Written Answers of 30 June 1992

TRANSPORT

  London Underground
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many administrative staff were employed by London Underground as a whole(a) in 1979 and (b) currently; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  I understand that 1,250 administrative staff were employed by London Underground as at 25 April 1992. No comparable figure is available for 1979, which was before London Underground became a nationalised industry. However, the number of administrative staff will undoubtedly have increased over the period, as a result of the number of major capital investment projects which London Underground now has to manage.

  Motorway Service Areas
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorway service areas were built each year from 1979 to the current year.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The information requested is as follows:

  1979

  None

  1980

  None

  1981

  None

  1982

  None

  1983

  None

  1984

  None

  1985

  1 (Ferrybridge, M62)

  1986

  2 (South Mimms, M25; Sedgemoor southbound, M5)

  1987

  1 (Sedgemoor northbound, M5)

  1988

  None

  1989

  None

  1990

  2 (Thurrock, M25; Tamworth, M42)

  1991

  None

  1992

  None

  These details cover only motorway services areas in England; those in Wales and Scotland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions he has reached on the provision of motorway service areas following the publication of his consultation document in February; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Some 200 responses to the consultation document have been received. They are currently being considered and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to make a further statement shortly.

  Auxiliary Coastguards
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the review by the regional controller of the detailed proposals for the reorganisation of auxiliary coastguards in Cornwall.

  Mr. Norris
  Her Majesty's Coastguard's regional controller Falmouth undertook a reappraisal of the operational requirements of the sector review in the south-west and submitted his proposals to coastguard headquarters. Additional operational evidence to substantiate the proposals was required by coastguard headquarters, which is currently being studied.

  Local Authority Airports
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to require local authorities to sell their shareholding in local authority airports to the general public and private sector institutions; what plans he has to encourage local authorities to sell such shares to the general public and private sector institutions before he requires them to do so; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Sir T. Arnold) on 18 May,Official Report, column 31.

  Roads (Adoption)
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to amend his Department's circular 3/92 on transport and policies programme submissions, to include the adoption of roads as one of his principal objectives for capital spending on roads.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I have no such plans.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will extend the criteria used in considering application for transport supplementary grants to include the adoption of roads.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  No. Transport supplementary grant is for capital expenditure cost on existing local authority roads. Its main purpose is to finance improvements on roads of more than local importance.

  South Circular Road
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to bring forward proposals arising from the south circular assessment study before 16 July.

  Mr. Norris
  No. More time is needed to consider these proposals. I want to be sure that any which are taken forward are fully justified on environmental, safety and traffic capacity grounds.

  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further plans he has for land acquisitions in connection with the A205 south circular Catford relief road; and what discussions he has had with(a) the London residuary body and (b) the London borough of Lewisham on the land acquisition programme.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department has for some time been negotiating the acquisition of a small plot of land, outside
  449
  the compulsory purchase order originally promoted by the Greater London Council for this improvement scheme. This was school land, formerly owned by the Inner London education authority and transferred to the London residuary body—now the responsibility of the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Solicitors for the parties are in the process of drawing up the necessary transfer documents. The Department has no further plans for land acquisition in connection with this trunk road scheme. The Department has had no discussions with the London borough of Lewisham on the land acquisition programme for this scheme.

  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer on 24 June,Official Report, column 245, on what date he expects to consult local authorities and others about the further recommendations of his Department's consultants, Travers Morgan, arising from the south circular assessment study.

  Mr. Norris
  I do not envisage further consultation on recommendations made by the consultants who carrried out the south circular assessment study. We informed Lewisham borough council in March that a limited scheme to improve conditions at the A205/Burnt Ash Hill junction had been added to the Department's national roads programme. We shall be consulting them further when more detailed proposals are available. The case for other limited road improvement schemes on the A205 is still being considered. Consultation on individual schemes will follow as and when appropriate in accordance with the Department's normal procedures. I cannot forecast at this stage when that might be.

  Milk Floats
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures are available on the number of accidents and injuries associated with milk floats.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Milk floats cannot he specifically identified from accident records held by the Department. However, using vehicle registration marks, additional vehicle information is obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency at Swansea for about 80 per cent. of vehicles involved in injury accidents. The table shows information on injury accidents in 1990 where DVLA data indicate the involvement of floats. The 1991 data are not yet available.

  Injury accidents involving floats and casualties in those accidents: by float propulsion type: Great Britain: 1990

  Number

  Casualties

  Propulsion type

  Injury accidents

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  Electric

  124

  3

  31

  126

  Other

  64

  1

  14

  70

  A45
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the proposals on the renaissance project road works affecting the A45 near the national exhibition centre; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We have assessed the scheme against the usual criteria for transport supplementary 450
  grant: its eligibility as a scheme on a road of more than local importance; its economic performance and its effects on road safety, the environment, the local community and local industry and commerce. It performed well against these criteria and has been accepted for transport supplementary grant and credit approvals from the present financial year onwards. The renaissance area road and the A45 to which it connects are not trunk roads.

  Bus Deregulation
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what means he plans to ensure that after the privatisation and deregulation of bus services in London(a) standards of service for the public are maintained throughout the week, (b) conditions of employment facilities and health checks for the staff are of the same level and (c) that in central London traffic congestion is not increased by unregulated flows of privately owned buses.

  Mr. Norris
  I am confident that competition will ensure a high standard of service on those routes which are operated commercially. The London Bus Executive will specify service standards for uncommercial routes operated under contract.

  The health and safety of employees will, as in other industries, be the responsibility of the individual employer, who will be subject to inspection by the Health and Safety Executive. I do not anticipate a great influx of new operators into central London, where the costs of bus operation are high. The traffic commissioner and local authorities will, in any case, have adequate powers available to them to deal with any congestion problems that do arise.

  National Exhibition Centre
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the national exhibition centre about the volume of road traffic attracted to the centre when the motor show and the ideal homes exhibition are held at the same time; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My Department chairs a working group of all the interests involved, including the national exhibition centre, the local highway authorities and the police, to draw up proposals for managing motor show and ideal homes exhibition traffic. We will do what we can to ensure that the traffic runs as smoothly as possible.

  Cycle Parking
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidelines to local authorities on the secure parking of cycles on roadsides and pavements.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 9 June,Official Report, column 115.

  A628
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish preferred routes for the A628 Tintwistle, Hollingworth, Mottram bypass.
  451
  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I cannot give a firm date. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport will introduce proposals for public consultation as soon as he can.

  Emergency Standby Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many standby vessels have been assessed as satisfactory in terms of the regulations and criteria set out in the revised code for the assessment of the suitability of standby vessels attending offshore installations; what proportion of the fleet of standby vessels this number represents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Forty-three standby vessels, representing 22 per cent. of the fleet, have been assessed and comply with the revised code. A further 75 vessels are at various stages of assessment.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many standby vessels have been assessed as unsuitable or inadequate in relation to the regulations and criteria set out in the revised code for the assessment of the suitability of standby vessels attending offshore installations; and what action was taken in each case.

  Mr. Norris
  Full compliance with the code is not required until 31 December 1992 to allow vessel owners time to carry out any modifications found necessary. Most of the 75 vessels currently under assessment will require some modification and owners are being advised accordingly; it is for owners to decide if the cost of modification renders the further use of their vessels uneconomic.

  Harbour Police
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory protection exists for constables of police forces under the provisions of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 from unfair dismissal; what statutory restrictions exist on their taking industrial action; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.

  Mr. Norris
  I understand that the provisions of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 do not apply to persons employed as police constables under any enactment. The provisions of the 1847 Act, which are incorporated in various local harbours Acts, cover only the swearing in of constables and their dismissal from that office by the justices. They do not mention conditions of employment.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory protection exists for constables of the Port of Tilbury police from unfair dismissal; what statutory restrictions exist on their taking industrial action; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.

  Mr. Norris
  There is provision for a statutory police federation at the Port of Tilbury. The legislation debars constables from membership of a trade union. I understand that taking part in industrial action would be a disciplinary offence.

  Road Traffic Act 1991
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1991 are coming into effect on 1 July; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The whole of part I of the Road Traffic Act 1991 will come into force on 1 July, with the exception of the provisions already in force and sections 41 and 42—variation of parking charges—which have yet to come into force. Schedules 1 and 2 and various consequential amendments and repeals will also come into force on that date.

  Saltford Bypass
  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish the environmental study report of the proposed route from Keynsham to Beckington, south of Bath, including the Saltford bypass.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The report on this study has not yet been completed. I will make an announcement when I am satisfied that an environmentally acceptable route can be found for a new road bypassing Bath to the south and west.

  M1-M62 Link
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if proposals for a link road between the M1 and M62 require the construction of a motorway service station.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Scheme planning is at too early a stage to assess the requirement for service facilities.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the required alterations in(a) electricity supply cables, (b) gas pipelines, (c) water supply and (d) telecommunications, for the purple and yellow routes proposed for a link road between the M I and M62 motorways.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Information on existing service apparatus has been gathered from the relevant authorities. An assessment has been made of the possible impact on this apparatus, but only in broad terms appropriate to the present early stage of scheme development.

EDUCATION

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

  Mr. Forman
  The number and percentage of registered disabled staff in each grade specified and the overall number for the Department are:

  Number in grade

  Percentage

  Grades 1 to 5

  0

  0

  Grade 6

  4

  1

  Grade 7

  0

  0

  453

  Number in grade

  Percentage

  Overall

  70

  2.5

  The figures include staff in the Teachers Pensions Agency. They also include 386 of Her Majesty's inspectorate staff, of whom the majority, together with their support staff, will transfer to the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector which is to be considered as a separate non-ministerial department from 1 September 1992.

  Mature Students
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total number of mature students attending colleges and universities in the United Kingdom for each year since 1981.

  Mr. Forman
  Information is given in the table:

  Mature, home domiciled students1 attending universities (including Open University), polytechnics and colleges in Great Britain

  Year

  Number (thousands)

  1981

  165.4

  1982

  165.7

  1983

  174.7

  1984

  175.0

  1985

  195.3

  1986

  215.8

  1987

  218.9

  1988

  234.5

  1989

  250.1

  1990

  274.8

  1 Mature students defined as those enrolling as first years on first degree and sub-degree courses aged 21 or over and on postgraduate courses at age 25 or over.

  Mandatory Awards
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to review the list of courses regarded as degree equivalent which qualify for mandatory awards.

  Mr. Forman
  My right hon. Friend has no such plans.

  Education Funding, Bradford
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will arrange to meet a representative group of parents and governors during his visit to Bradford on 13 July to discuss the effect of the current financial position of schools on the numbers of teaching staff; if he will also arrange to meet the chair of the local education authority to discuss education funding in Bradford; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Arrangements have already been made for my right hon. Friend's visit to Bradford and it is not possible for him to include additional meetings in his itinerary.

  Women Engineers
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many women took up(a) further engineering courses and (b) higher engineering courses in (i) 1969, (ii) 1985 and (iii) 1991.
  454
  Mr. Forman
  The number of women on engineering and technology courses in England was:

  Thousands

  1985–86

  1990–91

  Further education enrolments

  118

  19

  Higher education enrolments (including universities' student numbers)

  17

  11

  1 Figure adjusted to be broadly comparable in coverage with 1990–91.

  In 1969–70 the information collected was for England and Wales.

  Thousands

  1969–70

  Further education students

  6.0

  Higher education students (including universities)

  0.5

  Transitional Funds
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the transitional grants to be paid to further education and sixth form colleges by individual institution.

  Mr. Forman
  The allocation of transitional funds to colleges will be for the Further Education Funding Council, which is expected to be formed soon.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the percentage of the £25 million Further Education Funding Council transitional fund to be granted directly to further education and sixth form colleges.

  Mr. Forman
  Allocations direct to colleges are expected to account for about two thirds of the £25 million transitional funding to be made available to the Further Education Funding Council in 1992–93. The balance will be required to meet the running costs of the council and the costs of supporting colleges' preparations for incorporation on a national basis.

  "Getting Colleges Ready"
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the total cost of the current Touche Ross survey "Getting Colleges Ready"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forman
  Information about the cost of the study carried out by Touche Ross is commercially confidential. The handbook prepared by Touche Ross as a result of the study, entitled "Getting Your College Ready", was issued at the end of April and has been widely welcomed by colleges.

  Pilot Tests
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the pilot tests in English for 14-year-olds; and what part was played by the Northern Examining Association in the development of the tests.

  Mr. Patten
  Last year, the School Examinations and Assessment Council, with the agreement of my
  455
  predecessor and of the Secretary of State for Wales, commissioned the preparation of the first statutory tests for 14-year-olds in mathematics, science, English, Welsh and technology, which will be held in 1993.

  The development of the tests is well advanced, and a successful national pilot of the mathematics and science tests was held earlier this month. At the same time, prototype English and technology tests were trialled in a small number of schools in both England and Wales, and prototype tests in Welsh were trialled in some Welsh schools.

  As work on the English tests has developed, it has become clear that some changes are needed in order to secure rigour and a proper test of the breadth and depth of pupils' reading. On the advice of the School Examinations and Assessment Council, under its chairman, Lord Griffiths, I have therefore decided that the English tests for 1993 should consist of:

  questions on a set Shakespeare play;

  questions on a standard anthology of short stories, poems and extracts chosen to reflect the breadth of reading required by the English national curriculum order, to be distributed to secondary schools in advance of the tests; an objective test of pupils' basic reading skills, including their grammar and vocabulary;

  a test of comprehension of an unseen passage, which will also serve as a test of pupils' writing skills;

  a separate test of pupils' imaginative writing.

  In view of these changes, SEAC intends to invite fresh tenders to write the tests for 1993. It will be open to the Northern Examining Association, which has worked on the tests so far, to tender for this new contract. I am placing copies of the specification in the Library.

  This decision will ensure that the first tests for 14-year-olds in 1993 will be academically rigorous; will reflect the breadth of reading specified in the national curriculum; and will prove manageable for teachers and stimulating for pupils.

  Special Educational Needs
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to publish the planned consultative proposals to shorten the special educational assessment procedure, to introduce the right for the parents of children with special educational needs to express a preference for a school and to improve parental rights of appeal against a local authority decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My noble Friend the Baroness 131atch announced in another place on 29 June that we shall issue shortly a consultation paper which will set out the Government's proposals for legislation relating to special educational needs in these respects.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the average cost of producing a statement of special educational needs in each local education authority.

  Mr. Forth
  This information is not available centrally.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to amend the statement of special educational needs so that the provision required for the pupil is precisely stated.

  Mr. Forth
  Guidance to ensure that any provision set out in a statement of educational needs is stated precisely 456
  already exists in circular 22/89, September 1989, and its addendum, March 1992, issued jointly by the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health. However, as part of the Government's current initiative in special education, my right hon. Friend will shortly be consulting widely on the procedures for issuing statements of special educational needs.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to ensure that all inspections of schools will involve an assessment of the school's work with children with special educational needs.

  Mr. Forth
  At present, all full inspections of schools by Her Majesty's inspectorate cover all aspects of provision, including special educational needs. The arrangements from 1 September 1992 will be a matter for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to clarify the requirements for formula funding schemes to allow the local education authority accurately to determine the level of funding required for each pupil's special educational needs to be met as defined by their statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Guidance to authorities on the question of formula funding for special educational needs is provided at paragraph 101 of DES circular 7/91. My right hon. Friend will consider the possibility of further guidance in the light of the wide-ranging consultation on special educational needs which he is about to undertake.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to introduce national guidelines defining the level of responsibility mainstream schools should have for pupils with special educational needs.

  Mr. Forth
  This question will be considered in the light of responses to the wide-ranging consultation on special educational needs which my right hon. Friend will shortly undertake.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the average length of time it takes to produce a statement of special educational needs in each local education authority.

  Mr. Forth
  This information is not available centrally.

  Pupil Exclusions
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans he has to make a study of indefinite pupil exclusions from school;

  (2) whether he will make it his policy to collect statistics from local education authorities on pupil exclusions annually; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on pupils permanently excluded from school is already being collected from local education authorities over a two-year period starting with the summer term 1990 under the national exclusions reporting system (NERS). My right hon. Friend will review the need for further statistics or studies in the light of the findings from NERS and other intelligence.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether he will issue guidance to local
  457
  education authorities on (a) the recording of pupil exclusions from school and (b) the tuition of pupils excluded from school;

  (2) whether he will commission an independent study of the underlying causes of the increase in pupil exclusions from schools.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend will consider the need for such guidance, and for further study, as part of his forthcoming review of the operation of the exclusion provisions in the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 in the light of the returns from the national exclusions reporting system and other information.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to publish the report on the two-year study of pupil exclusions.

  Mr. Forth
  Final returns under the national exclusions reporting system must reach the Department for analysis by 30 September. When that process is completed, and in the light of his review of the exclusions procedures more generally, my right hon. Friend will consider how the information should be made available.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he intends to monitor the incidence of exclusions from school among pupils from ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on the ethnic origin of pupils permanently excluded from school is already collected under the national exclusions reporting system.

  "Getting in on the Act"
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish his response to the joint Audit Commission and Her Majesty's inspectorate's report "Getting in on the Act"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  A press statement welcoming the publication of the report was issued on 25 June and was placed in the Library.

  Extra Education Assistance
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to introduce national guidelines for education authorities to identify when a child requires extra educational assistance.

  Mr. Forth
  The Government are already considering the development of this sort of guidance. My right hon. Friend will be consulting the local authority associations shortly.

  Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to clarify the number of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties and the provision currently available to them and to assess the effectiveness of such provision.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend has no such plans. Under the terms of the Education Act 1981, provision is made not for different categories of handicap but for the 458
  special educational needs of individul children. Proposals to improve access to the present arrangements for assessments and statements will be brought forward later in the year.

  Education Act 1981
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to introduce incentives for local education authorities to implement fully the Education Act 1981.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend will consider fully this proposal, which is one of the recommendations of the recent Audit Commission/Her Majesty's inspectorate study of special educational needs, later in the year. He wishes first to receive responses to a wide-ranging consultation exercise on special educational needs which he is about to undertake.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members Pay and Allowances
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he drew the question of the hon. Member for Nottingham, North,Official Report, 11 November 1991, column 365, to the attention of the review body; and if he has now received a reply.

  Mr. Newton
  My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, South (Mr. MacGregor) drew the hon. Member's question to the attention of the Top Salaries Review Body on 12 November 1991.

  I understand that a reply was not expected.

  Energy Select Committee
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if the Energy Committee will be retained in its current status as a separate Select Committee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  No. It is the Government's intention to have, where possible, Select Committees shadowing the principal Government Departments.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and overall in his Office are women.

  Mr. Newton
  The Privy Council Office has no staff at grades 1 or 2. At grades 3 to 7 it has five staff, one of whom is a woman (grade 7). Overall, 43 per cent. of current Privy Council Office staff are women.

HEALTH

  Counterfeit Medicines
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many instances of counterfeit medicines reaching the United Kingdom market have been reported to the Medicines Control Agency in each of the years 1989, 1990 and 1991; and if she will state by what means those counterfeit products were detected.
  459
  Dr. Mawhinney
  There was one instance in 1989 and one in 1990. Both instances were reported to the Medicines Control Agency by pharmaceutical companies, and arose from inquiries made by those companies.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has any plans to introduce new measures to reduce the risk of counterfeit medicines being introduced into the United Kingdom.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no plans to introduce new measures. Any reports of alleged import of counterfeit medicines into the United Kingdom are immediately investigated by the enforcement unit of the Medicines Control Agency. The United Kingdom licensing system introduced by the Medicines Act 1968 and covering the import, sale and production of medicinal products is continually kept under review to ensure appropriate safeguards against counterfeit products are maintained.

  Family Health Service Authorities
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a list of family health service authorities showing their expenditure under the indicative prescribing scheme for 1991–92; if she will set out the figures for actual spending as a percentage of their allocation; what is the expenditure per head in each family health service authority; and on how many occasions, in each family health service authority, the family health service authority made inquiries of general practitioners about their prescribing practices.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information on how many occasions, in each family health service authority, the family health service authority made inquiries of general practitioners about their prescribing practices is not held centrally.

  The other information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Asthma Inhalers
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures her Department holds for the estimated total numbers of prescriptions for asthma inhalers to(a) the whole population and (b) under 16-year-olds in the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information on the number of prescriptions for individual drug preparations by population groups in the United Kingdom is not available. The table sets out information on the number of prescriptions for the treatment of asthma by British National Formulary therapeutic classification for England only for 1982–91. For 1991 the table also shows the total prescriptions for asthma preparations for "Young People" based on exemption categories.

  Prescriptions for the treatment of asthma

  Millions

  Year

  Total

  Inhalations

  1982

  15.3

  6.5

  1983

  16.5

  7.6

  1984

  17.7

  8.5

  1985

  19.0

  9.7

  1986

  20.0

  10.6

  1987

  21.0

  11.6

  1988

  22.6

  12.6

  460

  Year

  Total

  Inhalations

  1989

  22.9

  12.9

  1990

  24.1

  13.7

  1991

  27.6

  14.1

  Young people

  1991

  13.8

  —

  Notes:

  1. The data from 1982 to 1990 are estimates based on a sample of in 200 prescriptions dispensed by chemists and appliance contractors.

  2. The data for 1991 are actual prescriptions and include those dispensed by chemist and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and personal administration prescriptions.

  3. The data for the 1991 exemption category "Young People", i.e. children under age 16 and persons under age 19 in full-time education, are based on a sample of 1 in 20 exemption prescriptions dispensed by chemist and appliance contractors.

  4. All figures for 1991 are based on the new PCA statistical returns and refer to the number of prescriptions items as opposed to fees used in previous years.

  Midwives (Grading)
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what response she has made to the report "Post Registration Education in Clinical Midwifery", funded by the Department of Education and Science with reference to the differences between the regions in the clinical grading of staff midwife and midwifery sister posts; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) if she will make a statement about the differences between regions in the grading of similar clinical midwifery posts;

  (3) what response she has made to the recommendations of the review body concerning the differences between regions in the grading of similar midwifery posts.

  Mr. Sackville
  The responsibility for grading all midwifery posts rests with the employing authorities. Complete uniformity in the outcome of grading decisions could not be expected, and variations between regions and countries reflect local organisation of services and the skill mix necessary.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively and overall in her Department are women.

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

  Grade

  Total staff

  Women

  Number

  Per cent.

  1

  1

  0

  0.0

  2

  7

  2

  28.6

  3

  27

  6

  22.2

  4

  29

  9

  31.0

  5

  204

  61

  29.9

  6

  173

  42

  24.3

  7

  532

  151

  28.4

  All grades1

  4,951

  2,704

  54.6

  1 Including grades 1 to 7.

  Notes:

  1. Based on figures obtained from the Department's personnel computer system as at 23 June 1992.
  461
  2. Figures exclude secondees into the Department, special hospitals, youth treatment centres, members of staff on special leave without pay and casual staff of all grades.

  Adoption
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make representations to the Romanian Committee for Adoptions on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. D. Mann of Presteigne, Powys in support of their application for adoption of a child from a Romanian orphanage;

  (2) if she will make representations to the Romanian Committee for Adoptions on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Robinson of Brecon, Powys in support of their application for adoption of a child from a Romanian orphanage;

  (3) what representations her Department has made to the Romanian Committee for Adoptions on behalf of prospective British adoptive parents failing to meet the conditions contained in the agreement on adoptions signed by the Government on 19 March.

  Mr. Yeo
  Prior to signing the agreement between the United Kingdom and the Romanian Committee for Adoptions on 19 March 1992, officials made several approaches to the committee to obtain exemptions to conditions set out in their draft, including a waiver for those prospective adopters who had already applied. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson and Mr. and Mrs. Mann are among those who had made applications.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the British Government intend to seek re-negotiation of the agreement on adoptions signed by her Department and the Romanian Committee on Adoptions on 19 March.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Romanian Committee for Adoptions has agreed to meet officials in December this year to review the working arrangements of the agreement on the adoption of children from Romania to the United Kingdom. The meeting will provide an opportunity for discussions about the conditions contained in the agreement.

  Residential Homes
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she plans to ensure that people in residential homes who experience a sudden down-turn in health will be able to be transferred to nursing homes.

  Mr. Yeo
  From April 1993 local authorities will be responsible for assessing individuals' needs and arranging placements in residential care and nursing homes for those people who need to be publicly supported. Our guidance makes clear that care needs should be regularly reviewed and care packages revised as necessary.

  Solvent Abuse
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures the Government are taking to reduce the incidence of solvent abuse among juveniles; what representations she has received about the work of Re-Solv in this field; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In February of this year the Government launched a national publicity campaign on 462
  solvent misuse consisting of television and press advertising. The objective of the campaign was to raise parental awareness of the problem, and to make further information available by means of a booklet. Re-Solv played a valuable part in the development of the publicity campaign. The Department has recently awarded Re-Solv a grant of £33,000 per year for the next two years towards their central administration costs. The Department of Trade and Industry contributed £37,000 earlier this year towards the cost of producing a new training package developed by Re-Solv to help retailers identify and deal with solvent abusers. An exhibition of Re-Solv's work in combating solvent misuse was held recently in the Upper Waiting Hall.

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

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

  Grade

  Total staff (numbers)

  Registered disabled people

  Number

  Percentage

  1

  1

  0

  0

  2

  7

  0

  0

  3

  27

  0

  0

  4

  29

  2

  6.9

  5

  204

  1

  0.5

  6

  173

  0

  0

  7

  532

  3

  0.6

  All grades (including 1–7)

  4,951

  72

  1.5

  Notes:

  1. Based on figures obtained from the Department's personnel computer system as at 23 June 1992.

  2. The figures exclude secondees into the Department, special hospitals, youth treatment centres, members of staff on special leave without pay and casual staff of all grades.

  Community Care
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether KPMG Management Consultants have completed their report on local authorities community care plans; whether she will place this report in the Library; and what was the cost of this consultancy exercise.

  Mr. Yeo
  KPMG Peat Marwick were commissioned to look at how the independent sector was being involved in the preparation of community care plans. Their report has recently been received and we are considering how its findings may best be made available. The cost of the consultancy is £42,200 exclusive of VAT and expenses.

  Nurses' Grading
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurse clinical grading appeals remain outstanding; what is the average time that has elapsed since they were lodged; how long she expects it will take to clear the backlog; what steps she is taking to expedite hearings; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department does not collect information on appeals at employing authority level. The
  463
  director of personnel of the NHS management executive wrote to regional general managers on 31 March stressing the importance of ensuring that any remaining backlog of cases at local level should be cleared as soon as possible,

  At 31 May 1992 there were 20,412 appeals outstanding at regional level (including those in Scotland and Wales) and 1,890 at national level. The Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council has recently reached agreement on streamlining the appeals process by setting up experimental standing appeals panels at national level—these have now started work—and by providing a facility for referring appeals direct from employing authority to national level if both parties agree. These changes should enable outstanding appeals to be dealt with more expeditiously, although it is too early to estimate how long it will take to complete the exercise.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinical grading appeals have been submitted by nurses in(a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland since the start of the current process.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department does not collect information on appeals at employing authority level. In England at 31 May, 20,775 appeals had been submitted at regional level and 1,430 at national level. Information relating to Scotland and Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales.

  Ambulance Service (London)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost per head of population of the ambulance service in London; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The London ambulance service has advised me that the net cost of the ambulance service in London for 1991–92 was £9.48 per head of population.

  AIDS
  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Government money has been spent on HIV/AIDS awareness and related campaigns over the past five years; and how many HIV/AIDS cases have been diagnosed during that period.

  Mr. Sackville
  The table sets out the allocations from April 1988 onwards to the health education authority (HEA) towards the development of HIV and AIDS related public awareness and education initiatives. These amounts include the contributions towards the costs of the National AIDS Helpline and related telephone information services. Not shown in the tables are the amounts spent by other Government Departments on HIV prevention work within their own spheres of interest.

  Between 1985–86 and 1992–93 the Government have allocated over £73 million to the development of the national AIDS public education campaign. Over and above this, since 1989–90 contributions have been made towards the additional costs incurred by regional and district health authorities in the development of local HIV prevention initiatives. For 1992–93 these amount to £21 million.
  464

  Education HEA/helpline

  Year

  £ million

  1988–89

  10.00

  1989–90

  12.00

  1990–91

  10.00

  1991–92

  11.00

  1992–93

  11.225

  The number of HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed for the five year period within the United Kingdom is as follows:
  1988 to the end of March 1992–4,574 AIDS cases.
  1988 to the end of March 1992–9,141 HIV infected persons.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what study has been undertaken of the similarity between the type of birth control practised in some parts of Africa and known homosexual behaviour, and the implications of this for the increase in HIV/AIDS among heterosexuals in Africa and homosexuals elsewhere.

  Mr. Sackville
  I will write to my hon. Friend with the information that he requests as soon as it is available.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what forecasts were made by her Department for the number of heterosexuals likely to be affected by the HIV/AIDS virus in each of the past five years; and what were the actual numbers so affected, excluding drug users and the suffering from contaminated blood.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Day report, "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in England and Wales" estimated that at the end of 1988 between 13,000 and 26,000 individuals were infected with HIV and that between 750 and 3,750 had been infected through sexual intercourse between men and women. Up to the end of March 1992, 1,769 cases of HIV infection acquired through heterosexual intercourse had been reported to the communicable disease surveillance centre. This underestimates the true level of infection as only those who recognise themselves to be at risk will seek a test. The Day report did not make predictions for individual years for HIV infected persons.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of those affected by the HIV/AIDS virus over the past five years have been known to be(a) homosexual and (b) heterosexual, excluding drug users and those suffering from contaminated blood.

  Mr. Sackville
  By the end of March 1992 there had been a cumulative total of 15,501 newly diagnosed HIV-1 infected persons in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported to the communicable disease surveillance centre (all exposure categories combined) since the HIV test became available in 1984. This number may considerably underestimate the total number infected in certain exposure categories because in order to have their infection diagnosed infected persons must recognise their risk, present for an HIV-1 test and agree to have a test after pre-test counselling. A detailed breakdown is contained in the following table 12 from the AIDS/HIV Quarterly Surveillance Tables (No. 15, Data to end of March 1992).
  465

  Table 12

  Trends in exposure category distribution (per cent.) of HIV-1 infected persons

  Reported to 31 March 1992

  England. Wales and Northern Ireland

  Sexual intercourse

  Year of report

  Between men

  Between men and women

  Injecting drug use1

  Mother to infant

  Sub total 100%

  Blood2

  Other/undetermined

  Grand total

  Male

  Female

  NS

  Male

  Female

  NS

  Male

  Female

  NS

  To end

  1985

  1,400

  19

  12

  4

  51

  20

  —

  3

  1,509

  649

  139

  6

  14

  2,317

  (93)

  (2)

  (5)

  (<1)

  1986

  1608

  40

  49

  1

  169

  69

  2

  8

  1,946

  361

  114

  7

  3

  2,431

  (83)

  (5)

  (12)

  (<1)

  1987

  1,552

  86

  104

  1

  204

  101

  —

  5

  2,053

  106

  102

  3

  9

  2,283

  (76)

  (9)

  (15)

  (<1)

  1988

  1,070

  86

  93

  1

  149

  66

  2

  12

  1,479

  55

  108

  12

  5

  1,659

  (72)

  (12)

  (15)

  (1)

  1989

  1,120

  111

  120

  1

  156

  42

  —

  13

  1,563

  40

  87

  25

  3

  1,718

  (72)

  (15)

  (13)

  (1)

  1990

  1,438

  181

  195

  1

  169

  42

  1

  29

  2,056

  92

  46

  11

  6

  2,211

  (70)

  (18)

  (11)

  (1)

  1991

  1,539

  262

  277

  4

  155

  60

  —

  23

  2,320

  26

  62

  31

  1

  2,440

  (66)

  (23)

  (9)

  (1)

  31992

  256

  56

  63

  2

  29

  5

  —

  1

  412

  6

  21

  2

  1

  442

  (62)

  (29)

  (8)

  (<1)

  Total

  9,983

  841

  913

  15

  1,082

  405

  5

  94

  13,338

  1,335

  679

  107

  42

  15,501

  (75)

  (13)

  (11)

  (1)

  1 Includes 199 male drug users who had sex with other men.

  2 Includes 239 children aged 14 years or less.

  3 1992 1st quarter.

  Miss Jennifer Bennett
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she proposes to reply to the letter sent to her by the Director of the Matthew Trust, dated 20 May, regarding the case of Miss Jennifer Bennett.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have replied today to the Matthew Trust.

  International Peto Institute
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 18 June,Official Report, column 677, if she will specify the component parts of the International Peto Institute proposed development in Budapest, which are either under construction or completed and occupied as a result of the initial payment of £1,750,000 by Her Majesty's Government to the Hungarian Government.

  Mr. Yeo
  No construction work is yet under way. Our agreement with the Hungarian Government and the Peto Foundation provided for one initial payment at this stage, with the remainder dependent on construction progress.

  Juvenile Delinquents (Secure Places)
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many secure places there are in(a) England and (b) Yorkshire for juvenile delinquents.

  Mr. Yeo
  On 29 June 1992 there were 292 places in local authority secure units in England, of which 36 were in Yorkshire and Humberside. These units form a network to which all local authorities have access. They are not designed solely for juvenile delinquents; they may accommodate any child who is being looked after by a local authority and who needs a secure placement.

  In addition, the youth treatment service runs two youth treatment centres (YTCs)—Glenthorne in Birmingham
  466
  and St. Charles in Essex. These provide, between them, up to 70 places for disturbed young people. Again, not all these young people have committed an offence.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Savings
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average personal savings rate per adult in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Nelson
  The generally accepted measure of the average rate of saving by individuals in the United Kingdom is the saving ratio, which measures the proportion of personal disposable income not spent on purchases of consumer goods and services. The latest annual estimates of the saving ratio are published in quarterly articles on United Kingdom national accounts in Economic Trends, which is available from the Library. The most recent article, giving figures back to 1985, appeared in the issue for April 1992. Figures for earlier periods are available on the CSO database, series AIIM, which can also be accessed through the Library.

  Separate ratios for juveniles and adults are not available.

  Overseas Assets
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, on the same basis as for the figures recorded in paragraph 3.47 of the Red Book, he will give the United Kingdom's estimated net overseas asset holdings in constant prices for each of the last six years; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for any fluctuations in their net value.

  Mr. Nelson
  The table shows the level of the United Kingdom's identified net external assets at recorded values
  467
  and adjusted by the implied GDP deflator. The recorded values, as in column (a), are those quoted in the Red Book, paragraph 3.47, which updated the latest full estimates in the 1991 CSO Pink Book, and reflect market values for many assets and book values for direct investment. The recorded values of net assets can change for a number of reasons, including United Kingdom residents' investment overseas and overseas residents' investment in the United Kingdom, variations in asset prices both in the United Kingdom and abroad, exchange rate movements, and other valuation changes, eg write-offs.

  Table 1—Net overseas assets (£ billion)

  Level of identified net overseas assets (at year end)

  Year

  (a)

  (b)

  1986

  104

  101

  1987

  67

  62

  1988

  81

  70

  1989

  84

  69

  1990

  20

  15

  1991

  37

  27

  (a) Recorded values.

  (b) Recorded values adjusted by changes in implied GDP deflator since 1985.

  Sources: CSO, Pink Book 1991, FSBR, Economic Trends.

  International Agreements
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the bilateral and multilateral agreements directly or indirectly negotiated by his Department or a body acting on behalf of his Department with(a) Switzerland and (b) Liechtenstein.

  Mr. Nelson
  The information requested on agreements with Switzerland and Liechtenstein is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has responsibility for all international treaties. I refer the hon. Member to the reply of 24 June to his question to the Foreign Secretary on the same subject.

  Cigarette Imports
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the loss to the Exchequer of increased imports of cheap cigarettes arising from his agreement to a 57 per cent. minimum excise level at the ECOFIN Council on 24 June 1991.

  Sir John Cope
  I do not expect the 24 June 1991 ECOFIN Council agreement on a 57 per cent. minimum excise level on cigarettes to lead to loss to the Exchequer since it does not require the UK to change the level or structure of its excise duties on cigarettes.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are women.

  Mr. Nelson
  The information requested in respect of grades 1 to 7 is shown in the table. The proportion of Treasury staff who are women is 43 per cent. Figures reflect the staff in post position as at 23 June 1992.
  468

  Women

  Grade

  Number

  Per cent.

  1A

  —

  —

  2

  1

  17

  3

  1

  4

  4

  —

  —

  5

  8

  11

  6

  1

  3

  7

  51

  20

  Securities and Investments Board
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received, and from whom, on whether the Securities and Investments Board should remain a direct regulator under the Financial Services Act 1986.

  Mr. Nelson
  Responsibility for the regulation of financial services passed to me on 7 June 1992. I have received a number of representations on this subject.

  Government Contracts
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance has been given to Government Departments to ensure that all government contracts require suppliers to pay their sub-contractors promptly.

  Mr. Nelson
  Guidance was issued on 14 April to all Government Departments and executive agencies. For all contract award procedures initiated after that date, all Government contracts are to contain a clause requiring the supplier or contractor to pay subcontractors promptly. In the absence of normal practice to the contrary for that type of contract, or other special circumstances, the commitment should be to pay the subcontractor within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice or similar demand for payment as defined by the contract.

  Stamp Duty
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received since 2 June about extending the moratorium on stamp duty.

  Mr. Nelson
  Since I confirmed on 2 June that the temporary increase in the stamp duty threshold would not be extended beyond 19 August, we have received a number of representations for the duration of the moratorium to be reconsidered. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor made it clear at the outset that this was a temporary measure for eight months only, and we have no plans to reopen the matter.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will expand the figures in his answer to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) of 22 June,Official Report, col 4, for those with incomes (a) £50,000 to £70,000 per year, (b) £70,000 to £80,000 per year and (c) over £80,000 per year.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The additional information is as follows:

  469

  Average reduction in income tax per individual1 in 1992–93 compared with the 1978–79 regime

  Range of individuals income in 1992–93

  Total reduction

  Average Reduction

  £

  £ million

  £ per annum

  50,000–70,000

  2,300

  8,200

  70,000–80,000

  800

  14,000

  Over £80,000

  7,200

  46,000

  1 Individuals liable to income tax under the 1978–79 indexed regime.

  Financial Regulation
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now use his powers under section 115 of the Financial Services Act 1986 to take financial regulatory responsibility back into the Government's hands.

  Mr. Nelson
  No.

  Works of Art
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to the Exchequer of the tax relief scheme whereby inheritors of works of art are given exemption from inheritance tax and capital transfer tax provided that public access is given.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The annual cost of conditional exemption from inheritance tax and capital transfer tax of works of art is estimated to have averaged about £70 million over the period 1983–84 to 1991–92. There are sometimes significant fluctuations in the estimated cost from year to year.

  Landowners (Tax Exemption)
  Dr. David Clark:
  To ask Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carlisle(Mr. Martlew) of 22 June, Offcial Report, column

  Gross domestic product by industry group: Percentages oj regions' totals By 1989

  North

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midlands

  East Anglia

  Greater London

  Rest of South East

  South West

  West Midlands

  North West

  Wales

  Scotland

  Northern Ireland

  United Kingdom

  Agriculture, forestry and fishing

  2

  2

  3

  5

  0

  1

  2

  1

  1

  2

  3

  5

  2

  Energy and water supply

  6

  6

  6

  3

  2

  2

  3

  3

  4

  6

  5

  3

  4

  Manufacturing

  29

  27

  30

  23

  14

  20

  21

  32

  30

  28

  22

  18

  23

  Minerals, metals and chemicals

  10

  7

  5

  3

  2

  4

  3

  5

  6

  11

  4

  3

  5

  Metal goods, engineering and vehicles

  9

  9

  11

  9

  5

  10

  10

  18

  13

  9

  9

  4

  10

  Other manufacturing

  9

  11

  14

  11

  7

  7

  8

  9

  11

  8

  10

  11

  9

  Construction

  8

  8

  8

  9

  5

  9

  9

  7

  7

  7

  8

  7

  6

  Distribution, hotels and catering: repairs

  13

  16

  15

  15

  15

  15

  17

  15

  14

  14

  14

  13

  15

  Transport, communication

  6

  7

  6

  8

  10

  8

  6

  6

  7

  6

  8

  5

  7

  Financial and business services less adjustment for financial services

  7

  8

  8

  10

  23

  17

  11

  9

  9

  7

  9

  8

  13

  Ownership of dwellings

  5

  5

  6

  6

  7

  6

  6

  6

  6

  5

  4

  5

  6

  Public administration and defence

  6

  6

  6

  6

  6

  7

  9

  5

  6

  8

  8

  14

  7

  Education and health

  11

  11

  9

  9

  9

  8

  9

  9

  10

  11

  13

  14

  10

  Other services

  6

  6

  5

  6

  9

  7

  6

  6

  6

  6

  7

  8

  7

  Total

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  Gross domestic product by industry group: Percentages of regions' totals in 1990

  North

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midlands

  East Anglia

  Greater London

  Rest of London South East

  South West

  West Midlands

  North West

  Wales

  Scotland

  Northern Ireland

  United Kingdom

  Agriculture, forestry and fishing

  1

  2

  2

  4

  0

  1

  2

  1

  1

  2

  3

  4

  2

  Energy and water supply

  6

  6

  6

  3

  2

  3

  4

  3

  4

  5

  5

  4

  4

  Manufacturing

  28

  26

  29

  22

  13

  20

  20

  31

  29

  27

  22

  18

  23

  470
  2, if he will list for each county in England, Scotland or Wales the number of landowners and estates that have benefited under the tax procedures by which tax liability is reduced on condition that there is an undertaking to manage and protect the land from development and allow reasonable public access.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 26 June 1992]: There have been 117 designations of land for conditional exemption from inheritance tax or capital transfer tax in England and Wales. In addition, there have been 107 designations of historic buildings in England and Wales, some of which will have extended to surrounding land. Some designations of historic buildings have been for the purposes of the tax exemptions for maintenance funds rather than for exemption of the buildings themselves.

  A detailed breakdown by county is not readily available. In addition, the normal rules of taxpayer confidentiality would prevent the disclosure of figures for counties with a very small number of designations.

  Details of the number of designations for land and buildings in Scotland were given in my reply to the hon. Member on 22 June at column 2.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out for(a) the United Kingdom, (b) each standard region and (c) each Welsh county, the industrial distribution of gross domestic product in percentage terms for each category for the years (a) 1984, (b) 1989, (c) 1990 and (d) 1991, respectively.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: The table gives the available information on GDP by industry division. Data for 1991 are not yet available and there is no breakdown of GDP for countries.
  471

  North

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midlands

  East Anglia

  Greater London

  Rest of South East

  South West

  West Midlands

  North West

  Wales

  Scotland

  Northern Ireland

  United Kingdom

  Minerals, metals and chemicals

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Metal goods, engineering and vehicles

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Other manufacturing

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Construction

  8

  8

  8

  9

  6

  9

  9

  7

  7

  7

  8

  7

  8

  Distribution, hotels and catering: repairs

  13

  16

  15

  16

  15

  15

  16

  15

  15

  14

  14

  13

  15

  Transport, communication

  7

  7

  6

  8

  10

  8

  6

  6

  7

  6

  7

  5

  7

  Financial and business services less adjustment for financial services

  7

  8

  9

  9

  23

  17

  11

  9

  10

  7

  9

  8

  13

  Ownership of dwellings

  6

  5

  6

  7

  8

  7

  7

  7

  6

  6

  4

  5

  7

  Public administration and defence

  6

  6

  6

  6

  6

  7

  9

  5

  5

  8

  8

  14

  7

  Education and health

  11

  11

  9

  9

  9

  7

  10

  10

  10

  11

  13

  14

  10

  Other services

  6

  6

  5

  6

  9

  7

  6

  6

  6

  6

  7

  8

  7

  Total

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  Notes:

  1. The 1990 results are provisional, and the breakdown is not yet available within manufacturing.

  2. The total excludes the gross domestic product for the Continental shelf and the statistical discrepancy.

  Gross domestic product by industry group: Percentages of regions' totals At 1984

  North

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midlands

  East Anglia

  Greater London

  Rest of South East

  South West

  West Midlands

  North West

  Wales

  Scotland

  Northern Ireland

  United Kingdom

  Agriculture, forestry and fishing

  2

  3

  5

  9

  0

  2

  3

  2

  1

  3

  4

  6

  2

  Energy and water supply

  7

  7

  6

  2

  3

  3

  3

  4

  4

  7

  5

  3

  4

  Manufacturing

  31

  28

  32

  26

  16

  24

  24

  35

  32

  26

  24

  20

  26

  Minerals, metals and chemicals

  11

  7

  5

  5

  2

  4

  3

  6

  8

  9

  3

  3

  5

  Metal goods, engineering and vehicles

  11

  9

  11

  9

  7

  13

  12

  20

  12

  9

  10

  6

  11

  Other manufacturing

  8

  12

  15

  12

  8

  8

  9

  9

  12

  8

  11

  11

  10

  Construction

  6

  7

  6

  7

  5

  7

  7

  6

  6

  6

  8

  7

  7

  Distribution, hotels and catering: repairs

  12

  15

  14

  13

  15

  14

  15

  13

  14

  13

  14

  13

  14

  Transport, communication

  6

  8

  6

  8

  11

  8

  6

  6

  8

  6

  8

  5

  8

  Financial and business services less adjustment for financial services

  6

  6

  6

  7

  15

  13

  8

  7

  7

  6

  7

  6

  9

  Ownership of dwellings

  5

  5

  6

  6

  8

  7

  7

  7

  6

  6

  5

  5

  6

  Public administration and defence

  6

  6

  7

  7

  7

  8

  10

  6

  6

  9

  8

  15

  8

  Education and health

  11

  10

  8

  8

  10

  8

  9

  9

  10

  11

  11

  15

  9

  Other services

  6

  6

  5

  5

  10

  6

  6

  5

  6

  6

  7

  6

  6

  Total

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each English and Welsh county and Scottish region the estimated gross domestic product per head of population as a percentage of the United Kingdom average.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 29 June 19921: These data have been published in the article "Regional Accounts 1990, Part 1" in the November 1991 issue of Economic Trends, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the Ministers and former Ministers who have given evidence to the Bingham inquiry on BCCI.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 29 June 19921: The Prime Minister assured the House on 22 July 1991 Official Report, at column 759 that all Ministers and officials would co-operate fully with Lord Justice Bingham's inquiry, and we have done so. A number of Ministers and former Ministers have given evidence. The inquiry has taken evidence in private, and it has not been the inquiry's practice to announce who has given evidence.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Charter Mark
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the advertising and administrative costs of the Charter Mark trophy design competition.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The final costs are not yet available, but are likely to be in the region of £170,000 (including VAT).

  Private-sector Contractors
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether private-sector contractors who under-take civil service work will remain under the scrutiny presently exercisable by Parliament; and whether the public will have recourse to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in cases of maladministration by private sector contractors carrying out work done previously by Government Departments.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Where civil service work is contracted out following a market testing exercise, the accountability of Ministers to Parliament remains unchanged. The jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration is unaffected.
  473
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether private-sector contractors undertaking civil service work will have to conform to established civil service practice regarding the confidentiality of information that may come into their possession; whether employees of private firms employed on such contracts will have to sign the Official Secrets Acts 1989; and what will be the position of foreign national employees of such firms employed on such contracts.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Contractors working for government departments are, as appropriate, subject to contract conditions which require the protection of classified information to a standard equivalent to that which applies within departments generally. Contractors' employees, including any who are foreign nationals, who may have access to classified information, are security cleared to the level appropriate to the information concerned. Such employees who have access to information to which the Official Secrets Act 1989 applies receive notice that the Act applies to them, and are normally required to sign declarations acknowledging their obligations under it.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what degree of openness there will be regarding any future contracting out to the private sector of civil service work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  It has been this Government's established practice to ensure non-discrimination and fair competition in public procurement, as set out in administrative circulars issued by the central unit on purchasing in HM Treasury. From December last year, EC rules, which in large part replicate United Kingdom best practice, were written into the United Kingdom legislation which will implement a further EC Directive to ensure compliance throughout the EC.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  Telephone Directories
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reasons the House of Commons telephone directories have not yet been updated to show the names and numbers of the Ministers currently in office; and when he expects the information to be updated.

  Mr. Beith
  Responsibility for the production of the House of Commons telephone directory lies with the Serjeant at Arms. After a general election it is necessary to formulate completely new sections of the directory covering hon. Members and their staff and including ministerial appointments. In the interests of accuracy, it is not possible to produce new sections of the directory until the allocation of accommodation and telephone lines has been virtually completed. The information is now being printed and completed directories will be issued by 13 July.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Water Charges (Summonses)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will review the level of the bulk issue fee for summonses for water charges; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No fee is charged specifically for the bulk issue of summonses through the summons production centre. The fees for issuing a summons are prescribed in the County Court Fees Order 1982, as amended. All fees, including those charged in the county courts, are reviewed on a regular basis.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Cardiac Surgery
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the impact of the proposed acute bed closures in the Eastern health board area on reducing the waiting list for cardiac surgery which is a regional speciality.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Eastern health and social services board's proposals for acute bed closures, set out in its recently published consultative document, are framed on the premise that the same or even greater numbers of patients can be treated in fewer beds by taking advantage of the latest developments in medical technology, securing greater efficiency in the use of beds and making greater use of day and out-patient procedures. The board's proposals are not therefore expected to impact adversely on the provision of cardiac surgery.

  Fishing
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to review the one-net rule in respect of the fishing industry which was introduced on 1 June.

  Mr. Hanley
  The one-net rule forms part of a package of measures to improve conservation of fish stocks. The matter is being kept under review.

  Harbour Police
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what statutory protection exists for constables of the Larne harbour police from unfair dismissal; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.

  Mr. Atkins
  Persons employed in police service, or in any other capacity by virtue of which they have the powers or privilege of a constable, are excluded from the unfair dismissal legislation. Accordingly, constables of the Lame harbour police have no statutory protection from unfair dismissal. They are not represented by a statutory police federation. There are however no statutory restrictions on their entitlement to join a trade union and most the Lame Harbour police are members of the General Municipal Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what statutory protection exists for
  475
  constables of Belfast harbour police from unfair dismissal; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.

  Mr. Atkins
  Persons employed in police service, or in any other capacity by virtue of which they have the powers or privileges of a constable, are excluded from the unfair dismissal legislation. Accordingly, constables of the Belfast harbour police have no statutory protection from unfair dismissal. There are no statutory restrictions on their entitlement to join a trade union and they are represented by the Belfast harbour police representative body rather than by a statutory police federation.

  Maghaberry Prison
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of strip searches made on female prisoners at Her Majesty's prison

  Number of searches

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  April

  May

  1991

  1991

  1991

  1991

  1991

  1991

  1992

  1992

  1992

  1992

  1992

  Total number of searches carried out

  34

  32

  37

  36

  31

  41

  19

  18

  66

  31

  31

  Total number of inmates searched

  24

  21

  29

  26

  19

  30

  14

  17

  51

  23

  24

  Number of prisoners searched once

  17

  11

  22

  16

  12

  21

  9

  16

  42

  15

  17

  Number of prisoners searched twice

  6

  9

  6

  10

  6

  8

  5

  1

  3

  8

  7

  Number of prisoners searched more than twice

  1

  1

  1

  nil

  1

  1

  nil

  nil

  6

  nil

  nil

  Reason for search

  First admission on remand/ awaiting trial

  11

  7

  12

  8

  7

  10

  5

  9

  13

  7

  8

  First admission on sentence/ final discharge

  8

  12

  9

  20

  9

  16

  9

  7

  4

  13

  16

  Attending remand court

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  nil

  nil

  nil

  4

  nil

  nil

  Attending trial

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  1

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Inter prison visit

  4

  4

  10

  4

  2

  3

  1

  2

  6

  2

  2

  Prison visit

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Pre-release home leave

  6

  8

  6

  2

  9

  7

  2

  nil

  4

  8

  5

  Compassionate home leave

  4

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Visits to outside hospital

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Returning from bail application

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  2

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Attendance at court for bail

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Fines paid

  nil

  nil

  nil

  2

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  nil

  Working out scheme

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Bail granted

  1

  1

  nil

  nil

  2

  3

  nil

  nil

  1

  nil

  nil

  Suspected security compromise

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  34

  nil

  nil

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners were charged with disciplinary offences, and which offences, following disturbances at Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry on 2 March.

  Mr. Mates
  On 2 March 1992 a full search of the female section of Her Majesty's prison, Maghaberry was carried out.

  As a consequence of their refusal to co-operate in full searching, 22 prisoners were charged with disobeying a lawful order. Ten of these prisoners were also charged with offending against security and good order of the prison; of these, five were further charged with commiting an assault.

ENVIRONMENT

  Endangered Species
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to design national recovery plans for all threatened species within the United Kingdom.
  476
  Maghaberry monthly since July 1991; what was the number of persons involved and the number of times each person was searched; what prison contraband smuggled items or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted; and what were the reasons for each search.

  Mr. Mates
  Details of the number of, and reasons for, searches of female prisoners in Her Majesty's prison, Maghaberry from July 1991 to May 1992 are set out below.

  No prohibited articles were found during these searches. On 2 March 1992, 22 prisoners refused to co-operate with a full search. Of these prisoners, 21 had to be restrained while the search was being conducted.

  Mr. Maclean
  The "Recovery" scheme to assist specific native plants and animals in danger of extinction was launched by English Nature in April 1991 and forms an integral part of my Department's Action for the Countryside initiative. Fourteen species were included in the scheme in 1991–92 and English Nature plans to increase this to 21 in 1992–93.

  Habitat Conservation
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what steps are being taken by his Department to conserve the habitats of crop pollinators and the natural enemies of pests;

  (2) what progress is being made by his Department in (a) promoting remaining natural ecosystems, (b) the restoration of degraded ecosystems and (c) the maintenance of as large an area as possible of modified ecosystems to support a diversity of sustainable uses.

  Mr. Maclean
  We remain committed to the conservation of wildlife habitats. In partnership with the country conservation bodies and other Government Departments we have introduced a series of measures designed to ensure the good management of important habitats. These
  477
  include countryside stewardship, the wildlife enhancement scheme, environmentally sensitive areas and agreements with MOD, Forestry Commission and the National Trust.

  Inner City Task Forces
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will provide a table of expenditure showing the cost of running each inner city task force for each year from 1987–88(a) at current prices and (b) at 1987–88 prices;

  (2) if he will provide a table of expenditure on each inner city task force from his Department for each year from 1987–88 (a) at current prices and (b) at 1987–88 prices.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The costs of running the inner city task forces and the overall expenditure of each for the period from 1989–90 to 1991–92 is set out in the following tables:

  Table A: Running Costs

  Task Force

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Birmingham East

  86,480

  106,227

  129,724

  Handsworth

  2,423

  622

  —

  Bradford

  49,839

  132,629

  131,947

  Bristol

  134,122

  111,646

  94,396

  Coventry

  71,293

  82,747

  89,800

  Derby

  —

  49,123

  122,345

  Doncaster

  124,007

  50,497

  —

  Hartlepool

  102,446

  94,419

  60,733

  Hull

  —

  —

  31,362

  Leeds

  111,469

  143,977

  90,225

  Leicester

  37,286

  2,435

  —

  Liverpool

  68,348

  113,275

  126,871

  London Deptford

  39,317

  109,227

  102,470

  Hackney

  —

  —

  12,685

  North Peckham

  122,762

  177,092

  185,166

  Spitalfields

  137,476

  150,046

  133,400

  West London

  131,310

  144,690

  153,189

  Manchester

  117,124

  134,939

  143,844

  Middlesbrough

  76,021

  79,141

  110,586

  Nottingham

  122,484

  133,138

  130,645

  Preston

  57,917

  29

  —

  Rochdale

  92,272

  48,533

  —

  South Tyneside

  —

  —

  16,302

  Wirral

  —

  46,720

  126,858

  Wolverhampton

  39,381

  —

  —

  All figures inclusive of capital costs of office machinery, furniture and supplies.

  1991–92 figures include hard charges for DTI services.

  Table B: Expenditure

  Task force

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Birmingham East

  1,469,374

  1,131,041

  1,193,486

  Handsworth

  190,528

  622

  —

  Bradford

  449,808

  2,069,998

  1,170,249

  Bristol

  754,583

  2,120,795

  1,127,725

  Coventry

  1,540,512

  1,015,544

  1,785,869

  Derby

  —

  302.461

  1,268,963

  Doncaster

  1,460,333

  628,601

  —

  Hartlepool

  1,211,223

  1,415,387

  891,289

  Hull

  —

  —

  291,932

  Leeds

  1,389,818

  1,106,183

  651,933

  Leicester

  1,037,353

  32,068

  —

  Liverpool

  659,046

  1,628,721

  1,942,868

  London Deptford

  245,025

  1,780,225

  1,509,634

  Hackney

  —

  —

  785,125

  North Peckham

  1,006,905

  1,435,620

  2,151,671

  Spitalfields

  883,210

  974,605

  2,000,499

  West London

  594,236

  1,439,378

  1,759,726

  Manchester

  2,440,593

  2,206,220

  1,467,424

  Middlesbrough

  787,335

  1,255,331

  1,745,020

  Nottingham

  920,225

  1,176,292

  1,412,042

  478

  Task force

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Preston

  554,449

  28,606

  —

  Rochdale

  842,665

  715,362

  52,745

  South Tyneside

  —

  —

  94,003

  Wirral

  —

  597,061

  1,059,078

  Wolverhampton

  1,082,064

  57,291

  —

  Running costs apportioned to individual task forces before the financial year 1989–90 are not readily available. Figures are not available on a 1987–88 price basis. To provide this would incur disproportionate costs.

  On 1 June 1992 financial responsibility for the task forces was transferred to my Department from the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government will reach a decision on allocating RECHAR funds to North Warwickshire borough; and how that will affect the standard spending assessment of the borough council.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The northern Warwickshire RECHAR integrated development programme was approved by the European Commission on 26 February 1992. The decision on the allocation of RECHAR funds to north Warwickshire borough will not affect the council's SSA for 1992–93 or 1993–94.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many RECHAR projects have been agreed by the Government since 17 February 1991.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  None.

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions were reached by the RECHAR European regional development fund coordinating committee in respect of North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedford borough projects on 11 June.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  There were no applications for ERDF grant for consideration at the meeting.

  Commonhold
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to introduce commonhold legislation before 16 July.

  Sir George Young
  No. We propose to introduce legislation after the recess to give effect to leasehold enfranchisement of flats and higher rateable value houses. Commonhold tenure is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor: it will not be the subject of legislation in the present session.

  Urban Programme
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make reductions in levels of urban programme funding for 1993–94 and 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Decisions on future funding levels for the urban programme will be taken in November, following the outcome of the current public expenditure round.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively and overall in his Department are women.

  Mr. Howard
  The latest available information on numbers of women in my Department is as follows:

  Grade

  Numbers

  Percentage

  1

  0

  0

  2

  3

  43

  3

  5

  14

  4

  0

  0

  5

  24

  15

  6

  20

  7

  7

  133

  16

  Total

  186

  14

  All grades

  2,809

  42

  These figures relate to staff in post in DOE and its agencies.

  Mersey Estuary
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what species of wildfowl and wading birds the Mersey estuary is(a) nationally important and (b) internationally important.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Mersey estuary is internationally important for its wintering population of Teal, Pintail, Shelduck, Redshank and Dunlin, and nationally important for its wintering populations of Grey Plover, Wigeon and Curlew.

  Proportions of relevant international and national populations of waterfowl are as follows (figures are for the five year peak mean, for the period 1986–87 to 1990–91):

  Species

  Winter peak mean

  Percentage of international population

  Percentage of British population

  Teal

  10,679

  2.6

  10.6

  Grey Plover

  710

  0.4

  3.3

  Wigeon

  6,644

  0.8

  2.6

  Pintail

  5,907

  8.4

  23.6

  Curlew

  1,443

  0.4

  1.5

  Redshank

  3,824

  3.5

  5.0

  Shelduck

  3,392

  1.3

  4.5

  Dunlin

  23,928

  1.7

  5.5

  Water Metering
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what proposals he has to mitigate the effect of the introduction of a metering system of water on those people with health problems who require a greater intake of water;

  (2) what assessment he has made of how a switch from calculation by rateable value to a metering system for water will affect families of lower than average income in comparison with other domestic users.

  Mr. Maclean
  'These issues have been addressed in a survey of the impact of water metering commissioned jointly with the Office of Water Services. The final report from the contractor is expected shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library. We shall consider what action is appropriate in the light of the report.
  480
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what pilot schemes have been used to evaluate the efficiency of water meters; how long did they run; and how many homes were involved.

  Mr. Maclean
  The performance of water meters has been monitored over a three-year period in the national water metering trials. The trials involved around 57,000 domestic properties. Randomly selected meters have been periodically removed in all the trials in order to analyse their performance and accuracy.

  Sheep Dips
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the rules for the disposal of organophosphorus sheep dips; and what the average costs of incineration are for farmers.

  Mr. Maclean
  As an agricultural waste, disposal of organophosphorus sheep dip is controlled by means of statutory codes of practice. Under section 97 of the Water Resources Act (1991) the code of good agricultural practice for the protection of water gives advice to farmers on the safe disposal of spent dip. MAFF have published a guidance note on the safe handling and disposal of sheep dips. The code and guidance note advise farmers on the type, siting and use of dipping baths and on the preferred methods of disposal. While soakaways are no longer considered suitable, dilution and spreading to sacrificial land or disposal via an approved waste disposal contractor are recommended. Spent dip is not suitable for incineration. Commercial information on the costs of incineration are not collated or held centrally and could be obtained only at excessive cost.

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

  Mr. Howard
  The Department employs 64 staff who are known to be registered and a further 34 who are known to have a disability without being registered. This represents some 1.5 per cent. of the total non-industrial workforce.

  These figures include one grade 6 and three grade 7s who are disabled but not registered.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

  Mr. Maclean
  Continuous measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have been made in remote locations since the International Geophysical Year, 1957. The global average concentration estimated from these measurements has increased steadily every year. In its 1992 science supplementary report the intergovernmental panel on climate change estimated the present global average concentration of carbon dioxide to be 355 parts per million by volume.

  Local Government Boundaries
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the recommendations of the local government boundary commission in respect of London boroughs and his(a) acceptance or (b) non-acceptance of those recommendations.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The local government boundary commission publishes its recommendations in the form of final reports to the Secretary of State. Twenty-two London borough reports have been published so far. The commission is expected to submit its final reports on the remainder by the end of October 1992. The Secretary of State has issued his decisions on three of the reports and has accepted all but one of the recommendations.

  Starlings (Pâté)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the export of starlings to France for the manufacture of pâté.

  Mr. Maclean
  The export of whole dead starlings in feather to France would need to be covered by an export permit issued by my Department under the provisions of the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976. While we treat each application on its individual merits, commercial trade would not normally be allowed since this might encourage the killing of these birds for profit rather than as pests.

  The export of plucked birds is not controlled under the 1976 Act, and exports could take place without reference to my Department.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the disparity between the standard spending assessment for interest receipts for Lancashire 1992–93 and the council's budget estimate.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The standard spending assessment element for interest receipts is calculated on the basis that the ability to generate such receipts is proportional to an authority's turnover or expenditure (as measured by total SSA, excluding the allowance for capital financing). For 1992–93 local decisions will determine the extent to which actual receipts differ from the SSA allowance.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will respond to the representations made by the Association of Metropolitan Authorities on the need for reimbursement of local authorities on the costs incurred in business rate resiting as a result of the changes announced in the Budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Department wrote to the association on 25 June. We have agreed a basic allowance of 18 pence for postage costs and 70 pence for preparation of adjustment notices (but with an additional cost weighting for areas with high staff costs). In addition, we have agreed to meet authorities' reasonable computer software costs, subject to audit.

  Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in Moray constituency qualify for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme; and how many homes have been improved under the scheme since its inception in 1991.

  Mr. Maclean
  In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must he in receipt of one of five passportable benefits: housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of households eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.

  Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 1,245 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will detail the reasons for, and the contents of, the reduction of total standard spending from the service working groups' calculation of £44 billion to £41.8 billion for 1992–93.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The level of total standard spending reflects a range of factors including pressures on local government spending, the scope for savings, the level of central and local taxation and what the country as a whole can afford. It represents the Government's overall judgment and as such is not comparable in detail with the recommendations of the service working groups.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the standard spending assessment for social services in Lancashire in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93, and what is the national average in each of those years.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Personal social services standard spending assessments

  Lancashire

  England

  PSS SSA in £ million

  1990–91

  92.854

  3,591

  1991–92

  113.860

  4,417

  1992–93

  120.306

  4,734

  PSS SSA in £ per adult

  1990–91

  89

  101

  1991–92

  109

  124

  1992–93

  117

  134

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has made any assessment of the effectiveness of the way in which parish councils are receiving information about the nature and details of planning applications.

  Mr. Baldry
  No assessment has been made. Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 parish councils
  483
  have the right to be notified about all planning applications within their boundary. Paragraph 8 of schedule 1 will be amended to ensure that those parish councils wishing to be notified about planning applications will also be notified about alterations to applications.

  Care Homes
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what reasons the number of places in private residential homes is included in the standard spending assessment formula for elderly residential social services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The standard spending assessment element for residential social services for the elderly includes an indicator (with a negative weight) based on the numbers of residents in independent, registered residential homes to take some account of the fact that private and voluntary provision has become an increasingly important alternative to local authority supported care in some areas. Where residents receive extra support from DSS benefits this represents a cost saving to the local authority.

  Urban Regeneration Agency
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the urban regeneration agency to be established; whether its terms of reference will include Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; if he will advertise openly the jobs of chairmen; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Subject to the passage of legislation, it is likely that the urban regeneration agency will be established in the second half of 1993. Its remit will be restricted to England and Mr. Peter Walker has already agreed to be the first chairman.

  Park Police
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what statutory protection exists for constables of the City of Westminster parks police and borough of Wandsworth parks police from unfair dismissal; what statutory restrictions exist on their taking industrial action; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trades union.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The conditions of service of the Westminster and Wandsworth parks police are matters for the authorities concerned, in their role as employers.

  Environmental Assessments
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for extending the requirements for environmental assessment to projects not already covered.

  Sir George Young
  Section 71A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as inserted by section 15 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991, enables the Secretary of State to make regulations adding to the categories of project subject to planning control which may require environmental assessment. The Government have promised to consult those concerned before making regulations.
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  My Department is today issuing a consultation paper inviting comments on proposals to amend the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 to add the following categories: trout farms, water treatment plants, wind generators, motorway and similar service areas, coast protection works and golf courses. The effect would be to require environmental assessment where a project of this type was likely to have significant environmental effects. The paper also proposes adding privately financed toll roads to Schedule I to the Regulations, the effect of which would be to require environmental assessment for all projects of this kind; and various minor amendments to the existing procedures. The Welsh Office is undertaking a similar consultation exercise in Wales.

  A copy of the paper is being placed in the Library.

  Ordnance Survey
  Mrs. Chaplin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what performance targets have been set for the Ordnance Survey executive agency in the year 1992–93.

  Mr. Howard
  The following performance targets have been set for Ordnance Survey in 1992–93:

  1. Recover 70 per cent. of the total cost incurred by the agency.

  2. Survey and map at the basic scales 846,000 units of change.

  3. Increase by 34,700 the number of basic scale maps available in digital form.

  4. Publish on microfilm within three months each large-scale map reaching the criteria and specification for reproduction.

  5. Despatch within seven working days (including the day the order is received) 90 per cent. of orders for 1:50 000 scale folded maps.

  Specific Action for Vigorous Energy Efficiency Programme
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken to meet the proposals contained in the European Community's SAVE programme; and to what extent the programme is behind schedule.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 13 May 1992]: The United Kingdom fully supports the objectives of the SAVE programme and is active on the SAVE Consultative Committee, where we continue to reinforce the Commission's efforts to stimulate energy efficiency through pilot projects and information activities. Agreement has been reached on internal market legislation for efficiency standards of new central heating boilers and for mandatory energy labelling of domestic appliances. The Commission has now proposed a SAVE Directive setting out areas not related to traded goods in which member states should achieve progress in energy efficiency, and I welcome their recognition that EC wide legislation is not necessarily the best way to encourage energy efficiency in areas which do not affect the internal market. This new proposal replaces the timetable contained in the original SAVE Communication.

  Abattoirs
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the regulations which control effluents discharged from abattoirs; which bodies are responsible for monitoring such effluents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 25 June 1992]: Discharges of trade effluent, including those from abattoirs, are subject to control under the Water Industry and Water Resources Acts 1991. Discharges to sewer require the consent of the relevant water service company and those to a watercourse require the consent of the National Rivers Authority. It is the responsibility of the consenting authority in each case to carry out associated monitoring.

  Business Rate
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect he expects his measures to alleviate the uniform business rate to have on(a) retail, (b) manufacturing, (c) service and (d) other businesses in East Anglia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: We estimate that 31,000 businesses in East Anglia will benefit from the provisions of the Non-Domestic Rating Act 1992, to the tune of about £14 million during 1992–93. The table shows our estimate of the spread of the savings across different business sectors in East Anglia.

  Business sectors

  Number of businesses (000s)

  Aggregate savings (£m)

  Retail

  11

  3

  Offices

  3

  1

  Manufacturing

  6

  5

  Other

  11

  5

  Total

  31

  14

  In addition, businesses in East Anglia will benefit from the change allowing property to retain any transitional relief if it changes hands after 10 March this year.

  Dog Mess
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy now to seek a legislative opportunity to have dog mess classified as litter: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Classifying dog mess as litter would not permit prosecution of owners who allowed their dogs to foul. Local authorities already have the ability to make byelaws in respect of dog fouling and many authorities have taken such powers. However, we are considering whether further legislation on the subject of dog fouling would be appropriate.

  Owner-occupiers
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number and percentage of all households accounted for by owner-occupiers in the United Kingdom; and what comparable information he has for other EC member states.
  486
  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Comparable figures for households are not available for EC countries, but the number of dwellings in owner occupation are given in the table.

  Stock of dwellings in owner occupation

  1990

  Thousand dwellings

  Percentage of all dwellings

  Ireland

  21,005

  81

  Greece

  53,999

  79

  Spain

  16,287

  76

  Luxembourg

  6138

  68

  United Kingdom

  23,383

  67

  of which England

  19,522

  69

  Italy

  123,232

  67

  Belgium

  43,997

  65

  Portugal

  13,768

  58

  France

  26,237

  254

  Denmark

  12,353

  51

  Netherlands

  15,802

  45

  Germany (West)

  126,598

  338

  Germany (East)

  17,003

  n/a

  1 1989

  2 1988

  3 1987

  4 1985

  5 1981

  6 1980

  Opencast Mining
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what weight is given to potential respiratory problems in assessing opposition from neighbouring communities to an application for opencast mining.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Minerals Planning Guidance Note 3 advises mineral planning authorities that they will need to have regard to all material considerations when determining planning applications for opencast coal mining. However. I am advised that there is no evidence to suggest that surface mineral working causes any detrimental health effects on local communities.

  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Her Majesty's Government will initiate a wide-ranging review on the effects of opencast mining on neighbouring communities.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: No. the current planning guidelines on opencast coal mining are contained in Minerals Planning Guidance Note 3 (MPG 3) published in 1988. They advise mineral planning authorities of the need to have regard to all material considerations when determining applications and to consider in detail the environmental, nature conservation, agricultural, Iandscape, traffic and other effects of the proposal that are relevant to the planning decision.

  City Challenge
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make reductions in levels of city challenge funding for 1993–94 and 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: City challenge expenditure on pacemakers and round 2 winners will be £82.5 million and £150 million per annum

  487
  respectively for five years. There are no plans to reduce these amounts. No decisions on future rounds of city challenge have yet been taken.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who has been appointed as a consultant to his Department for market testing.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: My Department employed Dr. Alan Kemp to assist in the development of its response to the "Competing for Quality" White Paper. Messrs. Donaldson have advised on the preparation of contractual documentation for market testing property management services and have undertaken a subsequent review. Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte are advising on the value for money of alternative arrangements for providing the services offered by the Government car service and the interdepartmental despatch service. Further appointments in support of the market testing programme will be made as required.

  Dittiscombe Equestration Centre
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 17 June,Official Report, column 572, regarding the appeal against the level of business rate by the Dittiscombe equestrian centre, Slapton, if he will bring forward the date of the hearing to 2 August to enable the appeal to he heard within two years from the date of the proposal being received by the Devon valuation tribunal.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Valuation tribunals are independent bodies, and it would not be right for the Department to interfere in the liming of specific cases.

  However, I understand that the district valuation office has been negotiating with the agent representing the owner. It may be therefore that this case can be settled earlier without the need for the hearing.

SCOTLAND

  Homosexuals
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many men were sent to prison in each of the last five years for convictions of consensual homosexual activity with men aged over 16 years and under 21 years; how many such prosecutions have taken place in each of the last five years; and how many resulted in sentences of immediate custody.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The specific information requested is not available. What information we have is set out in the table:

  Persons Proceeded Against under section 8(7) of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980

  Year

  Persons Proceeded Against

  Persons Sentenced to Custody

  1988

  53

  4

  1989

  42

  1

  1990

  74

  1

  Section 80(7) offences include homosexual acts with a person under the age of 21 with or without the consent of both parties.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 respectively and overall in his Department are women.

  Mr. Lang
  The number and percentage of women officers in post in grades 1 to 7—and equivalents—and overall in the Scottish Office and associated departments are shown in the table:

  Grade (and equivalents)

  Women

  Percentage

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  3

  3

  11.5

  4

  1

  6.2

  5

  17

  12.6

  6

  36

  17.1

  7

  68

  14.7

  Overall

  2,828

  44.9

  Telegraph Poles
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline the obligations placed upon British Telecom plc to consult on, or seek permission for, the erection of poles in close proximity to private residences.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  There are no general requirements for British Telecom to consult on, or seek permission for, the erection of poles in such circumstances. This type of development benefits from a general planning permission under class 67 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992. However, in conservation areas or national scenic areas, British Telecom must give the planning authority at least eight weeks' notice of its intention to carry out development, except in a case of emergency, when notice must be given as soon as possible after the emergency begins. Under the terms of the licence granted to British Telecom by the Telecommunications Act 1984, the visual amenity of properties in proximity to poles should, where practicable, be protected.

  Child Health
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken, or will be taking, to promote as a priority the plan of action for survival, protection and development of children, agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in Harare in 1991 for improving child health in Commonwealth countries in the present decade; what information he has received from other Commonwealth countries in regard to implementing the plan of action; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 26 June 1992]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 24 June, Official Report, column 219.

  Midges
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to deal with the problems associated with culicoides impunctalis, the Scottish biting midge; and if he will make a statement.
  489
  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 26 June 1992]: I have no such plans. The ability of culicoides impunctatus to cause discomfort and disruption is well known, but it is a dominant part of Scottish wildlife and possible measures to control or eradicate the species have to take account of the need to avoid harming the wider environment.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department sponsors on the Scottish biting midge, culicoides impunctalis; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 26 June 1992]: The Scottish Office is not sponsoring any such research at present, but I am aware of current research being funded by other bodies, for example at the university of Aberdeen.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will outline the statutory responsibilities that he proposes shall he placed upon the unitary local authorities following his proposed re organisation of local government in Scotland;

  (2) if he will list the non-statutory and permissive powers he proposes shall be made available to the unitary local authorities following his proposed reorganisation of local government in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 24 June 1992]: My right hon. Friend intends to issue a second consultation paper on local government reorganisation in the autumn. This will set out illustrative options for the new structure and discuss how services might be delivered under different structures. No decisions about powers or responsibilities will be taken until we have completed our thorough and comprehensive consultation.

  Voluntary Organisations
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the financial effect on voluntary organisations in Scotland of the level of income support for people in private homes.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 24 June 1992]: No such assessment has been made by my Department. The level of income support for people in voluntary and private sector residential care homes is a matter for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security has responsibility. A study of costs in independent residential care homes which included homes in Scotland was undertaken in 1990 for the Department of Social Security. The results of this were taken into account in determining the increases in income support limits from April 1991. Increases in the limits from April 1992 were generally above the rate of inflation.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with local authorities or voluntary organisations about the level of financial support for residents in residential or nursing homes in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 24 June 1992]: No such discussions have taken place. The issue raised by the hon. Member is a matter for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security has responsibility.

  Fishing Industry
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of EC funding available to the Scottish Office via EC FEOGA grants to assist the fishing industry in Scotland in the current financial year and the projected figure for 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 25 June 1992]: EC grants are available for investment in ports, fishing vessels, aquaculture and for the marketing and processing of fish products. The amount of that assistance will depend on the success of individual applications.

  Fish Processing
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received from the fish-processing industry for temporary derogation from EC proposals on regulations pertaining to the fish-processing industry.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 25 June 1992]: By June 24 the Scottish Office had received 260 applications for temporary derogations from the structural and equipment requirements of the fishery products directive 91/493/EEC.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish guidelines relating to EC proposals as they affect export licences for fish processors in Scotland.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 25 June 1992]: Directive 91/493/EEC, concerning health rules for the production and placing on the market of fishery products, requires that all such products are given an identification mark to signify that they have been produced in accordance with the directive. The directive applies to trade within the European Community; trade with third countries will continue to be subject to bilateral arrangements. The regulations implementing the directive will be issued for public consultation shortly.

  Skye Bridge
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement of his Department's view on the ongoing work being carried out by the Miller Construction Group in the south-west Ross area in advance of his receiving the recommendations of the reporter at the Skye bridge public inquiry.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 25 June 1992]: We understand that the contractor for Skye Bridge Tolls Ltd. has been making prudent preparations in the event that the go-ahead should be given to the project. In particular, we understand that the contractor has carried out minor operations to determine that the Kishorn dry dock was still operable.

  Wick Airport
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd. about a public road which crosses the runway at Wick airport; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 26 June 1992]: The chairman of Highlands and Islands Airports

  491
  Ltd. has recently written to me suggesting that there is a need, on safety grounds, to close an unclassified public road which crosses the main runway at Wick airport, and asking whether the Government have powers to intervene. The matter is under consideration.

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names and emoluments of the members of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 26 June 1992]: The names of members of Highlands and Islands Enterprise are set out in the table, together with their remuneration.

  Salary£

  Chairman

  Sir Robert Cowan

  62,530

  Chief executive (ex-officio member)

  I Robertson

  54,750

  Full-time member

  P J Hamilton-Grierson

  57,600

  Part-time members

  Mrs P Grant, OBE

  6,570

  J A D Harrison, OBE

  6,570

  Dr J. Hunter

  6,570

  A S MacDonald CBE

  6,570

  Mrs. V. Maclver

  6,570

  A. F. Morrison

  6,570

  J. D. M. Robertson, OBE

  6,570

  P. Timms, MBE

  6,570

  J. A. MacKay

  6,570

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which private consultants have been engaged to prepare Grampian Healthcare to apply for NHS trust status; what is the remit for each of the consultants; what is the total cost of each contract; and what are the funding sources to meet the total cost.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Contracts have been placed with the undermentioned companies to advise the Grampian Healthcare Unit on various aspects related to the development of a NHS trust proposal. The total cost has been estimated at £48,000, funded £33,000 from the Scottish Office Home and Health Department and £15,000 from Grampian health board using moneys specifically allocated for this purpose:

  Frontline Consultants Ltd.

  Greenhalga and Co. Ltd.

  SECTA Consulting Group

  PR Consultants (Scotland)

  Patricia Hopkins Associates

  Format Communication Art

  Health Service Pay Awards
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional funds he has made available to Grampian health board to cover payments made by the board to Mediguard to compensate for nationally agreed pay awards.
  492
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: None. The revenue allocation to Grampian health board for the current year is intended to cover all expected expenditure commitments.

  Food Hygiene
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the new Scottish food hygiene regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Formal consultations were held last year on proposals to introduce statutory temperature controls for certain foodstuffs. These were followed by discussions with representatives of trade interests and with local authorites which would be responsible for enforcement. A number of substantial points of practical detail are still being considered. In the meantime, the European Commission has published a draft directive on the hygiene of foodstuffs which deals with all aspects of food hygiene, including temperature controls. Until the terms of the EC directive have been finalised, it will not be practicable to revise the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations.

  Caledonian MacBrayne
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria are applied to those ferry routes operated by Cal-Mac in the highlands and islands which are in receipt of subsidy; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Under the terms of the undertaking between my right hon. Friend and Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. deficit subsidy is paid to the company to support certain approved services considered necessary to maintain or improve economic or social conditions in the highlands and islands area. The Government are committed to continuing to provide financial support for essential lifeline services to the islands.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to obtain a breakdown of profits and losses incurred on individual Cal-Mac ferry routes in receipt of subsidy; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: No. My right hon. Friend does not consider it justified to require the company to make commercially sensitive information about operating surpluses and deficits incurred on individual routes. The company's annual report and accounts for 1991, presented to Parliament on 27 May 1992, identifying the operating deficits and surpluses realised by the company in respect of groups of services defined by area of operation.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will tabulate the total subsidy to Cal-Mac ferries for 1991–92 giving administration costs, staff salaries, ferry maintenance and direct passenger fare subsidy; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: The company's annual report and accounts for the calendar year 1991, which were presented to Parliament on 27 May 1992, contain the information requested in respect of deficit subsidy, staff costs and ferry maintenance costs.
  493
  The accounts, prepared in accordance with accounting standards, do not separately identify administration costs. Deficit subsidy is intended to eliminate the overall deficit
  494
  incurred by the company in operating a network of approved services and is not related to different categories of traffic—for example, passengers.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Southern Africa
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether further bilateral aid will be provided to meet the needs of people suffering from the drought in southern Africa; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has today announced a further package of bilateral aid totalling £10 million comprising:

  £2.5 million in the form of balance of payments aid for Zimbabwe, to help ease its financial difficulties and enable the Government to import essential food;

  £2.5 million for Malawi (for drought related assistance)

  £2.5 million for Mozambique (for drought related assistance)

  £1.5 million for UNICEF/World Food Programme operations in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia.

  £1 million for further technical assistance and support for the activities of British non-governmental organisations aimed at relieving the impact of the drought in the affected countries in the region.

  This will bring our total bilateral commitment in response to the drought in southern Africa to some £48 million.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Whaling
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representation he has made to the Japanese authorities in view of the continuing slaughter of minke whales by Japanese fishers.

  Mr. Gummer
  We have made very clear to the Japanese authorities our opposition to lethal means of research into whales. Our resolute opposition will continue at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Glasgow.

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for imposing the days-at-sea regulations on vessels under 10 m.

  Mr. Curry
  As the recent consultation paper on effort control and decommissioning makes clear, the Government do not propose initially to introduce controls on days-at-sea for vessels of overall length 10 metres and under when restrictive licensing is extended to them in 1993. However, the extension of licensing will facilitate the collection of statistics on the activities of this sector, and in the light of them the Government will be able to consider whether restrictions should be introduced.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what cases there have been of rabies in the Falkland islands; and if there are any indigenous 496
  diseases of animals, fishes or plants in the islands that might threaten the United Kingdom if they were to be imported from the islands.

  Mr. Soames
  We have no record of any rabies cases reported from the Falkland Islands. Sheep on the islands are affected by Brucella ovis which if imported would threaten the United Kingdom, but we are not aware of any similar diseases of fish or plants.

  Royal Botanic Gardens Constabulary
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statutory protection exists for constables of the Royal Botanic Gardens constabulary, at Kew and Edinburgh, from unfair dismissal; what statutory restrictions exist on their taking industrial action; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.

  Mr. Curry
  In common with all other non-industrial staff at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the constables are free to take strike action like other Government servants, and are free to join a trade union. At Kew they are not represented by a statutory police federation, but by the National Union of Civil and Public Servants. However, by virtue of section 146(2) and (3) of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 the right to claim unfair dismissal at an industrial tribunal does not apply to constables of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, though they may use normal disciplinary procedures operated there.

  Responsibility for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, but I understand that in these respects the position of the constables employed at the Edinburgh gardens is essentially the same.

  Intervention Board
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what key performance targets have been set for the Intervention Board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  In agreement with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland I have set the following targets:

  to process all claims within regulatory or ministerial deadlines;

  to process at least 98 per cent. of claims correctly;

  to achieve 2 per cent. running cost efficiency gains;

  to achieve a 5 per cent. improvement in productivity;

  to keep disallowance to within 0.4 per cent. of EC funds handled;

  to keep expenditure within vote provision and running cost and cash limits; and

  to achieve 5 per cent. new value for money savings in the procurement of goods and services.

  Central Veterinary Laboratory
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what performance targets he has set for the Central Veterinary Laboratory in 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Chief Executive of the Central Veterinary Laboratory has submitted his proposals to me and I have agreed that the laboratory should be set the following strategic performance target for 1992–93.
  497

  financial performance: full cost recovery for all CVL services;

  efficiency: an overall efficiency gain of 2.5 per cent. and a reduction of 4 per cent. in representative unit costs;

  service delivery: 95 per cent. of service work completed on time and 80 per cent. of R & D milestones;

  service quality: completion of a comprehensive customer survey and achievement of a satisfactory report from a visiting group on an agreed area of the laboratory's work.

  These are demanding targets which challenge the laboratory to build on its achievements to date. I commend the chief executive and his staff for the improvements they have already made and wish them well in their endeavours in 1992–93.

  Tyrrell Committee
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent advice he has received from the Tyrrell committee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  As part of their continuing work to maintain an overview of research into spongiform encephalopathies, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee have presented to the Secretary of State for Health and me a report which reviews the work now underway in response to earlier independent advice about research priorities.

  The committee notes that all studies justifying a high priority have been started, and they are content with the progress of implementing the earlier recommendations overall. The report adds that the committee believes that all the necessary safeguards are in place to minimise further spread of spongiform encephalopathies in animals and to prevent any risk of transmission to humans.

  I am arranging for copies of the report to be placed in the Library of the House and will he arranging for its publication as soon as possible.

  Animal Exports
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many(a) lambs, (b) sheep, (c) pigs, (d) calves, (e) hulls over six months, (f) heifers over six months, (g) cull cows and (h) horses were exported live from the United Kingdom for purposes other than breeding, fattening or immediate slaughter in each year since 1985;

  (2) how many (a) horses, (b) cattle, (c) pigs and (d) sheep were exported live from the United Kingdom for breeding in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 24 June,Official Report, col. 240.

  Quarantine
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reasons quarantine regulations are applied to animals that have been imported from United Kingdom dependencies where the British Government have responsibility and no notifiable diseases are in existence.

  Mr. Soames
  Rabies quarantine is applied as recommended by the Waterhouse committee of inquiry on rabies. Quarantine for other diseases depends upon the assurances which can be provided by the exporting country.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Sporting Facilities
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what financial grants his Department will make available to the northern region for sporting facilities.

  Mr. Mellor
  My Department does not make direct grants towards the provision of sports facilities. The Sports Council receives grant in aid from the Department and its total capital grant aid in the Northern region was £521,303 in 1991–92. Its projected expenditure for 1992–93 is £685,000.

WALES

  New Age Travellers
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to take on the recommendations contained in the joint Powys county council/NFU report entitled "Report on Legal Aspects Relating to New Age Travellers", forwarded to his Department in May.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The report is under consideration. The Government have in hand a review of the operation of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 with the aim of reducing the nuisance of illegal camping. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I hope soon to issue a public consultation paper containing proposals for reform.

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

  Mr. David Hunt
  The details, based on staff in post figures at 31 March 1992, are given in the following table:

  Grades

  Number of registered disabled people

  Per cent.

  1–5

  —

  —

  6

  2

  2

  7

  —

  —

  DEPARTMENTAL TOTAL

  40

  1.6

  Notes:

  1. Includes equivalent and professional grades.

  2. Includes agency and industrial staff. Part-time staff count as one unit.

  Housing Finance
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what funding his Department has provided for each of the last five years to(a) the Welsh Federation of Housing Associations and (b) Shelter Cymru.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is given in the table:
  499

  Welsh federation of housing associations1

  Shelter Cymru

  £

  £

  1987–88

  33,000

  56,030

  1988–89

  43,000

  62,298

  1989–90

  46,459

  89,774

  1990–91

  92,000

  158,700

  1991–92

  110,367

  132,679

  1 Welsh Housing Associations Council (WHAC) until 1989.

  NHS Expenditure
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the expenditure per head in Wales of(a) hospital and community health services, (b) general practitioner services, excluding the cost of prescriptions, (c) dental services, gross and net of charges and (d) general practitioner-prescribed prescriptions, in 1991–92.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information from the 1991–92 annual accounts of health authorities and family health services authorities will be available in the autumn.

  Immunologists
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many consultant immunologist posts there are in Wales; and what plans he has for developing this specialty.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There are no consultant immunologist posts at the present time in Wales. However, the possibility of establishing such a post is currently being investigated.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to introduce a national ambulance service for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The formation of a single, all-Wales ambulance service is one of four options for change which are canvassed in Welsh health circular WHC(92)57, issued by the Welsh Office on 17 June 1992. A copy of that circular has been placed in the Library of the House.

  However, it is not the preferred option. For reasons which are explained, it is the alternative of reducing the number of services through multi-district amalgamations which is commended to health authorities.

  The circular asks authorities to examine whether such amalgamations will realise improvements in services' efficiency and cost-effectiveness and therefore in the standard of patient care they are able to offer. Their findings are to be reported to the Welsh Office by 30 September 1992.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average cost per head of the population of the ambulance service in Powys; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Latest available information is for 1990–91 when the net cost per head of population of ambulance services in Powys was £20.

  Health Service Costs
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost in 1991 of running Welsh district health authorities; what were the comparable figures for 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The aggregate cost of administering district health authority functions in 1988–89 was £55,916,000. No comparable figure for 1991–92 is yet available.

  Physiotherapists
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that the salary levels of male and female physiotherapists are comparable.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The NHS does not differentiate between male and female physiotherapists. Accordingly, the salaries are already comparable.

  Planning Procedures
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has made any assessment of the effectiveness of the way in which community councils are receiving information about the nature and details of planning applications.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No, but paragraph 8 of schedule 1 to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is due to be amended to ensure that those community councils who wish to be notified of planning applications will also be notified about alterations to applications.

  Health Service Grading Appeals
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many clinical grading appeals have been submitted by nurses(a) in Wales and (b) in each health authority in Wales since the start of the current process.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Numbers of clinical grading appeals submitted by or on behalf of nurses, midwives and health visitors in Wales are given in the table.

  Health authority

  At employing authority level

  At regional level (Welsh Appeals Committee)

  At national level (negotiating council)

  Clwyd

  355

  160

  12

  East Dyfed

  563

  110

  12

  Gwent

  1,023

  416

  27

  Gwynedd

  1,066

  316

  47

  Mid Glamorgan

  1,349

  252

  16

  Pembrokeshire

  102

  56

  0

  Powys

  603

  215

  5

  South Glamorgan

  1,004

  293

  20

  West Glamorgan

  424

  134

  29

  Wales

  16,489

  11,952

  1168

  1 Latest available figures including appeals subsequently withdrawn or invalid.

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what appraisal he has made of the report on the costs and benefits of the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill commissioned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and if he will make a statement.
  501
  Mr. David Hunt
  I have received the report only recently. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman when I have had the opportunity to consider it.

  Nurses
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many nurses are employed, and how many nurse posts are contained in the approved establishment,(a) in Wales and (b) in each district health authority in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The available information relates to nursing and midwifery staff; the whole-time equivalent number of such staff at 30 September 1991 is given in the following table:

  Numbers

  Clwyd

  3,566

  East Dyfed

  2,226

  Pembrokeshire

  771

  Gwent

  4,290

  Gwynedd

  2,085

  Mid Glamorgan

  5,412

  Powys

  1,134

  South Glamorgan

  4,875

  West Glamorgan

  3,560

  Welsh Health Common Services Authority

  72

  Wales

  27,991

  Information on establishment is not available centrally.

  Community Hospitals
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to make known his expenditure plans for the balance of £5 million of capital resouces not included in his announcement of 27 February,Official Report, column 1152.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I have today made £2 million available for the discretionary use of district health authorities and £1.6 million as a contribution towards the provision of MRI equipment at Morriston hospital and for a mobile unit based in north Wales. In addition, authorities will be invited to submit bids for resources which I intend to provide as a contribution towards the capital cost of providing better day surgery facilities. Over £1.5 million is set aside for this purpose.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims have so far been received for the disability living allowance, broken down by regional disability benefit centre; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what percentage of those claims for disability living allowance requiring further medical evidence necessitated the claimant undergoing a medical examination, broken down for each of the regional disability benefit centres; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what is the average length of time taken to decide each claim for disability living allowance, broken down for each of the regional disability centres; and if he will make a statement;
  502
  (4) what percentage of claims for disability living allowance so far adjudicated on have been awarded benefit; at what rate this benefit has been awarded, broken down for each of the regional disability benefit centres; and if he will make a statement;

  (5) what percentage of claims for disability living allowance have been able to be adjudicated as they were received; what percentage required further medical evidence or opinion, broken down for each of the regional disability benefit centres; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of claimants for disability living allowance opted to undergo a medical examination rather than use the self-assessment form, broken down for each regional disability benefit centre; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Social Fund
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in 1991–92, how many social fund applicants made(a) only one application to the fund. (b) two applications, (c) three applications, (d) four applications, (e) five applications and (f) six or more applications; and if he will provide a breakdown of these data by client groups.

  Mr. Scott
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the total number of people refused help from the social fund on the basis of their inability to repay social fund loans for each of the years 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92; and what proportion of social fund loans refusals this represents for each year;

  (2) if he will publish the social fund loans and grants allocations to individual districts for the year 1992–93.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is contained in the Secretary of State's annual report on the social fund. social fund statistics monthly reports and the allocations lists, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of social fund award expenditure in(a) 1988–89, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1990–91 and (d) 1991–92 has now been written off as unrecoverable.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is in the table.

  Percentage of expenditure for which recovery action has been abandoned

  Per cent.

  1988–89

  0.6

  1989–90

  0.90

  1990–91

  1.20

  1991–92

  1.00

  503
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to ensure that no social fund applicants are refused help as a result of the failure of the computerised allocation system which led to allocations being made to a number of districts which had later to be reduced.

  Mr. Scott
  We have acted swiftly and effectively to correct allocations in a way which minimises disruption. No district has received less than it should have done following these revised allocations.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will now publish the York university social and public research unit report on the social fund which he received several weeks ago.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 25 June at column 308.

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

  Mr. Burt
  The information for the Department and its executive agencies at 1 June 1991 is in the table.

  Grade

  Total

  Registered disabled

  Percentage

  1 to 7

  704

  3

  0.4

  Others

  77,640

  1,462

  1.9

  Total

  78,344

  1,465

  1.9

  Notes:

  1. The figures do not include staff with disabilities who chose not to register or chose not to disclose their registration.

  2. The figures do not include over 50 registered disabled people employed under the sheltered placement scheme.

  3. For each grade, all non-industrial staff in equivalent grades are included.

  4. The figures for grades 1 to 7 have been grouped together as the numbers of registered disabled staff in these grades are very small and they risk identifying an individual.

  5. All figures refer to full-time equivalents.

  Income Support
  Ms. Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken to monitor the effects of refusal of applications by young people for payment of income support to prevent severe hardship.

  Mr. Burt
  The Department is not in a position to monitor the effects in the manner suggested. Young people who are not entitled to income support under the severe hardship provision are sent a letter giving advice to claim again should their circumstances change, or if they think they are entitled to benefit because a decision was made in ignorance of a material fact or as a result of an error as to fact. Currently more than 80 per cent. of applicants are successful.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will introduce regulations to implement the employer debt provision for occupational pensions set out in the Social Security Act 1990.
  504
  Mr. Lilley
  I have today laid before Parliament the Occupational Pension Schemes (Deficiency on Winding Up etc.) Regulations 1992 which bring into effect section 58B of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 as introduced by the Social Security Act 1990 under which a deficiency in a pension scheme that is wound up becomes a debt to the employer.

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

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

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

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in Moray constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

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

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what information he has on the type of disability, and age of the person concerned presently benefiting from vehicle excise duty exemption because the person is disabled, under five or over 65 years old and receiving disability living allowance or attendance allowance;

  (2) how many persons were in receipt of vehicle excise duty exemption under (a) pre-1976 vehicle schemes, (b) because they were eligible for the higher rate mobility component of the disability living allowance or (c) were under five or over 65 years old and receiving disability living allowance or attendance allowance, for each of the last five years for which figures are available;

  (3) how many new first time successful applications there were for vehicle excise duty exemption by disabled people under the three existing possible categories, in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available on the number of disabled people applying for and receiving exemption is as follows:

  (a) invalid carriage users exempt at;

  Number

  31 March 1988

  4,672

  31 March 1989

  3,712

  31 March 1990

  3,124

  31 March 1991

  2,760

  31 March 1992

  2,125

  505
  There have been no new first time successful applications for exemption during this period since the invalid carriage scheme was phased out in 1976.
  (b) receipt of the higher rate of the mobility component of disability living allowance; approximately 400,000 receive exemption.
  (c) disabled passengers scheme users; approximately 20,000 receive exemption. There were 4,183 first time successful applications during the period 1 April 1991–31 March 1992.

  Maxwell Pension Funds
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state how much has been used by Maxwell pension funds in legal fees to try to recover the lost assets; and if he will now underwrite these costs.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The cost of legal fees incurred in recovering assets missing from Maxwell pension funds is a matter for the trustees of the pension schemes concerned. The emergency funding of up to £2.5 million which we have made available will be used soley for payments of pensions.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out his target for recovery of the lost Maxwell assets by the special unit within his Department and, in particular, what proportion of the total assets he aims to have recovered and within what period of time.

  Miss Widdecombe
  It is too early to say how much of the missing assets will prove to be recoverable. Officials in the special unit will do everything they can to assist trustees of Maxwell pension funds, liquidators and others to secure the speedy return of assets and the rebuilding of pension funds to the point where they can meet their liabilities in full.

  Compensation Recovery Scheme
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants have had deductions from benefit entitlement under the compensation recovery scheme; and how much is(a) the average amount deducted and (b) the total amount reclaimed.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The total amount deducted and paid to the compensation recovery unit up to 31 May 1992 was £35.5 million. The number of claimants involved was 29,216 at an average of approximately £1,200 per case.

PRIME MINISTER

  National Security
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish Her Majesty's Government's definition of the term national security.

  The Prime Minister
  This term is generally understood to refer to the safeguarding of the state and community against threats to their survival or well-being.

  School Nurses
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister what response he will be making to the Amalgamated School Nurses Association's petition to him, presented on 24 June; and if he will make a statement.
  506
  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health will write and congratulate the association on reaching its centenary year and will also acknowledge the value that her Department attaches to the association's role as a representative body for school nurses and assure the association that it will continue to be consulted about departmental initiatives on the school health service.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 30 June.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 30 June.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

  Civil Service Contracts
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what account has been taken in the planning and estimates of the National Audit Office of the number of staff required to test the value-for-money policies on proposals for contracting out civil service work.

  Sir Peter Hordern
  The Public Accounts Commission will be examining the National Audit Office's estimates for 1993–94 and corporate plan for 1993–94 to 1997–98 early next month. I understand that these take full account of the Government's "Competing for Quality" initiative.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Sinai
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 12 June,Official Report, column 326, why it is proposed to end the United Kingdom commitment to the multinational force and observers in Sinai; what response he has received from other signatories of the 1981 protocol establishing the MFO; what are the financial implications of the proposed withdrawal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Our decision to review our commitment to the Sinai multinational force and observers reflects financial considerations and the fact that the Israeli-Egyptian border is both stable and internationally recognised. We have received various responses to our decision to withdraw from the signatories to the 1981 protocol, which we are considering. The full cost of the United Kingdom contingent in the financial year 1991–92 was of the order of £1 million.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what indications he has received of proposals for changes in the constitution of the United Nations forces in Cyprus; if he proposes to alter the level or nature of the United Kingdom contribution to these forces; until what date the United Kingdom is formally committed to provide forces for the United Nations in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  As requested in United Nations Security Council resolution 759, the United Nations secretariat is discussing with the United Kingdom and other troop contributors the future size and shape of the United Nations Force in Cyprus. The Secretary-General will report to the Security Council on this question by 1 September. The Security Council reviews UNFICYP every six months: the current mandate lasts until December 1992.

  Westminster Foundation for Democracy
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy since its establishment; to what extent Her Majesty's Government have given it support; and what plans the Government have to develop the foundation's activities.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Westminster Foundation for Democracy was incorporated on 26 February 1992. In accordance with the foundation's articles, I have appointed 14 governors following consultations with the political parties represented at Westminster. They have elected Sir James Spicer as their chairman and Mr. George Robertson and Sir Russell Johnston as vice-chairmen. The Government are providing funding of £1 million for the foundation's activities in this financial year. I have also instructed embassies abroad to help the foundation when requested. Questions about the activities of the foundation and its future plans should, however, be addressed direct to the foundation itself as its operations are independent of the Government.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what implications the clandestine Iraqi nuclear weapon programme has had for his Departments's policy on United Kingdom negative security guarantees regarding the use or threatened use of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The negative security assurance given by the United Kingdom in 1978 remain unchanged.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on establishing a common policy among all the nuclear weapon states regarding negative security guarantees.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  All five nuclear weapon states have already given negative security assurances, although they are not identical. We consider the United Kingdom's guarantee to be sufficient as it stands.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on 508
  extending the United Kingdom's negative security guarantees on nuclear weapons into a legally binding convention.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is the Government's view that our negative security assurance offers sufficient guarantee, in its present form, to those non-nuclear-weapon states which it is designed to protect.

  ABM Treaty
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy towards the continued adherence of the parties to the anti-ballistic missile treaty.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We support the continued adherence of the United States and Russia to the ABM treaty. Any changes to the treaty should be agreed by the two parties.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any proposals to amend or renegotiate the 1984 joint agreement on Hong Kong as signed by Her Majesty's Government and the Chinese Government.

  Mr. Goodlad
  No. Her Majesty's Government remain fully committed to the Sino-British joint declaration on the question of Hong Kong, an international treaty deposited with the United Nations.

  Brazil (Street Children)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Brazilian authorities about the abduction of street children for use in organ transplants.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We are in touch with the Brazilian authorities on all aspects of the welfare of street children. Our embassy is monitoring closely.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Deterrent
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the policy of nuclear deterrents in relation to the ownership of nuclear weapons by other states.

  Mr. Rifkind
  In its new strategic concept agreed last autumn, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation reaffirmed that nuclear weapons remain essential to the alliance's strategy for preserving peace. The United Kingdom's independent deterrent is our ultimate safeguard in a world in which many countries have the potential to acquire nuclear and other powerful weapons.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his consideration of how best the United Kingdom might contribute to the strategic nuclear arms control process, as referred to in paragraph 319, Statement on the Defence Estimates, 1991, volume 1.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have always made it clear that the United Kingdom would deploy only the minimum
  509
  strategic deterrent required for our security needs. The United States and Russia have agreed to reduce their strategic nuclear forces substantially over the next seven to 11 years, reflecting an improved strategic environment. At the same time, there is increasing interest in improving ballistic missile defences and their deployment on a limited basis. These factors will be taken fully into account in keeping under review the capability which will need to be deployed to maintain an effective deterrent into the next century.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assurances he has received from the United States Government regarding implications for the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent of the sharing of American anti-ballistic missile technology with Russia.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United States Government have assured us that nothing will be done in connection with United States proposals for limited ballistic missile defences which could undermine the effectiveness of our deterrent.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on nuclear defence.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The Government intend that our independent nuclear deterrent should continue to provide the ultimate guarantee of our security in the decades ahead, as it has for decades past.

  Defence Spending
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the anticipated total expenditure on Britain's defence requirements during the current financial year.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The present estimate is £24.2 billion.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received concerning the nuclear non-proliferation treaty since the general election.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received several letters from organisations and members of the public on many aspects of defence policy and arms control, including the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, since the general election.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy on the armed forces in the light of responses to "Options for Change".

  Mr. Rifkind
  In parallel with other NATO countries and those of the former Warsaw pact, our policy is to restructure our forces to meet changed international circumstances. Although smaller, they will be more flexible, more mobile and better-equipped than ever before, and of a scale and quality appropriate to the challenges and risks of an unpredictable world.

  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reassessments he has made of the proposals in "Options for Change" in the light of potential changes in international security requirements.
  510
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. and learned Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs).

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the sale of arms to other countries.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is our general policy to support the sale of British defence equipment overseas wherever this is compatible with our political, strategic and security interests and does not conflict with our international obligations.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his Saudi Arabian counterpart to discuss arms sales.

  Mr. Aitken
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not yet had a meeting with the Saudi Arabian Minister of Defence but he looks forward so to doing. His predecessor last met the Saudi Arabian Minister of Defence on 21 January this year.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to meet representatives of the Nuclear Test Veterans Association to discuss compensation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so.

  Franco-German Corps
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his Western European Union partners on the role of the Franco-German corps.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has discussed this subject with a number of his WEU colleagues, most recently at the WEU Council of Ministers meeting near Bonn on 19 June.

  Infantry
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about future manning levels for the infantry.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I regularly receive representations from both individuals and interest groups.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding the workload of British infantry regiments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have received a number of representations regarding infantry commitments all of which have been noted.

  Trident
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the most recent estimated total cost of the Trident programme; and if he will make a statement.
  511
  Mr. Aitken
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) earlier today.

  Dimity Group
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of the MoD orders placed with the Dowty Group in the last financial year.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department placed contracts to a value of £44 million with the Dowty Group of companies during the financial year 1991–92.

  European Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussion he has had with the aerospace industry in relation to the EFA programme.

  Mr. Aitken
  I have regular discussions about EFA, with the companies concerned. In addition, several major companies and the Society of British Aerospace companies have provided me with assessments of the industrial importance of the EFA programme in the context of the present uncertainties about Germany's future participation in the project.

  Mr. Eric Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will draw up a contingency plan for continuing with the European fighter project to deal with the situation should the German Government withdraw or partially withdraw their support.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Government hope that Germany will not withdraw its support for the European fighter aircraft programme, which is the largest European collaborative project and which represents the most cost-effective solution to the requirements of all four partner nations. If the German Government did, however, decide not to join the production phase of the project, we would need to consider with the remaining partner nations the additional costs, and benefits, of proceeding without Germany's full participation. I hope that in such circumstances it would be possible to continue with the programme on a three-nation basis.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternatives there are to the European fighter aircraft in terms of British defence capability.

  Mr. Rifkind
  In its recent report on the project, the Defence Committee concluded that there was currently no sign of any alternative to EFA which could begin to offer the same level of performance at an acceptable cost, with anything approaching comparable technological benefits. That is the Government's view too.

  Ex-service Personnel (Housing)
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to consult local authorities on housing requirements for ex-service personnel.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Department of the Environment circular 54/75 gives local authorities advice about the housing requirements of ex-service personnel. Officials from the Department of Environment and Ministry of Defence are considering the revision and re-issue of this circular.

  Queen's Harbour Master
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to complete the review of the Queen's Harbour Master's responsibilities lying outside Portsmouth harbour.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Consideration of the future requirements for the dockyard port has only just started. If it is decided to seek changes to the dockyard port order, we shall consult local marine interests and the length of the review will depend very much on the response we receive.

  Defence Estimates
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the Statement on the Defence Estimates.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I hope to publish the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1992 on Tuesday 7 July.

  Libya
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's contacts with the armed forces of Libya.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There have been no military contacts with Libya since the shooting of WPC Yvonne Fletcher in 1984.

  Trooping the Colour
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the estimated cost of the trooping the colour to public funds in the current year; how many visitors from home and overseas are estimated to have watched the parade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No additional costs were incurred for the men and horses of the Household Division, as they are already funded. Other costs associated with trooping the colour could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Although it is not possible to establish the exact number of visitors who watched the Trooping the Colour this year, 30,400 tickets were sold for the two rehearsals and the actual parade.

  Biological Warfare
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer on 2 June,Official Report, column 539, if he will list the countries that possess or seek to acquire a biological warfare capability.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to my previous answer.

  Missile Defences
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what aspects of the global protection against limited strikes programme his Department is considering for deployment by the United Kingdom;

  (2) what is his policy towards the deployment of theatre missile defences by the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
  513
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We continue to keep the requirement for defence against ballistic missiles under review, in consultation with the United States and other NATO allies.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards making United Kingdom nuclear weapons available to forces operating under the auspices of the Western European Union; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The scale and nature of any United Kingdom contribution to forces operating under the auspices of the Western European Union would be for decision in the light of circumstances at the time.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department is undertaking regarding the testing of United Kingdom nuclear weapons without the need for underground nuclear explosions.

  Mr. Aitken
  It has long been the practice to use a wide range of laboratory facilities and techniques to contribute to proving the designs of our nuclear weapons, but those techniques cannot wholly substitute for underground nuclear tests. We therefore have a continuing requirement to sustain a minimum underground test programme.

  Anti-ballistic Missiles
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 June,Official Report, column 538, what is his Department's assessment of the number of countries that will have the capability to deploy anti-ballistic missiles by the year (a) 2000 and (b) 2010; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  By the year 2000 and 2010, only Russia and the United States are likely to have the capability to deploy full anti-ballistic missile systems. In addition, a number of other countries could deploy anti-tactical ballistic missiles in the same time frame.

  Free-fall Bombs
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards the deployment of the United Kingdom's free-fall nuclear bombs outside the NATO area.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Our policy on the deployment of nuclear weapons is governed by the requirements of national security.

  RAF High Command
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of relocating the staff of administration and personnel sections of the RAF High Command at Brampton and Innsworth: and what is the capital required for the provision of accommodation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The cost of relocating the administrative and training staffs from Brampton to form the new headquarters personnel and training command at RAF Innsworth is estimated to be £1.8 million. The Department's estimate of the cost of providing additional accommodation at RAF Innsworth cannot be provided as the information is commercially sensitive.

  Postal and Courier Services
  Dr. Liam Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement about defence support agency status for the defence postal and courier services.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Defence Postal and Courier Services will be established as a defence support agency of the Ministry of Defence on I July 1992. The Defence Postal and Courier Services comprise the directorate of the defence postal and courier services, the postal and courier depot—which includes the postal training school and courier wing—and a group to co-ordinate functional tasking and specialist training of postal and courier services Territorial Army personnel. Together, they employ some 285 military personnel and 256 civilians.

  The primary role of the Defence Postal and Courier Services is to provide postal and courier services for the safe and secure carriage of all official and personal mail and parcels for United Kingdom armed forces at home and overseas during periods of peace, international tension and war. The primary customers of the agency are service personnel, their dependants and defence establishments at home and overseas. The high professional standards of the Defence Postal and Courier Services will be maintained and agency status will provide the chief executive with new opportunities to improve the efficiency and value for money of his organisation and provide even better services to customers. Brigadier Michael Browne has been appointed as the agency's chief executive.

  The chief executive has been set the following targets for 1992–93:
  1. Taking account of the experience of Operation Granby. define by 31 December 1992 the core capability—the minimum manpower. equipment and training—to be maintained in peace to meet requirements in crisis and war.
  2. Inaugurate service level agreements with service user representatives, other Government Departments and other major users of postal and courier services, by 31 March 1993.
  3. Define key output and unit cost measures by 31 March 1993 in order to set targets for the movement of mail and courier items in future years.
  4. Introduce management information systems to produce all necessary information including the identification of full costs of services, to support measures of output and unit cost and to meet the accounting requirements for agencies by 31 March 1993.
  5. Increase the agency's efficiency by

  a. achieving manpower savings of £1 million by bringing into full service automated letter sorting equipment.

  b. making further efficiency enhancements to the value of £100,000 (1 per cent. of cash budget).

  6. Attract receipts in 1992–93 of £2.5 million which will represent an increase in a declining market.

  Defence Operational Analysis Establishment
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future operation of the defence operational analysis establishment at West Byfleet.

  Mr. Aitken
  As was announced on 22 July 1991,Official Report, column 448, the defence operational analysis establishment ( DOAE) was among the candidate organisations under consideration for defence support agency (DSA) status. The review of DOAE for agency status has been completed and I am pleased to announce that it will become established as a defence support agency on 1 July 1992 under the title of the Defence Operational

  515
  Analysis Centre (DOAC). The director of the establishment, Dr David Leadbeater, has been appointed the chief executive.

  There will be no change in the role of the agency. Its aim will continue to be to provide the Ministry of Defence with advice on formulation of defence policy, military operational capability and future equipment requirements; this advice being derived from operational analysis studies and field trials. The greater freedom and flexibility now granted to the director general will provide him with new opportunities to enhance this role.

  The move to agency status will build on DOAE's reputation in the field of operational analysis by further improving the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of the work carried out by the centre. In order to bring about these improvements, the director general has been set the following range of challenging key performance targets:

  Service to customers

  a. In 1992–93, to complete 75 per cent. of the planned studies for customers within agreed time scales, and to seek progressive improvements in future years.

  b. In 1992–93, to complete 75 per cent. of the planned studies for customers within planned cost, and to seek progressive improvements in future years.

  c. In 1992–93, to subject 40 per cent. of new major studies to a formal quality plan, which will require peer review and measures of customer satisfaction, and in 1993–94 to increase this to 100 per cent. and to propose for future years a challenging quality target.

  d. In 1992–93, to respond to 80 per cent. of requests from MoD customers for unplanned urgent advice within time scales negotiated at the outset and to seek progressive improvements in future years.

  Management Systems

  e. In 1992–93, to introduce a full cost system of accounting and to publish auditable accruals-based accounts in future years.

  Efficiency

  f. While implementing input reductions resulting from "Options for Change", to increase overall efficiency by 2 per cent. in 1992–93 and to achieve progressive improvements in subsequent years.

  I wish the chief executive and the staff of the centre every success.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Empty Police Property
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in rank order the police authorities of England and Wales, showing the number of vacant police flats and houses in each authority for the most recent date.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The most recent figures available, which are those for 31 March 1991, are set out in the following table:

  Vacant police houses and flats as at 31 March 1991

  Police Authority

  Vacant Houses and Flats

  City of London

  0

  Cleveland

  2

  Bedfordshire

  3

  Surrey

  6

  Merseyside

  7

  Leicestershire

  8

  South Yorkshire

  8

  West Yorkshire

  9

  516

  Police Authority

  Vacant Houses and Flats

  Warwickshire

  11

  Norfolk

  11

  Sussex

  12

  Northamptonshire

  13

  Nottinghamshire

  14

  West Midlands

  15

  Cambridgeshire

  17

  Hertfordshire

  17

  Devon and Cornwall

  20

  Humberside

  21

  Durham

  22

  Wiltshire

  25

  Dorset

  25

  Suffolk

  25

  Cheshire

  27

  Gwent

  29

  Northumbria

  32

  Staffordshire

  32

  Dyfed-Powys

  34

  Lincolnshire

  34

  Gloucestershire

  35

  Avon and Somerset

  38

  Kent

  40

  Hampshire

  40

  North Yorkshire

  42

  Essex

  47

  South Wales

  50

  West Mercia

  56

  Thames Valley

  56

  Lancashire

  61

  Cumbria

  65

  Greater Manchester

  70

  North Wales

  70

  Derbyshire

  80

  Metropolitan Police

  385

  Total

  1,614

  Electoral Quota
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, on the assumption of an unchanged number of parliamentary constituencies for England, (a) the 1992 electoral quota and (b) the entitlement of each county and London borough.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave on 22 June 1992 at cols 7–8 to an identical question from my hon. Friend the member for Hertfordshire, West (Mr. Jones).

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

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Of the total Home Office work force some 0.4 per cent. are registered disabled persons, two members of whom are in grades 1 to 7 or equivalent, representing 0.27 per cent. of staff in those grades. We have no record of the number of staff with disabilities who have chosen not to register. Specific targets have been set to increase the numbers of staff with disabilities employed in my Department. A departmental working group keeps the position under review and has taken a number of initiatives to promote policies and improve practices.

  Channel Islands
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his powers in respect of the government of the Channel Islands and the states of Jersey, the states of deliberation of Guernsey, the states of Alderney and the chief pleas of Sark.

  Mr. Jack
  The Channel Islands are internally self-governing dependencies of the Crown. The Crown is ultimately responsible for the good government of the Islands and the United Kingdom is directly responsible for their defence and international relations. In exercising its responsibilities for the Islands, the Crown operates through the Privy Council and my right hon. and learned Friend is the Privy Counsellor with particular responsibility for islands matters. This includes advising the Queen in Council as to the grant of Royal Assent to Acts passed by the island legislatures, and advising the Crown on the appointment of Crown officers in the islands.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those measures which he has altered, or prevented the implementation of, following decisions taken by either the government or the legislatures of the Channel Islands over the past five years.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no power to direct the drafting of laws within the islands legislatures. As the Privy Counsellor with particular responsibility for islands matters, he advises the Queen in Council as to the grant of Royal Assent to island laws; and the framing of island legislation is often the subject of consultation with the United Kingdom Government.

  In 1989 the then Home Secretary declined to recommend that the Interception of Communications (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law should receive Royal Assent and the law was returned to Guernsey for further consideration.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are women.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The latest figures available show that 150 staff in grades 1 to 7 are women: this represents some 20 per cent. In the unified grades 24 per cent. of staff at grade 3, 21 per cent. at grade 5, 10 per cent. at grade 6 and 22 per cent. at grade 7 are women. There are no women in grades 1, 2 or 4. In the Home Office as a whole some 26 per cent. of staff are women.

  Net expenditure on the criminal justice system 1982–83 to 1991–92

  £ million

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Police and forensic science service2 3

  2,352

  2,553

  2,943

  2,908

  3,128

  3,456

  3,827

  4,339

  4,839

  5,431

  Prisons3

  485

  554

  601

  655

  696

  775

  902

  1,092

  1,341

  1,459

  Probation2 3

  144

  155

  173

  184

  216

  224

  247

  280

  320

  382

  Court Services (Home Office)

  3

  2

  9

  10

  10

  13

  14

  17

  22

  26

  Criminal Injuries Compensation4

  26

  26

  34

  37

  42

  47

  65

  71

  100

  136

  Magistrates' Courts3

  124

  139

  152

  161

  177

  211

  236

  275

  294

  350

  Other Courts (Local Authority)3

  14

  15

  16

  17

  17

  18

  19

  27

  26

  30

  Crown Courts5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  74

  81

  103

  112

  125

  141

  Criminal Legal Aid

  106

  119

  135

  159

  197

  240

  274

  320

  372

  458

  Shotgun Certificates
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider amending the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 to prevent shotgun certificates being issued to children.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We have no plans to introduce a statutory minimum age for the grant of a shotgun certificate. Age is a factor which a chief officer may take into account when considering whether an applicant may be permitted to possess a shotgun without danger to the public safety or the peace.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children aged under 16 years currently hold shotgun certificates, by age; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Isle of Man
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of those matters in which he has altered, or prevented the implementation of, decisions of the executive council of the Isle of Man or legislation that has been passed by the Court of Tynwald, over the past five years.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no power to alter the decisions of the executive council of the Isle of Man or to amend legislation passed by the Court of Tynwald. As the Privy Counsellor with particular responsibility for islands matters, he advises the Queen in Council as to the grant of Royal Assent to Isle of Man laws; and the framing of island legislation is often the subject of consultation with the United Kingdom Government.

  No Manx legislation has been refused Royal Assent in the past five years.

  Criminal Justice Finances
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total balance of income and expenditure on the criminal justice system over each of the past 10 years; and how that analysis breaks down under the more important main headings.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The available information on net expenditure on the criminal justice system in England and Wales during this period is as follows:
  519

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Crown Prosecution Service6

  7

  7

  9

  11

  67

  121

  143

  170

  198

  226

  Serious Fraud Office7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7

  9

  13

  18

  TOTAL5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,624

  5,186

  5,837

  6,712

  7,650

  8,657

  1 Provisional outturn.

  2 Central and local government expenditure.

  3 Current and capital expenditure.

  4 Including administration.

  5 Separate figures for expenditure on civil and criminal business in the Crown Courts are not available for 1985–86 or earlier years.

  6 Figures for local government spending prior to 1986–87 (when its responsibilities for criminal prosecutions were transferred to central Government) are not available.

  7 Set up with effect from April 1988.

  Crime, Powys
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the number of car thefts in Powys in 1991; what were the comparable figures for 1981 and 1986; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what was the number of homicides in Powys in 1991; what were the comparable figures for 1981 and 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The requested information for Powys is not collected centrally.

  Police Complaints Authority
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 May,Official Report, column 204, which non-Home Office police forces have an agreement with the Police Complaints Authority; and which do not.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Police Complaints Authority has agreements under part IX of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 with six private police forces. These are:

  British Transport Police

  Ministry of Defence Police

  Port of Liverpool Police

  Port of Tilbury Police

  Royal Parks Constabulary

  United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary

  An exhaustive list of other bodies with powers to appoint a body of constables is not readily available, but agreements have been made with the Police Complaints Authority by all forces whose strengths exceed 100 officers.

  Police (Inquiry)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from non-Home Office police forces, or their officers' federations, about their inclusion within the scope of the inquiry into the role of the police officer that he has instigated.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The chairman of the British Transport Police Federation and the Defence Police Federation and the Secretary of the United Kingdom Atomic Engery Authority Constabulary Federation have written to me to suggest that the forces whose members they represent should be included in the scope of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards. My right hon. and learned Friend has told them that the inquiry will be asked to cover specifically only the 43 forces in England and Wales, the eight Scottish forces and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
  520
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the detailed terms of reference of the inquiry he announced into the role of the police officer.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend will be announcing the terms of reference and membership of the inquiry very shortly.

  Constables (Vetting)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what vetting and other safeguards exist to ensure the suitability of people sworn in as constables under the provisions of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is for the authority responsible for the relevant dock or harbour to exercise its discretion as to the suitability of individual applicants.

  Home Office Circular 45/86 provides that criminal records checks may be made on applicants to join a police force, including the ports police covered by the Harbour Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what vetting and other safeguards exist to ensure the suitability of people sworn in as constables and employed by the City of Westminster and London Borough of Wandsworth councils to operate in their parks.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  This is a matter for the local authorities concerned.

  Prisons
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons selected for the pilot schemes on staff compacts described in paragraph 4.12 of the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice".

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No decision has been reached on which establishments should be used for the pilot scheme.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is expected that name badges will be introduced for all staff on duty in prisons.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We continue to discuss with staff and their representatives the introduction of name badges. It will he our intention once these discussions have been concluded to obtain and introduce them as soon as practicable.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many prisons male convicted prisoners are now allowed to wear their own clothes.
  521
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The White Paper, "Custody, Care and Justice", announced the Government's intention to extend the wearing of own clothes by male convicted prisoners. A pilot scheme began at HMP Belmarsh in April 1991 and this will be extended to HMP Wellingborough and HMYOI Huntercombe and Finnamore Wood by the end of this year. HMP Highdown and HMP Woodhill will also allow own clothing when they open this year. In addition, some establishments already allow male convicted prisoners to wear certain items of their own clothing.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outcome of the review of the reception and induction arrangements for prisoners to which paragraph 7.17 of the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice" refers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The review has led to the production of a new guide on the management of admission arrangements which is to be issued to prison governors shortly.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons are likely to provide bail units, and how many to provide bail information schemes, before the end of the current financial year.

  Mr. Jack
  All local prisons and remand centres have a bail unit or bail officer. Bail information schemes are expected to be in place at more than 20 establishments before the end of the current financial year.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons in which it is proposed to conduct experiments under which prisoners may have televisions in their cells or rooms.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The White Paper, "Custody, Care and Justice", announced that closely monitored trials would take place at a small number of establishments to test the use of televisions in cells.

  A trial of battery-operated televisions began at HMP The Mount in December 1991. Trials of mains-powered sets will be held at Manchester and Stocken prisons when the necessary cabling work has been completed later in the year. In-cell television will be tested in other establishments if the need arises.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets he has set for card phones to be available in prisons which currently lack that facility.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The current programme of installation of cardphones for prisoners' use is scheduled for completion by the end of July 1992 save in a small number of establishments undergoing major refurbishment or building work. Installation in these establishments will take place as soon as practicable.

  Constabularies (Enactments)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those constabularies which are maintained by virtue of an enactment.

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

  Police Uniform
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to safeguard the use of the traditional police uniform and control the use of uniforms similar in colour or design.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No. Section 52 of the Police Act 1964 provides adequate safeguards on the use of police uniforms.

  Police and Constables (Use of Terms)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to control the use of the terms(a) constable, (b) constabulary, (c) police, (d) police officer, (e) police force and (f) police service.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No. It is already an offence under section 52(1) of the Police Act 1964 to impersonate a member of a police force with intent to deceive.

  Police (Consultation)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statutory rights to consultation and representation the Police Federation of England and Wales has: and what comparable statutory rights exist for the federations representing the British Transport police. the Port of Tilbury, London police, the Ministry of Defence police and the Atomic Energy Authority police.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Police Federation of England and Wales may represent the interests of members of police forces in connection with proceedings in the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales and the Police Negotiating Board for the United Kingdom, by virtue of sections 44 and 46 of the Police Act 1964 and section 1 of the Police Negotiating Board Act 1980.

  Questions concerning the representation of members of those forces referred to which are not covered by the Police Act 1964 are the responsibilities of, respectively, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Transport (British Transport Police; Port of London Police); Defence (Ministry of Defence Police) and Trade and Industry (Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary).

  Obscenity
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make it his policy to undertake a review of the law on obscenity.

  Mr. Jack
  I am very aware about the concern felt about the effectiveness of the present legislation on obscenity. The Government remain willing to support attempts of reform if these appear workable, are a real improvement on the existing law and are likely to command sufficient public and parliamentary support.

  The Government have frequently stated that it recognises the deficiencies of the Obscence Publications Act and would support a further tightening of the law, but we believe that this is an area for Private Member initiative. Recent attempts to reform the law by private Members, including some with Government support, have failed to attract sufficient parliamentary support, illustrating the present lack of consensus as to the best way forward.

  Primary Purpose Rule
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he intends to abolish the immigration primary purpose rule; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what relaxation of the immigration primary purpose rule he has authorised; when he intends making a statement on the changes to the immigration rules he has authorised; and what information he has circulated about these changes to immigration solicitors and advisers;

  (3) in how many cases, over the last three months to date, his representatives before immigration appeal adjudicators and the president of the immigration appeal tribunal have sought adjournment of hearings to enable reviews of appeals to be undertaken; and in how many such cases the appellants have been spouses who have been waiting to enter the United Kingdom for more than five years with British citizen children;

  (4) what instructions he has issued relating to the interpretation of the immigration primary purpose rule; what is the intended effect of these instructions; and if he will publish his latest instructions;

  (5) how many spouses, with British citizen children, appealing against refusal to allow them to enter the United Kingdom, following a review by his Department after the adjournment of their appeal hearings this year, to date; how many such cases are now being reviewed; and what is his estimate of the number of applicants who are affected by the relaxation of the primary purpose rule he has authorised.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to amend the immigration rules covering the admission of spouses for settlement. Guidance has recently been issued to staff on the application of the present Rules in the light of judicial rulings on the relevance of evidence of "intervening devotion"' in primary purpose cases. This guidance states that in principle an application from a spouse for an entry clearance or for leave to remain should be allowed when it is accepted that the marriage is genuine and subsisting and either the couple have been married for at least five years or one or more children of the marriage have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. An application might nevertheless be refused, for example, where the applicant's criminal record would make his or her exclusion conducive to the public good or where the sponsor in the United Kingdom is unable to meet the maintenance and accommodation requirements of the immigration rules. It is not possible to estimate accurately the number of applicants who may be affected by this guidance. The statistical information requested is not available. I have no plans to publish this internal guidance to staff or to circulate information about it to immigration solicitors and advisers.

  Immigration (Guidance)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange to place in the Library copies of the recent guidance issued by his Department relating to the Immigration Act 1971; what is the main subject of this guidance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not passed internal guidance to staff to the president of the immigration appeal tribunal and has no plans to publish such guidance.

  Recidivists
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what future plans he has to assist long-term unemployed recidivists to reintegrate into society.

  Mr. Jack
  The Government plans for those sentenced to imprisonment are set out in "Custody, Care and Justice: The Way Ahead for the Prison Service in England and Wales" (Cm 1647) and in its reply (Cm 1837) to the First Report from the Employment Committee, Session 1991–92 on "Employment in Prisons and for Ex-Offenders". Of particular relevance to the needs of long-term prisoners are the plans to introduce this year, sentence planning for all prisoners serving sentences of four years or more and to encourage the development of community prisons, to which long-term prisoners could be transferred in the months prior to their release.

  Probation services, in supervising offenders on release from custody or under community sentences, are encouraged to identify employment and training needs and to facilitate these being met, for example through links with training and enterprise councils, the employment service and local employers, voluntary sector projects, including those run by NACRO and the APEX Trust, and through advice to offenders.

  Criminal Justice
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes he plans to arrangements for the involvement of members of the judiciary on the Criminal Justice Consultative Council and the area criminal justice liaison committees.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Following consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, I have agreed that Lord Justice Farquharson will become chairman of the Criminal Justice Consultative Council with immediate effect. Judges will also chair the 24 area criminal justice liaison committees which will meet initially in the autumn.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Truck Sales (Libya)
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he has decided to take following representations made to him by the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, South-West concerning the proposed sale of civilian trucks by AWD Bedford Trucks of Dunstable to Libya, and following meetings last week by representatives of the company with his officials; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  I am aware of AWD Bedford Trucks proposed sale of civilian lorries to Libya. However, as the company is now in receivership it is for the administrative receivers to decide how best to proceed.

  Brazil
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that no illegally felled mahogany from Brazilian forests is imported into the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Needham
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 20 May to the hon. and learned Member for St. Helen's, North (Mr. Evans)Official Report, column 157.
  525
  To theextent thatcertain species ofmahogany arecovered by the convention on international trade in endangered species, Her Majesty's Customs is responsible for enforcing restrictions on imports from Brazil of any other source.

  Regional Assistance
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many awards of regional selective assistance, and of what value, have been made to firms in Cannock and Burntwood in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The number of offers of regional selective assistance and the value of those offers made to firms in Cannock and Burntwood in each of the past five years were:

  Number

  £'000 Value

  1987–88

  16

  500

  1988–89

  4

  160

  1989–90

  4

  129

  1990–91

  7

  177

  1991–92

  3

  57

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade with regard to the European regional development fund and additionality, when he will publish his final details of transitional arrangements for 1992–93; if he will indicate the Government's policy for 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  On 17 February my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced that in settlement of the disagreement with the European Commission about the public expenditure treatment of ERDF grants, new arrangements were to be introduced. Since then. systems for their detailed implementation have been drawn up.

  The new arrangements, from April 1993, are as follows: full and separately indentifiable cover in the public expenditure survey is to be provided for all forecast ERDF receipts; the presentation of ERDF grants in public expenditure publications is to be made more transparent; to promote value for money, a wider range of bodies will be encouraged to apply for ERDF finance.

  It has been decided that, from April 1993 local authorities in England and Wales will receive supplementary credit approvals to the full value of ERDF grants that they receive in respect of expenditure defrayed on approved capital projects. These supplementary credit

  Regional financial assistance at 1984–85 prices

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  DA

  IA

  DA

  IA

  DA

  IA

  DA

  IA

  DA

  IA

  DA

  IA

  DA

  IA

  DA

  IA

  East Midlands

  9.7

  1.7

  7.6

  0.8

  9.4

  0.5

  7.5

  0.7

  6.7

  0.5

  6.7

  0.5

  3.6

  0.3

  1.4

  0.3

  Northern

  106.1

  1.1

  80.0

  1.0

  106.4

  4.0

  73.3

  2.2

  92.4

  2.9

  74.3

  1.7

  44.6

  2.3

  29.8

  0.8

  North West

  93.1

  3.1

  68.3

  4.1

  105.1

  5.5

  50.8

  6.2

  46.7

  8.1

  38.5

  8.2

  27.4

  5.9

  19.1

  5.7

  South West

  11.8

  0.3

  10.0

  0.8

  18.3

  0.8

  8.0

  1.9

  6.6

  2.6

  4.5

  2.1

  2.3

  2.0

  2.1

  2.3

  West Midlands

  —

  —

  —

  5.9

  —

  9.5

  —

  16.4

  —

  20.5

  —

  15.1

  —

  12.7

  —

  5.7

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  32.0

  6.3

  27.2

  4.5

  27.5

  7.2

  18.5

  9.4

  25.6

  7.5

  10.6

  6.5

  8.7

  4.8

  3.6

  4.6

  England

  252.7

  12.5

  193.1

  17.1

  266.7

  27.5

  158.1

  36.7

  177.9

  42.1

  134.6

  34.0

  86.7

  28.0

  56.0

  19.4

  Scotland

  137.3

  3.6

  143.0

  4.5

  183.2

  5.4

  94.7

  6.5

  87.2

  6.0

  73.1

  4.8

  72.2

  7.3

  45.5

  6.2

  Wales

  110.4

  1.7

  98.9

  2.4

  102.9

  3.8

  65.6

  5.5

  67.3

  9.9

  37.4

  12.6

  26.4

  11.5

  32.6

  14.4

  Great Britain

  500.4

  17.8

  435.1

  23.9

  552.9

  36.7

  318.4

  48.7

  332.4

  58.0

  245.1

  51.4

  185.3

  46.8

  134.1

  40.0

  Note: The table comprises expenditure on regional development grantd,regional selective assistance and regional enterprise grants.
  526
  approvals assist authorities in financing their ERDFfunded expenditure. In Scotland, there will similarly be full and specific public expenditure cover, reflecting the different capital finance arrangements there. My Department will co-ordinate the necessary forecasting and monitoring of ERDF receipts.

  The agreement between the Commission and the Government recognised that the above arrangements could not be implemented earlier than the financial year which starts in April 1993. It was agreed, however. that there should be special transitional arrangements. It has now been decided that these should be as outlined.

  In respect of ERDF grants to local authority capital projects, supplementary credit approvals—separate public expenditure cover in Scotland—will be made available to finance expenditure in 1992–93 to the full value of ERDF RECHAR grants. Arrangements will be introduced for those authorities whose cover can be shown to be insufficient in respect of ERDF grants drawn down under other Community-aided programmes.

  European regional development fund RECHAR grants for purposes other than local authority capital projects will be assured of the necessary public expenditure cover. For all other forecast ERDF grants, arrangements have been made to identify the likely scale of the public expenditure requirements and to consider how far currently available resources are available to meet them. All the necessary guidance will be issued to Department before the recess.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide a table of expenditure on regional financial assistance to each development area and intermediate area in the Northern region in each year since the last revision of assisted areas held in 1984(a) at current prices and (b) at 1984 prices.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 22 June,Official Report, columns 62–64.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the President of the Board ofTrade if he will provide a table of expenditure on regional financial assistance for the development areas and intermediate areas in each of the assisted regions of Great Britain, including Scotland, in each year since the 1984 revision of the assisted areas(a) at current prices and (b) 1984 prices.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Information on expenditure on regional financial assistance, converted to 1984–85 prices, is as follows:
  527
  Expenditure at current prices on regional financial assistance was set out in my answer of 5 June to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) Official Report, columns 675–76.

  Blue Arrow plc
  Mr. Duncan-Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the considerations which inhibit the publication of the report by his Department's inspectors into the conduct of Blue Arrow plc.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend's predecessor decided to delay publication of the inspectors' report in the light of representations made to him. It is intended to publish the report as soon as it is appropriate to do so.

  Aircraft Industry
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will detail the functions of his Department in relation to the civil and military aircraft industry.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The full range of the Department's services to industry is available to the United Kingdom aircraft industry. The Department's air task force is responsible for sponsoring the industry and ensuring that the industry's views are fully taken into account by Government and in the course of international negotiations. It manages the civil aircraft research and demonstration programme, which provided £25 million in 1991–92 to help the industry maintain its technological base. The task force is also responsible for appraising applications for launch aid.

  Emergency Standby Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many emergency standby vessels have been built in United Kingdom shipyards, for work in the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas industries, in each of the past five years; and what was the amount of financial assistance given by way of the European Community seventh directive on the shipbuilding intervention fund for the construction of each vessel.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No such vessels have been built in the United Kingdom.

  Bankruptcies
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the number of bankruptcies in businesses employing fewer than 50 people in Wales for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the number of bankruptcies in the Northern region for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Mark Robinson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the outcome of the Internal Market Council held on 18 June.
  528
  Mr. Needham
  I represented the United Kingdom at the Internal Market Council in Luxembourg on 18 June. There was a heavily loaded agenda. The council reached agreement on the procurement of services by the utilities, thus completing the Community's public procurement regime. A common position was also agreed on a directive in the copyright area covering public lending rights and rental. I was obliged to abstain on this measure in view of the unnecessary reversal of the principle in the United Kingdom that it is the producer, rather than the director, who is the author of a film. I secured a transitional period until 1997 for the United Kingdom, during which the producer will retain rights as author of a film. The Commission agreed to carry out a study on this point before that date.

  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate Affairs, attended the council for the discussion on the European company statute, where no decisions were reached. Considerable progress was made on the Community system for the authorisation of medicines.

  An important feature of the Council was a determined, if ultimately unsuccessful, effort by the Portuguese Chairman, Mr Martins, to achieve agreement on two linked proposals for a directive and a regulation on the export of cultural goods. The issue will be passed on to the British Presidency.

  Radiocommunications Agency
  Mr. Mark Robinson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the Radiocommunications Agency for 1992–93.

  Mr. Leigh
  The following key targets have been set for 1992–93 and will appear in the agency's annual report 1991: overall financial efficiency improvement of 2 per cent.; quality of service targets covering its licensing work and enforcement activities as detailed.

  Licensing

  99 per cent. of new aeronautical applications to be processed and despatched within two working days;

  99 per cent. of new aircraft applications to be processed and despatched within three working days—four working days for amendments;

  88 per cent. of ships, radio licences to be issued within one month;

  96 per cent. of maritime business radio cases to be actioned within one month;

  90 per cent. of new private mobile radio applications and amendments to be processed within 30 working days. Average time for processing new applications and amendments being within 10 working days and 20 working days respectively;

  99 per cent. of new on-site paging applications and amendments to be processed and despatched within four working days.

  Enforcement

  100 per cent. of safety of life services complaints to he handled within 24 hours;

  98 per cent. of business complaints to be handled within five working days;

  98 per cent. of domestic complaints to be handled within one month.

  Accounts Services Agency
  Mr. Mark Robinson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set his Department's Accounts Services Agency for 1992–93.
  529
  Mr. Eggar
  My Department's Accounts Services Agency, which was launched as an executive agency on 1 October 1991, has been set the following key performance targets for 1992–93:to achieve full economic cost recovery;
  to make an efficiency gain of 1.7 per cent. over 1991–92, through a reduction in cost per transaction;
  to effect 97 per cent. of payments—including travel and subsistence claims—within three working days of receipt of a claim by the agency;
  to bank all cheques within 36 hours of their receipt by the agency;
  at the end of each month to ensure that all notified transactions are properly recorded on the Department's financial management information system and that operating statements are produced and despatched by the sixth working day.

  RETEX
  Mr. Niholas Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the details of the European Community's RETEX initiative, and indicate what action he is taking to ensure that regions of the United Kingdom are considered for assistance under this project.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: The European Commission has decided that grants under the RETEX initiative, for regions heavily dependent on the textiles and clothing sector, should be available only within areas designated for objective 1, 2 and 5(b) of the structural funds. Macclesfield is not so designated.

  The Commission has asked the Government to decide by 4 December 1992 which parts of the designated areas should receive RETEX grants.

  Expo 92
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what wines are available for sale at the Expo 92 in Seville in() restaurants, (b) cafeterias and (c) other outlets, from (i) Great Britain, (ii) other EC countries and (iii) countries outside the EC; and what instructions have been given to the caterers Lyonhart with a view to them marketing and selling English wine in the British pavilion;

  (2) if he will arrange for English wine to be displayed in the British pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville with a statement on where it can be bought in the pavilion; and if he will make it readily available in the main restaurant, and all other food and cafeteria outlets in the British pavilion.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: The catering concessionaires, Lionheart Catering Ltd., have been instructed to make a range of English wines available in the British pavilion, and the following are on sale there:

  Bruisyard 1990, Bruisyard Wines

  Fume 1990, Thames Valley Vineyard

  Noble Bacchus 1990, Chiltern Valley

  Pinot Noir, Thames Valley Vineyard

  Staple St. James 1989, Staple Vineyard

  Three Choirs 1990, Three Choirs Vineyard

  Wooton 1990, Gillespie, North Wooton

  The availability of these wines is promoted by means of product displays in the restaurants and behind the bar in the British pavilion at Expo 92 together with the wine list and notices stating that they are for sale. It would entail disproportionate cost to identify all the other wines on sale at Expo 92.
  530
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if English wine was used at the British national day reception in May in the British pavilion, at Expo 92;

  (2) if English wine has been served at all the receptions given by the Government and Government officials in the British pavilion at Expo 92; and if he will make it his policy to ensure British wine is served at all future receptions.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Now that a range of still English wines has been supplied, we shall continue to serve one or more of them at all functions hosted by the Government and Government officials in the British pavilion at Expo 92. English wine was not used at the British national day reception in May in the British pavilion because no English sparkling wine suitable for this occasion was available from the catering concessionaire.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for all Spanish wine for sale and consumption to be removed from the British pavilion at Expo 92.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: No. Although I have insisted that the catering concessionaire makes available a range of English wines, this alone does not provide the choice of price and varieties required to run a commercial operation.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what assessment he has made of the consequences for English wines and English sparkling wines of Bollinger champagne's sponsorship in the British pavilion at Expo 92;

  (2) for what reasons it has been decided not to make the English white sparkling wine which was selected by the caterers who have the concession for catering at the Expo 92 available for sale in the British pavilion.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: Bollinger champagne's sponsorship in the British pavilion at Expo 92 was assessed to have no direct consequences for English wines or English sparkling wines because these products are in rather different market sectors. The catering concessionaire for the British pavilion did not include a sparkling wine in its selection of English wines.

EMPLOYMENT

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints were made to industrial tribunals in each of the last five years for which records are available; how many and what percentage involved(a) unfair dismissal, (b) redundancy rights, (c) maternity rights, (d) equal pay, (e) sex discrimination, (f) race discrimination, (g) trade union discrimination or (h) other matters; how many and what percentage of such claims were settled before the hearing; how many and what percentage reached a hearing; and how many and what percentage were successful.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The tables set out information available on cases dealt with for the five years up to end of 31 March 1991. The first table shows all applications dealt with within each jurisdiction, and the following tables give a breakdown of the outcomes of each jurisdiction.
  531

  Breakdown of jurisdictions dealt with

  1990–91

  1989–90

  1988–89

  1987–88

  1986–87

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Unfair dismissal

  19,183

  53.6

  17,714

  55.6

  17,435

  59.5

  20,673

  60.4

  27,787

  70.5

  Redundancy rights

  5,262

  14.7

  4,049

  12.7

  3,375

  11.5

  3,594

  10.5

  5,906

  15.0

  Maternity rights

  48

  0.1

  44

  0.1

  96

  0.3

  137

  0.4

  223

  0.6

  Equal pay

  508

  1.4

  397

  1.2

  813

  2.8

  1,043

  3.1

  517

  1.3

  Sex discrimination

  1,078

  3.0

  1,046

  3.3

  935

  3.2

  691

  2.0

  612

  1.6

  Race discrimination

  926

  2.6

  939

  2.9

  839

  2.9

  709

  2.0

  672

  1.7

  Trade union discrimination1

  324

  0.9

  340

  1.1

  343

  1.2

  4,128

  12.1

  1,436

  3.6

  Trade union discrimination2

  128

  0.3

  237

  0.7

  133

  0.4

  390

  1.1

  111

  0.3

  Other

  8,369

  23.4

  7,147

  22.4

  5,348

  18.2

  2,868

  8.4

  2,140

  5.4

  TOTAL

  35,826

  —

  31,913

  —

  29,317

  —

  34,233

  —

  39,404

  —

  Outcomes by jurisdiction (percentages are of totals shown in the first table)

  (a) Unfair Dismissal

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reached full hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  12,011

  (62.6)

  4,966

  (25.9)

  2,173

  (11.3)

  1989–90

  11,771

  (66.4)

  5,700

  (32.2)

  2,183

  (12.3)

  1988–89

  11,519

  (66.0)

  5,655

  (32.4)

  2,137

  (12.3)

  1987–88

  13,279

  (64.2)

  7,142

  (29.4)

  2,345

  (11.3)

  1986–87

  18,134

  (65.3)

  9,011

  (32.4)

  3,051

  (11.0)

  (b) Redundancy Rights

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reached full hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  3,200

  1(60.8)

  1,966

  (37.4)

  1,334

  (25.3)

  1989–90

  2,423

  (59.8)

  1,520

  (37.5)

  1,017

  (25.1)

  1988–89

  1,846

  (54.7)

  1,461

  (43.3)

  948

  (28.0)

  1987–88

  1,731

  (48.2)

  1,805

  (50.2)

  1,245

  (34.6)

  1986–87

  3,341

  (56.6)

  2,441

  (41.3)

  1,724

  (29.2)

  1 ACAS does not conciliate in redundancy pay issues.

  (c) Maternity Rights

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reachedfull hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  36

  (75.0)

  12

  (25.0)

  5

  (10.4)

  1989–90

  34

  (77.0)

  10

  (22.7)

  5

  (11.4)

  1988–89

  64

  (66.7)

  28

  (30.4)

  12

  (13.0)

  1987–88

  99

  (72.3)

  33

  (24.1)

  18

  (13.1)

  1986–87

  163

  (73.1)

  60

  (26.9)

  32

  (14.3)

  (d) Equal Pay

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reachedfull hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  310

  (61.0)

  35

  (6.9)

  10

  (1.7)

  1989–90

  274

  (69.0)

  55

  (13.8)

  33

  (8.3)

  1988–89

  445

  (54.7)

  63

  (7.7)

  47

  (5.8)

  1987–88

  839

  (80.4)

  24

  (2.3)

  7

  (0.7)

  1986–87

  353

  (68.3)

  161

  (31.1)

  44

  (8.5)

  (e) Sex Discrimination

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reachedfull hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  759

  (70.4)

  298

  (27.6)

  78

  (7.2)

  1989–90

  754.

  (72.1)

  280

  (26.8)

  86

  (8.2)

  1988–89

  635

  (67.9)

  250

  (26.7)

  78

  (8.3)

  1987–88

  468

  (67.7)

  208

  (30.1)

  46

  (6.6)

  1986–87

  398

  (65.0)

  201

  (32.8)

  48

  (7.8)

  (f) Race Discrimination

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reachedfull hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  556

  (60.0)

  316

  (34.1)

  47

  (5.0)

  1989–90

  554

  (59.0)

  336

  (35.8)

  61

  (6.5)

  1988–89

  478

  (57.0)

  324

  (38.6)

  54

  (6.4)

  532 533

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reached full hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1987–88

  398

  (56.1)

  265

  (37.4)

  61

  (8.6)

  1986–87

  351

  (52.2)

  296

  (44.0)

  40

  (5.9)

  (g) Trade Union Discrimination (1): Dismissals

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reached full hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  225

  (69.4)

  97

  (30.0)

  29

  (8.9)

  1989–90

  181

  (53.2)

  154

  (45.3)

  88

  (25.9)

  1988–89

  235

  (68.5)

  103

  (30.0)

  17

  (4.9)

  1987–88

  3,966

  (96.1)

  157

  (3.8)

  35

  (0.8)

  1986–87

  1,065

  (74.2)

  233

  (16.2)

  53

  (3.7)

  (h) Trade Union Discrimination (2): Action short of dismissal

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reachedfull hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  59

  (46.1)

  52

  (40.6)

  37

  (28.9)

  1989–90

  129

  (54.4)

  106

  (44.7)

  49

  (20.7)

  1988–89

  116

  (87.2)

  16

  (12.0)

  3

  (2.3)

  1987–88

  374

  (95.9)

  16

  (4.1)

  5

  (1.3)

  1986–87

  63

  (56.8)

  47

  (42.3)

  5

  (4.5)

  (i) Other matters

  Settled

  Percentage

  Reachedfull hearing

  Percentage

  Successful at hearing

  Percentage

  1990–91

  4,911

  (58.7)

  7,147

  (30.9)

  1,433

  (17.1)

  1989–90

  4,894

  (68.5)

  2,027

  (28.4)

  1,035

  (14.5)

  1988–89

  4,089

  (76.5)

  1,031

  (19.3)

  566

  (10.6)

  1987–88

  1,960

  (68.3)

  812

  (28.3)

  294

  (10.2)

  1986–87

  1,515

  (70.8)

  623

  (29.1)

  294

  (13.7)

  Key:

  UD—Unfair dismissal—excludes dismissals on grounds of pregnancy, trade union membership or activities, or non-membership.

  Red—Redundancy rights—includes claims for redundancy payments and redundancy provisions of Employment Protection Act 1975.

  Mat—Maternity rights—includes maternity pay, dismissal on grounds of pregnancy and refusal of right to return to work after maternity absence, but excludes time off for ante-natal care

  EqP—Equal Pay.

  SD—Sex discrimination.

  RD—Race discrimination.

  TU(1)—Trade union discrimination: dismissals on grounds of trade union membership or activities, or non-membership.

  TU(2)—Trade union discrimination: action short of dismissal—excludes time off for trade union duties and activities.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of officers in grades, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively and overall in her Department are women.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Overall, the Department employs 41,555 women who comprise 66.5 per cent. of the total staff. Information on the numbers and percentages of women in grades 1 to 7 is set out in the table.

  Women in the employment department group (grades 1–7) at 1 April 1992

  Grade

  Number

  Percentage

  Grade 1

  0 (of 2)

  0

  Grade 2

  1

  20

  Grade 3

  2

  7.1

  Grade 4

  0(of 15)

  0

  Grade 5

  21.5

  15.6

  Grade 6

  30.5

  13.4

  Grade 7

  151.5

  15.6

  The numbers shown are full-time equivalents i.e. part-time staff counted as 0.5 staff units.

  534
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measurable progress has been made in improving the position of women since she became Secretary of State.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave him on 20 May 1992,Official Report, column 163.

  Training
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will give(a) in cash terms and (b) in real terms at 1991–92 prices the amount of money her Department provided for training in North Yorkshire in 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92; and the amount of money it has allocated for training in North Yorkshire in 1992–93.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is not available in the format requested.

  Figures for north Yorkshire for 1989–90 are not available as the area covered by the former Training Agency Leeds area office and the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council (TEC) are not comparable.

  Since 25 June 1990, training in north Yorkshire has been the reponsibility of North Yorkshire TEC.
  535
  I am not at present in a position to give the corresponding information for 1992–93.

  The information for 1990–91 and 1991–92 is shown in the table.

  North Yorkshire TEC budget allocations 1990–91 and at 1991–92 prices

  £ millions

  1990–1 Budget

  1991–92 Budget

  Cash

  1991–92 Prices

  Cash

  1991–92 Prices

  9.90

  10.59

  15.79

  15.79

  Note: Budget figures are from when North Yorkshire TEC became operational on 25 June 1990.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the Training and Enterprise Council budget is being spent on training for the long-term unemployed.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Training for long-term unemployed people and other eligible groups is provided through Employment Training (ET). The sum of £798 million is planned to be spent on ET in Great Britain in 1992–93. This is just over one third of total planned expenditure of some £2,200 million on labour market programmes delivered by training and enterprise councils (TECs) and local enterprise companies (LECs). Some 70 per cent. of ET starts were previously unemployed for six months or longer. No precise estimate of the amount spent on long-term unemployed people on ET is available, but it is unlikely to be lower than 70 per cent. of the total ET budget.

  Training is not always the most appropriate way of meeting the needs of unemployed and long-term unemployed people. The Government therefore provide a range of other help which is delivered by TECs/LECs, including the employment action programme and help for those wishing to become self-employed, as well as a range of programmes including jobclubs delivered by the Employment Service.

  Employment training characteristics of entrants October 1991 to December 1991

  Percentage figures

  Unemployment duration (months)

  Ethnic origin1

  People with disabilities2

  Region

  Men

  Women

  0–5

  6–12

  13–23

  24+

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  Yes

  No

  South-East

  67

  33

  23

  53

  13

  12

  93

  2

  3

  1

  1

  11

  89

  London

  57

  43

  24

  46

  14

  16

  52

  28

  11

  6

  3

  6

  94

  South-West

  70

  30

  31

  47

  12

  10

  95

  2

  1

  1

  1

  11

  89

  West Midlands

  71

  29

  23

  48

  13

  16

  84

  6

  8

  1

  1

  10

  90

  East Midlands and Eastern

  68

  32

  29

  45

  14

  13

  89

  3

  6

  1

  1

  12

  88

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  70

  30

  35

  39

  11

  14

  91

  2

  4

  1

  1

  9

  91

  North-West

  68

  32

  37

  35

  11

  17

  92

  2

  3

  1

  1

  8

  92

  Northern

  72

  28

  26

  43

  14

  17

  97

  3—

  1

  1

  1

  9

  91

  Wales

  69

  31

  37

  39

  11

  13

  95

  1

  1

  1

  2

  11

  89

  Scotland

  67

  33

  36

  34

  11

  19

  97

  3—

  3—

  1

  1

  9

  91

  Great Britain

  68

  32

  31

  42

  12

  15

  88

  5

  4

  2

  1

  9

  91

  Notes:

  All figures are percentages, figures may not total 100 because of rounding.

  1 Ethnic origin: 1—White, 2—Black/African/Caribbean, 3—Indian/Pakistan/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan, 4—None of these, 5—Prefer not to say.

  2 People with disabilities. These trainees answering whether they had a long-term health problem or disability which affected the type of work they could do.

  3—Less than 0.5 per cent.

  Source: ET starts database.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will give the best information she has
  536
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training credits have been issued in the pilot areas to young people; how many young people have taken them up; what other information she has on the take up of credits in those areas; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In 1991–92, the first year of operation, it is provisionally estimated that training and enterprise councils and one local enterprise company issued—using different issuing criteria—about 42,000 training credits to young people in the 11 pilot areas in Great Britain. Of these, about 21,400 actually began training using their credit. It is estimated that about 60 per cent. of 16 and 17-year-olds entering the labour market in the pilot areas have begun to use their training credits.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will publish the budget agreed with each training and enterprise council in England and Wales for 1992–93, broken down into the five major expenditure blocks; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am not at present in a position to give the information on the budget allocations for 1992–93 for each training and enterprise council in England.

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

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest available information she has on the characteristics of those who have entered employment training showing(a) whether male or female, (b) duration of unemployment, (c) ethnic origin and (d) whether they have a disability, broken down for each region and for Great Britain as a whole.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is in the table.

  for Great Britain and for each standard region on the numbers of output-related payments made to training and

  537
  enterprise councils for each national vocational qualification level for youth training and employment training, and the number of output-related payments made to training and enterprise councils for job entries for employment training; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information relating to England and Wales is provided in the table and represents the latest available payments made during the 1991–92 operating year. Information relating to Scotland is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to answer.

  The figures relate to TECs only and do not represent full years for London and north-west as not all TECs in these regions were operational at 1 April 1992.

  South-East

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  123

  NVQ level 2

  4,322

  NVQ level 3–4

  1,169

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  4,134

  ORF CAT B

  1,893

  ORF CAT C

  243

  ORF CAT D

  104

  ORF CAT E

  23

  Total ET Job Entries

  4,261

  London

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  420

  NVQ level 2

  1,433

  NVQ level 3–4

  456

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  2,675

  ORF CAT B

  3,466

  ORF CAT C

  496

  ORF CAT D

  111

  ORF CAT E

  18

  Total ET Job Entries

  2,804

  South-West

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  294

  NVQ level 2

  5,146

  NVQ level 3–4

  2,538

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  3,290

  ORF CAT B

  2,309

  ORF CAT C

  132

  ORF CAT D

  59

  ORF CAT E

  2

  Total ET Job Entries

  3,351

  West Midlands

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  195

  NVQ level 2

  4,813

  NVQ level 3–4

  1,201

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  3,154

  538

  Volume

  ORF CAT B

  3,186

  ORF CAT C

  210

  ORF CAT D

  61

  ORF CAT E

  5

  Total ET Job Entries

  3,220

  East Midlands

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  274

  NVQ level 2

  5,926

  NVQ level 3–4

  1,567

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  4,139

  ORF CAT B

  2,554

  ORF CAT C

  162

  ORF CAT D

  27

  ORF CAT E

  4

  Total ET Job Entries

  4,170

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  544

  NVQ level 2

  6,577

  NVQ level 3–4

  1,746

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  8,130

  ORF CAT B

  5,032

  ORF CAT C

  193

  ORF CAT D

  108

  ORF CAT E

  29

  Total ET Job Entries

  8,267

  Northern

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  401

  NVQ level 2

  3,392

  NVQ level 3–4

  722

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  5,000

  ORF CAT B

  3,449

  ORF CAT C

  160

  ORF CAT D

  42

  ORF CAT E

  11

  Total ET Job Entries

  5,053

  North-West

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  744

  NVQ level 2

  8,815

  NVQ level 3–4

  3,300

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  8,090

  ORF CAT B

  6,901

  ORF CAT C

  213

  ORF CAT D

  306

  ORF CAT E

  30

  Total ET Job Entries

  8,426

  539

  Wales

  Volume

  Youth training

  NVQ level 1

  298

  NVQ level 2

  3,069

  NVQ level 3–4

  784

  Employment training

  ORF CAT A

  4,100

  ORF CAT B

  2,350

  ORF CAT C

  163

  ORF CAT D

  11

  ORF CAT E

  0

  Total ET Job Entries

  4,111

  Note:

  The definitions for the ET ORF Categories is as follows:

  Category A

  Number of trainees who gain a job, become self employed or enter full time education—but not ET.

  Category B

  Number of trainees who gain NVQ level 1 or 2 or VQ equivalents.

  Category C

  Number of trainees who gain VNVQ level 3 or higher.

  Category D

  Number of skills shortage and returners who gain a job or become self employed plus NVQ level 2.

  Category E

  Number of skills shortage and returners who gain a job or become self employed plus NVQ level 3 or higher.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers on youth training in each of the last five years; and what percentage that represented of the cohort for each of those years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The number of people on the youth training scheme, youth training or receiving training credits in Great Britain in March in each of the past five years is given in the table. The table also shows the number expressed as a percentage of the estimated population of 16 to 18-year-olds.

  Numbers in youth training1 and percentage of the population aged 16–18 in youth training. Great Britain

  Number in training2

  Percentage of all aged 16–18

  March 1988

  375,600

  15.0

  March 1989

  376,600

  15.6

  March 1990

  343,800

  15.0

  Change in Percentage Unemployment Rates over the Latest 12 Months in EC and Group of Seven Countries Standardised Unemployment Rates Seasonally Adjusted

  Unemployment rates

  Latest Month

  Current per cent.

  12 months ago per cent.

  Change in rate

  Republic of Ireland

  April 1992

  17.6

  15.5

  2.1

  United Kingdom1

  April 1992

  10.4

  8.9

  1.5

  Canada1

  April 1992

  11.0

  10.1

  0.9

  France1

  April 1992

  10.0

  9.2

  0.8

  Spain

  November 1991

  16.5

  15.8

  0.7

  Belgium

  April 1992

  8.3

  7.6

  0.7

  Denmark3

  April 1992

  9.0

  8.4

  0.6

  United States1

  April 1992

  7.1

  6.5

  0.6

  Luxembourg3

  April 1992

  1.9

  1.6

  0.3

  Germany2

  April 1992

  4.5

  4.5

  n/c

  Italy1

  January 1992

  9.9

  10.0

  -0.1

  Japan1

  April 1992

  2.0

  2.1

  -0.1

  Netherlands

  March 1992

  6.9

  7.2

  -0.3

  Portugal

  November 1991

  4.1

  4.5

  -0.4

  EC countries in bold.

  1 Group of Seven countries.

  2 There are no reliable figures available as yet for the unified Germany. Figures refer to what was previously the Federal Republic of Germany.

  540

  Number in training2

  Percentage of all aged 16–18

  March 1991

  314,200

  14.5

  March 1992

  3295,800

  14.4

  1 1988–90 youth training scheme, 1991–92 youth training including training credits.

  2 These figures will include very small numbers of individuals aged 15 or 19.

  3 Provisional figure.

  Sources of information:

  YTS: 1988–90 'SPECTRUM' YTS management information system.

  YT: 1991–92 OSMOSIS and financial management information systems.

  Percentage of all aged 16 to 18: Based on estimates of Great Britain population at end March derived by the Department of Employment from mid-year population estimates (1987–90) and projections (1991–92) supplied by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and the Government Actuary's Department.

  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is her latest estimate of the number of persons under all forms of state-supported training schemes at the latest date for which information is available.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In March 1992 there were nearly 445,000 people on the Department of Employment's training programmes, employment and youth training and training credits, in Great Britain. We have no information on the numbers on training schemes funded by other state organisations.

  Umemployment
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by what percentage unemployment rose in the past 12 months in each of the EC and Group of Seven countries.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The table shows the changes in the internationally comparable unemployment rates, for EC and Group of Seven countries, over the latest available 12 months. Where no rates are produced for a particular country by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), harmonised rates produced by the Statistical Office of the European Community (SOEC) are given instead.
  541
  3 OECD standardized rates are not available for Denmark and Luxembourg. Similar harmonized rates compiled by the Statistical Office of the European Community (SOEC) are shown for these countries.

  Note: There are currently no comparable rates available for Greece.

  Source: OECD "Main Economic Indicators".

  EUROSTAT "Unemployment Bulletins".

  Tobacco Industries
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in the tobacco industries in each standard region(a) in 1979, (b) in 1985, (c) in 1990 and (d) currently.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Information for the tobacco industry is only available for census of employment dates. The available information is in the table:

  Employees in employment in the tobacco industry

  Thousands

  1June

  2September

  2September

  Standard region

  1978

  1984

  1989

  South east (including Greater London)

  6

  4

  2

  Greater London

  2

  2

  0

  East Anglia

  1

  1

  0

  South West

  7

  3

  1

  West Midlands

  0

  0

  0

  East Midlands

  6

  3

  1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  0

  0

  0

  North West

  5

  4

  2

  North

  2

  3

  2

  Wales

  1

  1

  1

  Scotland

  3

  1

  1

  1 1968 standard industrial classification (SIC), minimum list heading 240.

  2 1980 standard industrial classification, activity heading 4290.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment of successful unfair dismissal claims during each of the last five years for which records are available, how many and what percentage in each category of claim resulted in monetary awards and in recommendations for reinstatement or re-engagement, respectively; of the monetary awards, what was the maximum and the average thereof; and of recommendations for re-engagement or reinstatement, how many and what percentage were complied with.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I regret that the information on monetary awards and reinstatement and re-engagement orders is not available in precisely the form requested. The tables show the number of cases where a monetary award was made and the median award for each financial year. We have no information on the total number of reinstatement or re-engagement orders which were complied with, but the information available on the number of additional awards made where an employer has not complied is given.

  Monetary awards: all unfair dismissal cases

  Year

  Number

  Percentage of cases proceeding to hearing

  Median award £

  1990–91

  1,290

  21.3

  1,773

  1989–90

  1,310

  22.3

  1,786

  1988–89

  1,272

  22.0

  1,732

  1987–88

  1,352

  18.4

  1,865

  1986–87

  2,277

  24.5

  1,676

  542

  Reinstatement/Re-engagement Orders: all unfair dismissal cases

  Year

  Number of reinstatement/ re-engagement orders

  Percentage of cases proceeding to hearing

  Number of additional awards

  1990–91

  63

  1.0

  35

  1989–90

  59

  1.0

  n.a.

  1988–89

  58

  1.0

  n.a.

  1987–88

  83

  1.1

  n.a.

  1986–87

  103

  1.1

  n.a.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional awards for failure to comply with recommendations for re-engagement or reinstatement following successful unfair dismissal claims were made during each of the last five years for which records are available.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I regret that the information requested is not available prior to the financial year 1990–91. In the year 1990–91, industrial tribunals made 35 additional awards.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list(a) the current number of appeals for unfair dismissal in each district in the United Kingdom, (b) the length of waiting-time prior to appeals being heard and (c) the staff in full-time equivalent employed in each employment office; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: I am replying in respect of Great Britain only. Questions relating to Northern Ireland are for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. The figures in the first table relate to the number of cases which are ready for listing, or which have been listed for hearing, for all jurisdictions for each of the regional offices of the industrial tribunals in England and Wales and for Scotland as a whole. I regret that figures are not available for cases which have not reached that stage. Nor are separate figures available for unfair dismissal, but in general some 60 per cent. of applications to industrial tribunals are in respect of unfair dismissal. The figures for Scotland in the two other tables cover both the central office in Glasgow and local offices.

  Cases listed/ready for listing

  Number

  England and Wales

  Birmingham

  1,795

  Bristol

  385

  Bury St. Edmunds

  1,390

  Cardiff

  569

  Leeds

  1,314

  London North

  1,453

  London South

  1,823

  Manchester

  2,082

  Newcastle

  529

  Nottingham

  1,272

  Southampton

  1,335

  Scotland

  2,546

  543

  Length of time for registered applications to come to first hearing

  Percentage under (weeks)

  6

  8

  10

  12

  16

  20

  26

  England and Wales

  Birmingham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  17

  34

  Bristol

  5

  18

  42

  54

  72

  83

  92

  Bury St. Edmunds

  0

  0

  2

  3

  9

  27

  61

  Cardiff

  0

  0

  7

  16

  23

  49

  68

  Leeds

  2

  3

  4

  6

  50

  71

  89

  London North

  1

  2

  3

  4

  14

  26

  43

  London South

  1

  1

  1

  1

  9

  32

  56

  Manchester

  0

  3

  5

  11

  14

  20

  53

  Newcastle

  0

  0

  2

  3

  15

  36

  66

  Nottingham

  0

  3

  3

  6

  10

  16

  5

  Southampton

  0

  2

  6

  11

  30

  53

  81

  Scotland

  Aberdeen

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  50

  58

  Dumfries

  0

  0

  0

  0

  33

  78

  89

  Dundee

  0

  0

  0

  5

  8

  30

  93

  Edinburgh

  0

  0

  0

  0

  14

  75

  89

  Glasgow

  1

  1

  3

  9

  63

  85

  92

  Inverness

  0

  0

  0

  29

  57

  57

  71

  Administrative staff in post at 31 May 1992

  Number

  England and Wales

  Birmingham

  33.0

  Bristol

  21.0

  Bury St. Edmunds

  20.0

  Cardiff

  22.5

  Leeds

  32.0

  London North

  39.0

  London South

  54.5

  Manchester

  48.0

  Newcastle

  20.5

  Nottingham

  19.5

  Southampton

  22.5

  Scotland

  Aberdeen

  3.3

  Dundee

  3.1

  Edinburgh

  5.5

  Glasgow

  128.9

  1 Including headquarters staff.

  Note:

  The hearing centres at Dumfries and Inverness are staffed from the Glasgow and Aberdeen offices.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will give the number of applications for appeal against unfair dismissal made to each employment office in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 29 June 1992]: I am replying in respect of Great Britain only. Questions relating to Northern Ireland are for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The figures show the number of registered applications to industrial tribunals in respect of the principal jurisdictions relating to unfair dismissal for each of the regional offices of the industrial tribunals (England and Wales) and the central office of the industrial tribunals (Scotland) for the year ended 31 March 1992.

  Number

  Birmingham

  3,795

  Bristol

  2,059

  Bury St Edmunds

  3,352

  Cardiff

  2,412

  Leeds

  3,643

  544

  Number

  London North

  3,581

  London South

  5,219

  Manchester

  6,055

  Newcastle

  1,913

  Nottingham

  2,397

  Southampton

  3,060

  Scotland

  3,388

  Employment Action Programme
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the level of support from the trades unions for the employment action programme.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I do not know what level of support there is among trade unions for what is essentially a locally delivered programme. I would hope, however, that those who are truly concerned with helping unemployed people will be working to ensure that the programme is made available to all who would benefit from it.

  Sheep Dips
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what research has been carried out into the risks from the inhalation of organo-phosphorous sheep dips; and if she will make it her policy to amend the recommended safety clothing to include face masks.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out a pilot research project in the south-west of England in 1990 to look for evidence of personal exposure to sheep dip. HSE has also commissioned a research project to carry out an occupational hygiene assessment of sheep dipping practices and processes.

  In addition, the Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) has asked sheep dip manufacturers to carry out a number of further studies as part of its current review of sheep dip product licences. These include studies of farm operators—including blood tests and details of protective clothing worn—and studies to show which area of the bodies of operators are most exposed. These will then be considered by the VPC in formulating its advice to the Licensing Authority.
  545
  Protective clothing requirements will be one of the areas covered by the VPC in its review. Currently, the wearing of a face shield is only required when handling the sheep dip concentrate.

  General National Vocational Qualification
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which schools and colleges are intending to pilot the new GNVQ post-16 courses in September.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  As at 26 June 1992, around 90 schools and colleges plan to participate in the first phase of the implementation of GNVQ post-16 courses in September this year. The schools and colleges are located throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The following is the full list of schools and colleges but may be subject to minor variation between now and September.

  List of centres for September 1992 GNVQ implementation (as at 26 June)

  Each centre will offer GNVQs through one awarding body, either BTEC, C and G or RSA

  Centre

  Area

  Airedale and Wharfdale college/Kitson college consortium

  Leeds

  Alcester grammar school

  Alcester, Warwickshire

  Amersham and Wycombe college (FE)

  High Wycombe

  Barnfield college

  Luton, Bedfordshire

  Barnsley college

  Barnsley, Yorkshire

  Belfast consortium: Belfast Institute of FE and HE, St. Patrick's secondary school

  Belfast

  Bilston community college (FE)

  Wolverhampton

  Bishop Douglass school

  Finchley, North London

  Blackburn college

  Lancashire

  Blackpool and Fylde college/Wigan and Leigh consortium

  Blackpool

  Blue school (The)

  Wells, Somerset

  Builth Wells high school

  Powys

  Bury metropolitan college

  Lancashire

  Buxton community school

  Buxton, Derbyshire

  Calderdale college of FE

  Halifax

  Castle high school

  Deal, Kent

  Castlereagh college/Lagan college

  Belfast, HI

  Coventry technical college

  Coventry

  Crawley college

  West Sussex

  Driffield school

  North Humberside

  East Sussex consortium Lewes college/Bexhill college/Cardinal Newman school/Uplands community school

  East Sussex

  Eastbourne college of arts and technology

  Eastbourne, East Sussex

  Ellen Wilkinson highschool

  West London

  Farnborough college of technology

  Hampshire

  Farnham college 6th form

  Farnham, Surrey

  Ferndown upper school

  Dorset

  Gateshead college

  Gateshead

  Gloucestershire college of arts and technology

  Gloucestershire

  Gorseinon college

  Swansea, Wales

  Greenhead college (6th form college)

  Huddersfield

  Greenhill college

  Harrow, Middlesex

  Guildford college/Kingston college consortium

  Surrey

  Gyfun Ysgol

  Bargoed, Mid Glamorgan

  Henley college

  Coventry

  Hertfordshire LEA consortium/ Hertford regional college/North Herts college/Oaklands college

  Hertfordshire

  Hirst high school

  Northumberland

  Hull college of FE

  Hull

  John Ruskin (6th form college)

  South Croydon

  Josiah Mason college (6th form college)

  Birmingham

  Kingshurst CTC

  Birmingham

  Leigh CTC

  Kent

  546

  Centre

  Area

  Lliswerry school

  Newport

  Lord Williams school

  Oxon

  Lytchett Minster school

  Dorset

  Manchester college of arts and technology

  Manchester

  Matthew Boulton/Wakefield district college consortium

  Birmingham/Wakefield

  Mid Kent college of HE and FE

  Maidstone, Kent

  Minsthorpe high school

  Wakefield

  Monkswearmouth college

  Sunderland

  Mortimer Wilson school

  Derbyshire

  N East London college

  Haringey, London N1

  Nelson Tomlinson school

  Wigton, Cumbria

  Newcastle CAT

  Newcastle Upon Tyne

  North Lindsay college

  Scunthorpe

  Nottinghamshire college of FE (schools consortium)

  Mansfield, Notts.

  NWIHFE consortium: NW Inst. of FE and HE, Foyle and Londonderry, Thornhill colleges, St. Marys, St. Cec

  Londonderry

  Parkwood/Loxley college consortium

  Sheffield

  Peterlee college

  Durham

  Plymouth college of FE

  Devon

  Portsmouth 6th form college

  Portsmouth

  Purbeck school

  Dorset

  Queen Elizabeth's school

  Dorset

  Queens Park community school

  London NW6

  Samuel Whitbread school

  Bedfordshire

  Sandwell college

  W. Midlands

  Scarborough technical college

  N. Yorkshire

  Sherburn high school

  N. Yorkshire

  St. Andrews school

  Surrey

  St. Brendans 6th form college

  Bristol

  St. Chads school

  Cheshire

  St. Charles catholic school

  W. London

  St. Peters school

  Dorset

  St. Helens community/South Manchester/Wirral Metropolitan college consortium

  North West

  Stamford college FE

  Stamford, Lines

  Stantonbury Campus

  Milton Keynes

  Stockton-Billingham technical college

  Billingham

  Sutton high school

  Liverpool

  Swanwick Hall school

  Derbyshire

  Tamar Valley consortium Eggbuckland, Estover, Lipson, St. Bonifaces colleges/Southway and Tamarside schools

  Plymouth, Devon

  Tewkesbury school

  Gloucestershire

  Walsall TVEI consortium Bluecoat, Manor Farm Schools, Walsall colleges of art and technology

  West Midlands

  Weatherhead high school

  Merseyside

  West Nottinghamshire college of FE

  Mansfield,

  Nottinghamshire

  Whitby Co high school

  Wirral

  Whitby school

  N. Yorkshire

  Witham 6th form

  Essex

  WJEC (schools consortium) BridgendNewport, Pembrokeshire and Pontypridd colleges

  Wales

  Wootton Bassett school

  Wiltshire

  York school

  Carlisle, Cumbria

  Greater Manchester Low Pay Unit
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action she will be taking in response to the open letter sent to her by the Greater Manchester Low Pay Unit; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government will continue to create the right conditions for a prosperous and growing economy. Statutory wage fixing, advocated by the
  547
  Manchester Low Pay Unit, distorts the labour market and damages employment prospects, particularly those of women and part-time workers.

  Earnings
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list for each travel-to-work area or the smallest area available the average gross weekly earnings of full-time(a) men, (b) women and (c) all persons as a percentage of the United Kingdom average at the nearest dates to June 1984, November 1984, June 1990 and the latest available date, respectively.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Details of earnings for men and women in the counties of England and Wales and the regions of Scotland can be found in tables 110 and 113 of part E of the new earnings survey. The corresponding sample numbers can also be found in the same tables, enabling combined estimates for men and women to be produced. To enable estimates to be made of earnings in the United Kingdom, information on earnings and sample numbers for Northern Ireland can be found in tables 1 and 3 respectively of the Northern Ireland report. Copies of both reports for April of each year are available in the Library.

  Offshore Safety (Protection Against Victimisation) Act 1992
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions she has had on the implementation of the Offshore Safety (Protection Against Victimisation) Act 1992.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This Act became law on 16 March. It is for individuals who believe that their rights under the Act have been infringed to seek redress by making a complaint to an industrial tribunal.

  Social Affairs Council
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the outcome of the meeting on 24 June of the Social Affairs Council in Luxembourg; and if she will make a statement.
  548
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Council devoted most of its time to consideration of the working time directive, but the Council did not reach a common position, nor was a vote taken.

  I made it clear that the United Kingdom continues to have very severe doubts about the directive as a whole and about its proposed legal base and that we reserved the right to challenge it in the European Court of Justice. In the discussions of the text, the United Kingdom secured all its key objectives, namely: the right for employees to work more than 48 hours per week if they choose to do so, freedom for each member state to decide whether to allow working on a Sunday, and the right of employers and employees to make collective agreements at local level concerning working time in a manner which best suits their particular circumstances—to derogate from the terms of any eventual directive. The United Kingdom also secured other helpful points.

  However, other member states continued to have difficulties with the proposal, and the Council decided that further work on various aspects of the directive was necessary before the issue could return to Ministers.

  On the draft directive concerning pregnant workers, one member state continued to oppose the common position which the Council reached last November and which the other 11 countries—including the United Kingdom—now wish to see adopted finally.

  A number of useful proposals were, however, agreed or adopted, including directives on health and safety in mines and quarries and on temporary and mobile construction sites; a directive on collective redundancies; a directive on safety signs at work; a decision that 1993 should be European Year of the Elderly; and recommendations on employee financial participation, on aspects of social security systems.

  The outcome on the working time directive was a very good one for the United Kingdom. It also showed that proposed EC legislation of this sort causes difficulties for a number of member states. More generally, progress continues to be made on other more sensible proposals under the social action programme. Of the 38 proposals brought forward to date, 25 have now been agreed.

  SOUTHERN AFRICA: DROUGHT AID
  SOUTHERN AFRICA: DROUGHT AID
  EAST TIMOR MASSACRE: EC POLICY TOWARDS INDONESIA
  EAST TIMOR MASSACRE: EC POLICY TOWARDS INDONESIA
  KAZAKHSTAN: NUCLEAR WEAPONS
  KAZAKHSTAN: NUCLEAR WEAPONS
  ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY
  ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY
  RUSSIAN NUCLEAR MISSILES
  RUSSIAN NUCLEAR MISSILES
  CRIMINAL JUSTICE CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL AND LIAISON COMMITTEES
  CRIMINAL JUSTICE CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL AND LIAISON COMMITTEES
  DEFENCE POLICY: WHITE PAPER
  DEFENCE POLICY: WHITE PAPER
  ORDNANCE SURVEY: PERFORMANCE TARGETS
  ORDNANCE SURVEY: PERFORMANCE TARGETS
  LAND REGISTRY: PERFORMANCE TARGETS
  LAND REGISTRY: PERFORMANCE TARGETS
  AVIATION SECURITY
  AVIATION SECURITY