Written Answers of 4 November 1992

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Asylum
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he keeps on the reasons for refusal of asylum cases; and if he will publish these, including the number of refusals on the ground of multiple applications.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The main statistics available are of refusals after determination of the claim to refugee status, those on safe third country grounds and those under paragraph 101 of the immigration rules. For these statistics I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 20 October 1992,Official Report, columns 261–62. Figures for refusals of multiple applications are not identifiable separately.

  Immigration
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with EC counterparts to harmonise the primary purpose rule with practices in other EC countries.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Discussions have been held at official level in the ad hoc group on immigration with a view to agreeing a set of principles and a resolution on the harmonisation of family reunification policies in the member states. The existence in the United Kingdom of the primary purpose rule has been taken into account in those discussions.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken since June to reduce levels of secrecy in the work of the ad hoc group on immigration.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A public statement on the decisions and conclusions adopted will be made in the normal way following the meeting of EC Ministers concerned with immigration on 30 November.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of how many individuals are in the United Kingdom(a) illegally, (b) in breach of their entry conditions and (c) otherwise in the United Kingdom unofficially.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Comprehensive information on the number of immigration offenders resident in the United Kingdom is not available, and it is not possible to make a reliable estimate. In many cases it is not possible to determine whether a person is an immigration offender until he/she has been traced and interviewed. In the 12 months up to the end of June 1992, some 8,800 immigration offenders were detected and served with illegal entry notices or with notices of intention to deport for being in breach of their conditions to enter or remain.
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  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the topics and proposals on immigration, asylum and other matters that Her Majesty's Government are putting before the Edinburgh summit.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Immigration and asylum matters will be discussed by immigration Ministers of EC member states on 30 November. It is too early to say whether any of these matters will need to be referred to the Edinburgh European Council.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the meeting of the ad hoc European group on immigration held on 10 and 11 September giving details of its conclusions, of how Parliament will be kept informed about the group's proceedings, of what matters are currently under consideration by the group, when the group will meet again, what sub-groups have been formed and for which subjects.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave on 19 October 1992,Official Report, cols 50–52, to his previous questions on this matter.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to establish a system to compensate individuals who have suffered damage, loss, inconvenience or general disadvantages as a result of poor quality of service from the immigration and nationality department.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  There are arrangements in place for making ex gratia compensation payments in certain circumstances where a person has suffered financial loss as a direct result of negligence, error or delay by an officer of the Home Office.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in each year since 1988 that evidence from DNA testing has been available to immigration appeals against refusing entry to children, what percentage of original refusals by entry clearance officers were(a) correct and (b) incorrect;

  (2) how many individuals initially refused entry because of not being related as claimed and subsequently accepted as related after DNA testing have (a) subsequently reapplied for entry and (b) been refused, giving as a percentage the grounds of the refusal in each category.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information is not available in the form requested. I will write to the hon. Member setting out such figures on cases involving DNA evidence as can he obtained at reasonable cost.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the latest year for which figures are available, of those persons refused entry under the primary purpose rule how many were married to(a) British citizens, (b) citizens of another nation, but settled in the United Kingdom and (c) other categories as totals and as a percentage of the whole.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the subjective and the objective criteria used in each of the EC countries which are
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  comparable to the primary purpose rule in the United Kingdom in respect of applications from a spouse to join his or her partner.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is not available. It is a matter for each member state to decide, in accordance with its national immigration legislation, what criteria to apply in relation to the admission of spouses.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the current situation of the Zairean national who was returned to Zaire in May 1991 whose case subsequently gave rise to contempt of court proceedings involving the Minister's predecessor.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Treasury Solicitor was informed on 18 July 1991 that the person concerned had contacted his legal representatives from Nigeria. We have heard nothing more as to his whereabouts since then.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff have been employed by the immigration and nationality department to deal specifically with applications for asylum in each of the past five years; and if he will make it his policy to ensure a regular review of staffing levels in the department.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The number of staff employed in the asylum division to deal specifically with applications for asylum on 1 October in each of the last five years was as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1988

  52

  1989

  62

  1990

  86

  1991

  200

  1992

  435

  Staffing levels are kept under constant review.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional individuals have joined their spouse in the United Kingdom as a result of the change in guidance in June to no longer use primary purpose as a reason to refuse in cases where a marriage has existed for five years or where there is a child of the marriage with the right of abode in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the trends emerging from this change.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is not possible to make an estimate of the effect of this change. The available information on decisions on entry clearance applications in respect of spouses relates only to those made in the Indian sub-continent; the latest statistics for which are published in tables 8 and 9 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Control of Immigration: Statistics—First and Second Quarters of 1992". A copy of this bulletin is in the Library.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidelines setting out the type of questions to be asked at entry clearance interviews of non-EC nationals at United Kingdom ports.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Existing instructions to immigration officers are to the effect that questioning should be 224
  confined to what is relevant to the decisions the officer will have to make. Cases vary greatly, and I see no need for more detailed guidelines.

  Procedures at entry clearance interviews overseas are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, but similar principles are followed.

  Refugees
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for burden sharing with other EC countries in respect of refugees from non-EC countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Member states of the European Community provide assistance in different ways in response to refugee problems, but no plans are under consideration for burden-sharing in the sense of distributing refugees or asylum seekers within the territory of the Community in accordance with quotas for each member state.

  Primates (Experiments)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many primates were used for research and testing in the United Kingdom in 1991.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information on the number of procedures on primates started in 1991 and the number of primates used during 1991 is contained in table 2a and 2b respectively of the Command Paper "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain, 1991", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Safer Cities
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the timetable and procedure relating to the submissions for additional safer cities status.

  Mr. Jack
  The safer cities programme was originally intended to create 20 local projects, all of which have now been established. We remain committed to doubling the number of safer cities projects to 40, when circumstances and resources enable us to do so. At that time I will advise the hon. Member of the timetable and procedures which will be followed.

  Prisons Inspectorate
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the dates on which he received the last 25 reports of inspections by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons; and on what dates the reports were published by his Department.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The dates on which the 25 most recent inspection reports by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons were submitted to me and on which they were published by the Inspectorate are as follows:

  Inspection

  Submission— 1992

  Publication—1992

  HMP Styal

  26 February

  16 July

  HMP Birmingham

  5 March

  23 July

  HMP Leicester

  12 March

  21 October

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  Inspection

  Submission— 1992

  Publication—1992

  HMP Latchmere House

  24 March

  23 July

  HMP Sudbury

  31 March

  being printed

  HMP Stafford

  15 April

  21 October

  HMP Manchester

  15 April

  13 August

  HMP Wymott

  30 April

  being printed

  HMP Lewes

  30 April

  being printed

  HMP Long Lartin

  29 May

  being printed

  HMP The Mount

  10 June

  being printed

  HMP Wellingborough

  11 June

  being printed

  HMP Bullwood Hall

  15 June

  being printed

  HMP Morton Hall

  18 June

  Not yet published

  HMP Acklington

  30 June

  Not yet published

  HMP Spring Hill

  22 July

  Not yet published

  HMP Ashwell

  6 August

  Not yet published

  HMP Bristol

  30 September

  Not yet published

  HMP Haslar

  30 September

  Not yet published

  HMP Hindley

  30 September

  Not yet published

  HMP Maidstone

  30 September

  Not yet published

  HMP Whatton

  30 September

  Not yet published

  HMP Swansea

  22 October

  Not yet published

  HMP Portland

  26 October

  Not yet published

  HMP Blantyre House

  26 October

  Not yet published

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of adults in the city of Southampton on the electoral register in use at the time of the general election on 9 April.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There were 146,499 parliamentary electors registered in the constituencies of Southampton, lichen and Southampton, Test at the time of the general election on 9 April; 1,634 of these were young people (attainers) reaching 18 years of age during the currency of the 1992–93 register. Information about the number of young attainers who had reached voting age by 9 April is not held centrally.

  Suicide
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides by teenagers were attempted either while held in custody or in prison in Wales in the years 1981 to 1990; how many occurred in 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of acts of deliberate self-harm by teenagers in prison service establishments in Wales was 21 in 1990 and 24 in 1991. No distinction is made between attempted suicides and other acts of deliberate self-harm. Information for earlier years is not available. No deaths occurred as a result of acts of deliberate self-harm by teenagers in Welsh prisons in 1991.

  Information about attempted suicides in police custody is not recorded centrally by the Home Office or by police forces in Wales. Questions relating to local authority secure accommodation in Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Wolds Remand Centre
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers and grades of staff employed at the Wolds remand centre.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There are 196 people working at Wolds prison. They include prisoner custody officers and 226
  supervisors; management, administrative and maintenance staff; full and part-time chaplains; subcontracted catering, medical and education staff and seconded probation officers.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to market test all or any of the work of the probation service in England and Wales.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 28 October 1992]: The Government's intention to apply market testing principles to aspects of the work undertaken by the probation service was set out in the "Competing for Quality" White Paper, including the encouragement of competition within both the public and independent sectors in the development and management of hostels.

  Passports
  Ms. Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports are lost each year when submitted for revision of name or other details to the Passport Agency.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the chief executive of the United Kingdom Passport Agency. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from J. Hayzelden to Ms. Tessa Jowell, dated 30 October 1992:

  PASSPORTS

  The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question about passports submitted to the Passport Agency for revision of name or other details.

  The UK Passport Agency issues over 3 million new or replacement passports each year. In addition, over 250,000 passports are submitted for a change of name or the addition of children's names. Most of these new, replacement or amended passports are sent out by post, although there is a facility for customers to collect their completed passports in person if this is more convenient.

  It is very rare for a passport that has been submitted for a name change to be lost in the Passport Office, though some do go astray in the post. For that reason, we do not keep separate statistics. I am aware of a particular problem that arose in relation to one of your constituents on which you are in correspondence with the London Passport Office. We are naturally keen to ensure that such problems do not arise in future. We have impressed on all staff the importance of document security, both from the point of view of customer service and the prevention of passport fraud.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Turks and Caicos Islands
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to give greater autonomy to the Turks and Caicos islands.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  A constitutional commissioner visited the Turks and Caicos Islands in February 1992 and his report was placed in the libraries of the House of Commons and House of Lords on 27 July. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will decide what action to take about the commissioner's recommendations once consultation with the Turks and Caicos Islands is complete.

  European Community Law
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Cash) of 2 July,Official Report, column 696, if he will make a statement on the principal duties of citizens which flow from the direct effect of EC law.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Mostly EC laws concern Governments, public bodies and companies. However, some do affect individuals directly, especially if they are traders, eg the Directive on Toy Safety. Another example, binding on all, is the duty to inform the authorities of the transfer of a firearm under the Weapons Directive. Nowhere is there any duty of the kind normally regarded as deriving from national citizenship, eg military service.

  Albania
  Sir Geoffrey Pattie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the level of consular representation in Albania; whether he will extend that representation to full embassy status; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There is a British chargé d'affaires in Tirana. He undertakes a limited range of consular functions. There are no immediate plans to change this arrangement.

  Maastricht Treaty
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Heads of State of Community member states hold any different status under article 8 of the treaty of Rome proposed under the Maastricht treaty from that held by other citizens of the union.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  No. Heads of Community member states will be entitled to the same rights as other citizens of the European union.

  Baltic States
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government concerning the decision by the Russian Government to slow, or cease, the withdrawal of troops from the Baltic countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are in frequent contact with the Russian Government about the withdrawal of former Soviet troops from the Baltic states and will, of course, be expressing our concern about the latest developments. We were encouraged by the Russian/Lithuanian agreement of 8 September on the withdrawal of troops by 31 August 1993, and look to Russia to agree to, and implement, similar timetables with Estonia and Latvia, in accordance with the terms of the Helsinki declaration of July 1992.

  Council of Ministers
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community's Council of Ministers.
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  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The information is as follows: Council of Ministers business for November 1992

  1. The following meetings are planned:

  3 November: Consumer Affairs Council

  9 November: Foreign Affairs Council

  10 November: Internal Market Council

  12 November: Culture Council

  13 November: Health Council

  16 November 17 November} Agricultural Council

  17 November: Budget Council

  18 November: Development Council

  19 November: Telecommunications Council

  23 November: Economic and Finance Council

  23 November: Fisheries Council

  24 November: Industrial Affairs Council

  27 November: Education Council

  30 November: Energy Council

  2. The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

  (a) Consumer Affairs Council—3 November

  —Sixth amendment to cosmetics directive

  —Time-share

  —Distance selling

  —Comparative advertising

  —Consumer aspects of Sutherland report on operation of the Internal Market

  —Enforcement of consumer protection law

  —Rapid information of exchange system on consumer products

  —European home and leisure accident surveillance system (EHLASS)

  (b) Foreign Affairs Council—9 November

  —Follow up to Birmingham European Council

  —Ratification of Maastricht

  —Subsidiarity

  —Transparency

  —Delors II package

  —Enlargement—Finland

  —33rd meeting of EC/Turkey Association Council

  —Ex-Yugoslavia

  —Phare programme

  (c) Internal Market Council—10 November

  —Abolition of frontier controls

  —2nd amendment of machinery directive (possible)

  —External projections on vehicles of category N (possible)

  —Regulation of the CE Mark (possible)

  —Vehicle noise (possible)

  —2/3 wheeled vehicles: braking and power (possible)

  —2nd company law directive

  —European company statute (6516/91)

  —Making the Single Market work post 1992

  —Community trademark regulations

  —Medicines—agency and future systems (9490/91)

  —Rental and lending rights (possible) (6344/92)

  —Harmonisation of copyright term

  —Amendment to public works directive (possible)

  —Food hygiene directive (possible) (4690/92)

  —Sweeteners directive (possible) (7762/92)

  —Directive and regulation on cultural goods (9962/91)

  —Standardisation and intellectual property

  (d) Culture Council—12 November

  —Cultural priorities

  —City of culture

  —Books and reading

  —Cultural goods (possible)

  (e) Health Council—13 November

  —Future action in the field of public health (SEC(92)1866)

  —Communicable diseases

  —Health education (6571/92)

  —Drugs ——2nd drug demand reduction report (7291/92)

  —information of the European Drugs Prevention Week

  —Tobacco —draft tobacco advertising directive (6294/92)

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  —orientation debate on Presidency memorandum (9030/92)

  —Cancer evaluation (possible)

  (f) Agriculture Council—16–17 November

  —Bananas (8372/92; 9023/92; 9421/92; 9432/92)

  —Agrimoney (7907/92; 9361/92)

  —Milk codification (8950/91; 9280/92)

  —Italian milk quotas (8067/92; 9261/1/92)

  —Spanish and Portuguese transition

  —GATT (not applicable)

  —Integrated controls (possible) (10537/91; 9373/92)

  —New Zealand butter (possible)

  —Sheep VRAs (possible)

  —Sugar (cane) (possible)

  —Animal identification (possible) (6414/92; 9446/92)

  —Exotic disease (possible)

  —General welfare (possible)

  (g) Budget Council—17 November

  —Draft community budget for 1993

  (h) Development Council—18 November

  —Development co-operation policy in the run-up to 2000 (107/3/92)

  —Family planning in co-operation with developing countries (121/1/92)

  —Human rights, democracy and development (125/92)

  —Follow up to UNCED

  —clean and efficient energy for development (120/1/92)

  —financial aspects

  —Emergency aid

  —Somalia

  —Mozambique

  —Flexibility in responding to disasters and subsequent rehabilitation needs

  —Untying of aid

  —Co-operation with NGOs

  (i) Telecommunications Council—19 November

  —ONP directive on voice telephony

  —Resolution on frequencies

  —Resolution on numbering policy

  —Review of article 90 Services directive and ONP framework directive

  —HDTV Action plan

  —Postal services green paper

  —Telecoms manufacturing industry

  —Trans-European networks (possible)

  —ETSI and intellectual property rights (possible)

  (j) (Economic and Finance Council—23 November

  —Delors II

  —Belgian convergence programme

  —Relations with FSU/CEE

  —Abolition of fiscal frontiers

  —Investment services directive

  —Direct tax

  —Fraud

  —Customs convention

  —Balance of payments loan to Italy

  —Transport taxation (possible)

  (k) Fisheries Council-23 November

  —Annual price fixing for fish

  —Tariff suspensions/quotas

  —New basic regulation (replacing 170/83)

  —Amendment of structure regulation (4028/86)

  —Orientation debate on structural policy (possible)

  —Commission report on industrial fishing (possible)

  —Commission report on discards (possible)

  (l) Industrial Affairs Council—24 November

  —Business and environment

  —SMES

  —Competition policy

  —Administrative simplification

  —ECSC—Future of Treaty of Paris

  —Spanish steel

  —Mining (possible)

  —Maritime industries (possible)

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  (m) Education Council—27 November

  —Tempus II (educational links with Eastern and Central Europe) (9082/92)

  —European dimension in higher education

  —Open and distance learning

  —Health education in schools (6571/92)

  —EC/US cooperation in education and training (7192/92)

  —European schools (6700/92)

  —Information from the Commission

  —consultation on commission memorandum on higher education (9497/91)

  (n) Energy Council—30 November

  —Liberalisation of energy markets (4911/92)

  —Hydrocarbon licensing regimes (6566/92)

  —Oil crisis measures (6245/92)

  —EC accession to the International Energy agency (IEA) (6245/92)

  —New and renewables (ALTENER) programme (7757/92)

  —Energy efficiency (SAVE) programme (7847/92)

  —Stabilization of CO2 emissions (8918/91)

  —European Energy Charter

  3. The Consumer Affairs Council will meet on 3 November where Ministers will seek to achieve a common position on the proposed 6th Council amendment to the cosmetics directive. The Council will also discuss the following: time-share and distance selling; comparative advertising; consumer aspects of the Sutherland report on operation of the Internal market; the enforcement of consumer protection law; the rapid information exchange system on consumer products and the European Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System (EHLASS).

  4. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 9 November. Items for consideration by Ministers will include follow up to the Birmingham European Council; further discussion on the Commission's proposals for the future financing of the Community (the "Delors II package") and progress on the current applications for EC membership. Ministers will also discuss the former Yugoslavia and the Community's response to the latest developments, including the humanitarian crisis. The Council will approve draft conclusions outlining the Commission approach to the second phase of the PHARE programme. A Cooperation Council with Turkey will also be held in the margins.

  5. The Internal Market Council will meet on 10 November and will discuss the abolition of frontier controls; the 2nd company law directive; European company statute; making the Single Market work Post 1992; the Community trademark regulation; proposals for regulation and directives on the future system for the free movement of medicinal products; harmonisation of copyright term; a proposal for a Council regulation on the export of cultural goods, and standardisation and intellectual property. The Council may also consider the 2nd amendment of the machinery directive; external projections on certain goods vehicles; vehicle noise; rental and lending rights; an amendment to the public works directive; the food hygiene directive and the sweeteners directive.

  6. The Culture Council will meet on 12 November. The Council will consider a Commission communication on new perspectives for the European City of Culture programme; a public awareness campaign for books and reading and a proposal for a regulation on the export of cultural goods.

  7. The Health Council will meet on 13 November and will discuss a framework for future action in the field of public health. The Council is also expected to agree a draft resolution on the monitoring and surveillance of communicable diseases. Other items for discussion by Ministers include: a report on health education in schools; draft conclusions on the 2nd report on drug demand reduction; information on the European Drug Prevention Week; the draft directive on tobacco advertising and an evaluation of the 1991 report on "Europe against Cancer".

  8. The Agriculture Council will meet on 16 and 17 November. Ministers will discuss bananas; the agrimonetary system; milk codification; Italian milk quotas; Spanish and Portuguese transitional arrangements, and the agriculture aspects of

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  GATT. Discussion may also focus on: integrated administrative controls; New Zealand butter; sheep voluntary restraint agreements; animal identification; exotic diseases and general welfare.

  9. The Budget Council will meet on 17 November to discuss the European Parliament's amendments and modifications as a result of their first reading of the draft budget for 1993.

  10. The Development Council will meet on 18 November and will agree common objectives for the Community and member states for the 90s including a work programme and mechanisms for improving coordination and collaboration. Ministers will endorse priorities and objectives for the community in family planning in cooperation with developing countries. A review of the November 1991 resolution on human rights, democracy and development in the light of a Commission report on its implementation; how the Community's research and technology programmes might benefit developing countries, and details of the 3 becu promised by the Community in support of Agenda 21 at the Rio Conference will also be considered. The Council will discuss various aspects of the Community's response to disasters, including the Community and member states action in Somalia and their participation in the UN 100-day plan for Somalia, and ways of increasing flexibility of funding the Community response to disasters. An oral report on Community plans for Mozambique will also be heard. Other items for discussion include: an oral report on progress made in drafting a proposal on untying aid at Community level and a Commission paper which describes follow-up to the May 1991 Council resolution on NGOs.

  11. The Telecommunications Council will meet on 19 November. Discussion will concentrate on the ONP directive on voice telephony; the Council resolution on frequencies, a review of the Article 90 services directive and the ONP framework directive; the HDTV action plan; the postal services green paper and the telecoms manufacturing industry. Trans-European networks, ETSI and intellectual property rights may also be discussed.

  12. The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 23 November to consider further the Commission's proposals for the future financing of the Community (Delors II). Ministers will also discuss the Belgian convergence programme; aid to Romania and the Baltic States, and the abolition of fiscal frontiers. The Council will continue in its efforts to achieve a common position on the Investment Services Directive. The draft 7th Directive on the sale of second-hand goods, works of art, antiques and collector's items; the United Kingdom Presidency's paper on increases in the current Third Country travellers' allowances; matters concerning the Community action to combat fraud against the EC budget, and a request from Italy for a balance of payments loan may also be discussed. Further items for discussion may include: the draft simplification directives for VAT and excise, and the signing of the Customs Information system Convention by EC Finance Ministers.

  13. The Fisheries Council will meet on 23 November. Ministers may discuss: annual price fixing on fish; tariff suspension/quotas; the new basic regulation that will replace 170/83; amendment of the structures regulation 4028/83 orientation debate on structural policy; new control regulations; the Commission report on industrial fishing and the Commission report on discards.

  14. The Industrial Affairs Council will meet on 24 November. The Council hope to discuss resolutions on the strengthening of the Community's commitment to minimizing the administrative burdens placed on business by Community legislation and on the proper integration of environmental and industrial policies. Ministers are also expected to discuss the phasing out of the ECSC Treaty; the future direction of Community policy on small and medium sized enterprises; competition policy and the Commission proposal to allow Spain to give restructuring aid to its steel industry. Other items include: communications on maritime industries and Community non-energy mining.

  15. The Education Council will meet on 27 November and will have an orientation debate on the proposal for a second phase of the TEMPUS programme, which offers support to the higher education systems of Central and Eastern Europe. Ministers will also discuss conclusions on measures for developing of the European dimension in higher education,
  232
  and on criteria for the Community action on open and distance learning. The Council will consider a report on Health education in schools and the Commission's proposal for a programme of EC/US Cooperation in Education and Training. Amendment to the convention defining the statute of the European Schools, and a presentation from the Commission on the outcomes of the consultations on their memorandum on higher education in the EC is also likely to be discussed.

  16. The Energy Council will meet on 30 November. Ministers will discuss proposals for the promotion of new and renewable energies (ALTENER); oil crisis measures; Community accession to the IEA, and harmonisation of hydrocarbon licensing regimes. The Council will also consider proposals for liberalisation of the gas and electricity markets; improved energy efficiency as well as progress in relation to the rest of the Community's strategy to limit CO2, emissions, and the European Energy Charter. Discussion may further focus on a new Community regime for state aids to the coal industry.

  North Atlantic Assembly
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Kingdom delegation to the North Atlantic Assembly.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The following will represent the United Kingdom at the North Atlantic Assembly:

  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith, MP (Leader)

  Mr. Robert Banks, MP

  Mr. Winston Churchill, MP

  Sir Peter Emery, MP

  Mr. Michael Jopling, MP

  Mr. Patrick Nicholls, MP

  Mr. Peter Viggers, MP

  Mr. Jerry Wiggin, MP

  The Earl of Kimberley

  Lord Lucas of Chilworth

  Dr. David Clark, MP

  Mr. Donald Anderson, MP

  Mr. Harry Cohen, MP

  Mr. Frank Cook, MP

  Mr. Bruce George, MP

  Mrs. Alice Mahon, MP

  Lord Howell

  Mr. Menzies Campbell, MP

  Colombian Coal
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has been given by the Colombian authorities that coal being imported into the United Kingdom from Colombia does not come from mines which are exploiting child labour.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Government-owned Colombian coal company, Carbocol, has assured the British Government that no coal exported to the United Kingdom is produced using child labour.

  International Atomic Energy Agency
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of the outcome of the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors in June.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  A copy of the International Atomic Energy Agency newsbrief for June-July 1992, containing details of the meetings of the June board of governors, has been deposited in the Library of the House.

  Israel
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions remain in place on the export of nuclear materials or equipment to Israel.

  Mr. Needham
  I have been asked to reply.

  Exports of nuclear materials or equipment to Israel as set out in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1991, as amended, require a licence issued by the Department of Trade and Industry. Applications for export licences are considered on their individual merits and take account of advice received from other Government Departments which will reflect the United Kingdom's obligations in respect of nuclear non-proliferation.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by the International Atomic Energy Agency in each of the last five years on monitoring work in relation to the non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  The published accounts show that International Atomic Energy Agency expenditure on nuclear safeguards in each of the last five years has been as follows:

  United States $ million

  1987

  43·8

  1988

  47·5

  1989

  48·3

  1990

  58·6

  1991

  58·0

DEFENCE

  Indonesian Armed Forces
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will discontinue the training of members of the Indonesian armed forces by the United Kingdom armed forces and in his Ministry's establishments.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  Naval Bases
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide the most recent figures for the annual running costs of(a) Portland naval base, excluding the naval air station, (b) Portsmouth naval base and (c) Devonport naval base.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In 1991–92 the annual running costs of the three naval bases were:

  Naval Base

  £ million

  (a) Portland (excluding air station)

  12·1

  (b) Portsmouth

  99·7

  (c) Devonport (excluding royal dockyard)

  86·7

  These totals exclude major expenditure on capital works and the cost of lodger units accommodated in all naval bases.

  Defence Support Agency
  Dr. Liam Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Director General of the Defence Accounts Defence Support Agency for the financial year 1992–93.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The director general of defence accounts has been set a range of revised targets for 1992–93 that will ensure continuing improvement in the quality of service he provides to Defence and other customers.

  The targets set for the period 1992–93 are:

  —To achieve the agreed Headquarters Staff reductions arising from Options for Change by 31 March 1993.

  —To carry out agreed tasks to time and standard within budget.

  — seek to achieve, in co-operation with his customers, higher standards in the delivery of services.

  —To establish a training policy and training plan by 31 March 1993.

  —To seek further efficiencies in the use of resources, including the use of new technology, to the advantage of the Agency and its customers, thereby making efficiency savings of at least 0·5 per cent. of the total Cash Budget.

  —To complete the feasibility stage of the mainframe replacement study by 30 September 1992.

  —To take on new bill payment business from the Property Services Agency in respect of defence works by 31 March 1993.

  —To continue to develop improved management arid financial information systems which will meet the needs of internal management and satisfy requirements for reports from the Secretary of State.

  —To ensure the successful implementation of the amendment of the MOD central ledger system for a revised vote structure to meet the needs of the new management strategy by 31 March 1993.

  Performance against these key targets will be published in the director general's report and accounts in April next year, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT

  Council Housing
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the forthcoming local authority housing investment programme bids.

  Mr. Baldry
  As is customary, the relevant local authority associations have made representations at national level through the consultative mechanism under the Housing Consultative Council, and individual local housing authorities have submitted housing investment programme strategy statements and bids to my Department's regional offices. These will all be considered before decisions are announced in December.

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

  Mr. Baldry
  Provisions for a new right to repair are included in the Housing and Urban Development Bill introduced on 22 October. The new scheme will replace the existing right to repair and will enable secure tenants of local authorities to have qualifying urgent repairs carried out by a second contractor when the first has not done the work by a target date. Details of the scheme, including the
  235
  qualifying repairs, will be set out in regulations which may also require landlords to pay compensation if the first contractor fails to do a repair within the target time.

  Housing (Multiple Occupation)
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received expressing objections to chapter 7 of the draft housing in multiple occupancy management guide; and if what is his policy toward that chapter.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Department received 22 representations which expressed objections to chapter 7 of the draft Houses in Multiple Occupation Management Guide; 48 responses to the consultation were received in total. All comments received will be taken into consideration when the final version of the management guide is to be produced in due course.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to allow an automatic right of appeal to county courts for homeless applicants who are refused provision by a local authority.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government have no immediate plans for further legislative change.

  Private Rented Sector
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidelines requesting that each property within the private rented sector should be issued a minimum and maximum controlled rent level within the maximum rent payable when the property is proven to be of a set standard.

  Mr. Baldry
  No. Years of rent controls have contributed to the decline in the private rented sector. We removed these from most new lettings as part of the package of deregulation measures introduced by the Housing Act 1988 designed to revive the sector.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to ensure that tenants are enabled to take effective legal action against private rented sector landlords who default on repair obligations.

  Mr. Baldry
  Tenants can already take action against private landlords who fail to carry out repairs either by taking the landlord to court themselves or by bringing the matter to the attention of their local authority. Local authorities have powers to require private landlords to carry out repairs or if necessary to do the work themselves and charge the landlord. These powers were considerably strengthened by the Housing Act 1988. We therefore have no plans to make any further amendments to the legislation.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to encourage the establishment of rental deposit boards to monitor the return to private rented sector tenants of deposits against damage.

  Mr. Baldry
  Although we do not consider the compulsory use of rent deposit boards to be desirable, we would welcome any proposals to set up such schemes on a voluntary basis.
  236
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidelines to local authorities to encourage the setting up of licensing and monitoring systems for the private rented sector.

  Mr. Baldry
  No. We would not wish to introduce further regulation into the private rented sector.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish a committee of inquiry into private rented accommodation.

  Mr. Baldry
  No.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to establish a new form of protected tenancy within the private rented sector, with limited grounds granted for early repossession.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have no plans to introduce such a tenancy.

  Domestic Water Supplies
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state by region the number of water disconnections for non-payment in 1991–92 and 1990–91(a) for domestic properties and (b) for commercial properties.

  Mr. Maclean
  Water companies are obliged to report disconnections every six months to OFWAT's customer service committees. This information is collated and published by the Director General of Water Services in a press release twice a year. The following table contains the Director General's information on disconnection of domestic customers and non-domestic disconnections in the form requested.

  (a) Disconnections by area (domestic)

  Region

  1991–92

  1990–91

  Central

  4,797

  462

  Eastern

  1,889

  971

  North West

  2,074

  889

  Northumbria

  1,009

  662

  South West

  381

  210

  Southern

  3,064

  429

  Thames

  2,084

  966

  Wales

  2,951

  1,305

  Wessex

  492

  194

  Yorkshire

  2,545

  1,585

  Source: OFWAT News Release PN15/92.

  (b) Disconnections by area (non domestic)

  Region

  1991–92

  1990–91

  Central

  870

  409

  Eastern

  145

  149

  North West

  177

  129

  Northumbria

  228

  249

  South West

  11

  9

  Southern

  386

  191

  Thames

  264

  160

  Wales

  84

  92

  Wessex

  9

  20

  Yorkshire

  217

  143

  All areas

  2,391

  1,551

  Source: OFWAT 26 October 1992.
  237
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce proposals to ensure that public authorities are notified of any domestic water disconnections on grounds of health and safety.

  Mr. Maclean
  Section 63 of the Water Industry Act 1991 already requires a water undertaker who disconnects, or otherwise cuts off, a supply of water to any inhabited house and does so without restoring the supply to that house within 24 hours, to serve notice informing the local authority in whose area the house is situated no later than 48 hours after the supply is cut off.

  Charities (Water Payments)
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will act to ensure that properties used for charitable or community use such as churches have concessionary standing charges for their water payments.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. Water companies are private companies and their charges must cover their costs and it is for them to decide their tariffs subject to the Director General of Water Services' duty under section 2(3)(a) of the Water Industry Act 1991, to ensure that their pricing is not discriminatory. The Director General recognises that standing charges may represent a large proportion of water charges for some customers and has asked water companies to consider their tariff structures to ensure that they reflect the true costs of supply in different cases.

  Industrial Development, Merseyside
  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he will make to further industrial development in the area of the Merseyside development corporation.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  MDC has a substantial programme of encouraging industrial development, through the creation of business parks, formation of industrial associations and strategy to secure inward investment. MDC's policies are discussed with the Department regularly, at the ministerial meeting on the corporate plan and with officials at the Merseyside task force throughout the year.

  House Building
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration his Department has given to the access committee for England's publication, "Building Homes for Successive Generations: Criteria for Accessible General Housing"; what action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have seen a copy of this publication and will consider it together with other information, in order to establish how best to improve access for disabled people in new housing.

  Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses in the network installer area which contains the constituency of East Edinburgh have been improved under the home energy efficiency scheme since the scheme's inception.
  238
  Mr. Maclean
  Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 3,534 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.

  Poll Tax
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of adults in the city of Southampton registered for the poll tax for the financial year 1992–93.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The latest information available to the Department relates to the financial year 1991–92 when there were 156,600 people registered as subject to a personal community charge in Southampton.

  Fraud
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many pregnant single women were prosecuted for fraud related to obtaining council house accommodation in each of the last five years and in the current year to the most recent practicable date.

  Mr. Baldry
  Such information is not held centrally.

  Somerset House
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made in opening up Somerset house to wider public access.

  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made in opening up Somerset house to wider public access.

  Mr. Howard
  I have invited Mr. Trevor Osbourne, chairman of Speyhawk, in conjunction with the Prince of Wales' Institute of Architecture and with Kings college, to prepare within six months detailed proposals for possible future uses for Somerset house, involving, amongst others, the organisations and individuals, who have written to me and my Department with their ideas. I have stressed that the proposal should not incur any extra public expenditure.

  Methane
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the contributions to the United Kingdom total methane emissions from landfills in Scotland and Northern Ireland will be.

  Mr. Maclean
  Direct estimates of total methane production from landfills in Scotland and Northern Ireland have not been made. An estimate based on population and waste arising statistics suggests that the figure is likely to be between 10 per cent. and 15 per cent of the total for England and Wales, or between 100,000 and 150,000 tonnes per annum.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Judges' Pensions
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will bring forward proposals to enable judges to purchase additional years for pension purposes; and if he will make a statement.
  239
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor announced during the Report stage of the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Bill in another place that it is his intention to bring forward further amendments to that Bill in order that members of either the present judicial pension schemes, or of the new scheme, may make voluntary contributions within Revenue limits toward the cost of benefits in addition to those otherwise obtainable under those schemes.

  Consumer Credit Act 1974
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of orders granted under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for all London courts.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mortgage Arrears
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, (1) if he will publish for each of the county courts in London the usual length of the reasonable period in the allowance of time for mortgage borrowers to pay arrears;

  (2) how many possession orders have been suspended but have not yet been enforced in each of London's county courts.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he will take, as part of his civil justice system review, to ensure that all county courts in London have a duty adviser scheme for home owners facing repossession.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are no plans to ensure that all county courts in London have a duty adviser scheme for home owners facing repossession. From early next year, courts will send out a list of sources of free advice with each possession summons.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the county courts in London which have duty adviser schemes for home owners.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The London county courts which have duty adviser schemes for home owners provided by advice agencies are Lambeth, Bow, Clerkenwell and West London.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list, for each county court in London, the percentage figure that suspended possession orders represent as a total of the number of actions issued in each county court for home owners, the percentage figure for adjournments as part of the total number of actions entered for home owners, and the percentage figures as part of the total of absolute possession orders issued.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  This information is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidance 240
  he gives county court judges in defining the reasonable period and in the issue of time orders for payment of arrears of mortgage.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The guidance given is that there is no set period. Sometimes a period of 24 months should be considered; often a longer period will be appropriate, particularly where the equity is substantial or the remaining life of the mortgage long.

TRANSPORT

  Public Service Vehicles
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation to tighten up the driving hours regulations for public service vehicles.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Both the current EC regulations and our domestic legislation on drivers' hours were designed to give drivers and operators flexibility, whilst retaining proper regard for road safety. We have no plans at present to propose changes.

  Investment
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to stimulate new investments by British vessel owners.

  Mr. Norris
  Proposals for fiscal measures to stimulate investment are for the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Department is considering with the Chamber of Shipping and within the EC what other measures might be taken to encourage the growth of the British and other European fleets. We have also been taking forward action on the recommendations of the report of the joint working party, "British Shipping: Challenges and Opportunities", which will help the general climate for investment.

  Cyclists
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, as part of his quality of service objectives, he will require the publication of all reports relating to the safety of cyclists commissioned using public money.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It is our general policy to publish all road safety research reports commissioned by the Department unless there is a particular reason for not doing so—for example, the need to respect commercial confidentiality.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on(a) the degree of concentration and (b) the likely effect of poisonous gases if Halon 1301 is used in the channel tunnel to suppress fire.

  Mr. Freeman
  The use of halon gas in the channel tunnel was reviewed by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority in its paper "Non-segregation of drivers and passengers from their vehicles", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. In agreeing to the use of Halon 1301 the authority accepted evidence showing that halon is not harmful at the concentrations used to extinguish fires. Studies also show that the decomposition products of
  241
  halon do not reach harmful concentrations if it is released before the fire has attained large proportions. But in view of possible irritant effects, the authority concluded that halon should not be released in the compartment of a tunnel shuttle wagon unless it had been evacuated or as a last resort if the lives of passengers were threatened.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require the channel tunnel safety authority to publish information about the safety tests conducted on the channel tunnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  The safety authority propose to publish a commentary on the fire safety and evacuation tests being undertaken by Eurotunnel.

  Shipping
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to meet the chairman of British Shipping to discuss the future of the British merchant fleet.

  Mr. Norris
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Caithness meet the president of the Chamber of Shipping and other industry representatives periodically to discuss a wide range of shipping issues.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of international shipping was carried by British-owned ships in 1991; what were the comparable figures for 1971 and 1981; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested is not available. However, figures showing the proportion of United Kingdom international seaborne trade carried in United Kingdom registered vessels are published annually. The latest is a Department of Transport Statistics Report, "Seaborne Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom 1991", available in the Library.

  Emergency Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provision has been made for fire protection legislation for those vessels which have been converted to emergency standby vessels operating in offshore oil and gas fields, whose keels were laid between September 1984 and October 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The legislative provisions for fire protection on standby vessels as described are contained in the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 1984 (Statutory Instrument 1984 No. 1218) as amended by Statutory Instruments 1985 No. 1193 and 1986 No. 1070. Further measures are contained in the joint Health and Safety Executive/Department of Transport publication "Assessment of the suitability of standby vessels attending offshore installations" (ISBN 0-11-551024-9).

  Orange Badge Scheme
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend the orange badge scheme to include the profoundly deaf.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: I have no plans to extend the orange badge scheme to include the profoundly deaf.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Voluntary Schools
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made in his consideration of the level of capital grant rate for voluntary schools in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  The question of an increased capital grant rate to voluntary schools in Northern Ireland was raised during consultations on the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 and, as my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) told the House in December 1989, our view has been that an increase in capital grants could be considered but would have to be accompanied by significant changes in management structure. Subsequently, in its sixteenth annual report presented to the House in July 1991, the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights recommended a review of the grant rate and accompanying administrative arrangements.

  Discussions have taken place with the voluntary school authorities and it is clear from these that there are some voluntary schools which are having difficulty in meeting their share of the capital cost of necessary school developments. They have told me that these schools would welcome an opportunity for 100 per cent. capital funding; and that they would be content to operate under different management structures. I have also been mindful of the facts that the education reform process has in many cases increased the need for capital expenditure, and that grant-maintained status is not available in Northern Ireland.

  At the same time, it is equally clear that parents, teachers, and the voluntary school authorities themselves would not wish to see any change in the distinctive ethos of the existing schools, including the denominational nature of many of these schools, and that any changes in grant rates and management structures would therefore have to be without prejudice to that distinctive ethos. It has been common ground throughout the discussions that parental rights of conscience in matters of education should not be affected or diminished in any way.

  Against this background, I am pleased to say that we have identified in discussion an approach which I believe will meet the legitimate concerns both of the voluntary school authorities and of the Government. This will be to allow maintained schools and voluntary grammar schools to opt for designation as a new category of voluntary school which will be eligible for 100 per cent. capital grant. Such schools would, however, be managed by a board of governors on which no single interest group will command a majority of nominees. Similar management principles apply to controlled schools, and grant-maintained integrated schools which already have their capital costs met in full from public funds.

  For example, in the case of a voluntary maintained school or voluntary grammar school with nine governors, only four would be appointed by the school trustees or foundation governors. The balance would be composed of representatives of parents, teachers, the relevant area education and library board, and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. In the case of Catholic maintained schools, the DENI nominee would be chosen after consultation with the Council for Catholic

  243
  maintained schools, which has a statutory duty to advise DENI on matters relating to Catholic maintained schools. I should emphasise that this would create a new additional category of voluntary school and existing schools will be able to decide to retain their present management structure and remain eligible for capital grant rate of 85 per cent.

  Legislation proposals to give effect to these arrangements will be contained in a proposal for a draft Education (Northern Ireland) Order which I hope to publish early in 1993. The detail of the proposed new arrangements will be the subject of consultation in the normal way.

  Agencies
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by grade the numbers of staff and their cost for 1991–92 and the estimated figures for 1992–93 for each executive agency for which he is responsible.

  Mr. Mates
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the following Agencies under their respective Chief Executives.

  Agency

  Chief Executive

  Training and Employment Agency

  Mr. J. Crozier

  Rates Collection Agency

  Mr. D. Gallagher

  Social Security Agency

  Mr. A. Wylie

  Ordnance Survey Agency

  Mr. M. Brand

  Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency

  Mr. B. Watson

  Compensation Agency

  Mr. J. Robinson

  I have asked them to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from J. Crozier to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 2 November 1992:

  You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he would list by grade the numbers of staff and their costs for 1991–92 and the estimated figures for 1992–93 for each Executive Agency for which he is responsible.

  As Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency (T and EA) (Northern Ireland), I provide at attached Table 1, the figures for 1991–92 and at Table 2 the estimated figures for 1992–93 for the T and EA.

  Table 1—1991–92

  Grade

  Number

  Cost (£)

  Under Secretary (G3)

  1

  58,720

  Unified Grade 4 (G4)

  1

  50,768

  Assistant Secretary (G5)

  4

  167,409

  Principal (G7)

  22

  677,745

  Deputy Principal

  47

  1,221,601

  Staff Officer

  71

  1,291,740

  Executive Officer 1

  108

  1,721,228

  Executive Officer 2

  199

  2,623,320

  Administrative Officer

  306

  3,056,993

  Administrative Assistant

  133

  1,058,221

  Careers Adviser

  4

  73,341

  Senior Careers Officer

  18

  301,826

  Careers Officer

  95

  1,295,736

  Trainee Careers Officer

  28

  399,956

  Catering Manager 3

  1

  15,474

  Deputy Principal Statistician

  1

  14,181

  Senior Instructional Officer

  41

  884,905

  Higher Instructional Officer

  52

  1,150,179

  Instructional Officer 1

  301

  5,060,712

  Training Service Manager

  35

  906,674

  Deputy Principal Information Officer

  1

  21,336

  Nurse

  4

  50,286

  Support Grade Band 1

  8

  70,757

  Support Grade Band 2

  43

  548,293

  Psychologist (Grad Trainee)

  2

  17,373

  Senior Psychologist

  1

  20,618

  Senior Systems Analyst

  1

  26,588

  244

  Grade

  Number

  Cost (£)

  Senior Personal Secretary

  2

  19,260

  Typist

  5

  51,432

  Management Training Advisor

  1

  25,884

  Industrial Grades

  118

  1,035,317

  Support Manager 3

  1

  9,414

  Administrative Trainee

  1

  4,689

  Total

  1,656

  23,931,976

  Table 2

  Estimated costs 1992–93

  Grade

  Number

  Cost (£)

  Under Secretary (G3)

  1

  57,269

  Unified Grade 4 (G4)

  1

  53,015

  Assistant Secretary (G5)

  4

  176,120

  Senior Principal Officer (G6)

  1

  41,115

  Principal (G7)

  21

  696,759

  Deputy Principal

  51

  1,389,750

  Staff Officer

  70

  1,355,620

  Executive Officer 1

  104·5

  1,744,837

  Executive Officer 2

  193

  2,702,193

  Administrative Officer

  288·1

  3,138,273

  Administrative Assistant

  143

  1,223,788

  Careers Adviser

  4

  77,780

  Senior Careers Officer

  17

  301,818

  Careers Officer

  102·6

  1,594,712

  Trainee Careers Officers

  17

  241,383

  Catering Manager 3

  1

  16,662

  Senior Instructional Officer

  46

  988,724

  Higher Instructional Officer

  55

  1,088,890

  Instructional Officer

  286

  5,274,126

  Training Services Manager

  36

  981,000

  Nurse

  10

  110,326

  Support Grade Band 1

  9

  97,362

  Support Grade Band 2

  47

  446,421

  Psychologist (Grad Trainee)

  2

  28,846

  Senior Psychologist

  1

  22,456

  Senior Personal Secretary

  1

  15,724

  Typist

  5

  51,955

  Management Training Adviser

  1

  27,308

  Industrial Grades

  120

  1,090,407

  Support Manager 3

  1

  13,326

  Total

  1,639

  25,047,965

  Overtime and performance pay

  119,462

  25,167,427

  Letter from D. Gallagher to Mr. Martin Redmond dated 2 November 1992:

  As I am responsible for the Northern Ireland Rate Collection Agency (RCA), the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to a Parliamentary Question recently put down by you. This related to the numbers of staff, by grade, and their cost for 1991–92 and estimated figures for 1992–93.

  I attach a table summarising the numbers of RCA staff by grade for 1991–92 and a corresponding estimate for 1992–93. Salary costs (excluding superannuation) for 1991–92 totalled £3,399,372 and the estimated salary costs for 1992–93 are £3·6 million.

  Rate Collection Agency—Staffing figures

  The staffing figures given below reflect the position as at 29 October 1992

  Staff Grade

  Number of staff 1991–92

  Estimated number of staff 1992–93

  Chief Executive (Grade 6)

  1

  1

  Principal

  1

  1

  Deputy Principal

  4

  4

  Staff Officer

  11

  12

  Executive Officer I

  22

  23

  245

  Staff Grade

  Number of staff 1991–92

  Estimated number of staff 1992–93

  Executive Officer II

  37

  38

  Administrative Officer

  170

  168

  Administrative Assistant

  10

  11

  Support Grade 1

  1

  1

  Support Grade 2

  9

  9

  Security Officer

  1

  0

  Typist

  2

  2

  Total number of Staff

  269

  270

  Letter from A. Wylie to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 November 1992:

  Your recent Parliamentary Question asking for the numbers of staff by grade and their cost for 1991–92 and the estimated figures for 1992–93 for each Executive Agency in Northern Ireland has been passed to me for reply as regards the Social Security Agency as I am its Chief Executive.

  I enclose the information you request but there are some points I should bring to your attention. Firstly, the figures cover not only work related to payment of social security benefits in Northern Ireland but also work undertaken on behalf of the Benefits Agency in Great Britain at our Paid Order Unit and Belfast Benefits Centre and work in connection with the collection and enforcement of National Insurance contributions.

  Secondly, I should also explain that, inevitably, the numbers of staff in the Agency fluctuate throughout the year so I have provided figures as at 31 March 1992 and the estimated figures for 31 March 1993.

  I hope you find this information helpful.

  Social Security Agency: Manpower and Costs

  Number

  Staff numbers by grade at 31 March 1992

  Grades 3 to 6

  7

  Principal

  26

  Deputy Principal

  63

  Staff Officer

  167

  Executive Officer Grade 1

  348·5

  SSO Grade 1/EO2

  958

  SSO Grade 2/AO

  2,323

  Administrative Assistant

  903

  Secretarial/Support

  315

  TOTAL

  5,110·5

  Costs £000s

  67,203

  Estimated staff numbers by grade at 31 March 1993

  Grades 3 to 6

  7

  Principal

  28

  Deputy Principal

  70

  Staff Officer/Administrative Trainee

  190

  Executive Officer Grade 1

  359

  SSO Grade 1/EO2

  964·5

  SSO Grade 2/AO

  2,449

  Administrative Assistant

  858·5

  Secretarial/Support

  316

  TOTAL

  5,242

  Estimated costs £000's

  73,906

  Notes: Staff numbers quoted refer to full-time equivalent permanent staff.

  Costs relating to overtime, casual staff and ERNI are included.

  Letter from M. Brand to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1992:
  246
  You have asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by grade the numbers of staff and their cost for 1991–92 and the estimated figures for 1992–93 for each executive agency for which he is responsible.

  Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland was launched as a Next Steps Agency on 1 April 1992. The estimated figures for 1992–93 which are listed below are based on the average numbers of staff in each grade over the whole year.

  Unified Grade 5

  1

  Unified Grade 6

  1

  Unified Grade 7

  3

  Senior Mapping & Charting Officer

  6

  Higher Mapping & Charting Officer

  17

  Mapping & Charting Officer

  126

  Mapping & Charting Technical Grade 1

  37

  Mapping & Charting Technical Grade 2

  8

  Staff Officer

  1

  Administrative Officer

  2

  Administrative Assistant

  7

  Personal Secretary

  1

  Typist

  2

  Support Band 1

  1

  Support Band 2

  3

  Staff Costs

  Salaries

  £3,628,000

  Superannuation

  £574,200

  Accommodation charges

  £470,000

  Total

  £4,672,200

  Letter from J. Watson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 November 1992:

  I am responding directly on behalf of the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency to your recent Parliamentary Question in which you requested a list by grade of the numbers of staff and their cost for 1991–92 and the estimated figures for 1992–93 for each Executive Agency.

  The Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency was established on 1 April 1992 and figures for 1991–92 are not applicable.

  The estimated figures for 1992–93 are as follows:

  Grade

  Number of Staff

  Costs (£K)

  6

  1

  47

  7

  2

  75

  Deputy Principal

  2

  61

  Senior Professional and Technical Officer

  2

  60

  Higher Professional and Technical Officer

  17

  396

  Staff Officer

  3

  68

  Supervising Examiners

  2

  45

  Professional and Technical Officer

  116

  2,273

  Senior Driving/Traffic Examiners

  3

  59

  Driving/Traffic Examiners

  6

  1117

  Executive Officer Grade I

  2

  139

  Executive Officer Grade II

  3

  149

  Administrative Officer

  25

  1322

  Administrative Assistant

  57

  1593

  Typist/Telephonist

  3

  136

  Industrial Staff

  13

  1202

  Estimated Costs for Overtime and Casual Staff

  282

  4,724

  1These estimated costs are inclusive of Employers Related National Insurance Contributions and Superannuation.

  Letter from J. Robinson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 2 November 1992:

  I refer to your recent Parliamentary Question about the numbers and cost of staff in executive agencies in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State has asked me to provide the information in respect of the Compensation Agency.

  The Compensation Agency was launched on 1 April 1992. The current number of staff in post listed by grade is:

  247

  Grade

  Number in post

  Chief Executive

  1

  Principal

  2

  Deputy Principal

  4

  Chief Law Clerk

  1

  Staff Officer

  6

  Executive Officer I

  16

  Law Clerk I

  2

  Executive Officer II

  29

  Administrative Officer

  32

  Administrative Assistant

  31

  Personal Secretary

  1

  Typing Manager

  1

  Typist

  7

  Messenger

  3

  Receptionist

  1

  Senior Accountant

  1

  Accountant

  1

  Senior Quantity Surveyor

  1

  Quantity Surveyor

  1

  Assistant Solicitor

  1

  Senior Legal Assistant

  7½

  Legal Assistant

  2½

  Total

  152

  The estimated salary costs for 1992–93 are £2·7 million [running costs £3·4 million].

  Holding Centres
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will appoint an independent commissioner for holding centres.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I shall make an announcement on the appointment of a commissioner shortly and place his terms of reference in the Library.

  Iraq (Beef)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions have taken place between the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture and companies in the Province relating to the export of non-intervention beef to Iraq; and whether the question of health certificates has been resolved to the satisfaction of the Iraqi importers.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Department of Agriculture has discussions from time to time with companies in the Province about the health certification required for exporting beef to countries outside the European Community, including Iraq. The terms of a health certificate for Iraq has not yet been resolved to the satisfaction of Iraqi importers.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Power Generation
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what undertakings in power generation have been partly or wholly financed from the overseas aid budget during the last 10 years.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Details of ODA's power sector financing over the 10 years 1981–1991 on an annual expenditure basis have been placed in the Libraries of the 248
  House. ODA does not directly finance undertakings, i.e. utility organisations, other than through the funding of capital projects or the provision of technical co-operation.

  Debt
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to reduce debt burdens incurred by the poorest countries; and what progress has been made since the Earth Summit in Brazil to implement the financial and structural commitments made there.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In 1990, in Trinidad, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister put forward proposals to reduce significantly the debts of the poorest, most heavily indebted countries. The Paris Club of Government creditors began implementing Trinidad terms in December 1991. The terms currently reduce eligible payments due to governments by up to 50 per cent. Creditors also undertake to consider reducing the whole stock of a country's bilateral official debt after three to four years of economic reform. Ten countries have already benefitted, and we expect more to do so over coming months. We will continue to press for even greater relief to be made available to those low-income, heavily indebted countries that need it.

  More than 150 countries signed the conventions on climate change and biological diversity at the Earth Summit. The interim funding mechanism for these two conventions is the global environment facility (GEF). We want to see the GEF established as the permanent funding mechanism for both conventions. We shall make a further contribution to the GEF once the level of its replenishment is agreed, and shall take part in discussions on its restructuring at the participants assembly in December.

  Sustainable development is the central aim of our aid programme. We shall continue to focus our aid activities on the priorities set out in "Agenda 21", which lays out a comprehensive strategy for action on environment and development issues into the next century. The current United Nations General Assembly will establish the Sustainable Development Commission, which will have a key role in ensuring effective implementation of "Agenda 21".

  EC Development Aid Budget
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 28 October,Official Report, column 708, what is the draft 1993 EC development aid budget; what was the 1992 budget; and what is the change in constant price terms.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Commission established the preliminary draft budget for 1993 on 15 June 1992. This has a commitments provision for development assistance of 2,037 mecu. This was an increase of 15·11 per cent. over the 1992 approved budget aid commitment provision of 1,770 mecu. Subsequent amendments have raised the commitments provision further to 2,095 mecu, although a final figure is not expected until towards the end of the year. It is not yet possible to calculate a deflator for 1993 to allow a comparison in constant prices.

WALES

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will publish figures showing the number of instances in each local education authority in Wales where(a) services mentioned within statements have been withdrawn by the local education authority and (b) parents were informed by their local education authority that obligations outlined in a statement could not be fulfilled due to lack of resources;

  (2) what is the estimated cost within each local education authority in Wales for providing specialist equipment in schools for disabled children who are integrated into mainstream education; and what is the average level per disabled pupil integrated into mainstream education of specialist equipment provided by each local education authority;

  (3) how many children with special educational needs are currently being withheld from school within each local education authority area in Wales due specifically to disputes over statementing.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is not available centrally. Local education authorities have a duty to arrange that the special educational provision specified in a child's statement is made available.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make it his policy to issue guidelines to local education authorities to ensure that all special educational needs statements contain a clear definition of resource levels;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to issue guidelines to local education authorities to ensure that speech therapist and physiotherapist reports conducted as part of an individual's special educational needs statementing procedure are fully taken into account within the final statement;

  (3) if he will make it his policy to issue guidelines to local education authorities in Wales to simplify the current special educational needs statementing procedures.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Welsh Office circular 54/89 and its addendum, issued in March 1992, give detailed advice to local education authorities on assessment and statementing procedures. These make it clear that, in considering an assessment, a local education authority has to take into account all the advice it has received as part of the statutory process, including medical advice, and, if a statement is warranted, it has to refer to all special educational needs identified during the assessment.

  Our new Education Bill contains proposals which will improve the current procedures and make them more responsive to the views of parents. These include the issue of further guidance for local education authorities on the criteria to be used for making assessments and issuing statements. This will be subject to consultation.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many applications have been made for special educational needs statements in each local authority area in Wales; and how many such applications have been successful;

  (2) how many pupils with special educational needs there are between the ages of five and 18 years in each local
  250
  education authority area in Wales; and how many such pupils have received a statement from their local education authority.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  There is no specific system of applications for statements of special educational needs. Local education authorities do, however, have a duty to make and maintain statements if, following a formal assessment, they are of the opinion that they should determine the provision to be made for a child.

  Information on the number of pupils between five and 18 in school with statements of special educational need for January 1992 is shown in the following table:

  Number

  Clwyd

  2,072

  Dyfed

  1,041

  Gwent

  1,890

  Gwynedd

  818

  Mid Glamorgan

  5,300

  Powys

  518

  South Glamorgan

  1,333

  West Glamorgan

  2,295

  Wales

  15,267

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average length of time taken between actual application and the granting of special educational needs statements within each local education authority area in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is not available. The Welsh Office has issued guidance to local education authorities that the period of time from the initial notification to the authority that an assessment might be necessary to the production of a draft statement should not exceed six months. Our Education Bill proposes legislation to ensure that the assessment procedures are conducted within prescribed time scales.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts are currently undertaken by his Department to monitor the administration of special educational needs statementing procedures by local education authorities in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The statutory responsibility for identifying, assessing and making appropriate provision for children with special educational needs rests with local education authorities. If parents are dissatisfied with the decision or actions of the authority, or the special educational provision it has specified, there are rights of complaint and of appeal to my right hon. Friend, or a local appeals committee, as appropriate.

  Cadw
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by grade and number employed, the staffing costs for the year 1991–92 and the estimate for 1992–93, for Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments).

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments Executive Agency under its chief executive, Mr. E. A. J. Carr. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  251
  Letter from E. Carr to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 4 November 1992:

  As Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Wales has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him about the grade and number employed and the staffing

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Actual

  Estimate

  Grade

  Number

  Cost £

  Number

  Cost £

  Chief Executive

  1

  48,907

  1

  53,510

  Grade 6

  4

  131,929

  4

  158,520

  Grade 7

  8

  225,278

  8

  233,720

  Senior Executive

  13

  298,568

  13

  327,947

  Higher Executive

  14

  282,603

  15

  333,404

  Executive

  31

  376,484

  30

  421,976

  Administrative

  32

  347,583

  38

  449,136

  Custodial

  50

  651,599

  51

  649,063

  Industrial

  99

  920,535

  95

  1,009,845

  252

  3,283,486

  255

  3,637,121

  Education Authorities
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what measures are being taken to ensure that education authorities in Wales spend all of their capital allocation for the purpose for which it was intended;

  (2) which Welsh education authorities did not spend their capital allocation during each of the past three years; and if he will give details of the underspend.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Welsh local education authorities do not receive specific capital allocations for education services. County councils receive resources within their annual basic credit approvals which are unhypothecated to particular services. Spending priorities are a matter for them.

  Opencast Mining
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce his decision concerning the opencast mining application at Bannell Bridge, Buckley, Clwyd.

  Mr. David Hunt
  As soon as possible.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount spent on research and development by his Department in each of the last five years; and how much research and development money has been allocated to health and social care research in each instance.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is shown in the following table:

  Total Welsh Office expenditure on research and development £ million

  Of which: expenditure on health and social care research £ million

  1987–88

  1·9

  0·4

  1988–89

  1·9

  0·4

  1989–90

  2·4

  0·5

  252
  costs for the year 1991–92 and the estimate for 1992–93 for Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments. This is something which falls within the responsibilities he has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  The information you have requested is shown in the table below in which specialist grades have been assimilated into the equivalent administrative grade:

  Total Welsh Office expenditure on research and development £ million

  Of which: expenditure on health and social care research £ million

  1990–91

  3·0

  0·5

  11991–92

  3·6

  0·5

  1 Provisional.

  The figures do not include NHS monies spent on research and development as an integral part of policy evaluation and service development, which are not separately identifiable; nor do they include research and development supported under the joint England and Wales programme managed by the Department of Health.

  River Dee
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to eliminate pollution of River Dee waters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This is a matter for the National Rivers Authority. The River Dee is a class 1 good quality river, and the authority regularly reviews discharge consent conditions to achieve higher standards where practicable. In addition, it is undertaking a catchment management plan for the Dee estuary to identify existing problems and propose solutions.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make an additional transport supplementary grant allocation to Clwyd county council to enable them to build the new River Dee crossing.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Some £2·75 million has so far been provided towards the cost of the scheme. Clwyd county council's application for further transport grant support is being considered as part of the 1992 public expenditure survey.

  Housing
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of housing to rent in Alyn and Deeside; and if he will make a supplementary housing capital allocation to Alyn and Deeside council for the current year.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Such an assessment is principally a matter for the local authority acting as enabler, and working in partnership with Housing for Wales, voluntary groups and the private sector. We have no plans to supplement the substantial resources made available to Alyn and Deeside in the current financial year.

  Head Injuries
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the average annual cost of referrals for psychiatric/psychological counselling for patients referred as a result of head injuries sustained in serious road traffic accidents;

  (2) what was the average annual cost of community care for people disabled due to severe head injuries (a) resulting from road traffic accidents and (b) from all causes.

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

  National Parks
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures will be taken to safeguard the national parks from over-exploitation by commercial enterprises.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Planning policy guidance note 7, "The Countryside and the Rural Economy", stipulates that conservation of the natural beauty of the countryside should be given great weight in planning policies and decisions in the national parks. Moreover, major development in the national parks should not take place save in exceptional circumstances and must be subject to the "most vigorous examination".

  Planning Consents
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to local authorities encouraging the review of all current planning consents.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No.

  Epilepsy
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on medical care and supervision from sufferers from epilepsy in Wales annually between 1989 and 1991.

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

  Seven-year-olds Test
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the percentage of seven-year-olds in Powys reaching level 2 in the compulsory tests; what was the comparable average percentage in England; and if he will make a statement.
  254
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information on the achievements of seven-year-olds in the 1992 national curriculum assessments is published by local education authority in table 4 (Aggregated Subject Outcome Scores by LEA), in the Welsh Office publication "National Curriculum Monitor: Key Stage 1 1992 Assessments". A copy is available in the Library of the House. Information on the achievement of pupils in England is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education.

  Student Assessment
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what evaluation he has made of the results of the national curriculum key stage 3 assessment of students in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The key stage 3 assessment results arising from this summer's voluntary national pilot exercise in mathematics and science were published at the all-Wales level by the Minister of State on 20 October. Copies of the results were sent to all LEAs in Wales. The results were not published from the much smaller number of schools included in trials of test material in English, Welsh, Welsh second language and technology.

  The 1992 pilot and trial assessment arrangements are being evaluated by the School Examinations and Assessment Council in preparation for the introduction of the first statutory assessment of pupils in all these subjects during the summer term 1993.

  Hazardous Sites
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many sites in Powys are considered serious environmental or health hazards; what was the comparable number of sites in 1971 and 1981; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Surveys of possibly contaminated land in Wales were undertaken on behalf of the Welsh Office in 1982–83 and 1987–88. The 1982–83 survey assessed two sites in Powys as posing a potentially serious environmental or health hazard. The later survey downgraded the risk assessment of both sites and identified no other sites. The Department holds no comparable information for 1971.

  TECs
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what element in the last full year's budget for training and enterprise councils in Wales was top-sliced before the balance was negotiated between individual training and enterprise councils.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  For 1992–93, a total of £700,000 was retained for contributions towards developments, systems and initiatives on an England and Wales basis, before negotiations were conducted with TECs in Wales.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much the private sector currently contributes to the funding of training and enterprise councils in each training and enterprise council area in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The financial arrangements in the contracting chain between Welsh Office, training and enterprise councils, training providers and employers do
  255
  not facilitate estimates of the private sector contribution towards training activities. Direct contributions to TECs are not centrally recorded.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of training and enterprise councils' budgets in Wales is allocated for purposes other than direct youth and adult training.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  One third of the training and enterprise councils' budgets in 1992–93 is allocated for other purposes, including employment action, enterprise support, local initiatives and TEC administration costs.

  Education and Business Partnerships
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many education and business partnership schemes there are in each training and enterprise council area in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  There is one in each training and enterprise council area except for that covered by the West Wales TEC which has two schemes covering Dyfed and West Glamorgan local education authorities.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) prosecutions and (b) enforcement notices occured under the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 in Wales in each of the last five years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  The available information is provided in the tables:

  Prosecution action taken by the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) factory and agricultural inspectorates1 for breaches of Health and Safety at Work Legislation2 in Wales 1986–87 to 1990–91

  Date of hearing3

  Number of informations laid4

  1986–87

  156

  1987–88

  167

  1988–89

  100

  1989–90

  113

  51990–91

  137

  Enforcement notices issued by HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates1 for breaches of Health and Safety at Work Legislation2 in Wales, 1986–87 to 1990–91

  Type of notice

  Date of issue3

  Improvement

  Deferred prohibition

  Immediate prohibition

  Total

  1986–87

  626

  24

  150

  800

  1987–88

  695

  26

  159

  880

  1988–89

  661

  14

  220

  895

  1989–90

  659

  14

  262

  935

  51990–91

  624

  31

  234

  889

  1 Regional analysis of enforcement action taken by other enforcement authorities is not generally available (but see note (5) below).

  2 All action taken under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and subordinate regulations and other legislation.

  3 Years commencing 1 April.

  4Number of individual breaches of legislation laid before Magistrates.

  5 Includes action taken by HSE's quarries inspectorate.

  256
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time equivalent staff specialised in health and safety at work in Wales in each of the last five years; and what was the ratio of premises per member of staff in each year.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  The number of inspectors medical staff and scientists employed by the Health and Safety Executive in Wales was:

  Number

  1 April 1988

  67

  1 April 1989

  66

  1 April 1990

  68

  1 April 1991

  70

  1 April 1992

  78

  Available information about the ratio of premises to full-time equivalent staff is:

  Factory

  Agricultural

  Quarries

  1989–90

  910:1

  3,110:1

  229:1

  1990–91

  784:1

  3,228:1

  192:1

  1991–92

  682:1

  3,059:1

  204:1

  Services Industry
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) injuries in general and (b) serious injuries have occurred in the services industry sector in Wales in each of the last five years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  Occupational injuries1 in the services sector2 in Wales reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and to local authorities are provided in the table.

  Year3

  Fatal

  Major4

  Over 3 days5

  Total

  1986–87

  13

  883

  3,290

  4,186

  1987–88

  11

  893

  3,243

  4,147

  1988–89

  6

  971

  3,107

  4,084

  1989–90

  10

  865

  3,483

  4,358

  1990–916

  10

  874

  3,296

  4,180

  1 Injuries at work to employees, self-employed persons and members of the public injured as a result of someone else's work activity reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985 (RIDDOR).

  2 As defined by Standard Industrial Classification 1980 divisions 6–9.

  3 Years commencing 1 April.

  4 As defined under RIDDOR.

  5 An injury causing incapacity for normal work for more than three days and reportable for employed persons only.

  6 Includes reports made to the HSE's quarries inspectorate.

EDUCATION

  Education Expenditure
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what is the expenditure per pupil on primary education for each local education authority in England;

  (2) what is the expenditure per pupil on nursery education for each local education authority in England.
  257
  Mr. Forth
  Information on nursery and primary pupils is not collected separately. The latest year for which information on actual expenditure is available is 1990–91. In that year, school-based funding per full-time equivalent pupil in nursery and primary education for each local education authority in England was as given in the table. These figures include unspent balances held by schools at the year end under local management schemes. They do not include the costs of services provided centrally by local education authorities such as home to school transport, school meals, local education authority central administration and financing costs of capital expenditure.

  LEA

  Net institutional funding per pupil (£)

  City

  1,950

  Camden

  1,710

  Greenwich

  1,720

  Hackney

  1,900

  Hammersmith

  1,970

  Islington

  1,770

  Kensington

  2,060

  Lambeth

  1,840

  Lewisham

  1,710

  Southwark

  1,850

  Tower Hamlets

  1,940

  Wandsworth

  1,820

  Westminster

  2,110

  Barking

  1,460

  Barnet

  1,550

  Bexley

  1,260

  Brent

  1,670

  Bromley

  1,410

  Croydon

  1,440

  Ealing

  1,690

  Enfield

  1,430

  Haringey

  1,840

  Harrow

  1,480

  Havering

  1,290

  Hillingdon

  1,540

  Hounslow

  1,510

  Kingston-upon Thames

  1,430

  Merton

  1,750

  Newham

  1,490

  Redbridge

  1,350

  Richmond-upon Thames

  1,530

  Sutton

  1,360

  Waltham Forest

  1,570

  Birmingham

  1,260

  Coventry

  1,300

  Dudley

  1,230

  Sandwell

  1,450

  Solihull

  1,240

  Walsall

  1,510

  Wolverhampton

  1,390

  Knowsley

  1,390

  Liverpool

  1,290

  St. Helens

  1,210

  Sefton

  1,260

  Wirral

  1,280

  Bolton

  1,220

  Bury

  1,190

  Manchester

  1,320

  Oldham

  1,370

  Rochdale

  1,200

  Salford

  1,270

  Stockport

  1,260

  Tameside

  1,320

  Trafford

  1,170

  Wigan

  1,140

  Barnsley

  1,260

  Doncaster

  1,250

  Rotherham

  1,340

  Sheffield

  1,390

  Bradford

  1,500

  Calderdale

  1,440

  258

  LEA

  Net institutional funding per pupil (£)

  Kirklees

  1,300

  Leeds

  1,430

  Wakefield

  1,340

  Gateshead

  1,390

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1,520

  North Tyneside

  1,310

  South Tyneside

  1,290

  Sunderland

  1,280

  Avon

  1,320

  Bedfordshire

  1,380

  Berkshire

  1,340

  Buckinghamshire

  1,320

  Cambridgeshire

  1,260

  Cheshire

  1,260

  Cleveland

  1,230

  Cornwall

  1,190

  Cumbria

  1,340

  Derbyshire

  1,370

  Devon

  1,310

  Dorset

  1,290

  Durham

  1,370

  East Sussex

  1,240

  Essex

  1,240

  Gloucestershire

  1,200

  Hampshire

  1,260

  Herefordshire

  1,360

  Hertfordshire

  1,340

  Humberside

  1,280

  Isle of Wight

  1,250

  Kent

  1,120

  Lancashire

  1,310

  Leicestershire

  1,290

  Lincolnshire

  1,210

  Norfolk

  1,280

  North Yorkshire

  1,230

  Northamptonshire

  1,230

  Northumberland

  1,320

  Nottinghamshire

  1,390

  Oxfordshire

  1,570

  Shropshire

  1,350

  Somerset

  1,230

  Staffordshire

  1,270

  Suffolk

  1,310

  Surrey

  1,340

  Warwickshire

  1,220

  West Sussex

  1,240

  Wiltshire

  1,260

  Notes: Net institutional funding covers the direct costs in schools of salaries and wages, recurrent premises costs, books, equipment and other supplies and services, and unspent balances held by schools at the year end under local management schemes. Figures are derived from LEAs' returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment and of their pupil numbers to the Department of Education.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the expenditure per pupil on post-16 education on transport for each local education authority in England.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on post-16 pupils is not collected separately from that on other secondary pupils. Separate information is available for home to school transport only. The latest year for which information on actual expenditure is available is 1990–91. In that year, average expenditure on home to school transport per pupil in secondary education for each local education authority (LEA) in England was as given in the table.
  259

  LEA

  Expenditure per pupil (£)

  Camden

  43

  Greenwich

  26

  Hackney

  41

  Hammersmith

  36

  Islington

  8

  Kensington

  0

  Lambeth

  17

  Lewisham

  1

  Southwark

  0

  Tower Hamlets

  30

  Wandsworth

  0

  Westminster

  12

  Barking

  2

  Barnet

  18

  Bexley

  5

  Brent

  12

  Bromley

  20

  Croydon

  0

  Ealing

  0

  Enfield

  0

  Haringey

  8

  Harrow

  4

  Havering

  23

  Hillingdon

  0

  Hounslow

  9

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  0

  Merton

  8

  Newham

  11

  Redbridge

  27

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  6

  Sutton

  21

  Waltham Forest

  9

  Birmingham

  8

  Coventry

  6

  Dudley

  10

  Sandwell

  8

  Solihull

  15

  Walsall

  9

  Wolverhampton

  9

  Knowsley

  6

  Liverpool

  14

  St. Helens

  25

  Sefton

  0

  Wirral

  34

  Bolton

  17

  Bury

  10

  Manchester

  2

  Oldham

  2

  Rochdale

  13

  Salford

  6

  Stockport

  0

  Tameside

  11

  Trafford

  18

  Wigan

  8

  Barnsley

  7

  Doncaster

  1

  Rotherham

  18

  Sheffield

  2

  Bradford

  16

  Calderdale

  36

  Kirklees

  13

  Leeds

  12

  Wakefield

  11

  Gateshead

  12

  Newcastle Upon Tyne

  6

  North Tyneside

  3

  South Tyneside

  2

  Sunderland

  4

  Avon

  47

  Bedfordshire

  60

  Berkshire

  44

  Buckinghamshire

  111

  Cambridgeshire

  76

  Cheshire

  44

  Cleveland

  9

  Cornwall

  75

  260

  LEA

  Expenditure per pupil (£)

  Cumbria

  79

  Derbyshire

  47

  Devon

  114

  Dorset

  57

  Durham

  70

  East Sussex

  35

  Essex

  70

  Gloucestershire

  79

  Hampshire

  45

  Herefordshire

  46

  Hertfordshire

  37

  Humberside

  45

  Isle of Wight

  58

  Kent

  71

  Lancashire

  35

  Leicestershire

  53

  Lincolnshire

  70

  Norfolk

  92

  North Yorkshire

  94

  Northamptonshire

  34

  Northumberland

  61

  Nottinghamshire

  29

  Oxfordshire

  76

  Shropshire

  70

  Somerset

  77

  Staffordshire

  54

  Suffolk

  87

  Surrey

  60

  Warwickshire

  66

  West Sussex

  46

  Wiltshire

  74

  Notes Figures are derived from LEA's returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment and of their pupil numbers to the Department of Education.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the expenditure per pupil on secondary education for each local education authority in England.

  Mr. Forth
  The latest year for which information on actual expenditure is available is 1990–91. In that year, school-based funding per pupil in secondary education for each local education authority (LEA) in England was as given in the table. These figures include unspent balances held by schools at the year end under local management schemes. They do not include the cost of services provided centrally by LEAs such as home to school transport, school meals, LEA central administration and financing costs of capital expenditure.

  Net institutional funding per pupil

  Local education authority

  £

  Camden

  2,290

  Greenwich

  2,390

  Hackney

  2,710

  Hammersmith

  2,670

  Islington

  2,440

  Kensington

  2,900

  Lambeth

  2,580

  Lewisham

  2,430

  Southwark

  2,350

  Tower Hamlets

  2,490

  Wandsworth

  2,520

  Westminster

  2,580

  Barking

  2,300

  Barnet

  2,110

  Bexley

  1,970

  Brent

  2,360

  Bromley

  2,220

  Croydon

  2,080

  261

  Local education authority

  £

  Ealing

  2,580

  Enfield

  2,080

  Haringey

  2,590

  Harrow

  2,320

  Havering

  2,140

  Hillingdon

  2,340

  Hounslow

  2,080

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  2,240

  Merton

  1,990

  Newham

  2,410

  Redbridge

  2,120

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  1,990

  Sutton

  2,080

  Waltham Forest

  2,650

  Birmingham

  2,050

  Coventry

  2,340

  Dudley

  2,100

  Sandwell

  2,300

  Solihull

  2,080

  Walsall

  2,260

  Wolverhampton

  2,120

  Knowsley

  2,230

  Liverpool

  2,250

  St. Helens

  1,960

  Sefton

  2,030

  Wirral

  2,110

  Bolton

  1,990

  Bury

  1,810

  Manchester

  2,150

  Oldham

  1,940

  Rochdale

  2,140

  Salford

  2,190

  Stockport

  2,030

  Tameside

  1,950

  Trafford

  2,080

  Wigan

  2,100

  Barnsley

  1,820

  Doncaster

  1,860

  Rotherham

  1,960

  Sheffield

  2,150

  Bradford

  1,780

  Calderdale

  2,090

  Kirklees

  1,920

  Leeds

  1,920

  Wakefield

  1,940

  Gateshead

  2,080

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  1,990

  North Tyneside

  1,940

  South Tyneside

  2,140

  Sunderland

  1,930

  Avon

  1,940

  Bedfordshire

  1,880

  Berkshire

  1,950

  Buckinghamshire

  2,050

  Cambridgeshire

  1,880

  Cheshire

  1,950

  Cleveland

  2,090

  Cornwall

  1,890

  Cumbria

  2,030

  Derbyshire

  2,110

  Devon

  1,950

  Dorset

  1,810

  Durham

  1,900

  East Sussex

  1,980

  Essex

  1,950

  Gloucestershire

  1,910

  Hampshire

  1,970

  Herefordshire

  1,840

  Hertfordshire

  2,070

  Humberside

  1,910

  Isle of Wight

  1,760

  Kent

  1,800

  Lancashire

  1,950

  Leicestershire

  2,090

  Lincolnshire

  1,910

  Norfolk

  1,990

  North Yorkshire

  2,020

  Northamptonshire

  1,800

  262

  Local education authority

  £

  Northumberland

  1,810

  Nottinghamshire

  2,220

  Oxfordshire

  2,160

  Shropshire

  2,100

  Somerset

  1,850

  Staffordshire

  1,930

  Suffolk

  2,020

  Surrey

  2,100

  Warwickshire

  1,890

  West Sussex

  1,910

  Wiltshire

  1,890

  Net institutional funding covers the direct costs in schools of salaries and wages, recurrent premises costs, books, equipment and other supplies and services, and unspent balances held by schools at the year end under local management schemes. Figures are derived from LEAs' returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment and of their pupil numbers to the Department of Education.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the expenditure per pupil with special needs for each local education authority in England.

  Mr. Forth
  The latest year for which information on actual expenditure is available is 1990–91. In that year, direct expenditure per pupil in maintained special schools or receiving education otherwise than at school provided by each local education authority (LEA) in England was as given in the table. Expenditure on pupils with special needs attending primary and secondary schools is not collected separately. The figures do not include costs of services such as child guidance and educational psychology provided centrally by LEAs, nor of home to school transport, school meals, LEA central administration and financing costs of capital expenditure, as these costs were not apportioned between services in LEAs' expenditure returns.

  LEA

  Expenditure per pupil £

  Camden

  13,230

  Greenwich

  15,190

  Hackney

  7,920

  Hammersmith

  13,590

  Islington

  11,290

  Kensington

  15,300

  Lambeth

  9,120

  Lewisham

  11,370

  Southwark

  12,900

  Tower Hamlets

  11,090

  Wandsworth

  14,950

  Westminster

  8,390

  Barking

  16,800

  Barnet

  8,590

  Bexley

  7,330

  Brent

  11,170

  Bromley

  8,680

  Croydon

  6,820

  Ealing

  8,820

  Enfield

  10,510

  Haringey

  9,140

  Harrow

  14,120

  Havering

  6,500

  Hillingdon

  9,340

  Hounslow

  8,460

  Kingston upon Thames

  7,520

  Merton

  9,450

  Newham

  11,350

  Redbridge

  7,760

  Richmond upon Thames

  8,440

  Sutton

  6,020

  263

  LEA

  Expenditure per pupil £

  Waltham Forest

  10,680

  Birmingham

  8,010

  Coventry

  9,040

  Dudley

  7,310

  Sandwell

  5,600

  Solihull

  12,080

  Walsall

  7,630

  Wolverhampton

  7,030

  Knowsley

  6,790

  Liverpool

  5,880

  St. Helens

  6,340

  Sefton

  5,370

  Wirrall

  6,750

  Bolton

  6,550

  Bury

  6,130

  Manchester

  8,670

  Oldham

  5,990

  Rochdale

  6,990

  Salford

  7,800

  Stockport

  7,140

  Tameside

  8,250

  Trafford

  6,550

  Wigan

  7,070

  Barnsley

  9,750

  Doncaster

  4,240

  Rotherham

  7,260

  Sheffield

  11,470

  Bradford

  9,950

  Calderdale

  6,480

  Kirklees

  8,200

  Leeds

  6,380

  Wakefield

  5,630

  Gateshead

  8,110

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  9,430

  North Tyneside

  8,520

  South Tyneside

  6,560

  Sunderland

  5,740

  Avon

  7,590

  Bedfordshire

  6,700

  Berkshire

  6,880

  Buckinghamshire

  6,450

  Cambridgeshire

  8,890

  Cheshire

  9,570

  Cleveland

  6,390

  Cornwall

  7,040

  Cumbria

  9,050

  Derbyshire

  8,860

  Devon

  5,590

  Dorset

  4,960

  Durham

  8,470

  East Sussex

  7,650

  Essex

  7,010

  Gloucestershire

  7,590

  Hampshire

  6,250

  Hereford & Worcestershire

  5,040

  Hertfordshire

  8,760

  Humberside

  12,310

  Isle of Wight

  4,270

  Kent

  5,360

  Lancashire

  7,760

  Leicestershire

  7,940

  Lincolnshire

  9,250

  Norfolk

  9,480

  North Yorkshire

  8,950

  Northamptonshire

  8,620

  Northumberland

  7,820

  Nottinghamshire

  6,310

  Oxfordshire

  8,420

  Shropshire

  7,880

  Somerset

  13,890

  Staffordshire

  6,720

  Suffolk

  6,170

  Surrey

  6,690

  Warwickshire

  8,120

  West Sussex

  5,740

  Wiltshire

  6,610

  264
  Note to table

  Direct expenditure covers the costs of salaries and wages, recurrent premises costs, books, equipment and other supplies and services. Figures are derived from LEA's returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment and of their pupil numbers to the Department of Education.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has to provide funds to continue to allow appropriate pupils to be referred to non-maintained special schools such as those which offer secondary and further education to the hearing impaired.

  Mr. Forth
  Under the proposals in the Education Bill, local education authorities will retain their responsibilities for identifying and assessing pupils with special educational needs and issuing and maintaining statements as required. They will continue to be funded to meet their statutory duty to make school placements appropriate to individual pupils' special educational needs, including placements in non-maintained special schools.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his policy in respect of an application for grant-maintained status by a school which has balloted in favour of becoming grant-maintained to commence on 1 April 1993, but which has subsequently been found to have overspent its budget under local management of schools so as to be unable to meet its financial commitments.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend takes account of a number of factors when considering an application for grant-maintained status: ability to manage an LMS budget effectively is one. However, we expect local education authorities to monitor their schools' expenditure and to assist their schools to manage their resources in such a way as to ensure that they do not overspend their budget share. Under LMS, governing bodies must live within their means and may not plan on the basis of a deficit budget.

  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of schools are grant-maintained in(a) the north-west of England and (b) the whole of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Forth
  As of 3 November, 1·9 per cent. of secondary schools and 0·1 per cent. of primary schools in the north-west have been approved for grant-maintained status. In England as a whole, 7 per cent. of secondary schools, 1·2 per cent. of middle schools and 0·3 per cent. of primary schools have been approved.

  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have responsibility for grant-maintained schools in those countries.

  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidelines he has given to the Education Assets Board with regard to the funding and control of facilities that are treated as the responsibility of the school once it becomes grant-maintained.
  265
  Mr. Forth
  The Education Assets Board does not deal with matters of funding for facilities. Every grant-maintained school's articles of government state that the occupation and use of school premises shall be under the control of the governing body.

  GCSE
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria he used in devising the new compulsory code of practice for the General Certificate of Secondary Education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend has asked the School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC) to prepare the code in consultation with the Joint Council for the GCSE. Its purpose will be to increase the transparency of the examining process in order to secure standards and maintain public confidence in the GCSE. It will cover the matters identified in SEAC's advice on quality and standards in the GCSE, published on 20 October.

  Student Assessment
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what evaluation he has made of the results of the national curriculum key stage three assessment of students in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  A national analysis of the results of those schools which participated in the national pilot of the national curriculum assessments of 14-year-olds in England will be published shortly.

  Administrative Expenditure
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list, in table form, the percentage of each local education authority's budget spent on administration.

  Mr. Forth
  The latest year for which information on actual spending is available is 1990–91. The table shows, for each local education authority in England, expenditure on administration expressed as a percentage of its total net recurrent spending on education.

  Administration as a percentage of net recurrent spending on education

  LEA

  Per cent.

  City

  10·2

  Camden

  12·4

  Greenwich

  12·1

  Hackney

  14·4

  Hammersmith

  13·3

  Islington

  14·3

  Kensington

  11·5

  Lambeth

  9·5

  Lewisham

  11·3

  Southwark

  6·9

  Tower Hamlets

  7·3

  Wandsworth

  12·5

  Westminster

  9·9

  Barking

  7·6

  Barnet

  5·8

  Bexley

  7·2

  Brent

  5·5

  Bromley

  5·7

  Croydon

  6·1

  Ealing

  6·2

  Enfield

  7·0

  Haringey

  9·6

  266

  LEA

  Per cent.

  Harrow

  3·0

  Havering

  6·8

  Hillingdon

  7·9

  Hounslow

  5·9

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  7·0

  Merton

  7·8

  Newham

  7·1

  Redbridge

  5·8

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  9·4

  Sutton

  11·5

  Waltham Forest

  6·7

  Birmingham

  5·0

  Coventry

  7·1

  Dudley

  5·5

  Sandwell

  4·9

  Solihull

  4·5

  Walsall

  4·1

  Wolverhampton

  5·9

  Knowsley

  4·2

  Liverpool

  4·0

  St. Helens

  6·1

  Sefton

  5·2

  Wirral

  3·7

  Bolton

  6·3

  Bury

  4·7

  Manchester

  4·8

  Oldham

  10·9

  Rochdale

  3·3

  Salford

  10·4

  Stockport

  4·1

  Tameside

  4·3

  Trafford

  3·8

  Wigan

  3·4

  Barnsley

  4·6

  Doncaster

  3·5

  Rotherham

  3·2

  Sheffield

  4·3

  Bradford

  4·1

  Calderdale

  4·8

  Kirklees

  7·1

  Leeds

  4·7

  Wakefield

  3·9

  Gateshead

  6·1

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  6·7

  North Tyneside

  4·3

  South Tyneside

  4·8

  Sunderland

  3·3

  Avon

  5·7

  Bedfordshire

  4·9

  Berkshire

  4·6

  Buckinghamshire

  6·3

  Cambridgeshire

  6·4

  Cheshire

  5·1

  Cleveland

  5·1

  Cornwall

  5·9

  Cumbria

  6·4

  Derbyshire

  4·3

  Devon

  2·9

  Dorset

  4·8

  Durham

  3·0

  East Sussex

  4·0

  Essex

  5·3

  Gloucestershire

  4·9

  Hampshire

  3·9

  Herefordshire

  3·9

  Hertfordshire

  3·7

  Humberside

  4·1

  Isle of Wight

  7·6

  Kent

  5·6

  Lancashire

  3·4

  Leicestershire

  3·9

  Lincolnshire

  5·1

  Norfolk

  4·8

  North Yorkshire

  3·8

  Northamptonshire

  4·5

  Northumberland

  3·5

  Nottinghamshire

  4·6

  Oxfordshire

  6·4

  267

  LEA

  Per cent.

  Shropshire

  3·4

  Somerset

  4·6

  Staffordshire

  4·1

  Suffolk

  4·7

  Surrey

  6·8

  Warwickshire

  5·1

  West Sussex

  4·3

  Wiltshire

  3·9

  Note: Administration includes net recurrent expenditure on administration of the education department, and costs of central departments recharged to education in accordance with the authority's accounting practice. Net recurrent expenditure includes total expenditure other than capital financing charges, less income other than from Government grants. Information is taken from local authorities' returns of their actual spending to the Department of the Environment.

PRIME MINISTER

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 23 October,Official Report, column 389, how many members of the civil service have retired early since the beginning of 1992, on terms comparable to those mentioned in his answer.
  268
  The Prime Minister
  These terms are payable to civil servants who are retired early by reason of redundancy or in the public interest. The number shown in Civil Service Statistics (1991 edition, table 7) as leaving for these causes in 1990–91 was 1,582. Figures for 1991–92 will be published on 27 November.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister what is his response to the petition presented on 23 October to No. 10 Downing street by the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey on behalf of Liberal Democrats calling for a fully independent review of the coal industry before any pits are closed.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 October 1992]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has announced a moratorium until early in the new year on the closure of 21 of the pits proposed for closure by British Coal, unless the work force at a pit concerned agrees otherwise, and a full and wide ranging review of the prospects for these pits. The Government will publish a White Paper early in the new year setting out the results of the review in the context of our energy policy. There will be a full debate in the House of Commons.

  British Coal is carrying out the statutory consultation process in relation to the other 10 pits before any closure takes place.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  HIV Infection
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the EC-approved network of co-operation agreements between the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, the Medical Research Council, University College, London, and the United States research foundation Southwest, for research and development of a vaccine to combat HIV infections.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Medical Research Council, University College, London, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research are all shareholders of HIVER Limited which is a research driven healthcare company located in the United Kingdom. HIVER Limited focuses on developing vaccines, therapies and diagnostics for AIDS and other immunological disorders.

  Since 1987, more than £4 million has been committed to the research programme. Research is currently underway at The MRC clinical research centre, University College London, The London hospital medical school and St. Georges hospital medical school. The research is coordinated from the HIVER executive office.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Lloyd's
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax he expects to repay in the current year and 1993 for losses at Lloyd's.

  Mr. Dorrell
  In 1992–93, to the end of September, repayments to Lloyd's underwriters have amounted to £143 million. These relate almost entirely to losses incurred in 1988–89.

  The Lloyd's market declared net trading losses of £509 million for the 1988–89 tax year. Lloyd's underwriters are entitled to set their shares of these losses against their other income which has been subject to tax.

  No separate forecasts are made of the eventual amount of such repayments.

  Annex A

  Public appointments by the Chancellor's Department

  Baseline 1991

  Appointments 1992

  Reappointments 1992

  Position 1992

  Goals 1996

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  1. Building Societies Commission

  4

  4

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  3

  0

  4

  3

  1

  2. Friendly Societies Commission

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  3

  1

  3. Crown Estate Commission

  8

  8

  0

  —

  —

  —

  2

  2

  0

  8

  8

  0

  8

  8

  0

  4. Public Works Loan Board

  12

  10

  2

  1

  1

  0

  2

  1

  1

  12

  10

  2

  12

  9

  3

  5. Retail Price Index Advisory Committee

  14

  14

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  120

  16

  4

  20

  13

  7

  6. Securities and Investments Board

  15

  13

  2

  —

  —

  —

  5

  5

  0

  13

  12

  1

  13

  11

  2

  7. Treasure Trove Reviewing Committee

  4

  4

  0

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  4

  4

  0

  4

  4

  0

  8. Advisory Panel for Treasure Trove in Scotland

  3

  2

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  3

  2

  1

  4

  2

  2

  9. Treasury Academic Advisory Panel

  12

  12

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  12

  12

  0

  12

  12

  0

  10. National Savings Board

  2

  2

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  2

  0

  2

  2

  0

  11. CSO Management Board

  2

  1

  1

  2

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  1

  2

  1

  1

  12. Royal Mint Management Board

  2

  2

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  2

  0

  2

  2

  0

  Cross-border Shopping
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what study has been made of the opportunities for cross-border shopping for people living in coastal areas following the abolition of EC frontier controls; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that people in inland areas are able to take advantage of the lower prices for goods on which duty will no longer be paid available in other member states of the Community.

  Sir John Cope
  Agreement has been reached for intra-EC duty free sales to continue after 1992, but all other purchases by private individuals for their personnel use will be subject to VAT and excise duty in the member state where they are sold. It is difficult to anticipate the extent to which these opportunities will be taken up.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecast has been made of the increase in each country in the amount of cross-border shopping between the United Kingdom and France, in respect of goods which will be free of duty from January 1993.

  Sir John Cope
  No increases are expected in cross-border shopping from the continuation of intra-EC duty free sales after 1992. All other purchases by private individuals for their personal use will be subject to VAT and excise duty in the member state in which they are sold.

  Housing Loans
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals for a code of practice for all lenders of house purchase loans covering the regulation of(a) interest rates on all loans, (b) lending practices and (c) recovery and repossession practices and proceedings.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We have no plans to do so.

  Appointments
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the names of public appointments that he has made, giving the period for which the appointment was made, relevant qualifications of the appointees and what remuneration each currently receives.

  Sir John Cope
  The following provides the information requested for all current appointments to public bodies for which the Chancellor is responsible except for VAT tribunals on which, because of the numbers involved, I will write separately to the hon. Member.
  271

  Baseline 1991

  Appointments 1992

  Reappointments 1992

  Position 1992

  Goals 1996

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  Total

  M

  F

  13. VAT Tribunals

  148

  130

  18

  2(3

  2

  1)

  2(61

  52

  9)

  151

  131

  20

  148

  111

  37

  14. CSO Advisory Committee3

  14

  9

  5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  14

  10

  4

  14

  8

  6

  15. Royal Mint Advisory Committee

  12

  10

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  12

  10

  2

  12

  9

  3

  16. Financial Services Tribunal

  17

  16

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  16

  16

  0

  17

  15

  2

  17. Top Salaries Review Body

  10

  8

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  9

  7

  2

  10

  6

  4

  Totals

  279

  245

  34

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  283

  246

  37

  288

  219

  69

  12 per cent.

  13 per cent.

  24 per cent.

  Zero goal implies no firm target set.

  1 First committee appointed since 1990. No details on new appointments or reappointments.

  Size of committee varies depending on need.

  2 Proposed appointments/reappointment from 30 September 1992.

  3 Subsumes the CSO's Production Statistics Advisory Committee. No details as to whether members sat on previous committee.

  The CSO baseline figure was a projection.

  Body

  Member

  Appointment

  Qualification

  Remuneration

  From

  To

  £

  Building Societies Commission

  Mr. M. R. C. Walden CBE

  25 September 1986

  24 September 1994

  Building Society Director

  17,500

  Mr. S. Procter CBE

  25 September 1986

  24 September 1993

  Banker

  17,500

  Mr. G. Sunderland

  1 October 1992

  30 September 1995

  Banker

  17,500

  Mr. F. E. Worsley

  1 May 1991

  30 June 1994

  Accountant

  17,500

  Friendly Societies Commission

  Mr. A. Wilson

  25 September 1992

  24 September 1995

  Lawyer

  12,500

  Mr. J. A. Geddes

  1 October 1992

  30 September 1995

  Actuary

  12,500

  Mr. P. E. Couse

  1 October 1992

  30 September 1995

  Accountant

  12,500

  Dr. J. Dine

  1 October 1992

  30 September 1995

  Barrister

  12,500

  Securities and Investments Board

  Mr. A. Large (Chairman)

  1 June 1992

  31 May 1997

  The Financial Services Act 1986 requires that the members of the governing body must include persons with experience of investment business of a kind relevant to the functions of the agency; and other persons, including regular users on their own account or on behalf of others of services provided by persons carrying on investment business of any such kind; and the composition of that body must be such as to secure a proper balance between the interests of persons carrying on investment business and the interests of the public.

  Matter for the Securities and Investments Board

  Mr. R. Quartano CBE (Deputy Chairman)

  27 June 1985

  31 July 1993

  Lord Runciman CBE (Deputy Chairman)

  8 August 1986

  31 July 1994

  Mr. J. Craven

  1 August 1990

  31 July 1993

  Mr. R. Croft CB

  8 August 1986

  9 June 1994

  Mr. J. Gardiner

  1 August 1989

  31 July 1995

  Mr. N. Lessels

  1 August 1989

  31 July 1994

  Mr. J. Manser

  8 August 1986

  31 July 1994

  Mr. J. Palmer

  1 August 1991

  31 July 1994

  Mr. G. R. Russell

  1 August 1989

  31 July 1993

  Mr. L. Warwick

  1 August 1989

  31 July 1993

  Mr. B. Williamson CBE

  8 August 1986

  31 July 1993

  Lady Scott CBE

  1 August 1991

  31 July 1994

  Financial Services Tribunal

  Mr. K. A. Blundell

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  The Financial Services Act 1986 requires that there be a panel of persons to serve as members of the Tribunal. The panel shall include persons who appear to be qualified by experience or otherwise to deal with the cases that may be referred to the Tribunal

  per diem free

  Mr. W. M. Carson

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. P. G. Green

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. G. C. Grover

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. J. L. Kirkpatrick CBE

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. A. F. Lamb

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. H. G. Littlefair

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Sir J. McKinnon

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. A. W. Mallinson

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. W. O'Farrell

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. J. B. Page

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. J. C. Ritchie

  1 May 1991

  30 April 1994

  Mr. R. P. Wilkinson

  1 May 1991

  30 April 1994

  Mr. G. Willetts

  4 May 1988

  30 April 1994

  Mr. P. D. Williams

  1 May 1991

  30 April 1994

  Mr. H. Woods

  1 May 1991

  30 April 1994

  National Savings Board

  Mr. M. St. Giles

  1 October 1991

  30 September 1993

  Marketing

  10,000

  Mr. R. Heape

  1 October 1991

  30 September 1993

  Financial Services

  10,000

  Royal Mint Management Board

  Mr. J. Burnett-Stuart

  17 June 1992

  16 June 1993

  Industry

  3,120

  Mr. S. Cameron

  17 June 1992

  16 June 1993

  Industry

  3,120

  Treasure Trove Reviewing Committee

  Professor J. Evans

  5 years

  —

  Archaeologist

  Nil

  Mr. D. Sellwood

  5 years

  —

  Numismatist

  Nil

  Mr. C. Lyon

  1 year

  —

  Numismatist

  Nil

  Mr. J. Och

  5 years

  —

  Auctioneer

  Nil

  Advisory Panel on Treasure Trove in Scotland

  Mr. M. Jones

  No set period

  —

  Museum Keeper

  Nil

  Mrs. M. Buchanan

  2 years

  —

  Museum Keeper

  Nil

  Mr. J. Murray

  2 years

  —

  Museum Keeper

  Nil

  Retail Price Index Advisory Committee

  Mr. J. Astin

  March 1992

  —

  Eurostat

  Nil

  Mr. S. Brittan

  March 1992

  —

  The Financial Times

  Nil

  Professor D. Currie

  March 1992

  —

  London Business School

  Nil

  272 273

  Body

  Member

  Appointment

  Qualification

  Remuneration

  From

  To

  £

  Professor M. C. Fleming

  March 1992

  —

  Loughborough University

  Nil

  Mr. K. H. B. Frere

  March 1992

  —

  Nominated by the National Federation of Consumer Groups

  Nil

  Mr. S. G. B. Henry

  March 1992

  —

  Bank of England

  Nil

  Mr. T. J. Hoyes

  March 1992

  —

  Nominated by Age Concern

  Nil

  Mr. J. Hughes

  March 1992

  —

  Nominated by the National Consumer Council

  Nil

  Mr. D. Lea OBE

  March 1992

  —

  Nominated by the Trades Union Congress

  Nil

  Miss R. Lea

  March 1992

  —

  The Mitsubishi Bank Ltd.

  Nil

  Miss R. J. Maurice

  March 1992

  —

  —

  Nil

  Mr. C. J. Mowl

  March 1992

  —

  HM Treasury

  Nil

  Dr. J. Muellbauer

  March 1992

  —

  Nuffield College, Oxford

  Nil

  Professor J. F. Pickering

  March 1992

  —

  Portsmouth University

  Nil

  Professor D. G. Rhys OBE

  March 1992

  —

  Cardiff Business School

  Nil

  Mrs. B. Rosewell

  March 1992

  —

  Business Strategies Ltd.

  Nil

  Dr. P. Rowlatt

  March 1992

  —

  National Economic Research Associates

  Nil

  Dr. A. Sentance

  March 1992

  —

  Nominated by the Confederation of British Industry

  Nil

  Professor R. Turvey

  March 1992

  —

  London School of Economics

  Nil

  Mr. R. G. Ward

  March 1992

  —

  Central Statistical Office

  Nil

  Central Statistical Management Board

  Mrs. M. Berg

  February 1992

  February 1994

  Economist

  2,000

  Mr. P. Thornton

  February 1992

  February 1994

  Marketing

  2,000

  Central Statistical Office Advisory Committee Members

  Mr. A. Armstrong

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economics

  Nil

  Mr. S. Brittan

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economics

  Nil

  Mr. R. Brown

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Commerce

  Nil

  Mr. A. Chantraine

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Eurostat

  Nil

  Dr. C. Cosgrove

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economic and Export

  Nil

  Mr. H. L. Cousins

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Commerce

  Nil

  Mr. S. Jukes

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economics

  Nil

  Mr. M. King

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economist, Bank of England

  Nil

  Professor D. Lievesley

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economic and Social Research

  Nil

  Professor D. Mayes

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economic and Social Research

  Nil

  Mrs. B. Rosewell

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economics

  Nil

  Dr. A. Sentance

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economic

  Nil

  Dr. J. Whitley

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Economic

  Nil

  Mrs. A. Wright

  July 1991

  July 1994

  Overseas Development

  Nil

  Treasury Academic Panel

  Professor C. Bean

  1991

  —.

  Academic

  125 per diem

  Professor D. Begg

  1982

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Professor S. Holly

  1983

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Professor M. Miller

  1976

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Professor P. Minford

  1976

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Professor K. Wallis

  1980

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Mr. M. Weale

  1990

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Mr. P. Westaway

  1990

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Professor M. Wickens

  1981

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Professor S. Wren-Lewis

  1987

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  Professor D. Vines

  1985

  —

  Academic

  110 per diem

  TSRB

  Sir D. Nickson KBE DL

  1988

  End March 1995

  Not held

  Nil

  Ms. L. Bolting

  1987

  End March 1993

  Not held

  Nil

  Mr. J. Pope OBE

  1986

  End March 1993

  Not held

  Nil

  Sir P. Cazalet

  1988

  End March 1993

  Not held

  Nil

  Sir A. Wilson

  1988

  End March 1995

  Not held

  Nil

  Mr. H. Pigott

  1988

  End March 1994

  Not held

  Nil

  Sir C. Clothier KCB QC

  1989

  End March 1993

  Not held

  Nil

  Ms. A. Burdus

  1990

  End March 1993

  Not held

  Nil

  Mr. A. Gormly CBE

  1990

  End March 1993

  Not held

  Nil

  Royal Mint Adisory Committee

  Mr. J. Porteous MA

  1968

  —

  Numismatist

  Nil

  Sir H. Casson CB, KCVO, PPRA, RDI, RIBA

  1971

  —

  Royal Academy

  Nil

  Sir J. Hale D. Litt, FBA

  1979

  —

  Professor of History

  Nil

  Mr. V. Duggleby

  1985

  7 years

  Financial Journalist

  Nil

  Mr. N. D. Cadbury

  1985

  7 years

  Chief Executive of Cadbury

  Nil

  Miss M. Warner

  1985

  7 years

  Writer

  Nil

  The Most Hon. The Marchioness of Anglesey

  1991

  7 years

  Chairman of the British Council

  Nil

  Dr. C. E. Challis

  1991

  7 years

  Numismatist

  Nil

  Mr. M. H. Harvey

  1991

  7 years

  Lettering expert

  Nil

  Professor B. Kneale RA

  1992

  7 years

  Master of Sculpture

  Nil

  Professor E. A. Bell CB, Ph.D

  1992

  7 years

  Former Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew

  Nil

  Public Works Loan Board

  Mr. R. J. Dent (Chairman)

  1991

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Miss F. M. Cook (Deputy Chairman)

  1992

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Miss V. J. di Palma

  1990

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. G. R. Russell

  1991

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. P. Brackfield

  1990

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. D. Adams

  1992

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  274 275

  Body

  Member

  Appointment

  Qualification

  Remuneration

  From

  To

  £

  Mr. R. A. Chapman

  1989

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. A. Morton

  1989

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. I. C. Wilson

  1989

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. G. G. Williams

  1990

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. R. G. Tettenborn

  1991

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. J. E. Scotfield

  1992

  4 years

  Finance/Local authorities

  Nil

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to ensure that housing loans lenders should not have the automatic right of repossession in arrears cases.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We have no plans to do so.

  House Renovations
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to ensure that house renovation costs are not liable to value added tax charges.

  Sir John Cope
  VAT at the standard rate has been applied to house renovation costs since 1973 when the tax was first introduced. Our obligations under the EC Sixth VAT Directive prevent us extending the scope of our present zero rating.

  Auditors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for legislation under which the auditors of banks would be required to detect and report fraud to the regulators.

  Mr. Dorrell
  On 22 October, the Chancellor announced that the Government accepted all the recommendations of Lord Justice Bingham's inquiry into the supervision of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, including the recommendation that there should be a statutory duty on auditors of banks to report to the Bank of England. A similar recommendation had been made in the Treasury and Civil Service Committee's fourth report for 1991–92. Consultation with the accounting profession and with the banks on the formulation of such a duty and its enforcement will begin shortly.

  Housing Loans
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to amend the Building Societies Act 1986 to enable mortgage lenders to transfer shortfall suffered when redeeming the mortgages from sale proceeds to new mortgage accounts.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We have no plans to do so.

  We recently announced two new measures which will help borrowers with a shortfall to move house (Official Report, 20 October 1992, column 243).

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to require housing loan lenders to explore alternative legal remedies for debt recovery before repossession is considered.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We have no plans to do so.

  Business Expansion Scheme
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to extend the business expansion scheme to include assured shorthold tenancies.
  276
  Mr. Dorrell
  We have no plans to do so; the business expansion scheme will not be available for new investment after the end of 1993.

  Cohesion Funds
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the United Kingdom will benefit from the cohesion funds of the Maastricht agreement; what was the gross domestic product per capita in the United Kingdom, expressed in ecus, at 15 September; and what it is now.

  Mr. Lamont
  The cohesion fund envisaged in the Maastricht treaty will be a structural fund; and the usual method of calculating relative wealth for these funds is to use purchasing power parities. On that basis the United Kingdom would not qualify for any assistance from the cohesion fund.

  The latest forecast of money GDP at market prices for financial year 1992–93 is £619·2 billion, or £10,721 per head. This would be equivalent to 14,810 ecus per head at the exchange rates on 15 September; and 13,191 ecus per head at the exchange rates on 29 October.

  Visual Handicap
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation took place with organisations representing visually handicapped people before the design of the new £10 and £20 notes was approved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lamont
  The Bank of England's consultations with organisations representing the visually handicapped, regarding the new series of banks notes, began in March 1984. Regular meetings, approximately annually, have taken place since then with the Royal National Institute for the Blind, which co-ordinates communication between the bank and other organisations representing the visually handicapped.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the additional costs to the Exchequer of benefit payments and lost income tax and national insurance contributions arising from the increase in unemployment since April 1990.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Figures for benefit expenditure on the unemployed are set out in figure 9 on page 8 of the DSS departmental report (Cm. 1914). The effect of the increase in unemployment on tax revenues and national insurance contributions cannot be estimated reliably.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated annual cost of maintaining the current number of people on the unemployment register in each region in terms of benefits payments and lost tax and national insurance contributions.
  277
  Mr. Dorrell
  Figures for benefit expenditure on the unemployed people are set out in figure 9 on page 8 of the DSS departmental report (Cm. 1914). A regional breakdown for this expenditure is not available. The effects on tax revenues and national insurance contributions cannot be calculated reliably.

  European Community
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of civil servants in his Department whose main task is work related wholly or mainly to the European Community.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: There are currently 35 civil servants in the Treasury whose main task is work related wholly or mainly to the European Community.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Football
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has had with the Football Association regarding unfair practices in football; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  None. But I deplore unfair practices in all sports. The United Kingdom has taken the lead in developing the Council of Europe's code of sports ethics, the basic principle of which is that ethical considerations and fair play are integral elements of all sports activities. The enforcement of discipline is a matter for the governing bodies of sport.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Eltham of 28 October,Official Report, column 690, whether the national lottery and football pools are to be regarded as equivalent forms of gambling; and whether controls will be the same.

  Mr. Brooke
  No. Lotteries are a game of chance, while football pools are a game of skill and judgment which depend on the outcome of a sporting event. The national lottery will need its own system of regulation. Details of the control regime for the national lottery will be announced when the Bill is published.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in the Lancashire, West constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

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

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Colin Pickthall, dated 3 November 1992:
  278
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many households in the West Lancashire constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

  Lancashire West constituency is covered by the Agency's South West Lancashire District. It is not possible to give an exact figure of how many customers would qualify for a Cold Weather Payment except at disproportionate cost. However, based on figures for those claiming Income Support in November 1991, it is estimated that approximately 15,000 customers in the South West Lancashire District may qualify for a Cold Weather Payment should the area be triggered. The constituency and District boundaries do not, however, correspond and a proportion of these will live outside the constituency.

  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what dates cold weather payments were made in Lancashire, West in response to a forecast of a qualifying period; and what was the period taken for payments to be made once the system had been triggered.

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

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Colin Pickthall, dated 3 November 1992:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking on what dates cold weather payments were made in West Lancashire in response to a forecast of a qualifying period; and what was the period taken for payments to be made once the system had been triggered.

  Neither of the weather stations which give information for the area covered by the constituency declared a forecast period of cold weather from 1 November 1991 to date. Details of dates where payments were made in response to a recorded period of cold weather are available in the Library.

  It is not possible to give the exact time taken for payments to be made. However, the average time taken to identify all eligible customers is 6·5 days. The preparation of payments starts immediately after identification, but it may take a few days further before they are posted depending on the volumes.

  A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report.

  Copies are also being placed in the Library.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

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

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 3 November 1992:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many households in the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

  The Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency is covered by Gwyneddigion, Mid Wales and Maelor, and North Wales Coast Districts. It is not possible to give an exact figure of how

  279
  many customers would qualify for a Cold Weather Payment except at disproportionate cost. However, based on figures for those claiming Income Support in November 1991, it is estimated that approximately 36,200 customers claiming from those Districts may qualify for a Cold Weather Payment, should the area be triggered. Parliamentary constituencies and District boundaries do not correspond however and therefore a proportion of these will live outside the constituency boundaries.

  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are being placed in the Library.

  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in the Falkirk, East constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

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

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Michael Connarty, dated 3 November 1992:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many households in the Falkirk East constituency qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.

  Falkirk East constituency is covered by the Forth Valley District. It is not possible to give an exact figure of how many customers would qualify for a Cold Weather Payment except at disproportionate cost. However, based on figures for those claiming Income Support in November 1991 it is estimated that approximately 11,900 customers in the Forth Valley District may qualify for a Cold Weather Payment should the area be triggered. The constituency and District boundaries do not correspond, however, and a proportion of these will live outside the constituency boundaries.

  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.

  Benefits Agency
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) when the chief executive of the Benefits, Agency acknowledged case MOB/172/8898 pursued by the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (ref. DB102919); when a reply was received; and what was the reason for the time taken;

  (2) when the chief executive of the Benefits Agency will send an acknowledgement and reply to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East to a letter sent on 14 September concerning the case of the person with the national insurance number JE 54 08 98 C;

  (3) when the chief executive of the Benefits Agency will send acknowledgements and replies to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East for letters sent on 7 August, 14 and 16 September concerning the case of the person with the national insurance number ZT 349 447A;

  (4) when the chief executive of the Benefits Agency will reply to the letter sent to him by the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East on 6 July concerning case NM 139 765A and acknowledged by the Benefits Agency on 27 July under its reference DB 103229; when there will be a follow up to his Department's reference S6/3193/5 of 5 August on
  280
  this case; and what record he holds of the number of telephone calls that have been made by the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East in connection with this matter.

  Mr. Scott
  Correspondence about operational matters is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 3 November 1992:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security relating to the replies to letters you had sent about individual constituents.

  All four letters relate to disability benefits processed at the Fylde Benefits Directorate. Regrettably because of the heavy workload at the Directorate following the introduction of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the volume of correspondence this has generated there have been some delays in replying to Members' letters about these benefits. I can assure you that all the cases are receiving urgent attention but replies are sometimes delayed whilst the individual case is resolved. Once the backlog of claims has been cleared it will be possible to respond to correspondence much more promptly. In the meantime I apologise for the delays on the cases referred to in your questions.

  The situation on each of these is as follows:—

  Case MOB/172/8898

  An acknowledgement is not normally sent by the Benefits Agency when a Minister has written to the Member confirming a letter has been passed to me to reply. In this case an interim reply was sent on 10 June explaining that a full reply was not yet possible. A final reply was sent on 19 August. The delay in replying was due to the heavy workload at the DLA Unit.

  Case JE540898C

  I apologise that your letter to me of 14 September was not acknowledged. I replied to you on 28 October with full details of the award made to this customer.

  Case ZT349447A

  Again I am sorry that your letters were not acknowledged. This was a mistake on the part of my correspondence section. I replied to your letter on 2 November.

  Case NM139765A

  I replied to your letter on 2 November with full details of the award made to this customer. The DLA Unit has a record of five telephone calls from your office about this case.

  I hope you will find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.

  Earnings
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish estimates of the number of part-time and full-time employees earning(a) below the PAYE threshold and (b) below the national insurance lower earnings limit, in (i) 1989, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1991 and (iv) the current year, respectively.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is given in the table.
  281

  Estimated numbers (millions) earnings less than

  PAYE threshold

  National insurance lower earnings limit

  1989

  3·50

  3·00

  1990

  3·50

  3·00

  1991

  3·50

  3·25

  1992

  3·75

  3·25

  Notes:

  1. Figures are broad estimates based on the annual New Earnings Survey and estimates of the number of employees in employment.

  2. It is estimated that around one tenth of these employees are full-time, most of whom fell below the thresholds because their earnings were affected by absence in the survey period.

  Retirement Pensions
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it is his policy that retirement pensions shall continue to be uprated annually in line with the retail prices index.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The plans for the uprating of benefits will be announced to the House in due course.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it is his policy that retirement pensions shall continue to be free of a means test.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Yes.

  Drug and Alcohol Problems
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the expected total expenditure on allowances towards the cost of residential rehabilitation services for persons with drug or alcohol problems during the current financial year.

  Mr. Burt
  The estimated income support payable in the current financial year to people in independent residential care and nursing homes claiming the drug or alcohol abuse limit is about £20 million.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount of money discovered to have been fraudulently claimed from his Department by benefit claimants in 1991 and the current year to the most recent practicable date.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 27 October 1992, at column 640. The Benefits Agency's estimated fraud savings for 1991–92 were £427 million. For the first half of 1992–93 the estimated savings were £268 million.

  Contributors Charter
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, as part of his quality service objectives, he will require the publication of the responses of all bodies consulted in the preparation of the contributors charter and the employers charter.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The responses received from organisations during consultations with service users in 282
  the course of production of the contributor's and employer's charters is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive of the Contributions Agency. She will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from Miss A. Chant to Ms. Marjorie Mowlam, dated 4 November 1992.

  As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, Miss Ann Chant is responsible for answering questions about relevant operational matters. However, in her absence I, as Deputy Chief Executive, have been asked to reply to the points raised in your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State about the publication of responses from service users following consultations undertaken during the course of preparation of the Charters.

  You will recall from the answer to your previous question on our consultations about the proposed Contributor's Charter and Employer's Charter that we approached 36 organisations with whom we are in regular contact for their comments, advice and assistance. Nineteen of them replied some in writing.

  They were very helpful and constructive in their responses, but it had never been suggested to them that our exchanges would be publicised. I think it would be quite inappropriate for me to do so now.

  I do not see any connection between publicising all the details of this consultation exercise and quality service objectives. But if you have any specific concern in mind, or would like to know the gist of some of the suggestions that were made, please let me know and I will be pleased to try and help.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Office Costs
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in office costs allowance on the working practices of hon. Members.

  Mr. Newton
  No such assessment has been made.

SCOTLAND

  Retirement Flats
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from owners of retirement flats concerning uncontrolled increases in service charges imposed by development companies after sale; and what response he has made.

  Mr. Lang
  The Scottish Office has received a number of representations, particularly in recent months, from owners, and persons or bodies representing owners, about the management of private sheltered housing, including increases in service charges. Our general view has been that it would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene in contracts freely entered into between buyers and sellers of retirement flats. However, the Scottish Law Commission is engaged in a comprehensive review of property law in Scotland and we shall shall study carefully any recommendations that the commission makes for legislative or other action in this area.

  Scottish Borders Enterprise
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the reasons for the £15,000 reduction in the grant to Scottish Borders
  283
  Enterprise for employment training and youth training programmes in the region; and what has been the subsequent reduction in available training places.

  Mr. Lang
  In Scotland, responsibility for management of youth training and employment training and for allocation of funds to the local enterprise companies for their delivery lies with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I have asked the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to the right hon. Member with the information he has requested.

  Consultants
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all of the reports his Department has commissioned from external consultants in each of the last three years; for each of the last three years, how many reports from external consultants to his Department led to further consultancy work being commissioned, stating for each of these who were the original, stating for each of these who were the original and subsequent consultants and briefly describing the subject matter of the consultancy work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Fishermen
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of(a) the number of professional fishermen who will have to conform to the regulations contained in the Salmon (Definition of Methods of Net Fishing and Construction of Nets) (Scotland) Regulations 1992 and (b) in which rivers and estuaries they fish; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  I have made no estimate of the number of professional fishermen who will be required to conform to the new regulations. Salmon net fisheries are, or could be, operated on most of Scotland's rivers and estuaries, and on the open sea coast. The regulations will apply to all salmon nets, except landing nets; every person who fishes for salmon by net will have to conform to them.

  UV-B Monitoring Systems
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce regional UV-B monitoring systems; what initiative he has undertaken to encourage Scottish industry to switch to non-ozone depleting substances; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: Plans are under way to extend the monitoring network set up by the National Radiological Protection Board in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of the terrestrial solar UV levels over United Kingdom latitudes.

  As part of an awareness-raising strategy, a series of booklets entitled "Protecting the Ozone Layer and Safeguarding your Business" has been produced. These urge industry to take immediate action to reduce dependency on ozone-depleting substances and provide information about the main alternative technologies currently available. Regular meetings with representatives of United Kingdom producers and users of ozone-depleting substances are also held to ensure that the
  284
  implications of international negotiations on the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances and the options for switching to alternatives are as widely understood as possible.

  Timber (Tariff Rebates)
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the forestry or paper and pulp industry concerning the reinstatement of the tariff rebate which was withdrawn from the movement of goods by ship in July 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: Consideration is at present being given to a proposal for support, under the tariff rebate subsidy scheme, of a new project for the shipment of timber from remote and relatively inaccessible locations. An announcement will be made in due course once a decision has been reached.

  Mentally Ill Patients
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many mentally ill patients are in secure institutions referred there by the courts; and how many were released in each of the past five years back into the community;

  (2) how many female mentally ill patients are in secure institutions referred there by the courts; and how many were released in each of the past five years back into the community.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: There are currently 115 patients—eight of them female—in the state hospital at Carstairs who have been referred by the criminal courts and a further 30 patients, all male, who have been transferred from Scottish prisons for treatment.

  At any given time, there will also be individuals in prison suffering from various forms of mental disorder but not requiring treatment in hospital. Numbers are not recorded centrally.

  Most detained patients moving from state hospital are transferred first to local mental illness hospitals for further rehabilitation and, if appropriate, discharge. However, the numbers discharged direct to the community with appropriate support and supervision were as follows:

  male

  female

  1987

  3

  1

  1988

  3

  1

  1989

  5

  1

  1990

  4

  3

  1991

  3

  3

  Prisoners
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women are serving life sentences in Scottish prisons.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: As at Thursday 29 October 1992, there were six women, all adult prisoners, serving life sentences in Scottish prisons.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the average time spent in prison of(a) male and

  285
  (b) female prisoners convicted of the crime of murder and all other serious offences giving details of the offence and the time served in each category.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: I regret that the information is not

  Years detained in custody

  Year of release

  6–7

  7–8

  8–9

  9–10

  10–11

  11–12

  12–13

  13–14

  Over 14

  1987

  —

  —

  1

  4

  6

  2>

  —

  1

  1

  1988

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  3

  1

  1

  1

  1989

  —

  —

  —

  2

  2

  4

  8

  5

  4

  1990

  —

  —

  —

  3

  7

  6

  4

  2

  4

  1991

  —

  —

  —

  1

  5

  4

  2

  1

  10

  Total

  —

  —

  1

  10

  25

  19

  15

  10

  20

  The source of this information is the report of the Parole Board for Scotland 1991.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fact-finding Visits
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the fact-finding visits made in the last 12 months by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible; and what were the findings resulting from each visit.

  Mr. Gummer
  Responsibility for this matter is delegated to ADAS, the Central Science Laboratory, the Central Veterinary Laboratory, the Intervention Board Executive Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. I have asked their respective chief executives to write to the hon. Gentleman direct.

  Letter from P. Stanley to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1992:

  As Chief Executive of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) I confirm that during the last 12 months I have carried out fact finding visits to the Universities of Reading, Leeds, Lancaster and York, to explore their scientific capabilities and to establish whether CSI, should develop longer-term relationships with these Universities. The outcome is that CSL will continue to be associated with all four Universities and will seek to develop closer links with Leeds, Lancaster and York in relation to the move of CSL to York in 1996/97.

  In addition, I have carried out fact finding visits to other agencies, including the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Central Veterinary Laboratory, Laboratory of the Government Chemist, and the Defence Research Agency, to identify how they are progressing and to gather information about the services offered by other research-based agencies. My findings were that CSL has a clearly identified role in providing statutory support and R & D to MAFF, but needs to be competitive in terms of cost, quality and delivery of services.

  Letter from B. Mills to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 28 October 1992:

  As you know the Minister has asked that Chief Executives of executive agencies for which he is responsible write to you direct with their answer to your question.

  Dr. Little our Chief Executive is away at the moment. I know that he has made visits to a number of organisations during this period, but in particular to offices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who are our parent Department, and for whom about 85 per cent. of our work is undertaken.

  Letter from J. Rutter to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 28 October 1992:

  To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, if he will list the fact finding visits made in the last 12 months by
  286
  readily available in the form requested, but the average time spent in prison by prisoners serving life sentences who were released from prison in the five years 1987 to 1991 was as in the table:

  the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible; and what were the findings resulting from each visit.

  In his reply to the above question about Executive Agencies in MAFF, the Minister said that as this was a matter which was the direct responsibility of Chief Executives, he would ask them to write to you direct. I am doing so as Chief Executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

  I maintain frequent contact throughout the year with representatives of the animal health industry, the veterinary profession and the veterinary pharmaceutical companies. During the last 12 months I have also spoken at national and international meetings on matters related to veterinary medicines, held regular meetings with the National Office of Animal Health and the British Veterinary Association, and initiated meetings with consumer representatives to discuss matters of common interest.

  These visits and meetings are particularly useful in increasing the transparency and understanding of the licensing arrangements for veterinary medicines in the UK. They help maintain good relations with our customers and provide valuable feedback on the work of the Directorate to help improve the quality of service we offer to our customers.

  Letter from J. Walsh to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 October 1992:

  The Chief Executive of ADAS, Dr. Julia Walsh, makes on average two fact finding visits to customers and staff per month. It is considered by Dr. Walsh essential to conduct these visits to ensure the provision of quality services to ADAS customers and to transmit ideas from staff through the organisation to Director level.

  Letter from G. Stapleton to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1992:

  You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he would list the fact finding visits made in the last 12 months by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he was responsible; and what were the findings resulting from each visit. Although the Intervention Board is a separate Government Department, I am resposible to the four Agriculture Ministers, and as this matter falls within the operational responsibility of this Agency, he has asked me to reply.

  Between October 1991 and September 1992 I had a, considerable number of discussions with the Agency's customers and with organisations with whom we work, both on and off the Agency's premises. The only ones which might be described as fact-finding visits were two I made in May, to a scientific establishment providing services to the Agency and to a firm deboning beef for intervention storage. In each case the visit enabled me to familiarise myself with the processes involved.

  I am sending a copy of this letter to the Library of the House.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list, for the last 12 months, the titles of papers published by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible.

  Mr. Gummer
  Responsibility for this matter is delegated to ADAS, the Central Science Laboratory, the Central Veterinary Laboratory, the Intervention Board Executive Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. I have asked their respective chief executives to write to the hon. Gentleman direct.

  Letter from G. Stapleton to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1992:

  You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he would list, for the last 12 months, the titles of papers published by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible. Although the Intervention Board is a separate Government Department, I am responsible to the four Agriculture Ministers, and as this is a matter within the operational responsibility of this Agency, he has asked me to reply.

  As a layman, I have published no scientific papers. The Intervention Board, however, published the following material between October 1991 and September 1992:

  Corporate Plan 1992–93 to 1996–97

  July 1992

  Annual Report 1991–92

  July 1992

  Scheme Leaflets:

  CD 2

  Flax Subsidies (revise)

  March 1992

  CD 15

  Support Buying of Cereals (revise)

  October 1991

  ET 11

  Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (revise)

  December 1991

  ET 12

  Processed Fruit and Vegetables (revise)

  November 1991

  ET 15

  Wine (revise)

  November 1991

  ET 17

  Processed Goods (revise)

  December 1991

  ET 19

  Community Victualling (revise)

  December 1991

  FD 2

  Securities and Guarantees

  October 1991

  LP 12

  Aid for the Private Storage of Butter (revise)

  February 1992

  LP 18

  Subsidy on Butter Supplied to Non-Profit-Making Organisations

  November 1991

  LP 43

  Milk Corresponsibility Levy Disbursement

  November 1991

  LP 46

  Surplus Food Scheme

  May 1992

  I am sending a copy of this letter to the Library of the House.

  Letter from J. M. Rutter to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1992:

  To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, if he will list, for the last 12 months, the titles of papers published by the Chief Executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible.

  In his reply to the above question about Executive Agencies in MAFF, the Minister said that as this was a matter which was the direct responsibility of Chief Executives, he would ask them to write to you direct. I am doing so as Chief Executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

  All papers published by the staff of the VMD, including myself, are recorded in the Annual Report and Accounts of the Directorate. That for the financial year 1991–92 was published on 29 July 1992 as House of Commons paper 174 and a copy placed in the Library. I enclose a further copy for your information. Details of publications are given in Appendix IX, with those by staff listed on pages 64 and 65.

  In the period since 1 April 1992, I have had two further letters published in the Veterinary Record:

  Rutter, J. M. (1992) Availability of medicines. Veterinary Record, 130,

  Rutter, J. M. (1992) Availability of medicines. Veterinary Record, 130,

  Letter from J. Walsh to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 October 1992
  288
  The Chief Executive of ADAS, Dr. Julia M. Walsh was appointed in June 1991. Dr. Walsh has not personally published any papers in the ensuing period. However, the nationally and internationally recognised Research and Development branch of the ADAS Executive Agency regularly publishes scientific papers and could supply specific details if required.

  Letter from T. Little to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 November 1992:

  As you know the Minister has asked that Chief Executives of executive agencies for which he is responsible write to you direct with their answer to your question.

  During the period in question I have published only one paper and that is:

  Little, T. W. A., Hathaway, S. C., Broughton, E. S., Seawright, D. Control of Leptospira hardjo infection in beef cattle by whole herd vaccination.

  Veterinary Record (1992) Volume 131, Issue 5, Pages 90–92.

  Letter from P. Stanley to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1992:

  As Chief Executive of the Central Science Laboratory, I confirm that I have not personally had any paper published during the past 12 month period. The Central Science Laboratory, however, has published a number of papers and I enclose for your information a copy of CSL's listing of Scientific Publications 1985–91, together with an update covering publications since the launch of the Agency in April 1992.

  Food Labelling
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to complete his consideration of the need for comprehensive food labelling.

  Mr. Soames
  The Government issued on 4 August 1992 their final response to the recommendations arising from the Food Advisory Committee's report of its comprehensive review of food labelling legislation and practices. Most of the recommendations were accepted and most will require action at EC level. Proposals to amend the EC Food Labelling Directive are currently before the Council of Ministers and would introduce requirements concerning quantitative declaration of ingredients, ingredient listing of alcoholic drinks and revised provisions on the name of the food. We expect the Commission shortly to make proposals to control claims made in food labelling and advertising. On nutrition labelling, the Government have recently issued for consultation draft regulations implementing the EC Nutrition Labelling Directive. These are due to take effect in October 1993.

  Consultants
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all of the reports his Department has commissioned from external consultants in each of the last three years; for each of the last three years, how many reports from external consultants to his Department led to further consultancy work being commissioned, stating for each of these who were the original and subsequent consultants and what was the subject matter of the consultancy work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  This information is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Food Premises
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action is currently undertaken by his Department to monitor the quality of inspections carried out by local enforcement authorities to food premises under the Food Safety Act 1990 code of practice.

  Mr. Curry
  I obtain quarterly returns from local enforcement authorities of the inspections and other actions that they have undertaken in connection with their responsibilities under the Food Safety Act. My officials examine those returns to see whether the requirements set out in the codes of practice issued under section 40 of the Act are being met.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the most recent research available to him on the possibility of vertical transmission of BSE.

  Country/Region

  January (4 January to 31 January)

  February (1 February to 28 February)

  March (29 February to 27 March)

  April (28 March to 1 May)

  May (2 May to 29 May)

  England

  Avon

  49

  37

  55

  63

  46

  Bedfordshire

  6

  3

  2

  13

  8

  Berkshire

  16

  13

  5

  20

  10

  Buckinghamshire

  18

  24

  18

  28

  23

  Cambridgeshire

  7

  14

  4

  8

  10

  Cheshire

  82

  76

  48

  101

  176

  Cleveland

  5

  1

  4

  3

  4

  Cornwall

  167

  190

  172

  212

  258

  Cumbria

  91

  84

  53

  103

  103

  Derbyshire

  71

  67

  60

  60

  109

  Devon

  177

  277

  227

  267

  343

  Dorset

  176

  180

  174

  198

  164

  Durham

  9

  10

  12

  4

  19

  Essex

  6

  8

  14

  24

  6

  Gloucestershire

  52

  38

  42

  56

  49

  Hampshire

  57

  60

  31

  78

  42

  Hereford and Worcestershire

  31

  26

  40

  57

  56

  Hertfordshire

  5

  4

  4

  9

  5

  Humberside

  7

  10

  12

  3

  15

  Isle of Wight

  13

  8

  8

  16

  11

  Kent

  45

  33

  15

  37

  38

  Lancashire

  70

  89

  68

  120

  103

  Leicestershire

  64

  45

  43

  35

  58

  Lincolnshire

  13

  15

  13

  22

  11

  London

  2

  2

  1

  2

  3

  Manchester

  3

  6

  3

  4

  0

  Merseyside

  3

  3

  4

  5

  2

  Norfolk

  73

  64

  21

  81

  75

  Northamptonshire

  28

  26

  10

  30

  24

  Northumberland

  7

  11

  11

  21

  34

  Nottinghamshire

  12

  21

  7

  10

  24

  Oxfordshire

  55

  52

  24

  45

  42

  Shropshire

  48

  40

  70

  65

  81

  Somerset

  232

  250

  213

  251

  209

  Staffordshire1

  37

  64

  58

  100

  95

  Suffolk

  32

  32

  11

  34

  27

  Surrey

  19

  27

  14

  29

  22

  Sussex East

  37

  35

  18

  43

  24

  Sussex West

  66

  57

  36

  74

  52

  Tyne and Wear

  2

  0

  1

  0

  1

  Warwickshire

  19

  20

  18

  23

  30

  West Midlands

  1

  0

  4

  0

  3

  Wiltshire

  117

  111

  121

  142

  104

  Yorkshire North

  95

  97

  103

  96

  152

  Yorkshire South

  4

  6

  11

  10

  6

  Yorkshire West

  12

  10

  18

  11

  24

  Wales:

  Clwyd

  28

  34

  26

  68

  52

  Dyfed

  140

  148

  126

  151

  199

  290
  Mr. Gummer
  A formal study comparing the incidence of BSE in over 300 offspring of confirmed BSE cases with an equal number of controls has not yet produced any results. All the evidence continues to suggest that feed is the mechanism of infection.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) of 11 May,Official Report, columns 29–30, if he will list the number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each county, in each month from January to May.

  Mr. Gummer
  The number of cases confirmed for England, Wales and Scotland for the periods requested is as follows. Many of these cases will have a date of clinical onset of disease and date of report before 4 January (18 January for Northern Ireland).
  291

  Country/Region

  January (4 January to 31 January)

  February (1 February to 28 February)

  March (29 February to 27 March)

  April (28 March to 1 May)

  May (2 May to 29 May)

  Glamorgan Mid

  7

  2>

  1

  5

  2

  Glamorgan South

  10

  7

  11

  9

  11

  Glamorgan West

  2

  0

  1

  2

  2

  Gwent

  15

  16

  21

  27

  21

  Gwynedd

  7

  6

  7

  14

  14

  Powys

  27

  20

  23

  34

  59

  Scotland:

  Borders

  11

  8

  5

  6

  10

  Central

  4

  4

  1

  1

  1

  Dumfries

  67

  40

  36

  26

  22

  Fife

  3

  4

  6

  4

  5

  Grampian

  15

  14

  14

  26

  14

  Highland

  4

  2

  6

  5

  4

  Lothian

  6

  0

  2

  4

  7

  Orkney

  0

  3

  0

  2

  2

  Shetland

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  Strathclyde

  41

  34

  21

  22

  25

  Tayside

  3

  11

  4

  7

  6

  Western Isles

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  (18–31 January) Northern Ireland:

  Antrim

  1

  11

  9

  12

  8

  Armagh

  0

  1

  2

  2

  0

  Down

  1

  6

  3

  5

  1

  Fermanagh

  0

  0

  3

  2

  2

  Londonderry

  1

  4

  4

  3

  3

  Tyrone

  2

  4

  6

  4

  3

  1 The total number of cases in Staffordshire given in the earlier reply for the period 3 January to 1 May 1992 should have read 259 not 482.

  Beef Premiums
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his answer of 28 October,Official Report, column 684, by what date he expects to announce the transitional arrangements for payment of beef premiums.

  Mr. Curry
  I will announce the transitional arrangements for the new beef special premium scheme when they have been agreed by the European Commission.

HEALTH

  Abortion
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the inquiry into the events surrounding the illegal obtaining and export of RU486 from this country to the United States of America about which the hon. Member for Congleton wrote to her; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The alleged RU486 tablets illegally imported into the USA and purporting to come from the United Kingdom are not the strength licensed for use in the United Kingdom. Nor are they the tablets used for clinical trials in the United Kingdom. It is unlikely these tablets originated from the United Kingdom but investigations are continuing in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration.

  Consultants
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all of the reports her Department has commissioned from external consultants in each of the 292
  past three years; for each of the past three years, how many reports from external consultants to her Department led to further consultancy work being commissioned, stating for each of these who were the original and subsequent consultants and briefly describing the subject matter of the consultancy work; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department let 229 contracts for external management consultancies in 1990–91, 174 in 1991–92 and 82 so far in the current year. We do not keep a record centrally of which consultancies resulted in reports and which led to further consultancy work being commissioned. The Department's purchasing and supply manual, which has been issued to all who commission consultants, stated that goods and services should be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. Details of the consultancy contracts have been placed in the Library.

  Patients' Records (Carers)
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration is being given to encouraging general practitioners to ensure that patients' records indicate whether a patient is also a carer.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Every general practitioner needs to use professional judgement to decide what his or her patient's medical records need to contain to help with diagnosis, treatment and health care. We have no plans to intervene in these professional decisions.

  AIDS/HIV
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the total sums spent on publicity and information to combat the spread of AIDS/HIV in the
  293
  national health service every year since 1984 and the percentage of the total budget for health promotion that these figures represent.

  Mr. Sackville
  Between 1985–86 and 1992–93 the Government have allocated over £73 million to the development of the national AIDS public education campaign.

  The table shows the Department of Health and Health Education Authority spend for the development of the national HIV and AIDS public education work including the running costs of the national AIDS helpline and related telephone information services. Not shown in the table are the sums spent by other Government Departments on HIV prevention work within their own spheres of interest.

  HIV/AIDS public education

  Year

  Department of Health £ million

  Health Education Authority £ million

  1984–85

  Nil

  —

  1985–86

  0·52

  —

  1986–87

  7·60

  —

  1987–88

  6·74

  4·47

  1988–89

  —

  10·00

  1989–90

  —

  12·00

  1990–91

  —

  10·00

  1991–92

  —

  11·00

  1992–93

  —

  11·225

  Since 1989–90 contributions have also been made towards the costs incurred by regional and district health authorities in the development of local HIV prevention initiatives. Regional AIDS (Control) Act reports since 1989–90 record expenditure on local HIV prevention initiatives as follows:

  1989–90—£13·4 million

  1990–91—£23·4 million

  1991–92—£27·95 million

  Figures for 1992–93 are not yet available though they are expected to reflect a steady increase in the development of district based HIV prevention work.

  Figures recording the total spend on all aspects of health promotion are not collected centrally. However, the Government continue to spend more on HIV and AIDS education than on any other single health promotion programme.

  Private Hospital Beds
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the expenditure by each London health authority per year on private hospital beds since 1983.

  Mr. Sackville
  The annual accounts of health authorities do not separately identify expenditure incurred specifically with private hospitals and the information is not otherwise collected centrally.

  Ambulance Response Time
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the list of ambulance response times over the past six months; and on what occasions they have breached Orcon standards.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested is collected on a financial year basis. The latest figures, covering the 294
  year 1991–92, are currently being assembled for publication. I will arrange for a copy of the summary tables to be sent to the hon. Member and placed in the Library as soon as these are available.

  Air Ambulance Services
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 19 October,Official Report, column 71, who is evaluating the air ambulance services; what account is being taken of local fund raising in the terms of reference; and when she expects the evaluation to be completed.

  Mr. Sackville
  The long-term evaluation of the costs, performance and benefits of air ambulances is being undertaken by Professor Williams of the university of Sheffield medical school. An interim report is expected towards the end of this year, with the final report following in early 1994. The source of funding for air ambulance services does not form part of the study.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family health services authorities have now given direct employment to dentists, and how many individual dentists are involved.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are currently 66 salaried dentists employed in 14 family health services authorities.

  Community Care
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Health, what steps she is taking to strengthen the process of consultation on community care plans and to ensure that the independent sector providers of community care services are fully consulted.

  Mr. Yeo
  Independent sector providers, voluntary sector organisations and users and carers have a great deal of knowledge and experience to contribute to the development of community care. Authorities must form strong partnerships with all three if they are to develop services which are best suited to meeting people's needs and which provide a real choice. Community care planning is an important part of that process.

  We have today issued for consultation with local authorities and other interested parties a draft statutory direction under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 and accompanying guidance. Copies are available in the Library. Local authorities are already required to consult a wide range of people including voluntary sector organisations representing the interests of users and carers as well as statutory bodies in preparing their community care plans. The proposed direction extends that requirement to include representatives of independent sector providers. It will also require authorities to include in their plans a statement on how they intend to conduct the process of consultation in the next round.

  The direction and guidance are intended to ensure that the consultation process allows all concerned to make their views known as effectively as possible and in a way which is helpful both to the authority and those being consulted. They will also ensure that independent sector providers are properly involved in community care planning. There are

  295
  obvious problems for authorities in seeking to consult many separate individual providers. To have an effective voice independent sector providers must make their views known collectively through representatives rather than individually. The direction encourages them to do this.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of regional authorities who were appointed between I January 1980 and 31 December 1991 were employees or directors engaged in the supply of, or consultancy related to, information technology; and if she will list them.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letters she has received, dated 7 May and 12 August, from Mr. F. Wilcox, consultant gynaecologist, regarding the purchase of computer systems in the national health service; and if she will place a copy of her reply in the Library.

  Mr. Sackville
  I have no record of receiving the letters to which the hon. Member refers. If he will furnish me with copies, I shall arrange for a full reply.

  Free Treatment
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will outline the criteria for who is eligible for free treatment under the national health service;

  (2) if she will estimate how much money is lost each year through treating patients who are not eligible for free national health service treatment;

  (3) if she will make a statement on the safeguards to minimise the number of people using the national health service who are not eligible for free national health service treatment.

  Mr. Sackville
  Eligibility for free national health service hospital treatment is based on United Kingdom residence. Patients who are not ordinarily resident are liable for payment unless exempted, for example, by reciprocal arrangements. In 1990–91 non payment of £765,000 (England) was written-off. Comprehensive guidance on entitlement to free national health service treatment makes it clear that where there is doubt, subject to immediate clinical need, evidence to support eligibility or a full deposit should be sought.

  Alcohol and Drug Services
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made of the implications of the decision not to ring fence specific funding for residential alcohol and drug services within the community care funding available from next April;

  (2) what advice she proposes to give to local authorities concerning the priority to be given to the funding of residential alcohol and drug services within the ring fenced community care funding available from next April.

  Mr. Yeo
  My right hon. Friend announced on 2 October that we are proposing to make available to local authorities next year a special transitional grant for their new responsibilities for community care. This will give them the freedom to determine the appropriate level of 296
  funding for all services, including residential care for alcohol and drugs misusers. Guidance to local authorities reminding them of the need to give proper weight to the provision of alcohol and drug services is being prepared and will be issued shortly.

  NHS Management Guidance
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued to the NHS by the NHS management executive on 9 September regarding the standards of management and conduct.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The letter issued on 9 September advised the national health service that revised guidelines on standards of business conduct for national health service staff would follow. This guidance will be issued shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Population Statistics
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of adults in the city of Southampton identified in the census return for 1991.

  Mr. Sackville
  The number of people aged 18 or over recorded by the census on 21 April 1991 as usually resident in Southampton was 152,921. The number of residents meeting the definition of adult used in census statistics (people aged 16 or over who are not dependent children) was 151,947.

  Tomlinson Report
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she intends to visit Bart's hospital as part of her follow-up to the Tomlinson report; and what proposals she has to give Bart's hospital time and facilities to prepare their case before making her visit.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that at least two ministerial visits are made to the Smithfield site of St. Bartholomew's hospital during the period of consultation on the Tomlinson report.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I shall be visiting St. Bartholomew's hospital shortly including the Homerton Hospital and St. Mark's hospital, which form part of the Bart's acute unit. There will be ample opportunity for St. Bartholomew's and other hospitals to make known their views on Sir Bernard Tomlinson's recommendations before we bring forward detailed proposals.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the 10 minutes isochrone for Bart's hospital was calculated by Professor Tomlinson; who calculated it; and at what time of the day it was calculated.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I understand that this analysis was undertaken by Sir Bernard Tomlinson by a firm of consultants, Centre for Analysis and Modelling Ltd., that it was based upon standard computerised geographical and transport data, and that it assumed road transport at Monday to Friday daytime off-peak road speeds. I have asked Sir Bernard to write directly to the hon. Member giving a more detailed explanation of the methodology, and shall ensure that a copy of his letter is placed in the Library.
  297
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the dates so far arranged for ministerial visits to hospitals proposed for closure or merger in the Tomlinson report.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I shall ensure that hon. Members are informed in the normal way prior to any ministerial visits to hospitals in their constituencies.

  Sex Offenders
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the recent case in Nottingham where a child sex offender was unable to continue treatment at Gracewell clinic because of lack of funds; and what proposals he has to fund such treatment in future.

  Mr. Yeo
  The funding of such services is a matter of local determination and I understand that local arrangements have been made to fund the person concerned at the Gracewell clinic.

EMPLOYMENT

  Work Noise
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the visits to Wales by the Health and Safety Executive's roadshow on noise at work.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Health and Safety Executive's roadshow on noise at work has yet to visit Wales. However, a number of visits are scheduled for November. The roadshow will be in the city centre, Cardiff from 2 to 7 November; in St. John's Street, Newport from 9 to 11 November; and in St. John's Forest square, Ebbw Vale from 12 to 14 November. It will also visit Wrexham in March 1993.

  Training
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether trainees on European social fund training courses are treated as employees for the purposes of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; what statutory health and safety obligations ESF providers have with respect to their trainees; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  For the purposes of health and safety legislation, trainees—including those on courses funded by the European social fund—are treated as employees if they engage in relevant training, as defined by the Health and Safety (Training for Employment) Regulations 1990. Relevant training is defined as work experience provided as part of a training course or programme, or training for employment, or both.

  Where instruction is provided to trainees in an educational establishment or technical institute, employers have responsibilities towards this group as laid down under sections 3 and 4 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc, Act 1974.

  These arrangements apply irrespective of whether the course in question is in receipt of support from the European social fund.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether trainees on European social fund 298
  training courses are covered by her Department's analogous industrial injuries compensation scheme; what statutory benefits a trainee who suffered an industrial injury whilst participating in an ESF course may claim; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Unemployed people on Government-sponsored training courses such as youth training and employment training are covered by the analogous industrial injuries scheme.

  Trainees on other courses are covered by statutory arrangements. Their entitlement to statutory industrial injury benefit depends upon their status and in particular on whether the trainees are classed as "employed earners".

  These arrangements apply irrespective of whether the course in question is in receipt of support from the European social fund.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate she has made of the likely increased demand for training programmes over the next six months; and if she will make a statement on the proposals for meeting this demand.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The provision of training programmes and demand for them are kept under constant review. Potential colliery closures may lead to increased demand. Up to £75 million will be made available to the areas affected. The training and enterprise councils concerned have been asked to co-ordinate action plans for new measures to alleviate the effects of the closures.

  A statement about overall resources for training from April 1993 will be made when my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announces this year's public expenditure settlement.

  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to extend the use of training credits.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on the Floor of the House on 3 November 1992,Official Report, columns 130–31.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the lowest legal rates of pay for adults in wages councils covering more than 10,000 people and what are the lowest agreed rates of pay in(a) the civil service, (b) in local government service, (c) in nationalised industries and (d) in military service.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The lowest legal rates of pay in wages councils covering more than 10,000 people are shown in the table:

  £ per hour

  Clothing manufacture

  2·6375

  General waste materials reclamation

  2·60

  Hairdressing undertakings

  2·78

  Laundry

  2·91

  Licensed non-residential

  2·91

  Licenced residential and licensed restaurant

  2·92

  Retail food and allied trades

  3·08

  Retail trades non-food

  3·06

  Toy manufacturing

  2·63

  Unlicensed place of refreshment

  2·92

  299
  An administrative assistant in the civil service on adult rates is paid £6,483 a year. In the military service, a private committed to less than six years service is paid £7,774·50 a year.

  The lowest agreed rates of pay in local government and nationalised industries is not readily available. There is no agreement covering all local authorities and each nationalised industry negotiates its own agreements.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer of 29 October,Official Report, column 825, if she will list the studies or other evidence that illustrate or quantify the link asserted between pay and jobs at statutory minimum rates.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Among the studies considered are the following:

  (i) United Kingdom studies on the link between pay and jobs at national level.

  —Her Majesty's Treasury, (1985). "The relationship between employment and wages". London: HMSO. [This is the most comprehensive survey of the evidence on the link between pay and jobs at national level].

  —Wells, W. (1983)."The relative pay and employment of young people", Department of Employment research paper No. 42.

  (ii) United Kingdom studies on the employment effects of proposals for a national minimum wage.

  —Bazen, S. (1990). "On the employment effects of introducing a National Minimum Wage in the UK", British Journal of Industrial Relations, 1990.

  —Dennison, S. R. and Forrest, D. (1984). "Low pay or no pay; a review of the theory and practice of minimum wage laws" Institute of Economic Affairs, Hobart paper No. 101.

  —Gregg, P. (1992). "National minimum wage", in the National Institute Economic Review, February 1992.

  —Minford, P. (1989). "The effects in the UK of EEC wage proposals in the social charter", in the Liverpool Quarterly Economic Bulletin, December 1989.

  —UBS Phillips and Drew (1991). Economic Briefing, June 1991.

  (iii) Studies of the employment effects of the wages boards and councils.

  —Canning, D. and Tarling, R. (1985). "A report on the Department of Employment's study 'Wages floors in the clothing industry 1950–1981", Department of Applied Economics, Cambridge, 1985.

  —Craig, C. and Wilkinson, F. (1986). "Pay and employment in four retail trades", Department of Employment research paper No. 51.

  —Kaufman, R. (1989): "The effects on statutory minimum rates of pay on employment in Great Britain", Economic Journal, December 1989.

  —Lund, P., Morris, T., Temple, J. and Watson, J. (1982). "Wages and employment in agriculture 1960–1980", GES working paper No. 52.

  —Machin, S. and Manning, A. (1992). "Minimum wages, wage dispersion and employment: evidence from the UK wages councils", LSE working paper No. 221.

  —Morgan, P., Paterson, D. and Barrie. R. (1986). "Wage floors in the clothing industry 1950–81", Department of Employment research paper No. 52.

  —Neuburger, H. (1984). "From the dole queue to the sweatshop", London: Low Pay Unit.

  (iv) Studies on the employment effects of the United States minimum wage.

  —Brown, C., Gilroy, C., Kohen, A. (1982). "The effect of the minimum wage on employment and unemployment." Journal of Economic Literature, vol.XX. [This contains a survey of the US evidence]

  300

  —Card, D. (1991). "Do minimum wages reduce employment? A case study of California, 1987–89." NBER working paper No. 3710.

  —Castillo Freeman, A and Freeman, R.B. (1991). "Minimum Wages in Puerto Rico." NBER working paper No. 3759.

  —Katz, L, and Krueger, A. (1991). "The effect of the new minimum wage law in a low wage labour market." Princeton university working paper No. 280.

  —Neumark, D, and Wascher, W. (1991). "Evidence on employment effects of minimum wages and subminimum wage provisions from panel data on state minimum wage laws". NBER working paper No. 3859.

  Report of the Minimum Wage Study Commission (1981), Vol. 1. [This report contains an assessment of the employment effects of the federal minimum based on a large number of studies]

  —Walsh, K. (1991). "A comparative review of minimum wage systems" in "Minimum Wage-An analysis of the Issues". Institute for Personnel Management.

  (v) References to International evidence of the employment effects of minimum wage legislation in work conducted by the ILO and the OECD.

  —ILO (1992). "Minimum wages, wage fixing machinery, application and supervision", International Labour Office.

  —OECD (1991), "1990–91 OECD Economic Surveys, France".

  —OECD (1989), "1988–89 Economic Surveys, Netherlands".

  ·OECD (1990), "Labour market policies for the 1990s".

  —Starr, G. (1981). "Minimum wage fixing", International Labour Office.

  (vi) Other articles and correspondence concerning the debate about the employment effects of the wages councils. For example, a recent Fabian Society pamphlet by Fred Bayliss; and various publications by the Low Pay Unit.

  Toxic Substances
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will bring forward proposals to ensure in relation to industrial major accident hazard sites situated within 25 km of international airports(a) that all vessels containing scheduled toxic substances stored under pressure are constructed so as to prevent rupture in the event of direct impact by a large aircraft and (b) that off-site emergency plans fully address the consequences of catastrophic failure of pressure vessels consequent on direct impact by large aircraft.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to introduce requirements for such pressure vessels to withstand this kind of impact. Installations which are assessed by the Health and Safety Executive as representing a potential major hazard are constructed and operated within a strict legislative regime.The probability of such impacts is assessed as being very small.

  Local authorities with installations governed by the Control of Major Accident Hazards (CIMAH) Regulations 1984 within their boundaries are required to prepare detailed emergency off-site plans which would take account of the catastrophic failure of pressure vessels.

  Departmental Staff (Wages)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the minimum equivalent rate of hourly pay for her Department's staff aged 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 years; and the numbers employed at each age.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The table shows minimum basic hourly rates of pay for industrial and non-industrial staff in the Employment Department group:

  Non-industrial National Rate

  Non-industrial London Rate

  Industrial National Rate

  Age 16

  2·39

  2·63

  2·00

  Age 17

  2·56

  2·82

  2·66

  Age 18

  3·14

  3·45

  3·33

  Age 19

  3·36

  3·69

  3·55

  Age 20

  3·36

  3·69

  3·89

  Age 21

  3·36

  3·69

  4·00

  The number of ED group staff in post at 1 October 1992, at ages 21 and below, is in the table.

  Age

  All staff

  Permanent staff only

  16

  10

  2

  17

  114

  54

  18

  389

  230

  19

  1,078

  732

  20

  1,481

  1,091

  21

  1,560

  1,222

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the amounts being given to each training and enterprise council as part of the recently announced pit closure programme.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  An additional sum of up to £75 million will be made available in areas affected by potential colliery closures depending on the scale of the job losses in prospect. The TECs concerned have been asked to coordinate action plans for new measures to alleviate the effects of closures. The actual amount available to each TEC will depend on the action plan that is finally agreed.

  Work Sites (Tap Water)
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what provisions are laid down regarding requirements of access to tap water at work sites under health and safety regulations.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are no requirements for tap water as such in health and safety legislation. The Factories Act 1961 and the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963 require drinking water and running water for washing to be provided at conveniently accessible places in premises subject to those Acts. Separate legislation covering construction work, mines and quarries, agriculture, and work with asbestos, lead and ionising radiations contains similar provisions.

  Vehicle Building
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment is she will make a statement on the number of jobs lost in the vehicle building industry in the current year.
  302
  Mr. McLoughlin
  Between August 1991 and August 1992, the number of employees in the manufacture of motor vehicles and parts in Great Britain fell by 1,000.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement about the change in the number of people employed in manufacturing industry, by standard planning region, in the past 13 years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is shown in the table.

  Employees in employment in manufacturing1 Change June 1979 to June 1992

  Region

  Thousands

  South East (including Greater London)

  –756

  East Anglia

  –41

  South West

  –117

  West Midlands

  –416

  East Midlands

  –161

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  –248

  North West

  –399

  North

  –156

  England

  –2,285

  Wales

  –95

  Scotland

  –236

  Northern Ireland

  –48

  United Kingdom

  –2,664

  1 Not seasonally adjusted.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training and enterprise councils have sought and been granted dispensation from the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Tony Lloyd,dated 4 November 1992:

  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question, about Training and Enterprise Councils and the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944. The day to day administration of the procedures which flow from the 1944 Act is something which falls within the responsibility delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  You asked how many training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) have been granted dispensations from the Act. I regret that data is not collected centrally on the extent to which permits are issued, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, to particular kinds of employer.

  As you may know, the 1944 Act established the Quota Scheme for the employment of registered disabled people, under which employers who have twenty or more workers have a duty to employ a quota of registered disabled people. The standard quota is currently 3 per cent. of an employer's total workforce. Employers not meeting the quota have a further duty under the Act, to engage suitable registered disabled people, if any are available, to fill vacancies which arise. A below quota employer must not engage anyone other than a registered disabled person without first obtaining a

  303
  permit to do so, and must not discharge a registered disabled worker without reasonable cause. The issue of a permit does not grant the employer exemption from their duties and obligations under the Act.

  My placing Assessment and Counselling Teams (PACTs) do monitor the extent to which employers in their areas are complying with the requirements, including keeping details of permits issued by my Disability Employment Advisers to below quota employers. Each year PACTs provide a statistical return on quota compliance in their areas. These, in turn, are used by my Head Office to produce national data. However this geographical information does not enable data to be extracted centrally in respect of particular sectors or types of employer. Therefore, I am not able to provide the information you have asked for in relation to TECs.

  As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

  Radiation Emergencies
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has in regard to the number and source of comments submitted to the Health and Safety Commission in response to the HSC draft on proposed United Kingdom regulations developed pursuant to EC directive 89/618/EEC on public information and radiation emergencies.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Health and Safety Executive is in the process of producing a publication entitled "A Guide to the Public Information for Radiation Emergencies Regulations". The draft guidance was sent out to approximately 180 organisations and individuals inviting comments. There were some 36 replies received of which 13 said that they had no comments to offer. The majority of replies came from nuclear operators, local authorities or their associations, organisations representing emergency service personnel and Government Departments.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Assisted Areas
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to complete his review of the assisted areas map.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to alter the assisted area boundaries.

  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to complete his review of the map of assisted areas.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The consultation paper on the assisted areas review stated that the Government's aim was to implement a revised map early in 1993, following the necessary clearance with the European Commission. This remains our intention.

  Ms. Janet Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what will be the effect upon the current review of assisted area status of his announcement that certain coal mining areas will receive assisted area status; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Government have made a specific commitment that Barnsley, Doncaster and Mansfield will 304
  be given enhanced status. This will not affect the careful consideration that will be given to other areas in the light of the extensive process of consultation.

  National Energy Strategy
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to respond to the call for a national energy strategy in the Energy Committee's fifth report of Session 1990–91 on clean coal technology and the coal market after 1993, HC 208.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. Friend announced on 26 October the scope of the review which we will be conducting of the proposed closure of 21 pits, within the context of the Government's energy policy.

  Single European Act
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects all of the directives relative to the European Single Act to be completed.

  Mr. Needham
  A total of 257 out of the 282 measures in the Commission's White Paper "Completing the Internal Market" have been agreed. The Single European Act will continue in force as a basis for legislation.

  Investment
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the percentage of investment by Japanese companies in the European Community which has been made in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Information published by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, indicates that the United Kingdom has almost 41 per cent. of the stock of Japanese foreign direct investment in the European Community.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with international companies on the subject of inward investment into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Officials of my Department, and of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are in constant contact with a large number of companies in all the major investing countries.

  Firework Safety
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the current year's firework safety campaign.

  Mr. Leigh
  This year's firework safety campaign was launched on 15 October. The aim of the campaign is to make sure that all those handling fireworks, whether as retailers or as users, are aware of their legal obligations and of the precautions that they should take to make sure of an accident-free Guy Fawkes night.

  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the effect that a European standard for fireworks will have on British safety standards.

  Mr. Leigh
  It is not certain at this stage what effect a European standard for fireworks will have on British
  305
  safety standards. Negotiations will continue for some considerable time as our aim is to ensure that any European standard for fireworks is consistent with standards of safety in the United Kingdom.

  Coal
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent inquiries he has received from the private sector about buying coal waste.

  Mr. Heseltine
  None. This is a matter for the owners of coal waste, including British Coal.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his statement of 19 October, if he will set out a disaggregated breakdown of the £18 billion investment he stated has been made in the British coal industry since 1979.

  Mr. Eggar
  Financial assistance made available to the coal industry from 1979–80 to 1991–92 inclusive was as follows:

  £ million

  Deficit grant

  4,748

  Deficiency grant

  6,153

  Operating grant

  95

  Social and restructuring grants

  4,414

  Redundant Mineworkers Payments Scheme

  2,477

  Total

  17,887

  The Government have approved capital expenditure by British Coal of nearly £8 billion over this period.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many tonnes of coal were sold by British Coal to customers other than the Central Electricity Generating Board, National Power and PowerGen in each of the last five years, giving a separate figure for exports in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Figures for sales to the United Kingdom market, excluding power stations and exports are as follows:

  million tonnes

  United Kingdom Consumption, excluding Power Stations

  Exports

  1987–88

  29·3

  2·2

  1988–89

  28·3

  1·8

  1989–90

  26·7

  2·6

  1990–91

  26·8

  2·1

  1991–92

  24·5

  1·4

  Requirements for coal in United Kingdom sectors other than electricity generation have been declining steadily for many years and have fallen by 16 per cent. in the past five years alone.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what tonnages of coal were imported by(a) the electricity authorities and (b) private generators in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Eggar
  The amount of coal imported by the major electricity generators in the United Kingdom in 1991 was 7,260,000 tonnes. Figures for coal imports by small, private, industrial generators are not available.
  306
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amounts of coal, and from which countries, have been imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 30 October 1992, Official Report, column 956.

  Fuel Prices
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the current prices of coal, gas and nuclear-generated electricity; and what are the projected costs of these fuels over the next 10 years.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department will be assessing the relative costs of coal-fired and other sources of generation as part of the Government's coal review.

  As far as electricity purchased by the regional electricity companies is concerned, it is for the Director General of Electricity Supply to ensure that the companies comply with their economic purchasing obligations.

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received on the financial viability of Trentham colliery and the other nine pits marked for closure.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have received a number of representations of that kind. Such representations are, however, best made to British Coal since it is currently engaged in the statutory consultation process relating to the 10 pits.

  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the considerations which led to the Point of Ayr colliery being added to the original closure list of 31 pits at a late stage; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. Friend and I accepted British Coal's advice that, in order to meet its estimate of its potential market economically, it needed to reduce its present levels of production urgently and substantially. We also accepted British Coal's advice as to the particular pits that should be closed.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the latest position over pit closures.

  Mr. Eggar
  Subject to the outcome of the statutory consultation process, British Coal is proceeding with the closure of the 10 pits which it told my right hon. Friend are currently loss making and have no prospect of viability in the foreseeable future.

  The other 21 pits originally proposed for closure by British Coal remain the subject of a moratorium until early in the New Year, during which time we shall be carrying out a full and wide-ranging review of its prospects.

  Civilian Aircraft
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what incentives he is providing to the British civilian aircraft industry.
  307
  Mr. Sainsbury
  Since 1979, the Department of Trade and Industry has provided over £.1·5 billion in support to the United Kingdom aerospace industry.

  Business Failures
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the number of business failures in 1992 to date.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The number of company and individual insolvencies in England and Wales in the first six months of 1992 totalled 29,204—on a seasonally adjusted basis. This represents a 12 per cent. increase over the previous six months. These figures should be considered in the context of some 3 million United Kingdom businesses in total and the large number of business start-ups and closures each year.

  Petrochemical Industry
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps his Department is taking to assist the petrochemical industry through the present recession; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Government are committed to helping British industry to succeed in world markets. They are doing this by creating a climate within which industry can thrive and by ensuring that the policies of both DTI and the rest of Government take the needs of business into account. Our chemicals and biotechnology division, which was set up in July, is in close touch with the petrochemical industry.

  Swan Hunter
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will agree to intervention funding from the European Commission being made available to Swan Hunter Shipbuilders to enable it to diversify into the merchant shipbuilding sector.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Our agreement with the Commission prevents us from providing a subsidy to those companies which were privatised as warship builders.

  Parcelforce
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the programme for Parcelforce privatisation.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I am discussing with consultants' their advice on the best method and timing for the sale of Parcelforce. I look forward to seeing Parcelforce in the private sector at the earliest possible opportunity.

  Manufacturing
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to announce new proposals to improve manufacturing output; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heseltine
  We will continue to announce new proposals as and when we reach appropriate decisions.

  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he is taking to support the supply side of the economy with particular regard to manufacturing and the drive for exports.
  308
  Mr. Needham
  The Government are committed to strengthening the supply side of the economy by the control of inflation, by tax rates that provide real incentives, by reducing the burden of Government, by providing high-class advisory services, and by keeping markets, both at home and abroad, fair and competitive.

  Private Industry (Secondees)
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many secondees to his Department from private industry have been appointed; how many applied; and when he expects to have 100 secondees in place.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are 37 inward secondees from the private sector currently working in the DTI. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has announced his intention to increase substantially that number by recruiting additional secondees to help in the Department's new industry sector divisions and a further 100 secondees to assist with the promotion of United Kingdom exports.

  My right hon. Friend is inviting companies to identify suitable people for these secondments and his aim is to have them in place quickly.

  Electricity
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the electricity prices charged to heavy industry bulk users of electric power.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department is in dialogue with large electricity users concerning electricity prices.

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of electricity consumption was produced by sources other than(a) gas, (b) coal, (c) oil and (d) nuclear power, in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Eggar
  The proportion of electricity consumption in the United Kingdom that was produced by sources other than gas, coal, oil and nuclear power was about 2 per cent. in each of the last three years. This figure includes generation by hydro-electric power, wind power and other renewable energy sources.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what study has been made of the relationship between fuel prices and the price of electricity supplied to British industry; and if he will publish a table, for each of the past 10 years, of the average price charged by the United Kingdom and the German electricity supply industries to major users.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is for the Director General of Electricity Supply to ensure the proper functioning of the market for electricity. In addition, my Department is in dialogue with large electricity users concerning electricity prices.

  The information requested is as follows:

  Industrial electricity prices

  pence per kwh excluding VAT

  Year

  United Kingdom

  Germany

  1982

  3·44

  2·96

  1983

  3·46

  3·37

  1984

  3·46

  3·53

  309

  Year

  United Kingdom

  Germany

  1985

  3·58

  3·67

  1986

  3·63

  4·49

  1987

  3·52

  5·00

  1988

  3·70

  4·70

  1989

  3·73

  4·82

  1990

  3·83

  5·10

  1991

  4·05

  4·99

  Source: International Energy Agency: "Energy Prices and Taxes".

  Nuclear Reprocessing
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of uranium and plutonium would be produced by reprocessing spent fuel from United Kingdom nuclear power stations under existing contracts with the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

  Mr. Eggar
  Under its existing contracts for operating the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield up to the year 2002, British Nuclear Fuels plc estimates that some 2,000 tonnes of uranium and some 8,000 tonnes of plutonium will arise from the reprocessing of spent fuel from nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom.

  Correspondence
  Ms. Janet Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines are issued to his Department for the processing of correspondence from hon. Members; and what is the average delay between receipt of correspondence from, and the date of response to, an hon. Member.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The Department of Trade and Industry has an explicit performance target for all ministerial correspondence as set out by the citizens charter unit. When DTI Ministers themselves reply to letters from Members of Parliament or members of the public, they aim to do so within ten working days of receipt of the incoming letter. This target was met, in the year ending 31 December 1991, in 91·5 per cent. of cases.

  Maxwell Communications Corporation plc
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of the inquiry into the Mirror Group Newspapers prospectus; what is the expected date for publication of the report; and what consideration the inspectors are giving to statements made by the directors in the prospectus about the Maxwell Communications Corporation plc works pension scheme.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The inspectors have commenced interviewing witnesses, but it is too early to give a realistic estimate as to when they will complete their investigation. I am sure that they will consider all aspects of the company's affairs relevant to their task. It is the policy to publish reports on the affairs of public companies, but a decision cannot be made until the report is received and its contents have been studied.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of the inquiry into the interests in and ownership of shares in Maxwell Communications Corporation plc and the 310
  expected date for publication of the report; and whether the report will include sections concerning breach of trust where shares were acquired by or funded by pension funds without proper authority.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department is not carrying out any inquiry into Maxwell Communication Corporation plc.

  Gas
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate, on the basis of available known reserves of gas on the United Kingdom continental shelf, how long United Kingdom gas reserves would last if all the proposed gas-generated electricity stations were to come into operation using domestic reserves; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  For details of the Department's most recent estimate of UKCS gas reserves I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for York (Mr. Bayley) on 28 October 1992,Official Report, columns 680–81.

  As my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade told the House on 21 October, he will be producing for the House the conclusions we draw from our estimates of reserves, and will report on the scale of gas-generated power stations in production, in build and in the planning process.

  Insurance Exhibition
  Mr. Tracey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the Association of British Insurers to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I understand that, under the procedures agreed with the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 9 to 13 November.

  Guinness (Report)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will publish the inspectors' report relating to Guinness.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The inspectors have submitted an interim report. This has not been published because of the possibility of prejudice to the criminal proceedings. The inspectors will submit their final report following the conclusion of these proceedings. Consideration of publication of that report must await its receipt.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost of preparing the inspectors' report relating to Guinness; and when payout was made.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The investigation into the affairs and membership of Guinness plc has cost £1,793,000 to date. Payments have been made to the inspectors against invoices issued from time to time.

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the accountancy firms which have been criticised in his Department's inspectors' reports since 1990.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Since 1990, six inspectors' reports have been published containing criticism of accountancy firms:

  Name of Company

  Date of Publication of Report

  Name of Accountancy Firm

  Minet Holdings plc and WMD Underwriting Agencies Ltd.

  29 August 1990

  Black Geognegan and Till

  Jocelyne Layton-Bennett &Co.

  Arthur Young McClelland Moores & Co.

  Alexander Howden Holdings plc

  29 August 1990

  Jocelyne Layton-Bennet & Code Paula Turner Lake & Co

  Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co

  Bermuda

  Arthur Young McClelland Moores & Co

  Aldermanbury Trust plc

  20 March 1991

  Levy Gee Spicer & Pegler Gibraltar

  Sound Diffusion plc

  1 May 1991

  Arthur Young McClelland Moores & Co

  Rotaprint plc

  24 July 1991

  Arthur Young Ernst & Whinney

  The Milford Docks Company

  16 January 1992

  Coopers & Lybrand

  British Coal (Privatisation)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the accountancy firms which are advising him on privatisation of British Coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  Touche Ross was appointed as accountancy adviser on the privatisation of British Coal on 12 June 1991.

  Company Accounts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce departmental investigations of a sample of company accounts whenever the auditors issue a major qualification.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department's investigatory powers can only be exercised when there is good reason to do so, primarily when there are grounds to suggest fraud, misfeasance, or serious misconduct; or where shareholders have been denied reasonable information.

  Companies Acts Inspectors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the names and the business connections of the individuals who are currently acting as inspectors under the Companies Acts.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:312

  D. Donaldson QC

  I. Watt FCA of KPMG Peat Marwick, Chartered Accountants

  Miss E. Appleby QC

  P. Foss FCA of Moores Rowland, Chartered Accountants

  L. Ziman of Nabarro Nathanson, Solicitors

  W. Hoffman FCA of Baker Tilly, Chartered Accountants

  P. Heslop QC

  R. Lewis FCA of Kidsons Impey, Chartered Accountants

  E. W. Hamilton QC

  J. A. Scott FCA of BDO Binder Hamlyn, Chartered Accountants

  C. P. F. Rimer QC

  J. White FCA of KPMG Peat Marwick, Chartered Accountants

  W. M. Gage QC

  A. H. Gilroy FCA of BDO Binder Hamlyn, Chartered Accountants

  R. G. B. McCombe QC

  J. K. Heywood LLB FCA of Price Waterhouse, Chartered Accountants

  A. H. S. Robertshaw of DTI

  C. K. B. Mayhew of DTI

  M. Crystal QC

  V. B. A. Temple, Barrister

  D. L. Spence of Grant Thorton, Chartered Accountants

  R. J. L. Thomas QC

  R. T. Turner FCA of Neville Russell, Chartered Accountants

  Financial Reporting Council
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much finance he has provided to the Financial Reporting Council for each of the years since its inception.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The amounts of grant in aid paid to the Financial Reporting Council have been:

  £

  1990–91

  886,317

  1991–92

  907,793

  11992–93

  254,000

  1 To date.

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any plans to appoint inspectors to investigate the role of auditors in the collapse of the BCCI.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The accountancy profession's joint disciplinary scheme announced in April that it had appointed a committee of inquiry at the request of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales to look into the conduct and competence of members and member firms in relation to the collapse of BCCI. The committee is chaired by Sir John Bailey KCB. I have no plans to appoint inspectors.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total cost of the liquidation of Bank of Credit and Commerce International in terms of(a) liquidators' fees and (b) legal fees.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: My Department does not have this information; this is a matter for the liquidators.
  313
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many loans have been written off by the liquidators of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: My Department does not have this information; this is a matter for the liquidators.

  Insurance Companies
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many captive insurance companies have been created under the supervision of the Department of Trade and Industry during 1989, 1990 and 1991.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department authorised one captive insurance company in 1990 and none in 1989 and 1991.

  Libya
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect of United Nations sanctions against Libya on British trade.

  Mr. Needham
  United Kingdom exports to Libya were just under £90 million from April—when limited sanctions came into force—to August 1992. It is impossible to say what additional trade might have occurred if United Nations sanctions had not been in force during that period.

  Toyota
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd., to discuss further investment programmes.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. has already committed £840 million to its current investment programme in the United Kingdom. There are no current discussions with the company regarding further investment.

  Municipal Mutual Insurance Company
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received concerning the affairs of the Municipal Mutual Insurance company.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have been made aware of the concerns of policyholders, including private individuals and local authorities, and employees of Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd. I have their interests very much in mind when considering the discharge of my Department's responsibilities under the Insurance Companies Act 1982.

  Paper Production
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what investigations his Department has conducted to establish the environmental energy balance through a cradle-to-grave analysis of paper production from virgin fibre and paper production using recycled materials; and what conclusions have been drawn.
  314
  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: Warren Spring Laboratory, an agency of my Department, carried out a review of the environmental impact of recycling processes calling on known, available, published cradle-tograve analysis data and reported its findings in July 1992. The report, entitled "A Review of: The Environmental Impact of Recycling" concludes that, taking into account the whole lifecycle, there are very significant savings in energy consumption—ranging from 28 per cent. to 70 per cent.—and reductions in emissions to be gained by recycling paper. It notes, however, that there will always be a need for virgin fibre to replace shortened fibres lost as fines and that, in certain situations, there is a case for incineration with energy recovery of waste paper, particularly when in mixed, contaminated form. It also highlights the imbalance between United Kingdom consumption and production of paper and board as a major barrier to increased levels of recycling. I will arrange for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Further work on the environmental impacts from cradle-to-grave of a range of paper products, both virgin and recycled fibre based, is being carried out on behalf of the EC Commission by the Danish National Agency of Environmental Protection. The results of this work, which have yet to be published, will be used in the preparation of criteria for the EC ecolabelling scheme.

  Coal Faces (Visits)
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those coal faces which he has visited since taking office as President of the Board of Trade; on what dates those visits took place; and what estimate had been made in each case at that time of the probable life and potential tonnage of that coal face.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: I have not visited any collieries since taking up my present office. However, my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy visited Ollerton and Rufford collieries on 13 May and Whitemoor colliery on 17 July. My noble Friend Baroness Denton, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms, visited Silverwood colliery on 28 August. They had wide-ranging exchanges with local managers and members of the work force about the particular pits and issues affecting the industry more generally.

  Coal and Cereals
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the percentage increase in coal and cereal production since 1968 and in the amount imported and exported.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: Figures for the production, imports and exports of coal and cereals in 1968 and 1991, and the percentage changes of each over the intervening period, were:

  315

  Million tonnes

  Coal

  Cereal

  1968

  1991

  Per cent, change

  1968–691

  1991

  Percent, change

  Production

  169·9

  96·1

  -43

  13·1

  22·6

  +72

  Imports

  —

  19·5

  (+)

  8·6

  2·5

  -71

  Exports

  2·7

  1·7

  -39

  0·1

  6·0

  (+)

  Percentage changes have been calculated from unrounded figures.

  1 Data on crop year basis, I July 1968 to 30 June 1969.

  Sources:Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  European Community
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of civil servants in his Department whose main task is work related wholly or mainly to the European Community.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: My Department has 59 officials wholly engaged in work related to the European Community. There is no central register of officials mainly or partially engaged in such work.

  EC Perifra Programme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the projects approved for submission to the EC Perifra programme together with the dates he expects approval to be given and work under the programme to commence in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: On 5 June 1992, the United Kingdom sent 12 proposals to the European Commission for funding under the Perifra scheme. On 7 August 1992, the European Commission announced the approval of eight of them. These are as follows:

  Region/project

  Borders Regional Council

  Textile design and innovation centre.

  Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

  Todmorden area regeneration initiative.

  Chorley Borough Council/Lancashire Enterprises

  Technology centre to support redeployment of defence jobs

  316

  Dyfed/West Wales Task Force

  Employment/training initiative.

  Fife Regional Council

  Product Innovation Centre.

  Hertfordshire TEC/Hertfordshire County Council

  Development of alternative employment through support and training.

  Leeds City Council

  Clothing Resource Centre.

  Royal British Legion, Wiltshire

  Design and construction of a training centre.

  The timing of the start of work on the projects is a matter for the sponsors.

  Pharmaceutical Industry
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the output in financial terms of the United Kingdom's pharmaceutical industry(a) in 1979 and (b) in 1991;

  (2) what were the export earnings of the pharmaceutical industry in (a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 3 November 1992]: The information available is shown in the table.

  United Kingdom Pharmaceutical Industry

  £ million

  11979

  21991

  Total sales of pharmaceutical products

  1,705

  6,167

  Exports of pharmaceutical products

  599

  2,716

  Source: Business Monitor 2570.

  1 1979 figures are based on SIC 1968.

  2 1991 figures are based on SIC 1980.

  MAASTRICHT TREATY: DISSEMINATION
  MAASTRICHT TREATY: DISSEMINATION
  SOUTH CHINA SEA: DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES
  SOUTH CHINA SEA: DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES
  EUROTUNNEL: PASSENGER LIABILITY
  EUROTUNNEL: PASSENGER LIABILITY
  PARLIAMENTARY PRIVATE SECRETARIES
  PARLIAMENTARY PRIVATE SECRETARIES
  MAASTRICHT TREATY: COPIES SOLD
  MAASTRICHT TREATY: COPIES SOLD
  WAGES COUNCILS AND EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN
  WAGES COUNCILS AND EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN
  ANIMAL FEEDINGSTUFFS AND BIRD PROTECTION: CHANGES TO CODES OF PRACTICE
  ANIMAL FEEDINGSTUFFS AND BIRD PROTECTION: CHANGES TO CODES OF PRACTICE
  BARN OWLS: IMPACT OF CHANGES TO CODE OF PRACTICE
  BARN OWLS: IMPACT OF CHANGES TO CODE OF PRACTICE
  EGGS: TESTING FOR SALMONELLA
  EGGS: TESTING FOR SALMONELLA
  BRITISH EGG INDUSTRY COUNCIL
  BRITISH EGG INDUSTRY COUNCIL