Written Answers of 28 April 1993

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what provision is made for legal aid to be granted to enable a patient to attend a hearing at an appeals unit of a regional health authority when a doctor appeals against a decision by the family health services authority in favour of the patient.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Legal advice and assistance is available under the green form scheme on almost any point of English law. A financially eligible person may seek advice on such a point prior to the hearing.

  Performance Targets
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the key performance targets for Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Record Office executive agencies for 1993–94.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The following tables set out the key performance targets that my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor has set for Her Majesty's Land Registry and for the Public Record Office for 1993–94.

  Her Majesty's Land Registry Executive Agency Key performance targets 1993–94

  Indicator

  Target

  1. Financial

  Return on average capital employed

  6 per cent.

  2. Efficiency

  Progressive reduction in unit costs in real terms

  To achieve or better a 13 per cent, improvement over the five year period 1993–94 to 1997–98 of which an improvement of at least 2 per cent, is required in 1993–94.

  3. Productivity

  Progressive increase in output per post

  4. Speed of service

  Percentage of pre-completion applications handled in 3 days

  96 per cent.

  Average handling time for post-completion applications (weeks)

  5

  5. Quality of service

  Percentage of pre-completion applications handled free of error

  99·7 per cent.

  Percentage of post-completion applications handled free of error

  97·65

  6. Development of Land Registration

  Number of computerised registers

  8·30 million

  394
  Notes:

  Fuller details of the Office's performance targets are given in its Business Plan, which is available from Her Majesty's Land Registry.

  Public Record Office Executive Agency Key performance targets 1993–94

  Indicator

  Target

  1. Efficiency:

  Indicator: Cost of selecting and accessioning records:

  To decrease the cost of selecting and accessioning records by 7 per cent.

  Indicator: Unit costs of providing record storage space, document productions and reader services:

  To reduce the cost of providing records storage space per linear foot by 6 per cent.

  To decrease the cost per document produced to readers by 9 per cent.

  To decrease the total reader service costs per reader visit (Census microfilms) by 5 per cent.

  To decrease the total reader service costs per reader visit (other records) by 4 per cent.

  Backlog of records awaiting review:

  To identify and quantify the backlog.

  To reduce the known backlog of records over 30 years old which have not been processed, by 1,500 feet (current backlog 5,500 feet).

  Storage of records:

  81 per cent, of records to be stored to an acceptable standard.

  Reader satisfaction:

  85 per cent, of reader satisfaction survey forms returned to have a better overall assessment of good, or better.

  Management efficiency in running services and projects

  The overall rate of achievement for target levels set for management services.

  2. Quality of service

  Hours during which the Office is open to the public:

  It is planned to extend opening hours at Kew on weekdays.

  Notes:

  1. Fuller details of the Office's performance targets are given in its Business Plan, which is available from available from the public Record Office.

  2. Following the introduction of accruals accounting, the basis on which the unit costs are calculated will be revised during 1993–94.

  Incest
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to review the sentencing guidelines on incest, particularly those referring to mitigating factors; and what training is given to the judiciary to encourage greater insight into the nature of sexual offences.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Sentencing guidelines are issued by the Lord Chief Justice in consultation with any other judges as he thinks fit and any review is entirely in his hands. The Judicial Studies Board distributes the guidelines to all judges, recorders and assistant recorders who sit in the Crown court, the most recent issue being in July 1992. One of those guidelines deals with "Incest and Indecent Assault". Lectures and discussions on the nature of sexual offences are included in training courses for judges who sit in the criminal and the civil and family jurisdictions. Medical consultants, child psychiatrists and other professionals lead these training sessions.

TRANSPORT

  Departmental Contracts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each of the last five years the duration, value and nature of contracts awarded by his Department to Arthur Andersen, Kleinwort Benson, Denton, Hall, Begrie and Warren.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  In the last five years the contracts awarded are as follows:—

  Arthur Andersen

  No awards

  Kleinworth Benson

  One award, for the period September 1990 to April 1991

  Contract related to Advice to DOT (Ports Division) for privatisation of Trust Ports

  Value £30,000.

  Denton, Hall, Burgin and Warren

  No awards

  A1-M1 Link
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the timetable for the completion of the A1-M1 link; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The public inquiry into the draft orders for the M1-A1 link between the M1 south of Leeds and the A1 north-east of Garforth closed on 25 February and the indpendent inspector is now writing his report. Future progress depends on when the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Transport receive the report and are able to issue their decision. In view of this, and the statutory framework within which these actions take place, it would be inappropriate for me now to anticipate a timetable for the completion of this scheme.

  Road Maintenance
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what comparisons he has made between road maintenance expenditure in the United Kingdom and in other European countries.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Very little comparative information is readily available. I am at present considering the case for a study to obtain more.

  Third Harbour Crossing, Lowestoft
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to Waveney district council's submission for a third harbour crossing at Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We expect to announce a preferred route for the Pakefield to Kessingland section of the proposed A 12 Lowestoft relief road later this year. Progress beyond that stage on the Lowestoft relief road, which includes a further harbour crossing, will depend on the availability of resources.

  In the meantime the Department has accepted in principle that a 100 per cent. grant should be made to Suffolk county council for its eastern relief road scheme to relieve congestion in the urban area of Lowestoft. This scheme should be carried out in the current financial year.

  Jubilee Line
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to give final approval for work to commence on the Jubilee line tube extension into Docklands; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Once the administrators and the parties involved in the financing of Canary Wharf have concluded with LT a satisfactory funding agreement covering the basis of their contribution to the Jubilee line extension, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport will be able to authorise the start of construction.

  A43 (Roundabouts)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals for the provision of roundabouts on the A43 at Stanyon and Corby; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Investigations into these junction arrangements are in hand.

  Motor Cyclists
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the safety implications for motor cyclists of current motorway central reservation barrier designs.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The current safety fences and safety barriers have been designed and tested to contain and safely redirect an errent 1·5 tonne vehicle—that is, a medium to large car—travelling at 113 km/h and impacting at an angle of up to 20 deg. They have been successfully deployed in the central reserves and verges of motorways and other roads.

  No specific impact testing has been carried out with motor cycles, but over the past 25 years there has been no evidence to suggest that the steel safety fencing or concrete safety barrier is particularly hazardous to this class of vehicle and road user.

  Clearly, there are inherent dangers should a motor cyclist hit a safety fence and its support posts, but accident records show that it is not very common for motor cyclists to collide with motorway central reserve safety fencing.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how he expects Worcester rail services, other than those provided by InterCity, to be grouped for the purpose of inviting franchise bids; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when he expects to invite bids for the franchise to operate services, other than those provided by InterCity, between London and Worcester; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Following the announcement of the first franchises on 2 February, we hope to make a further announcement later this year about how and when the rest of the network will be prepared for franchising.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when formal applications to bid for the franchise to operate Great Western main line InterCity services will be sought; and when he expects to award the franchise.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is too early to say.

  American Vehicles
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning regulations affecting the use of American automobiles in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Department has received many letters from owners of cars manufactured for use in America.

  The scope of checks on lighting equipment in the MOT test was extended with effect from 1 January 1993, increasing the level of enforcement of certain existing requirements of the lighting regulations. These new checks have highlighted the fact that most American cars do not comply with the requirement, in existence since 1 September 1965 for all vehicles manufactured after that date, that indicators should be amber.

  Severn Crossing
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 407, what provision he will make for an on site resident engineer to inspect, monitor and certify the quality of constructional steel fabricated by Construzione Cimolai Armando at its factory in Pordenone for use as part of the second Severn crossing in line with the system of inspection, monitoring and certification for constructional steel for United Kingdom highway structure fabricated within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  [holding answer 27 April 1993]: The second Severn crossing is being financed and constructed under the terms of a concession agreement between the Government and a concession company, Severn River Crossing plc.

  To ensure that SRC and its contractor, the Laing-GTM joint venture, satisfy their responsibilities under the concession agreement, an independent firm of consulting engineers has been appointed as the Government's agent. The agent is responsible for the monitoring of design and construction of the works to see that they comply fully with laid down British or equivalent standards and specifications. SRC's quality assurance system will be audited and monitored.

  In carrying out these duties, the Government agent has access to all locations where materials are being manufactured for the works, for the purposes of general inspection and of amending any test or investigations being carried out.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Bank Closures
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the closure of the Mount Banking Corporation Ltd.

  Mr. Nelson
  On 19 October 1992 the directors of Mount Bank petitioned for and obtained an administration order under the Insolvency Act 1986.
  398
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the closure of the Al Baraka bank.

  Mr. Nelson
  Albaraka International Bank Ltd. announced on 31 March that after extensive discussions with the Bank of England about possible changes in its ownership structure, it had decided to discontinue providing deposit facilities within the United Kingdom and to repay all depositors starting on 1 April 1993. The announcement said that the intended surrender of the bank's authorisation had arisen as a result of the new Basle supervisory requirements and not as a result of financial deficiency or its existence as an Islamic bank.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the banks that have had their licences revoked by the Bank of England since 9 April; and if he will give the reasons for each of the closures.

  Mr. Nelson
  Under section 17(2) of the Banking Act 1987 the Bank of England makes available monthly a list of the institutions authorised under part I of that Act. The bank's lists conventionally record separately those institutions which have ceased to be authorised during the intervening period. There are, however, a number of ways in which an institution may cease to be authorised and information concerning the reasons for the cessation of any particular authorisation is covered by the restrictions on disclosure in part V of the Act.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the closure of the Roxburghe Bank.

  Mr. Nelson
  On 8 April 1993 the directors of Roxburghe bank petitioned for and obtained an administration order under the Insolvency Act 1986.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions(a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Bank of England about the closure of (i) the Mount Banking Corporation Ltd; (ii) the Roxburghe bank and (iii) the Al Baraka bank.

  Mr. Nelson
  Meetings are held from time to time between the Governor and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and between Bank and Treasury officials, at which banking supervision issues are discussed. It is not the practice to make public whether or not a particular institution is mentioned at these meetings.

  Incomes
  Mr. Corston
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average value in 1979 and 1990, at 1990 prices, of(a) NHS benefits in kind, (b) other benefits in kind and (c) all benefits in kind, received only by households with children by quintile groups of households, ranked within all households ranked by equivalised disposable income.

  Mr. Nelson
  The figures are available only at current prices. They are as follows:
  399

  NHS benefit and other benefits in kind for household with children by quintile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income

  Bottom

  2nd

  3rd

  4th

  Top

  All

  1979

  NHS

  430

  449

  451

  410

  434

  436

  Other

  1,454

  1,165

  976

  883

  748

  1,028

  Total

  1,883

  1,614

  1,426

  1,293

  1,182

  1,464

  1990

  NHS

  1,338

  1,315

  1,217

  1,337

  1,300

  1,296

  Other

  3,029

  2,577

  2,405

  2,155

  1,762

  2,413

  Total

  4,367

  3,892

  3,622

  3,492

  3,061

  3,709

  Note: These estimates are based on data collected in the Family Expenditure Survey (FES). They are not strictly comparable over time as the FES changes from year to year.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average equivalised disposable income, and the average disposable income per equivalent adult, by(a) quintile and (b) decile groups of households, at 1990 prices, for 1979 and 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The information is not available in the precise form requested because the equivalence scale used is based on households rather than adults. In addition, the figures are available only at current prices. The figures are given in the table:

  Equivalised disposable income by decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income.

  Bottom

  2nd

  3rd

  4th

  5th

  6th

  7th

  8th

  9th

  Top

  All

  Using the McClements equivalence scale with a household of a married couple =1

  1979

  1,689

  2,179

  2,534

  2,964

  3,416

  3,897

  4,438

  5,129

  6,043

  8,664

  4,095

  1990

  3,596

  5,161

  6,120

  7,435

  9,081

  10,884

  13,012

  15,580

  19,598

  34,467

  12,494

  Using the McClements equivalence scale re-scaled so that a household of one adult = 1

  1979

  1,030

  1,329

  1,545

  1,808

  2,084

  2,377

  2,707

  3,128

  3,686

  5,285

  2,498

  1990

  2,194

  3,148

  3,733

  4,535

  5,540

  6,639

  7,937

  9,504

  11,955

  21,025

  7,621

  These figures are not strictly comparable over time because of changes in classification of both income and taxation and because of changes in the Family Expenditure Survey.

  North Sea Drilling
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to the number of drilling projects in the North sea which have been cancelled since his Budget statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We do not have access to any unpublished information on this matter.

  Government Contracts
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to monitor the compliance of contractors on Government contracts with clauses requiring payments of subcontractors within 30 days; and how he will report the results of this monitoring to Parliament.

  Mr. Portillo
  Where a prime contractor for a Government Department fails to comply with the provision for making prompt payment in his sub-contract, the sub-contractor will have a remedy through the courts in the normal way. Where there is evidence of poor performance by a prime contractor, which may include the
  400

  Equivalised disposable income by quintile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income

  Using the McClements equivalence scale with a household of a married couple = 1

  Bottom

  2nd

  3rd

  4th

  Top

  All

  1979

  1,934

  2,749

  3,656

  4,783

  7,354

  4,095

  1990

  4,378

  6,777

  9,983

  14,297

  27,038

  12,494

  Using the McClements equivalence scale with a household of a married couple = 1

  Bottom

  2nd

  3rd

  4th

  Top

  All

  1979

  1,180

  1,677

  2,230

  2,918

  4,486

  2,498

  1990

  2,671

  4,134

  6,089

  8,721

  16,493

  7,621

  late payment of bills to a sub-contractor, that will be taken into account by the Department in awarding subsequent contracts.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that all Government contracts contain a clause requiring payment of subcontractors within 30 days.

  Mr. Portillo
  Guidance containing a model clause for inclusion in Government contracts was issued to Departments on 14 April 1992. Government Departments have confirmed that they have introduced clauses in all their contracts, where special circumstances do not apply, which require the supplier or contractor to pay its suppliers or sub-contractors promptly, normally within 30 days.

  Commercial Revaluations
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the next revaluation of commercial premises to be completed; and on what date the rental values will be based.
  401
  Mr. Nelson
  The next revaluation of commercial premises will be completed to enable new rating lists to be compiled on 1 April 1995. Rental values will be based on a valuation date of 1 April 1993.

  Premium Bonds
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current premium bond prize-fund rate; and how many readjustments in the prize-fund rate have been made since 1963.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 27 April 1993]: The current prize fund rate is 5 per cent. per annum. The rate when the scheme began in 1956 was 4 per cent. There have been 12 changes since then.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the total net receipts to the Treasury arising from the sale of premium bonds since their introduction; and how much is currently held in unclaimed prize money.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 27 April 1993]: The balance outstanding at the end of March 1993 was £2·659 billion. The value of unclaimed prizes is £10·8 million.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Testing
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the release of information on his Department's study of alternative technologies for testing nuclear warheads.

  Mr. Aitken
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid) on 2 November 1992,Official Report, column 53. Release of information on alternative technologies must have regard to the requirements of national security, and our non-proliferation obligations and concerns.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's personnel are currently involved in studying alternative technologies for testing nuclear warheads.

  Mr. Aitken
  It has not been the policy of this or previous Governments to reveal details of the staffing levels required for nuclear warhead research programmes.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 October 1992, to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid),Official Report, column 403, how much expenditure was incurred in 1992–93 on studying alternative technologies for testing nuclear warheads.

  Mr. Aitken
  It has not been the policy of this or previous Governments to reveal costs associated with the nuclear warhead research programmes.

  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with(a) his United States and (b) his French counterparts relating to the development of alternative technologies for testing nuclear warheads; and if he will make a statement.
  402
  Mr. Aitken
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has recently had meetings with both Secretary Aspin and Mr. Leotard, at which a range of subjects of mutual interest was discussed. We are in close touch with the United States and French authorities on nuclear testing and associated issues.

  Search and Rescue
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to utilise the facilities used by the search and rescue service at RAF Leuchars when the service at the base is closed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Search and rescue flying from RAF Leuchars ceased on 1 April. The Aberdeen, Dundee and St. Andrews University Air Squadron will use the facilities vacated by the SAR flight.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimates he has of the cost reductions or increases that will be made with the reorganisation of the RAF search and rescue service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The changes in the deployment of the RAF search and rescue force will reduce operating costs by approximately £6·5 million per annum at today's prices.

  University Air Squadron
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the locations where students of the University air squadron are entitled to have training and flying lessons free of charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Training and flying lessons take place at the following locations: RAF Leuchars; RAF Cosford; Colerne; Cambridge; RAF Turnhouse; RAF Newton; Glasgow International; RAF Woodvale; RAF Leeming; RAF Benson; Belfast City; RAF Boscombe Down; RAF St. Athan; RAF Finningley and the Royal Military College, Shrivenham. My Department does not raise charges against members of the University air squadron, but individual universities may do.

  Outdoor Pursuits
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been seconded to organisations concerned with outdoor pursuits and adventure travelling, including Operation Raleigh, in each of the last five years; and if he will list the organisations concerned; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  None has been seconded. A number of personnel from the three services have, however, participated in expeditions organised by Operation Raleigh, now Raleigh International, and the British Schools Exploring Society. Their participation was authorised as adventurous training and they were regarded as being on duty. According to our records, the number of service personnel involved was as follows:
  403

  Number of service personel

  Year

  Raleigh International

  British Schools Exploring Society

  1992–93

  68

  18

  1991–92

  77

  8

  1990–91

  35

  11

  1989–90

  68

  7

  1988–89

  62

  11

  Total

  310

  55

  Land Sales
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give(a) the amount of land sold by his Ministry and(b) the amount raised from the sale, in each of the last five years in each region of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member.

  British Aerospace
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 April,Official Report, column 508, which organisation paid the salaries of the RAF personnel seconded to British Aerospace; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  British Aerospace.

  Humanitarian Flights
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights have been made since January 1992 by aircraft of the Royal Air Force in pursuance of humanitarian purposes; and how many aircrew have been involved in this activity.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Since 1 January 1992, the RAF has flown over 770 sorties to provide humanitarian aid in Bosnia, Somalia, the Bahamas and Guatemala. In addition, four sorties were flown to evacuate British and other nationals from Angola and Palestinian deportees from Israel; and 10 sorties were mounted to assist with fire fighting in the Lebanon. Also, the RAF has so far mounted over 3,000 sorties in support of the air exclusion zones in northern and southern Iraq and over 500 sorties in support of the various military operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. These operations have involved a significant number of aircrew, but precise details are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Abbey Wood, Bristol
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of the new office development planned at Abbey Wood in north Bristol.

  Mr. Aitken
  The estimated major works cost of the new procurement executive headquarters at Abbey Wood, North Bristol, inclusive of site acquisition, construction, fitting out, professional works management and VAT is £255·4 million at 1993–94 prices.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Crimes (Racial Motivations)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Attorney-General what monitoring is undertaken of the number of cases where racial motivations have been raised by the Crown prosecution service during court proceedings.

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown prosecution service is monitoring both the number of cases identified by the police as containing an element or allegation of racial motivation and the decisions taken by Crown prosecutors resulting from their review of those cases.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Producer Groups
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what sources of funding the Government have made available to develop the marketing potential of producer groups; what is the forecast value of expenditure on producer marketing grants by 1992 and for each of the next three years; and by what means producer groups qualify for funding.

  Mr. Gummer
  The current scheme for developing the marketing potential of producer groups is the group marketing grant introduced in April 1992. Expenditure is continuing under the closed agricultural and horticultural co-operation scheme and EC regulation 1035/72 aid to producer groups.

  Awards under the group marketing grant worth £552,000 were made during the first financial year, 1992–93, of the scheme. Expenditure in 1992–93 and provision for the following three years are as follows:

  £'000

  Financial year

  Group marketing grant

  Expenditure under closed schemes

  1992–93 expenditure

  21

  1,232

  1993–94

  provision

  1,720

  859

  1994–95

  2,938

  280

  1995–96

  3,544

  179

  The conditions attached to the group marketing grant are set out in the brochure, copies of which are in the Library.

  Agri-Environment Regulation
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what are his plans for implementing the EC Agri-Environment Regulation (2078/92); and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [pursuant to his reply, Official Report, 26 March 1993, columns 729–30]: I am today issuing for public consultation proposals for the introduction of up to 30 new nitrate sensitive areas forming the seventh and final element of my proposals for implementing the EC Agri-Environment Regulation in England.

  The new scheme will build upon and extend the NSA approach introduced by the pilot nitrate scheme in 1990. It will encourage changes in farming practices which are

  405
  designed to reduce nitrate leaching losses. The scheme will be targeted on areas around boreholes where such changes will help protect groundwater sources affected by rising nitrate levels.

  The areas have been selected on the basis of advice from the National Rivers Authority taking a wide range of criteria into account. My officials will be consulting locally later this year on the boundaries of each of the proposed new NSAs.

  Detailed arrangements for the new scheme will be finalised after the results of the consultation have been analysed. It is envisaged, however, that it will open for applications in the first half of 1994.

  I am making copies of the consultation document available in the Library of the House.

  EC Animals Directive
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which EC member states have taken the necessary legal steps to implement the EC directive on the protection of animals during transport (91/628/EEC).

  Mr. Gummer
  Monitoring the implementation of EC directives by the member states is carried out by the Commission. It has not yet indicated what action has been taken on directive 91/628.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Luxemburg on 26 and 27 April.

  Mr. Gummer
  The meeting of the Agriculture Council of 26 and 27 April, at which I represented the United Kingdom, again considered the Commission's proposals for farm prices and related measures for 1993–94 but reached no conclusion and will resume its discussions at its May meeting. I stressed the overriding need for the Council's decisions to keep within the tight constraints on Community expenditure.

  During the discussion I urged the Commission to come forward as soon as possible with a proposal for non-rotational set-aside of arable land and it undertook to do so in time for the Council's next meeting.

  The Council formally adopted a decision, agreed in principle at its March meeting, to end the milk co-responsibility levy from 1 April 1993.

  Rights of Way
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice his Ministry gives to farmers and landowners about the maintenance of rights of way over land which is subject to the different types of set-aside payments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The fact that land has been set aside does not affect the farmer's responsibilities as regards rights of way over that land. These are explained in the general guidance on the Rights of Way Act 1990, which has been sent to all farmers.

  SIC (1980)1

  1987

  1991

  Thousands Change

  Manufacturing

  Div 2–4

  62·3

  57·4

  -4·9

  Mining

  AH 1113& 1114

  11·6

  3·4

  -8·2

  All services2

  Div 6–9

  92·0

  101·9

  +9·8

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Foundation for Sport and the Arts
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the total amount of financial support given to angling(a) by his Department and (b) by the Foundation for Sport and the Arts in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 26 April 1993]: Most of my Department's funding for sport is made through the Sports Council. In 1991–92 it paid grant of £71,749 to angling's governing bodies, including £20,660 to the National Angling Council, which was disbanded at the end of that year. In 1992–93 grant paid by the Sports Council to angling's remaining governing bodies was £46,800.

  The Foundation for Sport and the Arts is independent of Government and its grants are made at the absolute discretion of the trustees. I understand that the trustees do not consider angling to be eligible for support on the ground that it is not an athletic sport.

WALES

  Leyland-DAF
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will permit those organisations and agencies answerable to him to draw up plans to assist small companies owed money by Leyland-DAF; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  A wide range of services exists in Wales to assist all companies to enhance their business. The WDA and other agencies stand ready to offer whatever help is possible if approached by any of the companies affected by the Leyland-DAF situation.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the unemployment figures, in each county, at April in each year since 1989.

  Mr. David Hunt
  All available unemployment figures can be accessed on line by House of Commons Library staff.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of jobs lost(a) in manufacturing, (b) in mining, (c) in private services and (d) in the public sector in the areas covered by the valleys initiative during the last five years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  While comprehensive information on total jobs lost is not available, the numbers of employees employed in the valleys initiative area are given in the following table:
  407
  Source: Censuses of Employment.

  1 Standard Industrial Classification (Revised) 1980.

  2Information is not available separately for private and public sector employment.

  Job Creation
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his oral statement of 1 April,Official Report, column 513, whether he will list the companies and projects which have created the 24,000 jobs in the areas covered by the valleys initiative during the last five years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy in the Library of the House.

  Urban Programmes
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what amounts were received by the local authorities within the area covered by the valleys initiative through urban development programmes, and an urban investment grant in 1992–93; and what will be those amounts for each of the next five years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In 1992–93 nearly £20·6 million was approved from the urban programme. This includes supplementary approvals made throughout the year. In 1993–94 a total of £17 million has so far been approved for areas covered by the valleys programme. It is not possible to forecast the corresponding figures for the next four years.

  In 1992–93 urban investment grant awards to the valleys totalled £1·5 million. The amounts in future years will depend on the take-up of the scheme, but provision for 1993–94 has been increased by 40 per cent. Urban investment grant is specifically aimed at supporting private sector development and is not available to local authorities.

  Communication Skills
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he has made for the Further Education Funding Council to provide funding for the teaching of communication skills to adults with severe learning difficulties.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Schedule 2 to the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 lists the courses of further education which the Further Education Funding Council for Wales is expected to secure. This includes courses to teach independent living and communication skills to persons having learning difficulties and which prepare them for entry to further courses of study within schedule 2.

  In his letter of guidance to the chairman of the funding council, my right hon. Friend drew attention to the council's specific duty to have regard to the requirements of students with all types of disability. The council should aim to ensure, so far as is consistent with its duties under the Act, that learning difficulties are no bar to access to further education.

  In allocating resources to further education providers, the council has drawn specific attention to the requirement to have regard to the interests of adults who have basic educational needs.

  Valleys Initiative
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his statement on 1 April,Official Report, column 513, whether he will break down the £1,000 million announced for the valleys initiative into appropriate public expenditure categories for each of the next five years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Total public expenditure under the programme for the valleys over the next five years will be well over £1 billion. I will publish shortly details of the breakdown of programme expenditure for 1993–94.

  B. Dixon-Bate Ltd
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the company headquarters of B. Dixon-Bate Ltd. in Clwyd.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have no present plans to do so.

  EC Funding
  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 £2·8 million under the European regional development fund; how much of the expenditure has already been announced and for what purposes; and on what the residual amount will be spent.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I made it clear in my answer on 20 October 1992,Official Report, columns 283–84, that the £2·8 million to which the hon. Gentleman refers represents resources additional to the very substantial allocations already available from the European regional development fund under the industrial South Wales and RECHAR structural funds programmes. £1·61 million ERDF has already been committed to projects in the Betws and Taff Merthyr areas and the monitoring committees responsible for implementing these programmes will be asked to approve further projects to take up the whole of the available resources by the end of this year.

  Ambulance Services
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales: what plans he has to introduce paramedics to rural and urban ambulance services in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The ambulance services in Wales are to provide at least one fully trained paramedic on each front-line ambulance no later than the end of 1996. This target applies equally to all the ambulance service classifications—that is, urban, rural and sparsely populated—across Wales. The provision of paramedics is currently ahead of schedule, and the Welsh Office will continue to financially support this training.

  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average age of each ambulance fleet in Wales.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not available centrally.

  Doctors' Working Hours
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the number of junior hospital doctors in Welsh health authorities and trust hospitals working over the prescribed 83 hours per week maximum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Health authorities and NHS trusts have confirmed that no junior doctor in Wales is contracted to work more than a maximum average of 83 hours per week with effect from 1 April 1993.

  Cadw
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what targets he has set for Cadw, Welsh Historic Monuments executive agency for 1993–94.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Cadw has been set the following key targets for 1993–94:

  (i) To complete 90 per cent. of the approved conservation maintenance programme.

  (ii) To promote the preservation of historic buildings and ancient monuments by completing 20 resurvey lists and 90 scheduling actions, of which at least 60 per cent. involve additional protection.

  (iii) To resolve 75 per cent. of statutory cases within the target periods (28 days for listed building consent cases, 90 days for scheduled monument consent cases and 120 days for ad hoc listings).

  (iv) To resolve 80 per cent. of grant applications within the target periods (17 weeks for Historic Buildings Council cases, six weeks for Ancient Monuments cases and 10 weeks for Civic Initiatives (Heritage) Grant Scheme cases); and to pay 90 per cent. of properly presented claims within five weeks of receipt.

  (v) To maintain Cadw's market share of the number of visitors to the top twenty heritage sites in Wales at 63 per cent.

  (vi) To increase the average spend per visitor to 188 pence.

  (vii) To operate within allocated programme and running cost budgets.

  (viii) To achieve an efficiency saving of 2–0 per cent. on gross running costs.

  Full details of Cadw's performance against its targets for 1992–93 will be published in the agency's annual report.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Queensferry Post Office
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will visit Queensferry post office sorting office.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I have no plans at present to visit Queensferry post office sorting office.

  Loan Guarantee Schemes
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money has been guaranteed to cover loan guarantee schemes during the last two years.

  Mr Leigh
  Gross expenditure on the loan guarantee scheme in the past two years has been:

  £ million

  1991–92

  31·6

  1992–93

  22·4

  410
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many loan guarantee schemes have been started within the last two years.

  Mr. Leigh
  The number of loans guaranteed under the loan guarantee scheme in the past two years has been:

  Number

  1991–92

  2,936

  1992–93

  2,335

  Telephone Lines (Installation Costs)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will bring forward proposals for an ombudsman to oversee the cost of the installation of telephone lines by telephone companies.

  Mr. Leigh
  I have no plans to do so.

  Textiles
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many applications he has received under the Retex programme; when he expects to make a decision on these applications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Sixty-seven applications have been received. The projects will be considered by the Retex programme monitoring committee after the United Kingdom programme is agreed with the Commission.

  Insolvency Service
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the review of the funding and fee charging policy of the insolvency service has been completed.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 16 February,Official Report, column 136.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many copies of the booklet, "The Prospects for Coal: Summary of the Coal Review White Paper", have been produced; how many have been sent to correspon-dents by post; and at what total cost.

  Mr. Eggar
  A total of 115,000 copies of the booklet have been produced and, so far, approximately 109,500 copies have been distributed. The total cost of production and distribution is approximately £40,000.

  Insolvency Law
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to review insolvency law.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  Officials in the insolvency service continue to monitor the operation of insolvency law, but I have no plans for a general review.

  Company Failures
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the letter sent by his Department to the Public Relations Consultants Association on 1 March about the collapse of Corporate Communications plc.
  411
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  No.

  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to prevent individuals who have presided over the collapse of their companies, of which they have been directors, from setting up similar new businesses with similar customers having failed to honour the debts of their former companies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  The insolvency legislation already provides that directors whose conduct shows that they are unfit to manage companies may be disqualified from holding office. I have no plans to change the legislation in this regard.

  Steel
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the volume of steel production in the first quarter of 1991, 1992 and 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The information is as follows:

  1991 Q1 4·1 million tones

  1992 Q1 4·2 million tonnes

  1993 Q1 4·2 million toness (provisional)

  Source: British Iron and Steel Producers' Association.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made as to the reliability of the volume of steel production as an indicator of economic vitality.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The output of one industry cannot by itself be an adequate indicator of the state of the whole economy.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Internal Market Council meeting held in Luxembourg on 5 April.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  I attended the second Internal Market Council of the Danish Presidency in Luxembourg on 5 April. The Council had a relatively substantial agenda. We managed to make progress on, and defend, a number of significant United Kingdom interests.

  The Council adopted directives covering explosives, doctors' diplomas and motorcyle brakes. We succeeded in postponing a decision on a proposal to establish a 100 bhp maximum power limit for motor cycles until at least the June Council. We do not consider that the limit is justified on safety grounds.

  Common positions were reached on directives covering public supply contracts, unauthorised use and statutory markings of motor cycles, and cable and satellite broadcasting. This last measure together with discussion of a proposed directive on the harmonisation on the term of copyright protection, allowed us to reach agreement on a text on film authorship which protects United Kingdom interests, notably those of film producers.

  I emphasised our opposition to important elements of the European company statutory proposal. We continue to oppose the proposed worker participation directive; the legal base of the measures; and certain important technical aspects of the regulation.

  Unfortunately, most other member states wish to continue work on the proposals.
  412
  There was a wide-ranging televised open debate on the subject of the single market after 1992. The United Kingdom, in line with all other member states emphasised the importance of making the single market work effectively. No operational conclusions were drawn.

  The Commission reported that the overall rate of implementation of white single market measures has now risen to 83 per cent. The United Kingdom is in third position, with an 88 per cent. implementation record.

  Political agreement to extend the transitional period to mid-1995 for the entry into force of the personal protective equipment directive will assist industry by giving it more time to meets its requirements. Motorcycle helmets are now expected to be excluded from the scope of the directive, with the Commission due to provide specific separate proposals within the next six months. Political agreement on the CE conformity marking for industrial products is subject to parliamentary scrutiny reserves.

  The next formal meeting of the Council will take place on Monday 14 June.

  Small Firms
  Ms Quin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the rate of small firm formation by standard planning region for each of the last three years.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 22 April 1993]:The best indicator of regional trends in small business start-ups is given by figures on VAT registrations. Registration rates for the three most recent years are given in the table.

  Registration rates1 (per cent.)

  Region

  1989

  1990

  1991

  South East

  17

  16

  13

  East Anglia

  14

  12

  11

  South West

  14

  12

  11

  West Midlands

  15

  13

  11

  East Midlands

  15

  13

  12

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  15

  13

  12

  North West

  16

  15

  13

  North

  15

  13

  11

  Wales

  13

  12

  10

  Scotland

  14

  14

  12

  Northern Ireland

  8

  8

  7

  United Kingdom

  15

  14

  12

  1 New registrations as a percentage of the stock of VAT registered businesses at the start of the year.

  Other estimates of regional start-ups are produced by Barclays Bank.

  Their regions do not correspond to standard planning regions.

  Estimates of business start-ups produced by Barclays Bank plc

  Region1

  Starts in 1991

  Starts in 1992

  Greater London

  101,000

  98,000

  Rest of South East

  95,000

  91,000

  East Anglia

  25,000

  23,000

  Midlands

  63,000

  58,000

  South West

  39,000

  32,000

  North and Yorkshire

  43,000

  44,000

  North West

  54,000

  51,000

  Wales

  31,000

  28,000

  Scotland

  34,000

  30,000

  Total

  482,000

  456,000

  1 Regions do not correspond to standard planning regions.

EDUCATION

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many parents rang the grant-maintained schools' helpline during its pilot period; and whether it is to be established on a permanent basis.

  Mr. Forth
  The grant-maintained helpline received 2,650 calls during the six week pilot period, of which 2,040 were from parents. The Department is currently

  LEA

  School

  Approval date

  Avon

  Beechen Cliff school

  15 September 1989

  Barnet

  Hendon school

  11 April 1989

  Bedfordshire

  Queensbury school

  11 April 1989

  Berkshire

  Southlands school

  6 December 1989

  Bolton

  St. James' CE school

  28 February 1989

  Brent

  Copland community school

  2 December 1991

  Calderdale

  The North Halifax high school

  21 May 1990

  The Crossley Heath school

  21 May 1990

  Cambridgeshire

  Gamlingay GM Village college

  21 November 1991

  Cheshire

  Bankfield high school (GM)

  2 June 1989

  Kettleshulme primary school

  23 January 1992

  Cumbria

  Queen Elizabeth grammar school

  14 October 1991

  Trinity school, Carlisle

  18 February 1992

  St. Aidan's county high school

  24 February 1992

  Derbyshire

  Netherthorpe school

  30 June 1989

  Ealing

  Greenford high school

  28 January 1992

  Brentside high school

  28 January 1992

  Drayton Manor high school

  4 February 1992

  Wood End first school

  25 September 1992

  Ellen Wilkinson school for girls

  4 February 1992

  Wood End middle school

  25 September 1992

  Northolt high school

  4 February 1992

  Gloucestershire

  Ribston Hall high school

  15 September 1989

  Hampshire

  Calmore GM middle school

  28 January 1993

  Testwood school

  9 November 1992

  Abbotswood GM middle school

  19 November 1992

  Hertfordshire

  Francis Bacon school

  21 May 1990

  Kensington

  Cardinal Vaughan memorial school

  30 November 1989

  Kent

  Oakwood Park grammar school

  20 February 1992

  Wilmington grammar school for boys

  28 January 1991

  Grammar school for girls, Wilmington

  20 April 1989

  Thamesview school

  5 July 1991

  Leicestershire

  Long Field GM high school

  25 August 1989

  Newham

  Stratford school

  21 May 1990

  Northamptonshire

  Southfield school for girls

  24 November 1989

  Nottinghamshire

  Ravensdale middle school

  14 February 1992

  Sandwell

  Manor high school, Sandwell

  30 May 1991

  Sheffield

  Clifford CE GM school

  24 April 1992

  Southwark

  London Nautical school

  30 June 1989

  414
  evaluating the performance of the helpline. Decisions on whether to establish the service permanently have not yet been made.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list by local education authority those schools which were subject to reorganisation proposals which he subsequently approved for grant-maintained status and the dates on which such approvals were given.

  Mr. Forth
  A list of schools which were subject to closure or reorganisation proposals under section 12 or 13 of the Education Act 1980 when they applied for self-governing (GM) status is as follows:
  415

  LEA

  School

  Approval date

  Surrey

  Hawkedale first school

  9 March 1992

  Send C of E first school (GM)

  9 March 1992

  The Manor County first school

  9 March 1992

  de Stafford school

  10 March 1992

  Heathside secondary school

  10 March 1992

  Tameside

  Audenshaw high school

  22 February 1989

  Warwickshire

  The Avon Valley GM school

  28 March 1991

  School Places
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many surplus school places were removed from the education system in each school year from 1984–85.

  Mr. Forth
  The number of surplus school places that have been removed since 1984–85 are as follows:

  '000s

  1984–85

  135

  1985–86

  128

  1986–87

  106

  1987–88

  109

  1988–89

  118

  1989–90

  93

  1990–91

  99

  1991–92

  n/a

  In view of the new national survey of the capacity of schools carried out in 1991 separate figures have not been collected on the number of places removed from the education system in the school year 1991–92 onwards.

  Special Learning Difficulties
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the local education authorities which have applied since the beginning of the year for lap-top computers for children with special learning difficulties; and what response was made to such applications.

  Mr. Forth
  I announced in January a major pilot study to assess the educational impact of using portable computers in schools. The following local education authorities (LEAs) have submitted project bids in respect of children with special learning difficulties:

  LEAs

  Manchester

  Camden

  Salford

  Greenwich

  Stockport

  Hackney

  Barnsley

  Islington

  Rotherham

  Lambeth

  Sheffield

  Lewisham

  Leeds

  Barking

  Avon

  Barnet

  Berkshire

  Brent

  Cleveland

  Bromley

  Derbyshire

  Croydon

  East Sussex

  Haringey

  Hertfordshire

  Hounslow

  Humberside

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  Lancashire

  Merton

  Leicestershire

  Birmingham

  Norfolk

  Coventry

  Somerset

  Liverpool

  Suffolk

  Sefton

  Surrev

  All project bids are currently being assessed and evaluated; decisions will be announced shortly.
  416
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children with special learning difficulties have been statemented during the past 12 months; what funding is made available for such children in state, voluntary sector and grant-maintained schools; and what steps he takes to ensure quality control and adequate provision for statemented children.

  Mr. Forth
  Information on the number of children for whom statements of special educational needs were made for the first time in the last 12 months is not yet available. The latest collated information indicates that statements were made in respect of 30,699 children for the first time during the calendar year 1991.

  Any additional funding for the provision specified in a pupil's statement is the responsibility of the local education authority which maintains the statement, irrespective of the type of school the pupil attends.

  Quality control and ensuring that adequate provision is made for children with statements are similarly matters for local education authorities. Paragraph 5 of part III of schedule 1 to the Education Act 1981 requires authorities to review statements at least annually.

  The Education Bill currently before Parliament makes similar provision—at clause 162—for statements to be reviewed at least annually and provides, for the first time, for the necessary regulations governing the manner in which those reviews are to be conducted. I anticipate that the new code of practice to be made under clause 149 of the Bill will offer guidance on the contents of statements and the manner of their review.

  Music Teaching
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans she has to investigate the political impartiality of music teaching in Sheffield; and what actions are open to parents in this matter.

  Mr. Forth
  Certain conditions must be met before my right hon. Friend can take action on a complaint of a breach of the law relating to the school curriculum.

  Section 44 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 requires local education authorities, head teachers and school governing bodies to forbid the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject. Section 45 of the Act requires them to do as much as they reasonably can to see that any presentation of political issues to pupils is balanced and takes account of opposing views.

  Parents who wish to complain about any apparent breach of curriculum law can do so under the arrangements established by all local education authorities under section 23 of the Education Reform Act 1988 for dealing with curriculum complaints. Schools must make details of these arrangements available on request. The Secretary of State cannot consider a curriculum complaint

  417
  until it has been disposed of locally by the governors, the local education authority, or both, as appropriate. He has received no complaint about music teaching in Sheffield.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Employment Tribunals
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are employed by the offices of the industrial tribunals and the fair employment tribunals; and how many are(a) Protestants and (b) Roman Catholics.

  Mr. Mates
  The Office of Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal is staffed by 26 civil servants.

  Disclosure of information on the religious affiliation of Northern Ireland civil service staff is governed by a code of practice which stipulates that no statistical summaries will be produced which fall outside the categories of analyses agreed with staff representatives. The most recent analyses were published in the "Fourth Report of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Equal Opportunities Unit", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Fish Pass, Toome
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the new fish pass at Toome to be fully in operation.

  Mr. Hanley
  The new fish pass at Toome has been substantially complete since December. However, operation has been delayed pending the completion of some additional features requested by fisheries interests. Completion of these works is dependent on low downstream levels in the River Bann, but it is intended that the fish pass will be fully operational by early June.

  Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the manufacturing output or productivity in Northern Ireland for each year since 1989.

  Mr. Atkins
  Northern Ireland indices of production and productivity for the years in question are as follows:

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Index of Production1

  111

  114

  112

  114

  Index of Productivity1

  112

  114

  116

  123

  1 1985 =100

  Students
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time mature students within the meaning of the grants regulations were in attendance at the University of Ulster and Queen's university, Belfast, each year since 1988.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information is as follows:

  Academic year

  University of Ulster

  University Belfast

  1988–89

  320

  283

  1980–90

  332

  315

  1990–91

  360

  308

  418

  Academic year

  University of Ulster

  Queens' University Belfast

  1991–92

  391

  371

  1992–93

  371

  411

  Figures were supplied by the universities and relate to full-time undergraduate students who had attained the age 26 before entry to the university.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the latest level of unemployment in the Belfast travel-to-work area.

  Mr. Atkins
  At 11 March 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 52,773 unemployed claimants in the Belfast travel-to-work area, representing 12·8 per cent. of the work force in this area.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were unemployed in the Province(a) at the latest date for which figures are available; and (b) in May 1990; and what is (b) as a percentage of (a).

  Mr. Atkins
  At 11 March 1993 there were 106,016 unemployed claimants in Northern Ireland. The number of unemployed claimants in May 1990 was 96,064, which represents 90·6 per cent. of the March 1993 figure.

  Criminal Damage and Injury
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was paid in compensation for criminal damage and injury to(a) property and (b) individuals in each year since 1990–91.

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

  Letter from J. Robinson to Mr. Peter Robinson, dated 27 April 1993:

  I refer to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the amount of criminal injury and damage compensation paid since 1990–91. The Secretary of State has asked me to respond.

  The table below details the amounts of compensation paid including costs and fees.

  Criminal injury

  Criminal damage

  £m

  £m

  1990–91

  19·5

  22·7

  1991–92

  25·0

  33·1

  1992–93 (forecast)

  26·6

  75·9

  The figures for 1992–93 cannot be confirmed until the Appropriation Account is finalised.

  School Leavers
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the forecast number of school leavers in the Province after the 1993 summer term.
  419
  Mr. Hanley
  It is anticipated that there will be approximately 23,000 school leavers in 1993.

  Public Service Employment
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the working population in Northern Ireland is employed directly by the Government or in organisations and industries owned wholly or in part by the state; and if he will give the figures for 1990.

  Mr. Atkins
  At June 1992, the latest date for which figures are available, the public sector in Northern Ireland accounted for 32·7 per cent. of civil employment. The corresponding figure for June 1990 was 33·2 per cent.

  Cardiac Patients
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) when patients will need to wait less than 12 months for their first appointment with a cardiac surgeon;

  (2) what plans he has to reduce the length of time patients wait for their first appointment with a cardiac surgeon.

  Mr. Hanley
  The majority of patients wait between three and 12 months for their first appointment with a cardiac surgeon. It is the Department's aim, in keeping with the patients charter, to ensure as soon as possible that all patients are seen within three months of the date of their referral to a surgeon.

  In his recent report on cardiac surgery services, the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health and Social Services pointed to the inadequacy of the present arrangements for the management of the cardiac surgery outpatient waiting list at the Royal Group of Hospitals Trust. As a result the Department has asked the trust to review the handling of out-patients.

  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the effect on patients' rights under the patients charter of refusal to go outside Northern Ireland for treatment.

  Mr. Hanley
  In the speciality of cardiac surgery a number of patients have declined the offer of treatment outside Northern Ireland. It may not be possible in these cases to offer treatment in the Province within the guarantee period set down in the patients charter. However, these patients will not lose their place on the cardiac surgery waiting list. Those requiring urgent treatment will continue to receive it as quickly as possible.

  It is not expected that this situation will arise for any other treatments.

  Health Care Centres
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what are the quality ratings of each health care centre under the criteria used for the assessment of the quality of clinical care;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the quality of care available in (a) the Royal Victoria hospital and (b) other health care;

  (3) which health care centres will not be used again following assessment by his Department.
  420
  Mr. Hanley
  I assume that the hon. Gentleman is inquiring about medical audit. As I stated in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Rev. Martin Smyth) on 19 April,Official Report, column 19, reports on medical audit are prepared on an annual basis by a regional audit advisory committee and area audit advisory committees in each board. These are then presented to my noble Friend Lord Arran. They are not published, nor are there any plans to do so. The reports are, however, available to boards, trusts and other provider units; specialties within units; and to GPs where they are subject to medical audit.

  It is not intended that the findings of medical audit should be used in making a case for the closure of a health care facility. The purpose of medical audit is to ensure that the services being provided meet the agreed standards for those services and that any shortcomings identified are corrected as soon as possible.

  Independent Commission for Police Complaints
  Sir James Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will lay before Parliament the annual report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  The report, which is the fifth annual report to be produced by the commission since its establishment in 1988, has been laid before Parliament today. It provides a detailed account of the commission's oversight of police conduct, including the supervision of complaints against the police and the commission's role in disciplinary proceedings once a complaint has been investigated.

  It is essential that the community has confidence in the integrity of the police and the commission has a vital role in ensuring that complaints are fairly and properly investigated and that appropriate action is taken. Throughout the report, by providing detailed explanations of its work in investigating actual complaints, the commission demonstrates the high standards and dedication which it applies to its task.

  I am grateful to the commission for all its work. I have no doubt that it will continue to contribute significantly to the enhancement of public confidence in the RUC. In this it has my full support.

SCOTLAND

  Family Mediation Service
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received the final report on a national family mediation service from the Planning, Industrial and Economic Development Advisers, and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has received the final report on the feasibility of a national family mediation service from PIEDA plc. He is considering the report's recommendations.

  Agriculture
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will extend the completion date for integrated administration and control systems forms.
  421
  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 22 April 1993]:Council regulation (EEC) 3508/92 which establishes the integrated administration and control system throughout the EC, requires that the main IACS area aid application form be submitted in 1993 not later than 15 May. Ministers have no discretion to alter this clear legal requirement.

  Paramedics
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 31 March,Official Report, columns 311–12, if he will (a) list the references which show that rapid response by skilled staff to a seriously ill patient enhances recovery and survival, (b) say when he expects to be able to publish the outcome of patients managed by Scottish ambulance paramedics, (c) compare outcomes of patients managed before and after the introduction of paramedics and (d) give the name of Scottish ambulance service's consultant medical director.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 26 April 1993]: The information requires detailed and lengthy explanations and my noble Friend the Minister of State is writing today to the hon. Member on this. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT

  Right to Buy
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the number of houses sold under the right-to-buy scheme.

  Sir George Young
  Since its introduction in 1980, almost 1·5 million tenants in Great Britain have bought their homes under the right to buy. This amply demonstrates the popularity and success of the policy.

  Dioxins (Derbyshire)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what investigations were undertaken by his Department into dioxin levels and their potential sources in Staveley, Derbyshire between the samples taken from near Hall lane, Staveley, early in 1992 and samples taken from several areas on 23 February 1993; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Samples were taken by HMIP in connection with dioxins in the Staveley area of Derbyshire on 18 February 1992, 3 September 1992, 4 February 1993 and 23 February 1993.

  The samples taken were of herbage and soil and from deposits in a scrap metal melting plant at a local foundry. HMIP and MAFF are continuing their investigations into dioxin levels in this area.

  Housing Market
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect the housing market package announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement has had on the housing market; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe).

  Water Companies (Capital Expenditure)
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about Ofwat's monitoring activities relating to capital expenditure of the water companies.

  Mr. Howard
  The Director General of Water Services monitors the performance of the industry and publishes summary information for the industry annually. Investment is running at twice the level previously activated this century.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest information about the level of average household council tax bills.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have just given to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes).

  Mr. Dickens
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average level of band C council tax charged by Labour-controlled local authorities.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) on 23 March 1993 to my hon. Friend the Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls).

  National Parks
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the recommendations of the Edwards committee on the future of national parks.

  Mr. Howard
  Our policy statement on the national parks, published in January 1992, welcomed the general thrust of the report of the Edwards panel and the recommendations for the future of the national parks subsequently put to us by the Countryside Commission and the Countryside Council for Wales. The statement also promised legislation to restate national park purposes and to establish independent authorities for the eight national parks currently run as county council committees. We fully recognise the importance of this legislation and I have made it clear that it will be introduced at the earliest opportunity.

  Public Bodies (Appointments)
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for how many appointments to public bodies he is responsible.

  Mr. Howard
  I am responsible for 988 appointments to 56 public bodies.

  Caravan Sites Act 1968
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is taking to reform the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Sir C. Onslow) on 31 March 1993,Official Report, column 291.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to amend the formula for the calculation of standard spending assessments.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  We are currently reviewing standard spending assessments in consultation with local authority representatives to incorporate detailed information from the 1991 census into the SSA formulae.

  We are taking this opportunity to reconsider more widely the current range of social factors used within SSAs and the weight placed upon them, the basis of the area cost adjustment, measures of population density and sparsity and the inclusion of day visitors. We are also prepared to consider representations about other aspects of SSAs.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken to reduce the release of red list substances into rivers.

  Mr. Howard
  The National Rivers Authority and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution are required, under the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 respectively, to regulate such discharges to rivers, which are subject to appropriate environmental quality standards.

  Urban Policies
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the effect of his urban policies.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Eastham).

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will extend the range of local services put out to compulsory competitive tendering.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Yes. I refer to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington (Mr. Fishburn) on 19 April,Official Report, c. 42.

  Local Authority Housebuilding
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest annual figures for local authority house building; and what was the comparable figure for June 1979.

  Mr. Baldry
  It is estimated that local authorities completed 2,900 new dwellings in England during 1992. They completed 72,500 new dwellings during the 12 months to May 1979.

  Housing associations are now the main providers of new social housing and the Housing Corporation estimates that an extra 80,000 homes will have been made available to new tenants during 1992–93.

  Local Authorities (Recycling)
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with local authority recycling plans.
  424
  Mr. Howard
  A total of 366 waste collection authorities have submitted recycling plans to my Department. Of those, 335 have been cleared by the Department as complying with the necessary statutory requirements.

  Local Government Funding
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make official visits to shire counties in the next month to discuss local government funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to visit any shire county councils during May. I will be meeting representatives of the shire counties at the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on two occasions later this year.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to increase energy efficiency in the housing of people on low income.

  Mr. Baldry
  The home energy efficiency scheme provides grants to low-income households to undertake basic energy efficiency improvements and some £37·5 million is available for grants in 1993–94.

  We also provide substantial assistance for those on low income through local authorities' mainstream council housing repair and improvement programmes, as well as through the estate action and green house programmes. Authorities in England spent over £200 million in 1991–92 on energy efficiency improvements under these programmes.

  The Energy Saving Trust has recently been formed as a private sector company to propose, develop and manage new programmes to promote the efficient use of energy in the domestic and small business sector. The trust will be taking an interest in the problems of low-income households.

  Prestwich Hospital Site
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in relation to the planning inquiry at the Prestwich hospital site in Greater Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  Between the close of the inquiry and the issue, on 5 April, of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's decision on this planning appeal, seven letters were received from local residents confirming their opposition to the proposed development. Two of these were forwarded by the hon. Member for Bury, South (Mr. Sumberg). No representations have been received since the issue of the decision.

  Rented Accommodation
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations have been made over the supply of affordable rented accommodation.

  Sir George Young
  The Department regularly receives a number of representations on the supply of rented accommodation, including in recent months a campaign by the Churches National Housing Coalition.

  Local Authority Debt
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have no outstanding debt.

  Mr. Redwood
  On the latest available information, 18 local authorities in England were debt free for capital control purposes at 31 December 1992.

  Water Supply (Disconnections)
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have had their water supply disconnected in the current year, 1992 and 1991.

  Mr. Howard
  Water companies are obliged to report numbers of disconnections every six months to OFWAT's customer service committees. This information is collated and published by the Director General of Water Services in a press release twice a year. Figures for the six months to 31 March 1993 are not yet available, but in the six month period from 1 April to 30 September 1992 there were a total of 8,284 domestic disconnections. Domestic disconnections for the whole of 1991–92 and 1990–91 totalled 21,282 and 7,673 respectively.

  River Wear (Pollution)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the National Rivers Authority and British Coal regarding the potential pollution of the River Wear likely to be caused by the cessation of pumping after the closure of Easington and Vane Tempest collieries.

  Mr. Howard
  I have not discussed this specific matter with the National Rivers Authority or British Coal. It is for British Coal in consultation with the NRA to assess any environmental effects of pit closures and what measures might need to be taken to avoid pollution.I understand that arrangements have been made between British Coal and the NRA for effective liaison over any proposed closures.

  Empty Dwellings
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of dwellings his Department's estate are empty; and what proportion of local authority dwellings are empty and available for letting.

  Mr. Baldry
  At 1 April 1992 17,500 local authority properties which were empty as a result of management factors, 0·45 per cent. This compares to just seven empty properties, 7·4 per cent., as a result of management factors in my Department's estate at 1 April this year.

  Council Tenants (Services)
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to improve the quality of service council tenants receive from their councils.

  Mr. Baldry
  The extension of compulsory competitive tendering to housing management will improve the quality of service for council tenants and value for money.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the 10 local authorities with the highest level of debt.

  Mr. Redwood
  The 10 local authorities with the highest external debt at the end of 1991–92 were:

  Birmingham

  Southwark

  Manchester

  Camden

  Lambeth

  Leeds

  Islington

  Hackney

  Liverpool

  Sheffield

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) MOD and (b) other Government Department's properties have been purchased by housing associations, through private treaty sales, under the Government's housing market package; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  According to provisional outturn figures from the Housing Corporation, housing associations in England have purchased 78 properties from the Ministry of Defence and none from any other Government Department under the housing market package announced by the Chancellor in his autumn statement.

  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing association units have been purchased by housing associations under the housing market package announced in November 1992 in each local authority in Northamptonshire.

  Mr. Baldry
  According to provisional outturn figures from the Housing Corporation, housing association purchases in each of the local authority areas in Northamptonshire were as shown in the table.

  Local Authority Area

  Number of units purchased

  Corby

  24

  Daventry

  45

  East Northamptonshire

  36

  Kettering

  78

  Northampton

  60

  South Northamptonshire

  17

  Wellingborough

  25

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reply to the letter, sent to him by the hon. Member for Linlithgow, on Monday 12 April, concerning local Government reform.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. and learned Friend replied to the letter from the hon. Member today.

  Fire Brigades
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision has been made in local authority standard spending assessments for 1993–94 in respect of fire brigades' pay; and if he will make a statement.
  427
  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Government expect the national joint council for local authorities' fire brigades to comply with Government policy on public sector pay in settling any pay increase for firefighters in 1993. The provision we have made within standard spending assessments for 1993–94 reflects this expectation.

  Performance Targets
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what performance targets have been set for the Ordnance Survey executive agency in the year 1993–94.

  Mr. Baldry
  The following performance targets have been set for Ordnance Survey in 1993–94:

  1. Recover at least 71 per cent. of the total costs incurred by the Agency.

  2. Survey and map at the basic scales 780,000 units of change.

  3. Increase by 39,000 the number of basic scale maps available in digital form.

  4. Complete the implementation of the network of Ordnance Survey Superplan agents by 1 September 1993.

  5. Despatch within six working days (including the day the order is received) 90 per cent. of orders for small scale maps.

  6. Operate a telephone helpline service for customers between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm on working days, within 10 second response time within these hours and a telephone answering service at all other times.

  These are challenging targets which build upon the good performance of previous years and reflect Ordnance Survey's commitment to providing quality service to customers.

  Footpath Closures
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public footpaths in the United Kingdom were closed under section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in(a) 1991 and (b) 1992; how many proposals to extinguish a public footpath under section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990

  Section 118

  l1983

  l1984

  l1985

  l1986

  l1987

  l1988

  l1989

  l1990

  l1991

  l1992

  l1993

  Confirmed by Authority

  66

  72

  103

  91

  79

  85

  72

  85

  79

  60

  1

  Confirmed by Secretary of State

  21

  25

  25

  22

  26

  23

  17

  33

  6

  0

  0

  Not confirmed by Secretary of State

  7

  10

  13

  8

  15

  8

  4

  10

  3

  0

  0

  Outcome as yet unknown2

  30

  5

  26

  13

  49

  34

  20

  46

  47

  85

  43

  1 This information relates to the closure of both footpaths and bridleways.

  2 These Orders have yet to be decided, or have been deferred or abandoned.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the annual discharge of radioactivity from Sellafield since 1979 in terms of(a) solids, (b) aqueous and (c) airborne releases; and if he will make a statement on the cumulative total of radioactivity currently stored in site at Sellafield.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on discharges of radioactivity from Sellafield can be found in BNFL's "Annual Reports on Radioactive Discharges and Monitoring of the Environment", copies of which are in the Library of the House.
  428
  in each year were referred to his Department for arbitration following protests from members of the public; and how many of these resulted in (i) the footpath being closed and (ii) the footpath remaining open.

  Mr. Maclean
  Details of the number of public path extinguishment orders made and confirmed under section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 are set out in the table. The information relates only to England and Wales as the provisions of the 1990 Act do not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

  11991

  11992

  Confirmed by Authority

  42

  35

  Confirmed by Secretary of State

  4

  1

  Not confirmed by Secretary of State

  1

  0

  Outcome as yet unknown2

  37

  69

  1 This information relates to the closure of both footpaths and bridleways.

  2 These Orders have yet to be decided, or have been deferred or abandoned.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public footpaths in the United Kingdom were closed under paragraph 2A of schedule 6 to the Highways Act 1980 in each year since 1982; how many proposals to close public footpaths in the United Kingdom under paragraph 2A of schedule 6 to the Highways Act 1980 were referred to his Department for arbitration following protests from members of the public in each year since 1982; and how many of these resulted in (i) the footpath being closed and (ii) the footpath remaining open.

  Mr. Maclean
  Details of the number of public path extinguishment orders made and confirmed under section 118 of the Highways Act 1980 are set out in the table. The information relates only to England and Wales as the provisions of the 1980 Act do not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

  The storage of radioactive waste on site is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

  EC Waters Directives
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made in implementing(a) the EC bathing waters directive, (b) the EC urban waste waters directive and (c) the EC shellfish waters directive; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  With respect to the bathing waters directive, I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave the honourable Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) on 18 November 1992,Official Report, c 208. I recently announced the publication of draft implementing

  429
  regulations and an accompanying guidance note for the EC urban waste water treatment directive. Copies of these, and of another consultation paper about the methodology for identifying sensitive areas under the directive, which was issued on 26 March, have been placed in the Library of the House. Twenty-nine waters have been designated under the shellfish waters directive in the United Kingdom. The National Rivers Authority monitors these waters in accordance with the directive's requirements.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans the Government have to contribute towards the costs of implementing(a) the EC bathing waters directive, (b) the EC urban waste waters directive and (c) the shellfish waters directive, in the South West Water services area.

  Mr. Maclean
  The cost of these obligations falls to the privatised water companies, using the funds available to them.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to seek EC permission to delay implementation of(a) the EC bathing waters directive, (b) the EC urban waste waters directive and (c) the EC shellfish waters directive.

  Mr. Maclean
  The time allowed for application to the European Commission for permission to delay implementation of the provisions of the bathing waters directive has expired. My Department will be drawing up an implementation programme for the urban waste water treatment directive, in accordance with its requirements, by the end of this year. There is no provision in the shellfish waters directive allowing member states to seek permission to delay implementation.

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment the Government have made of the impact of the introduction of the uniform business rate on bankruptcy levels in the south-west.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  We have made no such assessment. Bankruptcy may be caused by a variety of factors.

  The business rate transitional arrangements helped those businesses most seriously affected by the 1990 reforms. Many businesses in the south-west benefited from the arrangements. These have already been improved by some £1,250 million as a result of the Non-Domestic Rating Act 1992, with a proposed further £560 million of assistance in this year's Budget.

  Local authority

  Dwellings

  Management functions

  Managing agent

  LB Camden

  Scattered temporary properties for use of homeless

  Rent collection, repairs

  STL Ltd

  LB Camden

  Scattered temporary properties for use of homeless

  Rent collection, repairs

  Paddington Churches HA

  LB Camden

  Scattered temporary properties for use of homeless

  Rent collection, repairs

  West Hampstead HA

  LB Camden

  Scattered temporary properties for use of homeless

  Rent collection, repairs

  Notting Hill HA

  Nottingham

  Bilborough Frail Elderly Unit

  Repairs, nominations, arrears, rent collection

  Anchor HA

  Biodiversity
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now arrange a meeting with his American counterpart to co-ordinate implementation of the priority elements of the biodiversity convention.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend discussed the biodiversity convention with Vice President Gore and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on his visit to the United States last month.

  We were very pleased to hear that the United States now intends to sign the convention and we will continue to work with them to resolve our various concerns about the interpretation of some of its provisions with a view to achieving the objective of establishing the basis for ratification of the convention by the end of this year.

  Housing and Council Tax Benefit
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what regulations are laid down for local authorities in respect of capital for the calculation of housing/council tax benefit; and what is the rationale underlying the level of the implied return on capital.

  Mr. Burt
  I have been asked to reply.

  Regulations provide that no account is taken of £3,000 or less and that there is no entitlement to housing/council tax benefit where capital exceeds £16,000.

  Where capital exceeds £3,000 but is not more than £16,000 an income of £1 a week is assumed for each £250 or part of £250 above £3,000. The formula assumes no particular return on capital invested. It ensures that help is targeted on those who need it most, including those with modest amounts of capital.

  Housing Management
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the management agreements to which he has, since 1 January 1992, given his consent under section 27 of the Housing Act 1985, which are not agreements with tenant management organisations, in each case giving the name of the local authority involved, the name of the estate or a description of the dwellings to which the agreement relates, the main management functions delegated and the identity of the managing agent.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 27 April 1993]: Since 1 January 1992 I have given my consent to 15 management agreements made with organisations other than tenant management organisations under the provisions of section 27 of the Housing Act 1985, as amended by section 10 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986. The details of these agreements is as follows:
  431

  Local authority

  Dwellings

  Management functions

  Managing agent

  Leicester

  Goscote House for student accommodation

  Rent collection, repairs, nominations

  Leicester University

  Newcastle

  The Pines and The Beeches, Cruddas Park for student accommodation

  Arrears, rent collection

  Newcastle College

  LB Wandsworth

  Temporary properties for use of homeless: five dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

  LB Wandsworth

  Five dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

  LB Wandsworth

  Four dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

  LB Wandsworth

  Four dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

  LB Wandsworth

  Three dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

  LB Wandsworth

  Two dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

  LB Wandsworth

  Three dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

  LB Wandsworth

  Nine dwellings

  Repairs, enforcement of tenancy conditions, granting non-secure tenancies

  Threshold HA

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with other United Nations Security Council members about an appropriate response to Croat aggression against Muslim civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are concerned at reports, some confirmed by British troops in Bosnia, of atrocities committed against Muslim civilians, allegedly by Bosnian Croats. The United Nations Security Council discussed the problem of Croat-Muslim fighting in the wake of the recent outbreaks of hostilities between these parties and adopted a statement on 21 April calling on both sides to desist. The EC presidency delivered a protest to President Tudjman on 23 April, and the situation in central Bosnia was most recently discussed at the EC Foreign Ministers' meeting at Hindsgavl on 25 April.

  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Croatia about the attacks by HVO forces on Muslim civilians in and around Vitez, on 21 April.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We deplore the recent violence and support the efforts to halt it, notably by British forces and the EC monitoring mission on the ground, and Lord Owen in discussion with Croat and Muslim leaders. The EC presidency on behalf of the EC and member states delivered a strongly worded dêmarche to President Tudjman on 23 April about the renewed fighting between Croats and Muslims in central Bosnia, calling on the President to use his influence to bring about an end to the hostilities.
  432
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure British forces in Bosnia and Croatia as part of the United Nations peacekeeping forces are given copies of the Blue Book handbook on peaceful settlement of disputes between states, provided by the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs last year.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A copy of this publication has been passed to the Ministry of Defence for onward transmission to the British forces serving with the United Nations protection force in former Yugoslavia.

  Nuclear Accident, Siberia
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has sought from his Russian counterpart on the recent accident at the Tomsk-7 nuclear reprocessing plant in Siberia in regard to dispersal of radioactivity to the atmosphere; and what response he has received.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Since the incident at Tomsk-7 Her Majesty's embassy in Moscow has remained in close touch with the appropriate Russian authorities who have been providing information in a timely manner. The Russian authorities have confirmed that action is being taken to decontaminate areas affected by the incident.

  Cambodia
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United Nations concerning an increase in funding to UN operations in Cambodia to enable an effective peace settlement, the clearance of land mines and the implementation of infrastructure reforms.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The costs of the UN operation in Cambodia were estimated to be $1·69 billion. This should be sufficient to enable the UN transitional authority in
  433
  Cambodia to continue to operate until its mandate expires three months after the elections due to be held from 23 to 27 May. The international community has also pledged some $880 million for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Cambodia, much of which will be provided through UN agencies working in the country.

  Sudan
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the principal concerns of the Government about human rights in Sudan.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have many concerns. These include reports of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detentions and instances of torture, and the plight of displaced persons. We are also concerned at the lack of progress towards a genuinely accountable form of government acceptable to all sections of Sudan, and at interference with fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of religion and expression.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by the Christian churches operating in Sudan to the British Government about the conditions under which they operate in Sudan.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have had written and oral representations from the Anglican Church and other churches active in Sudan, both Protestant and Catholic, expressing concern at official harassment of Christian communities throughout the country. We are naturally concerned. We will keep in touch with the churches about ways of maintaining pressure on the Sudanese Government.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made about the safety of the Nuba people in Sudan; and if the Government will make special representations to the United Nations that an international team should be sent to the Nuba mountains to find out what has been happening to the Nuba people.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are deeply concerned by the accounts which have reached us over recent months of human rights abuses in the Nuba Hills. We trust that the Government of Sudan will give unhindered access to the special rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights so that he can investigate these reports.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what pressure he is putting on the combatants in the Sudanese civil war to reach a peaceful settlement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have urged all parties to the civil war to resolve Sudan's problems through negotiation. We welcome the Nigerian Government's success in reconvening peace talks between delegations of the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when it is expected that the special rapporteur to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights will start his work on Sudan.
  434
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The special rapporteur will start his work as soon as possible after his appointment has been confirmed by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. We shall work for this decision to be made as soon as possible. Preliminary work has already begun at the centre of human rights in Geneva.

  United Nations Peacekeeping Department
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to make a one-off additional donation to the United Nations peacekeeping department.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no plans to make an additional cash donation to the United Nations department of peacekeeping operations. We are, however, providing 4 Army majors to the secretariat to assist with military aspects of planning and conducting peacekeeping operations, at no cost to the United Nations.

  Iraq
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United Nations and the Government of Iraq concerning the treatment and well-being of the marsh Arabs of southern Iraq.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We fully support United Nations Security Council resolution 688 which condemns the repression of the Iraqi civilian population throughout Iraq and demands an immediate end to this repression. We are concerned at Iraq's failure to comply with United Nations SCR 688 and take every opportunity to call on Iraq to do so. Most recently our permanent representative at the United Nations reminded the United Nations Security Council sanctions review meeting on 29 March that the"repression of the civilian population continues in many parts of Iraq, notably the south, where the draining of the marshes threatens an environmental as well as a human tragedy".

  We have consistently called on Iraq to allow human rights monitors into the whole of the country, especially the south, to report on the situation there in accordance with the request of the United Nations special rapporteur on Iraq but to date Iraq has failed to comply with this request.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the latest situation in Kashmir in respect of human rights.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The state of human rights in Kashmir gives grounds for concern. During his recent visit to India, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised with the Indian Prime Minister the situation in Kashmir. Mr. Narasimha Rao reiterated his commitment to respect for human rights. He confirmed that he would be introducing legislation soon to set up an independent human rights commission, which he was determined would be effective. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister encouraged him to allow independent international human rights organisations and others to visit Kashmir.

  Korea
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by the United Nations against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in response to Korea's withdrawal from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 8 April, the President of the United Nations Security Council issued a statement on North Korea which expressed concern at the situation, reaffirmed the importance of the non-proliferation treaty and of parties adhering to it, and encouraged the International Atomic Energy Agency to continue consultations with North Korea. The Security Council remains seized of the matter and discussions continue on how to resolve the situation.

  Turkey
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of evidence of aerial bombing of Kurdish areas of Turkey and of the enforced evacuation of Kurdish villages, in Turkey.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Kurdish Workers' party's (PKK) nine-year terrorist campaign in south-east Turkey constitutes a serious threat to security in the region.436
  During that period there have been 6,000 deaths. The Turkish authorities have made no secret of the aerial bombardment of suspected positions of PKK terrorists. We are aware of allegations, which the Turkish Government deny, of forced evacuation of villages in south-east Turkey. We frequently make clear to the Turkish Government the importance we attach to combating terrorism within a legal framework and with full respect for human rights.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Turkish authorities in relation to rights of the Kurdish ethnic minority and progress towards a political solution on the issue.

  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 Kurdish Workers' party (PKK) 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 the present calm situation continues, and the announcement of steps aimed at increasing both investment in that part of the country and recognition of the Kurdish cultural identity.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Fire Brigades
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the fire brigade pay formula agreement will be honoured in 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) on 22 April, at column 182.

  Pet Animals Act 1951
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Pet Animals Act 1951.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  There are no plans at present to amend the Pet Animals Act 1951, as amended in 1983.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what involvement officials of his Department will have in the sub-committee established by Interpol at its special meeting in Lyons in January to draw up common reporting and recording standards of sensitive nuclear materials apprehended by European police forces.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Home Office officials will not be involved.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department had at the meeting of Interpol held in Lyons in January on European police co-operation in combating the illegal imports and exports of nuclear materials to European countries.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No Home Office officials attended the Interpol meeting on illegal trafficking of radioactive substances.

  Crime, Greater Manchester
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men have been convicted of >offences which involved the use of a knife at courts covering the Greater Manchester area for each of the last three years.

  Mr. Jack
  Information available centrally, which is given in the table, relates only to the number of persons found guilty of possession of knives under section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 and section 139, of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, for the years 1989 to 1991. It is not possible to distinguish centrally whether knives have been used for other offences, such as wounding. Information for 1992 is not yet available.

  Number of male offenders who were found guilty of offences of possession of knives in the Greater Manchester Police Force Area 1989–1991

  Males

  Offence

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Carrying of offensive weapons without lawful authority or excuse1

  289

  246

  294

  Carrying article with blade or point in public place2

  122

  115

  110

  438
  1 Prevention of Crime Act 1953, section 1. May include a small number of offences involving truncheons, etc.

  2 Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 139.

  Court Documentation
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out in table form the name and purpose of each document or item of paperwork which has to be completed by(a) the arresting officer, (b) the custody officer and (c) any other police officer or police civilian staff in England and Wales as part of the process from arrest to court decision where the accused (i) pleads guilty at a magistrates court to taking and driving away, (ii) pleads guilty at a magistrates court to burglary and (iii) pleads not guilty and is tried at a Crown court for burglary.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  It is not possible to set out a table of paperwork. The number of documents that are required will vary according to the procedures of the police force concerned and the precise circumstances of the offence arid of the alleged offender.

  Prison Service (Director General)
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when criteria for assessing the performance-related part of the salary of the director general of the prison service will be determined; and if they will be published.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  From 1 April, when the agency came into being, the performance of the director general will he assessed on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative measures. They will reflect the prison service's key targets, as set out in the agency's corporate and business plans, copies of which are in the Library. The details of the arrangements for assessing the performance of the director general will be settled shortly, but they are personal to him and I have no plans to publish them. His salary, including his performance bonus, will, however, be published in October 1994 in the agency's annual accounts, a copy of which will also be placed in the Library.

  Asylum Seekers, Haslar Gaol
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently on hunger strike at Haslar gaol; and what steps are being taken to end the strike and their detention.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There are currently no detainees in Haslar prison who are refusing food. Persons detained at Haslar under powers contained in the Immigration Act 1971 are held pending resolution of their immigration status or pending removal. Every effort is made to resolve any obstacle to these objectives as soon as possible such as an application for asylum, an extant appeal or application for judicial review, or the need to obtain an appropriate travel document.

  Appeals
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of cases and defendants for each year since 1971 where the original verdict of guilt was overturned on subsequent appeal.
  439
  Mr. Jack
  Information on the number of appeals against conviction by result has been published annually in the Command Paper "Criminal Statistics England and Wales". Table 6.7 of the 1980 publication gives requested data back to 1972. Similarly table 6.6 of the 1990 volume gives requested data back to 1981. Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

  Table 1

  Appeals against conviction1 disposed of, by court and result

  England and Wales

  Number of appellants

  Year

  The Crown Court

  The Court of Appeal

  Total Number of appellants

  Result

  Total Number of appellants

  Result

  Conviction quashed2,3

  Conviction quashed3

  Conviction confirmed or appeal abandoned

  Number

  Percentage of number of appellants

  Conviction confirmed or appeal abandoned

  Number

  Percentage of number of appellants

  1981

  6,202

  4,514

  1,688

  27

  1,418

  1,282

  136

  10

  1982

  6,083

  4,393

  1,690

  27

  1,352

  1,239

  113

  8

  1983

  6,420

  4,532

  1,888

  29

  1,421

  1,287

  134

  9

  1984

  6,769

  5,013

  1,756

  26

  1,735

  1,549

  186

  11

  1985

  7,383

  5,560

  1,823

  25

  1,397

  1,228

  169

  12

  1986

  6,473

  4,737

  1,736

  27

  1,892

  1,730

  162

  9

  1987

  5,893

  4,100

  1,793

  30

  1,129

  995

  134

  12

  1988

  5,527

  3,783

  1,744

  32

  1,267

  1,136

  131

  10

  1989

  6,705

  4,467

  2,238

  33

  1,578

  1,404

  174

  11

  1990

  8,076

  5,368

  2,708

  34

  1,634

  1,436

  198

  12

  41991

  8,537

  5,287

  3,250

  38

  1,711

  1,488

  223

  13

  1 Including appeals against both conviction and sentence (3,663 at the Crown Court and 777 at the Court of Appeal in 1991).

  2 Including cases remitted to magistrates' courts.

  3 Including cases in which a retrial was ordered but excluding cases in which the conviction was quashed on some counts but confirmed on others, or a conviction for a lesser offence was substituted.

  4 Estimated—see note 3.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that all police forces in England and Wales have a common system of recording and classifying crime statistics.

  Mr. Jack
  The police forces already have such a system, governed by detailed Home Office rules and instructions on classifying offences according to statute, counting offences and completing regular statistical returns. However, many of these rules have remained unchanged since 1980 and the large number of definitional and legislative changes that have occurred since then raises the risk of inconsistencies developing. My Department is currently looking at introducing revisions with the aim of eliminating such inconsistencies and thus improving the quality of the crime statistics. As part of this process, each force, as well as representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, have been consulted. I expect a set of proposals to be submitted for my consideration later this year.

  Prison Services
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used for not disclosing information on the ground of commercial confidentiality for parliamentary questions asked about(a) the prison escort service in the east midlands and Humberside and
  440
  1991 data will be published in the Home Office statistical bulletin "Criminal Appeals England and Wales,1991"—table 1 refers—issue 13/93 on 29 April 1993. A copy of which will also be placed in the Library.

  1992 data will not be available until the autumn of 1993.

  (b) each contracted-out prison; and what plans he has to alter the criteria (i) for questions relating to these contracts and (ii) for questions relating to future contracts.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  For both the court escort service and prison management contracts, the non-disclosure of information on the ground of commercial confidentiality is intended to protect the purchasing authority's position in future tendering exercises by not making known to competitors the details of a winning bid, particularly staffing and fee details in the case of a service contract.

  For the future, there will be full disclosure and reporting of a range of performance data on all prisons, whether directly or privately managed. There will also be disclosure of total staffing levels, occupancy and a breakdown of staffing into main categories. Other information will be provided so long as it does not affect security or the rights of individuals or is not commercially sensitive. This will be in response to specific requests if the information is available or can be obtained at reasonable cost and, if necessary, after discussion with the service provider.

  Lawyers (Offences)
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the number of(a) barristers and (b) solicitors convicted of (a) non-motoring criminal offences and (b) offences relating to the conduct of criminal proceedings in (i) 1971, (ii) 1981 and (iii) 1991.

  Mr. Jack
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Side-handled Batons
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for a sample of police forces, including the west Yorkshire police, to conduct trials in the use of side-handled batons by trained police officers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  There are no plans to conduct such trials.

  Bogus Marriages
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been initiated by the Crown prosecution service during 1992 of persons suspected of being involved in bogus marriages.

  The Attorney-General
  JE have been asked to reply.

  The Crown prosecution service does not maintain records of its cases by reference to categories or type of offence.

  Table 6.2

  Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for indictable offences by result

  England and Wales

  Number (thousands)

  Percentage

  Result

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Proceedings discontinued

  2·7

  2·2

  2·2

  1·9

  1·9

  3·0

  10·5

  14·9

  17·7

  22·3

  31·1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  Discharged under section 6 of Magistrates Courts Act 19801

  2·4

  2·1

  2·9

  3·1

  3·5

  4·1

  5·9

  6·9

  7·9

  10·0

  10·6

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  2

  Charge withdrawn

  16·3

  20·1

  22·9

  26·8

  31·9

  39·3

  45·3

  49·1

  51·5

  56·8

  66·6

  3

  4

  4

  5

  6

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  14

  Total discontinued, withdrawn etc.

  21·3

  24·5

  28·0

  31·9

  37·3

  46·4

  61·7

  70·9

  77·1

  89·1

  108·3

  4

  5

  5

  6

  7

  10

  13

  14

  17

  19

  22

  Charge dismissed under section 9 of Magistrates Courts Act 1980

  18·6

  18·5

  18·3

  15·9

  14·5

  14·4

  14·9

  16·3

  15·4

  16·7

  19·0

  4

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  4

  4

  Committed for trial

  81·1

  88·1

  95·7

  98·8

  106·2

  97·5

  111·3

  112·1

  100·1

  100·3

  102·1

  16

  16

  18

  19

  20

  21

  23

  23

  22

  21

  21

  All found guilty at magistrates courts

  401·6

  407·1

  388·1

  374·8

  361·9

  304·7

  600·1

  295·2

  256·5

  262·4

  259·7

  77

  76

  73

  72

  70

  66

  61

  60

  57

  56

  53

  All proceeded against

  522·6

  538·8

  530·1

  521·3

  519·8

  463·0

  488·0

  494·5

  449·1

  468·6

  489·1

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  1 Comparison with Crown Prosecution Service data suggests that these figures are overstated.

  Refugees
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are applied to refugees with exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom when assessing whether or not they should be granted United Kingdom travel documents; and what changes have been made to these in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  [holding answer 23 April 1993]: Asylum applicants who are found not to be refugees but who are granted exceptional leave to remain may apply for a Home Office travel document if they are unable to obtain a national passport. All such applications are considered on their individual merits, taking account of factors including the practicability of obtaining a national passport and any reasons the applicant may have for being unwilling to approach his or her national authorities. This policy has not changed during the last 12 months.

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will give, in table form, for each magistrates court in England and Wales in 1981 and 1991, the number of defendants(a) who appeared before the court, (b) were found guilty, (c) were involved in proceedings which were discontinued, (d) were discharged under section 6 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, (e) were in cases where the charges were withdrawn, (f) were in cases where the charge was dismissed under section 9 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 and (g) were found guilty, as a percentage of those who appeared before the court.

  Mr. Jack
  Information on persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for indictable offences by petty session division and result has been published annually since the 1986 issue in the volumes of supplementary tables to "Criminal statistics, England and Wales"—table 5.6 of volume 5 for 1986 to 1990 and table 4.6 of volume 4 for 1991.

  The provision of information for earlier years or for summary offences would involve disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

  Electromagnetic Fields
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to inform local authorities and other public bodies of the further studies into the physical interaction of electromagnetic fields and the human head being funded by the Government and to advise them that they should take this into account before allowing further siting of telecommunications equipment on high rise flats and schools.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Technology gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 23 April at columns 256–57. The study referred to in that reply will relate only to the interaction of the fields generated by hand-held mobile telephones with the human head and will have no direct bearing on the question of the siting of base station transmitters on high rise flats or schools.

  Advice on the health aspects of base station transmitters was given in the National Radiological Protection Board publication GS 11 "Guidance as to restrictions on exposures to time varying electromagnetic fields", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Orthopaedics Units
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has had about the closure of small specialised hospitals for orthopaedics.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information collected centrally does not enable classification of individual hospitals according to predominant specialty. We have, however, received a number of representations about the provision of orthopaedic services.

  MRI Scanners
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the national requirement for MRI scanners; when she expects this requirement will be met; and when she anticipates an MRI scanner will be provided for the Midland centre for neurosurgery and neurology.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We have made no detailed assessment of the national requirement for magnetic resonance imaging—MRI—scanners. We are continuing with a three year programme of capital allocation for medical equipment including whole body scanners. Six MRI scanners were purchased for England in 1992–93 out of these central funds. A further sum of £15 million has been allocated for this financial year for the purchase of medical equipment. It is for provider units, including the Midland centre for neurosurgery and neurology to decide whether they will provide magnetic resonance imaging.

  Psychiatric Services
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes there have been since 1986 in the collection of information on admissions of psychiatric patients into hospital(a) as voluntary patients and (b) detained under the various sections of the Mental Health Acts; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  From April 1987, following the Korner review of health service information, statistics on detained patients admitted to national health service facilities and NHS patients using non-NHS facilities under contractual arrangements have been collected on the aggregate return KH15. This return collects information on admissions by legal status—that is, whether informal or detained under one of the sections of the Mental Health Act—and by mental category, and covers the financial year. Prior to this, statistics on formal admissions, by legal status and diagnostic group, to NHS mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units were collected by the mental health enquiry—MHE—from all psychiatric hospitals, and were for the calendar year. Similarly, the form KO37 covers admissions to private nursing homes authorised to detain patients, and replaced form SBL631, except that KO37 excludes patients treated under contractual arrangements with the NHS which were included on SBL631. Statistics on changes in legal status after admission were collected for the first time in 1987–88 on form KH16.

  Information on legal status is included in the psychiatric census part of the hospital episodes statistics system. The census includes details on patients formally detained under the Mental Health Acts and on those patients in hospital under the mental illness specialty for a
  444
  year or more. The information collected here includes diagnosis, but the data so far have been deficient and unreliable.

  Dentistry
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies her Department has conducted into the geographical spread of dentist practices which offer new adult patients NHS services.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  National health service dental services are available throughout the country to those who require them. If any patients experience difficulty, they should approach their family health services authority who will be able to help.

  British Nuclear Fuels plc
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the medical facilities and services, including laboratories, in respect of which British Nuclear Fuels plc has acted as agents or provided services for the Northern Health region or any district health authority in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Peter Carr, the chairman of Northern regional health authority, for details.

  Infertility Treatment
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the details of the funding arrangements for women given treatment for infertility under the NHS.

  Mr. Sackville
  Health authorities are funded for the purchase of a full range of services for their resident populations rather than for specific treatments or procedures. Decisions about the resources and priority given to any particular service are the responsibility of individual health authorities.

  Bogus Marriages
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many suspected bogus marriages have been drawn to the attention of the Registrar-General during the past year; and if she will publish in tabular form the number of such marriages reported by each superintendent registrar in the Greater London area.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is shown in the table. During 1992, superintendent registrars reported 189 cases to the Registrar General where they suspected that a proposed marriage had been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls. Of the 189 cases, 152 were notified by superintendent registrars from the Greater London area.

  Reports received by the registrar general from superintendent registrars in Greater London for the period 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1992

  Number

  Brent

  33

  Bromley

  2

  Ealing

  9

  445

  Number

  Hackney

  2

  Hammersmith

  4

  Hendon

  7

  Hillingdon

  2

  Islington

  5

  Kensington and Chelsea

  4

  Lambeth

  3

  Lewisham

  40

  Merton

  5

  Newham

  2

  Redbridge

  1

  Southwark

  6

  Tower Hamlets

  5

  Waltham Forest

  1

  Wandsworth

  1

  Westminster

  20

  Total number of cases reported by London registration districts

  152

  Total number of cases reported for the whole of England and Wales

  189

  North West Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made by the North West regional health authority to improve health facilities at Brinningham, Stockport.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Health services in Brinnington are the responsibility of Stockport district health authority in conjunction with North Western regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the DHA, Mr. F. Russell, for details.

  Halton and Warrington Hospitals
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what has been the ratio of administration and clerical staff to nursing and midwifery staff in(a) Halton and (b) Warrington general hospitals in each year since 1987;

  (2) what has been the ratio of managers to nursing and midwifery staff in (a) Halton and (b) Warrington general hospitals in each year since 1987.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Donald Hammond, chairman of Halton general hospital national health service trust and Mr. Norman Banner, chairman of Warrington hospital NHS trust, for details.

  Ambulance Response Times
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in improving ambulance response times; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 23 March at column 576.

  Pharmacies
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of pharmacies in England; and how many dispense more than 2,000 prescriptions.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The total number of pharmacies in England in 1991–92 was 9,765. Of these, 6,998 pharmacies dispensed more than 2,000 prescriptions each month on average during that year.

  1901 Census
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will relax the 100-year rule covering the release of the detailed data of the 1901 census.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) on 21 April at columns 127–28.

  The Registrar General for England and Wales does not propose to make any further relaxations in the arrangements for the release of information from the 1901 census records.

  Nurses
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses who achieved their basic qualification in the northern region before 30 September in each year since 1987 were(a) in post in the NHS, (b) undertaking further training in the NHS and (c) not employed in the NHS one year after qualification.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  AIDS
  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent in the last 10 years by her Department or via other bodies or organisations of public awareness campaigns and research on (i) AIDS, (ii) leukaemia in children and (iii) spina bifida.

  Mr. Sackville
  For details of expenditure on AIDS public awareness campaigns and research, I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South-West (Mr. Butcher) on 26 April at columns 280–81.

  Comparable information on the amount spent related to children with leukaemia is not available centrally.

  So far as spina bifida is concerned, an expert advisory group report on "Folic Acid and the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects" was launched in December 1992. This publication cost £21,400 to produce and its distribution to the national health service cost in excess of £50,000. A follow-up public information campaign in the current financial year is being planned. Research into spina bifida is undertaken by the Medical Research Council which receives its grant in aid from the office of my rright hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money has been spent by her Department or via other bodies or organisations in connection with the AIDS disease since 1986; and how many cases of AIDS have become known since that time.

  Mr. Sackville
  The cumulative total of Government funding for HIV/AIDS for the financial years 1986–87 to 1992–93 is £886,304,000. This includes money made available for medical treatment and care, training of health and social care workers, infection control, surveillance, protection of the blood supply, HIV testing and counselling, funding of voluntary sector projects, local authority support services, research, and public education and prevention campaigns. This figure does not include spending by other Government Departments on HIV and
  447
  AIDS work connected with their own spheres of interest. Information about total expenditure from nongovernmental sources is not available centrally.

  A total of 7,083 cases of AIDS and 16,164 cases of HIV have been reported since 1986.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many research programmes examining the HIV/ AIDS virus have been funded either directly or indirectly from public expenditure over the past 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The main agency through which the Government support medical research is the Medical Research Council which receives grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for a directed programme of AIDS research covering vaccine development and to improve our understanding of the natural history of the virus. Between 1986–87 and 1992–93, a total of £66,170,000 was made available to fund the programme.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has as to the relative degree of risk to(a) heterosexuals and (b) homosexuals of contracting AIDS.

  Mr. Sackville
  HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, is primarily transmitted by unprotected sexual intercourse between men or between men and women, where one person is infected. The relative risk of acquiring HIV depends on the frequency and type of sexual activity, prevalence of infection and other factors such as the presence of ulcerative genital diseases.

  In general, the individual risk of acquiring infection through unprotected sex between men is at present likely to be far greater than it is for unprotected sex between men and women. This largely reflects the fact that homosexual and bisexual males still account for the greatest number of reports of both HIV and AIDS. However, whilst the numbers of those infected heterosexually are smaller, the fastest rate of growth in HIV reports is now seen in this group.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of known AIDS cases have been among homosexuals and drug users; and what percentage of such cases have come from within the heterosexual community over the past 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  A total of 7,331 cases of AIDS had been reported in the United Kingdom up to 31 March 1993.

  AIDS in England and Wales—Reported and projected

  Table 1

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Cox

  800

  1,250

  1,800

  2,350

  2,950

  3,600

  —

  Day

  —

  —

  856

  1,040

  1,280

  1,600

  2,160

  Reported

  624

  819

  907

  998

  1,276

  1,420

  —

  Table 2

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Total AIDS Day

  1,070

  1,300

  1,600

  2,000

  Total AIDS outcome

  1,160

  1,410

  1,530

  1,975

  Heterosexual AIDS Day

  55

  115

  225

  420

  Heterosexual AIDS outcome

  90

  145

  220

  320

  448
  Seventy-five per cent. of cases are attributed to infection transmitted through sex between men; 5 per cent. of cases attributed to infection transmitted through injecting drug misuse; and 2 per cent. of cases have been reported in homosexual or bisexual men who were also drug misusers. Ten per cent. of cases are attributed to infection transmitted through sex between men and women.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will provide details of the annual forecasts of the number of people likely to contract AIDS and the actual number of cases notified;

  (2) how accurate the forecast made in 1986 by her Department as to the number of heterosexuals expected to contract AIDS over the next 10 years has so far proved to be; and what assessment has been made of the reasons for divergence of outturn figures from the forecast.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government have consistently sought to minimise the uncertainty surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic by providing for high quality HIV surveillance which has informed forecasting work and enabled its accuracy to be monitored.

  Two Official Reports have been published on projections for AIDS cases in England and Wales. The Cox report was published in 1988 on projections from 1987 up to the end of 1992. The projections were not subdivided by exposure categories. The Cox report was superseded, in January 1990, by the Day report which provided projections up to end of 1993. Copies of both reports are available in the Library.

  The reports provide a range of estimates. Table I gives recommended planning estimates from each report for annual total number of AIDS diagnoses, without adjustment for under-reporting, plus the total numbers of AIDS cases reported in each year. However, there is a delay between diagnosis and report so that reporting figures for any one year are not directly comparable to figures for diagnosis. Table 2 gives the Day recommended estimates for total and heterosexual contact AIDS cases, allowing for under-reporting—outcome—plus a projection of the actual numbers of diagnoses allowing for reporting delay.

  The uncertainty of the Cox projections was inevitable because of the lack of relevant data available in the very early stages of any new infectious disease epidemic. The shortfall of AIDS cases compared to Cox's estimates is also attributable to modification of high-risk behaviour among homosexual men in the mid-1980s.

  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the available evidence on the effectiveness of research and awareness campaigns on AIDS; what plans she has to reduce expenditure by her Department on such campaigns; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Results from a range of surveys, including research and evaluation on the Health
  449
  Education Authority's public education campaigns demonstrate significant and sustained levels of public awareness and knowledge about HIV and AIDS.

  Expenditure on such campaigns is subject to careful scrutiny and funding will be made available as necessary to meet the Government's objectives. More information about public education and awareness is set out in the White Paper "The Health of the Nation: A Strategy for Health in England", Cm 1986, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Peto Institute
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further progress has been made on the provision of United Kingdom public funds for an extension of the Peto Institute for Conductive Education.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There has not yet been sufficient progress with construction of the International Peto Institute in Budapest to justify further payments by the United Kingdom Government under our agreement with the Hungarian Government.

EMPLOYMENT

  Youth Training
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many youth training places are currently available; and if she will take steps to identify the total number of 16 and 17-year-olds currently eligible for youth training places.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Information on the availability of youth training places is not collected. However, we are satisfied that there is sufficient YT provision available to meet demand. There are currently some 300,000 young people on youth training or participating in youth credits in Great Britain.

  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced to the. House on 7 July 1992, Official Report, columns 171–72, measures establishing a national system for monitoring the numbers of young people who are registered with the careers service and seeking training.

  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many youth training places she is providing(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the Greater Manchester area.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are currently nearly 300,000 young people on youth training or participating in youth credits in Great Britain and just over 20,000 in Greater Manchester.

  Business Start-up Allowance
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the extra 10,000 entrants to the business start-up allowance announced in the Chancellor's Budget speech will be in addition to the 48,000 entrants for 1993–94 identified in table 10 of her departmental report for the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1993–94 to 1995–96', Cm 2205; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The 10,000 starts will be in addition to the number included in 1993–94 plans submitted by training and enterprise councils in England and Wales and local enterprise companies in Scotland.

  Training Schemes
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what formal rights of appeal exist for a participant in a Government training scheme if he or she has a grievance or feels that they have not received the quality of service they were promised; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Detailed grievance procedures are a matter for training and enterprise councils to devise and to arrange for participants to be informed. A contractual requirement placed on TECs is that alternative provision is offered to any participants who express reasonable dissatisfaction with the delivery of their training.

  Citizens Charter
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what citizens charter provisions apply to the rights of youth training, training for work and learning for work participants; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The programmes cited by the hon. Member are delivered for the Government by the training and enterprise councils. TECs are encouraged to apply charter principles in all of their activities, and many are doing so.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria she has laid down against which training and enterprise councils are expected to assess their providers and award and maintain approved training organisation status; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Relations between training and enterprise councils and the Employment Department are governed by the TEC operating agreement. Under the 1993–94 agreement, TECs are required to contract only with training providers that: obtain and maintain approved training organisation status under criteria published by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, a copy of which is being placed in the Library; or have an alternative system approved by my right hon. Friend, as of equivalent or greater assurance and effectiveness.

  From April 1994, the Employment Department will require TECs to operate new arrangements in the way they contract for, and manage services and products which the Department funds. The new requirements have been approved by my right hon. Friend and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Training
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the condition of 26 weeks unemployment needs to be fulfilled a second time if a person has to leave training for work because of(a) operational difficulties encountered by their provider, including inability to obtain a suitable work placement or (b) illness or an accident before qualifying for another place; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Where a provider is no longer in a position to provide training in accordance with a participants individual participation plan, there is a
  451
  contractual requirement placed on TECs to offer participants the opportunity to transfer to another provider under the terms of a plan substantially similar to the existing plan.

  TECs are required to agree their policy for dealing with periods of injury or illness with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Where an individual is deemed as having left the programme requalification would be necessary. Time spent in receipt of sickness or invalidity benefit would count' towards the 26-week qualifying period.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the reduction of income support on the grounds of refusing suitable employment or for leaving work voluntarily has on the participation allowance paid to a person who then joins training for work or learning for work; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Reductions of income support due to a person being voluntarily unemployed are disregarded once they join either training for work or learning for work. Their participation allowance is based on the same amount as their overall assessment for income support.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances time spent on an allowance-supported rehabilitation course counts towards the 26 week qualifying period of training for work; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Periods of attendance on an employment rehabilitation course count towards the qualifying period for training for work.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what provisions exist for training for work participants who were previously receiving their benefit by a Department of Social Security order book to be paid their participation allowance each week by girocheque; and if she will make a statement.

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

  Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 28 April 1993:
  As the Employment Service (ES) is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to her about what provisions exist for Training For Work (TFW) participants who were previously receiving their benefit by a DSS order book to be paid their participation allowance each week by Girocheque. This is something which falls within the responsibilities she has delegated me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  Where a client was previously receiving their benefit by order book, they are asked to present their order book at a Pre-entry Interview (PEI) which they should attend before entering TFW. At the PEI, clients are informed to cash their final order for the week ending which falls on, or after their TFW start date. Once the final order has been cashed, the order book must be returned immediately to the local Benefits Agency (BA) office.
  Subsequent payments of participation allowance are then paid at a level equal to the benefit previously in payment but with the addition of £10 Premium. Where the client is in receipt of Income Support (IS), a form is issued by BA to the
  452
  ES local office to confirm the weekly entitlement to IS. However, some order books include other BA benefits which cannot be changed to a TFW participation allowance, for example attendance allowance. In these cases, if a client is still eligible for the other benefit(s), a revised order book (or girocheques) covering these benefits only is issued by BA.
  All clients who transfer from a BA order book are paid their participation allowance weekly and receive their payments on their normal pay day. For example, participants who would normally cash their order on a Monday receive their participation allowance girocheque in time for them to cash it on that day.
  Revised guidance has recently been issued to our local offices to ensure that the people referred to in your question receive their participation allowances promptly.
  I hope this is helpful.
  As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances people can participate on a part-time basis in training for work, learning for work and the community action programme; what participation allowance they are entitled to; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Non-employed participants on training for work who receive an allowance can attend part-time for a minimum of 15 hours per seven-day period, provided the TEC or provider accepts that personal or domestic circumstances are such that they could not reasonably be required to attend full-time. There is no abatement of allowance for part-time attendance. Non-employed participants not in receipt of an allowance just attend for more than 21 hours per seven-day period. For participants who are employed or self employed and who are not in receipt of an allowance, there is no minimum hours of attendance required. Learning for work will only offer support to attend full-time courses of 21 hours a week or more.

  Temporary work on community action will be only part time, although there will, in addition, be structured job search assistance aimed at helping participants into work, training or other programmes. Participants will receive an allowance equivalent to their benefit entitlement plus £10 a week.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if people on disability benefits will be eligible to participate in(a) learning for work and (b) the community action programme; in what way the eligibility rules for these programmes differ from those which apply to training for work; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  People on disability benefits will be eligible for learning for work, as they are for training for work. But they will not be able to join community action, as that will be a programme of actual work and could not, therefore, be offered to those who receive a benefit on the basis of being unfit for work.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if participants on the community action programme and learning for work programme will be covered by her Department's analogous industrial injuries scheme; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I can confirm that participants on both community action and learning for work will be covered by the analogous industrial injuries scheme.
  453
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to make the learning for work and community action programmes available in the financial year 1994–95; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Learning for work will provide opportunities for more than 30,000 unemployed people to take vocational education courses in the 1993–94 academic year which spans the 1993–94 and 1994–95 financial years.

  Community action will provide 60,000 voluntary work opportunities. The majority of these will be in 1994–95.

  Sir Rhodes Boyson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will publish the total amount of support given by her Department to(a) training and enterprise councils and (b) all other initiatives in (i) England, (ii) Greater London and (iii) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year from 1982–83 to 1992–93, estimated, distinguishing between current and capital expenditure, though excluding local authority credit approvals and capital allocations.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Information on the amount of support provided in England by the Employment Department is published annually in the departmental report, copies of which are available in the Library

  The expenditure on training and enterprise programmes delivered through training and enterprise councils in London and the south east for 1991–92 and 1992–93: is

  London £ million

  South East £ million

  1991–92

  105·1

  167·5

  11992–93

  131·4

  2129·9

  1 Provisional

  2This figure excludes expenditure on Hertfordshire and Essex TECs after 1 October 1992, which have now transferred to TEED Eastern Region.

  Notes:

  1. All figures exclude expenditure on adult trainee allowances and TEC management fees.

  2. These figures exclude expenditure through Departmental Area Offices.

  Barnsley and Doncaster TEC
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the staff employed by Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council are disabled; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  It has been the practice of successive Governments to treat information of this kind about individual employers as confidential and not to disclose it without their consent.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the number of staff employed by Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council and the cost for each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  This is a matter for the TEC. However, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the audited accounts of Barnsley and Doncaster TEC, which are in the Library.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled young people are receiving training by the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council; and if she will make a statement.
  454
  Mr. McLoughlin
  In 1992–93 a total of 178 young people with disabilities were trained as part of Barnsley and Doncaster TEC's careership—youth training—programme. This figure, which is the most recent available, represented 4·7 per cent. of the total number of young people involved in that programme and compares favourably with the national average for youth training, which is around 3 per cent.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list by sex the number of young people accepted for each of the last three years by the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Barnsley and Doncaster TEC became operational in January 1991. Information on the number of young people starting youth training since March 1991 is in the table.

  Youth training starts by sex: Barnsley and Doncaster TEC (Numbers and percentage)

  Year

  Starts1 (numbers)

  Male Per cent.

  Female Per cent.

  April 1991 to March 1992

  5,120

  57

  43

  April 1992 to December 1992

  4,680

  60

  40

  1 Figures are provisional.

  Source: Management information Database.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the number of trainees obtaining a qualification through the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council, by sex, for each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Barnsley and Doncaster TEC did not become operational until January 1991, but it is possible to provide some earlier figures for the area covered by the TEC. The table gives proportions of leavers who gained a qualification.

  Proportion of trainees gaining a qualification by sex: Barnsley and Doncaster TEC

  Employment training1

  Youth training2

  Year

  Male Per cent.

  Female Per cent.

  Male Per cent.

  Female Per cent.

  April 1989 to March 1990

  25

  29

  n/a

  n/a

  April 1990 to March 1991

  23

  32

  n/a

  n/a

  April 1991 to March 1992

  26

  34

  23

  25

  1 Full qualification and/or credits towards one.

  2 Full qualification only.

  Source: ET and YT Follow-up Surveys.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when she last had a meeting with the chairman of the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council to discuss budgetary matters; what was the outcome of the discussions; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met Mr. Peter Wetzel, the chairman of Barnsley and Doncaster TEC, when she visited the TEC on 1 March. She had a wide-ranging and productive discussion. The detail of any discussion with TECs about budgetary matters cannot, however, be disclosed at this stage.

  Assessment and Guidance Credits Initiative
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which TECs are participating in the assessment and guidance credits initiative; what are the objectives of the programme; what will happen to the schemes in 1994–95; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The assessment and guidance credits initiative, now known as skill choice, is starting in 15 training and enterprise councils or local enterprise companies. In England these are:

  AZTEC (Kingston/Merton/Wandsworth)

  Birmingham

  CAMBSTEC (Central and South Cambridgeshire)

  CEWTEC (Chester/Ellesmere Port/Wirral)

  Coventry and Warwickshire

  Dorset

  Greater Nottingham

  Hampshire

  Hertfordshire

  Northumberland

  South and East Cheshire

  Tyneside

  Wiltshire.

  In Wales, the initiative is operating in:

  North West Wales TEC (TARGED)

  and Scotland in:

  Enterprise Ayrshire.

  Skill choice aims to enable individuals, predominantly those in employment, to take greater control of decision making about their future careers by developing effective and comprehensive local information and guidance services, including the assessment and accreditation of prior learning; and putting individual people in the driving seat by offering credits, which they can use to buy the guidance and assessment services of their choice.

  The 15 TECs or LECs are participating in the initiative over the two years 1993–94 and 1994–95. If guidance and assessment credits prove successful and cost effective, the Government intend to make them available across the country.

  Gateway to Learning Schemes
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which TECs are participating in the gateway to learning pilot schemes; what are the objectives of the pilots; what will happen to the pilots in 1994–95; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The gateways to learning initiative aims to improve local adult occupational guidance provision and to increase the take up of quality assured guidance opportunities. This will help individuals take control of their own career development. The gateway to learning projects are also developing guidance voucher schemes for locally specified client groups. Experience with the initiative so far is very encouraging.

  TECs selected for gateways receive part-funding for one year. A list of the 29 TECs chosen to participate in the initiative in 1993–94, together with the 12 TECs which took part in 1992–93 follows.

  At the end of 1993–94, when Employment Department pump priming ceases, it is expected that the TECs involved will continue the provision with their own funds. This was achieved with the 1992–93 pilots.

  TECs participating in gateways to learning:

  1993–94:

  Humberside

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  LAWTEC

  County Durham

  Leicester

  Greater Peterborough

  Merseyside

  456

  NORMID

  Leeds

  Rochdale

  Manchester

  Sandwell

  Milton Keynes

  SOLOTEC

  North West London

  Staffordshire

  Rotherham

  Suffolk

  Sheffield

  Teesside

  South Thames

  West London

  Stockport and High Peak

  Central England

  Surrey

  Gloucestershire

  Walsall

  Heart of England

  Kent

  1992–93:

  Coventry and Warwickshire

  Bedfordshire

  Greater Nottingham/North

  Northumberland

  Nottinghamshire

  South and East Cheshire

  Dudley

  North London

  Dorset

  Hertfordshire

  Wiltshire

  Bolton and Bury

  Birmingham

  Unemployed People (Credits)
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which training and enterprise councils are participating in the open learning credits for unemployed people initiative; what are the objectives of the programme; what will happen to the scheme in 1994–95; and if she would make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The following TECs are piloting open learning credits during the financial year 1993–94: CENTEC; Coventry and Warwickshire TEC; Devon and Cornwall TEC; consortium of Essex TEC and Hertfordshire TEC; consortium of Greater Nottingham TEC and North Nottinghamshire TEC; Hampshire TEC; Humberside TEC; consortium of Manchester TEC, Stockport and High Peak TEC, and South and East Cheshire TEC; NORM ID TEC; consortium of Northumberland TEC and Wearside TEC; Tyneside TEC; South Glamorgan TEC. In addition, two local enterprise companies in Scotland will be running pilots —Scottish Borders and Lochaber.

  The objective of the pilots will be to test our open learning credits as a means of providing additional scope for training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies in Scotland to widen the range of support offered to unemployed people to help themselves back to work by improving their vocational skills and knowledge.

  The pilots will be thoroughly evaluated during the current financial year. Decisions about the future will be taken in the light of this evaluation.

  The pilots demonstrate the Government's commitment to exploring different ways of helping unemployed people help themselves back to work. The response to the initiative so far from training and enterprise councils, local enterprise companies and the open learning industry has been very positive and open learning credits are already being issued to unemployed people in some of the pilot areas.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current rate of unemployment in the Wentworth constituency; what level of economic inactivity in the constituency was revealed by the 1992 census; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 27 April 1993]: Official unemployment rates are not available for parliamentary constituencies. The smallest geographical

  457
  areas for which unemployment rate are officially compiled are travel-to-work areas. The numbers of claimant unemployed in the Wentworth constituency in March 1993 stood at 4,824.

  Figures from the 1991 census show that the number of economically inactive people aged 16-plus in the Wentworth constituency on 21 April 1991 was 28,213.

  Unemployment figures from the census of population cannot be compared with those published by the Employment Department. The former are based on a much looser definition and, in particular, do not include an "actively seeking work" criterion in the definition. The Department's figures are available in the Library.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Sickness and Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people receiving(a) sickness benefit and (b) invalidity benefit in each month since January 1992 previously sought unemployment benefit.

  Mr. Scott
  This information is not available.

  Benefits
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people receiving benefits other than unemployment benefit in each year since 1979 were unemployed and under retirement age.

  Mr. Burt
  The benefits payable to unemployed people under retirement age are income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit, and social fund grants and loans. The table shows the number of income support recipients who are unemployed and not in receipt of unemployment benefit for each year for which figures are available. Income support recipients may also be in receipt of housing benefit, community charge benefit and/or social fund grants or loans.

  The number of unemployed people who were not in receipt of income support or unemployment benefit, but who received housing benefit, community charge benefit or social fund grants or loans is not available.

  Number of recipients of income support not in receipt of unemployment benefit

  (thousands)

  Number

  1979

  486

  1980

  678

  1981

  1,084

  1982

  1,437

  1983

  1,621

  1984

  1,750

  1986

  1,901

  1987

  1,793

  1988

  1,377

  1989

  1,118

  1990

  1,019

  1991

  1,244

  Notes:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Due to industrial action there was no count in 1985.

  Pensioners' Income
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage of pensioners with an annual income of less than £5,000 for the latest year for which information is available; and if he will give a breakdown by age.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 14 April 1993 at columns 663–64.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State -for Social Security what consideration his Department is giving to the state of disability living allowance administration arising from reports of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

  Mr. Scott
  All reports received from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration are fully and carefully considered by this Department. When an individual case report brings to light procedural weaknesses then appropriate remedial measures are put in hand. The Commissioner's annual report for 1992 refers to a significant number of complaints about the standards of service for disability living allowance which will be the subject of a later report.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disability appeal tribunals have been held in each region on the subject of disability living allowance; and if he will list their outcome.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of disability appeal tribunals is the responsibility of the president of the independent tribunal service, his honour Judge Thorpe, and the hon. Member may wish to contact his office to obtain this information.

  Claimants Abroad
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review the actively seeking employment regulations in relation to claimants who travel to the United States of America.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no plans to do so. Benefits for unemployment are not generally payable abroad except under limited provisions within the European Community social security regulations. Claimants travelling to the United States of America have no entitlement to these benefits.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review payment of benefits to people living abroad.

  Mr. Burt
  We are reviewing procedures to prevent payment to those living abroad who do not qualify for benefit.

  Rent Allowances
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of expenditure on rent allowances for the financial year 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.
  459
  Mr. Burt
  The latest estimate of expenditure on rent allowances for the financial year 1992–93 is £2,903 million.

  Notes: The source of this information is the 1993 Departmental report published in February 1993. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the cost of upgrading unemployment benefit to the same level as invalidity benefit, including increases for adult and child dependents, for each year since 1987; what would be the cost of doing so for the years up to 1995–96; and what would be the cost per year of paying unemployment benefit at such increased rate for the full duration of unemployment.
  460
  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 19 April 1993]: Estimated costs for year prior to 1993–94 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  The estimated net cost, at 1993–94 prices, of upgrading unemployment benefit to invalidity benefit levels is £740 million in 1993–94 and 1994–95, and £730 million in 1995–96.

  The estimated cost of extending the increased unemployment benefit to cover the full duration of unemployment is an additional £750 million per annum at 1993–94 prices. This estimate is less certain as the characteristics of those people who currently exhaust their entitlement to unemployment benefit are not available and broad assumptions based upon the characteristics of unemployed people not in receipt of unemployment benefit have been used.

  The estimates do not take account of any behavioural changes associated with such upgrading of unemployment benefit.

  GUYANA: AID
  GUYANA: AID
  RUSSIA: UK AID
  RUSSIA: UK AID
  HM LAND REGISTRY: PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS
  HM LAND REGISTRY: PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS
  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NO. 93/306— HM LAND REGISTRY
  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NO. 93/306— HM LAND REGISTRY
  HM LAND REGISTRY AND PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE: KEY TARGETS
  HM LAND REGISTRY AND PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE: KEY TARGETS
  MENTAL ILLNESS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA STATISTICS
  MENTAL ILLNESS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA STATISTICS
  PLUTONIUM SUPPLIES TO JAPAN
  PLUTONIUM SUPPLIES TO JAPAN
  ORDNANCE SURVEY: PERFORMANCE TARGETS
  ORDNANCE SURVEY: PERFORMANCE TARGETS
  IACS: FIELD DATA SHEET COMPLETION GUIDANCE
  IACS: FIELD DATA SHEET COMPLETION GUIDANCE
  IACS: EC MEMBER STATES' INFORMATION PUBLICATIONS
  IACS: EC MEMBER STATES' INFORMATION PUBLICATIONS
  EC ENERGY TAX PROPOSAL
  EC ENERGY TAX PROPOSAL