Written Answers of 26 November 1992

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Church Land and Property
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what steps are taken to secure an independent valuation of church land and property before disposal.

  Mr. Michael Alison
  The Commissioners normally ask for an independent valuation when their statutory consent is sought to a sale of ecclesiastical property. The property investments which they themselves own are professionally valued every year.

TRANSPORT

  Shipping and Seamen
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that new arrangements which may be brought forward for the General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen will include requirements which specifically protect the records of ships' movements and the records of sailors in world war I and world war II.

  Mr. Norris
  My right hon. Friend is aware that the records presently held are of historical interest. They will continue to be retained under Public Record Office (PRO) rules.

  Small Ships Register
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) which organisation submitted the lowest tender in respect of providing a contract service for the Small Ships Register;

  (2) if he will give full details of the tender process followed with regard to the contract for the Small Ships Register including a list of the tenderers, a list of those short-listed and the successful tenderer;

  (3) what factors were taken into account in deciding the placement of the contract for the Small Ships Register.

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answers 19 and 20 November 1992]: The tender process followed the Department's normal rules for competitive tender which comply with guidance notes issued by the Treasury's central unit on purchasing, with EC regulations and with Government accounting.

  Seven firms were invited to tender, but offers were received from only three. In addition an inhouse hid was submitted by the Department's client division (The Register of Shipping and Seamen).

  Placement was decided on compliance with the Department's specification, value for money and quality. The contract was awarded to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency which submitted the tender which best met these requirements.
  746
  It is not departmental policy to release information on firms tendering as this is regarded as commercial-in-confidence.

  Consultants
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the decision of the Government to cancel Cooper and Lybrand's commission to prepare a report on the post-monopoly charges for use of British Rail's rail track and infrastructure.

  Mr. Freeman
  Coopers and Lybrand is continuing to advise the Government on liberalising access to British Rail's track and infrastructure and charges for its use. The Government intend to publish proposals soon.

  Nuclear Material
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the safety standards required in the transportation of plutonium in respect of the temperature and length of time of ship fires.

  Mr. Norris
  The safety test standards required for the transport of all radioactive material by all modes are those prescribed in the International Atomic Energy Agency's publication "Safety Series No. 6, 1985 Edition" (as amended 1990). These include a thermal test at a minimum temperature of 800 deg C sustained for a period of 30 minutes, after which the package must be shown to maintain its essential functions of containment, radiation shielding and criticality safety to prescribed limits.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of kinetic energy for safety standards which apply to the transportation in casks of plutonium in British coastal waters where a ship is travelling at 15 knots; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Safety standards for the carriage of radioactive material in such flasks take into account the factors that could affect possible accidental damage to the cask, including energy absorbed. The fraction of the kinetic energy of a ship that would be so absorbed in an accident would be small; most of it would be dissipated in deformation of the ship's structure.

  Working Group
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the submissions to be considered by the joint International Atomic Energy Authority-International Maritime Organisation-United Nations Environment Programme.

  Mr. Norris
  Submissions to the joint IAEA-IMO-UNEP working group have not yet been completed. I shall place in the Library copies of any submissions that the United Kingdom makes.

  Okehampton Bypass
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many acres of public open space were lost in the construction of the Okehampton bypass.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: Of the land acquired for the Okehampton bypass:
  747
  1–9 acres were open space;

  approximately 20 acres were land which had previously been used by the public for recreation, and in respect of which the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Transport accepted the recommendation of the inquiry inspector that they be treated as "open space".

  In addition to these 22 acres, temporary access rights were obtained to a further 1–6 acres during the construction period.

  Road Capacity, Heathrow
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he is currently undertaking as to the capacity of roads in the west London and Heathrow areas to accommodate present and projected traffic; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The capacity of roads is a matter for the responsible highway authority. The British Airports Authority has consulted widely about its proposals for a fifth terminal at Heathrow airport and my Department is considering with them what improvements to the trunk road network may be necessary as a result of these proposals.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what communication his Department has had with the Clinton-Gore presidential transition team on policies towards the international transport of plutonium.

  Mr. Norris
  None.

  Heathrow Airport (Emergency Services)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the capacity of the emergency services to deal with any crash at or near Heathrow airport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department of Transport has taken advice from the Civil Aviation Authority and BAA plc on this important matter.

  I am advised that the emergency services at Heathrow are able to mount a massive response in the event of any disaster occurring in the vicinity of the airport. The current procedures ensure, initially, that air traffic control (ATC) provides the pilot of an aircraft in distress with whatever assistance he requires to effect a safe landing. This includes immediately alerting the ground emergency services.

  BAA manage the emergency services at Heathrow and under the terms of the aerodrome licence issued to it by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which derives from guidelines laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), it is obliged to provide a specific number of staff, fire-fighting and emergency equipment and medical expertise to deal with any aircraft disasters which occur either at Heathrow airport itself or within a two-mile radius.

  The emergency services provided by BAA exceed by almost double the quotas specified in the licence. Nevertheless, close ties are maintained with the police, fire brigades, ambulance services and local hospitals to ensure that back-up services are available to provide additional and immediate assistance should the need arise.

  Continuous reviews of the system ensure that the emergency procedures are kept up to date. Annual
  748
  exercises conducted with volunteers and involving all the emergency services and local hospitals ensure that all concerned are familiar with the procedures. The last such exercise took place on 8 October 1992.

  Driving Tests
  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce into the driving test requirements for motorway driving and night driving.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I have no such plans. Including motorway and night driving in a test would imply a multi-part test without clear evidence that the significant extra costs would be justified. But I shall be considering whether, in the light of the recent consultation exercise by the Driving Standards Agency, these topics should be tackled more thoroughly in the theoretical element of the test.

  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what substantive changes have been made to the requirements for the driving test since 1962.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Key changes have been—

  the introduction in 1969 of a separate test for the drivers of heavy goods vehicles;

  the introduction in 1985 of a separate test for drivers of coaches and buses;

  the introduction in 1989 of a motorcycle test with the examiner accompanying the candidate;

  the introduction in 1991 of a reverse-parking manoeuvre into the car driving test;

  the introduction in 1992 of a double-length driving test for certain disqualified drivers.

  Local Safety Schemes
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what applications he has received from local authorities in their transport policies and programmes submissions for schemes which are likely to give rates of return in excess of those typically achieved by local safety schemes.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 25 November 1992]: It is not possible to make such a direct comparison. Local safety schemes are assessed according to their first year rate of return in casualty reduction terms. Major road improvement schemes are subject to a detailed cost benefit analysis over a period of 30 years.

  Returns provided by local authorities indicate that the amount earmarked for local safety schemes in the transport supplementary grant settlement for 1991–92 produced an average first year rate of return of 76 per cent. and over the first three years an average rate of return of 213 per cent.

  Initial analysis of authorities' transport policies and programme submissions for 1993–94 indicates that the average benefit to cost ratio of major scheme bids for TSG is 4·4:1.

  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the 1993–94 specific allocation in transport supplementary grant for local safety schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 25 November 1992]: The specific allocation to local safety schemes will be announced to Parliament by the Secretary of State as part of the local roads capital settlement, probably next month.
  749
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when guidance will be issued to local authorities to enable them to use signing for red light and speed cameras for deterrence and road safety purposes.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 25 November 1992]Trials are currently taking place to determine the most effective signing for camera installations. I expect to be able to issue guidance after these trials are completed early next year.

  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total bid of local authorities for transport supplementary grant for local safety schemes for 1993–94.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 25 November 1992]: A total of £117 million.

  Driving Standards Agency
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 2 November,Official Report, columns 81–86, what has been the cost to the Exchequer of the chief executive of the Driving Standards Agency's visits to (a) Brussels on 4 November 1991 and (b) Paris on 12 October.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The total cost of each of these visits to the Exchequer was as follows:

  Place

  Air fare

  Total

  Brussels

  £257·60

  £394·36

  Paris

  £263·80

  £414·85

  Vehicle Certification Agency
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 2 November,Official Report, columns 81–86, what has been the cost to the Exchequer during the last 12 months of the chief executive of the vehicle inspectorate's visits to (a) Munich and (b) Madrid.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  There is expected to be no real cost to the Exchequer in respect of the Vehicle Certification Agency's chief executive travelling to Munich and Madrid because the agency's costs are covered by fees paid by applicants for type approval.

  Driving Licences
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what documentation is included with new driving licences sent out from the Driver Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea; and at what cost.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency at Swansea sends a basic information booklet and an organ donor card to drivers with their driving licences.

  The annual cost of providing the booklet is £152,000. The cost of the organ donor card is met by the Department of Health.

  British Rail
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 6 November,Official Report, column 424, if he will list the six companies who tendered for the consultancy on the sale of British Rail's freight operations.
  750
  Mr. Freeman
  This information is commercially confidential.

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 2 November,Official Report, columns 81–86, what has been the cost to the Exchequer during the last 12 months of the chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre's visits to (a) Dublin, (b) Germany and (c) Veendam, Holland, in October 1991.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The costs are £5671, £685 and £531 respectively.

  1 A joint visit (September 1991) to both Dublin and Coleraine.

  A1 (Upgrading)
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what asessment his Department has made on the effect of the upgrading of the A1 to motorway standard on trade in the north east.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  None. There is little doubt the upgrading of the route will open up development opportunities given the benefits of better access and communication. But it is too early to make accurate assessments.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 26 November.

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

  Iraq
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister how many defendants in the Matrix Churchill case had assisted(a) the Secret Intelligence Service or (b) the Security Service in monitoring Iraq's defence capability.

  The Prime Minister
  It would be contrary to normal practice to comment further on intelligence matters.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Press Intrusion
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he will publish his proposals on press intrusion into the private lives of individuals.

  Mr. Brooke
  I shall announce what action the Government propose to take over press regulation after I have considered Sir David Calcutt's review of press self-regulation, which I hope to receive early in the new year.
  751

  Concessionary Television Licences
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what representations he has received about the amendment of existing regulations to extend access by senior citizens living in sheltered housing accommodation to concessionary television licences; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what plans he has to relax the regulations affecting sheltered housing complexes to allow greater access for senior citizens to the concessionary television licence scheme;

  (3) if he will estimate the cost of the existing licence concession scheme for retired people living in sheltered housing complexes;

  (4) if he will agree to meet representatives of local authorities to discuss the future development of the concessionary scheme for retired people living in sheltered housing complexes.

  Mr. Brooke
  Since 13 April this year, I have received 97 letters from Members of the House and 103 from members of the public, local authorities and other organisations on the subject of the concessionary television licence scheme. The current cost of the concessionary scheme in lost licence revenue is approximately £40 million a year. The Government have repeatedly made it clear that they have no plans to amend or extend the regulations governing the scheme, which were thoroughly overhauled in 1988 after long and careful consideration. I therefore consider that no useful purpose would he served by a meeting with representatives of local authorities to discuss the future of the scheme.

  External Consultants
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list all of the reports commissioned from external consultants since April 1992; how many reports from external consultants to his Department led to further consultancy work being commissioned, stating for each of these who were the original and subsequent consultants and briefly describing the subject matter of the consultancy work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The Department of National Heritage has commissioned the following reports from external consultants since April 1992:

  Price Waterhouse—Investment analysis for DNH headquarters project.

  TECTUS—Space planning report for DNH headquarters project.

  Charles Douglas—Assessment of telephone installation options for new headquarters project.

  Robin Johnson—Design proposals for housestyle plus design guide.

  PE International—Scoping study on provision of central services for DNH. This led to a further consultancy for PE International giving expert assistance for implementation of recommendations in their first report.

  GAH Group—Report on aspects of the proposed National Lottery. These consultants were subsequently engaged to make a presentation to the Secretary of State and senior officials on the subject.

  Ernst & Young—Report on the scope for market testing in the British Library.

  Library and Information Statistics Unit, Loughborough University—Provision of selected public and university library statistics to the Library and Information Services Council for their Annual Report.

  752

  PA Consultants—Report on aspects of the British Library St. Pancras project.

  Price Waterhouse—Report on financial systems and controls in place on British Library St. Pancras site.

  Watts and Partners—Report on options for managing the maintenance and refurbishment of various historic state buildings and monuments in London.

  Mr. Geoffrey Page—Report on an information technology strategy for the Royal Parks.

  Mr. James Berry—Production of landscaping and ecological appraisals for the Royal Parks.

  Mr. John Wilkinson—Development of a programme of free public entertainments in the Royal Parks, and research into sponsorship possibilities.

  KPMG Management Consultants—Study for the Royal Parks Constabulary on the scope for use of information technology. This led to a design consultancy for KPMG Management Consultants for the management of the Royal Parks crime statistics.

  Thesaurus—Statistical report on objects sold at auction in United Kingdom.

  Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, Newcastle University —To establish a method for calculating numbers of day visitors to destinations within the United Kingdom for inclusion in local authority standard spending assessments.

  Mr. Francis Butlin—Report on care and conservation of works of art in the Government Art Collection.

  Ms. Isabel Horowitz—Report on care and conservation of works of art on the Government Art Collection.

  Mr. David Harding—Report on care and conservation of works in Government Art Collection.

  The Historic Royal Palaces Agency has commissioned the following reports from external consultants since April 1992:

  Communication by Design—Improved local signage for Kensington Palace.

  Travers Morgan—Identification of plants for the Privy Garden at Hampton Court Palace.

  Percy Flaxman—Restoration of Hampton Court maze.

  Land Use Consultants—Ground maintenance costs of Hampton Court Gardens.

  David Watson and Associates—Utilities tariff analysis and efficiency.

  Protective Security Systems Limited—Security systems at Kensington Palace.

  Grant Leisure Group—Catering facilities at the Tower of London.

  TOR Systems—Ticketing at the Tower of London.

  H. H. Angus and Associates (UK) Ltd.—Electrical supply requirements at the Tower of London. This led to a design consultancy which has now been placed with RMJM (London) Limited.

  Alan Baxter and Associates—Car parking at Hampton Court Palace.

  Alan Baxter and Associates—Brown road signs to Hampton Court Palace.

  Fielden and Mawson—Real tennis court at Hampton Court Palace.

  Royal Ordnance—Security at Tower of London.

  Baxter, Williams and Smith—Suitability of different types of building contract.

  Caroe and Partners—Stonework at Tower of London.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Correspondence
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to be able to respond to the letter of 18 November from the hon. Member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye concerning Mackay and Sons Ltd., Ross-shire; and if he will make a statement.
  753
  Sir John Cope
  I will write to the hon. Member shortly in response to his letter of 18 November. I can tell him that Customs are prepared exceptionally to renegotiate payment in this case.

  Regulatory Measures
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. Dorrell
  No such measures have been taken.

  Aero Technologies Ltd.
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what investigations have been conducted by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise officers into the trading activities of Aero Technologies Ltd. with(a) Iran and (b) Iraq in military equipment.

  Sir John Cope
  It would not be appropriate for information relating to any particular investigation to be made public other than in the course of court proceedings.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main measures of deregulation, or simplification of regulation, which his Departments have carried out, or caused to be carried out, since 9 April.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Government have laid draft regulations under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act before Parliament on 17 November in order to implement the second banking co-ordination and consolidated supervision directives. Although these measures are long and complex, and amend a number of Acts, they implement two measures that are central to a single market in banking. This will allow EC credit institutions—broadly speaking, banks and building societies—to offer banking services throughout the Community on the basis of a single authorisation under the prudential supervision of a single supervisor.

  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Minister in his Department is responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters which fall within the responsibility of his Department.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I am responsible to the Chancellor for such matters.

  Civil List
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to initiate a revision of the 10-year agreement concerning the civil list so as to include it within the 1·5 per cent. pay ceiling policy.

  Mr. Lamont
  No. The royal household committed itself on 12 November to apply the pay limitations for 1993.

  Widows' Pensions
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's most recent estimate of the loss to the Exchequer if widows' pensions were to be treated as non-taxable income.
  754
  Mr. Dorrell
  At 1992–93 levels, the revenue cost of exempting from tax widows' pensions, including widowed mothers' allowances, would be about £100 million.

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the value of imports and exports and the trade balance in manufactured goods in current and real terms for each financial year since 1979–80.

  Mr. Portillo
  Information on imports, exports and the balance for manufactured goods is published regularly in the Central Statistical Office's "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" and is available on a quarterly basis on the Central Statistical Office databank which may be accessed through the Library of the House.

  British Telecom
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposes to sell the Government's residual shareholding in British Telecommunications plc.

  Mr. Dorrell
  As my right hon. Friend announced in the debate on the autumn statement on 18 November, at column 303, the Government intend to sell all or part of their residual shareholding in BT next year. No decisions have been taken about the precise timing and the number of shares to be sold. We will shortly begin to appoint advisers to certain of the key roles and to incur preliminary sale costs.

  Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a spring supplementary estimate for Her Majesty's Treasury's sale of shares in British Telecommunications plc and sale or redemption of privatised companies' debt vote—class XVIII, vote 19. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure, not expected to exceed £2 million, will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund. Preliminary and main sale expenses incurred in 1993–94 in connection with the sale of shares will be met from receipts from the sale.

  Iraq
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Treasury became aware that Bank of Credit and Commerce International accounts were being used to facilitate arms trade with Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 17 November 1992]: So far as can be ascertained, the Treasury has not had information that BCCI accounts have been used to facilitate arms trade with Iraq, although it has seen the material in Senator Kerry's report on this point.

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now authorise publication of appendix 8 to the Bingham report on BCCI.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 19 November 1992]: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has already made clear to the House, the balance of public interest weighs against publishing any of the appendices to the Bingham report.
  755

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Charterline
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 13 November,Official Report, column 982, how many companies, other than Price Waterhouse, applied for the tender to pilot the charterline service.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Six.

  Public Appointments
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place the list of names on the central database within the public appointments unit within the Office of Public Service and Science in the Library.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  No. Information about the 5,500 names on the public appointments unit's database is provided in confidence and, under the Data Protection Act 1984, publication of the names would be precluded. But the unit is always ready to receive details of those whom hon. Members consider suitable for consideration for public appointments, and individuals are free to nominate themselves on application forms available from the unit. At the present time there is a particular need for nominations of more women suitable for national level appointments and for names of members of the ethnic minorities.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a full list of public appointments, with the time period of appointment, stating whether part or full-time, and whether expenses, including child care, are payable in each case.

  Market testing plans for completion by 30 September 1993

  Department

  Approximate value of activities to be tested £ million

  Approximate number of staff involved in this work

  Illustrative activities to be market tested

  Charity Commission

  1·2

  50

  Printing and reprographics; Facilities management

  Crown Prosecution Service

  5·8

  461

  Facilities management; Typing services; Document and package transmission; Recruitment

  Export Credit Guarantee Department

  1·0

  52

  IT support; Legal Services; Word processing

  Forestry Commission

  7·8

  500

  Forest operations and surveys; Research: chemical analysis, IT and statistics;

  Intervention Board

  4·3

  126

  Office support services; Debt recovery; Registration of documents; Computer operations

  Land Registry

  4·2

  100

  Building management and estates services; Records management; Legal services

  Office of Fair Trading

  0·4

  13

  Distribution of publicity material; Reprographics; Travel

  OPCS

  2·1

  85

  Day security (London); Reprographics

  Ordnance Survey

  14·5

  360

  Management of site services, maintenance and engineering advice; Catering; Internal audit

  Treasury Solicitors

  2·1

  42

  Messenger services; Record storage/management; Security and custody guard services

  Central Office of Information

  6·3

  84

  Despatch services; accommodation management; Messenger and postal services; Catering

  Central Statistical Office

  1·0

  2

  Retail Price Index (RPI) local price collection; Company Accounts—provision of key data items

  756
  Mr. Robert Jackson
  "Public Bodies", published annually by the Cabinet Office, gives details of the bodies to which Ministers make appointments, and whether the appointments are part time or full time. A copy of the 1991 edition is in the Library of the House; the 1992 edition is expected to be published at the end of the year. Responsibility for the period of an appointment rests with each appointing Minister. No information is kept centrally about such terms which vary in length but in most instances do not exceed five years. The Women's National Commission's "Handbook for Women's Organisations", also in the Library, includes some information about the normal terms of appointments to some bodies.

  The authorisation of travelling and subsistence expenses is the responsibility of individual Departments, but such expenses are normally met. Child care expenses may also be reimbursed where this help secures the appointment of someone who might otherwise have to decline, or to avoid the risk of non attendance.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish figures showing the year on year increase in the amount of central Government market testing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 November 1992, column 606–74]: The details of the market testing plans of main Departments were published yesterday in the citizens charter White Paper. The breakdown of the market testing plans for other Departments and agencies is as follows.
  757

  Department

  Approximate value of activities to be tested £ million

  Approximate number of staff involved in this work

  Illustrative activities to be market tested

  Department of National Savings

  11·7

  477

  Typing, messenger and reprographics services; Agency accounting; Internal audit; Training

  HMSO

  17·6

  542

  Reprographic Units; Manchester Forms Centre; Bristol Distribution Centre

  Paymaster General

  1·1

  69

  Data preparation; Internal audit; Mainframe operations; Despatch

  Others

  1·5

  —

  Total

  82·6

  2,963

EDUCATION

  East Gate School, Nottinghamshire
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give the address of the East Gate school, Nottinghamshire, listed in his Department's table of school examination results.

  Mr. Forth
  The address of the school referred to—the William Crane School—is East Gate, Minver crescent, Aspley, Nottingham, NG8 5PN.

  Students (Overseas Placements)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students are currently on placements abroad as an integral part of their first degree courses.

  Mr. Forman
  Information on total numbers of students on placements abroad is not available within the Department. Figures are however available for students studying abroad under the ERASMUS and LINGUA programmes, which by definition require placements abroad to be integrated in the home course. For 1991–92 about 6,500 United Kingdom students undertook periods of study abroad on this basis.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to ensure that students currently on placements abroad as an integral part of their first degree courses have had their grants adjusted to take account of the devaluation of sterling.

  Mr. Forman
  There are special rates of grant for students studying at overseas institutions for at least one term as a necessary part of their courses. They are fixed for the current academic year by the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1992—SI 1992 No. 1270—which came into force on 1 September 1992. The rates represent only a contribution towards costs faced abroad, and are not normally revised during the year on account of currency or other fluctuations. My right hon. Friend will review the rates in due course when he makes the new regulations to come into force on 1 September 1993.

  Interim Funding, London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to end his Department's post-Inner London education authority interim funding; and if he will make a statement.
  758
  Mr. Forth
  The Government are providing £250 million in inner London education grant over the first five years in which the inner London boroughs have responsibility for education. This is transitional support to protect local tax payers while the boroughs bring the education spending they inherited from the Inner London education authority under control, and will end in March 1995. The Department has also provided grant totalling £1·5 million over the three years 1990–91 to 1992–93 in order to enable 29 Londonwide educational voluntary organisations to make new funding arrangements with the London boroughs and charitable trusts. Over the same three year period the Department has provided pump-priming funding to the Foundation for Young Musicians—FYM totalling £336,000.

  There is no commitment to extending the scheme of grants to the Londonwide educational voluntary organisations or FYM grants beyond 31 March 1993 although an application from the FYM is under consideration.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research his Department has commissioned into the effect of the acquisition of grant-maintained status on school effectiveness; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  It is not necessary to commission special research into the effect of the acquisition of grant-maintained status on school effectiveness. The publication of school performance tables under the parents charter, in which each school's type is clearly stated, will help all concerned to judge the relative effectiveness of different types of school. Her Majesty's inspectorate's observation of GM schools has already attested to their effectiveness. The Office for Standards in Education will undertake some full inspections of GM schools over the coming year as part of its programme for training registered inspectors.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list those local education authorities in which at least 15 per cent. of primary or secondary schools will be grant-maintained by January 1993, and those local education authorities in which at least 10 per cent. either of primary or secondary pupils will be educated in grant-maintained schools in January 1993.

  Mr. Forth
  On the basis of proposals approved to date, in the following LEAs at least 15 per cent. of secondary schools will be GM by January 1993:

  Berkshire

  Dorset

  Bromley

  Ealing

  759

  Essex

  Northamptonshire

  Gloucestershire

  Surrey

  Hillingdon

  Sutton

  Kensington

  Wandsworth

  Kent

  Warwickshire

  Lincolnshire

  There are no LEAs in which 15 per cent. of primary schools will be GM by January 1993.

  On the basis of schools already operating as GM or approved for incorporation up to and including April 1993, and using latest available pupil numbers, we estimate that in the following LEAs at least 10 per cent. of secondary pupils will be educated in GM schools by April 1993. In the time available it is not possible to calculate figures for January 1993.

  Barnet

  Hillingdon

  Berkshire

  Kensington

  Birmingham

  Kent

  Brent

  Kingston-on-Thames

  Bromley

  Lincolnshire

  Buckinghamshire

  Norfolk

  Calderdale

  Northamptonshire

  Croydon

  Surrey

  Cumbria

  Sutton

  Dorset

  Walsall

  Ealing

  Wandsworth

  Essex

  Warwickshire

  Gloucestershire

  Wolverhampton

  Hammersmith

  There are no LEAs at present where we estimate that 10 per cent. of primary pupils will be educated in GM schools by April 1993. Pupil numbers are based on January 1991 form 7 returns in respect of LEAs and numbers given in proposals for GM status submitted by schools in the case of schools operating or approved for GM status.

  1989 October-December

  Country

  Received

  Upheld

  Refused

  Withdrawn

  India

  209

  52

  173

  37

  Bangladesh

  67

  8

  40

  15

  Pakistan

  385

  77

  172

  73

  Ghana

  57

  6

  21

  10

  Nigeria

  106

  3

  20

  5

  Jamaica

  32

  11

  12

  5

  EEC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other

  330

  45

  95

  42

  Total

  1,186

  202

  533

  187

  1990

  Country

  Received

  Upheld

  Refused

  Withdrawn

  India

  2,064

  191

  583

  187

  Bangladesh

  880

  61

  290

  96

  Pakistan

  1,614

  327

  869

  186

  Ghana

  230

  35

  103

  26

  Nigeria

  679

  27

  200

  28

  Jamaica

  101

  19

  73

  22

  EEC

  3

  —

  4

  1

  Other

  2,543

  169

  567

  212

  Total

  8,114

  829

  2,689

  758

  760

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Visa Appeals
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are his estimates of the savings resulting from the provisions contained in the Asylum and Immigration Bill to abolish a right of appeal for those refused a visa to visit the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The appeals to which the hon. Member refers are normally dealt with on the papers only and so make fewer demands on resources than cases where hearings take place. It is difficult, therefore, to estimate precisely what savings may result. However, these provisions will enable us to use resources to tackle priorities more effectively.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals against refusal to grant visas to visit the United Kingdom have been lodged, to date, in each of the last three years, on the basis of nationality; how many such appeals were(a) upheld, (b) refused, (c) withdrawn and (d) awaiting determination at the latest available date.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The immigration appellate authorities keep statistics by the country from which the appeal originates, not by nationality. Visit visa statistics are not kept separately from other appeals against refusal of short-term visas and the figures given are achieved by applying a typical proportion of visit visa appeals to the total in each period. On that basis, the number of appeals against refusal to grant visas to visit the United Kingdom that have been lodged in each of the last three years, by country, is set out in the table.

  The information requested concerning the number of visit visa appeals currently awaiting determination is not available.
  761

  1991

  Country

  Received

  Upheld

  Refused

  Withdrawn

  India

  1,911

  347

  976

  338

  Bangladesh

  454

  75

  446

  91

  Pakistan

  2,108

  268

  920

  209

  Ghana

  288

  39

  146

  31

  Nigeria

  1,460

  70

  580

  63

  Jamaica

  177

  44

  177

  51

  EEC

  —

  —

  10

  1

  Other

  3,275

  331

  1,503

  357

  Total

  9,673

  1,174

  4,758

  1,141

  1992 January-September

  Country

  Received

  Upheld

  Refused

  Withdrawn

  India

  1,135

  377

  1,275

  231

  Bangladesh

  430

  76

  382

  65

  Pakistan

  1,513

  326

  1,282

  225

  Ghana

  425

  42

  137

  39

  Nigeria

  1,260

  125

  882

  65

  Jamaica

  104

  59

  258

  30

  EEC

  0

  0

  1

  0

  Other

  2,461

  369

  2,001

  264

  Total

  7,328

  1,374

  4,217

  919

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals, in all categories of entry clearance to the United Kingdom, are, to date, outstanding; what is the average delay, between appeal applications being lodged and appeals being heard at each appellate centre in the United Kingdom; how many adjudicators are in place currently; and what proportion of each adjudicators' work load at present is taken up considering appeals against refusal to grant visit visas.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  As of 30 October 1992 there were 23,047 appeals outstanding. The average time between an appeal being lodged and it being heard is 16 months. This includes an average period of nine months for the parties to prepare their case and indicate readiness for the appeal to be heard. Cases where parties have so indicated are now being listed for full hearing on the following dates at the appellate centres:

  Thanet house

  17 May 1993

  Harmondsworth

  1 May 1993

  Birmingham

  14 January 1993

  Manchester

  1 April 1993

  Leeds

  1 February 1993

  Glasgow

  1 March 1993

  Hearings can sometimes be brought forward if the appellant so requests and an earlier date becomes available. Steps are being taken to shorten the time taken, wherever possible, for a case to come before an adjudicator for example, by increasing hearing room availability and increased administrative efficiency.

  Cases where no hearing is required are currently being determined on the papers within six to eight weeks of the parties indicating they are ready for the case to be dealt with by the adjudicator.

  There are 19 full-time adjudicators and 78 part-time adjudicators in post. It is not possible to calculate what proportion of the adjudicators' time is taken considering appeals against refusal to grant visit visas.
  762

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what studies he made, before deciding to remove or reduce the rights of people in particular income groups to receive legal aid, into the ability of people within those income groups to pay the contributions which are now to be required of them.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In the light of the Government's priorities for public expenditure and the rapid growth in the cost of legal aid, the Lord Chancellor and I have considered carefully what can be afforded and have taken measures which will ensure that the resources available are directed to those whose need is greatest.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people will have their rights to legal aid removed or reduced as a result of the measures he announced on 12 November.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Although such estimates are necessarily subject to many assumptions, we estimate that around 2 per cent. of households will no longer be eligible for legal aid as a result of measures taken to align legal aid allowances with income support levels. Around 14 per cent. of households who now receive legal aid free of contribution will be required to contribute. In addition, about 8 per cent. of households who fall out of eligibility in the current year because their income has risen above the upper income limit will not be restored to eligibility as a result of the decision not to uprate the upper limit in April of next year.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what analysis he has made of the reasons for the increase in spending on legal aid; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The reasons for the increase in legal aid expenditure are complex. There are two basic components involved. First, the number of people assisted
  763
  under the various parts of the legal aid scheme is increasing —around 3 million acts of assistance were paid for in 1991–92 as compared with around 2 million in 1985–86. Secondly, the unit cost of each act of assistance is increasing at a higher rate than inflation.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he will make a statement on the error which the Benefits Agency committed in assessing applications for civil legal aid between 1 October 1991 and 30 March 1992; and what compensation he proposes to pay legal aid practitioners for their costs incurred in checking whether their clients meet the criteria for reassessment set out in the Benefits Agency letter of 2 November.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) on Tuesday 17 November,Official Report, columns 103–4.

  Justiciary (Ethnic Origin)
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many members of the Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on the appointment of magistrates for each of the commission areas in England and Wales are of Afro-Caribbean or Asian origin.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The number of members of the Lord Chancellor's advisory committees who are of Afro-Caribbean or Asian racial origin are as follows:

  Commission area

  Asian

  Afro Caribbean

  Cleveland

  1

  —

  East Sussex

  1

  —

  Inner London

  1

  1

  Isle of Wight

  —

  1

  Leicestershire

  —

  2

  Middlesex

  1

  1

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  1

  Oxfordshire

  —

  1

  Staffordshire

  1

  —

  Tyne and Wear

  —

  1

  West Midlands

  4

  —

  West Yorkshire

  4

  —

  No other advisory committees presently have members of Afro-Caribbean or Asian racial origin.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many justices of the peace, for each of the commission areas in England and Wales are of Afro-Caribbean or Asian origin.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  This information is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost, but of 2,017 appointments made in 1991, a total of 97 were from the ethnic minorities. That is a total higher than the proportion of ethnic minorities in the age group from which magistrates are normally appointed.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Timber
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the International Tropical Timber Organisation 764
  concerning (a) the implementation of its Target 2000 campaign for a sustainable timber trade and (b) the level of imports and exports of tropical timber.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We fully support the objectives of Target 2000. We are proposing to fellow members of the International Tropical Timber Organisation in the context of the current renegotiation of the international tropical timber agreement, that its resources and methods of operation be improved to enable it to promote the objectives of Target 2000 as effectively as possible. The ITTO's priority objective should be the promotion of sustainable forest management at national level and hence sustainable trade.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has of United Kingdom or multilateral overseas aid money being improperly appropriated by Government or other officials in Kenya, Somalia, Zaire or Namibia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have no evidence of improper appropriation of aid funds provided by the United Kingdom or multilateral organisations. We have rigorous safeguards in order to minimise the risk that our aid resources are misused. These include competitive tendering wherever possible, and direct payment to contractors. Purchasing agents have to be British and approved by us; payment is made direct to the supplier. There is an extensive system of financial control, reporting and audit, backed up by physical monitoring on the ground to help ensure that aid is achieving the intended purpose.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the percentage of overseas aid provided by Her Majesty's Government which reaches its intended recipients and of the percentage which is sold on the black market.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Overseas Development Administration has systems and controls, second to none, for seeking to ensure that British aid is used for the purpose intended. We have a well-established system of financial reporting, physical monitoring and audit, including visits to projects by British officials, to ensure that our aid is achieving the intended benefits on the ground. If there were any evidence of corruption related to a British aid-funded contract, we would investigate vigorously and, if proven, withdraw from it.

  World Bank
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications of the World bank report "Effective Implementation: Key to Development Input" for the Government's financial support for the World bank and for the role played by the United Kingdom executive director of the World bank.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The report on effective implementation of projects financed by the World bank recommends a number of changes in policy, priorities and procedures. The president of the bank has welcomed the report and has
  765
  proposed an immediate start on the measures necessary to strengthen its performance. The report is now being considered by executive directors.

  The report itself makes no recommendations on funding, nor on the role of executive directors. Our support for the 10th replenishment of the International Development Association, will help provide the basis for implementing the report's findings. Our executive director will continue to play an important and active role.

  Rain Forests
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the influence that the destruction of tropical rain forests in developing countries has had on the Government's policy towards the third world debt crisis.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The links between international debt and deforestation are complex. The pressures which cause deforestation exist independently of the size of a country's debt. Nevertheless, for wider economic and developmental reasons, Britain has led the way in promoting debt relief measures, particularly for the poorest.

  Twelve low-income, highly indebted countries have benefited from substantial reductions in their official debt as a result of the Prime Minister's Trinidad terms initiative. The terms currently reduce eligible payments due to Governments by as much as 50 per cent. We continue, however, to press for even more generous debt relief to be made available to those countries that need it.

  For middle income countries, which owe their debt largely to banks, we are providing support for commercial debt reduction through the Brady plan. This international agreement allows International Monetary Fund and World bank to devote some of their lending resources to

  ATP agreements concluded during 1989

  Country

  Project

  Lead United Kingdom company

  Amount (£ million)

  Egypt

  Maghara Coal Mine

  Babcocks

  0·080

  India

  URI Hydro Electric Power Station

  Boving and Co.

  17·146

  Indonesia

  Cigarding Port Extension

  Tarmac International Special Projects

  13·266

  Indonesia

  Radio Studios

  David Whittle Associates

  0·378

  Indonesia

  Satellite Remote Sensing

  Technology Applied Systems

  0·028

  Indonesia

  Scattered Diesels

  GEC Diesels

  5·891

  Kenya

  Mombasa South Coast Link Road

  Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners

  0·350

  Kenya

  Digital Micro Wave System

  Telectron Systems

  4·214

  Morocco

  Nador Steel Works Study

  W. S. Atkins

  0·133

  Pakistan

  Karachi Water II

  Portals Water Treatment

  6·629

  Philipines

  Gas Turbines Power Station

  JBE

  13·125

  Red Sea

  Regional Hydrocarbon Study

  Robertson Research International

  0·187

  Swaziland

  Fire Equipment

  Carmichael Fire and Bulk

  0·123

  Thailand

  Diesel Multiple Units

  BREL

  4·487

  Thailand

  Railway Signalling

  Transmark

  0·773

  Tunisia

  Railway Equipment

  Balfour Beatty

  0·500

  Tunisia

  Yarn and Fibre Plant

  Extrusion Systems Ltd.

  0·337

  ATP agreements concluded during 1990

  Country

  Project

  Lead United Kingdom company

  Amount (£ million)

  Botswana

  Flight Information Region

  Siemens Plessey Radar

  2·938

  China

  Beijing Subway

  Balfour Beatty (Metrotec)

  9·987

  China

  Danyang Aluminium Plant

  Davy McKee (Poole) Ltd.

  3·532

  Colombia

  San Andres Power Station

  Hawker Siddeley Power Engineering

  3·430

  Cyprus

  Limassol Water Treatment Plant

  Water Engineering

  1·470

  Indonesia

  Citayam/Cibinong Railway

  Foster Wheeler World Services

  20·105

  Indonesia

  Cigading/Serpong Railway Rehabilitation

  Davy/British Railway International

  24·690

  Indonesia

  Radio Communication System for the Ministry of Forestry

  Philips Radio Communication Systems

  34·111

  766
  facilitate voluntary debt reduction agreements between banks and debtors. Brazil, for instance, has been able to agree in principle a deal which will effectively reduce its £29 billion debt to banks by around a third.

  Commonwealth Development Corporation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Treasury minute on the first to 11th reports from the Committee of Public Accounts 1992–93, paragraph 161, what proposals he has to change the auditing arrangements of the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have no plans to change the auditing arrangements for the Commonwealth Development Corporation. Under the provisions of the CDC Act 1978, as amended in 1982 and 1986, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is responsible for appointing external auditors and for laying the CDC's annual report and accounts before Parliament. In addition, the CDC is subject to scrutiny by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Aid and Trade Projects
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each aid and trade provision project since 1989, with the companies and the sums of money involved.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 16 November 1992]: Aid agreements involving aid and trade provision funds have been concluded with Governments of developing countries since 1989 for projects for which the following companies are lead United Kingdom contractors.
  767

  Country

  Project

  Lead United Kingdom company

  Amount (£ million)

  Indonesia

  Radio Studio Rehabilitation

  Audix Ltd.

  5·040

  Indonesia

  Shortwave Radio Transmitters

  Marconi

  26·911

  Indonesia

  Aircraft Simulator Consultancy

  CAA

  0·050

  Kenya

  Moi University Consultancy

  Cambridge Education Consultants

  0·034

  Kenya

  Distribution Transformers

  N. I. Transformers

  0·688

  Kenya

  Rural Telecommunications Equipment

  Telectron Systems

  4·363

  Morocco

  Gas Turbines

  JBE

  7·276

  Morocco

  Diesel Electric Locos

  British Electrical

  6·107

  Malaysia

  Connaught Bridge

  NEI Parsons

  23·485

  Malaysia

  Medamit 2 Hydro Electric

  Sir William Halcrow and Partners

  0·244

  Malaysia

  Nucleus Hospitals

  John Laing International

  13·159

  Philippines

  Small Island Electrification - Phase I

  Dale Electric

  2·065

  Tunisia

  Dump Trucks

  Terex Equipment

  0·949

  Zimbabwe

  Fire Fighting Vehicles

  Carmichael Fire

  3·264

  Zimbabwe

  Harare Airport Radar

  Siemens Plessey Radar

  1·462

  ATP agreements concluded during 1991

  Country

  Project

  Lead United Kingdom company

  Amount (£ million)

  China

  Shanghai Telephone Equipment 520

  GPT International

  1·595

  China

  Duck Processing Units

  APV Baker

  1·942

  China

  Cotton Textile Machinery

  Piatt Saco Lowell (UK)

  1·065

  China

  Flour and Feed Mills

  Robinson Milling Systems

  2·333

  China

  Yue Yang Power Station Training

  GEC Alsthom Turbine Generators

  0·450

  China

  Xinjiang Ethylene Plant

  Snamprogetti

  47·179

  Ghana

  Fifth Power Project

  Hawker Siddeley Power Engineering

  7·280

  Ghana

  Kotoka International Airport

  Plessey Airports

  10·180

  Indonesia

  Western Universities Equipment

  Philip Harris International/Gallenkamp

  13·671

  Indonesia

  Airport Security System

  International Aeradio

  10·455

  Indonesia

  Jambi Power Station

  Mirrlees Blackstone (STPT)

  5·345

  Indonesia

  Flight Simulator

  Aeronautical Systems Designers

  4·659

  Indonesia

  Steel Bridging II

  Mabey & Johnson

  3·669

  Indonesia

  Cikampek/Padalarang Toll Road

  Cementation

  1·700

  Indonesia

  Automotive Sector study

  de Montfort Management

  0·489

  Malaysia

  Double Tracking

  Transmark

  0·798

  Malaysia

  Pergau Hydroelectric Project

  Balfour Beatty Cementation

  234·000

  Malaysia

  Nucleus Hospitals II

  John Laing International

  5·442

  Philippines

  Small Islands Electricity Phases 2 & 3

  Dale Electric International

  4·902

  Turkey

  Equipment for State Universities

  TQ International

  23·363

  Zimbabwe

  Airfield Crash Tenders

  Carmichael Fire

  2·479

  Zimbabwe

  Harare International Airport

  Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick Partners

  0·325

  Zimbabwe

  Supply of AWD Bedford Trucks

  AWD (Export)

  16·116

  Zimbabwe

  Supply of ERF Trucks

  ERF

  8·575

  ATP agreements concluded during 1992 to date

  Country

  Project

  Lead United Kingdom company

  Amount (£ million)

  China

  Urumqi PTA

  Foster Wheeler Energy

  39·000

  China

  Dalian Steam and Power

  Gibson Wells Engineering

  2·336

  China

  Twist Steel Wire

  Marshall Richards Barcro

  1·085

  China

  Fushun Heat and Power

  Gibson Wells Engineering

  13·172

  China

  Urumqi PX

  Babcock Contractors

  13·045

  Ghana

  Oil and Gas Storage Depots

  Motherwell Bridge Projects

  1·793

  Indonesia

  Western Universities Training Centre

  Sunderland Engineering Education Services

  2·214

  Malaysia

  Sibu Airport

  John Laing International

  1·933

  Republic of Yemen

  Tractor Implements and Spares

  Massey Ferguson UK

  4·650

  Republic of Yemen

  Mechanisation Study

  Not yet appointed

  0·497

  Tunisia

  Sewage Treatment Water Training

  Lagoon Technology International

  0·053

  Zimbabwe

  AWD Trucks Delivery

  AWD Export

  0·840

  Somalia
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a table showing how much of the assistance which was given by the United Kingdom to Somalia in each of the last 10 years 768
  went to the northern region known as the Republic of Somaliland, giving the figure and percentage of the total given (a) in humanitarian aid, whether by cash grant or in kind, (b) in development aid, whether by cash grant or in kind, (c) loans and (d) in any other form in each year.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 24 November 1992]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question of

  769
  Monday 23 November, at column 453, which gave a financial summary of our assistance to Somalia for each of the past 10 years. Aid is given to the country as a whole and statistics showing expenditure by region are not readily available.

  Albania
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response his Department made to the International Committee of the Red Cross appeal in July for food aid for targeted groups in need in Albania; whether that response was made bilaterally or through the EC; what total response was made by the EC; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: We are aware of the appeal that was made in September and are in touch with the British Red Cross about it. It is sending a delegation to Albania next week to assess how the United Kingdom can best respond to the appeal and we expect it to submit a proposal on its return. We have already provided £1·3 million of bilateral humanitarian assistance to Albania. The bulk of our contribution is through the EC which has already this year provided 80 mecu of food aid direct to the Albanian Government, and agreed a further tranche of 40 mecu in October.

  Aid Budget
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the aid budget is spent in dollars and ecus; and what effect there has been on the purchasing power of the overseas aid budget since the recent devaluation of sterling.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: In 1992–93 it is estimated that £73 million, 4 per cent., of the provision for overseas aid for developing countries will be paid in US dollars and that £375 million, 20 per cent., will be paid in ecu. Given that exchange rates move up as well as down during the course of a year, it is not yet possible to predict what impact recent changes in the value of sterling will have on the purchasing power of the aid programme for developing countries.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the overseas aid budget in both percentage and cash terms is spent through multilateral organisations; how much, in both percentage and cash terms, is provided in non-sterling currencies; which currencies are used; and what is the impact on the aid budget in terms of additional sterling resources required to finance these commitments since the devaluation of sterling since the United Kingdom left the exchange rate mechanism.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 19 November 1992]: In 1992–93 it is estimated that £829 million, 44 per cent. of the provision for overseas aid for developing countries, will be spent through multilateral organisations. Approximately £462 million, 25 per cent. of the aid programme for developing countries, is paid in the following non-sterling currencies: the ecu and, in smaller amounts, the currencies of Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Botswana, eastern Caribbean, Fiji, France, Germany, Japan, Jordan, Netherlands, Solomon Islands, South Africa, United States and Vanuatu. Given that
  770
  exchange rates move up as well as down during the course of a year, it is not yet possible to say what impact recent changes in the value of sterling will have.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Albania
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic contacts there have been in recent weeks with Albania; and if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's current relations with Albania.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The British charge d'affaires in Tirana is in daily contact with the Albanian authorities. Her Majesty's ambassador at Rome, who is concurrently accredited to Tirana, also visited Albania recently and met President Berisha on 23 November. They discussed among other issues the United Kingdom's and Albania's close interest in political developments in the former Yugoslavia. Our relations with Albania are developing rapidly and are now very good.

  Visa Appeals
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the total cost to his Department, over each of the past three years, of work associated with appeals by those appealing against refusal to grant visas to visit the United Kingdom; how many explanatory statements have been prepared over this period by British posts overseas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Information on costs is not available in the form requested.

  The number of explanatory statements prepared by British posts overseas in the last three years is as follows:

  Settlement

  Non-settlement

  Total

  1989

  4,330

  7,303

  11,633

  1990

  4,970

  12,445

  17,415

  1991

  4,162

  12,349

  16,511

  TOTALS

  13,462

  32,097

  45,559

  Special Operations Executive
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to release the records of the wartime Special Operations Executive.

  Mr. Hurd
  As part of the initiative which I announced on 14 May to review records withheld for more than 30 years, work has started on reviewing the SOE archives.

  A large proportion of the original records of SOE were destroyed, both by SOE itself at the end of the war, and in a fire at the Baker street headquarters in late 1945. The remaining archives are substantial and complex and the complete review will take some time. However, a first batch should be released in the second half of 1993.
  771

  President de Klerk
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions were held with President de Klerk during his visit to the United Kingdom on 14 and 15 November.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 20 November 1992]: The Prime Minister had a full discussion with President de Klerk. Their talks covered both the reform process in South Africa, and regional matters.

  Malawi
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will now take to secure the release of Mrs. Vera Chirwa currently held in prison in Malawi; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Since the death of Orton Chirwa on 20 October, we have again urged the Malawian Government to release Vera Chirwa on humanitarian grounds. We shall continue to take every opportunity to press for her release.

  South African Arms Sales
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received the letter from Mr. Abdul S. Minty, director of the World Campaign Against Military and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa, concerning Mr. Mark Thatcher and the sale of South African arms to Saudi Arabia; and if he will publish his reply.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  A letter from Mr. Minty dated 3 June 1992 was received in the office of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on that day. The reply, from an official, dated 25 June, stated:"The United Kingdom adheres to UN Security Council resolutions 558 and 591 concerning, inter alia, the import of South African-produced arms. We take seriously allegations of British involvement in any contravention of these resolutions."
  In the case the hon. Member raises, we have no knowledge as to whether South African-produced arms were purchased by customers in third countries. But we shall investigate any alleged British involvement if it is established that such arms were imported in breach of the above resolutions.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what position was adopted by Britain's representative on the United Nations 421 Arms Embargo Committee of the Security Council's consideration of the report concerning Mr. Mark Thatcher and the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  There has been no substantive discussion within the committee to date, although the chairman has undertaken to seek information on the report from the relevant parties. But if the committee were to establish that arms have been imported in breach of United Nations Security Council resolution 558, we would of course be prepared to investigate any allegations of British involvement.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations 772
  he has received from the Government of the United States of America concerning the activities of Mr. Mark Thatcher on arms deals involving South Africa; and what action he took in response.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are not aware of any such representations.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria for granting entry visas to those from former Yugoslavia; and what criteria he has agreed with the International Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for selecting those suitable for entry.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Visas will be granted to those nationals of the former Yugoslavia requiring visas where they meet the requirement of the immigration rules. Visas will also be granted where the applicant meets the definition of a refugee under the terms of the 1951 convention or has been displaced from his home by the civil war in the former Yugoslavia and, because of close links with the United Kingdom, including close family ties, the United Kingdom is the most appropriate country of refuge for that person. In addition, visas will be granted to those people and their dependants whom the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross judge to be in need of evacuation, and whom the United Kingdom has agreed to receive. We understand that initially the international organisations would wish to evacuate detainees from the existing detention camps in Bosnia.

  Operation Container
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects Operation Container to end in Greater Manchester.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Every effort is being made to bring down the number of prisoners in police cells. Provided that the prison population remains at or below its current level, I would expect the bulk of the police cells problem in Greater Manchester to end early next year. However, until Manchester prison becomes fully operational in June 1944, a rise in the prison population could lead to further calls on police cells.

  Prison Education Service
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of qualified teachers employed at each of the London prisons on 18 November.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Full and part-time salaried teachers employed in prisons have relevant qualifications. The numbers employed on 18 November in the following prisons were:

  Number

  Her Majesty's Prison Belmarsh

  6

  Her Majesty's Prison Brixton

  5

  Her Majesty's Prison Holloway

  9

  Her Majesty's Prison Pentonville

  6

  773

  Number

  Her Majesty's Prison Wandsworth

  6

  Her Majesty's Prison Wormwood Scrubs

  3

  In addition to salaried staff, sessionally paid teachers are employed whose numbers vary according to the number and range of classes provided at each establishment.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the funding for each of the last five years for education services in prisons in England and Wales.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Total expenditure on education services in prisons in England and Wales in the past five years was as follows:

  £ million

  1987–88

  16·9

  1988–89

  19·5

  1989–90

  22·9

  1990–91

  25·5

  1991–92

  29·5

  Indictable Offences
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the number of indictable offences by age for the period 1987 to date.

  Mr. Jack
  The data available relates to the number of "known" offenders, that is, persons found guilty or cautioned. Information on indictable offences by age for the period 1987 to 1991 is included in table 6 of the Home Office statistical bulletin 30/92—"Cautions, court proceedings and sentencing, England and Wales, 1991", issued on 28 October 1992. A copy of the bulletin is in the Library. The 1991 data are provisional.

  Firearms
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes involving the use of replica firearms have been committed in each police authority area in Wales in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Jack
  Figures for offences involving imitation firearms are set out in the table. These figures include replica firearms and all other types of imitation firearms including toys.

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police in which imitation firearms were reported to have been used

  Year

  Dyfed Powys

  Gwent

  North Wales

  South Wales

  1987

  1

  2

  —

  1

  1988

  1

  —

  2

  3

  1989

  1

  3

  6

  3

  1990

  1

  11

  3

  7

  11991

  2

  1

  11

  9

  1 Provisional.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will propose a review of police procedures with a view to reducing the number of shotguns; and if he will make a statement.
  774
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  New controls on shotguns were imposed by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988. Since then, the number of shotgun certificates on issue has fallen by 18 per cent., from 882,000 in 1988 to 724,600 in 1991.

  Shotgun certificates are issued by chief officers of police. Before granting each certificate, the chief officer must be satisfied that the applicant can be permitted to possess a shotgun without danger to public safety.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to tighten gun control; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 tightened the already strict controls on the possession of firearms and shot guns. The firearms consultative committee keeps the Firearms Acts under close review. It is open to the committee to recommend changes in the controls if it thinks fit.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a timetable for the adoption of the European convention on human rights into domestic law.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We do not plan to incorporate the European convention on human rights into domestic law. We believe that it is for Parliament rather than the judiciary to determine how the principles of human rights in the convention are best secured.

  Police (Housing)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of the 10 November,Official Report, column 690, if he will list by location how much revenue his Department expects to raise from each of the five police houses in south Yorkshire that have been identified as being put on the housing market; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Home Office will not receive any revenue from the sale of the five houses. The proceeds will accrue to the South Yorkshire police authority. No information about the location and potential value of the properties is held centrally.

  Prisoner Escapes
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are now at large after escaping either from custody whilst travelling under escort or from places of detention.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Of those prisoners who have escaped from prison custody since 20 June 1988, either from prison establishments or whilst travelling under escort, 117 remain unlawfully at large, as at 24 November 1992.

  Police Inspections
  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 it is projected that each shall next be inspected by Her Majesty's inspector of police.
  775
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The programme of inspections of regional crime squads is as follows:

  Date of inspection

  Number of regional crime squad

  1992 1 to 3 December

  No. 5

  1993 15 to 17 February

  No. 3

  1993 8 to 10 March

  No. 4

  1993 11 to 13 May

  No. 7

  1993 10 to 12 August

  No. 1

  The programme of inspections after August 1993 has not yet been agreed.

  Underground Facilities
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much he estimates will be raised for the public Exchequer as a result of selling off underground facilities for use in wartime or emergency.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  It is too soon to provide an estimate of the potential value of the four sites which are to be sold.

  Parole Documents
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether persons sentenced to imprisonment before October shall have access, in accordance with the Criminal Justice Act 1992, to parole documentation which was written and submitted after October; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There is no statutory requirement in the Criminal Justice Act 1991 for prisoners to have access to parole documentation. Prisoners sentenced before 1 October 1992 will continue to have their cases reviewed under the current arrangements by local review committees and the parole board until 30 September 1994. After that date, they will be reviewed in accordance with the new procedures applying to those sentenced on or after 1 October 1992 which, inter alia, provide for disclosure of dossiers considered by the parole board.

  Visas
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will inform the British high commission in Islamabad of the outcome of their inquiries into an application by Mr. Shabir Ahmed, ref.: GV100/16328/TAH, who wishes to come to the United Kingdom as a priest; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A letter from the British deputy high commissioner in Karachi referring Mr. Ahmed's application to the Home Office was received on 6 November. The immigration department wrote to the Nusrat-ul-Islam Mosque on 12 November seeking further information about Mr. Ahmed's proposed employment and are awaiting a reply. A decision will he taken as soon as the necessary enquiries have been completed.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those countries whose nationals are required to obtain a visa overseas prior to entering the United Kingdom; in what year the visa 776
  requirement was introduced in each of those countries; and for which countries a visa requirement has been withdrawn.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Visa requirements for the United Kingdom are set out in the appendix to the immigration rules—HC 251 as amended. The available information on the changes made to visa requirements is set out in the table.

  Changes to United Kingdom visa requirements since 1 January 1973

  Year

  Country

  Visas imposed

  1973

  Cuba, German Democratic Republic, Pakistan1

  1976

  Surinam

  1980

  Iran

  1982

  Argentina

  1985

  Sri Lanka

  1986

  Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Ghana

  1987

  Nigeria

  1989

  Turkey, Haiti

  1990

  Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia

  1991

  Uganda

  1992

  Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

  The territories formerly comprising the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (excluding Croatia and Slovenia).

  Visas abolished

  1973

  Iran

  1974

  Niger

  1978

  United Arab Emirates, Surinam

  1990

  German Democratic Republic, Argentina, Hungary, Czechoslovakia

  1992

  US Pacific Trust Territories, Poland

  1 Limited to dependants of those settled or admitted with an avenue to settlement.

  Bosnian Nationals
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when is he going to take a decision on the applications by Bosnian nationals, sponsored by the Leeds-based Alert organisation, who applied to enter the United Kingdom for medical treatment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It has been agreed to grant exceptionally and on compassionate grounds visas for two individuals to come to the United Kingdom to claim asylum and receive medical treatment. Six members of the families of these two will be allowed to accompany them. Sponsors have agreed to meet the cost of medical treatment.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what right of appeal is available to those Bosnian nationals, sponsored by the Leeds-based Alert organisation, whose applications to enter the United Kingdom, exceptionally, outside the immigration rules, have been refused; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  They may appeal to an adjudicator under section 13(2) of the Immigration Act 1971.
  777

  Welsh Police Authorities
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for amending the boundaries of the Welsh police authorities, pursuant to proposals for local government reorganisation.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  We are currently considering a range of issues concerning the future of the police service in England and Wales, including the boundaries of police force areas. We have yet to reach any firm conclusions.

  Miscarriages of Justice
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter of 13 September from the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth requesting details of his Department's approach and guidance on procedures for dealing with alleged miscarriages of justice.

  Mr. Jack
  I have written to the hon. Member today.
  778

  Probation
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of people who were released on parole and supervised by the probation service for the most convenient date in each of the years(a) 1990, (b) 1991 and (c)

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on the numbers of prisoners granted parole is published annually in the report of the parole board—table 3 of the 1991 edition. For information for January to September 1992, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 11 November,Official Report, columns 780–81. Information on the numbers commencing parole supervision by the probation service and the numbers receiving such supervision on 31 December is published annually in a Home Office statistical bulletin—tables 1 and 2 of issue 26/92. Information for 1992 is not yet available. Copies of these publications are in the Library.
  779

  Fire Authorities, Wales
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to amend the boundaries of fire authorities in Wales in the light of the proposed local government unitary authority boundaries.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary will be considering the arrangements for the most effective provision of fire cover in Wales in the future in the light of proposals which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be bringing forward to change the structure of local government in Wales, and of advice from the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council.

  Speeding Offences
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the law relating to speeding offences so that the number of penalty points reflects the seriousness of the offence.

  Mr. Jack
  No. Courts can award between three and six penalty points for exceeding the speed limit and are already required by the Criminal Justice Act 1991 to pass a sentence which reflects the seriousness of the offence committed.

  Emergency Services
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the total sum made available by central Government (i) in the current year and

  Police grant paid to police authorities

  Police authority

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Avon and Somerset

  26,409

  27,039

  29,119

  31,394

  35,101

  38,476

  41,528

  44,676

  57,273

  61,594

  62,425

  Bedfordshire

  9,271

  9,574

  10,332

  11,124

  11,572

  13,313

  14,265

  15,627

  17,352

  21,443

  21,338

  Cambridgeshire

  10,134

  10,205

  11,191

  12,568

  14,297

  16,132

  15,925

  18,150

  20,969

  26,284

  26,295

  Cheshire

  16,251

  16,505

  18,049

  19,510

  19,418

  24,319

  24,478

  26,730

  32,057

  37,587

  37,067

  Cleveland

  12,689

  12,908

  14,111

  15,175

  16,107

  19,422

  21,160

  23,029

  26,584

  31,001

  31,726

  Cumbria

  9,700

  9,714

  11,446

  10,637

  14,209

  15,331

  15,465

  18,067

  19,646

  24,572

  25,144

  Derbyshire

  14,925

  16,856

  26,847

  37,531

  25,025

  22,913

  26,401

  27,785

  32,844

  35,194

  36,301

  Devon and Cornwall

  25,170

  26,378

  29,067

  32,023

  34,626

  40,787

  41,115

  46,264

  52,323

  62,743

  66,557

  Dorset

  11,077

  10,955

  12,661

  14,179

  15,531

  18,493

  18,131

  20,984

  25,508

  30,164

  30,617

  Durham

  11,108

  12,175

  19,607

  15,620

  14,274

  17,256

  18,610

  19,812

  22,131

  27,656

  27,276

  Essex

  22,811

  23,275

  26,701

  28,407

  31,360

  37,609

  39,753

  42,712

  54,190

  62,845

  65,065

  Gloucestershire

  8,488

  9,577

  10,426

  11,606

  12,376

  14,163

  15,287

  16,715

  20,893

  25,081

  24,801

  Hampshire

  27,491

  28,010

  30,566

  32,233

  36,697

  42,149

  45,001

  48,998

  56,889

  65,949

  69,252

  Hertfordshire

  14,504

  15,158

  15,395

  15,737

  18,567

  21,618

  22,471

  26,076

  29,668

  33,964

  34,704

  Humberside

  17,440

  18,903

  39,237

  19,671

  23,243

  27,469

  27,332

  31,422

  35,548

  41,105

  42,640

  Kent

  26,078

  26,588

  43,747

  33,017

  34,485

  38,583

  45,780

  48,688

  53,327

  65,673

  70,718

  Lancashire

  27,763

  28,591

  31,596

  32,370

  35,085

  41,694

  44,753

  48,048

  54,551

  65,833

  67,676

  Leicestershire

  15,903

  16.605

  29,606

  20,029

  20,007

  23,634

  25,559

  26,831

  35,689

  35,821

  38,042

  Lincolnshire

  10,338

  11,227

  11,563

  12,041

  13,277

  16,010

  16,587

  18,806

  20,609

  24,849

  26,584

  Norfolk

  10,748

  11,846

  12,513

  13,353

  14,651

  17,819

  18,364

  20,785

  23,922

  28,882

  29,824

  Northamptonshire

  9,280

  9,733

  10,592

  11,402

  12,655

  15,235

  15,579

  18,870

  21,030

  23,776

  25,639

  North Yorkshire

  12,316

  12,987

  22,415

  19,306

  15,742

  17,885

  19,168

  22,386

  24,445

  28,264

  29,067

  Nottinghamshire

  20,208

  24,585

  73,689

  22,110

  24,603

  29,570

  29,340

  31,628

  39,420

  46,123

  47,666

  Staffordshire

  17,193

  18,556

  20,747

  22,313

  23,007

  27,863

  29,168

  32,789

  37,317

  45,509

  46,269

  Suffolk

  10,425

  10,784

  11,599

  12,719

  14,288

  16,112

  16,563

  19,548

  22,647

  26,254

  26,726

  Surrey

  13,585

  14,221

  15,449

  16,656

  18,542

  20,850

  22,157

  25,339

  29,558

  35,236

  35,290

  Sussex

  24,351

  25,424

  26,326

  29,271

  29,742

  36,351

  37,321

  41,912

  46,274

  58,294

  58,447

  Thames Valley

  27,788

  30,452

  33,163

  36,740

  39,393

  51,375

  50,677

  57,924

  71,712

  83,360

  83,923

  Warwickshire

  8,457

  8,920

  24,259

  8,328

  11,918

  13,017

  13,864

  15,257

  19,457

  21,936

  22,505

  West Mercia

  16,480

  18,134

  20,554

  20,613

  24,101

  25,344

  29,495

  29,959

  36,195

  41,736

  44,930

  Wiltshire

  8,907

  9,072

  10,208

  11,553

  12,146

  14,947

  15,151

  17,449

  19,908

  25,137

  25,365

  Greater Manchester

  59,792

  62,997

  66,621

  67,784

  78,444

  88,826

  92,046

  103,337

  117,946

  137,122

  138,996

  Merseyside

  40,389

  43,756

  49,779

  50,029

  57,945

  60,228

  64,182

  72,117

  80,252

  94,753

  98,505

  Northumbria

  29,673

  31,121

  37,162

  37,985

  40,870

  47,746

  47,618

  53,342

  64,228

  76,526

  74,822

  South Yorkshire

  25,525

  26,442

  50,769

  35,230

  33,486

  35,790

  38,598

  46,423

  50,135

  56,536

  58,200

  West Midlands

  54,422

  57,925

  62,449

  65,758

  75,188

  81,568

  91,740

  100,385

  114,533

  142,264

  140,619

  780
  (ii) for the 1993–94 financial year for (a) fire services, (b) civil defence and (c) other emergency services in each county and metropolitan area in England and Wales;

  (2) what is the total figure provided by central Government in each of the last 10 years for (a) fire services, (b) civil defence and (c) other emergency services in each county and metropolitan area in England and Wales.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 25 November 1992]The Government do not pay specific grant for fire services. Central Government support is currently provided through the revenue support grant system in the form of redistributed business rates and revenue support grant. Prior to 1990 it was by means of rate support grant. These are intended to support each local authority's services collectively, and no part of them is assigned to any particular service. It is therefore not possible to provide details of the amount of Government financial support applied specifically to fire services.

  The tables give details of grants paid by the Home Office to local authorities specifically in support of police and civil defence expenditure from 1982–83 to 1992–93. In addition, the proportion of police and civil defence expenditure not covered by Home Office grants will have received support through the rate or revenue support grant systems, although this cannot be quantified. Subject to parliamentary approval, 1993–94 provision for England and Wales is likely to be £3,060·3 million for police grants—current, capital, loan charges and special grants—and £20·2 million for civil defence grants—current and capital.
  781

  Police authority

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  West Yorkshire

  42,817

  45,380

  55,235

  51,887

  60,292

  61,224

  71,756

  83,812

  94,046

  109,725

  114,370

  City of London

  6,133

  6,708

  7,330

  7,665

  8,658

  9,780

  10,194

  11,343

  19,454

  21,338

  22,681

  Metropolitan Police

  303,249

  335,275

  363,895

  385,874

  434,212

  464,551

  500,687

  554,057

  646,400

  728,916

  788,120

  Dyfed-Powys

  7,454

  7,540

  8,273

  10,039

  10,216

  11,891

  13,033

  13,747

  16,227

  18,576

  19,917

  Gwent

  8,069

  8,393

  9,960

  10,347

  10,841

  12,191

  12,972

  15,032

  17,635

  21,134

  21,651

  North Wales

  11,178

  11,538

  13,923

  13,551

  14,395

  16,914

  17,764

  20,141

  23,869

  25,672

  27,879

  South Wales

  25,954

  27,660

  33,737

  33,327

  36,156

  40,042

  41,868

  46,439

  54,170

  64,090

  65,450

  Civil Defence Grant paid to local authorities in support of approved revenue and capital expenditure, mainly at the rate of 100 per cent, (some revenue expenditure supported at the rate of 75 per cent.)

  (000s)

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  31992–93

  ENGLAND

  (i) County Councils1

  Avon

  75

  89

  52

  86

  258

  279

  239

  313

  288

  332

  322

  Bedfordshire

  94

  86

  108

  90

  118

  159

  164

  175

  208

  238

  226

  Berkshire

  138

  190

  198

  237

  284

  444

  388

  391

  407

  494

  447

  Buckinghamshire

  64

  78

  124

  245

  235

  321

  301

  318

  359

  421

  395

  Cambridgeshire

  111

  206

  305

  371

  274

  353

  397

  334

  385

  415

  582

  Cheshire

  163

  182

  196

  234

  346

  614

  630

  578

  247

  905

  345

  Cleveland

  67

  76

  74

  70

  123

  166

  181

  192

  219

  240

  247

  Cornwall

  74

  89

  110

  147

  149

  305

  330

  267

  179

  404

  367

  Cumbria

  101

  171

  142

  176

  200

  285

  562

  523

  387

  436

  384

  Derbyshire

  96

  104

  98

  n/a

  140

  192

  187

  164

  226

  259

  241

  Devon

  147

  210

  345

  365

  517

  673

  544

  661

  731

  743

  659

  Dorset

  87

  134

  184

  221

  279

  289

  317

  301

  333

  356

  379

  Durham

  88

  119

  134

  137

  125

  190

  251

  262

  242

  243

  235

  East Sussex

  167

  125

  184

  182

  175

  249

  258

  309

  321

  375

  364

  Essex

  219

  236

  315

  353

  377

  466

  551

  710

  489

  791

  515

  Gloucestershire

  104

  121

  154

  226

  278

  351

  326

  355

  445

  313

  304

  Hampshire

  156

  162

  141

  179

  203

  265

  303

  373

  382

  427

  417

  Hereford and Worcester

  78

  122

  115

  115

  136

  197

  213

  352

  345

  318

  351

  Hertfordshire

  123

  120

  181

  177

  253

  520

  444

  433

  442

  498

  491

  Humberside

  155

  164

  366

  277

  235

  405

  415

  394

  459

  396

  309

  Isle of Wight

  32

  43

  76

  82

  106

  213

  232

  264

  280

  303

  291

  Kent

  195

  383

  379

  450

  592

  679

  762

  524

  707

  741

  558

  Lancashire

  172

  190

  267

  269

  334

  457

  454

  453

  359

  324

  310

  Leicestershire

  151

  129

  180

  184

  146

  207

  280

  265

  279

  297

  223

  Lincolnshire

  100

  116

  115

  326

  279

  379

  395

  355

  615

  641

  794

  Norfolk

  119

  148

  180

  335

  457

  427

  409

  448

  621

  588

  490

  Northants

  68

  81

  109

  195

  148

  197

  262

  375

  424

  378

  305

  Northumberland

  100

  140

  191

  144

  219

  229

  384

  359

  433

  305

  333

  North Yorkshire

  156

  185

  228

  304

  261

  392

  404

  339

  336

  364

  353

  Nottinghamshire

  176

  188

  215

  251

  269

  368

  477

  391

  350

  349

  330

  Oxfordshire

  54

  103

  74

  126

  377

  449

  379

  441

  413

  437

  441

  Shropshire

  54

  82

  178

  105

  87

  129

  179

  283

  222

  274

  259

  Somerset

  112

  160

  155

  198

  408

  312

  305

  302

  319

  353

  335

  Staffordshire

  115

  125

  130

  219

  254

  360

  356

  351

  488

  347

  349

  Suffolk

  70

  102

  125

  223

  241

  279

  356

  367

  339

  335

  334

  Surrey

  244

  328

  506

  355

  404

  436

  444

  n/a

  420

  393

  614

  Warwickshire

  60

  119

  159

  151

  252

  230

  250

  259

  296

  320

  308

  West Sussex

  70

  84

  124

  121

  194

  303

  584

  359

  329

  340

  335

  Wiltshire

  186

  205

  184

  248

  348

  362

  324

  322

  336

  337

  330

  (ii) Metropolitan Areas2

  London

  347

  275

  458

  412

  772

  1,277

  1,558

  1,745

  1,743

  1,818

  1,755

  Greater Manchester

  242

  206

  299

  304

  159

  399

  409

  406

  522

  574

  565

  Merseyside

  172

  166

  177

  199

  266

  374

  416

  517

  537

  629

  573

  South Yorkshire

  91

  97

  107

  125

  212

  377

  347

  379

  437

  508

  464

  Tyne and Wear

  65

  81

  73

  80

  89

  299

  328

  556

  445

  495

  461

  West Midlands

  250

  268

  273

  288

  239

  413

  453

  458

  522

  687

  480

  West Yorkshire

  200

  193

  196

  236

  257

  325

  391

  406

  445

  451

  431

  (iii) Police Authorities

  Avon-Somerset

  49

  52

  65

  51

  49

  78

  82

  2

  3

  5

  8

  Devon-Cornwall

  50

  55

  64

  65

  76

  83

  87

  1

  0

  0

  2

  Greater Manchester

  0

  0

  0

  0

  143

  168

  187

  5

  4

  3

  6

  Hampshire

  53

  70

  80

  118

  106

  91

  106

  0

  0

  6

  7

  Merseyside

  0

  0

  0

  0

  81

  82

  116

  7

  7

  6

  16

  Northumbria

  63

  61

  108

  93

  120

  139

  147

  11

  11

  14

  14

  Sussex

  19

  23

  21

  16

  17

  17

  45

  0

  0

  0

  5

  South Yorkshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  35

  0

  0

  0

  Thames Valley

  33

  53

  58

  96

  74

  71

  62

  13

  12

  3

  14

  West Mercia

  43

  55

  55

  65

  75

  93

  91

  3

  0

  3

  6

  West Midlands

  0

  0

  0

  0

  97

  144

  152

  0

  6

  3

  7

  782 783

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  31992–93

  West Yorkshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  70

  72

  83

  12

  0

  0

  0

  (iv) London Boroughs and City of London

  179

  415

  169

  470

  741

  504

  544

  146

  152

  90

  2

  WALES

  (v) County Councils

  Clwyd

  52

  87

  90

  114

  143

  246

  287

  301

  336

  393

  386

  Dyfed

  45

  70

  86

  295

  254

  207

  228

  218

  243

  312

  277

  Gwent

  71

  118

  128

  144

  151

  216

  267

  252

  305

  344

  339

  Gwynedd

  42

  47

  68

  68

  82

  132

  165

  245

  255

  282

  264

  Mid Glamorgan

  42

  32

  31

  35

  41

  115

  176

  207

  263

  653

  570

  Powys

  36

  37

  146

  53

  56

  110

  138

  156

  162

  184

  166

  South Glamorgan

  83

  66

  76

  63

  80

  123

  158

  174

  201

  227

  193

  West Glamorgan

  45

  50

  56

  40

  59

  156

  253

  245

  247

  233

  264

  (vi) Police Authorities

  Dyfed-Powys

  8

  8

  15

  25

  38

  53

  27

  1

  1

  1

  5

  North Wales

  54

  50

  50

  46

  53

  47

  71

  0

  0

  0

  2

  South Wales

  44

  49

  53

  56

  62

  61

  102

  1

  1

  0

  2

  1 Includes any grant paid to districts in that county.

  2 Up to 1985–86, grant paid to the Greater London council, metropolitan county councils and metropolitan districts; from 1986–87, grant paid to fire and civil defence authorities.

  3 Preliminary approved estimates of expenditure in grant terms (comparable figures for London boroughs not available).

  Interpretation Services
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what statutory obligation the probation services in England and Wales lie to provide interpretation services to clients of the service during interviews for pre-sentence reports or in any other appropriate circumstances.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 25 November 1992]: There are at present no statutory obligations on probation services in respect of interpretation. But national standards for the supervision of offenders in the community endorse the need to take reasonable steps to communicate effectively with, and understand offenders at all times.

  Broncoscopy Facilities
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the broncoscopy facilities available(a) in south Glamorgan and (b) in Wales; and what plans his Department has to curtail or reorganise those services.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I have been asked to reply.

  Broncoscopy facilities are available at the following hospitals—latest available centrally validated figures, as at 1990.

  Wales

  South Glamorgan

  University Hospital of Wales Cardiff Royal Infirmary Llandough Hospital Sully Hospital

  Clwyd

  Abergele Chest Hospital Ysbyty Glan Clwyd Maelor General Hospital Bronglais Hospital

  East Dyfed

  West Wales General Hospital Prince Phillip Hospital Llanelli General Hospital Bryntirion Hospital

  784

  Gwent

  Nevill Hall Hospital Royal Gwent Hospital St. Woolos Hospital County Hospital Griffithstown

  Gwynedd

  Ysbyty Gwynedd Llandudno General Hospital

  Mid Glamorgan

  Bridgend General Hospital Princess of Wales Hospital East Glamorgan Hospital Prince Charles Hospital

  Powys

  Machynlleth Chest Hospital

  West Glamorgan

  Morriston Hospital Singleton Hospital Neath General Hospital

  The provision of such services are matters for individual health authorities to determine based on local needs.

  Juvenile Offenders
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional secure places are to be provided for juvenile offenders by 1995; and what is the estimated cost of each place.

  Mr. Yeo
  I have been asked to reply.

  Plans are being prepared to provide an additional 60–65 secure places in order to implement the new juvenile remand provisions in the Criminal Justice Act 1991 by the mid 1990s.

  For planning purposes, the cost per place (including professional fees) has been estimated at £200,000. Actual costs will be dependent on a number of factors including size and location of the new accommodation, the competitiveness of the local construction industry, and the level of professional fees incurred. The aim will be to ensure that the design and development of the schemes represents good value for money.
  785

DEFENCE

  Schools
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the armed forces bases located outside the United Kingdom which currently have an on-site school for the children of military personnel.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is as follows:

  a.Bases in Western Germany

  Ayrshire Barracks, Monchengladbach

  Buller Barracks, Munster

  Catterick Barracks, Bielefeld

  Clifton Barracks, Minden

  Dennis Barracks, Munster Oertze

  Fallingbostel Camp, Fallinghostel

  Hobart Barracks, Detmold

  Hohne Camp, Hohne

  Mansergh Barracks, Gutersloh

  Muna Barracks, Wulfen

  Napier Barracks, Dortmund

  Nelson Barracks, Munster

  Normandy Barracks, Sennelager

  Oxford Barracks, Munster

  Prestatyn Barracks, Osnabruck

  Rheindahlen Military Complex

  RAF Bruggen

  RAF Gatow

  RAF Laarbruch

  RAF Wildenrath

  Roy Barracks, Ratingen

  Suffolk Barracks, Dortmund

  Torfek Barracks, Hildesheim

  Wavell Barracks, Berlin

  Wentworth Barracks, Herford

  b.Bases in Cyprus

  Ayios Nikolaos Camp

  Dhekelia Garrison

  Episkopi Garrison

  Pergamos Camp

  RAF Akrotiri

  United Nations Force in Cyprus (British Contingent)

  Base, Nicosia

  c.Bases in Hong Kong/Brunei

  Gun Club Hill Barracks, Kowloon

  Stanley Fort, Hong Kong Island

  Brunei Garrison

  d.Other Overseas Bases

  Gibraltar Garrison

  Belize Garrison

  RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands

  Hydrographic Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 3 November,Official Report, columns 105–6, what has been the cost to the Exchequer of the chief executive of the Hydrographic Office's visits to (a) Romania in June, (b) Russia in October 1992 and (c) Monaco in May.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Responsibility for the matter has been delegated to the Hydrographic Office under its chief executive Rear Admiral Myres. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  786
  Letter from Rear Admiral J. A. L. Myres to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 24 November 1992:

  You recently asked the Secretary of State for Defence for the cost to the public purse of the Chief Executive of the Hydrographic Office's visits to (a) Romania in June, (b) Russia in October 1992, and (c) Monaco in May.

  The following were the costs of travel and subsistence for these visits:

  £

  (a)Romania (June 1992)

  1,373

  (b)Russia (October 1992)

  814

  (c) Monaco (May 1992)

  970

  Mr. Mark Thatcher
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all communications between his Department and Mr. Mark Thatcher concerning the defence and security exhibition in Bahrain on 11 May.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is not the practice for Government Departments to list communications with members of the public.

  Harrier Aircraft
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which companies bid for the contract to service Harrier aircraft at HMS Heron at Yeovilton.

  Mr. Aitken
  The following companies put forward bids for the contract to service Harrier aircraft at HMS Heron at Yeovilton: Airwork, British International Helicopters Ltd., Clarke Chapman Engineering Services, Field Aircraft Ltd., FR Aviation Ltd., Line Up Aviation Personnel, and Lovak Ltd.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which company has been awarded the contract for the servicing of Harrier aircraft at HMS Heron, Yeovilton.

  Mr. Aitken
  The contract for the servicing of Harrier aircraft at HMS Heron, Yeovilton, has been awarded to Field Aircraft Ltd.

  Exports (Albania)
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about his policy towards the export of military equipment and technology to Albania.

  Mr. Aitken
  All exports of military equipment and technology are considered on a case-by-case basis. All relevant factors are taken into account. In the case of Albania, a major factor is that it remains a proscribed destination of the co-ordinating committee on multilateral strategic export controls (COCOM).

SCOTLAND

  Health Budget
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the projected budget allocation(a) for each health board in Scotland and (b) in total for Scotland for the next three years.
  787
  Mr. Stewart
  My right hon. Friend will soon be announcing the allocations he proposes to make to his various spending programmes, including the health programme.

  The budget allocation for each health board is set annually. They have not yet been agreed for 1993–94, but once they are they will be announced in the usual way.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the current numbers of staffed beds for(a) orthopaedic surgery, (b) general surgery and (c) general medicine at (i) Stracathro hospital, (ii) Arbroath infirmary and (iii) Tayside health board.

  Mr. Stewart
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  National Health Service Average available staffed beds by selected specialty, quarter ending 30 June 1992

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Orthopaedic surgery

  General surgery

  General medicine

  (i) Stracathro hospital

  47

  34

  71

  (ii) Arbroath infirmary

  —

  —

  26

  (iii) Tayside health board

  258

  272

  379

  Health Board Funding
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement on the progress in implementing the move to parity of funding for Scottish health boards;

  (2) what assessment his Department has made of the funding implications for Scottish health boards of moving to parity of funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  There has been steady progress towards the fairer distribution of available resources to health boards in line with the population-based methodology set out in the Scottish health authorities revenue equalisation —SHARE—working party report. Latterly, allocations have been made to health boards as purchasers of services, based solely on weighted capitation of their resident populations using SHARE methodology as proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients", Cm. 555.

  In the present financial year, allocations ranged from 3·99 per cent. above the parity target to 4·69 per cent. below, compared with 16 per cent. above and 34 per cent. below in 1977–78 when SHARE-based allocations were first introduced.

  Further movement to parity is proposed, but is constrained by the effect that significant changes would have on the financial situation of individual health boards.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Health and Social Services Trusts
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the way and the period of time that the consultation procedure was carried out over the proposals for health and social services trusts in Northern Ireland; and what representations he has received expressing concerns over the timing of the consultations.
  788
  Mr. Hanley
  In both rounds to date the applications prepared by the units which aspired to trust status were issued widely for a period of public consultation which lasted for three months.

  Of 61 respondents to the first round, one expressed concern as to the timing.

  In the second round the corresponding figure was three out of a total of 271 respondents.

  Security
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Molyneaux
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  Since I answered a similar question on 29 October 1992 there have been 11 deaths as a result of the security situation in Northern Ireland, including nine civilians, one RUC officer and one soldier.

  The Government continue to lend their full support to the security forces in their relentless efforts to bring those responsible for these heinous crimes to justice. To early November this year, 365 people have been charged with serious terrorist-type offences, including 94 with murder or attempted murder.

  Select Committees (Evidence)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions he, his Ministers and officials from the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments have given oral or written evidence to Select Committees since April 1989.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I have not yet given evidence myself, but since April 1989 NIO Ministers have given oral evidence on three occasions and officials on 14 occasions. Written evidence has been submitted on 14 occasions.

  Urban Development Grant
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he intends to extend urban development grant to urban areas outside Belfast and Londonderry.

  Mr. Atkins
  No. Urban development grant is targeted towards areas of greatest need and there are no plans to extend it to areas outside Belfast and Londonderry. The International Fund for Ireland operates a similar scheme called the urban development programme which promotes the rehabilitation, revitalisation and development of the commercial centre of towns and villages outside Belfast and Londonderry.

  Terrorism (Security Services Involvement)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to investigate the involvement of members of the security services in terrorism following the conviction of Mr. Brian Nelson.

  Mr. Mates
  The investigation of any allegations of criminal conduct is a matter for the RUC.
  789

  Electricity Supply
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effect of completion of the Scottish interconnector to Northern Ireland on competition in electrical supply.

  Mr. Atkins
  Responsibility for developing competition in the supply of electricity rests with the Director of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland. In drawing up his proposals he will take account of the interconnector to Scotland which will offer access to a wide range of generation sources and to alternatively priced electricity.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the arrangements for the allocation of a further tranche of electricity generation.

  Mr. Atkins
  Responsibility for ordering new generating capacity rests with NIE plc. NIE is currently having discussions with the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland and hopes to announce the start of the competition for new plant next year.

  Examiner of Statutory Rules
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the present Examiner of Statutory Rules was appointed.

  Mr. Mates
  1 July 1992.

  Water Quality and Sewage Disposal
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his latest estimate of costs needed and time required to improve water quality and sewage disposal for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Drinking water quality and standards of sewage treatment are already high in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, there is a need for continuing improvement. An enhanced programme of capital works is in hand to ensure that older water and sewage treatment works are modernised or replaced to ensure compliance with the latest standards. This programme will mean an increase in capital expenditure from the current level of £49 million in 1992–93 to a projected level of £80 million in 1995–96 and expenditure would remain at that level for the rest of the decade.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are his latest proposals to improve water quality and sewage disposal for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has a programme of capital works extending over the next 10 years to improve its water and sewerage infrastructure.

  President-elect Clinton
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to meet representatives of the incoming Clinton administration to discuss matters relating to Northern Ireland.
  790
  Mr. Mates
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present, but we look forward to establishing contact at an appropriate moment in the new year.

  Children Order
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will indicate when he hopes to publish the draft Children Order.

  Mr. Hanley
  Work is nearing completion on the preparation of a draft Children Order which will reform the law in Northern Ireland on the care and upbringing of children along the lines of the Children Act 1981. My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, hopes to publish a proposal for a draft order for consultation early next year.

  Electricity Charges
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the effect of charges for electricity in manufacturing industry on existing jobs and future job creation in high energy-consuming industries.

  Mr. Atkins
  The restructuring of the Northern Ireland electricity industry will bring increased efficiencies and greater competition leading to downward pressure on prices. This will improve the competitiveness of all Northern Ireland manufacturing industry which is the best means of securing existing employment and creating new jobs.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received regarding the privatisation of the water service in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Atkins
  There have been representations made by some 40 individuals or organisations.

  Autumn Statement
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with representatives of the trade unions in Northern Ireland about the implications of the autumn statement on Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Mates
  I have not had any discussions with the trade unions in Northern Ireland about the autumn statement.

  Intergovernmental Talks
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the Government of the Irish Republic and indicate what further plans he has to meet them.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I last met the Irish Government on 16 November 1992 at a meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference when we discussed the matters described in the joint statement issued after the meeting. I hope to have a further meeting with the Irish Government as soon as practicable after the Irish general election.
  791

  Trust Ports
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to complete the privatisation of the trust ports in the Province.

  Mr. Atkins
  It is expected that the draft Order in Council which will provide the necessary powers to enable any of Northern Ireland's trust ports to be privatised, will be laid before both Houses in the summer of 1993. It will become law two months from the date made.

  The draft order will allow any Northern Ireland trust port authority to submit a privatisation scheme for approval and provide the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland with powers to initiate a scheme to privatise a trust port with a turnover of more than £5 million in at least two of the proceeding three years, if that port authority has not itself submitted such a scheme within two years of the enactment of the order.

  Colin Wallace
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a response to the most recent representations he has received about the case of Colin Wallace.

  Mr. Mates
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has received no representations.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Minister in his Department is responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters which fall within the responsibility of his Department.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  My hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Robert Atkins), Minister responsible for the economy and the environment.

  Health and Social Services Boards
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what organisations are invited to nominate people to serve on the health and social services boards in Northern Ireland; how such nominees are chosen to serve; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Organisations were not asked to nominate individuals for membership of the health and social services boards which came into existence on 1 April 1991. The non-executive members on each board were appointed on the strength of their experience and for their particular abilities in various fields including management, personnel, finance and the voluntary sector and not as representatives of particular organisations.

  Some of the members served on the boards prior to 31 March 1991 and their services were retained to provide the new boards with stability and continuity during the change over period.

  Care Homes
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residential care homes for fewer than four people are registered in Northern Ireland, in each of the health and social services boards areas.

  Mr.Hanley:
  None
  792
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional money will be included in the Northern Ireland budget provisions to provide for the additional key workers to be employed to ensure that the terms of the new Registered Homes (Northern Ireland) Order are fulfilled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  From 1 April 1993 the health and social services boards will, like, local authorities in England and Wales, employ "key workers" as part of their care management responsibilities. These arrangements will apply whether the client is living independently at home or in a residential care or nursing home setting, with the costs being met by the boards out of their community care budgets, which are being considerably enhanced from the 1993–94 financial year.

  Neither the draft Registered Homes (Northern Ireland) Order nor the draft regulations to be made under that order contain provisions which require the employment of additional key workers by voluntary and private sector homes.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to whom the people to be employed at the proposed arm's-length unit for the inspection of registered homes in Northern Ireland will be responsible; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  Registration and inspection units were established in 1991 under the community care reforms Responsibility for their organisation and management and for ensuring their independence from operational management lies with the area general manager of each health and social services board who is, in turn, directly accountable to his board for the functions and performance of the unit.

  Each board has also established an advisory committee to provide a link between its registration and inspection unit and the public interest which it serves. Membership of the advisory committees is intended to reflect the scope of the units' activities and is drawn from the groups of service providers—such as private sector residential care or nursing home proprietors—with whom the units work.

  General Practitioners
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average number of applications for vacancies for general practitioner's posts in Northern Ireland every year since 1989.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information is available only in respect of single handed-practice vacancies. Partnerships select their own candidates and information on these is not held centrally.

  Year

  Average number of applications

  1989

  34

  1990

  35

  1991

  36

  1992

  40

  793

  Housing Executive
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase the budget to the Housing Executive to meet housing needs in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The resources available to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for 1992–93 have recently been increased by £3 million to enable it to purchase dwellings for people in urgent need of housing. A further £1·3 million has been added mainly to cover the cost of bomb damage repairs to executive property. This means that the resources available to the executive for 1992–93 have been increased to approximately £490 million.

  Lanark Way
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when it is proposed to reopen Lanark way for the convenience of the general public in their private and business interests in the pursuance of their lawful activities in commuting across the community divide.

  Mr. Mates
  The opening and closing of the Lanark way gates is an operational matter for the RUC, which must take into account the level of terrorist threat and the need to protect the community. I understand that although there are no current plans to reopen the gates, the RUC is keeping the situation under constant review.

  Laganside Corporation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Treasury Minute on the first to eleventh reports from the Committee of Public Accounts 1992–93, paragraph 161, what proposals he has to change the auditing arrangements of the Laganside corporation.

  Mr. Atkins
  The audit arrangements for Langanside corporation are laid down in the Laganside Development (Northern Ireland) Order 1989. The legislation requires that the corporation's accounts be audited by an auditor to be appointed annually by the Department of the Environment. This arrangement has the approval of the Northern Ireland Audit Office which has the right under articles 8 and 9 of the Audit (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 to inspect the records of the corporation to ensure that the corporation is using its resources economically, efficiently and effectively.

  In view of the Treasury minute on the first to eleventh reports from the Committee of Public Accounts 1992–93, paragraph 161, the Department will now take steps to provide the Audit Office with wider access to the books and records of Laganside corporation. This will be done through the financial memorandum which regulates the financial arrangements between the corporation and the Department.

  Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was (i) the total cost, adjusted to 1992 prices of the wildlife incident investigation scheme for Northern Ireland and (ii) the proportion of the total cost contributed by the agrochemical industry levy, in each of the last five years.
  794
  Mr. Hanley
  An overall costing for the Departments involved in the operation of the scheme is not available.

  Diagnostic services carried out by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland in 1991–92 were costed at £14,824. This amount was recouped by means of the agrochemical levy. Prior to 1991–92 diagnostic testing was financed by DANI.

  Conservation Sites
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many road development plans currently mentioned within local authority structural plans in Wales threaten special protection areas and Ramsar sites; and if he will list the proposed developments and the sites involved;

  (2) if he will list the local authority development plans which currently pose (a) one and (b) two or more threats to Ramsar sites and special protection areas in Wales; and if he will list the sites affected.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The only proposal in a county structure plan in Wales which crosses part of a designated special protection area, which is also a Ramsar site, is the Shotton to Connah's Quay bypass, a non-trunk road scheme on the A548, identified in the approved Clwyd structure plan. This will involve a new crossing of the Dee estuary. There are no proposals in approved local plans in Wales for development on areas within a designated special protection area or Ramsar site.

  Young Farmers
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to introduce measures to encourage young farmers to(a) convert redundant farm buildings to housing and (b) to build new homes near to their holdings.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Our rural housing reserve offers local authorities the opportunity to address a range of priority social housing needs.

  Housing
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to issue new guidelines to local authorities in Wales on(a) housing needs assessment research and (b) the development of housing needs strategies.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I have no immediate plans to do so.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to establish an agency to co-ordinate housing needs research and the development of localised housing needs assessment plans in Wales, with the responsibility for providing guidelines and funding for such localised initiatives.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No.

  Nature Conservation
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) nature conservation review sites and (b) national nature reserves there are in Wales; and if he

  795
  will list the nature conservation review sites which have been created as national nature reserves in Wales in each of the last five years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The numbers of nature conservation review sites and national nature reserves in Wales are 111 and 49 respectively. The nature conservation review sites which have been declared as national nature reserves within the last five years are as follows:

  Year

  Declared as national nature reserve

  1988

  Coed y Cerrig

  1989

  None

  1990

  Kenfig

  1991

  Coedmor

  Corsydd Llangloffan

  Crymlyn Bog (Extension)

  1992

  Coed Rheidol (Extension)

  Cors Caron (Extension)

  Dyfi (Extension)

  Rhos Llawr-Cwrt (Extension)

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to increase available funding to nature conservation review sites for the maintenance of the sites of special scientific interest network and their effective monitoring.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Countryside Council for Wales, which has statutory responsibility for these activities, determines the amount of resources to be allocated to each of its programmes within its overall budget. Decisions on the future funding of the council will be announced shortly.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to set a target of transferring at least 10 nature conservation review sites into national nature reserves per annum.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No. The responsibility for declaring national nature reserves in Wales rests with the Countryside Council for Wales. The rate of progress depends on the funds available and the willingness of site owners to enter into the required commitments.

  Smoke Control Orders
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many smoke control orders were in force in Wales, what area was covered in thousands of hectares and how many premises were affected in (i) 1980, (ii) 1985 and (iii) 1990.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on the number of smoke control orders in force in Wales is not held centrally. However, Welsh Office records indicate that 37 such orders were introduced in Wales in the period 1960–1988, covering over 1,500 hectares and more than 24,000 premises. No new orders have been made since 1988.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of whether discharges of mercury from dental surgeries pose an environmental risk.
  796
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  All persons charged with the maintenance and operation of dental surgeries are covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988, as amended. On the basis of an international standard specification, dental practices are required to install units to extract solid amalgam for recycling.

  The Health and Safety Executive has inspectorial rights generally, and family health service authorities have the right of access to premises where general dental services are provided, to confirm appropriate standards of provision.

  There is no evidence to suggest that free metallic mercury from dental practices is presenting a significant hazard to the environment. The use of capsulated materials prevents the release of mercury vapour or liquid into the environment.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by family health service authority area the general dental practitioners who are now de-registering national health services patients.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information is not held centrally. I am aware that some de-registration is taking place in all authority areas, for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, the overall number of NHS registrations in Wales continues to rise, and stood at 58·5 per cent. of the population as at 30 September 1992. This is a higher proportion than health departments or the profession anticipated at this stage of the contract.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many new patients have been registered with dentists in Wales in each of the last three years; and how many were(a) children receiving NHS treatment, (b) children receiving non-NHS treatment, (c) adults receiving non-NHS treatment, (d) adults receiving NHS treatment but not entitled to exemption payments and (e) adults receiving NHS dental treatment and receiving exemption payment;

  (2) how many dentists have been operational in Wales in each of the last three years; and what are (a) the total numbers of (i) NHS and (ii) non-NHS children treated in each year and (b) the total numbers of (1) NHS and (2) non-NHS adult patients treated.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The number of dental practitioners who were in contract with family health services authorities in Wales in each of the past three years is as follows:

  As at 1 October 1990: 837

  As at 1 October 1991: 832

  As at 30 June 1992: 844

  Information is not held centrally on non-NHS treatment.

  Information on the number of patients receiving NHS treatment is not available, however the number of patients registered with a GDP in Wales is as follows:

  Children

  Adults

  As at 30 September 1991

  388,495

  891,380

  As at 30 September 1992

  416,308

  1,270,178

  Since the introduction of the new contract in October 1990, information is not available centrally on the number of NHS courses of treatment undergone by children as

  797
  treatment for children is now paid for on a capitation basis. The number of NHS courses of treatment undergone by adults in Wales in 1991–92 was 1,342,273. Of these 74·8 per cent. had a patient charge and 25·2 per cent. had remission or exemption of charges. As charges and remission/exemption are for a particular course of treatment, it is not possible to say how many people these figures relate to.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will reconsider his policy of appointing the same person to more than one public body in Wales, especially when the posts are paid.

  Mr. David Hunt
  No, all public appointments will continue to be made on the basis of aptitude and merit.

  South Glamorgan Health Authority
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what procedures he will follow in filling the vacancy on the board of the South Glamorgan health authority.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 24 November, at column 633.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the names of chairmen-elect of the second-wave NHS trusts.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  An announcement was made on 23 November.

  National Nature Reserves
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total amount of funding granted to national nature reserves by his Department in each of the last five years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Prior to 1 April 1991, this was the responsibility of the Nature Conservancy Council and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. Funding made available by the Countryside Council for Wales for National Nature Reserves in 1991–92 was as follows:

  1991–92 £

  Acquisition costs

  820,393

  Management costs

  1,032,097

  Totals

  1,852,490

  These figures include expenditure on marine nature reserves.

  Treatment Centres
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by how much West Glamorgan health authority will increase its use of the treatment centre at Bridgend, and the treatment centre in Bangor, in accordance with his decision letter on the future provision of night-time casualty services in west Glamorgan of 29 October.
  798
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The use of these treatment centres, beyond that level centrally funded by the Welsh Office, is a matter for each health authority to negotiate directly with the centres.

  Pollution
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing concentration rates of(a) sulphur dioxide, (b) black smoke and (c) nitrogen oxides at each monitoring site in Wales in each year since 1976; and what was the corresponding EC limit value in each case.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Figures showing the concentration rates of sulphur dioxide and black smoke at urban and rural air monitoring sites in Wales are on pages 98 and 99 of the "Environmental Digest for Wales No. 6 1991", copies of which are held in the Library of the House. Tables giving EC directive limit and guide values for smoke and sulphur dioxide are at page 97.

  Nitrogen oxides have been monitored continuously since 1987, but no specific figures are available for Wales. However, the "Survey of Nitrogen Dioxide concentrations in the United Kingdom Using Diffusion Tubes, 1991", a copy of which is also in the Library of the House, indicates that, on the basis of the monitoring undertaken, nitrogen dioxide levels in Wales are below recommended EC directive limits.

  Education Bill
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place the results of consultation on the Education Bill in the Library.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No. Such correspondence is a private matter between the individual and the Department. It is nevertheless open to those who responded to make their comments public and indeed, some organisations have already done so.

  Deeside Industrial Park
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement concerning planning applications by the Welsh Development Agency and Alyn and Deeside district council to extend Deeside industrial park;

  (2) when he expects to rule upon applications to extend Deeside industrial park.

  Mr. David Hunt
  My hon. Friend the Minister of State called in the planning application for proposed business and industrial development on land north of Shotwick road, Deeside because it raises planning issues of more than local importance. A decision on the application will be issued as soon as possible after the inspector's report has been received following a public local inquiry.

  Car Journeys
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of car journeys in Wales were for distances of 5 miles or less for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The 1985–86 national travel survey —the latest for which results are available for Wales—found that 65 per cent. of car journeys in Wales covered distances of 5 miles or less.
  799

  Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each local authority in Wales(a) the number of young people between the ages of 15 and 17 years who have been placed in bed and breakfast accommodation in the latest year for which figures are available and (b) the cost of such placements.

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

  Smoke Alarms
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide figures for the number of properties in council ownership in Wales, by authority, that have smoke alarms fitted.

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

  Transport Efficiency
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the relative efficiency in Wales in terms of megajoules per passenger kilometre of(a) cars in urban areas, (b) cars in rural areas, (c) taxis, (d) buses, (e) motor cycles and (f) British Rail trains.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not collected centrally. Figures on United Kingdom energy consumption by transport mode are given in "Transport Statistics: Great Britain 1992", a copy of which is held in the Library of the House.

  Bus Deregulation
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the bus routes which have ceased to operate since the implementation of the bus deregulation proposals in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  This information is not held centrally.

  Agricultural Tenancy Law
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will propose measures to facilitate the introduction of retirement tenancies as part of reforms of agricultural tenancy law.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Government's proposals for reform of agricultural tenancy law would give landlords and tenants the freedom to agree the period of tenancy which was suited to their particular needs. The parties would be able to take account of all factors in deciding the appropriate period including any retirement plans of the tenant.

  Seven-year-olds (Testing)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase funding for rural schools in Wales in light of his proposal to introduce mandatory testing for seven-year-olds; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Statutory testing of seven-year-olds has been in place since the summer term 1991. Rural 800
  schools benefit from the significant levels of support already being made for assessment. Test material and related teacher guidance is issued free of charge to all participating schools. Additionally £2·5 million was approved in 1992–93 under the grants for education support and training arrangements for providing teachers with assessment skills and for local education authority support.

  Community Care
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified nurses are currently employed in care in the community in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Hydroelectric Scheme
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the possible environmental impact of the proposed hydroelectric scheme on the Afon Conwy; if he will establish a public inquiry into the proposal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The environmental impact of the proposed hydroelectric scheme on the Afon Conwy will be considered by the local planning authority during the determination of the planning application and by the National Rivers Authority when considering the necessary application for an abstraction licence.

  We will consider fully the hon. and learned Gentleman's request that there be a public inquiry into the proposal and I will write to him when a decision is taken.

  Canada Geese
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to prevent agricultural damage in Wales caused by Canada geese; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Agricultural Development and Advisory Service in Wales provides guidance to farmers on various methods of controlling Canada geese. Farmers suffering agricultural damage from Canada geese can control these birds during the open season by legal methods which include shooting or deploying scaring techniques. During the close season, which runs from 21 February to 31 August, licences to shoot Canada geese are available from the Welsh Office, provided applicants can demonstrate the need to prevent serious agricultural damage.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Canada geese were estimated to be inhabiting Wales in 1970, 1980, 1990 and 1992; what is the estimated agricultural damage these geese have caused since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  This information is not collected centrally. There have been reported increases in the numbers of Canada geese in recent years. Various measures to control them are available to the farming industry.
  801

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the recent investigation of the accounts of the Welsh Development Agency, in particular severance payments made to departing staff.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Department and the agency are studying the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

  Craig y Nos Castle
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase the funding for Craig y Nos castle; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The importance of Craig y Nos castle and its related theatre is recognised. The castle is listed as a building of special architectural or historical importance at grade II and the theatre at grade I.

  On the basis of advice from the Historic Buildings Council for Wales, we have made available a grant of £22,500 for works to the theatre. Part of this grant has been claimed but we have not received further requests for assistance. If a further application for assistance with conservation work to the structure is received, we shall consider it as soon as possible.

  Historic Buildings
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase the funding for the architectural heritage of Powys; what proposals he has to increase funding for the upkeep of buildings of special architectural interest; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Funding for the architectural heritage is allocated according to the needs of individual structures rather than geographically. We are guided in this by the Historic Buildings Council for Wales and substantial grants have been made on its advice to properties such as

  Average daily available beds

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Llandough

  52·6

  54·4

  55·1

  54·5

  56·5

  Sully

  47·8

  44·4

  49·8

  49·2

  29·0

  Comparable information for 1992–93 is not available centrally. The South Glamorgan health plan, however, states that activity for thoracic medicine will remain constant.

  Hamilton Oil plc
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the result of the public inquiry into the application by Hamilton Oil plc with regard to developments at Talacre, Clwyd.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  As soon as possible.

  Sully Hospital
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what proposals he has received regarding the future of X-ray facilities at Sully hospital;802
  Powis castle. I will shortly decide on the allocation of resources to individual programmes for future years under the normal arrangements.

  However, considerable financial support to the built heritage is provided through maintenance and restoration of the properties in the care of the state. The estate in care is administered by Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments. Examples of such support are the development of a new car park, interpretative panels and ongoing conservation works at Montgomery castle in Powys.

  Bathing Beaches
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to clean up beaches in Wales that have banned swimming due to pollution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Welsh Office has agreed with Dwr Cymru, as a first priority, a programme of improvement works to bathing waters in Wales designated under the terms of the EC bathing waters directive which presently fail or are at risk of failing to meet the bacteriological standards of the directive. I am not aware of bathing having been banned at any of those locations. Once this improvement programme has been completed, it will be for the National Rivers Authority to agree priorities with Dwr Cymru about improvement work remaining to be done.

  Chest Medical Services
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the hospitals in South Glamorgan which provide chest medical services and to provide a table showing the number of beds available(a) in each of those hospitals in each of the past five years, (b) currently and (c) projected for 1992–93.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The available information for the latest five years, which relates to the number of beds in the specialty of thoracic medicine, is given as follows:

  (2) if he will make it his policy that any proposals for the closure or reduction of X-ray services at Sully hospital should be subject to formal consultation processes.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None. Any proposals which represent a substantial change in the provision of these services will be subject to the normal consultation procedure.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what procedures of consultation were followed prior to the temporary closure of Powys ward at Sully hospital; and when it is planned to reopen Powys at Sully hospital.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Temporary closures are a matter for local management and do not require formal consultation. The reopening of this ward is a matter for the health authority at this stage.
  803

  Further Education
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman-elect of the Welsh Further Education Council concerning the(a) funding, (b) start date and (c) course provision at the proposed new further education college extension at Lockwith, Cardiff.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I met Mr. Malcolm Wallace, chairman of the Further Education Funding Council for Wales, on 23 October to discuss a number of issues, including the funds which will be available to the council in 1993–94. I also met Councillor P. Perkins, chairman of the education committee for South Glamorgan on 26 June to discuss the future of further education courses in the Cardiff area.

  Responsibility for planning further education courses in the Cardiff area rests with South Glamorgan county council until 31 March 1993, after which the responsibility transfers to the Further Education Funding Council for Wales. The director of Education for South Glamorgan wrote to the Welsh Office on 12 October with certain proposals regarding the establishment of further education facilities at Leckwith. This has been drawn to the attention of the Further Education Funding Council for Wales. it will be for the council to determine its own expenditure priorities for 1993–94 when it is informed of the funding available to it.

  I understand that the funding council is currently considering the pattern of provision for further education in Cardiff in the light of the letter from the director of education.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what proposals he has for the alignment of(a) purchaser, (b) directly manager provider units and (c) trusts with the boundaries of the proposed unitary authorities under local government reorganisation;

  (2) what proposals he has to align the boundaries of the three emergency services; if he will institute a study into the costs and benefits of such multi-purpose alignments; and if he will make a statement on the implications of local government re-organisation on the emergency services;

  (3) what provisions he has made to compensate local government officers for any reduction in pay following their transfer to unitary local authorities after local government reorganisation.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I shall be announcing decisions on matters relating to local government reorganisation in due course.

  Croft Nursery School
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the Croft nursery school, Aston, Deeside; and if he will make a statement on the future of the school.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I has any plans at present to do so. The county council has published a notice proposing to close the school. If there are statutory objections, the decision is one for my right hon. Friend.
  804

  Ambulance Services
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the proposed Gwent-South Glamorgan-Powys Ambulance Trust will provide the ambulance service for the Rhymney Valley or any part of it; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The application for national health service trust status made clear the intention to provide ambulance services for the health authority areas of Gwent, Powys and South Glamorgan. Detailed operations from 1 April 1993 when the South and East Wales Ambulance National Health Service Trust commences formal operation will depend on the contracts negotiated with the purchasers of the ambulance service. However, I would not expect the trust or any other ambulance service in Wales to discontinue the existing practice of operating within the margins of neighbouring health authority areas, especially when responding to emergency calls and any local arrangements to meet the needs of patients.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales at what level he proposes to set the total revenue support grant to Welsh local authorities in 1993–94; and if he will announce his decision on council tax transitional relief.

  Mr. David Hunt
  As I announced in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Evans) on 12 November at columns 890–91, I propose a level of aggregate external finance—AEF—for 1993–94 in support of local authority spending in Wales of £2,342·6 million. AEF has three components: the distributable amount of non-domestic rates, the total of relevant specific and supplementary grants and revenue support grant.

  I intend to specify that the distributable amount from the non-domestic rating account should be £470·2 million on the basis that the Welsh national non-domestic rating multiplier for 1993–94 will be 44. I propose that relevant specific and supplementary grants towards local authority revenue expenditure should total £204·6 million.

  I further propose that the total of revenue support grant should be £1,667–8 million of which £1,666·7 million should be paid to Welsh county and district councils and £1·1 million to certain specified bodies.

  My officials are today writing to Welsh local authorities setting out my proposals for the component amounts of AEF and inviting their views. I am placing a copy of that consultation letter, which details the relevant specific and supplementary grants and the amounts to be paid to specified bodies, in the Library of the House.

  If local authorities spend in line with the plans that I announced on 12 November they should be able to set council tax for a band C property of £232, which is £34 a year less than the average community charge payable by two adults for the current year, after taking into account relief through the community charge reduction scheme. It is also £95 less than the average domestic rates bill per ratepayer in Wales for 1989–90. The level of council tax local authorities set will depend on their budget decisions for 1993–94 and council tax standard spending can only be indicative, but I will use my capping powers, if necessary, to ensure that authorities set reasonable levels of tax. I will be announcing my proposals on capping shortly.
  805
  Around two thirds of properties in Wales fall in valuation bands A to C. Almost half of properties fall in bands A and B and their council tax bills should be proportionately less than £232. Single adult households will be entitled to a 25 per cent. discount and people on low incomes can qualify for council tax benefit. Those in receipt of income support will pay no council tax at all.

  I have given careful consideration to the need to provide transitional relief for the introduction of the council tax, but I have come to the view that a transitional scheme cannot be justified.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is(a) the total current cost and (b) the average cost per applicant within each local authority in Wales for administering (i) housing benefit and (ii) community charge benefit; and what are the estimated total costs per

  Average cost (£/case)

  Housing benefit subsidy

  Community charge benefit subsidy

  Housing benefit cases

  Community charge benefit cases

  Authority

  £

  £

  Aberconwy

  98,834

  76,688

  32·22

  14·58

  Alyn and Deeside

  93,632

  81,072

  25·47

  14·27

  Arfon

  129,108

  111,144

  28·35

  14·70

  Blaenau Gwent

  204,806

  138,548

  25·56

  14·76

  Brecknock

  50,518

  37,168

  27·03

  14·16

  Cardiff

  762,686

  479,774

  30·77

  14·06

  Carmarthen

  79,320

  58,874

  28·73

  13·87

  Ceredigion

  103,146

  100,784

  32·65

  20·27

  Colwyn

  125,806

  98,642

  33·15

  14·24

  Cynon Valley

  143,546

  111,506

  27·84

  14·18

  Delyn

  98,290

  87,708

  24·62

  14·20

  Dinefwr

  61,992

  50,486

  29·16

  14·69

  Dwyfor

  49,600

  40,748

  33·47

  14·79

  Glyndwr

  62,306

  47,364

  27·90

  14·54

  Islwyn

  122,362

  94,960

  25·83

  14·48

  Llanelli

  165,236

  142,534

  26·84

  14·08

  Lliw Valley

  100,002

  92,072

  24·92

  15·61

  Meirionnydd

  49,614

  46,762

  28·35

  14·36

  Merthyr Tydfil

  170,222

  112,572

  26·37

  13·70

  Monmouth

  93,912

  74,722

  27·41

  14·06

  Montgomeryshire

  69,448

  51,854

  30·63

  13·98

  Neath

  128,476

  112,238

  26·27

  14·49

  Newport

  340,288

  283,998

  27·40

  14·67

  Ogwr

  234,384

  262,198

  26·65

  14·48

  Port Talbot

  111,084

  87,342

  24·95

  13·79

  Preseli

  128,636

  97,296

  29·22

  14·25

  Radnor

  36,994

  22,558

  33·54

  13·91

  Rhondda

  153,892

  175,436

  27·14

  18·33

  Rhuddlan

  139,754

  94,254

  36·04

  13·35

  Rhymney Valley

  240,412

  212,230

  24·96

  12·66

  Rural Wales

  12,606

  0

  25·78

  0

  South Pembrokeshire

  80,622

  59,992

  28·72

  13·95

  Swansea

  449,962

  408,930

  27·63

  16·78

  Taff-Ely

  155,312

  143,766

  25·49

  14·34

  Torfaen

  203,060

  144,926

  23·16

  13·65

  Vale of Glamorgan

  200,788

  144,940

  31·45

  13·95

  Wrexham Maelor

  277,442

  231,806

  25·34

  15·06

  Ynys Mon

  134,508

  119,108

  26·12

  13·61

  Total

  5,812,606

  4,737,000

  27·72

  14·59

  Note: Expenditure data are the 1992–93 administration subsidy figures for Wales, and include both the direct grant paid to authorities by the Department of Social Security and the amounts reflected in the Revenue Support Grant arrangements. The caseloads used in the calculation of the average amounts, are the averages of the four quarters (May 1991 to February 1992) figures as reported by local authorities. Estimates, based on average movements in national caseloads, have been included where authorities have not provided the necessary information.
  806
  local authority for administering such benefits following the introduction of competitive tendering into housing benefit administration.

  Mr. Burt
  I have been asked to reply.

  The table shows the total costs to central Government of subsidising the administration of the housing benefit and community charge benefit schemes for each local authority in Wales and the average administrative cost per benefit applicant. This Department pays 50 per cent. of authorities' total estimated costs by way of a direct grant. The balance of expenditure not subsidised by specific grant is reflected in the revenue support grant arrangements which are the responsibility of the Welsh Office. The exception to this is the Development Board of Rural Wales which receives 100 per cent. direct subsidy from this Department.

  We are not aware that any local authority in Wales has contracted out activities connected with the administration of housing benefit.
  807

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has on the percentage of people in Britain who were living on or below the supplementary benefit level in(a) 1979, (b) 1987 and (c)

  Mr. Burt
  The Department no longer produces estimates of this kind, following the recommendations of the technical review of low income statistics in March 1988. A copy of this report can be found in the Library. Information for 1987 and 1990 is therefore not available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. Estimates for 1979 were published in "Low Income Families—1979", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the effects of the Child Support Act 1991 on the number of families entitled to(a) family credit and (b) income support distinguishing between lone-parent families and the families paying maintenance.

  Mr. Burt
  We estimate that in the long run increased payments of child maintenance under the Child Support Act will result in some 60,000 to 80,000 lone parents moving off income support. It is expected that the majority of these will move on to family credit. Of lone parents already on family credit, we estimate that around 10,000 will move off this benefit. These estimates are based on 1987–88–89 family expenditure survey data.

  The entitlement to income support of absent parents with families living with them will not be affected. The family expenditure survey does not contain information on absent parents and therefore it is not possible to say how their entitlement to family credit will be affected by policy changes.

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

  (2) 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;

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

  Miss Widdecombe
  My noble Friend, Lord Henley, is responsible for the oversight of deregulation within the Department of Social Security.

  The potential impact on business and members of the public is taken into account in assessing any proposals for changes in policy and procedure. Moreover, the scope for deregulation and simplification is kept under constant review in the Department.

  From April 1992 two changes have been made to the way normal earnings are assessed and verified in family credit making it easier and less time consuming for employers to provide earnings information. The Contributions Agency has a number of initiatives in hand
  808
  to improve procedures affecting business and to help them towards a better understanding of the National Insurance scheme. A review has been completed of the definitions of earnings for PAYE and national insurance purposes, and its recommendations for simplifying the rules will be implemented from the start of the new tax year, 6 April 1993. Other items currently under review include the frequency with which some people need to renew their NI "exception" certificates, and certain procedures affecting people working abroad.

  Since the last general election the Department has laid or made the regulations set out in the tables. Most of these are amendment or technical regulations which do not increase the total regulatory burden or business or the public.

  1198—The Income Support (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1992

  1312—The Social Security (Australia) Order 1992

  1326—The Income-Related Benefits Amendment Regulations 1992

  1431 (C.48)—The Child Support Act 1991 (Commencement No. 1) Order 1992

  1440—The Social Security (Contributions) Amendment (No. 6) Regulations 1992

  1531—The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1992

  1532 (C.52)—The Social Security Act 1990 (Commencement No. 5) Order 1992

  1555—The Occupational Pension Schemes (Deficiency on Winding Up etc.) Regulations 1992

  1585—The Income-Related Benefits Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 1992

  1695—The Social Security (Widows Benefit and Retirement Pensions) (Amendment) Regulations 1992

  1700—The Social Security Benefit (Persons Abroad) Amendment Regulations 1992

  1735—The Social Security (Jersey and Guernsey) Order 1992

  1812—The Child Support (Information, Evidence and Disclosure) Regulations 1992

  1813—The Child Support (Maintenance Assessment Procedure) Regulations 1992

  1814—The Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992

  1815—The Child Support (Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases) Regulations 1992

  1816—The Child Support (Arrears, Interest and Adjustment of Maintenance Assessments) Regulations 1992

  1909—The Council Tax Benefit (Transitional) Order 1992

  1938 (C.67)—The Child Support Act 1991 (Commencement No. 2) Order 1992

  1989—The Child Support (Collection and Enforcement) Regulations 1992

  2148—The Housing Benefit and Community Charge Benefits (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 1992

  2149—The Social Fund Maternity and Funeral Expenses (General) Amendment Regulations 1992

  2155—The income-related Benefits Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 3) Regulations 1992

  2182—Fines (Deductions from Income Support) Regulations 1992

  2322—The Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment Regulations 1992

  2448—The Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1992

  2595—The Social Security (Miscellaneous Provision Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1992

  2640—The Child Support Commissioners (Procedure) Regulations 1992

  2641—The Child Support Appeal Tribunals (Procedure) Regulations 1992

  2642 (C.82)—The Finance (No. 2) Act 1992, Section 62, (Commencement) Order 1992

  2643—The Child Support (Collection and Enforcement of Other Forms of Maintenance) Regulations 1992

  2643 (C.83)—The Child Support Act 1991 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provisions) Order 1992

  809

  2645—The Child Support (Maintenance Arrangements and Jurisdiction) Regulations 1992

  2804—The Income Support (General) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 1992

  Unemployed Blind People
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he intends to amend the actively seeking work rules for unemployed blind people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has today laid regulations before Parliament which will help unemployed blind people who wish to undertake a training course in the use of a guide dog. Such courses significantly improve the employment prospects of blind people. The effect of the regulations will be to remove an anomaly in the actively seeking work rules which might have deterred some blind people from undertaking training. In particular, blind people who have taken a holiday for up to two weeks earlier in the year will, when the regulations come into effect on 17 December, be free to undertake a course without the risk of a benefit sanction.

  Disability Working Allowance
  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications have been received to date for the new disability working allowance; and how many of these have been approved for payment.

  Mr. Scott
  By 20 November 1992 the number of claims for disability working allowance received was 22,833 and the number of awards made was 2,938.

  War Pensions
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases involving injury as a result of the mustard gas explosion in Bari harbour, Italy, in 1943 have been dealt with by his Department in each year since 1980; how many cases have resulted in war pensions being paid; how these pensions have been calculated; and what representations he has had to backdate payments to the period before 1986.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 4 February 1991 at column 63 and my reply of 14 February 1991, at columns 586–87. Records of claims for war pension as a result of the Bari harbour incident have not been kept since the special tracing exercise conducted in 1986–87 and the statistical information now requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Contribution income (£ billion)

  June 1992 Price3

  Percentage of Exchequer income

  Employers NICs

  Employees2 NICs

  Employers NICs

  Employees NICs

  Employers NICs

  Employees NICs

  1982–83

  12·02

  9·20

  20·39

  15·61

  9·77

  7·48

  1983–84

  12·45

  10·53

  20·19

  17·07

  9·84

  8·32

  11984–85

  12·20

  11·29

  18·83

  17·42

  8·87

  8·20

  1985–86

  12·53

  12·11

  18·34

  17·72

  8·38

  8·10

  1986–87

  13·82

  12·79

  19·59

  18·13

  8·69

  8·04

  1987–88

  15·33

  14·13

  20·60

  18·99

  9·03

  8·32

  1988–89

  17·28

  15·65

  21·65

  19·61

  9·22

  8·35

  1989–90

  18·50

  14·74

  21·77

  17·34

  9·06

  7·22

  1990–91

  20·55

  14·86

  22·77

  16·47

  9·50

  6·87

  41991–92

  21·66

  15·33

  22·46

  15·89

  9·88

  6·99

  810
  War pensions are calculated by reference to the degree of disablement due to service assessed by making a comparison between the condition of the ex-service men or women and the condition of a normal healthy person of the same age and sex.

  Mobility Allowance
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the application by Mr. Peter Lynch for his renewal of mobility allowance sent in on 17 June is to be dealt with; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Bob Cryer, dated 25 November 1992:
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking when the application by Mr. Peter Lynch for his renewal of Mobility Allowance (MobA) will be dealt with.
  I should explain that a decision has now been made on Mr. Lynch's claim and this has been notified to him. I have replied to you separately in greater detail about this.
  Clearly this case has not been handled with the efficiency I would expect and I offer my sincere apologies for the distress and inconvenience caused to your constituent. My letter of 19 October to all MPs explained the problems the Agency has faced since the introduction of Disability Living Allowance in April 1992, which replaced MobA and Attendance Allowance for those whose disabilities began before age 65, and set out the measures we have taken to resolve these problems successfully.
  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.

  National Insurance Contributions
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount of(a) employers' and (b) employees' national insurance contributions collected for each of the last 10 fiscal years expressed (a) in cash terms, (b) at June 1992 prices and (c) as a percentage of total Exchequer income.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is given in the table.
  811
  1 Includes national insurance surcharge in the period to 1984–85.

  2 Includes national insurance contributions by self-employed for which separate data are only available from 1986–87.

  3 Treasury estimate of GDP deflator in the second quarter of 1992 used to covert current price to constant June 1992 prices.

  4 Estimate.

HEALTH

  Romanian Adoptions
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for health (1) what her Department is doing to renegotiate the age limitation of 35 years with the Romanian adoption committee;

  (2) if she will make a statement on the current state of negotiations with the Romanian adoption committee about adoption from Romania.

  Mr. Yeo
  The agreement between the Romanian Committee for Adoptions and the United Kingdom will be reviewed in the new year. Age limitation will be among the issues to be discussed.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many couples are on her Department's approved list for adoption from Romania; and how many of these couples have become ineligible because of the terms of the agreement with the Romanian adoption committee;

  (2) if she will bring forward proposals to refund payments for approved home studies by couples who have become ineligible for adoption because of the terms of agreement with the Romanian adoption committee.

  Mr. Yeo
  Twenty one couples resident in England have been given approval to adopt children from Romania. Sixty-five couples, resident in the United Kingdom, were advised that they were ineligible following the agreement signed on 19 March 1992. The question of repayment for home study reports carried out for unsuccessful applicants is a matter for individual local authorities.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State Health (1) what action is now being taken to facilitate the adoption of named children from Romania;

  (2) how many children were adopted into the United Kingdom from Romania (a) in 1990, (b) in 1991 and (c) since the signing of the agreement with the Romanian adoption committee.

  Mr. Yeo
  In 1990, a total of 13 children from Romania were granted entry clearance approval with an understanding that adoption proceedings would be undertaken in the United Kingdom. In 1991 there were 215 and in 1992 there were four such approvals. No children have as yet been admitted under the agreement procedures.

  We have asked our ambassador in Bucharest to raise with the Romanian Government our concerns about the delays experienced in processing adoption applications of United Kingdom citizens.

  NHS Targets
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 16 July,Official Report, column 910, when baseline data for severe mental illness, gonorrhoea, under-16 conceptions and accidents for regional and district health targets will be ready.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A supplement to the common data set was published in October. This provided baseline data for 812
  all the key areas in the White Paper except for suicide rates for the severely mentally ill and gonorrhoea. The latter are not routinely collected for local populations. The Department is working with the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on the feasibility of collecting the information on severe mental illness. Data about the incidence of gonorrhoea are not available by area of incidence. The Department is however examining the data aggregated by National Health Service regions in which clinics are situated to see whether they lend themselves to use for target setting at this level. A copy of the guide to the data file is in the Library.

  Seasonal Affective Disorder
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has undertaken on the incidence of seasonal affective disorder; and what proposals she has to reduce its incidence.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department has undertaken no research into this disorder and has no plans to do so.

  European Year of Older People
  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 13 July,Official Report, columns 430–31, on the European year of the elderly, if she will outline her plans to focus on the housing needs of the elderly.

  Mr. Yeo
  My Department, in co-operation with the Department of Social Security, has overall co-ordinating responsibility for the European Year of Older People in the United Kingdom and we are now well advanced with our plans. The task group concerned with problems of housing, isolation and loneliness, information needs, transport and community care issues—social and environmental integration—has put forward a number of proposals to mark the year in the United Kingdom including: national conferences on social and environmental integration to be held in April and December 1993 together with local events and exhibitions throughout the year focusing on issues of housing, transport, community care and communications; a European tenant exchanges scheme to give older people a wider knowledge of what is, or might be, available to them in sheltered housing; a study by Anchor housing trust entitled "Available Options", a review of the developments in public policy in the areas of housing, care, income and savings for older people.

  The Department of the Environment will also be issuing a revised edition of their publication "Your Home in Retirement—Housing Advice for Older People".

  Drugs
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what categories of drugs are currently on the limited list; and what proposals she has for adding to the list.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The limited list applies to drugs which may be prescribed only in specified circumstances and currently contains five items. These are Acetylcysteine Granules, Carbocisteine, Clobazam, Cynocobalamin and Pregnavite Forte F.
  813
  The selected list scheme applies to categories of drugs from which only a selected number of products can be prescribed under the National Health Service. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 12 November, the scheme is to be extended from the current seven categories to include a further 10 categories.

  The current categories are:

  Analgesics for mild to moderate pain

  Indigestion remedies

  Laxatives

  Cough and cold remedies

  Vitamins

  Tonics

  Benzodiazepine sedatives and tranquillisers.

  The new categories are:

  Anti-diarrhoeal drugs

  Drugs for allergic disorders

  Hypnotics and anxiolytics

  Appetite suppressants

  Drugs for vaginal and vulval conditions

  Contraceptives

  Drugs used in anaemia

  Topical antirheumatics

  Drugs acting on the ear and nose

  Drugs acting on the skin.

  In making the regulations required to bring particular drugs within the scope of the limited list and selected list arrangements, my right hon. Friend will continue to act on the advice of the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs.

  Solvent Abuse
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will place in the Library copies of the evaluation report on her Department's recent public awareness campaign on solvent abuse.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have today placed a copy of the report "Research into Parents' Attitudes to Drugs and Solvents" in the Library.

  Personal Social Services
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what annual capital guidelines and supplementary credit approvals she is making available for the personal social services for 1993–94.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Annual capital guidelines of £122·5 million will be available for 1993–94, a real terms increase of 6·5 per cent. Supplementary credit approvals will again be available for mental illness—£10–5 million —information technology for community care—£10·2 million—and AIDS/HIV services—£3 million. In addition, local authorities will be able to use certain receipts from the sale of capital assets including additional receipts available because of the relaxation of the rules on the use of capital receipts announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 12 November.

  Independent Living Fund
  Mr Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources will be provided for local authorities as a consequence of the changes to the independent living fund announced on 24 November.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In addition to the £539 million I announced on 2 October for the community care special transitional grant, we have decided to allocate extra 814
  resources to local authorities to enable them to play a full part in meeting the needs of severely disabled people. I am therefore increasing the community care special transitional grant by over £26 million to £565 million in 1993–94. In 1994–95, the grant will be increased by £64 million to £716 million, and in 1995–96 it will rise by £100 million to £618 million. The detailed arrangements and distribution of the resources will be discussed with the local authority associations.

  Pharmaceutical Investment
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for health (1) what assessment her Department has made of the likely effect of the proposed extension of the limited list on medical research investment by United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical companies;

  (2) what assessment her Department has made of the likely effect of the proposed extension of the limited list on the United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry's international competitiveness;

  (3) what assessment her Department has made of the likely effect of the proposed extension of the limited list on attracting new inward investment in the United Kingdom pharmaceutical research and production.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The selected list scheme provides that particular drugs may not be prescribed under the national health service where there are effective alternatives available at lower cost. It mirrors measures being taken throughout Europe to limit rapidly rising drugs bills. The relative competitiveness of the United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry and decisions on investment in medical and pharmaceutical research and production depend on many factors in both the United Kingdom and other key pharmaceutical markets. It is not possible to identify specifically the impact of the proposed extension of the selected list arrangement separately from that of other changes in both the United Kingdom and other countries.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the likely effect of the proposed extension of the limited list on employment in the research-based sector of the United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Following my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's announcement on 12 November, the Advisory Committee on National Health Service Drugs will make recommendations about which products within the additional therapeutic categories may not be prescribed under the NHS. The companies concerned may wish to make representations to the committee before it makes its final recommendations. Until decisions on the individual products have been taken, it is not possible to assess whether there will be any effect on employment in the United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry.

  Chemical Entity Medicines
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many product licences for innovative new chemical entity medicines have been granted by the Medicines Control Agency in the seven therapeutic categories currently covered by the original limited list regulations since 1985.
  815
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information on product licences granted by the United Kingdom licensing authority is as follows:

  Number

  Indigestion remedies

  1

  Laxatives

  1

  Vitamins

  1

  Tomlinson Report
  Ms. Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy, in her decisions on the Tomlinson report, to require that no beds will be closed in London before steps are taken to improve community health services.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We have made clear that the Government's response to the Tomlinson report will be made early in the new year. Clearly a key element will be to ensure that the shift in the balance of care from acute to primary and community health services is carefully planned and co-ordinated.

  Interleukin-6
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to her answer of 30 October,Official Report, column 942, what requests have now been made to Coopers and Lybrand in connection with the interleukin-6 research project; if she will make it her policy to publish the result of reports from auditors into the interleukin-6 project; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) if she will ensure that any inquiry carried out on behalf of United Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust into the interleukin-6 research project should take evidence from all relevant witnesses; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I understand that the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust has no plans to institute a formal inquiry into the interleukin-6 research project which is primarily a matter for the university of Leeds.

  At no time have the auditors employed by the United Leeds teaching hospitals national health service trust or the then Leeds Western health authority made a report in connection with the interleukin-6 research project. However the trust has now asked Coopers and Lybrand to look at the feasibility of estimating any possible loss to the NHS of the interleukin-6 research project.

  Heartstart 3000 Machine
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations have taken place into the Heartstart 3000 machine used by emergency ambulance crews; how effective this equipment is; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has conducted a three-day comparative trial using a front line ambulance and defibrillators from four manufacturers. The ambulance was driven around a set course, over rough ground, along motorways and past power stations, and the ecg recordings were compared. The Laerdal Heartstart 3000 was entirely satisfactory, as were all the others.
  816
  In addition to the trial described, a full technical evaluation has also been carried out. The equipment was found to be satisfactory.

  Newcastle General Hospital
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what weight she gave to the amount of provision for(a) general medical, (b) surgical, (c) paediatric and (d) geriatric beds at Newcastle general hospital in her decision to turn down its application for trust status; and what assessment was made of the relative cost per bed of alternative local provision.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Newcastle general hospital applied for National Health Service trust status in 1990. In assessing that application the then Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave) considered the views expressed in public consultation and the advice of independent financial management consultants. The pattern of service provision is primarily a matter for the local district health authority, as the main puchaser of health services for the local population.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations her Department has initiated between the regional health authority, the management and senior clinicians at Newcastle general hospital, the Comunity Health Council and local general practitioners concerning the future of Newcastle general hospital.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East can expect a reply or acknowledgement to his letter dated 26 October, about Newcastle general hospital.

  Mr. Sackville
  An acknowledgment was sent on 5 November, the day following receipt of the letter. I sent a full reply on 24 November.

  Relate
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to increase funding to the Relate marriage guidance organisation.

  Mr. Jack
  I have been asked to reply.

  I regret that there can be no automatic assurance for Relate or any other marriage guidance organisation which the Home Office funds about the future level of support.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Aircraft Industry
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people were employed in the aircraft industry in(a) 1980 and (b)

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The annual census of production shows UK aerospace employment in 1980 as 198,300 and the provisional figures for 1991, which may be subject to revision at a later date, as 166,000.
  817

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 4 November,Official Report, column 310, how many individuals from the firms listed by him are currently on secondment to his Department.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Department currently has two secondees from one of the firms listed in the answer given on 4 November. A further three secondees arc from two firms the predecessors of which are listed in the answer.

  Timber
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the timber imported from the Philippines is categorised as(a) rough sawn and raw logs and (b) semi-manufactured; what criteria his Department uses to make such categorisations; what differences there are between United Kingdom criteria and Philippine criteria; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  Rough-sawn and raw logs accounted for 1·3 per cent of total timber imports from the Philippines in 1991. Semi-manufactured timber accounted for 98·7 per cent. of imports over the same period.

  The United Kingdom statistics follow the United Nations' standard international trade classification system which is also used by the Philippines.

  Companies House
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list which directors of private companies act as advisers to Companies House.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The Companies House steering board advises on strategic priorities for Companies House. Its full membership was set out in the 1991–92 annual report and accounts, which has been laid before the House. The private sector members are:

  Mr. David Eggleton—Chairman, Cranfield IT Institute

  Mr. Iain Ferguson—Chairman, Plant Breeding International

  Mr. Tony Glaze—Managing Director, Group Personnel

  David Young—Finance Director, John Lewis Partnership

  Food Imports
  Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish details of the current level of food imports into the United Kingdom from other EC member countries by(a) country of origin and (b) type of foodstuffs.

  Mr. Needham
  Details of the current level of food imports as requested are given in table II of "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", which is available in the Library of the House.

  Auditors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide a list of the published inspectors' reports in which the inspectors have urged him to ban auditors from selling non-auditing services to their audit clients.
  818
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I do not recall there being any such urging by inspectors.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to ask the Financial Reporting Review Panel to examine a sample of quoted companies' accounts for compliance with the Companies Acts' requirements.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  None.

  Halocarbon-free Technologies
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action is currently being undertaken by his Department to encourage industry to develop halocarbon-free technologies for appliances to be sold to the mass markets; and if he will make it his policy to establish an incentive scheme to assist industry with this process.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department is in close touch with representatives of the sectors of industry concerned to ensure that they are fully informed of the intention to phase out the production of halocarbons, and the need to develop alternatives. The DTI, together with the Department of Environment, already operates schemes offering financial support for the research, development and dissemination of sound environmental technologies, and the replacement of halocarbons is a priority area within those schemes.

  Balance of Trade
  Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the most up-to-date details of the United Kingdom balance of trade with each of the other member countries of the European Community.

  Mr. Needham
  Information on United Kingdom visible trade is regularly published in "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", which is available in the Library of the House.

  Maxwell Group
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the business connections of the inspectors appointed to investigate the Maxwell group of companies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The inspectors appointed to investigate the affairs and membership of Mirror Group Newspapers plc under sections 432(2) and 442 of the Companies Act 1985 are Mr. J. L. Thomas QC and Mr. R. T. Turner FCA, a partner to Messrs Neville Russell, chartered accountants.

  Post Office
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the net contribution to general Government accounts made by the Post Office group of companies for each of the last five years; and what contribution is projected for the current year and for each of the following three years.

  Mr. Leigh
  The actual and projected net contributions through the external financing requirement from the Post Office group of companies are as follows:
  819

  £ million

  Actual

  1987–88

  80·0

  1988–89

  102·0

  1989–90

  101–9

  1990–91

  nil

  1991–92

  74·0

  Projected

  1992–93

  66·0

  1993–94

  181–0

  1994–95

  176·0

  1995–96

  158·0

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the ratio of imports to exports of environmental protection technologies in(a) 1980 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Eggar
  Environmental protection technology is not a stand-alone technology but a term that can be applied to elements of a wide range of technological processes and products. As trade statistics are compiled by product area, it is not currently possible to identify separately the value or quantity of environmental import and export.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the proportion of the worldwide market for environmental protection technologies supplied by each of the Organisation for Economic Protection and Development nations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Environmental protection technology is not a stand-alone technology but a term that can be applied to elements of a wide range of technological processes and products. Trade statistics are prepared on a product basis throughout the OECD countries; it is therefore not possible to identify separately the proportion of environmental protection technology supplied by each of the OECD nations. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the size of the world market for such technology with any accuracy.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has held with the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment concerning exports of environmental protection technologies; what assessment he has made of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology report on the worldwide market for environmental protection technologies; what plans he has to promote exports of environmental protection technologies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have recently received the second report from the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment (ACBE) which contained a number of valuable and constructive ideas aimed both at business and Government. One recommendations was that a joint environmental markets unit should be established to catalyse planning and marketing of environmental opportunities, both at home and overseas, to companies. The Advisory Committee on Science and Technology report also intensified the need to help industry to exploit its environmental expertise more effectively. I was therefore happy to accept the ACBE recommendation and the unit, staffed jointly by DTI and DoE officials, has already been set up.
  820
  In addition to the new unit, the DTI is hosting a technology partnership initiative conference in March 1993. This conference is designed to enable developing countries to share the benefits of technology in partnership with British Companies.

  External Trade Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will bring up to date table F2 of the monthly review of external trade statistics to take account of changes in the exchange rate since the last date on which the country figures were available; and if he will give an up-to-date figure for the weighted average excluding the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Needham
  The information requested will be published in table F2 of the monthly review of external trade statistics as soon as it becomes available. Data are currently available up to and including the first quarter of 1992. These were published in the November edition of the above publication, which is available in the House of Commons Library.

  Machine Tools
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the total sales in 1992 prices of British machine tools for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is not available at 1992 prices. Sales at 1985 prices are shown in the table.

  Sales at current prices1 £ million

  Producer Price Index (1985 = 100)

  Sales at 1985 prices1 £ million

  (1)

  (2)

  (1)/(2)

  1979

  664

  63·0

  1,054

  1980

  705

  73·6

  958

  1981

  565

  77·3

  731

  1982

  598

  82·6

  724

  1983

  562

  87·1

  645

  1984

  683

  92·4

  739

  1985

  822

  100·0

  822

  1986

  840

  104·7

  802

  1987

  877

  108·1

  811

  1988

  1,118

  113·8

  982

  1989

  1,162

  120·3

  966

  1990

  1,201

  127·8

  940

  1991

  2960

  132·0

  2727

  Source: Business Monitor PQ3221.

  1These figures represent the total sales of principal products of the machine tools industry and include parts and accessories.

  2Provisional.

  Export Controls
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of trade if he will make a statement on the improvements instituted in export control procedures for sensitive technologies since November 1990.

  Mr. Needham
  The improvements instituted in export control procedures for sensitive technologies since November 1990 are as follows:the establishment of a new section within the Export Control Organisation to process export licence applications for

  821
  sensitive destination. The identification of sensitive destinations embrace a wide range of policy interests and concerns and is kept under regular review. The sensitive destinations are primarily of concern for chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons and missile delivery purposes; the introduction of revised procedures including:

  (i) a requirement in all cases for comprehensive documentation covering the capability of goods to be exported to accompany the export licence application.

  (ii) detailed technical assessment of all licence applications for sensitive destinations;

  (iii) a requirement in all cases for a full and unambiguous statement of the intended end-use and end-user;

  (iv) a requirement for rating requests to be made in writing. Exporters are asked when making enquiries to write to ECO;

  (v) revision of the rating request form. Exporters must make clear if the goods are for military chemical, nuclear or missile applications;

  (vi) revision to the export licence application form to incorporate an explicit question on whether the goods are for use for military purposes;

  the extension of computerisation within the ECO to improve the capability for processing export licence applications; the publication of more detailed and comprehensive guidance to exporters in guidance notes accompanying application forms and in literature describing in detail the purpose of controls and their operation;
  the introduction in December 1990 of an "end-use" control which places a legal responsibility on the exporter to take all reasonable steps to ensure that goods are not being exported for use for CBW purposes, and making it an offence to export goods without a licence whether the exporter knows or suspects they are for use for such purposes. This was extended in 1991 to cover nuclear weapons and missile delivery systems;
  developing closer links and improving co-ordination with and among other Government Departments which advise DTI on licence applications.

  Piper Alpha
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade pursuant to his answer of 19 November,Official Report, column 343, in respect of the conditions attached to the Piper Alpha abandonment programme, what is (a) the contractor employed in the recovery of the debris from the seabed and (b) the type of vessels engaged therein; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Trawling for debris has been carried out by SFF Services Ltd, a commercial enterprise owned by the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, using the trawlers Constant Friend and Starlight. Debris too large or too heavy to be lifted in a trawl has been recovered by Rockwater Ltd. using the diving support vessel Rockwater 2.

  Recovery of remaining debris in the 500 to 1,500 m annulus is scheduled to be completed during the second quarter of 1993. Invitations to tender for this work will be issued in the new year.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Internal Market Council on 10 November.

  Mr. Needham
  I chaired the Internal Market Council on 10 November. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for National Heritage also attended the Council.

  The Council reached agreement on three important items. A resolution was agreed emphasising the importance of ensuring that the single market will work in practice; measures covering trade in cultural goods were
  822
  agreed with amendments which meet essential UK interests; and a future medicines licensing system which will compete the single market in pharmaceuticals now seems certain to be agreed during our presidency.

  The Council adopted our presidency resolution identifying steps which the Commission, member states, and the Council need to take to ensure the effective working of the single market. The resolution stresses the importance of even implementation and enforcement of single market legislation across the Community, and encourages co-operation between administrations to achieve this. Member states have through this resolution, underlined the importance of working to fulfil all single market obligations. The Commission will publish annual reports on the working of the single market.

  Political agreement was reached on the directive, and the regulation on cultural objects. We won important concessions on three issues of immediate concern to the Government—a definition of "public collections", a legal base on which to license goods coming from outside the Community after 1 January 1993, and a practical solution to the requirement to license archaeological items of limited importance, regardless of monetary value. A satisfactory resolution of each of these was agreed for inclusion in the texts of the proposals. In addition, the burden of proof in Article 10 of the directive is now clearly stated as being
  "governed by the legislation of the requested Member State".

  Broad political agreement was achieved, subject only to waiting reserves, on future medicines licensing systems. Final agreement on the proposed regulation and three directives is now expected to be reached this year.

  Four intellectual property items were taken by the Council. Discussion on the proposed Community trade marks regulation focused particularly on the language regime for the Community Trade Marks Office operations. No final agreement was reached, but we still hope that decisions can be reached on the proposal at the December Council. This Council had a short orientation debate on the Commission's draft directive on harmonisation of the duration of copyright and we hope that decisions can be reached on the draft at the December Council. The Council also noted, and remitted for further work, a Commission paper identifying a series of principles intended to ensure that intellectual property rights are not infringed by the work of international standardisation bodies. Finally, the Commission expressed its intention to bring forward proposals for a blank tape levy.

  A brief discussion of the European company statute proposal achieved progress on some technical points, but confirmed that substantial problems still remain. There was no discussion of the linked worker participation directive.

  Finally, the Council agreed final adoption of the third life assurance, and vehicle noise type approval directives.

  European Space Agency
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the ministerial council of the European Space Agency held in Granada on 9 and 10 November.

  Mr. Leigh
  I am pleased to report that Ministers at the European Space Agency meeting at Granada adopted a new, well-balanced, long-term plan which sets the course of European space activities until the end of this century.
  823
  The main achievement for the United Kingdom was an agreement to proceed with the full development of a major new Earth observation mission, known as Envisat-1. This mission will be flown on the British-led polar platform in 1998 and will carry the British-developed advanced synthetic aperture radar and a variety of environmental research instruments. This mission will provide an important contribution to our understanding of global environmental and climate issues and will lead to opportunities for commercial exploitation of the data in the future. Preparations will also be made for an operational meteorological mission, using the polar platform, to be carried out in collaboration with Eumetsat.

  The conference also considered ESA's manned space programmes. The Hermes project will not proceed as planned but instead will be replaced by a three-year programme to study alternative options in collaboration with the USA and Russia. Other programmes which were approved were the Columbus manned attached laboratory and the data relay satellite system.

  Amongst proposed future programmes is a study of options for future re-usable launchers such as the horizontal take-off and landing launches.

  On a proposal from the United Kingdom, Ministers welcomed the work carried out to date by the Committee on Earth Observations Satellites (CEOS), aimed at co-ordinating the Earth Observation activities of the world's space agencies and recognised that CEOS and other international bodies could in time contribute to the emergence of a world space agency.

  The result of this conference is a space programme with a much better balance between the applications of space and infrastructure programmes and with a greater emphasis on international collaboration. The United Kingdom welcomes ESA's drive to achieve effective collaboration both within Europe and with its international partners, including the USA and Russia.

  New Businesses
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the numbers of new business start-ups for each year since 1980.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 24 November 1992]: The best available guide to trends in numbers of business starts comes from VAT data. The number of businesses newly registered for VAT for each year since 1980 are given in the table.

  Registrations: 1980–1991

  Thousand

  Registrations

  1980

  158

  1981

  152

  1982

  166

  1983

  180

  1984

  182

  1985

  183

  1986

  192

  1987

  210

  1988

  240

  1989

  256

  1990

  239

  1991

  206

  824

  Deregulation
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Minister in his Department is responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters which fall within the responsibility of his Department.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I am the Minister responsible for deregulation within this Department. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is the Cabinet Minister with overall responsibility for the Government's deregulation initiative.

  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken since 9 April to encourage other Government departments to examine the possibility of deregulation or simplification of matters for which they have responsibility; what the results of these steps has been; what requirement he has now laid, or is about to lay, on Departments to discover and publish the cost of any new and old regulations for which they are responsible; what plans he has to increase the deregulatory momentum of the Government; how he proposes to monitor these matters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has set in course a number of initiatives to increase and monitor the momentum of the Government's deregulation initiative. In this he has the full support of the Prime Minister.

  All Departments have been asked to identify primary and secondary legislation and forms affecting business. Over 6,000 pieces of legislation and over 2,500 forms have been identified so far.

  Some studies of individual businesses are currently underway to assess the cumulative burdens on business. The results of these two exercises will be used by Departments to draw up a prioritised programme of review.

  On 30 June, I announced nine pilot local authority/ business partnerships, a major initiative to improve the way local authorities apply regulations to business.

  All Departments are required to conduct a compliance cost assessment on regulatory proposals which would impact on business. When these are published, copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when she reached a decision on the timing of the introduction of legislation to implement her proposed abolition of wage councils.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Queen's speech announced our intention to introduce a Bill to continue the reform of industrial relations in this parliamentary Session and we made it clear that we would introduce the Bill at the earliest possible opportunity.

  Job Vacancies
  Mr. Hoon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current number of job vacancies in the east midlands.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  On the seasonally adjusted basis, there were 6,000 unfilled vacancies registered at jobcentres
  825
  in the east midlands region, in October 1992. Jobcentre vacancies do not represent the total number of vacancies available.

  Asbestosis
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment is she will make a statement on the work of the Health and Safety Executive in relation to asbestosis.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Health and Safety Executive enforces a comprehensive package of legislation designed to protect workers from contracting asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases. The asbestos regulations and their associated approved codes of practice—ACoP—shave recently been revised to implement three EC directives; they will come into force on 1 January 1993. The changes to the ACoPs introduce technical revisions to improve overall standards for all work with asbestos, especially the treatment and removal of asbestos insulation.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the numbers of employees in employment in manufacturing(a) in total, (b) by sector and (c) by standard region in 1979 and for the latest available date; and what was the percentage change in each case.

  Mr. McLouglin
  The information is shown in the table.

  Employees in employment in manufacturing not seasonally adjusted

  Thousands

  Per cent. change

  Region

  June 1979

  June 1992

  June 1979 to June 1992

  (a) United Kingdom

  Total

  7,253

  4,589

  -37

  (b) Metal manufacturing and chemicals

  1,147

  635

  -45

  Metal goods, engineering and vehicles

  3,374

  2,030

  -40

  Other manufacturing

  2,732

  1,924

  -30

  (c) South East

  (inc. Greater London)

  1,871

  1,115

  -40

  East Anglia

  206

  165

  -20

  South West

  439

  323

  -27

  West Midlands

  985

  569

  -42

  East Midlands

  606

  445

  -27

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  708

  460

  -35

  North West

  971

  572

  -41

  North

  410

  254

  -38

  England

  6,188

  3,903

  -37

  Wales

  315

  220

  -30

  Scotland

  604

  368

  -39

  Northern Ireland

  146

  970

  -33

  Job Club, Burslem Methodist Mission
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the reasons for the closure of the job club held at Burslem Methodist mission; and if she will review the decision to withdraw funding.
  826
  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 Mike Fogden to Ms. Joan Walley, dated 26 November 1992:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to her about the closure of the Jobclub held at Burslem Methodist Mission. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  Jobclubs continue to be both popular with the people who join and an effective way of helping them to find work. Since Jobclubs were introduced in 1984, 410,000 people have been helped to find work, and just over 130,000 others have gone on to other positive outcomes such as training. Following the announcement made by Secretary of State earlier this month, a substantial expansion of the programme will take place in 1993/94. We will then be able to help some 295,000 people, more than ever before.
  To ensure that the funds available to operate Jobclub are used in the most effective way, decisions about the size and shape of the programme are taken by my area managers. They have the responsibility to target the resources available in a way which will help the greatest number of unemployed jobseekers. Because there was under utilization of capacity, Mrs. Joy Cross, my Area Manager for Staffordshire, decided to consolidate provision in the area and to close the Jobclub at the Burslem Methodist Mission operated by BTG Training and Consultancy. This decision was not taken lightly as we recognise that BTG is an organisation with which we had a good working relationship.
  Alternative places will be offered to members in the remaining Jobclub in Burslem or, if preferred, in Hanley or Kidsgrove. Fares to attend Jobclubs are refunded in full to those who attend so no one will incur extra expenditure as a result of the changes.
  In addition to taking members from the Jobclub which is closing, the remaining Jobclubs still have enough capacity to meet the expected demand for places from unemployed people for the foreseeable future.
  As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Canada Geese
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to prevent agricultural damage in England caused by Canada geese; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  Farmers are free to control geese during the open season using methods not prohibited by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. During the close season, from 1 February to 31 August, the Ministry may grant licences to permit the control of Canada geese in order to prevent serious agricultural damage. Advice to farmers on the most suitable and effective methods of control of Canada geese is available from the Agricultural Development Advisory Service, the Ministry's wildlife advisers. Ministry funded research into more effective control of Canada geese has developed a simple method of making Canada goose eggs unviable without causing undue suffering to the adult birds. Research is also being
  827
  undertaken on the population dynamics and movements of Canada geese to provide background for future studies on the effects of various control methods on population size and movement.

  Hens
  Mr. Renton
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps, along with his EC colleagues, to ban the rearing and keeping of hens in battery cages.

  Mr. Soames
  It is already the Government's policy that the current battery cage design, in which only feeding and drinking facilities are provided, must be phased out on a Community basis. We will press for this when the Commission's proposals for the revision of the battery hens directive and new standards for hens kept in alternative systems are negotiated.

  Milk Sampling
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase the charges to producer-retailers of his Ministry's milk sampling, in percentage and cash terms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) on 6 November,Official Report columns 418–19. The £16–34 per cent.—increase in the charge for milk sampling and testing takes effect on 27 November 1992.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to end the duplication of milk sampling by his Ministry and environmental health authorities.

  Mr. Curry
  There is no duplication. The Ministry is responsible for the on farm sampling, and subsequent testing of untreated milk. This work is undertaken by the Agricultural Development Advisory Service. Local authority environmental health officers are responsible for checking the quality of all milk once it has left the farm. This involves some sampling and testing. In rare instances when milk is suspected of causing food poisoning they may also take a sample of milk on dairy farms in the course of their investigations.

  Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the role of the wildlife incident investigation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  Under the wildlife incident investigation scheme, inquiries are made into reports of suspected poisoning by pesticides that involve vertebrate wildlife, chiefly birds and mammals, companion animals and honeybees. The results are used in reviews of the conditions of approval of pesticide products. Evidence of misuse or abuse may also contribute to prosecutions or other enforcement action.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was (i) the total cost,828
  adjusted to 1992 prices of the wildlife incident investigation scheme for England and Wales and (ii) the proportion of the total cost contributed by the agrochemical industry levy, in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Soames
  The costs of the wildlife incident investigation scheme in England and Wales chargeable to the agrochemical levy adjusted to 1992 prices are as follows:

  £

  19881

  630,000

  19891

  465,000

  1990–91 (15 months)

  744,000

  1991–92

  815,000

  1992–93 (F)

  770,000

  1Includes figures for Scotland.

  Other costs associated with the wildlife incident investigation scheme are borne by departments, but except for 1992–93, at £374,000, are not readily identifiable.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total cost to date of the compensation paid to farmers and associated costs for the disposal of animal carcases from the outbreak of BSE in 1986.

  Mr. Soames
  Expenditure recorded from August 1988, when the slaughter with compensation policy was introduced, until the end of October 1992 is £74·4 million.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of diary fars have experienced at least one case of BSE in(a) Dyfed, (b) Wales and (c) Great Britain.

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested is as follows:

  Dyfed Per cent.

  Wales Per cent.

  Great Britain Per cent.

  30·89

  28·48

  39·40

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of confirmed cases of BSE to date during 1992, and the total number of cattle diagnosed that were(a) under two years of age, (b) aged two to three years, (c) aged three to four years, (d) aged five to six years and (e) aged seven or more years.

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested for cases notified in Great Britain in 1992 by age at onset of clinical symptoms is as follows:

  Number notified

  Number confirmed

  Outstanding results

  Less than 2 years

  39

  0

  3

  2 and less than 3 years

  247

  19

  29

  3 and less than 4 years

  1,782

  1,058

  197

  4 and less than 5 years

  13,339

  11,586

  369

  5 and less than 6 years

  9,232

  7,570

  403

  6 and less than 7 years

  3,719

  2,779

  164

  7 years and over

  2,383

  1,309

  87

  Unknown

  6,199

  1,995

  3,252

  36,940

  26,316

  829
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle born after the ban on ruminant protein in cattle feed was introduced in July 1988 have since died of BSE; and if he will provide these figures for every month during 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Soames
  To 19 November 1992, BSE has been confirmed in 599 cattle born after 18 July 1988. Because of the delay caused by the necessary confirmation procedures, these cases are listed by month of birth rather than month of confirmation. Some of these cases are still under investigation for details of their history.

  Number

  1988

  July

  36

  August

  204

  September

  184

  October

  95

  November

  39

  December

  20

  578

  1989

  January

  7

  February

  2

  March

  1

  April

  2

  June

  4

  July

  1

  August

  1

  September

  3

  21

  At its meeting in October, the Tyrrell committee considered the appearance of cases in animals born since the ban and concluded that all the evidence pointed towards feed being the origin of such cases, and that there was no evidence of any other source.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of confirmed cases of BSE in Britain for each year up to 1991 and for each month during 1992.

  Mr. Soames
  The number of confirmed cases of BSE in Great Britain since the disease was made notifiable on 21 June 1988, by date of report is as follows:

  Number

  1988

  2,185

  1989

  7,136

  1990

  14,180

  1991

  25,025

  Number

  January 1992

  3,511

  February 1992

  2,971

  March 1992

  3,277

  April 1992

  3,040

  May 1992

  2,264

  June 1992

  2,495

  July 1992

  2,555

  August 1992

  2,676

  September 1992

  2,366

  October 1992

  1,161

  830
  1992 figures are incomplete due to the time between cases being reported and confirmation by histopathology.

  Apples (Dumping)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to(a) the French authorities and (b) the European Commission on dumping of apples from France in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Curry
  I know of no illegal aids to justify any representations. If evidence were presented to me I would make the appropriate representations.

  Regulation Measures
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. Curry
  Much of the legislation handled by my Department is governed by the EC. No Bills of a regulatory nature have been enacted by this Department since the last general election.

ENVIRONMENT

  Sellafield
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the facilities at Sellafield to treat the spent nuclear fuel containing highly radioactive isotopes currently on site will be started.

  Mr. Maclean
  Facilities at Sellafield presently reprocess spent Magnox fuel and have done so since the early 1960s. The thermol oxide reprocessing plant facilities will not start the commercial reprocessing of oxide fuel until the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate is satisfied with the safety of the plant and the regulatory authorities have no objections on waste management grounds.

  Water
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce new legal standards on phosphates in water.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government have no immediate plans to introduce new legal standards on phosphates in water.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what were the planned lead times between the laying of the regulations under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 concerning water licensing and the implementation of the licensing system(a) when the Act received Royal Assent, (b) when the consultation papers were issued in August and (c) what is the proposed lead time now;

  (2) when he will bring before Parliament regulations under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 introducing a new waste management licensing system.

  Mr. Maclean
  The waste management licensing system will be implemented by means of secondary legislation and
  831
  guidance issued by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State. It was not therefore necessary to establish an implementation timetable at the time the Act received Royal Assent. The Government published a legislation timetable on 25 June 1991 which envisaged laying regulations on waste management licensing in December 1992 to come into effect in April 1993. Consultation is proceeding on the complex and detailed measures needed to implement the new system and the resulting regulations will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible; it is still my intention to bring the licensing system into force on 1 April 1993.

  Industrial Effluent
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to establish a statutory register indicating the levels of industrial waste released into sewers through the conclusion of trade effluent consents/agreements between industrial companies and water authorities.

  Mr. Maclean
  Under the Water Industry Act 1991, details of consents for discharges to sewers issued by sewerage undertakers are available for public inspection. Under the arrangements for integrated pollution control of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, controlled releases will be 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.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he and his Department have had in the last six months with the council of the Association for the Conservation of Energy on energy efficiency matters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  I met the council of the Association for the Conservation of Energy on 15 October, and my officials also keep in touch with the association to exchange views on a range of energy efficiency matters. I value the contribution that the association makes to the development of policy and the way it represents the views of its members.

  Recycling
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish a United Kingdom-wide target for the recycling of 25 per cent. of all household waste by the year 2000.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government have already set a target of recycling half of the country's recyclable household waste by the end of the century, in the 1990 White Paper on the environment, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm 1200). In the White Paper, it was estimated that this equates to about 25 per cent. of total household waste.

  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's latest estimate of the amount of domestic waste being recycled; and if he will list the six best and the six worst local authorities in this respect.
  832
  Mr. Maclean
  The Government's statistical report "The UK Environment", published in October 1992, estimates that about 5 per cent. of household waste is currently recycled. More detailed information is not currently available but local authorities have been asked to provide it in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's new statistical returns on waste collection and disposal. The results of those returns should be available early in 1993.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to limit the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons, methyl bromide and methyl chloride to applications in which effective recycling can be guaranteed.

  Mr. Maclean
  Negotiations are currently under way into the renegotiation of the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, where controls on HCFCs and methyl bromide will be discussed. I understand that all uses of methyl chloride are as feedstock, where the substance is destroyed.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to encourage the newspaper and textile industries to promote and participate in recyling schemes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The newspaper and textiles industries already promote and participate in recyling schemes throughout the country. In particular, the Newspaper Publishers Association agreed in 1991, after discussions with the Government, to aim to increase the proportion of waste paper used in newsprint consumed in the United Kingdom to at least 40 per cent. by the end of the decade. I am also aware that the textile reclamation industry has been actively seeking to increase recycling rates in association with local authorities.

  The measures being taken by the Government to set the right economic and legislative framework for recycling, set out in "This Common Inheritance: the Second Year Report" (Cm 2068), will encourage further activity by those industries.

  Waste Carriers
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of(a) registered waste carriers, (b) applicants for registration not yet processed and (c) applications where the applicant or other relevant person had an unspent conviction for prescribed offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not held by my Department. Each waste regulation authority is required to maintain a register, available for public inspection, which contains, inter alia, details of registered waste carriers and any unspent convictions they may have for prescribed offences.

  Emission Levels
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the progress made to date within the United Kingdom in implementing the UN Commission for Europe convention on long-range transboundary air pollution relating to nitrogen oxides.
  833
  Mr. Maclean
  Under the 1988 Sofia protocol to the convention, the United Kingdom is committed to bringing emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) back down t o their 1987 levels by 1994. Measures being taken which will help to meet this target include the implementation of tough new emissions standards for most road vehicles, of the new controls on industrial emissions under part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and of the EC large combustion plants directive. Further details are given in the Environment White Paper 1990, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm 1200), and the first and second year reports of the Paper (Cm 1655 and 2068), copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress made by his Department in fulfilling the obligations on emission levels imposed by the EC large combustion plants directive.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department has recently sent emission figures for 1991 to the European Commission, reporting on progress under the EC large combustion plants directive, which requires reductions in sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions—the major contributors to acid deposition—from existing large combustion plants. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The figures show that the UK is meeting its national plan for reducing emissions of SO2 and NOx from existing plants. The figures also

  Average 98th percentile of sulphur dioxide concentrations in each of the local authorities having derogation in respect of the European Community Directive 80/779/EEC

  Local authority

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Allerdale

  58

  49

  45

  51

  58

  63

  69

  43

  33

  32

  45

  20

  Barnsley

  170

  302

  184

  172

  154

  143

  135

  134

  141

  149

  142

  169

  Bassetlaw

  156

  184

  101

  137

  119

  141

  177

  98

  81

  92

  60

  125

  Blyth Valley

  144

  113

  116

  161

  126

  111

  118

  128

  91

  74

  75

  *

  Bolsover

  133

  *

  *

  *

  *

  134

  197

  149

  148

  130

  163

  168

  Bradford

  139

  187

  163

  179

  120

  110

  122

  125

  97

  90

  115

  107

  Cannock Chase

  157

  199

  158

  160

  134

  102

  91

  44

  144

  116

  159

  123

  Castle Morpeth

  92

  94

  156

  158

  107

  105

  75

  66

  94

  *

  *

  *

  Chesterfield

  95

  94

  57

  55

  57

  60

  53

  49

  56

  38

  42

  44

  Copeland

  110

  120

  99

  74

  93

  74

  68

  50

  55

  50

  48

  26

  Crewe and Nantwich

  105

  184

  98

  138

  118

  103

  85

  79

  117

  35

  39

  74

  Doncaster

  198

  285

  176

  199

  155

  199

  138

  133

  115

  104

  114

  128

  Kirklees

  154

  233

  144

  156

  148

  139

  130

  139

  104

  117

  111

  121

  Mansfield

  197

  258

  168

  200

  160

  177

  147

  156

  135

  124

  152

  162

  Newark

  138

  184

  142

  155

  121

  139

  138

  136

  147

  105

  63

  204

  Newcastle under Lyme

  163

  157

  167

  150

  152

  136

  129

  109

  55

  88

  91

  93

  Nottingham

  163

  209

  139

  166

  145

  130

  116

  149

  108

  97

  100

  94

  Rotherham

  156

  257

  179

  198

  155

  151

  153

  140

  123

  126

  143

  183

  Staffordshire Moorlands

  *

  *

  117

  177

  135

  109

  89

  91

  84

  89

  82

  96

  Sunderland

  111

  225

  124

  146

  106

  119

  125

  100

  94

  112

  120

  87

  Wakefield

  164

  244

  172

  173

  140

  146

  155

  142

  127

  103

  106

  151

  Wansbeck

  157

  219

  136

  124

  126

  85

  94

  88

  20

  49

  55

  90

  Cunninghame

  79

  121

  87

  64

  54

  57

  59

  67

  46

  25

  23

  *

  Falkirk

  107

  110

  95

  94

  91

  83

  85

  76

  *

  106

  68

  71

  Glasgow

  145

  175

  107

  96

  102

  82

  101

  68

  62

  82

  74

  63

  Strathkelvin

  103

  158

  111

  110

  92

  90

  85

  72

  56

  67

  68

  57

  Belfast

  79

  104

  93

  129

  198

  169

  210

  179

  154

  195

  229

  179

  Derry

  148

  148

  122

  81

  122

  95

  88

  68

  55

  114

  89

  72

  Newry and Mourne

  78

  147

  108

  113

  85

  105

  62

  59

  122

  120

  75

  50

  (The figures represent the average 98th percentile of all daily mean concentrations, in micrograms per cubic metre, taken throughout the year from all the monitoring stations in each local authority area.)
  834
  indicate that the UK is on course to meeting the directive's target of a 20 per cent. cut in SO2 and a 15 per cent. cut in NOx by 1993.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are currently being undertaken by his Department to improve the accuracy of data relating to emissions of volatile organic compounds in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  One of the principal objectives of my Department's air quality research programme is to improve the accuracy of data on volatile organic compound emissions in the United Kingdom, Warren Spring Laboratory and the National Physical Laboratory have been contracted to work on sources and emissions of volatile organic compounds and options for their abatement. The university of Leeds has been contracted to provide information on the impacts of individual VOCs on ozone production.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authority areas granted derogations on ground level concentrations of sulphur dioxide and smoke in respect of EC directive 80/779; and what are the levels of(a) sulphur dioxide and (b) smoke concentrations in each such area, expressed in micrograms per cubic metre, in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is as follows:
  835

  Average 98th percentile of black smoke concentrations in each of the local authorities having derogation in respect of the European Community Directive 80/779/EEC

  Local authority

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Allerdale

  71

  108

  53

  47

  50

  75

  94

  79

  47

  67

  55

  55

  Barnsley

  164

  341

  161

  181

  126

  139

  130

  125

  130

  111

  110

  143

  Bassetlaw

  113

  183

  101

  114

  92

  118

  153

  95

  134

  106

  56

  119

  Blyth Valley

  166

  249

  195

  194

  99

  161

  106

  115

  72

  81

  117

  *

  Bolsover

  87

  *

  *

  *

  *

  85

  177

  152

  114

  99

  91

  95

  Bradford

  66

  109

  57

  73

  66

  55

  57

  70

  52

  30

  64

  74

  Cannock Chase

  127

  271

  162

  171

  164

  209

  196

  96

  168

  120

  117

  96

  Castle Morpeth

  65

  80

  266

  210

  146

  203

  73

  75

  64

  46

  *

  *

  Chesterfield

  88

  162

  80

  78

  88

  60

  58

  27

  12

  9

  8

  8

  Copeland

  174

  302

  134

  173

  *

  82

  121

  91

  104

  85

  54

  28

  Crewe and Nantwich

  78

  176

  93

  133

  116

  112

  129

  106

  103

  105

  122

  45

  Doncaster

  172

  280

  186

  155

  100

  160

  110

  147

  111

  109

  90

  108

  Kirklees

  68

  146

  79

  82

  76

  82

  82

  112

  66

  91

  73

  75

  Mansfield

  135

  237

  142

  136

  108

  106

  80

  96

  87

  110

  102

  120

  Newark

  96

  179

  136

  104

  107

  113

  165

  116

  133

  65

  30

  130

  Newcastle under Lyme

  114

  145

  100

  126

  97

  100

  97

  82

  26

  75

  72

  58

  Nottingham

  79

  124

  96

  104

  71

  70

  88

  73

  56

  76

  35

  82

  Rotherham

  133

  221

  148

  139

  116

  106

  102

  118

  87

  124

  114

  127

  Staffordshire Moorlands

  *

  *

  144

  166

  103

  121

  112

  115

  155

  81

  89

  125

  Sunderland

  117

  203

  128

  162

  100

  172

  138

  186

  99

  143

  112

  Wakefield

  128

  247

  173

  148

  118

  147

  121

  141

  109

  86

  78

  109

  Wansbeck

  215

  254

  189

  169

  148

  146

  148

  124

  41

  45

  74

  64

  Cunninghame

  64

  110

  65

  58

  44

  53

  50

  61

  36

  21

  18

  *

  Falkirk

  68

  143

  92

  81

  60

  87

  82

  64

  *

  70

  37

  51

  Glasgow

  82

  185

  94

  75

  86

  70

  80

  72

  65

  144

  80

  66

  Strathkelvin

  106

  271

  167

  144

  83

  94

  100

  152

  67

  178

  71

  83

  Belfast

  133

  206

  115

  93

  121

  113

  113

  128

  123

  160

  202

  122

  Derry

  89

  118

  124

  129

  178

  132

  137

  85

  131

  64

  89

  88

  Newry and Mourne

  119

  404

  195

  199

  310

  204

  171

  *

  *

  344

  211

  147

  (The figures represent the average 98th percentile of all daily mean concentrations, in micrograms per cubic metre, taken throughout the year from all the monitoring stations in each local authority area.)

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the work undertaken by his Department resulting from the report and maps published by the United Kingdom critical costs advisory group in March.

  Mr. Maclean
  The report and maps published by the United Kingdom Critical Loads Advisory Group are being used by the Department to provide a scientific basis for the evaluation of air pollution emission control scenarios and the evolution of cost-effective emission control policies.

  Sand Dredging
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what powers are available to him to control the discharge of salt water that has been extracted from dredged sand.

  Mr. Baldry
  Discharges of salt water from land based accumulations of dredged sand can be controlled by the National Rivers Authority under the Water Resources Act 1991. Conditions controlling the rate and quality of the water discharged can be imposed, via discharge consents, in order to protect receiving waters.

  Nature Reserves
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to set a target of transferring at least 10 nature conservation review sites into national nature reserves per annum.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. The designation of NNRs in England is a matter for English Nature. The rate of
  836
  progress depends on the funds available and the willingness of site owners to enter into the required commitments.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of public money was spent by English Nature for the purchase of national nature reserves in 1991–92; and what is the expected spend for 1992–93.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 25 November 1992] English Nature's expenditure on purchase of national nature reserves was £81,944 in 1991–92 and is expected to be £93,000 in 1992–93.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total tonnage of toxic waste transported from the United Kingdom to developing countries during each of the last three years.

  Mr. Maclean
  There have been no exports of hazardous waste for final disposal to developing countries over the last three years.

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to increase available funding to nature conservation review sites for the maintenance of the sites of special scientific interest network and their effective monitoring.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department has recently announced an additional £625,000 in the current financial year to
  837
  allow English Nature to finalise long-standing management agreements inheritated from the former Nature Conservancy Council. Next year's general improvement area settlement, announced earlier this month, will enable English Nature to meet its core site protection and management responsibilities. English Nature aims to undertake appropriate management and monitoring of the SSSI network.

  Noise Pollution
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to draw up a code of noise pollution control measures for public houses to replace the existing music licensing system.

  Mr. Maclean
  We have no plans to replace the current system of licensing music in public houses. In addition to licensing conditions, noise from licensed premises can he controlled by the local authority under the statutory nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Acid Waters Review Group
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the work undertaken by his Department resulting from the United Kingdom acid waters review group report published in 1988.

  Mr. Mclean
  A number of the recommendations on the United Kingdom acid waters review group report have been implemented. These include the setting up and operation of the United Kingdom acid waters monitoring network; the appointment of a critical loads advisory group, acid waters sub-group under the chairmanship of Professor Battarbee, University college, London; the recent completion of a nationwide survey of lake and stream acidity; the development of freshwater chemistry and biological acidification models; and departmental sponsorship of research at a number of universities and research institutes throughout the United Kingdom.

  Ozone Depletion
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to enforce section 33 of the Environment Protection Act 1990 in relation to releases of ozone-depleting substances; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has no executive responsibility for the enforcement of section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Waste regulation authorities, as the authorities that will have the duty of granting waste management licences, will be mainly responsible for enforcement, but there is no restriction on who may instigate prosecutions for offences under section 33.

  Section 33(1)(c) of the Act, which came into force on 1 April this year, makes it an offence to treat, keep or dispose of controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health. Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposes a duty of care on those holding controlled waste to take reasonable steps to prevent a breach of section 33. Guidance for waste holders on how to discharge this duty
  838
  was issued in a code of practice published jointly by the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and my Department in December 1991. The provisions of sections 33 and 34 of the Act are not specific to particular substances, nor is the advice on those sections.

  It is intended that section 33, together with the waste management licensing system in the Act, will be brought fully into force on 1 April 1993, and further advice will he issued before then.

  Climate Change Convention
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on Government policy towards the proposal from the United States of America that the climate change convention agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development be ratified by the end of the current year.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government welcome the ratification of the UN framework convention on climate change by the United States of America, and by other countries, including China. Along with the other Group of Seven countries and member states of the European Community, the United Kingdom is committed to seek to ratify the convention by the end of 1993.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what specific action has been undertaken by his Department resulting from the report of the United Kingdom review group on acid rain published in 1990.

  Mr. Maclean
  The 1990 report of the United Kingdom review group on acid rain contains a large number of research recommendations. In response to these, work has been commissioned within my Department's air quality research programme aimed at improving information on emissions of acidifying compounds and of their precursors, on the transport and transformation of these compounds in the atmosphere, on the quantities deposited and on their impacts in the environment.

  Photochemical Oxidants
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the work undertaken by his Department resulting from the United Kingdom photochemical oxidants review group report published in 1990.

  Mr. Maclean
  The 1990 report of the photochemical oxidants review group contains a number of research recommendations. The response of my Department has been to maintain and expand monitoring for nitrogen dioxide and other air pollutants highlighted in the report and to continue work on the atmospheric chemistry of nitrogen oxides and ammonia and on their environmental impacts.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent of the loss of the ozone layer over the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on proposals to eliminate ozone-destroying chemicals.

  Mr. Maclean
  The latest estimate of the average depletion of the ozone layer at British latitudes, based on
  839
  the 1992 World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Environment Programme scientific assessment of ozone depletion, is 8 per cent. per decade. International negotiations on the control of ozone-depleting substances are currently taking place in Copenhagen.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Sproat
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which Minister in his Department is responsible for the oversight of deregulation of regulatory matters which fall within the responsibility of his Department.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have oversight of deregulation of such matters within the Department of the Environment, working closely with my colleagues.

  Contaminated Land Registers
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the basis for excluding the Kaolin mounds of Cornwall from the draft regulations under section 143 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990;

  (2) what is the basis for excluding the old tin mining areas of Cornwall with arsenic contaminant from the draft regulations under section 143 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990;

  (3) what is the basis of excluding the former zinc mining areas with cadmium contaminant from the draft regulations under section 143 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Mr Maclean
  The uses of land listed in the draft regulations for initial coverage by registers are those considered most likely to give rise to contamination. The china clay waste mounts of Cornwall do not give rise to significant potential for contamination. Current research being undertaken for my Department is identifying, in general terms, areas of metalliferous mining and the occurrence of natural contaminants associated with mined ground.

  Rights of Way
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which rights of way have been stopped up since 1990 and when the stopping up was undertaken, under(a) the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 247 and (b) previous procedures, since 1962; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Powers under section 247 are exercisable by the Secretary of State for Transport, as well as the Secretary of State for the Environment. Information as requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Council Tax
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make the single household discount 50 per cent. instead of 25 per cent.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  No.
  840

  Non-domestic Rates
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the distributable amount of non-domestic rates for 1993–94; and if he will explain the basis of his calculations.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 12 November that the non-domestic rate multiplier for 1993–94 will rise by 3·5 per cent. from its 1992–93 level to 0·416. The distributable amount of non-domestic rates based on this poundage will be £11,559 million. This includes an Exchequer payment of £922 million into the non-domestic rates pool to compensate local authorities for the shortfall in 1992–93 and 1993–94 which would otherwise occur as a result of the Non-Domestic Rating Act 1992. The basis of the calculation is set out in the table.

  Rural Land Loss
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure that present Government guidance on rural land loss is accurate and up to date.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 24 November 1992]: Current Government guidance on rural land loss is based on the land use change statistics (LUCS) collected for my Department since 1985 by the Ordnance Survey as part of its map revision work. Recent research has confirmed the robustness of the data, particularly for monitoring changes to urban uses. Some time does, however, elapse before changes in land use are recorded in the LUCS series and Ordnance Survey is testing new procedures with the objective of providing consistent information for urban areas within one year of any change occurring. The 1990 countryside survey, which is part-funded by my Department, will provide an independent source of estimates of rural change between 1978, 1984 and 1990, based on sampled data.

  Recent research commissioned by my Department has recommended that the need for consistent information across all land uses would be most effectively met by a census approach carried out by Ordnance Survey and continuously updated by a revised system of land use change statistics. The Department is proceeding to develop the methodology and carry out pilot work for this land use stock system.

  Conservation Bodies (Land Purchase)
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of grant was made by English Nature under section 38 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to voluntary conservation bodies for the purposes of land purchase in 1991–92; and what is the expected spend for 1992–93.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 25 November 1992]: English Nature made land purchase grants to voluntary conservation bodies totalling £258,632 in 1991–92 and expects to spend a further £252,000 on such grants in 1992–93.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost to prevent or minimise and render
  841
  harmless the heavy metals and nickel sulphate released into air, water and land by the burning of orimulsion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 24 November 1992]: The burning of orimulsion or other fuels at a power station requires an authorisation from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution (HMIP).

  In granting authorisations, HMIP will have regard to the advice contained in the chief inspectors guidance note IPR1/1, "Large Boilers and Furnaces 50MW(th) and Over". This provides guidance on the techniques considered by the chief inspector to be appropriate to achieve the requirement set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to use the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost to prevent or minimise pollution.

  A copy of the guidance note has been placed in the House Library.

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what external legal advice he has taken over who is responsible for the cost of clearing any future river pollution arising from the closure of collieries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 24 November 1992]: None. It is for the National Rivers Authority, and in turn, the courts, to apply the provisions of the Water Resources Act 1991 and any other relevant legislation to any particular case.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the National Rivers Authority, water company chairmen and British Coal about the environmental effects of colliery closures; what consultancy work is planned and by whom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 24 November 1992]: It is for British Coal and the National Rivers Authority, in the first place, to assess the environmental effects of colliery closures. The NRA is currently carrying out a review of water pollution from abandoned mines.

  Leasehold Properties
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department holds on the total number of blocks of flats containing either four

  1992 prices

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF Guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Rechar Community Initiative 1992 to 1993

  Tawsen (North East)

  Total allocation

  11·80

  14·52

  2·20

  2·71

  —

  —

  14·01

  17·23

  Grant so far approved

  1·69

  2·08

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  1·69

  2·08

  Durham and Cleveland

  Total allocation

  8·62

  10·60

  1·38

  1·70

  —

  —

  10·00

  12·30

  Grant so far approved

  0·74

  0·92

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·74

  0·92

  South Yorkshire

  Total allocation

  23·25

  28·60

  4·59

  5·65

  —

  —

  27·85

  34·25

  Grant so far approved

  2·21

  2·71

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  2·21

  2·71

  Mid Yorkshire

  Total allocation

  11·07

  13·61

  2·32

  2·85

  —

  —

  13·38

  16·46

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  0–00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·00

  0·00

  Lancashire

  Total allocation

  5·63

  6·93

  1·15

  1·41

  —

  —

  6·78

  8·34

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·00

  0·00

  842
  or six flats in England, and on the proportion of these in which the freehold belongs to (a) a local authority or housing association or (b) a private landlord.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 23 November 1992]: The Department does not hold information on the number of blocks of flats in England. The best estimate comes from the 1986 English house condition survey, which suggests that there are some 164,000 purpose-built and converted blocks in England containing either four or six flats. No data were collected on who owns the freehold of these blocks.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  EC Structural Funds
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will set out the distribution in the United Kingdom of each of the Community initiatives under the European structural funds, in each assisted region, in terms of(a) allocation of grant in ecu and in pound sterling at current exchange rates in total and sub-divided into European regional development fund, European social fund and other structural funds and (b) the value of grant so far approved in ecu and pound sterling at current exchange rates; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what assessment his Department has made of allocations to the United Kingdom from the Community initiatives under the European structural funds; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he will list the European structural funds Community initiatives; what was the allocation to the United Kingdom for the period 1991 to 1993 in ecus and in pound sterling at current exchange rates in total and sub-divided into European regional development fund, European social fund and other structural funds; and what was the United Kingdom allocation under each programme as a percentage of the total allocation for each programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 24 November 1992]: The allocation of funds to Community initiatives is determined by the Commission within an overall budget limit.

  The European Commission has launched 13 such initiatives. The most recent (RETEX) has not yet reached the stage of firm allocations. The available figures for the other 12 initiatives are as follows:
  843

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF Guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  South Staffs

  Total allocation

  3·43

  4·22

  0·63

  0·78

  —

  —

  4·07

  5·00

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·00

  0·00

  North Warwickshire

  Total allocation

  2·53

  3·11

  0·63

  0·78

  —

  —

  3·16

  3·89

  Grant so far approved

  0·04

  0·05

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·04

  0·05

  Notts and North Derby

  Total allocation

  20·75

  25·52

  4·11

  5·06

  —

  —

  24·86

  30·58

  Grant so far approved

  1·52

  1·87

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  1·52

  1·87

  Western Scotland

  Total allocation

  2·72

  3·34

  0·54

  0·67

  —

  —

  3·26

  4·01

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·00

  0·00

  Eastern Scotland

  Total allocation

  10·85

  13·34

  2·17

  2·67

  —

  —

  13·02

  16·01

  Grant so far approved

  3·18

  3·91

  0·86

  106

  —

  —

  4·03

  4·96

  South Wales

  Total allocation

  23·17

  28·50

  2·23

  2·74

  —

  —

  25·40

  31·24

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  0·41

  0·50

  —

  —

  0·41

  0·50

  Total United Kingdom

  Total allocation

  123·81

  152·29

  21·97

  27·02

  —

  —

  145·78

  179·31

  Grant so far approved

  9·38

  11·53

  1·27

  1·56

  —

  —

  10·64

  13·09

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  254·22

  312·69

  45·12

  55·49

  —

  —

  299·34

  368·18

  UK per cent. share of total allocation

  48·7

  48·7

  48·7

  48·7

  —

  —

  48·7

  48·7

  1992 prices

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF Guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Stride community initiative 1992 to 1993

  Great Britain

  Total allocation

  12·75

  15·68

  0·41

  0·51

  —

  —

  13·16

  16·19

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·00

  0·00

  Northern Ireland

  Total allocation

  12·15

  14·94

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  12·15

  14·94

  Grant so far approved

  0·51

  0·63

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·51

  0·63

  Total United Kingdom

  Total allocation

  24·89

  30·62

  0·41

  0·51

  —

  —

  25·31

  31·13

  Grant so far approved

  0·51

  0·63

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  0·51

  0·63

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  348·78

  429·00

  16·49

  20·28

  —

  —

  365·27

  449·28

  United Kingdom percentage

  share of total allocation

  7·1

  7·1

  2·5

  2·5

  —

  —

  6·9

  6·9

  1992 prices

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF Guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Leader Community Initiative 1992 to 1993

  England

  Total allocation

  0·76

  0·94

  0·16

  0·20

  0·37

  0·46

  1·30

  1·60

  Grant so far approved

  0·18

  0·22

  0·04

  0·05

  0·09

  0·10

  0·30

  0·37

  Scotland

  Total allocation

  3·44

  4·23

  0·76

  0·93

  1·67

  2·05

  5·86

  7·21

  Grant so far approved

  0·27

  0·33

  0·06

  0·07

  0·13

  0·16

  0·46

  0·57

  Wales

  Total allocation

  1·71

  2·10

  0·37

  0·46

  0·83

  1·02

  2·91

  3·58

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  Northern Ireland

  Total allocation

  1·88

  2·31

  0·59

  0·72

  0·83

  1·02

  3·30

  4·06

  Grant so far approved

  0·71

  0·87

  0·00

  0·00

  0·30

  0·37

  1·01

  1·25

  Total United Kingdom Total allocation

  7·79

  9·58

  1·88

  2·31

  3·70

  4·55

  13·37

  16·44

  Grant so far approved

  1·16

  1·43

  0·10

  0·12

  0·52

  0·64

  1·78

  2·18

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  194·31

  239·00

  24·31

  29·90

  144·88

  178·20

  363·50

  447·10

  United Kingdom percentage share of total allocation

  4·0

  4·0

  7·7

  7·7

  2·6

  2·6

  3·7

  3·7

  844 845

  1992 prices

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF Guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Envireg community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom1

  Total allocation

  13·82

  17·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  13·82

  17·00

  Grant so far approved

  4·31

  5·30

  0·00

  0·00

  0·30

  0·37

  4·61

  5·67

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  427·75

  526·13

  8·68

  10·67

  15·62

  19·21

  452·04

  556·01

  United Kingdom percentage share of total allocation

  3·2

  3·2

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  3·1

  3·1

  Prisma community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom1

  Total allocation

  4·07

  5·00

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4·07

  5·00

  Grant so far approved

  0·00

  0·00

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·00

  0·00

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  93·74

  115·30

  —

  —

  —

  —

  93·74

  115·30

  United Kingdom percentage

  share of total allocation

  4·3

  4·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4·3

  4·3

  Telematique community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom1

  Total allocation

  4·07

  5·00

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4·07

  5·00

  Grant so far approved

  0·56

  0·69

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·56

  0·69

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  186·50

  229·40

  —

  —

  —

  —

  186·50

  229·40

  United Kingdom percentage

  share of total allocation

  2·2

  2·2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2·2

  2·2

  1 All Northern Ireland.

  1992 prices

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF Guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Euroform community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom

  Total allocation

  —

  —

  28·33

  34·84

  —

  —

  28·33

  34·84

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  6·94

  8·54

  220·41

  271·10

  —

  —

  227·35

  279·64

  United Kingdom percentage

  share of total allocation

  0·0

  0·0

  12·9

  12·9

  —

  —

  12·5

  12·5

  Now communitv initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom

  Total allocation

  —

  —

  7·57

  9·31

  —

  —

  7·57

  9·31

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  8·67

  10·67

  82·42

  101·38

  —

  —

  91·10

  112·05

  United Kingdom percentage

  share of total allocation

  0·0

  0·0

  9·2

  9·2

  —

  —

  8·3

  8·3

  Horizon community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom

  Total allocation

  —

  —

  15·58

  19·16

  —

  —

  15·58

  19·16

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  17·35

  21·34

  120·57

  148·30

  —

  —

  137·92

  169·64

  United Kingdom percentage

  share of total allocation

  0·0

  0·0

  12·9

  12·9

  —

  —

  11·3

  11·3

  Regen community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom

  Total allocation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Grant so far approved

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  300·20

  369·25

  —

  —

  —

  —

  300·20

  369·25

  United Kingdom percentage share of total allocation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1992 prices

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Regis community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom Total allocation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  846 847

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Grant so far approved

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  162·25

  199·57

  6·94

  8·54

  46·85

  57·63

  216·04

  265·73

  United Kingdom percentage

  share of total allocation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Interreg community initiative 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom1 and

  Republic of Ireland

  Total allocation

  47·63

  58·59

  3·63

  4·46

  14·03

  17·26

  65·29

  80·31

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  670·69

  824·95

  26·90

  33·08

  48·59

  59·76

  746·17

  917·79

  1 No specific allocation to United Kingdom.

  1992 prices

  ERDF

  ESF

  EAGGF Guidance

  Total SF

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  £ million

  mecu

  Total Community Initiatives 1991 to 1993

  Total United Kingdom

  Total allocation

  226·08

  278·08

  79·36

  97·61

  17·73

  21·81

  323·17

  397·50

  Grant so far approved

  15·92

  19·58

  1·36

  1·68

  0·82

  1·01

  18·10

  22·27

  Total EC

  Total allocation

  2671·41

  3285·83

  551·83

  678·75

  255·94

  314·80

  3479·17

  4279·38

  UK Percentage Share of total allocation

  8·5

  8·5

  14·4

  14·4

  6·9

  6·9

  9·3

  9·3

  Note: The authentic figures for allocations are those expressed in ecu. Equivalents expressed at the current exchange rate of £1 = 1·23 ecu are for illustrative purposes only. For most initiatives part of the allocation has already been received from the Commission at a previous exchange rate. The final sterling sums available to the programmes will depend on the exchange rates at the time the various payments arc received.

  The figures for grant so far approved are being constantly updated as frequent programme committee meetings are held.
  848
  Though precise calculations are not possible, the United Kingdom's share of expenditure under the initiatives is similar to its share of expenditure from the structural funds as a whole.

  UN: MEMBER STATES' CONTRIBUTIONS
  UN: MEMBER STATES' CONTRIBUTIONS
  IRAQ AND IRAN: PRISONERS OF WAR
  IRAQ AND IRAN: PRISONERS OF WAR
  COMMONWEALTH AND ACP CITIZENS: RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
  COMMONWEALTH AND ACP CITIZENS: RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
  NGOs: GRANTS FOR RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT WORK
  NGOs: GRANTS FOR RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT WORK
  FISHERIES COUNCIL, 23rd NOVEMBER
  FISHERIES COUNCIL, 23rd NOVEMBER
  INDONESIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN TRAINING IN THE UK
  INDONESIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN TRAINING IN THE UK
  JOB SEARCH BEHAVIOUR
  JOB SEARCH BEHAVIOUR
  RESETTLEMENT UNITS: REPLACEMENT
  RESETTLEMENT UNITS: REPLACEMENT