Written Answers of 23 April 1993

TRANSPORT

  Traffic Pollution
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce measures to reduce the noise and pollution resulting from increases in the amount of road traffic.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  There is a wide range of measures already in place or planned which will reduce noise and pollution from road traffic. These include the recently adopted European Commission directive 92/93, which will introduce lower noise limits for cars, lorries and coaches by 1995. Lower noise limits for motor cycles are also being considered in the European Community.

  Tight new emission standards for both cars and lorries throughout the European Community are coming in over the next few years. Since the beginning of this year most new cars have to be fitted with catalytic converters. These reduce harmful emissions by about 80 per cent.

  The MOT emissions check introduced for cars in November 1991 is helping to reduce emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Since 1 September there has been a metered smoke test in the annual test for heavy diesels.

  The Government have recently issued a consultative document seeking views on ways of limiting CO2 emissions. Transport must certainly play its part. We are particularly keen to encourage more economical use of fuel by road transport. We have already taken steps to do this. In the Budget speech, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a 10 per cent. increase in road fuel duties. He also announced that in future Budgets he will increase duty on all road fuels by at least 3 per cent. in real terms. We are also discussing with our EC partners how best to encourage manufacturers to produce more fuel efficient cars.

  Measures to reduce congestion in urban areas will also help—these involve a mix of traffic management, parking controls and better public transport. We are also looking at a number of other initiatives which could have the effect, in the longer term, of reducing the rate of traffic growth including road pricing in urban areas and using the planning system to reduce the need for travel.

  British Rail
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail to discuss the level of spending on maintenance of BR track.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Secretary of State regularly meets the BR chairman and board members to discuss a wide range of matters relating to the railways. It is for the board to decide on its expenditure on track maintenance within the overall external financing limit.
  210
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 31 March,Official Report, column 301, what estimate he has made about the number of miles of British Rail track which are, or are likely to be, subject to speed restrictions caused by reduced maintenance resulting from reductions in the planned level of public service obligation grant in 1993–94.

  Mr. Freeman
  Speed restrictions, for maintenance and other reasons, are constantly changing. It is therefore not possible to give any estimate of such restrictions for 1993–94.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions he has come to about liability for injuries caused by railway accidents after rail privatisation.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have concluded that the basis of liability—negligence—should be the same as it is for all transport accidents so as not to disadvantage rail in relation to competing modes of transport. I shall shortly appoint insurance advisers to make recomendations about effective insurance arrangements in the industry, taking into account the position on liability. Operators will be required by licence to have in place adequate insurance.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training Consultants
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will issue guidance as to the means by which training consultants gather information about their past students, in connection with Government-funded schemes.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Training and enterprise councils, which deliver Government-funded training locally, are private companies and are free to gather information about students in the manner that best suits local circumstances.

  We have issued a training and enterprise council management information guide, which may be passed on to training providers and specifies when information about past students should be gathered.

  Training Companies
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will bring forward proposals to ban the practice of a training company offering financial rewards to former trainees on an employment training course who inform them that they now have a job.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Employment Department partly funds training and enterprise councils by payments for trainees who gain jobs after leaving ET. TECs and their training providers are free to use their own methods to gather information about the employment status of former trainees so that they can claim these payments. We do not intend to ban the offer of financial rewards to former trainees as an incentive to provide this information.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Forestry
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the findings of the recently published evaluation of six forestry projects funded by the Overseas Development Administration and the Commonwealth Development Corporation;

  (2) if he plans to take action on the basis of conclusions reached in the recent evaluation of British Government-funded forestry projects in developing countries.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  A copy of the recently published evaluation synthesis report on six forestry projects, including one co-funded by the Commonwealth Development Corporation, was placed in the Library of the House earlier this year, together with copies of the individual evaluation reports.

  Independent consultants played major roles in each of the individual project evaluations and in the evaluation synthesis study. The evaluators judged five of the projects to be partially successful and the sixth successful. Large areas of trees were successfully established and the environmental impact was generally positive. But institutional achievements were mixed and rarely sustainable, while there were also some problems with timber utilisation. These projects were started during the 1970s and early 1980s and lessons drawn from the evaluations are being applied to current programmes.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to publish the results of work to expand and revise the World Conservation Monitoring Centre's database on timber tree species of conservation concern.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have no plans to publish this work, which forms part of a continuing process of developing the World Conservation Monitoring Centre's timber database. I shall place a copy of WCMC's report to ODA in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many environmental impact assessments have been completed in the last 12 months with respect to Overseas Development Administration or CDC-funded forestry projects.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Environmental appraisal is a standard element in the examination of all project proposals following the procedures set out in the Overseas Development Administration's "Manual of Environmental Appraisal", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Full environmental impact assessments have been undertaken on one ODA and one CDC forestry project in the last year.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the United Kingdom's position with respect to the renegotiation of the international tropical timber agreement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Along with other tropical timber-consuming countries, the United Kingdom has proposed focussing the objectives of the new agreementt on the sustainable production of tropical timber. We have also 212
  proposed measures to improve the operational performance of the International Tropical Timber Organisation. We aim to enhance its capacity to meet its target for all internationally traded tropical timber to come from sustainable sources by the year 2000.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of the funding so far allocated to implement the tropical forestry action plan from loan compared to grant sources.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  All the Overseas Development Administration's aid related to the tropical forestry action programme is provided on grant terms.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what relationship exists between the Overseas Development Administration project to expand and revise the World Conservation Monitoring Centre's database on threatened timber species and work funded by the Government of Japan into the conservation status of trees species of conservation concern carried out under the auspices of the same organisation.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The work financed by the Overseas Development Administration was undertaken as preparation for the proposed future development of the initial study which was financed by the Government of Japan. The results were considered at a workshop held in Cambridge in March, under the auspices of the International Tropical Timber Organisation, on methodologies for the assessment of the commercial and biological conservation status of tropical timber trees. The future of this work will be discussed at the International Tropical Timber Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur next month.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commit long-term funding to support for monitoring of timber species of conservation concern.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are considering providing funds for this purpose.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding progress made in Geneva on the renegotiation of the international tropical timber agreement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Progress is slow. A further meeting will take place from 21 to 25 June.

  E1 Salvador
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the World bank consultative group meeting on El Salvador on 1 April in Paris.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Kingdom was not represented at the World Bank consultative group meeting on El Salvador. We understand that representatives pledged their continuing support for El Salvador's peace process and economy recovery, and indicated pledges totalling some $800 million for 1993.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Market Testing
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the introduction of market testing throughout the civil service: and what effect this will have on current employees' prospects.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The "Citizen's Charter First Report", Cmd 2101, published in November 1992, set out the Government's programme for market testing in central Government up to September 1993. Rolling programmes for subsequent years are being prepared. Generally, the opportunity to bid will be given to employees currently doing the work concerned. The effect on their employment prospects will depend on the individual circumstances of each market test, including their success in winning the work and, where the work is awarded to outside contractors, to contractors' own plans, as well as the scope for redeployment within the civil service.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Car Unlocking Devices
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to counter the use of electronic devices which record and can replicate remote control car unlocking systems; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  We are aware that devices which are capable of recording and replicating remote controlled car locking systems have recently been advertised on the British market. We are actively looking into their availability and effectiveness with a view to assessing what action may be required.

  The motor manufacturers and the vehicle security industry are also aware of the capabilities of these devices and are working to improve the security of their products to counter the threat posed by this technology.

  It may reassure my hon. Friend to know that it is already an offence under section 25 of the Theft Act 1968 to carry equipment for use in any burglary or theft. This would cover the use of these particular devices by car thieves and, upon conviction, an offender is liable to imprisonment for up to three years.

  Group 4 Security
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish the conclusions of the inquiry his Department has required from Group 4 into escapes from their prison escort services;

  (2) what conclusions he has drawn from the recent prison escort escapes from those in the custody of Group 4 Security; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tony Blair, dated April 1993:
  214
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about escapes by prisoners in the custody of Group 4 Court Services Limited.
  The Prisoner Escort Monitor has yet to complete the detailed investigations into these escapes. When he has done so, I shall write to you again.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the contract with Group 4 to manage the Wolds prison contains any clause prohibiting the employment of convicted criminals; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if the prisoner transportation contract with Group 4 contains a clause prohibiting the employment of convicted criminals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated April 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your recent Parliament Questions asking if the contracts with Group 4 on prisoner transportation and the management of the Wolds Prison contain a clause prohibiting the employment of convicted criminals.
  The contracts with Group 4 do not contain such a clause, but they do require all Prisoner Custody Officers (PCOs) to be certified by the Home Secretary in accordance with Section 89 of, and Schedule 10 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1991. PCOs are exempt from the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and therefore, like Prison Officers, all previous convictions are taken into consideration in assessing their fitness for certification and the same assessment criteria apply.

  Escaped Prisoners
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to prevent dangerous prisoners from escaping while on temporary leave from prison; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Robert Spink, dated 22 April 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps are taken to prevent dangerous prisoners from escaping while on temporary leave from prison.
  Any prisoner who presents a risk to public safety either by absconding or re-offending will not be granted temporary release. Before granting an application to be released temporarily for any purpose a very careful and detailed assessment is made of the risk involved. Any prisoner who has been temporarily released may also be recalled to prison at any time whether the conditions of his licence have been broken or not.
  Guidance on the procedures and arrangements for granting temporary release are set out in Circular Instructions 12/1988 (for young offenders), 36/1989 (for adult prisoners) and 43/1992 (home leave), copies of which are in the Library.

  Refugees
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy regarding the issuing of United Kingdom travel documents to refugees on exceptional leave to remain.
  215
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  People who have been refused asylum in the United Kingdom but granted exceptional leave to remain, in common with others who are not settled here, have no entitlement to Home Office travel documents. However, it is our practice to look at such applications sympathetically and to issue a certificate of identity to those who can show that they are unable to obtain a passport from their own authorities.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees currently in the United Kingdom have been granted exceptional leave to remain; what proportion of these were issued with brown United Kingdom travel documents in(a) 1990, (bv) 1991 and (c) 1992; and if he will analyse these figures by ethnic origin.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The available information is that during the years 1986–92 a total of. 29,000 asylum applicants, excluding dependants, not recognised as refugees were granted exceptional leave. Information on the number who have left the United Kingdom, or been granted leave to stay on another basis, is not readily available.

  Information on the number and nationalities of these cases issued with a certificate of identity is not available. Persons with exceptional leave are not identified separately in the statistics of issues of these certificates.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many metropolitan police officers made applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board for injuries incurred on duty since 1987; and how much was paid each year;

  (2) what percentages of total awards made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each year since 1987 were made to (a) police and (b) non-police.

  Mr. Jack
  I regret that the available records do not separately identify applications from, or payments made to, the police or other occupational groups.

  Metropolitan Police Vehicles
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many metropolitan police vehicles were damaged beyond repair as a result of chasing suspect vehicles in each year since 1987; and what were the costs of their replacement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Information is not held in the form requested.

  Prisoner Transfers
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average number of prisoners being transferred from prison to court and from police station to court in the Greater London area on any day when the courts are sitting;

  (2) how many prisoners in custody were transferred between police stations and prisons to the London courts in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
  216
  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 22 April 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the numbers of prisoners escorted to the London courts.
  I am afraid that the information which you requested is collected neither centrally nor routinely by the establishments now responsible for this work. We are in the process of collecting such information covering the last few months for inclusion in the invitation to tender for the court escort service in London, but as yet this work is incomplete. Our best guess is that in excess of 200,000 prisoner movements to and from court are performed each year.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners escaped from custody whilst being transferred from police stations and prisons to courts in the Greater London area in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 23 April 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked to me to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many prisoners escaped from custody whilst being transferred from police stations and prisons to courts in the Greater London area in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992.

  I regret that information is not available centrally on escapes from escorts staffed by the police. This information could only be gathered at disproportionate cost. The information provided relates only to escorts staffed by the Prison Service. Additionally, this information is recorded against individual prison establishments and not by geographical area. The information relates to court escorts manned by the Greater London prisons and refers to escapes between 20 June 1988 and 31 December 1992. This information was not collected centrally until June 1988.

  Escapes from court escort (London Prisons)

  Number

  1988

  4

  1989

  3

  1990

  6

  1991

  12

  1992

  8

  The information above is derived from incidents reported to the Incident Management Support Unit, a part of the Directorate of Custody.

  Civil Damages Claims
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been paid from the Metropolitan police fund to members of the public in settlement of civil damages claims for(a) false imprisonment, (b) assault and (c) malicious prosecution in each year since 1987; and for each category how many cases were (i) settled out of court and (ii) settled at trial.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Sam Kulasingham and Prem Sivalingham
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations have been given in to the safety of the convictions of Sam Kulasingham and Prem Sivalingham; and if he will make a statement.
  217
  Mr. Jack
  Following a number of representations about the safety of these convictions, Essex police were asked to make some further inquiries. A report was received last month. It is now being considered, together with all other relevant factors, in order that my right hon. and learned Friend may decide whether grounds exist for a reference back to the Court of Appeal.

  Betting Office Association
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how far the application of the British Betting Office Association for membership of the Bookmakers' committee of the levy board has progressed.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The association's request for representation on the Bookmakers committee is under consideration. We will write to the association quite soon.

EDUCATION

  Primary Education
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was spent per primary school pupil in England in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the comparable figure was in 1978–79, at constant prices.

  Mr. Forth
  Figures for expenditure on nursery and primary pupils are not collected separately. In 1990–91, the latest year for which figures on actual spending are available, average spending per pupil in nursery and primary schools in England was £1,437 in 1992–93 prices. This compares to £1,131 for 1978–79 in 1992–93 prices. For 1991–92, it is estimated to rise to £1,467, also in 1992–93 prices. This figure includes estimates of expenditure for six LEAs and is subject to final checking by the Department of the Environment and the Department for Education.

  Pupils, Staffordshire
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many children were being educated in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Staffordshire in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the comparable figures were in 1978–79;

  (2) what was the pupil-teacher ratio in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Staffordshire in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the comparable figures were in 1978–79.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on pupils and pupil: teacher ratios in maintained schools in Staffordshire local education authority in 1979 and 1992 is shown in the table.

  Spending per pupil 1992–93 prices

  1978–79

  1991–92

  Nursery and primary

  Secondary

  Nursery and primary

  Secondary

  ILEA

  1,678

  2,280

  —

  —

  City

  —

  —

  2,686

  0

  Camden

  —

  —

  2,011

  2,517

  Greenwich

  —

  —

  1,894

  2,376

  Hackney

  —

  —

  n/a

  n/a

  Hammersmith

  —

  —

  2,119

  2,835

  Islington

  —

  —

  n/a

  n/a

  218

  Pupils and pupil: teacher ratios in maintained primary and
  secondary schools in Staffordshire LEA: 1979 and 1992

  Position as at January each year

  Total pupils

  Pupil: Teacher ratio

  1979

  1992

  1979

  1992

  Primary

  105,978

  91,015

  23·19

  23·45

  Secondary

  86,670

  68,192

  16·72

  16·00

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent by Staffordshire county council on education in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the comparable figure was in 1978–79, at constant prices.

  Mr. Forth
  In 1990–91, the latest year for which figures on actual spending are available, spending on education in Staffordshire was £387·382 million, and estimated for 1991–92, £411·589 million at 1992–93 prices. In 1978–79, Staffordshire spent, at 1992–93 prices, £371·209 million on a comparable basis. This figure excludes expenditure on what is now Staffordshire university.

  Secondary Pupils
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent per secondary school pupil in England in the most recent year for which figures were available; and what the comparable figure was in 1978–79, at constant prices.

  Mr. Forth
  In 1990–91, the latest year for which figures on actual spending are available, spending per pupil in secondary schools in England was £2,170 in 1992–93 prices. This compares to £1,742 for 1978–79, in 1992–93 prices. For 1991–92, it is estimated to rise to £2,273, also in 1992–93 prices. This figure includes estimates of expenditure for six LEAs and is subject to final checking by the Department of the Environment and the Department for Education.

  Spending
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent per(a) primary and (b) secondary school pupil in each of the local education authorities in England and in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the comparable figures were in 1978–79, at constant prices.

  Mr. Forth
  Figures for expenditure on nursery and primary pupils are not collected separately. Spending per pupil for each English local education authority in nursery and primary schools combined and in secondary schools in 1978–79 and 1991–92 at 1992–93 prices is as shown in the table. The figures for 1991–92 are subject to final checking by the Department of the Environment and the Department of Education.
  219

  1978–79

  1991–92

  Nursery and primary

  Secondary

  Nursery and primary

  Secondary

  Kensington

  —

  —

  2,367

  3,312

  Lambeth

  —

  —

  2,156

  3,082

  Lewisham

  —

  —

  1,777

  2,459

  Southwark

  —

  —

  1,892

  2,546

  Tower Hamlets

  —

  —

  2,332

  3,049

  Wandsworth

  —

  —

  2,250

  3,328

  Westminster

  —

  —

  3,668

  2,669

  Barking

  1,175

  1,754

  1,582

  2,326

  Barnet

  1,180

  1,748

  1,712

  2,375

  Bexley

  1,018

  1,552

  1,420

  2,171

  Brent

  1,424

  1,919

  1,628

  2,563

  Bromley

  1,085

  1,659

  1,448

  2,522

  Croydon

  1,122

  1,639

  1,608

  2,438

  Ealing

  1,371

  1,818

  1,816

  2,713

  Enfield

  985

  1,385

  1,664

  2,367

  Haringey

  1,390

  1,793

  n/a

  n/a

  Harrow

  1,387

  1,863

  1,704

  2,459

  Havering

  1,116

  1,636

  1,423

  2,312

  Hillingdon

  1,127

  1,692

  1,653

  2,720

  Hounslow

  1,166

  1,653

  1,635

  2,243

  Kingston-upon Thames

  1,136

  1,575

  1,547

  2,535

  Merton

  1,239

  1,564

  1,617

  2,770

  Newham

  1,393

  1,759

  1,659

  2,518

  Redbridge

  1,049

  1,656

  1,500

  2,321

  Richmond-upon Thames

  1,169

  1,591

  1,713

  2,185

  Sutton

  1,040

  1,510

  1,498

  2,299

  Waltham Forest

  1,192

  1,894

  1,659

  2,700

  Birmingham

  1,007

  1,524

  1,418

  2,227

  Coventry

  1,068

  1,496

  1,428

  2,269

  Dudley

  881

  1,351

  1,466

  2,212

  Sandwell

  1,024

  1,533

  1,540

  2,364

  Solihull

  957

  1,435

  1,393

  2,183

  Walsall

  1,021

  1,485

  n/a

  n/a

  Woverhampton

  1,099

  1,564

  1,569

  2,423

  Knowsley

  1,018

  1,600

  1,485

  2,350

  Liverpool

  1,164

  1,673

  1,459

  2,470

  St. Helens

  934

  1,499

  1,348

  2,145

  Sefton

  965

  1,421

  1,331

  2,092

  Wirral

  951

  1,440

  1,357

  2,215

  Bolton

  929

  1,415

  1,406

  2,193

  Bury

  973

  1,396

  1,313

  1,933

  Manchester

  1,250

  1,846

  1,448

  2,374

  Oldham

  948

  1,393

  1,588

  2,270

  Rochdale

  1,057

  1,591

  1,346

  2,212

  Salford

  982

  1,505

  1,339

  2,259

  Stockport

  926

  1,398

  1,380

  2,196

  Tameside

  1,001

  1,466

  1,459

  2,194

  Trafford

  1,038

  1,396

  1,316

  2,187

  Wigan

  954

  1,485

  1,285

  2,350

  Barnsley

  1,082

  1,519

  1,397

  2,119

  Doncaster

  1,275

  1,382

  1,331

  2,031

  Rotherham

  1,001

  1,468

  1,525

  2,236

  Sheffield

  1,136

  1,589

  1,536

  2,306

  Bradford

  1,175

  1,387

  1,685

  1,868

  Calderdale

  1,043

  1,502

  1,605

  2,072

  Kirklees

  965

  1,343

  1,433

  2,108

  Leeds

  1,166

  1,225

  1,688

  2,048

  Wakefield

  1,052

  1,371

  1,508

  2,149

  Gateshead

  1,102

  1,496

  1,628

  2,215

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1,326

  1,762

  1,672

  2,099

  North Tyneside

  1,130

  1,519

  n/a

  n/a

  South Tyneside

  1,253

  1,569

  1,438

  2,161

  Sunderland

  1,063

  1,522

  1,461

  2,137

  Isles of Scilly

  1,499

  3,133

  n/a

  n/a

  Avon

  1,068

  1,513

  1,460

  2,135

  Bedfordshire

  1,217

  1,541

  1,527

  2,090

  Berkshire

  1,021

  1,488

  1,532

  2,241

  Buckinghamshire

  1,018

  1,608

  1,448

  2,236

  Cambridgeshire

  1,001

  1,508

  1,450

  2,078

  Cheshire

  1,013

  1,527

  1,376

  2,167

  Cleveland

  1,060

  1,471

  1,401

  2,299

  Cornwall

  940

  1,496

  1,428

  2,012

  Cumbria

  1,049

  1,547

  1,494

  2,249

  Derbyshire

  976

  1,457

  1,460

  2,241

  Devon

  951

  1,452

  1,424

  2,069

  Dorset

  1,035

  1,471

  1,419

  2,013

  220 221

  1978–79

  1991–92

  Nursery and primary

  Secondary

  Nursery and primary

  Secondary

  Durham

  1,113

  1,485

  1,432

  2,123

  East Sussex

  1,010

  1,550

  1,436

  2,139

  Essex

  948

  1,485

  1,371

  2,185

  Gloucestershire

  990

  1,449

  1,427

  1,874

  Hampshire

  943

  1,494

  1,444

  2,182

  Hereford and Worcester

  962

  1,421

  1,497

  2,024

  Hertfordshire

  1,105

  1,670

  1,523

  2,251

  Humberside

  1,057

  1,457

  1,467

  2,155

  Isle of Wight

  1,043

  1,393

  1,498

  1,993

  Kent

  957

  1,491

  n/a

  n/a

  Lancashire

  923

  1,452

  1,529

  2,244

  Leicestershire

  979

  1,496

  1,495

  2,288

  Lincolnshire

  979

  1,550

  1,376

  2,169

  Norfolk

  1,032

  1,513

  1,477

  2,178

  North Yorkshire

  1,063

  1,508

  1,430

  2,229

  Northamptonshire

  934

  1,432

  1,379

  2,033

  Northumberland

  1,088

  1,494

  1,505

  2,010

  Nottinghamshire

  985

  1,480

  1,646

  2,569

  Oxfordshire

  1,060

  1,485

  1,629

  2,165

  Shropshire

  934

  1,505

  1,521

  2,413

  Somerset

  926

  1,387

  1,368

  1,995

  Staffordshire

  1,068

  1,544

  1,433

  2,114

  Suffolk

  1,054

  1,373

  1,615

  2,087

  Surrey

  1,029

  1,659

  1,538

  2,333

  Warwickshire

  948

  1,466

  1,322

  2,185

  West Sussex

  934

  1,435

  1,337

  2,231

  Wiltshire

  965

  1,463

  1,451

  2,088

  Notes:

  1. n/a indicate that the details of expenditure are not available.

  2. Spending on nursery and primary pupils is not collected separately.

  Fitzherbert School, Brighton
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the cost to date of providing security at the former Fitzherbert school, Brighton; and which security firm has been awarded the contract.

  Mr. Forth
  The cost to date of security at the former Fitzherbert school, Brighton has been some £199,000. Security is provided by Group 4 Total Security Limited.

  Law Society Finals Course
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will extend the mandatory grant regulations so as to cover the Law Society finals course; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Boswell
  No. The Government have no present plans to change the scope of the Education Act 1962. That Act requires local education authorities to make mandatory awards only in respect of attendance on designated full-time courses up to first degree level and on designated initial teacher training courses. It also permits authorities to make discretionary awards for other courses, subject to certain exclusions. Where postgraduate law courses are eligible for discretionary awards, the decision whether to make such an award is a matter for the authority.

  National Exclusions Reporting System
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give details of the final analysis of the information obtained over the two years of the national exclusions reporting system.
  222
  Mr. Forth
  Analysis of the returns made to the Department under NERS over the two-year period 1990–92 shows that a total of 6,743 permanent exclusions were reported; there was an increase from 2,910 in year one to 3,833 in year two; exclusions in the primary phase accounted for 13 per cent. of the total in year one and 14 per cent. in year two; pupils with statements of special educational needs accounted for 12·5 per cent. of the total in year one and 15 per cent. in year two; many more boys than girls were excluded—a ratio of 4:1 in year one and 5:1 in year two; 15 was the peak age for exclusions for both boys and girls; Afro-Caribbean pupils appeared to be disproportionately represented within the excluded pupil population—8·1 per cent. of the overall total in year one and 8·5 per cent. in year two; aggression against other pupils and disobedience in various forms were the main reasons for pupils being excluded; decisions taken to exclude a pupil were not often over-turned. Over the two years, 170 decisions taken by heads to exclude pupil permanently were reversed by local education authorities and 160 by governors and 213 parental appeals were lodged, of which 37 were successful; information about the alternative educational provision made for excluded pupils was not always included in the returns. Such information as was made available shows that 45 per cent. of those permanently excluded were said to be receiving home tuition, 30 per cent. had secured a place in another mainstream school, 19 per cent. were in units, and 6 per cent. had gone to a special school or changed special school: there were often lengthy delays in completing exclusion procedures and in securing alternative educational provision for permanently excluded pupils, either by admission to another school or otherwise.
  223

PRIME MINISTER

  Taxation
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 March,Official Report, column 325, why no information on the potential effects of a change of the law on taxing United Kingdom assets of overseas owners is available.

  The Prime Minister
  It is not practicable for the Inland Revenue to maintain information on all the very wide range of changes which could, in theory, be made to the tax system.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out responsibilities of each Government Department regarding the import and export of(a) plutonium and (b) other nuclear materials, to and from the United Kingdom.

  The Prime Minister
  The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for the issuing of import and export licences for controlled plutonium and other specified nuclear materials. The controls are implemented under the Import, Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act 1939 as amended by the Import and Export Act 1990. The

  Item

  Tax satisfied

  Conditions or wishes

  Date of MGC

  (£)

  recommendation

  Two busts by Rysbrack

  418,920

  Conditional

  24 February 1987 14 August 1987

  Land at Nolands Farm

  57,600

  Unconditional

  Not applicable

  Portrait by Greenham

  8,500

  Conditional

  11 February 1992

  Portrait by Van Dyck

  404,544

  Conditional

  25 September 1991

  Portrait by Reynolds

  Rembrandt etching and 31 illuminated manuscripts

  139,923

  Conditional

  3 May 1990

  Sculpture by Henry Moore

  87,500

  Conditional

  11 February 1992

  Painting by Beccafumi with chalk study and two Michaelangelo diagrams

  119,000

  Wish Beccafumi works to Fitzwilliam and diagrams to the British Museum

  26 May 1992

  Sheringham Hall chattels

  119,119

  Conditional

  13 July 1989

  Charles I silver gilt standing cup and cover

  206,015

  Unconditional

  27 April 1992

  Painting by Reni

  2,492,875

  Conditional

  21 June 1991

  Corbridge Lanx silver dish

  1,832,000

  Conditional

  No formal recommendation

  Chattels at Nostell Priory

  30,820

  Conditional

  21 June 1991

  Barrington Archive and a model gun ship

  147,000

  Unconditional

  29 January 1993

  Unconditional

  8 September 1992

  Two Hepworth-Nicholson sculptures

  156,750

  Conditional

  5 February 1993

  Collection of glass

  99,975

  Conditional

  8 September 1992

  The total expenditure for the 1992–93 financial year was £6,324,875·13. This includes a further payment for the Statham porcelain collection which was accepted in 1991–92. Of this £4,324,875 was met by access to the reserve.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he will specify the amounts of inheritance tax satisfied in connection with the acceptance of objects and property, which have been covered in the public accounts by means of resort to the reserve in respect 224
  current controls are contained in the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954 and the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1992. HM Customs and Excise are responsible for taking action as necessary under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 to enforce these controls.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Items in Lieu of Tax
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the objects and property accepted in satisfaction of inheritance tax during the financial year ended 31 March; and if, in listing these, he will specify(a) the amount of tax satisfied in each case, (b) whether any offers of objects carried conditions as to destination, (c) the dates in each case of the recommendations received by him from the Museums and Galleries Commission for the acceptance of objects, (d) the total for the financial year of the tax thus satisfied and (e) how much of this total was covered in the public accounts by means of resort to the reserve in accordance with Government policy as announced on 26 July 1985, Official Report, column 779.

  Mr. Brooke
  The information the hon. Member requests is as follows:

  of each of the three financial years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93; and whether, taking account of the answer of 30 April 1990, Official Report, columns 439–40, he will indicate the average annual figure of such resort to the reserve which would arise from a breakdown of the total amount of tax satisfied which was thus covered during the eight financial years ensuing since the answer on 26 July 1985 on behalf of the then Minister for the Arts, Official Report, column 779.

  Mr. Brooke
  The amount of tax satisfied by means of resort to the Reserve in the last three financial years is as
  225
  follows. Due to underspends in each financial year on the annual provision of £2 million for the acceptance in lieu of objects and property, the amount actually spent from the reserve was less than the original call. The actual spend from the reserve for 1992–93 was lower as it was partly offset from savings elsewhere in the Department—Official Report, 4 February 1993, columns 250–51 I list the actual money spent from the reserve for the hon. Member's information.

  Year

  Amount of tax Satisfied/Call on the Reserve £

  Amount actually spent from the Reserve £

  1990–91

  Nil

  Nil

  1991–92

  2,144,172

  1,430,445

  1992–93

  4,324,875

  3,281,875

  Total

  6,469,047

  4,712,320

  The annual average figure of such resort to the reserve which would arise from the total amount of tax satisfied thus covered during the last eight financial years is £3,881,885·24—tax satisfied—and £3,360,989·74—actually spent.

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what offers in lieu of tax have been accepted or allocated since his last announcement of 31 March,Official Report, column 235.

  Mr. Brooke
  Since my last announcement on 31 March, I am pleased to inform the House of the acceptance of three offers in lieu of taxation. The offers consist of a collection of glass which will satisfy £99,974 tax, two sculptures entitled "Parent" and "Young Girl" by Dame Barbara Hepworth-Nicholson which will satisfy £156,750 tax and a portrait of Lady Rouse Boughton by George Romney which will satisfy £105,000 tax. The collection of glass will be allocated to the Victoria and Albert museum and the sculptures will be allocated to Wakefield district council. Those allocations are in accordance with conditions on which these offers were made. No decision has yet been made on the allocation of the portrait by Romney.

  Music Libraries
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has held with Westminster city council on the maintenance of support for the central music library and the music library service both in Westminster and nationally.

  Mr. Key
  The central music library service is a matter for Westminster city council. The Government believe that library authorities themselves are best placed to decide on the detail of their service provision, and my statutory responsibility to ensure that library authorities meet their duty to provide comprehensive and efficient library service does not give me the right to intervene in the day-to-day management of services.

  Although Westminster city council plans to reduce the opening hours of the central music library and make commensurate staff savings, its service will remain exceptional even when the reductions have been implemented.

  There are particular problems in relation to the provision of music scores and information in libraries,
  226
  which it is unreasonable to expect any single local authority to solve. For this reason, we are investigating alternative possibilities.

  My Department is already jointly funding a study for a library and information plan for music. This study is investigating the provision of music scores and music information across the country, and is expected to be completed this June. It will produce an action plan for improvements in service.

  One of the current applications for funding from the Department's public library development incentive scheme is for the establishment of a national music lending service, based on the present collections of the Yorkshire and Humberside joint library service and the British Library. A final decision on the application will be taken in September.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards allowing the sale of national lottery tickets in pubs and other licensed premises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  At Second Reading and in Committee we indicated that we were minded not to allow the sale of national lottery tickets in pubs. This was primarily to protect the image of the National lottery, and to avoid confusion with other forms of soft gambling which might take place in pubs. I have since received a number of representations on this matter, and I met the Brewers' Society on 23 March.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what public costs were incurred in his attendance at a meeting at the Redcliffe hotel, Paignton on 16 April.

  Mr. Brooke
  None, other than the cost of security precautions which are required for all my engagements.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list his official engagements for 16 April.

  Mr. Brooke
  My official engagements for 16 April comprised visits to Sheepstor church; Buckland abbey; Westcountry Television studio, in order to open it; BBC Radio Devon studios; the Dartington Hall estate; the Plains conservation area, Totnes; and Follaton house for a meeting with South Hams district council.

  English Heritage
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his response to English Heritage's recent proposals for the transfer of certain conservation responsibilities in London to the boroughs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I gave my full support to the broad objectives of English Heritage's forward strategy at the time of its publication in October last year. The recent consultation exercise has, I believe, achieved a better general understanding of English Heritage's objectives for London, and a useful refinement of the proposed means of moving forward.

  In the light of that, I am happy for English Heritage to proceed to the next stage, of direct negotiations with

  227
  individual boroughs, with a view to defining the scope for flexible authorisation of certain categories of grade II casework from 1994–95. In this initial period, any transfer of responsibiities must be by agreement with the individual boroughs concerned. Similarly, any question of assistance to the boroughs to strengthen their conservation expertise must be a matter for bilateral agreement with English Heritage, which has made clear its willingness to provide support for the boroughs concerned during this stage, for instance through help with training, through funding of conservation posts, and through joint grant schemes and jointly funded conservation studies.

  English Heritage has stated its intention to review progress in four years' time. Clearly agreements with individual boroughs which by that time are working satisfactorily will continue. The financial impact will vary from borough to borough. Only at the end of the four-year period will it be possible to quantify the long-term costs, as well as the benefits and savings, both to the individual boroughs and to English Heritage.

  If at that stage English Heritage satisfies my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and myself that we should take the further step of a general and permanent transfer of responsibilities, we shall need to consider, in consultation with the boroughs and their associations, the case for an appropriate transfer of resources to reflect the additional responsibilities which the boroughs would be asked to undertake.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  BCCI
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General what has been the cost of the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into BCCI to date.

  The Attorney-General
  The cost of the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into BCCI to date has been £6,203,000

SCOTLAND

  Mental Handicap Hospitals
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the average total cost per patient per week of providing in-patient care to residents of long-stay mental handicap hospitals in Scotland;

  (2) what is the average total cost per patient per week of providing in-patient care to residents of Gogarburn hospital and St. Joseph's hospital in Lothian.

  Mr. Stewart
  The average cost at 31 March 1992 per patient per week of providing in-patient care to residents of NHS long-stay mental handicap hospitals in Scotland was £527. The corresponding figure for Gogarburn hospital was £448. The cost to Lothian health board per patient per week at St. Joseph's hospital was £286.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further work he is carrying out after taking into account responses made to the consultation document on local government reform.
  228
  Mr. Stewart
  We are studying carefully the 3,300 responses received. Thereafter we shall come to a decision about the best shape for the single-tier system in Scotland and will announce our conclusions in a White Paper before the summer recess.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to refine the Touche Ross figures in local government reform costs.

  Mr. Stewart
  The provisional estimates made by Touche Ross of the financial implications of restructuring are, in a number of specific areas, being examined in the light of the comments received as part of our recent consultation exercise. When we announce our proposed new structure we will set our forecast of the likely cost implications, in the light of this further work.

  Health Board Employees (Transfer)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 14 April Official Report, column 590–91, what information he has on the wage rates offered to new employees of companies which also employ staff transferred from employment with health boards.

  Mr. Stewart
  This information is not held centrally. Wage rates are a matter between the individual employees and the companies concerned.

HEALTH

  Doctors (Retirement)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision has been made for a central fund to pay for early retirement of doctors following implementation of proposals in "Making London Better".

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There is no specific central fund for meeting the costs of early retirement of doctors in London. Where early retirements occur as part of the implementation of "Making London Better," providers may be able to claim against the overall resources allocated for implementing the proposals.

  GP Fund Holders
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the percentage of general practitioner fund holders underspend in 1991–92 resulting from hospitals not operating in the last four months of the financial year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Nil.

  Community Health Councils
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will increase the funds available to community health councils.

  Mr. Sackville
  Regional health authorities are responsible for ensuring that community health councils are properly resourced.

  Brook Advisory Centres
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what public funding is made available to the Brook advisory centres; for what purpose those funds are made available; and if she will make a statement;
  229
  (2) what has been the net change in percentage terms in the real level of the funding made available by her Department to the Brook advisory centres in each year since such funding commenced; if she will indicate the net percentage change in the number of conceptions to girls under the age of sixteen which occurred in each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the effectiveness in terms of impact on teenage pregnancy rates of Government funding for the Brook advisory centres;

  (3) what restrictions are placed on the extent to which the grant to the Brook advisory centres may be used for costs of legal actions.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information available is given in the tables. The core grant funding that the Department gives to Brook is a contribution towards the organisation's headquarters administrative costs. It may not be used for any other purpose. All 10 Brook branches receive income from local health authorities on whose behalf they provide clinic and counselling services to young people. Only 5 per cent. of Brook's clients are under 16. They have a key role to play in providing the responsible information and advice that young people need in relation to their sexual health generally, and in helping to achieve the "Health of the Nation" target of reducing the rate of conceptions amongst the under 16s by at least 50 per cent. by the year 2000.

  Funding by the Department of Health to Brook Advisory Centres under Section 64 of the Health Service and Public Health Act 1968

  Financial year

  Department of Health funding1 £

  At 1992–93 prices £

  Percentage change (+ or -) compared to previous year

  1977–78

  5,250

  16,249

  —

  1978–79

  15,750

  43,963

  + 170·6

  1979–80

  21,000

  50,236

  + 14·3

  1980–81

  21,000

  42,456

  -15·5

  1981–82

  30,000

  55,308

  + 30·3

  1982–83

  22,500

  38,722

  -30·0

  1983–84

  34,500

  56,749

  +46·5

  1984–85

  35,000

  54,792

  -3·4

  1985–86

  35,000

  51,954

  -5·2

  1986–87

  35,000

  50,333

  -3·1

  1987–88

  45,000

  61,344

  + 21·9

  1988–89

  45,000

  57,177

  -6·8

  1989–90

  45,000

  53,653

  -6·2

  1990–91

  65,000

  71,753

  + 33·7

  1991–92

  65,000

  67,275

  -6·2

  1992–93

  68,500

  68,500

  + 1·8

  1 Since 1987 the Department has also given a total of £105,050 to Brook for specific projects, for example on AIDS, and in connection with "Health of the Nation".

  Information about conception rates is available only on a calendar year and England and Wales basis and is therefore not directly comparable with the above table.

  Conception rates for England and Wales Per 1,000 women aged 13 to 15

  Calendar year

  Percentage change in conception rate compared to previous year

  1977

  -3·8

  1978

  -1·3

  1979

  0·0

  1980

  -5·3

  1981

  1·4

  1982

  8·3

  1983

  6·4

  230

  Calendar year

  Percentage change in conception rate compared to previous year

  1984

  3·6

  1985

  0·0

  1986

  1·2

  1987

  5·7

  1988

  2·2

  1989

  0·0

  1990

  6·4

  Source: Birth statistics—OPCS.

  Series FM1 Conceptions 1993.

  Community Care
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask the NHS advisory board to review its 1986 report "Bridges Over Troubled Waters" and to update its recommendations to take account of the changes in the funding and management of care in the community.

  Mr. Yeo
  The national health service health advisory service is conducting a thematic review of child and adolescent mental health services. This takes into account the changes in funding and management arrangements flowing from both the NHS and community care reforms as well as other relevant developments, such as the "Health of the Nation" intiative.

  Mental Illness Survey
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to pay special attention in its survey of mental illness in Great Britain to the problems of people between the ages of 16 to 25 years with mental illness and the services which are available to them.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys will record the age of respondents making it possible to analyse separately the results for people aged 16 to 25.

  Hospital Episode System
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish data from the hospital episode system.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A publication containing hospital episode system figures for 1989–90 is in preparation, and is expected to be published in a few weeks. Further publications are planned to follow later this year.

  Research
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answers of 2 December 1992, to the hon. Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter),Official Report, column 230 and of 3 December 1992, Official Report, column 321, what progress her Department is making in its review of the research units it funds; and when it expects to announce details of its plans for setting up a larger research centre as a pilot project.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A programme of peer review including site visits has now been arranged for all 13 units and should be completed by early 1994. I expect to announce details for setting up a pilot research centre shortly.
  231
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total cost of the research projects her Department has commissioned for each of the past five years; and what was the total cost of projects undertaken by staff employed by(a) universities and polytechnics, (b) independent research institutes, (c) health authorities, (d) management consultants and (e) other organisations in each of those years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The total cost of the research projects commissioned under the Department's centrally commissioned programme for health and personal social services research, for each of the last five years is shown in the table:

  Year

  Total cost of research £ million

  1988–89

  12·9

  1989–90

  15·4

  1990–91

  18·3

  1991–92

  22·3

  1992–93

  23·4

  The majority of research projects commissioned in this way is undertaken by staff employed by universities. Of this, about 10 per cent. is carried out under the auspices of the Medical Research Council. About 3 per cent. of the research is carried out by independent research institutes, health authorities or management consultants: details of this research are not readily available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether research projects commissioned by her Department from management consultants are subject to peer review in the same way as those commissioned from universities and research institutes.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Most projects commissioned in the centrally commissioned research programme undergo scientific/peer review, irrespective of whether the research is being carried out by management consultants, universities or research institutes.

  Management consultants are used in many capacities by the Department. When not engaged for research purposes, they are selected by commercial competitive tendering rather than subject to peer review.

  Disturbed Adolescents
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information disturbed adolescents, who have had their liberty restricted, receive on their rights to judicial review.

  Mr. Yeo
  The form in which such information is made available is a matter for individual local authorities. A local authority wishing to keep a child in secure accommodation beyond 72 hours must seek the authority of the court. A child is entitled to be legally represented when such applications are considered and has a right to apply for legal aid for such purposes. The Department's guide for children and young people "The Children Act and the Courts" explains the arrangements for placing children in secure accommodation and their right to legal representation.

  NHS Review
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answers of 11 November 1992,Official Report, column 850, 23 November 1992, Official Report, column 503 and 27 November 1992, Official Report, column 875, when she will publish the report of the review of centrally collected NHS statistics which she has commissioned from Touche Ross management consultants; what consultations she has had about its conclusions; which data series it has been decided to discontinue; and if she will place a copy of the report in the Library.

  Mr. Sackville
  As I stated in my reply on 11 November the study by Touche Ross management consultants was only one component in the current review of the Department's requirements for information from the national health service. For the conclusions of the review, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) on 21 April at col.126.

  Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will update her answer of 22 October 1992,Official Report, columns 369–70, on patients waiting for admission in each six months period since that ended March 1988 to include the figure for the six months period ended September 1992.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on the number of patients waiting for admission at 30 September 1992 is given in table 1 of the Department of Health's "Statistical Bulletin" (ISBN 1 85839 083 4) a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Comfrey
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to studies which have demonstrated a regression of tumours in rodents fed upon comfrey or comfrey extracts; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to studies which have demonstrated either no adverse effects or a thriving effect upon the health of populations of rodents fed upon comfrey; and if she will make a statement;

  (3) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to the review of the literature in this area undertaken by the British Medical Journal in 1978; and if she will make a statement.

  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research findings he has on the relative toxicity of comfrey tablets and capsules to that of saccharine tablets.

  Mr. Sackvile
  [holding answer 21 April 1993]: The Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment reviewed the available research data on the toxicity of saccharin in 1990 and recommended an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0–5

  233
  milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. It advised that provided intakes do not regularly exceed this ADI, saccharin is safe to use. In comparison, when the committee recently reported on its review of comfrey and preparations made from it, it advised that it was not possible to identify an ADI for comfrey nor for its pyrrolizidine alkaloid constituents, some of which research studies have shown to be potentially carcinogenic. The committee therefore recommended that concentrated forms of comfrey such as capsules and tablets should no longer be available.

  Copies of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's analysis of comfrey products, the advice of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment and the Food Advisory Committee together with the draft information note are available in the Library. A list of key studies considered by the committee are included in its advice.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Student Nurses
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons are in training as student nurses; how many of them come from the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement about job prospects in the nursing profession.

  Mr. Hanley
  At 19 April there were 2,624 student nurses in training in Northern Ireland of whom 264 came from the Irish Republic.

  In recent years the nursing workforce in Northern Ireland has stabilised, in part due to to the nurse clinical grading system introduced in April 1988. This improved retention of staff has reduced the employment opportunities for nurses completing their training. Changes in patterns of service and proposals for rationalisation of services will impact on nurse employment in the future. However, until discussions are completed and decisions are taken by the health boards and trusts, it is not possible to assess accurately the scale of change. The management executive of the Department of Health and Social Services is monitoring the situation carefully and is currently discussing with the National Board for Nursing and Midwifery and health boards future requirements for student nurse training.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Severe Hardship Payments
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department plans to announce the outcome of its review of simplifying procedures for claiming severe hardship payments.

  Mr. Burt
  We are keeping the subject under active consideration.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department plans to respond to the social policy research unit's research on the social fund.

  Mr. Scott
  We are currently carefully considering the operation of the social fund in response to the research 234
  commissioned from York university's social policy research unit, along with a number of other reports and our own close monitoring of the fund.

  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, in respect of the Birmingham south-east district office social fund budget,(a) how many people were refused community care grants, budgeting loans and crisis loans in 1992–93, (b) how many people were refused each payment on priority grounds, (c) by what amount the grants and loans were underspent, (d) why social fund officers did not use their powers under Direction 31 to review the decisions of some of those previously refused to prevent the underspend and (e) what steps will be taken to prevent an underspend in the future.

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

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Ms Estelle Morris, dated 22 April 1993.
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the operation of the Social Fund at Birmingham South East District.
  Information on the number and reason for refusals of Social Fund applications is held by application, rather than by applicant. Details of the number of refusals and the number refused on grounds of insufficient priority in the financial year 1992–93 for Birmingham South East District are given in Annex A.
  Area Social Fund Officers (ASFOs) are obliged by Direction 41 to manage their District's allocations so that the planned level of expenditure is not exceeded in the financial year. In addition, they aim to meet consistently the highest priority needs throughout the year. ASFOs closely monitor expenditure throughout the year to ensure that any underspending of the District budget is kept to a minimum. These are standing arrangements which will continue. The outstanding allocation in the Birmingham South East District at 31 March 1993 was £11,028 for loans and £12,012 for grants. These figures represent 1·4 per cent. of the gross Social Fund allocation for the District. The number of decisions reviewed by Social Fund Officers (SFOs) under Direction 31 is not collated as a matter of routine. It is, however, known that no such reviews were undertaken in Birmingham South East District during March 1993 when, under the standing arrangements mentioned above, the ASFOs were monitoring claims intake and priorities closely with the aim of achieving a total Social Fund spend as close as possible to the annual budget figure.
  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this letter will appear in the Official Report. A copy will also be placed in the Library.

  Annex A

  Birmingham South East District—1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993

  BL1

  CL2

  CCG3

  Total number of refusals

  2,344

  85

  4,169

  Refusals (insufficient priority)

  853

  3

  296

  1 BL = Budgeting Loan.

  2 CL = Crisis Loan.

  3 CCG = Community Care Grant.

  235

  Mrs. Sylvia Marin
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects a decision to be reached in the case of Mrs. Sylvia Marin's application for disability living allowance (ZM 706889C).

  Miss Widdecombe
  The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write shortly to my hon. Friend and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter from David Riggs to Mr. Robert B. Jones dated 2 April 1993.
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about when a decision is expected to be reached in the case of Mrs. Sylvia Marin's application for Disability Living Allowance.
  Mrs. Marin's case is at present being reviewed by the Adjudication Officer and the outcome will be notified to Mrs. Marin as soon as possible. I have written to you further and in greater detail about this matter.
  I am grateful to you for bringing this mater to my attention. I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.

  Automatic Credit Transfer
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what expansion of the number of benefits paid by automatic credit transfer is assumed in his Department's planning.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The method of payment of Social Security benefits 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 David Riggs to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 1 April 1993.
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking what expansion of the number of benefits paid by automated credit transfer is assumed in his Department's planning.
  By the end of 1994 enhanced computer systems will enable payments to be made by ACT for Income Support, Invalidity Benefit, Sickness Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Unemployment Benefit in addition to those benefits already paid by this method.
  I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.

  Local Offices
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what reasons underlay the decision by the district manager of the north Gwent and Brecon area to reduce the Abertillery office from its current full status to that of a caller office;

  (2) what provision will be made in the new arrangements for the Abertillery benefits office to allow
  236
  customers to receive emergency payments on the loss or destruction of order books and benefits cheques, or on their failure to arrive by post;

  (3) if he will extend beyond 30 April the consultation period for trade unions to reply to the plans to change the status of the Abertillery benefits office;

  (4) what was the most recent efficiency ranking awarded to the Abertillery benefits office before the league tables on operational efficiency of benefits offices ceased to be compiled;

  (5) what arrangements he will make for the transport of benefit claimants to the Ebbw Vale benefits office from Abertillery on the change of status of the Abertillery office from a full processing office to a caller office.

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

  Letter from David Riggs to Mr. Llew Smith, dated 2 April 1993:
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits agency it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your five recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security, concerning the proposed new arrangements for the Abertillery Benefits Agency Office.
  The intended reorganisation of the Abertillery office has been devised in order to further enhance the level of service provided for customers. The proposed changes would enable the District to further improve the speed and quality at which claims and payments are processed.
  The report containing the proposals to change the status of the Benefits Agency's Abertillery office was circulated on 19 March for consultation and comment before decisions are taken. A deadline of 30 April has been set for responses from all interested parties and is regarded as reasonable.
  The Abertillery office will continue to provide the full range of personal advice and information to customers, regardless of its status. Should the reorganisation take place as envisaged, facilities for dealing with customers in urgent need, for example those requiring emergency payments on the loss or destruction of order books and benefits cheques, or on their failure to arrive by post, would remain unchanged. For these reasons it would not be necessary for customers to visit the Benefits Agency's Ebbw Vale office to obtain a comprehensive service.
  An overall efficiency league table has never been maintained for local offices.
  I hope that you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official report and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Income Support
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department intends to review the present levels of income support.

  Mr. Burt
  Income support is reviewed annually. The next uprating is due in April 1994. Details will be announced in the autumn.

  Terrence Higgins Trust
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer from the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People of 24 February,Official Report, column 619, on his reply to a letter sent to him by the Terrence Higgins Trust on 4 February, if he will now give the date of his reply to the trust.
  237
  Mr. Scott
  A reply was sent on 22 April.

  Overlapping Benefits
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review the operation of the Social Security (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations 1979, particularly in respect of the legislation giving entitlement to the higher pensioner premium; and whether it is proposed that the effect of the Overlapping Benefits Regulations should be disregarded for the purposes of assessing whether a qualifying benefit is paid.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no plans to review the relationship between the Social Security (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations 1979 and entitlement to income support premiums. For the purposes of maintaining entitlement to the higher pensioner premium, in common with other premiums, a person can be treated as being in receipt of any benefit which would be payable if it were not for the provisions of the overlapping benefits regulations.

  Anti-discrimination Directive
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what plans he has to introduce common rules for men and women in respect of non-contributory benefits so as to comply with EC directive 79/7;

  (2) what plans he has to review the forms of discrimination currently existing within the social security system, particularly those linked to different pensionable ages, so as to comply with EC directive 79/7;

  (3) what plans he has following the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Communities in the case of R v. Secretary of State for Social Security and Thomas et al (Case C-328/91) to review which forms of discrimination are not necessarily and objectively linked to the differences in retirement age and, therefore, not covered by the exceptions listed in article 7(1) of the directive;

  (4) what plans he has to change the rules relating to men and women's rights to defer entitlement to a retirement pension so that there is no discrimination between the sexes so as to comply with EC directive 79/7.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Directive 79/7 permits unequal state pension ages. The European Court, in case C9/91, confirmed that where different pension ages are maintained under article 7(1) of EC directive 79/7, other forms of discrimination in the benefits system are also permissible if they are necessarily linked to that difference. This would include the rules on deferring entitlement to a retirement pension.

  The application of the various derogations in article 7 of the directive is regularly reviewed in the light of developments, including the rulings of the European Court.

  Case C328/91 has been referred by the European Court back to the House of Lords for final determination. We propose to consider that particular matter further when the result becomes available.

  Working Population
  Dr. Liam Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are in full-time employment for each recipient of state pension; and what predictions have been made of these numbers for 1995 and every fifth year thereafter.
  238
  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available in the form requested. The latest estimates of the future numbers of basic retirement pensioners and people paying national insurance contributions are in the table.

  Year

  Number of contributors (thousands)1

  Number of pensioners (thousands)2

  Ratio

  1990–91

  21,650

  10,460

  2·1

  1995–96

  22,800

  10,700

  2·1

  2000–01

  23,280

  10,940

  2·1

  2010–11

  24,030

  12,070

  2·0

  2020–21

  24,260

  13,410

  1·8

  2030–31

  23,690

  15,190

  1·6

  1 Based on the assumption that the lower earnings limit for payment of contributions is increased in line with prices.

  2 Based on current state pension ages.

  Source Tables 10 and 12, National Insurance Fund Long Term Financial Estimates—Report by the Government Actuary on the Second Quinquennial Review under Section 137 of the Social Security Act 1975–25 July 1990–582.

  Notes: The figures do not incorporate the latest Office of Population Census and Surveys population projections.

DEFENCE

  Faldingworth Range
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what countries had the use of Faldingworth range for training their gun crews between 1980 and 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Faldingworth is a former RAF station. Following its closure, the site was sold to the British Manufacturing and Research Company in January 1975. I understand it is now owned by Royal Ordnance plc.

  Astra plc
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to return papers removed from Astra plc to the DTI inspectors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  The Ministry of Defence police took possession of a number of papers from Astra plc in connection with an inquiry into possible corruption. In the event the MDP were unable to pursue this matter to a conclusion. They subseqently wrote to Cork Gully, the company receivers, who are now the legal owners of these papers, listing what is held and seeking advice on its disposal. DTI inspectors never had possession of these papers although they were allowed access to them by and in the presence of the MDP in pursuance of their own separate investigations.

  PRB, Belgium
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the products which his Department purchased from PRB of Belgium from 1983 to 1990; and if he will list the value of such purchases in each of those years.

  Mr. Aitken
  Complete records of MOD dealings with companies during the whole of the period covered by the hon. Gentleman's question are no longer available. However, one contract with PRB has been identified, placed in 1984, for artillery shells for training purposes. The value of the contract was approximately £600,000.
  239

  Stonefish Mine
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Government gave consent to the transfer of the plans for the Stonefish mine to a Chilean arms manufacturer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  It has been the policy of successive Governments not to give details of such matters, as they are governed by commercial confidentiality.

  IMS
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those banks and financial institutions recognised as acceptable sources of finance for deals arranged by IMS between 1980 and 1989.

  Mr. Aitken
  The information requested is not held by the Ministry of Defence, and is a commercially confidential matter for IMS. IMS publishes its accounts for public scrutiny in accordance with the requirements of company law. The company ceased trading with effect from July 1991 and is in the process of rundown.

  Helicopter Carrier
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter), of 29 March,Official Report, column 16, whether he has now received full clarification from the tenderers of their bids for the amphibious helicopter carrier; when he expects his Department to complete the evaluation of bids; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  We received full clarification of bids from the tenderers yesterday. The evaluation of these final bids will be completed this summer and we expect to award the contract later in the year.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the expenditure by his Department in financial year 1992–93 on military operations in former Yugoslavia, distinguishing between forces in Croatia under UNPROFOR I, those in Croatia and Bosnia under UNPROFOR II, and operations afloat in the Adriatic; how much of each such item of expediture has been or will be reimbursed to his Department by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; whether the costs of British forces in UNPROFOR II are now reimbursed by the United Nations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The extra cost of operations for UNPROFOR in Croatia and Bosnia is assessed at £606,000 and £63,700,000 respectively for the financial year 1992–93. The additional cost of operations in the Adriatic was some £4,200,000. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has reimbursed all UNPROFOR costs. The cost of operations in the Adriatic, however, falls to the Defence budget. From 1 April 1993, the United Nations has accepted financial responsibility for operations in Bosnia and reimbursement will be sought to the maximum extent possible.

  Tornados
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the estimated original and running costs of the deployment of seven F3 Tornados from RAF Leeming to Italy; from which budget these will be met; how many ground crew have been deployed, categorised as appropriate; what ground support will be made available by the Italian Air Force; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The RAF has deployed six Tornado and two VC-10 tanker aircraft. The additional annual operating cost of these aircraft, which is borne against the Defence budget, is currently assessed as some £20,000,000. As at 21 April, there were 227 ground personnel, but this figure can change from day to day. Italian and other allied forces are providing a wide range of ground support, mostly under NATO arrangements. This, too, varies with requirements.

  Exercise Quicksaver
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of the recent Quicksaver exercise at RAF Lossiemouth; and what it revealed about the cost of providing a civilian search and rescue service.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Quicksaver exercise conducted in 1987 was a review of the engineering manning levels in support of search and rescue flights. No direct cost comparison was made with the provision of a civilian SAR flight.

  RAF Brawdy
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a detailed breakdown of the estimated operatoring costs of B flight 202 squadron at RAF Brawdy in 1992–93.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The detailed breakdown requested is as follows:

  £ million

  Manpower Costs

  1·30

  Station Support Costs

  0·04

  Aircraft operating Costs

  1·20

  Total

  2·54

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Non-proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss security guarantees at the meeting of the preparatory committee for the non-proliferation treaty extension conference to be held in New York in May; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Non-nuclear weapon states which are parties to the non-proliferation treaty benefit from positive and negative British security guarantees. In our view, the first preparatory committee for the nonproliferation treaty extension conference should concentrate on procedural matters. We have no plans to discuss security guarantees at that meeting.

  Macedonia
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will now recognise the former province of Yugoslavia, Macedonia.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have already done so. The United Kingdom's support for an application for United Nations membership means that the United Kingdom recognises the applicant as a state. Macedonia's application was accepted by the General Assembly on 8 April.

  Turkey
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is currently taking to ensure that the Turkish Government protects their Kurdish population.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We regularly raise with the Turkish authorities the human rights situation throughout Turkey, including the south-east of the country.

  We welcome the recently improved security situation in south-east Turkey and the reported indefinite extension of the PKK, Kurdish Workers' Party, ceasefire. We also welcome Mr. Demirel's statement that the state of emergency in the south-east will not be extended beyond its expiry on 19 July provided that the present calm situation continues.

  North Korea
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to ensure that representations are made to the Government of North Korea concerning the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have supported resolutions in the International Atomic Energy Agency. The co-depositaries of the non-proliferation treaty—Britain, the United States and Russia—issued a statement on 1 April calling on North Korea to reconsider its announcement to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty and comply with its safeguards agreement. We fully supported the president of the Security Council's statement of 8 April which encouraged the International Atomic Energy Agency to continue to seek a settlement of the issue. The Twelve have issued statements and the Presidency, on behalf of the Twelve, has made representations to the Government of North Korea. We will remain active.

  Armenia
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Republic of Armenia with regard to its military invasion and occupation of a large part of Azerbaijan.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have condemned the recent invasion by local Armenian forces of the Azerbaijani region of Kelbadjar and have called for the withdrawal of forces and an end to hostilities. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to the President of Armenia urging him to do everything in his power to bring about a242
  ceasefire and to resume talks through the CSCE peace process. I also made our views known to the Armenian ambassador at a meeting on 6 April. The United Kingdom has also supported statements by the President of the United Nations Security Council on 6 April and the European Community on 7 April, both of which expressed concern at the escalation of fighting in Azerbaijan and called for an urgent ceasefire. Both statements also called for an early resumption of talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the CSCE. We are glad to see that the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their commitment to these talks when they met for the first time in Ankara on 21 April.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral statement of 19 April,Official Report, column 22, if he will list the three vessels which have entered Montenegrin ports since November 1992, showing the countries of registration and ownership, the estimated cargo in each case and information available to him on the current whereabouts of the vessel; if he will set out in respect of each vessel the actions taken by NATO or the Western European Union monitoring forces and the reason for their failure to divert the vessel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since November 1992 the NATO and Western European Union ships in the Adriatic have challenged over 9,000 vessels, boarded 599 and diverted 137. The operation is making a most valuable contribution to efforts to block illegal trade to Serbia and Montenegro.

  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs told the House on 19 April, a small number of vessels have managed to get through to Montenegrin ports. The three vessels he referred to are the Dimitrakis, a Maltese-flagged vessel believed to be carrying around 5,000 tonnes of petroleum coke, Novotsak II, a Greek-flagged tanker believed to be carrying over 20,000 tonnes of oil, and the East River, a Greek-owned tanker believed to be carrying around 50,000 tonnes of gas oil. We also believe that there may have been a fourth in December, early on in the NATO/WEU operation. Since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made his statement to the House, we have received information that a further three vessels may have got through. This information is being followed up urgently.

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Government of Sierra Leone covering human rights; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  When my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development saw the Sierra Leone Foreign Minister on 23 March, she made clear our wish to see a major improvement in human rights in Sierra Leone and the establishment of a programme for the return of civilian rule.
  243

  Liberia
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic exchanges have taken place with forces in Liberia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The United Kingdom has played an active role in consideration of Liberia at the United Nations and maintains regular diplomatic contacts with those West African states contributing troops to the ECOMOG—Economic Community of West African States Monitoring and Observing Group—peace-keeping force.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Nigeria concerning the operation of the Economic Community of West African States Ceasefire Monitoring Group forces in Liberia.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have regular exchanges with the Government of Nigeria and have expressed our support for the important role which Nigeria is playing in the efforts being made by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and by the ECOWAS Monitoring and Observing Group, ECOMOG, forces to bring an end to the conflict in Liberia.

  Gambia
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of the Gambia concerning arbitrary arrests and abuse of human rights; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The Gambia has a good record of human rights and there is no evidence to suggest that arbitrary arrests and abuse of human rights are taking place. No recent representations have therefore been made to the Government of the Gambia.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Company Car Tax
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his assessment of the effect of his proposals on company car tax on the sale of cars at the upper end of the price range.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The switch from scale charges to 35 per cent. of list price as the basis for personal tax liability on company car use will remove distortions in the new car market. Each car will be taxed on the basis of its individual list price, in response to the weight of views expressed during consultation. Our assessment is that these changes coupled with the abolition of car tax, the lowest interest rates in the EC, a competitive exchange rate, low inflation and sustainable economic recovery—will have a positive effect on sales of United Kingdom manufacturers' cars across the whole price range.

  VAT
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the thresholds in each of the member countries of the EEC before registration for VAT purposes is required.
  244
  Sir John Cope
  The latest available information is as follows:

  Registration threshold as at 1 April 1993

  In national currency

  Approx sterling equivalent

  United Kingdom

  £37,600

  £37,600

  Belgium

  nil

  nil

  Denmark

  DK 10,000

  £1,060

  France

  FF 70,000

  £8,415

  Germany

  DM22,000

  £10,150

  Greece

  nil

  nil

  Ireland

  Goods:

  IP 32,000

  £31,745

  Services: IP 15,000

  £14,880

  Italy

  nil

  nil

  Luxembourg

  LF 200,000

  £3,950

  Netherlands

  nil

  nil

  Portugal

  ESC 800,000

  £3,500

  Spain

  nil

  nil

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of pay-as-you-earn packs distributed by private companies following tendering procedures have been successfully delivered; and what cost has been incurred by the Inland Revenue(a) on checking the process and (b) providing replacements.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Inland Revenue's inquiries indicate that the vast majority of employers annual PAYE guidance packs have been safely delivered and those that have not carry an Inland Revenue return address allowing them to be reissued. The Inland Revenue does not have a central record of the cost of checking the process or providing replacements. Although there have been some additional postage and other costs in reissuing employee code notices to employers, overall there will still be substantial savings this year compared with the cost of issuing last year's annual pack.

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what privacy clauses were included in the contracts issued for the delivery of pay-as-you-earn packs by private sector companies.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The tender document that formed part of the contracts for assembly and distribution of the employers annual PAYE guidance pack contained the standard Inland Revenue confidentiality clause which makes reference to the provisions of section 182 of the Finance Act 1989.

  European Monetary Institute
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the implications of no decision being made on the seat of the European Monetary Institute by the end of 1992 in accordance with article 13 of the protocol on the European Monetary Institute of the treaty on European union, page 108, Cm. 1934.

  Mr. Nelson
  None.
  245

  Income Tax Forms
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the failure of the Inland Revenue to ensure dispatch before the end of the 1992–93 tax year of PAYE forms and tax tables to employers in the Oxford area; how many employers are affected; which other areas of the country are affected; what action is being taken to rectify the situation; and if he will allow employers who have not received forms by the usual date an extended period in which to complete their returns before the imposition of penalties.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Despite the printing errors which resulted in some of this year's annual PAYE guidance and stationery packs for employers being wrongly addressed, the Inland Revenue's inquiries indicate that the vast majority of employers throughout the country received their packs before the end of the 1992–93 tax year. All packs carry an Inland Revenue return address allowing those which are not delivered to be reissued. To ensure that all employers can operate the correct PAYE codes for their employees from the start of the new tax year, notices giving details where these codes have changed were reissued before 6 April 1993. Employers have until 19 May to send in their 1992–93 end of year returns but will not face penalties provided these are received by 19 June. This later cut-off date has nothing to do with the issue of the annual pack—the summary end of year return form is issued separately—but is in keeping with the previously announced approach of allowing employers time to get up to date before 1995 when automatic penalties may be taken for any return not sent in by 19 May.

  Banks (Charges)
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission a report from the Bank of England into the extent to which the clearing banks raise charges to their customers in a co-ordinated way; and what steps he will take to stop this practice.

  Mr. Nelson
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has no plans to commission such a report and is not aware of any evidence that banks are raising charges in a co-ordinated way. The decision by a bank to increase its charges is a matter for its own commercial judgment. The then Director of Fair Trading, Sir Gordon Borrie, announced on 24 October 1991 that, after considering material relating to banking practices passed to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor, which covered fees and charges, he had concluded that there were no grounds to justify any further action under the competition legislation. The Bank of England's recent review of bank lending to small businesses also showed that there were divergences between individual banks both in the level of their charges and in their attitude to implementing them.

  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received concerning the practice of high street banks charging customers for certificates showing annual interest and tax paid required by the Inland Revenue in order to claim for tax rebates;

  (2) if he intends to introduce measures to compensate individuals charged by high street banks for certificates showing annual interest and tax paid required by the Inland Revenue in order to claim for tax rebates.
  246
  Mr. Dorrell
  Following a number of representations last year, the British Bankers Association and the Building Societies Association were asked to remind their members that they have a statutory duty to provide tax deduction certificates on receipt of a written request. No charge should therefore arise. There have been no recent reports of institutions continuing to charge.

  North Sea Oil Tax
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which bodies his Department consulted prior to his announcement of changes in the North sea oil tax regime.

  Mr. Dorrell
  My officials keep in regular contact with representative bodies and individual oil companies. But they were not consulted on specific Budget proposals. Advance consultation on budgetary measures of this sort would have created uncertainty likely severely to have disrupted investment and tax yield.

  EC Economic and Finance Council
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.

  Mr. Lamont
  The Economic and Finance Council of the European Community—ECOFIN—met in Luxembourg on 19 April. I represented the United Kingdom.

  The main agenda item was follow-up to the Edinburgh European Council declaration on promoting economic recovery. The Council discussed a paper prepared by the Commission containing a summary of the action taken both by member states and at Community level. Council conclusions were agreed on the results of the Edinburgh declaration and on the importance of economic relations between the EC and the United States to promoting economic recovery internationally. I highlighted the significant measures taken by the United Kingdom consistent with the Edinburgh declaration, including in particular those in the Budget and Autumn Statement, and welcomed progress made by other member states and with the Community measures. I stressed the importance of early progress towards a GATT agreement and drew attention to the favourable growth prospects in the United Kingdom by comparison with those of other major EC member states.

  The Council discussed progress in negotiations with the European Parliament on a new inter-institutional agreement on budget discipline and agreed that the presidency should continue to work towards an agreement consistent with the conclusions of the Edinburgh European Council.

  There was a brief discussion of the draft seventh VAT directive which covers the VAT treatment of second hand goods. The main outstanding United Kingdom objective remains to secure a final text which protects the essential interests of the United Kingdom art market.

  The Commission urged progress with its proposed directive abolishing withholding tax on interest and royalty payments between companies in different member states. The Council agreed to have a substantive discussion of the directive at a future meeting.

  Following a brief discussion of possible European investment bank lending to Albania, it was agreed that the Council would return to this issue at a later meeting.
  247
  The Council took no formal votes. The conclusions on promoting economic recovery and economic relations with the United States were agreed by consensus.

  Although not part of the formal Council proceedings, there was also a meeting of Finance Ministers from EC and EFTA countries in Luxembourg on the same day. There was general agreement on the value of dialogue on economic issues between EC and EFTA countries. Discussion centred on promoting economic recovery in Europe and the results of the joint meeting of Foreign and Finance Ministers from G7 countries on 14 and 15 April.

  House Prices/Earnings Ratio
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, columns 751–2, if he will publish figures for the average house price to earnings ratio for each region for the lastest quarters.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 22 April 1993]: Estimates for the fourth quarter of 1992 are given in the following table:

  Average house price to earnings ratio fourth quarter 1992

  Region

  Number

  Great Britain

  3·56

  North

  3·17

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  3·28

  East Midlands

  3·65

  East Anglia

  3·59

  South East

  Greater London

  3·51

  Rest of South East

  4·21

  South West

  3·83

  West Midlands

  3·74

  North West

  3·58

  England

  3·61

  Wales

  3·42

  Scotland

  3·15

  European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will itemise British expenditure on the European bank for reconstruction and development.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  [holding answer 19 April 1993]: I have been asked to reply.

  By the end of March 1993, United Kingdom expenditure on the European bank for reconstruction and development since its inauguration in April 1991 was about £90 million. A breakdown of this figure is shown in the table. As a shareholder of the bank, the United Kingdom will contribute £255 million to its capital: £53·4 million has already been contributed; the remainder will be paid in the period to the end of 1995–96 by a combination of cash and promissory notes.

  The European Community has a 6 per cent. shareholding in the bank and contributes 6 per cent. of the capital. In addition, the EBRD manages technical assistance funds for the EC. The United Kingdom share of this Community expenditure is 16 per cent.
  248

  £ million

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Total

  Capital Subscription

  —

  21·6

  31·8

  53·4

  Headquarters grant

  0·7

  12·3

  21·8

  34·8

  Annual Meetings

  —

  0·7

  0·02

  0·72

  Transitional Support

  1·9

  —

  —

  1·9

  90·82

  ecu million

  1991

  1992

  Total

  PHARE/TACIS (technical assistance)

  40

  40

WALES

  Mental Handicap Hospitals
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average total cost per patient per week of providing in-patient care to residents of long-stay mental handicap hospitals in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The average total cost per patient per week is not available.

  Patient treatment services for in-patients and day cases in mental handicap hospitals in Wales in 1990–91—the latest comprehensive figures available—averaged £45·80 per person per day, or £320·60 per week. Figures for general services such as catering, laundry, building and engineering maintenance, etc., which are estimated to add around a further 40 per cent. to the cost, are not included because, although they are available as an overall figure, they cannot be disaggregated into patient types.

  Tourism
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the origin of British domestic holidaymakers to Wales according to each United Kingdom standardised region for each year since 1985; and if he will indicate in each instance the percentage from each region embarking on(a) all holidays, (b) short stays of one to three nights and (c) long stays of four nights and over.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The requested figures are given in the following tables. This information is derived from sample surveys so may be subject to sampling variability.

  Origin of British domestic holiday tourists to Wales by standard region and length of stay 1985

  per cent.

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  North

  2

  2

  2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  4

  3

  4

  North West

  27

  31

  25

  East Midlands

  3

  3

  3

  West Midlands

  24

  24

  23

  East Anglia

  1

  1

  2

  South East

  18

  14

  21

  South West

  4

  2

  4

  Wales

  15

  20

  13

  Scotland

  2

  —

  2

  249

  1986

  per cent.

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  North

  1

  —

  1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  4

  1

  5

  North West

  30

  25

  33

  East Midlands

  3

  3

  3

  West Midlands

  20

  24

  18

  East Anglia

  2

  1

  4

  South East

  18

  12

  19

  South West

  4

  6

  3

  Wales

  17

  28

  11

  Scotland

  1

  —

  2

  1987

  per cent.

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  North

  2

  1

  3

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  6

  5

  7

  North West

  26

  22

  29

  East Midlands

  5

  4

  6

  West Midlands

  24

  30

  20

  East Anglia

  1

  —

  1

  South East

  14

  12

  15

  South West

  5

  3

  6

  Wales

  15

  21

  12

  Scotland

  2

  1

  2

  1988

  per cent.

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  North

  3

  3

  2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  5

  3

  7

  North West

  19

  24

  16

  East Midlands

  8

  2

  12

  West Midlands

  20

  25

  17

  East Anglia

  1

  —

  1

  South East

  20

  12

  25

  South West

  6

  8

  5

  Wales

  17

  23

  13

  Scotland

  1

  —

  1

  Source British Tourism Survey (monthly).

  Origin of British domestic tourists to Wales by standard region and length of stay

  1989

  per cent.

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  North

  2

  1

  2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  3

  2

  4

  North West

  20

  20

  20

  East Midlands

  5

  3

  7

  West Midlands

  20

  22

  19

  East Anglia

  1

  1

  2

  South East

  17

  10

  22

  South West

  7

  7

  7

  Wales

  22

  32

  15

  Scotland

  2

  —

  2

  Origin of British domestic holiday tourists to Wales by standard region and length of stay

  1986

  per cent.

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  North

  2

  1

  3

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  4

  3

  5

  North West

  21

  18

  24

  250

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  East Midlands

  4

  3

  6

  West Midlands

  21

  25

  18

  East Anglia

  1

  —

  2

  South East

  18

  17

  20

  South West

  6

  6

  7

  Wales

  20

  28

  13

  Scotland

  1

  —

  2

  Origin of British domestic holiday tourists to Wales by standard region and length of stay

  1991

  per cent.

  All holidays

  1–3 nights

  4+ nights

  North

  1

  —

  2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  5

  4

  6

  North West

  24

  23

  24

  East Midlands

  4

  3

  5

  West Midlands

  21

  21

  21

  East Anglia

  1

  1

  1

  South East

  16

  10

  20

  South West

  4

  5

  4

  Wales

  22

  34

  15

  Scotland

  1

  —

  2

  Source British Tourism Survey (monthly).

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the expenditure of the Wales tourist board in each year from 1985–86, broken down into(a) grant-in-aid and (b) projects.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The requested figures are in the following table:

  Wales Tourist Board expenditure

  £ thousand

  Year

  Grant-in-aid

  Projects

  1985–86

  5,195

  2,500

  1986–87

  5,345

  2,542

  1987–88

  5,736

  3,101

  1988–89

  5,891

  3,453

  1989–90

  6,532

  3,419

  1990–91

  7,249

  3,378

  1991–92

  7,754

  3,617

  1992–93

  9,972

  3,810

  Source: Wales Tourist Board.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the distribution of non-business overseas visitors in Wales in each year since 1985, indicating(a) the number of visits, (b) the number of nights stayed and (c) the amount spent in (i) North Wales, (ii) Mid Wales, (iii) South Wales and (iv) unspecified parts of Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The requested figures are given in the following tables. Visitors from Ireland and the Channel Islands are excluded. This information is derived from a sample survey and so may be subject to sampling variability.
  251

  Number of visits of non-business overseas visitors to Wales

  Thousands

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  North Wales

  173

  147

  153

  138

  163

  168

  156

  Mid Wales

  67

  68

  68

  76

  71

  67

  69

  South Wales

  273

  242

  278

  267

  309

  320

  306

  Unspecified parts of Wales

  38

  19

  27

  32

  26

  46

  28

  Source: International Passenger Survey.

  Number of nights stayed by non-business overseas visitors in Wales

  Millions

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  North Wales

  1·0

  0·9

  0·9

  0·8

  1·1

  1·0

  1·2

  Mid Wales

  0·5

  0·5

  0·5

  0·4

  0·5

  0·6

  0·4

  South Wales

  2·7

  2·4

  2·4

  2·4

  3·3

  2·7

  2·5

  Unspecified parts of Wales

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  0·2

  0·2

  0·2

  Source: International Passenger Survey.

  Expenditure of non-business overseas visitors in Wales

  £ millions

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  North Wales

  21

  18

  23

  19

  24

  27

  26

  Mid Wales

  8

  8

  15

  8

  8

  15

  10

  South Wales

  53

  48

  54

  46

  56

  63

  61

  Unspecified parts of Wales

  3

  2

  8

  5

  4

  5

  6

  Source: International Passenger Survey.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures on the section 4 grants and loans assistance given to tourist projects in Wales in each year since 1985–86, indicating(a) the number of projects

  Section 4 grants and loans assistance given to tourist projects in Wales

  Number of schemes

  Grant approved £

  Capital cost £

  Average grant assistance £

  Average capital costs £

  1985–86

  162

  3,398,351

  15,689,278

  20,977

  96,847

  1986–87

  130

  2,907,594

  15,838,420

  22,366

  121,834

  1987–88

  103

  2,259,549

  15,520,350

  21,937

  150,683

  1988–89

  218

  3,888,399

  22,675,916

  17,837

  104,018

  1989–90

  167

  3,843,485

  42,170,319

  23,015

  252,517

  1990–91

  164

  3,253,776

  20,313,392

  19,840

  123,862

  1991–92

  249

  3,979,585

  22,628,716

  15,982

  90,878

  1992–93

  486

  4,790,045

  26,722,226

  9,856

  54,984

  Source: Wales Tourist Board.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the spending by each local education authority in Wales on special educational needs in the latest available year.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Information is available in respect of expenditure on special education in special schools, home teaching, individual teaching in hospitals and expenditure in social services establishments charged to education. Current expenditure in special education units attached to primary and secondary schools is excluded and not available separately.

  The information is given in the following table.
  252
  approved, (b) the level of grant/loan approved, (c) the capital cost of the projects (d) the average assistance given and (e) the average capital cost.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The requested figures are given in the following table.

  Expenditure on special education1 4 1990–91

  Net current expenditure2 £000

  Gross capital expenditure3 £000

  Clwyd

  7,810

  75

  Dyfed

  4,164

  20

  Gwent

  6,643

  80

  Gwynedd

  2,908

  50

  Mid Glamorgan

  7,898

  3

  Powys

  2,006

  33

  South Glamorgan

  6,641

  35

  West Glamorgan

  3,703

  0

  Total Wales

  41,773

  296

  1 Information taken from local education authority revenue and capital outturn forms.

  2 Net current expenditure is defined as expenditure on employees and running expenses, less sales, fees, changes, internal recharges and other non-grant income but gross of specific government grants.

  3 Gross capital expenditure is defined as the provision, acquisition

  253
  and enhancement of tangible fixed assets which continue to be of value long after their acquisition.

  4 Includes expenditure in special education units attached to primary and secondary schools.

  Public Buildings (Disabled Access)
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to acquire Welsh local authorities to make public buildings accessible to disabled people if these buildings are currently inaccessible; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  It is for owners of public buildings including local authorities, to use their own judgment as to the need for access and the extent to which it is practicable and affordable to improve it.

  Statutory powers in respect of existing buildings are limited. Where planning permission is required for development, section 76 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 places a duty on local planning authorities to draw applicants' attention to their statutory obligations in this regard under sections 4, 7, 8 and 8A of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

  The building regulations require that access and facilities for the disabled are provided in all new non-domestic buildings including extensions. Research is in progress to see how similar measures might be applied when non-domestic buildings are being altered.

  Community Care
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to ensure that Welsh local authorities correctly allocate and spend the money they are receiving to provide community care.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Additional resources for local authorities' new community care responsibilities are included in the 1993–94 Welsh local government revenue settlement. Within those totals, the amounts in respect of the new duties for each county council have been identified in accordance with their own wishes. The Welsh Office has worked closely with each local authority in the preparation of their social care plans and will continue to do so in monitoring progress on the Implementation of community care.

  Sight Tests
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that all deaf and hard of hearing people in Wales have access to national health service sight tests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There are no plans to extend the categories of those eligible for national health service sight tests which already provide free sight tests to those most in need, for example, children, those on low income and people most at risk at developing serious eye disease. These examination groups cover approximately 45 per cent. of the population of Great Britain.

  South Glamorgan TEC
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consulations he has had with South Glamorgan training and enterprise council in relation to a proposed merger with the Cardiff chamber of commerce and the Cardiff and Vale Enterprise Agency.
  254
  Mr. David Hunt
  None.

  Pit Closures
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 20 October 1992,Official Report, columns 283–84, what progress he has made in allocating the £4·8 million he announced for employment and training measures in the areas affected by pit closures and job losses; how much of the £4·8 million has already been announced and on what it has been spent; what the residual amount unspent will be spent on; and what evaluation he has made of the best value for money schemes in improving employment and training prospects.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The introduction of special additional employment and training measures will depend on the future employment position at individual pits. No final decision has yet been taken to close any of the Welsh pits involved in the review.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Beer
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will be able to complete his assessment of the impact of the new duty-paid allowances on sales of beer in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  I have been asked to reply.

  We are monitoring the impact of cross-border shopping in the single market, but seasonal variations in beer sales and the novelty of cross-border shopping make it unsafe to draw firm conclusions for the moment. Customs are meeting the Brewers Society to discuss the society's statistics on duty-paid beer imports. We shall continue to keep a close watch on the position through surveys and other relevant information sources.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Radio Telephones
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to have the conclusions from his Department's research study of the physical interaction of fields from hand-held radio telephones and the human head; which other organisations are assisting his Department in this study; whether the full results of the study will be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  The project, called "Interaction of the Body with Radio Emissions from Hand Held Transceivers", is part of the LINK personal communications programme. Industry provides 50 per cent. of the funding; the Government contribution is provided by the DTI and the Science and Engineering Research Council. The project was launched in June 1992 and is due to complete by December 1995.

  The four research organisations involved in this study are:

  University of Bradford

  Brunel University

  University of Surrey, and

  University Microwave Ltd.

  It is managed by a team including officials from my

  255
  Department, the National Radiological Protection Board, and Multiple Access Communications Ltd. A panel of independent monitors has also been appointed. On completion of the project a document summarising the results will be made public.

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will seek a report from OFFER listing the type, scale, nature and ownership of electricity generation in Greater London, Kent and Essex.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is for the Director General of Electricity Supply to determine what reports to commission. The National Grid Company is required to produce a seven-year statement and update it at least annually. This includes information about existing generating capacity.

  Markets Overt
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to reform the law relating to the operation of markets overt.

  Mr. Leigh
  I hope shortly to issue a consultation paper on the law relating to transfer of title. This will invite opinions on whether reform is needed to the rule of sales in market overt.

  Fuel-conditioning Devices
  Ms Walley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what results have been achieved by Warren Spring Laboratory in tests of in-line fuel-conditioning devices based on tin alloys or magnetic cores; and whether he will issue guidance on the effectiveness of such products in reducing energy use.

  Mr. Leigh
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to Warren Spring Laboratory under its chief executive, Dr. Cormack. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Doug Cormack to Ms Joan Walley, dated 21 April 1993:
  Your written Parliamentary Question to ask the President of the Board of Trade what results have been achieved by Warren Spring Laboratory in tests of on-line fuel conditioning devices based on tin alloys or magnetic cones: and whether he will issue guidance on the effectiveness of such products in reducing energy use.
  As your question relates to operational activities at Warren Spring Laboratory I have been asked to reply.
  Over the past twelve months or so Warren Spring Laboratory has continued to be contracted by the motor vehicle industry to test and assess modifications to motor car designs in respect of fuel consumption and vehicle emissions., I regret that, as this work has been undertaken on a commercial-in-confidence basis, it is not possible for me to publicise the results. I do, however, enclose some background information about the work of our vehicle emissions team. You would be most welcome to visit Warren Spring Laboratory to meet the team and to see the facilities that we use in testing and assessing vehicle emissions.

  Collieries
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the six mothballed collieries to be licensed to the private sector.
  256
  Mr. Eggar
  The timing of possible licensing to the private sector of those pits being placed on a care and maintenance basis by British Coal is a matter for British Coal, but I expect progress to be rapid.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with representatives of private mining companies which have expressed an interest in the collieries scheduled for mothballing or closure.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I have recently had a number of discussions with representatives of the private mining sector about a range of matters. The licensing to the private sector of pits which British Coal no longer wishes to operate is, of course, the responsibility of British Coal.

  Offshore Oil Exploration
  Sir Michael Grylls
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what sanctions he has at his disposal against oil companies which fail to carry out exploration and drilling commitments specified in licences granted by his Department in previous United Kingdom continental shelf licensing rounds; and on what occasion he has exercised these powers.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Secretary of State may revoke a licence if there is any breach or non-observance by the licensees of any terms and conditions of the licence, including exploration and drilling commitments. To date neither the Secretary of State nor his predecessors has exercised these powers.

  Small Firms
  Ms Quin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of economic activity is accounted for by small firms in each standard planning region.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 April 1993]: This information is not available.

  Trading Standards Officers
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many vacancies existed for trading standards officer posts in each year from 1979 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Leigh:
  [holding answer 21 April 1993]: Information provided to my Department by local weights and measures authorities in England, Wales and Scotland indicates that since 1987–1988 the numbers of vacancies for qualified trading standards officers have been:

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  England

  211

  255

  287

  257

  211

  Scotland

  37

  42

  35

  32

  52

  Wales

  7

  8

  15

  13

  11

  Total

  255

  305

  337

  302

  274

  Figures for preceding years are not readily available.

  Orimulsion
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy with regard to the desirable level of orimulsion imports into the United Kingdom.
  257
  Mr. Eggar
  The coal review White Paper, "The Prospects for Coal", states that the Government have been informed by the Venezuelan authorities that Orimulsion exports to the United Kingdom are likely to stay at their minimum contractual level for the foreseeable future The minimum quantities specified in contracts are commercially confidential.

  Steel Prices
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he is taking to hold down steel prices; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None. Steel prices are a matter for the market.