Written Answers of 13 May 1992

PRIME MINISTER

  Security Services
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister whether he proposes to bring the operation of the Secret Intelligence Service and the Security Service under parliamentary scrutiny.

  The Prime Minister
  The security and intelligence services are all subject to close ministerial oversight, and Ministers are responsible to Parliament. There are now also commissioners for the Security Service and interception of communications who produce an annual report to Parliament. Those who have grievances have access to tribunals and sources of redress. There will be an opportunity for Parliament to debate such matters when legislation is brought forward.

  Police Authority
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the police authority for all the non-Home Office official police forces and/or constabularies.

  The Prime Minister
  A number of bodies have powers under legislation other than the Police Act 1964 to appoint persons having some of the powers of a constable. A full list of such organisations is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The larger forces include the British Transport police, the Ministry of Defence police, the Royal Parks constabulary and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority constabulary. The performance of the duties and functions associated with police authorities normally rests with the Government department, local authority, or private company responsible for the constables concerned.

  European Community
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister what priority, during the United Kingdom's approaching presidency of the European Community, he gives to making progress on creating a stable future for United Kingdom agriculture as opposed to other issues such as enlargement or EC institutional change.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government set out the right approach for the future of agriculture in the United Kingdom in the statement published last autumn, "Our Farming Future". This stressed the importance of the need for effective and substantial CAP reform. We shall pursue that objective during our presidency alongside our other objectives for the future of the Commmunity.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to call for a 30 per cent. reduction in levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom by the year 2000.

  The Prime Minister
  No. The United Nations intergovernmental negotiating committee on a framework convention on climate change unanimously adopted a draft convention on 9 May which would commit developed countries to adopt policies and measures aimed at returning emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to their 1990 levels by the year 2000. The convention will be open for signature during the United Nations conference on environment and development next month.

  Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the responsibilities of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  The Prime Minister
  In addition to his duties in relation to the Duchy, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is responsible to me for the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (OMCS), and the new Office of Science and Technology (OST).

  He will be responsible for development of the citizens charter initiative ensuring sustained improvement in public services; this includes the charterline and the charter mark scheme, the toughening up of inspectorates, and the extension of contracting out and market testing. Above all, the Chancellor is responsible for ensuring that those who provide public services are practising the charter principles.

  The Chancellor of the Duchy is also responsible for the "next steps" programme, improving efficiency and effectiveness in the civil service, and the market testing initiative; for advice on duties and standards in the civil service, the recruitment and development of civil servants, senior and public appointments, equal opportunities, occupational health and certain other non-financial aspects of personnel management. He will take responsibility for three executive agencies: the Civil Service College, the Recruitment and Assessment Services and the Occupational Health Service.

  The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will be responsible for policy on open government, with a view to identifying areas of excessive secrecy and carrying forward moves towards greater openness. He will lead a review of specific statutory restrictions on the disclosure of information and the scope for greater access to personal records, while safeguarding personal privacy. The Chancellor of the Duchy will also be responsible for science and technology issues and for the Office of Science and Technology (OST). The OST will be responsible for the Advisory Council on Science and Technology (ACOST) and for the Advisory Board for the Research Councils (ABRC); for the Office of Science and Technology budget which includes the science budget; and also for the five research councils.

  The Treasury will remain responsible for financial management, civil service pay, industrial relations, other pay related aspects of personnel management, relocation policies and civil service manpower statistics.
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  Departmental Ministers remain responsible for the progress of individual charters, management issues within their departments and the operation of their executive agencies.

  National Heritage
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for National Heritage.

  The Prime Minister
  The Secretary of State for National Heritage will be responsible for many of the central areas of our national life which enhance its quality or contribute significantly to our sense of national identity. These include the present functions of the Office of Arts and Libraries—the arts, museums, galleries and libraries—together with film and the export licensing of antiques, functions which are to be transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry. He will be responsible for broadcasting, notably the review of the BBC's charter, the press—including work on the recommendations of the Calcutt committee—and the safety of sports grounds, all duties to be transferred from the Home Office; sport, from the Department of Education and Science; tourism, from the Department of Employment; and heritage from the Department of the Environment. He will be responsible for the Historic Royal Palaces Agency.

  The Secretary of State will be responsible for the proposed national lottery and, in consultation with the Home Secretary, the legislation required to create it. The Secretary of State will also be responsible for the Millennium Fund.

  Cabinet Committees
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will retain Cabinet committees dealing with overall environmental issues and with energy efficiency in particular.

  The Prime Minister
  The full list of Ministerial Cabinet Committees, with their terms of reference and membership, will be published shortly.

  CSCE Meeting
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to announce the membership of the United Kingdom delegation for the forthcoming meeting in Budapest of the new Assembly of Europe of the conference on security and co-operation in Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The appointment of the delegation is a matter for discussion through the usual channels. I will make an announcement in due course.

  Kurt Klebeck
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will now take steps to ask the German authorities to extradite Kurt Klebeck to the United Kingdom over Nazi crimes in the Channel islands.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: Mr. Klebeck is a German national. We understand that Germany does not extradite its own nationals because of a prohibition in its constitution. We would co-operate
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  fully with the German authorities if we were asked by them for assistance in connection with any possible proceedings in Germany.

  War Crimes
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will now release in the public domain documents relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands which remain classified; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: Any records relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands which remain closed to the public domain will be released at the appropriate time, under the criteria of the Public Records Acts of 1958 and 1967. I will however look into the matter raised by the hon. Member.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Electoral Areas
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ask the Local Government Boundary Commissioner to consider the grouping of wards into district electoral areas in advance of the next local government election in 1993.

  Mr. Hanley
  When the present review of local government boundaries in Northern Ireland is complete, and the necessary consequential legislation has been made, a district electoral areas commissioner will be appointed under the District Electoral Areas Commissioner (Northern Ireland) Order 1984. It is intended that the commissioner should report in good time for his recommendations to be implemented before the 1993 local government elections.

  Next Steps
  Mr. Townend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of the next steps initiative in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am pleased to announce that, following a thorough feasibility study, the Government have decided that an executive agency should be set up within the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) to carry out the work of driver and vehicle licensing in Northern Ireland.

  The detailed planning for agency status is already under way and the target launch date is 1 April 1993.

TRANSPORT

  Traffic Calming
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discretion local authorities have over the provisions of circular 3/90 and traffic advisory leaflet 2/90 to suit particular local conditions.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Circular 3/90 provides guidance to local highway authorities on the application of the Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1990. The circular gives guidelines only to local authorities because they are required to meet the regulations. On 1 July 1992 we propose to commence a provision of the Road Traffic Act
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  1991 which will give the Department powers to authorise, on local roads, humps which do not comply with the regulations. We will shortly be advising local highway authorities, by means of a further circular, on how these powers will be exercised.

  A13
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements to the A13 between the North Circular road and Butcher row are currently being undertaken; at what cost; and when they will begin and be completed.

  Mr. Norris
  The present estimated cost of works (including any advance works) and construction dates are as follows:

  Scheme

  Estimated works cost(£ million)

  Planned start

  Planned finish

  Butcher row junction

  1

  1993

  1994

  West India Dock road junction

  Interim

  4

  (Completed April 1992)

  Final

  1

  1993

  1993

  Cotton street-Blackwall tunnel junction(A 102)

  7

  1993

  1994

  Ironbridge to Canning Town improvements

  53

  1994

  1997

  Prince Regent lane(Al 12) junction

  36

  1994

  1996

  East Ham Manor way(A117) junction

  33

  1994

  1996

  All schemes are subject to the availability of funds and the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures.

  Tilbury and Southend Railway Line
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will agree a fixed timetable for the trains and infrastructure investments in the London, Tilbury and Southend line, or make this line the first target for privatisation.

  Mr. Freeman
  BR has just let a contract for the survey and design part of the £50 million resignalling project which they believe to be the key to improving reliability on the London, Tilbury and Southend line. BR is considering what the best option for replacing the rolling stock might be. I look forward to receiving its proposals.

  The London, Tilbury and Southend line will be one of the candidates for franchising when the necessary legislation is in place.

  Railway Services
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement in the legislative proposals necessary to enable Her Majesty's Government to comply with European regulations on the operation of railway services in Britain.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government propose to make regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 in order to implement EC directive 91/440 "On the Development of the Community's Railways".

  Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislative steps he envisages, to enable SNCF to run trains on British Rail tracks after the opening of the channel tunnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  No new legislation is needed to enable SNCF to run rail services jointly with BR on BR tracks. The Government propose to make regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 in order to implement EC directive 91/440 "On the Development of the Community's Railways".

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on raising finance from the private sector for the channel tunnel rail link; if public moneys will be made available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have appointed Samuel Montagu to advise on private sector involvement, and it has had preliminary discussions with a number of organisations with a potential interest in funding and developing the link. But substantive consideration of funding issues is unlikely before the route has been refined.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans are being made for an international station at Stratford to serve the channel tunnel rail link; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail is undertaking detailed studies on the options for an international station a t Stratford, and there will be consultation with the local authorities concerned before any plans are finalised.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the London Channel Tunnel Group is to be represented on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Forum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The local authorities directly affected by the proposed route of the channel tunnel rail link are represented on the forum individually, rather than through bodies such as the London Channel Tunnel Group.

  London Underground
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last travelled on the Northern line of the London underground; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  I last travelled on the Northern line on Saturday 9 May.

  Bus Privatisation
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the possibility of collusion or monopoly power amongst the privatised bus companies due to concentration of market share.

  Mr. Hamilton
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Director General of Fair Trading has a general duty to keep the provision of bus services under review, and powers to act in relation to possible abuse of monopoly power or anti-competitive practices. Any evidence of abuse of market position should be referred to the director general.

LORD CHANCELLOR

  Mr. Kurt Klebeck
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will release records held in the public record offices relating to the conduct of Herr Kurt Klebeck in Alderney during the 1939–45 war; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Any records in the Public Records Office relating to the occupation of the Channel Islands during the second world war which have been closed for longer than 30 years, under the arrangements set out in paragraph 25 to 27 of the 1982 White Paper "Modern Public Records" (Cm 8531), will be released at the appropriate time. It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to reveal details of the contents of specific withheld records. Questions of access to withheld records are a matter for the department of origin.

  Law of Privity
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he plans to reform the principle of the law of privity as it affects commercial leasehold property; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor is actively considering the report of the Law Commission "Landlord and Tenant Law: Privity of Contract and Estate" (Law Com. 174) which recommended modifications to the present law under which original parties to a lease normally remain liable to perform the covenants thereunder for the whole of the lease term, notwithstanding that they may have parted with all interest in the property. He hopes to be able to make an announcement about this report in the near future.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  Newspapers
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission how many copies of(a) the London Evening Standard and (b) The Sun are purchased for the House each day.

  Mr. Beith
  I shall arrange for the hon. Member to be supplied with this information.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission how much was spent on providing national and local newspapers for hon. Members and Officers in each of the last two years.

  Mr. Beith
  The total annual cost of newspapers supplied through the Serjeant at Arms Department and by the Library during the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92 was £46,847 and £56,831, respectively.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Slovenia
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to extend the know-how fund to the independent republic of Slovenia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  This is under active consideration.

  Moldova
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any application for the establishment of diplomatic relations and request to benefit from the know-how fund has been received from the Republic of Moldova; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have had diplomatic relations with Moldova since 17 January. The Moldovan Government have asked about the possibility of support from the know-how fund. We have indicated that we would respond to specific requests for support for projects in Moldova, and have invited proposals. No applications have been received to date for projects in Moldova.

  Diplomatic Relations
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for if he will list those countries represented at the United Nations with which the United Kingdom does not have diplomatic relations.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom has no diplomatic relations with the following members of the United Nations:

  Bhutan

  Democratic People's Republic of Korea

  Iraq

  Libya

  Ceremonial Dress
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years on the provision of ceremonial dress for ambassadors, high commissioners, governors and other diplomatic representatives overseas.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The figures are:

  £

  1989–90

  12,791

  1990–91

  13,151

  1991–92

  16,077

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on(a) bird feathers, (b) swords and (c) gold braid in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Governor of Hong Kong
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the total cost of equipping the new Governor of Hong Kong with ceremonial dress; and what items are involved.
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  Mr. Goodlad
  Mr. Patten, having consulted widely, does not propose to wear ceremonial dress.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the total cost of administering the office of the Hong Kong Governor in each of the last three financial years; and what is the proposed budget for 1992–93.

  Mr. Goodlad
  This cost is borne by the Hong Kong Government.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those facilities and allowances currently available to the office of Hong Kong Governor.

  Mr. Goodlad
  These are provided and financed by the Hong Kong Government.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on official hospitality by the Governor of Hong Kong in the last completed financial year.

  Mr. Goodlad
  This is the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government.

  Protocol 17
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the declaration on protocol 17 to the treaty on European union which was agreed by European Community Foreign Ministers at Guimaraes on 1 and 2 May.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  On 2 May, EC Foreign Ministers agreed the text of the following declaration on protocol 17 to the treaty on European union:The High Contracting Parties to the Treaty on European Union signed at Maastricht on the 7th day of February 1992.
  Having considered the terms of Protocol No. 17 to the said Treaty on European Union which is annexed to that Treaty and to the Treaties establishing the European Communities.
  Hereby give the following legal interpretation:
  that it was and is their intention that the Protocol shall not limit freedom to travel between member States or in accordance with conditions which may be laid down, in conformity with Community law, by Irish legislation to obtain or make available in Ireland information relating to services lawfully available in Member States. At the same time the High Contracting Parties solemnly declare that, in the event of a future constitutional amendment in Ireland which concerns the subject matter of Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution of Ireland and which does not conflict with the intention of the High Contracting Parties hereinbefore expressed, they will, following the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union be favourably disposed to amending the said Protocol so as to extend its application to such constitutional amendment if Ireland so requests.

  Vietnamese Migrants
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Vietnamese migrants.

  Mr. Goodlad
  On 12 May the British, Hong Kong and Vietnamese Governments reached agreement on the second phase of the orderly repatriation programme,112
  covering the repatriation from Hong Kong of Vietnamese illegal immigrants—that is, those who under the screening procedures agreed and monitored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have been found not to be refugees.

  This second phase agreed in principle last October with Vietnam, covers those Vietnamese migrants who were already in Hong Kong on 29 October 1991 when the orderly repatriation programme was announced. Earlier arrangements covered those who arrived in Hong Kong after that date and those who, having already been repatriated voluntarily, returned to Hong Kong in the hope of collecting a further UNHCR reintegration allowance.

  There are still 56,000 Vietnamese migrants in Hong Kong, the vast majority of whom will probably not qualify as refugees. Those who are screened out will be encouraged to return under the UNHCR scheme. We hope most will do so. But inevitably some will not. These will be returned under the orderly repatriation programme.

  The orderly repatriation programme is based on the firm principles that nobody whom UNHCR believes to be a refugee will be returned and that no returning migrant will face persecution. The Vietnamese Government have reaffirmed their commitment not to persecute returnees and to facilitate access to them by UNHCR and others to ensure that this guarantee is respected.

  Since 1988, more than 20,000 Vietnamese migrants have returned home from the region without a single substantiated case of persecution.

  Angola
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the investigation into the murder of the four British tourists in south-western Angola in January.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Angolan Government investigation into the killings is still continuing. Our embassy in Luanda is closely monitoring progress.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Economic and Monetary Union
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the state of progress in each of the member states of the EC towards the criteria in the Maastricht treaty for economic and monetary union.

  Mr. Nelson
  The table shows the state of progress of EC member states with respect to the convergence criteria, as set out in article 109j of the Maastricht treaty, using the most recent and consistent data and forecasts available. Definitions are not, as yet, fully standardised for any of the indicators of convergence, and figures are therefore only indicative at this stage.

  It should be emphasized that whether or not a member state is assessed to be eligible for stage 3 of EMU in the final analysis is a matter for ECOFIN judgment, acting on a recommendation from the Commission. The final decision of whether to move to stage 3 rests with Heads of State or Government. There is a presumption that these judgments will be guided by the four formal convergence

  113
  criteria, but there is no requirement that they should be strictly bound by them and other factor will be taken into account.

  Latest Inflation1

  Government deficit2

  General government debt3

  Long Term bond yield4

  ERM narrow band5

  Belgium

  2·7

  -6·4

  129·4

  8·8

  Yes

  Denmark

  2·6

  -1·7

  67·2

  8·3

  Yes

  France

  3·2

  -1·5

  47·2

  8·9

  Yes

  West Germany

  4·8

  -3·2

  46·2

  8·1

  Yes

  Greece

  18·3

  -17·9

  96·4

  N/A

  No

  Ireland

  3·7

  -4·1

  102·8

  8·8

  Yes

  Italy

  5·6

  -9·9

  101·2

  11·5

  Yes

  Luxembourg

  3·0

  2·0

  6·9

  7·7

  Yes

  Netherlands

  4·2

  -4·4

  78·4

  8·5

  Yes

  Portugal

  8·5

  -5·4

  64·7

  13·5

  No

  Spain

  6·9

  -3·9

  45·6

  11·5

  No

  United Kingdom

  4·0

  -1·9

  43·8

  9·3

  No

  1 March 1992; percentage change of consumer prices over previous 12 months. Source: OECD.

  2 1991 forecast for general government financial balance (as a percentage of GDP). Source: European Commission.

  3 1991 forecast for gross debt of general government (as a percentage of GDP). Source: European Commission.

  4 January 1992; yield on fixed interest government securities. Source: Eurostat.

  5 Membership of the narrow band of the ERM for at least two years, without devaluing on own initiative.

  Central Bank
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he favours the establishment of an independent central bank.

  Mr. Nelson
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to establish an independent central bank. If at some future date the United Kingdom decided to move to stage 3 of European economic and monetary union, steps would have to be taken to ensure that the Bank of England, as part of the European system of central banks, would enjoy the degree of independence required by the treaty on European union.

  Exchange Rates
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the appreciation in the real exchange rate of(a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany and (c) France since (i) May 1979, (ii) May 1986, (iii) the date of United Kingdom entry to the exchange rate mechanism and (iv) January 1991.

  Mr. Nelson
  Measures of countries' real effective exchange rate indices are published monthly by the International Monetary Fund in "International Finance Statistics".

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the real interest rates in(a) Germany and (b) Britain month by month since Britain's entry into the exchange rate mechanism.

  Mr. Nelson
  The following rates were calculated using three-month money market rates. The United Kingdom figures were deflated by the retail prices index excluding mortgage interest payments; the German rates were deflated by the consumer prices index excluding rent, a more comparable measure than headline CPI. Appropriate figures are only available as far as February 1992.
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  Germany

  United Kingdom

  1990

  October

  5·1

  4·1

  November

  5·7

  4·1

  December

  6·4

  4·4

  1991

  January

  6·5

  5·0

  February

  6·4

  4·3

  March

  6·8

  3·7

  April

  6·4

  4·8

  May

  6·1

  4·6

  June

  5·5

  4·1

  July

  4·5

  4·0

  August

  5·1

  4·4

  September

  5·2

  4·3

  October

  5·9

  4·7

  November

  5·1

  4·5

  December

  5·4

  4·7

  1992

  January

  5·5

  4·8

  February

  5·3

  4·5

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the level of real interest rates in January 1987, January 1989, January 1990 and every month since January 1991 to date.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: The following figures have been calculated by deflating average three-month inter bank rates for each month by the retail-prices index excluding mortgage interest payments for the same month. Hence no figures are available after March 1992, the last month for which the RPI is available. The figures are percentages.

  Per cent.

  January 1987

  7·2

  January 1989

  7·2

  January 1990

  8·6

  January 1991

  5·1

  February

  4·3

  March

  3·7

  April

  4·9

  May

  4·4

  June

  4·6

  July 1991

  4·6

  115

  Per cent.

  August

  4·4

  September

  4·4

  October

  4·6

  November

  4·5

  December

  4·7

  January 1992

  4·8

  February

  4·5

  March

  4·6

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of real interest rates in May 1987, May 1989, May 1991 and May 1992 in Japan, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, respectively.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: The following figures were calculated using three-month market rates for each country. The United Kingdom figures were deflated using the retail prices index excluding mortgage interest payments; those for the United States and Japan used consumer prices indices with housing costs stripped out, to give a more comparable figure. Figures for May 1992 are not yet available.

  May 1987

  May 1989

  May 1991

  Japan

  4·1

  1·9

  4·4

  USA

  2·7

  2·1

  0·8

  United Kingdom

  4·8

  6·8

  6·5

  Master of Business Administration Courses
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to allow grant tax relief to individuals on master of business administration courses on their fees and expenses on the same basis as that allowed to companies which pay such fees for employees.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We have no present plans to change the provisions governing tax relief for vocational training which were included in the Finance Act 1991.

  Treaty of European Union
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the text of article 228B of the Maastricht treaty of European union referred to in article 73F; for what reasons it was left out; and what steps are being taken to publicise its terms before the article is enforced.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: There is no article 228B in the Maastricht treaty on European union. Article 228a is referred to in article 73g of the treaty on European union as presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Cm 1934), and may be found on page 59.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Parole
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to review the criteria determining good conduct for the purposes of parole in Her Majesty's prisons.
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  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. Prisoners' conduct is but one of many factors taken into account when the Parole Board considers the case for parole.

  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards a system of parole for terminally ill prisoners.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Terminally ill prisoners are considered for parole in the same way as others. A prisoner's medical condition is one of the factors which the Parole Board considers in assessing suitability for parole. Under the exercise of the royal prerogative of mercy, terminally ill prisoners can be considered for release on compassionate grounds, prior to their eligibility for release on parole.

  Public Houses
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the brewing industry, the trade unions and the Association of Chief Police Officers about the ramifications of the increasing number of so-called revolving door tenancies in public houses.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None.

  Overseas Voters
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of overseas voters registered to vote in each constituency in the United Kingdom and the number in each who actually voted.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 11 May 1992 at column 20. Information on the number of proxies who voted on behalf of overseas electors is not collected centrally.

  Constables (Swearing-in)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to how many local authorities have sworn in constables other than under the Police Acts.

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

  Prison Statistics
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the undertakings made to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish about reducing the number of prisoners in police cells since April. 1990, in Greater Manchester, indicating which have now been achieved, and if he will publish the number of prisoners in police cells in Greater Manchester for each month from April 1990 to April 1992.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The hon. Member has quite properly raised the problem of the shortage of prison accommodation in the Greater Manchester area on many occasions. In particular, I note that during the Consolidated Fund Bill debate on 14 March 1991,Official Report, column 1307, it was explained to the hon. Member:

  117
  —The new Brinsford young offender institution and remand centre would come on stream in October, contributing 475 places. The establishment began taking inmates at the beginning of December. Unfortunately an inmate disturbance on 4 December damaged the accommodation and at present the establishment is holding only 323 remand prisoners.
  —Action was in hand to create more space in Hindley remand centre by transferring to Stoke Heath young offenders awaiting trial. This action was then brought into effect and is continuing.
  —We were working to bring into use 200 new places in Full Sutton prison. One of the wings was brought into use in the latter part of 1991. There is an industrial dispute on the staffing of the remand wing.
  —A further 140 refurbished places in Manchester prison wold be handed over in May 1991 and would be brought on stream as quickly as possible. The accommodation was opened in November.
  —Moorland young offender institution and remand centre was due to come on stream in July 1991. It opened in August 1991.

  In a written answer on 26 April 1991 at columns 559–60, my right hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold) explained:
  "apart from new accommodation in Full Sutton, (see above) a further 152 places would be available in Acklington. Because of an industrial dispute Acklington did not begin to increase its population until March 1992. It will shortly reach its full capacity of 676."

  In addition to these changes, new prisons at Whitemoor, Belmarsh and Elmley opened in 1991–92. Changes of use were also effected in the Mount, Preston, Brockhill, Everthorpe and Hewell Grange in order to make a more effective response to population pressures.

  In June 1990, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) explained to the hon. Member that it was then thought that the police cells situation ought to be resolved by the end of that year. In written answers on 26 April and 3 June, my right hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden also explained that prison service assessments indicated that young men on remand should be cleared from police cells during May, and that there should be substantial inroads into the general problem in July onwards.

  As the hon. Member is aware, during the summer and autumn of 1991 there was an unexpected increase in the prison population. In fact, by the end of that year the population was nearly 3,000 above the short-term projections for that period. This had the effect of filling all the new and refurbished accommodation which had been intended to provide relief to the Greater Manchester police cells prisoners and causing prisoners to be held in police cells throughout England and Wales. The population has remained at this high level and, as a result, the situation remains very serious. The need to deal with the problems of prisoners in police cells remains a matter of the highest priority.

  The monthly figures for prisoners in Greater Manchester police cells who should be in prison are as follows:

  Number

  1990

  April

  219

  May

  343

  June

  321

  July

  284

  August

  329

  September

  281

  October

  246

  November

  268

  118

  Number

  December

  206

  1991

  January

  249

  February

  256

  March

  247

  April

  178

  May

  207

  June

  212

  July

  217

  August

  256

  September

  196

  October

  246

  November

  249

  December

  162

  1992

  January

  211

  February

  217

  March

  250

  April

  231

  Mr. Kurt Klebeck
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals to institute proceedings against Mr. Kurt Klebeck arising from his service in the German armed forces of occupation in Alderney during the 1939–45 war; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General on 11 May 1992.

  War Criminals
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if extradition arrangements currently in effect between the United Kingdom and Germany can be used to facilitate extradition of German nationals from Germany to be tried for crimes committed in the Channel Islands during the 1939–45 war; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The terms of the extradition arrangement between the United Kingdom and Germany are contained in the European Convention on Extradition Order 1990, which extends to the Channel Islands. The application of the arrangements in Germany is a matter for the German authorities. I understand that Germany cannot extradite its own nationals because of prohibitions to that effect in their own constitutions.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend the legislation regarding the compilation of electoral registers to allow errors made by council employees during the preparation of the lists to be corrected.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Provision is made in the Representation of the People Regulations 1986 for errors made during the compilation of the electors lists by the electoral registration officer to be corrected either before or after publication of the electoral register on 15 February.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by his
  119
  Department in the last financial year on campaigns to secure greater electoral registration in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) overseas.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A total of £627,000 was spent in England and Wales in 1991–92 on the annual advertising campaign to encourage people to register to vote. There was no advertising campaign in 1991–92 to encourage overseas electors to register, but £1,210 was spent on updating posters.

  Expenditure on publicity in Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland respectively.

WALES

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many patients there are currently in mental handicap hospitals in Wales; how many he expects there to be on 1 January 1993, 1994 and 1995, respectively; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the progress of the transfer of patients in mental handicap hospitals in Wales to care in the community.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  On 31 March 1991 (the last available census report) there were 1,332 people with a mental handicap resident in specialist mental handicap hospitals and units in Wales. This compares with 2,089 residents on 5 April 1983, the year the all-Wales mental handicap strategy was launched. This represents a fall of over 36 per cent.

  This has been made possible by the growth in new patterns of community based services, supported by earmarked payments from the Welsh Office. These total £41·5 million in 1992–93, an increase of over 20 per cent. on 1991–92. Of this record total, an additional £2 million has been earmarked to enable over 100 more people to be resettled into homes of their own.

  The Secretary of State announced on 9 March his intention to relaunch the strategy from April 1993 for a further period of development. Resettlement from hospital care is one of a number of key priorities for development he highlighted in the "Framework for Development" document, a copy of which was sent to hon. Members representing Welsh constituencies and which is in the Library of the House. Actual numbers to be resettled will depend on the satisfactory development of new patterns of services to meet the assessed needs of individuals.

  Local Government
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if it is his policy to replace the current structure of local government in Wales with unitary authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my statement to the House on 3 March 1992,Official Report, columns 171–72.

  Village Halls
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by district council area the communities which have benefited from the capital grants programme for village halls in each of the last 10 years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information is not available in this form. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts for minor building works have been agreed by the Welsh Development Agency in each of the last three years; and on how many occasions(a) the contractors have failed to complete works in the agreed time and (b) the Welsh Development Agency has failed to pay the contractors in the agreed time.

  Mr. David Hunt
  This is an operational matter for the Welsh Development Agency, and I have arranged for the chief executive to write to the hon. Gentleman.

  Environmental Impact Assessments
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many environmental impact assessments have been presented with the planning applications in each of the last three years; and what assessment has been made of their compliance with the European Community directive on environmental impact assessment.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The number of environmental statements accompanying planning applications in Wales notified to the Department in the three years since directive 85/337/EEC came into effect in July 1988 is:

  Number

  July 1988—July 1989

  4

  July 1989—July 1990

  14

  July 1990—July 1991

  27

  It is the responsibility of the planning authority to which an environmental statement is submitted to consider its adequacy and whether it complies with the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 which implement directive 85/337/EEC in respect of projects requiring planning permission. Where an application is the subject of an appeal or is called in, the responsibility transfers to the inspector or the Secretary of State. The regulations empower an authority, an inspector or the Secretary of State to require the applicant to provide further information as necessary.

  Estuaries
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the damage to estuaries over the last decade, its implications for estuarial flora and fauna, as well as adherence to international wildlife conventions; and whether he has any proposals for the protection and improvement of estuaries.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment today.

  Coastal Protection
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to improve the protection of the coastline and offshore waters; and when he expects to implement them.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment today.

  Llwyncelyn Centre, Swansea
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings have been arranged to discuss the future of the Llwyncelyn centre in Cockett, Swansea.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy towards environmental pollution in Wales caused by the burning of orimulsion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Only one application has been made in Wales to use orimulsion fuel on a large-scale commercial basis. This relates to National Power's proposals to use the fuel at its Pembroke power station.

  As required, National Power has made separate applications to the Department of Trade and Industry and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the Electricity Act 1989 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990, respectively. These applications are now under consideration.

  In advance of decisions by the relevant authorities, it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to comment on the proposals, especially in view of his statutory appellate role under the Environmental Protection Act. However, the hon. Gentleman can be assured that all the environmental implications of National Power's plans will be fully taken into account before final decisions are taken.

  Hazardous Substances
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the implementation in Wales of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1998.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  The responsibility for the implementation of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 (COSHH) rests with industry.

  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has committed substantial resources to promoting awareness and understanding of the regulations throughout Great Britain. It has produced a wide range of guidance material, given lectures, held seminars and made site visits to promote COSHH. HSE surveys show that over 80 per cent. of people in Great Britain work for companies aware of the regulations.

  Where it has been necessary, enforcement action for breaches of the COSHH regulations in Wales has been initiated by the HSE.
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  An evaluation report on the effectiveness of the COSHH regulations in Great Britain will be considered by the Health and Safety Commission later in the year, with a view to its publication.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Orchestras
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to discuss with the chairman of the Arts Council a further review of the funding of the four London symphony orchestras.

  Mr. Key
  None.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage meets the chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain frequently to discuss matters of common interest.

  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he has taken to ensure that the Arts Council consults in a timely manner the boards of the four London symphony orchestras about their funding arrangements.

  Mr. Key
  The funding of the London symphony orchestras is a matter for the Arts Council of Great Britain and is kept under regular review. Grant levels are announced by the council some four months before the start of the year to which they relate.

  Buxton Museum
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if his Department will investigate proposals by Derbyshire county council to mothball Buxton museum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Buxton museum and art gallery is funded by Derbyshire county council. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that the education committee of the county council has agreed to discuss with High Peak council the future of Buxton museum and art gallery. I understand that the East Midlands museums service has offered advice and guidance to the county council.

  National Heritage Memorial Fund
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the level of funding made from the National Heritage memorial fund for the purposes of safeguarding landscape features and wildlife habitats in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  Grants made available by the trustees of the National Heritage memorial fund to assist in the acquisition, maintenance or preservation of land of scenic and/or scientific interest over the last six financial years were as follows:

  £ million

  1986–87

  1·429

  1987–88

  1·500

  1988–89

  1·157

  1989–90

  5·887

  123

  £ million

  1990–91

  1·071

  1991–92

  1·940

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Tobacco
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will show the cost to(a) the EC and (b) Britain of subsidising tobacco growing within the EC in the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Curry
  The EC spent 1,330 mecu (about £927 million) on the CAP tobacco regime in 1991. As member states contribute to the EC budget as a whole, no meaningful breakdown can be made for their contributions to individual sectors of the budget.

  Whaling
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he is making in preparations for the humane killing workshop preceding the International Whaling Commission meeting in June; what initiatives he has taken and plans to take to ensure the protection of small cetaceans; what measures he is taking to prevent the resumption of commercial whaling; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Prior to the next meeting of the International Whaling Commission and at the request of the United Kingdom, a special workshop of experts will be held on 20 to 22 June under the independent chairmanship of Professor Sir Richard Harrison FRS to review all aspects of the methods used to take and kill whales. The agenda for the next IWC meeting will be a full one and the Government will continue to work hard for the conservation and protection of whales and other cetaceans. The need to ensure that there is clear scientific advice that whale stock can be maintained at healthy levels, that there is a revised and effective procedure in place for managing stocks and that the methods used to take whales are humane will remain paramount.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Ministry are members of ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Curry
  The information requested is set out below. Ethnic origin figures as at 1 April 1991 derive from a voluntary questionnaire completed by 92·2 per cent. of staff.

  By grade and equivalent

  Ethnic minority respondents to ethnic origin questionnaire

  Ethnic minority respondents as percentage of total respondents

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  5

  1

  1·0

  6

  1

  0·7

  124

  By grade and equivalent

  Ethnic minority respondnts to ethnic origin questionnaire

  Ethnic minority respondents as percentage of total respondents

  7

  10

  1·1

  All staff

  416

  4·5

  Figures relate to non-industrial staff in post in the Ministry, including its agencies, as at 1 April 1991.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Ministry last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Department completed its survey of the ethnic origin of staff in 1987 and keeps this up to date with information on new staff and leavers. Over 92 per cent. of staff have volunteered information on their ethnic origin. The Department is fully committed to the programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for people of ethnic minority origin.

  Meat
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ensure that consumers in the United Kingdom are made fully aware of the European Community health mark labelling scheme for meat.

  Mr. Soames
  All meat which receives either the EC or the national health mark is fit for human consumption. The health mark operates as a control measure in the chain for slaughterer to retailer. There is no requirement in EC or United Kingdom legislation for it to be displayed at the point of sale to the final consumer. Consumers can be confident that all meat produced in the United Kingdom is inspected to ensure that it has been produced in accordance with hygiene requirements and is fit to eat.

  Mr. Michael Alison
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to create a national meat hygiene service.

  Mr. Gummer
  As I announced on 9 March 1992, a national meat hygiene service is to be established as an agency of my Department. The timing of the transfer of responsibility for fresh meat hygiene enforcement from local authorities to the new agency will depend upon parliamentary time being available for the necessary primary legislation. Detailed planning for the new agency has begun, and interested organisations will be kept informed of progress and will be consulted as appropriate.

  Fishery Inspections
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether fishing boats are required to carry a ladder to facilitate inspection by fisheries protection personnel; whether there is a directive by the European Commission about the provision of ladders on fishing boats; and in which European Community countries the provision of a ladder on a boat is a legal requirement.

  Mr. Curry
  Commission regulation 1382/87 requires the provision of boarding ladders on fishing vessels to
  125
  facilitate inspection by fisheries protection personnel. The regulation applies to vessels of all member states, and the Government are currently taking steps to incorporate the requirement into domestic legislation.

ENVIRONMENT

  Bathing Waters
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many bathing waters were designated for the purposes of the 1975 European Community bathing waters directive by(a) 1979, (b) 1985 and (c)

  Mr. Maclean
  The number of United Kingdom bathing waters identified as within the scope of the bathing waters directive was 27 in 1979 and 1985, and 446 in 1990.

  Derelict Land
  Mr. Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for tackling the problem of vacant and derelict land.

  Mr. Redwood
  I propose to establish an urban regeneration agency with powers to reclaim vacant, derelict and underused land in urban areas. It will work in partnership with local authorities and the private sector wherever possible. The agency will be supported in its task by regulations which came into force this February requiring local authorities to maintain and publish registers of their unused and vacant land.

  Housing, Hackney
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to visit the London borough of Hackney to discuss housing.

  Sir George Young
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Hackney at present.

  Protection Proposals
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to achieve an integrated approach to environmental protection and enforcement of relevant environmental legislation in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government intend to create environment agencies for England, Wales and Scotland at the earliest legislative opportunity, in line with our manifesto commitments. Meanwhile we have significantly strengthened existing environmental protection requirements, for example, through the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to further reduce pollution in rivers and seas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The 1990 river quality survey published by the National Rivers Authority shows that around 90 per cent. of river length in England and Wales is of good or fair quality. The system of statutory water quality 126
  objectives which we will be introducing later this year will ensure that a real and sustained improvement in the quality of inland and coastal waters is achieved.

  Estate Action
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of funding for the estate action programme in 1989–90; and what is the expected level of funding for 1992–93.

  Mr. Baldry
  The funding available for 1989–90 was £190 million. For 1992–93 it has been increased substantially to £364 million and is planned to rise to £423 million by 1994–95, focusing on the most run-down estates.

  Recycling
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to fund comprehensive recycling schemes in every local authority.

  Mr. Maclean
  I allocated £15 million of supplementary credit approvals to English local authorities on 27 April for recycling investment. That figure, which is a 25 per cent. increase on last year, included £185,000 for Bristol.

  However, there is no point in setting up comprehensive recycling collection schemes if there is no market for the materials collected. The Government have commissioned a major study into the use of economic instruments to promote recycling. Once we have that report, we will be in a better position to decide whether further measures are necessary to promote recycling, beyond the extensive range of measures already introduced.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to encourage recycling in Chelmsford.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government have taken a wide range of measures to promote recycling throughout the country. Recent measures which will encourage recycling in Chelmsford include the introduction of the recycling credits scheme and the allocation of £12,000 in supplementary credit approvals to Chelmsford borough council in 1992–93 to fund more recycling sites in the borough.

  Noise
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to reduce noise; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department commissioned an independent review of noise control policy in 1990 and has already taken action to implement and progress over half the recommendations made in the report.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will explain the method by which standard spending assessments for local authority social services are calculated.

  Mr. Squire
  The method is set out in the revenue support grant distribution report, which is available in the Library.
  127
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for the reform of the standard spending assessments in the light of the Audit Commission's report.

  Mr. Squire
  Standard spending assessments (SSAs) are based on extensive analysis, research and continuing discussions with local authority representatives. The Government are not proposing any major changes to SSAs although data from the 1991 census will be incorporated as soon as possible after they become available.

  The Audit Commission is in the early stages of a study of standard spending assessments, but it has published no recent report on the subject. We shall, of course, consider any recommendations which the Commission may eventually make.

  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Federation of Master Builders about the release of local authority capital receipts for re-investment; and what was his response.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department has received a copy of a press release from the Federation of Master Builders seeking changes in the rules on the use of local authority capital receipts. Local authorities may currently spend 25 per cent. of their capital receipts from the sale of council houses, and 50 per cent. of receipts from most other sources. We have no plans to change these percentages.

  County Hall
  Ms. Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to meet the London residuary body to discuss county hall.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no immediate plans to meet the London residuary body.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in respect of the future of county hall and Battersea power station.

  Sir George Young
  I have received a number of representations on the future of county hall, particularly in the light of the offer made for the site by the London School of Economics. I have received no representations in respect of Battersea power station.

  Right-to-repair Scheme
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for improving the right-to-repair scheme for council tenants.

  Sir George Young
  The citizens charter proposed a new right-to-repair scheme to replace the existing scheme and provide local authority tenants with a simpler, stronger right to repair for the most urgent types of minor repairs affecting health, safety or crime prevention. The Government will bring forward legislation later this Session to give effect to it. A first round of consultation has been completed and there will be a further round of consultation in due course on the details.

  Housing Defects Act 1984
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to review the scope of the Housing Defects Act 1984.
  128
  Mr. Baldry
  The housing defects scheme of assistance was the subject of an efficiency scrutiny report published in November 1991. We have no plans to carry out any further review of the legislation.

  Poll Tax
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total cost to date of introducing, administering and collecting the poll tax, including the various Government-initiated relief schemes.

  Mr. Redwood
  The cost of preparing for, administering and collecting the community charge in England up to 1 April 1992 has been about £1·2 billion. Government relief schemes have reduced the burden of local domestic taxation to 15 per cent. of local government spending and have not added to overall public expenditure.

  Council Tenants
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for offering council tenants an opportunity to take a stake in the home in which they live.

  Sir George Young
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French).

  Homelessness
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to combat homelessness in the regions.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government are very concerned about homelessness wherever it occurs, and the aim to reduce homelessness underlies all our housing policies.

  Urban Regeneration Agency
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with interested bodies with regard to the establishment of the urban regeneration agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Department will consult interested bodies on the proposals to establish an urban regeneration agency.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures will be established to enable Parliament to monitor and seek information on the activities of the proposed urban regeneration agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The urban regeneration agency will be a sponsored body working under the guidance of the Secretary of State and reporting direct to him. It is therefore appropriate for him to be accountable to Parliament for the agency.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he envisages the proposed urban regeneration agency will be established; and what will be its annual budget for its first three years of operation;

  (2) whether responsibility for (a) city grant, (b) urban development corporations, (c) enterprise zones, (d) land

  129
  registers, (e) task forces, (f) derelict land grant, (g) city action teams, (h) urban programme, (i) city challenge and (j) simplified planning zones will be transferred to the proposed urban regeneration agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  These matters are being finalised. The primary function of the agency will, however, be to bring about the development of vacant and derelict land in urban areas and its responsibilities will reflect this.

  Crown Immunity
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any proposals to streamline the operation of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in relation to properties which formerly enjoyed Crown immunity.

  Mr. Maclean
  No, Sir. Under the Environmental Protection Act, properties which formerly enjoyed Crown immunity are subject to the same administrative arrangements as any other property. There is no need to streamline them.

  Sea Defence
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the increase of sea defence responsibilities by the National Rivers Authority.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Environment Committee of the House of Commons for the Session 1991–92 has issued a report on coastal zone protection and planning. This includes recommendations for the reorganisation of responsibilities for coast protection and sea defence. The Government will respond to that report in due course.

  Construction Industry
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his assessment of the short and medium-term prospects for the construction industry.

  Mr. Baldry
  The signs of a return to steady sustainable growth are already here: inflation is down, interest rates are down, business confidence is growing and productivity is up. The construction industry will play a significant role in the country's growing prosperity.

  Travellers
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to change planning law to introduce penalties for the unlawful occupation of public and private land by traveller families; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  From 2 January this year we increased tenfold the maximum summary penalty on conviction for those contravening an enforcement notice or stop notice, from £2,000 to £20,000. There is no upper limit on the penalty on conviction on indictment. We have also strengthened the enforcement and stop notice provisions. We do not think it is appropriate, in the absence of enforcement action by the planning authority, to make unauthorised development itself a criminal offence.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to tackle the problem of illegal camping by gypsies and other travellers; and if he will make a statement.
  130
  Mr. Baldry
  The Government are firmly committed to addressing the nuisance caused to local communities and local authorities by gipsies' and other travellers' camping illegally; we are committed to reviewing the operation of the Caravan Sites Act 1968, and hope to publish our proposals shortly.

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation requiring the submission of an independent environmental impact report before local planning authorities, or his Department, determine their decision in respect of planning applications for the extraction of aggregates and other minerals and the disposal, by tipping, of household waste and other rubbish.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988, which implemented directive 85/337/EEC, require planning applications for the extraction of sand and gravel and other minerals and for the disposal of household and other non-toxic waste to be accompanied by an environmental statement if the proposed development is likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of factors such as its nature, size or location. In such cases, planning permission may not be granted unless the environmental statement and representations on it from statutory consultees and the public have first been taken into consideration.

  Rental Housing
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for further encouraging the private rented sector to provide homes to rent for families.

  Sir George Young
  The deregulatory measures in the Housing Act 1988 are already halting the decline in the private rented sector.

  Further initiatives to encourage the private rented sector include extending nationwide the housing associations as managing agents scheme, £25 million to bring vacant flats over shops back into use, and giving tax relief to home owners who rent a room to lodgers.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the reorganisation of local government.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim) and for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie).

  Eco-labelling
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what publicity his Department has carried out and plans to carry out to publicise the EC eco-label to(a) those companies whose products may qualify and (b) consumers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Responsibility for eco-labelling is shared between my Department and the Department of Trade
  131
  and Industry. The Department of Trade and Industry has already taken steps to publicise the scheme widely to industry through newsletters, articles and seminars and this will continue. As we move towards the autumn when the scheme is due to come into operation we will increasingly target publicity to raise awareness among consumers.

  Dumps (Methane Gas)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by local authority area, the locations of waste dumps in England and Wales which are known to produce methane gas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Current information on the location of landfill sites known to produce methane gas is not held centrally. A report on this matter was published by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in April 1991, compiled from information supplied by local authorities. The statistics contained in this report, even though of a

  Unfit dwellings

  As a percentage of stock

  Fit but needing renovation

  As a percentage of stock

  Stoke-on-Trent city council

  21,348

  21·0

  46,460

  45·7

  Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme

  2,402

  4·9

  6,000

  12·1

  Note: Private sector dwellings (the majority) are only counted as "Fit but needing renovation" if the owner is considered likely to qualify for a discretionary renovation grant.

  Ultraviolet Radiation
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research is being undertaken on the possible effects of enhanced ultraviolet radiation due to stratospheric ozone depletion upon materials which are subject to outdoor exposure; whether he has evaluated the possible costs of increased exposure on such materials; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Building Research Establishment is investigating the effects of ultraviolet radiation on plastic building material, polymeric roofing membranes, building sealants and paints, as part of its research on the deterioration of these materials caused by natural weathering. This research involves development of accelerated weathering tests, including exposure to enhanced levels of ultraviolet radiation. However, it is not presently possible to estimate the costs of exposure of building materials to ultraviolet radiation alone.

  Ferro Alloys Ltd.
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what indications he has received from Ferro Alloys Ltd. regarding the company's planned actions to reduce emissions from its factory in Glossop, following his Department's instructions.

  Mr. Maclean
  An improvement notice under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 served on Ferro Alloys and Metals Ltd., Glossop, requires it to reduce the emission of sulphur dioxide to 113kg/hr from its smelting (roasting) process by 31 August 1992. The works have indicated orally that they intend to reduce throughput to comply with this notice.
  132
  general nature, are now recognised as unreliable. Accurate information should be available from local authorities with which the responsibility rests.

  Housing (Disrepair)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give(a) the latest details of the number of properties in Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency classified as in serious disrepair, and (b) that figure as a percentage of the entire housing stock in that constituency.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information is not available for constituency areas. Local authorities report estimates of the number of unfit dwellings, and dwellings which are not unfit but in need of renovation in their annual housing investment programme returns (HIP1). The information as at 1 April 1991 for Stoke-on-Trent city council and the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, which both include part of the Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency within their boundaries is as follows:

  High Efficiency Lighting
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to issue guidelines to the public and private sectors concerning the use of high efficiency lighting.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Department's Energy Efficiency Office already provides guidance on energy efficient lighting to domestic consumers, the public sector and industry and commerce through its best practice programme. The current "Helping the Earth at Home" domestic campaign also describes the merits of energy efficient lighting in its literature.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new policies have been, or are to be, introduced to implement the Government's commitment to bring forward the date of carbon dioxide stabilisation for 2005.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington).

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what submission he has made to the Commission of the European Communities on his strategy for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

  Mr. Maclean
  A copy of the Environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance", which set out the United Kingdom's strategy on carbon dioxide emissions and a first tranche of measures to limit emissions, was sent to the Commission last year. My right hon. Friend expects to send the Commission an update on this strategy shortly.

  Planning Law
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to review the laws on planning.

  Sir George Young
  Substantial improvements to the planning system were made in the Planning and Compensation Act 1991. I have no plans at present for any further general review of planning law.

  Building Insulation
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to improve standards of insulation in new houses, other new buildings and existing houses and other existing buildings.

  Mr. Baldry
  The requirements of the building regulations for the conservation of fuel and power include provisions for the insulation of both new houses and other new buildings. These requirements were made more stringent in 1990. The Government are at present reviewing them to see how they might be further strengthened.

  The Government will continue to make substantial capital sums available for improving the insulation of existing homes. Measures are undertaken through repair and improvement programmes to the local authority housing stock, the green house programme, the home energy efficiency scheme, house renovation grants and minor works assistance and the Housing Corporation's rehabilitation programme.

  The Energy Efficiency Office through its best practice programme and energy management assistance scheme promotes improvements in the energy efficiency performance of other existing buildings.

  Breaches of EC Legislation
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement listing the alleged breaches of European Community environment legislation brought to the Government's attention since 1984 to the present time and the current status of each of the alleged breaches.

  Mr. Maclean
  I will write to the hon. Member as the information requested will take a little time to assemble.

  Environmental Impact Assessments
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many environmental impact assessments have been presented with planning applications in each of the last three years; and what assessment has been made of their compliance with the EC directive on environmental impact assessment.

  Mr. Baldry
  The number of environmental statements accompanying planning applications in England notified to my Department in the three years since directive 85/337/EEC came into effect in July 1988 is:

  Number

  July 1988-July 1989

  51

  July 1989-July 1990

  133

  July 1990-July 1991

  147

  134
  It is the responsibility of the planning authority to which an environmental statement is submitted to consider its adequacy and whether it complies with the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 which implement directive 85/337/EEC in respect of projects requiring planning permission. Where an application is the subject of an appeal or is called in, the responsibility transfers to the inspector or the Secretary of State. The regulations empower an authority, an inspector or the Secretary of State to require the applicant to provide such further information as may be specified.

  Secure Car Service
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those Government Ministers who have a car allocated to them under the secure car scheme.

  Mr. Baldry
  All Ministers are eligible for a car and driver from the Government car scheme.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of providing the secure car service in each of the last two financial years; and how many vehicles were involved.

  Mr. Baldry
  The total costs of providing the GCS ministerial and pool fleet for the two years in question were:

  £ million

  1990–91

  6·1

  1991–92

  6·6

  The fleet numbered 174 vehicles in 1990–91 and 176 vehicles in 1991–92.

  Brick Industry
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals for the assistance of the brick manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The brick manufacturing industry will benefit from the general recovery in the economy, the signs of which are already here, and play a significant role in the construction industry's future growth.

  Genetically Modified Organisms
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the proposed regulations to implement the two EC directives on contained uses and deliberate release of genetically modified organisms.

  Mr. Maclean
  The responses to the consultation paper and draft regulations which were issued in October 1991 raised several issues of clarification on the meaning of the requirements for those needing to comply with them. Officials of the Department are currently considering with the Health and Safety Executive how best to clarify and improve aspects of the draft regulations. The revised regulations will be delayed therefore beyond the target date of May but will be issued as soon as possible thereafter.

  Radon
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the results of the surveys of radon in homes in England will be published; and what new information they will provide.

  Mr. Maclean
  The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) has today published a report, "Radon in Dwellings in England", summarising the results of the radon surveys that it has carried out in England, principally under contract to the Department of the Environment, up to the end of 1991.

  Copies have been placed in the Library, and have been distributed to local authorities in the areas most affected.

  I welcome the report, which shows how far we have already progressed towards the target set in a recommendation of the report on indoor pollution by the Select Committee on the Environment during the last Parliament. The recommendation, which was accepted in principle, was that the Government should commit themselves to ensuring the identification of the majority of homes above the radon action level by the year 2000.

  NRPB now has valid measurements for the radon levels in about 92,000 homes, which are presented in summary form in the report. About 12,000 results are above the Government's action level. All householders have been informed in confidence of their individual results. They have received copies of the Department's booklet, "The Householders' Guide to Radon", which explains how radon concentrations in homes may be reduced quite simply, and gives addresses and telephone numbers to contact for further help. We advise everyone who knows that the radon level is above the action level to take remedial action to reduce the risks of long-term exposure. I urge them to do so, if they have not already taken action.

  The largest proportion of measurements were made in response to the Government's publicity campaign in Cornwall and Devon, and over 11,000 of the homes that exceed the action level are in those counties. Measurements are thus concentrated in the areas where indoor radon levels are known to be high, and do not reflect the overall national picture. The pattern of results is in good agreement with the predictions of the NRPB, that about 100,000 homes in the United Kingdom will have elevated radon levels, with the majority, about 60,000, in Cornwall and Devon.

  Waste Management
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish a revised edition of "Waste Management Paper No. 1: A Review of Options"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The second edition of "Waste Management Paper No. 1" was published on 12 May. This follows public consultation on a draft of the revised paper.

  The paper provides general guidance on a range of methods of treatment and disposal of controlled waste. It gives an overview of waste management issues and includes suggestions on evaluating the options. Copies are being sent to local authorities.

  Energy Saving Trust
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in establishing an energy saving trust with British Gas and the regional electricity companies.

  Mr. Howard
  The Prime Minister has announced that, as a contribution to the international response to the threat of climate change, the United Kingdom is prepared if other countries take similar action to set itself the demanding target of returning its CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The Government are already putting action in hand to limit emissions.

  The Government, British Gas, OFGAS and 11 of the regional electricity companies in England and Wales have today become partners in an important initiative to save energy and so protect the environment.

  They have agreed to establish an independent Energy Saving Trust in the course of the year. The trust will develop, propose and manage programmes to promote the energy efficient use of energy. Where it is more cost-effective, the trust will sub-contract the administration of these programmes to other agencies.

  British Gas has agreed to finance schemes run by the trust to promote the efficient use of gas. Where approved by OFGAS, the costs of these programmes may be recovered from British Gas's tariff customers through an "E factor" added to the formula that controls British Gas's average tariff price.

  The three initial pilot schemes being proposed by British Gas are intended to finance improvements in the efficiency with which gas is used in low income households; provide incentives and advice for those replacing their heating systems so as to encourage the maximum cost-effective improvement in the efficiency with which they use gas; and stimulate investment in small scale or residential applications of combined heat and power such as schemes in the domestic and commercial sector.

  It is envisaged that other schemes will be devised to complement the initial three. Since the first schemes will be pilot projects, the costs of the programme in the first year are unlikely to exceed £6 million, but the level of expenditure can be expected to rise in subsequent years as further schemes are developed and allowed by OFGAS.

  The Government will be inviting the trust to make proposals for a pilot scheme of local energy efficiency advice centres to provide domestic and small business consumers with the information they will need to respond effectively to these schemes and to Government and other programmes that promote the efficient use of energy. The pilot scheme would be designed whether such centres would be cost-effective.

  Seeboard, South Western Electricity, London Electricity, East Midlands Electricity, Southern Electric, Northern Electric, South Wales Electricity, Midlands Electricity, Manweb, Eastern Electricity and Yorkshire Electricity have all agreed in principle to finance the trust to run schemes to promote the efficient use of electricity, provided the trust can develop acceptable proposals and suitable arrangements for funding can be agreed. Possible areas could include pilot schemes intended to develop the use of heat pump technology to reduce heating costs; and improve the level of domestic building insulation standards in homes.

  The remaining public electricity supply companies in Great Britain have also shown an interest. Further detailed

  137
  discussions will need to take place to establish how best the electricity industry can become involved in the trust. Professor Littlechild has published a consultation document on energy efficiency in the electricity industry, in which he seeks opinions on various options for changing the regulatory regime to provide a stronger incentive towards the more efficient use of energy. The introduction of an "E" factor is one of the options canvassed.

  This initiative has the potential to make a real contribution to energy efficiency and to protecting the environment, most notably in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, the principal contributor to the threat of global warming.

  The Government has also developed a number of related initiatives to improve energy efficiency and so reduce CO2 emissions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have given a commitment to start consultation this year on the strengthening and extension of building regulations. This is likely to cover further improvements in standards of energy efficiency, the strengthening and extension of energy efficiency standards to renovation and conversions—this already applies in Scotland—and the incorporation of home energy rating into the requirements of the regulations. The Secretary of State for Employment and I have agreed an initiative to encourage training in energy efficiency through recognition of the value of a skilled workforce holding nationally recognised qualifications. The two Departments will promote the development of a body with a leading interest in the development of standards and qualifications in energy efficiency to work with industry lead bodies and others.

  Taken together, these measures represent an important step in the development of the Government's policy on energy efficiency as a means of combatting the threat of global warming and meeting the Government's target for limiting CO2 emissions.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what matters in regard to energy efficiency and energy conservation he expects to oversee in his Department.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: Improving energy efficiency is the most immediate and cost-effective response to the threat of global warming. I will take a particular interest in ensuring that energy efficiency measures make an appropriate contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

  Zoos
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of zoos(a) which have failed to meet his Department's standards of modern zoo practice, under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, in each year since 1981 and (b) which have lost their licence as a result of such failure.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The operation of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 is the responsibility of local authorities. No information on the numbers of zoos failing to meet the required standards or zoos which have lost their licenses is held centrally.

  Nitrous Oxide Emissions
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take to reduce emissions of nitrous oxide from the nylon manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: There is only one nylon manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom. After discussions with Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution the operating company has announced its intention virtually to eliminate emissions of nitrous oxide from the plant concerned by 1996.

  By 31 July 1993, ICI must apply to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution for authorisation under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to operate its nylon manufacturing process.

  Granting of the authorisation will be dependent upon the company putting forward a programme of continuing environmental improvements.

  Estuaries
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the damage to estuaries over the last decade and its implications for estuarial flora and fauna as well as adherence to international wildlife conventions; and whether he has any proposals for the protection and improvement of estuaries.

  Mr. Maclean
  United Kingdom estuaries have to provide for many legitimate interests. The Government's planning policy guidance note for coastal planning—at present the subject of public consultation—emphasises the need for close co-operation between planning authorities to address the complex issues. Specific measures have been instituted where appropriate, for example, the Government view procedure for proposals for aggregates dredging and the introduction of environmental duties under the Transport and Works Act 1992. Many estuaries contain areas of special scientific interest, protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and special protection areas for birds. The Government are considering the measures necessary to meet its obligations under the recently agreed habitats directive.

  Mines (Contamination)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to amend the Mines and Quarries Act 1954 to make mine owners liable for the cost of clean up of any aquatic or land contamination caused by the mine.

  Mr. Baldry
  No. The Mines and Quarries Act 1954 is concerned with the health and safety of those working in the industry, not with pollution. All new mines have conditions regulating their operation and restoration, enforceable by local authorities. Derelict land grant is available for reclaiming land at mines which have closed without restoration conditions. The NRA has powers under section 161 of the Water Resources Act 1991 to make remedial action where water pollution has occurred and to recover the cost of taking such action from the person who caused the pollution.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the ministerial advisory committee on renewable energy will next meet; when he expects the committee to report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  Future arrangements for the renewable energy advisory group are currently being considered.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, which other countries will have to agree to stabilise their CO2 emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000 before the United Kingdom adopts this target; and what will be the latest date by which these countries will have to indicate their assent for the United Kingdom to take the measures necessary to achieve this emissions target.

  Mr. Maclean
  The climate change convention agreed in New York on 9 May will commit developed countries to take measures aimed at returning emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal protocol to their 1990 levels by the year 2000. We have always said that this global problem needs a global response, and we continue to place importance on the willingness of other countries, including our major competitors, to accept the commitments set out in the convention. We expect to be able to ratify the convention, alongside these countries, in good time to take the necessary measures.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the progress being made to find a site at which to store intermediate and low-level nuclear waste; and what estimates have been made of the safety levels at each site and the cost of preparing a site and running it.

  Mr. Maclean
  UK Nirex Ltd. is responsible for finding a site for the disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Nirex is concentrating its investigations on an area adjacent to British Nuclear Fuels' Sellafield site and expects to submit an application for planning permission to construct a deep disposal facility before the end of the year. Nirex will need to satisfy the relevant regulatory authorities about the safety of the construction of the facility and the safety of the disposal of the radioactive wastes consigned to it. The cost of developing and running the facility are matters for Nirex.

  Coastline
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what proposals he has to improve the protection of the coastline and offshore waters; and when he expects to implement them.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government are committed to ensure the effective protection of the coastal and marine environment. It has recently published a draft planning policy guidance note on the coast which proposes strengthened protection. The Government's proposals for 140
  the coast will be set out more fully in our response to the recent report on coastal zone protection and planning from the Environment Committee of the House of Commons for the Session 1991–92.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Water and Sewerage Charges
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what way the current level of income support takes account of the regional variation in increases in water and sewerage charges; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  Income support is a national benefit and does not take direct account of regional variations in prices. Water and sewerage charges were included in the Rossi index used to uprate income support in April this year, and accordingly benefit rates now reflect more accurately movements in prices for these items.

  Pension Funds
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce measures to provide temporary pension payments for Maxwell pensioners whose payments have ceased, pending the outcome of continuing investigations into the activities of Robert Maxwell and others; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Existing legislation provides protection for those members of pension schemes who have been contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS). If any scheme is wound up, there is a statutory provision designed to protect the guaranteed minimum pension which contracted-out schemes are required to provide. If there are not sufficient assets in the scheme to secure that level of pension, the Government ensure through SERPS that scheme members receive a pension equivalent to that which they would have received had they remained in SERPS. If any pensioner is facing financial difficulty and is unsure about his or her state benefit entitlement, he or she should contact the local social security office, which has been alerted to the difficulties that these pensioners face.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to require each pension fund to furnish him with an annual statement on the performance of the fund and on the security of its investments; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 21 January 1992 at column 183.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Malawi
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what measures Her Majesty's Government will be recommending to other members of the Paris Club at the meeting on 14 May, concerning aid to Malawi;

  (2) if he will make a statement on what action Her Majesty's Government will be taking regarding aid to Malawi following the arrest and detention of Chakufwa Chihana.
  141
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We and our European partners have made clear to the Malawi Government that future levels of aid will reflect our assessment of Malawi's performance on good government and human rights issues. The treatment of Mr. Chihana is a case in point. The consultative group meeting for Malawi, taking place in Paris under World bank auspices on 11 to 13 May, provides a further opportunity to make our position clear.

  In the absence of a constructive response to our concerns, we have already told the Malawi authorities that we propose to limit further our development aid to Malawi. We shall, however, confirm that we are ready to consider ways of helping to alleviate the effects of the drought. In the light of consultations prior to the meeting, we anticipate that other donors will adopt a similar approach.

  Aid
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much overseas aid is proposed for the current year; what was the figure for the year to May 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Provision for net aid to developing countries in the financial year 1992–93 is £1,831 million. Net aid expenditure in the financial year 1978–79 was £727 million.

  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards agreeing the future financial basis of the International Fund for Agricultural Development special programme for Africa, and if he will make a statement about the contribution due from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development—IFAD—agreed in May 1991 that the special programme for Africa should be extended for a second and final phase. To date, firm pledges totalling almost $20 million have been made by Kuwait, Sweden and Nigeria. Conditional pledges have been made by France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

  We made it clear in 1986 that we viewed the special programmes a one-off exercise, justified by the disappointingly low level of resources pledged for IFAD's second replenishment. We consider IFAD's future activities in Africa should now be financed from its regular resources in the same way as its work for other poor regions. The most important priority is to work for a successful outcome to the fourth replenishment of IFAD's resources, discussions on which began in Qatar in April and will continue in Rome in July.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of(a) bilateral aid and (b) multilateral aid from the United Kingdom goes into (i) health projects, (ii) education projects, (iii) agricultural projects and (iv) commercial ventures.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: The amount and shares of bilateral aid allocable by sector spent on projects in the sectors of health, education and agriculture in 1990 (the latest year for which figures are available) were:
  142

  Amount (£000)

  Percentage of bilateral aid allocable by sector

  Health

  61,182

  10·69

  Education

  103,098

  18·02

  Agriculture

  52,214

  9·12

  In addition, there are some multi-sector projects which also benefit health, education and agriculture. This assistance cannot readily be quantified.

  Aid for commercial ventures is not identified in a way which allows aggregate figures to be provided. Much of our programme aid to support economic reform programmes is used to help recipient governments cover the foreign exchange requirement of imports needed to increase capacity utilisation in commercial firms in developing countries. Our bilateral programme aid in 1990 was £73 million. ODA supports small enterprise development. It also supports the reform and privatisation of parastatal bodies and some projects which they implement. The Commonwealth Development Corporation operates in developing countries investing in both private and public sector commercial enterprises and projects. Total CDC investment in 1990 was £137 million.

  A comprehensive breakdown of multilateral agencies' expenditure by sector is not available. However certain multilateral agencies specialise in the sectors listed, for example the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation. I therefore refer the hon. Member to table 8 of "British Aid Statistics" 1986–1990, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. This table gives details of United Kingdom multilateral aid by agency for the last five years.

  Earth Summit
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals Her Majesty's Government will be making at the United Nations Conference on Environmental Development meeting in June to enhance environmental protection in developing nations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Her Majesty's Government has played a leading role in developing proposals to be discussed at the UNCED (the Earth Summit) during the four preparatory committee meetings held to date, and at the inter-governmental negotiations on the conventions for climate change and biological diversity. The specific proposals to be considered at the Earth Summit are: agreement to global conventions on climate change and biodiversity; a statement of principles on forests; a declaration (the Rio declaration) of environmental and development principles; a comprehensive action plan on environment and development for the next century (agenda 21) and agreement on reinforcement of international institutions dealing with environment and development.

  We shall continue to work with other Governments at the Earth Summit in June to reach agreement on the proposals to be considered at that meeting.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.

  Mr. Eggar
  When, very occasionally, the DTI recruits senior grades directly the advertisements make it clear that the Department is an equal opportunities employer. However, it is normal practice for recruitment to senior grades to be undertaken by the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency on behalf of the Civil Service Commissioners. A number of steps have been taken in this context to aid the recruitment of members of ethnic minorities including the use of validated selection procedures to ensure that selection is fair and non-discriminatory.

  London Stock Exchange
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the decision of the London stock exchange to contract out its information technology operation to Arthur Andersen; what implications this decision will have on the forthcoming introduction of paperless trading with Taurus; what steps he intends to take to assure that the core business of the exchange is properly protected; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has received one representation about the decision of the London stock exchange to contract out its information technology operation.

  The implications of the decision for the introduction of Taurus the electronic system for the recording and transfer of title to shares and other securities, are a matter, in the first instance, for the stock exchange. They will be taken into account when the stock exchange seeks consent for the admission of the first securities to Taurus under regulation 5(1) of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 1992.

  Postage Stamps
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will direct that a set of postage stamps be issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the battle of E1 Alamein on 23 October.

  Mr. Leigh
  The choice of themes for special stamps is a matter for the Post Office. I understand however that the Post Office Board has approved the issue of a set of stamps in 1994 on the theme of "Liberation" on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of D-day. Further, in 1995, the Post Office in collaboration with other postal administrations of the Conference of European Posts and Telecoms will issue stamps on the theme of "Peace and Freedom" to mark the end of world war 2.

  House of Fraser
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the investigations carried out into the takeover of House of Fraser by the Fayed brothers; and if he will make a statement.
  144
  Mr. Hamilton
  Independent inspectors were appointed to investigate the affairs of House of Fraser Holdings plc. They were asked to look in particular at the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of shares in House of Fraser plc in 1984 and 1985.

  The inspectors' report, which was published on 7 March 1990, reflects a carefully considered and thorough investigation.

  Copies of the report were disclosed to other regulatory bodies to enable them to consider under their own powers or rules whether any disciplinary or regulatory action was appropriate. The responsibility for deciding whether to take action in such cases rests with the body concerned.

  Defence Equipment (Iraq)
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what assessment his Department had made of the activities of the company TMG Engineering that relate to the export of non-lethal defence equipment to Iraq;

  (2) what assessment his Department had made of the activities of the company Technology and Development Group that relate to the export of non-lethal defence equipment to Iraq;

  (3) what assessment his Department has made of the activities of the company Matrix Churchill that relate to the export of non-lethal defence equipment to Iraq.

  Mr. Needham
  Between 1987 and 1990, Matrix Churchill Ltd. and its then parent companies, TMG and TDG Ltd., were involved in matters which are the subject of current legal proceedings. In view of this, it would not be appropriate to make any comment on the matter.

  UKAEA
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to publish the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hamilton
  The report is published today. The commission was asked to carry out an extensive inquiry into the efficiency and costs of and the service provided by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (AEA).

  The commission concludes that AEA is an organisation undergoing fundamental change, whose present structure had been in operation for only 16 months when the inquiry started. It concludes that AEA could continue to make efficiency and quality improvements, and could generate higher net revenue. It has identified particular weaknesses in financial and project control, investment appraisal and marketing and makes 58 recommendations for improving AEA's performance across all of its business.

  The commission reports that it was none the less impressed by the expertise, enthusiasm and dedication of AEA's staff, and recognises the substantial progress made already with a radical change of culture. It notes AEA plans to cut its staff further, by a sixth, in order to contain costs and achieve a closer match of manpower to the needs of the businesses. It also says that future commercial viability will require significant growth and perhaps some financial reconstruction.

  AEA is moving from a location-based management structure, providing a service on behalf of the Government, to a much more commercially driven business-based organisation. Its nine businesses (four nuclear and five industrial) have forecast external sales

  145
  ranging from £14 million to £126 million in 1991–92. The new structure is still evolving and the commission found that it was too soon to reach firm conclusions about its success. The commission notes that AEA itself recognises that it still has a long way to go to complete its transformation into a fully commercial operation.

  he commission notes two other general considerations. First, AEA's nuclear activities still account for some two thirds of the external sales of AEA's businesses. Secondly, AEA's nine businesses, with activities ranging from nuclear research to petroleum services, rest uneasily in the public sector where their entrepreneurial activities are inevitably somewhat constrained. The commission has concluded that any decision on whether or not AEA's business activities should be removed from the public sector would be appropriate after completion of the review of nuclear power which the Government have announced they intend to carry out in 1994. It recognises that this would entail both some financial reconstruction and satisfactory arrangements for taking care of AEA's legacy of nuclear sites. Meanwhile, the commission has welcomed the steps AEA has taken, and is continuing to take, to reduce its very high overheads, although it fears that under present arrangements overheads are likely to remain uncomfortably large.

  The AEA will produce a preliminary response to the commission's findings within three to four months, in the light of which my right hon. Friend will make a statement.

  Satellite Monitoring
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what support will be given by the European Space Agency to the international initiative to use new and existing satellites to monitor global changes in the environment, following the meeting in Cambridge in April.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: The meeting, which took place in London on 28 and 29 April at the initiative of the British Government, was of countries and organisations involved in the provision and use of earth observation satellite data for environmental purposes. It discussed possible elements of an initiative aimed at making the best use of this data. The European Space Agency (ESA), which participated in the meeting, will play a full part and has a well-established earth observation programme to support such an initiative. The elements of ESA's programme are the first European remote-sensing satellite (ERS1), now in orbit, the ERS2 satellite, due to be launched in 1994, and two future missions: POEM1, for which preparatory work is already under way, and POEM2, which is being planned. At the same time systems for receiving, processing and disseminating data from these satellites are being developed. The United Kingdom will continue to play a significant role in these programmes.

  Nuclear Power Stations

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about progress on planning for the construction of Sizewell C nuclear station in Suffolk.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: No decisions about the construction of new nuclear stations beyond Sizewell B will be made before the Government review the prospects for nuclear power in 1994.
  146
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to bring forward the national review of the nuclear energy supply programme before 1994; and if he will make a statement on the future of nuclear power stations.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The Government have no plans to bring forward the 1994 review and no decisions about the construction of new nuclear stations beyond Sizewell B will be made before 1994. Nuclear Electric will continue to run its existing stations as efficiently, economically and safely as possible and to build Sizewell B to time and cost.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the implications of the privatisation of the coal industry for the British mining engineering industry.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: No decisions have yet been taken on the form and timing of the privatisation of the coal industry. The Government have made it clear that interested parties will be given the opportunity to contribute their views before decisions are taken.

  Takeovers
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he proposes to instruct the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to take public interest criteria into account in assessing potential takeovers;

  (2) whether he proposes any amendment to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's present approach to potential takeovers in which the implication for competition is the sole criterion taken into consideration.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: Section 84 of the Fair Trading Act 1973 requires the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to take into account all matters which appear to them in the particular circumstances to be relevant in determining whether a merger or proposed merger operates or may be expected to operate against the public interest. Competition is an important, but not the only, consideration in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's assessment of mergers.

  The 1988 White Paper "DTI—the Department for Enterprise" (Cm 278) stated that the Government's policy is that the main, though not exclusive, consideration in determining whether mergers should be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission should be their potential effect on competition. This remains the position.

  Point of Ayr Liquefaction Plant
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for further investment in the Point of Ayr liquefaction plant.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: Following discussions with British Coal, my Department has agreed to increase its contribution to this project from £3 million to £5·412 million.

HEALTH

  Royal College of Midwives
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the Royal College of Midwives to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Sackville
  Under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 8 to 12 June.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations she has received concerning registration of people with a mental illness under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) what guidance she has given as to the circumstances in which a local authority may exercise discretion as to whether to register any people with a mental illness under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948; and if she will make a statement;

  (3) what guidance she has given to local authorities concerning registration of people with a mental illness under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  One letter has been received from the right hon. Member on 19 February 1992.

  Guidance is contained in local authority circular LAC 13/74, which also sets out my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's approvals and directions under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948, and local authority circular LAC 17/74.

  Under my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's directions contained in LAC 13/74, those who are mentally disordered (the expression used by the Act, which includes those who are mentally ill), should be registered under section 29 and local authorities need to provide for their registration.

  LAC 17/74 recognised that the registration of mentally disordered persons had not been widely practised, nor had it been encouraged by the Department, and reminded local authorities that the Department's views on registration of mentally disordered persons remained unchanged. Copies of the circulars are available in the Library.

  In practice, neither the Department nor local authorities have considered it appropriate to register all people with a mental illness, as the majority do not meet the criteria laid down in the circular of substantial and permanent handicap. Decisions about the provision and management of personal social services for mentally ill people, including the assessment of care needs, are the responsibilities of local authority social services departments.

  Mentally ill people are entitled to aftercare help under the care programme approach introduced from April 1991.

  This required all district health authorities, in collaboration with local social services departments, to initiate explicit individually tailored care programmes for all in-patients about to be discharged from mental illness
  148
  hospitals and all new patients accepted by the specialist psychiatric services. The essence of the approach is that the needs of each patient, both for continuing health and social care and for accommodation, are systematically assessed and appropriate arrangements made. These include the identification of a key worker to keep in close touch with the patient and to monitor that the agreed package of health and social care is delivered.

  Mentally ill people will also be eligible for assessment of their needs by local authorities under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. Local authorities also have a duty to provide after care services to persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (section 117).

  Breast Feeding
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement outlining her policy on the future funding of the joint breastfeeding initiative.

  Mr. Sackville
  The joint breastfeeding initiative (JBI) was launched in October 1988 as a means of bringing together representatives from the voluntary breastfeeding organisations and relevant health care professions. The JBI's remit was to increase the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding through professional and public education about the benefits to be gained from breastfeeding and to making it more socially acceptable. It has received a section 64 project grant from the Department since its inception. The rules of the section 64 scheme mean the funding of the JBI in its present form is due to end later this year.

  The structure, management and purpose of all four voluntary breastfeeding organisations have recently been examined as part of the Department's on-going review of bodies it funds. Discussions on the outcome of these reviews and future arrangements are under way with all relevant organisations.

  It remains the Government's policy to protect and promote breastfeeding as the best means of nurturing infants. We will seek to build on the achievements of the JBI when deciding future arrangements.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support is being given by her Department to national breastfeeding week from 18 to 23 May.

  Mr. Sackville
  Responsibility for organising national breastfeeding week rests with the joint breastfeeding initiative (JBI). Since its launch in October 1988, the JBI has received financial support from the Department totalling some £142,000. The Department has always given support for national breastfeeding week which plays a valuable role in raising public awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding.

  Clinical Grading Appeals
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has any plans to meet representatives of nurses and midwives to discuss progress in dealing with clinical grading appeals; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Discussion on clinical grading appeals are a matter for the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council. I am pleased to announce that the council has reached agreement on speeding up and streamlining the appeals process. Copies of the agreement, advance letter (NM)4/92, are available in the Library.

  Abortion
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed under the Abortions Act 1967 since its implementation; how many of these abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother; and what percentage of the former figure this latter figure represents.

  Mr. Sackville
  A total of 3,688,096 abortions have been performed in England, Wales and Scotland under the Abortion Act since implementation. (This covers the period from the time when the Act came into force on 27 April 1968 until 30 September 1991, the latest date for which figures are available). Of these, 151 were performed in emergency to save the life of the woman. These represent 0.004 per cent. of the total number of abortions.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of abortions performed each quarter in pregnancies of 24 weeks or more in the eight quarters prior to the implementation of the appropriate sections of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; and what are the comparable figures for the numbers of abortions performed on pregnancies of 24 weeks or more in each quarter since the implementation of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information for England and Wales is as follows:

  Number of abortions

  Quarter

  At 24 weeks gestation

  At 25 weeks gestation and over

  June 1989

  22

  3

  September 1989

  10

  7

  December 1989

  10

  5

  March 1990

  6

  6

  June 1990

  11

  6

  September 1990

  6

  3

  December 1990

  12

  6

  March 1991

  13

  8

  June 19911

  9

  12

  September 1991

  4

  14

  December 1991

  n/a

  n/a

  1 The changes to the Abortion Act 1967 enacted in 1990 came into effect on 1 April 1991. These included the introduction of a time limit of 24 weeks for the main grounds for abortion.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons it was decided that the guidelines recently issued by his Department on the protection afforded to ancillary workers by the conscience clause of the Abortion Act 1967 should extend that protection only to personnel involved in disposing of foetal remains following the abortion and not to those personnel involved in preparing a woman for an abortion.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Health gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 20 December 1991 at column 355.

  Dentists
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the joint inquiry into the alleged excess of payments to dentists in 1991–92; and if she will make a statement.
  150
  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Sir T. Arnold) on 12 May at column 85.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she intends to take in response to evidence referred to by the chairman of her committee on the medical aspects of air pollution that high ozone levels attack babies' bronchial tubes making them more likely to develop allergies.

  Mr. Sackville
  The advisory group on the medical aspects of air pollution episodes considered the evidence on the medical effects of exposure to ground level ozone in its first report which was published by HMSO in August 1991. Copies of the report are available in the Library.

  Some reports of the speech of the advisory group's chairman to a recent meeting of the National Society for Clean Air have simplified and exaggerated what he said. The group recognised the importance of any possible interaction between allergen sensitisation and/or ozone provoked inflammation. It found that some studies showed that, in animals, very high concentrations of ozone may produce attenuation of and/or an increase in, the response to allergens, but it concluded that more work would be needed before a clear understanding of the likely effects of ambient ozone levels on allergic response in people is obtained. It has been suggested that, in children, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the first year of life enhances the risk of the development of airway allergies and thus, possibly, asthma. But the evidence on whether ozone is also a contributing factor is inconclusive.

  The advisory group made a number of recommendations for research, including basic research on the biochemical and cellular mechanisms involved in the effects of ozone on the lung; research on the effects of low concentrations of ozone upon people; and epidemiological studies on the possible relationship between exposure to air pollutants in general, and ozone in particular, on health. The Department has raised this with the Medical Research Council which is the main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom.

EMPLOYMENT

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table of(a) company manufacturing employment as a percentage of total employment and (b) company manufacturing output as a percentage of total output in (i) 1975, (ii) 1979, (iii) 1985 and (iv) the latest year for which annual statistics are available.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The available information is shown in the following tables:

  Seasonally adjusted employees and self-employed in manufacturing in Great Britain as a percentage of all employees and self-employed

  Per cent.

  June 1975

  31·0

  June 1979

  29·7

  June 1985

  23·3

  151

  Per cent.

  June 1991

  20·3

  December 1991

  20·2

  Manufacturing output in the United Kingdom as a percentage of total output (1, 2)

  Per cent.

  1975

  29·0

  1979

  28·7

  1985

  23·9

  1990

  22·4

  1. Net income of manufacturing industries as a percentage of income based measure of GDP.

  2. Source: tables 2.1 of "United Kingdom National Accounts" (CSO's Blue Book).

  Labour and Social Affairs Council
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the outcome of the meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council held in Luxembourg on 30 April; and if she will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Council held its second full discussion of the draft directive on the organisation of working time.

  I emphasised the very damaging effects of the proposal on competitiveness, costs and take-home pay. Significant progress was made. The Council did not take a vote; there was general agreement that it was for each member state to decide whether to designate Sunday as a standard day of rest; and there was substantial support for the view that it should be possible to derogate from the directive through collective agreements in a way appropriate to the local and decentralised bargaining arrangements that apply in the United Kingdom.

  On the 48-hour maximum working week, I again set out the severe difficulties which would flow from the present text. I made it clear that the Government were prepared to see reference to 48 hours in the text of the directive only if solutions were found to the United Kingdom's major problems with the proposal.

  The Portuguese President of the Council said that the working time directive would also be on the agenda of the next scheduled Labour and Social Affairs Council on 24 June.

  A number of other proposals were agreed. The Council unanimously agreed a health and safety directive relevant to extractive industries, and also a directive to update the existing 1975 directive on collective redundancies. Two measures were adopted which will assist freedom of movement for workers within the Community: amendments were approved to regulations on social security for migrant workers and to the SEDOC system of notifying vacancies throughout the Community. Amendments were also agreed to the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances.

  Following this meeting of the Council, of the 38 proposals put forward so far under the EC social action programme, 21 have already been agreed by the Council or, where appropriate, the Commission.

DEFENCE

  Aircraft Statistics
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy relating to the release of information on the number of aircraft in individual RAF squadrons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The 1992 edition of the Statement on the Defence Estimates will include the number and type of all aircraft assigned to RAF Squadrons in Europe.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troop-carrying helicopters are permanently assigned to each helicopter-equipped RAF air transport squadron, listed on page 83 of the Statement of the Defence Estimates 1991, volume 1.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The RAF's support helicopter fleet is in the process of being reorganised. The numbers of aircraft are changing as follows:

  Squadron

  1 April 1992

  1 July 1992

  7 Squadron:

  13 Chinook

  18 Chinook

  18 Squadron:

  10 Chinook

  5 Chinook, 5 Puma

  72 Squadron:

  24 Wessex

  15 Wessex

  33 Squadron:

  21 Puma

  12 Puma

  230 Squadron:

  11 Puma

  15 Puma

  The Queen's Flight:

  2 Wessex

  No change

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many anti-tank helicopters are permanently assigned to each Army air corps regiment.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Lynx helicopters, equipped with TOW missiles, in the anti-tank role are currently deployed with the Army Air Corps as follows:

  BAOR

  Number of Aircraft

  1 Regiment

  18

  3 Regiment

  22

  4 Regiment

  18

  24 Airmobile Brigade

  7 Regiment

  6

  9 Regiment

  12

  In addition the Army Air Corps Centre at Middle Wallop holds 12 helicopters, and 3 Commando Brigade has six helicopters which are operated by the Royal Marines.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what official information on the deployment or non-deployment of nuclear weapons on board Royal Navy ships has been provided to foreign Governments in the past.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It has been invariable practice of successive British Governments neither to confirm nor to deny the presence of nuclear weapons in specific locations at specific times. We are, however, willing to make clear that it is no longer our practice to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on board Royal Navy ships.

  Project Costs
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy relating to the release of information on the estimated costs of individual projects.

  Mr. Aitken
  Details of estimated expenditure on individual projects will only be classified in cases where the existence of the project is itself classified. There may in addition be circumstances in which such information would be treated as commercially confidential to protect the commercial position of my Department or a contractor.

  Rosyth and Devonport Dockyards
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the future size and shape of the work force at the Rosyth and Devonport dockyards.

  Mr. Aitken
  The size and shape of the work forces at Devonport and Rosyth royal dockyards are a matter for the commercial judgment of the management companies. The companies are kept informed about the MOD's expected ship refitting programme.

  Electro-magnetic Propulsion
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work has been carried out by the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment on the electro-magnetic propulsion of projectiles.

  Mr. Aitken
  I have asked the chief executive of the Defence Research Agency to reply to the hon. Member.

  British Army of the Rhine
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average number of anti-tank guided missile systems in each British Army of the Rhine infantry battalion.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Twenty-four.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average number of surface-to-air guided missile systems in each British Army of the Rhine air defence regiment.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are currently two Rapier air defence regiments in BAOR, one of which has 36 systems and the other 44.

  Training
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his policy regarding the release of information on the provision of military training by British service personnel;

  (2) what agreement has been reached with the Thai Government relating to the release of information regarding the provision of British military training assistance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Detailed information about United Kingdom military training provided for overseas personnel is generally confidential between Her Majesty's Government and the Government concerned. This policy continues to apply in the case of Thailand.

  WE177 Bomb
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure has been incurred to date on the study of procurement options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb.

  Mr. Aitken
  The warhead element of the cost is classified. Study of the procurement options for the vehicle has incurred costs to date of some £6 million.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of procurement options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free-fall bomb that are currently being studied.

  Mr. Aitken
  We are continuing to study a range of possible options for the eventual replacement of WE177. The hon. Member will know that these include French and American tactical air-to-surface missiles. No decision has yet been taken.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current assessment of the nature of the military threat from(a) Iraq, (b) Libya and (c) Iran; and what assessment of the potential military threats from each of these countries has taken place as a result of the "Options for Change" study.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Iraq, Iran and Libya do not present a direct threat to the United Kingdom but all have the potential to put at risk peace and stability in the Mediterranean and the Gulf. We continue to monitor the risks of conflict in these areas. Following the restructuring of our armed forces, the United Kingdom will continue to have a national capability to deal with contingency operations outside the NATO area.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications there have been between his Department and(a) British Aerospace, (b) GEC, (c) Lucas Aerospace and (d) other defence contractors regarding the industrial and economic consequences of "Options for Change".

  Mr. Aitken
  Ministers and officials in my Department are frequently in communication with a wide range of defence contractors, including all those mentioned by the hon. Gentleman, on the implications of changes to the defence programme.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make it his policy to publish a statement detailing the anticipated effect of the "Options for Change" process on(a) the procurement budget and (b) the personnel budget.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  On current plans the defence budget is set to fall by around 5·5 per cent. in real terms between 1990–91 and 1994–95 (excluding direct Gulf costs and redundancy provision) as the new force structure is introduced. Current forecasts suggest that the move to the new force structure will also lead to a small increase in the proportion of the budget spent on equipment and a slight decrease in the proportion devoted to personnel costs.

  Recruitment
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will change his policy on the release of information on the recruiting levels of individual regiments.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Information on the recruiting levels of individual regiments is not available centrally and could he produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Training
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many qualifications were acquired each year since records began by service personnel as a result of pre-release training.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Detailed records of the qualifications obtained arc not kept by the MOD. Each year many thousands of service personnel undertake a wide variety of pre-release resettlement training courses. Much of this training is within civilian organisations or at civilian educational establishments and in many cases leads directly or contributes to recognised civilian qualifications. During their careers many service men and women also make use of service facilities and support to acquire a broad range of qualifications through attendance at further education courses and distance learning including the Open university.

  Budget
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the release of information on the long-term costings of the defence budget.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The 10-year costing of the defence programme (known as the long-term costing) is designed for internal planning purposes. Approval to commit expenditure is subject to separate procedures and endorsement by Ministers as appropriate. To avoid giving a misleading impression as to the firmness of our plans, we would not therefore normally provide details of the contents of the long-term costing.

  Naval Craft Orders
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many orders for(a) type 23 frigates, (b) auxiliary oiler replenishment vessels and (c) other naval craft will be placed in the next 10 years; and in which years they will be ordered.

  Mr. Aitken
  Our plans to provide the Navy with modern, capable equipment include further orders of type 23 frigates and support ships. However, it is not our practice to disclose details of the internal planning assumptions made in our forward equipment programme.

  Equipment Exports
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the approximate number of times in the last 12 years that contracts have been agreed for the supply of non-lethal military equipment to(a) Libya, (b) Iraq and (c) South Africa.

  Mr. Aitken
  It has been the consistent policy of successive Governments not to discuss particulars of 156
  defence sales with other countries as these are matters of commercial confidentiality. However, the Government adhere to the EC embargo on the sale of military equipment and services to Libya and the United Nations embargos on South Africa and Iraq. The United Kingdom has, in fact, refused since 1984 to supply defence equipment or services to Iraq which could prolong the Iran-Iraq conflict.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Rolls-Royce Olympus and Proteus engines have been sold to(a) the Iranian navy and (b) the Iraqi navy in the last 13 years;

  (2) what spare parts for Chieftain tanks have been supplied to (a) the Iranian Government, (b) the Iraqi Government and (c) the Jordanian Government in the last 13 years;

  (3) how many air defence radars Plessey has sold to (a) the Iranian Government and (b) the Iraqi Government in the last 13 years;

  (4) which British companies have sold mortar-locating radar to the Iraqi Government in the last 13 years.

  Mr. Aitken
  It has been the consistent policy of successive Governments not to discuss particulars of defence sales with other countries as these are matters of commercial confidentiality. I would add, however, that since 1984 the United Kingdom has refused to supply any equipment which could prolong or exacerbate the Iran-Iraq conflict, and since August 1990 has complied with the terms of the United Nations embargo on arms sales to Iraq.

SCOTLAND

  Rents-to-mortgages Scheme
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sales have been completed under the Government's rents-to-mortgages scheme in Scotland; and what this figure is as a proportion of the total number of tenants elegible to participate in the scheme.

  Mr. Lang
  Three hundred and six tenants had bought their homes under the rent-to-mortgage scheme at 31 March 1992. This represents just under 0·1 per cent. of the 370,000 tenants estimated to be eligible for the scheme.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department on administration and publicity for the Government's rents-to-mortgages scheme since its inception.

  Mr. Lang
  My Department has spent £380,000 on publicity for the rent-to-mortgage scheme, including the cost of printing leaflets. No calculation has been made of the cost of the time spent by staff in my Department, since the work was part of their normal duties.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications have been received under the Government's rents-to-mortgages scheme from tenants of flats.

  Mr. Lang
  This information is not available.

  M80
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his preferred line of route for the M80 between Staffs and Haggs.
  157
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 11 May 1992]: Consultation with Strathclyde regional council is being arranged for early next month, when a formal presentation to elected members and officials will outline the recommendations and conclusions of the feasibility study. A presentation to the district councils will follow soon afterwards. The comments and impact received will then be considered and amendments made where possible, prior to official publication of the line. This procedure should allow any conflict of interest to be addressed and discussed fully, and lead to early agreement on the recommended route and access arrangements. The present aim is to publish the preferred line later this year.

  Forestry Commission Land
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he intends to make towards his policy of disposing of Forestry Commission land and woodlands; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The Government have no plans to change the policy on the disposal of Forestry Commission land and woodlands which was set out by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) on 16 June 1989, Official Report, columns 544–45.

  Contempt of Court
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many instances there have been of committal to prison for contempt of court in the last 10 years for which information is available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The available information is set out in the table.

  Persons sentenced to custody for contempt of court in Scotland 1981–90

  Year

  Number

  1981

  34

  1982

  35

  1983

  40

  1984

  38

  1985

  46

  1986

  45

  1987

  33

  1988

  33

  1989

  38

  1990

  31

  Note:

  Only the charge which receives the severest penalty on any occasion is recorded in the statistics, so when any custodial sentence for contempt of court is not the main sentence, the contempt of court charge is not included in the table.

  Self-inflicted Injury
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by penal institution the number of instances of self-inflicted injury in the last 10 years for which information is available.

  Lord James Douglas Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The numbers of self-inflicted injuries by institution over the last 10 years are as follows:

  Institution

  Number

  1982

  Aberdeen

  2

  Barlinnie

  1

  158

  Institution

  Number

  Dumfries

  1

  Friarton

  1

  Longriggend

  1

  Polmont

  1

  Perth

  1

  1983

  Aberdeen

  2

  Edinburgh

  2

  Glenochil

  3

  Longriggend

  2

  Polmont

  1

  Perth

  1

  1984

  Aberdeen

  1

  Barlinnie

  2

  Cornton Vale

  2

  Edinburgh

  1

  Friarton

  1

  Inverness

  2

  Longriggend

  5

  Perth

  1

  1985

  Aberdeen

  2

  Barlinnie

  1

  Cornton Vale

  2

  Dungavel

  1

  Dumfries

  1

  Edinburgh

  1

  Friarton

  2

  Glenochil

  1

  Inverness

  2

  Longriggend

  14

  Noranside

  1

  Polmont

  3

  Perth

  1

  Peterhead

  1

  1986

  Aberdeen

  2

  Cornton Vale

  2

  Edinburgh

  2

  Inverness

  1

  Longriggend

  11

  Low Moss

  1

  Polmont

  5

  Perth

  2

  Shotts

  1

  1987

  Aberdeen

  3

  Barlinnie

  2

  Cornton Vale

  4

  Dumfries

  1

  Glenochil

  2

  Longriggend

  1

  Polmont

  2

  Perth

  1

  1988

  Aberdeen

  1

  Barlinnie

  1

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Edinburgh

  1

  Glenochil

  1

  Polmont

  3

  Peterhead

  3

  Shotts

  2

  1989

  Aberdeen

  3

  Barlinnie

  6

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Edinburgh

  1

  Inverness

  1

  Longriggend

  5

  159

  Institution

  Number

  Polmont

  1

  Peterhead

  3

  Shotts

  1

  1990

  Aberdeen

  3

  Barlinnie

  11

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Edinburgh

  1

  Glenochil

  1

  Greenock

  2

  Inverness

  1

  Peterhead

  1

  Shotts

  1

  1991

  Aberdeen

  3

  Barlinnie

  12

  Edinburgh

  1

  Greenock

  1

  Polmont

  3

  Shotts

  1

  1992 (to date)

  Barlinnie

  4

  Barlinnie special unit

  1

  Edinburgh

  1

  Perth

  2

  Suicides
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by penal institution the number of cases of(a) attempted suicide and (b) suicide in the last 10 years for which information is available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The numbers of attempted suicides and suicides by institution over the last 10 years are as follows:

  Institution

  Number

  1982

  Suicides

  Dumfries

  1

  Glenochil

  2

  Attempted suicides

  Aberdeen

  1

  Barlinnie

  1

  Edinburgh

  2

  Noranside

  1

  1983

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  1

  Glenochil

  1

  Attempted suicides

  Barlinnie

  1

  1984

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  3

  Edinburgh

  1

  Glenochil

  1

  Attempted Suicides

  Barlinnie

  4

  Glenochil

  2

  Longriggend

  2

  Polmont

  1

  Perth

  2

  1985

  Suicides

  160

  Institution

  Number

  Barlinnie

  3

  Glenochil

  2

  Perth

  1

  Attempted Suicides

  Aberdeen

  9

  Barlinnie

  2

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Dumfries

  1

  Edinburgh

  2

  Glenochil

  1

  Longriggend

  5

  Low Moss

  1

  Noranside

  1

  Polmont

  8

  1986

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  3

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Edinburgh

  1

  Perth

  2

  Attempted Suicides

  Barlinnie

  3

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Longriggend

  10

  Polmont

  9

  Perth

  1

  1987

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  3

  Dumfries

  1

  Edinburgh

  1

  Glenochil

  1

  Attempted Suicides

  Aberdeen

  1

  Barlinnie

  1

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Dungavel

  1

  Edinburgh

  3

  Longriggend

  2

  Shotts

  3

  1988

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  6

  Glenochil

  1

  Attempted Suicides

  Barlinnie

  3

  Cornton Vale

  2

  Edinburgh

  4

  Glenochil

  3

  Longriggend

  7

  Polmont

  2

  Perth

  1

  Peterhead

  4

  Shotts

  8

  1989

  Suicides

  Aberdeen

  1

  Barlinnie

  1

  Polmont

  1

  Perth

  1

  Shotts

  2

  Attempted Suicides

  Aberdeen

  4

  Barlinnie

  2

  Cornton Vale

  1

  Edinburgh

  2

  Glenochil

  1

  Inverness

  1

  Longriggend

  5

  161

  Institution

  Number

  Low Moss

  1

  Polmont

  3

  Peterhead

  2

  Shotts

  1

  1990

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  2

  Attempted suicides

  Barlinnie

  11

  Cornton Vale

  2

  Edinburgh

  3

  Glenochil

  1

  Longriggend

  6

  Polmont

  1

  1991

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  1

  Greenock

  1

  Longriggend

  1

  Perth

  1

  Attempted suicides

  Aberdeen

  1

  Barlinnie

  1

  Cornton Vale

  4

  Edinburgh

  5

  Inverness

  3

  Longriggend

  5

  Polmont

  1

  Perth

  3

  Peterhead

  1

  Shotts

  1

  1992(to date)

  Suicides

  Barlinnie

  1

  Polmont

  1

  Attempted suicides

  Aberdeen

  1

  Barlinnie

  6

  Glenochil

  1

  Polmont

  6

  Civil Jury Trials
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil jury trials have been heard in the Court of Session in each of the last 10 years for which information is available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The numbers of civil jury trials in the Court of Session for the years 1982 to 1991 inclusive are as follows:

  Number

  1982

  4

  1983

  5

  1984

  4

  1985

  4

  1986

  6

  1987

  6

  1988

  5

  1989

  4

  1990

  Nil

  1991

  6

  Sheriffs
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons currenty hold commissions as(a) full-time sheriffs and (b) temporary sheriffs.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: Ninety-six persons currently hold commissions as full-time sheriffs and 110 persons as temporary sheriffs.

  Courts Administration
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current establishment of the Scottish Courts administration; how many vacancies there are; and in what grades.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 May 1991]: On 5 May 1992, the establishment of the Scottish court service was 7581/2 full-time staff. There were 10 vacancies at that date, five in the AA grade and five typists.

  Forestry Commission
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to privatise the Forestry Commission in full or in part; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The Government have no such plans.

  Population Statistics
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the mid-1991 estimates by the Register General of Populations of those aged 17 years and over, plus 63 per cent. of those aged 16 years for each district council area and parliamentary constituency in Scotland, together in each case with the 1992 electoral registration figures.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 12 May 1992]: The Registrar General's mid-1991 population estimates are not yet available. Provisional figures, based on the results of the 1991 census, will be prepared by September 1992. Electoral registration figures for 1992 have been published in OPCS Monitors EL 92/1 and EL 92/2 which cover, respectively, parliamentary constituencies and local government areas. Copies of both these publications are held in the Library.

  Absent Voting
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in what forms he holds information on the numbers of postal, proxy and expatriate votes issued and used during the 1987 and 1992 general elections.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Returning officers in Scotland are at present sending information to my right hon. Friend about the numbers of postal votes issued and used during the 1992 general election for eventual publication as part of a House of Commons paper. The information for the 1987 general election is contained in tables 3 and 5 of House of Commons Paper No. 426 of 20 April 1988 "Election Expenses".

  In this context, it is not possible to distinguish between postal votes and postal proxy votes which may have been used by overseas voters.

  TREATY OF MAASTRICHT: PROTOCOL 17
  TREATY OF MAASTRICHT: PROTOCOL 17
  VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS TO HONG KONG
  VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS TO HONG KONG
  SEEKING WORK: COST
  SEEKING WORK: COST
  UNEMPLOYMENT: COST
  UNEMPLOYMENT: COST
  HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS: PRIVATE FINANCING
  HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS: PRIVATE FINANCING
  RADON IN HOUSES: REPORT
  RADON IN HOUSES: REPORT
  GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: REGULATIONS
  GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: REGULATIONS
  ENERGY SAVING TRUST PROJECT
  ENERGY SAVING TRUST PROJECT