Written Answers of 24 November 1992

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Matrix Churchill
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Attorney-General what documents were given by the Law Officers' Departments to HM Customs and Excise before it prosecuted Matrix Churchill; on what dates the documents were given; what was the source of any such documents provided; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  On 3 December 1990 Sir Hal Miller, then my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove, wrote to me enclosing documents supplied to him by The Sunday Times about the affairs of Matrix Churchill. The company was then the subject of a continuing investigation by HM Customs and Excise to which the documents were forwarded on the 4 December 1990 in accordance with the usual arrangements for transfer of correspondence.

  Inquiries have been made in all the Law Officers' Departments, but no further documents have been located which were received and passed to HM Customs and Excise prior to the institution of proceedings relating to Matrix Churchill.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police Authorities
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the organisations and individuals he has(a) consulted and (b) invited to submit comments, suggestions or representations about the future structure and funding of police authorities in England and Wales; when their reports were received or are expected; and what process of consultation and discussion he intends to undertake.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No formal consultations have taken place nor have comments formally been invited. If changes are proposed, consultation will take place with those directly concerned.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the individuals outside his Department who are advising his Department on the future structure and funding of police authorities in England and Wales; when their reports were received or are expected; and what process of consultation and discussion he intends to undertake.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: It is Ministers, not officials, who are responsible for policy. It does not seem appropriate to give the names of individual officials advising Ministers when it is Ministers, not officials, who are responsible for decisions on policy. If changes are proposed, consultation will take place with those directly concerned.
  548
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged(a) 16 to 21 years, (b) 22 to 30 years and (c) 31 to 45 years were arrested for possession of crack cocaine in (i) London and (ii) Wales in each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  The table shows the number of people who have been dealt with for offences involving crack cocaine in London in 1990, 1991 and 1992. There were no persons dealt with in Wales in any year. Figures for actual arrest are not collected centrally.

  Persons dealt with for offences involving "crack" London (Metropolitan and City police districts)

  Age at time of disposal

  1990

  1991

  11992

  Up to 21 years

  6

  9

  6

  22–30 years

  19

  31

  25

  Over 31 years

  10

  30

  23

  Total

  35

  70

  54

  1 So far recorded.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Her Majesty's prison Manchester will be used for young people awaiting allocation to a young offender institution once it becomes fully operational.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There are no immediate plans to use Manchester prison for this purpose, but the invitation to tender issued in connection with the market testing of the establishment covers the possibility of its holding young prisoners.

  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington of 7 August and 24 August about the growth of juvenile crime in the mid-Warwickshire area.

  Mr. Jack
  I shall write to my hon. Friend this week.

  Mr. Colin Wallace
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now refer the conviction of Mr. Colin Wallace for the manslaughter of Jonathan Lewis to the Court of Appeal for review.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. and learned Friend has the power under section 17(1)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 to refer a conviction to the Court of Appeal; but he would normally do so only if presented with new evidence or a consideration of substance which had not been before the courts and which appeared to cast doubt on the safety of the conviction. Since my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten) wrote to the hon. Member on 30 June 1990, no representations claiming to have identified such evidence or other consideration of substance has been made to the Home Office.

  Police (Court Attendance)
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many man-hours were used by police officers attending courts in(a) Carlisle and (b) Cumbria in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what proportion of total police man-hours this represented in each year.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  HM Inspector of Police
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each regional crime squad in England and Wales the dates on which each has been inspected by Her Majesty's inspector of police in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  All the information requested is not readily available, but I will write to the hon. Member.

  Prison Officers (Name Badges)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department as to the wearing of a name badge by prison officers working in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The procurement process through competitive tendering has commenced in order that name badges will be provided for every member of the prison service by 1 April 1993. As from that date all staff, including prison officers, coming into contact with prisoners or the public will be required when they do so to wear name badges. Further, staff will be encouraged to wear name badges in any circumstances where it will be useful or courteous to do so. This policy is in accord with the citizens charter, the report by Lord Justice Woolf and the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice".

  The wearing of name badges will be a tangible sign of the shared commitment by all employed in the Home Office prison service to deliver a quality public service.

  Police (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police officers of each rank are from the ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is as follows.

  Per cent.

  Chief Constable

  0·00

  Deputy Chief Constable

  0·00

  Assistant Chief Constable

  0·00

  Chief Superintendent

  0·18

  Superintendent

  0·20

  Chief Inspector

  0·17

  Inspector

  0·34

  Sergeant

  0·47

  Constable

  1·65

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the police are from ethnic minorities in England and Wales.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The percentage of police officers in England and Wales from ethnic minorities on 31 August 1992 was 1·34 per cent.

  Vulnerable Prisoner Units
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision exists for vulnerable prisoner sections in custodial centres for persons under the age of 18 years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There are no formally designated sections within juvenile units for vulnerable persons. Under rule 46(1) of the Young Offender Institutions Rules 1988, the governor may arrange for an inmate to be separated from others where this would be in his or her interest. But this would be unlikely to be a long-term solution to problems being faced by a vulnerable juvenile and the governor of the establishment would be concerned to find other means of providing protection, for example, by use of disciplinary procedures in respect of those using or threatening violence.

  Crack
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of the drug crack there were in the Northumbria police authority area in 1991.

  Mr. Jack
  There were no recorded seizures of the type of cocaine known as "crack" in the Northumbria police area during 1991.

  Drug-related Offences
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of crimes committed while under the influence of drugs, in Blyth Valley and the Northumbria police authority area, in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Jack
  It is not possible to estimate with any accuracy the number of crimes committed by offenders under the influence of drugs.

  Young Offenders (Dyslexia)
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders in remand or prison institutions suffer with dyslexia.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Records of the number of young offenders with dyslexia are not held centrally. When young offenders are received into remand centres or young offender institutions, their educational needs are assessed. The aim is to help offenders prepare for their return to the community by providing a programme of activities including education, training and work.

  Drug Abuse
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what areas within the Northumbria police authority area have been identified as having the highest levels of drug abuse; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I understand that Northumbria police judge that most drug misuse occurs within the major centres of population in the Tyne and Wear conurbation.

  Prison Officers' Accommodation
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officer quarters at each of the London prisons were occupied by prison officers on November.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of prison quarters occupied by prison officers on 16 November 1992 in the six London prisons is as follows:

  Number

  Belmarsh

  110

  Brixton

  154

  Holloway

  141

  Pentonville

  100

  Wandworth

  126

  Wormwood Scrubs

  196

  Vehicle-related projects funded in 1991–92

  From the Probation Supervision Grant Scheme

  South Glamorgan

  Dragon Wheels

  West Glamorgan

  Guiding Hands Association

  Northumbria

  YMCA North Shields

  Oxfordshire

  Trax—Oxfordshire Motor Project

  Shropshire

  Telford Drive

  Somerset

  Mendip Motor Project

  West Sussex

  Car Offender Project

  North Yorkshire

  Croft Motor Trust

  West Yorkshire

  Bradford Motor Education Project (jointly funded by Safer Cities)

  West Yorkshire

  NACRO Focus

  From the Safer Cities Programme

  Bradford

  Keighley Motor Project

  Bradford

  Canterbury Motor Project

  Bristol

  Southmead Racing Bangers Project

  Coventry

  Henley Green Motorcycle Project

  Hartlepool

  Motor Cycle Project

  Hull

  Orchard Park Wheels Project—Summer 1991

  Nottingham

  Wheelbase

  Salford

  Swinton Karting Project

  Salford

  General Education in Automobile Responsibility in Salford (GEARS)

  Sunderland

  Town End Motor Project

  Sunderland

  Warden Law Motor Sports Park

  Wandsworth

  Wandsworth Motor Project

  Vehicle-related projects funded in 1992–93

  From the Probation Supervision Grant Scheme

  Avon

  Bristol Wheels Project

  Essex

  Essex Motor Project

  South Glamorgan

  Dragon Wheels

  West Glamorgan

  Guiding Hands Association

  West Midlands

  Shard End Driver Training Project

  Northumbria

  Motoring MACPI (Multi-Agency Crime Prevention Initiative)

  Northumbria

  Motorvation Youth Project

  Northumbria

  YMCA North Shields

  Oxfordshire

  Trax—Oxfordshire Motor Project

  Shropshire

  Telford Drive

  Somerset

  Mendip Motor Project

  West Sussex

  Car Offender Project

  North Yorkshire

  Croft Motor Trust

  West Yorkshire

  Birstall Urban Motorcycle Project for Youth (BUMPY)

  West Yorkshire

  Bradford Motor Education Project (jointly funded by Safer Cities)

  West Yorkshire

  NACRO Focus

  From the Safer Cities Programme

  Bradford

  Keighley Motor Project

  Bradford

  Canterbury Motor Project

  Coventry

  Henley Green Motorcycle Project

  Nottingham

  Wheelbase

  552
  1flats (one bedroomed)

  Vehicle-related Projects
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the vehicle-related projects which were wholly or partly funded by his Department under the probation supervision grant scheme and the safer cities programme in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The list of projects is set out in the table. The 1992–93 section includes a recently approved scheme which is additional to the number quoted in my earlier reply of 26 October, at column 457, and my letter of 30 October to the hon. Member.

  Deportation
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-United Kingdom(a) men and (b) women were deported from Britain, following the completion of their prison sentence in each of the last five years; and of those, how many were deported to (i) Nigeria, (ii) other West African countries, (iii) Colombia and (iv) Pakistan.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The information available is given in the table. Data for men and women separately, and on the country to which the person is deported, are not available.

  Persons removed from the United Kingdom under the deportation process as a result of a court recommendation.1

  Nationality of person

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Total

  490

  469

  396

  372

  402

  Of which:

  Nigeria

  146

  172

  204

  172

  205

  Ghana

  67

  39

  40

  23

  16

  Sierra Leone

  2

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Colombia

  9

  8

  8

  13

  22

  Pakistan

  38

  26

  11

  11

  16

  1 Under section 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1971.

  TREVI Group
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to put the future agreements made at the Trevi Group before Parliament.

  Mr. Wardle
  The Secretary of State for the Home Department will continue to report to the House on the decisions of Trevi Ministers by means of a written answer after each ministerial meeting. Any arrangements which need parliamentary approval will naturally be put to the House.

ENVIRONMENT

  Energy Review
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department will be making to Her Majesty's Government's energy review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  My officials are contributing fully to the work of the review.

  Capital Receipts
  Ms. Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the amount of reserved part of capital receipts set aside as provision to meet credit liabilities but not yet used to redeem debt for each local authority and standard economic region and one total for England; and if he will place the information in the Library on floppy disk.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information on the total amount set aside as provision for credit liabilities at 31 March 1991, as reported by local authorities, has been placed in the 554
  Library of the House. Local authorities are not required to identify separately amounts originating from set-aside capital receipts.

  Building Effects Review Group
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the action undertaken by his Department resulting from the United Kingdom buildings effects review group report published in 1989.

  Mr. Maclean
  A number of recommendations in the United Kingdom buildings effects review group report have been implemented. These include the setting up of the national materials exposure programme, the establishment of more urban pollution monitoring sites, the development of inventories of stock at risk for a range of economically important materials, work on air pollution effects on stained glass and the development of economic models to assess the costs of air pollution damage to buildings and materials. In addition, overall research on air pollution effects in a number of areas has been sustained as recommended in the BERG report.

  Fire Extinguishers
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken in Government offices to replace fire extinguishers which use ozone-depleting substances; and when replacement will be completed.

  Mr. Maclean
  It is my Department's policy to avoid the use of fire extinguishers which use ozone-depleting substances. All portable halon fire extinguishers in DOE buildings have been replaced by ozone-friendly alternatives. Other departments have been advised to follow a similar policy with a view to phasing out the use of ozone-depleting substances as soon as is practically possible and within the time scale set out by the Montreal protocol and other international agreements.

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining compensation payment levels to be granted following the appearance of a piece of land on the newly established contaminated land register.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government have no plans for compensation in respect of land included on the proposed local authority registers of land which may be contaminated.

  Audit Fees
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities on the level and percentage rise of audit fees charged to local authorities by the Audit Commission.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I have received a number of representations from parish councils about the cost of the requirement for regular audit. I have received no representations from local authorities about the rate of audit fees as such, or about the percentage rise of audit fees.

  Urban Regeneration Agency
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of Barnsley as a possible location for the urban regeneration agency.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities gave in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates) on 11 November,Official Report, columns 789–90.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Oakes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will name the power stations which have applied to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to burn orimulsion.

  Mr. Maclean
  The chief inspector of Her Majesty' inspectorate of pollution has received two applications under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 from National Power to burn orimulsion in its power stations at Pembroke and Padiham. He has also received two applications under that Act from PowerGen to burn orimulsion in its power stations at Ince and Richborough.

  Rents
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to ensure that rent levels required by housing associations do not increase above the level of inflation.

  Mr. Baldry
  For tenants of registered housing associations whose tenancies commenced after 15 January 1989, rents are set by each individual housing association in accordance with its overall rent policy.

  For tenants of registered housing associations whose tenancy began before 15 January 1989 rents are set by the rent officer under the Rent Act 1977. The rent officer will take into account the age, character, locality and state of repair of a dwelling while disregarding any shortage of similar accommodation in the area.

  EC Structural Funds
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what way allocations to local authorities under the revenue support grant settlement and capital approvals take account of allocations to individual local authorities under European structural fund programmes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  European structural fund programmes do not provide specific allocations for individual local authorities. European regional development fund receipts are not take into account, therefore, in determining revenue support grant settlements. Local authorities do, however, receive capital approvals to provide public expenditure cover for European regional development fund receipts, which from 1993–94 will be automatic.

  Bathing Water
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify the beaches in the north-west of England that failed to meet the bathing water quality standard during 1992.
  556
  Mr. Maclean
  Bathing waters not meeting the standards for coliform bacteria in 1992 were Southport, St. Anne's (2), Blackpool (3), Bispham, Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Heysham, Morecambe (2), Bardsea, Newbiggin, Roan Head, Askam, Haverigg, Seascale, St. Bees, Allonby (2) and Skinburness.

  Urban Programme
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had from local authorities affected by the announcement on 13 November that there would be no more new starts under the urban programme.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. and learned Friend and other Ministers have received a few representations from local authorities about the arrangements set out in my letter of 13 November to urban programme authority leaders for an urban partnership fund, which will use uncommitted urban programme money alongside local authority capital receipts and other resources to promote urban regeneration.

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (i) if he will list those authorities eligible for urban programme funding(a) that are also in receipt of successful city challenge project allocation, (b) that put forward city challenge projects which failed and (c) that did not bid for city challenge;

  (2) if he will list the local authorities in England that received an allocation from the urban programme this year.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Tables 1 and 2 list successful and unsuccessful city challenge authorities. Taken together, the tables list all 57 authorities which received an urban programme allocation in 1992–93.

  Table 1—successful city challenge authorities

  Barnsley

  Manchester

  Birmingham

  Middlesbrough

  Blackburn

  Newcastle

  Bolton

  Newham

  Bradford

  North Tyneside

  Brent

  Nottingham

  Derby

  Rotherham

  Doncaster

  Sandwell

  Hackney

  Sefton

  Hartlepool

  Stockton-on-Tees

  Kensington and Chelsea

  Sunderland

  Kirklees

  Tower Hamlets

  Lambeth

  Walsall

  Leicester

  Wigan

  Lewisham

  Wirral

  Liverpool

  Wolverhampton

  Table 2—unsuccessful city challenge authorities

  Bristol

  Leeds

  Burnley

  Oldham

  Coventry

  Plymouth

  Dudley

  Preston

  Gateshead

  Rochdale

  Greenwich

  Salford

  Halton

  Sheffield

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  South Tyneside

  Haringey

  Southwark

  Hull

  St. Helens

  Islington

  Wandsworth

  Knowsley

  The Wrekin

  Langbaurgh

  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his present estimate of urban
  557
  programme allocation for 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95 (a) nationally, (b) for each region and (c) by urban programme authority.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  (a) The public expenditure provision of the urban programme is £237 million in 1992–93, £176 million in 1993–94 and £91 million 1994–95. This will allow us to fund existing commitments in future years and provide an additional £20 million in 1993–94 for projects as part of capital partnership.

  (b) The 1992–93 provision includes the urban crime fund initiative. The main urban programme provision for each region for 1992–93 is set out in the table.

  £ million

  Northern

  36·520

  North West

  38·954

  Merseyside

  28·285

  West Midlands

  35·488

  East Midlands

  9·913

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  25·997

  London

  43·172

  South West

  2·665

  In addition, local authorities contribute 25 per cent. of the cost of revenue projects, estimated at about £16 million, and will receive £11 million for projects supported by district health authorities from the Department of Health. Regional allocations for future years have not yet been made.

  (c) For initial allocations to urban programme authorities for 1992–93, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 5 June, Official Report, column 666.

  Industrial Improvement Grant
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many industrial improvement area grant schemes will finish in March 1993.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not available in the form requested. Individual and commercial improvment area grants often form part of larger block projects which cannot easily be disaggregated.

  Radiation
  Dr. John Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's comparative assessment of the annual radiation exposure to individuals from (i) natural background radiation in the environment, (ii) iodine 125 discharged from hospitals in sewers, (iii) iodine 125 in drinking water and (iv) krypton 85 discharges from the thermal oxide reprocessing plant received by the public in the vicinity of Sellafield.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: (i) Exposure of individuals to natural background radiation is kept under review by the National Radiological Protection Board. An NRPB report published in 1989 gave the average effective dose from background radiation to the United Kingdom population as 2,200 microsieverts per year.
  558
  (ii) NRPB estimated the effective dose to sewer workers from iodine 125 to be 1·2 microsieverts per year.

  (iii) A study by St. Bartholomew's medical school funded by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution found the effective dose to the public from iodine 125 in drinking water to be in the range 0 to 7 microsieverts per year.

  (iv) The THORP plant is not operational. However, the effective dose from krypton 85 emissions from THORP under proposed discharge limits contained in draft authorisations recently published by HMIP would not exceed 6·4 microsieverts per year to members of the critical group in the Sellafield area.

  For comparison, the International Commission on Radiological Protection has recommended a limit on effective doses from man-made sources—other than doses received by a patient undergoing medical treatment—for members of the public of 1,000 microsieverts per year.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what work has been undertaken within his Department on the effect of the Labour party's proposals for domestic rates and the Liberal Democrat proposals for local income tax; and at what cost.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: Both the Labour party's proposals for "fair rates" and the Liberal Democrat proposals for a local income tax were considered thoroughly during the review of local government finance in 1991 and throughout the passage of the Local Government Finance Bill.

  The annual cost of the local government review was estimated to be some £1 million. It is not possible to segregate the costs of work of considering some proposals rather than others during the course of that review and the Committee stages of the Bill.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Court Fees
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage increase is planned for each type of court fee; when such increases are proposed to take effect; and what is the estimate of the additional income arising from the fee increase.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The County Court Fees (Amendment) Order 1992, which comes into force on 30 November 1992, and 1 April 1993 in respect of proceedings under the Road Traffic Act 1991, revises the fees payable for proceedings in the county court. This is the first increase since 1986. There will be no immediate increases in other court fees, but all fee rates are kept under regular review. The percentage increase in individual county court fees is set out in the table. It is estimated that the additional income arising from the fee increase will be approximately £55 million in a full year, bringing the civil courts considerably closer to their target for covering their costs.
  559

  Revision of county court fees

  County Court Fees (Amendment) Order 1992

  Fee

  Title

  Date last amended

  Current

  New

  Percentage increase

  1(i)

  Summons

  April 1986

  Min. =£7

  Min. =£10

  Min. = +43%

  10p in £

  10p in £

  £300-£500 = -19% to +35%

  £300-£500 = £37

  £500-£l,000 = £60

  £500-£ 1,000 =+40%

  Above £500 = £43

  £1,000-£5,000 = £65

  £1,000-£5,000= +51%

  Above £5,000 = £70

  Above £5,000=+63%

  1(ii)

  Fixed Date Action/ Originating Application

  May 1985

  £30

  £40

  + 33%

  2

  Service

  December 1983

  £5

  £10

  +100%

  4(i)

  Warrant of Execution/Delivery

  Min. = December 1983

  Min. £5

  Min. = £10

  Min. = +100%

  Max. = April 1986

  15p in £

  15p in £

  Max. = +32%

  Max. = £38

  Max. =£50

  4(ii)

  Oral Examination

  May 1985

  £12

  £20

  + 67%

  4(iii)

  Garnishee Order

  May 1985

  £12

  £20

  + 67%

  4(iv)

  Warrant of Possession

  April 1986

  £25

  £50

  +100%

  4(v)

  Charging Order

  May 1985

  £12

  £20

  +67%

  4(vi)

  Judgment Summons

  May 1985

  £12

  £20

  +67%

  4(vii)

  Attachment of Earnings

  Min. = December 1983

  Min. =£5

  Min. =£10

  Min. = +100%

  Max. = April 1986

  l0p in £

  l0p in £

  Max. = +75%

  Max. =£40

  Max. =£70

  7

  Registry of County Court Judgments

  December 1982

  £1

  £3

  +200%

  9(i)(a)

  Debtor

  December 1986

  £15

  £20

  +33%

  9(i)(b)

  Creditor

  December 1986

  £45

  £50

  +11%

  9(ii)

  Other

  December 1986

  £40

  £50

  +25%

  9(iii)(a)

  Applications to District Judge

  December 1986

  £10

  £15

  +50%

  9(iii)(b)

  Applications to Judge

  December 1986

  £15

  £20

  +33%

  9(iv)

  Public Examination Hearing

  December 1986

  £15

  £20

  +33%

  County Courts
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases have been dealt with by county courts for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  During the 12 months from November 1991 to October 1992, the county courts of England and Wales issued 3,211,281 default cases of which 76,564 were disposed of by arbitration and 26,980 by trial. A further 2,042,127 judgments were entered in default or on acceptance of an admission. In addition, a further 402,925 other actions were issued by county courts including summonses for possession of land and return of goods.

EDUCATION

  Community Care
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the importance to the development of community care policies of two new degree courses in learning disabilities that were officially launched on 16 November.

  Mr. Forman
  The two new degree courses to be run at Stockport college of further and higher education and King Alfred's college aim to develop the knowledge and skills of those who work in the provision of services for people with learning disabilities. The courses constitute part of the overall training provision for the caring professions offered by educational institutions throughout the country. The Government welcome the development of such provision, which has an important part to play in ensuring that those who work at all levels in community care have opportunities to acquire the necessary skills.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations have been received from Manchester's chief education officer in reply to the letter
  561
  sent to him by Mr. D. M. Forrester of his Department on 3 November concerning applications from schools for grant-maintained status; what reply is being sent; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  Manchester city council's chief education officer has responded to the Department's letter of 3 November making a number of points. A reply will be sent to the CEO shortly.

  Examination League Tables
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many specific errors in the league table of school examination results were reported to his Department within the first 48 hours of publication.

  Mr. Forth
  Within the first 48 hours the Department had received 52 complaints; during this time, only two complaints were substantiated, one of which was a spelling mistake. The press were notified as soon as those errors came to light and erratum slips have been sent out with the tables concerned.

  The other complaints did not reveal errors on the part of the Department or its contractors. The schools concerned had in many cases supplied the information they were complaining about; others had not asked for any changes, had asked for unacceptable changes, had not sent in the necessary evidence, or sent it in too late; one was complaining about a newspaper error which misquoted the tables.

  Pupils
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Education if he will list for the most recent date for which information is available, the number and proportion of pupils in each local education authority educated outside the local education authority, and the proportion which resides outside the local education authority, in rank order by the net pupil inflow.

  Mr. Forth
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I shall write to my hon. Friend.

  Regulatory Measures
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Education if he will list the main measures increasing regulation in any area for which his Department has responsibility, which his Department has caused to be put into effect since 9 April.

  Mr. Forth
  The wide-ranging reforms of school inspection put into effect by the Education (Schools) Act 1992 will involve the regulation of registered inspectors by Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, in order to maintain quality assurance. No other new regulatory measures have been put into effect in the Department's area of responsibility.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Education if he will list the main measures of deregulation, or simplification of regulation, which his Department has carried out, or caused to be carried out, since 9 April.

  Mr. Forth
  There have been no such measures of deregulation.
  562
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Education which Minister in his Department is responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters which fall within the responsibility of his Department.

  Mr. Forth
  I have the responsibility for these matters in the Department.

  Mature Students
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of students in higher education were classed as mature in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Forman
  The percentages of first-year students on higher education courses in further and higher education institutions in Great Britain classified as mature are shown in the table.

  Per cent.

  1979

  40·0

  1980

  42·6

  1981

  42·4

  1982

  42·0

  1983

  44·0

  1984

  44·0

  1985

  46·7

  1986

  49·3

  1987

  48·7

  1988

  50·5

  1989

  49·8

  1990

  50·6

  Note:

  Mature students are defined as those enrolling on the 1st year of a 1st degree or undergraduate course at age 21 or over, or on a postgraduate course at age 25 or over.

  Special Education Needs
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to ensure access to local education authority psychological services for further education students who have special educational needs and who need special examination arrangements for GCSE and A-level equal to that provided by local education authorities for students in sixth forms at schools.

  Mr. Forman
  It is for the Further Education Funding Council to decide how to secure such support services, including psychological services, as are needed by students with learning difficulties in the new further education sector, for which the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 provides. The council intends to issue guidance on this to colleges in due course.

  Books
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ring fence funding for books in the allocation of resources to local education authorities.

  Mr. Forth
  No. It remains our policy that it is for local authorities to decide what expenditure, within the resources available to them, to devote to the services for which they are responsible; and for schools under delegated management to decide how to deploy their budgets among teaching costs, other staff costs, and non-pay costs such as books.

  Corporal Punishment
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the level of costs and compensation paid in respect of the recent case before the European Court of Human Rights, relating to corporal punishment; and what are the reasons for making the settlement.

  Mr. Forth
  The applicant received £8,000 compensation and agreed costs totalling £11,368. It is common practice for the parties to litigation to attempt to reach a settlement out of court.

  Vocational Courses
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the criteria he uses to determine whether a vocational course should qualify for mandatory grants.

  Mr. Forman
  The Education Act 1962 permits my right hon. Friend to designate, for mandatory student awards, only those full-time and sandwich courses which lead to a first degree or comparable qualification, or to a DipHE or HND, and courses of initial teacher training. His present policy is to designate most courses which fall within those categories. Where, however, a course is a candidate for specific designation on an individual basis—for example, as a course provided by an institution other than a university and leading to a qualification comparable to a first degree—it is considered in the light of all the relevant factors.

  University Academic Staff (Pay)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education by how much university academic staff pay has increased since 1979; and what was the average pay level for such staff at 1 April.

  Mr. Forman
  Between December 1979 and April 1992 the average pay of academic staff in the universities supported by the Universities Funding Council in Great Britain rose by just under 20 per cent. in real terms, as measured by the retail prices index. The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals estimate that the average pay for a university lecturer as at 1 April this year was £22,894.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list those agencies in his Department which are being considered for privatisation or contractorisation.

  Mr. Forman
  There are no current plans to privatise or contract out any agencies in my Department. However, this issue is reconsidered periodically as part of my Department's normal review process, as explained in the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr. Jackson) to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South East (Mr. Paice) on 17 November 1992,Official Report, column 104.

TRANSPORT

  Ferry Ships (Safety)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the safety of ferry ships.

  Mr. Steven Norris
  The Government consider that all ro-ro passenger ferries should be required to meet the full safety of life at sea—SOLAS '90—standard for damage stability. Despite intensive efforts, it has not so far probed possible to secure sufficient international support for implementation of the full SOLAS '90 standard on existing vessels over a reasonable time scale. We will continue to seek support in the International Maritime Organisation for an amendment to the convention. Meanwhile, we are considering alternative ways of achieving the same objective for vessels using United Kingdom ports.

  General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received against the privatisation of the General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen from(a) shipping interests, (b) seafarers and their representatives, (c) historians and researchers, (d) artists and others concerned with depicting Britain's maritime heritage and (e) families and descendants of those who have served at sea during the existence of the register.

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number

  (a)

  0

  (b)

  2

  (c)

  3

  (d)

  0

  (e)

  0

  Rail Services (Disabled People)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received(a) from disabled people and (b) organisations concerned with the welfare of disabled people, in regard to the preservation or enhancement of provision of rail services, access to rail services and cost of rail services for disabled people; and what response he has made.

  Mr. Freeman
  I receive representations on these matters from time to time both from disabled people and groups which represent them.

  The BR board has had a policy commitment for a number of years to improve access and facilities for disabled passengers whenever possible. It has an advisory group on disability which is consulted in advance of major decisions on either station development or rolling stock design.

  I know that BR provides discounts for disabled passengers, but the detail of such discounts is for BR to decide.

  For the future, our privatisation proposals envisage a duty on the rail regulator to take into account the interests

  565
  of persons with disabilities, which would be reflected in obligations imposed on railway operators through the regulator's licensing regime.

  Rail Electrification
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what national safety standards are set for the diameter of the current carrying overhead wire used for railway electrification, giving the largest and smallest permitted diameters.

  Mr. Freeman
  The electrification equipment used by BR generally conforms to the appropriate British or UIC standards. Stranded wires of diameters between 10 and 22 mm and solid contact wires of between 12·3 and 14·5 mm diameter are currently used. The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate issues standards for the safe use of this electrical equipment.

  Green Issues
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who, in his Department, has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Department.

  Mr. MacGregor
  As the Department of Transport's Green Minister, I am personally responsible for overseeing its environmental work. This work is co-ordinated and developed by the transport policy unit which was set up in 1989.

  Conserving the environment is one of the main aims of transport policy and is an aspect of many of the Department's activities. It is not therefore possible to specify the precise number of people or resources in my Department concerned with green issues.

  Nuclear Material
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the full text of the United Kingdom delegation's statement to the recent International Maritime Organisation marine environment protection committee in connection with the transport by sea of nuclear materials; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The report of the marine environment protection committee on its 33rd session, held between 26 and 30 October 1992, will reflect the oral contribution made by the United Kingdom delegation during the plenary session. A copy of that report will be placed in the Library when it is available.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he will be represented at the forthcoming joint International Atomic Energy Agency—International Maritime Organisation—United Nations Environment Programme working group on the transport of irradiated nuclear fuel, at the International Maritime Organisation maritime safety committee on 7 to 11 December.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department will be represented by specialists in the transport of irradiated nuclear fuel.

  Bus Companies
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to offer cash incentives for bus companies to develop full access to vehicles for disabled people.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is for bus operators to make their own decisions on the purchase of vehicles. Local authorities may assist operators in the purchase or equipment of vehicles to facilitate travel by members of the public who are disabled. My Department is supporting two low-floor bus demonstration projects, one inside London and one elsewhere; and we shall be evaluating their costs and benefits.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 2 November,Official Report, column 86 to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith), what ozone-friendly alternatives were considered in the construction of the channel tunnel; if he will recommend that the bi-national intergovernmental commission and safety authority reconsider the use of ozone-destroying substances in the sealed tunnel cooling system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  At present no suitable ozone-friendly substances have been developed, although it is envisaged that advances in fire extinguishing and cooling substances will eventually allow Eurotunnel to replace the materials now available. As indicated in my answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury, Eurotunnel has been required to design a cooling system to accept without great modification the possible replacement of HCFC 22 by more ozone-friendly fluids which become available.

  Rail Services (Franchising)
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses he has received to his consultation document "The Franchising of Passenger Rail Services" from those with an interest either as a franchisee or lessor.

  Mr. Freeman
  Responses to the consultation document have included 48 expressing interest in operating passenger franchises and nine in leasing rolling stock.

  Freight Services
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the estimated targets established by his Department for the proportion of freight tonnage to be transported through combined road-rail transport means by the year 2000.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department neither sets any such targets nor makes any such estimates. The extent to which consignors of freight use combined transport will depend on what services are available and on their cost, reliability and speed relative to carriage by other means.

  Public Service Obligation Payments
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to amend the current public service obligation rules to allow payments to be made in respect of individual railway lines.

  Mr. Freeman
  Amendments to the present rules will be made with the introduction of the franchising of passenger rail services.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Manufacturing Investment
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of United Kingdom gross domestic product was earned from manufacturing investment in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Nelson
  Estimates of manufacturing investment and gross domestic product may be obtained from the Central Statistical Office database accessible through the House of Commons Library.

  Offshore Companies
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the tax avoided by intellectual property contracts with offshore companies entered into by United Kingdom companies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The United Kingdom has long-established transfer-pricing legislation to counteract international tax avoidance generally, which would include tax avoided in relation to such contracts. Where cases of international tax avoidance are identified, these are in the main handled by a small specialist section within the Inland Revenue, which in 1991–92 recovered an additional £123 million in tax from its investigations generally.

  Export Controls
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contribution Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Department will make to the forthcoming seminar being held by the Export Control Organisation on a practical guide to United Kingdom export controls.

  Sir John Cope
  Customs and Excise regularly participate in seminars organised by the Export Control Organisation on United Kingdom export controls. Such a seminar was held on Friday 20 November with Customs and Excise participation.

  National Income Accounts
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to adjust national income accounts and gross national product calculations to take account of natural resource usage and pollution.

  Mr. Nelson
  The national accounts, compiled by the Central Statistical Office, measure economic activity in a clearly defined way in line with international recommendations. Development of methods of evaluating environmental factors in an economic accounting 568
  framework to complement the national accounts is also being encouraged by international organisations. For a number of reasons, however, not least the difficulty of putting monetary values on environmental factors, the development of integrated environmental and economic accounts is particularly difficult. The Central Statistical Office will be publishing an article on this subject, with illustrative statistics, in the November issue of "Economic Trends".

  Pensioners' Price Index
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his best estimate of the annual cost of calculating the pensioners' price index.

  Mr. Nelson
  The estimated annual cost of the two price indices for pensioner households, which are produced as a by-product of the retail prices index, is approximately £4,000.

  Whisky
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how far the income from duties on whisky has fallen in real terms since 1983–84.

  Sir John Cope
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) on 17 November 1992,Official Report, column 118.

  Friendly Societies Commission
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the full-time and part-time commissioners appointed to the Friendly Societies Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  Mr. Derek Lee is chairman of the Friendly Societies Commission and a full-time commissioner.

  The part-time commissioners are:

  Mr. Phillip Couse

  Dr. Janet Dine

  Mr. Anthony Geddes

  Mr. Alec Wilson

  Mr. Lee and Mr. Wilson were appointed with effect from 22 July 1992 and Mr. Couse, Dr. Dine and M r. Geddes were appointed on 1 October 1992.

  Minimum Lending Rates
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to remove the freedom of clearing banks to set their own minimum lending rates.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have no plans to do so.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what level interest rates were set(a) in each of the 14 days prior to leaving the exchange rate mechanism and (b) in each of the 14 days afterwards.

  Mr. Nelson
  The information is as follows:
  569

  Clearing Banks' Base Rates1

  1992

  Rate

  September 2—September 15

  10

  September 16

  12

  September 17—September 21

  10

  September 22—September 30

  9

  1Clearing banks do not necessarily all change their base lending rates on the same day.

  Macroeconomic Forecasting
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he has taken to improve macroeconomic forecasting.

  Mr. Lamont
  I have introduced a number of measures. First, in my Mansion House speech on 29 October I announced my proposal to invite a number of independent forecasters to join a new forecasting panel. This will meet at regular intervals and then publish an assessment which will be used to inform Government policy decisions alongside the Treasury's own forecast.

  Secondly, this year's autumn statement includes for the first time some details of how the Government's own economic forecast compares with the view other organisations have taken.

  Thirdly, Treasury officials now regularly meet economists from industry to discuss current business conditions.

  Fourthly, both I and my predecessor have taken steps to improve the quality of economic statistics on which forecasts are based.

  Fifthly, efforts are being made to strengthen the analytical basis of Treasury forecasting.

  Nevertheless, it is important to recognise that economic forecasts will always be subject to a considerable degree of uncertainty.

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals are being considered to simplify the investigation and prosecution of insider dealing under one authority.
  570
  Mr. Nelson
  Under existing legislation the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry may appoint inspectors to investigate suspected insider dealing. Prosecutions may be brought by or with the consent of the Secretary of State or the Director of Public Prosecutions. These arrangements are carried forward in the Criminal Justice Bill, currently in another place, which seeks to amend the law on insider dealing.

  EC Budget
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement explaining the differences in the basis of calculation of the latest estimate of the United Kingdom's net Budget contribution to the EC in the pamphlet "Britain in Europe" and his statement to the House of 27 October,Official Report, column 572.

  Sir John Cope
  The estimate of £2,599 million given on 27 October was, as stated, that published in the "Statement on the 1992 Community Budget", Cm 1948, June 1992. This took account of the United Kingdom's gross contribution, public sector receipts and abatement received in 1992 in respect of 1991. The estimate of the United Kingdom's net contribution in 1992 of £1·7 billion given in the pamphlet "Britain in Europe" takes account of the latest information on the United Kingdom's gross contribution, receipts to both the public and private sector and abatement in respect of contributions and payments made in 1992. This gives a better indication of the underlying level of the budgetary implications of Community membership for the UK as a whole.

  Parcelforce
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the legal basis on which the activities of Parcelforce are exempt from VAT.

  Sir John Cope
  Supplies of postal services by Parcelforce are exempt under group 3 of schedule 6 to the VAT Act 1983.

  Industrial Subsidies
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish details of subsidies in both monetary and real terms given to(a) agriculture and (b) mining for each year since 1979–80, including the latest forecast for 1992–93 and the estimates for 1993–94, for both industries in total and also for both industries on the basis of the amount of subsidy per worker.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 18 November 1992]: The tables provide figures only for central Government subsidies to agriculture from 1979–80 to 1991–92, and grant aid to the coal industry from 1979–80 to 1992–93. It is not possible to forecast the level of agricultural subsidies in 1992–93 and 1993–94, as expenditure depends to a considerable degree on unpredictable conditions. On mining, it is not possible to provide figures for the element

  Table 1. Agricultural subsidies 1979–80 to 1992–93

  Year

  Subsidy monetary £ million

  1 Subsidy real £ million

  2Total workers '000

  Monetary subsidy-worker £

  Real subsidy worker £

  1979–80

  677

  1,568

  740

  915

  2,219

  1980–81

  1,012

  1,982

  726

  1,395

  2,730

  1981–82

  972

  1,736

  710

  1,370

  2,445

  1982–83

  1,433

  2,388

  706

  2,030

  3,382

  1983–84

  1,717

  2,734

  700

  2,453

  3,906

  1984–85

  1,710

  2,591

  693

  2,467

  3,739

  1985–86

  2,162

  3,108

  693

  3,120

  4,485

  1986–87

  1,444

  2,010

  684

  2,110

  2,939

  1987–88

  1,630

  2,151

  665

  2,451

  3,235

  1988–89

  1,380

  1,698

  657

  2,100

  2,584

  1989–90

  1,258

  1,452

  644

  1,953

  2,255

  1990–91

  1,910

  2,042

  642

  2,975

  3,180

  1991–923

  2,086

  2,086

  628

  3,322

  3,104

  1992–934

  n/a

  5n/a

  621

  n/a

  n/a

  1 Real subsidies are shown in 1991–92 prices.

  2 Total number of workers, farmers, partners, directors and working spouses.

  3 1991–92 expenditure figures are provisional.

  4 No comparable figures available until the publication of Agriculture in the United Kingdom by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in January 1993.

  5 1992–93 work force figure provisional.

  Sources: 1979–80 to 1986–87: Annual Review of Agriculture 1984–88.

  1987–88 to 1991–92: Agriculture in the United Kingdom 1989–1991.

  Table 2. Grant aid to the coal industry 1979–80 to 1992–93

  Grant per worker

  Year

  Grant £ million Monetary

  Real1

  Total workers ('000)2

  Monetary £

  Real £

  1979–80

  266

  616

  295

  902

  2,088

  1980–81

  269

  526

  294

  915

  1,789

  1981–82

  623

  1,112

  279

  2,233

  3,985

  1982–83

  600

  998

  266

  2,256

  3,751

  1983–84

  1,335

  2,126

  246

  5,427

  8,642

  1984–85

  2,614

  3,962

  222

  11,775

  17,847

  1985–86

  1,126

  1,618

  180

  6,256

  8,988

  1986–87

  1,492

  2,078

  142

  10,507

  14,633

  1987–88

  972

  1,283

  117

  8,308

  10,966

  1988–89

  468

  576

  105

  4,457

  5,485

  1989–90

  7,371

  8,509

  85

  86,717

  100,105

  1990–91

  234

  250

  74

  3,162

  3,378

  1991–92

  526

  526

  58

  9,069

  9,069

  1992–93

  127

  3122

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1 Real grants are shown in 1991–92 prices.

  2 Total employees of British Coal and subsidiaries in September for 1979–80 to 1983–84 and in March for 1984–85 onwards.

  3 1992–93 work force numbers not yet known.

  572
  of the external financing limit for 1993–94 published in the autumn statement which will be grant aid until decisions have been taken in the light of the coal review.

  However, it should be made clear that a direct comparison of levels of subsidy to both industries cannot be inferred from the tables below. This is because both receive subsidies in addition to those funded from Government expenditure. In the case of agriculture, additional subsidies are provided by consumers, who pay higher food prices due to the guaranteed price support system of the common agricultural policy, though these cannot be quantified with any accuracy. In the case of the coal industry, additional support has been provided for British Coal through the high margins, over and above world market prices, that the electricity generators pay for their coal supplies from the corporation. Under present contracts, which have been operating since April 1990, this assistance has amounted to about £1 billion a year.

  Taxation
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his answer of 17 December 1991 to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown),Official Report, column 121, to provide similar estimates of the burden of direct and indirect taxes for the years 1991–92 and 1992–93; and if he will publish any revisions for earlier years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: Although the 1991 family expenditure survey has now been published, estimation of the effects of the community charge on tax burdens requires further analysis of the data. I will write to the hon. Member with updated estimates as soon as this extra work has been carried out.

  Company Car Tax
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he plans to announce his conclusions on the reform of company car tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: It is normal to announce details of major income tax changes in the Budget statement.

  Premium Bonds
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total net receipt to Her Majesty's Treasury arising from premium bonds since the inception of the scheme.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: The balance outstanding as at end-October 1992 was £2·549 billion.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to increasing the top prize in premium bonds to £1 million.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The prize structure is kept under review. I have no present plans to make any changes.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the sensitivity of his public sector borrowing requirement forecast for 1993–94 to an increase of unemployment of(a) 0·3 million, (b) 0·5 million and (c) 0·7 million.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The effect of an increase in unemployment on the public sector borrowing requirement depends on a large number of factors and assumptions, and cannot be reliably estimated. Estimates of the direct effect on expenditure on unemployment benefit, income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit are set out in figure 25 of DSS departmental report, Cm 1914.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reconsider the arrangements which lead to the imposition of VAT upon charges incurred in the care of 574
  the dependent elderly; and if he will seek to ensure that the United Kingdom is permitted such fiscal relief through derogation from the EC sixth VAT directive.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The United Kingdom has always exempted from VAT the supply of services by a person registered or enrolled in any of the medical or paramedical registers. The provision of care by a local authority or charity otherwise than for profit is also exempt from VAT. Domiciliary care and domestic help supplied on a commercial basis is in principle liable to VAT at the standard rate subject to the turnover of the supplier exceeding the small trader registration threshold. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has no plans to seek any amendment of the law. The EC sixth VAT directive contains no provision for derogations of the type suggested by the hon. Member.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Aujeszky's Disease
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has consulted pig breeders' associations on the use of remaining funds raised through the Aujeszky's disease levy.

  Mr. Soames
  Pig industry representatives have explored various possibilities in discussion with my officials. But, as I informed industry organisations last week, it has been decided to use the remaining funds to support the continuing input necessary to maintain freedom from disease.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current situation with respect to Aujeszky's disease.

  Mr. Soames
  The last outbreak of Aujeszky's disease in Great Britain was in October 1989 and freedom from the disease was announced in May 1991. New animal health trade rules, designed to protect Great Britain's freedom from Aujeszky's disease, have now been agreed by the Community. We are satisfied that these will continue to protect our disease-free status.

  Fisheries Council
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 23 November; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  I chaired this meeting of the Council. The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir Hector Monro), represented the United Kingdom.

  The Council reached agreement on the general guidelines for the multi-annual guidance programmes to be set for 1993–96. These envisage cuts of up to 20 per cent. in demersal fleets, cuts of up to 15 per cent. for beam trawlers and a freeze in the size of pelagic fleets. Forty to 45 per cent. of the necessary cuts can be made by effort reductions. The detailed arrangements are to be agreed by the EC structures committee.

  The Council agreed the arrangements for tariff quotas and suspensions for 1993. The 1993 support prices had already been agreed in principle prior to the Council.
  575
  The Council also discussed some of the main elements in the Commission's proposal for a replacement to the basic regulation for the common fisheries policy. There was general endorsement of the principle of relative stability and the need to continue the special access arrangements agreed in 1983, including the Shetland box. There are to be further expert discussions with a view to reaching final agreement on a new regulation at the December Council.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy for a total figure for the number of confirmed BSE cases to be deposited in the House and updated regularly.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have arranged for the cumulative total of confirmed BSE cases for each county or region in Great Britain to be placed in the Library of the House on a regular basis.

  Set-aside Land
  Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish details of the amount of agricultural land currently being taken out of cultivation under the EC set-aside policy in each of the member countries.

  Mr. Curry
  The latest information available to this Department on the amount of land currently set aside in EC countries is set out. This covers only the voluntary five-year set-aside scheme which was introduced in 1988 and which is now closed to new entrants. New set-aside arrangements come into effect on 15 December, but it is not possible at this stage to say how much land will be set aside in 1992–93.

  Estimated area of land in five year set-aside scheme

  Hectares

  United Kingdom

  150,854

  Germany (excluding former GDR)

  367,977

  Netherlands

  29,606

  Belgium

  873

  France

  266,575

  Ireland

  1,766

  Spain

  84,087

  Greece

  250

  Italy

  608,705

  Luxembourg

  90

  Denmark

  5,520

  Total

  1,516,303

  Notes: Includes 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 intakes into the five year set-aside scheme except for Greece—1989 only—Denmark—1990 only—and Spain and Italy—1991 not available. United Kingdom figures exclude 1991 withdrawals from 1988 intake. Former GDR land entered in the scheme in 1990 and 1991 estimated at 704,083 hectares.

  Group Marketing Grants
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what sums have been awarded, and to what groups, under his Department's Ministry's group marketing grant scheme since 1 April.

  Mr. Curry
  The Ministry is responsible for administering the group marketing grant in England. Since the 576
  scheme began in April we have approved nine applications —to a total value of £170,482. The majority of these have been for first phase feasibility studies which may well lead in due course to further awards. It is not our practice to give details of individual groups without their agreement.

  Common Agricultural Policy Reform
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to make a statement on the package of positive payments to encourage environmentally friendly activities included within common agricultural policy reform.

  Mr. Curry
  We propose to develop a new nitrate reduction programme especially where this is necessary to protect drinking water sources, a new scheme to encourage organic farming, a new scheme to reduce livestock numbers where this will be environmentally beneficial, measures to increase the environmental benefits of set-aside and payments to manage land for public access and recreation. Details of these proposals will be issued for consultation this winter. They are in addition to plans to introduce a series of new environmentally sensitive areas.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to announce the detailed implications and administrative arrangements resulting from common agricultural policy reform.

  Mr. Curry
  We have been providing information to farmers as quickly as possible as the detailed arrangements for implementing CAP reform have been agreed. All registered arable farmers were sent a booklet in September which set out detailed guidance on the operation of the reformed arable regime. Agreement has just been reached on the implementing regulation in the sheepmeat sector. Agreement has been reached on the integrated administration and control system regulations, but the detailed implementing rules have yet to be finalised.

  Sand Dredging
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library copies of reports held in his Department of the effects on the marine ecology of offshore sand dredging.

  Mr. Curry
  Progress reports on an investigation by the Ministry's directorate of fisheries research into the effects of aggregate dredging on the marine ecology are included in aquatic environment monitoring reports Nos. 26 and 30, copies of which are in the Library. Studies currently under way, funded in part by the Crown Estates Commissioners, are investigating the rates at which marine life re-colonises a dredged area. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library once this work is completed.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department holds on the impact of offshore sand dredging on coastal erosion and deposition.

  Mr. Curry
  Applications to dredge marine aggregates, including sand, are subject to a process known as the Government view procedure which is operated in England by the Department of the Environment. The process includes the commissioning of studies to ascertain the
  577
  effects that the proposed dredging would have on the coastline. Consultations take place with all interested Government Departments—including the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food—coast protection authorities and other interests. An application will not proceed unless there is a favourable Government view overall. The individual studies carried out are based on the best scientific and research information available, and should provide an adequate safeguard in relation to the potential impact of offshore dredging on coastal erosion and deposition.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the locations where his Department has been consulted in relation to offshore sand dredging in each of the last 10 years; for which sites he has given a positive response; for which sites he has given a negative response; and what estimates he has of the annual tonnage of sand that has been extracted from each working site.

  Mr. Curry
  The table shows the areas in respect of which applications were made to the Crown Estates for marine aggregate extraction licences in the period 1982–91, and the response finally given by this Department in each case. Some of these applications are still subject to consideration under the procedure. Information on quantities extracted each year are not made public by the Crown Estates for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

  Summary of Government views of marine aggregate licence applications 1982–91

  Location of Application to Crown Estate

  MAFF View

  1982

  Mersey

  Favourable

  Conwy

  Favourable

  1983

  Southwold

  (Withdrawn)

  South Goodwins

  Favourable

  Hilbre Swash (Bristol Channel)

  Favourable

  East of Isle of Wight

  Favourable

  Off Great Yarmouth

  Favourable

  Bristol Channel

  Favourable

  1984

  South Goodwins

  Favourable

  1985

  North Goodwins

  Favourable

  Brighton

  Favourable

  The Knoll (Clacton)

  Unfavourable

  1986

  Owers Bank (Seaford)

  Favourable

  Off North Wales

  (Withdrawn)

  South Goodwins

  Favourable

  1987

  Great Yarmouth

  Favourable

  1988

  Southern North Sea

  Discussions continuing

  Nash Bank (Bristol Channel)

  Favourable

  Holme Sand (Bristol Channel)

  Favourable

  North Goodwins

  Favourable

  South East of Isle of Wight

  Discussions continuing

  1989

  North Goodwins

  Favourable

  Cross Sands (Lowestoft)

  Discussions continuing

  Long Sand (Thames Estuary

  Discussions continuing

  Barley Picle (Great Yarmouth)

  Discussions continuing

  Black Deep (Thames Estuary)

  Discussions continuing

  578

  Location of Application to Crown Estate

  MAFF View

  Southwold

  Discussions continuing

  1990

  Helwick Bank

  Favourable

  Southwold

  (Withdrawn)

  Shoreham

  Discussions continuing

  Off Selsey

  Discussions continuing

  North Goodwins

  (Withdrawn)

  Maplin

  Discussions continuing

  Outer Bristol Channel

  Discussions continuing

  East Nab (Isle of Wight)

  Discussions continuing

  1991

  Owers (Shoreham)

  Discussions continuing

  Off Southwold

  Discussions continuing

  East Nab (Isle of Wight)

  Discussions continuing

  Off Great Yarmouth

  Discussions continuing

  North Dowsing (Humber)

  Discussions continuing

  Baggy Point (Bristol Channel)

  Discussions continuing

  Suckler Cow Premium
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to pay the maximum permitted levels of national supplements to the suckler cow premium.

  Mr. Curry
  No. As a result of common agricultural policy reform, premium rates for both suckler cows and male beef animals will rise significantly between now and 1995. In view of this, we have decided that for 1993 onwards, we should pay the EC-funded rate.

  Food Promotion
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the food promotion budget level allocated by his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will publish the equivalent figures for France and Germany.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government grant to Food From Britain in the last five financial years was:

  £ million

  1987–88

  4·1

  1988–89

  4·2

  1989–90

  4·5

  1990–91

  4·5

  1991–92

  4·5

  The expected level for 1992–93 is £4·8 million.

  The equivalent body in Germany, CMA, has over this period been funded entirely by levies on the food and agricultural industries, with no Government grant. The equivalent body in France, SOPEXA, has been partly funded by the French Government. The amount of grant was 250 million francs in 1991: information on other years is not readily available.

  Ethyl Alcohol and Oilseed Rape
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the United Kingdom in cultivating ethyl alcohol or oilseed rape for use as fuel; and what support such cultivation obtains from his Department.
  579
  Mr. Curry
  The processes to produce ethanol from wheat, for use as a petrol substitute, and to produce biodiesel from rape seed are known and proven. Wheat production is supported through the intervention price, while rape seed producers receive area-based payments. From 1993 harvest, both crops will receive area-based support through the new arable crops support scheme whether grown for food or non-food use and will also be eligible for the set-aside payment when grown under contract on set-aside land for industrial use, including fuel production.

  Cod Fishing
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will reverse his ban on allowing Lowestoft fishing boats, over 10 m, to catch cod for the rest of the year; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make a statement about the newly announced North sea cod fishing ban; if this represents a change of policy; and what has been the influence on his decision of the take-up of the Scottish cod fisheries quota;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the impact, scope and enforcement of his ban on North sea cod fishing on the fishing fleet of Lowestoft.

  Mr. Curry
  United Kingdom quotas are divided between various industry groups in accordance with a methodology agreed with the industry. This closure applies to the non-sector vessels—that is, to all vessels over 10 m overall length not in membership of a producer organisation which manages its own sectoral quota for North sea cod. It is necessary because the latest landing statistics indicate that the non-sector vessels allocation of North sea cod has now been exhausted, and for no other reason. The fishery cannot be re-opened to non-sector vessels, as to do so would result in other groups, which still have fish to catch, being prejudiced. The closure will be enforced in the normal manner by British sea fishery officers.

  Bacteria
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what commission his Department paid to NCIMB Ltd., in respect of the national collections of industrial and marine bacteria.

  Mr. Curry
  Under two five-year agreements which expire at the end of this financial year, this Department will have made a contribution of £1,591,183 towards the work of the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria (NCIMB) Ltd.

  Destructive (Imported) Animals Act
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what use his Department has made of the Destructive (Imported) Animals Act 1932 to ban the keeping of non-indigenous species; and if he will list the species concerned.

  Mr. Soames
  The provisions of the Destructive (Imported) Animals Act 1932 have been used by Agriculture Ministers to prohibit the importation and keeping of musk rats, grey squirrels and non-indigenous rabbits and to prohibit the keeping of coypu. The keeping of mink on offshore islands, with some exemptions, and part of the Scottish mainland is also banned.

  Flags of Convenience
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Dutch fishing vessels sailing under flags of convenience have(a) area VII beam trawl pressure stock licenses and (b) area IV beam trawl licenses.

  Mr. Curry
  [pursuant to his reply, 19 October 1992, c. 93]: As at 9 October four Dutch-owned or largely Dutch-owned United Kingdom-registered fishing vessels hold area VII beam trawl pressure stock licences. Two of these also hold area IV beam trawl licences and a further 13 have area IV beam trawl licences only.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people are employed in abattoirs in England, Scotland and Wales.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  The latest available information on regional employment for abattoirs is from the 1989 census of employment and is given in the table.

  Estimated number of employers in employment in abattoirs1 at September 1989.

  Number

  England

  9,000

  Scotland

  1,200

  Wales

  300

  1Activity heading 4121 of the standard industrial classification 1980.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

  Mr. Newton
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is attending a lunch, given by the Lord Mayor and the Corporation of the City of London to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne.

  Former Prime Ministers
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister what has been the extent of the special financial allowance available in the past 10 years to former Prime Ministers; what measures are in place to ensure that these allowances are not used for political or personal purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The special financial allowance to assist former Prime Ministers to meet the additional office costs they incur because of their special position in public life was not available before 1 April 1991. Payments totalling £88,956 were made from the allowance for 1991–92 and payments in the first seven months of 1992–93 total £67,840.
  581
  Payments from the allowance are subject to the same scrutiny and controls as other payments from voted moneys.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister when the study by the National Radiological Protection Board into the effects of radiation on veterans of British nuclear tests will be published; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The study is being undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board in conjunction with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Both are independent organisations and it would be inappropriate for the Government to interfere with the conduct of the study. A report will be published as soon as practically possible.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister what are the terms of reference of the study by the National Radiological Protection Board into the effects of radiation on veterans of British nuclear tests; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  A copy of the first report by the National Radiological Protection Board, including its terms of reference, is in the Library of the House. The updated study includes, I understand, the following changes in scope and methodology: follow-up work on all test participants to 1 January 1992, an increase of two years; a sample emigration check; examination in detail of a sample of about 200 participants to see whether a pattern emerges between incidence of disease and the tasks performed, trades and professions and location at time of detonation.

  Parliamentary Private Secretaries
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the current list of parliamentary private secretaries and the Minister to whom each is attached.

  The Prime Minister
  The information is as follows:

  Department

  Minister

  Parliamentary Private Secretary

  Agriculture

  Minister for Agriculture

  James Paice

  Minister of State

  Douglas French

  Defence

  Secretary of State

  Henry Bellingham

  Minister of State for Armed Forces

  Roger Gale

  Minister of State for Defence

  Stephen Milligan

  Education

  Secretary of State

  Matthew Carrington

  Minister of State

  David Evennett

  Employment

  Secretary of State

  Julian Brazier

  Minister of State

  Derek Conway

  Environment

  Secretary of State

  Peter Thurnham

  Minister for Housing and Planning

  Dr. Charles Goodson-Wickes

  Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities

  David Evans

  Minister for the Environment and Countryside

  Jacques Arnold

  Foreign and Commonwealth

  Foreign Secretary

  David Martin

  Minister of State

  Hartley Booth

  Minister of State

  Malcolm Moss

  582

  Department

  Minister

  Parliamentary Private Secretary

  Minister of State

  George Kynoch

  Overseas Development

  Parliamentary Under-Secretary

  Mark Robinson

  Health

  Secretary of State

  Keith Mans

  Minister of State

  Patrick Thompson

  Heritage

  Secretary of State

  Anthony Steen

  Home Office

  Home Secretary

  Phillip Oppenheim

  Minister of State

  Emma Nicholson

  Minister of State

  David Wilshire

  Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster/OPSS

  Chancellor

  Ian Taylor

  Law Officers

  Attorney General

  Tim Devlin

  Northern Ireland

  Secretary of State

  Michael Brown

  Minister of State

  Jerry Hayes

  Minister of State

  Jonathan Evans

  Prime Minister's Office

  Prime Minister

  Graham Bright

  Privy Council Office

  Lord Privy Seal

  Andrew Mitchell

  Lord President

  John Marshall

  Scotland

  Secretary of State

  Simon Coombs

  Social Security

  Secretary of State

  Piers Merchant

  Minister for Social Security and the Disabled

  Michael Bates

  Three Parliamentary Under-Secretaries

  Ian Bruce

  Trade and Industry

  President of the Board of Trade

  Richard Ottaway

  Minister for Energy

  Simon Burns

  Minister for Industry

  Dudley Fishburn

  Minister for Trade

  Andrew Rowe

  Transport

  Secretary of State

  Graham Riddick

  Minister of State

  Bowen Wells

  Treasury

  Chancellor of the Exchequer

  William Hague

  Chief Secretary

  David Amess

  Paymaster General

  Dr. Ian Twinn

  Wales

  Secretary of State

  John Bowis

  Minister of State

  David Tredinnick

  Libya
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will now consider advising the relevant bodies of the United Nations to lift sanctions against Libya.

  The Prime Minister
  There can be no lifting of sanctions until Libya has complied in full with United Nations Security Council resolutions 731 and 748.

  Bacteria Collections
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on Government support for the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria.

  The Prime Minister
  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has, since 1983, provided financial support for the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria. This support, provided under an agreement with the company, ends in March 1993. The possibility of providing further support for an additional year is currently under consideration.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements are in place to co-ordinate the policies of the Department of Health and the Department of Trade relating to tobacco and tobacco imports; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  There are links at both ministerial and official levels.

  Alcohol and Drug Abuse
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements have been made by Government Departments, individually or jointly, for funding existing residential projects for alcohol and drug misusers from April 1993.

  The Prime Minister
  If eligible, people entering such projects from April 1993 will be entitled to income support from the Department of Social Security, including a residential allowance. People will have their charges met by the relevant local authority if they are assessed as needing residential care. A total of £635 million will be made available in 1993–94 to local authorities in Great Britain in recognition of their new community care responsibilities. We have announced that guidance to local authorities will reflect the particular circumstances of projects for alcohol and drug misusers.

  Funding for special needs housing schemes sponsored by housing associations, including those relating to the provision of accommodation for people with alcohol and drug-related problems, will continue to be provided by the Department of the Environment through the Housing Corporation.

  The Home Office will maintain its contribution to the running costs of those residential projects that reserve bed spaces for offenders with alcohol and drug problems.

  Iraq (Equipment)
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations his Department received between 1986 and 1990 regarding the sale of machine tools to Iraq.

  The Prime Minister
  My office has received a number of representations.

  Commonwealth
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister by whom, and by what method the Queen is advised on constitutional matters, including those specifically relating to the Crown, which relate equally both to the United Kingdom and to the other Commonwealth countries of which the Queen is head of state.

  The Prime Minister
  On the rare occasion when a constitutional matter has implications both for the United Kingdom and other countries of which The Queen is sovereign, Her Majesty would take advice from her Ministers in the countries concerned.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions over the past year, he has had discussions with the Prime Minister of those Commonwealth countries of which the Queen is head of state on matters relating to the common constitutional link of the Crown.
  584
  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister who is the Queen's principal adviser on matters that relate to her capacity as head of the Commonwealth.

  The Prime Minister
  The Queen consults her Ministers in the United Kingdom and in those other countries of which she is Sovereign, in matters relating to her capacity as head of the Commonwealth. Her Majesty also has regular contact with Heads of State and Government of other Commonwealth countries, at the biannual Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings and on other occasions.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total amount of financial resources provided by the external assistance programme to the former Soviet Union and central and eastern European countries up to 5 April; and for how long he expects this aid programme to continue.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Up to 5 April 1992, we provided assistance to the countries of the former Soviet Union, eastern and central Europe amounting to £166·7 million. By that date our share of EC commitments was £200 million and of money spent £55 million. We expect our aid programme to continue for some time.

  Development Issues
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Minister for Overseas Development last met her EC colleagues to discuss development issues; and what was decided.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development chaired the Council of EC Development Ministers on 18 November 1992. I represented the United Kingdom. The Council adopted a declaration on aspects of development co-operation policy in the run-up to the year 2000, which sets out objectives for the Community and member states and puts in place the mechanisms to achieve a greater co-ordination between EC donors. It also adopted a resolution on family planning in developing countries which established an agreed framework for action by the Community and its member states. There were conclusions on the implementation of the 1991 resolution on human rights, democracy and development, and on co-operation with non-governmental organisations. The Community and member states reaffirmed their commitment to provide 3 billion ecu in support of "Agenda 21" and agreed to commit 600 million ecu of this over the next year. There were general discussions on aid untying and on general aspects of emergency aid including the specific case of Angola, Somalia and Mozambique.

  Ascension and St. Helena
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to introduce a second service between Ascension and St. Helena in addition to the present one provided by the RMS St. Helena.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  At the request of the St. Helena Government, the Overseas Development Administration has been considering means of providing an extra weekly scheduled shipping service between St. Helena and Ascension Island. Attempts have been made through national and international tendering to identify a suitable vessel for purchase or charter but to date no vessel has been found which could provide the required service at an acceptable rate of return. The Overseas Development Administration are considering with the St. Helena Government alternative ways of meeting the need.

  Liberia
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact the Government have had with Nigeria concerning peacekeeping forces in Liberia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We maintain regular contact with the Nigerian Government and support the efforts of the states of the Economic Community for West African States—ECOWAS—including Nigeria, to bring about a negotiated settlement in Liberia.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigations have been made of the use of British manufactured arms by any party to the Liberian conflict.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We abide by the mandatory embargo on the supply of arms to all parties in Liberia except the ECOWAS ceasefire monitoring group—ECOMOG—imposed by the United Nations Security Council in its resolution 788 of 19 November 1992.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance or logistical support is being given by the United Kingdom Government to the West African peacekeeping force in Liberia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  None.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made at the European Council regarding the situation in Liberia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  None.

  Yugoslavia
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's response has been to the UN appeal for former Yugoslavia launched in September; and if that response has included action on the need for programme food aid to cover the deficits in grain supply in 1992.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my
  586
  hon. Friend the Member for High Peak (Mr. Hendry) on 23 November 1992, at columns 452–53. Our response has been planned in close consultation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the needs she has identified, including food supplies, in her report of 4 September and elsewhere.

  Iraq
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding he will provide for humanitarian aid to northern Iraq for the next six months.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: A new contribution of £2·6 million was announced in my reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Rooney) on 26 October, at column 433. Of this, £2·5 million has been passed to the World Food Programme for the provision of food. This has already been bought in Turkey and WFP is now making arrangements for its transport and distribution within northern Iraq.

  The remaining £100,000 is being used to augment our funding for non-governmental organisations in northern Iraq. This includes three projects with the Save the Children Fund for road maintenance, bridge erection and distribution of winter wheat seed, and a small programme of village reconstruction and development of community facilities through the Kurdish Reconstruction Organisation.

  Iraq
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contributions to meeting humanitarian needs in the safe haven area of northern Iraq have been conducted by his Department, the European Community and the UN; and what is his estimate of the needs for both the safe haven and other areas of northern Iraq for the next six months.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: Since April 1991 we have provided nearly £3 million in bilateral assistance towards the humanitarian needs of northern Iraq. The figures available to us for EC humanitarian aid to Iraq do not disaggregrate spending in the north and south. The total since April 1991 is 105 million ecu, of which the United Kingdom share is around £12·5 million. A further EC contribution is at present under consideration. Figures for UN humanitarian spending are not immediately available to us.

  A UN needs assessment carried out in September 1992 estimated that 750,000 Kurds would need relief aid during the coming winter. The Food and Agriculture Organisation at that time estimated a food shortfall of 35,000 tonnes. However, it is now recognised that the figures will be considerably higher, due to the continued internal economic blockade of the north operated by the Baghdad Government. In early October a joint assessment mission led by the United States and including EC and United Kingdom representatives visited northern Iraq and concluded that in the absence of a government food ration, a further 74,000 tonnes of food would be required for a further 1·5 million people.

  The UN has appealed for $256 million to implement its plan of action, of which approximately half is intended for the north. So far it calculates that $62 million is available in new pledges or carried over from its previous appeal.

  Private Sector Lending
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current level of private flows from the United Kingdom to developing countries.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Flows from the private sector of the United Kingdom to developing countries in 1990 and 1991 were as follows:

  £ million

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Direct investment

  2,377

  2,661

  3,000

  Guaranteed export credits

  2,236

  85

  -2

  Other bilateral securities and claims

  -850

  -1,010

  -680

  Total net private flows

  3,763

  1,736

  2,318

  Bank lending is the major element of "other bilateral securities and claims". Hitherto it was calculated as the annual change in outstanding loans to developing countries subject to adjustment for exchange rate changes. Strictly speaking, this is a measure of change in stock rather than a flow.

  In previous years it was not possible to make an adjustment for the changes in the valuation of claims due to write-offs associated with sales of loans and swaps of loans for other securities. These include bonds issued in connection with debt service reduction agreements or equities which affect the volume of outstanding loans but do not reflect any repayments by debtor countries.

  Until 1989 such adjustments were considered unnecessary as the amounts involved were relatively small. The Bank of England has undertaken inquiries during 1992 to estimate the extent of this, however, which has led to substantial revision of the figures that were published last year.

  These figures should replace those published in "British Aid Statistics 1986–1990", which were —£1,058 million in 1989 and —£4,515 million in 1990.

SCOTLAND

  Water and Sewerage Services
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends to take, while consulting on the future of water and sewerage services in Scotland, to ascertain the views of right hon. and hon. Members.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The consultation paper, "Investing for our Future", seeks the views of all interested parties. Copies of this consultation paper are available in the Library, and my right hon. Friend would welcome the views of right hon. and hon. Members.

  Disabled Teachers
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are currently undertaken by his Department to monitor the number of(a) disabled teachers in employment and (b) disabled students on initial teacher training courses.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is not collected centrally at present. However, as part of a wider 588
  review of statistical returns on students taking teacher training courses, it may be possible for the future to include information about numbers of disabled students on such courses.

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. George Kynoch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the debt repayment by Scottish Homes which was announced as part of the autumn statement.

  Mr. Lang
  The repayment of loans totalling £250,143,307 will be made on 25 November, when Scottish Homes will make a payment to the national loans fund totalling £250,139,023.

  Scottish Homes will receive a capital grant from the Scottish Office Environment Department to allow it to make this payment. Parliamentary approval of this new expenditure will be sought in a supplementary estimate for the housing and environmental services Scotland vote—class XV, vote 5. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £250,139,023 will be met by a repayable advance from the contingencies fund.

  The repayment is expected to release some £70 million over the next three years for new investment, focusing chiefly on housing improvement and developments.

  Care and Repair Scheme
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when his Department will make a policy announcement on the care and repair scheme, co-ordinated by Shelter, Age Concern and his Department's Environment Department;

  (2) if he will increase his Department's funding to the care and repair initiative scheme.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 17 November 1992]: My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has indicated in reply to letters from hon. Members that he hopes to make an announcement on the future of the care and repair initiative by early December.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision has been made within his Department for monitoring the impact on fire safety of changes to the building regulations and the Approved Document B Fire Safety 1992 Regulations for England and Wales in order to assess the possible implications of the regulations for building and fire standards in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The effectiveness of the building standards in England and Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. My Department has developed close working relationships with other Departments which facilitate exchanges of information on the operation of the separate building regulations.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has to review or amend existing building and fire standards in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;
  589
  (2) what representations he has received on building and fire standards in Scotland; how many were (a) in favour of and (b) opposed to preserving existing arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The technical standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations were last reviewed in 1990. New proposals affecting the fire provisions in the standards are currently under consideration and will shortly be issued to interested bodies for comment.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the composition of the advisory panel on building and fire standards in Scotland, the length of tenure for each appointment and the level of remuneration, where appropriate.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The membership of the Building Standards Advisory Committee is as follows:

  Professor C. C. Robertson DA FRIBA FRIAS FRAIA FCIOB (Chairman)

  Professor S. J. Allwinkle BSc MSAAT

  Mrs. J. B. Deans MBE PRIAS BArch RIBA

  Mr. K. J. B. Graham FIBD FIR

  Mrs. M. M. Hall CBE MA LLB

  Mr. H. C. Hunter MBE IFE

  Mr. R. F. Jamieson HonFRIAS FRICS FFB FInstD

  Mr. R. C. Kirkwood BSc CEng MICE MASHRAE FCIBSE

  Mr. R. McGowan CEng MICE MIStructE MIHE MIBC

  Dr. E. W. Marchant RIBA BIAS MIFireE MSFSE

  Mr. A. G. Short MCIOB FICW MRSH FFB

  Mr. M. A. Underwood BSc DipTech(CEng)

  Mr. D. Walker

  Members are appointed for a period not exceeding three years initially and are unpaid.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes are envisaged to the periods of fire resistance or compartmentation size required in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: My right hon. Friend will shortly be consulting interested bodies on a package of proposed amendments to those parts of the technical standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations which deal with fire resistance and means of escape from fire and facilities for fire fighting. The detail of the changes which are finally agreed cannot be determined until account has been taken of representations received in response to the consultation exercise.

  Training
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the target number of contract training weeks under(a) employment training and (b) youth training set by his Department with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for (i) 1991–92 and (ii) 1992–93, broken down by local enterprise company, with the percentage difference in each case.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The Scottish Office did not set for 1991–92 or 1992–93 target numbers of contract training weeks for Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and their local enterprise companies. The number of contract training weeks provided by the companies is an
  590
  operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I have asked the chairmen of these bodies to write to the hon. Member.

  Rising-fives
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the working of the arrangements for admission to school or rising five-year-olds in Scotland; and what guidance his Department gives to education authorities on one term entry and the provision of pre-school education.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The fixing of school commencement dates is a matter for education authorities to determine in accordance with the provisions of section 31 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. At present, all education authorities set a single school commencement date at the start of the school session and admit children to school on that date if their fifth birthday falls between the preceding and the following February, though they have discretion to admit younger children if they wish. The provision by education authorities of pre-school education is entirely a matter for each authority. My right hon. Friend has issued no guidance on this, nor on the question of whether one or more commencement dates should be set.

  A71
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Strathclyde regional council (Stonehouse bypass, A71) compulsory purchase order was originally applied for; if he will now approve it; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The made compulsory purchase order and all the necessary supporting documents were submitted on 15 June 1988 by Strathclyde regional council to the Secretary of State for his determination. There were five objectors to the order. The council considered that their objections could be resolved by agreement and, at the council's request, no public local inquiry was instituted while discussions took place. Generally, it is in the interests of parties to settle their differences without recourse to an inquiry, and, in order to protect the rights of individuals, that time should be allowed for this process to take place.

  The last objection to the order was withdrawn on 25 August 1992. Following this, the council notified my Department on 11 November of the several modifications needed to be made to the order in the light of the agreements reached with the objectors. The order will be determined as soon as the necessary administrative procedures are completed.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Southdown Cleaning and Maintenance plc about compulsory competitive tendering.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: None.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek an early meeting with Fife regional council to discuss compulsory competitive tendering.
  591
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the operation of compulsory competitive tendering.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: My right hon. Friend has no plans for any specific review.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding financial irregularities arising from the process of compulsory competitive tendering in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: None.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Scotland if he will set up an inquiry into the activities of the private sector company concerned with cleaning and maintenance, the name of which has been supplied to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: My right hon. Friend has no locus to intervene in matters essentially of commercial dispute which fall to be resolved by the parties themselves.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those agencies in his Department which are being considered for privatisation or contractorisation.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 19 November 1992]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) on 17 November at column 104. There are no agencies within my Department that have been announced as candidates for privatisation or contractorisation.

HEALTH

  NHS Pensioners Trust
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who manages the NHS Pensioners Trust; in what way NHS pensioners are informed of its existence; on what basis grants are made; and when and where the annual accounts are published.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The National Health Service Pensioners Trust is managed independently by its trustees. All NHS pensioners were informed of the trust's existence, in its first year of operation—1991–92—by the Paymaster General's Office. Subsequently it has relied upon professional organisations, various staff groups and social work agencies to inform eligible applicants of its existence.

  Grants are awarded primarily on the basis of the applicant's level of disposable income. The annual accounts are normally published in October and can be obtained from the trust at 14 Palace court, London W2 4HT.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide by(a) regional health authority, (b) district health authority, (c) family health services authority and (d) NHS trust details of budget over or underspending in 1991–92.

  Mr. Sackville
  The annual budgets for individual regional and district health authorities and those for the cash-limited elements of the expenditure incurred by family health services authorities are matters for regional health authorities and detailed information is not collected centrally. However, the department does monitor cash spending by each region in total and for 1991–92 regional health authorities maintained their spending within the sum allocated by the Department.

  NHS trusts are not given set budgets and are allowed some flexibility in managing their finances but they are nevertheless expected to meet financial performance targets.

  Income and expenditure-based information derivable from the 1991–92 audited accounts of health authorities and NHS trusts will be available later in the year.

  Blood Products
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the cost of purchase to the hospital service of the NHS of(a) plasma and (b) factor 8 in each year since 1985; and how the cost of the purchaser was shared between (i) NHS-derived material, (ii) non-NHS British material and (iii) imported material;

  (2) how much (a) plasma and (b) factor 8 was used in the NHS in each year since 1985; and what was the country of origin of imported plasma or factor 8, used in each of those years;

  (3) what is the item cost of (a) blood plasma and (b) factor 8 from (i) NHS, (ii) non-HNS British and (iii) imported sources.

  Mr. Sackville
  Many of these details are not held centrally. Such information as is available is given in the table. The national health service does not import plasma and uses only plasma derived from voluntary unpaid donors in this country.

  United Kingdom usage of factor 8 concentrate (millions of international units)

  Year

  Number

  1985

  74·0

  1986

  85·3

  1987

  85·2

  1988

  98·4

  1989

  102·5

  1990

  104·3

  1991

  127·0

  Plasma fractionated by the BIO Products laboratory (tonnes)

  Year

  Number

  1985–86

  192

  1986–87

  197

  1987–88

  294

  1988–89

  493

  1989–90

  501

  1990–91

  451

  1991–92

  528

  A small amount of plasma is not fractionated but for therapeutic purpose in hospitals.

  NHS Drugs
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the members of the advisory committee on NHS drugs.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The advisory committee members are:

  Title

  Chairman

  Dr. J. S. Metters

  Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health

  Members

  Professor A. M. Breckenridge

  Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Liverpool

  Professor C. M. Castleden

  Professor of Medicine for the Elderly, University of Leicester

  Mr. D. L. Coleman

  Community Pharmacist, Norfolk

  Professor H. D. Edmondson

  Professor of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, Dental School, University of Birmingham

  Professor D. Ganderton

  Visiting Professor in Pharmacy, King's College, London, Chairman of the British Pharmacopoeia Commission

  Dr. I. C. Heath

  General Practitioner, London

  Dr. D. F. Jones

  General Practitioner, South Wales

  Professor R. M. Jones

  Professor of Anaesthetists, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, London

  Mr. A. G. Kerr

  Consultant ENT Surgeon, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast

  Dr. E. M. E. Poskitt

  Senior Lecturer in Child Health, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital

  Dr. S. J. Richards

  General Practitioner, Exeter

  Dr. C. H. J. Swan

  Consultant Physician (Gastroenterology), City General Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent

  Professor P. J. Tyrer

  Professor of Community Psychiatry, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, London

  Dr. D. M. B. Ward

  General Practitioner, Glasgow

  We are consulting professional organisations about appointing new members to the committee to advise on the categories of drug to which the selected list arrangements have recently been extended.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the terms of reference of the advisory committee on NHS drugs.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The current terms of reference are:"To advise the UK Health Ministers about the composition of schedules 10 and 11 to the NHS (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992, and the corresponding schedules in the Regulations in Scotland and Northern Ireland (except those items which are in Schedule 10 because the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances has advised that they are not considered drugs in the circumstances of general practice) in order that drugs to meet all real clinical needs at the lowest possible cost to the NHS are available in the following categories: mild to moderate pain-killers, indigestion remedies, laxatives, cough and cold remedies, vitamins, tonics and benzodiazepine sedatives and tranquillisers."

  These are currently being reviewed in the light of the changes announced on 12 November and the revised terms of reference will be announced as soon as possible.
  594
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to receive the first recommendations of the advisory committee on NHS drugs on the 10 additional therapeutic categories announced on 12 November.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The advisory committee will be considering drugs within the new categories as soon as practicable. As now, in examining particular drugs they will consult fully with the manufacturers. Changes to the list of non-prescribable drugs will be made progressively over the next year.

  London Health Services
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received following the publication of the Tomlinson report; and how many organisations have been sent a copy of the document for comment.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I am undertaking a series of meetings with many of the organisations concerned to listen to their views. In addition, we have received a number of written submissions and letters from interested organisations and individuals.

  The report has been sent to all health authorities as well as a wide range of medical education, research and other relevant bodies, with an invitation to comment.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will announce the membership and remit of the London implementation group; and whether the membership of this group will include representatives of the professions and staff organisations working in the NHS in London.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We shall confirm the remit of the London implementation group, and its membership, when we announce our full response to the Tomlinson report early in the new year.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will prevent any more beds being closed in London before she announces the Government's response to the recommendations for change outlined in the Tomlinson report.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We expect to announce our response to the Tomlinson report early in the new year. Bed numbers in individual hospitals are a matter for determination by local management.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether the problems identified by Sir Bernard Tomlinson in his report on London's health services are unique to the capital.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The report Sir Bernard Tomlinson has produced is a strategic view of the particular needs of London's health services. Clearly there are likely to be some parallels concerning primary care services and the disposition of hospitals in other cities. We shall need in the future to consider what recommendations of the Tomlinson report, if any, are applicable elsewhere.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she intends to ensure that full account is taken of the implications for staff of proposals to change the pattern of London's health services.
  595
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Ministers are holding a series of meetings with medical, nursing and other national health service staff organisations to discuss the Tomlinson report including its potential impact on staff. There will also be consultation locally on any closures or substantial changes in services arising from the report.

  Myopia
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to make the treatment of myopia with laser technology available in the NHS.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no plans at present to extend the use of lasers to treat national health service patients with myopia.

  Appointments (Women)
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will present, as numbers rather than percentages, the number of women who will be members of health authorities and national health service trust boards by 1996.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  It is not possible to predict the actual number of women who will be appointed to these boards by 1996.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the appointees to the boards of third wave national health service trusts will be women; and how many appointees to each authority by 1996 will be women.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Of the 512 third wave appointments made so far—chairmen and non-executive directors—203 are women. We are currently set to reach 40 per cent. set for this wave of appointments.

  It is not possible to predict the actual number of women who will be appointed to third wave trust boards by 1996.

  Magnetic Resonance Scanners
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many magnetic resonance scanners are available within the NHS; if she will list their locations; and what plans she has to increase the number.

  Mr. Sackville
  The available information held centrally shows that there are 56 systems available, or on order, for the national health service in England, plus access to one mobile unit. We have provided additional funds this year towards the purchase of new systems.

  The location of MR scanners available to the NHS by region is as follows:

  Region

  Number

  East Anglia

  2

  North East Thames

  2

  North West Thames

  6

  South East Thames

  2

  South West Thames

  5

  Special Health Authority

  6

  Mersey

  3

  North Western

  5

  Northern

  1

  Oxford

  4

  South Western

  6

  Trent

  6

  West Midlands

  3

  Wessex

  2

  596

  Region

  Number

  Yorkshire

  3

  Total

  56

  Epilepsy
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgical operations to treat epilepsy took place within the NHS in the latest year for which figures are available; and what guidance she has given to purchasing authorities to increase this figure.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not held centrally. It is for health authorities, within available resources, to purchase services to meet the needs of their residents including the need for epilepsy surgery.

  Nurses, East Cumbria
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered general nurses have recently passed the examination in East Cumbria health district; and how many have been offered employment in that district.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  GP Fund Holders
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide the underspend and overspend of each first wave general practitioner fund-holding practice in 1991–92.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information will not be available until regional health authorities have received final audit reports for all fund-holding practices. Early information is that, overall, fund-holding practices made efficiency savings of about 4 per cent. in 1991–92.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide the percentage of the hospital budget of each first wave general practitioner fund-holding practice spent outside the NHS in 1991–92.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Qa Business Services
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the terms of reference of the Audit Commission report commissioned by West Midlands regional health authority into Qa Business Services.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The decision to audit the management buy-out of the management information services division of West Midlands regional health authority by Qa Business Services Ltd. was made by the statutory auditor. The terms of reference for this report are a matter for the Audit Commission.

  Opportunity 2000
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she regards her commitment under Opportunity 2000 to increase the number of women members of health
  597
  authorities and trusts to 35 per cent. by 1994 as a quota or as a target; and if she will make it her policy to ensure that men are not disadvantaged by her Opportunity 2000 commitment.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Our commitment is to selection on merits. We do not believe in positive discrimination or in continuing direct or indirect discrimination.

  Patients
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide the number of patients per whole-time equivalent general practitioner in each year since 1989.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Figures for the number of patients per whole-time equivalent general practioner were not collected prior to 1990. The table gives the information for England as at 1 October in 1990 and 1991:

  Year

  Average number of patients per whole time equivalent GP

  1990

  1979

  1991

  1996

  Help with mortgage interest in supplementary benefit/income support 1986–1991

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1. Number of owner occupiers receiving help (000)s

  356

  334

  330

  281

  310

  411

  2. Totals included in benefit (£ million)

  351

  335

  286

  353

  554

  949

  3. Weekly average (£)

  18·96

  19·31

  18·56

  24·46

  34·42

  46·34

  4. Weekly average (£) for half interest

  —

  —

  16·71

  21·86

  33·69

  35·61

  Notes: From January 1987, claimants aged under 60 receive half mortgage interest for the first 16 weeks of their claim. No figures are available for 1985.

  Source: — Supplementary Benefit and Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries. (Copies are held in the Library.)

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to provide help to beneficiaries to keep up insurance payments on endowment mortgages when unemployed.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no such proposals. The Council of Mortgage Lenders has assured us that people whose full mortgage interest payments are covered by income support will not face repossession. It is not the purpose of income support to help with the acquisition of a capital asset.

  Benefits Agency, Yorkshire
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of community care grant applications received in(a) the York Benefits Agency office, (b) the North Yorkshire Benefits Agency area and (c) the United Kingdom are being refused currently and were being refused one, two, three and four years ago.

  Mr. Scott
  National statistics for the last four years are published in the Secretary of State's annual report on the social fund. Details of community care grant applications and refusals by each Benefits Agency district from April 1990 to September 1992 are in the Library. Earlier information relating to York office is in the table.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Mortgages
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of those people whose mortgages are being paid by his Department have endowment mortgages and how many have repayment mortgages.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people currently have their mortgages paid by his Department; what is the average monthly payment in such cases; what will be total cost to his Department in mortgage payments this year; and what are the equivalent figures for each year since 1985.

  Mr. Burt
  The latest available figures are given in the table:

  per cent.

  1988–89

  45·18

  1989–90

  54·22

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of the annual social fund budgeting loan budget for(a) the York Benefits Agency office, (b) the North Yorkshire Benefits Agency area and (c) the United Kingdom had been allocated in the first six months of the year in each year since 1988–89.

  Mr. Scott
  Social fund budgets are allocated on an annual basis. Information concerning discretionary social fund budget allocations and expenditure is in the Library.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) single claimants, (b) couples, (c) single parents, (d) couples with dependent children, (e) pensioners and (f) claimants in total in the North Yorkshire Benefits Agency area are currently having one, two, three, four and five or more deductions made from their benefit; what is the value of the largest and the smallest weekly deduction being made from any claimant in the area; and what is the average amount of all weekly deductions being made in the area.
  599
  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.

  Standard statistical region

  Invalidity benefit recipients1

  Estimated population mid 19912 (thousands)

  Invalidity benefit recipients per thousand of the population

  Scotland

  181,400

  5,100

  36

  Wales

  146,600

  2,886

  51

  England

  Northern

  126,300

  3,084

  41

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  124,500

  4,954

  25

  East Midlands

  74,200

  4,026

  18

  East Anglia

  28,800

  2,091

  14

  South East

  219,200

  17,558

  12

  South Western

  71,900

  4,723

  15

  West Midlands

  105,900

  5,255

  20

  North Western

  219,800

  6,377

  34

  1 Information from a one per cent, sample of claimants as at 30 March 1991.

  2 Information from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys—1991 Census. The Scottish figures supplied by the General Registrars Office for Scotland.

  Income Support
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State Social Security what is his estimate of the numbers of(a) women, (b) men and (c) children dependent on income support, distinguishing between claimants above and below state pension age, and showing separately the number of women on whose behalf income support is being claimed by their husbands or partners.

  Mr. Burt
  The latest available information is in the table.

  Number

  Total number of claimants

  4,487

  of which: male claimants

  1,965

  female claimants

  2,522

  Total number of children

  2,368

  Male claimants aged over 65

  269

  Female claimants aged over 60

  1,136

  Total number of couple cases

  763

  where claimant: Male

  726

  Female

  37

  Notes:

  1. All figures are thousands, rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2. Couple and pensioner cases are included in the total number of claimants.

  Source: Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry May 1991.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security at what rate benefit will be deducted under the Child Support Act 1991 for mothers aged(a) 25 years or over, (b) 18 to 24 years and (c) 16 to 18 years who refuse to name the father of their children.

  Mr. Burt
  The rate of benefit reduction will be an amount equivalent to 20 per cent. of the income support adult aged over 25 personal allowance for the first six months and for the next 12 months an amount equivalent to 10 per cent. of the income support adult aged over 25

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of recipients of invalidity benefit per thousand of population in each region.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is in the table.

  personal allowance. These rates will apply to all parents who decide, without good cause, not to co-operate in the pursuit of maintenance.

  Pensioners' Price Index
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what use is made of the pensioners' price index in calculating the annual old age pension increase.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Retirement pension is uprated annually in line with the retail prices index (RPI) which is widely accepted as the best indicator of changes in the general price level. Had the single person household pensioners' price index been used to uprate the retirement pension since 1979 instead of the RPI, it would now be worth £6·65 per week less than its current rate.

  Christmas Bonus
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the level of Christmas bonus payable to senior citizens in(a) each of the past 15 years and (b) the current financial year; what its level would have been in each of those years had it been linked to inflation or prices, whichever was the higher in each relevant year; and if he will make a statement on the bonus in 1992.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Christmas bonus has remained at £10 since its introduction in 1972. No Government have increased its value since then. Because the bonus is paid to all regardless of income, any increase in the amount would be a poorly targeted use of resources. We have, therefore, no plans to increase the amount of the bonus. The £10 bonus will however be paid in 1992 as provided in statute. The table shows the level of the bonus in each of the past 15 years and the current financial year had it been increased annually in line with prices.

  Date of Uprating

  Amount-£s

  November 1977

  11·30

  November 1978

  12·20

  November 1979

  14·30

  601

  Date of Uprating

  Amount-£s

  November 1980

  16·50

  November 1981

  18·50

  November 1982

  19·65

  November 1983

  20·40

  November 1984

  21·45

  November 1985

  22·95

  July 1986

  23·20

  April 1987

  23·70

  April 1988

  24·70

  April 1989

  26·15

  April 1990

  28·15

  April 1991

  31·20

  April 1992

  32·50

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the level of Christmas bonus for pensioners which would be required to match the equivalent purchasing power of the £10 bonus paid in 1974.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace) on Thursday 19 November, at columns 367–68.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on what new rights the citizens charter will give to disabled people.

  Mr. Scott
  The citizens charter calls on public sector organisations to take account of the needs of all their customers—including, where appropriate, those with disabilities—when they are setting service standards.

  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on future arrangements for independent living for the most severely disabled people.

  Mr. Scott
  We have decided to legislate in the current financial year to establish a new fund from 1 April 1993, to help people of working age with the most severe disabilities to live independently in the community. The legislation will also provide for a successor fund for existing cases to meet the commitment I made in May 1991 to continue cash payments to people getting help from the independent living fund—ILF—when it ceases to operate at the end of March 1993.

  The ILF has proved very successful in helping severely disabled people to live independently in the community. With the introduction of the new community care

  Table 1: The increase in the average income of pensioner units 1970–88

  (i) 1970–79

  (1988 prices)

  Gross income

  Occupational pension income

  Net income

  Average amount

  Real increase since 1970

  Average amount

  Real increase since 1970:

  Average amount

  Real increase since 1970

  Amount

  As a percentage of increase in gross income

  Year

  £ per week

  £ per week

  £ per week

  £ per week

  Per cent.

  £ per week

  £ per week

  1970

  76·20

  0·00

  12·00

  0·00

  0

  67·50

  0·00

  1971

  70·40

  -5·80

  9·60

  -2·40

  41

  63·90

  -3·60

  1972

  76·80

  0·60

  11·70

  -0·30

  -57

  69·60

  2·10

  1973

  79·90

  3·70

  12·90

  0·90

  25

  72·90

  5·40

  1974

  85·10

  9·00

  12·40

  0·40

  4

  77·40

  9·90

  1975

  85·50

  9·30

  11·80

  -0·20

  -2

  77·00

  9·50

  1976

  84·90

  8·70

  12·30

  0·30

  3

  76·70

  9·20

  602
  arrangements from April, responsibility for arranging care for disabled peole will rest with local authorities. However, the Government recognise that there will be a small group of the most severely disabled people for whom the costs of care in their own home will exceed the cost of a place in residential care or a nursing home.

  The new fund for this group will work in partnership with local authorities, reflecting their primary role following the April 1993 community care changes. The local authority will be expected to make a contribution by way of services equivalent to what it would have spent on residential or nursing care and the fund will be able to provide a cash payment in addition. Additional resources will be made available to local authorities in respect of these changes and there will be a further announcement about resources shortly.

  The trustees of the ILF have today announced that they intend to close to new applications from midnight on 25 November, in order to ensure an orderly transfer of cases to the successor body. I understand that all applications received before midnight on 25 November will be dealt with in the usual way. Disabled people who meet the new criteria and who would have looked to the fund for help over the next few months will be able to apply to the new body from next April. The vast majority of potential ILF beneficiaries are already receiving help from their local authority.

  Over the four years of its existence, the ILF has done a splendid job and I pay the warmest possible tribute to the trustees, the director and the staff who are involved with it.

  Pensioners (Income)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for the years 1962 to 1979 and from 1979 to the latest available date the real net increase in pensioner income; and if he will divide this data according to the proportion of the increase resulting from changes in(a) national insurance state earnings-related pension entitlement and (b) occupational pensions.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The tables show increases in pensioners' income from 1970 to 1988 and the proportion of those increases resulting from changes in occupational pensions. The earliest data available for pensioner income analysis using the current methodology commences in 1970. Comparable data for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is also not possible to identify SERPS from existing family expenditure survey data, and the occupational pension income is available on a gross rather than net basis.
  603

  Gross income

  Occupational pension income

  Net income

  Average amount

  Real increase since 1970

  Average amount

  Real increase since 1970:

  Average amount

  Real increase since 1970

  Amount

  As a percentage of increase in gross income

  Year

  £ per week

  £ per week

  £ per week

  £ per week

  Per cent.

  £ per week

  £ per week

  1977

  83·80

  7·60

  12·00

  0·00

  0

  75·90

  8·40

  1978

  89·10

  12·90

  14·10

  21·0

  16

  81·10

  13·60

  1979

  86·80

  10·70

  13·90

  1·90

  18

  79·70

  12·20

  Table 1: The increase in the average income of pensioner units 1970–88

  (ii) 1979–88

  (1988 prices)

  Gross income

  Occupational pension income

  Net income

  Real increase since 1979:

  Year

  Average amount (£ per week)

  Real increase since 1979 (£ per week)

  Average amount (£ per week)

  Amount (£ per week)

  as a percentage of increase in gross income (per cent.)

  Average amount (£ per week)

  Real increase since 1979 (£ per week)

  1979

  86·80

  0·00

  13·90

  0·00

  0

  79·70

  0·00

  1980

  87·50

  0·70

  13·80

  -0·10

  -12

  81·30

  1·60

  1981

  92·90

  6·00

  15·10

  1·20

  20

  85·20

  5·60

  1982

  91·50

  4·70

  15·50

  1·50

  33

  84·50

  4·80

  1983

  102·50

  15·60

  19·00

  5·00

  32

  93·30

  13·70

  1984

  100·40

  13·50

  18·20

  4·30

  32

  92·30

  12·60

  1985

  102·90

  16·10

  21·00

  7·10

  44

  93·80

  14·20

  1986

  107·80

  21·00

  21·70

  7·80

  37

  98·00

  18·30

  1987

  116·70

  29·80

  24·40

  10·50

  35

  104·80

  25·10

  1988

  118·10

  31·20

  27·70

  13·80

  44

  106·30

  26·70

  Notes to the tables:

  1. Estimates are based upon data from the 1970–1988 Family Expenditure Surveys.

  2. Components may not sum to totals owing to rounding.

  3. Estimates relate to pensioner units, defined as single people over state pension age and couples in which the husband is over state pension age.

  4. Real increases in occupational pension income are presented as a percentage of real increases in gross income rather than net income as requested. This is because estimates of pension amounts are available only on a gross basis.

  5. Negative signs in column 6 of each table represent charges in occupational pension amounts that are opposite in direction to those in gross income.

  Care Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has available regarding the number of claimants who are currently receiving income support(a) towards the cost of residence in a care or nursing home within the Wakefield metropolitan district and (b) from benefit offices within the Wakefield metropolitan district towards the cost of residence in a care or nursing home outside that district.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 23 November 1992:

  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of claimants currently receiving Income Support (a) towards the cost of residence in a care or nursing home within the Wakefield Metropolitan District and (b) from Benefits Agency offices within the Wakefield Metropolitan District towards the cost of residence in a care or nursing home outside that district.

  The complete range of information you requested is not available except at disproportionate cost. This is because the
  604
  information is not routinely collected by the Benefits Agency. However, a one-off exercise was conducted in the Wakefield Metropolitan District in July 1992. At that time there were 1,055 customers receiving Income Support towards the cost of residential care or nursing home accommodation in the Wakefield Metropolitan District. Those Income Support customers in residential care or nursing homes outside the Wakefield Metropolitan District are dealt with by the appropriate Benefits Agency Office.

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

  Family Credit
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will repay £45·71 to cover bank charges incurred by Miss Sally Howes of the Windmill, Dartington, Totnes, as a result of the delay in processing her claim for family credit.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of family credit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. As Miss Howes' claim is a personal and confidential matter, he will reply direct to my hon. Friend.

  Public Buildings (Access)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if Her Majesty's Government will make grants available for the installation of hand rails next to steps for public buildings;
  605
  (2) if Her Majesty's Government will provide grants for permanent ramps for public buildings to give access to the disabled.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have been asked to reply.

  No. A significant proportion of those who use public buildings are people with disabilities and the responsible building owner or building manager will appreciate that it is his job to see that, to give access to his building, handrails are installed by any steps, or ramps provided.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Iran
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information Her Majesty's Government have on the purpose of the nuclear research centres in Tehran and Isfahan, and the nuclear sites at Gorgan, Darkhovin and Saghand in Iran.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 13 November, at column 1010. The International Atomic Energy Agency inspection team which went to Iran in February also visited the nuclear sites at Isfahan, Tehran and Saghand, but not Gorgan or Darkhovin. We are aware of reports that Iran plans to build nuclear power plants at both these sites.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the main measures increasing regulation in any area for which his Department has responsibility, which his Department has caused to be put into effect since 9 April;

  (2) which Minister in his Department is responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters which fall within the responsibility of his Department;

  (3) if he will list the main measures of deregulation, or simplification of regulation, which his Department has carried out, or caused to be carried out, since the last general election.

  Mr. Goodlad
  I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his question on 19 October 1992, at column 32.

  Macedonia
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise within the European Community the action of the Greek Government in prosecuting individuals who have dissented from that Government's policy with regard to Macedonia within the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  No, sir. The decision to prosecute is one for the judicial authorities of Greece and not the Greek Government.

  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has raised within the European Community the attitude of the Greek Government towards dissension within Greece over the question of Macedonia.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not raised this issue within the European Community.
  606
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Greek Government to dissuade them from prosecuting individuals who have dissented and demonstrated against that Government's policy towards Macedonia in the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  No, sir. The decision to prosecute is one for the judicial authorities of Greece and not the Greek Government.

  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Greek Government regarding their suppression of dissent over the question of Macedonia.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not raised this issue with the Greek Government.

  Mr. Allan Nicklin
  Mr. Cormack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the British ambassador in Saudi Arabia has met Mr. Allan Nicklin during the last six months; and how many meetings the ambassador has had with Saudi officials in order to secure Mr. Nicklin's release.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Her Majesty's ambassador has met Mr. Nicklin on five occasions and the chargé d'affaires twice in the last six months. Since Mr. Nicklin was first detained there has also been very frequent contact between Mr. Nicklin and Her Majesty's consuls in Jedda and Riyadh.

  The ambassador has had nine and the chargé d'affaires two meetings with Saudi Ministers and Deputy Ministers, and frequent contact with senior Government officials, in our efforts to secure the Saudi Government's agreement to allowing Mr. Nicklin to leave Saudi Arabia. The ambassador has also spoken with the deputy governor of Mecca.

  Files (Disposal)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how many years his Department keeps departmental files before shredding or other means of disposal.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  With the exception of files on routine administrative matters, dealing with accounts, transport, office equipment etcetera, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's policy is to keep files intact until they are reviewed in their 28th or 29th year. Duplicate or ephemeral material of no historical value is removed with the agreement of the Public Record Office inspecting officer and files are released to the Public Record Office when they are 30 years old.

  African Elections
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking, in conjunction with EC partners, to help ensure that forthcoming elections will be free and fair in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  As presidency of the EC, the United Kingdom works closely with its EC partners in pressing
  607
  the elections in these, and other countries, to be free and fair. Steps include, where necessary, both public statements and private demarches. In addition, the United Kingdom has provided a wide range of both technical and financial assistance to the electoral process in Kenya and Ghana. This has included the provision of office equipment to the electoral authorities, ballot boxes in Kenya and electoral booths in Ghana. We have also contributed to the training of electoral officers and, through the Commonwealth secretariat, to the election monitoring process in both countries.

  It was announced on 17 November that the presidential election in Nigeria has been postponed from 5 December to 12 June. We will be consulting our EC partners about possible assistance to the electoral process when we have more details.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those restaurants and hotels in London used in the 1991–92 financial year for the purposes of ministerial hospitality.

  Mr. Goodlad
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: Publishing a list of establishments commonly used by Ministers of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for official entertainment would have security implications.

  For this reason, I am unable to give a reply to the hon. Gentleman.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by Ministers in his Department on official entertainment in the financial year 1991–92.

  Mr. Goodlad
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: Expenditure on both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on ministerial entertainment for the financial year 1991–92 was £349,678.

  This figure includes part of the grant in aid to the Government hospitality fund—which meets the costs of the greater part of all ministerial entertainment.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Bomb Damage
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is his estimate of the date by which all the buildings destroyed and demolished as a consequence of the bomb explosion in Coleraine on 13 November will be rebuilt;

  (2) what are the total sums which were agreed for damage to property arising from damage by terrorist action in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and by how much those sums were reduced because of betterment;

  (3) how many buildings were damaged in the terrorist bomb explosion in Coleraine on the night of 13 November; and what is his estimate of the cost of repairs;

  (4) what is his estimate of the total cost of the damage caused by the bomb explosion in Coleraine on 13 November;

  (5) what is his estimate of the cost of damage to property caused by terrorist action since 1 January to the latest available date;

  (6) when he expects the repairs on all the buildings damaged by the bomb explosion in Coleraine on 13 November to be completed;
  608
  (7) what is his estimate of the betterment element in respect of the commercial buildings damaged and destroyed as a consequence of the bomb explosion in Coleraine on 13 November; and what the total cost of interest charges would be on that betterment element at the present lowest level of bank interest presently prevailing in Northern Ireland;

  (8) what is his estimate of the value of the commercial buildings damaged and destroyed or demolished as a consequence of the bomb explosion in Coleraine on 13 November; and what is his estimate of the cost of repairing and replacing those premises;

  (9) how many buildings have had to be demolished in Coleraine as a result of the terrorist bomb explosion on 13 November; and what is his estimate of the cost of replacing them.

  Mr. Mates
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Compensation Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. Robinson. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from J. Robinson to Mr. William Ross, dated 20 November 1992:

  I refer to your recent Parliamentary Questions concerning criminal damage compensation and in particular damage to property in Coleraine on 13 November. The Secretary of State has asked me to respond.

  Approximately 300 buildings were partially damaged as a result of this incident. The current estimate of damage to these properties is £5 million. Six buildings were so seriously damaged as to require demolition and our preliminary estimate is that the compensation due for these claims will be around £3 million. The estimate for the total amount of compensation that will be payable is respect of damage to buildings, contents and consequential loss is £11 million.

  With regard to commercial buildings our loss adjusters estimate that damage amounting to £7·5 million was incurred. An estimate of the value of these buildings is not available. The levels of "betterment" involved cannot be estimated since they can vary significantly depending on the nature and scale of reinstatement.

  It is not possible to estimate with any accuracy the time that will be taken to fully repair or reinstate the properties damaged as much depends on matters outside the direct control of the Compensation Agency. However the Agency will ensure that all practical steps are taken to facilitate the processing of claims including, where necessary, the issuing of interim payments to assist claimants in the speedy reinstatement of their property.

  The following table details the total settlement value of terrorist related claims cleared in each of the last three calendar years:

  Year

  Value £'000

  1989

  17,845

  1990

  13,289

  1991

  22,934

  I regret that I am unable to supply details of "betterment" deductions as such information is not available.

  The current estimate for the cost of terrorist related damage incurred in 1992 to date is £76 million.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons are out of work as a consequence of the terrorist bomb explosion in Coleraine on 13 November.

  Mr. Hanley
  The payment of benefit to unemployed people is the responsibility of the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  609
  Letter from A. Wylie to Mr. William Ross, dated 20 November 1992:

  As I am responsible for the payment of benefit to unemployed people your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of people out of work as a consequence of the terrorist bomb explosion in Coleraine on 13 November 1992 has been passed to me for reply.

  While the full impact of this attack has yet to be assessed, to date three people have registered as unemployed as a result of the explosion.

  I hope you find this information helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report and copies will be placed in the Library.

  Drug Abuse
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fatalities took place in each of the last three years in each health board area from causes associated with(a) solvent abuse and (b) illegal drugs.

  Mr. Hanley
  The number of solvent associated deaths in Northern Ireland during the past three years was as follows:

  Board

  1989–90 Hospitals

  1990–91 Hospitals

  1991–92 Hospitals

  Mental illness

  Others

  Mental illness

  Others

  Mental illness

  Others

  (a) Solvent misuse

  Eastern

  0

  4

  5

  1—

  9

  1—

  Northern

  1

  0

  0

  1—

  4

  —

  Southern

  0

  0

  0

  —

  1

  —

  Western

  0

  3

  0

  —

  0

  —

  Total

  1

  7

  5

  —

  14

  —

  (b) Drug misuse

  Eastern

  35

  9

  36

  —

  44

  —

  Northern

  4

  0

  3

  —

  5

  —

  Southern

  3

  4

  5

  —

  5

  —

  Western

  7

  1

  3

  —

  8

  —

  Total

  49

  14

  47

  —

  62

  —

  1 Not yet available.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people (i) under 16 years, (ii) under 18

  Mental illness hospitals

  Other hospitals

  In-patients

  Out-patients

  In-patients only

  Under 16 years

  16–17 years

  Over 18 years

  Total

  Under 16 years

  16–17 years

  Over 18 years

  Total

  Under 16 years

  16–17 years

  Over 18 years

  Total

  1989–90

  Eastern board

  0

  0

  35

  35

  0

  0

  41

  41

  2

  3

  8

  13

  Northern board

  0

  1

  4

  5

  0

  0

  7

  7

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Southern board

  0

  0

  3

  3

  0

  0

  2

  2

  0

  0

  4

  4

  Western board

  0

  0

  7

  7

  0

  0

  8

  8

  0

  1

  3

  4

  Total

  0

  1

  49

  50

  0

  0

  58

  58

  2

  4

  15

  21

  1990–91

  Eastern board

  0

  0

  41

  41

  0

  0

  49

  49

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Northern board

  0

  0

  3

  3

  3

  1

  7

  11

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Southern board

  0

  0

  5

  5

  0

  0

  5

  5

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Western board

  0

  0

  3

  3

  0

  1

  5

  6

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Total

  0

  0

  52

  52

  3

  2

  66

  71

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1991–92

  Eastern board

  0

  0

  53

  53

  0

  0

  58

  58

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Northern board

  0

  4

  5

  9

  9

  7

  2

  18

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  610

  Health and social services board

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Eastern

  —

  —

  8

  Northern

  1

  2

  1

  Southern

  1

  2

  1

  Western

  2

  —

  1

  Total

  4

  4

  11

  Information about the small number of fatalities resulting from the illegal use of drugs is not available as these cannot readily be distinguished from deaths associated with the overdose—accidental or otherwise—of prescribed medication.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospital admissions took place in each of the last three years in each health board area from causes associated with(a) solvent abuse and (b) illegal drugs.

  Mr. Hanley
  The number of patients who received hospital treatment for solvent and drug misuse in each board area in the past three years is as follows:

  years but over 16 and (iii) over 18 years of age were treated for drug or solvent abuse in each health board area in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Hanley
  The numbers of people treated in hospitals for drug misuse during the past three years are as follows:
  611

  Mental illness hospitals

  Other hospitals

  In-patients

  Out-patients

  In-patients only

  Under 16 years

  16–17 years

  Over 18 years

  Total

  Under 16 years

  16–17 years

  Over 18 years

  Total

  Under 16 years

  16–17 years

  Over 18 years

  Total

  Southern board

  0

  0

  6

  6

  0

  0

  4

  4

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Western board

  0

  0

  8

  8

  0

  0

  15

  15

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Total

  0

  4

  72

  76

  9

  7

  79

  95

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1Information not yet available.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of the monitoring procedures employed by each health board to assess and review drug abuse and solvent abuse problems.

  Mr. Hanley
  Health and social services boards, through their community addiction teams and health education and promotion departments, maintain close contact on drug and solvent misuse with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, voluntary bodies, other health professionals and interested groups within their areas. Each board is represented on the Northern Ireland Committee on Drug Misuse which monitors the extent of drug and solvent misuse in the Province and advises the Department of Health and Social Services on prevention measures.

  There is also a statutory requirement for all doctors to notify the Department of Health's Chief Medical Officer of any person who is considered or suspected of being addicted to a drug or drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total financial provision made available by each health board, and the Department of Health and Social Services, in each of the past three years for the purpose of combating solvent and drug abuse.

  Mr. Hanley
  I regret that this information is not available. Resources to combat solvent and drug misuse are included in overall health and personal social services allocations and cannot be identified separately.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to undertake public awareness campaigns aimed at informing (i) school children and (ii) the general public of the dangers of drug or solvent abuse.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Department of Education has issued detailed guidance on misuse of drugs to all schools, further education colleges and youth groups in the province. The Department of Health and Social Services has also published an advice booklet on solvent misuse aimed at parents and the issue of a similar booklet on drugs is under consideration. The Northern Ireland Committee on Drug Misuse is at present considering what further measures are necessary to help prevent drug and solvent misuse by young people.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful prosecutions for drug and solvent offences have been launched in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Mates
  The requested information is as follows:612

  Year

  Drugs offences

  Solvent offences

  Successful

  Unsuccessful

  Successful

  Unsuccessful

  1989

  133

  15

  —

  —

  1990

  113

  9

  1

  —

  1991

  157

  9

  —

  —

  19921

  229

  16

  —

  —

  1To 19 November.

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of officers employed on programmes dealing with drug and solvent abuses in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Mates
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question from the hon. Member for Antrim, East (Mr. Beggs) on 16 November 1992,Official Report, column 7.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Nightwear (Flammability)
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider amending the Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 to ensure that chemical additives to cloth are banned where they make the material liable to ignition through a spark.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department is not aware of any chemical additives to cloth which would render garments made from that material more liable to ignition from a spark.

  Mr. Miller
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider the extension of the Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 to ensure that garments carrying the "keep away from fire" label that might flare from a spark carry a stronger warning.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 require that children's nightdresses, nightshirts and dressing gowns, except cotton terry towelling bath robes, must pass a test to ensure that they are made from fabric with slow burning qualities and do not therefore flare up quickly. All other nightwear, and garments commonly worn as nightwear, including cotton terry towelling bath robes, must carry a permanent label to show whether or not they pass this test. Such garments which do not pass the slow burning test must carry a "keep away from fire" label in a position where it can readily be seen by a prospective purchaser. I have no plans to amend the regulations.

  Agencies
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those agencies in his Department which are being considered for privatisation or contractorisation.
  613
  Mr. Heseltine
  Of the 10 agencies in my Department, two have been announced as candidates for privatisation or contractorisation, the National Engineering Laboratory and Companies House. We will keep under continued review the prospect of further privatisation.

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will meet representatives of the BCCI campaign committee to discuss the BCCI staff benefit fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Mr. Saleem and Mr. Qayyum of the BCCI campaign committees met my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry on 17 November 1992.

  Iraq
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what information he has in regard to the role of the Wickman-Bennett machine tool company of Coventry in providing machine tools to Iraq between 1985 and 1989, for use in its nuclear weapons development programme;

  (2) what information he has on the use to which United Kingdom origin precision technology exported to Iraq has been put at the (a) Hutteen and (b) Taji factories in Iraq.

  Mr. Needham
  I am aware that the inspections in Iraq by the United Nations Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency have revealed the names of many companies around the world which have traded with Iraq, including some from Britain. It is possible that more names will be revealed as time goes on.

  Any indications of wrongdoing will be urgently investigated and, if appropriate, will be a matter for the courts. However, it would be quite wrong to conclude, without further analysis, that the companies named have behaved wrongfully. Until the invasion of Kuwait, trade with Iraq was not illegal provided strategic export controls were not breached.

  Iran
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about his Department's handling of Wickman's export licence to Iran.

  Mr. Needham
  No. This Department does not make statements in public about individual export licence applications.

  Export Control
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out the criteria he adopts in deciding whether to investigate media allegations of violations of export control regulations and end-user certificate commitments.

  Mr. Needham
  Inquiries following allegations of breaches or attempted breaches of export restrictions are matters for the commissioners of Customs and Excise.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contribution ministers or officials of his Department will make to the forthcoming seminar to be held by the Export Control Organisation on a practical guide to United Kingdom export controls.
  614
  Mr. Needham
  The seminar will be chaired by an official from the Export Control Organisation (ECO) of the DTI. Others from the ECO will make presentations on export control matters and will participate in workshops on specific aspects of export licensing procedures.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make it his practice to report to Parliament on the details of individual export licence applications.

  Mr. Needham
  No. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, it has been the practice of successive Administrations not to disclose such information. However, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the minutes of evidence to the Trade and Industry Select Committee, 26 November 1991, pages 37 to 106.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to consider the encouragement of 15-year rolling contracts for renewable energy projects as part of his Department's review into the non-fossil fuel obligation system.

  Mr. Eggar
  I expect to take decisions on the policy framework for a further renewables order under the non-fossil fuel obligation in the light of the recommendations in the forthcoming report from the Renewable Energy Advisory Group.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to publish the report of the Renewable Energy Advisory Group.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 2 November 1992,Official Report, column 60.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what representations he has made to the European Commission on the desirability of funding both the nuclear and renewable energy sectors when extending the non-fossil fuel obligation;

  (2) what representations he has made to European Commission officials within the last six months concerning the extension of the non-fossil fuel obligation and its effect on the Community's competition policy.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department is in discussion with the European Commission concerning the 1998 limitation on the non-fossil fuel obligation in respect to renewables. My Department has not made any representations to the Commission about further funding for the nuclear sector.

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what guidelines have been set by his Department for Boyds Mining Consultants in relation to the assessment of viability of the 21 collieries under current review;

  (2) what methodology will be used by Boyds Mining Consultants to assess the viability of each of the 21 collieries currently under review.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend for Waveney (Mr. Porter) on 20 November 1992,Official Report, column 433.
  615
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the likely cost to the Exchequer for work to be carried out by Boyds Mining Consultants in relation to the viability study on the 21 collieries under current review.

  Mr. Eggar
  Details of contractual terms between the Department and its consultants are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many private companies have expressed an interest in operating any number of the 10 collieries at present in the review procedure and due to close in January 1993.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department knows of eight private sector companies which have expressed potential interest in operating one or more of the 10 collieries currently subject to statutory consultation.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many consultancies were asked to tender by his Department to assess the viability of the 21 collieries under present review.

  Mr. Eggar
  John T. Boyd Company was the only consultancy approached. In the light of its previous work for the Department, it is uniquely well-placed to complete the study in the very limited time available. I am satisfied that its appointment represents good value for money.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what external legal advice he has taken over who is responsible for the cost of cleaning any future river pollution arising from the closure of collieries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The relevant legislation on water pollution and, in particular, discharges into the United Kingdom's river system, the Water Resources Act 1991, is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with British Coal and the National Rivers Authority about the environmental effects of proposed colliery closures; what consultancy work is planned and by whom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  None. I understand that there is regular liaison between British Coal and the NRA at local and regional levels on all issues relevant to the NRA's responsibilities for regulating water pollution.

  Trade Statistics
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the United Kingdom monthly volumes of imports and exports for each month this year.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on United Kingdom visible trade in index form is published in "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", which is available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of United Kingdom trade was with(a) Group of Seven countries, (b) EC countries and (c) G7 or EC countries, in each year since 1980.
  616
  Mr. Needham
  The information is given in the table.

  Table: United Kingdom total visible trade1

  Per cent.

  Year

  G72

  EC3

  EC or G7

  1980

  39·0

  45·2

  60·8

  1981

  40·1

  44·5

  61·7

  1982

  41·3

  45·7

  63·3

  1983

  43·4

  47·4

  65·4

  1984

  43·9

  47·4

  65·6

  1985

  45·4

  49·0

  67·4

  1986

  46·0

  50·3

  68·1

  1987

  47·0

  51·3

  69·0

  1988

  47·2

  51·4

  69·4

  1989

  47·7

  51·6

  70·0

  1990

  47·6

  52·7

  70·6

  1991

  47·2

  54·0

  70·9

  1 Exports plus imports.

  2 G7 countries, other than the United Kingdom, are Canada, US, Germany, including former East Germany, France, Italy and Japan.

  3 EC countries, other than the United Kingdom, are Germany, including former East Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Denmark, Irish Republic, Greece, Spain and Portugal.

  Source: "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics".

  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage United Kingdom trade was as a proportion of gross national product for each year since 1980.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is in the attached table.

  United Kingdom exports of goods and services as a percentage of GNP at current factor cost

  Year

  Exports as percentage of GNP

  1980

  30

  1981

  29

  1982

  29

  1983

  29

  1984

  31

  1985

  32

  1986

  28

  1987

  28

  1988

  25

  1989

  26

  1990

  26

  1991

  26

  Source: CSO Blue Book.

  Timber
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what three countries import the most timber into the United Kingdom; what were the comparable countries in 1980; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  In 1991, Canada, Sweden and Finland were the main exporters of timber into the United Kingdom. In 1980, the main sources of timber imports into the United Kingdom were Canada, Finland and the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much timber was imported into the United Kingdom in each year since 1989; what guidelines are followed to ensure that this timber is not imported from countries defying safe environmental directives; and if he will make a statement.
  617
  Mr. Needham
  Statistics on timber imports are published in the "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom," a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is responsible for enforcing the restrictions on imports provided for under the convention on international trade in endangered species. The Government's policy is to encourage sustainable management of forests; wider restrictions on timber exports are neither practicable nor desirable.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations at the forthcoming EC Energy Council concerning subsidies to the German coal industry; whether he will consult at the Energy Council with other EC nations concerning the proposed pit closure programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I expect there to be a discussion at the next meeting of the Energy Council on 30 of this month of the coal industry throughout the Community.

  Energy Programmes
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals Her Majesty's Government will make to the forthcoming EC Energy Council concerning the ALTENER and SAVE programmes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  At the Council my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade intends to recommend that the terms of the ALTENER decision are politically agreed and that consideration of the SAVE directive, relating to non-traded goods, should continue. Final adoption of either item is not possible until after the European Parliament's opinion has been received.

  Dr. Howells
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the amounts and specific sources of European-sourced funding received by(a) the fast reactor programme and (b) the Atomic Energy Authority fusion programme in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Eggar
  The UK programme in support of the European fast reactor collaboration does not receive any funds from European sources. The AEA's fusion programme receives support from Euratom as part of the AEA's contract of association with Euratom. In 1991–92 the contribution was £3·9 million and in 1992–93 it is expected to be in the order of £2·4 million.

  Dr. Howells
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the level of Government funding for 1992–93 and 1993–94 to(a) the fast reactor programme and (b) the Atomic Energy Authority fusion programme.

  Mr. Eggar
  1992–93, provision for the fast reactor and fusion programmes is set out in the Supply estimates for 1992–93, class V, vote 2, section D, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. For 1993–94 the allocation of funds for individual nuclear research and development programmes has yet to be determined.

  Dr. Howells
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people are employed in each site currently(a) on the fast reactor programme and (b) on the Atomic Energy Authority fusion programme.
  618
  Mr. Eggar
  This is a management matter for the AEA. I am asking the chairman of the AEA to write to the hon. Member.

  Insurance Agents
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will outline the powers available to him to resolve a failure to agree between the Securities and Investments Board and the Office of Fair Trading on disclosure rules for insurance agents.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Financial Services Act 1986 confers on the Treasury specific functions in relation to competition. In particular, sections 121(2) and (3) and 122(7) mean that the Treasury may exercise certain powers if, after receiving a report from the Director General of Fair Trading under section 122(4) or (6), it considers that any rules made by the Securities and Investments Board in the exercise of functions transferred it to have, or are intended or likely to have, to any significant extent the effect of restricting, distorting or preventing competition and that that effect is greater than is necessary for the protection of investors. The powers available under section 121(3) of the Financial Services Act are (a) to make an order resuming all or some of SIB's functions; and (b) to direct the agency to take specified steps for the purpose of securing that the rules do not have the relevant effect.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to decide upon, and publish, rules on disclosure for insurance agents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  Rules on disclosure under the Financial Services Act 1986 are primarily a matter for the Securities and Investments Board and self-regulating organisations. The Director General of Fair Trading is currently considering the rules.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to promote discussions between the Securities and Investment Board and the Office of Fair Trading on disclosure rules for insurance agents.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  Any such discussions are a matter for the bodies concerned.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many sets of draft rules on disclosure for insurance agents have been submitted to him.

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Securities and Investments Board and the Life Assurance and Unit Trust Regulatory Organisation published detailed new rules on disclosure and standards of advice in connection with the marketing of life assurance on 22 July. They have stated that they will not be bringing the new rules into force until after they have been considered by the Director General of Fair Trading.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to receive the Office of Fair Trading report on the Securities and Investment Board's proposals on disclosure rules for insurance agents.
  619
  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The timing of any such report is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much of the Export Credits Guarantee Department support for medium-term credit between 1983 and 1987 was extended to defence equipment.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 18 November 1992]: ECGD does not record figures separately as between cash and credit sales. The figures exclude support provided by the now privatised Insurance Services Group.

  1983–87

  Total (£ million)

  11,891

  Defence (£ million)

  1,726

  Percentage

  14·5

  Assisted Areas
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many representations he has received in total for Great Britain to his consultation paper on assisted areas.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 16 November 1992]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 20 November, Official Report, column 434.

WALES

  Acid Deposits
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what forecast he has made as to when acid depositions in all areas of Wales will fall below critical load levels.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  As indicated by the maps on page 99 of "This Common Inheritance: The Second Year Report" (Cm 2068), we expect the area of Wales subject to acid depositions in excess of critical loads to be significantly reduced by 2005. It is not yet possible to forecast progress after that date.

  Nitrogen Oxide
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people in Wales currently live in areas which exceed European Community recommended levels of nitrogen oxide;

  (2) if he will list the locations in Wales exceeding guidelines on ambient nitrogen dioxide levels published in EC directive 85/203;

  (3) if he will list the locations in Wales which currently exceed World Health Organisation air quality guidelines for (a) hourly and (b) daily mean concentrations for nitrogen dioxide.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  A research project "Survey of Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations in the United Kingdom using Diffusion Tubes: July to December 1991", was undertaken in 1991. A copy of the published report is in the Library of the House. This report, based on 620
  monitoring carried out in both urban and rural areas, indicates that neither EC nor World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines are being exceeded in Wales. However, in order to gain a picture of the trends in Wales, the Department is currently funding a nitrogen dixoide survey. This survey will be completed in early 1993 and will be published.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the projected figures for carbon dioxide emissions in Wales for(a) 2005 and (b)

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Projections of carbon dioxide emissions in 2005 and 2020 for the UK under a range of scenarios, were published in Energy Paper 59—Energy Related Carbon Emissions in Possible Future Scenarios for the United Kingdom, HMSO, October 1992—a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. The modelling work for these projections was carried out on a UK wide basis. Emissions have not been separately projected for Wales.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total tonnage of(a) xylene, (b) benezene and (c) methyl ethyl ketone which has been released into water in Wales in each of the last five years; and if he will list the number of known instances of such discharges which have taken place in each year.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not held centrally. The consented volumes of discharges and the results of sampling of controlled waters undertaken by the National Rivers Authority are entered on to public registers maintained by the authority.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make representations to water authorities in Wales to secure that information on the monitoring of trade effluent consents and agreements concluded between industrial companies and the water authorities is made available to the general public.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Under the Water Industry Act 1991 details of consents for discharges to sewers issued by sewerage undertakers are available for public inspection. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 all controlled releases are subject to monitoring, upon which, as a condition of authorisation, data must be supplied to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, and placed on public registers.

  Ozone Monitoring
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the total number of days where hourly ozone concentrations were classed as poor or very poor at each monitoring site in Wales in each year from 1985 onwards.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Monitoring of ozone levels in Wales commenced in 1987. Information for 1987–90 is published in Table 3.24 in the "Welsh Office Digest of Environmental Statistics No. 6", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. There were no days when concentrations were classed as poor—over 100 parts per
  621
  billion—in 1991 and only two days in 1992, and at no time since 1987 have very poor levels—over 200 parts per billion—been recorded.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to produce a national sustainable development plan for Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 11 November 1992,Official Report, column 791, by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside.

  Conservation Sites
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what guidelines are currently produced by his Department for local authorities concerning the wording of site safeguard policies for conservation sites contained in development plans;

  (2) if he will list the local authority development plans which contain specific protection for sites of special scientific interest, Ramsar sites and special protection areas.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Planning policy guidance note 7, "The Countryside And The Rural Economy", includes advice on how local authority policies should take full account of designated areas, including particular references to national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and sites of special scientific interest. All future development plans will be expected to reflect this advice.

  Policies to protect designated areas including sites of special scientific interest are contained in the approved structure plans for Dyfed, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, Gwent, Powys, Clwyd and Gwynedd. No approved structure plans in Wales refer to Ramsar sites or special protection areas.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local nature reserves have been designated within each county council area of Wales in each of the last five years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Two local nature reserves have been designated within the last five years. These are Mumbles Hill in West Glamorgan designated by Swansea city council in March 1989, and Howardian in South Glamorgan designated by Cardiff city council in July 1991.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to local authorities recommending the inclusion of landscape conservation in policies on nature conservation.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) now requires local authorities, when drawing up their development plans, to include land use and development policies that are designed to secure the conservation of natural beauty and amenity of land and the improvement of the physical environment. Planning policy guidance note 12 (Wales), "Development Plans and Strategic Planning Guidance in Wales", advises that the development plan process should take account of the environmental implications of development, including the impact on landscape quality, and consider local options for conserving and improving the landscape.
  622
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the local authorities which have offered specific protection from mineral development to sites of special scientific interest within their structure plans.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Clwyd, Dyfed, Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan. In addition, Gwent county council has a structure plan on deposit which includes such a policy.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to local authorities to secure that structural development plans(a) regard woodlands as a habitat and (b) have regard for the protection of habitats other than woodland.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Advice to local planning authorities on the content of development plans is contained in planning policy guidance note 12 (Wales) "Development Plans and Strategic Planning Guidance in Wales". This indicates that structure plans should include land-use policies on, inter alia, conservation of the natural environment. Further advice will be contained in the forthcoming guidance on nature conservation.

  Teachers
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number employed in the teaching profession, primary and secondary levels, in Wales in each of the last 10 years; and how many were employed on short-term contracts in each year.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The number of full-time equivalent teachers in service with local education authorities and grant-maintained schools in the primary and secondary sectors, for each of the last 10 years, is given in the following table:

  Primary

  Secondary

  Total

  1982–83

  12,800

  14,968

  27,768

  1983–84

  12,887

  15,077

  27,964

  1984–85

  12,404

  14,683

  27,087

  1985–86

  12,446

  14,537

  26,983

  1986–87

  12,235

  14,118

  26,353

  1987–88

  12,689

  13,836

  26,525

  1988–89

  12,919

  13,622

  26,541

  1989–90

  13,074

  13,298

  26,372

  1990–91

  13,268

  13,173

  26,441

  1991–92

  13,408

  13,224

  26,632

  At January each year.

  Information relating to teachers contracts was first collected in 1991–92, at which time there were 1,112 full-time and 899 part-time teachers in regular service employed on contracts of less than one year's duration in the nursery, primary and secondary sectors. A breakdown of the figures by sector is not available.

  Housing
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to amend the Use Classes Order so as to allow properties in the private rented and privately owned sectors to be covered by requirements for express consent when a property changes from housing individuals from within a local community to housing people from outside the community.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No.
  623
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to review the procedure whereby planning permission is granted for the conversion of farm buildings into second homes.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No. Normal planning procedures apply and appropriate guidance is given in planning policy guidance (PPG) note 7 published in January this year.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if his Department will publish an estimated figure for the new social housing units which will be required in Wales as a direct result of the implementation of the care in the community programme.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  It is not possible to make such an estimate at present. Information will only become available as a result of assessments of people's needs for social and community care, including housing, from 1 April 1993, when the provisions of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 come into force. This information will be aggregated and summarised in the social care plans produced by local authorities, jointly with housing authorities, and published by 1 April annually.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the marina developments undertaken in Wales since 1980; how many houses and flats have been constructed as part of the marina schemes; and what proportion of such houses are currently second homes.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mineral Workings
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many old mineral working areas have been redeveloped within each local authority area of Wales in each of the last two years; and how many such workings have been developed as nature conservation sites.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not held centrally.

  Road Safety
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department is taking to encourage local highway authorities in Wales to carry out local safety schemes.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Officials are in regular contact with Welsh local authority representatives on the road casualty reduction working group. We also issue guidance to local authorities on such matters.

  Shopping Developments
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local authority structure plans in Wales make reference to out-of-town shopping developments; and how many such plans presume against such developments.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Seven of the eight approved structure plans in Wales contain policies related to out-of-town shopping developments. One of the seven plans presumes against all forms of such development.

  Population Statistics
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the present districts of Aberconwy and Colwyn, but excluding the community areas of Cefnmeiriadog and Trefnant.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 89,100

  (b) 108,600

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present districts of Neath and Port Talbot, together with the community areas of Pontardwe, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Cwmllynfell, Ystalyfera, Cilybebyll, Ystradgynlais and Tawe-Uchaf.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 119,100

  (b) 148,900

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Rhuddlan, together with the community areas of Llanasa, Trelawnyd and Gwaenysgor, Cefnmeiriadog,Trefnant, Aberwheeler, Henllan, Denbigh, Llandyrnog, Llangynhafal, Llanynys, Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch, Nantglyn, Cyffylliog, Ruthin, Llanbedr, Dyffryn Clwyd, Llanferres Clocaenog, Efenechtyd, Llandegla, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Llanarmon-yn-Ial, Llanelidan, Derwen, Betws Gwerfil Goch, Gwyddelwern, Bryneglwys, Corwen, Llantysilio, Llangollen and Llangollen rural.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 77,100

  (b) 95,100

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.
  625
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will give his current estimate of the(a) adult and (b) total combined population of Ynys Môn.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Ynys

  55,400

  69,800

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over,

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Montgomeryshire, together with the community areas of Llansilin, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llangedwyn.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 43,900

  (b) 54,600

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present districts of Blaenau Gwent and Islwyn, together with the community areas of Bargoed, Gelligaer, Nelson, Aber Valley, Llanbradach, Penyrhoel, Maesycwmmer, Bedwas and Machen, Caerphilly, Van and Rudry.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 180,100.

  (b) 230,000.

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 districts mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Wrexham and Maelor, together with the community areas of Chirk, Glyntraian, Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog and Ceiriog Ucha.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 97,700.

  (b) 123,600.

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where
  626
  estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total population of Newport district.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Newport

  106,000

  135,400

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total population of the Cynon valley district.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Cynon Valley

  51,800

  65,800

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the present districts of Rhondda and Taf-Ely, but excluding the community area of Pentyrch.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 136,200

  (b) 172,400

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total population of Ceredigion district.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Ceredigion

  54,600

  66,700

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.
  627
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population in the present districts of Preseli Pembrokeshire and south Pembrokeshire together with Caldey island and St. Margaret's island.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  South Pembrokeshire and Preseli Pembrokeshire

  90,200

  113,700

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined populaton of the present districts of Alyn and Deeside and Delyn, but excluding the community areas of Llanasa and Trelawnyd and Gwaenysgor.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 109,000

  (b) 137,800

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the present district of Ogwr, but excluding the community areas of Wick, St. Bride's Major, Ewenny and Coychurch Lower.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 101,200

  (b) 127,600

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Merthyr Tydfil, together with the community areas of Rhymney, Darran valley and New Tredegar.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 61,100

  (b) 78,200

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates
  628
  of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of (a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of Arfon and Dwyfor districts.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Arfon and Dwyfor

  67,200

  83,300

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the present districts of Carmarthen Dinefwr and Llannelli.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli

  137,600

  170,500

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Cardiff, together with the community area of Pentyrch.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 233,400

  (b) 295,400

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Meirionnydd together with the community areas of Cynwed and Lllandrillo.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 27,700

  (b) 34,200

  Notes:
  629
  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total population of Torfaen district.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Torfaen

  71,700

  91,200

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Swansea, together with the community areas of Gowerton, Llwchwr, Gorseinon, Grovesend, Pontardulais, Mawr, Pont-Lliw, Penllergaer, Llangyfelach and Clydach.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 183,900

  (b) 230,100

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the area comprised by the present district of Vale of Glamorgan, together with the community areas of Wick, St. Bride's Major, Ewenny and Coychurch Lower.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 96,000

  (b) 121,800

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total population of Monmouth district.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:630

  Description

  Adult population

  Total population

  Monmouth

  61,400

  76,600

  Notes:

  1. Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates, 1991.

  2. Adults assumed to be all those aged 16 and over.

  3. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the current estimate of(a) the adult and (b) the total combined population of the present districts of Brecknock and Radnorshire, but excluding the community areas of Ystradgynlais and Tawe-Uchaf.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figures for the area requested are as follows:

  (a) 44,400

  (b) 55,200

  Notes:

  1. The Registrar General's provisional mid-year estimates for 1991 are not available for community areas. Where estimates of population for community areas have been requested, apportionments of the 1991 district mid-year estimates have been made according to those communities' percentage of their district population from the most nearly corresponding ward figures from the 1981 census.

  2. All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

  3. Adult population taken to be those aged 16 and over.

  Milk
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amount of milk produced in 1991.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Total sales of milk off farms in Wales through the milk marketing schemes amount to 1,470 million litres in 1991.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money was invested by the Welsh Development Agency to companies in Anglesey in 1990 and 1991; how much money was invested in Halal Co.; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Welsh Development Agency invested £375,000 in companies in Ynys Môn district in the year to 31 March 1990 and £367,000 in the year to 31 March 1991. No investment has been made in Halal Company.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the criteria by which companies are given permission to operate abattoirs in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Until 31 December 1992 companies may only operate slaughterhouses if they are currently licensed by their local authority under the Slaughterhouses Act 1974. From 1 January 1993 they will also need to be licensed by the Welsh Office Agriculture Department in accordance with the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992. The procedures for Agriculture Departments' licences will ensure that operators have a fair chance to make any improvements needed and that, as far as possible, any special circumstances are considered
  631
  before a decision on licensing is taken. The overriding criterion will be whether the hygiene status of the meat is put at risk by the method of operation in or the construction of the premises. In the event of the refusal of a licence, an operator will he able to appeal to the Meat Hygiene Appeals Tribunal.

  Assisted Areas
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a list available of those who made submissions regarding the review of assisted areas in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have placed in the Library of the House a list of all those who responded and who did not ask for their responses to be treated confidentially.

  Sheep Scab
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of sheep scab were reported in Wales in 1992; what were the comparable figures for 1991 and 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The number of confirmed cases of sheep scab in Wales in the years 1989, 1991 and 1992 are given in the following table. The figure for 1992 is for the period 1 January 1992 to 30 June 1992 after which controls on the disease were deregulated.

  Year

  Number of reported cases

  1989

  5

  1991

  15

  1992

  13

  Male Unemployed Claimants—At October

  District (a)

  Per cent. change

  1983

  1988

  1991

  1992

  1983–1992

  Dinefwr

  1,115

  943

  1,039

  1,181

  5·9

  Llanelli

  2,728

  2,111

  2,298

  2,298

  -15·8

  Blaenau Gwent

  4,167

  3,045

  2,767

  2,820

  -32·3

  Islwyn

  2,419

  1,940

  1,821

  1,798

  -25·7

  Torfaen

  3,896

  2,735

  3,288

  3,532

  -9·3

  Cynon Valley

  2,900

  2,625

  2,800

  2,848

  -1·8

  Merthyr Tydfil

  2,874

  2,212

  2,393

  2,482

  -13·6

  Ogwr

  5,424

  3,581

  4,348

  4,753

  -12·4

  Rhondda

  3,705

  2,682

  3,196

  3,220

  -13·1

  Rhymney Valley

  5,216

  3,561

  4,199

  4,287

  -17·8

  Taff Ely

  3,702

  2,756

  2,999

  3,297

  -10·9

  Brecknock

  893

  687

  810

  1,001

  12·1

  Lliw Valley

  2,058

  1,591

  1,681

  1,770

  -14·0

  Neath

  2,763

  1,913

  1,982

  2,059

  -25·5

  Port Talbot

  2,993

  1,546

  1,500

  1,527

  -49·0

  Swansea

  9,738

  6,769

  6,944

  7,260

  -25·4

  Total Valleys Programme Area

  31,009

  23,328

  25,198

  25,954

  -16·3

  Source: Employment Department.

  (a) District figures include areas outside the valleys programme boundary.

  The percentage of economically active adult males is not available for the years 1979, 1988 and 1992. Data for 1991 and, for comparison, 1981 are presented in the following table. Figures for the valleys area are not readily available.

  Percentage of economically active population (males aged 16–64)

  District1

  21981

  31991

  Dinefwr

  85·8

  78·3

  Llanelli

  87·1

  77·4

  Blaenau Gwent

  84·8

  77·1

  632
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to combat recent outbreaks of sheep scab in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The control of sheep scab is a matter for individual flock owners, who are well aware of the preventive measures and procedures needed to deal with it. All sheep farmers are being sent an advisory leaflet reminding them how to identify and deal with the disease. Where veterinary field staff see suspected disease at markets or on farms, advice is given and, where appropriate, action to safeguard animal welfare is taken. Following the outbreak in north Wales veterinary officers met farmers and undertook inspections in order to assess the extent of the disease and to ensure that animal welfare was protected.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the October 1992 figures for male adult unemployment in the area covered by the valleys initiative programme(a) by district and (b) in total for each of the years 1979, 1988, 1991 and 1992, showing the percentage changes and also figures for the economically active percentage of the adult male population.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The existing programme for the Valleys Area covers all of the borough of Rhondda and part of 15 other districts. The earliest year for which data comparable with present coverage are available for local areas in 1983. The information requested is given in the following tables:

  District1

  21981

  31991

  Islwyn

  87·1

  79·4

  Torfaen

  87·6

  81·5

  Cynon Valley

  85·6

  76·2

  Merthyr Tydfil

  84·8

  76·2

  Ogwr

  86·3

  80·7

  Rhondda

  83·1

  74·6

  Rhymney Valley

  86·7

  77·2

  Taff Ely

  88·3

  81·4

  Brecknock

  87·3

  82·0

  Lliw Valley

  87·1

  79·9

  Neath

  87·4

  78·4

  633

  District1

  21981

  31991

  Port Talbot

  85·8

  75·3

  Swansea

  87·2

  79·3

  Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

  1 District figures include areas outside the valleys programme boundary.

  2 1981 data are extracted from the 1981 census.

  3 1991 data are extracted from the Census County Monitor Series CEN 91 CM.

  The 1981 census recorded all students as economically inactive whereas the 1991 census distinguishes between those economically active and inactive.

  (a) District

  (b) Community council(s)

  (c) Constituency

  Borough of Dinefwr (part)

  Ammanford

  Llanelli

  Betws

  Llanelli

  Community of Cwmamman comprising the community wards of Gienig and of Pistillwyd

  Llanelli/Carmarthen

  Community of Llandybie comprising the community wards of Penygroes and of Saron

  Carmarthen/Llanelli

  Community of Quarter Bach falling outside the Brecon Beacons national park

  Carmarthen

  Borough of Llanelli (part)

  Llanedi

  Llanelli/Carmarthen

  Llanon

  Llanelli

  Pontyberem

  Llanelli/Carmarthen

  Community of Llanelli rural comprising the community wards of Felinfoel, Glyn and Swiss valley

  Llanelli/Carmarthen

  Community of Llangennech lying north of the Llangennech bypass (A4138)

  Llanelli

  Borough of Blaenau Gwent (part)

  Abertillery

  Torfaen/Monmouth

  Beaufort

  Blaenau Gwent

  Brynmawr

  Blaenau Gwent/Monmouth

  Cwm

  Blaenau Gwent

  Ebbw Vale

  Blaenau Gwent

  Llanhilleth

  Blaenau Gwent/Torfaen

  Nantyglo and Blaina

  Blaenau Gwent/Torfaen

  Tredegar

  Blaenau Gwent/Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Borough of Islwyn (part)

  Abercarn

  Islwyn

  Argoed

  Islwyn

  Blackwood

  Islwyn

  Cefn Fforest

  Islwyn

  Crosskeys

  Islwyn

  Crumlin

  Islwyn

  Newbridge

  Islwyn

  Pengam

  Islwyn

  Penmaen

  Islwyn

  Pontllanfraith

  Islwyn

  Ysysddu

  Islwyn

  Borough of Torfaen (part)

  Abersychan

  Torfaen/Blaenau Gwent and Monmouth

  Blaenavon

  Torfaen/Blaenau Gwent and Monmouth

  Panteg

  Torfaen

  Pen Tranch

  Torfaen/Blaenau Gwent

  Pantymoile

  Torfaen

  Community of Trevethin, comprising the community ward of Trevethin

  Torfaen

  Borough of Cynon Valley (part)

  Aberaman

  Cynon valley

  Abercynon

  Cynon valley

  Aberdare

  Cynon valley

  Cwmbach

  Cynon valley

  Llwydcoch

  Cynon valley

  Mountain Ash

  Cynon valley

  Penrhiwceiber

  Cynon valley

  Pen-y-Waun

  Cynon valley

  Rhigos

  Cynon valley

  Ynysybwl and Coed-y-Cwm

  Cynon valley

  Community of Hirwaun comprising the community ward of Hirwaun

  Cynon valley

  Valleys Programme
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the areas covered by the valleys initiative programme by(a) district, (b) community council and (c) constituency boundaries.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The present boundary of the valleys programme area is not coterminous with district, community council or constituency boundaries. The area covered is set out in the following table:
  635

  (a)

  (b)

  (C)

  District

  Community council(s)

  Constituency

  Borough of Merthyr Tydfil (part)

  Bedlinog

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Cyfarthfa

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Dowlais

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Gurnos

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Merthyr Vale

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Park

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Penydarren

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Town

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Treharris

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Troed-y-Rhiw

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Borough of Ogwr (part)

  Llangynwyd Middle

  Ogmore/Bridgend

  Maesteg

  Ogmore

  Ogmore Valley

  Ogmore/Rhondda

  Community of Garw Valley comprising the community wards of Blaengarw, Llangemor and Pontycymmer

  Ogmore

  Borough of Rhondda (all)

  Treherbert

  Rhondda

  Maerdy

  Rhondda

  Pentre

  Rhondda

  Ystrad

  Rhondda

  Cwm Clydach

  Rhondda

  Tonypandy

  Rhondda

  Pen-y-Graig

  Rhondda

  Ferndale

  Rhondda

  Tylorstown

  Rhondda

  Ynyshir

  Rhondda

  Trealaw

  Rhondda

  Porth

  Rhondda

  Cymmer

  Rhondda

  Trehafod

  Rhondda

  Llwyn-y-pia

  Rhondda

  Treorchy

  Rhondda/Ogmore

  Rhymney Valley (part)

  Aber Valley

  Caerphilly/Pontypridd

  Bargoed

  Caerphilly

  Caerphilly

  Caerphilly

  Darren Valley

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Gelligaer

  Caerphilly

  Lanbradach

  Caerphilly

  Maesycwmmer

  Caerphilly

  Nelson

  Caerphilly/Pontypridd

  New Tredegar

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney/Caerphilly

  Penyrheol

  Caerphilly/Pontypridd

  Rhymney

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Borough of Taff Ely

  Pontypridd

  Pontypridd/Caerphilly

  Community of Gilfach Goch comprising the community wards of Garden Villages and Gilfach Goch

  Ogmore/Pontypridd

  Community of Llantrisant comprising the community wards of Beddau and of Tyn-y-Nant and of part of the community wards of Talbot Green and Llantrisant Town

  Pontypridd

  Community of Llantwit Fardre comprising the community wards of church Village, Llanwit Fardre and of Tonteg.

  Pontypridd

  Community of Taffs Well comprising the community ward of Nantgarw

  Pontypridd

  Community of Tonyrefail comprising the community wards of Coedely, Collena, Penrhiwfer, Tylcha and of Tynybryn

  Pontypridd/Ogmore

  Borough of Lliw Valley (part)

  Cilybebyll

  Neath

  Clydach

  Neath/Gower

  Cwmllynfell

  Neath

  Gwaen-Cae-Gurwen

  Neath

  Mawr

  Gower

  636 637

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  District

  Community council(s)

  Constituency

  Pontardawe

  Neath/Gower/Llanelli

  Pontardulais

  Gower

  Pont Lliw

  Gower

  Ystalyfera

  Neath

  Borough of Neath (part)

  Blaengwrach

  Neath

  Blaenhonddan

  Neath

  Clyne

  Neath

  Crynant

  Neath

  Dyfryn Clydach

  Neath/Aberavon

  Glynneath

  Neath

  Onllwyn

  Neath/Brecon and Radnor

  Pelenna

  Neath

  Resolven

  Neath

  Seven Sisters

  Neath/Brecon and Radnor

  Tonna

  Neath

  Borough of Port Talbot (part)

  Bryn

  Aberavon

  Cwmavon

  Aberavon

  Glyncorrwg

  Aberavon

  City of Swansea

  Birchgrove

  Swansea East

  County of Powys (part)

  Borough of Brecknock comprising those parts of the communities of Tawe Uchaf and of Ystradgynlais that are not included in the Brecon Beacons national park

  Brecon and Radnor

  Mrs Carolyn Jones
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the resignation of Mrs. Carolyn Jones from the board of the South Glamorgan health authority; when he expects to fill the vacancy; and what procedures he will use with regard to the soliciting of suggested names of qualified individuals and the drawing up of a short list.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I accepted Mrs. Jones' resignation with great regret as I believe she had a great deal to contribute to the running of the health service in South Glamorgan.

  I intend filling the vacancy as soon as a suitable candidate has been identified. As concerns procedures, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave him on 6 November 1992, Official Report, column 473

EMPLOYMENT

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the interim report of the director general of the Health and Safety Executive on market testing will be published and placed in the Library.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. This is an internal working document addressed to the Health and Safety Commission, whose advice on the feasibility of market testing those of HSE's activities not covered by its existing programme we are awaiting.

  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals she has to market-test the management board and executive of the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We have no such proposals. The Health and Safety Executive has a programme to 638
  market-test its service functions and the director general has been asked to investigate the feasibility of market testing those activities not covered by the existing programme, but not including policy advice or assistance to the Health and Safety Commission.

  Household Statistics
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of children lived in households with a head in full-time employment(a) in 1987 and (b)

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Estimates from the labour force survey show that, of the children aged 15 and under living in private households in Great Britain, the proportions whose head of household was in full-time employment was 73·5 per cent. in spring 1987, and 76·3 per cent. in spring 1990.

  Parental Leave
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the proposal by the European Commission for a European parental leave directive providing parents with three months paid leave following the birth of a child.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government believe that such matters are best dealt with voluntarily, between employers and employees, according to their particular circumstances, and remain strongly opposed to the introduction of any such prescriptive measures.

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees entitled to maximum compensatory awards from industrial tribunals in 1991 failed to obtain payment.

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

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will indicate, separately for each wages council, the number of(a) males and (b) females living in (i) the city of York, (ii) North Yorkshire and (iii) Yorkshire and Humberside who are currently covered by wages council minimum pay rates.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  It is estimated that some 225,000 workers, aged 21 or over, are covered by the wages councils in the wages inspectorate's Yorkshire and Humberside division. I regret that there is no breakdown for men and women, for the workers covered by each council or for areas within the wages inspectorate division.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces in(a) the city of York, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and Humberside are currently covered by each wages council minimum wage rates.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  It is estimated that some 35,000 establishments are covered by the wages councils in the wages inspectorate's Yorkshire and Humberside division. I regret that there is no breakdown of the number of establishments covered by each council or for areas within the wages inspectorate division.

  Training
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what support is given by her Department to support training initiatives for young homeless people.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  All young people under 18 not in full-time education or employment are guaranteed the offer of a suitable training place on youth training if they want one. There is no requirement for trainees to have a permanent address.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of employment training leavers in the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council area found paid employment in(a) the 12 months to March 1991 and (b) the 12 months to March 1992.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is not available in the form requested. The table shows the proportion of ET leavers from North Yorkshire TEC who were in paid employment three months after leaving ET.

  Proportion of leavers from the North Yorkshire TEC area going in to paid employment

  January 1990 to December 1990 leavers

  51 per cent.

  January 1991 to December 1991 leavers

  53 per cent.

  Source: ET national follow-up survey.

  Notes:

  1. Paid employment = in a full time job, self-employment or part-time job three months after leaving ET.

  2. The figures are for those people who responded to the survey.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will publish figures showing the costs in 1991–92 and forecasts of the cost in 1992–93 of each of the training and job creation programmes for which her Department is or was responsible distinguishing in each case between allowances payable to scheme participants and other costs.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information requested is given in the table. The 1992–93 figures exclude provision transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry with effect from 1 May 1992.
  640

  1991–92 (note 1) £ million

  1992–93 (note 2) £ million

  Youth Training and Training Credits

  Programme costs

  737·963

  698·549

  Bridging allowance

  8·375

  6·890

  Employment Training

  Programme costs

  376·906

  339·526

  Allowances

  360·445

  310·516

  Business and Enterprise

  161·752

  149·264

  Career Development Loans

  5·860

  6·335

  Grant Support training local authority careers officers

  0·584

  0·648

  Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme

  31·779

  1·758

  Youth Enterprise Initiative

  4·375

  4·900

  Sources: 1991–92 Appropriation Accounts (October 1992) 1992–93

  Class 6 Vote 1 Summer Supplementary Estimate (June 1992).

  Note 1: 1991–92 outturn is for England and Wales.

  Note 2: 1992–93 provision is for England only.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of employment training leavers in the Cumbria training and enterprise council found paid employment in(a) the 12 months to March 1991 and (b) the 12 months to March 1992.

  Mr. McLoughin
  The information is not available in the form requested. The table shows the proportion of ET leavers from Cumbria TEC who were in paid employment three months after leaving ET.

  Proportion of leavers from the Cumbria TEC area going in to paid employment

  January 1990 to December 1990 leavers

  41 per cent.

  January 1991 to December 1991 leavers

  43 per cent.

  Source: ET national follow-up survey.

  Notes:

  1. Paid employment = in a full time job, self-employment or part-time job three months after leaving ET.

  2. The figures are for those people who responded to the survey.

  Appointments (Women)
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are her objectives for the numbers of women to be appointed to public bodies in order to fulfil her percentage targets by 1996; and what number of men will be appointed to public bodies over the same period.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The goal is that by 1996 30 per cent. of the public appointments made by my Department should be held by women. The current objectives to achieve this goal were announced on 16 November in "Public Appointments and Equal Opportunities", which is available in the Library. It is, however, not possible to forecast the numbers of men and of women who will be appointed over this period.

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how she will use greater publicity to interest women in public bodies.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend intends to launch a series of regional "opportunity shops" for women in the new year to promote women's participation in all areas of public life. Their aim will be to publicise the whole range of opportunities open to women, including appointments to public bodies, regional and community appointments and voluntary work as well as employment and training.

  Jobcentres
  Ms. Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State (1) for Employment what are the staff to customer ratios at(a) the Haslingden (Rossendale) jobcentre and (b) the Rawtenstall (Rossendale) jobcentre;

  (2) if she will list the number of clients passing through (a) the Haslingden (Rossendale) jobcentre and (b) the Rawtenstall (Rossendale) jobcentre for each month since January;

  (3) what studies have been undertaken, to assess the viability of the Haslingden (Rossendale) jobcentre as an integrated jobcentre/benefits office.

  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 M.E.G. Fogden to Ms. Janet Anderson, dated 24 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 Questions to her about Haslingden and Rawtenstall Jobcentres. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  My letter of 4 November explained that the decision to close the office at Haslingden was taken only after a full consultation process involving local interested parties. Prior to this, there had been a full review of the way services were being delivered in this part of Lancashire. A number of options were considered and it was concluded that we could make best use of our resources by transferring services to the new integrated office in Rawtenstall. Setting up an integrated office in Haslingden was not considered a feasible option because of the close proximity to the office in Rawtenstall; the lack of suitable premises and the relatively small number of clients involved.

  You asked for information about the nunber of clients passing through the local offices at Haslingden and Rawtenstall. Unfortunately, we do not have this information since we do not count numbers of people who use certain enquiry aspect of our services. Even if figures were available, however, they would not provide a safe basis for comparison between the offices because of the very different nature of the services being provided at Haslingden and Rawtenstall.

  At Haslingden clients attend for information about job vacancies and to declare continuing unemployment, but the full range of services is not available. At Rawtenstall there is a wide range of services and clients regularly attend to make claims for benefit; to declare their continuing unemployment; to receive advice on benefit queries; to be given help on jobsearch and for advisory interviews. Many people who use the Haslingden office need also to go to Rawtenstall for the wider range of help it provides.

  There are three staff permanently based in Haslingden. They are primarily responsible for the delivery of services to aid jobsearch. At Rawtenstall there are 20·9 staff and two of them travel to Haslingden on one day per week to take evidence of unemployment. It is not possible to provide meaningful staff to customer ratios at either office.

  Finally, let me reassure you that we monitor very closely the performance of our offices and keep our network closely under review.

  I hope this is helpful.

  As decided by the Administration Committees 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.

  Employment Agencies
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the systems of licensing employment agencies; why it is necessary to have such licences; and what plans she has to abolish them.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible only for the licensing system in the Employment Agencies Act 1973. We believe that some arrangement of this kind is necessary to safeguard the interests of users. Experience has shown that such protection is real.

  Nevertheless, we are always concerned to reduce the number of licences involved in business activities wherever possible. We shall therefore keep the operation of the 1973 Act under review.

  Licensing systems for seamen's and nurses' agencies are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for Health respectively.

  Redundancies
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies there have been in the west midlands in the last three months.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Data on redundancies are now obtained from the quarterly labour force survey. The latest information available relates to spring 1992. This shows that in the three months prior to the survey 32,000 people were made redundant in the west midlands region.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies in Renfrew district have been notified to her Department since July; how many of these have been confirmed redundancies; if she will publish a table breaking down these redundancies by employer, job centre, standard industrial classification and those resulting from company closure or bankruptcy; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Figures on notification of redundancies are not held for areas smaller than economic regions.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which Minister in her Department is responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters which fall within the responsibility of her Department.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I am responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters within the Employment Department.

  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if she will list the main measures of deregulation, or simplification of regulation, which her Department has carried out, or caused to be carried out, since 9 April;

  (2) if she will list the main measures increasing regulation in any area for which her Department has responsibility, which her Department has caused to be put into effect since 9 April.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Industrial Training (Road Transport Board) (Revocation) Order 1992 wound up the road transport industrial training board, leaving employers to decide how and what to spend on training.
  643
  The following measures have been approved by Ministers and, subject to parliamentary approval, will come into effect from 1 January 1993, implementing EC directives on health and safety:

  The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations;

  The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations;

  The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations;

  The Manual Handling Operations Regulations;

  The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations;

  The Display Screen Equipment Regulations.

  The Health and Safety Commission, with the approval of my right hon. Friend, has taken the opportunity presented by the need to implement these directives to rationalise existing law and remove unnecessary requirements. Taken together, they will repeal nearly 80 regulations in whole or part, and some 40 sections of Acts.

  National Vocational Qualifications
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what qualifications are required by those engaged in assessing national vocational qualifications.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The national standards for assessment of national vocational qualifications (NVQs), published in 1991, have been endorsed by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications.

  Nearly all NVQ awarding bodies have already made a commitment to move towards requiring their assessors to be qualified to these national standards. The National Council for Vocational Qualifications is meeting with awarding bodies shortly to agree a time scale for the introduction of such a requirement.

  Remploy
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements have been put in place for improving the effectiveness of Remploy.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My noble Friend the Viscount Ullswater, on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has written to the chairman of Remploy approving the first annual performance agreement between the Department and the company. This agreement covers the year from 1 April 1992. It has been negotiated by the chief executive of the Employment Service, on behalf of my right hon. Friend, since new financing arrangements were established between the Department and Remploy in March 1992.

  We have agreed targets which are realistic but stretching. These are:

  The average number of disabled people employed by Remploy Ltd. will be 8,650, subject to a tolerance of ± 3 per cent.

  At least 190 disabled employees will move from Remploy factories to opportunities under the Interwork scheme or to open employment, or from Interwork to open employment.

  The average number of disabled people employed in opportunities under the Interwork scheme will be 675, subject to a tolerance of ± 5 per cent.

  Remploy will keep within an operating deficit of £81·25 million—which, on average numbers of 8,650, will give a cost per disabled worker of £9,393.

  I have arranged for the text of the annual performance agreement to be placed in the Library today.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to meet the US defence chiefs to discuss nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I next expect to meet Secretary Cheney when we are both in Brussels on 10 and 11 December for the meeting of NATO's defence planning committee.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent studies he has commissioned or received about the safety of British nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Aitken
  The only recent authoritative study of the safety of UK nuclear weapons has been the review undertaken by a working group led by the Ministry of Defence's chief scientific adviser. The report of this review was publsihed in July this year and copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The review provides welcome corroboration of our confidence in the safety of our nuclear weapons.

  Regiments (Amalgamation)
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now reconsider the proposed amalgamation of the Staffordshire and Cheshire regiments.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No. The amalgamation of the Cheshire regiment and the Staffordshire regiment is due to take place in August 1993 and there is currently no reason why it should not go ahead.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on plans to amalgamate Scottish regiments and battalions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have received numerous representations, all of which I have noted.

  Royal Naval Reserve
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding the future of the Royal Naval Reserve; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have received a number of representations. Following the publication of the open government document "The Future of Britain's Reserve Forces", work is under way on the future use of the Royal Navy's volunteer and ex-regular reserves and this will take due account of relevant representations received.

  European Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the future of the European fighter aircraft.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The two studies that were commissioned by the four Governments in August have now reported and I plan to meet with my German, Italian and Spanish counterparts in December to discuss the results. The
  645
  industrial study has shown that significant reductions in the cost of the aircraft are possible. The report on the second study—a reassessment of the operational requirement by our chiefs of staff—has only just been received and I am considering its conclusions.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the current situation regarding the intergovernmental talks concerning the European fighter aircraft.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans).

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from trade unions concerning the European fighter aircraft and its implications for future employment.

  Mr. Aitken
  On 29 October I met a trade union delegation representing employees at Rolls-Royce, British Aerospace, Lucas Aerospace and GEC-Ferranti. My Department has also received letters from trade union representatives at GEC-Ferranti in Edinburgh and at GEC Avionics at Rochester.

  Shipbuilding Industry
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to assist the shipbuilding industry by his policy for procurement.

  Mr. Aitken
  Our policy is to place orders for ships by competition wherever possible, inviting all yards capable of undertaking the work to tender. This has encouraged the great efforts shipbuilders have been making to reduce overheads and improve their efficiency and competitiveness.

  Arms Sales (Middle East)
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about his Ministry's policy towards the export of military equipment and technology to Iran and Iraq.

  Mr. Aitken
  Our policy is to support the UN embargo on exports to Iraq, and to permit exports to Iran only within the policy announced by the then Foreign Secretary on 29 October 1985.

  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the advice given by his Department concerning the export of military technology to the middle east prior to the Gulf war.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department gave and continues to give advice to other Government Departments on the military implications of specific defence exports.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek permission from Mr. Frank Machon of the Polmadie Storage and Packing Company Ltd. of Glasgow to make public his correspondence with Her Majesty's Government on the matter of military equipment sales from the United Kingdom to Iraq, Iran and other states on the list of sensitive nations for United Kingdom exports.

  Mr. Aitken
  Mr. Machon may, if he wishes, publish his own letters to Ministers and officials in my Department 646
  and their replies to him. He has repeatedly been asked to produce evidence to substantiate his allegations which have already been published in the press.

  Bosnia
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been carried out into the ability of the armed forces to carry out discretionary commitments in addition to deployment in Bosnia.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We attach great importance to ensuring that future force levels are appropriate for the tasks which the armed forces are asked to undertake and that we do not impose upon them any requirement to which they cannot properly respond. We continue to monitor the position carefully in the light of present and likely future commitments.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the latest progress on the deployment of troops in Bosnia.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member of Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) today.

  WE177 Nuclear Bomb
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb is expected to reach the end of its operational life.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb is expected to remain serviceable well into the first decade of the next century.

  Animals (Tests)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which species of animals are currently used by his Department or its agents for test purposes; and what tests are carried out.

  Mr. Aitken
  The species of animals currently used for experimental purposes are rats, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs and rhesus monkeys. All experiments involving the use of animals fully meet the spirit and letter of the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the latest information available to him about the position of United Kingdom troops in the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Regular reports are now placed in the Library of the House each Thursday.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the further participation of British troops in former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no plans for any additional use of British troops over and above those escorting humanitarian aid convoys, including convoys of detainees.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the level of air
  647
  cover generally and operational aerial intelligence and surveillance available to the United Kingdom commander and his convoys in the former Yugoslavia.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Air support is not part of the concept of the deployment and would fundamentally alter the nature of the operation, risking escalation. NATO airborne early warning aircraft are conducting air surveillance of the Adriatic and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but this is to detect violations of UN sanctions and the no-fly zone, not to provide cover for ground forces.

  RAF Sealand
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will visit RAF Sealand to discuss future developments on the site.

  Mr. Aitken
  I intend to visit RAF Sealand on Wednesday 9 December.

  British Aerospace
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the chief executive of British Aerospace about defence procurement.

  Mr. Aitken
  My right hon. Friend last met the chief executive of British Aerospace at the Farnborough air show in September.

  Western European Union
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the secretary-general of the Western European Union to discuss the future of the union.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has met the secretary-general of WEU on a number of occasions since taking up office. Their discussions have covered a wide range of issues.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he is making with the implementation of the changes outlined in "Options for Change".

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. and learned Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) earlier today.

  Autumn Statement
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be able to report on the implications of the autumn statement on defence expenditure for defence establishments in Wiltshire.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The new expenditure plans announced in the autumn statement will allow us to maintain the direction for Defence set out in "Britain's Defence for the 90s" and the requirements of the defence policies most recently set out in the 1992 Statement on the Defence Estimates. We will continue to implement the 648
  present plans for restructuring and reorganisation, including those affecting defence establishments in Wiltshire. Any further adjustments to individual defence commitments and capabilities will be considered during the course of the normal annual recosting of the defence programme as a whole and will he announced in due course where appropriate.

  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received in response to defence issues raised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Three parliamentary questions, including the hon. Member's, have sought information or a statement from Defence Ministers in the light of the autumn statement. One letter has been received from a Member of Parliament. The Government remain committed to armed forces which, while smaller, will be properly manned and supported and better equipped.

  Trooping the Colour
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Trooping the Colour was estimated to have cost in 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 June 1992,Official Report, column 513.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many investigations into incidents involving low-flying jets in Wales were conducted in each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The number of RAF police investigations following complaints about low-flying aircraft in Wales in each year since January 1989 is as follows:

  Number

  1989

  61

  1990

  73

  1991

  74

  11992

  85

  1 Up to 31 October 1992.

  Stolen Documents
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the nature of Ministry of Defence documents stolen from post office premises in Kilbirnie street, Glasgow.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A Ministry of Defence document was stolen from the Parcelforce Glasgow distribution centre, Kilbirnie street, Glasgow on 17 November 1992 but was recovered within the depot. It is not the policy to disclose the nature of stolen documents.

  Files (Disposal)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many years his Department holds files before shredding or other means of disposal.
  649
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The retention and disposal of Ministry of Defence files are governed by the requirement of the Public Records Acts of 1958 and 1967. Files are reviewed at various stages after closure, in the light of their possible administrative or historical value, and those which are not selected for ultimate permanent preservation at the Public Record Office may be destroyed almost immediately or held for periods up to 85 years, depending upon their content and continued departmental utility.

  Trident
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about planned expenditure on the Trident programme in 1993–94.

  Mr. Aitken
  Our current estimate for capital expenditure on the Trident programme in the financial year 1993–94 is £827 million.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to paragraph 1, page 28, of the Statement on the Defence Estimates, if possible future 650
  revisions of the assessment of the number of nuclear warheads that need to be deployed on each Trident submarine will include raising the self-imposed maximum limit of 128.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Government have long made it clear that their planning for the Trident force is based on deploying in each Trident submarine no more than 128 warheads.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is his policy to deploy a front-end on the United Kingdom's Trident missiles that will be capable of carrying more than eight warheads; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The actual number of warheads which will be carried by the D5 missile in United Kingdom service, and the maximum number that could be, is classified information. The Government have, however, made it clear that each United Kingdom Trident submarine will carry no more than 128 warheads.

  STOKE MANDEVILLE HOSPITAL
  STOKE MANDEVILLE HOSPITAL
  TOMLINSON INQUIRY: VISITS
  TOMLINSON INQUIRY: VISITS
  TOBACCO WARNING NOTICES: RESPONSE
  TOBACCO WARNING NOTICES: RESPONSE
  FORMER YUGOSLAVIA: HUMANITARIAN AID
  FORMER YUGOSLAVIA: HUMANITARIAN AID
  EC: DEVELOPMENT AID
  EC: DEVELOPMENT AID
  PLUTONIUM: TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS
  PLUTONIUM: TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS
  CRUMLIN ROAD PRISON: YOUNG PEOPLE ON REMAND
  CRUMLIN ROAD PRISON: YOUNG PEOPLE ON REMAND