas which acquire a significant capital value when such quotas are transferred, sold, changed, or when the farm's ownership or management changes, or its operations cease.

  Mr. Curry
  I secured provision in the agreement on beef and sheep quotas for the specific problems linked to the transfer of quota by tenants to be addressed in the detailed Community implementing rules.

  Beef Special Premium
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will apply the 90-head limit on the beef special premiums per age group of animals, and not on a per farm basis.

  Mr. Curry
  The way in which the 90-head limit applies will depend upon the precise wording of regulations implementing the reform package on beef. This has not yet been agreed.

  Environmental and Forestry Schemes
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to make the maximum possible use of the environmental and forestry schemes which form part of the CAP reform package.

  Mr. Curry
  We welcome the positive environmental aspects of the CAP reform agreement. We have a year to draw up our implementation plans for both the agri-environment and forestry measures and we are considering how best to respond to the new regulations.

  Companion Animals
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who will be in charge of checking and authorising the entry procedures of companion animals entering the United Kingdom after 1 January 1993 at the port of entry.

  Mr. Soames
  Arrangements for the legal importation of companion animals have to be made in advance, and so are not dependent on controls or checks at the port of entry. Selective customs intervention which will continue after January 1993 will maintain the effectiveness of controls on illegal imports.

  Set-aside Schemes
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what use non-saleable crops are likely to be permitted under the new set-aside proposals; and when he expects detailed conditions to be published by the relevant authority that will determine environmental options available to national Governments.

  Mr. Curry
  I hope that the draft legal texts implementing the Council agreement will be adopted this month. The Commission will then have to table detailed implementing regulations and proposals on the use of set-aside land to grow industrial crops. Until these are in place, it is not possible to provide authoritative guidance about national management conditions or the preciserange of crops that might be permitted on land set-aside under the new arable regime.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 11 June,Official Report, column 274, on set-aside, what environmental conditions he considers to be vital elements for the new set-aside arrangements agreed in the common agricultural policy reform package in May.

  Mr. Gummer
  The appropriate environmental conditions will vary depending on the individual circumstances of each member state. The most important factors are to ensure that set-aside land is properly managed and that the management conditions offer scope for it to be used in ways which will benefit the environment. We shall be developing our own national requirements in the light of these factors.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is investigating the possibility of issuing scanning equipment to detect the onset of BSE in cattle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Scanning by nuclear magnetic resonance has been experimentally applied to laboratory animals incubating spongiform encephalopathy. But this technique does not at the moment appear to represent a practicable means of diagnosing BSE under field conditions.

  International Whaling Commission
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will name the members of the British delegation to the forthcoming International Whaling Commission meeting in Glasgow.
  628
  Mr. Gummer
  The United Kingdom delegation will comprise 13 members. It will be led by Mr. A. R. Burne, the United Kingdom Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, his deputy will be Mr. B. S. Edwards. The delegation will also include a number of advisers, as well as representatives of the nongovernmental organisations Care for the Wild (Dr. W. Jordan), the World Wide Fund for Nature (Mr. J. Martin-Jones) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (Dr. R. Reeve), all belonging to the Cetacean Group of Wildlife Link.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Stamp Duty
  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the reasons for his decision not to extend stamp duty relief on home purchases.

  Mr. Nelson
  When my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced the increase in the stamp duty threshold last December, he made it clear that it was a temporary measure for eight months to help bring forward transactions in the housing market. As I explained in the debate on Second Reading of the Finance Bill on 2 June,Official Report, col 770, the cost of any extension of the threshold increase would be substantial and would make it more difficult to meet our public expenditure priorities.

  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the actual revenue that will be foregone in 1992–93 financial year as a result of the temporary arrangements for the relief from stamp duty of property conveyances up to £250,000 in value; what is his estimate of the likely yield from such stamp duties in the year 1992–93 once the temporary relief is ended; and what is the likely yield from properties valued at more than £250,000 in the current financial year.

  Mr. Nelson
  The estimated cost in 1992–93 of the temporary increase in the stamp duty threshold from £30,000 to £250,000 is £290 million. The forecast yield in 1992–93 from stamp duty on land and property below the temporary threshold which becomes chargeable from 20 August is £370 million. The yield in 1992–93 if the threshold were £250,000 throughout the year would be about £300 million. Not all of this will necessarily come from properties valued at more than £250,000. Duty on the grant of a new lease is charged by reference to the premium and the rent payable.

  During the debate on the Finance Bill on 2 June I referred to the total yield from stamp duty on houses amounting to almost £1.4 billion. It may be helpful if I clarify that the total yield of all stamp duty in 1992–93 is estimated to be £1.5 billion, whereas the yield in respect of land and property in a normal year would be almost £1 billion.

  Overseas Pensions
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what regulations govern the payment of taxation on pensions paid from abroad to residents of the United Kingdom;

  (2) whether people living in the United Kingdom who are in receipt of pensions from overseas are liable to taxation.
  629
  Mr. Dorrell
  The general position is that those who are resident for tax purposes in this country are liable to tax on pensions which arise overseas, subject to a statutory deduction of one-tenth. In some cases, for example those who are not domiciled in this country, the one-tenth deduction does not apply and the liability is determined by the amount of the overseas pension which is remitted to this country. Certain overseas pensions, for example German and Austrian pensions payable to victims of Nazi persecution, are statutorily exempt from tax. The relevant legislation for these provisions is in sections 19, 58, 65, 68 and 330, Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.

  Relief may also be due under the terms of a double taxation agreement. This will depend on the precise terms of the agreement between the United Kingdom and the country from which the pension is paid.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of pensioners in the United Kingdom in receipt of pensions from the United States of America; and what is the total sum of money involved.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is not available.

  Inland Revenue Interviews
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place a copy of the Inland Revenue manual "Accounts Investigation Interviews", in the Library.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have done so.

  Taxation
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the yield of restricting(a) the personal tax allowance, (b) the married couple's allowance and (c) the age allowances and the major tax reliefs to the basic rate of tax in 1992–93.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The latest estimates of the direct revenue yields in a full year with the 1992–93 levels of allowances and tax rates are as follows:

  £ million

  Personal tax allowances (excluding married couple's allowance)

  1,100

  Married couple's allowance

  340

  Age allowances1

  nil

  Relief on contributions to personal pensions2

  3170

  Relief on employee's contributions to occupational pension schemes

  290

  1The higher levels of the age-related personal and married couple's allowances given to those aged 65 and over subject to the income limit.

  2Including relief for retirement annuity premia and free standing additional voluntary contributions.

  3This estimate is subject to a wide margin of error.

  No account has been taken of possible behavioural changes resulting from such restrictions.

  Inheritance Tax (Exemption)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how often his Department carries out monitoring of land where agreements have been reached on the granting of exemptions of inheritance tax for public access; and if he will make a statement.
  630
  Mr. Dorrell
  Regular monitoring of undertakings given in return for the conditional exemption of land from inheritance tax is carried out, on behalf of Inland Revenue, by the appropriate heritage advisory agency. As part of the regular monitoring, owners are required to submit an annual report to the agency. In addition the Inland Revenue separately review all such cases at five yearly intervals.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the number of agreements for the exemption of inheritance tax to granting public access that have been broken for each year since 1983; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The appropriate heritage advisory agencies monitor the operation of undertakings on public access. Any issues arising are resolved in discussion between the agencies and landowners. Where issues could not be resolved in this fashion, the agencies would notify the Inland Revenue. To date there has been no occasion on which they have had to do this.

  If a land owner breaks an undertaking given in respect of conditionally exempt land, inheritance tax is chargeable on the current value of the property. This provides a powerful incentive to honour the terms of the undertaking.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conditions are imposed on the length of time from agreement on exemptions on inheritance tax for the granting of public access to land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Public access to land which has been conditionally exempted from inheritance tax is required as soon as detailed negotiations have been completed.

  Auditing
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 June,Official Report, columns 233-34, what are the criteria on which the decision is taken to propose provisions for the auditing of non-departmental public bodies by (a) the Comptroller and Auditor General and (b) private accountancy practices; what evaluation has been carried out of the respective merits of the two kinds of audit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Comptroller and Auditor General is normally appointed auditor for non-departmental public bodies which are wholly or mainly financed from public funds, except in the case of bodies whose operations are of a commercial nature and where it is appropriate for the audit to be carried out by private sector auditors qualified under the Companies Act. In the latter case it is usual to provide for the Comptroller and Auditor General to have a right of inspection of the books and records of the company.

  Betting Duty
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the loss to tax revenue in the current financial year of the reduction in pools betting duty which preceded the setting up of the Foundation for Sport and the Arts.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 16 June 1992]: The cost is estimated to be £20 million in 1992–93.

  Benefits and Expenses
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the estimated number of taxpayers above the current threshold for P11Ds and below the current threshold for the last available figures.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [pursuant to his reply, 8 June 1992, Official Report, column 21]: Unfortunately the estimates given related to numbers of taxpaying employees whose total income was above the current threshold for P11Ds and whose total income was below it. The P11D threshold is applied to earnings, including benefits in kind. About 12.6 million taxpaying employees have earnings above the threshold and 5.8 million have earnings below it. The estimate of 0.8 million taxpaying directors is unaffected.

SCOTLAND

  Modern Languages
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make resources available to regional and island education authorities in order to increase the teaching of modern languages in primary schools; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will give for regional and island education authorities, the cost of introducing the teaching of modern languages in primary schools; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) by which year he expects the teaching of modern languages in primary schools to be universally available throughout Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Foreign language teaching will be made available in the curriculum of all Scottish primary schools within the life-time of this Parliament. Plans to implement this policy are now being prepared and a further announcement will be made in due course.

  Physical Education
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to reclassify physical education as a practical subject in Scottish secondary schools.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is the responsibility of local authorities, in consultation with headteachers, to determine the deployment of teaching staff in circumstances which may call for formation of smaller groups for certain purposes. Development of the school curriculum may mean that some classes formerly regarded as non-practical may now contain practical elements; the converse may also be true. The most recent statistics on average class sizes in physical education are set out in SOED Statistical Bulletin C7/1992/3 issued in February this year, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded.
  632
  Sir Hector Monro
  The director and chief executive of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Dr. Robert K. M. Hay gained a first-class honours degree in chemistry from the university of Aberdeen in 1967.

  Golf
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to promote Scotland worldwide as the home of the sport of golf; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 11 June 1992]: I have today written to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

  Forests
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to promote the creation of forest reserves in areas where less than 20 per cent. of the original forest remains, and to surround such areas with tracts of modified forests.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 15 June 1992]: The Government attach considerable importance to the conservation of the remaining ancient and semi-natural woodlands in Britain. These woodlands are protected by the felling controls in the Forestry Act 1967, as strengthened in 1985, and the Forestry Commission offers grants and guidance to encourage their effective management. In addition, woodlands which are sites of special scientific interest are protected under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. These measures are proving effective and we are not convinced that further initiatives of the kind proposed by the hon. Member are needed.

  Cancer
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the average cancer mortality rates in each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 12 June 1992]: The figures requested are given in the table.

  Malignant neoplasm (ICD1 140-208) death rates per 100,000 population

  Scotland

  1982–91

  Male

  Female

  1982

  294

  252

  1983

  295

  258

  1984

  297

  260

  1985

  299

  265

  1986

  301

  268

  1987

  306

  268

  1988

  305

  274

  1989

  309

  278

  1990

  308

  279

  21991

  307

  276

  1 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.

  2 Provisional.

  Rates for cancers for specific sites are given in the Annual Reports of the Registrar General for Scotland, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library.

  Broadleaf Plantings
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 June,Official Report, column 134, concerning the planting of native broadleaf species, what information is held centrally on non-native species planted since 1984.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 16 June 1992]: Detailed information by areas and species, both for Forestry Commission planting and for private sector planting approved by the Commission for grant aid, has been held centrally on computer since May 1991. These records indicate that current broadleaved planting mainly comprises native species. Information at the same level of

  Number of new dwellings completed by local authorities 1979 to 1991

  Areas

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  SCOTLAND

  4,755

  5,048

  3,770

  2,342

  2,311

  2,120

  1,989

  1,733

  1,710

  1,933

  1,474

  1,010

  996

  Borders

  Berwickshire

  14

  11

  29

  —

  —

  27

  16

  22

  17

  —

  31

  —

  29

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  34

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  14

  Roxburgh

  4

  12

  —

  51

  45

  43

  8

  8

  4

  28

  18

  —

  —

  Tweeddale

  —

  56

  —

  10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6

  54

  4

  8

  6

  Central

  Clackmannan

  155

  132

  —

  —

  —

  1

  23

  30

  —

  35—

  —

  —

  —

  Falkirk

  —

  23

  54

  66

  20

  78

  147

  56

  74

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Stirling

  9

  42

  168

  8

  18

  37

  —

  6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Annandale and Eskdale

  100

  224

  173

  86

  160

  158

  85

  38

  35

  17

  46

  43

  26

  Nithsdale

  129

  78

  49

  18

  27

  6

  70

  80

  66

  74

  81

  33

  10

  Stewartry

  74

  51

  49

  42

  44

  41

  23

  34

  40

  10

  45

  33

  2

  Wigtown

  32

  77

  34

  120

  20

  86

  —

  40

  20

  26

  —

  5

  —

  Fife

  Dunfermline

  110

  129

  —

  83

  89

  26

  58

  60

  178

  132

  11

  —

  —

  Kirkcaldy

  123

  44

  54

  63

  15

  113

  101

  91

  131

  172

  84

  34

  127

  North East Fife

  198

  127

  121

  41

  142

  70

  14

  48

  65

  17

  19

  5

  58

  Grampian

  Aberdeen

  430

  518

  372

  134

  47

  117

  178

  45

  93

  136

  109

  71

  62

  Banff and Buchan

  175

  220

  227

  99

  128

  116

  154

  48

  67

  60

  50

  56

  19

  Gordon

  35

  —

  4

  85

  199

  108

  89

  44

  171

  9

  183

  80

  72

  Kincardine and Deeside

  56

  4

  53

  35

  60

  54

  22

  175

  41

  105

  58

  17

  76

  Moray

  87

  567

  111

  156

  139

  85

  75

  100

  34

  169

  70

  87

  16

  Highland

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  24

  49

  20

  54

  38

  16

  16

  —

  13

  —

  12

  11

  6

  Caithness

  54

  68

  40

  —

  55

  20

  14

  23

  29

  24

  27

  10

  8

  Inverness

  38

  124

  68

  25

  115

  90

  10

  136

  32

  59

  86

  90

  93

  Lochaber

  57

  102

  18

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nairn

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  20

  24

  22

  —

  28

  —

  28

  Ross and Cromarty

  89

  64

  96

  48

  31

  65

  8

  38

  46

  26

  27

  1

  —

  Skye and Lochalsh

  11

  46

  9

  13

  —

  10

  14

  46

  8

  25

  50

  8

  14

  Sutherland

  13

  27

  13

  22

  27

  22

  15

  10

  33

  34

  22

  68

  8

  Lothian

  East Lothian

  46

  18

  30

  45

  92

  25

  91

  65

  14

  66

  59

  10

  25

  Edinburgh

  199

  —

  117

  49

  8

  —

  —

  —

  63

  87

  101

  125

  —

  Midlothian

  —

  47

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7

  —

  14

  —

  12

  —

  25

  West Lothian

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  8

  76

  7

  —

  —

  Strathclyde

  Argyll and Bute

  110

  126

  68

  60

  33

  76

  17

  —

  12

  71

  31

  15

  25

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  36

  67

  27

  56

  12

  —

  16

  —

  35

  6

  —

  6

  —

  Clydebank

  —

  63

  73

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clydesdale

  53

  32

  49

  18

  20

  18

  —

  30

  —

  24

  —

  32

  18

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  35

  54

  3

  —

  16

  8

  —

  —

  6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  26

  47

  43

  6

  —

  14

  —

  2

  6

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Cunninghame

  102

  68

  90

  45

  85

  44

  54

  34

  —

  55

  —

  31

  24

  Dumbarton

  6

  39

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  14

  18

  18

  —

  —

  —

  East Kilbride

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  634
  detail in respect of private sector planting before that date is held in individual files in the commission's local offices. There is no evidence, however, that the pattern of broadleaved planting as between native and non-native species has differed over the past few years.

  Council House Building
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of council houses built in Scotland in each year since 1979; and if he will provide a breakdown by local authority.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 June 1992]: The information is set out in the table.
  635

  Areas

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Eastwood

  —

  25

  3

  14

  —

  —

  37

  40

  14

  31

  42

  —

  31

  Glasgow

  615

  385

  558

  161

  63

  —

  140

  58

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hamilton

  55

  166

  42

  78

  122

  46

  44

  39

  8

  53

  —

  —

  —

  Inverclyde

  4

  8

  —

  26

  —

  —

  —

  —

  64

  —

  —

  —

  37

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  101

  62

  27

  —

  —

  33

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Kyle and Carrick

  136

  119

  56

  17

  91

  35

  71

  28

  47

  37

  7

  30

  10

  Monklands

  61

  37

  53

  —

  11

  67

  —

  —

  —

  —

  56

  —

  —

  Motherwell

  167

  173

  104

  50

  —

  —

  —

  36

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Renfrew

  65

  122

  113

  179

  34

  135

  19

  10

  64

  27

  —

  —

  —

  Strathkelvin

  254

  —

  40

  —

  6

  13

  6

  24

  7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Tayside

  Angus

  58

  40

  —

  12

  34

  34

  41

  84

  40

  78

  47

  32

  30

  Dundee

  221

  82

  163

  55

  80

  5

  57

  —

  —

  5

  8

  —

  5

  Perth and Kinross

  150

  273

  149

  71

  75

  105

  144

  21

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Islands Councils

  Orkney Islands

  34

  25

  26

  18

  43

  16

  6

  6

  12

  41

  13

  42

  8

  Shetland Islands

  55

  121

  81

  31

  43

  25

  33

  20

  20

  30

  20

  25

  63

  Western Isles

  115

  54

  93

  90

  22

  32

  46

  20

  33

  14

  10

  2

  21

  Source: Quarterly returns from authorities.

  Rents-to-Mortgages
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of(a) Scottish Homes and (b) new town Development corporation tenants who have (i) applied and (ii) purchased their home under the rents-to-mortgages scheme for each year of its introduction.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 17 June 1992]: Information on applications by and sales to tenants of Scottish Homes and the new town development corporations since the introduction of the rent-to-mortgage scheme in October 1989 is shown in the table.

  Applications

  Sales

  Year

  Scottish Homes

  New towns

  Scottish Homes

  New towns

  1989–90

  107

  0

  2

  0

  1990–91

  200

  60

  133

  5

  1991–92

  242

  33

  105

  54

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security why officials of the Benefits Agency did not give their names to Mr. M C Vaughan-Chatfield when making inquiries on behalf of his wife's disability allowance; and what are the provisions of the citizens charter in this respect.

  Mr. Scott
  The citizens charter stated that public servants would normally be expected to wear name badges and to give their names on the telephone or in writing. The Benefit Agency's own customer charter also gave a commitment that, other than in exceptional circumstances, staff would give their names when dealing with customers. The arrangements for implementing this are currently being discussed at local level.

  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that staff do not recollect being asked for their names by Mr. Vaughan-Chatfield, although he was given them voluntarily on two occasions.

  If my hon. Friend requires further information I understand Mr. Bichard would be happy to assist.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to improve the speed and efficiency of dealing with claims for, and appeals against decisions on, disability living allowances.

  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 my hon. Friend and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Access to Records
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what conclusions he has reached on the implications of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Graham Gaskin for people seeking access to personal records for which he has responsibility; and what action he intends to take.

  Mr. Burt
  The judgment in this case relates to the access to personal child care files held by social services authorities. However, officials in the Department are studying the judgment to establish whether it has any indirect impact on access to information held by the Department. I will write to the hon. Member when the extent of any implications has been established.

  Plessey
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had from pensioners of Plessey plc about their treatment by GEC.

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have received a number of representations from and on behalf of pensioners who were employed by Plessey plc prior to the companies' acquisition by GEC/Siemens in 1989. The representations concerned their occupational pension rights which are currently the subject of an agreement which is before the High Court for approval and the withdrawal of a free private health care plan which is a matter for the company as an employer, rather than for the pension scheme.

  Income Support
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review income support rates to ensure that they are adequate to cover a basic standard of living.

  Mr. Burt
  Income support rates are reviewed each year and uprated by the Rossi index. From April this year, income support rates have been increased by 7 per cent., nearly 3 per cent. more than the RPI for the same period.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost to his Department of payments towards mortgage interest on the part of income support recipients in each of the years from 1988 to 1991; and what is his Department's estimate of the cost of such payments in the current year.

  Mr. Burt
  The table gives estimates from 1988 to 1990, the latest year for which information is available:

  Amount included in assessments

  Year

  £ million

  1988

  286

  1989

  353

  1990

  554

  Source: Income Support Statistical Inquiries 1988 to 1990.

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest million.

  2. The figure for 1991 will be in the 1991 Annual Statistical Inquiry which will be published on 19 June. A copy will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support have been receiving amounts in respect of mortgage payments on their home in each of the years from 1988 to 1991; how many are currently receiving such assistance; and what is his Department's estimate of the number likely to be receiving such assistance in the current year.

  Mr. Burt
  The table gives estimates from 1988 to 1990, the latest year for which information is available.

  Number of claimants receiving help with mortgage interest

  Year

  Number

  1988

  300,000

  1989

  281,000

  1990

  310,000

  Source: Income Support Statistical Inquiries 1988–90.

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2. The figure for 1991 will be in the 1991 Annual Statistical Inquiry which will be published on 19 June. A copy will be placed in the Library.

  Benefits
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give reasons for the delay in resolving the case of Mrs. D. O. (reference YB17583A).

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

  Family Income
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate, using the latest family expenditure survey, average equalised weekly income(a) before housing costs, and (b) after housing costs.

  Mr. Burt
  The latest family expenditure survey data to be processed to yield figures in the form requested are those for 1988 and 1989. The results will be presented in the next edition of "Households Below Average Income" which we expect to be ready for publication in July. Copies of this publication will be available in the Library.

  Repossessions
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has on the number of income support recipients who ceased to qualify for contributions towards the cost of their mortgage interest payments as a consequence of their home being repossessed in each of the years from 1988 to 1991; and how many are estimated to be in that position in the current year.

  Mr. Burt
  The information requested is not held. Under the Social Security (Mortgage Interest Payments) Act 1992 help with mortgage interest will in the future be paid automatically to qualifying lenders. The Council of Mortgage Lenders has given an assurance that it will not seek possession when the mortgage interest due is covered by direct payment.

  Maxwell Pension Funds
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what basis he reached the decision that £2.5 million would be sufficient to make good Maxwell pension losses until their funds' assets are unfrozen.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department keeps in close touch with the trustees of Maxwell pension funds to ensure that we have the most up to date information about the state of the schemes. The temporary emergency funding of up to £2.5 million will help trustees maintain payments to pensioners who would otherwise have a reduced pension or no pension over the next few months while frozen assets are being released and progress is made in restoring and obtaining other funds.

  Publicity Spending
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 June,Official Report, column 481, if he will make a statement on the differences between the estimated and actual outturn for publicity spending in 1991–92.

  Mr. Burt
  The difference of £1.061 million resulted from a reduction in planned campaign activity during the year.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 June,Official Report, column 489, if he will make a statement on the variations in the estimated publicity spending of the Benefits Agency as announced in April and November 1991 and the outturn figure.

  Mr. Burt
  The publicity budget of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of
  639
  the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member shortly and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the publicity spending of the Benefits Agency during 1990–91.

  Mr. Burt
  The publicity budget of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member shortly and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

EMPLOYMENT

  Defence Industries
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what policies she has formulated to retrain and redeploy the skills of those in the south west in general and Torridge and West Devon in particular who are affected adversely by the decline of defence-associated industries.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There is a range of programmes and services available through the Employment Department, employment service, and training and enterprise councils (TECs) to help unemployed people find new jobs, retrain or set up their own businesses. These measures are available to former employees of all sectors, including defence, in the south west as elsewhere.

  Devon and Cornwall TEC has established operation "Opus", a partnership between it, the employment service and others to give advice and help in defence redundancy situations.

  The Employment Department has published an information pack, "Local Action for Employment Tackling Job Losses", which sets out the way TECs, the employment service and other local organisations can help individuals and communities affected by job losses.

  Training
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many places on employment training and youth training schemes have been available in Walthamstow for each of the years 1990 and 1991; and how many are estimated as likely to be available in 1992.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information regarding the number of training places available in Walthamstow is not collected.

  Since 1 April 1991, training in Walthamstow has been the responsibility of London East training and enterprise council (LETEC). At 29 March 1992, there were an estimated 4,800 people in training on YT and an estimated 3,600 people in training on ET in the LETEC area.

  EC Presidency
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what her Department's priorities are for the United Kingdom presidency of the Community.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The overall theme for the United Kingdom's presidency in employment and social affairs will be "A Community at Work".
  640
  The Department's key priorities for the presidency are as follows:
  to focus greater attention on tackling unemployment and creating lasting jobs in the Community;
  to promote even-handed and effective implementation and enforcement of existing EC legislation;
  to continue to remove barriers to the mobility of labour;
  to support the European year of health and safety by taking forward proposals promoting high standards of health and safety at work;
  to manage efficiently the business of the Social Affairs Council.

  Training Places, Carlisle
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training places have been available in Carlisle in the years(a) 1988–89, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1990–91 and (d) 1991–92, respectively.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information regarding the number of training places available in Carlisle is not collected.

  Since 30 April 1990, training in Carlisle has been the responsibility of Cumbria training and enterprise council (TEC). At 29 March 1992, there were an estimated 3,600 people in training on youth training and an estimated 1,300 people in training on employment training in the Cumbria TEC area.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons aged 16 and 17 years who are not in employment or education and are not on youth training scheme programmes there are in Carlisle at the present time.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand from the local careers service which covers the Carlisle area that there are currently 203 young people in the area who are registered with it as not in employment or education who are not in YT.

  GCHQ
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions she has had with the International Labour Organisation about the ban on trade union organisations at GCHQ; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This matter has very recently been discussed in the international labour conference (ILO) where we confirmed that the dialogue with the trade unions on the issue remains open. At the same time we continued to make clear the overriding national security interests involved. The ILO took account of this position in reaching its conclusions which will be published shortly.

  Annual Performance Agreement
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Employment Service annual performance agreement for 1992–93 will be published.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have today placed copies of the Employment Service annual performance agreement for 1992–93 in the Library.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will name the members of the small high level working group which will advise her on issues relevant to women's opportunities in the workplace and beyond.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1992, columns 141-42]: I regret that the list of members of the working group on women's issues given in my reply of 9 June 1992 was incorrect. The list gave the wrong details for Graham Millar and Peter Davis and ommitted Sheila Forbes. The correct information is as follows.

  The first members are:

  LADY HOWE

  Chairman
  Business in the Community's Women's Economic Development Team
  Responsible for Opportunity 2000 (and former Deputy Chairman Equal Opportunities Commission)

  JOANNA FOSTER

  Chairman
  Equal Opportunities Commission

  SUE SLIPMAN

  Director
  National Council for One Parent Families

  BARONESS DENTON
  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department of Trade and Industry and Government Co-chair, Women's National Commission

  SUE RORSTAD

  Chairman and Managing Director
  Poppies UK Ltd.

  PETER DAVIES

  Chief Executive
  Reed International plc

  SHEILA FORBES

  Group Personnel Director
  Storehouse plc

  KAY COLEMAN

  Chief Executive
  Harveys & Co. (clothing) Ltd.

  GRAHAM MILLAR

  Managing Director
  Nestlé Rowntree

  DR. SUSAN MCRAE

  Senior Fellow
  Policy Studies Institute

  SIR BRYAN NICHOLSON

  Chairman,
  Post Office

  Chairman,
  National Council for Vocational Qualifications; Former Chairman, Manpower Services Commission

  MARGARET SEYMOUR

  Managing Director
  Seymour Swimming Pool Engineers

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Crime, Armagh
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which dates(a) break-ins, (b) burglaries, (c) broken windows and (d) damage to premises were reported to the RUC during May, in the Scotch street, Thomas street, Market street, English street sector of the city centre of Armagh; for which of these dates the RUC has made arrests or charged persons; and if he will make a statement on policing in the city centre of Armagh.

  Mr. Mates
  The information available for the area specified is shown in the table:

  Incidents reported to the police in May 1992

  Date

  Number

  Attempted break-ins

  20 May

  1

  Total

  1

  Burglaries

  1 May

  2

  4 May

  1

  5 May

  1

  7 May

  1

  11 May

  5

  16 May

  1

  18 May

  3

  19 May

  1

  22 May

  1

  26 May

  1

  27 May

  3

  28 May

  1

  Total

  21

  Broken/cracked windows

  26 May

  3

  29 May

  3

  Total

  6

  Other damage to premises

  28 May

  2

  31 May

  1

  Total

  3

  I am informed by the Chief Constable that a number of arrests have been made in connection with acts of criminal damage in the area. One person has been charged with the three offences committed on 29 May and a person has been charged with the two criminal damage offences committed on 28 May. Police inquiries are continuing. Additionally, in an effort to improve the physical security of premises in the area and to resolve the current problems, the RUC is maintaining close liaison with the local community through the chamber of trade, the district council and other groups affected.

  Community Affiliation
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list under the residuary method of determining an employee's community affiliation (DE code of practice)(a) those names to be regarded as Protestants, and those to be regarded as Roman Catholic, (b) those sporting and leisure pursuits to be so regarded,
  (c) those clubs or societies, membership of which would

  643
  indicate such distinction, (d) those qualifications, examinations and educational clauses which indicate a Protestant or Roman Catholic community affiliation and (e) which occupations would indicate Protestant community affiliation and which would indicate Roman Catholic community affiliation; and if he will publish this list.

  Mr. Atkins
  It is not possible to compile a list as requested. The residuary method of monitoring allows an employer to consider a range of possible indicators of community affiliation and then to treat the employee, or job applicant, as belonging to the community with which the totality of the information shows he has a connection, or has the stronger connection. This is a matter for the individual judgment of the employer in each particular case.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether the breakdown of Protestants and Roman Catholics in each district council area, based on all those aged 15 to 64 years, is an accurate reflection of the economically active work force.

  Mr. Atkins
  Estimates from aggregated 1990 and 1991 labour force survey (LFS) data indicate that in 17 out of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland, the religious composition of the economically active population is consistent with the revised 1981 census of population figures for the religious composition of persons aged 15 to 64. In the remaining nine district council areas, the LFS estimates suggest that the Catholic proportion of the economically population is higher than that derived from 1981 census figures based on the population aged 15 to 64.

  I understand that the Fair Employment Commission will be publishing, in the near future, LFS estimates on the religious composition of the economically active population in district council areas.

  Data on the religious composition of the economically active population in each district council area will be contained in the Northern Ireland census 1991 summary report to be published in the autumn.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what monitoring has been done to examine any imbalance in the determining of community affiliation as a result of the numbers of Roman Catholics attending controlled or integrated schools.

  Mr. Atkins
  Research has shown that, particularly at primary school level, the number of Roman Catholics attending controlled schools does not have any significant effect on employers' monitoring statistics. Integrated schools are not classified for monitoring purposes.

  Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to introduce a non-fossil fuel obligation for renewable energy following the privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity; what form it will take; and how large the first renewable energy order will be.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department of Economic Development has commissioned a study into the potential for renewable energy in Northern Ireland and a decision 644
  when to introduce a non-fossil fuel obligation awaits the conclusion of that study. Before making a renewables order, the Department is obliged to consult Northern Ireland Electricity plc and the Director General of Electricity Supply and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the likely form or scale of the first order in advance of that consultation taking place.

  Strip Searches
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide statistics of the number of women's prisons in Northern Ireland that carry out strip search methods as a form of internal prison security; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mates
  There is only one prison in Northern Ireland holding female prisoners—Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry. Full searching takes place routinely on certain occasions when prisoners enter or leave the prison and at any other time it is deemed necessary for security reasons.

  Sports Council
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will earmark cash in the Sports Council grant aid to enable the Sports Council to list the current stock of school playing fields land.

  Mr. Hanley
  Information on school playing fields is currently held by the Department of Education and is available to the Northern Ireland Sports Council.

  Hospital Beds
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the hospitals in Northern Ireland which had consultant obstetric or general practitioner maternity beds in 1990–91, and give the number of beds of each type in each hospital.

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 15 June 1992]: The information requested is as follows:

  Average available beds in 1990–91

  Hospital

  Obstetrics

  GP maternity

  Ards

  25.0

  —

  Belfast City

  64.0

  —

  Downe

  23.0

  —

  Lagan Valley

  41.6

  —

  Mater

  24.0

  —

  Royal Maternity

  82.9

  —

  Ulster

  44.1

  —

  EASTERN BOARD

  304.6

  —

  Ballymena Cottage

  10.0

  16.0

  Mid Ulster

  26.0

  —

  Moyle

  19.0

  —

  Robinson Memorial

  —

  14.0

  Route

  19.0

  —

  Waveney

  25.0

  —

  NORTHERN BOARD

  99.0

  30.0

  Cragavon Area

  62.5

  —

  Daisy Hill

  52.0

  —

  South Tyrone

  31.9

  —

  SOUTHERN BOARD

  146.3

  —

  645

  Hospital

  Obstetrics

  GP maternity

  Altnagelvin

  71.0

  —

  Erne

  33.0

  —

  Tyrone County

  33.7

  —

  WESTERN BOARD

  137.7

  —

  NORTHERN BOARD

  687.6

  30.0

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Everton Football Supporters
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on the case concerning the conviction of the Everton football supporters which had been referred to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I wrote to the hon. Member on 8 June. He will now be aware that we have concluded, after careful consideration, that there are insufficient grounds to justify intervention in the convictions by granting free pardons.

  Prisons (Privatisation)
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the benefits which the privatisation initiative will bring to the prison system.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Private sector involvement in the prison service introduces new and different methods of managing modern prisons to high standards of service set by the Government. I am quite sure that the introduction of new private sector management will stimulate improved standards and better value for money.

  Crime Prevention
  Ms. Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to introduce the crime prevention measures recommended by the committee chaired by James Morgan.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to implement the recommendations of the Morgan report.

  Mr. Jack
  The recommendations in the Morgan report ranged wider than had been expected under the working group's terms of reference and have therefore taken longer to consider. The report remains under active consideration within the Department and my right hon. and learned Friend hopes to be able to make an announcement in the near future.

  May Inquiry
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the May inquiry.

  Mr. Jack
  Sir John May's inquiry is continuing in accordance with the terms of reference given to him in October 1989.

  Police, London
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to meet the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to discuss sector policing in the capital.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend will be meeting the commissioner on 14 July to discuss the policing of the Notting Hill carnival.

  He will also be visiting Metropolitan police service divisions to see sector policing in action.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give figures for the change in levels of crime in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) South Wales and (c) Neath since 1979.

  Mr. Jack
  Between 1979 and 1991 recorded crime increased by 126 per cent. in south Wales and 108 per cent. in England and Wales as a whole. Statistics for Neath are not collected centrally. Statistics for other parts of the United Kingdom are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

  Crime, Northumberland
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further discussions he intends to have with the Northumbria police authority about crime in Northumberland.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans so for further discussions at the moment.

  Prisoners (Home Visits)
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on releasing prisoners temporarily for home visits.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The prison rules provide that sentenced prisoners may be temporarily released from prison, subject to conditions, for any special purpose or to enable them to engage in employment, to receive instruction or training or to assist them in the transition from prison life to freedom.

  A prisoner who has been temporarily released may be recalled to prison at any time whether the conditions of his release have been broken or not.

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to deal with remand prisoners in police cells.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The prison service continues to work to increase the amount of available accommodation in order to reduce the number of prisoners in police cells. In addition to the delivery of a large number of new places under the prison building programme, measures taken so far have included the retention of establishments listed for closure and the conversion of under-occupied young offender accommodation to adult use.
  647
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government propose to take to address anomalies in the geographical distribution of remands to prison department custody.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The provision of sufficient places in prison service establishments, which serve the courts by holding inmates remanded in custody or awaiting trial, is a matter which is kept under constant review. Where the current level of provision fails to meet demand or is likely to fail to meet future demand, the prison service seeks to deal with the problem either by changing the role of existing accommodation or through the prison building programme.

  Police Numbers
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for increasing police numbers.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The establishments of individual forces were increased by some 800 posts with effect from 1 April 1992. A further 78 police posts have so far been allocated, in respect of policing at ports, airports and the regional crime squads. The vast majority of new posts have been allocated to forces with the greatest relative need for more officers.

  Police, West Yorkshire
  Mr. Enright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet the chief constable of West Yorkshire to discuss staffing levels.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I have no present plans to meet the chief constable of the West Yorkshire police. I look to the force and the police authority to ensure that West Yorkshire has its full complement of officers.

  Drug Offences
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total levels of funds sequestrated from convicted drug pushers in the last five years.

  Mr. Jack
  The latest figures, which arc in respect of confiscation orders made between 1987 and 1990, are given in table 7.25 of Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1990, a copy of which is in the Library. These show that over £27 million was ordered to be confiscated in those years. The current estimate by the national criminal intelligence service of the cumulative total of confiscation orders made since the Drug Trafficking Offences Act came into force in January 1987. up to the end of 1991, is around £35 million.

  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place in 1991 in connection with(a) unlawful possession,
  (b) possession with intent to supply unlawfully, (c) unlawful supply and (d) unlawful import of the drug Ecstasy (MDMA).

  Mr. Jack
  Figures for 1991 are not yet available. The figures for 1990 were as follows:648

  Ecstasy (MDMA)

  United Kingdom 1990

  Number of prosecutions

  Unlawful possession

  269

  Possession with intent to supply unlawfully

  87

  Unlawful supply

  40

  Unlawful import

  14

  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the penalties for the selling of the drug Ecstasy (MDMA).

  Mr. Jack
  MDMA is categorised as a class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the maximum penalty for supplying or offering to supply is life imprisonment. Consequently, I have no plans to change this penalty.

  Citizenship
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision is to be taken on the request made by the hon. Member for Bradford, West on 28 April for an application by Mrs. Y. Afzal of Bradford for British citizenship, reference 420258, to be expedited on compassionate grounds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  As I have explained in my reply to the hon. Member's letter, we have agreed to give Mrs. Afzal's application priority consideration. Our inquiries are underway and a decision should be possible within the next few weeks.

  Criminal Injuries (Compensation)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases are currently under consideration by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, broken down by the year of application.

  Mr. Jack
  The number of applications under consideration at the end of May 1992 was 57,800. A further 11,000 were awaiting the applicant's response to an award offer, and 11,800 were awaiting decision on appeal.

  The board does not record the age of applications in the form requested. However, the percentage of cases resolved within certain periods of time is shown in the board's annual reports, copies of which are held in the Library.

  Fox Hunting
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on fox hunting.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Government believe that participation in field sports, including fox hunting, is a matter for the conscience and decision of the individual.

  Prisoners (Medical Treatment)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison inmates have been treated in national health service hospitals in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The table shows the number of referrals to national health service hospitals for
  649
  out-patient treatment and for in-patient observation or treatment in each of the three financial years up to 1990–91. Corresponding information for 1991–92 is not yet available. Information about the number of prisoners treated is not held centrally.

  Referrals

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Out-patient

  18,494

  18,740

  18,402

  In-patient

  1,964

  1,988

  1,887

  Age of Consent
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to introduce an equal age of consent in the United Kingdom, regardless of sexual orientation.

  Year and police authority

  Deceased in prossession of firearms

  Deceased in possession of replica

  Deceased unarmed

  Inquest verdict

  1985

  West Midlands

  —

  —

  Yes

  1—

  1987

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Open

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  Avon and Somerset

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  1989

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  1990

  Metropolitan

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  Cheshire

  Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful killing

  1991

  Northumbria

  —

  Yes

  —

  Lawful Killing

  West Mercia

  2Yes

  —

  —

  Lawful Killing

  1992

  West Yorkshire

  —

  Yes

  —

  Inquest not yet completed

  1 An officer of the West Midlands police was acquitted of the manslaughter of the deceased. The coroner subsequently decided to exercise his discretion under section 20 of the Coroners Amendment Act 1926 not to proceed with an inquest.

  2 The deceased was in possession of an air pistol which was incapable of being discharged.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on events and publicity surrounding the launch of the Fire Service college as an agency; and whether the cost was borne by the parent department or the new agency.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The cost of activities to mark the launch of the Fire Services college as the first Next Steps agency to achieve trading fund status at the outset was about £9,000 and was met by the Home Office.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the maximum salary payable, including performance related element, and the length of time of the contract of the chief executive of the Fire Service college.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The final detail of the total remuneration for the chief executive, whose contract runs initially until October 1993, is under negotiation but the maximum is to be set at a figure substantially less than the maximum (£71,800) for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Service.
  650
  Mr. Jack
  We have no such proposals at present.

  Police Shootings
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of civilians shot dead by police marksmen in each police authority in England and Wales since 1982, indicating whether the deceased were in possession of firearms, replica firearms or were unarmed, and give the verdicts recorded by coroners' inquests in such deaths.

  Mr. Jack
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Personal Records
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached on the implications of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Graham Gaskin for people seeking access to personal records for which he has responsibility; and what action he intends to take.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The consultative document issued by the Department of Health in February, in the light of this case, recorded the Government's view that the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights applied only to social services records. Consideration is currently being given to the question of whether it has any implications for personal records for which my Department has responsibility.

  Sexual Offences
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men were sent to prison in each of the last five years for convictions of gross indecency involving consenting sex with men aged over 16 years and
  651
  under 21 years; how many such prosecutions have taken place in each of the last five years; and how many convicted prisoners there are at present.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The table gives information on the offences of indecency between males by a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21 —Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 13 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967, section 3(2). These convictions did not necessarily involve fully consensual behaviour.

  Information on the numbers currently serving a custodial sentence in a prison service establishment in England and Wales for this offence is not presently available centrally.

  Number of males prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to immediate custody for the offence of indecency between males by a man of the age of 21 or over with another male person under the age of 21

  England and Wales

  Number

  Year

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  Sentences of immediate custody

  1986

  245

  225

  23

  1987

  270

  264

  26

  1988

  292

  250

  13

  1989

  404

  361

  21

  1990

  445

  353

  8

  Prison Population
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those prisons where the population on 4 June was less than the certified normal accommodation for reasons connected to industrial action or refusal to co-operate by the staff.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On Thursday 4 June there were no prison service establishments in England and Wales where industrial action was causing the population to fall below the certified normal accommodation.

  Prison Budgets
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends that prison governors will he allowed to have full, or substantial, control over their budgets.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We are currently considering how the present financial delegations to governors might be extended. Our aim is to introduce any changes on or as soon as possible after the prison service becomes an agency in April 1993.

  Dartmoor Prison
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the current programme for refurbishment at HM prison Dartmoor is likely to be completed.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The building programme now in progress at HM prison Dartmoor (the refurbishment of A, B and D wings, and the construction of a new kitchen, victualling store, administration and visits complex) is scheduled for completion in May 1994.
  652
  Work is due to start later this year on an all weather sports pitch and on a programme to install integral sanitation in F and G wings and the hospital. The remaining wings are due to be refurbished in 1994–95.

  Juveniles
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 15-year-olds were sentenced to detention in a young offenders institution in 1990: and for what offences they were sentenced.

  Mr. Jack
  Information for 1990 is given in the table:

  Persons aged 15 years sentenced to detention in a young offender institution by sex and offence

  England and Wales — 1990

  Offence

  Male

  Female

  Indictable offences

  Causing death by reckless driving

  1

  —

  Wounding or other act endangering life

  2

  —

  Other wounding etc.

  31

  —

  Rape

  5

  —

  Indecent assault on a female

  4

  —

  Burglary in a dwelling

  129

  1

  Burlary in a building other than a dwelling

  70

  —

  Robbery

  34

  3

  Theft from the person of another

  2

  —

  Theft of a pedal cycle

  1

  —

  Theft from vehicle

  11

  —

  Theft from shops

  7

  —

  Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle

  5

  —

  Other theft or unauthorised taking

  24

  1

  Handling stolen goods

  9

  —

  Arson

  16

  1

  Other criminal damage

  8

  —

  Drug offences

  3

  —

  Going equipped for stealing etc

  4

  —

  Blackmail

  5

  1

  Unlawful assembly

  5

  —

  Other offence against State or public order

  3

  —

  Absconding from lawful custody

  1

  —

  Failing to surrender to bail

  1

  —

  Reckless driving

  14

  —

  Summary offences

  Assault on a constable

  4

  —

  Assault, common etc

  1

  —

  Offences against public order

  2

  —

  Interference with motor vehicle

  5

  —

  Unauthorised taking of a conveyance

  57

  —

  Criminal or malicious damage

  2

  —

  Vagrancy offences

  1

  —

  Other summary non-motoring offences

  1

  —

  Driving while unfit through drink or drugs

  1

  —

  Other summary motoring offences

  8

  —

  Total all offences

  477

  7

  Bridewell Prison
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the condition and use of holding cells in Bridewell prison, Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  In addition to the hon. Member, my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has also
  653
  received letters from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) the rector of Liverpool and the high sheriff of Merseyside about the conditions in Liverpool Bridewell.

  The prison service has received a request from the Merseyside police for the funding of improvements to the holding cells and adjacent areas in Liverpool Bridewell. There are arrangements for the prison service in certain circumstances to meet the cost of essential improvements to accommodation being used by the police to hold prisoners who should he in prison service establishments. The request is being considered and a response will he made as soon as possible.

  Police Expenditure
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how much his Department has increased spending on the police in the last year; and what estimate he has made of the costs incurred directly by the public sector in the provision of policing outside the budgetary responsibility of his Department.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Home Office expenditure on the police increased from £2,435 million in 1990–91 to £2,830 million in 1991–92. Information on the costs of police forces outside Home Office jurisdiction is not held centrally.

  Police Radio Transmissions
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to overcome the interception of police radio transmissions by unauthorised persons.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My Department, working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers, is establishing standing arrangements for the supply of speech privacy devices which will render police radio transmissions unintelligible to the unauthorised listener. It is for individual chief constables to implement this solution.

  Applications1 2 received for asylum in the United Kingdom by Somali nationals, excluding dependants, and decisions1 2, 1989–1992

  Applications received

  Decisions3

  Granted asylum

  Granted exceptional leave

  Total decisions

  Total applications outstanding at end of period6

  Refusals

  Refused asylum and exceptional leave4

  Refused under para 101 of immigration rules5

  Total refused

  1989

  1,850

  815

  260

  10

  —

  10

  1,085

  1,140

  1990

  1,920

  280

  75

  25

  —

  25

  380

  2,680

  1991

  1,995

  40

  175

  35

  —

  35

  250

  4,430

  1992

  510

  10

  745

  15

  100

  120

  875

  4,060

  (January to May)

  1 Provisional and estimated figures, rounded to the nearest 5.

  2 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the year concerned.

  3 1991 decision figures may understate because of delays in recording.

  4 Includes refusals on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country and, up to 30 November 1991, refusals under paragraph 101 of the immigration rules for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period.

  Murder Sentences
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the length of sentences currently being served by women convicted of murdering their husbands.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  From time to time I receive representations about individual cases and about the mandatory life sentence for murder.

  Belmarsh Prison
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the board of visitors at Belmarsh prison, or from others, concerning the catering arrangements and the quality of food at Belmarsh; and what assessment he has made of the performance of the private caterers at Belmarsh.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have received no representations about the catering arrangements and the quality of food at Belmarsh prison from the board of visitors. Complaints from prisoners about the food are common to all prisons, Belmarsh included. Action is always taken locally to investigate them and resolve any problems which are discovered.

  The food on offer in Belmarsh is sampled twice daily by the governor. Catering services supplied by contract in Belmarsh are under constant scrutiny. If they are considered by the governor or by the prison service catering specialists not to be complying with their contract, action will be taken.

  Political Asylum
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Somali applicants for political asylum were granted full refugee status; and how many were granted exceptional leave to remain in(a) 1989, (b) 1990, (c) 1991 and (d) the current year;

  (2) how many applications for political asylum were received from Somali nationals in (a) 1989, (b) 1990, (c) 1991 and (d) the current year; and how many remain outstanding from each year.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information is given in the table.
  655
  5 From 1 December 1991 only: see footnote 4.

  6 Including outstanding applications from earlier years. These figures are maxima which are likely to overstate because of earlier underrecording of decisions.

  Crime, West Yorkshire
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the increase in crime in West Yorkshire.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The increase in crime figures for West Yorkshire in the last year was attributable mainly to vehicle related theft and burglaries, often involving juveniles. It is one of the force's benefiting from the urban crime fund and entitled to additional Government funding of up to £3.66 million for 1992–93. This will enable the force to undertake special innovative projects to help tackle its particular problem areas of crime.

  Residence Permits
  Ms. Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion. over the last five years, of in-country applications were made within a short period of arrival in the United Kingdom within one week, two weeks and one month.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 16 June 1992]: Comprehensive reliable information is not available. The information available suggests that in 1990 and 1991 around a third of in-country asylum applicants who were admitted to the United Kingdom as visitors or students
  applied within a month of their arrival.

ENVIRONMENT

  Oil Spillages (Thames)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he proposes to take to reduce the incidence of oil spillages into the Thames;

  (2) how many oil spillages into the Thames have occurred in the past year and from what source.

  Mr. Maclean
  The National Rivers Authority, which we established in 1989, has wide powers to prosecute polluters and to recover its clean up costs, and a vigorous policy of prosecuting those responsible for serious incidents; the courts can and do impose significant fines in respect of major cases, particularly since the Government's increase (to £20,000) in the maximum fine which magistrates can impose. I understand from the National Rivers Authority that in 1991, 23 oil pollution incidents were reported on the tidal Thames, nine of which were classified as major.

  Conservation
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to develop a United Kingdom conservation database in a form which could be inter-linked with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 12 June the Darwin initiative on the survival of the species. This will draw together and build on United Kingdom strengths in the biodiversity field including the very good work carried out by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. We are currently considering how this initiative will be developed.
  656
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining his Department's policy on the conservation of global commons and the equitable sharing of derived benefits.

  Mr. Maclean
  Global commons are those areas such as the high seas and the atmosphere over which no one country has national sovereignty. I am not aware of any benefits derived from these areas which would need to be subject to equitable sharing.

  Biological Diversity
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to encourage the completion, adoption and implementation of a convention on the conservation of biological diversity.

  Mr. Maclean
  The negotiations on the convention of biological diversity were completed and adopted on 22 May in Nairobi. On 12 June my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister signed the convention on behalf of the United Kingdom. The convention will come into force only after 30 countries have ratified it. We hope that that will be soon.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to undertake research on the effects of habitat fragmentation on biological diversity.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department is currently funding two projects relevant to our understanding of the effects of habitat fragmentation on biological diversity.

  Countryside Survey 1990 is a detailed survey of Great Britain, jointly funded by NERC—the National Environment Research Council. A more detailed assessment of key habitats has also been commissioned with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. In addition, the joint nature conservation committee will shortly put out to tender a project on the effect of habitat fragmentation on vertebrate populations.

  London Docklands
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total spending that the London Docklands development corporation is committing to social projects in 1992–93; and if he will break this figure down into amounts to be spent on(a) training, (b) social housing, (c) Tower Hamlets accord, (d) Newham memorandum of agreement, (e) community grants and (f) health projects; and if he will make a statement on the future of the social programme and the future of the London Docklands development corporation.

  Mr. Redwood
  The London Docklands Development Corporation has allocated £12.4 million for social schemes to be undertaken in 1992–93, broken down as follows:

  £ million

  (i) Training and education

  6.0

  (ii) Social housing

  4.1

  (iii) Community grants

  1.7

  (iv) Health projects

  0.6

  The corporation has earmarked £8.5 million for the Tower Hamlets accord and £3.7 million for the Newham

  657
  memorandum in this financial year. Some social schemes listed in (i)-(iv), for example in Southwark or benefiting Docklands as a whole, fall outside the scope of either agreement.

  The corporation will continue to provide funding for projects which improve the social infrastructure of Docklands.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the total area of land in the London Docklands urban development area covered by planning consents or permission for enterprise zone development that have been granted to the developers Olympia and York.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 12 June 1992]: The London Docklands development corporation has granted enterprise zone consent or planning permission to Olympia and York for the development of 34.6 hectares in the urban development area.

  Aircraft Noise
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking following the recommendations on aircraft noise prepared by the noise review working party 1990.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government's response to the eight recommendations on aircraft noise in the noise review working party's report 1990 were published as part of the Department of Transport's Consultation Paper, "Control of Aircraft Noise", published in August 1991. That paper accepted some of the recommendations outright, rejected two, and invited comments on others. Publication of the consultation paper also fulfilled an undertaking given in the Government's White Paper "Our Common Inheritance".

  In response to one of the recommendations (No. 31) my Department issued for consultation last December a draft planning policy guidance note "Planning and Noise" which incorporates the concept of different levels of noise exposure and relates this to noise sensitive development near airfields.

  The Government are carefully considering the responses to the "Control of Aircraft Noise" consultation paper and a Government response will be announced in due course.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by his Department in fulfilling the targets for emission levels set by the United Nations Commission for Europe convention on long-range transboundary air pollution.

  Mr. Maclean
  The United Kingdom is committed to two targets under protocols to the convention; to return our annual emissions of nitrogen oxides to 1987 levels by 1994, and to reduce our annual emissions of volatile organic compounds by 30 per cent. from 1988 levels by 1999. We remain on course to meet both obligations.

  Environmental Information
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward proposals to the European Environment Council to bring forward the 658
  required reporting dates for environmental information provided for under article 7 of Council directive 91/692/EEC, as published in the Official Journal, No. L 377, pages 48-55, 31 December 1991, following decisions taken on the reporting of environmental information at the United Nations conference on environment and development.

  Mr. Maclean
  The reporting dates specified in article 7 of the directive were agreed as recently as December 1991 following thorough consultation and represent the shortest practicable timetable for implementation. We do not therefore intend to propose that they should be brought forward.

  We fully support the conclusions of UNCED on regular reporting of progress towards sustainable development but this has no direct bearing on the timetable for implementation of the EC directive. The United Kingdom is well placed to follow up UNCED through its established system of annual white paper reports.

  Credit Approvals
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have received supplementary credit approvals for the present financial year; and if he will give details.

  Mr. Redwood
  No central record of credit approvals issued by Government Departments is maintained. To compile a list of supplementary credit approvals issued for the present financial year would involve disproportionate cost.

  Market Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those functions and areas in his Department and associated agencies that have been identified for market testing in the wake of the White Paper "Competing for Quality".

  Mr. Redwood
  Following the publication of the White Paper "Competing for Quality" a detailed programme of possible opportunities for market testing has been drawn up. A statement will be made shortly by the Office of Public Service and Science.

  Opencast Mining
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those mineral authorities which, in the last five years, have requested the withdrawal of permitted development rights vested in British Coal in respect of opencast prospecting; if he will, in each case, give the name of the site involved, within the terms of article 5 of the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988; what was his decision in respect of each of those sites; and if he will give details of the cost of compensation to British Coal and other interested persons.

  Mr. Baldry
  In the last five years no mineral authorities have requested the withdrawal of permitted development rights vested in British Coal in respect of opencast prospecting.

  Commissioner for Local Administration
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had regarding the remit of the Commissioner for Local Administration in England; and whether he has any proposals to change that remit.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations on this subject, including representations from the commission itself, and he is considering whether it would be appropriate to make a change in the scope of the remit.

  Acid Deposition
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made by his Department in funding research work to define the tolerance of ecosystems to acid deposition and the development of new standards and controls to ensure that those thresholds are not exceeded.

  Mr. Maclean
  The tolerances of ecosystems in soils and freshwaters to acid deposition, or their critical loads, have been quantified and mapped for Scotland, Wales and much of England. Maps have also been prepared comparing present and predicted deposition loads with the critical loads. These show that substantial progress will have been made by 2005 in reducing areas subject to damage. Copies of all these maps are in the Library of the House.

  All this work has been funded through the Department's air quality research programme, which has also supported projects on abatement strategies and techniques.

  Green Consumer Label
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by his Department towards developing a green consumer label for products.

  Mr. Maclean
  The United Kingdom has strongly supported the establishment of a European eco-labelling scheme. Now that the European Community regulation setting up the scheme has been adopted we are taking a leading role in progressing arrangements for a launch later this year.

  Power Companies (Appeals)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he expects to determine the appeals by National Power and PowerGen under section 22(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; if he will undertake to publicise the result of the appeal; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to reject National Power and PowerGen's appeals to exclude information from the public registers on the grounds of commercial confidentiality under section 22(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Decisions on these appeals will be made as soon as possible, and announced publicly. The Secretary of State does not comment on appeals awaiting determination.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the metropolitan and London borough councils which have obtained a higher standard spending assessment settlement per person in the current year than St. Helens; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The table shows those London borough and metropolitan district councils which have a higher 1992–93 standard spending assessment per adult than St. Helens.

  Standard spending assessments are calculated using the same principles applied to all authorities. They take account of each authority's own demographic, geographic and social characteristics.

  Local authority

  SSA per adult(£ 000s)

  Hackney

  2,117

  Tower Hamlets

  2,048

  Islington

  1,722

  Newham

  1,686

  Westminster

  1,675

  Lambeth

  1,667

  Southwark

  1,533

  Brent

  1,508

  Manchester

  1,490

  Camden

  1,450

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,439

  Lewisham

  1,402

  Haringey

  1,390

  Wandsworth

  1,388

  Waltham Forest

  1,305

  kensington and Chelsea

  1,298

  Greenwich

  1,298

  Knowsley

  1,287

  Liverpool

  1,286

  Birmingham

  1,284

  Ealing

  1,274

  Bradford

  1,230

  Wolverhampton

  1,180

  Hounslow

  1,137

  Oldham

  1,095

  Salford

  1,090

  Sandwell

  1,081

  Coventry

  1,080

  Enfield

  1,075

  Barking and Dageham

  1,072

  Rochdale

  1,069

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1,053

  Croydon

  1,045

  South Tyneside

  1,029

  Barnet

  1,025

  Bolton

  1,023

  Redbridge

  1,018

  Sunderland

  1,017

  St.Helens

  1,011

  Packaging
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to encourage manufacturers to desist from wasting resources by over-packaging.

  Mr. Maclean
  My colleagues at the Department have met representatives of the packaging industry three times this year to discuss ways in which they can eliminate unnecessary packaging and reduce the amount of packaging which is thrown away. We have indicated that, if the industry does not produce substantive proposals, we are prepared to take action.
  661
  As an initial response to the need to minimise packaging waste, the British Retail Consortium recently issued guidance to its members and their suppliers on retail packaging. Following discussions with the Government, I understand that the packaging industry will be announcing an initiative to deal with complaints about over-packaging next week. I will write to the hon. Member when full details are available.

  Environmental Impact Assessments
  Sir Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of his formal response to the letter from Mr. Carlo Ripa di Meana in respect of the implementation of the EC directive on environmental impact assessments.

  Mr. Maclean
  The details of article 169 correspondence are, by convention, treated in confidence between the Commission and member states.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the position of beach chalets and static caravans under the council tax.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Under the council tax, the treatment of this property will he broadly the same as it is under the community charge.

  A beach chalet or hut which is living accommodation will be banded for council tax on the same basis as other domestic property unless it is available for letting as holiday accommodation for more than 140 days a year, when it will be subject to non-domestic rates. If a chalet is not living accommodation, it will be liable for non-domestic rates.

  A caravan or mobile home which is used as a residence will be banded for council tax in the same way as other residences. The pitch for any other caravan will be liable for non-domestic rates, usually paid by the site operator.

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average length of time for appeals to be heard against uniform business rates in Carlisle.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information is not available centrally on the time taken to deal with non-domestic rating appeals.

  Appeals in Carlisle are dealt with by the Cumbria valuation tribunal. Following revaluation on 1 April 1990, the tribunal initially received about 7,800 appeals (including transitional cases) in respect of the whole of Cumbria. Most of these were received towards the end of that financial year and by the end of March 1992 some 4,200 had been received.

  Caravans
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the new building regulations and SI 2768 apply to caravans; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  No. The requirements of the Building Regulations (SI 1991 No. 2768) 1991 apply only to building work, and caravans do not fall within the definition of building contained within these regulations.

  Housing Expenditure, Ryedale
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the sum of money paid to the Ryedale district council when its stock of council houses was transferred to the housing association concerned, the consequent reduction in debt and the amount which was available for capital projects.

  Mr. Baldry
  Ryedale district council transferred its housing stock to Ryedale Housing Association in February 1991 for the sume of £28.3 million. Following transfer, the council was able to repay all its external loan debt of £18 million, leaving some £10 million available for capital projects.

  Merseyside Task Force
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the new director of Merseyside task force will be appointed and take up his duties.

  Mr. Howard
  As soon as possible.

  Greenhouse Gases
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. Hargreaves) of 15 May,Official Report, column 237, what consultation he has had with the Commissioner for the Environment of the European Commission concerning the United Kingdom contribution to international efforts to reduce all greenhouse gases; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The limitation of greenhouse gas emissions is discussed regularly at meetings involving European Community member states and the Commission, most recently at the Environmental Council of 26 May. At that meeting, the Council expressed its support for the United Nations framework convention on climate change, which will commit developed country parties to adopt policies and measures aimed at returning emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal protocol to their 1990 levels by 2000.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. Hargreaves) of 15 May,Official Report, column 237, what progress he has to report on a United Kingdom strategy to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide.

  Mr. Maclean
  The 1990 White Paper on the Environment, "This Common Inheritance", and the first year report on the White Paper give details of measures already being taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide. The United Nations framework convention on climate change will commit developed country parties to submit detailed information on their policies and measures to limit emissions of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal protocol.

  Energy Savings Trust
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. Hargreaves) of 15 May,Official Report, column 237, what progress he has made on

  663
  the establishment of an energy savings trust; if he will specify what its (a) departmental, (b) regulatory agency and (c) regulated public utility funding is; what its estimated start of operations date is; and what its objectives and purposes are.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Energy Saving Trust is being established to develop and propose programmes designed to promote the efficient use of energy and so protect the environment. My officials in the Energy Efficiency Office are working with British Gas and the regional electricity companies (RECS) to establish the Energy Saving Trust as soon as is practicable. It is hoped that the first pilot scheme to be funded by British Gas will begin within the next few months.

  Green Issues
  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the Ministers responsible for green issues in each Government department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  The environment is not just the concern of one Government Department, and the nomination of Green Ministers in each Department is an important part of our strategy to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account in all policy areas. Green Ministers follow up the commitments relevant to their Departments in the Government's 1990 White Paper on the Environment. They ensure the integration of environmental concerns with the policy and work of their own Departments. And they broadcast the environmental message in their own field.

  The "Green" Ministers are:

  Department

  Minister

  Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  The right hon. John Gummer MP

  Defence

  The Viscount Cranborne

  Education

  Eric Forth Esq. MP

  Employment

  The Viscount Ullswater

  Environment

  The right hon. Michael Howard QC MP

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  The hon. Mark Lennox-Boyd MP

  Health

  Baroness Cumberledge CBE

  Home Office

  Peter Lloyd Esq. MP

  Law Officers'

  Sir Derek Spencer QC MP

  Lord Chancellor's

  John M. Taylor Esq. MP

  National Heritage

  Robert Key Esq. MP

  Northern Ireland Office

  Robert Atkins Esq. MP

  Overseas Development

  Baroness Chalker

  Public Service and Science

  Robert Jackson Esq. MP

  Scottish Office

  Sir Hector Monro MP

  Social Security

  The Lord Henley

  Trade and Industry

  The right hon. Michael Heseltine MP

  Transport

  The right hon. John MacGregor OBE MP

  Treasury

  The right hon. Sir John Cope MP

  Welsh Office

  The right hon. David Hunt MBE MP

  Relocation
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify the number of civil servants by grade who will be moving from Marsham street to docklands.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 17 June 1992]: No decisions have yet been taken about the number of civil
  664
  servants by grade which will be moved to Docklands. All London posts in my Department are currently being reviewed to assess their suitability for relocation.

  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the 2,000 civil servants due to move from Marsham street to Docklands have personal contact with Ministers on average once a month or more.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 17 June 1992]: Detailed records of contact are not kept. A review of suitability of posts for relocation to Docklands will take into account the need for personal contact with Ministers.

  Biodiversity
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the steps being taken to follow up the decisions taken at Rio de Janeiro on biodiversity.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 17 June 1992]: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister informed the House on 15 June that he had announced at Rio a Darwin initiative for the survival of species. This will draw on the great strengths which we have in our many centres of excellence in biodiversity to provide practical help to enable countries to meet their commitments under the biodiversity convention.

  My right hon. Friend has also written to EC and G7 colleagues proposing an eight point plan for follow up including the drawing up of plans for action on global diversity.

  World Environment
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance was provided by Her Majesty's Government to the United Nations Environment Programme for the UNEP report on the state of the world environment, published on 7 May; and what evaluation he has made of the report.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 16 June 1992]: The United Kingdom contribution to UNEP for financial year 1992–93 is £4.5 million. This helps to fund all UNEP activities including the production of reports. The report on the state of the world environment is a sound and useful document.

  Water Disconnections
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what plans he has to discuss with the chairman of the North West Water Authority the rise in disconnections of water services between 1990–91 and 1991–92 with a view to providing emergency services to these households;

  (2) when he intends to make a statement on his plans to discuss with the chairman of the North West Water authority the rise in disconnections of water services between 1990–1991 and 1991–1992, with a view to providing emergency services to those households.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Director General of Water Services has the specific function of protecting the interests of customers, including those who are having difficulty in meeting their bills, and is concerned at the sharp increase in disconnections nationally. I welcome the action he has
  665
  taken in issuing revised guidelines to companies and his proposals for further research into the characteristics of those who have been disconnected. It is right that bills should be paid, but also that companies should provide every assistance to customers who are having difficulty in meeting their bills. The legislation now provides that, in virtually all instances, customers will not be disconnected unless they have failed to comply with the terms of a court order for repayment of outstanding arrears. Where a supply of water to a house is disconnected, and is not re-connected within 24 hours, the company must notify the local authority in whose area the house is situated. The terms of an appointee's licence provide that no customer should be disconnected if he or she is seeking assistance from DSS and has notified the company to that effect.

DEFENCE

  Detention Sentences
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) men and (b) women are serving a detention sentence in military establishments in England and Wales as of 8 June.

  Mr. Aitken
  As at 8 June there were 232 males and seven females serving sentences at military detention centres in England. There are no detention centres in Wales. In the Army and RAF sentences of less than 28 days are served at local establishments. The numbers detained at local establishments are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Military Prisons
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military prisons in England and Wales.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Armed Forces no longer have any military prisons. The last one, Shepton Mallet, closed in 1968. All service personnel sentenced to imprisonment by courts martial serve their sentence in civil prisons.

  Markle and Forss Stations
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has reached a decision on the future use of land at the Markle and Forss communications stations, Caithness; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  No final decisions have yet been taken.

  Civilian Establishment, Catterick
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current civilian establishment at Catterick garrison and RAF Catterick; and what is the projected establishment for each successive year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Aitken
  The current civilian establishments at Catterick garrison and RAF Catterick are 1,221 and 85 respectively. In common with many other Defence establishments in the United Kingdom, those at Catterick are currently under review. Until this review is completed, it is not possible to give forecasts of likely future civilians numbers.

  Cambodia
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 291, what means of self-protection will be available to Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel operating on Cambodian vessels as part of the naval group within the UN transitional authority in Cambodia.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Royal Naval and Royal Marine personnel operating on Cambodian vessels as part of the United Kingdom's contribution to UNTAC are acting as United Nations military observers and, in accordance with the usual practice, will not be armed. The security of all United Kingdom participants in UNTAC is the responsibility of the United Nations and the Cambodian factions. We do however, keep the security position in Cambodia and the possible threat to the safety of United Kingdom personnel under continuous review.

  Plymouth Urban Development Corporation
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much development land at Plymouth his Department has handed over to the proposed urban development corporation; what funds he has made available from the defence budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  None. The amount of surplus MOD land in Plymouth to be handed over to the proposed urban development corporation and the mechanics of transfer of land and funds remain to be worked out in detail.

  Maersk Ascension
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) of 20 May,Official Report, column 185, if he will set out the total amount paid to date for charter of Maersk Ascension since inception of the charter arrangements; what arrangements existed for bulk fuel storage prior to the charter for Maersk Ascension; what assessment his Department has made of the costs of construction of appropriate onshore facilities and of subsequent running costs; and for what purposes bulk fuel storage at Ascension island is required.

  Mr. Aitken
  Since inception of the charter arrangements for the Maersk Ascension in July 1983, the Department has paid just over £23.5 million in charter costs to date. Before the Falklands campaign there was no requirement for bulk fuel storage for the RAF at Ascension island. During and after the conflct temporary storage arrangements were made involving the use of pillow tanks. In 1988 a limited study showed the costs of construction of an appropriate on-shore facility to be around £11 million. No estimate for running costs was made. A detailed investment appraisal is currently being undertaken. The requirement for bulk fuel storage at Ascension island is to support routine flying activities and for refuelling of aircraft flying to the Falkland islands.

  Royal Navy Helicopter Team
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why he proposes to disband the Royal Navy helicopter display team.
  667
  Mr. Aitken
  My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member.

  Menwith Hill Station
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long notices informing the public of their right to inspect plans of a proposed planning application for the extension of the sewage works at Menwith Hill station were displayed; what was the period of display specified by the defence land agent; and what complaints he has received about the period the notices were displayed.

  Mr. Aitken
  The notices concerning the proposed development of sewage works at Menwith Hill station were displayed on two separate occasions for a total of 14 days. The original period specified by the Defence land agent was seven days in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act Section 65(3). One complaint has been received regarding the period the notice was displayed.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will withdraw a planning application for the extension of the sewage works at Menwith Hill station.

  Mr. Aitken
  No.

  W. S. Atkins Ltd.
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the nature and total value of contracts awarded to W. S. Atkins Ltd. and associated companies by(a) his Department and (b) or International Military Services Ltd. or its subsidiaries, for each year since 1980.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has placed contracts with W. S. Atkins Ltd. and associated companies as follows:

  Financial year

  Value of contracts £

  1982–83

  80,730

  1983–84

  48,050

  1984–85

  45,950

  1985–86

  152,307

  1986–87

  155,265

  1987–88

  1,106,893

  1988–89

  850,961

  1989–90

  887,640

  1990–91

  422,233

  1991–92

  1,690,388

  The nature of work includes research, development, design, feasibility and project studies, new building, utilities agreements and production. Records for earlier years are not available.
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  With regard to contracts placed by International Military Services Ltd., IMS ceased trading on 31 July 1991. Details of individual contracts concluded prior to this date are commercial in confidence.

  Aircraft
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each type of operational aircraft currently in service and the numbers of each.

  Mr. Aitken
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on 13 May,Official Report, column 152.

  Iraq
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 5 June, to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn),Official Report, column 672, if he will provide details of the type and nature of the evidence that Iraq had developed a crude nuclear warhead design; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Iraqi documentation seized by the International Atomic Energy Authority's sixth nuclear inspection team provided the incontrovertible evidence of Iraq's development of a crude nuclear device. A report on that inspection is available in the Library.

  Brigadier Anthony Cowgill
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance has been provided by his Department to Brigadier Anthony Cowgill; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Brigadier Cowgill saw a number of open files from the Public Record Office in the Ministry of Defence. He also saw in the Ministry of Defence several open microfilms of allied documents from the national archives in Washington which that archive had sent to the Ministry of Defence for its permission for their release, as is the normal practice.

  Public Records
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance in searching public records has been provided by his Department to researchers and authors in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Whilst resources preclude us from undertaking detailed research for members of the public, we endeavour to be as helpful as possible with the many inquiries received in writing or orally, by directing enquirers to relevant material in the Public Record Office or elsewhere.

DEFENCE

  Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the discussions that his Department has had with the Greenwich health authority and the South East Thames regional health authority about the future of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital; and if he will place copies of any relevant correspondence and other documentation in the Library.

  Mr. Aitken
  Officials of my Department have had exploratory talks with members of the Greenwich health authority and, more recently, with members of the South East Thames regional health authority about a number of proposals concerning the future of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital. These talks have been conducted in confidence.

  El Alamein
  Mr. Wolfson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations he has received from British veterans of El Alamein about a memorial service to mark the 50th anniversary of the victory; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make it his policy that the allied victory at El Alamein in 1942 should be commemorated by a memorial service in London to mark the 50th Anniversary in October.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Ministry of Defence has received a small number of representations from veterans of the battle and a number of questions have been asked in the House of Lords.

  The 50th anniversary of the battle will be commemorated in Egypt at a Commonwealth ceremony and at an international ceremony held jointly with Germany and Italy. I understand that 400 to 500 veterans will be present, in parties arranged by the Royal British Legion and the Eighth Army Association.

  The Government do not arrange memorial services in London to commemorate particular battles of this kind. However, the Royal British Legion's annual festival at the Royal Albert hall will this year mark the 50th anniversary of the battle and I understand the Eighth Army Association is expecting 2,000 of its 3,000 members to be at its annual reunion in Blackpool on 31 October. In addition I understand that the Royal British Legion will invite the Eighth Army Association to lead the Remembrance Day parade.

  Director of Public Prosecutions
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions his Department has written to the Director of Public Prosecutions drawing the attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions to the value of work done for his Department by individuals against whom the Director of Public Prosecutions is evaluating evidence with the intention of deciding to prosecute;

  (2) whether he will publish the letter sent by his Department to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland before the final decision to prosecute Mr. Nelson outlining Mr. Nelson's services for the security forces in Northern Ireland.
  670
  Mr. Rifkind
  It is not the practice to disclose the substance of consultations as to the public interest.

  Housing Stock
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dwellings owned by his Department remained vacant on 31 March this year, and on the same date in each of the previous two years, in each of the six district council areas in Cornwall; what arrangements have been agreed to make them available on a fixed-term basis for renting by the local authorities or housing associations; and if he will make a statement on his policy to enable the best possible use of housing stock in rural areas with major homelessness problems.

  Mr. Aitken
  The number of vacant dwellings owned by my Department in Cornwall over the last three years as at 31 March was as follows:

  Number

  1990

  118

  1991

  80

  1992

  98

  Figures for individual district council areas are not available. The figure for 31 March 1992 represents just over 9 per cent. of our total stock and is in line with advice from outside consultants on the appropriate management margin needed to meet Defence requirements. Many of the vacant properties were either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work or modernisation, while others were already allotted to service families who were due to move in shortly. Wherever possible we do arrange leases of temporarily surplus houses to local authorities and housing associations. We currently have some 950 properties on lease throughout the United Kingdom, including 17 on lease in Cornwall to Kerrier district council.

  The Department's policy is to dispose of all property which is surplus to its long term requirements. Of the 2 MOD dwellings currently being sold in Cornwall, 19 at Padstow were offered to the Council and to a local housing association but the offer was declined. They are now to be sold on the open market.

  Supply Management Unit
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will transfer back to RAF Carlisle the deputy director of supply management 15 unit which is at present situated at RAF Harrogate.

  Mr. Aitken
  No. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces announced to the House on 4 June, it is proposed that the RAF's support management organisation at Harrogate will relocate to Wyton as part of the RAF's new Logistics Command.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of staff of the Defence Export Services Organisation are seconded from industry; and what functions they perform.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Head of the Defence Export Services Organisation (HDES) and the international finance adviser (IFA) are both seconded from industry. The IFA
  671
  advises HDES and United Kingdom companies on the financing and credit insurance facilities available to support overseas defence sales.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed in each of the overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation and, in each case, what is the estimated annual cost of the office; and how many are employed in the London office.

  Mr. Aitken
  The following is a breakdown of the Defence Export Services Organisation overseas offices, the numbers of staff employed in each office and the estimated annual cost of each office:

  1992–93

  Office

  Staff numbers

  Estimated costs £

  New Delhi

  3

  91,200

  Riyadh

  2

  86,900

  Kuala Lumpur

  7

  128,500

  Seoul

  3

  109,600

  Ankara

  1

  47,100

  Kuwait

  1

  65,400

  Canberra

  2

  70,700

  Jakarta

  3

  75,800

  Bangkok

  2

  68,800

  The Defence staff in Washington (1992–93 cost estimate £600,000) are no longer included in the Defence Export Services Organisation budget.

  There are 246 staff employed in the London office.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Public Petitions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he expects to respond to the fourth report from the Select Committee on Procedure of Session 1991–92, on public petitions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  The report was published on 21 May and I am still considering it.

HEALTH

  Nurses
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to decrease the work load of national health service nurses.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for NHS employers to ensure that units are adequately staffed to meet the workload requirements and agreed standards and to ensure that there is no excessive work burden on individual nurses.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the training and support for community nurses when the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 comes into effect.

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for regional health authorities to calculate the overall demand for training non-medical staff, including community nurses and to top-slice sufficient funds for appropriate training places. The 672
  Department will be monitoring the way in which regions discharge this responsibility. We shall expect regions to co-ordinate their training plans with requirements identified in locally agreed community care plans.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will consider establishing confidential counselling for nurses at the unit level at all national health service hospitals.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The provision of counselling services for NHS staff is a matter for local management. Where appropriate, they may form part of the local occupational health service.

  Census Information
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when small area statistics of the 1991 census will be available to the public; when they were originally intended for publication; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  In my reply to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 2 June,Official Report, column 454, I stated that every effort will be made to publish 1991 census county monitors by the end of September 1992. Eight were published by 16 June. These monitors contain summary statistics for all local authority districts on all the census topics for which answers were fully processed. The corresponding small area statistics for enumeration districts and wards in England and Wales and for output areas and postcode sectors in Scotland follow the publication of the monitors, and will be released county by county between June and October 1992. The original timetable for the release of these statistics was October 1991 to August 1992. For the reason for the processing problem which caused the delay I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State gave the then Member for Nottingham. South. Mr. Brandon-Bravo, on 5 March at columns 272-73.

  Further details of the census output timetable will be published in "Census Newsletters", copies of which are placed in the Library. The next issue, No. 22, will contain a revised timetable for the publication of individual county monitors.

  Residential Care
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she plans to encourage dual registration of nursing and residential homes.

  Mr. Yeo
  It is for homes to decide what type of care they wish to offer. We have provided for dual registration so that a single home can provide both residential and nursing care.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that clients of nursing and residential homes are fully informed of the service available in their community when the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 comes into effect.

  Mr. Yeo
  The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 requires local authorities to prepare community care plans in consultation with local health authorities, housing authorities, voluntary organisations and representatives of service users and their carers. These plans should be published and made widely available to the public.
  673
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she plans to monitor the placement of patients in residential and nursing homes when the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 comes into effect.

  Mr. Yeo
  We shall be monitoring the implementation of all the major provisions of the community care reforms.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the numbers of elderly people in Crewe and Nantwich living in(a) local authority nursing homes, (b) local authority residential homes and (c) private nursing homes for the years (i) 1985–86, (ii) 1990–91 and (iii) 1991–92.

  Mr. Yeo
  Nursing homes are not provided by local authorities.

  At 31 March 1991 there were 1,747 people in local authority homes for elderly people in Cheshire including 240 in the Crewe and Nantwich area. This compared with 1,799 at 31 March 1986. The March 1986 comparative figure for the Crewe and Nantwich area is not known. The number includes some younger physically handicapped people, who are not separately identified.

  Information is not collected centrally on the numbers of residents in private nursing homes. The number of beds designated for elderly people in private nursing homes in the Crewe health authority area at 31 March 1991 was 276 compared with 136 at 31 December 1986.

  Information for 1991–92 is not yet available.

  Hospital Managers
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish a code of conduct for managers in national health service hospitals.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no plans to establish a general code of conduct for NHS hospital managers. Guidance will continue to be issued on specific management matters as the need arises.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will create a training programme for managers of national health service hospitals in staff and personnel relations.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The importance of good staff and personnel relations is being increasingly recognised by those involved in training managers of national health service hospitals. The general but strong view in the Department and NHS is that staff and personnel relations training should continue to be integrated into general management training rather than be compartmentalised, thus creating the danger of it being seen as an "optional extra".

  NHS Contracts
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to preclude clauses in national health service contracts of employment which restrict freedom of speech, other than in respect of medical confidence.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We shall shortly be consulting with professional interests, managers, and those representing patients, on proposed new guidance to clarify the basis on which NHS staff may express views about the provision of 674
  services. A balance must be struck between the duty of staff to raise matters of professional concern and the need to safeguard confidentiality.

  Dentists
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average income of an NHS dentist, net of expenses, in the Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster family health services authority area.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information about dentists' net remuneration for particular family health services authority areas is not available centrally.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many eye tests were carried out in the London borough of Waltham Forest in each year since 1987.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Figures are not available in respect of London boroughs. The numbers of NHS sight tests paid for in each financial year by the Redbridge and Waltham Forest family health services authority are shown in the table. The Department does not collect information on the volume of private sight tests carried out.

  Year

  Number of sight tests

  1987–88

  111,070

  1988–89

  118,100

  1989–90

  154,960

  1990–91

  43,070

  1 It is estimated that there were 23,530 tests carried out before 1 April 1989—when NHS sight tests were restricted to certain groups in the population—for which payment was not made until the 1989–90 financial year. The remaining 31,430 paid for in 1989–90 do not represent a full year under the new system, because of the delay in payments.

  Nicotine Patches
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will authorise the supply of nicotine patches for the treatment of smoking under the national health service.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has any plans to make nicotine plaster patches available by prescription under the NHS.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The supply of nicotine patches on prescription is currently being considered by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances.

  Abortion
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will make it her policy to ensure that women considering abortions have the option of access to ultrasound scanning facilities to enable them more fully to understand the nature of the operation about which they are being counselled; and to ensure that the existence of such an option is explained to them.

  Mr. Sackville
  The decision as to whether an ultrasound scan should be used in any particular case is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned. Counselling should include the provision of any information the woman may wish to have about her condition or the operation being contemplated.
  675
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women normally resident overseas visited the United Kingdom for abortions in the latest year for which figures are available; and what information she has on the total level of fees which was thus generated.

  Mr. Sackville
  In the period 1 October 1990 to 30 September 1991, 11,552 non-residents had abortions in England, Wales and Scotland. Fees paid will vary according to gestation, any complications and length of stay. The total is not known centrally.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names and addresses of all those private clinics which are licensed by her Department for the performing of abortions, indicating where appropriate those which have special arrangements for late abortions, and giving the most recent two dates upon which an unannounced visit was made by officials representing her Department to each of those clinics to inspect their facilities and the service which they provided.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Health gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman) on 3 February at columns 86-89. Those private sector places approved to perform abortions over 20 and up to 24 weeks with dates of the last two visits by Department of Health officials are:

  Approved place

  Date of last two visits

  Robert clinic, Birmingham

  July 1991 and January 1992

  Leigham clinic, London

  October 1991 and March 1992

  Rosslyn nursing home, East Twickenham, Middlesex

  October 1991 and February 1992

  Wistons nursing home, Brighton

  September 1991 and November 1991

  Raleigh nursing home, London

  March 1992 and May 1992

  Parkview clinic, London

  December 1991 and May 1992

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of abortions performed under the terms of the Abortion Act 1967, in NHS facilities or in private clinics but at a cost to the NHS, in the latest year for which figures are available; what was the average cost of each of those abortions to the national health service; what is the resultant total cost of abortions to the NHS in that year; and whether these estimates include the cost of treating those patients who suffer adverse physical or mental reactions as a result of the abortion.

  Mr. Sackville
  The total number of abortions in England, Wales and Scotland performed under the National Health Service in 1990, either in NHS hospitals or through arrangements between NHS authorities and the private sector, was 93,212. The cost of an abortion varies according to gestation, any complications and length of stay. The average cost of a straightforward in-patient abortion in an NHS hospital is £270 at 1990–91 prices. This figure does not include the cost of any subsequent patient care.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions 676
  performed under the Abortion Act 1967 since its implementation; and how many and what percentage of these abortions were performed (a) in respect of babies conceived as the result of rape and (b) under the social clause, ground II.

  Mr. Sackville
  A total of 3,688,096 abortions have been performed in Great Britain under the Abortion Act 1967 since its implementation. (This covers the period from the time when the Act came into force on 27 April 1968 until 30 September 1991, the latest date for which figures are available). Of these, 3,154,637 (85.5 per cent.) were performed on the ground that"the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated."

  The remaining information requested is not available in the precise form specified. As rape is not in itself a statutory ground for performing an abortion under the 1967 Act, and is not required to be specified on the notification form by the certifying doctor, the exact number of notifications of abortions associated with rape is not known. However, in some cases the information is volunteered, and arrangements have been made to code separately and analyse all notification forms which mention rape from 1987 in Great Britain. Of the 912,546 notifications received from the period 1987 to 30 September 1991 for abortions performed in Great Britain, 191 (0.02 per cent.) mentioned rape. Earlier, but non-comparable, data relating to abortions performed in England and Wales were collected clerically and published for the years 1968–73, in table 12 of the Registrar General's "Statistical Review, Supplement on Abortion", a copy of which is in the Library. The reliability of these earlier data is uncertain.

  Dentists' Pay
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to delay the implementation of the 1992–93 dentists' remuneration from 8 July to a date later in the year to allow the fundamental review of dentists' remuneration to be finalised; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It would not be helpful to delay the implementation of a revised fee scale beyond July. In 1991–92, dentists received on average some £12,000 more than the level of pay agreed by the Government following the recommendation of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB). The evidence suggests that the existing fee scale is continuing to provide substantially more than the DDRB recommended.

  In 1992–93, even with the 7 per cent. fee reduction proposed, the average dentist is likely to receive some £5,000 more than the DDRB recommendation of £35,815. This proposal is fair to dentists, fair to their patients, the tax-payers, and fair to other national health service staff.

  Dental remuneration is a complex, sensitive and important issue. We are looking to the review to develop a system which more effectively and more fairly remunerates all dentists for the important work they do.

  Peto Institute
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the undertaking to contribute towards the development of the International
  677
  Peto Institute in Budapest; whether other OECD countries have contributed; how much of the United Kingdom Government grant has been spent; if she will list the principal elements of the new Institute which have already been paid for, and which will be paid for in the remainder of this financial year; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  The United Kingdom Government have undertaken to contribute £5 million towards the costs of establishing the International Peto Institute in Budapest, which will provide conductive education for children with physical disabilities and training in conductive education. We are not aware that other OECD countries have contributed. The United Kingdom Government have made an initial payment of £1,750,000. Our agreement with the Hungarian Government provides that subsequent payments will be dependent upon progress with construction.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which of the agencies established to date are run on a trading fund basis; which are subject to gross running costs control; and which are subject to net running cost control.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have been asked to reply.

  The following agencies operate as trading funds:

  Central Office of Information

  Companies House

  Fire Service College

  HMSO

  Patent Office

  Royal Mint

  The Buying Agency

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  The following agencies operate under net running cost control:

  Accounts Services Agency

  ADAS Agency

  Building Research Establishment

  Central Veterinary Laboratory

  Civil Service College

  DVOIT

  Historic Royal Palaces

  Laboratory of the Government Chemist

  Land Registry

  Medicines Control Agency

  National Engineering Laboratory

  National Physical Laboratory

  Natural Resources Institute

  Ordnance Survey

  Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

  Radiocommunications Agency

  Registers of Scotland

  Transport Research Laboratory

  678

  Valuation Office

  Vehicle Certification Agency

  Warren Spring Laboratory

  Wilton Park Conference Centre

  The following agencies operate under gross running cost control:

  Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments)

  Central Science Laboratory

  Central Statistical Office

  Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment1

  Compensation Agency

  Defence Research Agency

  Directorate General of Defence Accounts1

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency

  Driving Standards Agency

  Duke of York's Royal Military School

  Employment Service

  Forensic Science Service

  Historic Scotland

  Hydrographic Office1

  Insolvency Service

  Intervention Board

  Meteorological Office

  Military Survey1

  National Weights and Measures Laboratory

  Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation1

  NHS Estates

  Occupational Health Service

  Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland

  Planning Inspectorate

  Public Record Office

  Queen Victoria School

  RAF Maintenance1

  Rate Collection Agency

  Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency

  Scottish Agricultural Science Agency

  Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency

  Service Children's School (North West Europe)1

  Social Security Agency

  Social Security Benefits Agency

  Social Security Contributions Agency

  Social Security Information Technology Services Agency

  Social Security Resettlement Agency

  Teachers' Pensions Agency

  Training and Employment Agency

  United Kingdom Passport Agency

  Veterinary Medicines Directorate

  1 Defence Support Agency.

  Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue (excluding the Valuation Office) are departments operating fully on Next Steps lines with 30 executive units and 34 executive offices respectively. Gross control of running costs applies to both departments except in the case of Inland Revenue's Valuation Office which, as shown, operates as a free standing agency under net control.

  A few agencies, such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, shown as operating under gross control, have limited freedom to utilise income to meet expenditure subject to guidelines agreed with the parent Department and the Treasury.

  MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR GREEN ISSUES
  MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR GREEN ISSUES
  CHARITY TRUSTEES: POWER OF SALE
  CHARITY TRUSTEES: POWER OF SALE
  PRISON INSPECTION REPORTS: PUBLICATION DELAYS
  PRISON INSPECTION REPORTS: PUBLICATION DELAYS
  SPECIAL CONSTABLES: PENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  SPECIAL CONSTABLES: PENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  MAXIMUM WORKPLACE TEMPERATURE
  MAXIMUM WORKPLACE TEMPERATURE
  EMPLOYMENT APPEAL TRIBUNAL: SUCCESSFUL APPEALS
  EMPLOYMENT APPEAL TRIBUNAL: SUCCESSFUL APPEALS