Written Answers of 7 December 1993

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers; and how many vehicles are involved.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor's Department provides cars for the Lord Chancellor and myself. The annual cost of providing this service is £119,184 (for the year to November 1993). The cost includes two vehicles maintained on a permanent basis and a limousine as required.

  Succession
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in relation to United Kingdom ratification of the Hague convention on succession.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  In March 1990, following the opening of the Hague convention on succession for signature in 1988, the Government issued a consultation paper to obtain views as to whether the United Kingdom should, with a view to ratification, amend its rules as to which law governs succession to a deceased person's estate to bring them into line with the rules in the convention. The response did not indicate a large degree of support for United Kingdom ratification and there was some opposition. The Government therefore decided not to proceed further at present, but the matter is being kept under review. So far only two other member states have signed the convention and there have been no ratifications.

  Torture
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to seek a change in the civil law to allow actions in the English courts for compensation for torture inflicted overseas in violation of international law and enforcement of judgment in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are no plans to amend the law in the way referred to. Under the present law there are circumstances in which a victim of wrongful conduct abroad may sue in England: the jurisdictional rules vary according to the country in which the wrongful conduct took place. A judgment of an English court awarding compensation in such a case will be enforceable throughout the United Kingdom and in certain other countries.

ENVIRONMENT

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total budget allocated by his Department in 1992–93 to urban development corporations in(a) Teesside, (b) Tyne and Wear and (c) the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Baldry
  The answer is as follows:

  (a) £40·3 million grant in aid;

  (b) £44·1 million grant in aid;

  (c) the 12 English urban development corporations and the docklands light railway) received grant in aid of £515·8 million.

  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland are responsible for grant in aid paid to the Cardiff Bay and Laganside development corporations respectively.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has incorporated the code of practice for information security management, published by the British Standards Institution, into relevant contracts with information technology suppliers.

  Mr. Gummer
  The security requirements for IT systems and services used by central Government Departments are stated in the Government IT security policy document. This documenht is supported by the use of the CCTA risk analysis and management method (CRAMM) and baseline security for IT systems (BSITS) risk analysis methods, and by supporting advice and guidance published by the Government IT security authorities. These have been developed specifically for use within government and are regularly reviewed to ensure best practice. The code of practice for information security management was developed by and established for use by commercial organisations and does not specifically address the requirements for the protection of official information.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he is considering in connection with the council tax system; and when he expects to make an announcement.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department is presently consulting the local authority associations about regulations to give an effect to the scheme of transitional reductions for 1994–95 announced by my right hon. Friend on 2 December, and about some minor changes to the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992. I have sent copies of the consultation letters to the hon. Member and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. A number of suggestions have also been put to us for small changes to the secondary legislation covering council tax exemptions and discounts, and we are considering these.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to help the severely mentally impaired living in the community with their council tax.

  Mr. Baldry
  Severely mentally impaired people are not counted towards the personal element of the council tax.
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  A household entirely composed of such people is therefore eligible for a 50 per cent. discount from their council tax bill. This liability may be partly or wholly rebated by council tax benefit, depending on the household's circumstances.

  We have received a number of representations in favour of further assistance for this group. We are considering these representations. I will write to the hon. Member when a decision is reached.

  Construction Industry
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the cost to builders of building and associated products.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have received no direct representations.

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration his Department will give, in making the final decision concerning THORP, to the current status of the negotiations between BNFL and Nuclear Electric or Scottish Nuclear over spent nuclear fuel contracts for THORP.

  Mr. Yeo
  All relevant consideration will be taken into account by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in reaching their decision.

  Incinerators
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the incinerators in the north west licensed to incinerate BSE-infected cattle and scrapie-infected sheep; and how many such carcasses were destroyed in each of the last 12 months at each incinerator.

  Mr. Yeo
  Under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 clinical waste incinerators with a capacity of 1 tonne or more an hour require authorisation by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and those with a lesser capacity require an authorisation from the relevant local authority.

  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has to date authorised no clinical waste incinerators in the north west. From the statistical information collected by my Department, 41 incinerators with a capacity of under 1 tonne an hour were authorised by local authorities in the north west by the end of June 1993. My Department does not hold a central list of these incinerators. However, it is likely that most of these will be incinerators burning clinical waste. Information about each incinerator, including a copy of the application for authorisation, must be included in a public register held by each local authority for the processes for which it is responsible.

  Tendering
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure that, when putting contracts out to tender, his Department includes on the tender list companies which have acquired the BS5750 quality assurance standard.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department fully recognises the value of BS5750 as a quality assurance standard but it does not 126
  make this, as a matter of course, a prerequisite for tendering in order to allow small firms, for which the cost of certification can represent a burden, the opportunity to compete.

  Leasehold Enfranchisement
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government will support the establishment of a leasehold enfranchisement advisory service.

  Sir George Young
  I am pleased to announce that the Government has approved the application from the Leasehold Reform Co-ordinating Committee for financial assistance to enable the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service for England and Wales to be established. The Department of the Environment has agreed to make a grant through its special grants programme of £27,575 in 1993–94 and £73,000 in 1994–95. The Welsh Office will also contribute £1,000 in 1994–95. I anticipate that similar amounts will be made available for 1995–96, subject to the satisfactory performance of the service.

  In addition, they have received offers of support for the service from private sector organisations worth over £35,000 per annum.

  The aim of the agency will be to provide information to the large number of leaseholders whom we anticipate will wish to take advantage of the provisions contained in the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 which took effect on 1 November. These enable qualifying leaseholders either to purchase jointly the freehold of their flats or to purchase new long leases.

  I expect the service to have a very important role to play in advising both landlords and tenants about the necessarily complex procedures involved in exercising these new rights.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if there will be transitional costs arising from local government reorganisation.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: There will be some start-up costs associated with reorganisation, which we expect authorities to keep to an absolute minimum, and which in the longer term can be offset against savings arising locally from the reorganisation.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he has made to ensure that local authorities and council tax payers not involved in local government reorganisations are protected from any transitional costs resulting from areas that are reorganised.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: Transitional reorganisation costs will be incurred only by those authorities in the areas that are reorganised. As my right hon. Friend announced to the House on 2 December, we intend that authorities should be able to meet by borrowing any such costs incurred by them in 1994–95, and that any borrowing should be repaid from savings or sales of assets after reorganisation.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Security Services
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to publishing(a) a full or (b) an abridged version of the chief of the intelligence services' annual report to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Intelligence Bill provides for the Prime Minister to lay before Parliament annual reports by both the Intelligence Services Commissioner and the Intelligence Services Committee. We do not intend to publish the annual report of the chief of the Secret Intelligence Service.

  Ministers (Foreign Visits)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Ministers in his Department who since June 1987 have visited(a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Malaysia, (c) Singapore and (d) South Africa on official business; and which such visits included party political activities in addition to official duties.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Since June 1987 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have made the following visits to(a) Saudi Arabia (b) Malaysia (c) Singapore and (d) South Africa:

  Saudi Arabia:

  Mr. Mellor, December 1987

  Mr. Waldegrave, October 1988

  Secretary of State, January 1989

  Secretary of State, May-June 1989

  Secretary of State, September 1990

  Secretary of State, February 1991

  Mr. Hogg, February 1992

  Secretary of State, September 1993

  Malaysia:

  Mrs. Chalker, August 1987

  Secretary of State, April 1988

  Lord Glenarthur, November 1988

  Secretary of State, October 1989 (for CHOGM)

  Lord Brabazon, January 1990

  Mr. Maude, February 1990 (EC/ASEAN Meeting)

  Lord Caithness, April 1991

  Mr. Hogg, September 1991

  Lord Caithness, September 1991

  Secretary of State, July 1992

  Mr. Goodlad, April 1993

  Singapore:

  Lord Glenarthur, October 1987

  Secretary of State, April 1988

  Lord Glenarthur, October 1988

  Lord Glenarthur, July 1989

  Lord Brabazon, December 1989

  Lord Caithness, April 1991

  Mr. Goodlad, April 1993

  Secretary of State, July 1993

  South Africa:

  Mrs. Chalker, November 1988

  Secretary of State, March 1990

  Mr. Waldegrave, September 1990

  Mrs. Chalker, February 1991

  Secretary of State, July 1991

  Mrs. Chalker, January 1992

  Secretary of State, September 1992

  Baroness Chalker, September 1992

  Baroness Chalker, February 1993

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign
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  and Commonwealth Affairs met members of Conservatives Abroad in the course of his visit to South Africa in July 1991. My right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey attended a Conservatives Abroad reception in South Africa in February 1991. There is no record of any other party political activities by FCO Ministers during the course of official visits to the countries concerned since June 1987.

  Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the meeting of the CSCE of Ministers in Rome.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs represented the United Kingdom at the Council meeting of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe which took place on 30 November and 1 December in Rome.

  The Council decided to develop the CSCE's capabilities in conflict prevention, crisis management and in combating aggressive nationalism. Ministers endorsed arrangements for more comprehensive monitoring and oversight of peacekeeping forces deployed in Georgia. In this and other conflicts oversight and monitoring must ensure that third party military forces are deployed with the consent of the parties, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of CSCE states, are impartial and multinational in character, have a clear mandate and are integrally linked to a political process. There must be a plan for their orderly withdrawal.

  The Council welcomed the resumption of peace talks in Geneva on the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. They urged the parties to take advantage of the initiative represented by the European Union action plan and called for the early, unconditional return of CSCE missions to Kosovo, Sandjak and Vojvodina. The Council emphasised that the CSCE stood ready, in co-operation with others, to rebuild civic society.

  I regret that despite intensive negotiations the Council was unable to agree on any new steps to resolve the conflict dealt with by the Conference on Nagorno-Karabakh. Ministers asked the Chairman of the Minsk Conference to explore urgently the possibility of providing new impetus to the peace process.

  The Council welcomed the withdrawal of Russian troops from Lithuania and stressed the political significance of speedy withdrawal of those remaining in Estonia and Latvia. The Council called for an early, orderly and complete withdrawal of the Russian 14th Army from Moldova and expressed concern at the lack of progress in finding a political solution to the problems of the Transdniester region. The Council decided to establish a CSCE mission to Tadjikstan to promote respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

  The Council reiterated the fundamental importance of respect for human rights and decided to strengthen the CSCE's instruments of conflict prevention and early warning in this context. The Council decided to enhance the role of the High Commissioner on National Minorities and to strengthen the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, for example in its ability to monitor elections.
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  I regret that the Council was unable to develop into principles on non-proliferation the commitment to indefinite extension of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty agreed at Stockholm in December 1992.

  The Secretary General has taken up his appointment as envisaged at the Stockholm Council meeting last year. The Rome Council established a permanent committee in Vienna under the Chairman in Office, to be supported by a unified Secretariat. These arrangements should enable the CSCE to fulfil more effectively its role in setting standards in human rights, resolving conflict, and providing early warning of possible crises. I hope that the CSCE will make an increasingly effective contribution to peace and stability in our region.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department(a) the total number of people employed, (b) the total number of black people and (c) the total number of Asians.

  Mr. Goodlad
  As at 1 April 1993, the number of persons employed in each grade level (ie including equivalent grades) within the Department (including agencies) and the number of those who had classified themselves as being black people and as being Asian were:

  Total staff at grade level

  Total classified as black people

  Total classified as Asians

  Grades 1-4

  167

  —

  —

  Grade 5

  370

  1

  1

  Grade 6

  123

  —

  1

  Grade 7

  865

  —

  2

  Senior executive officer

  676

  3

  4

  Higher executive officer

  1,511

  3

  11

  Executive officer

  2,736

  14

  28

  Adminstrative officer/Administrative assistant

  3,329

  105

  71

  Industrial staff

  63

  1

  2

  These figures exclude staff who have classified themselves as being of other ethnic origin. There is no compulsion on staff to report their ethnic origin; the response rate for the staff in this answer is about 80 per cent.

  European Terms
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice is given to officials about when to use the terms(a) European Union, (b) European Community and (c) European Economic Community.

  Mr. Goodlad
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Cash) on 2 December at column 680.

  Saudi Arabia
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Saudi Arabian Government about delays in the payment of refunds of pension contributions to the Saudi Arabian General Organisation for Social Insurance due to British subjects.
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  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Our embassy in Riyadh is in regular contact with the Saudi Arabian General Organisation for Social Insurance about payment of refunds to British subjects.

  Committee of the Regions
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consult with Welsh representative on the Committee of the Regions before he goes to the European Union summit in Brussels.

  Mr. Goodlad
  My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will see the Welsh representatives at a meeting with all United Kingdom nominees to the Committee of the Regions on 8 December.

  Tibet
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to encourage dialogue between China and Tibet on the future of Tibet; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that the option of Tibetan independence is on the agenda of such dialogue.

  Mr. Goodlad
  We have consistently urged the Chinese authorities to begin talks, without pre-conditions, with the Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, and to allow Tibetans greater autonomy. It is for the parties concerned to decide the agenda for such talks. Neither we nor our European partners believe that independence is a realistic option.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the names and nationality of each member of a delegation of the International Commission of Jurists who visited Kashmir in August; if he will arrange for their report to be placed in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The members of the delegation from the International Commission of Jurists who visited Kashmir in August were Sir William Goodhart from the United Kingdom, Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn from Thailand, Dr. Dalmo Dallari from Brazil and Mrs. Florence Butegwa from Uganda. Their report is expected in January. As soon as a copy is available we will arrange for it to be placed in the Library.

  Exports
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy regarding exports to(a) Israel, (b) Iran, (c) Iraq, (d) Syria, (e) Kuwait, (f) Saudi Arabia, (g) Jordan and (h) Egypt.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I have been asked to reply.

  Apart from Iraq, which is subject to a UN trade embargo and where special arrangements therefore apply, United Kingdom exporters are free, and indeed encouraged, to trade with the countries listed. However, goods covered by the Export of Goods Control Order 1992, as amended, are subject to various restrictions, which will vary from country to country.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many visits abroad the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has made during 1993; and what was(a) the cost to public funds and (b) the purpose of each visit.

  Mr. Portillo
  I made a visit to Mexico and Chile from 3-11 July. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the United Kingdom's relations with the two countries, and to promote trade and investment: several British businessmen accompanied me. Two of the companies represented on the visit have since won major contracts. British Gas was awarded the investment distribution concession for the US$1·1 billion natural gas pipeline between Argentina and Chile. North West Water signed in September a £285 million 10-year contract with the Mexico City authorities for metering, billing and management services.

  The cost attributable to my own participation in the visit, which was borne by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, was £5,526.

  Taxation
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the proportion of gross domestic product paid in(a) income tax and (b) income tax plus value added tax, for each country in the European Union.

  Mr. Nelson
  International comparisons of income tax and VAT receipts are not readily available. However, figures for taxes on personal income and for taxes on general consumption as a share of GDP can be found in tables 10 and 28 of the 1993 edition of Revenue Statistics of OECD member countries, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date the United Kingdom is obliged under the terms of relevant European directives and other agreements to cease to zero-rate each of those categories of goods and services which benefit from such zero rating; what levels of value added tax within the United Kingdom would be able or obliged to apply to each of those different categories of goods and services after that date; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  The United Kingdom is not obliged under any EC directive or other agreement to cease current zero rates of VAT.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to harmonise United Kingdom value added tax rates with those which pertain in other European countries; by what date; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  I have no proposals to harmonise value added tax rates in the United Kingdom with those charged in other European countries.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's long-term plans for the zero rating for value added tax purposes of the sale of new houses.
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  Sir John Cope
  My right hon. and learned Friend said in his Budget statement that he had no proposals to make any changes to the VAT base.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if(a) VAT for goods and services currently zero rated and (b) VAT for goods and services currently exempt are included in his definition of the tax base.

  Sir John Cope
  No.

  Private Health Insurance
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the tax yield in a full year of 3 per cent. tax on private health insurance premiums.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: Private health insurance premia are included within the accident and health category of insurance premia. The yield from tax at 3 per cent. on all insurance premia in this category is estimated to be about £100 million in 1995–96.

TRANSPORT

  London Underground
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he will make funds available for London Underground to commence Work on line renewal of the Northern line;

  (2) when he will make funds available for London Underground to commence work on replacement of escalators at St. Paul's, Notting Hill Gate, Highgate and Marylebone stations;

  (3) when he will make funds available for London Underground Ltd. to be able to commence work on the renewal of signalling systems on the Hammersmith, Circle and District lines.

  Mr. Norris
  London Transport's grant settlement for the three years to 1994–95 was announced on 30 November. Decisions on the timing of individual investment projects are for the management of London Transport and London Underground.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to authorise the construction of the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee line.

  Mr. Norris
  This will depend on completion of negotiations between London Underground Limited and British Gas on a financial contribution by British Gas to the costs involved.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from London Underground regarding projects considered essential for the delivery of a proper service to its customers.

  Mr. Norris
  I am regularly briefed by London Underground on many aspects of its investment programme.

  Railways Regulator
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who will be the regulator for the railways industry; and when he will officially begin his duties.
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  Mr. MacGregor
  I have appointed Mr. John Swift QC as rail regulator and international rail regulator. Parliamentary approval to new expenditure on administrative and other costs of the regulator will be sought in a new estimate to establish an Office of the Rail Regulator Vote (Class VI, Vote 8). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £500,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  M25
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many written representations he has received about the proposed link roads alongside the M25 between junctions 12 and 16; and how many of these came from(a) residents of Staines and (b) other residents of the Spelthorne constituency.

  Mr. Key
  Some 4,250 individual letters have been received in response to public consultations on proposals for link roads between junctions 12 and 16 of the M25. Of these, 263 came from addresses in Staines and 114 from Ashford, Ashford Common, Laleham, Poyle, Shepperton, Stanwell, Stanwell Moor and Sunbury. In addition, some 8,500 pre-printed postcards were received during the consultations and other correspondence has been received subsequently but no statistics have been compiled about the origins of these.

  Heathrow Report
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many written representations he has received about the proposals contained in the Heathrow and south-west quadrant orbital movements study—HASQUAD—report; and how many of these came from(a) residents of Sunbury on Thames and (b) other residents of the Spelthorne constituency.

  Mr. Norris
  To date some 1,700 written representations have been received, of which about 125 were from residents of Sunbury on Thames and about 30 were from other residents of the hon. Gentleman's constituency.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be in a position to decide on the future of the proposals contained in the Heathrow and south-west quadrant orbital movements study—HASQUAD—proposals.

  Mr. Norris
  I hope to make an announcement on the future of the HASQUAD study recommendations at the earliest opportunity, after I have been able to give careful consideration to all the comments received.

  Railtrack
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rate of return on(a) existing and (b) new investment he is asking Railtrack to achieve.

  Mr. Freeman
  We are currently discussing with Railtrack the setting of appropriate financial targets including the required rate of return on investment.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total value of assets transferring to the ownership of Railtrack on 1 April 1994.
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  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail, in conjunction with Railtrack and its auditors, is presently working on the identification of the assets to be transferred to Railtrack, and the values to be ascribed to them.

  River Thames
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will promote the increased use of the River Thames for transporting London's waste to points of disposal.

  Mr. Norris
  The River Thames working group, which I chair, is examining the benefits and potential of maximising all types of traffic on the River Thames, including the transportation of waste. The working group is expected to produce and publish its recommendations next summer.

  Quality Assurance Standards
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that when putting contracts out to tender his Department includes on the tender list companies which have acquired the BS5750 quality assurance standard.

  Mr. Key
  Most of my Department's contracts are placed with the road construction industry.

  Several firms within the industry have already introduced recognised quality management schemes on a voluntary basis but the number to have done so is not yet sufficient to ensure proper competition if such schemes were mandatory.

  For that reason it is not yet a departmental requirement that firms invited to tender for roadworks contracts must have such schemes in place.

  However, my Department is working towards the gradual introduction of quality management requirements within the framework of BS5750. As a first step, we are proposing to introduce quality plans for individual contracts starting next year.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department received a request from the Campaign for Freedom of Information for information about the environmental aspects of transporting nuclear materials; when a reply was sent; and if he will make a statement on the time scale.

  Mr. Key
  A request was received by the Department on 30 September 1993 and acknowledged on 12 October. I expect that a full reply will be sent within the next five days.

  British Summer Time
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by year since 1979 the number of children killed as a result of road traffic accidents(a) before attending school in the morning and (b) after school had ceased in the afternoon when clocks were set at (i) Greenwich mean time and (ii) British summer time.

  Mr. Key
  I regret that the information requested is not available. Road casualty statistics do not distinguish between school days and holidays.

  Motorway Safety
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he has as to the consequences of adding additional lanes to existing motorways for the risks of death and serious injury resulting from multiple or other types of accident.

  Mr. Key
  Available evidence from existing four-lane motorways in Britain does not suggest that accident rates are significantly different on them as compared with three-lane motorways. Motorways are widened to increase capacity and so relieve congestion. If this were not done more vehicles would be forced on to all-purpose roads where the accident rate is significantly higher.

  Vehicle Inspectorate
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is carrying out the current survey of staff attitudes at the Vehicle Inspectorate; and what is the cost.

  Mr. Key
  The current staff attitude survey is being conducted by Peratee Ltd. at a cost of £6,000 plus VAT. Peratee Ltd. are advising the Vehicle Inspectorate on the adoption of total quality management practice. The survey is part of a wider contract the total cost of which is £59,000 + VAT.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total number of staff employed at the Vehicle Inspectorate for each year since 1990.

  Mr. Key
  The average number of staff employed by the Vehicle Inspectorate in each of the last three financial years is as follows:

  Number

  1990–91

  1,653

  1991–92

  11,879

  1992–93

  1,861

  1 This includes 255 staff from the Traffic Enforcement Organisation which was integrated into the inspectorate in April 1991.

  Staff numbers are expressed as full-time equivalents.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total number of vehicles inspected by the Vehicle Inspectorate for each year since 1990.

  Mr. Key
  This data has been published in the VI Annual Report and Accounts for 1992–93, a copy of which has been deposited in the House of Commons Library. With the exception of five small schemes, the relevant data are summarised in the table.

  Inspections

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Annual tests

  HGV vehicles

  778,693

  587,252

  578,499

  HGV trailers

  272,117

  268,270

  266,485

  PSVs

  85,558

  85,907

  87,484

  HGV notifiable alterations

  20,029

  15,882

  21,498

  PSV notifiable alterations

  3,102

  2,926

  2,200

  Class IV, V and ambulances

  13,397

  12,168

  13,228

  Class VII

  —

  81,546

  44,484

  Roadworthiness enforcement

  HGVs inspected at roadside

  112,661

  117,477

  126,370

  PSVs inspected at roadside

  20,527

  21,106

  24,895

  Private and LGVs inspected at roadside

  12,405

  35,231

  31,176

  136

  Inspections

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Operator licensing

  HGV number of vehicles inspected

  59,085

  60,974

  62,093

  PSV number of vehicles inspected

  6,786

  7,288

  8,128

  Traffic enforcement

  HGVs examined

  281,140

  266,746

  295,124

  PSVs examined

  32,584

  33,778

  40,508

  Total

  1,698,084

  1,596,551

  1,602,172

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total equipment budget for the Vehicle Inspectorate for each year since 1990.

  Mr. Key
  The budget for capital expenditure on equipment is summarised below. The budget covers the purchase of testing equipment such as roller brake testers, load simulators and smoke meters. The budget includes spare parts, but does not include staff and other costs involved in maintaining the equipment.

  Year

  Budget

  1990–91

  1,542,795

  1991–92

  1,911,100

  1992–93

  2,110,700

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated saving to the Exchequer of the repeal of the disabled passenger scheme for exemptions from vehicle excise duty.

  Mr. Key
  There were around 20,000 beneficiaries in the disabled passengers scheme at the date of repeal on 13 October 1993. These disabled people will continue to benefit from exemption from vehicle excise duty (VED) for as long as their disability remains. There were around 4,000 new applications per year at the time of repeal, so the estimated saving to the Exchequer is about £500,000 in the first year.

  Trans-European Road Network
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the final decision by the Council of Ministers on TERN.

  Mr. Key
  I have today placed in the House Libraries copies of the Council decision on the creation of a trans-European road network.

  A41
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the growth in traffic on the A41 at Aston Clinton since the opening of the Berkhamsted-Kings Langley bypass; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  None, but traffic counts indicate an additional 2,700 vehicles per day (average 16-hour weekday) an increase of 13·5 per cent. above figures taken before completion of Berkhamsted-Kings Langley bypass.
  137
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement about the design standards proposed or applied to the various sections of the east-west route for which his Department has published proposals or which have already been opened to traffic;

  (2) what plans he has to review his Department's traffic forecasts for the east-west route following the inclusion of the route in the trans-European road network; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) whether he plans to upgrade the design standards of all or any part of the east-west route following its inclusion in the trans-European road network; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave him on 24 November at column 60. Inclusion in the TERN has no bearing on the standards or volume of traffic on the route.

  Driver Identification Numbers
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State, if he will list the smallest number of separate identification numbers that a person with a driving licence can have; and how many persons are employed in the various Departments of state to administer these separate registers, stating the number employed in each case.

  Mr. Key
  For driving licence purposes the "driver number" is the only identification number required. It is automatically generated by computer when a driving licence is issued and requires no additional staff effort. There is no link between the driver number and any other identification number.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has incorporated the code of practice for information security management, published by the British Standards Institution, into relevant contracts with information technology suppliers.

  Sir John Wheeler
  The security requirements for IT systems and services used by central Government

  Date

  Location

  Purpose

  1Travel

  22 January 1993

  Republic of Ireland

  Attend inter-governmental conference

  £5,708·16

  31 March 1993

  Republic of Ireland

  Attend football international

  £3,781·84

  1-8 May 1993

  USA

  Promoting Northern Ireland

  £19,570·17

  25 May 1993

  Republic of Ireland

  Attend inter-governmental conference

  £5,706·33

  26-27 July 1993

  Republic of Ireland

  Speaking engagements

  £3,515·40

  11 November 1993

  France

  Wreath laying ceremony on behalf of Her Majesty's Government at the Somme

  £1,360·00

  Total expenditure

  £39,277·90

  1 These figures are for travel costs of the Secretary of State and, where applicable, accompanying officials.

  138
  Departments are stated in the Government IT security policy document. This document is supported by use of the CCTA risk analysis and management method—CRAMM—and baseline security for IT systems—BSITS—risk analysis methods and by supporting advice and guidance published by the Government IT security authorities. These are regularly reviewed to ensure best practice; have been developed specifically for use within Government; and have been in operation for some time. The code of practice for information security management was developed by and established for use by commercial organisations and does not specifically address the requirements for the protection of official information.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the operation of his Department's sensitive documents unit; how many staff are employed in its operation; and approximately how many documents per annum come within its purview.

  Sir John Wheeler
  There is no sensitive document unit in the Northern Ireland Office or in any of the Northern Ireland Departments.

  Mink Farms
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mink farms have operated in each county in Northern Ireland in each year since 1984; and how many there are at present.

  Mr. Ancram
  There has only ever been one licensed mink farm in Northern Ireland. It was situated in Co. Down and was in operation during the period from 1984 to 1991. There are no licensed mink farms in Northern Ireland at present.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits abroad he has made during 1993; and what was(a) the cost to public funds of each visit and (b) the purpose of each visit.

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  [holding answer 1 December 1993]: I have made six visits abroad in 1993, to 1 December. The available information requested is:

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Television Franchises
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if the changes of rules for television franchises will exempt Tyne Tees/Yorkshire because of his announced two-franchise limit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Holdings plc owns two companies, which each hold a regional ITV licence. If the Broadcasting (Restrictions on the Holding of Licences) (Amendment) Order 1993 is approved, the present limit on the holding of only two licences to provide regional ITV services would remain, although only one London licence could be held. If the holder of another ITV regional licence wanted to own Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Holdings, it would have to make arrangements to keep within the limit of two licences.

  Liverpool
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for NationalHeritage what plans he has to visit Liverpool to discuss the museums in the city; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have no plans to visit Liverpool at the present time. Since taking office, however, I have visited both the Walker art gallery and the Liverpool museum, and have also been to the Lady Lever art gallery and the Tate gallery, Liverpool.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how often he has visited Liverpool since he was appointed.

  Mr. Brooke
  Twice.

  Film Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he has concerning the extent to which United Kingdom television producers are currently using facilities in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: Successive Governments have refrained from interfering in questions of television programme content and production. This is a matter for the broadcasters concerned, so long as they act within the law.

PRIME MINISTER

  Visits
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the official visits by himself and his predecessor to(a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Malaysia and (c) Singapore since June 1987; and which such visits included party political activities in addition to official duties.

  The Prime Minister
  Official visits were made to Saudi Arabia in January 1991, March 1991 and January 1993; to Malaysia in August 1988, October 1989 (for CHOGM) and September 1993; and to Singapore in August 1988. The 140
  official visits made by my right hon. and noble Friend were a matter for her. Since November 1990 each of my visits to the countries concerned have been entirely for official purposes.

  No. 10 Downing Street
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 30 November,Official Report, column 419, which charitable or other non-official organisations or groups have been notified that they may organise events at No. 10 Downing street under the financial arrangements described in his answer.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 30 November 1993 at columns 418-19.

  Ministers (Severance Pay)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list those who have resigned, retired or been dismissed from ministerial office in the past 10 years and the severance pay in (i) cash and (ii) current prices paid to each one.

  The Prime Minister
  As the Financial Secretary explained on 28 October in his reply to a question from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen), the Parliamentary Pensions Act 1984 introduced severance payments for Ministers and other paid office holders in the House of Lords, subject to the conditions set out in the Act. The Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 extended the provision to Commons Ministers and other paid office holders in neither House.

  Although no composite list is kept, we have identified from our records the following occasions on which severance payments have been authorised since 31 July 1984. In each case the severance payment would have been equal to three months of the relevant ministerial salary, as provided for by the Act.

  Ministers (Severance Pay)

    Severance Payments
    Date and ministerial post
    11 September 1984
    Minister of State for the Environment
    26 March 1985
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Environment
    3 September 1985
    Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
    11 September 1986
    Minister of State, Environment
    Minister of State, Scottish Office
    15 June 1987
    Minister of State, Foreign Office
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Trade and Industry
    23 July 1989
    Secretary of State, Trade and Industry
    Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
    24 July 1989
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Energy
    25 July 1989
    Lord in Waiting
    26 July 1989
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office
    22 July 1990
    Minister of State, Industry
    6 September 1990
    Minister of State, Scottish Office
    3 December 1990
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office
    22 May 1991
    Chief Whip, House of Lords
    31 December 1991
    Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords
    11 April 1992
    Secretary of State, Defence
    Secretary of State, Home Office
    Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office
    Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords
    14 April 1992
    Minister of State, Defence
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Energy
    Minister of State, Environment
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Health
    Minister of State, Home Office
    Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office
    Minister for the Arts
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Trade and Industry
    14 April 1992
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Transport
    Minister of State, Transport
    Financial Secretary to the Treasury
    Economic Secretary to the Treasury
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Welsh Office
    27 April 1992
    Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office
    5 May 1992
    Chairman of Committees, House of Lords
    Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees, House of Lords
    Deputy Speaker, House of Commons
    25 September 1992
    Secretary of State, National Heritage
    11 December 1992
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Education
    26 May 1993
    Chancellor of the Exchequer
    27 May 1993
    Minister of State, Defence
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Trade and Industry
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of Public Service and Science
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Transport
    6 June 1993
    Minister of State, FCO
    24 June 1993
    Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office
    16 September 1993
    Chief Whip, House of Lords

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Fire Doors
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee how many additional fire doors have been constructed(a) in the Palace of Westminster and (b) in the outbuildings in each of the last three years; what circumstances resulted in additional fire doors being built; what were the costs to the Exchequer; and how many additional fire doors are planned for the current year.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  This is a matter for the Director of Works and I will ask him to write to the hon. Member.

  Beds (Staff)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee how many beds are available for use by House of Commons staff; what are the criteria for their use; if he will list the numbers of beds at each location; and what is the annual cost of laundry for staff beds.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms. I will ask him to write to the hon. Member.

  Library (Asbestos)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what assessment was made of worker safety in respect of the return of staff to the Library in the summer recess while asbestos clearing work was being undertaken; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  The work to remove asbestos from the Library was carried out by a firm on the approved list for asbestos removal. It was undertaken in accordance with strict guidelines and procedures laid down by the Health and Safety Executive, on the basis of a professional assessment that there would be no danger to staff in the Library.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  LINK Programmes
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing for each LINK programme(a) its year of commencement, (b) its total expenditure, (c) its expenditure in each year of operation, (d) the number of projects in each programme and (e) the planned expenditure for 1993–94.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have been asked to reply.

  The table shows Government expenditure for each LINK programme. Figures given for 1993–94 are for the period April to September 1993; the whole year expenditure estimate is £30 million. Government expenditure on LINK programmes is at least matched by industry.
  143

  LINK programme and announcement date

  Projects

  Government spend £k1

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–942

  Total

  February 1988

  Molecular electronics

  3

  15·9

  136·4

  783·0

  477·9

  1,029·9

  103·4

  2,546·5

  Advanced semiconductor materials

  11

  21·1

  71·0

  594·0

  2,147·3

  2,515·8

  956·2

  6,305·4

  Industrial measurement systems

  34

  23·7

  377·4

  1,317·3

  1,673·0

  1,749·3

  740·3

  5,881·0

  Eukaryotic genetic engineering

  11

  36·6

  99·0

  323·3

  524·5

  428·6

  280·9

  1,692·9

  Nanotechnology

  20

  30·0

  390·2

  656·8

  1,441·4

  1,844·1

  298·3

  4,660·8

  April 1988

  Biotransformations

  13

  14·6

  140·1

  424·4

  761·1

  429·3

  323·1

  2,092·6

  June 1988

  Personal communications

  15

  9·5

  62·9

  669·3

  1,089·3

  1,459·8

  369·5

  3,660·3

  Selective drug delivery and targeting

  6

  —

  155·0

  272·6

  355·8

  270·0

  169·4

  1,222·8

  Construction maintenance and refurbishment

  13

  47·0

  91·0

  99·3

  218·2

  491·8

  182·0

  1,129·3

  September 1988

  Food processing sciences

  33

  —

  288·0

  416·6

  1,761·7

  1,862·0

  826·7

  5,155·0

  April 1989

  Ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration

  9

  —

  1·4

  7·4

  297·8

  461·9

  176·8

  945·3

  Optoelectronic systems

  26

  —

  4·9

  132·4

  1,865·3

  3,549·1

  1,862·1

  7,413·8

  May 1989

  Design of high speed machinery

  23

  —

  533·6

  241·2

  573·9

  1,634·4

  563·5

  3,546·6

  Structural composites

  15

  —

  74·5

  95·1

  529·3

  933·3

  347·0

  1,979·2

  June 1989

  Protein engineering

  14

  —

  7·0

  43·4

  267·6

  1,344·6

  716·6

  2,379·2

  Biochemical engineering

  23

  —

  5·4

  133·3

  694·7

  1,501·5

  837·7

  3,172·6

  New catalysts and catalytic processes

  11

  —

  11·0

  18·8

  215·5

  770·6

  362·3

  1,378·2

  July 1989

  Power Electronic Devices and Derived Systems

  15

  —

  102·4

  423·5

  867·1

  1,097·2

  314·1

  2,804·3

  September 1989

  Control of Plant Metabolism

  3

  —

  —

  10·0

  57·4

  211·2

  83·5

  362·1

  Molecular Sensors

  14

  —

  20·1

  4·8

  312·1

  452·5

  238·7

  1,028·2

  Technology for Analytical and Physical Measurement

  28

  —

  33·1

  109·8

  761·5

  1,113·1

  594·4

  2,611·9

  April 1990

  Transport Infrastructure and Operations

  21

  —

  —

  26·1

  246·0

  293·5

  283·0

  848·6

  June 1990

  Asymmetric Synthesis

  19

  —

  —

  20·4

  28·4

  263·1

  74·7

  386·6

  Crops for Industrial Use

  11

  —

  —

  161·2

  290·4

  412·4

  376·8

  1,240·8

  October 1990

  Enabling Technologies for Advanced Rotorcraft

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  59·0

  2·5

  61·5

  December 1990

  Medical Implants

  6

  —

  —

  10·0

  151·0

  420·0

  252·4

  833·4

  Agro-Food Quality

  21

  —

  —

  —

  44·0

  547·0

  480·9

  1,071·9

  April 1991

  Hydrocarbon Reservoirs

  7

  —

  —

  —

  90·0

  239·5

  140·5

  470·0

  July 1991

  Technologies for Sustainable Farming Systems

  12

  —

  —

  —

  15·1

  192·8

  202·7

  410·6

  September 1991

  Enhanced Engineering Materials

  1

  —

  —

  —

  28·6

  29·2

  31·9

  89·7

  April 1993

  Biological Treatment of Soil and Water

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cell Engineering

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  June 1993

  Personal Communications (Phase II)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  July 1993

  High Performance Interfaces and Protocols

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  440

  198·4

  2,604·4

  6,994·0

  17,785·9

  27,606·5

  12,191·9

  67,381·1

  1 Industry's own spend will be at least equal to that of Government.

  2 Spend as at 30 September 1993.

  Recycling
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage manufacturers to produce products which make use of recycled materials.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In recent years, the main encouragement for manufacturers to use recycled materials in their products has come from customer demand, as members of the public take account of this environmental consideration when making their purchasing decisions. Many Government Departments have helped to encourage demand by themselves specifying recycled content in their purchases of stationery and other supplies. The Department of Trade and Industry is funding a number of projects aimed at identifying new end-uses for secondary raw materials, such as glass, plastics and rubber, and is addressing the issue of product standards to seek to remove any unnecessary discrimination against the use of recycled material.

  Advice Centres
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total budget allocated by his Department during 1992–93 to(a) Business Advice Gateshead, (b) Business Advice Newcastle, (c) Business Advice North Tyneside, (d) Business Advice South Tyneside, (e) Entrust, Newcastle upon Tyne, (f) Gateshead Business Team, (g) Blaydon Business Centre, (h) Marketing Advice Centre, Newcastle and (i) Sunderland Business and Enterprise Centre.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The figures are as follows:

  (a) Nil;

  (b) Nil;

  (c) Nil:

  (d) Nil;

  (e) £218,538;

  (f) Nil;

  (g) Nil;

  (h) Nil;

  (i) Nil.

  My Department was not the primary source of funding for these organisations in 1992–93. The training and enterprise councils (TECs) and local authorities provided core funding for the business advice centres and during this period my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Employment made provision for the TECs in her Estimates.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total budget allocated by his Department during 1992–93 to(a) the business advice centres in Cleveland, Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear and (b) the eight enterprise agencies in County Durham.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The figures are as follows:

  (a) £105,778

  (b) £21,350

  My Department was not the primary source of funding for these organisations in 1992–93. The training and enterprise councils (TECS) and local authorities provided core funding for the regional business advice centres and the enterprise agencies operating in County Durham. During this period my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Employment made provision for the TECs in her Estimates.

  Development Agencies
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the budget allocated by his Department during 1992–93 to(a) the Derwentside Industrial development agency, (b) the Shildon and Sedgefield development agency, (c) the East Durham Development Company, (d) the County Durham development agency, (e) the Northern Development Company Ltd., (f) the Teesside development corporation, (g) the Tyne and Wear development corporation, (h) the Tyne and Wear Development Company Ltd. and (i) the West Cumbria development agency.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The figures are as follows:

  (a) nil

  (b) nil

  (c) £59,855

  (d) nil

  (e) £1,723,500

  (f) nil

  (g) nil

  (h) nil

  (i) nil

  My Department is not the primary source of funding for these organisations. The regional and sub-regional development agencies listed are funded through a combination of local authority and, in some cases, private sector contributions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment makes provision for the urban development corporations in his Estimates.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has incorporated the code of practice for information security management, published by the British Standards Institution, into relevant contracts with information technology suppliers.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Invitations to tender issued by the Department for information technology goods and services include details of any relevant IT security requirements with which the supplier must comply. Those requirements are developed in accordance with cental Government IT security standards and best practice. One factor for consideration can be security within the supplier's own environment. The Department has welcomed the code of practice for information security management as a practical guide to effective information security management and, where a supplier has adopted and implemented the code, this will be evidence that security is taken seriously.

  Konver Programme
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many local authorities have submitted bids under the Konver programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Fifty-eight.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the allocations under the Konver programme to the United Kingdom and France; if he will make representations to ensure that the United Kingdom obtains a fairer proportion of EC defence diversification moneys; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Government expressed concern to the European Commission in May and June 1993 about the
  147
  latter's method of allocation of 1993 Konver grant. The Commission acknowledged that the method and data used were imperfect. In any future Konver initiative the Commission would take account of data provided by the Government.

  Scottish Calibration Centre
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total revenue raised from auction sale of equipment of the Scottish calibration centre.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The recent auction of equipment at NEL was not confined solely to the sales equipment from the Scottish Calibration Centre which was closed in September, it involved the disposal of equipment which had become surplus to a wide range of National Engineering Laboratory activities. The total net proceeds from the sale at auction was £180,725 of which £91,850 represented the sale of equipment which had formerly been used in the Scottish calibration centre.

  Car Boot Sales
  Mr. French
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the annual turnover of car boot sales in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No information is available on the turnover of car boot sales in the United Kingdom.

  Consultants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contracts for technical and technological advice and research have been placed with external consultants since 1 April 1992; what was the total cost; and which such research was commissioned from agencies outside the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My Department does not classify consultancy contracts in terms of their activity or the contractors country of origin, and the information requested cannot be provided other than at disproportionate cost.

  National Engineering Laboratory
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which sections, teams or project groups have been named for closure at the National Engineering Laboratory since 1 April.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The only section team or project group which has been named for closure or closed at NEL since 1 April 1993 was the Scottish calibration centre which was closed on 30 September. The Scottish calibration centre was not a core activity of NEL and employed five staff, two of whom were in scientific grades.

  Exports
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what further proposals he has to assist small and medium-sized firms in their export efforts.

  Mr. Needham
  My Department, jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, provides a wide range of high quality advice and support to United Kingdom 148
  exporters, 75 per cent. of our export services are taken by small to medium-sized companies and I plan to increase their awareness and access to these through the establishment of 200 business links throughout England. With DTI support, business links bring together local business support providers—TECs, chambers of commerce, local authorities and local enterprise agencies—in partnerships to meet the needs, including exporting needs, of small and medium sized companies in their area. Additional export help is targetted at small to medium sized companies that are passive or less experienced exporters through 17 export development advisers supported by DTI, based in chambers of commerce throughout the country.

  Gas and Electricity
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the relationship between the powers of the Director General of Gas Supply and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission with regard to the setting of the capping price for gas.

  Mr. Eggar
  Section 24 of the Gas Act 1986 enables the Director General of Gas Supply to refer to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission the question whether any matter relating to the supply of gas by a public gas supplier to tariff customers, including the tariff formula, may operate or be expected to operate against the public interest. If the Monopolies and Mergers Commission finds that the matter operates or may be expected to operate against the public interest, the Director General is required under section 26 of the Gas Act to modify such conditions of the public gas supplier's authorisation as appears to her to be requisite to remedy or prevent the adverse effects found by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the mechanism which he uses to ensure that the disconnection regulators of gas and electricity use their discretion in ways consonant with national energy policy.

  Mr. Eggar
  Under the Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989 the Director General of Gas Supply and the Director General of Electricity Supply each has a duty to protect the interests of consumers. Domestic electricity and gas disconnections are now the lowest on record.

  Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the proposed timetable for decommissioning THORP.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 2 December 1993 at column 736.

  Insolvency Service
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on possible private sector involvement in the Insolvency Service.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  A recent review by Stoy Hayward. Consulting examined the work of the Insolvency Service and its official receivers and looked at the scope for involving the private sector to a larger extent in their mechanical, processing tasks. I am currently considering what further work needs to be done and shall announce to the House in due course what the next steps will be.

  Plugs and Sockets
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the harmonisation of plug and socket installations to a common European standard; if the European unfused electrical plug is under consideration; what steps will be taken to avoid confusion by the public over differing safety standards; and who is to bear the costs of changing plugs and sockets in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No decision has been taken to change the standard for plugs and sockets in the United Kingdom. Although the plug standards which are currently under discussion in CENELEC, the body responsible for electrical standards in Europe, do not incorporate a fuse, there are other means of providing an equivalent level of protection. My Department has commissioned an independent analysis of the costs and benefits for the United Kingdom, and the results of this study will be published in the new year. In assessing whether any change to our present standards might be desirable at some future date full account will be taken both of consumer safety issues and of the cost implications for consumers and industry.

  Wearmouth Pit
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many British Coal employees at the Wearmouth pit on 26 November(a) work on surface and (b) work below ground; and what is the average annual wage, including shift allowance, of employees in each category.

  Mr. Eggar
  This is a matter for British Coal.

  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the names of all contractors' companies operating at Wearmouth pit, the number of employees of each individual contractor at the pit and that number as a percentage of the total British Coal work force at Wearmouth pit; and what is the average length of employment contract issued by individual contracting companies at Wearmouth pit.

  Mr. Eggar
  This is a matter for British Coal.

  Quality Assurance Standards
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to ensure that when putting contracts out to tender his Department includes on the tender list companies which have acquired the BS5750 quality assurance standard.

  Mr. Eggar
  Our buyers are encouraged to include on tender lists companies certificated to BS5750 or its equivalent wherever possible.

  Government-funded Research
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table updating the information and showing the changes from table 3.19.1 of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research" in the light of the recent public expenditure statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Revised figures for the Department of Trade and Industry's expenditure on Research and 150
  Development will be prepared in light of this year's Public Expenditure Survey and published in the 1994 Forward Look of Science and Technology (which replaces the Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development).

  Waste Paper
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the effect of the level of paper waste prices in Germany on United Kingdom waste paper resources.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 3 December 1993]: The Government are keenly aware of the problems being experienced by the United Kingdom waste paper industry as a result of the German packaging ordinance and the DSD collection scheme. We have raised our concerns bilaterally with the German Government, and at EC level. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, has also written to EC Commissioners, encouraging them to come to an early conclusion on their consideration of the German system's compatibility with EC law.

  My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside, recently attended a meeting of EC Environment Ministers, called by the German Minister, to discuss the effects of trade flows of secondary raw materials, including paper. The German Government referred there to the expectation that some 800,000 tonnes of waste paper recycling capacity would come on stream in Germany by the end of 1994; they have suggested that the quantity of waste paper exported for recycling will diminish substantially as a consequence. In ur view, however, this does not address the fundamental cause of the problem, which is the statutory requirement in Germany to recover and recycle far more waste material than there is demand for.

  The announcement on producer responsibility which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment and I made in July was intended partly as a response to the difficulties caused by over-collection of some materials under the German DSD scheme. It is intended to provide that United Kingdom collectors and reprocessors are put on a similar basis to their competitors in Germany, and in other EC countries.

  For the longer term, we believe that distortions of the kind currently being experienced are,best dealt with by setting an overall framework through Community-wide legislation, such as the proposed EC Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.

  Patenting of Human Genes
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards the European Commission's proposal to ban the patenting of human genes.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: My Department supports the proposal contained in the European Commission's draft Directive on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions that the human body and parts of the body should not be patentable. Whilst this would exclude genes in the body from patentability, we do accept that it may be appropriate for sequences of nucleotides of specific industrial application, which may derive from human genes, to be patentable provided the normal criteria of novelty and inventive step are met.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any plutonium has been exported to the United States of America since 1990 under the 1959 amendment to the 1958 United Kingdom-United States mutual atomic energy exchange agreement.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 3 December 1993]: No exports of civil plutonium have been made to the United States since 1990 under the 1958 defence agreement between that country and the United Kingdom. Exports of other plutonium are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

  Levitt Group
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he now has to appoint inspectors to investigate the activities of Roger Levitt and the collapse of the Levitt group of companies.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 December 1993]: The Serious Fraud Office has conducted extensive inquiries into the activities of Mr. Levitt and the Levitt Group. No useful purpose would be served by my Department duplicating these inquiries into the activities of the undischarged bankrupt Roger Levitt and the companies formerly under his control.

  Jetstream
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what meetings or correspondence his Department has had with the European Commission or other officials of multinational organisations about the effect of unfair competition on Jetstream;

  (2) what representations he has received alleging unfair support to aircraft manufacturers overseas which are in direct competition with Jetstream; what action he has taken; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what visits Ministers or officers of his Department have made or plan to make to the British Aerospace Jetstream plant at Prestwick.

  Number of staff in post

  Black

  Asian

  Other Ethnic Origin

  Grade 1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Grade 2

  3

  0

  0

  0

  Grade 3

  11

  0

  0

  0

  Grade 4

  3

  0

  0

  0

  Grade 5

  47

  0

  0

  0

  Grade 6

  17

  0

  0

  0

  Grade 7

  154

  1

  1

  2

  SEO and equivalent

  111

  0

  0

  1

  HEO and equivalent

  357

  6

  2

  1

  E0 and equivalent

  478

  23

  12

  3

  AO and equivalent

  600

  52

  23

  5

  AA and equivalent

  360

  14

  6

  0

  TOTAL

  2,142

  96

  44

  12

  These figures reflect the number of staff in post and include 360 staff in the Teachers Pensions Agency.
  152
  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answers 6 December 1993]: My Department has had no contact with the European Commission or other multinational organisations about the effect of unfair competition on Jetstream.

  There have been a number of representations from Jetstream alleging unfair support to aircraft manufacturers overseas. We have asked the company for specific details of the evidence they have on these allegations, and have offered to meet them to discuss what remedies are available under international mechanisms.

  Four officials from my Department's aerospace division visited the British Aerospace Jetstream plant at Prestwick in the last year. The recently appointed head of the division is to visit Prestwick in early December.

EDUCATION

  Schools (Inspectors Reports)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the inspector's report naming Dick Sheppard school and Lilian Baylis school as schools as giving cause for concern and serious concern.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Both schools will be inspected in the current academic year under the new inspection arrangements introduced following the Education (Schools) Act 1992. Lilian Baylis school will be inspected in the spring term and Dick Sheppard school in the summer term.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department(a) the total number of people employed, (b) the total number of black people and (c) the total number of Asians.

  Mr. Boswell
  We do not hold information on the ethnic origin of all our staff but of those who have responded to the ethnic monitoring survey (98 per cent.) carried out last year, the figures at 1 December 1993 are as follows:

  Universities
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what new steps he is considering to enable universities to play a more active role in the development of Britain's manufacturing capacity.

  Mr. Boswell
  Universities are already contributing significantly to the development of our manufacturing
  153
  capacity, both through the supply of highly qualified people and through collaborative research and other services. My right hon. Friend has encouraged scientific and technological education in universities through a differential tuition fee structure. He has also recently announced a bursary scheme to encourage particularly able students to enter engineering courses.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to enable university personnel greater freedom to undertake outside consultancy work.

  Mr. Boswell
  It is for universities as employers to determine the conditions of employment of their staff, including arrangements for consultancy work. The Government have no locus in this matter.

  Students
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the trends in students entering higher education from(a) different social classes and (b) differential parental income brackets since the introduction of student loans.

  Mr. Boswell
  Details of the socio-economic background of accepted applicants to higher education have been collected and published by both the higher education admissions agencies since 1991. Details of the number of mandatory award holders in relation to the residual income of their parents are collected and published by the Department in the Statistics of Education Students Awards Volume. The 1993 student income and expenditure survey, the results of which are due to be published shortly, also sought information about the socio-economic background of those interviewed.

  Although it is too early to identify any significant trends, the evidence so far indicates that the introduction of loans has had no adverse effect on participation by students from less well-off families.

  School Performance
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements his Department has for taking into account when judging school performance the range of intake to a particular school and other relevant factors.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Ofsted is responsible for advising my right hon. Friend on the quality of education and standards achieved in schools. I have asked Professor Sutherland, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, to send the hon. Member a copy of his published Framework of Inspection which sets out the criteria for judging school performance. Work on operational approaches to value added in the context of school performance tables is being taken forward by the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

  Numbers and percentages of day pupils taking free school meals in maintained schools in England—January 1992

  Primary (including nursery)

  Secondary

  Special

  LEA

  number

  percentage

  number

  percentage

  number

  percentage

  Corporation of London

  91

  41

  Camden

  3,291

  31

  1,762

  17

  143

  48

  Greenwich

  5,727

  27

  2,204

  16

  250

  36

  Hackney

  6,567

  40

  2,443

  31

  222

  44

  Hammersmith

  2,929

  31

  1,236

  21

  145

  38

  Islington

  5,094

  34

  1,806

  23

  131

  42

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1,980

  31

  741

  20

  1

  100

  Local Government Review
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consultation has taken place with teacher trade unions, about their employment conditions in the light of the local government review.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The teacher trade unions have sought no such consultations with my right hon. Friend. None has taken place.

  Swimming Instruction
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what surveys he has recently conducted via local education authorities of the percentage of pupils receiving swimming instruction; what assessment he has made of any change there has been in that percentage over the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department carried out two surveys at the end of 1991 to inform decisions on the feasibility of making swimming a statutory requirement of national curriculum physical education. One was to determine the number of schools with swimming pools; the other to find out how many of a representative sample of over 1,200 schools, with or without their own pools, made provision of some kind for swimming lessons. Copies of the findings of these surveys were placed in the Library. Neither, however, yielded information on the number or proportion of schools pupils receiving swimming instruction.

  Free School Meals
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list, by education authority area, the number of pupils in receipt of(a) free school meals and (b) clothing grants for each year since 1987; and if he will indicate, in each case, what percentage this represents of the total number of pupils in each area.

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested on take-up of free school meals in January 1992—the latest date for which information is available—is shown in the table. Similar information for January 1989 and subsequent years is published annually in the Statistics of Education (Schools) Volumes, copies of which are available in the Library. Information prior to 1989 is not available on a comparable basis although the results of early school meals censuses were published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy up to 1988 in "—School Meal Statistics at October " copies of which are available in the Library.

  Information on the number of pupils in receipt of clothing grants is not collected centrally.
  155

  Primary (including nursery)

  Secondary

  Special

  LEA

  number

  percentage

  number

  percentage

  number

  percentage

  Lambeth

  6,720

  35

  1,607

  26

  324

  43

  Lewisham

  5,188

  26

  2,257

  21

  154

  38

  Southwark

  7,162

  34

  2,433

  27

  160

  45

  Tower Hamlets

  9,179

  45

  4,406

  40

  269

  57

  Wandsworth

  4,822

  28

  1,903

  20

  202

  39

  Westminster

  2,949

  32

  1,992

  28

  63

  47

  Barking

  2,330

  15

  665

  7

  30

  19

  Barnet

  2,738

  11

  1,467

  8

  56

  18

  Bexley

  2,030

  11

  714

  5

  88

  32

  Brent

  4,574

  21

  1,789

  15

  119

  34

  Bromley

  2,257

  11

  1,165

  7

  65

  18

  Croydon

  4,217

  16

  1,466

  9

  157

  31

  Ealing

  4,830

  17

  1,831

  16

  138

  30

  Enfield

  3,096

  14

  1,548

  9

  137

  32

  Haringey

  4,992

  27

  2,240

  26

  116

  34

  Harrow

  1,277

  7

  536

  7

  40

  20

  Havering

  1,560

  8

  724

  5

  51

  23

  Hillingdon

  1,436

  7

  938

  7

  86

  21

  Hounslow

  2,942

  15

  1,600

  12

  90

  23

  Kingston upon Thames

  705

  7

  340

  5

  37

  16

  Merton

  1,982

  13

  706

  10

  64

  26

  Newham

  5,758

  23

  2,429

  18

  130

  38

  Redbridge

  1,981

  11

  1,081

  8

  73

  19

  Richmond upon Thames

  824

  8

  560

  8

  30

  20

  Sutton

  1,122

  9

  552

  5

  54

  22

  Waltham Forest

  4,355

  22

  2,102

  17

  214

  28

  Birmingham

  32,673

  30

  15,042

  23

  1,327

  48

  Coventry

  6,863

  23

  2,600

  14

  281

  37

  Dudley

  3,780

  14

  1,711

  10

  183

  32

  Sandwell

  6,727

  21

  2,329

  13

  328

  42

  Solihull

  2,572

  13

  892

  6

  81

  29

  Walsall

  5,823

  20

  2,786

  15

  207

  38

  Wolverhampton

  5,445

  22

  1,870

  12

  187

  38

  Knowsley

  6,867

  37

  2,544

  29

  312

  55

  Liverpool

  15,828

  31

  6,888

  24

  670

  46

  St. Helens

  3,379

  19

  1,310

  11

  169

  36

  Sefton

  4,850

  18

  2,308

  12

  163

  38

  Wirral

  7,391

  24

  3,849

  18

  305

  40

  Bolton

  4,766

  17

  1,823

  11

  166

  35

  Bury

  2,334

  14

  806

  8

  99

  40

  Manchester

  18,506

  40

  6,154

  26

  734

  42

  Oldham

  5,461

  23

  2,519

  16

  201

  34

  Rochdale

  4,915

  22

  2,049

  16

  173

  36

  Salford

  6,748

  29

  1,686

  13

  160

  35

  Stockport

  3,588

  14

  1,495

  8

  118

  29

  Tameside

  4,408

  19

  1,637

  12

  143

  35

  Trafford

  2,942

  15

  1,186

  11

  102

  26

  Wigan

  5,061

  17

  1,795

  9

  318

  40

  Barnsley

  4,197

  20

  1,442

  12

  63

  40

  Doncaster

  6,568

  22

  2,699

  13

  259

  38

  Rotherham

  4,798

  19

  1,723

  10

  245

  39

  Sheffield

  9,924

  21

  3,278

  14

  315

  45

  Bradford

  8,984

  22

  9,588

  21

  310

  32

  Calderdale

  3,528

  18

  1,403

  11

  50

  25

  Kirklees

  6,185

  17

  2,742

  10

  205

  36

  Leeds

  9,398

  17

  7,099

  14

  326

  33

  Wakefield

  4,707

  16

  2,184

  11

  215

  39

  Gateshead

  4,640

  26

  1,360

  12

  141

  41

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  7,605

  33

  2,716

  16

  269

  37

  North Tyneside

  3,017

  18

  1,526

  10

  161

  37

  South Tyneside

  4,584

  28

  1,376

  15

  137

  40

  Sunderland

  7,611

  25

  2,651

  14

  266

  38

  Isles of Scilly

  8

  5

  23

  25

  0

  0

  Avon

  12,852

  16

  4,496

  8

  575

  32

  Bedfordshire

  6,053

  14

  4,629

  10

  293

  28

  Berkshire

  5,350

  9

  2,018

  4

  336

  21

  Buckinghamshire

  3,392

  6

  1,366

  4

  322

  25

  Cambridgeshire

  6,768

  12

  2,907

  7

  212

  23

  Cheshire

  11,950

  13

  5,033

  8

  291

  25

  Cleveland

  15,336

  24

  5,650

  14

  548

  40

  Cornwall

  5,846

  15

  3,058

  11

  101

  42

  Cumbria

  5,205

  12

  2002

  7

  76

  25

  Derbyshire

  11,351

  13

  4,662

  8

  375

  30

  Devon

  11,598

  15

  4763

  8

  434

  28

  Dorset

  2,995

  7

  2,423

  6

  243

  23

  Durham

  11,724

  20

  3,968

  11

  402

  43

  East Sussex

  7,282

  15

  3,071

  9

  384

  30

  156 157

  Primary (including nursery)

  Secondary

  Special

  LEA

  number

  percentage

  number

  percentage

  number

  percentage

  Essex

  14,808

  12

  5,890

  6

  583

  24

  Gloucestershire

  4,774

  11

  1,905

  6

  351

  29

  Hampshire

  15,169

  12

  4,579

  5

  864

  25

  Hereford and Worcester

  3,848

  8

  2,776

  6

  274

  24

  Hertfordshire

  7,643

  9

  3,744

  6

  387

  24

  Humberside

  13,969

  17

  6,339

  11

  382

  34

  Isle of Wight

  1,314

  19

  1,425

  14

  68

  27

  Kent

  15,577

  13

  6,838

  7

  665

  24

  Lancashire

  23,320

  18

  10,430

  13

  1,102

  36

  Leicestershire

  10,669

  14

  4,604

  8

  300

  32

  Lincolnshire

  2,812

  6

  2,104

  6

  263

  28

  Norfolk

  7,511

  12

  2,394

  6

  183

  23

  North Yorkshire

  4,944

  9

  2,012

  5

  162

  20

  Northamptonshire

  4,441

  9

  3,160

  7

  237

  21

  Northumberland

  3,210

  15

  2,403

  8

  119

  28

  Nottinghamshire

  15,939

  18

  6,981

  11

  517

  32

  Oxfordshire

  3,843

  9

  2,011

  6

  155

  20

  Shropshire

  4,924

  14

  2,088

  8

  176

  33

  Somerset

  3,132

  9

  1,726

  6

  161

  27

  Staffordshire

  13,618

  15

  4,946

  7

  623

  31

  Suffolk

  4,535

  11

  3,019

  6

  128

  19

  Surrey

  5,821

  8

  1,338

  3

  273

  19

  Warwickshire

  4,660

  10

  1,310

  5

  361

  31

  West Sussex

  4,922

  10

  1,910

  5

  205

  19

  Wiltshire

  4,676

  10

  1,987

  6

  145

  25

  England

  681,167

  16

  294,297

  10

  26,504

  32

  Pupil Testing
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for including the testing of trigonometry at key stage 4; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  From 1994, trigonometry will be examined at key stage 4 through GCSEs prepared to meet national curriculum requirements in mathematics. In a recent report on this year's GCSE, the Office for Standards in Education identified trigonometry as an area of mathematics where there were often high standards of achievement among candidates.

  Schools Capital Programme
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has held with his colleagues regarding increasing the capital programme for schools.

  Mr. Forth
  Decisions on central Government capital provision for schools were taken as part of the overall discussions within this year's public expenditure survey.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will consider increasing Coventry education department's capital programme for schools.

  Mr. Forth
  Capital bids for 1994–95 from all local education authorities are currently under consideration. My right hon. Friend expects to announce annual capital guidelines and voluntary-aided school capital allocations to all authorities, including Coventry, later this month.

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has for improving teacher training; and when they will be implemented.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend has set out new standards for initial training which define the 158
  knowledge and skills new teachers require. Student teachers must spend more time in schools, and schools will be able to play a full part in designing and running courses. Training for primary teachers must include more time on the core subjects. Courses are already being adjusted—all secondary courses must meet the new criteria by September 1994, all primary courses by September 1996. My right hon. Friend has also made arrangements to allow groups of schools to run their own courses. The first started this September, and more will start next year.

  The Education Bill recently introduced in another place provides for a Teacher Training Agency to underpin these reforms. Subject to the passage of the legislation, the agency will be established in September 1994. It will fund teacher training and related courses; accredit institutions offering initial teacher training; and act as a central focus of information and advice about teaching as a career.

  Play Groups
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what additional resources he intends to provide for improving facilities for pre-school play groups.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department for Education is this year making available a grant of £887,000 to the national Pre-School Playgroups Association to improve the education content of playgroup provision by supporting a number of training posts. This compares with a grant of £649,500 in 1992–93. Financial support is also provided by the Department of Health and the Ministry of Defence. Grant to the association for 1994–95 is currently under consideration. Individual playgroups are self-financing and receive most of their income from fees charged to parents, grants from local authorities, and local fund-raising.

  Education Welfare Officers
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many education welfare officers were employed(a) in 1979 and (b) for the latest year for which information is available; and if he will break the figure down by individual local education authority.

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested is not centrally available.

  Discretionary Awards
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the findings of the current national survey of local education authority discretionary award provision to be published.

  Mr. Boswell
  This survey was commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian and Sir John Cass Foundations, with the support of my Department and the Further Education Funding Council, and is being conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research. Accordingly, publication of the survey's findings is not in the Government's hands. I understand that by the middle of November only half of the local education authorities in England and Wales had been able to return the second of the two questionnaires sent to them in May. I very much hope that the remaining authorities will be able to make their returns by the end of December. The survey's steering committee, on which my Department is represented, now expects the findings to be published as a Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation document at the end of March.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Criminal Justice Act 1992
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure was incurred in the implementation of the Criminal Justice Act 1992, including the cost of training of lay magistrates; and what was the cost of implementing the subsequent amending legislation to the Act.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Criminal Justice Act 1991 contained a wide range of provisions including the introduction of a framework for sentencing, new early release arrangements and provisions relating, among other things, to children's evidence, prisoner escorts and cash limits for magistrates courts. A number of Government Departments and other agencies were involved in implementing the Act. Information about the expenditure which they may have incurred specifically in relation to implementing provisions of the Act is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The training of lay magistrates is carried out by courts locally, and training about the provisions of the 1991 Act was effected within overall training budgets. It is not possible to disaggregate the costs of this training. For similar reasons, it is not possible to identify the cost of implementing the amendments made to the sentencing framework of the 1991 Act by the Criminal Justice Act 1993.

  Crime, Northumberland
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he proposes to tackle youth crime in Blyth Valley and in south-east Northumberland.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department is already supporting in different ways a range of local action which has a reduction of the opportunity for, and prevalence of, crime by young people among its objectives. Thus, the local probation service is involved in a number of multi-agency initiatives. An activity project has been set up for more constructive use of leisure time and programmes are being developed to increase training and employment opportunities.

  In addition, the Home Office funded Drugs Prevention Newcastle, in collaboration with the Northumbria Coalition Against Crime has produced "Dialogue on Drugs", an educational resource pack on good practice for drugs education which is being disseminated through Education Departments in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.

  The Government announced on 2 March 1993 further measures to tackle youth crime throughout England and Wales ranging from improving discipline in schools to giving courts a new sentence of detention, the secure training order, for persistent juvenile offenders.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of offenders appearing before the courts in south-east Northumberland were unemployed in each year since 1989;

  (2) what percentage of offenders in Blyth Valley and south-east Northumberland were aged under 21 years in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information is not collected centrally on the employment status of defendants appearing before the courts.

  The table shows the number and percentage of offenders by age convicted at Blyth Valley, Morpeth and Wansbeck petty sessional divisions and at the Crown court who were committed by the above mentioned three courts for 1992. 1993 data will not be available until autumn 1994. From 1 April 1993 the three courts combine to form the south-east Northumberland petty sessional division.

  Number and percentage of offenders aged under 21 and all ages found guilty at Blyth Valley, Morpeth and Wansbeck petty sessional divisions and at the Crown Court by committing Blyth Valley, Morpeth and Wansbeck petty sessional divisions and type of offence 1992

  Under 21

  PSD/Type of offence

  Number

  Per cent.

  All ages (= 100 per cent.)

  Blyth Valley

  Indictable offences

  176

  37

  479

  Summary non-motoring offences

  81

  9

  895

  Summary motoring offences

  121

  17

  701

  All offences

  378

  18

  2,075

  Morpeth

  Indictable offences

  64

  32

  198

  Summary non-motoring offences

  58

  18

  317

  Summary motoring offences

  89

  5

  1,894

  All offences

  211

  9

  2,409

  Wansbeck

  Indictable offences

  161

  39

  411

  Summary non-motoring offences

  92

  16

  579

  Summary motoring offences

  128

  22

  570

  All offences

  381

  24

  1,560

  Note:—From 1 April 1993 Blyth Valley, Morpeth and Wansbeck PSD combine to form the South East Northumberland PSD.
  161
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new strategies he intends to promote to tackle drug problems in Blyth Valley and in south-east Northumberland.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government's overall strategy for tackling drug misuse is aimed at reducing both the supply of and demand for drugs throughout the United Kingdom. Through the local drugs prevention teams we are developing imaginative strategies specifically designed to tackle local drug problems in key areas. Initiatives planned by the team in Newcastle include the launch of a drugs information line and publication of information packs for both young people and parents which will also benefit those living in Blyth Valley and south-east Northumberland.

  Obscenity and Violence
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many representations he has received over the last six months on videos available to children and containing pornographic material and scenes of violence; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what recent representations he has received on reform of the laws relating to obscenity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  We have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others about the availability of pornographic and violent videos, and also about the law relating to obscenity in general. We have made clear our determination to act firmly against those who trade in obscene material, especially those engaged in the deplorable traffic in child pornography. We intend shortly to invite this House to approve legislation which will make child pornography offences under the Protection of Children Act 1978 and offences under the Obscene Publications Act 1959 serious arrestable offences—thereby giving the police increased powers of search and seizure as well as assisting them to break up child pornography rings by arresting those involved. We propose to extend existing legislation so that it will cover simulated child pornography manufactured on computer and to make other important changes to the law as it affects computer pornography. We will also be proposing that courts should have a power of imprisonment for those convicted of possessing child pornography and that the validity of search warrants under the Protection of Children Act should be extended from 14 to 28 days. In addition we propose to extend the powers of local authority trading standards officers and magistrates' courts to enforce the Video Recordings Act 1984.

  Our controls on obscene materials and, in particular, on video recordings are already the toughest in Europe, and we will continue to seek suitable ways in which they might be further strengthened. Nevertheless, the final responsibility for what children watch inevitably rests in the home, and it is important that all parents and guardians should ensure that their children are not exposed to unsuitable material.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consideration he has given to 162
  appointing a body other than the British Board of Film Classification to undertake statutory responsibility of the classification system under the Video Recordings Act 1984;

  (2) when was the last time he met members of the British Board of Film Classification to discuss the operation of the Video Recordings Act 1984;

  (3) if he will publish the details of the research project being carried out by the British Board of Film Classification into the impact of violent videos on children; and when he expects to receive a copy of the report.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government keep the arrangements for the control of video recordings under constant review, but we have no plans to designate any other persons to undertake the classification of video works currently carried out by the British Board of Film Classification. We believe that the BBFC fulfils its role conscientiously. My officials maintain frequent contact with them. I met Lord Birkett, a Vice-President of the BBFC, to discuss the operation of the Video Recordings Act 1984 earlier this year.

  The BBFC, together with the BBC, the ITC and the Broadcasting Standards Council, commissioned research into the viewing habits of young offenders and other children of comparable age. It will be for the sponsor bodies to arrange publication of the results of this research; but I understand that this is likely to be early next year.

  North Wales Police
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cautions were administered by the North Wales police for driving-related offences in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information relates to written warnings for alleged motoring offences and is as follows:

  Written warnings for motoring offences in north Wales

  Year

  Number

  1990

  3,655

  1991

  3,781

  1992

  13,326

  1 Provisional.

  Press and Publicity Officers
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many press and publicity officers are currently employed in his Department; and how many were employed in(a) 1985 and (b)

  Mr. Howard
  There are at present 28 members of the information officer class employed as press and publicity officers in the Department's public relations branch. In addition, there are seven information officer grades similarly employed in the Prison Service and one in the national criminal intelligence service.

  Precise information for 1985 and 1979 is not readily available, but comparable totals for the Department in those years are believed to be 27 and 24.

  Right of Silence
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received on the abolition of the right of silence in a criminal court; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Since the report of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice was published, we have received 13 letters from right hon. and hon. Members on this issue and 51 letters direct from members of the public and organisations.

  Home Affairs Council
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of EC Home Affairs Ministers on 29 and 30 November.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The meeting on 29 and 30 November was the first Interior and Justice Council held under the provisions of the treaty on European union. The main points dealt with were as follows.

  The Council agreed, for submission to the European Council on 10 and 11 December, action plans and work programmes for the areas for which under Title VI of the Treaty it is responsible.

  The Council took note of the progress made on implementing the work programme on immigration and asylum adopted at Maastricht, and agreed subject to a Spanish reserve a number of matters related to asylum and the practical application of the Dublin convention. It agreed not to seek to transfer competence on the right of asylum to the Community but decided to review the matter before the end of 1995.

  The Council considered a report on racism and xenophobia and agreed a resolution concerning concrete measures to combat this phenomenon.

  The Commission gave a presentation on its proposals for Community legislation under Article 100C providing for a list of third countries whose nationals would require a visa to enter member states, and for an amendment of the draft external frontiers convention. The Council agreed that these proposals should be given further consideration when they were received.

  The Council agreed broad principles to be observed in drawing up readmission agreements with third countries and will consider at a future meeting the question of the inclusion of a commitment to such agreements in Community co-operation agreements.

  The Council considered means of extending cooperation with certain third countries on Title VI matters. It will examine proposals at its next meeting.

  The Council noted an interim report on the work being carried out in the field of extradition and instructed officials to produce a final report by the end of 1994.

  The Council considered a report by the Presidency on possible Community accession to the European convention on human rights and decided to consult the European Court of Justice about the legal consequences. The United Kingdom expressed strong reservations about the need for this at this stage, given the absence of consensus on the desirability of accession.

  The Council noted preparatory work by the Europol drugs unit and progress on the Europol convention. It
  164
  received a report commissioned by Ministers at Kolding in May 1993 on international organised crime and approved the action programme contained in it.

  The Council discussed the internal and external terrorist threat to member states and decided to examine ways to improve co-operation between member states on counter-terrorism.

  The Council adopted recommendations and resolutions on the campaign against money laundering; on protection of the financial interests of the Community; on the exchange of information on environmental crime; and on the responsibilities of organisers of sports events.

  It also agreed five recommendations aimed at combating trade in human beings for prostitution.

  I am placing in the Library of the House the press communique issued following the meeting, and other documents approved by the Council.

  Wormwood Scrubs Prison
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each of the projects now under development at Wormwood Scrubs prison, the cost of each project and if funding for each project has been approved and granted.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 6 December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your further Question about the current development work at Wormwood Scrubs prison.
  My letter of 30 November 1993 in reply to your earlier Question about the current development work at the prison explained the work being carried out at the prison and the work planned for the future (published in Hansard on 1 December 1993 col 625). In the final paragraph of my letter I said that a final decision had still to be made about the timing and phasing of proposals to complete the modernisation of the four existing accommodation wings.
  Although a precise timetable has still to be determined we are currently planning to start the modernisation of A and B wings in the Autumn of 1994. The work is expected to take two years. Further modernisation work to C and D wings will be carried out after work to A and B wings has been completed. It is too early to give an indication of the likely timing of this work, which will depend on resources available in future years and priorities across the Prison Service estate.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the prison population roll at Wormwood Scrubs prison on Monday 15 November.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 6 December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the prison population roll at Wormwood Scrubs.
  On Monday 15 November 1993 there were 829 prisoners in Wormwood Scrubs.
  165
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in detail the actions that his Department have taken at Wormwood Scrubs prison following the report of Mr. Justice Tumim.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 6 December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the action taken by the Prison Service at Wormwood Scrubs prison following the report of His Honour Judge Tumim.
  Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons made an unannounced short inspection of Wormwood Scrubs prison from 18 to 20 August 1993. The report was submitted to the Secretary of State on 22 November, and it is currently being considered.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the days of the week on which the photographs in the White Paper "Sunday Trading—A Guide to the Options for Reform", Cm 2300, were taken.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We do not know on which day of the week most of the photographs were taken as this is for the most part irrelevant. For example, we do not know on what day of the week the photograph on page 1 of the guide—the 1950s street scene—was taken. But, where a photograph is used clearly to illustrate a specific Sunday activity, the photograph was taken on a Sunday, for example, the photograph of Sunday shopping in Edinburgh on page 5 of the guide.

  Sensitive Documents Unit
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the operation of his Department's sensitive documents unit; how many staff are employed in its operation; and approximately how many documents per annum come within its purview.

  Mr. Howard
  The Home Office does not have a sensitive documents unit.

  Prisoners (Attacks)
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, with reference to the subject of attacks on prisoners, he will make it his policy to ensure that the same information is available on both privately and publicly managed prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on assaults on inmates in each Prison Service establishment is published in "Statistics of offences against prison discipline and punishments England and Wales 1992", Cm 2411. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

  New Prisons
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much new money is to be made available for the building of the proposed new prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.
  166
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. D. Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 6 December 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how much money is to be made available for the building of the proposed new prisons in England and Wales.
  I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his earlier Question on 1 December 1993 (columns 627-28).

  Public Order
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the 1992 figures for prosecutions and convictions under(a) the Public Order Act 1936 and (b) sections 17 to 23 of the Public Order Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Court proceedings data for 1992 became available on 3 December 1993 following publication of the Command Paper "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1992" Cm 2410. Copies of the Command Paper and its four supplementary volumes are available from the Library. Requests for information regarding specific sections of the Public Order Act 1936 can be made direct to room 1824B, S1 division, research and statistics department, Home Office, Lunar house, Wellesley road, Croydon, CR0 9YD.

  I will write to the hon. Member regarding sections 17 to 23 of the Public Order Act 1986.

  Identity Cards
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the costs of introducing a national identity card scheme.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The costs of an identity card scheme would depend on the administrative details of the scheme and the checks required before an identity card was issued.

  In 1989, it was estimated, on the basis of the costs of issuing passports, that the cost of introducing a national identity card scheme would be in the region of £350 million, excluding initial capital costs. Annual running costs were estimated to be between £50 million and £100 million. These figures were based on the unit cost of a passport—then £7·50—and assumed a scheme in which identity cards are issued to all British citizens aged 12 and over. The figures were published on 6 February 1989 at column 468 and on 10 May 1993 at column 340.

  In 1991–92, the unit cost of a passport Was £10·15. At this cost, the 1989 estimate of the costs of introducing a national identity card scheme would increase to about £475 million.

  James Bulger
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the parents of James Bulger will be informed of what custodial tariff is to be applied to Jon Venables and Robert Thompson.

  Mr. Howard
  I have not yet decided the period of custody to be served for retribution and deterrence in these
  167
  cases. When I have, I will consider what information might be given to the parents of James Bulger, and how that might best be done. In considering what information they might receive I will of course wish to take their own views fully in to account.

  The arrangements for determining the period of custody which those convicted of murder are required to serve in order to satify the requirements for retribution and deterrence are set out in my replies of 27 July 1993 at columns 863-65, and 4 November 1993 at columns 376-78, to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Burton (Sir I. Lawrence).

  Deportation Notices
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide figures for the number of notices of intention to deport issued since the coming into force of the Immigration Act 1988.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Notices of intention to deport issued

  Year

  Number

  1988 August to December

  1,117

  1989

  3,213

  1990

  3,001

  1991

  3,440

  1992

  3,594

  1993 January to September

  13,309

  1provisional figure

  Emergency Warning System
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the need for a nationally co-ordinated emergency warning system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  After a review of the civil defence arrangements in the United Kingdom, it was announced on 12 November 1992 that the obsolescent national siren warning system was to be closed down and that future national arrangements for warning the public should be
  based on the use of radio and television broadcasts. Work is in hand for the new system.

  Citizenship Applications
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of applications for British citizenship outstanding at the latest available date; what was the corresponding figure at the same time in each of the last five years; what is the average time currently between the receipt of a British citizenship application and a decision being taken; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  On 30 November 1993, the number of recorded outstanding applications for British citizenship was 39,638. The numbers of recorded applications outstanding at the end of November in each of the previous five years were as follows:

  Number

  November 1988

  114,152

  November 1989

  125,407

  November 1990

  88,671

  168

  Number

  November 1991

  52,713

  November 1992

  49,945

  During November the average waiting time between the receipt of an application and a certificate being issued was 17 months for certificates of naturalisation and 13 months for certificates of registration. The latter figure includes those certificates issued to minors whose applications were submitted at the same time as their parents' application for naturalisation.

  Special Constabulary
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to chief constables concerning explanations being given to those refused recruitment to the special constabulary; what right of review or appeal exists to applicants refused admission to the special constabulary; what is the time limit on a fresh application to join the special constabulary being made by a person refused admission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The way individual applications for special constables are dealt with and processed in each force is a matter for the chief constable concerned. No guidance on any of the points raised has been given to chief constables by the Home Office.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations from individuals and organisations he has received concerning the policy of the Yorkshire police in respect of giving reasons when a person is refused admission to the special constabulary.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No such representations have been received.

  Child Deportees
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps his Department takes to ensure that when deporting children article 3 of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child is upheld;

  (2) how many children have been deported by his Department in the last year for which figures are available;

  (3) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that when deporting children article 16 of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child is upheld;

  (4) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that when deporting children article 24 of the UN convention on the rights of the child is upheld;

  (5) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that when deporting children article 6 of the UN convention on the rights of the child is adhered to;

  (6) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that when deporting children article 12 of the UN convention on the rights of the child is upheld.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  No child under the age of 18 has been deported in the last year. In ratifying the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, the United Kingdom reserved the right to apply such immigration legislation as it deemed necessary from time to time.

  In carrying out any deportation involving children, account is taken of the articles of the convention to which the hon. Member has drawn attention.
  169
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what immunisations his Department arranged for Nkechi Nwokedi to receive before she was deported to Nigeria with her mother on 9 July;

  (2) what steps his Department takes to ensure that children deported with their parents receive the appropriate immunisations to protect their health in the country to which they are deported.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  None. Nkechi Nwokedi was not deported. She accompanied her mother who was returned to Nigeria on 9 July as the subject of a deportation order. We understand that there is currently no requirement for people travelling to Nigeria to be immunised. However, Ms Nwokedi had been aware for some time of the intention to deport her and it would have been open to her to make arrangements for her child to be immunised, if she thought this desirable.

  More generally, arrangements are made for immunisation to be provided, as appropriate, for any deportee who requests it, and would be extended on request to a child accompanying a deportee.

  International Sikh Youth Federation
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the material which he has supplied to the courts regarding the aims and methods of the United Kingdom branch of the International Sikh Youth Federation.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Secretary of State has not supplied any such material to the courts.

  Immigration Complaints Audit Committee
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the membership of the immigration and nationality department complaints audit committee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  I announced in reply to a question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 31 March at column 226 that my right hon. and learned Friend the then Secretary of State intended to appoint a Complaints Audit Committee for the Immigration and Nationality Department—IND. My right hon. and learned Friend has appointed Miss Diana Rookledge as chairman and Mr. Blair Greaves and Mr. Karamjit Singh to be members of the committee. The committee will start work at the beginning of the new year.

  Ethnic Monitoring
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce ethnic monitoring throughout the criminal justice system.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 23 December 1993]Ethnic monitoring of stop and search by the police was introduced nationally in April 1993. On present plans I anticipate that by 1995 the police will also be in position to monitor arrests and cautions. Our ultimate intention is to extend monitoring throughout the criminal justice system, but at present it would be premature to forecast when that goal will be achieved.

  Drugs Offences
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have taken place of drug dealers in Liverpool in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 6 December 1993): The available information is of convictions and cautions for the two offences commonly associated with drug dealing, i.e. unlawful supply and possession with intent to supply unlawfully. Figures for the Merseyside police force area for the last three years for which data are available, are given in the table.

  Table: persons found guilty or cautioned for offences of unlawful supply of a controlled drug, or possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply unlawfully

  Merseyside police force area

  Number of persons

  Year

  Unlawful supply

  Possession with intent to supply

  1990

  137

  143

  1991

  119

  178

  1992

  120

  163

  Some persons may have been convicted or cautioned for both offences, so columns cannot be added together to obtain totals.

  Life Sentences
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted for murder each year since the abolition of the death sentence; if he will present in tabular form the number of years' life sentence each of these individuals served before release, again classifying it by the year of conviction; and if he will also detail the number who are still serving their sentence again classified by year of conviction.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of people convicted of murder in England and Wales in each year 1965 to 1992 are tabulated below. Data on time served before release are not available in the precise form requested, but table 8.4 of "Prison statistics England and Wales 1991", Cm 2157 shows data for all life sentence prisoners received by Prison Service establishments. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

  Persons convicted of murder in England and Wales 1965–1992

  Year

  Numbers

  1965

  57

  1966

  72

  1967

  63

  1968

  74

  1969

  75

  1970

  97

  1971

  97

  1972

  79

  1973

  90

  1974

  112

  1975

  107

  1976

  104

  1977

  115

  1978

  105

  1979

  136

  1980

  169

  1981

  126

  1982

  184

  1983

  132

  1984

  156

  171

  Year

  Numbers

  1985

  173

  1986

  179

  1987

  166

  1988

  231

  1989

  189

  1990

  180

  1991

  201

  1992

  182

  Source: Criminal Statistics, England and Wales.

DEFENCE

  Advertising
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spends annually on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising and (c) press advertising; and what were the corresponding figures for 1985 and 1979.

  Mr. Hanley
  My Department's centrally controlled expenditure for advertising, broken down into media categories, for 1979–80, 1985–86 and 1992–93 and estimated expenditure for 1993–94 is as follows:

  Advertising

  Financial year

  Television

  Radio

  Press

  Total

  1979–80

  2·280

  0·040

  5·750

  8·070

  1985–86

  1·820

  0·020

  6·820

  8·660

  1992–93

  2·521

  0·001

  6·178

  8·700

  1993–94

  2·372

  Nil

  6·408

  8·780

  Note: All figures are expressed in £ million.

  Housing
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are his Department's plans regarding security arrangements for housing currently occupied by armed forces personnel.

  Mr. Hanley
  There are no plans to change the Department's security arrangements for housing currently occupied by armed forces personnel, the details of which I am not prepared to reveal. Security is one of many factors being considered by officials looking at the proposal that a housing trust take over the management of the married quarters estate.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money he will be spending in the next two years on upgrading the physical condition of married quarters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is not our practice to reveal the future expenditure plans of Ministry of Defence budget holders at this level of detail.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to ensure that the transfer of the administration of married quarters to a housing trust will not involve any change in the level of rents; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what plans he has to increase the rents of married quarters.
  172
  Mr. Hanley
  The rents paid by service personnel for married quarters are set on the basis of recommendations made by the armed forces pay review body. This will continue to be the case after the transfer of the married quarters estate to a housing trust. The proposed transfer will not therefore affect the method by which rents paid by individual service personnel are determined.

  Tornado GR1
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors have been identified as possible reasons for improvement in the Tornado GR1 accident record.

  Mr. Hanley
  The statistical period involved is too short to draw any firm conclusions; however, the factors which may have contributed to the reduction in the Tornado GR1 accident rate include a greater level of experience among current aircrew and the increased flying hours in support of current overseas operations.

  Night Low Flying (Scotland)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the nature and purpose of the night low flying without lights which took place at several locations in west and north-west Scotland in the week commencing 18 October; how many and what types of aircraft took part; how many low flying sorties were flown by each type; what proportion of these took place between the hours of 11 pm and 7 am British summer time; at what level of command authority was given for this activity; and what advance information was given to(a) hon. Members, (b) local media and (c) local aviation interests concerning the activity.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is necessary for the RAF and the Anny Air Corps to practise the skills for flying a variety of operations, a number of which would involve flying under cover of darkness and without lights. A period of training to exercise such skills was held in west and north west Scotland between 16 and 28 October. The number of aircraft which took part, the total number of sorties flown and the number flown between 11 pm and 7 am were as follows:

  Total sorties

  Sorties between 11 pm and 7 am

  1 Chinook

  5

  3

  1 Puma

  11

  2

  5 Lynx

  41

  6

  3 Wessex

  20

  0

  1 Hercules

  27

  4

  2 Tornado

  17

  0

  The exercise was authorised at the appropriate level for such activity. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence wrote to forewarn hon. Members for constituencies principally affected and a brief outline of the exercise was disseminated to local media by HQ Scotland and HQ North West Brigade before it began. Civil aviators were notified of the activity by the aeronautical information service in the usual way.

  NATO
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will publish a summary of the United Kingdom's defence plans, together with details of those
  173
  forces and capabilities that Her Majesty's Government will offer to make available to the alliance during the forthcoming year;

  (2) when during 1993 NATO requested Her Majesty's Government to discuss revisions in the United Kingdom's defence plans, and the scale of military forces and capabilities which it makes available to the alliance;

  (3) if all members of NATO's integrated military structure are obliged to provide annually to the alliance a detailed statement of their respective defence policies together with a disclosure of those military forces and capabilities which they intend to commit or make available to NATO during the forthcoming year;

  (4) if the United Kingdom will be submitting a statement of its defence policy together with details of its military forces and capabilities which it is prepared to place at the disposal of NATO during the forthcoming year, at the Ministerial Defence Planning Committee at its meeting on 8 December;

  (5) which other countries which are members of NATO's integrated military structure will be submitting a statement of their defence policies, accompanied by details of those military forces and capabilities which they are prepared to place at the disposal of the alliance during the forthcoming year, at the Ministerial Defence Planning Committee at its meeting on 8 December;

  (6) if NATO may oblige any member state of the alliance's integrated military structure to discuss any significant changes in its defence plans and/or the scale of the military forces and capabilities which it makes available to NATO which it seeks to make outside of the annual review cycle conducted each autumn by the Ministerial Defence Planning Committee.

  Mr. Hanley
  All NATO allies who participate in collective defence planning: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are obliged to provide annually to the alliance a detailed statement of their defence policy and the military forces and capabilities they intend to commit to NATO. The commitment for the first year of the planning period is taken to be firm. For calendar year 1994 the United Kingdom submitted details to the alliance in July this year in its reply to the annual NATO defence planning questionnaire. An assessment of these plans will be submitted to NATO Defence Ministers at the autumn Ministerial Defence Planning Committee meeting on 8 December. These details are classified and will.not be published. In exceptional circumstances the alliance may ask a nation to discuss significant changes in plans outside the annual review cycle. No such request was made of the United Kingdom during 1993.

  Tendering
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that, when putting contracts out to tender, his Department includes the tender list companies which have acquired the BS5750 quality assurance standard.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department maintains a list of companies interested in bidding for defence contracts, annotated to show which have achieved the BS5750 quality assurance standard. When seeking tenders for work which merits formal quality assurance procedures, we 174
  ensure that only qualified companies are invited to bid. The MOD Contracts Bulletin, which is published fortnightly, makes it clear that certification will normally be required. Since 1 September 1993 the Department has had a policy of "No Acceptable Certification—No Contract", and compliance with this policy is monitored.

  Defence Costs
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish the full terms of reference of the defence costs study known as "Front Line First"; and what previous work will be used in the defence costs study.

  Mr. Aitken
  The defence costs study has been established to take a new and radical look at how the Ministry of Defence conducts its business, including procurement practice, headquarters and manpower costs and all aspects of support to the front line. The purpose will be to identify further areas where we can reduce costs, to ensure that the taxpayers' money we spend on defence is concentrated on the operational effectiveness of our front line force, and to enable our armed forces to discharge their military tasks and commitments properly, to the full and with formidable military capability. The study will build on all relevant previous work.

  Ferranti International
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the management of GEC regarding the future of Ferranti International; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  The managements of both GEC and Ferranti International kept my Department informed about their discussions on the future of Ferranti. GEC's decision to make an offer for Ferranti, and its subsequent decision that the offer should lapse, were matters for its commercial judgment.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his United States of America counterpart regarding the future of Ferranti International; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  My right hon. and learned Friend has had no such discussions.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of all the contracts he currently has with Ferranti International; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  It is not my Department's practice to provide details of all our contracts with a company. We have a large number of contracts with Ferranti International, covering a wide range of projects, on which, in the last financial year, we made payments of over £100 million.

  Officials of my Department are discussing with the receivers of Ferranti International what can be done to minimise any disruption to the completion of our contracts.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the failure of GEC to take over Ferranti International on the defence industrial base; and if he will make a statement.
  175
  Mr. Aitken
  GEC's decision to let its conditional offer for Ferranti International lapse will in itself have no impact on the defence industrial base. The receivers of Ferranti International have said that they wish to restore trading to near-normality as soon as possible. Any long-term effects on the defence industrial base will depend on the outcome of the receivership.

  RAF Support Command (Flying Training)
  Mr. Bates
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for the future structure of the RAF support command flying training organisation.

  Mr. Hanley
  As a result of the reduced training requirement for pilots and aircrew in the RAF a study has been conducted into the RAF's flying training organisation to ensure that the training is being provided in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible. The study embraced all seven flying training stations and has examined the scope for rationalisation of tasks. While work remains to be done on the scope for rationalising other types of flying training, the review has concluded that fast jet advanced flying training currently based at RAF Valley and RAF Chivenor, can be rationalised and it is proposed that the task should be centred at RAF Valley. This would mean that flying training would cease at RAF Chivenor on 1 October 1994 and that Chivenor would be placed on a care and maintenance basis from 1 October 1995.

  This proposal is expected to save some £127·86 million in net present value terms over 10 years. Some 119 civilian and 779 service posts would be affected. Civilian employees would be offered the range of outplacement services available and redundancies would be kept to a minimum. Any people made redundant would be eligible for compensation under the relevant pension scheme.

  This proposal will be the subject of consultation with the trade unions and other interested parties and I have placed a copy of the consultation document in the Library of the House.

  Separately I have looked again at the provision of RAF search and rescue facilities in the region and have

  Pilot area

  Agreements

  Area (HA)

  Management payment

  Capital payment

  total payment

  Meirionnydd

  84

  18,500

  702,048

  206,867

  908,915

  Dinefwr

  89

  5,575

  224,525

  277,233

  501,758

  Swansea

  28

  822

  35,244

  51,816

  87,060

  TOTAL

  201

  24,897

  961,817

  535,916

  1,497,733

  The response from farmers in these pilot areas has been most positive, with more than 800 inquiries being registered in the first year. A full report on the first year of operation will be published by the Countryside Council for Wales in the new year.

  Press and Publicity
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many press and publicity officers are currently employed in his Department; and how many were employed in(a) 1985 and (b)

  Mr. Redwood
  The information is as follows:
  176
  concluded that the Sea King SAR flight should continue to transfer to Chivenor next year. The move will take place by 1 July 1994 and the Wessex SAR flight currently based at Chivenor will be run on until then.

WALES

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has incorporated the code of practice for information security management, published by the British Standards Institution, into relevant contracts with information technology suppliers.

  Mr. Redwood
  The code of practice for information security management was developed by and established for use by commercial organisations and does not specifically address the requirements for the protection of official information. In procurement and all other aspects of IT development and operation, my Department follows the policy and guidance set down by the Government's own IT security authorities.

  Tir Cymen Scheme
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the current operation of the Tir Cymen scheme in the three pilot areas in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Tir Cymen, the farm stewardship scheme developed and administered by the Countryside Council for Wales, was launched in July 1992 and operates in three pilot areas based on the local authority districts of Meirionnydd, Dinefwr and Swansea.

  In the first year—from 1 October 1992 to 30 September 1993—a total of 201 Tir Cymen agreements were finalised, covering a total area of 24,897 hectares, which represents 13.75 per cent. of the eligible land area. Total payments to farmers for the first year amount to £1,497,733, of which £961,817 is for management and £535,916 is for capital works. A breakdown of the figures for the three pilot areas is given in the table:

  Date

  Staff employed

  1993

  14

  1985

  15

  1979

  15

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future of the hill livestock compensatory allowance scheme in Wales.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Mrs.
  177
  Knight) by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 30 November 1993 at columns 490-91.

  Cattle Tagging
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the subject of cattle tagging; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  A consultation letter setting out the details of the Government's proposals for implementing the EC directive on animal identification and registration was issued earlier this year. A number of responses have been received on issues raised in the consultation exercise, including cattle tagging, and these are being considered at the moment.

  National Geological Survey
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the future of the National Geological Survey department at Aberystwyth; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Four. The proposed closure is an operational matter for the British Geological Survey and its parent council, the Natural Environment Research Council. I understand that the remaining mapping needs of Wales will in future be met by staff based at the survey's headquarters, near Nottingham.

  Forest Enterprise
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional funding is envisaged for unitary authorities in Wales to assist them to enter into access agreements on Forest Enterprise estates being offered for sale; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend will take decisions on funding for unitary authorities at the appropriate time.

  Sheep Quota
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the question of the operation of the siphon in the context of sheep quota where it applies to changes in existing partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Several.

  Job Creation
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the percentage of new jobs created by(a) inward investment and (b) British-owned companies since 1991.

  Mr. Redwood
  Comprehensive information on all new jobs created by every employer in Wales is not held centrally. However, on the basis of offers of regional selective assistance made since 1 January 1991 and subsequently accepted, 41·67 per cent., or 10,348, jobs are promised in foreign-owned companies and 58·33 per cent. or 14,485 in other companies. The figures are based on information given by the relevant companies at the time of their applications and take no account of subsequent developments.

  British Steel
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the chairman of British Steel plc to consider the state of the industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no immediate plans to meet the Chairman of British Steel.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each constituency and county in Wales the number of long-term unemployed.

  Mr. Redwood
  The unemployment data requested are available from the NOMIS database, which can be accessed on line by the staff of the Library of the House.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those measures he has adopted to assist manufacturing industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department and the Welsh Development Agency operate a wide range of measures to assist manufacturing industry, a number of which are focused on the key areas of improving productivity and the quality of goods.

  The main assistance to Welsh manufacturing comes from the Government's general economic policy, based on low inflation and low interest rates, and a strong competition policy.

  Source Wales aims to help Welsh suppliers compete worldwide and, over the last two years, 52 companies have obtained initial contracts worth about £8 million through the programme.

  Support for new product development and innovation is provided through the SMART competition for small companies and through the SPUR—support for projects under research—scheme. In the past two years, 51 SMART awards totalling £2·44 million have been made and, since the start of SPUR in 1991, 24 companies have been assisted with a total grant commitment of £2·16 million.

  In addition, the regional innovation grants element of the regional enterprise grants scheme aims to improve the performance of small businesses, through the introduction of successful new products and processes. The value of offers under this scheme more than doubled to £1·734 million between 1991–92 and 1992–93, and the number of applications received in the first half of 1993–94 was 5 per cent. higher than in the same period of 1992–93.

  Assistance is also provided through various best practice awareness programmes, including: Managing in the 1990s, in which some 2,500 organisations have registered an interest; Inside United Kingdom Enterprise, which includes eight exemplar Welsh companies; and Inside Welsh Industry, which involves 10 Welsh demonstration companies.

  The programme of regional technology transfer has included such themes as world class manufacturing, materials management and maintenance in the 26 projects supported over the past three years, with grants totalling £185,000.

  Audits intended to identify technology and expertise of interest to industry have been initiated in five Welsh colleges.
  179
  My Department has also supported the work of many industry-led initiatives, such as the Wales Quality Centre, the Welsh Medical Technology Forum, and the Mid Wales Manufacturing Group.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of manufacturing jobs(a) created and (b) lost since 1 January 1991.

  Mr. Redwood
  Comprehensive information on the number of jobs created and lost is not available. According to the Employment Department's Quarterly Estimates Series there was a net decrease in the number of employees in manufacturing in Wales, between December 1990 and June 1993, of 28,000.

  Business Closures
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of businesses that(a) closed down and (b) went bankrupt in 1988 and in 1992.

  Mr. Redwood
  There are no official figures for business closures. The number of companies going into liquidation due to insolvency in England and Wales was 9,427 in 1988, and 24,425 in 1992. The number of personal insolvencies, which could be classified to a trade or profession, was 5,601 in 1988 and 19,525 in 1992.

  Aerospace Industry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the chairman of British Aerospace to consider the state of the industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to do so at present, but I maintain a close interest in the company's activities in Wales.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many extra people are in employment and what percentage increase that represents over those in employment in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  According to the Employment Department's Quarterly Estimates Series, the civilian work force in employment in Wales fell by 11,000 between June 1988 and June 1993. This represents a fall of 1 per cent.

  Mink Farms
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many mink farms have operated in each county in Wales in each year since 1984; and what is the current figure.

  Mr. Redwood
  There have been no licenced mink farms in Wales from 1984 to the present.

SCOTLAND

  Forestry Commission Land
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) the name, (b) grid reference, (c) area, (d) date of sale and (e) whether formal public access agreements have been established, for each piece of land sold by the Forestry Commission since 1981.
  180
  Sir Hector Monro
  Lists giving details of the areas of forest land sold by the Forestry Commission from the start of the disposals programme in July 1981 to December 1992 are held in the Library of the House. A list of the forest land sold by the commission in 1993 will be drawn up and placed in the Library in the new year.

  These lists do not show grid references which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Arrangements for securing continued public access to Forestry Commission woodlands after sale, by way of prior agreements entered into between the commission and local authorities, were introduced in October 1991. Most of the sales concluded since then were too far advanced in October 1991 to be considered for an access agreement, while most of the areas brought forward for disposal since that date have still to be sold. At the last count, access agreements had been concluded or were being negotiated in respect of 42 woodlands which were in the process of being sold, although none of these has yet been sold. Local authorities have expressed interest in negotiating agreements in over 40 other areas.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what areas of Forestry Commission land have been offered to conservation bodies.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 29 November 1993]: At the stage when the Forestry Commission is considering selling land under its disposal programme, notices are placed in the Estates Gazette in respect of all woods larger than five hectares and all other land having a known conservation, recreation or amenity interest. This gives conservation or other bodies an advance opportunity to express an interest in purchase.

  If the Government Department or agency responsible far the particular conservation interest concerned gives an unequivocal statement that the acquisition of a property by a conservation body would be in the public interest, and the commission agrees to a sale on these terms, it takes place at open market value.

  No central record is kept of these offers and the compilation of a list would involve disproportionate cost.

  Local Government
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for
  Scotland how many representations he has received from Cumbernauld and Kilsyth concerning his proposals for the future structure of local government; how many of these representations favour his proposals; and how many favour Cumbernauld and Kilsyth becoming part of the proposed east Dunbartonshire council.

  Mr. Stewart
  Some 70 individual letters have been received from Cumbernauld and Kilsyth on the proposal to include the area within the proposed north Lanarkshire authority. In addition, about 4,000 postcards and petition signatures have been submitted. Most of these representations have asked specifically for the Kilsyth area to be included in the proposed east Dunbartonshire council.

  Press and Publicity
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many press and publicity officers are currently employed in his Department; and how many were employed in(a) 1985 and (b)
  181
  Mr. Lang
  The number of staff in the Information Officer grades employed, at present, in the Scottish Office information directorate is 30·5 with one vacant post. The comparable figures are 19 staff and one vacant post in 1985 and 22 staff and three vacant posts in 1979, both as at 1 April.

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–92 £

  Television advertising

  576,000

  974,000

  741,000

  556,000

  Radio advertising

  40,000

  85,000

  188,000

  141,000

  Newspaper advertising

  378,000

  1,022,000

  613,000

  853,000

  Figures in the form requested are not available for 1979–80 to 1987–88. Total expenditure on information publicity for 1979–80 was £263,000 and in 1984–85 £704,000.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has incorporated the code of practice for information security management, published by the British Standards Institution, into relevant contracts with information technology suppliers.

  Mr. Lang
  The security requirements for IT systems and services used by central Government departments are stated in the Government IT security policy document. This document is supported by use of the CCTA risk analysis and management method (CRAMM) and baseline security for IT systems (BSITS) risk analysis methods and by supporting advice and guidance published by the Government IT security authorities. These are regularly reviewed to ensure best practice, have been developed specifically for use within government and have been in operation for some time. The code of practice for information security management was developed by and established for use by commercial organisations for the protection of official information.

  Forestry Stewardship Council
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has received on the Forestry Stewardship Council.

  Sir Hector Monro
  I have received details of the formation of the Forest Stewardship Council, and of its aims.

  Glenborrodale Castle Hotel
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was given in grant and loan assistance in respect of Glenborrodale Castle hotel by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and local enterprise companies; what steps have been taken to recover the money following disposal of the hotel to a private owner; what he estimates to be the net cost to public funds; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No financial assistance has been given to Glenborrodale Castle hotel by

  Advertising
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spends annually on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising and (c) press advertising; and what were the corresponding figures for 1985 and 1979.

  Mr. Lang
  Expenditure by my Department in 1992–93 was television advertising £831,000, radio advertising £120,000 and press advertising £415,000.

  For 1988–89 to 1991–92, the figures were:

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise, any of its local enterprise companies or its predecessor body the Highlands and Islands development board.

  Mr. Peterken
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the duration of Mr. Peterken's contract with the Scottish health service management executive; what will be the annual cost to the Exchequer; and from which budget the additional funds are to be drawn.

  Mr. Lang
  The duration of Mr. Peterken's contract is until 31 December 1995. The annual cost to the Exchequer will reflect Mr. Peterken's salary, which is within the range far general manager of Greater Glasgow health board—£66,949 to £83,681 from 1 September 1993—and will be met centrally.

  Arable Area Scheme
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department first informed the National Farmers Union of Scotland that there was the possibility of an overshoot of the base area in the non-less favoured area region of Scotland under the arable area payment scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department officials first informed the National Farmers Union of Scotland in August of the possibility of an overshoot having occurred this year in the Scottish non-less favoured area arable base area.

  A77-M77 Link
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to make an announcement about the A77-M77 link road.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: Discussions are taking place between the Scottish Office and Strathclyde regional council about this joint project and an announcement will be made in due course.

  Appointments
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the occasions on which he has appointed a person to a post in the national health service which has not been advertised.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: Most NHS appointments are the responsibility of individual health boards and trusts. Some staff of the management executive are employees of the Common Services Agency and a number of such staff have been seconded to that body from another NHS employer without their posts being advertised.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on recruitment of persons to posts in the NHS which have not been advertised.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: Posts in the NHS are in general filled by open advertisement or by secondment from another employer.

  Health Service Management
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the management structure of the NHS in Scotland.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 2 December 1993]: The management structure is published in the Civil Service Year Book 1993, a copy of which is in the Library of the House of Commons.

  Nurses
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of(a) children's and (b) adult intensive care units have four or more whole time equivalent nurses per bed.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 1 December 1993]: The detailed information required to respond is not held centrally. What information is held, however, indicates that 50 per cent. of children's intensive therapy units and 61 per cent. of adult intensive therapy units have on average four or more nursing staff per occupied bed.

  Smoke Detectors
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what monitoring regulations he has introduced in relation to the installation of mains-operated smoke detectors in new-build houses in(a) the public housing sector and (b) the private sector; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  With effect from 23 July 1993, applications for warrant to construct new dwellings must provide for smoke alarms to be installed in accordance with the requirements of the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations Technical Standards. The local authority will not issue a completion certificate unless the dwellings have been constructed in accordance with those standards.

  The fact that smoke alarms now need to be wired to a main electricity supply should to a large extent remove any need to monitor the power supply as is the case with battery operated alarms.

  There is no provision in the Building (Scotland) Act 1959 for the monitoring of the maintenance of systems but
  184
  The Scottish Office Environment Department receives information about the effectiveness of the Building Standards Regulations through contacts with building control and fire authorities.

  Early indications are that the new smoke alarm provisions have been well received by authorities, builders and house purchasers.

  Hospital Building
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the capital allocation for the new hospital building programme announced in November 1992; and what is the current figure.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: The capital allocation figure announced in December 1992 was £180 million.

  A further £5 million has become available from the current financial year for redistribution amongst health boards and trusts.

  Ayrshire and Arran Health Board
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the contracts awarded by Ayrshire and Arran health board during the last 18 months; what was the nature of the contracts awarded; which organisations bid for each contract; what were the organisations holding each contract prior to them being re-awarded; when the contracts were awarded; and what periods were covered by the contracts.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 23 November 1993]: Details of the contracts negotiated by Ayrshire and Arran health board for the year to 31 March 1994 and their nature are provided in the table below.

  In the last 18 months, only urology services have been the subject of a bidding process: that process involved the South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust with the contract being awarded to the South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which already held that contract, for a period to 31 March 1996.

  Other changes in service provision within Ayrshire during the last 18 months were the centralisation from 1 April 1993 of ear, nose and throat and oral surgery at Crosshouse hospital under the control of the North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust. These services were previously provided by North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust and South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust. These changes formed part of the board's local health strategy and had been endorsed by both trusts. These contracts were also awarded for the period to 31 March 1996.

  Provider

  Nature of service

  Ayrshire and Arran Providers

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  Acute, Care for the Elderly

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  Acute, Care for the Elderly

  Ayrshire and Arran Community

  Non-Acute, Mental Health,

  Healthcare NHS Trust

  Care for the Elderly

  Takare

  Care for the Elderly

  Providers outwith Ayrshire and Arran

  Dykebar

  Mental Health

  Inverclyde Royal

  Acute

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  Acute

  Dumfries and Galloway Mental Health Unit

  Mental Health

  Dumfries and Galloway Acute Unit

  Acute

  185

  Provider

  Nature of service

  Royal Scottish National Hospital and community NHS Trust

  Mental Health

  Stobhill

  Acute

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary

  Acute

  Western Infirmary

  Acute

  Greater Glasgow Mental Health Unit

  Mental Health

  Yorkhill

  Acute

  Glasgow Care for the Elderly Unit

  Care for the Elderly

  Southern General

  Acute

  Victoria Infirmary

  Acute

  Stonehouse and Hairmyres

  Acute

  Ayr Hospice

  Hospice

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Kynoch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the provisions he has made in his public expenditure plans for Government-supported expenditure and aggregate external finance in 1995–96 and 1996–97.

  Mr. Lang
  To assist local authorities in their financial planning, I have decided this year to publish planned figures for both Government supported expenditure (GSE) and aggregate external finance (AEF) for the two forward years of the Public Expenditure Survey. The figures for all three years of the survey are as follows:

  1994–95 £ million

  1995–96 £ million

  1996–97 £ million

  GSE

  6,013·6

  6,175·4

  6,321·1

  AEF

  5,272·0

  5,378·1

  5,494·9

  The above amounts of GSE and AEF are inclusive of the following sums which relate to the transfer of resources to local authorities in respect of care in the community and the independent living fund:

  1994–95 £ million

  1995–96 £ million

  1996–97 £ million

  115·1

  172·1

  211·6

  The underlying percentage increases in GSE and AEF, excluding the above amounts in respect of care in the community and the independent living fund, over the same three years are as follows:

  1994–95 Per cent.

  1995–96 Per cent.

  1996–97 Per cent.

  GSE

  2·25

  1·79

  1·77

  AEF

  0·97

  0·97

  1·48

  At those levels of GSE and AEF, the average band D council tax need not increase in 1995–96 by more than the forecast inflation rate plus £10, and in 1996–97 by more than the forecast inflation rate alone.

  Pending parliamentary approval to changes in organisation, GSE for 1996–97, conventionally, includes provision for local authorities' expenditure on domestic sewerage.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Kynoch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the provision he has made in his public expenditure plans for the costs of local government reform.

  Mr. Lang
  In determining the level of Government-supported expenditure (GSE) for 1994–95, which I announced on 30 November, I have included £5 million to cover costs which I expect local authorities will incur next year in preparing for local government reform. A separate grant aided expenditure (GAE) assessment will be created for this amount, which I intend will be distributed to all mainland authorities according to a standard formula. Each authority will receive a flat rate sum of £35,000 and the balance of the million will be distributed amongst authorities on a per capita basis.

  The precise level of the extra costs which will face authorities as a consequence of reform in 1995–96 and 1996–97 remains uncertain, and will depend on decisions taken by the new authorities. I do not expect the net costs to exceed £30 to £35 million in either year. In determining the planned level of GSE for these years I have assumed that the existing local authorities will incur local government reform costs of £25 million in 1995–96 and £55 million in 1996–97, and that in the latter year there will also be savings of £40 million. The proposed new authorities would therefore incur net reform costs of £15 million in 1996–97. In subsequent years there would be significant net savings. I shall of course continue to consult the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities each year before determining the local government finance settlement.

  Entirely outside the settlement I am providing a total of £1·5 million over the three years to cover the costs of the Staff Commission which I intend to establish to assist the reform process, and a further £23 million in 1995–96 to cover the estimated costs of the proposed new authorities during their shadow period.

  I believe that these plans make realistic provision for the transitional costs of local government reform, and demonstrate that allegations that the cost of reform will fall entirely on the council tax are completely without foundation.

HEALTH

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received regarding the merger of community health councils.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales recently met the deputy chief executive of the National Health Service Management Executive and, among other things, raised the issue of CHC mergers. We also received a letter from the association which touched on this subject, among others.

  Hospital Closures, Birmingham
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received in the last three months regarding hospital closures in Birmingham.

  Mr. Sackville
  We have received correspondence from a number of people in the west midlands about this issue.

  Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals
  Ms Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the proposals from the trust board of Guy's and St. Thomas's to remain on two sites.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The trust board's outline business case is being assessed by the south NHS Management Executive outpost on behalf of the London implementation group and it would be premature to make a statement before this assessment work is concluded.

  "Making London Worse"
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the recommendations laid out in the report, "Making London Worse", produced by the Greater London Association of Community Health Councils, a copy of which has been sent to her.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We welcome the views of any informed contributor such as the Greater London Association of Community Health Councils on the process of developing London's health services through positive change. We have no plans to make any specific response to this report, but will of course consider it carefully, against the Government's strategy which is set out in "Making London Better".

  Adoption Panels
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she intends to strengthen adoption panels.

  Mr. Bowis
  We shall consult on this in the new year. We propose to introduce more independent panel members, including adoptive parents and representatives from local interests, such as magistrates committees.

  Private Care Homes
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the deregulation of private care and nursing homes.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government are committed to ensuring that the interests of residents of residential care and nursing homes are protected and that they receive the care they need in well-run homes.

  We have no doubt that regulation to underpin this objective will continue to be necessary, but we are seeking to remove unnecessary controls and to improve the way in which essential regulation is applied and enforced. Any proposed changes would be subject to consultation.

  Deaths
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths there were in(a) the first and (b) third quarter of 1992 for (i) Britain and (ii) the Northern region.

  Mr. Bowls
  In the quarter to March 1992, there were 156,060 deaths in England and Wales of which 10,583 occurred in the northern region. The comparative figures for the September quarter were 125,301 deaths and 8,246 deaths respectively.

  Queen Elizabeth II Hospital
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has made a decision on the future of the Queen Elizabeth II hospital; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The future provision of childrens' services in east London will be considered in the light of the findings of a study of these services currently being carried out by the East London and City health authority. This will be completed by the end of January 1994.

  NHS Purchasing
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to monitor contracts between purchasers and provider units and to ensure that adequate funds are available for the remainder of the financial year.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The National Health Service Management Executive issued guidance on monitoring contracts earlier this year. Recent evidence indicates that generally hospitals are managing their workload smoothly. Local managers are taking the necessary action to ensure activity remains within contract.

  Dermatology Provision, Sheffield
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on dermatology provision in Sheffield.

  Mr. Sackville
  Between April and October, dermatologists in Sheffield treated in excess of 16,800 out-patients. In line with patients charter standards, there are no patients waiting more than 18 months for dermatology treatment.

  Female Consultants
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the 1994 target for female consultants within the NHS; how many there are at present; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Goal 3 of the National Health Service Opportunity 2000 initiative is that by 1994 the percentage of women consultants in England should be 20 per cent. Figures for September 1992 show 2,739 female hospital consultants in England, representing 16·3 per cent. of all hospital consultants.

  Clinical Audit
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on establishing clinical audit.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Over the past four years considerable work has been done on developing medical, nursing and therapy and primary care audit programmes. Multi-professional clinical audit programmes will contribute greatly to continuing improvement in the quality of patient care.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are currently waiting for hospital treatment.
  189
  Dr. Mawhinney
  Provisional figures for the quarter ending 30 September are available in the Library. These show that regions are meeting the patients charter guarantee that all patients will be seen within a maximum of two years. In addition, no patient has to wait longer than 18 months for hip or knee replacements or cataract surgery.

  GP Fund Holders
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what alternatives to general practice fund-holding her Department has costed.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  All general practitioner practices should be involved in purchasing decisions through their district health authorities, but this is no substitute for fundholding which enables GPs to improve services for their patients by directly managing resources. That is why ever-increasing numbers of GPs are joining the scheme.

  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the population of Derbyshire is covered by fund-holding doctors' practices.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is not available centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Sir Michael Carlisle, chairman of Trent regional health authority, for details.

  Nurses
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are employed in NHS hospitals within the Liverpool area health authority.

  Mr. Sackville
  There were 5,030 whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery staff, excluding agency staff, employed by the national health service within the Liverpool district health authority area at 30 September 1992, the latest figures available.

  Transitional Community Care Grant
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the requirement for local authorities to spend 85 per cent. of special transitional community care grant in the independent sector.

  Mr. Bowls
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Blyth Valley (Mr. Campbell) on 6 December.

  London NHS (Debts)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance she is giving to London NHS trust and district health authorities to help them resolve their debt problems.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  As part of the overall resources required for the implementation of "Making London Better", transitional funds have been made available to support London hospitals who have lost contract income from purchasers and to meet the costs of staff redeployment or unavoidable redundancies.

  Health Care (North West Thames)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in improving primary and community health care in the North West Thames region.
  190
  Dr. Mawhinney
  North West Thames regional health authority has committed £9 million this year to developing primary care and community services. In addition, £5 million has been provided from central sources to fund new primary care developments in their part of the London initiative zone. The regional health authority has also recently agreed a comprehensive programme to close all its large mental illness and learning disability hospitals by the year 2000, and to replace them with a full range of local community-based services.

  "The Health of the Nation"
  Mr. Olner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to revise "The Health of the Nation" targets.

  Mr. Sackville
  "The Health of the Nation" is a long-term strategy, with targets up to 17 years ahead, and we have made good progress in the first year. There is no need to revise the targets; they remain the right ones.

  NHS Complaints Procedures
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish the report of the review committee into NHS complaints procedures.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I understand that Professor Wilson and his colleagues plan to submit their recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State at the beginning of February. Decisions on publication will be made at that time.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing(a) the number of prescriptions, (b) total expenditure and (c) expenditure per head of population served for (i) sunscreens and similar protection and (ii) vitamins and dietary supplements for 1992.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is shown in the table.

  England 1992 figures

  Prescriptions (thousands)

  Net ingredient cost

  Net ingredient cost per head of population

  (£ thousands)

  (£)

  Sunscreening preparations

  81·1

  395£0

  8£16

  Vitamins and dietary supplements

  5,833·3

  51,009·2

  1·05

  Notes:

  1. The data cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.

  2. The data are based on September 1991 British National Formulary section 13.8.1.

  3. For net ingredient cost per head Office Population of Censuses and Surveys 1991 mid year resident population projections for 1992 have been used.

  Medical Cards
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to change the numbers of any NHS medical cards; and what will be the cost of the changes.
  191
  Mr. Sackville
  By July 1995, we will have started to replace the present national health service number where it is currently in use with one with a more suitable format. Medical cards will record the replacement number when they are reissued after this date.

  The number is being replaced as part of a wider programme to make the new format number the common patient identifier for the NHS. The costs of this programme are estimated at £22 million at today's prices, over the period 1992 to 1995.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has incorporated the code of practice for information security management, published by the British Standards Institution, into relevant contracts with information technology suppliers.

  Mr. Sackville
  The security requirements for information technology systems and services used by central Government Departments are stated in the HMG IT security policy document. This document is supported by use of the CCTA risk analysis and management method and baseline security for IT systems risk analysis methods, by the communications electronic security group memorandum No. 10 where appropriate and by supporting advice and guidance published by the HMG IT security authorities. These are regularly reviewed to ensure best practice, have been developed specifically for use within Government and have been in operation for some time. The code of practice for information security management was developed by and established for use by commercial organisations and does not specifically address the requirements for the protection of official information.

  District Health Authorities
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 29 November 1993,Official Report, column 307, if she will list those district health authorities that (a) gain and (b) lose under the mortality weighted population projections for 1991 to 1996.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The district health authority weighted capitation shares were obtained from the regional health authorities. Each region has its own weighted capitation formula for determining the shares of its districts. We do not hold centrally all of the information which would be required to model the effects of population changes on individual DHA shares.

  Women's Refuges
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she is making towards achieving a comprehensive network of women's refuge provision; in which borough areas such a provision currently does not exist; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  Earlier this year, the Government published their response—HC 245—to the Home Affairs Select Committee's report on domestic violence. The Select Committee did not recommend that central Government should make more funds available to local refuges. Funding at a local level is a consideration for local authorities and other agencies who are best placed to make decisions on local need and provision.
  192
  The need for improved co-ordination of refuge provision is an area which will be given early consideration by members of the ministerial group on domestic violence at its forthcoming inaugural meeting.

  Information relating to local refuge provision is not available centrally.

  Herbs
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the publication by the European Community Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products of a list of herbs which have been banned in other European countries; if she will make it her policy to oppose any such ban on products containing these common herbs in this country; and to ensure that right hon. and hon. Members are kept informed of such proposals emanating from the different agencies of the European Community.

  Mr. Sackville
  No response was called for, and none has been made. The list is simply a factual record, for information, of herbs that have already been withdrawn from medicinal products for safety reasons in one or more member states. We are not aware of any current proposals for further action in the European Community.

  The Government's policy on the licensing of medicinal products is that they must demonstrate acceptable standards of safety, quality and efficacy. This will continue to be applied.

  Private Medical Insurance
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people(a) have and (b) do not have private medical insurance by age group, social class and gender.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  "Changing Childbirth"
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research and audit projects her Department has commissioned, and from whom, to evaluate the recommendations made by the expert maternity group in its report "Changing Childbirth"; and what role the national perinatal epidemiology unit will take in the evaluation.

  Mr. Sackville
  The consultation period for "Changing Childbirth", the report of the expert maternity group, ended on 29 October. Ministers are currently considering the comments received before deciding on future action. Decisions on any evaluation projects to be undertaken will be made as part of this process.

  Copies of "Changing Childbirth" are available in the Library.

  Sensitive Documents Unit
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the operation of her Department's sensitive documents unit; how many staff are employed in its operation; and approximately how many documents per annum come within its purview.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department of Health does not operate a sensitive documents unit. All documents raised
  193
  within the Department are public records under the terms of the Public Record Acts 1958 and 1967, and have varying degrees of sensitivity.

  The Department has a departmental records officer who is responsible for systems for the control of all documents from the time of their creation to final disposal.

  In the course of the Department's business, hundreds of thousands of records come within the departmental records officer's purview each year.

  Extra-contractual Referrals
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra-contractual referrals were refused by each health authority in 1990–91 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mental Health Care
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in relation to each regional health authority area in England how many mentally ill patients from that region were in low security places on 30 June; how many of those patients were in private sector facilities; how many patients were waiting for a community place; and how many of the patients were, in the opinion of their responsible medical officer, fit to move to a community place;

  (2) in relation to each regional health authority area in England how many people with learning disabilities are assessed as (a) requiring treatment or care in high security, (b) requiring treatment or care in medium security and (c) requiring treatment or care in low security; how many such people are currently detained in (d) high security, (e) medium security and (f) low security, in relation to those currently detained in secure facilities; how many are currently considered to be in unsuitable facilities; and how many are being cared for in secure private facilities;

  (3) in relation to each regional health authority area in England what is the estimated number of people in the region assessed as needing treatment for psychopathic disorder; how many of these detained in secure NHS psychiatric facilities, or in other NHS psychiatric facilities as in-patients, are in touch with other NHS psychiatric facilities as outpatients, or are in local social services authority facilities; how many are in prison; and how many are in private sector health care or other facilities;

  (4) in relation to each regional health authority area in England how many mentally ill patients from each region were in medium secure provision on 30 June; how many were in private sector facilities; how many were waiting for admission to less secure accommodation and how many waiting to be discharged to a community place; and how many were, in the opinion of their responsible medical officer, fit to move to less secure accommodation;

  (5) in relation to each regional health authority area in England, how many mentally ill patients from each region were in special hospitals on 30 June and which special hospitals they were in; how many of the patients detained in special hospitals were, in the opinion of their responsible medical officer, ready to move to less secure accommodation; how many patients from each region were authorised for discharge but remained in the special hospital; how long each of these patients had been waiting for discharge; what had prevented discharge in each case; what
  194
  arrangements are in place to ensure that patients in special hospitals are able to be discharged within a year of discharge being authorised; and how these arrangements will be developed to meet the six month maximum waiting time referred to in the NHS planning guidance for 1994–95.

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not collected on a routine basis but regional directors of public health were asked in the Department of Health's letter, EL(93)68, to undertake an assessment of needs in their regions, including the numbers of patients needing mental health care at the different levels of security. We are awaiting the full results of this exercise. Copies of the letter (EL(93)68) are available in the Library.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will announce(a) changes to prescription charges and (b) changes in the proportion of costs paid by dental patients for 1994–95.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 3 December at column 805.

  Hospices
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of hospice beds in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on the number of hospice in-patient beds in each of the last five years in England is shown in the table.

  Year1

  Number of hospice beds2

  1989

  1,863

  1990

  2,093

  1991

  2,171

  1992

  2,321

  1993

  2,409

  1Figures collected in January of each year.

  2In-patient, England.

  Source: St. Christopher's Hospice Information Service.

  NHS Trusts
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 1 December,Official Report, columns 583-84, if she will list the remuneration of the chairman of each NHS trust in England.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  National health service trust chairmen's remuneration is paid on the basis of the following bands:

  Unit turnover 1988–89

  Band

  Rates per annum (£)

  In excess of £50 million

  Band 1

  19,285

  Between £20 million and £50 million

  Band 2

  17,145

  Less than £20 million

  Band 3

  15,125

  Administrators
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new management posts have been created since the NHS reforms; and what they cost.
  195
  Dr. Mawhinney
  This information is not available centrally.

  Surgical Operations
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have now been waiting for more than a year for their operation.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Information on waiting times for in-patient and day case treatment is given in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England", which is published twice yearly. The latest published figures are for March 1993. In addition provisional figures for the quarter ending 30 September 1993 were published on 1 November, in press release H93/1036. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many routine operations have now been suspended until the next financial year.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Cervical Smear Tests
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice her Department issues on methods to be adopted in carrying out cervical smear tests;

  (2) what action she proposes to take following the findings of the report of the Northern regional health authority on the recall of Dr. Lustman's patients for repeat cervical smears that methods varied according to socio-economic group.

  Mr. Sackville
  In 1988 the Department of Health circulated to all health authorities the report of an intercollegiate working party on cervical cytology screening which includes guidance on the taking of cervical smears. HSG(93)41 issued in August 1993 updates earlier guidance on the cervical cancer screening programme. This refers both to accepted clinical guidance issued by the British Society for Clinical Cytology on the taking of cervical smears and fail-safe mechanisms for their follow-up. Copies of both documents are available in the Library. All women should have access to the same high standard of service regardless of socio-economic group. It is unacceptable to use an inferior method on such grounds. Variations from the standard method for taking cervical smears are acceptable only on clinical grounds, or where the patient makes an informed choice, in full possession of the clinical facts.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she proposes to take following the publication of the report of the Northern regional health authority on the recall of Dr. Lustman's patients for repeat cervical smears; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  This is a matter for the Northern regional health authority and Gateshead family health services authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairmen for details.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she intends to issue to consultants on the importance of absolute accuracy and clarity in their advice and/or comments relating to methods adopted by general practitioners.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she intends to issue to family health services authorities on the importance of verifying verbal assurances from general practitioners that their methods are supported by consultants.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Family Health Services Authorities (Training)
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what training provision in techniques for thoroughness she intends to provide for family health services authority members engaged in practice visits;

  (2) what advice she intends to issue to family health services authorities on the importance of keeping accurate records of findings following FHSA practice visits.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  None.

  Immunisation
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what immunisations her Department recommends for children under five travelling to Nigeria.

  Mr. Sackville
  A United Kingdom resident child should have been immunised routinely against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella and haemophilus influenzae b. Recommendations for travel, in addition to the above immunisations, will depend on factors such as purpose of visit—holiday or parents' occupation—length of stay, area to be visited and season of the year. They include, for Nigeria, hepatitis A human normal immunoglobulin, or hepatitis A vaccine where prolonged protection is required, typhoid —but not for infants under 12 months of age—yellow fever—but not for infants under nine months of age—and meningococcal meningitis. Advice in specific cases should be sought from a general practitioner or travel clinic.

  Regional Health Authorities
  Sir Donald Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Health what financial allocations each regional health authority will receive in 1994–95.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I am today sending each regional health authority details of their main revenue allocations for resident population. These are set out in table 1. They are provisional until Parliament approves the relevant supply estimate.

  Regions are to receive an average cash increase of 5·4 per cent., and I have decided that all regions should get a minimum increase of 0·7 per cent. above forecast inflation.

  This will enable all regions to make faster progress towards equalisation of resources at district health authority level.

  Table 2 sets out the main capital planning totals for each region. Regional health authorities and National Health

  197
  Service Management Executive outposts will be giving me agreed proposals for how much of these planning totals should be spent by trusts and how much by health authorities. These will form the basis of external financing limits for trusts and capital cash limits for regional health authorities.

  Table 3 sets out the cash-limited resources being made available to fund general practice expenditure. This will fund practice staff in fund-holding and non-fund-holding practices, premises improvements costs, and non-fundholding computer costs. This represents a cash increase of 5·9 per cent.

  Table 1

  Regional health authority allocations 1994–95

  Revenue allocations for resident populations

  Allocation for resident populations

  Percentage cash increase

  £'000s

  Per cent.

  Northern

  1,219,112

  5·10

  Yorkshire

  1,406,336

  5·32

  Trent

  1,767,925

  5·65

  East Anglian

  748,471

  6·17

  North West Thames

  1,352,165

  4·74

  North East Thames

  1,561,379

  4·74

  South East Thames

  1,519,821

  5·58

  South West Thames

  1,163,130

  4·74

  Wessex

  1,136,485

  6·43

  Oxford

  843,071

  6·05

  South Western

  1,253,144

  5·67

  West Midlands

  1,960,156

  5·64

  Mersey

  932,826

  4·87

  North Western

  1,583,160

  5·14

  ENGLAND

  18,447,181

  5·38

  Table 2

  NHS regional main capital planning totals for 1994–95

  Region (both trusts and RHAs)

  Capital planning Total £000s

  Northern

  100,462

  Yorkshire

  117,127

  Trent

  147,872

  East Anglian

  64,514

  North West Thames

  97,719

  North East Thames

  111,800

  South East Thames

  115,243

  South West Thames

  86,069

  Wessex

  96,881

  Oxford

  73,650

  South Western

  106,657

  West Midlands

  162,940

  Mersey

  76,509

  North Western

  129,970

  ENGLAND

  1,487,413

  Q1

  Q2

  Q3

  Q4

  Q5

  All

  All singles over 75

  Per cent. increase in median per year

  1·0

  1·7

  2·1

  2·8

  5·1

  2·1

  Per cent. increase in mean per year

  0·2

  1·2

  1·9

  2·4

  3·9

  3·0

  Couples1 under 75

  Per cent. increase in median per year

  1·1

  1·8

  2·6

  3·2

  3·6

  2·6

  Per cent. increase in mean per year

  2·4

  1·5

  2·2

  2·9

  2·9

  3·0

  All singles under 75

  Per cent. increase in median per year

  1·2

  2·0

  2·2

  3·0

  4·6

  2·2

  Per cent. increase in mean per year

  0·2

  1·8

  2·1

  2·5

  3·7

  3·3

  198

  Table 3

  General medical services cash limited allocations for 1994–95

  Regions

  Allocation at 1994–95 prices (£000s)

  Increase over 1993–94 cash Percentage

  Northern

  39,415

  7·4

  Yorkshire

  49,372

  4·4

  Trent

  63,125

  6·2

  East Anglian

  36,558

  4·0

  North West Thames

  51,342

  4·0

  North East Thames

  53,862

  7·3

  South East Thames

  55,404

  5·9

  South West Thames

  43,632

  7·0

  Wessex

  43,478

  4·0

  Oxford

  38,215

  4·0

  South Western

  55,385

  4·0

  West Midlands

  64,533

  7·3

  Mersey

  31,814

  5·9

  North Western

  48,261

  10·2

  ENGLAND

  674,396

  5·9

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensioner Incomes
  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been(a) the mean and (b) the median increase each year from 1979 to 1990–91 in the incomes of (i) single male pensioners aged 65-74, (ii) single female pensioners aged 60-74, (iii) all single pensioners under 75, (iv) pensioner couples under 75, (v) single male pensioners aged 75 and over, (vi) single female pensioners aged 75 and over, (vii) all single pensioners aged 75 and over and (viii) pensioner couples aged 75 years and over; and in each case for which the figures are available if he will break the figures down by quintile groups.

  Mr. Hague
  The answer is in the tables.

  Change in pensioner incomes from 1979 to 1990–1

  Per cent. increase in median per year

  Per cent. increase in mean per year

  Single men aged 65-74

  2·4

  2·9

  Single men over 75

  2·1

  3·0

  Single women over 75

  1·6

  2·2

  Couples over 751

  2·5

  3·8

  199

  Q1

  Q2

  Q3

  Q4

  Q5

  All

  Single women aged 60-74

  Per cent. increase in median per year

  1·1

  2·0

  2·1

  2·7

  4·3

  2·1

  Per cent. increase in mean per year

  1·0

  1·8

  2·1

  2·4

  3·6

  3·2

  Note: Income is net before housing costs income. Because of small sample size, it has not been possible to provide all of the information in the form requested. Such information as is provided is liable to error due to small sample groups.

  1Husband's age specified

  Source: Family Expenditure Surveys 1979 and 1990–91

  Benefit Statistics
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will disaggregate the total expenditure figures in table 1 of "The Growth of Social Security," in order to show the different growth rates of(a) national insurance basic retirement pension, (b) national insurance unemployment benefit, (c) naational insurance invalidity benefit, (d) family allowance/child benefit, (e) national assistance/supplementary benefit/income support, (f) one-parent benefit, (g) housing benefits and (h) rate rebates/community charge benefit.

  Real growth in social security benefit expenditure

  £ billion (1992·93 prices)

  1949–501

  1959–601

  1969–701

  1979–80

  1989–90

  1992–932

  Total expenditure of which

  10·3

  15·4

  27·2

  44·9

  59·7

  74·1

  basic retirement pension

  4·4

  7·9

  13·3

  21·1

  24·1

  25·5

  unemployment benefit

  0·3

  0·6

  1·1

  1·6

  0·9

  1·8

  family allowance/child benefit

  1·1

  1·6

  2·9

  6·7

  5·4

  5·8

  Index of expenditure in real terms (1949–50=100) total

  100

  150

  264

  436

  580

  719

  basic retirement pension

  100

  180

  302

  480

  548

  580

  unemployment benefit

  100

  200

  367

  533

  300

  600

  family allowance/child benefit

  100

  145

  264

  609

  491

  527

  Expenditure as a percentage of GDP total

  4·7

  5·3

  7·0

  9·0

  9·5

  12·3

  basic retirement pension

  2·0

  2·7

  3·4

  4·2

  3·8

  4·2

  unemployment benefit

  0·1

  0·2

  0·3

  0·3

  0·1

  0·3

  family allowance/child benefit

  0·5

  0·6

  0·7

  1·3

  0·9

  1·0

  1Benefit expenditure data refers to 1949, 1959 and 1969 respectively.

  2Provisional.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received regarding financial difficulties facing people who have been in private care or nursing homes since before 1 April.

  Mr. Burt
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) on 6 December.

  Information Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has incorporated the code of practice for information security management, published by the British Standards Institution, into relevant contracts with information technology suppliers.

  Mr. Hague
  The security requirements for IT systems and services used by central Government departments are
  200
  Mr. Scott
  The information requested in relation to national insurance basic retirement pension, national insurance unemployment benefit and family allowance/ child benefit is in the table. Invalidity benefit and one-parent benefit were introduced in 1971 and 1980 respectively and information about growth in expenditure on these is in table 9a of "The Growth of Social Security." Meaningful comparisons of the growth rates since 1949 in national assistance/supplementary benefit/income support, housing benefit and rate rebates/community charge benefit are not possible because of changes in the structure of provision in the benefit system.

  stated in the Government IT security policy document. This document is supported by use of the CCTA risk analysis and management method (CRAMM) and baseline security for IT systems (BSITS) risk analysis methods and by supporting advice and guidance published by the Government IT security authorities. These are regularly reviewed to ensure best practice and have been developed specifically for use within Government and have been in operation for some time. The Department of Social Security's IT security standards have been devised in accordance with the above, and the need for compliance with them is being referenced in relevant contracts.

  The code of practice for information security management was developed by and established for use by commercial organisations and does not specifically address the requirements for the protection of official information.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the operation of his Department's sensitive documents unit; how many staff are employed in its operation; and approximately how many documents per annum come within its purview.
  201
  Mr. Hague
  The Department of Social Security does not operate a sensitive documents unit. However, all documents raised within the Department are public records under the terms of the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967, and have varying degrees of sensitivity. The Department has a departmental records officer, who is responsible for systems for the control of all documents from the time of their creation to final disposal. In the course of the Department's business, millions of records come within the departmental records officer's purview each year.

  Press and Publicity
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many press and publicity officers are currently employed in his Department; and how many were employed in(a) 1985 and (b)

  Mr. Scott
  The numbers are:

  Headquarters—22

  Benefits Agency—21

  Child Support Agency—3

  Contributions Agency—1

  Before 1988 the Department was part of DHSS and separate figures for Social Security are not available.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many homeless people, who are living in hostels on a temporary basis, have applied for but have been refused a social fund community care grant or loan; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many refugees have, following an offer of permanent accommodation, applied for but been refused social fund start-up grants; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Family Credit
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents currently receive family credit.

  Mr. Burt
  The number of lone parents in receipt of family credit was 206,000 at the latest available date.

  Source: 5 per cent. sample of family credit recipients at 30 April 1993.

  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the proposed family credit ceilings in 1994–95 for each of(a) a married couple with one child aged under five years, (b) a married couple with two children aged under 11 years, (c) a married couple with two children aged over 11 years, (d) a married couple with three children aged under 11 years, (e) a married couple with three children aged over 11 years and (f) a married couple with two children aged under 11 years and two children aged over 11 years.

  Mr. Burt
  At the new benefit levels proposed for April 1994, the family credit ceilings represented by the highest amount of net earnings and other relevant income a family can have and still qualify for family credit at the minimum payment of 50p will be as follows:202

  £

  Married couple with one child under 5 years

  150·27

  Married couple with two children under 11

  166·27

  Married couple with two children over 11 (but under 16)

  187·27

  Married couple with three children under 11

  182·27

  Married couple with three children over 11 (but under 16)

  213·77

  Married couple with two children under 11 and two children over 11 (but under 16)

  219·27

  Relevant income excludes child benefit, which is disregarded for family credit purposes. Therefore, in addition to the amounts above, a one-child family will have £10£25 child benefit, a two-child family £18.45, a three-child family £26.70 and a four-child family £34.95. Relevant income also excludes the first £15 of any maintenance payable.

  From October 1994, up to £40 a week will be disregarded in the calculation of net earnings in respect of formal childcare costs incurred where there is a child under 11 in the family of a couple where both are working, or where one is working and the other is incapacitated, increasing the potential ceilings still further. The disregard will also apply to lone parent families.

  Lone Parent Families
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parent families, headed by a mother under the age of 21 years are currently in receipt of(a) family credit, (b) housing benefit and (c) disability working allowance.

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table:

  Lone parent mothers under the age of 21

  Type of benefit

  Numbers

  Date

  Family Credit

  1,240

  30 April 1993

  Housing Benefit

  36,000

  May 19921

  Disability Working Allowance

  Nil

  30 June 1993

  1Sample taken May 1992.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parent families are currently headed by a mother in receipt of disability working allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  There are 266 such families.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parent families currently receive housing benefit.

  Mr. Burt
  The number of lone parents in receipt of housing benefit in Great Britain in May 1992—the latest date for which figures are available—was approximately 816,000.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) at what level, in current prices, he intends to set the rates of the recently announced job seekers allowance for an unemployed person under 25 years of age who(a) would currently qualify for unemployment benefit and (b) would currently only qualify for income support;
  203
  (2) what is the current payment to a single, unemployed person under 25 years of age if he or she (a) qualifies for unemployment benefit and (b) is able to claim only income support.

  Mr. Burt
  The rates for job seeker's allowance for those under 25 years of age will be announced at the appropriate time before April 1996. It is intended that these will be based upon income support levels. The current levels of benefit are given, with the rates that will apply from April 1994 shown in parentheses.

  An unemployed person under 25 years who qualifies solely for unemployment benefit and has no overlapping social security benefit is paid £44.65 (£45.45) a week.

  If entitled to income support, the rate of personal allowance would be £34.80 (£36.15) if aged between 18 and 24, or £26.45 (£27.50) if aged 16 or 17. The higher rate of £34.80 (£36.15) also applies to people aged 16 or 17 who are of necessity living independently.

  Disability
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the number of people in receipt of disability living allowance, for each component and attendance allowance, for each component in(a) the London borough of Newham, (b) the Wembley disability benefits centre and (c) nationally.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of disability living allowance and attendance allowance are matters for Mr. Michael Bichard, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. Tony Banks, dated 6 December 1993:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what are the number of people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DL.A), for each component and Attendance Allowance (AA), for each component in (a) the London Borough of Newham, (b) the Wembley Disability Benefits Centre (DBC) and (c) nationally.
  The information that you have requested for people in the London Borough of Newham and also for DLA payments in the area covered by Wembley DBC are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the information in the following table answers a part of your question. The latest available figures are for quarter ending 31 March 1993.

  DLA

  National

  Care Component

  Higher rate care

  206,000

  Middle rate care

  293,000

  Lower rate care

  154,000

  Total

  653,000

  Mobility Component

  Higher rate mobility

  887,000

  Lower rate mobility

  145,000

  Total

  1,032,000

  For AA there is only one component which is care, although there are two rates for which I have provided details.
  204

  National

  Wembley DBC

  Higher rate

  368,000

  51,000

  Lower rate

  522,000

  78,000

  Total

  890,000

  129,000

  All figures are provisional and are rounded to the nearest thousand.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has formed of the effect of the change in weather stations used for the calculation of the cold weather payments for Ayrshire during the recent cold spell.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of cold weather payments is a matter for Michael Bichard, the Chief Executive to the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. George Foulkes, dated 6 December 1993:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the effect of the change in weather stations used for the calculation of Cold Weather Payments for Ayrshire.
  The reason for the change of weather station for Ayrshire was the closure of the station at Prestwick. Prestwick station no longer provides any data to the Meteorological Office and it is therefore not possible to say if Prestwick would have triggered any Cold Weather Payments in the recent cold weather.
  The replacement station for that part of the mainland affected by the change (Postcodes KA1-26 and KA28-30) is Glasgow Airport. This weather station has triggered cold weather payments for the period 19 November to 25 November, when the running seven-day mean temperature was –0.3 degrees Centigrade. These payments have now been issued.
  The only part of Prestwick's old area not covered by the Glasgow weather station is the Isle of Arran (Postcode KA27), which was reassigned to the weather station at Macrihanish. Macrihanish station has not triggered any payments yet this winter. The running seven-day mean temperature ending 25 November 1993, was 3.4 degrees Centigrade.
  Information provided by the Meteorological Office is that the Glasgow station historically records lower temperatures than Prestwick and is, therefore, more likely to trigger payments. The Meteorological Office have also informed us that the weather station at Macrihanish best reflects the weather on the Isle of Arran.
  I hope that this reply has been helpful.

  "Quarterly" and "Challenge"
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the annual cost of the publication of(a) "Quarterly" and (b) "Challenge" magazines.

  Mr. Hague
  The cost of "Quarterly" magazine for the last full financial year was: £125,528.75. The estimated cost in 1993–94 is: £119,783.60.

  There has been only one issue of "Challenge" magazine, which was published at a cost of £9,500.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to announce the outcome of his review of the workings of the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Burt
  The Child Support Agency was set up to secure more maintenance, more reliably, for more children
  205
  and that is what it is doing. We have been examining the comments and concerns being raised about some of the aspects of the scheme and will consider carefully the recommendations of the Social Security Select Committee, to which a response will be given in due course.

  Income Support
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by each parliamentary constituency in the city of Birmingham the number of persons without accommodation claiming income support at the latest convenient date and 12 and 24 months earlier.

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

  Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many industrial disablement claims for asbestos-related diseases referred to special medical boards, and the numbers in which the diseases were diagnosed in each year since 1991 in the same format as tables given in reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden) of 28 January 1992,Official Report, columns 514-16.

  Mr. Scott
  [pursuant to his reply, 25 November 1993, column 174]: The information given contained a typographical error. The figure in the 1992 table for Newcastle under "References" column Dl should read 285, not 205 as shown. This does not affect the totals.

EMPLOYMENT

  Deregulation
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has made to the report on deregulation, produced by the GMB trade union, a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have seen and read the report, and have written to Mr. Edmonds, General Secretary of the General, Municipal and Boilermakers Union—GMB—in the following terms:Your letter of 18 November to the Secretary of State enclosed a copy of your document "Freedom to Kill? The Case Against Deregulation". I understand that your colleague Mr. Nigel Bryson has already received comments on your document from Frank Davies, Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and Mr. John Rimington, Director-General of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
  As you know, the review arises from an invitation from me to the HSC earlier this year, asking them to look at health and safety regulation with the aim of reducing any undue burdens which it may impose on business, especially small firms. As you said in your letter, the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act has provided a sensible framework for improvements to safety in the workplace. HSC accepted my invitation in the context of its mandate under section 1 of the Act to remove outdated, unnecessary and technologically redundant legislation from the statute book. The review builds upon and continues that work.
  I was therefore astounded to read your report's confused account of the HSC Review of Regulations. I find it surprising that the GMB should wish to mislead the public on such important work, the aim of which is to develop an even more effective health and safety legislative framework. More surprisingly still, the report makes a barely concealed attack upon the integrity of the HSC, an independent tripartite body.
  206
  I should not need to remind you that the seven Sector Task Groups, which are helping the HSC take the work of the review forward, have trade union members (including one from the GMB); and the Steering Group for the Review, under the Chairmanship of Miss Jenny Bacon, one of the HSE's Deputy Directors General, contains representatives from the TUC. It says little for your confidence in your colleagues if you endorse the conclusions of the report that there is a "hidden agenda" or "predetermined outcome."
  There is certainly no intention of increasing "freedom for employers to go back to 19th century working conditions" now, or at any time in the future. Two Press Notices were issued recently, in response to garbled Press accounts of what was supposedly in the Deregulation Bill, which made this perfectly clear.
  Indeed I believe that if people find it easier to understand their legal obligations as a result of the review of regulations currently being undertaken by HSC, they will be better able to comply —and that has to result in better health and safety standards for workers. Some employers have argued that section 1 (2) of the 1974 Act inhibits sensible legislative change. The HSC review is looking at this, and the Government will decide what if anything to do in the light of this and any other evidence. In the meantime, I await the advice of the HSC.
  HSC has already emphasised that the review needs to look not only at the substance of individual regulations but at the broader aspects of the regulatory regime. This includes: how to reduce the burden of paperwork imposed on business by health and safety regulations; the enforcement practices of HSE and local authority inspectors; and the further consolidation of all health and safety legislation to produce a simpler legislative framework designed to maintain or improve the standards of health and safety.
  Any proposals for legislative change arising from the review will themselves be subject to the usual consultation procedures. Good standards of health and safety save business money in terms of less lost production due to accidents and so on. They also prevent illness, death and injury which costs individuals and the community dear. In simplifying and clarifying the requirements of the law, a system of regulation will be created which is easier for everyone to understand and easier for employers in particular to comply with. I am disappointed that the GMB does not appear to be able to agree with that aim.

  Workplace Nurseries
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplace nursery facilities have been financially assisted from Government resources; and if he will list where each is located.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Since 1990 the Government have granted tax exemption to workplace nurseries as a benefit in kind. No figures are held as to the number of facilities thereby assisted.

  The civil service runs 40 nurseries for its employers, several joint ventures with other employers, and over 120 holiday play schemes. They are listed in the Cabinet Office's Childcare Bulletin for October 1993 which is available in the Library.

  Disabled People (Sheffield)
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what has been spent on disabled individuals in the Sheffield area over the last five years on assistance towards(a) special aids to employment, (b) adaptations to premises, (c) fares to work and (d) the personal reader scheme;

  (2) how many disabled individuals in the Sheffield area have benefited from the Government's present provision of assistance towards (a) special aids to employment, (b) adaptions to premises (c) fares to work and (d) personal reader service over the last five years.
  207
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Mrs. Helen Jackson, dated 7 December 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions to him about what has been spent on disabled individuals in the Sheffield area, and how many disabled individuals in the Sheffield area have benefitted from the Government's present provision of assistance over the last five years on assistance towards (a) special aids to employment, (b) adaptations to premises, (c) fares to work and (d) the personal reader service.
  The information you have asked for is not held centrally and I have asked my people to investigate the availability of the details you request. I will send details to you as soon as they are available.
  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.

  Disabled People (Employment Symbol)
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment his Department has carried out as to the degree to which companies who display the two-tick symbol denoting them as positive about disabled people are complying with the criteria required.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Mr. Robert Ainsworth, dated 7 December 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him about what assessment his Department has carried out into the degree to which companies who display the disability symbol are meeting the commitments expected of symbol users. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  Use of the disability symbol is a voluntary step taken by an organisation which considers that its employment practices are consistent with the commitments required of symbol users, and which wants to ensure that disabled people know this. Users must accept five commitments:
  to interview all job applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy;
  to consult disabled employees to ensure that they can develop their abilities at work;
  to take steps to retain employees who become disabled to make sure they stay in employment;
  to ensure that key employees develop the awareness of disability needed to make employers' commitments work;
  and each year, to reviewing achievements and planning improvements.
  The first four commitments are intended as a starting point for good practice, the fifth to help them monitor progress and make sure that their commitments are working in practice.
  Employers preparing to adopt the symbol are encouraged to first discuss the symbol commitments in detail with a representative of my local Employment Service Placing, Assessment and Counselling Team (PACT). The PACT will advise on ways to meet the commitments within the particular organisation and, if necessary, suggest steps to be taken before
  208
  the organisation formally adopts the symbol. Although it will be most useful for employers to call on their PACT when first preparing to adopt the symbol they may seek advice at any stage. The PACT role in monitoring employers' use of the symbol is thus one of helping rather than policing.
  As far as possible the commitments involve specific, observable actions and will be self-policing. We believe that employers are unlikely to sign up unless they intend to take them seriously. We would of course take up with a symbol user any complaint received from disabled people that the commitments were not being met in their case and if, exceptionally, it became clear that the symbol was being abused, we would ask the firm to stop using it. In the main, however, we expect to resolve difficulties through discussion to resolve any misunderstandings about what the commitments involve in practice.
  I hope this is helpful.
  As decided by the Administrative 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.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many health and safety inspectors there are in Wales; and from which locations they work.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of inspectors permanently employed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and based in Wales at 1 November 1993 was 63. The locations from which they work are HSE field operations division area and local offices in Cardiff, Wrexham, and Carmarthen.

  Car Boot Sales
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to strengthen health and safety regulations at car boot sales.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None.

  Workstart Project
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment for each workstart pilot project, what is the number of places available for unemployed people and the number actually taken up.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 December 1993]: Each of the four workstart pilots has funding to place up to 250 long-term unemployed people into employment.

  On 23 November the number of people in employment supported under workstart in each pilot area was as follows:

  Number

  South London

  40

  East Kent

  35

  Tyneside

  30

  Devon and Cornwall

  3

  The rate of take up in workstart is increasing. The Tyneside training and enterprise council (TEC) is working closely with the local employment service to match individual unemployed people to specific vacancies. The other TEC-run pilot, in Devon and Cornwall, is now adopting a similar approach to improve performance.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of time(a) males over 35 years, (b) males over 16 and under 35 years, (c) women over 16 and under 35 years and (d) women over 35 years remain unemployed.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 29 November 1993]: Analysis of the computerised records relating to claimants whose spell of unemployment was completed in the period between 10 September and 14 October gives the following median durations of unemployment: those aged between 16 and 35; males—15.7 weeks, females—11.2 weeks: those aged 35 and over; males—21.9 weeks, females—15.9 weeks.

  Analysis of a 5 per cent. sample of these same claimants shows that their mean duration of unemployment was as follows: those aged between 16 and 35; males—32 weeks, females —22.7 weeks: those aged 35 and over; males—39£9 weeks, females—29.3 weeks.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a table showing the number of vacancies in jobcentres that were(a) temporary and (b) permanent in each quarter from April 1987 in each region.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 6 December 1993]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has

  Details of permanent and temporary notified vacancies 5 April to 8 October 1993

  Period

  5 April 1993 to 2 July 1993

  5 July 1993 to 8 October 1993

  Region

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Northern region

  17,956

  4,444

  21,851

  6,457

  Yorkshire and Humberside regïon

  34,516

  6,878

  40,299

  10,857

  East Midlands and Eastern region

  40,484

  12,212

  48,768

  14,586

  London and South East region

  114,773

  25,423

  132,283

  32,726

  South West region

  36,680

  10,304

  41,138

  10,672

  Office for Wales

  26,532

  10,129

  29,583

  14,246

  West Midlands region

  34,234

  7,003

  42,991

  8,669

  North West region

  64,203

  19,902

  74,754

  26,070

  Office for Scotland

  53,278

  14,781

  58,804

  17,397

  NATIONAL TOTAL

  422,656

  111,076

  490,471

  141,680

  Details of permanent and temporary notified vacancies 6 April 1992 to 2 April 1993

  Period

  6 April 1992 to 3 July 1992

  6 July 1992 to 2 October 1992

  5 October 1992 to 8 January 1993

  11 January 1993 to 2 April 1993

  Region

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Northern region

  20,062

  3,953

  19,851

  6,431

  15,620

  4,760

  16,433

  3,631

  Yorkshire and Humberside region

  31,472

  5,039

  34,126

  6,474

  27,666

  5,555

  29,782

  4,785

  East Midlands and Eastern region

  39,191

  10,711

  41,668

  10,647

  33,762

  10,402

  35,206

  7,720

  London and South East region

  113,916

  21,371

  112,996

  24,329

  96,795

  26,871

  100,593

  21,330

  South West region

  34,577

  7,580

  32,649

  7,536

  26,009

  6,915

  31,449

  6,397

  Office for Wales

  25,888

  9,086

  25,912

  9,410

  20,419

  10,077

  22,000

  7,497

  West Midlands region

  29,982

  4,496

  33,118

  6,211

  28,113

  6,421

  30,816

  4,781

  North West region

  59,776

  15,205

  61,847

  20,745

  51,670

  18,115

  53,792

  13,674

  Office for Scotland

  51,424

  13,972

  52,808

  14,662

  44,669

  14,212

  48,053

  11,961

  National total

  406,288

  91,413

  414,975

  106,445

  334,723

  103,328

  368,124

  81,776

  210
  been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 6 December 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him asking about the number of vacancies notified to Jobcentres since April 1987. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  On 30 July, in response to an earlier question from you on this subject, I sent you details of permanent and temporary notified vacancies from April 1987 until 2 July 1993. For ease of reference this information has been repeated again in the attached tables. In addition, information has been added to cover the period 3 July 1993 to 8 October 1993.
  As I explained in my earlier letter, changes to the ES area and regional structure means that information is not available in the form requested in respect of the period April 1987 to March 1990. To obtain this information would require direct approaches to my local offices. Given the size of the ES network this would be a disproportionate cost and I am sorry I am unable to supply the detailed information for the earlier period. However, information covering Great Britain as a whole is available and this is also attached.
  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.
  211

  Details of permanent and temporary notified vacancies 5 April 1991 to 3 April 1992

  Period

  8 April 1991 to 5 July 1991

  8 July 1991 to 4 October 1991

  7 October 1991 to 3 January 1992

  6 January 1992to 3 April 1992

  Region

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Northern region

  21,480

  5,064

  21,244

  5,233

  17,089

  4,407

  19,962

  3,361

  Yorkshire and Humberside region

  32,479

  7,765

  33,383

  7,516

  25,247

  6,459

  29,559

  4,748

  East Midlands and Eastern region

  41,167

  15,916

  43,408

  13,307

  31,718

  11,084

  37,950

  7,962

  London and South East region

  109,042

  38,093

  117,659

  37,172

  89,972

  34,950

  103,478

  30,479

  South West region

  31,754

  8,847

  36,016

  8,380

  25,963

  7,141

  34,035

  7,762

  Office for Wales

  22,819

  10,893

  22,571

  13,738

  17,696

  10,071

  19,983

  11,646

  West Midlands region

  33,303

  8,258

  32,764

  8,198

  25,786

  5,698

  30,348

  4,603

  North West region

  60,575

  21,717

  62,565

  21,617

  46,056

  19,878

  55,662

  16,060

  Office for Scotland

  51,687

  15,753

  54,374

  15,543

  38,520

  14,040

  45,601

  17,818

  National total

  404,306

  132,306

  423,984

  130,704

  318,047

  113,728

  376,578

  104,439

  Details of permanent and temporary notified vacancies 9 April 1990 to 5 April 1991

  Period

  6 April 1990 to 6 July 1990

  9 July 1990 to 5 October 1990

  8 October 1991 to 4 January 1991

  7 January 1991 to 5 April 1991

  Region

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  Northern region

  28,341

  5,436

  28,945

  6,606

  19,605

  5,907

  20,236

  5,724

  Yorkshire and Humberside region

  43,905

  8,338

  45,504

  9,310

  30,055

  7,585

  30,321

  5,342

  East Midlands and Eastern region

  47,021

  11,527

  46,726

  11,893

  34,155

  9,223

  36,328

  8,013

  London and South East region

  127,503

  39,632

  119,005

  45,548

  90,485

  38,157

  96,219

  34,093

  South West region

  41,596

  10,256

  38,658

  8,266

  25,491

  6,594

  27,621

  8,976

  Office for Wales

  29,314

  10,782

  27,317

  12,694

  19,672

  9,446

  20,785

  8,646

  West Midlands region

  44,305

  5,599

  43,559

  7,999

  30,683

  6,475

  30,565

  5,388

  North West region

  76,003

  18,324

  77,683

  24,035

  55,887

  24,344

  58,109

  19,896

  Office for Scotland

  53,025

  19,769

  71,179

  2,653

  40,445

  15,932

  47,068

  17,624

  NATIONAL TOTAL

  491,103

  129,663

  498,576

  129,004

  346,478

  123,663

  367,252

  113,702

  Permanent and temporary vacancies Great Britain 3 April 1987 to 6 April 1990

  Permanent vacancies notified

  Temporary vacancies notified

  1987–88

  3 April 1987 to 3 July 1987

  468,996

  210,708

  6 July 1987 to 2 October 1987

  501,197

  227,078

  5 October 1987 to 8 January 1988

  369,122

  197,996

  11 January 1988 to 8 April 1988

  483,308

  159,501

  1988–89

  11 April 1988 to 8 July 1988

  536,813

  188,610

  11 July 1988 to 7 October 1988

  551,792

  183,931

  10 October 1988 to 6 January 1989

  431,515

  159,602

  9 January 1989 to 7 April 1989

  519,323

  129,831

  1989–90

  10 April 1989 to 7 July 1989

  1502,329

  1205,176

  10 July 1989 to 6 October 1989

  1526,374

  1204,701

  9 October 1989 to 5 January 1990

  1402,654

  1164,464

  8 January 1990 to 6 April 1990

  1475,679

  1167,130

  1Estimated.

  Giro Delivery
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what irregularities there have been in the delivery of unemployment benefit giros in the Clydebank and Milngavie area in the past month; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Letter from Mr. M Fogden to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 7 December 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him about irregularities in the delivery of Unemployment Benefit giros in the Clydebank and Milngavie area in the past month. This is something which falls within the responsibilities he has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  There have been two delays in the delivery of Unemployment Benefit giros to the Clydebank and Milngavie area in the past month. The first occurrence was on Friday 19 November and was caused by the failure of Royal Mail to ensure that the giro mail bag was loaded onto the appropriate evening flight from Heathrow Airport. This mail was delivered by first post on Monday 22 November.

  213
  The second failure was on Friday 26 November and was due to adverse weather conditions (fog) at Heathrow. There were many flight delays on that Friday evening due to the fog. Mail as a consequence had to be transferred onto the Saturday morning flight.
  As both delays occurred on a Friday, when mail arrived at the sorting/delivery offices on Saturday morning it has missed the first and only delivery of the day.
  As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to 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.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by what method unemployment benefit giros are delivered to the Clydebank and Milngavie area.

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

  Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 7 December 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him about the method of delivery of Unemployment Benefit giros in the Clydebank and Milngavie area. This is something which falls within the responsibilities he has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  Unemployment Benefit giros are delivered by Royal Mail via the first class postal system. UB giros are handed to Royal Mail ready for sorting and despatch from the Computer Centre in Reading by noon on the day prior to delivery to the client.
  From this point on the responsibility for the delivery of Unemployment Benefit giros lies with Royal Mail.
  Any failure on their part to deliver the girocheques on time are the subject of immediate representation on our part for an investigation as to the clause.
  As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive Replies to 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.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to improve the delivery of giros to the Clydebank and Milngavie area.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  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.
  214
  Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 7 December 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write direct to you to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him about the steps taken to improve the delivery of unemployment benefit giros in Clydebank and Milngavie area. This is something which falls within the responsibilities he has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  Strong representations have been made to Royal Mail and through them to their third parties, British Airways and British Midland to ascertain what steps needed to be taken to ensure consistent delivery of girocheques to our Scottish clients. As a consequence, an agreement has been reached with Royal Mail and British Airways for girocheques to be treated as priority security mail. This means that they will be placed on the first available flight out of Heathrow to Scotland rather than await the regular scheduled 18.00 hours flight as had previously been the case.
  We will be monitoring this new arrangement closely to ensure girocheques are delivered on time to our clients in Scotland.
  As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to 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.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what rights are conveyed by the citizens charter in respect of the late or unpredictable payment of benefits.

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

  Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 7 December 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him about what rights are conveyed by the Citizen's Charter in respect of the late or unpredictable payment of benefits. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  It may be helpful if I explain that the policy of the Employment Service is to issue a prompt replacement whenever a girocheque is reported not received, lost, stolen, or destroyed unless there is reason to doubt the report is genuine.
  The ES is currently in the process of updating the Jobseeker's Charter, and the above girocheque replacement policy will be reflected within it.
  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 place a copy of this letter in the library of the House.

  ENHANCED STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT FACILITY: UK CONTRIBUTION
  ENHANCED STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT FACILITY: UK CONTRIBUTION
  SALE OF GOODS ACT 1893, SECTION 138: EFFECT
  SALE OF GOODS ACT 1893, SECTION 138: EFFECT
  EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
  EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
  INTERIOR AND JUSTICE COUNCIL 29 AND 30 NOVEMBER
  INTERIOR AND JUSTICE COUNCIL 29 AND 30 NOVEMBER
  GASTRIC SYMPTOMS: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT COSTS
  GASTRIC SYMPTOMS: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT COSTS
  HEALTH SERVICES MANAGEMENT: COSTS
  HEALTH SERVICES MANAGEMENT: COSTS
  A.34: TRAFFIC FLOWS
  A.34: TRAFFIC FLOWS
  AIRLINE FLIGHT CREW: CASES OF HIV INFECTION
  AIRLINE FLIGHT CREW: CASES OF HIV INFECTION
  PENSIONS: GOODE REPORT DISCUSSION PAPERS
  PENSIONS: GOODE REPORT DISCUSSION PAPERS
  REGENT'S PARK BARRACKS: GARAGE
  REGENT'S PARK BARRACKS: GARAGE
  KOSOVO: ETHNIC ALBANIANS
  KOSOVO: ETHNIC ALBANIANS
  UN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: RESOURCES
  UN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: RESOURCES
  UN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: MANDATES
  UN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: MANDATES
  SPECIAL PROCEDURES SECTION
  SPECIAL PROCEDURES SECTION