Written Answers of 10 November 1992

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will review the legal aid scheme to ensure that applicants can be fully represented in preparing submissions to the investors compensation scheme.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Those who meet the financial eligibility criteria may already seek legal advice and assistance in preparing their applications to the investors compensation scheme.

  Sentencing
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what studies he has carried out into sentencing for similar offences in different parts of the country; and what plans he has to deal with disparities in sentencing for similar offences by different courts.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: I have been asked to reply.

  Information about the sentencing practice of Crown court centres and magistrates courts petty sessional divisions is being published by the Secretary of State, in pursuance of his statutory duty under section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 to enable persons engaged in the administration of justice to become aware of the financial implications of their decisions. Volume I of an eight-volume publication on costs of the criminal justice system was published on 29 October. It provides information about sentencing including information about sentencing for similar offences, in the Crown court. The remaining volumes will provide information about sentencing in the magistrates courts and will be published shortly. The sentencing profiles revealed in these publications must be read with caution. They cannot reflect what may be underlying differences in the workload and case mix at different courts. Sentencing in individual cases is entirely a matter for the courts in the light of all the circumstances of the offence and subject to the decisions of, and any guidance from, the Court of Appeal. A substantial programme of training on good sentencing practice is provided for both judges and magistrates under the auspices of the Judicial Studies Board.

SCOTLAND

  College Merger
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what decision he has reached on the formal date for the merger of(a) university of Strathclyde and Jordanhill college and (b) Queen's college and Glasgow polytechnic.
  666
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Secretary of State and I indicated in our letters approving the two mergers that the necessary steps would be taken to give effect to the mergers in the first half of 1993. My officials are in close touch with each of the institutions concerned about the precise timetable and legislative arrangements for implementing the mergers.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many papers his Department and the Lord Advocate's Department have currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office; if he will list their titles; and when he estimates that they will be returned.

  Mr. Lang
  Neither the Scottish Record Office nor the Lord Advocate's Department has withdrawn papers from the Public Record Office.

  Legal Aid
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average time between legal aid work being carried out by lawyers and legal aid fees being paid to them for(a) criminal and (b) civil legal aid for each of the past 15 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The average times, in weeks, taken by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to process accounts for(a) criminal and (b) civil legal aid work in the years 1987–88 to 1991–92 and the situation at September 1992 are set out in the table. Prior to 1987, the payment of accounts for legal aid work in Scotland was the responsibility of the Law Society of Scotland and the figures for previous years are therefore not readily available. The board does not have figures available for 1987–88. The figures shown include periods of time when the board was awaiting responses from lawyers to its inquiries about accounts.

  (a) Criminal

  (b) Civil

  1988–89

  7·55

  13·26

  1989–90

  6·09

  13·39

  1990–91

  5·06

  11·65

  1991–92

  5·59

  15·81

  April-October 1992

  4·44

  9·08

  School Transport
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement in relation to the provision of home-to-school transport following comments received on the consultation paper, "Competing for Quality: Competition in the Provision of Local Services", published in November 1991.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In Scotland, the majority of home-to-school transport is already provided by the private sector, either under competitive tendering arrangements or through other arrangements such as the issuing of bus passes to children. Taking account of the responses to the consultation paper, I have concluded that compulsory competitive tendering need not at this stage be extended to apply to all home-to-school transport, I will, however, keep this position under review.

  Charities
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many charities, whose gross income does not exceed £25,000 per annum, will have to conform to the regulations specified in the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 1992; if he will list them; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 4 November 1992]: As a general rule, all Scottish charities must now prepare annual accounts conforming to the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 1992.

  Where a charity's annual income is £25,000 or more, the statement of accounts must comprise a balance sheet, and an income and expenditure account, and must include a report of its activities. In cases where the annual income is less than £25,000 charities may elect to prepare simpler accounts.

  No information is held centrally about the annual income of individual Scottish charities.

  Health Service Expenditure
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish for each health board for the current financial year(a) the planned capital and revenue expenditure on mental handicap (learning disabilities) services and (b) the value of assets relevant to mental handicap (learning disabilities) services listed in capital asset registers.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 6 November 1992]: This information is not held centrally.

  Gross Revenue Expenditure on Scottish Water Services

  £ thousands

  Authority

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Borders

  3,479

  3,606

  5,638

  5,383

  4,652

  Central

  11,448

  11,549

  12,303

  13,624

  12,498

  Dumfries and Galloway

  4,718

  5,365

  5,904

  7,271

  8,509

  Fife

  9,207

  9,862

  10,721

  16,426

  13,748

  Grampian

  17,301

  18,484

  20,017

  23,130

  27,695

  Highland

  6,635

  7,199

  7,890

  9,338

  9,924

  Lothian

  21,640

  22,374

  24,259

  27,562

  29,442

  Strathclyde

  63,509

  68,050

  75,053

  76,597

  87,874

  Tayside

  12,663

  13,353

  15,125

  17,477

  19,263

  Orkney

  1,540

  1,412

  1,177

  1,342

  1,607

  Shetland

  1,984

  2,040

  1,561

  1,425

  2,945

  Western Isles

  1,193

  1,336

  1,502

  1,566

  1,877

  Scotland

  155,317

  164,630

  181,150

  201,141

  220,034

  1Estimated.

  Gross revenue expenditure on Scottish sewerage services

  £ thousand

  Authority

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Borders

  3,191

  3,279

  3,804

  5,873

  4,648

  Central

  9,150

  9,159

  10,186

  11,452

  11,365

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3,805

  4,129

  4,744

  5,481

  6,353

  Fife

  6,462

  7,246

  8,180

  12,144

  12,072

  Grampian

  16,551

  18,097

  18,463

  19,807

  23,276

  Highland

  5,667

  6,040

  6,601

  8,126

  8,552

  Lothian

  21,281

  21,438

  24,524

  27,626

  32,528

  Strathclyde

  61,382

  65,867

  71,776

  78,325

  94,496

  Tayside

  9,295

  10,240

  11,505

  13,551

  17,818

  Orkney

  454

  307

  439

  525

  601

  Shetland

  782

  2,776

  545

  400

  975

  Hospital Food
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the minimum amount that may be spent per patient per day in purchasing food for in-patients in hospitals.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: There is no minimum amount. It is for each health board to decide on the amount which it considers appropriate to spend on catering services, including food provisions, to meet patient care needs. The board's decision will be informed by advice from dietitians on the dietary requirements of patients in the different care groups.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are taken by his Department to ensure quality control for meals served to in-patients in hospitals.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: Quality control arrangements for meals served to patients is the responsibility of management teams in hospitals. The standards considered appropriate are specified in catering contracts and management teams are responsible for monitoring performance to ensure the contract specifications are met and maintained.

  Water Services
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the expenditure by each regional council on(a) water and (b) sewerage service provision in each of the last five years.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: Revenue expenditure on water and sewerage services by each regional and islands council is given in the tables.
  669

  Authority

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  Western Isles

  697

  829

  889

  1,391

  995

  Scotland

  138,717

  149,407

  161,656

  184,701

  213,679

  1 Estimated.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were employed in the(a) water and (b) sewerage services in Scotland in each year since 1979.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: The numbers employed in water and sewerage services in Scotland since 1979 are set out in the table.

  Numbers of employees in Scottish Water and Sewerage Services

  Water

  Sewerage

  1979–801

  3,592

  2,674

  1980–811

  3,689

  2,741

  1981–821

  3,631

  2,634

  1982–831

  3,484

  2,577

  1983–84

  3,604

  2,524

  1984–85

  3,564

  2,516

  1985–86

  3,546

  2,506

  1986–87

  3,515

  2,649

  1987–88

  3,577

  2,660

  1988–89

  3,491

  2,659

  1989–90

  3,486

  2,632

  1990–91

  3,579

  2,643

  1 Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles not included.

  Source: The Water Industry—Services and Costs published annually by CIPFA and latterly by CRI.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Forest Clearance
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to investigate the schemes on clearing natural forest to develop timber plantations funded by the Commonwealth Development Corporation in Cote d'Ivoire and Thailand; and if he will ensure that future moneys granted by the Overseas Development Administration in overseas aid do not fund the destruction of natural forests.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Before proposed investments are submitted to the Commonwealth Development Corporation's board for approval they are subject to appraisal, which includes explicit assessments of their environmental and social impact. We have no plans to investigate CDC forestry projects in Thailand. As part of our regular evaluation programme we expect to release shortly an evaluation report on the SODEFOR forestry project in Cote d'Ivoire in which CDC is a co-financier with the World bank and the Government of Cote d'Ivoire. We also expect to release shortly an evaluation synthesis report on six forestry projects including SODEFOR. Our policy is to help and encourage developing countries to manage their forests sustainably.

PRIME MINISTER

  Economic Policy
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's new economic policy including his forecasts for growth in the financial years 1992–93 and 1993–94.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government's central objective remains to achieve sustainable and non-inflationary growth. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor set out details of the Government's economic policy in his Mansion House speech of 30 October. He will be announcing the Government's spending plans and publishing a new forecast for the economy in 1993 in the autumn statement.

  Official Statistics
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what provisions are made to ensure that Ministers and others in Government service are not permitted to take personal advantage of access to official statistics before they are published.

  The Prime Minister
  "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" makes and the civil service code make it clear that both Ministers and civil servants should avoid any conflict of interest between their official duties and private interests. Ministers and civil servants are bound by the provisions of the Companies Securities (Insider Dealing) Act 1985. Copies of "Questions of Procedure" and the code are in the Library.

  Engagements
  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 10 November.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 10 November.

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

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) when he arranged for the telephone line in his office for views on pit closures to be closed and callers told to write instead; and what arrangements he is making for more telephone lines to his office to enable the public to make calls, the substance of which can be logged for record purposes;

  (2) if he will publish the telephone numbers to his office which members of the public may telephone if they wish to record protests about pit closures and other matters; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I do not propose to change the existing practice.

TRANSPORT

  Radioactivity
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish details of radioactive sources or materials that are known to have escaped the official control regime while in transit within the United Kingdom and its territorial waters.

  Mr. Norris
  A database on accidents and incidents occurring in the transport of radioactive materials is maintained by the National Radiological Protection Board. I am placing copies of the relevant reports in the Library of the House.

  Pedestrians
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the advice on grade separation for pedestrians promised in departmental advice note 57/87, published in 1987.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Advice on footbridges is given in departmental standard BD 29/87, and advice on subways TD 2/78 and TD 3/79. The advice on subways is currently being updated and my Department expects to publish a revised standard in 1993.

  I am putting copies of the relevant departmental standards in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, for each class of all-purpose road set out in table 2 of departmental standard TD 20/85, the maximum traffic flow at which he considers it safe for all pedestrians to cross in safety.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Advice on at-grade pedestrian crossings is given in departmental advice note TA 52/87 on the parameters and other factors to be considered when assessing the provision of pelican and zebra crossings.

  A copy of the advice note is being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total revenue expenditure in each of the English regions by his Department in the years 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Estimates of general Government expenditure on transport by English region for 1990–91 and 1991–92 are not yet available. However, estimates for the two preceeding years—1988–89 and 1989–90—-are given in appendix E of "Public Expenditue Analyses to 1994–95; Statistical Supplement to the 1991 Autumn Statement", Cm. 1920. It is not possible to break down the figures between revenue and capital expenditure.

  Road Schemes (Environmental Appraisal)
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisation he has consulted or will be consulting on the draft revision of the manual of environmental appraisal for new road schemes.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Department has consulted, or will be consulting other Government Departments, and 672
  all the statutory organisations with responsibility for the environment—English Nature, English Heritage, National Rivers Authority, and the Countryside Commission—where they have an interest. The standing advisory committee on trunk road assessment will also be consulted.

  Lifeboat Service
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make any contribution towards the extra costs incurred by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to meet additional responsibilities in areas like the Firth of Forth as described in the Defence Open Government document of October following the closure of RAF search and rescue helicopter bases at Leuchars and elsewhere.

  Mr. Norris
  The Royal National Lifeboat Institution provides an excellent service under its royal charter which is entirely supported by voluntary public subscription. It is a matter for the institution whether it would apply to the Government for any funding.

  Train Drivers
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the statutory authority for the test and authority to drive a locomotive.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are at present no statutory requirements which cover the testing and authorisation of train drivers.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, for each local authority area in South Yorkshire, how many residential properties are currently owned by his Department; and if he will list, by location, those residential properties which are empty, giving the type of accommodation available, the length of time each property has been vacant, and its intended future use.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Department owns two residential properties in South Yorkshire—one each in the Doncaster borough council and Rotherham borough council areas.

  One property is at 50 School road, Wales, Sheffield. It is a three-bedroom semi-detached house and has been empty since 11 November 1991. The property is in need of substantial structural repairs. Its future use will be decided when proposals to widen the M1 between junctions 28 and 32 are finalised.

  The other property is The Bungalow, Grove avenue, Doncaster. It is a three-bedroom detached property, which the tenant vacated on 28 October 1992. Another tenant is to be sought.

  Tunnels (Lighting)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the lighting in tunnels on trunk roads in Greater London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The only tunnel on a trunk road in Greater London is the Blackwall tunnel. The lighting in the northbound bore of this tunnel was improved earlier this year and is now up to the British Standard.
  673
  A principal inspection of the southbound bore will take place in the spring of 1993. Consideration will be given at that time to the need for improvements to the lighting.

  Local Authority Parking System
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering to the management and provision of services for the new local authority on-street parking enforcement system under the Road Traffic Act 1991.

  Mr. Norris
  In November 1991 the Department of the Environment consulted local authorities nationally about the extension of CCT to further services—"Competing for Quality—A Consultation Paper"—which included the provision and management of services for the new local authority on-street parking enforcement system under part II of the Road Traffic Act 1991. This information was supplemented by further details in the draft traffic management and parking guidance for London issued in March this year for consultation.

  There was general agreement that the services should cover the provision of parking attendants, the clamping and removal, and the release, of vehicles found breaching the new decriminalised controls and the management of such services. Some concern was expressed about the timing of the introduction of CCT to these services. The London local authorities in particular felt that they needed time to assess the levels of enforcement that will be necessary to help them determine specifications for CCT.

  To meet these concerns I have concluded that the services should not be subject to compulsory competitive tendering until 1 April 1995. Outside London, authorities will generally not be given the powers to apply the new parking enforcement system until experience of their operation in London has been gained. It is intended that CCT will also apply in those areas from 1 April 1995.

  The requirement to introduce CCT for these services will be made by order under existing legislation. The order will be subject to formal consultation before coming to Parliament for approval.

  Surveyor General's Organisation
  Mr. Bowls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions he has reached following his consideration of the Surveyor General's Organisation as a possible candidate for executive agency status.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have decided that the Surveyor General's Organisation—SGO—should be a candidate for executive agency status. The necessary preparatory work is in hand with a view to the organisation becoming an agency on 1 April 1994. The agency will be called the Marine Safety Agency. I intend shortly to issue a consultation document on the scope for increased private sector participation in the survey and certification work currently done by the SGO.

  Airbags
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage the fitting of airbags to cars sold in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The single most effective measure for reducing accident injury is the wearing of a seat belt.674
  This, in conjunction with a well-designed steering wheel, is much more cost effective than the fitting of airbags. While we are not therefore actively encouraging the fitting of airbags, we are participating in discussions on a European standard and are monitoring experience of the fitment of airbags worldwide.

  Nudge Bars
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to ensure the fitting of nudge bars to motor vehicles does not create added danger to pedestrians.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Government are working with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on developing a code of practice on the design of nudge bars. The United Kingdom is also actively pressing within Europe for an EC directive to make the front of cars less harmful to pedestrians. When adopted, this will exercise some control over the fitment of nudge bars.

  Jubilee Line
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's estimate of the likely number of jobs that would be created in the United Kingdom by the building of the proposed Jubilee line extension; and when he expects to make an announcement about the future of the project.

  Mr. Norris
  The building of the proposed Jubilee line extension is estimated to create direct employment on-site on civil works for up to 5,000 people and off-site in manufacturing and supply for approximately five times as many more people. Talks are continuing on the promised £400 million contribution from the private sector. I cannot speculate on the timing of any announcement about the future of the project in advance of the conclusion of those talks.

  Emergency Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many inspectors and related officials are presently engaged in the inspection of those emergency or standby vessels which are being assessed in terms of the revised code; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Fifteen marine surveyors are engaged in such duties as part of their overall responsibilities, with some support from other officials.

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost of building the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency offices in Swansea; and what that cost would be at today's prices.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I shall write to the right hon. Member.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  European Parliament
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make, before the Edinburgh summit, an estimate of the cost to the European Parliament of having more than one place of work.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We do not possess the information to make such an estimate.

  Debt Write-offs
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy during the United Kingdom presidency of the EC to press for European fiscal and other measures to encourage European banks to write off commercial debt.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom, in common with its EC partners, is already encouraging commercial debt reduction through the Brady plan. This international agreement allows the IMF and World bank to devote some of their leading resources to facilitate voluntary debt reduction agreements between banks and debtors. As noted by the most recent International Monetary Fund —International Bank for Reconstruction and Development development committee communiqué, debt and debt service reduction arrangements that account for around 90 per cent. of the bank debt of the major debtor nations have now been reached.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many papers his Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office; if he will list their titles; and when he estimates that they will be returned.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the ODA have 513 records on loan. To list them all would involve disproportionate cost. Government Departments have a statutory right under the Public Records Acts to recall records temporarily from the Public Record Office for administrative use. Records are returned as soon as departmental action has been completed.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each local authority area in South Yorkshire, how many residential properties are currently owned by his Department; and if he will list, by location, those residential properties which are empty, giving the type of accommodation available, the length of time each property has been vacant, and its intended future use.

  Mr. Goodlad
  None.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  BCCI
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the earliest date at which his Department was alerted to possible connections between Bank of Credit and Commerce International and terrorist organisations.
  676
  Mr. Dorrell
  The Treasury was first made aware of such possible connections in July 1991.

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) of 21 October,Official Report, column 315, if he will now make it his policy to establish a study of the cost to be incurred by the loss of income tax, VAT and national insurance contributions and the payment of unemployment and other social security benefits in respect of the closure of the 31 pits originally indicated in the announcement of 13 October, so far as the figure can be assessed.

  Mr. Dorrell
  There is no means of accurately assessing these costs. To estimate the net cost of closing a pit it would be necessary to establish the costs of alternative courses of action. For example, the cost of subsidising a pit would have to be borne by electricity consumers, taxpayers or by diverting funds from other public expenditure programmes, all of which would have implications for employment elsewhere which are impossible to assess accurately.

  Trinidad Agreement
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to extend the terms of the Trinidad agreement to cover Zambia and Zimbabwe.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Debt relief on Trinidad terms has been extended by the Paris club to a total of 10 of the world's poorest and most heavily indebted countries, including Zambia, but Trinidad terms are not intended for less-indebted, lower-middle income countries such as Zimbabwe.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each local authority area in south Yorkshire, how many residential properties are currently owned by his Department; and if he will list, by location, those residential properties which are empty, giving the type of accommodation available, the length of time each property has been vacant, and its intended future use.

  Sir John Cope
  Departments of the Chancellor of the Exchequer do not own any residential property in South Yorkshire.

  Debt
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to increase the proportion of developing country debt eligible for write-off from 50 per cent. to 66 per cent.

  Sir John Cope
  The Government were responsible for the Trinidad initiative to tackle the debt burden of the poorest and most indebted countries, and hopes that Trinidad terms can be developed further in the direction of our original proposals which were for a benchmark figure of two thirds reduction applied immediately to the whole stock of debt.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many papers his Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office; if he will list their titles; and when he estimates that they will be returned.

  Sir John Cope
  Government Departments have a statutory right under the Public Records Acts to retrieve records temporarily from the Public Record Office for their own administrative use. Her Majesty's Treasury currently has 173 records out on loan. To list them all would involve disproportionate cost. Records are returned as soon as departmental action has been completed.

  Trinidad Terms
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what efforts have been undertaken by his Department to persuade other creditor countries to join the Trinidad terms agreement.

  Sir John Cope
  The Government have given a strong lead in tackling the debt burden of the poorest and most indebted countries and was responsible for both the Toronto and the Trinidad initiatives. The Government are committed to the task of persuading its Paris club partners to agree further improvements to the Trinidad terms, including encouraging all creditors, without exception, to implement debt reduction under these agreed terms.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made into the effect of value added tax changes that require payment on account rather than in arrears in Stoke-on-Trent, South; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  It is not possible to analysise by constituency area the effects of the requirement that the largest VAT payers should make payments monthly in arrears rather than quarterly in arrears. Overall, the change brings United Kingdom practice into line with that in most other EC member states, and offsets the cash flow loss to the Exchequer which would otherwise arise as a result of the reintroduction in this financial year of postponed accounting for VAT on acquisitions from other EC countries.

  Savings
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount of(a) personal and (b) corporate savings in each of the years 1981 to 1991 inclusive; and what was the total amount of savings represented as a proportion of gross domestic product in each of these years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The figures for savings, before deducting depreciation and stock appreciation, are as follows:

  Personal sector savings £ billion

  Corporate sector savings £ billion

  Total savings as percentage of GDP (A) at market prices

  1981

  22·3

  28·0

  19

  1982

  21·6

  30·8

  18

  1983

  19·9

  39·4

  19

  678

  Personal sector savings £ billion

  Corporate sector savings £ billion

  Total savings as percentage of GDP (A) at market prices

  1984

  24·7

  40·7

  19

  1985

  25·9

  42·7

  19

  1986

  22·8

  46·0

  17

  1987

  19·6

  54·7

  18

  1988

  17·8

  56·4

  18

  1989

  23·5

  54·5

  18

  1990

  31·7

  50·7

  17

  1991

  39·8

  46·5

  15

  North Sea Gas
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on tax revenue(a) in total and (b) in percentage terms, of offsets against petroleum revenue taxation resulting from the project for the offshore transportation of gas from the central North sea via the central area transmission system to Teesside; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have made no such estimate.

  Retail Prices Index
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage change in(a) the retail prices index and (b) the health service prices index between September 1991 and September 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 6 November 1992]: The retail prices index rose by 3·6 per cent. and the health service prices index rose by 4·8 per cent.

  Unlike the retail prices index, the health service prices index measures changes in input costs, whereas it is output costs which bear on the amount of health care delivered. Output costs in the NHS have over long periods moved in line with those in the economy, taking account of efficiency gains.

  Auditors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals for legislation under which auditors of insurance companies would be prohibited from recruiting company directors.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have been asked to reply.

  I see no reason to do so. Ethical guidance issued by the professional accountancy bodies states that no one should take part in the audit of a company if he has, during the period on which the report is to be made or at any time in the two years prior to the first day of that period, been an officer, other than auditor, or employee of that company. Under part II of the Companies Act 1989, recognised supervisory bodies are required to have adequate rules and practices as to professional integrity and independence.

EDUCATION

  Higher Education
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of 18-year-olds are in higher education in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) the United States of America and (c) Japan.

  Mr. Forman
  The readily available figures are given in the table and represent participation at all ages—generally 18 and over.

  New entrants1 to higher education, 1988

  Country

  (main ages on entry)

  Participation rate2 (percentage)

  Japan3

  18

  37–52

  United Kingdom4

  18–21

  37

  United States of America5

  18

  33–65

  1Includes full-time and part-time students entering higher education for the first time i.e. excluding postgraduate students and others already having a qualification in higher education.

  2To aid comparison and overcome the problem of the varying lengths of courses in different countries, the participation rate is the percentage of all new entrants (defined above) to a derived relevant single year group. The latter is calculated by taking the total populations for the ages providing at least 70 per cent, of the new entrants and dividing by the number of ages involved. For the United Kingdom this is the population of ages 18 to 21 divided by 4. OECD recommend this procedure.

  3 The higher figure shown includes data for advanced special training schools (SENSHU') which may be equivalent to sub-degree higher education.

  4Excludes the private sector and students from abroad. Includes nursing and paramedical students at Health Department establishments.

  5The lower figure excludes students on two-year courses, some of which may not be equivalent to sub-degree higher education.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many papers his Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office; if he will list their titles; and when he estimates that they will be returned.

  Mr. Forman
  Government Departments have a statutory right under the Public Records Acts temporarily to retrieve records from the Public Record Office for their own administrative use.

  The Department for Education regularly withdraws records relating to closed voluntary schools to deal with legal issues surrounding the disposal of premises. At present, the Department holds 50 records; of which nine are for those purposes described above. The others are being scrutinised for early release to the public. To list them all would involve disproportionate cost.

  It is unusual for this Department to withdraw records for more than two weeks and all are returned as soon as departmental action is complete.

  Universal Education
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what contribution the United Kingdom is making to the UNESCO-co-ordinated initiative, "Education for All"; and what work his Department is doing towards achieving the objective of basic education for every child and adult around the world.
  680
  Mr. Forman
  The Government support the objective of ensuring universal access to basic education. In the United Kingdom education is compulsory for all children of school age. The Government also recognise the importance of basic education for adults. Under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the further education funding councils will be under a duty to secure the provision of adequate facilities for literacy and numeracy teaching for adults.

  The Goverment will also continue to promote education in developing countries in collaboration with other aid donors, including UNESCO, UNICEF and the World bank. The Overseas Development Administration aims to identify new projects which will improve the quality, availability and relevance of education in developing countries, with particular reference to promoting literacy for women.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list, for each local authority area in South Yorkshire, how many residential properties are currently owned by his Department; and if he will list, by location, those residential properties which are empty, giving the type of accommodation available, the length of time each property has been vacant, and its intended future use.

  Mr. Forman
  The Department owns no properties in South Yorkshire.

  School Phobia
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research has been undertaken into school phobia; and what advice local education authorities receive in order to deal with this condition.

  Mr. Forth
  The most recent research on school phobia known to the Department is that undertaken by Mr. Nigel Blagg and summarised in his publication "School Phobia and its Treatment", published in 1987. The Department has not issued any guidance on the subject to date.

  Nursery Education
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much money has been made available for nursery education under the capital grants system for grant-maintained schools for the financial years 1991–92, 1992–93 and how much has been allocated for 1993–94.

  Mr. Forth
  No money has been specifically set aside for nursery education under the capital grants system. All bids for capital grants are considered on their merits in the light of the funds available and the competing needs of all the schools in the grant-maintained sector.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance he has given to chairmen and governors of grant-mainted schools concerning the eligibility of nursery education projects for support funding under the allocation of capital grants to grant-maintained schools for 1993–94.

  Mr. Forth
  No specific guidance has been issued to cover nursery provision. The guidance offered to schools on capital bids applies throughout the grant-maintained sector, and as such includes nursery projects.

  Workers Educational Association
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the current level of funding for the Workers Educational Association; and what is the projected funding for this organisation for the next financial year.

  Mr. Forman
  The Workers Educational Association in England is currently funded by a mixture of direct grant from the Department for Education and education support grant via local education authorities. In 1992–93 DFE grant is £2,266,000, while ESG funding, 70 per cent. of which is also provided by central Government, amounts to £1·3 million.

  From 1993–94, the Further Education Funding Council for England will take over responsibility for the grant currently paid by the Department for Education. It will be for the council to determine the level of that funding in the light of the overall resources available to it. The ESG funding will continue in 1993–94 at the same level as in 1992–93.

  Discretionary Awards
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what was the total expenditure, in each local education authority, for major discretionary awards in the last available financial year;

  (2) how many local education authorities did not give major discretionary awards to students in the last financial year.

  Mr. Forman
  The available information is shown in the table. Three LEAs—Avon, Berkshire and Sunderland—were unable to provide information; one—Camden—made 149 discretionary awards at 50 to 100 per cent. of the mandatory rate; and two—Trafford and Isles of Scilly—made no such awards.

  Academic year 1990–91

  Discretionary awards paid at 50 to 100 per cent, of mandatory rate total expenditure on fees and maintenance

  Local authority

  Total expenditure £

  City of London

  18,798

  Camden

  n/a

  Greenwich

  353,670

  Hackney

  645,103

  Hammersmith

  307,388

  Islington

  57,013

  Kensington

  363,340

  Lambeth

  984,677

  Lewisham

  807,683

  Southwark

  709,091

  Tower Hamlets

  430,447

  Wandsworth

  2,011,917

  Westminster

  243,983

  ILEA

  6,252,653

  Barking

  248,514

  Barnet

  137,877

  Bexley

  365,139

  Brent

  810,816

  Bromley

  767,568

  Croydon

  515,467

  Ealing

  869,155

  Enfield

  456,151

  Haringey

  105,806

  Harrow

  371,725

  Havering

  439,685

  Hillingdon

  317,122

  Hounslow

  199,896

  682

  Local authority

  Total expenditure £

  Kingston

  434,735

  Merton

  202,681

  Newham

  445,621

  Redbridge

  907,650

  Richmond

  559,539

  Sutton

  259,318

  Waltham Forest

  580,722

  Birmingham

  1,776,135

  Coventry

  248,311

  Dudley

  275,699

  Sandwell

  543,469

  Solihull

  289,691

  Walsall

  1,343,472

  Wolverhampton

  223,502

  Knowsley

  1,179,233

  Liverpool

  2,806,557

  St. Helens

  209,906

  Sefton

  931,970

  Wirral

  1,709,108

  Bolton

  849,613

  Bury

  470,671

  Manchester

  417,897

  Oldham

  281,725

  Rochdale

  364,178

  Salford

  154,132

  Stockport

  352,327

  Tameside

  240,561

  Trafford

  0

  Wigan

  262,426

  Barnsley

  908,022

  Doncaster

  455,264

  Rotherham

  259,742

  Sheffield

  427,225

  Bradford

  1,535,646

  Calderdale

  500,408

  Kirklees

  1,550,050

  Leeds

  1,511,568

  Wakefield

  806,997

  Gateshead

  710,585

  Newcastle

  402,324

  North Tyneside

  571,188

  South Tyneside

  471,657

  Sunderland

  n/a

  Isles of Scilly

  0

  Clwyd

  1,354,949

  Dyfed

  434,253

  Gwent

  827,120

  Gwnedd

  40,344

  Mid Glamorgan

  810,978

  Powys

  726,730

  South Glamorgan

  1,401,259

  West Glamorgan

  1,039,103

  Bedfordshire

  755,605

  Buckinghamshire

  1,188,107

  Cambridgeshire

  1,769,427

  Cheshire

  5,361,145

  Cleveland

  1,732,699

  Cornwall

  1,083,959

  Cumbria

  2,577,192

  Derbyshire

  1,169,704

  Devon

  4,739,157

  Dorset

  2,856,554

  Durham

  1,876,144

  Essex

  2,737,523

  Gloucestershire

  2,297,285

  Hampshire

  6,466,014

  Hereford and Worcester

  1,455,101

  Hertfordshire

  1,341,536

  Humberside

  3,772,527

  Isle of Wight

  367,022

  Kent

  4,698,803

  Lancashire

  5,251,306

  Leicestershire

  4,925,489

  Lincolnshire

  1,463,177

  Norfolk

  2,153,400

  North Yorkshire

  8,114,410

  683

  Local authority

  Total expenditure £

  Northamptonshire

  1,186,418

  Northumberland

  655,407

  Nottinghamshire

  2,739,570

  Oxfordshire

  1,230,249

  Shropshire

  1,550,763

  Somerset

  1,573,456

  Staffordshire

  1,510,034

  Suffolk

  2,969,060

  Surrey

  1,305,778

  Warwickshire

  553,503

  West Sussex

  591,123

  Wiltshire

  1,308,156

  Avon

  n/a

  Berkshire

  n/a

  Total

  141,997,949

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what action can be taken by students, in local education authorities where major discretionary awards have been cut or withdrawn, in order to finance non-degree or degree equivalent courses; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what steps he will take to ensure an equitable availability of major discretionary awards between local education authorities.

  Mr. Forman
  It is for each local education authority to determine its own policies and expenditure on discretionary awards in the light of local needs and priorities. The local authority grant settlement for 1992–93 allowed for a substantial increase in overall education spending. Students who are unsuccessful in obtaining discretionary awards may seek help from, for example, their institutions' access funds, sponsors such as employers, educational trusts or other sources.

  Schools
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many local education authority schools were open and functioning in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Forth
  The table shows, for each year since 1979, the number of LEA-maintained schools in England which were open in January of each year.

  Academic Year Beginning

  1986 0000s

  1987 0000s

  1988 0000s

  1989 0000s

  1990 0000s

  Maintained Schools

  Grammar/Technical

  4·7

  4·6

  4·6

  5·1

  5·8

  Sixth Form College

  6·2

  6·7

  6·4

  7·2

  8·7

  Comprehensive

  20·9

  20·7

  20·8

  22·7

  25·6

  Other Secondary

  0·2

  0·2

  0·1

  0·1

  0·2

  Total1

  37·5

  37·8

  37·6

  40·8

  46·0

  Independent Schools1

  14·9

  14·7

  15·5

  16·8

  18·6

  FHE Sector1

  8·2

  8·3

  10·1

  11·3

  13·8

  Total1

  60·6

  60·8

  63·3

  69·1

  78·4

  Not Classified1 2

  10·9

  11·9

  11·2

  11·6

  14·1

  Total Acceptances1 2

  71·3

  72·7

  74·4

  80·6

  92·5

  Source: UCCA Statistical Supplements.

  1 Includes acceptances from Scotland.

  2 Incluses acceptances of those who applied direct to UCCA, whether or not they were attending an FHE institution at the time.
  684

  Schools

  1979

  28,085

  1980

  28,006

  1981

  27,747

  1982

  27,323

  1983

  26,974

  1984

  26,479

  1985

  26,110

  1986

  25,800

  1987

  25,593

  1988

  25,389

  1989

  25,158

  1990

  24,999

  1991

  24,759

  11992

  24,449

  1 Provisional

  Disabled Students
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what level of funding local education authorities receive in order to ensure access to education establishments for disabled persons.

  Mr. Forth
  Local authorities do not receive any grant specifically for this purpose. Central Government support for local authorities is virtually entirely through general grant, which is not hypothecated to particular purposes. Local authorities are thus free to determine their own spending priorities. Information on local education authorities' spending to ensure access to education establishments for disabled persons is not collected centrally.

  University Admissions
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list, for the last five years, the figures for admission to British universities by type of school of those admitted; and if he will give both the aggregate figure and the figure for each university.

  Mr. Forman
  The number of United Kingdom domiciled candidates in Great Britain accepted through the UCCA scheme for entry to full-time and sandwich first degree courses at United Kingdom universities are shown in the table.
  685
  Information for each institution individually is not published by UCCA.

  School Transport
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what action he proposes to take with regard to the proposal in the consultation paper "Competing for Quality: Competition in the Provision of Local Services" to introduce compulsory competitive tendering for transport centrally organised by local education authorities for journeys between home and school or college.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, remain committed to imposing a rigorous competitive regime on local authorities' provision of vehicles for home to school and home to college transport. In the light of responses to "Competing for Quality", they have concluded that this can best be achieved by imposing on all authorities, not just those running their own transport fleets, a competitive tendering regime compatible with that already required by the Transport Act 1985 in respect of public transport subsidised by local authorities. This will enable authorities to continue to make co-ordinated, cost-effective arrangements for all transport provided from or assisted by public funds, as required by the 1985 Act. It will also mean that local transport operators will work under a single tendering regime.

  The 1985 Act regime needs to be amended to provide for competition between private contractors and authorities' own work forces in accordance with the principles of the compulsory competitive tendering regime laid down in the Local Government Act 1988. This will require primary legislation, which will be brought forward at the earliest opportunity.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Battlefield Sites
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list, by county for the United Kingdom, the initiatives he proposes to introduce to secure the preservation of battlefield sites.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Government have invited English Heritage to prepare a register of battlefield sites in England to inform planning decisions which may affect them. The National Army museum is currently undertaking the research for the register on behalf of English Heritage. The register should be available for consultation early next year. Responsibility for the preservation of battlefield sites in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland rests with the relevant Secretaries of State.

  Local Authority Services
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how the Government intend to proceed on the proposed extension of compulsory competitive tendering to local authority managed arts facilities and public library support services.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Government believe that the wider application of competition to the provision of local authority services will bring significant benefits in terms of the quality and value for money for the public.
  686
  Proposals to extend compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) to a range of local authority services, including arts facilities and library support services, were set out in the consultation paper "Competing for Quality", published in November 1991. I have discussed with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales the responses to that document which referred to arts and library services, and we are agreed on the way forward in those areas.

  On arts facilities, my Department received some 180 responses, mostly from local authorities and arts organisations. We are grateful for the helpful comments contained in those responses. In reaching conclusions, I have also taken into account the Audit Commission's report "Local Authorities, Entertainment and the Arts" (January 1991), which identified three principal weaknesses in local authority arts management: lack of policy objectives, absence of monitoring of performance and inadequate financial control.

  On the evidence before me, I am satisfied that there is scope to improve local authority arts provision through the introduction of increased competition. However, I have also concluded from that evidence that there are appreciable differences between the management of arts facilities and that of most of the other services to which the extension of CCT has been set out in a written reply by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. Particularly important considerations are the wide diversity between local authorities in the extent and type of arts facilities provided and the very long planning times required in drawing up arts programmes.

  In view of these differences, I propose to commission consultants to undertake further studies in order to determine how competition might best be applied to this area of local authority management. In addition, to assist local authorities in clarifying and monitoring their service objectives, the Audit Commission will be invited to identify and disseminate models of good practice.

  With regard to public library support services, we received 130 responses to the consultation paper from commercial library suppliers, individual librarians and members of the public as well as from local authorities. Many local authority responses drew on experience with existing contracts for library support services or on studies which they had already carried out into the potential for contracting out support work. I am grateful for the helpful way in which respondents dealt with our proposal.

  From this evidence, it is clear to me that competition has already resulted in value for money from library support services and that there is little scope for further cost reductions in the areas covered in the consultation exercise. I have concluded, therefore, that CCT for support services would not necessarily be the best way forward for encouraging greater competition in the public library field.

  However, I do see scope for extending the contracting out of services in the library field, if necessary on a compulsory basis. The consultation exercise showed a need to consider library operations on a wider basis, rather than arbitrarily designating certain aspects in advance as ancillary. I therefore propose a thorough investigation, based upon a series of pilot projects designed to examine the feasibility of contracting out the direct delivery of all or various parts of the library service. These will take place over the next 18 months and, throughout the investigation, I look forward to a close partnership with local authorities

  687
  and other interested organisations including the library suppliers. My Department will establish a steering committee to advise and monitor the investigation.

  Once the investigation is complete, I shall make the results widely available. I intend in so doing to set out a range of competitive options for library authorities to choose between, having regard to their particular circumstances.

  Performances
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the performances of(a) theatre, (b) dance, (c) opera and (d) music which he has attended in an official capacity since taking up his appointment.

  Mr. Brooke
  Since my appointment as Secretary of State for National Heritage I have attended performances of "Three Birds Alighting on a Field" at the Royal Court theatre, the Duenna at Opera North, a memorial concert for Sir Andrzej Panufnik at the Queen Elizabeth hall, a concert given by the Guildhall chamber orchestra and a private concert in honour of the eightieth birthday of Sir Georg Solti. I shall be attending the opening concert of the Scandinavian arts festival at the Barbican and the Royal Ballet's performance of "Mayerling" this week. I have also visited the Yorkshire Sculpture park, and the MENCAP art exhibition.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many regional arts boards he has visited since taking up his appointment.

  Mr. Brooke
  I met the chairman and director of the Yorkshire and Humberside arts board when I visited Yorkshire on 1 October. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has to date also met representatives of the Northern, North West and London arts boards on visits to those regions. In addition, I held a meeting with the chairmen—or their representatives—of all the regional arts boards on 28 October.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Greyhound Racing
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he will take to promote the well-being of greyhound racing.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The promotion of greyhound racing is the responsibility of the industry itself. However, when general betting duty was reduced in the Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer expressed the hope that voluntary arrangements could be made for some of the money to go to greyhound racing. We understand that negotiations between greyhound racing and bookmakers are continuing in an effort to devise suitable arrangements for that purpose.

  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress with the voluntary agreement between the off-course bookmakers and the greyhound racing industry over the transfer of the 0·25 per cent. reduction in betting duty introduced in April.
  688
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We understand that negotiations between the off-course bookmakers and the greyhound racing industry to devise suitable voluntary arrangements are continuing. We have been kept informed of developments, and hope that the negotiations can be brought to a successful conclusion in the near future.

  Police (Housing)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the numbers and locations of empty service police housing quarters in South Yorkshire.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Home Office does not hold information about the location of police housing, which is owned and managed by individual police authorities. According to information received from South Yorkshire police authority, eight houses were empty as at 31 March 1992. One of these is due to be re-allocated to a serving policy officer, and five have been identified for sale during the current financial year.

  Emergency Services
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total revenue expenditure in each of the English regions on police, fire and civil defence services in the years 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The available information on net revenue expenditure by English local authorities on these services in 1990–91 and 1991–92 is given in the table. Expenditure on these services is not aggregated on any regional basis.

  Police

  Net current expenditure supported by Home Office specific grant (excluding loan charges)

  £000s

  Police Authority

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Avon and Somerset

  102,351

  111,509

  Bedfordshire

  35,599

  39,148

  Cambridgeshire

  42,364

  47,116

  Cheshire

  62,370

  66,960

  Cleveland

  50,246

  54,802

  Cumbria

  39,612

  45,001

  Derbyshire

  61,261

  66,048

  Devon and Cornwall

  105,660

  117,649

  Dorset

  49,024

  52,006

  Durham

  44,964

  48,589

  Essex

  104,703

  115,540

  Gloucestershire

  40,236

  44,611

  Hampshire

  111,152

  124,869

  Hertfordshire

  58,743

  62,868

  Humberside

  69,697

  77,396

  Kent

  109,013

  128,734

  Lancashire

  108,135

  121,946

  Leicestershire

  61,274

  67,196

  Lincolnshire

  41,597

  47,235

  Norfolk

  48,115

  54,100

  Northamptonshire

  40,084

  45,498

  North Yorkshire

  47,396

  51,679

  Nottinghamshire

  75,709

  82,629

  Staffordshire

  74,272

  82,163

  Suffolk

  43,008

  48,042

  Surrey

  57,125

  63,421

  Sussex

  92,991

  105,647

  Thames Valley

  134,225

  149,414

  Warwickshire

  36,082

  39,842

  West Mercia

  68,707

  77,230

  Wiltshire

  40,885

  46,215

  Greater Manchester

  228,550

  248,807

  689

  Police Authority

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Merseyside

  160,697

  178,881

  Northumbria

  121,364

  131,161

  South Yorkshire

  94,778

  103,165

  West Midlands

  229,256

  250,816

  West Yorkshire

  181,186

  197,226

  City of London

  37,074

  40,820

  Metropolitan Police Department

  1,197,618

  1,341,318

  Total

  4,307,123

  4,777,296

  Fire Service net expenditure

  (£000s)

  Net expenditure

  County councils

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Avon

  17,562

  119,411

  Bedfordshire

  9,307

  19,734

  Berkshire

  13,546

  113,586

  Buckinghamshire

  10,206

  110,700

  Cambridgeshire

  10,485

  111,160

  Cheshire

  18,155

  18,642

  Cleveland

  16,761

  117,270

  Cornwall

  8,648

  8,801

  Cumbria

  10,176

  110,079

  Derbyshire

  15,954

  16,320

  Devon

  19,326

  18,971

  Dorset

  10,229

  111,455

  Durham

  12,260

  112,287

  East Sussex

  13,319

  14,476

  Essex

  28,965

  29,994

  Gloucestershire

  7,866

  18,988

  Hampshire

  23,462

  124,763

  Hereford and Worcester

  10,933

  111,286

  Hertfordshire

  16,342

  117,039

  Humberside

  20,896

  20,985

  Isle of Wight

  2,699

  2,885

  Kent

  27,778

  131,839

  Lancashire

  28,197

  129,863

  Leicestershire

  12,240

  113,610

  Lincolnshire

  9,387

  9,491

  Norfolk

  12,047

  12,538

  Northamptonshire

  9,064

  9,827

  Northumberland

  7,589

  8,294

  North Yorkshire

  13,165

  113,129

  Nottinghamshire

  17,769

  118,642

  Oxfordshire

  8,737

  19,628

  Shropshire

  6,896

  17,193

  Somerset

  7,329

  17,684

  Staffordshire

  17,901

  118,087

  Suffolk

  10,831

  111,163

  Surrey

  21,974

  21,948

  Warwickshire

  10,552

  110,138

  West Sussex

  12,035

  13,095

  Wiltshire

  9,105

  19,007

  Fire and civil defence authorities

  London

  215,031

  1221,533

  Greater Manchester

  56,303

  58,993

  Merseyside

  39,869

  142,348

  South Yorkshire

  28,070

  127,900

  Tyne and Wear

  28,577

  28,724

  West Midlands

  53,580

  55,783

  West Yorkshire

  47,087

  148,588

  Isles of Scilly

  86

  193

  England Total

  1,008,296

  1,047,970

  1 Outturn expenditure not available. Figures shown are local authority budget estimates.

  690

  Civil Defence

  Net current expenditure supported by Home Office specific grant

  £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  (i) County councils

  Avon

  289

  321

  Bedfordshire

  208

  238

  Berkshire

  403

  479

  Buckinghamshire

  362

  412

  Cambridgeshire

  384

  416

  Cheshire

  501

  573

  Cleveland

  212

  240

  Cornwall

  320

  350

  Cumbria

  379

  435

  Derbyshire

  226

  259

  Devon

  624

  663

  Dorset

  321

  355

  Durham

  241

  241

  East Sussex

  319

  367

  Essex

  482

  514

  Gloucestershire

  290

  295

  Hampshire

  356

  426

  Hereford and Worcester

  240

  285

  Hertfordshire

  443

  497

  Humberside

  351

  345

  Isle of Wight

  273

  297

  Kent

  488

  550

  Lancashire

  314

  311

  Leicestershire

  225

  248

  Lincolnshire

  391

  374

  Norfolk

  421

  468

  Northamptonshire

  268

  293

  Northumberland

  308

  287

  North Yorkshire

  334

  364

  Nottinghamshire

  310

  349

  Oxfordshire

  403

  424

  Shropshire

  223

  276

  Somerset

  322

  353

  Staffordshire

  289

  309

  Suffolk

  298

  323

  Surrey

  392

  384

  Warwickshire

  297

  321

  West Sussex

  322

  340

  Wiltshire

  339

  340

  (ii) Fire and civil defence authorities

  London

  1,638

  1,812

  Greater Manchester

  524

  574

  Merseyside

  532

  628

  South Yorkshire

  436

  507

  Tyne and Wear

  431

  479

  West Midlands

  455

  495

  West Yorkshire

  454

  453

  (iii) Police authorities

  Avon-Somerset

  3

  5

  Greater Manchester

  4

  3

  Merseyside

  7

  6

  Northumbria

  11

  14

  Thames Valley

  12

  3

  West Mercia

  0

  3

  West Midlands

  6

  3

  (iv) London boroughs and City of London

  129

  94

  Total

  17,810

  19,398

  Mr. A. Alexandrowicz
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the case of Anthony Alexandrowicz is to be considered by the Parole Board.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Mr. Alexandrowicz is one of some 300 discretionary life prisoners who are now eligible for review
  691
  under new procedures introduced as a result of section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. It is for the Parole Board to decide the order in which these cases are heard. To assist in this task, the board is provided with a list of those eligible in each prison establishment. These lists are compiled in accordance with the criteria announced in the Secretary of State's written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 9 March 1992, at column 396. Mr. Alexandrowicz will be notified as soon as his case is listed for hearing.

  Primary Purpose Rule
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes in trends have occurred since his announcement to adjust primary purpose guidance to allow entry to those spouses who can prove five years of marriage and supply evidence of devotion in this period.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 4 November 1992, at columns 221–22.

  Leave to Remain Status
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what categories of status equivalent to exceptional leave to remain are operative in other EC countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 3 November, at column 125.

  Disclosure to Defendants
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the consequences for police operational efficiency of the ruling in the Guinness case requiring greater disclosure to defendants.

  Mr. Jack
  We have received no representations from members of the public, but the implications of this judgment have been discussed with the Crown prosecution service, the Association of Chief Police Officers and Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary.

  Commission for Racial Equality
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many candidates have been interviewed for the post of chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Five.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of experimental procedures involving animals in 1991.

  Thousands

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Non-EC nationals admitted to the United Kingdom as visitors

  4,480

  5,080

  5,900

  6,570

  5,350

  5,730

  5,670

  6,220

  6,720

  5,690

  Non-EC nationals refused leave to enter and removed from the United Kingdom

  12,234

  13,981

  17,355

  17,925

  23,110

  17,876

  19,217

  22,536

  19,035

  18,182

  Persons refused an entry clearance other than for settlement1, at posts abroad

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  68,210

  77,380

  692
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information on the number of scientific procedures involving living animals started in 1991 is contained in table 1 of the Command Paper "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain, 1991", Cm 2023, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Immigration
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received(a) in favour of and (b) against the Asylum and Immigration Bill.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  In the period between the publication of the Bill on 22 October and 6 November three representations were received in the asylum division expressing support for the legislation and 10 expressing concern about, or opposition to, one or more elements of the legislation.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Malins Committee into the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I understand that the planning group chaired by Mr. Humfrey Malins has sent a consultation letter to those individuals and organisations identified as having a particular interest in the future arrangements for immigration advice and representation. Mr. Malins has agreed that a copy of that letter may be placed in the Library of the House. The group has asked for comments by the end of November and hopes to publish its report by the end of the year.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors have applied to enter and settle in the United Kingdom; how many applications have been granted; how many have had their applications refused; and how many have appealed against their refusal, giving the figures in each case since 1982, by year.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 29 October 1992]: The immigration rules make no provision for a person simultaneously to seek entry as a visitor and as a person coming for settlement; by definition a visitor is a person who intends to return to his or her own country after a stay of at most six months in the United Kingdom. The available information in respect of visitors is given in the table. It is likely that most of the persons refused leave to enter and removed from the United Kingdom, or refused an entry clearance other than for settlement, were visitors. Visitors are also thought to comprise well over half of those appealing against a refusal of leave to enter or of entry clearance for temporary purposes.
  693

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Appeals received by the appellate authorities in respect of persons refused leave to enter or refused entry clearance for temporary purposes

  2—

  2—

  2,404

  1,994

  2,535

  3,848

  7,909

  8,764

  12,454

  14,036

  1 That is, all persons excluding spouses, fiance(e)s, children and other dependent relations seeking settlement.

  2 Not available.

  Drugs
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a table showing for each police area in England and Wales for each of the last three years the number of seizures of controlled drugs and the specific number in each of the following categories(a) heroin, (b) cocaine, (c) crack, (d) MDMA, (e) amphetamines and (f) cannabis.

  Mr. Jack
  The information requested with regard to those drugs, with the exception of "crack", is contained in table A1.3 of the Home Office statistical bulletins "Statistics of the misuse of drugs—seizures and offenders dealt with, United Kingdom, 1989, 1990, and 1991—area tables"—copies of which are in the Library. Information regarding MDMA is available only from 1990 onwards.

  The table shows the number of seizures of "crack" by police force area in England and Wales in 1990 and 1991.

  Seizures of "crack" by police force area, 1990 and 1991

  England and Wales

  Police force area

  1990

  1991

  England

  Avon and Somerset

  1

  11

  Bedfordshire

  —

  1

  Cambridgeshire

  1

  —

  Cheshire

  —

  —

  Cleveland

  —

  —

  Cumbria

  —

  —

  Derbyshire

  11

  1

  Devon and Cornwall

  —

  —

  Dorset

  —

  —

  Durham

  —

  —

  Essex

  —

  —

  Gloucestershire

  —

  —

  Greater Manchester

  5

  6

  Hampshire

  1

  —

  Hertfordshire

  —

  —

  Humberside

  —

  —

  Kent

  —

  —

  Lancashire

  —

  —

  Leicestershire

  —

  5

  Lincolnshire

  —

  —

  Merseyside

  2

  7

  City of London

  —

  2

  Metropolitan Police

  275

  516

  Norfolk

  —

  —

  Northamptonshire

  —

  1

  Northumbria

  —

  —

  North Yorkshire

  —

  —

  Nottinghamshire

  4

  1

  South Yorkshire

  1

  5

  Staffordshire

  —

  —

  Suffolk

  —

  —

  Surrey

  1

  —

  Sussex

  1

  1

  Thames Valley

  —

  —

  Warwickshire

  —

  —

  West Mercia

  —

  1

  West Midlands

  2

  10

  West Yorkshire

  9

  10

  Wiltshire

  —

  —

  694

  Police force area

  1990

  1991

  England—other

  1

  —

  All English police forces

  315

  578

  Wales

  Dyfed and Powys

  —

  —

  Gwent

  —

  —

  North Wales

  —

  —

  South Wales

  —

  3

  All Welsh police forces

  —

  3

  Total—England and Wales

  315

  581

  Wolds Remand Centre
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being held at Wolds remand centre at the latest available date; when he expects that it will reach full capacity; and what plans he has to widen its catchment area or take in other categories of prisoner.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On Monday 9 November 1992, a total of 233 prisoners were unlocked at Wolds remand prison. It had been expected that its present catchment area would fill it to capacity. This has proved not to be the case and the prison service is now considering how best to make up the shortfall.

  Prison Service Uniforms
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of items and the value of the prison service uniforms for which contracts to purchase were placed in the last year for which figures are available; if he will give a breakdown of those figures according to whether the product was(a) made and finished in the United Kingdom from fabric produced in the United Kingdom, (b) finished in the United Kingdom from imported fabric and (c) finished in the United Kingdom but made abroad; if he will give similar information for other major clothing contracts for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement of his purchasing policy in such matters.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  For the period 1 October 1991 to 30 September 1992, the latest year for which figures are available, the total number of items and the value of contracts to purchase Prison Service uniforms and of other major clothing contracts, where the information required is known, are shown in the table, in the form requested.

  Her Majesty's Treasury is responsible for setting public purchasing policy. All Government procurement is based on value for money—that is, quality, fitness for purpose, and delivery against price. The European Community supplies directive requires member states to advertise major public contracts throughout the community. It also

  695
  requires supplier and product selection to be based on objective criteria intended to prevent a bias towards national interests.

  Uniform:

  (a) Products made and finished in the United Kingdom from fabric produced in the United Kingdom—16 items purchased to the value of approximately £1·4 million.

  (b) Products finished in the United Kingdom from imported fabric—13 items purchased to the value of approximately £860K.

  (c) Products finished in the United Kingdom but made abroad—Two items purchased to the value of approximately £172K.

  Other major clothing contracts:

  (a) Products made and finished in the United Kingdom from fabric produced in the United Kingdom—Three items purchased to the value of approximately £47K.

  (b) Products finished in the United Kingdom from imported fabric—Two items purchased to the value of approximately £130K.

  (c) Products finished in the United Kingdom but made abroad—Three items purchased to the value of approximately £308K.

  Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the working of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 with particular reference to the exceptions from the Act.

  Mr. Jack
  There are no plans to review the working of the Act itself. However, it is intended that the number and range of exceptions to the Act should be re-examined as part of the review of the arrangements for the disclosure of information from criminal records which will be undertaken in advance of the computerisation of the national collection of criminal records.

  Police Funding
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish the report by Richard Kornicki on the future of police funding; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Richard Kornicki is one of several Home Office officials who have been working on the future of police funding and are continuing to do so. His review was a working document, which was prepared as advice by officials to Ministers. It would be inappropriate to publish such internal advice.

  Prison Escapes
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners escaped(a) from prison and (b) whilst being escorted to and from court, in each of the last five years; and how many of them were recaptured in each case.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information available relates to prisoners who escaped from prison, or while being escorted outside prison, or were recaptured, between 20 June 1988 and 8 November 1992. Information was not collected centrally prior to June 1988.

  Escapers from prison

  Escapers from escort

  Recaptured1

  20 June 1988 to 31 December 1988

  104

  61

  156

  1989

  163

  118

  260

  1990

  195

  119

  303

  696

  Escapers from prison

  Escapers from escort

  Recaptured1

  1991

  304

  144

  424

  1 January 1992 to 8 November 1992

  220

  117

  271

  1 Includes four prisoners who died while unlawfully at large.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who has responsibility for keeping and updating the central list of all escaped prisoners; and how often the list is updated.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The incident management support unit in prison headquarters is responsible, among other matters, for keeping a list of all prisoners who have escaped from Prison Service custody in England and Wales. The list is updated monthly to take account of those who have been recaptured.

  Polling Stations
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if grant-maintained schools will supply facilities for polling stations in the same manner as local education authority schools, free of charge to the local authority.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A returning officer at both parliamentary and at local government elections is entitled to use, free of charge, as a polling station a room in a local education authority maintained or assisted school or in a grant-maintained school.

  Local Authority Services
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his conclusions on the responses to proposals to extend competition to a wider range of local authority services set out in the consultation paper "Competing for Quality", published in November 1991, as it will affect the police and fire service.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  As my right hon. and learned Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment has today announced, the Government have come to the conclusion that, while some amendments to the original proposals are necessary, compulsory competition is the best way of securing greater efficiency and cost savings in the provision of local authority services, while guaranteeing a high standard of services to the local taxpayers. The police and fire services will be playing a part in the process.

  The fire service has unique front-line vehicles which carry specialist pumping, hydraulic and mechanical equipment. The maintenance and repair of vehicles and equipment is synchronised in order to ensure operational efficiency. I take the view that they should remain exempt from compulsory competitive tendering for the present, but, in order to encourage wider competition, I intend that all brigades, with the exception of those whose maintenance staff also have firefighting duties should be required to market test vehicle and equipment maintenance over the next three years. The whole of each brigade's vehicle fleet will be included in order to provide a realistic assessment and to identify those contractors best placed to offer the comprehensive range of services

  697
  required. I intend to discuss with the fire authorities how this can best be taken forward to ensure that operational efficiency is maintained and in 12 months I intend to announce targets in this area.

  The support services for the fire service which are provided by the fire authority will, of course, fall to be considered within the framework of the arrangements for construction-related and corporate services set out by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

  We have consulted widely within the police service and local authority associations about the extension of compulsory competitive tendering to police vehicle maintenance and the cleaning of police buildings. We have received a number of constructive replies outlining concerns over security and quality of service.

  I have taken these concerns seriously. I wish to ensure the widest possible application of compulsory competitive tendering that is consistent with operational efficiency and security requirements. An order will be made under the Local Government Act 1988 extending the application of compulsory competitive tendering to 40 per cent. of the annual value of police vehicle maintenance and repair. A
  698
  period of three years will be allowed to evaluate the effects of this provision, after which I shall decide on further progress. An order will also be made extending compulsory competitive tendering to 90 per cent. of the annual value of cleaning police buildings. I anticipate that the first tenders will be sought in 1994–95.

  I also intend to extend compulsory competive tendering to corporate and construction-related police support services. I intend to engage in further consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association and the local authority associations on the detailed implementation of these proposals and the introduction of a new accounting framework.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will be introducing similar provisions for maintenance and repair of fire service vehicles, for maintenance of police vehicles and for cleaning of police buildings in Scotland. He will also consult on extension of compulsory competitive tendering to corporate and construction-related support services and on a new accounting framework.

  Prison Catering
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 October,Official Report, column 453, if he will list the budgets under which the prison catering contracts were let and administered together with the value of each contract.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 6 November 1992]: The budgets under which the prison catering contracts were let and administered are as follows:—

  E(1)—Directorate of Inmate Administration running costs.

  F(1)—Directorate of Inmate Programmes running costs.

  G(1)—Direcorate of Custody running costs.

  The value of individual contracts is regarded as commercial in confidence. Prison catering contracts were awarded in the range from £268,856·00 to £404,988·00.

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police by police force area

  Violence against the person

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  4,330

  5,170

  5,537

  5,321

  Bedfordshire

  2,009

  2,062

  2,102

  1,804

  Cambridgeshire

  1,773

  2,326

  2,431

  2,628

  Cheshire

  2,546

  2,513

  2,496

  2,641

  Cleveland

  2,493

  2,535

  2,747

  2,664

  Cumbria

  1,617

  1,794

  1,963

  1,873

  Derbyshire

  3,136

  3,379

  3,708

  3,958

  Devon and Cornwall

  3,719

  3,729

  3,621

  3,809

  Dorset

  1,297

  1,460

  1,566

  1,480

  Durham

  2,317

  2,416

  2,065

  2,345

  Essex

  4,017

  3,940

  3,929

  4,201

  Gloucestershire

  1,225

  1,362

  1,566

  1,570

  Greater Manchester

  9,549

  9,160

  8,879

  9,914

  Hampshire

  3,858

  4,293

  4,193

  5,186

  Hertfordshire

  1,856

  1,773

  1,727

  1,892

  Humberside

  5,590

  5,541

  5,031

  5,141

  Kent

  3,548

  3,754

  3,839

  5,129

  Lancashire

  3,041

  3,131

  2,966

  3,198

  Leicestershire

  2,664

  3,015

  3,163

  3,572

  Lincolnshire

  1,639

  2,007

  2,135

  2,099

  City of London

  211

  223

  173

  226

  Merseyside

  5,185

  5,114

  5,542

  6,811

  Metropolitan Police District

  29,017

  33,710

  36,947

  38,503

  Norfolk

  1,805

  1,862

  1,956

  1,854

  Northamptonshire

  2,180

  2,111

  2,001

  2,212

  Northumbria

  5,241

  5,413

  5,712

  6,023

  North Yorkshire

  1,702

  1,892

  2,095

  2,115

  Nottinghamshire

  6,600

  7,558

  7,542

  7,994

  South Yorkshire

  4,674

  4,933

  4,720

  4,776

  Staffordshire

  4,983

  5,263

  5,367

  5,683

  Suffolk

  1,663

  1,724

  1,785

  1,974

  Surrey

  1,762

  1,640

  1,845

  1,882

  Sussex

  2,982

  3,346

  3,240

  3,237

  Thames Valley

  4,429

  4,471

  4,451

  4,754

  Warwickshire

  1,141

  1,116

  1,091

  1,278

  West Mercia

  2,919

  3,439

  3,144

  3,259

  West Midlands

  9,050

  9,767

  10,435

  11,415

  West Yorkshire

  8,708

  8,949

  9,692

  10,038

  Wiltshire

  1,795

  2,138

  2,118

  2,488

  England

  158,271

  170,029

  175,520

  186,947

  Dyfed-Powys

  1,375

  1,574

  1,955

  2,107

  Gwent

  1,963

  2,131

  2,022

  2,323

  North Wales

  2,263

  2,278

  2,401

  2,608

  South Wales

  4,218

  4,496

  4,537

  5,519

  Wales

  9,819

  10,479

  10,915

  12,557

  England and Wales

  168,090

  180,508

  186,435

  199,504

  Crime
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing(a) the number of recorded crimes and (b) the number of crimes committed by category for England and Wales and for each police force area in each 12-month period from June 1988.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: The information is available for recorded crimes only and is contained in the following tables.

  Figures are not available for crimes committed in these periods, but estimates for England and Wales covering the calendar year 1991 are provided in the British crime survey. First results of the British crime survey are published in "Home Office Research Findings No. 2", which is available in the Library.
  701

  Sexual offences

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  633

  702

  743

  614

  Bedfordshire

  330

  308

  331

  278

  Cambridgeshire

  386

  358

  400

  432

  Cheshire

  379

  346

  415

  492

  Cleveland

  323

  360

  264

  316

  Cumbria

  206

  231

  256

  215

  Derbyshire

  516

  562

  492

  429

  Devon and Cornwall

  643

  796

  791

  719

  Dorset

  284

  228

  300

  391

  Durham

  381

  425

  417

  443

  Essex

  597

  594

  603

  573

  Gloucestershire

  228

  249

  295

  309

  Greater Manchester

  1,482

  1,394

  1,422

  1,465

  Hampshire

  1,007

  948

  996

  1,158

  Hertfordshire

  431

  336

  371

  351

  Humberside

  891

  874

  882

  836

  Kent

  823

  909

  699

  1,097

  Lancashire

  656

  632

  634

  524

  Leicestershire

  364

  359

  400

  392

  Lincolnshire

  329

  380

  434

  291

  City of London

  29

  31

  18

  41

  Merseyside

  601

  726

  701

  759

  Metropolitan Police District

  4,287

  5,186

  5,437

  5,538

  Norfolk

  345

  367

  419

  387

  Northamptonshire

  303

  313

  264

  256

  Northumbria

  698

  683

  669

  720

  North Yorkshire

  257

  258

  260

  224

  Nottinghamshire

  1,210

  1,216

  1,135

  1,102

  South Yorkshire

  655

  716

  618

  627

  Staffordshire

  516

  473

  477

  487

  Suffolk

  322

  400

  401

  433

  Surrey

  329

  349

  383

  429

  Sussex

  772

  961

  733

  800

  Thames Valley

  1,162

  952

  855

  946

  Warwickshire

  201

  194

  192

  178

  West Mercia

  464

  477

  470

  498

  West Midlands

  1,499

  1,557

  1,533

  1,586

  West Yorkshire

  1,412

  1,595

  1,657

  1,506

  Wiltshire

  367

  365

  433

  389

  England

  26,318

  27,810

  27,800

  28,231

  Dyfed-Powys

  282

  283

  338

  363

  Gwent

  338

  323

  306

  271

  North Wales

  542

  284

  378

  361

  South Wales

  535

  526

  500

  518

  Wales

  1,697

  1,416

  1,522

  1,513

  England and Wales

  28,015

  29,226

  29,322

  29,744

  Robbery

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  625

  869

  1,204

  1,157

  Bedfordshire

  262

  303

  585

  558

  Cambridgeshire

  100

  152

  201

  271

  Cheshire

  115

  137

  163

  299

  Cleveland

  139

  129

  149

  238

  Cumbria

  52

  52

  55

  100

  Derbyshire

  120

  183

  205

  298

  Devon and Cornwall

  191

  191

  204

  294

  Dorset

  62

  109

  139

  140

  Durham

  78

  114

  113

  156

  Essex

  334

  319

  389

  454

  Gloucestershire

  104

  112

  192

  302

  Greater Manchester

  2,041

  2,083

  2,707

  3,882

  Hampshire

  250

  357

  407

  509

  Hertfordshire

  159

  143

  238

  278

  Humberside

  252

  238

  245

  330

  Kent

  230

  312

  424

  548

  702 703

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Lancashire

  249

  288

  342

  470

  Leicestershire

  522

  527

  505

  756

  Lincolnshire

  46

  70

  64

  82

  City of London

  60

  68

  57

  65

  Merseyside

  1,575

  1,517

  1,705

  1,983

  Metropolitan Police District

  17,409

  17,231

  19,804

  22,970

  Norfolk

  146

  140

  153

  226

  Northamptonshire

  163

  177

  210

  317

  Northumbria

  503

  639

  621

  941

  North Yorkshire

  76

  76

  84

  135

  Nottinghamshire

  506

  651

  775

  939

  South Yorkshire

  415

  455

  476

  616

  Staffordshire

  189

  213

  237

  354

  Suffolk

  79

  133

  106

  138

  Surrey

  112

  139

  138

  216

  Sussex

  316

  433

  458

  490

  Thames Valley

  470

  650

  719

  941

  Warwickshire

  61

  57

  97

  133

  West Mercia

  113

  154

  172

  209

  West Midlands

  2,675

  2,921

  3,387

  4,531

  West Yorkshire

  872

  996

  1,439

  2,386

  Wiltshire

  70

  91

  116

  114

  England

  31,741

  33,429

  39,285

  48,806

  Dyfed-Powys

  17

  22

  38

  121

  Gwent

  60

  95

  97

  48

  North Wales

  71

  66

  99

  102

  South Wales

  231

  239

  266

  375

  Wales

  379

  422

  500

  646

  England and Wales

  32,120

  33,851

  39,785

  49,452

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police by police force area

  Burglary

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  17,096

  20,764

  31,351

  33,679

  Bedfordshire

  7,366

  8,602

  12,605

  14,110

  Cambridgeshire

  6,151

  7,675

  9,668

  13,125

  Cheshire

  10,424

  11,709

  14,743

  19,001

  Cleveland

  14,586

  15,037

  16,496

  19,757

  Cumbria

  6,341

  6,804

  9,011

  11,563

  Derbyshire

  8,737

  10,641

  15,892

  20,252

  Devon and Cornwall

  14,927

  17,778

  24,709

  26,922

  Dorset

  5,318

  6,967

  8,500

  9,631

  Durham

  9,265

  10,092

  12,696

  13,462

  Essex

  13,965

  16,620

  22,461

  26,410

  Gloucestershire

  7,668

  8,650

  10,906

  14,432

  Greater Manchester

  73,686

  78,605

  93,405

  100,720

  Hampshire

  17,991

  22,494

  29,208

  32,963

  Hertfordshire

  6,086

  7,135

  10,254

  11,548

  Humberside

  20,333

  26,328

  29,238

  34,538

  Kent

  13,446

  16,847

  23,507

  29,126

  Lancashire

  16,762

  19,796

  23,036

  26,263

  Leicestershire

  10,261

  13,830

  18,943

  22,262

  Lincolnshire

  6,094

  7,361

  8,547

  10,150

  City of London

  758

  968

  1,077

  1,000

  Merseyside

  38,650

  34,833

  33,799

  33,742

  Metropolitan Police District

  142,140

  160,062

  182,485

  194,338

  Norfolk

  9,836

  11,496

  13,510

  16,225

  Northamptonshire

  6,198

  7,438

  11,007

  12,401

  Northumbria

  47,001

  52,319

  58,995

  68,385

  North Yorkshire

  8,141

  8,326

  10,836

  13,804

  Nottinghamshire

  16,686

  20,951

  27,735

  33,121

  South Yorkshire

  21,030

  24,778

  31,035

  38,076

  Staffordshire

  13,539

  15,281

  21,612

  25,318

  Suffolk

  5,870

  6,396

  7,417

  8,403

  Surrey

  6,938

  7,816

  11,253

  11,521

  Sussex

  14,964

  19,027

  24,637

  27,340

  Thames Valley

  18,460

  23,704

  31,101

  36,174

  704 705

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Warwickshire

  5,362

  6,097

  8,386

  11,956

  West Mercia

  8,672

  9,933

  12,095

  16,102

  West Midlands

  58,277

  63,499

  74,163

  92,394

  West Yorkshire

  42,680

  50,381

  68,126

  85,108

  Wiltshire

  5,044

  5,816

  7,257

  8,595

  England

  756,749

  862,856

  1,061,702

  1,223,917

  Dyfed-Powys

  2,779

  2,866

  4,428

  4,999

  Gwent

  3,989

  4,233

  6,328

  8,146

  North Wales

  8,022

  7,647

  8,872

  12,093

  South Wales

  24,601

  26,268

  32,475

  37,554

  Wales

  39,391

  41,014

  52,103

  62,792

  England and Wales

  796,140

  903,870

  1,113,805

  1,286,709

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  Numbers of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  53,541

  59,197

  80,350

  85,086

  Bedfordshire

  19,801

  25,390

  32,116

  29,524

  Cambridgeshire

  19,957

  23,761

  30,316

  36,512

  Cheshire

  23,633

  26,046

  29,392

  36,854

  Cleveland

  30,307

  35,894

  41,740

  45,018

  Cumbria

  13,280

  14,865

  20,503

  21,992

  Derbyshire

  23,113

  27,700

  34,448

  43,352

  Devon and Cornwall

  39,956

  43,978

  53,648

  58,403

  Dorset

  21,162

  26,062

  31,138

  29,187

  Durham

  21,048

  23,984

  30,714

  33,843

  Essex

  39,571

  46,310

  57,202

  61,954

  Gloucestershire

  18,176

  22,132

  26,280

  36,670

  Greater Manchester

  143,981

  153,516

  184,125

  191,642

  Hampshire

  50,412

  60,441

  73,752

  83,961

  Hertfordshire

  21,843

  23,754

  28,417

  33,262

  Humberside

  41,140

  48,087

  54,725

  59,696

  Kent

  43,719

  52,224

  69,297

  86,190

  Lancashire

  43,875

  50,469

  59,323

  68,388

  Leicestershire

  27,387

  34,333

  44,860

  49,843

  Lincolnshire

  18,201

  20,348

  24,146

  24,927

  City of London

  4,364

  5,009

  5,133

  4,954

  Merseyside

  66,749

  68,042

  73,480

  78,131

  Metropolitan Police District

  371,314

  400,059

  434,816

  465,768

  Norfolk

  22,839

  27,577

  32,961

  37,097

  Northamptonshire

  20,715

  23,374

  28,710

  30,319

  Northumbria

  85,305

  94,949

  99,992

  96,144

  North Yorkshire

  18,036

  22,783

  29,256

  30,453

  Nottinghamshire

  53,775

  66,273

  80,910

  87,047

  South Yorkshire

  47,033

  52,103

  57,963

  65,225

  Staffordshire

  27,352

  31,716

  37,975

  43,555

  Suffolk

  15,358

  17,422

  20,745

  23,625

  Surrey

  16,117

  19,755

  25,606

  29,480

  Sussex

  38,685

  46,069

  58,459

  65,585

  Thames Valley

  66,136

  78,971

  101,034

  118,464

  Warwickshire

  12,521

  16,286

  20,807

  22,577

  West Mercia

  25,727

  31,616

  37,954

  44,685

  West Midlands

  115,942

  124,872

  142,192

  150,562

  West Yorkshire

  89,345

  108,003

  138,419

  151,597

  Wiltshire

  13,722

  15,450

  19,804

  21,436

  England

  1,825,138

  2,068,820

  2,452,708

  2,683,008

  Dyfed-Powys

  8,429

  8,618

  11,619

  14,753

  Gwent

  13,389

  14,304

  19,362

  22,291

  North Wales

  15,631

  16,782

  20,473

  23,094

  South Wales

  63,315

  67,030

  79,157

  82,789

  Wales

  100,764

  106,734

  130,611

  142,927

  England and Wales

  1,925,902

  2,175,554

  2,583,319

  2,825,935

  706 707

  Fraud and forgery

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  5,888

  6,796

  7,247

  6,248

  Bedfordshire

  2,218

  2,600

  2,357

  2,252

  Cambridgeshire

  1,082

  1,343

  1,654

  1,712

  Cheshire

  1,813

  1,739

  1,754

  2,330

  Cleveland

  2,246

  2,055

  1,992

  1,743

  Cumbria

  930

  829

  901

  949

  Derbyshire

  1,005

  1,201

  1,150

  1,330

  Devon and Cornwall

  3,536

  3,430

  4,085

  3,627

  Dorset

  3,128

  3,311

  3,353

  3,885

  Durham

  1,635

  2,048

  2,071

  2,429

  Essex

  1,955

  2,192

  3,088

  3,673

  Gloucestershire

  1,342

  1,282

  1,678

  2,230

  Greater Manchester

  9,977

  10,397

  11,624

  12,227

  Hampshire

  3,770

  3,931

  5,518

  5,403

  Hertfordshire

  2,566

  2,054

  1,531

  1,560

  Humberside

  2,625

  2,915

  3,166

  3,208

  Kent

  1,913

  2,256

  3,071

  4,071

  Lancashire

  5,235

  3,759

  3,310

  3,665

  Leicestershire

  1,890

  1,941

  2,577

  2,984

  Lincolnshire

  960

  973

  1,137

  1,363

  City of London

  420

  491

  643

  526

  Merseyside

  3,791

  3,860

  4,629

  5,489

  Metropolitan Police District

  29,991

  32,812

  42,129

  42,623

  Norfolk

  1,245

  1,383

  1,551

  1,838

  Northamptonshire

  1,103

  1,114

  1,431

  1,589

  Northumbria

  2,349

  3,475

  3,418

  3,632

  North Yorkshire

  956

  987

  1,009

  1,203

  Nottinghamshire

  2,439

  2,884

  3,547

  3,898

  South Yorkshire

  1,584

  1,875

  1,998

  2,059

  Staffordshire

  1,416

  1,566

  1,802

  2,106

  Suffolk

  1,274

  1,614

  1,943

  1,997

  Surrey

  1,289

  1,369

  2,014

  2,134

  Sussex

  2,443

  2,835

  3,934

  4,406

  Thames Valley

  3,938

  5,087

  6,364

  7,776

  Warwickshire

  669

  685

  1,058

  1,256

  West Mercia

  1,015

  1,131

  1,410

  1,405

  West Midlands

  5,318

  6,075

  6,878

  7,903

  West Yorkshire

  4,767

  4,868

  6,530

  6,768

  Wiltshire

  873

  1,086

  1,637

  1,758

  England

  122,594

  132,249

  157,189

  167,255

  Dyfed-Powys

  1,211

  1,164

  1,318

  1,184

  Gwent

  1,045

  1,092

  1,130

  1,093

  North Wales

  1,879

  1,360

  1,230

  1,417

  South Wales

  2,546

  2,833

  3,344

  3,640

  Wales

  6,681

  6,449

  7,022

  7,334

  England and Wales

  129,275

  138,698

  164,211

  174,589

  Criminal damage

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  13,542

  15,492

  18,761

  18,470

  Bedfordshire

  6,329

  7,062

  7,525

  8,078

  Cambridgeshire

  4,429

  4,979

  5,912

  6,851

  Cheshire

  7,602

  8,040

  8,874

  10,051

  Cleveland

  9,318

  10,242

  11,586

  12,900

  Cumbria

  4,431

  5,194

  6,606

  7,912

  Derbyshire

  8,178

  9,887

  11,302

  13,471

  Devon and Cornwall

  10,586

  12,071

  13,874

  15,164

  Dorset

  4,438

  5,162

  5,366

  5,644

  Durham

  9,387

  10,605

  12,095

  13,134

  Essex

  12,440

  13,274

  14,812

  16,709

  Gloucestershire

  4,267

  4,500

  5,382

  5,439

  Greater Manchester

  49,522

  53,063

  61,798

  63,931

  Hampshire

  15,389

  16,022

  17,605

  20,693

  Hertfordshire

  7,313

  7,661

  8,199

  8,989

  Humberside

  13,968

  16,295

  16,359

  18,223

  Kent

  13,519

  15,617

  19,397

  23,650

  708 709

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Lancashire

  20,237

  22,517

  24,020

  23,932

  Leicestershire

  7,301

  9,335

  11,614

  12,408

  Lincolnshire

  4,970

  5,731

  5,952

  6,925

  City of London

  400

  427

  441

  414

  Merseyside

  19,861

  20,294

  22,689

  23,903

  Metropolitan Police District

  122,490

  135,196

  152,823

  166,476

  Norfolk

  5,657

  6,722

  7,617

  8,531

  Northamptonshire

  6,797

  8,375

  10,005

  11,691

  Northumbria

  27,477

  36,471

  44,974

  48,994

  North Yorkshire

  4,789

  5,272

  5,177

  5,726

  Nottinghamshire

  17,579

  18,499

  21,564

  23,654

  South Yorkshire

  14,156

  15,471

  17,552

  19,935

  Staffordshire

  9,187

  10,379

  11,647

  12,982

  Suffolk

  5,127

  6,046

  6,228

  6,029

  Surrey

  4,622

  5,095

  6,108

  6,724

  Sussex

  9,187

  10,451

  12,019

  13,471

  Thames Valley

  16,327

  18,024

  23,634

  27,432

  Warwickshire

  3,411

  4,374

  4,873

  5,300

  West Mercia

  9,245

  10,726

  11,491

  11,395

  West Midlands

  33,249

  37,405

  39,922

  47,426

  West Yorkshire

  29,925

  33,783

  39,561

  44,571

  Wiltshire

  4,500

  5,096

  5,329

  5,849

  England

  571,152

  640,885

  730,693

  803,077

  Dyfed-Powys

  3,532

  3,406

  4,315

  5,257

  Gwent

  4,127

  4,927

  5,897

  6,057

  North Wales

  5,738

  6,671

  7,294

  7,742

  South Wales

  20,706

  25,435

  30,785

  33,843

  Wales

  34,103

  40,439

  48,291

  52,899

  England and Wales

  605,255

  681,294

  778,984

  855,976

  Other offences

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  603

  756

  752

  692

  Bedfordshire

  226

  235

  289

  214

  Cambridgeshire

  155

  306

  288

  301

  Cheshire

  526

  632

  1,001

  1,175

  Cleveland

  168

  227

  329

  283

  Cumbria

  153

  132

  208

  326

  Derbyshire

  423

  450

  459

  571

  Devon and Cornwall

  430

  457

  434

  629

  Dorset

  465

  667

  656

  717

  Durham

  218

  331

  318

  445

  Essex

  481

  582

  670

  653

  Gloucestershire

  170

  197

  270

  395

  Greater Manchester

  1,554

  1,868

  2,210

  2,594

  Hampshire

  559

  643

  890

  1,106

  Hertfordshire

  329

  417

  404

  415

  Humberside

  268

  303

  378

  539

  Kent

  811

  866

  874

  1,329

  Lancashire

  759

  846

  1,003

  1,180

  Leicestershire

  288

  279

  325

  471

  Lincolnshire

  209

  288

  425

  485

  City of London

  58

  73

  79

  70

  Merseyside

  1,089

  1,414

  1,637

  1,853

  Metropolitan Police District

  5,845

  7,232

  6,819

  6,842

  Norfolk

  228

  314

  361

  467

  Northamptonshire

  182

  239

  290

  348

  Northumbria

  574

  738

  736

  810

  North Yorkshire

  215

  263

  320

  413

  Nottinghamshire

  471

  701

  665

  566

  South Yorkshire

  508

  670

  786

  1,157

  Staffordshire

  290

  332

  353

  375

  Suffolk

  355

  489

  523

  562

  Surrey

  204

  301

  292

  278

  Sussex

  859

  1,026

  1,145

  1,235

  Thames Valley

  727

  1,006

  959

  1,082

  Warwickshire

  120

  147

  193

  253

  710 711

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  West Mercia

  345

  476

  489

  498

  West Midlands

  1,043

  1,433

  1,551

  1,690

  West Yorkshire

  958

  1,279

  1,627

  2,380

  Wiltshire

  159

  217

  295

  424

  England

  23,025

  28,832

  31,303

  35,823

  Dyfed-Powys

  216

  184

  228

  258

  Gwent

  150

  171

  278

  299

  North Wales

  215

  264

  279

  353

  South Wales

  501

  613

  727

  737

  Wales

  1,082

  1,232

  1,512

  1,647

  England and Wales

  24,107

  30,064

  32,815

  37,470

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police by police force area

  All Offences

  Number of offences

  Police force area

  July 1988 to June 1989

  July 1989 to June 1990

  July 1990 to June 1991

  July 1991 to June 1992

  Avon and Somerset

  96,258

  109,746

  145,945

  151,267

  Bedfordshire

  38,541

  46,562

  57,910

  56,818

  Cambridgeshire

  34,033

  40,900

  50,870

  61,832

  Cheshire

  47,038

  51,162

  58,838

  72,843

  Cleveland

  59,580

  66,479

  75,303

  82,919

  Cumbria

  27,010

  29,901

  39,503

  44,930

  Derbyshire

  45,228

  54,003

  67,656

  83,661

  Devon and Cornwall

  73,988

  82,430

  101,366

  109,567

  Dorset

  36,154

  43,966

  51018

  51,075

  Durham

  44,329

  50,015

  60,489

  66,257

  Essex

  73,360

  83,831

  103,154

  114,627

  Gloucestershire

  33,180

  38,484

  46,569

  61,347

  Greater Manchester

  291,792

  310,086

  366,170

  386,375

  Hampshire

  93,236

  109,129

  132,569

  150,979

  Hertfordshire

  40,583

  43,273

  51,141

  58,295

  Humberside

  85,067

  100,581

  110,024

  122,511

  Kent

  78,009

  92,785

  121,108

  151,140

  Lancashire

  90,814

  101,438

  114,634

  127,620

  Leicestershire

  50,677

  63,619

  82,387

  92,688

  Lincolnshire

  32,448

  37,158

  42,840

  46,322

  City of London

  6,300

  7,290

  7,621

  7,296

  Merseyside

  137,501

  135,800

  144,182

  152,651

  Metropolitan Police District

  722,493

  791,488

  881,260

  943,058

  Norfolk

  42,101

  49,861

  58,528

  66,625

  Northamptonshire

  37,641

  43,141

  53,918

  59,133

  Northumbria

  169,148

  194,687

  215,117

  225,649

  North Yorkshire

  34,172

  39,857

  49,037

  54,073

  Nottinghamshire

  99,266

  118,733

  143,873

  158,321

  South Yorkshire

  90,055

  101,001

  115,148

  132,471

  Staffordshire

  57,472

  65,223

  79,470

  90,860

  Suffolk

  30,048

  34,224

  39,148

  43,161

  Surrey

  31,373

  36,464

  47,639

  52,664

  Sussex

  70,208

  84,148

  104,625

  116,564

  Thames Valley

  111,649

  132,865

  169,117

  197,569

  Warwickshire

  23,486

  28,956

  36,697

  42,931

  West Mercia

  48,500

  57,952

  67,225

  78,051

  West Midlands

  227,053

  247,529

  280,061

  317,507

  West Yorkshire

  178,667

  209,854

  267,051

  304,354

  Wiltshire

  26,530

  30,259

  36,989

  41,053

  England

  3,514,988

  3,964,880

  4,676,200

  5,177,064

  Dyfed-Powys

  17,841

  18,117

  24,239

  28,969

  Gwent

  25,061

  27,276

  35,420

  40,601

  North Wales

  34,361

  35,352

  41,026

  47,770

  South Wales

  116,653

  127,440

  151,791

  164,975

  Wales

  193,916

  208,185

  252,476

  282,315

  England and Wales

  3,708,904

  4,173,065

  4,928,676

  5,459,379

  712

  Muslim Priests
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Muslim priests normally resident in Pakistan but visiting the United Kingdom on a visitor's visa, have applied during the past year, while in the United Kingdom, for rights of residence in order to be employed as a priest in the United Kingdom; how many such applications were granted(a) immediately, (b) after appeal and (c) on being reviewed outside the immigration rules; and how many such applicants were told to return to Pakistan.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: People wishing to work in the United Kingdom as ministers of religion are normally required to obtain entry clearance before coming here. Our records show that in 1991, five citizens of Pakistan who were here as visitors were granted extensions of stay as ministers of religion outside the immigration rules. The other information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Unused land
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to end all schemes whereby farm owners may receive grants in respect of unused land.

  Mr. Curry
  Ministry grants are paid only on land which is appropriately managed to meet agricultural or environmental objectives. We have no plans to end such schemes.

  Ozone Depletion
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how his departmental Green Minister has promoted protection of the ozone layer with specific policy measures; which possible measures have been considered and rejected; and on what grounds.

  Mr. Curry
  The policy of the Department is not to purchase new materials that are known to be harmful to the ozone layer as set out in the Montreal protocol and its revisions. Where existing equipment containing substances harmful to the ozone layer is to be renewed or subject to major maintenance it will be replaced by equipment which is understood to be ozone friendly. The Department considered but rejected replacing all sound equipment containing materials harmful to the ozone layer because on balance there was seen to be no significant environmental advantage in doing this before the end of its natural life span.

  Live Horses (Exports)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement setting out the progress that has been made in developing policy to prevent the export of live horses for consumption as food.

  Mr. Soames
  European Community directive 91/628 establishes welfare standards for the transport of animals in the Community from 1 January 1993. The directive 714
  provides that national rules may remain applicable for horses and our national arrangements will continue to apply. The Council has agreed to return to this issue at a later stage with a view to setting additional welfare safeguards for all transport of horses in the Community.

  Quarantine
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those United Kingdom airports where the administration of animal quarantine regulations are not the responsibility of a principal local authority in whose area part or all of the airport is located.

  Mr. Soames
  Heathrow airport is the only airport in Great Britain where the responsibility for enforcement of animal import regulations at the airport is not vested in the local authority in which the airport is situated. This is provided for under section 50 of the Animal Health Act 1981, which lays down that the common council of the City of London shall be the local authority for the City of London and for the whole of Greater London for the purposes of the provisions of the Act relating to imported animals, and the Designation of Local Authority (Heathrow Airport—London) Order 1976—SI 1976 No. 2101—which makes the City of London the responsible local authority in respect of that part of Heathrow airport which lies within the county of Surrey.

  Enforcement of animal import controls at Northern Ireland airports is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.

  Mink
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to publish the responses received by his Department on the Review of the Mink (Keeping) Order 1987.

  Mr. Gummer
  Responses to the consultation exercise will be made available from the Ministry's main library when a decision has been taken on the arrangements which are to apply in future. This decision will be taken shortly.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of(a) British and (b) other EC national hauliers and handlers prosecuted in each year since 1985 for breaking welfare standards whilst transporting livestock.

  Mr. Gummer
  Information is not collected in the format requested. Since 1988 the number of prosecutions undertaken by local authorities has been laid before the House, in the return of expenditure and proceedings taken under the Animal Health Act 1981. Information on prosecutions in other member states is not available.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of inspections carried out by Ministry verterinary staff specifically to assess welfare standards in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 11 June 1992,Official Report, column 273.

WALES

  Household Statistics
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of households in Wales at present; and if he will publish an estimated figure for the number of households in the year 2011.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The total number of households in Wales in 1991 according to the 1989 based household projections is 1,095,000; the figure for 2011 from the same source is 1,237,000.

  Housing
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set an annual target figure for the development of new-build affordable homes in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  We have no plans to do so.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on the role of inter-authority co-operation within the context of his Department's local government reform package for Wales;

  (2) if he will outline how the current strategic planning functions carried out by county councils will be fulfilled by the new unitary authorities.

  Mr. David Hunt
  These matters will be dealt with in the White Paper that I will be publishing in due course.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration has been given by his Department to the effect of local government reform in Wales upon applications from local authorities for planning consent for their own projects.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Under the present law a local planning authority may grant itself planning permission to develop its own land within its area. Under the new structure I expect the new councils, as local planning authorities, to have the same powers.

  Minerals
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received stating objections to some or all of the guidelines included in planning policy guidance note 3 on mineral extraction.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No comprehensive record exists, but in response to a monitoring exercise which the Government undertook last March, four organisations in Wales wrote calling for revision of minerals planning policy guidance note 3. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 15 July the Government's intention to bring forward for public consultation draft revised planning guidelines on coal extraction generally.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action is currently undertaken by his Department to apply the polluter pays principle to the mineral sector in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  In determining those minerals planning applications and appeals that come before my 716
  right hon. Friend and his inspectors, consideration is given to the need to achieve acceptable environmental standards through the imposition of appropriate conditions designed to control the working of the site and its restoration to an acceptable after-use. Certain mineral sector processes in Wales are also subject to pollution control by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The cost of meeting acceptable environmental standards falls on the industry in line with the polluter pays principle.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of resources has been granted by his Department to mineral planning authorities in Wales in each year of the last 10 years; and what plans he has to increase the level of resources.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Mineral planning is one of the services for which county councils in Wales are responsible. Resource requirements for mineral planning are taken into account in setting standard spending assessments for county councils as part of the annual local government settlement. Proposals for the 1993–94 local government revenue settlement will be announced in due course.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what account has been taken by his Department of the implications of local government reform in Wales upon(a) strategic mineral planning policies (b) the review and upgrading of old minerals permissions and (c) the resourcing of such a review and upgrading.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Matters relating to minerals planning have been considered by the planning and economic development sub-group established under the auspices of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government. I am now considering the reports submitted by that and other sub-groups.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will publish his Department's definition of sustainable development; and if he will make a statement on the application of this concept to the work of his Department;

  (2) if he will amend the planning policy guidance notes produced by his Department so as to include references on the importance of an environmentally sustainable approach to the development of the Welsh coastline;

  (3) if he will issue guidelines to planning authorities in Wales on the application of environmental sustainability within the planning process.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Brundtland commission, in its report "Our Common Future" published 1987 stated:"Humanity has the opportunity to make development sustainable—to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
  In their environment White Papers, starting with "This Common Inheritance", the Government have made clear their intention to work towards ensuring that development and growth are sustainable. The concept of sustainable development is a global one, and it is for the Government to develop policies consistent with that concept, which can be reflected in local decisions. The planning system, and the preparation of development plans in particular, can play an important part in ensuring that development as a

  717
  whole is sustainable. The sum total of decisions in the planning field, as elsewhere, should not deny future generations the best of today's environment. The need to reflect the principle of sustainable development lies behind the revision of the range of planning policy guidance notes, currently well under way.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to the chairmen of the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales to encourage them to integrate their statutory objectives in the interest of formulating a sustainable development plan for the coastal areas of Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  There is regular liaison between the two agencies on rural development matters as on all matters of common interest and each agency is represented on the board of the other.

  Air Quality
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts are currently undertaken by his Department to monitor air quality on a continuous basis around opencast coal mining sites; which sites have been selected for such air monitoring; and if he will make it his policy to make such monitoring data available to the general public.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The position on air monitoring around opencast coal-mining sites is described in paragraphs 12 and 13 of the Government's response to the second report of the Welsh Affairs Committee, Session 1990–91 "The Future of Opencast Coalmining in Wales", Cm 1652, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Environment Guide
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of "The Welsh Environment; a Guide to your Rights and Responsibilities" have been(a) produced and (b) distributed by his Department; and if he will list the main outlets for distribution.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  A total of 60,000 copies of "The Welsh Environment: A Guide to your Rights and Responsibilities" were produced for the Welsh Office. To date 59,700 have been distributed, largely through county and district councils, main libraries and citizens advice bureaux in Wales.

  Supermarket Development
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the occasions during each of the last five years where coastal sites have been utilised for supermarket development in Wales.

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

  EC Environment Directive
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the organisations consulted by his Department on the implementation of the EC directive on the freedom of access to information on the environment;

  (2) if he will issue guidelines to local authorities in Wales defining in detail the new procedures to be
  718
  undertaken in connection with the implementation of the EC directive on freedom of access of information on the environment.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  On 29 October the Department of the Environment published for consultation with local authorities and other organisations in Great Britain, draft regulations and guidance on the implementation of the EC directive on freedom of access of information on the environment. The organisations in Wales that are being consulted are as follows:

  Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales

  The All Wales Chief Environmental Health Officers' Panel

  Assembly of Welsh Counties

  Brecon Beacons National Park

  Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales

  Cardiff Bay Development Corporation

  Council of Welsh Districts

  Country Landowners Association (Wales Regional Office)

  Countryside Council for Wales

  County and District Councils in Wales

  The Development Board for Rural Wales

  Farmers Union of Wales

  Friends of the Earth Cymru

  Land Authority for Wales

  National Farmers Union, Wales

  North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee

  Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

  Prince of Wales Committee

  Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wales

  Snowdonia National Park

  South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee

  The Associated Law Society in Wales

  Wales Tourist Board

  Wales Wildlife and Countryside Link

  Welsh Association of Community and Town Councils

  Welsh Development Agency

  Opencast Mining
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will undertake a comprehensive community health study in areas affected by opencast mining developments in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  We have no plans for such a study.

  Transport Supplementary Grant
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the amount specifically allocated through the transport supplementary grant for local safety schemes proposed by local authorities in Wales in(a) 1991–92 and (b) 1992–93.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  As agreed with local authority associations only projects costing over £5 million can attract transport grant. Authorities finance local safety schemes from unhypothecated resources.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings of the Council of Ministers he has attended during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Council of Ministers.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Although it is not the practice for territorial Ministers to attend the majority of Council Ministers meetings, the United Kingdom's position at Councils represents the collective view reached following ministerial discussions in which I fully participate. I have also this year had the pleasure of hosting a gathering of Ministers as part of the EC informal Council on Social Affairs which met in Wales in October.

  Railways
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the rail network in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  British Rail constantly reviews the performance of its services in Wales and in particular the quality of the service it provides in accordance with the objectives of the passengers charter.

  I am pleased to see the latest expansion of services on the Maesteg to Cardiff line supported by Mid Glamorgan county council with the benefit of supplementary credit approvals from the Department.

  Car Sharing
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what study he has made of the benefits to the environment in Wales that could arise from the introduction of incentives to establish car sharing schemes in(a) urban areas (b) rural areas.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I have made no such study, but the Government introduced substantial changes to insurance regulations several years ago to encourage car sharing.

  Hotel and Catering Industry
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the total numbers of(a) hotels, (b) guest houses and (c) catering establishments which have closed down in Wales during each of the last five years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not available centrally.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the number of training weeks contracted for under employment training(a) in 1991–92 and (b) in 1992–93; and what was the percentage difference between those years in each TEC.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Employment training—training weeks

  TEC

  1991–92 actual

  1992–93 budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  88,284

  82,250

  -6·83

  Mid Glamorgan

  99,629

  89,000

  -10·67

  North East Wales

  37,758

  39,000

  3·29

  North West Wales

  48,084

  50,965

  5·99

  Powys

  17,174

  15,000

  -12·66

  South Glamorgan

  63,140

  65,550

  3·82

  West Wales

  139,283

  135,000

  -3·08

  Total Wales

  493,352

  476,765

  -3·36

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the budget made available from his Department for the provision of youth training places for 1991–92 and 1992–93(a) at current prices and (b) at 1992–93 prices, indicating in both cases the percentage difference.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is shown in the tables.
  720

  Youth training budgets

  (a) At current prices

  £ million

  TEC

  1991–92 actual expenditure

  1992–93 budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  8·310

  7·924

  -4·65

  Mid Glamorgan

  10·154

  9·764

  -3·84

  North East Wales

  5·526

  5·115

  -7·44

  North West Wales

  6·493

  6·007

  -7·48

  Powys

  1·778

  1·785

  0·39

  South Glamorgan

  4·400

  4·786

  8·77

  West Wales

  12·082

  11·257

  -6·83

  Total Wales

  48·743

  46·638

  -4·32

  (b) At 1992–93 prices

  £ million

  TEC

  1991–92 actual expenditure

  1992–93 budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  8·684

  7·924

  -8·75

  Mid Glamorgan

  10·611

  9·764

  -7·98

  North East Wales

  5·775

  5·115

  -11·42

  North West Wales

  6·785

  6·007

  -11·47

  Powys

  1·858

  1·785

  -3·93

  South Glamorgan

  4·598

  4·786

  4·09

  West Wales

  12·020

  11·257

  -10·84

  Total Wales

  50·936

  46·638

  -8·44

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the budget made available from his Department for 1991–92 and 1992–93(a) at current prices and (b) at 1992–93 prices, indicating in both cases the percentage difference.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is shown in the tables.

  TEC Budgets (a) at current prices

  £ million

  TEC

  1991–92 actual expenditure

  1992–93 Budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  17·390

  17·909

  2·98

  Mid Glamorgan

  20·039

  20·561

  2·60

  North East Wales

  11·363

  11·149

  -1·88

  North West Wales

  12·883

  14·163

  9·94

  Powys

  4·352

  4·415

  1·45

  South Glamorgan

  11·670

  13·066

  11·96

  West Wales

  29·294

  27·911

  -4·72

  Total Wales

  106·991

  109·174

  2·04

  (b) at 1992–93 prices

  £ million

  TEC

  1991–92 actual expenditure

  1992–93 Budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  18·173

  17·909

  -1·45

  Mid Glamorgan

  20·941

  20·561

  -1·81

  North East Wales

  11·874

  11·149

  -6·11

  North West Wales

  13·463

  14·163

  5·20

  Powys

  4·548

  4·415

  -2·92

  South Glamorgan

  12·195

  13·066

  7·14

  West Wales

  30·612

  27·911

  -8·82

  Total Wales

  111·806

  109·174

  -2·35

  721
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the number of training weeks contracted for under youth training in(a) 1991–92 and (b) in 1992–93; and what was the percentage difference between those years in each TEC.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is set out in the following table:

  Youth training training weeks

  TEC

  1991–92 Actual

  1992–93 Budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  164,755

  170,000

  3·18

  Mid Glamorgan

  190,292

  198,000

  4·05

  North East Wales

  93,591

  87,000

  -7·04

  North West Wales

  114,682

  125,000

  9·00

  Powys

  35,810

  37,000

  3·32

  South Glamorgan

  94,810

  105,000

  10·75

  West Wales

  228,553

  227,240

  -0·57

  Total Wales

  922,493

  949,240

  2·90

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the budget made available from his Department for the provision of employment training places for 1991–92 and 1992–93(a) at current prices and (b) at 1992–93 prices, indicating in both cases the percentage difference.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is shown in the tables.

  Employment training budget

  (a) at current prices

  £ million

  TEC

  1991–92 actual expenditure

  1992–93 budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  4·399

  4·227

  -3·91

  Mid Glamorgan

  4·680

  4·767

  1·86

  North East Wales

  2·520

  2·081

  -17·42

  North West Wales

  2·565

  2·857

  11·38

  Powys

  0·837

  0·885

  5·73

  South Glamorgan

  3·274

  3·426

  4·64

  West Wales

  8·239

  6·661

  -19·15

  Total Wales

  26·514

  24·904

  -6·07

  (b) at 1992–93 prices

  £ million

  TEC

  1991–92 actual expenditure

  1992–93 budget

  1991–92 to 1992–93 percentage change

  Gwent

  4·597

  4·227

  -8·05

  Mid Glamorgan

  4·891

  4·767

  -2·53

  North East Wales

  2·633

  2·081

  -20·98

  North West Wales

  2·680

  2·857

  6·59

  Powys

  0·875

  0·885

  1·18

  South Glamorgan

  3·421

  3·426

  0·14

  West Wales

  8·610

  6·661

  -22·63

  Total Wales

  27·707

  24·904

  -10·12

  Voluntary Organisations
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy towards the voluntary sector in the social services.
  722
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Government believe that local authorities should secure a mixture of social care provision by statutory, voluntary and private organisations, in order to increase the available range of options and to provide wider consumer choice.

  Social services departments in Wales, as the lead agencies in social care planning, are expected to involve fully the voluntary sector as partners in the process. Specific grant schemes, unique to Wales, have been introduced to foster and develop the voluntary sector contribution.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance he gives to county and district authorities to assist voluntary organisations.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  It is for local authorities to decide which voluntary organisations they wish to assist and to what extent. It is not for central Government to tell authorities how they should manage their relationships with the voluntary sector, although my right hon. Friend and I do encourage close working relations between the two.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the amount of financial support he gives in(a)Clwyd and (b) Wales to voluntary organisations.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The latest figures available indicate that grants paid directly by the Welsh Office to voluntary organisations in Wales totalled £8·8 million in 1990–91. The figure excludes indirect grants paid to housing associations—£131·4 million—and those paid through intermediaries, for example, local or health authorities, under such schemes as the urban programme—£3·1 million.

  Figures for Clwyd are not readily available.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he will take to encourage partnerships between voluntary organisations and local authorities in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend and I will continue, through the various grant scheme mechanisms operated by the Department, to encourage local authorities to examine the scope for involving voluntary organisations widely in the planning and delivery of their services.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those voluntary organisations he has met in 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amount of financial support given to voluntary organisations in each of(a) the counties and (b)the districts in Wales; and giving a per capita figure.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is not held by the Department. The hon. Gentleman would need to write to all voluntary organisations in Wales if he wishes to know the amount of financial support they receive and the geographical distribution of their expenditure.

  Health Authority Targets
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each health authority in Wales the specific waiting list and performance targets and how each health authority has performed against those targets at(a) 31 March, (b) 30 June and (c) 31 August.

  DHA waiting lists against agenda for action and patient's charter targets (a) Performance at March 1992: Total specialties

  DHA

  Out-patients waiting over three months

  Urgent in-patients waiting over one month

  Urgent day-cases waiting over one month

  In-patients waiting over one year

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Agenda for Action

  Clwyd

  22·3

  1·7

  2·9

  13·9

  East Dyfed

  28·0

  0·0

  0·0

  17·7

  Gwent

  37·1

  1·5

  0·0

  17·6

  Gwynedd

  22·8

  0·0

  0·0

  20·2

  Mid Glamorgan

  35·4

  2·3

  0·1

  15·2

  Pembrokeshire

  44·0

  0·0

  0·0

  22·6

  Powys

  35·0

  0·0

  0·0

  6·1

  South Glamorgan

  43·5

  0·9

  6·2

  12·8

  West Glamorgan

  56·0

  0·6

  0·0

  19·2

  Wales

  38·2

  1·1

  1·5

  16·3

  Target 1991·92

  28·0

  0·0

  0·0

  19·0

  DHA waiting lists against Agenda for Action and Patients Charter targets (b) Performance at June 1992: Total specialties

  DHA

  Out-patients waiting over three months Per cent.

  Urgent in-patients waiting over one month Per cent.

  Urgent day-cases waiting over one month Per cent.

  In-patients waiting over one year Per cent.

  Day-cases waiting over one year Per cent.

  In-patients waiting over two years Per cent.

  Day cases waiting over two years Percent.

  Agenda for Action

  Patient's Charter

  Clwyd

  27·7

  16·9

  2·1

  13·5

  5·1

  1·8

  0·4

  East Dyfed

  31·6

  0·0

  0·0

  17·5

  4·2

  0·0

  0·0

  Gwent

  44·1

  0·9

  0·1

  22·9

  3·9

  4·1

  1·7

  Gwynedd

  40·0

  0·0

  0·0

  15·9

  5·4

  5·8

  0·0

  Mid Glamorgan

  27·9

  1·4

  0·0

  20·5

  1·8

  8·6

  4·4

  Pembrokeshire

  36·2

  0·0

  0·0

  12·0

  7·6

  8·0

  2·3

  Powys

  34·1

  0·0

  0·0

  8·0

  3·3

  0·0

  0·0

  South Glamorgan

  50·0

  2·3

  12·4

  16·8

  18·1

  3·9

  5·5

  West Glamorgan

  55·5

  0·7

  0·0

  17·4

  2·9

  3·8

  0·0

  Wales

  40·9

  1·0

  2·2

  15·7

  6·6

  4·5

  1·8

  Target 1992–93

  23·0

  nil

  nil

  15·0

  15·0

  nil

  nil

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he intends to take against health authorities who do not meet "Agenda for Action" targets on waiting lists and performance.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: All health authorities are committed to achieving patients charter guarantees by the end of the financial year and are collectively on course to achieve the "Agenda for Action" target that by the end of this financial year no more than 15 per cent. of in-patients and day cases will have to wait over one year for non-urgent treatment.

  Performance against targets is monitored very closely and has been discussed in great detail at the recent round of annual review meetings.
  724
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: Information on waiting times is collected on a quarterly basis; the latest available figures are for 30 June 1992.

  "Agenda for Action" targets are set for the year end. Health authorities are committed to achieving these targets.

  Performance against both "Agenda for Action" and patients charter targets for March and June is given in the tables.

  All authorities are addressing as a matter of priority, the issue of out-patient waiting times, for it is widely recognised that performance here is currently furthest away from target.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Coal
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the predicted profits available from the sale of coal reserves known to exist in the 31 pits he announced would close against the loss of income tax, national insurance and indirect tax payments from coal miners made redundant, on the assumption of the maximum calculated length of operation of each pit to technical exhaustion.
  725
  Mr. Eggar
  We do not have the information requested on the predicted profits from the sale of coal reserves.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the meetings in September and October between his Department and(a) representatives of the Colombian Government and (b) Carbocol, the Colombian state coal company; and if he will make a statement;

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) on what dates he, his ministerial colleagues, or his officials, met Ministers or officials, representing the Government of Colombia, to discuss the sale and supply of Colombian coal to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when the intergovernmental committee between Her Majesty's Government and Colombia was established; how many meetings, to date, of the committee have taken place; when the next meeting is scheduled; and what matters are due to be discussed.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 29 October 1992]: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on Monday 2 November, Official Report, column 32. The next meeting of the trade facilitation group is expected to be in Colombia in February. There have been no intergovernmental meetings to discuss the sale and supply of Colombian coal to the United Kingdom. The Minister for Trade met the Colombian Foreign Trade Minister on 30 September to discuss bilateral trade issues. No meetings took place with Carbocol.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out his current timetable for the privatisation of British Coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: Decisions have yet to be taken on the timing of privatisation. Decisions on the timetable will need to take account of the coal review which my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has announced.

  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many civil servants are involved in conducting his review into the coal industry; and if he will list for each of them their grade and previous responsibility within his Department or other Government Departments.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: The Department's coal review team is headed by Peter Loughead, a grade 3 civil servant, who previously worked on financial services in the DTI and then in Her Majesty's Treasury. It comprises in addition one grade 5, three grade 7s, one higher executive officer (Development), two higher executive officers and two executive officers. They have had a range of previous responsibilities within the Department of Trade and Industry. There are, in addition, seven clerical and secretarial staff. It is likely that further people will join the review team in due course.

  Plutonium and Uranium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current cost for the storage of separated plutonium at(a) Sellafield and (b) Dounreay; and what is the expected future cost for storage of plutonium separated from irradiated nuclear fuel already contracted to each respective reprocessing plant.
  726
  Mr. Eggar
  This is a commercial matter for the owners of the sites in question and their customers as owners of the separated plutonium.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost to date incurred by the requirement to store depleted uranium at(a) Sellafield and (b) Chapelcross nuclear facilities, arising from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

  Mr. Eggar
  Uranium recovered from reprocessing by British Nuclear Fuels plc is stored on behalf of its customers as owners of the material until they decide to recycle it as new reactor fuel. The cost of storage is a commercial matter for the parties involved. I understand that to date some 15,000 tonnes of uranium arising from reprocessing have been recycled in the United Kingdom as reactor fuel to generate electricity.

  EC Energy Programmes
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the budgetary allocations for 1993 to the European Community energy programmes(a) Save, (b) Altener, (c) Thermie and (d) Euratom.

  Mr. Eggar
  Details of the Commission's spending proposals for 1993 are given in its preliminary draft budget —COM(92)140-EN—published on 15 June 1992. Copies of this document have been deposited in the Library of the House. It should be noted that Euratom is a treaty and not a single programme, as the other three are. The Government's contribution to these programmes is not separately identifiable as it forms part of the United Kingdom's general contribution to the European Community budget.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many papers his Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office; if he will list their titles; and when he estimates that they will be returned.

  Mr. Eggar
  Government Departments have a statutory right under the Public Records Acts to retrieve records temporarily from the Public Record Office for their own administrative use. The Department of Trade and Industry currently has 55 records out on loan and these are listed. Records are returned as soon as departmental action has been completed.

  Class No.

  Piece No.

  Title

  BT11

  38

  International Order Commission: jurisdiction

  BT11

  38

  Imperial preference: East African coffee shipped on optional bills of lading

  BT11

  38

  International convention for abolition of import and export prohibitions: Ratification

  BT11

  38

  Anglo-Turkish agreement: travellers samples 1912–1929

  BT11

  190

  Convention on the abolition of export and import prohibitions. Question of withdrawal by the United Kingdom and other states

  BT11

  41 B

  Anglo-Soviet commercial treaty

  BT11

  41 B

  Merchandise Marks Act: Nicaraguan registration of initiation of British trade mark

  727

  Class No.

  Piece No.

  Title

  BT11

  41 B

  Germany-Haiti commercial treaty and Anglo-Haitian trealy

  BT11

  41 B

  Oil concessions in British Empire— Government control of companies

  BT11

  41 B

  Ceylon income tax effect on life assurance companies

  BT11

  41 B

  Merchandise Marks Act—hall marks— registration of in USA

  BT11

  41 B

  Portugal: Colonial Act draft—articles detrimental to British interests

  BT11

  41 B

  Convention for abolition of import and export restriction Government attitude

  BT11

  41 B

  Roumania—trade difficulties under new tariff

  BT11

  41 B

  USA—entry of British colonials into

  BT11

  685

  Convention for the abolition of import and export prohibition

  DSIR 26

  3

  Functions of local government board and government laboratory

  DSIR 26

  4

  Stationery Office: inquiry into work carried out by department

  DSIR 26

  25

  Committee on Scientific Staffs in Government Department: minutes

  DSIR 26

  26

  Committee on Scientific Staffs in Government Department: miscellaneous papers

  DSIR 26

  27

  Committee on Scientific Staffs in Government Department: report papers 1–23, 27–28 and 30–32

  DSIR 26

  76

  Power alcohol denaturants

  DSIR 26

  83

  Nose-opening rays—effect of infra-red radiation on breathing—report by DSIR and Medical Research Council

  DSIR 26

  113

  Collection of papers including Adam Hilgar photogravure of spectrogram

  DSIR 26

  114

  Procedures and methods: notes on preparation and correspondence, including Adam Hilgar ultra-violet spectroscope

  DSIR 26

  120

  Food and Drugs Act 1876—reference court cases

  DSIR 26

  121

  Food and Drugs Act 1876—reference court cases

  DSIR 26

  122

  Food and Drugs Act 1876—reference court cases

  DSIR 26

  189

  Analyses—general

  DSIR 26

  199

  —Index of analysis methods

  Workbooks as below:

  DSIR 26

  202

  H. J. Helm

  DSIR 26

  203

  H. J. Helm

  DSIR 26

  204

  H. J. Helm: Index to analytical work giving file reference

  DSIR 26

  210

  J. H. Holmes

  DSIR 26

  212

  C. H. Burge and E. Young

  DSIR 26

  213

  C. H. Burge

  DSIR 26

  215

  C. H. Burge subject index

  DSIR 26

  216

  R. Bannister

  DSIR 26

  219

  G. N. Stoker

  DSIR 26

  236

  W. G. Scott

  DSIR 26

  237

  W. G. Scott

  DSIR 26

  238

  W. G. Scott

  DSIR 26

  240

  W. G. Scott

  DSIR 26

  241

  W. G. Scott

  DSIR 26

  252

  Press cuttings—customer general order books

  DSIR 26

  256

  Book of Signatures

  DSIR 26

  338

  Registered Laboratory Files— Miscellaneous analyses and investigations

  BT31

  1

  National Savings Bank Association Ltd

  BT31

  682

  Consolidated Assurance Company

  BT31

  1161

  Industrial Newspaper Company Ltd

  BT58

  419

  Companies Department: correspondence and Papers COS 6585

  BT58

  423

  Ditto 256/1

  BT58

  425

  Ditto 623/4

  BT 226

  4978

  A. E. Francis

  POWE 33

  1746

  Petroleum: Libya development

  Plutonium Shipments
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate in tonnes the amount of plutonium to be shipped annually between Japan and the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield between 1992 and the year 2000.

  Mr. Eggar
  This is a commercial matter between British Nuclear Fuels plc and its customers.

  Auditing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many auditing firms are registered with each of the recognised supervisory bodies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The number of auditing firms—including sole practitioners—registered as eligible for appointment as company auditor under the rules of each of the recognised supervisory bodies on 27 October is shown in the table.

  Supervisory body

  Number of registered firms

  Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

  9,225

  Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

  730

  Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland

  344

  Chartered Association of Certified Accountants

  5,859

  Association of Authorised Public Accountants

  505

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the instances of audit failures which he has referred to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  My Department routinely refers to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales complaints received, and reports from statutory investigations, on accounts that have been audited by auditors registered eligible for appointment as company auditors under the rules of the institute. Since the inception of the new regulatory regime for auditors under part II of the Companies Act 1989 on 1 October 1991, some 60 such cases have been referred. The most comon type of referral involved infringements of the accounting requirements of the Companies Act 1985 by small private companies. Most other complaints involved auditors' non-compliance with the auditing standard "The Audit Report" and auditors' provision of a special report that a company is entitled to the reporting exemptions available to small or medium-sized companies when the company was not in fact so entitled.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will establish a body similar to the Dearing committee to investigate the setting of auditing standards in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  No.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the names of auditing firms who have been criticised in his Department's reports relating to banks and insurance companies published since 1979.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Since 1979 there have been four published reports of investigations under the Companies
  729
  Act into the affairs of companies connected with banking and insurance which have included criticism of auditors as follows:

  Company

  Auditor

  Ashbourne Investments Ltd.

  Wright Stevens and Lloyd

  Ramor Investments Ltd.

  Price Waterhouse

  Minet Holdings plc

  Black Geoghegan and Till Josolyne Layton-Bennett and Co.

  WMD Underwriting Agencies Ltd.

  Arthur Young McClelland Moores and Co.

  Alexander Howden Holdings plc

  de Paula Turner Laker and Co. Peat Marwick Mitchell and Co.

  Josolyne Layton-Bennett and Co.

  Arthur Young McClelland Moores and Co.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce proposals to prevent auditors of insurance companies from recruiting company directors.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I see no reason to do so. Ethical guidance issued by the professional accountancy bodies states that no one should take part in the audit of a company if he has, during the period on which the report is to be made or at any time in the two years prior to the first day of that period, been an officer—other than an auditor—or employee of that company. Under part II of the Companies Act 1989, recognised supervisory bodies are required to have adequate rules and practices as to professional integrity and independence.

  Directors' Reports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will bring forward proposals under which the directors of a public limited company would be required to state in the directors' report the number of shares bought and sold by them during a year.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  No. The Companies Act requires disclosure in either the directors' report of the notes to the accounts of directors' interests in shares at the beginning and end of the financial year. It also requires the company to keep a register of directors' interests in the company's shares which is open for inspection to shareholders and —for a fee—the public; copies may be obtained for a fee.

  Astra plc
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on which date inspectors were appointed to inquire into the affairs of Astra plc; which matters were referred for the examination of the inspectors at the outset; which matters were subsequently referred to them; and when he expects to receive their report.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I refer to the answer which my predecessor gave to the hon. Member on 19 November 1991,Official Report, column 118. The inspectors are now in the final stages of their investigation, but I cannot say when it will be completed.

  Environmental Technology Innovation Scheme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many projects and total sums have been committed in the current year so far under his Department's environmental technology innovation scheme nationally and in each region; and if he will provide information on a similar basis for the Euroenviron programme of the EC.

  Mr. Eggar
  The following commitments have been made under the schemes during 1992:

  Environmental technology innovation scheme—jointly managed by DTI and DOE.

  Region

  Number

  Sums Committed £

  (a) DTI Approved Projects

  West midlands

  4

  818,875

  South-east

  2

  388,450

  6

  1,207,325

  (b) DOE Approved Projects

  North-west

  5

  469,270

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  1

  202,789

  East midlands

  1

  80,000

  South-east

  3

  553,374

  East

  2

  303,450

  12

  1,608,883

  Euroenviron

  Scotland

  2

  511,400

  South-east

  2

  149,812

  South-west

  1

  19,878

  5

  681,090

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total revenue expenditure in each of the English regions by his Department in the years 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Revenue expenditure by region on the enterprise initiative: consultancy assistance is given in the table.

  Enterprise initiative: consultancy assistance

  Region

  Expenditure 1990–91 £'000s

  Expenditure 1991–92 £'000s

  Scotland

  3,440

  5,070

  Wales

  2,644

  3,591

  North East

  2,505

  3,536

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  5,150

  6,888

  East Midlands

  2,940

  4,246

  East

  2,750

  3,639

  South East

  9,102

  13,441

  South West

  3,420

  4,476

  West Midlands

  5,500

  7,886

  731

  Region

  Expenditure 1990–91 £'000s

  Expenditure 1991–92 £'000s

  North West

  7,524

  8,247

  Departmental Expenditure

    Regional enterprise grants
    Information on regional enterprise grants—innovation grants—by region is regularly published in the Industrial Development Act (1982) annual report, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.
    The figures for other revenue expenditure are either not broken down regionally, or could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Oakes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many tonnes of orimulsion have been imported into the United Kingdom in 1990, 1991 and to date in 1992.

  Mr. Eggar
  Imports of orimulsion in 1990, 1991 and 1992 to date were:

  Thousand tonnes

  1990

  156

  1991

  465

  11992

  1,039

  1January to October.

  Gas-fired generating stations granted permission prior to section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 coming into effect

  Station

  Location

  Proposer

  Capacity

  Commissioned

  Killingholme (1st unit)

  South Humberside

  PowerGen plc

  450MW

  Roosecote

  Cumbria

  Lakeland Power Ltd.

  230 MW

  Under construction

  Brigg

  South Humberside

  Regional Power Generators

  240 MW

  Calder Hall

  Cumbria

  British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.

  160 MW

  Corby

  Northants

  Corby Power Ltd.

  350 MW

  Killingholme (2nd unit)

  South Humberside

  PowerGen plc

  450 MW

  Peterborough

  Cambridgeshire

  Peterborough Power

  355 MW

  Permission given but construction not yet started

  Shotton

  Clwyd

  Shotton Paper Co.

  200 MW

  Gas-fired generating stations granted consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989

  Station

  Location

  Proposer

  Capacity

  Under construction

  Barking

  London

  Barking Power Ltd.

  1,000 MW

  Keadby 1

  Near Scunthorpe

  Keady Power Ltd.

  680 MW

  Killingholme "A" (phase 1)

  South Humberside

  National Power plc

  650 MW

  Rye House

  Hertfordshire

  PowerGen plc

  680 MW

  Wilton

  Teesside

  Teesside Power Ltd.

  1,750 MW

  Consent granted but construction not yet started

  Angle Bay

  Dyfed

  Texaco Ltd.

  1,280 MW

  Charterhouse Street

  City of London

  Citigen Ltd.

  90 MW

  Coryton

  Essex

  Coryton Cogeneration Ltd.

  460 MW

  Deeside

  Clwyd

  Deeside Power Development Co. Ltd.

  450 MW

  Killingholme "A" (phase 2)

  South Humberside

  National Power plc

  370 MW

  King's Lynn

  Lincolnshire

  Energy Supply Co.

  110 MW

  Little Barford

  Bedfordshire

  National Power plc

  680 MW

  Medway

  Kent

  Medway Power Ltd.

  660 MW

  Shoreham

  West Sussex

  South Coast Power Ltd.

  500 MW

  Spondon

  Near Derby

  Derwent Cogeneration

  318 MW

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will meet a delegation of creditors, depositors and ex-employees of BCCI.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have no plans to do so. Creditors and ex-employees met the previous Secretary of State and have since had several meetings with officials in my Department.

  Liquidators
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines he proposes to introduce as a result of representations he has received concerning the costs of liquidators.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  There are no such proposals. The remuneration of liquidators is a matter for the creditors whose money is at stake. Where there is a dispute as to the sums claimed recourse may be had to the courts.

  Gas-fired Power Stations
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the licences which have been granted for the establishment of gas-fired power stations since 1987 and the number of applications for such licences which have not yet been determined.

  Mr. Eggar
  The following is the information requested.
  733

  Station

  Location

  Proposer

  Capacity

  Stallingborough

  South Humberside

  Humber Power Ltd.

  1,100 MW

  Sutton Bridge

  Lincolnshire

  Independent Power Generators Ltd.

  700 MW

  There are 12 applications made under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for gas-fired generating stations with a capacity greater than 50 MW which have not yet been determined.

  Power stations with a capacity of 50 MW or less are dealt with under the Town and Country Planning Acts and my Department does not have information on such stations.

  Energy Costs
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what account is taken of the offset against oil taxation of the cost to the consortium of offshore transportation of gas from off Aberdeen, through the central area transmission system, in Government comparisons of the relative costs of gas and coal-fired electricity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  As I announced on 26 October, my Department's review of the prospects for the 21 pits proposed for closure by British Coal, but not subject to the current statutory consultation, will consider the consequences of the switch to gas in power generation and the relative costs of gas and coal-fired generation. All relevant elements contributing to these costs will be taken into account.

  Atomic Energy Authority
  Mr. Milligan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has responded to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the service provided by the AEA; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have today placed in the Library of the House the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's initial response to the report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) which was published in May 1992.

  I am grateful to the commission for the comprehensive review they carried out. The commission recognised that the AEA is an organisation undergoing fundamental change, that it could continue to make efficiency and quality improvements and could generate higher net revenue. The Commission made 58 recommendations for improving the AEA's performance. It was none the less impressed by the expertise, enthusiasm and dedication of the AEA's staff and recognised the substantial progress they have already made with a radical change in culture. I endorse the commission's recognition of the progress made so far.

  I also welcome the AEA's positive response to the commission's report. The AEA has accepted all but one of the commission's recommendations. It has accepted much of the spirit of the remaining recommendation (51) on inter-business charging, and will review the position after a year. The AEA's response clearly demonstrates its determination to achieve further improvements in its
  734
  management practices and I am pleased that many of the commission's recommendations have already been implemented.

  The commission made a number of recommendations to the Government. In response to recommendation 2, we will consider with the AEA the setting of efficiency and quality of service performance targets for the AEA. We will take recommendations 3, board bonus scheme, 9, return on capital employed target, and 33, restructuring, into account at the appropriate time.

  We will continue to monitor the AEA's progress in implementing the recommendations and I will report progress to the House in due course.

  EC Partnerships Directive
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in implementing the EC partnerships directive, 90/605/EEC.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I have today published a consultative document and draft regulations on the implementation of this EC directive requiring the preparation and publication of accounts for some partnerships between limited companies.

  The directive will not affect the majority of partnerships in the United Kingdom which are formed between people rather than companies. It applies only where all the partners—or general partners for limited partnerships—are limited companies.

  The consultative document explains that the majority of companies that form partnerships will already cover them in their own annual accounts. Where this is not done, the companies concerned must publish the partnership accounts with their own. If all the partner companies are abroad then, in certain circumstances, the partnership must make its accounts available on demand at its main office.

  The draft regulations also provide that companies which are members of partnerships and unlimited companies covered by this directive must disclose information about them and that such unlimited companies must publish their accounts.

  A copy of the consultative document and the draft regulations has been placed in the Library of the House. Comments should be made to my Department by 22 January 1993.

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had about pit closures from the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress; what reply he is sending; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 29 October 1992]: My right hon. Friend has received and replied to two letters from the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress on this matter. It is not his usual practice to make public the content of such replies.

  EC Funding
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the United Kingdom's working population live in areas which currently qualify for(a) assisted areas funding and (b) EC regional development funding.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: The assisted areas currently cover approximately 32·6 per cent. of the United Kingdom's working population.

  Working population figures eligible for EC regional development funding are not available. This is because reliable working population figures are only available at travel-to-work area (TTWA) level and many eligible areas are not complete TTWAs. The total population covered, however, is some 40 per cent. of the United Kingdom population.

  EC Structural Fund
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to receive the European Commission's proposals for the review of Community structural fund regulations.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 2 November 1992]: The Commission is expected to table its proposals after the Edinburgh European Council which is due to decide on the future size of the funds.

  Fact-finding Visits
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for the last 12 months, the fact-finding visits made by(a) the chief executive of the Export Credits Guarantee Department, (b) the head of division of the business task force 1, (c) the Inspector of Companies, (d) the head of the competition policy division, (g) the head of the manufacturing technology division and (h) the head of the telecommunications and posts division; what were the findings in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Senior officials in my Department, including those listed, undertake a wide range of visits and other meetings in the United Kingdom and overseas in the course of their work. It would be inappropriate to provide details of all such visits, some of which are commercially confidential.

  Following the reorganisation of my Department, the business task force I has been disbanded and its work reallocated and responsibility for the financial services division has been transferred to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

ENVIRONMENT

  Rents
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received from the Housing Corporation a report entitled "Rents and Affordability": and if he will make a copy available in the Library.

  Mr. Baldry
  We received a paper on this topic from the Housing Corporation in early October. It proposes to publish its work shortly. I will then arrange for a copy to be placed in the House of Commons Library.
  736
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has made of the difference between rents charged by local authorities and housing associations.

  Mr. Baldry
  A table comparing local authority rents with private sector rents, including those of housing associations, can be found in the Department's annual report 1992, page 93.

  The Department collects information on local authority rents and housing association rents regularly.

  Information on assured housing association rents is contained in the National Federation of Housing Association's continuous recording (core) quarterly bulletins. Information on registered housing association rents is collected by rent officers and published by the Department of the Environment on a quarterly basis in a series of statistical bulletins.

  Data on local authority rents are collected annually. Average weekly local authority rents at April each year appear in table 11.1 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1981–1991".

  Copies of all these publications are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Buildings (Fuel Efficiency)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to issue a consultation paper on part L of the Building Regulations (conservation of fuel and power); and what percentage improvement in the fuel efficiency of buildings, especially of dwellings, will be sought thereby.

  Mr. Baldry
  I hope that it will be possible to issue a consultation paper on part L of the Building Regulations 1991 by the end of next month. The aim with our proposals will be to achieve a 20 per cent. improvement in the energy efficiency of the space and water heating systems in dwellings compared with the current requirements of the regulations.

  Rentals
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new homes for renting have been made available by housing associations in Greater London during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Housing Corporation has funded 3,755 new units for rent by housing associations in Greater London, during the period 1 September 1991 to 31 August 1992.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 27 October,Official Report, column 537, how many representations on the thermal oxide reprocessing plant his Department has received; and how many came from abroad.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department has received about 30,000 representations about THORP from members of the public some of which contain petitions; 98 per cent. have come from abroad.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest information he has about the extent of acid rain damage to Britain's trees.

  Mr. Maclean
  Recent studies suggest that tree health can be affected by a variety of stresses such as drought, frost, high winds and pest infection and that exposure to air pollution, including, acid rain, can increase the sensitivity of trees to these, as well as exercising a probably modest direct effect. It is not yet possible to quantify the contribution of these various factors, individually or in combination, though the hot dry summers and autumn gales of some recent years will certainly have placed exceptional stresses on British trees.

  EC Environment Programmes
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions on the allocation of the 1993 budget for environment programmes have been taken at the Environment Council during his presidency of the Ministerial Environment Council.

  Mr. Maclean
  None. Environmental allocations are considered at the Budget Council as part of the general budget setting process.

  Heathrow Airport
  Mr. Trend
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the financial implications faced by local authorities being called upon to produce environmental impact assessments in connection with the proposed fifth terminal at Heathrow airport; and what financial compensation he proposes to pay to local authorities for this.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Under the procedures set out in the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988, it is for an applicant for planning permission to prepare and submit an environmental statement for any project that requires environmental assessment under the regulations. The local planning authority must then send the statement as well as the planning application to the statutory consultees and publicise it, and take the information provided in the statement and in comments made on it into account when determining the planning application. The functions of the authority in relation to planning applications which are accompanied by environmental statements are thus not essentially different from those which they discharge in determining all other planning applications. The expenditure likely to be incurred by authorities in determining planning applications is taken into account in the annual settlement along with other burdens, the potential for savings and, more generally, what the country can afford.

  Local Authority Employees
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were employed by local authorities in each year since 1974.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information for England is listed in the table. Staffing levels of local authorities in Wales and Scotland are a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland.
  738

  Number of people employed by local authorities at June of each year

  Year

  Full-Time (000's)

  Part-Time (000's)

  Total (000's)

  1975

  1,608

  862

  2,470

  1976

  1,625

  857

  2,482

  1977

  1,606

  853

  2,459

  1978

  1,600

  869

  2,469

  1979

  1,626

  886

  2,512

  1980

  1,609

  866

  2,475

  1981

  1,578

  843

  2,421

  1982

  1,552

  841

  2,393

  1983

  1,554

  852

  2,406

  1984

  1,551

  858

  2,409

  1985

  1,545

  874

  2,419

  1986

  1,545

  904

  2,449

  1987

  1,550

  941

  2,491

  1988

  1,548

  966

  2,514

  1989

  1,506

  948

  2,454

  1990

  1,512

  968

  2,480

  1991

  1,493

  961

  2,454

  1992

  1,460

  949

  2,409

  Source: Joint Stalling Watch for England

  Note: Three major events caused significant losses from the local authority sector during the period covered by this table. The numbers involved are:

  (1) Approximately 6,300 full-time equivalents (ftes) due to the abolition of the GLC and the Metropolitan County Councils in 1986.

  (2) Around 14,500 ftes due to the change in status of the local authority bus and municipal airport staff in 1986 and 1987.

  (3) Around 39,000 ftes when polytechnics and higher education institutions transferred from the public to the personal sector in 1989.

  Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the reduction in the level of sulphur dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom which will be required in order to stabilise soil acidity levels.

  Mr. Maclean
  The sensitivity of soils to acid deposition varies greatly in different parts of the United Kingdom as a result of geological and other factors. Under current policies, annual United Kingdom emissions of sulphur dioxide are expected to fall by around 60 per cent. between 1980 and 2005. On present estimates, only about 8 per cent. of the surface area of Great Britain should then be subject to rates of acid deposition which will result in further soil acidification.

  The Government are taking part in discussions in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe which it is hoped will lead to a new international agreement on SO2 emissions by the end of 1993. However to eliminate soil acidification altogether would necessitate sulphur dioxide reductions of over 95 per cent and parallel action on other pollutants. This is not considered a realistic objective either for the United Kingdom or for the remainder of the UNECE region for the foreseeable future.

  Local Government Boundaries
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the reports published by the Local Government Boundary Commission regarding the boundaries of local authorities within the area of the Wanstead and Woodford parliamentary constituency, including the date by which comments were to be received and the date of publication of final reports.
  739
  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Local Government Boundary Commission deals with local authority boundaries, not parliamentary boundaries. But the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England takes account of county and London borough boundaries.

  Reports of the Local Government Boundary Commission relating to county and London borough boundaries affecting Wanstead and Woodford are listed in the table.

  Name of report

  Closing date for comments

  Date of final report

  Redbridge/ Epping Forest/ Waltham Forest

  26 July 1989 and 15 February 1991

  12 May 1992

  Newham/Redbridge/ Waltham Forest

  26 March 1990 and 25 June 1991

  29 June 1992

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Oakes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to make public its report into the incident at Ince B power station last autumn arising from the trial burning of orimulsion.

  Mr. Maclean
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is not aware of any incident at Ince B power station last autumn arising from the trial burning of orimulsion.

  Leicester
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to visit Leicester.

  Mr. Howard
  I have no current plans to do so.

  Banham Commission
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the budget of the Banham commission on local government.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  Housing Corporation
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the amount of grant to the Housing Corporation in each year since its establishment; and what plans he has to increase it.

  Mr. Baldry
  The main element of the Housing Corporation's expenditure is its approved development programme—ADP—which is funded by grant and loans from the Government, as well as the corporation's receipts. Gross capital expenditure on the ADP in England since 1978–79 has been as follows:

  £ million

  1978–79

  327

  1979–80

  400

  1980–81

  508

  1981–82

  521

  1982–83

  755

  1983–84

  734

  740

  £ million

  1984–85

  697

  1985–86

  711

  1986–87

  715

  1987–88

  752

  1988–89

  777

  1989–90

  935

  1990–91

  1,063

  1991–92

  1,586

  1992–93

  11,770

  1 Estimated outturn

  Information about earlier years and figures for the total of grants paid to the Corporation cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

  The Government's future plans will be announced by the Chancellor in his autumn statement.

  Departmental Relocation
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet reached a conclusion on the proposed move of his Department to docklands; on what grounds he proposes to take the decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I will make an announcement shortly. As I told the House on 2 June,Official Report, column 707, the decision will be taken on the basis of giving value for money to the taxpayer.

  Green House Programme
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the future of the Green House programme.

  Mr. Baldry
  The two-year Green House programme was launched in 1990 by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning as an important element of the Government's policies to combat global warming through increased energy efficiency. Its aim was to establish a national network of replicable energy efficiency demonstration projects in council housing. All the available resources have been allocated to or earmarked for 155 individual projects in 121 authorities, following a competitive bidding exercise to identify the most cost-effective schemes. The preliminary results are very encouraging. Overall, schemes are expected to deliver carbon dioxide savings of some 50 per cent. over current levels, with a 40 per cent. reduction in energy consumption. In addition to environmental benefits, these improvements are expected to reduce future management and maintenance costs of the houses concerned and bring major benefits to tenants from reduced fuel bills. My Department continues to monitor the performance of key projects and will publish further information in due course. At present about one quarter of authorities' annual expenditure on mainstream repair and improvement of their stock is devoted to energy-related measures.

  The Green House programme suggests that, if best practice were followed, authorities could achieve higher output from this investment. The Government have therefore decided to follow up the programme by actively promoting the application of its positive lessons by all housing authorities. From next year, we will expect authorities to take fuller account in their housing

  741
  investment decisions of the need to improve the energy efficiency of their stock and to reflect this in their annual housing investment programme submissions. To assist them, my Department will be issuing guidance on the lessons of the Programme, and on the steps authorities can take to ensure that energy efficiency is an integral part of their housing strategies.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish a staff commission to advise on the staffing issues arising from the reorganisation of local government in the shire counties in England.

  Mr. Howard
  I have decided to use my powers under section 23 of the Local Government Act 1991 to set up a small staff commission to advise me on the steps necessary to safeguard the interests of staff affected by local government reorganisation in England. I intend to ask the staff commission to advise me in particular on arrangements for staff transfers; on any particular redundancy and compensation arrangements that may be necessary; and on whether there should be arrangements to give staff whose posts are lost in reorganisation prior consideration for jobs in new authorities. I intend that the staff commission should be set up next year, in time to deal with questions relating to the outcome of the first tranche of the local government commission's reviews.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government will announce their conclusion on the responses to proposals for a clearer framework for compulsory competitive tendering and to extend competition to local authorities' construction-rated and corporate services set out in the consultation paper, "Competing for Quality: Competition in the Provision of Local Services", published in November 1991.

  Mr. Howard
  The citizens charter sets out the Government's commitment to improving the quality and accountability of local authority services through the wider application of competition, to the benefit of the local taxpayer and consumer.

  The Government received more than 650 responses to the consultation paper. Respondents made many helpful comments and offered constructive criticism. My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Local Government told the House on 20 May, Official Report, column 144, of our intention to bring forward regulations to secure a clearer framework for compulsory competitive tendering. We have consulted local authorities on our detailed proposals and intend to bring forward regulations shortly.

  I have considered responses to our proposals to extend competition with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. We have come to the conclusion that, while some amendment to the original proposals is necessary, a rigorous requirement to seek greater competition is the best way of securing greater efficiency and cost savings in the provision of construction-related services, while guaranteeing a high standard of service to local taxpayers.

  We therefore intend to require local authorities to subject to competitive tendering a specific percentage, by
  742
  cash value, of each of these activities. For construction-related services, we intend that 90 per cent. of work be subject to a competitive requirement, for corporate services the requirement will be broadly in line with proposals made in the consultation paper. It will be for individual local authorities to decide which elements of each service should be market tested in order to achieve this requirement. They will also be free to organise the delivery of these services in the manner most suited to their own needs, and authorities will not be prevented from adopting innovative approaches to service delivery.

  We do not intend to introduce a procedure for the separate evaluation of quality for construction-related services, but will allow local authorities to make their own judgments about the trade-off between quality and cost. Nevertheless, we expect authorities to introduce their own procedures to ensure that the evaluation is fair and even-handed, and is seen to be so.

  We also intend to make regulations requiring all local authorities to establish an internal accounting framework to identify the true costs of both corporate and construction-related services. This will bring transparency to the cost structure of these services, facilitate the challenging of these costs by internal customers and encourage the development of an internal market, all of which will add to the pressures imposed by competitive tendering.

  We intend to require these accounts to be kept from as early a date as possible, but no earlier than April 1994, and to prepare a programme for the early introduction of competitive tendering for construction-related and corporate services. Consideration of the timetable for these changes will take account of preparation time as well as the programme of the local government commission in England and the timetable of changes to local government structure proposed in Scotland and Wales.

  The consultation paper also put forward proposals for extending CCT to a number of local authority manual and direct services. My right hon. Friends will be making separate announcements on how these are to be taken forward.

  Department of the Environment, Scottish and Welsh Office officials will shortly begin discussions with the local authority associations and representatives of other interested parties on the practical details of the regime I have outlined. I hope that we will be able to work with local government to ensure that efficient, effective competition can lead to a high quality of services for local taxpayers.

  Birmingham City Council
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the difference between the spending of Birmingham city council on debt financing and his standard spending assessment for the same component of the council's spending for each of the past three years.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [holding answer 9 November 1992]: The table shows the spending of Birmingham City Council on debt financing, the standard spending assessment for the same component of the council's spending and the difference between them for 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.
  743

  1990–91 £ million

  1991–92 £ million

  1992–93 £ million

  Estimated expenditure on debt financing

  92

  106

  108

  Debt charges element of Birmingham's SSA

  51

  65

  59

  Difference

  41

  41

  49

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Community Care Grants
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of applications for community care grants in the Sheffield area are successful.

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

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many papers his Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office; if he will list their titles; and when he estimates that they will be returned.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Government Departments have a statutory right under the Public Record Acts to retrieve material, temporarily, from the Public Record Office for their own administrative use. The number of items and frequency of such retrievals vary considerably. At 5 November 1992, the Department of Social Security had 17 files out on loan which are listed in the table.

  Such material is returned to the Public Record Office as soon as departmental action has been completed.

  DSS: Files on loan from Public Record Office, as at 5 November 1992

  Pro piece ref no.

  Piece/subject title

  PIN 7/514

  Duration of unemployment benefit (1955–67)

  PIN 7/515

  Earnings related short term benefit: transitional arrangements for provisions of standard flat rate (1965–1966)

  Requisitioning Branch: SS(B)1A

  PIN 15/3740

  Air raid victims of 1914–1918 War: payment of compensation by Ministry of Health (1946–1968)

  Requisitioning Branch: SS(A)1

  PIN 59/10

  War pensions policy: Third party compensation (1942–1970)

  Requisitioning Branch SS(A)1

  PIN 15/2232

  Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act 1939: Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme Amendment Order 1940: revised instructions to Assistance Board Officers (1939–1941)

  Requisitioning Branch SS(A)1

  PIN 15/3834

  Cadet Forces: award of pension: regulation amendment (1952–1980)

  Requisitioning Branch SS(A)1

  PIN 15/2770

  Compensation for army cadets: Regulations for the Army Cadet Force 1945 (1942–1964)

  Requisitioning Branch SS(A)1

  744

  Pro piece ref no.

  Piece/subject title

  PIN 34/163

  New scheme pensions: persons residing or employed overseas (1968–1970)

  Requisitioning Branch SS/1R(D)AD1

  PIN 15/2350

  War Pensions and detention allowances (Naval Auxiliary Personnel) Scheme 1940 (1939–1941)

  Requisitioning Branch: W4C2 NX

  PIN 15/2351

  War Pensions and detention allowances (Naval Auxiliary Personnel) Scheme 1940 (1941–1944)

  PIN 15/2822

  War Pensions and detention allowances (Naval Auxiliary Personnel) Scheme 1940 (1945–1961)

  PIN 15/1433

  South African Contingent: pension charges etc. taken over by the Union Government of South Africa (1917–1918)

  PIN 15/1434

  South African Contingent: pension charges etc. taken over by the Union Government of South Africa (1918–1920)

  PIN 15/1435

  South African Contingent: pension charges etc. taken over by the Union Government of South Africa (1919–1920)

  PIN 15/1436

  South African Contingent: pension chrges etc. taken over by the Union Government of South Africa (1919–1920)

  PIN 15/1437

  South African Contingent: pension charges etc. taken over by the Union Government of South Africa (1920–1921)

  PIN 15/1438

  South African Contingent: pension charges etc. taken over by the Union Government of South Africa (1921–1944)

  Requisitioning Branch W4C3 NX

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for each local authority area in South Yorkshire, how many residential properties are currently owned by his Department; and if he will list, by location, those residential properties which are empty, giving the type of accommodation available, the length of time each property has been vacant, and its intended future use.

  Miss Widdecombe
  There is only one property on the Department's estate in the South Yorkshire area which could be described as residential property. This is the Woodhouse resettlement unit in Sheffield and it is fully occupied at the present time.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to publish a citizens charter for people with disabilities; and if he will specify the standards of service that recipients of disability living allowance should expect.

  Mr. Scott
  There are no such plans. The citizens charter is about setting standards and improving service for all customers taking account, where appropriate of those with special needs.

  The standards of service that recipients of disability living allowance should expect are published in the Benefits Agency business plan and will be included in the disability allowance unit statement of service to be published by the end of January 1993.

  Lost Files
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many temporary staff are currently employed by the Benefits Agency to track down lost or missing files of applicants for benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the report by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on the recognition of bronchitis and emphysema as an industrial injury; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We have had a number of enquires about publication of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's report on chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The report will be published in the normal way by the end of November.

DEFENCE

  Ceremonial Uniforms
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost of ceremonial uniforms in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The total cost of ceremonial uniforms, including swords and scabbards, in each of the past five years was:

  £

  1987–88

  936,797

  1988–89

  1,106,216

  1989–90

  1,411,311

  1990–91

  1,286,974

  1991–92

  1,283,720

  Police (Special Escort Group)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the role and function of the special escort group of the Ministry of Defence police; how many personnel are assigned to it; and what is its annual budget.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The special escort group is an element within the MOD police responsible for those escort duties necessary to meet safety and security requirements when moves of sensitive material are made. Its costs are contained within the overall MDP budget. For security reasons it is not our policy to comment on numbers of personnel nor their methods of operation.

  Lupina C
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the incident which took place in September involving the fishing vessel Lupina C and the United States Navy submarine Sturgeon; and if he will make a statement.
  746
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A number of letters from hon. Members, fishermen's representatives and interested individuals have been received. The United States navy is conducting a full investigation into this incident. When its findings are available, I will consider whether there is any need for further measures to improve the safety of submarine operations in waters that are used by fishing vessels, in addition to those already discussed with the fishing industry.

  Nuclear Tests
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to conduct further nuclear tests at Nevada; and for what purposes those tests would be conducted.

  Mr. Aitken
  United States legislation provides for the United Kingdom to conduct three nuclear tests at the Nevada test site between 1 July 1993 and 30 September 1996. It is not our practice to comment in detail on the purpose of individual tests, but all United Kingdom nuclear tests are designed to ensure the safety and credibility of our nuclear deterrent.

  Service Uniforms
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of items and the value of the service uniforms for which contracts to purchase were placed in the last year for which figures are available; if he will give a breakdown of those figures according to whether the product was(a) made and finished in the United Kingdom from fabric produced in the United Kingdom, (b) made and finished in the United Kingdom from imported fabric and (c) finished in the United Kingdom but made abroad; and if he will make a statement of his purchasing policy in such matters.

  Mr. Aitken
  Contracts to the value of £89·9 million have been placed for service uniforms in the past year. These contracts covered some 700 individual items.

  It is our policy to seek the best value for money when purchasing uniforms. We therefore pursue open competition and no restrictions are imposed on grounds of nationality or origin of supplies. Because of the large number of contractors and sub-contractors involved, it would not be practicable to maintain records of the origin of the materials used in uniforms.

  Amphibious Warfare Vessels
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for(a) development of auxiliary amphibious warfare vessels and (b) developing a tactical air-to-surface missile; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  We intend to refurbish the Navy's three older landing ships logistic to enable them to continue in service into the next century. On current plans we expect work on the programme to begin in the summer of 1993.

  We are continuing to study a range of options for the eventual replacement of the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb. No decision has yet been taken.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Citizens Charter
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide a breakdown of the costs to date incurred in the promotion and publication of the citizens charter, all subsequent charters and the chartermark award scheme.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  The promotion, publication and distribution of the citizens charter White Paper, popular version, ethnic minority versions and audio version for the partially sighted cost £930,000.

  The costs of the promotion, publication and distribution of subsequent charters is approximately:

  £

  British Rail

  250,000

  HM Customs & Excise

  12,000

  Employment Department

  630,000

  Department For Education

  2,000,000

  Department of the Environment

  300,000

  Department of Health

  2,000,000

  Inland Revenue

  12,000

  London Underground

  110,000

  Northern Ireland

  417,400

  Scottish Office

  342,000

  Department of Social Security

  43,500

  Welsh Office

  535,000

  The Chartermark award scheme 1992 cost £810,000. This includes publication, distribution and advertising costs as well as the cost of the awards ceremony and the separate design competition for schools.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many different languages the citizens charter White Paper CM 1599 is currently available in; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  The citizens charter White Paper (Cm. 1599) was published in English.

  The "Guide to the Citizen's Charter", which provides a summary of the policies and initiatives set out in the charter, is available in English, Welsh, Bengali, Gujariti, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Greek and Turkish.

  Science and Engineering Research Council
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans the Government have to separate the funding of international projects from the rest of the Science and Engineering Research Council's budget.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  The Government have no such plans at present.

  The question of the most appropriate way of funding international projects has however featured in a number of contributions to the consultation process on the forthcoming White Paper on Science and Technology which my right hon. Friend has initiated. We shall be considering carefully these and other proposals for change that have been made.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what effect the devaluation of sterling will have on the funding of projects other than CERN by the Science and Engineering Research Council.
  748
  Mr. Robert Jackson
  The fall in the value of sterling relative to the franc will affect the cost to the SERC of its fixed percentage contributions to the European synchrotron radiation facility (ESRF), and the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL). There will also be minor adjustments to the cost in sterling of SERC's contribution to the European incoherent scatter facility (EISCAT), paid in Swedish krona, and to the Anglo-Australian telescope facility (paid in Australian dollars). SERC's contribution to the European Space Agency's space science programme, which is paid in ecus, will also be affected, although the funding formula here also takes account of relative GDP of member states, adjusted retroactively.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what effect the devaluation of sterling will have on contributions made by the Science and Engineering Research Council to CERN.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  Member states' contributions to CERN are based on a formula which takes account of relative GDP. The increased cost to SERC due to the devaluation of sterling relative to the Swiss franc will, over a period of time, be offset to a large degree by this self-correcting formula.

  There will be no significant effect in financial year 1992–93 as the bulk of payments due to CERN for this period were made prior to the mid-September devaluation.

  There will be an additional cost in financial year 1993–94 but, after that, this will reduce as the relative GDP formula takes effect.

  Agencies
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. Waldegrave
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the following agency chief executives: Mr. Mike Devereau, Central Office of Information; Miss Marianne Neville-Rolfe, Civil Service College; Mr. Paul Freeman, Her Majesty's Stationery Office; Dr. George Sorrie, Occupational Health Service and Mr. Michael Geddes, Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency. I have asked them to write to the hon. Member. Copies of their replies will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from Miss Marianne Neville-Rolfe to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 9 November 1992

  You asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he would 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.

  I am replying to you in respect of the Civil Service College. The information you have asked for is set out in the attached table.

  Civil service college sunningdale statement of average numbers and staff costs

  Grade

  1991–92 average numbers employed

  1992–93 average numbers employed/planned

  3

  1

  1

  5

  3

  2·50

  6

  12·25

  15

  7

  60·75

  61

  Senior Executive Officer

  18

  13·75

  749

  Grade

  1991–92 average numbers employed

  1992–93 average numbers employed/planned

  Senior Librarian

  1

  1

  Higher Executive Officer

  15·50

  15·50

  Executive Officer

  28·25

  29

  Assistant Librarian

  1·50

  1·50

  Senior Personal Secretary

  1

  1·50

  Professional and Technology Officer

  0·50

  1

  Administrative Officer

  55·75

  60·50

  Administrative Assistant

  7·25

  6·50

  Personal Secretary

  5·25

  6·50

  Typing Manager

  1

  —

  Typist

  2·25

  0·50

  Support Grade Band 1

  2·50

  3

  Support Grade Band 2

  7·25

  8·25

  Total

  224

  228

  Casuals employed in year

  4·50

  5·50

  Grand Total

  228·50

  233·50

  Total staff costs (including ERNIC)

  £4,952,000

  £5,382,000

  Notes:

  1. Staff Numbers include part-time employees who are counted as 0·50, hence the 0·25 on averaging.

  2. Average is between 1st April and 31st March numbers.

  3. Costs are total employee costs inclusive of Earnings Related National Insurance Contributions.

  Letters from Mr. Michael D. Geddes to Mr. Martin
  Redmond, dated 2 November 1992.

  The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has asked me to reply for Recruitment and Assessment Services to your Question asking him to 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.

  The information for RAS is set out in the table annexed to this letter.

  RAS Staff 1991–92 and 1992–93

  Average for 1991–92

  Current 1992–93

  Grade 3

  1

  1

  Grade 5

  1·5

  1

  Grade 6

  4·5

  4

  Grade 7

  18·25

  16

  Senior Executive Officer

  8

  7

  Senior Information Officer

  0·5

  1

  Senior Psychologist

  2·5

  3

  Higher Executive Officer

  13

  10

  Information Officer

  0·75

  1

  Higher Psychologist

  1

  2

  Executive Officer

  36·25

  29

  Psychologist

  1·25

  0

  Assistant Information Officer

  1·25

  1

  Administrative Officer

  56·5

  51

  Administrative Assistant

  34

  25

  Typing Manager

  1

  1

  Senior Personal Secretary

  1

  2

  Personal Secretary

  5·5

  1·5

  Typist

  12·25

  9

  Support Manager Grade 2

  1

  1

  Support Manager Grade 3

  1

  1

  Support Grade 1

  12·5

  10

  Support Grade 2

  22

  15·5

  236·5

  193

  750

  Average for 1991;92

  Current 1992;93

  Cost:

  £

  £

  Salaries

  3,613,282

  3,198,000

  Superannuation

  570,408

  498,000

  Casuals

  35,879

  37,000

  TOTAL

  4,219,569

  3,733,000

  Letter from Dr. George Sorrie to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 4 November 1992.

  I have been asked by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to reply to your question about the numbers of staff and their costs in the Civil Service Occupational Health Service Executive Agency.

  I attach a table which shows the number of staff by grade as at 30 September 1991 and 1992. We also employ staff from time to time on a fee paid basis.

  In 1991–92 staff costs for permanent staff were £2·671 million. A further £0·113 million was spent on staff loaned from other Government departments and on staff overtime and £0·249 million on fee paid sessional staff and agency staff. Business Plan forecasts for the current financial year are £2,990 million, £0·140 million and £0·240 million respectively.

  Civil Service Occupational Health Service

  Number of Staff1 1991–92

  Number of Staff1 1992–93

  Grade

  3

  1

  1

  4

  2

  2

  5

  8

  8

  6

  8

  8

  7

  3

  4

  Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

  2

  2

  Senior Professional and Technical Officer (SPTO)

  2

  2

  Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

  2

  2

  Executive Officer (EO)

  3

  4

  Administrative Officer (AO)

  15

  15

  Personal Secretary (PS)

  6

  6

  Administrative Assistant (AO)

  6

  5

  Typist

  6

  8

  Senior Occupational Health Adviser (SOHA)

  6

  7

  Occupational Health Adviser (OHA)

  13

  20

  Occupational Health Practitioner (OHP)

  14

  13

  Occupational Health Nurse (OHN)

  17

  21

  114

  128

  1 Numbers of staff in post as at 30 September includes part-time staff and staff on short-term contracts.

  Letter from Mr. Paul Freeman to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 November 1992.

  I am responding in respect of HMSO to your Question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster about staff numbers and costs, which has been referred to Chief Executives.

  I should explain first that HMSO does not follow the traditional financial year of April to March, but operates on a calendar year basis. Total staff costs in 1991 were £63·9 million and the 1992 outturn is expected to be around £67·7 million. Both figures cover permanent, casual and agency staff, and include basic pay, national insurance, superannuation, bonus and overtime, and some redundancy and early retirement costs.
  751
  HMSO is also an exception to the standard Civil Service grading arrangements. Apart from my own, all posts were reclassified in 1991 under an analytical job evaluation system based on pay bands. The attached list shows the average numbers employed in each pay band in 1991 and 1992.

  1991

  1992

  Grade 2

  1

  1

  Pay Band 20

  2

  2

  19

  —

  —

  18

  4

  4

  17

  4

  3

  16

  5

  6

  15

  7

  6

  14

  12

  12

  13

  36

  36

  12

  18

  17

  11

  55

  56

  10

  94

  94

  9

  162

  166

  8

  221

  221

  7

  410

  419

  6

  172

  163

  5

  272

  270

  4

  414

  393

  3

  184

  175

  2

  81

  66

  1

  45

  37

  Industrial Staff

  1,169

  1,103

  Totals

  3,368

  3,250

  Letter from Mr. Mike Devereau to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 4 November 1992.

  I am replying to your question about staff numbers and costs.

  For 1991–92 our total paybill, excluding accrued early retirement liabilities, was £16·3m. I expect the figure for 1992–93 to be in the region of £15·7m.

  The average number of staff employed during 1991–92 was 709 of which 685 were permanent employees and 24 casual. In 1992–93 I expect the average to be in the region of 645 of which 625 would be permanent employees and 20 casual. A breakdown of average staff numbers by grade for 1991–92 and projected average staff numbers for 1992–93 is attached.

  Average staff numbers

  1991–92 actual

  1992–93 estimated

  Permanent staff

  Chief Executive (G3)

  1

  1

  Deputy Director General (G5)

  1

  1

  Grade 5

  5

  5

  Grade 6

  12

  10

  Grade 7

  35

  35

  Supervisory Engineer

  1

  1

  Senior Executive Officer

  13

  12

  Senior Information Officer

  112

  111

  Senior Engineer

  2

  1

  Engineer

  4

  5

  Chief Typing Manager

  1

  1

  Higher Executive Officer

  26

  25

  Information Officer

  164

  146

  Librarian

  1

  1

  Senior Personal Secretary

  1

  1

  Typing Manager

  3

  1

  Assistant Information Officer

  36

  29

  Executive Officer

  43

  42

  Personal Secretary

  14

  14

  Vault Keeper

  2

  2

  Assistant Librarian

  3

  3

  Support Manager 3

  4

  4

  Typist

  23

  16

  Administration Officer

  106

  94

  Support Grade Band 1

  19

  17

  Studio Assistant

  2

  1

  752

  1991–92 actual

  1992–93 estimated

  Carpenter

  1

  1

  Support Grade Band 2

  27

  25

  Administrative Assistant

  23

  20

  Sub-total

  685

  625

  Casual staff

  Information Officer

  2

  1

  Assistant Information Officer

  2

  0

  Administration Officer

  13

  12

  Administration Assistant

  4

  4

  Support Grade Band 2

  2

  2

  Typist

  1

  0

  Sub-Total

  24

  19

  Total

  709

  644

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the numbers employed in the construction industry in the north-wast standard region in each year since 1979.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is shown in the table following.

  Employees in employment in the construction industry in the north west standard region

  June of each year

  (000's)

  1979

  134

  1980

  134

  1981

  122

  1982

  116

  1983

  114

  1984

  114

  1985

  111

  1986

  106

  1987

  107

  1988

  110

  1989

  114

  1990

  113

  1991

  101

  1992

  89

  Earnings Statistics
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of(a) manual and (b) non-manual workers currently earn less than (i) £147·85, (ii) £197·30 and (iii) £207.13 excluding overtime payments; and what are the proportions separately for men and women.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The available information closest to that requested is published in table 24 of part A of the 1992 "New Earnings Survey" report, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average pay of those aged under 18 years as a percentage of earning of those (i) aged 18 to 21 years and (ii) aged 21 years and over, in each year since 1979, in(a) Greater London and (b) Great Britain.
  753
  Mr. McLoughlin
  The available information closest to, that requested is given in the following table.

  Average gross weekly earnings of full time employees whose pay for the survey pay period was not affected by absence.

  Earnings of those aged under 18 years as a percentage of those aged:

  Greater London

  Great Britain

  18–20

  21+

  18–20

  21+

  1979

  75·0

  43·5

  69·5

  42·2

  1980

  —

  —

  68·8

  41·6

  1981

  72·3

  41·9

  70·2

  41·4

  1982

  72·7

  41·3

  70·6

  41·0

  1983

  66·5

  37·2

  67·7

  38·7

  1984

  70·0

  38·5

  66·9

  37·5

  1985

  71·1

  38·4

  69·1

  38·4

  1986

  72·1

  38·8

  70·1

  38·3

  1987

  72·8

  38·

  71·7

  38·7

  1988

  75·5

  40·0

  73·2

  39·4

  1989

  77·2

  40·9

  72·0

  38·7

  1990

  75·7

  40·3

  71·5

  38·3

  1991

  72·8

  38·7

  70·1

  37·4

  1992

  73·3

  36·7

  69·9

  36·1

  Source: New Earnings Survey.

  Note:" —" denotes sample number too small or standard error too large for reliable estimate.

  Women Workers
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many women working(a) full-time and (b) part-time are covered by wages councils in London.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  It is estimated that some two-thirds of all workers covered by the wages councils are women and that about two-thirds of all wages council workers are part-timers. I regret there are no separate estimates for London.

  Health and Safety (Local Authorities)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) prohibition notices and (b) improvement notices were issued on local authorities by the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1974.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is available only for the period after 1 April 1988; enforcement statistics before that date do not separately identify local authorities. The following table shows the total number of prohibition and improvement notices issued to local authorities by relevant HSE inspectorates for each year since then.

  Enforcement notices issued against local authorities1 by HSE's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates, 1988–89 to 1990–91

  Type of Notice

  Date of Issue2

  Improvement

  Deferred Prohibition

  Immediate Prohibition

  Total

  1988–89

  54

  1

  31

  86

  1989–90

  52

  2

  20

  74

  1990–91

  89

  2

  29

  120

  1 Offences or breaches of legislation occurring in premises, or arising from activities, controlled by local authorities.

  2 Years commencing 1 April.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was(a) the total number of
  754
  prosecutions and (b) the average fine against local authorities by the Health and Safety Executive under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act in each year since 1974.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is available only for the period after 1 April 1988; enforcement statistics before that date do not separately identify local authorities. The following table shows the number of informations laid against local authorities by relevant HSE inspectorates since then.

  Prosecution action1 taken against local authorities,2 by HSE's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates, 1988–89 to 1990–91

  Date of Hearing3

  Number of Informations laid

  of which Convictions

  Average fine per conviction (£)

  1988–89

  22

  22

  594

  1989–90

  39

  31

  1,435

  1990–91

  41

  39

  953

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

  2 Offences or breaches of legislation occurring in premises, or arising from activities, controlled by local authorities.

  3 Years commencing 1 April.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was(a) the total number of prosecutions against local authority directors and (b) the average fines under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 in each year.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is available only after 1 April 1988; enforcement statistics before that date do not separately identify local authorities. HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates enforce health and safety legislation as it applies to local authority premises and activities. Since then there have been no prosecutions of local authority directors.

  Local Authority Employees
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were(a) killed and (b) seriously injured in local authority employment in each year since 1974.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Occupational injuries to workers' occurring in premises owned by, or arising from activities controlled by, local authorities, and reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates for years between 1988–89 and 1990–91 are provided in the following table. Prior to 1 April 1988 such injuries were not separately identified.

  Year2

  Fatal

  Major3

  Over three day4

  Total

  1988–89

  11

  2,553

  33,689

  36,253

  1989–90

  12

  2,539

  32,224

  34,775

  51990–91

  12

  2,571

  30,031

  32,614

  1 Injuries to employees and self-employed persons reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985 (RIDDOR).

  2 Years commencing 1 April.

  3 As denned under RIDDOR.

  4 An injury causing incapacity for normal work for more than three days.

  5 Includes reports made to the HSE's Quarries Inspectorates.

  Regional Expenditure
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total revenue expenditure in each of the English regions by her Department in the years 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Wages Policy
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what regard is paid to the existence or level of other household earnings in determining government policy on(a) wages council rates and (b) pay agreements negotiated for public employees.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Wages councils are independent statutory bodies and Ministers have no power to intervene in their decisions about minimum rates of pay. Pay should reflect individual performance and what is necessary to recruit and retain the right staff, within what can be realistically afforded.

  Wages Councils
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees from black and ethnic minority communities working within establishments in London are covered by wages councils.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) establishments and (b) employees were covered by the wages councils in London in (i) 1979, (ii) 1986, (iii) 1989 and (iv) 1991.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are no detailed figures on the number of establishments and employees covered by wages councils in London, but the following table gives broad estimates:

  Number of establishments

  Numbers of workers

  1979

  46,000

  326,000

  1986

  45,000

  327,000

  1989

  56,000

  367,000

  1991

  51,000

  317,000

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many checks were carried out by wages councils in London on underpaying in the last year for which figures are available, and what number and proportion were found to be underpaying.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The number of checks by all methods carried out in 1991 by the wages inspectorate in its London division was 5,299.

  The number of establishments found under paying was 294, 5·5 per cent. of those inspected.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees covered by wages councils are the principal source of their household's income.
  756
  Mr. McLoughlin
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her oral answer of 3 November to the hon. Member for Redcar (Ms. Mowlam),Official Report, column 139, if she will give details of the survey resulting in the figure given in her answer for the percentage of wages council workers who are in households with two or more wage earners.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The figure referred to by the hon. Member is based on information about the main wages council industries recorded in the April 1991 "Labour Force Survey". This is a sample survey of the members of around 60,000 households in Great Britain.

  Crown Indemnity
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when she expects the Health and Safety Commission to consider the review of current procedures and to put its proposals to Ministers concerning the removal of Crown indemnity in respect of infringements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Health and Safety Commission currently plans to consider the review in December and, if appropriate, will make recommendations early in the new year.

  Training
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what percentage of the working population were on work-related Government training programmes in each region in each year since 1979;

  (2) how many people were on work-related Government training programmes in each year since 1979, in each region.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is not readily available in the form requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Wages
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list for each jobcentre in the Doncaster area, for the latest date she has available, the number of current accepted vacanies from employers where the wages offered fall below the relevant wages council minimum; and what percentage this is of the total number of vacancies on offer at each jobcentre.

  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. Martin Redmond, dated 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 the number of current vacancies accepted by Jobcentres in the Doncaster area where the wages offered fall below the relevant Wages Council minimum and what percentage this is of the total number of vacancies on offer at each Jobcentre. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  757
  There are no vacancies at Doncaster or Thorne Jobcentres which fall below Wages Council minumum rates. Jobcentres have comprehensive instructions giving guidance to staff on the action to be taken when a vacancy covered by a Wages Council Order is notified. If the employer is unwilling to pay the Wages Council minimum then my people are instructed not to accept the vacancy and to refer the case to the Department of Employment Wages Inspectorate.

  I hope this is helpful.

  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.

  Accident Hazard Regulations
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidelines she intends to issue to local authorities as to the charges they may make to industrial site operators for work done under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1984.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has no plans to issue guidelines on the charges local authorities may make. The Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 contain specific details of what local authorities may charge for in preparing off-site emergency plans and how these charges must be calculated. Guidance on these legal requirements is given in the Health and Safety Executive's revised booklet "A Guide to the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984", published by HMSO in 1990, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Workfare
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration she has given to the introduction of workfare to help solve the problem of rising unemployment.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  As my hon. Friend is aware, we have no plans for a compulsory work programme for unemployed people. Our priority remains to help unemployed people back into work through our employment and training programmes.

  Proposed redundancies in the period 1 August 1992 to 31 October 1992

  SIC Number

  SIC Number Description

  Number of Establishments

  Number of Employees

  Per cent, of Total Redundancies Notified

  11

  Coal extraction and solid fuels

  11

  3,358

  20·49

  32

  Mechanical engineering

  47

  2,125

  12·97

  35

  Manufacturer of motor vehicles and parts

  24

  1,465

  8·94

  50

  Construction

  27

  1,141

  6·96

  34

  Electrical and electronic engineering

  23

  949

  5·79

  24

  Manufacturer of non-metal mineral products

  20

  673

  4·11

  83

  Other business services and central offices

  19

  658

  4·02

  91

  Local and national government services

  7

  652

  3·98

  31

  Manufacture of other metal goods

  13

  505

  3·08

  41

  Food/groceries/dairy products

  13

  505

  3·08

  96

  Social work/charitable services

  1

  396

  2·42

  42

  Drinks, animal foods and tobacco

  4

  354

  2·16

  66

  Hotels and catering

  8

  352

  2·15

  22

  Metal manufacturing

  11

  337

  2·06

  49

  Other manufacturing industries

  8

  317

  1·93

  92

  Other services

  7

  303

  1·85

  64

  Retail distribution

  7

  284

  1·73

  48

  Processing rubber and plastics

  9

  277

  1·69

  36

  Manufacturing other transport equipment

  2

  209

  1·28

  81

  Banking financial services

  3

  204

  1·25

  37

  Instrument engineering

  2

  155

  0·95

  46

  Wooden furniture industries

  6

  136

  0·83

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many papers her Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office; if she will list their titles; and when she estimates that they will be returned.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Government Departments have a statutory right under the Public Record Acts to retrieve records temporarily from the Public Record Office for their own administrative use. The Employment Department has 39 records out on loan. To list them all would involve disproportionate costs.

  Records are returned as soon as departmental action has been completed.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list, for each local authority area in south Yorkshire, how many residential properties are currently owned by her Department; and if she will list, by location, those residential properties which are empty, giving the type of accommodation available, the length of time each property has been vacant, and its intended future use.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department does not own any residential properties in south Yorkshire.

  Redundancies
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of redundancies in the west midlands area for the last available quarter broken down by sector.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Figures are available for the numbers of proposed redundancies notified under the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 for the quarter to 31 October. The table gives information by standard industrial classification.
  759

  SIC Number

  SIC Number Description

  Number of Establishments

  Number of Employees

  Per cent, of Total Redundancies Notified

  97

  Recreational/cultural services

  1

  128

  0·78

  77

  Other transport/storage services

  4

  93

  0·57

  1

  Agriculture and horticulture

  2

  90

  0·55

  65

  Retail distribution

  4

  85

  0·52

  47

  Paper manufacturing, printing and publishing

  5

  75

  0·46

  94

  Research and development services

  3

  72

  0·44

  95

  Medical, dental and veterinary services

  2

  68

  0·42

  17

  Water supply industry

  3

  67

  0·41

  79

  Postal and telecommunication services

  1

  60

  0·37

  43

  Textile industries

  2

  49

  0·30

  44

  Manufacture of leather and leather goods

  1

  46

  0·28

  45

  Footwear and clothing industries

  2

  45

  0·27

  67

  Vehicle and consumer goods repair

  1

  39

  0·24

  21

  Metal ores extraction/preparation

  1

  29

  0·18

  82

  Insurance

  1

  26

  0·16

  84

  Renting of movables

  1

  18

  0·11

  72

  Other inland transport

  1

  18

  0·11

  85

  Property owning and managing

  1

  12

  0·07

  76

  Transport support service

  1

  10

  0·06

  75

  Air transport

  0

  0

  0·00

  33

  Manufacture of office machines

  0

  0

  0·00

  93

  Education

  0

  0

  0·00

  61

  Wholesale distribution

  0

  0

  0·00

  30

  Shipbuilding and repair

  0

  0

  0·00

  26

  Production of man-made fibres

  0

  0

  0·00

  25

  Chemical industry

  0

  0

  0·00

  62

  Dealing in other industrial materials

  0

  0

  0·00

  23

  Extracting minerals not elsewhere specified

  0

  0

  0·00

  98

  Personal services

  0

  0

  0·00

  74

  Sea transport

  0

  0

  0·00

  71

  Railways

  0

  0

  0·00

  16

  Electricity, gas and other products distribution

  0

  0

  0·00

  15

  Nuclear fuel production

  0

  0

  0·00

  14

  Mineral oil processing

  0

  0

  0·00

  13

  Oil extraction and natural gases

  0

  0

  0·00

  12

  Coke ovens

  0

  0

  0·00

  99

  Private domestic service

  0

  0

  0·00

  3

  Fishing

  0

  0

  0·00

  2

  Forestry

  0

  0

  0·00

  63

  Commission agents

  0

  0

  0·00

  309

  16,385

  Occupational Ill Health
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate she has made of the annual cost of occupational ill health; and what action she proposes to take to lessen this.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Reliable estimates of the annual cost of occupational ill health are not presently available. Health and Safety Executive economists are carrying out research into the cost of occupational ill health and expect to publish the results of this work early next year.

  Improving the level of occupational health is a main priority for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. Details of their current activities and plans for action are set out in the Commission's annual reports and plans of work. These include the preparation of a comprehensive framework of regulations under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 covering the main categories of workplace health risks, practical guidance and campaigns, and an extensive programme of research and surveys of the scale and pattern of occupational ill health.

  Water Quality
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will introduce legislation to extend the health and safety legislation requiring drinking water and running water for washing to be provided at conveniently accessible places, to apply to all working locations, including domestic houses and flats.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We are currently considering the Health and Safety Commission proposals for regulations which implement European Community directive No. 89/654/EEC (the workplace directive). The proposed regulations would extend the current requirements in health and safety legislation on drinking water and running water for washing to all workplaces. However, they apply only to"any premises or part of premises which are not domestic premises and are made available to any person as a place of work".

  Domestic houses and flats are therefore outside the scope of the proposed regulations. They are, however, required to have such facilities under the Building Regulations (England and Wales) which are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when Mr. E. D. Coote of Linden, Mount Pleasant road, Brixham (NI No. ZL 46 46 75 C) will be notified of the result of his appeal to the Department of Employment, Newcastle, regarding loss of invalidity benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  I have been asked to reply.

  The administration of invalidity benefit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. As the appeal is a personal and confidential matter, he will reply direct to the hon. Member.

HEALTH

  Glaucoma
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports she has received about the use of laser treatment for glaucoma; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  The use of lasers has revolutionised the treatment of glaucoma and other diseases of the eye. I understand that many patients who would previously have been treated as in-patients are now being successfully treated in out-patient clinics.

  Smoking
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received regarding danger to health from smoking and passive smoking.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The consequences of smoking and passive smoking have been the subject of many representations received in the Department. Most recently the Health Education Authority's publication called "The Smoking Epidemic—A Manifesto for Action" locked at the life expectancy of smokers, passive smoking and the costs to the national health service.

  Health Service Expenditure
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the plans for health service expenditure for the current public expenditure planning period.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be making his autumn statement to the House on Thursday 12 November.

  Departmental Information
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy for increasing the amount of information made available to the general public from her Department.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department aims to provide the general public with a wide range of information relating to legislation, policy, patients' rights and other health advice. The Department is also playing a full part In the cross-departmental initiative on open government.

  Furthermore, the Department is engaged in a number of initiatives to promote greater access to information by
  762
  national health service patients—including information on performance against patients charter standards, regional health information services and legislation to give patients access to health records held on them. The Department is currently consulting on draft guidance on freedom of speech for national health service employees.

  GP Lists
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the average number of patients on each general practitioner's list since 1979; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  I am pleased to be able to report that the average number of patients on general medical practitioner lists in England has fallen by 18 per cent., from 2,286 at 1 October 1979 to 1,932 at 1 April 1992.

  Standish Hospital, Gloucestershire
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received concerning the effect of the proposed closure of Standish hospital. Gloucestershire on provision of specialist services.

  Mr. Sackville
  Gloucestershire health authority is currently consulting publicly on this proposal. If the closure is opposed by the local community health council the matter will be referred to Ministers, via the South Western regional health authority, for a full decision.

  Tomlinson Report
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of possible job losses as a result of the implementation of the Tomlinson report.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Sir Bernard Tomlinson's recommendations point the way to a better health service for London and Londoners. We are currently consulting widely on them. As part of this, we will take in the views of staff and the implications of change for staff. We will set out a detailed response in the new year.

  Ms. Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of the implementation of the Tomlinson recommendations on waiting lists in London.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The report notes that significant progress has been made in reducing waiting times in London. We will ensure that the proposals arising from the report continue this trend.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from the people of London concerning the Tomlinson report.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Tomlinson report has only just been published, but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health welcomes an open debate on the issues it raises. We will listen carefully to the views expressed before setting out our detailed proposals for change in the new year.

  Occupational Health
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to increase the amount of time medical students spend on occupational health issues during their training.
  763
  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall) earlier today.

  Cost Improvement Programme
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about the workings of the cost improvement programme from hospital authorities in England and Wales.

  Mr. Sackville
  No formal representations have been made. However each year the management executive agrees with an individual region an efficiency target as part of the management process.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish an urgent inquiry into the London ambulance service.

  Mr. Sackville
  The hon. Member will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health made a statement to the House on 28 October about the London ambulance service.

  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to ensure that ambulance response times in London meet the guidelines set out in the citizens charter.

  Mr. Sackville
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health announced to the House on 28 October an urgent external enquiry into the operation of the computer aided dispatch system and the circumstances surrounding its failure on 26 and 27 October. This inquiry will also identify the lessons to be learned for the operation and management of the London ambulance service.

  The terms of reference were announced in my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Mr. Thomason) on 6 November at columns 445–46.

  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of people in London who have died in the current year as a consequence of ambulance delays.

  Mr. Sackville
  There has been widespread public concern about the delays in the response and arrival times of emergency ambulances and allegations of people dying as a consequence. Every case of alleged delay is fully investigated by the London ambulance service board.

  It is however, difficult to estimate the extent to which delays in the ambulance service may have contributed to the death of seriously ill patients.

  Ms. Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from ISL Consultancy following its visit to the London ambulance service control on standards of organisation; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced to the House on 6 November the terms of reference for the independent inquiry into the operation and procurement of the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system for the London ambulance service. She has received a letter from ISL Consultancy which will be directed to the inquiry.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population is currently served by a general practitioner fundholder; and how she expects this percentage to change in the future.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  General practitioner fundholders currently serve 14 per cent. of the population. The figure is expected to rise to around 25 per cent. in April of next year, when the third wave of fundholders comes on stream.

  NHS Trusts
  Ms. Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to make NHS trusts more accountable to local people; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  National health service trusts are more accountable now than national health service provider units were under health authority management. They are required to hold an annual public meeting, and their business plans and annual reports are available to the public, as are the service contracts they make with health authorities. Each trust's local community health council has rights of access to it.

  Mr. Ashby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names of those people appointed to be chairmen and non-executive directors of the third wave of national health service trusts.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have placed a list of the chairmen and non-executive directors of third wave trusts which I have announced today in the Library.

  NHS trusts have shown their worth. In their first year of operation, first wave trusts treated 8 per cent. more patients than in their previous year as directly managed hospitals. Such a figure clearly demonstrates that we now have a NHS which is better managed and able to treat more patients for the same level of resources. Trusts have made a key contribution to this improvement.

  The third wave of trusts cannot come a moment too soon. But if they are to bring the benefits to patients and improvements in services which have become the hallmark of self-governing hospitals, then they must be properly led. The appointment of the right person as chairman is a crucial factor. He or she must also be supported by an imaginative team of non-executive directors able to contribute fresh insights into the running of the trust. The names I have announced today fit the bill. These chairmen and non-executive trust directors will bring a wealth of expertise and experience from outside the NHS which will have a direct impact on improving patient services.

  A significantly higher number of women have been appointed to these posts. Forty per cent. of these new appointments are women, compared with 31 per cent. in the first and second waves. This enables us to make progress towards meeting our commitment under Opportunity 2000 to increase the number of women as members of health authorities and trusts to 35 per cent. by 1994.

  Care in the Community
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations she has had from organisations responsible for providing care in the community.
  765
  Mr. Yeo
  We regularly receive correspondence from organisations making representations about or seeking clarification of the details of our new community care arrangements.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  'To ask the Secretary of Slate for Health what monitoring is being carried out by her Department of local arrangements for care in the community; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Community care implementation has been monitored by the social services inspectorate/regional health authorities at six monthly intervals in September 1991, April 1992 and September 1992. We have recently received a report on the latest round of monitoring.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the availability of dental services within the NHS.

  Dr Mawhinney
  In general, dental treatment under the national health service is readily available throughout England and Wales. If patients have difficulty in finding a national health service dentist, they will be helped by their family health services authority (FHSA) to obtain treatment. We have urged dentists to think long and hard before taking any steps that would effect their patients or practices.

  Domiciliary Care Agencies (Registration)
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce legislation to make the registration of domiciliary care agencies compulsory.

  Mr. Yeo
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 22 October at column 371.

  GP Cover
  Mr. Gamier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will discuss with representatives of family doctors ways of maintaining 24-hour general practitioner cover.

  Dr Mawhinney
  We have already said that we should be prepared to look constructively with representatives of the medical profession at the scope for developing improved or more flexible arrangements for out-of-hours cover. But we would need to be clearly satisfied that any proposals for change would safeguard and, if possible, improve the services available to patients.

  Geopathic Stress
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department is currently carrying out into geopathic stress; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr Mawhinney
  The term "geopathic stress" is I understand used to refer to the effects of depletion of the ozone layer on flora and fauna. The Department does not undertake any research into such matters which are not associated with human health.

  Skin Cancer
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the known incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer for each of the past five years.
  766
  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested is shown in the table (1987 is the latest year for which information is available).

  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of malignant neoplasms of the skin (non-melanoma) ICD* 173, England and Wales 1983–1987.

  Year

  Males

  Females

  Total

  1983

  11,317

  10,419

  21,736

  1984

  11,678

  10,576

  22,254

  1985

  12,597

  10,746

  23,343

  1986

  14,152

  12,615

  26,767

  1987

  13,661

  12,585

  26,246

  * International Classification of Diseases; ninth revision.

  Medical Records
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to make national health service records available throughout EC member countries for United Kingdom citizens living abroad; and what information she has on how many previously United Kingdom registered patients requested a precis of their medical records whilst living abroad during the last five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Medical records are the property of the national health service and are retained in this country for NHS purposes including the possible future care and treatment of the patient. Patients who plan to live abroad may approach their general practitioner to obtain a precis of their medical history or a copy of their medical records to give to any practitioner in the new country of residence.

  Information is not collected on requests for medical records from United Kingdom registered patients living abroad.

  Secure Places
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to review the need for, and extend the provision of, local authority secure places.

  Mr. Yeo
  The need to provide additional local authority secure places to implement the new juvenile remand arrangements in the Criminal Justice Act 1991 has been considered by a multi-agency national steering group. We are discussing with local authorities how the additional secure places identified by the group might most effectively be provided.

  Benzodiazepines
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been provided by her Department in 1992–93 specifically to help people withdraw from benzodiazepines prescribed by general practitioners.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None. Specific commitment to action in this area is made in the White Paper "The Health of the Nation". The resulting improvement in the education of primary care teams in the gradual withdrawal of benzodiazepines in chronic users and the promotion of good professional practice will help people overcome this problem.

  Maternity Services
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will set up a full review of the maternity services in those areas affected by the Tomlinson proposals on London teaching hospitals;

  (2) if she will meet representatives of midwives in London hospitals to reassure them on future numbers of midwife posts following the Tomlinson proposals;

  (3) what steps she will take to ensure that those pregnant women who will be directly affected by the Tomlinson proposals for London teaching hospitals will receive locally based maternity care.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Tomlinson report does not recommend a review of maternity services, but as the Government's main aim is to continue to provide high quality services for Londoners we shall ensure that any proposals for change take into account the full range of services. Access to local services will also be one of the considerations we will take into account when assessing proposals.

  I have already made it clear that I will be listening carefully to the views of patients and staff before making a response to Tomlinson's recommendations. Accordingly, I will meet the Royal College of Midwives, representing midwives in London, in the near future.

  Suicides (Unemployed)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) men and (b) women aged (i) 18 years and over and (ii) 45 to 65 years were recorded in each standard region and the whole United Kingdom as suicides or attempted suicides in each year since 1979; and what number and proportion in each case were known to be unemployed.

  Mr. Sackville
  The exact information requested is not available. A table derived from death registrations shows the number of deaths with a verdict of suicide ICD E950–E959 over the period requested has been placed in the Library.

  Hospital Closures
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have closed since 1979.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Ambulance Service, Coventry
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give details of the response time records for emergencies attended by the ambulance service in Coventry for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not held centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the chairman of West Midlands regional health authority for details.

  Expenditure
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of public spending on health was in(a) 1980 and (b) 1989–90.
  768
  Mr. Sackville
  The percentage of total public expenditure spent on health in the United Kingdom was 12·1 per cent. in 1979–80 and 13·8 per cent. in 1989–90. The latest available figure, for 1991–92, is 14·4 per cent.

  Hospital Beds
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds were available to the national health service in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Sackville
  In 1989 there were 283,000 beds in national health service hospitals in England, compared with 362,000 beds in 1979. Over the same period the number of hospital in-patient cases treated annually rose from 5·4 million to 6·6 million.

  Community Grant
  Mr. Peter Butter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what response she proposes to make to representations she has received on her proposals for a special transitional grant for community care.

  Mr. Yeo
  We have been consulting the local authority associations and others on the detail of the announcements which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made on 2 October. In the light of the comments made we think it right to adjust the requirement that in 1993–94 75 per cent. of the special transitional grant be spent in the independent sector. The proportion will now be set at 85 per cent. of the transfer element of the grant. This change recognises that the strength of the independent sector varies across the country whilst ensuring that the overwhelming majority of the funds transferred from the Department of Social Security continue to be spent on independent sector care.

  This announcement demonstrates the Government's firm and fair approach in discussing the implemention and funding of community care with the local authority associations.

  Diagnostic Assessment
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each health region have been funded to receive diagnostic assessment outside their own health authority area.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Hepatitis B
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of hepatitis B were reported to public health laboratories in England in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Sackville
  The total number of laboratory reports of acute hepatitis B infection to the public health laboratory service's communicable disease surveillance centre for England and Wales (by the year in which the specimen was taken) is as follows:

  Date

  Number

  1980

  1,007

  1981

  1,197

  1982

  1,237

  1983

  1,274

  769

  Date

  Number

  1984

  1,937

  1985

  1,771

  1986

  1,312

  1987

  774

  1988

  636

  1989

  590

  1990

  564

  11991

  520

  1(Provisional)

  The availability of immunisation, together with behavioural changes in certain "at risk" groups, are believed to have contributed to this decrease.

  Children Act 1989
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been given to each local social services authority to help with the implementation of the Children Act 1989.

  Mr. Yeo
  In 1992–93, the first full year of the Act, the England component of total standard spending for services for children was set at £1,654 million—over 27 per cent. (14 per cent. in real terms) higher than in 1990–91 (£1,301 million), reflecting the Government's commitment to the Act. For each authority, the overall standard spending assessment represents the Government's view of the appropriate level of spending required to achieve a standard level of service. It is for individual authorities to determine appropriate levels of services based on their judgment of the resources available to them and. local needs and priorities, as well as legislative duties. Local authorities receive support from central Government through the revenue support grant, business rates and specific grants, and from their own sources from the community charge and charges set by them for the services they provide.

  Doctors' Working Hours
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the number of junior doctors who work more than 83 hours per week; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Regional task force reports, current at 31 August 1992, indicate that 3,234 junior doctors, out of a total of over 25,000, are contracted for a maximum average of more than 83 hours a week. This represents a fall of 2,041 since the last returns in February and, since September 1990, a fall of more than 10,000.

  Hospital Buildings
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of national health service hospitals were built(a) before 1890 and (b) before 1918.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not held centrally. The Government are committed to modernising the national health service estate and have invested over £6 billion on more than 650 major building schemes across the country over the last 10 years.

  Community Care
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the earliest date on which financial and statistical information about community care arrangements by social services authorities will be available following community care implementation on 1 April 1993.

  Mr. Yeo
  Budgetary information for the financial year 1993–94 should be available from local authorities by the end of May 1993.

  Mr. Hinchcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements for monitoring and evaluating community care arrangements by health and social services authorities after 1 April 1993 she intends to put into place;

  (2) how she will monitor the development by social services authorities of day and domiciliary services after 1 April 1993; and if she will make it her policy that adequate special transitional grant for community care will be available for this purpose;

  (3) what steps she will take to monitor the involvement of users and carers in assessment of need for community care; and if she will make it her policy to make additional resources available for this purpose if necessary in the light of monitoring current arrangements.

  Mr. Yeo
  Monitoring of authorities' implementation of new community care arrangements will be carried out by a variety of means, including the work of regional health authorities and the social services inspectorate, routine financial and statistical returns and other sources of information. The need for additional resources for community care will be considered as part of the public expenditure process in the normal way.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she intends to give social services authorities on their duty to meet the assessed needs of individuals for community care services; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Authorities duties are set out in legislation. We have issued practice guidance on assessment procedures, and we are considering whether to issue further guidance on certain aspects of those procedures.

  Healthtrac
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to report on the operation of the Healthtrac contract within the West Midlands regional health authority; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  I understand the statutory auditor appointed by the Audit Commission is currently reviewing the management of the Healthtrac contract and will be reporting his findings to West Midlands regional health authority in due course.

  Private Sector Providers
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she proposes to direct social services authorities to consult representatives of independent sector providers in their area; and how she will satisfy herself of the effectiveness of the arrangements she proposes.

  Mr. Yeo
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 4 November 1992 at columns 293–94.

  West Midlands RHA
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will dismiss Sir James Ackers as chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Mr. Conway) on 5 November at column 348.

  AIDS
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the results of the anonymised screening programme for HIV.

  Mr. Sackville
  Some preliminary results, relating to genitourinary and ante-natal clinic attenders in England and Wales, were published in May 1991. Further details, including results for injecting drug misusers, were published in the public health laboratory service communicable disease report in June 1991. The ante-natal clinic results were updated in November 1991. The studies

  Nurses and Midwives—Entrants to Training

  Region

  Year ending March 1990 Nurses

  Midwives

  Year ending March 1991 Nurses

  Midwives

  Year ending March 1992 Nurses

  Midwives

  Northern

  1,284

  144

  1,315

  136

  1,310

  120

  Yorkshire

  1,492

  198

  1,631

  204

  1,880

  130

  Trent

  1,888

  248

  2,058

  207

  1,880

  200

  East Anglian

  715

  101

  687

  86

  810

  90

  North West Thames

  1,459

  208

  1,535

  230

  1,890

  220

  North East Thames

  2,582

  220

  2,337

  204

  2,880

  200

  South East Thames

  1,886

  237

  1,900

  244

  1,810

  210

  South West Thames

  1,193

  148

  1,292

  142

  1,320

  100

  Wessex

  1,250

  190

  1,238

  181

  1,400

  160

  Oxford

  798

  103

  773

  120

  1,040

  130

  South Western

  1,315

  157

  1,251

  146

  1,380

  140

  West Midlands

  2,102

  315

  2,313

  276

  2,300

  310

  Mersey

  1,116

  121

  1,100

  133

  1,220

  100

  North Western

  1,805

  205

  1,775

  187

  2,300

  190

  ENGLAND

  20,885

  2,595

  21,205

  2,496

  23,420

  2,300

  Data from: English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

  Notes: 1991–92 figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  1. The numbers of nursing and midwifery training places commissioned for 1992 and 1993 for staff to commence training programmes is taken from the Working Paper 10 Regional Balance Sheets dated 15 October 1992.

  2. Figures do not include nurses and midwives who are being funded by the Department for Education.

  3. Regional figures for commissioned places in 1993 are still being refined. However, we are able to provide an estimated aggregate figure for England from data available to date.

  Nurses and midwives—training commissions Working Paper 10 figures

  Region

  Year ending March 1993 Nurses

  Midwives

  Year ending March 1994 Nurses

  Midwives

  Northern

  1,059

  145

  Yorkshire

  1,436

  137

  Trent

  1,505

  219

  East Anglian

  495

  92

  North West Region

  1,210

  155

  North East Thames

  2,116

  237

  South East Thames

  1,549

  303

  South West Thames

  964

  62

  Wessex

  1,028

  167

  Oxford

  727

  96

  South Western

  913

  116

  West Midlands

  1,332

  485

  Mersey

  724

  70

  North Western

  1,488

  196

  England

  16,546

  2,480

  14,275

  1,945

  772
  been expanded and it is intended to publish further results in the near future. I will consider carefully the implication of these for the development of our HIV and AIDS strategy.

  Nursing and Midwifery Students
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing and midwifery students took up places in each region in England in each year since 1990; and if she will make a statement on the likely level for 1993, assuming both volume and percentage changes.

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 6 November 1992]: The tables show a reduction in student numbers which has resulted from improved planning and better strategies for the retention of staff. This helps ensure that the numbers of student nurses and midwives being trained matches more closely the numbers of posts available for qualifying students. The demand for places is assessed locally in consultation with clinical directors, professional heads and service managers.
  773

  Nurses and midwives—entrants to training and training commissions

  Percent

  Percentage change 1989–90 to 1990–91

  Percentage change 1990–91 to 1991–92

  Percentage change 1991–92 to 1992–93

  Region

  Nurses

  Midwives

  Nurses

  Midwives

  Nurses

  Midwives

  Northern

  2·4

  -5·6

  -0·4

  -11·8

  -19·2

  20·8

  Yorkshire

  9·3

  3·0

  15·3

  -36·3

  -23·6

  5·4

  Trent

  9·0

  -16·5

  -8·6

  -3·4

  -19·9

  9·5

  East Anglian

  -3·9

  -14·9

  17·9

  4·7

  -38·9

  2·2

  North West Thames

  5·2

  10·6

  23·1

  -4·3

  -36·0

  -29·5

  North East Thames

  -9·5

  -7·3

  23·2

  -2·0

  -26·5

  18·5

  South East Thames

  0·7

  3·0

  -4·7

  -13·9

  -14·4

  44·3

  South West Thames

  8·3

  -4·1

  2·2

  -29·6

  -27·0

  -38·0

  Wessex

  -1·0

  -4·7

  13·1

  -11·6

  -26·6

  4·4

  Oxford

  -3·1

  16·5

  34·5

  8·3

  -30·1

  -26·2

  South Western

  -4·9

  -7·0

  10·3

  -4·1

  -33·8

  -17·1

  West Midlands

  10·0

  -12·4

  -0·6

  12·3

  -42·1

  56·5

  Mersey

  -1·4

  9·9

  10·9

  -24·8

  -40·7

  -30·0

  North Western

  -1·7

  -8·8

  29·6

  1·6

  -35·3

  3·2

  England

  1·5

  -3·8

  10·4

  -7·9

  -29·4

  7·8

  1992–93 to 1993–94

  Per cent.

  Region

  Nurses

  Midwives

  Northern

  —

  —

  Yorkshire

  —

  —

  Trent

  —

  —

  East Anglian

  —

  —

  North West Thames

  —

  —

  North East Thames

  —

  —

  South East Thames

  —

  —

  774

  Region

  Nurses

  Midwives

  South West Thames

  —

  —

  Wessex

  —

  —

  Oxford

  —

  —

  South Western

  —

  —

  West Midlands

  —

  —

  Mersey

  —

  —

  North Western

  —

  —

  England

  -13·7

  -21·6

  LAW OFFICERS: APPEARANCES IN COURT
  LAW OFFICERS: APPEARANCES IN COURT
  BUSINESS FAILURES IN WANDSWORTH AND PUTNEY
  BUSINESS FAILURES IN WANDSWORTH AND PUTNEY
  COMPULSORY COMPETITIVE TENDERING: POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES
  COMPULSORY COMPETITIVE TENDERING: POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES
  STREET PARKING ENFORCEMENT: CCT
  STREET PARKING ENFORCEMENT: CCT
  SURVEYOR GENERAL'S ORGANISATION: EXECUTIVE AGENCY STATUS
  SURVEYOR GENERAL'S ORGANISATION: EXECUTIVE AGENCY STATUS
  LUXEMBOURG TRANSPORT COUNCIL, 26TH OCTOBER
  LUXEMBOURG TRANSPORT COUNCIL, 26TH OCTOBER
  INLAND REVENUE TRUST RETURN FORM: DIMENSIONS
  INLAND REVENUE TRUST RETURN FORM: DIMENSIONS
  EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TAXATION THRESHOLD
  EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TAXATION THRESHOLD
  TOMLINSON REPORT: SITE AND BUILDING VALUATIONS
  TOMLINSON REPORT: SITE AND BUILDING VALUATIONS
  SOCIAL SECURITY CLAIMANTS: INDEBTEDNESS
  SOCIAL SECURITY CLAIMANTS: INDEBTEDNESS
  HAMPTON COURT PALACE: ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE
  HAMPTON COURT PALACE: ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE
  DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM ACT 1969: SECTION 4 ASSISTANCE
  DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM ACT 1969: SECTION 4 ASSISTANCE