Written Answers of 10 March 1992

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  French Guyana
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the letter from the Minister for Overseas Development of 18 February to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what is the outcome of the inquiries by the British embassy in Paris about injury to the rain forest in French Guyana.

  Mrs. Chalker
  [holding answer 2 March 1992]: The French Ministry of the Environment has confirmed that the hydro-electric project at Petit Saut referred to in the New Scientist of 25 January 1992 has over some 10 years been the subject of extensive study, including a public inquiry, which looked at all the possible options for power generation. There had been a full environmental impact assessment undertaken on the project in which the Ministry of Environment had participated. The conclusion was that a hydro-electric dam was the best option. The scheme is intended to meet not only the electricity needs of the launch-site at Kourou, but also the wider need for electricity throughout French Guyana. I am writing to the hon. Member with further details provided by French officials.

WALES

  Health Service
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) on how many days consultants have been paid, or are expected to be paid, more than £1,000 per day in total payments for operations designed to reduce waiting lists in Gwent during the current financial year;

  (2) what is his estimate of the current weekly cost to the national health service of operations being undertaken on their behalf by the BUPA hospital at Pentwyn, near Newport.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Operational information of this kind is not held centrally. It is for district health authorities as commissioners of care to decide on and account for the benefits and costs of any health gain investment, including consultant fees and contracts with private sector health care providers.

  Assisted Area Status, Monmouth
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the names of those people who met him regarding assisted area status for Monmouth on 2 March; and if he will provide details of the bodies that they represent.

  Mr. David Hunt
  On 2 March, I met Cllr. W. J. Parker, Cllr. W. G. A. Hathaway, Cllr. J. Lewis and Mr. J. Martin 426
  representing Monmouth borough council County Cllr. C. White, Mr. P. Smith, town clerk of Monmouth town council and Mr. Roger Evans.

  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to announce his decision on assisted area status for the Monmouth travel-to-work area.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I am presently considering the issues put to me by local representatives at a meeting on 2 March and shall be responding in due course.

  Surgical Operations
  Mr. Grist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the number of operations carried out in Wales in 1978–79 and at the latest available date for(a) hip replacements, (b) cataracts and (c) open heart surgery.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The information on hipH-Sreplacements and cataracts is given for 1978, 1979 and 1989 (the latest available year) in the following table:

  Principal operations in National Health Service hospitals in Wales1

  1978

  1979

  1989

  Hip replacements2

  1,372

  1,501

  2,407

  Cataracts

  2,232

  2,330

  5,019

  1 Figures may understate the true position in that not all hospitals provide complete clinical details relating to patient discharge and deaths.

  2 Includes replacement of head of femur for 1989.

  Source: Hospital Activity Analysis.

  Information available centrally prior to 1980 on open heart operations is derived from "Hospital Activity Analysis" and is likely to understate the true position in that not all hospitals provide complete clinical details relating to patient discharges and deaths. It is not directly comparable to later information. The numbers of open heart operations reported to have been carried out in national health service hospitals in Wales in 1978 and 1979 were 185 and 161 respectively. The latest available data, however, is provided by the centrally funded, regional cardiac centre at the University hospital of Wales and shows that the following number of operations were undertaken in 1991 and up to 29 February 1992.

  By pass

  Others

  Total

  Adult

  1991

  654

  70

  724

  11992

  144

  12

  156

  Paediatric2

  1991

  23

  14

  37

  11992

  9

  1

  10

  1 As at 29 February.

  2 Opened June 1991.

  Hospitals (Car Parking)
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the hospitals in Wales which impose car parking charges.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This is a matter for individual district health authorities and this information is not held centrally.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the numbers of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each county in Wales in 1992, to the latest available date.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The numbers of confirmed cases of BSE in each county in Wales during 1992 to 28 February are shown in the table:

  County

  Number of confirmed cases

  Clwyd

  62

  Dyfed

  288

  Gwent

  31

  Gwynedd

  13

  Mid Glamorgan

  9

  Powys

  47

  South Glamorgan

  17

  West Glamorgan

  2

  Vehicle Watch Scheme
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the operation of the vehicle watch Wales scheme in Gwent.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  None. Vehicle watch is a police initiative and it is for the Gwent constabulary to assess its effectiveness in Gwent.

  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to fund the vehicle watch Wales scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I have received representations from the Gwent police authority about the funding of vehicle watch and these are presently under consideration.

  Dairy Farmers
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the implications of the MacSharry proposals for dairy farmers in Monmouthshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have received a number of representations from industry bodies in Wales and individual farmers, including some dairy producers from Monmouthshire, on the implications for the industry of the EC reform proposals.

  Senior Citizens (Security)
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to ensure that senior citizens are provided with access to suitable home security equipment to ensure the security of their homes and allay fears of crime.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Assistance for installing home security equipment for senior citizens is already being provided under specific crime prevention initiatives; as part of wider measures to improve conditions for the elderly; and as part of the action being undertaken to renovate dwellings.

  Proposals for improving household security are eligible for consideration as crime prevention measures under the
  428
  urban programme; any local authority in Wales may submit a bid. Projects that have received support recently include the "Cardiff Safe and Secure" initiative, and improvements to the security of the communal areas of flats on the Sandfields estate in Port Talbot. Funds made available to victim support schemes have also on occasion been used to improve household security. In undertaking such projects the needs of elderly people, especially those living alone, attract high priority. Under the Welsh Office elderly initiative scheme some £315,000 is being made available over a three-year period to support a project in Mid Glamorgan that is designed to improve the safety and well-being of senior citizens living in their own homes. In addition to providing improved door and window locks, and door viewers, the project entails the provision of advice to the elderly on how to deal with bogus officials and confidence tricksters.

  Within the renovation grant arrangements those over 60 who receive income related benefits may be able to get help with home security installations in the form of minor works assistance.

  Crime Prevention Panels
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement regarding the funding of crime prevention panels in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Crime prevention panels are an excellent means by which local communities can become involved through voluntary activity in the fight against crime. They are encouraged to be self-sufficient and to seek local funding arrangements. Many crime prevention panels obtain private sponsorship from local businesses. Possible sources of funding will vary from area to area. Crime Concern has published a booklet entitled "Attracting Business Sponsorship" which provides detailed advice for panels on how to obtain sponsorship for crime prevention projects. Some panels have been successful in obtaining charity status and any panels wishing to do this can contact the Charity Commission who will advise them on the necessary procedures.

  Although central funding is not made available to support the panels themselves, individual projects that they propose may be eligible for consideration for support under the urban programme, provided that the bids are sponsored by the appropriate local authority.

HEALTH

  Kettering RHA
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the revenue allocation to the Kettering regional health authority for(a) 1982–83 and (b) 1992–93 expressed in (i) absolute terms and (ii) 1992–93 prices.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information about the funds allocated by regional health authorities to district health authorities is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Dr. Stuart Burgess, the chairman of Oxford regional health authority, for details.

  Mid Cheshire Hospital Trust
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are employed by Mid Cheshire hospitals trust; and what was the number previously employed by the health authority responsible for staffing the equivalent hospitals.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Richard F. Lawrence, the chairman of the Mid Cheshire hospitals trust for current nursing levels, and Sir Donald Wilson, the chairman of the Mersey regional health authority, who may be able to provide the historical data.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost per hour of consultants employed by Mid Cheshire hospitals trust; how many patients they see on average in one week's clinics; and what time is normally taken by consultants to visit NHS patients outside the hospital.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Richard F. Lawrence, the chairman of the Mid Cheshire hospitals NHS trust, for details.

  Blood
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the average cost of collection per litre of blood from(a) recovered plasma and (b) plasmapheresis for each regional transfusion centre of the National Blood Transfusion Service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information on the regional cost of collecting plasma is not held centrally.

  Newmarket Hospital
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of(a) the consideration given by his Department to the report by management consultants commissioned by the Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital, before his recent decision on the future of the hospital and (b) the consultations between the regional health authority and the Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  On 10 February 1992 I announced our decision to accept certain proposals put forward by West Suffolk health authority on the future of Newmarket hospital, subject to the health authority agreeing to undertake a further examination of the scope for provision of day surgery, minor accident and maternity services in the new hospital proposed for Newmarket.

  In reaching this decision full consideration was given to the report commissioned by the Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital. Several issues were thoroughly analysed including patient safety, medical staffing, size of catchment area, patient activity levels and effective use of resources.

  The Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital met East Anglian regional health authority members on 24 April 1991 to present their proposals for the future of the hospital. Additionally, the region's finance manager met the committee's management consultants, J. J. Thompson and Partners, on 29 October 1991 to go through their report.

  Contact Lenses
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances contact lenses can be obtained under the national health service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  All general opthalmic services patients may put any optical voucher to which they are entitled towards the cost of contact lenses. Under the hospital eye service patients who require contact lenses for clinical reasons will, if they are entitled to an optical voucher, get the lenses free; other patients can take advantage of the maximum charging arrangements.

  Strategy and Objectives
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to publish the goal strategy and objectives in the national health service management executive and the Department of Health priorities and key challenges for 1992–93 and beyond.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have agreed a statement of the aims, goals and priorities for my Department for 1992–93 and the following three years. It covers the whole range of the Department's work relating to health services, health promotion, public health, social services, EC and other international issues, and internal management. It includes our specific priorities for the NHS management executive, which are taken forward in more detail in the management executive's statement, "The Goal and Strategies of the Chief Executive and the Management Executive of the NHS and their Objectives for 1992–93", approved by the NHS policy board. Copies of both statements have been placed in the Library.

  Nurse Education
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support trust hospitals give to post-registration nurse education.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Post-registration training which is designed to provide nurses and midwives with specific professional skills is to be funded from a separate and protected budget held at regional level. Employers are expected to bear the cost of other post-registration nurse education and training because they are in the best position to determine need. Trusts are expected to play their full part in training the staff they employ, in the same way as other employers.

  Mental Handicap Hospitals
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the mental handicap hospitals planned for closure over the next five years and the district health authority in which each is situated.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This is a matter for regional and district health authorities and the hospitals themselves. Government policies on the treatment of people with learning disabilities in the community are well known and understood.

  Sight Test Fees
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the gross cost of abolishing sight test fees for all people over 60 years old.
  431
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  NHS sight tests are already free to approximately 40 per cent. of the population, including those pensioners who qualify on medical or income grounds. The estimated additional cost at 1991–92 prices of extending eligibility to all those aged 60 and over would be between £30 million and £35 million in a full year.

  Hospital Trusts
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated privately under the waiting list initiative from(a) Leeds united hospital trust and (b) the Bradford hospitals NHS trust.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Anthony Clegg, the chairman of the United Leeds hospitals trust and Mr. Rodney Walker, the chairman of the Bradford hospitals NHS trust, for details.

  National Health Service Expenditure
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total level of expenditure on pay for general and senior managers in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 18 February 1992]: The grades of general and senior managers were introduced as part of the new arrangements recommended by the Griffiths report in 1983. The cost of staff employed in general management grades is shown in the table:

  England (HCHS) General managers

  £ million (cash)

  Regional/District general managers

  Unit/other general managers

  1985–86

  6·8

  4·1

  1986–87

  8·6

  17·1

  1987–88

  9·0

  20·7

  Vaccination and immunisation (2 year uptake2)

  Year

  Diphtheria

  Tetanus

  Pertussis

  Polio

  Measles

  1Mumps and Rubella

  South Derbyshire

  Number immunised

  1982

  6,333

  6,339

  5,042

  6,342

  5,042

  —

  Uptake rate

  (90)

  (90)

  (63)

  (91)

  (74)

  —

  1990–91

  6,486

  6,486

  6,123

  6,494

  6,332

  6,321

  (91)

  (91)

  (86)

  (92)

  (89)

  (89)

  Trent Region

  Number immunized

  1982

  52,833

  52,925

  34,880

  52,594

  36,904

  —

  Uptake rate

  (88)

  (88)

  (58)

  (88)

  (62)

  —

  1990–91

  56,421

  56,429

  52,740

  56,303

  54,036

  53,797

  (91)

  (91)

  (85)

  (91)

  (87)

  (87)

  Source: SBL 607.KC51. DH Statistics and Management Information (SMI2B), March 1992.

  1 Data was not collected before 1988–89.

  2 The two year uptake rate is the percentage of children immunised by their second birthday.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Cyprus
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current negotiations by the United Nations Secretary-General on a united Cyprus and on the role Britain has played since 1979.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Representatives of the UN Secretary-General have recently ocmpleted another round of talks
  432

  Regional/district general managers

  Unit/other general managers

  1988–89

  9·7

  20·8

  1989–90

  10·7

  21·3

  1990–91

  12·8

  25·3

  Notes:

  1. Figures for 1990–91 are as yet subject to audit.

  2. The figures are gross pay costs including employer's national insurance and superannuation contributions.

  Source: Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities in England together with those of the special health authorities for the London post-graduate teaching hospitals.

  Other senior management costs were not separately identified until 1989–90. The cost of staff employed in senior management grades in 1989–90 was £126·9 million and in 1990–91 was £213·3 million.

  Staff employed in general and senior management grades generally hold posts which were previously classified under administrative and clerical, works staff or senior nursing grades.

  Immunisations
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give figures for the number of immunisations carried out in South Derbyshire district and Trent region in 1982 and the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]: The numbers of two-year-olds vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella in South Derbyshire and Trent in 1982 and 1990–91 are given in the table.

  The uptake rates are also given to allow comparisons between the years.

  with all parties in the region. We have throughout given full and active support to the UN Secretary-General's efforts to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement.

  Turkey (Miners)
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what offers of assistance and expertise have been made to the Turkish Government in the search for the trapped coal miners near Zonguldak.
  433
  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Government were not approached by the Turkish authorities for help in dealing with the disaster at Kozlu coal mine in Zonguldak on 5 March.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Denatured Wine
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 March,Official Report, column 29, for what reasons Her Majesty's Customs and Excise did not charge excise duty on denatured wine products for culinary uses before 1 January, but did do so from that date onwards.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The excise duty liability of imported wine and made-wine, including denatured wine and made-wine, has not changed in recent years. Customs regret that an importer was incorrectly advised that if wine denatured with 2 per cent. salt was to be used as an ingredient in food manufacture it would not be liable to excise duty at importation. The correct liability has been applied since February 1991.

  Taxation
  Mr. French
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what higher rate of income tax would be necessary to raise the same revenue as would be raised by a higher rate of 50 per cent. and removing the ceiling on national insurance contributions.

  Mr. Maude
  At 1992–93 levels of income and assuming statutory indexation of allowances and thresholds, a higher rate of 59 per cent. would raise an approximately equivalent amount of revenue in a full year.

  Taxation (Commercial Properties)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he employs to determine whether a property with a paying guest or guests should be classified as a commercial property for Inland Revenue purposes.

  Mr. Maude
  Unless a paying guest or guests are using the property as their main or sole residence as defined in the Local Government and Finance Act 1988, any short-stay accommodation in excess of six bed spaces or which is not ancillary to the owners own domestic use will be treated as non-domestic property for uniform business rate purposes.

  Share Ownership
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer he will make a statement on the level of share ownership in Great Britain.

  Mr. Maude
  A joint Treasury/ProShare survey carried out in January and February of this year shows that almost 10 million people, or more than 22 per cent. of the adult population in Great Britain, now own shares compared with 7 per cent. in 1979. I am placing copies of the survey report in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on tax revenues(a) in the first year and (b) in a full year, assuming this is introduced in 1992–93 of the introduction of a 50 per cent. top rate of income tax on annual taxable incomes of (i) £31,555, (ii) £33,555, (iii) £36,555, (iv) £39,555 and (v) £42,555, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: The information is in the table.

  Estimated yield in 1992–93 from a 50 per cent. tax rate

  Threshold of taxable income at which 50 per cent. rate is charged £

  Yield in a full year1 at 1992–93 levels of income (£ million)

  31,555

  2,550

  33,555

  2,370

  36,555

  2,140

  39,555

  1,950

  42,555

  1,790

  1 About half of the yield would be collected in the first year.

  These estimates do not allow for any behavioural effect that might result from such changes to the tax system and do not include capital gains tax.

  Taxes and Benefits
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the table in his answer of 12 June 1991,Official Report, columns 547–50, on taxes and benefits, to include information on 1989.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: The information is as follows:

  Taxes and benefits as percentage of income by quintile groups of households1, 1989

  per cent.

  RETIRED HOUSEHOLDS

  Cash benefits as percentages of gross income

  Bottom quintile group

  88

  2nd quintile group

  84

  3rd quintile group

  78

  4th quintile group

  54

  Top quintile group

  23

  Average over all groups

  51

  Income tax, NIC, rates and community charge as percentages of gross income

  Bottom quintile group

  17

  2nd quintile group

  12

  3rd quintile group

  12

  4th quintile group

  14

  Top quintile group

  20

  Average over all groups

  17

  Indirect taxes as percentages of unadjusted disposable income

  Bottom quintile group

  27

  2nd quintile group

  20

  3rd quintile group

  19

  4th quintile group

  21

  Top quintile group

  17

  Average over all groups

  20

  Benefits in kind as percentages of final income

  Bottom quintile group

  44

  2nd quintile group

  34

  3rd quintile group

  31

  435

  per cent.

  4th quintile group

  24

  Top quintile group

  13

  Average over all groups

  25

  NON-RETIRED HOUSEHOLDS

  Cash benefits as percentages of gross income

  Bottom quintile group

  49

  2nd quintile group

  14

  3rd quintile group

  7

  4th quintile group

  3

  Top quintile group

  1

  Average over all groups

  8

  Income tax, NIC, rates and community charge as percentages of gross income

  Bottom quintile group

  15

  2nd quintile group

  19

  3rd quintile group

  20

  4th quintile group

  22

  Top quintile group

  22

  Average over all groups

  21

  Indirect taxes as percentages of unadjusted disposable income

  Bottom quintile group

  30

  2nd quintile group

  24

  3rd quintile group

  22

  4th quintile group

  20

  Top quintile group

  16

  Average over all groups

  20

  Benefits in kind as percentages of final income

  Bottom quintile group

  45

  2nd quintile group

  25

  3rd quintile group

  17

  4th quintile group

  11

  Top quintile group

  5

  Average over all groups

  16

  1 Ranked by equivalised disposable income.

  Source: CSO, from Family Expenditure Survey.

  Unearned Income
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the revenue raised from a 9 per cent. charge on unearned income for those below state retirement age with a(a) £3,000 exemption, (b) £3,500 exemption, (c) £4,000 exemption, (d) £4,500 exemption and (e) £5,000 exemption, giving both full year and first year revenues for 1991–92 and 1992–93, specifying the numbers affected in each case, for the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: Latest estimates for 1991–92 are as follows:

  Threshold £

  Yield in a full year £ million

  Numbers affected Thousands

  3,000

  870

  1,130

  3,500

  820

  970

  4,000

  780

  840

  4,500

  750

  750

  5,000

  720

  660

  The amount of revenue collected in the first year would depend on the administrative arrangements for collecting such a charge. The yield in 1992–93 would depend on the levels of investment income for that year.

  These estimates take no account of any possible behavioural changes following the introduction of such a charge.

  Nicholas Young Fraud
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will institute proceedings, pursuant to section 48 of the Banking Act 1987, against Mr. Bengt Bangstad arising from the Nicholas Young Ponzi fraud; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 3 March 1992]: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has no powers to institute proceedings under section 48 of the Banking Act 1987. That is a matter for the Bank of England.

THE ARTS

  Libraries
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give(a) the total number of books lent by and (b) the total amount of public spending on the library service in England and Wales, for each year since 1962.

  Mr. Renton
  Reliable and comparable information for England and Wales is available only from 1966–67 to 1989–90:

  Public library service

  England and Wales

  Book issues and expenditure

  Total expenditure

  Year

  Book issues

  Cash

  Real terms 1991–92 prices

  Million

  £ million

  £ million

  1989–90

  501

  553

  642

  1988–89

  480

  505

  624·5

  1987–88

  525

  450

  596·5

  1986–87

  524

  432

  604

  1985–86

  566

  404

  582·5

  1984–85

  551

  377·5

  575

  1983–84

  576

  361·5

  578

  1982–83

  574

  338

  565

  1981–82

  578

  310

  556

  1980–81

  579

  276

  542·5

  1979–80

  582

  239

  556·5

  1978–79

  570

  204·5

  555

  1977–78

  566

  184·5

  555

  1976–77

  554

  168

  575

  1975–76

  571

  149

  578

  1974–75

  547

  113

  550

  1973–74

  —

  87·5

  551

  1972–73

  —

  76·5

  478·9

  1971–72

  579

  66·5

  448·9

  1970–71

  562

  57

  418·2

  1969–70

  594

  49

  392

  1968–69

  585

  45

  377

  1967–68

  559

  41·5

  364·5

  1966–67

  533

  37

  335·5

  Sources: Municipal Year Book.

  Public Library Statistics, published by the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants and in later years the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Library and Information Service Council annual report.

ENERGY

  Electricity
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from pottery manufacturers about the effects of the regulatory regime established by the Electricity Act 1989 as it affects contract users.
  437
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To date my Department has received one representation—from a pottery manufacturer —about electricity contracts.

  British Coal
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on British Coal's external financing limit for 1991–92.

  Mr. Wakeham
  British Coal's deep-mine and opencast operations have achieved much in the present financial year and the corporation is likely to record a substantial profit after interest for the second year running. Cost cutting through restructuring has, however, been making calls on British Coal's cash resources in the short-term and it has been agreed that the corporation's external financing limit for 1991–92 should be raised from £542 million to £622 million to provide more financial headroom. This increase will be funded out of the existing vote provision for the current financial year.

PRIME MINISTER

  Official Visits
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Prime Minister if he has plans to make an official visit to Havering Atte Bower.

  The Prime Minister
  I am making plans for a series of visits to all parts of the country and hope to include Essex among them.

  Interception of Communications
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister whether a successor has been chosen to Lord Justice Lloyd as commissioner appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

  The Prime Minister
  Lord Justice Lloyd's second term of appointment expires on 10 April. I am most grateful for his work in carrying out his duties as commissioner. I have decided to appoint Lord Justice Bingham as commissioner for a period of three years with effect from 11 April 1992.

ENVIRONMENT

  Consultants
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those parts of his Department, including executive agencies, carrying out reviews over the last 12 months into the pay and grading of staff and the firm of consultants engaged, where appropriate.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The only part of my Department yet to conduct a detailed review of pay and grading structures is the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre. That study was assisted by MCP Management Consultants.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authority associations or others, concerning exempting from the community charge those currently qualified to pay 20 per cent. of the full payment.
  438
  Mr. Key
  Few local authorities have proposed exempting all people currently liable for 20 per cent. of the community charge. However, a number of authorities and others have supported bringing forward the principle of 100 per cent. council tax benefit to the last year of the comunity charge.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the cost for the collection of community charge for those on the minimum 20 per cent. rate.

  Mr. Key
  No separate information is held on collection of the community charge from those making the minimum 20 per cent. contribution. However, the average cost of collecting the community charge from all charge payers is about £14 compared to an average 20 per cent. payment of £45.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage figure of reliability for sprinkler systems he took into account when establishing the parameters for minimum periods of fire resistance in approved document B (fire safety) approved for the purposes of the Building Regulations 1991.

  Mr. Yeo
  Estimates of the reliability of sprinkler systems vary, and no one figure was used as the basis of the new guidance. However, the opinion of experts at the fire research station, and of the Fire Advisory Panel which the Department consulted while developing the guidance, was that a fire resistance reduction could be allowed over a wider range of cases than hitherto when a sprinkler system was installed.

  Stop Notices
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell) of 6 November 1991,Official Report, columns 160–61, when the appropriate ministerial order will be made to implement section 9 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 dealing with stop notices.

  Sir George Young
  My written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor),Official Report, 16 December 1991, columns 68–69, announced that the main enforcement provisions in part I of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 (including section 9) would be brought into force on 2 January this year. The Planning and Compensation Act 1991 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) Order 1991 (SI 1991 No. 2905 (C90)) implemented those provisions accordingly.

  Shopping Centres
  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish a working group including English Heritage, the Civic Trust and the Royal Institute of Town Planning to establish ways in which town and city shopping centres may achieve security from crime combined with good visual and aesthetic quality.

  Mr. Yeo
  The type of security measures required to protect shops and the visual and aesthetic qualities which
  439
  would be appropriate are best considered locally, informed by local circumstance and need. The Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Regulations, which came into force on 10 February, require local planning authorities to have regard to crime prevention when preparing development plans. Furthermore, my Department's circulars 1/84—issued jointly with the Home Office—and 22/88 provide guidance on the role of planning crime prevention. Local planning authorities should use this advice to establish local policies which combine the encouragement of effective security and good design.

  Archive Services
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about county archive services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  We have received a number of letters about local government restructuring and county archive services. The Local Government Commission to be established under the Local Government Act 1992 will review the structure of local government in the shire counties in England. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to direct the commission to have regard to guidance which he will issue about the policy considerations which should underlie its reviews. This guidance will draw the commission's attention to the importance of satisfactory arrangements for existing archive services. Decisions about local government structure and arrangements for services will be for Parliament.

  Liverpool (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the recent visit by the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities to the Liverpool, Riverside constituency.

  Mr. Portillo
  I visited the Liverpool Riverside constituency on 6 January 1992. At the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall I announced urban programme support of £3 million towards the hall's refurbishment along with city grant support of £4·5 million towards an office development at Exchange buildings. Later I visited the garden festival site to see work in progress on leisure developments, particularly at the Festival hall. I then met representatives of the Eldonian Development Trust.

  I also visited the constituency on 6 March for a number of official engagements including the signing of Liverpool's city challenge implementation agreement, the launch of a civil service access training initiative for ethnic minorities in Liverpool, and a tour of the Duke street/Bold street areas with potential developers.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities awarded a higher standard spending assessment for 1992–93 per unit of population than the metropolitan borough of Rotherham together with their standard spending assessments per unit of population.

  Mr. Key
  The table shows 1992–93 standard spending assessments for those authorities with a higher amount per head of resident population than Rotherham.
  440

  Local authorities with a higher standard spending assessment per head of resident population than the metropolitan borough of Rotherham for 1992–93

  Local authority

  1992–93 SSA (£/head)

  City of London

  11,266

  Tower Hamlets

  1,445

  Hackney

  1,400

  Lambeth

  1,347

  Isles of Scilly

  1,321

  Westminster

  1,272

  Newham

  1,255

  Islington

  1,239

  Haringey

  1,154

  Southwark

  1,151

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,151

  Brent

  1,077

  Camden

  1,057

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1,043

  Lewisham

  1,035

  Wandsworth

  1,017

  Waltham Forest

  978

  Manchester

  963

  Liverpool

  937

  Greenwich

  937

  Birmingham

  910

  Ealing

  904

  Knowsley

  897

  Hounslow

  863

  Bradford

  850

  Wolverhampton

  849

  Sandwell

  806

  Enfield

  795

  Oldham

  793

  Barking and Dagenham

  789

  Salford

  779

  Croydon

  775

  Coventry

  775

  South Tyneside

  771

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  766

  Cleveland

  764

  Harrow

  761

  Rochdale

  757

  Merton

  750

  Sunderland

  743

  Redbridge

  739

  Kirklees

  735

  Wirral

  734

  Bolton

  734

  North Tyneside

  725

  Walsall

  724

  Gateshead

  723

  St. Helens

  717

  Tameside

  708

  Hillingdon

  705

  Calderdale

  699

  Leeds

  699

  Barnet

  696

  Doncaster

  694

  Trafford

  693

  Sheffield

  692

  Bexley

  689

  Sutton

  686

  Kingston upon Thames

  684

  Rotherham

  683

  English Heritage
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made to date, with regard to the relocation of English Heritage to Nottingham; and what is the timetable for the various stages of the move, and the expected time and date for its completion.
  441
  Mr. Yeo
  English Heritage is to relocate its headquarters to Nottingham in 1994. Two city centre sites are being examined in detail before a choice of site is made and submitted to the Secretary of State for approval.

  East Thames Corridor
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the report of his working party on the east Thames corridor.

  Mr. Yeo
  My right hon. Friend has appointed consultants, Llewelyn-Davies Planning, to consider the potential of the East Thames Corridor for development and environmental enhancement. It is anticipated that their study will be completed by June 1992. We expect that the report of the study will be published in due course.

  Housing Stock, Rochester
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the final report of the district auditor investigating the sale of housing stock of Rochester-upon-Medway city council to the Medway Housing Society will be available; and if he will indicate the reasons for the delay.

  Sir George Young
  The district auditor has been carrying out an investigation into the sale by Rochester upon Medway city council of its housing stock to Medway Housing Society in July 1990. The auditor is currently completing the consultation process in accordance with the statutory audit code of practice. He hope to issue his public interest report to the council shortly.

  Derelict Land Grant
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the provisional allocations of the derelict land grant for 1992–93 in England and Wales in descending order according to the size of the grant, within the following categories(a) shire county councils, (b) metropolitan district councils, (c) other district councils, (d) planning boards and (e) others.

  Mr. Yeo
  The information requested for England is as shown in the table. Derelict land reclamation in Wales is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Provisional Allocations of Derelict Land Grant—1992–93 (a) Shire County Councils

  Region and Council

  Amount £

  EM Nottinghamshire

  2,631,000

  EM Derbyshire

  2,597,000

  NW Cheshire

  2,000,000

  NR Northumberland

  1,700,000

  NR Durham

  1,500,000

  WM Shropshire

  1,257,000

  EM Leicestershire

  873,000

  WM Staffordshire

  601,000

  SW Cornwall

  400,000

  NW Lancashire

  300,000

  NR Cleveland

  120,000

  WM Warwickshire

  29,000

  Total

  14,008,000

  442

  (b) Metropolitan District Councils

  Region and council

  Amount (£)

  YH Rotherham

  5,149,396

  WM Walsall

  3,838,000

  WM Dudley

  2,780,000

  NW Salford

  2,680,000

  YH Doncaster

  2,150,783

  YH Calderdale

  2,000,000

  WM Wolverhampton

  1,981,000

  NR Gateshead

  1,700,000

  NR Sunderland

  1,700,000

  YH Barnsley

  1,646,964

  NW Wigan

  1,500,000

  YH Wakefield

  1,498,000

  MT Liverpool

  1,450,000

  WM Sandwell

  1,426,000

  NW Oldham

  1,250,000

  WM Birmingham

  1,224,000

  MT Sefton

  1,200,000

  NW Tamcside

  1,200,000

  NW Manchester

  1,200,000

  YH Kirklecs

  980,000

  MT St. Helens

  975,000

  NR North Tyneside

  750,000

  NW Bolton

  660,000

  NW Bury

  660,000

  MT Knowsley

  650,000

  YH Sheffield

  559,929

  NW Stockport

  500,000

  NR Newcastle upon Tyne

  450,000

  MT Wirral

  400,000

  YH Bradford

  396,000

  NW Rochdale

  310,000

  YH Leeds

  250,000

  NR South Tyneside

  200,000

  NW Trafford

  150,000

  LR Tower Hamlets

  110,000

  LR Barking and Dagenham

  70,000

  LR Newham

  55,838

  LR Lewisham

  51,475

  LR Waltham Forest

  47,157

  LR Greenwich

  35,000

  WM Coventry

  25,000

  Total

  45,858,542

  (c) Other District Councils

  Region and Council

  Amount(£)

  YH Glandford

  3,000,000

  NW Barrow-in-Furness

  2,000,000

  SW Kerrier

  2,000,000

  EM Corby

  1,927,000

  MT Ellesmere Port and Neston

  1,650,000

  WM Newcastle-under-Lyme

  1,614,000

  MT Halton

  1,275,000

  EM Mansfield

  1,168,000

  EM Erewash

  1,000,000

  NW Carlisle

  900,000

  NW Copeland

  900,000

  WM The Wrekin

  773,000

  NR Darlington

  700,000

  WM Stoke-on-Trent

  695,000

  NW Bury

  660,000

  EM Nottingham

  600,000

  NR Middlesbrough

  550,000

  SW Bath

  530,000

  WM Cannock Chase

  511,000

  NR Stockton-on-Tees

  500,000

  NR Hartlepool

  500,000

  NW Lancaster

  500,000

  NR Wear Valley

  350,000

  EM Lincoln

  334,000

  NR Easington

  325,000

  NW Preston

  300,000

  EM Derbyshire Dales

  260,000

  443

  Region and Council

  Amount £

  NR Langbaurgh

  250,000

  SW Carrick

  250,000

  SW Restormel

  250,000

  EM Amber Valley

  235,000

  EM North East Derbyshire

  204,000

  NW Pendle

  200,000

  NW Blackburn

  200,000

  NW West Lancashire

  200,000

  NW Hyndburn

  200,000

  NW Burnley

  200,000

  NW Ribble Valley

  200,000

  NW Vale Royal

  200,000

  NW Warrington

  200,000

  NW Chorley

  200,000

  NR Sedgefield

  160,000

  NW Macclesfield

  150,000

  YH Boothferry

  140,000

  NR Derwentside

  135,000

  NW Eden

  130,000

  EM Chesterfield

  122,000

  YH Great Grimsby

  106,383

  EM Leicester

  106,000

  WM Lichfield

  103,000

  NR Blyth Valley

  100,000

  NW Congleton

  100,000

  NW South Lakeland

  100,000

  SW Caradon

  100,000

  SW Plymouth

  100,000

  EM Bolsover

  80,000

  EM Newark and Sherwood

  77,000

  YH Kingston upon Hull

  62,386

  NW Chester

  60,000

  SW Penwith

  60,000

  WM Staffordshire Moorlands

  51,000

  EM Daventry

  50,000

  NW Crewe and Nantwich

  50,000

  YH Richmondshirc

  40,000

  WM Oswestry

  33,000

  EM Gedling

  27,000

  EM Derby

  25,000

  EM Rushcliffe

  25,000

  EM Ashfield

  24,000

  SW North Cornwall

  20,000

  SW Thamesdown

  20,000

  NW Blackpool

  18,000

  NR Durham

  10,000

  YH York

  10,000

  SW Torbay

  8,000

  EM South Derbyshire

  7,000

  WM Tamworth

  6,000

  EM North West Leicestershire

  5,000

  SW Woodspring

  1,200

  WM South Staffordshire

  1,000

  SW Teignbridge

  400

  Total

  30,934,369

  (d) Planning Boards

  Region/Board

  Amount £

  EM Peak National Park Joint Planning Board

  71,000

  YH North York Moors National Park

  10,060

  Total

  81,060

  (e) Others

  Provisional allocations are not made other than to local authorities and planning boards.

  Defective Housing
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government have completed their consultations on the proposed new expenditure limits for grant eligible reinstatement works under the housing defects legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  I am most grateful to all those who have responded to our consultation proposals; we have, as a result, been able to settle the final figures for each designated house type. Our suggestion that the limits should be revised within a structure of six main cost bands was widely welcomed, as indeed were most of the individual proposals. Some concern was expressed as to whether £32,000 would be sufficient for repairs to Airey and Schindler and Hawksley SGS houses, and we have therefore decided instead to place these types within the £36,000 cost band.

  The new limits will therefore be as follows:

  New limit house type

  Present limit £

  £20,000

  Cornish unit (1 storey PRC)

  17,000

  Gregory

  17,000

  Unity and Butterley (1 storey PRC)

  17,000

  £24,000

  Dorran (1 storey PRC)

  17,000

  Myton (1 storey PRC)

  17,000

  Newland (1 storey PRC)

  17,000

  Tarran (1 storey PRC)

  17,000

  Wessex (1 storey PRC)

  17,000

  £28,000

  Cornish unit (2 storey PRC)

  23,000

  Stent

  23,000

  Unity and Butterley (2 storey PRC)

  23,000

  £32,000

  Boswell

  27,000

  Dorran (2 storey PRC)

  27,000

  Dyke

  27,000

  Myton (2 storey PRC)

  27,000

  Newland (2 storey PRC)

  27,000

  Stonecrete

  27,000

  Tarran (2 storey PRC)

  27,000

  Underdown

  27,000

  Waller

  27,000

  Wates

  27,000

  Winget

  27,000

  £36,000

  Airey

  27,000

  Schindler and Hawksley SGS

  27,000

  Smith

  27,000

  £40,000

  Boot Pier and Panel

  31,000

  Orlit

  31,000

  Parkinson

  31,000

  Reema Hollow Panel

  31,000

  Wessex (2 storey PRC)

  31,000

  Woolaway

  31,000

  £14,000

  All locally designated types

  14,000

  These new limits should enable local authorities themselves to decide the appropriate level of grant, in the majority of cases, without further reference to the Department.
  445
  The parliamentary order implementing these new limits has now been made by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales and, provided that Parliament is content, will come into operation on Tuesday 31 March. My officials will be writing to local authorities, home owners groups, repairers and the professional bodies, to make sure that all those with an interest are fully aware of all the changes.

  Big Ben
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what maintenance work is planned on Big Ben this year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  The mechanism of the great clock is subject to regular expert inspections and routine maintenance. Included in this year's programme is the replacement of the chime main wheel. The work is expected to start in April and to last about eight weeks. During the period the quarter hour chimes will be silent. The clock itself and the hour strike will not be affected.

  Milton Keynes
  Mr. Benyon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what use he intends to make of his sanction powers under part III of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 in relation to Milton Keynes borough council.

  Mr. Key
  On 15 October 1991, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State served a notice under section 19A of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 on Milton Keynes borough council, setting out his view that in 1989–90 the authority has failed to achieve the required rate of return in carrying out the work described in section 10(2)(d) of the Act—maintenance work, other than such works of maintenance in connection with highways or the maintenance of a sewer.

  He has now considered the response which the authority has made to the section 19A notice, and which has acknowledged the failure to achieve the rate of return in 1989–90 and also for 1990–91. The authority has also indicated that performance in the current financial year may culminate in losses between £100,000 and £150,000.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has concluded that the record of financial failure by the authority's direct service organisation is such as to justify further use of his sanction powers. He has therefore today made a direction under section 19B of the 1980 Act, prohibiting the authority from carrying out the work described in section 10(2)(d) of the Act after 1 October 1992, with the exception of emergency work.

  London Borough of Haringey
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet considered the London borough of Haringey's response to the notice served on the authority on 12 November 1991 under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has given careful consideration to the response which the London borough of Haringey has made to the notice served on the authority on 12 November 1991, and has 446
  today given the authority a direction under section 14 of the 1988 Act. The effect of the direction is that after 1 January 1993 the authority will cease to have the power to carry out refuse collection work itself.

  Direct Labour Organisations
  Sir Philip Goodhart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take against those local authorities whose direct labour organisations made significant financial losses in 1989–90, and on which notices were served on 31 July and 28 October 1991.

  Mr. Key
  My right hon. Friend has now considered carefully the responses of the 14 local authorities on whom notices were served under either section 19A of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 or section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988 on 31 July and 28 October 1991. He has today given a direction under section 19B of the 1980 Act to the royal London borough of Kingston upon Thames which prevents it carrying out building maintenance work other than emergency work as from 31 October 1992. He is looking further at the responses of the London borough of Waltham Forest and Portsmouth city council (both building maintenance work).

  He has decided to take no further action in respect of financial failure in 1989–90 against the London borough of Bromley (building maintenance), Worthing district council (building maintenance), Wychavon district council (building maintenance), Warrington borough council (building maintenance), Gosport borough council (other cleaning), Gloucester city council (refuse collection), Lewes district council (refuse collection), Shropshire county council (other catering), Surrey county council (other cleaning), and Waverley district council (refuse collection). He has already announced that no further action will be taken against Crawley district council (other catering).

  My right hon. Friend has also decided to serve notices on the royal London borough of Kingston upon Thames in respect of financial failure in 1989–90 on highway maintenance work, and on the London borough of Bromley in respect of possible anti-competitive behaviour in awarding building maintenance work to its DLO where it was not the lowest tender.

  He is also considering what further action to take in respect of financial failure in 1990–91 following the receipt of local authorities' annual reports for that year.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet received the final report by London Economics on the possible use of market mechanisms in the control of acid rain emissions.

  Mr. Trippier
  The report "The Potential Role of Market Mechanisms in the Control of Acid Rain" is being published today. I am placing copies of the report in the Library.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further measures he intends to take to encourage recycling of CFCs; and if he will make a statement.
  447
  Mr. Trippier
  We are today issuing a consultation paper which contains proposals to ban the import and supply to the United Kingdom market of refrigerant in disposable containers. These containers impede recycling because they cannot be refilled with refrigerant. They are also particularly damaging to the ozone layer, because the heel of CFCs which remains is usually vented to the atmosphere before the container is disposed of. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  We are also intending to issue a consumer leaflet towards the end of March. This will make consumers aware which products contain CFCs and how they can help to improve their environment by encouraging industry and local authorities to provide more recycling services.

  Planning Policy
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will revise planning policy guidance note No. 1 to withdraw the general presumption in favour of development as it relates to the preparation of development plans.

  Sir George Young
  [pursuant to his answer, 4 February 1992, c. 134]: We have today published a revised planning policy guidance note 1 "General Policy and Principles" (PPG1) which replaces the 1988 version and advice in earlier circulars. The new document sets out the broad principles within which development plans are to be prepared and the basis on which planning permissions should be given or refused.

  PPG1 reiterates the Government's commitment to sustainable growth and to reconciling development with conservation of the environment. The aim is to secure economy, efficiency and amenity in the use of land. Among other matters highlighted in the guidance note we have drawn to the attention of local planning authorities:
  the enhanced role of development plans in setting the framework for planning decisions;
  the need to eliminate unnecessary delay in determining planning applications;
  the particular categories of development proposals that require a full environmental assessment;
  the importance of design, crime prevention, noise considerations and access requirements, particularly for disabled people, in securing quality of environment.

  Some of these matters will be the subject of more detailed guidance in forthcoming circulars. In the meantime, the new document replaces PPG1 of January 1988 and much of DOE circular 22/80.

  We are also publishing today a revised planning policy guidance note No. 3 "Housing" (PPG3) which replaces the 1988 version of the PPG and advice in various earlier circulars.

  The PPG reiterates the message that the planning system must provide an adequate and continuous supply of land for housing, taking into account market demand and the Government's policies for encouraging home ownership and the provision of rented housing. But in doing so it must also maintain the Government's established policies for the protection of the countryside, the conservation of natural habitats and of the built heritage, and the protection of the best and most versatile agricultural land.

  The main changes to previous policy are:
  448
  increased emphasis on re-using urban land, particularly derelict or under-used land, for housing as a means of relieving pressure on the countryside;
  encouragement for housing development on sites with permission for other development, but where there is no realistic prospect of that other development taking place;
  greater emphasis on the importance of local choice, through the local and unitary development plan process, in deciding how to meet the needs for new housing development;
  encouragement of closer co-operation between local authorities' planning and housing functions;
  withdrawal, because it is not consistent with a plan-led system, of the special presumption in favour of releasing land for housing where there is less than a five year supply;
  clearer policy on the circumstances in which new settlements may be considered as an alternative to expanding existing towns and villages; on this issue the essential message is the need to respect local choice.

  The PPG also incorporates the Government's planning policies for the provision of affordable housing set out in circular 7/91, "Planning and Affordable Housing", which is now cancelled.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Meat Inspection
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the current charges levied in EC member states for meat inspection.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave on 9 March 1992,Official Report, column 403.

  The position regarding levels of meat inspection charges in other member states remains unclear. It appears that some have yet to introduce national legislation to bring them into line with the EC decision on harmonisation of charges. Certain others, such as Spain and Germany, have legislated at a regional, rather than a national, level. Detailed national information is currently only available with regard to France and Denmark. In France, the published charges in francs per kilogramme for 1991 were as follows:

  Slaughterhouses

  Cutting premises

  Adult bovines

  0·086

  0·011

  Calves

  0·101

  0·011

  Horses

  0·072

  0·011

  Sheep and Goats

  0·063

  0·011

  Pigs

  0·075

  0·011

  Chickens

  0·022

  0·0012

  Turkeys

  0·022

  0·007

  Ducks

  0·022

  0·0079

  Guinea Fowl

  0·022

  0·0004

  In Denmark we believe that charges at exporting slaughterhouses are based on following:

  For pigs— the actual cost of inspection.

  For cattle—the "EC Standard" charge.

  For poultry—approximately 250 per cent. of the "EC Standard" charge (two thirds of the actual cost).

  Bananas
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what steps the Government are taking to ensure that bananas are removed from the GATT Uruguay round of negotiations;
  449
  (2) how commitments under the Lomé convention towards African, Caribbean and Pacific banana suppliers would be honoured under a GATT agreement based on the Dunkel text of 20 December.

  Mr. Curry
  The European Commission has made no proposals on bananas in the GATT Round context. It is continuing to study the question. Tariffication, if it simply followed the method set out in the Dunkel paper as we understand it, would not appear to provide sufficient protection for traditional ACP suppliers of the United Kingdom market. We remain committed to fulfilling our obligations under the Lome convention and to bringing the GATT round to an early and successful conclusion; the Government have made representations to the Commission to urge it to ensure that our Lome commitments are not overlooked in the GATT negotiations.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the numbers of confirmed cases of BSE in each county in England in 1992, to the latest available date.

  Mr. Gummer
  For the reasons given in the answer to the hon. Member on 23 May 1991,Official Report, column 559, these figures are currently unavailable.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information is available concerning the range of species of mammals to which bovine spongiform encephalopathy has not been transferred by experimental injection.

  Mr. Maclean
  In my answer to the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart) on 4 March I gave details of the species which had been experimentally infected with BSE. No other species has succumbed to experimental infection.

  Central Science Laboratory
  Sir Michael Shaw
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards establishing the central science laboratory as an executive agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I am pleased to confirm that the central science laboratory will become an executive agency with effect from 1 April 1992.

  Cost recovery will provide us with an important means of judging the efficiency of this agency. Additional performance measures relating to the objectives of the agency will also be used to measure operating efficiency and quality of service.

  The financial and efficiency targets for the central science laboratory for 1992–93 will be:

  100 per cent. recovery of full costs;

  an overall efficiency gain of 2 per cent.;

  a reduction of 1·5 per cent. in real terms of representative unit costs for services.

  The targets for delivery of services by the central science laboratory will be:

  at least 90 per cent. of work completed to time and within budget;

  at least 95 per cent. of contracts delivered to the customer's satisfaction.

  The central science laboratory will implement during 1992–93 arrangements for the independent assessment of the quality of the scientific work and publications.
  450
  The measures of performance for the agency are set out in the framework document, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House by 1 April.

  ADAS
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards establishing the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service as an executive agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are pleased to confirm that ADAS will become an executive agency with effect from 1 April 1992.

  Cost recovery will provide us with an important means of judging the efficiency of this agency. Additional performance measures relating to the objectives of the agency will also be used to measure operating efficiency and quality of service.

  The financial and efficiency targets for ADAS for 1992–93 will be:
  recovery of its full economic costs, through charges to its customers, including the Departments (MAFF and Welsh Office). In the case of certain charged advisory services, ADAS will recover 41 per cent. of the costs from charges to the ultimate beneficiaries and the remainder will be met by the Departments. In other cases ADAS will recover the full costs from the customer;
  an overall efficiency improvement of a 2 per cent. reduction in average total cost per direct hour charged to contracts;
  at least a 6 per cent. reduction in average time taken to collect debts due to ADAS from non-Departmental customers;

  The targets for delivery of services by ADAS will be:
  achieving improvements in customer satisfaction, as evidenced in ADAS surveys, the procedures for which will be developed by 30 June 1992;
  at least 80 per cent. of Research and Development project milestones to be met.

  The measures for performance for the agency are set out in the framework document, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House by 1 April.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Market Testing Programme
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list each private sector consultancy firm which has been retained by each agency within his Department, and for his Department as a whole, for the purposes of advising on the market testing programme; and whether the appointment in each case was the result of competitive tendering.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Two experienced private sector consultants are currently retained to advise on the market testing programmes of the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments. As their work involves them in the security field I do not wish to identify them by name but I can confirm that they were appointed after competitive tendering.

  Coastal Erosion
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much money has been spent on dealing with the effects of coastal erosion(a) along the County Down coast and (b) in all of Northern Ireland, in each of the last five years;

  (2) if he will list the schemes which have been undertaken to prevent coastal erosion within Northern Ireland; and if he will list each of the proposed schemes, with planned commencement dates and costs in each case.

  Mr. Needham
  It is extremely difficult to distinguish between works intended to prevent coastal erosion and works to deal with its effects. The objective is usually the same and the actual works can often coincide.

  The following amounts have been spent by the Department of the Environment's roads service on dealing with coastal erosion in the last five financial years:

  County Down coast

  Financial year

  Amount £'000

  1987–88

  51

  1988–89

  41

  1989–90

  33

  1990–91

  156

  1991–92

  152

  Northern Ireland

  Financial year

  Amount £'000

  1987–88

  159

  1988–89

  167

  1989–90

  122

  1990–91

  241

  1991–92

  221

  In the last five financial years, the following schemes have been undertaken by the roads service to deal with coastal erosion in areas where the stability of a road was threatened:

  Year and scheme

  1987–88

  Barrhall road, Portaferry—new sea wall.

  A2 North of Ballyhalbert—rock armouring.

  Cushendun/Waterfoot/Murlough bay—general routine repairs.

  A2 between Larne/Garron Point—general routine repairs.

  1988–89

  A20 Newtownards/Greyabbey—reconstruction of sea wall.

  Magilligan Point, Londonderry—general routine repairs.

  Cushendun/Waterfoot/Murlough bay—general routine repairs.

  A2 between Larne/Garron Point—general routine repairs.

  1989–90

  Seafront road, Cultra—strengthening of existing sea wall.

  Minerstown, County Down—rock armouring.

  Magilligan Point, Londonderry—general routine repairs.

  Cushendun/Waterfoot/Murlough bay—general routine repairs.

  A2 between Larne/Garron Point—general routine repairs.

  1990–91

  A20 Newtownards-Greyabbey, A20 Greyabbcy-Kircubbin,
  452
  Loughshore road-Portaferry—storm repair work and provision of rock armouring.

  Culmore Point, Londonderry, Benone, Limavady, Cushendun/Waterfoot/Murlough bay, A2 between Larne/Garron Point—general routine repairs.

  1991–92

  Minerstown, County Down, Killard, County Down, Kilclief, County Down—general routine repairs.

  Kinnegar, Holywood—replacement of gabions.

  A20 Newtownards/Cunningburn road—rock armouring and sea wall repairs.

  Shore road, Portaferry—sea wall repairs.

  Culmore Point, Londonderry, Cushendun/Waterfoot/Murlough bay, A2 between Larne/Garron Point—general routine repairs.

  The following schemes are proposed for the 1992–93 financial year:

  £

  Portballintrae

  6,000

  Garron Point

  20,000

  Seacliffe Road, Bangor

  1,000

  Killard, Co. Down

  20,000–40,000

  Other routine maintenance work will be carried out as requested.

  Waste Recycling
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken in relation to the introduction of waste recycling schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  Legislation for Northern Ireland containing provisions for waste management similar to those in part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is in preparation. It will require district councils to include recycling as part of their waste management arrangements and to provide a recycling plan for the district.

  In the interim, the Government will encourage the growing interest in recycling in Northern Ireland and support the many district councils, businesses and voluntary groups who are participating in recycling materials such as glass and paper.

  Housing Estates
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the age of housing estates built at(a) Shantallow, (b) Bogside, (c) Creggan, (d) Ardcarn, (e) Cregagh and (f) Moat View; and if he will state the number of houses in each estate;

  (2) which of the estates at Shantallow, Bogside, Creggan, Ardcarn, Cregagh and Moat View had metal windows when constructed and which of them have had window replacements; and if he will indicate how many dwellings have had all window frames replaced and set out the cost.

  Mr. Needham
  These are matters for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I have been advised by the chairman that the information requested is as follows:
  453

  NIHE Estate

  Date of construction

  Number of dwellings constructed

  With metal window frames

  Metal window frames replaced

  Estimated costs of window replacement £

  Shantallow

  Pre 1945

  1

  —

  —

  1945–1960

  9

  9

  9

  1961–1971

  531

  304

  304

  Total

  541

  313

  313

  316,000

  Bogside

  Pre 1945

  8

  —

  —

  1945–1960

  37

  37

  37

  1961–1971

  448

  419

  318

  Post 1971

  228

  166

  41

  Total

  721

  622

  396

  326,000

  Creggan

  1945–1960

  1,385

  1,385

  885

  1961–1971

  317

  240

  77

  Post 1971

  41

  29

  —

  Total

  1,743

  1,654

  962

  876,000

  Ardcarn

  1945–1960

  152

  152

  136

  46,000

  Cregagh

  1945–1960

  709

  622

  —

  1961–1971

  157

  157

  157

  Total

  866

  779

  157

  157,000

  Moatview

  1945–1960

  55

  55

  —

  —

  1 Scheme is currently in progress.

  Youth Training Programme
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by each of the education and library boards on YTP provision in each of the last five years.

  Financial years

  Education and library boards

  1986–87 £ million

  1987–88 £ million

  1988–89 £ million

  1989–90 £ million

  1990–91 £ million

  Belfast

  1·264

  1·161

  1·467

  1·415

  2·524

  North-Eastern

  1·099

  1·054

  1·462

  1·304

  2·189

  South-Eastern

  1·116

  1·081

  1·285

  1·284

  2·287

  Western

  1·237

  1·224

  1·230

  1·007

  1·485

  Southern

  1·391

  1·034

  1·080

  1·203

  1·256

  Notes:

  1. The figures represent recurrent and capital expenditure. For the years 1986–87 to 1989–90 they are taken from the boards' audited accounts and for 1990–91 from the unaudited accounts.

  2. The figures do not include expenditure on the salaries of full-time teachers engaged on YTP. For the years in question these were paid directly by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many young people have been employed on youth training programmes organised by further education colleges in each of the last five years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The number of trainees fluctuates during the year but the average number of full-time trainees involved on YT programmes in further education colleges was as follows:

  Academic year

  Average occupancy

  1986–87

  1,906

  1987–88

  1,886

  1988–89

  1,812

  1989–90

  1,730

  1990–91

  3,455

  454
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The amounts are as follows:

  Right of Way, Carrivemoragh
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that Banbridge district council assert the right of way in the constituency of South Down known as the Carrivemoragh mass pad; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  I understand that following research by its own officers, Banbridge district council obtained senior counsel's advice in the matter of the alleged right of way known as Carrivemoragh mass pad. After considering that advice, the council decided not to assert a right of way on this path.

  There is no reason for me to intervene.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to answer the letter of the hon. Member for Upper Bann of 5 February.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have written to the hon. Gentleman.

  Dentists
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent changes have been proposed for charges by dentists in Northern Ireland; how this relates to the increase awarded by the salary review body; how many dentists withdrew from the national health service in Northern Ireland in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The maximum charge payable by a patient for a course of dental treatment will be increased from £200 to £225 with effect from 1 April 1992. There will be no change in the proportional charge payable by patients, which will remain at 75 per cent. of the cost up to the maximum charge.

  The increase in the maximum charge is not related to the increase recently recommended by the doctors and dentists review body.

  No dentists in Northern Ireland withdrew from providing health service treatment in the 12 months prior to 1 March 1992.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the numbers of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each county in Northern Ireland in 1992, to the latest available date.

  Mr. Hanley
  As of 5 March 1992 the information is as follows:

  County

  Numbers

  Antrim

  15

  Armagh

  2

  Down

  10

  Fermanagh

  0

  Londonderry

  7

  Tyrone

  5

  Total

  39

  There are 1·5 million cattle in Northern Ireland and there have been a total of 342 confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Northern Ireland to date (5 March 1992).

  Water and Sewerage Services
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in re-organising water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  It is planned to transfer the water and sewerage functions of the Department of the Environment to a Government-owned company on 1 April 1993. The necessary arrangements for this, including the preparation of a draft order, are being taken forward as a matter of priority.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is yet in a position to respond to the second report of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights "Religious and Political Discrimination and Equality of Opportunity in Northern Ireland" (Cm 1107); and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have today written to the chairman of the commission responding to its second report. A copy of my letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

  I welcomed the report when it was laid before Parliament and published in June 1990. It is a valuable report which, as I made clear at that time, has required careful study by the Government. The Government will continue to examine the recommendations in consultation with the commission and other interested parties.

  Mr. Peter Duggan
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the RUC on the progress of police inquiries into the identification of the person alleged to have attempted to murder Mr. Peter Duggan in Downpatrick in January 1985.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 3 March 1992]: There is no record of an attempt to murder Mr. Peter Duggan in Downpatrick in January 1985. The circumstances surrounding the attack on him in January 1988 in the Downpatrick area have been investigated by the RUC, and two women were convicted in September 1988 of the false imprisonment of Mr. Duggan. Apart from this, the Director of Public Prosecutions has considered police reports of their investigations into this incident and has directed no prosecution.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Court of Appeal
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal since 1982 and give the reason in each case.

  The Attorney-General
  The information requested on the reasons for quashing individual appeals could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the number of convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal are available but only from 1987. They are as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1987

  192

  1988

  223

  1989

  211

  1990

  256

  1991

  269

  Consolidation Legislation
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Attorney-General what areas of statute law are currently being considered for consolidation legislation; and if he will indicate at what stage the procedures are in each case.

  The Attorney-General
  During the current Session, 11 consolidation Bills have been introduced into Parliament.
  457
  Seven of these Bills have already received Royal Assent and have become the Social Security Administration Act 1992, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, the Social Security (Consequential Provisions) Act 1992, the Social Security (Consequential Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 and the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992. Of the other four Bills, the Protection of Badgers Bill, the Radioactive Substances Bill and the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Bill are awaiting their Second Reading in this House, while the Tribunals and Inquiries Bill is awaiting its Committee stage in another place.

  Work is continuing at the Law Commission to prepare consolidation Bills on clean air, education, stamp duties, the armed forces, merchant shipping, the powers of criminal courts and solicitors. Work is continuing at the Scottish Law Commission to prepare consolidation Bills on crofters, the Scottish Land Court, the national health service, criminal procedure, lands clauses and town and country planning. In Northern Ireland, work is continuing on a consolidation Bill on pension schemes.

  Central Taxation Units
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Attorney-General how many claims for taxation at the central taxation units are still awaiting taxing; what is the change over the last six months; and when it is expected they will be dealt with.

  The Attorney-General
  At the end of February 1992, there were 1,545 claims awaiting determination by the central taxing teams. At the end of August 1991, there were 2,201 claims outstanding. Targets have now been established that 75 per cent. of claims should be determined within three months of the claim becoming ready to tax—when all related claims have been lodged—and that all claims should be determined within six months of becoming ready to tax. At the end of January 1992 three out of five teams were meeting this target. All the teams are expected to be meeting their targets by the end of July 1992.

  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of the effect on public expenditure of the setting up of the central taxation units for barristers and solicitors' fees; and how much of this is due to notional interest saved to the Treasury by reason of changes in the timing of payments.

  The Attorney-General
  The central taxing teams were established last year in order to group together those officials most experienced in the assessment of bills submitted for the most complex and weighty claims for work done by solicitors and barristers in Crown court cases. The purpose of the establishment of these teams was to ensure that these assessments are dealt with in a consistent and proper way, in accordance with the legal aid regulations. No estimate has been made as to how those bills might have been assessed if the teams had not been in existence.

  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Attorney-General how many claims, which will be dealt with by the central taxation unit, have been submitted to the local court and are waiting to be called for from those courts by the central taxation units.
  458
  The Attorney-General
  It is not possible to give the information requested. When a claim is submitted which may be for the central taxing team to determine, it is held until all other claims in relation to that case have been lodged. It is not until that stage that a decision can be taken about whether the claim is to be determined by the team or within the court. Under the regulations, practitioners have three months after the completion of the trial in which to lodge their claims.

  Asil Nadir
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Attorney-General what evidence the Director of Public Prosecutions has received in connection with breaches of company law by companies formerly controlled by Asil Nadir, concerning political donations; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  None.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the amendments made to the code for Crown prosecution since the publication of the annual report of the Crown prosecution service for 1990–91.

  The Attorney-General
  Five amendments have been made to the code for Crown prosecutors since the publication of the Crown prosecution service's annual report for 1990–91. These amendments were issued to Crown prosecutors in January 1992 and may be summarised as follows:

  The public interest criteria

  The public interest criteria will only arise for consideration once the Crown Prosecutor is satisfied that the evidence itself can justify proceedings.

  (i) Paragraph 8
  The first amendment to this paragraph emphasises that the interests of the victim are an important factor to be taken into account in determining whether or not a prosecution is required, whilst re-affirming the primacy of overall public interest considerations.

  (ii) Paragraph 8
  This paragraph has been further amended by the identification of "racial motivation" as an aggravating feature when considering whether the public interest requires the institution of proceedings.

  (iii) Paragraph 8 (v)—Mental illness or stress
  This part of the code has been re-written. It now clearly sets out that there is a rebuttable presumption that a person suffering from a mental disorder should not be prosecuted unless there is a wider public interest requirement for such action.

  Mode of trial

  (iv) Paragraph 18
  This paragraph has been revised as a result of the Mode of Trial Guidelines contained within the Practice Note issued by the Lord Chief Justice [1990] 1 WLR 1439.

  (v) Paragraph 19
  The decision of the House of Lords in R v. Brentwood Justices, ex parte Nicholls means that the guidance formerly contained in this paragraph concerning the position of the co-accused in mode of trial decisions is no longer accurate. The paragraph has accordingly been deleted and other paragraphs renumbered.

  Arrangements have been made for these and previous amendments to be consolidated and printed in a new booklet containing the code, which is now available for

  459
  distribution. I will cause a copy to be placed in the Library of both Houses. I commend the code in its amended form to all prosecuting authorities and to those, such as the police, who are responsible for the institution of criminal proceedings.

SCOTLAND

  Crime, Glasgow
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what police powers Acts remain available within the boundaries of the city of Glasgow to combat crime.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The powers vested in the police in Glasgow are the same as elsewhere in Scotland and are found in the common law of Scotland and in relevant statutes. Questions about local legislation and byelaws should be addressed to the relevant local authority.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the electorate for each parliamentary constituency in Scotland according to the new electoral registers published on 15 February.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The total electorate for each parliamentary constituency in Scotland, as at 16 February 1992, is as follows:

  Parliamentary electors: 1992 register: by constituency (alphabetical order)

  Constituency

  Total

  Scotland

  3,929,112

  Aberdeen, North

  60,623

  Aberdeen, South

  59,230

  Angus, East

  63,637

  Argyll and Bute

  48,436

  Ayr

  66,284

  Banff and Buchan

  65,631

  Caithness and Sutherland

  31,173

  Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley

  56,024

  Central Fife

  56,543

  Clackmannan

  49,441

  Clydebank and Milngavie

  47,773

  Clydesdale

  62,684

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  47,155

  Cunninghame, North

  55,490

  Cunninghame, South

  49,745

  Dumbarton

  57,894

  Dumfries

  61,773

  Dundee, East

  59,328

  Dundee, West

  60,386

  Dunfermline, East

  50,452

  Dunfermline, West

  51,310

  East Kilbride

  64,824

  East Lothian

  67,588

  Eastwood

  64,560

  Edinburgh, Central

  56,839

  Edinburgh, East

  46,157

  Edinburgh, Leith

  57,073

  Edinburgh, Pentlands

  56,433

  Edinburgh, South

  61,999

  Edinburgh, West

  59,702

  Falkirk, East

  52,387

  Falkirk, West

  50,631

  Galloway and Upper Nithsdale

  54,977

  Glasgow, Cathcart

  45,149

  Glasgow, Central

  48,383

  Glasgow, Garscadden

  41,675

  Glasgow, Govan

  46,199

  Glasgow, Hillhead

  57,586

  460

  Constituency

  Total

  Glasgow, Maryhill

  48,791

  Glasgow, Pollok

  46,655

  Glasgow, Provan

  36,986

  Glasgow, Rutherglen

  53,325

  Glasgow, Shettleston

  52,381

  Glasgow, Springburn

  46,216

  Gordon

  81,097

  Greenock and Port Glasgow

  52,661

  Hamilton

  62,347

  Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber

  70,164

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  62,777

  Kincardine and Deeside

  67,216

  Kirkcaldy

  52,191

  Linlithgow

  61,979

  Livingston

  62,122

  Midlothian

  61,178

  Monklands, East

  49,059

  Monklands, West

  49,935

  Moray

  63,944

  Motherwell, North

  58,106

  Motherwell, South

  50,674

  North East Fife

  54,196

  North Tayside

  56,353

  Orkney and Shetland

  31,837

  Paisley, North

  46,867

  Paisley, South

  48,385

  Perth and Kinross

  65,826

  Renfrew, West and Inverclyde

  58,897

  Ross, Cromarty and Skye

  56,112

  Roxburgh and Berwickshire

  44,001

  Stirling

  58,814

  Strathkelvin and Bearsden

  61,924

  Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale

  39,907

  Western Isles

  23,015

  Strathclyde Structure Plan
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the source of estimated needs for land he inserted in the Strathclyde regional council structure plan.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend took account of information provided by Strathclyde regional council in its structure plan as submitted, of representations received and of evidence from a range of sources, before reaching his decision to propose the modifications to the Strathclyde structure plan update 1990, announced on 6 February 1992.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to include estimates of land needs from groups other than the Scottish House Builders Association in the modified Strathclyde regional council structure plan.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend will be prepared to consider representations from any interested parties before reaching his decision on whether or not to approve the Strathclyde structure plan update 1990.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the numbers of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each region of Scotland in 1992, to the latest available date.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  For the reasons given in the reply by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the hon. Member on 23 May 1991,Official Report, column 559, these figures are not available.

  Child Care Policy Inquiry
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give an estimate of(a) the total costs incurred to date by the inquiry into child care policy in Fife and (b) of the costs of the chairman, the adviser and the clerk with appropriate office support for a period of three years;

  (2) if he will give an estimate of the costs incurred by (a) Fife regional council and (b) the other principal parties represented at the inquiry into child care policy in Fife.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The estimated total costs incurred to date by the Scottish Office in relation to the inquiry is £792,000. This includes £500,000 in respect of the costs of the chairman, the adviser and the clerk with appropriate office support. I have no information on the costs incurred by others who are parties to the inquiry.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland is he will list those inquiries into child care policy in Scotland which have taken more than two years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Three inquiries have been established under section 99 of the Childrens Act 1975. Of these only the Fife inquiry has extended beyond two years of the date of establishment.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the inquiry into child care policy in Fife will be completed; when the report will be submitted; and whether it will be published.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. Friend has been advised by the chairman of the inquiry that he expects to submit his report at the end of April. As soon as he has considered the report my right hon. Friend will make a decision about publication.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will exercise the powers available to him under section 210(8) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to meet the costs incurred by Fife regional council and the other parties to the inquiry into child care policies in Fife from central Government funds;

  (2) if he will exercise the powers available to him under section 210(7) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to meet the total costs incurred by the inquiry into child care policy in Fife from central Government funds.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Once my right hon. Friend receives the report of the inquiry into child care services in Fife, he will consider whether and in what way to exercise the powers contained in section 210 sub-sections (7) and (8) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish a report on drinking water quality in Scotland in 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A report has been published today by the Scottish Office Environment Department giving a national overview of drinking water quality in Scotland in the period 1 July to 31 December 1990, the first six months of monitoring under the Water 462
  Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library. The report shows that the overall level of compliance with the quality standards was high, some 97 per cent. of all analytical results having met the requirements. For 48 of the 55 numerical standards in the regulations, 99·6 per cent. of all analytical results complied. The failures to meet quality standards fully did not represent a risk to public health.

  Roads Directorate
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he proposes to publish the report of the efficiency scrutiny into the Scottish Office roads directorate carried out in 1990.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A copy of the efficiency scrutiny report and of the action plan on implementation of the report's recommendations have been lodged in the House Libraries. Copies of both are available for purchase from the library in New St. Andrew's house.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the income scale which will apply to the assisted places scheme in Scotland in school session 1992–93.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  For school session 1992–93, I propose to lay regulations before the House in due course providing for progressive parental contribution for one assisted pupil in relation to family income as follows:

  Part of relevant income to which the specified percentage applies

  Parental Contribution (percentage)

  That part (if any) which exceeds £9,218 but which does not exceed £10,023

  9

  That part (if any) which exceeds £10,023 but does not exceed £10,842

  12

  That part (if any) which exceeds £10,842 but does not exceed £12,467

  15

  That part (if any) which exceeds £12,467 but does not exceed £14,965

  21

  That part (if any) which exceeds £14,965 but does not exceed £18,227

  24

  That part (if any) which exceeds £18,227

  33

  The relevant income scale is open ended, but the remission can, of course, be given only where the parental contribution is less than the school tuition fee.

  Training, Scotland
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were in training through(a) youth training and (b) employment training in each month from January 1991 to January 1992 inclusive in each of (i) Scotland, (ii) Renfrew, Dunbarton and Argyll, (iii) Lothian and Borders, (iv) Lanarkshire, (v) Highlands and Islands, (vi) Grampian and Tayside, (vii) Glasgow city, (viii) Central and Fife and (ix) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]: The information sought is not available for the period from January 1991 to March 1991 inclusive, nor is it available thereafter in the format requested.
  463
  The information shown in the tables gives the number of youth training and employment training participants for each month from April 1991 to January 1992 inclusive

  Youth training: Numbers in training April 1991 to January 1992

  Local enterprise company

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  Enterprise Ayrshire

  3,744

  3,602

  3,742

  3,838

  3,701

  3,740

  3,659

  3,980

  3,326

  3,657

  Scottish Borders Enterprise

  669

  595

  621

  595

  603

  601

  672

  657

  642

  643

  Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise

  1,141

  1,094

  1,105

  1,056

  1,105

  1,061

  1,036

  926

  1,064

  1,016

  Dunbartonshire Enterprise

  1,974

  1,939

  1,955

  1,932

  1,946

  1,922

  1,805

  1,802

  1,535

  1,796

  Fife Enterprise

  3,010

  3,016

  3,295

  3,269

  3,363

  3,373

  3,393

  3,330

  3,263

  3,422

  Forth Valley Enterprise

  2,706

  2,613

  2,638

  2,707

  2,621

  2,628

  2,637

  2,629

  2,618

  2,720

  Glasgow Development Agency

  5,856

  5,561

  5,604

  5,664

  5,733

  5,841

  5,753

  5,587

  5,794

  5,800

  Grampian Enterprise

  1,693

  1,419

  1,446

  1,404

  1,439

  1,716

  1,703

  1,748

  1,817

  1,920

  Lanarkshire Development Agency

  3,669

  3,719

  3,891

  3,566

  3,679

  3,579

  3,933

  4,023

  4,089

  4,441

  Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise

  4,257

  4,087

  4,370

  4,180

  4,402

  4,373

  4,359

  4,325

  4,321

  4,173

  Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise

  617

  613

  638

  589

  617

  578

  590

  530

  565

  604

  Renfrewshire Enterprise

  2,432

  2,339

  2,552

  2,501

  2,395

  2,325

  2,301

  2,262

  2,272

  2,334

  Scottish Enterprise Tayside

  2,927

  2,804

  2,840

  2,736

  2,767

  2,763

  2,736

  2,751

  2,717

  2,872

  Highlands and Islands Total1

  2,370

  2,396

  2,511

  2,248

  2,345

  2,478

  2,375

  2,437

  2,496

  2,519

  SCOTLAND TOTAL

  37,065

  35,797

  37,208

  36,285

  36,716

  36,978

  36,952

  36,987

  36,519

  37,917

  1 The Highlands and Islands total includes Argyll but excludes Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey.

  Employment training: Numbers in training April 1991 to January 1992

  Local enterprise company

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  Enterprise Ayrshire

  2,160

  1,891

  1,543

  1,483

  1,472

  1,497

  1,563

  1,772

  1,575

  1,474

  Scottish Borders Enterprise

  191

  213

  196

  183

  183

  195

  194

  199

  176

  198

  Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise

  550

  556

  563

  533

  561

  625

  630

  602

  638

  617

  Dunbartonshire Enterprise

  856

  890

  955

  907

  919

  889

  878

  836

  839

  842

  Fife Enterprise

  1,176

  1,041

  895

  880

  904

  960

  1,043

  1,062

  1,111

  1,127

  Forth Valley Enterprise

  786

  716

  664

  673

  667

  674

  730

  759

  738

  814

  Glasgow Development Agency

  6,264

  5,640

  5,160

  4,780

  4,611

  4,289

  4,272

  4,198

  4,071

  4,100

  Grampian Enterprise

  800

  770

  750

  750

  730

  750

  780

  750

  730

  728

  Lanarkshire Development Agency

  1,768

  1,696

  1,748

  1,769

  1,708

  1,727

  1,828

  1,798

  1,736

  1,706

  Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise

  2,174

  2,050

  2,022

  2,028

  2,006

  2,090

  2,301

  2,400

  2,457

  2,381

  Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise

  337

  315

  284

  236

  213

  212

  222

  237

  220

  234

  Renfrewshire Enterprise

  1,307

  1,240

  1,164

  1,168

  1,144

  1,118

  1,064

  1,115

  1,025

  984

  Scottish Enterprise Tayside

  1,202

  1,155

  1,153

  1,119

  1,138

  1,166

  1,254

  1,313

  1,323

  1,334

  Highlands and Islands Total1

  1,122

  1,069

  988

  988

  1,018

  1,052

  1,077

  1,113

  999

  1,248

  SCOTLAND TOTAL

  20,693

  19,242

  18,085

  17,497

  17,274

  17,244

  17,836

  18,154

  17,638

  17,787

  1 The Highlands and Islands total includes Argyll but excludes Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide the most recent figures on air pollution levels in Scotland in each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]: The most recent published information on air

  Table 1—Nitrogen Dioxide

  Jan.

  Feb.

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  Aug.

  Sept.

  Oct.

  Nov.

  Dec.

  (a) Glasgow

  1987

  34

  38

  35

  35

  28

  30

  24

  23

  24

  33

  35

  38

  1988

  31

  33

  34

  38

  32

  26

  22

  24

  25

  31

  36

  28

  1989

  23

  23

  25

  32

  24

  24

  26

  20

  24

  29

  35

  38

  1990

  19

  21

  21

  30

  32

  27

  24

  21

  26

  26

  30

  27

  1991

  24

  29

  29

  26

  26

  25

  24

  21

  27

  27

  26

  30

  (b) Strath Vaich—Ross and Cromarty

  1990

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·9

  0·9

  0·6

  1991

  2·1

  2·3

  3·8

  1·4

  0·9

  1·3

  2·1

  1·3

  0·5

  1·7

  0·7

  1·5

  Note: All measurements expressed as parts per billion (ppb).
  464
  in each of the local enterprise company areas served by Scottish Enterprise and for Highlands and Islands and Scotland as a whole.

  pollution can be found at section 3 of "The Scottish Environment—Statistics" Issue No. 2 (1989). The next issue will be published shortly.

  Warren Spring Laboratory also compiles data on the atmospheric concentrations of a number of substances from a United Kingdom-wide network of monitoring stations. The available data from the Scottish sites are set out in tables 1 to 5. All data are expressed as average hourly readings for each month for the available years.
  465

  Table 2—Nitric Oxide

  Jan.

  Feb.

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  Aug.

  Sept.

  Oct.

  Nov.

  Dec.

  (a) Glasgow

  1987

  84

  104

  38

  21

  19

  25

  23

  33

  33

  80

  92

  122

  1988

  68

  38

  43

  47

  34

  36

  30

  29

  37

  86

  108

  42

  1989

  24

  28

  36

  46

  25

  31

  31

  25

  48

  38

  126

  195

  1990

  33

  27

  24

  37

  43

  31

  31

  26

  44

  60

  157

  104

  1991

  83

  97

  65

  32

  32

  35

  34

  32

  47

  78

  76

  135

  (b) Strath Vaich

  1990

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  1991

  0·2

  0·4

  0·5

  0·3

  0·1

  0·3

  1·1

  0·8

  0·1

  0·2

  0·3

  0·3

  Note: All measurements are expressed as parts per billion (ppb).

  Table 3—Carbon Monoxide

  Jan.

  Feb.

  Mar

  April

  May

  June

  July

  Aug.

  Sept.

  Oct.

  Nov.

  Dec.

  Glasgow

  1989

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·6

  0·7

  1·0

  1·1

  2·2

  3·1

  1990

  0·9

  0·8

  0·7

  0·8

  0·9

  0·8

  0·7

  0·7

  0·9

  1·2

  2·5

  1·8

  1991

  1·2

  1·5

  1·3

  1·0

  1·1

  1·0

  1·0

  1·0

  1·4

  1·6

  1·9

  2·4

  Note: All measurements expressed as parts per million.

  Table 4—Sulphur Dioxide

  Jan.

  Feb.

  Mar.

  April

  May

  June

  July

  Aug.

  Sept.

  Oct.

  Nov.

  Dec.

  Strath Vaich

  1990

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·7

  0·3

  0·2

  1991

  1·4

  1·7

  1·2

  0·6

  0·1

  0·2

  0·5

  0·2

  n·a.

  1·2

  0·3

  0·6

  Note: All measurements expressed as parts per billion (ppb).

  Table 5—Ozone

  Jan

  Feb

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  Aug

  Sept

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  (a) Penicuik

  1987

  16

  18

  27

  36

  34

  24

  23

  20

  20

  17

  17

  17

  1988

  22

  29

  28

  28

  37

  30

  29

  25

  26

  22

  22

  28

  1989

  29

  32

  35

  33

  35

  29

  28

  24

  22

  24

  18

  15

  1990

  28

  34

  36

  35

  31

  29

  26

  22

  23

  23

  19

  24

  1991

  20

  20

  20

  28

  22

  25

  27

  26

  24

  20

  22

  17

  (b) Eskdalemuir

  1987

  16

  19

  21

  31

  30

  21

  21

  19

  15

  17

  17

  18

  1988

  20

  25

  30

  26

  34

  30

  28

  24

  24

  22

  18

  26

  1989

  26

  30

  34

  35

  34

  31

  31

  25

  23

  24

  18

  19

  1990

  26

  35

  35

  35

  36

  30

  28

  22

  22

  23

  19

  23

  1991

  19

  25

  25

  33

  27

  27

  31

  28

  27

  22

  22

  15

  (c) Strath Vaich

  1987

  —

  —

  41

  42

  29

  34

  29

  29

  30

  28

  26

  28

  1988

  28

  36

  36

  37

  44

  31

  32

  28

  34

  32

  33

  36

  1989

  36

  38

  33

  35

  42

  33

  27

  25

  28

  32

  28

  27

  1990

  30

  36

  38

  40

  40

  36

  30

  27

  30

  31

  27

  31

  1991

  31

  32

  32

  43

  39

  34

  35

  32

  27

  25

  25

  20

  Note: All measurements are expressed as parts per billion (ppb).

  Food Industry
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of people employed in the food industry in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]:The latest figure available, showing the number of people employed in the food industry in Scotland, comes from the 1989 Employment Department census of employment. The figure is 49,400.

  Scottish Economy
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish an index of production and construction for Scotland by market sector, indicating an annual figure for each year from 1974 up to and including 1990; and if he will give the figures for the first three quarters of 1991.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: An index of production and construction for Scotland (1985 = 100) by market sector, with annual figures for each year from 1974 up to and including 1990, and quarterly figures for the first three quarters of 1991, is set out in the table.
  467

  Consumer Goods

  Production Industries

  Total

  Durable

  Non-durable

  Investment Goods

  Intermediate Goods

  Construction

  1974

  103·3

  111·8

  176

  105

  92·1

  105·1

  113·9

  1975

  99·7

  106·5

  158

  102

  94·8

  98·8

  119·0

  1976

  100·1

  109–5

  165

  104

  89·9

  100·6

  115·6

  1977

  99·8

  111·8

  160

  107

  88·6

  99·3

  120·3

  1978

  100·5

  115·7

  162

  111

  85·1

  100·8

  119·9

  1979

  101·1

  113·9

  149

  110

  88·2

  101·3

  113·8

  1980

  95·0

  106·6

  124

  105

  86·3

  93·4

  107·5

  1981

  93·0

  101·0

  109

  100

  87·7

  91·3

  93·6

  1982

  93·5

  99·0

  114

  98

  91·6

  91· 3

  96·4

  1983

  93·2

  95·9

  88

  97

  90·7

  93·1

  98·6

  1984

  97·2

  98·1

  93

  99

  95·0

  97·9

  98·2

  1985

  100·0

  100·0

  100

  100

  100·0

  100·0

  100·0

  1986

  97·8

  99·5

  93

  100

  96·5

  97·5

  98·4

  1987

  99·7

  102·0

  93

  103

  98·0

  99·3

  96·3

  1988

  107·1

  106·5

  104

  107

  108·2

  106·9

  101·9

  1989

  111·7

  109·1

  114

  109

  115·4

  111·1

  101·6

  1990

  114·1

  112·5

  111

  113

  114·1

  115·1

  107·0

  19911

  109·6

  105·8

  108

  106

  110·4

  111·4

  105·5

  19912

  109·5

  106·1

  110

  106

  109·9

  111·3

  107·5

  19913

  110·2

  107·2

  112

  107

  112·5

  110·6

  110·7

  Source: Index of Industrial Production and Construction for Scotland

  11st qtr

  22nd qtr

  33rd qtr

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate the annual average change in(a) total output and (b) manufacturing output in real terms between (i) 1974 and 1979 and (ii) 1979 and 1990 in (1) Scotland and (2) the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: The annual average changes in (a) total output and (b) manufacturing output in real terms between (i) 1974 and 1979 and (ii) 1979 and 1989, the latest year for which all figures are available, in (1) Scotland and (2) the United Kingdom are set out in the table:

  Annual average change

  Scotland

  United Kingdom

  1974–79

  Total output

  +1·11

  +2·02

  Manufacturing output

  -1·23

  -0·64

  1979-89

  Total output

  +1 81

  +2·22

  Manufacturing output

  +1·13

  +1·34

  Note: The Scottish and United Kingdom measures of total output are on a different basis and are therefore not directly comparable. Scottish data are output-based GDP and United Kingdom data are average GDP.

  Sources:

  1 The Scottish Office Industry Department.

  2 Central Statistical Office.

  3 Index of Production and Construction for Scotland.

  4 Index of Production and Construction for the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish an updated table of Scotland's share of United Kingdom gross domestic product per head of population excluding the continental shelf for each year since 1961.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: The information requested is available on a consistent basis only from 1971 onward. The table gives the requested information up to 1990 the latest year for which figures are available.
  468

  Year

  Scottish gross domestic product per head as a percentage of the United Kingdom (excluding continental shelf)

  1971

  93·8

  1972

  93·6

  1973

  95·4

  1974

  95·9

  1975

  96·9

  1976

  98·4

  1977

  97·1

  1978

  94·9

  1979

  94·8

  1980

  94·4

  1981

  96·7

  1982

  97·3

  1983

  97·5

  1984

  96·1

  1985

  95·6

  1986

  94·7

  1987

  93·9

  1988

  92·9

  11989

  92·7

  11990

  92·6

  1 Provisional.

  Source: Central Statistical Office regional accounts.

  Note: A full set of regional accounts figures is available in the House of Commons Library.

  Brussels (Secondees)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were seconded from the Scottish Office to the United Kingdom's permanent representation to the European Community in Brussels, in 1990 and 1991; and if he will break these figures down by Scottish Office department.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]: A Scottish Office official with a background in the Agriculture and Fisheries Department was seconded to the office of the United Kingdom's permanent representative to the European Communities between April 1987 and

  469
  September 1990; a Scottish Office official with experience in a number of Scottish Office departments was seconded in October 1990 and continues in post.

  ScotRail
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the director or representatives of ScotRail; what issues were discussed; what future meetings are scheduled; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]: Regular contact is maintained with British Rail by Scottish Office Ministers and officials. Such contacts cover a wide range of topics relating to rail services in Scotland.

  Applicant households under the homeless persons legislation 1990–91, by type of household

  One person households

  One parent households

  Couple

  Area

  All applicants housholds1

  Under 18

  18–24

  25 and over and under retirement

  retirement age and over

  Parent aged under 25

  Parent aged 25 and over

  Without children

  With children

  Other household type

  SCOTLAND

  31,709

  2,735

  4,398

  5,539

  940

  3,774

  7,670

  1,829

  4,325

  499

  Borders

  Berwickshire

  16

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  3

  —

  7

  2

  Ettrick and Lauderdaie

  17

  2

  —

  2

  1

  4

  5

  —

  3

  —

  Roxburgh

  109

  5

  10

  22

  1

  25

  13

  8

  21

  4

  Tweeddale

  49

  —

  8

  4

  —

  4

  13

  9

  11

  —

  Central

  Clackmannan

  517

  54

  79

  94

  8

  43

  94

  54

  74

  17

  Falkirk

  1,300

  66

  217

  201

  26

  134

  291

  112

  201

  52

  Stirling

  566

  50

  83

  98

  13

  58

  134

  31

  92

  7

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Annandale and Eskdale

  97

  2

  2

  12

  6

  5

  27

  14

  27

  2

  Nithsdale

  600

  26

  89

  119

  17

  58

  111

  73

  102

  5

  Stewartry

  90

  —

  2

  2

  8

  8

  34

  14

  19

  3

  Wigtown

  105

  1

  7

  3

  5

  31

  23

  6

  27

  2

  Fife

  Dunfermline

  308

  7

  19

  31

  12

  61

  96

  16

  61

  5

  Kirkcaldy

  1,325

  77

  163

  183

  29

  185

  298

  128

  248

  14

  North East Fife

  476

  14

  68

  76

  19

  37

  91

  71

  94

  6

  Grampian

  Aberdeen

  1,482

  121

  144

  240

  66

  162

  380

  104

  247

  18

  Banff and Buchan

  225

  11

  8

  25

  10

  19

  70

  16

  60

  6

  Gordon

  279

  7

  24

  33

  8

  13

  67

  21

  94

  12

  Kincardine and Deeside

  45

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  22

  1

  17

  3

  Moray

  194

  4

  10

  19

  13

  14

  58

  16

  59

  1

  Highland

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  11

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  4

  —

  —

  6

  Caithness

  7

  —

  2

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  1

  1

  Inverness

  319

  5

  27

  35

  16

  38

  87

  24

  78

  9

  Lochaber

  75

  2

  12

  8

  1

  13

  14

  3

  21

  1

  Nairn

  40

  1

  1

  2

  1

  6

  12

  4

  12

  1

  Ross and Cromarty

  105

  10

  9

  7

  6

  12

  25

  9

  24

  3

  Skye and Lochalsh

  68

  1

  4

  14

  3

  7

  13

  8

  17

  1

  Sutherland

  10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  3

  —

  4

  —

  Lothian

  East Lothian

  948

  40

  101

  162

  28

  88

  222

  126

  174

  7

  Edinburgh

  2,253

  271

  207

  226

  68

  476

  667

  76

  236

  26

  Midlothian

  143

  5

  7

  21

  3

  32

  32

  10

  26

  7

  West Lothian

  532

  50

  101

  94

  4

  47

  120

  45

  64

  7

  Strathdyde

  Argyll and Bute

  330

  17

  26

  46

  13

  21

  76

  45

  76

  10

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  81

  2

  8

  9

  5

  8

  19

  1

  28

  1

  Clydebank

  655

  82

  96

  83

  14

  52

  224

  32

  70

  2

  Clydesdale

  446

  30

  57

  89

  15

  28

  98

  44

  80

  5

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  420

  13

  44

  34

  4

  58

  142

  23

  98

  4

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  67

  4

  8

  14

  1

  11

  14

  2

  13

  —

  Cunninghame

  445

  36

  54

  36

  13

  93

  16

  26

  64

  7

  Dumbarton

  1,703

  152

  308

  368

  56

  156

  345

  112

  169

  37

  East Kilbride

  521

  47

  88

  94

  19

  38

  144

  22

  65

  4

  Eastwood

  10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  3

  1

  3

  1

  Glasgow

  8,459

  1,074

  1,409

  2,277

  231

  893

  1,762

  166

  552

  95

  Hamilton

  329

  18

  18

  36

  13

  52

  113

  15

  63

  1

  Inverclyde

  359

  54

  27

  38

  15

  59

  111

  5

  39

  11

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  440

  23

  72

  69

  12

  53

  110

  26

  71

  4

  Kyle and Carrick

  599

  90

  72

  80

  26

  93

  108

  32

  84

  14

  Monklands

  309

  30

  55

  79

  12

  21

  74

  14

  20

  4

  Motherwell

  983

  41

  173

  182

  30

  90

  188

  111

  150

  18

  Renfrew

  937

  45

  225

  101

  28

  139

  217

  35

  102

  45

  Strathkelvin

  313

  2

  10

  19

  16

  53

  104

  20

  89

  —

  Tayside

  Angus

  467

  48

  30

  47

  10

  57

  173

  15

  84

  3

  Dundee

  924

  79

  171

  65

  4

  137

  354

  22

  91

  1

  Perth and Kinross

  431

  9

  11

  9

  24

  48

  103

  54

  167

  6

  Homelessness
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total in each district council area of households applying as homeless, by household type, for 1990–91.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: The table gives the available information for the 31,709 applicant households in 1990–91 for whom case returns have been received from local authorities. It is estimated that in 1990–91 there were 34,600 applicant households under the homeless persons legislation in Scotland.
  471

  One person households

  One parent households

  Couple

  Area

  All applicants housholds1

  Under 18

  18–24

  25 and over and under retirement

  retirement age and over

  Parent aged under 25

  Parent aged 25 and over

  Without children

  With children

  Other household type

  Islands Councils

  Orkney Islands

  19

  —

  —

  2

  1

  8

  5

  —

  3

  —

  Shetland Islands

  98

  5

  28

  16

  3

  11

  19

  6

  10

  —

  Western Isles

  53

  2

  4

  11

  3

  3

  18

  1

  7

  4

  Sources: Case returns supplied to Scottish Office by district councils.

  1 All applicant households in 1990–91 for whom case returns have been supplied.

  Child Care Law
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he intends to take to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Office review of child care law in Scotland; and what the timetable is for this.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: Having consulted extensively on the recommendations of the child care law review, we shall take them into account along with the recommendations of the Orkney and Fife inquiries and the review of residential child care, when we come to prepare a White Paper later this year. The White Paper will set out our proposals for a range of reforms in the field of child care.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Auction Market Preferred Stock
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has referred the accountancy valuation status and practice of auction market preferred stock to the Accounting Standards Board.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The Accounting Standards Board raised the question of auction market preferred shares in its recent discussion paper on accounting for capital instruments.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has had about the status of auction market preferred stock.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Bickershaw Colliery
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the communities affected by the closure of Bickershaw colliery will be eligible for EC RECHAR funds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  Bickershaw colliery is within an area eligible for RECHAR grants. The allocation of grants to individual projects within eligible areas is a matter for the programme committees.

  Applications for grants under the Lancashire RECHAR programme should be sent to the office of the Department of Trade and Industry in Manchester.

  Inspectors' Reports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he published his Department's inspectors' report on the Animal Defence Society Ltd.

  Mr. Redwood
  On 17 April 1991.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 22 472
  November 1991, Official Report, column 345, if he will propose legislation under which any hon. Members may examine copies of the inspectors' reports given to trade associations but not yet published.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Financial Reporting Review Panel
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will launch an independent investigation of the operations of the financial reporting review panel.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Ramor Investigation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 347, if he will provide a breakdown of the total cost of the Ramor investigation, showing fees paid to the inspector from the auditing firm.

  Mr. Redwood
  The accountant inspector was paid a total of £651,609 as follows:

  £

  Inspector and accountancy support staff from his firm

  568,762

  Disbursements including VAT

  82,847

  651,609

  Pre-fitted Plugs
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all the bodies he(a) has consulted and (b) intends to consult on regulations to require that all new electrical appliances are sold with a pre-fitted plug.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department is currently drawing up a consultative list from industry, trade associations, the enforcement authorities and consumer bodies, including those representing the disabled, who have an interest in the proposed regulations.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which groups representing disabled groups he is consulting on his proposed regulations to require that all new electrical appliances are sold with a pre-fitted plug.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department is currently drawing up a list of consultees with an interest in the proposed regulations, which will include representatives of the disabled.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 3 March,Official

  473
  Report, column 130, on fitted plugs, what consideration he has given to drafting the regulations in such a way as to make it a requirement for pre-fitted plugs on electrical appliances to meet the requirements of disabled people including those with wasting muscles and other difficulties in manipulating appliances.

  Mr. Leigh
  The proposed regulations will not prevent manufacturers fitting approved plugs to their appliances which are adapted to meet the requirements of the disabled, although it must be expected that manufacturers will in the main fit the standard design 13 amp plug because this is most commonly used in the majority of households.

  Moreover the type of plug and devices which assist the disabled will still be available for people who wish to continue to fit them to their appliances.

  Eco-labelling
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has for amending the trade description legislation to take into account eco-labelling; and if he will propose that it should be an offence to claim a product is environmentally friendly if it has not been awarded an eco-label.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: Many environmental claims are clearly within the scope of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. We intend to amend the Act to put it beyond doubt that all such claims are covered as soon as parliamentary time permits. We do not think it would be right to outlaw environmental claims for goods not eligible to bear the eco-label but these claims will be subject to the Trade Descriptions Act.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  UNCED
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals his Department is developing on(a) extending literacy and (b) sharing scientific research costs and results for submission to the United Nations conference on environment and development in June.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government give high priority to basic skills—that is literacy and numeracy-education for adults. The Further and Higher Education Act will strengthen the position of basic skills. The Further

  Durham school leavers maintained schools only

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  All leavers (000s)

  10·04

  9·46

  9·42

  9·93

  9·79

  8·73

  9·34

  8·40

  8·06

  7·76

  FE/HE (000s)

  1·65

  1·77

  1·71

  2·20

  2·16

  2·02

  2·26

  2·32

  1·94

  2·72

  Percentage

  16·40

  18·70

  18·20

  22·20

  22·10

  23·10

  24·20

  27·60

  24·10

  35·10

  No qualification (000s)

  1·41

  1·10

  1·29

  1·20

  1·31

  0·84

  1·08

  0·81

  0·92

  0·74

  Percentage

  14·00

  11·60

  13·70

  12·10

  13·40

  9·60

  11·60

  9·60

  11·40

  9·50

  Source: School examinations survey.

  Infant Education
  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now take the necessary steps to impose upon local education authorities an
  474
  Education Funding Councils will be under a specific duty to secure adequate provision of basic skills education for adults.

  The Government also support the sharing of scientific research costs when it is an appropriate and cost effective approach to a particular problem.

  Data Protection
  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether school governors and heads who use a computer to perform statutory duties are required to make a separate registration under the Data Protection Act 1984; what steps he is taking to indemnify them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  Guidance to schools on the implications of the Data Protection Act, issued last November, was prepared in consultation with the Data Protection Registrar. The guidance contained advice that school governing bodies and head teachers should register if, in connection with their statutory duties, they keep information containing personal data (as defined in the Act) that can be automatically processed. The guidance identified those duties which fall to either the governing body or head teacher.

  The cost of registration under the Act was one of a range of pressures on LEAs which the Government took into account in fixing education standard spending at a level 7 per cent. higher than in 1991–92. Registration lasts for three years, and may cover as many purposes as appropriate, for a single fee.

  School Leavers
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number of young people in the Durham local education authority who have left school without any qualifications, the number going into further education and the numbers achieving higher education for each year since 1981; and if he will give the figures for each group in percentage terms from the total of young people leaving school.

  Mr. Eggar
  The table shows the estimated proportions of school leavers from maintained schools in the Durham local education authority area who had gained no graded examination results, or whose intended destination was further or higher education for the academic years 1980–81 to 1989–90. Information for further and higher education is not available separately at local education authority area level.

  obligation to provide nine terms' infant, or pro-rata first school education for all children; and if he will make a statement.
  475
  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so. The existing statutory framework enables LEAs to respond flexibly to local needs and priorities.

  Teachers of Deaf Children
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to the need for mandatory qualifications for peripatetic teachers of children with a hearing impairment.

  Mr. Fallon
  Part IV of the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1989 applies only to the employment of teachers at schools. The regulations do not apply to part-time teachers, not to peripatetic teachers. The aim of the regulations is to ensure that teachers of classes of hearing impaired children have a mandatory qualification.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the number of training places in higher education establishments for practising and trainee teachers to become teachers of deaf pupils.

  Mr. Fallon
  Trainee teachers cannot become teachers of the deaf, since a period of post-training experience is required of all teachers who wish to undertake specialist training. The number of practising teachers who might be supported under the grants for education support and training (GEST) programme for training to become teachers of the deaf is currently under review.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to reviewing the procedure for the training of teachers of deaf children.

  Mr. Fallon
  ; The Department has been carefully reviewing the procedures for this and other training in special educational needs. We have now identified a number of technical improvements to the mechanisms for supporting such training, about which we will be writing shortly to the bodies most directly concerned.

  Parents Charter
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total cost to public funds of the parents charter, listing separately costs to date for(a) preparation, (b) production, (c) launch, (d) all forms of distribution, (e) advertising and (f) total cost.

  Mr. Eggar
  The costs of the parents charter, broken down as requested, are as follows:(a) preparation, £21,000; (b) production, £491,000; (c) launch, £36,500; (d) distribution, £696,000; (e) advertising, £713,000; (f) total cost, £1,957,500.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many copies of the parents charter have been printed.

  Mr. Eggar
  Some 6·5 million copies of the parents charter have been printed. In addition, a total of 326,000 have been printed in eight ethnic minority languages.

  Teachers Pensions Agency
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what performance targets he has set the new Teachers Pensions Agency in 1992–93.
  476
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have set the following key targets for the Teachers Pensions Agency in 1992–93 which together cover its main activities comprehensively and focus on the principles of improving the quality of public services embodied in the citizens charter:

  1. The implementation of a new computerised pensions administration system by the third quarter of 1992–93.

  2. To process 95 per cent. of applications for retirement awards by the payable date or, if later than the payable date, within 30 calendar days of receipt of the application form.

  3. To collect on time 95 per cent. of the total sum of superannuation contributions due to be paid by employers.

  4. To demonstrate that there is a 95 per cent. probability that the error on individual pension-related calculations did not exceed 2 per cent. of the value of each calculation.

  5. Following the introduction of the new computer system, to provide a substantive answer to 95 per cent. of written inquiries within 15 working days of receipt (excluding time waiting for essential information from third parties).

  Special Needs
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is now able to issue the addendum to circular 22/89 on special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  In September 1989 my Department and the Department of Health issued circular 22/89 giving guidance to education, health and social services authorities on the procedures for assessments and statements under the Education Act 1981. Recent developments, in particular the implications of several legal cases, have made it necessary to provide further advice to authorities on certain aspects of those procedures. A draft addendum to circular 22/89 was issued last autumn for comment.

  We have considered all of the comments received during the consultation period and today issued a final version of the addendum. The addendum includes guidance on the form and content of statements and makes clear that, where speech therapy is specified as special educational provision in a statement, the local education authority has a duty to ensure that it is arranged.

  Copies of the addendum have been placed in the Library.

  Swimming
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the findings of the surveys undertaken by his Department of provision made for swimming by maintained schools are now available.

  Mr. Atkins
  Copies of the findings from the surveys of primary schools and local education authorities in England have been placed in the Library. Over 95 per cent. of the primary schools and all the local education authorities consulted responded to the surveys. Of the schools responding, over 80 per cent. indicated that they already provide swimming as part of the physical education curriculum. Of those not providing swimming, only 28 schools (2·3 per cent. of the schools responding) said that they were more than five miles from the nearest swimming pool. The survey of local education authorities revealed that 2,385 primary schools (9–5 per cent.), 855
  477
  secondary schools (21·4 per cent.) and 11 tertiary colleges (11 per cent.) currently have a pool on site in working order.

  Music
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the teaching of music in schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [pursuant to his reply, 24 January 1992, Official Report, columns 344–45]: I have today laid the final orders with associated documents setting out attainment targets and programmes of study for art and music in the national curriculum for pupils aged five to 14. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Physical Education
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to publish a draft order setting out the requirements for physical education in the national curriculum.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1992, Official Report, column 423]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have today laid before the House an order for physical education in the national curriculum.

TRANSPORT

  Light Dues
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on light dues.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My responsibility for ensuring that the finances of the general lighthouse fund are maintained on a satisfactory basis compels me to increase the level of light dues. Now that the objective of reducing the fund's liquid reserves to a minimum necessary level has been substantially achieved, as the payers of light dues have wanted, it is essential to restore the dues tariff closer to the level required to cover the general lighthouse authorities' operating expenses and depreciation charges. The alternative would be an unacceptably high cash outflow which could be corrected only by exceptionally large dues increases at a later stage.

  I am accordingly laying regulations today to increase the light dues voyage tariff by 6·5p to 41·5p per tonne with effect from 1 April; I am also increasing the tariff for periodical payments, including those for fishing vessels, from £192 per annum plus £19 a metre (for 10 metres and over) to £205 plus £21 respectively, with consequential increases in related rates.

  The lower increase for fishing vessels takes account of the continuing special restrictions on the level of the industry's activities. These include the quota management system, the requirement on some vessels to tie up in port for specified periods each year, and the closure of certain fisheries to specific boats to meet conservation requirements.

  I share the concern expressed by the shipping and ports industries over the periodic need for sharp changes in the light dues tariff and over certain other features of the system. I propose to take a number of steps to improve the
  478
  position. First, I am inviting the Irish Government to join with the United Kingdom in an approach to the European Commission over the distortion to competition currently caused by the different methods of financing marine navigational aids within the Community. Secondly, I wish to review with the Irish Government the arrangements for financing the lights service in the Republic with the aim of securing a substantially increased contribution to the fund from sources within the Republic. Thirdly, I am asking the general lighthouse authorities to make cuts of about £1.5 million in their planned expenditure for 1992–93. Fourthly, I am asking my Department to consider, with the general lighthouse authorities and the payers of light dues, whether improvements can be made in forecasting light dues income. Fifthly, I am examining the difficult task of light dues for pleasure craft, but on this I am not yet in a position to make any announcement.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further progress he has made towards establishing executive agencies in his Department under the Government's "next steps" initiative; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am pleased to announce that I shall be establishing two new executive agencies on 1 April Drivers, Vehicles and Operators Information Technology —DVOIT—and the Transport Research Laboratory—TRL. I will delegate to the chief executives clear responsibilities for improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and quality of service. These delegations will be set out in the agencies' framework documents which will be published on 1 April; I shall place copies in the Library.

  Each year, I shall set both agencies challenging targets, which will form part of the agencies' annual business plans. DVOIT's business plan for 1992–93 will be commercial in confidence and will not therefore be published. However, the agency's key targets will be published on 1 April, and I shall then place a copy in the Library. TRL's business plan will be published on 1 April, and I shall place a copy in the Library. Both agencies will also publish annual reports; again copies will be put in the Library.

  DVOIT was formerly the information technology arm of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. It has about 500 staff based in Swansea. It will continue to provide IT services to DVLA and to other parts of the Department of Transport, but on a more commercial basis. It will have to compete with external suppliers of IT services for new contracts within my Department. It will also be able to bid for contracts in other parts of the public sector and in the private sector. Agency status will allow DVOIT to develop a more commercial style of operation and, in particular, establish more formal contractual relationships with its customers. I hope this will pave the way for eventual privatisation in a few years' time.

  Following an open competition, I have appointed Mr. David Evans, formerly PSA's director of information technology, to be DVOIT's first chief executive.

  DVOIT's key targets for 1992–93 are to: fulfil service level agreements with its customers; cover full costs with income from customers; reduce prices for existing services to current customers by RPI-3 per cent.; increase revenue per employee by 10 per cent. a year; achieve an annual rate of return of 6 per cent. on total assets employed.
  479
  TRL has about 640 staff based in Crowthorne, Berkshire. It will offer research services to the Department of Transport and to other customers, both in the public and private sectors. From 1 April, TRL will be untied from the Department, with responsibility for commissioning and funding research work passing to customers in policy divisions within the Department who will increasingly place contracts for new work by competitive tender.

  Following an open competition, I have appointed Mr. John Wootton, formerly chairman of Wootton Jeffreys Consultants Ltd., to be TRL's first chief executive.

  TRL's key targets for 1992–93 are: 90 per cent. of projects to be completed to customer satisfaction; net revenue per person year to be a minimum of £40,000; production costs as a percentage of total costs to be greater than 55 per cent.; to recover full economic costs from revenue, while meeting the net control total in supply estimates.

  This will increase to six the number of executive agencies in my Department. Nearly 70 per cent. of the staff employed by my Department will be working in executive agencies, which is good news for taxpayers, customers and the staff themselves.

  I wish the chief executives and their staff every success for the future.

  Pacific Crane
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures are in place for consultation with his Department about crew changes on the United Kingdom-registered ship Pacific Crane, following its arrival in Japan in connection with a cargo of plutonium; and if he will give details of the proposed crew changes.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  None. There is no requirement for shipowners-managers to consult my Department when changing the crews of their ships, this is an operational matter for the owners-managers provided that the legal requirements are met.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the proposed crew changes on the British registered ship Pacific Crane following its arrival in Japan are compatible with the officer nationality requirements of the United Kingdom Register of Shipping.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  It would be premature to consider whether a future unidentified crew would comply with the Department's manning requirements, but steps can be taken to ensure that United Kingdom law is observed in this respect.

  Tilbury
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy, upon receiving a recommendation from the Port of London authority as to a buyer for the Port of Tilbury, to consider the credit rating of the recommended bidder before making his decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. and learned Friend announced yesterday in a statement to the House that he has given his consent to the sale of the Port of Tilbury to International Transport Ltd., as recommended by the board of the Port of London authority. My right hon. and 480
  learned Friend explained that, in reaching this decision, he was satisfied that the recommended bid met the agreed objectives of sale.

  PNTL Fleet
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the safety record of the PNTL fleet in carrying radioactive materials.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The PNTL fleet has been used to carry spent nuclear fuel from Japan to reprocessing facilities in Europe for almost 20 years, without any release of radioactive material.

  Rail Fares
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a real fares index for(a) British Rail and (b) Network SouthEast, for each year since 1971, with 1971 G = G100.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]:The information is in the table:

  Real fares index and real passenger receipts per passenger kilometre: British Rail and Network SouthEast: 1971–91

  Real fare index

  Real passenger receipts per passenger kilometer1

  BR

  NSE2

  BR

  NSE

  1971

  100·0

  100·0

  n/a

  n/a

  1972

  103·6

  103·8

  100·0

  100·0

  1973

  103·7

  104·7

  97·1

  99·5

  1974

  97·4

  98·3

  89·3

  89·7

  1975

  107·2

  108·4

  95·5

  88·8

  1976

  117·2

  120·2

  102·8

  95·1

  1977

  116·7

  123·2

  101·2

  97·8

  1978

  123·2

  131·8

  107·8

  105·9

  1979

  116·1

  127·3

  106·0

  103·9

  1980

  122·4

  131·9

  108·8

  104·7

  1981

  129·0

  139·4

  106·1

  106·6

  1982

  128·8

  139·3

  96·4

  102·9

  1983

  132·6

  143·0

  103·8

  109·1

  1984

  134·3

  145·3

  103·9

  113·1

  1985

  135·0

  146·9

  105·6

  111·2

  1986

  141·2

  152·7

  107·2

  109·8

  1987

  142·5

  153·9

  107·8

  110·3

  1988

  144·6

  155·8

  109·9

  112·8

  1989

  146·2

  157·8

  111·0

  112·1

  1990

  144·6

  156·5

  109· 5

  108·7

  1991

  151·3

  163·9

  111·3

  112·1

  1 The real fares index reflects changes in ticket prices. However, the index of receipts per passenger kilometre, which takes account of the increased use of discounted tickets and travelcards, is a better indicator of the costs of rail travel, and it has remained relatively flat during the 1980s.

  2 Network SouthEast was formed in 1986. The pre-1986 figures apply to the current sector definition.

  Rail Safety
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list(a) the total number of passenger fatalities, (b) the total number of serious injuries to passengers and (c) the total number of minor injuries to passengers on (i) British Rail and (ii) Network SouthEast (1) in each month since April 1989 and (2) in each year since 1962 and for each category the number which occurred in (A) train accidents, (B) accidents through the movement of railway vehicles, (C) accidents on railway premises and (D) trespassers and suicides;

  (2) how many notifiable train accidents have occurred on (a) British Rail and (b) Network SouthEast (i) in each

  481
  month since April 1989 and (ii) in each year since 1962; and how many of these were the result of (1) collisions, (2) derailments, (3) running into level crossing gates and other obstructions, (4) fires, (5) falling from trains and (6) other accidents;

  (3) if he will list (a) the total number of staff and contractor fatalities, (b) the total number of serious injuries to staff and contractors and (c) the total number of minor injuries to staff and contractors on (i) British Rail and (ii) Network SouthEast (1) in each month since April 1989 and (2) in each year since 1962 and for each category, the number which occurred in (A) train accidents, (B) accidents through the movement of railway vehicles, (C) accidents on railway premises and (D) trespassers and suicides;

  (4) if he will list (a) the total number of staff and contractor fatalities, (b) the total number of serious injuries to staff and contractors and (c) the total number of minor injuries to staff and contractors on London Underground (i) in each month since April 1989 and (ii) in each year since 1962 and for each category above, the number which occurred in (1) train accidents, (2) accidents through the movement of railway vehicles, (3) accidents on railway premises and (4) trespassers and suicides;

  (5) if he will list (a) the total number of passenger fatalities, (b) the total number of serious injuries to passengers and (c) the total number of minor injuries to passengers on London Underground (i) in each month since April 1989 and (ii) in each year since 1962;

  (6) how many notifiable train accidents have occurred on London's underground (i) in each month since April 1989 and (ii) in each year since 1962; and how many of these were the result of (a) collisions with buffer stops, (b) derailments of passenger trains, (c) derailments of non-passenger trains, (d) running into obstructions, (e) fires on trains and (f) other accidents;

  (7) if he will publish the total number of fires which have occurred on London Underground and list the number which occurred (a) on rolling stock, (b) at stations, (c) on tracks in tunnels, (d) on open tracks (e) on escalators, (f) on lifts and (g) other locations, (i) in each month since April 1989 and (ii) in each year since 1962;

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]: The information requested for the years 1962–90 is contained in Her Majesty's railway inspectorate's annual reports on railway safety, copies of which are in the House Library.

  Computer derived figures for information which is readily available for the years 1984–90 are set out in tables subject to the following points:

  (i) Separate statistics relating to Network SouthEast are not available;

  (ii) Statistics relating to London Underground have been shown separately since 1988; for the period 1984–1987, they are included with BR and other railways.

  (iii) Statistics for 1991 will be published in the report for the 15 month period to March 1992.

  Copies of the tables have been placed in the Library and I have written to the hon. Lady with a copy.

  Rail Crimes
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the total number of(a) crimes, (b) assaults on staff, (c) assaults on passengers, (d) indecent assaults, (e) rapes and (f) violent robberies
  482
  which have occurred on (i) British Rail and (ii) Network SouthEast; (1) in each month since April 1989 and (2) in each year since 1971.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 6 March 1992]: This information is only available at a disproportionate cost. The tables show figures for crimes reported in 1990 and the first nine months of 1991, for British Rail as a whole and for Network SouthEast alone; and total crimes reported for British Rail from 1982 to 1990.

  1 January 1991 to 30 September 1991

  1990

  BR

  NSE

  BR

  NSE

  Total crimes

  54,702

  12,440

  68,946

  23,764

  Of which:

  Assaults on staff

  249

  132

  374

  181

  Assaults on passengers

  632

  276

  884

  379

  Indecent assault

  170

  116

  240

  136

  Rape

  8

  4

  15

  6

  Violent robberies

  638

  428

  624

  457

  Total crimes reported on British Rail

  Year

  Totals

  1990

  68,946

  1989

  70,266

  1988

  65,697

  1987

  63,644

  1986

  65,450

  1985

  64,185

  1984

  65,299

  1983

  56,152

  1982

  51,779

  Note. From 1 January 1990 the BTP force brought its crime reporting into line with Home Office counting rules. This change means that exact comparisons with previous years are not always possible.

  British Rail
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responsibility his Department has in relation to the finance, policy and operations of British Rail.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 9 March 1992]: The Secretary of State's main responsibilities in relation to British Rail are:

  to appoint the chairman and board members, and determine their pay;

  to set overall policy and objectives for safety, quality and financial performance;

  to discharge various responsibilities on safety through Her Majesty's railway inspectorate;

  to set the external finance limit;

  to set an investment ceiling, and to approve major investment projects;

  to issue a public service obligation and to set an annual grant ceiling;

  to control borrowing;

  to decide on opposed proposals for the closure of stations and services; and

  to exercise various statutory controls on procedure and finance.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Hotels (Fire Regulations)
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what European Community regulations come into force in January requiring self-employed hoteliers with premises of under six bed spaces to conform to fire regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  European Community Directives 89/391/EEC and 89/654/EEC relate to the health and safety of workers at work and contain fire safety requirements for which we must make legislative provision by 31 December 1992.

  We plan to give effect to those requirements by regulations made under section 12 of the Fire Precautions

  Prosecutions for drugs offences involving ecstasy (MDMA). 1990

  United Kingdom

  Number of prosecutions

  Month

  Unlawful possession

  Possession with intent to supply unlawfully

  Unlawful supply

  Unlawful import

  January

  19

  8

  5

  1

  February

  25

  5

  2

  —

  March

  33

  6

  3

  1

  April

  34

  8

  3

  2

  May

  44

  13

  7

  —

  June

  27

  12

  2

  1

  July

  14

  5

  3

  —

  August

  22

  7

  3

  —

  September

  9

  7

  1

  2

  October

  13

  5

  2

  1

  November

  10

  7

  4

  4

  December

  19

  4

  5

  2

  Court of Appeal
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cases he has referred to the Court of Appeal under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 since 1982 and the outcome in each case.

  Mr. John Patten
  Since 1982 to 31 December 1991 the following cases have been referred to the Court of Appeal under Section 17(1)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 with the result as indicated.

  In respect of conviction:

  Year and name

  Result

  1982

  Saltman, Bernard Brian

  Allowed

  Tarrant, Edward Charles

  Allowed

  Wakefield, Ian Ferguson

  Allowed

  Neal, John Stephen

  Woods, Bernard John

  Cousins, Alverstone Edmond

  Allowed

  Todd, Percival George

  1983

  Bhaskar, Vinod Kumar

  Allowed

  Russell, Mervyn John Scott

  Allowed

  Abrol, Kewal Krishan

  Allowed

  1984

  McDonagh, Michael

  Dismissed

  McDonagh, Patrick

  Harrison, Melvyn

  Dismissed

  Copeland, William Ian

  Dismissed

  Mycock, Geoffrey

  Allowed

  Gilfellan, Ian Charles

  Allowed

  Hartley, Hugo

  Dismissed

  484
  Act 1971. Those regulations will generally apply to every place in which one or more persons work and come into force on 1 January 1993. There will, however, be an extensive public consultation exercise before they are made.

  Ecstasy
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been made in connection with(a) the use, (b) the selling of, (c) the possession and (d) the importation of the drug Ecstasy (MDMA), in each of the last 12 months.

  Mr. John Patten
  The number of prosecutions for drugs offences involving ecstasy (M DMA) in each month of 1990 were as follows:

  Year and name

  Result

  North, Norman Berry

  Dismissed

  Sample, Alan John

  Szpythma, Michael

  Allowed

  Gordon, Keith

  Dismissed

  Schnepel, Dieter

  Abandoned

  Asquith, Adrian

  Abandoned

  Harold, Roy

  Abandoned

  1985

  Fellows, Keith Noel

  Allowed

  Clarke, Ernest Adolphus

  Dismissed

  Mycock, Anthony

  Allowed

  Willis, Alan Anthony

  Dismissed

  1986

  Jarrom, Rodney Robert

  Allowed

  Mapstone, Kerry Andrew

  Dismissed

  Livesey, Margaret

  Dismissed

  Edwards, Derek Goronwy

  Dismissed

  1987

  Andrews, Aurilius Benedict

  Allowed

  Hickey, Michael Joseph

  Dismissed

  Hickey, Vincent

  Robinson, James

  Dismissed

  Cahill, Michael Peter

  Dismissed

  Devaney, Phillip

  Allowed

  Callaghan, Hugh

  Dismissed

  Hill, Patrick

  Hunter, Robert

  Mcllkenny, Noel

  Power, William

  Walker, John

  Bargh, Patrick Joseph

  Allowed

  1988

  O'Callaghan, Daniel

  Abandoned

  485

  Year and name

  Result

  Lacy, Gerard Francis

  Dismissed

  1989

  Howard, Mark William

  Allowed

  Oliwiecki, Ronald

  Allowed

  Armstrong, Patrick

  Allowed

  Conlon, Gerard Patrick

  Hill, Paul Michael

  Richardson, Carole Margaret

  1990

  Bateman, Andrew

  Allowed

  Cooper, Mark Simon

  Davis, Anthony John

  McGranaghan, John

  Allowed

  Maguire, Anne Rita

  Allowed

  Maguire, Patrick Joseph

  Maguire, Vincent John Paerick

  Maguire, Partick Joseph Paul

  Smyth, William, John

  O'Neill, Patrick Joseph

  Conlon, Patrick Joseph

  Callaghan, Hugh

  Hill, Patrick

  Allowed

  Hunter, Robert Gerard

  McIlkenny, Richard

  Power, William

  Walker, John

  Parfitt, Raymond Kenneth

  Allowed

  Modhwadia, Malde Mepa

  Re-trial ordered

  Raghip, Engin

  Allowed

  1991

  Darvell, Paul Gary

  Allowed

  Darvell, Phillip Wayne

  Bromell, Michael Thomas

  Jones-Walters, Myles

  Allowed

  Kiszko, Stefan

  Allowed

  Bower, Stuart Nicholas

  No result

  Haughton, Robert Percival

  Ward, Judith Theresa

  Braithwaite, Mark

  Allowed

  Silcott, Winston

  Hare, Delroy

  No result

  In respect of sentence:

  1982

  Moore. Peter Damien John

  Allowed

  Watts, Richard David

  Allowed

  1983

  Cooper, Leonard William

  Allowed

  199=84

  Harper, Andrew

  Allowed

  Bown, Paul Edward

  Dismissed

  Butler, James Edward

  Allowed

  1985

  Lunnon, Khaliq Hossain

  Allowed

  James,Irene Ingrid

  Allowed

  Showell, John Joseph

  Allowed

  McKenna,Dean Robert

  Allowed

  1986

  Jenkinson, Karl

  Allowed

  Lawrence, Roy

  Allowed

  Fountain, Peter

  Allowed

  Bovis, John Edward

  Dismissed

  Celisse, Paul Arthur

  Allowed

  Buck, Kevin John

  Allowed

  Cain, Douglas Roy

  Allowed

  Critchlow, Janine Patricia

  Allowed

  Phelan, Michael

  Allowed

  Chamberlaine, Sharal

  Allowed

  Limb, Martin Ernest

  Allowed

  Meah, Farouk

  Allowed

  486

  Year and name

  Result

  Creary, Shirley Elaine

  Allowed

  1987

  Price, Gareth David

  Allowed

  Valentine, Jason Richard

  Allowed

  Clayton, Shane Stanley

  Allowed

  Lyons, James

  Allowed

  Teal, Graham

  Allowed

  Kite, Christopher Joseph

  Allowed

  Jones, Frederick

  Allowed

  Curtis, Mark Lawrence

  Allowed

  Whitworth, George Edward

  Allowed

  Buswell, David

  Allowed

  Lincoln, Timothy William

  Allowed

  Parsons,Royston Michael

  Allowed

  Tourire, Albert saidu

  Allowed

  Curtis, Anthony Dean

  Allowed

  Gibbon, Christopher

  Allowed

  Cade, Gary Michael

  Allowed

  Blanco, Leopoldo

  Allowed

  Findley, Raymond

  Hayden, Darren Earl

  Heal, Kevin John

  Sheehan, Michael

  Wlodarczyk, Jan

  Wood, Jeffrey

  Walker, Gerald Francis

  Allowed

  Componi, Christina

  Allowed

  Ellington, Clare

  Hardie, John James

  Allowed

  Coaten, Glynn

  Abandoned

  1988

  Rowley, David Alan

  Allowed

  Rathbone, Gary Michael

  Allowed

  Lynas, Gerrard

  Allowed

  Demicol, John

  Allowed

  Seafield, Susan Elizabeth

  Allowed

  Patrick, Robert John

  Dismissed

  Hart, Lesley Jane

  Allowed

  Hudd, Nigel Paul

  Allowed

  Prince, Michael

  Allowed

  Brumwell, Michael

  Allowed

  Seagar, Jeremy Hugh

  Allowed

  Morrison, Everton

  Dismissed

  Brown, Ivan Michael

  Allowed

  Baker, Norman Russrll

  Allowed

  McGrath, Marie Ann

  Allowed

  McDonald, Scott William

  Allowed

  McRea, Angus

  Allowed

  Benham, Robert Steven

  Allowed

  Grant, Alan Adam

  Allowed

  Beevers, William

  Allowed

  Stevens, Susanagh Marie

  Allowed

  Clayton, Andrew Albert

  Allowed

  Ward, Darren Ernest

  Allowed

  1989

  Tolladay, Vincent James

  Allowed

  Steed, Gareth

  Dismissed

  Atkinson, John Peter

  Allowed

  Smith, Robert Brian

  Allowed

  Buttimer, Michael Anthony

  Allowed

  Franklin, John Francis

  Allowed

  1990

  Harris, John Andrew

  Allowed

  Clayton, Kenneth John

  Allowed

  Quentin, Mark Vernon

  Allowed

  1991

  Afzal, Mohammed

  Allowed

  Arshad, Mohammed

  Baker, Alan

  Allowed

  Baker, George

  Cooper, Lee

  Friis, Kirk

  487

  Year and name

  Result

  McAleny, Alan Bernard

  Allowed

  Simons, Leslie Lionel

  Merseyside Police
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 March,Official Report, column 101, if he will now request the chief constable of Merseyside to make a special study on the number of officers engaged in obtaining admissions from convicted criminals.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. It is for the chief constable of Merseyside to decide whether to make a special study of the number of officers engaged in obtaining admissions from convicted criminals. I understand that the chief constable does not intend to carry out such a study at the moment.

  Central European Time
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of moving to central European time.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Field) on 18 November 1991,Official Report, column 15.

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of(a) men and (b) women being held on remand in police cells in England and Wales on 29 February.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The figures given are for 28 February, data is not collected on Saturdays or Sundays.

  On Friday 28 February there were 1,593 males and 33 females held in police cells in England and Wales. It is not possible, from the information available, to distinguish between remand and sentenced prisoners, but most would have been held on remand.

  Mr. Ian Borovikov
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what legal grounds Mr. Ian Borovikov (xc1225) is currently being detained at Her Majesty's prison, Pentonville.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Mr. Borovikov was released on 13 February 1992 when the Court of Appeal quashed the recommendation for his deportation which had been made by Winchester Crown court.

  Magistrates Courts, Cheshire
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost of administration of Cheshire magistrates courts in each year since 1982.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information available centrally about net revenue expenditure (excluding loan charges and revenue contributions to capital outlay) by Cheshire magistrates courts committee is as follows:
  488

  £

  11982–83

  2,162,794

  11983–84

  2,282,496

  21984–85

  2,647,932

  21985–86

  2,671,620

  21986–87

  2,845,720

  21987–88

  3,283,036

  21988–89

  3,022,014

  21989–90

  3,437,294

  21990–91

  3,756,143

  31991–92

  4,741,000

  1 Information from county council's revenue outturn return to the Department of the Environment.

  2 Information from county council's audited specific grant claim to the Home Office.

  3 Committee's forecast outturn.

  Horserace Betting Levy
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the determination under section 1 of the Horserace Betting Levy Act 1969 of the horserace betting levy scheme beginning 1 April.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I have today sent the following letter to the Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board and written similarly to the chairman of the Bookmakers' Committee. A copy of the scheme has been placed in the Library of the House. The letter reads:In your letter of 1 November 1991 you reported to me that the Board and the Bookmakers' Committee had failed to agree the Scheme to have effect for the 31st levy period and that the Scheme accordingly fell to be determined by me. I have now reached my decision and enclose a copy of the Scheme which I have determined.
  In reaching my decision, I have taken into account all the submissions made to me by the Government-appointed members of the Levy Board and by the Bookmakers' Committee, together with other submissions and representations, including from the Jockey Club and the Horseracing Advisory Council, on which the Board members and the Committee were afforded the opportunity to comment. I have also taken fully into account the reduction in General Betting Duty announced by the Chancellor today in his budget.
  The cash yield from the Scheme will depend upon the level of leviable betting turnover in the 31st Levy period. Assuming turnover of £4,300 million, I have determined a scheme which aims to produce a total estimated levy yield of about £48 million.
  This yield is higher than would have been the case if General Betting Duty had not been reduced, but in determining the Scheme I have only taken account of the reduction in duty on horseracing bets. In all the circumstances, I am satisfied that the bookmakers can make their levy payments under the Scheme without any increase in their deductions from punters.
  As a result of the reduction in Betting Duty, it has been possible to achieve a substantial increase in the levy yield. I believe that this creates a new opportunity for bookmaking and racing to work more closely together for their mutual long-term benefit. In order to inform that process of closer co-operation, I will be inviting the Levy Board to consider ways in which improved value for money can be obtained from how the levy is spent and, separately, to advise on what steps racing might take to achieve a sound long-term basis for the improved level of levy contribution from bookmakers.
  As part of that general process of closer co-operation, I hope that the two industries will explore further together the alternatives to the present scheme. The process of determining an annual levy scheme is not the vehicle for seeking changes to the basic principles of the levy. The levy was never intended to provide a price for product. Indeed, it is difficult to see how it could do so. But if racing and

  489
  bookmaking can agree changes to the present arrangements, which were originally introduced with their joint agreement, I should certainly be prepared to consider their proposals. In the meantime, the levy must continue to be determined in the normal way and in accordance with the established criteria.

  Crime
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of crimes reported and the crime detection rate in each police force area in each of the last seven years.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information for 1985–89 is published in tables 2.4 and 2.21 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1989". Figures for 1990 are published in Home Office statistical bulletin 4/91. They are annotated as provisional in the bulletin, but only the south Wales figure has since been revised, to 36 per cent. Figures for the number of offences recorded in 1991 were published yesterday in Home Office statistical bulletin 2/92. This includes an estimate of the clear-up rate for England and Wales but this information is not yet available by police force area. Copies of all these publications are available in the Library.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Upper Bann of 28 January to the Minister of State.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I have now written to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer the letter of the hon. Member for Upper Bann of 5 February.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 2 March, explaining that since the matters raised in his letter related to the electoral registration system in Northern Ireland, they were the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Civil Debt
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been imprisoned for civil debt each year since 1979 in(a) England and Wales and (b) the Leeds metropolitan district.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information for England and Wales is published annually in Prison Statistics England and Wales (table 6.3 of the latest volume, for 1990, Cm 1800), a copy of which is in the Library.

  The home address of inmates of prison service establishments is not recorded centrally. The table gives details of debtors known to have been committed by courts in the Leeds district.

  Prisoners1 received into prison service establishments in England and Wales following committal for non-payment of civil debts2 by courts in the Leeds metropolitan district 1979 to 1990

  Debtors received

  1979

  58

  1980

  45

  1981

  18

  1982

  35

  490

  Debtors received

  1983

  19

  1984

  6

  1985

  18

  1986

  8

  1987

  8

  1988

  9

  1989

  3

  1990

  3

  1 The data may be under recorded to some extent, reflecting detailed court data.

  2 Wife or child maintenance, arrears under an affiliation order, rates, community charge and other debts.

  Movement within the EC
  Mr. Shore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the United Kingdom legislation which imposes limitations and conditions, as referred to in article 8A of the Maastricht treaty, to the right of every citizen of the Union to move and reside freely within the territory of the member states.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The new article 8A which the treaty on European union inserts into the treaty of Rome provides that every citizen of the union shall have the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the member states, subject to the limitations and conditions laid down in the treaty—the treaty of Rome—and by the measures adopted to give it effect. At present the right of free movement, and the limitations and conditions applicable, are contained in the following directives and regulations:

  Already in force

  Council regulations

  161/68 EEC, 1251/70 EEC;

  Council directives

  64/221 EEC, 68/360 EEC, 72/194 EEC, 72/148 EEC, 75/34 EEC, 75/35 EEC;

  Due to take effect on 30 June 1992

  Council directives

  90/364/EEC, 90/365/EEC, 90/366/EEC

  These provisions have overriding legal effect in the United Kingdom.

  Crime Prevention Panels
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement regarding the funding of crime prevention panels.

  Mr. John Patten
  Crime prevention panels are an excellent means by which local communities can become involved through voluntary activity in the fight against crime. They are encouraged to be self-sufficient and to seek local funding arrangements. Many crime prevention panels obtain sponsorship from local businesses. Possible sources of funding will vary from area to area but Crime Concern has published a booklet entitled "Attracting Business Sponsorship" which provides detailed advice for panels on how to obtain sponsorship for crime prevention. A few police forces are known to have given financial support for specific initiatives run by panels. In support of the work of crime prevention panels in the areas concerned, grants have also been made under the safer cities programme which brings extra crime prevention resources to 20 selected high crime areas in England. Some panels have been successful in obtaining charity status and
  491
  any panel wishing to do this may contact the Charity Commission which will advise it on the necessary procedures.

  Usk Prison
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has plans to privatise Usk prison.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  There are no present plans to contract out the management of Her Majesty's prison Usk.

  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next proposes to visit Her Majesty's prison, Usk.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Her Majesty's prison, Usk, in the near future.

  Vehicle Watch
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a vehicle watch scheme following the pilot project undertaken in Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  The introduction of vehicle watch schemes is a matter for individual chief police officers. A decision on whether the Home Office should advise the police to extend such schemes throughout the country will be made after the evaluation has been completed later this year.

  DNA Register
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the introduction of a national DNA register; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have not had any recent representations about the introduction of a national DNA register. As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 7 February, I have sought the advice of the Royal Commission on criminal justice about this delicate issue.

  Reunite
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce his decision in respect of the grant application submitted by Reunite, the National Council for Abducted Children.

  Mr. John Patten
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Ronald Loco
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons he has failed to answer the letters to him from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 15 October and 20 December 1991 and 23 January with regard to Mr. Ronald Loco, 18 Cheston road; if he will now send a reply without any further delay; and if he will apologise for the failure to reply to correspondence over this period.
  492
  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. Friend replied on 7 November 1991 to the right hon. Gentleman's letter of 15 October. We have not been able to trace any record of having received the letters of 20 December 1991 and 23 January 1992. If the right hon. Member would care to let me have copies of them, I will look into the matters that he wishes to raise and let him have a further reply as soon as possible.

  Prisons (Privatisation)
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the privatisation of prisons.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from hon. Members, organisations and members of the public.

  Prison Population
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the latest figures for the number of inmates accommodated in(a) Her Majesty's prison, Durham and (b) Her Majesty's prison, Belmarsh.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  On 9 March, the populations of the two establishments were as follows:

  Number

  Her Majesty's prison Durham

  922

  Her Majesty's prison Belmarsh

  798

  Voters
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce emergency legislation with regard to the qualifying date for registration for the vote in a parliamentary election to equalise the position between people living abroad and those living on the streets.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The qualifying date for registration as an elector is already the same both for overseas electors and for electors living in this country.

  Police Manpower
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications there have been in each police force in England and Wales for increased police manpower; and what are the numbers involved and the numbers agreed to, for the current year and each of the two previous years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Details of applications received and posts approved are set out in the table for the years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93. These figures include posts whose costs are fully reimbursed by a third party, for example at major airports.
  493

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Force

  Posts applied for

  Post approved

  Posts applied for

  Post approved

  Posts applied for

  Post approved

  Avon and Somerset

  50

  10

  9

  4

  7

  2

  Bedfordshire

  38

  38

  71

  32

  76

  61

  Cambridgeshire

  10

  7

  30

  22

  10

  10

  Cheshire

  20

  20

  20

  11

  20

  20

  Cleveland

  19

  13

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Cumbria

  50

  19

  35

  8

  24

  4

  Derbyshire

  34

  19

  15

  13

  56

  25

  Devon and Cornwall

  48

  17

  31

  15

  70

  48

  Dorset

  27

  14

  14

  15

  26

  15

  Durham

  Nil

  Nil

  20

  11

  20

  Nil

  Dyfed Powys

  8

  8

  Nil

  Nil

  50

  25

  Essex

  79

  69

  32

  17

  58

  58

  Gloucestershire

  Nil

  Nil

  36

  19

  48

  1

  Greater Manchester

  248

  31

  123

  36

  140

  20

  Gwent

  11

  2

  9

  Nil

  10

  1

  Hampshire

  77

  25

  69

  27

  69

  67

  Hertfordshire

  35

  18

  42

  11

  34

  4

  Humberside

  20

  15

  40

  18

  22

  9

  Kent

  50

  50

  63

  34

  82

  82

  Lancashire

  81

  28

  54

  22

  32

  4

  Leicestershire

  75

  53

  25

  13

  27

  26

  Lincolnshire

  20

  14

  21

  8

  Nil

  Nil

  Merseyside

  Nil

  Nil

  49

  5

  88

  Nil

  Norfolk

  66

  46

  22

  12

  25

  25

  Northamptonshire

  29

  20

  33

  25

  23

  23

  Northumbria

  243

  38

  82

  26

  92

  27

  North Wales

  10

  21

  Nil

  Nil

  30

  17

  North Yorkshire

  35

  25

  15

  6

  25

  4

  Nottinghamshire

  63

  26

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  South Wales

  67

  31

  Nil

  Nil

  44

  Nil

  South Yorkshire

  50

  20

  50

  18

  16

  15

  Staffordshire

  20

  14

  20

  8

  20

  4

  Suffolk

  26

  18

  30

  11

  30

  17

  Surrey

  50

  10

  41

  11

  30

  3

  Sussex

  54

  23

  49

  18

  35

  32

  Thames Valley

  158

  65

  156

  40

  132

  87

  Warwickshire

  35

  15

  23

  8

  15

  4

  West Mercia

  32

  32

  Nil

  Nil

  30

  29

  West Midlands

  350

  63

  148

  63

  121

  19

  West Yorkshire

  47

  20

  73

  14

  79

  Nil

  Wiltshire

  19

  13

  44

  15

  77

  67

  City of London

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Metropolitan

  350

  150

  Nil

  100

  22

  22

  Total

  2,704

  1,120

  1,594

  716

  1,815

  877

  National Transcommunication Limited
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total paid in consultancy fees by his Department during the sale of National Transcommunication Ltd., previously the research and engineering wing of the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Total costs for the sale, completed on 24 October 1991, were £2.2 million. The initial proceeds were £70 million and the Government will receive further proceeds under certain conditions, if the company is floated successfully.

  Community Relations
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make available the report of the community relations project of the Council of Europe.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I have arranged for a copy of the report, "Community and Ethnic Relations in Europe", to be placed in the Library of the House.
  494
  The committee of experts which produced the report is to be congratulated on its penetrating analysis of the issues faced by multi-racial societies, and of the possible policy responses to these issues.

  Safer Cities Programme
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the safer cities programme.

  Mr. John Patten
  The programme is making good progress. Four new local projects began operating late last year, and the 16 longer-established ones have between them started or planned a total of 2,205 local crime prevention schemes since 1989, supported by £13.8 million of Home Office grant funding.

  The programme's evaluation should be completed in the first half of 1993, but at present I am satisfied that the safer cities programme is working well, and should continue in its present form. I have recently informed chairmen of local steering committees for the 16 longer-established projects that they may plan action and commit grant money for an extended period to March 1994.

  Remand Prisoners
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what length of time the current longest serving prisoner has been held on remand awaiting trial.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  [holding answer 2 March 1992]: According to the records held centrally, which are approximate, on 29 February 1992, the longest period for which a person had been held in custody awaiting or during trial was almost two years.

  Assaults on Police
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached as a result of the Home Office survey of sentences awarded to persons convicted of assaulting police officers.

  Mr. John Patten
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1992, col. 322]: I have published the results of the survey, which covered the last six months of 1991 and was conducted with the assistance of the Crown prosecution service, in the Home Office bulletin issue 3/92 "Sentencing for Assault on Police Officers", copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The survey demonstrates that the courts clearly recognise that assaults on police officers are despicable and deserve to be punished more severely, immediate custody being imposed for a significantly higher proportion of the assaults on the police covered in the survey than for assaults on all victims in 1990.

  The Government are committed to protecting our protectors who have a difficult job to do on our behalf.

  I am setting up a working group to review the physical protection of the police. I am sure that the group, which will involve police representatives, will have a valuable contribution to make to improving still further the protection from attack available to the police, the need for which has been recognised by the Government and the courts.

DEFENCE

  Surplus Army Tents
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated number of surplus Army tents as at 31 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  On 31 January there were no surplus Army tents.

  TRIGAT
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about long-range TRIGAT.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Last autumn we decided that the United Kingdom should not continue in the collaborative long-range TRIGAT programme unless we could do so on a basis that was consistent with our future priorities. Negotiations with our collaborative partners have now reached a successful conclusion. As a result, we shall be continuing with the development programme on a revised basis.

  Army Training
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in restructuring the Army's training base in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Command Paper 1595 referred to proposals to restructure the Army's training organisation and, in particular, to our intention to improve basic training for adults and young soldiers, juniors and apprentices at a reduced number of larger and more efficient establishments. The first part of the review is nearing completion, and we now need to begin detailed planning. Starting later this year, we propose to concentrate junior leader training at Bramcote, Harrogate and Winchester and all adult and young soldier training in new Army training regiments to be formed at Glencorse, Lichfield, Bassingbourne, Pirbright and Winchester. To permit these changes to take place, specialist infantry training which now takes place at divisional depots will in future be conducted at Strensall, Ouston and Crickhowell though further reorganisation may follow later. Recognising the importance of the regimental system, we will ensure that training will continue to be organised on a capbadge basis.

  Final decisions on the future use of the establishments concerned have still to be taken, and a number of establishments will be required for use by units of the field Army. It is too early to say what the detailed implications will be for the staff of the establishments affected. With the exception of the WRAC training centre at Guildford, we do not expect any to close as a result of this announcement. Full consultation with the trade unions will take place in the normal way before final decisions are taken.

  Decisions on the future rationalisation of apprentice training have not yet been taken, but from September onwards we shall introduce a one-year standard foundation course at each of the existing Army apprentice colleges in place of the current two-year course. Apprentices will then go on to complete their technical training elsewhere within the Army.

  Work is continuing to develop proposals for the rationalisation of other areas in specialist training and further proposals will be announced in due course.

  Defence Contractors
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the major changes between the basis of calculations used to produce the list of contractors which appear on page 15 of the "Statement of the Defence Estimates Volume 2", and those of similar, previously published, lists which relate to the six years to 31 March 1989.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  There have been no major changes.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the total amounts paid by his Department to United Kingdom-based contractors in each of the five years to 31 March 1988.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Ministry of Defence paid the following total amounts to United Kingdom-based contractors for the financial years 1983–84 to 1987–88:
  497

  £ million

  1983–84

  6,609·33

  1984–85

  7,012·56

  1985–86

  7,458·92

  1986–87

  7,366·12

  1987–88

  7,836·89

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the precise amounts paid to each of the 10 contractors which received the largest share of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the five years to 31 March 1988.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The 10 contractors who received the largest payments from my Department in each of the years specified were:

  £ million

  1983–84

  British Aerospace plc

  952·07

  The General Electric Co. plc

  688·77

  Rolls-Royce Ltd.

  484·28

  British Shipbuilders

  399·56

  The Plessey Co. plc

  363·98

  Royal Ordnance

  338·89

  Ferranti plc

  177·73

  The British Petroleum Co. plc

  168·46

  Westland plc

  153·23

  Esso Petroleum Co. plc

  143·58

  1984–85

  British Aerospace plc

  1,004·66

  The General Electric Co. plc

  806·87

  British Shipbuilders

  535·50

  The Plessey Co. plc

  415·43

  Royal Ordnance

  409·51

  Rolls-Royce Ltd.

  408·12

  Ferranti plc

  213·51

  Esso UK plc

  204·59

  The British Petroleum Co. plc

  174·29

  Westland plc

  169·53

  1985–86

  British Aerospace plc

  1,011·00

  The General Electric Co. plc

  799·68

  British Shipbuilders

  590·26

  The Plessey Co. plc

  438·54

  Rolls-Royce Ltd.

  435·78

  Royal Ordnance plc

  369·87

  Ferranti plc

  223·71

  Westland plc

  178·02

  Hunting Associated Industries plc

  161·95

  Thorn EMI plc

  149·97

  1986–87

  British Aerospace plc

  927·05

  The General Electric Co. plc

  850·99

  Rolls-Royce plc

  424·57

  The Plessey Co. plc

  366·12

  Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd.

  343·65

  Royal Ordnance plc

  245·50

  Hunting Associated Industries plc

  203·71

  Ferranti plc

  198·31

  Thorn EMI plc

  157·10

  Westland plc

  134·81

  1987–88

  The General Electric Co. plc

  1,035·07

  British Aerospace plc

  875·88

  Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd.

  462·64

  Rolls-Royce plc

  418·26

  The Plessey Co. plc

  307·41

  Royal Ordnance plc

  223·06

  Devonport Management Ltd.

  222·61

  Ferranti plc

  200·95

  498

  £ million

  Hunting Associated Industries plc

  193·87

  Thorn EMI plc

  143·54

  Job Losses
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 3 March,Official Report, column 139, whether he has established how workers at Trecwn heard the news of closure and job losses via the media in advance of the announcement to staff; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that, in future, such decisions are first communicated to the work force.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The rundown and closure of Royal Navy Armaments Depot—RNAD—Trecwn was part of a package of measures for the restructuring of the fleet support area proposed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 16 July 1991,Official Report, columns 148–49 and confirmed, following extensive consultation on 24 January 1992 Official Report, column 377. Details of the final decision were provided to the work force at each establishment affected through a series of management briefings timed to coincide with the answering of the parliamentary question on 24 January. In the case of RNAD Trecwn, it was unfortunate that media speculation anticipated these announcements.

  Falkland Islands (Flights)
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason civilian passengers have to bear the loss of seats on flights to and from the Falkland Islands when a change of aircraft results in reduction in the total number of seats.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence has agreed with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that capacity will be provided for civilian passengers on flights to the Falkland Islands, subject to overriding military requirements. When a change of aircraft is necessary which entails a reduction in the total number of seats, military requirements may dictate that civilian passengers should be off-loaded.

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the delayed or diverted flights on which seats were for sale to civilians to and from the Falkland Islands in 1991 and to date, in 1992.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Flights to the Falkland Islands on which seats were for sale to civilians from 1 January 1991 to 28 February 1992 and which arrived more than two hours late at RAF Mount Pleasant, or were diverted, are listed.

  Year and Month

  Dates of Departure from United Kingdom

  1991

  February

  7th

  March

  4th, 13th

  April

  29th

  May

  6th, 9th, 23rd

  June

  10th

  July

  4th, 8th, 18th,29th

  August

  1st, 12th, 26th

  September

  9th, 16th

  499

  Year and Month

  Dates of Departure from United Kingdom

  October

  7th, 21st

  December

  9th, 13th

  1992

  January

  27th, 30th

  February

  10th, 13th

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason 27 civilian fare passengers were removed from the Falklands bound flight on Monday 24 February.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The aircraft earmarked for the Falkland Islands flight on 24 February became unserviceable shortly prior to the scheduled departure time. It had to be replaced with an aircraft offering less capacity and, consequently, some passengers and all freight had to be re-booked to the next flight.

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account is taken of the effect on civilian morale when civilian passengers only are delayed for 24 hours or more on flights to and from the Falkland Islands; and if he will make it his policy to ensure such passengers are kept informed about progress on their flight.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Any delays on flights to the Falkland Islands are regretted whether they affect civilian or military passengers. In such circumstances the staff do all that they can to mitigate the impact of the delay. When the time permits, civilian passengers are notified of delays via the Falkland Islands Government office. Otherwise they are briefed by the RAF movements staff at the reporting airfield, or en route, as appropriate.

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what increase in total costs was incurred by the use of Britannia Airways to provide flights to and from the Falkland Islands during the Gulf war.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information is commercially confidential.

  Service Children's Education Authority
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names of those schools which have been approved by the Service Children's education authority; how often representatives from the authority pay visits to the schools; what criteria are used for deciding whether schools are listed; and whether on the change of ownership of a school it is required to re-apply for approval.

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

  Boarding School Allowance
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service and Foreign Office families are currently benefiting from the boarding school allowance.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  For the spring term 1992, the numbers are as follows:
  500

  Service

  Families

  Number of Children

  Royal Navy

  1,955

  3,076

  Army

  5,318

  7,998

  Foreign Office

  580

  830

  Totals

  11,089

  16,779

EMPLOYMENT

  Minimum Wage
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has made to the representations recently made to him by industrialists on the subject of a statutory minimum wage.

  Mr. Howard
  I have assured business leades that I shall continue to take every opportunity to point out the damage which the statutory minimum wage would cause. Labour's plans could cost up to 2 million jobs in Britain.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to arrest the increase in unemployment.

  Mr. Howard
  The Government's main role is to ensure a sound and stable economic framework within which enterprise can flourish and the battle against inflation can be won. There are in fact more people in work today in Scotland than there were in 1979. We also have in place the most comprehensive range of help ever made available to unemployed people.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement concerning the current levels of unemployment.

  Mr. Howard
  The present level of unemployment clearly reflects the fact that recovery is being affected by world economic circumstances. But the battle against inflation is being won, the foundations are in place for recovery and we are uniquely well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will increasingly become available as we emerge from recession.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of people who would have been counted as unemployed if the methods of calculation had remained the same as those in use 12 years ago.

  Mr. Howard
  The information requested is not available. Consistent comparisons can be made over a period from the seasonally adjusted figures maintained by the Department's statisticians.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed in the manufacturing sector of the United Kingdom economy; and what were the figures in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Jackson
  In September 1991 there were 4,780,000 employees in employment in manufacturing industries in
  501
  the United Kingdom. Over the previous five years, the numbers were 5,200,000 in 1986, followed by 5,176,000, 5,217,000, 5,214,000 and 5,136,000 respectively.

  Unemployment, Bolton and Bury
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the measures he intends to introduce in order to ameliorate the conditions caused by the loss of manufacturing jobs in the Bolton and Bury travel-to-work area.

  Mr. Jackson
  The local Employment Service and the Bolton/Bury training and enterprise council, deliver a wide range of employment, enterprise and training programmes to help unemployed people in the Bolton and Bury travel-to-work area.

  Terms of Employment (Written Statement)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department is taking to enforce section 1 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978.

  Mr. Forth
  It is for individual employees who have not received the statement to which they are entitled under this provision to seek redress by making a complaint to an industrial tribunal.

  Training Credits
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the progress so far of the training credits scheme.

  Mr. Howard
  By January, more than 15,500 young people were in training using training credits in the 11 pilot areas. Nine more training credit schemes will come into operation in April of next year, offering a further 10 per cent. of school leavers the opportunity to obtain high quality training of their choice.

  Unemployment (Greater London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the percentage increase in unemployment in Greater London during the last 12 months.

  Mr. Jackson
  In the Greater London region, seasonally adjusted unemployed rose by 53 per cent. in the 12 months to January 1992.

  Unemployment, South Yorkshire
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the figures for manufacturing job losses in the South Yorkshire area in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Jackson
  The number of employees in employment in manufacturing industries in Yorkshire and Humberside fell by 25,000 between September 1990 and September 1991. The most recent figures for areas within standard regions relate to 1989.

  Construction Industry
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the number of persons employed in the construction industry.
  502
  Mr. Jackson
  In September 1991, there were 932,000 employees in employment in the construction industry in the United Kingdom.

  Part-time Workers
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to introduce statutory rights for people working less than eight hours a week.

  Mr. Forth
  Employees working fewer than eight hours a week already enjoy important statutory rights, including rights relating to health and safety, sex and race discrimination and trade union membership and non-membership. All union members also have certain statutory protections against misues of union powers.

  Additional protection will be given to safety representatives and others in particular circumstances under the Offshore Safety (Protection against Victimisation) Bill, which has just completed its passage through Parliament, and when the EC health and safety framework directive is implemented at the earliest legislative opportunity.

  Labour Statistics, Durham
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if, pursuant to his answer of 25 February,Official Report, column 452, he will give the names and addresses of the three unemployed claimants in the City of Durham under 18 years of age.

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

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of registered unemployed in the City of Durham constituency who have been unemployed for(a) up to three months, (b) six months, (c) one year, (d) two years and (e) more than two years respectively.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested, for unemployed claimants in the City of Durham parliamentary constituency, is contained in the following table and can also be obtained from the NOMIS database system in the Library.

  Unemployed claimants in the City of Durham January 1992

  Duration

  1Total

  Up to three months

  1,029

  Over three months and up to six months

  702

  Over six months and up to one year

  674

  Over one year and up to two years

  541

  Over two years

  445

  1 The figures are on the unadjusted basis.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list(a) the total number of the work force in the City of Durham constituency, (b) those in full-time employment and (c) those in part-time employment.

  Mr. Jackson
  Figures for the total work force are not available by constituency. The latest available information about employment in parliamentary constituencies is from the September 1989 census of employment and relates to employees in employment only. The figures for the City of Durham are as follows:
  503

  Employees in employment: September 1989

  Number

  Full-time

  29,500

  Part-time

  8,200

  All

  37,700

  Nuclear Material
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the transportation of all nuclear material, whether for civil or military purposes, is covered by EC directive 89/618; and what guidance is to be given to the emergency services and the general public about such transport consequent upon the directive.

  Mr. Forth
  The European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) treaty is concerned only with the peaceful application of nuclear materials. Thus European Council directive 89/618/EURATOM is not applicable to the military use of nuclear materials. Transport of civil nuclear material is covered by article 2 of the directive. The Health and Safety Commission consultative document (CD37) setting out proposals for new regulations to implement this directive outlines the intention to publish Health and Safety Executive guidance. A copy of the consultation document is in the Library.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken or proposes to take to implement European Community directive 89/618.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Commission's public consultation on proposals to implement EC directive 89/618 EURATOM ended on 28 February 1992. New legislation will be brought forward as soon as comments have been considered by the Health and Safety Commission and proposals scrutinised by the European Commission under the procedure set down in article 33 of the EURATOM treaty.

  Coach Parking
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will next meet the chairman of the London tourist board to discuss arrangements for coach parking.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has no current plans for such a meeting.

  Employment Service Posts
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what level and nature of criminal convictions over the past five years automatically debar an otherwise successful applicant from being offered a post in the Employment Service as an administrative officer.

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

  Benefit Recipients (Interviews)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions are issued to interviewing officers examining recipients of benefits on the basis of checking that they are actively seeking work; and whether a code of conduct is followed.

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

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Palace of Westminster (Day Nursery)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee (1) what progress has been made in implementing the 1987 recommendation of the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee in favour of a day nursery in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what provision will be made for a day nursery for children of hon. Members and staff in the new parliamentary buildings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Orme
  Further progress towards the establishment of child care facilities in the parliamentary estate are dependent in the first instance on suitable accommodation being found. In its recent report on the phase 2 sketch plan, the Accommodation and Works Committee advised that, in common with certain other facilities, it had not been possible to include a creche in plans for the new building. The Committee was confident, however, that more appropriately located space could be found elsewhere in the parliamentary estate without undue delay. The Commission is understood to have invited the Accommodation and Works Committee to continue its search for appropriate space; and until that has been done the Administration Committee is unable to take the matter further. In the meantime, the Establishments Office continues to arrange for Members and staff to be informed of suitable offers of day care facilities elsewhere.

  European Standing Committees
  Sir Peter Emery
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he expects to respond to the first report from the Select Committee on Procedure of Session 1991–92 on the review of European Standing Committees (HC 31).

  Mr. MacGregor
  As my hon. Friend is aware, I have recently sent the Government's reply to the report to him, as Chairman of the Procedure Committee. I am placing copies in the Library of the House.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Expenditure
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his answer of 15 March 1990,Official Report, columns 335–36, concerning administration costs as a percentage of benefit expenditure.

  Miss. Widdecombe
  Administration costs as a percentage of benefit expenditure for each year from 1978–79 to 1991–92 are in the table:
  505

  Per cent.

  1978–79

  5·0

  1979–80

  4·9

  1980–81

  5·0

  1981–82

  4·9

  1982–83

  4·8

  1983–84

  4·7

  1984–85

  4·4

  1985–86

  4·4

  1986–87

  4·6

  1987–88

  5·0

  1988–89

  5·3

  1989–90

  5·6

  1990–91

  5·7

  1991–92

  15·5

  1 Estimated.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for each year since 1978–79 the total amount spent on social security, excluding expenditure on the unemployed, at current prices and in 1991–92 prices, showing the real terms percentage increase or decrease.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Details of total social security spending from 1978–79 to 1991–92, excluding the amount spent on unemployed people, are given in the table.

  Expenditure £ million

  Cash

  1991–92 prices

  Percentage change in real terms over previous year

  1978–79

  15,228

  41,310

  —

  1979–80

  18,146

  42,190

  2·1

  1980–81

  21,221

  41,695

  -1·2

  1981–82

  24,941

  44,690

  7·2

  1982–83

  27,989

  46,816

  4·8

  1983–84

  31,180

  49,844

  6·5

  1984–85

  33,638

  51,211

  2·7

  1985–86

  36,539

  52,719

  2·9

  1986–87

  39,549

  55,245

  4·8

  1987–88

  42,284

  56,019

  1·4

  1988–89

  44,505

  55,011

  -1·8

  1989–90

  48,539

  56,343

  2·4

  1990–91

  54,143

  57,933

  2·8

  1991–921

  61,133

  61,133

  51·5

  1 1991–92 figures are estimated outturn.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount spent on social security in Great Britain, in current and in 1991–92 prices, for each year since 1978–79; and what was the percentage real terms decrease or increase in each year.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Details of total social security spending from 1978–79 to 1991–92 are given in the table.

  Expenditure £ million

  Percentage change in real terms over previous year

  Cash

  1991–92 prices

  1978–79

  16,602

  45,037

  1979–80

  19,616

  45,608

  1·3

  1980–81

  23,751

  46,666

  2·3

  1981–82

  28,963

  51,896

  11·2

  1982–83

  33,000

  55,198

  6·4

  1983–84

  36,881

  58,958

  6·8

  1984–85

  39,957

  60,831

  3·2

  1985–86

  43,502

  62,765

  3·2

  1986–87

  46,859

  65,456

  4·3

  1987–88

  48,934

  64,829

  -1·0

  506

  Expenditure £ million

  Percentage change in real terms over previous year

  Cash

  1991–92 prices

  1988–89

  49,745

  61,488

  -5·2

  1989–90

  52,849

  61,346

  -0·2

  1990–91

  59,183

  63,326

  3·2

  1991–92

  68,493

  68,493

  8·2

  Notes:

  (1) 1991–92 figures are estimated outturn.

  (2) The real terms decrease over the period 1987–88 to 1989–90 is largely attributable to the fall in unemployment since 1986.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his answer of 15 December 1989,Official Report, column 852, concerning social security spending, to include 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Expenditure £ million

  Per 100,000 population £ million

  Year

  Cash

  1978–79 prices

  Cash

  1978–79 prices

  Percentage of GDP

  1978–79

  16,437

  16,437

  30·1

  30·1

  9–63

  1979–80

  19,416

  16,641

  35·5

  30·4

  9·48

  1980–81

  23,483

  17,008

  42·9

  31·0

  10·06

  1981–82

  28,582

  18,879

  52·1

  34·4

  11·16

  1982–83

  32,451

  20,009

  59·3

  36·5

  11·57

  1983–84

  35,159

  20,719

  64·2

  37·8

  11·56

  1984–85

  39,716

  22,289

  72·3

  40·6

  12·20

  1985–86

  43,237

  22,996

  78·5

  41·8

  12·13

  1986–87

  46,611

  24,001

  84·4

  43·5

  12·15

  1987–88

  48,771

  23,818

  88·1

  43·0

  11·49

  1988–89

  49,419

  22,518

  89·1

  40·6

  10·46

  1989–90

  52,182

  22,328

  93·8

  40·1

  10·18

  1990–91

  56,077

  22,118

  100·5

  39·6

  10·10

  1991–92

  65,116

  24,003

  116·3

  42·9

  11·07

  Notes:

  1. 1991–92 figures are estimated outturn.

  2. Expenditure figures from 1978–79 to 1983–84 are based on the old planning total; those for 1984–85 onwards are based on the new planning total, with statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, and further housing benefit elements included for the first time.

  Claimant Numbers
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give, for each year from 1978–79 to the latest available, the total number of households claiming a social security benefit, excluding the national insurance retirement pension and child benefit.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Reliable information is not available for the period and in the form requested.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the average percentage rise in the number of claimants receiving the main social security benefits and expected to claim in the years 1978–79 to 1992–93 in Great Britain.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The available information on estimated average numbers receiving the main social security benefits at any one time is shown in the tables. Percentage increases are given where appropriate.
  507

  Benefit

  1978–79

  1979–80

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1980–81

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1981–82

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  Retirement Pension

  8,530

  8,680

  1·8

  8,880

  4·1

  9,015

  5·7

  Widows Benefit

  495

  490

  -1·0

  475

  -4·0

  460

  -7·1

  Unemployment Benefit

  570

  550

  -3·5

  960

  68·4

  1,220

  114·0

  Sickness Benefit/SSP

  560

  490

  -12·5

  435

  -22·3

  445

  -20·5

  Invalidity Benefit

  600

  620

  3·3

  620

  3·3

  660

  10–0

  Industrial Disablement Benefit

  270

  270

  0·0

  265

  -1·9

  260

  -3–7·

  Maternity Allowances/SMP

  100

  115

  15·0

  120

  20·0

  125

  25·0

  War Pension

  385

  370

  -3·9

  360

  -6·5

  345

  -10·4

  Attendance Allowance (1)

  265

  285

  7·5

  315

  18·9

  350

  32·1

  Invalid Care Allowance

  5

  5

  0·0

  5

  0·0

  5

  0·0

  Severe Disablement Allowance

  150

  165

  10·0

  175

  16·7

  180

  20·0

  Mobility Allowance (1)

  95

  140

  47·4

  185

  94·7

  210

  121·1

  Disability Living Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Disability Working Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Income Support Supplementary Benefit

  3,020

  2,920

  -3·3

  3,110

  3·0

  3,725

  23·3

  Child Benefit (Children)

  13,480

  13·330

  -1·1

  13,160

  -2·4

  13,145

  -2·5

  One Parent Benefit

  290

  370

  27·6

  430

  48·3

  470

  62·1

  Family Credit/Family Income Supplement

  85

  80

  -5·9

  95

  11·8

  125

  47·1

  Rate Rebate

  3,055

  3,065

  0·3

  3,350

  9·7

  3,700

  21·1

  Rent Allowance

  225

  220

  -2·2

  240

  6·7

  250

  11·1

  Rent Rebate

  1,210

  1,205

  -0·4

  1,330

  9·9

  1,590

  31·4

  Community Charge Benefit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Benefit

  1982–83

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1983–84

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1984–85

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1985–86

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  Retirement Pension

  9,115

  6·9

  9,210

  8·0

  9,350

  9·6

  9,400

  10·2

  Widows Benefit

  445

  -10·1

  440

  - 11·1

  425

  -14·1

  410

  -17·2

  Unemployment Benefit

  1,090

  91·2

  1,020

  78·9

  1,020

  78·9

  955

  67·5

  Sickness Benefit/SSP

  395

  -29·5

  410

  -26·8

  420

  -25·0

  405

  -17·7

  Invalidity Benefit

  700

  16·7

  760

  26·7

  825

  37·5

  865

  44·2

  Industrial Disablement Benefit

  265

  -1·9

  265

  -1·9

  260

  -3·7

  265

  -1·9

  Maternity Allowances/SMP

  125

  25·0

  110

  10·0

  120

  20·0

  115

  15·0

  War Pension

  330

  -14·3

  315

  -18·2

  305

  -20·8

  295

  -23·4

  Attendance Allowance (1)

  390

  47·2

  445

  67–9

  490

  84·9

  555

  109·4

  Invalid Care Allowance

  10

  100·0

  10

  100·0

  10

  100·0

  10

  100·0

  Severe Disablement Allowance

  195

  30·0

  210

  40·0

  245

  63·3

  245

  63·3

  Mobility Allowance (1)

  265

  178·9

  315

  231–6

  390

  310·5

  420

  342·1

  Disability Living Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Disability Working Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Income Support/Supplementary Benefit

  4,165

  37·9

  4,435

  46–9

  4,665

  54·5

  4,765

  57·8

  Child Benefit (Children)

  12,890

  -4·4

  12,660

  -6·1

  12,430

  -7·8

  12,375

  -8·2

  One Parent Benefit

  510

  75·9

  540

  86·2

  565

  94·8

  590

  103·4

  Family Credit/Family Income Supplement

  165

  94·1

  200

  135·3

  205

  141·2

  205

  141·2

  Rate Rebate

  5,320

  74·1

  7,020

  129–8

  7,230

  136·7

  7,020

  129·8

  Rent Allowance

  260

  15·6

  1,015

  351·1

  1,080

  380·0

  1,150

  411·1

  Rent Rebate

  3,050

  152·1

  3,735

  208·7

  3,745

  209·5

  3·710

  206·6

  Community Charge Benefit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Benefit

  1986–87

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1987–88

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1988–89

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1989–90

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  Retirement Pension

  9,575

  12·3

  9,685

  13·5

  9,710

  13·8

  9,795

  14·8

  Widows Benefit

  400

  -19·2

  385

  -22·2

  370

  -25·3

  375

  -24·2

  Unemployment Benefit

  1,005

  76·3

  815

  43·0

  600

  5·3

  375

  -34·2

  Sickness Benefit/SSP

  420

  -25·0

  450

  -19·6

  470

  -16·1

  465

  -17·0

  Invalidity Benefit

  935

  55·8

  1,010

  68–3

  1,100

  83·3

  1,190

  98·3

  Industrial Disablement Benefit

  285

  5·6

  290

  7·4

  295

  9·3

  295

  9·3

  Maternity Allowances/SMP

  110

  10·0

  110

  10·0

  95

  -5·0

  110

  10·0

  War Pension

  280

  -27·3

  270

  -29·9

  265

  -31·2

  265

  -31·2

  Attendance Allowance (1)

  605

  128·3

  670

  152·8

  730

  175·5

  795

  200·0

  Invalid Care Allowance

  25

  400·0

  80

  1,500·0

  100

  1,900·0

  115

  2,200·0

  Severe Disablement Allowance

  265

  76·7

  265

  76·7

  270

  80·0

  280

  86·7

  Mobility Allowance (1)

  460

  384·2

  515

  442·1

  560

  489·5

  585

  515·8

  Disability Living Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Disability Working Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Income Support/Supplementary Benefit

  5,095

  68·7

  5,020

  66·2

  4,310

  42·7

  4,155

  37·6

  Child Benefit (Children)

  12,175

  -9·7

  12,040

  -10·7

  12,010

  -10·9

  12,000

  -11·0

  One Parent Benefit

  615

  112·1

  660

  127·6

  705

  143·1

  735

  153·4

  508 509

  Benefit

  1986–87

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1987–88

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1988–89

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1989–90

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  Family Credit/Family Income Supplement

  215

  152·9

  220

  158·8

  280

  229·4

  305

  258·8

  Rate Rebate

  7,050

  130·8

  6,875

  125·0

  5,150

  68·6

  4,320

  41·4

  Rent Allowance

  1,180

  424·4

  1,195

  431·1

  965

  328·9

  955

  324·4

  Rent Rebate

  3,720

  207·4

  3,665

  202·9

  3,125

  158·3

  2,950

  143·8

  Community Charge Benefit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  865

  —

  Thousands

  Benefit

  1990–91

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1991–92

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  1992–93

  Percentage increase from 1978–79

  Retirement Pension

  9,895

  16·0

  9,920

  16·3

  9,945

  16·6

  Widows Benefit

  350

  -29·3

  350

  -29·3

  340

  -31·3

  Unemployment Benefit

  425

  -25·4

  650

  14·0

  605

  6·1

  Sickness Benefit/SSP

  460

  -17·9

  465

  -17·0

  465

  -17·0

  Invalidity Benefit

  1,265

  110·8

  1,325

  120·8

  1,380

  130·0

  Industrial Disablement Benefit

  305

  13·0

  330

  22·2

  335

  24·1

  Maternity Allowance/SMP

  100

  0·0

  105

  5·0

  105

  5·0

  War Pension

  255

  -33·8

  260

  -32·5

  255

  -33·8

  Attendance Allowance (1)

  875

  230·2

  970

  266·0

  655

  —

  Invalid Care Allowance

  135

  2,600·0

  155

  3,000·0

  170

  3,300·0

  Severe Disablement Allowance

  290

  93·3

  300

  100·0

  315

  110·0

  Mobility Allowance

  620

  552·6

  660

  594·7

  0

  —

  Disability Living Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,255

  —

  Disability Working Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  50

  —

  Income Support/Supplementary Benefit

  4,190

  38·7

  4,820

  59·6

  5,105

  69·0

  Child Benefit (Children)

  12,135

  -10·0

  12,185

  -9·6

  12,340

  -8·5

  One Parent Benefit

  760

  162·1

  835

  187·9

  880

  203·4

  Family Credit/Family Income Supplement

  320

  276·5

  350

  311·8

  420

  394·1

  Rate Rebate

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rent Allowance

  1,030

  357·8

  1,115

  395·6

  1,205

  435·6

  Rent Rebate

  2,925

  141·7

  3,085

  155·0

  3,295

  172·3

  Community Charge Benefit

  6,740

  —

  6,570

  —

  6,865

  —

  National Insurance
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when Mrs. Yvonne Syme of 5 Barber close, Bartestree, Hereford applied for a refund of class 2 national insurance contributions for the period June 1988 to December 1990; and when she can expect payment to be made.

  Mr. Jack
  Operational aspects of the collection and refund of national insurance contributions are matters for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive of the Contributions Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend and copies will be place in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Benefits Agency
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the business plans for all Benefits Agency districts.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The publication of Benefits Agency business plans 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.

  Income Support
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements are made to allow a person receiving income support who is participating in a training course provided by a voluntary organisation, local 510
  authority, or training and enterprise council or local enterprise company and which is funded by the European social fund, to be paid a weekly voluntary or charitable payment by his or her training provider without it being deducted from his or her income support; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Charitable or voluntary payments can be made to recipients of income support in a wide variety of ways without affecting their benefit. For example, regular charitable or voluntary payments which are intended and used for items other than food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel, housing costs covered by benefit, community charge or water charges are fully disregarded. Regular charitable or voluntary payments of up to £10 a week are also ignored, provided that the recipient has no other income which attracts a £10 disregard. In addition, regular payments in kind are disregarded.

  Care Homes
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what level of benefits will be payable to those in independent residential care and nursing homes on the introduction of the new community care arrangements.

  Mr. Newton
  The Government's policy, set out in the White Paper "Caring for People"—Cmnd. 849, November 1989—is that people already in residential care or nursing homes on 31 March 1993 should continue to be eligible for
  511
  help under the current special income support arrangements which include help towards the costs of care, but that those entering such homes thereafter should receive social security benefits on a basis comparable with what would be available in their own homes. Thus from April 1993, for residents entering such homes, there would be eligibility for income support under the normal rules and for a payment towards housing costs; while care costs would, where appropriate, be met directly by the relevant local authority.

  Having carefully considered how the proposed payments towards housing costs should be made, I have concluded, in consultation with my right hon. Friends, the Secretaries of State for Health, for the Environment, for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland, that the most practicable, convenient and sensible arrangement will be a residential allowance payable as part of the income support entitlement. Accordingly, we propose to introduce such an allowance for those entering residential care and nursing homes from April 1993. We intend that it should be paid at a rate established by reference to the rents typically paid by people in sheltered housing accommodation, and that there should be a higher rate in the area defined for income support purposes as Greater London. Consultation will now take place with the local authority associations about the detailed procedures for the new allowance.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is his latest estimate of the number of people in receipt of income support in(a) residential homes and (b) nursing homes;

  (2) what is his latest estimate of the numbers of people in (a) residential homes and (b) nursing homes in receipt of income support who are over pension age;

  (3) what is the total number of people living in (a) private and voluntary residential care homes and (b) private and voluntary nursing homes.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is contained in the table:

  Residential care homes

  Nursing homes

  Total with income support1

  150,000

  104,000

  Women over 60

  89,100

  73,700

  Men over 65

  20,400

  22,100

  1 The figures have been rounded to thousands.

  Source: Income support Sstatistics quarterly inquiry November 1991 residential care and nursing home report.

  Information is not collected on the numbers of people in homes who do not receive income support.

  Mesothelioma
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy towards victims of mesothelioma.

  Mr. Scott
  Diffuse mesothelioma has been in the industrial injuries scheme's list of prescribed industrial diseases since 1966. Disablement benefit is payable where disablement caused by the condition is assessed at 1 per cent. or more. payment of additional industrial injuries benefits is considered automatically where disablement is assessed at 100 per cent.

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the annual contributions from Government sources to the independent living fund since its establishment, together with any initial contributions involved in the setting up of the fund.

  Mr. Scott
  The independent living fund was established in 1988 with an initial contribution into its trust fund of £4,500. Provision for the fund in 1988–89 was £5 million. Actual expenditure was £1 million in 1988–89; £10 million in 1989–90 and £26 million in 1990–91. Provision for the fund in the current financial year is £54 million.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the names, backgrounds and associations of the 10 trustees of the independent living fund.

  Mr. Scott
  The independent living fund's trustees are as follows:

  Mr. Derek Chislett

  Sir Geoffrey Dalton

  Miss Eilis Gallagher

  Mr. Joe Hennessy

  Mr. Trevan Hingston (Chairman)

  Mr. Stewart Lyon (Treasurer)

  Mr. Bert Massie

  Mr. Jack McGregor

  Miss Pauline Thompson (Vice Chairman)

  Mrs. Winifred Tumim

  Five of the trustees—Mr. Chislett, Sir Geoffrey Dalton, Miss Gallagher, Mr. Hingston and Mrs. Tumim—were appointed by the Secretary of State. The remainder were appointed by the independent living fund's co-founders, the Disablement Income Group.

  Helplines
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the location of his Department's helplines in Scotland and the number of lines available at each location.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The provision of helplines is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, and Miss Ann Chant, chief executive of the Contributions Agency. They will write to the hon. Member and copies of their letters will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  Performance Targets
  Mr. Jim Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will announce the 1992–93 performance targets which he is setting his Department's executive operations.

  Mr. Newton
  I have today announced the targets for 1992–93 which I have set for Department of Social Security executive operations.

  A number of changes have been made to the format and range of the targets to improve the measures of performance and to cover the introduction of the new disability benefits. The targets set challenging standards of performance for the Department and represent an overall improvement over those set for the current year. The clearance time target for disability living allowance claims represents a considerable improvement over the equivalent

  513
  targets for attendance allowance and mobility allowance. The war pensions disablement claims target has been modified to allow for an average 20 days before claims reach the agency and to relate it to continued work load which in 1991–92 has run at double the forecast level. While the target is lower than had previously been planned, it nevertheless represents against the background of the greatly increased number of claims a challenging target entailing a significant improvement in performance.

  The targets support fully the continued success of the Government's "next steps" agencies and the citizen's charter initiative. They are as follows:

  BENEFITS AGENCY

  Benefit Clearance Times1

  Social fund crisis loans—applications cleared on the day the need arises.2

  Social fund community care grants—applications cleared on average in seven days.2

  Income support new claims—claims cleared on average in four days.1

  Sickness and invalidity benefit claims—65 per cent. of claims cleared in 10 days and 95 per cent. in 30 days.

  Child benefit—65 per cent. of claims in 10 days and 95 per cent. in 30 days.

  Family credit—60 per cent. of claims in 13 days and 95 per cent. in 45 days.3

  Disability living allowance—60 per cent. of claims in 30 days and 95 per cent. in 55 days.4

  Disability working allowance (claims from people starting work)—95 per cent. of claims in five days.

  War pensions (new disablement cases)—60 per cent. of claims in 175 days.5

  War pensions (widows' cases)—80 per cent. of claims in 75 days.

  Benefit Accuracy

  Income support—to pay the correct amount in 94 per cent. of cases.

  Incapacity benefits6—to pay the correct amount in 96·5 per cent. of cases.

  Family credit—to pay the correct amount in 94 per cent. of cases.

  Disability living allowance—to pay the correct amount in 96 per cent. of cases.

  Disability working allowance—to pay the correct amount in 95 per cent. of cases.

  Customer Satisfaction

  85 per cent. of customers to regard the agency's service as satisfactory or better.

  Resource management

  To manage the agency's resources so as to deliver its business plan within a total budget of £1,948 million.

  Achieve new efficiency savings worth at least £53·7 million.

  The budget of £1,948 million is net of these savings.

  Keep to gross allocation for social fund loans and grants of £302 million.

  Financial recovery

  Recovery of social fund loans—£175 million.

  Benefit savings from detection and prevention of fraud—£460 million.

  Recovery of income support overpayments—£30 million. 1992–93 to include recovery from estates.

  CONTRIBUTIONS AGENCY

  Performance—Compliance

  Increase aggregate yield by:

  (a) Increasing collection of contribution arrears (excluding central payments section) by £13·3 million over the 1991–92 outturn.

  (b) Increasing class 1 identified from survey (arrears and in-year savings) by £12 million over the 1991–92 outturn.

  Increase the number of surveys to 114,000, including 17,000 employer educational visits.

  Actively identify 40,000 persons with class 2 liability.

  514
  Performance—Records Maintenance

  Process 98 per cent. of available employers' end of year returns by 31 December 1992.

  Correct 83 per cent. of rejects from employers' end of year returns by 31 march 1993.

  Performance—Customer Service/Information Provision

  Clear 99 per cent. of benefit inquiries handled clerically in three working days to 98 per cent. accuracy.

  Dispatch either a full reply, or an informative response, to 95 per cent. of all customer inquiries within 10 working days of receipt.

  Complete action to register acceptable personal pension cases and process straightforward termination notices for 92 per cent. of all cases within 28 working days of receipt.

  Provide a level of public service considered to be satisfactory by at least 75 per cent. of customers surveyed.

  Resource Management

  To manage the agency's resources so as to deliver its business plan within a total budget of £142 million.

  Achieve new efficiency savings of £2·6 million.

  INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AGENCY

  General

  To manage the agency's resources so as to deliver agreed services within the approved 1992–93 running cost and capital allocations and accruals based budgets;

  to achieve running cost business efficiency savings of 3·9 per cent; and

  to produce monthly profiles and actual monitoring data for all general and financial targets.

  Quality of Service
  Service availability—93 per cent of district offices will receive at least the weekly service availability level agreed in the relevant customer service level agreement each month; and
  on-line response time—the average response time for on-line services is set at seven seconds or less across 95 per cent. of all responses.

  Financial
  Unit cost and financial ratio targets are set but are not published for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

  RESETTLEMENT AGENCY

  Customer Care

  Not less than 90 per cent. of published facilities to be provided.

  Survey of residents to confirm that not less than 85 per cent. express satisfaction with standards.

  Resource Management
  To manage the agency's resources so as to deliver its business plan within a total budget of £25·517 million, including £14·196 million for the costs of existing resettlement units and agency HQ.
  To achieve £0·3 million in new efficiency savings to be reallocated to grants for replacement providers.

  Disengagement Strategy
  Make satisfactory alternative provision for four resettlement units and then disengage from running them by 31 March 1993.
  Secure commitments to satisfactory alternative provision for a further four units, and then announce decisions to disengage from running them during 1993–94, by 31 March 1993.

  CHILD SUPPORT UNIT
  Responsibility for the Department's existing work on collecting maintenance for children will pass in April 1992 from the Benefits Agency to the new child support unit, in preparation for the launch of the child support agency in 1993. The unit's service delivery and financial targets will be:

  Percentage of lone parents making new and repeat claims for income support for whom maintenance is arranged—20 per cent.7

  Number of lone parents already in receipt of income

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  support on 6 April 1992 for whom maintenance is arranged—24,000.7

  Annual Benefit Savings—£320 million.

  To manage the unit's resources so as to deliver its business plan within a total budget of £86 million.

  In addition to the above, agencies also have milestone targets to be achieved during 1992–93. Details of these will be published in agency annual business plans. Some of the above budget allocation figures differ from the plans published in the DSS report—Cm 1914. This is due to recent transfers between budgets.

  1 Clearance times normally cover the period from date of receipt of the claim in the agency to the formal decision by the adjudication officer or equivalent. Notification of the result is normally issued by the following day. All days refer to working days.

  7 Based on "calculated" measure, reflecting work outstanding, work processed and working days in the
  516
  month, measuring from date of entry to date of clearance on statistical record sheet or, for social fund, from date of claim.

  3 The target value is subject to assumption about the number of cases still requiring further inquiries following procedural changes in April 1992.

  4 By comparison, the current targets for attendance allowance is 70 per cent. in 50 days and 95 per cent. in 90 days. The current target for mobility allowance is an average of 37 days, but is not directly comparable.

  5 Based on a forecast workload of 102,000 new cases, compared with an original forecast for 1992–93 of 69,500 claims: the target to be varied subject to work loads.

  6 Incapacity benefits is an overall term used to cover sickness benefit, invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance and maternity allowance.

  7These two targets are together broadly equivalent to a target of 27 per cent. of all lone parents on income support receiving maintenance.

  PALESTINIAN DETAINEES IN ISRAEL
  PALESTINIAN DETAINEES IN ISRAEL
  IVORY POACHING: PENALTIES
  IVORY POACHING: PENALTIES
  TREASURY OFFICIALS: SECONDMENTS
  TREASURY OFFICIALS: SECONDMENTS
  SHARE OWNERSHIP
  SHARE OWNERSHIP
  ASSAULTS ON POLICE: SENTENCING REVIEW
  ASSAULTS ON POLICE: SENTENCING REVIEW
  RACE RELATIONS ACT 1966: SECTION 11 GRANTS
  RACE RELATIONS ACT 1966: SECTION 11 GRANTS
  NON-HUMAN PRIMATES IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
  NON-HUMAN PRIMATES IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
  INDONESIA: EXPORT CREDIT SUPPORT
  INDONESIA: EXPORT CREDIT SUPPORT
  HORSE GUARDS ROAD
  HORSE GUARDS ROAD
  "THIS COMMON INHERITANCE": ANNIVERSARY REPORT
  "THIS COMMON INHERITANCE": ANNIVERSARY REPORT
  RURAL HOUSING SPECIAL PROGRAMME: ALLOCATIONS
  RURAL HOUSING SPECIAL PROGRAMME: ALLOCATIONS
  HOUSING THE HOMELESS: EMPTY GOVERNMENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
  HOUSING THE HOMELESS: EMPTY GOVERNMENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
  BIG BEN: MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
  BIG BEN: MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
  DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT: RELOCATION
  DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT: RELOCATION
  PRIMROSE HILL and REGENT'S CANAL: MANAGEMENT
  PRIMROSE HILL and REGENT'S CANAL: MANAGEMENT
  WIDOWED FATHERS: BENEFIT LEVEL
  WIDOWED FATHERS: BENEFIT LEVEL